Sunday - A Day of Rest?

Sunday is suppose to be a day of rest.  We don't get many days of rest around here.  Got up, and checked the computer.  Daughter #3 called to verify I was meeting her to pick up Grandboy.  We met at McDonalds at 9:30, and then were on our way to church.  Daughter #2 and her male friend, and Daughter #1 were in church also.  Our pew was pretty full.  After church, we came home for lunch.  Then back to church for a bridal shower.  Tried to get Grandboy to take a nap, but that didn't work, so he came with me to the shower.  Now we are home.  I think spaghetti is on the menu for dinner.  A lot to do today, and this week as well.  Tonight I still need to write two posts for this week that I want to link to other blogs.  I need to get caught up on my Bible in 90 Days.  I need to make a schedule for this week.  And I need to work on the FEMA papers that are due tomorrow.  I didn't find time to located a fan for the kitchen.  Oh well, it is cooler outside today anyway.

Pappy froze some eggs for me, and made peach juice for wine.  Wine making will wait for a cooler day. When you make wine at home, I don't think it ends up being that alcoholic.  But it tastes good, and uses up the fruit juice.  This will be our third year to make wine. Tomorrow Pappy and Grandboy are taking cows to the sale.  I believe we are suppose to be cutting hay this week also.

Pappy told me he wished the computer would blow up.  He doesn't understand how this could possibly be a future source of income for me.  I'm not certain how to feel about that.  I'm trying very hard to let my husband be the leader of our family.  Since he retired he has a lot more time to be involved in things he was never involved in before.  Maybe we are having growing pains!  We are probably just having a bad day.  Hope you're week is blessed, and I get on a better schedule.  One that does not annoy my husband!  Thanks for stopping by!  Honey

Saturday Happenings on the Farm

Hi! Welcome to our home.  We are so glad you stopped by.  Saturdays are always busy here on the Farm.  Friday night, Pappy's niece and great niece stopped in for a visit on their was to Texas.  We had a nice visit, and the Great Niece was so taken with Mikey the kitten and the baby rabbits.  Her Mom said she talked about the animals all evening! 

Other visitors were some children from church.  A brother and sister group came to spend the night.  We had a "staycation".  I think they had a nice time.  They roamed the farm, looking at all the animals.  The Boy kept catching ducks!  They helped fix dinner, and watched TV.  This morning after breakfast, daughter #1 and I took them to the thrift store for half price day.  They enjoyed the bargain hunt!  After the shopping, daughter #1 took the kids out for lunch.  When they returned home, daughter #1 highlighted the girl's hair.  She got permission from their Dad first.  The girl was so happy with the results.  While the girl was getting her hair done, the boy was picking up peacock feathers.  He then proceeded to decorate Grandboy's tractor.  I've never seen such a festive tractor.  Have you?  Then they had a snack and went home.  We had a nice visit, and I hope they enjoyed it as well as we did.

Pappy is putting up the last of the goat milk to make cheese.  The goats are drying up early this year.  I guess it may be the heat.  I've been experimenting with freezing eggs for the winter.  In the winter our hens don't lay, but during the summer we have plenty.  So I hope to be able to get through the winter without having to buy eggs.

Stop back by tomorrow.  We look forward to seeing you then.  Honey

HOT! Hanging Out the Laundry and Cooking Outside

                                             (One of our two clothes lines here on the farm)

Good Morning friends,

Welcome back to the farm.  We are so glad you stopped by, and look forward to spending some time with you!  Yesterday it was so HOT here!  It was 92 degrees with 100% humidity.  The heat index was around 105.  I was melting most of the afternoon!  That's why the first thing I do each afternoon when I come in is to make a gallon of sweet tea.  You know how southerners are about their tea!  Also, to keep the house from being so hot, I hung out the Grandboy's clothes on one of our clothesline, which I usually do; and cooked dinner outside.  This I do occasionally, but not everyday.  If it stays this hot, I will start! 

Yesterday was the most unusual day.  I got a text from Daughter #3 at 5:30 that morning saying the Grandboy needed to go to daycare.  Usually when he is here he stays all day.  What almost-three-year-old boy wouldn't want to be on a farm?  But yesterday she decided she wanted him to go to daycare.  Pappy wasn't feeling well, so I didn't argue.  I had to get Grandboy some clothes out, pack his "pack pack" as he calls it, and fix his snack.  I asked Daughter #2 to take him to daycare, since she didn't have to be in class till 10:00.  She agreed, because Grandboy was asleep when she got home and she wanted to spend time with him.  I was running about 10 minutes late, so I called my boss and said I would be a few minutes late.  I was about 10 miles from home, almost at the interstate, when Daughter #1 called.  She had a fender bender, and was upset.  So I called the office, checked in again, and turned around to see about Daughter #1.  Then Daughter #3 called to say her teeth hurt and she needed to see the dentist.  I wondered if the day would ever end?  I got to work about an hour late, but all was well at home. 

I left work early to go the the FEMA event I mentioned yesterday.  I thought it was a lecture, but it was a "stop in and chat" kind of thing.  So I missed a little more work (when I really could have waited till I got off), only stayed at FEMA about 20 minutes, then was on my way home to check on the family again.  Not my run-of-the-mill day.

When I cooked dinner, I set up a single electric eye on the carport.  I got everything ready and started a pot of potato soup out there.  The soup was made of potatoes, onion, water, milk, butter, and velveta.  It turned out really good, and the kitchen didn't turn into a steam bath!  Pappy thought this soup would taste good to him since he was under the weather.  We also had cornbread (from scratch, my suggestion) and dumplings (his request, again).  This weekend I'm going to poke around the farm, and find a fan for the kitchen.  Hopefully I won't have to steal it from the rabbit house.  Pappy wouldn't like that because the male rabbits won't breed if they are too hot! 

It was raining and thundering outside last night.  Maybe it will be cooler today.  Stop back by when you're in the neighborhood!  Honey

Bible in 90 Days - Day 3 - And Farm Living

Hello friends! Welcome back to the Farm. We are so glad you came. Not a whole lot going on here today. Blackberries are about gone. Grapes are coming a long, but still green. The plums are done. We still have green beans, squash, and cucumbers in the garden. I'll be working on that this weekend. Along with our FEMA package. Since we were in the tornado in April, we are eligible to apply for loans and grants. The deadline for turn in is Monday. I'm going to a FEMA workshop tomorrow.

Today the Grandboy came for church and to spend the night. His mom, daughter #3, got a second job, and she is working tonight. He is very taken with popcorn, the Happy Birthday song, and asking "Why". The last item is very annoying. He doesn't just ask one time. No, it is always three times. Why that is, I don't know. I don't remember this so much with our girls. Tonight Grandboy let the rabbits loose. The dachshund and kitten hunted one down and made a meal of it. That was not pleasant. I hope that doesn't happen again!

When I got off work at 2:00 today, I had a 2:30 appointment to pick up rent. I met with two tenants, in total. And got one rent envelope in the post office box. The I picked up Grandboy and came home.

He is conked out now. I hope he sleeps till about 5:00.

Hope everyone has a blessed week! Come again soon! Honey

Open Heart Open Home - Chapters 5 and 6

Welcome to our home! I'm so glad you could come, and I hope you are able to stay and visit with us awhile! Today I am going to talk to you about the book Open Heart Open Home by Karen Mains. This book is being discussed over at The Common Room. You may want to stop by and check out what everyone has to say.

Chapter 5 is about being a Servant. What stood out to me in this chapter is the story that tells of a Ladies group working on a big project. One of the members was in need. She stated to the group she was in need. And not one lady helped her. Sometimes it is easy to do good deeds for those we don't know. It is harder if it is a person standing beside us, someone we know. Some people want to think the receiving person will be embarrassed if we reach out. But I think really, the giver may be embarrassed. They may be afraid of not doing enough, or just simply may not know what to do. But if this happens, we should pray that we respond as God would have us to. We should give what we have, and give it cheerfully.

Chapter 6 is called On Serving and Being Served. I remember when my children were little, we went to a small church and every Christmas season the church went caroling and then went to one of the Elder's home for hot chocolate and finger foods. My girls were probably 3, 4, and 4. Maybe younger. But I remember we got there, and the his wife had a beautiful spread in her dining room. She wanted everyone to be in the dining room together, on her White Carpet! I remember panicking. I asked her could I have some towels, and let my children and I eat in the kitchen. She was mortified. I tried to explain to her that the girls would make an awful mess on her white carpet. She kept telling me she didn't mind, she didn't think ahead about this. I knew she was very particular, and I just couldn't deal with it. My girls and I ate in the kitchen, sitting on the floor, and then joined everyone else. Looking back, maybe I didn't handle the situation correctly. I should have gone along with her plan, and prayed hard! Maybe I should have let her "serve us". But I was young, and so worried about what others thought of my gang of girls. Probably no one remembers this instance except me. I hope not any way.

But back to serving others. I have offered to help people in need before, and rarely do they accept my offer. About the only time I can think of someone accepting are for meals to be brought in. Also one other time a young husband in our church passed away suddenly. I called the mother and offered to keep their two daughters, about 5 and 8. The girls came, and stayed several days. It was a surprise, but they were no trouble at all. I felt at that time that I was really able to help the family in a difficult time.

Come back tomorrow. We'll be here! Honey

Media Monday: Media and Our Walk with God

I am following a new series at Women Living Well called Media Monday. This series is about how the social media and Internet type activities in general affect our lives today. The age we live in has appliances and apps to perform just about any duty or action we need. We can hire people to do what ever we want. Accountants, lawn services, house keepers, you name it. But still we are rushed. We live in one of the most stressful times ever. With all the time saving devices we have today, we have trouble fitting in the things in our lives that are most important. Quality time with our children, alone time with our husbands, worship time with our Lord. The easier our life is supposed to be, the harder it seems it is to make time for the important things.

With progress, comes distraction. Computers allow us to talk to friends and relatives far away in a second, but we forget to spend time with the people in the same room with us. We can schedule a trip on line, but we forget to spend real time in The Word.

The Internet has really opened my eyes spiritually. I never knew that Christianity could look so different, and have so many different beliefs until I started spending time with others in blogland. I have an access to meet like-minded women who share my beliefs and feel the same way I do about important things. That is hard to do in real life sometimes. The Internet makes comparing several versions of scripture so much easier than it would have been just a few years ago. But sometimes we get distracted too easily by what our friends posted they are having for dinner, or by playing the latest video game.

Phones buzz and ring anywhere and everywhere, even church! I feel drawn to check my texts in church, because I have young adult children, and I think "what if they are hurt and need me?" But for eons of time, people have been able to sit through an hour service without being in touch with the outside world. I need to work on this distraction in my own life.

My husband and I make a conscious effort to limit our time on the Internet. My husband would laugh at that statement, because he never gets on the Internet. But we have boundaries to protect our family and our marriage from the distractions found in this world bombarded with media and the like. I think we all need to be extra careful to "Seek first the kingdom of God" and the put our families next. I plan to think about this over the next coming weeks. Maybe you will decide to, too.

Open Heart, Open Home: Chapters 3 and 4

I'm sorry, but I am very late in taking part in this post. We had company for the 4Th. ALOT of company! But it was a lot of fun. It seems the older I get, the longer it takes to recover from things like that. But that is OK. I believe that I relaxed and enjoyed this more than I usually do. I tend to fret a lot and want everything to be perfect. But this time I let some things go, and it all worked out OK.

Over at the Common Room, the Head Mistress posted some questions we could use if we chose. I'm going to use them, because I feel like I tend to not comment on the chapter so much if I just ramble.

Question 1. What does the Holy Spirit have to do with your hospitality? I pray each day that I will recognize the opportunities the the Lord and the Holy Spirit put before me. Too often, too many people confuse "entertaining" with "hospitality". I think entertaining should be a part of hospitality, but hospitality is done because we recognize a need in some one's life. Even if it is inconvenient, hospitality should still be offered. There is always need, and opportunities will become apparent to us if we are open to them.

Question 2. Is, "I don't have the gift of hospitality" a valid reason for a Christian not to practice hospitality? No. Many times in the Bible God has put tasks before someone that they did not want to do. But they still had to do it, and God showed them a way. God sees in us talents that we don't realize we have. But regardless, if the need of hospitality is there, the recipient will not care if you are not "good" at it. They will just be glad you offered and shared what you have.

This just happened in my own kitchen, just this afternoon. I heard knocking, and a neighbor couple was knocking on my door. The next thing I know my husband was leading them inside to sit in my kitchen because it was too hot to visit outside. I looked at them before they even got inside and said "I'm glad you came by. Please have a seat, just don't look at my dirty house!" They laughed and acted as if I were joking. But I proceeded to pick up, rearrange, and wash dishes the whole time they were here. We had a big gathering at our home on the 4Th of July. We are still putting up platters and large bowls we only use for times like that. Plus, even thought dishes had been done that night and the next day, we are still gathering bowls, and glasses, etc, to be washed and put away. I had it on my list today to work on the kitchen, but the neighbors arrived just as I was getting in from church. My husband apologized later, and explained to me what had happened. I told him that it was perfectly fine. I would rather the kitchen been neat, but I was doing a Bible study on hospitality and I could not allow my pride to keep me from offering to share with our neighbors. My husband is not a believer (Christian) yet. I think he was impressed that I would swallow my pride in the middle of a kitchen of dirty dishes and make these friends feel welcome. Maybe this was one of the days that the "Lord worked in mysterious ways" in my home.

I think the older I get it is easier to offer hospitality to others. I don't know if it is because we have more to offer, we have more room now, I have no small children, or because I'm just more comfortable with who I am. But what ever the reason, I find it easier at this stage of my life.

Question 3: How do you develop the gift of hospitality? The only way I know to develop the gift of hospitality is to be hospitable. Practice makes perfect, I always told my children. It will get easier the more we do it. As my children got older, they sometimes would be quicker to notice a hospitality need. When they would ask me about it, I never wanted to discourage this action in my children, so I always tried to make an effort to offer hospitality, even if I wouldn't have on my own. I wanted my children to know that with God, we can do anything!

Before you have people in your home, it would be a good idea to pray about the evening and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and show you how to proceed. I think wonderful things will happen if this path is taken.

If something comes up and you feel led to ask someone to dinner, do it. Don't worry if you haven't cooked enough. I'm sure there is something you can add to make enough for dinner, Everything will work out fine. Recently I asked some children what they were doing after Easter service. They said "nothing - there is nothing to do!". I said go ask your Grandma if you can come home with me. So they did, and our egg hunt for one Grandboy stretched easily for four other children. They didn't care what we ate. Regardless it was festive, and something they weren't going to do at home. So I felt glad I could share with them, and wished I had planned it from the start.

I look forward to the next chapters in this book, and will try to be more prompt in the future!

Please come back to see us. Love, Honey