30/52

 

Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

Been in a baking kick this past week.  Every few months I get in a sourdough mood – I need to be home for at least two days in a row – and not stressed about other things!  I was craving sourdough grilled cheese (with tomato soup) for lunch tomorrow.  Ya need to start early with sourdough!  And then, I’d always wanted to try Breadchick’s Sourdough Sweet Rolls with Butter Crème Frosting.

 

I cheated just a bit in the rising times and used a warmed oven to speed things along.  Above is the rising, below is the done and ready to eat.  Frosted with orange flavored butter crème frosting…MMMMMMmmmmmm.

Dash, Eric and Grandpa Green Acres started the wheat harvest today.  Eric was disappointed with the yield on the winter wheat thus far, but the protein is super high.  We have entered the Fall Lunch-Box season.

The oldest three boys and Eric headed into LaMoure for a haircut this morning.  Louis had his haircut at home, via the in-house barber.  Not too bad!  Darn he’s cute!!

Before and After VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Angelina and I canned cherries on Thursday.  They turned out OK; I think there are at least two jars she’ll be able to exhibit for 4-H (might need the Grandmas to pre-judge!).  Some skins split, even though we pricked each with a pin … guess we’ll have to use something bigger to do the pricking next time.  And then, some floated up and are touching the seal; big no-no for showing/exhibiting.  Neither of these problems affect the taste of the cherries, thank goodness.

Wednesday DayLook: July 27, 2011

Looking out from my back porch... The grass is freshly cut and the garden is almost fully weeded (had about 2 feet left before I got rained out of the garden yesterday!).

I am thankful... the thunderstorms have been small and passed quickly without serious wind or hail.

I am reading… only time for reading newspapers and cookbooks.

I am hearing...Louis jabbering to himself and the St. Gerard statue he’s holding.

I am wearing… brown capris, a navy t-shirt, flip-flops.

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)…the room is clean, but alas only laundry has been happening.

From the school room... fully prepped and prepared for our ‘after Labor Day’ start.  The room has been rearranged to my satisfaction and the largest piles (some two years old) have been sorted/filed/stored/trashed.

From the kitchen... Chocolate Sheet Cake, two Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cakes, Tropical fruit bread, and Mini-Chocolate Chip scones.  (I’m getting ready for harvest and LUNCHES!!)  And, I picked up 80 lbs. cherries – both Bing and Rainier – from the fruit truck about 35 minutes from our home.  Cost is approx. $2/lb vs. over $4 in store, so the drive is well worth it.  I plan to can at least half.  The rest will be eaten and shared with my MIL.  The flavor is absolutely wonderful.

From the Garden…  the green beans are in full production mode, and the zucchini are starting to produce.  I’m having trouble with blossom end rot on the zucchini due to the wet conditions.  The sweet peas have started to bloom.

From the FarmYard…  the Ameraucana chicks are soooo beautiful.  Their feather colors are  varied and it’s just been fun to see them develop.  However, they love to fly the coop!  Hubby and I fenced their pen higher, but they STILL find a way to fly to the top of the chicken wire.  Pretty soon, they’ll just fly over and join the Buffs, Barred Rocks, and broilers.

I’m praying for… 1) Louis and Dash who have colds with slight fevers (Dash is at the end of his illness – Louis’ fever broke slightly this morning).  2) That I’ll lose my ‘thirst’ for soda/pop.

A successful moment… a baby gift and a book promised to friends (both should have been sent months ago!) were sent by mail.

A few plans for the rest of the week…

Thursday-Friday: Weed the gardens, bake scones and a coffee cake, pick beans, roast two chickens and pull the meat, can cherries.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday:   Clean house, create flexible menu plans for the next two months, help the kids complete their 4-H animal record books.

A picture memory...

Family day trip to the Buffalo Museum and Frontier Village in Jamestown on Monday, July 25.

World’s largest Buffalo.  Yours truly is taking the pictures, but all the other rascals are accounted for.  Graham looks like he’s ready for a race … that’s pretty much what I did for the rest of the visit.  Race with the stroller to keep up with Angelina, Graham and Zeke.  You know how kids are at a museum!  Well, maybe yours like to take their time and read everything.  By the time I’d get to an exhibit and just look at everything … that’s not even taking time to read ANYTHING! … they’d be off and running to the next building.  At least most of the viewing was free.  The museum’s charge was $10/family.  That’s a great price.

 

This preserve is also home to the famous white buffalo.  Can you see the speck off in the distance??  We didn’t get to see it close up, either.  I should probably show this pic to the kids so they can say, “I was there when mom took this picture of the white buffalo!”

The viewing magnifier was free and the stage coach below was a huge hit with Graham and Louis.

Kids love to be locked in the old time jails. 

The Caboose was fun, too.  I stayed with the stroller, but assume it was cool because the kids stayed in there longer than most of the other exhibits.

 

Well, the park day trip wouldn’t be complete without a couple of these type of pictures. 

So long everyone!  We finished the trip by taking the kids out to eat at Paradiso.  The kids were very well behaved.  Thank goodness!

29/52

Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

While Zeke and Angelina were at Young Disciples VBS this week, Graham participated in the Holy Heroes Summer Faith Adventure.  He and Dash made these stained glass cookies for their cooking session one day.  They were huge, but I told Dash he was in charge and NOT to ask questions of me!  That may be a little dreadful, but I wanted Dash to be in charge and to ‘take charge’ of the sessions (and I wanted just a wee bit of free time during the day).  He did a great job and Graham enjoyed his special time with big brother.

Louis enjoyed bubble wrap.  I’m usually a saver, but I have enough styro-foam peanuts and bubble wrap to last through at least two Christmas’.  It’s time to let go and let them enjoy!

The bread machine preps the dough and it’s baked in my stoneware.  I just don’t like the paddle hole in the bottom on my loaves, and the bread shape from the pan fits the toaster sooo much better.  Below are the Baker Boy buns I purchase frozen from the meat locker.  They are fantastic and less expensive than buying in store.

I was paying attention during the Baptism, so the pics are all from afterwards.  Sarah’s brother, Fr. Anderl officiated.  He’s holding Juliette with Curt and Sarah on either side.

Eric and I are Godparents to Juliette Rose.  She’s the sweetest little one and was a joy to hold.  Proud mama, Sarah, myself and Juliette.

Afterwards, we headed over to the Grant home to celebrate.  Curt was an awesome chef – beer-poached & pulled chicken (I’m definitely going to try this recipe … he found it on Rachel Ray), patio potatoes, oreo cookie salad, fresh fruit salad.  Then they topped it off with a wonderful cake from a bakery in Fargo.  Were talking the cake was baked and frosted THAT morning.  We all enjoyed the evening.  Thank you for asking us to be Godparents!!! We are honored.
 

School stuff

I thought I was done planning and purchasing…

but was prompted to make a somewhat major change in plans for Zeke.  He’s eight and will be studying mostly third grade material this Fall.  However, I’ve never been completely happy with the third grade History in the MODG Third Grade Syllabus.  Dash was completely bored and Angelina followed it because I hadn’t time (new baby) to search for a replacement. 

Years ago – like 6 or 7 when CHC first started coming out with lesson plans – a couple CHC lesson plans were purchased.  I like to have the material in hand and ‘study’ it to see if it fits!  Each was opened, placed in a binder, and thoroughly looked through.  And then, they sat on my shelf because MODG fit our family better.  I sold one (it could have been two) and kept the third and fourth grade specifically because I liked the History, Religion, and Science sections.  The LP’s also sat because they’re consumable!  In my logic, I didn’t want to use part of the plan and have something half-used sitting in my house … can’t really sell it, but can’t really use it for another child.  To me, these are an ‘all or nothing’ type of lesson plan.  I’m not saying they can’t be used another way, it’s just the way they ‘feel’ to me.

This year, Zeke is using the Third Grade Lesson Plans from CHC (my LP cover doesn’t look like this one because it’s OLD) for Reading, History, Art Appreciation, Science, Language Arts: Language of God and My Catholic Speller B.  The upside is that I already own the lesson plans and ‘Behold & See 3’, thus only needed to purchase the speller and ‘Little Apostle on Crutches’.  He’ll make use of all consumable parts of the LP.  Problems solved; well at least the problem of having un-used material sit on my shelf…

So, now I THINK I’m really done with the planning and prepping and purchasing!

Weather effects and affects

The weather this summer sure has been interesting.  While we’ve had storms cross our farm and fields, they’ve done nothing worse than lay the wheat down and drop a lot of rain.  The wheat won’t ripen as evenly and will be harder to combine, but we will still have a crop.

The EF3 tornado that ripped through 6 (some reports say 9, but included uninhabited farmsteads) farms with varying amounts of damage occurred 15 to 20 miles from our home.  We were watching the storm all evening because it was originally tracking right through our farm.  The kids were sent to the basement, but when the track changed, we called them up for supper.  We didn’t find out, until the next day, how damaging the storm had been.

A rancher in the area lost around 200 cattle due to the excessive heat.  The cattle had access to water, and they tried to get help to spray the cattle down, but all this action … the storm and excessive heat… were happening at the same time.  The heat and humidity have been stifling for animals and humans.  Another farmer was able to get the fire department out to help cool his cattle down … access to running water, (a garden hose won’t cut it), near the cattle is the issue. 

We’ve been able to keep our hogs and sheep cool by spraying with water and running fans, but we have a small number and access to water near the barn.  And thankfully, the overhead fan in the Wahoo works!  It’s helped tremendously in keeping the chicks cool in this heat and we haven’t lost any to date.

And a haboob in AZ??  Do these normally happen in the US??  If they do, I’m too far North to have heard about it, I guess.

We are not done with the heat and humidity.  Stay cool everyone!

28/52

Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

And these are the only pictures taken during the week.  Louis has been very entertained, lately, by ‘things that go’ …. trains, trucks, cars, riding toys.  He’s at the age where he’ll play quietly, as long as he’s right by or within sight of mom.

Friday DayLook: July 15, 2011

 

Looking out from my back porch... it’s wet and green.   

I am thankful for...the rain we’ve received because the garden needed watering several times last week and we’d gotten used to the weather taking care of that task.

I am reading…at the prompting of a good friend, ‘Experience Grace in Abundance’ by Johnnette Benkovic has moved to the top of the pile.  We are considering this book for our women’s group in the coming year and we both agreed to pre-read it.

I am hearing...the kids talking/playing in the basement.

I am wearing…denim capris and a salmon colored t-shirt; french braided hair today.

From the school room... piles galore on my desk and a list of tasks to complete before the start of the school year.  Finished entering Dash’s lesson plans in Homeschool Tracker and finished planning out the daily syllabus for each student. 

From the kitchen... tuna salad croissants are planned for lunch.  For supper, it depends on my ambition!  It’ll either be pan-fried fish (ambitious me) or oven baked fish (UN-ambitious me) … either way, I should take the fish out of the freezer to thaw!

From the Garden…the peas are maturing, beans have lots of blossoms, and I pulled out the Chinese cabbage because it started to go to seed.  I need to read up on growing Chinese cabbage… I think it needs to be tied up or covered with dirt.  We should be able to harvest a couple summer squash very soon.

From the FarmYard…the Ameraucana chicks were moved to the Wahoo, laying hens were wormed, rabbit ear mites are being treated, and the broiler chickens have about a month to go before harvest.  We have arrangements to acquire a new mini-rex buck on Monday!

Successful moments… another section of the Wahoo was cleaned, all the daylilies and irises were dug from my in-laws’ garden (on the to-do list for three years!) and replanted in our flower bed, Dash put together the new stacking rabbit pens.

The week in review…
Monday: TKD and errands.

Tuesday:  Mostly at home.

Wednesday: Ortho appt for Dash in Fargo.  We also visited the Grant family to see/hold my newest God-daughter – Juliette!  She’s adorably tiny.

Thursday: Eric took the kids to TKD and I stayed home to catch up on bills.

Friday:  We are staying home and just working around the house/garage/farm.

A picture memory... pics from Grandma & Grandpa’s Green Acres’ 50th Anniversary Celebration!

Norwegian Kranse Kake, above.

The siblings and families gave this commissioned artwork to their parents/grandparents.  It shows the farm when they first moved out in the upper right and the home as it is today in the lower left.

 

26 & 27/52

Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

 

These photos are from the July 4th storm.  They were taken at night and are ‘light’ because of the lightning.  What a show … glad we were miles from the clouds.

 

I asked the local florist to make up an arrangement for my table during the 50th Anniversary celebration.  They were gorgeous and we are still enjoying quite a few of them today!

The first fire in our fire-pit.

Louis loves riding around in his own pick-up.

The Ameraucana chicks have started to ‘fly the brooder’!  So, Dash cleaned out another section of the Wahoo for these little guys.  They are only 2 weeks old, but needed higher walls and more space.

 

Summer wouldn’t be as much fun without a smores party.  The kids had been begging for days and we finally were home on a gorgeous evening.

 

Didn’t I tell you this sill kid was always running after Bella’s tail…caught him in the act a couple times.

Splash splash in the outside pool for these three boys. 

The latest creature caught in our window well.  I think it’s a muskrat.

I’ve never had success growing Morning Glories, but this one (above) is absolutely beautiful.  Makes me want to walk out by the garage every morning to see the new flowers.  The clematis (below) is stunning, too.  So fun to have a different batch of flowers throughout the seasons.