Out of the Ordinary Saturday

It has been an interesting but fun last couple of days.  Before hubby left for work on Thursday morning he said, “oh by the way, we are having a wedding here Saturday!”  I wasn’t totally surprised as I knew a friend was considering asking him to perform their vows for her and her fiancé since all wedding plans had to be canceled due to the virus.  This date was chosen for a very special reason and rather than postpone till later, they decided to get married now and have a celebration later when things settle down.  They were willing to stand somewhere in the yard to do their vows.  As I knew it was supposed to be rainy, I told them to plan on being in the house in front of the fireplace.  The bride was thrilled and that started my planning mind, spinning like no one else’s business!  A spur-of-the-moment wedding!  I’m on it!!  If I had been asked to do it, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it near as much but to bless the bride and groom with more than they had resigned themselves to, I was thrilled.  They are expecting nothing so anything done was appreciated.  Simplicity is beautiful so my ideas began to flow and it was fun.  I put the most time and effort into making a very small cake.  They were pleasantly surprised.  A little clearing back of the furniture for taking a few pictures, a little music in the background, candles, pleasant fragrance, and we were good to go.  I was in my element!  Once again, it was about making the best out of the circumstances; doing the best with as little cost as possible in the amount of time given to work with.  My sister-in-law and I were the photographers as well so after they left, I sent the order in for prints and it is waiting  to be picked up!  What ever happened to the days of the expensive pictures that we weren’t impressed with?  We had a special time today.

The rest of the afternoon was quiet and relaxing.  I hope this hasn’t been a boring post.  Just sharing life.  Have a great rest of your weekend!  I’ll be back.

Desarae

 

A Breath of Spring

I laughed at these little Daffodils when hubby brought them home.  Someone had stopped by the office and dropped them off the day before he brought them home so they were without water for over 24 hours.  They were just wilted buds when I put them in water.  I had almost thrown them out!  I was shocked to see that they opened up!

Yesterday I had several irons in the fire which is always scary but I managed to keep from ruining anything.  I had cultured fresh cream that was ready for making into butter so I started that.  When that was done I started a batch of Natural Yeast Bread so it could be rising while I started laundry and checked on the sap.  The sap was flowing well enough that I emptied buckets again in early afternoon!  While cleaning up the kitchen I started some stew for tomorrow night’s dinner.  I managed to squeeze a little nap in before starting dinner.  Hubby was home early so he stoked the sap fire and checked the buckets again.  While waiting for him to come in for dinner I decided to make some Blueberry Banana Bread.  It was really good with a little homemade ice cream on it for an after dinner treat.  In case you are looking for the recipe it is as follows:  1/3 c. soft butter creamed with 2/3 c. honey.  Add in 2 eggs and 1c. mashed ripe bananas.  Mix well.  Combine 1c. Coconut flour, 1c. All Purpose Flour, 2 tsp Baking Powder and 1/2 tsp Baking Soda together before adding to the moist ingredients.  When all mixed together, fold in 1c. Blueberries and 1/2 c. Walnuts.  Pour into a well greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Check with a knife or toothpick and bake a few more minutes if needed or until the knife comes out clean.  While still warm, slather with a very very thick portion of the homemade butter or top with homemade ice cream!  Yum.

Today I managed to get outside and begin cleaning up winter’s mess.  I will hopefully get back out there tomorrow.  I am really amazed at how quickly the raking goes.  It really doesn’t take as much time as I always think it will.  And it is such good exercise.  I’m hoping to get the majority of it done before the grass starts growing, making it too hard to rake.  It’s amazing to see all the things that appear to be trying to come up and it’s not even April!!  I have never raked this early before!  And I’m not complaining:)

I need to go.  Much to read in preparation for any gardening I may work on this year.   Hope your day was great.

Desarae

Little Helpers

With the things that are going on in this ol’ world it is beautiful beyond words to head to the barn in the morning, only to hear the geese, the Robins, Mourning Doves, Cardinals, another little bird I haven’t identified yet, and even the Starlings.  Yes, I name them last because hey are not a bird we appreciate around here.  Isn’t it amazing though, even their chattering brings a tickle in the heart as it signifies Spring’s determination to break through.

Yesterday we received notice that the governor was mandating everyone to stay home unless you were going to get groceries or going to one of the jobs that have been approved to stay open.  There are a few other exceptions but for the most part, its a lockdown.  I’m enjoying it!  I don’t like it that certain things have to change but I see it as an opportunity to get some things underway that often get put on the back burner with interruptions or just everyday events that change plans.   Daughter #4 made a flying trip to the grocery store so I kept the kids.  Since driving the “bee truck” is the most exciting thing to them, we drove around the yard picking up sticks and putting them in the back.  Then we took them to the burn pile.  It is so neat to see them learn on something that they can safely drive yet feel they are responsible for something important and valuable.  I know they will remember these times forever. Even the littlest one at three, doesn’t want “any helwp dwiving.”

We are boiling more sap.  I’m hoping and praying we will really get a good amount of sap this week as temperatures are supposed to be good for it.  Hopefully it won’t start turning dark before we get another barrel full.  It is absolutely amazing to me how much sap just a few trees will produce.  I put up three gallons of syrup on Saturday.  Once it was finished outside, I brought it in and strained it into clean and hot quart jars.  I keep them in the upper oven at about 200 degrees.  After placing the prepared lids and rings on, I place the jars into the lower oven which is set at about 225 degrees.  I leave the filled jars in the oven at least 45 minutes.  After removing the jars from the oven and placing them on a towel, it isn’t long before I start hearing the ping of jars sealing.

Sunday morning we had the two local daughters and families come for breakfast.  We fired up the cookstove and made sausage, bacon, and pancakes.  I had baked eggs in the electric oven since I wasn’t confident to do them in the cookstove oven but I will eventually get there.  It is quite amazing how quickly all that cast iron heats up.  Needless to say the maple syrup was amazing!

It’s time to tend the fire on the next batch.  As I write I can hear the Sandhills Crane with its prehistoric call.  Such a strange sound.   Have a warm and blessed day.  Be smart.  Stay calm and carry on!

Desarae

A Piece of the Puzzle!

I was excited to find that this is the Crest for the area in Southern Italy where my great great grandparents came from.  It is fascinating to find even small bits of information about their country that would have been a part of their lives.  It’s possible they never knew what their province’s crest looked like but I am going to guess that they did since in those days they were much more aware of their roots and their heritage.  I have never tried to look into any crests in my ancestry before but finding this has sparked my interests.

After my last post about cleaning and preparation for difficult times, I thought I would mention a few things that I have found to be helpful.  Basically, I’ve always asked myself, “what would I do if certain things happened such as, losing power or not being able to pay for it and being shut off.  What would I do if the propane tank can’t be refilled. Over the years I have picked up all kinds of non-electric kitchen tools and things that can help in keeping the household running with as much ease as possible.

Some of the things I would encourage anyone to do would be to learn to make things from scratch, not being dependent on processed foods.  At the same time, try making meals more simple rather than having several dishes.  It’s less work, it costs less, and it is still satisfying.  For example, casseroles make a good meal, often with some type of meat and vegetables, with or without a carb such as potatoes, rice, or pasta.  Our grandmothers and great grandmothers were very creative; they had to be.  They were not able to run to the store for a needed item for dinner.  Dinner was made with what they had on hand.  They used first, that which might spoil.  They created soups which could be more easily stretched to go further.  They didn’t have a different meal choice every night.  I remember hearing the story about my grandmother fixing Grandpa oatmeal every single morning for breakfast only to hear him make the comment 30 years into their marriage that he didn’t care for oatmeal!!  She thought he liked it but I would imagine if he did, he became very tired of it!

Something that would change drastically in hard times would be how we do laundry.  We stand over our automatic wash machines, wondering how Grandma did it.  How did she wash all the laundry?!!  Well for starters, they didn’t have 10 pair of jeans, 20 shirts, and who knows how many pairs of socks!  And guess what?  They wore everything several times before washing it!  I doubt I need to say more about that.

As I learn more about the hard life that our ancestors came from, I realize most of us have a very long way to fall before we ever reach the depths of despair our ancestors experienced.  The sad and scary part for me is, much of the younger generations have no idea where to even begin thinking, let alone planning how they can be even a little prepared should they not be able to go to McDonalds or stop at the store for a box of macaroni and cheese.  I had a cousin tell me one time that her two step-daughters came to visit.  She decided they would bake a cake so the girls looked for the cake mix.  When she told them they were going to make it from scratch, they were shocked.  They had never heard of that!

Preparing is fun.  It doesn’t need to be done out of fear. It is very satisfying even if one can only do a little.  If you need something for kids to do, help them to learn to forage!  Teach them a simple skill.  Buy a few packages of seeds and learn to grow something edible!  With all the things available to us at our fingertips through the internet, make learning fun.  The possibilities are endless.

I’ll be back.

Desarae

A Different World

Good Morning!  Is there anything else to talk about these days besides the big C virus word?!  It is amazing how quickly it has become the talk of the world, not just the “talk of the town” as typically said.  We are fortunate that we are able to be informed so quickly these days of things that cause concern and need attention; however, it is obvious that we are a culture that has no idea how to plan ahead for this very such thing.  It is clear, people hate spending money on things such as “toilet paper” when they would rather buy for example, a Star Bucks coffee.  When something happens, there is no toilet paper in the house.  It is most common for today’s generation to live from paycheck to paycheck, buying what they “want” at the moment, rather than planning for what they will need tomorrow, saving for it and buying accordingly.  For some reason (and I remember thinking this way), it is very difficult to spend money today on something we will need in three, six, or nine months from now.  For example, I remember feeling like I didn’t want to spend money on a pair of boots that were on sale at the end of season because I wouldn’t be needing them until the next winter.  Don’t get me wrong.  I realize sometimes there’s no choice; however, most of the time there is a choice and that’s when the decision has to be made; do I plan for tomorrow or just live for today?  I remember making myself spend money on boots for later when I didn’t really want to but later being so glad I did.  Since I’ve learned to plan ahead and buy in this way, I have found there is much more peace when a bad situation does happens.  Sometimes the following winter would come and money was even tighter than when I bought the boots!   I know this type of planning ahead is very difficult when living on a very low income.  I remember being on a very low income budget and purchasing groceries almost to the penny within that budget.  For me, I actually liked the challenge of doing the best I could do within that budget.  Today, many young people hardly know what the word budget means, let alone function on one!  Needless to say, I am thankful that I learned to be frugal, creative, I learned to stick to a budget so that any extra money there was could be spent without guilt, and I learned ways to get by without conveniences should survival depend on it.   During my life of learning to be frugal and prepared I have endured a little chiding here and there but not too bad because I had learned to keep my mouth shut as well:)  And when the power is out or the batteries in the flashlights die, I smile at the fact that I can get the oil lamps out and light them.

Being prepared is very much a mental thing and having a plan.  Thinking ahead can only help when a real situation occurs.  So, I fired up the Natural Yeast yesterday since I had let it go for some time, I made more Ginger Water Kefir, boiled sap for Maple Syrup and have determined to stay home as much as possible.

Another thing that is in decline these days is the desire to clean.  Years ago, women would “spring clean” and in the fall would do a fall touch up.  I am convinced that “spring cleaning” the way Grandma did it, is rarely done if people even know about it and know how to do it.  Even house keeping on a weekly basis is somewhat unheard of nowadays.  In our busy life styles, cleaning house has gotten to be something that is often put on the back burner because people are either not home to do it or they prefer to do something else.  Much like buying the coffee instead of toilet paper, it all comes crashing down when reality sets in.  Its sad but often the very things we put off, are the things that if done routinely, bring the most satisfaction.  I don’t “want” to clean my house today.  I would much rather work on a project but if I do clean, I will kill germs, simplify my life and I will feel better even though I’m not sick!  It is rewarding when the grandkids or anyone comes over, to know that the bathroom is clean, the floors are clean enough to be crawled on, the doorknobs and surfaces have been wiped clean and the trash cans have been emptied.  It is healthier physically as well as mentally!  During this time of trying to keep a contagious virus from spreading, lets use it to our advantage.  Let’s consider ways to be more frugal, more creative, more energetic and take note of the affects it has on our lives.  This doesn’t have to be a scary time.  It can even be a beneficial time.  If you don’t know where to start, ask someone else; go on line and learn.  Be teachable!  It is very rewarding.

I guess I had better get off my soap box and get at the very things that await this day!  Have a VERY productive day.  Take advantage of the season!

Desarae

 

A Testimony

Sundays; a wonderful day of the week.  Yesterday the  sun shone so wonderfully bright.  It was rather deceiving.  It looked much warmer than it was but it was beautiful.  With the temps staying in the 30’s, snow is leaving at a pace that keeps the driveway from being horribly muddy.  We have sandy soil so mud never stays around too long but it has been particularly nice this year.  It is still freezing at night so sap is running pretty good.  Hubby split some large pieces of wood for the fire and emptied the first barrel of sap.  I collected quite a bit more this evening and it was still running.

I bottled Water Kefir and made homemade ice cream.  It’s a simple recipe but I’m not sure it’s what I will continue to use.  I’m wanting a creamier texture.  The flavor isn’t bad but I will continue to try other recipes to compare.  It’s a simple recipe of:  3 eggs beaten, 2 c cream, 1/2 c Maple Syrup, and 2 tsp Vanilla.  (The recipe called for a Tbsp of Vanilla but 2 tsp seems to be plenty).

The testimony I want to share with you has to do with the naturally rich and raw milk that we enjoy from our Jersey girl.  One family member who routinely gets a couple gallons of milk a week, just went for a physical and had bloodwork run for the first time in six years.  This is the amount of time she has been using the milk.  When the results came back the doctor was very impressed.  Here’s what she said.  “My total Cholesterol was 145.  LDL (“bad” Cholesterol) was 59 – is supposed to be under 131.  HDL (“good” Cholesterol) was 75. The range is 40-60.  My doctor was so impressed!  Triglycerides were 55.  They should be under 149.”  The doctor said (get this), “it was the best blood panel she had ever seen!”

I have read many things about healthy fats, raw milk, the benefits, etc.  It is very encouraging to have a more personal connection to actual evidence of the results of being on a raw, full fat milk diet.  I might add that this lady is active, eats a healthy diet and is slim and trim.  She does not spend hours at the gym trying to keep her weight down.  I find the whole topic interesting and encouraging.

That’s all for now.  Hope you had a great weekend!  I’ll be back:)

Desarae

Windy Day

It has been windy in more ways than one!  Daughter #4 call as we were headed out to milk.  She was called to a school meeting this morning before classes started.  It appears they will be closing the school for three weeks.  The governor of the state of Michigan mandated it last night.  I’m wondering if anyone will mandate that I stay home, that I won’t be allowed to do laundry, cook, clean, or do any sort of work!!  Oh.

Papa ran down to their house to sit with the kids while Mommy ran to the meeting, (she’s on the school board) and I milked.  When I got done, I ran down so Papa could come home and get ready for work.  As soon as Mommy return I brought the three year old home with me so she could take the other three kids to school.  Before Papa left we started the sap stove and filled the vat with sap.  I’m very glad we put the stove in a different location this year; out of the wind because it is quite windy today.  When we were all fired up and going I took my little helper with me and emptied the buckets on the trees.  Wet hands in this wind at 34 degrees is not comfortable.  It felt really nice to come inside and fix a hot cup of coffee to go with a blueberry muffin.  I don’t know who would buy blueberry muffins from the store!  Well, maybe a wife that hasn’t had the desire to bake anything!  Hubby is quite deprived these days.

I had it written down to work outside today but I think I will wait for a little more snow to be gone and the temps to be closer to 40 degrees.  There’s always things elsewhere to do.

Sorry this isn’t the most interesting post.  Just keeping in touch.  Hope your day is productive and blessed.

Desarae

 

 

Looking Back

Last week when I visited my brother and wife, I had to pass by this house.  This is the house I grew up in.  From the time I was 7 months old till I went off to college, this was home.  My father bought the house and 80 acres for a song; only $12,000!   It wasn’t for sale at the time but he and Mom talked to the older couple that owned it and asked if they would be selling the house any time soon.  They said yes!  The rest is history and now there are many very special memories for my brothers and I.  There are four bedrooms upstairs and a bathroom.  The main level has the kitchen and dining area, living room, and a smaller parlor type room with a fireplace in it.  It has a laundry room off the kitchen as well as a bathroom.  This house was quite the hub for family and friends.  It was special to grandkids and when it came time for Mom and Dad to move, it was not easy.  There were years of things to purge, sell, give away, clean, move and reorganize.  But that wasn’t the hardest part; the emotional part was the hardest.  My mother loved the house and had raised her three children there.  She made memories that are forever etched in our minds.  Homemaking was her thing and it was difficult for her to leave the place so dear to her heart.  I would love to go back in the house but going by the condition of the outside, I would probably be very saddened by it’s condition.  It hasn’t been kept up very well and is getting to look quite dumpy.  Dad always took such good care of the house and yard. Even though things were old, he kept them clean and painted.  He kept the yard mowed and there was never junk laying around.  It must be hard for Dad to drive by the house and see how run down it is.  I’m thankful for the years we lived there.

Time to close.  More to come another day.  Thanks for reading!

Desarae

 

Spring Sunday

What a beautiful day!  It was 54 degrees the last time I looked!  The sunshine has been glorious!  We invited daughter #2 and family to come for breakfast.  I had a loaf of sourdough bread that needed to be used up so we had French Toast with Bacon and Sausage as well as eggs for those who wanted them.  I managed to forget about the bacon in the oven so it was immediately nicknamed “black bacon”.  (I’m rolling my eyes if you can imagine).  It was all good, mostly because of the Maple Syrup!  That makes anything good!

After breakfast, the kids wanted to go see the cows.  You’d think we had a herd of them with how excited they get:)  Our youngest grandchild is this little one.  She is almost 19 mo. old.  Libby is just as curious to see the kids as they are to see her.  After collecting the eggs they loaded up and headed home.  Big brother got to stay and help Papa.  They took the snow blower off the tractor and brought the sap stove out to get ready for boiling.  We will start boiling later this week.  It is a big day when Papa lets a five year old drive his tractor!  At least it is to the five year old.  I have noticed that when they are that young, they are so awed to be able to drive it, they are fearfully serious.  They listen well and follow instructions.  If the tractor wasn’t set up with all kinds of safety features, I’d be rather nervous but it is one of those things that has more control over what you can and cannot do, than what is sometimes helpful.  It’s like many things nowadays.  You’d think we weren’t smart enough drive anymore!  Anyway, grandson was pretty proud of helping Papa.  Next, they had to collect sap which meant he got to drive the RTV, (bee truck we call it).  After that, he helped Papa attempt to clean the clock that has not been running correctly.  Unfortunately it still is not running but we will try again later.

I’m glad hubby experienced the importance of spending time with his grandpa.  We know it will be something the boys will cherish as they grow up.  Grandparents make quite an impression on kids and I’m hopeful that we will be able to, for many years to come.

The time change has made the morning a little darker when we head out to milk but we will enjoy the longer daylight at the end of the day.

I hope your weekend has been enjoyable and filled with Spring sunshine!  Be back soon.

Desarae

To Chew On!

Good morning!  My head is so full I hardly know where to start.  I feel like I’ve eaten a huge meal and have been trying to digest it now for quite some time.  For a few years now, I have been dreaming about writing a composition about my family history.  Over the years I have listened to stories and written down notes.  I have memories that go back to when I was about four years old and I do have a few memories of my Great Grandfather.  I have recently been motivated to make this more of a priority.  My father is not getting any younger and he is one of few people who can shed light on some of the questions I have.  Yesterday, I spent a good portion of the day with my brother and sister-in-law and with my dad to talk about my desire.  It was an exciting time.  I feel I made some real headway and I will hopefully be able to keep the momentum going with questions and any information we can throw back and forth with each other.  I also have a friend who has agreed to help me compile all of this and get it down in writing.  I realize I won’t be able to verify every thing as fact but my hope is to give and validate as much fact as possible and fill in the rest with as much information as possible that comes from more than one source.  I came away with much homework to do yesterday but that is one of the exciting parts; things that I can research.  Before leaving Dad’s, he took me to his basement where he showed me a couple of boxes of pictures.  I brought them home and looked through them last night.  Like working on a puzzle, I couldn’t stop looking until I had seen them all!  I came across a few I had not seen before.   I was also able to get a couple more pictures of my Grandfather driving carriage for Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island.  That is a small project I will finish up soon and get sent to the Carriage House Master.  He is wanting a picture or two of Grandpa that can be framed and hung on the carriage house walls.  He is making the carriage house somewhat of a small historical museum.  Grandpa would be honored to know he will be remembered in this way.  He took his job seriously and loved his horses.  He was a handsome man in his red coat, white pants, black boots, and black top hat.

I’m sure I will be writing more in the coming months as I work on this.  I’m a little nervous about working on it because at this point I really don’t know how I’m going to find the time.  More importantly, how am I going to pull myself away from this project to do normal everyday tasks!  It’s addicting; looking at pictures, reading names on the backs, finding new information and putting pieces of information together.

I must close.  I will be back soon.  Thanks for reading!

Desarae