tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75595540498084173572024-03-12T20:24:27.875-04:00Petticoat JunctionRamblings about life trying to raise a house full of girls, in a world that wants them to be just like boys.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.comBlogger355125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-36147435917224866002013-12-20T02:04:00.000-05:002013-12-20T02:04:04.782-05:00Weight Loss Update<br />
Merry Christmas Everyone!!<br />
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Since I've shared my weight loss journey, I thought I would share my most recent photo collage of my progress.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPvadfXFfYk/UrPp7UMbQPI/AAAAAAAACQY/kxKH_U2bOHc/s1600/weightcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPvadfXFfYk/UrPp7UMbQPI/AAAAAAAACQY/kxKH_U2bOHc/s320/weightcollage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To date I've lost a total of 147 lbs. Yay!!! I can't tell you how much more energy I have and how much better I feel. I'm thoroughly enjoying being more active with my kids, and that little grandson of mine.<br />
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I hope you all have a Happy, Healthy, Holiday.<br />
<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-68519006266367296112013-10-24T00:47:00.000-04:002013-12-20T02:01:28.945-05:00Trim Healthy MamaIn my last two posts I explained why and how I started my journey toward better health, which by necessity included weight loss. Now I'd like to share what I've been doing for the last 10 months.<br />
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<em>Trim Healthy Mama</em> was written by Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett, two of Nancy Campbell's (<em>Above Rubies</em> magazine) daughters. It was written over the course of about 5 years by these two amazingly dedicated ladies. They've been through many eating lifestyles themselves and developed this approach, which is basically a controlled glycemic way of eating, when the others failed to keep them and their families in really good health. Some of the things they've done in the past are vegetarianism, veganism, low fat, and raw food. They've spent years learning how the body processes food and now we get the benefit of all their hard work. The book is a little pricey (about $35.00), but it's been self published so that's to be expected and it's well worth the price. <br />
Simply put, they advocate eating fats and carbs separately since the body uses both as fuel, but won't use the fat if the carbs are present. Unlike many other "diet" plans, they do not exclude entire food groups, citing biblical examples for the inclusion of these foods. Personally, I like that their plan is balanced and looks toward God's word in support of their choices. Though it is a bit of a lengthy read, about a third of the book is dedicated to recipes. I will have to say that though I've tried many of the recipes, what was even more important was that by learning the plan and reading through many of the recipes, I was able to learn how to adapt family favorites to make them plan approved. Also, in addition to the book, they have a website, forum, and facebook group that all help you along. The forum is good for getting questions answered, but the facebook group will also address questions and offers up way more recipe options as the ladies on the group are constantly sharing new things they've tried. <br />
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I've lost 89 lbs. since starting THM last December (bringing my total to date to 139 lbs.) and I can honestly say that I can, and do expect to eat this way for the rest of my life. With all the delicious options I rarely feel tempted to eat something that wouldn't be plan approved, and if I decide to, it's not really that I've "fallen off the wagon", I've just decided to eat what they call a crossover (a meal that includes fat and carbs) and can switch back to a single fuel at my next meal. <br />
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The only thing that I do a bit differently is that I do not eat very many E meals (energizing meals - they contain carbs), and when I do, they don't usually have anywhere near the allowable limit for an E meal. Because of a three hour glucose test I've had, I know that I produce a lot of insulin in response to sugar in my blood stream so I take that into account and try to restrict my carbs a bit more. I do listen to my body though and when I'm feeling tired or unable to concentrate as well, I know it's time to eat a few more carbs. And since I do allow myself some non-plan approved food on occasion, I feel it probably all works out. <br />
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The book doesn't just stop at explaining the plan and sharing recipes, they go on to explain the most beneficial exercise routines and they have an entire section on hormones, their function and what may be going on with your body if they're out of whack. <br />
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To help me along the way, I've also started compiling an entire repertoire of recipes that I've hunted around for, and found online. Many are low carb, gluten free (but only the type of gluten free that doesn't include rice flour), sugar free recipes. I do not use Splenda, but I will adapt a recipe that calls for Splenda by using a plan approved sweetener. I also use many Paleo recipes, adapting them as necessary to make them plan approved. <br />
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As you can tell, I heartily endorse trying out the book and plan, but I do plan on having future posts dedicated to sharing plan approved, and family taste-tested and approved recipes. I just won't share recipes in the book as they are copyrighted (but you really should try the Special Agent Brownie Cake - pg. 382). And for the record, no, I received nothing in return for endorsing the book.<br />
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I will add a final note here that the plan can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but if you do get the book and decide to give it a go, just take it slowly. Change one meal at a time instead of plunging in head first and trying to change everything you do and eat all at once. It's a change in your lifestyle that will bring about good health, not a quick fix to get you "bikini ready" in 6 weeks. Those things don't give you the lifetime changes that will keep you trim and healthy anyway, but changing to a healthier lifestyle will. <br />
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What do you have to lose? I had about 190 lbs. to lose, and I'm very nearly 3/4ths of the way there.<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-61946225117251101142013-09-29T15:43:00.001-04:002013-10-23T10:25:44.629-04:00So, how did I lose 130 lbs in 14 months?Well, as I said in my last post, it wasn't by magic, pills, powders or any other trick. There was no weird grapefruit, tuna, cottage cheese, kale chips, or drink all your food diet plan. There also wasn't an enormous amount of exercising, though there certainly was some. <br />
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We'll start with how I changed my eating. When I started, it was just by watching my quantities, drinking a large glass of water with every meal and trying to cut down on "easy" carbs - white potatoes, white bread, pasta, and rice. That is all I did for the first two weeks. Then I started looking into calorie content, hidden calories, and which foods offered up the best nutrition for the calories I was eating. Thankfully, I don't count calories anymore, though I did do a bit of that in the beginning. I'll get into what I do now, and have done since last Dec. later, but I did want to be honest about the process.<br />
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When it looked like all the food changes wasn't going to kill me, and in fact, I felt like I was doing pretty well, I decided to add in a bit of exercise - and I do mean a bit. I literally spent about 5 minutes doing any move that wasn't something I would ordinarily do. Nothing much; raising up on my tip-toes 10 times, 10 knee lifts, alternating knees, 10 arm raises, also alternating arms for about 5 minutes. That's all it took when I first started, but, I didn't stop there. I gradually increased the time, occasionally adding in an additional moves, like a Charleston type move, until I was consistently doing some kind of additional movement for 20 minutes every day. I took about a month to get to 20 minutes a day of exercise. While I was working on that I also purposed to increase my incidental moving during the course of each day. I would go get something myself instead of asking a kid. I would go get the mail or find reasons to go upstairs. I also starting parking further away from stores or other businesses. I found ways to make myself get up and move often throughout the day. Believe it or not, these incidental movements are very important to overall health. Lots of little bouts of moving throughout the day can be just as important as a regular workout in keeping your metabolism up.<br />
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All of the preceding changes took place over a 6 week period from mid-July to the end of August, 2012. Up to that point, I had not bothered stepping on a scale, mostly because I didn't want to discourage myself if my weight loss was slow. I had gotten on a scale shortly before Ri's wedding, so I knew about what I weighed, and I had measured my hips when I was making my dress for her wedding, so I also had at least that measurement to go off of. By the first Monday in Sept, 2012 I felt I was doing well enough to start keeping track of my weight loss. I had so much weight to lose I had already decided to break the total amount up into smaller, mini-goals so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed by how much I had to lose altogether. As I stepped on the scale I was telling myself that my first goal would be to reach 330 lbs., because I had not been that weight consistently since T. had been born. I was ecstatic when I looked down and the scale already read 330 lbs. I was instantly motivated to up the ante with regard to my exercise routine and eating habits. I was less inclined to "cheat" since I was already doing so well, and I began strictly limiting the easy carbs and anything with sugar.<br />
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I lost weight pretty quickly for awhile, but part of that was because I was so overweight that I was literally burning calories at twice the rate of a "normal" size person for every single thing I did. It was faster than Dr's. suggest, but I was eating well, and not strenuously exercising so I wasn't really worried. It seemed logical that I would lose quickly at that point. I did track my food intake and exercise for a little while with My Fitness Pal, but thankfully, that's not what I'm doing now.<br />
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Although I was happy with with the weight I was losing, I felt that there had to be more to it all, and there had to be an explanation for why I would sometimes see a good amount of weight loss when I felt as though I had not been eating as well, and there would be no weight loss at times that I felt I was being "good" with my eating. So I started reading more and more about health, and how our bodies utilize nutrients. About that time one of the ladies at church brought in a copy of the book, <em>Trim Healthy Mama</em>, by Serene Allison, and Pearl Barrett. After browsing through it, I decided to purchase my own copy. I got it in November, 2012, and by December, 2012, I was ready to start implementing the <em>Trim Healthy Mama</em> style of eating. In addition, I also got a copy of the book, <em>Why We Get Fat, and What to Do About It</em>, by Gary Taubes. While I don't completely agree with his "diet", I found the information in it helpful in further explaining how our bodies process foods and in my opinion, it went along well with the <em>Trim Healthy Mama</em> eating style.<br />
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I had lost 50 lbs. from mid-July to November of 2012, and have lost more than 80 lbs. since starting <em>Trim Healthy Mama</em> in December, 2012. I'll go a bit more into <em>Trim Healthy Mama</em>, and the tweaks I've personally made in my next post.<br />
<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-38764486339179776422013-08-14T11:13:00.001-04:002013-08-14T11:13:27.444-04:00General Happenings<br />
Whew!! This year has absolutely flow by. I'm having a hard time keeping up with everything that's been going on, and quite frankly, have felt as though I've not been particularly productive, even though I've been busier than ever.<br />
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The garden was a little neglected this year. It shouldn't have been because the weather has been unseasonably cool, making it much easier to work in, but partly due to all the rain, which meant we didn't have to water, we just haven't been out there very much. We harvested a good deal of sweet peas, a fair amount of green beans, quite a few cucumbers, and a lot of zucchini earlier on, but other things didn't not perform particularly well. The garlic and onions did not do well at all because of the cold winter, and very cool, wet spring and early summer. Because it has never gotten very hot, having had very few days that even reached 90 this summer, and extremely wet, our peppers have been limping along, not producing very well. Our melons have also done badly. On the upside, though we've not had a bumper crop of tomatoes, we are getting a fair amount of them on a regular basis. Every year there are successes and failures in the garden, and every year we manage to eat from it, so it all works out.<br />
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I've not done much in the sewing room since I finished all the baby sewing in the spring, but I did get back in there and make myself a new purse last week so I'm now inspired to start (or finish) a few projects.<br />
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The younger girls and I have already started back with school, albeit slowly. We have a lot to cover this year, so we'll need the extra time. I hope to be a bit more diligent than I was last year. Some things I had wanted to do last year just didn't get done and I don't want to repeat that this year, so I think the schedule will be a bit more rigid. I don't think they'll like it all that much, but they will certainly survive. :)<br />
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We haven't done nearly as much food preserving this year, but we've been busy in the kitchen with other things. I plan to tell you more about it in a future post, but suffice it to say that we're trying to improve our health and that has required a big change in the food we eat. We are currently working on changing many of our family favorites in order to make them better for us. We hope to share some of our new recipes in the future. <br />
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Of course, the new grandbaby has been a delightful distraction around here. We are really enjoying every moment we have with him. He gets passed around quite a bit between me and his aunts. I'm pretty sure most days he enjoys all the attention. Here's a contented little man, with a full belly. He looks like this a lot. :D, but we still enjoy just holding him.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rkXku_fFsy4/UguU6bfe2UI/AAAAAAAACPw/BCl1IgY7P-Q/s1600/kays+pics+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rkXku_fFsy4/UguU6bfe2UI/AAAAAAAACPw/BCl1IgY7P-Q/s320/kays+pics+048.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-41713814430656276072013-06-11T09:58:00.002-04:002013-06-11T09:58:46.726-04:00Here he is!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m-YlPfRL6Ps/UbcspbCwTUI/AAAAAAAACPU/7yLDQ-GiDzg/s1600/baby+pics+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m-YlPfRL6Ps/UbcspbCwTUI/AAAAAAAACPU/7yLDQ-GiDzg/s320/baby+pics+035.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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All 9 lbs, 8 oz, and 22 1/2 inches of him.</div>
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He's so precious!!</div>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-81488478291447722042013-06-09T17:50:00.001-04:002013-06-09T17:51:27.890-04:00He's here!!After 2 days of labor, Ri and her hubby finally had their son very late on Saturday the 8th, missing my birthday by a mere 9 minutes. He's 9 lbs. 8 oz. and 22 1/2 inches long. <br />
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Hands down, the best birthday gift ever.<br />
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Pictures coming soon!<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-80451241929399310932013-06-03T23:53:00.000-04:002013-06-15T00:21:32.489-04:00Update on kitchen scrap gardening.<br />
Last year I made a few posts about gardening with kitchen scraps. I had read about it somewhere on the web and wanted to try it for myself. You can read those posts <a href="http://petticoatjunctionsmom.blogspot.com/2012/03/gardening-with-kitchen-scraps.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://petticoatjunctionsmom.blogspot.com/2012/03/gardening-with-kitchen-scraps-part-two.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://petticoatjunctionsmom.blogspot.com/2012/06/garlic-gardening-and-results-of-growing.html" target="_blank">here</a> if you like. I had great success with the green onions, but at the time, was not as pleased with the celery. I'm happy to report that the celery ended up doing quite well. We harvested stalks off of it several times last year, leaving a few on it each time. At the end of fall it still looked fairly healthy, so I decided to leave it alone and see what it would do.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4qVtidPMUV4/Ua1jdYum4dI/AAAAAAAACO8/d_P0CDorVdg/s1600/May+30,+2013+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4qVtidPMUV4/Ua1jdYum4dI/AAAAAAAACO8/d_P0CDorVdg/s320/May+30,+2013+075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here it is. It's looking pretty good so far this year. This picture was taken about 2 weeks ago. It's much bigger now, and starting to go to seed. If I end up with a dead spot or two in the garden this year, (and I may if whatever creature it is doesn't stop digging up my plants) I may put a couple more celery bases out to grow. Although we didn't tie up the stalks last year in order to blanch them, I may give that a try this time around. We just used them as is in stock a few times last year. Since failing to blanch them produces much more celery flavor, it didn't take very many stalks to lend a good amount of flavor to the stock. </div>
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I've linked this post with the <a href="http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2013/06/from-farm-blog-hop-37.html" target="_blank">"From the Farm"</a> blog hop over at <a href="http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/" target="_blank">Fresh Eggs Daily</a>.</div>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-11903835414044998162013-05-31T17:23:00.001-04:002013-05-31T17:23:35.601-04:00No baby yet.Much to her chagrin, the last 48 hours worth of contractions have yielded little results. The contractions were the long, slow, unproductive kind, and now they have stopped. At least she can get some sleep now.<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-57098410754600179352013-05-30T01:22:00.001-04:002013-05-30T01:28:17.674-04:00And, we wait.I am presently killing time by downloading the most recent pictures that we have taken. Some of them are from this year's garden; taken because I intended to write a post about it. That will have to wait, unless...<br />
You see, I'm currently awaiting a call from my daughter to tell me whether or not the midwife has decided that she is in labor and that I'm to head on up there. I'm about an hour and a half away, so I'm really hoping she doesn't go too quickly, if indeed this is the real thing. She's had lots of bouts of contractions in the past week or so, so we're just not sure. I'd be nice if this is the real thing, and I'll let you know if it was as soon as I can. If it's not labor, I may just get around to that gardening post <strike>tomorrow</strike> today. After sleeping in late, because it's already past 1 am.<br />
Until then, here are a couple of the most recent shots of her.<br />
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She looks about done - wouldn't you say?</div>
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*I should add a note in here that I'm not worried she'll have an unusually quick delivery (though my mother was certainly the queen of that) it's just that they had timed the contractions for 4 hours before they called me and the midwife, then it will take them almost 2 hours to get to the clinic, and after they receive a verdict, it will take me another hour and a half. Plenty of babies have been born in 6-8 hours, so we shall see.</div>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-49205998865883827532013-05-24T05:48:00.001-04:002013-05-24T11:18:58.169-04:00Baby Shower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's a very busy time of year. What with Mother's Day, and all the graduation services we've been invited to, we've certainly had a lot to do, but our chief concern was Ri's baby shower. It wasn't exactly a typical baby shower, but that's just how we do things. Dr. Seuss was the theme for our party, and all family members (as opposed to just women and girls) were welcome. <br />
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The street sign from "The Lorax" welcomed everyone at the corner of the sidewalk and the driveway.</div>
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And the Onc-ler's sign greeted them at the front door.</div>
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We had to clear out the garage in order to set up extra tables for the food and all the guests, but brown Bar-ba-loots graced the door that led into the garage.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BGSGdIT8FbM/UZ8qUG0ja5I/AAAAAAAACMc/enKGmWCrEo4/s1600/2013-05-04+02.10.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BGSGdIT8FbM/UZ8qUG0ja5I/AAAAAAAACMc/enKGmWCrEo4/s320/2013-05-04+02.10.43.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Onc-ler himself hung above the freezer in the garage, where we served the food.</div>
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And Truffula trees, along with Swomee Swans, decorated the wall behind the cake table.</div>
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Now don't go thinking we only used "The Lorax" for our inspiration.</div>
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What Dr. Seuss party would be complete without the Cat in the Hat?</div>
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From "There's a Wocket in my Pocket", we had Nupboards for the cupboards,</div>
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and we found ways to incorporate many of the other books as well.</div>
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The napkins had the Cat's hat, and the plates were, of course, from "One Fish, Two Fish".</div>
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Instead of the normal baby shower games, we had things like Dr. Seuss trivia, which included questions from many of the books, a two legged, Thing One and Thing Two race (only the children volunteered for this one), and an observation game where folks had to locate all the Sneetches' beach balls that were placed around the house and garage.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rVnOmoQEHBI/UZ8qybBZifI/AAAAAAAACNE/CJ0KPyzwRLw/s1600/2013-05-04+02.25.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rVnOmoQEHBI/UZ8qybBZifI/AAAAAAAACNE/CJ0KPyzwRLw/s320/2013-05-04+02.25.29.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Food included things like, (from "The Grinch")Rare Who Roast Beast (roast beef - we had cheese and rolls too, so everyone could make their own sandwich), Grin-itch Spinach dip ("What Was I Scared Of?"), Truffula fruit salad ("The Lorax), Truffula seeds (candy coated, chocolate covered, sunflower seeds), Who pudding ("The Grinch"), and of course...</div>
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Green Eggs, and Ham.</div>
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(BTW, please excuse the dirty wall - it is a garage.)</div>
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Moose juice and Goose juice ("The Sleep Book") were lime sherbert punch, and pinapple/apple/orange juice punch.</div>
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The cake incorporated elements from "One Fish, Two Fish", "The Sneetches", and "The Cat in the Hat".</div>
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Many, many, many thanks go out to my sweet Bre because she painted every one of the decorations. Isn't she just incredible?</div>
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She even made all the decorations for the cake. I just baked and iced it. All the detail work was solely due to her talent.</div>
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Decor and food were not all that screamed Dr. Seuss. Although you can't see it well, Ri's shirt reads, "Future Thing" with an arrow pointing to her belly, and she got a couple of little onsies with "Cutest little Thing on Earth" on them.</div>
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Can you tell we really like Dr. Seuss?</div>
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She received a lot of wonderful gifts and everyone had a great time. Now we're just anxiously awaing the arrival. Signs are good that we shouldn't have to wait much longer.</div>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-30888006832839198852013-05-11T22:41:00.001-04:002013-05-11T22:41:37.771-04:00Happy Mother's DayI hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!!!<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-84069104202111027022013-05-10T03:30:00.002-04:002013-05-10T17:39:31.015-04:00Preparing for BabyMy baby has been busy getting ready for her baby. You can see the new baby's room <a href="http://mymariahmoments.blogspot.com/2013/04/baby-room-19.html" target="_blank">here</a>. We had her baby shower on Saturday and she's finishing her shopping for the last few things that she didn't get. She'll be all set very soon. <br />
I'll make another post detailing the shower, but for now I thought I'd let you see the gifts I made her. When she was preparing to get married I had an overwhelming desire to make gifts for her; to somehow extend my love for her into her new home. A cross stitched towel in the bathroom, a quilt in the bedroom, hanging towels and knitted washcloths in the kitchen and a cross stitched breadcloth in the dining room. Little touches that I hoped would help it seem more like home for her. Once she let us know she was expecting a baby, I was again moved to make gifts. Little bits of grandma's love to wrap around the baby. I'm not quite sure why it's been so important to me, but it has, and making it all was very therapeutic. You'll just have to trust me on that.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-037MoLVGJF4/UYybuCRWNJI/AAAAAAAACLY/1iFcuYe2d5I/s1600/May+9,+2013+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-037MoLVGJF4/UYybuCRWNJI/AAAAAAAACLY/1iFcuYe2d5I/s320/May+9,+2013+024.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The very first thing I made for her was this knitted blanket. I really liked the pale green, which will be fine if she has a little girl later on, and the yarn was so soft.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ApBeyjOSDlw/UYya95geG8I/AAAAAAAACK4/Y9t6M6Tkajo/s1600/May+9%252C+2013+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ApBeyjOSDlw/UYya95geG8I/AAAAAAAACK4/Y9t6M6Tkajo/s320/May+9%252C+2013+028.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This was a quilt kit she saw one day when we were in Joann's. She thought it was so cute, so I picked it up and made it for her. She loved the elephant (she likes those anyway), and she thought the turtle was adorable.</div>
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I made this two sided, fleece blanket based on a pattern that can be found on the Martha Stewart website. Instead of using one of the applique patterns (for ducks, or hearts) offered with the blanket instructions, I traced the turtle from her quilt kit, then used my printer to reduce the size.</div>
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I found some variegated yarn at Michael's that went along with the color scheme so well I couldn't resist knitting her another blanket. I know, I know - lots of blankets. But their house is on the cool side, and you never know how often a baby will spit up and need a clean blanket. </div>
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I found the pattern for this online for free. There are several sites that offer up free baby afgan patterns. Though you can't see it well from the photo, there are knitted lines running the length of this blanket. I thought the pattern needed to be simple given the variegation in the yarn.</div>
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The same manufacturer of the quilt kit had a kit for a shopping buggy cover,</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-De-KPNqKZSA/UYyaeqS9DZI/AAAAAAAACKg/w-d2bVMKTZI/s1600/May+9%252C+2013+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-De-KPNqKZSA/UYyaeqS9DZI/AAAAAAAACKg/w-d2bVMKTZI/s320/May+9%252C+2013+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and offered laminated fabric that I was able to make into a wet bag. Now she'll have a place for any soiled clothes or spit cloths so they won't dirty other things in the diaper bag.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qqRSHJeNyrc/UYya7f9UdvI/AAAAAAAACKw/3Pu582nzrj4/s1600/May+9%252C+2013+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qqRSHJeNyrc/UYya7f9UdvI/AAAAAAAACKw/3Pu582nzrj4/s320/May+9%252C+2013+027.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I also cross stitched a bib,</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PhblknF3mmk/UYyblsrLrtI/AAAAAAAACLQ/czjgVlrmTGM/s1600/May+9%252C+2013+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PhblknF3mmk/UYyblsrLrtI/AAAAAAAACLQ/czjgVlrmTGM/s320/May+9%252C+2013+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and a hooded baby towel. I had a knitted washcloth that happened to be in a blue varigated yarn so I decided to give that to her, and I used a little of the extra toweling material to make a couple more washcloths.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yegrp2NILJE/UYybzn9jeNI/AAAAAAAACLg/x0SoMu4MlYc/s1600/2013-05-06+23.45.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yegrp2NILJE/UYybzn9jeNI/AAAAAAAACLg/x0SoMu4MlYc/s320/2013-05-06+23.45.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And finally, I made her a diaper bag. This is actually a pattern for a picnic tote, but it's the one she liked. It has a draw-string top that will allow for a lot of stuff to be put inside if needed. There are plenty of pockets around the outside and a few inside as well. I took her shopping to pick out the fabric, and though you can't see it well from this shot, the uppermost fabric is a nursery print that has elephants on it. It's really cute.</div>
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So you see? I have been very busy - hence the neglect of my blog. I'll try to be better now that all that work is out of the way. :)</div>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-8161643530728536882013-04-27T10:13:00.000-04:002013-04-27T10:19:25.995-04:00Time Sure FliesWow!<br />
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I can't believe it's almost May. And I haven't posted in months! I've been so busy. Just one of those seasons in life. I'm trying to refocus our schooling, I've been working on getting healthier, which includes exercising and losing weight, we've been gardening (of course), and with my first little grand baby due very soon, I've been working away on several baby projects.<br />
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The biggest change has been with my health, and it's been one of the things keeping me so busy. I had to reshuffle my entire day to fit in the exercising so I don't have as much time on the computer anymore. But, being healthy is way more important than managing time for the computer. I just hope to eventually balance everything a bit better. It's all a work in progress. :) On the up side, I have lost a lot of weight and generally feel so much better. Who knows - I may be able to keep up with that grand baby! I sure can't wait to try.<br />
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I hope to be back soon with lots of pictures of everything, from the garden (I can't wait for the peas and lettuces), to the baby gifts, and the baby shower.<br />
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Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-11822174544357731232013-01-22T23:33:00.000-05:002013-01-22T23:33:11.239-05:00Drum roll please.....<br />
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BOY!!!!!</div>
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So unless the ultrasound tech is mistaken, I'll have a little grandson in a few months. I know, Ri doesn't even look pregnant in this shot. But, it is her first, and she was little to begin with. She actually does have a nice, little round tummy, but it's still small enough to stay hidden on occasion. That's okay - she and baby are doing well and that's all that matters.<br />
<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-49650817353424921902013-01-19T22:31:00.000-05:002013-01-19T22:31:01.564-05:00Coming Up...We will find out tomorrow what the gender of our first grandchild is to be. Ri and her hubby had the ultrasound on Monday. The baby is healthy and growing well, and it's momma is feeling pretty good now. They asked the ultrasound tech to slip a note with the baby's gender in an envelope and seal it. Then they took it to the bakery to have a cake made that has been dyed either blue or pink. After church we'll have everyone gather around while Ri cuts the cake and we all get to find out if it's a boy or a girl at the same time. I'm so excited, and so is everyone else.<br />
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I'll be back soon to let you all know!<br />
<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-53404283988804517012013-01-09T15:39:00.001-05:002013-01-09T15:39:39.383-05:00Hi everyone - I'm back.I took a little hiatus from blogging for several reasons. It wasn't a planned break. It started when we all got sick, but with everything that was going on right after that, it was just too much to stay on top of it all and blog at the same time. I'm sure you all understand. <br />
The good news is that all is still well in our little corner of the world. Ri and the new little one that's on the way are progressing well. She has had some uncomfortable symptoms (including, but not limited to morning sickness) and has been sick a couple of times, but over all, she and the baby are doing well. We look forward to finding out what gender this new little person is in a couple of weeks. They will have the ultrasound next week and will do a cake reveal of it the following Sunday at church, so we'll all find out at the same time. I can't wait!<br />
Kay is currently house sitting for some friends, and taking care of all their animals while they are away. She is such an animal person she is loving it.<br />
Bre, Beenie, and T.Lynn are also doing fine. They are all quite busy with their own interests and our homeschool. Though they would much prefer to just be busy with their own interests. <br />
I hope to be able to post again regularly, but we'll have to see how that goes. We've got a lot going on, and it gets a little hectic from time to time.<br />
I hope all is well with your families and that you all have exciting things to look forward to this year.<br />
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Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-14461184046057918942012-12-24T22:49:00.000-05:002012-12-24T22:49:06.433-05:00Merry Christmas!!I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, filled with lots of loving family. I hope you also know about Christ, who's birth we celebrate this time of year, with thankfulness that He came and was willing to sacrifice His life for all of us.<br />
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-22948254960155200662012-12-05T16:03:00.001-05:002013-01-09T15:39:55.656-05:00Two and a half weeks 'til Christmas, and...we're sick. Yuck! I've been very negligent with my posting lately, but I have been very busy and had hoped to have some cute posts up about crafts or projects we've got going for Christmas. The problem is, I don't feel like doing anything. Don't even feel like posting right now, but I figure I might feel a bit better if I stay upright for at least a little while. With any luck I'll feel better in a day or two and may be able to do a few things around the house. I might even work on a project and get around to posting about it before Christmas. Let's hope anyway.<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-74699638021569387792012-11-21T14:01:00.001-05:002012-11-21T14:01:19.867-05:00Happy Thanksgiving!I had to be out driving most of yesterday, and heard about, had to reroute my own driving on account of, and even saw accidents all over. Please be very careful and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-13192388352580114852012-11-16T01:00:00.000-05:002012-11-19T10:51:23.761-05:00Quick and easy bread warmer.Several years ago I received a bread warmer for Christmas. That particular one was a large piece of fabric with a pocket in the middle that held a rice filled sack. The sack was to be heated in the microwave and then slipped into the pocket before placing the whole thing in a bread basket, where you would ultimately fold the ends of the fabric over the bread. It was a great idea, but after burning my fingers several times while trying to get that hot sack in the pocket (it was too close a fit to use a bulky oven mitt to protect my hands), I just resorted to putting the rice pack in the bottom of the basket by itself and then putting a towel on top to wrap the bread in. Much simpler.<br />
Fast forward many years and you'd find me in the sewing room, whipping up a whole bunch of them to put in the bread baskets we'll have on the tables this coming Saturday, for our big Thanksgiving dinner. Y'all remember we do that for my mom's side of the family the Saturday before don't you? Well, we do. When I started to make them, I thought how great it would be as a gift. You could buy a really inexpensive basket, make a little warmer for it (with heating instructions pinned on), bake up some goodie, and then wrap it all up in some cellophane and a ribbon, and voila - simple, inexpensive, but usually well appreciated. At least, most of the people I know like to get baked goods as a gift and if they come with a little something more, then all the better. So here's how to do it if you know someone who would appreciate that kind of thing.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svc6SWtjqXE/UKXMT8mZdDI/AAAAAAAACII/asIgR5aS9Ho/s1600/November+15,+2012+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svc6SWtjqXE/UKXMT8mZdDI/AAAAAAAACII/asIgR5aS9Ho/s400/November+15,+2012+013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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You'll need to start by making a pattern by tracing around the bottom of your basket.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CQIwy-iYaOg/UKXMYctGuyI/AAAAAAAACIQ/DWuY68qyQDs/s1600/November+15%252C+2012+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CQIwy-iYaOg/UKXMYctGuyI/AAAAAAAACIQ/DWuY68qyQDs/s400/November+15%252C+2012+015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cut out around the area you traced. Make it a little larger so you can cut it down if you need in order to make it fit well. You don't have to be absolutely perfect. You're filling the pocket with rice - it won't always be shaped perfectly.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C91vS3o7nPE/UKXMcUaYfrI/AAAAAAAACIY/6MNpLFgrMaA/s1600/November+15%252C+2012+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C91vS3o7nPE/UKXMcUaYfrI/AAAAAAAACIY/6MNpLFgrMaA/s400/November+15%252C+2012+016.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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You'll need to cut 2 layers of a lining - mine was just unbleached muslin, and 2 layers of your outer fabric.</div>
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I stacked mine together and cut them at the same time. I also cut it out with a pair of pinking shears to leave a raw, zig-zag edge. I did this both because I thought it would be cute, and because it would save a lot of time since I wouldn't need to clip the curves and turn it right side out later.</div>
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Lining is not absolutely necessary, but the bag will be more durable if you use it.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nZMl8kt3auY/UKXMgP13P0I/AAAAAAAACIk/G0Zn__wD7qs/s1600/November+15%252C+2012+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nZMl8kt3auY/UKXMgP13P0I/AAAAAAAACIk/G0Zn__wD7qs/s400/November+15%252C+2012+018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then you'll sandwich the 2 lining layers between the 2 outer layers. Make sure the fabric is right side out.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BIpYR7kr3OI/UKXMp7yQtXI/AAAAAAAACIo/djjHKdlv3UI/s1600/November+15%252C+2012+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BIpYR7kr3OI/UKXMp7yQtXI/AAAAAAAACIo/djjHKdlv3UI/s400/November+15%252C+2012+022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Stitch around the edge using a 1/4" seam, and make sure you leave a small opening to add the rice.</div>
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For the record, I stitched around it twice, just to reinforce the seam.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5MA0gj6eRY8/UKXMthFc1NI/AAAAAAAACIw/wrXqII1Vyv8/s1600/November+15%252C+2012+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5MA0gj6eRY8/UKXMthFc1NI/AAAAAAAACIw/wrXqII1Vyv8/s400/November+15%252C+2012+024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The opening only needs to be large enough to fit the end of a funnel.</div>
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Make sure the tip of the funnel is in between the two lining pieces.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sOOurQzUlYw/UKXM2OT7E9I/AAAAAAAACI8/VDzPro0KAyA/s1600/November+15%252C+2012+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sOOurQzUlYw/UKXM2OT7E9I/AAAAAAAACI8/VDzPro0KAyA/s400/November+15%252C+2012+025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Add plain, white rice until the bag is a little more than half full. It's best if it will lay fairly flat in the bottom of the basket.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bhzLGKMPudk/UKXM569LzTI/AAAAAAAACJI/zBYbnRyxH0o/s1600/November+15%252C+2012+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bhzLGKMPudk/UKXM569LzTI/AAAAAAAACJI/zBYbnRyxH0o/s400/November+15%252C+2012+027.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally, stitch the opening closed.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_0ZH0dn-QnQ/UKXNCj2OzII/AAAAAAAACJY/YANNYt29X_0/s1600/November+15%252C+2012+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_0ZH0dn-QnQ/UKXNCj2OzII/AAAAAAAACJY/YANNYt29X_0/s400/November+15%252C+2012+032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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T.Lynn wanted a picture of the group I had waiting to have the final stitching done.</div>
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She was helping me fill the bags with rice, so how could I refuse?</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJv29gwpbRg/UKXM983LRnI/AAAAAAAACJQ/e1Avmm0wA5o/s1600/November+15%252C+2012+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJv29gwpbRg/UKXM983LRnI/AAAAAAAACJQ/e1Avmm0wA5o/s400/November+15%252C+2012+030.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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There you go. Heat it up, put in a flour sack towel and it's ready for some biscuits.</div>
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How long your bag will need to be heated will depend on it's size. Start by putting it in the microwave for 30 seconds and then increasing by 30 second intervals until the bag is hot. Next time you'll know how long it will take and you can just start with that amount of time in the settings. Use an oven mitt to get it out of the microwave. These rice bags hold heat for a long time, and if you want a moist heat, you can put a cup of hot water in the microwave with it while you heat it up.</div>
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Allow to cool and make sure it's dry before storing in a dry area.</div>
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I've linked this post with the <a href="http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/11/farm-girl-blog-fest-9.html" target="_blank">Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest</a>,</div>
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<a href="http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/11/farm-girl-blog-fest-9.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Blogfest" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kGjqry5YFqo/UJhwVxlSWCI/AAAAAAAACO0/JSH5oJP91PM/s200/2012-10-29%252016.17.02.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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the <a href="http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2012/11/homestead-barn-hop-88.html" target="_blank">Homestead Barn Hop</a>,</div>
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<a href="http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2012/11/homestead-barn-hop-88.html" target="_blank"><img height="200" src="http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Barn-Hop.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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and the <a href="http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/clever-chicks-blog-hop-8-turkey.html" target="_blank">Clever Chicks Blog Hop</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/clever-chicks-blog-hop-8-turkey.html" target="_blank"><img alt="The Chicken Chick" height="195" src="http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h402/ADozenGirlz/CleverChicksBloghop150x147_zps2ab1a684.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-81350365086556370402012-11-10T11:51:00.000-05:002012-11-13T09:28:44.265-05:00Butternut Squash SoupThis is an absolutely delicious soup, and perfect for fall. It's thick, and has a creamy quality to it, without actually adding any cream. It's not one that most of the family likes though, so this recipe only makes enough for about 4 or 5 people. It could easily be adjusted for more by using larger veggies and more broth.<br />
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<u>Butternut Squash Soup</u><br />
1 smallish butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into cubes<br />
1 medium onion, diced<br />
2 Tbls. butter<br />
1 qt. chicken broth, or stock<br />
salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste<br />
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Melt your butter in a large pot, and cooked the onions until they are translucent. Add the squash and the chicken broth and simmer until the squash is very soft. About 20-30 min., depending on how big your chucks were. Remove from heat and blend. I just used my immersion blender and mixed it up right in the pot, but if you don't have one, you could put it through your regular blender in batches. If you use a regular blender, return it to the pan and heat it up again if it cooled too much. After it's been blended you just add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste and your all done. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QIs2EGh8bGo/UJ6ENG-ffuI/AAAAAAAACHk/bEhm6mdPsP0/s1600/November+10,+2012+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QIs2EGh8bGo/UJ6ENG-ffuI/AAAAAAAACHk/bEhm6mdPsP0/s640/November+10,+2012+001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Super easy, and delicious. What more could you ask for?<br />
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I've linked this post with the <a href="http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/11/farm-girl-blog-fest-8.html" target="_blank">Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/11/farm-girl-blog-fest-8.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Blogfest" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kGjqry5YFqo/UJhwVxlSWCI/AAAAAAAACO0/JSH5oJP91PM/s200/2012-10-29%252016.17.02.jpg" width="199" /></a><br />
<br />
I've also linked with the <a href="http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2012/11/barn-hop-8.html" target="_blank">Homestead Barn Hop</a>,<br />
<a href="http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2012/11/barn-hop-8.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CfPc5_Bnb6Q/UKB3EH1wSqI/AAAAAAAAOAU/YkQtT1l1N9Y/s200/Barn-Hop.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
the <a href="http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/clever-chicks-blog-hop-8-and-rural.html" target="_blank">Clever Chicks Blog Hop</a>,<br />
<a href="http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/clever-chicks-blog-hop-8-and-rural.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y4Dh7KS8DXk/UIYYvcRTnwI/AAAAAAAAcAA/a6JKt9Dgzco/s200/1Clever+Chicks+Blog+hop.JPG" /></a><br />
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and the <a href="http://www.backyardfarmingconnection.com/2012/11/backyard-farming-connection-hop-8.html" target="_blank">Backyard Farming Connection Hop</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.backyardfarmingconnection.com/2012/11/backyard-farming-connection-hop-8.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z321/gstuppy/hop-1.png" /></a></div>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-29780339864673712352012-11-02T23:00:00.001-04:002012-11-06T09:22:59.431-05:00Nasturtium Vinegar <div style="text-align: center;">
I love nasturtiums. They are among some of the prettiest flowers. I've grown them before; usually the jewel mix, but I like the Alaska mix too - the foliage for those is mottled with white. This year however, I found a pack of mahogany nasturtium seeds. Oh - I wanted to grow those. I've made nasturtium vinegar with the other varieties, and I liked the reddish orange color it turned out, but I could just picture the lovely red that would most likely result from using the mahogany flowers.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Ix1YuqKz0g/UJR_fxnOTyI/AAAAAAAACGk/5mnJpdh9jTE/s1600/November+2,+2012+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Ix1YuqKz0g/UJR_fxnOTyI/AAAAAAAACGk/5mnJpdh9jTE/s400/November+2,+2012+003.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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They are absolutely gorgeous, don't you think?</div>
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To make the vinegar, you'll want to cut off a bunch of the flowers, but beware, bees and other stinging things love nasturtium as much as you do. I received a very painful reminder of this as I was picking. And once I had them inside and was giving them a rinse, I discovered another little stinging critter, this time a bumble bee, in among the flower heads. I took the whole bowl back outside to coax him out of there. I don't use chemicals on my garden, but I rinse off the flowers just to make sure there aren't any creepy crawlies in there.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IAdFuz1QrQ8/UJR_jC0X5UI/AAAAAAAACGs/g32EhJYo0Wo/s1600/November+2%252C+2012+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IAdFuz1QrQ8/UJR_jC0X5UI/AAAAAAAACGs/g32EhJYo0Wo/s400/November+2%252C+2012+009.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Once you've divested the flowers of all of their little hitch-hikers, put them in a quart jar and pour in enough white vinegar to cover them. You'll have to push them down, as they like to float. You could use white wine vinegar if you like.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FoaUnBTrQ6w/UJR_v_FyzlI/AAAAAAAACG4/ETzgKr12SEM/s1600/November+2%252C+2012+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FoaUnBTrQ6w/UJR_v_FyzlI/AAAAAAAACG4/ETzgKr12SEM/s400/November+2%252C+2012+084.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Let it sit for about a week and then strain off the flowers. I lined a small, fine mesh strainer with several layers of cheesecloth and set it directly on top of a wide mouth pint jar.</div>
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Warning - it smells pretty yucky when you first take off the lid, but once the spent flowers are out it will be fine.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TRc2dQgR4lE/UJR_z41HrnI/AAAAAAAACHA/VTn2R5EQK6E/s1600/November+2%252C+2012+096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TRc2dQgR4lE/UJR_z41HrnI/AAAAAAAACHA/VTn2R5EQK6E/s400/November+2%252C+2012+096.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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There you go. It did turn out a beautiful color, and I can't wait to use it in a vinaigrette. </div>
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Another reason to love nasturtiums - they taste peppery, and I like pepper.</div>
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I've linked this post with the <a href="http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/11/farm-girl-blog-fest-7.html" target="_blank">Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/11/farm-girl-blog-fest-7.html" target="_blank"><img height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fb0aieA_UuU/UJB_1lIcUzI/AAAAAAAAL4Y/uCs_DiilYx0/s200/2012-10-030.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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I've also linked with the <a href="http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2012/11/barn-hop-86.html" target="_blank">Homestead Barn Hop</a>,</div>
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<a href="http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2012/11/barn-hop-86.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xIAqJI1myhw/UJcSBD6M1SI/AAAAAAAAN3g/pw1t0PqPeSU/s200/Barn-Hop.jpg" /></a></div>
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the <a href="http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/clever-chicks-blog-hop-7-country-craft.html" target="_blank">Clever Chicks Blog Hop</a>,</div>
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<a href="http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/clever-chicks-blog-hop-7-country-craft.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y4Dh7KS8DXk/UIYYvcRTnwI/AAAAAAAAcAA/a6JKt9Dgzco/s200/1Clever+Chicks+Blog+hop.JPG" /></a></div>
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and the <a href="http://www.backyardfarmingconnection.com/2012/11/backyard-farming-connection-hop-7.html" target="_blank">Backyard Farming Connection</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.backyardfarmingconnection.com/2012/11/backyard-farming-connection-hop-7.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z321/gstuppy/hop-1.png" /></a></div>
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There are plenty of great ideas and useful information being shared through these blog hops. I hope you get a chance to check some of them out.</div>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-6029615631111505652012-10-25T18:31:00.004-04:002012-10-30T19:01:38.108-04:00Putting the garden to bed.We recently spent an afternoon in the garden cleaning things up, pulling out spent plants and weeding. We've pulled our supports out to store for the winter, and have gotten rid of anything that's not in good enough shape to use again next year. We still have a bit of work left to do, such as spreading fresh pine needles in the walk ways, finishing up some weeding, and pulling out what's left of plants that are still currently producing, but the vast majority of the work is done.<br />
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In addition to cleaning out the garden areas, fall is also a good time to update your garden notebook with information about how well plants produced, or any additional problems you may have faced during the year. While we're pulling our hair out over some particular difficulty, we all think we'll remember the problem(s) that we faced, but by next year, things won't be as clear. It's much better to jot anything down now that you may have forgotten to put in earlier in the year.<br />
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So now's the time to hop on out there, get things all cleaned out, written down and ready for next year.<br />
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I've linked this post with the <a href="http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/10/farm-girl-blog-fest-6.html" target="_blank">Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/10/farm-girl-blog-fest-6.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Blogfest" border="0" height="160" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q_f-TCWe9vo/UH15StywSLI/AAAAAAAACLQ/VNr386rjwck/s400/square_fest_no_shading.jpg" width="160" /></a><br />
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I've also linked with the <a href="http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2012/10/barn-hop-85.html" target="_blank">Homestead Barn Hop</a>.<br />
<a href="http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2012/10/barn-hop-85.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" closure_uid_kcyqjg="2" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u93JwakyVfY/UIdiuihngKI/AAAAAAAANHE/iDr8eYGDzYU/s200/Barn-Hop.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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And with the <a href="http://www.backyardfarmingconnection.com/2012/10/the-backyard-farming-connection-6.html" target="_blank">Backyard Farming Connection Hop</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.backyardfarmingconnection.com/2012/10/the-backyard-farming-connection-6.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z321/gstuppy/hop-1.png" /></a></div>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-46340614212001061652012-10-21T17:56:00.000-04:002012-10-24T20:04:59.820-04:00Keep a gardening notebook.I've always flown by the seat of my pants with regard to my garden, but since we added so many beds this year, I decided it was getting beyond my ability to just remember where everything has been planted. I also thought it would be a good idea to consolidate all the tips and miscellaneous information I've collected that deal with things like spacing, companion planting, pests, or other problems, and planting time tables.<br />
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It's fairly simple to construct your own. I wish I could add pictures of mine, but our main computer is down right now, so you'll just have to use your imagination. :)<br />
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I bought an inexpensive, three ring binder and used dividers that have pockets on them to mark the sections. I use page protectors for everything so the paper is protected if I decide to take it out in the garden with me when I'm planting. The reason I use dividers that have pockets is so I have a place to stick notes, or articles if I happen to be out of page protectors. That way they are already organized and ready to file after my next trip to the office supply store, instead of sitting on a desk, or in a drawer somewhere.<br />
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I have the following sections in my notebook:<br />
Garden plans - I literally draw the layout of the garden (you could use graph paper) and<br />
write in where things are planted. I write notes on the back of the "map".<br />
Things like, how a particular variety performed, or whether or not you<br />
saw a benefit from a companion planting.<br />
Tips - This is where I store charts for crop rotation, spacing, and compainion planting.<br />
Pests - Info. on pest problems and organic solutions/suggestions.<br />
Other problems - How to diagnose, and organically treat other problems that you may<br />
run into, like fungal diseases or nutrient deficiencies.<br />
Articles - Sometimes I run across an article that covers a wide range of information, which <br />
makes it difficult to file in any one section. This is where those go.<br />
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I've seen many people talk about keeping a gardening journal and I can wholeheartedly agree that it is enormously helpful. If you're not already keeping one, it'd be a great idea to get one ready before the next planting season.<br />
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I've linked this post with the <a href="http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/10/farm-girl-blog-fest-5.html" target="_blank">Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/10/farm-girl-blog-fest-5.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Blogfest" border="0" height="160" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q_f-TCWe9vo/UH15StywSLI/AAAAAAAACLQ/VNr386rjwck/s400/square_fest_no_shading.jpg" width="160" /></a><br />
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I've also linked with the <a href="http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2012/10/barn-hop-84.html" target="_blank">Homestead Barn Hop</a>.<br />
<a href="http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2012/10/barn-hop-84.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" closure_uid_j6oeyn="2" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3j1qf1O4ZM/UISKWkESefI/AAAAAAAAMt4/j82p_35Z2ZY/s200/Barn-Hop.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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And with the <a href="http://www.simplejoyfulliving.com/2012/10/the-backyard-farming-connection-hop-5.html" target="_blank">Backyard Farming Connection Hop</a> at <a href="http://www.simplejoyfulliving.com/" target="_blank">Simple and Joyful.</a><br />
<img border="0" src="http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z321/gstuppy/hop-1.png" /><br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559554049808417357.post-17113883389471716332012-10-14T20:29:00.000-04:002012-10-14T20:29:05.953-04:00So, lets try out the title of Grandma.That's right. Congratulations to my lovely daughter Ri and her hubby, who are making me a Grandma!!<br />
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We've know for a couple of weeks now, but were respecting their wish to keep it fairly quiet until they made the announcement at church. Since that happened this morning, I'm free to shout it to the rest of the world.<br />
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Yay!! Grandbaby number 1. I expect to have a lot, but I'll let them start with one. :D<br />
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We're all extremely excited, as you can probably tell, and I will certainly post updates. I can hardly wait, but now that I'm older, and not the one who's pregnant, I know it will pass rather quickly. So, I'd better decide what I'm going to sew, knit, or stitch for the baby and get to work on it pronto.<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5ze5DW-ez4/TzR9v0t0bhI/AAAAAAAABlU/k6l5IRi9kxc/s1600/moms+retro+signature.png" />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12003598651497797034noreply@blogger.com4