Homeschooling Single Parents

If you're a single parent who is homeschooling or know of one, the HSLDA is doing a survey.

Please consider taking a few minutes to complete it:
http://www.hslda.org/survey/SingleParent/

When I started homeschooling as a single parent, I knew of maybe four others in the whole country. Apparently, the number of single parents who are homeschooling is growing....

Window Blankets

My last electric bill was $189! (Sadly, I heat with electric, and we had a pretty cold December with several nights in the teens/twenties.) So, I went to Family Dollar the other evening and bought three twin-size blankets. (And they even appear to be made in the USA!) I cut them into thirds, and they just cover my windows. We just tacked them up with thumb tacks for right now. I'm eventually going to make quilt tops and backs for them, but I needed to get something up immediately to try to keep the furnace from running so much as we're in another cold snap. It's supposed to be down to around zero later this week. They seem to have helped some. Here's a good article on making window quilts, and it has pictures of the lovely quilts the author made.

The Boy Had a Birthday!

Several months ago...................... LOL

Wow, books!

And a Remington 870!

Changing an Oven Bake Element

A couple of weeks ago, I was preheating the oven to make a fruit cocktail cake. I started hearing a funny noise. I finally realized it was coming from my oven. I opened the door, and it was sparking and glowing. I quickly closed the door and shut the oven off. The Boy promptly reminded me to get the fire extinguisher. I opened the door again, and it was still sparking and glowing. So, I ran in to check the breaker box, and the breaker had not blown. So, I turned it off, or so I thought, according to the way it was marked. Well, I came back and looked in the oven again, and it was still glowing, so, I turned off the breaker above the one I thought was the stove. That finally worked, and the sparking and glowing went out. Sadly, my oven element was burned in two. I thought it would cost a fortune to fix, so I bought a hot plate and have been cooking our meals on that, with the exception of using my Mom's oven twice. One of my brothers in Christ is an appliance repairman, so I was asking him about it, and he said I just needed a new element. Friday, I called the nearest appliance parts store, and they had the element I needed. It was around $30. So, I went to town and picked it up. Saturday, I changed the element. Here's how:

1. Make sure you have turned the breaker for the range off! You don't want to be zapped, right?
2. Remove the screws holding the element in place.
3. Pull out the old element.
4. Clip clothespins (or something similar) onto the wires so that they don't slide back down into the oven. The man at the appliance parts store told me to do that.
5. Pull the wire clip thingies (sorry, don't know the term for them) off the old element.
6. Put the wire clip thingies on the new element.
7. Slide it back into the oven.
8. Replace screws.
9. Turn breaker back on.
10. Cook something yummy in your oven that you just fixed yourself! :-)

These Modern Playthings

These Modern Playthings
(A. W. Tozer, 1897-1963)

"After He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening had come, He was there alone." Matthew 14:23

Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. It wears us out by multiplying distractions, and beats us down by destroying our solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our strength before going out to face the world again.

Where is the solitude to which we can retire today?

Science, which has provided men with certain materialcomforts, has robbed them of their souls by surrounding them with a world hostile to their existence. "Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still" is a wise and healing counsel. But how can it be followed in this day of the newspaper, the telephone, the radio and the television? (Andi: And might I add, the Internet?) These modern playthings, like pet tiger-cubs, have grown so large and dangerous that they threaten to devour us all!

No spot is now safe from the world's intrusion!

Preparedness Articles by Jackie Clay

Jackie Clay writes for Backwoods Home Magazine (my favorite magazine), and she has some fantastic articles on getting prepared. I highly recommend them. Here are links to some of my favorites:

Common Sense Preparedness Just Makes Sense

With Common Sense Planning, You Can Survive Hard Times
(In this article, she gives an inventory of a year's supply of food, which I have found to be very helpful, as well as lists of other necessities. I just wish I had enough money to go out and buy a year's supply of everything we need. Sigh..... )

Jackie's Tips for Hardcore Homesteading

You can click on this link for more of Jackie Clay's articles, as well as articles by others.

100 Items to Disappear First in a Panic

I've seen this list for a few years at various preparedness sites. I just found out today who the author is, Joseph Almond. 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us, "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." So, prepare as best you can.

The List:
1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy..target of thieves. Maintenance, etc.)
2. Water filters/purifiers (Shipping delays increasing.)
3. Portable toilets (Increasing in price every two months.)
4. Seasoned firewood (About $100 per cord; wood takes 6 - 12 mos. to become dried, for home uses.)
5. Lamp oil, wicks, lamps (First choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel (URGENT $2.69-$3.99/gal. Impossible to stockpile too much.)
7. Guns, ammunition, pepper spray, knives, clubs, bats & slingshots
8. Hand can openers & hand egg beaters, whisks (Life savers!)
9. Honey/syrups/white, brown sugars
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat (White rice is now $12.95 - 50# bag. Sam's Club, stock depleted often.)
11. Vegetable oil (for cooking) (Without it food burns/must be boiled, etc.)
12. Charcoal & Lighter fluid (Will become scarce suddenly.)
13. Water containers (Urgent Item to obtain. Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY)
14. Mini heater head (propane) (Without this item, propane won't heat a room.)
15. Grain grinder (non-electric)
16. Propane cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur by September 1999.)
17. Michael Hyatt's Y2K Survival Guide (BEST single y2k handbook for sound advice/tips.)
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby supplies: diapers/formula/ointments/aspirin, etc
20. Washboards, mop bucket w/wringer (for laundry)
21. Cook stoves (propane, Coleman & kerosene)
22. Vitamins (Critical, due to daily canned food diets.)
23. Propane cylinder handle-holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item.)
24. Feminine hygiene/hair care/skin products
25. Thermal underwear (tops and bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets & wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum foil regular & heavy duty (great cooking & barter item)
28. Gasoline containers (plastic or metal)
29. Garbage bags (Impossible to have too many.)
30. Toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels
31. Milk - powdered & condensed (Shake liquid every 3 to 4 months.)
32. Garden seeds (non-hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit: 1(800) 835-3278
35. Tuna fish (in oil)
36. Fire extinguishers (or.. large box of baking soda in every room...)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for expiration dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. BIG DOGS (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches (3 box/$1 .44 at Wal-Mart: "Strike Anywhere" preferred. Boxed, wooden matches will go first.)
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils/solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in wintertime)
45. Work boots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No.76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, diaries & scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experiences: historic times!)
48. Garbage cans plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men’s hygiene: shampoo, toothbrush/paste, mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc.
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent sprays/creams
53. Duct tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks & duffle bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned fruits, veggies, soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies (jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc.
65. Sleeping bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon monoxide alarm (battery powered)
67. Board games, cards, dice
68. d-Con rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, roach killer
69. Mousetraps, ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks...)
71. Baby Wipes, oils, waterless & anti-bacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soy sauce, vinegar, bouillon/gravy/soup base
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/cocoa/Tang/punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. BSA - New 1998 - Boy Scout Handbook (also, Leader's Catalog)
81. Roll-on window insulation kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, peanut butter, nuts
84. Socks, underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to & from open Flea markets)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattresses (for extra guests)
88. Gloves: work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern hangers
90. Screen patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc.)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens

September is Preparedness Month...

and I haven't posted anything on preparedness!

It looks like we have some serious economic problems headed our way, and winter is quickly approaching. Please go to this link and print off the articles on how to get prepared and then just do it! I'll put up a post sometime later this week with some of my favorite preparedness links, although the one I just gave you is, in my opinion, the most helpful for someone just getting started.

Farm Fresh...

I just went out to check on the chickens and give them some fresh water, and I found another egg. It was so fresh that it was warm. LOL I love it. I can't wait to have a dozen! I ended up frying the eggs last night instead of scrambling them. The Boy really liked them and has been waiting on those hens to lay enough eggs so that he can have more. :-)

A Surprise!

I went out to give the chickens a little "supper" and decided to look in their little coop. Look what I found:
Four little brown eggs! I was so excited. I ran in to show them to The Boy, and we both ran down to Mom and Dad's to show them. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm goin' to scramble some home-raised, semi-free-ranged eggs...... :-)

Note to self: Build nest boxes! Immediately! LOL

Fruit Cocktail Cake

At my church, each family takes turns cleaning the church and bringing snacks for our time of fellowship between Sunday school and the worship service. It was my turn last week, so I made a fruit cocktail cake, and it was a hit. Here's the recipe:

Fruit Cocktail Cake
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup of sugar
2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of soda
1 teaspoon of vanilla
one 16 ounce can of fruit cocktail (not drained)

Mix ingredients and pour in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar over batter. (It would be good with nuts sprinkled on it, too, or mixed in the batter, maybe a half cup.) Bake at 325ºF. for 40 minutes.

Topping:
2/3 cup of cream
1/4 pound of margarine (I used butter, NOT margarine.)
1 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Boil topping ingredients for 3-4 minutes. Cut cake while warm and pour topping over cake.

Rooster, Then and Now

Didn't he turn out "purty"?

Free Range Friday Night

Normally, some of the chickens are in a tractor and the others are in a run. We decided to let them free range for a while this evening.....

Chad, a.k.a. The Boy, and dinner....er....I mean.....one of the roosters, Roosty.

An update (01-09-09): It turns out that "Roosty" wasn't a rooster. As first-time chicken keepers, we didn't know that Buff Orpingtons have little combs and wattles, too. LOL So, we only have one rooster, Earl. Ask him what his name is, and he'll say, "Earr-earr-earr-earr-Earlllllll............." How's that for corny? :-)

Go read this....

Herrick Kimball (The Deliberate Agrarian)has a very interesting post today, Emerging Crisis, Population Shift, & The Rural Remnant. I hope to be one of the rural remnant, too, by the grace of God, but it's not going to be easy. I had yet another bad year of gardening. If we had to live off what we raised, we'd be dead. We had several potatoes and a few tomatoes (although small), but nothing else did very well. None of my green peppers did anything, until this month. I have two tiny peppers (one about 2 inches and the other about a half inch). My chickens still aren't laying eggs, although it's costing quite a bit to feed them. Time is short....

I took some quizzes....

I'm a nonconformist....[sarcasm on]big surprise there[/sarcasm off].

You Are 77% Non Conformist

You are a pretty serious non conformist. You live a life hardly anyone understands. And while some may call you a freak, you're happy with who you are.

Are You a Nonconformist?

I'm only 48% brutally honest, though. Now that is a shock. I thought I'd have been a little higher than that....

You Are 48% Brutally Honest

Honesty is important to you, but generally, you try not to be brutal about it. You'll sugar coat the truth when you need to... and tell a white lie when necessary.

How Brutally Honest Are You?

OK, back to cleaning.....

And that ye study to be quiet...

I never realized when I started this blog just how much studying I would have to do to be quiet. :-) I'm amazed at just how much we are tempted on a daily basis and how Satan will even use a brother or sister in Christ to tempt us. Diplomacy is not my forte. Everyone who really knows me knows that. Thankfully, our Father is giving me opportunities to practice being quiet and minding my own business (even though what the flesh still wants to do is just state what I think)......and the strength to start doing it. Praise God that He is molding me little by little.....

Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may live properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
1 Thessalonians 4: 11-12

Eating your Way into Debt

I read an interesting article this morning, Stop Eating Your Way Into Debt, by Jill Cooper, and I must say that I wholeheartedly agree with her (because I am guilty of it). She says:

Eating out is among the of the top causes of personal debt. Most of us hunt for the best interest rates on our mortgages and we complain about the awful price of gas the whole time we are pumping it.

Interestingly enough though, I have yet to hear one person groan about the awful prices they had to pay for lunch today or tell how they were "duped" into having to pay such high prices at their favorite restaurant. I mean really, the government should step in and make all restaurants take steak off of their menus so I won't be tempted to order it. Of course then there are those fast food places. They shouldn't be allowed to build so close to the road and make it so convenient for me to drive in there each day. They have a lot of nerve expecting me to be a responsible adult who knows what I can or can't afford and should or shouldn't do.

This is too funny. It goes along the lines of how we should outlaw guns because guns are "evil". Guns aren't evil. People who use them wrongly are. OK, sorry for the detour......

She refutes every excuse for eating out, and she's quite right about them. Here are the excuses; read part 2 of the article for her answers:

I don't have time.
I'm too busy.
I don't know how to cook.
It's so much easier.

She asks this question:

Do you want the pain of cooking or the pain of not knowing how to pay your
bills?

She also offers solutions to make cooking at home easier. So, it's time for me to break the eating-out habit once and for all......

BTW, I paid off a loan that was just shy of $13,000 for consolidated debt a few months ago. I still have two smaller credit cards left to pay off (for lumber/hardware and clothes, which I "needed" for church) and back taxes (long story). I really have to knuckle down to get the taxes paid off because the interest and penalties are killing me. And then I will have to remember what Paul said to the Romans, "Owe no man any thing...." When one borrows, one is nothing more than a slave.

Simple Washing Powder

I made half of a batch of washing powder using the recipe from Sandy Maine's book, Clean, Naturally. The recipe calls for:

• 16 cups of baking soda
• 12 cups of borax
• 8 cups of grated castile soap
• 3 tablespoons lavender, lemon, or grapefruit essential oil

Mix together the baking soda, borax, and grated castile soap. Use a whisk to stir in essential oil. Use 1/8 cup per load.

The book says that this recipe makes enough to last a family of four for one year. I think that is based on five loads of laundry per week. The Boy and I usually have more than five loads of laundry per week, so I'm thinking we'll be doin' good if it lasts half of a year.

I grated three bars of Kirk's Castile Soap, which yielded a little more than four cups, so six bars should be plenty for the whole batch. I left out the essential oil because I really didn't want to be bothered by an extra step and extra expense. It smells wonderful as is. It didn't suds very much, but it did a little. I'm washing a load with it right now. Hopefully, it will come out clean.

I was reading the other day that chronic fatigue is often related to allergies. Well, I'm always tired, and I have allergies. I've been known to break out in hives from head to toe for no known reason. I went to Wal-Mart once and broke out in hives, my upper lip swelled to probably three times its normal size, and I started wheezing terribly. I ended up at the doctor's office for that one. He said I was probably allergic to something they had used for cleaning. So, I'm working to reduce allergens (anybody need a cat?), which is why I'm hoping this powder works. Plus, it's MUCH cheaper than regular laundry detergent. The castile soap was 99 cents a bar. I think the borax was $2.67. I don't know how much the baking soda was. I bought a huge bag of it at Sam's a few years ago. I think it may have been $8, but I just used a small amount of it for the washing powder. So, it would probably be only $2-3 worth of baking soda. Not bad.....if it works. :-)

It seems my washer is leaking yet again, but I guess that's a post for another day.....

By the way, there are recipes for laundry soaps using Fels Naptha which are supposed to work well and are quite frugal. You can find the recipes at a site called http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/.

Addendum: The first load (towels, wash cloths, dish towels, and dish cloths) are on the line. They are clean and have a very faint, clean-smelling scent. I even took it down to Mom's for her to do the sniff test, and it passed. I think this one's a keeper! :-)

The Funniest Cat I Ever Saw.....

Does the "mustache" remind you of anyone? We call this kitten "Adolph Hissler". LOL

Anybody in WV need a cat? I have..............several.

This is Adolph and Go-Go. She looks like she has on white go-go boots.

Can you tell that coming up with cat names is not my forte? LOL

My First Haircut

I cut my own hair for the first time! I've been needing 4-5 inches cut off, but just really didn't have the extra money. OK, that's really a lie, because I did buy some storage boxes and could have used the money I spent on those for a haircut. Anyway, storage boxes were a higher priority, as I'm trying to put everything in a place. However, my hair was so long that I could barely get the tangles out of it. So, I went down to Mom's and borrowed her haircutting scissors, went into the front yard in my favorite chair under the spruce tree, combed my hair into two sections (one on each side of my head), and whacked about 4-5 inches off. Then, I combed it all forward and cut off any really long pieces. After that, I went into my bathroom and separated it again and looked in the mirror and evened it up. It worked! Yippee! I saved $13.95 plus a tip. I know, $13.95 is probably considered very cheap for a haircut, but hey, I AM cheap....er.....frugal. :-)

Gardening

The Boy tilled up some of the lower garden yesterday. We're going to replant some things.

He's taking a break after all that hard work.

I do have a few tomatoes on my Early Girls.

Here are my mortage lifters. I need to get my tomatoes staked. (I'm a little behind on that.)

Our Chicken Tractor

The Boy built a big chicken run for our 24 Buff Orpingtons, but they kept getting out, and I didn't want them free-ranging in my neighbor's garden or my mom's vegetable and flower gardens. I was also afraid that one of our cats, roaming neighborhood dogs, hawks, etc. might get them. So, we built a chicken tractor to keep them in. I believe it's a bit too small, so we may have to build another one until we can get a larger, completely covered run put in. I entice them to it with food each morning, and we entice them back to their enclosed house at night with food because we have lots of wild critters around here, including coyotes, and all the chicken-keepin' folks I've talked to around here said that they've lost chickens that they leave out in runs at night because the wild critters will dig right under the runs and get them anyway, even with 2x6s on the bottom. Here are some pictures:

Above is the back of the tractor with a tarp covering the top and the west side to shade them from afternoon/evening sun, and that's usually the direction the rains come from.

Above is a picture of the east side (front) of the tractor. They get some morning sun. The Boy put two roosts up in the middle of the tractor, and they love to sit up there and snooze when they're not digging or eating.

Above is the door end of the tractor. It drops down to the ground with a walk-way, which you can see from the inside in the picture below, just to the right of the chicken sitting on the waterer. The chickens usually bypass the door and just jump in from the ground, though. LOL

I think we'll probably let them free-range a little more in the evenings when we're outside and can keep a better eye on them.

"Homestead" Happenings

Well, a lot has been happening around here lately, and I haven't had much time to post. Here's a little of what's been going on: We were without power from Wednesday afternoon until Friday afternoon. It was mighty hot in this trailer! Thankfully, my generator worked very well and kept my computer running so that I could work, my fridge running so that I didn't lose all my meat/cheese that I had just bought for the next two weeks on Tuesday, a light, and a fan so that I didn't completely die. LOL It also provided power for Mom and Dad's fridge, light, and fans. The generator is between our homes, so we run cords to each place. I'm always squawking about how I want to be off-grid...until my power goes out. ;-)

We've had rain after rain after rain. Then the rain stopped, and it's been in the 90s ever since. It is so hot and humid. The cicadas are screeching their heads off or rubbing their legs together or whatever they do to make that maddening sound. There must be millions of them. It's all enough to drive a gal bonkers! My chickens think they're quite a delicacy, though. We gather a bowl full for them to eat every now and then. One will grab one and take off running with several others chasing it. Then they all try to take it away, so the chicken has to keep ducking and running. LOL The rain has made my garden grow but also the weeds. It's been too wet to get in there to hoe, though. My soil is clay, so I can't walk in there until it dries out. Hopefully I can hoe all the weeds out Monday evening, or at least start on it.

Yesterday evening, I was a chicken chaser extraordinaire. Here's a note I sent to my friend telling him all about my adventure: I just got in from the chicken roundup for the night. About a third of them were out of the run again. After I got them all back into the run, it took me forever to get them up to the chicken house. I finally bent over and started snapping my fingers and half of them ran after me. LOL Yup, snap your fingers, and the chickens will come. Have you ever seen chickens run? They are hilarious. They kind of bounce from side to side. I got them distracted next to the door by putting out some chicken feed. Then I had to round up the others. They were a little more difficult, but they were finally persuaded. I think the fact that Timothy was running up to them on the other side of the fence may have helped. Those cats want a taste of fresh chicken so bad they can't stand it. LOL Then, I had to pick them up one by one (while they were distracted by eating) and throw them into the house. Some wanted to come back out, so I had to smack them. Yep, I'm a chicken smacker. LOL You wouldn't believe how I'm sweating now! Sweat was pouring into my eyes. I must have spent at least a half hour getting the chickens put up for the night. As you can tell, I'm still having trouble figuring out how to herd chickens. LOL I'm tired of chickens getting out, though, so we started building a tractor for them this evening. I'll post pictures Monday or sometime when we get it finished. Here's another snippet of an e-mail I sent to my friend telling about the chicken adventures earlier in the week: Did I tell you about the chicken fiasco? Hissy-Fit (a cat) was inside the chicken run yesterday evening, so Chad went out there and ran her out. I was looking around and noticed that we only had 13 chickens! I didn't see any feathers or carcasses, but we couldn't find them anywhere. I was wondering if we had a bunch of hawks come in for some chicken tenders or something. I finally decided to walk up to the road....and half of my chickens had escaped, crossed the road, and were climbing the hill! The nerve! So, the got herded back down (herding chickens is great fun, let me tell you! LOL) to the yard and thrown into their run. We're going to be building a much sturdier, covered run tomorrow. (Note: That didn't happen. We're doing a tractor instead.) They've got the biggest chicken run that any chickens have ever had (that's probably a slight exaggeration LOL), and they can't stay in it. The grass is always greener on the other side. Here are a couple of pictures of The Boy with the chickens (Buff Orpingtons):



Also, I have four blueberries! I can't believe it! The bushes had almost died by the time I got them in the ground. One still doesn't have leaves, but the other two have quite a bit of new growth....and four blueberries! They are supposed to get about six feet tall and six feet wide. The kind I bought are supposed to be hardy and fast growing (can't remember the kind right now). I planted them between my front deck and the telephone pole. I put the really bad one in the middle so that if it doesn't make it, I can plant something else there without having to "match" it. My $1.98 clearance rosebushes are also leaving out rather well. They're doing much better than I expected!

I also did a bunch of laundry and hung it out on the line today. I was thankful to be able to wash clothes and hang then out to dry again. :-)

Switched More Light Bulbs....

I (or rather, The Boy) replaced six more incandescent light bulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps). They had a calculator at WallyWorld (yes, I know, shame on me for being in Wal-Mart) where you punched in the number of bulbs you had, and it told how much energy you would save per year. The savings for replacing 27 light bulbs was $185 per year! That's like a whole month of electricity in the winter (or slightly more) for free! Now, I must replace my energy hog of a refrigerator....

Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ

Ever get a tune in your head that you can't get out? Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ is another of my favorite hymns. Click here to listen.

THY WORKS, NOT MINE, O CHRIST
Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

“While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Thy works, not mine, O Christ, speak gladness to this heart;
They tell me all is done; they bid my fear depart.
To whom, save Thee, who canst alone
For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?

Thy pains, not mine, O Christ, upon the shameful tree,
Have paid the law’s full price and purchased peace for me.
To whom, save Thee, who canst alone
For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?

Thy cross, not mine, O Christ, has borne the awful load
Of sins that none in Heav’n or earth could bear but God.
To whom, save Thee, who canst alone
For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?

Thy death, not mine, O Christ, has paid the ransom due;
Ten thousand deaths like mine would have been all too few.
To whom, save Thee, who canst alone
For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?

Thy righteousness, O Christ, alone can cover me:
No righteousness avails save that which is of Thee.
To whom, save Thee, who canst alone
For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?

Grocery List

It's often easier to shop with a grocery list, and it helps save money since you can reduce trips to the store by not forgetting things. (I try to shop every two weeks, and the next goal is to make it one trip a month.) My list fits on one sheet of paper in four columns. I just take a highlighter and mark what I need to buy. I can't figure out how to insert it as is, but here are the things on my list so that you can make your own without going to the trouble of typing everything. Just cut and paste:

DAIRY
Mozzarella Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
American Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Cream Cheese
Yogurt
Sour Cream
Butter
Eggs
Biscuits
Mush
Milk
Buttermilk
Half & Half
Whipping Cream

FATS
Lard
Shortening
Peanut Oil
Canola Oil
Olive Oil

BAKING
All-Purpose Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Cornmeal
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Cornstarch
Yeast
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Powdered Sugar
Corn Syrup
Molasses
Cocoa
Chocolate Chips
Honey
Vanilla
Maple
Other Flavoring

SPICES/HERBS
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Dry Onions
Onion Powder
Chili Powder
Basil
Oregano
Cinnamon
Parsley
Poultry Seasoning
Curry Powder
Ginger
Cumin
Cloves
Nutmeg
Turmeric
Celery Seed
Dill Weed
Coriander

GRAINS
Wheat
Grits
Oats
Rice
Popcorn

BEANS
Lentils
Split Peas
Pintos
Kidneys
Black
Navy
Great Northern
Lima
Chick Peas
Chili

CONDIMENTS
Bouillon
Hot Sauce
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Salsa
Soy Sauce
Vinegar
Worchestershire
Onion Soup Mix

STARCHES
Cornflakes
Other Cereal
Macaroni
Spaghetti
Lasagna
Rotini
Saltine Crackers
Other Crackers
White Bread
Wheat Bread
Bagels
English Muffins
Hamburger Buns
Hot Dog Buns
Biscuits
Bread Sticks

MEATS
Ground Beef
Steak
Beef Roast
Stew Meat
Sausage
Italian Sausage
Bacon
Ham
Pork Chops
Turkey
Chicken Legs
Chicken Breasts
Popcorn Chicken
Hot Dogs
Spam

VEGETABLES
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Garlic
Lettuce
Onions
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Peppers
Broccoli
Corn
Green Beans
Mixed Veggies
Peas
Spinach
Other Greens
Sauerkraut
Spaghetti Sauce
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce
Olives
Mushrooms
Hot Peppers
Pickles

FRUITS
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Strawberries
Blueberries
Peaches
Pears
Mixed Fruit
Pineapple
Raisins

JUICES
Apple
Orange
Cranberry
Lemon
Lime
Grape
Tomato
V-8

CANNED SOUPS
Chili
Bean ‘n Bacon
Chicken Noodle
Beef Broth
Chicken Broth
Vegetable Broth
Tomato
Mushroom

MISCELLANEOUS
Cat Food
Litter
Toilet Paper
Paper Towels
Foam Cups
Paper Plates
Plastic Utensils
Plastic Wrap
Aluminum Foil
Wax Paper
Freezer Paper
Plastic Baggies
Trash Bags
Soap
Shampoo
Feminine Products
Dish Detergent
Steel Wool Pads
Green Scrubbers
Laundry Detergent
Dryer Sheets
Stain Remover

OTHER
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Frugal Tips

I read an article last night, Frugal Tips to Survive a Recession. If you've read Amy Dacyczyn's book, The Tightwad Gazette, then most of those tips are probably old news, but if you haven't, it could save you money. Another good resource is the Better Times Almanac of Useful Information. There are some really good tips on saving energy. The Better Times folks also have good preparedness tips for those on a budget. Of course, one of the most important things to remember is:


I made that after being inspired by Herrick Kimball's post, A Christian-Agrarian Creed. It's a good article, and you should read it.

Some frugal tips I have are:

• Freeze steel wool pads in between uses. They don't rust this way.
• Cut those green Scotch scrub pads into four pieces because you usually don't need a whole one.
• When I want a slice of an onion, rather than putting the onion back in the refrigerator (because they tend to get really strong and then thrown out), I chop the rest and put it in a bag in the freezer. I'm wasting a lot less onions now.

Chicks...Week Three

"Look at my feathers! I'm startin' to look like a chicken!"

This is Chicken Little. It's the runt and isn't feathering out as quickly as the others.

"We thought you'd never get here! We're starvin' to death!"

Poor Ephemeral Things Which Cannot Last

I decided to read more about worldliness this morning at Grace Gems. One of the things which I read this morning was Poor Ephemeral Things Which Cannot Last.

(J. C. Ryle, "Thoughts on Immortality", 1883)

"For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

"This world and all it contains will pass away." 1 Corinthians 7:31

We live in a world where all things are temporary and passing away. We are all "going, going, going," whether high or low, rich or poor, old or young. We are all going--and shall soon be gone! What is our life? It is a vapor! So soon passes it away,
and we are gone!

Humbling and painful as these truths may sound, it is good for us to realize them and lay them to heart. The houses we live in, the homes we love, the riches we accumulate, the professions we follow, the plans we form, the relations we enter into, they are only for a time. The things you live for now are all temporary and passing away.

The pleasures, the amusements, the recreations, the merry-makings, the profits, the earthly callings, which now absorb all your heart, and drink up all your mind, will soon be over. They are poor ephemeral things which cannot last.

Oh, do not love them not too much!

Do not grasp them too tightly!

Do not make them your idols!

You cannot keep them, and you must leave them!

"Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth." Colossians 3:2

Corn Oysters

I made some corn oysters this afternoon. The first picture is the "oysters" frying in my cast iron skillet, and the second is the fried "oysters" draining on a paper towel. They are quite tasty. Here's the recipe:

Combine:

• 2 beaten eggs
• 2 cups corn (I usually just use a can of corn that has been drained)
• 1/2 cup cracker crumbs

Sift together:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (I like just a smidgen less)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Add flour mixture to corn mixture. Drop from tablespoon into small amount of hot fat (I use peanut oil) in skillet. Flatten slightly and pan fry until browned, about three minutes, turning once.