tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78705356217686691332024-02-07T16:18:06.694-08:00The Holverson HeritageShelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-27228600040881632872019-10-09T04:34:00.003-07:002019-10-09T04:34:43.601-07:00The Most Important Winter PrepYou don't have to know me very long before you realize that winter and I are not the best of friends. I am solar-powered and grey, nasty days with no green in sight just about put me under. But as they say, necessity is the mother of invention and so here is Shell's winter survival tip #387...<br />
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This time of year all the stores are teeming with Spring flowering bulbs. My favorite is the Hyacinth but you can choose from any of them. I am so excited because this year I found <a href="https://amzn.to/30XMAbs" target="_blank">coral hyacinths at amazon</a>! queue the music and be still my heart. *big beautiful sigh*<br />
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I love hyacinths because they smell amazing and are stubby enough that they don't tip your pots over with their height, I try to plant enough for each room in the house. Especially bedrooms.<br />
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After you have your bulbs it's an easy process. Get yourself a bucket of compost and a few used pots and stick those critters in.<br />
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as you can see I am breaking a sweat over this...<br />
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and once you have them planted just bury them in a flower bed or corner of your garden that will not be tilled.... this step is probably the most important step of the whole process. Because if you have menfolk and a tiller hitched to your tractor these lil ones are in grave danger... it's like they can smell them and once in that tractor seat they head directly for the spot you sunk the pots and they just start tilling uncontrollably... The same thing happens in cornfields around here. The first summer Andrew had a job he tilled the cornfield one night and the next morning I went out and planted the entire thing while he was at work and then I had to go work in a different spot on the farm. I get back to see Drew out in the same dang field... tilling! Little corn bodies were flying everywhere. <br />
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I said (okay, it was closer to a yell) "What you doin'??" <br />
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he says "The dirt still looked compacted so I was tilling it again."<br />
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I say "Well, yeah, it looks compacted I just drove over it five hundred times while PLANTING IT!"<br />
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and the dude says "oh..."<br />
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People, corn will not come up after being tilled twelve inches under.. no matter how long you stand in that field and beg it to... So I ordered more seed and we had to start over.... and then miracle of miracles when we tilled for the second planting some of the first planting made it up but not in the rows, they came in all zig zaggy like a crazy person had tossed their bodies all over the place... on acounta he did...it messed with my OCD all summer... Just do yourself a favor... once you've planted unhitch the tiller. <br />
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At any rate, here are my kids tucked safely where there is no tiller. I am blessed to live in Missouri and in about two weeks Miss Missouri is going to dump about three feet of leaves on these little guys but if you live where leaves don't threaten to drown you every Autumn it would be best to plant them slightly deeper or cover them with a little woodchip mulch.</div>
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Then write yourself a note on your December or January calendar. Mine reads "go get 'em" Bring them in and in a few weeks, you will have enough Spring in your house to carry you through to better days. </div>
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In the Spring you can plant the bulbs in your yard or plant the whole pots again for the next year. However, if you leave them in pots be sure to divide them every few years so that you don't crowd your bulbs.</div>
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And that's it, Ladies, adding beauty to our homes by looking toward the future. Wishing you a blessed Autumn! <3</div>
Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-28705846983003677932019-01-25T04:47:00.000-08:002019-02-01T03:46:51.840-08:00Animals in Heaven..<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The debate over animals and heaven is a minor issue. Meaning if someone believes that animals are or are not in heaven it will have no bearing on that persons salvation. I am a firm believer that we should never major on the minors. However, to make sure that my children know where their mother stands I am writing this post, to clear some water that has been muddied over the past few years...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I believe animals go to heaven. To be honest that belief had never been questioned until we moved to Missouri. We believed it, our church believed it and the culture around us believed animals went to heaven. But they don't call this place the show me state for nothing... it's a debate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and that debate always seems to run around ..souls.. The bible does not say that God breathed into the nostrils of creatures "the breath of life" so therefore animals cannot have souls and cannot go to heaven. I beg to differ. First off I don't know if they do or do not have souls... I don't care. I do know the bible clearly states there are animals in heaven. I know that their Creator is clearly concerned about their welfare and care. He spends a great deal of time instructing us on our conduct towards them. But that's not all that will be in heaven... I'll go even one step further and say there are trees or at least one tree that lived on earth and is now in heaven and I'm pretty sure it wasn't contingent on a soul either. Now before you join my critics in accusing me of being from a mystic creation worshipping cult... stick with me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm going to start by saying that God deals with all of His creation differently. We have no right to try to fit Him into our simple, finite minds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take for example ~Angels. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We know that angels can sin, choose wrong and fall from grace. If they couldn't we would not have Lucifer and his crew. Yet, salvation is not offered to a fallen angel like it is a fallen human. Angels are either in God's kingdom or on their way to hell. God does not deal with His creation the same. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Look at Elijah and Enoch... they both had physical bodies that they were not required to leave behind on this earth. And yet year after year, decade after decade, century after century so many people are forced to leave their bodies here to become dust... God does not deal with His creation the same.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Saying that God did not breathe into their nostrils the breath of life is not justification enough to say animals cannot go to heaven any more than you are justified in saying Elijah better get his body back down here cuz, God, that's just not fair. Again... God does not deal with His creation the same.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that is His right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's look at Romans 8 and we will start in verse 14</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">here, we are being told that born again Christians are adopted into the family of God.. we become the sons of God</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">let's continue...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">again. we are called the sons of God and we are waiting for our glory to be revealed... now pay attention.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>"For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God."</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are two subjects in the above passage... the sons of God who we have established from the previous verses is us and ... the creature and the creature is doing what? waiting...for what?...our manifestation.... why would the creature care about our manifestation? Good question, read on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>"For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,"</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They were put under the same bondage as us.. not willingly or because they had done anything wrong but because of us. They fight death, cold, heat, hunger, birth, separation by lack of communication.. they are subjected to the consequences of Adam's sin. read on because here it is...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>"Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh my, the creature gets to do what? be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God ( where will you find glorious liberty? Heaven, correct? and the creature itself also shall be delivered. correct?) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>"And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And there we are ~ all of creation travailing in pain and groaning together waiting for the redemption of our bodies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now let me tell you something one last time. God does not deal with his creation the same...I don't believe animals are to be worshipped. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Animals and insects since the flood have been food. In my freezer, there is a beef who when he walked this earth was tagged number "11". When I get to heaven and run into 11 I want to run up and scratch that soft spot right behind his ears just like before. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will look him in the eye and rub my forehead against his (that's the best way to hug a cow) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and, to be honest, since there will no longer be a language barrier from the fall, I will probably rib him a little asking why he turned into a carnivore and bit Grace while she was stealing his cud trying to save our milk cows life... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">there will be no sorrow or guilt from me being the cause of his death. While 11 was here on our farm he was treated with kindness and love. He was put to death as humanely as I could provide and he feeds my family... His Creator, my Creator established this order, neither he nor I will question it. People eat meat. Animals die. The only responsibility we have is how they are treated when they are alive on this earth. The rest of that responsibility is Gods and He's big enough to bear it. Animals were only given a short time on this earth and while our flesh often grieves over this knowledge..... I know in my heart they got the better end of the deal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">well, there you have it. no mystics. no creation worship. Just God said: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and I believe Him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, and trees? Well, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth... And God planted a garden eastward in Eden..... in that garden God planted trees that had names like peach, walnut, redbud, knowledge of good and evil, life, etc.... Then Adam sins and is kicked from the garden, as man walks away from the garden he turns to look over his shoulder one last time. He sees God placing armed angels around the tree called life to gaurd it because God doesn't want man to reach forth his hand and eat from it.... it was physically on earth. touchable there.. but travel through time to Revelation 22 where we find the tree of life, now in heaven beside the river. God does not feel the need to explain to us the when, how or why and guess what? He doesn't have to. Does that mean all trees go to heaven? Prolly not but who am I to answer that? Personally, I don't think grasshoppers, Japanese beetles or coyotes should be in heaven they cause me way too much stress but that choice is not mine to make. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My ways are not your ways saith the Lord, and that fact right there is something worth praising Him for... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-large;">~Shell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jeremiah 32:27</span><br />
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Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-17885370836626001432018-10-04T05:46:00.000-07:002018-10-04T09:43:46.003-07:00Jewelweed SalvePoison Ivy, Poison Oak, chiggers, ticks, oak mites, and mosquitos... Missouri provides them all and then some. With a farming family, we can't avoid the outside and that also means we can't avoid the irritants either. Fortunately, Miss Missouri provides something else as well.... jewelweed.<br />
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Working with jewelweed is easy. It can be as simple as grabbing a handful of flowers and stems, chewing them up and slapping it on the problem skin.... yeah, I know. Nobody wants to walk around with mom spit and weeds slapped on their skin and besides jewelweed isn't always around. So here is how we make it a little more civilized and portable.<br />
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Jewelweeds benefits are found in a sticky sap in its stems, flowers, and leaves. Drying this herb is not an option because you'll dry the sap. For long-term storage, it is best to extract it into an oil. I use olive oil because that is what I have kicking around in my soap supplies. Use your favorite liquid carrier oil.<br />
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Jewelweed it is easiest to find when it is blooming. Check along creeks and roadsides. It likes water. Blooms are either orange or yellow. I think the orange is more potent but I will take whatever I find. Pick a little bit of everything, flowers, stems, and leaves. Jewelweed is an annual so it is important that you do not harvest the entire plant. Leave plenty to bloom and go to seed for next year.<br />
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Pick over your harvest looking for bugs and weeds... anything that you don't want in your salve.<br />
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Once you are home cram it into a mason jar and cover with your carrier oil. ( I add one or two plantain plants in the mix. It is not necessary but plantain has added benefits for the salve.) Make sure the lid is on tight. Place a small dishtowel in the bottom of your crockpot and add about two inches of water. Lay your bottle on its side and put your lid on. Turn crockpot on warm. Let it go until the next morning or afternoon... sometime the next day. If you don't have a crockpot or want to speed things up you can stand your jar in a pan of water on the stove for four hours. It's just important that you don't let it boil because boiling breaks down the oil and the beneficial sap. I don't have time to babysit it so I use the crockpot.<br />
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When your oil is done place a strainer over another bowl and lay cheesecloth in the strainer. Slowly pour out your oil (It will now be a beautiful shade of orangeish green) and the foliage will now looks like the contents of a cow's rumen... if you've never had to dig through the contents of a cow's rumen then you'll just have to raise your hands to heaven and thank Jesus and then you'll have to take my word for it you, lucky dog, you.<br />
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Wrap your cheesecloth up tight and squeeze out every last drop of that wonderful extract.<br />
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It can be stored in the fridge (make sure you label it so someone doesn't mistake it for elderberry and chug it on down. This will make a sick person cranky.. learn from the experiences of others, my friend.)<br />
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Or you can just make it into a salve right away and be prepared for whatever life tosses at you.<br />
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The salve requires 1/4 c of beeswax for every cup of oil you use. and essential oils are optional.<br />
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Beeswax is never an exact science. We use wax from our girls, if you purchase wax it comes in a multitude of styles from <a href="https://amzn.to/2y9fF76" target="_blank">pellets</a> to <a href="https://amzn.to/2IBFcL1" target="_blank">bricks</a> so when I say 1/4 cup... it's not bible. don't pack it in your measuring cup tight, if you've got a brick of it grate it first. It's always a good idea to try a small batch to see how the salve feels when it is done before using up your entire supply in a bulk batch. If however, it comes out wrong just remelt it and add either more oil or more wax to get the desired consistency<br />
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place a pan on your stove and add water, place a heat proof bowl in the water and to that add your wax and oil. Gently melt them together.<br />
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Once the wax is melted remove from pan and pour into containers of your choice. I really like these little tins found <a href="https://amzn.to/2QsQgge" target="_blank">here</a> but this time my budget sent me to the dollar store and that works too.<br />
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Once your salve has started to cool you can add essential oils of your choice. Some of my favorites are <a href="https://amzn.to/2O8Mc8w" target="_blank">lavender</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2DWje6R" target="_blank">Tea tree</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2DYyP5X" target="_blank">Rosemary</a> or <a href="https://amzn.to/2IBfne4" target="_blank">Peppermint</a> for their soothing and healing properties. A few drops per container is fine.<br />
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Let your jewelweed salve sit uncovered for 24 hours then put the lids on. I make it all up at once and store in the freezer leaving one jar out in the fridge. I'll warn you even with essential oils it doesn't smell the best but it isn't a spa lotion it is medicine. Medicine that works. Simply apply it to irritated areas when needed.<br />
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Jewelweed salve is an item that our farm sells in limited amounts. It is $6 for a 2 oz tub... highway robbery I know, but I'd rather be slathering it on my kids than selling it. And honestly, you don't need me to make it for you.<br />
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Or I found it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/2IBP6wr" target="_blank">here</a> and at the time of posting they are offering a $2 off coupon. Just check and see if they have preservatives in it first.. our skin is the largest organ in our bodies and we should really be careful what we put on it.<br />
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That's it, Ladies, we've turned weeds into treasures without even breaking a sweat. Now, let's go cut some firewood. Critters step aside.<br />
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-8352926778596503542018-09-06T05:27:00.002-07:002018-09-07T03:01:56.788-07:00Tree Fodder<br />
This is a U.S. drought map for July and do you see that big brown burned up blob right in the middle... yeah, that's us...And, honey, it didn't get any better in August. You see, the Lord chose to grow our faith this summer instead of our pastures and if you could zoom in you'd see our family giving a sigh of surrender and then rolling up our sleeves and making hay while the sun shines. Not grass hay though... no, the grass is all burned up so we are making tree hay. Tree/Weed fodder to be exact.<br />
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Tree Fodder has been around forever.<br />
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I haven't.<br />
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no matter what my children tell you.<br />
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But finding someone to teach you to make tree fodder is hard. So jumping in with both feet and learning as you go is the best way... perhaps the only way.<br />
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The most important part of making tree fodder is to know your trees/weeds... not all are safe to eat. If in doubt google search it before adding it to your fodder pile.<br />
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What we use:<br />
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willow<br />
mulberry<br />
oak<br />
hickory<br />
elm<br />
small amounts of walnut<br />
redbud ~ pea pods attached add extra value. High protein.<br />
apple<br />
grape vines<br />
kiwi<br />
raspberry/blackberry cane<br />
ragweed... all kinds of ragweed<br />
sericea lespedeza - grows in the ditches<br />
sunchokes<br />
sunflower<br />
small amounts of sassafrass - avoid if your cows are lactating.<br />
garden waste green bean plants, cowpea, sweet potato vine, pumpkin leaves<br />
comfrey<br />
small amounts of redroot before it seeds... don't bring that mess to your pasture if avoidable.<br />
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I really think hedge apples, roses and locust would be good too if you could dry them without turning their thorns into piercing daggers in the cow's mouth... I'm still working through this one...<br />
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What we DON'T use:<br />
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sycamore<br />
peach<br />
cherry<br />
pear<br />
plum<br />
these build up prussic acid when wilting.. it is assumed that once it passes the wilt stage and is fully dry it will be safe again... I'm not putting effort into trees that I may or may not be able to feed but those are decisions that we need to make for ourselves.<br />
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Collecting:<br />
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you want a chainsaw, a good pair of nippers or even a sawsall to cut the branches. I love nippers because it stops me from cutting too old of wood on any tree. The fresher the growth the more nutrition in it. If you have stumps that are constantly sending up suckers... you, my friend, have hit the jackpot. The new growth of suckers are tender and fresh and the perfect size for drying. Waterspouts from your apple trees are ideal here too.<br />
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Collecting tree fodder isn't the same as raking leaves.. when a leaf falls to the ground during Autumn, it fell because the tree pulled back the sap and all the vitamins and nutrients with it thus killing the leaf. In making fodder we clip the branch and dry the leaves with all the nutrients intact. They will feel like soft leather and still be quite green or tones of green when dry.<br />
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we cleared trees in this pasture with a chainsaw last winter and then seeded it with grass.. as you can see the new grass is struggling to gain a foothold from lack of water while all of the stumps sent up suckers, the girls are nipping the suckers and loading them.<br />
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The key is variety. Clipping from many different trees adding to the pile and mixing it all up. One important tip would be to lay them all facing the same way. It makes it easier for drying and handling.<br />
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I know there are some who would think that harvesting branches this time of year will do damage to the tree and I suppose it does leave it exposed to bugs on the cuts. If you feel it's necessary you can cover the cuts with wax but honestly, the lower the water table gets the more the tree struggles and trimming branches relieves some of the burden and allows trees to live that might have otherwise died.<br />
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don't forget to grab your weeds.<br />
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lespedeza is at its peak at 8-12 inches but if yours is taller, even if it's blooming still pick it because some nutrition is better than none. High protein.<br />
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Ragweed is the poor man's alfalfa... if you don't believe me send one in for an analysis. you'll stop spraying, at least in the field, I promise. It is best to let it grow as big as you can get it without it blooming. I, however, am also a beekeeper so I don't have that luxury. The same drought that is starving my cattle is starving my bees so I let mine bloom and when the girls have had their fill of pollen then I pull it. The ragweed in the picture is giant ragweed and it will hold it's own when dried. If you get a bunch with the feathery type leaves tuck them into the tree fodder before drying. It dries up quite small and the tree leaves will hold it in shape whereas otherwise it may just powder up and be too small to be of use. High protein.<br />
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sunchokes and sunflower leaves can be pulled from their stems doing this allows for regrowth if possible. high protein.<br />
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I guess I don't have a picture of comfrey..but just cut the leaves and lay them in your bundles. comfrey is high in protein.<br />
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here's another handy tip.. having a cute helper sure makes the work go easier. Only don't give him nippers... he is only two after all. A pair of pliers look just like nippers though and he'll stay busy bringing you back the cutest little bundles of nutritious weeds for his cows that you've ever seen. Man, that dude melts my heart.<br />
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Drying:<br />
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can be done multiple ways... it obviously isn't raining or you wouldn't be this desperate so pile them in airy piles in your driveway.. or barn, garage, living room floor..... you know your limits.<br />
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Our barn was empty so that is where we started. We cut for an hour every morning. then stack the dry and lay out the fresh. with no humidity, it dries completely in 2-3 days don't pack it tight until then because you don't want it to mold. If it rains or gets a heavy fog a willow will plump back up so you want them cut.dried and stored away on a dry day or you will spend your life bouncing back and forth....fortunately willow is the only one that gives me fits like that.<br />
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later when we finally scrounged up a few bales of hay I had to dry them tighter.<br />
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notice the variety in this bundle and the plastic underneath.. sometimes oak and hickory will shuck their leaves while drying. especially if you bounce them around too much when checking moisture. It doesn't happen very often but trust me, no one wants to work like this to have their leaves sitting in the dirt. a piece of plastic is just extra insurance and you can dump the loose ones in a gunny sack.<br />
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As they dry you can compact them into a tight corner and that leaves room for more. Here are dried bundles in a feed bunk waiting for winter. See how green they are even though totally dry.<br />
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also, notice the stinking Japanese beetle chew marks... lack of water didn't slow them a bit.<br />
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and then, notice the psycho photo bomber... it's okay, her antics make the work a little lighter. and now I have this picture preserved right here for me to show her man someday... appreciate it, sis!<br />
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and then there is my last tip of the night... don't cut your fodder in the same pasture as your cows... they will make you feel so guilty that they end up with half your fodder fresh and you know come January you are going to regret it.<br />
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Feeding:<br />
<br />
when feeding be prepared for twigs to be left behind, this isn't a perfect system. The best way to feed is to think about the way you eat. When you fill your plate you take a little bit of everything, veggies, carbs, meat and so forth and that's how you stay healthy. Now you are filling a plate for your cows and you need to mix the high protein foods with the fibers. I find it is easier to mix the bundles fresh and let them dry together. Cows are not overly fond of ragweed (kinda like I'm not overly fond of kale but it is good for me) so having it dried into the bundle helps it all stick together and it gets munched down before the cows realize it was in there... I raised six kids... I know how this works. Stack a variety of foods together and then lay them flat or hang them and you will be surprised how they shrink up into a nice tight bundle that is easy to handle and feed. When dealing with the weeds that I have listed above please remember that they are very high in protein and you do not need to use very much of them per bundle.. an example of mine would be<br />
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3 oak branches<br />
3 Hickory branches<br />
a full ragweed shoved in the middle or 3-5 leaves from a sunchoke<br />
a piece of grape vine or raspberry<br />
maybe an apple branch or mulberry<br />
3 willow branches- willow branches hold together really well so I would use on bottom and top. like a sandwich.<br />
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You will find that some things are just not ready for harvest all at the same time and you'll have to mix them as you feed. Most of the garden waste is that way.<br />
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That's really all there is to it, except I left out the part about the sweat and the whining but you will figure that out all on your own. The first year I made tree fodder was the drought of 12... I had five cows and a dozen goats, it was easy. Since that time we have sold the goats and the Lord has blessed our cattle herd.... there are quite a few more mouths to feed. It feels a little overwhelming, kind of like trying to store water in my pocket.... which is ironic because if I had any water, my pocket is not where I would be putting it. Yet, every bundle is one more day that one more cow stays on our place and the Lord promises to work all things for our good so I'm going to hold Him to it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">~Shell </span><br />
Proverbs 31:21<br />
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Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-7831276192315811572018-08-14T03:34:00.002-07:002018-09-05T03:39:25.155-07:00Sumac Summer...Well, it almost wasn't a Sumac summer this year... like every other sentence that has come out of my mouth.... it is just too dry. Our Sumac flowers never opened. Just dried up and turned to powder on the stem. Poor bees....poor us..... BUT while we were out checking bees in an off farm yard....Preston, his momma and I found some.<br />
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If you have never tried Sumac berries you are in for a treat! I guess I should say if you like all things lemon... lemon heads, lemon aide, za'atar.... then you are in for a treat.<br />
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Pick the whole cluster, they are best when they look like they have been rolled in sugar but even if they don't just pick them.<br />
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Now you are faced with two choices..1) pop them in your mouth immediately and enjoy the refreshing taste of summer or 2) carry them home to be dried.<br />
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Preston chose to eat his immediately, he has done this before, my friend, and knows what it's all about.<br />
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be like Preston.<br />
you can thank us later.<br />
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I will add a disclaimer here, about feeding sumac to littles... last year he was barely over a year old when I gave him a cluster like that. He and I wallerd in the wonderful flavor and got it all over us.. we were sour and sticky and..... and then... he rubbed his eyes... and it burned. I'm not sure who was crying harder by the time we made it back to the house to wash it off ~ Memaw or the dude but it was not a pretty sight. have a washrag ready.<br />
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P.S.Yes, his hair is wet. We got caught in one of the two rainstorms that we have had this summer and it was so gloriously beautiful we kept right on working in it.<br />
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back to sumac...<br />
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If your sumac made it home it now has lots of wonderful uses<br />
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You can make Sumac-aide. just inspect those clusters for critters and plop it in a glass of ice cold water for a bit.<br />
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the stem is kind of piney tasting so if you don't want that use a fork and scrape the berries off.<br />
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you can share them with your little brother...<br />
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and be rewarded with big smiles and sour shudders<br />
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Or you can dry them...<br />
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If this is your first time with Sumac you can get away with tossing them on a cookie sheet and letting them sit on the counter until the next morning... If not and your family knows what's up then just head straight for the dehydrator because if you leave them sitting on the counter they will eat them all.... the voice of experience here, ladies.<br />
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once they are good and dry you will use a fork to rake them off the stems and toss them into the blender<br />
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It's not really the entire berry that you will use for cooking but the outer shell. the blender will bust them apart and inside your blender, you will have red powder and seeds... lots and lots of seeds.<br />
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Dump that into a flour sifter or on top of a fine screen and shake it around until the red powder is on a plate below and the seeds are dry on the screen. Chickens love the seeds or you can plant them to grow more bushes.<br />
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This powder can now be used to season your food. I like to mix it with smartweed and make a wild version of lemon pepper chicken or rabbit. It can also be used in Za'atar. Za'atar can be used to season any kind of meat and eggs. I sprinkle it in soups and on popcorn.<br />
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2 Tbs dried thyme or oregano (or one of each)<br />
2 Tbs ground cumin<br />
2 Tbs ground coriander<br />
2 Tbs sumac powder<br />
2Tbs ground sesame seeds<br />
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*just a quick tip. herbs and spices are best stored whole and then ground in a coffee grinder when ready to use.<br />
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mix it together and store in an airtight container. The sumac powder is the dark red at the top... I somehow didn't get a picture of it alone. I know... you're surprised.<br />
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I got to eat this for lunch just because I needed a blog picture.... I need to blog more often.<br />
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Just not today, I gotta run and put up more tree hay, this drought has me scrounging like a beggar trying to keep my cows. I will, however, be posting about tree hay here in a few days so make sure you stop back by if you have livestock.. or even if you don't because I miss ya when you're gone.<br />
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Have a great day!<br />
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-636746712300610622018-06-25T04:58:00.000-07:002018-06-25T06:24:55.112-07:00EggsSpring is a time of abundance, it is also time to make your plans for providing during the dearth of Winter. Today we are talking eggs.<br />
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When you live with Grace eggs are supplied in abundance but it does not happen without planning. Such as, early in the year (Jan/Feb), much to her joy, we add six to twelve pullets to our flock. These birds will begin to lay in late summer and will skip the winter molt and lay right through providing us with fresh eggs for eating. Now don't let that number fool you the girl will hatch out a million more throughout the summer but they will not begin laying until the following Spring and they provide the backdrop for the rest of this post.<br />
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The older birds will take a break and their laying will be spotty from the end of November until the end of January and the younger hens will not lay until the following Spring. If 6 -12 eggs provides breakfast, what can we use for baking? Well, we put up the Spring abundance of eggs. After the family and the Hogs are fed we freeze the rest. If you don't have chickens your abundance will be Easter, watch the sales adds and grab as many as you can afford.<br />
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You need to gather a few ice cube trays and your eggs. The first time you do this you will need to determine how many ice cubes equal one egg... I find that in most trays it takes two cubes per egg and those that are not exact are close enough that it doesn't make a difference but check so you don't have a disaster.<br />
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Break your eggs into a large bowl or picture.<br />
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lightly whisk them and add either a sprinkle of sugar or salt... you do not have to add the sprinkle but it helps to hold down the frothing. I usually just give a shake or two from my salt shaker and call it good.</div>
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Then pour the whisked eggs into your ice cube trays. As you can see I was very scientific in choosing my ice cube trays... they all match and give me precise measurements.... sorry for the sarcasm I just want to point out that we try to make life much too complicated by making it "right" when close enough really works and is less stress.</div>
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And then slide them in the freezer. The next morning pop them out and put them in a storage container. If they are sticking in the tray run the back side under hot water for a short second.</div>
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For use just pull the desired amount out and defrost in the fridge.. or on the counter if you're like me and usually remember an hour before you need them. </div>
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That's it, Ladies, don't forget to save all those wonderful shells for your garden and Happy Baking.</div>
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Now, get back to your family. <3</div>
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-31924395092320752242018-05-22T05:57:00.000-07:002018-05-22T05:57:15.224-07:00Rendering LardWell, it's happened.... Spring! I knew I would be in trouble when it hit because there is so much to do that there is no time to write. We had a couple of rainy days so I was able to get our lard put up and I actually remembered to take pictures.<br />
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Throughout my married life, those in the "know" have proven one thing to me and that is ~ they don't know. <br />
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"fats are good for you"<br />
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"fats are bad for you"<br />
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"Olive oil is good, vegetable oil is bad"<br />
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"Coconut oil is good, olive oil is bad"<br />
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"Wheat is good"<br />
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"wheat is bad"<br />
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"eggs are good"<br />
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"eggs are bad"<br />
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"butter is good for you, margarine is bad"<br />
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"margarine is good for you and butter is bad"<br />
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It's exhausting. exhausting. How about running our families according to the bible? How about all things in moderation?<br />
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That being said. what of these "all things" can I produce on my own?<br />
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For my family, it is butter and lard. Both of these I have complete control over and to me that makes them as healthy as a fat can get.<br />
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The only fat I purchase is coconut oil. I can get it from Country Life Natural Foods in 50 lb buckets and it stores well. But the majority of our fat comes straight from our land.<br />
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I wanted to post about butter right after the yogurt but it just hasn't worked out well for me... My blog tends to be about real life and real life just isn't perfect.... like I forget to take pictures all. the. time.<br />
Soo.. you get lard today but! keep this <a href="https://amzn.to/2LnsosW" target="_blank">little butter churn</a> on your radar and for less than $40 you have a way to make butter and we will get back to it, I promise.<br />
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I am blessed in that we breed pigs so I can control my fat source from conception. It hasn't always been that way and even if you do not have a way to raise your own pigs, you can visit a custom butcher and ask him to save you the fat from healthy farm raised pigs. Most people don't keep their lard and often he will just give it to you for free or for pennies.<br />
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The only tools you need for rendering lard are a ladle, a slotted spoon, a crock pot, and a sharp knife.<br />
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A quick tip, Walmart puts crockpots on their black Friday ad every year for around $10 without fail. You don't even have to fight the crowds to get it. Walmart.com and it shows up at your door two days later. I own three because when I do things I tend to do them in mass quantities. It's an illness, really.<br />
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Your fat will come in long strips. Just chunk it up with a sharp knife.<br />
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and toss it in your crockpot. a word of warning... lard does not smell like frying bacon. If you can put the crockpot outside on a nice day or in your garage great, if not ... oh, well... just ignore the comments from the rest of the family. turn your crockpot on low if you don't have time to babysit it and high if you will be around all day.<br />
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The fat will start to melt and the impurities will sink to the bottom. You can begin skimming any time you wish. After skimming you can add more fat to the pot if you have it and allow it to heat back up. I ladle mine off into cake pans but you may have canning jars or something else you wish to use.<br />
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The lard is hot and not something you want little children around. Lard is shelf stable and how you chose to store it is completely up to you. I cool mine in the pans and then cut it into three cup sections and store in my freezer because I can't spare canning jars or shelf space. If there are any impurities left in your lard it will sink to the bottom and can be cut off before freezing, if it's in a jar the last little bit in the jar will be gritty. still good for frying with but not so much for making cookies.<br />
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The lard turns pure white when set.<br />
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And finally, the cracklins. It is the leftover meat and stuff from rendering. You can salt them and they taste like pork rinds, only, the texture is all wrong and we don't much care for them... They can also be fed back to your pigs (oh! the horror, Shelly!) chickens or dogs. At the very least toss them in your compost, don't waste it.<br />
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And that is it, ladies. For a few hours of work, you can have your fat supply for a year with minimal outsourcing and cost. Plus, we are making soap here shortly and lard soap is one of the recipes I will be sharing.<br />
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Now, to get back outside it's almost time to plant the pumpkin field.... and pumpkins are excellent pig food for next years lard.<br />
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-72577387059744739852018-03-22T05:28:00.000-07:002018-03-22T05:28:00.949-07:00Dear Young Mother...I have been invited to a baby blessing for my grandson... Basically, it is a group of ladies that gather around the baby and pray for him at different stages of his life. The church we are attending has had them for decades but I am new to the whole business. Personally, I am not so sure of how I feel about it either. I am all for praying for children and pray for my children and grandchildren daily but I'm not so sure about this once for all approach. At any rate, I was asked to give a short devotion and these are my thoughts...<br />
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Dear Sarah,<br />
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One of my favorite quotes from Tozer reads "Our prayers will become effective when we stop using them as a substitution for obedience."<br />
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Prayer is good. Prayer is vital. Prayer is not the totality of our work as a Christian. All the prayers we offer up here today will be of none effect if we ignore the plain precepts that our Lord lays down in scripture. You, sweet momma, and your man are the feet of the Lord's plan. You are His mouthpiece, His arms, His enforcer.<br />
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let's read from Deut 6 verse 2<br />
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<i>That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; that thy days may be prolonged.</i></div>
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As I watch you raise and love my son's sons. I seek to encourage you that the time is short. As a woman of God, you do not have the luxury of living for today... none of us do. Living for today is a lie that Satan feeds our world to lull us to sleep. It is imperative that we catch God's vision and to see down the telescope of time so that we not only raise godly children but that we also raise godly children that will raise godly children. What a waste if our work dies in the next generation.</div>
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Let's skip down to Deut 6: 4- 9</div>
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<i>Hear O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the post of thy house and on thy gates.</i><br />
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Our Lord then repeats this entire message again in Chapter 11...</div>
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The Bible gives a very clear picture of raising a child for God and the picture it paints is that of a child underfoot...so beautiful and so contrary to what society teaches us about child rearing. Satan hopes to cause us to run from our children. Let the pastor, youth leader, coach, school teacher or group peers be responsible for the training of your child. And yet, God, lovingly in his word encourages us to run towards our families. To work beside them, to dive headlong into their messy, chaotic, vibrant world and to teach them that they are a valued and important part within their family and within the family of God. </div>
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By keeping them underfoot we are constantly available to point them to Christ, to remind them that they live in the presence of a holy God, we serve as the frontlets between their eyes. </div>
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I am reminded of a story that Christ told in Luke 11. A man ended up with an unexpected visitor late at night and had no bread to give him so he ran to his neighbor and beat on the door asking for bread. The neighbor answered, "trouble me not the door is shut and my children are with me in bed.." If that isn't a picture of a child underfoot then I don't know what is.... and if you have ever had one of those little buggers turn sideways and take up all the room turning your spine into a pretzel then you know what I am talking about. When thou risest up and when thou liest down....cherish every moment and use it... even pretzel time... to teach Christ.</div>
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It is not enough to keep our children from evil.. to simply remove "bad" from their lives. Further down in this same chapter we find a man that was healed from an evil spirit and he wandered around finding no rest for his soul. His rooms were clean and swept but he had nothing wholesome to fill them with and so he went out and took to himself seven more spirits that were worse than the first.</div>
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A mother's duty is to fill her children's days by speaking words of light. Fill their lives with the presence of a Holy God. Remind them that they are ambassadors for Christ and that they must serve Him with love, honor, and respect. She must infuse every part of their being with Him. Be watchful of their souls, sweep out the evil and replace it with good. Examining their hearts and allowing them to see hers. <br />
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We must walk with our children underfoot and constantly be leading them back to the feet of Christ because before you know it their feet will bring them to a path beside ours instead of under ours and that footing must be secure.</div>
Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-75114954077057627192018-03-05T06:10:00.000-08:002018-03-06T04:38:12.940-08:00Stand By Your Man....<br />
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Not too long ago I bought a milk cow from a young dairy farmer. He was selling out and moving. His farm was beautiful rolling hills dotted with Holsteins. I had my choice of probably a hundred cows. As we walked, I imagined his kids flying kites, catching frogs and coming home dirty and tired every night right before dark. A hundred cows take a while to walk through so it wasn't a quick trip.<br />
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His wife joined us while we were walking and as we talked the conversation led to why they were quitting...<br />
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He shook his head and looked off into the distance.. "I need to drive truck for a while, to pay a few bills, and she just doesn't want to help me anymore."<br />
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She stood there, arms folded tight against her chest, staring at the same unknown spot on the horizon.. she didn't deny it but simply said. "This was his dream, not mine. I'm going back to my career."<br />
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There was a deep, hurting sigh from the farmer and I stood there feeling like an intruder as I watched an unspoken conversation take place between the two. After what felt like an eternity of silence I asked about her career choice.<br />
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"I have the chance to become a manager at McDonald's and I am going for it."<br />
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Ladies, this is going to show you what a horrible excuse for a Christian I am... because I simultaneously wanted to give her a big motherly hug and ....I also wanted to slap her upside her head....hard.... the battle was real. I did neither. Go Shell!<br />
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Then it was my turn to let out a big sigh... I couldn't help it. This man sitting in his field with his hopes and dreams laying in a crumpled heap all around his feet. And her. We can give her some excuses. It's just the age she's been raised in, her lack of biblical knowledge.. her will. Maybe he is just a big, fat jerk. Maybe she doesn't like cows. Not one of those excuses lessens the pain she is causing her family. Not one of them validates her behaviour.<br />
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We stand around and lament that men aren't men anymore... good heavens, ladies, let's give them some real women and see what happens.<br />
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In an instant I watched those same tired, dirty kids move from sitting in the cow bunks to sitting on the couch at some daycare, playing video games and popping pills for their ADHD while she handed greasy fries and overpriced burgers to strangers who didn't even bother to look up from their phones to say thank you.<br />
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Would my opinion have changed if she would have said Lawyer? Doctor? ... No.<br />
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and I know there are some men who ask their wives to work outside their homes. I'm not talking about working at home or away.... I'm talking about vision.<br />
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Purpose.<br />
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My man.<br />
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Your man.<br />
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Her man.<br />
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they were created for greatness. It. Is. In. Them. It's in you. And while each person can achieve a certain level of greatness on their own. When a man and a woman enter into a covenant relationship together, they become one flesh. One team. Every good team has a team leader and teams only win when they work together towards the same goal.<br />
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Don't punish your family.<br />
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To be drawn and quartered was a punishment ordained in England for treason. They would take the condemned person, tie him to horses and send those horses running in different directions thus ripping his body mercilessly apart. It is considered the epitome of cruel punishment. Ladies, we draw and quarter our families when we pull against our man.<br />
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Let's contrast that with the words of our Lord in Ecclesiastes,<br />
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<i><b>The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.</b></i><br />
<i><b>Better is an handful with quietness. than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.</b></i><br />
<i><b>Then I returned, and saw vanity under the sun.</b></i><br />
<i><b>There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.</b></i><br />
<i><b>Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.</b></i><br />
<i><b>For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i> <i><b><br /></b></i> Stand with your man. It is better to live a quiet and poor life at your man's side than it is to have the best career in the world, live like a king and leave your children to their own devices. Money is temporary and replaceable. If you took all the money you have and burned it today, tomorrow you could earn more. For all that matters, you can steal more (please don't) or find more... money is always available. always somewhere. That man that lays beside you each night and those children across the hall? They are irreplaceable. They are God's gift to you and your gift to the world.<br />
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Do you ever wonder why in Proverbs 31 when the Lord is extolling all the character qualities of a virtuous woman one of them is "Her husband is known in the gates"? Because she put him there. She freed him to be a leader by lifting instead of dragging, by praying instead of nagging, she stood on her own two feet and became a woman of strength by becoming the woman of her man's dreams. He owed her everything, and he knew it.... and a few verses down we find he praised her for it and so did her children.<br />
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Did the Lord give you a business mind? Skills? Talents? Why would you ever waste them building a stranger's empire? Get behind your man... square your shoulders, my dear, and boost. See his vision and give it all you've got. Oh, it'll be hard work, I know. Some of it isn't going to be any fun.<br />
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We will be exhausted and some days reduced to tears. But let's give that man of ours a wink even through the tears. Give our children the ultimate picture of a strong woman by filling their lives with peaceful joy. That trail that our fella is trying to lead us down? Let's jump on it with both feet, girlfriend, and let's keep trusting in God because he has great things planned for us.<br />
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Crown Up.<br />
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~<i>Proverbs 12:4</i> <br />
<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-50538904184817588482018-03-02T13:46:00.000-08:002018-03-02T13:46:36.425-08:00Grafting...We have been praying for the Lord to give us an additional piece of property for several years now, so far He has been asking us to wait. <br />
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I hate waiting but wait it is. <br />
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I decided that while I wait I can prepare though. The piece has a spot on it that will be perfect for another orchard the only problem is is that when He finally gives us the green light we will be so broke paying for it that I won't have the funds to buy the new trees. I don't want to buy the trees now because I have no place to store them until we get it... it's a mess, really. So I decided to use the fruit trees that we already have and love. I will graft branches from them to rootstock in preparation for the property. They will be small so thus easier to stash until the Lord sees fit to bless us.<br />
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Grafting is a lot easier than it sounds. first, you need rootstock. you can find them online for a fair price and buying them ensures that you can control the height of your tree. Or you can buy seeds to grow grafting stock <a href="http://amzn.to/2CT6uIw" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The cheapest way is to just plant seeds from the fruit you are eating. The girls and I are constantly throwing fruit seeds and pits in random pots of dirt and forgetting about them until they are big enough to graft... or in some cases bear fruit. don't laugh, someday you may be eating a Holverson apple and lovin' it. The only drawback to this is most of them are standard roots so they will be tall. It doesn't bother me, I figure I can either trim trees or my husband's wallet and I would rather trim trees, the trimmings make good grafting starts. Yes, it's a never-ending cycle.<br />
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Today, I am grafting apple. I grab my rootstock.<br />
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A dormant plant is ideal but today, this is what I had. Life is full of compromises, girls<br />
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full. of. them.<br />
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I also grab a fresh limb from the tree I wish to duplicate... at least one of them is dormant. You want the branches to be as evenly matched in size as possible... if one has to be bigger make sure the root side is the bigger diameter. A small root cannot support a large tree.<br />
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I then cut the root and the limb at an angle to expose as much cambium as I can. Cambium is the green layer under the bark and before the wood. That is the part that grows so you want to line up both layers of cambium touching as much as possible.<br />
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yes, I have pulled my rootstock out of the pot. This is a much more graceful process when you don't have to photograph the entire thing with your cell phone, I promise. </div>
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It helps to cut a second groove into the backside of the branches this will allow you to slip them together like tongue and groove. Giving added support. I had to recut this branch after I pulled it apart to show you the slice. It should not be this dramatic just a thin strip to wedge together.</div>
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Gently slide the two pieces together until they are well matched. </div>
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When the cambium matches up as best as possible wrap it tightly with a rubber band (it will weather and crack off). On the last wrap tuck the tip under the loop and it will hold itself.</div>
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Next you will want to heat some bees wax. If you don't have bees you can get some <a href="http://amzn.to/2CT2SWY" target="_blank">here for a good price.</a> I use a dessert dish in a pot of boiling water like a double boiler.</div>
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once it is melted I can lift it out and pour it over the rubber band to seal it, unless I am grafting a branch onto a mature tree and then I use a paint brush to brush it on.</div>
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make sure both sides are coated. This will all crack off and weather over the next year. Don't pick at it for at least twelve months and then if it is growing well and you feel that you need to you can help it a little but it is really not necessary.</div>
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Then replant it being careful to keep the graft above the dirt line.<br />
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It is important to graft several trees even if you only want one.... any time you are dealing with living things you should expect a certain amount of failure. Having to find another spot to put a tree is much easier to swallow than not being able to dig a hole for any.</div>
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And that is just another easy way to fill your paradise with safe, wonderful, food. Have a great weekend!<br />
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-17549475101208411692018-02-16T05:47:00.000-08:002018-02-16T05:47:38.116-08:00MYO Yogurt<br />
We have milk cows. Our last house had two acres with it and we had milk goats. The house before that had three city lots, plenty of room for pygmy goats behind a privacy fence. In some towns that is illegal, it was in our town... so I may or may not have had pygmy goats behind a privacy fence... that's not the point. The point is, we can produce our own dairy and for relatively cheap.<br />
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Pygmy goats are small, they can live in a dog house. I will give you a goat in the city tip... you need two. A lonely goat is a noisy goat, besides you only get milk if that little gal is bred. So two it must be. A pygmy goat only gives about a quart of milk a day but because it is whole milk you can water it down and make it stretch farther in cooking or on cereal.<br />
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Dairy animals can be fed grass, hay, garden produce. Summer squash and sunflowers are a fast growing food in the summer, feed the sunflower leaves and keep the seed heads for winter. Winter squash, carrots and beets store over winter providing free food year round. If it's goats, they love leaves and tree prunings. Super easy to store and super cheap.<br />
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Well, I really should get on to the blog post, shouldn't I...<br />
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Yogurt is super easy and so very good for you. Even if you need to use store-bought milk. Making your own ensures that you are giving the best you can to your family.<br />
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Step 1: Heat your milk to 180 degrees, I use a meat thermometer. They run double duty and are cheap. you can pick one up for less than five bucks <a href="http://amzn.to/2ENnHIa">here</a>. My yogotherm holds a half gallon so that is the amount of milk I heat.<br />
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Step 2: You are going to need something to incubate your yogurt in... I picked up a yogotherm when our oldest was a baby so 25 years ago... I like that it doesn't require electricity and after 25 years I can truthfully say they last. Amazon has them <a href="http://amzn.to/2Cr03Ms">here </a>or you can use a jar wrapped in a towel and placed in a cooler. Some instapots have a yogurt setting, mine doesn't but I'd check. maybe make use of an old thermos. Or you can buy a fancy electric one. (sorry, I couldn't recommend a brand) There are many choices out there.</div>
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Once your milk is heated it needs to cool to 112 degrees. I know, why heat it that high in the first place? ... it's supposed to kill out competing bacteria. To be honest, I rarely make it to 160* before I tire of babysitting it and dump it in the therm but the recommended temp is 180* so that is what I recommend you should do.....</div>
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So now, the moment of many choices. What to use as a starter. I recommend Rickie's Y5 direct set culture. You can find it <a href="http://amzn.to/2GhL3mp">here</a>. They messed up one time and sent me the Y3... it's good too. If you purchase a yogotherm it will come with a culture sample. Unless they have improved it in the last quarter century do yourself a favor and toss it. It will not set. I had to make lots of smoothies for the kids out of unset yogurt before I realized it wasn't my fault but the cultures. </div>
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*Money saving tip: once you make a batch of cultured yogurt you can use a teaspoon of it to set another batch and so on for quite a few batches before it becomes sour and needs to be replaced. The package of Y5 or Y3 both come with five starters in them so they last for a long time this way. Store culture packets in your freezer.</div>
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Okay so your milk is at 112* and you are going to sprinkle the starter over the top and let it sit for about five minutes... again this is a preference, some days I need to get outside and I make it a minute or two and just stir the puppy in. But for the rest of you patient people who can wait five minutes then gently stir the culture to ensure it is mixed throughout. (Somehow I missed a picture of this, probably too impatient.)</div>
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Place the lid on and let sit undisturbed for 12 hours and then refrigerate. I usually make it in the morning then toss it in the fridge just before I go to bed...close enough.</div>
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and for breakfast, you will have rich creamy yogurt that you can feel good about serving.</div>
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It can be flavored in many ways. Jam or honey are two of our family's favorites. Maple syrup is good. I am hoping to do an extra credit post for using it in desserts... we'll have to see how this weekend goes.</div>
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But that is it gals, feeding our family less. Less additives, less sugar, less human contact. Less.</div>
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Now make more of your day and spend it loving on that family!</div>
<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-27570423206007477032018-02-07T05:38:00.001-08:002018-02-07T05:50:51.454-08:00Vanilla ExtractI love cooking with real food.. and real food is expensive if we are talking money.<br />
Real food is fun if we are talking saving our money and providing for our own.<br />
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Today, I am making a new batch of vanilla. I made the old batch eight years ago and I have just been adding to it as the years come and go. This year the beans are finally getting weak enough to justify buying some new ones. And by justify I mean justify.. they have gotten so expensive. The tall slender beans that you see in my old bottle, I paid ten bucks for. This time, I paid an arm and a leg for these little ugly beans. However, when you average it out over the next eight years, the savings is there.<br />
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What you need:<br />
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1) a bottle of vodka<br />
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If you use ibotta they are offering some really good kickbacks on vodka from Walmart right now. If you don't use ibotta, it is free to sign up <a href="https://ibotta.com/r/pcqjgjk">here</a>, They are awesome at supplying rebates on everyday purchases.<br />
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2) <a href="http://amzn.to/2GYaH0U">vanilla beans</a><br />
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That's it. oh, and about five minutes of your time.<br />
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I like to use bottles with the flip top lid, they last longer than the metal screw on.<br />
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Any bottle will work though, even a decorative one from the dollar store.</div>
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unwrap your vanilla beans.</div>
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use a sharp knife to slice them open.</div>
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Drop them in. set it on your counter and every so often give it a good shake. Or don't... vanilla isn't picky about the amount of attention it receives. In about 6 weeks you will have oodles and gobs of vanilla extract. As you deplete it add more vodka to the beans.</div>
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Simple and basic. Easier than getting that stupid sticker off my new bottle anyway. Now, what other plans do you have for the rest of your day?</div>
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*I have been asked if you need to let the vanilla sit for an additional six weeks when you add vodka. If you add to it regularly and in small amounts the answer is no. I knew my beans were wearing out so I have not replenished this bottle in a long time. If I were to add to it at this stage, yes, I would let it sit at least a couple of weeks.</div>
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Have a great day, Ladies!</div>
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-37802356186597582162018-01-29T05:07:00.000-08:002018-01-29T05:19:52.649-08:00Sowing in Winter...<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows</i></div>
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<i>Fearing neither cloud nor winter's chilling breeze;</i></div>
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<i>by and by the harvest and the labor ended,</i></div>
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<i>we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.</i></div>
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She does not fear the snow...hate it maybe, yes, but no fear. In fact, winter is an excellent time to get caught up on all that went lacking during the summer. Seeding being one of them.</div>
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The frost/thaw action of winter is the perfect time to plant tree and perennial seeds. It softens those hard exteriors and allows for better germination. On our farm, we are creating silvo pastures. Multi-storied, tree-lined, alleyways for the cattle to graze in. We don't plant just any trees, they must meet at least two, preferably three farm needs. We look for trees, shrubs, and perennials that provide nectar for our bees, nitrogen for our soil and a food source for one or more of the animals living on our place (including us).</div>
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Trees are expensive and creating tree-lined alleyways takes a lot of trees so I have had to get creative with my accumulation. Seeds, cuttings, grafts, layering are all ways that I have acquired treelings. I am also very familiar with my conservations website that offers native seedlings in bulk for great prices. If you don't have a lot of space but would like to order native seedlings from your conservation office a quick ad on craigslist will provide you with more than enough people willing to share your order.</div>
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For winter sowing you just need to acquire containers that will act as little mini green houses... milk jugs, juice jugs, deli containers, ice cream containers.... if you don't use many of these things ask around there is always someone willing to save containers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Psj6nDQBLFJctkSxYsNRqzxq9TWWTeczTyAmo6yyUtj6zLT29i_LOBl8o3Ss3RL52gOTxQOLChhaGTkNB8SCoKZgGlibLZG7YeXRimc4TZyN0OGeXLaaPcVeTL6_Np9uHacCqxFqk2s/s1600/winter+sowing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Psj6nDQBLFJctkSxYsNRqzxq9TWWTeczTyAmo6yyUtj6zLT29i_LOBl8o3Ss3RL52gOTxQOLChhaGTkNB8SCoKZgGlibLZG7YeXRimc4TZyN0OGeXLaaPcVeTL6_Np9uHacCqxFqk2s/s320/winter+sowing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have dropped some pretty heavy hints on wanting a cold frame like <a href="http://amzn.to/2FrUteN">this one</a> for a couple of years now. It would eliminate the need to scrounge containers from other people and stop my back porch from deserving all the "Clampett comments" it receives.. If you don't like it then you know how to fix it. </div>
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This year, my winter sowing includes a tree I am so excited about, <a href="http://amzn.to/2BqEomZ">bitter orange</a>, Every year I buy a box of organic oranges and the price was painful to pay, $22 for a half bushel. While I have several indoor citrus trees they don't provide enough for my crew especially when I make <a href="http://theholversonheritage.blogspot.com/2018/01/vitamin-c-powder-extra-credit.html">my Vitamin C powder</a>. I need peels and a lot of them. This year the price jumped to $29 because there is a shortage and it finally spurred me to start looking for another source. </div>
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I am that source. </div>
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Some experts say bitter orange is hardy to zone 5 others that it is only hardy to zone 9-10. I live in zone 6 and I have seen them here so I'm carefully picking a sheltered spot for my new adventure. The tree it's self is ugly and thorny, the fruit is super sour like a lemon. The rind is good in marmalade. I bought my seeds off of <a href="http://amzn.to/2BqEomZ">Amazon</a>. <br />
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winter sowing is easy because this is just temporary housing for them so spacing isn't an issue just toss the seeds in the dirt, lightly cover and mist a bit. Put your cover on and place outside in the dead of winter. The constant freeze/thaw will push the seeds down into the dirt and bring them up close to the surface. it will crack the hard exterior and also insure that only the strongest survive.... look at my lil citrus babies getting ready to provide me with organic vitamin C for my crew.<br />
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Watch them as the weather begins to warm and soon you will see tiny starts, once they are a couple of inches high you need to separate them out into individual containers....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAj7F-tSRdzDnId76_d9sh9mobuU2SAafnetanZIUFp_y0UIeuB-myJLaH6j_rwhII-gnXMhgewGi-n60VbqsSybSGDwR2QQLHgjXYO0-W5wqDDOSKTe3PXqXkz9rX3lwN4d_aM8pYYg/s1600/ech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAj7F-tSRdzDnId76_d9sh9mobuU2SAafnetanZIUFp_y0UIeuB-myJLaH6j_rwhII-gnXMhgewGi-n60VbqsSybSGDwR2QQLHgjXYO0-W5wqDDOSKTe3PXqXkz9rX3lwN4d_aM8pYYg/s320/ech.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Winter Sowing is a great time to seed perennials as well. Remember the Echinacea root you needed for the <a href="http://theholversonheritage.blogspot.com/2018/01/elderberry-elixir.html">elderberry elixir</a>? Get those seeds in the dirt. but only use the leaves and flowers the first two years. I add a new group of flowers to my patch every year. harvesting the old and growing the new.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjePb9rW5nOYUEZtHQPsIIK2IVdlZflX2tzMhQFJ-cPVEd2yb8Vml-6UtGZTJvQvLHIWDBSMQLfJMTInYz33ALZg4ZC_w7sNsAVCCHhJbmyHNHWw3qO7ojvokeWY5gBcgRWyoEz3NkUQc/s1600/sage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjePb9rW5nOYUEZtHQPsIIK2IVdlZflX2tzMhQFJ-cPVEd2yb8Vml-6UtGZTJvQvLHIWDBSMQLfJMTInYz33ALZg4ZC_w7sNsAVCCHhJbmyHNHWw3qO7ojvokeWY5gBcgRWyoEz3NkUQc/s1600/sage.jpg" /></a></div>
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I also put in some milk weed for the girls as well as Sage. Healthy, hardy seedlings for a fraction of the price.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMBiu-GhFsxd1QjNACMcF35nquWAQClZcUm1ulB4AVnA6urzPk0MTYvjQw-gnjDLlDDWQmVBeVCltePkVbU3di9Bnrgbpk5O_MiEHvextaZhL_Vrzbw-7ltL8kEC-8TijSEudExpjJmM/s1600/winter+sowing+milk+weed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMBiu-GhFsxd1QjNACMcF35nquWAQClZcUm1ulB4AVnA6urzPk0MTYvjQw-gnjDLlDDWQmVBeVCltePkVbU3di9Bnrgbpk5O_MiEHvextaZhL_Vrzbw-7ltL8kEC-8TijSEudExpjJmM/s320/winter+sowing+milk+weed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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What could your kingdom use? Here is a few ideas from our list this year...<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2GpliRY">Jujube Dates</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2DTsY0y">Echinacea</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2GsMmQu">Sage</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2Gqtfq6">Feverfew</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2BDry5i">Roman Chamomile</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2DHnqTt">Catalpa ~ around my pond for fish food</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2Ej8EmT">Chaste tree</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2BBsKpN">American Cranberry</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2DRVi3x">Autumn Olive</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2DTxGvg">Siberian Pea Shrub</a><br />
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I could go on and on..but you've got this. Just look around, find the need and get it filled. Seeds are very inexpensive compared to trees and plants, Winter sowing allows the jump start that they need to be large and healthy by the following fall plus eliminates the need for hardening off because they have been outside the entire time. This also works for tender garden annuals like tomatoes and cukes but wait until the end of Feb and cover if you are expecting a hard frost after they have sprouted.<br />
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Please make this a family affair. Littles love sticking seeds in the dirt and growing things creates ownership. This way when summer is taking you out at the knees you can ask little Joey to water "His" trees and know he will water and weed them with care because he understands the time that has been invested in them.<br />
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Now, girls, let's get our hands dirty.</div>
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Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-77995086734232541512018-01-17T06:08:00.001-08:002018-01-17T07:57:23.148-08:00Vitamin C powder *Extra creditVitamins can be a tricky thing. The problem is you don't really know what is in the pills you are popping and while I am not a conspiracy theorist, I do know that vitamin companies are not making pills because they love your family. They are making vitamins to provide money for their own and they are going to source the cheapest resources available. I hate to cut them out of a sale but when it comes to nutrition we can provide our own.<br />
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Vitamin C is essential to our health and it is found in so many sources. There are a few that it tends to be concentrated in. Rose hips, Highbush Cranberries, Seaberries, and citrus peels.<br />
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Throughout the year, I think we will cover all of these but today we will make Vitamin C powder from citrus peels.<br />
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First, we need to get our hands on organic citrus. Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit or a combination of them would be great. I believe if you have to buy food it is best to make it organic. I am also a realist and have raised six children... you can't always afford organic. Here, however, organic is necessary because we are dealing with the peels and the peels receive the majority of the spray in a conventional orchard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFbCpmwSl_OwcGpAXEmONWieVPDTTTkr7tKns2BYHKNFk-WFT1h9nko5UBUKhOABtYa8rb_nM_5YgHZuBFOZWQTFD-EL77wIp5Nc8lOkce-Vu5s2ARG2KSBqtbUjMpf18THHJAGKlUSY/s1600/vit+c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFbCpmwSl_OwcGpAXEmONWieVPDTTTkr7tKns2BYHKNFk-WFT1h9nko5UBUKhOABtYa8rb_nM_5YgHZuBFOZWQTFD-EL77wIp5Nc8lOkce-Vu5s2ARG2KSBqtbUjMpf18THHJAGKlUSY/s1600/vit+c.jpg" /></a></div>
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As your family eats the fruit save back the peels and toss them in that handy <a href="http://amzn.to/2riwkoK">solar dehydrator</a> (that you have an envelope started for, right?) Until you get it you can place them on cookie racks but it's going to take up a lot of counter space.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinybfLLoCJnQ0Geyp1sHpHIFtmc-XWtUWUup_xqPbqPgC8x0wehuftfP_zdIzyndwklzeIYOL3Lvko8Qy5rDmXspp3YYpSS0w61MyYFEkDuz6kjoHQ-Tlc-smY51sj4iSib8sDF7BsYg4/s1600/vit+c+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinybfLLoCJnQ0Geyp1sHpHIFtmc-XWtUWUup_xqPbqPgC8x0wehuftfP_zdIzyndwklzeIYOL3Lvko8Qy5rDmXspp3YYpSS0w61MyYFEkDuz6kjoHQ-Tlc-smY51sj4iSib8sDF7BsYg4/s1600/vit+c+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Check the peels daily and when they are good and hard drop them in your blender a few at a time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4cEnUyqoKAn5q5vnA1p56pO4IIUiQtd32tuDdawge-YO5CkGnuwAcnVfvULKr7AU9v8vJHbB9RlIdEwA4zti10MtJ7j5NC0sq7ihdIrY0FdMGOn1igr57pDZCymXA8FxlkLWLUJBgRs/s1600/vit+c+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4cEnUyqoKAn5q5vnA1p56pO4IIUiQtd32tuDdawge-YO5CkGnuwAcnVfvULKr7AU9v8vJHbB9RlIdEwA4zti10MtJ7j5NC0sq7ihdIrY0FdMGOn1igr57pDZCymXA8FxlkLWLUJBgRs/s320/vit+c+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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grind until it is a fine powder. Store in the freezer.<br />
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1 tsp provides your daily need for vitamin C. Sprinkle it over your coffee in the morning. add it to your cereal or smoothie. Soups, stews, be creative. You can even pack it into glycerin soft gels if you feel you are missing something by not popping a pill.<br />
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this batch is waiting to be added to my elderberry elixir.<br />
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Wow, we just made health food out of trash.... how did we ever let corporations convince us that we needed them?<br />
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-60553042663267068602018-01-17T06:08:00.000-08:002018-01-17T09:08:55.180-08:00Elderberry ElixirWinter and I have never really appreciated each other. I'm solar powered and without the sun I run dim. Without heat, my body tries to hibernate. I feel bad for our livestock, I feel bad for me. The cold, the ice, the lack of green growing things just makes me cranky. It's pathetic really, but true.<br />
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You know what else winter brings? Colds and Flu. I'm telling ya, nothing good comes out of winter.</div>
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I have been hesitant to write this post because I don't want a debate over vaccinations. We have kicked this dead horse enough. Look, ladies, we have got to get out of each others space. If you have time to start running someone else's life I promise that you are letting something very important fall apart in your own. Tend your own backyard, sister, and let's give each other some grace.</div>
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If you decide that the flu shot is a safe precaution for your family I am happy for you. In our home, it is not. Not giving my family flu shots, however, does not mean that I pretend the flu doesn't exist. Nor am I nervously wringing my hands, fearful that it is going to devour them right before my eyes. Remember, the prudent wife? She provides for the future.</div>
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In August the elderberries are ripe in Missouri, and in August I make my first batch of flu-fighting elixir. I will make several more throughout the winter from dried berries but I always have the first batch in the fridge long before I need it because if you wait until you are sick to make it, you won't feel good enough to do it.</div>
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First, you need a source for elderberries. They grow wild in a lot of states if you can beat the squirrels to them. When we lived in Idaho I bought them <a href="http://amzn.to/2mETsbA">here</a>. </div>
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Elderberry Elixir:</div>
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2 cups fresh or 1 cup dried elderberries</div>
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4 cups water</div>
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2 cups raw local honey</div>
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several pieces echinacea root (if you don't grow your own you can find it <a href="http://amzn.to/2DFnBzs">here</a>)</div>
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1 Tbsp organic orange powder this is the <a href="http://theholversonheritage.blogspot.com/2018/01/vitamin-c-powder-extra-credit.html">extra credit post</a> for this week</div>
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2 <a href="http://amzn.to/2FOb39B">cinnamon sticks</a></div>
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few slices of raw ginger (optional)</div>
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few slices of organic lemon (optional)</div>
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put water, elderberries, echinacea root, orange powder, </div>
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cinnamon sticks, ginger and lemon slices in a pot.</div>
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bring to a boil.</div>
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reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJ_ArTeuALaahyztRe6-YMv8QQK6K25kR00qiXNgw1Qz4PLEDzPcHp9GmOVI0HmkNyW0_qT7F-in6kLQ8QXq8QU7DEvCCr8lXFlyUO9DCCKhWO-eXTeQzJYwQKL7Mif02XOkYyWFwdxU/s1600/elderberry2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJ_ArTeuALaahyztRe6-YMv8QQK6K25kR00qiXNgw1Qz4PLEDzPcHp9GmOVI0HmkNyW0_qT7F-in6kLQ8QXq8QU7DEvCCr8lXFlyUO9DCCKhWO-eXTeQzJYwQKL7Mif02XOkYyWFwdxU/s320/elderberry2017.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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strain through <a href="http://amzn.to/2FMkgzi">cheesecloth</a> to remove bulk material. give the cheese cloth a good twist to get the last of the juice from the berries. Careful it's hot.</div>
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Allow to cool to room temperature.</div>
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This step is important because raw honey* provides many antibacterial properties and if you cook it, it will be of no use.</div>
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When cool add honey and transfer to a jar. Store in fridge.</div>
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for preventative, my crew takes one tsp every day.</div>
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If they feel a tickle or have been exposed to someone ill they take a tsp every 2-3 hours.</div>
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And that is it. </div>
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Easy. </div>
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Prepared.</div>
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Now join me in front of the fire and let's pine for Spring......</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*the USDA does not recommend feeding raw honey to children under the age of 1 or to people with compromised immune systems. Again, you are the one qualified to make choices for your family.</span></div>
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Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-7729180551733975602018-01-12T09:24:00.001-08:002018-01-12T13:16:59.868-08:00Don't Waste Your Teaspoons..<div style="text-align: center;">
Houses and riches are the inheritance of fathers: </div>
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and a prudent wife is from the Lord.</div>
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Proverbs 19:14</div>
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Prudent: wise or judicious in practical affairs.</div>
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discreet or circumspect.</div>
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careful in providing for the future; provident.</div>
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When we first got married one of Shane's little grannies told me </div>
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"don't be the kind of woman who throws her husband's earning out the back door with a shovel while he is working himself to death trying to put it in the front with a teaspoon."</div>
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That image has stuck with me. Man, has it stuck.</div>
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And there are days that life drags it out by the shovel full and there is nothing I can do about it. But the things I can control.... those things, I had better be about the business of controlling.</div>
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I want to be a prudent wife. I want the Lord to teach me to use my resources wisely. So today as teaspoon-y as it will be we are going to talk about trash.</div>
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Think about what leaves your house as trash on a weekly basis. Now think about the boundaries of your domain and think of where they can be used as resources... In the near future we are going to be mapping that domain but for now, just picture it in your head.</div>
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My junk: cardboard boxes because I do most of my shopping online and also junk mail. </div>
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My need: the pumpkin field... It has poor soil and lots of rocks.</div>
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My solution: flatten the cardboard and chuck it in the field just before it rains. I don't toss it out any other time because we have dogs that drag it off but once it is good and wet it begins to break down into the dirt and they can't move it.</div>
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My solution for junk mail is a bit different. I burn it then spread the ash in the pumpkin field. I don't want my credit card offers accidentally getting into someone else's hands and ash is excellent for bugs and acidity in Missouri soil.<br />
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My junk: egg shells.</div>
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My need: my garden.</div>
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My solution is to place a cookie sheet on top of my fridge and train everyone to toss their shells up on it. When the shells are dry I either put them in the blender (this has proven time-consuming)<br />
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double bag them and set the bag in a high traffic area of my house. (Hey, I haven't lived through 25 years of broken items without knowing how to use it to my advantage.. just sayin')</div>
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The nicely crushed shells are spread on our fields during the winter and used in our garden around plants to ward of snails and add extra calcium during the summer.<br />
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My junk: coffee grounds</div>
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My need: again my soil.... I live in Missouri, this is going to be a never-ending theme.</div>
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My solution is to save the grounds and like the eggshells, they are put on the fields in winter and our garden in summer. BUT NOT the filters, those go in the compost bin for while they will break down and are excellent for the soil they do not break down quickly and I'm telling you from experience you will find yourself on the other side of winter looking like there is a bunch of used toilet paper strewn all over your field...not a pretty sight..<br />
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As a side note if I need to make a trip to the big city I am always on a lookout for the coffee shops and when I pass them I pull in and check their dumpsters. I have brought home huge garbage bags full of coffee grounds in the past and my land is always thankful to have it. Just be respectful and don't make a mess of their area.</div>
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My junk: food scraps.</div>
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My need: very little. we have pigs and chicken that eat most of our scraps but there are a few things that I cannot feed them such as potato peelings, avocado pits, pineapple tops, hair either from shaving the dogs or the boys, stuff like that. </div>
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My solution: I took a lick tub, you can use a bucket, and knocked a few holes in the bottom. Then someone from my crew carelessly ran it over with the 4wheeler. The last step added no benifit except to raise my blood pressure.<br />
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I simply toss the trash in my beautiful lick tub and forget it. One year the boys had a few worms left over from bait and I tossed them in there too. But honestly, it is completely neglected until I need it.<br />
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Then I just scrape the unprocessed stuff to the side and scoop out as much as I need from the bottom to dress my tomatoes or add to a hole of a newly planted tree.<br />
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My junk: scrap metal, broken parts from the tractor, trucks, cans... it is a joke around here to use a "mom" voice and say "is that recyclable?"</div>
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My need: money</div>
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My solution: designate a spot for recyclables, keep it as tight and organized as possible or my man will make "Clampett comments" Watch your metal prices then make a trip to town when it's high (or when the pile is making you crazy) and claim your money, honey.<br />
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*Note: there are no pictures of my Clampett pile.... a girl has got to have her pride, ya know.<br />
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Well, there are a few ideas to get you started. Get the children involved in looking for teaspoons and see what fun you can have. <br />
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Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-20767095420041708372018-01-04T05:31:00.000-08:002018-01-04T06:19:24.891-08:00Extra CreditThe Food 4 Less in Springfield had bananas for $.25 a pound. So last Friday when Shane had a few errands to run in town I hopped in the truck and went with him. Yes, people stare when you are pushing a cart full of bananas through the store but you get use to it.<br />
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my knife was long enough that I could spoon four bananas together and slice them all at once.<br />
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They do not require any added sugar just lay the slices out and let them go.<br />
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I have an electric dryer that I use in the summer because Missouri is too humid most days for a solar one but in the winter I hang my solar dryer by the fireplace and make our heat pull double duty. This year the price of bananas was so good I'm running both dehydrators.<br />
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If you don't have a dehydrator, the easiest way to get one is to start an envelope for one. Put all loose change and spare cash into it until you have enough to purchase it. I buy most of my homemaking eguipment this way. A solar one like mine is under $14 and won't take long to get, electric ones take a little more. Amazon offers several nice solar ones but you'll find my favorite one for indoors <a href="http://amzn.to/2CsmNg1">here</a> These solar dryers are also excellent for drying homemade soap (that project is coming up soon).<br />
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That's it! Easy and effective and now I have dried bananas to add to my muesli.... at least until the crew finds their hiding spot.<br />
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What is on sale this week that you could stock up on?Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-21657757218653616182018-01-03T10:18:00.000-08:002018-01-03T10:28:19.104-08:00BreakfastI love making breakfast for my family... okay, the truth is I don't. I love my cup of coffee, my bible and the sun coming up while I sit on the deck...... trust me, it is a rare thing for either option to happen.<br />
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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and while our house has a good supply of bacon, eggs, waffles and yogurt some days just try to rip my feet out from underneath me before I can even get out of bed in the morning...... you too huh?<br />
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Well here are two guilt-free cold cereal options to have on hand for mornings when the crew just needs to feed themselves.<br />
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P.S. both are good on yogurt too!<br />
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<b><u>Muesli:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b> mix together Oats,<br />
dried fruit (bananas, apricots, pineapple, dates, raisins, whatever you have)<br />
and nuts (sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, again, whatever you have)<br />
to make 8 cups of dry ingredients.<br />
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then in a separate bowl mix<br />
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1 cup honey<br />
1 cup butter (melted)<br />
4 TB brown sugar<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
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pour over dry ingredients and stir well<br />
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spread in a roasting dish and bake at 350* for 30 minutes stirring every 10 until golden brown.<br />
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this will brown up quite a bit after removing from oven, do not overcook.<br />
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<b><u>Grapenuts:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b> <b><u><br /></u></b> 2 cups water<br />
2 cups milk<br />
1 cup honey<br />
4 tsp baking powder<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
7 cups wheat flour<br />
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mix all ingredients together to form a cake like batter.<br />
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divide between two lightly greased rimmed cookie sheets.<br />
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Bake 350* 35-40 minutes switching and checking half way through.<br />
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after baking and while still warm break cake into small pieces and grind in a blender.<br />
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I drop small amounts into the blender and use the ice chopping button. once ground I dump those and add more chunks to blender.<br />
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You can also wait until it is completely cool and run through a meat grinder but I find it to be too much to clean up.<br />
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after it is all crumbled up put back in the oven at 300* stirring often until dry and crisp.<br />
This one takes a lot longer than the Muesli to brown and dry out but it is so worth it.<br />
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Both recipes can be adapted to your needs. We use honey because we keep bees. You may have maple syrup or molasses on hand neither are unpleasant.<br />
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It is a great idea to make both of these on the same day because you will only have to wash the roaster pan once.... and that is a win in my book any day.<br />
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Enjoy your kingdom today, Ladies!<br />
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1Tim 5:8Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-27190270125522849572018-01-02T06:13:00.000-08:002018-01-02T13:00:53.934-08:00Fifty-Two<br />
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When Shane and I got married I had no idea how to be a wife or a mother... I was a latchkey kid from a broken home who was later taken into foster care..... firm foundation would not describe any part of my life. I was determined, however, to give it my best and care for my own. Twenty-seven years later I have learned a thing or two.... mostly of what not to do. I look at my daughter and they are years ahead of where I was at their age but I know that there are a lot more gals like I was....<br />
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I wanted to be a Proverbs woman, a crown, a glory to my husband, a blessing to my children but mostly a woman who could rely on her God to give her wisdom. There were no older women so I learned by falling on my face.... a lot...<br />
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I want to offer something different. I am certainly not confessing that I fill the role as an older woman teaching the younger but here is my goal for 2018.<br />
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Fifty-two weeks.<br />
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Fifty-two skills.<br />
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one a week.<br />
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precept upon precept; line upon line; here a little, and there a little.<br />
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blessing our children, loving our man and providing for our own as God's word instructs us.<br />
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I'm scared to death to make such a commitment, providing for your own takes a lot of time and leaves little time for writing about it.... my blogging has already been spotty at best but I am stepping forward in faith.<br />
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join me, won't you?<br />
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-74744393656875392512017-09-08T08:40:00.000-07:002017-09-08T09:07:30.258-07:00Throw up the FlagA while back I found this hive queenless.. they had several queen cells formed and I thought they had the situation under control. When a hive is growing and breeding a new queen you need to give them space. If you open the hive on a newly hatched queen you can cause a disruption in pheromones and cause a riot that would make Ferguson look like five year olds on a playground.<br />
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Several weeks later I decided to check and make sure the hive was queen right. It wasn't. Why, it wasn't I don't know...perhaps she was eaten on her madien flight. perhaps she grew weary and couldn't make it back. Maybe she never even made it out of the hive. Maybe the rest of the hive followed her and none of them returned. There are a million "could be's"<br />
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Regaurdless, when I opened the hive instead of finding a thriving body I found this...wax moth. box after box. frame after frame. covered in putrid filth.<br />
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While the bees were busy dealing with life, they had turned their back and the enemy crept in.<br />
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The hive was three boxes high and I began to disassemble it rather roughly. In the bottom box, however, I found a cluster of bees maybe the size of a softball still trying to live in all that mess.<br />
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It broke my heart.<br />
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my bees do that a lot.<br />
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with tears in my eyes I started to move slower, quieter. I pulled the two frames they were gathered on and speaking softly to them I looked for a queen. No queen. So I shook them gently into a neigboring hive to rest and recover and then get back to work. Some of the bees flew into the air rather than dropping into the hive but I knew that with their hive gone and their sisters in the other hive they would soon join it. I finished my disassembling.<br />
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Much to my surprise when I went back to the fourwheeler with my last armfull of stuff, hanging on the bottom of one of the boxes was a small cluster of the bees that had flown. "Girls, this won't do. you can't live here." and I scooped them up and dropped them on the porch of the other hive. They threw up the white flag and went in.<br />
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Driving off, I got to thinkin'.<br />
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So. much. like. me.<br />
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So. much. like. you.<br />
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us.<br />
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So. much. like. Him.<br />
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Do we understand that when our Saviour sees us living in our filth. Struggling through this life caught in the webs of our sin. Trying to do it on our own. Giving our million and one excuses as to why we are where we are.<br />
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It breaks His heart.<br />
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I do that a lot.<br />
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But (I love the but) His compassion moves Him towards us. Our repentance, our surrender, He cannot refuse. He lifts us. He gives us new life.<br />
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We don't have to continue living in our filth. <br />
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We don't have to return to it.<br />
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He wants only good for us. To give us life and to give it more abundantly.<br />
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"And He that sat upon the throne, said, behold I make all things new.<br />
And he said unto me, write: for these words are true and faithful."<br />
Revelation 21:5<br />
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How blessed we are that He is willing to wade through the filth to find us.<br />
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How blessed are we that He is true and faithful.<br />
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All we have to do is throw up the flag.<br />
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-73599091141791884532017-05-04T04:23:00.000-07:002017-05-04T05:09:30.444-07:00TibbersOver the last year, the word "hedgehog" has been one of the most used words in our home... second, I believe, only to the word "chicken". And "chicken" wins only because at diverse times people other than Grace use it... such as. "hey memaw, what's for dinner?" and I will reply "chicken." It's close people, very very close.<br />
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Grace has never been big on academics, she's a natural kid.. arts and animals. But her hedgehog obsession has done wonders for her desire to learn. She had a jar to keep her money in and ran a strict budget, shopping on line and buying things as they came on sale. She kept a ledger of all her funds. She read articles and visited websites to study hedgehogs and then gave oral reports on her hedgehog findings to anybody willing to listen.</div>
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Did you know there are 17 species of hedgehog? She only studied 9 because the rest were ugly.</div>
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Did you know a group of hedgehogs is called a prickle?</div>
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Did you know baby hedgehogs are born with a layer of skin holding down their quills and the mother then cleans it off allowing the spikes to be exposed? Don't you think that momma hedgehog is thankful that the Lord thought of such things?</div>
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She made lists and graphs and charts of foods (good and bad), of colors and characteristics, of what she would accept and what she would not accept as far as looks and temperament.<br />
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An entire year of saving and planning.</div>
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So on Tuesday when she got home from the berry farm and added her wages to her jar you can imagine the excitement that ensued when she found out she finally had enough to buy her critter.</div>
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Wednesday morning, after chores, we cleaned up and headed for town. Half way there my phone died (I always forget to charge that thing) and we had no gps. I was ready to turn back but she was determined we would make it. </div>
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"We must look at this as an adventure." she tells me.</div>
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suicide... I'm thinking it's suicide. I can't find my way out of my driveway on a good day.</div>
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But, crazy enough we found the pet store.</div>
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They had one hedgehog.</div>
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one.</div>
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who just happened to be the perfect color, the perfect age, and almost the perfect temperament...</div>
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She is standing in the middle of the store holding this little hissing, spitting, ball of spikes and turns to me with eyes so big "do you want to hold him, memaw?" I'm thinkin' ... I'd rather run my bare arms through a thicket of blackberry bramble thankyouverymuch...no, I'm good.</div>
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The last requirement was that he had to have a black nose because they were the cutest... she rolled that little ball around until she could see inside his cocoon and when I heard her muffled squeal, I knew he passed and we headed home.</div>
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The entire ride home was chatter..</div>
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"He's spikier than I thought he would be..."</div>
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"sis, he's a mini porcupine!"</div>
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"Not really, they are not related, I told you this already. and I know, I just thought he would smooth down better. Maybe after he trusts me...."</div>
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"I think he is a four-toed hedgehog, I will have to post his picture and ask someone.. I hope he is."</div>
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"why don't you just count his toes?"</div>
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(blond moment pause)</div>
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"Oh. yeah.. (counting) HE IS! a four-toed hedgehog!"</div>
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*sigh*</div>
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So after a year of plotting and planning the Holverson family has a new addition. His name is Tibbers and surprisingly he has warmed up to Grace pretty quick...although, I'm not sure that he has a choice.</div>
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Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-50711117096199728032017-04-28T04:38:00.001-07:002017-05-03T06:10:15.059-07:00Chasing...It's Spring. The farm is bursting with babies. Calves, chicks, bunnies, ducklings and piglets. I love this time of year.<br />
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so. much. life. <br />
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Our hives are also bursting at the seams... Sarah and I have been making splits as fast as we and our equipment will go. But it hasn't been fast enough. We breed Russians. Russians are known for their fast build up and swarming tendencies. It's why I love them, they are prolific, it's also why I hate them, we are always pulling them out of trees.<br />
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The past few days the swarms have landed in the tops of our oaks... fifty feet in the air. I resigned myself to letting them go after we cut one tree down and it failed to result in a capture. With sixty hives on the ground, it wasn't life and death that I retrieve them but still, they were mine and I felt bad that they were hanging in a tree exposed to the birds and wind and rain.<br />
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Then my wonderful hubby, feeling bad for me, rented a 55ft boom lift. His reasoning was it was cheaper than if we were to buy two packages and the bees above us were better than packages because they were my genetics, Missouri genetics, that I had been working on for the past five years.<br />
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This old lady did NOT get in the boom lift. I am too well grounded for that but Sarah and Andrew went in my place and the photo credits all belong to them.<br />
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The bee yard they absconded from.</div>
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It is a pretty view up there.</div>
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See, I did help. I got them set up. lol</div>
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let's catch some renegades.. but first, let's take a selfie.</div>
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If you look real close you can see Preston and Daddy </div>
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The first batch of girls was pretty easy, just a bump with the bucket.</div>
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Speaking of buckets, Grace and I made sure these two </div>
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The second batch had been hanging there for about three days when</div>
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they decided to move into this little guys house. </div>
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Needless to say, he was less than impressed and </div>
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I think a little thankful to see the bees captured.</div>
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there was a hole in the tree that Andy enlarged with a chainsaw.</div>
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They then used a modified shop vac to suck the girls out.</div>
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It is guaranteed when you live on a farm. At some point in your life, you will be chasing animals... Maybe it's the bull running through a fence or chickens that get out of their pen. or pigs... don't even get me started on chasing pigs. And even a little more frustrating bees hanging just out of reach... Sometimes it is bothersome and other times it is downright exhausting.</div>
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One thing that is constant, however, is the chase always reminds me of our Saviour's love... To know the pull on your heartstrings from a wayward critter. To give up your time, your resources, your energy to bring them back safely into the fold. To care for them enough to pursue them. A small picture of a Redeemer's mighty grace.</div>
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Have you thought lately, of what Christ gave up for you? To leave glory and all the comfort it provided to chase and pursue you. The love He must have felt to go to the cross just so He could bring you safely home... Amazing love. How unworthy we are of it... maybe even more unworthy than a wad of balled up bees...</div>
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So I praise Him for redemption. </div>
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I praise Him that when I run He doesn't rest until I am safely back in the fold. </div>
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I praise Him for making a safe passage for me.</div>
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Maybe today, you could take a moment to praise Him for not giving up on you until you were saved. And if you are not saved maybe today you could give up the chase and become fully His.</div>
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"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16</div>
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He gave all he had for you.</div>
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"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10:9</div>
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May you surrender to Him and finally find rest in His pastures.</div>
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-16714909797819145412017-04-20T05:12:00.000-07:002017-04-20T05:12:48.122-07:00Come Bless the Lord.....Recently, I was attending a bible study and the conversation turned to having a close and open relationship with our children....I was making a statement that a we had to put our embarrassment aside and have deep conversations with our children to guard them from outside influences. A friend turned to me and said "yes, but you grew up in a broken home therefore being a close family is important to you where some of us who didn't just take it for granted."<br />
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I hate yes buts.. either what is being said is truthful and to be agreed upon or it's not... no but.<br />
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I grew up in an extremely dysfunctional home. My friend doesn't have a clue.... The depths of depravity that my Saviour pulled me out of would take several blog posts to write and most gaurdian filters would block the posts after they were written. And the worst part is I was on a crash course to repeat some of those vile mistakes with my own children.<br />
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Until.<br />
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One day my Saviour asked me to follow Him. and I did. <br />
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He asked me to read and live His word. So I did.<br />
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Not perfectly, I assure you, but there were<br />
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No "yes, buts". <br />
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No "I crave unity" so I will create it.<br />
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No "I learned what not to do" and did something different.<br />
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No "by my own might"<br />
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Nothing.<br />
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If there is anything good in my family ALL and. I. mean. ALL. the credit and glory goes to God.<br />
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to imply anything else is invective.<br />
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Our Saviour walked us through the book of Deuteronomy. He led us into Joshua and said "This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Through Proverbs, Psalms, and in all sixty-six books of the bible He taught us to worship Him and let everything else lay where it falls.<br />
Matthew 6:33<br />
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Line by line, verse by verse we fell in love with our Lord, together.<br />
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and that made made us fall in love with each other.<br />
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Do we have our days where everything is far from lollipops and rainbows?<br />
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you bet. <br />
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And THOSE... Those are the days we can take credit for. That is human in action. Those our the days we are walking by "our might".<br />
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But our blessed days, our one accord days. Those are God's... and there is no rock that is going to take my place.<br />
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~Luke 19:40<br />
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<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-89506186613928774632017-04-18T03:52:00.001-07:002017-04-18T04:01:06.796-07:00The Blessing of Work...<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That is, work was part of the unfallen life in Paradise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was never meant that men should have nothing to do. Idleness was not part of the Edenic happiness...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some people have the impression that work is part of the curse which brought sin into the world but this is a mistaken impression, which a careful reading of the story of Eden and the fall will quickly remove.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Therefore, work its self is not a curse but a blessing. All of life testifies to this. Everywhere we find work to be one of the conditions of good and happiness. God himself is active 'My father works hitherto and I work' God is never idle. The Decalogue enjoins work as a divine ordinance. Six days shalt thou labor....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~J.R. Miller </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Praise God for the ability to work. For limbs that take dominion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Idleness is the enemy of the soul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">May we fill our children with skills that establish order, that they may use their God-given governance over the creative world and take their God commanded dominance over the earth. May we create bonds through the experiences of working and providing together. May we find ways to establish our family empires and build upon our family economy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">May we build..... </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~Proverbs 14:1</span></div>
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Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7870535621768669133.post-84069888357475713612017-04-06T04:30:00.000-07:002017-04-20T03:50:54.021-07:00As long as ye do well...I have been reading a little book by Genevieve White titled "Daughters of Sarah". I love this quote from the "Our Heritage" chapter...<br />
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"If we are wishy-washy in our obedience towards God and disrespectful toward our husband's place of authority in the home we create confusion in the minds of our children.<br />
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Children need to know that God designated fathers as the head of the home. I believe they do know it instinctively. They will respect his position if they see that their mother respects his position. If they see their mother obey their father and submit to his authority, they will be obedient children. If a child sees a constant tug of war over issues in the family and sees Mother winning out, disrespect for Dad's authority will result. If Mother is setting the rules for the family, disrespect between father and child will be created. <br />
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If Mother allows a child to do things Dad doesn't permit behind his back (such as, watching certain T.V. shows, purchasing certain clothing *even if only worn in the home or saved for when dad is not around*, eating certain foods, going to certain places etc...) she is contributing to that child's lack of respect for his/her father.<br />
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If a wife is living in submission to her husband "as unto the Lord" child rearing will be a joy."<br />
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Wives submit yourself unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Eph 5:22<br />
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Do you believe the bible is the holy word of God? <br />
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Do you desire to live it?<br />
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Then submission will be part of your life..<br />
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You must live what you say... If you want your children to take their fathers council. If you want your children to respect and obey their father, you must do so yourself. Children are not fooled. They live with you day in and day out. They hear what you say... and what you don't. Believe me when I say this... more is caught than taught.<br />
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Rebellion in the heart of a child will first be found in the heart of a Mother.. we must get this right, ladies.<br />
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God's word goes on to tell us in 1 Peter 3:4 that a meek and quiet spirit is an ornament and one of great price in the sight of God...<br />
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so does meek mean door mat? No.<br />
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let me give you a perfect definition of meek.<br />
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Meekness is the silent submission of the soul to the 'providence' of God concerning us. ~ Matthew Henry<br />
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Meekness is calm confidence, settled assurance, and rest of the soul. It is the tranquil stillness of a heart that is at rest in Christ. It is the place of peace. Meekness springs from the heart of humility, radiating the fragrance of Christ. ~Nancy DeMoss Wolgermuth<br />
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When you obey God by submitting to your husband with a meek and quiet spirit, God makes it His business to be your defender. He protects the obedient. Your submission to your husband is your submission to God. (Ephesians 6:7,8)<br />
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God honors that.<br />
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God honors that in your marriage and your testimony to the lost.<br />
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God honors that in your children. Their relationship with you, their father and most importantly Himself.<br />
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When you stand in defiance of your husband (even quietly) you become clamorous (Proverbs 9:13).. odious (Proverbs 30:23). <br />
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God cannot honor sin.<br />
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You marriage will no longer give life but rather suck life out of those around it.<br />
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And your children will follow their leader in rebellion... you.<br />
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Does that mean "if he beats me I should stay?" No. God has placed authority over your husband, if your husband is truly abusing you or your children, you have the right to contact law enforcement and allow them to move as God sees fit. But if you perceive a harsh word or lack of attention as abuse, then you need to examine your heart. Selfish desires have no place at the marriage table.<br />
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God save us<br />
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from being clamorous.<br />
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from being odious.<br />
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from being silly women laden with sins.<br />
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God help us<br />
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to be crowns<br />
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to be virtuous<br />
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to be submissive.<br />
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The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he will have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.<br />
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Let us do well, without fear.<br />
<br />Shelly Holversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769471666308222504noreply@blogger.com0