Growing like weeds......

I think that phrase came about after raising meat chickens. Suzanna has a pen of chickens for the fair. At fair time, we will select the two that match the best and that will be her pen of two to show at the fair. These chicks GROW!!! I think you could stand in front of their pen and see them growing. The change in them from one day to the next is amazing. Of course, all they do is eat. They literally sit in their feed pan and eat...then sleep....then eat and occasionally they will stumble their way over to the water dish for a drink. I guess if I sat in the refrigerator and did nothing but eat, you could see me grow before your eyes too. Full body shiver...that is a scary thought!!!!

Last year, we got the birds late and nearly didn't make weight. There is a minimum that the two birds have to weigh in order to show. This year, thankfully, we got them about 15 days earlier and that shouldn't be an issue.

Weaning update......

Both foals are now weaned, and in their training programs. Lilly left nearly a month ago with the hope that she would be ready and special enough to head for the Morgan Breeders Sweepstakes over Labor Day weekend. This is a national sweepstakes offering a substantial amount of money if you place in the top 5. Typically there are about 25 foals that make their way to this show and go for the big money (first place is $25,000!!!!!) We bred a filly 6 years ago that went to this show and was 6th in the nation. What a thrill for our breeding program. That mare, Knolltop's Double Date, now lives in Vermont, the birthplace of the Morgan breed. She is loved by her owner, who says she will never part with her. I love it when our horses find homes like that.

Well, Lilly was assessed by the trainer last Tuesday, and it was decided that while she is VERY nice, she wasn't ready to show yet. This was a bummer to our family, since we had hoped to travel out to Springfield Illinois for her class and then spend some time exploring the historical sites in the town. But.....we also didn't want to spend a ton of money and come home with nothing to show for it. Gotta be practical, don't ya know. She will continue her training for a few more weeks, as she is also eligible for the Michigan Morgan Horse Breeders Sweepstakes, which is coming up the third weekend in September.

In the meantime, Henry was weaned nearly two weeks ago. He is also eligible for the same Michigan Sweepstakes as Lilly, so he needs to start his training. I hauled him to the trainers last Wednesday and awaited reports on his progress. The first couple were not good. It seems Henry had sunk into a depression. Yes, even horses can get depressed. See he was a really big "momma's boy" and being taken from his momma and stuck in his own stall didn't thrill him. But at least he could still see her. That was until we pushed him onto the trailer and gave him an hour ride. Of course, she is nowhere to be seen now, and no one answers when he whinnies. So he got depressed. To the point that the trainer began to think we sent him a "dud". I kept telling him he was a feisty guy at home, but he sure wasn't acting like it now.

So yesterday, the trainer let him outside for the afternoon. He is now a different horse. He got some fresh air and sunshine and feels good. He worked like a charm last night, standing up and posing, like he will need to do at the show.

Here's hoping that Knolltop Morgans will be well represented in the Michigan Morgan Breeders Sweepstakes. Only time will tell.

Backorder update......

I had mentioned in a previous blog that some of the girls school clothes were on backorder. The last of Suzanna's clothes arrived yesterday and in today's mail were Kathryn's skirts. All uniforms are now accounted for. Let the school days begin.

Nice to be normal

Last night was very nice. Our family had a very normal, quiet family evening. It has been awhile. We got into the habit of having a movie night last winter. Friday nights I would make homemade pizza and we would enjoy a movie. Of course, a new movie each week would get expensive, so I signed us up for Netflix. It is a great service which offers zillions of movies, sent to your home and have a return envelope to get them sent back. We get two movies at a time, and for under $12.00 a month. As quick as you send one back, they send another one you have selected in your file. I have discovered a bunch of the good old Wonderful World of Disney programs have been put over on DVD and can be ordered from Netflix.

With the onset of summer, we got out of the habit. Last evening we got back in. I made up the pizzas and we gathered around the good old movie "Support Your Local Sheriff". It was great. I guess that is one more sign that summer really is over.

Daddy gets demerits

School has begun. The kids came home happy with life and the start of school.

I treated myself to a new perm and hair cut this afternoon. When daddy got home this evening, he didn't compliment the "new do". I was a bit hurt and commented on the fact that I had gotten a perm and did he notice???? He then proceeded to tell me how great it looked every time he walked through the room. Can you say to late mister?!?!?!?!? I jokingly asked the kids how many demerits should a daddy who didn't notice mommy's hair get?? They decided 25 was a good number and raced around to make him a demerit slip, complete with all three of their signatures. Typically at their school, 25 demerits would be a half hour detention after school. Daddy has requested 30 minutes at his desk with his eyes closed. The kids said he had to stay awake for it to count. Never know what our kids will come up with next.

And just like that......

they are back to school!!!!!

This morning our three went back to school. They are happy and excited and momma is a bit down in the dumps. I can't believe how fast the summer went! We have had a great summer. The kids have been able to relax, enjoy life and not have the pressure of school and music lessons and all the rest of the structure that goes with being in school. That is over for a while. I suppose it is time, but it sure came quick.

Suzanna was doing chores last night with me and we were talking about how hectic the next month will be. We will start music lessons after the Labor Day weekend, and that makes one more thing on the schedule. But the biggest thing on the horizon is getting ready for our county fair.

Ours is the last one in the state and runs the last week in September. That makes the next month very busy. Most of the projects that could be done ahead of time are done. But there are still heifers to lead and a rabbit to work with each day, or close to it. That all gets added to homework and music practice. As tough as it is, I wouldn't trade the time of year our fair happens. Oh yes, we can have ANYTHING when it comes to weather. I showed my heifers in a snow storm one year. Another year there were tornado warnings during the afternoon I was showing my horse. But more likely we will get a couple days of rain (three years ago it rained EVERY day!!), or a couple really cold days.....but then there are the perfect, crystal clear fall days. There's nothing like strolling down the midway to get your fair food on a day like that. Those days make up for a lot of the nasty stuff.

So off we go, charging into another year. Wasn't Suzanna just starting Kindergarten a few short years ago???? And it had to be just last week the twins went off for their first day!?!?!?!?! No, she is in 6th grade this year and they are in 3rd. All to fast and going faster!!!!!!

What a blessing!!

I have to share the wonderful blessing our family received last evening. We went to the kids school orientation. It is an opportunity to cover any changes from last year to this year, meet the staff, introduce new families, etc. During the evening, the school's accountant got to do his announcements relating to tuition, lab fees, and such. He also announced some winners.

This past spring, the school held a "jog-a-thon". This was an opportunity for the kids to send letters to various family and friends, requesting that they pledge money against the number of laps the kids would walk in the span of half an hour. The school capped the laps at 25, so that the kids wouldn't "break the bank" on people. There were awards announced of credits toward tuition for the top three fundraising families. I didn't give that any thought, we just did our part for the school. All three kids completed their 25 laps, got to have a picnic and fun at a local park. End of story......or so I thought. Well, to our family's shock and amazement, we were the top family. This gave us a credit of $750.00 on our tuition bill. We are all so thankful to God for this blessing. That credit will pay for a lot of trips to school and back. Thank You, Lord!

Odds and Ends

With the weather we continue to have, misty and foggy, it seems hard to get motovated on projects. I spent yesterday in the sewing room, something almost unheard of this time of year. I have some cucumbers to make into relish today. That gets me back into canning mode, at least for a couple hours.

Funny mail.....We got an envelope in the mail yesterday. The return address was "The Bovine Beautician". Could not imagine what I was getting from a place like that. Until I opened it up and discovered this inside. This is Strauz AAA Champion Rhoda with Suzanna at the Summer Show. The Bovine Beautician is the photographer.

If you have never experienced picture taking with cattle, it is a unique event. There are about 4 people involved, one holding the tail straight, one fussing with their feet and one out in front of them, working hard to get their ears forward, and of course the photographer too. I think the front end guy has the most fun. He makes strange noises, dribbles grain out of a bucket, crawls on the ground, shakes a blanket, whatever it takes to get that perfect shot. Our horse trainer was at the show to see our daughter show and spent some time watching the whole process. He got a major chuckle from the whole process.

Speaking of horses......the Saddlebred World Championships are going on right now at the Kentucky State Fair. Technology is great, and you can actually watch the classes on the computer. Our Morgans did this for our World Championships last year as well. I have been enjoying their show this week while working on office stuff.

Like I said, odds and ends today.

Rain, Rain, Go Away.......

You know the song. It has been raining for the past two days. Not a soft, misting rain...no most of the time if it has been raining we are talking a "pair 'em up, Noah" type rain. The horses have requested swim fins. Our area had been in a drought, so this rain is welcome, but I think we are caught up.

The rain didn't dampen the spirits at the annual Lard Can Supper, either. My folks have done "lard cans" for years. It basically is boiled supper. We do it outside on a campfire. In my childhood days, mom and dad did it in actual lard cans. When they resurrected the tradition 4 years ago, they got lard cans from an Amish hardware store. (great excuse to visit Amish country). We have now refined the system further. We now use turkey frying pots. They are great since they come with an inside basket and a thermometer.

We have everyone sign-up to bring onions, cabbage, green beans, carrots and potatoes. Mom and dad pick up sweet corn and everyone brings meats such as polish sausage, smoked sausage or smokey links. We carefully stand the corn up along the edges and then add layers of the veggies and meat. The pots are filled with water and then placed on a grate over the wood fire. It typically takes about an hour and a half to get everything cooked. It is a great time for fellowship while waiting for the food to cook. This year we had 52 people attend, of which, 21 were kids. They have a blast playing ball, getting four-wheeler rides and searching mom's gardens for the caterpillars that will become Monarch butterflies.

This year there was the added excitement of an orphaned kitten. The poor thing was hungry, and a quick call to a member of our church who is a retired veterinarian was made for the right mixture to feed it. It was a well-loved kitten. Happily, the mother returned the next morning and took it back with the rest of its siblings.

The showers came and went during the evening, but we managed to eat our dinners in the front yard. We ended the evening eating freshly made pies (my mom loves to make pies) in mom and dads garage. It was tough to see the night end, as it is always anticipated by everyone. I come away from it each year sensing that this is just a touch of what fellowship in Heaven will be with our friends and loved ones.

Motivation.....

It is amazing what can get done with a simple concept called motivation. Our house had gotten a bit out of control since returning from our vacation. Three bushels of peaches will do that. I had been juggling laundry and peaches for three days and not doing a great job on the laundry. In the meantime, the clutter was ever increasing around the house.

So yesterday the orders were to get the house shaped back up. The motivation for the task was the desire to go to Grandma's. We live close to my parents place. Close enough that when the leaves are off the trees in the back fence row, we can see each others lights. So naturally, the kids are inclined to think that Grandma's house is a great place to be. This is the first year that they have all been able to ride their bikes back and forth between the two places. We have a lane between the two places called the "scenic route".

Today is the day for annual Lard Can Party at their place. We are anticipating about 45 people from church will be there. There are all sorts of last minute things that the kids thought Grandma would need help with and started lobbying early to go to her house. Their ever-wise mother used this to her advantage and there is where motivation fits in to the mix. As quick as one task was finished by a child, there was a request for what else they could do. It was wonderful. The clutter is gone, the laundry caught up and put away.

Happily, they headed to grandma's in the early afternoon and I headed to WalMart child-free. Got my French Vanilla Frescante at the local coffee shop and bought groceries and the dreaded school supplies. Yes, school starts in just 5 days......oh where did you go summer?!?!?!?!?!?

No longer missing......

Whew, what a week!!!

Where do I start. We ended up out the door late last Friday, for a long weekend away. We headed toward Coloma, Michigan which is a little north of St. Joe/Benton Harbor. There is a nice KOA campground there that we stayed at last year.

It was a great weekend away. We had time to play games, swim and just be together. One major together moment was picking peaches. We went back to the same farm as last year and in a little over an hour, picked 7 bushels of peaches. No, not all were for us. We had orders for a bushel from each grandma and the neighbor requested two bushels for her family. We also found a wonderful free township park on Lake Michigan. The kids spent two days in the lake, having a great time.

We went into St. Joe on Sunday afternoon and discovered a free community orchestra concert on the shore. It was terrific and a special thing for the kids to experience.

All in all, daddy and mommy were pretty sad to see this weekend come to an end. We face the fact that summer is getting away from us. The kids head back to school in less than a week!!

So home on Tuesday, sorting peaches, and got right to them. I have 21 quarts of peaches that I canned, then Suzanna did another 7 on her own. I froze fillings for 8 pies, had about 4 quarts of sliced to put in the freezer, managed to eat sliced peaches on ice cream twice and made a huge cobbler with the last of them yesterday.

Next up, more relish, the tomatoes are just starting and I am thinking about getting some corn from the local orchard next week.

Scroll down to see pictures of our weekend.

Backordered!!!!

The first day of school is fast approaching....August 23rd will be here too soon. Our kids go to a small Christian school which uses uniforms.

I got on line a couple weeks ago and ordered everything we need for the year. Frustration hit when the girls skirts were put on back order. They are suppose to arrive between August 24 and August 30th. If you can do basic math, you realize as I do, that is AFTER school starts. Thankfully, I am not alone, and as in past years, the school will be flexible until everyone gets up and running on their wardrobes. I sure hope everything fits when it finally gets here!!

Now back to my pickle relish, laundry and a grocery list. There is a long weekend away looming in the future.....just have to get EVERYTHING done so we can relax and enjoy when we leave.

Make sure to roll on down......

I have finally updated my pictures.

Enjoy seeing whats up at our zoo.

Letting them grow up.....

Boy, it is tough isn't it.

Yesterday, as I started getting things around to make dill pickles, Suzanna floated through the kitchen and asked what I was doing. She and I had already talked about her doing some canning to enter in the fair this fall, so she wanted to help me.

I learned long ago that with Suzanna, I play a "stand back and supervise" role when she "wants to help". Her famous phrase through the years has been "me do." Yesterday was no exception. I showed her how to do the first jar, and she took over. How tough it was to stay back and let her do it. Every time she came near any of the boiling water for jars, lids and the vinegar mixture, I cautioned her about not getting burned. She finally turned to me and sighed, "Mom, I know". Yes, but it is STILL my job to warn, isn't it.

They are growing up way to fast.

By the way, all 5 quarts of dill pickles sealed. My daughter shared the same feeling of satisfaction I have had through the years looking at something I preserved from the garden. Can't wait to taste them in a few weeks.

Dog Days Of Summer

Not sure where that brilliant description came from, but I think it would be easier to be a dog right now. Our dog is laying quietly in her crate, since she is soaking wet from her morning constitutional.

There was a very welcome rain yesterday. It started around 5am and rained gently until about noon. We are in a drought, and I am afraid that in some cases it was "too little, too late". But for other crops, there will be a difference because it finally did rain and it was substantial.

So now this morning, the humidity is HIGH. As I look out the windows, you can see the haze across the fields. This is good growing weather. My cucumbers are suddenly huge. I will be doing bread and butter pickles today. May even get some pickle relish done as well.

First I have to pick them. I will be drenched by the time I am done. Will run mom to a doctors appointment and then get after my canning projects after lunch.

Kathryn has dog 4-H tonight. That will be steamy!!!!!

Wedding Day

One of my hubby's nieces got married yesterday. It was an outdoor ceremony. I am sure they were grateful for a break in the hot weather we had all week. 90 degrees in a wedding dress wouldn't be much fun.

From the ceremony, we drove into Battle Creek to the Heritage Dome for the reception. This is a unique old building. The second floor was once a bank. It was designed a lot like a cathedral. You got to the second floor by riding either an elevator or an escalator. This was a cheap thrill for my country kids. They have had a few opportunities to ride an elevator and even fewer to checkout an escalator.

The reception area wasn't open yet when we got there, and so we stood in the lobby with all the other guests. Soon all three of my crew needed a bathroom. Grandpa Bob and two aunts all did as well. We were told by the gentleman in the lobby that we could go to the basement. So we piled onto the elevator and headed down one level to the basement. As the doors opened, I had thoughts of a scene from a black and white scary movie. We wandered down a poorly lit hallway, looking for the bathroom. The only doors we found were storage rooms and a janitors closet. Which one was the boogie man going to jump out from?? Then we heard grandpa say he found it. Only the men's room was unlocked, so we played guard the door for each other.

With three of hubby's sisters, his brother, parents and all the kids, our group totaled 15. That is a small gathering of his immediate family. Typical Christmas numbers run close to 30, and with the kid generation starting to bring dates and get married, the numbers are climbing. Somehow, hubby and I ended up at the "kids table". Probably because three of the kids belonged to us. The patience level was tested on these hungry kids. Each table had a number, and they drew numbers out of the hat to determine who would go next. To kill time, we gave the kids single lines from Disney movies to see who could guess the right one first. They kept getting hungrier.....and hungrier......and, well you get the idea. Just before our table got to go, they had resorted to trying to balance the dinner knives on their foreheads and see who could hang a spoon off their noses. When our number was finally called, there were only 6 other tables left. They got fed, that was what mattered.

The cake was cut, the garter and bouquet were thrown. The couple had their first dance....and the music started getting loud. We decided that was a good time to head out. So with a couple trips up and down the escalator for the thrill of it, we called it a night.

Congratulations Kristine and Jason!!!!

Bake Sale Blues

As mentioned previously, I am a 4-H leader. This is my way of staying in touch with something that meant a lot to me when I was growing up. I loved 4-H. I was thrilled when the firstborn was old enough to join. Now all three are involved in the program and that makes them 5th generation 4-Hers.

Our club is always in need of funds for the treasury and for the past two years had done a bake sale as a part of Heritage Day, a celebration in our small village. Two years ago the kids did it in the pouring rain and made nearly $120. Last year, sunny and warm, only brought in about $20....what a disappointment. Not to be discouraged, after our Tuesday meeting, myself and two other moms decided we were suckers for the project and would do it again.

This year the weather was perfect....sunny, breezy and very pleasant. There were lots of people there to see the parade...and then stroll Main Street to check out what was there. Unfortunately, there were about three other groups that had the same idea as our club. At 1pm when we decided to call it a day, we had about $28.50 in the till. That isn't a real accurate measure of how few 50 cent items we really sold. Most, if not all, who stopped and purchased items gave the kids more money then they spent and told them to keep the change. One gentleman bought one dollar worth of treats, handed my daughter a $20 and told her just to give him $10 back. People are generous.....and it was appreciated. There was always a chorus of thank yous from the kids when they finished a sale.

Amanda, Melissa and I had plenty of time to discuss next year (gluttons for punishment????) and have a strategy for next year. SHHHHHHH.....its a secret, can't let those other three groups in on our idea.

Taking chicks to church......

Don't worry it's not what you think.

It is time to purchase market chickens for our fair, which happens at the end of September. This is a pretty simply project for kids. They buy some chickens (in Suzanna's case, 7 little fluff balls), feed them, give them a bath (another story for another day) the morning of the show and the judge comes around to each pen, evaluates the bird and you are done until sale night. Well you do still feed and water the birds all week. But unlike cattle, sheep, pigs, etc., it's not like you have to teach them to lead.

One of the moms in our club bought 100 market chickens and offered to sell whatever members needed to them. Among our 4-hers are several families from our church and one of them is taking on market chickens for the first time. I got their chickens and planned to take them with me to prayer meeting to get them delivered.

Off the kids and I went to church with 7 little chicks in a cardboard box. The temperature has been awful for the past few days, so I knew that we couldn't leave them in the car. We took them into church with us and left them in the back. Mind you we go to a tiny little country church, at the corner of two dirt roads, in the midst of several Amish families. So maybe bringing chicks to church isn't totally unusual. But it would be good to get to church on time, so that you can warn the pastor that you have baby chicks and they might get noisy.

We were late.....so that warning couldn't be delivered. We sneaked into a back row and then they started...getting louder and louder. People in the back row began to look at each other and behind them, trying to figure out what they were hearing. The commotion got louder and the snickers began to get louder. The Pastor had a very puzzled expression on his face, wondering what he was saying that was worthy of snickers. I finally raised my hand and confessed that I was the guilty party for disrupting the service, that I had brought the chicks for Sam and I was sorry. At this point, the youngest daughter leaned over to me and said, "they aren't coming tonight mom, they have a birthday party." Thank you Kathryn, why couldn't you have remembered that when we were getting ready to leave for church??????

Amazingly, the chicks got quiet and we were able to listen to the Pastor without distraction. After the service, everyone had to see the chicks, especially the little kids. By the end of the evening, the chicks went home with another 4-H family who decided it would be a good project for them to take on. I owe Sam 6 chicks, but will find out for sure if he is coming to church before taking them along next time.

If you see any dill, let me know

I am in a search for dill heads. Yes, the pickles are growing and I am all set to do some dill pickles....except I can't locate any dill weed. I planted a row of it in the spring. I think a whopping 3 plants grew. I went to the local orchard, and they had nothing. I then thought...Call your mother-in-law. Even she failed me!!!!

Thankfully, I just made a phone call to the local grocery store and the produce guy says he has one bunch and will keep it back for me until I can get there to get it. I will be canning dill pickles after all.