Flipping The Bird

One night, not too long ago as Bryon was on his way out of Grace's room after putting her to bed, she asked him while sticking up her middle finger, "Is this your naughty finger?"

Bryon answered, "Yes, yes it is" and promptly exited the room before she could get in any followup questions.

He came out into the kitchen chuckling and told me about it and Grace yelled from her bedroom "What does that mean? Why is it your naughty finger?"

We simultaneously told her to go to sleep. 

No more questions.

Then last night she asked me again in pure journalistic style demanding full disclosure. She promised not to tell anyone or where she heard it. She just wanted to know.

Did I mention she is only six?

Now up until now if she's asked me a direct question about something I've pretty much told her the bald truth and she knows that. She's asked me several girly parts questions etc. and I've just told her the facts as clearly detailed as I think I can to a six year old. 

Bryon teases her a lot telling her crazy made up stories and she'll ask me if something is true and I'll say "No" ninety nine point nine percent of the time. But last night I just flat out could not come up with any way to explain what or why flipping up your middle finger was the ultimate insult without inspiring a whole new slough of questions I also did not want to answer.

So I took the chicken way out and told her it was a grown up thing and she was too little to know and to just not do it. The parenting equivalent of BECAUSE I SAID SO THAT'S WHY. Of course that never really works, it only delays the inevitable.

So tonight I looked it up on the internet... Wikipedia of course, and you can too if you are interested (Wikipedia explanation here) As you would expect there was the typical explanation, the one that we as Westerners all know and love and utilize in traffic on a regular basis.

But there was also these on the actual supposed origin of the phrase and action: 

It is identified as the digitus impudicus (impudent finger) in Ancient Roman writings^[1] and reference is made to using the finger in ancient Greek comedy to insult another person. The widespread usage of the finger in many cultures is likely due to the geographical influence of the Roman Empire and Greco-Roman civilization. Another possible origin of this gesture can be found in the first-century Mediterranean world, where extending the digitus impudicus was one of many methods used to divert the ever-present threat of the evil eye offence^[2]. Another belief for the origin is more recently durring the hundreds years' war, when france and england was at war with each other over territory. In the beginning the English won most of the battles against France, even when the British were greatly outnumbered. Much of Britians success is due to their new weapon the long bow, however it takes a skilled archer years of practice to correctly be able to use this weapon. And the key to using this weapon was by pulling back the arrow against the string with your middle finger and then releasing it so the arrow is then slinged away by the force of the pulled back string. Then the king of france put a bounty on british archers middle finger, because if an archers middle finger is chopped off then the archer is incapable of using a long bow anymore. However when the british did win battles they would mock their french enemys by flipping the finger at them showing that they still keep their middle fingers.offence^[3]

Now with that many spelling and grammar errors I'm a little skeptical about whether or not that is all correct but it would be a lot easier to explain the archery reference than the other.

I distinctly remember the first time I ever flipped the bird. It was on or near the first day of Kindergarten and our mean old neighbor, Doc Greer, (I have no idea why he was called Doc) ran over our black Cocker Spaniel named Poochie and left him for me to find on the way to the bus. Every time that old man drove by our house from that day forward I stuck up my middle finger at him with pride and malice having no idea what it actually meant. All I knew was that kids got into big trouble for doing it and adults did it when they were really angry so it was good enough for me and the situation.

I don't even know if he ever even saw me do it. I was usually running to hide immediately after as his dust trail was drifting away.

I haven't flipped the bird in a long time now but it's always good to have the "digitus impudicus" ready to activate  if the need should arise.

 

Recipe Sharing

Last weekend I had a slumber party. Me, not Grace. Grace was at Nana's. Five girlfriends and I (the guilty know who they are) met for breakfast at our favorite cafe in Marshfield, Uptown Cafe, (we just call it Freda's because Freda owns it) and spent a Saturday and Sunday talking, eating and reading magazines. It was heaven. We finally got caught up with each other and laughed a lot.

Good times!

We ate an entire pan of brownies (I may have had more than my share) and I made quiche and enchiladas. I didn't tell them until the second helping that I sneaked venison burger in there. They liked them :)

I made homemade enchilada sauce (adapted from All Recipes) and Yummy Quiche (also All Recipes). That site is awesome. Check it out if you've never seen it before. You keep your own online recipe box and print the recipes out in 4x6 cards that you cut and fit right in your recipe box. Very handy!

http://allrecipes.com/Default.aspx

I wanted to include a few of the recipes from the weekend along with some a couple of other handy recipes I use almost every week.

Look on your store bought packages of taco seasoning and almost all of them have a bunch of preservatives and MSG. This is just spices... most of which you already have in your cabinet. This recipe makes about 1 cup and you'll already have it when you get the hankering for Mexican food.

Homemade Taco Seasoning
Makes about 1 cup

4 tbsp chili powder
8 tbsp onion powder
4 tsps ground cumin
4 tsps garlic powder
4 tsps paprika
4 tsps powdered oregano
4 tsps sugar
2 tsps salt

Mix it all up and keep it in a jar with a lid. About 3 tablespoons of mix supposedly equals 1/4 oz. package of commercial seasoning. I just keep adding it until I'm happy with the taste.

Red Enchilada Sauce

Makes about 2 large 32 oz cans worth. (I like a LOT of sauce on mine and add it to the beef and beans too)

2- 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
2-3 garlic cloves minced
1 small onion (tiny really)
1 1/2 tbsps taco seasoning
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup salsa

Saute onions and garlic in a splash of olive oil in a medium sized sauce pan. Add the rest and bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes.

I've posted this quiche recipe before but this time I had one leftover so I cut it into pie sized slices in the pan after it cooled, covered it with saran and tin foil and froze it. Now when I want to take a piece and salad in my lunch. I just pop out a piece, put it frozen in my lunch box (with an ice pack of course) and heat it in the microwave for  1 1/2 minutes. Super YUMMY!

Yummy Quiche

8 ounces bacon ( I used about 3/4 pound of sausage instead)
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, finely diced and drained
2 (9 inch) unbaked 9 inch pie crust
2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 eggs, lightly beaten (I usually use 6-8)
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup diced onion (I didn't use the onions)
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, drained


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place bacon and or sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

Place crust in a 9 inch glass pie plate (I used the kind with an aluminum pan). Sprinkle bacon/sausage inside of crust. In a small bowl, combine Cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, mushrooms and flour. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, cream, onion and green chiles. Add cheese mixture; stir well. Pour mixture into pie crusts evenly.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes (I covered it with foil the last 10 minutes so the crust wouldn't burn), until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

This was supposed to make one quiche but I used more than 8 oz of sausage so it made two perfectly yummy ones!

These next two are super handy and I use them both a couple of times a week usually. I haven't bought Bisquick in a couple of years now since I found this recipe. I keep this baking mix in a big glass container in our extra fridge and just pull it out when I need it. I usually just add the wheat germ a few tablespoons at a time when I'm making individual things. The other ingredients will last a long time but the wheat germ has a shorter lifespan.


Busy Mother's Baking Mix

5 lb bag unbleached flour (you can add some whole wheat flour but it makes everything heavier)
3/4 cup baking powder (aluminum free)
1 cup wheat germ (you can just add a tablespoon or so as you use the mix if you want)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cream of tartar
3 tbsps salt

Whisk it all together well in a super big bowl (I use my big metal bowl) and store in an airtight container (preferably in the fridge).

Use for the following recipes:

Pancakes

2 cups mix
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tbsp oil

Can add frozen berries etc too.  Beat together milk, eggs, oil. Add to mix until moistened. Pour 1/2 cup at a time onto oiled griddle.

Waffles
Same as above but add 1 tsp vanilla and 2 more tbsps oil

Cut Out Biscuits

3 1/2 cups mix
1 stick butter (I use real unsalted butter)
3/4 cup milk

Roll out 1" thick and cut out.
Bake 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees

Drop Biscuits

3 1/2 cups mix
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup milk

Drop onto cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes


Okay, this is the last one for today. I used to buy LOTS of refrigerator rolls because they were easy and I like bread with dinner. Finally I figured there had to be a better way and I found this recipe in Mother Earth News. Since then I've bought the book http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Bread-Five-Minutes-Revolutionizes/dp/0312362919 apparently now they have a website too http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/

I use this master recipe to make dinner rolls several times a week. We all love them. They are different from refrigerated dough but now I prefer them. You can add whole wheat flour but again, it makes them denser so that's up to you. There are LOTS of different breads you can make from this one basic recipe. All I've done is a big round, dinner rolls, rolled it into bread sticks and pizza dough.

Artisan Bread Master Recipe

3 cups luke warm water
1 1/2 tbsp yeast (1 1/2 pkts)
1 1/2 tbsp sea salt or coarse kosher
6 1/2 cups flour

Mix it all up, cover lightly and let it rise two hours. Then you just put a date on it and stick it in your fridge. You can keep it up to two weeks in there. I just pinch off a dinner roll sized piece, sprinkle some flour on it and roll it into a ball. Slice the top with a serrated knife, slap it on a cookie sheet and bake it at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. If you stick a pan of water in the oven along with it, you'll get a very crispy outside and a chewy inside. No water and you have a softer roll but still chewy. They get pretty hard if you save the leftovers for the next day but if you microwave it for a few seconds it's just like new AND warm again....

We don't usually HAVE leftovers. I fix one roll a piece.

Okay, so that's a lot of cooking but I just wanted to share. Next time I'll share egg noodles and meatballs...

I'm stuffed now!

Signs of Spring

 

One of the first signs of spring on the farm and one of the first outdoorsy farm rituals is the presentation of the legs. Yes, these are indeed my pasty white, slightly scarred legs and the first shorts of the spring. They may not be pretty but boy was I happy to set them free. I think my super cute garden shoes compensate for any unsightliness.

 

Of course you can't go wrong with forsythia either. We have two bushes of it started now. My tiny little lilac tree has leafed out and I just saw tonight that my peonies were peeking up. Tulip foliage is up but now blooms yet. I'm waiting not so patiently for those. 

Here is my greenhouse lettuce. I took this Sunday and this afternoon when I checked on it it was pretty wilted. I think it got too hot in the greenhouse yesterday during that 80 degree day. I need to remember to vent the window in the mornings. Too many things to get done before we leave the house it seems.

Sunday I was sort of bummed because NONE of my little seeds had popped up yet. Bryon said he saw one green sprout but I couldn't see it anywhere. I think he was just humoring me. TODAY, however, there are sprouts galore! Three kinds of tomatoes, and lots of herbs.

We finished working up and preparing the garden beds on Sunday and planted potatoes, carrots, radishes, lettuce, onions and swiss chard. We had lots of good compost to add to top off the beds from last years chicken house clean out and a year's worth of table scraps etc. Looks like it's going to be cold the next few days so I'm not expecting much to happen for a while out there, but I'm ready!

 

This is one of my hilariously happy hens. The come running when any of us come outside now and follow us around the yard like puppies. I don't think they miss those roosters at all. I know the rest of the family don't. Good riddance I say. 

Bryon and Gary worked all weekend on our little patch of woods by our driveway and behind the pig pen. The burned off the undergrowth to make a path for a new fence so we can expand the pig pen and raise five or six pigs this year. So many of our friends want pork now so we thought ... how much trouble could a few more be? 

We are also going to get a couple of goats. NOT milk goats. While I would LOVE to have a Jersey cow or even a milk goat, there is NO WAY we are going to be able to milk an animal twice a day, every day. That is just more of a commitment than we can make and apparently you can't just milk them occasionally which would be ideal. 

I think goats will be fun ... as long as we can keep them in the fence. 

I have no idea what kind we'll get. I think we are just going to go to the Fordland Small Animal Swap Meet and see what there is. I'm pretty sure we'll fall in love with something. I just hope they can fit in a dog crate because otherwise, it could be an interesting ride home.

Kiss That Frog

Okay so this is actually a toad I think but still...  http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/facts8.htm

Grace found it the other night and carried around for a while until I finally convinced her to release it back to the wild before it leaped to it's death from her hands. She really has a good eye for wildlife just like her Daddy.

I'm pretty sure she really did kiss the thing. No Prince appeared but her Daddy did come home shortly after. He would argue that he's more of a King than a Prince I'm sure.

 She and Grandpa found these frog eggs in a giant pool of water behind the pond. Her teacher asked us to bring some of them in in an old jar so we collected some and took them in this morning. I have two milk jugs full of puddle and pond water to take tomorrow for their class aquarium so they can see if the become tadpoles and then frogs.

There might be a whole bunch of new pets to take home from class soon.

 

The spring peeps have been just as noisy as ever. The first night the temp was anywhere near the fifties, they started up and have just been gaining intensity ever since. 

One time some of our city friends were at our house and it was the year that the cicadas were at their 17 year peak. You could hear them going to town INSIDE the house. They were very loud. My city friend couldn't believe it when she was going out to her car, she said "It's noisy in the country!" Well.... yeah. But at least it isn't sirens, garbage trucks and teenagers peeling out and blowing out their car stereo speakers. 

Some noise is just more tolerable than others. 

Give me the country noise anytime.

They come to snuff the rooster... oh yeah.

Rooster number two is no more. Five hilariously happy unhumped hens is all I have left for now.

The great rooster experiment is officially over. I liked having him because with a rooster, it just sounded like a real farm out here. The roosters (yes I had two) turned out to be mean and liked to flog everyone but Grace especially so we had to rotate between Grace and the chickens for outside time. With spring finally here, that was just not going to continue to work out so today I asked Bryon to dispatch of the remaining rooster.

We killed an ate the first rooster a few weekends ago. My theory was that if we only had one rooster, maybe it would become nicer since it wouldn't have any competition anymore. Nope. Not so much the case. Still nasty. And it was sneaky nasty because it usually waited until your back was turned to attack. Of course with Grace it really didn't matter. They both went right for her immediately. Bryon too. They had a special hatred for Bryon.

I gotta say I'm glad they're gone. Of course now the whole Buckeye heirloom breed chicken experiment is basically for naught because of course now there will be no more. I guess I'm just more of a barnyard sort of girl after all.

I sure hope my hens can grow some of their back feathers in now since they won't have a rooster humping them 24/7. They are some scraggly looking birds right now.

I got the chicken house all cleaned out and freshened up for another year today. It took forever but it's so nice now. I hope the hens will start using the nesting boxes now and my eggs will stay cleaner. We'll see.

Today really gave me spring fever bad! And allergies, bad. It's hard to enjoy the outdoors when you can't see or breathe. Hopefully tomorrow will be better in that respect.

Bryon worked out in our little barn and cleaned some of the big barn while I cleaned the chicken house and rabbit hutch. Tomorrow after church is going to be dedicated to the greenhouse and starting some seeds. I gotta plant some stuff man!

I do have tiny little half inch lettuce seedlings from the seed I saved last year. It's way over seeded because it was impossible to separate the seed from the chaff but it's doing okay so far. I'm ready to get some stuff in the gardens though.

Maybe this year I can actually keep track of what and where all my plants are. It's good to have goals.

As Big As Your Head

We've really been enjoying our pork from the pigs we raised. The other night we had breakfast for dinner with eggs from our hens and ham from our pig. The ham steaks were packaged two to a package and when I went to defrost them to fry up for the first time, the steaks were bigger than my plate!

Nice!

Birds, Bees, Bunnies and Blooms

We got outside yesterday and took advantage of the nice February weather to turn the garden beds and try to prep them for spring planting. Bryon had planted some rye grass last fall and we let it grow all winter to make a green manure http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/soil_growgreenmanure1.shtm

He tried using our little tiller attachment on the weed eater which usually works great in our raised beds, but the roots were too dense so he had to go old school and do it with a shovel. I only did one little bed myself and it was a bitch! I went in and took some Tylenol because I knew my back was going to hurt. Gardening is hard work!

Today, it all looks great and my back feels fine. Guess I could have worked a little harder after all :)

I worked in our little greenhouse organizing and cleaning and tried planting some of the saved lettuce seed I collected from last year's crop. Unless I just didn't do it correctly, it was a mess. I don't know how they collect lettuce seed commercially because it's such tiny seed but my way was to let the flowered heads dry out and then try to break them apart into a box or bag. It's nearly impossible and I had so much chaff mixed in I don't know if anything will grow from what I sowed or not.

I guess I need a teeny tiny thresher or something.

I also had some heirloom tomato seeds from 2009 that I had saved so I started them. I have no idea what kind of tomatoes though. I guess if they come up they'll just be surprise tomatoes.

Every year I start out so nice an organized and somehow by the middle of the season it all falls to hell and I have no idea what is where. Last year I used plastic forks for markers (ingenious I thought) and wrote on the handles with a sharpie what each plant was, stuck the fork beside it and figured I was good. Then the writing wore off... completely. More mystery crops.

Sure you can tell a tomato from a pepper from a potato, but I wanted to know what kind of tomato, pepper and potato it was.

Organization foiled.

Another year I used wooden craft sticks. Same problem.

I guess I'm just destined to organizational failure as far as identification goes. I would have made a poor botanist.

I had to make a note on the bar, along with my chicken note, bunny note, etc so I wouldn't forget to check on my plants out there every day along with the other things we try to keep alive. If it's not on a note somewhere, it's not going to happen.

We finally killed one of the mean roosters. My poor little hens are just beat up from the constant humping. At least they'll have to endure half as much now. Maybe some of their feathers will grow back in.

Bryon skinned him (no easy task, he was a tough bird!) and I cooked him up in the crock pot last night. We'll probably eat him this evening. His dark meet was incredibly dark which turns me off. I like the white meat. I won't be raising any of these Buckeye's for meat birds now.

The longer I have these heirloom Buckeyes, the more I appreciate my first barnyard mix of hens. Those girls were good layers, used the nesting boxes and were friendly and good natured. Of course I didn't have a rooster with them but these Buckeyes won't lay an egg in the nesting boxes for anything and as a result they get the eggs really dirty with poop. Some veteran farmers say clean them off and eat them, others say throw them out. I've done some of both but really I would just like clean eggs so I didn't have to worry about it.

I am about ready to just forget about having a rooster and buy a few new chicks from Orchelin's and go back to what was working for me. Sometimes new (or in this case heirloom) may not be better. At least not for me.

My bees have been buzzing around like crazy. I was worried about them because last fall when I went out to check on them to see if there was any honey, it didn't appear as if they had been doing much of anything. I didn't really think they had enough honey to get through the winter. I have been seeing a bunch of bees around and on the front of the hive but I was afraid that maybe they were just robbing my hive. Now I am pretty sure they are still in residence so I've been feeding them again. I don't want to use any chemicals on them anymore so last year before I got this batch of bees I stripped out all the comb and redid everything and basically put them in there and let them fend for themselves.

So I'm not going to be surprised if they die out, but you know, bees have been surviving a long time before we started "keeping" them. I think they just need to learn to be bees again and devolve a little. I think it would help if everyone wasn't spraying so much poison on everything and they weren't pollinating a bunch of genetically modified crops but that's a whole other post.

The bunnies are still busy making garden manure. No surprises since they got separated. I know Cocoa (the girl) is happier.

So now, we just have to wait for warmer days until things get into full swing.

This could be the best farm year so far... ever hopeful ;)

The Calm Before the Storm

Last Saturday, we took advantage of a 60 plus degree day to cut some wood.

Our neighbor let us borrow his most awesome gas powered wood splitter and we all worked out there all day. I put one status update on Facebook and we got it all sold in no time at all and they all said they'd take more if we could get it cut. 

Ever since the big ice storm of 2007 (remember that?) not only have we tried to plan ahead and prepare ala survivalist mode to be able to endure the next 12 days we have to spend trapped at home without electricity but we have also been wanting to clean up some of the downed and hinged trees around our woods. Bryon had also invited a forester out to target and mark trees that should come down to enhance the health of our little woods.

Unfortunately we don't burn wood, which I have argued with Bryon makes no sense considering we are surrounded by twenty acres of trees, but he doesn't want to be a slave to cutting wood when he's seventy. I guess that makes some sense. We do have a pellet stove that heats our entire downstairs very comfortably. Of course it eats wood but in the pellet form, which has to be purchased. We've already gone through two tons of pellets this year and at $4 bucks a bag that adds up pretty fast.

We burn about a bag a day when it's really cold out. The good news is we know exactly how much it's costing to stay warm each day, the bad news is, when we run out we can practically hear the dollar signs cha-chinging as our electric heat pumps take over.

All electric seemed like such a good idea prior to that ice storm.

The first seven years of our marriage, wood was our only form of heat. That and a king sized water bed which was quite toasty thank you very much. Right up until the day it started leaking and had to be replaced at 6 am one morning. Bryon says I don't remember what a hassle it was to have to feed the beast every day, the smell, the mess. He's probably right but the self preservationist in me still thinks it couldn't hurt to have a plan C.

While I work on wearing him down on the wood stove front, I suppose if we could sell enough of our own wood each year to pay for our pellet addiction, that would sort of be a wash. Of course that's assuming the power stays on. God I love the grid.

I used to have delusions of living off the grid ala Amish without all the pesky "rules" right up until day three of that storm in 2007. Now I just want to be ready to compensate when it happens again.

This past week, I really thought we might get to implement some of our preparation strategies with the "storm of the century" and the supposed two feet of snow we were going to get. I spent the week in Rolla where we got 1-2 inches of sleet and 1-2 inches of snow. No big thing.

I did fill my hotel bathtub with water so I could flush my toilet, bought the last hand cranked Coleman Max lantern/radio/cell phone charger from Walmart and had some snacks and water ready just in case. Survival ala the Hampton Inn ;)

Bryon was ready on the home front too. Thankfully he and Grace only had about six inches of snow from the "storm of the century" at our house. My Mom and Dad in Bolivar got to enjoy the whole enchilada with 18 inches plus. Still, the power did stay on all around so that's a good thing.

Soon after the 2007 storm we had a transfer switch installed so we could hook up our little generator to it without having to run extension cords all over creation and listening to the dang thing run all night. Bryon even poured a concrete pad for it and built a little hut over it to protect it from the elements when it is out there. Now at least we can turn on our water pump every so often or run our pellet stove fan, a few lights, alternately our fridge and freezer and finally our tv. You can only take so much together time without news and entertainment let me tell you.

Seems like no matter how much we plan ahead though, we don't remember everything. Bryon thought too late this time to check our kerosene supply for our little heater that can go to the barn to keep the pipes out there from freezing and when he stopped by to fill it in Niangua they were already out. He heard the lines at the one station in Marshfield were crazy long so he just didn't fill it up. Turned out we didn't need it but I guess it goes to show you just aren't ever as prepared as you thought you were.

Bryon just bought a new chainsaw, his first new saw ever and only the second one he's owned in 25 years. I hope this one lasts 25 years. One more cord of wood and it will be paid for and then it's pellet profits all the way.

I'm a little less enthusiastic about the whole wood thing now only seven days later because I am covered in poison ivy (yes you can get it in the winter if you are allergic to it and I am). I had a long sleeved shirt on but apparently that wasn't enough.

Again, just when you think you are prepared there always seems to be something waiting to prove you wrong.

Just wait until next time, then I will ....

Preservation Mode

 

We've been in preservation mode for the past few months out here on the Medley Farm.  We had been waiting for the other shoe to drop since last January with Bryon's job and after a year of turmoil  and uncertainty, it finally came to a resolution on Dec. 6, 2010. Luckily, we had savings, no debt other than our mortgage and good friends, church and family ready to come to our aid if necessary. 

Even though we don't have much debt, just your regular bills sure add up more than you may think. We started looking at our spending last year and I was disgusted at how much we were spending on eating out and groceries/household stuff. The first month I tracked it, was last February and that month we spent $1,500 on groceries/personal/household stuff ... basically Walmart and the grocery stores and $466 on eating out. This December we spent $210 on groceries/personal/household stuff and $150 on eating out. Of course I put Christmas stuff in another category and some food was included in it ($559 total). Still, we are down to half or a third of what we were spending. We cut back where we could and made do for a while. Still can't continue to do all of that indefinitely on just my income. It's true I guess that you spend what you have.

The great news is that after only a two month search, Bryon starts at St. John's in Lebanon on Monday morning for orientation and what looks like to be about 30 hours a week and eventually full time. He is also planning to work for CMH in Bolivar part time as well. How it has come about has been a real blessing. He (and many others have been praying for the right work to come his way) and he had sent his resume out to St. John's as in early December, knowing there were no posted positions open but hoping to pave the way if/when something did become available. Lebanon is 30 minutes round trip closer than Springfield for him and only 15 minutes away from Bennett Springs (yep, trout fishing is an unexpected after work perk!).

One day just after the first of the year when he had applied for every conceivable and a few unconceivable positions he just hopped in the car and decided to do a pop-in at Lebanon. He walked around the hospital and then the department for a bit to get the feel of the place and thought then that this was a place he would like to work. It just felt more comfortable and friendly than the place from which he had spent the last 18 years. 

He asked if the Director was available to chat. She was. And as soon as he walked in the door and introduced himself, she asked if his ears had been burning because they had been talking about him all week. Bryon had been praying for a clear and obvious sign (which of course most of us mere mortals rarely get right?). The next thing she said to him was that, "Jesus must have sent you through my door today because you seem to have everything we need."

Well you don't have to be Bill Engvall to know that "Here's your sign". 

Things just got better and better from there and it looks as though they'll be able to give him about 30 hours a week to start and full-time soon. They already appreciate his personality, his attitude and his abilities and they haven't even spent a full day with him yet. The Director called when she said she would call and has just been a real blessing already. She knows he's trying to piece together full time and made him promise that if he got another full time offer to let her know because she doesn't want to lose him.

Okay then. That's different. 

To celebrate we turned our Directv back on and ate breakfast at Freda's this morning. We plan to stay on the frugal bandwagon and work on paying down our mortgage but it looks as though the biggest stress is lifting. 

After spending a five days and four nights in Rolla this week for the university blood drive and eating out every dang meal (I do get to expense that) I realized that taking my lunch nearly everyday for the past couple of months was actually pretty nice. At first it was a big pain, but now I am really appreciating it more not only for the $40 a week I save but for the leftovers I've been eating. 

I think it's been good for us overall to have this experience. Bryon is out of a toxic situation and we've had an opportunity to reprioritize a few things that otherwise we might never have changed. 

I just hope we can continue to remember and live by these lessons as things get back to "normal". Whatever that is.

Life is good.

Classic Sandwich Bread: King Arthur Flour

It didn't turn out exactly like I had planned... but it was very tasty!


Classic Sandwich Bread: King Arthur Flour