I know, Link Crazy

more great music. Thanks for sharing with me!!
And this has been one of my favourites since I was a kid.



another classic or two




Dawn- this kid is amazing!



and one more full of JOY

Some More Random Links

Hi, all! It was great to see the family for a bit today :-). I just figured I'd put a few more videos on here that we liked. Odd days. Please be in prayer for my little neighbor and her grandma who's in hospital. THANKS!! Have a safe trip home, Phil!
*(delta dawn is a shout out to mama for teaching me to sing this song first and recording it when I was about 2)



This one is just so happy!!

Another Monday

Spending some time with DS while DD sleeps in. This looks like a great game. We can't wait for it to come out. I especially like the part in the trailer where Captain America stops the helicopter. Purr.
Maybe more later.
Hope everyone has a great week!!
-Rose

Thanks, Stan Lee

Image of Stan Lee courtesy of marvel.com

Since the comics have done away with the letters to the editor page, I'll use this space to send my thanks.
Thank you Stan Lee for all you contributed to comics over the years. thanks for keeping them interesting and fun. Thanks for coming up with original, entertaining bad-guys instead of taking the lazy way of making Christians the villains. Thanks for always taking time for your fans. And thanks most of all for capturing the essence of America in a time when she was beautiful.
***
Homemade apple juice is soooo much better than store-bought. mmm,mmm! And my neighbor told me to help myself to the apples on his tree. Thanks, Terry!
The site is being weird today, so I'm going to go. Holy Convocation starts at sundown. Feast of Trumpets, I think. I'd better look it up. DD is wanting to do it right (I hope she doesn't want us to set up a tent in the yard for Tabernacles... if so, I'll have to borrow one- ours got stolen. )
Au Revoir!!
AND 1st day of school was GREAT!! I'll post about it after the pics are uploaded and the computer isn't being so odd.
ttfn!
-Rose

Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree

I figured I'd post it as it's been going thru my head all apple season. My gramma used to sing it (Gramma Buddy) and I never forgot it. She used to be a USO girl- that's how she met my grampa in WWII. Coffee and doughnuts for our boys in blue. And even better, it's a Glenn Miller song. If you've not watched Jimmy Stewart's Glenn Miller Story (a movie) you oughtta. It's wonderful. Even my modern day teens really liked it. There was just something about that time. I wouldn't mind it if we recycled the 40s- but it's like the decades since Israel's founding just keep on in an endless loop. Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting annoyed that the late 60s and 70s seem to have the most facetime. ;-) Ah, the theories one comes up with when the sun has beat on one's head for hours in a bean patch.
*
Well, I'm going to check on the spaghetti. I decided to try to can the juice after lunch. Wish me luck!!
-Rose

Happy Labor Day

Image courtesy of Yahoo! Images

One good thing about having to wake up early to take care of puppies is getting to see the mass of Morning Glories that are on the bank in front of the house. Mine are prettier than this- they're all colours. I just need to locate my camera and get a few pics of them.
*
For folks who have hair that is neither curly nor straight and has the annoying habit of frizzing all over the place in anything over 2% humidity: try Aussie haircare products. They're the only thing I've found that can withstand the weather, and they smell good, too. I use their Repair shampoo, the spray on, leave in conditioner and the Sprunch Spray. Also, the bottles are a really pretty purple... ;-)
*
What's wrong with me? I am finding that I actually like Mondays! I'm worried. I've been a Monday hater my whole life. Now all of the sudden, I find myself getting up early and liking it. Looking forward to the massive amount of work there is to do... I must be coming down with something. Yep. (((shudder))))
*
Please pray for the salvation of my neighbor and her boyfriend and that God will use us to be a light and a blessing where He has put us. Also, please pray for the girl's grandparents who are having extreme health problems. Thanks!!
*
What's GREAT about having a garden is that you can share food with those in need even if you've not got a penny to your name. God is sooooo good!!
*
Well, school starts tomorrow. I still do not know which park or trail we're going to hit for our first field trip... but it's a tradition with us to do a nature-y type thing on the first day. There's a place called Carter's Park someplace nearby that supposedly has a lot of ducks. I'll have to get better directions and maybe that's where we'll go. I'm looking forward to all of it- even the additional craziness of trying to fit in hours of bookwork to an already jam-packed learning schedule. And we SO had agriculture class this summer. PHEW.
*
The homemade apple juice is coming along messily, but well. I'm still freezing everything. I reckon it's because Mum blew up a pressure cooker when I was a kid that I'm soooo leery about using my pressure canner. But juice can be done in an open bath one- unfortunately, my open bath canner is what I'm cooking my apples down in... Well, there's still room in the freezer... but I may try to can it anyway. Got to go foraging again. I bet that crab apples would make some good candy and the juice is a such a lovely colour.
*
I know this is all disjointed and non-poetic, but the dogs are being really loud and distracting. I guess I'd better get back to work. I hope everyone has a GREAT holiday and especially Mum. God bless!!!
-Rose

Beautiful September

Yes, I know, this is more like beautiful December- but I haven't uploaded any pictures recently... and I just like the snow. ;-)
*
So, I am taking a small break after putting up 4 gallons of apple juice concentrate and before I start on the tomato puree.
Thanks to my neighbor for the wonderful hand-me-downs! The best smelling sunscreen face lotion I have ever used: Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Sun Damage. It makes your face feel soft and smell like antique roses all day long. Mmmm- nothing like the usual sunscreen smell and it doesn't seem to make one's face feel sweaty like the others do, either. Also, thanks to my sister-in-law for the lovely stuff she brought on her last visit. Y'all are precious!
*
Well, the puppy I mentioned in a previous post is gone. She didn't come back this time. (...) Although, this time it would seem like she got herself loose and just took off- around here one can't be too sure. And when DS tried to put our Black and Tan in the kennel for safe keeping (she tends to get "borrowed" during hunting season), our chow decided she was the Alpha of the kennel and didn't want anyone else besides her adopted German Shepherd pup in there. Poor son! He had one on a leash and one by the collar as the fight was on and the pup took off for the brush pile. I dashed out there with my trusty wooden spoon (ask mom) to help and hey, Ma- it works on dogs, too! ;-) Nobody got hurt and the Black and Tan especially acted like she thought it was fun! DS felt like his hand twisted nearly off and his other arm was out of socket- but neither dog hurt him, or even tried to even though they were making an infernal racket that would have made good sound effects for a horror movie. So after catching the pup, who also thought it was fun, we put our drool covered B&T back to her usual post. She was a rescued dog who'd spent her life in a tight kennel with lots of other hounds, so she's not really keen on kennels anyway- it's like she feels like she's retired now and has earned the right to her own space. Maybe DH can build her a kennel that can be padlocked by the time hunting season gets in full swing- if not, I reckon she'll be spending her nights in the mudroom/basement with the cats.
*
Well, my boisterous inside pups have decided to bark the house down- how dare I be up and blogging while they languish in their kennel! Sometimes...
AND is it humanly possible to keep up on all the yard work/garden/fruit tree work and the housework??? I seem to remember mom's lovely clean house, but I don't remember her doing much in the yard. I think it's an either-or kind of thing. But, I'm trying. DH I think is going to ban me from the garden if I don't start making sure the house is better. Note to self: give the puppies ONLY toys they CANNOT shred. That'll be a big help. And: learn to delegate responsibility. I think it can be done, it's just a matter of balancing things just-so. At least the living room looks great right now. But then, the pups haven't been in there wreaking havoc yet today either.
*
School starts next week for us. I'd be more excited if I could do back-to-school shopping. That seems to make it a happier thing- new art pads, pencils & pens, (we have all our books- but, hey- what's a few more??), a few outfits, new music and or instruments....ahh. I know it'll happen when God provides it and it's always so much fun- makes it feel like it's really started. I think the old school year for agricultural districts used to be November thru March- and living here, I can see why! You need every hand ya got when you have harvesting or planting to get in and critters to tend.
*
Well, I reckon I'd really better scoot. I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys the wonderful breezes the storms off the coast seem to be stirring up. Mmmm, September. God bless y'all!

-Rose

vid for mum

this vid is for my Mum and my sister-in-law. Please pray for them both as they give and give of themselves until they are both plumb give out. Just listen to the words, Mum. I love you!! Please be okay.
-Rose

another one

One of the most beautiful songs ever and it seems to really capture the feel of our mountains:


this one's for my Irish-American friend as we discuss this kind of stuff lots :



here's the Welsh National Anthem- it's just lovely. I hope you enjoy it!

Oh, well...

Back to the search. DH, having spent quite a bit of time in Poland, says that we do not look Polish.
*
I'm still listening to Christmas carols on YouTube- oh, how I love Sabbath! Right now I'm listening to Russian ones. They're lovely. I love the ones from the Middle Ages British Isles, the French ones are just LOVELY, and the most of the Polish ones are just so joyful. And still printing chorded music for my guitar.
*
Yesterday evening, we cut down the apple tree (before sundown by a couple of hours) that was right next to the house (dumb place for a fruit tree). I hated to see it go, but rats, man! So we have kaboodles of apples to process into juice come Monday. I'm out of ziplok bags, so I'm praying I'll get the canning part right. We worked our behinds off getting the tree out of the road and the brush to the pile, the apples gathered, and the burnable wood in a separate stack. We ran out of daylight before it was all finished, but most of it got done. And boy, did we all sleep good! It was so great working together on a project like that.
*
well, I'm off again. Time to get some food on and do devotion with the kids. I hope we can get all the dogs a good walk in after it cools down a bit. :-) Happy day!
-Rose

Sabbath Musings

this is a Polish lady singing the traditional Polish Christmas song Infant Holy, Infant Lowly.
I LOVE IT!! I hope you can view it. And I think I found what nationality we look like here- the bone structure, shape of face, and even teeth match up with our visages. Interesting. (believe me, I have looked to see which ancestral strain shows up in us as we look not like our cousins much nor like any of the ancestral lineages around here.) Weird things I ponder in my off time, hu?

Also, for any aspiring guitar players, http://gospelmusic.org.uk is wonderful!! they have carols, too.
Have a great day- I may be back later, but for now I'm getting chords and looking up cheat codes for DS' games.
-Rose

To Whomever Dognapped my Puppy

Whoever you are- to dognap someone's puppy is WRONG. To torture said dog is wrong-er. I hope three things for you-
1. that you get struck by lightning (or some other electrical malfunction gives you the likes thereof)
2. that all the river rats in this section of the county find their way to your house
3. that you'll wise up and get your heart right with God- because I'd hate to think the eternal torment that awaits people who torture puppies.

That said, she found her way back home and is severely traumatized and is acting like she has brain damage... I DO NOT understand how anyone can go into someone else's yard and steal a puppy for heaven sake and to hurt it intentionally- what kind of meanness is that?

Skunks I can deal with, but the rats have got to go. Big, icky rats that don't even care if you shoot at them- they keep munching away on apples- it's just creepy. And unsanitary. And I really do hope they go over to the dognapper's house. He or she is unlikely to have any living cats around to keep them at bay- muwahahaahaa. Well, my inside puppies are whining (again) to go out. And now my DS is whining, too- I reckon I'd best get off this computer and get some supper on.

My last post cut off because my computer crashed- harddrive finally went kaputs. We're all better now, though. I hope everyone is well and has a safe, lovely weekend!
ttfn
Rose

Oh. GREAT.

Mmmhmm. Just L-O-V-E-L-Y. Since school is starting early this year, I reckon the back to school bugs figured they would, too. Yep, the jolly-good stomach flu has arrived in SWVA with all those happy returning vacationers. Thing is, my kids are homeschooled- so I guess that's my answer to those who say it's not real school. We get all the back-to-school viruses, so we must be a real school. That is if I can go out in public during the next week... I usually self-quarantine until I'm better. I think it'd be the worst sort of rude to spread this kind of joy around the community.
And, drat it all- I don't time for the flu during this point in the garden season! Too much to do.
Oh, this one starts out with thrush like symptoms (aka/ thrash- that weird tongue coating, burning thing that lets you know your good bacteria has been killed off by antibiotic or virus). Then moves on to the easily fatigued stage with profuse sweating; then the hit-by-a-truck phase, which lasts all the way through both the congested, anxiety attack phase and the sleep for 24 hours straight phase. Then the fun with the tummy begins. I put this on here just to:
a. let you know what joys to expect with school this year
b. say UN-thanks for whoever brought it back home from vacation with them!
Oh, and it makes your head really muzzy- attention span drops, grouchiness comes in waves, fever makes your pillow nasty, and spelling/typing skills drop off.
According to DH, the tummy part lasts for about 4 days. FOUR DAYS! I do NOT have four days to waste- all the bloomin' harvest is coming in! (See, we just thought he was sick because of a procedure he'd had done recently- but it was this.) Thanks dear, for that wonderful kiss you gave me...>:-(

Anyway, today would have been a perfect gardening day. Overcast and cool for a change. And the carrots, radishes, and lettuce are all coming up nicely :-) I love the garden. It's honest.
OH! And soooo cool! We have very alkalai soil here, so we have all sorts of poisonous plants that thrive here (makes for accurate mystery writing). Well, this year a lovely vine started showing up all over the yard. It covers 1/2 of my "natural habitat" that we call the burn pile, but never burn b/c there are too many critters that live there. It has tried to take over my hostas as well as my wood shed. It has beautifully shaped leaves, little purple flowers with yellow stamen things, and these bright, shiny red berries. I knew it wasn't Virginia Creeper, and told the kids it was probably poisonous. Well, after some searching (plant identification on the internet is a lengthy process) we finally found pictures. SO COOL- it's deadly nightshade! I want to get a sample of it and preserve it since it's so pretty. I wonder if it was the long, cold winter that brought it out this ye

Hmph! Banned from the Garden!

So, it's 5:41 and DH has banned me from the garden. I tried to be verrrry careful & pace myself- 20-30 minutes out, 20-30 minutes in- with liquids (mostly coffee. well..). But, the last go 'round apparently the sun was too intense and when DH came home 10 minutes into my break, he got all worried about heatstroke and hospital bills. Now I have to wait until he thinks it's cool enough (which won't happen 'till after dark, I'm sure.) Well, I'll maybe plant that stupid row I hoed by flashlight!
So, today went in: lettuce, greens, parsnips, turnips, onions (white and yellow), lentils, radishes, and carrots. Not too bad! Thanks, God for helping me!!
*
A lovely breeze is coming in... maybe if I finish chugging the Gatorade he got me, my face will go back to its normal milky white instead of redder than my hair. Just call me The Zombie Gardener! ....eerrg...must garden....must garden...unngh...
*
ok trying to insert a pic... will it show up here or at the top??? NOPE. I dunno how Lori does it! Put the pics in 1st, then put the words? hmph. Well, I reckon I can kick DS off of the PS3 and play Morrowind for awhile (Elder Scrolls IV). I still want to make a T-Shirt that says, "I'd Rather be in Cyrodiil". ;-)
*
And the comment about my weight was simply NOT HELPFUL! What does my weight have to do with tsunamis on the sun? Super nasty, melty solar flares? Hmmm? Piffle! Nada, that's what. DS is skinny as a rail and it was messin' with him, too!
*
I guess I'd better get to closing up those durned Oblivion Gates now... heheheh...
*
ttfn- Rose

Sabatoge by an Anti-Broccoli Crusader!

How could they do it to me?? I was only going to plant the stuff for health reasons! I get almost an entire row planted of what I thought was broccoli and lo and behold, it turns out to be GREENS! Both bags of broccoli seeds had been sabotaged- no broccoli seeds to be found anywhere! DS insists that if he'd done it, he'd have replaced it with something less nasty than greens- which are in his book nearly as bad as the B-word. Who could have done such a thing? Has my cousin hired a Leprechaun to sabotage my fall crop?
we may never know, but as last year, this year it looks like there's going to be NO BROCCOLI!

ADS!!!

:-( "I do not like it Sam-I-Am!"
Somehow I have ended up with giant ads in between my posts and I can't figure out how to get them off of here! It's not the adsense thing, either. So, if there's an icky ad with some bozo's face on it, it was not my idea! Hopefully, I'll be able to remove them. Well, it's back to work. :-)
ttfn.

Mornings, Ick.

Have I ever mentioned that I despise mornings? I really think I am allergic to them. Thanks to my brilliance on having house dogs, I now get to enjoy each morning on about three hours sleep. If I'm lucky, which isn't most mornings, I can go back to the recliner in the air conditioning and grab a little more rest before my day begins. However, on some mornings- like today- there's no going back. BUT, before I get started on the mountain of tasks that is before me today, I decided I'm going to actually sit down and enjoy my cup of coffee.
*
Kitchen window sills... they are like an ever changing collage of interesting stuff. This was my sill in March. Amazingly, that scraggly basil is still holding on. That's all that is the same except for that odd jar of spent matches. I reckon I ought to get rid of those since we won't be having a fire in the fireplace as the birds have totally wrecked the chimney. Now I have a cool old glass bottle I found in the garden, a couple of pretty/interesting rocks, a struggling aloe plant in a cracked teacup, a viney plant that I couldn't name for the life of me, and another pretty, yet broken, teacup.
I notice that when I go to folks' houses the window above the kitchen sink is usually filled with happy stuff. Maybe we do that to make the dishes more enjoyable, although I've noticed that most people with dishwashers do the same thing. Here, it's one of two windows that the cats avoid. I wonder if I'd have all the sills occupied if the cats could be trusted...
*
And yea, I'm letting the kids sleep in. We've got a list of chores as long as my arm and I figure they'll need their rest. And no, I didn't plant that broccoli yesterday.
*
You know, if we had at least one hospitable river bank around here, I'd be so happy. All of them are steep rocks or cut-off banks or tangled brush. It'd be nice to have a decent wading spot or at least someplace one could dip his or her feet in without worrying about snakes, poison oak, or spiders climbing up one's trousers' leg. As it is, the rivers are so pretty to look at and to put amazing amounts of humidity in the air, but not so much on the getting in. :-)
*
And woo-hoo! we got all the dogs really long walks in last night while DH was out on a 'preacher call'- he gets quite a few of those. People don't care if he's currently got a preaching position or not. When trouble hits, they call him- and I think it's wonderful. He's good in a crisis and has a strong, steady presence- comforting- and a very down-to-earth way about him that has endeared him to a lot of folks. I love it that God will use whom God will use, regardless who people think He ought to be using. It is one of the things He has done with our family since moving us to this side of the county.
*
And my FIL is doing some better, thanks all who have been praying for him and my MIL.
*
Ok, well, this cup of coffee is about gone and I need to get the rest of the dogs fed and watered. And get up the apples, and the corn, and finish the laundry, and put the dishes up, and ... well, you get the picture. I just wish it wasn't so all-fired hot! Have a great day, everyone!!
Rose

Dog Days in More ways than One!

As I brush the fur from my keyboard, I am reminded that I was the one who brought all these fun, fun mutts home! So, now we have 6 dogs, 2 cats, and a few low-maintenance fish. :-) And I wanted to add chickens to the lot! What was i thinking??!! I reckon it wouldn't be so bad if there weren't two of them being potty trained at once (the smallest two have been decided to be housedogs). And what with the garden being in full swing, and a dh who likes a clean, clean house- life's just gotten really time consuming since June.

So, after it cools a bit, it's time to get out the rest of the dissapointing corn crop and plant some BROCCOLI in its place. Muwahahahaa!!! DS will cringe, but DD needs it for her wee arthritic hands. And it's actually pretty cool to be able to get two sets of crops in one season. My gardening buddy is stuck in the VA Hospital for the next couple of months, so it's all on me- NEED prayers!!! The kids got their first try at gleaning (where gardening bud harvested his taters and left a bunch over for us), and they had a blast. It was nice not being 'one man alone' up there in the garden for a change. DH was watching the puppies for us, so we had a break to work. (insert flat-look here)

Yep, I am SO looking forward to winter. I may actually have time to read before 5 in the AM- and might just get a page or two in before passing out in exhaustion!

Wee lad, Josiah, has aggressive cancer that is inoperable. The injections they want to give him have a 50% chance of killing him, the cancer has a higher chance than that if left alone. He's only 8. PLEASE, PLEASE pray for him and his family.

OK. Time to read Bible with mis ninos. (We do it in English and Spanish for the 1st reading, and evenings it's English and German- call it summer school.)

Hop Hop Hop

Oh, and for family veiwing, non-insulting and super-cool- MERLIN (the TV show done by folks in G Britain and France) it's available for watching instantly thru Netflix. I really think Lori's kids would like it. (even if I am a broccoli traitor).

love, hugs, and kisses!!

God bless y'all!!

Rose

quick sharing post

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=ZprVPKi-W6s

It's a video called "I am Israel" sent to me by my uncle and definitely worth a watch.
God bless Israel.

summertime ramblings

The Hope is a beautiful song (Ha'Tikva)- probably the most stirring national anthem I've ever heard. Don't get me wrong, I love La Marsailles (probably misspelled) and The Star Spangled Banner, too- but there's something hauntingly desperate in this music- a longing that had to be fulfilled and held on to once achieved. YouTube has some good renditions of it if you'd like to hear it. Some with the English and Hebrew words side-by-side.
*
So, our 4 new puppies are growing, in various stages of house training and leash training, and take up a large part of every day. Our neighbors probably think we're crazy walking the dogs at all hours of the night, but it works for us. We've been SO thankful for the cooler weather- June had gotten unbearably hot and humid. Maybe we'll be able to hit the New River Trail again this week.
I think I'm going to have to move the dogs' bath day to Thursdays, though- I don't know what I was thinking doing it on Fridays with so much to do for Sabbath prep. And we're not 7th day adventists, we just try to observe Sabbath because we can't find a single place in the Bible where God changed that. We observe Lord's Day, too; so you can see that Friday's chores are especially busy. Mad? Maybe. But, life's a barrel of laughs as it is without doing even more to annoy God.
*
My DH has had an icksome run of luck these last weeks. Ministrokes, people he's close to dying all over the place, loved ones in the hospital, and unemployment. Please pray for him as he's still in really bad pain all the time to top it all off. And pray for us, too- shoot, I reckon all of us need prayer. I'll pray for you, dear readers, too.
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Friends of Israel- GREAT JOB! Y'all are spot-on with your books about Jewish culture, biographies, and the work you do to support a free Israel. Also, Trinitarian Bible Society- THANK YOU for making the Bible affordable for so many different languages. God bless your endeavors.
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We had a lovely visit with my cousin P. I love it the way that God works with His children. It can be years and years between visits, but there's such a real love and kinship that goes beyond earthly ties that is like cool water to a thirsty soul. I don't do facebook currently, so I hope I can start keeping up with my kith and kin through email. If any of you read this, leave me a comment (I moderate) with your email and I'll get back to you. Personal notes in an email box are rare these days, almost as rare as snail mail. I dunno what's wrong with us. Well, with me, I keep losing the addresses. :-( BUT I have a place for them now thanks to my Aunt J and her lovely card box & the ones that have gone in (3 so far) haven't gotten misplaced. I'm too scatterbrained for my own good.
*
We've been watching the old BBC show Survivors. It's a remarkably good show for the '70s. I got to thinking that I'm not really good at anything useful in a survival-type situation. The kids told me that love was important. That compassion and kindness and care for kids and people would be something that would be just as important as the other stuff. I thought that was sweet of them. I reckon the Marys and the Marthas both have their places in a scenario like that. Oh, and I know how to make paper on a small scale.
We don't really think about it much, how very tech dependent we are. How would we make bread- from scratch- yeast? flour? etc. how would we make the yeast? Do many people have the slightest idea how to make flour out of wheat? Good grief.
*
Well, DH is home from visiting his dad in the hospital. I'd better run now. Have a BLESSED day!!
*
Rose

Oh, update: Bro-in-law is on his way home from hospital.

Trekkings

image courtesy of http://marvel.com/
*
"I'm no more a hero than any man
Who fights for justice and freedom and brotherhood!
So long as we cherish liberty-
so long as the bitter weed of tyranny can never take root upon our shores-
Then all of us are heroes-
And the dream which is America
Will long endure!"
-Captain America
*
And really, in answer to the question, Marvel or DC (those who know comic book geeks know the question) my answer is MARVEL, thanks. I do like some DC titles and especially like the Cartoon Network Justice League cartoon, but Marvel has my vote. "'nuff said".
*
So, as I get poison oak cream all over my desk trying to type in this awkward setup... I'm probably going to pick up more of it today as I go foraging around abandoned homesteads for irises and other flowers. Don't wory, I got permission from my neighbors to go trekking about up in the mountain behind the house (you have to cut thru their yards). And these places haven't been lived in probably in at least 30 years. Eew- this creme is making my desk gooey! >:-p
Yea, when we were out doing driving lessons yesterday, I spied some old irises growing in a ditch that dropped off into a stream & got a few of them- it helps the ones left behind to bloom better- really. Unfortunately, I reckon there was some poison oak that I didn't see to add to what I already had. DH is not going to be happy- he's REALLY allergic to it.
*
And the fried apple pies turned out GREAT! :-) There's only one left & the children are wanting me to make more of them. We did everything the old, slow way (no food processor, etc) and it was a hoot- a very messy hoot. I can't use flour without making an horrible mess, but we all worked together to get it cleaned up. ;-) The other thing we did so as not to have explosions was to puncture the tops of them with a fork before they went into the hot oil. After they drained, they were dredged in cinnamon sugar & YUM!!
*
Well, I reckon I'd best get a move on. The day's a'wastin'.
ttfn
Rose
Oh, one more thing- these verses sound so much like Shakespeare- beautiful!
::
The thing which hath been,
it is that which shall be;
and that which is done
is that which shall be done:
And there is no new thing
under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (you oughtta check out verses 10-11, too- they're kinda relevant to our times.)
God bless y'all!
Rose

Thankful Things

picture of interior of a church in Bavaria

Well, I figured after I was done with college, I'd get better about blogging. Nope. It seems that I developed a strong dislike for anything doing on my computer. I don't think I've checked my email since February.

*

Well, the young'uns and myself are finally about over all the sickness that hit us so hard this past winter. Now we 'rebuild' and try so that things don't take so blamed much out of us. A trip to town plumb wears us out! But, I'm thankful that we can go into town. Galax is an interesting place, so we've been exploring about over there. And man oh man! Woodlawn has such beautiful views- it was a blessing driving all around trying to find a church that was open on Sunday night. We found one way down a back road that had a really pretty creek just behind it.

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The young'uns are getting hungry, so this will have to be quicker than I intended. We went through my comic book collection while we were sick and now the children are making their own comic books and frequenting a shop that carries used comics for a dollar. :-) That has been fun. They both have such an individuality to their style. We'll try to get some of the finished products up on here or on another blog we may be starting just for our fanfiction- I'll let y'all know.

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The new baby green leaves are so whispery tonight- lovely!

Have a blessed day. and remember

Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God-

so Read your Bibles and see what a blessing you might just get. It rather puts so many of the troubles of today in perspective.

ttfn

Rose

Local Folklore

http://www.pantheon.org/areas/folklore/folktales/articles/kanati_and_selu.html

This is a really interesting Indian legend from whereabouts I grew up in NC. Hope you enjoy it. Their whole site is interesting and worth exploring. Kudos to the Encyclopedia Mythica!

ttfn
Rose

The Letter

This lady makes a lot of sense. Thanks to Stella for sending the text to me. So, I wonder if hubris will keep the 'ruling class' from listening. With the American war for Independence, there was a lot of faith in God. The French Revolution, not so much. The grim determination to wipe out faith in this country could seriously backfire on the "let them eat cake" crowd. Take heed, folks and remember the Bolshevik Revolution- those who thought they would rule everybody ended up dead or in Siberia and the people worse off than before. This was never supposed to be- the government was not supposed to be ruling the people here, certainly not oppressing them. You may think that because it has slowly been happening since the 1860s that the people do not realize what is going on- remember what happens when a "sleeping giant" is awoken. There are an awful lot of people here and you may think you have fragmented us beyond any hope of uniting- you may think God does not exist- those two errors, friends will undo you. Look at history- the 'bad guys' without fail think they can outsmart God and look how that has turned out. God help America.
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GLENN BECK: I got a letter from a woman in Arizona . She writes an open letter to our nation's leadership:
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"I am a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me.
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Instead, we are burdened with Congressional Dukes and Duchesses who think they know better than the citizens they are supposed to represent.There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now.You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would feel so horribly disenfranchised by both major political parties.
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What kind of nut-job am I? Well, these briefly are the views and issues for which I seek representation:
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One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels.. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This is not to be confused with legal immigration.
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Two, the STIMULUS bill. I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you No, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed.. Freeze, repeal.
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Three: Czars. I want the circumvention of our constitutional checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution, and honor it.
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Four, cap and trade.. The debate on global warming is not over. There are many conflicting opinions and it is too soon for this radical legislation. Quit throwing our nation into politically-correct quicksand.
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Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision that will burden me, my children, and grandchildren. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night without even reading it. Slow down! Fix only what is broken -- we have the best health care system in the world -- and test any new program in one or two states first.
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Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. More is not better! Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real [Constitutional] obligations. Why don't you start there.
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Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes -- how did they pull that one off? Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with any of our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.
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Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs -- and that is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person! Why do you want me to hate my employers? And what do you have against shareholders making a profit?
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Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.
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Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Every company must sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. (Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid?) We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.
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Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk.. Please stop trying to manipulate and appease me with clever wording.. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.
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Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.Take a breath. Listen to the people. Slow down and get some input from nonpoliticians and experts on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed-reading our bills into law.
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I am not an activist.. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent.. I work. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.
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I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not.It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot.
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There is needless urgency and recklessness in all of your recent spending of our tax dollars.From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on bringing our concerns to Washington .
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Our president often knows all the right buzzwords like unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words.. Stop treating us like we're morons.We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done.
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You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented.. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work, pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone... and we are now looking at you.You have awakened us, the patriotic freedom spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you.
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For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office.We have canceled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us who will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution. Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this.. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution, and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them.. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you.If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming."

Happy Saint Valentine's Day

I love that picture! I loved that tree, too- and these were my favorite people in the world growing up- my brothers and my cousins (Mom's not in this pic, sadly). There's a swimming pool and a high fence where this used to be. :-( We used to love playing in all the backyards- it was mostly older people on our street back then and it seemed to us that we had a whole world in those back yards. Rick's in the top branch, Ted and Jamie are on the lower one, Timmy is on the swing, and Jake is standing by the trunk. I'm in the middle. Thanks to whichever of you put this on Facebook- I don't have a copy of it (Mum... if there are any, please copy them for me!)
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Happy Saint Valentines Day!! And for those of you who observe Lent, I'm pretty sure it starts on Wednesday. :-)
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I'm having my DH build me a Tardis where it can be seen from the road- I may use it as the entryway for my greenhouse (he says he's determined to build me one dear old thing!). It'll be GREAT! And some will wonder and some will KNOW... heehee
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I'm with Aunt Judi, I don't know that the older version of Emma could be improved upon- they did such a great job with it and the characters were portrayed so well. Cranford was so good. BBCAmerica's shop has Return to Cranford and the final 10th Doctor specials, too. Unfortunately there has been a run on the action figures- the main thing my DD wanted for her birthday- they're really hard to find (not sold out) for sale in America. I think that if we can get so much of everything from China, we ought to be able to get stuff from the British Isles without all the fuss. But, that's just me- I'd rather have things that were made here, in the British Isles, or even Europe- free places- and the duties ought to be just as cheap as they are for China.
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And I will not even go into all the conspiracy theories concerning the government and the power companies. All I can say is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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And totally oops on the fact that there are supposed to be no parties during Lent. I would have scheduled them all earlier- if I could! But, we don't exactly do the reveling thing, so it should be okay. And big, duh moment on me. Week of unleavened bread and Passover coming up and what do I do but buy a big pack of yeast for my bread machine. I reckon I'll ask Mum to keep it for me till it's all over- that and anything else that has yeast in it- food prices are to high just to chuck it all out. We've got till the end of March, but I just don't see making that much bread between now and then. And folks- up close, yeast is truly weird. It looks creepy and slightly sinister. I may be prejudiced since I've had a few Lucy Ricardo experiences with it, but one expects to hear whispery laughter when you open the jar.
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Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly.
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So, the snow has been so beautiful. It's been wonderful to have a real winter again. The fog line on the higher mountains was magical looking- all frosted when the fog lifted- and in a lovely pattern that looked like waves from the sea. (sigh of contentment).
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Again, I must say- Thank God I'm out of college!
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Well, I reckon I'd better get on with supper soon. The natives are getting restless.
Yummy recipe (all approximates)

Crush up Nutter Butter cookies and smash down in bottom of pan with melted butter(just enough to lightly coat them)
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Melt semi-sweet chocolate with a little butter (just a smidge) and some evaporated milk and pour it on top (it should be consistency thick, so it dries crunchy)
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Blend peanut butter and cream cheese and spread on top of that (I used one package of cream cheese for a layer that was about 1/5" thick)
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Spread a layer of cool whip, fairly thick
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In blender, put Jello instant pudding 1 box chocolate, one vanilla and its regular amount of milk
and pour on top
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put in refridgerator and let set- serve cold
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That was DS's birthday 'cake'. DH wouldn't try it, but the young'uns and myself thought it was wonderful!
ttfn
Rose

Happy Days are Here Again

Great, great movie from 1961. Netflix has it & also for instant viewing over the Web. It's worth a look.

BBC's Emma (Jane Austen) from 1972 was really good, too. Who else could keep kids interested in the classics like the BBC?

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Interesting thing happened on a hike the other day near Poplar Camp, Virginia. My daughter and myself stumbled across a really, really old American Chestnut tree. Yep, the kind that mostly all perished in a blight many moons ago. But, here was this one standing proud next to the ruins of an old cabin on a mountain trail seldom used by any save the deer. Beautiful!!

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The kids had their fun building snow forts and playing the battle of Ithillian. I'd have been out there, but we're shy one pair of coveralls. So, I videoed them out the back door and made spaghetti for when they thawed out. They had a blast and are hoping we'll be able to figure something out so we can all 3 have a moonlight snowball war. :-) I'll try to let y'all know how that turns out.

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I spent last evening watching Emma with the kids and cutting up quilt squares. Not stressing over homework, just enjoying being a homemaker. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift(s)!!!

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I wonder if Saladin and King Richard were both Masons. It would make more sense if they were- their attitudes and actions toward eachother, etc. I reckon the way I see the Masons is like the Boy Scouts, all grown up and really, really old (as in the group itself). Now, all the cult-under-every-bush types, please, let me have my little illusions. It helps my prayer life and my joyometer. :-) At least they're not wastoids like some of the "brotherhoods"- not around here anyways.

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DH is watching a western with really annoying music. It seems I will be going outside soon after all. He has to have the volume cranked, poor old thing. ;-p And it's getting on my nerves!!!

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So, ttfn. Hope it won't be too long 'till our next little chat. Now, I'm off to help the Gondorians win their city back!

God Bless!!

Rose

My Aunt- It's a Wonderful Life

Well, now. I thought I'd share something really amazing. My sister-in-law was homeschooled because of my Aunt J in KY years before she ever met my family. How does this happen???
I visited my aunt when I was 14. I decided that if God ever let the doctors be wrong, I'd homeschool any children I might have. From that day, I never stopped telling parents about that option- I didn't want any more kids going through what I did.
Well, I had a child. I was still lost, but talked to a girl who had two daughters. She was a Christian and was thinking about sending them to Christian school, but was still debating about public school. I talked to her about my Aunt and how much different her kids had it than we did growing up (this girl had a similar life experience to my own). Well, this girl was friends with my sister-in-law's mum. My sister-in-law then being in about the second grade. She was having a terrible time in school and my friend told her mum what I had passed on about my aunt's homeschool experience. So, my sister-in-law was homeschooled and had a wonderful educational experience from that time on. And I know of at least a half a dozen other families in NC alone that homeschool as a result of my aunt's perseverance and pioneering in that field.
There is no telling how many lives my aunt touched by her example. I think it is just amazing how God will use whom He will use to help His people and those who are seeking His face. And had my sister-in-law not been homeschooled, she may never have met or married my brother. Interesting tapestries that our Father weaves.
So, thank you so much Aunt J! You are amazing and this world would not be the same without you.
Well, now back to my icky college work. blech. I am soooo burned out on school. God bless all those who seek Him.
Rose

The House of Tweets, Twangs, and Squeeks

Image by Harnett courtesy of ARC Online

Well, I'm back after a looonnngg hiatus from my computer. Just flying thru really. I've got to finish fixing a few things before my brother and his dear wife come up. My youngest son is playing Be Thou My Vision on his harmonica. Taking FlyLady's theory of "You can do anything for 15 minutes", we've actually been able to get a lot of music practice in lately. It didn't work out so well when we were all practicing at once, even if it was in different rooms- thus the House of Tweets, Twangs, and Squeeks ;-) But, we stagger it and it's just fine. My daughter is doing very well with the Viola (and THANKS to God for all of this!!) and she says I'm progressing on the piano pretty well. We've all got a long way to go, but it's fun. She's doing great on the piano and I'm still mediocre on the guitar and flutes; the clarinet I'm afraid really is too bent up on its metal parts to do more than call moose, which sadly we do not have in this part of the country.
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Really, please pray for the North Korean Christians. They're in horible conditions and WND had human rights reports that said they were being used as test subjects for biowarfare. NOT cool. What century are we in?? How is it remotely acceptable to do things like this?
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Well, the gang's all here. I've got to dash.
ttfn
Rose