Amey's Blog

Check it out

2009-03-03T21:29:00.001-05:00

I'm starting over with a fresh new blog at CapriCorner. No fuss, no frills. Just family, farm, and food. It'll be fun. Come on over!

Fun with ice

2008-12-11T17:57:00.001-05:00

Us, having fun throwing ice chunks across the frozen pond to see how far they slide - a surprisingly addictive game. So long as you're wearing thick gloves.

Depression-era color photos

2008-11-29T20:20:00.003-05:00

I really enjoyed looking at these pictures. They are the oldest pictures in color that I have ever seen. If you are a history buff or if you are just really old, you might enjoy having a look. They are from the 1930's (depression-era) just after color film had been introduced. It cost half a week's wages to buy just one roll of this new film back then, according to this webpage.

It's that time of year again - colds and flu

2008-11-26T23:02:00.006-05:00

Last winter a high percentage of children's cold medicines were taken off the market or restricted for use only in older children. Here's an article on garlic which tells a few of the things I try when I or my children have a cold before I resort to cold medicines: "Garlic, Again". We also take some immune booster, which I make with this herb mix and vodka. I steep the herbs in the vodka for several weeks, strain it, then it's ready to go. For children, I add boiling water to evaporate the alcohol then add some raw honey. Add a little lemon juice to that mix for coughs. This is best when we can catch a virus right when it first starts to make itself known. The moment we start to feel like we're coming down with "something". After you've been sick already for a day or two it is not quite so effective.

And here's the best recipe for avoiding seasonal colds and flu:
1. No sugar
2. Raw milk
3. Cod liver oil

Based on my experience, this works. "No sugar" is easier said than done I know, but it's really worth the trouble if you can manage it. A little raw honey or pure maple syrup now and then doesn't seem to hurt, though. Best wishes for a healthful winter! And happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Snippets from my life

2008-11-20T06:14:00.004-05:00

My husband and I took the family to see Wall-E last weekend. We're a little late, considering it's been out since about what, June? But that's just par for the course for us. It is a great movie. I really thought it was well-done. But ouch. Quite a slam against consumerism. It calls to mind Dana Carvey as George Bush the First on Saturday Night Live in the early 90's when the nation hit an economic downturn. He told us we should "continue to do what Americans do best. We consume." Then he proceeded to turn the broadcast into The Shopping Show. I have read movie reviews that say that Wall-E is anti-conservative and environmentalist, but I saw it as simply anti-consumerist, which is about as conservative as you can get, so I don't know what those reviewers were thinking.

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Did you know that turkeys can roost really really high? Now that the weather has turned cold, I put my beloved red bourban turkeys in the pole barn for some shelter. At night, they are roosting in the rafters - a good 15-20 feet off the ground. A skunk got one of them a couple of weeks ago and had it for supper. At least, I think it was a skunk. Or it could have been a fox (saw one a couple nights ago), and the skunk was just scavenging.

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In related news, my birthday was a couple weeks ago. My husband is so thoughtful, he took me skunk hunting on my birthday. He always knows just what I want. I can't tell you how that turned out or he'll get mad at me. Just wanted to let you know how wonderful he is.

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I could smell a mutiny brewing, so you should know I am no longer the family carb Nazi. When the husband begs for hamburger buns and the kids ask for lasagna with garlic bread for their birthdays, that is when you know surrender is near. No more carb Nazi. Now I'm the egg Nazi.

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So I've started making buttermilk biscuits for them. They seem to really like that. Don't tell anyone, but the secret ingredient is lard. I've made biscuits before, and they always turned out truly awful. Now that I use lard, they are great! It's also good to fry potatoes in. I've heard it's super in pie crusts, but I haven't tried that yet. (Sorry for the commercial.) Lard is probably only bad for your health because you're having a heart attack right now reading about me liking lard. But our family is doing just fine. We're not dead (yet). My kids aren't any fatter or sassier than they were before. They still literally climb the walls and break my eardrums when saying "goodbye" to guests driving out the driveway. No changes there.

A great link

2008-11-18T18:40:00.001-05:00

I love "this".

This is a classic

2008-11-12T21:44:00.001-05:00

Since I figured out that widget thing (whatever it is), here's another one of my favorite songs.

A Cryptic Post

2008-11-07T15:10:00.001-05:00

To the person I'm posting this for: you know who you are. To everyone else: have fun speculating exactly what this post is supposed to mean.

Can we "keep our republic"?

2008-11-06T10:59:00.003-05:00

More political commentary here...

Just as a sidenote, I know my political thoughts may be stressful to some who might disagree, but I know what I think is not "mainstream", so feel free to disagree. I'm not writing to compel people to agree with me. So, whatever. I'm just saying. So don't get mad at me, ok?

I told you so. I mentioned earlier in the year that if we elected a dud in the primary, the Republicans would be toast. Not that I denigrate John McCain's honourable service to his country, but he is really not a political maverick. He's not conservative, and his economic solutions are more of what got us into this mess in the first place. I'm not upset he lost. I am disappointed to be getting a socialist president (not to mention one who doesn't seem to think babies are all that important) but maybe this will be the kick in the pants that Republicans need to get their act together.

Now let me tell you what I really think. The political system in this country is destined to slide into tyranny as things stand today. We would be much better off with the same system our Founding Fathers first conceived, but since we are no longer a people whose lives are based on absolute truth and morality, our government based on the Constitution can't last. Here are a few quotes I found from John Adams:

"The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure, than they have it now, they may change their Rulers and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty."

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

It's disappointing that our liberties are disappearing. But let's keep reminding each other that this world is not our permanent home, and God is still in control. He is the One who holds the sparrow, and He will certainly take care of His people. I'll remind you, and you remind me, ok?

Wendell Berry, and Election complaints

2008-10-30T09:42:00.004-04:00

Just popping in the post a link to an article by Rod Dreher of the Dallas News (also author of a great book, Crunchy Cons). Mr. Dreher says this article could be titled Wendell Berry 101. I really like Wendell Berry, so that's why I'm posting this link.

And now, allow me to complain about this stupid presidential election. What a waste of time, money and energy. Do you realize our nation has been in campaign mode for almost two years? I'm sick of the whole thing, so here is what I propose:

1. Let's have candidates announce their candidacy no sooner than August 1 of election year. Earlier announcements will disqualify the candidate.
2. Candidates may not shirk the duties of their current job while campaigning. Weekend campaigning only.
3. Primaries for all states will be on the same day, sometime at the beginning of September.
4. No party conventions allowed.
5. One debate will be held between the candidates from each party, not just the top two parties. This debate will be moderated by Joe the Plumber or someone chosen randomly from the phonebook, and shall occur no earlier than the beginning of October.
6. CNN shall suspend all operations from August through November.
7. Candidates shall fill out a form answering specific questions so people will know where they stand on specific issues. This will be on paper, not on video, in order to cut down on evasive responses and soundbite/applause-oriented one-liners. The results of this survey shall be published widely in newspapers, on the internet, and in fliers to be made available at each county's board of elections.

OK, how much money would this save? How much time? If the time and money could be devoted to noble causes, what could be accomplished? I suspect we would all be surprised. Thank you, I feel much better now.

Farm Pics

2008-07-23T22:52:00.009-04:00

Here are a few pictures I took tonight right before chores.

Here are my beloved Red Bourbon turkeys. I started out with twelve this spring, but 12-3=9. The local hawks claimed three about a month ago. I was spittin' mad.

Something new I learned this summer: we have lots of wild yarrow growing around the ol' homestead. Now I won't have to buy it. Yarrow is an immune system booster, and sometimes I use it to make a tincture. The yarrow flowers look a lot like queen anne's lace, but yarrow leaves are more fern-like.

Here's "Buttercup". Notice she has the neck of a linebacker. Right after she was born, I was able to pick her up to move her. Not no mo'. She's huge. I think we should call her "Patty" (...as in...Hamburger Patty).

I finally set up a trellis for my pole beans. I like to grow pole beans. It's fun growing vertically. Nice change of pace. Behind the beans are some tomatoes. Both beans and tomatoes I didn't get out until mid-June, which is late. A lot of gardeners around here already have beans and tomatoes ready to eat. It will take mine several more weeks, I think. But I do have garlic, which I'll be digging up probably in the next week.

This is a picture of one of our "natural" ducklings. We have two. They are the first birds we have been able to breed ourselves without having to go through a hatchery. Cool. Except we decided this spring not to "do" ducks anymore. Not sure when we'll get rid of the ducks, but it's still fun having ducklings nonetheless.

Thanks for stopping by to visit. Blessings!

Hymn of the Month

2008-07-22T22:17:00.002-04:00

In the Sweet By and By
Sanford F. Bennett
Joseph P. Webster

1 There's a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar,
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.

Chorus:
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

2 We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blest;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more -
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

3 To our bountiful Father above
We will offer our tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of His love
And the blessings that hallow our days.

Hymn of the Month

2008-06-26T23:52:00.002-04:00

I Need Thee Every Hour

Annie S. Hawks
Robert Lowry

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

Refrain

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

Refrain

In a Bloggin' Mood

2008-06-26T22:52:00.005-04:00

Baseball is now over. Boo! Yay! It was a long weekend last week with tournaments. It seemed we spent all our time at the ball field. Actually, we probably did spend all our time there. We played a total of 4 games, 2 of which were postponed one day, and re-scheduled the next. So it was really like 6 games. Since we haven't had any practice this week I am revelling in all this new-found time. Every evening I get a little bit more caught up on dishes and laundry. I'm not there yet, but maybe sometime in the next week, I hope. Woohoo.

We have a varmint picking off our chickens one by one. (*gory details ahead - go to the next paragraph if you DON'T WANT TO KNOW*) Some skinny creature has been breaking into the barn and biting the heads off our chickens. Sometimes he (she?) bites all the way through; other times, the head is just left dangling. Not a pretty picture, I know. We think it is a weasel or another mink. A while back we had the same thing happen and it was a mink. Now, as my husband says, it is an ex-mink.

It was a long, long spring with our cow, Ruby. We were first-time cow-milkers, she was a first-time cow milk-ee. She kicked. We kicked back. She developed mastitis, we stayed up half the night doing things to a cow we never dreamed we would ever do. Now I'm going to be honest with you. We've been getting farmier by the day over the last 3-4 years, but this experience was the first time we ever thought to ourselves, "This is just too much. Where do we go to resign?" We were also thinking, "I wonder how a humungous miniature jersey would taste as hamburger?" OK, we're just as human as anyone else. It was TOO MUCH. But we stuck with it. My thought was, maybe the worst is behind us, and we would be fools to give up now. So, we still have Ruby and "Buttercup" (a.k.a. T-Bone). They're both quite healthy now. But I'm not milking Ruby, either. That's because once we got her better, the calf started taking all the milk. That was fine with me, too, I needed all the time I could get for other things. This is a drama still being played out. Stay tuned for further updates.

I am, however, still milking two of our goats, which is providing our family's milk needs right now. It is just barely enough for the kids to drink, and not much else. I did make some great ice cream tonight, but I don't usually have enough to do that.

In gardening news: my spinach and lettuce have bolted. I've pulled the spinach, and am in the process of pulling the lettuce. Having been so busy over the last two months, I only just now got out my tomatoes and beans, and still haven't planted any peppers or zucchini. I do have some nice looking beets and cabbage, though. And chard.

The new guys: we bought a beef cow this spring - "Blackie". She is an angus/jersey cross. We also have a dozen Red Bourbon Turkeys, which I love. They are a heritage breed. That means they aren't profitable enough for the industrial turkey farms to raise, so they are becoming rare. I am hoping they will naturally breed next spring so that we don't have to buy our turkeys from a hatchery any more. That would be really cool. Plus, we are helping a rare breed keep from going extinct. I just hope they're tasty too, or all will be for naught.

Hopefully more blogs will be forthcoming. Baseball season is over and I feel like writing.

Eat Your Greens

2008-06-26T22:50:00.001-04:00

Love him or hate him, you gotta love this.

BARACK-OLI Green
by

WeAreTheInternet

Get this custom button
at Zazzle

Ruminations on T-Ball Logic

2008-06-02T11:37:00.004-04:00

Taking a break from my self-imposed blog exile to comment on the logic of t-ball. My younger son (7) is playing t-ball again this year. It's his third year. Next year he'll be too old. Before that, my older son was in t-ball, so I've had 4 years of experience in t-ball observations.

One thing that's great about baseball is that it's not a game of sheer strength and athletic ability. It also takes brains. You have to think about what should be done next. A pop fly with two outs is NOT the same as a pop fly with zero or one out. There are rules of logic that apply to each circumstance, and part of the game is knowing what your next move will be when the ball comes to you, and when you're running the bases.

Things are different in t-ball. The logic game is played by the coaches. The only thing the little guys and gals need to know is, I have to do whatever my coach yells at me to do. This presents problems when the coaches have conflicting points of view. The game becomes a shouting match of various coaches yelling for the kids to do different things, and the kids look around in bewilderment and just stand there holding the ball while the other team's players round third base for home.

Another thing the coaches must factor in to their yelling is the ability of the players. If the ball is not hit to the pitcher or to the right of the pitcher, forget throwing the ball to first base. Just throw it home and cut your losses. A good play is one in which the ball is not over-thrown. A great play is one in which the ball is not over-thrown and it was thrown to the correct person.

I love watching my boys play ball. It's one of my favorite things to do. But here's something else I've noticed. I need to exercise self-control at these games, at which I am not always succesful. How dumb is it to not only have your coaches yelling what to do, but also your mother. OK, I'm working on it. Mainly I just try to cheer. But my competitive nature (for which I blame my dad) bubbles up sometimes in the form of yelling things like "Go back! Go back!" and "Throw it to third! Throw it to third!" Sometimes I can't help it. But I'm trying. I don't mean to add my loud voice to the chorus of coaches.

Fortunately, I know this personal struggle is not because I'm not nice. I know I'm nice because my husband tells me I am. I return the cart even if there is no cart corral handy, and I don't pass with a vengence (and five dollars worth of gas) when someone cuts me off. I'm a mild-mannered person. All bets are off at the ball field. Don't stand in front of me when my boy's up to bat. You'll be sorry.

Feast or Famine

2008-04-27T18:18:00.005-04:00

I'm posting a flurry of blogs today, because I know it will be a while before I get to again. Things are getting really busy. On top of the usual, normal, every-day sort of busy-ness, now we also have 6 hours a week to spend at the ball diamond for my boys' baseball practices. Which is fun. I like baseball. I wouldn't change it. But stacks of dishes at 11:30 pm are not so fun. So, my computer time is now being curtailed. This is the time of year when our already late meal times get pushed back from 7:30 or 8 to 9 or 9:30. So here you are, a feast of blogs. This is to fill you up in preparation for the blog famine to come.

Speaking of feasts, the season for farmer's markets is upon us! I imagine ours will be opening up sometime in the next few weeks. My first big purchase will be a large quantity of asparagus to blanch and freeze. The day I get it I will also make asparagus soup. Good stuff.

Ruby's Calf and Other Stuff

2008-04-27T17:53:00.006-04:00

Well, our new calf is now over a week old, and she is doing great! It only took Ruby a day to get used to the "mommy routine", and now there's no problems with the calf finding her milk at all. That is good, because I am close to being able to wean my bottle-baby. I don't need another one.

Here's the calf with her mother.

Before she was born my husband warned us all (and I quote): "You might not want to name this one, because you know where it will end up." (note: our last ones were named T-Bone and Sir Loin) What did I hear my husband call her the afternoon after she was born? "Here, Buttercup! Here, Buttercup!" SO, I don't know exactly where this one will "end up", but can you imagine serving "Buttercup" for dinner? Me neither. We'll see what happens.

We have a number of new birch trees along our driveway now. The biggest tree in the background, right in front of the pond, is "Penny". She has been a part of our family for years now.

Check out this huge egg we got the other day. Ouch. It was a double-yolker.

How I Came to Really Love Real Food, Part Five

2008-04-27T17:40:00.002-04:00

One matter that has complicated things considerably has been my health. Following a miscarriage in the fall of 2005, I found that my health began to change in other ways as well. The first thing I noticed was a burning rash on my toes. It didn't itch, but it was uncomfortable and somewhat painful. I also noticed my hair falling out in bunches, and I was extremely cold all the time. In the winter particularly, I was also very easily fatigued, and often tired even right after having slept all night. It seemed strange to me that these things started happening rather suddenly. My family doctor ruled out a hypothyroid through blood tests, and sent me to a dermatologist who told me I had Raynaud's Syndrome. Later, I developed an extremely itchy, sensitive patch of skin on the palm of my right hand. Having been educating myself on health issues for a while by this time, and knowing myself better than any doctor, it was my opinion that I was beginning to slide towards an autoimmune type of dysfunction. This is the type of disease seen in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, and fibromyalgia, for example.

At this point, I could have relied on the knowledge of my "regular" doctors. If I had done so, I would probably be taking a number of pharmaceutical drugs by now, and my health would not be any better. In fact, I believe it would be much worse. Not that drugs are entirely bad; however, many times they do nothing but mask symptoms. They do not get to the bottom of the problem that is causing the symptoms. They may bring temporary relief (which can be very valuable), but other than that, I believe their worth is debatable.

It took me a while to really research things and to try out various hypotheses as far as what might help my health to turn around. But the one thing I kept coming across in all of my research for chronic health problems of almost any kind was to dramatically decrease carbohydrate consumption, including eliminating all grains, and to increase intake of good fats like butter, cream, coconut oil, and fish oils. The more I studied, the more convinced I became that this was the answer for me. But it took me a while to get up the nerve to get started. I was chicken. The very idea of attempting to eliminate grains was intimidating. It sounded almost impossible. But I did it.

Beginning February first of last year (2007), I cut out all grains, including corn, wheat, rice, and oats. I also cut out potatoes and all sweeteners, including nutritive sweeteners like honey and maple syrup. The first few weeks it was extremely difficult. Extremely. After that it got much easier. I had a lot of homemade soup, which is what really got me through. It is extremely nourishing and filling. I have to clarify here that I do not believe this is a "normal" diet for people in good health. God made grains, potatoes, and honey. I think they are good for food. However, when our health becomes compromised, sometimes we have to narrow our diets in order to correct our bodies' balance.

It has been over a year since I made these changes. I have had breaks where I have had potatoes and ice cream for treats. But those have been brief "vacations". Overall, my carb intake has remained low for the last year. I had a small slice of cake last fall. The next day I was sick the whole day. That's how I found that my body is no longer able to tolerate wheat. I believe this is because of the damage previous diet and antibiotics had done to my digestive tract. You've probably noticed that the number of people with food sensitivities/allergies like this has skyrocketed in the recent past. Antibiotics can severely damage your digestive tract. Other drugs that also cause this type of damage are steroids, NSAIDS (Tylenol, for example), and birth control pills.

The difference this diet has made in my health has been amazing. My energy improved, the patch of eczema on the palm of my hand disappeared, my hair stopped falling out, and my body temperature increased. I am still easily chilled, but I think there is a possibility that this will improve as well with time. I am also still sensitive to wheat, but that is just a consequence I will probably have to live with for the rest of my life. It has also been helpful for me to take a number of whole food-based supplements (including iodine and organ extracts). So it hasn't been completely diet-only changes that I have made. But most of the improvement I feel has been as a result of the diet changes.

Next time, I will wrap things up and present a conclusion.

It's a Girl!

2008-04-19T19:15:00.004-04:00

Ruby had her calf this morning around 6:00. She's a beautiful animal, but Ruby keeps kicking her away and won't let her get milk. This picture was taken right after we found her around 6:30 this morning out in the pasture. Apparently, that's where Ruby decided to have her baby. It makes me mad that I missed it. I wanted to be there.

Calf Watch

2008-04-18T21:16:00.003-04:00

I am beginning to get a little concerned. Ruby has not calved yet, but I am sure she is in labor. It seems to be off and on, though. I considered doing a "live blog" event for this, but then, I don't have a laptop to take out in the barn with me, so...there goes that brilliant idea. I am just praying we don't have to call a vet. Maybe it is just one of those "false labor" things. You know, like in humans, when a woman fakes labor just to get attention. It's not really time yet, but it sure is fun to watch people's reactions when they DO think it is time! Maybe Ruby's just thinking to herself, heh heh, I'm going to get that human that takes care of me to come out and check on me every hour and only sleep 3 hours a night because she thinks a calf will be here any moment. Then when she's so exhausted she just can't stand it any more and goes to bed at night for a good 8 hours, then I'll REALLY go into labor.

Well folks, we have about hit that point, so look for Ruby's calf to arrive during the night tonight while I'm dead to the world.

Ruby Update

2008-04-18T10:03:00.003-04:00

And now for a late-breaking news update: my cow is in labor. It started yesterday (Thursday) evening, and has continued into this morning. No calf yet. But this is her first time. Also, while I'm here, congrats to my older "little" brother on a Big Deal Work Thing he did. Way to go, bro!

More Spring!

2008-04-16T22:32:00.008-04:00

I have to admit, I'm getting a little nervous. I've been milking goats for over two years now. But a cow? If a goat steps on your foot, it hurts, sure, but is not that big of a deal. A cow? If Ruby stepped on my foot it would smash the bones in there to smithereens. Well, maybe not. But maybe yes! Ruby is due any day now. Pray for me! We don't even have our stanchion yet! But we will. And I'm so excited about CREAM. Here's our WonderCow, maybe only a day or two before L&D! ;-)

Remember our baby bottle goat kid? Well, now her favorite past-time is terrorizing the chickens. Loads of fun. Nothing more hilarious than watching frollicking kids.

My garlic is finally up. I must have planted it a little deep because it took longer than I thought it should have to sprout. But here it is! I think it should be ready to pull around the end of June.

And here's the peas, lettuce, and spinach I planted a few weeks ago. It's up too! I guess you can barely see the little sprouts in this picture, but they're there if you look closely! I also have a few baby asparagus shoots poking up out of the ground, but they are too young to pick this year. It will be another year or two before we can enjoy that.

Finally, some daffodils and forsythia. We're having beautiful weather this spring. No big ups and downs like last year. Hopefully that will mean a better fruit crop this year!

You might be thinking right about now: Gee, Amey, you do about everything! Heh heh heh. Boy have I got YOU fooled. You don't know how many dishes I have piled up in the sink or how many "stacks" I have about the house. If I measured the laundry needing to be done I would have to weigh it by the ton. But my boys have been to ball practice, my animals are happy, the refrigerator is well-stocked with eggs, and I read to my children today. All is well with the world.

How I Came to Really Love Real Food: Part Four

2008-04-13T14:15:00.003-04:00

I "met" two very important books that summer of 2005: Jordan Rubin's Maker's Diet, and Sally Fallon's (with Dr. Mary Enig) Nourishing Traditions. These two books have completely changed the way I see food. A bit overwhelming at first, these books contain so much good information, I still refer to them heavily, especially Nourishing Traditions. Nourishing Traditions was also my introduction to the Weston A. Price Foundation, an organization that encourages people to exclude modern processed food products from their diets and rely on the "old ways".

Through the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF), we have found a great pulling-together of dietary guidelines, old-ways lifestyle tips, and the busting of politically-correct nutritional myths. All of this in one package. I have heard people criticize WAPF because they do not accept all "scientific" studies as valid science. For me, there is no reason to trust these studies in the first place because they are so contradictory. For example, years ago the fats of choice were lard and other animal fats, butter, and tropical oils. Then "science" says no, these are bad. Switch to Crisco and margarine. Then a few years ago, "science" tells us no Crisco and margarine, switch to liquid vegetable oils (canola, corn, soybean, etc.). This is the kind of nutritional information we receive from "science". In a word: unreliable.

Here's what seems like a more reliable method of determining good nutrition information: find healthy people groups and see what they eat. And that is precisely what Weston Price did. He traveled the world looking for people with superb health, good physical structure (bones, teeth, etc.), and long life. He found a number of these native people groups and compared their diets and lifestyles. Here are just a few of the things he found:

The diets of healthy primitive and nonindustrialized peoples contain no refined or denatured foods such as refined sugar or corn syrup; white flour; canned foods; pasteurized, homogenized, skim or low-fat milk; refined or hydrogenated vegetable oils; protein powders; artificial vitamins or toxic additives and colorings.
All traditional cultures consume some sort of animal protein and fat from fish and other seafood; water and land fowl; land animals; eggs; milk and milk products; reptiles; and insects.

Primitive diets contain at least four times the calcium and other minerals and TEN times the fat soluble vitamins from animal fats (vitamin A, vitamin D and the Price Factor--now believed to be vitamin K2) as the average American diet.

In all traditional cultures, some animal products are eaten raw.

Primitive and traditional diets have a high food-enzyme content from raw dairy products, raw meat and fish; raw honey; tropical fruits; cold-pressed oils; wine and unpasteurized beer; and naturally preserved, lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages, meats and condiments.

Seeds, grains and nuts are soaked, sprouted, fermented or naturally leavened in order to neutralize naturally occurring antinutrients in these foods, such as phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, tannins and complex carbohydrates.

Total fat content of traditional diets varies from 30% to 80% but only about 4% of calories come from polyunsaturated oils naturally occurring in grains, pulses, nuts, fish, animal fats and vegetables. The balance of fat calories is in the form of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.

Traditional diets contain nearly equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids.

All primitive diets contain some salt.

Traditional cultures consume animal bones, usually in the form of gelatin-rich bone broths.

Traditional cultures make provisions for the health of future generations by providing special nutrient-rich foods for parents-to-be, pregnant women and growing children; by proper spacing of children; and by teaching the principles of right diet to the young.
source: http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/characteristics.html

We've made lots of little changes in the last three years. Just one at a time. It didn't take long before I realized we rarely got sick anymore. When we did get sick, it was usually following a holiday or birthday party (someplace where something sugary was the treat), and the illness was relatively mild. My husband's late-summer ragweed allergies became manageable without any medication, and our doctor visits very rare. It quickly became obvious that there was value in eating the old-fashioned way, and equally obvious that the types of food we were now interested in eating were not ones found at "normal" grocery stores. This was when we began our foray into farming as a way of obtaining high-quality food.

If you are suffering from any type of health issue, I would highly recommend reading The Maker's Diet, by Jordan Rubin. This book's information is well-organized for beginning readers of topics related to good health. I also highly recommend Nourishing Traditions, but I would definitely call this a more advanced text, and maybe not so "user-friendly" as the Maker's Diet. This is a book you have to "build up to".

Next time I will talk about complications such as auto-immune problems and other issues caused primarily by antibiotic usage.

Ode to Bacon Fat

2008-04-05T11:26:00.001-04:00

Taxes

2008-04-05T11:25:00.001-04:00

Oh yeah. I almost forgot.

Just as Interesting as Witnessing a Live Goat Birth

2008-04-01T23:09:00.001-04:00

Meet "Jeffrey"

2008-04-01T17:02:00.004-04:00

Here "Jeffrey" is almost one hour old. "Jeffrey" was named by our older son.

In this picture he is about 3 hours old. He is a strong, healthy little boy, and one good-looking goat. Very light in color, as you can see. The big event happened this afternoon around 1:00. He is an only child, and his mamma is named Rose. It was an uneventful delivery, for which I am grateful. Last year, Rose's delivery was NOT uneventful.

I'll Take Eggs Over-Easy With That

2008-03-28T23:07:00.006-04:00

HT: Letters from Kamp Krusty, the most hilarious blog ever.

For some reason, the links above are not working right. Sorry. I can't get it fixed, and I'm not going to waste any more time trying. If you click on them, just delete the stuff before the second "http". It's worth it.

Early Spring is Here!

2008-03-26T22:54:00.009-04:00

It's been a long time since I've had to use one of these. Our "senior" doe (Daisy) had her babies on Saturday. One of them was extremely weak and underweight. Her mother would have nothing to do with her, so we have to bottle feed her.

We were keeping the baby in our kitchen full-time right after she was born. Now she's starting to spend all day in the barn and nights in the laundry room in a laundry basket. This is a picture of her. For some reason in the picture she looks like the goat from outer space. Don't worry, her eyes are actually normal. For goats. Yes, I have a goat in my laundry room.

This is Rose. She's next - due to have babies sometime between this weekend and the middle of next week. She had a difficult delivery last year. We hope she has an easier time this year. It's hard to tell from this picture how big she is, but she is getting huge. Don't tell her I said that.

These are some birch trees we planted between our house and the pond several years ago. Our trees are finally starting to grow to be a nice size. As you can see, the grass is brown and the trees are bare. For now. Six weeks from now, things will look a lot different.

We spent a lot of time outside today because it was so nice. Things have been very muddy so far this year, but it is finally starting to dry out a bit. Although I hear we are supposed to get more rain tomorrow. I did something wild and crazy this afternoon. I planted some peas, lettuce, and spinach. This is a picture of the bed I planted them in. I got this idea from Square Foot Gardening, by Mel Bartholomew. We'll see how they grow. I have never planted this early before.

How I Came to Really Love Real Food: Part Three

2008-03-15T13:47:00.003-04:00

At this point, it might be good to talk about sources and how to know who to trust. My husband has been the one who's opinion I really value on all of these matters. So if I'm unsure of something I have read, I go to him. He did a lot of health research back in his 20's, and he has always seemed to have a sixth sense about whether some information was phony or not. And when he was unsure himself, he always referred back to the Bible. For example, artificially engineered fats. Like margarine. Can a man-made food "product" compare to the fats God made - especially butter? If God brought the Israelites to the land of "milk and honey", how can butter be bad? A lot of what I have learned has been a result of my faith in God and my faith in my husband. When I would bring up something new I had learned from the internet, we would talk together to work out whether it made sense or not.

I know not everyone has that same advantage of having a husband like mine, but having someone to talk things through with is very important. It helps to get your ideas out in the open so that someone else can shoot holes in your theories if they're not completely logical. (sidenote: It is also a good humility-building exercise. You talk about your idea, and someone else shoots it down! Fun!)

Another thing to remember when considering your sources is money. Can you trust organizations and companies that have a financial interest in the outcome of the research they fund? Personally, I find that the research results coming from pharmaceutical companies, food companies, the federal government, and even supposedly good community organizations like the American Cancer Society to be suspect. Those without a financial interest in the outcome are the ones most able to make a clear, logical assessment of study results. Unfortunately, those studies are rare, because who can pay for them? Most people have been led to believe that scientific studies are objective assessments of truth. However, as human beings, all scientific studies are biased in some way. Some more than others, but there is always an element of subjectivity in any study you might come across.

Another way to look at it is to think of the creation/evolution debate. People's views on this important topic depend upon their underlying presuppositions. If you don't believe there is a God, obviously any scientific proof for creation will not mean a thing to you. You will believe in evolution because of your presuppositions. It is similar in the world of health. People will mold just about any health-related study into something that matches what they already believe. Take a look at cholesterol for example. There is really not much evidence that keeping your cholesterol levels low means good health. In fact, in some instances higher cholesterol can actually be protective. But since the theory that high cholesterol = heart disease is so entrenched within the medical community, almost any study concerning cholesterol levels either is based on (possibly false) assumptions or it is twisted to fit the theory.

We must think things through for ourselves. Consider whether something is logical or not. Talk with others who have thought about this themselves. The important thing is not that you come out agreeing with everything I think. The important thing is to take responsibility for your own health and the health of your family and not delegate that important duty to people you really don't even know that well. Not that doctors and nurses are ill-intentioned. In fact, I don't really know anyone in the medical profession that doesn't want to help people. But their sources for information are many times biased, and a good percentage of their training is paid for by corporations and government organizations. It is my opinion that we can't always trust the information they give us.

Next time I will talk about two books (other than the Bible) that changed the way I think about food and the way I live.

How I Came to Really Love Real Food: Part Two

2008-03-12T00:07:00.000-04:00

It didn't take long for dietary change number two to come into the picture. Faced with issues of infertility, and having the recent ability to access the internet for research purposes, I became aware of the side-effects of antibiotic usage in causing an infinite number of health problems by wiping out the "good" bacteria in our digestive tracts and allowing yeast and fungus to proliferate. This is when I first learned of the work of Doug Kauffman, who many people probably know from his television show "Know the Cause". His main point is that many if not most of the health issues people face today are a result of an imbalance of gut bacteria. The fungus gains an upper hand and begins to wreak havoc on any or all of the body's systems - digestive, circulatory, urinary, reproductive, neurological, etc. What does fungus feed on? Sugars. Once I learned this, I began to realize how dangerous sugar can be for a person. It can precipitate a huge number of physical and even mental/emotional ailments by feeding antibiotic-induced fungus. I knew right away that this was likely an issue for me since I took some serious broad-spectrum antibiotics as a young adult in an effort to get rid of acne.

I went sugar-free based on this new information, and eventually was able to have three great kids. After the first baby, though, I became a sugar-free backslider. I had what I wanted (a baby), so I really got careless with my diet. My downfall was chocolate. My motto was (still is!): any sugar without chocolate in it is a waste of sugar (ain't it the truth).

After several winters with children in the house, the one thing that became really discouraging to me was the numbers of colds and flu that we all experienced. There's almost nothing worse than being constantly sick between October and May. Around February 2005, I just started thinking this should not be normal. Certainly it's not normal.

This is what began my interest in internet health research. It didn't take long for me to discover the work of Dr. Mercola (link in the sidebar) and his internet articles and blog. I found out that there actually existed people with young children who didn't catch every single bug that was going around. Rarely did they ever get sick. And if they did get sick, it was minor. And it seemed the biggest contributing factor to sickness in general was sugar consumption. Well, I sort of knew that already, but things finally began to click for real. I found out all the other awful health effects of sugar, and the first real permanent change was made in our diets. We cut out refined sugar.

In all honesty, after three years of gradual diet changes, cutting out sugar was the most difficult thing we ever did. We started out very strictly, but decided it wasn't too big of a deal to have ice cream occasionally in the summer. We found it more advantageous to be especially strict in the winter, when viruses are at their worst. But the cravings you have when you first cut out sugar are incredibly strong. Especially if you are used to having it every single day. Fortunately, I found that using honey, maple syrup, and Rapadura or Sucanat (natural unrefined sugar) makes things taste just as good as refined sugar.

There were several changes we could have made to begin with on this "good health odyssey". I chose sugar because it seemed to be the greatest hurdle to me. I felt that good health would always be elusive so long as refined sugar was on the menu. There are many other good changes you could start with, but it seemed that once we cut out the sugar, I was able relax a little and enjoy the trip. While cutting out the sugar was a stressful thing for me, the rest has truly been a joy. You might think me crazy to think that, but it's true.

We still struggle from time to time with getting off-track (too much ice cream!). All we need to do is read this list again, and we remember how important it is to cut out white sugar all together. Many people would say that sugar is not that big of a deal, but I have found that for myself anyway, it is difficult to have something with sugar just once or twice a week. Once it gets to be habit, I have to have some every day. Better to avoid it altogether!

If you have ever been on antibiotics of any sort, chances are, cutting out sugar is probably one of the most beneficial (and difficult) things you could ever do.

In part three I will talk about how I determine what sources of health information to trust.

My Chores This Week

2008-03-07T23:59:00.006-05:00

As you might imagine, doing farm chores in winter is fun! I made a few illustrations to illustriously illustrate my week of chores. First, here's me taking water to Ruby the WonderCow. Maybe you can guess exactly what it is Ruby and I are standing in. Do you have any idea how hard it is to lift your rubber-booted feet out of this mess?

Here's what happens when you lose your balance in such a situation. See what I mean by "fun"?

Here's me closing the chicken pen. Right under a roof loaded with snow and ice.

And after closing the door. (You knew this was coming)
By the way, that's not hair that I drew on top of my head. It is my Eskimo fuzzy hat with the flaps that come down over my ears. Tres chic. And of course on top of that are the icicles that landed on my head.

p.s. I was just at Merriam-Webster's and saw this definition prominently posted on their main page:

pwnanza

noun

: An event in which an individual or group is pwned excessively or repeatedly

As if it wasn't bad enough we had to add 'pwn' to our vocabulary, now this. What is the world coming to. Good thing I saw this, otherwise I would have remained hopelessly out of touch with the rest of the world. Now I have been enlightnd.

p.p.s. I can't sign off without reporting this great advice for married couples. I read it last night and it's STILL cracking me up.

Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight. (Phyllis Diller)

I'll have to remember that.

How I Came to Really Love Real Food: My Food Story (Part One)

2008-03-06T11:06:00.000-05:00

It can be helpful sometimes to step back from life and gather your thoughts on various subjects. As you may have noticed, there have been big changes in our family over the last few years in the way we view food, diet, and health. Now I want to write about my "food story", with the hope it might be helpful for someone else thinking of beginning a similar journey.

Thinking back over the years before I became interested in nutrition and health issues in general, I never really considered the impact the foods I ate and the medicines I took had on my physical well-being. I just did what seemed "normal" to me, without much thinking whether or not "normal" was what was best. It is easier to do things that way, so naturally, that was my default mode. Now that I am still only approximately ten years past the "default mode", I certainly do not claim to be an expert on all things dietary. I am learning new things all the time and hope to remain a learner my entire life.

The first time I recall being confronted with a major dietary change came shortly after I got married. My husband was interested in the pies I enjoyed making, but he was not interested in the Crisco I used to make them. Could I make them without the Crisco. Maybe with butter in the crust? I figured any pie crust made with something other than Crisco was doomed to failure. But in an effort to humor him, I gave it a try. To my great surprise, it turned out great! The crust tasted like some kind of fancy French pastry. Go figure. Apparently, cooking with transfats (which is what Crisco is made of) was not necessary to enjoying good food. I still didn't know much about why transfats are dangerous, and I honestly didn't much care. All I knew was my husband wanted to avoid them, and it wasn't all that difficult to do that, so I gladly made the necessary changes. Real butter only, and read the labels on packaged foods - anything with hydrogenated oil of any sort got put back on the shelf. No problem.

Next time I will talk about our second big change - the biggest change of all: going sugar-free.

Pride and Prejudice: Movie Review

2008-03-03T00:26:00.000-05:00

Over the last month I watched Masterpiece Theater's three installments of the BBC's 1995 version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This must be one of the most awesome movies ever made. Ten times better than your favorite movie for sure. If you don't like dialogue or if you have noisy kids, you shouldn't watch this movie. Or, if you do have noisy kids, kick them down the basement stairs and make them play down there while you're watching it. That way you can hear the fantastic dialogue.

Vocabulary Lesson from a Four-Year-Old

2008-02-29T21:34:00.004-05:00

Introducing: "The Finish-Later". If there's something you don't eat, you put it in the finish-later...so you can finish it later.

FAQ

2008-02-08T10:57:00.000-05:00

Q: Where is the owner of this blog? Is Amey still alive?
A: Yes, I'm still alive, just been too busy to do much writing.

Q: Is there any hope that we will hear from you soon?
A: Yes, in fact I am working on a series to post hopefully in the not too distant future. Can't you just sense the anticipation building?

Q: What season is it there on your little farm?
A: Well, there are 5 basic seasons on a farm: spring, summer, fall, winter, and mud. This week it was mud. I think we're gearing up for a little more winter now. I have read that in the Inuit language they have a zillion different words for snow. It is my opinion that we should have a zillion different words in our language for mud. What's the word for partially-frozen "crispy" mud? I really like that kind. It doesn't suck the boots off your feet, yet it is also not completely frozen solid to where you're slipping and sliding all over the place. Plus it has a unique feeling when you step on it. Kind of like walking on glass, only not so dangerous.

Q: So what have you been reading lately?
A: The most recent issues from Mother Earth News and Wise Traditions, as well as Children of the New Forest (a school book). Not to mention the seed catalog (I like Baker Creek Heirlooms) and various interesting articles on the web.

Q: What do you make of the political scene these days?
A: What's up with John McCain? I can't believe people are voting for this guy. If only Giuliani were still in the race, that would split the vote and lower McCain's delegate count. I still like Ron Paul and plan to vote for him. At any rate, politics is a nice diversion. Something to get your adrenaline going. But political solutions will never be The Answer to the world's problems. So there you go.

Children's Literature: Pick of the Week

2007-12-24T08:39:00.001-05:00

George and Martha, by James Marshall

The George and Martha books are a series of books written by James Marshall about two best friend hippos. Each book contains several very short stories about George and Martha's adventures. If you value honesty and humor in keeping relationships healthy, you would love these books. I bought my kids a couple of new George and Martha books for Christmas (shhhh! don't tell them!), but they are really for me, because I love them so much. Let me give you a bit of friendly advice: if you have kids, buy one of these books. If you don't have kids, think of a kid you know and buy one of these books yourself so you can read it to them. At least that will give you an excuse. These books are really that great. I've read that there is a tv show based on them. It can't possibly be half as good as the books. Trust me.

Lux Venit

2007-12-22T08:43:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of winter. The darkest day of the year. The last few years I have taken a few moments to wax philosophical on the solstice. This is the moment to celebrate the light breaking into the darkness. We thought all hope was lost. It kept getting darker every day. Until the solstice. The "turnaround" day. Hope! The light is coming!

I just read a book by Jessica Prentice, New Moon Feast. I don't agree with everything she writes in this book, but what she says about Christians celebrating the solstice seems to hit the mark:

Christmas has become secular and commodified, but this was not always the case. In the traditional Christian calendar, the Moon of Long Nights corresponded to the period of Advent, which means "coming." Advent was a time of penitence, abstinence, and prayer. For those of the Christian faith, the period of long nights is about the expectation of a miracle: the coming of the light. It is not an accident that Christ's Mass - the celebration of the birth of the Son of God - corresponds to the winter solstice - the rebirth of the Sun.

She makes the point that since the arrival of electric lights, this season has become one of hurry and busyness. But in the old days, it would have been a time of slow, quiet reflection. Long nights with no light means more time literally in the dark! Imagine complete darkness with perhaps only the moonlight to see by. Can you imagine the pent-up expectation for light? And what comes along three to four days after the solstice? We celebrate Christ's birth - the light has come. Daylight returns and we can see clearly again. I love it.

One of the classic Christmas cd's in my collection is the first Micheal W. Smith Christmas recording (ok, so it was a cassette tape when I first heard it. Now I have the CD!) The song "Lux Venit" was included on it - translation from Latin:

Lux venit: "the light has come"
Sursum corda: "look upwards hearts"

Lux Venit Lyrics

The solstice is a time to celebrate that even in our darkest hour, God heard our cries and sent a shining light into our darkness - Jesus Christ. Look upwards hearts. The light has come.

SOTP!

2007-12-21T23:34:00.001-05:00

This one has me cracking up tonight. Happy solstice!

Toys and Garlic Soup

2007-12-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

It is virtually impossible to find toys at a store that are not made in China. I went Christmas shopping this week. I definitely could not find what I wanted. Everything I looked at said Made in China. The only catalog I know of that sells nothing made in China is this one. I like their stuff, but there's not a lot of variety in it. The stuff for girls especially. Not much there for a 4-year-old girl.

I tried a new soup last night. Garlic soup. (side note: I've been fighting off a cold recently, so garlic has played a big part of my life this week). It was delicious. I got the recipe from this book. Every soup recipe I have tried from this book has been excellent. I've never been much of a soup person, but I think that was because I was used to canned soups. There is no comparison. The key is to start with homemade stock. If you use canned stock or bouillon cubes you will not get the same delicious, healthful results. Other good soups from this book that I have tried: coconut chicken (only I used turkey), black bean, french onion, asparagus, and mushroom soups. My favorite stock is turkey. It seems to have a richer flavor than chicken stock, although of course chicken stock is good also.

Soup is a healthy, light, nourishing food, good for all of humanity; it pleases the stomach, stimulates the appetite and prepares the digestion. -J.A. Brillant-Savarin

My Sentiments Exactly

2007-12-01T10:26:00.000-05:00

No one has yet really decided that controversy about whether the hen or the egg came first. If it was the hen, there must surely have been a bleak period before the first eggs were laid. -Cooking with Mrs. Appleyard

That conveys my sentiments exactly. I think that eggs are pretty much the perfect food. About a month ago our chickens went from laying nine or ten eggs a day to one or two eggs a day. That didn't scare me, though. I had stockpiled my eggs because I knew this was coming. Hens will moult in the fall (they don't lay eggs while moulting) and laying also will significantly decrease due to the smaller amount of sunlight we get so close to the shortest day of the year. I had six or seven dozen eggs taking up space in my already crammed refrigerator. How long do you suppose it took for us to use up that stockpile with an input of only one or two eggs a day? Less than three weeks.

I told myself not to panic. I put eggs right up there on a pedestal along with breathable air and potable water. Air, water, eggs. Three substances necessary for life. So, you will all be relieved (but not as much as me) to know that our pullets (a.k.a. the teenage chickens) started laying this week! Now we are up to an input of six eggs a day, which is still a little low (especially considering they are quite small eggs), but I do believe we can scrape by on that. So, praise the Lord, and pass the salt and butter.

This 'n That

2007-11-14T10:53:00.000-05:00

Lots of items on my "radar" right now.

I've been following the news on the MRSA infections, trying to figure out what's happening with that. The best I can come up with is: keep your immune system strong, cover up your cuts when you're out of the house, and wash with plain soap and water often. It sounds like the underlying causes of this superbug are antibiotic over-usage and anti-bacterial cleaning products.

Toys from China: why should we even mess with stuff from China anymore? Unfortunately, you can't just choose items from other countries easily, as sometimes there is no choice. Such a high percentage of anything you find in any store is from China that it's hard to avoid. But when there is a choice, why not buy products made elsewhere? I have even found myself (when there is no choice) questioning whether or not I really "need" that item anyway. (Reminds me of that VeggieTales where Bob asks Larry how much stuff he needs to be happy. Larry's reply: I don't know! How much stuff is there?!)

And on the election front: once again I'll reiterate that the Republican primary this winter/spring is the "big one". If we elect a dud for the Republican nominee, we might as well say Hello Hillary. I hear people talking about how if we don't nominate and vote next November for someone like Giuliani, we are guilty of splitting the vote and making it possible for the Democrats to win. Personally, I think they have it backwards. If people insist on a RINO for the Republican nomination, then they are the ones guilty of forcing us to split the vote. I liked this article by Dick Armey that I just read this morning. I am still likely to vote for Ron Paul. I think that actually following the Constitution is probably the only way our out-of-control spending and liberty-crushing ways can be stopped. A lot of Christians are coming out in support of Mike Huckabee, and I do like the way he stands on the social issues, but he is not nearly the supporter of liberty that Ron Paul is.

That last paragraph makes it sound like I am some kind of a political nut. I really don't think THAT much about politics. But when I do, I like to cut to the chase.

Here's a Good Article

2007-10-29T21:45:00.000-04:00

I found this link today: The Good Shepherds. It's an article posted at Christianity Today about the (Christian) Agrarian movement. It touches on the Christian aspects of agrarianism, but doesn't go into much detail. But it's a good "intro" if anyone is interested.

Finally

2007-10-28T21:00:00.000-04:00

Well, we finally had our first frost this morning. I don't remember ever having the first frost so late! We still covered up our tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. They're still producing! We covered them again tonight, but I know eventually we'll have to give it up.

I also had my first big post-farmer's market grocery shopping trip this weekend. I hadn't bought any vegetables from a grocery store at all since last May. It's been great! We were able to cut our grocery shopping trips to once every 2-3 weeks. We'll have to start going more often now, but it was great while it lasted. Next year hopefully I can preserve more produce so that even after the season is over we still won't have to shop every week. The only problem with that is we only have so much freezer space.

One thing I really enjoyed doing this year was growing our own celery and then drying it. We can't stand to eat celery just plain (raw), so I just dried all of it. I use it in recipes and in making stock. So my jars of dried celery should last us all winter.

One neat thing about the farmer's market is that you feel daring enough to try new things from time to time. This year we tried chard and kohlrabi. The chard especially is very good. You cook it much like you would spinach, but its flavor is a little milder. It's delicious with a big slab of butter melted over it and a little salt.

Cod Liver Oil

2007-10-23T12:57:00.000-04:00

Our family started taking our cod liver oil again a few weeks ago. It's good to take this time of year because of the vitamins A and D. With us getting less and less sunlight right now, the vitamin D is especially important. Cod liver oil is also very high in omega-3 essential fatty acids. I think this is one of the things we have started doing that helps boost our immune system so we don't get too sick in the winter.

I have heard a lot of people complain about the taste of cod liver oil, but it is really not that bad. We get ours orange-flavored. It's not so great-tasting that you'll want to guzzle the whole bottle, but you wouldn't want to do that anyway, right? Just a teaspoon or so a day (or a tablespoon for adults with health issues) is all you need.

The cheaper brands might be ok, but it is also possible they could be contaminated with mercury. You might look on the label of whatever you buy to make sure it has been certified mercury-free. A couple of good brands that I know of are Carlson's and Dr. Ron's Blue Ice. I know there are gel capsules with cod liver oil in them, but I like the plain liquid best. You'd have to take quite a few capsules to get a whole tablespoon of oil!

The only contra-indication that I know of for cod liver oil is if you are currently taking blood thinners you might want to talk to your doctor first before taking it.

Children's Literature: Pick of the Week

2007-10-17T16:19:00.001-04:00

James Herriot's Treasury for Children, Warm and joyful tales by the author of All Creatures Great and Small

This is just a lovely book about the experiences of a rural vet and the various animals that he encounters. We've been reading it for our studies in first grade (my second son). The illustrations are just beautiful, and I think I enjoy reading it as much as my kids enjoy hearing it.

We had a country vet visit our little homestead last week as well. My only registered goat, a Nubian, came down sick last week. Turns out she was stricken with goat polio, which is a vitamin B deficiency. So we've been giving her shots twice a day and she seems to be doing better. We are hoping that her vision isn't damaged permanently. Thanks to everyone who prayed for our Ellie. It feels a little silly asking people to pray for a goat of all things, but...all creatures great and small the Lord God made them all, right?

Here's a link to an article reviewing a new book I'd like to have a look at (Good Calories, Bad Calories, by Gary Taubes). The book reviewer didn't seem to think much of the book, but it sounds to me like maybe the book's author has a few things figured out.

Long Time No Write (which gives me license to ramble)

2007-10-07T17:49:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've written here, so I thought I'd check in today. Time has been flying by. I'm not sure where September went. It zoomed past at the speed of light. Now here we are finishing up the first week of October with nary a frost in sight. We're still eating zucchini casserole once a week, and the tomatoes are still blooming. I brought in the rest of my cabbage last weekend to make our family favorite: cortido (Latin American sauerkraut). This weekend I am drying chopped celery from the garden. Despite all this good eatin', I've really been neglecting my garden dreadfully. I haven't been watering it like I should! We've had very little rain this year. We have a volunteer squash plant in the old garden where we throw the compost. I think it might be a butternut squash. The biggest one isn't ripe yet, but I'm crossing my fingers. The big question is: when will we get that first frost?

On the critter front, our little farm hit its maximum number of occupants towards the end of August. Now those numbers are dwindling. We butchered one group of chickens the end of August, and the second group will be done in another week or two. Our two steers and one lamb went to the butcher last week, and we've also done 3 turkeys. Besides that we have lost 4 ducks and several chickens to outside causes. One of our ducks got hit by a car during an unauthorized road crossing (serves the bird the right for wandering off the property). Of course, we'd rather eat them than have them get hit by cars or devoured by wild animals, but there's not much we can do about them going across the road. Other than...eating them before they cross the road.

School is humming along, and I am making the necessary adjustments for the new school year. I gave it three weeks, found some things that needed changing, and we're working on that now. We just finished Week 4 of our school year. We have school for three weeks, then take one week off. We do have school in June and July, but then we take August off. That makes 36 very full weeks of school.

I enjoy having my kids home with me every day. That way I can micro-manage their lives. Just kidding! No, actually what I like is that we are putting into practice something that I have always felt intuitively but never really fully realized until fairly recently: that is that the healthy home should be one in which all members of the family contribute to the household economy, and there is as much producing as there is consuming. As Americans, we are all already very good at consuming (that is after all the American way). What we need more practice at is producing. You know, being productive. Making needed things and maintaining what you have so that you don't have to buy another one.

Speaking of being productive, I feel really productive these days. I usually get up at around 8:00 (anything before 8 is TOO EARLY). Now with our daylight hours dwindling, when I get up in the morning and go out to milk the goats, the sun has just risen over the horizon. It makes me feel like a real farmer, up at daybreak, and doin' the chores. Yee haw.

Well, I guess that's enough rambling for now. Back to what you were doing. Something productive, I hope. ;-)

On the Fence about Flu Shots?

2007-10-07T17:37:00.000-04:00

Well, it's that time of year again. We are all being bombarded with advertising aimed at "helping" us decide whether or not we should get the flu shot. Last year I posted a link to this crazy video about how you can make your own flu shot for next to nothing. I just watched it again this morning. If you're on the fence about getting a flu shot, watch this first! It will help you decide. As an aside, here's a bit of trivia: how can you increase by ten times your chance of getting Alzheimer's disease? Answer: get the flu shot for five consecutive years.

Popcorn: Watch Out!

2007-09-05T08:18:00.000-04:00

This was in the news today about microwave popcorn, and I thought I'd leave a link here: Home Microwave Popcorn Cited in Illness. This article refers to the artificial butter flavoring used in microwave popcorn. It is causing a lung disease in factory workers and now it has apparently started causing problems for consumers as well. There are other problems with microwave popcorn such as: teflon coatings on the bags, most of the corn being genetically modified, etc. The best way to make popcorn is in a pan on your stove, or if you make a lot of it (which you shouldn't do if you have problems with your blood sugar levels *ahem*) get one of those hot air popper appliance thing-a-ma-bobbers that we used to see a lot of back in the (what) early 80's? Also, try to find organic popcorn in order to avoid genetically engineered corn (I've also seen some at the farmer's market).

Turkey Pic

2007-09-03T11:22:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture of one of our turkeys. I don't know where he got the sign, but it sort of reminds me of that book, Click Clack Moo: Cows that Type. Have you seen that one? I love it. I redecorated the blog to look a little more back-to-school/fall-ish. I love the red plaid in the background. I need a dress in a cotton print just like that.

My latest book is The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture, by Wendell Berry. I have taken to reading a lot of agrarian philosophy-type books lately. This one is excellent so far. Also, I never did review that Nina Planck book. I think it's called Real Food: What to Eat and Why. Well, it's been a month or two since I read it, so I can't get really specific as far as reviewing it, but it was an excellent book and worth looking up at the library if you are interested in cooking with fresh ("real") ingredients. Joel Salatin also has a new book out I would love to get: Everything I Want to Do is Illegal (link is to an article he wrote a while back with the same title - it's a pdf file). Provocative title, isn't it? Doesn't it just make you want to pick it up and read the whole thing cover to cover?

Meat Freezer Solstice

2007-08-30T12:28:00.000-04:00

This morning was the first dawn after our Meat Freezer Solstice. Allow me to describe to you the contents of our meat freezer yesterday morning: one big bag of medicinal herbs, two freezer bags of turkey backs and wing tips (for making broth), one small bag of duck hearts (for making ???), and 2 pounds of tough, teeth-challenging ground beef. That freezer was never so empty. We finally got our first batch of meat for the season yesterday afternoon: pork.

I went through a time when I wasn't sure pork was o.k. to eat. Back in the good (really) old days, God commanded the Israelites not to eat pork, and I figure there was probably a pretty good reason for that. But as time went on, I weakened. When I first went on my low-carb diet, breakfast became the greatest sticking point: what's eggs for breakfast every morning without bacon? And aside from bacon, how about some sausage? You can see how the weakening process began.

So when we had a chance to buy some pork from a reputable local farmer, I got right in line. I like to hear what they feed the animals, because I think at least part of the problem with hogs is, they will eat literally anything. There are some things that I would just rather not have animals that I eat, eating themselves, if you know what I mean. Personally, I think we found a really good source of pork.

So yesterday afternoon I drove home with a trunk full of locally-raised frozen pork for my pitiful little forlorn freezer. That freezer still is not even a fraction of the way full, but it will only get fuller as the season progresses. Next up will be the chickens we raised for meat, and maybe a turkey or two. Then in another month we'll have beef and lamb. Before you know it, our freezer will be packed full, and we'll be ready for a long season of good eatin'. The tide has turned. Isn't this how holidays get started?

Book Review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

2007-08-27T12:58:00.000-04:00

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, by Barbara Kingsolver

I found this book at the local library, and lo and behold, it is on the New York Times (non-fiction) best-seller list. Apparently that's not unusual for Barbara Kingsolver. I know I have heard of her before now, but this is the first time I have ever read anything she has written. She has also written many other fiction and non-fiction books that all sell very well.

The focus of this book is around the year Kingsolver's family of four dedicated themselves to eating entirely locally for one year. They allowed themselves one item each from "the outside". Her husband continued to buy coffee, for example. That's his special item. Other than that, every food they ate either came from their garden or from someone nearby. The story begins in April when the asparagus makes its appearance. Easiest for them to procure were the vegetables they planted in their own rather large garden. Most difficult: dairy and grain for bread. Kingsolver takes us through their food year, and gives a running commentary along the way. Her husband (Steven L. Hopp) and older daughter (Camille Kingsolver) also write little snippets here and there on social issues involved with eating, recipes (they all sound delicious), and other food memories.

Kingsolver's main concern that propels her towards a "locavore" diet appears to be reducing fossil fuel emissions that promote global warming. Another concern is losing the botanical diversity that produces thousands of varieties of different fruits and vegetables. When you buy produce at the store, only a few varieties are selected for selling due to their appearance and shipability. This creates a large group of plants that need to be put on the botanical equivalent of the "endangered species" list.

I'll tell you what, this lady really knows how to turn a phrase, and this book had me giggling from cover to cover. Yet it is not a comedy, but stands on the substantive notion that it is indeed possible for people to live without twinkies, and the world would be a better place if more people tried. Well, she convinced me, but then I was already convinced. My top concern though, would be the nutritional side: how much nutritional value is lost when we, say, ship strawberries east from California? What's the difference between beans picked this morning and beans picked last week? My understanding is that local fresh food is nutritionally superior to picked-two-weeks-ago food. Which only makes sense. I am also concerned about relying so much on Middle East oil. I happen to think that shipping foods long distances costs more than the simple price of fuel.

Like the author, I too am concerned about the loss of diversity in the botanical and biological world. When we see only one variety of each type of produce planted on most farms throughout the country, it makes you wonder what would happen if that one variety was struck with some sort of deadly blight on any given year. Most poultry farms rely on hatcheries to deliver chicks each spring, and most of those are hatched through artificial insemination techniques. These birds are bred to have such large breasts, that it is impossible for them to breed naturally due to the....ahem, logistics. So the author decided to start her own flock of Bourbon Red turkeys. Bourbon Reds are an heirloom breed of turkey. That is, they've been around for ages and they can actually naturally reproduce. She goes into much more explicit detail on turkey reproduction than I wanted to know, but I did find myself coming dangerously close to coveting that little turkey flock of hers.

I have come to many of the same conclusions as this author, but we are arriving at our destination from different starting points. She is obviously not a Christian, making it a point to refer numerous times to history based on evolutionary time-lines, and stopping to conjecture on why humans are the way they are, centering the conjecture on how we evolved. When her daughter asked her where things came from, her answer was less than succinct. Nutrition rarely enters into her discussion either. Not that it doesn't matter to her (I'm sure it does), but from my point of view it is much more central than Global Warming theory. I don't disagree that (parts) of the world are warming, I just don't think it is a human-created catastrophe. However, the point to me seems to be moot, since there are plenty of other good reasons to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and to conserve energy and natural resources.

By way of concluding my book review, let me just say that this is a great book, and we would all do well to look for more ways to support local commerce, especially food sources. I will be looking for more of her work to read, while knowing that I will likely disagree with her on points of theology, but likely agree whole-heartedly on the wonders and morale-boosting power of good food.

Public Enemy Number One

2007-07-30T23:24:00.000-04:00

The Dreaded Tomato Hornworm

How To Get Skinny

2007-07-28T13:04:00.000-04:00

I’m skinny now! Jumpers are my wardrobe staple, so believe it or not, I had no idea I was losing so much weight until I noticed my chores jeans were getting too loose and I went to try on some new ones at the oh-so-fashion-trendy local Tractor Supply Company (aka TSC). I had to keep going out in the store to find the next smaller size to try on until I finally got to the right size. We don’t have a scale here at home but I eventually discovered that I had lost 25 pounds. That doesn’t sound like very much to me, but I guess it made quite a difference.

People who diet to lose weight are probably thinking what a great problem it must be to be able to get skinny without even knowing it, so I will tell you how I did it.

First of all, as I mentioned earlier, I don’t have a scale. This is a psychological thing, I think. Just remember: a watched pot never boils. If you have a scale, you might try wrapping it up and putting it in the attic or basement or garage, or wherever you put your junk that you might use someday but you don’t want to give away.

Secondly, and this is the most important thing, realize that if you don’t feel comfortable with your weight, this is only a symptom of poor health. It’s more important to fix the underlying health problems than to be concerned with your weight. If you are a healthy individual, your weight will be just right. My weight loss came about as I worked on straightening out some health issues. While I was concerned with eating right in order to find optimal health, I also lost weight in the process. That was just a secondary benefit. I think that a focus on simply losing weight is misguided. When you initiate some sort of drastic weight loss diet that doesn’t take health into account, it’s easy to get discouraged with the results and you just go back to your old way of eating. Which is what got you where you were in the first place. Getting healthy is a long-term choice. It’s not something you do for a while and then stop once you’ve reached your goals. So, first things first: concentrate on good health - eat right, be active, and get plenty of sunshine.

Next, consider taking a few months off from grains: breads, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, other cereals, and sugar. I know this sounds impossible, but that’s what I did and I LIVED to tell about it! Doing this will help reset your metabolism as far as regulating insulin, and it will also help your gut to heal if you have fungal issues (most people do have fungal issues due to the widespread use of antibiotics). This is the part that makes you lose weight. But there is one caveat: don’t skimp on the fat! Coconut oil, butter, olive oil, and the fat from grass-fed animals are the best fats there are. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a low-fat diet is good. Your body needs fat! Enjoy it! A low-carb diet won’t help much without plenty of good fat.

And lastly, remember that changing your habits to encourage good health will not result in a joyless life. I think sometimes we resist change for the better because we think that if we cannot eat Reese cups at least 5 times a week then our life will no longer be worth living. There will be nothing “fun” to look forward to. Let me just say: GET A LIFE! Ha ha. No, but seriously, folks, good health increases your capacity for joy. It increases your ability to fulfill God’s will for your life. And after adjusting your taste buds to healthful foods, you come to understand how delicious these foods are. This is not a concession to say this. I don’t just say it to talk people out of their Coca-cola. Really. Have you ever lost your sweet tooth and then discovered how sweet and delicious fresh home-grown vegetables can be? And as far as treats go: do you know how sweet raw honey is? Dates? Maple syrup?

So, what did I do after I lost all this weight? So glad you asked. I went on a shopping spree. I had to find some clothes that actually fit.

Children's Literature: Pick of the Week

2007-07-20T12:11:00.000-04:00

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle. We've been reading this book for my older son's second grade school year, and we are having a great time with it. It's easy to understand the language used (not sure how you would classify it...maybe 19th century "old English"), and it's neat how the language adds to the fun of the book (words like "wot" and "quoth").

If you are interested in seeing our school reading schedule, we are following the Ambleside schedule fairly closely. We will finish our school year by the end of July and take August off. The next school year will begin on Labor Day (we'll have a 3rd grader, 1st grader, and a preschooler). It's great how much I'm learning! The best thing about next year is we'll be starting some serious American History. Exciting!

Work

2007-07-17T10:44:00.000-04:00

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. -Robert Louis Stevenson
Blessed is he who has found his work. Let him ask no other blessedness.
-Thomas Carlyle

The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.
-Arnold Toynbee

This is the real secret of life - to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play. -Alan Watts, Work as Play

Summer Vacation Driving Tips

2007-07-12T23:38:00.000-04:00

Here are some little-known laws from various states you may need to drive through as you journey to your summer vacation destination this year. It may be a little too late for some of you reading these. Sorry. I just hope you didn't break the law while you were there.

Alabama
It is legal to drive the wrong way down a one-way street as long as a lantern is attached to the front of your car.

Alaska
It is illegal to tie a dog to the roof of your car. (Mitt Romney, take note)

Arkansas
It is illegal for a person to blare the horn on a vehicle at any place where cold drinks or sandwiches are served after 9 p.m.

California
Any woman dressed in a housecoat is prohibited from driving a car.
It is illegal in San Francisco to buff or dry your car with used underwear.
No unoccupied vehicle may exceed 60 miles per hour.

Florida
If an elephant is tied to a parking meter, the owner or attendant must deposit money in the meter.

Georgia
In Marietta, Georgia it is illegal to spit from a moving car or bus, but is okay from a moving truck.

Illinois
In Evanston, Illinois it is unlawful to change clothes while inside a car with the curtains drawn, except during a fire.

Kentucky
If you stop for ice cream while driving, be aware that it is considered unlawful to transport an ice cream cone in your back pocket.

Massachusetts
You will be ticketed if you drive with a gorilla in the backseat of your car.

Michigan
If you car breaks down in Detroit and you are waiting for assistance, be aware that sitting in the middle of the street to read a newspaper is illegal.

Minnesota
It is illegal to cross state lines, regardless if you are walking or driving, with a duck on your head. And, if you're crossing into Wisconsin, the law also applies to chickens.

Nevada
It is illegal to drive a camel on the highway.

New Jersey
Drivers are required to beep their car horns before passing another vehicle.
If convicted of driving while intoxicated, you permanently lose the option of registering for a vanity license plate.

Ohio
In Oxford, Ohio, authorities will ticket you if you consecutively drive around the town square more than 100 times.
Keep in mind that if your car breaks down and you phone for a cab, you will be ticketed if you opt to ride on the cab's roof.

Oklahoma
It is considered illegal to read a comic book while driving.

Oregon
You will be ticketed if you leave your car door open longer than is deemed necessary.

Pennsylvania
If you spy a team of approaching horses, you are required by law to pull to the side of the road and cover your car with a blanket or dust cover that has been painted or sewn to blend into the scenery. But, if the horses react skittish to your efforts, you are then required to disassemble your car and hide the parts in the nearby underbrush.

South Carolina
In Hilton Head, South Carolina, you cannot leave trash in your vehicle out of fear of attracting rats.

Tennessee
It is illegal to fire a gun at any wild game other than whales from a moving car.

West Virginia
It is perfectly legal, for road maintenance purposes, to scavenge road kill.

from dmv.org

Hooray for Vitamin K!

2007-07-09T12:32:00.000-04:00

I just read a great article on Vitamin K2! I can't help it that I am so enthusiastic about health articles like this. It just happens. It sounds like a lot of people in the U.S. are Vitamin K2 deficient. One reason is use of antibiotics. Our digestive tract can actually manufacture K2, but after taking antibiotics, your body loses the ability to make this important vitamin. The more antibiotics you take, the more Vitamin K2 deficiency. Also, some people are genetically prone to having low Vitamin K levels. Along with phosphotase (an enzyme in raw milk), K2 helps your body store calcium in the right places (bones), as opposed to the wrong places (arteries, soft tissues, organs, etc.). Anyone who has taken coumadin or has any kind of calcification issues should read this article: Vitamin K2 Controls Removal of Calcium from Arteries, by Dr. James Howenstine. Here's another good article on this topic. K2 is different from the Vitamin K you usually hear about that comes from leafy green vegetables. Some nutritional sources of Vitamin K2 are: gouda cheese, butter and other fats from grass-fed animals, natto, sauerkraut, and other lacto-fermented vegetables. There are also some recently developed K2 supplements. I think Dr. Mercola carries some in his on-line store, and apparently this Dr. Howenstine has a source for them. Another thing you can do to help K2 deficiency is to get your gut back into good shape if you've ever been on antibiotics (isn't that almost everyone?) - cut out sugar, cut back on grains, eat lots of (sugarless) yogurt and/or kefir, and take a good, high-quality probiotic. This is great information! Let me know if you have any questions. I enjoy finding out about this stuff!

You didn't ask, but Here's What I Think

2007-07-08T14:56:00.000-04:00

I have a ton of things I'd like to write about, but not enough time to do it in. I'm only here now because it is so deathly hot outside, I don't feel like doing anything constructive. Hence, this blog entry. Wait, that didn't quite come out right. I think I just insulted my own blog.

Here's my topic today: Ron Paul, 2008 Republican Primary candidate. There's only one thing I don't quite understand about this guy, and that is his stand against the Iraq war. He says that it should have never begun in the first place. But it is unclear to me exactly what he would do as president, were he to be elected next year, about national security in the Middle East and Muslim terrorism in general. I know he would be strengthening the borders here and enforcing immigration laws (now there's an idea!). I'm not an expert in military matters (obviously), but it seems to me that just having our military suddenly leave the Middle East would not work very well. I think it is true that our "being there" has fueled their hatred of us, however, this philosophy alone seems to underestimate the evil at work in these Muslim terrorists.

This is the only thing I have found so far to dislike about Ron Paul. If it weren't for this one issue, I would vote for him with no reservations. I love his strict take on the Constitution, not to mention his honesty and intelligence. I mean...the man actually READS the legislation that he votes on in Congress! What a bizarre notion.

I still think that the primary next year will be the biggest election. A third party candidate doesn't have much chance in November, but if we elect a dud for the Republican nomination next spring (e.g. any of the current frontrunners), I will definitely be voting for a third party myself in November. I've heard the Constitution Party might ask Jerome Corsi to run on their ticket. In my opinion, this is not "throwing away your vote". I just don't agree with the idea that we should only support candidates that might possibly be able to win. That seems monopolistic to me. Kind of like saying we have to choose only between Wal-Mart and Target, and forget the little Mom-and-Pop store down the road because they can't compete anyway and they'll only go out of business next year anyway. Well, if we all gave our support to the best candidate despite their perceived "electability", then some of the better candidates at the bottom of the polls actually would have a chance now, wouldn't they?

No Longer Amateurs

2007-07-01T14:50:00.000-04:00

Now that we have a pasture fenced in, you know we're really serious about this animal stuff. This is the real thing. The fence installers came and fenced in something around two acres of our land - all in one day. And it is a great-looking fence, too. They just pounded those big fence posts into the ground with this big pounding machine (sorry to get technical on you). Then sometime in the afternoon while all of this was taking place, I noticed that the e-mail wasn't working. Then a little later on, I noticed the phone wasn't working. All of a sudden it dawned on me: one (or more) of those fence posts was pounded right through our phone line.

It wasn't the fault of the fence people, so we just didn't even bring it up with them. My husband decided to try and figure out where the break was so that he could fix it himself. And if he would have found the break he would have fixed it too. He is just that good. But alas, the phone company had to come out and lay down brand new wire...two weeks later. Yes, we were without phone/internet service for two weeks.

Here is what I learned during my two weeks without the phone, e-mail and internet: life without this technology moves along just like it always did before, only maybe a little bit slower, and definitely more smoothly. I am glad to have the phone back again because of the security it brings in case of an emergency, but the first day we were back "on-line" and the phone rang several times within one hour, I was about ready to take the scissors and cut that phone line again myself. It was really quite pleasant without it.

You Know You Want One

2007-06-20T10:18:00.000-04:00

HT: Urban Pioneer

Children's Literature: Pick of the Week

2007-06-01T00:16:00.000-04:00

Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame

Certainly I read this book as a child, but it's amazing how I do not remember anything about it. This is a classic that children must read. It is hilarious. The funnest part is coming up with the accents for the characters (you have to read it out loud). I did Ratty in my best British accent, and Badger was as low a tone and as gravelly as I could muster. But the best character in this book by far is Toad. Clever Toad. Handsome Toad. Humble Toad. If that doesn't crack you up, you haven't read the book. I can't wait to read it again with my younger son when he's in second grade.

Inventory

2007-05-30T10:09:00.000-04:00

1 huge miniature jersey
2 small miniature hereford steers
1 billy goat
3 nanny goats (in milk)
2 young wethers (2 months old)
2 female kids (1-2 months old)
2 lambs
17 laying hens (not very GOOD laying hens right now), mostly Rhode Island Red
12 chicks (Silver-laced Wyandottes)
3 turkey poults
5 guinea chicks
1 black lab
1 cat

Yesterday the Fedex guy delivered a package. He stopped to pet Daisy (she was right by the garage). He stopped the truck in the middle of the driveway and talked to Ruby (the jersey) for a good 2-3 minutes. I think he had fun.

Happy Birthday Beanie Jeanie

2007-05-28T11:02:00.001-04:00

It's my daughter's birthday today. She was born four years ago today at the end of four hellish days of kidney stone pain for me. But hey, that's not important, who cares about that! It's HER day, not mine! After just four years of living, she has become a connoisseur of fine ponies. You probably didn't know that this is a picture of Rainbow Dash. See, you are just as ignorant on ponies as I am. I didn't know either until I just now looked it up on Google images. Happy birthday daughter! (note: of course she can't read this, but I will tell her about it.)

I also wanted to post a link to a milk article. "Scientists breed cows that give skimmed milk". This "progressive" feat is nutso. The article says scientists have found a cow that gives skimmed milk, then talks about the properties of its butter. Huh? What butter? Skimmed milk means no cream. Butter comes from cream, yes? Hopefully this won't "catch on". Milk comes with fat because you need the fat to properly utilize the natural vitamins A and D that are also (hopefully) in milk. So this new cow is actually a step backward in nutritional science.

I haven't posted much lately because I have been so busy. But I have been able to get some reading done while at my boys' ball practices. I've been reading Nina Planck and Wendell Berry. Both good authors. Maybe I'll write some more about them sometime in the future. In the meantime, pick up a copy of Planck's Real Food at your library. Great "food" for thought.

Milk Causes Brain Damage?

2007-05-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

I just read an article called "Scientists point to link between dairy foods and dementia". Here's the general idea behind the article:

CALCIUM and vitamin D in dairy products may be contributing to brain damage and dementia in older men and women, new research suggests.

Scientists believe too much calcium can narrow blood vessels in the brain, leading to neural damage. The effect may be compounded by vitamin D, which regulates calcium retention and activity.

I just wanted to point out some big problems with this study: the vitamin D that is in store-bought milk is synthetic. It is not the same thing as the natural vitamin D we get from the sun and from raw milk. First of all, conventional milk from the store comes from raw milk that is low in vitamin D to begin with. This is becaues the cows do not get much sunshine, and they are fed grain rather than grass. Secondly, pasteurization destroys a good percentage of the vitamins that are there. This is why they have to fortify it with synthetic vitamin D. But synthetic vitamin D is NOT the same as natural vitamin D, it is actually quite different.

The reason that getting your calcium from store-bought milk is not a good idea is because pasteurization renders the enzyme phosphatase ineffective. In fact, one of the ways they test milk to see if it has been pasteurized is to see if there is any phosphatase left in it. No phosphatase: it's pasteurized. Some phosphatase: it's not yet pasteurized. This is important because your body needs phosphatase to utilize calcium correctly. Without it, the calcium from milk is not doing your body any good. In fact, that extra calcium floating through your body unused could become deposited in unfortunate places, and that can cause many different problems related to calcification, such as hardening of the arteries.

If the scientists recreated this research study using grass-fed raw milk rather than cooked milk, they would likely get entirely different results. My theory is that it is actually the synthetic vitamin D and a lack of phosphatase that can be linked to dementia.

Mom

2007-05-12T21:59:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! I've written a few things now and then about how special my mother is: like here and here. Last year I posted a great Mother's Day poem. Now I'd like to write about one thing my mom always did as I was growing up that I think was wonderful, although at the time I didn't realize it. She was always so enthusiastic about babies, and children in general. We would see a family with a new baby and she would look at my dad and we all knew what her next words were going to be: "Oh Bill, we need a new baby!" As a teenager, the cool thing to do was to roll my eyes, which I'm sure I did a few times. But now that I am older I can see how lovely it was that she was always so overjoyed when it came to babies. Each one is a special welcome little person, in need of our love and extra attention. It is so sad that this joy is sorely lacking in today's culture. There are couples who choose on purpose to not have any children because of the stress, work, and time they entail. Well...I guess they're right about the stress, work, and time part; but they obviously don't understand the dividends that having children can bring. Being the generally lazy person that I am, I credit my mother with developing within me a love for children that helped me see past all that hard work. Mom: my children and I thank and salute you.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31:28-31

Bullet Notes: Comin' at You

2007-05-09T22:12:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a busy week, but I just wanted to make some brief notes about some recent news items and family events:
Having a female baby goat de-horned: sad and pitiful little thing, it will take a full day to recover from that trauma
Baseball season: this too shall pass
Birthday parties: fun fun fun
Ron Paul: still my favorite primary candidate
Wee Sing Fun 'n Folk: this CD has been playing constantly lately
Recent reads: Wise Traditions (spring issue), HSLDA Court Report, Mother Earth News (April-May)
School: Week 27 out of 36 (we go year-round), book shopping for next year
Garden: some things are actually sprouting!
Weather: gloriously warm, it's great! Now for a little rain, please Lord...
Melamine in chicken and pig food: bad bad bad
Massive numbers of pigs dying in China: what's up with that?
Microwave popcorn: not good for you at all (chemicals and teflon-coated bags)
Kombucha: I'm going to go for it. It requires tea and plain white sugar - I haven't bought white sugar in probably a good 2-1/2 years, but here goes nothing...
Kefir: I love my goat milk kefir in the mornings. It's much better tasting than cow milk kefir.

Sorry, but I'm too lazy to look up the links to the health-related notes here. These are things I've read over the last few days, but I don't remember where.

A Day in the Life

2007-05-01T23:23:00.000-04:00

8:30 - I wake up. No alarm clock. Get ready to milk Daisy and Rose.
8:45 - Milk Daisy and Rose and say good morning to the animals in the barn. We get 1/2 gallon of milk.
9:05 - I bottle the milk and go back out to do the other animal chores. I feed the animals that stay put (Ruby the cow and Billy the billy) and put the other animals in their appointed places, which are mostly on chains attached to posts. Also, make sure they all have water.
9:30 - I get ready for the rest of the day
10:00 - Make pancakes for the kids' breakfast, which they eat with butter and maple syrup. My breakfast: 3 eggs over-easy, bacon, coconut muffin, a glass of kefir, and two cups of herb tea.
10:35 - Settle down to eat my breakfast and read the morning's news on the internet.
11:00 - I put off starting school by looking up several hatchery websites to see what chicks we want to order this year. I e-mail my husband to ask about ordering chicks.
11:30 - Clean up and get ready for school.
11:50 - We start school: Bible, phonics, reading, piano lesson, and my older son works a while independently ("independently" is a relative term here). We had a late breakfast, so I figure there's no reason to have lunch before 2:00. We continue working until:
1:50 - My second son notices a white horse out on the road, walking south. I notice that the horse has a saddle, but no rider. I go outside to investigate and see if I can find an owner for the horse.
1:55 - As I walk across the yard, I see Iris standing in her spot with some sort of white and black animal lying still on the ground next to her. I realize that Iris, the goat we thought was NOT expecting WAS expecting, and she has just had her baby. I partially recover from the shock of finding an unexpected newborn goat kid outside in our yard, and take the two into the barn to make sure they are ok. I totally forget about the horse. The new kid is a girl.
2:10 - The newborn kid, which seemed almost lifeless when I found it, perked right up in the barn, but showed no signs of wanting to nurse. That worries me, so I try to help it get a drink. Still no interest. I let her rest for a while. I notice a Bobcat driven by an Amishman drive down the road.
2:30 - The Bobcat goes back past the house going the other direction with the white horse in tow.
2:45 - The kid gets up and stands on wobbly legs and starts looking for milk. She finds it on her own. Yay! Both mother and baby are perfectly fine.
3:00 - I go back inside to get some lunch: warmed up soup for me, and leftover pizza for the kids. It was frozen in a little freezer bag and took forever to warm up in the toaster oven.
3:30 - We eat lunch and take a break from the day. We all thank God for the white horse that got my attention so I could discover the newborn goat outside. Otherwise we wouldn't have known about it for at least a couple more hours. I catch up on Dr. Mercola's blog.
4:30 - I read with my older son, and we talk about our stories. My daughter cuts holes in her tights with unauthorized scissors.
5:15 - I check on the new baby and then take a phone call. The kids argue over whether the baby goat should be named "Dandelion" or "Belle".
5:30 - I realize there are no dishes clean for dinner and rush around getting the dishwasher loaded before ball practice.
6:00 - Ball practice for my second son. Older son and daughter ride bikes at the park, and I walk around behind them and also read a homeschool magazine while they play on the playground.
7:20 - I put some Italian sausage on to cook for dinner. It's so nice out and rain is on the way according to the radar map, so I put it on low so I can go outside.
7:25 - I go outside and talk with my husband about animal stuff, and we work together on evening chores and getting the pens situated for this new mother and baby. That took some doing since the other mothers and babies are separated at night, so we needed a new separate pen. We ended up taking the "chicken tractor" into the barn to keep the babies in for the night. That's a makeshift solution, but, it will work for now.
8:30 - I have no idea what time it is, but I figure I'd probably better go inside and make dinner. We'll want to eat eventually, right?
9:15 - Dinner is ready. Husband and Son #1 are still out arranging the animals, so the rest of us eat: spaghetti for them and a big salad with sausage for me (I'm grain-free right now). This is a late dinner - even for US.
9:45 - I catch up on Dave Gumpert's blog (writer for Business Week). Son #2 asks me to make him some eggs. I tell him I doubt I will have time to make him any eggs since I haven't even started the dishes yet, and there are a lot to do. He starts doing dishes just so he can (he hopes) have some eggs.
10:00 - I make kefir, Son #2 continues doing dishes. Then I join him.
10:30 - We are both still doing dishes. Isn't he a trooper? This is entirely voluntary. I decide to fix him his eggs. He says he wants them over-easy.
10:50 - My son sits down to his snack of 2 eggs: one over-easy, and one scrambled (the yolk broke). I go back to the dishes. I ponder whether or not I should believe that kombucha is good for you or not. Son #1 makes me an early Mother's Day card. It's sweet.
11:15 - I quit doing dishes. Haven't I worked on them long enough? I never did get them done. I wander over to the computer, thinking about the day. I considered doing "a day in the life" type of blog in the morning when I woke up, so I sit down to write it out.
11:45 - Get my kids ready for bed and say good night.
Midnight - I finish my blog and head for bed. I thought when I got up I would blog about a "typical" day, but it really wasn't that typical. But then again, I really don't remember the last time we had a typical day. Anybody know what normal is?

Rose Kicked the Bucket

2007-04-30T23:44:00.000-04:00

I know how the saying "kicked the bucket" got started. This morning one of my two milk goats, Rose, kicked the milk bucket, totally knocking it over and spilling milk all over the milk stand. Grrrrrrrr...And we were almost finished, too. I was close to committing goat-moiduh. This is the same goat that did this to me last winter while I was milking her mama:

What a little stinker. Of course this was before we had the milking stand, so I don't have to milk like this anymore (it got rough on the ol' knees). That goat sure does owe me. Big time. This is her first year being milked, so suffice it to say, I expect a whole lotta milk from her in the future.

Homestead Update

2007-04-27T10:54:00.000-04:00

It's been a great week here on the farm. I'm milking again! Not one, but two does! Our babies are old enough that we can separate the babies from the mamas overnight, and then claim some milk for ourselves every morning. We have averaged about a 1/2 gallon of milk each morning over the last 5 days or so. The kids are getting used to the goat milk all over again, and now we have enough that they can have more than just one cup at breakfast. We also have the eggs to go along with the milk, so we are doing great! Last night I made the kids egg nog, which is delicious, even though it is not December. I'd love to try my hand at making some cheese, but that is just one of a number of things on my List.

Thanks to everyone who prayed for our new little goat mother, Rose. She seems to have recovered. We believe she broke one of her legs. Once I realized that is what had happened, I put a splint on it, and in a few days it was straightened out and she was able to put a little bit of weight on it. Now she's walking around just fine, and her baby Sunflower is growing fast!

I am trying some square-foot gardening this spring. I'm not sure how it will turn out, but we're trying! I started some seedlings about a month ago, but they did not do so well. So far, we have two 4x4 boxes planted with spring stuff - lettuce, spinach, onions, herbs, carrots, etc.

In the kitchen, I've been experimenting with coconut flour. It's just dried coconut ground up. I've been avoiding wheat in my diet over the last few months, and I have figured out how to make some pretty good muffins with the coconut flour. There isn't much information out there about this stuff, so this has been pretty much just "winging it". You can also use it for fried chicken, I have found out. But it didn't work so well for gravy. Maybe I just need to experiment more with that. I have read that you can use it to make pancakes too, but I haven't tried that yet. The big trick about using coconut flour is that you need plenty of eggs. I use two eggs for every 1/4 cup coconut flour.

Another thing we tried for the first time this week is kombucha. It is a fermented drink that tastes a lot like soda. It's sweet, but it has a slight vinegary flavor to it also. It is supposed to be very good for detoxifying. But I am skeptical about it. You use regular sweetened (with white sugar) tea, and then put a little pancake-y looking culture in it, and let it set out for around 10 days. The culture "eats" the sugar and ferments the tea. It actually ends up somewhat carbonated and tastes really good. Two out of three of my kids loved it. But it is hard to understand how something like that started with white sugar could actually be good for you. But who knows, maybe it's true!

Congratulations to my baby brother, who just officially got engaged! We are all so excited about this big news, and can't wait for the wedding. My kids are already talking about it. They are thrilled. Especially to be getting such a great new aunt!

Let Me Blog Something...Anything!

2007-04-22T09:31:00.000-04:00

When I woke up this morning, I realized in no uncertain terms that I could not possibly leave That Cow Picture up at the top of my blog. If you have to ask why not, then you couldn't even begin to understand even if I explained it. That's why I'm here blogging over my daily eggs-over-easy. Now I have to think of something to say...

OK, here it is, I've got it. The Republican Primary. I have a front-runner in my own personal poll (which is to say, if the election was held today, I know who I would vote for). Here he is:

Dr. Ron Paul, physician and congressman from Texas.

I like this guy because he actually votes by the Constitution and by his conscience. He pays no attention to lobbyists and special interest groups. Do you have any idea how rare that is? Right now, I don't imagine he has much chance at winning the primary, but that is why I'm posting this now, so I can encourage everyone to do their research BEFORE the primary instead of after. Not that you have to vote exactly like me, but find out about the candidates and vote for the one that is closest to carrying your ideals. That seems simple, but really, I don't think most people think to do that. They just find out about the candidates from the television (NOT A GOOD WAY TO RESEARCH! ...sorry I yelled). I've said this before, but it bears repeating: I think the Republican primary will be more important next year than the Big One in November. Let's not elect a dud to run against Hillary or Obama, or whoever else the Democrats come up with (Gomer Pyle, Julie?). If we do, I'll be voting third party. And I don't think I'll be the only one.

The Cow

2007-04-21T22:37:00.000-04:00

This is just bizarre. Totally bizarre. Words fail...My husband saw this cow on a recent business trip and HAD to take a picture. I wonder what mastermind artist came up with this idea. I prefer my cows on all fours out in the pasture, thank you very much. Or maybe as a t-bone on the grill, eh?

I've Always Wondered...

2007-04-19T10:08:00.000-04:00

Frank Gorshin as "The Riddler"

Vladamir Putin

See any similarities? Am I the only one that thinks that Russia's president looks like the Riddler?!?

A Timely Conversation

2007-04-17T12:02:00.000-04:00

I was going to write about something fun today, like transfats or GMO's or similar, but I've got to interrupt my regularly scheduled blogging for some commentary on the evil events that took place on the Virginia Tech campus yesterday. Leave it to WorldNetDaily to provide some fabulous coverage and editorials concerning what happened. Here are a few:

How to Prevent Next Massacre, by Joseph Farah
You're Dead, I'm Healing, by Dennis Prager
Needed: More Americans with Guns, by Andrew Longman

People once again are clamoring for more gun control laws, but no one seems to have noticed that what the murderer did was already against the law. Laws didn't stop him from committing a crime. But gun control laws did prevent responsible people from defending themselves and other innocents. One person with a concealed carry permit in that engineering building could have prevented several dozen deaths. In fact, the killer may have reconsidered his plans if he knew there would likely be armed people in that building.

I think it is a tragedy that so many young men today are only being trained in violence through R-rated slasher movies and video games; and not in a healthy, responsible, manner, such as through gun safety courses and a constantly attentive father who teaches them to channel their "violent energies" for defending innocent people. Would it not have been good for someone so trained to have stopped the killer yesterday? Instead, what we have is a society that overwhelmingly values complete non-violence, which opens up the door for evil to violently conquer. And why not? There are no good guys to fight back. This belief is why I would never make it in the Amish community. That and my love affair with electricity.

I currently know of at least one responsible person we see regularly at a weekly gathering of a large number of people who has a concealed carry permit. Personally, I feel safer in this gathering of people knowing that he is there. Let's say you could choose between two classrooms in that Norris building in which to be a student: one completely unarmed, and one with a well-trained concealed carry permit holder who was "packing heat". Which would you choose?

This is a controversial topic, I know, but if you decide to leave a comment to this post, please at least leave a real first name. I won't take anonymous comments on this post. I assume my opinion is in the minority, but I won't mind if anyone has a well-organized opinion on the contrary they'd like to post. I'd just like to know who's writing it.

Rough Goat Week

2007-04-11T11:34:00.000-04:00

It's been a rough week so far out in the barn. Rose (one of our younger does) had her babies early Monday morning in a very difficult delivery. When I went out to the barn in the morning, one of the babies (female) had already been born and was dry. There was another baby that was not in the proper position to be born, and it had died before we could help it out (male). Somehow in the process, Rose hurt one of her legs and was not even able to attempt standing for almost two days. Now she is standing from time to time, but is unable to put any weight on the injured foot. I put a washcloth in some strong hot comfrey tea and then wrapped the cloth around the joint for a while, and then I wrapped it up in an athletic-type bandage. We are not interested in racking up a huge vet bill, so I will try to treat it as naturally as possible here, and hopefully it will heal up after a week or so. If anyone has any advice for me, feel free to leave a comment.

All of that work with Rose and her baby has left me sore and bruised. Once when I was helping the kid find some milk (which I need to do every few hours), I moved Rose the wrong way and she flung her head up and hit me in the side of the head around my eyebrow. It still hurts. Fortunately, I don't have a black eye. Or perhaps, unfortunately I don't have a black eye. Think of all the fun stories I could tell explaining how I got it, because of course, people would ask. I mean, if it hurts anyway, why not have the trophy to go along with it?

Merry Easter.

2007-04-07T22:22:00.000-04:00

Children's Literature: Pick of the Week

2007-04-05T09:37:00.001-04:00

The Little Duke, by Charlotte M. Yonge, is one of the books I've been reading aloud with my second-grader this year. This is a wonderful, historically accurate story about Richard the Fearless, Duke of Normandy, who was the great-grandfather of William the Conqueror. It takes place in 10th century France. Richard's father is assassinated and Richard inherits his dukedom at the young age of nine. It was written close to a hundred years ago, primarily for children, but it's a great read for adults, too. The book's cover doesn't particularly arouse a great deal of interest; however, the story is riveting. We only read a chapter a week, and it is hard to stop at just one. We found this book listed under Ambleside's Year 2 reading list. This is the (free) homeschooling reading schedule we have been loosely following for the last year. If you think you might be interested in this story, you can find it on-line at The Baldwin Project. Personally, I like to have it in book form. It's hard to cuddle up on the couch with a computer. But if you read it from the computer (or print it out, which would probably cost close to the same as buying the book once you consider the amount of paper and ink it would take), it's "free".

See what I have to put up with?

2007-04-01T22:29:00.000-04:00

I don't have a picture of the leech in our aquarium right now, but if I had one, it would go here too.

Brave New World vs. 1984

2007-03-31T11:58:00.000-04:00

Today is the second anniversary of the death of Terri Schiavo. At the time she died, I wrote several blog posts about the politics surrounding the ruling to allow her to dehydrate. Her brother recently wrote an article for WorldNetDaily that fairly summarizes the press’ treatment of her life and death. I so appreciate the “alternative press’” handling of cases like these. You do not get an accurate picture of what is happening from the lamestream media (I didn‘t make that up, I read it somewhere else, but I forget where). They can make you think and feel however they want you to, just by the way they word their stories. Which leads me to the subject of today’s post.

I just finished reading Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, and 1984, by George Orwell. Huxley’s book first came out in 1932, Orwell’s in 1949. They are both referred to so often in our culture, that since I hadn’t read them before, I thought I’d better give it a shot. They are what’s called “negative utopias” - visions of the future “perfect” society that obviously fall far short of real perfection. They are similar in that in both works, the value of the individual is nothing. All is for the good of collective society. Both societies are governed by an elite few. Huxley accomplishes this “good” through genetic engineering, conditioning, drugs, and encouraging promiscuous behavior. Orwell makes the accomplishment through force: continuous universal monitoring, constantly rewriting history, and physically reprogramming independent thinkers through torture.

We have a number of common words and phrases that come from these works: Big Brother, newspeak, “Orwellian”, thought police, thought crime, and doublethink all come from 1984. Huxley gives us the word soma (a drug used daily to even out people‘s emotions), as well as numerous plot line references in many modern books, movies, music, etc.

Basically, Brave New World keeps people in line through pleasure. 1984 controls through pain. We obviously have elements of both at work in our society today. More and more we are using genetic engineering to select for traits that we consider desirable. Conditioning is made easy through television, the press, and public schooling. Both adults and children are often drugged before even making an effort to discover the root cause of physical and psychological problems. Promiscuity is accepted and even encouraged. We are forced into allowing the government to decide whose lives are worth living and whose are not (quality of life has replaced sanctity of life as the overriding value). Computers and credit/bank cards allow tracking of almost everything we do or buy.

Here is what Neil Postman (in Amusing Ourselves to Death, a book I haven’t made it all the way through yet) says about the comparison between these two books:

What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance.…In 1984,…people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.

So, perhaps we could say that the United States is more like Brave New World, and any Muslim or Communist totalitarian regime is more like 1984. There are exceptions, of course. Such as the Terri Schiavo case, when government decides that death by dehydration is the best way to fix a disabled woman’s problems.

These are two very thought-provoking books. If you are a reader, you might consider reading them. I would not recommend them for anyone under 18 due to adult content. Bottom line: there will be no “perfect” societies this side of heaven. Jesus is the only perfector, and the fall of man through sin guarantees an imperfect world. We should all pray for wisdom in discerning evil and good.

Big Family Announcement!

2007-03-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

Daisy had her babies Sunday evening. It was a great experience for all of us. Our kids were there for the big moment, so I figure I get to count that as at least one full day of school. She had 2 males that look almost exactly like her. We're a little sorry that they were both boys because the females make much better milkers! But our two little fellas are adorable, and they are already starting to run, jump, and play. They are a lot of fun to watch, but we know that unfortunately we will probably have to eventually sell them (and by "sell them", I mean get someone to take them off our hands, using whatever means possible).

Soooo......Anyone out there need a couple of male goats? Hey! You won't need a lawn mower anymore with these two little weed and grass munchers tied up in your yard (jungle?) this summer. I've also heard that you can train them to pull a little goat wagon. There you go! Get a goat wagon, and Tom and Harry (my older son named them) can pull your kids around the yard. They'll love it. I'm sure at my crazy low prices that this pair won't stick around here for long. Get in touch with me now before they're gone!

In other news, baseball practice starts this week (both of my boys are playing....on different teams). I already have no time for doing things that I want and need to do, so no doubt I will be Beyond the Land of Sanity before the season is over the end of June. Right now I divide my time between the following leisure activities: outside chores, food prep, meal cleanup, laundry, and school. Yes, that about sums it up.

No wait, except for one more thing: egg organization. I spend a few minutes each day rotating my eggs. We are finally getting plenty of eggs from our chickens for our family, and I feel so secure with all my egg cartons filled up in the fridge. I have a very meticulous method for keeping my eggs organized and rotated properly. The rest of my house is a wreck (well, mostly, anyway), but those eggs are my pride and joy. Don't mess with my system, folks. It is something to behold, believe me.

Just a reminder, don't forget to let me know when you'd like us to deliver your new goats. They should be weaned by the end of May.

Children's Literature: Pick of the Week

2007-03-21T10:09:00.000-04:00

Here's a great book to read with your kids: Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man, by Robert McCloskey (author of Make Way for Ducklings). All of these books I'm posting about for "pick of the week" are well beloved by both my children and me. It is beyond me how this author was able to use such stellar word choices as he wrote this book. And the repetition of various phrases adds to the fun. For a picture book, it is fairly long, so this might not be the best book for pre-schoolers. But I'd guess it's perfect for a read aloud with first and second graders, and for younger children with...unusually good attention spans. Excellent, excellent book.

It's Almost Time!

2007-03-21T09:53:00.000-04:00

My lovely nanny goat, Daisy, is due to have her babies any time. This will be our second time experiencing a goat birth, and when she had her babies last year, it was such an amazing thing to see. (Side note: I'm not as squeamish now as I was as a kid. Maybe that has something to do with having three kids myself and cleaning up their many messes of various sorts and originations. You think?) Goat babies are so fascinating to watch. In hardly any time at all they are up walking around; even running, jumping and playing. I just can't even imagine what it will be like when our jersey cow gives birth next year (Lord willing she will, anyway). How great will that be?!

Here's a picture of Daisy, reaching for some hay. It's hard to get a good picture of a goat. You need some sort of bait to keep them in one place while you snap the picture.

Vacation Reading: Crunchy Cons

2007-03-19T10:36:00.000-04:00

Just finished reading Crunchy Cons for the second time while we were on vacation. This is a rather big picture, but I wanted you to be able to read the subtitle. Isn't it a hoot? I decided not to type all that out.

This was an amusing book to read in a serious sort of way, if that is possible. The book doesn't really answer how these people will save America or the Republican Party, but I imagine it was just too hysterical of a title to pass up. What it is about: there is this fringe group of conservatives who take their "religion" seriously and make a conscious decision to live in the physical world in a way that is only a continuation of their spiritual views. Dreher calls this "sacramental living". This has incidental political consequences. Politics is not the point of this book.

But there are some amusing anecdotes to tell along the way. These "crunchy cons" find it hilarious that THEY of all people, are taking up a lifestyle that is stereotypically in the domain of the far left. Their opinions on conservative social issues have remained the same, but disagreement with fellow conservatives begins when you start talking about food, money (and big business), the environment, education, etc.

I've had amusing moments like that before. I still remember the first time we went to a little co-op store in an urban residential area in the nearest big city to us. They had this new-agey eastern mystic music playing, and it smelled like patchouli. Everywhere there was hemp-this and hemp-that. And every "flavor" of incense you could possibly imagine. Not to mention all the soy/tofu stuff. I felt like a real oddball. I knew I had to have been the only conservative Christian to ever shop in that store. It just made me want to laugh out loud.

Of course, the book isn't all about anecdotes like this. He uses them to lead up to his main idea, which is this: it is vital that we live our lives consistently by our beliefs, and to truly prioritize family, not just give lip service to the importance of what we say we believe. Make your family's culture your religion externalized.

For anyone interested in this book, here is Mr. Dreher's "Crunchy Con Manifesto":
1. We are conservatives who stand outside the conservative mainstream; therefore, we can see things that matter more clearly.

2. Modern conservatism has become too focused on money, power, and the accumulation of stuff, and insufficiently concerned with the content of our individual and social character.

3. Big business deserves as much skepticism as big government.

4. Culture is more important than politics and economics.

5. A conservatism that does not practice restraint, humility, and good stewardship - especially of the natural world - is not fundamentally conservative.

6. Small, Local, Old, and Particular are almost always better than Big, Global, New, and Abstract.

7. Beauty is more important than efficiency.

8. The relentlessness of media-driven pop culture deadens our senses to authentic truth, beauty, and wisdom.

9. We share Russell Kirk's conviction that "the institution most essential to conserve is the family."

I have to say, I share most of the same convictions that the author shared in this book (I say most, not all). I guess that makes me a Crunchy Con. However, one of the characteristics of "crunchy cons" is that you can't nail 'em down with a book. We just are who we are, whether anyone puts us in a book or not. It's nice to be recognized as a force, though.

Ain't They Beautiful?

2007-03-11T19:40:00.000-04:00

Here's why I haven't blogged for awhile. My midwestern family and I have been gazing at these for the past 9 days:

And now, back to real life.

Children's Literature: Pick of the Week

2007-02-27T23:52:00.000-05:00

OK, so maybe this isn't the fine sort of literature that would make a great children's literature list, but for beginning readers, these are great little books: Now I'm Reading! for Beginning Readers. This hard backed cover (what you see in the picture) holds 10 small paperbacks. My second son is learning to read right now, and I actually enjoy these stories. Can you imagine a ten page book in which you actually look forward to seeing what happens to the fat cat? What happens when the hot dog gets lost in the fog whilst standing on a log? They are just hilarious books, and the illustrations are what "make" these books work. They were written by Nora Gaydos and illustrated by BB Sams, and published by a company called Innovative Kids.

Dangers of Genetically Modified Food

2007-02-24T11:33:00.000-05:00

As a follow-up to this previous post, I'd like to write about the dangers of genetically modified food. This is important because nearly 1/3 of agricultural land in the United States is now being planted in gene-altered crops, and 70% of processed foods at your local grocery store have GM foods in them. And there are no requirements for these processed foods to be labeled as such. Likely everyone reading this has already consumed a fair amount of this kind of food. It is hard to avoid, even if you don't buy processed food. That's because it is also prevalent in any kind of restaurant food as well (particularly soy, corn, and canola).

Here are just a few reasons that GM foods are dangerous:

They create "super-weeds" that cannot be controlled.
The FDA assumes these foods are the same as the originals without even testing them; there have never been any studies on the effects of GM foods on humans.
In animal testing, GM foods have caused numerous health problems, including lung damage, cancer, and death.
GM foods have an inherently higher risk for children.

This is such a small sampling of the number of problems with GM anything. I didn't even mention rBGH (genetically modified hormone given to cows), terminator technology, the Star-Link corn fiasco, etc., ad nauseam. This information can be found easily over the internet. Dr. Mercola is an excellent trustworthy source for this kind of information if you find conflicting information and don't know who to trust. Naturally, any kind of information written by or paid for by any big seed/chemical/GM corporations is likely untrustworthy. This site has a list of 50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Foods. I don't know anything about the rest of the site, but this page has some good information.

Next week I'll write about how you can avoid genetically modified food.

More on the Primary

2007-02-23T10:02:00.000-05:00

I am developing quite an interest in the 2008 Republican Primary. To me, that's the big election. It's still a year away, but there's already a fair amount of activity with the candidates. I think it's the most important election because if we elect a dud for the primary, you might as well forget about the election in November. Whether we get a Democrat or a Republican will not much matter, as we have learned in the past. The press is telling us our top three choices are: John McCain, Rudy Guiliani, and Mitt Romney. I agree with Phyllis Schlafly. All of those guys are "no-go's" for me. One thing that is nice is that the primary "season" seems to be starting earlier and earlier with each election cycle. That way we have plenty of time to "kick the tires" on each candidate before we "buy" (elect) them, as Kevin McCollough puts it. Third parties don't get much of a chance in November elections, but if we do get the "dud" for the Republican nomination, I will have no choice but to go with one. And the overarching truth that brings sanity to my thoughts on the big election: God will still be God, even if Barack Obama is elected president of the United States.

Republican Primary 2008

2007-02-21T14:57:00.000-05:00

Here's an article worth reading regarding next year's primary: Ron Paul, the Real Republican?

Children's Literature: Pick of the Week

2007-02-21T10:22:00.000-05:00

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, by Rudyard Kipling. This is a classic story your kids have to read. My kids loved it. The mongoose (Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, of course), saves his "family" from two king cobra snakes. It is action packed and full of excellent writing!

I didn't remember much about this story before I recently read it to my kids, even though I know my teachers read it to me in elementary school. The nice thing about reading to your kids is, you get to actually appreciate all this great literature that you wouldn't normally read otherwise. Even if you did read them when you were a kid, you develop a deeper appreciation of them as an adult.

Favorite Things

2007-02-17T11:28:00.000-05:00

Here's one of my favorite things about our house: curtains that I made all by myself a couple of years ago when I went on that "sewing kick". I like how they turned out. Not bad for someone with practically no sewing experience (unless you count cross-stitch).

Monsanto is Evil

2007-02-17T10:23:00.000-05:00

I just read an article about the USDA getting in trouble for not doing a better job of regulating Monsanto's destructive genetic engineering practices. Hopefully, this will spur the USDA on to really put a dent into Monsanto's dangerous ways. It is not a light thing to call a person or business evil, but let me be perfectly clear: Monsanto is evil.

Did you know that a farmer has to pay Monsanto for growing their seed, even if they don't want it and it has just contaminated the farmer's seed through pollination or spillover from trucks driving down the road? Did you know that almost all rice grown in the U.S. now is contaminated and contains GMO's (genetically modified organisms)? Did you know that Monsanto is filing for patent after patent on seeds and that they are reducing the diversity of the seeds being planted in the U.S.? That may not seem too important, but what happens when one (or more) particular variety of plant is struck by some sort of disease? Widespread famine. Now they are looking into patenting animals. Why should it be legal to patent any kind of life? Farmers have been saving their own seed since the beginning of time, but this is putting an end to that. And how can those who oppose GMO's keep them from cross-pollinating their fields/gardens? Impossible. There's even GMO corn with a built-in spermicide. Imagine if that stuff got loose in our country. And an even more awful thought: what if it already has?

If you want to learn more about how our food supply is coming under the control of only a few mega-corporations, you should watch The Future of Food. It is here for free, you could borrow the dvd from me sometime, or you can buy it from here. This is really so very important, and one of the main reasons why it is great to buy locally and buy organic. You can tell I feel very strongly about this, yes? Next week, I'll write about some of the effects of GMO's and how you can avoid GMO food.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2007-02-15T10:02:00.000-05:00

Conversation overheard in our house this morning:
"Today's Grandma's birthday!"
"Should we make her a cake? She always makes cakes for us!"

We love you, Mom!

Children's Literature: Pick of the Week

2007-02-14T21:27:00.000-05:00

My kids love this book. And obviously, this was the week to read it.

What I Do During Blizzards

2007-02-13T10:52:00.000-05:00

Irony is so ironic. Yesterday for my son's birthday we took the day off from school to celebrate, while the "regular" schools were all in session. Today we have a blizzard, all the local schools are closed, but we are going to have school here. I guess it all evens out, doesn't it. The weather is too bad for my husband to make it to work, so he's out in the windy fray, puttering around doing guy stuff. Starting the tractor, making short trips into town to the little store to buy stuff "we might need", taking care of the animals. And I'm staying put. Keeping nice and warm. Duh.

I thought I'd post a couple of links to some good articles I read today on WorldNetDaily. I got out of the habit of reading there over the last few months. It was annoying me that they were spending so much time bashing the illegal immigrants. I know it's wrong for people to disregard the law, but the large bulk of illegal immigrants are here because they are wanting to have a better life. We need to enforce the immigration law, but I think we can have a little compassion for needy people too.

The first article I liked, from Mr. Mychal Massie, talks about slim pickings for the Republicans come primary time next year. Giuliani and McCain seem to be the front runners, and I'm thinking, HUH? They are RINO's. Why would real Republicans vote for them? What's up with that? Anyway, read Mr. Massie's article for some good info.

The second article is from Mr. Jim Rutz. He reminds us that "History is Scripted". If you look up "soy" on the WND search engine you will also find a very good series of articles he wrote on the dangers of soy. It is worth reading too, if you get the chance. Hopefully you will, especially if you use any soy products (other than fermented soy like soy sauce and miso).

And now, back to school...

Everything About Duct Tape

2007-02-06T21:16:00.000-05:00

I'd like to dedicate this post to Dad.
Duct Tape Guys on video
The Official Duct Tape Guys web site

I guess I need some duct tape so I can try out the nunclucks.

More About the Weather

2007-02-03T10:18:00.000-05:00

If "Accuweather" is accurate, (side note: in our house, when we refer to Accuweather, we put the accent on "Ac-cu" and we give the entire word a rather sarcastic slur) it is supposed to get up to 41 degrees on February 14. "Weather" or not that means anything to you, I don't know, but there is hope, somewhere, somehow, that the temperatures will one day again rise above freezing. And isn't it consoling that we have more sunlight now and the sun is coming down from a higher angle than it was a month ago? OK, maybe not. Sorry I mentioned it.

I was talking with an Amish woman yesterday. No matter what you say, you cannot get the Amish to complain about anything, much less stuff like the weather. I mentioned how cold it was and how I was more of a "warm weather" person myself. She said something like how we can all be grateful that we have a nice warm house to be in when it gets this cold outside. Wow, didn't I feel like a heel.

Yes, I am grateful and blessed to live in a nice warm house. But...YOWZA, I still hate this cold.

Please, Take Me Someplace Tropical

2007-01-31T20:00:00.000-05:00

Over the past 10 days, the change in the jet stream has been quite dramatic. Instead of coming from the Pacific the flow is coming over the top of the world straight from Siberia. This is bringing extremely cold air southward into the United States. The cold weather pattern will persist into February and the worst is yet to come.

Thank you, Accuweather, for that oh so encouraging weather update. I'll let you know when I come out of hibernation.

Unhappy Meals

2007-01-29T22:39:00.000-05:00

I just read a great article by Michael Pollan called "Unhappy meals". He talks about how modern nutritionists have done us all a disservice by telling us that everything we need from food can be reduced to a small number of nutrients and vitamins (this is called "nutritionism"). Untrue. There are necessary components of real food that have not yet been "discovered", but that our bodies need. We cannot get them from fortified, refined food products. They only come in the form of real food. Here's a great quote from the article:

No one likes to admit that his or her best efforts at understanding and solving a problem have actually made the problem worse, but that's exactly what has happened in the case of nutritionism. Scientists operating with the best of intentions, using the best tools at their disposal, have taught us to look at food in a way that has diminished our pleasure in eating it while doing little or nothing to improve our health. Perhaps what we need now is a broader, less reductive view of what food is, one that is at once more ecological and cultural. What would happen, for example, if we were to start thinking about food as less of a thing and more of a relationship?

Although it is long, I highly recommend this article, but disagree with the author on the following points:

He recommends a mostly vegetarian diet. I believe that at least most people need some meat in their diets, and some people need a fair amount of meat in their diet.
The role of evolution in humans' ability to digest certain foods is debatable. I wouldn't follow that line of thought too far. How can we know for sure if people originally had the proper enzymes to digest milk? How could we possibly "evolve" to benefit from high fructose corn syrup?

He includes some great tips for eating well, including eating food your ancestors would recognize, avoid foods with any sort of "health claim" (New! Fortified with Omega 3's!), and get out of the supermarket as often as possible (as in, go to the farmer's market or grow some of your own). His advice is all good, and this guy is a great writer. I put his book on hold at the library (The Omnivore's Dilemma) some time ago, but apparently I'm not the only one who wants to read it. The New York Times Book Review editors chose it as one of the top ten books of 2006.

A Break from the Lazy Blogger: Dresses

2007-01-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

I came up with a great idea to break this "lazy blogger" streak I have going. I'm going to write about why I wear dresses. Actually, I do not wear wear dresses all the time. Not when I'm doing the chores or running on the treadmill. Nor when we go to amusement parks where I'm likely to ride some wild rides. It's good for us to articulate our reasoning behind things like this (good for the brain, and good to know why we do what we do), so I think I'll give it a shot. Obviously, this is a post geared towards Christian ladies.

First, I'll tell you what wearing dresses for me is not. It is not legalistic. I do not believe that wearing jeans is wrong. It is not a sin issue in any way. To me, this kind of thinking (legalism) is like always playing defense. We know that Satan attacks using "attractive immodesty". Therefore, we have to defend ourselves by not allowing certain types of clothing. My thoughts are that this just does not work. Anyway, we are free in Jesus, right?

At the same time, as Christians, we have to be thoughtful about what we wear. Immodesty is a stumbling block to many - the wearer and the viewer. Should we embrace legalism then? I don't think so. Do we offer ourselves up to the fashion industry and simply wear what we (they?) want without giving it any serious thought? What is needed in this case, is to consider playing offense, so to speak. Here are a few questions that might help us to dress well while on the offensive:

How can I dress in a lovely, feminine way?
How can I glorify God in my dress?
What kind of clothing does my husband/father like me to wear in public?
How can I dress in a way that will not cause my Christian brothers to stumble in their thought-life?
How can I be a witness to others in the public arena without even saying a word?
How can I teach my children that it is fun to glorify God in our dress, not restrictive?

You can probably see where I am going with this. I don't wear dresses because I feel that I must. I do it because it is a lovely way to glorify God with my life. It does not even take much effort! It is not the only lovely way to glorify God, but it is one way.

I have found that the only real drawback to wearing dresses is that sometimes I think others may assume I have fallen off the edge into legalism. Let me assure you that this is not the case. I am not one to overly care about what others think of me, but yet I would prefer for that not to be a stumbling block to others either.

We must also recognize that it is easy to find dresses that are not modest and will not glorify God. Simply "wearing a dress" is not all there is to it. You have to continue to think every time you shop. Giving your husband/father real veto power helps, too.

It has been three years now since I have started to mull all of these things over, and it has been an enjoyable three years. I wasn't sure I could do it at first. I didn't have very many dresses, and it just seemed like it would be a hassle to dress up every day. So I decided to try it for one week to see how it would work. I loved it! No hassles, no problems. Later, for variety, I found some nice-looking skirts, dresses, and jumpers at the Goodwill store for just a few dollars each. And the rest...is history.