It has been a mixed bag this week!
On Saturday I cooked up a big pot of spaghetti sauce ready to make the Lasagne I had promised to trade with my niece and her partner. I got two nights of dinners for myself, enough spaghetti meat sauce for Chloe's family and a Lasagne to add to the freezer. I love adding a family meal to the freezer!
On Sunday the trading began. I needed to be ready for some last minute surprises!
I ended up with:
A pair of Australia Pekin Ducks.
And three White Fantail Pigeons...
I actually said no to the pigeons. Like ten times, at least. The Allie said I should imagine how beautiful they would look sitting on my chandeliers (I have old light fittings hanging in the big hen house) and I thought oh yes! 😍 That was psychological warfare! So as you can see I caved in!
But wait... there's more...
Twelve mixed fertile eggs, some blue... (some hopefully the golden chickens...)
(I had set up the incubator and started it the day before... so these could go in immediately.)
And thirteen pale blue Pekin Duck eggs. 🪺
(So my incubator is FULL) 😊
I was thinking, well, if they hatch I really don't need all these ducks BUT already someone asked me could they please "order" some ducks as they would really like some. So a future deal is being stuck and I was offered some Sussex fertile hen eggs. The incubator is full, there is no room for another 3 weeks or so. Besides it is not good to count your chickens before they hatch! I do think there could be some funny names and jokes about having Sussex chooks. Names like Duchess along with a hen pecked rooster? Now the plan is to get the Sussex eggs as soon as the chickens then the ducks (hopefully) hatch.
This same friend gave me a box of beautiful bottles...
There are about twenty. This made me decide I am going to make Vanilla extract, (in the small bottles) Coffee Liqueur and Coffee Syrup. I have family and friends who are mad on all of them... if I start now they will be ready for Christmas. Each make a very good gift and don't go astray if I have guests. Over the next week I will get them started. These will give my Christmas plans a big boost in the right direction.
There seems to be a theme of abundance this week!
I used up eggs and made an Impossible pie.
I needed a change from my blanket so I worked some edgings.
Then to make things even better I was collecting the eggs and !!! one of my "just coming in to lay hens" left me a blue egg! This is a life goal! Ok, it is soft blue. But it's blue!!
I was so excited I had to show my helpers. They thought it was hilarious to pretend they couldn't see the blue. 🙄 But then they had a good laugh and at least pretended to understand my happiness!
We have less than ten days of winter. At first I thought I don't want winter to end. The warm fire, the early nights. But now blossoms are everywhere, even my fruit trees are flowering....
So now I am going to do something every day toward my Spring veggie gardening. I am looking forward to getting tomatoes in, trying some new things to increase my harvests. So suddenly I am happy to welcome Spring.
Lily is sitting up! She is keen on the boys toys and they are so good and beautiful with her. She gets so many kisses a day!
Today I went to town. I went to Church, ran errands and grocery shopped. The store was awful. Meat and produce were roughly half empty. I almost took a video but too many people were around me so I chickened out.
As I drove home today there were some pretty interesting clouds gathering. I unloaded the car and the dogs began to act strangely. I was thinking "what is wrong with you guys?" when I heard thunder in the distance.
So now there is an electrical storm. I am watching from my bedroom window and the generator just took over so I guess somewhere a power pole has been hit. What I am hoping for is a downpour to go with it.
For those of you who followed Laine years back or followed her letters here, she is now having hospice at home. Would you please pray for her, Art, Lucy and the family. For those that lost her letters and those of you who would like encouragement here they are...
I am hoping we can share them around so that another generation of women can be impacted the way I was. She is not in pain which is a miracle so please pray that she continues to be pain free.
It has been one of the miracles and blessings of my life to have Laine as a friend. It taught me that in God anything can happen!
How was your week? Did you manage to build up your home, pantry or garden? We love to hear! It is a joy to have company feathering our nests. 🪺 xxx.
Annabel, what a lovely week you had, the additions to your farm are so exciting, I can't wait to see the new chicks hatching. A blue egg!! I can see you running around showing it off. I would be also doing the same.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear of the grocery store, just an eye opener for all to keep stocking.
I had a productive week crocheting, I finished a blanket for the winter for my living room, many sets of washcloths with facial scrubbies to match and 2 large washcloths that are a new pattern to me that I love.
My husband trimmed a hydrangea tree, he came in with a box full of blossoms, so they are in vases drying, a wonderful way to add to our decor.
I was able to use up leftover blueberries by making a crisp and husband made a delicious pizza with leftover pork and pineapple. We have been doing our best to stretch each meal into 2 or more.
Our grocery store prices seem to go up every week if not daily here. We were fortunate to find 48oz cans of chicken broth reduced to $1, I picked up all 3. I also found malt vinegar marked down to $1.29, so picked up the 3 of those for the pantry. Meat mark downs have been far and few between now. I have learned though, that every little bit helps and adds up.
Remember to always pray before you shop, the Lord does help when we do.
Prayers for all the Bluebirds.
Dear Rosanne, I saw your Hydrangeas and they are gorgeous! They are different to ours. Ours are a bush and round. Yours seem more elongated. Both are just so lovely! They will dry too so you can keep them.
DeleteThe blueberry crisp looked gorgeous too. I had to figure out years ago a crisp is what we call a crumble. From this I learned to make peach crumble.. which is about the best thing ever!
Great work on the crochet and the good deals! With love Annabel.xxx
Oh Annabel, you are the only person I know who would have a chandelier in her hen house. Lol!
ReplyDeleteThankyou for letting us know about Laine. She means so much to so many of us.
You've had another busy week.
I haven't been around much with the house move etc.
We are waiting on my brother coming home sometime today. He has cancer and will be on palliative care until the end of his life, which is weeks away. He is only 58 and wants to die at home not in a hospital.
I am so very sorry about your brother. I hope your brother will be comfortable, not in pain and enjoy being with family for this time. Also that the palliative care is excellent. You have my thoughts and prayers.xxx
DeleteI am so very sorry about your brother. I hope your brother will be comfortable, not in pain and enjoy being with family for this time. Also that the palliative care is excellent. You have my thoughts and prayers.xxx
DeleteThank you for your post-I am so saddened to hear about Laine but she is joyful and thankful and knows where she is going for eternity! She impacted me decades ago like no other. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you. So many of us know Laine and feel the exact same way. This makes me think she must have had millions of people that read some or all of her letters! What a legacy as she is still influencing my life! xxx
DeleteThank you so much for the update on Laine, Annabel. Sending up prayers for Laine and her dear family. She is such a treasure and has been a great source of strength and comfort through the years through her letters. I’m so sad to know that she will soon be leaving us, but it’s wonderful to know she’ll soon be with her Father in Heaven … through her letters, it was evident she loves Him so much.
ReplyDeleteThe day you mentioned she was ill, I experienced another of those God whispers (not a coincidence) that happen so often … I had been thinking of her and her letters and just that morning I began rereading them. Some time ago I had retrieved them online and saved them. I’m in the process of creating an index for them and organizing them in date order to print and keep in a binder (as you and your friends had done).
Laine’s legacy and her memory will live on through her family, you and her friends, grateful readers like me who never met her, and through her own words found in her lovely and beautiful letters. What a blessing!
Dear Carolyn. I always wished the letters were in order/date! Are you in the USA? Art might like a copy of them indexed this way... if that could be possible.
DeleteI do not compare myself to Laine but she influenced me to be consistent in my work and writing. She really changed the course of my whole life! With love Annabel.xxx
I will be so happy to share the index with Art and anyone who would like to have it. It may take me a bit of time to compile it, but it's been such a joy to have this time to reread the letters and reminisce of those days when I first discovered them. Thank you for all you do, Annabel!
DeleteI will be so happy to share the index with Art and anyone who would like to have it. It may take me a bit of time as I go through and compile it, and it's been such a joy to reread the letters and reminisce about the days that I first discovered them! Such a true treasure!
DeleteAnnabel - I forgot to answer you ... yes, I am in the USA.
DeleteDear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about Laine...I will certainly pray for her and her family.
You had quite a week! I hope you had your rain! No joke, my hubby literally can't see the blue/green eggs, as they look just like brown eggs to him. (He's colorblind, and the story in his family is that when he was little, he was excited to eat "Green eggs and ham" like in Dr. Seuss, when they had some brown eggs.) So yes, it was one of my "dreams", too, to have blue eggs, but the wow factor is severely limited where hubby is concerned!! Ha, ha. Your edged towels look beautiful, as usual...as does little Lily, the cutie!
It's been a busy week here, as it's harvest season full on. I've canned dill pickles and applesauce, picked and frozen peas, green beans, broccoli, and blackberries (Oy! taking my life in my hands!!!), made bread, cookies, pie, muffins, yogurt, you name it, made up laundry powder, cleaned and done a little knitting...and fallen into my chair and wondered where the day has gone!!!! It'll all be worth it in the winter (I keep telling myself...Ha!)
Been thinking of you lots, Annabel, and hoping you are doing as o.k. as you sound thru your posts. Lots of love to you and to all the Bluebirds!
xx Jen in NS
Dear Jen, oh no! lol. mmm does a colourblind person then know what blue looks like at all? I think this is quite common and more so in men. So maybe my helpers were colour blind and just humouring me!
DeleteWow wow and wow on you making and preserving so much! Your family will be loving the baking. You added heaps to your shelves too! I can imagine you being tired by evening. But I am so glad you are having such a good harvest.
Jen mostly yes Im ok. I have moments. Without faith I dont see how I would be functioning at all. Thank you for asking and thinking of me. With much love Annabel.xxx
P.S. Love the Sussex jokes! xx Jen
ReplyDeletehaha!
DeletePraying for Laine. Our next door neighbor is dying of cancer and he so desperately wants to live. He still wants to walk his daughter down the aisle when she gets married and all the blessing of growing old with his lovely wife. It is so sad. God knows.
ReplyDeleteI refilled my granola supply and made cookies to share with the neighbors and some into the freezer for later. We bought nine pounds of homegrown tomatoes from a local man for $10. We shared a few of those with a neighbor who brought us loads of homegrown cucumbers this summer. It is wonderful to live in a neighborhood where we know each other and share each other's burdens.
Dear Lana, This is so sad about your neighbour. How beautiful he thinks of his daughter and yes it is just so hard to take.
DeleteWhat a buy on the tomatoes! The granola sounds beautiful too. I love the sound of your friendly neighbourhood and all the cucumbers throughout summer. I think our neighbours and locals being friends is so lovely! As it should be. With love Annabel.xxx
Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI am praying for Laine. I think we all have read her words before we happened to meet each other..
Blue eggs are exciting I was like a kid one ours laid the first one haha and I thought shabby chic eggs! I even thought about putting rose stickers on a few but stopped myself Lol.
Your edgings are gorgeous and I love the tea cups! And the bottles are gorgeous too , fruit liquers are good and easy too if you need another idea.
It is hard to say goodbye to winter sometimes but the things that emerge with Spring are wonderous! And each season brings us new offerings. For me I'm praying for a late frost so I get a second crop of a few things.
I did the last cutting of broccoli and we picked the dried corn for the chickens, the cabbages are almost ready and I'm working on tomato soup and tomato juice .
We have a big expense coming up with getting our youngest female cat fixed and we're going to use next months grocery budget to do it, BUT it's ok because with the pantry being well stocked it's not a setback but a redirection of funds and there may be more paying jobs next month. I know that for people who have not kept a pantry this would be a hardship, but it's a one time expense. I made sure my male cats were all fixed when I got them to prevent increasing the stray cat population if they got out.
We were given a box of food from a friend cleaning out their freezer, it's for the chickens. When we had dogs I would make doggie stew for them now it's chicken food.
And until I have more time to sew I'm crocheting small items for the gift trunk.
I hope all our beautiful bluebirds have a lovely week.
XOXO
Vicky
Dear Vicky, Yes Rachel Ashwell would totally love the egg colour. Pink is my next goal! You did so well with the broccoli and as you harvest things and the chickens get the roots, stems, trimmings...they are well fed.
DeleteIt is really good that you can get through the week without shopping. I will pray things come your way though! With your harvesting and trading I hope you will have abundance! Adding to your gift trunk is awesome too! With lots of love, Annabel.xxx
Very sorry to hear about Laine. I really enjoyed her website, I still do! Your website is a beacon of hope for people. Keep doing what your doing. Sometimes people just need encouragement to do the next thing no matter how big or small. Take care! Bun
ReplyDeleteDear Bun, Thank you so much for your kind words! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteSo beautiful to see your fruit trees in bloom. It is a reminder, for me, that Autumn is approaching here. I'll soon need to wrap up my deck garden and put up the last of the produce to help me through the winter. I'm still getting enough cherry and grape tomatoes for salads. But, even though I cut back the lettuce, what is growing back has bolted again and is too bitter, signaling that it is "done" producing. My chef-friend came over on Saturday and we put up 20 lbs. of Roma tomatoes for his household -- 7 quarts + a half-quart to use immediately. Not sure if he will want to do a 2nd case. He is a home-taught chef and uses a lot of Roma tomatoes in his sauces, often cooking in large batches. So 7 quarts will likely not last him 2 months. But he is also a teacher and school has resumed, so not sure if he'll have time to do more. For myself, I do need to get a 10# box of round tomatoes. I cleaned out the pantry and freezer this week and found that I had none left. I also made a batch of zucchini bread -- one regular loaf and two mini loaves. I've had it with breakfast all week. I still have 3 zucchini left, so I may be making another batch later today. Apples seem to be starting early this year. The Gala variety is already at the farm stands, but they are an eating apple and not the best for cooking. I do need to put up some applesauce, so will check with the owner of my favorite farm stand to see when their cooking apples will be ready. I was referred to his stand by a high school friend who still farms in the area and the owner's mother put together a great bag of mixed apples for sauce. I wish I'd jotted down what her mix was. It needed no sugar added, only a dash of lemon juice to keep the color from turning. The best I'd ever had. :-)
ReplyDeleteDear Lori, You have lots of fresh produce to make the most of! All the tomatoes canned, the zucchinis, and apples next! I have a big apple tree and the rest come from roadsides. I dont know the name of any of them just that green ones are more tart. They are wonderful as you can do so much! My apple tree is just in blossom now... two days to Spring! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteMy favorite applesauce combo is green Gravenstein (tart, good cooking apple) and Gala for its tender sweetnesss! I like my applesauce with some chunks. S0 I peel my apples for my sauce. My HH like a smooth puree’, so his is faster to make as all I do is wash & quarter the apples. I use a vintage Foley mill to remove peels & seeds.
DeleteI think Spring is a wonderful time of year too but now here in Michigan we can feel Fall in the air. You know that's beautiful time of year too with the leaves turning.
ReplyDeleteBabies sure do grow fast -she is so beautiful.
Sorry to hear about Laine and prayers for her family.
Thank you Vickie. I like the change of seasons. I adore Autumn but Spring is exciting so I will make the most of it! xxx
DeleteDear Annabel and beautiful bluebirds ,
ReplyDeleteEvery Saturday morning I sit down with a cuppa tea and I read your blog Annabel and i am uplifted by your beautiful news .
I also usually cry at the sad news .
Firstly I am so sorry about Laine.
I used to love to read her letters on your blog and I always came away with a good feeling .
I'm going to try and get someone to print at least some of the letters for me so I can keep them and read them whenever I want to ,if we are still allowed to print them ?.
I had a restful week but I still feathered my nest a little bit .
I used $10 rewards $ off my grocery shop .I also bought my favourite brand tea bags while they were half price .
I took the opportunity to buy a much used household item as a back up for when I need it ,it was half price ( the item is not exciting but very practical and a must )
.I also bought some disinfectant ( a brand name ) half price .I always stock up on this when it's half price because the store brand disinfectant has a weird fake smell to it ( at least to me ) and it affects my sinuses .So I always have a"a few" bottles of the brand name in my home .
I'm in the middle of researching Birthday gifts for my sister and father's day gifts for my Dad as well as Birthday gifts for my Dad because his birthday is not too far away .I'm going to make my dad's cards for those two occassions .
My parents put some money towards my birthday gift of a planner through preorder through my favourite planner company .
I put the rest in ( for postage and a bit towards the planner ) .
It means when my planner arrives in November it will feel like my birthday again but more importantly ,I was given a gift my parents know I will love ( plus it saves me some money too )
I love the photo of Lily ,she's so gorgeous and it's great that she is treated so well .
Have a beautiful weekend and a great week ahead .
Love Barb Woodford 🦋
Dear Barb, Thank you so much. Yes it is fine to print the letters. I hope in the future there will be a new website or book. The letters are very encouraging and teaching too.
DeleteBarb I think I ordered the same planner. Leanne Baker right?! I LOVE my planner it is a key to getting things done for me.
I bet the item was Twinnings tea, I saw it was half priced! That is a big saving.
Tea is something I never want to run out of! Have a very good week Barb! With love Annabel.xxx
I will say a prayer for Laine this Sunday at church - and thank you for reposting her letters. I hope she stay pain free for her sake and her loved ones.
ReplyDeleteYou have had a very busy and productive week - but then you always do! I hope all the eggs hatch successfully.
As we begin to move into Fall - we had some very cool mornings this past week, although we are back up to 28C by Monday - but it will drop again later next week - so now my thoughts turn to that last stocking up before the snow and Christmas arrive.
I bought a couple of loads of canning jars this past week as I have started dry canning grains, beans, rice, pasta etc. I gave the pantry a good clean and reorganized things a bit - some of the dry goods always seem to need throwing out at this time of year - hence the switch to glass. I am using oxygen absorbers, plus I bought a small bottle vacuum sealer. My dining table is covered in things at the moment but I will just work through it bit by bit.
I shopped for long term items this week but also got a deal on chicken at 50% off so that is now in the freezer. I'm trying to buy as little fresh as possible so that I use up what I already have on hand and have quite a bit of cooking planned over the next few days. I hope you get some rain this week.
PS - Lilly is adorable!
Dear Margie, The weather is like a yo yo here also! You can never have too many jars! Many dry goods will keep years beyond dates printed on them, unless of course weevils are in there or some other hazard.
DeleteYou got a great deal on the chicken! That is the way to shop! I hope you got to your cooking... today has been a cooking day for me! With love Annabel.xxx
Meant to ask - would you be able to post a recipe for both the coffee liqueur and syrup? I make my own vanilla essence already and would like to make some others along the same line. Thank you
ReplyDeleteYes I will do all three! Thanks Margie! xxx
DeleteI had to LOL about your gift of the liquor bottles. About 40 years ago my husband and I went to Jamaica. One of our best memories was of buying fresh-squeezed orange juice in recycled rum bottles sold by guys on the beach. We drank a bottle a day! (Our second memory was of the topless French girl seated in the restaurant and ordering lunch. At least it is Mike's favorite memory, LOL).
ReplyDeleteThe fantastic news is that our daughter, whom I've written about before, has severe clinical depression and anxiety. Her meds quit working for her about 3 months ago. In the last week, she has improved about 95%! The doc has had a hard time getting her meds right and two weeks ago put her on Lexapro (she also takes Wellbutrin). We started seeing improvement almost immediately. She had been having terrible anxiety. It started to lessen within two days and now has been non-existent for 10 days and counting. And her general depression is much improved! She is naturally funny and effervescent and her sense of humor is back! Colleen is almost 48 years old and developmentally disabled, thus unable to describe very well how she feels. This spell of depression has been going on for 3 months and getting relief is a huge blessing (and answer to prayer) for our entire family.
I am so happy to hear that your daughter is feeling better. Anxiety and depression are terrible illnesses. You have a wonderful family. Thank you for what you do
DeleteDear Maxine, I am very glad that Colleen is doing so much better. Good on the dr for persisting and trying different things. That would be an enormous relief.
DeleteI am actually amazed 40 years ago a woman would be topless... nothing would surprise me today but not that long ago! Now you dont know what you are going to see lol! With love Annabel.xxx
What a wonderful week you had. Thank you for sharing, Annabel.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad to hear about Laine. She has ministered to me through the years, even before I became a Bluebird. I will pass on her wisdom and joy to my daughters. This time I will print them all out as sometimes that site has gone down.
My week has been full of activities. We have just completed our 3rd week of homeschool. Lots of errands and appointments filed up the other time. Somehow I squeezed in some canning of tomatoes and sewing. I even completed a crocheted wool hat for my youngest son ( while waiting at appointments).
Praying for you all!
Love,
Leslie in Ohio
Dear Leslie, Yes it is a good idea to print the letters. I hope there eventually will be either a website or a book. But it is risky hence I have printed copies. You had a busy week and did well! Well done on finishing the hat, the canning and the third week of homeschool.
DeleteTaking something to work on while waiting for appointments.... we are sisters! Years ago we had a famously always running late dr. One time I did my entire tax return in the drs office! Other people were annoyed and impatient but not me I got it all done! With much love Annabel.xxx
Amem. Everything with the Lord is a blessing!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ruth, Amen.xx
DeleteDear Annabel, I am praying for Laine and her family. I am pray in g that she will continue to be pain free. I’m amazed at the power of good, God. It’s like a domino effect. She has written beautiful letters, and you write so beautifully too. Imagine the numbers of women that you have both greatly changed and inspired? That’s a real legacy.
ReplyDeletethose eggs, ducks and pigeons are such a blessing. What a great trade. Lily is ADORABLE, she is a little doll. I love seeing those blossoms on the fruit trees. And extra meals to the freezer are such a huge help. I splurged at the thrift stores yesterday. I bought some clothes for DH, and then some for me. I always keep an eye out for the children’s clothes. Today bought some tools at a garage sale. It is warming up here. I hope to crochet, rest, read and garden this weekend. Lots of love, Bridget
Hello Annabel and everyone,
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear about Laine, but thankful she isn't in pain. Our hospice nurses were like angels on earth and I hope it is the same for her. Prayers for her and her family (and all of the Bluebird ladies). Annabel, your week looks so wonderful, with all of the cooking, beautiful new birds, crafting, and especially the lovely Lily.
I've been struggling a bit, so this week I tried to do one thing each day: 1) saved zinnia, sunflower, and marigold seeds for next year, 2) baked muffins and cookies (some for me, some to share), 3) a big beef ragout and pasta cook-up for dinner with my dad and meals for both of us later, 4) changed the HVAC filters and mowed, 5) cleaned my floors, 6) a little stitching and card making, and 7) a thrift shop stop (brand-new gift bags and wrap in its packaging, and books for me & my dad). I re-arranged my bedroom furniture and made myself a little reading corner with my rocking chair and a good lamp, and put some nice framed photos of my husband and I where I can see them all the time. Seeing him looking happy is a big help and comfort. I did one really big (somewhat scary for me) thing and traded my car on a new one; I'm back at work on-campus and that means commuting every day. My car was 10 years old and I fixed it three times this spring, so it was time to get something new and reliable and safe. (My dad said he felt better about me driving to the city and back every day with the new car, so I think that is a stamp of approval.) This weekend I'm hoping to get my fall seeds planted (mostly greens and beans), really need to harvest some chard before it completely takes over the Greenstalk, and do a little cooking to get ahead with dinners.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. You ladies inspire me every week.
<3
Kathy
You continue to be in my prayers, Kathy. Love, Bridget
DeleteDear Kathy, I really hope this week has been a bit easier. But you did amazingly with your goal a day and going and trading your car! I hope the new car gave you a boost! I found a lot of comfort (and still do) of having lovely photos of Andy in good and healthy times... out where I will see them over and over all day. Over time this has helped me forget how things were at the end and remember how he was. Also the happy memories. Really this has helped me.
DeleteYou're cooking for yourself and your Dad, this is lovely! I am sure he just appreciates your baking and meals so much! You did well, you kept going! With much love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel, I will keep Laine in my prayers. What a productive week you had. I 'woke' up to Spring this week - suddenly I noticed the blossom on the trees and my first Daffodil is out. Love Clare
ReplyDeleteThank you Clare. Daffodils are so cheerful! Like little sunny faces! Spring is showing up here while the weather goes up and down like a yo yo!
Deletexxx
Dear Annabel, thank you for posting the link to Laine's Letters. I am sending prayers for her and her family. All your pictures from today's post are beautiful - the cute ducks, the delicate pigeons, the wonderful floweri g tree, the coloured eggs, the crocheted edges and, most of all, Beautiful Lily! I think an electrical storm is quit scary, in my country there were fire ignited by lights this week but not in my region. We have red code hot weather, I water the plants every evening (still with rain water I have collected) everything is ripening at once or die out. The chickens are laying every other day but I can still manage the weekly sales. The money I got from seling the eggs go into an envelope, "egg money" and I plan next year to pay the taxes on the land with that. I think it is doable. All the chickens are all right, the babies are almost as big as the hens so I expecteggs maybe in September and after the temperatures cool down a bit. They thrive on garden harvest, fruits from the orchard and kitchen scraps. I give them, also, cold watermelon, frozen fruits and lots of fresh water (especially for the ducks). I did something everyday: apple compote and pear compote for the winter pantry, frozen sliced zucchini in the freezer, tomatoes dehydrated in the jats, and started a batch of homemade apple cider vinegar (for the first time). I have crocheted as a gift for a baby girl a pair of boots, learning from youtube.I will post on Instagram after I will give it to her, I am pleased with the result and makes me smile every time I look at them. On Saturday evening we went to mynephew's wedding. It was emotional, joyous and fun - we have danced until 3 in the morning!!!! We still got it! No lake time this week - no time. My internet is acting funny today, it is blocking me from posting, so I hope this will get all the way to Australia. sending love from far away, Laura_s_world from Romania
ReplyDeleteDear Laura, I love your "egg money"! That is great. Also Im glad they are laying and going ok in the hot weather. I also just love your doing something everyday... and you got absolutely heaps preserved! I havent looked at Instagram... I will go take a look! Do you know anyone who has a rooster? I am thinking if you have a hen go broody you could get some eggs from someone...and still hatch chicks. The wedding sounds lovely and yes if you can still dance to 3 am you are going good! I am glad you had so much fun!
DeleteThank you for persisting to get this posted! I hope this week has been going well! With love Annabel.xxx
My heart is broken for Laine and family, and for all of us who love her. Thank you for telling us. I’m so sorry.
ReplyDelete*hugs*
Mrs. Kelley Dibble
Thank you Kelley.xxx
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear that Laine is near going home. I had not read her letters until you posted a link to them. WOW! What a testimony she has! I'm praying for her journey to heaven, and for her sweet family. As I read her wonderful letters, I see so many of the concepts that I've read here, as well as other blogs I follow. What a wonderful mentor she has been! I'm focusing on printing out the letters as I have time, to have an archive of them. I'm already so convicted that I need a morning time with Jesus. I can safely say I'm looking forward to morning! What a joy to read His Word and spend time in prayer each day!
ReplyDeleteI have had a productive week. I made double chocolate muffins, with a large enough batch to last us the week of mornings. I cleaned a good bit and mended. We had a birthday in the house, which is always fun. I made my own coffee creamer for the week and saved a ton. I identified gaps in my stockpile efforts, so I'll be working to add canned meat and other protein to the dry storage. We're working to paint the trim in each room, a little at a time. Not much sewing got done this week, other than mending, but that's ok. A quilt is a long-term project anyway!
Thank you for your blog posts. Each one is a blessing!
Stacy in Virginia
Dear Stacy, Thank you! Painting is such a big job but things just looks sooo good! Well done on a very good week!! Thank you so much! Love Annabel.xxx
DeleteThanking Father God that Laine is so close to going Home. And will no longer be in pain. She was a bright light for me also.
ReplyDeleteThis week I used our wood chips (from several downed trees) to mulch the berm flower bed and hope to continue on the long flower bed.
I canned a lug of peaches for the kids/grands and left out 4 large ones for us to eat fresh.
This weekend I preserved 2 batches of pasta sauce for the kids and 2 batches of bone broth for me. We will be getting back our butchered beef next weekend. I needed to clean out the soup bones and veggie scraps.
Last weekend I used up 2 large zucchinis in a cake and quick bread. I then dehydrated what was left for more baking this winter. I got 2 more large zucs for free from a neighbor yesterday. I know what I'll be doing next weekend.
I sent off 2 care packages with homemade cookies, some lipgloss bought on clearance and some $$ to our new college granddaughters.
Our neighbor had a garage sale this weekend. I got a beautiful Autumn colored throw & pillow for my living room and 2 sports team-themed throws for the grandsons for Christmas gifts. They all look like brand new!
I'm watching the stores for clearance items for more gifts as they get ready for the new Christmas items.
It's extremely hot and humid here on the Prairie this weekend and will continue until mid-week. While I don't like it, it's all part of the end of the growing season and the start of the harvest season. All too soon, it will be cold.
Thank you for all you share. Hugs,
Kay in Nebraska
It's very hot & humid here this weekend and will be through Wed.
Dear Kay, You are a wonderful Grandmother! You were as busy as a bee preserving. I just love the care packages and the beautiful Zucchini cake and bread! I love what you found at the garage sale and the sports themed throws for the Grandsons! This is the thing to be on the watch out all the time!
DeleteHot and humid doesn't sound good but as you say soon it will pass! A really great week Kay! With love Annabel.xxx
I am so heartbroken about Laine. I wrote her testimony on my old blog many years ago but just added it to my new one. She mentioned a book she wrote, “The Proverbs 31 Bible Study.” I can’t find it anywhere. Can you? Here’s my blog post: https://thetransformedwife.com/her-powerful-testimony-convicted-me/
ReplyDeleteDear Lori, Yes I am able to help you with that! So in my post click on Laines Letters, above. Then choose the letters which are in alphabetical order by name. Go down to P and you will see The Proverbs 31 woman plus part 2 and part 3. This is the Bible study. It is beautiful. I hope that helps, with love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHi Anabel, I tried to send a email do Laine in her old email: laineletters@laineletter.com , but it came back saying the address is not working any more. Then, please, could you forward this message to her:
ReplyDeleteHi Laine,
I want to share with you the HEALING SCRIPTURES which with the Lord healed Doddie Osteen from terminal cancer in the 90s. She still alive with 91 years old:
https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/scriptures/healing-scriptures-dodie-osteen/
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/oct/19/dodie-osteen-at-90-credits-healing-miracles-with-s/
Dr. Carrie Madej, physician, who works with Detoxing Treatment:
https://www.carriemadej.com/
Nurse who also works with Detoxing, she has a blog with many good articles about health but she is nothing practicing anymore:
https://deeprootsathome.com/
BY HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED! (Isaiah 53.4)
With all my Love and Faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord's Will is being done in our lives.
Ruth F. Byrnes