Dilly Beans

Are you tired of canning Green Beans yet?? Or freezing them, as I do?? Are you up for trying something new?? Here is a favorite way to eat Green Beans around here. Since my Hubby doesn't care for cooked green beans, this is one of two ways he eats them. I'll share the other way next week.

Dilly Beans

2 lbs Green Beans
1/4 C. Canning or pickling Salt
2 1/2 C. Water
2 1/2 C. Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper-divided
4 Cloves Garlic-divided
4 Head Dill or 4 Teaspoon Dill Weed-divided

Trim ends of beans and wash. Place length wise in jars. (I like using pint jars.)  Combine water, salt, & vinegar in sauce pan and bring to boil. In each jar put 1 glove of Garlic, 1/4 tsp cayenne and 1 head of dill. (We don't care for our dilly beans this hot, er, I should say my boys don't. So I only put in about an 1/8 tsp.) Then ladle hot vinegar syrup over the beans. Adjust two-piece caps and process in hot water bath 10 minutes.

Then eat like pickles.

From my 'Ball Blue Book of Preserves'.

Printer Friendly version.

So for some reason Blogger is having problems and not allowing me to upload pictures. If you want to see a couple pics click on the printer version and see them there. I'll upload the pics when it co-operates!! And now I find out the printer version didn't upload the one pic at all and replaced it with a repeat and squashed it. grrrr!!

A Boy & His Calf

'Oh, dear', he sighs, as he glances at the clock. 'I've gotta get out there. They be letting the cows back in.' And he hurriedly shovels the rest of his breakfast into his mouth. 'Good-bye, Mom. Thanks for the breakfast', as out the door he goes. I won't see him for another hour or more.

Earlier this spring I would have declared that child could tell time. The barn schedule was a bit different then, they would let the cows out around 10 and he knew when it was that time.

In the middle of play he would jump up and announce it was time to 'go let the cows out'. Or he'd be using the bathroom. (Which is not a simple thing for him. He has to strip all clothing because 'It might get dirty, Mom.') He'll come flying out of the bathroom, 'Gotta get to the barn. They letting the cows out.'

Now they let the cows out soon after milking. So he gets up around 7, get dressed and heads out the door. Most often it's even before I'm up, and he won't be back in 'til close to 9. He loves helping to let the cows out for their daily exercise and then re-tieing them in their stalls. And he takes this job very seriously, and rarely misses a day.

One day to his delight there was a 'red boy calf' born. He loves 'boy calves', and does not like the 'girl ones'. Anyway, his dad gave it to him, as long as he takes care of it.  And he has been doing an awesome job at it. Now and then I need to remind him in the afternoon and then he quickly declares he wants to 'sell the dumb thing'.

So far this calf hasn't a name, other then 'the dumb calf', 'my boy calf' or 'the red bull'. He is quite proud of the little guy. He was happy to inform me one day 'I rode the wild thing', the poor thing was only a few days old. If he'd try it now, he'd have the time of his life trying to stay on it.

The calf has just been weaned from the bottle. So Collin is enjoying the easier feedings, without a butting calf, who could about bull him over. (No pun intended.) I was quite proud of him when he took the bucket of milk out for the first time. He used the wheelbarrow-2 wheeled feed cart thing to haul the pail. The wheelbarrow is about to much for him to handle but he figured out how to get it under the fence and up the heifer pasture to the calf's pen. I'm not sure how much milk that calf got for his supper!!

My little boy is growing up so fast!! I can hardly believe he is becoming such a 'little man'. Where is time going??

I am treasuring each moment, I love these memories we are making. One day he'll no longer want to sit in my lap for a story, he won't be so quick to snuggle up beside me for a hug and some 'I love you's'.

I love you, Collin.

You've Come Along Way, Baby

This is the 3rd Chapter of the book, Voices of the True Woman Movement by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. You can read Chapter 1 here and Chapter 2 here.

'You've come along way, Baby' is by Mary A. Kassian. She does a very good job at giving a history lesson in this chapter. I love History, so found it very interesting. But not sure I'll cover much of that aspect of it.

It depicts the Woman's Movement of the late 60's and 70's. All of the promises and hopes that many are realizing are not bringing the satisfaction and fulfillment that is was said to bring.

50 years ago life was almost totally different. Here's a partial-abbreviated list of 'Real Life Observations from the 50's'.

• Getting married was the norm.
• Once married the couple would have children, the husband would work to support the wife so she could stay at home with the children.
• The divorce rate was low. Couples were expected to remain married and make their marriage work. Divorce was considered a tragedy.
• If divorce did occur & there were kids involved, the ex-husband was expected to support the wife in a homemaking role, because society considered it vitally important that the children have a mom at home.
• Chasity, virginity, and fidelity were virtues. And sex outside of marriage was shameful.
• Having a child out of wedlock was considered shameful. Now 1 child is born outside of wedlock every 25 seconds.
• Only 30% of women were employed outside of the home. And then it was only a part time job.
• Children were a highly desired, a highly valued, and a highly welcomed addition to both family and community.
• No birth control pill.
• Abortion was illegal.
• Men saw it as their responsibility to protect and provide for the women and children under their care.
• Woman saw it as their responsibility to support their husbands and focus on raising their children in a stable, nurturing, loving environment. Their professional careers took secondary status to their primary and more important career of raising and nurturing the next generation.

Our world has changed a lot since then, has it not?!?!?!? And it's all because women are seeking 'liberation'. They thought they were no longer finding fulfillment in God's Original Plan for Order.

'So in a few short decades the idea of a happy fulfilled woman has gone from one who values and serves her children, her husband and her community, to one who serves and exalts herself, sees men as dispensable, and considers children to be optional add-ons to her quest for fulfillment.'

And here she begins her 'history lesson'. How women were made to think they needed to become equal with men, they didn't want to be serving them anymore. They were made to feel their God-given role of wife and homemaker no longer was satisfying.

Women were made to think they needed to define their own existence.

Women were 'made to think that as a whole they needed enlightenment. They needed to discover how really oppressed they were'.

As women's 'eye's were opened', they began to rename the world. They 'needed to challenge and change that which men had constructed for their own benefits'. They 'needed to look at the world through the lenses of female experience and come up with new values and definitions'. Even school curricula was rewritten to reflect a feminist world view.

They even renamed God to a 'She'. They didn't like to think of the male role as being the dominate one.

'The underlying premise of feminism is that 'women need and can trust no other authority then our own personal truth.' Feminism teaches that women ought not to bow down and submit to any external power.'

It's is so sad that our world has come to just accept this as the norm, when the Bible states things so clearly in the opposite light.

1 Corinthians 11 states that, 'Man did not come from woman, but the woman from man; neither was man created for the woman but the woman for man'. How much clearer can it get?? The two sexes are different and were created for different roles.

However!! We will not find the true, deep satisfaction of the heart just by being a wife/homemaker. Our deepest longings and satisfactions will come only when we have yielded our lives completely and totally to Christ!! He is the only one who will be able to fill the void in our lives.

'A woman is a true woman when her heart says yes to God!!'

Today's women are searching for answers, they want to know how to make life work. We need a Biblical understanding of manhood, womanhood and gender relationships.

New Look

Yes, you are where you thought you went. {Smile} I had to change my background due to the host changing some things and then they had a traffic overload. So for now, this is what it'll be. What do ya think?? I rather like it, and it might just stay a while.

Blessed is the Woman

Photo Credit

~who has~

A Sparkle in her eyes

A Song on her lips

A Spring in her step

A Warmeth in her touch

A Depth to her Beauty

A Purpose to her life

A Joy in her faith

A Hope in her breast

And a Love in her heart!

Author Unknown

This poem has been hanging on the inside of my kitchen cupboard for a while now. It has blessed me many times over, so thought I'd share with you while my baby goes to sleep in my arms.

Trash Can Meal

This is a super yummy simple meal in one. Easy to make, easy to do and fun at the same time. The looks people give you when you tell them you are making a 'Trash Can Supper'. I had it for the first time soon after we were married. Then tried it myself a few years later, at a camp-out. It was a super hit!! We didn't have enough food, and there were many, many little children. They LOVED it.

You only need-

• Galvanized trash can with tight lid.
• 3 Empty Coffee Cans
• Wire rack
• Mesh Bags- (the kind you get onions n oranges in)
• Veggies of your choice
• Ham
• Charcoal
• Water

Set up for the charcoal. I just used 2 sillo staves from our fallen down sillo. But what ever rocks you have will work. The charcoal just gets better air flow if your trash can is not sitting directly on it. Athough we have done it that way, it works much better if there is air between.

Charcoal ready to be lit.

 

The inside of the can has 3 coffee cans (actually I think mine are formula) with both ends taken out, placed on bottom. Then put some kind of grates/racks on top of that. What you are doing is steaming the food. So you don't want the food touching the water at all!! Fill bottom of trash can, with water, up to about an inch below the coffee/formula cans rim.

Place your food in mesh bags. And place on the rack. Layering it with the longest cooking veggies on the bottom. And I like to put my onions on the top-let the flavor go through the rest of the food.


Veggies to do-potatoes, corn, beans, carrots, onions, whatever fresh veggies you have or wanna try. If doing broccolli, squash, ect, wait to add til last half hour.

Put the ham on the top of all the veggies... It is best to cut it in half . Or else it takes too long to cook. We like to use a smoked ham-that is precooked. So all it needs to do is be heated. The reason to put the ham on top is to let the juices run down over the food, flavoring it all.

Sitting on the fire... It takes right at 3 hours to do it. I light the charcoal right when I put the can on. And don't check it-as every time you lift the lid-it lets out all the steam. Then it needs to rebuild it back up-causing it to take much longer!! If you fill your can really full, it may take longer. Also you need a good, hot fire!

All done and ready to eat. Pull out the bags... And ENJOY!!!

Linked to-
--Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
--Tasty Tuesday
--Tuesdays At The Table
--Mom's 30 Minute Blog Challange

A busy life-

-We live!!

Can you tell my life has been very full?? My blog has been all but neglected. There are many time I wish I could some how put the thoughts from my brain right into my computer while I am busy in the garden, washing dishes or some other chore that doesn't take much mental challenges to do. I have lots of great ideas, brain storms and things to share. But the time to go write them all down and actually get them blogged is much harder to do. So it's not that I don't have things to share, it's more likely that I have other things I am doing-like My Garden Work, that right now has decided to have everything producing at once.

Yes, I have peas, beans, cucumbers, and squash. My red potatoes are needing to be dug. And some very high weeds to wade through. (Which I am guessing not much will be done with.)

1 weeks ago were were up at my Grandparents for a Family Reunion. The theme of it being 'Christmas in July'. We were all to make a gift age appropriate for ourselves to give away. A White Elephant type gift exchange. So I spent that week making gifts. (And yes, I had had a 4 month notice. But all the great inspirational ideas didn't come until 3 wks before.)

So this is what all I made in 2 wks...

The Bath Stuff was the most fun to do, and very simple too. I'll do a separate post on how to make them later. The chair I got at a garage sale cheap, and I just painted it and added the wallpaper stickers. The jean blankets were alot of fun to make. My boys are begging me to make them each one now. They love all the pockets and buttons. So that will be a winter project. And the bag was out of fabric I had on hand.

Last week we had VBS every evening from 6-8. So we left the house by 5:40 or so every evening. I took along 3 neighbor girls, and was so blessed to get to know them. And I am hoping our friendship continues. We had around 35 students every evening. The children did so well, soaking up everything. They loved the snacks and games as well.

I know a lot of you are just finding my blog for the first time... And it's not that I am trying to hide it from family and friends. I am just not one to self promote it much. So I want to 'Welcome' you here. So much as I love comments, I don't get much for the amount of people who stop. Yes, I know how many people come, where you are from, etc. I just don't know your name, but it gives me a general idea. So keep stopping by. At least I know someone is enjoying it, even if no one says much.

I have my posts all archived in the side bar under pages. It is much simple to search for the posts you want, by subject, then going through all the months in the Blog Archive, below it. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask. I am still learning and growing too. Or if you would like to see some thing posted here, feel free to tell me that too. I won't promise when things will get posted, as I know as garden things and fall doings come along, I will be much busier for a while.

I am going to try to keep my priorities right and keep my family first and not my blog!!

May you be blessed today!! 

Burns Update

I wanted to post this on Thurs. but my past week was sooo full. But totally BLESSED!!! Ever have one of those?? A week you absolutely loved but were also very glad to see it come to an end??  (We had VBS at our Church this week, my husband was Superintendent, so we were VERY much involved!!)

Rylen's burns are looking very, very good!!

Before: (If you wanna see more pics and the story how it happened, read my post here.)

2 weeks later

His Leg

His Hand

Sorry I didn't get a good one of his foot. He wasn't impressed with the whole picture taking idea.

I have been amazed at the speed at which the burns have healed!! But then again, why should I be?? God is the healer and he has done a wonderful job at healing my baby pretty fast.

I'm also so thankful for the wisdom He has given others, and that they have shared it. In a book that my Mother-in-law picked  up with the B & W Salve, it shared how to use burdock leaves on burns. I didn't bother using that at first, as I figured the B & W would be enough.

But by that Wed. his burn on his leg was healing and sticking to the gauze. So every time I would change the bandage -2x a day- he would cry and cry. He hated it!! I would have to yank the gauze off, causing it to open and bleed again.

Then is when I started reading that burn book more thoroughly. And realized the burdock also helps keep the wound moist, and is a barrier between the gauze and wound..

I had some growing out beside the barn. All you have to do is pick leaves 6-12 in. big. And off a plant not taller then 18 in. 

Bring a pot of water to scalding point (Not quite to a boil.) Turn off and throwing a leaf. Let sit for 5 minutes. Put on a towel to absorb extra moisture. Pat both sides. Slather salve on the top side of leaf, and put on burns. Then wrap with gauze. (I bought Walmart out in the first week.)

 If you don't have one the right size, cut it all down and let it start over. You can harvest them to use in winter too. Just let them dry.

I'm wondering about making a salve out of the leaves... Put it may be a while before I tackle that one.

It was just over a week after it happened that I noticed his hand was healing funny. So I consulted with my cousin and Mom. Yes, the main crease in his hand was growing together. And frankly, it scared me!! I had read that you need to be careful with burns on hands, as it will do that. Not knowing just what to do, I decided to just keep it very moist, lots of Miracle Salve and/or B&W on it. And every time I changed the bandages, I would stretch the palm and really massage it. After 4-5 days I started noticing it was separating and looking normal. And now his hand is just a tad red from the new skin there.

I don't think he will have any scars on his hand or foot, and I'm pretty sure on his leg won't as well. Although it still turns purple when cold and bright red when he's hot.

All I know is that he was a real trooper through it all. -Keeping his bandages on, (for the most part, only messing with them when he was bored.) letting me unwrap and rewrap, cleaning, etc. He put up with a lot of pain and annoying wraps.

Update July 26th- I found a site with some more info in the B&W and about treating burns with it. There are testimonies and more. Check it out. There is more info there as well, such search.

Also I found a site you can buy it at too. Better then greens is also a place where you can buy the Burn Book as well.

Another thing I've been reading, is that on young children, and even others, the skin can become intolerant of the salve. So you should change salve every 2-3 days so it doesn't become irritated. I know it for a fact, as it happened with Rylen. Even now if I but on the B&W he will get a rashy-raised bumps reaction to it. So keep that in mind.

From Him, Through Him, To Him

This is 2nd in a series of posts on the book by Nancy Leigh De Moss. You can find the first post here, on the first chapter.

Wow, how can I even do this chapter justice without doing a long post?? That is one reason it has taken me so long to do the second chapter. It was long and deep, its so full of truths. I feel blessed, God has been working on different areas of my life, and reading this has just confirmed that for me. He is leading and guiding.

This chapter is written by Nancy Leigh De Moss and is based on Romans 11:33-36. It is the climax of the book of Romans, describing how Paul felt when, after writing the first 10 chapters he looked back and seen the whole Pan of Salvation, God's sovereignty, His Plan for the ages, he felt an awe, and wrote, "Oh, the depth...how unsearchable...how inscrutable...to Him be glory forever".

Do we want to feel the depth? Do we want to know 'the depth of God's riches and wisdom and knowledge'? When life takes a curve we are not prepared for, and feels like it's about to go to pieces, am I willing to just let go and let God lead? God's ways are unfathomable. We will never reach a pit so low that God is not already there. God has a 'bedrock of riches, wisdom and knowledge, His unseen yet sovereign, eternal purposes are underneath it all, holding it all together.'

God's riches are inexhaustible! We will never reach the bottom of His mine. He knows all and His wisdom is more then enough to walk us through each difficult situation. 

We will never understand what God's plan is, what work He is doing or where He is taking me. I just need to trust Him, even in all I don't know or understand. It is in His kindness that He withholds from us what would be grand or painful for us to absorb in our mortal minds.

'In every situation & circumstance of your life, God is always doing a thousand different things that you can not see & you do not know.' -John Piper

How many times have we went through something & then later were able to look back and see that, 'Oh, now that makes sense'.

God is everything that we need. From Him, through Him, to Him!! "This is why true womanhood results in a God centered life and perspective". "If we are not there, believing 'from Him, to Him, through Him', we are missing the whole point of existence.

Everything is from Him-He is the source.
Everything is through Him-He is the sustainer.
Everything is to Him-He is our supreme purpose.

So now how do we respond?

1) A true woman lives a God centered life.
I want to be enthralled with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Pearl the Great price, the Supreme Treasure of Life.

2). A true woman trusts God.

We as 'true woman have a hope-a real genuine hope-in the midst of a world filled with pain, loss and uncertainty.' 'The true woman of God doesn't have to strive', we can completely trust God.

Nothing is beyond God, no matter how crooked the stick, God can draw a straight line. -Martin Luther

3). A true woman says, 'Yes, Lord.'

Am I only worried about me?? The good things I want or need?? Or am I seeking to know, 'What will please You, Lord?'. 'What will further Your Kingdom? What will display Your glory?'

I want to just accept God's will and plan -to follow where He leads and one day be able to look back from the top of a mountain and see where and why God lead how He did. I want to get a taste of His unsearchable riches, wisdom and knowledge.

Burns & Babies...

Last Thursday was a day to remember... The boys n I were at a friends house. We were just done eating lunch, when my baby began to cry, in a way I knew he was really hurting. (As Mom's, we know our baby's cry's!) He was out on the deck, and had been playing. I looked around for something that may have hurt him, but there wasn't really anything there. Then one of the boys told me he walked on a sheet of metal laying there and that 'it was hot'. So I promptly went into the bathroom and put his feet in the sink n filled it with cold water. Then I tried to see what all was wrong. His left hand showed signs of something, with the skin being pinched up along the bottom of his palm, so I put that under water. Then I noticed his left leg looked funny, so was throwing water on that.

I headed home then, and was planning to use my Aloe Vera plant, totally using it up if I had to!! But realized I couldn't do it by myself, with a little body that was filled with pain and just wanting his Mom to hold him. A quick call to my Mother-in-law, brought her to my side in just a few minutes. And she brought along the B & W Salve!!!

And we tenderly smeared the salve on his burns and wrapped them up. I then sat and snuggled with him, as he drowsily laid in my arms. He couldn't sleep, and was restless. But quiet, as he lay there. Then within about a half an hour he decided he wanted to go. I knew he would not be able to walk on his right foot, but knew he would have to learn for himself.

He decided my lap was BEST!! And was happy to just stay there. He was by then pain free and acting more like himself. But I knew the road to healing was just beginning...

He would have many days of being wrapped up and pain filled moments. And days where he would not be able to walk. How do you tell a 13 1/2 mth old he can't go play like normal?? He felt so good, but for the fact that the burn on his foot was a huge blister.

He started walking again on Sat. He was so tired of crawling on one foot and one knee, (He couldn't crawl on his left leg or walk on his right foot.) So that evening after his shower/bath I popped it. And he acted like it felt so much better.

So now it is his leg that looks the worse. And it pains him the most. The skin has mostly come off and it's raw flesh, that bleeds easily and is just painful. It's painful for me to even look at it. It hurts me that I have to hurt him, every time I re-bandage his burns.

His hand and foot look really good. The skin is slowly coming off, but there is lots of healing going on under that skin. And I think it is for the best. The skin on his leg looked so different. You could tell it was bad and needed to come off. So yes, I carefully cut it off.

We are guessing that when he stepped on that sheet of metal, he just barely put his left foot down, when he realized his right foot was burning. And then fell, burning his leg and hand, that he would have pushed himself back up with.

The B & W Salve is used widely among the Amish and is reportedly the best thing for taking the burn out. And I believe that, as Rylen was acting very perky within a half an hour. And he never minds me putting the salve on, almost like he knows it will make it feel good again.

The main ingredient is Honey. And I had been told by a couple of people to use raw and natural honey on burns. It takes the burn out and heals wonderfully. I believe it. And am so thankful for this simple salve.

And for a God who gives grace and strength for each day!!! And healing...

Edited to add... Today-Wed. his leg is very sore. So my Mother-in-law helped me make a burdock leaf poultice. All the bandages are sticking to his skin and having to rip them off 2-4 times a day was making for a very unhappy baby!! (It would make it bleed.) So we are hoping this helps keep it moist n not stick to the bandage.

For an update of Rylen's burns on July 18th see this post.

Linked to Works for Me Wed.

My Will or God's??

When I meet a new person the following conversation is what often follows the 'Hello, my name is_____'

"So how many children do you have??"

"I have 3 little boys."

"3 (pause/gasp for air) BOYS?!?!? Wow, you have your hands full!!'

"Yes, I do, but I'm loving it. We have our trying days, but I love my little boys!!"

"So, (twinkle in the eyes) do you plan to try for a girl?? Or are you done having children??"

When I was first asked that question, I nearly fell over backward. Since when do we try for a certain gender?? Now I've almost come to expect that question to come at some point in our conversation. And I've come up with an answer that I answer almost every time.

"We'd love to have more children. And we'd love to welcome a girl. But that sure doesn't mean I love my boys any less, just because I don't have a girl now."

"Oh."

It's almost like they think my life is not complete with out a little girl. It's like I don't find satisfaction without dresses and frills, lace and dolls, tea parties and pink. And that is so not true!!! Sure, I'd love to have a little girl, and sometimes the desire for the pink and lace is strong, but above all, I have a peace that God has planned my life. He has given me these little boys for a reason.

We have tractors and trucks and more toy animals then you could count (mostly cows). There's mud and sand tracked into my kitchen daily. There are bugs to be found and ants to squish. Puppy's to chase and calves to be fed. There are fights and wrestlings at an hourly rate. Food eaten every time they go through the kitchen (it seems like). Things are torn apart and haphazardly put back together... would I change my life??? Absolutely NOT!!! We are living an adventure-one hour at a time!!!

Do I question what God's plan is?? No!!! Oh, there are days I wonder how I will ever get through it. I wonder how I will put up with ONE more fight. I wonder if their stomaches will ever be filled for more then 1/2 an hour. And I wonder if my kitchen floor will ever stay clean for a few minutes!!!

Would having girls be much different?? Probably not. They would still have their fights, maybe not over tractors and cows, but dolls and purses and such. They would still get dirty and bring in the dirt, they would still eat lots of food. The list goes on... I watch those with girls and all the emotions they have and am thankful for my boys. Although I do compare Collin to a girl... (don't tell him that.) He has had many emotions to deal with and is so much better then he had been. You can read more about that journey here.

God's plan is perfect... who am I to question that?? Even when I have to suffer through 90% of my pregnancy. When I am scared the first 3-4 months of my pregnancy, wondering if God will call this child home, as He has 3 others. It makes me very thankful for my healthy babies. It makes me trust God in ways I would never have before. 

Would I want to experience the pain again?? No!! But my life has been made richer for it!! I can relate and encourage others in a way that many can't. Loosing a baby, even though they were only 12 wks gestation or younger, is not an easy thing to go through. Even though you may have barely gotten to know that baby, they were part of your dreams and plans. And through that pain my husband I were drawn together in a way we would never have been otherwise. (Some day I will blog about our story.)

So we carefully seek God's will and plan. He is ultimately in control. And we wonder what our future holds. But we know Who holds the future, and we trust His will for us and for my body.

(As a side note, my muscles have a very hard time supporting a baby. And with each pregnancy it has gotten worse. I live in pain most everyday from 3 months on. So we will accept each baby as a gift, when we feel God tells us it's time for another little blessing. For now my body is on break.)

Until then I will be the best Mom I can be to the 3 little boys God has blessed us with. And they will never once think that I wished one of them was a girl!!

PS. It's Collin's prayer, that God would bless him with not just one but two sisters. Twins!! He has his heart set on it, but I keep telling him it would take a miracle. One I would love, but only God can preform!!