Ronald Regan

With election day right around the corner, I wanted to post a very special video sent to us by a friend, just as a reminder of what is good, and right and honorable.... what our country is all about, where we have come from, and what we can still hope for.  The White House has held many Godly men in office in times past.  Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on our country if we cry out to him.  Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on our country if  we humble ourselves and pray.  Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on our country for the sake of the "Fathers".   Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on our country if our country will choose to change its course.

Enjoy Ronald Regan.  He is a hero of ours.  I get choked up when I listen to this video and realize what a Christian he really was.

Blessings everyone.

Photography Tips

I have several children who are amazing photographers.  I am a work in progress, longing to improve my skills with my camera, so I can use them for my art work, my blog, and my etsy shop.   My kids have taught me some wonderful things in the photography department, and I have also been listening to tips on etsy and you tube.  It is helping.  I  think some of you will be interested to learn a few tips as well. I had a hard time downloading the video for this, so I have just posted the link.  Be sure to click on it, and you can watch a video on how to develop a type of name brand in what you create,  and photography workshop one and two.  Hope these will bless you with a few great tips.  Have a great week.


Photography Workshop Part One and Two

Launching Your Creativity

While I am away, I wanted to leave some videos to encourage any of you that have creative endeavors you are wanting to do something with.  For some of you it is blogging, for some of you it is a hobby/business on the sidelines of an already busy life with family, and for some of you, it is an endeavor for full time income that can help pay the bills in these trying times.  I found a few videos on Pinterest and Etsy that I thought had some words of encouragement and some tips for your business, and creative endeavors.   I hope they will encourage you in what you are wanting to do.  They  encouraged me, because I am trying to pursue a business  with some of my own creations, and have struggled against the intimidation of what is already out there, what is already successful and so on. I appreciate what  Sharon Hughs says about comparison and thought  you gals  might too.  Also, these little postings are just excerps of what I found here and there, I don't know these people's full backgrounds,  I just wanted to share some of their tips, because they were helpful.   Remember that in everything you do, whether blogging,  sewing, crafting, cleaning, cooking, raising a family or sharing life with others, "Let your Light shine."  Every part of our lives that is filled with Jesus and shared with others is Light.

Sharon Hughs

Going to Florida

Guess what?  Okay, you read my post title... yes, I am going to Florida; tomorrow.  Guess what's in Florida?  Yes, my daughters and 3 of my little grandsons.  I can hardly wait.  I was wanting to make it a 3 way round trip and visit Nathan and Himilce and my other grandsons in North Carolina while I was out east, but Nathan and Himilce will be in process of moving, so that trip will wait till after baby granddaughter is born.  So yes,  I am going to Florida.  This is my yearly highlight... to go see our kids, or for them to come and see us.  I have packed and strategized about all that I can bring to make a Christmas in October celebration, because that is what it will feel like.

I have scheduled a few posts while I am away, so pop back in and check... We might even get a little blogging session together while I am there (I say this every time, and it rarely ever happens.. but you never know).

I have scheduled a few videos that will encourage you as bloggers and will encourage your creative business endeavors.  So check in.

Blessings, Pam

New Chickens

We had a few appointments in Colorado Springs last week, and while we were there, we bought 10 more little chickens (pullets) to  "beef up" our little flock (now how is that for an expression).  We found them for $4.00 a piece on Craig's list, which was a good price for  5 month old pullets.

Here they are cozily resting in the garden shed.  They are really hiding out from our first 7 chickens who are just a tad snippy with them.  I tried to tell them that they out number the ol gals, but they are young and still a little shy.

 Aren't they cute?

The breeds we got are Plymouth Barred Rock Hens, and a white breed... which I don't know the  name of. 

 But let me tell you the story of getting them... it was delightful.  It wasn't difficult to realize that the family who were selling the chickies were a homeschooling family...  you can just recognize the qualities; sweet, polite, efficient, confident.  The littlest girl was clearly the chicken expert of the family; I believe she was about 4 years old give or take.  Her Daddy called upon her to help sort out the hens and put them into our pet carriers.  She was quick as lightning and immediately had one hen after another under her arms.  Her biggest problem was that she considered each chicken as her favorite pet, and had special names for each (not sure how she could tell the difference between them... but she seemed to know).  She didn't want to give up her pets, so there was definitely some emotion felt for each chicken that was put into our cage.  None of us wanted to make her give up her pets.  There were a few that we were not to come home with us because of that fact; it was okay, because we got our 10 and they were all lovely chickens regardless.  Her Mom told us that this precious, little girl  would come out daily and get a chicken and rock him/her in her arms while sitting in the sandbox.  I believe the chickens were as happy with her as with each other.

Now let me introduce Sir Doodle (as in Cock a Doodle Do) to you. 

 He is a pet.   He was found out to be a stowaway amongst the pullets, but when we heard the story about his Daddy, we decided it was time to get another rooster, so we didn't protest his addition to the flock.

As a quick note, "Lenny", our last rooster is no longer with us... no we didn't eat him, although it had been talked about; we gave him to a home who appreciated his four o'clock A.M. wake up alarm and aggressive spousal abuse qualitites better than we did.  So we have been roosterless for a couple of months.

 Sir Doodle's Father is a pet.  This is the story that his family told us while holding on to the great big Daddy Rooster that they still owned;  He was picked up and held onto by their youngest as if he was the family cat.   They said that he was a sweet friendly rooster, but not only that, when one of their other roosters hit an aggressive stage and began to act as if it were going to go after one of their kids, the big white Daddy rooster would come and get between the other rooster and the kids, and would give him a licken to remember.  That's the kind of rooster I like to have around... I am thinking Sir Doodle will take after his father... so far he shows every sign of it.  He comes up to you when you are in the pen and just sits there waiting to be picked up.  He loves to eat out of your hand and is very content while being held.  All hail to 4 year olds everywhere who pick up animals and play with animals.  They do a great service of breaking them in and conditioning them to be wonderful pets.

Weekend Happenings

Steve and I took another excursion to Denver over the weekend.  We helped some friends move to  Denver, by hauling all their indoor and outdoor plants for them.  We took advantage of a weekend "date" while we were there, and stayed the night in a hotel, and meandered around Denver and memory lane for a couple of days.  We went antiquing, shopping and exploring.  We also went to "White Fence Farm", which is an old historical farm and is now a family restaurant and tourist attraction in the middle of Denver.  Steve and his family used to eat there when he was young, and we used to take our children when they were growing up.  It is a fun outing.

You can meander into all kinds of cozy sitting areas outside.

There are several stores.

Some of the stores carried homemade items, some antiques and some "country store type" items.

There was a pretty streams and bridge.

 And wonderful old farm equipment.

And animals to enjoy.

Delightful old cars

 Some people even took naps.

Old John Deere tractors are classic.

Love the grapevines growing over the patio.

Have a Great Weekend Everyone!

Romancing the Home for Fall

I like to think I am a very practical person.... but I also consider myself a romantic.

I think our whole family is that way.  It must be the creative side of us that can't resist lovely things, and being able to be a part of creating.  We all love to "create", in some format or other; painting, photography, film making, writing, cooking, jewelry, sewing, crocheting, home decorating, etc.   But we all  also love creating a certain atmosphere in our homes... music, candles, special moments together, that's us.  My grown kids are especially talented in those departments.  I know many of you are the same, so I thought I would share with you as I am romancing our home for fall.... nothing amazing, but perhaps will spark some of your own delight in decorating for fall. 

Fall Flowers and Rod Iron on the Garden Shed

Wild Sage 

.....which Luke and I picked in the field

A Wreath made from Wild Sage and Yucca Pods to decorate the Chicken House

Wild Sage in an Iron Vase 

Candles and Fall Flowers in the Bathroom

Steve and I both love candles...

So Pretty at Night

Fall Leaves in a Jar

  When my oldest son Nathan was born,  my Mom came to stay and to help.  I have a special memory of coming home from the hospital and finding aspen leaves in jars all over the house.  

It was September in the higher mountain elevations, and the aspen leaves were already turning  golden 

The house was so beautiful,  I will never forget how lovely it looked, and how special it felt to come home to.  Thanks for the happy memory Mom.

Golden Leaves and Twinkle Lights on the Mantle

 Decorating the Dollhouse For Fall

 Little Leaves, Little Pumpkins, Little Sunflowers

Happy Decorating Everyone



And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

By wisdom a house is built,

    and through understanding it is established;

⁴ 

through knowledge its rooms are filled

    with rare and beautiful treasures.

Proverbs 24:3-4

Chili Time

Fall doesn't feel like fall unless the smell of Roasted Green Chili's permeates our car and house.

... and the season is not complete without a visit to one of the farms to get our chills for the year.

The fresh green chili is roasted at the farm and then put  in a big plastic bag while it is still hot so it can steam; this makes it easy to skin.    We take them home, skin them and put them in freezer bags for all the green chili we want through out  the year.

These are the pinto beans we grew this year.   I let them dry on the vine and  then they were easy to shuck... I don't know if that is the way it is supposed to be done, because I have never done them before, but they seemed to turn out fine.

Green Chili  is a favorite dish in our area, and something I like to make first thing when we get our green chilis home, but with  fresh tomatoes, garlic and onion and pintos from the garden, and freshly roasted chilies from the local farm, we have all we need for a wonderful almost homegrown pot of Chili (what we sometimes call Texas Chili)

The temperature dropped below freezing the last two nights and it has been in the forties the last two days.  Steve made a fire in the wood stove for the first time this fall... it is a little earlier than usual, but perfect weather for a bowl of Chili and nice warm cornbread.


 Chili

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
8 cups cooked pinto beans
1 cup chopped onion
3 15 ounce cans chopped tomatoes or approximate amount of fresh tomatoes skinned and chopped.
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup chopped green chilies
2 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon cumin powder or to taste
5 Tablespoons chili powder or to taste
Approximately 3 cups of water
salt and pepper to taste


Instructions

Brown the ground beef  and sauté onions with the browning meat.  Strain the grease.  Put browned ground beef and all the remaining ingredients in a stock pot.  Simmer on top of a nice wood burning stove for an hour or more.... I guess you can  use a regular stove if  you must...  :p  .  A crock pot works nicely if you want to put it on to simmer slowly while you spend the day in town.  If you are using fresh tomatoes, you will want to simmer a little longer;  until the tomatoes have cooked down.  I always watch, taste and adjust if necessary, can't imagine cooking without doing it that way.

Enjoy