We saved the roasts

That 40 pounds to grind turned into 7 medium roasts and 1 very large one in the oven now. No burger ground but the meat was not a loss. Steve and I worked together and I cut them down and he did the foot work back and forth.
ya!
I just almost felt like crying this morning to let that all go to naught.

Cought it just shy of pneumonia

Hi,
I made it to the urgent care around 6 a.m. with kids sweetly in tow. Steve drove me for I was just too weak to do so. A chest xray showed cloudiness on my right chest so that is the educated guess. If I am not a lot better very soon I am to go to the ER to have further test run. Valley feaver being one of them and a white count. They did not have the facilities to do so. If I would not of gone in this morning I could of been full blown pneumonia. Good timing.
I was very well cared for. We found a most excellent place it was a Catholic urgent care. Much better than this place nearby and a lot higher quality of care.
A big old shot in the fanny of antibiotics and fluids a lot of rest. Feel like a wet noodle limp and hot with fever. This too shall pass.:) 
I am so bummed out that meat needs to be ground. ARG!
I had to postpone Doves 504 meeting at the elementary Friday morning due to the fever. That is the writ that will give her special considerations in the public school system.
Well tv is so boring and I just need to go rest. Thanks for the kind prayers.

High fever

Hello my friends.
Last night in the night, my pained back was intense as well as my neck. My head too. Then the chills hit with a high fever. The kids are due home soon in 15 minutes or so. My goodness. I really got slammed. It does not seam a flu or a intestinal. Not my breathing either.
Steve got the kids to school and I was able to arise around noon. The pain has eased in my back thank God. So deep breadth. It is amazing what God can make us able to do. I do not feel up to driving to go to a doc. My lymph nods at the base of my skull are so swollen.

so needless to say
please
thank you

Lemon Juice for summer. Juice your way to economy.

~Job two today~

 This is the last of it.

Three baskets of 3/4 full

Myer lemons.

Good lemon aid!

It juices almost orange.

 

 This is set up, how I do the order of it.

See the foot stool very important to use.

The foot stool raised me up for a better use of my strength.

The lower you are the more your using your back and wrist.

 

I asked specifically for lemons for lemon aide.

It was on my grocery wish list.

After two days work, every 15 minutes taking a laundry, dishes or tub scrubbing it is finished.

 It was good to phase in the dishes for the hot water felt real good on my wrist.

These Myer Lemons are very orange as juice a tart yet mild juice.

 

 

3 1/2 Gallons lemon juice put up for our 114* summers
Another gallon sets ready.

Home made Laundry Soap

 Hello

First task this morning was to make laundry soap.

With lots of laundry to do It was a must.

I had finished all the children s thing but needed our things done.

In the food processor I greated a bar of soap.

I used the pink this time.

I better go fetch some more of these bars for they can be hard to find.

Best place is a Hispanic store.

Melt is in a quort of hot water slowly.

ake sure it is all melted

 

 Like my new bucket?

It has wheels and a insert for the cleaners and such.

Here I put 3/4 full in a 4 gallon bucket of VERY hot water.

One half Cup of each borax and wuaper washing soda (found in the laundry isle)

Now these allone are around $5 each but they go a very very long way.

 

 Once all is melted carefully pour the hot soap into the water stir, then add the borax and soda.

I measured it into the ceramic.

(That was spun on a wheel years ago) I wish sometimes I could do that art again.

Stir...

Heads up!

It will thicken drascally before this is all said and done.

Don't panic if it looks watery.

Leave a bit of head room because this will need to be shaken free as you open it. It really does thicken up.

 

 $2.00

Worth of the very best laundry soap.

No softer is ever needed.

45 minutes labor.

I just made well over $40. for me efforts, or should I say saved my family that income.

Over 900 eegs now have been laid by my hens

Total Egg count to date 920    1-14-10

Starting November 7, 2008
January 14th, 2009 Each of the chickens laid an egg for the first time!
All hens laying 1-8-2009

Twins! we have twins!

You know that this in a once in a life time kind of thing.

Free range store bought organic egg.

It was a huge egg as you can judge by the size of the stove top.

Some days you know you just need a bit of reminding about what you do as a Mother and Homemaker. That wonders happen and children can heal. Hearts can mend. Sore backs will fell better.

Again last night with dove. My sweet darling tried. Her brother made a palate on her bedroom floor (his idea). No Go , Weeping great weeping and just a real pained heart about "inconveniently bothering mom and dad."  Oh I almost began to weep myself. No baby this is about your independence. I let her lay there and got her some tissues and encouraged her just to lay in her bed that she was alright.

Then...THUNDER!

I love the rain but alas it did no good for my efforts and in our room she slept.

I get so concerned about her getting enough sleep for school.

We laid on the floor together and she poured out her sweet little heart.

Fears about divorce, about the things her peers experience in their lives.

Fears. I reassured her that divorce is not an option and that mom and dad are not like her friends parents. We spoke with Dash too, about the importance of never personally attacking anyone.

Several months ago I was angry about something that I do not think was even between Steve and I.

We were outside and coming in from the car, the kids had gone inside and I was ranting about how angry I was and frustrated about some issue. I stepped inside when a dear neighbor had walked over she had just gotten home and asked how I was. I told her I think that I was feeling really angry and frustrated about something and I would visit another time and went inside.

Steve and her visited a few minutes. This is a dear woman who cares greatly about us.

Dove got the wrong idea from a little friend. She has held this in all these months.

Maybe we do need to find a way to get her a counselor so she can open up sooner.

I really hate the idea of a person speaking with my child in my absence. I just have real trust issues about that. I have known some really wacky therapist in my time.

This twin reminded me of the one in a million chance that can occure any time.

She can and will heal.

A friend sent me this video a lesson to remember.

I went in to my sweet husband and told him about the lesson. His frustration and temptation to control left in an instant and peace filled our hearts.

Dove needed our peace, so do we. This is rather stressful stuff.

Special needs children can pull the best out of you.

It really is for the long term an invisible act seen by God.

I'll do this both For God and for my sweet Dove.

Great News on Dove's heart

NORMAL! she has a murmur but it is within the normal range, just a little extra beat. She was awesome with the ultra sound and ekg. I took her out to lunch afterward. We stopped by a pharmacy to get my rx and the man gave her a candy bar for free. It really tickled her. She said "thank you sir" with out any hesitation. The Prozac is really giving me my little girl back, As much as the thought of my kid on meds bothers me, the cognitive processing really improved for her. God gives us the kids we are supposed to have. Funny how it is that I understand the brain chemistry so well. I know that this will protect her hypacampus and even shows promise to regrow neuron transmitters.
A friend even noticed who watched her. "she is so happy?" she even held a little 2 year old that normally drives her crazy. I have not seen the tick thing where she grabs the sides of her face with fingers wiggling. Thank God for the help she is getting. Tired but Happy mom.

Heart Doctor for my Dove.

I am doing alright pretty well actually. Filling out forms this morning. I need to take my Dove to the heart doc this morn. Just test for a medication they are thinking of giving her. Pray this child can feel able to sleep in her own bed. Now she is yet on the palate on our floor. I cant do the lay by her thing my back just cant take it. I did one night until 1 a.m. too much back pain to do it.
I am in peace over my sisters death.
I am sorry I got get back to the forms so I don't have to do it in office with her sitting there.
Loving you Donetta
Thank you Lynn for asking forgive the copy and paste. Crazy busy with forms and chores.
Bless you all.

Prayer for the souls in Haiti

The 7.0 quake has devastated this already poor country.
See A report here

Art Masters

Klee

Face to face

Face Art Print

 Glackens

Luxembourg Gardens

Siqueiros

For the complete Safety of all Mexicans at work

Remberant

The Apostle Simon

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today… Monday, January 11, 2010

Outside my window...The big dogs lie in the sun.With sun on the garden it begs me come and garden. Chickens are quite as it is chilly yet at 55* or so. Sorry you dear frozen friends, us desert rats freeze at anything below 60*. Of course we live with the 110 and teens in the summer...it is a dry heat hahah

I am thinking... It is good to care for the living. Teachers conferences this morning were so encouraging. Kids are such a gift.

I am thankful for...Peace in the passage of my dear sister. That we who are His are a piculare people. It is strange to grieve so peacefully. Everyone grieves in their own way and each relationship differs. I had a bad dream if something happened to one of the kids how different this would be. I am thankful that I am learning now to live getting freed up from fear.

I am wearing... Blue slacks, and my t shirt that is periwinkle blue with the word Cherokee on it. My feather earrings and I just notice my apron is on backward the face fabric against me 

I am going...To take my daughter to a heart specialist on Wednesday they want to do a base line on her before they give her medication for the anxiety disorder. She is adopted and we have no biological history.

I am hoping... That she will sleep in her own bed tonight and that I can hang in there for I told her tonight I would sleep with her this first night. I am hoping that my back can take it.

From the learning rooms… Art master piece preparation onRembrant, The Apostle Simon...Klee, Face to Face...Glackens, L:exemburg Gardens and...Siqueiros, For the comp;eate safety of all Mexicans at work. These are the first four Master I will rotate in the presentations to begin the third week of January.

Noticing that... I am living with tenacity again. Before I was getting so tired now it is like I have a new drive to care for the living, all things living as well. I have joy returning in the peaceful grieving of my dear sister. I am worshiping God in the act of this in gratitude for getting to share this road with her. She was my friend.

Pondering these words...Care for the living.

From the kitchen… sweet potato ? have yet to look up a recipe and some of the ground beef if I get to it today or????????

Around the house... I listed all the piles and will take care of the Christmas, paint supplies and the coffee table if I can get to it too.

One of my favorite things: is being a mother.

A few plans for the rest of the week: apt this afternoon for me, apt. for daughter, adn the 502? meeting for my daughter on Friday.

From my picture journal...

Sewing together two of the knitted dish clothes to make extra hot pads.

These are great, if a cloth is needed and the hot pad is out I can just grab it to use as a counter wash cloth.

My sweet MILove makes these for me.

Thank you S.

Meal plan Monday

These hybrid lemons look like oranges I assure you they are the best lemons.

These are Myer lemons.

Soak them in water for better yield of juice.

Today I juice lemons for lemon aide in the summer.

I will freeze the juice for cooking and beverages.

The Florida growing season was hurt bad.

I love the garden we have so we can have the fresh foods

 

So Many things finished already yesterday before church.

 

Breakfast cookies

 

This is just the most magnificent thing.

I know most folk would not be caught dead eating them but this was so beautiful!

I had some and the children tried them, a no go.

Steve let the kids down by not even trying He KNEW he did not like them.

He got out of it!

For the kids example he should of tried them at least.

The kids thought so any way

:)

I  made a steamed wild caught Alaskan cod dish with Kale, chard and spinach.

I told the kids they could scrape the greens off the fish as long as they try it.

THEY SAID>>" NO way they are so good!

kids said that!?

 

I needed meat to grind for I was out of it.

This was so cool.

I got 5.99 for 1.77

Cleaned and trimmed!

Tomorrow.

almost 40 pounds for the next 4-6 months

 

Stock up and freeze now come the spring the fruits and veggies will be $$$$ and scarce.