Wishing you a great but safe Halloween!

We stocked up on our favorite candy.  I'm making a pan of fudge and then we are going to curl up and watch our Halloween movie.  This year is Spooky Buddies!

Have fun all you little ghosts and goblins!

Food Storage

Over the weekend I noticed a trend in the blogging world. Blog upon blog that I read was talking about emergency food supplies. I’m thinking the earthquake in Turkey probably sparked it. And it is a good thing to invest in for several reasons.

I have briefly mentioned in a few previous posts that we do ‘food storage’. I haven’t went into too much detail about it and debated this post mainly because I don’t want people to look at us like we go around wearing tin foil on our heads in an effort to repel alien radar scans. (smile) We are not storing up for religious reasons because we are not an LDS family, though I admire their storage abilities and tips for storing, and we are not storing up for the apocalypse. ( BTW I did watch the 2012 movie and the only thing I came away with was that in an emergency all you need is a limo- that tank of a vehicle will outrun anything, takes a lickin‘ and keeps on tickin‘)

Mainly we do it for less hassle in case of an emergency. We live in the country and our local grocery store sells out of bread and peanut butter when the weather man mentions flurries. So imagine the shelves in the actual event of an earthquake or such. We store so we will already have it here. And not only for emergency but due to sickness or job loss. A few months ago it seemed like doctor bills and insurance hit all at once on top of the mound of monthly bills and the food storage got us through the pinch. Now I’m having to restock it slowly so not to stress the budget too much.

I was very excited to find that our local grocery store this past week was carrying their regular size peanut butter (normally $1.89) for $1.28. That’s a great price so we bought 12 for food storage and I went back today and bought 6 more just for the pantry. We eat a lot of peanut butter and with the holidays approaching I’ll be using quite a bit for candy and desserts. It’s shelf stable and would be great to throw in a backpack for camping. It provides quick energy and is lasting. Meaning it doesn’t take much to fill you up and it sticks with you allowing you to go longer in the day before needing to eat again. That makes it a perfect emergency food.

I keep our supply in storage containers in our cloak room. A large hall closet.  At one time we kept it under the stairs but it was such a hassle to get at. And you do have to keep it rotated so ease of use is a necessity for me.

I use storage containers in hopes that if rain got in say, heaven forbid, a tornado takes the roof, then the beans and rice would stay dry. And if things got blown around hopefully some of the lids would still be intact. There seems to be more of a chance to keep it safe that way then just on the shelf. Or maybe I just feel more secure with it in there. :)

Each tote has a number or letter and it’s contents is listed in a binder along with the size, quantity, and expiration date.

I try to store things sustaining like beans and rice. Staples like flour and shortening, milk powder and baking powder. Along with sweeteners like sugar and honey. Canned vegetables and fruits for necessary vitamins. It is also suggested to store up a few comfort foods especially for children to keep up morale. Possibly fruit snacks or granola bars. I remember reading in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book, The Long Winter, they survived on bread and potatoes for so long that they didn’t even taste them anymore. They only ate to survive and the only thing that broke the monotony was the supply of tea they laid in right before the seven months of blizzards started. So a little variety stored up is probably a wise decision.

Water is the main thing to store. You need water to drink, to cook with, and to clean with. There are water calculators on the web to help you figure out what amounts would be best for your family.

Infant needs or special medications for certain family members are things to consider. As is first aid supplies. Don’t forget about the pets too. Having a plan in place to supplement their needs as well will reduce stress in an already stressful situation.

Every one's food storage will vary from one family to the next. We all have different likes and dislikes and different situations and allergies. Being prepared isn’t such a bad idea and it doesn’t have to be a big production either. Just add a few extra items to your shopping cart each time you shop and it will add up. With a little organization you can keep it streamlined and see what you have and what you need, what needs to be rotated and what needs to be used up.

In any case it’s a lot like insurance, it’s a comfort to know you have it but you pray you’ll never have to use it.

Until next time…….Kristi.

A Piece of History

My Mother-in-law's new play pretty.

The ironic part is that leading up to her bringing this home, we, that is chuck and myself, had been toying with the idea of closing in a part of our back porch off the kitchen and getting a wood stove to suppliment our gas heat and also give us an alternative cooking source in a power outage.  Now I never hope to acquire such a gem as the one pictured above, but was thinking along the lines of what my father has;  a little flat top stove.  One where I could set my cast iron dutch oven and cook stew, soup, chili, or a pot a beans all day.   An oven for making biscuits would be a wonderful bonus but I'm not holding my breath.  Plus, like I said we were just toying with the idea because it would take a lot of work and a lot of material to do that but it doesn't hurt to dream! 

 Anyway hope you enjoy the pics and I hope she enjoys her treasure; her own little piece of history.  I wish it could talk and tell us all the stories it must of heard while chicks and children, puppies and hearts were warmed while standing around that little stove. 

Use It Up: Saltine Crackers

Polly want a cracker?

Sorry couldn’t help myself.

Ok back to basics.

I usually talk about versatile and inexpensive food options on here. But saltine crackers? Well, I’m just going to go ahead and say it. They aren’t inexpensive, they are just plain ol’ cheap! And cheap is good. We like cheap, not as much as free, but we’ll take what we can get.

Aside from the snack options of peanut butter and crackers, which I love, there a few other things you can make with crackers.

Ham Patties

1 small can chunk ham
1 egg
Saltine crackers
Chives
Pepper to taste
Drain ham and place in bowl. Crumble crackers over ham and add in chives and pepper to taste. Beat egg and add to mixture. Test to see if more crackers are needed to form good patties. Roll patties in corn meal and fry until golden.
Note: I also make these with tuna, salmon, can chicken, or even with treet that was run thru a food processor. ( hey the treet was cheap too, what can I say?)


Soda Cracker salad
(like potato salad without potatoes)
1/4lb pkg. soda crackers, crumbled but not fine
1 cup mayonnaise
½ c. green pepper, chopped
½ c. celery, chopped (to me this is optional since I don’t put celery in my regular potato salad)
3 eggs, boiled and chopped
½ c. onion, chopped fine
½ c sweet pickle relish
Add:
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and store overnight in refrigerator.

Poor Man’s Apple Pie, I fooled so many people with this pie, that I should have been ashamed. One person even swore they could see a bit of skin that I missed while peeling my apples! LOL! Don’t feel too guilty about deceiving people if you choose to make it because it’s actually an Amish recipe.

Poor Man’s Apple Pie

1 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ c. water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp lemon juice
12 saltine crackers
3 Tbsp butter
Bring to boil all ingredients except crackers and butter. Lay crackers in pie crust and top with butter. Pour liquid over and top with second crust. Bake at 350 * until brown.
Note: I always have more liquid than my crust can hold on this. Also, be careful how full you fill it with the liquid, it tends to bubble out. As a precaution place aluminum foil underneath pie tin.

Pine Bark also known as Fake Heath Bars is popular around the holidays but requires only a few ingredients and is so simple to prepare that they can be whipped up anytime instead of just special occasions.

There are a lot of these recipes out there with slight variances on how long to boil or what temp the oven should be or how long to stay in the oven. Not enough difference to count. So I’m just going to give you a pretty simple one.

Pine Bark AKA Fake Heath Bars

1 cup brown sugar
2 sticks real butter
12 oz chocolate chips
Saltine crackers
Line a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with sides with aluminum foil. Cover with a flat layer of crackers. Boil sugar and butter together 3 minutes. ( start timing when it starts boiling) Pour over crackers. Bake 6-7 minutes at 375* While hot top with chips. When melted spread to cover as well as possible. Let cool slightly and then place in refrigerator to cool completely. Break into pieces.
　

Oyster Cracker Snacks

Oyster crackers
Seasoning choose one of the following or a mixture if you’re feeling adventurous:
Dry ranch dressing seasoning packet (the spicy ranch is really good on these but original is fine)
Or Popcorn seasoning (the nacho cheese flavor was a hit with the kids)
Place crackers in gallon ziplock bag or large sealable bowl. Add in a cup of vegetable oil and as much or as little seasoning from packet as you like. Seal and walk away. Every time you walk by turn the bag or bowl over and leave it again. Repeat this several times until most of the oil is absorbed. I then place in a new clean container. Great for movie night or family game night.

Hopefully you’ll find one of the above recipes useful.

Don’t forget crackers make a great casserole topping, soup partner, and crust for meats.

And they’re cheap!

Happy eating!

Until next time……Kristi.

Clothesline Edition: News That Leaves You Hanging

Saturday the guys put up a new clothesline across the deck.  This will keep me from wading mud and wet grass during the coming months of less than premium hanging weather. 

He used galvanized conduit so they wouldn't rust.  And the post holders he made out of aluminum and turned those out in the shop himself. 

The clothes line can be taken down and put back up in a matter of minutes.  So it won't be in the way come next summer when the pool is in use once again.  The poles can also be taken down since he fixed them to sit down over the aluminum holders.

You can see the clotheslines in the background are full so I had to use my new one right away! 

Until next time.......Kristi. 

Update October

This week was pretty busy in spite of doctor appointments, impromptu trip for critter bedding, and visitation with mom, plus the usual agenda squeezed in there too.

First thing this past week I made my liquid soap I had been wanting to try out. More about that later this week.

Wednesday we had planned to work in the house and school but Bowie the dog had other plans. Buddy the little dog is forever in big dog’s (Bowie) face. Growling every time he turns around. Bossing him, nagging him, snapping at him, etc. You get the idea. So Wednesday when the weather man was calling for it to cool down and with frost in the forecast, Bowie gets in Buddy’s bed, drags his nice warm bedding out and shreds it to pieces. How’s that for revenge? Off to town we go to get something that can be used that night.

Coincidentally Dad left work at half a day and had a dr. appt. so we met up with him and did a little grocery shopping afterwards.

Once home I took the fleece throw I bought at Goodwill and made two pillow beds for Bud. So he was snug as a bug in a rug that night.

Thursday we went to see mom and take her new pajamas. Last week we went on a Wednesday and she was really sleepy. I couldn’t get her to wake up enough to visit. But this week on Thursday she woke up and talked to us for a while and gazed out at the sunshine. We had a nice time.

This is how Friday morning started out bright and early. The guys started while the temps were still under forty degrees.

We had a clog in the drain pipe that leads outside from under the house. It has plagued us for awhile but kept getting worse and worse until it wouldn’t be ignored any longer. The guys started while the temps were still in the thirties.

Brrrrr……

I worked in the shed getting things moved around to make room for the patio furniture.

Then moved it all down there.

Now the deck is bare.

Saturday the guys put up another clothes line for me. This one is across the deck so I don’t have to wade the mud or wet grass during the coming months. Pics coming tomorrow about this.

With a few mornings of frost the rose bush blooms took a hit but there were a few still pretty so I took them inside to pretty up the kitchen.

We still have the roof to do once Charlie is up to it . We also have to work on Bowie’s new dog house.

The air line in the shop still hasn’t been completed. But we are getting there. If new projects would stop popping up we could complete the ones on the list!  :)

Got several things to post this week. Coming up Wednesday will be the next installment of Use It Up. This week will focus on Saltine Crackers. Hope to find you there!

Have a great week and I wish you luck on completing your own projects!

Until next time……..Kristi.

Words

The days were growing shorter and the nights were cooler. One night Jack Frost passed by , and in the morning there were bright colors here and there among the green leaves of the Big Woods. Then all the leaves stopped being green. They were yellow and scarlet and crimson and golden and brown.

House in the Big Woods -Laura Ingalls Wilder

Use It Up: Onions

Onions are inexpensive and used in most recipes. When sales are at their peak, you can pick up a bag for very little money and you tell yourself  you’ll use them up before they go bad. But life has other plans. Unexpected things come up and suddenly all those new recipes as well as the oldies get put aside.

Once things return to normal you’re staring in your pantry thinking, “Now what?  Those suckers may grow legs any minute and walk right out of here."
But don’t worry there a few things you can do to salvage some, if not all, of these mutant creatures now taking up residence in your onion bin.
First up you can always chop them up and place in a single layer on a foil lined cookie sheet. Place in your freezer until frozen, then place in resealable bags to cook with. Do note that the texture is some what chewy once thawed, so really they are only useful in recipes.

One recipe I absolutely love, and fall back on anytime I have a surplus of onions, is Onion Casserole. The following recipe is the original. I tweak it just a little. After making it by the recipe the first time, I found I’d rather dice my onions instead of leaving it in slices. It makes a prettier casserole and less cutting for the eater. I also usually just make up a chicken flavored white sauce using chicken base and use in place of the soup and bouillon. The chips are really tasty on it but I have used saltine cracker crumbs and it tasted fine.

Onion Casserole

¼ cup butter

9 large onions, sliced

1 (7 ounce) bag sour cream and onion flavored potato chips, crushed

1 cube beef bouillon

1/2 cup water

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350* . Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute onions until tender. Transfer to prepared dish and top with crushed potato chips. Dissolve bouillon in water and mix with mushroom soup; pour over chips and onions. Top with cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

If you love munching on French’s French Fried Onions or need some to top a Green Bean Casserole then make your own. These are really yummy. They make great snacks for movie night. Don’t worry if you don’t have sweet onions. I made these out of the little white “great for cooking” onions, (you know the ones that water your eyes and make your nose run just looking at them?) I made them out of those and they were a hit at our house. If you happen to have sweet onions then onion rings may be the easier route for you.

Deep Fried Onions

Onions

Around 2 cups buttermilk or (soured milk - 1 Tbsp white vinegar to about 1 cup milk)

2 cups flour

Salt (about 1 Tbsp)

Pepper

Cayenne pepper (¼-½ teaspoon)

Oil for frying

Slice onions very, very thinly (see your knife through the slices thin).Separate slices into rings and place them in a shallow dish. Cover rings with buttermilk or sour milk. Soak at least an hour. Place flour, salt and both peppers in a bowl. Heat oil to 375*. Dredge rings in flour mixture, shake off excess, and fry until golden.

(Note: When dredging don't worry about dipping one ring at a time in the flour,  just use your tongs and grab a bunch, drop them in and toss flour over them, roll them around, whatever floats your boat, then grab back up with tongs and shake the excess flour off and drop in the oil.  Much easier that way with less work!)

There doesn't seem to be anything sweeter than caramelized onions. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote a book about her husband's childhood, entitled Farmer Boy. One of his favorite dishes was Apples and Onions. 

Apples and Onions


6 medium onions, sliced and separated into rings
2 Tbsp. bacon drippings or butter
6 medium apples,cored and cut into 1/4 inch wedges ( tart apples are best)
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
 
In large skillet cook onions in grease or butter over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.  Add apples and top with brown sugar.  Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until apples are tender. 


One last word about onions.  If you ever have the misfortune of burning yourself, reach for a fresh onion.  Cut it in half and rub over the burn.  The juice from it really helps. 

There you have it!  The incredible, edible, ...... I mean the ornery, honorary, onion. 

Until next time......Happy Eating!

Kristi

FYI

I fixed the broken link on the Much Ado About Beans post.  Sorry about that.  If you click the link it should now take you to the previous post about pinto beans.  Again, sorry for the inconvenience. 

Also if you scroll down below the blog archive on the right side of the blog( web version for those of you on mobile) I have the post listed by labels.  This should make it easier to find what you are looking for.  For example, if you want to catch up on the Use It Up recipes you just click recipes and it brings up all past posts with recipes. 

Coming up tomorrow:  Use It Up-Onions

Thanks for reading!

Kristi

Update in Pics

These are pics from last week that I didn't get to post due to internet problems.  Lots of projects needing done before the temps drop later on this week. 

Touches of fall.

***********************

Now that's a big tater!

My what big eyes you have!

New bed for Bud in the office.

Stake of granny squares for mom. 

Kyler trying out the field on Chuck's bike. 

   Chuck managed to fix a leaky faucet this weekend in between riding and working on the field.   We also did a little stock up shopping to replenish the food storage.

Lots to be accomplished this week but busy hands are happy hands!

(Y'all tired of me saying that yet?)

Have a great day!

Picture Thought

This reminds me of a cabinet in Granny's kitchen.

Just Cause

You often hear on the news about a person or group of people fighting for a Just Cause and I can understand that totally. 

For example, if Zach comes in the kitchen and asks why I'm making a cake, I reply "just 'cause". 

Or if I give someone a gift and it isn't their birthday, I did it just 'cause. 

If our dog got his bedtime cookie too early, it becomes a just 'cause cookie and he gets a new one deemed bedtime snack. 

All very good reasons for taking a stand in my book. 

Just saying.....just 'cause this is my blog!  (smile)

Have a great day!

Use It Up: Cornbread

With the last two weeks being about beans, that leaves a lot of leftover cornbread. There are a few different things you can do with cornbread instead of just heating it up and eating it again the next night. 

I like to save my cornbread in the freezer and when I get enough I make crockpot dressing:
 

Crockpot Dressing

1 Whole chicken

1 8-inch pan corn bread

8 slices white bread

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 Tbsp margarine

onion to taste

Boil, debone chicken.  Reserve liquid.  Break up breads.  Beat eggs and add to mixture.  Add onion, salt, pepper, sage, soup, marg., and celery.  Fill cans with chicken broth.  Mix all. Cook 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high. 

This is the original recipe.  If you're like me, then you see recipes more as suggestions instead of rules and tweak them to suit you and your family. 

I use chicken breast tenders out of the freezer that I have already batch cooked in the crockpot and shredded.  So all I have to do is toss it in with the other ingredients.  Most of the time I don't even use chicken, I use cooked, crumbled, and drained hot breakfast sausage.  Again I like to already have it cooked and stored in the freezer too. 

In place of the chicken soup, I make up a white sauce and add in a rounded teaspoon of chicken base paste.  The chicken broth I substitute with water and chicken base.   I substitute the sage with poultry seasoning. Generally I leave out the celery because I don't keep it stocked, but I  use cooked onion.

If that sounds like too much work then you might like Skillet Dressing. It's great when you get to craving dressing and the holidays are too far off.  Plus, its made on top of the stove and doesn't heat your house up in the summer. 

Skillet Dressing

1/2 cup crushed corn bread (day old and crumbled)

1/2 cup cooked rice (opt) 

2 hard cooked eggs chopped

1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4. chopped celery

2 Tbsp onion

2 Tbsp butter/ marg

1 tsp minced parsley

1/4 teas. poultry seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl combine the first 4 ingredients and set aside.  In a skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender.  Add the cornbread mixture and seasoning, mix well.  Cook over medium heat until lightly browned. 

Agian you can adjust measuremaents to suit you and omit ingredients that you don't like or don't have on hand. 

A very simple and quick recipe and yummy too.

If you are not a dressing sort of person you might like Cornbread Salad.  It's a great side and a way to dress up plain cornbread.

Cornbread Salad

1 package cornbread mix 

9 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup drained sweet pickle relish

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish juice

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

chopped onion to taste

1 cup mayo or to taste

Bake cornbread according to package direction; cool.  Crumble cornbread into a seving bowl/add remaining ingredients, stirring until thouroughly mixed.  ( May be prepared ahead and refrigerated to serve the following day. )

I do a few things different on this.  For one I don't make my cornbread from a package.  I'd never heard of such a thing until this recipe.  I didn't know they existed.  I also use leftover cold cornbread for this instead of fresh.  My guys don't like raw onion, so if I do include onion I saute it in butter first.  This is a good way to use up your garden produce of peppers and tomatoes.  If it isn't garden season then I just omit the pepper.  I don't like buying extra things at the grocery store just because a recipe lists it.  If it doesn't affect the taste then I leave it out. 

It's a pretty accompaniment, it's different, and very tasty.  You may win over picky eaters with this one on shock value alone.  :)


Happy Frugal Eating!

Words

The sky was very faintly pink, then it was pinker. The color went higher up the sky. It grew brighter and deeper. It blazed like fire, and suddenly the little cloud was glittering gold . In the center of the blazing color, on the flat edge of the earth, a tiny sliver of sun appeared. It was a short streak of white fire. Suddenly the whole sun bounded up, round and huge, far bigger than the ordinary sun and throbbing with so much light that its roundness almost burst.

On the Banks of Plum Creek- Laura Ingalls Wilder

Picture Thought

Watching dirt being hauled wouldn't be near as exciting if it was done in a new dump truck.  There's just something about these old trucks.  Their simplicity and their surprising quietness.

Being around this old truck brings back memories of my childhood.  So much of my time as a child was around old grain trucks and old boom trucks that I can't help but be fond of this old dump truck.  If Heather hadn't already spoke for it......for a minute, just for a minute, I'd be tempted...........!

Until next time...........Have a great weekend! 

Granny Squares Rag Rug

I set aside my oval rug to see what a granny square would look like in a rag rug.....

My sheet rag rug made out of granny squares. 

Just three rounds in three different colors and single crocheted together.

It goes with my countertops nicely!

May add a few more blocks to make it bigger.  Not sure yet.

Within five minutes of being down, she decided it was "fit for a Queenie".

Use It Up: Much Ado About Beans

Last week I talked about pinto beans, if you missed it you can read it here, and while the recipes I put on could be substituted with white or navy beans, the way I cook my navy beans differs somewhat.

Kristi’s Navy Beans and Sausage

1 lb dry navy beans, looked and soaked overnight

1 lb hot breakfast sausage, cooked, crumbled, and drained

Italian seasoning

Chicken base or chicken broth

Salt and Pepper

Garlic and onion, optional

Rinse and drain beans. Place in slow cooker and cover with water or broth. Add in sausage and seasonings and a spoon of chicken base if using. Cover and cook until beans are done.

Another favorite:

Senate Bean Soup

1 lb dry navy beans

1 meaty ham bone

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup instant potato flakes or 1 ½ cups mashed potatoes

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 ½ tsp pepper

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

Wash and sort beans; soak overnight or cover with water , bring to boil, boil 2 minutes remove from heat cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Add more water and ham bone. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 ½ hours. Stir in remaining ingredients; simmer 20-30 minutes until beans are tender. Remove ham bone, rim off meat and return meat to soup; remove bay leaf. Serve hot; freezes well. This is great made in the crockpot as well.

Great Northern Beans can be substituted in the above recipes without changing the taste very much.

One way I like to use up these white versions is to make a pot pie with them.
Make up your favorite pie crust recipe and fill with cold beans. Top with a another crust and poke a few holes in the top, seal and bake until done. If desired you can make up a chicken gravy and pour over the beans before topping with crust.

Very good and filling especially on cold winter days.

Until next time….Happy Frugal Eating!

Pure Poetry!

Yep, you read it right....

50 lbs!!

Update Last of September

Last week was such an odd week. Full of sickness and healing and worry and thankfulness and disappearances and revisits.

It started with Charlie’s visit to the emergency room Sunday night week. So he stayed home on Monday. That day was spent running after his prescriptions and watching him sleep so there was no school.

Tuesday he went back to work but was draggy. On this day Buddy hurt his paw somehow and hobbled around and whined and whimpered and needed constant attention and carried up steps and stairs. Buddy’s paw has gotten better. He is walking on it finally and to be honest I think he’s missing the baby-ing he was receiving as a result of his injuries.

Our cat , Queenie, has been missing for over a month. I figured she was gone for good. I didn’t know what had happened but I figured she must of gotten hurt or up and moved on us, never to be seen again. She just appeared out of the blue, very vocal and hungry. She’s been by every day to eat and visit until we put her out at night.

I have been coughing my head off. My sinuses can’t seem to adjust to this weather. I had my doctor appointment on Thursday but with the week being so screwy I hadn’t had much time to worry about it. It turned out pretty good. At least I don’t have to worry for a year. LOL!.

Zach finally got over his coughing this week. So thank the Lord for healing around here!

In sewing news: I finished one rug I’ll post pics later this week. It wasn’t the oval one I started. (remember the side-tracked syndrome I told you about?) I got to wondering how one would look made in granny squares. Only one way to find out!

On the home front: We moved the loveseat up to Zach’s room. It doesn’t look as cozy in the living room now but boy do we have room. I don’t know what we’ll do if we have company but we all like the results. Zach has a nice place to sit and play video games. He has a regular bachelor pad going upstairs. He has hinted that all he needs now is a refrigerator to save all that running back and forth downstairs! Funny, ain’t he? (insert sarcasm there)

I sprinkled a few fall decorations throughout the house too.  I love this time of year!  The colors are so pretty.

School didn’t happen this week because of Dad’s allergic reaction and my doctor appt. I wasn’t going to try to cram the civil war into two days! It was a cruel, devastating, yet interesting war and it deserves more than speed reading! I hope he enjoys it as much as the French Revolution. There was just something about all those heads rolling in France that he loved! Boys! That’s why Treasure Island couldn’t hold a candle to Robison Crusoe; there weren’t any cannibals!

The field is coming along! All that’s left is to fix the rhythm sections and plant the rest in rye grass that we aren’t using. Then maybe our free time can be used to get some of our projects done around here before winter; sort of batten done the hatches before old man winter comes around. Plus, maybe some of that free time can be spent riding.

Hope you all had a great week and I wish you a fun and safe and productive week this week!

Until next time…Kristi.