Vegetable Beef Soup

The last day of November! Today is a blustery day with snow flurries and dropping temperatures.  A perfect day for a nice hot bowl of soup/stew and fresh baked bread.

Vegetable Beef Soup/Stew AKA Beef Stoup

Basically, I make a soup but thicken it a bit to be like a stew. 

Boil a package of soup meat (homegrown beef) in water with onion, celery, bay leaf, basil and parsley.  After it is cooked down to a nice brown broth, I remove the meat and let it cool to tear the meat from the bone and place back in the broth.  Add several peeled and coarsely chopped potatoes.  When the potatoes are almost done, add cans of whatever veggies you like.  I added a can of mixed veggies, can of carrots (I was out of raw carrots), jar of home grown and canned green beans, can of corn, can of diced tomatoes, can of red kidney beans.  Thicken it with a bit of corn starch and voila'!  Nice, rich, beefy comfort food! 

The bread was made in my bread machine.  Love that device!

Wild Swans

This past Friday we saw something that had never been seen around here.

Wild swans!  It has been the talk of the county!  Yeah, its a small county.

Last Thursday we had 4 inches of rain.  What you see here in this photo is not a lake, it is a flooded field. Just behind the trees in the background is a large creek that over-flowed its banks.  When this field gets flooded, we jokingly call it Lake Terrapin (Terrapin is the name of the road that I am taking the photo from)

Friday morning husband called me and told me that I should drive down the road here and look at this.  I couldn't get all of the swans in one frame but there were 12 of them.  I checked on them several times that day.  Later in the day a couple of snow geese joined them.

The two geese are to the left of the swans.

On Saturday the swans were still there and another 8 had joined them.  I forgot to take my camera.  Dang.

By Sunday the water had gone down and the swans were all gone.  Too bad, they are beautiful birds.  I had never seen swans in the wild before. 

Look girls....it's a MAN!!

Today my goatie girls got a new boyfriend!

My husband ran into a guy that had this buck in with his cows and had decided he was tired of the Eau du Goat that only a buck goat can produce.  We got this fine looking fellow for $25!!  I think it was a steal!  He doesn't seem to be mean but he also hasn't been handled a whole lot either.  So before we took him off the stock trailer, Husband held him and I trimmed his hooves and gave him some of my homemade wormer tincture.  Then we took him over to meet the girls.

After some get-to-know-you sniffing, Isis decided she likes him pretty good!

I should be looking at some little kids at the end of April/early May.

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish my readers in the U.S a Happy Thanksgiving.  To the rest, I wish you a Happy Thursday.

The history of Thanksgiving has, in recent years, been the subject of debate for some.  I think we all know that history tends to be written by the 'winners'.  Over time, however, other facts do come to light.  So perhaps the fanciful idea of the Pilgrims welcoming the Natives to their great feast is just that....fantasy.  I think there is a great deal of buried history to prove that it wasn't the peaceful co-existence that we learned as young children. 

Regardless of the skewed 'history' of this day, what Thanksgiving is now has little to do with what went on over 3 centuries ago.  If you go by what you see on TV, it is the day that we must seriously begin to accumulate, shop and spend.  Matter of fact, there are reports even yesterday of people camping out in front of stores to get those great deals on Black Friday.  Many stores will be open on Thanksgiving day to give those early bird shoppers ample opportunity to buy buy buy.  That's fine if that is what people want to do I suppose, it just isn't my thing.  If I venture out on black friday, it is to watch the people rather than to buy buy buy.

Another aspect of T-Day is a day to feed our faces full of food and then sit around sleeping in front of the TV watching football with our eyes closed.  At least that is how my husband tends to spend the day.  Again, that is all well and good.  I love a good feast of food as much as the next person.  I will be cooking a great feast and enjoying it like the rest of the family that is going to make it home.

Then there is the more important and personal aspect of this day.  It is a day, for me, to reflect on what good I have in my life.  After the kids go home and husband is crashed out, I will go into my craft room and think about these things. 

I will be thankful that I have plenty of food, shelter and warmth.  I will be thankful that we had all the family here this past Sunday and that I will have some of them here again on Thursday.  I will be thankful for my children and my grandchildren.  I will try not to fret about the things that my oldest princess has going on in her life that makes me unhappy.  I will instead think on the things she is doing right.  I will be thankful that the other two princesses seem to have their heads on straight and they are doing well.  I will especially be thankful that the grandchildren are healthy and happy.

Since this is about the mid-point between Samhain and Yule, I will also spend some time thinking on more personal goals and triumphs and be thankful for those.

I do love the Yule/Solstice/Christmas season so I will be ready to jump into those celebrations and decorations full force AFTER this time of quiet reflection is over.

So, again, dear readers, I wish you all a happy thanksgiving, regardless of where you live. 

Extreme Minimalism

The other day I posted about hoarding.  Today I want to take a look at the opposite end of the spectrum, Extreme Minimalism.  I am not talking about the artistic definition of minimalism but rather the zen, simplified minimal lifestyle. Having your homes, your diet, your possessions down to bare minimum of what is necessary. What is "necessary" is subjective to each person. 

This quote is from http://zenhabits.net/on-minimalism/:

"So how is minimalism different? It’s basically an extension of simplicity — not only do you take things from complex to simple, but you try to get rid of anything that’s unnecessary. All but the essential.
Minimalism says that what’s unnecessary is a luxury, and a waste. Why be wasteful when the unnecessary isn’t needed for happiness? When it just gets in the way of happiness, of peace? By eliminating the unnecessary, we make room for the essential, and give ourselves more breathing space.
Now, exactly what is essential will vary from person to person. So someone might look at my essential things and say “That’s too much — it’s not minimal!” But they’d be wrong — because essential is subjective."

A lot of people have the mistaken idea that to live simple and minimal, that they can't have things.  I know a young woman who tried for a while to keep her belongings down to what could fit in a backpack.  That didn't work very long.  It worked while she was in college.  Now she is married with three kids.  I think she is over that idea. :)

Like I said a few days ago, the programs on TV about hoarding have brought this mental disorder to the attention of the world.  Instead of these people being just "lazy" or "slobs" or whatever, there is a newer understanding that there is much more going on.  But what about minimalism?  Is there extreme minimalism that also borders on the unhealthy?  I  don't know the answer to this but I have a feeling that perhaps it can. 

Is a simple wood chair too much furniture?

Extreme minimalism might say that having a bed is luxury so you should sleep on the floor...or even worse...having a floor indicates you have a house so maybe you should instead sleep on the ground.  A few people take it to the point of self-flagellation and  restricting their intake of food to the point of anorexia.  Extreme minimalism suggests that we should sell virutally everything we own and then rent.  The problem with that is that we are still consuming.  The insistence that one should own nothing seems as extreme and inflexible as not being able to let go of anything as in hoarding.

 

In the coming days, I will do another post about finding that happy medium between collecting too much and not allowing oneself to have anything.

 

Cranberry Tea

Here is one of my favorite hot drinks for the holidays....all winter actually.  It makes a crock pot full so I normally make it when my daughters are home to help drink it.

1 qt. cranberry juice - I prefer to use straight cranberry juice, not cranberry juice cocktail
2 c. orange juice
1 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. lemon juice
4 c. water
3 sticks of cinnamon
1 c. sugar

Mix and simmer on stove for at least 20 minutes or slow cooker on low for 1-2 hours.  You can refrigerate the left overs and reheat when ever you want a refreshing warm-up!

Hoarding

I have been fascinated and often repulsed by the programs "Hoarders" and "Hoarding: Buried Alive." These two programs have brought this condition out of the closet and laid bare for all to see.

What is hoarding?  Hoarding: (1) the acquisition of, and failure to discard, a large number of possessions that appear to be of useless or of limited value; (2) living spaces sufficiently cluttered so as to preclude activities for which those spaces were designed; and (3) significant distress or impairment in functioning caused by the hoarding.

I am willing to bet that almost all of us have known people that qualify as a hoarder or are on their way to becoming one.  Before it had a clinical definition, those people were probably like "Granny N" or "Mr. & Mrs. R" who were known for having a messy house and piles on top of piles.  In our little community, Mr. & Mrs. R have been in trouble with the town for extreme clutter.  They are now in their third house.  The first two they still own but can't live in or sell because they are packed to the rafters with stuff.  I can remember a granny of a friend of mine whose house was so cluttered that it was difficult to move around.  When we were kids we would go to her house and I was always amazed by the number of boxes that could fit in a tiny room.  Then there was my husbands aunt and uncle, now deceased, whose house was discovered to be so filthy and disgusting that the city tore down the house and just used heavy machinery to clean it off the lot.  It was an old shack of the house anyway.  When they would feed their cats (unknown how many that really was) they would put the canned cat food on a paper plate and drop it on the floor, never to be picked up again!

I tell my husband that if he isn't careful, he will slide into that pit of hoarding.  He can be a bit of a pack-rat now.  I have to work hard to keep his crap stuff out of the living spaces of the house.  The two car garage hasn't held a car in probably 8+ years.  The kids will say that we have two yards.  Dads yard, on the south and west sides of the house and my yard on the east and north.  My yard has the gardens and is kept clutter free.  You might see a garden tool or a wheel barrow sitting from time to time, but those are when work is in process.  Dads yard is a loose arrangement of farm implements, tractors, empty tubs, the plastic liner from the truck with more crap stuff in it. Immediately to the west of the house isn't so bad really.  The swing set, sandbox and patio-esque area is really normal backyard play and socialize space.  Just go beyond the electric fence though, and you cross back into pack-rat land.  There is a wagon of junk in the barn, some piled off to the side in the barn and more junk behind the barn.  All crap stuff that can come in handy someday, of course.

Just the other day I had him helping sort out some stuff in the back room entryway called the "mudroom."  It is just a 5' x 10' area that is for setting things down and storing the dog food, winter outerwear, boots, etc.
 As he was picking up the excess, he tried to hand me a small pile of reflective vests that he has collected this summer.  He wanted me to put them in his closet with his other box of these.  I told him that if he put them in there or expected me to find a place for them, the dumpster is where I would put them.  I think he ended up putting them up in the rafters of the garage. 

Separating this area from the game room is a couple of shelving units.  I have put backer board on the back side of these to make a "wall" for the game room. The main problem we were addressing was the fact that the mudroom had started sliding over into the game room area.  With winter and holiday get-togethers coming, I needed this room cleaned up for people to play Wii and sit and eat if they want.

Anyway...I digress...

So when does collecting and pack-ratting slide into hoarding?  I think it depends on the items involved and the intention behind saving them.  I have things I save and stock-up on.  Anyone who thinks about preparing for emergencies or hard times does that.  Any salvaging things that can be reused makes sense sometimes.  However, piles of trash that most people would get rid of, not having more than pathways through the house, not having the use of actual living space, and compulsive shopping just for the 'high' of it are probably all indications of turning that corner.

my boring life

I was chatting with a friend this evening and mentioned that I need to post a blog entry but didn't know what I was going to blog about.  My life is sort of boring most of the time.  He told me that at least I had an interesting enough life to even have a blog.  He tried once and never had anything to put on it. 

I see great posts by other blogs I follow and think..hey, there is a good topic! Then I get busy and forget what I was going to say.  Oh well!

Tomorrow I have to clean house and start cooking for Sunday's T-Day dinner.  We do it the sunday before with husbands family.  Since MIL had open heart surgery a couple weeks ago, it is at my house this year.  I got to thinking  that I will probably have to smudge my house on Monday.  Some of husbands sibling have anger management problems and some of his family just LOVE to discuss politics.  It never turns ugly but it walks the line.

I have been tossing around the idea of just migrating my other mundane blog to this one and cut down on the need for imagination.  On the other hand, that blog is one that I don't worry about my family and others not "in the know" reading. 

Well, there is my random thoughts for the evening.  Like I said...boring.  Boring is not always bad though.  When things get exciting around here, it is usually not the kind of excitement anyone wants. 

Herbs: Medicinal, Magical, Marvelous - a book review

I bought this book a few weeks ago and right away I saw this was a definite keeper!  I have several books about herbs and herbal products.  They either cover the medicinal/health aspects of the herbs OR they cover magical uses of herbs.  This is the first book that I have bought that covers both.  One thing I really like about the book is that the author keeps the section regarding the making of herbal products down to the very basic information.  The bulk of the book is dedicated to the appendices that covers individual herbs and their various properties and uses.  There is also a section that lists ailments and problems then gives a list of herbs that can be helpful.

This book is a very good reference book and it will stay on my reference shelf for use on a frequent basis.

In honor of Veterans Day

For Veterans Day I wish to say thanks to all those who have fought to defend our country and did what they believed was right and honorable.  While I don't always agree with our govt. decisions, I am always thankful for the men and women who serve our nation.

I would especially like to give honor to my Dad.  Dad served in the Air Force then the Army.  He went on to serve in the Army Reserve as a helicopter pilot.  He never had to go to any battle fronts.  He would have gladly gone if called to do so.  When my mommy died, the Army did not ask him to go to Vietnam but instead transferred him to the Reserve.  Daddy loved flying those helicopters and each month when he went for his weekend stint he would fly over our house and mock shoot the house.  Daddy died 29 yrs ago but I still run outdoors when I hear those Army helicopters flying anywhere in the area.  I can tell them from regular helicopters even when they are miles away.

I love you and miss you Daddy!

A whole week?!

I can't believe a whole week has gone by and I have not posted an entry.  I have been reading the blogs I follow and making a comment here and there.  I just haven't had anything to say on my own blog I guess.  I really must remedy that.

I notice that many of you seasoned bloggers have certain topics on certain days.  This is something I really should do.  It would probably help keep me on task.  I will decide on this later.

I have been busy with painting the great room in my house and deep cleaning as I go.  I have made the announcement to extended family that I would have Thanksgiving dinner the Sunday before T-day.  That gives me only 11 days to get the house in order!!  If you only knew how much needs to be done!  This is one of those times I wish I was Samantha Stevens and could just wiggle my nose and TA-DA!!  Its all perfectly done!!

I leave you with this question.  If someone were to write a book about your life, what would the title be?  I finally came up with my title..."Never Say Never"

Random stuff

Yay!  The end of the nasty election adverts are now over for at least a year.  And the phone calls??  Really?  several a day!!!  And all of them recordings!  I stopped answering my phone nearly a month ago!  I am on the Do Not Call list, but apparently the politicians were smart enough to exempt themselves from that.  I did go vote though.  I feel it is important to vote even if it is trying to pick the lesser of two evils.

On a more pleasant topic, I am honored to have been nominated by Serenity at The Domestic Witch for this fun award:

 In the spirit of the award I would like to pass it on to the following 10 blogs (and any of my other readers that would like them cause I love ya'll!):
A Solitary Pagans Path
Avalon Revisited
Dragonfly Hearth
Faerie Sage Kitchen
Green Surviving
Groggy Froggy
Hedgewitch Hollow
Moonbeams and Heartstrings
Return to Rural
Roxie's Musings

Oh...and thanks to The Whimsical Cottage for these really fun awards that are free for the taking!  Please...anyone that visits, feel free to take them too!!

Blessed Samhain - Last Harvest

Now that things have wound down and the kids have all gone home, I am finally able to spend some quiet time meditating about the other significances of this day.  I have spent time thinking about the loved ones that have passed on.  I have reminisced about happy times with Grandma when she was living.  I feel like she is near me this evening enjoying my grandchildren as much as I did.

Last Harvest....I wonder how much that means to most people.  As an avid gardener and as a farmer, harvest time means quite a lot to me. Not because we make money at it or even could support ourselves completely.  However, I feel a deeper connection to the seasons and changes that happen throughout the wheel of the year.  The Julian calender tells us that winter solstice is the first day of winter.  I happen to know that winter actually happens sooner than that in this area.  By now, the garden is almost completely dead.  We had a hard frost the other night that froze everything except for my lettuce bed.  That stuff can take a lot of cold before it succumbs.  I feel blessed to live out in the country.  I am thankful that I can walk outside on a clear night and see the stars in great multitude.  There is little light pollution here and the milky way is something to behold on a moonless, cloudless night.  Yes, winter does not wait for mid-December to come.
 

Some late color before all is frozen over.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the new year to many that follow an earth centered path. It is time to go into that quiet, thoughtful space within.   The next few months are perfect for reading, studying, thinking deep thoughts.  We still have some holidays coming up and many people find themselves stressed out.  I enjoy the holidays and do not tend to get stressed about them.  I think it is because I make more time for peaceful thought and reflection.

This evening I particularly find myself thinking about Halloween in years past.  When I was riding with daughter J taking the boys trick-or-treating, in my outrageous witch's costume, she looked over at me and said that she remembers that I used to hate halloween.  I couldn't deny it.  It's true.  It is also one of my regrets of the past.  For most of my life I was a fundy christian and believed all that was told to me from the established church about how halloween was an evil 'holiday' and of the devil.  I am glad that I did not deny my kids trick-or-treating and dressing in costumes at least.  Even though I "knew" I was toying with the devils day, I couldn't hate it just quite enough to make my kids miss out on all of the fun.  After finally deciding to wander down a different path I came to understand what this time of year actually means to different peoples.  I also can now embrace and enjoy the fun aspects of Halloween as well as the hallowed time of Samhain.

So, my wish for you, gentle readers, is that this time of year is a blessed time and may the coming year bring much happiness.