The house

The house inspector was by the house last week. After much to do, all we are to do to satisfy the buyers is to pay for termite treatment. They wanted the pellet stove, but we said no.

The inspector for the FHA loan is another matter. He has a problem with the peeling paint, which just happens to cover every exterior surface that isn't brick. Although it isn't official yet, we will most likely be required to repaint all wood surfaces on the outside of the house, including the garage. And windows. And the inside where there is peeling paint. But hopefully nothing else, we pray.

A nightmare, to say the least. We called Gary's uncle who is a painter and not currently on a project. He and other family and friends will be painting over the next week.

We thought, "What if we say no." Our realtor said 24 out of 25 loans are FHA, which means the next buyer, whenever that would be, will most likely be getting an FHA loan as well. So, we're stuck.

We thought we'd be able to pay off some debt with selling the house, but all we are doing is going in further.

The cabin will be our home for a lot longer than we thought.

The third one

Little Miss lost her third tooth today. She knocked it out while playing after school at the bus stop. Now she did knock out an already very loose tooth. So loose, in fact, she could make herself look like Mater.

Although it was hardly attached, there was much blood.

The Observer

The women looked on as the old man shuffled off the porch. She had been to the store to purchase some everyday items and had watched the man deep in his memory. She wondered what in his past affected so. Pain, hurt, love. She thought of the rocking chair, and how it came to be on that porch.

The winds blew around her, pulling strands of hair from her pony tail. She was 11. It was an unusually cool summer. At that time, the porch only held backless benches for resting one's weary bones. The owners, a couple who had been there since forever, didn't mind the occasional sitter, but certainly did not want anyone sticking around too long. The porch was attached to a general store, the only one in the small town.

Shielding her eyes from the sun, she saw the uniformed man step off the bus. He held a duffel bag and a wooden box. He glanced up and down the street, but no one came to welcome him. Adjusting his belongings, he walked down the street in the direction of the general store. She didn't recognize him and wondered who he was.

An allergy

I have the unfortunate experience of being allergic to eye care solution. Walgreen's hydrogen peroxide cleaner is now off limits to me. My eye doctor said my eyes were irritated and slightly puffy. All I noticed was that my right eye had a slight ache and my vision would blurry easily. And to top it off, since it's not a vision issue, but a health issue, I had to pay the specialist's co-pay, instead of it being a free consult.

I am to wear my glasses for eight days and use some eye drops. It's only been one day, and me and my head are tired of wearing my glasses.

The Rocking Chair

The empty rocking chair sat alone on the porch. It rocked gently in the breeze. Over and over people walked by, but no one sat. No one took a moment to rest in the chair and to reflect upon his day. Days past into nights. Nights, back into days.

Finally one sunny day, a little boy let go of his mother's hand, when he saw the chair. But he did not see a chair; he saw a rocket ship. He climbed in and soared up into space. As the brilliant blue turned to black, he dodged stars and zoomed past the moon. He rocked invaders and saved the earth from the sun's death rays. Her voice called him back to earth, and the rocking chair was empty again.

Days pass by again. Walking home from school, a young girl sees her throne. She sits upon it with majesty and grace. She listens to her subjects and resolves their differences. The porch becomes the ballroom floor. She spins around her throne, watching her pink dress twirl and twist. Her crown tips back on her head, while she glances around her kingdom. As she chases her next dream, the chair is empty once more.

An old man, worn by years of hard work, sees the chair and remembers. He is back ages ago, holding his child. He sits in the chair and rocks his baby. He hums the lullaby that quieted his newborn, sent his toddler to a blissful sleep, and carried away the troubles of his teen. His eyes are closed, but tears
make their way down his cheeks. The rocking chair is still. The man pushes himself up and shuffles off the porch. The lonely chair waits.

Looking Healthy

We make our own ketchup, salad dressing, soups, sauces, pickles, desserts, to name a few. I have, unsuccessfully, been trying to get a loaf of sandwich bread right but am currently taking a break from that. We add to our list when we find something else that has stuff we don't want to consume. Like last night, we made tomato soup. Most people just open a can and never even think to make it themselves. The soup wasn't hard to make, and it made enough for two meals. If you want to try it, let me know. Since seeing how easy it is to make freezer jam at MOPS, I will now be making that.

Keeping away from the processed foods finds us making a lot from scratch, using mostly natural and organic ingredients. I read almost every label that goes in my cart; it can take me a while in the store. I try to buy local food, at farm stands. If I can, I buy meat from local farmers as well. If I can't, I buy the antibiotic-free meat at the store, and hope that the free range label actually means free range. I even ask for nutritional information at the deli. Some people might call me obsessed. I think not. I believe I have a right to know what's in my food.

A few weeks ago at my doctor's appointment, my doctor surprised me by asking if I had a healthy diet, if I watched what I ate. Apparently whatever I am doing is making a difference.

Side note on high fructose corn syrup - have you seen the commercials for it? Where they try to tell you it is just like cane sugar and your body processes it the same. That it is fine in moderation. Well, tell me HFCS industry, since you put your product in nearly everything, how can I only consume it in moderation? In looking up info on HFCS, I did learn one thing: subjects gained more weight when HFCS was in their water and their food, then when it was only in their food. So, the first place to rid HFCS is from your drinks.

A peck and a half of apples

That many apples gets you almost 9 pints of applesauce and one apple pie. At least I think it was a peck and a half of apples. You can see the bags on the table. One is a peck; the other two are left overs from a peck, which I think equals about half a peck, give or take.

Here is the set up for our applesauce/pie production. Josh is modeling the apple corer/peeler/slicer. See below for video of the boy at work.





Mister ham bone asked me to take this one. Usually, I can hardly get him to stand still for a photo. He's saying, "Cheese."











Apples cooking down.











Straining the sauce.









Finished product. These are from the left over peck, since you still see the peck bag behind the jars.

The entire process took over 5 hours, interrupted only by lunch and getting Ellie off the bus. Though the apples were still cooking down at lunch, and sort of cooking down while I was gone to get Ellie, since for safety, I turned the stove off. I did the applesauce in two batches, with a pie in between.




I'm tired.

And to top it off, we made homemade tomato soup for dinner. Or Gary did, while I finished up the applesauce.

Of course we had some pie for dessert.

Commas and semicolons

My mother-in-law asked me proof-read a writing assignment for her English class. She claims that writing isn't her thing, but what she sent me was good stuff. She has a writing gene in there somewhere.

I decided to investigate semicolon usage, of which I haven't been as sure, and brush up on my comma usage. Semicolons have four main functions, and commas have many.



I'm glad I learned a thing or two about semicolons, and I chuckled when I read this sentence about commas: "Some essays look as though the student loaded a shotgun with commas and blasted away." According to that person, commas are highly overused.

Signing

We finally have ourselves an offer on the house. It isn't the greatest, but it is one. And we're signing it. Settlement is scheduled for Dec. 10th.

Organizing, again

If you look at this photo, you will see quite the array of products on the dryer. It has been like this ever since the shelf that held it all fell off the wall. You can see the outline of it on the wall behind the washer.





I decided that it has been that way long enough. I tried rehanging the shelf. Not worth it. So, I hauled the decrepit dehumidifier out from beside the washer and dragged over the former TV cabinet and put it in its place. Now I have space for the clothes cleaning products without cluttering the dryer and getting in the way of using said dryer. I am much pleased with this new set up.

A new washing experience

Last week the washer decided to break. It wouldn't stop filling the tub with water. I had started a load of sheets and went upstairs to help Ellie get ready for school. When Gary left for work at least an hour later, he decided to check something in the cellar. The washer was still filling up. Water was covering the floor.

I called Dad later to ask him to see what deals Lowes had. He called back later to say he and Mom would buy a new washer, he had one picked out and would I be home Thursday for it to be delivered. Well, if someone is going to buy me a new washer, I'll be home whenever I need to be.

I was secretly hoping for a front loader. But it isn't. It's just as good. It is a top-loading, low water washer. I really like it. A lot.







Here is a label on the inside of the lid that compare it to a regular top-loader. And it shows the low water.

I did at least 3 loads the day it came. The next day I did a load and it got stuck. It wouldn't unlock the door and it wouldn't continue in the cycle. I called Whirlpool. The helpful lady said to unplug it for a few minutes to reset it. It didn't work. So, on the second day I have this wonderful machine, I also have a work order. For Monday. But it's Friday. My wet load would be sitting for three days. Stinky. I decided to try the reset option again. I unplugged it and went upstairs. When I came back (longer than a few minutes) and plugged it in, it did reset.

Yummy stuff

I decided to do a variation of our regular pizza. Barbecue chicken pizza. Instead of pizza sauce I used barbecue sauce and topped with cooked chicken. But since we didn't have any barbecue sauce, I made some. It was tasty stuff, and I've included the recipe below. The adults thought the pizza was good! The children prefer regular plain cheese pizza.

Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ medium onion
2 medium garlic cloves
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup ketchup

Method:
Mince the onion and garlic and sauté in the oil until translucent.
Stir in remaining ingredients (apart from the ketchup).
Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down.
Gently stir in the ketchup.

Enjoy!

A Toasty Fire

We had a fire Monday night. It was toasty, and we all enjoyed sitting in front of it.

I suggested we sing some hymns, and Ellie piped up that I should play my flute too. I'd play one stanza and then sing all the verses. Then I read from the book 101 Things Jesus Has Done for You. And Ellie wanted to read from the Bible, so I read the passage from John, which corresponded to the reading from the 101 things book.

We all prayed and then the kids went bed. It was a lovely family time.

I looked up how to bank a fire to save the coals for the next morning. It worked. The hot coals from Monday night's fire lasted until the following night, while being banked several times.

But last night we decided to let it go out. It's still not really cold enough during the day for a fire. Yesterday the novelty of trying to bank the fire was the main reason I kept it going all day.

It's gotten cold enough at night, though. We've had frost several times now.

There is a distinct odor in the cellar

When I first smelled it, I was getting something out of the refrigerator. It smelled like something died in it. Later that day I remembered that corner is where the pest control guy said he could see mouse activity in the insulation.

Back in college I took a class (I can't remember it's title) where all us students each received a dead rat and found a location outside to put it to study it's decomposition. [Fascinating class. I'll tell you more if you want.] So, I know what dead animal smells like.

It's been about two weeks since we put the poison out. You take a guess as to what I am smelling.

Look at the difference

I was cleaning my pizza stone after dinner tonight and was reminded of the difference between three of my Pampered Chef stone wear pieces.

The pizza stone - oldest and most used - nearly black
The small bar pan - newer and used - brown
The large bar pan - newest and hardly used - tan

A small farm dream

I don't know if it's actually a dream of ours or not, but Gary is taking a class on it. I would be taking it also, except for we don't have anyone to watch the kids. The class is suppose to help you decide if a small farm is the way to go. His homework this past week was to interview a farmer. Gary said he didn't know any, so he'd have to skip that part. I think he was thinking of large scale, but I reminded him of my brother and sister-in-law. They have a small farm, are feeding families produce through CSAs and are raising some livestock. Farm indeed.

We would like to have chickens, and I also like the idea of bees. Though Gary likes honey, he is not at all interested in having needles with wings around.

We really like the idea of a cow, but there is more involved there. But through this class Gary found out about miniature cattle. And that is possible for our small farm dream.

Here are two little guys next to a fence. As you can see, they are quite shorter than regular size cattle. They eat less food, require less land, and produce much less milk.

And the added bonus is they are so cute.

The moms are coming

My mom is coming for grandparents' day at Ellie's school. I am excited since she is coming a full day early to spend time with us. We are going for a drive and I am going to show her around the area (even though she's been coming up here longer than I have been alive and apparently hasn't been anywhere.)








Tomorrow Gary's mom is also coming for grandparents' day. And she's staying an extra couple of days. We can go driving around too.

I like when family comes to visit.

Some Whys of to not to

July 19, 2009
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1 Peter 3:22
¹⁸For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; ¹⁹in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, ²⁰who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.

²¹Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,²²who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

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Psalm 103:1-4
¹Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
²Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
³Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
⁴Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

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Deuteronomy 30:14-16,19-20
¹⁴"But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.¹⁵"See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;¹⁶in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.

¹⁹"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,²⁰by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

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Mark 9:23,24
²³And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." ²⁴Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."

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2 Thessalonians 2:15-17
¹⁵So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were (and are being) taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.¹⁶Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,¹⁷comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. (This is gospel.)

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Philippians 4:6-7
⁴Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! ⁵Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. ⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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Philippians 1:3-6
³I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,⁴always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, ⁵in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

The Last Day, but yet . . .

. . . we are going to the Post Season.

Today is the last day of the regular baseball season. Phillies have the best record in MLB in 2010.
A CORRECTION: There are only 162 games in the regular baseball season.

Back to Lansdale

On the way back to Lansdale, Josh decided to play "What's in that truck?" He would see a truck, which was about every three seconds and ask what was in it, fully expecting us to know the answer. Our most common answer was "I don't know." The game started by Josh asking what was in a Shop Rite truck. We knew the answer satisfactorily to that question. In his mind, we'd know for every truck and started the game. After many "I don't knows" later, I suggested they look for a round truck (tanker.) Than a brown truck (UPS.) Than a horse trailer. It became a game of spotting different kinds of trucks or vehicles.