"Stocking Up" Challenge Step 1

Hey ladies!


I am so excited to see that ya'll are interested and want to do this! Good for you!

I am not going to rush this challenge! I have no "day to finish" and have not planned on having one! I want to get you started and then you can grow from there!

Also for anyone who is on a tight budget, you may need 5 or 6 weeks to stock up on things that some one else can get in two or three weeks. So even if I lay it out to say so many weeks, you make your own plan on paper, and STICK TO IT AS BEST YOU CAN!

Okay, the FIRST STEP:

I want you to save every penny that you can for the next week!

Save your eating out money.

Stay home as much as you can. When you go out, you spend money!

Roll your change that you have around the house.

Get your spouse and your family involved! Tell them your plan and see if they can pitch in to help save money!

Spend as little as you can, and please save up!

Your stocking up money is the most important money for your families future! They can cut back on a trip to the movies, going out to eat, and just shopping around for "things"! Give it a try! I think you will be amazed at how much you can stock up on and things you can get that you couldn't before. And most of all, when you are done stocking up, you will feel so good about yourself and what you have done for your family! It will give you peace!

Also,

Get the local grocery store papers and find out what is on sell for next week.

And Collect some coupons if you want.

Well there you go! Short and simple! For the next week, SAVE MONEY!

I wish I could give you more then a week, but as I said, this is just to get you going! After this challenge, and during, I hope you continue on your own, to save and spend WISELY!

~Hannah

P.S. I will be posting more tips and ideas for stocking up over the next week, but I will probably not post the big step(s) 2 until the 28th!

My little "cave-children" cracking nuts!

Over the autumn months (last year), we took a lot of time to help the girls learn about different nuts that grow wild around here. They had a really great time gathering nuts and cracking them and eating them!
They were so fun and cute to watch! Like a couple of squirrels gathering nuts and like children from a long time ago, trying to crack the nuts with rocks!!
I took pictures of that of course!
Here are some of the pictures of them trying to crack hickory nuts with rocks!!


The pictures (above and one below), of Princess A. trying to crack a nut with a big rock are just precious, I think!
Princess S. could actually hit hers hard enough to crack a lot of them! She loved it and would spend a lot of time working hard at it!

I have a lot more pictures of our nut gathering, etc. that I may post later!

~ the nutty mommy, Hannah!

"Watercolors by Arlene Faye" Etsy Shop Review & Giveaway!!

I think I was born about a century late. I love the good old days. The stories, the pictures and the lifestyle. I love antiques, and want to pass on the "old things" and "old ways" to my children and grandchildren!

A while back when I was "shopping around" on Etsy, a watercolor painting popped up and I went to check out "Watercolors by Arlene Faye"! I Just Love her paintings!

It is hard to say which painting would be my favorite, but I love laundry hanging out to dry, so the "Laundry day" painting would be high on my list!

After visiting "Watercolors By Arlene Faye" you will soon see that she has a wide variety of paintings and you can find a painting that will fit in every room of the house! And you can pick from Original watercolors or prints!

The "I CAN REACH THAT" Giraffe would be great for a children's room! I know my girls would Love it!

I love the "Sweet Gardenia"!

Isn't it breath-taking?! I would have this on a bedroom wall too!

I love cherries! And I think the "Life Is A Bowl of Cherries" painting will make you hungry for a fresh cherry or cherry pie! =) YUM! They look so shiny and real!

"Watercolors by Arlene Faye" would make great gifts!

I would get several of them for Christmas gifts! Or maybe you would rather give watercolor painting notecards? She has a lot of them too!

She has a lot of great winter scene paintings on notecards! Including these "Sheep in Winter" (below)! And watercolor cards that will be great for Christmas cards! There are a lot of them to choose from! Just visit "Watercolors By Arlene Faye" to see them all!

I have a print of the "Vintage Pink Teapot" from "Watercolors by Arlene Faye", and I am so excited about it! It is like having a rare treasure to me! When I first got it, I had thought about giving it to someone special for a gift, but I think I am going to keep it for our family and pass it on to our girls!

I love tea and teapots and as I said before, vintage items! Plus I think this will look really good on the cedar walls in the kitchen! Maybe someday I will have a dining room and can hang it up in there!

Visit "Watercolors By Arlene Faye" and let me know which one you love or bought!

Now for the Giveaway!
"Watercolors by Arlene Faye" is offering one of my blog readers the choice between two of her prints! A Big thank you to Arlene!

One winner will get to choose the 8x10" print of the "Life Is A Bowl Of Cherries" or an 8x10" print of "Laundry Day"!

Mandatory Entry:
Visit "Watercolors By Arlene Faye" and tell me another original, print or set of cards you would love to buy for you and your family, or give as a gift!
Mandatory entry must be done to enter giveaway!
Please leave your email address in your comment or have it visible on your profile.

Extra Entries After completing mandatory Entry:
-Tell me which print you would pick if you won! (1 entry)

-"Heart" Watercolors by Arlene Faye Etsy shop (1 entry)
-Purchase a product from "Watercolors by Arlene Faye" during the time of this giveaway (10 entries per purchase)
-Follow my blog (1 entry)
-Follow me on Networked Blogs (1 entry)
-Follow me on twitter (1 entry)
-Tweet this giveaway (1 entry per day)
-Add my blog button to your sidebar and leave a link of where I can find it(3 entries)
-Write a blog post about this giveaway and leave the link to your post below (5 entries)
-Enter one of my other blog giveaways (1 entry per giveaway you enter)

That gives you 26+ chances to win! Have fun!
Please leave a comment per entry that you qualify for, for each entry to count!

This giveaway is open to the U.S. Only and Ends on Oct 23 rd at 12 am central. The winner will be chosen at random using random.org.
The prize will be sent directly from "Watercolors by Arlene Faye" to the winner.

Disclaimer:
For purposes of this review, I received a sample to review.
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own.

Dandelion Cookies Recipe!

A couple of years ago, when I really started getting into herbs, I found Learning Herbs and all their great recipes! One was for flower cookies and I knew my girls would love this! I made them year before last, but did not get to last year. This year our dandelion patch in the front yard is huge and so pretty! So today I used the recipe from Learning Herbs Recipe for Dandelion Cookies! Here is my step-by-step of their recipe and of course I had to make some changes for my ingredients!

By the way, I doubled the recipe and it made 3 dozen cookies!!

Dandelion Flower Cookies

For this dandelion recipe, you’ll need: 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil (I used my coconut oil from Tropical Traditions!), 1⁄2 cup honey (out of honey so used brown sugar), 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 cup unbleached flour, 1 cup dry oatmeal, and 1⁄2 cup dandelion flowers.

1) Preheat the oven to 375.

2) Mix the oil and honey and then beat in the 2 eggs and vanilla.
3) Remove the yellow flower parts from the green parts (compost the green parts).

4) Stir in the flour, oatmeal, and dandelion flowers.

5) Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto an oiled cookie sheet.

6) Bake for 10-15 minutes.

7) Cool and enjoy!

Yummy and pretty healthy! =)

(Now time for a cookie and coffee)!

~Hannah

~Health Tip~ Chickweed!

Here in the south, I have noticed that chickweed grows from fall thru spring! But it does not grow really thick in most places that I have seen it, compared to pictures of it growing up in northern states!
So I have not been able to make anything with chickweed, Yet! Just wait though, (beware chickweed!) I want to make some chickweed ointment, chickweed eye rinse, chickweed pesto, chickweed steamed, chickweed in salad, chickweed on sandwiches, etc!

Here are some chickweed recipes:
Prodigal Gardens,
Learning Herbs,
Herbal Cuisine,
Medicinal Herbs


From Edible Chesapeake:
"Chickweed (Stellaria media)
One of the first weeds to greet us in the spring, chickweed is chock full of beneficial nutrients. It contains vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, biotin, choline, inositol and rutin. Chickweed also provides us with a variety of minerals including calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and silicon. It contains saponin, which dissolves thickened cell walls and membranes, giving chickweed a reputation as a weight-loss aid. Beneman likes to use chickweed as a self-sown cover crop for some of her larger, taller vegetables, like tomatoes. She cautions against using it with crops such as lettuce, since chickweed will take up too much space and compete for nutrients. Chickweed has a pleasant, mild flavor and can be used instead of sprouts in a salad or on a sandwich or even wilted like spinach."

Learn more and see more pictures about chickweed at Wildman Steve Brill's!

From More Than Alive:

"Chickweed is high or very high in:
•Aluminum
•Calcium
•Cobalt
•Iron
•Magnesium
•Manganese
•Phosphorus
•Potassium
•Protein
•Silicon
•Vitamin A
•Zinc

Has been used in the following:

•Acne
•Allergies
•Appetite Depressant
•Blood Poisoning
•Blood Purifier
•Boils
•Bowels
•Burns
•Cancer
•Fatty Tumors
•Hayfever
•Hemorrhoids-bleeding
•Obesity
•Plague, blood vessels
•Psoriasis
•Skin
•Sores
•Weight Loss
•Wounds "

From Herbal Legacy:
"For others who suffered from asthma, as well as any respiratory condition. Dr. Christopher developed Lung & Bronchial, a formula of chick-weed, marshmallow root, mullein leaves, comfrey leaves, and lobelia. He chose all of the herbs in the formula for their ability to rebuild the lungs and expel the thick mucus secretions that accompany so many respiratory conditions. Some also soothe inflamed tissue, relieve pain, and heal hemorrhaging tissues in the lungs. In addition to Lung & Bronchial, Dr. Christopher recommended a sound diet, plenty of steam-distilled water, oil massage, and external application of Complete Tissue & Bone ointment.
One of the most valuable herbs in the formula is chickweed. It soothes, softens, and reduces irritation of the mucous membranes while relieving the cough of colds, influenza, and bronchitis. It activates the liver to eliminate the toxins related to these conditions. A powerful expectorant, it increases the secretions of the broncho-pulmonary membrane, facilitating the discharge of mucus."

God bless your health!
~Hannah

DISCLAIMER
This information is not intended for the use of diagnosing any disease, condition or prescribing any treatment whatsoever. It is offered for informational and educational use only, and for use in maintaining and promoting good health in cooperation with a licensed medical practitioner.
In the event the reader of this post uses the information without the approval of a health care provider, he/she is prescribing for himself/herself and assuming full responsibility for it. This is his/her right to do so, but Preparing For Our Children's Future assumes no responsibility for his/her actions.

My Easter "Splurge"!

I hardly ever buy stuff for just me. Yeah, I know, I am not a "normal' female! But I knew that! When I buy things, I make sure that my whole family can benefit from them! I prefer to go without and spend for my family and when they are happy and have what they need, I find joy in that!
Last month, I had the opportunity to spend some money though (yay, naughty me!) and of course I went for mostly books! I purchased books that I knew my whole family (and even others) could benefit from though.
I wanted to get the children a treat for Easter and since the oldest is reading I got the Billy & Blaze book for her and a Dora reading set for her and the youngest (who Loves Dora!).

Plus I bought them a dvd! I never do that! I think this was the second dvd we have bought! Lol! But they love "Ice Age" and had not seen "Dawn of the Dinosaurs". Sure enough, the whole family loves it!

I also bought a bunch of seeds, but hope to post about that later!

The top herb book on my list has been:

Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

So I knew I wanted to get that one! Now if I could just discipline myself to read more, so I can soak in all this great herbal information!!!!!
Rosemary's book is full of recipes, pictures and info on herbs and health.



I would love to grow most of my herbs and have started growing some, but I would like to know more about how to do it right when I do more! I have been gathering up a lot of herb seeds, so I finally got
Growing 101 Herbs that Heal by Tammi Hartung!

This book is packed with info! I was surprised! I assumed it was all about growing herbs, but has So Much more! How to store herbs, making herbal preparations, recipes, garden plans, and about marketing your herbs, etc!!

Another book I have had on my wish list for a Long time is:
"Rejuvenate Your Life, Recipes for Energy" by Serene Allison

I was very excited to finally get it and read over some of the pages! She gives tons of info and advice on how to make and cook healthy for your family and switching to healthy foods. Also love that she tells where they get their foods! I look forward to being able to eat more like her family, but know that I will probably end up just using a lot of her recipes and ideas, since we do canning and cook on a woodstove!

My other purchase was also from Above Rubies!

"Who Am I?" Two-Disk DVD Set by Nancy Campbell

I have been wanting a dvd set from Nancy Campbell for a long time now, and when I saw the new set, and it was cheaper then her other set ("Reclaiming God's Plan For Women") I decided to get it. Nancy is so inspiring and I love her speeches. My husband was disappointed in her misspeaking some (like when she says that male and female are two separate species) but I hope people know that she must have misspoke there! Maybe I should have bought the other dvd set.....Oh well, I want to share your messages with other women, and thought her dvds would be good. Has anyone else had women over to their house to hear her dvds? Would love to hear how that went for you!

~Health Tip Tuesdays~ Pumpkin Seeds

~Health Tip Tuesdays~

Pumpkin Seeds!

I have not had pumpkin seeds in such a long time! But I have been reading about them lately, and I have already decided to grow some pumpkins this year, mainly for the seeds! (I will also save some of the seeds for planting next year if they grow well).

So how good are pumpkin seeds for you?

Well here is some of the info I have found and combined just for you!

From Rebecca Wood:

"The seeds from pumpkins, or any other variety of winter squash, make a healthy and tasty snack. They're protein rich and an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, phosphorus and vitamin A.

Commercially available green pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, have had their fibrous white hull removed. To hull your home-prepared seeds, crack each seed individually between your teeth, discard the hull and savor the tender kernel.

It's faster to crunch and swallow the seeds and hulls together. This, incidentally, is a home remedy for expelling pinworms or other intestinal parasites. As the seed and hull pass through your digestive tract, the seed is assimilated and the fibrous, indigestible hull gently scours out unwelcome guests.

To roast pumpkin seeds place them on a lightly buttered cookie sheet and add a pat of butter and a dash of cinnamon or curry powder and salt. Bake for about 15 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven, stirring once, until the seeds are aromatic and lightly browned."

For Parasites and Worms Herbal Legacy says:

"A simple herbal aid for a mild case of worms is to use pumpkin seeds (Cucurbitaceae). It is best when fresh seeds are used. To make the infusion, steep one ounce of crushed seeds for fifteen to twenty minutes in a pint of boiling hot water. Dosage: One teacupful or more (up to one pint daily), six days a week for one to three weeks. Also eat one to two ounces of the pumpkin seeds each day. [HHH p.124]

Another "Seed" Aid is to Combine the Following:

1 part pumpkin seeds, crushed (Cucurbitaceae)
1 part watermelon seeds, crushed (Citrullus vulgaris)
1 part cucumber seeds, crushed (Cucumis sativus)

Dosage: Take one pint of emulsion (two ounces of seeds triturated in honey and distilled water) in doses at two hour intervals; or take one to two tablespoons of the crushed seeds in honey, syrup, etc., in three doses at two hour intervals.

The patient should fast during this treatment, then take an appropriate cathartic several hours after the last dosage such as senna tea or preferably the lower bowel formula [Fen LB]. Use this procedure at least three days in a row. [HHH p.124]".

By the way, is case you are wondering "[HHH p.124]" means that the quote is from Dr. Christopers book, "Herbal Home Health Care". I Highly recommend this book to everyone!

From: REJUVENATE YOUR LIFE: Recipes for Energy by Serene Allison

"ZINC BUILDER MILK

3/4 - 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
3 cups distilled water
1 scant TBS. of honey or pure maple syrup
Optional-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Blend until creamy and frothy."

And here is a trea from the Bulk Herb Store:

"Smoothies/Blended Drinks
Basic recipe:
1/2 - 1 c. liquid of choice (apple juice, orange juice, coffee, yogurt, milk, water, etc.)
1 banana, fresh or frozen in 1" pieces
1/4 c. fresh or frozen fruit of choice (strawberries, cherries, blueberries, etc.)
1 Tbls. Chia seeds
1 Tbls. seeds or nuts (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, flax seeds, soaked almonds or brazil nuts)
Directions:
Blend and serve.The more fruit you add the thicker the drink. With a 1/4 cup of liquid you can create a pudding-like dessert from any fresh fruit and liquid of your choice."


You can buy pumpkin seeds from:

Tropical Traditions,
Natural Zing

And you can buy pumpkin seed oil from
Mountian Rose Herbs!

So pumpkin seeds have essential, unsaturated fatty acids, are loaded with zinc, and are a super food! Wow! Sooo much packed into a seed!
I am really looking forward to using them more and introducing them to my children! =)

God bless your health!
~Hannah

Wood Spiltting One Afternoon

With a small wood cook stove, we have been cutting and splitting a lot of wood this fall!
Our wood pile of split wood was starting to shrink this week, so I went out Thursday afternoon and spilt a lot of the cherry wood that my husband brought home the other day.

(Above) This was the wood pile before I started! Looks pitiful, I know!

And this was the wood pile, 6 wagon loads of splitting later!

Did I mention that I had to haul the 6 loads of wood up our rock/gravel walkway? Nothing like I use to have to do, but still worthy of mentioning!

And there is still this much of the cherry wood left to split! Yippee!

I hope to work on it more over the coming week! Anyone want to help? I will make hot chocolate or herbal tea!

Expect the Unexpected!

An unexpected home repair and chance for cleaning the kitchen cabinets (and bleaching many areas in the cabinets and on the back porch)!

A line that is often said by my husband or I is, "You can't make this up"! After you read this blog post you will only see a few reasons why we say that!

We have been using our wood cook stove for heating the house this winter. It has already helped out a lot on our electric bill! =)
It is a small stove though, so you really have to stay with it to keep wood in the small wood box.
My husband said we should start putting wood in, whenever one of us gets up at night, since the nights are getting colder. So on last Saturday morning, I woke at 3 am. and it was pretty cool in the house, so I went down and started a fire. Husband got up when he heard me and I went on back to bed.
I had not been in bed long when I heard some noise in the kitchen. It sounded way to big for a mouse and I knew the cat could not get in, so I went down and sure enough I could hear something in the empty/broke junk drawer under the coffee maker!
I went up and woke husband back up to tell him!
Well I went down first, just in time to see a skunk fall out of the cabinet door!!

I took this picture a week or 2 ago, of the skunk eating the cat food! So as soon as I heard the commotion in the drawer and cabinet, I just knew it was the skunk, but I was really hoping for a rat or raccoon!
Well I went and opened the back door and thankfully the skunk moved on out, after he went into the washroom, looking for a way out!
We started going thru the kitchen trying to find were it came in, but could not see any where! While we were still talking about it, there was the skunk again in the cabinet! We could hardly believe it! This time when it came out of the cabinet, it went all the way around the house, following the walls, looking for a way out, till it found the back door! Well it ran back under the porch, so we tore into the cabinets again. This time we took out the broke drawer and found a small hole in the wall! The wall had the duck work in it that goes upstairs, so the skunk had gotten under the house thru a small hole by the AC and then found or made a hole in the duck work to come up into the cabinet!
We put a big towel in the hole to block it up for the day, but by then it was almost 5 a.m. and Princess S. was a wake! I tried to go get a nap, but the other Princess woke up too! So it was a very long day! And all my lower kitchen cabinets were emptied out all over the floor of the kitchen! I was needed to clean the cabinets, so I got to do that!
Husband went to the solar project he has been working on lately and brought some boards home that evening to fix the hole, but found we need stuff to repair the duck work first. Husband threw a lot of bleach around in the hole that they made in it made in the duck work, though.
While we were checking what all we needed to repair, the skunk somehow was back under one of the cabinets! So we threw more bleach in under the cabinets!Then somehow went back out, without us seeing it! Unreal.
Husband put the boards up to block the hole, till we can fix it all.
It wasn't long before the skunk was on the back porch eating cat food again! So husband opened the door enough to throw bleach on it! It just ran back under the porch. We went looking around to see if we could find it and for sure of how it was getting in under the house. I got brave and opened the little door that is for getting under the house and I was meet by the sight of TWO skunks, standing not too far away! Well that answered a lot of questions! Now that was why one time the skunk went right out the door, but the other time it went all the way around the house!

We still have a skunk around, as of last night, but I do pray it never gets back in and I am SOOOOOO THANKFUL none have squirted at us or in the house!!

I have learned a lot about skunks...
1. They are Not afraid of anything!
2. They are not very smart,
3. They can fit in Tiny holes!
and 4.
If you have one, you most likely have 2!

~Gratituesday~ Growing up Close to Nature

Joining Heavenly Homemaker's November Gratituesday Challenge again this week! Yippee! There is just SOOO MUCH for God's Children to be grateful for!

After splitting firewood this afternoon, I will ramble a little about my growing up years!

I could complain about a ton, that is for sure! And I could go over all the things my parents did wrong in raising my siblings and I, but they did do some things right, and for that I am grateful!

I am glad that I grew up around animals, almost my whole life, we always had pets, and later, all the farm animals! A lot of great experience has come from that!

I learned how to garden, grow our own food, can food, make jelly, butcher animals and work the meat up, etc. I milked cows, hauled hay, harnessed mules, learned about trees and firewood, carpentry work, building barns, building houses, greenhouses, etc.

The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is, I was close to nature and for that I am Most grateful! I believe everyone should live close to nature and that children should experience living on a farm! It brings you close to reality and closer to your Creater!

Canning Apples...Part Two, And Finished!

Well, I worked up the last of the apples, yesterday and finally have them all canned! PTL!

Here is the picture of before I started the peeling and slicing! This time I peeled and sliced most of them, before I started the cooking. That way, I was not having to stop and peel/slice more while my canner was not quite full! That worked a lot better.

I took a picture of the apples cooking in the syrup this time!

The apples float to the top as it cooks and it will run over if too full, once it starts to boil! It does not take long for the apples to get hot and soft too, so this part goes fast!

Finished! Yippee!

Canned 17 qts. yesterday so that brings us up to 36 qts!!

That gives us a lot of apple pies over the year!

Wow! We got more then I thought we would! Must be because we canned almost every apple, instead of eating a bunch!

I hope a lot of other people canned a bunch of apples this Fall.

God Bless!

Cooking on a Wood Stove

My family bought a small "Baker's Choice" wood cook stove right before we moved to TN. Actually, I think Dad did some bartering for it!
We used it in the small 10"/50" trailer house that we lived in. We soon learned we needed more and found someone, believe it or not, right down the road who had bought one for Y2K! This was a Large Pioneer Maid and I loved it! They are my favorite to this day! =) I wish we could find one or afford one now!
Here is a picture of my family's Pioneer maid, with my sister beside it:

Last autumn, (I believe it was) King Ed found us a small "modern maid" cook stove down in GA. for sell and went and bought it for us. We brought it in the house finally and have it set up for the winter! the other day he got it going to see how well it will do. It did great! I had decided to make a huge batch of rolls that day, so used it for keeping the dough warm to raise. Here is that picture:

It has been great for keeping the chill out on evenings that have been cool! The girls have enjoyed helping bring the wood in! It is great to have them grow up around this.
Last Monday, I put a pot of pinto beans on the stove, since he had it going, and boy did that smell good, with a big ham bone in it! I also tried the oven out on the rolls and it did great! I hope it helps our electric bill this winter and will not be soo worried about the electric going out now!
God is Good!

Starting a Farmers Agricultural Cooperative in TN.

Wow! A lot has been going on here! Besides preparing for winter and doing Fall projects, homeschool, etc., I have been helping a little with a huge project that my husband has been working on for several months!
This month that project is in full swing and Praise The Lord it is starting out really well! The project is to start a Farmers Agricultural cooperative in this county that will give tons of jobs to this county and surrounding counties and maybe take off across the country! It really amazes me to think about all the people who have a job, by just having a processing facility in the area and anyone who wants to grow stuff can grow as much as they can handle, and sawmills can make crates and pallets, and it just goes on and on! Really, anyone who wants to work Can!
We hope to have a processing building where produce can be delivered by the farmers/growers, it can be crated and then shipped to farmers markets, wholesalers, etc. The processing building would be run off of a solar energy, which we would install since we happen to be in the solar installation business! We have already installed a lot of solar stuff and one big system for a house, my husband has the experience in electrical, and a lot or engeinering etc. I am really enjoying learning about the solar and believe that it will play a huge part in future energy. The prices for solar systems are very high, but if more companies made and distributed solar, I think it would go down a lot.
Anyways, last Thursday night was the first meeting. It was just husband and I who set it all up, which was a lot of work! We introduced this idea and the effort to the people of the community. About 50 people were there and they were very excited and engaged! PTL! By the end of the meeting 4 people volunteered as the steering committee and we picked one as the head chair of the committee. My husband had a meeting with the head chair yesterday, they are having another meeting Mon. And we hope to have a huge Charter membership drive over the next week or so and another meeting for gathering members and signatures of support. Right now we have to have all the support that we can get to make this happen!
Prayers that this all works out the way God wants it to are appreciated!
And if you know of anyone near this area who would like to support this effort please let them know about it!
Here is an article that my husband got published in the local paper for the last meeting, if you would like to read it!

Preparations For Winter

With the cool weather starting so soon, and fall it seems is already on some of us and gaining on the rest (!), I was wondering how everyone is preparing and getting ready for the Cold weather ahead?!

It feels to my husband and I that everything is a little ahead this year. Our dog-days of summer where back in July, instead of Aug. and we have been having nights around 50 degrees here.We hope to get some firewood stacked up, even though we have central heat and air! You never know when you may get a lot of ice and the power be out for a while. So we want to be able to use the wood stove! For heat and cooking.

I hope to start filling our freezer and canning jars with meats, this fall. Husband hopes to do some fishing and get some turkey, venisen, etc.
I would also like to can some apples!


So I was wondering if anyone else is "winterizing" ??

Are you cutting/buying and stacking up a lot of firewood?Buying a wood cook stove?

Planning a fall garden?Saving seeds from this years garden?
Buying your seeds for next years gardening?
Buying/building a greenhouse?
Planning out your greenhouse?

Stocking up on beans, and rice, wheat, cornmeal, oats, peanut butter, coffee, sugar, honey, nuts, herbal teas, spices, oils/fats for cooking, baking supplies (vanilla, baking powder, soda, salt, etc.) etc?

You may even want/need to stock up on bottled/barreled water.

Don't forget that canning jars and supplies are usually seasonal, so get as many of them as you can, now before they are out of stock!

Stocking up on paper goods (paper towls, toilet paper, feminine products, diapers, wipes,etc.)

Other things you may need like:
School supplies,
cleaning supplies,
washcloths, towels,
bathing/body and first aid supplies,etc.

A lot of candles, some kerosene lamps and lots of kerosene and lamp wicks!

And do not forget the winter clothes! Don't wait to long to get the boots/shoes, socks, coats, etc!
And buying sewing supples and fabric, so on the cool days you can do some sewing!

Also with all the talk of flu and sickness, and the regular winter colds, it would be very wise to stock up on echinacea, red raspberry, garlic, onions, horseradish, lobelia, and your tinctures, teas and formulas for the immune system, colds, flu, etc. I try to have a lot of Emergen-C drink on hand and it is good to have juices stocked up too!

I hope this is helpful and encourages you to start preparing for your families winter days ahead!
I know there is a lot more and it is a little different for each family, but start with your basic, everyday uses and foods and after you have that stocked up, you can start getting more of the "extra" things you would "like" to have!

God bless! Keep looking to Him!