Evening On The Porch

Most of the construction is done on the two porches. Between the two of them, we have about 300 sq feet of more space to enjoy for family gatherings and simply to enjoy on long summer evenings. Since they are both covered porches, we can even enjoy them in the rain. There is a bit more finishing touches to be done and then paint them. I will be doing the painting in the fall when its not so hot out.
Emery and I sat outside on the south porch until time to do chores and then after chores we tried out the back porch. Both are delightful.

Tomorrow night we will celebrate Emery's birthday and everyone is looking forward to spending time on the porches. We are such outdoor folks.

One of the first things I intend to do is put up a nice retractable clothes line on the long south porch for those rainy weeks when its hard to get the clothes dried. Life is good.

We have been so blessed by having an honest, god fearing, hard working, very skilled workman and crew building the porch for us. A fine man from the church we used to attend. I suspect we will be having him do more work for us in the future.

Melanie and Mei-Ling spent the day with me, another blessing for me to be able to help Melanie and also play with the baby. She was sitting in her high chair today surrounded by good healthy things to eat. We settled on a banana and a kiwi for her fruits today and she was a happy girl.

Pslam 128:2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Mei-Ling enjoying her fruit

View from the south porch

View today from the back porch, it was laundry day

The back porch

The side porch

I am feeling the same way today as I did when I wrote this in 2006

Looking Back, An Old Hippy Remembers

A repost

Happy Birthday Emery

Today is Emery's birthday, and I plan on taking him out to eat tonight and will have a party for him this coming weekend. The man is looking good for 63 in my humble opinion.

Happy Birthday Emery, you are the best !

Emery at a couple months old (he was 11 pounds at birth) and Emery now.

Melanie Needs Some Prayer

My daughter Melanie was taken to the hospital again yesterday, dehydrated and no matter what we did for her, her blood sugar would not go above 50. Morning sickness is not a good mix with her diabetes. I am so thankful she spent the day with me so I could at least keep her from passing out but by 4:30 it became evident that she needed to go the hospital. Casi got out of work a bit early and took her. Little Mei-Ling was worried about her mommy and after they had gone, kept asking, "where's mommy, she sick ?" At age 2 Mei-Ling knows already about being sick and going to the hospital from her own health issues and she is full of compassion even at this tender age. They gave Melanie an IV and some medication to stop the lessen the nausea which hopefully will allow her to keep some food down. Today she goes to the Doctors and perhaps he will put a plan into action that will help keep her out of the hospital. Women are remarkable beings, there is such love in our hearts, that we will go through such hardships to have a child. I suspect some don't understand that and others know just how willing we would be to have children ourselves. Melanie and Casi are amazing parents. The kind that should raise a quiver full. They are patient, kind, have great insight and are so full of love and it shows in the way Mei-Ling acts.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day, one that I don't get to chat with very often. She told me that the one thing in her life she regrets is not having a whole bunch of children, rather than just two. She said that her children are such blessings to her and I know just what she means. I wish I had more children too, it just never happened for us.
People seem to feel strongly about how many children people have and my thoughts are that that comes strictly from their own good or bad experiences. We have so many friends that have 8 or more children and those children are a delight to be around and a blessing to their parents, but that had to do with the dedication of the parents from before they were even born.

It says in the Bible that "children are a reward". To that I add, rewards are to be cherished !

I know without a doubt that how we raise our children in the very first few years is so important. It is the most important job you will ever have, raising children and there are no "do overs". The good part, God is always there to help you.

I have rambled....if you think of it, say a prayer for Melanie as she carries this precious new being that is a reward from God.

Melanie with Mei-Ling, nearly two years ago, how time flies

Morning At Grammies House

Grammie and Mei-Ling had fun being outside in the cool morning air today, while Harry took a snooze

Grazing on a summer afternoon

Faith has such a nice shine to her coat. I just had to share it with you all. She is a sweet goat and growing up fast.

grazing goats

a moment from my afternoon

The porch work at the end of the day. A lazy dog, Faith munching on grass and Licorice making funny faces, and my fern, green and lush hanging from a tree.

Another Hot Day, Good for Switchel

The heat seems to dull my brain and make me feel tired. Chores are just that, chores and done with little pleasure as the sweat drips down my brow and gathers around my collar, my hair damp, like my mothers hair used to get on hot summer days, strange how it is that something as ordinary as hair damp with sweat would make me miss my mother. I notice my hair smells like hers did and in an odd way, its a comfort, a familiar, a thing that ties me to her. Hard work and sweat are not to be ashamed of, work is after all, "love made visible". We work for those we love, at least that should be part of our motivation, if not all of it. I believe it is all of mine. Without working for my loved ones, I might just be lazy.

I baked this morning, a labor of love since the air conditioner is off while they are working and using a compressor. The kitchen was hot with the stove and the oven busy. We only have window units, which is all we need. We have such small needs and that gives me some sense of satisfaction that we can make due with less than what some deem necessary. On the kitchen table, bread that was made yesterday, and today a plate of whoppie pies for dessert. Supper was made by 9 this morning, just a quick heating up in the oven tonight is all that is needed.
Work on the back porch is progressing nicely. I suspect we will be sitting out there by weekend, enjoying the sounds of nature by moonlight. I will hope for a gentle cooling breeze that makes the trees sweep the air with that gentle sound.

I certainly enjoyed the new porch on the south side of the house this morning !

The men working are laboring in such heat, I wonder if I should make them some switchel, it sure helps quench your thirst but it takes a bit of getting used to.

Switchel

1cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup molasses
1 cup sugar or honey
3 teaspoons ground ginger
tap water to make 4 quarts
This comes from Nova Scotia and its a tangy combination of flavorful apple cider vinegar, molasses and ginger that really helps quench your thirst. Measure the vinegar, molasses, sugar or honey and ginger into a gallon size glass jar. Add cold tap water to fill. Stir it good.

Serve in tall ice filled glasses.

Roof Going Up

This morning the roof of the porch is going up and its really starting to look like what we purchased. Its going to be a hot day here, expected temperature of 102 F. I am thinking that at the rate they are getting the work done, we may have our back porch built by the end of the week !

We are going to enjoy this porch so much and I can just imagine the little ones playing out there having fun while the adults are sipping lemonade and chatting.

Sunday Evening

As I walked towards the milk house, stainless steal pail swinging beside me, I noticed that the grass was actually crunching under my feet, and it actually hurt my bare feet to walk on it. Dry and brittle blades of hay colored grass. I guess bare feet aren't an option for a while now. Maybe in the morning it won't be so hard, provided some dew falls in the night and makes a little difference for a few hours.

Emery just came in with the eggs. He has taken over the job of gathering eggs in the evening, we like doing chores together. He stands at the fence, leaning over watching me milk and we share an easy kind of conversation and while he gathers eggs I always ask him from the hen house door, "How many did we get tonight ?" Often we walk to the house together, commenting on the sunset or the sounds around us. In winter, I grab his always warm hand and think about just how wonderful it is to have that warm hand of his to hold.

Tonight I took down the down comforter I bought at Goodwill yesterday for $4. It has snow men on one side and just a solid deep blue on the other. Its not quite a twin size, more like a throw size. Its filled with soft down, not a poky old feather sticking out anywhere. I stuck it in the washer this morning on gentle and felt confident it would come out just fine. A couple hours on the line in this hot sun, dried it soft and puffy. Brand new looking and smelling like all outdoors. How nice it will be to snuggle under this down filled delight on cold winter nights as I sit by the fire.

Its dark now, time to wind down. Kitchen all ready for the mornings baking. Its been a lazy day, but tomorrow promises to be busy and fun as I get to watch more porch building. I think the roof should go on tomorrow and maybe the stairs put up and then the back porch building will start.

Chrisette Michele - Love Is You

Emery, this is just for you ~

Some Thoughts For The Day

"Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power--these are the true remedies. Every person should have a knowledge of nature's remedial agencies and how to apply them. It is essential both to understand the principles involved in the treatment of the sick and to have a practical training that will enable one rightly to use this knowledge."

"Too little attention is generally given to the preservation of health. It is far better to prevent disease than to know how to treat it when contracted. It is the duty of every person, for his own sake, and for the sake of humanity, to inform himself in regard to the laws of life and conscientiously to obey them. All need to become acquainted with that most wonderful of all organisms, the human body. They should understand the functions of the various organs and the dependence of one upon another for the healthy action of all. They should study the influence of the mind upon the body, and of the body upon the mind, and the laws by which they are governed."

and one more final thought...

"If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit."

from The Ministry of Healing

~E. White ~