A Saturday in pictures

 

Chicken bones simmering for a delicious bone broth

{making the kitchen smell sooo good!}

Our burn pile
 {an endless project!}

a few of the goaties
{We are very pleased with electric fencing.}

My man on his tractor

{I think he is happiest there.}

Pen cleaning

{Remove the soiled, top dress with sawdust.}

Fresh, clean stalls

{This method works really well in our wet climate.}

 

 

My newly planted "kitchen herb garden" that is just outside my kitchen door.

{Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Mint}

The weather has been so nice and sunny lately, but wouldn't you know, it didn't hold out for our Saturday chores.  Despite the light rain, Eric, Matt, and Daniel were able to run the chipper and put the wood chips in the hydrangea bed for me. 

Today my neighbor is giving me Dahlia tubers.  She grows amazing Dahlias.  I am going to plant them in front of the picket fence at the end of the driveway.  Then whenever we come home, we'll be greeted by beautiful blooms {hopefully}.

I was hoping to get the sugar snap peas and radishes planted in the garden this weekend too, but we are still working out our garden plan.  Still learning so much about companion planting.   

How was your Saturday?  What did you do?

Did you know?

I've always been a Crest toothpaste and Oral B toothbrush gal.  I've used those two products all my life and I have only ever had 1 cavity.  So it stands to reason that I have bought into the whole "sales pitch" that fluoride helps prevent tooth decay.

The other day I was reading a post from the Parisienne Farmgirl about the dangers of fluoride.  I've always known that too much wasn't good, but I had no idea about the extent of its dangers!

Not wanting to over-react, I decided to do my own bit of research from a trusted source that shoots straight.  Here is a link to Dr. Mercola's website with a whole host of articles concerning the dangers of fluoride.  These findings seem to be swept under the carpet and out of view from the general public. 

You really should read these.  Really.

I have to ask, why the secrecy of this toxin?  Why can't they just make a fact sheet of proposed benefits and risks of the use of fluoride available to the public?  For those who decide they want the "benefit" of fluoride, there is toothpaste with fluoride,  but why must it be added to our water supply - without the health warnings?  Oh, right, because we are dumb sheep and must be told what is good for us.  We couldn't possibly make informed decisions on our own. {not under the influence of fluoride, anyway!}

So you say, "Well,  I use a Britta filter."  Don't be fooled.  The Britta doesn't filter out fluoride.  "I drink bottled water."  It's there too.  Even if the bottled water you drink is 100% fluoride free, here are some other ways you are ingesting it.

All across America farmers water their crops with fluoridated water - so it's on all your fruits and vegetables.  It's in your favorite Starbuck's drink as they use city fluoridated water to brew their coffee. It's in bottled juices and canned vegetables.  

Everyone knows that for optimum health you should be drinking 8 glasses of water per day.
A pea size of toothpaste has 0.5 mg of fluoride - the same and 1-2 glasses of fluoridated water.
{You can do the math, toothpaste dose  + mouthwash dose + drinking water doses + fruit/vegetable doses, fun coffee treat dose, etc.} It's not looking so benign anymore, is it?

Here, I thought my family was safe because we are blessed to have pure water from an artesian well as our water source.  I figured we were only getting just a small amount from our toothpaste, and that certainly wouldn't hurt us.  I really hadn't thought about all the numerous other ways we are ingesting fluoride {WITHOUT out consent!  I think that's the part that just makes me mad.}

And...did you know that fluoride is used in pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizer? 

Yep, and you {and I} just brushed our teeth with it. 

Well, that should raise an eyebrow. {and a red flag}

 

I used to think that Tom's of Maine {a brand of toothpaste without fluoride} was only for the really eccentric, all natural, earth loving, hippy types.

 

Say hello to its newest members.  We are making the switch.

 

One last thought - if you are interested in a really good water filter - you might look into the Berkey filters. 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

Matthew E. {for Josiah} Baltochet

8 lbs. on the nose, 21" long, April 19th, 17 years ago....

I know I say this every time we celebrate a birthday , but I just can't believe it! 
17 years ALREADY! From a happy, chubby baby, to a young MAN in the blink of an eye.  {at least it sure feels that way!}

One of Matt's favorite things is a maple bar.  What better way to start your birthday than with a quick run to the donut shop.  A maple bar with bacon pieces on it for the birthday boy.  {He claims everything tastes better with bacon.} Assorted other types for the rest of us. 

Matt really, really wanted to have a birthday bash, but friends' incompatible schedules coupled with rainy weather meant we will plan an un-birthday party for a future date.


That figure he is holding was one of his gifts.  It is pose-able, and is a great tool for drawing, one of Matt's favorite hobbies.

Being Goofy  {another favorite past time}



A very special gift from his Great Aunt, a bolo tie that once belonged to his Great Uncle Bob.

Look out, Robert Downey, Jr.!

 

Anything with chicken is a fave of Matt's.  He asked for chicken pesto pizza for this birthday dinner and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert. 

17 candles!

 

 

Top 10 things about Matthew that you may or may not know....

• He does 600 push-ups each day!!!
• His favorite car is a Mustang {both classic and new}.
• He has a banjo and would like to learn how to play it.
• He has great taste in clothes and really enjoys wearing suits, vests, and ties.
• He collects bolo and bow ties and cool neck ties too.
• His favorite color is blue.
• He still wants a Husky dog.
• He has an eclectic music taste.
• He was born on his due date and was the biggest baby of all our children.
• He just finished all his high school homeschool studies .... 1 year early!

 

Matt is intelligent, and witty, and just plain fun.  He is also a man of  integrity who is willing to stand alone to stand for what is right. {God's unchanging right, not the current opinion of right!}

 

We are so proud, so privileged to be his parents.  Matthew means "Gift from God" and that he is.  

 

 :-)  Happy Birthday, Matt  :-)

 

Little Joys of Motherhood

Not too much longer...

I'm getting antsy to get into the garden, but alas I must have patience.   We have a shorter growing season up here on the mountain due to a later frost date.  That's ok, it gives us a little more time to plan and prepare.

Homestead Revival featured this book on a recent post.  I mentioned to Eric that Amy highly recommended it while lamenting that I am such a novice gardener.  He surprised me with it the other day. :-)  {He is so sweet!}

Even though I have read a lot of books about gardening, I am really still such a beginner.  This book by Ron and Jennifer Kujawski has already been very helpful.  Now I just need to remember to refer to this book each week to know what I should be doing.

All winter long we add organic material to the garden.  Around the beginning of April we Matt runs the rototiller through it to turn everything in.  Look at that lovely, dark soil.

Here is a sneak peak at some of the things that we will be planting.  I was so happy to find these seeds by Botanical Interests.  Some are organic, but all are NON GMO!

Sometimes the littlest goats find their way out through the electric fence.  I'd really like to plant some pumpkins just outside of the garden fence since they take up a lot of room, but I'm not so sure that they will be safe.  Why browse on blackberry, salmonberry, alder, etc, when you have delicious things growing in and around the garden? 

I am, however, planning on having a mini herb garden in a pot up on our deck.  That will make using fresh herbs a cinch.

What are your gardening plans?  Large or small I hope you enjoy a bountiful harvest!

The humble button

I was ordering some school supplies the other day and added these to my cart.

These little beauties supply hours of fun...

 

 

 sorting

 

Dumping

 

 

Pushing

 

 

Observing

 



Working together

Lest you think buttons are just for fun play, they are a terrific teaching tool too.  They encourage:

• fine motor skills {index/thumb grasping, stacking}
• sorting skills by size and color
• observational skills {details of the patterns, number of holes, edges, shape, texture}
• color recognition {beyond red, yellow, blue, like aqua, magenta, gold, silver}

You can play games with buttons too like "I Spy", or "Hide the Button", or "Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?"  Then, of course, you can teach the ever so basic skill of sewing a button onto a piece of fabric. 
 
If you have littles in your home, this is a very inexpensive "unplugged" activity, but of course use caution as some like to put them in their mouth.  

Even if you don't have littles in your home now, keep in mind that they are a fun "Grandma and Grandpa's house" activity.

Be it ever so humble, the button is a little gem {and sometimes even looks like one}  ;-)

 

Parenthood

I was thinking about all the ways parents love and ensure the well-being of their children like rocking a fussy baby, reading their favorite book over and over and over again, offering hot cocoa on a blustery day, making a pot of the best chicken soup (because Mom's chicken soup in the best!) when they don't feel well, kissing boo-boos, working along side them with a project, offering a listening ear.  The list goes on.
 
Parenting requires sacrifice...of time and money, but mostly time.  Children are an investment with HUGE dividends.  If you will take the time to observe your children, you will know them well.  A case of "mother's intuition" is usually a direct result from careful observations she has made.  If you listen carefully to your children, they usually reveal what's in their heart - some times straight out, some times subtly. 

Parents have their children's best interest at heart.  Parents want them to have good friendships, good habits, good health, and good education. 

Don't you think it's part of a parent's job to chose the best means of education for them?  Before you think I'm going all homeschooling on you, hear me out. 

There are several options for education: homeschooling, public school, private school, Montessori school, just to name a few.  What if the choice that you KNEW was the best for your child (because you have their best in mind, because you observe them, because you listen to them...BECAUSE YOU ARE THEIR PARENT) was not allowed because the government thought that no parent has a constitutionally protected individual right to direct the education of their child?

Well, that is the current view of the Obama Administration.  Really?  Really!

I have had many conversations with people about homeschooling over the years.  One of the most common comments I hear is, "I don't know how you do it.  I could never homeschool."  I ask you this?  What if you were forced to?   Against your own reasoning, you are forced to do that which you know is not a good option for your family.
Wouldn't you feel that since you are their parent, you should have the authority to choose the best educational option for your children.  

Then we agree!!

A German family’s right to home education is currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the results could drastically impact our freedom to decide where and how our children will be educated.

Please take a moment right now to sign the petition at whitehouse.gov.
Because the appellant in this case is Attorney General Eric Holder’s office on behalf of the Obama Administration, you can plead with the White House to drop the case. To guarantee a response, we must reach 100,000 signatures by April 18.

To sign, you will have to create an account, including your first and last name and an email address. Your name is needed because, well, it’s a petition. And your email address is used to confirm that a real person is completing the form and not a “spam bot.” You will also have the option to give your city and state, but that is not required.

This isn't just about homeschooling rights.  It's about parental rights!  No matter what your educational choice is for your children, the point is we have a choice. 

Because we love our children (and grandchildren)...we can not afford to be apathetic.