Life with my Joys: August 2011

Into the Woods.

Late summer evenings...

Family excursions on far flung adventures...just behind our house.

Three little boys (one of whom cannot stay on his feet to save his soul)
and one large man.

On a mission.

The berrries are free if you can find them...

...and plentiful, just so long as they stay in the bucket.

Oh baby.

Current Critter Count.

"A perfect summer day to a little boy means, a scrape on the knee, mud on his face, and collecting bugs in the garden." ~ Author Unknown

Yup. That pretty much perfectly sums up life in our home!

Currently, we have residing with us one luna moth larvae, one red salamander, and one little snake. The luna moth larvae has cocooned himself away for the winter. Barring any catastrophe - which I'm not holding my breath around here, for sure - we just might get ourselves a luna moth some day!

I shall love you, and kiss you, and call you Grody...

Cowboy Coffee.

How to make your very own backyard, redneck brew.
No electricity required.

A tutorial.

This summer, whenever we've gone up Noa'th to "The County," Dad and I...

This is he...

This also is my Padre...

...have enjoyed ourselves our very own homefire brewed cup 'o joe.
We have enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I thought I would give a wee tutorial on my blog, so that all of my coffee loving friends, could share in the cultured class that my Father and I so much enjoy.

Providing you are allowed to build a fire in the middle of your driveway, of course.

I think it's crazy fun.
I'm not sure why, exactly, but in any case - it's super easy, surprisingly delish, and a lovely conversation starter for whomever might drop in for a dooryard visit...which people don't do so much anymore in the city, but they do so very much still in "The County."

It's also a lovely little deviation from the perked or french pressed, or regular drip-drip that you can make any old day of the week. It's a little more, er "rugged," shall we say...maybe not for the faint of heart, but it's definitely at least worth a one time try.

So.

All you need is an old coffee can with a couple of holes punched in the sides and wire woven through for a handle. Find a way to hang it over your open fire that has burned down nicely to a smouldering Smudge.

Fill your can 3/4 full of water - OR measure out how many cups you plan to drink, and allow it to almost boil. Throw in a fistful of coffee granules (not the instant kind) - OR if you want to measure, do 1/8 cup for every 2 cups of coffee - like you would a regular pot of coffee. (To do it true redneck style though, just chuck in a handful).

Let "perk" for as strong as you want it to be - 3-5 minutes or whatever...do it for 10 if you want to be wired. THEN! Here comes the coolest part...throw in a cupful of cold water and PRESTO! (most of) the coffee grinds sink down to the bottom, and you've got yourself a dang good cup of cowboy coffee!

Cook yourself some campfire popcorn, put a little Hank Williams on in the background, and your day is golden!

A Final Cucumber Post.

I think that the Old Timer's were quite brilliant in their abilities to utilize the veggies in their gardens at every stage of the game. They had recipes for when the veggies were tiny and new, they had recipes for when they were at their best and in their very prime, and they had recipes for when the produce was getting a little large and in charge.

I promise that this is my final cucumber/pickle/relish post, but this last recipe for hotdog and hamburger relish is what my Grammy and Marmie would always make as the cucumbers were nearing the end of their production. This recipe is also perfect for when you go away for several days without checking your garden, and upon your return you realize that it has once again gone gangbusters, the cucumbers totally got away from you, and they're all just a little too big for salads or pickles.

So, here's what you'll need:
14 ginormous cukes (or 28 medium sized ones...or however many you want to use, really)
10 large onions (or 20 small sized ones)

Peel cukes. Cut lengthwise. Scrape out seeds.
Coarsely pulse through food processor.
Do the same with the onions.
Pour 1/2 cup pickling salt over everything. Give it a little stir.

Let sit overnight.

Praise Jesus.
The rest of the mess is flung far and wide all over my floor.

I have two coolers because I did two double batches.
You only need one if you're going to just make this recipe as it is.

In the morning, drain your cukes and onions in a colander.
Do not rinse.

In a heavy pan (under a wire), heat 4 cups cider vinegar.
In a separate pan, whisk together 2 more cups cider vinegar with 1 cup flour.
Add to the vinegar/flour mixture:
7 cups packed brown sugar (I am fully aware these recipes are not overly healthy).
4 Tablespoons tumeric
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix this all up and add it to the hot vinegar on the stove.
Boil slowly for 5 minutes while stirring steadily.

Add the cukes and the onion.
Bring to a boil again slowly. Do not burn.
Turn down heat.
Boil slowly for 10-12 minutes.
Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and lids.

Voila!
Yeilds 12-17 pints.

Give any and all remaining cucumbers away....

Little Loves...

"You just might miss the point...

...if you don't slow down the pace...

Life's not the breathe's you take...

...but the moments that take your breathe away." ~ George Straight

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." ~ Antonio Smith

**********
1815. Brother friends who play.
1822. Fresh eggs for scrambled breakfasts.
1825. Brand new crayons.
1852. Imaginations at play.
1853. Bare feet in mud puddles.
1854. Mud on backs of t-shirts - mudding bike rides.
1855. Picnic suppers on the porch.
1856. Garden corn dripping butter.
1857. Individual loaves of bread - special surprise lunches.

Summer's Last Hurrah.

Every summer we try to spend at least one long week-end with each set of parents. It seems that days can become so busy that we literally have to schedule in family time with each other. For the past two or three summers, that's exactly what we've done. We put our heads together, matched our calendars, and decided to spend our summer's last hurrah with Kev's family together back at Rangeley.

Our place of bliss.

There was a whole lot of this...

And vegging out like this...

Smudge had himself a gloriously fine time...

And of course, there was much fishing...like this....

Truthfully, we are all coming home far more exhausted than when we left. Our immediate family all slept in the boathouse together - which the boys loved - but which also meant that whatever child woke up first, well, that was it for the rest of us. And while I love my little darlings more than life itself, I do not relish sleeping with them in the same room for several nights in a row. Kaden talks incessantly in his sleep, Jesse flops around and contorts in his bed all night long, Ransom wakes up for random stints of time all night long to play with the toys in his pack'n'play, and while we were there, the kitten ran laps over everyone's sleeping bags in the middle of the night. It was really quite joyous.

However, sleep was not what this little trip was about. It was about being with Grammy and Grampy and being together as a family. Memories were made, the weather was beautiful, fun games and late night chats were had, fish were caught and eaten, and summer is winding down just as it should.

**************
1827. Warm sunny days, cool crisp nights.
1828. Staying up for popcorn and stories.
1829. Camp coffee first thing in the morning.
1831. All five of us snuggling first thing in the morning.
1832. Kittens curled up with little boys.
1838. Swims, frogs, trout, and crayfish.
1839. Grampy and Grammy reading stories.
1842. Big breakfasts and simple suppers.
1847. Losing all track of time.

Journey Continued...

This is where I'm at.
This is where we as a family are at.
It's organic. It's making God's Kingdom tangible.
And it's what we feel like God has been asking us to do for some time now.

Living life together.
Being on mission together.
And just walking it out within community.

I Thessalonians 2:7-8~"But we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her children. We love you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well..."

Journey.

**Our computer is on the fritz and won't let me download any pics, so today I'm writing about stuff that's been whirling around in my brain as of late - one in which pictures of baby kittens, garden produce, and the backsides of my hoolies wouldn't be required, anyway....

so...

Lately, I find myself thinking a lot about what Jesus' life must have looked like when He walked this earth...and how He might have felt throughout most of those thirty-three years. I feel like He probably caused quite a stir wherever He went. And I think He probably had someone upset with Him or questioning His motives almost all of the time.

That must not have been very much fun.
I wonder if He had thick skin?
I wonder if He got His feelings hurt easily?
I wonder if He got discouraged when people questioned His motives?
Did it bother Him when people disapproved?
Did He feel disheartened when people misunderstood?

He was human after all...

For as long as I can remember, I have always been a people pleaser. Maybe it's personality, maybe it's a middle child thing, maybe it's because I want people to like me. Whichever way you look at it, I've always kind of struggled with the idea of someone being upset with me or if someone disapproved of any of my actions.

I am happiest when everyone around me is happy.
But, life's a journey, right?

My family and I - we are all in process, and we are all on a journey. We're all beautiful messes just trying to live out our lives the best way that we know how, in a way that honors the Lord in obedience to Him. We are all trying to listen to His still, small voice and follow His leading to the best of our ability. Kev writes more over here...

And I can honestly say that I'm growing. I'm becoming more confident in who I am and in what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm becoming less concerned when other's question things or don't see eye to eye with me - if I know that what I am doing is right before the Lord. My skin is not thick, but that's okay.

I read somewhere that it's really impossible to please everyone all of the time...and if you actually manage to succeed in doing this - chances are good that there might be something wrong. Sometimes we have to take stands.

Jesus was not a people pleaser.
Jesus did not make everyone happy all of the time.
Jesus stepped on toes.
Jesus made some unpopular decisions.
Jesus - on a regular basis - stepped out of the box and went against the grain.
He did what He did in love - always in love - but He was radical.

I'm okay with that.

Lessons From Smudge.

You know it, Smudgey-Poo...

He's adjusting nicely.

Thirty-Four.

I was kidnapped this week.
It's true.

Two of my gerls (not the chicken ones) told me that they wanted to take me out for a coffee for my birthday, so I got Grammy to watch the wee hoolies, I brushed my teeth and added some eye shadow, and away I went for a few hours with just us chicks.

Or, so I thought.
Low and behold - grand schemes were in the works!

We met out town, and the girls promptly drove me right back to my house...to pack an overnight bag! Holy Hannah, I was completely blown away. I'm not usually a big fan of surprises - I like to be able to plan for such things - but this was amazing. We had an overnight at a fun hotel by the ocean, they paid for my supper, we slept in and poked around some shops the next day, and we finished off our adventure with the most amazing pedicure of my life. Well...actually, it was the very first pedicure of my life. And it was amazing, let me tell you.

I am still completely blown away by the love and spoiling that these sweet friends showered upon me. It was fun. It was silly. It was serious. It was safe. It was the three of us getting to know each other in a different way and on a different level. It showed me how blessed I am to have such amazing women in my life who love me for who I am and who care enough to take the time and spend the money and the effort to plan such a lovely and extravagent surprise.

It was humbling, really.

It made me all sappy and fiercely protective...and not like I never would have before, but I feel like, man, if they would do this special thing for me - there is nothing that I wouldn't do for them.

That's the power of friendship and acceptance.
The gift of walking through life together.
And the security in knowing that we all may do things a little differently and we may not see everything completely eye to eye, and we may all be at different stages of the journey....

But that's the beauty of it all.
We walk together and we glean and we challenge and we learn from each other.
We are different, but we are safe.

It's a delicate dance with women. It know it, because I am one. But when we are blessed with friends who we can be ourselves with, and not allow ourselves to be threatened by them, and when we have a safe place where we can be confident and secure enough to slowly and maybe timidly step beyond the safe and the shallow...it can be a beautiful thing.

Thank you, sweet sister friends.
I am humbled and I am blessed beyond measure.

***********************
1801. The blessing of friendship.
1802. Trusting my friends with a surprise - and being blown away.
1803. The sacrifice of time, money, energy, and effort - for me.
1804. A husband who can keep an amazing secret.
1805. A Grammy who gives fun overnights for the wee ones.
1806. Being pampered like a lady - and not acting too immature....
1807. My love language - Acts of Service - spoken so loudly from friends.
1808. Being celebrated in a way that makes me want to pay it forward.
1809. Husbands who covered for us in our absence.
1810. Humbled and inadequate.

A Story.

Once upon a time, Amy went on a night time drive with her father who is the Animal Control Officer. Someone had left a phonecall stating that a baby kitten had been found orphaned under somebody's trailer, so "just for fun," Amy went along for the ride.