The story of stuff.....

                                                www.storyofstuff.com
What a humbling picture of what is happening in our world...........I grew up with the skill of thrifty ingrained in me, however, most people didn't.    I know people that turn their noses up at garage sales, and flea markets, and used goods in general.........I know that there are still things we need to work on, and this is a great reminder and a shocking picture of what is happening to our planet.


This is worth the time to watch it all........


                                         http://storyofstuff.org/cosmetics/


I am so thankful that I have moved away from a lot of those products......as controversial as it is, I WILL SAY IT..... We say NO to sunscreen, when I do use it when we are to be somewhere all day, with no reprieve rom the sun, I use one by burt's bees one with oils.   People sometimes get pretty worked up when you say anything about it, and they think " those poor kids"....I think the same about them!!!!
........so we don't mention it.   


 We wear long sleeves sometimes, and occasionally hats, and we use common sense.    I will never be convinced that I need to slather my kids (on the largest organ of the body, their skin) with sunscreen that is full of toxic chemicals.    I have done the research, and after going to college for business, I see through most of it.    


Think about it, get people hooked on the thought that this lotion will protect them if they use it everyday, and re-apply it too!   Be sure to re-apply often.    Any product that they can convince us we need regularly, is money in their pocket.    I know people that use it, as instructed by a doctor, constantly, and spend upwards of 15 bucks a bottle.   Convince billions of people they need it, and get doctors to endorse it, and that is big business. 


I came to this conclusion last year as I became more aware of what we have around us, and in our hair and body products.   We live in a toxic world, but there are things we can do to reduce our exposure...... 


Talk to a 90 plus year old farmer and ask him about it......he'll tell you to wear a hat, get gradual sun in the spring, and use common sense.      

Let the homeschooling adventure begin.........

After more than a year of preparation and prayers, we are officially a homeschooling family.     The curriculum, My Father's World  has been ordered and shipped, and this evening we have re-signed the by-laws and are back for a second year in a co-op with CHECC

 After reading http://cathyduffyreviews.com/general-book-reviews/100-top-picks.htm, attending the Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio this spring, and talking to lots of moms, I had narrowed it down to 4 main companies that I liked.    Fortunately, my husband is much more decisive than I am, and he was able to look at the narrowed down choices and decide that he liked My Father's World.

We both agree that we will gradually hand select, and use bits and pieces to taylor the boys' education to them once we get the hang of this, but for this year, I needed something that doesn't require me to reinvent the wheel.   I wanted something that I could get into a good routine with and that we could be confident in.    Aside from not using/doing it, I don't think that it is possible to mess this up.   It is a beautiful, simple, well thought out program.    Well, at least it appears that way from the starting line.

We are committing to one year of this, and well see how it goes.    If it works for us, then we will keep on, if it doesn't, well we at least gave it a good effort.     I think we will know by December if this is going to work well with our family.    I have felt led, and well, at some points when I was hesitant, things all kept pointing to this.   That will be for another post!

Nervous, YES!   But, over the last few years, I have learned that God asks us to do things that are hard, and things that we don't want to do.   Sometimes things that....... until he opens our eyes, we don't even feel like we are capable of.     However, it is in these that he tests us.   These things are what he uses to draw us closer, as we must depend on him fully to supply us with what we need to get the job done!     I am learning that I can see him working the most when I simply follow him, and rely on him, and give it all I have, then he somehow brings the loose ends together.

I know this blog is new, and there aren't many, if any homeschool mommies are reading yet, so for now these will be a bit of a diary for me to document the journey for us.   But if any homeschooling mommies are out there, feel free to comment, as it would be nice to connect!

Economic Turmoil+Harvest+work=Summer garden stress

Does anybody ever feel stressed about harvesting?    I mean on one hand I feel incredibly blessed, and see God's goodness in that I have food and access to food, but find it a challenge to manage my work, my house work, the gardens, meals, the kids, and life in general.  My abounding blessings cause great stress for me.   But upon closer examination, I have decided that I spend less time in the morning in prayer  when I am so busy and less time in the Bible, and I think that there is a direct correlation between that!

  Especially in consideration of the economic turmoil, I don't want to waste a thing, so I have found that my stress levels run high this time of year because I cannot get everything done that I want to.

Does this economic turmoil and the way grocery prices are inflating, make anyone else a little stressed out about getting all their harvest put up.    I normally find canning and cooking relaxing, but for some reason, the sense of urgency I feel towards getting my food processed is more intense.

How about you?  Are you relaxed and enjoying every minute, or are you trying to put up food, and feeling a bit tired and overwhelmed by the time it requires?

Purple Broccoli......

I planted purple broccoli this year along with several other kinds, and I have to say that I think I prefer them over the traditional green varieties I planted.  They are tender, the flavor is wonderful, and they cook up to a vibrant green!   I had no idea they would go green, but it makes sense that they would since purple green beans do.

My favorite summer dish......

As the first tomatoes get ripe, I crave this!    I have no recipe, I just take what I have, and throw it together, but the main ingredients consist of Tomatoes, cucumbers, and mozzarella cheese.....you can add cooked chilled cooked beans such as garbanzo or a myriad of other things you like to it.   I sprinkle it with dill and for mine, providing I have some,  I add a little bit of my favoritie summer dressing..... Trader Joe's, Cranberry, Walnut & Gorgonzola dressing.

Yard Long beans.....

I planted some Italian yard long beans, sometimes called "Asparagus beans".   They are so yummy!    We have had them in several meals, including dinner tonight.  I couldn't imagine looking at them that they would have such great flavor, but they do.   I haven't canned them yet, since I only planted about 12 seeds, but If I can figure out where to grow more of them next year, I will try.   Since they are climbers, I am limited on where I can out them.   They are from www.tmseeds.com

 I also grew Lazy wife Beans,(not pictured) that I got from http://comstockferre.com/ (free shipping with orders of $5 or more, which is awesome!) this year, and I have been impressed with both of these.

  

                                        

                                         Yardlong bean almost 25 inches long....

Late summer nights.......

   Last week was our county fair, and while it was hot, (most days were in the 90's and high humidity) the days we went out were manageable.    At the start of the fair, I ended up with some pickles from my friend Andrea at www.chicky-bit-run.blogspot.com and from my Dads garden too.    I canned some dill pickles and some relish...both firsts for me!

Pickles getting ready to be scrubbed... I repurposed a plastic mesh bag that oranges came in, which worked great to scrub them....

                                         

Kiddie Tractor Pull

We took the boys out  to the fair a couple times.....for the Kiddie tractor pull, and for the kiddie pig chase, and one day to walk around with some family.  We tried to focus on a few activities for them, rather than let them ride rides.   I had intended to let them ride rides one day, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend $32 for them to ride those rides.    I miss the days of old where one could afford to enjoy the fair on a twenty dollar bill.   We also enjoyed a concert last Friday of a great up and coming Nashville recording artist, Kate Hasting.   She is great!!!! You can check her music out at www.katehasting.com and you can get her music on Itunes too.  She is an amazing singer, song writer, and guitar player...... We got her Cd while we were there, I had to buy it!!!   My boys have been singing,  "I like boys that drive tractors" ......so I'm going to have to watch that...lol    Oh, did I mention that my name is on the back?   I did her photo shoot for her website/Cd cover!  I have a great job!    
 

Towards the end of the fair, the green beans started coming ready.......one small picking so far, but tons of blooms on them.

So, a busy week ahead.   As much as I try to get to bed at a decent hour, it seems like I am up late canning many nights in the summer.      I think I will just do one load, or one batch, and I end up staying up.   The voices in my head say, "the water is all ready boiling, you might as well keep going"......and I think about not wanting to waste electricity.      Yesterday was day 9 on a batch of 8 day sweet ginger pickles so I figured that I had better get a move on!     21 Pints later, when you don't start till after 10p.m. can really eat into your sleep.

Sweet pickles.... the jars haven't been washed yet....so they still has my hard water deposits on them..

Dill pickles

I am notorious for thinking that things won't take me as long as they do and not adequately reserving enough time to get it all done, which sometimes makes me run late....so at least at night the only thing effected by my lateness is my sleep.