Second clutch of ducklings.

Blackie our Muscovy has been sitting on a nest....forever!

Finally she hatched out 7 ducklings (1 didn't make it)
Here they are just a few hours old.

Unfortunately, within about 5 hours of the last hatch, we found Blackie dead on the floor.  What a dedicated mama that she waited until all were hatched.

Samuel earned his angel wings at 7:07PM surrounded by his family in his bed at home. Samuel is now healed, cancer free, running on both legs again.


Our lives, especially my son's, has been forever changed. We will again face the day in prayer for Sam's family, and the half a million lives (no exaggeration-that's how many unique visits his caringbridge site has) he touched. And also for my boy, as we deal with another loved one, gone for now...to been reunited when we have completed our mission here.

Thank you for your prayers.

We are still collecting funds for the Bish family personally, and Zachary is still determined to do his bike ride, but now it will be a memorial bike ride. Please consider helping as they still have many medical bills that no parent should have to worry about right after losing their precious son to this disease. http://www.smilesforsam.blogspot.com/
The following is about the new Sam Bish foundation that is being set up.

" For 375 days, Sam showed us what it is to be a true JEDI. . . May he rest in Peace and soar in glory. He was on this earth for 3,494 days. . . He wanted to "live" for the next 50 years, well, Samuel I will make sure you will! A True JEDI, never to be forgotten. 

I promised Sammy if he wouldn't live for 50 years, I would make sure his name NEVER died. . .well, Sammy may be gone physically, BUT his name will carry on. . .I will tell you I haven't figured out all the logistics of it all, but this foundation will be made to support families with children battling this disease (Sammy's Jedis), and to bring smiles to their faces ("Smiles from Sam")

The Samuel Bish Foundation" on Facebook

URGENT!!! PRAY NOW!!! Please read below and PRAY!

Sam's church sent out an e-mail this afternoon asking for prayer for Sam and his family. I am sending out an abreviated version of this e-mail. If you feel led please be in prayer for their son sometime between the hours of 5:00-9:00PM tonight. Sam is continuing to "fight" but his body is shutting down.

The following is Acts 12:1-5: It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

The church suffered in two ways. First, their friend, James was martyred. This James is the second half of the Sons of Thunder, you know, James & John. James was close to Jesus, but died as Jesus predicted. Now a second threat rises up. Herod has put Peter in prison. Herod most likely will do to Peter what he had done to James. So the church prayed… read verse 5 again.

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. “

This verse made me think of Sam Bish. I’m not trying to be clever here, but Sam is also in a prison. The prison of his body. So here is my request. I would like the entire church to pray within a four hour time span a prayer that is sincere and brief: Maybe between 5:00P.M and 9:00P.M tonight. Pray…


“Dear God Almighty,


We bring Sam Bish to you once again. God, you know Sam is stuck in the prison of his body. God, we desire your will to be done in Sam’s life and in ours. That’s why we pray. Our prayer is this. Please deliver him from his prison. God, please perform a miracle. We know you did miracles and you continue to work miracles. God, please remove this cancer from his body. We know that with miracles come responsibility. We will be responsible to tell everyone what you did, so that you will receive the honor and glory. God, if Sam is not going to be healed, please again deliver him from his body. Take him home. Welcome him into heaven this day. Bring rest to his body and to his family who love him so much. We pray this in the name of Jesus.”

Amen

Hey, don’t forget – Peter got out. Acts 12:11: Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." Who knows, God just might rescue Sam too!

Please pray....

I haven't mentioned this as often as it is on our heart....Boy's friend Samuel.  If you remember from some time back, Sam was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (cancer) on August 10, 2009.  He has had a rough year.  Many rounds of chemo, hospital stays, and surgeries.  We've been to visit a few times, but not as often as we would have liked.  He is always in our thought, prayers and conversations.  We were excited to know he and his whole family that we love were going to Florida to Disney with Make a Wish.

On the Monday before Grandma's funeral, we found out that Sam's latest scan did not come back with good news.  Not only is his cancer back in his lungs, but it has spread to other areas.

We are devistated for him and his family.  We are still praying without ceasing and asking for you to pray for healing and peace for Sam. And for his family.  His parents are having to do the unthinkable on the anniversary of his diagnosis.

He's at home now, no more hospitals, chemo, etc. Hospice is helping out.  Words fail me.  I've been trying to put on a "happy face" and blog like always, but the truth is...nothing is the same.  

We had another little friend, age 7, battling cancer that gained her "angel wings" this Saturday.  It is very very hard for me, as an adult, to wrap my mind around....I can't image what it's like for Boy to be losing friends...his age to this terrible disease.

Please pray....pray without ceasing...and hug your loved ones and little ones just a little tighter tonight.

Challenge for today!!!

OK...today is the day...a wonderful scrapbooking / picture opportunity.

What are you doing at 05:06:07 on 08/09/10???  Take a picture!

I did this a few years ago at 01:02:03 on 04/05/06.  It was just a few days before we had to put our beloved Freckles down.  I had wonderful pictures of him and the Boy asleep.

So...it's your turn....don't miss it today...you can do it AM or PM.

I apoligize for the lack of posting this week...I will try to get caught up tonight..so far I've posted 7 new entries..so be sure to look a few pages back.....at least 4!!!  I've posted stuff from the middle of July and dated it so it would be in order.

I discovered this week that I have not one, but two regular readers!  WOOHOO!!!  Hey A!!! Thanks for reading...I'll try to be entertaining.  grin. 

If there is anyone else reading...drop me a comment, so I know you are out there!

BFFs

I have been very blessed in my life with friends.  I have some very, VERY good friends, most in the same place of their walk in life as me.  (Homeschooling moms, Christian).  Each one brings out different sides of me and all are a huge blessing.  They inspire me as to who I should 'grow up to be.'  Some I don't get to see very often, but when we do get together, it's like we've never been apart (Hello, Mabel!)

But God has given me 3 lifelong friends.  I have no doubt they will be with me until my dying day.

 First is my DH.  God knew just what He was doing when He brought us together.  I could go on and on about why we are a matched set, but I will save that post for later this week....on his birthday.

I was recently explaining to my wonderful Boy how we have the family that we are given...then we have the family that we choose. (Close friends).  This conversation came about after he asked me how he ended up with SO many Aunts.   So then we got to my cousin....and she is family I was given and family by choice.  We will always be friends because, well, we are related....and truly we are so different.  I grow rutabaga, she refuses to believe it exists.  But we are alike in some crazy ways.  And, I can't imagine my life without her in it.  In our family she is Aunt N.  She is a BFF!

Then there is Aunt S.  Aunt S and I have been friends since we were in the 2nd grade.  She screamed in the ear of a bully to get him to leave me alone.  We were both the new girls in class.  Despite me moving quite a bit, we stayed really close friend all through school. Then my cousin BFF met my school BFF and they became friends...how cool!  Then I moved to Arizona....yet we still managed to stay friends.  I moved back to Ohio and you would think with the closer proximity we would see one another more often...but we are both busy in our respective lives....she works days, me nights.  She has teenagers (Oh, MY!) and I have a bazillion chickens.  You get the idea.  But we stay in touch with email and I know that if I need her, she will be there.  Crazy enough, it's been about 4 years since we physically saw one another.  But....I sent an email about my grandma's passing and she was there at the visitation a few hours later.

Below all are represented in these pictures. 

My dear, wonderful husband (BFF) spent time talking with (I hope) one of my future BFFs (Boy).

Man was documenting the farewell to my beloved grandma...and caught me breaking down..

...followed by....being comforted by Aunt S...

....and then Aunt N...

And then Boy wanted to comfort (and be comforted) too...

I love all four of you!!  Thanks for being my BFFs.

Smuckers Fieldtrip

So how much is a bushel and a peck.....

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1009356/how_much_is_a_bushel_and_a_peck.html?cat=32

According to this...and notice it is NOT wikipedia....it takes 4 pecks to make a bushel.  A peck and bushel are volume measurements and not weight.  So a bushel of wheat is a different weight than say a bushel of corn.  A bushel is 8 dry gallons...making a peck 2 gallons....then there is the barrel measurement...3 bushels.

Now why am I discussing this....well because I thought it would be brilliant to put up not 1, no, not 2 but 3 bushels of corn this weekend.   According to the article above...if you were going by weight, a bushel of corn is 70 pounds....yes, so I shucked, blanched, cut, froze, canned, or dehydrated 210 pounds of sweet corn.  Yes, I did a whole "barrel" of corn.  Man & Boy helped with the first bushel....all processing pictures are of ONE bushel only.

Yes, brilliant!

The bag is 1/2 of a bushel....there were SIX bags!!!

And more importantly.....

"I love you a bushel and peck

A bushel and peck and a hug around the neck

A hug around the neck and a barrel and a heap

A barrel and a heap and I'm talking in my sleep

About you, about you

Cause I love you a bushel and a peck

You bet your pretty neck, I do

Doodle, oodle, oodle, doodle, oodle, oodle, doodle, oodle, oodle oo

I love you a bushel and peck

A bushel and peck though you make my heart a wreck

Make my heart a wreck and you make my life a mess

Make my life a mess, yes

A mess of happiness

About you, about you

Cause I love you a bushel and a peck

You bet your pretty neck, I do

Doodle, oodle, oodle, doodle, oodle, oodle, doodle, oodle, oodle oo

I love you a bushel and peck

A bushel and peck and it beats me all to heck

Beats me all to heck and I'll never tend the farm

Never tend the farm when I wanna keep my arm

About you, about you

Cause I love you a bushel and a peck

You bet your pretty neck, I do

Doodle, oodle, oodle, doodle, oodle, oodle, doodle, oodle, oodle oo"

My Grandma

What do I say....my grandma was so beloved to me...to our whole family.  She was the quiet backbone.  Everyone went to Grandma.  She knew everything.  She has a special talent of making each of her grandkids (and great-grands) think that they were the absolute favorite.  (Even though, I know >>I<< was her favorite--grin!)  She brought out the best in each of us.

She was a breast cancer survivor before there really were survivors. She saw so much in her 92 years. She raised 4 sons with grace and humor. She told me that she loved the Lord and had accepted Jesus as her Savior.

In my life, she stayed with me while I had chicken pox.  I spent a week with my cousin at her house doing crafts every summer, and went to the fireworks with her and Grandpa at the main post office.  I walked to her house after school.  She and I rode the bus downtown to Lazarus to pick out my birthday present...a pink Minnie Mouse watch.  She and my mom and I would go "get lost" and explore different parts of the city.  She was at every milestone...Confirmation, Graduation, Wedding, Baby Shower.  She gave me wings.  She gave me the opportunity to drive to Baltimore for my Cousin/BFFs graduation....then gave me permission to go with my cousin and her friends on an unsupervised trip to Ocean City.  Something my parents were too protective to do.  When I "ran" off to Arizona, she gave me her blessing.

My darling son, as a preschooler, gave her a new name "Great-Grandma Big Clock" because she sat in the living room with her big grandfather clock.  The name stuck.  Every card he has from her has Great-Gma Big Clock as the signature.  (Or G-Gma and a drawn clock face)

She was so wise, so wonderful...I could go on for pages and pages with my memories.

I have been so blessed.  She went out to dinner with us just a few weeks ago for Father's Day.

Grandma went home to be with her Savior this morning. 

I did get to spend about 2 hours with her last night.  Despite everyone warning me that she was not very lucid and wasn't remembering who people were, she opened her eyes and called me by name.  She called Boy by name and asked him about his rabbits.

We sang Amazing Grace to her, and she tried so hard to sing along.  After falling asleep for a bit, she awoke and said "More Grace".  So we sang it a few more times.

She will be SOOO missed by everyone in our family.

I love you, Grandma!  I'll see you when I get there.

Blueberries

It's Blueberry season! 

This is my first year picking and canning blueberries.  I found a great blueberry U-pick only about 10 miles from our farm.  I went out with a good friend and her brother, wife and his daughter.

It was hot!!

After picking one bucket worth...they were done, so they took me home and headed back to the city.  I got in my car and headed back to the blueberry patch to pick another bucket full.

While I was picking the second bucket, my mom called to tell me that my Grandma went home to heaven.  I finished picking with a heavy heart.  I had spent the day before with Grandma and was hoping to take her some fresh berries to cheer her.  But she was already somewhere infinitely better...no blueberries could match that kind of joy.

To keep busy, I got the blueberries processed.  I have a few pictures, but I don't really remember doing the work.

I dehydrated 1/2 a bucket, I froze 1/2 bucket.

I made blueberry jam with a bucket and a small batch of blueberry syrup. (I don't like how that turned out so I will be reprocessing that when I find a different recipe.)

Boy is helping!!! He is stirring the pot.

12 jars of Jam,

3 jars of syrup

1 gallon of frozen berries

1quart of dehydrated berries

Queen Anne's Lace Jelly

When you set yourself a lofty goal to can or preserve something everyday for a week and nothing is ready in the garden....nothing is picking at the "u-picks"....What to do...I got it...make jelly out of weeds!

Queen Anne’s Lace Jelly

18 large Queen Anne’s lace flower heads
4 Cups water
1/4 Cup lemon juice
1 pkg. powdered pectin
3 1/2 Cups + 2 Tbsp. sugar

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add flower heads (push them down into the water). Cover and
steep 30 minutes. Strain.

Measure 3 Cups liquid into 4-6 quart pan. Add lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring
constantly. Add sugar and stir constantly. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Boil 1
minute longer, then remove from heat. Skim.

Pour into jars leaving 1/4” head space. Process in hot water bath for 5 minutes.

Makes about 6 jars.

Thank you, PixieLou, for the recipe!

My camera is not cooperating so check back on Monday for finished pictures..the verdict by the way...I think it tastes a bit like sweet pink grapefruit jelly.  Boy says "medicine".  Man says "It's good...an acquired taste...but good."

Green Beans

We spent a really fun day as a family today...and with family friends.  First thing in the morning, off to a few garage sales...I was able to get some blue ball jars with zinc lids (very old) and 2 cast iron frying pans.

Then our friends came over...the two husbands, and 3 kids rode their bikes into our little town for "Fun Day".  It wasn't a big fair or anything but it was neat.  A few booths, a yard sale or two, a hotdog stand.  Then back to the house and onto a somewhat (not really) bigger festival 11 miles up the road.  The sweet corn was outstanding. (It was afterall, a sweet corn festival).  Not very much to really look at.  There was one vendor selling Amish produce. 

We got some delicious tomatoes...I can't wait til ours are ready, and a "candy onion."  Finally the beans looked so good.  I was just going to get enough for dinner, but the guy said he'd make me a great deal....so home we went with 1/2 bushel of beans.

I didn't get them canned until Monday, but ended up with 4 quarts and 14 pints of beans.  (I make more pints as we are a small family and usually I don't need a big jar all at once.)  I'd like to put a bit more up, but wait until a little later in the season.

I've started a "Can something every week/day" challenge.  Come along and let's see how much we can can this season!  List on the sideboard!

This was a big accomplishment. I have always done jelly and jam....water bath method.  I am scared of the pressure canner.  Today I used the pressure canner for the first time! WooHoo!! And it didn't explode.  One jar of beans in the last batch did break and go into the water, but there must have been a crack in the jar...clean break...no shards or anything explosive in the water..Whew!

You can see the new cast iron skillets in the back.