Friday's Favorite Fives hosted by Living to Tell The Story

                                                                                        
                                                                        
Happy Friday to everyone.  Here are five of my favourite blessings from the past week.

1.  My pastor's parents are like a grandma and grandpa to my husband
  and me.  Almost every Sunday after church they have us over for
  lunch.  Saturday I baked them an apple pie.  I remember how he had
  recently told me how much he likes them, and I had been wanting to
  do something special for this couple.  When we got to church
  Sunday morning, my husband and I learned that late Saturday
  afternoon, their house had burned down and was almost completely
  gutted.  They were both in church, though, praising the Lord and
  worshipping the God who, in His mercy, spared them.  I was so
  blessed by their faith.  I still get very emotional when I think
  of how we could have lost them.  Truly God is merciful.  Great is
  His faithfulness.

2.Monday I had coffee and a nice visit with a friend of mine in a
  nearby town.  It was relaxing.  I always enjoy my visits with her.

3.I bought a Christmas gift this week!  Hey, it's never too early to
  start!

4.Last evening I hung my pajamas over the heating vent.  They were
  so toasty when I put them on.  What a great idea that was!

5.We have lived in our home for three years, and my home office room
  has never been worked on.  There was always so much else to do! 
  My husband has been sawing up logs and planing them to make them
  smooth, and yesterday he started giving that room a new floor.  It
  is going to look so nice when he is done!  Wallpaper will be next,
  but here is a peek at the floor he started.  Oh, the wood is from
  trees on the property.
         

                             



Have a great week everyone!!

Honey, Anyone?

If you want a home remedy that is truly good for a variety of ailments, reach for a jar of honey.  Be careful, though.  Don't buy just any honey from the grocery store.  For maximum results, use local, raw, unheated honey.  When it's raw, honey is in its purest form. 

Local honey is wonderful for people who suffer with allergies and allergy-related asthma.  Because it is produced locally, by local bees, your body can build an immunity from the pollen in your area.  I have recently begun eating one tablespoon a day of local, raw honey and hope to see a difference this spring and summer when allergy season is in full force. 

The reason I began my daily intake of honey is because I read that it is very helpful in the treatment of GERD, or acid reflux.  I suffer terribly from this and often can feel and taste acid in my mouth and esophagus.  I worry about the long-term effects of this as the acid can eat the lining of your esophagus over time.  Honey contains properties that acutally help to heal the esophogeal lining.  It has also been used to treat stomach ulcers, which I may have.  I had a very bad flare up of acid reflux about two months ago accompanied by stomach pain and burning, which may have been due to a stomach ulcer.  After starting a daily dose of honey, my symptoms were greatly reduced.  The stomach pain vanished.  I am hoping to eventually be able to discontinue my acid reflux medication.

There are a variety of other uses for honey.  Need an energy boost?  Mix one to three tablespoons of honey with a glass of water and drink.  Better for you than a store-bought energy drink, and less expensive.

Honey is also good for insomnia.  It helps to boost a chemical in the brain that calms you down, thus helping you to sleep.

Constipated?  Mix one to three tablespoons of honey in a glass of warm water and drink.

Honey also helps fight infection.  So reach for the honey the next time you have a minor cut or burn and apply it topically.  It will also help prevent scarring and swelling, and is great in the treatment of wounds.  Honey helps to kill bacteria and has antiseptic properties.  In fact, honey was often used by doctors until the 1940's when antibiotics were discovered. 

To sum up, honey is a healthy, sweet alternative remedy for several ailments.  It has many healing properties.  I would much rather reach for the honey jar than a prescription bottle.  Pass the honey, please.

"My son, eat honey because it is good...."  Proverbs 24:13

"....Look now how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey."  I Samuel 14:29

For a wonderful recipe using honey in brownies rather than sugar ,  check this out Bodacious Brownies

I am not a doctor, nurse, or any kind of health care professional.  I cannot treat, diagnose, or prescribe.

Friday's Favorite Fives hosted by Living to Tell The Story

Here we go with our favourites from the past week. 

1.  Sunday my stepson and our granddaughter went to church with us.  She is almost 3 and sat so good all through the service!  After church , they came back to our house and enjoyed a nice lunch of chili and cornbread with us.  It was a wonderful day.

2.  It was a cold week, but my husband and I didn't have to go anywhere during the evenings.  We stayed home and enjoyed warm, cozy evenings.  I miss those kinds of times during the summer months.

3.  The last time we had homemade waffles I made a couple of extra batches and put them in the freezer.  A couple of times this past week I took some out in the morning and popped them in the toaster.  This made for a quick, delicious breakfast.

4.  I thanked the Lord this week that our water pipes didn't freeze during this cold spell.  It has in the past, and it is NOT fun.  That has been a real blessing.

5.  Yesterday as I sat at my computer, I looked out the window and saw about two dozen wild turkeys roaming through my front yard.  I feel so blessed to live back here in the woods.  I never know what I might see from day to day!  Here is a glimpse of them.

May you all have a warm, safe, and blessed weekend.  See you next Friday!

Homesteading

                                                                                

Two years ago I received a packet of postcards in the mail advertising various products and magazines.  We had moved to 50 wooded acres the previous year, so when I saw some magazines about country life, I decided to send away for the free copies.  One was called Countryside and was chocked full of useful information about living in the country and living self-sustainably.  Both my husband and I were intrigued by this idea of people living off their land, and it very quickly appealed to us.  We read every book and magazine we could get our hands on regarding this kind of lifestyle.  "Homesteading" is what most of the articles called it.   We even liked the way it sounded.  God had been working in both of our lives over the years and given us both a freedom from the desire for  material possessions and a love for old-fashioned ways.  We were tired of the daily rat race and wanted to enjoy the simpler things in life.  

That spring we started our homesteading adventure with a dozen baby chicks.  This is a great way to start as it is so easy to care for chickens.  They provide us with meat, eggs, and entertainment.  We also planted a garden and add to it each year.  There is nothing like your own vegetables.  This past summer we added goats to our little homestead.  They will provide milk and cheese once the babies are born this spring.  I'm also hoping to sell goat's milk soap once I get the hang of making it.  I learned how to can and freeze vegetables this past summer and fall and to make my own bread.  I no longer buy canned soups or broths from the grocery store. 

This spring we are getting two pigs to raise for meat as well as a couple of turkeys.  Our ultimate goal is to grow and raise most of our own food.  We also plan to have a woodstove installed before next winter so that we will no longer be dependant on the fuel companies to stay warm.  With 50 acres of woods, we should be providing our own heat!  I have cut way down on using my dryer, which has made a huge difference in our electric bill. 

I quit my job at our local hospital and remain there as a "fill-in" only.  My time is needed at home to care for animals and a garden, and everything else that goes along with homesteading.  It's a lot of work, but so much more fulfilling than being in an office.  We live on less money and do without a lot of the newest toys and hand-held gadgets that most people want.  We drive older vehicles instead of having car payments.  We do all this by choice and feel a sense of freedom that is worth far more than anything money can buy.             

Another great resource I was happy to find is a 70-page book entitled "The Have More Plan" by Ed and Carolyn Robinson.  It was written in the 1940's, but is still so relevant today, especially in this economy.  It very simply outlines  how you can go ahead and have more by having a homestead, whether you want to remain working in a career or stay at home. 

                                                                          

My husband and I feel rich and very blessed.  So far homesteading has been an adventure, and we can't wait to see where it will lead us next!

Friday's Favorite Fives hosted by Living to Tell The Story

It's Friday again, already!  I had a lot of favourites this past week.  It was hard to choose only five!

1.  Saturday we saw our sweet little granddaughter.  We didn't get to see her at Christmas time, and we really missed her.  We spent the afternoon with her and it was so much fun.  We even got a new picture.       

2.  After 25 + years of making macaroni and cheese, I think I have finally perfected my recipe!  I was never satisfied with it, but could never seem to figure out how to improve it.  This week I made it with four different cheeses, and the result was heavenly.

3.  One night this week my husband came home from work with this beautiful rose for me.  No special occasion, it was a "just because" thing.

4.  Yesterday we got the first real snowfall of the season.  I was so thankful that I didn't have to go anywhere that day.  It was a good day to stay at home and be cozy.

5.  My sister got me a Mennonite cookbook for Christmas.  This week I had time to go through it slowly and discovered what a great cookbook  it is.  Interspersed among the recipes are Bible verses, poems, and great tidbits of country wisdom.  What an enjoyable time going through it!

I hope everyone else had a wonderful week!  Enjoy your weekend, and see you next Friday!

Friday's Favorite Fives hosted by Living to Tell The Story

       Here is the first Friday's Favorite Fives for the New Year.

1.  Sunday and Monday I took down my Christmas decorations and the tree and got everything back to normal.  That is always a good feeling.  I LOVE Christmas and all that goes with it, but by New Year's, I am ready to have everything back the way it was.

2.  Spent New Year's Eve Day with two of my sister's and their families.  My young nieces were a lot less shy around my husband and I than they usually are.  It was a lot of fun to spend time with them.  We had a great time playing Apples to Apples!

3.  I had time this week to check out some other blogs here and found some really great ones.  Several of them pertain to homesteading and living self-sufficiently, which is what my husband and I are trying to do.   Looking forward to gaining ideas and encouragment!

4.  Yesterday I tackled a job I had been putting off for months - mending.  I hate mending and cannot sew well.  I had some items of clothing that needed to be hemmed or have buttons sewed back on.  Some of them have been in the pile since early summer.  Talk about procrastinating!  But I got it all done, and it sure was a great feeling of accomplishment!  Oh - and I did it while watching some old "I Love Lucy" episodes, so that made it enjoyable!

5.  Yesterday  neither my husband or I had to work.  I fixed us a nice lunch and we ate at the kitchen table while discussing our gardening plans for this spring.  What a lovely time!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

                                                                    

The Simple Woman's Daybook

I discovered a new blog today through my sister's blog at Gold in the Clouds.  The new blog is called The Simple Woman.  It is right up my alley as it is all about living a simple life on a homestead.  The woman who hosts it, Monica, does an excercise called "The Simple Woman's Daybook."   I am going to participate in this and invite you to do so also, by linking up at her site.  Here is my first one!

Outside My Window       Today is very cold and in the single digits.  It snowed lightly during the night so there is about an inch of snow on the ground.  Right now it is very dark outside as it is 10:30 PM.

I am Thinking    about various projects that I want to do this winter.  One in particular is to wallpaper my spare room/office. 

I am Thankful   for a warm, snug house.

In the Kitchen  This week I made some homemade soup.  It has lentils, cabbage, celery , and barley.  Boy, does that hit the spot during this cold spell!

I am Wearing     A blue pair of sweatpants and a pink sweatshirt.  Stayed home all day and was cozy!

I am Creating     Well, blogging is fairly new to me, so let's just say I am in the process of creating a blog!

I am Going    To bed soon.  It is getting late.

I am Wondering     about the possibility of having a woodstove by next winter.  I am tired of supporting fuel companies!

I am Reading    A Christian thriller called "Self Incrimination" , by Randy Singer.

I am Hoping     for a better night's sleep tonight than last night!

I am Looking Forward To   this weekend, when the temperatures are supposed to climb a little higher!

I am Hearing   silence.  My husband is in bed and all is quiet outside.  My two dogs are sleeping on the floor beside me as I type.

Around the House   I have been taking Christmas decorations down and getting things "back to normal".

I am praying for   a friend of mine who had back surgery today.

One of my favourite things    tending my vegetable and flower gardens in the summertime

A few plans for the rest of the week    I am working on Friday and having a Bible study that evening.  Saturday my stepson and granddaughter will be visiting for a little while.  It's been some time since we've seen her.


Remember to link up and join in the fun by going here!