Wednesday Ramblings

I'm behind.  I know you've never heard that mentioned here, on this blog, pertaining to anything in my daily life at all, but I am falling behind on things.


Finished laughing now?  Didn't choke on that morning coffee did you? 

Ok, I'm behind on actually posting Prairie Primer notes to the homeschool blog.  I have them gathered and such, just not put together to make sense to anyone besides me...nor posted.  We are taking our time on the LHoTP series this time around, so I guess I don't feel an urgency to get the book notes compiled and shared until I'm closer to starting a book.

I'm looking ahead to basic American History and today's resource supplier over at Homeschool Freebie of The Day is definitely something I will incorporate.  The blog shares a great deal over there...American Revolution resources, sheets for Johnny Tremain reading, a nice PDF of early American History order for studying, and a PDF sharing Explorers.  There are several good links shared in the pages.  Saves me a lot of digging and looking around.

I'm still working out the entire Storage and Pantry Binder.  The girls and I went through the menu yesterday and took notes on all the amounts needed of various ingredients and made a list for shopping based on 4x the menu plan, or 6 months.  It's not as bad as I expected :o)  Though I can clearly see that with more menu planning than I did last year, I should have stretched those 300# of meat we bought alot farther.  You have to have a PLAN.  You can't just nickel and dime the pantry items.  It's really a waste.  Yes, we got a good deal on the large meat purchase, but still...we could have been better stewards with that blessing had I taken it more seriously and laid out some form of foundational planning.

New Life on a Homestead shared a comment that I really think sums it up: 

We cannot simply hope that everything would work out for the best. Yes, we have faith. Yes, we pray and believe that the Lord is good, and that He will provide for us. But we also need to put feet to our prayers and do what we can to prepare for whatever may lie ahead.I am reminded of the stories in the Bible where the Lord spoke to His people, warning them to store up food during the good years so that they would not go hungry when the bad years were upon them. Despite the spiraling situation our economy is in, we are still in a “good year”. I urge you to consider using your resources wisely in order to prepare for the “bad years”.

I don't have a TV persay, it has absolutely zero reception but we watch DVDs, but lately being stuck at the PT appointments, Glenn Beck has been on.  I've watched YouTube blurbs of his many times, and I've listened to several folks blog about his remarks.  New Life shares a good clip of his, An Inconvenient Debt.  It's worth paying attention to.  In fact, the entire post I linked with their blog is something that ought to get you thinking ahead into what life is beginning to move towards in this country. You're just not thinking on a realistic level if you aren't concerned about at least some stocking up and preparing.  I know too many families who continue to fly by the seat of their pants and don't plan for anything aside from the short-term and the  frivolous.  Those families are not going to last very long given the motion of the world around them. 

Ok, then...soapbox aside...

I'm getting behind on that list of sewing. Yeah, another newsflash never heard before around here. With Dewey's range of motion and strength coming back, the daily routine is even more messed up here. We've been clearing a lot, mostly outside areas in great need. I've been organizing and sorting the pantry and freezers, and planning the mega shopping trip and all. Time to sit at the sewing machine just isn't a priority. It needs to be. I'm going to stitch together the several items already cut (and those I've already partially stitched) this weekend. I wish it would rain or something -- then I'd feel like sitting at the sewing machine instead of feeling there were a dozen other things needing to be done.

I know I didn't actually just SAY I wished it would rain. That must be  a typo!  It's a bit dry out there now.  No more sinking in several inches to get from the front steps to anywhere else.  We joked about maybe pulling the tiller out and tearing a path in the garden.  LOL...we weren't serious.  Looks are very deceiving down here.  The ground is hard, yes. The garden isn't a sloppy mess of mud and muck, yes.  I'm not silly enough, however, to expect that dry ground, that firmness, to be more than an inch or two down.  I know what lies beneath.  No way I'm fighting that tiller out there yet.  It just isn't worth the carpal tunnel aggravation.

Coupons:
I'm checking out CouponSurfer. 
There is also this one, but I haven't checked it out too much yet.
A Full Cup is another one
Red Plum is another one I haven't checked out but looks good

Like I said before, I don't know that I'll do much with the coupon route as we buy in bulk and I've yet to find coupons for 50# bags of flour or oats, but I'm willing to put some time into checking them out and see what the possibilities are for this family.

Today's plan is schooling, barn chores and a PT appointment.