Around this Homestead Lately...

I'm beginning to think I should rename our little spread here to Hidden Acres....or Covert Homestead Operations...I have been super lax about sharing anything on the blog lately.  It's been very sporadic for posting anymore.  And it's not so much that we've been super busy, though we have been have busy, but more like I've updated my Facebook page far more often than I've pulled out the computer and updated the blog.  It's bad.  My mother even joined Facebook so she could keep updated.  That's bad.

The Royal Wedding happened.  I didn't watch it, though I did browse a few photos of the bride's dress.  Pretty.  I liked it. Other than that, sorry, the wedding just didn't appeal to me, even if I did get up at the crack of dark way back in the day and watch Princess Diana flub her husband's name :)

Osama bin laden is dead.  Again.  Or so the news tells me. Of course, I believe I've been told this a couple other times, too, so who knows.  If he is, good.  Funny they say it was a SEAL team that took him out...thought obamalama wanted to cut those paychecks back?  Guess he decided not to.  Maybe a good move. Either way, it's all just a political pony show as far as I'm concerned.  Folks were babbling up storms about what a coup this was, and maybe we could get rid of TSA now.  Seriously? You think one man being killed/captured will reverse the TSA stuff?  Sorry, but we wanted security here, and to get something means giving up a handful of things...so TSA is here to stay. 
How about since the "objective" is now supposedly gone, we just wrap up our bedrolls and bring the troops HOME.  It's been an easy 9 years on the ground over there, and if Osama is truly no more, we've done what we supposedly went over there to do, so get off the pot and bring the troops back home now.  Oh, wait...we can't can we?  We shifted over to the other 'problem' now huh?  What was that 'problem' again?  Guess I can't keep up with all these things...

Well, all that aside, here's a snapshot of some of what's been going on around here....

Recipes Shared:
Soaked Wheat Nourishing Traditions Style Challah
Soaked Wheat Bread via Passionate Homemaking
I have the book Nourishing Traditions, and maybe I just haven't read through the great side-notes yet, but I don't see alot worth having the book in hand yet.  I already had many of the recipe styles down from reading the great blogs out there, but I keep plodding through, and I will read the side-notes again and again until it's all just second nature here.
Granola with Raisins from Like a Bubbling Brook
Asparagus Snack Squares from Taste of Home
We made a batch of fresh Honeysuckle Jelly using this recipe (more on this in another post)
Making Herbal Ointments and Salves with the Wood Wife's Journal
Easy Potatoe and Bacon Breakfast Casserole (and so many other recipes) via Our Best Bites
Herbal Remedies Info site is a definite keeper here
LifeScript had a nice bit on Carpal Tunnel...I am always looking at good Carpal Tunnel information
Bubbles at Home:  

Bubbles: 6 cups water 2 cups Ivory or Joy dishsoap and 3/4 cup corn syrup mix and shake well to combine. Let set for 4 hrs. Refrigerate when not using and allow to come to room temp before using.. Use bubble wands, or make your own from wire hangers and enjoy :)

Some Crafts Shared:
Apron Style Bib
The Rachel Wrap Shirt...can't wait to make this!
By the way...Craftiness is Not an Optional is hosting another Sew-A-Long with a cute little girl's dress, so definitely scroll around and check out the site!
from Treasures From Yarn, a crocheted Small Shell Sock pattern 
and another crocheted sock
Blue Ridge Hoodie crochet pattern
Victorian Infant Cape pattern...I have made these for years! Jennifer was wrapped in one way back when :)

Blogs I Visited, aside my full Google Reader:
Like a Bubbling Brook
Little Homestead in the Valley 
Like A Warm Cup of Coffee....and I scored her new ebook, 31 Days to Clean as well :)
Headcoverings
Two Frog Home....great recipes, great upcycle ideas...another keeper!

News And Such:
Smithville MS levelled by F5 tornado
Photos of the Smithville MS tornado damage
Cullman AL damage
Tuscaloosa AL tornado damage
Vision Forum shares about the tornado that leveled the Crawford family home....Kelly Crawford (Generation Cedar)
Is Church Membership Biblical post
A Note for Wives of Unemployed Husbands from SmockityFrocks
I was bored...I music searched...I found this little gem of funny from Bill Engval, as well as this favorite song from Rascal Flatts

Schooling during the storm looked like we were schooling at midnight here.  We had the lamps lit, trying to keep enough light to make things doable.  We did end up spending a good half hour or so out in the workshop building, not that it's in much sturdier shape than being in a mobile home, but it might have lasted an extra 10 mins if we'd been hit here. We need a storm shelter, problem is, I'm claustrophobic BIG TIME, so watching a hole get dug and a tin can shelter plopped in just isn't going to cut it for me.  Not to mention they are just too small for a large family.  I need something more along the lines of a small basement, or a large root cellar kind of thing. I do far better in the daytime than I do with these overnight storms, so I need something that will be suitable for children to go into and lay down if necessary.  Something we can spend some time in if we have to. Ever seen the movie Blast from The Past? Now that is a storm shelter I could live with :)

Along with those tidbits, I started the garden.  The soil, despite being inundated with flood waters, was still ROCK HARD CLODS, as usual.  So, the children and I schlepped some cinder blocks over and formed up narrow raised beds, instead of row planting.  We used what decently busted soil I had in the garden, then filled the remainder with really good black garden soil that I had to BUY.  UGH! I shouldn't have to BUY dirt when I live on 20 acres, kwim?  Anyway, I did, and we planted up 3 long rows of tomatoes, 3 rows of bell peppers, several rows of onions, a 3x6 bed of bush beans, and I have more to go if it dries up enough to get back in there.  Is it too late to put my beets in, ya think?

We have finally gotten Woody Jr to get an interest in grains and grasses and hay.  He's a month old now, down to about 1/2-3/4 gallon of milk a day (still via bottle...he hates buckets I think).  He spends his days playing with Miss Judy and running around.  She is far more content with him closer at hand...plus, she was rolling all my fencing over just to get at him to give him his daily momma licking and prodding. So, day time is family togetherness time in the pasture I guess.

Now, I need to get a good grasp on when Judy comes and goes from heat so we can get her rebred.  Not that I have many prospects lined up around here, Jerseys are not exactly prolific in my neck of the woods, but I'll find one somewhere, or we'll go for AI.  Still, I have to catch her actually IN HEAT, and so far, I ain't seen nothin'  :( 

Hints?? Tips?? Suggestions??  Send 'em my way folks, I really need them!

We had another set of goat twins here.  Kendra, who never gave the slightest appearance of pregnancy, nor showed the least interest in Malachi back in the fall, popped out twins a couple weeks ago, middle of the night, out in the back pasture.  Sigh.  I'm beginning to seriously doubt my animal husbandry abilities when it comes to breeding :(  They are cute little buggers, and both male, which we really didn't need more of around here.  The children named them Bo and Luke.  Yes, we've been watching old Dukes of Hazard television shows, can you tell?

Our other babies, Jeremiah and Eve, are doing great.  Jeremiah is already the size of Gideon....last year's buckling! Sheesh louise he is a big boy!  And still adorable with that salt and pepper coloring. Such a sweetheart.

We are working laundry through today, as well as getting bread going and of course, some schooling.  We are hoping to get Dewey home this weekend, though it appears it won't be until Saturday afternoon now.  He's up in Indianapolis, working on a couple projects so he can get an inspection Friday, then he'll head to Carthage TN to meet with another Superintendent on a job he'll be working at for a couple weeks while he waits on the Indy job to take off in the rains and mud up there.  That means for a couple weeks at least, we might get him here every weekend.  Would be nice, as we haven't had him home in about 5 weeks now.  I have a huge Boston Butt roast and a huge turkey pulled and thawing...thought we'd smoke them Saturday, but looks like I'll be cooking them in the house as I don't do the smoker, and Dewey won't be here until too late to get them going. 

I will get sewing and working on the new blog here...promise.  I will also try to pull together some sort of update for the school blog, though it's been pretty mundane on that branch of the homestead tree lately.  Lots of reading and nothing exciting going on.  The younger girls are about to start some cross stitch samplers, if that's exciting. They aren't fancy, but they sort of fit into the whole American Revolution and Lewis & Clark time frame I think.  I'm planning some simple quilt work for the next level, when we hit the pioneers. And yes, I've started looking back at the Weaver unit studies yet again. I have been back and forth on that curriculum for a good 15 years now.  Lately I have noticed alot more talk about it, so my interest is piqued again. But I really like the Paths curriculum, so maybe I should just move on to the next level and keep with it, heh?

So, there ya go.  If you are following me on FB, sorry, these are all total repeats of old news for you.