Henny Penny's stash

See this little door? It is an ingenious little box for kindling. There is a board that rests on the top (that is currently removed in the picture).

On many occasions we have seen Henny Penny suspiciously hanging around this said kindling-box as if it were a perfectly natural thing to do.

But why? Don't ALL chickens hang out around here?

No.

When questioned she always stared at us blankly and pretended not to know what we were talking about whatever.

As if she were simply a mere chicken and didn't understand english.

Hah!

The other day the mystery ended when my son came to the door and hollared in "MAAAAAAMA!" as often happens. (the hollaring)

I got my sloggers on (reluctantly of course, because unfortunately I don't cheerfully run to see all the things my inquistive children want me to.) and went out with my son. He lifted the lid and we all burst out laughing.

We knew right away whose handiwork we had found.

Every single egg was blue. So cute. Diligently stolen away and laid by a hopeful hen. No doubt feeling the very same frustrations of one Jemima Puddle Duck when faced with a pesky farmer boy toting his egg basket!

But Henny Penny...follow-through is the key, Honey!

Sit...sit...sit.

If I can you can

I've been canning quite a bit these days. Canning USA has some nice videos like this one on canning chili.

With all the talk of the economy pressing down on us, I figured it might be a good idea to can some food at today's prices. Why not can food that costs less now for eating when the same food will cost more?



Chili

4 lbs. ground beef

4 tsp. salt

2 c. onion, chopped

6 T. chili powder

2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

2 tsp. paprika (optional)

2 qts. canned tomatoes

1 tsp. pepper


Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Add remaining ingredients. Cook slowly for 15 min. Fill jars to within 1 inch of top. Process quarts 90 min. 10 pounds of pressure.

Old time Christmas

Well, Papa had to work on Christmas Eve and we still had no power and no electricity. We were pretty well snowed in so the last minute shopping had gone by the wayside.

One thing we noticed without the electricity was how early it gets dark in the wintertime. We would start preparing around 4pm, first cleaning up as best we could to minimize the 'trippage' and then putting out pajamas and lighting candles. This was Christmas Eve so we tried to make it special with more candles and some cookies and candy on a plate.

Our family electrician (T1) had put together some computer speakers on batteries so we listened to Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre production of The Hiding Place on the ipod. We sat in the dark waiting for Papa to get home from work, the three kids all sitting on the floor right in front of the speakers listening to the story. It was just like the old days, families crowded around the radio...or the ten Boom family listening to their radio during WWII.

It was peaceful and actually nice. We had a nice warm fire and it felt extravagant to be listening to something electronic after a week without.

Here is Christmas Eve, Papa read the Christmas story out of Luke using the Itty Bitty booklight.

We had cookies and opened one present each. The boys opened thermal underwear which they absolutely loved. They wore it to bed, it was a night of timely presents as I got my very own headlight! I never thought I would want one, but they are the best!

Wherever you look, there is light.

Christmas morning brought more snow and for once, I wasn't dead tired waking up with the kids. That is another thing that was nice about no electricity. Papa and I went to be much earlier than usual, you just can't do much in the dark with a little headlight. So we went to bed at the same time and work up fresh with the sun. I did like that too.

Papa and the kids played together in the snow. I sat inside and knitted. It was a quiet, day where we were all home together in our secluded cabin surrounded by snow. In the evening, Papa read to us around the woodstove from our new biography called If I Perish. I listened and knitted by my headlight. We all begged for 'another chapter' after each one ended, and we were pleasantly obliged for a few hours.

Christmas knitting: I finished the sock for Papa. It was a little too long, but I ripped it back and made it fit him perfectly. I'm working on the other sock now. He was genuinely SHOCKED. A real sock! From recycled yarn too, except the reinforcing yarn in the heel and toe.

I finished the vest for T2, a hat for T1, and the cardigan for T3 except the buttons. Everyone was surprised except for daughter who has been asked to try on her sweater periodically. The boys were all surprised that I had secret knitting that they didn't know about.

Dear daughter was not at all happy with her 'ratchy' sweater and frowned the entire time Papa made her try it on after opening. Oh well...maybe she can get her daughter to wear it someday ;)

Some of the worst things about not have power or water:

• Not being able to wash my hands
• Not being able to wash the dishes
• Not being able to stay up late and accomplish things

Some of the best things about not having power or water:

• Not being able to wash the dishes
• Not being able to stay up late and accomplish things
• Quiet, peaceful evenings together as a family
• Surviving as a family team
  

Thankfully, my swift didn't need electricity to work! And in the end, the power did come back.

We enjoyed the quietness and lull before we were to face the next storm ahead. Here Papa reads The Littlest Angel to T3. She has to ask Papa to read it because Mama always refuses.

The saddest part to me is when it describes the littlest angel's gift:

"...there was a butterfly with golden wings, captured one bright summer day on the hills above Jerusalem, and a sky-blue egg from a bird's nest in nthe olive tree that stood to shade his mother's kitchen door. Yes, and two white stones, found on a muddy river bank, where he and his friends had played like small brown beavers, and, at the bottom of the box, a limp, tooth-marked leather strap, once worn as a collar by his mongrel dog, who had died as he had lived, in absolute love and infinite devotion."

I think about this little boy's family. It underscores the fact that this vibrant little boy died and it makes me sad. I think of dear Jacob who was only 3.5 when he went to be with the Lord. I think of his parents and their daily heartbreak.

It is a wonderful story though. I just can't read it yet.

I hope your Christmas was wonderful too.

The long winter week

How was your Christmas? Ours was...different.

Different but good.

We had an unusual amount of snow and lost our power and water for 6 days (Dec 21-26th).

My oldest son is always hoping the power will go out and this time he got his wish. On the other hand, Mama wasn't so excited.

We had gotten quite a bit of snow and thankfully Papa had the idea to fill up the bathtubs just in case we lost power. This is for flushing toilets with. We did have one tub relatively full.

One thing I would never want to be without is a woodstove. We have an old, completely un-cool house. We chose property over a nice house in town. One of the things I noticed when we were looking at those nice houses in town was the gas fireplaces and the lack of woodstoves.

My sister lives right by us. They have a woodstove insert that didn't heat their house at all. It uses electricity to push the warm air from the woodstove through the vents of the house. A nice feature if you have electricity, but not so nice when the power is out in freezing weather. It was 39 degrees in her house, colder than the temperature in her refrigerator. They left their house and went to friends' and also made use of their camp trailer. The good thing about it was it pointed out to them things they want to change now to avoid this in the future.

We were never so thankful for our old woodstove. It has a large top which I quickly put to good use. I have never cooked on a woodstove before, but it was my only option and it was rather interesting. I opened a couple cans of soup, added extra water, rice, frozen vegetables and some flour to thicken and cooked that in the big skillet. In the other pan I was heating water for coffee (french press).

I love my cast iron skillets.

I happened to have these pinto beans soaking the night before so I put them in the skillet with water, katsup and brown sugar for Baked Beans. At the same time I made corn bread in another skillet with a lid. It burned on the bottom but no one noticed. I scraped up the burnt bits and tossed them outside for the birds.
After he had the baked beans and cornbread my husband said that I was now in danger of being made the 'camp cook' on his next hunting trip.

When the beans began to dry out a little, I just added more snow and let them cook longer.

The worst thing was washing the skillets and dishes. (which didn't happen). After a day or two without water, I gave up the idea that the power would come on anytime and resolved that it might be longer. We switched to paper plates and bowls.

My daughter had her own plans for beans.

I loved finding these little birdie tracks on the front porch. They were so small, you can get an idea of their size by Jack's red Kong chew toy on the right.

I noticed the wild birds more than ever during the snow. We realized there is just not much for them to eat in the snow. We were glad to have some birdseed to put out for them as well as a little tray of water for them to drink in the carport.

It reminded me of the verses in Matthew about how the Lord cares for the birds. Maybe he was using us to care for them.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Matthew 6:25-27

Much time was spent just trying to give the animals water. Breaking ice on water troughs or melting snow for water. Papa had to bring in large jugs of water for the cows. The chickens didn't want to have anything to do with the snow, a few brave souls ventured out for brief expeditions, but for the most part they stayed 'cooped up' all the time.

We as a society are not equipped or prepared for a world without electricity. We had never really thought much about it until this happened. But this experience helped us to know what we may like to do in order to be better prepared for another event such as this.

I would like to start canning quarts of homemade chili, soups, stews and beans just to keep for emergencies. We also would like to have our well wired for hooking up to a generator.

Have you ever thought about how long could you survive without power and water? Do you think that could ever be a reality in our world with the uncertain economic times we find ourselves in?

Check out Kevin Swanson:

Super Government Saves the Day

The Future of Life in America

Unto Us a Child Is Born

The Nativity by Francois Boucher

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."