Let The Canning Begin!!!

We've really been blessed with a beautiful garden this year, I have picked green beans today, when I stopped I had FOUR bags and one 2 gallon bucket full...that was one row of beans! Husband dug some potatoes and we are starting to get tomatoes...I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of beans and decided to go out and buy a pressure cooker to help speed up the canning...I have always used the cold packing method which takes about 3 hours for beans..I confess I am terrified of pressure cookers, once I was at my Grandma's house while she was canning beans and the pressure cooker blew up...beans were stuck to the ceiling, on the windows, stuck to the side of the refrigerator...I vowed to never use a pressure cooker when I grew up, but the time has come to overcome my fear (or call Mom to show me how the heck to use the thing) I plan on coming home after church tomorrow and coming face to face with the stainless steel monster...If I don't post by midnight tomorrow night be worried (grin) Blessings!

Spinach/Spanish...This will make you Laugh

Here in Kentucky we have lots of beautiful landscape....My oldest Son Chad went on a hike Friday at the Dale Hallow State Park at the end of a 6 to 7 mile hike (he thought it was only gonna be a 2 or 3 mile hike...SURPRISE!) the trail ended at a cove where they were able to swim, I sent the camera with him and he took some great pictures, so I thought I would share a little Kentucky beauty with ya!





Blessings!

M

You Are My Sunshine....

Chase.....What can I say, he is the middle child, the one who possesses the smile that will melt even the hardest of hearts, he owns a laugh that once you hear it you catch yourself laughing too...need a friend? Chase is your man. Who roots for the underdog? Chase. Need to know where to dig the best fishing worms? Just ask Chase. Need a volunteer to lay on the ground so you can jump your dirt bike over them...uhh..that would be Chase (and that would be big brother Chad that talked him into that once...ahem..)

I remember when Chase was around 5 years old...he loved catching bugs, lizards, anything creepy crawly...I was doing laundry one day and took a pair of his shorts out of the dryer and gave them a little shake while folding them...a very dried up lizard fell to the floor, seems Chase was planning on keeping him, except he forgot to remove the lizard from his pocket...one of many things that went on to be with Jesus while in my washing machine....

On the first day of school he sat beside a little girl that came with only a back pack, no crayons, no paper, pencials...nothing...I watched as my son got out of his seat and one by one took one box of crayons, a package of paper, pencils and handed to her....he possesses compassion.
a few weeks later I noticed he was asking for more snack money than I normally had given the year before...I later found out that he was giving the extra money to by a little boy his snack everyday..he possesses a giving heart.

He is my quiet child (most of the time)
He will be your friend, no matter what.

Today Chase turned 13, I'm not sure where the time went...but there's one thing I'm very certain of he is the sunshine in my life! I love you Chase! Happy Birthday!!

Blessings

M

Pete

So most dogs love to ride in trucks with the ears flap'n in the wind and drool string'n about...Pete our Chocolate Lab loves that too...but his new favorite thing to do we have found out is ride the lawn mower...Chad had taken a picture of Pete riding the mower not long ago with my Dad, but we can't get that picture downloaded (I'll have to remember to take one with the camera sometime) but I did snap this picture tonight when I looked out the door and saw where Pete was sleeping...this dog cracks me up..guess he's think'n "If I lay here maybe someone will take me for a ride again..."

Silly Dog...



Blessings!

M

Remember

There is a price for the freedom we have, many family's are without they're loved ones on this 4th of July, because they are protecting our freedom...you may not know them personally but they are fighting for you...Remember them.

***Please scroll down and pause my music before starting video****



Have a Happy and Blessed 4th of July!!!

M

Breaking Bread and Breaking Beans...

We all have them, and for some it is much more than others, the endless to do list the piles of laundry waiting when we get up and when we go to bed, dirty dishes, dusting, bill paying, appointment books that overflow at work (thank you Jesus) and of coarse hungry children wondering what's for supper tonight...it's the endless time consuming time eating monsters in our life. These things make us say things like:

"I'll get to that in a minute."

"Not right now."

"I don't have time today, maybe tomorrow."

"Shhh, honey can't you see Mom's busy."

"I'm sorry I was so busy with XYZ I forgot."

I am a Salon owner in a small town (small, like in a wide spot in the road small) but most days we are very busy...sometime back last year I received a phone call from an elderly lady and she needed a haircut, but she didn't walk well and she wanted to know if I could come to her house...I'll be honest with you...I was busy and didn't really want to stop my busyness.....

But I did, and from that one home visit developed a very special friendship with a
97 year old women...I have heard that some find her a little harsh at times, but I have never seen that side of her, now when I go to cut her hair she wants to feed me lunch....visit...talk...and slow down.

A few months back I went to cut her hair and we talked about the garden Husband and I had, I made the comment about all the beans he had planted and offered to bring her some when they were ready, after a short visit I went back to work in the wide open mode...later that day while working on a costumer I received a phone call from this sweet Lady and she said "I know your busy but I've got something on my mind I need to talk to you about when you get a free minute give me a call back."

I hung the phone up and joked with my co-worker that I was almost afraid to call back...what did she have on her mind?

Later I called her back and this is what she said:

"I've been think'n about what you said about those beans, about how many your Husband put out...I know how busy you are and thought if you would pick them and drop them off at my house on your way to work I could shell them for you and you could pick them up on your way home, I know it's not much but maybe that will help you out."
I was so touched and moved to tears that after I had left her home this sweet women had sat and thought about me......

She wanted to break beans for me.....
After I closed the salon that day I sat at my desk for awhile and thought about all the busyness that had went on that day and many other days, the laughing and rushing around, the conversations that had passed between women almost as a competition between each one on who had more to do and all I could think was...

She wanted to break beans for me....
I understand we all have lots of things on our plates, but God really showed me the importance of slowing down that day, one simple act of taking time to make a house visit has given me a friendship with someone that I wouldn't dare trade, she thought about me even when I went on with my busy day there are so many others out there just like her that if we only take the time to slow down we can see that they only want to be a part of our lives....so slow down a little and break bread with someone that needs you and maybe just maybe they'll help you break beans! Blessings!

M