We butchered our pigs a few weeks ago, and I thought I was done rendering lard. I guess I've never been too excited about touching greasy things, because it's so hard to get off my hands afterwards. Well, we discovered a few packages of fat from the pig we butchered back in December of 2006, and I thought I'd better take care of that as well. At first I was just going to throw it away, but our son Jonathan has decided we are going to make soap, so we will use it for that purpose.
We were planning on watching the Republican debate tonight via the internet, so I decided a popcorn supper was appropriate. I also had the big idea I would make donuts, so at the same time I was rendering lard I was making and frying donuts! That was a bit too greasy for me. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how light and nongreasy the donuts were. They were quite delicious. I thought since lard tends to be absorbed in the donuts as they are being fried they would be fairly greasy and leave an aftertaste, but they were great! Maybe there is something to this animal fat thing! I've been planning to read a book entitled, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig, and another book they wrote, Eat Fat Lose Fat. Guess now is the time to do just that.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Another Cold Day
We had another very cold day today, so everyone stayed indoors as much as possible. Jonathan needed to head to his vacuuming job yesterday but the car wouldn't start, so we really needed to get it running today to get him to work. Someone found an inconvenient place to store our portable heater thing for under the car, so instead Jim used a small space heater to place under there. After doing that for an hour or so, the car finally started. It was a very good thing, because friends called to ask Jim if he would go down to town to help their daughter get her car started. Someone passed along one of those "forwards" that has been altered to make it appropriate to our state:
If parking your car for the night involves an extension cord,
You might live in North Dakota.
If you're proud that your state makes the national
news primarily because it houses the coldest spot in the nation,
You might live in North Dakota.
If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March,
You might live in North Dakota.
If you know how to correctly pronounce Minot ,
Bottineau, Ypsilanti , or Glen Ullin,
You might live in North Dakota.
If you measure distance in hours,
You might live in North Dakota.
If you see people wearing hunting clothes at social events, You might live in North Dakota.
If you carry jumper cables in your car and your daughter knows how to use them,
You might live in North Dakota.
If there are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at the grocery store at any given time,
You might live in North Dakota.
If your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your cottonwood,
You might live in North Dakota.
If you find 0 degrees 'a little
chilly,'
You might live in North Dakota.
If parking your car for the night involves an extension cord,
You might live in North Dakota.
If you're proud that your state makes the national
news primarily because it houses the coldest spot in the nation,
You might live in North Dakota.
If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March,
You might live in North Dakota.
If you know how to correctly pronounce Minot ,
Bottineau, Ypsilanti , or Glen Ullin,
You might live in North Dakota.
If you measure distance in hours,
You might live in North Dakota.
If you see people wearing hunting clothes at social events, You might live in North Dakota.
If you carry jumper cables in your car and your daughter knows how to use them,
You might live in North Dakota.
If there are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at the grocery store at any given time,
You might live in North Dakota.
If your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your cottonwood,
You might live in North Dakota.
If you find 0 degrees 'a little
chilly,'
You might live in North Dakota.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
We are Still Here
Just to let you know, we haven't frozen over yet! Here is the weather for today (hopefully I can get a post in soon):
.WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST /5 AM MST/
WEDNESDAY.
A WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST /5 AM MST/
WEDNESDAY.
EXPECT WIND CHILLS OF 40 TO 50 BELOW TODAY.
A WIND CHILL WARNING MEANS THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND
STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS
WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE & LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF
PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
National Geographic Does Great Advertising
Our family was amused with an article recently published by the National Geographic. The article is entitled, The Emptied Prairie.
According to this very depressing article, North Dakota is a terrible place to live. If that's the case, why does our family love it so much?
Neither Jim or I were raised here, yet when we felt led to move to the country, the first state we really investigated was North Dakota. I hope to start up again with the account of our move to the Turtle Mountains, and hopefully you will see that it truly isn't as bad of a state as National Geographic paints it to be.
According to this very depressing article, North Dakota is a terrible place to live. If that's the case, why does our family love it so much?
Neither Jim or I were raised here, yet when we felt led to move to the country, the first state we really investigated was North Dakota. I hope to start up again with the account of our move to the Turtle Mountains, and hopefully you will see that it truly isn't as bad of a state as National Geographic paints it to be.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Thoughts on 2007/2008
I can hardly believe that 2008 has begun, and we've already been living up here for over 3 years. So much has happened, and it's been a lot of things that I could have never expected.
December ended with a flurry of activity; not in Christmas activities, but in preparation for the state's homeschool convention and then in helping another ministry prepare for their yearly fund raiser. Our annual newsletter is yet to be written, thank you's sent, pigs butchered, and more. Jim and the boys are over at a friend's for the afternoon/evening, sliding and visiting with others. I asked if I could stay home, as I feel quite worn out from everything that has been going on. I've had a tendency most of my life of filling my days with many things, then all of a sudden feeling the need to pull back and rest -- not only physically, but spiritually and mentally as well. Those times of rest are few and far in between, especially after marrying and having 4 boys. And those time are even fewer now, since it seems our life this past year has been exceptionally busy.
Farm life has the potential to really wear a person out, and I am learning that I need to pace myself and not try to do everything that I want to accomplish in one day. I have read Northern Farmer's blog,
where he states matter of factly that farm work never ends, and what you don't accomplish one day will be waiting for you the next. My personality tends to be more like Martha, when I need to be more like Mary. My desire for 2008 is to learn to be more like Mary, learning to sit at the feet of Jesus to receive direction instead of rushing to and fro, trying to do everything and yet getting nothing done. (At least it seems that way!)
Looking back to our first few months living in the Turtle Mountains, I am amazed at how much we have learned about homesteading and farm operations. I had been agreeable and then anxious to move to the country, but had way too many romantic notions about what it would actually be like. Don't subscribe to magazines like Country Woman if you want to homestead! We moved to land that had no improvements (other than a tractor path to get into the property), and yet I was constantly upset at how hard it was to clean filthy clothes and keep the dirt out of the basement we later moved into after it was barely inhabitable. I must admit my attitude at times -- more than I want to remember, actually -- was terrible, but through the grace of God I made it, and certainly hope I will never have to go around that mountain again.
I have a feeling that 2008 will be another year of challenges and blessings, and it's my desire to travel through this year with the Lord's bigger picture in mind for me and also our family.
December ended with a flurry of activity; not in Christmas activities, but in preparation for the state's homeschool convention and then in helping another ministry prepare for their yearly fund raiser. Our annual newsletter is yet to be written, thank you's sent, pigs butchered, and more. Jim and the boys are over at a friend's for the afternoon/evening, sliding and visiting with others. I asked if I could stay home, as I feel quite worn out from everything that has been going on. I've had a tendency most of my life of filling my days with many things, then all of a sudden feeling the need to pull back and rest -- not only physically, but spiritually and mentally as well. Those times of rest are few and far in between, especially after marrying and having 4 boys. And those time are even fewer now, since it seems our life this past year has been exceptionally busy.
Farm life has the potential to really wear a person out, and I am learning that I need to pace myself and not try to do everything that I want to accomplish in one day. I have read Northern Farmer's blog,
where he states matter of factly that farm work never ends, and what you don't accomplish one day will be waiting for you the next. My personality tends to be more like Martha, when I need to be more like Mary. My desire for 2008 is to learn to be more like Mary, learning to sit at the feet of Jesus to receive direction instead of rushing to and fro, trying to do everything and yet getting nothing done. (At least it seems that way!)
Looking back to our first few months living in the Turtle Mountains, I am amazed at how much we have learned about homesteading and farm operations. I had been agreeable and then anxious to move to the country, but had way too many romantic notions about what it would actually be like. Don't subscribe to magazines like Country Woman if you want to homestead! We moved to land that had no improvements (other than a tractor path to get into the property), and yet I was constantly upset at how hard it was to clean filthy clothes and keep the dirt out of the basement we later moved into after it was barely inhabitable. I must admit my attitude at times -- more than I want to remember, actually -- was terrible, but through the grace of God I made it, and certainly hope I will never have to go around that mountain again.
I have a feeling that 2008 will be another year of challenges and blessings, and it's my desire to travel through this year with the Lord's bigger picture in mind for me and also our family.
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