Socialists cry “Power to the people”, and raise the clenched fist as they say it. We all know what they really mean—power over people, power to the State.


Margaret Thatcher

Birthday

Today I creep over the hill and start down toward the big 5 0. 46, when did that happen?

A friend became a grandmother on my birthday. WHAT?? And she is younger than me!

My sweet Rita called me to wish me happy birthday and gave me a verse. It is perfect.

Isaiah 46:4 (note it is chapter 46, my age, and verse 4, my birth month)

Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

God is good all the time!!!

The kids cleaned the house last night while I took supper to William. He is staying over at his dad's to give his sister a break. Today they are cooking me dinner and a birthday cake!! I have good kids!!!

"My Husband Rocks" Friday

As I think back over almost 23 years of marriage, it amazes me how blessed I have been and continue to be. William is multi-talented and after many years I take that for granted. He runs a business, can build almost anything, is a very knowledgeable Scout, can fix a car, repairs most things, and if he doesn't know how to do something, he will teach himself.

Over the years this has saved us alot of money, time and frustration. I appreciate him for his 'can do' attitude and willingness to take the time to do things himself instead of paying someone else to do them.

Enough said, My Husband Rocks!!!!!

Chickens

I going to have to rename my blog 'chicken something'.

The ladies love their yogurt!! They get their beaks down in it, then wipe their noses in the dirt. Not the most lady like way of doing things, but they are CHICKENS!

Here one of the ladies has taken up the balance beam. 10!

A Need

I have been following a young couple for some time now as they courted, married and began the road to parenthood. Their sweet baby boy was born prematurely and had to stay in the hospital for 3 months.

The Zimmermans have incurred large medical bills and are truly trusting God to provide. They are Christians that believe the church is to care for its own. In fact, and this is what motivated me to donate, they will not accept government aid. A quote from Tait Zimmerman, "after careful consideration, prayer, and much counsel, we came to the decision to rely on God's approved method for meeting social needs: voluntary action and community". "We truly believe in Christian community. We believe that Christian community is the single most effective way to meet the real needs we face around us".

Go over to the website and read their story. Give if you can and certainly pray for this sweet young family.

Today

Today we planted these little lovelies. This will be our first batch; we will do another for a later harvest.

The chickens are doing great and growing. Here are two of the ladies sitting on their walkway to the coop.

The trees and bushes here are beautiful in the Spring.

Frightening

President Obama has only been in office for three months. Now we have HR 1388. The Bill was sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) with 37 others. The Bill was introduced to the floor of the House of Representatives where both Republicans and Democrats voted 321-105 in favor. It passed the Senate on March 26th.

(Cost: 6 billion dollars by 2014)

This bill’s title is called “Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education” (GIVE). It forms what some are calling “Obama’s Youth Brigade.” Obama’s plan is require anyone receiving school loans and others to serve at least three months as part of the brigade. His goal is one million youth by 2014! This has serious Nazi Germany overtones to it. (think Hitler's 'brown shirts')

Also Obama's plan requires all middle and high school students to work 50 hours a year. MANDATORY! College students, 100 hours a year.

Many, however, are raising concerns that the program is the beginning of what President Obama called his "National Civilian Security Force" in a a speech last year in which he urged creating an organization as big and well-funded as the U.S. military. He has declined since then to elaborate.

The Hitler Youth were started in the 1920s, and by 1933 numbered more than 100,000. Hitler said his goal was a strong Germany. In 1934, he told a crowd at a Nuremberg Rally, "regardless of whatever we create and do, we shall pass away, but in you, Germany will live on and when nothing is left to us, you will have to hold up the banner which some time ago we lifted out of nothingness.

In 1939, membership was compulsory for children over 17. Its membership comprised 90% of the country’s young. In 1941, membership was mandatory for any child over ten.

The Give Act puts tow-headed school children and silver-haired seniors in the official uniform of the new State, (yeah, there is a uniform) and encompasses every walk of life in main-street America. "Whether you are young or old, or firmly believe that volunteering means you are offering your time to the good of community work, you will be pressed into Obama's National Civilian Community Corps."

The Bill would forbid any student in the brigade to participate in “engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization.” That means no church attendance or witnessing.

Again, is this what America voted for? Here is part of the HR1388 Bill’s wording:

SEC. 1304. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.

Section 125 (42 U.S.C. 12575) is amended to read as follows:

SEC. 125. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.

(a) Prohibited Activities- A participant in an approved national service position under this subtitle may not engage in the following activities:

(1) Attempting to influence legislation.

(2) Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes.
…

(7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization.

AND:

(10) Such other activities as the Corporation may prohibit.


Quote from Hitler:
"The Youth of today is ever the people of tomorrow. For this reason we have set before ourselves the task of innoculating our youth with the spirit of this community of the people at a very early age, at an age when human beings are still unperverted and therefore unspoiled.

Really think about the wording of this bill. This will absolutely control what you can say or do concerning the government. Our children and grandchildren will 'learn' to not question their government. Our children and grandchildren will 'learn' blind service to their government. Our children and grandchildren will not get to choose 'volunteer' service.

Oh and the video at the beginning of this post; they used all this historical figures that have done great things to inspire the youth. Here is the difference; they did them because they CHOSE to, not because a government said they had to.

PLEASE pass this on!

I am not a conspiracy theorist or a fear monger. I have always felt that our country was a great place. I have always been proud to be an American. These feelings are all new to me, but I will not ignore what I see is happening in Washington and to our precious nation.

Saturday: Girls Day Out

William and Hayden went caving with the scouts, so it was time for 'girls gone wild'. Ok, not really; we went to paint pottery, have dinner and get ice cream. Crazy, I know.

Here is Sarah, Catherine and I in front of the pottery place. Painting pottery is so relaxing, so Hannah suggested we go. Good suggestion, I have been tense lately. (will discuss that later)

Sarah in deep concentration.

Catherine working hard or hardly working! Love this kid!!

Sarah drew a tree inside her cup.

Hannah's very plain plate for her photography.




Starting the inside of my bowl.

I am not burying my head. Really. I was writing a word and it was hard to get it right. So I got to working and all the sudden Hannah is laughing hysterically at me. I realized that it looked like I was trying to fit my head in my bowl.

After 2 hours of painting we were hungry and there was a pizza place two doors down! How convenient.

The salad was amazing and the pizza was good. But, we couldn't stop there. OH NO! There was a Bruster's Ice Cream next to the pizza place. Good grief!!!

See my eye twitching. Sweet Jesus! This is ridiculous.

Sarah dumped part of hers in the trash can. I pawned part of mine off on Hannah because she wasn't crazy about her flavor. Catherine was just happy. Then we moaned...

All in all it was a good day for us girls!

photos courtesy of Hannah Q

Friday Night Dinner

Last night we took dinner to our friends house. We enjoy just getting together, eating dinner and visiting.

The girls and I made BBQ meatballs. We got the recipe from The Pioneer Woman! These are amazing comfort food.

Red Potato Mashed Potatoes!!! Yummy!!!!

Wonderful spinach salad with purple onion, apples and oranges.

Hannah's homemade Balsamic Dressing! We swear (though we don't swear, we are ladies) that this dressing has medicinal properties.




DeGina had some asparagus so we addded that to the menu.



For Dessert? The Best Dang Sheet Cake EVER!!! Recipe Now this is "slap yo momma" good!

After dinner we talked, then Matt entertained us on his guitar and we sang. A perfect end to a perfect evening. Good food and good friends!

photos courtesy of Hannah Q

The Red Envelope Project

Don't miss this opportunity to send a message to President Obama about abortion! Go to http://www.redenvelopeproject.org/ NOW.

This site will tell you where to buy your envelopes, how to address them and what to write on the back.

"My Husband Rocks" Friday

Today's "My Husband Rocks" Friday Acronym

(I personally find this difficult, call me slow!)

My favorite guy

Young at heart

Heart for the Lord

Unbearably handsome

Sensible

Brave

Always able

Natural guy

Dark eyes

Really talented

Only loves me

Crazy

Kooky

Scout to the core

Another Day

I went out before dark to see the chickens and give them some scratch. They are doing great and we are enjoying having them. Sarah loves to pick them up and talk to them. Crazy girl! I'm sure how that bodes for her future husband!

If you had asked me 20 yrs. ago or even 10 yrs. where I would be in 2009, I would NEVER have said in the country raising chickens, growing vegetables and herbs, and looking forward to the Farmers Market. NEVER! You just never know now do ya!!

As we plan for this year, we are looking at next year deciding where we want to expand. I hope that we can have chickens for laying and meat by 2010. Also we would like to add a muscadine arbor and expand our variety of vegetables. Little steps at a time and learn much as we go.

I would encourage anyone interested in raising farm type animals to start with chickens. They are very easy to care for and not so overwhelming. Clean water, good feed, grit, scratch and a clean coop. (which we have to clean out tomorrow) Dirty Chicks!!!

I'll leave you with a beautiful picture Hannah took earlier this evening of some apple trees in our area. We have several large apples orchards so we never want for lovely apples.

Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

What an incredible promise from our heavenly Father. Life is hard; we stumble and fall, we grow weary and tired. Things seem overwhelming at times. We want to give up.

But we have HOPE! The Lord will refresh us, strengthen us and we will soar again!!

I can not count how many times I have been at the edge. The Lord has been faithful to hear my cry and give me strength for the day.

His love endures forever, his mercy is everlasting!

Photo courtesy of Hannah Queen

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures

to all generations.

Psalms 100:5

Picture courtesy of Hannah Queen

Prayer Request

Please pray for Stellan and his family. This sweet baby is in the hospital with Supra Ventricular Tachycardia.

We Have Chickens!!!!

Please welcome Harriett, Fanny, Mrs. Jennings, and Henrietta to the farm! The girls took right to their new digs and began doing... well, what chickens do.

I look forward to posting some about their personalities and antics.

We did have one injury today. Sarah was trying to get into the chicken pen and keep one of the dogs out. She fell and hurt her arm. :( It wasn't deep and Hannah got the peroxide and antibiotic cream and got her cleaned up!

We Are Ready for Chickens!

This afternoon William and Hayden finished the chicken pen!! And there were no serious injuries!! (Kevin, I realize that you will be disappointed) We did think that William put a nail in his hand at one point; grazed it instead.

Hannah and I went to town to buy feed, a feeder and water dispenser. Sarah and Hannah mulch around the outside of the pen and the walkway. We are READY!!

We are starting with 4 Barred Rock pullets that are 17 weeks old. They will begin to lay somewhere between 20 and 24 weeks. The picture above is the Barred Rock hen.

Our goal is to add more chickens once we are comfortable raising these and advertise the sell of organic eggs. These eggs have a darker yoke and are better nutritionally. Our chickens will be pampered and have a varied diet.

We are excited about our new venture!