Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Remembering Summer Fondly
It's been so cold lately, and I've been remembering last summer. Yes, it was too dry, and it was too hot. But right now, in this cold snap, this bone chilling am I ever going to be warm again cold snap, I'm longing for summer.
Some of the things I miss:
And most of all.....
Some of the things I miss:
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| Eating Outside |
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| The Beach |
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| Green Leaves |
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| Chalk Drawings |
And most of all.....
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| Milking Outside |
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Thankfulness.....
Saturday, January 18th
Sunday, January 19th
101) Sunlight shining through strawberry jam
102) Green construction paper and sticky tap
103) Supper in the crock pot
Monday, January 20th
104) Wood for the woodstove
105) Chill of the house before stoking the fire
106) Morning light
107) We have enough to share
108) Head phones
109) Barn lights
110) Smoke rising from the chimney
111) Calling my mother first thing in the morning
Tuesday, January 21st
Wednesday, January 22nd
112) Books on disc
113) All sitting around the wood stove reading or listening
114) I found sweatshirts for the goats and they fit
Thursday, January 23rd
115) At least we are not battling snow with the frigid weather
116) Goats - love em
Friday, January 23rd
117) Streaks of pink sky - sunrise over the tree tops
118) Warm slippers
119) Hand lotion
120) Chapstick
121) Mornings
Sunday, January 19th
101) Sunlight shining through strawberry jam
102) Green construction paper and sticky tap
103) Supper in the crock pot
Monday, January 20th
104) Wood for the woodstove
105) Chill of the house before stoking the fire
106) Morning light
107) We have enough to share
108) Head phones
109) Barn lights
110) Smoke rising from the chimney
111) Calling my mother first thing in the morning
Tuesday, January 21st
Wednesday, January 22nd
112) Books on disc
113) All sitting around the wood stove reading or listening
114) I found sweatshirts for the goats and they fit
Thursday, January 23rd
115) At least we are not battling snow with the frigid weather
116) Goats - love em
Friday, January 23rd
117) Streaks of pink sky - sunrise over the tree tops
118) Warm slippers
119) Hand lotion
120) Chapstick
121) Mornings
Thursday, January 24, 2013
COLD! We are going for the layered look.
The temperature has been frigid for the past 3 days. Barely creeping into the single digits during the day and as low as 20 below at night, with a wind chill of negative 35. The kind of weather I remember loving as a kid, because it meant that school would probably be closed. As an adult, well it's a different story, being a farmer sure puts a whole new spin on weather.
My poor goats were shivering yesterday morning - even with their goat coats on. So I hauled out the clothing tubs, you know the ones that you put clothes in, thinking someday you might fit into them again. I dug out 2 sweatshirts and managed to wrestle the goats into them and then put their goat coats back on. Actually they really didn't mind getting dressed too much, reminded me of when I used to dress my cats as a kid.
This morning they were still cold, so once again I dug through the clothing tub. So now they are sporting an undershirt, a sweatshirt and a goat coat. Hopefully they'll stay warm. In addition to the warm clothing, I make sure they have extra hay, and grain, and I take them warm water 3 times a day.
The weather should break on Saturday, my goats and I sure hope so.
My poor goats were shivering yesterday morning - even with their goat coats on. So I hauled out the clothing tubs, you know the ones that you put clothes in, thinking someday you might fit into them again. I dug out 2 sweatshirts and managed to wrestle the goats into them and then put their goat coats back on. Actually they really didn't mind getting dressed too much, reminded me of when I used to dress my cats as a kid.
This morning they were still cold, so once again I dug through the clothing tub. So now they are sporting an undershirt, a sweatshirt and a goat coat. Hopefully they'll stay warm. In addition to the warm clothing, I make sure they have extra hay, and grain, and I take them warm water 3 times a day.
The weather should break on Saturday, my goats and I sure hope so.
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| Bo Peep - kinda looks like a super hero |
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| Chloe sporting the bell bottom look. |
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Thankfulness.....
Saturday, January 12th
65) Daylight coming
66) Freshly cleaned goat stalls
67) Freshly trimmed goats feet
Sunday, January 13th
68) Church
69) Vets who are on call and come quickly
70) Husband who cleaned up after the sick dog
80) The dog seems to be fine
Monday, January 14th
81) A wonderful day
82) Pictures
Tuesday, Junuary 15th
83) The smell of fresh air first thing in the morning
84) My laptop
85) Evenings with my family
Wednesday, January 16th
86) Cats that think they are an alarm clock at 5am
87) Running water
88) Good friends for dinner
89) Lively conversation
Thursday, January 17th
90) Snow and wind
91) Sturdy barn for the livestock
92) Dog dozing in front of the wood stove all cozy warm
93) Netflix
94) Milk
95) Canvas bags to carry groceries
Friday, January 18th
96) Crisp morning air
97) Its above zero
98) Kids all around
99) Chores are done
100) Life is good
65) Daylight coming
66) Freshly cleaned goat stalls
67) Freshly trimmed goats feet
Sunday, January 13th
68) Church
69) Vets who are on call and come quickly
70) Husband who cleaned up after the sick dog
80) The dog seems to be fine
Monday, January 14th
81) A wonderful day
82) Pictures
Tuesday, Junuary 15th
83) The smell of fresh air first thing in the morning
84) My laptop
85) Evenings with my family
Wednesday, January 16th
86) Cats that think they are an alarm clock at 5am
87) Running water
88) Good friends for dinner
89) Lively conversation
Thursday, January 17th
90) Snow and wind
91) Sturdy barn for the livestock
92) Dog dozing in front of the wood stove all cozy warm
93) Netflix
94) Milk
95) Canvas bags to carry groceries
Friday, January 18th
96) Crisp morning air
97) Its above zero
98) Kids all around
99) Chores are done
100) Life is good
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Home Made Ice Cream
Just another benefit of owning your own cow or goat. Fresh home made ice cream, great with apple crisp. YUM!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Chocolate IS toxic to dogs.
Our beagle Sprocket ate an 8oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips while we were at church last Sunday.
Chocolate is toxic to dogs. It turns out that, for dogs, a chemical in chocolate called theobromine is the source of the problem. Theobromine is similar to caffeine.
According to Animal Planet, different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine: It would take 20 ounces of milk chocolate to kill a 20-pound dog, but only 2 ounces of baker's chocolate or 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate.
Sprocket got into a box of groceries that I hadn't put away yet. We discovered the empty chocolate chip bag around 12:30pm. We know that chocolate is toxic to dogs but Sprocket seemed fine so we didn't get too alarmed. That was a mistake! Our lack of an immediate response could have cost us our dog's life.
About 2:45, Sprocket started to stagger, run into things and fall down, and finally he could not stand up. It was horrible to see. I called the vet's office and thankfully they have always vet on call. He was on his way to the office to meet another patient, and told us to meet him there immediately. While I was on the phone with the vet, Sprocket vomited and by the time we got to the vet he was much better.
The vet examined him thoroughly and said that his heart and respiration were good. He gave him several huge syringes of fluids under the skin. And a shot - though I was so worried about Sprocket at the time, that I didn't think to ask what it was. The vet said that you want the dog to vomit within 2 hours after ingesting something toxic like chocolate.
Sprocket was on a bland diet for 24 hours. He's find now, we were very lucky.
Learn from our mistake - hopefully your dog won't get into chocolate, but if it does, do not delay in calling the vet!
Monday, January 14, 2013
What a difference a year makes!
One year ago today on January 14, 2012, I flew to Boston to meet our youngest daughter, Rebecca. She was being escorted home to us by a social worker from our adoption agency, Wide Horizons For Children.
It was the coldest day of the winter. There had been a snow storm the day before. I was scheduled to fly out of one airport, but there were problems with the aircraft, so I had to make a mad dash to another airport an hour and a half away to finally catch a flight to Boston.
Meeting your child for the first time in a crowded airport is surreal. Everything else faded into the background and all I could see was a very tired, very sad little girl. I couldn't wait to scoop her up in my arms and be her mommy.
We had been waiting for Rebecca to arrive for over a year. But all the pain of that long wait faded away as soon as I had her in my arms. As excited as I was to finally hold her, I was also aware of all that she had left behind, and this made me a little sad too.
Rebecca's escort Molly was wonderful. She traveled to Ethiopia and spent a week there with Rebecca before flying more than 30 hours to bring her home to us.
After a chat with the escort, a bite to eat and a quick change of clothes, Rebecca and I were ready to catch our flight home to the rest of the family.
Today, January 14, 2013, we stood with the Surrogate Court Judge for photos. Rebecca's adoption was actually finalized on December 14th. But, since Brad had traveled to Ethiopia in April of 2011 to meet Rebecca and to appear in the Ehiopian Court, we did not need to appear in court in the US. However, since we had photos in the court room and with the judge for all the other kids, we asked if we could take pictures in the court room and with her anyway, the judge kindly agreed.
So today, we got all dressed up in our Sunday-go-meeting clothes, and went to the court house for our photo session.
We are a Family!
It was the coldest day of the winter. There had been a snow storm the day before. I was scheduled to fly out of one airport, but there were problems with the aircraft, so I had to make a mad dash to another airport an hour and a half away to finally catch a flight to Boston.
Meeting your child for the first time in a crowded airport is surreal. Everything else faded into the background and all I could see was a very tired, very sad little girl. I couldn't wait to scoop her up in my arms and be her mommy.
We had been waiting for Rebecca to arrive for over a year. But all the pain of that long wait faded away as soon as I had her in my arms. As excited as I was to finally hold her, I was also aware of all that she had left behind, and this made me a little sad too.
Rebecca's escort Molly was wonderful. She traveled to Ethiopia and spent a week there with Rebecca before flying more than 30 hours to bring her home to us.
After a chat with the escort, a bite to eat and a quick change of clothes, Rebecca and I were ready to catch our flight home to the rest of the family.
Today, January 14, 2013, we stood with the Surrogate Court Judge for photos. Rebecca's adoption was actually finalized on December 14th. But, since Brad had traveled to Ethiopia in April of 2011 to meet Rebecca and to appear in the Ehiopian Court, we did not need to appear in court in the US. However, since we had photos in the court room and with the judge for all the other kids, we asked if we could take pictures in the court room and with her anyway, the judge kindly agreed.
So today, we got all dressed up in our Sunday-go-meeting clothes, and went to the court house for our photo session.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Making Yogurt
The best yogurt is made with fresh milk from your favorite cow.
I first started making yogurt from a recipe in Rikki Carroll's book Home Cheese Making. I used the re-culturable Bavarian yogurt culture purchased from New England Cheese Making Supply. I still use this culture when I need to make a new batch of starter.
I take about a gallon or so of fresh raw milk.
I use all stainless pots and utensils. I store my yogurt in glass only. Mason jars work well. I usually use pint jars, since we eat a pint of yogurt a day.
I heat my milk to about 180 degrees and then cool it down to 116 degrees.
I find cooling the milk quickly makes a better yogurt in the end. It also saves me from forgetting the milk as it sits cooling. To cool the milk I simply set the pot into a cold water bath and stir the milk.
Then I add my "starter", which is really just a cup of yogurt that I saved from my previous batch. I whisk the starter into the milk, and then pour it into my mason jars.
I put the jars into styrofoam coolers to sit for 6 to 12 hours depending on how much "tang" we want in our yogurt. Putting the jars of yogurt in the cooler keeps them warm while they incubate. Notice the half pint of reserved starter. This is so that I don't have to worry about using up all the yogurt before making the next batch.
After the yogurt sits for the desired amount of time, I refrigerate it for a few hours until it's chilled and it's ready to eat. We like to add maple syrup, strawberry jam, or frozen pureed strawberries...all locally grown of course.
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| Dorothy |
I first started making yogurt from a recipe in Rikki Carroll's book Home Cheese Making. I used the re-culturable Bavarian yogurt culture purchased from New England Cheese Making Supply. I still use this culture when I need to make a new batch of starter.
I take about a gallon or so of fresh raw milk.
I use all stainless pots and utensils. I store my yogurt in glass only. Mason jars work well. I usually use pint jars, since we eat a pint of yogurt a day.
I heat my milk to about 180 degrees and then cool it down to 116 degrees.
I find cooling the milk quickly makes a better yogurt in the end. It also saves me from forgetting the milk as it sits cooling. To cool the milk I simply set the pot into a cold water bath and stir the milk.
Then I add my "starter", which is really just a cup of yogurt that I saved from my previous batch. I whisk the starter into the milk, and then pour it into my mason jars.
I put the jars into styrofoam coolers to sit for 6 to 12 hours depending on how much "tang" we want in our yogurt. Putting the jars of yogurt in the cooler keeps them warm while they incubate. Notice the half pint of reserved starter. This is so that I don't have to worry about using up all the yogurt before making the next batch.
After the yogurt sits for the desired amount of time, I refrigerate it for a few hours until it's chilled and it's ready to eat. We like to add maple syrup, strawberry jam, or frozen pureed strawberries...all locally grown of course.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thankfullness.....
Saturday, January 5th
26) Sunshine
27) Warmer weather, although more cold is coming.
28) Kids laying all around the living room.
29) Family night
Sunday, January 6th
30) Joyful noise
31) Snow
32) Kids all rosy cheeked and full of laughter from playing in the snow.
33) Hot Cocoa
34) Middle daughter playing Amazing Grace on the recorder.
Monday, January 7th
35) Husband who gets up for fire calls in the middle of the night.
36) Moonlight on snow
37) Oatmeal
38) Bedtime
Tuesday, January 8th
39) A good nights sleep
40) Wee hours of the morning - quiet
41) Shades of pink - sunrise
42) Froth on top of the milk
43) Fresh warm goats milk
44) Kids milling around the kitchen while I make supper.
Wednesday, January 9th
45) Sliver of a moon through my kitchen window in the early morning hours.
46) warm sudsy water as I wash the dishes left over from the night before.
47) Rumblings from upstairs as the rest of the house wakes up.
48) No TV
49) Oldest daughter and middle daughter upstairs singing
50) Reading
Thursday, January 10th
51) Supper is planned
52) Two pots of soup on cooking even before heading out to do chores
53) Oldest daughter always up early on school days to get a head start
54) Sunshine in the winter
55) Youngest daughter "doing her dishes"
56) Making home made potato chips
57) Math with middle son
58) Everybody around the supper table
59) Husband reading from the bible
60) Neighbor who dropped off the angel food cake
Friday, January 11th
61) Youngest son who complains at the top of his lungs
62) Happy kids
63) Cozy fire in the wood stove
64) Dogs who clean up food spills
26) Sunshine
27) Warmer weather, although more cold is coming.
28) Kids laying all around the living room.
29) Family night
Sunday, January 6th
30) Joyful noise
31) Snow
32) Kids all rosy cheeked and full of laughter from playing in the snow.
33) Hot Cocoa
34) Middle daughter playing Amazing Grace on the recorder.
Monday, January 7th
35) Husband who gets up for fire calls in the middle of the night.
36) Moonlight on snow
37) Oatmeal
38) Bedtime
Tuesday, January 8th
39) A good nights sleep
40) Wee hours of the morning - quiet
41) Shades of pink - sunrise
42) Froth on top of the milk
43) Fresh warm goats milk
44) Kids milling around the kitchen while I make supper.
Wednesday, January 9th
45) Sliver of a moon through my kitchen window in the early morning hours.
46) warm sudsy water as I wash the dishes left over from the night before.
47) Rumblings from upstairs as the rest of the house wakes up.
48) No TV
49) Oldest daughter and middle daughter upstairs singing
50) Reading
Thursday, January 10th
51) Supper is planned
52) Two pots of soup on cooking even before heading out to do chores
53) Oldest daughter always up early on school days to get a head start
54) Sunshine in the winter
55) Youngest daughter "doing her dishes"
56) Making home made potato chips
57) Math with middle son
58) Everybody around the supper table
59) Husband reading from the bible
60) Neighbor who dropped off the angel food cake
Friday, January 11th
61) Youngest son who complains at the top of his lungs
62) Happy kids
63) Cozy fire in the wood stove
64) Dogs who clean up food spills
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Monday, January 07, 2013
Breakfast
On Saturday mornings, we like to have something a bit special for breakfast. This was what I came up with one Saturday. It was a hit.
Fresh milk from our family cow, home made yogurt with pureed strawberries, fresh warm home made cinnamon swirl bread with cream cheese frosting made with home made cheese.
Eating healthy does not have to be boring.
Fresh milk from our family cow, home made yogurt with pureed strawberries, fresh warm home made cinnamon swirl bread with cream cheese frosting made with home made cheese.
Eating healthy does not have to be boring.
Sunday, January 06, 2013
Caught In The Act
Saturday, January 05, 2013
Remembering Velvet and Fiona
Velvet
In July, we lost our little black Oberhasli goat Velvet to Septicemia. She was such a sweet girl. We only had her a short time, but we will always remember her.
Fiona
In August we lost Fiona, Rhiannon's Jersey. She died a week after calving. She had a particularly nasty type of aggressive chloroform mastitis - she went from healthy to deceased in less than 24 hours. We got Fiona in June of 2010 when she was 7 months old. Chip was her first calf. Fortunately, Dorothy adopted Chip immediately.
Friday, January 04, 2013
Thankfulness.....
Tuesday January 1st 2013, I started my thankfulness journal....
Tuesday January 1st
I am thankful for and grateful to God for.......
1) My family - I am blessed with a good husband, 3 great sons and 3 wonderful daughters.
2) Carhartt bib overalls and jackets, warm hats and gloves and Muck boots in 9 degree weather.
3) My dishwasher - that runs at least twice and usually more every day.
4) My washer and dryer that run several times every day.
Wednesday January 2nd
5) A wood stove and wood to put in it on a cold morning.
6) Quiet time in the wee hours of the morning to read my bible.
7) Goat coats for my goaty girls - it's going to be -19 by morning.
8) Friends who bring you chocolate bark for Christmas.
9) Kids in jammies all sweet and ready for bed.
Thursday January 3rd
10) The squeak of the snow under my boots in -15 degree weather.
11) The goats that greet me cheerfully and give us milk for the day.
12) Band-aids for middle son's scratched finger.
13) 5 pairs of kids' winter boots all lined up and the feet that go into them.
14) Sun shining through frost on the windows.
15) Tiny footsteps outside the bathroom door and the little voice that says "mom" you in there?
16) The Christmas dress hanging on the bathroom door and the 4 year old daughter who wore it on Christmas Eve and who wasn't home yet at this time last year.
17) South Korea where 2 daughters and a son were born.
18) Ethiopia where 1 son and 1 daughter were born.
19) All the people who helped bring our children home.
20) Two beautiful brown skinned children peeking over the back of the love seat.
Friday, January 4th
21) It's 29 degrees outside at 6:00am, that's 44 degrees warmer than it was at this time yesterday.
22) Good friends who really understand me.
23) Son that gets up early to keep me company.
24) Lotion that makes my dry cracked hands feel better.
25) Our hens who provide us with eggs.
Tuesday January 1st
I am thankful for and grateful to God for.......
1) My family - I am blessed with a good husband, 3 great sons and 3 wonderful daughters.
2) Carhartt bib overalls and jackets, warm hats and gloves and Muck boots in 9 degree weather.
3) My dishwasher - that runs at least twice and usually more every day.
4) My washer and dryer that run several times every day.
Wednesday January 2nd
5) A wood stove and wood to put in it on a cold morning.
6) Quiet time in the wee hours of the morning to read my bible.
7) Goat coats for my goaty girls - it's going to be -19 by morning.
8) Friends who bring you chocolate bark for Christmas.
9) Kids in jammies all sweet and ready for bed.
Thursday January 3rd
10) The squeak of the snow under my boots in -15 degree weather.
11) The goats that greet me cheerfully and give us milk for the day.
12) Band-aids for middle son's scratched finger.
13) 5 pairs of kids' winter boots all lined up and the feet that go into them.
14) Sun shining through frost on the windows.
15) Tiny footsteps outside the bathroom door and the little voice that says "mom" you in there?
16) The Christmas dress hanging on the bathroom door and the 4 year old daughter who wore it on Christmas Eve and who wasn't home yet at this time last year.
17) South Korea where 2 daughters and a son were born.
18) Ethiopia where 1 son and 1 daughter were born.
19) All the people who helped bring our children home.
20) Two beautiful brown skinned children peeking over the back of the love seat.
Friday, January 4th
21) It's 29 degrees outside at 6:00am, that's 44 degrees warmer than it was at this time yesterday.
22) Good friends who really understand me.
23) Son that gets up early to keep me company.
24) Lotion that makes my dry cracked hands feel better.
25) Our hens who provide us with eggs.
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Milk
This is Dorothy's second lactation with us, and she is 7 months into her lactation. She is giving us about 6 gallons of milk a day. The picture below is from a Saturday morning milking. 3 Gallons of milk and about a quart and a half of cream. Brad is only milking her once a week for us. In addition to drinking the milk, we make yogurt and butter. The rest of the time Lily, Dorothy's heifer calf and Chip, Fiona's orphaned calf nurse and take all her milk. Brad is enjoying his break from milking twice a day, but we're going to have to wean the calves soon and then it'll be back to milking twice a day.
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Wednesday, January 02, 2013
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Life Is Not An Emergency
Did you ever feel like you are just rushing through life, always something that must be done, someone needing or wanting something, some place to go.
I am reading Ann Voskamp's book, One thousand Gifts, A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are. This is not a book to rush through, to speed read. This book, I am reading slowly, savoring every page.
Ann says what I wish I could say about rushing through life, and she says it so well...this is an excerpt from her book, and it speaks to me and for me.
Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing....Through all that haste, I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away.
And later she says...
Life is not an emergency.
And yet as I read this book, I realize that I have been living as though life was indeed an emergency.
And still later she says....
Stay calm, enter the moment, give thanks. Life is so urgent it necessitates living slow.
So I am going to take up the challenge, and try to live fully right where I am. It won't be easy, I won't remember all the time. But I will try. I will try to be thankful in all things. I will try to live slow, to live in the moment. I will try to make a list of one thousand things.
And so I start.......
I am thankful for and grateful to God for.......
1) My family - I am blessed with a good husband, 3 great sons and 3 wonderful daughters.
2) Carhartt bib overalls and jackets, warm hats and gloves and Muckboots in 9 degree weather.
3) My dishwasher - that runs at least twice and usually more every day.
4) My washer and dryer that run several times every day.
I am reading Ann Voskamp's book, One thousand Gifts, A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are. This is not a book to rush through, to speed read. This book, I am reading slowly, savoring every page.
Ann says what I wish I could say about rushing through life, and she says it so well...this is an excerpt from her book, and it speaks to me and for me.
Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing....Through all that haste, I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away.
And later she says...
Life is not an emergency.
And yet as I read this book, I realize that I have been living as though life was indeed an emergency.
And still later she says....
Stay calm, enter the moment, give thanks. Life is so urgent it necessitates living slow.
So I am going to take up the challenge, and try to live fully right where I am. It won't be easy, I won't remember all the time. But I will try. I will try to be thankful in all things. I will try to live slow, to live in the moment. I will try to make a list of one thousand things.
And so I start.......
I am thankful for and grateful to God for.......
1) My family - I am blessed with a good husband, 3 great sons and 3 wonderful daughters.
2) Carhartt bib overalls and jackets, warm hats and gloves and Muckboots in 9 degree weather.
3) My dishwasher - that runs at least twice and usually more every day.
4) My washer and dryer that run several times every day.
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