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Mom says, “School Holiday Today!”

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I was getting behind on my work, so I declared today to be a school holiday.  Would you believe, no one objected!  I was able to get a lot of things off my list:  The beans Esther picked Monday got snapped (while I read to the boys, so we did do some school). The cabbage the boys picked for me Monday got turned into sourkraut. We had a freezer go out this week, so I cooked up a pile of bags of plums from last year.  One big pot turned into jam (didn’t follow the recipe, so I’m not sure yet if it set or not–it will be syrup if not!). Another big pot has had the pits picked out and has been pureed, but I’m bringing it to a boil tonight so it will be safe to leave till morning.  The last big pot (yes, I have a lot of big pots–love them!) is also coming to a boil and I’ll decide tomorrow what to do with it.

And, we got in a field trip of sorts this afternoon and evening.  Our landlord started combining wheat around 4:30, and the children have been watching intently!  He’s running his own combine and having someone else run their Klaas combine to get the job done quicker.  The combines are harvesting faster than the trucks and tractors can haul it away! They are getting about 180 bushels to the acre.  One truck that’s being used must be from the ’50s or early ’60s, and frequently backfires–“Mom, what makes a truck backfire?”  “I don’t know, ask your dad.  I just know that’s what that noise is!”

Our landlord’s combine.

 

Answered Prayer–and then some!

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We had a party today to celebrate and thank God for being granted residency here.  Around 35-40 of our friends came to rejoice with us, and we grilled sausages.  The people who came brought salads, bread, and desserts, and we had a great time of visiting.

A few weeks ago, Esther prayed that if God wanted her to have Photoshop He would give it to her–she didn’t have the money for it.  I had been thinking that it would sure be nice to have another computer, since we use this one so much for school.  Out of the blue, one of the people who came today gave Esther a laptop!  And, it has Photoshop loaded in it!  What a surprise–a gift straight from God.

What a geek–working on two computers at once!

End of the School Day

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The boys were all finished with their “hard” subjects by lunch time, and two of them got busy playing a game of New Zealand geography that a friend gave us yesterday. The youngest was being himself,while the oldest was working on her high school. She’s using the Far Above Rubies curriculum, and loving it.  She’s been putting everything she does with it on a blog.

Bookshelves

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I don’t know about you, but I have never had enough bookshelves in my life.  The ones I have had have always been overflowing, with books laid on top of other books.  We bought this set of shelves the day after we arrived in New Zealand, and it’s been overstuffed the whole time we’ve had it!  I like the ends my hubby and  boys just made for the top a week or two ago–it gives us an entire shelf there!  We had stacks of books at either end to hold other books up, but that always looked messy.  So much  better now! We bought this set from one of our friends when they moved back to the States; the young man built it himself.  It’s probably the prettiest piece of furniture we have. The rest of our books were stored in the linen closet in the hallway and lined up along both sides of a short hallway we don’t use much–it just leads outside and is one of seven doors to outside so not really needed.  You can imagine how I felt when I found another large, sturdy set of bookshelves at a thrift shop last week for $5!  The only problem–it was 40 miles from home and there was no way to haul it with our van.  It wasn’t worth taking the truck there to pick up.  I called a friend to ask if they would, by any chance, be going that way with their truck–no.  I went to the counter to pay for my other purchases, and on a whim asked the clerk if she happened to know of anyone who would be going to Cheviot and could deliver the shelves.  I was astounded when she said, “Go talk to that man over there.”  I went over and talked to him, and he was able to deliver the shelves to Cheviot several days later when they picked up the recyclable rubbish, for $5!  So, for $10, we have a lovely, sturdy set of shelves–and, as you can see, extra shelf space! I love having the school books out of the closet and visible now, and being able to organize everything the way I want it.  Thank you, Lord!

Henry, Part 2

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Little Henry is thriving in the house.  He loves attention; if he feels neglected he starts fussing till someone picks him up.  The last couple of days, he’s been able to jump out of his box occasionally; this may mean banishment from the house.  I don’t relish the idea of a duck on the loose in the house, not even a cute little one.  He still makes messes.  He would get stepped on, too.  He loves to sit on shoulders and nibble on clothing, cheeks, necks, and ears.

 

He’s Growing Up!

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My baby is growing up fast (good thing we’ll soon have a littler  one!).  He spent 1 1/2-2 hours this evening playing by himself with these toys. Esther and I were working in the kitchen, and could hear him making up stories and carrying on conversations as he played.  So special!

Pancakes!

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This is Saturday morning.  We usually have pancakes on Saturday morning, because it’s the most relaxed morning of the week.  Three weeks out of four, Gayle is able to be at home for breakfast.  All week, he has to leave for work at 5:15 or earlier, so obviously we don’t eat breakfast together, and one Saturday a month he has to work a few hours in the morning.  We all like pancakes, but I don’t have time for them most of the time.

The jar of sourdough starter. When I use some, I fill the jar with warm water, stir it, pour it off till only about an inch is left, then add a cup or so of flour and let it sit out 12 hours.

I started the pancake batter last night, by mixing sourdough starter, water, and flour, then letting it set till morning.  This morning, I beat in a few eggs and some salt and soda, and fried the pancakes.

Fluffy, bubbly pancake batter.

I love cooking with cast iron!

We had a variety of toppings–some people like applesauce, some like jam, and some like honey.  Most of the time, we don’t have jam on them, but I felt generous this morning.  For some reason, the pancakes turned out light and fluffy this time–I have no idea what is different. They were good!

These two enjoyed jam on their pancakes.

He ate three pancakes! I only had four.

And now, the rest of the morning is underway–house cleaning, bread raising, and I’m hoping to go to the garden for awhile.  The plants are growing beautifully–but so are the weeds!

Henry

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We have a new baby in our house.  He showed up Monday evening, in the hands of the girlfriend of a young man Gayle works with.  They had been out walking, and found a tiny duckling running along the street, alone.  They knew it wouldn’t live without help, and thought of our boys.  We named the little fellow Henry, after a duckling in a picture book we have (Henrietta if he turns out to be female).  Henry is the tiniest duckling I’ve ever seen; we’re wondering what kind of duck he is.  We’ll have to wait awhile to find out!  For now, Henry resides in a box in the corner of the kitchen, under a lightbulb, with a jar lid full of water and another with feed.  He gets lots of holding, and I have a feeling that by and by he’ll forget he’s a duck!  The first morning he was here, I was reading my Bible in the easy chair next to his box, and he was very quiet–until our flock of of ducks went by the house, quacking.  He immediately started calling them!

 

 

Bits and Pieces of the Day

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It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten anything on here.  Daily life is busy!  Here are a few glimpses of yesterday (I planned to post this yesterday, but….)  I had Esther grab her camera and take pictures of what all her brothers were doing.

Two little boys were busy coloring pictures in the morning–look at that concentration!

This boy was reading a book on our new Kindle.

This boy was making tent pegs to give to some friends.

Oldest boy was mowing–one of his favorite jobs.

Lunchtime–think they like salad?!!

I had a bit of time in the evening to zigzag around the squares of flannel from an old nightgown that I was making into wipes for the new baby, and Joe handed them to me.