Come and Get It!

Here's this weeks menu - 

Monday

Breakfast - Toast & Fruit

Supper - Spaghetti

Drivers Ed/Ball Night

Tuesday

Breakfast - Eggs & Toast

Supper - Lentil Soup

Wednesday

Breakfast - Bacon & Toast

Supper - Steak, Rice & Veggies

Drivers Ed/Ball

Thursday

Breakfast - Pancakes

Supper - Burger, Baked Beans & something Potato

Drivers Ed

Friday

Breakfast - Eggs & Toast

Supper - *Hopefully attending a community festival and eating pancakes & sausage!*

 I'm really struggling with the busy season and keeping away from processed items. Tips to share?

What's your menu look like?

COUNTRY GIRL

The Simple Woman's DayBook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... Cold, Windy & Spitting Snow today.

I am thinking...I am totally and utterly exhausted! 

I am thankful... That today is over!

In the kitchen... Einstein is doing dishes, Bug cooked dinner.

I am wearing... Black Sweater over Navy Mock Turtleneck, Blue Skirt over Black Capri's, Socks and my "Gypsy" Earrings.

I am creating... A packing list for this weekend.

I am going... To bed early and will sleep extremely well! 

(at least I HOPE so!)

I am wondering... Where our Spring went?

I am reading... The Good Wife's Guide

I am hoping... That we are starting on an upward slope, as I'm so tired of being on a downward spiral...

I am looking forward to... This weekend and learning alot about reenacting.

I am learning... About 1860's life.

Around the house... I have lots to do and need to take down the Easter decorations and do my monthly deep clean....as well as continue with spring cleaning.

I am pondering... Sleep. Wow do I feel old! I can't do normal nights and early mornings followed by a busy day. I'm to old for this!

A favorite quote for today...

"My "best" may be different from another woman's "best", depending on where we are in our lives."

Candace Cameron Bure - The Good Wife's Guide

One of my favorite things... The smell of hay.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  School, Work, Girl Scouts, Ball Practice, Shooting Sports Meeting, Baking, Civil War Training, 4H & Drivers Training.

 A peek into my day...

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/  

COUNTRY GIRL 

Come and Get It!

This is a CRAZY week! 

Here's our crazy menu....

Monday

Breakfast - Bagels & Cream Cheese

Dinner - BALL PRACTICE

Cheeseburger Mac

Tuesday

Breakfast - Eggs & Toast

FULL DAY OF DR. APPOINTMENTS

Dinner - FIRE HALL MEETING

Chicken Nuggets & Fries

Wednesday

Breakfast - Bacon & Eggs 

Dinner - 

GIRL SCOUTS/BALL PRACTICE/SHOOTING SPORTS COMMITTEE MEETING

Wraps, Veggies & Dip, Apples

Thursday 

Breakfast - Pancakes

Dinner - Tacos

Friday

Breakfast - Eggs & Toast

Dinner - CIVIL WAR 

Campfire Stew (Sis insists)

I'll include what I'm planning for this Civil War weekend as well....

Saturday  

Breakfast - Pancakes

Dinner - Chicken, potatoes, Corn

Sunday

Breakfast - Bacon & Eggs

Our unit is providing lunches so I just have a few meals to make and any extras.

I plan on bringing: shelled peanuts, apples, bread/biscuits & cheese.

I might also add jerky, crackers (homemade), candy sticks/peppermint sticks/licorice, mini pies/cookies. 

COUNTRY GIRL

Voyager News - March Edition

~ ~ ~ SET SAIL FOR A LIFETIME OF LEARNING ~ ~ ~ 

This month was spent on a rabbit trail, or independent study, not sure exactly what to call it.

Basically, we skipped Weaver and focused on our topics for our homeschool groups History & International Fair. 

So Sis studied 'Etiquette of the Victorian Era', and the other two 'Ireland'. 

Of course, the basics of math and reading continued....

 For our Bible lessons, we did a study on the book of Esther that The Time-Warp Wife was doing. We really enjoyed that and learned alot. Of course, we had to finish our study with... 

...a favorite dvd! 

We have continued putsing on the temple model but it's not finished yet.

Home Ec has been making things related to their studies.

We have made Muligan Stew, Banoffe Pie, Toffee Shortbread, Colcannon, Corn Beef & Cabbage, Whiskey Glazed Corned Beef and Scones. 

Our Read Alouds were Little House on the Prairie, 

Ch 25 - Finish, 

and On the Banks of Plum Creek, 

Ch 1 - 17.

We finished our photography study!

We learned about Joe DiMaggio, Anne Geddes & Pete Souza.

Rules for landscape photos and how to capture water motion were also discussed. 

I didn't worry about writing and grammar lessons as they were writing alot already between working on their boards and the Ireland Lapbooks, but I wanted to mention....

last month I told you how Bug was working alot on an essay for 4H, well, she WON! So she gets to represent our county at a state awards program this summer! :)

Sis and I finished Great Expectations in Lit.

As the weather has gotten nicer we've gotten some PE time in outdoors, playing and taking walks.

Ball practice has started for Bug.

Bug got two new goats so time was spent bottle feeding, caring for them and we even had to take one to the vet already!

Then our Homeschool Group had its History & International Fair at the end of the month. 

The girls did great!

I was really proud of all they had learned this past month. I know we could of spent WAY more time on our studies as I only touched the tip of the iceburg on Ireland and I'm sure Sis could have dug even more info up on the Victorian Era (she did her study ALL on her own). 

We have still been dealing with health problems and we had many Dr appointments throughout the month too. 

16 School Days this month.

(117 total)

COUNTRY GIRL

Things I've Learned From Laura

Little House on the Prairie

(Sadly, the copy I was able to pick up was not the one illustrated by Mr. Williams. I much prefer the ones with his drawings!)

* Ch. 1 Going West - Not really something I learned, but something Laura said that stuck with me - 

"Then Ma said, "Laura." That was all, but it meant that Laura must not complain. So she did not complain any more out loud, but she was still naughty, inside. She sat and thought complaints to herself."

*Ch. 5 The House on the Prairie - "It was strange and frightening to be left without the wagon on the High Prairie. The land and the sky seemed too large, and Laura felt small. She wanted to hide and be still in the tall grass, like a little prairie chicken. But she didn't....."

So, what is a Prairie Chicken?

I guess, I'd always just pictured a wild chicken.....

A quick swagbuck search shows me that they are a Grouse.

*Ch. 6 Moving In - 

"Eat your breakfasts quickly," Ma said, putting the last of the rabbit stew on their tin plates...."

This just surprised me that rabbit stew was considered for breakfast. 

*Ch. 7 The Wolf Pack - "It was a big pack," Pa said. "All of fifty wolves, and the biggest wolves I ever saw in my life. Must be what they call buffalo wolves. Their leader's a big gray brute that stands three feet at the shoulder, if an inch....."

So I wondered what a buffalo wolf was.....they are also called the Great Plains Wolf.

*Ch. 8 Two Stout Doors - "Breakfast was ready. When Pa came back from the creek they all sat by the fire and ate friend mush and prairie-chicken hash....."

Ok, we have fried mush once in awhile, but what is prairie chicken hash? Is it like corn beef hash? (LOVE that!)

While not listed for PRAIRIE chickens, I did find a Chicken Hash Recipe that I would like to try some time. 

*Ch. 12 Fresh Water To Drink - "Every morning, before Pa would let Mr.Scott go down the rope, he set a candle in a bucket and lighted it and lowered it to the bottom..." This detects gases in the ground. I've also heard of some (coal miners especially) that used canaries for this.

*Ch. 18 The Tall Indian - At the end of this chapter Pa sings a song about Alfarata. I found this information on the song that is actually called The Blue Juanita. 

*Ch. 24 Indians Ride Away - Pa meets an Osage Indian...."Soldat du Chene." Pa said his name was...." This is what I found about him. 

*Ch. 25 Soldiers - Loved this quote from Pa... "Ma sighed gently and said, "A whole year gone, Charles." But Pa answered, cheerfully: "What's a year amount to? We have all the time there is." 

So, have you read Little House on the Prairie recently? What was your favorite part in this story? Did you learn anything new?

COUNTRY GIRL

 

How to make a Goat Coat

As a non-sewer, I will say this is pretty easy! 

I came across this article searching the net (original article found here). Not sure what I was searching at the time, but decided it would be a good idea to print off the directions and hang onto them. Figured it'd be a good idea to make coats since you never know when something may happen, and I don't like being stuck wishing I would have thought ahead. Plus we do get some pretty cold days/nights during winter and they might be helpful.

I went to Salvation Army and picked up two fleece blankets. I didn't care the color/design. The red one was $1.50 and the pink basketball one was $2. Keep your eyes open at thrift stores or garage sales. I saw no reason to spend big bucks on fleece by the yard! I'm cheap. Plus I figured if I ruined them (or the boys did!) I wasn't out much. 

I discovered a small hole (cigarette burn?) in the red blanket, but figured I could work around that.

I laid the blanket out on the floor and used a yard stick to kinda measure. I discovered the blankets weren't square....
BUT I did the best I could. 
I cut a rectangle according to the goats measurements. 
You will measure from withers to rump and then from elbow to elbow.
Then there is just a little cut and some simple sewing to do.

 Trim at the withers to comfortably fit around the neck.
(Our goats have been disbudded, if you are working around horns you may need a larger neck opening.)
 
Sew the front seam together.
The belt will attach on the inside.
I placed it far enough forward that they wouldn't pee on it!

One side was sewn to the coat, the other I sewed shoelaces on, to tie the belt to the coat. (I cut one shoelace in half and sewed half to the belt and half to the coat)

And that's it! 
Wasn't that easy?! 
Bonus - I was able to get TWO coats out of each blanket! 
Now I did have to shorten some of the belts as they would somehow work their legs out but Chips fit perfectly.
We had some REALLY cold weather so they did wear them some. 
I tossed them in the washer with my towel loads and they came out beautiful. 

Here's the boys ~

 I felt good knowing that they had an extra layer when the temperatures plummeted and am happy to know that should anyone get sick we have a way to help warm them.




COUNTRY GIRL

The Simple Womans DayBook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... It's dark. Getting to be bedtime.

I am thinking... That my internet seems squirrely tonight.

I am thankful... That Good Ole Boy GOT A NEW JOB! WooHoo! :D

In the kitchen... Einstein is (still) working on dishes. How he can take such a simple chore and drag it out literally for hours is beyond me.....

Breakfast was just made and put into pans to cool in the fridge.

I am wearing... Sweatpants, T-shirt & Socks

I am creating... Room lists. Of things that we need or need to do.

Just so we know.

I am going... To try eating dandelions this year.

I am wondering... Why these cats of ours are so ornery?!

I am reading... Game of Thrones

The Good Wifes Guide

I am hoping... For nice weather so we can get more things accomplished around here.

I am looking forward to... Working in my garden.

I am learning... About ways to make/use dandelions.

Around the house... Spring cleaned the mud room today - it looks so nice. 

Packed up winter stuff and hauled it downstairs. 

Took plastic off those windows.

I am pondering... Why God doesn't move us?

A favorite quote for today...

"Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one."

- Robert E. Lee

One of my favorite things... A goat waggling its tail.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Work, Ball, Holiday, Church, & Family Time.

A peek into my day...

 ~Goofing off~

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/  

COUNTRY GIRL

Come and Get It

Ball has started....

'Nuff said?

This weeks lineup

Monday

Breakfast - Corn Meal Mush

Dinner - Hawaiian Pizza (yes it was frozen :S ) & Chips - Ball

Tuesday

Breakfast - Bacon, Eggs & Toast

Dinner - Dirty Rice with Burger - Fire Hall Meeting

Wednesday 

Breakfast - Fried Corn Meal Mush 

Dinner - Hamburgers/HotDogs & Home Fries - Ball

Thursday

Breakfast - Pancakes

Dinner - Chicken Stir Fry

Friday 

Breakfast - Eggs & Toast

Dinner - Pork Steak, Squash & Peas

What's on your menu?

COUNTRY GIRL