The Smell of Crayons

School supplies, they’re a weakness of mine. There’s just something about the smell of a new box of crayons, the crisp white pages of a notebook, a freshly sharpened pencil….so satisfying! To walk into Wal-Mart at the end of summer and see the aisles filled with crayons, glue sticks, folders and notebooks is a pure adrenalin rush for this homeschooling momma! Not to mention the joy of flipping through piles of homeschool curriculum catalogs. And the challenge of finding books for sale on Facebook and the thrill of being the first to comment!

This year was a bit different and the first time I saw the school supply displays out, my reaction caught me off guard. I suppose I was in denial, or suppose I was just too busy to let reality sink in. Whatever the reason, I wasn’t prepared for Back to School time this year.

I had stopped by Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. It was going to be a quick trip. Run in buy the 2 things on the list, packing tape and a can opener, and get out. I grabbed a cart, it had a wonky wheel, so I ditched said cart and grabbed another. My first delay. This cart was a little more steerable. I was on a mission to spend no more than 15 minutes in the store and only get my 2 items. With sheer determination I headed toward the stationery aisle trying not to look around for fear I would be distracted from my mission. Ugh, there’s a neighbor by the service desk, second delay. I mean what’s a trip to Wal-mart without a 10 minute conversation with a friend?! Ok, concentrate on the mission. I speed past the checkouts and then it hit me.

There, in the middle of the main aisle…….big, yellow, cardboard school bus bins…….filled with school supplies….. markers, glue sticks, rulers, folders!!! My heart filled with joy at the sight!! Oh how I love school supplies!!! Then, my heart filled with sorrow. I no longer need school supplies. I’m no longer a homeschooling momma. Our youngest child just graduated high school and turned 18. My children are all adults. For the first time in decades I. don’t. need. school. supplies.

I stood there by the big, yellow cardboard school bus remembering all of the pencil boxes and backpacks of the years gone by. The Diego backpack, the Lisa Frank notebook, the scented markers, the Trapper Keepers. Remembering each of the kids’ first day of kindergarten. Remembering each of the kids’ graduation. Remembering everything except the packing tape and can opener. I was faintly aware of the people around me, the high schooler dragging his feet telling his mom to just pick “whatever” to the little girl who couldn’t seem to locate something on her supply list. I just stood there throwing myself a pity party.

With eyes filled with tears, I hadn’t seen the little girl staring at me from across the big, yellow cardboard school bus. I was startled back from memory lane when she tugged on my shirt and handed me a Kleenex Pocket Packet with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on it and said “Don’t be sad, if you can’t find what you need here there’s a whole bunch in the next aisle!”

She was right, there was another aisle full of school supplies. And the next aisle had greeting cards, and the next aisle housewares. Aisle after aisle filled with things to choose from. My school-supply-buying days may be over but there’s a whole bunch more to choose from in the next aisle! The next aisle is filled with grandchildren. The next aisle is filled with the joy of watching our grown children thrive. The next aisle is filled with spending time with my newly retired husband. The next aisle is filled with new adventures! Oh how I have enjoyed the past years of being momma to my children and thank God for that precious time. But now is the time to move forward. Forward to the aisle where the can openers are.

I finally had the packing tape and can opener in my cart and headed to the self-checkout. But wait, maybe one more trip past the big, yellow cardboard school bus bin. I reach for a box of crayons. I remind myself I. Don’t. Need. School. Supplies.

My 15 minute quick trip has now turned into 45 minutes and I’m pulling out of Wal-Mart parking lot. I reach in my reusable market bag, past the packing tape, past the can opener and pull out a brand new box of 64 count crayons, I carefully break the cardboard box seal, open the lid and enjoy the comforting smell of new crayons. Satisfied.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. Ecclesiastes 4:9

This past year has been eventful to say the least. I suppose I could say that our family definitely had it’s share of bad, but then again, I suppose I could turn that around to say that our family definitely had it’s share of good.

January 6, 2019, was one of the most terrifying days of my life. I say “one of” because there were plenty more terrifying days ahead. You see, on that day, my Dad had a major STEMI (ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction). A major heart attack. My Mom had called to tell me that he was having chest pain and they were headed to the hospital. I left my house along with my daughter and headed to the hospital too. My brother (who had a heart attack a few years back) was with them. I arrived at the hospital just a few minutes before they did and told the receptionist that my Dad was on his way and he was definitely having a heart attack. They were ready and waiting when my Dad arrived. He was gray. He couldn’t talk. He couldn’t walk. The ER staff worked swiftly. As soon as they hooked him up to the EKG in triage, they knew. His BP was astoundingly high, so high that the two nurses that were in the room stated they had never seen a BP that high. They immediately took him to get an angiogram. As they wheeled Dad away I went to the waiting room to inform my family what was going on.

We ran through the possible scenarios and thought “we can handle this, they’ll probably put in some stints and all will be well.” Not so. Within minutes, we were informed that Dad was on his way to surgery. He would have quadruple coronary artery bypass that night. From the time he arrived at the hospital to the time he was in surgery was 19 minutes!

We were all pretty much in shock. My Dad was such a strong man. Strong in health, strong in faith. This man was an inspiration to so many people because of his unfailing commitment to serving our Lord through Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief. My Dad and my Mom have served for years with Disaster Relief. They worked hard. We’re talking about cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina, cleaning up debris from numerous tornadoes, cleaning up after floods. So much hard physical labor. Not to mention the emotional labor. They have witnessed the horrors of the aftermath of these natural disasters. But they have also “witnessed” to so many people by sharing God’s word. I couldn’t understand how my Dad could be having open-heart surgery.

The waiting room was full of people and prayer. The surgery took hours. I always knew that my Mom was a strong woman but this was hard on her, but she seemed to be holding up fairly well. So we thought. Dad made it through the surgery but wasn’t recovering like we had hoped. We expected him to bounce right back, he was so strong. On the third day after surgery, Dad really took a turn for the worse. My Mom refused to leave the hospital. She wanted to be there for my Dad. As we were trying to sleep in the ICU waiting room, I heard my mother breathing rather rapidly. I was half asleep and opened my eyes as she was walking out into the hall. She was holding her right arm as if it was asleep. I went after her and she exclaimed that her medicine was causing her arm to hurt and she had appointment to see her doctor but canceled because of the circumstances with Dad. I told her we needed to go to the ER and she refused and seemed to be fine within a few minutes. She very sternly asked me not to tell anyone about the event. She has a way of always putting others first.

Of course, I told my brothers and sister what had happened! We were not going to leave her alone anyway but now we all were to keep an extra watch on her.

Finally, on Day 4 after the heart attack, my Dad was being moved out of ICU to a regular room at the hospital. My Mom, brothers and sister took the elevator and I decided to take the steps. (you know, for the exercise, after all, my family has a history of heart disease!) When the elevator door opened I could see my Mom holding her arm again. My siblings said the arm pain and rapid breathing had started on the way up. Mom did not want us to say anything. She was too worried about Dad. So, of course, I yelled down the hallway to a nurse! She brought a wheelchair over and we went rather swiftly to the ER. My brothers stayed with Dad and my sister and I went with Mom. Another terrifying day.

On the way down the hospital hallways, Mom said she was feeling better. She was still trying to convince us to take her back to Dad. The nurse told her that she really needed to get checked out. We thought perhaps it was just stress related. We hoped it was just stress related. They hooked her up to the EKG and the doctor said “oh my! You’re having a heart attack!”. My sister and I halfway laughed. Are you serious?! This can’t be happening. And they immediately took Mom to have an angiogram.

Then we went back to thinking about possible scenarios. They’re probably just going to place some stints and all would be fine. My siblings and I were not-so-patiently waiting when the cardiologist came out of of the angiogram procedure. He proceeded to tell us that Mom had blockage and would need coronary artery bypass surgery too. The surgery would have to wait though, her blood levels would need to improve before they could perform surgery. She would be admitted to the hospital to be monitored closely until the surgery. So, there we were, Mom on one end of the hospital floor and Dad on the other end! I imagine it was quite comical to see our family walking from one end of the hallway to the other to visit our parents!

On January 16 Mom would go on to have her open heart surgery too. The same doctor performed both of their surgeries and said this was a first for him to perform open heart surgery on a husband and wife during the same week! We joked about how my parents loved each other so much that they were literally connected by the heart.

January was definitely a challenge. There were many days that were extremely hard for both of them. They endured so much pain, not only for themselves but also for each other. But as I said before, they are strong. Physically strong and strong in faith. They pushed on, determined to get back to serving. And that’s just what they did. In March they were back on the road, this time to Nebraska to do flood clean up with Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief! And since then they have responded to many other disaster relief missions.

The rest of the year had many more physical and emotional challenges for our family. Every month seemed to give us yet another obstacle. However, 2019 also gave us many blessings! Two of those blessings were announced in 2019 and will arrive in 2020 - two new grandbabies!

Even though January was “heart” wrenching (sorry, I had to!), I feel that our family is so very blessed! You see, I could be bitter that both of my parents had heart attacks and open heart surgery or I can praise God that both of my parents SURVIVED heart attacks and open heart surgery! I choose PRAISE!

Blessings,

Debbie

GRANDMA BEA’S is HOSTING A CONFERENCE!!!

Hey there!

We've been busy here on the farm weaning calves, making hay, bush hogging, gardening, foraging.......and planning a homesteading/simple living conference!!! That's right! Grandma Bea's is welcoming folks to the homestead for a day of learning (and fun)! 

GRANDMA BEA'S NATURAL LIVING CONFERENCE will be held July 27, 2019, from 9am to 5pm. So far we have six classes planned including soapmaking, salves and infused oils, tinctures, herbs and foraging, natural first aid kits and natural cleaners. Live demos, vendors and food are also in the plans! It is going to be a great day! I love sharing this way of living! The conference will be held in our wedding barn called Ladders & Lace. (Check it out on Facebook - www.facebook.com/laddersnlace)

Tickets sales started today! There is limited seating so you'll want to purchase your tickets as soon as possible. And just a little incentive....for email subscribers if you purchase a tickets from today (Saturday, June 15, 2019) through Monday, June 17, 2019, you will receive a coupon code for 20% off Grandma Bea's Natural Products!!!

Here's the link to purchase tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grandma-beas-natural-living-conference-tickets-63415660949?fbclid=IwAR1NT1Fm0tR6UPkxQVAnkrGIMwzmTCzJ2XEcaZdnbpVhnqXiqAr1P-axgEY

In other news, Elderberry bushes are in full bloom here in Southeast Missouri!  The blossoms are easier to locate than the berries, so now is the time to locate and make a note of where your elderberries are for harvest time.

Elderberry blossoms

Can't wait until the elderberries are ripe to enjoy their goodness? Then here's a recipe for Elderberry Blossom Fritters to make!

• 4 to 6 clusters elderflowers per person
• Pancake batter
• 1 teaspoon or more light-flavored vegetable oil

1. Be sure elder flowers are fresh and white, not brown. Rinse and clean them, discarding any discolored blossoms, woody stems or leaves. Wrap flowers in a towel to absorb excess water while you prepare a pancake batter.

2. Make your favorite pancake batter.

3. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan. (Follow the cooking directions for your batter; some recipes require low cooking temperatures, others are higher.) Test a drop or two of batter in the oil to make sure the pan is hot enough; the batter should sizzle when it hits the oil.

4. Holding an elderflower cluster by its main stem, dip it into batter then place it in the frying pan. Don’t crowd the pan—pancakes should not touch their neighbors! Fry until bottom is golden brown (lift gently with a spatula to check). Flip and fry until second side is golden.

5. Drain cakes on paper towels. To make additional batches, add a bit more oil to the pan; keep cooked cakes warm in an oven until ready to serve. Serve with syrup or elderberry jelly.

 If you like, you can make a double batch of these pancakes and freeze the extras. To reheat, bring to room temperature, then heat in a 350-degree oven until hot, about 5 minutes.

We'll talk again soon!

Blessings,
Debbie with Grandma Bea's

https://www.facebook.com/gmabeas/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnk8HtWQb88XDPOKF7I7Q_g?view_as=subscriber

Extra Cold = Extra Chores!

Happy New Year! 

Here in Missouri, we're enjoying rather frigid temperatures. We woke up to a brisk 0 degrees and have heated up to a whopping 14 degrees! Factor in the windchill and it's downright cold! (Or as my farmer says "It's bone-chillin' cold"!) Along with the cold comes extra chores. The animals need extra nourishment which means feeding more hay to the cattle. The chickens have to be watered throughout the day because their water freezes. The ice has to be chopped on the ponds so the cattle can get to the water. The wood stove has to be stoked more often. The machine shed has to be heated so that the tractor is easier to start. The list goes on an on. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. In fact, I kinda enjoy it. I may be a little strange but there's something very gratifying about working the chores. I don't know what it is, but I find a sense of comfort from the farm work. I guess maybe I'm channeling the pioneer woman in me! I can't help but think of our ancestors and how truly hard they worked in everyday life. Yes, we work hard here on the farm, but nothing compared to the pioneer days. Imagine that Instead of turning on the faucet to get water for the chickens, carrying water from the well or stream (after chopping through the ice!). Not to mention we have the luxury of indoor plumbing for other reasons - brrr, don't you know those trips to the outhouse were miserable in the winter! We do have an outhouse here on the farm, but it doesn't get used much during the winter season!

The evening chores are waiting so I better get bundled up and get to them. So glad this morning I put the leftover ham bone from Christmas on the stove. Nothing better than a big bowl of hot ham & beans with some sweet cornbread for supper on a cold winter's night! 

Blessings!

Words to Live By

 

Many of us have heard abbreviated version of this well-known prayer.  You know, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can,And wisdom to know the difference."

Until recently I wasn't aware that the version that I had memorized and recited over the years was actually incorrect. The original prayer was written by Reinhold Niebuhr in the late 1930's or 1940's. 

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

The first verse is nice and has served me well throughout the years to withstand some difficult days. But how I wish I would have known the second verse all this time! Such a wonderful message! 

How to Dehydrate Yellow Squash

The squash have taken over my garden! It's beginning to look a little like Jumanji because the butternut and yellow squash have just gone crazy! We've eaten tons of it, gave away tons of it and there's still tons of squash left! I guess I could freeze some, but my freezer is getting pretty full. So I decided to dehydrate some of these never-ending vegetables to use this winter in soup.

I used to dehydrate the old-fashioned way by drying vegetables on a screen. But thanks to the Farmer (my loving husband!) I now have a fancy electric dehydrator!  This modern machine sure does make the dehydrating process a lot easier and faster.

Dehydrating is a great way to use up those giant squash that somehow end up in our gardens. Just slice them in half and scoop out the seeds. Then chop and dice the squash. Next you'll need to blanch the chopped squash in boiling water for 3 minutes.

Drain and place evenly on the dehydrator trays. 

Dehydrate at 130 degrees for 10 hours. The squash is done when it is crispy. 

Store in mason jars or use a Food Saver to vacuum seal. 

Another option is to cut the squash into thin slices (1/8 inch) and sprinkle with sea salt and dehydrate at 130 degrees until crispy. Yum!  

Pressure Canning Potatoes!

Canned potatoes are an absolute must in my cellar. I love the convenience of being able to grab a jar of potatoes off the shelf to heat up as a side dish or add to a roast. I recently bought 30 pounds of potatoes on sale and couldn't wait to get them in the pressure canner!  Since potatoes are in the low acid category, they do require pressure canning as opposed to water bath. 

I'm going to share my method of canning potatoes, however, be sure to follow the instructions specific to your own pressure canner.  I also highly recommend the "Ball Blue Book of Canning".

First, prepare the jars by sterilizing them. This can be done in the dishwasher or by putting the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Prepare the lids by placing in almost-boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Now get a large pot of water boiling. This water will be used to fill the jars after packing in the potatoes. 

Rinse out your pressure canner and put about 4 inches of water in it and put on the stove over low heat to get the canner heated up. (of course, check your canner instructions just in case they are different.)

And get yet another large pot of water boiling on the stove. This water will be used to blanch the potatoes.

Wash the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and remove any discolored spots.

Cut the potatoes into cubes about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in size. As your cutting them up put them in a bowl filled with water and about a cup of lemon juice. This is to keep the potatoes from turning brown. When you're finished cutting up the potatoes, drain them. 

Next pour the potatoes into the large pot of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Be careful not to cook too long or your potatoes will be mushy. After 2 minutes, drain and pack the potatoes into the jars leaving 1 inch of "headspace", the space needed for expansion during canning process. 

Now you're ready to use the other pot of water to fill the potato-packed jars with hot water. The potatoes should be covered with water and still leave a 1 inch headspace. Wipe off the rims of the jar with a clean cloth. Put the lids and rings on the jars snugly. 

Place the filled jars into the pressure canner using a jar grabber. Put the lid on the canner but leave the weight off.

Let the canner vent for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, place the weight on and let the pressure build to 11 pounds. With my canner, the weight begins to shake when the pressure has built. Process for 35 minutes.

When the processing time is done, turn off heat and allow the canner to cool and the pressure drop before opening the canner. It may take 45 minutes to an hour for the pressure to drop. DO NOT try to speed up the cooling process! Opening the canner too soon may cause liquid to be lost from the jars.

After the pressure has dropped, lift the jars out of the canner using the jar grabber and place on a wooden cutting board or a towel to cool in a draft-free area. Be careful not to bump the jars together. When the jars have cooled, usually overnight, check to make sure they have sealed. To do this, just press the center of the lid gently with your finger, if it pops up and down the jar did not seal. If this happens, place in refrigerator and consume right away. If the lid doesn't pop up and down then the jar sealed correctly!

What's so great about canned potatoes is that they are already cooked so all you have to do is open a jar, heat them up and they're ready to eat! So convenient and so delicious!

Over-Ripe Bananas? Make Banana Bread!

Have you ever noticed that nobody ever wants to eat that last banana? You know, the one that has a few too many brown spots on it. Well, at our house, I just toss that poor ugly banana in the freezer and when I'm in the baking mood (which is just about all the time!) I dig out those frozen brown bananas and bake banana bread! 

Today not only was in the baking mood, but I also had an abundance of eggs (and frozen bananas) that needed to be used as well. So I grabbed those pitiful bananas from the freezer and grabbed one of my favorite cookbooks and one my favorite aprons and started baking!

This recipe is super easy and uses basic ingredients that are sure to be in your pantry. 

Don't let outward appearance fool you! These bananas are still delicious!

Banana Bread

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 tsp baking soda
• nuts (optional)

Beat egg, sugar and melted butter together. 

Use a fork to mash the bananas.

Sift flour, salt and baking soda together and add to the above mixture.

Pour batter into greased loaf pan or two greased mini-loaf pans.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy freshly baked, place in a ziploc bag or vacuum seal with a Food Saver to put in the freezer to serve another day! I baked 8 mini-loaves that may end up in the freezer to take to the Farmer's Market next week!