The Babies Are Here!

If you are a homesteader, 

you know that when the coldest weather strikes,

 your animals will choose that particular time to birth. 

 Animals are just that way. 

 So, with lows in the teens and even colder nights coming this week,

 our does are due.

  Checking them several times a day, 

we were very surprised to find...on our afternoon check, 

the first kid born-  already standing and doing well, 

despite it being the smallest goat kid we have ever had. 

 She is literally smaller than our cats. 

 Rose named her Mabel, which means "lovable."

So here is Mabel!

Yes, she has a sweater on.

  I have often thought about making baby goat blankets,

 but having never gotten around to it, we just dug through the "newborn" tote in the attic

 till we came up with something warm looking.

 The code of the ruralite, you know, is Observe, Adapt, and Improvise.  (O.A.I.)

Mabel and her mama are strong and healthy, which is certainly a blessing with a first time mama. 

 To keep this tiny one warm,

 and the other kids that will soon arrive as well, 

Joe and Rose turned a plastic barrel into a warming coop. 

 Here is the reason I said kids, as in plural...this doe surely has more than one in there!

Here is the warming coop.

There is a heat lamp set into the top of the barrel. 

 Thankfully, our solar panels are soaking up all this sunny weather-

 thus powering both this heat lamp and the one for the chicken's water.  

 In cloudy weather, (normal for this time of year) we would be hard put to accommodate the output of power without running the generator much more than we typically do.

We are doubly blessed with a safe birth and sun power to keep baby warm.

But wait, that is not all!!!

Besides our tiniest goat baby, Mabel,

 our ADORABLE grand daughter, Shiloh, is here for the weekend!!!

Oh those cute little chompers!  

OOOO and the dimpled hands! 

 (squeal)

  TOO CUTE!

SOOO sweet!!!

Grandma is having a fantastic time of it!

Of course, everyone wants to hug and kiss and squeeze her, or make her laugh. 

 Shiloh seems to be enjoying being the center of attention. 

 She is such a people person. 

Between the two babies,

 there is a whole lot of laughing and cuddling being done here this weekend.

Blessings to ya' all this weekend,

Julianne-

the giddy grandma

Wood Cook Stove Days

 Outside, the weather has been cold...

in the single digits and teens. 

 Beautiful, 

 but frigid.

 Some don't mind the cold at all, they are well equipped....

Caspian for instance...

 

Or Little Bit here.  

Little Bit has a lotsa warm fuzzy hair to keep him warm 

and adorable as ever.

Inside, 

we have a wood cook stove 

that adds the extra warmth the lodge needs in this kind of weather.

The lodge is so very big, with high ceilings which make it challenging to keep heated.  

In the cold weather, below 20 degrees or so, we really have to keep the cook stove going all day

 for adequate heat through out the house.

Therefore, we are doing a majority of cooking on and in the charming cook stove. 

One can always find tea water, and often some pot of soup or sauce simmering.

Today we are making cheeseburger soup for lunch.

(no recipe, we just made it up)

                         
                        After a while, you get used to the rhythm of stocking the firebox with fuel.
                                                                   This I have enjoyed.
                                          If you a country gal who relishes in those little moments, 
                                                                   like baking by smell, 
                                                          then you know just what I mean.
                                                                                smile.

It has taken me some time to get the hang of kindling a good hot fire

 with a thick coal base

 that will enable me to close up the dampers

 and heat the oven to a cooking temperature.

And, I am still learning how to keep the oven an even temperature while baking. 

Smaller chunks of wood are used for a hot fire.

  Small logs have not burned well for us.

The boys are sure getting good exercise keeping the firewood split for the cook stove.

Now, I know it will be cold in the morning,

 so I like to have the wood all ready and inside,

 making the warming up of the lodge quicker, and....my cup of coffee prepared sooner.

The wood cook stove has been a real blessing, adding cozy warmth to our country home.

Now that we are using it every day, I cannot imagine life without it.

Today, as I look at the thermometer that reads 16 degrees,

the wood cook stove is going on my Thankful list, 

right after I have a bowl of that soup.

Dinner and a Blizzard

Large fluffy flakes of snow have turned wet and icy,

diminishing our three feet of snow into a heavy compact of white, 

still falling yet, on day four,

frosting our winter wonderland in beauty, 

the kind of beauty one prefers to watch from inside. 

We are perfectly happy to spend these days home, 

all meetings and goings having been canceled.

Outdoors, a slippery, thick mess,

difficult to shovel and plow, 

sliding off the roof in thunderous heaps that shake the whole house.

Indoors, we are warm and cozy, and,

on a creative streak.

Rose has figured out how to make paper beads, like they do in Africa. 

She and Jim spent the better part of the afternoon

turning old magazines into beautiful beads 

that Rose can fabricate into colorful, long necklaces.

Anna set up a new sewing area near the fireside 

and made a much needed new apron.

It is so handy to have everything right at hand and organized,

that I sewed up two skirts for Bethany, something I have been going to do for months.

There are many lures of country life, 

but one must also consider the hardships of working outdoors in nasty conditions

to keep the road open, the paths to outdoor buildings to be shoveled, and the wood box filled. 

Then too, living in a wood heat only home

means that next to the fire may be the only warm place in the house.  

The farther one gets from the stove, the cooler it will be. 

Living on solar power during a four day storm means there is little natural electricity made,

and the generator and batteries will have to be turned on, watched, and turned off, 

the electricity usage in the house managed tightly.  

Therefor, the comforts afforded are all the more appreciated. 

When daylight fades, everyone starts to slow down and relax, 

looking forward to the pleasure of a good meal and a warm fire. 

The hearty, savory flavor of beef stew, or elk, in our case,

combined with Rose's beautiful honey oat bread 

made for an especially delectable dinner to close the day. 

We have been reading aloud in great lengths these long winter evenings, 

with one light spared to be on after dinner. 

The Little House series provides just the right occasion for all to gather near the fire, 

listening about that terrible long winter,

the great grasshopper weather,

and life in a soddy as only Laura Ingalls can tell.

Pa was right, I think, especially in a snowstorm, that

"Mid pleasures and palaces

though we may roam

Be it ever so humble

There's no place like home."

My Non-Electric Life

When we built the lodge, the power company wanted a terrible amount to bring power
into our remote location.
At that point, we made the decision to spend our resources on solar panels,
batteries and a generator so that we could be off-grid.

Although I have always wanted to live in a little non-electric cabin, 

our family size and lack of a year around water source altered the ideal to being off-grid with solar power. 

Over the years we were building the lodge we began acquiring non-electric household goods.  

Now, when we are out at a yard sale or thrifting,
we are always on the lookout for such items. 

Coffee is an essential in our home, 

so when some friends gave us this awesome vintage coffee grinder, 

we were thrilled.  

They found it on eBay.

We make our coffee in a french press that we found at Goodwill.

Yes, I use antlers in all my decorating.

Mixer.

Clothes Dryer.

This is my indoor model.

And the outdoor model.

Dish washer.

Vacuum cleaner... and a cute one to boot!

Oil lanterns. 

Quite cozy and romantic on cloudy days in winter when we do not have enough solar to last the whole day. 
I think that sitting around visiting in the living room on a winter evening in lantern and candlelight
is the epitome of a lovely home life.

Night Light.

My brother gave us several of these Coleman mini lanterns.  

They are about 5 inches tall, have LED lights, and are ideal for middle of the night trips to the bathroom, or small children who like to have a bit of light to keep them company at night.

I am still on the lookout for a hand grind blender and a grain mill, but all in good time.

We are ever so thankful for the simplicity of more quiet eras

still available to us today, 

which I think brings a nice balance to what may otherwise become too hectic,

frantic,

 fast paced, 

technology immersed life.

Oil Lamps

Our spring cleaning is still underway. 

Today, one task was to wash the oil lamps that are scattered throughout the house,

trim the wicks, and refill the lamp with fresh oil.

Even people that live off grid have power outages. 

Once in a while, the inverter for the generator will decide to hiccup,

and if my husband is not home, 

I am not capable yet to problem solve the situation and get the lights back up. 

Once we ran low on diesel, and when we needed to use the generator on a stormy day when there was not much solar power drawn in to charge up our batteries,  we quickly ran out of fuel, 

so we were *oil lamps only* for a few hours. 

Sometimes we light them just for fun, being the romantic hicks we are.

  My daughter Rose shared with me her daily devotional (one of those Holy coincidences)

from "Small Acts of Grace"by Alice Gray this timely story:

"There were two vintage oil lamps. 

One lamp had only a little oil in the base-too little for the wick to reach, so the wick was stiff and dry.  The other lamp was nearly full, with the wick totally saturated in the oil. 

Both lamps were beautiful, with ribbed pedestals, elegant clear glass fonts, and fluted chimneys. 

But when it came to actually shining, they couldn't have been more different. 

It was difficult to light the dry wick, 

and when it finally did catch, there was no flame,

only a bit of glow that lasted for  a few minutes at the most. 

The wick with the oil, on the other hand, caught the flame immediately

and continued to burn brightly.

Too many missed days without an intimate time with the Lord, 

and we are like the lamp with the dry wick.  

We need to be saturated in the oil of His word and soaked in His love

so the Lord can cause our lives to shine.

I love Psalm 18:28 because it makes the point so clear: 

"For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine;  the lord my God illumines my darkness."

Day Journal 2

Today it was 17 degrees when we got up. 

The young boys are stacking wood on the porch that their big brother split. 

The baby is sleeping next to the fireplace. 

Daddy is working in the church office.  

Anna is preparing to start a new study with the young ladies in our church, "Before You Meet Prince Charming." 

I am eating chocolate.

I am thinking about the many friends we just sent Christmas cards to,

the family we will not get to see on Christmas this year, 

and Christmas's past.

God is teaching me about being gentle when the boys are going bonkers,

and how easy the house falls to shambles when mama is unorganized.

I am thankful for a sun-shiney day,

giving us plenty of power through our solar panels,

my husband who has been in charge of laundry these past three weeks

-bless his heart!

 A warm house on a chilly day,

the slobbery kisses of an (almost) two year old,

  neighbors who come and plow your driveway when 

your snowplow won't start,

chocolate,

my family,

and a savior for all mankind,

willing to come as a baby in a lowly stable.

A Candle Lit Evening

Few things in this life are as relaxing and romantic to me

than the soft glow of a candlelit home. 
I recall visiting the home of a dear fiend, who is also off grid,

and upon entering her house one evening,

was awestruck by the warmth, cozy appeal and romantic atmosphere

of her home in candlelight.

Instantly, I was addicted.

After dinner is cleaned up, I like nothing better than to light the candles,

turn off the lights and settle down with a big sigh.
The day’s work is done, 

and soon we will tuck all the children,

whom after the day’s various activities,

are now safely gathered in.

The dim lighting soothes and settles down the children,

usually, unless they get a mind to use the shadows as opportunities

to jump out and scare each other.
(smile)

  But I soon put a hush to that,

drawing out our current read aloud and announcing it is time,

they squirm together on the couch in silent anticipation, eyes big.
 

The world seems a gentler, sweeter place in candlelight.
After the young ones are tucked,
we often sit in the dimness and visit with John,
 review the next day's schedule,
and recount humerous or notorious events of the day.
Perhaps it is just this candle-addict's justification for her habit,
but I believe the candle light uplifts the nurturer in me,
and well, isn't that just completely romantic?
Yes, indeed.

Human Solar Panels

Early one sunny morning last week, I found my husband soaking up the sunshine out on the porch, reading his Bible.  I quietly slipped back inside so as to not disturb him.  As I did, my eye caught a gleam of sunshine reflecting off the solar panels.  My husband had turned them toward the morning sun, to catch the full benefit of their rays.

As the day progressed, we pivoted the panels to track the sun.  We have continued to do this, especially on cloudy days, when we need the maximum charge attainable.  The solar panels receive sunlight, which it translates into power and stores the power in our batteries.  The batteries charge the lodge.

As I was washing dishes, it all came together clear in my mind, how similar we are to solar panels.

Our greatest need is to direct our focus on the Son, receiving wisdom and power from Him, in which we can then turn into holy energy so that we may live a Godly life, minister to others, and reflect His glory.  It is just so simple.

We must start with a moment.

                                       And a humble spirit, eager and willing to receive,

Then, take what we have gained and be willing to impart it in our daily lives, to whomever God puts in our path.

 

“It is good for me to draw near to the Lord, I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.”  Psalm.  73:28 

Lyrics of songs bounce across my mind…

“A reflection of you I long to be, so your kingdom I will seek…”
                Before the day slips away, I want to stop and say, I love you, I love you.”
                           “My heart’s one desire is to be holy, set apart for you Lord…”
                                              “Be Thou my vision O Lord of My heart….”

                      My own prayer; "O God, may I be a human solar panel for You Today."