Fluctuating Temperature

Currently we are enjoying a little warm spell, which is absolutely lovely.  But before this weekend, and after the huge snow storm we lived through some extreme temperatures.

The snow was very beautiful, but we really couldn't go out and enjoy it because of the cold.  Two or three days in a row we woke up to negative teens, which only warmed up to single digits during the day.  One day the high was 2 degrees.  :)  Just balmy.... 

But the peak (or should I say the low) was on a day when it was actually supposed to get up into the teens (positive teens) but that morning we saw the temperature sink down to -20! 

Last Friday the temperatures rose, and we expected them to continue to rise.  The snow was quite packable, and Josiah named the mountains rising along the drive way. 

We had Mount Sauve, and Mount Ion (after the snowstorm).

Josiah went up on the roof to clear away the heavy drifts.  He always kept a bank of snow in-between him and the edge... just in case.

Now I believe we have reached the last day of our warm weather.  The ducks have been happily swimming in the freezing cold but melted upper pool, for a day or more now, but I am afraid these daily swims will soon be ended.

~Chs

Homemade Saturday: Crockpot Applesauce

Here is a super easy option to make one of the best snacks ever.  Apple sauce is always a favorite here, and recently we discovered that the crockpot is a simple way to make it.

The amount of apples you need really depends on how big your crockpot is. (or crockpots, if you want lots) Basically you need to peel and core and slice enough to fill your crockpot.  If you have a hand-dandy mechanical peeler it goes way faster! :)

Don't be to picky about the sizes of your slices, especially if you, like us, appreciate chunky apple sauce.  Once your crock pot is full, drizzle the top with a tad of honey, and if you like, a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Also add a little water (less than a cup for our large crock pot) so it won't burn on the bottom. 

Turn your crock pot on high, and once it gets hot, you can stir every 1/2-1 hour.  If the sauce looks too runny go ahead and tilt the lid for the last hour or so.  It takes approximately 4 hours, but basically until it is to your desired consistency. 

You could can the applesauce at this point, or just put it in jars in the fridge, but most of ours never makes it there......

~Chs

The Snowstorm that wasn't a "Hooey!"

I guess the scientists have taken to naming storms.  The ice storm was apparently christened with the name Gemini, and this huge dump of snow we received over the weekend has the appellation of Ion. 

Whatever the title of this storm, it sure was a doozy.  Saturday, Faith and I were discussing the supposedly upcoming snow storm. We thought it was rather silly how they were making such a big deal of it, and thought it was just because people were still scared after the ice storm.  So when we headed off to bed, I told Faith that I was convinced that this storm was "hooey!" (an expression from our new favorite movie) and that we would wake up with barely any snow. Sunday morning I walked into the kitchen, and Faith looked at me and said, "the storm was no hooey." 

And it sure wasn't.  That morning we had already accumulated 5-6 ish inches of snow, and it was still coming down!! 

Paths were quickly dug so that we could make our way to the animals; the sides of our walkways piled up to a couple feet. 

Sadie Rose thought that while this snow was very exciting, and she did like jumping in it and "swimming" through it for a time, she really would like it better looking out from the inside!! :) 

We cleared the driveway... once in the morning... again after noon... and finally at night we cleared off another 5 or so inches, and didn't make it inside till nearly mid-night!  =D 

The next morning our total was probably around 12-15 inches; it was hard to measure because of the drifts. 

It was SO deep in spots, and very beautiful.   But as the day wore on the tempurature began to drop... and continued dropping.

It was in single digits and super blustery, but the animals had to be taken care of, so out we went into the frigid world. 

Sadie loved dashing up and down the paths while we were out; her eyebrows were frosted over making her look like a raccoon. :) 

After shoveling the driveway multiple times the sides had grown into mountains.  We had to cut through one of the mountains to make a way for Faith to get to her bird feeder.  Therefore we dubbed it "La Birdie Pass".  :)  

We hope you all are staying warm and safe during this frigid weather (it was -14 this morning) and if things do warm up and melt this weekend as they say, we will have our canoe for rent. :D

~Chs

The End and the Beginning

Another one of our families' traditions is having a fancy meal New Years Eve to celebrate God's goodness in the past year.

We always have fun making it as fancy as possible, pulling out all the good china, crystal, and decorations.

The Menu:

Apple Cider

Cream of Chicken Soup

Brined Roast Duck

Butternut Squash

Sauteed Broccoli with Almonds and Bacon

Fresh Cranberry relish

Orange Apple Stuffing

Cream and Jello Dessert

While we digested the delicious repast (or "good grub" as Dad called it :) ) we had fun remembering through the past year, recalling some of the firsts, events and fun happenings of 2013.  Later that evening we splurged on a decadent dessert - Homemade Chocolate Eclairs. I had some lovely photos of that delightful dessert, but somehow they were lost in cyber space.

Being the old fogies that we are, we didn't stay up til midnight. We had somehow lost the fascination of that when we "grew up" and really couldn't see why we should lose a good nights sleep, so we went to bed late for us, around 11ish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Breakfast the next morning was simple, but the best!  Soft, silky, flaky Currant Buns, with fresh Organic Oranges.

One of our more recent traditions has been to go on a New Year's morning walk.  This year's was a little later due to some of our morning schedules, but at 10:30 we headed out to meet Mr. Reiche at Lake Minnewanna hiking trails.

Josiah proposed taking a shortcut across the lake, and had to chop a hole into it to find out just how thick the ice was... after we had already all walked out on the lake. :P

One of the main reason for choosing these trails was that we remembered there being slopes covered with Wintergreen plants.  We found the little hardy green leaves, but the berries had all disappeared.  No matter, the leaves almost taste just as good, so we collected some of them for use at home.

Sadie Rose had LOTS of fun sprinting over hills and dales, and dashing across the lake.  It was beautiful, if a bit freezing, and we all enjoyed are walk immensely and went home with appetites well sharpened.

Good thing too, because we had over 2 months worth of cheese, crackers and other snacks hidden about the house being saved for this momentous occasion.

Josh and Theresa joined our family and Mr. Reiche for an enjoyable luncheon while we watched Captains Courageous (again... I told you it was one of our favorites!).  We munched, played games, laughed and talked all afternoon.  Faith of course looked through her seeds and catalogs (another New Year tradition) and Josiah and Mr. Reiche looked through the pile of coins that had been emptied and counted out of the various change jars, and banks around the house (yep every year!).  Our party was briefly broken up, when I had to run off to work, and Mr. Reiche made a visit back home, but it soon revived with some new additions.

We were very happy that both the Roehrer and Bryson families were able to join us for fellowship and fun that evening.

It had been a long time since we had a gathering of this sort, and it was a delightful time with a very full house! :)

We are so grateful for the blessing and guidance of our Creator through 2013 and are looking forward to all that he has in store for our family in 2014!!

For 2014 here is my prayer (borrowed from C.H.Spurgeon)

"May January open with joy in the Lord, and December close with gladness in Jesus."

~Chs

The Week Before New Year

Throughout the years our family has gathered a growing amount of year end traditions.  Some of them were deliberately created, others just kind of grew of themselves and we adopted them, and of course they have all been adjusted and "trimmed" to fit the years and our shrinking amount of people at the homestead.  One of our traditions is that the week or so before New Years, we begin what we call, for the lack of a better name, "special days".  Basically, each member of the family gets one day (or portion of the day actually) to choose an activity that they would like to do in particular.  

This year we had everything from, Bible name word games, {Dad}

...delightful, yet treacherous hikes through the wondrously white world, {Josiah}

...miscellaneous word and complex number games, {Mumsie}

...making and decorating gingerbread creations, and drawing games,  {Christianna}

...a visit to the Sloane Museum (which was VERY interesting), {Faith}

...and for the final day before New Years Eve, Charity introduced us to the 1937 version of "Captains Courageous," which has become one of our favorite movies.

It was a lovely, entertaining, and educational week, and a wonderful end to 2013.

~Chs

A Simple Prayer for the New Year

The other day when I was helping my Aunt Carmen, I came across this beautiful poem in a frame standing on her bookshelf.  I know I have heard it before, but I read it anew and was struck with the truth of it, and thought it would be a wonderful year end, and new year beginning prayer to meditate on.

"LORD, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred... let me sow love.

Where there is injury... pardon.

Where there is discord... unity.

Where there is doubt... faith.

Where there is error... truth.

Where there is despair... hope.

Where there is sadness... joy.

Where there is darkness... light.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled... as to console.

To be understood... as to understand.

To be loved... as to love.

For

It is in giving... that we receive.

It is in pardoning... that we are pardoned.

It is in dying ... that we are born to eternal life!

St. Francis of Assisi

The Ice Storm Part 3: {Return}

Though the sunset was certainly peaceful and beautiful that Tuesday evening as soon as it slipped behind the horizon, the temperature plummeted.

By 9:00, when the guys went out to re-fill the generator for the night, it was a "roasting" negative 2 degrees!  It snowed throughout the night, and when we woke in the morning there was a lovely layer of snow on top of the ice.  

Thankfully it warmed up during the day, and that afternoon we were able to go on a delightful (if somewhat acrobatic) hike.  But more on that later....  The evening went as it had for the past few days, and we were just sitting down to dinner (planning to check on the generator right after) when we received THE call......

The Power had....

Returned!!!

We were very grateful to the mercies of God for the safety we enjoyed during our three and a half day power outage, and for the beauty he created.

~Chs