Mass Dowload

I have so many ideas and thoughts to post on and it seems very little time to even let all those ideas sift their way through my brain let alone put them on paper. We will just consider this a mass download!

Our state is awash in flood waters. This led to the national gymnastics competition being cancelled and now rescheduled for July. Our daughter Emily was scheduled to compete at this competition and she along with the whole team had spent some long hours preparring for the big day. Shawn Johnson is on her way to the Olympics this summer and her home gym flooded. This was a big story for Iowa. I thought it was sad that with all the people who are suffering the complete loss of their homes, incomes, and any semblance of what was their life that the news media put so much emphasise on her. She had to practice a couple days at Iowa State and flew via private jet to the trials this week. She really suffered. Giving Shawn credit, this was not her attitude it was the attitude of the media. Our family was able to experience sandbagging alongside our community. We live between Salorville Reservoir and Big Creek Lake. The actual Big Creek river flooded the lower part of our town and we spent some time sandbagging to protect the sewage lagoons. A free tetanus shot for my son resulting in a massive infection and a $500.00trip to the emergency room complete with antibiotics. If it was going to happen to someone it would be him!

We lost power one evening during one of the many 4 inch downpours we experienced this summer. Without electricity to run the sump pump our basement got quite wet. We had to move everything out, take out the carpet extra. My husband decided to take advantage of having everything out of the way and it currently finishing all of the dry wall in the living room. That is the last big project. Everything else is nickel and dime weekend projects towards finishing the house. I am terribly excited to have dry wall in this last room of the house but the mess sorely tests my ability to function when my surroundings are not organized and clean!

The Iowa Home school conference was the first weekend of June. I focused on picking up books which dealt with pre young adult / young adult issues as my family has now moved out of the small children phase. Some books I bought are Ready For Responsibility, Before You Meet Prince Charming, Preparing Your Son For The Other Woman, and Jumping Ship. I have barely scratched the surface on the first one. Jess at Making Home had an article on her blog called Thoughts on Sheltering. Jumping Ship by the Pearls addresses much the same subject matter. Both are thought provocking. The conference was food for my soul this year. I enjoyed this one as much as the first one I went to. I just soaked it in. I ended this year feeling tired and worn out. Now with piles of new books, and having had several months off, I may be ready to begin anew in August.

We are deep in the midst of the Gardening season complete with our first strawberry harvest in 5 years. That's a long story! I have made two batches of jam and started freezing berries as they ripen. It is an every day project. With all the water we have had, we have not had to water yet this spring but things are drying out now. I spotted a book at Sam's Club called Animal, Vegetable, Mineral but did not buy it, instead I inter library loaned it. I wish I had bought it and am going to have to go back and pick it up this weekend. It was wonderful and has given me much food for thought! The whole time I was reading it I wanted to mark it up. As it is, there are posted notes and 4X5 cards sticking out all over the place. Very timely considering the state of gas and grocery prices. I have viewed my garden as more of a hobby although we do produce quite a bit of produce each year. We could be producing more. A web sight I found that was very inspiring on this was www.urbanhomestead.org . I can grow and manage a garden but I have a significant gap in two areas. I don't particularly care for the majority of items we grow as in tomatoes and peppers or the salsa my husband makes from them. I also do not have a grasp on how to prepare and cook many of the garden staples like squash and zuccini. I am going to have to focus some time on the last area. I have experience canning but some things like a good pickle recipe eludes me!

The farmers market is in full swing. We have been purchasing our bread there. Unfortunatly last week the market was closed to flooding so we had to resort to store bought bread. The children groaned with dismay! I would love to be able to make good bread but everyone I know who makes great bread grinds their own flours and uses a system like the Bosch. That would require a big investment of time so for right now I am happy to support a local family. Mrs. Mast also make a gingersnap cookie that rivals my moms. We have come home each week with a basket of goodies.

I am leading a Beth Moore Study called Living in The Spirit this summer for a couple woman in our small group. It is an amazing study! I am enjoying the daily study work and looking forward to the video each. Last week was a study on the Holy Spirit and his work in our lives. Two main things I have been chewing on are, God can and does affect our emotions and we can pray for him to quicken our sorrow in areas of sin! My actions can grieve the Spirit of God.