In search of......

SPRING, canning jars, & garden stuff.... I already have cabin fever.  All of the lovely gardening catalogs in the mailbox just makes be yearn for spring.   I want to plant stuff... I want to watch stuff grow.  I want to hear the ping, ping, ping of canning jars sealing and see rows and rows of canned vegetables in my pantry and bags in my freezer.  It's only February.  Our last frost date is so sporadic here.  We can have our last frost date in March, April and yes, even one time in May!  It was May 8th, 2008 here in Northwest Florida and we had a frost.  Don't you just love that "Gorebal Warming Stuff."   When mom and I were out last week we stopped at the Salvation Army to see if they had canning jars.  The lady there told us if they get any in, they are sent to their Chipley store as no one in our area seems interested in canning.  Sheesh.... since when?  I am having to buy the brand new cases and they aren't cheap.  We checked Big Lots and there wasn't any there yet.  My neighbor hit it lucky last year at an auction and bought cases and cases of quart jars for 10 cents a jar.  I always seem to miss those great deals!

I was reading Hoof & Barrels blog this morning and can totally relate to February Doldrums.  We are having the worst cold, wet February that I can remember and the forecast for the next 15 days isn't any better..  Our temps are barely reaching the 50's during the day,  in the 30's at night and it has been gloomy and overcast most days.  Nothing that calls to you and says go outside and do something.  Papa Bear and my stepson who is visiting are building a pole barn over and around my Mom's travel trailer.  It is cold and so windy I worry about them being blown off the  ladders.  I will be glad for that project to get though.  We need to do some work on the trailer and can't do it if it is open to the elements.

My Mylar bags came in and I was able to get a few more buckets with lids from the bakery at Sam's Club.  I have beans, sugar,  flour and rice I need to pack up for long term storage.  It's not like I don't have a lot of things I can do inside, it is a matter of things I do not want to do!  I did finish the round coils on our project of the fuel-less generator and will be starting on the rectangular.  It looks as if it is going to be a pain in the caboozle!  I just thought I was tired of going in circles!

Many scrambling for food and supplies were too late........

Many scrambling for food and supplies were too late.  This one statement popped out at me in an article I was reading in the news this morning. Snow piles up, paralyzing nations capitol.  The bare shelves in the grocery stores happened in just a few hours.  If they get so socked in with a snow storm and trucks can't get in for deliveries, how many people are going to be cold, hungry and sitting in the dark?

I am so thankful our family is prepared for most emergencies.  In the past we have always kept a couple of weeks of supplies on hand during hurricane season but due to so many changes in the world we can now survive indefinitely from our preps, garden and livestock should a major calamity happen in the future.  Our emergency preparedness didn't happen overnight.  For two years now we have been steadily stocking, growing and trying to think ahead.  When I find items on sale I stock up.  It's a great feeling to go into our store room and go "shopping" for groceries if needed.  Things I take out are then added to a list on my refrigerator and are picked up and replaced during the next trip to town.  Eat what you stock and stock what you eat.  Check expiration dates and rotate.  Every once in awhile I will miss something and although the dates have expired (not by much) I have found the food still to be good.

Prepare ahead for you and your family so you do not ever have to face empty store shelves.

Fox News Reporting Obama "In His Own Words"

Here is the program in it's entirety from Patriots Network.  It was not what I expected but it was his own words. 



Fox News Reporting Obama "In His Own Words"

On Fox News Tonight and Tomorrow (Saturday & Sunday)

The following message was just received and I immediately went to www.foxnews.com  to check it out.  It is true and here is the direct link to Fox News to the page that shows this program and its scheduling. 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583590,00.html

The original message said just Sunday evening but FOX says Saturday (tonight) and Sunday both as you will see in the above link.

Here is the message we received.

Airing this Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 pm eastern (6:00 pm Pacific).  Maybe this is why the White House has been discounting FOX.

Sounds like this could be History in the making - someone may go down - either Obama or Fox News.

It may be that Fox has been holding this information back due to the sensitivity of it and out of courtesy. But, Obama has taken on Fox and it appears they are ready to spill the ugly beans of truth about the background of this individual who has had an extremely radical past.

This Saturday and Sunday Fox news, is going to air a very important documentary about Barack Obama, Sunday night at 9 P M Eastern.

The report will go back to Obama's earlier days, showing even then his close ties to radical Marxist professors, friends, spiritual advisers, etc.

It will also reveal details about his ties to Rev. Wright for 20+ years, i.e., how he was participating with this man, and not for the reasons he stated.

The report has uncovered more of Obama's radical past and we will see things that no one in the media is willing to put out there. It will be a segment to remember.

Mark your calendar and pass this on to everyone you know: Saturday and Sunday night, 9 PM ET. Democrat or Republican, this report will open your eyes to how YOUR country is being sold down the road to Totalitarian Socialism. If you care about the direction of our country, pass this notice on to everyone you know.

Hard times to be a farmer

The economy is hurting everyone and it is so sad that some people think suicide is the only way out.  We need all of our farmers more than ever.


NY dairy farmer kills 51 cows, commits suicide

Yee Haw.....

It's 70 degrees here today.  We've gotten baby bear up in his wheelchair and are going outside to finish pruning the grape vines and soak up some sun!

It was one thing after another last year and I didn't get them pruned and they were a mess.  I just hope I haven't cut too much off of them.  I never can figure out the old wood and the new wood and this year it is even worse. Almost all of my wires are broken that the vines grew on so I've either got to go get some more wire or I may just put up a fence for them to sprawl on.  Even though we didn't cut them last year we still put up a couple of cases of jelly and had a little for fresh eating so we still won't be without if they don't make this year.  Who can eat two cases of jelly in a year?  Peanut butter and jelly anyone?

Stone Soup......

 ...not really but I thought about the story as I put all the ingredients into the pot.  My soup consisted of  some vegetables from last years garden.  I started with a quart jar of canned tomatoes, a quart bag of green peas, a quart bag of corn and a diced fresh onion.  I added a small amount of baked ham from the freezer left over from Christmas, a couple cups of water, some season salt and black pepper. Brought it all to a boil and then left it to simmer for a hour or so.  I made a pan of cornbread with fresh goat buttermilk to accompany our soup.  Outstanding!  Papa Bear and I will get several meals from this pot of soup and some to put into the freezer for another day.

According to the "stone soup" story, some travelers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry travelers. The travelers fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travelers answer that they are making "stone soup", which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they are missing. The villager doesn't mind parting with just a little bit of flour to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travelers again mention their stone soup which hasn't reached its full potential yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoining to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by all.  In a French version of the tale, the three travelers are soldiers returning home from the (Napoleonic) wars.

We have a few good neighbors.  We all have pitched in and shared during our summer and fall harvest.  I grew fruits and vegetables that my neighbors did not have and they grew things I did not have.  We all shared our bounty and was able to preserve more things neither of us would have had otherwise.  We all have a like mind about preserving and food storage so we will be able to help each other through any turmoil that may come our way.  I hope each of you who are preparing for hard times have a like minded group of people around you if there is ever a need for "Stone Soup".