Exciting day today, I got to pick up the ham and bacon I had cured at our local processing place beside Dairy Queen! I can't wait to delve into it. Easter ham, spring greens with bacon dressing, plus all the pork chops, ribs, roasts and sausage I already have in my freezer.I would assume that it was organic since the pigs only eat the food/corn my brother grows on his farm. Thank God I won a large freezer from that estate auction! I may be adding beef to the collection next month.
After having a week of questionable weather, we are blessed with a day of full on sunshine! Hope for spring!  If you look at the sky you could almost believe it is warm outside. I plan on sending the kidlets out to play when they are done with their homework.The pond ice is too rough for them to skate. So sled riding is on the agenda.  Nothing like some fresh air to wear them out.  They are finally back at school today after having two snow days. Tomorrow is Grandparents day at their school so they will spend an afternoon at my moms with their other cousins. My sister#4 and SIL both send their kids to the same school as I. It is a catholic school but no plaid anything or any other uniforms. It is a country school with christian values. They could go to public school, it would save us money, but we really feel like its the best choice.

Busy Signal

I've been off for a while.. no real reason, just nothing to say. Maybe its the winter crap. Warmer weather is on its way. The couple of inches of ice is slowly receding off the driveway. The kids have gone to school every day for a week!!  So many strange (for us) stories.  

I had a a friend call me the other day and asked if we had internet access (who doesn't), and if I could be online and the phone at the same time? After I said yes, they asked me to look up something, then recited a email address....  This is 2011 right? This is someone who has kids in the same school as mine, and a completely functioning member of society. They did confess that they do not have a computer at home and with their work, never really needed one. I forget too how some places here don't have a choice of cable or satellite, much less cell phone coverage. We tell people not to text us because our phones don't work in our house.

Its funny how our lives have changed. How many people don't text?  We do crazy things here. We pick up our lan line phones and call people. Sometimes we go over and talk to them. Crazy, huh!?!?!   If you  want to talk to my dad, you better go and see him. Not a chatty phone kind of guy. Our basement has a rotary phone in it, original to the home.  I love it!! 

small towns are sometimes a wonderful utopia lost in time

Yesterday was an interesting day. No school for the kids, but girl6 and I were kicking butt on some much needed cleaning. Boy4 was recovering from a weekend of high fevers and vomiting only to be told he has strep. The boys were getting restless and cabin fever was setting in. A superhero came to my rescue when he offered to take my boy10 to play  hockey over at my brothers. Since he had 4wheel drive I said go for it. Later, my neighbor came by and asked to borrow our snow blower. He cleaned out our driveway first then did his. We never had this kind of "pop in" social interactions. No phone call just swing by and ask. My hubby gave my neighbor grief for taking care of our driveway, but all he said in reply "Just my way of saying thanks". Small towns are sometimes a wonderful utopia lost in time.

Through all the chaos of snow days., my hubby still has to work from a home office. It is extremely hard to do on snow days because most of the time the kids are stuck in the house and left to their own entertainment. How to annoy your siblings seems to be a favorite choice. 3 seems to be a toxic mix when it comes to children. Sure, they may get along for a little bit, but it is not long before one of them comes crying because things are not working out for them. How did those large families of our ancestors do it? this is a question I asked my mom earlier this week. Recently two of my have been to the doctor for strep. With nine kids, how did she handle when we were all sick? Simply put, they weren't all about taking us to the doctor or even checking our temperature. I never took amoxocillin or went to the doctor if I didn't feel good. If we were sick she would make us lay around  the TV she wouldn't have to clean beds over and over again. If we weren't feverish, throwing up, or some other obvious illness, we went to school. Can't say as I blame her.

Whether we like it or not.

Crazy days and crazy nights. The weather has not been the most cooperative lately. It is February and this is what it does. Today being Groundhog's Day, the weather gave us a sampling of everything! It rained, thundered, the sun shone for a minute and now it is snowy and windy.  

"Whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot, we'll weather the weather whatever the weather, whether we like it or not!" 

Old Phil did say spring is on its way as did the farmers almanac. Forgive me if I don't rush out and start planting just yet.I get my advice from mom and dad.  My folks do pay attention to the farmers almanac as well as certain times to do things and old wives tales. They are funny. I love that when they make saurkraut (yes they cut their own), that it depends on the phases of the moon. or "Rain before 7 done by 11" 

Gardening is their life. I love what they have done. My mom brags about a meal she made for "free" just by using the things they put up. There is nothing like these gloomy days to open a mason jar full of tomatoes that you canned in august. Its like opening a jar of sunshine! My kids prefer the green beans we blanched and froze  in the summer to anything the store has to offer. Don't even get me started on jam! Canning and "putting up" is new to me. I never did it much it all the places we use to live. I remember my mom slaving for hours working on fruits, vegetables, and sometimes meat,(canned venison and salmon). This year she even added bread to her canning shelf.

It is funny how food can carry so many memories. A tomato fresh from the garden will always bring me back to my childhood. the food I make is the same as what was made by my mother. Meat and potatoes, I don't know if its my German heritage or Irish, Its just pretty damn good!