This picture was taken several years ago at our other house, but I still have the same basket that is just as full of squash and zucchini now as it was then.  My legs are sore from picking green beans so instead of walking my lazy self downstairs to take a picture, I just pulled from my archives.  We weren't suppose to have so much squash and zucchini.  I had a moment  of  not paying attention and I planted double squash seeds instead of watermelons.  I should have known better since squash seeds are yellowish and watermelon seeds are black, but I was thinking about other things.  My husband wanted to till the extras up and replant watermelon, but I put my foot down.  He said he didn't want to hear me complain about the overflow.  Thus far I haven't said a word about the overflow of squash, but I have complained daily about the overflow of green beans.  I have 70 quarts of green beans in our pantry.  We have eaten enough green beans to float a boat, and we have given bushels and bushels away to friends. ( By the way, if you live close to me you are welcome to come pick green beans for your family.  They are free for the picking)!

Well, now that I have all of these squash and zucchini plants, I have to come up with creative ways of using them.  I wanted to share a quick recipe that I made for supper last night.  My family loved it.  Plus it was easy, quick, and cheap!  What more could I ask for?  I could ask that you would come pick beans and save my back and legs from that!!!!!

Smoked Sausage Stir Fry

Cut  into bite size pieces as much smoked sausage as needed for your family.  Put it in a stainless steel skillet.  Add a bit of olive oil.  Cut up an onion and turn on the heat.  Slice squash and zucchini in the desired amounts.  Add Crazy- Mixed- Up -Salt.  Be careful to taste before you get to heavy handed with the seasoning because it does have a lot of salt content .  (You can find Crazy-Mixed- Up-Salt in Walmart or your grocery store.  It is located in the spice section).  Cook until tender. I served over rice with some homemade sourdough bread.

grace and peace,
julie

This Post Made Possible by Contributions From the Cleaning Fairies

I awoke with a jerk this morning around 4:00 a.m.  The first thought on my mind was the mounds of green beans still waiting to be broken and canned.  I then remembered the state of the kitchen.  I left it so undone that if my own mother showed up unexpectedly I wouldn't have allowed her through the door.  At that moment, I had a thought that I could just give the green beans away to a friend, a stranger, or an enemy.  I didn't care who got them, but I knew that I couldn't do everything that was before me for the day.  I went back to sleep only to wake again around 6:15 a.m.  I once again remembered the green beans and my decision to give them away, and then I panicked wondering what I would do if I couldn't find someone to take them off my hands.  I decided if I couldn't give them to a person I would share the loot with the cows.  My children and husband could never know of the deed since they also spent their time picking the beans from the garden.  I felt pretty safe that the cows wouldn't tell on me. 

With my plan fixed in my mind, I climbed out of bed dreading the chores that I had left undone all day yesterday.  I quickly dressed and headed slowly downstairs in search for a cup of coffee.  As soon as my foot hit the last stair, I noticed that the living room was put together.  The strewn blankets were no longer on the couch.  The shoes that had become an obstacle course were no longer in sight.  Then my eyes slowly glanced at the kitchen table.  It was spotless.  There were no remnants of last nights late dinner to be seen anywhere.  My counters were spotless too.  I then saw one of many garden baskets full of green beans that had all been broken and left as a gift.  There was a beautiful toilet paper bow tied on the handle, and a precious note left by my three cleaning fairies.

 One of my sons, who will remain nameless because he doesn't like anything that he does to be made public, and two of his friends stayed up late last night.  They sat on the front porch  and drank coffee.  This is something that happens almost every night at our home, but my husband suggested that while they sat and talked they could break a few beans.  After they broke ALL the beans, they came in the house and started cleaning.  I have waited all of my life for the cleaning fairy to show up, and quite frankly, last night was much needed.  Those boys couldn't have spent $1,000 on me and made me any happier than what they did for me last night.  The only negative about last night was that I was left with an eerie feeling...if those boys could break all the beans and clean the house without us waking up what might a burglar get accomplished while we slept?  Maybe we need to purchase a better watch dog!

grace and peace,
julie

Sunflowers and Green Beans

I haven't posted much about our garden this year because I have been disheartened with it.  First, we were much later than usual getting it all planted.  I still have more corn and flowers to plant, so technically I am still not finished.  Second, we have grown a bumper crop of weeds.  I don't know how this has been possible, but we managed.  Also for the second year in a row I can't get my okra seed to germinate.  I have come to conclude that it must be me because I am now using seed from my neighbor.  His okra is thriving while mine has done nothing.  I have planted okra twice this year already, and I will be planting it again this week.  I don't have high hopes of seeing my own okra this year, but our neighbor is good to share his bounty with us.  Next year I will be starting my okra seed in my basement so I can watch it!

With all the negative talk out of the way, let me share the joys of the garden from this year.  I have sunflowers everywhere.  They are standing tall and proud in the first two rows of the garden.  I also have them in vases and containers all throughout the house.  They make me happy!  I also have zinnias in bloom and they too are poked here and there in pretty jars in our home. 

This year we planted bush beans because I wanted my green beans to come in all at the same time so I could can them in one fail swoop.  Oh boy, has that ever happened.  This past week we have picked 7 bushels of green beans from our garden.  I have spent so much time picking beans that the treadmill is starting to look pretty good to me right now!  Don't think it is just me picking these little treasures.  My kids, husband, and the neighbor children have joined in to help.  When we haven't been in the garden picking beans, we have been on the front porch breaking beans and drinking coffee.  If all goes well, I have one more day of canning ahead of me.

We are also enjoying green onions, zucchini, squash, peas, and lettuce from our garden.   We also planted 3 more small rows of pole beans so that we can have fresh green beans for eating all summer long.  I won't be canning these!

What have I learned from this year's garden?  Although it may not be perfect, I can still enjoy and use it.  I just have to step over the weeds from time to time.  Come to think of it, it is kind of like my life.

grace and peace,
julie

Summer Time

School is out for summer!!!!!!  I know that an English teacher should know better than to put 6 exclamation points at the end of the sentence, but it seemed appropriate for the announcement of summer.  I have spent the morning doing a few relaxing chores.  I cleaned a few windows, and straightened up the front porch a bit.  I also made homemade cinnamon rolls for the children.  They have complained vehemently about my lack of cooking.  I still stick with the story that I cook almost daily, but  I don't make all the baked goods that they have grown to love.  Summer time will find me baking again.  Last night I made 2 loaves of Banana Bread, and I enjoyed every moment of the process of baking and being in the kitchen.

I am planning on enjoying the slower days of summer.  We will still have to adhere to a schedule because both Jacob and Hope play high school sports.  This will require several trips a day to the high school for me, but I get to come home in between! 

Keep an eye out for posts coming more often.  I love writing and it is something  that I have missed dearly.

grace and peace,
julie

Graduations Galore

Graduation came for Joshua this past Friday night.  This was also my first graduation as a teacher at our high school which is the reason for the robe.  I managed to do my job as a faculty member and as a mom without shedding one tear.

 We celebrated Joshua's graduation as a family.  Then we headed to the house with grandparents to enjoy a BBQ dinner on our front porch.  We picked up a few extra friends along  the way to eat dinner with us.

Today I took a day off from being teacher and went to celebrate our daughter's 8th grade graduation.  She won the Presidential Gold Award for fitness.  Her brother won the same award last year.

Hope enjoyed her special day with a limo ride with 14 of her friends to Chattanooga.  They ate at a nice restaurant and then went to a park for a carousel ride.  Afterward, they enjoyed ice-cream at another shop,  and tonight she will be heading to a graduation party with friends.    

I am on the countdown to the school year coming to a close for me.  I have had a wonderful year, but I am looking forward to a few months off to enjoy being at home again.  My kids are looking forward to big home cooked meals!

grace and peace,
julie

Tired and Punchy and a Bit Emotional

First, let me say point blank that I am tired.  The kind of tired that makes one a little bit punchy.  I believe it could be cured if I could go to bed and sleep for three days, but alas sleep doesn't come in the month of May it seems.  The word of the month is HECTIC.  Now that my rant is over I will move on to the more important things of life.  Matthew celebrated his 21st birthday with us this year.  It was a bit unexpected that he would actually get to be home, but I pulled together one of his favorite meals and we celebrated.

Next, both of our families gathered at Cedar of Lebanon State Park to celebrate Mother's Day.  We chose that particular park because it was a  halfway meeting point for all of us.   Here is a picture of my family with a few of us missing. 

In between celebrations, we have had to prepare ourselves for this child's graduation.  (Not the little one...she doesn't belong to us.  However, she does think that Josh belongs to her.  He calls her Bug, and she has his heart).  We  had Senior Awards Day at our high school.  Josh was given a standing ovation when it was announced that he had joined the Marines.  It was overwhelming for me.  Enough said or I might just cry again.  Sleep deprived people are a bit emotional.

Then today was his last day of high school.  After his final test, he came into my classroom.  He wanted to let me know that he passed all of his tests.  We talked a bit, and then he said, "I'm out of here."  He walked away, and I was left realizing that would be the last time he would walk out of my classroom.  I was also left a bit sad that he didn't give me a hug, a thank you, or his usual, "I love you."   I could have cried, but I looked at my room full of students and chose to go on with Julius Caesar.  Then after class I noticed that I had a text message from Josh.  It was a simple, "I love you."  He didn't forget after all!  He just didn't want to share his feelings in front of my students.  It simply made my day.

Oh, did I mention that I am tired? 

grace and peace,
julie

Sunday Scripture

"Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another."  Romans 14:19

grace and peace,
julie

Michael ordered our bees a few weeks ago.  They came in this lovely cardboard box that didn't allow any bees to escape during our drive home from Chattanooga.

After we arrived home, Michael and Seth went to put together the frames for the new hive.  This time around we only purchased one hive of bees.  We have enough equipment to run four hives, but we have learned not to get in over our heads.  We are taking the mistakes that we have made in the past and applying them to our life today.  We wanted to start out simple to get our feet wet again, so to speak.  One strong hive of bees will produce more than enough honey for our family and plenty to share with others.  When we did this "farm thing" in the past, we wanted to make money from it.  This time we want to produce for our own consumption.

If you know me, you know how much I despise the bees.  I don't mind them as long as they leave me alone.  However, they usually fly into my hair, which is probably due to the hairspray that I use.   All I have to do is keep the  bees out of my hair and Missy out of their hive.  Both of those things are easier said than done!

grace and peace,
julie

A boy and His Bread

Jacob came home the other evening from having dinner out with another family. As we were talking, he explained that this family drove quite far to go to a favorite restaurant. The reason they liked this place so much was the sourdough bread. I am sure they did not expect him to be a connoisseur of sourdough bread, but he is. He took one bite of the bread brought out by the waitress and announced, "This is nothing compared to my mom's sourdough bread!" While I was thrilled he liked my bread better, I surely wished he had been a bit more gracious about it! What's a mom to do? Well, I plan on baking the boy some sourdough bread and then I plan on teaching him some manners!

 grace and peace,
julie

My sourdough recipe can be found here.

Missy Goes Swimming

A kind reader asked about Missy and wanted me to give an update.  Missy is doing well these days.  She is now 6 1/2 years old, and she is slowing down a bit these days.  During the spring, Missy sheds an enormous amount of dog hair.  It is everywhere.  I brush, vacuum, and brush again.  This is a daily adventure in our house, and we are still afraid to wear dark colors.  This is the very reason that Missy will be our first and last English Mastiff.  I can handle everything about her except the mounds of dog hair in the spring and fall.  What is a frustrated pet owner to do?  This frustrated pet owner took her to the pond and encouraged her to swim.  I was thinking that maybe some of the hair would wash away.

We have avoided introducing Missy to the pond.  What is worse than dog hair?  The answer...a 220 pound wet dog with wet dog hair!  I overcame my fear of a large wet beast frolicking in my house and took her for a swim.  She was unsure at first.  She wanted to make sure we were watching her.  After all, if she needed to be rescued she wanted to know that we were available.

She eventually worked up the courage to actually swim.  She also realized that she could have a good time without over exerting herself, which was a positive from her perspective.  Now all I have to do is figure out a way to have her use a bar of soap!  By the way, the battle of the dog hair is still being fought on a daily basis in our home.  My advice to you...if you come to visit me don't wear black!

grace and peace,
julie

Back Again

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind for the York household.  Between baseball games and basketball practice, I haven't figured out if I am coming or going.  Our computer also got damaged by lightening so that was another reason that I have been so quiet. 

What have you missed?  Well, Spring Break has come and gone.  We enjoyed a week of being at home without all the responsibilities of school.  However, Jacob still played baseball throughout the week.  Easter has also come and gone.  I served Easter dinner on our front porch this year.  The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed the company of our neighbors for the day.  I have also discovered several new recipes that I want to share when time is more abundant.  Oh, we have added our first "critters" to the farm.  (If you have read my blog for any length of time, these are the same critters that I really don't like.  However, I do enjoy what they produce so we have given them a home).  We have also planted part of our garden, but we have a lot left to do! 

I hope to post more often.  Until then...

grace and peace,
julie

A Spring Smile

The first thing I noticed this afternoon when I drove up the driveway was my tulips were starting to bloom.  I promised myself I would let them grow this year instead of using them for cut flowers.  As you can see, that promise didn't last long!  Michael said that it was going to rain tomorrow, so I decided to cut them.  I didn't have enough blooms to make a pretty arrangement.  Therefore, I used them in votive candle holders.  I wanted to add another touch of spring so I included some pretty Meyer Lemons.  I love the feel of spring I brought to my house in a matter of 5 minutes.  I am glad I broke the promise to myself  because I smile every time I look at the tulips!

grace and peace,
julie

Looking for Answers

I know it is Sunday morning and we are supposed to be getting ready for church, but there is a stomach virus in the house so we will be staying home today.  With a bit of free time on my hands, I started thinking about our landscaping, which is pretty much nonexistent.  Last year, Michael added my bell and Jacob built a pretty border out of stones around the bell.  I planted a plethora of seeds, and I fully expected a flower bed like they show in the magazines.  My flowers were beautiful, but there were also a lot of weeds as well.  I overlooked the weeds and chose to enjoy the flowers. This year I would like to solve the weed problem so I can really enjoy the flowers.  I am just not sure how to prevent the weeds from growing with my seeds.  We tilled the area well before planting the seeds.  I did my best to weed by hand, but obviously that wasn't very effective.
I have considered putting plastic down in the area and just buying plants, but I like the look of a cottage garden full of different flowers.  The cheapest way to get the look I desire is to plant seeds, but then I still will have weeds.  Do you have any suggestions to help me?  How do y'all handle these types of flower gardens?  Do the magazines all lie to us?  Can you really have a flower garden planted from seeds without all the weeds?  I don't know, but I sure would like to find out!

grace and peace,
julie

Spring Eye Candy

Michael and I were invited the other day to view a greenhouse FULL of orchids.  The beauty of the flowers took my breath away, and it was a cherished break in the dull weather of winter.  I had no idea there were so many types/varieties of orchids.

I thought I would give you a bit of spring eye candy to enjoy!  I don't know about where you live, but we are experiencing the beauty of spring in our corner of the world.  The Bradford Pear trees are in bloom along with the daffodils.  I am hoping to go for a long walk this weekend to enjoy some more of the Lord's handiwork!

grace and peace,
julie

Spring Fever

Spring Fever has taken over my mind as of late.  I am ready to be outside and enjoy the beauty that the Lord has provided for us to enjoy.  Missy and I have ventured out for some walks.  I didn't intend to take her with me, but she didn't intend to be left behind.  I was afraid that a 2 mile jaunt may be more than she could handle, but she was willing and able.

I also have been stealing out to our front porch at any available opportunity.  I am ready to make it my sanctuary once again.  I have missed my quiet time listening to the birds and relaxing.  I am well aware of the fact that March seems to always provide a bit of uncertainty with the weather, but I am holding good thoughts for a beautiful spring to quickly come our way!

grace and peace,
julie

Dinner Made Easy

Perhaps my biggest challenge with my new job is dinner.  I still want to provide a good dinner, but I no longer have the time to spend the day in the kitchen.  (Instead, I am spending my day in the classroom)!  My kids will tell you I never cook anymore.  Don't believe them...they are lying.  Let me qualify...I don't make homemade bread or desserts unless it is on the weekends anymore.  However, I still make a evening meal almost every night.  Those kids don't consider it a meal unless it comes complete with homemade bread, dessert, and sweet tea!  I on the other hand don't consider it a meal unless there is something green on my plate.  I like vegetables so I expect to see them at every meal.   Lucky for me I am the cook, so what I say goes!

Tonight I am in a bit of a hurry so I turned to a quick meal that my kids and I both like.  My husband, not so much, because he doesn't really like chicken.  Oh well, you can't make everybody happy!

Baked Chicken Breasts

I take a bag of chicken breasts.  Thaw until they are easy to slice.  I slice down the middle like a butterfly cut.  This makes each breast thinner.  It is also easier if they are still a bit on the frozen side.  I put them on my broiler pan.  I drizzle with olive oil and then add spices.  Some nights I might choose a Mrs. Dash flavor or Cavender's. Other nights I will choose Montreal Chicken Seasoning. When my herb garden is in full swing, I might just grab some fresh herbs and use those sprinkled with some Kosher Salt.  It isn't rocket science..just use the herbs that your family likes.  I then bake it at 375 until done.  It takes less than 30 minutes in my oven. I serve it was a large green salad.  If it were on a weekend, I would make some homemade bread and a dessert to dress it up a bit...oh wait, I wouldn't serve this dish on a weekend.  This is just my go to weekday meal plan!

grace and peace,
julie

Still Alive and Busy

Just so you didn't think that maybe I dropped off the face of the earth or that an entire room full of dirty laundry swallowed me up, I thought I would write a quick note.   All is well here in our "one wild and precious life."  Things keep coming at me that consume my good intentions.  You know those things known as the logistics of living.  I will try and do better about writing, but I also tell myself that about cleaning the house too!  The difference is that I miss writing, but I can live without cleaning.

grace and peace,
julie

Just so you know, the "one wild and precious life" is taken from a poem by Mary Oliver.  I don't want to be accused of plagiarism!

One Less Worry

When we moved to Rhea County a little over a year and a half ago, I spent many hours bemoaning the fact that my children would not have close relationships with other adults in their lives.  I especially felt sad about Josh because he was caught in between.  He had those people in Greene County...  the ones that could love on him and scold him in the same breath.  I never expected him to find those kind of adults here in our new home.  I didn't think Josh would allow himself to develop those kinds of relationships, and I was even more concerned that the people in Rhea County wouldn't take the time to build those kind of relationships with my kids. 

I am happy to report that I was wrong.  People have not only learned our names, but they have developed relationships with our kids.  Good relationships that allow them to love on our children and to scold them when necessary.  I was reminded of this last night as we helped with a large baseball fundraiser.  I had the opportunity to talk with several people that my kids know better than I do.  These people know my kids at their best, but they have also seen them making mistakes.  In other words, they know the good and the bad!  I am so thankful for the people that have poured into my kids' lives.  Michael and I pour everything we have to give, but then other people come in and add more, which adds something special to the mix.

As we listened last night to Cory Gearrin, a native of Rhea County who plays baseball for the Atlanta Braves, I realized just how much others have an input into our children.  Cory took the time to honor his own parents, but he also took the time to share just how much the other people of Rhea County had influenced him.  The teachers, coaches, parents of his friends, as well as others helped grow him into the man that he is today.

The above picture says it all for my son. She is a mom to one of Joshua's friends.  She took the time to get to know Josh.  She has fed him, laughed with him, cared about him, and yes, scolded him when needed.  She has poured into him good things as well as good memories.  By the way, she is just one of many that have done the same thing for him.

I wish I had known the outcome a year and a half ago when we left on this journey.  I wouldn't have shed so many tears about moving, and I wouldn't have made such a long list of things  that concerned me.

 I am thankful that I have one less thing to worry about...

grace and peace,
julie

2011 York Family Year In Review

Our children got to enjoy snow the first winter that we were in our new home.  They even had their first ever horse drawn ride with our neighbor and his dog.

The brothers found a new place to call home and shoot guns.

Spring came and Josh went to the prom.  No, his date wasn't this cutie pie, but it was her sister.  By the way, this little girl still refers to Josh as hers.

Spring also brought us our first garden here in our new home.  By the way, it was probably the best garden that we have ever had.

The end of May brought Jacob graduating from middle school and heading into high school. 

Summer brought Missy posting herself on guard on the front porch.  She enjoyed watching the birds and the kids play.  She doesn't like the heat very much so she has become more of a porch dog as she gets older.

Summer also brought about a bad eye report for our youngest son.  This required us to patch his good eye.  We bought him a sword and a hook, and called him Captain Fatbaby.

Summer gave way to a new school year.  This school year rocked our world with me getting a job at our local high school as a teacher.  By the way, I am loving it!

The garden kept producing and I kept canning even though I was now working full time.  Michael also took his spot in the kitchen as the garden kept gifting us with beautiful treasures.

We celebrated our daughter's 13th birthday.  She also has been wearing braces for over a year now.

We watched our boys play football and our daughter play basketball.  We celebrated Joshua's football season as well as his 18th birthday.  With his birthday came the signing of papers for him to become a Marine. 

We celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with family this year.  We then came together to celebrate Christmas with just the 7 of us on Christmas day here in our home.  The end of the year has seen us resting, relaxing, traveling, studying, cleaning, hunting, and cooking. 

I hope you stick around to see what the new year brings for our family.  I fully expect animals to come to our property this year.  The only two things Jacob asked for this year for Christmas were sheep and a German Shepherd puppy.  He didn't get either this year, but I have a sneaky feeling that next year he will have some animals to enjoy.

 Happy New Year!!!!!

grace and peace,
julie

Christmas 2011 and Some News

Christmas came and went once again this year.  Here is a short recap of how our family celebrated the Christmas season.

Hope and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen fixing all the goodies. 

There was a lot of laughing and eating this year.

Our Christmas tree was decorated right after Thanksgiving while our college son was home.

We then loaded up the suburban with all 7 of us plus our son's girlfriend and headed to Kentucky to celebrate with our family there.  Missy stayed home alone this year.  Our neighbor came and checked on her while we were gone.



We had Christmas with Michael's side of the family.  The next day we celebrated with my side of the family.

Hope enjoyed her second cousin a lot.  I enjoyed him too!  I also got to spend time with my niece and nephew.

My brother and I even took time out for a photo.

We traveled back home and waited another week to celebrate our family Christmas here in our home.  Matthew came home again.

This was about the best I could do with our family Christmas photo.  These kids just aren't very cooperative first thing in the morning! 

 I enjoyed the last few weeks so much.  This Christmas was extra special to me this year.  First, it has been 7 years since all of our kids have been in Kentucky together to celebrate Christmas there.  This Christmas has the potential to be the last Christmas for awhile that all 5 of my kids will be home to celebrate.  Joshua enlisted in the Marines, and only the Lord knows where he will be next year.  I tried to savor each and every laugh, conversation, hug, and memory that was made this year.  While I am very proud of our son, the reality of him leaving home soon hits this mamma's heart hard.

Josh wanted a guitar and lessons this year for Christmas.  We were happy to comply with that request.  It has been awhile since he took piano lessons.  I look forward to hearing him learn to play guitar!  I don't look forward to August when he leaves for boot camp!

grace and peace,
julie