Well it’s time for my 2c on life lately. I don’t know how the days fly by with me just barely getting a few pictures posted now and then, but that’s how it is. I can hardly believe how fast time flies. Astounding. I’ll try to catch up a little.
First a Kate report. She’s fine. Nothing left of her silly bug bite incident except a few ugly scars on her knee.
Next a Sarah report. She’s not so fine. She’s had a nasty bug bite on her elbow that has looked suspiciously like the one on Kate’s leg a few weeks ago. Wednesday night I outlined the red, and by Thursday morning the outline was outlining nothing. Case closed. Except that as Thursday wore on, the red increased again, and by yesterday morning, I was ready to get it looked at before it landed us in the hospital. A little paranoid maybe, ummm, yeah, who wouldn’t be? So she’s on an antibiotic and they are culturing it; I’m pretty confident this will be the end of the story, because she had none of the fever/chills/headache that Kate did, and the red/inflamed area isn’t nearly as large as Kate’s was. If you’d like to pray for healing for her we would welcome it.
Other than that we’re all doing well. Tim & I are working hard. Levi’s working hard. Jesse’s studying hard and working some. Tori’s working hard and studying some. The rest of the kids are working some and studying some, and all nine of them do manage to get some playing in now and then too. Course, the bigger kids’ playing tends to be more along the lines of various young group activities, various musical instruments, and surfing the web now and then; but they still manage to do a good job of playing with the younger kids too which is nice. Lately, the three littles seem to think that Levi’s sole purpose in living here is to help them find bugs of all sorts. If you noticed the praying mantis in the bug box on top of the hay bales, that would be thanks to Levi’s help. And the other bigs are pretty good about taking said littles on 4wheeler rides regularly. Which of course they greatly appreciate.
Harvest is winding down. For the first time in idon’tknowhowmany years, I didn’t can a single tomato. No juice, no spaghetti, no chunks, no nothing. I have a lot left over and so am taking this year off. I also am not doing any fall applesauce. I have plenty from spring and some left from last year so have already put the pressure cooker away for the year. I know, I know, it’s almost scandalous. But it is what it is. For some odd reason, I’m already looking forward to doing tomatoes - - - next year. So tomato plants are pulled out, onions are cured and storing nicely, potatoes are all dug and crated – ten bushels strong. I’ll try to remember to take px sometime. Indian corn is still drying nicely. Not sure what we’ll use it for, but it surely is beautiful! Watermelon - - - ahhh, watermelon. We have lots of watermelon. Too many, in fact. Most of the ones we’ve had have been perfect. Red, juicy, sweeter-than-sweet. Keep in mind we’re going for the obviously ready ones, but there are a lot of smaller ones that have that tell-tale creamy bottom too; I have high hopes for those too. But we simply can’t eat them all. The kids picked the last of them this week – another dozen or so. Bringing the pile back up to about thirty! If anyone local would like to try a few - - - I seriously mean this - - - first come, first served. We love to share. We’ll send a few home with you so that hopefully at least one is that delicious brilliant red. Shoot me a text or just stop by. I’ve been telling and telling the kids NO CARAMEL (for the tart apples) until the watermelons are gone; alas I gave in yesterday and said Kate could make ONE batch. Smart kids she is – she made ONE doublebatch. And the kids have been eating apples like candy. Imagine that. And watermelon? Suddenly they’re tired of it 
Keywords around here lately are rain and cold. Not at the same time though. I guess it was Wednesday that the rain came. Lots and lots of it. And it was so humid I stuck to the kitchen cupboards when I went to get some breakfast. Not really, but you know what I mean. So I did what any tough mama would do: I turned the AC back on. Saved my cupboard finish. And we enjoyed a much more pleasant day watching it rain.
Then Thursday rolled around, and it was cold! Not just cool like a hot humid day makes a cooler day seem cold, but Thursday’s cold was bone-chilling. I mean, colder than jackets. Like winter cold. Like, when I walked, I wore my sweatshirt, winter coat, winter gloves, winter earband, and stretchpants so I wouldn’t freeze. It was that cold! Welcome to Illinois, the land of extremes. If you don’t like the weather, just stick around: it’ll change soon. I did enjoy this taste of cold though. I was highly motivated to make soup and rolls for supper. And plan a menu with lots of soups and rolls and other delicious winter foods.
Oh yes I am ready.
Well - - - that is - - - I’m glad we’ll (hopefully) have a few or more weeks of a little warmer weather, but when it turns cold for good (rumor has it that this winter is going to make last winter look mild), I’m ready.
Kids are already planning the hockey rink. And asking when the Pekin Rink opens. I think they’re ready too!
Enough rambling; I think that’s about 2c worth.
Picture time - - - - - - -
Tuesday - Chief choreboy hard at work. Ben does a great job at keeping the farm going with all the big kids gone.
We had mashed potatoes for supper. All two of them 
And they were delicious!
This here is one handy young man. He is learning so much from Tim; we are eversograteful for the opportunity he has to work and learn from him.
Oh – and the kitchen sink doesn’t leak into the basement playroom anymore either. Now to get the water dried up before the carpet molds
Wednesday – the day of the rain.
Littlest young man is well on his way to filling those big boots.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Psalm 8:3,4,9
Kids are kind of enamored with this beautiful corn from the garden. (Me too.)
Talented young lady!
This was yesterday. It was that cold!
Yesterday’s project: straining the 2012 (2011??) honey for use. You might know that honey is the only food that needs no preserving, but you might not know that it tends to crystallize after a while which simply means that it needs a little TLC before it can be used.
The crystals were strained out to be used in baking; mixed with hot water, they quickly dissolve like normal.
Crystallized honey.
Remaining liquid honey was bottled for storage and convenient use.
And in case you’re wondering – it was a VERY sticky job! I had honey and sticky up to my elbows…literally. Fun fun!
But it was well worth it because the reward is sweet.
Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
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