Last chance to enter!!

You have until midnight tonight to enter my maple syrup giveaway. Details here! Remember you have to comment for your first entry and then you earn extra entries for following me or sharing on your blog, facebook, or twitter. Just provide a link or let me know. Good luck everyone! I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner.

Music and Memories

Did you ever hear a song that you hadn't heard in years, that you had forgotten even existed, and instantly, you are taken back to a different place, a different time, a different you? I believe that music can bring back so many memories that you didn't even remember. Quite often, something that would have remained buried except for hearing that song.

I love music, actually many different genres of music, except rap and hard, head-banging rock. Just can't tolerate that. If you're a fan fine for you, but I just can't tolerate it...for many reasons. I liked classical music when I was very young. And I still do, actually. In fact, I remember the very first record album (yes I said record album ☺) that I ever received. It was a recording of The Nutcracker Suite and I listened to it a lot.

This is the very cover that I remember...I wish I still had the album.

There was a time in my childhood that I kept getting sick and had to visit our pediatrician more than I really wanted to. I remember that he often sang "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head", which was made famous by BJ Thomas. And that became a favorite of mine. I remember that my mom gave me one of those pull string music boxes that played "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head". It hung by my bed and I loved to listen to it over and over. Even now, over 40 years later, when I hear that song I think of Dr. DiMaso in his white lab coat, walking in the hallway outside the examining rooms singing or whistling that song.



There are so many songs like this in my life. Songs that take me right back to that place. There are those songs that remind me of my mom and those that remind me of my dad. Songs that remind me of being pregnant or being a young mom with my baby girl. Songs that remind me of springtime when my son was born. Songs that put me right back on early dates with my husband. ☺ All good memories. But of course, music isn't there only to help us remember good times. There are many songs that make me sad. Or even mad, even though I've spent the last 25+ years trying to get over that.

My favorite music is what I would consider folk rock. James Taylor (my absolute favorite), Simon and Garfunkel, Carole King, early Elton John and Cat Stevens, Carly Simon, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. I could go on. This is what I loved in my early days of listening and this is what I still lean on. I've gone through so many music stages. There have been times when I've preferred to listen to rock or country, and sometimes still do, but I always go back to my original love of folk rock. The real troubadours!

Classical, folk, classic rock, country? It really just depends on my mood!

Exciting announcement!

This came in the mail yesterday and I was pretty excited.

 

You see, when Tundra Books tweeted, a month or so ago, that they were looking for blogs to host a day for the book blog tour for Trilby Kent's Stones for my Father I signed up right away. I didn't expect to hear back, but I did! 

I will be hosting on Tuesday, April 26 so mark your calendars! ☺

I've never done a book blog tour before and hope that I do a good job so that I can do it again.

It looks like a good book, so I'm excited to get started.

The birthday boy...part two

So...usually I give my kids (since they were little kids) a choice for their birthday - dinner out (they choose the restaurant) or dinner in (their choice). They usually choose dinner out.
Hmmm...should I be offended?

This year, when I asked Jon what he wanted to do for his birthday, he chose to go to Texas Roadhouse, which seems to be a favorite of his. Actually, we like it too. When Jon told his dad that they give you unlimited warm rolls with a honey butter, Jim was sold. Two favorite things of Jim's: rolls and honey. When Brittany gave us a gift card for Christmas, we were able to experience those rolls. Well, mostly Jim...but he did share a couple with me. :-)

But I'm getting off subject here. It happens.

The night Jon chose to go to dinner was not his actual birthday night, so I told him that if he wasn't doing anything on his birthday he could come for dinner. He told me that he would if I made my macaroni and cheese. Deal! His sister asked him what kind of dessert he would like. A very chocolaty chocolate cake. Done! He and Brittany came over and we had dinner, cake and ice cream and celebrated his birthday.

Somehow he was getting two birthday celebrations out of us. 

We didn't mind in the least. We don't see him and Brittany nearly enough!

We ended up going to Texas Roadhouse last Thursday. I don't know about the rest of the crew, but I ate a small breakfast and then saved up the rest of the day so that I could enjoy dinner. I was hungry!

Jim and I, along with Jamie and Brittany, drove down to meet Jon at the closest Texas Roadhouse which happens to be near where he works. It was pretty crowded (I should have called ahead, I guess), but they gave us one of those blinky light things and we sat and waited. And Jim ate peanuts. Have you ever been to Texas Roadhouse? They have buckets of peanuts on the long benches where you wait and also on each table. Jim was hungry. I think he ate quite a few peanuts.

Then our little blinky light thing started blinking. We followed the gal through the restaurant until she stopped, stood there a second, and turned around and told us to hold on a minute, our table wasn't ready yet, and she left. So, we stood in the middle of the restaurant and waited until she came back and asked us to follow her back to the front of the restaurant since our table wasn't ready yet. So we did. And we stood off to the side waiting. They didn't give us one of they blinky light things so we didn't want to sit back down in the waiting area for fear they'd forget about us. And we waited.

Finally, we were taken back again to a booth for four with a chair pulled up to the end. It was a little tight, but we're actually pretty easy going so we can deal. We had a nice waiter and he took our drink order, then came back and asked us if we had been told that we would get a free appetizer for our troubles.

We forgave them!

They actually gave us two onion blossoms, which we really enjoyed. Did I mention that we were hungry?

The guys ordered burgers. Jon's was loaded with stuff and Jim's was loaded with...well he had a bacon cheeseburger, but he doesn't like condiments, only lettuce and onion. And cheese.

The girls had chicken fritters. Or critters? Can't remember exactly what it was called. It's funny how they both like honey mustard dipping sauce and then both dip their fries in the honey dipping sauce!

Me? I got smothered chicken. Yum! It's a grilled chicken breast (healthy, yes?) with onions and mushrooms. I love onions and mushrooms. It wasn't exactly smothered because they put the gravy on the side, for which I am grateful. I could experience just enough of its goodness, but not too much. That way I didn't feel too guilty (especially after gobbling those onion blossoms). It came with two sides so I got Caesar Salad (very good) and a spicy rice (yum). And I ate almost the whole thing.

We were all very full.

I didn't take pictures till we were done eating. So, if we look slightly out of sorts, it's because, like I said, we were all very full.

It was a good night. Any night with family is a good night.

The only bad part was that we were too stuffed to come back home and have hot fudge brownie sundaes. Jon requested them. Another time...another way to get them kids to come visit! ☺

The handsome birthday boy with his lovely girlfriend!

Beautiful daughter!

By the way, that daughter there? She has a new blog. She's very talented so I think she'll have a great story to tell. Check her out at  From My Classroom Window

Handsome hunk of a husband. He's looking a little snarky here...what's up?

I don't like pictures that I'm in, but have found, since my mom passed away, that I sometimes find comfort in looking at photos of her. So, I've been trying to allow things like this ↑ to happen more often...

Simple Sunday

Last year, when my husband introduced me to the world of antique shops and flea markets, I decided that, besides looking for items that were used/talked about in the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, I would collect things that were inexpensive and didn't take up much space. I started picking up pretty or unusual handkerchiefs here and there. They are usually inexpensive and, unless I accumulate a lot of them, they really don't take up a lot of space.

Early on, though (meaning last summer when this whole addiction began), I discovered old photographs and I was intrigued by them. I decided that I would collect photos of babies and children. There was something about them. They had a family out there somewhere, I would think. Great great (etc.) grandchildren maybe. How did they end up here, in an antique shop, abandoned by loved ones? I don't know. I just wanted to bring them home and give them the respect that I felt they deserved.

I want to start sharing some of them with you!

I don't usually look on ebay for old photos. They are quite often priced much higher than what I pay elsewhere. But one day I was looking and came across this one. It didn't cost much and I was taken by the description...

The seller stated that this came from a photo album and in the margin of the album was written:
"Gilbert Smedrued children"
I have tried to figure out what the ages can be, especially of the three youngest. Wow! They must be really close in age. The Smedrued family must have been very busy!

*Remember! If you haven't entered my maple syrup giveaway yet, you have until Thursday at midnight!

A sweet giveaway!

I was kind of waiting to do a giveaway until I had more followers, but I just can't wait any longer!

The original sapping crew in the first year (about 5 years ago). My little boy is on the left and my man is on the right and the father/son duo that finished out the crew are in the middle.

It's maple syrup season and I want to give away some maple syrup!!

Fancy stuff here. We'll even give it to you in this official pint jug. No glass canning jar for you!

It's pretty simple to enter. Just leave a comment here on my blog. You don't have to be a follower, but if you are I'll throw your name in the hat for an second entry. ☺ If you'd like any extra chances, blog, tweet, or facebook about this sweet and sticky giveaway and I'll toss your name in one more time for each. You just have to come back here and leave me a comment letting me know!

You see it's our own maple syrup. It even has our label on it.
Yes, our little lodge out back is called "Bear Butt Lodge", but that's another story for another day. :-)

You have until midnight on March 31st. I will pick a winner on April 1st and let you all know! Good Luck!!

Our simple maple syrup operation

*Tomorrow -- giveaway announcement!!

☺

The other day, I took a walk with Jim to check the boiling sap.

We have a pretty simple method of sap collection.

About five years ago, our son and a friend decided to tap trees because that's what two typical teenage boys do, right? Yep, they weren't typical teenagers!

Anyhow as plans were made, the dads got involved. You see, Jon and Branden have been friends since babyhood. And their dads? Lifelong friends. Pretty neat, I think!

So, it became a father/son adventure venture.



They didn't put any money into it in the beginning. Tapping trees and hanging capped jugs on them. During good runs, they have to be emptied twice a day.



We have about 10 acres of woods and many of them maples. Right now there are about 120 taps in about 110 trees. Jim has done a lot of research (plus visits to a couple of sugar shacks to learn a little more) and discovered a maple syrup supply store, so he came up with a couple of ways to simplify and modernize the whole operation.



Things are a little fancier this year too. Don't mind the dogs. They love it when we take a walk, even though they have full access to these woods all day.



Jim thought the sap collection process would be a little easier if they modernized things a bit. Note the tubing reaching from multiple taps to one covered bucket. It was met with a little resistance until the others discovered that it did, indeed, make collection much easier.

This is my favorite tree. Or is it trees? Isn't it neat?

Also, a new way to store sap until it's time for boiling. They can bank snow around it to keep the sap cool during warmer days. When the sap is collected, it can be pumped from the collection tank that sits on the back of the four-wheeler to this large tank.

Jim built this sap boiler. It's the second one that he built and larger than the first one that they used in the early years.

Checking on the sap. The boiling of the sap. It's a looooong process.

He skims it and checks it and...whatever else he does while he's checking it.

After the filtering and bottling, everything is washed and waiting for the next boiling.

A new way to filter the syrup, much easier than holding a funnel. They filter the syrup multiple times.

The end product.  Approximately 250 gallons of sap =  23 quarts of syrup. We've had two boilings so far and will probably have another one or two more, depending on the weather.

     "The sap, you know, is the blood of a tree. It comes up from the roots, when warm weather begins in the spring, and it goes to the very tip of each branch and twig, to make the green leaves grow."
     "Well, when the maple sap came to the hole in the tree, it ran out of the tree, down the little trough and into the bucket."
     "Oh, didn't it hurt the poor tree?" Laura asked.
     "No more than it hurts you when you prick you finger and it bleeds," said Pa.
~Sugar Snow chapter
Little House in the Big Woods
by Laura Ingalls Wilder

**Check back tomorrow for a sweet giveaway!

My Laura (Ingalls Wilder). I can find her everywhere!

Jim and I stopped at the maple syrup supply store on our way home from the convention last Wednesday. They have everything you need for your maple syrup operation. Jim had to pick up some things that he needed and while we were waiting, I decided to browse through the maple syrup cookbooks. Over the past few years, I have learned to use maple syrup in my cooking. It's not just for pancakes!

I decided to buy a cookbook so that I could expand my maple syrup cooking expertise.

This was the first cookbook that I picked up. I decided to take a look.

I let it fall open in my hands so that I could page through it. Do you see the page it fell open to?



Take a look! Do you see it now?



Okay can you see it now?
I just had to buy this cookbook. Something told me that it was THE one! ☺
I showed it to Jim and he said that I just had to get it. He knows me!

It's true. Laura Ingalls Wilder fans can find connections everywhere, whether it's as obvious as the one I found or not so obvious like the ones where your family rolls their eyes... 

Happy Birthday, my boy!

Twenty-two years ago today, I gave birth to the sweetest little baby boy. He has been a joy to us from the first day he came into our lives. He is truly a gift from God (which is exactly what the meaning of his name is), as we weren't sure if we would be blessed with any more children. We are so proud of who he is, what he has accomplished, and looking forward to what is to come.

Happy Birthday, Jon! We love you!

I though I'd share pictures of Jon, through the years, with some of his favorite people......

Me and my boy. This is the first time I held him. Love......

My favorite......22 years of sibling pictures and this remains my favorite.
Jon - 5 days old, Jamie - 8 years old

Okay, Ginger isn't a person, but he was a really good friend to Jon for many years. They both grew tired and fell asleep climbing into bed.

Jon and his lifelong buddy, Branden. Yes, they were VERY often this dirty!

Three generations in the business. Jon with his daddy-o and his Pa.

I'd have to say that this is Jon's very favorite person! Brittany. We love her too! ☺

Simple Sunday

March 1989 - our yard (it's not our yard anymore, but was then!)
The week before I gave birth to my second baby, we had a really bad ice storm. Probably one of the worst I remember. Would have been a perfect time to go into labor! Didn't happen though. I was actually in labor when I went in to have my scheduled c-section......22 years ago tomorrow.

The tie that binds...

We are in an industry that really encompasses our entire family. Really, it's that way with most water well drillers. When your spouse works in the water well industry, you are automatically a part of it, as are your children. Also, quite often a set of parents and maybe even grandparents are usually still involved in one way or another since many businesses are second or third (or more) generation operations. In our case, my father-in-law began this business over 60 years ago and was involved in it for the rest of his life. My husband bought the business when he was in his 20's, but had worked with his dad since he was a young boy. Our children have both worked with their dad and grandfather. Even though it looks like the business will end with us since our kids have chosen other professions, they are still involved in one way or another. That's just the way it is.

I learned, very quickly, just how much a part of our lives this water well industry would become and how much we would give up, as a family. There have been many times when we have had to change our plans or at least delay them. When a customer is without water, they realize just how much they really need it. It really doesn't bother us (most of the time☺). I've learned to try to put myself into someone else's shoes. And we really do have some really great customers. We know that we are appreciated. We've learned to be creative, figuring out how we could incorporate family and business together. For example, bringing the kids (when they were younger) along and making a weekend trip out of going to see a piece of equipment we were thinking of buying. We could always find something fun and interesting to do!

Over the years I have learned to appreciate many other things also...Like how vital a resource water is (I grew up in the city!), how difficult it is to help run a business, how demanding this job is - both mentally and physically. After 25 years, it still never ceases to amaze me when I go on a job with my husband and realize just how hard he works every day. And I've learned to adapt. Sometimes I have to change my own plans when I need to help Jim, or simply run something to him or pick him up. I've learned to love spur of the moment day trips, taken on an unexpected cold rainy day when a non-urgent outside job can wait another day.

I love working with my husband as a business partner, whether I go out on a job with him (it does happen) or whether I'm home doing office work.

I've also learned of the camaraderie that water well drillers (and their families) share.

Our convention was Monday and Tuesday of this past week. In the last couple of years, since the younger of our children graduated, we became more involved in our industry at a different level which has enabled both of us to get to know other water well drilling families from all over the state. I am involved in the auxiliary, which is in place to promote and support our spouses in the water well drilling industry. I say spouses because it is open to husbands and wives of drillers, although at this time we are a wonderful group of wives only. We may be from different backgrounds. Our husbands may own their own business or work for another. We may have a small business or employ many people. We may work with our husband, work in their office, or have jobs outside the business. We are all different, but come together for one reason.

We come together to support our husbands' industry. To help in whatever way that we can.

I love these women of the auxiliary. We all have a common bond. We know what it's like. We get it...

Simple Sunday

Northern Michigan at Jim's family cabin. Jim and Duke walking up from the lake (under the snow and ice behind them is a beautiful lake). One of our favorite weekends spent at the cabin.

A really neat contest

One of my favorite blogs to follow is A Joyful Chaos. Mary Ann is a former Amish and I've been following her journey as she tells the story of her life. So very interesting.
Anyhow, there's a giveaway going on over there for a one year subscription to Family Life magazine which is written by and for the Amish. I think it would be so interesting and a great learning opportunity. Check it out!

Random thoughts on a Saturday morning

• I am so so sad for the people of Japan. I have no words...
• Charlie Sheen is coming to Detroit. I find nothing funny about the situation. He needs help. I'm so incredibly sad for him, for his family. I pray that he can be helped before it's too late. Obviously many others don't share my opinion. I just heard that there's a line-up, waiting for tickets to go on sale.
• Phone just rang. A woman is looking for someone who happens to be in the same business as we are. We are obviously not that person, since we don't share the same name. Claims she can't find his number. I open the phone book and give her the number, which was incredibly easy to find. She then asks if that is his business or home number. I found it under the business listing. I was nice, but...Seriously?
• Jim and I leave tomorrow for a couple of days for our convention. We are on the convention planning committee. We will be pretty busy. Last night, we both started coming down with something. Cold, flu, sinus infection? Not sure. Not the best of timing.
• It snowed Thursday night into Friday morning. Again. *sigh*
• I want to curl up in bed with a good book. I have to do laundry and pack though.
• When I find myself in a complaining mood, I always stop and remind myself that I am so very blessed. And I am.

I hate pictures of me...but here I am at a Laura Ingalls Wilder exhibit in Dearborn, MI. It was only an hour away from our home and I was able to go TWICE!

Book Summary - The Year of Sacrifice

So...quite some time ago I said that I was going to write posts about the books that I read this year. Lofty goals! I am a little behind in my reading and posting. But here it is - my first book report of the year: :-)

The first book that I read this year is The Year of Sacrifice by Rebecca LeeAnne Brammer, a very talented new author. It is the second in her Newcombe Creek Chronicles. The first book is called The Year of Plenty, which introduced us to little Odella Fraley and her family. It came out last year and I read it right away. I was so taken with it that I had been waiting anxiously all year for volume two. I was not disappointed.

I love them both!

The Year of Plenty follows sweet little Odella, age 6, and her family right before the start of the Great Depression. You are welcomed into the life of the Fraley family as if you are great friends. The close-knit family with their great abiding faith draws you in. Things are going well for the Fraleys at this time, but you get a sense, by the close of the book, of what is to come.

The Year of Sacrifice picks up where The Year of Plenty left off. The Fraley family lives and works on their farm in Eastern Kentucky. We share in the experience of the early part of the Great Depression with Odella and her family. Sadly, while the whole country is experiencing the hardships of the time, the Fraley family seems to be suffering so much more than its share of tragedy, sadness, and hard times. Through it all, the love that the family shares and their unshakable faith keeps them strong. They are able to see the blessings through the tragedies. A remarkable feat, don't you think?

What draws me in? The characters, the love that the Fraley family shares, even in tough times as is evident in this second book of the series. Their ability to make something simple into a really special event. I wait, anxiously, for the next chapter because I want to know what happens next. I need to know that the Fraley family will persevere!

The charm of this book brings to mind The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. With the era being the depression, it makes you think of Spencer's Mountain (The Walton's). There's such a quaint simplicity contained within these pages. It takes you back to a time that I think we all long for more often than we sometimes realize. Well...minus the depression, although I believe that shaped those children into who they became in one way or another.

Rebecca Brammer has a gift for drawing you into the story. You feel as if you are a part of the family. You share in their triumphs and also mourn with them during their hardships. It is a wonderful way to learn about family life during the depression-era. There is something so down-to-earth that is lost in today's world. I thank Rebecca for sharing and keeping these stories alive so that future generations can learn about a simpler and perhaps more faith-filled time. Something that everyone should be reminded of...

Visit the author's website http://www.frontiergirlpress.com/

Simple Sunday

I know. Another snow picture. Well guess what! It snowed here in Michigan again. Yesterday morning it was raining. By afternoon it started snowing.

Michigan.

Anyhow, I'm tired of posting pictures of our property so we drove by our son's house on our way to church to get a winter picture.

So I present to you...my son's cute little house. I actually want to buy it from him and live there someday. It's just the perfect size.

I want one!

I love this! I need this! I've got to have this!

☺

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