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I have moved this blog to this website: www.jeannenewalker.wordpress.com. It is so much more functional and just as beautiful.

Love

Jeannene

Security

I am so ashamed it has been since Saturday that I last wrote on this blog. Trust me, it isn't for a lack of anything to say for I assure you, there are plenty of things to talk about. It seems I am at a loss for time. I have been working on the WIP in an attempt to make some headway through the last third of the story. With diligence it will happen.

I worked this week end at my regular job. That meant I arose a 3:50 in the morning while my family snoozed away and I prepared my lunch and dressed and was out of the house by 4:30. Of course I didn't leave the farm without my escort by Corvette Man. Even on the week end my dear husband gets up with me. That wasn't the best part of the story. On both days I was greeted with a prepared meal as I walked in the door. Saturday Corvette Man found asparagus in the grocery store and steamed it to perfection. (And here I think I was the one to rediscover the kitchen this past winter.) Sunday the dear man fried chicken breasts and prepared broccoli to perfection(I know I just used this word, but there is no other way to describe the stalks of cooked broccoli tender yet not over cooked - I can't even get them this way.) There is no other way to show a woman she is appreciated than to prepare a meal for her and make her relax after the meal is consumed. I was made to feel like a queen.  Thank you Corvette Man and kids.

I was asked specifically not to post about this, but this is a small forum and I know he reads all my blogs and I just can't help myself. Help me! Help me!

As a woman, the most important thing in my life is the sense of security and stability in my life. When the Lord designed us, he designed man to provide those items to his counterpart. For this woman, security comes in the form of warmth and comfort. That most closely translates to WOOD.

Our voluminous wood pile has diminished its girth in our efforts to remain warm and comfortable through this unusually cold and wintery winter.

 

This is the whole of our two ricks of wood.  That's our momma cat on top there.

Armed with the knowledge of a week of cold weather and faced with the dwindling heat source, Corvette Man drove our big truck to work to fetch a load of wood. He did it knowing I would be home today and I would desperately need to stay warm.

 

He is wonderful and thoughtful and makes me feel like the luckiest women on the planet. I am warm and content and you know what that means....

Love as always,

Jeannene

One of My Favorite Things

I am only spending the briefest of moments here tonight. I am actually writing on my WIP (writer's slang for work in progress), but I have some little ditty I wanted to mention so I will make myself write about it.

Most people who know me know I am a health fanatic. I don't buy package foods and shop only on the outer edge of any grocery store, selecting fresh foods, meats and dairy and avoiding the additive laden garbage the food industry hopes to foist on an unsuspecting public. Enough of my soap box.

When I bake, which I do frequently. I prefer to use whole grains in my breads and cakes and cookies. Yes it IS possible to make a cake with a whole wheat flour! I discovered a wonderful brand of flour that provides all the benefits of nutrition while maintaining a light texture in the baked goods - it also tastes fantastic. This is it...

 

This a WHITE whole wheat. White wheat makes a lighter, finer weight flour than red wheat which will in turn give a fine texture to bread while providing all the nutrition of a whole grain.  There you have it. The best of both worlds. Now you do know white flour is over processed and not nutritionally sound. 

Enough of my soap box.

Kroger sells this brand. King Arthur also has a website and they will ship products to your door. www.kingarthurflour.com. (I should get credit for the free ads.) They sell all sorts of wonder grains and things.

Just wanted to share this little piece with you. I hope to share how I use it later.

Love,

Jeannene

Hanging Around

I was at home today. I love being at home. Home restores me, rejuvenates me, it infuses me with new life. I use my time to catch up on house cleaning, laundry and cooking. Cleaning and laundry are necessities, but cooking is a joy. It might stem from the fact I enjoy eating that cooking draws me into the kitchen so often, but creating culinary delights my family enjoys gives me a sense of accomplishment. Today I do not intend to go to the kitchen, though. Another conundrum presented itself this morning as I went about my drudgery.

I have a beautiful state of the art, matched set Maytag washer and dryer. I love Maytag products. They work well and hardly ever break down. There is something wrong with the programming on my dryer. The thing beeps incessantly and, at times, it will not turn on when requested. This morning it refused to start. I was sad. There were three loads of wet clothes and towels awaiting an opportunity to have the moisture beat from their fibers. After three hours of making the trip into the laundry room and pushing the button only to have...nothing happen, I conceded the issue and decided to resort to my only other alternative. I must preface that this alternative is my first choice in warm weather, but at forty degrees it leaves something to be desired.

I resorted to the clothes line.

 

Notice the cat in the foreground. There were more cats when I was hanging.

I love the clothesline in the spring and summer. Corvette Man and our sons installed this beautiful piece of art (I am not kidding either) shortly after our home was erected. He knows how much joy I take in standing in the sun, even if it means hanging clothes. Today they dried quickly because a south wind blew at a fair clip. 

After they were fresh and crisp, the dryer decided to start.

All in all, it was a good day and this clothes line truly is a treasured piece of heaven.

Love,

Jeannene

Our Other Best Friend

I didn't write last night due to extenuating circumstances. When I arrived at our house yesterday afternoon the temperature inside was just plain frigid. We are a small barn style construction without central heat or air. That translates to "light a fire in the stove or light the kerosene heater if warmth is desired". Thank the Lord we had enough kerosene in our heater to lend some warmth to the house until I managed to get the fire going.

This is a staunch piece of heaven.


Yesterday's temperatures surprised me, and the other half of Arkansas. A north wind barreled down on us preventing any warming beyond a paltry34 degrees. Even the puddles of water from the day before remained frozen completely-all the water in the puddle was ice. The chickens cowered on the front porch, its southern exposure protecting them from the northern on slaught, and the cats poofed themselves into fur balls to maintain body heat. The horses of course turned their rears to the frigid blast and remained in place (they are my weather vanes).

So you can imagine what the inside of a house, albeit insulated, might feel like with all that cold blowing around it.

Thank the Lord for kerosene heaters because they lend instant heat as a remedy and they don't falter in their endeavor. The heater we now have in service has the same original wick in it, going on three cold seasons. For us, that is incredible. I have three other heaters in the shed, all operational, but stored as stand-bys.(Some where in their history they failed me and a new purchase was required to fill the gap.)The heater in use now, though, is outstanding in its performance.

We warmed sufficiently to get a roaring fire burning in the wood stove. It burned warm, warm all night long.

I hope you all stay warm and well the remainder of the winter (and it just seems to be soooo longggg).

Love, Jeannene

At Home

This has been a weekend.

The weather today was cold and dreary keeping us all in doors, not to mention half the house had the sniffles and is hardly in the mood to migrate too far from warmth and food. After a quick run for groceries, me and the kids took a short walk, and I do mean short. No sooner were out in the stand of oaks out back when it started to rain. I was not discouraged, though. I had to get out in it, even in the winter drear to take pictures. We weren't alone in our trek. The cats joined us.

 

Can you even differentiate the cats from the tree? They blend in well with their surroundings.

The snow it melting,but winter still persists. I just wanted to take pictures and have something else to write about.  I like the way this camera will do close ups. I took some great shoots of the kids. They really are beautiful.

This is just a scraggly branch. It is only a practice shot,but I like the results.

I have packed a ton of tasks into these past two days and feel satisfied at all the results.  Today I made soup and bread and ended the day with homemade pizza - and it was good. My kids gave it an A+. They really feel loved after the effort.

 

I forgot to take a shot after it was cooked. Trust me it was delicious.

That's it for today's piece.

Love, Jeannene

My Love

A few days ago Corvette Man turned to me and said, jokingly of course,

I need to get to the jewelry store.

I looked him square in the face. 

What for? I asked, knowing Corvette Man seldom bought jewelry for me.  I took care of that task myself.

Well, you know, for a diamond of course, he said.

I guffawed in his face. He didn't take offense. He referred to a commercial he had just seen.

What do I need with a diamond? I asked.  I could think of ten different things I would rather have or need besides a shiny rock. (Kitchen stuff, horse stuff, kid stuff, play stuff - all kinds of stuff.)

Corvette Man laughed in return, knowing I wasn't interested in such a bauble.

I returned a response, though. I could use a camera.

Corvette Man grinned  as he eyed me out of the corner of his eye.

We'll go look this weekend.

Yesss.I said to myself.

Today my love took me looking (My intent was not to buy).  I did not intend to shop, but somehow we were sucked into the glamor of the whole thing.  I knew which camera I wanted and what I really felt would serve my purposes best and the salesman captured my attention so effectively we walked away with the camera I wanted and a better telephoto lens than expected (it was the one I really wanted). It is a Nikon D5000 - not the fanciest unit in the line, but for my limited abilities and needs, it will suffice beautifully.

The learning process is so fascinating and the possibilities are endless with this camera.  The picture quality is substantial and the need to photoshop the pictures is greatly reduced.

Thank you my love.  This really is a great week end. 

I love you.

Jeannene

Ramblings of a homesick mom

I started a post last night as I wallowed in my hotel room awaiting an immenent snow fall, which never did arrive mind you, but something else distracted me and the post was all but forgotten. I assure you that would never have happened had I been in our home with my bustling family milling about and numerous distractions forcing me to keep my train of thought. The lesson being: solitude is not all it is cracked up to be.

Most of the evening was spent researching Texas history in the months after the Civil War. Albeit a rather dry subject for most, I found some interesting tidbits to use in the novel I and painstakingly working on. Now, hopefully, I can just write the story with the underpinning firmly entrenched in my brain. (Historicals require a bit more work than just writing.)

Being as I have been away from my family twice in one week, I am so grateful to have been home Wednesday. My absence on Monday seemed to propel my children in illness. One large pot of chicken soup and some mothering brought them back from the brink whatever dark sickness attempted to suck them in. They are well again. I really believe there is something about Moms taking care of families that truly sets the world right.

Cudos to ALL you moms out there. We do a seemingly thankless job at times,but for me I find so intrinsically rewarding. It is as if my very soul yearns to mother and care. Without my family for this outlet, I would shrivel up and fade away, or find some cause to champion. Did the Good Lord make me this way on purpose? Was it part of His design to instill these longings in me? Did he make me this way only to prevent my family from suffering (He is merciful you know.)? He either has a huge sense of humor or is tragically twisted. To make it worse, all the things in which I take my enjoyment - writing, cooking, horses, music... have no meaning without the context of my family. If it is not right with the family, then there is no joy in the extras.

Twisted. I thrive in the midst of the distractions. I missed sitting in the living room, the only place for my desk and computer, with the TV next to me and the wood stove warming me and Corvette Man requesting this or that and commenting on this or that, all as I work on my book or my blog. The practice required to maintain a train of thought in the midst of the varied stimulations aids in the creative process. I'm beginning to see the sense in all this seemingly chaotic order.

I guess to put it quite simply. I missed my litte piece of heaven. I can't wait to get back home where I belong.

Love you all.

Jeannene

Home Again

Finally!! I am back in our little house after being stranded in the big city after it was covered with four inches of that wet, white stuff ordinarily referred to as SNOW.

We aren't supposed to get this much snow in Arkansas.

 

This is the road that runs by our house. 

I have never witnessed this much snow before  in all the time we have lived here.  We are in a wonderland.

Well Corvette Man drove me to work Monday and then I was stranded there in the weather. Obtaining a hotel room became necessary to provide comfort and warmth away from our own home.  Of course that meant the clothes on my back was all I had to wear and my face would appear at work the next morning in it raw and uncovered state - an occurrence I strive with avid veracity to prevent.  Needless to say, I survived the day, and none of my coworkers remarked on my state unmake-up.

The original plan was for me to remain in the city tonight, as the roads would likely be frozen over in the wee hours of the morning. When I discovered both my children are sick and the youngest is running a fever I freaked out a little.  No one is at home to cook and care for them! Now, they don't starve, and Corvette Man takes good care of them,but... if they are sick they won't have the energy to prepare nourishing, well healing food for themselves. That is my job. Mom's don't get sick.  They trudge onward through the onslaught of disease and fevers, through Kleenex's and rumpled bed linens.  It is the mom who provides the pity and the solace required for healing. I had to be home. I pleaded with my sweet supervisor, who arranged for me to be off tomorrow.  I am in her debt, bless her.

Here is another beautiful view from the west side of our house.

 

We have six inches of snow at our farm.

I'm so happy to be home.  This is my slice for today.  I could write more,but I have to snuggle with Corvette Man and make up for lost time.

Love, Jeannene

Superbowl Disaster - Almost

Finally it is superbowl week end.  Yesterday's food purchases were made in anticipation of this evening's game. The morning plans involved early preparations of pulled beef sandwiches and slow cooked brisket - both dishes requiring a minimum of four hours cooking time.  Of course that meant I chopped and marinated some of this last night to place the meat in the cooker at nine o'clock this morning.  The house was meticulously cleaned and any other chores completed long before the five o'clock pregame show.

I served the PW pulled beef sandwiches, wonderful flavor and filling, and cleaned up a little in the kitchen and turned to our TV to find the the station for the game.  Flipping through the channels we discovered no one speaking of the game, no pregame articles of players or predictions of the game outcome.  AAACH! It could only mean one thing.....

It should be noted at this point that our household does not  pay for any cable subscription nor do we own a satellite in order to receive television stations. This woman is cheap and thrifty.  We watch our TV shows via rabbit ears - free reception albeit sparing in choices. Today we discovered the ONE station our antenna does not receive is the CBS station.  BUMMER.

As is the case in most desperate circumstances, necessity is the mother of invention.  I moved the rabbit ears unit this way and that - all to no avail. The channel in question continued to register "no signal" on the screen.  You cannot fully appreciate the frustration of a black screen with those words floating around on it, especially when the game is in the throws of the National Anthem. Upon the realization of the doom of our superbowl evening, with nothing left to loose, I took our measly little rabbit ears antenna and tossed it out the nearest window. That was without a doubt a childish maneuver. But...

Can you believe it? It was a miracle! That darn station came in loud and clear! The antenna lay sprawled on the ground.

No one was more amazed than myself.  Corvette Man and I laughed and laughed.  I have been complaining about not receiving that station since the digital changeover. Little did I know that all I should do was toss the antenna on its head out the window.

This is a closer view.  

At the moment we are enjoying the Colts working over the Saints in perfect clarity.  It's a miracle!

Of course, we can't leave the thing out there.  The cats will chew on it and the chickens will find something unpleasant to coat it with, but for the moment we have CBS in perfect order.

A wonder small slice.

Love, Jeannene

A Sea ... a sea of people

I have to blog something tonight. My attempt last night was preempted by a creative spurt over the book I am in the middle of writing. The subject last night will be reserved for a future post.  Tonight I wish to unload my frustration over Saturday shopping.

After spending an hour and a half in the beauty parlor getting our hair done, a wonderfully relaxing hour and a half I must add with a very satisfying result, my daughter and I returned from the big city to spend time in the nearest town to our small village.  If it hadn't been for the fact that we looked great, the shopping experience would have ruined the entire day, but I digress.

This week end follows the week end of the heaviest snow fall witnessed in this area of Arkansas since 2004. The previous week end found the entire populace of Central Arkansas was confined to their living rooms unable to travel on the ice covered snow roads until late Sunday, or Monday at the earliest. The restrictions of last week end found us all, myself included, out and about in the highways and the byways today catching up with the errands we were forced to neglect last week end. I can't recall running into this number of people on the roads and the shops since the holidays, I almost wish I had been snow bound again.  The super bowl week end shoppers did not diminish the crowd, it only contributed to it.

I chose to shop in the larger town Kroger instead of my home town grocery store. When will I ever learn?  I returned home with many items, some of which are not available in our small town grocery. It is regrettable, though that I neglected to buy many of the standards I never forget when in familiar surroundings. I was dazed by the numerous offerings of the large store. When I say numerous I mean varieties of cheeses, meats, chips, cokes, everything. I was boggled by them, stunned by the choices, confused by the selections, confounded by the indecision and perplexed at my own sense of wonder.

My daughter reacted to my amazement as if I had never stepped foot into a Walmart before.  I wasn't in a Walmart, I was in Kroger store... a Kroger! It was much better than Walmart, trust me. She was almost as awed as myself, and to her credit, did not belittle my astonishment and bewilderment. She tried her best to help me find the items on my list. After forty five minutes of dodging shopping carts and bodies, we were exhausted and confused. It took everything we had to find a requested package of Oreos. Trust me, that was frustration. I was so happy to park my cart behind two other shoppers at the check out, the consume that was THE item for which I had selected this store, was forgotten until I drove up to our house in the country.

It didn't matter by then. I was home.  Home.  Safe and quite and always a constant solace from the hustle of the city.  Thank the Lord for home.

Thank you for your ear.

Love, Jeannene

A Tribute

Today I wish to sing the accolades of a member of my family whose duties are so often taken for granted.  He selflessly and willingly gives of himself to all of us.  At times I'm sure he thinks it might be a thankless job, but I love him for it. It falls to him to assure our safety and our well being. He makes sure all in working order and we are protected from the elements and warm. I am speaking of my wonderful husband Corvette Man. 

This man will sleep only half the night and still awaken at four o'clock in the morning with me to drive the six hundred or so feet to the gate of our property and open it for me in the rain, the sleet, the snow even in the warm.  He is relentless.  This man selflessly makes sure I am not attacked by a coyote or a deer (Believe it can happen, just ask our oldest son.) or maybe even some deranged person in the dark.

To clarify. Corvette Man stands in the rain and unlocks the gate for me. Then he opens it in order for me to drive my car through, thus releasing me from any obligation of exiting the warm confines of my heated vehicle. Am I spoiled or what?.

He doesn't rest until he is assured all is well with his family. I am eternally in his debt. I just wanted to take a few minutes to tell him how much I appreciate the care and attention he gives me and our children.

Thank you Corvette Man.  Thank God he sent you to me. You are another slice of heaven.

Love Jeannene.

Chile Lights

Today I would like to pay homage to my chile lights.

What on earth are you talking about? You ask.  For anyone who has had an opportunity to visit our little piece of heaven, you will recognize that of which I speak, and we don't get that many visitors out here so you are a select few.

I hail from the far reaches of wonderful ole Texas, El Paso to be specific. The hispanic influence on that area of the state is profound.  For me it crept into my very soul during the eleven and a half years I basked in the glorious heat of the desert southwest. Three of my four children were born in this locale. Needless to say, I formed deep attachments to the area.  Almost everything I eat, and try to force my family to eat, has some sort of Mexican flavor or inspiration. None of that was discounted when it came to designing and decorating the interior of our home. I love all things Mexican.

To provide the necessary solace for our separation from the desert and its wondrous mystery and beauty, I found some red chile lights and strung them on the rafters in the front room. It reminded me of El Paso, and Corvette Man loved them too.

 

This is a mega close up.  Can you sense the ambiance?

 

They really give you a happy feeling, don't you think?

 

 Everyone needs a little happy in their life, so says my daughter. (She is screaming for joy at my entry!)

This is a view of the whole room.  Warm ambiance throughout the space. I love home.

 

If it looks like a barn you're looking at, that's exactly what you see.  We decided to make our house out of the barn.

So my friends, this is the first thing you will see as you enter our home.  Happy slices.

Love, Jeannene

White on Road

I will take one more day to revel in the winter we experienced this past week end.  The roads into the big city were all dry and clear this morning, meaning my commute was without mishap.  The only difficulty I have experienced in relevance to the snow fall, was the ascent to the gate leading from our farm.  Our neck of the woods witnessed sleet and snow accumulations of about 3-4 inches. This is significant where highways are cleared infrequently and the liberal use of salt doesn't necessarily exist.  In defense of the Arkansas Highway Dept. they do have a few snow plows and they spread salt mixed with sand on the bridges.  A couple of days pass before my routes are clear enough for me to travel, but that is another story.

I wanted to show how the weather transformed our little piece of heaven here in Arkansas.

 

 

That ribbon of road snaking by the tree line leads to the gate of our farm.  Three inches of ice and snow lay on the surface of that road.  For me, three inches is enough to separate me from the rest of the world. I could not take my front wheel drive through that gate yesterday.  That does not mean Corvette Man couldn't do it.  It means I am incapable of it.The tires continued to spin every time I stepped on the gas. I am pathetic when it comes to these sorts of surfaces.

Isn't the scenery beautiful?  The trees were coated with a thick layer of frozen frost.

This was our winter slice.

Love, Jeannene