A Baker's Dozen on Leegacy Farm - An Update

It's been quite a while since we've posted here on A Baker's Dozen, so we thought we'd give a bit of an update as to what we've been up to.

Our first year on the farm has been a productive one, and we were blessed with an abundance of beans, meat and vegetables to store up for the winter months.

Purple Hull Peas are a favorite around here, and although we were late planting them, we're thankful for the amount we have.

They are members of the black-eyed pea family and a favorite in the south.

We very much enjoyed having my mom here with us recently as we canned a variety of foods from the garden and planted shrub clippings she brought from her home.

Josh purchased a wagon frame and worked very hard to complete the new *Chicken Concern* before visiting friends painted it.  He'd just made one right before the tornado last year.  This one is very similar and also was made frugally and from wood which had already been collected.

My little chicken farmer.  The chicks he received for his birthday are now laying.  He keeps me furnished with eggs.:)  I give him feed.:)

This is Cam.  He's the newest addition and this is an unusual picture.  He's clean!

The Large Blacks are also new to Leegacy Farm.  They are growing nicely and will hopefully be ready to have piglets before to long.

Rhett, a gift from sweet friends, gets along really well with Billy (below).

But they do NOT like being separated. 

This first year on the farm has been very busy as we've enjoyed and been encouraged by visits from the dearest of friends and relatives and as we've gotten to know the WONDERFUL people in our new community.

Lots of fence repair has been done and there's still much to do.  But work is good for us, and I don't think we'll run out of projects any time soon.:)

Jordan (son), Jim and Jack put in long hours as they plow and disc the fields.  I love watching them as they head for the barn at night.  And I say an extra prayer of thanks as I watch them labor for the good of us all.

We've traveled some and had a wonderful time visiting with friends in our former state.  They've since rebuilt their home  and we enjoyed time re-connecting with their family and others.  We also enjoyed attending a family reunion and visiting a little with Tom's side of our family as we stopped by to get a piano from the church they attended when growing up.:)

My brother was able to visit with us for the first time.  He is a pilot and realized that he frequently flies almost directly over where we've settled when flying from his state to another.  What a joy to find a landing strip in a field and only a short drive from us! 

Sunshine

We've celebrated three birthdays since our last post, and I'm so thankful for the gift of my children. 

Which is one reason we haven't been able to post much lately...we've been doing a lot more of the above (reading together, learning together).  Now that we're *home*, finding things and getting settled, we've just felt the need to relax a little, ponder, pray, and enjoy simple pleasures with loved ones.  Like reading books together while sharing the warmth of a blanket...

Like watching young men and women who pour themselves into a project and bring beauty from a simple piece of wood.  Just as their father did.

Like being on the road again....together...as we attend a conference and are reminded of the need to love our neighbor more than ourselves...of the need to reach out to those who are hurting...of the need to share the truth of the gospel...

Like watching as little girls delight in opportunities to hold a sweet baby girl and daughter of dear sweet friends who've recently moved to our area...

Like watching as my sons and daughters find opportunities to learn new skills on the farm...

Like watching the youngest ones as they enjoy playing in the cold cold water with a cousin who's visiting for the first time...

Like finding time to notice the beauty of God's creation and the softness of one of Hannah Joy's bunnies...

Like listening to the sounds of the hens contentedly clucking and noticing the wonder and beauty of an egg offered daily...

Like watching bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh as they grow up...and it happens so fast...

And finally, like rejoicing over the harvest  - corn and fat butternut squashes, purple hull peas and green beans and onions, tomatoes and peppers, greens and fresh herbs. Milk and cheese, maple syrup and meat.  And even zucchini.  And love. Especially love. And rejoicing in and giving thanks to the Giver of the harvest and all good gifts.  And that's what we've been up to.  And we are refreshed.  And we are grateful. 

Blessings,

Sherry

Free And Yummy !

It's a member of the cabbage family and related to garden cress and radish ( you can see the patches of it in the creek bed above).  It's semi-aquatic.  It's a perennial plant and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans.  And the creek beds around our new home are FULL of it!  What is it?  WATERCRESS!!

I've read that early immigrants to our country reportedly combed the hillsides every spring for the first signs of it.  The taste, to me, is similar to a radish if not picked early enough. Many find it free on their property growing in and around water.  And some grow it on a large scale.  It is well-suited to hydroponics but that process wouldn't be free, so I'm so glad watercress grows here on its own.

Watercress doesn't keep, once picked, for very long.  So pick only as needed.  Also, it contains iron, folic acid, calcium, and vitamins A and C.

According to Wikipedia, New Market, Alabama was known as the "Watercress Capital of the World" in the 1940's...I didn't know that!  Wikipedia also tells of an English surgeon, by the name of John Woodall, who suggested using watercress as a remedy for scurvy (because of Vitamin C content).  And did you know it is also high in iodine and many health benefits are claimed?  But best of all, it can be grown at home and many may find it growing prolifically around their wet areas for free:)  Or perhaps you could introduce some to your property??

We've gathered basket fulls since early spring and sauteed it in butter and added garlic, just as we cook kale.  We sometimes add a bit of parmasean cheese, and we've been experimenting with using watercress as we would frozen spinach in our lasagna.  It's also good when used as a salad green, but the sooner picked the better it is.

Another good thing about watercress is that the more you harvest it the more it grows back (thanks for telling me, Vicki).  Anything we can get off the grocery list is exciting, so we'll definitely be experimenting with this wonderful green again and again.

And do you know who else really enjoys it around here?  Judson's Duck Duck and Goose Goose!  They're often seen foraging around the property, and watercress seems to be one of their favorite green things (as well as green tomatoes).   I'm just glad they aren't aware of the more plentiful patches located on the homeplace!  Have you any favorite recipes using watercress or other naturally growing free foods?

Blessings,

Sherry



 

Sunday Sayin's And Thoughts

"No stars gleam as brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky. No water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand. And no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs through adversity. Tested faith brings experience. You would never have believed your own weakness had you not needed to pass through trials. And you would never have known God's strength had His strength not been needed to carry you through." ~ Spurgeon

The storm left scattered evidence of a life- lived all over the yard and pastures of our former dwelling place and even some pictures and such in other states. So for the past several weeks, our family has been going through the remaining boxes of items lovingly collected from amongst the rubble. As you can imagine, going through such things and anticipating the lovely crisp fall days (fall was his very favorite season) has us thinking about Tom. A lot.

As I told a friend recently, papers are found and his handwriting is instantly recognized and so reminds us of the man... letters so straight and tall and neat and in order, and we remember. His clothes are found, and we remember. His style. His shoes, and we remember. His boots sit in my room and next to the bed. The boots he wore when he breathed his last prayer, and we remember.

In fact, we've been taking time to breathe...to cry...to reminisce...to rejoice in knowing where he is and to thank God for the time we had...to breathe, and we remember.

Do we miss him? Absolutely! It's good to miss, and it's good to be missed. If we could, would we bring him back? Absolutely not! We believe and rest and trust in God's sovereignty and plan for our lives.

But memories are stirred as we go through familiar items....and we miss...only our Lord knows what all. We can't really put our finger on it all. Our loved one? Our friends and family? The familiar? Everything has changed. Is it a place? Things? Sameness? All of the above?

What we do believe, and what we are reminded of daily, is that we all crave security and sometimes expect to find it in people, places, things, and the familiar. While people, places, things, and the familiar are good gifts from the Lord, our security is not to be found there, but rather in a PERSON. And that Person is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

As I also shared with my friend, we are so very thankful for the wonderful people God has placed in our lives and that we belong to and are loved by HIM. C.S. Lewis said, "When pain is to be borne, a little courage helps more than much knowledge, a little human sympathy more than much courage, and the least tincture of the love of God more than all."

So many of you experience hurts or losses greater than our family can even fathom, but we know the One who can. Our prayer is that, whatever the storms in our lives, big or small, whatever the changes or unknowns we may be facing, and we all face changes and unknowns...daily, our trust will be in the Lord, and we will offer our circumstances to God. May He cause them to bear fruit...and may we remember and find comfort in His unfailing grace.

Fort Boonesborough And Living History Museums

Back in late April of this year, my children and I took my father on a trip to Kentucky in order to spend some time with him and in order to visit the place of his birth and early growing up years (more on that later).  While making our way home, we decided to stop by and visit Fort Boonesborough Living History and State Park.

Some of our fondest memories of trips taken while my husband was alive were of the friends we visited and of the occasional stop to visit any living history museum we could find in the area.  The Interpreters were always so knowledgeable and much was learned from them as to how people of that particular time period lived.  We always learned something which could be taken home and applied to what we were trying to do farm-wise. Also, besides visiting because of our love of history, we were all encouraged by evidence that skills, many of which we no longer know and use, were used daily in and about the homes and communities of  our forefathers; skills we'd very much like to learn ourselves!

You may remember that Daniel Boone was chosen to lead a group of thirty one axe men to clear a path through the Cumberland Gap and ending at Otter Creek of the Kentucky River.  There were incredible difficulties encountered by those men as the route was to narrow for a wagon and had to be cleared using axes and tomahawks.  The Wilderness Trail was considered the roughest on the continent, but was a major factor in opening the middle west to being settled.  Fort Boonesborough was built by Daniel and his men in 1775.  They reached the southern bank of the Kentucky River on April 1st, 1775.

You may also remember that it was while living at this fort, and while leaving with a group of twenty seven men to obtain a supply of salt, that Daniel and his men were captured and the twenty seven were surrendered for ransom.  Daniel was taken to the renowned Shawnee chief and adopted into his family.  He escaped after learning of a plan to attack Fort Boonesborough in order to warn his family and friends.

We visited one day during the week, but there are many opportunities for re-enactors, for those who enjoy music and arts festivals.  There are Tinsmiths and Coppersmiths, 18th Century trade fairs, information about the women on the frontier.  There are even Boone's Trace Tours - An overnight tour which includes leaving the fort and traveling The Boone Trace with a guide/historian.  Wow!

There are Fireside Chats, Frontier Christmas, and workshops/classes, such as, spinning, weaving, woodworking, blacksmithing, candle making, hearth cooking, painted floor cloths, and block printing.  Or you may attend an overnight, hand-on "Frontier Life" program. 

We really enjoyed all the shops, and the Interpreters were all so very friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to take the time to answer our questions.

I think my younger children were most amused by learning that the people there at the fort could seldom take a bath.  Apparently, many would get sick because animals and such were frequently in the same water, but they thought the actual bath caused their sickness. I also have to wonder whether it would have been safe to leave the fort, at least at times??  Also, we were told that they really couldn't make much soap while confined at the fort because every bit of fat was needed for human consumption rather than for making soap.  It was a bit difficult getting supplies and such to the area?!, and they could do more once they were able to leave and settle on their own homestead.

We watched a history video when we first arrived, and we also enjoyed visiting the 18th Century Transylvania Store.  Many historical re-print documents and beautiful 18th Century type items were available for purchase.  And ideas for drying peas, parched corn, and blocks of dried tea and dried maple sugar did not go unnoticed by our family members.:)  We're going to try some soon, and the various dried animal jerkeys were incredibly yummy.

The cabins were of various sizes.  Some were *starters* but all were pretty small and consisted of one room.

I especially enjoyed visiting with the weaver who explained much about how they made their clothes and how a newly arrived settler (weaver or spinner) might have to wait a while before being able to save money for equipment.  Also, the equipment took up quite a bit of space in their small cabin, AND it was very important that they get the wool and the cloth right, for if they did not, the sheep could not be sheered again until the next year, and that is a long time to wait for a piece of much needed clothing to be made.:)

When entering the store, I couldn't help thinking of Cinncinatis.  He was the storekeeper on the old television show about Daniel Boone (Fes Parker).  That show played every afternoon when I was growing up.:)

Someone spent a lot of time on that hide.:)

We very much enjoyed our time with my dad and our time spent visiting Fort Boonesborough.  The Fort is located near Lexington and they have a very informative website and schedule of events. If you simply enjoy history or want to take your children on a field trip, or perhaps wish to learn more about homesteading and skills used more in the past, there's probably a museum somewhere near you.  I have a book for history-minded travelers which lists many a fine destination.  It is A Traveler's Guide - America's Living History by Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker.  Much can also be found for free online.  Happy learning from the past and present!

Sunday Sayin's

"Worry is putting question marks where God has put periods." - Preacher John R. Rice

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do not lean on your own understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.   - Proverbs 3:5

Remembering The Birth Of Jeremiah David - Happy Birthday Jeremiah !

Dear Jeremiah,  What a striking picture you make this morning as you enjoy God's gift of sweet blissful sleep.  You and your brothers resting soundly with the sounds of the fans, which you have pointed towards your faces, humming softly and gently, and the breeze blowing the auburn wisps of hair on your forehead.

And speaking of gentle, do you remember what we sometimes call you, and what your father often called you?  Our Gentle Giant.  Or Hoss.  What a fitting name for the kind and tenderhearted fellow you've always been.  And with such a hunger and thirst to know and learn about spiritual things.  Very recently I was blessed by your desire to know, right then, what items were found in the Ark of the Covenant.  You were in the middle of reading your lessons to me, and you wanted to stop the reading in order to find answers to your questions.  May your spirit always be sensitive to God's word, and may you be blessed with wisdom and discernment.

And on this day, Oh how I remember anticipating your birth!  You, my tenth born child.  And do you know that your father was also the tenth child in his family?  The BABY!!  We wondered if you'd be our tenth and our last.  We wanted to savor every moment of your newborn days, thinking that perhaps you might be our last.  But you were not to be the baby of your family.  The *baby* sleeps nearby, and he finds great comfort in your presence.

You were to be my first planned hospital birth after having had our two wonderful midwives for so many years (both moved to a new state), and I was a bit curious as to how it would be, but I was very happy to have such a fine group of doctors who considered children a blessing and who shared our joy and looked forward to welcoming a new life.  I was, of course, past my expected date.  That was a matter of concern to the doctors, and I suppose that was understandable.  I was expecting a tenth child, but I had no history with them since I was a new patient.  I shared with them that being *late* was absolutely normal for me, and they were very patient.  I remember having many false alarms during the final weeks of waiting, but I never actually went in.  I'd wake during the night, spend a few watchful hours thinking my time had come, only to awaken the next morning and realize that the contractions had stopped, and I'd fallen asleep.:)

Your brothers and sisters would run to our bedroom every morning to see if perhaps we'd left during the night.  On one of these occasions, your dad had heard me pacing the floor.  He later heard the shower running and me piddling in the bathroom.  He realized I was getting ready for, as he called it, a midnight run to the hospital.  He always kidded me about wanting to arrive with face and hair done and freshly showered.:)  Well, he got up quickly, shaved, showered, and dressed.  He'd even put on his nice shoes.  Morning dawned, and your curious brothers and sisters made their usual trek to our bedroom.  They found a very nicely dressed couple, a still expecting mommy, and a very tired and sleeping daddy.  They laughed and laughed, because there was your dad, sprawled across the bed, sleeping soundly, and still wearing his shoes.  He and I all dressed up and with nowhere to go!  

Well, you had to leave your comfy cocoon at some point, and your day finally arrived.  We'd been asked about an induction, but we didn't want one, and you came on your own.  The kind doctor offered your dad the opportunity to catch you, as that is what he'd done at home, and we were so thankful and happy to finally meet you.  We were so blessed when the doctor prayed with us and gave thanks for your safe arrival, and your brothers and sisters rejoiced and warmly welcomed you home! 

Jeremiah, I'm so thankful to be your mother, and your father loved you dearly.  Your brothers and sisters also wish you a happy birthday, and they are very thankful to have you in their lives.  May God bless you today and always, and may you always look to Him!

Blessings, love, and hugs,

Mom