Praying....They Don't Get Loose

Laura and Clay found a cocoon which we brought inside to see what would emerge.  Can you imagine our surprise when it turned out to be about 200 itsy-bitsy praying mantises?!  We took them out to the garden for their release -- they are helpful predators for the organic gardener. 

It's Lambing Time!

One of Barley's ewes had her lambs today. The other ewe should be lambing soon.

Received This E-mail From Barley Today...

When I'm An Old Lady

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with my son,
and make his life happy and filled with such fun,
I want to pay back all the joy he's provided,
returning each deed. Oh, he'll be so excited
.. . . when I'm an old lady and live with my son.

I'll write on the wall with red, white, and blue;
and bounce on the furniture wearing my shoes.
I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, will he shout!
.. . . when I'm an old lady and live with my son.

When he's on the phone and just out of reach,
I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, he'll snap his fingers and then shake his head,
and when he is done I'll hide under the bed.
.. . . when I'm an old lady and live with my son.

When my son's wife cooks dinner and calls me to meals,
I'll not eat my green beans or salads congealed.
I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
and when she gets angry, run fast as I'm able.
.. . . when I'm an old lady and live with my son.

I'll sit close to the TV, thru the channels I'll click,
I'll cross both my eyes to see if they stick,
I'll take off my socks and throw one away,
and play in the mud until the end of the day.
.. . . when I'm an old lady and live with my son.

And later, in bed, I'll lie back and sigh,
and thank God in prayer and then close my eyes;
and my son will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
and say with a groan, "She's so sweet when she's sleeping,"
.. . . when I'm an old lady and live with my son.

Barley's new site HERE

2010 Races Heating Up

Barley is spending time this year working with Rick Crawford's congressional campaign.  It is the 10th most closely watched race in Washington with Rick projected to win by a big margin.  Barley is doing his part to help reverse the Democrat controlled majority of the House. 

Soft Drinks Linked to Pancreatic Cancer Risk

The Making of a Giant Snowman

There wasn't as much snow this time, but there was enough to make "Goliath"!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Okay, Scott/Nicole up there in MI and Keith/Gretchen out there in CO....stop chuckling at our ecstatic delirium of finally getting a good snow. :) We know that if you saw something like, oh, say, maybe a barefooted hillbilly, a real live opossum, or a runaway hog, you'd be beside yourself and run for the camera too.



Now that's a snow fort!

Momma, Can I Help?

She spoke with her beautiful brown eyes
I smiled
Glad she's home with me
Glad I'm her mother
...........her teacher
.............her confidant
...............her passage to womanhood
All in a slow paced world

Carefully, three cups of milk
Maybe a tad too much
Almost a whole stick of butter
Scooped from the crock
Plenty of molasses
Now? Tell me when...now?
Oh, some got on my finger
Yes, you can
Since it's just for us
But don't do that
When company is coming



Flour
...wheat grains soaked overnight
............salt
.....................yeast
Quantified with new hands
Unsure
But thrilled beyond measure

Kneading
The fun part
Fun, now
Later, fulfilling
Her family around her
Life sustenance pliable in her hands
Kneading
Shaping loaves
Warm smells from her kitchen
All in a slow paced world









"Momma, do you have time to...? Oh, never mind, I know you do. We live in the country, and have all the time in the world."
Laura -- January 2010



Recipe for Laura's Bread

3 cups milk
1/3 cup molasses
3/4 stick butter

Heat this to 120* and pour into the dry ingredients



Mix these three in prep for the wet ingredients:

3 cups organic white flour
1 Tbs yeast
1 Tbs salt

Add 4 cups fresh ground wheat which has been soaked overnight. (I will do a post on the health benefits of soaked grains soon.) Either an electric grinder or hand grinder work very well. It's nice to have both for when the electric one wears out...like mine did recently.



When the mixture is just manageable,




Pour onto a floured table





Knead until pliable and smooth. Spray with olive oil and cover with a cloth for 40 minutes.



Divide into two loaf pans, (preferably stoneware since the aluminum carcinogens can leach into your bread) score three cuts into top of the bread to help it rise, spray with olive oil again, and let rise in a warm place for 10 minutes.

Cover loosely with foil. Bake on 350* for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake ten more minutes. Turn out loaves onto a wire cooling rack until completely cool. If covered too soon, the crust and inside will be too doughy. The bread needs to breathe. After cooling, cover with a bag to seal in the freshness...if you've managed to wait until the bread cools before eating it. :)