Today K was reading my blog, and let me know, in no uncertain terms, that I have bungled the genealogy of our cats in a previous post. Sorry kitties - it wasn't on purpose. When one has a very fertile momma cat, keeping track of the litters gets a little confusing!
Hubby was home today working on various projects around the house - he assembled shelving for K closet, capped the wall ledge in her room, planned what to do on our garage landing/entry (he's going to be installing 5 open lockers there - one for each of us, with a bench, hooks, and upper shelves - I can't wait!), installed a light there, cleaned up the garage, etc. Much appreciated! I spent some time prepping walls for painting. When we built this house, we painted everything white (Bridal White, to be exact) because I was feeling like I had made so many decisions about the house that I just didn't even want to think about colors. I thought we could just do a room at a time as we wanted. Well, here we are 11 years later, and some rooms are still white. So, we're soon painting the entry, laundry, hall, and both upstairs bathrooms. I will be so glad to get this done. The walls in the entry needed a lot of touch up with filler - it's a very high traffic area. I'll have to post some pictures of the work in progress, but not tonight.
February 5, 2008
January 29, 2008
Lumpy bumpy - yuck!
Today I had the grand privilege of adding wood to the boiler. It was sooooooo cold outside! It wasn't an easy job, as I struggled to get the boiler shed door open - right now there are 3-4 foot drifts all around the door, with a little bit of room right next to the door, and snow up against it. And guess where the shovel was? Inside. I was able to open the door enough to reach in and pull it out, then dug away enough snow to open the door to get inside. Then to dig out some wood from the snow, throw some cardboard in the boiler, toss in some wood, all the while holding my breath and coming back out for air regularly, so as to not inhale the smoke, which was copious! I was really glad to get that job done. The payoff is enjoying a nice toasty house on a bitterly cold day! And a healthy dose of appreciation that hubby does this ALL THE TIME for us (without complaining!). And today the sun was shining - the solar panel was doing it's job nicely, too.
A while after I came in, it was brought to my attention that my face was all red and lumpy - I have hives. Lovely. I think I have a cold allergy or something.
The forecast tonight is for -48 Celsius windchill (-54 Fahrenheit). I guess January is getting one last hurrah! I console myself with the fact that January is almost over, and the days are getting longer!
A while after I came in, it was brought to my attention that my face was all red and lumpy - I have hives. Lovely. I think I have a cold allergy or something.
The forecast tonight is for -48 Celsius windchill (-54 Fahrenheit). I guess January is getting one last hurrah! I console myself with the fact that January is almost over, and the days are getting longer!
January 28, 2008
MILK! It does a body good. The right kind, that is!
I've been doing some reading on the benefits of drinking raw milk (which is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized). I'm nearly converted. I say nearly only because you cannot buy raw milk in Manitoba. If you own a cow in Manitoba, you are not even supposed to GIVE milk away. It's practically considered a biohazard or something! So, consequently, about the only way you can drink raw milk in Manitoba is if you have your own cow. Which makes me sad! :o(
Here are some things I found out during my research.
1) People who are lactose intolerant can drink raw milk!
2) Allergy to pasteurized cow's milk is the #1 food allergy.
3) When milk is pasteurized, bacteria within it that is good for you is destroyed, such as lactobacillus acidophilus, which is in some yogurt. This is the bacteria that normally lives in your gut (unless it's been killed off by a round of antibiotics!).
4) When the good bacteria is killed by pasteurization, the bacteria cells break open and can cause your body to respond by producing histamine, which triggers an allergic response.
5) When milk is pasteurized, enzymes in the milk that help with digestion are destroyed, as are nutritious vitamins. Which is why they figure they need to plop the vitamins back in! But I would think the plopped-in vitamins are synthetic??
6) When milk is homogenized, the fat globules in the milk are made into very small particles, which are not naturally that small. Some scientists believe that these unnaturally small fat globules clog arteries more readily than the fat globules in non-homogenized milk. See also: http://realmilk.com/heart_disease.html
7) Pasteurized milk rots when it sours. When raw milk sours, you get . . . sour milk! And it is great to bake with, etc.
8) Canada has not approved the use of bovine growth hormone (can increase milk production by 40%). I was glad to find that out! At least there's some good news!
9) If you're going to drink raw milk, it's important that it comes from grass-fed cows.
10) Powdered milk is added to skim, 1%, and 2% milk. Powdered milk is unhealthy, because of the way it's processed. It is high in nitrites, and contains a bad kind of cholesterol.
11) Pasteurizing milk makes the major part of it's calcium insoluable, making it harder for the body to absorb.
12) Pasteurizing milk changes the structure of the proteins in it.
13) The sale of raw milk is legal in 28 out of 50 states.
For more information, see: http://www.thehealingjournal.com/prev_issues/2007_apr_may_raw.htm
You can also check out www.mercola.com (I do not blindly follow everything on this website - some of it is, in my opinion, weird. But there is lots of good stuff here. :o)
Maybe we should get a cow????? We've actually talked about it.
Here are some things I found out during my research.
1) People who are lactose intolerant can drink raw milk!
2) Allergy to pasteurized cow's milk is the #1 food allergy.
3) When milk is pasteurized, bacteria within it that is good for you is destroyed, such as lactobacillus acidophilus, which is in some yogurt. This is the bacteria that normally lives in your gut (unless it's been killed off by a round of antibiotics!).
4) When the good bacteria is killed by pasteurization, the bacteria cells break open and can cause your body to respond by producing histamine, which triggers an allergic response.
5) When milk is pasteurized, enzymes in the milk that help with digestion are destroyed, as are nutritious vitamins. Which is why they figure they need to plop the vitamins back in! But I would think the plopped-in vitamins are synthetic??
6) When milk is homogenized, the fat globules in the milk are made into very small particles, which are not naturally that small. Some scientists believe that these unnaturally small fat globules clog arteries more readily than the fat globules in non-homogenized milk. See also: http://realmilk.com/heart_disease.html
7) Pasteurized milk rots when it sours. When raw milk sours, you get . . . sour milk! And it is great to bake with, etc.
8) Canada has not approved the use of bovine growth hormone (can increase milk production by 40%). I was glad to find that out! At least there's some good news!
9) If you're going to drink raw milk, it's important that it comes from grass-fed cows.
10) Powdered milk is added to skim, 1%, and 2% milk. Powdered milk is unhealthy, because of the way it's processed. It is high in nitrites, and contains a bad kind of cholesterol.
11) Pasteurizing milk makes the major part of it's calcium insoluable, making it harder for the body to absorb.
12) Pasteurizing milk changes the structure of the proteins in it.
13) The sale of raw milk is legal in 28 out of 50 states.
For more information, see: http://www.thehealingjournal.com/prev_issues/2007_apr_may_raw.htm
You can also check out www.mercola.com (I do not blindly follow everything on this website - some of it is, in my opinion, weird. But there is lots of good stuff here. :o)
Maybe we should get a cow????? We've actually talked about it.
January 22, 2008
Tough little kids!
We raise 'em tough here on the prairies. This morning I was reading the elementary school newsletter where they included a little blurb about their policy on recess in cold weather. When the windchill is -27 C or warmer, recess is outside. When it's -27 C to -35 C, the staff decides. When the windchill is -35 C or colder, recess is inside. So, recess could be outside when the windchill is -34 C! Hopefully everyone has warm boots and snowpants! :o)
December 5, 2007
Well, what do you know!
So that's how you add a picture! Meet Prince, K's pony. Isn't he cute? He's kind of stubborn, but people tell me that's just a pony for you. K loves him - she was pretty excited to get a riding crop and saddle soap for her birthday. She recently brought her saddle and bridle into her room and cleaned it all up with her new saddle soap. I love the smell of tack - right now it smells great in her room!
Prince is 5 years old and 10 hands high. A hand is 4 inches, and you measure to the withers, so he's 40 inches tall at the base of the mane - he's a little guy! He's a real people pony. K loves to play hide and seek with him -he follows her everywhere. She's able to ride him, but sometimes he doesn't follow commands. Right now he's at the neighbor's, because he escaped the electric fence because it wasn't working at the time.
A definite chill in the air!
It's a nippy one! I believe J said we have a windchill of -39 Celcius this morning, and she was HOPING that there would be no school, but alas, her wish was not to come true!
Just got in from feeding the dog - it's absolutely stunningly beautiful outside this morning. The sun just came up, and the trees are all frosty. Snow covers the fields surrounding us - no dirt showing anymore. Crisp. Clear. COLD!
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? Job 38:22
I often wonder how the pioneers did it, with their primitive housing and hauling water, etc. Winters must have been truly brutal. I always think that the Lord knew what He was doing when He put me in this era. I'm such a wimp!
Just got in from feeding the dog - it's absolutely stunningly beautiful outside this morning. The sun just came up, and the trees are all frosty. Snow covers the fields surrounding us - no dirt showing anymore. Crisp. Clear. COLD!
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? Job 38:22
I often wonder how the pioneers did it, with their primitive housing and hauling water, etc. Winters must have been truly brutal. I always think that the Lord knew what He was doing when He put me in this era. I'm such a wimp!
December 4, 2007
Life is in the details . . .
Well, I don't rightly know why I'm doing this, because no one even knows I blog yet, and no one reads it, but hey . . . it feels kind of good to get thoughts to "paper". :o)
I am reminded lately that the Lord's will for me is in the details that make up my life, not in big life-changing experiences or mysterious light-bulb moments where everything suddenly becomes clear. I should be taking the little things that normally would grate on me from Him, my loving Father. He desires to shape me through them, but sadly, I'm often irritated by them instead of exercised by them, and miss the blessing. "He doeth all things well."
I just got in from throwing wood on the fire (cough, cough) and shoveling until I couldn't do it anymore (I am so out of shape that it is pitiful). Funny thing is, I felt the best all day while I was shoveling! It was strangely invigorating. The snow IS beautiful - I think we've gotten at least 6 inches in the last 18 hours.
We've been having van troubles. Sometimes it won't downshift when climbing up to highway speeds - you have to pull over and turn it off and start it up and try again. Except that sometimes it still won't downshift, so you just drive 70 km/hr and put the hazard lights on and hope there's not much traffic. So - no trips to the city or anywhere else far away, for now. The van has high miles and is a '94, so it doesn't seem to make much sense to throw so much $$ into a new transmission. The Lord must have a different vehicle in mind for us. Old Nellie has served us well for several years, without many repairs, so I'm very thankful for that.
I am reminded lately that the Lord's will for me is in the details that make up my life, not in big life-changing experiences or mysterious light-bulb moments where everything suddenly becomes clear. I should be taking the little things that normally would grate on me from Him, my loving Father. He desires to shape me through them, but sadly, I'm often irritated by them instead of exercised by them, and miss the blessing. "He doeth all things well."
I just got in from throwing wood on the fire (cough, cough) and shoveling until I couldn't do it anymore (I am so out of shape that it is pitiful). Funny thing is, I felt the best all day while I was shoveling! It was strangely invigorating. The snow IS beautiful - I think we've gotten at least 6 inches in the last 18 hours.
We've been having van troubles. Sometimes it won't downshift when climbing up to highway speeds - you have to pull over and turn it off and start it up and try again. Except that sometimes it still won't downshift, so you just drive 70 km/hr and put the hazard lights on and hope there's not much traffic. So - no trips to the city or anywhere else far away, for now. The van has high miles and is a '94, so it doesn't seem to make much sense to throw so much $$ into a new transmission. The Lord must have a different vehicle in mind for us. Old Nellie has served us well for several years, without many repairs, so I'm very thankful for that.
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