Time Away!

TIME AWAY!

Long overdue greetings from the farm! 

I've been negligent in writing my "weekly" posts since coming home from Massachusetts. I've been caught up in the whirlwind of baking for the farm, canning for the farm and family, "fall cleaning", and planning our school year...among other things! No excuse I know, but it's the truth. I'll do a little catch up here today. :) Since so many of my children read the blog to keep in contact with us, I thought I'd first write a blog about our trip. (If you're not interested in this, just go on to my next post.)

Charity's first plane ride.

Yes, I took Faith Anne~15 3/4 and Charity 8 1/2 on their first real vacation in 13 years...you do the math for Charity!

 God provided a GREAT deal on our tickets where all three cost the same as one of my plane tickets home last summer! Then He graciously provided a car...housing...and lots of fun thrown in just because He can! 

I got to introduce my girls to my family, my church family, and let them get a glimpse of my childhood. We walked where the Pilgrims walked, swam in the bay, kayaked and swam in the lake, and went to a choral concert that thrilled us all.  

Each girl made a list of things she'd like to do...
One of Charity's delights was to cross off "making a sand castle"...something she'd only read about.

Faith Anne wanted to go SWIMMING! So we went swimming in the ocean (her favorite place to swim) and the beautiful Silver Lake! (Mom and Charity's favorite place.)

Remembering the olders $2 budget picnics from the past, I gave the girls each $3 to buy a picnic at the grocery store. Whew! What fun! We ate at Gray's Beach in Kingston; then went swimming.

We were soooo blessed to stay with my brother and sister in the Lord, Richard and Rosanna Buhl. They are true family!

Richard is an old "sea dog" that is king of the hibachi and charcoal grill! He likes to tell jokes like Steve and learned a lot about little girls during our stay!

Charity's love...Maggie the cat!

Sisterly Love

We spent a fun-filled afternoon at the splash pad at Nelson Park with Andrea (my niece) and her children. Faith Anne and Charity really  enjoyed getting to know their cousins.

Each day we'd drop in on Aunt Valerie for a visit. We'd see her latest knitting project, talk about books and dolls, and family. I wanted a way for the girls to really "connect" with her, so I asked her if she'd bake cookies for the upcoming family reunion with them.  Many of our cookie recipes come from her, even ones Faith Anne makes for us to sell at the Farmer's Markets.  She did!

Later that same morning we were blessed to have private kayaking lessons and splash around in Silver Lake with Sandy Marks. This was one of the HIGHLIGHTS of the trip for us!

Bryan & Sandy Marks

Sandy was the picture perfect patient teacher!

Sandy taught both girls how to respond in case the kayak tipped, how to paddle, and took them on "tour" of the lake as they practiced.

I wondered if Charity could handle the kayak, but she was sooo cute and determined that she handled the boat like she was born to it!  She too went on a trip around the lake, and later with me! We saw swans, possibly a bald eagle, fish, and we raced back to the beach!

Charity loved the water at the lake!

One Sunday we had a Krueger family reunion. The girls got to meet Aunts, Uncles, and cousins that they've never met before. It was fun to get almost everyone together for fun and fellowship!

The girls charmed Uncle Ric (my big brother) and had him wrapped around their little fingers! He fixed up two bikes and took them over to where we were staying for them to ride, took them grocery shopping, and generally they got what they wanted with him. (How fun sometimes!) He loved it too! It was real nice to be home with my brother and his family.

Uncle John (my little brother, ohh, I love to say that!) brought some of his family to the reunion. It was good to see Jessie and her children, and for the cousins to play together.

It's ALWAYS a blessing to visit with my cousin Peter! I was glad the girls could finally put a face on the stories the boys tell of his visits to the farm. He's a very special person to me.

On another night, we visited with Jim & Val Dowd and their grandchildren who live nearby. Jim and Val were my youth group leaders in high school, and I babysat for them weekly during that time. They helped me through some real rough waters as a teen. They were able to visit with us last winter here on the farm.

The kids got to play games inside and out! What fun they had playing with children their own age.

One of my childhood heros! I really look up to Jim.

Since we'd passed our kayaking lessons, Sandy let us use the kayaks anytime we'd like during our visit. So we did!

Val Dowd came over to bring the girls a gift (school supplies) and slipped them $$ for ice cream! 

Thursday was Uncle Bryan's day to show the Colvin girls a good time. As we waited for him to pick us up at the lake, I slipped down to the shore for a few rare minutes of private time. God was so good to teach me a few lessons in the waves...

We were sure blessed to be able to freely use Bryan Mark's beach at Silver Lake.

The lake is 3 miles long and over a mile wide!

So with Val Dowd's gift in hand, our first stop with Bryan was the Dairy Twist. The girls had never eaten ice cream at a shop like this before!

Faith Anne got a large, thinking she'd get all she could...wellllll, it was HUGE, and they gave her a cup at the start to catch it in! Good thing, as it tipped into the cup right at the first! She still had a double sized cone to much on before starting on the cup of ice cream! Charity and I got the "kiddie" size and it was a double scoop! I got homesick (of sorts) while reading the flavors available...I ordered
"Muddy Boots"!

Bryan Marks and I were friends from ....well, the beginning of my life! He and I grew up in Mayflower Church together. He has gladdddly taken the role of Uncle to the girls as he's been like my big brother for ages.

Bryan took us on a coastal tour of the South Shore. I love the water, so this was a fun day of sight seeing, fun, and fellowship!

~Scituate Lighthouse~
This was the scene of the little known Revolutionary War story of
 "The Army of Two".
(This is a neat story for Home School
 kids to look up!)

The open ocean off of Scituate,
Massachusetts.

We all got our picture taken there since we had researched the "Battle of Two", and it was a special stop. (It's hard to see Charity behind the stuffed animal Andrea gave her.)

Another sight during our tour.

Lastly on the tour was our little test drive of Bryan's 1961 Ford Galaxie in Hingham.

Bryan's "Gal" Sal

The backseat driver!

The best part of the trip was snuggle time with family!

One day we walked around and around the Forefather's Monument in awe of the many facets of the monument. Since we've watched the "Monumental" documentary about the symbolism of the monument, it meant a lot more to Faith Anne...Charity couldn't care less by that point in our day.

Goofing around...I take TERRIBLE selfies!

The historical highlight of the trip was our trip to Plimouth Plantation.
The authentic houses, workers that were steeped into their historical roles, and the "light bulbs" going on in the girl's minds as they saw things they've only read about before made the day memorable for us all.

A friend of Myles Standish that introduced us to
 "our relative".

Charity checked out the Pilgrim's gardens closely.

Myles Standish (a distant relative of ours) was teaching folks to bear arms.

"Myles Standish" talks to one of his relatives...
Faith Anne.

This lady was grinding corn for corn cakes in one of the homes. She talked with us about many of the challenges she faced coming with the separatists to "The New World". (She was not a Pilgrim.) There were many changes in her life and talked with us about the more distasteful ones.  I think the girls will look at their chores differently now. 

Before we left Rosanna made sure we had a seafood feast. We got freshly caught lobster and codfish for  a special meal. Charity had fun holding the lively creatures that her Grampy used to catch in the bay.

One last historical trip was made on board the Mayflower II.
The girls and I wandered on the decks remembering the precarious trip taken by the Pilgrims in 1620.

This was the view of Plymouth bay from the Mayflower II. (Much different then back then!)

Charity explored the decks with her stuffed animal still in tow. 

This time, like at the Plantation, Faith Anne held a great discussion with Governor Bradford. (The workers won't variate from their role. They must study a lot to know the background of the time period, as well as their character!)

Charity and another little girl found a talkative woman that was willing to welcome little girls to her time.

The bike that Uncle Ric had fixed for Charity got a lot of use! I wondered how long it would be before she got tired of riding in circles in the driveway...she LOVED it and just needed a little time to "blow off some country girl steam". 

Rosanna's porch dining room...the scene of many a lively conversation and games.

This is where I was blessed to have my devotions and tea each morning...

Saying goodbye was hard to do!
  

Goodbye Val and Val!

My last visit to the lake was too short...instead of going down to the beach I sat on "my stump" at the top and thanked the Lord for all the memories we made there, for His provision for the trip, and all the love He poured out to us through people.
Good Bye Silver Lake!

Thank you Uncle Bryan for all the memories!

Goodbye!

Bye Maggie!

Thank you Richard and Rosanna!
Goodbye for now!

Homeward bound...good-bye Massachusetts!

Daddy sure is HAPPY to have his girls home!
He gave them goofy glasses to wear for a "welcome home gift" of sorts. :)


The mountain and the sea seem a lifetime apart....but not in our hearts.

Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife,
Val

My first bike. San Juan, Puerto Rico

A SONG IN THE NIGHT ~ Week 11

Greetings!

Another week has flown by, and here I sit again! The quiet of the farm on Saturday mornings is almost "deafening"! Everyone but my youngest (who is reading quietly, and also soaking up the stillness) and I are serving you at a Farmer's Market somewhere in middle or east Tennessee! 

These few weeks in August are our hardest times of farming. Your shares only contain the basics this week. We'll soon be transitioning into the (prayerfully) bounty of the fall crops. I can feel fall in the air most mornings lately here on the mountain, and seeing the first signs like, the tall purple Iron Weed is beginning to bloom here in the higher elevations. So God is sending me messages of the changing seasons. 

Your shares this week contain:

Tomatoes

Yellow Squash

Zucchini

Lettuce

New Potatoes

Okra

Basil

I'm about to fly north to New England with my daughters for our first vacation together in 14 years. Since my oldest daughter is 15, you can understand our need. I'll not be posting the blog during that time. I don't anticipate any new challenging vegetables coming in during this slower time...thus our choice of our getaway! Keep on enjoying your vegetables, experimenting with them in different ways. I'm including a few links to blogs today that I want to try possibly while we're away. There are many food bloggers out there that experiment full time! Here are the links to a couple of my favorites.

I make a chocolate zucchini bread that is fabulous. This is a gluten free version that is double chocolate! I really enjoy Nicole's energy in the kitchen, and want to give this a try. I'll substitute Trim Healthy Momma's Super Sweet Blend of Erythritol &Stevia. for the sweetener in the recipe.

I've tried all kinds of healthier pizza crusts. We enjoy using my fermented dough that I use for the market's French Baguettes, but when zucchini is in season I like to use it in many different ways, as you can tell from my past few posts. This "pick up the crust" vegetable/zucchini pizza looks amazing, and I hope to make it while I'm on vacation. All of my other vegetable pizzas are only fork friendly. The picture of this zucchini pizza gave me a pizza craving!

Again, I'd like to say that I don't earn anything for recommending products or websites to you. I feel that if I've found something helpful, I should pass it on. 

This is the site where I've been learning to culture

vegetables this summer. The recipe on this page is for Tomato Bruschetta, and is VERY similar to what I've been doing without knowing it was a real recipe!
I'd encourage you to snoop around this site a bit for great ideas to make your healthy vegetables healthier!

We've been busy about the farm as usual. In the farm's kitchen this week we put up corn, (16 quarts) and made about 3 gallons of lard from our own pork. You can do this too! It is soo easy! This next link is to one of my blogs I've made just to teach you to make lard out of fatback. We have an ABUNDANCE to sell, so go by your farmer's market and pick some up to try!  I love the convenience of having jars of lard in my pantry. I keep large quantities of the healthier oils such as, coconut, lard, and extra virgin olive oil for our family and farm's use. 

This week the Lord brought back an encouraging story I'd read about Mrs. Charles Spurgeon, wife of the famous evangelist. It gave me purpose for the lessons He is bringing into my life, and He prodded me to share it with you...

Mrs. Spurgeon spent many years confined to her

couch, living in pain. Life went on as usual for the folks outside her door, not knowing, or possibly even caring for her confinement. 

One long night, as she laid on her couch before a fire she heard a trill of a song, like a Robin that used to sing outside her window. But this was nighttime, and not the season for a bird's song. Where could that beautiful song be coming from?!? She decided to enjoy the gift of music in her night. Soon afterward it was learned by a servant that the notes came from a log on the fire.  The fire was releasing the "imprisoned music"!

She pondered, as she laid in pain on her couch that evening a lesson from the Lord. Was it possible the wood had soaked up the song

years before when it had stood strong in the sun and a bird had sung among its branches?

The tree had grown old since then, with ring after ring of knotty growth which had sealed in the sunshine and song. The flames that night were burning away years of callousness and releasing the long-forgotten song. 

Do you have a song hidden by pain and hurt within you? Allow the Lord to burn away the calluses of your heart, and let the song out. ONLY through HIS touch can this happen. Echo my prayer this week, "Lord, enable me to [sing in the fire] for Your glory!"

Abundant Blessings!

The Farmer's Wife

Val

Aprons

Week 10 is here for our CSA, and the "dog days of

This week's shares contain:
Basil, Yellow Squash, tomatoes,
New Potatoes, & Red Summer Crisp
Lettuce

summer" are in full swing. Google defines these sultry days as, "marked by lethargy and inactivity". Here on the farm we are busy busy, so any inactivity occurs only in our minds! 

The guys have been planting row upon row of seeds for fall crops. (See a great picture of Isaac seeding over 2 miles of crops on our Facebook page.) I love the fall harvests the best. It's the only time of year I get the tender spring crops mixed with my favorite summer vegetables. The almost daily showers have sure been a blessing to help grow them. I'm praising God again for His "showers of blessing"!

Destany is Isaac's new wife and is his helper at Market Square Farmer's Market
in downtown Knoxville.

 I want to thank my daughters-in-love that work alongside their husbands and our family packing and selling at markets. They are a big blessing to us all!

Allison is Adam's wife and is his helper at New Harvest Park and Franklin Farmer's Market.

I've added a "gadget" to the sidebar of this blog.

Luke is really growing up
and is a great help
on the farm this year!
Thanks for all your
hard work son!

There I can highlight an old post that may have a recipe you can use with the vegetables that are in your shares this week, or a word of encouragement that may help you. As I was looking back at my old posts, one stood out to me that I wanted to repost here. The message is still needed today in every home in America. So I've fixed my atrocious spelling and updated the recipes a bit for today. I pray it's an encouragement to you or your wife. Share it with anyone you think that could use a bit of     encouragement in their calling.

Farmer Steve and Daddy to the crew is a great example of
serving to us all. I want to thank him for his example and hard
work!

August 2011

Greetings from our mountain farm! I've been contemplating what to write to you this week...when after a busy day of baking the bread shares and packing vegetables it hit me! I love it when the Lord directs in answer to prayer! This is how it happened...

Life in a packing shed after a long day of picking and packing usually ends with everyone being jolly and jostling for a position in line packing shares. Yesterday (Friday) it was packing tomatoes...there were about 160 quart cups lined up on tables to be filled with tomatoes that had JUST been picked. Several of us had flats of ripe tomatoes (not green and gassed) and were filling the cups "until they looked good". To me, pretty looked good...to the boys big looked good. Hmmm, well, the flats fit under the men's arms better than mine so I was balancing mine on the edge of the table and knocking the empty cups on the far back of the table off on the ground. It was some "handsome" son's job to pick them up....then I had to have someone with longer arms fill the last two cups on the far side of the table. (None of my children have inherited my "petite" genes...so whoever is closest at the time is called handsome and asked to pick up the fallen empty cups. They "melt" when they are called handsome, and are ready to do what I need done. I hope none of them read this and catch on!) After being alone in the packing shed most of the day it was a sweet blessing to be joined by 7 of my sons to finish up the work.

When the tomatoes were taken care of and the last of the thyme was bundled they begged me to begin supper...it was 7 p.m., and they were having hunger pains. I was ready too after packing potatoes, onions, yellow/zucchini/patty pan squashes, green beans, thyme, and tomatoes I was ready to retreat to the hominess of the farm kitchen. I had been wearing an apron made from the skirt of an old jumper which protects my clothes from the mud, water, and blossom ends of vegetables when as I scooped it up, my post idea came! As I held out my ample apron I had different boys scoop up potatoes, squash, onions, tomatoes, and other vegetables to carry down to the house for supper. I made a "goulash" as an elderly friend calls that type of a meal, from all that was in my apron.

The last generation of mountain women all wore aprons. Recently I inherited three of my mother-in-love's aprons as she cleaned out her home. She and many other ladies wore these aprons everyday as sort of a uniform. It was a mark of pride that they were wives, mothers, and homemakers.

I have fond memories of farmer Steve's Aunt Glen who took me under her wing and taught me many of the skills I needed to provide for my family...she cooked, sewed, canned, gardened, quilted, along with the many responsibilities of being a farmer's wife. I've stood by her side canning peaches...not just a few...but BUSHELS of peaches on steamy August afternoons. When the Preacher or a neighbor  stopped by for a minute on an unplanned visit she would quickly change her work apron as they got out of their cars, into one of her company aprons. Aunt Glenn then greeted her guest at the door looking fresh, and ready to entertain. Her days were filled with nonstop duties that ministered not only to her family, but to the widow down the road, friends who owned farms in other states, and of course the newest member of the family who knew nothing about rural farm life...ME! She "wore her apron WELL."

Where has the "uniform" of a homemaker gone? With the loss of the apron came a loss of pride in our"profession" or calling from the Lord. Society began to look down on the women who stayed at home to raise the children and provide a haven for their husbands. The highest calling for a woman is still her home. Charles Spurgeon once said,"You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, and training them up in God's fear, and minding the house, and making your household a church for God, as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts." Nothing is more important.

The many skills a homemaker possessed in the past two generations that generated the need for the apron are also now vanishing. I thank God a few women are once again raising the standard high for this generation of wives, mothers, and yes, proudly, homemakers to see. What the world has to offer in the areas of food, clothing, entertainment, education, and even worship cannot compare to the time intensive commitment of a woman serving her family "from scratch".

My aprons are getting a lot of use this week..I've just finished a HUGE batch of almond granola. By HUGE I mean it contained around 90 cups of dry ingredients. It takes me most of the day to bake it, so as it baked I made a double batch of jalapeno summer squash relish. This is the second time I've made it this summer, adjusting the heat level each time....this is hot. :) Adam is finally smiling! So today I've made 23 pints of relish and two big bus tubs of granola...a good day.

Tonight I served 5 vegetables, homemade pinto beans, and cornbread in pans I also inherited from my mother-in-love. The recipe for her truly southern pinto beans was in one of last year's issues of The Farmer's Wife. We are eating tomatoes three times a day...ahhhh...so I thought I'd include a few ideas for using your tomatoes and other vegetables this week.

Several of my tried and true recipes come from these older mountain women that are now in glory with our Saviour Jesus Christ. They've left a legacy behind for me to follow. They often used ingredients found in their cupboards. "Running to town" a half hour away was unheard of, as they often only went off the mountain to town weekly, if that. The fancy ingredients found in most recipes today would make them laugh, or ask, "What's that?!" Why not try this recipe for three of the vegetables in your shares this week. The buttered crackers were a treat and something new in the cupboard 30 years ago when I set up housekeeping...they often substituted buttered bread crumbs for the topping....you could too.

Baked Zucchini and Tomatoes
2 medium zucchini
2 medium fresh tomatoes
1 medium mild onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crushed, buttered broken cracker crumbs

Wash zucchini but do not peel. Peel tomatoes and onions. Slice all vegetables into thin crosswise slices.
In a greased baking dish make alternate layers of zucchini, tomatoes and onions, sprinkling each layer with a little salt and pepper, also dotting with butter.
Cover top with crushed cracker crumbs. Bake in a 350* oven until vegetables are tender.

As a young homemaker I was encouraged to experiment with what our garden was producing. I had my "postage stamp" sized garden compared to these old mountain women, and eventually added raised beds on top of the rock the Lord blessed us with at the time. I fell in love with gardening and how I was able to supplement our meager food budget. This recipe is one of my earliest experiments. It earned me a third place in the state of Tennessee Dairy Contest for homemakers! It makes a large dish, so simply halving the ingredients would fit the needs of an average family. Substitute what vegetables you have on hand and have fun experimenting yourself.

Garden Lasagna
4 medium zucchini, sliced in 1/8" slices
1 large onion, chopped in 1/4" pieces
1 medium green pepper, chopped in 1/4" pieces
1 carrot, scraped and diced in 1/4" pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T. butter
2 , 16 oz. cans tomatoes, drained well
(You could use chopped tomatoes here from your shares.)
1, 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1, 6 oz. can tomato paste
1/4 cup white grape juice (optional)
2 T. chopped parsley
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried whole basil
1/2 t. seasoning salt
1/4 t. "freshly" ground pepper
3 qts. water
2 t. salt
9 lasagna noodles
1, 16 oz. carton cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella 
1 C. grated Parmesan Cheese

Saute zucchini, onion, green pepper, carrot, and garlic in butter in a dutch oven over medium heat until  andante, 5 minutes or so. Stir in the next 9 ingredients. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes then uncover and simmer another 15 minutes until sauce "thickens" a bit, stirring occasionally.

While sauce is thickening, combine 3 quarts of water and salt in a pasta pot; bring to a boil. Gradually add lasagna noodles. Boil, uncovered, 12 to 15 minutes or until noodles are just tender; drain well.

Spread 1/4 of sauce in a lightly greased 12 x 9 x 2" baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, 1/3 cottage cheese, 1/4 Swiss/Mozzarella, and 1/4 of the parmesan cheese; repeat layers twice. Top with remaining sauce, Swiss, and parmesan cheese.

 Bake, uncovered at 350* for 35-40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Yield: 8 servings.

I'd like to promote the cookbook we are selling to our shareholders this year. (We do not offer this great cookbook anymore you can buy it on Amazon at this link.) Last year it was my handbook for trying new recipes and I fell in love with it. The Practical Produce Cookbook is FULL of ideas from planting, cooking, to canning just about every vegetable we sell.  I think it only failed me once last year, and that was when we had a BUMPER CROP of Daikon radish to deal with and I had no idea how to use them. (After a bit of experimenting I figured it out. :) There are recipes for using vegetables in, desserts,  soups, salads, breads, and much more. I like a recipe book that calls for everyday ingredients and this is just like that. The Scripture on food and gardening is sprinkled throughout the pages is an encouragement to me when I was rushed to come up with a new way to use ...say zucchini...for the 10th week in a row. 

Do you need an easy supper tonight using what you all ready have in your cupboard and share in the fridge? Try this simple meal. (Nowadays I add Mexican spices to my meat such as Cumin, Garlic, Cayenne Pepper, Oregano, and Chili Powder. You could simply add a packet of taco seasoning for about the same taste.)

Stack Supper with Tomatoes

2 C. long grain white/brown rice
You can substitute broken/crushed tortilla chips for the rice.
1 head lettuce, chopped
3 lb. ground beef, browned
(this can be halved, and substitutions like turkey or chicken used)
2 C. chopped onion
1/4 C. flour
1/4 C. butter
1 qt. milk
Chopped Jalapenos (optional)
1/2 lb. Cheddar cheese
taco sauce or salsa

Cook rice according to package instructions. (I use a rice cooker. A GREAT invention!) 

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the flour over it and stir well. Let the mixture bubble a bit as you stir it. Slowly whisk in the milk. When the sauce thickens, and is hot, stir in the cheese. Walla, a cheese sauce! (If your family likes spicy heat in their food, add chopped jalapenos with a bit of the juice from the jar to taste at this point.)

Layer cooked rice, browned and seasoned hamburger, chopped onion & green pepper, lettuce, and ending with cheese sauce. Serve with salsa or taco sauce. 

I like to have special meals every once in a while to encourage my men that work so hard on the farm. Here is one I'm going to try this week from the Practical Produce Cookbook that uses the fresh basil, tomatoes, and onions from our shares. It directs me to broil the fish, but I may try grilling or baking them as I have a CREW to feed and we've outgrown our broiler.

Tomatoes Stuffed Fish Fillets

1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped
1/4 C. finely chopped onion
1/4. t. basil leaves
1 1/2 lb. fresh fish fillets
(They suggest flounder or haddock but use what you have.)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine tomato, onion and basil; set aside/ Brush both sides of fillets with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Plae small amount of tomato mixture in center of each fillet. Overlap both ends of fillet over tomato; fasten with wooden picks. Arrange on broiler rack. Broil 3 inches from cources of heat, turning once and brushing with olive oil. Broil 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork but is still moist. 

Well, this post has taken a week to complete. My aprons have got a lot of use this week as I've canned, baked, gathered vegetables while gardening, and I even dried tears with it. I thank God for His direction in Titus chapter 2 to be a "keeper at home"...there is soooo much to "keep" in a family!

The Lord often gives me Scripture to encourage me in my calling. When my spirit lags He brings them back to my remembrance...one such verse is Proverbs 31:25...as I put my apron on I remember "Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come." 

As mothers we don't see the fruit of our labors immediately...just like in our fields. The harvest comes months, and with children even years later! The Holy Spirit is my strength in these times and I see my apron in the verse that says, "She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms." Proverbs 31:17. By remembering my high calling as a wife and mother the Lord "strengthens my arms" to serve Him in my home. May He do the same for you!

 Is there an apron hanging in your kitchen? Why not put it on and let the Holy Spirit remind you where your strength comes from..."my strength cometh from the Lord." Then proudly go about your day renewed, and knowing you are in the perfect will of God serving your family.

Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife 
Val