I am anxiously awaiting frost free morning's so I can plant our garden. We love the fresh vegetables all year long. Today is windy and only in the mid 50's. With the sun shining though it feels a bit warmer so perhaps I will go and dig in the dirt awhile and look forward to the garden. My neighbors and friends question my sanity, but there is just nothing quite like fresh garden food! We have 5 gardens in our yard. There is a small herb hill near my clothesline. A small patch of pumpkins and squash out behind the shed. Beside the shed we have rhubarb, asparagus, horseradish and blackberries. Then we have 2 rather large patches for peas, beans, tomatoes and more pumpkins, squash and cucumbers. My husband keeps busy weeding and proudly observing his garden. I keep busy weeding and processing the food for our family to eat throughout the season! There is nothing like fresh veggies on the table next to that platter of roast beef or chicken! My youngest likes to pick peas and nibble on them as she assists in weeding. At the ripe age of 5 she has learned the difference between weeds and peas. She is very discerning when it comes to that! Another of our children loves the fresh cucumbers sliced and lightly salted with sea salt! Those go really really fast at the dinner table! Our freezer is full. The canner is kept busy and we even take advantage of a food dehydrater! What a great bonus to our health and budget!
"They're all gone!" my son hollered up from the basement that doubles as a canned food cellar in our house! "The dried apples are all gone!" he sadly stated looking very defeated as he climbed back up the stairs. I had dehydrated 7 half gallon jars of apples over the last fall. Then I looked outside and the land lord was pruning the apple trees. Last year I had way more apples that I could process! Since they were pruned I will have larger apples, but way less. Just then a neighbor stopped in. "Don't worry" he calmly stated, "we still have the apple tree in the vacant lot behind my house and its never pruned because a church owns that property and allows me to use it! Look out...we're going to have MORE dried apples, applesauce and apple butter this year. If you have any great recipes feel free to send them my way.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Just A Mom
This came to me in a recent e-mail and I thought it was worthy of merit for all SAHM.
A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office was
asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
"What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you
just a......?" "Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom.""We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.
I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."
"What is your occupation?" she probed. What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations." The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire."Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?" Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom." Motherhood! What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door. Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations" and great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates"? I think so!!! I also think it makes Aunts "Associate Research Assistants".
A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office was
asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
"What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you
just a......?" "Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom.""We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.
I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."
"What is your occupation?" she probed. What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations." The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire."Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?" Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom." Motherhood! What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door. Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations" and great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates"? I think so!!! I also think it makes Aunts "Associate Research Assistants".
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