Thursday - Our Favorite Day?

Wednesday was full of working the "Dad list."  I think we've found a medical practice that is going to work well for Dad.... I've visited three practices in person - and I was glad I did.

Thursday - Ah....Brave with Stacia....always a highlight in the week...though it makes for a busy Thursday.

It was a beautiful view and worked for us. I think we may prefer Sophia's as I can get a sugar free chai latte....and they make food that tastes really yummy. This food was good - but nothing we don't do at home...at least what we ordered was pretty basic.

There is nothing basic about the beautiful colors and the snow crawling down our mountain peak.

Sandy knew I was using Lily's chocolate chips and gave me some sugar-free chocolate chips to sample. YUM.  These are cheaper than Lily's. We tasted them side by side and we like these a bit better....Did I say they are cheaper? I need to get to Walmart to buy more. I'm not 100% sure of their name, I'll have to share that after I go shopping again. ANYWAY - the gift of the chips,  led to baking keto cookies for Life Group. The irony being that NONE of our keto folks showed up this week for Life Group.  Ah well - we had sugar free, almond flour cookies. The taste was good. They were a bit dry. I followed the directions to freeze them and they will make a return at some point.

My family DID ask me why I didn't  use the Stevia or Swerve and the sugar free chips with our favorite recipe....hmmm....I'll have to give it a try.

Thursdays are full - but are fast becoming a favorite day of the week.

*Note after everyone went home from Life Group - Michael began throwing up.

Fall Rainbow

Photo by Michael 

Ah - the pot of gold has always been here at home. LOL 

Benny Day

Many of Benny's toys are packed.  That didn't stop he and I from having fun while Arielle slaved at work.  He isn't quite sure WHAT to make of this....

I turned on the little blue and white massager and set it on the floor. It made great noise and bucked around the room.

In the end Benny conquered it. LOL  Much as Phoenix has conquered the chicken yard. He loves to perch on the gate, survey the hens, and crow loudly.

A Busy Fall Afternoon

It isn't raining today!  The temps ARE changing.  We all made use of the day in various ways....

I enjoyed a soul-refreshing coffee date with a friend. I followed this by a bit of shopping.

Michael rented a splitter and he and the "boys" spent the afternoon hard at work to splitting the wood they've felled this summer. It was nice Nolan was able to jump in. A bit later in the day Krista jumped in as well. We appreciate all the help.

Michael, Nolan, Dad

Michael, Nolan, G.G., Alex

Stacia, Krista and I set out to deliver fall goodies to neighbors. We only managed to make one personal contact....but maybe it's a seed.

Arielle got home from work ready to take advantage of the beautiful fall day. She asked if we'd like to go to one of the local parks with her and Benny. I simply COULDN'T miss out on one of the last park trips of the year.....Like may towns we have a "Kid's Castle," "Kid's Kingdom"....I've seen these community built parks all over the states. This one follows the basic design, with an Alaskan twist. Lot's of Color....

 A nod to the Alaskan Railroad

Colorful tiles and borders

Animals...

Snow machine

We ran into 3 friendly youth - no wild hooligans in sight. 

A couple of empty swings made for Benny and Bachan!

Swing isn't so bad when you do it together

Benny loved the swinging and sliding.....

He loves the climbing and sliding

 Fall fun

Auntie Stacia is going to get Benny! 

 It was a brief hour - dinner had to be made....back at home everyone was wrapping up the wood project. Stacia and I got a pot pie going and dinner was served.

We ended the night with a couple of chapters of Prince Caspian.

Hard to accept September is already ending.

Sunday Fun and Lessons

Michael and I were in the nursery today. A fun time was had by all.

Stacia asked permission from pastor to do a fundraiser to earn money towards the AK Youth Conference which is coming up next month. Her idea was to set up a table and sell hats at church. He agreed and she set a table way out by the arctic entrance of the church. Inside the front door but not in the foyer or sanctuary.  She had a sign clearly stating she was raising funds for youth conference. She was nervous about this and it's a good thing Michael and I were down in the basement. We didn't see a grown woman, who doesn't attend services,  walk into the church and chew out a 14 yo, going as far as to raise her voice to Stacia, as she tried to explain she had asked permission and was raising money for a youth conference. She was told,  "If you need money you should ask the pastor for money, that's what the church is for." Evidently, it's a sin to participate in a fund raiser, but o.k. for a grown woman to speak rudely and harshly to a youth. Kudos to our pastor who stepped in and said it was ok for Stacia to be there.  It was a good lesson for Stacia in how different Christians have different convictions. It is also a good lesson for her to learn sometimes you do everything right and you still get yelled at. And you just have to be o.k. with that. It's part of being brave. Another lesson learned is sometimes others will defend you.  (I have no pictures to accompany this paragraph.) As one who has been in ministry for over 30 years, and as an adult, may I suggest if you ever find yourself in a situation where you are upset at something you see at church - talk kindly. If you are really upset - go talk to the pastor. The 14 yo girl in the front, or even your best friend, isn't the one to address your concern. LOL

When we came up from the nursery we discovered Josiah and Jamin in the back of the church with Dad. Nolan had requested (again) to be given Sundays off and was at church. BreZaak were home sick, but the rest of us went out to the Sunrise Grill for lunch.  They always give us a table way off by ourselves. It's nice as it is easier for dad to hear because we can talk loud without bothering others. It was a fun lunch - full of smart comments, Dad jokes, and did you know there is such a thing as Mom jokes? ::snort::

We spent the afternoon visiting and playing games. Cory was ripping something out of the house and Arielle and Benny joined us for a bit. We ended the day playing Farkle.

Alex won. Most were over 5K before I even got ON. LOL 

I'm not sure I'm ready for another week to begin - but this is the schedule we've prayed over and love. We've got this. LOL

Lasagna Gardening and Such

It wasn't raining today! Michael and Alex made it a goal to finish up "the Birch tree." Nolan was off work and got sucked into the job. Dad is always in the middle of the activity.

I thought it would be good to snatch some one on one time with Krista so the two of us went to Thrifters Rock on a hunt for jeans that would fit me. My jeans seem to be stretching out and sliding down to regions I do not wish to show. 😏 I don't want to spend a lot of money until I'm at goal weight. I am now less than I was at JaRissa's wedding. We found a few cute shirts and one pair of jeans that will work. I'll try to make it to Bishop's Attic and find another pair. The ones I have now are crop pants and it's getting a bit chilly for crop pants and flip flops..especially when they don't stay up. ::snort:: I also found 4 mini-loaf pans...

I baked a couple batches of zucchini bread. I made onne batch exactly as written....and did a second, healthier version. The healthier version rose higher. I needed to have filled the mini-loaf pans fuller. I cut a loaf of each and had everyone in the family do a blind side by side to tell me which they liked better.  I did not participate and I did not let Dad participate. We are eating the sugar free version regardless - diabetes being what it is. The family chose the reduced oil, no sugar added version.

Yes, you see chocolate chips. BTW Lily's has a stevia sweetened chocolate chip that is good. I'll use MUCH less chocolate next time.  Stacia made up some of our homemade hot chocolate mix and we plan to package a pint jar of hot chocolate,  with a loaf, and deliver them to neighbors.

Stacia and I went out to do a  bit of winterizing in our garden. We decided composting the garden greens is the perfect way to begin a second lasagna garden bed. Michael and Alex didn't have the supplies or time to build another box....so we simply laid cardboard out, then a layer of brown, followed by a layer of green, and another layer of brown. This will be the spot where we put our kitchen scraps and chicken coop debris through the winter. The lasagna method is an easy way to create soil by sheet composting.

Note Dad and Nolan burning brush in the background

The following quote gives a summary of the lasagna gardening method. I found it here.   I also recommend "Lasagna Gardening" by Patricia Lanza.

"Lasagna gardening is a no-dig, no-till organic gardening method that results in rich, fluffy soil with very little work from the gardener. The name "lasagna gardening"...refers to the method of building the garden, which is, essentially, adding layers of organic materials that will “cook down” over time, resulting in rich, fluffy soil that will help your plants thrive. Also known as “sheet composting,” lasagna gardening is great for the environment because you're using your yard and kitchen waste and essentially composting it in place to make a new garden."

We had enough frozen garden plants to add another layer of green to the first lasagna bed....

 Followed by a brown layer....it will  settle down within a week. 

The temps have dropped and we have had frost. I tried to save a few squash plants by covering them with tarps. They look iffy.  As I pulled the cauliflower plants, I noticed the broccoli has new florets.

We covered this bed and made make-shift ends for the tunnel. 

We've still got kale and carrots growing in here. 

 As we pulled up plants we found MORE Zucchini -  we are "SURE" they're the last of the season. We also found a hill of Yukon potatoes and a few stray carrots.

We aren't 100% sure how to put the garden to bed for the season. Ideas? I had thought to cover it all with black plastic to keep the crazy weeds from taking over as the snow melts next spring.  I'm rethinking this as I found hundreds, maybe thousands, of dead worms on top of the plastic that was out there during the last rain. I need the worms.

FIRST FROST - TGIF

We had our first frost this morning - and thus ends our official growing season on Sept 27th.  Michael and I had covered a few squash plants and my carrot/kale bed. I still am hoping to use the tomatoes in the greenhouse. I have a strainer on order so I can process them as soon as it arrives.

8 a.m.

Stacia asked me to delay letting the chickens out so Dash could enjoy the chicken yard. Now there's a nice pet owner. She went out in the frosty cold and let Dash run around. Dash had a fantastic time.

This is becoming a routine. I run out for Dad's paper. Benny sees me come in and comes upstairs as soon as he can to join dad in reading the paper. ::snort::

He wasn't about to share with Bachan.

Road runner  continues to fly over the fence. Phoenix, the roo pictured below, can fly in and out as well.  I keep thinking they'll get heavy enough not to be able to do this....Phoenix seems to like to perch higher than the hens and crow. LOL 

It was a busy week as we harvested, felled trees, decorated, schooled and started Bible study and Life Group. As Krista noted - "it's a lot," but all things we feel called to participate in or lead.  We've cut back from last year and it feels like a lot - but doable.  Nevertheless, by Friday afternoon I was tired and fell asleep while Stacia, Dad and I were watching a Heartland episode.

We finished the week with pizza and a movie.