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Protein, Carbohydrates, Fats.  You got it.  All of them.  They are all necessary.

Folks.  We are what we eat.  And don’t eat.  If we decide that a food group is not healthy for us or necessary, we face serious consequences.  It’s like we play Russian roulette with our bodies.

This is a crazy example of  a –  b = c.

“……On the one hand is the story of Ashton Kutcher who ended up in the hospital with pancreas issues and severe pain following a fruitarian diet which was part of his efforts to “get into character” for his role as Steve Jobs in the soon to be released movie Jobs.  Steve Jobs, the visionary founder of Apple and a known fruitarian, died in October 2011 from complications of pancreatic cancer.”  –Healthy Home Economist (Outstanding blogger,  by the way, on health,  nutrition, traditional foods, food and drug industry)

That is pretty telling, don’t you think?

If we choose a low-fat diet, we will be a low oiled machine.  Our cells will not be well insulated and protected.  Poor vitamin absorption.   Depression. Increased cancer risk.   High cholesterol.  Imbalance of nutrients.

If we choose a low protein diet,  we will not get the oxygen carried properly through our bodies.  We will be deficient in antibodies.  Our hormones will not be fed to metabolize, digest, and absorb nutrients.  Water will not be distributed effectively.    Not to mention vitamin and  mineral deficient.

If we choose low carb diet, we can experience organ stress, kidney stones, gout or kidney failure.   Our brain doesn’t receive the  glucose needed for  proper brain function.

When you think about it, doesn’t it sound silly?  To cut out whole food groups… for what gain?  We are so eager to compromise our health for various reasons that clearly shouldn’t be more important than our health.  The older I get the more I am realizing, that without my health,  life is  downright difficult.

I know.  I know.   We have been fed so much information by “those people” out there.   The fads. The trends.  Who makes up that stuff?  Low fat this.  Low carb that.  High carb, low protein.  blah blah.  Where  did they get those ideas?  Really?  Why are we so gullible to believe them?  Who are them?

AND why do we believe “low-fat” is a solution rather than “low chemical” in our food?  If you notice, none of those “thems” ever talk about eating “low chemical” diets?   And I bet you can guess why.

If we eat the foods that we are designed to eat.  Good clean, uncontaminated food.  Wouldn’t it makes sense that we could prevent a lot of chronic diseases?  I wonder if Steve Jobs could have prevented pancreatic cancer that ultimately took his life?  I’m curious.

Fats are good and necessary.  Bad fats are not good.

Carbs are good and necessary.  Bad carbs are not good.

Proteins are good and necessary.  Bad proteins are not good.

  FARM NEWS

Very very sad.  We had to take trees in front yard down this past week.  Three very large trees that died as a result of our construction.  ugh.   We tried to be so careful and did not cut down trees to build the house.   Trees mean a great deal to my serenity.

This is the building site 2011.  All the trees around the white trailer did not make it.   HEARTBREAKING.  My heart ached last Friday as I felt the trees shake the earth.

This is the little Elm that we planted in place of the biggies.  Now, I am not a spring chicken anymore.  I pray that I will at least live to see this baby grow a big’ish shadow in the yard.

Life moves us, doesn’t it?

God bless,

Karen

Happy New Year!

It became ver clear to me early on in this season that blogging was going to have to be place aside.  I just remembered yesterday that I had a Christmas stick sitting in my living room and gunk sitting on all my tables that really shouldn’t be sitting there anymore.  I think I have mentioned more than once that I am just coming around to the idea of this season, but I don’t know if I will ever understand the idea of redecorating my house for two weeks and then undecorating my house.  I like my 50 week things better than my 2 week things. It always makes me feel resentful that I have to put away stuff that I like.  I love putting up my manger scene and Christmas in the city that my kids gave me over the course of 25 years, which is stunning.  I want to live in that city.

The church reminds me of the tuppins song on Mary Poppins.  I even have a lady outside the church with her bird cages.  The whole city is a reflection of all  the childhood Christmas’ of my boys.  They were so excited for me to open up the piece they carefully selected for me.

So, that’s all over now.  Whew.  Not the childhood thing.  The Christmas stuff on my tables thing.

I do like to reflect as a new year begins.  But I also know that God gives us the opportunity to “begin again” each and every day.  Or really each and every moment.  I can make the decision each moment to make the next moment  different.  For the better, I hope.  Sometimes I start  wasting away my new years  resolution and think, oh well,  I will just start again in the new year.  It may be March when I say that.   Ooooookkkkkkk.  What happens between March and December?  The license to ignore my responsibility to myself, others and God?   Now, that’s what I call rational thinking.

I don’t believe making resolutions about weight loss, quitting a vice, exercising are bad things.  Or silly.  For me, my health is really important.  I can not perform the mission He has for me here if I am not taking good care.  He has intstilled in us gifts, skills, and talents that He expects us to take out into the world to share with others.  And to inspire each other to grow.  And to help us all grow closer to Him.  I like that.  I want to be a part of that.  I want to be part of solutions rather than be part of  problems.  In order to do that I must feel good enough to get my lazy rear out of bed in the morning.

But… the one thing that has become so very clear to me is I cannot make those resolutions without asking God to help me.  In my experience, when I have resolved to do something and I have not included Him in my plan, it is like blowing smoke into thin air.  That was the first 40 years of my life.  Man, my wheels were spinning.  Yeah, I was getting things accomplished, but was I growing?  Was I getting rich (figuratively)?  Was I getting HAPPIER?  Was I changing for the better, or was it always status quo?  I hear a collective NO.  I think we are here to get better  and better and BETTER AND……  I grew tired of myself.   We like when we are impressed by  others, right?  How ’bout gettin’ impressed with ourselves….but then give the credit to God.  Cause without him, well…..

When I was 40, I knew I needed to change for the better.  I needed to put down  alcohol.  I had tried for years.  Like 25.   It was new years.  I made a resolution.  The difference from years past?  I asked God for help.  It worked.  I haven’t drank, drunk, drinked alcohol for 12 years, Jan 7.    SOO glad.  So,  the next year rolled around.  I was a smoker.  I thought, “Wow, that was cool.  I think I’ll try this again.”  I haven’t smoked for 11 years, Jan. 7.  His presence became so evident to me because when I asked for help, He was there.  When I didn’t, He was not.  A relationship ensued and I haven’t looked back.

My whole point is,  we can make resolutions,  as many as we may try,  but bottom line we cannot sustain them without Him.  My story has such a before and after evidence of proof,  that in my life, I do not doubt and will not doubt.  Since I invited that Divine Power in my life, my life has been full to the brim with joy and my heart full.  For 12 years, this coming January 7th.

I am in love.

New Year’s Day Sunset. A new beginning.

God bless,

Karen

Merry Christmas!

Every Christmas things change.  I think I have mentioned that I used to not look forward to Christmas.  That has changed.  Well..I don’t pine for it, but I sure feel the joy and anticipation of the birth of Christ as I never have before.  Before, the commercialism overwhelmed the real meaning for me, and I totally let it bring me down.  How do you feel about it?

This weekend we had an empty schedule so we messed around with decorations.  Pop dealing with the usual outside light predicament.  At our old house we just didn’t have enough juice to feed his hunger for an exterior spectacular.  At the new place, the lights keep going out cause he’s trying to run about 600 feet of light to one outlet.  We have plenty of juice coming to the barn for this.  I kid him, but I realize, as always, it is a challenge to do what he is trying to do.  I am embarrassed to even mention how much we have spent on extension chords.   Ya gotta love these guys that HAVE to light up the world.  You really do.  Have to love them.

Another change.  We went to the Christmas tree cutting down farm this weekend.  We went to the same one last year too and came home then with a much smaller tree than we’re used to.  But, what the hay?  Empty nesters.  I’m ready for a table top.  The kids all walked in last year and said, ” What the heck?”  Wait til they get a glimpse of this year’s.   This year we got a Christmas “stick” instead of a tree.  I dont think you could even call this a branch.  We laughed.  The tree people laughed.  And fun was had by all.

Tree all bundled up from its ride home.

One thing that is sad about the tree farm.  They said that a few species, like the Frazier, which we usually get, all died this past year.  They tried to grow more and they didn’t make it.  They have been continually stressed by the climate conditions and just decided to go north.   ugh.  God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.

So, are you ready for the unveiling of our glorious weed?

Jesus would love this tree. So would Charlie Brown.

We do not have a large corner that would be an obvious place for a tree.  Who knows, next year we may put it outside  and just look at it through the window.  That,  of course, would become part of Pops outdoor spectacular.

Last year, I bought a larg’ish nativity scene to put in a stall (where it should be.  Wasn’t that where our glorious Savior was born, anyway?) I lit it up and it looked beautifully appropriate.  But they were lonely.  Or rather, I was lonely for them.  So, I put them where I could see them this year.  In the woods behind our house.

I really wish I could see what you have done to prepare in the way of decorating for this season.  Post on facebook your creativity.

God bless,

Karen

Everyone’s Mom has favorite sayings.  I’m sure my kids can come up with some doozies for me.  I just hope none of them were the doozies my mom used to say.  Mine may be as annoying and silly, I just hope they weren’t the same as my mom.  We have to break the cycle somewhere, right?

I thought about this as I entered the chicken yard a few days ago and saw a broom that had been dragged out into the yard from the Chick-condo and ripped apart.  It looks like a work of art to me.

I smiled to myself the words my mother always used:  “Is there nothing that I can call my own?”  Huh?  Is there anything that is really our own anyway?  I don’t use those words cause I suppose there are many items in my home that no one touches.  My mom had four girls.  She had much to contend with in the way of paw paws touching her stuff. Little closet snatchers she had to deal with on occasion.  I have no girls.  My boys don’t dip into my closet very often.  Maybe now that my barn animals like the same things I like I will insert that saying into my repertoire.

“If you don’t stop crying, I will give you something to cry about.”  I always wondered, if a parent didn’t want to hear crying, why they would do something to induce crying?  That NEVER made sense to me and still doesn’t.

“No, you can’t because I said so.”   I spent years working really hard not to utter the words.   I felt that my child deserved a reason for not doing something so they could better discern their next action.  When I used to hear that, I would think to myself, ” Uh, no, that is NOT a good enough reason.”  But I think as they got up in some teen years when stupid is as stupid does,  I do think I uttered the words.  Rational explanations weren’t working anymore.  And I kinda now understand that  our parent’s “no” should be reason enough.

A few of mine that I have been known to throw out there are:

“If you keep playing with that, it WILL break.”  I have one particular son that can’t keep his hands off of all that is precious.  I guess I could adopt the “Is there nothing I can call my own?”  But I don’t want anyone thinking that I’m not sharing.  I want him to think I share.  I just don’t want him to touch the shared object.

“Fair is a carnival with rides.”

“There is a time and a place.. and it’s not now.”  That was a very popular saying of mine when the boys were teenagers.

My youngest just reminded me that I said:  “No. You don’t know.”  Thar creeps me out.

I would love to hear what came out of your house.  Or what you could be accused of saying.

5 guineas chatting away 2 crows.

Have yerself a super Thanksgiving Saturday.

God bless,

Karen

Please don’t look up hather.  It’s not a word.  But I want it to be.   But humility, submission and obedience, last time I looked,  are words in the English dictionary.   But,  man alive, we are doing our best to get them kicked out, aren’t we?   How did we get to a place where these are really bad words?

I have been doing a small painting series for an upcoming show and I have been using humility as my theme.  I have been thinking about it a lot and praying about it.   I want humility in my life but it is really hard to accomplish.  So lets talk about this for a minute.  Why is humility so hard to accomplish?

humility |(h)yoōˈmilitē|
noun
a modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness.

submission |səbˈmi sh ən|
noun
1 the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person

obedience |ōˈbēdēəns|
noun
compliance with someone’s wishes or orders or acknowledgment of their authority

Based on the definitions above, I get the idea that in order to be humble or gain humility, we have to submit to or obey  something or someone who we believe is greater than us in some way.

But, wait.  In order to do that, we have to take stock of ourselves, realize that we are not all that, and that someone over there may be more than all that.   Like who?  Who should we submit to?  Or obey?  Our spouses?    Some would think, no way.  Why not?  Why did we marry them in the first place?  For them to rub and massage our  egos?   If we married them because we loved them, and since love is an action, doesn’t it make sense that we submit and obey them?  Which according to the definitions above, we would be complying with their wishes or accepting or yielding to their will?  Isn’t that what love is?

Four  years ago, I refused to submit to my husband when he wanted me to where this in my wood shop to cut wood. Honey, today, I would humbly submit.

Someone else we may be asked to submit to or obey is a boss.  The boss has faith in our abilities  and is paying us to do a job.  Doesn’t it make sense that we comply, accept and yield to his expectations of us.   He is doing us a great service by putting stock into us.

I totally understand that these three ideas  and words have been abused over and over.  But throw them  out the window?  These three words hold a lot of value to me.

My chickies are an example of humble submission.

The opposite of humility is pride.

pride |prīd|
noun
1 a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.

Wow.  Really?  How satisfying is it to “feel a deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements”?  We sure spend a  lot of time doing it, dont we?  Does it feed my soul?  Yeah?  For how long?  Until I  get hungry again for that next thrill of self achievement. Which might be tomorrow.    I’m getting sick, quite frankly, of massaging my ego.  I’m finding it a little boring.  It’s not measuring up to the sustaining nourishment I get when  submitting or obeying the will of someone who means something to me.

We have been raised to “be all that you can be”,  “you are the best” , you, you, you, you,………….I did it myself while raising kids.  Sure, positive feed back is important but if while I was doing that I spent equal time encouraging love, kindness,  obeying, and  submitting to others around my children,  I would have been a better parent.  We have spent so much time pumping up egos, that we have become an extreme egocentric culture.  Can we please, now, get over ourselves?

We really have to get real and honest about who we are to be humble, submitting and obeying.  Cause for me, I want to admit out loud for the first time,  I am not all that and more.   I am a mere breath.

I want to simmer down on myself because I want to turn up the heat on you.  The people I greatly admire are people who turn down the volume  on themselves, less visible and less important so the people around them can shine.

I want to follow Jesus’ model for living.  Not pumping myself up.  Give others encouragement, love,  and kindness.  And submitting and obeying an authority and those I love and care about.  EXACTLY THE WAY HE DID IT.  I want to be.

This weekend, I am trying a new recipe that I am excited about.  Sausage Ragout.  I will post recipe if it is a winner.  By all accounts it should be.

Sausage Ragout. Perfect fall yummy.

Have a great weekend.

God bless,

Karen

2 farm cows at midnight?    STRESSSSSSSSSSS!

Last night we went to visit friends at a near by lake.   These are folks we knew from our old life in the suburbs.  They are a lovely couple whose son went to high school with our youngest.  We ran in to them at church here in our new community not too long ago and found out they have a houseboat as a second home on a lake.  We were delighted by the invite to their second “home” for an “evening dinner cruise”.   They were outstanding hosts and we definitely feel a new friendship budding.  We had a blast.   Now,  we’ve rented a houseboat before so we kinda know the drill.  It’s a box on a pontoon, right?  Not this one.  This was a luxury liner.   85 feet long.  The top deck could have easily partied over 100 people.  It was breathtaking.  We could not cruise it since a wannabe storm blew in and never materialized but lightening pursued.   Pops wanted to see this thing move so badly.  Hopefully,  we will be invited back to see this thing cruise.  For those of you who live on coasts, you have to know that we landlockers don’t see these things movin’ around  too often in these parts.

Not theirs but one similar. Longer than our house!!

We loved hearing about their life and how they came to be boaters and they got a hoot hearing about our crazy, insane journey about how we came to be “farmer’s” and all the shenanigans going on around here.  They knew us when. When we lived on a cute cul-de-sac with a lawn (well sorta) and no dirt.

Usually we put the little kiddies to bed at dusk.  We did not get home until after 11.  So we had to tuck our 70 little creatures in late.  Yes, they were beside themselves with our tardiness.  (And again this morning when I couldn’t drag myself out of bed to start their day) 

We drove down the very dark drive to tuck the guineas and cows in and we got blocked in the road by our two large cows. (Boy,  I wish I had a camera to  document this.  It was a treasure.  Pop was even too stressed to read before lights out)   What the heck?  What are they doing in the road?  First I thought it was Simon, our Newfoundland.  Maybe my memory of Simon was a little distorted.   You know how you  get so tired and things get out of proportion.   I immediately had visions of this becoming a 3 ring circus and taking many hours of precious sleep time to wrangle these guys back into their homeland.

Pops got out of the car and started walking toward them and they immediately shot out into total blackness.  Maybe they would walk (or run) into town.  Maybe the suburbanites would lose their cows.  Maybe we would become the laughing-stock of this here country com-mun -tity.  Pops asked me to go get some feed.  Pops was a hero last night, by the way.    He was a smooth cow -getter -into- pasture guy.  By the time I got back he and the cows were making their way down the road toward homeland.  These guys are big guys as they walk past our car.  (John, are you listening?  I thought about calling you to find out what to do).  He got them down to the big gate and asked me to block the drive with the car so he could then guide them in without the option to book it.   Can you believe that I blocked the driveway and then locked my doors and rolled up the windows?  Yes,  you probably can.  What did I think was going to happen?  I did imagine them rolling my car.  I imagined them hitting me in the head.  I did not imagine them trying to open my locked door however.    My blocked car worked.  They walked right into their pasture and it only took 20 minutes away from  of our beauty sleep.

I really wish I had photos to share about our harrowing experience.  But…I dont,  so enjoy a favorite photo  that was taken when we were renting a cottage the winter we were building the farm.

God bless,

Karen