For several years now, a family friend has arranged for blueberries to be shipped to her mid-Missouri home. A few weeks ahead of time, she contacts friends and takes our orders. The berries arrive at the peak of ripeness in 10 pound boxes. Blueberries delivered in this way are incredibly … Continue reading →

This year I’m trying a different way of starting our garden plants. My usual way, for years, has been dumping a trowel full of starter into a small pot and poking the plant seed in. As a result, some to the soil runs out the bottom of the pot when … Continue reading →

This year’s garden got ahead of me. That’s a good problem to have though. Extra produce gives us an opportunity to share and visit with neighbors. Just drive the road and knock on doors.

Days are hot here in mid-Missouri, but at night I can sit outside, watch the stars come out and regroup. I do what I do because its important to me.

A successful deer season is behind us now. Don opted to can most of the meat this year. It will be the main ingredient for stews and chili or shredded for sandwiches. Our daughter, Elizabeth, has her own secret recipe for sliders which she fixes for friends. See our recipe … Continue reading →

I don’t like the sun to rise before I do. To have a clear view of the eastern morning horizon, before the sun peeks, is one of the many reasons I live in the country. With the temperature in the single-digit range I stood outside this morning and, at first, … Continue reading →

Don rendered lard a few days ago. Not in conjunction with our annual hog butchering, though. We were simply out of lard so Don pulled four bags of chunked-up fat from the freezer, allowed it to thaw, then cooked it down. Over the years, our butchering process has been refined. … Continue reading →

This past August, Don tested for, and successfully received, a license to be an amateur radio operator. After speaking with other operators and doing some research on his own, he now has a simple receiving and transmitting system set up in our home. HAM radio has turned into an interesting … Continue reading →

Today, Don seasoned a cast iron pot given to us by my dad. After removing rust from the inside and outside of the pot, he washed it in hot, soapy water, thoroughly dried it, smeared it with lard, then baked it in the oven for one hour at 250 degrees … Continue reading →