Of course there had to be a story...

It seems that anytime Daddy is away, there has to be a story to tell. Even the best laid plans (ours, anyway...God's always work out) have glitches. Today was going to be a blueberry-picking-morning, Sabbath-preparation-afternoon and gardening-evening kind of day. Well, it didn't exactly work out that way (so far, anyway). We had a major thunder-boomer storm last night. You know, the kind that has a loud CRACK that bounces you out of bed. Well, thankfully, I DID bounce out of bed when I heard a crack...or it could have been a contraction and a full bladder, but anyway, I got up at 1:15 am. "It's a comin'...she's gonna blow," one of our favorite children's book quotes. I had the presence of mind, or prompting of the Spirit, to unplug the computer and my sewing machine...and I am so glad I did! I could hear the children talking upstairs about the lightning...told them to get back to bed...welcomed a tired, frightened, but very cuddly little fella into bed with me and went back to sleep. After all, sleep is a precious commodity at my stage of pregnancy (only less than four weeks to go!)....and "for so He gives His beloved sleep." When the phone didn't ring to get me up at the expected hour, I thought maybe I had slept through it. As it turned out, lightning (maybe that big crack that got us all roused) zapped our telephone. Poor Daddy had been trying in vain to reach us because the phone was completely kaput! Praise God for wireless internet...but that was not without its own difficulty, too. Might know we had just ordered new cellular service, because what we had was not available where we live (only where we wander!). I was wishin' for that phone this morning....but THAT sent me into a hullaballoo that is fit for fiction. So, breakfast was a bit late for Mama this morning. After all, beginning the day without your other half is, well, only half as good (if even). I needed to get the lines of communication open. And I am reminded in the midst of this, that there is one line that is always open and it works both ways. I praise God for His tender mercies, for hearing our prayers and answering them...Providentially.

Home on the (firing?) range...

I have loved this military man of mine for nearly twenty years. As a young lieutenant’s bride, I learned to identify the assorted vehicles (yeah, I was probably the only one who could tell tank from howitzer, jeep from humvee and which helicopter was buzzing our roof). I learned the phonetic alphabet and rank structure of the army. I could decipher the LES and navigate the acronym jungle. I learned protocol and etiquette (and even taught a class on it!). I have moved from Dan to Beersheba upon receipt of orders, and sometimes alone. I have watched my man receive the praise of men with humility and lead with integrity. I have always known he was top notch…the cream of the crop, so to speak. For over 17 years, I have been his adoring bride, liebe frau, portion in life and helpmeet. In all those years, I have never seen him fire a weapon. Carry one, yes. Fire one, never. My officer is a gentleman and that is all I have known…until last night. He did me proud again.

Baxter, our farm collie, earned his stripes last night. Barking to beat the band or wake the dead, he alerted us to an intruder. I believe the mystery of recent low egg counts has been solved. We had a thief. Despite the protestations of Baxter and an invitation to depart without harm, there he stayed like a coward, hiding in the chicken coop. It was obvious he had no intentions of leaving. We had no other choice. So, there in the dark, flashlight in one hand and Grandpa’s rifle in the other, my man made a quick end of that little stinker. Right there in the chicken coop, with the chickens even. He didn’t even ruffle their feathers. Quick as lightning and just as loud. Praise God for my excellent marksman and that he was home when this happened (for once, hallelujah). I certainly don’t see me doing it in my matronly state. As I stood there on the porch in my jammies, I thought “oh good, he got Pepe Le’Pew before he sprayed.”

Ever meet a plebe after the first summer of training or a soldier returning from weeks in the field? I have welcomed my man home graciously and thankfully with hugs and kisses no matter how he looked or smelled. He came in last night and said “I don’t stink do I?” I said OH MY GOODNESS! Thank you kindly, but leave your clothes at the door! Praise God for a southerly breeze this morning. And praise Him some more for a wash house separate from the farmhouse. As one of our little ones would aptly say, “Sheoooooweee!” And I thought the gunfire blew me away!

A Hive of Busy Bees

"It's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegone..." Mr. Keillor was not referring to Providence Farm. Things have been buzzing along quite steadily for the last few weeks. It has been more like a hive of busy bees. We enjoyed our first two weeks of The Market at St. Stephen's...selling out of nearly everything, and rather early! We took off two weeks while Daddy was traveling, just so we could catch up. Deo volente (that is, "Lord willin' and the creek don't rise..."), we will be back to that busy routine this week. If the cows would stay out of the garden, we might have some produce to take! The damage was not extensive, but those bovine can surely wreak havoc in short order. I suspect that rustling cattle is not what the midwife has in mind for approved exercise at this stage of a pregnancy (less than two months to go)...nor did I before breakfast! Nonetheless, it must be done. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. How is it that cows know when my husband is at work and pull their shennanigans then? I am very thankful that we are called to exercise dominion over the beasts of the field. Those onery critters don't know what's coming. Right now, I am thinking Veal Parmigiana. They might be bigger than I, (thankfully they are...though I feel like I resemble the broad side of the barn), but one day they will be supper....Providentially.

Do you know what that is?

Ricotta! And draining nicely, I might add. We cannot let all that extra milk go to waste! Half ewe's milk and half cow's milk, a little citric acid and more time than I thought it would take, but it was worth it. Saturday was all-a-flutter with activity and excitement at Providence Farm. While Mama went to the planning meeting for the upcoming Market at St. Stephen's and did last minute grocery shopping, Daddy was shearing Maria Augusta. Then he and the children washed the vehicles. And, let's see...in preparation for our Sabbath celebration there were clothes ironed and set out for Sunday morning; laundry washed/dried/folded and put away; grass mown; trash hauled to the dump; animals fed; cows and sheep and chickens rotated in the pastures; meals cooked (Saturday's supper and Sunday's dinner); barn cleaned out (sort of); walls patched for priming (at least one); house tidied for hospitality. Oh, and we made cheese. Mozzarella and ricotta. And then after that hard day's work (or fun day's fun), we enjoyed the fruit of our labor. A peaceful meal of lasagne with homemade cheeses in a clean home with tired but joyful family fellowship and contented animals. This is living....Providentially.

Baa~Baa, black sheep, have you any wool?

Yes Sir, Yes Sir, three bags full...at least that is what it looks like on her body! Poor Maria Augusta (affectionately known as Baa~Baa...and she is definitely not poor), did not get sheared before lambing. Of course, sheep don't know when supper time is for people, so she chose to go out to the edge of the pasture just as the chicken was finished on the grill. It is a good thing fajitas are ok warmed over later...and that my husband is more patient than I. It was about more than I could take, watching that little lamb search for his mama's udder under all that wool. I wanted to hold her still and point him in the right direction. But, my shepherd husband got them settled into the barn and bonding nicely.

Love at first sight...Maria Augusta and her moments-old lamb.

A sight for sore eyes...several days later...a happy, healthy ram with his shorn mama.

We are not sure yet what this little fella's name is going to be. But, we are rejoicing in the Providence of God for him. Maria Augusta is rejoicing in having lightened her load, particularly her "three bags full." So, what are we going to do with all that wool? Keep checking in here and at www.whatsoever-things.blogspot.com to find out! We have all sorts of little lovely things planned for all that wool. We just need the time to do them...Providentially!

Population explosion at Providence Farm

Ok, we are sufficiently distracted from gloom today. It is sunny and warm, though with a breeze. It is a beautiful day! Bustling with life! We have 55 new additions to Providence Farm this week (so far). Sunday, we welcomed Buttercream, a Jersey heifer. Have you ever heard someone say "cows are like potato chips"? Betchya can't have just one. Well, we have had a Jersey on our wishlist for some time. We are so enjoying having this friendly, little lady (well, she isn't little). She was so happy to be here, she ran around the pasture with joy. We, hopefully Providentially, call her Buttercream with thoughts of the fruit of her womb and udder. Buttercream is just about ready to be introduced to Ferdinand, who will welcome her joyfully to the happy herd.

Today, we received 54 newly hatched chicks. Jersey Giants, Black and Blue (Providentially, not from their journey!) as well as Delawares.........fuzzy, yellow and cute. They chirped and tweeted so much, it drove the postal clerks crazy. But, it was music to the children's ears!

Who knows what will be next? God does! We still have a couple of ewes that could bring us more lambs and a heifer expecting a calf. We still have Buff Orpington chicks due later in the summer. And we have a baby due this summer, too! God is so good, to bring such life to Providence Farm.

Soul adorn yourself with gladness...

So begins a hymn our family enjoys and today those words are so appropriate. No matter the trial, our Heavenly Father has us safely in His hands and nothing escapes His view. In that, we have peace. Yesterday was a very trying and sad day for our family. That little lamb you see below...Gideon, the mighty ram of valor, gave up his fight for life. We named him Gideon because it was clear the odds were stacked against him. We still do not know exactly what happened to cause this, but we rest knowing that the Good Shepherd is guiding us and teaching us through it all. We did everything we could to love and nurture him to a long, healthy life. It is a hard thing for a little person to watch suffering and death...even of a lamb. But we are once again reminded of Another Lamb...who suffered, bled and died on our behalf. And for this, we are eternally grateful.

"...leave the gloomy haunts of sadness,
come into the daylight's splendor,

there with joy your praises render.
Bless the One whose grace unbounded
this amazing banquet founded;
he, though heav'nly, high, and holy,
deigns to dwell with you most lowly."

His grace unbounded was sufficient for me through the day yesterday...and I learned another needle skill (injection...trembling hands to a trembling body)! And so it is with joy we render our praises to the Lamb of God...worthy to receive glory. Bless His holy name!

Gideon, Mighty Ram of Valor
Providence Farm

April 15-20, 2009