These Big Piggies Went to the Butcher. . .

to be made into sausage, bacon, steaks and scrapple.  They were our composters all summer and fall and enjoyed lazy days in the fresh air.  Their diets were extremely healthy - milk, food scrapes (no meat), mango beets and turnip tops.  Every time we raise pigs, I am reminded on how much it is an insult if someone indicates that you are anything like a pig (you know, comments like - "stop chewing like a pig").  And their eyes. . . they seem to look right through you!  We also know they would eat you alive if you happened to fall into their pen.  But, we continue to raise them for the meat.  Nothing like sausage or scrapple for breakfast!  To kill the pigs, Ben takes his pistol and shots them in the forehead (I know, it really is not a kind thing to do, is it? but it is a more humane way then some of the slaughter houses do it).  It will stun them and then their throats are slit so they bleed out.

Loaded up to take back to butcher shop....

We did not realize how much the cows would take an interest in what was going on.  Quite a pesty audience they were!

 skun out and ready to be gutted

Look like an appealing job?

Sawing in half

They were so lean that we will not be able to make lard :(

Soon to be bacon.....

We make our own without nitrates and nitrites, only salt.  Before we fry it, we have to cook it slightly first to remove some of the salt.  Down side of not using preservatives.

Roast ready for freezer....

pig heart....the medical world uses the valves from these hearts to replace faulty ones in human hearts

Finally, on the table....

To be continued after Saturday when we are making the scrapple and sausage....

Until next time. . . . . .

Dave's Dream Come True

"I'm dreaming of a green Christmas....." has been a song that Dave has been composing for the last how many years? Well, today - Christmas day of 2011 - we had a Christmas when the cows could be out on the hills grazing on green grass!  For Pennsylvania, that's unusual!   Farmers who graze their cows dream of grazing as far into Winter as possible and as early in Spring as possible.  Extremely healthy for the cows, easier on the farmers, win- win situation!  Content cow's = happy farmers.  Dave's dream coming true means, though, that you folks who believe that we just HAVE to have snow on Christmas were disappointed today.  Start dreaming of your white Christmas and we will just have to wait to see who wins next year! :)  Maybe neither, it may just be brown....

little frost on the pastures yet, but they are green underneath. 

 pigs still have green turnip tops to eat.......



It was a good day all around!

Until next time.........

2011 Christmas Newsletter

The Family's 2011 Revision of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears

Once upon a now-a-days, deep in the acreage of Pennsylvania, lives a family.  The family has a tradition of writing a newsletter at Christmas time each year to let friends know what life was like the past 12 months.  This duty usually rests on the shoulders of Papa, but one thing the family learned this past year is that the word “should” can seem like a cuss word.  It dampens our ability to make a choice and creates pressure on us. “We should do this, or we should do that.  We should’ve made that decision, or we shouldn’t have made that decision…”.  Replace the “should” with “could” and the pressure is removed.  So, Papa said that he will not “should” on himself with writing the newsletter this year.  He said that mama could if she wants to.  

 

The past year has been somewhat eventful for the family and like life seems to be for the majority of families, it had it’s share of ups, as well as downs.   They have celebrated many times, and also had times where the words “why, Lord?” was the #1 question of the day.  It is a good thing that Papa has a large set of shoulders for he carried a big load and has cried that his porridge was too hot many times.  He was very busy with his masonry business, where he is the sole owner, operator and laborer, with occasional help of a friend.   He has found relief from heartburn by eliminating all wheat from his diet and is wondering how he could find relief from the responsibility of meeting deadlines, especially the “payment due date” deadlines, which by the way, are definitely shoulds!  :)   Mama has had the feeling like her porridge has been too cold.  That cuss word “should” has effected her, also.  She should keep the house cleaner, have better meals, provide the boys with a better education, and should never hear the words “do I have any clean clothes, mama?”  However, she has reached a point (most times) that it is ok that her porridge is not “just right”,  God knows her heart and papa would rather see her smile and her cubs would rather have a kind word spoken than have her stressed out trying to have the “perfect” den. She has realized that it is unwise to try to live by someone else’s standard.  Papa and mama happily celebrated 25 yrs. together this fall.  Ben has taken over much of the responsibilities on the farm and still works part time at the butcher shop.   He is such a nice soon-to-be-23 young fella, and puts up with the rest of the family harassing him about finding a nice young gal to share his porridge with.  The Our daughter's den has moved 2 miles from our home in June and we are lovin’ having them so close.  A smiley little female named Morgan Dixie was born in July and don’t-miss-a-thing 2 yr. old Oakley, is such a loving big sister to her .  Mama, who turned 21 this year, and Papa do a fabulous job of taking care of their den.  Solomon stills has his dangerous job of moving houses, turned the big 18 this year and always has a hug for mama.  We are excited that he was baptized this month.  George became a teenager, is very responsible on the farm, and shot his first buck, which was a 10 pt.!  He felt his porridge was just perfect at that time!  Uriah has many ambitions.  He turned 10, is a big help in the kitchen and is happy if he has “techie” stuff to work on.  Oliver will be 9 in Feb. and has to be busy at all times.   He will tackle any competition - he loves challenges. The boys never complain about their porridge whether it is too hot or too cold and work hard together at keeping the farm functioning.  The family is composing a song titled “I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas”, for they realize that hibernation is not going to happen for them, for either the bed is too hard or too soft for them to sleep the cold winter away.  They have not stored up enough “fat” and those dreadful deadlines!  Some of them say “January, February, and March”!   One thing that was glaringly evident this year was that God IS in control!  In control of the temperatures, the times of rain, the times of drought, the times of equipment working, the times of equipment not working, times of rejoicing,  times of sorrow.   He has never walked ahead of us, nor behind us, but beside us.  His “porridge” is just right and brings deep satisfaction, His “chair” is the perfect place for us to sit and commune with Him, and the place of rest He offers brings the most refreshment.

 And with this realization, the family will live happily ever after!

May you and your family find His porridge “just right” in the coming year of 2012!

“Come let us worship the King, Jesus the Savior is born 

Until next time.........(maybe next year)

Baptism of Solomon

What a wonderful day it was!  This morning we heard a message on "words".  Wow!  My toes are black & blue, but I love hearing messages that are convicting,challenging, and motivating, without condemnation.  Thanks Bro. Dan!  This afternoon family & friends gathered at a pond to witness the baptism of Solomon.  I am finding a hard time putting words to all my thoughts - it was one of those days that I want to remember for a long time!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow..........  May Solomon's life have a positive rippling effect on other's lives as the ripples on this picture....

This picture turned out so beautiful and meaningful.  I love it!

Until next time..............

This Day in Review

Give us this day . . . . . .  an extra dose of grace & patience.  Did you ever have a day when you knew right away in the morning that it was going to be "one of those days?"  Today was one of those for me.  Got up later than I wanted to because I had spilled water on my alarm clock, now it doesn't work.  Then Dave reminded me that the laundry never got hung up from yesterday and is probably smelly.  Ebay questions needed to be answered, items needed to be packaged to be sent, lady who bought organ bench wants UPS to pick it up here.  How do you package an organ bench?  Other internet business needed attention, boys needed help with school, dishes are a mess and 3 baskets of laundry waiting to be folded and put away.  George decided to "European mount" his deer head and thought today would be a good day.  He and his brothers get a fire going under the butcher kettle and put head in to boil.  I told them I can't help, but after a long while they all came running in to inform me that they just could not do "that" anymore.  George had removed the hide and nose, but stopped at that.  He said that if he has to pick the meat off the deer head he would throw up.  I asked what would happen if I throw up?  "But, mom, can't you just try?"  So, off I trudge to the butcher shop to see if I could pick meat off of this.....

The big bad deer decides to stare at me while working.......

It wasn't too bad, but have to admit by then I was having a hard time being pleasant.   The boys soon ran off to start evening chores and after awhile I put the head back in water to cook some more and went to help boys with chores.  Hey, why don't I run the manure gutter for Dave, that way he does not have to do that when he gets home from work?  I know I can handle that!   So I run the gutter and decide that I can spread the manure as well.  So off I drive to the back field and just know that I can figure it all out, for afterall, I did it once before.  Well.........ummmmm.........it wasn't working, or should I say, I didn't get it.  I was able to empty all the liquid part, but why, oh, why did not the solids come out.  Well, I'll just have to drive back to the farm and tell Dave, who arrived home by now.  He takes one look at it and informs me that I jammed it!  I can imagine his thoughts towards me right then.  It was dark, the tractor does not have lights, he was tired from working all day, but that manure HAS to come out.  So, he drives that tractor and I drive the small JD with lights back to the field and he works and works and works at getting the jammed straw-y manure out of the spreader.  I felt like a loser, even though he did not call me one.  Finally!  he got it and back to the barn we went to help finish up chores.  The bright spot is that when I got into the house, Uriah and Oliver had folded all the laundry!  And they made hotdogs for supper.   Don't know what I would do without them!

I am alway saying that trials and hardships create character, but while escorting the jammed manure spreader, I was seriously wondering what good character building lesson could I learn from this?  Anyway, we had a good laugh about our day while relaying it to Solomon and Dave said he should buy me a t-shirt that says "hiring you is like losing 2 good men".  Oh, he's too funny!  And he is extremely patient and we are still in love!  That makes this day just dandy!

Until next time. . . . . . . .