packin' that freezer

Today is my first day off. I've been cutting up meat for 3 days now and I'm so glad it's done! Gavin arrived home Thursday morning at about 12:15am with 3 bucks in coolers. Hunting was good and we are so thankful. My feet aren't very thankful after standing in the kitchen for 3 days in a row for hours on end but my tummy and our pocketbook will be thankful this winter!
We cut up back strap and steaks, made roasts, ground venison with some pig fat, and canned up even more.
We hunt Blacktail where we live so the deer are relatively small, in comparison to some Whitetail and Mule deer. Yummy none the less though! Gavin and his brother pack into the Trinity Alps every September just before opening weekend.

Camp was right on the outskirts of a meadow- perfect for the horses.

Packin' out a couple bucks.

This was their bed. Glad I missed this hunting trip- it poured rain for the first 2 days. I was happy to be sleeping inside, in a nice warm bed . Gavin told me last night that there were constantly centipedes and spiders in their bedrolls. That just gives me the heebie-jeebies.

From the talk around town, it seems as though this season is better than most. Even locally people are getting bucks left and right!

Does your family hunt? What do you hunt for? Is your season over or just beginning?

What to wear?

Clothes. They make the man.
Well, actually, no they don’t. That’s the sad reality to the way our society leans now a days (along with all the other materialistic items that are must haves.) If you don’t have the “right” clothes, you’re just not cool. Other people will know how uncool you are. And what will they think? *Gasp* Dress for the world and you'll be all right. Make sure "they" all think you're cool.
How about what God thinks? I’ve had a few people ask me about the way I dress. “Do you always wear skirts?” “What’s with the bandanna thing on your head?” and the Lord has laid it on my heart to share with all of you.
Let’s start at the beginning. As a teenage girl I didn’t particularly like wearing dresses or skirts. I liked wearing jeans. I liked looking as though “I could hold my own” because I was always confident that I could and I wanted folks to know it. I grew up with a mom a dad and a brother and I spent most of my time playing Lego's and GI Joes with my brother and watching things like NASCAR and Monday Night Football with my dad. I wasn’t a sissy and sissies wore dresses. Part of that stemmed from the male influence and part of it came from my "Cowgirls don't cry" mentality. Don’t get me wrong, I did have dolls and ponies and I loved being a “mama” to them but that didn’t mean that I had to be a prissy one. I didn’t want people thinking I was a wimp.
As I’ve grown up though God has really opened my heart to what being a woman is all about and what a belssing it is to be a daughter of the King! Wearing skirts and dresses isn’t about being a sissy. It’s not about being a wimp and it doesn’t make me any less “tough.” The Lord has shown me how I can fully embrace my femininity! I love the feminine feeling of wearing skirts, pretty floral blouses and other frilly things. While I don’t believe that there is anything wrong with wearing jeans or other pants, I simply choose not to. I still own pants. They are in my dresser drawer and if an occasion called for wearing them, I would.
I don’t look down on those who choose to dress differently than I do (in a modest way) and neither does God. I’ve heard the scripture in Deuteronomy 22:5 “ A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this” used in reasoning why women should wear dresses and skirts exclusively. But for those who are born again, in Christ and have been freed from the old laws, that verse doesn’t hold ground anymore. Unless you’re also adding 4 tassels to all of your cloak corners and building parapets on the roofs of your homes as well.
I do believe however that God does strongly desire for a woman to look like a woman and a man to look like a man. But there are many ways for a woman to still look like a female in pants. I’m of the opinion that your entire appearance should be that of a woman (or a man, depending on your gender.) While wearing a dress or skirt would determine without a doubt that you are a woman, there are still plenty of clothes that you can look feminine in. Along with looking feminine, we should also strive to always be modest. Wearing shirts or blouses that are high cut, not low cut. Pants that fit loosely, not skin tight. Skirts that come below the knee, not above it. And please, undergarments hidden at all times. Trust me, no one wants to see any of that! It’s not sexy, it’s just gross.
I’ve tried to do quite a bit of research regarding head coverings. I talked to many Christian women, many of whom have had the conviction to research it themselves, some led to wear them and others led not to. I read version upon version of the 1 Corinthians verse in different Bibles. I read internet articles for and against wearing one and I decided that it was something that I needed to do; something that God was asking me to do. A friend recently emailed me a link to an online article and I think it described my belief on it near perfectly, “A woman has the choice to wear a head covering if she views it as a sign of her submission to the authority of her husband. However, it is a personal choice and not something that should be used to judge spirituality.” Paul writes in part of 1 Corinthians 11 that, “And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors here head- it is just as though her head were shaved……for this reason and because of the angels, a woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head” You can read the entire text of 1 Cor 11 here. While a covering is not something that Jesus commands us to do it is simply a matter of individual personal conviction. I choose to wear one but that doesn’t mean that all my sisters in Christ must wear one too.

If you have any questions I’d be glad to chat with you. You can leave a comment here and I’ll try to answer it here as best I can or if you’d prefer you can email me at mountainhomequilts@charter.net.

Here's the thing...

Quilting 101 isn't quite going as planned. (Remember my post about my best laid plans not always working out?) So I've decided that instead of stressing over it every day I'm just going to extend it to the entire fall season. That way I'm not limited just to September, since it seems to be slipping away too fast. And since my last poll showed that quite a few readers are experienced quilters, I may just be preaching to the choir here. But for those of you who are wanting to learn, I'll be sharing a few easy techniques. Is there anything is particular anyone is wanting to learn more about?
I actually pulled out some rows of blocks, that I already have sewn, to try and work on this week. They just need to be sewn together, a border put on and then the top is ready for quilting. But I do have a baby quilt looming over my head like an anvil (yes, it's the one you're thinking of Mom) that I need to do as well.
Although it is supposed to be sunny today, we have had a ton of rain the past 3 days which has pretty much annihilated the garden. Mold, popped tomatoes, fallen sunflowers, you get the picture. I tried yesterday to save as much produce as I could. When I came in the house Wyatt said, "Mom, you're soaking wet!" Yes, but I had to save my produce!! How has your weather been?
Today I'll be canning tomatoes and trying to figure out something other than grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. Hubby is hunting and the pressure of not having to make a huge dinner is off. He'll be back soon though and I'm sure the kids will appreciate a better dinner!
So that's my quick update. Sorry for a no picture post. Those aren't much fun.

How's about a winner?

Random.org was so gracious to me tonight. Really. Before I typed in the numbers I said (in my head) "Please, oh please, give me an easy number tonight! My brain is mush and I don't think I could possibly count past 10 at the moment." Here's what it said:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
50
Timestamp: 2010-09-18 08:37:12

Phew! See, there were 53 entries so that means I only need to count backwards 3 times....
Which means that the winner is.....
The Hungry Crafter, "FUn -- hope I win! :) I would love to get my hands on the punctuation pre cuts -- I've never had a charm pack before, and it sounds, well, charming :)"
Congrats!

why friends are good

Friends are good for lots of things (lots and lots) but this is just one of the reasons why....

Peaches. 54 pounds of peaches. Canned the other day.

Since canning only happens, for the most part, one season a year, I often forget how much fun it is to can with a friend. Not only does it go way faster but it's a much more joyful process. We made jam, lots of jam, and we canned peaches up for savoring this winter. We talked and we laughed and we just had fun.

Today I was in the kitchen again canning up sweet pickles for my dear hubby. He loves them on tuna. (Insert gagging sound here.) Later this month we'll be canning tuna, and my entire house will be smelling like fish. Unless I break out the propane cooker standy thing- I really can't remember the proper name right now, sorry about that. I will certainly be recruiting hubby to help with all of that. Maybe even my mother-in-law too. After all, canning a bunch of stinky fish just isn't as much fun flying solo.

Do you usually can by yourself or can alone? Do you have any type of annual ritual with canning? Maybe all your family gets together to do it or you have a special friend that you always can green beans with?

Don't forget about the charm pack giveaway here! The giveaway ends on the 17th!