Blue Jeans and Cotton Tees

I finally did it.

I cut my bangs.

Ever since Christmas I’ve been growing them out.

Why? I’m not sure.

I think it started when Dagmar had her hair cut and styled. As I sat there in the beauty parlor watching a professional turn my little girl’s pony tail into a young woman’s style – I started to feel a little dowdy. After all I’ve been wearing my hair the same way for years now.

Maybe it was the combination of country music and the intoxicating scent of hair product -  but I suddenly realized that I wanted a change. I would grow my bangs out and get a style.

The problem is that I have naturally curly hair. It doesn’t like change.  It does whatever it pleases on any given day. I’ve learned to subdue it by keeping it trimmed.

What was I thinking?

This life without trimming was fine at first – but slowly started to drive me crazy.

My subdued locks went wild with no restraint.

I actually bought <gulp> product to use. I gummed my bangs up with hair gel and sprayed them with hairspray – but as soon as I left the house the curls would bounce out every which way.

Sigh.

The family was supportive at first, although their eyebrows went up in amazement when the hair spray came out. Was their minimum maintenance momma actually using hair product?! What would be next? Heels?

When I would get discouraged the girls would say, “Just give it a little more time Mom”. Even my husband encouraged me to let it grow.

Until yesterday.

Yesterday was one of those incredibly awful bad hair days.

The humidity was high after two days of rain and no amount of hair product was going to subdue my errant curls.

I had corkscrews growing off my forehead in random patterns. I cringed every time I passed by a mirror.

I mentioned to my girls that I was ready to chop off those bangs – and in return I got wan little smiles that seemed to say, “Yes Mom – it’s time!”

This morning I casually mentioned to my husband that I thought it was time to cut my bangs. Even he agreed, saying, “Will you cut it yourself or go in to the salon?”

So I cut them.

It was such a relief.

I felt like myself again. It was comfortable. My curls and I were at peace.

I feel a little like Olivia Walton. In several episodes of the Walton’s she feels the need to make a change, to be or look different. Yet at the end of the hour-long show, no matter what she tried – soloist in the church choir or a new hairdo -  she realized that she rather liked things the way the were before.

She went searching for something that she already had.

Me too. It just took me four months.

But I found it – my very own style – the one that has worked for years.

It’s good to be back.

Spring! It looks like you are finally here!

The temperatures are warming up, there’s rain – not snow in the forecast, and the 4 legged varmints are back.

You know the ones – raccoons, ‘possums, skunks and the like.

Although none of these animals actually hibernates during the winter months, they sleep longer and don’t do as much stuff. Some call it a state of “tupor” – waking from time to time to search for food.

That sounds very familiar – much like my own winter pattern!

As the days get longer and the warmer, they venture out and become nuisances.

We counted 3 dead skunks on the way to church yesterday. (Bet those cars will remember that stretch of highway for a long time!)

One friend reported that a critter had gotten into their chicken coop and killed every chicken. The intruder didn’t eat them – just killed them.

Another friend had a similar occurrence – but they only lost half of their flock.

At lunch today – I  saw a big fat ‘possum walking across the farm yard as if he owned the place.  I was concerned that he might be diseased so I checked online.

The site I found was full of interesting information. I discovered that although opossums are nocturnal, to have them wandering around in daylight isn’t too unusual – just like cats.

They are also very immune to rabies, but you should still avoid getting a bite. (Now that’s good advise!)

I also found that possum tastes like chicken, but if you wish to eat them, you should first catch it and feed it table scraps and other good food for a while to work all the carrion out of its system.

Right… like I really want to look the critter in the face and ask when it ate it’s last meal of carrion?! I wonder how long it would take to remove the effects of a carrion diet anyway?

But this particular sight didn’t recommend the practice of eating opossums at all. It sited that “a small cadre of renegade opossums has been known to have sought out people who have eaten their compatriots and lay siege to their dwelling. Armed with crude but efficient crossbows, they may shoot arrows into the car tires or capture and hold hostage the pets of the offending citizens.“

Wow! And since it’s online – you know it has to be true! I guess we’ll cross ‘possum off the menu this week.

I sent the boys out to take care of the offending critter.

Let’s just say it won’t be eating any of our chickens or eggs; nor will we be eating it.

Things will settle down here in a few weeks when the rest of our corner of the world wakes up and shakes off the winter doldrums.

But in the meantime we’ll keep the critter gun ready – and a close eye on the flock!

When I was growing up, a church potluck was not complete unless Miss Shirley brought a lasagna.

It was fabulous and disappeared quickly. As kids we would jockey for position in line to get a piece before it was gone.

Lasagna was a delicacy for us. It just didn’t ever show up on our table at home. We were Dutch – German and my dad was a meat and potatoes kind of guy.

When my oldest sister had a baby, one of her friends brought over a lasagna. She was kind enough to share the recipe and a family classic was born.

Soon after my husband and I were engaged, he leaned over at a family meal and whispered, “Do you think you could get your sister’s lasagna recipe?”

I’ve teased him ever since that he married me for the recipe!

Lasagna

1 pound hamburger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon basil
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 -lb can tomato sauce (2 cups)
2 – 6 oz. can tomato paste
10 oz. lasagna noodles (10 noodles)
3 cups cottage cheese (1 large container)
2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown meat slowly, drain. Add next garlic, basil, salt, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook noodles in a large amount of salted water, drain, rinse.

Combine cottage cheese, parsley flakes, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Place 1/3 noodles in greased 9 x 13 pan. Spread with 1/3 cottage cheese filling, add 1/3 mozzarella cheese and 1/3 meat sauce. Repeat layers.

Bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

This can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Just thaw before baking and allow at least 15 minutes more to the baking time.

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post up with Design by Gullum’s Foodie Friday

Meet Katie and Emie.

They are my adorable adopted nieces from the Ukraine.

Their adoption story begins back five years ago when my husband’s brother and his wife gave birth to their fourth child, a little girl who was born with Down’s syndrome.

Annie immediately captured all of our hearts and become a very special part of our family.

As her mom started to connect with other mom’s of Down’s children she discovered Reece’s Rainbow.

Reece’s Rainbow is an International Ministry for Orphans with Down’s Syndrome. In many countries of the world, including the Ukraine, children with Down’s are placed in orphanages until they get older – then they are placed in mental institutions.

Once there they are – they are unable to be adopted and live with adults who are mentally unstable. Their future is heart-wrenching.

Although they are not an adoption agency, Reece Rainbow is an advocate for the children. They work to identify at-risk children, raise funds for adoption, and find forever families for them.

Our little nieces came from an orphanage in the Ukraine and are such a joy! It is so rewarding to see those little girls blossom and grow in the midst of a loving family.

They’ve discovered birthdays and Christmas and ice cream.

They now have Grandpas and Grandmas and aunts and uncles and cousins.

They giggle and give hugs and talk a mile a minute.

Why am I telling you all this now? Because Reece’s Rainbow was featured in a story in last week’s People magazine – giving them some much needed national publicity.

As I read the article, I was reminded once again of those little ones still waiting for their forever families and I had to say something. I had to tell you Katie and Emie’s story – to put a real face on the children and the ministry.

These kids are real. I know. I met two of them.

I’ve held them, hugged them, and tickled them.

We’ve played dress-up and went roller skating and ate popcorn and watched movies.

I’ve fallen head over heels in love with them.

My heart is broken over the ones left behind.

James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”

If you would like to read more about Katie and Emie’s adoption journey, check out Hidden Treasures.

The calendar reads March already and I have a bad case of garden fever! My Mom is back today with an idea that will bring a little green into my home, provide some economical plants for the garden – and will make a great home school project as well! Now that definitely works for me!

Papa and I always experiment with one new item in our garden every year. Several years ago we tried sweet potatoes and they’ve become a “regular”!

The first year we trembled at the price of the purchased plants! Then we found out that we could grow our own plants by “rooting” a store bought sweet potato.

Every year in late February, we purchase a sweet potato or yam from the produce department at our local grocery store.

Then we stick toothpicks into the sides of the potato to hold it up above a container of water -a recycled jar works just fine.

We try to find the top or the part that was connected to the vine. The opposite end should go into the water.

We keep the water level up to the top of container and watch for roots from the part under the water. It won’t be long before we see some sprouts growing on the part above the water.

We let those green sprouts grow to about 3 or 4 inches long before we pinch them off the potato and put them in a container of water. They will make roots.

Once they have made some roots, we plant these in small pots until they can be planted in the garden.

Meanwhile , the potato in the water will keep making new sprouts. One potato should easily give us a dozen plants.

When the soil is warm enough, and all danger of frost is gone, we plant each plant on top of a mound of soil about 6 inches tall. (This gives the potato space to grow without having to dig a foot deep in the fall!) The plant will vine and the vines will root where they touch the soil. To prevent this from happening mulch mounds with newspaper or simply lift the vines often.

You can dig potatoes whenever you “feel” under the vine on top of the mound and discover a potato big enough to eat! We wait until the first frost. (Sweet potatoes will not tolerate a frost!)  We dig them carefully and lay them out to dry. If you have a cool place to store them – they will keep for several months.

In our modern houses without root cellars, sweet potatoes are not the best keepers for eating fresh all winter, but they do freeze well. We try to keep them as long as we can, then freeze the rest.

To cook a sweet potato, scrub it, prick it with fork, and bake in a 350 degree oven until soft when squeezed. Let them cool until you can handle them to peel off the skins.

Place the sweet potatoes in freezer bags or containers, label and freeze. Just thaw and use in your favorite sweet potato recipes.

Or you can cook them in the microwave. Just scrub, prick skin and place in microwave. Bake for 5 min on high and check for softness. Continue baking until they are soft, checking every 3 minutes. Peel and serve or freeze.

Our favorite way to enjoy fresh sweet potatoes is to eat them warm from the oven with Cinnamon/Honey Butter

Cinnamon/Honey Butter:

2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Mix together. This stores well in the refrigerator for several weeks. This is really good on toast and squash, too!

Until next time!

Nana Shirley