Comments on: Our Fourth of July http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:31:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Mary http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/#comment-12190 Mary Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:30:03 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/?p=782#comment-12190 110 all week! Oh my!!!!! I've only been in weather that hot twice in my lifetime (two days is what I mean!!). You have my sympathies, friend! We are having such an almost chilly July here in the mid-west! It was 60 over the weekend, and tonight while outside wearing flip-flops and shorts, I was freezing! Very strange, this "global warming"...maybe not to you Californians! ;) SF sounds beautiful through your eyes. I enjoy hearing about it, and about all of Dan's home/yard projects! That is so neat about having the pump there "in waiting"...you are right, we do serve a BIG God. I hope and pray that your job/finance situation will be blessed. It's kind of a perfect challenge for us stay-at-home moms, isn't it? I always find it gets me back on track with more from scratch foods...fresh popcorn for snacks, more baked breads... 110 all week! Oh my!!!!! I’ve only been in weather that hot twice in my lifetime (two days is what I mean!!). You have my sympathies, friend! We are having such an almost chilly July here in the mid-west! It was 60 over the weekend, and tonight while outside wearing flip-flops and shorts, I was freezing! Very strange, this “global warming”…maybe not to you Californians! ;)

SF sounds beautiful through your eyes. I enjoy hearing about it, and about all of Dan’s home/yard projects! That is so neat about having the pump there “in waiting”…you are right, we do serve a BIG God. I hope and pray that your job/finance situation will be blessed. It’s kind of a perfect challenge for us stay-at-home moms, isn’t it? I always find it gets me back on track with more from scratch foods…fresh popcorn for snacks, more baked breads…

]]> By: Cena http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/#comment-12164 Cena Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:15:23 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/?p=782#comment-12164 I'm not a "city" person, but San Fransisco is a beautiful place to visit. I've sailed underneath the Golden Gate Bridge on a yacht, and there are alot of parks along different waterfronts. And even though it's terribly touristy, we always go to Fisherman's Wharf and eat clam chowder or crab from the stalls of vendors. Now my older kids are starting to go out to SF for plays, musicals, and ballets. And yes, my husband can make things out of whatever. It's truly amazing. He just built an outdoor cabinet for our pool supplies, to keep the kids safe from the chemicals, but not have them so far away as the barn. It looks like an old outhouse, very cute from stuff in his "yard." The pool filter/pumps that come with those pools are never adequate and we really wanted to upgrade ours to a larger pump, but the money for that was never there. Then Dan realized we had a spa someone gave us that we never set up, because we don't have propane, only electricity (for the spa heater.) Well, the pump is alot stronger than the pool one, and it really cleans! Free! I love that. It's waiting for the blessing rather than purchasing things that is hard. We are feeling the pinch, too, but because my husband's job is in jeopardy. So we're trying to save and pay some bills in advance in case of him having to have a few weeks of looking for work or contracting on his own. The business he works for is slow and may actually close down. Scary economy. Big God. Shopping less often and menu planning is back on track. As is cleaning out the freezer, and making a detailed list of the contents. Cooking and baking from scratch... getting fruit from nice neighbors...eating from the garden... Anyway, hot here in the valley. 110 all week! I’m not a “city” person, but San Fransisco is a beautiful place to visit. I’ve sailed underneath the Golden Gate Bridge on a yacht, and there are alot of parks along different waterfronts. And even though it’s terribly touristy, we always go to Fisherman’s Wharf and eat clam chowder or crab from the stalls of vendors. Now my older kids are starting to go out to SF for plays, musicals, and ballets.

And yes, my husband can make things out of whatever. It’s truly amazing. He just built an outdoor cabinet for our pool supplies, to keep the kids safe from the chemicals, but not have them so far away as the barn. It looks like an old outhouse, very cute from stuff in his “yard.” The pool filter/pumps that come with those pools are never adequate and we really wanted to upgrade ours to a larger pump, but the money for that was never there. Then Dan realized we had a spa someone gave us that we never set up, because we don’t have propane, only electricity (for the spa heater.) Well, the pump is alot stronger than the pool one, and it really cleans! Free! I love that. It’s waiting for the blessing rather than purchasing things that is hard.

We are feeling the pinch, too, but because my husband’s job is in jeopardy. So we’re trying to save and pay some bills in advance in case of him having to have a few weeks of looking for work or contracting on his own. The business he works for is slow and may actually close down. Scary economy. Big God.

Shopping less often and menu planning is back on track. As is cleaning out the freezer, and making a detailed list of the contents. Cooking and baking from scratch… getting fruit from nice neighbors…eating from the garden…

Anyway, hot here in the valley. 110 all week!

]]> By: Mary http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/#comment-12133 Mary Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:41:54 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/?p=782#comment-12133 Thanks, Juli! I'm so glad you liked the pictures! It seems a little OCD to me to have taken pics of breakfast, hee, but it's all part of the memory. We found such simple happiness snarfing it down after our crazy wake up tent packing run! Thanks, Juli! I’m so glad you liked the pictures! It seems a little OCD to me to have taken pics of breakfast, hee, but it’s all part of the memory. We found such simple happiness snarfing it down after our crazy wake up tent packing run!

]]> By: Mary http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/#comment-12132 Mary Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:34:57 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/?p=782#comment-12132 It sounds beautiful! My mother, sister and I are big fans of the old-timey author, Kathleen Norris, who wrote stories set in the old San Fransisco area (1920s-30s) ...we were just lamenting yesterday that we'd love to see San Fransisco b/c of these books, but that it's surely not as quaint and leisurely as she describes it, esp with it being a hotbed of moral clashes. However, your area sounds much like her book settings! Have you ever read her books? My favorite is The American Flaggs, and not just because the title suits this thread! lol Your hubby sounds so much like mine, always making things work...using a city storm grate of all things! Mine was trying to brainstorm a large grate...he considered using a large floor furnace vent, but I think he's decided to weld one. I love the look of fire pits! It sounds beautiful! My mother, sister and I are big fans of the old-timey author, Kathleen Norris, who wrote stories set in the old San Fransisco area (1920s-30s) …we were just lamenting yesterday that we’d love to see San Fransisco b/c of these books, but that it’s surely not as quaint and leisurely as she describes it, esp with it being a hotbed of moral clashes. However, your area sounds much like her book settings! Have you ever read her books? My favorite is The American Flaggs, and not just because the title suits this thread! lol

Your hubby sounds so much like mine, always making things work…using a city storm grate of all things! Mine was trying to brainstorm a large grate…he considered using a large floor furnace vent, but I think he’s decided to weld one. I love the look of fire pits!

]]> By: Cena http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/#comment-12128 Cena Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:27:56 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/?p=782#comment-12128 We had people over on the 5th for BBQ and ours ran out of propane 1/2 way thru! So my husband made a quick fire in our fire ring and put a grate on it and finished the cooking there. It was great. The grate we have is large. Years ago DH found a discarded city storm grate (where rainwater drains thru on a city block to the sewer) and we take it camping and use it like this for cooking. It's heavy and big, I love it. The fire ring is used for marshmallow cooking and sitting around mostly in the winter, spring, and fall telling stories and jokes and watching the stars. We don't live close to the ocean, we are inland from the San Fransisco Bay area in the farming valley. My husband commutes to the Bay area 5 days a week. But at our house we have a field of alfalfa in our backyard, wheat in the front, and corn on the sides. There's winter wheat or oats in the winter. I love green. We had people over on the 5th for BBQ and ours ran out of propane 1/2 way thru! So my husband made a quick fire in our fire ring and put a grate on it and finished the cooking there. It was great. The grate we have is large. Years ago DH found a discarded city storm grate (where rainwater drains thru on a city block to the sewer) and we take it camping and use it like this for cooking. It’s heavy and big, I love it. The fire ring is used for marshmallow cooking and sitting around mostly in the winter, spring, and fall telling stories and jokes and watching the stars.
We don’t live close to the ocean, we are inland from the San Fransisco Bay area in the farming valley. My husband commutes to the Bay area 5 days a week. But at our house we have a field of alfalfa in our backyard, wheat in the front, and corn on the sides. There’s winter wheat or oats in the winter. I love green.

]]> By: Juli http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/#comment-12121 Juli Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:01:36 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/?p=782#comment-12121 It looks just beautiful. Love the photos of the food too! What a wonderful way to spend the 4th. Juli It looks just beautiful. Love the photos of the food too! What a wonderful way to spend the 4th. Juli

]]> By: Mary http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/#comment-12119 Mary Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:52:59 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/?p=782#comment-12119 Cena, what a great idea. Maybe I'll be so bold, I can just imagine what a boost that would be to both parties. Thanks for sharing that! 102 degrees in the evening...I sure don't envy that! Are you far from the ocean? Amy, cook-outs are grand, aren't they? We've eaten outside more this week than we have inside! My husband has put together these home-made BBQ units, made out of truck wheels (big and deep)...he fills them with wood and covers the top with a recycled oven rack and we're good to go! I love not having to use briquettes. We used to have to rely on them in our little grill, not anymore! Thanks, Jen! Cena, what a great idea. Maybe I’ll be so bold, I can just imagine what a boost that would be to both parties. Thanks for sharing that! 102 degrees in the evening…I sure don’t envy that! Are you far from the ocean?

Amy, cook-outs are grand, aren’t they? We’ve eaten outside more this week than we have inside! My husband has put together these home-made BBQ units, made out of truck wheels (big and deep)…he fills them with wood and covers the top with a recycled oven rack and we’re good to go! I love not having to use briquettes. We used to have to rely on them in our little grill, not anymore!

Thanks, Jen!

]]> By: jen http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/#comment-12112 jen Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:52:13 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/?p=782#comment-12112 sounds lovely :) <em>jen's last blog post..<a href='http://my3boysandi.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/week-in-review-43/'>Week in Review</a></em> sounds lovely :)
jen’s last blog post..Week in Review

]]> By: Amy http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/#comment-12110 Amy Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:55:35 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/?p=782#comment-12110 That is fun Mary! My dh and I are the same as your husband, we like to invite people around to our home too, usually we have cookouts and bbqs in the summertime :-) <em>Amy's last blog post..<a href='http://mytudorhouse.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/the-two-things-meme/'>The two things meme</a></em> That is fun Mary! My dh and I are the same as your husband, we like to invite people around to our home too, usually we have cookouts and bbqs in the summertime :-)
Amy’s last blog post..The two things meme

]]> By: Cena http://homesteepedhope.com/2008/07/06/our-fourth-of-july/#comment-12107 Cena Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:54:12 +0000 http://homesteepedhope.com/?p=782#comment-12107 We've begun having our kids stop anyone in military uniform to thank them for serving our country. I did it at Wal Mart last week, and you can always tell it touches them (the military.) The kids were hesitant at first, but after such big thank you's and handshakes they're getting used to it. I think it's hard to talk to a stranger when you've been taught not to:) I loved your 4th of July. It sounded fun. 102 degrees here in CA at almost 5pm... We’ve begun having our kids stop anyone in military uniform to thank them for serving our country. I did it at Wal Mart last week, and you can always tell it touches them (the military.) The kids were hesitant at first, but after such big thank you’s and handshakes they’re getting used to it. I think it’s hard to talk to a stranger when you’ve been taught not to:)
I loved your 4th of July. It sounded fun.
102 degrees here in CA at almost 5pm…

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