Front Porch Stories

We have finally gotten some much needed rain!  My heart goes out to all those who farm or work outside for a living.  To depend on Mother Nature for you lively hood takes a lot of faith in God.  A man who loves to till the land and watch things grow are starting to become extinct.  Big commercial farmers are eating up the little guy, just as they have done in everything else.   Someday in the not to distant future we are going to wish we had more of those small farmers to show us how to grow things so that we don't starve to death.

Every instructor is different, they are not all like Mr. Miyagi.  Choose your instructor wisely!  If it is your son or daughter who will be taking the class make sure that you can watch the class.  Instructors are just like any other coach, your child will become very attached and loyal to this person.  That is why you must do your homework.  Be sure that the person is teaching proper ethics as well as looking out for your child's well being.  Bodies are not meant to punch and kick the air with the same force and extensions as when you are hitting something solid.  That will cause hypertension of the joint.  I have a knee that still gives me problems. The martial arts are a perfect way to build character, instill self-discipline, as well as learning self-defense.  Learning how to read a situation so that you can respond rather than react is also a critical element to learn.  When sitting in on a class listen to see if the instructor is also explaining the consequences of some of

Have you ever had squash pickles?  I hadn't until just the other day.  I went over to visit Faye and her mom the other day and she had made some.  When I said I had never tried them we opened up a jar that hadn't sealed.  OH MY!!!  If you like bread and butter pickles you will love the squash.  It has a squash flavor mingled in with the bread and butter seasoning, I think they are wonderful!! Therefore Friday will find me at the local farmers market in search of squash, and some peppers for making pepper jelly.  When I have made them for myself I will post the recipes on Farm House Recipes so you can try them for yourself. Happy 4th!  Don't forget those who serve nor those who have fought and died for our freedom. God Bless them and their families!

I went out this morning and picked the last blackberries for the season.  I wanted enough to share with a friend and put a couple of quarts in the freezer.  I can remember Mama canning them so that she could make what she called a cold weather surprise.  We all loved her blackberry cobbler and trust me having it in January was a real treat!! The weather here has been very hot and dry over the last few weeks which reduced the berries in size, and now to top that off the Japanese Beetles have found them.  Most of the big ripe berries had beetles attached to them.  So I decided that it was time to say that I've gotten enough, and let nature take it's course.  Berries are after all, one of  God's ways to furnish all his creatures with food.  I have watched several different species of birds go in and out of the berry batch, and have been scolded by a few for being to close to their nest.  I feel truly blessed to live out in the country and to be able to watch nature up close.

Tobi Yoko Geri!!  Followed by a very loud kaia!!  Which was followed by a big splash!  Then I hear another set of feet.....Cannon Ball!!  Big splash, and the list goes on until they had run out of words and energy!  All should sleep well tonight. As I was watching the kids and grand kids play in the pool, I couldn't help but drift back in time to the hot summer days that we spent at the lake.  My older brother had a place at a local lake with a really nice dock and since it was within reasonable driving distance the kids and I used it a lot as they were growing up.  That was were they all learned how to swim, dive and water ski.  Humm, times were hard but those were some of the best times that I can remember. Mama didn't like the water so she would sit up on his porch and watch us.  We also did a lot of fishing off that dock!  Mama said "if you catch em and clean em, I'll cook them and some hushpuppies".  That was all the incentive we needed to go fishing