JEAN'S BACK !!! HAS SOME GOOD NEWS !!!

WELCOME BACK JEAN !!!!   HAS SOME GOOD NEWS !!!

Thank you all for the welcome back.  It was so hard for me to say good by on Amish Stories.  I am so glad to be here on New York State of Mind. 

If you read Amish Stories you know that David and I purchased some property to build a new house on. So we thought we'd let peope know among the Mennonite and Amish that our farm was for sale.  Well, we sold  our farm. It is going to an Amish family that are moving up from Pennsylvania.  The people that bought our farm are the parents to the wife of the Amish couple behind us that had twins. We also had a lot that the people buying our farm bought for one of their sons.  It was a cash deal and we just couldn't turn it down.

We must be out of the house on or before January 15th.  The people buying our farm, sold theirs-so they have to be able to get into ours.  Our house was built by David's grandparents, then went to his parents and then to us.  We are cleaning out a house and barns filled with three generations of items.  Of course, some we want to take, those we don't we are offering to the family and those they don't want are going to be sold. 

Also we had to figure where to go. Our house will probably not be built until the Spring, but if the weather stays like it is, maybe a lot sooner.  Where were we going to put our animals?  Edward is still a foster child even though we feel he is a member of our family-he could be taken from us if we move too far away.  My parents, and David's parents offered us to move in with them-but there isn't enough room.  No one has a farm to rent. Martha and Joseph said we were moving in with them.  We could move in the third floor of their house.  In fact they are in the process of adding a bathroom for us.

This evening, Martha and Joseph's oldest son came over to our house with his fiancee Bridget (who was our maude) and gave us the keys to their new house.  They are getting married on January 1st (Martha will tell you about that).  The house and barn has been built for them.  We refused saying that was their new house.  No one has lived in it-it is theirs, but they insisted.  They said it would be easier for them to live with Martha and Joseph than all of us.  When we get our new house-they will move into their house.   We gave them all kind of reasons why they should move into their house after their marriage, but they wouldn't listen.  David told him we would have to build a chicken coup and Kevin (Martha and Joseph's son) said that was fine, he would have had to.  We asked if his parents made them do this and he said he hadn't told them.  He just kiddingly asked Michael not to set this house on fire. We were almost in tears as this is what we needed and they could give us their new house and barn to use.

David and I spoke with Martha and Joseph who were surprised, but that was their son and Bridget and if they wanted to give us their house, to use it.   It is special to them as Kevin was one of the children they adopted when he was just a little child.  He came to them as a Foster Child.  As we worry about our children, they did about him among all their children.  He is baptised Old Order Mennonite and marrying an Old Order Mennonite girl.

So I may not be able to make all the posts right away because of this move.  My green houses were moved to Martha's house, now they have to be moved to Kevin and Bridget's house.  I asked Martha if she would fill in on New York State of Mind when I couldn't do the posts and she agreed.  Hope you understand.  We never thought this would happen this time of year, but not our will, God's will.

We have lots of help Kevin and Bridget, my family, David's family, friends and other relatives.  Still packing all these boxes and sorting all that we have will take time. So if I am not able to put in posts, please look forward for Martha's posts.  I am not leaving New York State of Mind, just may not be able to post regularly until we get moved and settled.

I, along with my whole family wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, New York.

Be With God,
Jean

HOLIDAY BREAKFAST SOUFFLE

8 eggs
6 slices bread, cubed (use crust)
1 lb, sausage or bacon crumbled
2 cups milk
1 cup sharp chedder cheese, grated
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard

Mix milk, salt, mustard and eggs.  Pour over other ingredients tossing lightly.  Pour into a greased 9" x 13" pan.  Refrigerate 1 hour.  Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

I may have had this on Amish Stories last year. When I make this, I do it the day before and keep it in the refrigerator all night. That way, I can just pop it in the oven for breakfast on Christmas morning.  Jean