THIS AND THAT DAY, AGAIN !!

Another of my This and That days.  Of course, the first two are barns.  Pictures 3 thru 7 are of an Englisher horse barn I passed and thought you might enjoy.  I had pictures of green fields, well here are snow fields in pictures 8 and 9.  Picture 10 is was originally the East Palmyra School.  When the school was closed it became Village Hall.  Now it sits their vacant.  The last is a sign I saw while driving around in Hopewell.  Thought it was kind of interesting or not interesting depending on how you look at it.

SCHOOL BOAT TEAMS ON THE ERIE CANAL

Thought we needed a winter break.  Took these pictures of some of the school boat teams practicing on the Erie Canal last October.  Thought they would remind us that better weather is coming - it might be a while - but it is coming.

HOW GRANDMOTHER OLIVE AND GRANDFATHER ALBERT ARE GETTING TO FLORIDA

I never thought of taking pictures of the trains that go through my town until Grandmother Olive mentioned Amtrak.  When she said that, I said I could take pictures of trains.  So I went down to one of the train crossings in my town and took pictures of the Amtrak Train plus other trains.  Amtrak Train comes through slower than it use to because of having hit a few cars at this crossing, but still they are faster than the freight trains that come through.  I believe the train that Grandmother Olive and Grandfather Albert will be on is longer than this one as more people are heading south than north.

GRANDMOTHER OLIVE'S WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES RECIPE

GRANDMOTHER OLIVE'S WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
2 cups water or milk
2 Tbs canola oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Stir together dry ingredients.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix with a wire whisk.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Heat lightly buttered (or vegetable spray) fry pan on medium heat.  Cook pancakes, turning when edges look dry and golden brown on both sides.

Serve with real maple syrup or fresh fruit.

GRANDMOTHER OLIVE'S TIPS ON BAKING WITH WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR

People seem to have a hard time when using whole wheat flour.  Susan made whole wheat bread one time and it came out as hard as a door stop.  She was in tears.  I went in the kitchen to help her make another one.  The second one came out much better than the first.  We could eat the second one.

First, let me explain whole wheat flour.  I will use bread but the same applies to pancakes, crackers, bread or cupcakes.  Whole wheat flour contains germ and bran which other refined grains also contain but white bread does not.  Germ and bran have minerals like zinc, magnesium and iron and also omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber.  Also contained in germ and bran are many nutty flavors to bread or whatever you are baking and a fuller texture.  Germ and bran also soak up more water than white flour will.  Shortage of water can make a dry loaf of bread or make it crumbly or hard as a rock.  Germ and bran also make the dough heavier which can cut its capacity to rise.  But, if you make the items correctly bread or whatever you are making can be light, and healthy to eat.

First, you can not take a recipes that calls for white flour and just subsititute   whole wheat flour for white flour.  It won't work.  You will have to change more in the recipe than just the flour. In fact you will probably have to revise the whole recipe. So make sure the recipe you are using was written for whole wheat flour.

Second, is liquid, liquid, liquid.  This is the biggest mistake that most people make in baking with whole wheat flour is water.  They don't use enough.  Whole wheat flour needs a great deal  more water than white flour does.

Third is not in any medical book and I am not a doctor, but my feeling that using sourdough yeast  that it is great for the digestive tract.  With the yeast, germ and bran it will take the items with whole wheat dough more time to rise.

Fourth is don't over knead the whole wheat dough.  In the brain are flakes which can really cut the dough.  Cutting the dough will change the consistency and structure of the dough and cut its ability to rise.

Fifth because of all the above it will probably mean that it will take more time for the whole wheat dough to rise than white flour dough would.  On the other hand if the fermenting yeast continues metabolizing the sugars in the wheat, the dough stops rising and reverses.  Should your dough over ferment then the gluten deteriorates, and the dough can collapse.

So you should allow the dough to rise for 20 minutes.  Then punch down the dough loaves and allow three more hours for then to rise.  Then place them in your preheated oven.

I hope these help you in baking using while heat flour.  It does become easy. To me, whole wheat flour items taste so much better than while flour.

Elmer was at Jean's house using the phone for the post this week as his cell phone died and it is charging here.  Albert heard Elmer mention the trip to Pinecraft that he and Anna are taking.  Albert looked at me and asked why we don't go to Pinecraft anymore.

Albert and I use to go to Pinecraft in November and stay until April.  A few years ago we stopped as it seems one of us had a medical problem and stayed here for treatment.  Albert says it seems that we are pretty healthy this year or at least as we can be for old folks our age.  I told Albert it was too late this year to rent a place anyway.  Plus that I do not ride buses that far anymore.  I use to enjoy riding the bus and talking with everyone, but I just couldn't sit that long on a bus anymore.  Thinking that was that, I didn't mention it again.



The men went off to our section of the house while Jean, Anna and I sat at Jean's kitchen table.  About an hour later Albert comes out and asks me if I could suffer a car trip to Rochester, NY.  I said, of course, I could.  It's just sitting in one for twenty-four hours was to much for me even with car stops.  Back Albert went.  We ladies continued talking.

Albert came out again and said we are going to Pinecraft.  I told him, he was silly.  He said it is all taken care of.  I said I wouldn't ride a bus or car that far.  He said we aren't - we are going Amtrak. After Albert calling people he knew and Elmer calling people he knew, he rented a place for us to stay.

I tried to give reasons we couldn't go.  What if we got sick?  Albert said there are hospitals and doctors there.  What if something happened here?  Albert said Jean and David could take care of it.  If it was an real emergency, he was sure that Bishop Joseph would let us fly back due to the emergency and our ages.  Every excuse I could think of, Albert had an answer for.  Finally, Albert said Olive, we are going to Pinecraft - that's it.  So we are going.

Albert won't tell me when we are leaving because he said I would find an excuse not to go.  He will tell me when the time comes so I can pack.  He even got us a room or cabin or whatever you call it on a train that we can sleep in.  Albert thought of everything on this one.

Be With God,
Olive

ELMER IS BACK !!!

I know this is usually Jean's Day, but seeing she did twice this month, she made today my day.  So I hope I am not confusing you.  Also, in the last post, I said it was the first time we had had church at our house, Anna advised me it wasn't.  It was the second time, we had it about a month before.  That is unusual as most times we have church only once or twice a year.  Anna informed me, it is only once a year.  One service was in November or December of 2014 and the one we just had was January, 2015, so we shouldn't have it again for a while.  Glad she can keep these things straight, because I sure can't.

As you read this, John and Sarah are on their way to Florida with John's best friend and his wife.  John's best friend is Bishop Eli's son.  Bishop Eli and his wife were suppose to be going, but when his son found that John and Sarah were going, they wanted to go.  So Bishop Eli gave him their tickets for the bus, so they could go.  Eli called his parents and informed them who was coming as his son and daughter-in-law will be staying with Eli's parents.  John and Sarah will have the place next door.

Bishop Eli and his wife booked on the bus for the same time we are going.  So Bishop Eli and his wife will be staying with his parents and we will be staying next door.  We look at it that our children should go now, as they won't be able to when they have children, which we hope is soon.  Pinecraft allows children, but the expense for all to go would be more than they could handle just starting a family and all.  Let them enjoy a trip to Florida while they can.

Eli and I were taking and we decided that we are much easier on our children than our parents were.  Of course, our parents had more children than we do.  Also, back when we were our children's age, the thought of going to Florida was for the older folks, not us young folks.  Times sure have changed.

Right now, I am taking care of our farm and John's.  Eli is taking care of his farm and his son's.  We do have help from some of the people at church.  Also, we are checking the houses to make sure everything is okay.  Every couple of days, I will take a walk through the house, just to make sure. John and Sarah along with Eli's son and daughter in law should be back on February 27th or 28th.

We are leaving on the bus to Florida on February 23rd and will arrive on February 24th. The day we get there is the day before John, Sarah, Eli's son and his wife will be leaving - so we will have to spend one night with all of us there.  We will work it out.  Our bus leaves to return on March 25th, so we will arrive in Pennsylvania March 26th.  From there we will get a bus back to New York State.  So we should be home March 27th or 28th, Lord willing.

When we are all gone, people from our church will take care of our farms until our sons and daughters in laws get back.  I know this must be very confusing for you.  It is for me, but as usual Anna understands it all and will tell me to be where I should be when I should be.

I hope the young folks have a good time.  We know that Eli's Mother and Step-Father will keep an eye on them for us.  They won't rule them, but if something should happen, we will know.  I guess as parents they are always children to us.  It is hard to admit they are grown up.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer

P.S.
I went over to Jean's to use her phone for this post and to charge my dead cell phone.  Guess I caused some news between Albert and Olive.  Read tomorrow's post.

HERITAGE BAPTIST CHURCH, PALMYRA, NEW YORK

Heritage Baptist Church was founded in 1980 in a white, wood frame building in East Palmyra, New York.  Their Pastor, Tom Young, came back to the area in which he grew up to start the church after completing Bible Study in Indiana.  The church started to grown in its infancy and continued to grow until expansion was necessary.

The church was relocated close by the current location on Route 21 just north of town in Palmyra.  It was built in two phases, first the main auditorium and education wing for Sunday School  and 1st to 12 grade Christian School classes and later with an addition adding the link (kitchen and restrooms) and full size gymnasium and fellowship hall.

PIERRE'S "THE BARK" - BITE PROGRESS REPORT

Hi Everyone,

Mom told you about the dog down the street biting me.  First, I would like to thank you all for your prayers and well wishing.  Your prayers are working as I am healing up slow but sure.  I still like to lick the spot even though Mom puts stuff on it.  I had to take pills, but they made me sick so Mom had to take me back to the vet to get a shot.  I didn't like the shot, but was a good boy, anyway.

I wanted to show a picture of the bite, but Mom didn't think that was a good idea.  She said she didn't want me to upset your tummy when you saw it..  One good thing though, is Mom took me to a new vet that was closer to our home than the one we previously went to.  I liked our previous vet, but I like the new one, too.  Of course both our previous vet and new one vet are ladies and I prefer a lady vet rather than  a man.  I guess I am a ladies man.

Mom got really upset with the man that owned the dog that bit me.  He has two other dogs and one of them had bit Rickie, my Mom's dog before me.  Now, another of his dogs bit me. We have a leash law in our village, but he lets his dogs run free.  People were telling Mom to go to court, and Mom thought about it.  Mom was really upset !!!!!

Finally Mom calmed down and took the two bills over to the man that owned the dogs.  She calmly spoke to him and explained what happened.  He didn't believe her, but Mom said she had two witnesses that saw the whole thing.  She said people wanted her to sue him, but we lived in a neighborhood and we all had to get along. In the end, he gave Mom the money for the vet bills and a little extra.  Mom took the money to the bank because she had to pay CareCredit as that is what she charged the vet bills on.

She also told the man how we go out of our way to avoid his dogs.  He leaves for work at 10:30 PM, so Mom doesn't walk me for bed until after he leaves.  In the morning he comes home at 7:30 AM so Mom either walks me before he gets home or makes me wait for a hour after he gets home so he can let his dogs out, walks them and get them back in before I go out.  The rest of the time, Mom has to be careful when she walks me so we don't run into them.

I just wanted to give you a progress report and let you know how I was doing.  Again, I thank you all for your prayers and thoughts.

Love,
Pierre

COUNTRY AND VILLAGE BARNS

The top barns are country barns.  Pictures 2,3, and 4 are of the same barn.  Pictures 5 and 6 are the of same barn.  I tried for a yellow barn in picture 7.  That is the color it is, but it came out a little darker on here.  In our village some of the houses were built in the 1700's and 1800's.  Some of the barns built with the houses for horse and carriages are now garages as can be seen in pictures 8, 9, 10.  I still have more barns to put on here.

LAUNDRY HANGING OUTSIDE - DECEMBER 26 AND 27

I love to see laundry hanging outside.  These were taken in Amish and Old Order Mennonite area on December 26th and December 27th.