MARTHA-GROCERY SHOPPING

People have been asking about family grocery shopping.  As we have a farm, we grow as much of our vegetables, fruit, etc. that we can.  Also, we raise cows, chickens and pigs for our meat and eggs.  I have tried to raise herbs, but I kill them, so I now get them from Jean. 

On Sunday, we get the local newspaper for the news, but also for the coupons that come.  I have a box that I cut the coupons out of the paper and put them in the box. Some coupons that I don't use, I pass on someone else. I also check to see what stores have sales.

Before I go grocery shopping I figure out my menus for two weeks.  I check and see what we have in the house and what I have to purchase. I make up a grocery list that I take with me.  Also, I eat before I got to the grocery store so I don't buy things we don't need.  I try to go alone grocery shopping or take as few of my children as I can with me.  That may sound mean-but I don't have them talking me into things we really don't need.  I must hire a driver to take me to the store and I can go through the store faster alone, then I can with someone with me. 

With such a large family, I buy a lot in bulk, so I don't have to go back and forth to the store.  When going, I usually go to Aldi's as that is the closest surplus store.  Sometimes if there is a big sale on something and I want to stock up, I go to Save a Lot that is a little further away.  I also will buy dented cans-make sure they aren't badly dented.  Some stores have day old breads, rolls, etc.  Even though I make my own, if the price is right, I buy some to put in the freezer in case we run out and I don't have time to make them. 

In the store I buy what's on the grocery list first.  Like many people, we also have a desire for junk foods, but they come if I have enough money left from our needed grocery. Brands are brands to me in most of my items-I don't look for special names especially if something is on sale.  There are some exceptions, but most of the time it doesn't matter.  Our junk foods are soda pop, pop corn, Twinkees (they're mine), etc.  I am so glad Twinkees are coming back-they were my favorites from the English world. 

When checking out I stand right there and watch the cash register.  Sometimes cash register people make mistakes when checking items out.  When I get home, I go over the sales recipt with the groceries again to make sure everything is right. I unpack the groceries.

As far as junk foods go, I buy a certain amount and when they are gone-they are gone until I get to the grocery store again and if there is enough money for them.  Soft drinks is the big problem especially with summer coming.  We make root beer and ginger ale, but there's nothing like a Coke or Pepsi sometimes according to the children.  At first they use to drink them all down during the first week that I bought them, but now they realize they have to make them last longer. 

Money for our regular groceries comes from what we make on the dairy and farming.  The junk food comes from part of the money I make from the vegetables I sell from the garden, cakes and pies I make for people, etc.  If I don't sell anything-we don't get anything. 

We make our own bread, cookies, cakes, pies, rolls, etc. although, like I said I keep a couple loaves of bread and rolls in the freezer just in case. 

I hope this helps on how we save money.  Joseph has never said anything about the money I spend on groceries.  I try to not to waste the money.

Be With the Lord,
Martha

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY - MY MOM

This is a picture of my Mother in 1941-that was seven years before I was born.

My Mother was born in 1909 in the hills of Kentucky. Her Mother died in child birth so her Father moved her and the rest of her family to Chicago where his sister lived. Her Dad passed away after he fell down a flight of stairs and broke his neck. My Mom was taken by his sister where she was raised until she graduated from High School. She worked as a maid until she could complete her courses in business and became a secretary. She met my Dad in the lunch room where they worked in Chicago. My Dad was a tool and die maker. They were married over 60 years before she passed away and my Dad passed three years later. My parents moved to California and then later to New York State where my Father had been born and raised. I was born in New York.

 At first my Dad worked and my Mother stayed home where they raised my brothers and myself. I am the youngest. My Father went into the Real Estate Business where my Mother became a trail blazer. After my brothers had grown - I was in High School, my Mother obtained her Real Estate Sales license. When the license didn't come and didn't come, my Dad finally called Albany to find out where her license was. My Dad hung up laughing so hard he had tears coming down. Seems the State of New York had never had a Real Estate Sales Lady before. All the licenses the state had were for Sales Men not Sales Women and they didn't know what to do. Dad told them to give my Mom a Sales Man license and send it, which they did. The first Real Estate Sales license my Mom got - had her as a man. Shortly after that they came up with licenses for women. Both my parents were hard workers and wanted us to have a better life than they did. My Mom was a great cook. She could bake the best pies, cakes, cookies and meals. 

 She cooked all our dinners for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Birthdays, etc. until she was 76. That year she asked us how we liked her Easter Dinner. We all said we loved it. She said to enjoy because it was her last - and it was. My sister-in-laws and I took over after that. Mom would bring some of our favorite dishes, but she never cooked a big meal like that again. Mom grew up knowing medicine from the hills. She believed in doctors, but she could make her own remedies. Once when I was grown, I had been to the doctor three times for a flu I had and the doctor still hadn't gotten rid of it. On the the third time Mom went to the doctor with me. He was going to refill the prescription again. Mom said now, she was taking over. The doctor asked my Mother if she had a better education, medical knowledge and more know how than he did. She said maybe not-but she never lost a patient. That was on Friday. So home, we went, my Mother sent me to bed and came up with teas, chicken soup and potices. The fever broke on Saturday. When I left with my Mother the doctor ordered me to come back Monday morning. 

 On Monday I went to the doctor with a temperature of 98.6 , all the fever and illness were gone and he wanted to know how my Mother did it. My Mother went blind with glaucoma, that was before they had the medicine they do today. Later she suffered with alzheimer disease for ten years before she passed on, on one of my brother's birthday, April 17th, 1995. Dad and I took care of her at home as long as we could before we put her in a nursing home. Dad and I were with her when she passed. My Dad passed away three years later on July 11th 1998. He went down hill from the day Mom passed. I miss them both very much. I didn't mean to go on so, but I wanted you to know about my Mother. I hope she is in heaven celebrating with Jesus, Blessed Mother, the Saints, my Father, my Brother and all the others that have gone. 

HAPPY  MOTHER'S DAY, MOM. 

Love Marilyn

MY MOM AND I

MY MOM

ME AND MY MOM

MY MOM AND DAD

SPRING IN OLD ORDER MENNONITE AREA

These are some pictures I took while driving around near where Jean and Martha live last Saturday.    The tractor in the field is either Edward or Michael plowing in the field Jean and David gave them to work this year.  I took a picture of each them in the tractor they were driving, but I can't tell which one is which.  Hope you enjoy these pictures.

Marilyn

A SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY POST TOMORROW.

GORHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT - DAVID VOLUNTEER'S HERE

This is the Gorham Fire Department where David, his father, and Joseph all volunteer.  Kevin, Joseph and Martha's son,
is in training for being a fireman.  David also volunteers for their ambulance.  All are trained for fireman and David is trained for the ambulance.  Some of the Old Order Mennonite and Amish speak in Pennsylvania Dutch when they are in the ambulance so David does not only his medical but can translate or converse with the patient.  As they do not drive, other  Englisher firemen and ambulance medics drive. 

The above pictures are of the front and side of the fire department.  This was on Amish Stories a while back, but I have a few more pictures since then.

This building is on one side of the firehouse. I really liked this building.

Next to the Firehouse is a picnic area.  Jean says it is used for picnics, dinners, auctions, craft sales, etc.  Most of the money from these support the Fire Department.

THANK YOU ALL THE FIREMEN AND FIREWOMEN THAT CAME TO THE FIRE OUR TOWN HAD, GORHAM INCLUDED.  YOU RISKED YOUR LIVES TO SAVE OTHERS AND OUR TOWN.  WE LOST A BLOCK BUT THE REST STILL STANDS,THANKS TO YOU.

GOD BLESS YOU !!!!

FIREMAN'S PRAYER  

When duty call's me, oh Lord,
Wherever Flames may rage,
Give me the strength to save some life
Whatever Be its age. Help me embrace a little child
Before it is too late
Or save an older person from
The horror of that fate Enable me to be alert,
and oh Lord, guide my every move,
for life is so precious,
please don't let us loose. I want to fill my calling and
To give the best in me
To guard my every neighbor
And protect their property And if according to thy will,
That I must give my life,
Then with thy protecting hand my Lord,
I pray thee, protect my children and my wife. Amen

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SPRING IN MENNONITE AREA COMING TOMORROW.

MARTHA'S - STRAWBERRY DESSERT

MARTHA'S STRAWBERRY DESSERT

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 containers (6 ounces each) lemon-favored yogurt
3 pints strawberries, sliced
1 container (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Combine cracker crumbs, granulated sugar and butter in medium bowl, mix well.  Press into bottom of 13X9-inch baking dish.

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium speed 1 minute.  Beat in yogurt until blended.  Pour mixture over crust.  Arrange strawberries on cream cheese mixture.  Spread whipped topping over strawberries.  Chill at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Strawberry season will be coming on us pretty soon.  I thought you might enjoy this receipe when the strawberries come.

Martha

FRIDAY THE GORHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT DAVID VOLUNTEERS FOR WILL BE ON.  I HAD THIS ON BEFORE OUR LOCAL FIRE.

MARTHA THIS AND THAT

You folks asked me some questions, so I thought I would answer them and also tell  you how Jean is coming on all the moving. 

How many cows do we have?  We did have over 300 cows, but a little over 100 of them were Kevin and Bridgets. When they moved into their house, they took over 100 of them so we are down to 225. 

What kind of animals do we have besides horses and cows?  We have chickens, pigs, along with cats and kittens in our barn.  We use to have lambs and rabbits, but we sold them and bought more cows.

Yes, we do have electric generators in case the power goes off.  We have generators to run the milkers and one to run the vat ao the milk doesn't get to warm and spoil.  Also, we recently purchased a generator for parts of the house in case the power goes off.  The house ones will keep the refrigerator, and freezers going so we don't spoil any food.

As Marilyn said, we do drink the raw milk at our table.  We do not sell it nor do we give it away.  Every dairy farmer is asked by someone if they will sell the raw milk.  No, we won't.  Even our relatives have asked for it free and we will not do that either,  because it is illegal.  We won't go against the law.  Also, we wouldn't want to be fined or sent to jail. 

Jean, David and family are in their new to them  house.  Right now they are trying to settle the way they want it.  When that is done they will be moving Grandmother Olive and Grandfather Albert into their dawdy house.  The dawdy house has one bedroom and they would like to add another one.  Some of Olive and Albert's older relatives and friends come to visit and they would like to have a room with them on the ground floor.

Kevin and Bridget were very happy to move into their house.  I think David has everything done on their house that they wanted done.  We told them they couldn't take their bedroom set or the dining room set out when they moved.  Bridget got a bit upset, but Kevin said we wouldn't send them out there if there wasn't something at the house.  Bridget went into shock when she saw the handmade dining room table, chairs and china cabinet that she wanted in the kitchen.  Joseph and our son's made that for them.  In the bedroom was a handmade double bed (they slept on singles in our house) with two end tables and dresser that David and his son's had made.  They had a beautiful rose design on them that Bridget wanted, but didn't think she would get.  They were both, so happy. 

It looked funny walking the cows from Kevin and Bridget's to Jean and David's farm.  Then we walked Kevin and Bridget's from our farm to their farm. A couple of cars passed on the way and looked at us in shock.  We would do so many at a time and when they were settled in the barn, go get some until we got them all in their barns. So everyone was on the move.

Jean and David gave us our garden land back, which we returned their money to.  They also decided to keep the rest of the land they were going to build the house on as they have three boys and two of them will be marrying age in a few years-as Jean previously said.  They are going to let the Edward and Michael work it this year.  They will be planting on it  pretty soon. 

So that is our latest news so far.

Be With the Lord,
Martha


IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ MARTHA'S STORY ON HER BECOMING OLD ORDER MENNONITE, GO TO: http:Amishstories. net  AS YOU GO DOWN THE RIGHT SIDE YOU WILL SEE A PLACE OF MARTHA - PRESS IT .  YOU WILL HAVE MARTHA'S STORY.

OUR TOWN''S FIRE

The day after.

One of the stores that got gutted was Mark's Pizza that was founded in our town in 1982.  They are now a chain.  Mark called two of his closest stores and had them bake and deliver 100 pizzas to the fire so the firemen and firewoman would have something to eat.

These shots are not in order - just to show the different shots I took.  Three fireman and one lady were taken to the hospital.  The firemen were treated and released for smoke.  The lady went into labor.  I have a post coming on for where David, Jean's husband volunteer.  They were here along with 12 other fire companies. from three counties: Wayne, Ontario and Monroe. Our town water pressure got so low, they had to pump water out of the Erie Canal.

God Bless all the firemen and fireladies who risked their lives that day to get people out and to put the fire out.  We might have lost this part of Main Street, but they saved lives and the rest of our town still stands thanks to them.

Marilyn

Nine families lost everything in the fire.  If anyone would like to make a donation to help them, you can make a check to:

James R. Hickey Post 120

American Legion

132 Cuyler Street 

Palmyra, New York 14522

315-597-2412

Put Palmyra Fire on the check.

Any donation no matter how large or small would be appreciated.  I am not out for money, but I know we have many generous people who might like to help.  I get nothing from this, just trying to help others.