AMERICAN PHAROAH - TRIPLE CROWN WINNER - 2015

American Pharoah is the first Triple Crown Winner since 1978.  He is the 12 th horse to be the Triple Crown Winner.  Welcome American Pharoah !!

OSPREY AND HER NEST - MORE RECENT PICTURES

Osprey's nest and her flying around.  Got better pictures yesterday than the ones I got before - at least I think so. It was cloudy yesterday when I was there.  I will try to keep an eye on her.

JEAN TELLS HOW SHE AND DAVID BECAME FOSTER PARENTS

Let me say from the start that if you are thinking of becoming a Foster Parent not only to help children but increase your income - this is not for you.  If you love children and want to provide them with a home, lots of love, help  and understanding - then this is for you. It is our belief that we are to provide for the child or children.  It is our personal and religious belief.  So when we get our monthly check, it goes into a bank account for the child.  This is not what the State plans you to do, but what we do.  Even if you use the check for the expenses of the child, you will probably end up spending more than the monthly check when you consider clothes, food, activities, etc.  I am not telling you this not to become a Foster Family, not at all.  Too see the love, change that you make, and the change the child makes is worth every penny whether it is your dollar or the states dollar.  I am not trying to discourage you, just want you to know how it is.  I think that is why there are so many children that need foster homes today and so few foster homes.

What started us thinking about becoming Foster Parents was that Bishop Joseph and Martha were Foster Parents.  The reason there couldn't take anymore children was that their house was full.  Between their own family and Foster Children - they just didn't have anymore room.  David and I had thought about becoming Foster Parents and talked about with Joseph and Martha one night at dinner.  Joseph and Martha told us all the good you can do being a Foster Parents and some things that might happen that are not so good.  So David and I thought about it and prayed about it.  One week there was an ad in the paper saying that if anyone was interested in becoming a Foster Parents there was a presentation for all interested people to attend.  So we attended.

They told us, like Joseph and Martha, all the good things and the not so good things.  What kind of home it takes.  What kind of people it takes.  Spoke about working schedules, payment, and the type of people they were looking for.  They gave us some information to take home.  Before we left we have to sign a sheet with our name, address and phone number.

We didn't call them, they called us.  They asked what kind of work David and I did.  We explained that we were farmers although David does painting and other odd jobs during the winter.  They explained that several of the Foster Homes in the area are Old Order Mennonite homes.  Old Order Mennonite are prefered because at least one of the parents is home almost all the time.  Also, it is a home where a child could learn a trade.  Boys in farming and girls in cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc.  OOM also has strong religious beliefs.  In doing our helping services, we also teach children to help others and introduce them to all kinds of people.  The lady went on and on.

Again, we spoke with Joseph and Martha.  We prayed and decided to try and see how we made out.  So we called the lady back and said we would apply and see what happened.

A lady came to see our house.  She went all through it.  Being a Foster Parent, the state can come to your house any hour of the day or night they wish to check over your house.  They usually come twice a year and call before they come, but they have the freedom to come if there is a problem with a child or parent.  Even if it is a rumor problem.  So she came and went through the house from the attic to the basement.  Checked how many bedrooms we had, the condition of the home, location to the public school, and more.  Then she went out in the barns and checked to see how clean the barns were, if there was any danger where a child could hurt and more.  We passed.

Once the house was approved, we had to go to the County Building and be finger printed so they could do a background check on us.  Also, we had to have three reference letters from people stating they knew us and what they knew of us.

Getting off on the side here, when we moved to the farm we have now and Grandfather Albert and Grandmother Olive moved in, they had to be finger printed because we were a Foster Home. Grandmother Olive went along, but Grandfather Albert was not happy that they did not trust his reputation with the neighbors and members of our church.  We tried to explain that we were dealing with the State.  Finally, Grandmother Olive talked him into doing it, which he did with a grumble.

Once we got approved, we then took courses to learn all about Foster Children.  They taught us from what we provide in the home, how to handle children non-violent and violent, making our home their home and more.  I must say, we have never had a child get violent in our home.  Have had a few loud disagreements, but never any violence. But in the course, they tell you all these things.  They cover about everything you could think of in these courses.

Once approved, we got our first child who only stayed for a week or so while her parents were in a custody court.  We did get a baby girl who we thought would remain with us, but she had health conditions so they transfered her to another Foster Home closer to the hospital.  Our first child to stay was Michael.

Being a Foster Parent, if the time comes when a child will go up for adoption, aside from family, you are the first that can adopt the child, if you would like.  How could we say no when they asked us about Michael.  He had been living in our home, become a member of our family, fitted right in.  So when the time came, we first asked him if he would allow us to adopt him and when he approved, we did.

There is more to becoming a Foster Home, I just touched on the important details.  In New York State a Foster Home receives about $560.00 a month per child.  Now that Michael, Edward and Katie are adopted, the only one we receive payment on is Thomas.  We also get medical insurance on Thomas provided for by the state.  Like I said, we have opened an account for Thomas at the bank.  When we receive the check, we deposit it in his account.  But if we lived on that $560.00, that isn't much in today's standards for one person.  That is why I say, you have to want to help the children more than you receive in payment.  I believe that is why there is such a shortage in Foster Homes and why children have come to our house with a bag of worn clothes and shoes with holes in them.

David and I believe that when a child comes through our door they are a member of our family.  It is hard for us, especially me to have someone leave, but I understand sometimes they go home to their parents or family.  But when they come into our house, live here for months or years - how can I turn them away when we have the choice to adopt them.  It would be like sending David Jr. or Susan away.  We can't do that.  They are our family and with their permission, we adopt them.  This is their home.  We are their family. They are our family.

Be With God,
Jean

BIRD'S NEST ON TELEPHONE POLE

I borrowed a friend's pick-up truck when I was going through car with drawl.  Driving around I found this bird's nest on top of a telephone pole.  I really got that bird upset.  I didn't mean to, but I did.  The bird came after me, but I did get a couple of pictures. I believe she must have had her babies up there and thought I would climb up the pole and steal them.  With my fear of heights, no way would I climb a telephone pole.

JEAN'S VEGETABLES AU GRATIN

JEAN'S VEGETABLE AU GRATIN

6 cups cauliflower flowerets
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
2 Tablespoon grated parmaesan
2 Tablespoons, butter, melted

Place steamer basket in 4 quart saucepan.  Pour in enough water to come up to bottom of basket.  Bring to a boil.  Add cauliflower.  Cover and steam 6 - 8 minutes or until crisp-tender.Drain well and place in greased 1 1/2 quart shallow casserole.  Arrange tomato slices on top.  Sprinkle first with crumbs, then with cheeses.  Pour butter over top.  Bake 375 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

GARDENS ARE GOING IN

Even though I didn't have car, it didn't mean that I didn't take pictures. These gardens have been started behind the apartment buildings where I live.  Well, most of them have been started, anyway.  The weather was so nice the day I took these pictures, someone even set their Africian violet outside to get a little sun.  The last four pictures are of the large garden Sam, the fellow that lives above me, grows every year..

ELMER TELLS OF PONY'S LATEST !!

Well, we found out we have a very smart pony - too smart.  When we were coming home from our church service, we waved at one of our Englisher neighbors who was talking with one of our Amish neighbors that got home before we did.  Our Amish neighbor was laughing, but our Englisher neighbor did not look so happy.

When we got home, Anna went inside and I took our carriage horse into the barn to brush and get settled down.  There in the barn was our pony.  I thought I had left it with all the horses out in the field.  Checked the fields and sure enough our other horses were there.  I couldn't yet figure it out when I heard Anna yell for me and it sounded urgent.

Outside Anna was standing by the buggy and said that our English neighbor was coming up the driveway and he did not look happy. In fact, he looked angry. Quickly I asked Anna if I put the pony out with the others and she said yes.  I explained that it was in the barn when Englisher got close enough to see and talk to.

Englisher was angry and said we had to do something about that pony we got.  I asked Englisher why he was so upset.  It seems that pony knows how to open the gate.  I said he had never done it before. He said it did it today.  They looked out in their yard and there was pony standing in their front lawn eating their lawn and flowers.

You have to understand Englisher.  His yard and her flower gardens are immaculate.  He spends hours of many days taking care of the lawn and his wife taking care of the flowers.  So pony eating their yard ruined part of his work. A good part of it.

Pony getting out was not all.  When pony opened the gate all the other horses followed him out.  Which ment there were six horses lose.  Englisher neighbor got a couple of other Englisher neighbors, rounded up the horses, put them back in the fenced field area, closed the gate and hooked it.  Shortly later, pony was back in his yard and the other horses were slowly moving down the driveway. Neighbors got them all back in fenced field except pony - they put him in the barn and tied him to make sure he couldn't get out.

I tried not to laugh.  I really did.  But I couldn't help it.  Also, I couldn't believe this little pony size horse could open the gate.  Of course, I did not say that to neighbor.  We put the pony back in the field, went inside and watched out the window.  Eli and his wife pulled in as we had invited them for supper.  After he got his horse settled, they came into the house and wanted to know why we were looking out the window.  I explained what happened.  Eli was just starting to tell Englisher how this couldn't have happened when pony walks over to the gate, lifts the latch, opens the door and goes off down the driveway.  Eli, Englisher and myself went, Englisher closed the gate so the other horses couldn't get out while Eli and I were running down the driveway to catch the pony. We caught pony at the end of the driveway before it went out in the road.

Now Englisher neighbor was laughing.  Telling how we should have seen ourselves run.  He didn't know we could run that fast.  Neither did we.

I put pony in fenced field, closed gate, chained latch to post and put lock on it.  The pony still tried to open it, but it won't open anymore.  Eli checked me to make sure the horse wouldn't be able to open this.

When we went inside Englisher's wife was there with Anna and Eli's wife, drinking coffee, eating pie. Anna said she would replace all the lady's flowers for her.  She could have them from Anna's greenhouse and if Anna didn't have what she needed in there, they would go to the store and Anna would buy what she wanted.

I asked Englisher what I could do for his lawn that pony damaged.  He told me to keep my horses out of it.

During last winter Anna and Englisher's wife had been talking.  Englisher's wife told Anna that her husband had a heat condition, but he still shoveled out his driveway and sidewalk.  He wouldn't hire someone to do it.  Anna asked if finances were a problem because we would sure help out. Englisher's wife said no, he wouldn't hire someone to do it.  Something about wasting good money.

So I told Englisher, when winter comes, I am hiring someone to come over and plow his driveway and clean his walks.  Englisher said we didn't have to do that, but he wouldn't turn us down.  So when winter comes, I will see if Michael, Edward and Thomas are going to do that job and if so, hire them for neighbor.  If not, I will have one of our son's go over there and do it for them.

When neighbor's left, Eli told me to get on my cell phone, call previous pony owner and ask him if the pony did this when he owned him.  Seeing Eli is Bishop and ordered me to use cell phone, I did as he told me and did not argue.  Sure enough, pony had done this at previous owners.  Seems previous owners children thought it would be cute if the pony opened the gate.  Asked us if we were returning pony.  I explained no and told him the whole story.  He started laughing, real hard.  He tried to tell us he was sorry about this or at least that's what I think he was saying as he was laughing so hard.  We told him we were not returning pony.  Just wish we had know this when we picked it up and would have been prepared for pony.  All of us were laughing.

So Monday, I went down and purchased a special lock for the gate so this doesn't happen again.

Seeing that Bishop Eli was coming for dinner, Anna had made mincemeat pies.  We had most of one after supper.  Anna sent another one home with Eli and his wife.  Knowing how much I like mincemeat she made one for us, too.  So I will be eating pie again.  Mincemeat this time.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer