MENNONITE LAMB FARM

Found this Mennonite Lamb Farm and thought you might like to see pictures of the lambs.  I enjoyed seeing them.

NOTE:
I will be unable to go to the Haiti Auction this weekend.  If anyone goes and would like to contribute some pictures, I would be glad to put them on here.

JEAN'S LIME FRUIT MOLD

JEAN'S LIME FRUIT MOLD

6 oz pkg lime gelatin
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups cold water
2/3 cup pineapple juice
dash of salt
1 Cup crushed pineapple, drained (fresh or canned)
1 Cup diced pears (fresh or canned)
1 Cup dairy sour cream
lettuce
Pear halves
Maraschino cherries

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.  Add cold water, pineapple juice and salt.  Chill until partially set.  Fold in fruit and sour cream.  Pour in lightly oiled 2 qt. mold or individual molds.  Chill until firm.  Unmold on lettuce.  Garnish with sliced pineapple, pear halves and maraschino cherries.

If you don't have enough pineapple juice - water will be fine.

Sometimes I get diet dairy sour cream.

BARNS - TIME TO HAVE SOME MORE ON !!!!

Driving around I got some Amish, Mennonite and Englisher barns.  Do you see the cross in picture 5?  Thought I would brighten up with some yellow, but I had to cheat a bit.  Last two pictures are of a friend of mine's cottage and garage.

ELMER TELLS WHY HE DIDN'T HAVE A POST LAST WEEK

Sorry, I wasn't on last week.  I had planned what I was going to tell about and everything except an emergency came up - our basement flooded.  Before we built our house, we surveyed our property and looked at the highest place to build out house, so we would not have a flood in our basement.  After we built our house, we didn't have a flood - until a week ago last Friday.

I was coming in from milking when I heard Anna yell from the steps leading to the basement telling me the basement was flooded.  I told Anna it couldn't be.  She told me in no uncertain terms that she knew a flooded basement when she saw it and we had one.  I started down the stairs to the basement and she was right.

So I went and started the generator that ran the bilge pump, but that couldn't get it out fast enough.  Anna is having a fit of all her canned goods on the shelves in the basement.  We had the shelves elevated when we had them put in, but the water was gaining.  Finally, I realized there was only one thing to do - call the Fire Department and have them pump the basement out.

One of the houses the Fire Department rang into was David and Jean's.  At first when he heard our name, the first thing he thought was fire, but the message said to bump the basement.  He told the family where the Fire Truck was going and why - then left.  Albert decided that Michael, Edward, Thomas and himself should come over to see if they good help.  I guess Grandmother Olive tried to talk him out of it, but he didn't listen.  So the boys got the buggy and off they all came to our house.

The Fire Department arrived and starting bumping.  Jean's boys got sent to the basement to move some of the canned goods and Albert went to Hannah and Moses.  Albert pounded on the door and when Moses answered told him who he was (Moses already knew) and said I want to see your basement.  Moses said he was kind of shocked because no one has ever come to his door and told him they wanted to see his basement, but he didn't question Albert.  Down Albert and Moses went to the basement - there's wasn't leaking.  Albert explained why he wanted to see if their basement was leaking because ours was.  Hannah and Moses house was newer than ours.  Not much.  But newer than ours.  Of course while all this is happening, the rain is coming down in sheets.

Meanwhile the boys are in our basement moving the canned goods higher on shelves when Anna told them if they put all the canned goods up there the shelves would become top heavy and fall.  So they started taking the canned goods up into the kitchen and one of our spare bedrooms.

Now I started thinking if this is Spring and we have all these canned goods this time of year, we must have tons more in the fall.  I guess we do.  Just never paid attention to how many we had before.

The Fire Department got another needed pumping call and left.  Jean's boys were at our house helping clean up the muddy mess in the basement and what they made bringing the canned goods up stairs.  Anna was was making coffee and putting out cookies, pies, etc for all the helpers to eat when we realized - where is Albert?  Edward and I went looking outside for him.  We found him and Moses walking around the outside of the house trying to find where the drainage was on our house and why it was not working.  Albert met us with you have lousy drainage - in fact so lousy we can't find it.

We all went inside and Albert said to get some of our Amish men and he would get some Old Order Mennonites over here tomorrow morning to put in a drainage system.  As we think back, Anna and I realize how lucky we are this didn't happen before especially when I think of the snow melt this year and previous rain storms we have had.  The Lord was looking over us.  Albert said if it gets high again tonight to call the Fire Department again.

Next day, after chores, they came - Amish and Old Order Mennonite.  We or I should say Albert laid out where the drainage should be.  It was worked on Saturday.  We had some finishing we wanted to do on Monday.  On Monday we finished, just as another rain storm came.  Albert said now, we would find out how good the work everyone did worked.  All must have done a great job as we haven't had any water in the basement since.

Some of the ladies came along too, to clean the mud and dirt out of the basement.  Then they sanitized it with something in the water.  Washed that basement from top to bottom, the shelves and whatever else they could find.  Said they wanted to make sure they wasn't germs or bugs in the basement.  I think we have the cleanest basement in all the county.  Then they moved all the canned goods back and cleaned the house and kitchen where the trail was when the boys bought the canned goods up.

So that is why I didn't have time to leave a post last week.  With all the rain we had, we haven't had any water in our basement since the drainage has been fixed.  We did have Jean's family including Albert and Olive over for dinner to thank them for what they did.  Also, thank the Fire Department for all they did.


Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer

FLAG DAY - 2015

You're a grand old flag,
You're a high-flying flag,
And forever in peace may you wave,
You're the emblem of the land I love,
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev'ry heart beats true
'Neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.
But should auld acquaintance be forgot.
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

by George M. Cohan, 1906

WHAT IS GOING ON ???????

I was walking Pierre when I saw picture one and ran home to get the camera.  At first, I thought it was a fire.  Shortly found out it wasn't a fire, but water.  The Fire Department was having training session.


THERE WILL BE A POST ON THIS SUNDAY AND NEXT SUNDAY.

JEAN'S MESSAGE FOR THIS WEEK !!!

Well the closing has happened and we now own Edward's Grandmother's house - again.  Edward and Thomas have big plans for that house now.  David advised them before they make any big changes in that house, they better get Thomas' lady in there especially before they do the kitchen.  Even though it should end up being Edward's house in a few years, a lady has a special touch especially in the kitchen. So she will be coming up this weekend to give her advice on the remodeling.

Edward was really upset when his Grandmother passed and doesn't remember some things we told him.  He was telling us he wished he had taken his Grandmother's bedroom set out of the house.  But he didn't think of it at the time.  We made his day, by telling him we had that stored in our attic along with some other furniture we thought he might want when he got older.

At the time his Grandmother passed he didn't think of furniture.  He said to let it go.  But David and I got thinking that he might want some of it as he got older.  Edward didn't care then, but some day he would.  So we took some of the items from the house and packed them in out attic.  We told Edward, but he was too upset to remember.

We also told him we took some of the pictures of his Grandmother, Grandfather and Mother out of the house and put them in a scrap book.  Both Bishop Joseph and our previous Bishop told us it was okay to make a scrap book of our adopted children's family even if they joined the church.  As we do not believe in having pictures taken, adopted children need something of the past.  They are not to be displayed in their room or our house, but if the child wants to go through them, in their room, it is fine. So we got that out for Edward.  He wanted to know why we didn't give it to him before.  We said he never mentioned pictures and they slipped our mind.  He was thrilled to get it.

So in addition to do outside work, planting, they are beginning to work on the inside of the house.  The inspector was there.  He said we should put in new wiring and must put in new plumbing.  Thomas and Edward would like another bathroom or two put in as one just doesn't seem enough.  David got them cutting down to one bathroom on the first floor and one bathroom on the second floor.  The plumber didn't help by saying now is the time to put in as many as they needed.

It seems like we have a lot of time to get it ready for Thomas and his wife, but we don't, really.  He also needs farm equipment, animals and much more.  It all takes time.

Marilyn didn't want me to say anything, but she could use your prayers.  She is having a health problem right now.  She is having a panic attack.  It doesn't come and stay for a few hours or day, then go away.  It has been going on for over a month.  It doesn't stop.  She has been to the doctor and Anna is working with her.  Grandmother Olive has also given some advice.  Marilyn has prayed, but it doesn't ease up.  I have had panic attacks, but never one like this.  So your prayers would be appreciated. I know God works in His own time and we must wait.

Be With God,
Jean