Confession

 This week, I have had to bite my tongue SO many times.

So. So. Many. Times.

Exercising this type of restraint is NOT one of my strong points.  However, the Lord has given me ample opportunity to practice the whole "meek and quiet spirit" thing.  Yes,  it's one little verse in the Bible that is terribly difficult for me to exude without Jesus applying the duct tape to my mouth.

A few things have absolutely made my blood boil during the elections. I've been able to keep the great debater within me under control...for the most part, but I had a few slip-ups where I felt myself beginning to unleash my wrath.  That is how I know that I still have a LONG way to go before I emanate a meek and quiet spirit.  Sometimes, I dream about starting an anonymous blog with a pen name so I can rant about the things that really torque me...you know, just type it all out of my system! Although it is enticing, it's the wrong thing to do.

What am I learning?

That "meek and quiet spirit" that the Bible speaks of in 1 Peter 3:4 is not just about controlling my mouth on the outside. As with everything in God's Word, it's SO. MUCH. MORE. It's about the inside. It is my spirit that needs to be gentle and quiet.

The Greek word for "spirit" in this verse refers to the rational soul and mental disposition of humans.

God really upped the ante with this verse. It's no accident that it is directed specifically to women.  We are masters at putting on a false front.  We wear many different masks on the outside, but God knows exactly what we're thinking behind the mask.

This verse means that my thought life has to align with my mouth.  It's not good enough to just zip my lip.  It's a start...but I have to control my mind, too. I can't be steaming under the surface, and shooting daggers or laser beams in my mind while sitting quietly with a smile on my face. I need to "take every thought captive to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

So how do I make my mental disposition gentle and quiet?

Well, for starters, the Lord tells me to think on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).

In addition to thinking about those things, the Bible tells me to meditate on God's Word day and night. (Psalm 119:37)


The Greek word for "quiet" in this verse translates as still, undisturbed, and peaceable.
It's impossible to have an undisturbed and peaceable mind when I dwell on the wrong things.

Sometimes, I have to "put off" the garbage in my head so I can "put on" Godly traits that lead to a peaceful mind:

Put Off  Corrupt talk- Put On Speech that builds up and gives grace (Ephesians 4:29)
Put Off  Foolish talk- Put On Thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4)
Put Off Anxiety- Put On Peace through prayer and supplication (Philippians 4:6)
Put Off Bitterness, wrath, anger, and slander- Put On Kindness, and forgiveness (Ephesians 4:31-32)


Most importantly, I'm learning that having a meek and quiet spirit doesn't mean that I can't speak about things that concern me.

What does it mean?

It means that when I when I do speak....

I need to "open my mouth in wisdom" (Proverbs 31:26)
I need to be "diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3)
I need to "with humility of mind...regard one another as more important than myself" (Philippians 2:3)
I need to " bear with one another...whoever has a complaint against anyone..."(Colossians 3:13)
I need to "give thanks to my God always" (1 Corinthians 1:4)


Bottom Line: If I want to open my mouth, both my speech and my mind need to glorify the Lord. I truly desire a meek and quiet spirit because the Bible says it is "precious" in God's sight.

I really want to be "precious" to my Lord.


Time and time again I fail, but His mercies are new each day.  Praise God for that!


Still taming the tongue,

Nell

Celebrations with Family

Life has been full and our cups runneth over.  We've been spending time with both sides of our family this week, hence the long blogging absence.

For my dad's birthday, the kids and I made a whirlwind trip down to the valley to surprise him for the day.  My husband had to stay home for work, but the kids and I met up with the rest of the family for dinner at a Japanese restaurant called Benihana.

It was our first experience having a chef entertain and cook our meal right in front of us.  We were mesmerized, but my little niece was terrified by the flinging knives and steam. She still looks precious, even when she's scared out of her mind. ;)

The dinner was a fun diversion from the ordinary meat and potatoes we eat around here.

I love my family!

Then, we drove back home for the arrival of my husband's brother and family from Washington.  We don't get to see these guys very often so it was an extra- special treat.  My mother-in-law made an early Thanksgiving feast, and I ate until they rolled me away from the table.

Afterward, we took a leisurely walk along the river to work off the turkey and rolls.

Cousins!

A little surprise on our walk.

Lovin' on Grandma.

Pop Pop showing the grand kids the beaver dam.

The next day, the whole Washington crew got sick with a nasty cold they picked up on the plane, so their plans quickly changed from exploring the mountain to bed rest.  I felt terrible for them.  We spent our final night nursing them back to health with chicken soup and bread sticks.  They will be leaving the mountain today, just in time to miss the snow we're expecting this weekend.


I'm so thankful for family,

Nell

A Rare Encounter with Nature

On Saturday, we took the kids to their 4-H shooting sports meeting at the range, and then went to check on our newly weaned calves.  That afternoon, we were driving back down our road when all of the sudden we saw a huge traffic jam in front of our house and two sheriffs directing traffic!  We could barely turn up the driveway for all of the cars parked in front of the house.  There must have been 30 people standing at the fence taking pictures.

Here's what was causing all of the ruckus in the pasture in front of our house:

As it turns out, this old bull elk was just standing in my kids' crawdad fishing hole for hours.  It was evident that he wasn't doing well because he was quite thin.  But upon closer examination, we saw this:

If you look closely, you'll see that he has an antler tine lodged into his skull next to his ear.  There's no doubt that it got shoved into his head during a fight with another bull.  The bulls are in rut this time of year, and they battle other males in order to take possession of their harem of cows. 

What I'm not sure of is whether or not this is his own antler tine. He's missing one on that side of his rack as seen below. It could have been broken off in battle and lodged into the skull by one forceful blow of the other elk, or maybe not.  It would make a great crime scene investigation mystery.

One thing's for certain, this guy was in an awful lot of pain.  He might have been battling infection, and fever because he kept laying down in the water.  It was clear that he wasn't going to make it much longer.

As some people would drive off, others would come and fill their places.  Two Game and Fish Officials were called to the scene.  Unfortunately for them, it was a no-win situation.  Normally, they would just let nature take its course, and not intervene, but the swarms of people calling for them to do something made it a public relations nightmare.

This happens from time to time in nature, but it rarely occurs in the public eye.  The Game and Fish went above and beyond in this situation, and they did a great job.  They chose to tranquilize the elk because they couldn't shoot it with the crowd of people around. Then they loaded it up in the back of their truck and removed it from public view to end its suffering.

Elk are such beautiful and majestic creatures that folks can't help but stop in their tracks when they have the opportunity to see one up close.  The solemness of the occasion just underscored the fragility of life, and the ruggedness of nature.  Even in the face of death, the bull stood dignified and quiet.


It was a day that we won't soon forget.

Weaning Calves

We were up before the sun on Friday to gather and wean calves. It went pretty smooth, and we were done hauling the calves over the mountain by noon.  We've had them up in the corral all weekend with a dry Mammy Cow until they settle down. If all goes well, we'll let them out to graze today, and Mammy Cow will show them the ropes; where to get water, where to get salt, and where to bed down in bad weather.

Weaning is the loudest time of the year with a cacophony of bawling calves and mooing cows day and night. Not my favorite week.

Every morning when we go to check on the cows, they are in the same spot, just looking for their calves.  As a Mama myself, I feel a twinge of guilt, knowing how miserable they must feel with their udders all bagged up.  But those calves are nearly the height of the cows.  It was definitely time to cut off the milk supply.

Oh ya, I forgot to mention that weaning day was also my husband's birthday.  He worked from sun-up 'til sundown...by choice. I told him we could just take the day off and go to the city for a shopping trip, but he'd rather pull out his toenails one by one than spend the day at the mall...that's MY perfect birthday wish, not his. We did go to his favorite restaurant to have Chile Rellenos, and made a trip to the feed store to look at a pallet of fence stays.  Does that count as shopping? ;)  

Birthdays/ weaning days = homeschool holidays. The kids were great hands to have around with the gathering and sorting. Then they spent the afternoon playing in the pasture while Dad fixed fence.

Below, my son was chewing on a piece of grass while he was waiting for Dad to come driving down to the pasture gate.  He was trying to "blend in" with his surroundings. Ha Ha!  Just moments before, we scared up two big bucks that were bedded down in the tall grass.

We met Grandma and Pop Pop for a fish fry/ prime rib birthday dinner, and then headed home in the dark.  It was a long, productive birthday...just the way my husband wanted it.

Mountain Men and City "Lickers"

This family has been scurrying around like little woodland creatures preparing for the long winter ahead. I stock up the pantry, and freezers, and my husband stores up hay and wood.  After church on Sunday, we went wood cutting.  We're trying to get as many loads as we can before the snow flies.  My husband is a slight firewood hoarder, and in his mind, a man can never have too much fuel for fires.

This year, he's taken his woodcutting strategy to new heights.  Literally.  Every single tree we've harvested has been standing dead.  Normally we cut dead and down wood, so this has been quite an adventure.  We all stand back as my husband cuts the base of the tree, and the kids yell, "TIMBERRRRRRR!!!" as it comes crashing down.  I should have taken pictures, but I was too busy making sure everyone was alive and out of harm's way.

The tree we cut this weekend was so tall that even after splitting and stacking it carefully, we could only fit half of it in the truck. This means we'll have to take another trip to get the other half before someone else finds what my husband has proclaimed to be "The Perfect Log".

"The Perfect Log" is one that is completely dried out, has no rot, and splits in half with one swing of the maul. It can be burned immediately, and doesn't need any drying time on the stack.  When you find a log like this, you don't want anyone else to get it.

Every person in the family is now a full-fledged member of the wood crew.  My little lumberjacks help to roll the freshly cut rounds to the truck and set them up for splitting.  After Dad comes around with the maul and makes quick work of the splitting, we stack it as high as possible in the truck.

Something about being in the woods on a crisp, autumn afternoon transforms all of my kids into mountain men.  They look for squirrel caches, talk about hunting for elk, and use sticks as weapons.  They lay down on the bare earth and watch the sun's light filter through the quaking yellow aspen leaves while they eat a quick snack and then it's back to work again.

As they methodically gather wood to bring to the truck, they talk of roasting meat on a stick, and sleeping under the stars.  Then out of nowhere, our littlest proclaims, "If a man can't poop in the woods, that means he's a real city licker!"

Everyone drops what they were doing, and production comes to a screeching halt.

My husband looks at her."A What?"

"A City licker."

"You mean a city slicker?"

"Ya, that's what I said, a city licker."

"Well, I guess you're right about that!"

After 5 minutes of belly-aching laughter, we all returned to work.

Kids have the most bizzare observations of people.  City folks and mountain folks have many differences, but evidently, in the mind of a kid, it all comes down to just one thing. If the forest is your bathroom, you can rest assured that you are a mountain man.

With the new definition of "City lickers" still fresh in our minds,  we finished loading the truck and headed back to the house, chuckling all the way.


There's never a dull moment with kids around,

Nell

Multi-Grain Bread

We have an awesome kitchen supply store in Arizona that not only sells top of the line kitchenware, but they also carry 50# bags of wheat berries, and have weekly cooking classes.  Once or twice a year, my friends and I make the long drive to stock up on all of our bread-making supplies.  

Shar's Kitchen has a tasty Multi-Grain and Seed Bread recipe that many of us enjoy baking on the mountain. It's a nice loaf to compliment a hearty meal, and makes delicious toast.  Shar's recipe makes about 5 loaves of bread, and if you don't own a Bosch mixer (I don't...yet.) , it can be a LOT of dough to handle.  I've modified the recipe a bit to make two loaves, and it works nicely in my Kitchen Aid Mixer.

First, grind up some wheat (About 3 cups ground just to be sure you have enough.) OR  just buy some whole wheat flour at the store. ;)  As you can see, my fabulous Country Living Grain Mill looks a bit like a medieval torture device since my dad motorized it, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!! It's so much easier than hand- cranking. 

Here are the ingredients for this recipe!

Multi-Grain and Seed Bread

(As adapted from the Shar's Recipe)

3 Cups very warm water

1 Tablespoon Sea Salt

1/3 cup Canola Oil. (Coconut oil works,too.)

1/3 Cup Honey

1 1/2 Tablespoons Dough Enhancer

1 1/2 Cups White Bread Flour

1 1/2 Tablespoons of yeast

2 Cups of Fresh Ground Wheat Flour (more as needed to make dough workable)

1 Cup Spelt Flour

1 Cup Kamut Flour

1/4 Cup Nine Grain Cracked Cereal

1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds

2 1/2 Tablespoons Millet

2 1/2 Tablespoons Flax

2 1/2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds

Mix up all ingredients in a Kitchen-Aid Mixer with a paddle attachment on.  After mixed, change to a dough hook and knead for about 8 minutes. The dough should be coming clean from the sides of the bowl. If it's sticking to the sides, add more flour a little at a time until it comes clean. If it is too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time until it looks right. The dough will be a bit sticky, but will still come together as a dough ball.  After kneading, divide dough into two loaves and put into loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray.  Leave to rise in a warm place for 30 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 Minutes.

Below are my two dough balls after kneading in the Mixer.

Next, are the loaves after rising for 45 minutes covered and in a warm place.

After Baking:

Sliced and ready for lunch!

A Glimpse of Fall on the Mountain

On Saturday, we met up with fabulous friends to spend the day at our local ski resort.  One weekend each year, they give free season passes to local junior skiers, and this was the big day.  We all rode the ski lift to the top of the mountain where the views were absolutely breathtaking! 

 Pictures don't do it justice, but here's a peak of fall on our mountain:

The weather was so beautiful that we all decided to get off of the lift at the top and hike all of the way back down to the bottom.

We've got a bit of snow on the north face, but it's melting quickly.

Autumn is my absolute favorite season of the year, and I'm soaking in all of its beauty for soon Old Man Winter will be upon us.

Enjoy the beauty all around you,

Nell