Sourdough English Muffins
I had the house to myself yesterday so I fiddled around in the kitchen. I made sourdough English muffins…without a recipe! I’ve taken to trying some things using logic and memory. A lot of bread baking is done by the feel of the dough, so I’ve been stretching my baking wings.
Sourdough feels so different than regular bread dough. It is wet and jiggly….soft and a little bit fragile. It almost feels like you’re working with a cross between cool whip and jello.
The English muffins turned out pretty good. Not as good as the first ones I made. Try as I might, I cannot find the recipe for those. I have such good intentions when I bake something and it turns out great. I almost always forget to save the recipe. That’s one reason I’m trying to bake familiar without a recipe. I never use a recipe when I’m cooking something, but baking is a different animal.
While the dough was rising, there was a knock at the door. It was after dark and Mr. FixIt wasn’t home yet. I’m always just a little bit cautious when I answer the door when I’m alone. The door was locked. I peeked from behind the curtain and there was a lean and lanky country boy standing on the doorstep. He apologized for bothering me and called me ma’am. He told me his name and where he was from, who his daddy and granddaddy were. He had run out of gas and managed to coast down in our driveway. This isn’t the first time this has happened. We’re on the corner of a dirt road and a two-lane blacktop and our light is always on. It’s a house where Jesus lives.
I pointed out a gas can down by the gate. It didn’t have much in it but he was welcome to it. I called Mr. FixIt and told him about the young couple in the driveway. He was on his way home so he dealt with them when he got there.
They worked on the truck for a while. His buddy brought more gas but the truck still wouldn’t start. They pushed the truck up on the cement pad in front of the building and the young fella’s daddy came to get them. He has to work tomorrow but promised he’d be back on Friday to get the truck.
I hate that I can’t trust the way my grandma did. She would have had that young couple sitting at her table eating some leftovers from their supper. She would have known the young man’s family and would have asked about his aunt so-and-so who’d been ailing.
Times are different now, but I promised Jesus to look for God in everyone, to help others, to feed the hungry and clothe the poor. So, that’s what I do…’cause I know He’s watching…and so is Grandma!
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
Philippians 2:4-5 NLT
#breadbaking #breadmaking #sourdough #English #muffins #englishmuffins #englishmuffinsfromscratch
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Please pray for my bestie, GB. Her cousin had a heart attack while driving tonight and perished in the resulting accident. He leaves behind and large and loving family who will need all the prayers they can get.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Ginny
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The Romance Continues
Mr. FixIt went to town yesterday to get his hair cut. He saw his old barber for at least 18-20 years till he retired a couple of months ago. As with most of us, at a certain age change is really hard. After searching around for a replacement, it was the Former Mrs. FixIt who suggested her hairdresser. We both love her hair cutting expertise. And he is SO good lookin’!
After the year we had, we’ve come out the other side much closer and happier. Life looks a lot brighter on this side!
When he came home from town, I could see he was kinda slinkin’ up the sidewalk so I couldn’t see what he was carrying. He had a sweet look on his face when a bouquet of pink tinged roses emerged from behind his back.
That man knows how to sweep me off my feet! Thank you, my love.
We were thinking of going camping next week but I think we’re just a little too late in the year for that. Rain next week then cold again the next. So I guess we’re down to day trips for fun.
I’m still working on putting the grains away. Land sake…I have more than I thought. But the good news is…I shouldn’t have to buy more for quite a while!
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself.”
Ephesians 5:28 NLT
#roses #romance #preservation
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The Queen of the Hill
Today is National Black Cat Day.
(Not to be confused with National Black Cat Appreciation Day which is August 17th.)
Ahh….Punkin’ Kitty. The little black furball that finally won my heart over. I’ve always been more of a dog person than a cat lover. My daughter and her wife have four! Crazy Cat Ladies exemplifying the perfect stereotypical lesbian life…four cats and a Subaru. I love them so much. And she’s taught me to love this little cat.
Even though I did have a cat when I was a teenager, I didn’t have another one till I took over the care of The Farm and inherited Old Mama Kitty and Boy Cat. Then one winter, Old Mama Kitty went up in the woods and never came back. She was 23 years old…unheard of for a feral farm cat.
It wasn’t too long when Kitty Boy showed up. He looked exactly like Boy Cat but with short hair. Old Mama Kitty was a full ginger where the others had beautiful patches of snowy white.
Most feral cats don’t do well when they get moved to a new area, so I rehoused them to my cousin’s barn down the road when I moved here with Mr. FixIt.
Segue to 2019…before Mr. FixIt’s strokes. I had barely settled into this new country life with Mr. FixIt when someone dumped a little kitten at the house while I was off touring the state with the new raffle camper.
I wasn’t necessarily happy about it. Having another pet to be responsible for wasn’t on my bingo card. Then…Mr. FixIt had a small stroke, then another just three months later. It took the wind out of our sails. Then Covid hit.
That was when I really started looking at this wildcat we named Pumpkin. And I watched how she gave Mr. FixIt something to do…something to love and take care of, and after awhile, she started melting my heart as well.
She’s a crazy cat. Wild as can be. The only person who could touch her was Mr. FixIt and many times he came back in the house bleeding from somewhere or another. She’s seven years old now and MUCH more mellow. I can pick her up and she purrs and snuggles in. But still, every once in a while, she gets the zoomies and springs up the side of the deck to the top railing. She arches her back and postures like a BIG SCARY CAT!
That is when she is channeling her inner Panther! And, that is also when you DO NOT touch her because she WILL attack you and do all kinds of damage. But, if you ignore her, she gives up and comes to the door for Daddy to pick her up and carry her to bed and give her treaties and scritches behind her ears.
Halloween is coming. You have to be very protective of black cats at Halloween. There are bad people that do bad things to them. We keep a super close eye on her the last week in October. She might even have to stay inside the pole barn for a day or so.
Mr. FixIt has her electric bed and water dish plugged in. There are soft blankets in her huge oversized Great Dane crate with a heavy mover’s blanket draped over it to keep the drafts away from Her Royal Catness.
Awww, sweet Kitty Punkin’…you’ve sure stolen our hearts!
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast.”
Daniel 7:6 NLT
#farmcat #farmcatlife #barncat #barncatlife #black #cat #blackcat #blackcatsrule #Halloween
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Taking the day off! I worked all weekend and by last night, I was whupped. Today I’m going to knitting group then hopefully we can have a nice day together.
Here is one of Mr. Fixit’s roses. I love the color of this one!
See you tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
#rest #refresh #relaxing #recharge
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Sunday Evening Prayer Circle
Please pray for:
Pray for AH and family as he continues to recover after a heart attack.
Pray for RO and JO and family as they struggle with health issues.
Pray for the people working in the polling places. Early voting is still going on in some places.
Pray for those in the path of violence, shootings, arson, etc. Is the world getting more violent or has it always been this way and the spotlight has focused on evil?
Everyone in the path of severe weather. And those who are hungry and need shelter.
The people of Ukraine as they prepare to enter a bitter winter. Hopefully it is not without helpers.
Pray for all the helpers who run to these tragedies and help wherever they can.
Also, please pray for:
Debbie in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
P.B.S. for her recent eye surgery and glaucoma.
GB’s continued recovery from her elbow injury. (Prayers answered but still needs improvement)
BB’s cancer treatments to be effective.
Pray these wicked storms slow down.
Pray for peace, wisdom, strength and courage for us all. You all are loved!
Please feel free to add your own prayers in the comments so we can pray for you, as well.
🙏
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24 ESV
#prayer #prayers #prayer #circle #prayercircle
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Never Forget How We Felt
When I went to the courthouse for papers the other day, I saw this monument where I parked my truck. It is our town’s 9/11 Memorial. We lost a young lady when the South Tower came down.
This is an actual piece of the South Tower salvaged from the wreckage during demolition. It’s mounted in an opening in a block of polished black stone.
I walked up quietly out of respect. I read the names and dates and sentiments. Then I slowly reached up and rested my hand on the cold metal of a twisted I-beam that once helped support tons and tons of concrete and metal and all the things an office would generally hold.
It also held people.
Workers on computers and telephones. Settling in for another day on the job. For so many, it was their LAST day on the job.
It’s hard to describe the feeling that rushed through my body as I rested my hand and prayed. I prayed for the victims. For their families. For the survivors. For the helpers…the firemen, police, medics, and all the helpers who bravely ran towards danger instead of away to safety.
Yes, I know it’s October. I know Patriot Day recently passed. That’s not what I want to write about today. I’m not writing about politics, per se…even though it circles the fire where it sits.
I heard President Obama’s speech in Ohio yesterday. He quoted a 25-year-old Dr. Martin Luther King.
“We haven’t learned how to be just, we haven’t learned how to be honest and kind and true and loving and that is the basis of our problem. The real problem is that through our scientific genius we have made a world of neighborhood, but through our moral and our spiritual genius we failed to make it a brotherhood."
In other words, we’ll never get back to being kind and gentle people if we keep practicing division. A house divided will fall…every time. I want to see the good in the country. I want to be one of the “Thousand Points of Light” President Bush spoke of. I want to make sure there is no child left behind. I want to Feed the Children. I want to Teach the World to Sing. Because Jesus Loves the Little Children. I want to hold hands and sing “We Are the World.”
Jesus explicitly commanded this from us.
I’m not naive enough to think we can blink or wiggle our noses and the world will sparkle again…not in a hurry, anyway. But I do have one thing that gives me the courage to keep trying.
Hope.
It has seemed to be in short supply here of late. But it’s there…simmering in the ashes of burnt coals. We just have to blow some breath back into our world. Take in a deep breath and breathe hope back into the world. For me, I find that hope in Jesus. Wherever you find even the smallest spark of goodness, put some tinder on it and blow.
Resuscitate your little light and soon, the fire will become stronger and stronger till we can see each other again.
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“When people’s lives please the LORD, even their enemies are at peace with them.”
Proverbs 16:7 NLT
#goodness #kindness #KindnessMatters #HopeAndHealing #hopeful #hope #HopeInGod
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Exploring Local History
We went to the county courthouse yesterday to take advantage of early voting. Mr. FixIt and I studied the sample ballot so we would be sure we knew exactly who we were voting for. I wish I could say we voted early so we could avoid the crowds on Election Day but that’s a farce. We live in the country. The county seat, sure. But there are never more than three or four people in line to vote at any given time around here.
As we came out, I asked Mr. FixIt to wait for a minute. I wanted to take time to photograph the cannons on the front lawn. They’ve intrigued me for years but I finally felt compelled to dig a little deeper.
We have a friend here who is knee deep in the history of this area. He lives in a beautiful red brick home across from the courthouse. It used to belong to the town doctor in the late 1800’s, I believe. I was sure if there was anyone who would know about the cannons, it would be Richard.
I sent him the first picture. I had no idea what the GAR was or why they would have the cannons on cement pedestals. Turns out, GAR stands for Grand Army of the Republic. The GAR was a Fraternal Brotherhood who provided a social network and support system to veterans of the Civil War who had survived the trauma and injuries. Its purpose was to help these soldiers bond and heal from the ravages of war.
The GAR successfully campaigned for expanded pensions for disabled veterans, widows, and orphans helping to establish the framework for modern American Veteran entitlements.
The two cannons once stood on their field carriages however, the inclement West Virginia weather soon rotted the wood away. Those ugly cement bases replaced the original field carriages somewhere along the way.
Here’s a little known fact. If these are indeed authentic Revere Copper Company bronze Napoleons, the barrels alone could fetch between $40,000 and $75,000…each…if sold at a high end historic arms auction. If the barrel was paired with a fully restored, period accurate wooden field carriage and limber chest, the value could easily soar past $100,000 to $150,000+ per unit. And there they sit.
The GAR formally dissolved in 1956 following the death of its last member, Albert Woolson.
I love learning more about our little hole-in-the-wall town. It is rich in history…some of it quite colorful.
Picture 1: The GAR has permanently loaned these two cannons to the citizens of our county.
Picture 2: A photo of the courthouse during an event, likely taken in 1915. You can see the same cannon on the left is still mounted on its field carriage. The original of this photo hangs in my friend’s living room.
Pictures 3, 4, and 5: These were all taken inside the bell tower by our friend, Richard. I love being in town when the bells chime the hour.
Picture 6: This was taken at the courthouse during the Centennial celebrations.
We talked about the long history of oil and gas exploration and development in our area the other day. I have really come to love and appreciate this little burg!
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer.”
Proverbs 16:1 NLT
#grandarmyoftherevolution #civil #war #civilwar #history
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Time for a Break
I told Mr. FixIt last night that it doesn’t matter HOW long I clean the kitchen…
IT. IS. NEVER. DONE!
Granted, it looked a lot better by the end of the day. But during all that cleaning, I cut up a huge boneless pork shoulder, rubbed it with yummy herbs and spices, seared it in the Dutch Oven, and put it in to bake slowly for about five hours. When that got cleaned up, I made a batch of Corn Meal Mush. I packaged some to take to Mrs. FixIt 1.0 today, cleaned the kitchen for a third time.
By that time, the pork was ready and we had BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Once the leftovers were put away, I said “Time Out!” I was done for the day!
In between all this cooking, I went out for a little walkabout. I keep checking that web where Mr. Fixit saw a spider just like “Backdoor Charlotte.” I got close enough to see the zigzag pattern on the web and I knew it was a Black and Yellow Garden Spider. I looked around for any other sign and there it was. A spider nest tucked under the eaves of the attic above the family room window. I was SO excited! I can’t get up that high to move the nest so we’ll just have to watch for the babies in the spring. (I still haven’t moved Charlotte’s nest!)
While I was cleaning in the living room, I looked up at one of the bird feeders stuck on the outside of the picture window. There was a “cup and saucer” web like the ones I saw in the pollinator fields a couple of weeks ago. The only difference was, The little spider was there that created this amazing little architectural edifice. What a perfect spot! Protected from the elements AND gives us a “bird’s eye view,” so to speak.
Mand finally, there is the REAL Wooly Bear Caterpillar. He has a pretty wide brown band so, according folklore, we’re going to have a mild winter. Let’s wait and see!
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables.”
Genesis 9:3 NLT
#garden #spider #gardenspider #cookingathome #cooking #DutchOven #pulled #pork
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Frosty Fall
We’re having frost every morning right now. The highs during the days are in the 60’s and it’s SWEATER WEATHER!
Mr. FixIt had to go to town yesterday to work on his buddy’s bathroom. Again…I had big plans at home but something came up and I had to run to town. As I’m sure you know by now, we live about twenty miles out of town. So you don’t just go for one little thing. I make a day of it and nothing much gets checked off my list.
I received a certified package over the weekend and it turned out to be a proposal to lease some mineral rights I had no idea I, along with about a hundred or more distant relatives, inherited from a great uncle. He and his wife had no children. His wife’s family owned some mineral rights she had inherited that went to him when she passed away. He didn’t have a will, and with no children, the mineral rights just hung around in a record book at the County Clerk’s Office all these years. Then, a large oil and gas production company hired a land man to search for all the heirs to these rights because they want to drill. And I am one of them, apparently.
Some may not approve of drilling but here in WV, minerals and timber are our richest inheritance. Oil was originally discovered in this area in the late 1700’s. Many people dug saltwater wells in the early 1800’s to produce salt. When they hit oil instead, they switched to oil production. The first intentional commercial oil well was drilled just about five miles from me. I remember when I was a little girl, the well tender would travel the hills around Grandma’s house and kick on the hit-and-miss engines for the wells about once a week. It’s a very distinctive sound. CRACK CRACK CRACK!
It was fun when the land man and I spoke on the phone. I was looking at my Ancestry tree and helping the guy connect the dots that led to me. Fascinating!
Consequently, I had to run to town to get a certified copy of a paper I needed. There went my plans out the window. Since I was in town anyway, I went to the grocery store for a big stock up.
As I perused the meat cases, I ran different meal plans through my head. There was a nice boneless pork shoulder. You rarely see them boneless so I grabbed that. There was a pot roast with some veggies to put in the crockpot. Upon inspection, the best by date was October 20th. I asked customer service if they could knock something off for me, but instead, they took it away and said they couldn’t sell it at all since it was beyond the date.
I asked the lady what they were going to do with it and she dropped her gaze.
“You’re going to throw it away, aren’t you?”
She nodded yes. “We can’t sell it for legal reasons.”
“I’m not worried about the legal reasons. I’m worried about the MORALITY of throwing away perfectly good food when there are folks who are starving…right here in our own community. I know there are programs that work with stores to put these groceries into the hands of those who need them. I’m going to have to check into that because this is ridiculous.
On my way home, I stopped at our favorite ice cream parlor for a big scoop in a waffle cone. This is their second season and they’ve decided to stay open all winter!
Yay for ice cream!!!
I’ll try again today to knock some more stuff off my to do list. Who knows what will get in my way this time!
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”
Psalms 24:1 NLT
#frost #todo #list #todolist #icecream
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