{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1", "title": "Country Life on Marshmallow Ranch", "icon": "https://avatars.micro.blog/avatars/2026/36/1962506.jpg", "home_page_url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/", "feed_url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/feed.json", "items": [ { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/06/28/how-does-your-garden-grow.html", "title": "How Does Your Garden Grow?", "content_html": "\n
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We’ve been so busy this week getting things together before I leave for a month in Colorado. In the middle of it all, we had a funeral, the dryer broke, and the garden was getting out of control. I still had boxes of fabric in the family room that needed to go downstairs. We grabbed the bull by the horns and started working on the dryer. We went to a place in town that sells appliance parts a bought a couple of things to try. They didn’t work, and without giving it much thought, we put the darned thing back together. Mr. FixIt took the parts back yesterday and got the one we needed. He is so kind to let me help when we do these projects, and I learn a lot. YouTube is irreplaceable! We got the dryer working in tiptop shape, and I started catching up on the laundry.

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It had been a couple of days since I was out in the garden, and I couldn’t believe my eyes! The tomato plants shot up at least two feet! Some were leaning way over, so I tied them up. I even had to tie them to the deck railing. I picked four tomatoes last night and more will be coming soon. They taste so good, but we aren’t getting very big ones yet. I try to keep the suckers trimmed but when they grow this fast and the foliage is so thick, I don’t catch them till the plant has already put a lot of energy into their growth. I’ve gardened most of my life, but I still can’t turn out stellar produce. Yet I keep trying!

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Four more sleeps and I get to see my Colorado family. Other than video chats, I only get to see them in person once a year. That’s why I’m staying for a month! What will Mr. FixIt and I do without each other???

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💜

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“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,”  Colossians 3:23 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for mechanical abilities and a husband who’s happy to show me how to fix things. And…that we didn’t need to buy a new dryer!

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#HomeRepairs, #FixingThings, #Appliances

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I sat down at my desk last night to write this, and the Ring camera at the farm sent a motion sensor notification. Even though I’m out there quite a bit, I like to keep an eye on the place since it was broken into last winter. I turned on the live camera feed and watched. I could see something dart in front of the camera, but it was too fast to identify. I kept watching and saw nothing, so I turned on the speaker and microphone to see if I could catch anything… or anyone. I called out a couple of times and didn’t get a response. Shortly afterwards, I got quite the surprise!

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A snake stuck its head into the frame just long enough to identify it as such. Then it moved over the camera itself, and I heard the long rustle of scales brushing across the microphone. I was so shocked, I didn’t even think of getting out my iPad to record the live feed since I don’t have access to that part of the system. The snake was actually clinging to and traveling across the vertical wooden wall of the front of the house! Eeeks!

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The rain was pouring down, beating a brisk staccato on the old tin roof. The snake rested on the old glass insulators where the electric line went up to the cellar house. It stretched itself out as if to see if the rain was cold, though I’m sure it was just trying to find something good to eat. Some bats come out at dusk there, so it could have been after one.

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I don’t think it’s the big black snake I saw out there in the past. This one looked a lighter color, but I can’t get a close enough look, other than its head didn’t look like a viper. Grandma’s mantra about snakes was, “The only good snake is a dead snake.” I differ with her on that. Unless it’s poisonous and living a little too close to the kids or the hen house, it’s doing its job by keeping down the rodent population. Mr. Virgo was deathly afraid of snakes. After time in the jungles of Vietnam and the verdant flora of Florida, he was “once bit, twice shy.” Mr. FixIt isn’t crazy about snakes either, so I’ve always been the snake wrangler in the family. To be totally transparent… I’ve never been close to a poisonous snake that I know of.

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💜

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“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.   Luke 16:10 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am thankful for the example of Godliness that my beautiful friend Lisa demonstrated throughout her life. And I’m really, REALLY thankful that I wasn’t sitting on that chair on the porch right under that big fat snake!!!
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I finally got it together to bake some bread yesterday afternoon. I bought that Magic Chef Countertop Convection Oven last week and as it turns out… It’s really a first-generation air fryer. None of my pans would fit in it, so I tried my Ninja Foodi 10-in-1. It was at least big enough around to use my smallest glass pie pan. I mixed up my dough… not following any recipe, for sure. The resulting dough wasn’t my best, and I knew that even if I baked it in the oven, it wouldn’t be a great loaf. It rose to a moderate height. I preheated the Ninja, placed the plate of dough in, and hoped for the best.

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After a while, I could smell bread baking. I was hopeful, but I didn’t want to open the lid and let the heat out, so I waited the requisite time. When the timer went off, I opened it up and was surprised I had a loaf of baked bread. It was about the thickness of a tall apple pie and much the same color. I let it cool a bit, and I cut it in half. I know, you aren’t supposed to cut bread when it’s warm. Bread continues to bake internally after removing it from the oven. If you cut it open, it won’t finish baking, and you can end up with gummy bread.

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I was surprised. The crumb looked nice. I cut a slice and slathered it with butter. It was quite good! I wouldn’t call it a successful loaf, but it was edible. What it means is… air fryers are not the best appliance for baking bread. I’ll keep looking for an affordable bread machine and/or a countertop oven that will handle one or two loaves of bread.

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We finally caved and turned the air conditioner on yesterday. It was 87℉ in the house, and that’s before the afternoon sun hit the red brick on the west side of the house. The AC brought the temperature down to a “pleasant” range, and we sighed with contentment. Still, I wasn’t about to cook anything. I made some chicken salad sandwiches, chips, and sweet heat pickles and called it a day.

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When it finally cooled down a bit at 8:00, we went out to clean and sweep the pool. My photo memories showed me sitting by a sparkling clean pool this time last year. I’m hoping it will be ready soon! I’ll miss the pool the whole month of July. At least the littles can come to play, and I’ll see them when I get back.

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💜

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For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.  Psalm 102:3 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for the chance to take a dip in the pool. And to have an air conditioner to turn on.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-06-23T04:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/06/23/my-experiment-failed.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Baking","In the Kitchen","Country Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/06/22/hot-days-cool-nights-and.html", "title": "Hot Days, Cool Nights, and the Joy of Mowing the Homestead", "content_html": "\n
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We’re firmly planted in the rhythm of summer. Firecracker hot days…blessedly cool nights…and mowing our five acres under a golf umbrella. I have a history of heat exhaustion. Every time it happens, the next time it is quicker and harder. I’ve experimented with various methods to prevent it from happening and have finally figured it out.

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Here are my secrets to keeping safe in a heat wave, even when working outside.

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  1. I don’t eat anything heavy before I go out. A piece of fruit or toast is plenty.
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  2. Get an early start. As soon as the dew has subsided, it is a good time to mow.
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  3. Wear plenty of sunscreen, a floppy-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and cool loose-fitting clothing.
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  4. Fill a water bottle with an electrolyte drink and ice. I use Drip Drop or Liquid I.V. I find if I drink some about fifteen minutes before I go out to mow and carry the bottle with me on the tractor to drink frequently, I stay well hydrated.
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  5. Here’s the thing that has helped me the most. I carry an open golf umbrella over my head to keep most of my body shaded. It’s been a game changer!
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  6. Take frequent breaks. It doesn’t have to be stopping the mower and going in. If you have a nice shady spot by a creek like I do, that’s my go-to place to cool off and have a drink.
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  7. Finish as early as you can. If you must, take a break during the heat of the day and go back out when the sun is behind houses, trees, or a hill.
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  8. When you are finished, sit down with some cold fruit like melon, apple, berries, or a banana. A popsicle hits the spot, and it’s a lovely treat to reward yourself for a hard day’s work.
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Know the signs of heat-related illness:

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   Heat Exhaustion

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  1. Headache
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  2. Nausea
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  3. Dizziness
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  4. Weakness
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  5. Irritability
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  6. Thirst
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  7. Heavy Sweating
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  8. Elevated Body Temperature
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  9. Decreased Urine Output
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   Heat Cramps:

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   Heat Syncope:

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Heat Rash:

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Heat Stroke:

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One wouldn’t necessarily think mowing in this kind of heat is joyful, but it’s all a matter of perspective. For me, mowing is a kind of meditation—a time to think without interruption and focus on what’s growing in the pollinator gardens. I discovered several turtle nests in the pathways and edges of the gardens. And I spooked a fawn that mama had hidden amongst the tall grasses. It very likely could be the same fawn I rescued from the flood waters a couple of weeks ago. If it is, it’s much bigger now, yet it still has its spots.

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I was sure I would get to bake yesterday, but when I was finished mowing, I was finished for the day. A shower and ham sandwiches for supper were all I had left in me. I hope you are staying safe in the heat. It’s only going to get worse in the coming days, so be careful out there!

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💜

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For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.  James 1:11

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for this beautiful place that I share with Mr. FixIt. There is peace here. It is filled with the sounds of birds. Animals dart in and out of the pollinator gardens and the hedgerow beyond. And when it has been properly groomed, there is no comparison to its beauty. God lives here.
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Almost all the contiguous states in America are under some sort of heat warning. We’ve been getting warnings for a week now that it’s coming. That’s all well and good, but we’re still going to need bread. Sure, we could go buy some at the store, but I’ve been baking for a couple of months with nothing but fresh-milled flour. Well, that’s not exactly true. I had a hankering for some sourdough bread this week. I haven’t even tried to master using FMF in my sourdough recipe, so I made a couple of loaves with store bought flour and it really stirred up my IBS. I won’t be doing that again anytime soon.

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The last time I baked in our house, my poor husband nearly melted. This week, I took my dough out to the farm and baked it there. Doable, but highly inconvenient. So, I’m trying to come up with an alternative. We went to town yesterday and stopped at Goodwill to see if they had anything. To my surprise, they had a Magic Chef Convection Oven that sits on the countertop. It was less than $20! Even if it doesn’t work, I haven’t lost much. I asked CoPilot, Microsoft’s Ai, if he could scale down my favorite recipe to work in this model and he spit it right out. I can see how Ai can assist us with time intensive jobs to save us time. Still, it kinda creeps me out.

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If the convection oven doesn’t work, I found out I can bake in my smoker. That ought to be interesting. I’ll be experimenting this week and see if I can bake bread without driving Mr. FixIt crazy with the heat coming from the kitchen. I don’t have a lot of time to devote on this because I leave on the 29th for Colorado. There will be at least one mowing… maybe two before I leave. I’m taking the bare necessities with me… mainly meds, toiletries, and a change of clothes. Little will take me to their favorite thrift shops and get me set up with something appropriate to wear.

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I knew the time would start to fly by as soon as June hit. I wasn’t wrong!

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💜

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The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.   Proverbs 16:9

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for the wisdom to know time passes, things change, but Jesus stays the same… day in, day out.

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#heatwave, #keepingcool, #bakingalternatives

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Just a photo dump for this evening. We’ve had quite a day. We're almost ready to open the pool (we’re running a bit behind schedule this year due to the excessive rain). Then the motor on the pump crapped out. We lost one of our dear friends and classmates yesterday morning. She was the pastor who officiated our wedding. Yesterday was hot, sticky, and the humidity in the house was 98% here in West Virginia! Trying desperately to keep the house cool by not cooking more than I possibly have to. I have to figure out how to bake our bread without heating the house up. I’ll be back tomorrow with a proper post! If you are reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m just here to share what’s happening in our day-to-day lives on our tiny homestead!

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Those of you who have been following me for some time are aware of my strong attachment to my grandma’s farm. It’s the home of my heart. Every squeak of the wood floor, every creak as the house settles for the night…even the smell of old varnished wood reminds me I’m home. Grandma’s been gone since ’99, my mom since ’04, and my Uncle Bob since ’08. Finally, the time came to sell the old place. Fortunately, I became friends with the new owners. They know what the place means to me, so in exchange for mowing the yard, I get to stay here whenever I want.

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The old place is fading. The near jungle-like woods are encroaching, closing in on the house till it’s barely visible from the road anymore. The barn is leaning toward the peach orchard. The old John Deere isn’t working anymore, so I haven’t been able to mow. They’re in the process of getting us another riding mower, but until then, I haven’t been here much. The nurturing feelings I once experienced walking in the back door aren’t as strong these days. It kinda makes me sad, but at the same time, I know it’s got to end sometime. I’m not quite ready, but I’m feeling a change on the horizon. I know it will be ok if I can’t come here anymore. I’ll survive. Till then, I take advantage of the good times when I can.

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I’ve been baking our bread for the last six or seven months, and I had a hankering for sourdough. I told you about the fiasco I had the other day and ended up with a gallon and a half of ripe starter! Hokey Smokes! I decided to dehydrate some to sell, and that still left me with a gallon. I decided to make some sourdough. I didn’t really follow a recipe. I’m getting a feel for the flour, the dough, and the techniques for different types of bread, and it’s becoming instinctual. I loaded up the dehydrator, then stirred up enough sourdough to make two loaves.

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I retarded the bulk fermentation by setting the container with the dough in the fridge for the night. This helps develop the tangy flavor sourdough is known for. When it came time to shape the loaves and prepare for baking, the house was already hot. Poor Mr. FixIt was melting as it was, and I didn’t have the heart to fire up the oven to 500℉. I packed a few things, shaped the loaves, put them in the bread pans, and headed to the farm to bake them here. No matter what the daytime temp is here, when the sun goes down over the far hill, it gets nice and cool.

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I pulled the bread out around 6:00 last evening and could hardly wait for it to cool enough to cut a slice, slather it with butter, and spread on some of Mrs. FixIt 1.0’s apricot jam. I gave her some homemade donuts for that, and it was a good trade. I sat here, eating my jelly bread, feeling the warm hug of my family passed. It’s put a smile on my face. I’m only staying the one night…for now. We‘re having a belated Father’s Day celebration with Mr. FixIt Junior and his family tonight. So, I’ll head home in the afternoon in time to get ready.

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🔆

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Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.   John 6:35 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for the opportunity to still come and “visit my family” at the old homeplace.
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I’ve been baking with sourdough since the COVID-19 lockdown. Everyone and their brother were comforting themselves by baking bread, and yeast became hard to find. Enter sourdough. It was THE big thing on social media. Well, that and Miss Brenda Gannt’s buttermilk biscuits! Whole small businesses have sprung from that phenomenon. From it has grown the fresh-milled flour movement that is currently all the rage. I know some people will jump on the bandwagon till they burn out or it just becomes too burdensome for them to mill flour every time they want to bake something.

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The grain mills are not cheap. I look at this as an investment. Buying one at the age of 72 may seem counterintuitive to some of you, but I’m a Gemini. I need to learn everything. And since I started my blog, everything has become blog fodder. I have a daughter and a grandchild who are really into baking, so someday they may start a micro bakery. Who knows?

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I’ve been wanting to bake something with sourdough lately. I have a lot of commercial flour left over that needs to be used up. I’m thinking I’ll make some sourdough to give to the family. And I want to dehydrate some of my starter because it’s been around for quite a while. I want to take some with me on the July trip to Colorado and bake some sourdough for the family. I can’t take any fresh-milled flour with me because I’m traveling light, and I don’t want to go through the hassle. Preserving dried sourdough starter is easy in a food dehydrator.

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I’ll film some of my exploits in the kitchen in the coming days. We were supposed to go camping on Tuesday for a few days, but they’re predicting rain, and who wants to go to a campground and just sit there for three days? We don’t have a TV in the camper, and Mr. FixIt would be bored. There isn’t much room in there for me to do much more than knit anyway. We rescheduled for September, which will work better for us anyway.

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Have a beautiful day and…be a blessing for those who need one.

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💜

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Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.   John 6:32-35 ESL

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***Gratitude Journal***  Today I am grateful for the wild yeast that God gives us to bake beautiful loaves of daily bread.
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I grew up cooking in cast-iron skillets. Grandma had a few. Mom had several. I had a LOT that I picked up along the way. When my grandma died, Mom got a couple of Grandma’s skillets. Then they were handed down to me when Mom died. When my husband died, I decided to downsize greatly, and now I cannot believe I let all that beloved cast iron go! It makes me sick to this day. But they didn’t fit into the lifestyle I was creating for myself, and I couldn’t see paying for storage when I settled down again.

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I lived in a thirty-foot camper by myself for most of the four years after Mr. Virgo died. I traveled all over the country writing about it on my blog, Marshmallow Ranch. When I came to my home state of West Virginia for my high school reunion, my uncle asked if I could come off the road and take care of the family farm, which I gladly did. Here I was, living in my grandma’s farmhouse on seventy-three acres, being the farmgirl I always dreamed of …without that beloved cast iron.

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It wasn’t long before I started picking up a skillet here and there. I didn’t know much about the cast iron itself…just how to cook in it. That’s when I stumbled across the love of my life…Mr. FixIt, my high school buddy. We both love hunting in antique stores for great finds. I can’t remember where we were, but my sweetie showed me a nice skillet.

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It was a Griswold. *swoon*

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I started my love affair with “Griz,” a No. 8 skillet. Smooth as a baby’s butt on the inside. Seasoned to perfection. I’d never had such a beautiful piece of cast iron. The Griswold Manufacturing Company was established in 1865 in Erie, PA. They initially produced door hinges and hardware before they branched out to cast iron cookware. The mark on the bottom determines the age and, therefore, the value of Griswold cookware. The earlier pans, skillets in particular, are highly sought after by collectors. Griswold was bought out by Wagner Cast Iron in the ‘50s, and the quality was greatly reduced. I’ve never bothered checking to see when mine was made because I know by the light weight and smooth finish that it’s an older one. Besides, it’s priceless to me.

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I had some leftover biscuits from the other night, so I made some sausage gravy yesterday morning to go over them. “Griz” didn’t let me down. I protect that seasoning like it’s Fort Knox.  There are sources all over the internet that teach you how to season a cast iron skillet, so I won’t get into that today. Protecting that seasoning is essential to maintain its non-stick properties.

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Here are a few tips to keep your cast iron seasoned:

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Every love needs to be nurtured and protected. That includes your treasured cast iron cookware. I know it seems like a lot of work, but consider it a meditation ritual. Be present and enjoy the process. Think about the generations to come that will be cooking with the same pans you did. Because, with care, these treasures will last for generations to come.

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💜

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An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.   Proverbs 31:10 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for the tools I need to cook clean and healthy meals for my family. I’m happy to serve God’s food instead of highly processed convenience foods. We are healthier and happier with this new way of living.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-06-12T04:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/06/12/my-love-affair-with-griz.html", "tags": ["The Farm","Cooking","Country Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/06/07/so-this-is-what-real.html", "title": "So THIS is What Real Food Tastes Like!", "content_html": "\n
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I padded into the kitchen at around 8:30 yesterday morning. I turned on the teakettle and emptied the dishwasher while it heated. I watched a little hummingbird hovering around the feeder. We haven’t seen very many this year. We need more feeders. I also want to put out bird houses. The Carolina Chickadee and the House Martin abandoned the little birdhouses in the backyard. I think there was too much activity for them. I’d like to set some posts in the pollinator gardens with birdhouses to offer more nesting spots.

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When the water boiled, I fixed my cup of RYZE mushroom coffee and settled in the Big Red Chair to wait for Mr. FixIt to get moving. I turned on the television and opened YouTube. I’m almost finished with the class Sue Becker did on baking with Fresh Milled Flour. It’s informative and has answered some questions I’ve had. She has an Ankarsrum Mixer that I would LOVE to have. I watched her kneading the dough, and it looked much better than my Kitchen Aid Pro. The problem is it’s $749.95 online! Yikes!!! Maybe someday.

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When Mr. FixIt was settled in HIS Big Red Chair, I headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. I found a recipe in Sue’s cookbook for Basic Multi-Grain Pancakes. I got all the ingredients in place, and when it was time to add the flour, I poured the necessary amount of wheat berries in the NutriMill. I used half Soft White Wheat and half Spelt grains. It took less than thirty seconds to grind the flour. I added the salt and baking powder to the freshly milled flour, whisked it together, and poured it in the bowl on top of the combined wet ingredients. You don’t want to stir too much when you’re making quick breads like pancakes, muffins, and cakes or you can develop the gluten and they get tough.

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I had pancakes on the griddle less than two minutes after grinding. OMGosh! I’m not sure I can explain how amazing they were! I’m telling you, it’s like I never knew flour had FLAVOR. My tastebuds were doing the tango! I will use up the commercial flour I have by baking for others. But I’m hooked on fresh-milled flour. Oh, and. Mr. FixIt told me THREE times how good those pancakes were! We’ve got a winner, folks!

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Mr. FixIt went out and mowed the fenced-in part of the yard while I cleaned house. It looked like it was going to rain, so I went out to the garden to trim back the yellowing leaves and fertilize the tomatoes. We have quite a few tomatoes set on our tomato plants, and they look great, but the lower branches keep turning yellow. I’m hoping the fertilizer helps. I got it on just in time before the rain started. 

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Today will be kinda slow. Mr. FixIt is going to his company picnic, and I’m going to bake bread! I will try to film it for you…or do a Facebook Live. I hope you enjoy your weekend!

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🩵

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For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”   1 Timothy 5:18

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for discovering eating the way God intended…with whole grains, whole foods.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-06-07T04:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/06/07/so-this-is-what-real.html", "tags": ["Health","God","Baking","In the Kitchen","Fresh Milled Flour","Country Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/06/05/new-species-in-the-pollinator.html", "title": "New Species in the Pollinator Gardens", "content_html": "\n
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Venus’s Looking Glass

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When I started carving out patches of our five acre homestead to devote to the pollinators, there were the usual plants and grasses. Lots of oxeye daisies. I know, they aren’t native and they can crowd out the native plants, but they’re so beautiful! They remind me of the fields on the hill above our house when I was growing up. Now that hill is covered with streets dressed with houses. Still, there are plenty of lovely flowers and every year, something new shows up.

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Heading to the Creek

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Mr. FixIt and I walked down through the pollinators to the creek to see how well he cleaned the ditch out from the flood. He did a great job! It was a lot of hard work. As we were wandering around, I noticed a new flower I hadn’t seen before. A Venus’s Looking Glass! It’s native to North America. You can find them in fields and open woods and along roads. It’s particularly good for pollinators. It’s so delicate and pretty. I’ll watch for more of them. 

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The Eastern Phoebe always nests here. She’s a little late this year.

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Having these pollinator gardens is a lot like that line in Field of Dreams. “If you build it, they will come.” More pollinator gardens means more species of plants, animals, and insects. There are no pesticides or herbicides used on our five acres. I plan to keep it that way. Maybe one of these days, we’ll get some bees. Or maybe chickens!

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Yorkshire Fog

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It was very hot here yesterday…nearly 90° We’ll have rain the next few days so maybe we’ll cool off a bit. I went to see two of the Littles yesterday. Great-grandchildren…I can’t believe that we have four of these little sweeties! It seems like MY girls were little just yesterday.

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I finished the day with a special treat…fried cornmeal mush! So delicious!

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We had a big disappointment yesterday afternoon. Then last night the dryer stopped working. It’s always something isn’t it? But…

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We’ve got Venus’s Looking Glass today! We take the bad with the good. 

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🩵

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“Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭28‬-‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is always with us through the ups and downs of life.

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-06-05T04:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/06/05/new-species-in-the-pollinator.html", "tags": ["Faith","Pollinator Garden","Country Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/06/04/what-happens-when-the-last.html", "title": "What Happens When the Last Tree Falls?", "content_html": "\n
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When my grandma died in 1999, something had to be done. She was widowed in 1971 and was left to care for the farm and my uncle. He had a developmental disability and had lived at home all his life. Grandma was a strong woman and did what she had to do to take care of things. Toward the end of her life, an aunt (a widow herself) came to live with them and then stayed on to care for her beloved brother.

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The farm was left to another uncle to see that the family was taken care of. To do that, he had to have part of the farm logged. They never told me about it, and when I came for my annual visit and went for my usual hike back on the hill, I stepped into the clearing and…the trees were GONE! It was a punch in the gut, and I dropped to my knees and cried.

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Thanks for reading Kneading Faith! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

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First, no one owed me an explanation. I was just one of the grandchildren. Second, I understood that forests need to be maintained to remain healthy. But this was “clear-cut”…the hallowed grounds of my youth had been laid bare. I know it had to be done…I just wasn’t prepared for the shock of seeing it like that.

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Fast forward to today. I remarried in 2018 and now live with my husband on the five-acre homestead he has owned since 1979. I’ve spent most of my adult life praying to live on a piece of ground such as this in my home state of West Virginia. I’ve always wanted to be a farm girl. Our land is flat and surrounded by wooded hills and creeks. I’ve come to know each tree. The black walnut trees that sporadically grace us with an abundance of nuts. The pear trees are even more sporadic in their production of juicy fruit. Tall sycamore trees whose leaves are as big as a dinner plate and whose naked white limbs reach out like ghosts in the winter woods.

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It’s an idyllic little paradise here. I’ve come to take our views for granted, I’m afraid. Then one morning last week, I awoke to the sound of a chainsaw. Not unusual to hear people cutting up firewood or trimming fallen branches. But this was different. There is an intensity in the sound of a chainsaw that is felling a tree. It’s going after it in a way that means business. Then…the unmistakable cracking of the last bit of wood that’s held the tree up for decades. It crashed to the ground with an unceremonious thud.

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My heart hurts.

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One after another, after another. The trees came down. Then the heavy equipment came in to haul the trees-turned-logs away. They came back the next day and the next. It’s been five days now, and it’s clear now. They are logging the hill that has been our beautiful view at the end of the far field. I feel the sting of tears just writing these words. The beloved trees that bring us the promise of new life every spring, when we begin to see the first touch of green. The beautiful trees that offer their glorious golds and yellows as the backdrop to mark the end of another season.

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It’s like a train wreck…you don’t want to watch, but you can’t take your eyes away. One must have the proper attitude about trees on another person’s property. They are a cash crop to that person….a savings account, as it were. We move with the rhythms of nature here in the country. Animals are slaughtered for food. The ground is plowed for gardens. It’s a shock to the system when something you took for granted gets yanked out from under you.

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We’ll adjust. What choice do we have? And eventually…the bare hillside will become verdant with new growth, and the circle of life begins yet again. In the meantime…

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My heart hurts.

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💔

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He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***  Today, I am grateful that I can learn to adapt to change while still honoring the pain it causes me.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-06-04T04:45:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/06/04/what-happens-when-the-last.html", "tags": ["Growth","Change","Insight","Homestead","Country Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/06/03/separating-the-wheat-from-the.html", "title": "Separating the Wheat from the Chaff", "content_html": "\n
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If you’ve been reading my posts here, you know I’m on a quest to improve our nutrition. Mr. FixIt (aka Hubs) and I are in our early seventies. We want to be in good shape to keep up with our combined family. We have four great-grandchildren…so far! I’ve done a pretty good job of eliminating sugar and processed foods from our diet. I cook from scratch with fresh ingredients - not cans or boxes.

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I follow several pages and groups that look to do the same thing. What grabbed my attention was the recent surge in freshly milled flour. Ancient cultures in the Middle East began grinding seeds between stones during the Mesolithic period around 10,000 years ago. From such humble beginnings, the mighty staple of bread was born.

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I’ve been baking bread off and on for years, but it’s only been since the Covid lockdown that I’ve thrown myself into perfecting the process. I never realized there was so much to learn about something so simple as bread. I got really good at baking sourdough, then when I realized we were eating two loaves a week and I was gaining weight like crazy…I knew we had to cut way back.

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Instead of baking bread, I studied the details of what makes a strong dough and how to know when the bread is done rising. That went on to learn about the history of flour and how Big Agra stripped the nutrients from flour in order to create a shelf-stable product for the home baker. This was great till people started getting beri-beri and other diseases caused by nutrient deficiencies. Then the government stepped in and made the flour mills put nutrients back into the flour. The only bad thing with that is, not all the good nutrients can be returned…at least not with natural ingredients.

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Hence, the freshly milled flour craze was born. With an electric flour mill, you can have a healthy, nutrient-packed ingredient to make bread that is good for you. I’ve been stocking up on the grains I want to try. You can buy small amounts online to discover which grains give you your favorite bread. I received eight pounds of Spelt berries yesterday afternoon. After I put the groceries away, I sorted through about five pounds of them to clean the chaff and little sticks that find their way into the fabric bags of grain.

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I’ve never done this work before, and I found it to be meditative and peaceful. My mind wandered as I picked through the grains. What was it like for women coming across the prairies to find a better life out west? How did mothers find the time to invest in the sorting of grain, the grinding of wheat, and the baking of bread? In my grandparents’ day, fifty-pound sacks of grain were carried by wagon to the local mill where it was ground for them. The same was done with corn for cornmeal and grits.

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This is going to be an interesting endeavor, and I’m excited to bring you along with me to see what all the hype is about. I should have all the grains sorted and cleaned by the time the grain mill arrives this Thursday!

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🤍

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and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— Ecclesiasted 12:4 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal*** Today, I am grateful for the opportunity to own a grain mill. The possibilities are endless now!
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#milling #grains #flour #ancientgrains

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Lee Creek is beyond those trees. It’s usually not much more than a trickle.
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When we saw the muddy waters of Lee Creek up in our fields on Friday, we knew it wasn’t just a matter of waiting for the waters to recede and get on with business as usual. When we got water in the basement, there was only one explanation for it. The end of the storm drain down at the creek was underwater. And that meant there was digging in our immediate future.

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The front creek was almost at the top of the rock berm.
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After a lazy morning, we went out to inspect the mess. Mr. FixIt said it was the worst he’s ever seen. When you live out in the country, you don’t have city sewer…you have septic tanks. And you’re runoff water doesn’t go in there. The house is situated on the opposite side of the creek where the storm drainage flows. Our property is pretty flat, so there isn’t much of a grade to draw that water down. Over the years, creeks move. They deposit dirt, rocks, and trees…here one time, there another.

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After the Storm
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At one point, the drain was about four feet above the level of the creek bed. Now it’s all but even with it, and the dirt covers the ditch when the creek rises. We were out there with a pickax, a shovel, and a hoe for a couple of hours. We’re of an age that hard labor is getting harder to do for any length of time, so we’ll get back out there today and work on it some more. Ahhhh…the joys of retirement, eh?

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The reward for a hard day’s work.
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In the meantime, the grain mill hasn’t arrived, and we were out of bread. I still have a lot of store-bought flour, so I mixed up a triple batch of Japanese Milk Bread. Now we have two beautiful loaves of bread and a pan of cinnamon rolls. That should last us for a few days.

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June will keep us busy, that’s for sure!

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🤍

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Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful I am here to serve my husband as his helpmate. Philippians 2:4 says: Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. We are blessed to have each other to lean on and support.
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