Today is the day

Today is the day that we hit the road for a mini-getaway together. Pennsylvania is the main goal, Mama's on the Half Shell (MD) the anticipated highlight, and lots of wandering back roads along the way.

My purse is packed with guerrilla art. Lots of new venues await me.

 This is also the day that the bundles of weathered paper comes inside to start a new life. Because of "this is the day" #1, the excitement of "this is the day" #2 is being done in stages. The bundles are in the house... I will open them after shopping, eating, resting, wandering.
 

I'm am seeing some lovely edges though. Can't wait to dig deeper.

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Joy in the trees

Did I mention that I love October? Every year I end up taking pictures of the beautiful colors that fill the trees in the yard. It soothes my soul... speaks to my heart... makes me thankful...

These are all SOOC. I couldn't think of any way to improve on God's handiwork. The only thing that could improve the view is if you were here, beside me, taking in all this beauty.

... the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

A paper-y October

In between bacon, multiple birthday celebrations, and the sheer love of October *sigh*, it's all about paper here. While bundled paper disintegrates at the speed of weather...

now only 6 days to wait

other papers are being changed... from plain and coffee stained tags to guerrilla art.

Add to that few cards here and there.

I do love October. 

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth:

make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Psalm 98:4

And we have BACON!!!

That's right! Today was the unveiling of the home cured bacon experiment. I thought I had to wait another week before the curing was complete, but I read the directions again  and discovered I was wrong. It said -

1).Remove meat from salt/sugar mix. (The dry mixture that was packed around the meat turned soupy by the end of the week.)

The top layer came off in crusty chunks.

2) Rinse the meat in cool water to remove any residue.

3) Cut the bacon into thin slices.

I added  one more step... DO AN IMMEDIATE TASTE TEST!!!

Although it was very salty (Soaking the meat in cold water for at least an hour will reduce the salt level), it was unbelievably good.

I didn't really have much confidence in this recipe a week ago. It was more a "why not?" when I actually took the step to order the pork belly. But... with results like this? I will definitely do this again... and again...

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until  the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

What did you do today?

Oh, thank you for asking. I have been dying to tell. I bought pork bellies and made bacon!

Why?

Well... give me a recipe with 1) a weird name (think Hot Mummix); 2) an unusual mix of ingredients; or 3) a way to make something unhealthy into something (somewhat) healthy, and I am all over it.

And, let me ask you a question - have you ever heard of pork bellies anywhere except on the noon farm report?

Thus challenged, I walked into the meat shop, thinking they might laugh at me looking for pork bellies, but, not so! They simply asked "how many pounds?" and "with or without the skin?" (That last question threw me, so I tried to look intelligent and asked, what do you think?)

This is how I started the long process of making bacon from fresh pork belly (which is the meat on the underside of the pig - not a pig's stomach!) -

Buy 2# of fresh pork belly - without the skin, thank you.

Mix together kosher salt, brown sugar and pepper.

Spread about half the salt mixture evenly in a large pan. Place the meat in the center of the pan and gently press it into the salt mix.

Pack the remaining salt mixture over and around the pork.

Refrigerate, uncovered, for 6 to 7 days.

There is one more waiting period after the meat comes out of the salt. So, in two weeks, I hope to report that we are loving our nitrate-free, home-cured bacon. 

And if I don't report?  Be kind... please?

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Useless to Smash!

Repurposing worthless, discarded books is such a rewarding task. This is the kind of recycling that I love.

For several weeks, I have been working on a repurposed version of a Smash Book. (Not familiar with Smash Books? See this.) My days have been filled with paints of every variety, ink, verses, vintage text, papers and pictures, scrapers and shapers, stamps and any adhesive I could lay my hand on! Very little in my workroom escaped involvement in this project.

The book is now in the hands of its new owner... but I took a pictures of a few of my favorite parts just before it was delivered.

And that's just for the background! Can't wait to see how it looks full of her life.

Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm 107:8,9

The door

The house we live in today has certainly changed from the house we moved into 30-plus years ago. It was old when we bought it - a total fixer-upper. We rolled up our sleeves and started the never-ending process of making the house our home.

One of the most unique features of the first floor was that there were 6 outside entrances. That's right... six! While it was comforting to know that in case of a fire we could each have our own escape route (I would carry the youngest daughter), it did present a decorating problem.

And... old wood doors, though heavy, don't seal well. It was a continual challenge keeping the cold winter wind outside where it belonged. So, we replaced the two living room doors (complete with ancient arched windows) with modern, quiet, insulated doors. A second door on the porch became a window. The laundry room door became a wall. The dining room now sports a door that actually locks with a key!

Last week, I was outside stripping paint from the old kitchen door... the last survivor of doors gone by. My plan was to make the finish smooth enough to paint it back to respectability. But as I struggled my way through layers of color, I fell in love with the mottled finish... the evidence of generations of women who spruced up the kitchen by painting that old door.

I think I'll know when the finish is just right. While I work toward that point, it's fun to review our history of five kids flying through that very door with the latest news of deer in the garden, baby goats in the barn, and chickens wandering through the neighborhood.

 

What a noisy house this used to be.

... I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of  wickedness. Psalm 84:10





The bundle visitor

I had to show and tell before the tale of the visitor is to old to tell! Day 56, I checked the paper bundles to see if anything was happening. Not many changes... but the tree bundle had a special guest. I got right in his face and we had a photo shoot! (No sensitive eyes were damaged in the taking of these photos. I do not use a flash.)

I went back to the tree two days later. I wanted to see if there were any interesting chew marks or despicable - ahem - trails. He was gone! Well... most of him was.

I'm wondering, what will the next 32 days do to that?

But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:20, 21