Merry Christmas!

In the midst of Christmas preparations, life happens.  I'm finding this year, that it takes a conscious effort to remember to enjoy it.  Every year I vow to do less.  And every year I do less.  But still, I'm wishing today for a chance to go to a park with my kids and enjoy them.  But I have cooking and cleaning to do to prepare for 3 days of "celebration".  3 days of kids being wired and likely sugared.  What I would give for a quiet Christmas Eve with immediate family only and a laid back Christmas Day at home with my in-laws... what would I give?  Would I hurt my family's feelings?  Would I deny my mother the chance to bestoy her love language on her grandchildren?  Would I neglect the long drive to see good friends for the first time in many months?  What does it take to scale back enough to enjoy Christmas?

Thankfully for me, as the Yeoman Farmer so aptly stated last year, Christmas is 12 days long!  I have 4 more days of chaos, then I will sit back, snuggle with my children in front of the tree.  I will putter in the garden and get us all dirty planting lettuce seedlings.  We will spend evenings with a nice fire and hot chocolate singing carols. 

It's then that I can stop and smell the roses.  Then I'll celebrate more extensively the Gift of Jesus.  Until then... back to work, break is over.

Merry Christmas from all of us on the 'stead!

Mourning

We're mourning with the family at Roscommon Acres for their sudden loss of sweet 22-month old "Tiggy".  Please pray earnestly for this family to KNOW the peace of Christ as few people can truly know.  There are 5 other children ranging from 12 to just a few weeks who are saddened along with their parents. 

Thank you, Jesus, that we CELEBRATE Your birth so that this death is not the end!  We continue to rejoice in Your Gift to us through the tears.  I never knew Tiggy, but I miss him still and look forward to meeting him in Glory.

To all of you at Roscommon Acres, you are being upheld in prayer from all around the world, but also from right here.  Prayers for you fill my sleepless hours at night and every time I hold one of my little ones.  You have my deepest sympathy. 

Sweet Potato Harvest

Cold weather came early and yesterday I went out with FarmBoy1 to dig in the dirt and bring in the sweet potatoes.  I was impressed.  They aren't as plentiful as last year but they are way bigger.  Next time I will plant the starts more densely but fertilize just the same.  Many people say sweet potatoes like sandy soil, no water and zero nutrients.  We've not seen that to be true for us.  We get bigger potatoes by fertilizing and adding compost.  But maybe most people aren't thinking of starting them in beach sand. 

Last year we got 2 baskets full.  Husbandman thinks there are more lurking deeper than I was digging.  I hope so as this wouldn't last us the winter.

Now they need to cure.  We leave them in the basket on the porch for 2 weeks before we start eating them.  Then we just eat from there, never transferring to the fridge and never cleaning them until just before we cook them.  They'll begin sprouting on their own.  When that happens, I save some for next years bed and plant the rest in the pasture to be animal fodder.