SEPTEMBER HARVEST

This is about the only thing still growing in the heat of summer. herbs and hot peppers. As you can see, I have a nice variety of jalapenos, cayenne, seranno and Hungarian wax.

Sage to be dried.

Rosemary also drying.

Sweet Bell Pepper seeds saved from spring. Seeded on 8/13/08 in Garden #2. I haven't had much success before with recycling my own pepper seeds but I hope I did it better this time.

Puppies in the garden where I just put seeds down. Notice wire cage to keep them off new area.

Sweet Yellow and Hybrid Yellow Onions planted 9/8/08 and they have just broken ground. Again, cages to keep puppies & chickens off the dirt. I'll get close-ups as I have more break ground and make into rows.

Hens in Garden #1 where the big & cherry tomatoes lived before they died in August. I was so sad to see them die off but the chickens love the open dirt to dig & peck into. I have 1 cherry baby and 1 Big Boy tomato plant that surved the summer heat.

This is Garden #1, my main garden at 8x16'. I'm seeing if my spring harvested lettuce seeds are going to take or not. They are in the front where the cage is. I would also like to put in spinach, okra and more tomatoes. I did recompost & much this area. In the back parts of the garden, there is poo-filled hay from the chickens coop. It should also help the replace soil nutrients. I also tried reseeding some cilantro & sweet basil in the very back but didn't put a cage over it. I wonder if the hens will leave it alone to grow.

Jack's New Friend

by Robin

Two weekends ago, I was doing dishes when I happened to look out my window and see this:

The quality isn't great because it is through a window & a screened in porch but you get the idea.

I couldn't resist taking a couple pics. Jack is a Key West native and so he grew up with chickens around the island. I don't think he had any as pets but there's no time like the present to have chickens as pets. LOL

Then, I went outside only to see that he was coming to show me that he had caught Penny. He posed for these pictures. He may look like a tough burly man on the outside but on the inside, he's a sensitive guy who loves animals.

See, I told you he loves animals!!

LIFE IS NEVER DULL!!

Entertainment by Chickens & Puppies




If I have to lay an egg for my country, I'll do it. --
Bob Hope

Our prayers go out to those whose lives were forever changed by 9/11 and for those in the military which are fighting to keep America safe. THANK YOU.

Lipstick

If you put lipstick on a chicken, is it still a chicken? Is it a hockey mom? Is it a pit bull? Is it a pig?

You tell me.

PASS THE PLATE

by Robin & the boys

Probably one of the most private things in the world is an egg until it is broken. ---M. F. K. Fisher


The boys are cooking freshly laid eggs.


Real Fresh!!

Really, they thought they tasted great, but it's hard to smile when you're eating. Then, I put the camera down. But when I went to upload the pictures, there was an extra photo. Look closely at the bottom of the picture.

Psalm 73

Psalm 73:7-8, 16-17

From their callous hearts comes iniquity ; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. ........When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. (i.e. putting it in perspective)

v28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.


Rarely to I air dirty laundry on my blog but I have such a connection that I found it worth blogging.

I got a typical medical bill in the mail today. No biggie except it is my first copy & I have a late charge on it. What? So, I call the office and happen to get the Office Manager. In short, they sent a copy in June & July to our former home address (moved 6/07) with it coming back to them saying "Return to Sender". I guess by August 31st, they corrected the address and the bill comes to me. The woman acts like I am to blame but agrees to waive the minimal finance charge.

So, she asks me to give her my new address. I gave it but then thought...... wait, the bill HAS the new address on it. I mentioned it to her and the woman wants to FIGHT with me that they didn't have it. I truly felt like I was arguing with a 3 yo. "Yes you do, No we don't, Yes you do, No we don't." (I am sending her a copy of her own bill so she can see that they had my address.)
Ugh. What is the world coming to?

And we wonder why we have issues like the following......

Middle School Statistics in Brev Co.

Quoted from the article:
"The rate of minor violations, such as skipping detention and classroom misconduct, has been on the rise for six of the past seven years, including the past two, while the rate of serious offenses steadily declined each year. Still, both serious and minor incidents in middle schools outpaced those at the high school level. Serious incidents include fighting, drug and tobacco use and possession, battery and making threats against others.

Showing disrespect toward teachers and insubordination -- the blatant refusal to follow directions or rules -- were among the most common minor violations committed by middle-schoolers. "

FYI - Our county's middle school system has had 7 false bomb threats this spring semester alone!! Those were the major violations.

More from the article:
"They just don't have all the decision-making and coping skills that they need, because they aren't adults, they're children," she said. "That middle school kid needs to have a little time to grow and mature."

No...... what they need is Christ. Their parents need Christ. They need Christian friends. They need Christian values. What the office manager needs is a chill pill and Christ.

Rom 3:10 says that there is nobody who is righteous, not even one. We've all sinned & fallen short of God's glory, me included. (Rom 3:23) Nobody can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again (John 3:3) and yet, ............... that the answer is simple. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (of your life), be sorry for your sins and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you are saved /born again (Rom 10:9-11)

I'm praying for you dear blog reader. (& the office manager)

Robin

AWARD DAY!!!!!
by Robin

BRILLIANT WEBLOG Award

Given to me by FL Mom on The Narrow Path . Thank you for honoring us.

Brilliant is defined as ... full of light; shining; glorious; magnificent; superb; wonderful; marked by extraordinary powers of intellect or invention.

The rules of this award are:
1. Display the award on your blog.
2. Post a link to the person who has awarded you.
3. Pass this award on to at least 7 other blogs.
4. Post links to the blogs you award.
5. Leave a note in the comments on the blogs you award.

I am passing this award to:
Cornish Adoption Journey - Adopting Down's Babies
Roda's blog - preacher's wife & homeschool mom
Renee's Ethiopian & Ghanian Adoptions
NO More counting the Costs - adoption
From Under the Laundry Pile - hs mom & marathon runner
Owlhaven - mom to 10, 6 of them adopted
Paradoxuganda - Missionaries from Uganda


"I LOVE YOUR BLOG" Award

Given by Stephanie . Thank you for loving our blog & all the fishermen's pets.

The rules of the award are:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.

I am passing this award along to:

Choice Central - Woman on a mission
Wendy - you need to blog more!
Andrea - real & transparent homeschooling from special needs to adoptions (great art too)
Rose in S. FL
Carletta "Jazzy" -Successful Homeschooling
Trish - missionary in Honduras & homeschool mom
Robin's Reports - fishing blog - Yeah, it's unfair but it never gets awards.

Thanks and congratulations everybody!!!

NO VACANCY (for lap space that is)
by Robin


They're both active by day and snugglers by night.



"I may not be little like that runt but I love to be held too!"



"Close your eyes when we pray."





"Look!! My ears are finally going up!" (Sometimes)





My lap, as I blog. Covered up in dogs. Poor Sam would love to be on me too.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY -

THE 10:45 BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT

by Robin

Puppies, Chickens & hurricanes, oh my!!!

by Robin

Looks like our next week is going to get ugly. Stay tuned on http://www.robinsreports.blogspot.com/ for tropical updates.

For now, I thought I'd share with you our little comparison in size pictures. These were taken Monday, Labor Day. On the left is Simon Peter holding Lucky, our Lt. Brahma hen. On the right is Andrew holding Tiki, our 10 wk old chihuahua puppy. I'm guessing Lucky to be a solid 4lbs and Tiki only 2.5 lbs.

Of course, there was not true out-of-control situation but the boys thought it would be fun to have a pretend fight between the two. I don't think Lucky or Tiki (or Mom) thought it was funny, but I snapped a picture anyhow.

Here is a picture of Tiki on my flip-flops. He's so tiny, imo. While I still miss Jackson nearly ever day, I have to say that our three new companions are working their way into my heart.

Boy, I miss Jackson. He was such a big, gentle giant.

OUR FIRST EGG!!!

by Robin

The hens were very noisy this morning and so they immediately got my attention. I took the keys to the shed because my guess was they were wanting more food & had knocked their feeders over. Well, imagine my surprise when I opened the nesting box to get one feeder and find this!!

Awwwww, I couldn't be more proud if I laid it myself. Jack thought I was screaming over a snake but it was maternal happiness.

My hens (technically, pullets) aren't suppose to lay for at least another month. Oh, I'm so happy for one of my girls. They're only 4.5 mo old.

Naturally, I brought the egg in the house not really sure of what to do with it, even though I've read the manual. I took pictures, then washed the poopy off of it. Then, I put it in the frig even though I know fresh eggs can be on the counter for a couple weeks. Habits are hard to break.

It is such a small egg but created perfectly on the outside. It dawned on me that the girls were on medicated chick starter and I was almost out. I was going to buy layer feed on my next trip, so we all headed up to the feed & seed store for feed but also ADVICE!!

The young lady told me to stop all the medicated starter feed & throw away all the eggs between now & the 2 wk time-frame, once the meds clear the system. The layer feed will have more calcium and hence, better eggs. Although, in my mind, I was thinking that this one came out just fine. But, we will toss our first egg. Seems like such a waste, but ok....

While I feel like Lucky, our Light Brahma, is more mature & bigger, her eggs are suppose to be brown. So, my 2nd guess is this is an egg from my dominant Leghorn hen. Maybe I'll know more tomorrow. Leghorns are suppose to be daily layers once their systems kick in full gear. I know that eventually this will get "old" but I can't wait to see what's in the nesting box tomorrow.

Stay tuned for more details.........

Simon Peter asked last night, "Why did they call it Labor Day? Shouldn't it be called No Labor Day?"

Hmmmmmm.......... out of the mouths of babes.

Peter & WIGGLES
by Robin


I have this totally funny story to share with you. In our county, we have a lot of Gentlemen's Club establishments. I'm not fond of these places but I've decided to pray for them as I pass by them. Well, the other day, Andrew overheard me praying for one. He asked why and I gave him a simplified reason of how it was sinful for women to dance nude and they get paid for it, etc. That whole conversation stuck in his mind. So today, we had business on the island and passed by another establishment called Wiggles. (I would love to keep it anonymous but it pertains to the story.) Andrew asked me if I was going to pray for it. Simon Peter was totally in the dark about what was going on. In a matter of seconds, Andrew brought him up to speed, even pointing out the lack of windows & dancing girl silhouettes on the sign.


You would have thought a bomb dropped because Simon Peter was entirely speechless. Come to find out, he'd seen the sign many times and thought it was a place to buy wigs. He thought the ladies on the sign were holding their heads to try on new wigs and didn't give much thought to their legs being shoulder-width apart & in heels. It never once occurred to him it was a dancing position.


Ahhhhh, the beauty of an innocent mind. I'm just so sorry that they have to grow up and understand that we live in a very fallen world, filled with sin & corruption. I was reading 1 Peter 1: 3,4 earlier today and it addresses the difference between heaven and earth. Oh what a blessed day it will be once we're in heaven.

1 Peter 1:3, 4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who according to His abundant mercy
has begotten us again to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled
and that does not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you,
who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time.

This is the real reason why we got chihuahuas. They're really good divers and they work for sardines.

6 THINGS YOU didn't know about ME
by Robin

1. I have a linear scar across my left eye thanks to a recent abrasion. Please pray my eye accepts contacts again.

2. I have 400 lbs of cow manure and 100 lbs of peat moss & dirt in the back of my SUV. Please pray for my back when I unload it tomorrow early morning before it ripens in the sun.

3. I have eaten ice cream twice this week in a Carvel cake and twice given myself self-induced fibromyalgia attacks. Please pray I quit having cravings for food I'm not suppose to eat. I'm suppose to be vegan, plus fish for health reasons. I need accountability because, obviously, pain isn't working.

4. I graduated from a 9 wk refresher course of American Sign Language tonight. I love signing but so far, Simon Peter is the only one that understand me 50% of the time.

5. I'm going to challenge myself by co-starting up a children's choir (& some sign lang too) on Sunday nights at our church. I really enjoyed the musical this summer and hope this will be fun too. Please pray for my ministry.

6. I ate a third of a box of Good-n-Plenties tonight on the way home from shopping. I'm not much of a candy person, but this was treat.

How to Scare a Homeschooler
by Robin

Take them to the local elementary public school (for voting) and when you walk in the door, ask the lady where to sign the kids up for school. They turned pale as ghosts.

Sadly, by 11:45, I was only voter #76 in my district. Yes folks, every vote counts when only 76 of you show up to vote. I hope there is a better turn-out in the afternoon.

Various other updates:
*Will be starting my fall gardening soon.
*We've dried out since TS Fay gave my yard over 10" of rain.
*I'm so behind in food blogging but will update soon.
*Puppies are great!! Tiki is 2.4 lbs and Captain is 3.1 lbs. Both screamed for their shots on Saturday.

VIGNETTE of ANDREW
by Robin



We left off yesterday with a post about Simon Peter. Now, let's talk a bit about Andrew. (By the way, these pictures were taken Saturday, on the Indian river banks, in front of the VAB building- Kennedy Space Center. It's there, trust me.)


Tomorrow, Andrew turns 9 yrs old and I'm having such a tough time with this because I feel like I'm no longer able to call him my baby without somebody wanting to put me in an institution for crazy talk. He's my baby. Always will be. I'll just have to remember not say that to his face when he's got a bunch of buddies around.


So, yesterday, Simon Peter was achieving some success on the skim board while Andrew was sizing it all up. In many ways, he's the bold one, but not yeseterday. Weeks ago, he took on singing a solo for the whole church of 220 people twice in one day. But, I can see the hesitation in his eyes as his mind works out the order of business.

He tried it many times only to throw the board down, hop on or over it and then end up on the opposite side. It's a lot for a brain to process in coordination. Plus, he just got a new board which is heavier to throw.

He contemplated some more when he used the board for shade rather than skimming. Jack did his best to give instructions but I had a lightbulb moment while taking photographs. I've seen this face before. He needs bullet points. Numbered steps. Simplify. He doesn't want to fumble his way through it. He wants perfection & coordination of a 12 yr old, on the first run.



So, Step 1, throw board forward. The shallower, the better until you can build up speed. If it moves sideways, abort jump. It is skims forward, run and jump.

That's right!! You can do it. He's always had the passion to do it. This is one passionate kid. He doesn't like to do things half-heartedly. He puts his whole heart into whatever he does. Wait, maybe yardwork he doesn't....... but that's because it isn't his thing at all. He's just being obedient because I asked for help. And for both those reasons, I love him more than I already loved him the moment he was born.

I really can't wait to see what amazing things God will work in both their lives. I'm honored to be their mama and it such a priviledge to watch them develop & grow into fine young men.

VIGNETTE of SIMON PETER
by Robin

My big boy turned 12 yrs old this month and with it came many milestones. He's no longer my baby or my little helper. He's a tweenager. Not quite a man or a teenager, but no longer stuck in childhood. As if this needed to be said (HA!) he's turning into quite the handsome tweenager.


Muscles are replacing baby fat. The voice is lowering a little. He's graduated out of children's church into the youth group.

While he's not a huge risk-taker at-heart, he is willing to try more adventurous stuff. He's up for a challenge, like skim-boarding and reeling in bigger mahi.

While the water is fairly shallow for this sport, he has that classic surfer look of a guy riding the Pipe on North Shore. Look at him throw those arms out for balance. He's in deep concentration.

When I look at these photos, I realize he's becoming a man before my very eyes. He doesn't remember those days of being in a stroller or being held in mommy's arms. He's gone from Duplos into a Lego League & robotics. He talks programming & engineering stuff that's way over my head. And yet, he still loves to hang out with his parents & brother. He's got a big heart, sensitive streak, dark Florida tan & blue eyes. Yep, he's going to steal some young girl's heart in another decade, if not before then. I just hope he remembers how much I love him.

Tomorrow, I'll have to write about Andrew.