Brilyn and Cade's Birthday Party!

Waiting for Cake
Lighting the candles
Making a wish!
Let them eat cake!
Opening presents!
I will post more pics soon- I have a bunch stored up.
XOXO
Joce

I have always cherished a love for the antebellum south. (Not the slavery part, mind you. I think workers should be paid fairly for their labors and should have the right to unionize. I obviously have some beef with Walmart as well as slavery.)
So I was looking at a calendar in the work room of the church one day as I was waiting for copies to finish making themselves. One of the pictures was of Oak Alley Plantation. Located on the Mississippi River between the historic Louisiana cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Oak Alley Plantation has been called the "Grande Dame of the Great River Road". The picture is tiny! So just click on it to see the whole album.

That picture just inspires me with its romance and history and grandeur. My jaw just drops and I stare. And my imagination goes wild. So, I thought I would share it with you for one of two purposes. One, you will respond in a likewise manner. Two, it will at least give you a glimpse into my heart and mind. And perhaps explain why I forgot to staple whatever it was I was copying. I wasn't in the here or now! I was in the then and there. I was a beautiful daughter of a cotton mogul with strong Northern sympathies regarding slavery, but with a strong sense of state's rights as well.
Ah, well, that's all for now. I have to go make breakfast for this little mooing girl. She's mooing because she is a cow this morning, that's why. (That's for you Pamela.)
XOXOX
Joce

Okay, so I am just gonna post my curtains real quick for those interested- but it has to be quick cuz we are packing to go camping. Keuka Lake State Campground if you wanna visit us.
Thanks for the advice on my curtains mom and Kara- you guys rock!
XOXOX
Joce

Hello folks!
I am looking for a young dog or a puppy. Do you know where I might find a farm collie/ English Shepherd? Here is a picture of the kind of doggy I am looking for.

Let me know if you know where I can find one!
XOXO
Joce

Here's a quick little recipe I made up two nights ago.

In a baking pan: (PAM it)
Bottom layer: sauerkraut
Next layer: cooked polish sausage sliced about 1/2 inch think(I used left over grilled sausages on Joe's half and left over grilled white hots on my half)
Next layer: uncooked egg noodles
Next layer: finely chopped onion
Pour a mix of milk, mayo, garlic, salt, pepper, mustard, and onion powder (make sure there is enough to cook the noodles)
Next layer: shredded swiss cheese
Sprinkle mix of melted butter and bread crumbs on top.
Cover tightly with tin foil, and bake at 350 till the noodles are done (about an hour)

Kitchen tip: Use a veggie peeler to "shred" your cheese.

XOXOX

My sister in law sent this to me as an email forward. I laughed out loud and re-read it and laughed again. I had to share it even though I don't know who wrote it or if it fiction or non. Enjoy.

So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died.
Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and
nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on
this mat in our bathroom.

Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old,
3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick.
LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally
one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he
could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the
drawer when he was done.

Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and
try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are
fighting over the toy in the cereal b ox. I am trying to nurse my little
one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and
everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the
amazing job that is motherhood.

We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I
am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the
corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my
chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes
and said "chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right--their
little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind.
And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the
FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth.

And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us
that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatur es,
there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your
chapstick on the cat's butt.

Hey! It's time for an interactive blogging session....
Looking forward to things is a great way to keep your spirits up during all the humdrum daily stuff.
Right now I am looking forward to a few things:
1. I am getting a goat really really soon.
2. Brilyn and Cade are turing 3 and 1 respectively, their b-day party is the 18th at 2:00 if you would like to drop in.
3. My garden is growing and we are putting in more stuff all the time.
4. My 8th anniversary is Tuesday.
5. My internship is done. (I have been looking forward to that for a while.) Now, I get to see what God has for me next.
6. Prince Caspian and Indiana Jones movies are both coming out this month.
7. Making new curtains.
8. Finishing up crocheted blanket that I started in 2004. (Talk about a UFO)
9. Irises coming up.
10. Parents' visiting next weekend.

Okay........Your turn (I told you this would be interative). Tell me what you are looking forward to.
XOXOXO
Joce

I have to say, this dude gives me an uneasy feeling in my spirit. My point in posting this clip is not to influence politics (I do not support any candidate thus far. They all fall very short.) Please ignore the stupid parts of this video and absorb only the factual statements. And then, please read the very energetic responses in the comments section, and leave a comment if you dare.
XOXO
Joce

I will take this opportunity to state my usually unspoken clause to anything I post on here that I don't personally write.
"I don't like the media. People throw ridiculous things together trying to make a (sometimes erroneous) point. My political views are mixed, but I usually vote based on my belief that abortion is very wrong and that anyone who doesn't see that must have something wrong with their vision. And that doesn't make for a good policy maker, in my opinion. I do everything within my power to change the world right where I am in regards to things that the government doesn't and shouldn't have to do. I give to the poor, reduce, reuse, recycle (more than anyone else I know), keep my footprint small, and spread God's love to others as often as I am able. I focus on my family, and then continue from there. And I pray."

Potato Bacon and Ramp Soup

Ramps are wild leeks that taste like a mix between garlic and onions. They grown in the woods. Want some? We have lots.
Recipe:
Fry cubed potatoes, celery, and ramps in bacon grease in a cast iron skillet till ramps are cooked.
Transfer to big pot. Add 3 tablespoons flour, seasonings you like, and 6 pieces of bacon chopped up. Add 2 cups half and half and 2 cups beef (or chicken) broth. Simmer till thickened to your liking.
For a meatier variation, add barbequed pork rib meat cut off the bone.

Hyacinths in the Dining Room
Set a beautiful table using canning jars and multicolored hyacinth blooms.

My Beautiful Purple Flowering Tree


Fawn in Our Woods

Wild Turkey Nest in Our Woods
We went for a walk in the woods and found a turkey on her nest (she flew away so we could take a picture) and a newborn fawn. That's one AWESOME benefit of owning some woods.

Cade Stands Up
Cade has decided to stand up for himself. YAY!

www.knowthecause.com

Very interesting.
XOXOX
Joce

I am going to need three more people to comment before I can post a pic of my babies!
Thanks goes out to:
Carol, Courtney, Steph, Kara, Heather, and Pam; and a warm welcome to Marla.
Well, ya'll stalkers/lurkers will just have to step up to the plate, the ongoing success of this blog depends on you!
Love you!
XOXOXOXO
~Joce
PS My garden is growing, growing. Almost peas and lettuces.

On good faith for the three comments I have received so far, (that makes you number 2, Courtney) I will post a most delicious recipe.
Tangy Hawaiian Chicken
Chicken and Sauce:
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons barbeque sauce
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Pieces of any ornery chicken
salt and pepper to taste
Rice:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups water
Directions:
Place all "Chicken and Sauce" ingredients in a large shallow pan. Cover and cook on low for a couple hours. (It should bubble a bit).
Place all "Rice" ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 20 minutes.
I cut the chicken off the bones and chopped it into 1 inch square pieces and put it back in the sauce to serve. (I don't like bones on my plate, I think it is morbid).
For those of you who have been reading lately, you may be wondering about the origin of the chicken used in this recipe. Your suspicions are confirmed.
And thus, Cornelius met a delicous end.
XOXOX
Joce

Hello!
I would like to request anyone who reads my blog to please leave comments for me!
If you are held back because they ask you to sign in- it's easy! All you need is a FREE google account. You do that by entering your email address as you user name, and then pick a password. It's that easy!
Now, I am not going to post any more pictures of my little cuties until I get at least 10 comments letting me know who is reading.
So, get a google account and leave me some comments!
XOXOXO
~Joce
PS I have said this before, but:
FYI- It is bad netiquette to read someone's blog without commenting, it's called "blog stalking" and is equivilant to eavesdropping on a party line. (If you don't know what a party line is, just ignore the analogy.) LOVE!

Cornelius is dead.

So, I am getting ready to go to the grocery store. As I am carrying the carseat out to install, Cornelius comes running over to attack me. I can't take this kind of stress! I can't even go to the grocery store! I feel kind of bad because he really is a beautiful rooster, but we're gonna have to chop his head off ASAP. It's NOT okay to chase the lady of the house around the yard. The worst part is, this is not my first experience being bullied by birds. When I was little, my sister had a boyfriend or something who's parents had a teepee. It was cool. But, they also had geese- and that stupid gander chased all around that yard while I screamed my fool head off before the boyfriend or whatever came and chased the goose away from me. And then, MY parents got geese and THAT stupid gander would chase me all over the yard. The worst part of my day would be after I got off the bus and I had to walk down our very long driveway knowing that at any second that gosh darn goose was gonna come out of nowhere at me.
My last point of safety was the buck barn. I would stand there and yell for my mom, but sometimes she wouldn't hear me! I would stand there and yell for my dog to come get me, but sometimes he didn't hear me. My heart would start to pound as I realized I was gonna have to get there all by myself.
Well, Cornelius must have fowl informants so he knows just how to intimidate me and bring back all those memories and feelings. Joe says I can take the 22 and shoot him so I can go to the grocery store, but that wouldn't really solve my dilemma. I need to kick his butt and get some self respect. But, I am too much of a wimp. I can't take the stress!
Well, I gotta go take care of these babies- they are crying like the world is about to end.
XOXO
Joce

Hello! What a fine Friday it is today!
We went on a walk in LeRoy and had lots of fun as a family.
We also stopped to look at a woodstove, we would really like to buy it. Do any of you know someone who does masonry work around here?
We also planted 5 things in our garden today. Beets, peas, carrots, radishes, and mixed lettuce. some things will be ready in as few as 25 days, whereas the carrots are gonna be a while. But, I am definitely looking forward to the abundance.
We are really going to have to kill the rooster, or more colorfully, "We're gonna chop his bloody head off." He is a real jerk, or more appropriately, He is a real cock. He runs around beating everybody up, which includes us human residents of Tillaboro Orchard. He even tries to sneak attack Joe, which never turns out very well for Cornelius (yeah, I named him when I liked him).
We will hopefully be getting a different type of chicken that is a bit more docile, although I don't think white leghorns are known for being rambunctious. Anyway, what I really want are some Brahma chickens. They are HUGE! and lay through the winter.
Back to Cornelius, we are gonna chop him up and eat him with dumplings.
Hmmm, well that's about all for now, the house is quiet (Joe is outside, hahaha) and I want to read a bit more of Anne of the Island. She is a junior at Redmond now, and she has just met "Prince Charming." So, I wanna see how that goes for her. By the way, Ruby Gillis dies in this book and I cried for like 15 minutes. I would start to calm down and then I would think all these sad thoughts about the reality of people dying and I would start crying all over again. Joe thought I was a nut (well, probably thinks I am still a nut) but, I like a good cry every now and then. It's good for your back. (Maybe I should explain that?) I put my stress in my back and if I have a good cry, my stress is reduced and thus, my back should be better off.
Love ya!
XOXO
Joce

Looking forward to this!

I guess I am stuck in negative blogging rut- but I watched the most awfulest movie last night and I thought I would tell everyone I know not to watch it unless you want to a) waste two and half hours of your life, and b) be disturbed to a level where you find it impossible to sleep.
WARNING! PLOT SPOILER!
It's pretty much about a kid who has a terrible childhood and then runs away to the Alskan wilderness where he eventually discovers that people are important, but when he tries to return to civilization, he can't recross the river and then dies of eating a poisonous plant that shuts down his digestive system so he dies of starvation.
So, unless you like being depressed and disturbed, avoid this movie like the plague.
On a brighter note- the sun is shining and Anne of Avonlea is quite the opposite of Into the Wild, bright, cheerful, uplifting, and inspiring.
XOXOX
~Joce

Here's my seed list for Garden 2008!
From Jung:
H Rainbow Heirloom Mix Tomato Royal Burgundy Purple Pod Bush Bean
Ruby Queen Beet
H Nantes Or Coreless Carrot
H Straight Eight Cucumber
H Long Island Mammoth Dill
Catnip
Lavender Munstead
H Jungs Heritage Mesclun Mix H Ailsa Craig Exhibition Onion Seed
Sugar Ann Snap Pea
H Sparkler Radish
H Early Golden Bantam
Bohemian Horseradish Sets
Kennebec Potato
Fancy Mix Morning Glory Single Old Fashioned Mix Hollyhock Seed Heritage Everbearing Raspberry
Latham Summer Bearing Raspberry

(The red H's stand for heirloom seed varieties.)
Would like to get from friends and neighbors:

Rhubarb, lemon balm, spearmint, chamomile.

I really love planning a garden and choosing varieties. And, what a good year to plant a garden with food prices rising like they are.

That's all for today, Cade needs some mommy time.

XOXO

~Joce

Happy Friday to you.
Thank you for dropping in even though it has been a very long time since I last posted.
I have to say, I can't wait for my life to drop back to a normal pace. The thought of the end of this semester is certainly what is keeping me going. It would be impossible to sustain this kind of schedule if I was unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Let's see what has been going on around here... still boiling off syrup, tending baby chicks, etc.
The chicks are quite big by now- they are about a month old I guess- and feathered out. They have been moved to the barn since they tried to burn my house down early last week. They knocked their heat lamp down and it burned a hole in the tupperware container they were living in and melted a weird mixture of plastic, newspaper, and chicken poop to the floor of our front porch. Luckily I smelled the burning plastic and found it before it started a blaze.
Cade can crawl- very fast. I can always tell when he is about to get into something interesting (ie. naughty) when he starts breathing fast. Whenever I hear rapdi breathing, I run to catch him just before he escapes into the mud room, or bathroom, or any other super secret doorway we usually keep closed off from our crawling crusader.
Since reading Before Green Gables I have watched Anne of Green Gables the movie, and am almost through with Anne of Green Gables the book. I am truly enjoying my leisure reading. This is the first time I have ever doneany just-for-fun reading during a semester, but it is one small bright spot in my life that is quite therapeutic to me. I am also slowly reading through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows one more time. That book kind of depresses me though, because it makes me sad to think I will never anticipate another Harry Potter book release. :(
My brother came home with me from our Easter visit to the Adirondacks and has been looking for a job in the area. If you know of any good job available, please let me know.
Well, Caillou is all over and Brilyn is looking for her lunch, so I have to say ta ta for now.
Have a lovely weekend,
XOXO
Joce
(No picture today, I hope you can forgive me.)

Since Jocelyn hasn't posted in a LONG time, I thought I would post so she wouldn't lose her three regular readers (haha). Anyway, life is really busy. We can't wait for the semester to end so we can spend time together as a family. Jocelyn is Interning 4 days a week and I have the kids, so it is a bad situation all around (haha). Really though, I am psyched about summer and planting gardens and food plots for deer, and fishing, and pretty much just having nice weather so we can go outside and hang out. Lately we have been boiling sap off constantly. We have boiled off about 30 gallons in the last week (which takes forever on the stove, but boy is it unbelievable). Here is a super secret deal for you loyal readers: If you stop by the house we will let you have a sample of our syrup for FREE. That may not sound great and worthwhile (especially for those of you who live 3-5 hours away) but it would be well worth it, trust me, our syrup is absolutely amazing. Anyway, we have been busy trying to figure out what to plant to make a little money this summer (corn, strawberries, clover, etc). Any ideas let us know. Ok I gotta go, Brilyn just Sat on Cade and he is about to retaliate (and he is almost bigger than her, so he may hurt her). Take care all.

Joe

Hello! I need your help...I am in a wedding (Congratulations, Adam and Nicole!) and have a hair do dilemma. Please comment on the two pics I found for formal short hair.

Okay...so here's number 1- Kinda neat...But, my hair is not that blond...so I'm not sure it would look quite the same. Although I think it would fit my face better than it does her's. Tell me how you think they did that to her hair though- the picture is not super clear. I think they used little rubber bands, of which I have plenty (thanks, Dr. Deeney).

And....Number 2! Obviously I would skip the grotesque flower. But, my idea is to borrow some curlers so my hair would be mildly curly, and I would use a silver ribbon to go with the shoes I will be wearing.

Here's the dress in case that helps you make your decision.

And, in case any of you can't remember what my hair looks like, here's the pic my hairdresser uses to cut my hair.

And, here's a pic of me with a fresh hair cut. So, you get the idea. Okay friends, give me all your honest thoughts, I don't want to look frumpy.

XOXO

~Joce

Well, I am getting in the mood for St. Patrick's Day!

I made some Tillaboro Maple Cream Whiskey (it's good!) and Joe made some corned venison (that's good, too).

And I have a few blessing for you- my readers:

May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

And rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

May the roof above us never fall in. And may the friends gathered below it never fall out.

May God be with you and bless you,

May you see your children's children,

May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings.

May you know nothing but happiness

From this day forward.

Don't know if you're Irish? Easy to figure out- Does the sound of bagpipes make you cry?

And/or- Does the picture below make you thirsty?

For you Irish (by heritage or by choice)- May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

As you can see- Cade is mobile! We went to the doctor on Monday. He is 21 pounds and 29 inches. Big boy!

Well, this post will be a bit different in style than my usual posts. I just don't have the energy to post new pics of our baby chicks, even though they are very cute. Next week, then. Mostly, I am just under a lot of stress and I don't really feel like reporting on any of our creative endeavors at the moment. Except I will tell you this- We had 9 chicks hatch and I think we are going to build a bigger hen house and possibly start to sell farm fresh eggs out of our front yard. That should be fun.
I just started a good book- It is called Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson. It came out on the 100th anniversary of the original Anne of Green Gables. Anne of Green Gables is one of my all time favorite books, and I would recommend the movie as well. Anyway- I will let you know my thoughts on this new book. We'll see if Budge (what kind of a name is that, anyway?) can do Anne Shirley justice.
Hmm, let's see, back to my stressful life. I just have too much going on. The worst part is, I don't believe in busyness. I think everybody ought to take it easy. And that's what I plan to do starting May 15th or so. My semester is just a pain in the booty right now. Let me just give you run through of my week. (Please bear with me, I just need to vent and then I'll drop it.) Monday: Every 2nd and 4th Monday I have MOPS steering team meeting. This is something I WANT to do, but because I have so much else, it seems like an obligation instead of an enjoyable commitment. Tuesday: Drive to Batavia at 8:15, do internship, drive to Brockport, go to class, drive back to Batavia, more internship, drive home at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday: Internship 3:30 to 8:00. Thursday: Class, 5:30-9:30. Friday: Thanks goodness I don't have any obligations here.
All I want to do is stay home! Please let me stay home till I actually want to go somewhere.
And, I really want a dog, but I don't have time right now, and Joe isn't sure that he wants one. So, that feels like more stress even though it shouldn't.
Okay, thanks for listening. It's amazing how a little wine, I mean whine, can make you feel better.
Hmm, now that I feel better, I will tell you something more interesting. I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but my mom got me a subscription to Countryside magazine for my birthday. I LOVE it. I have gotten a lot of good ideas and useful information already. Here are my two favorites from this month's edition.
1. How to throughly clean a cast iron pan- Throw it in the fire. Any fire will do. It just burns all the gunk off and then all you have to do is rinse it and re-cure it. SWEET! This method means that now if you see a nasty old cast iron pan at a garage sale that you normally wouldn't bother with because of the amount of elbow grease it would take to get it clean- you can buy it and clean it up like new!
2. How to simplify your life even if you don't want to become Amish- Turn off the lights one night a week. Joe and I are going to implement this neat idea as soon as I am actually home one night a week. The way we are going to do it is when he gets home from work on the chosen evening, we are going to turn off all our electrical appliances and cook, eat, and socialize by daylight and/or candlelight. When we get our woodstove (Thanks Uncle Sam, for the extra cash) we won't even need to use our stove to cook. Should be fun, and a great way to save on utilities!

Well, I have two crying kiddos, better go see what it is they might need from me. Most likely it is just hugs.
Have a great weekend!
XOXO
~Joce

Hi! We are in the midst of birthing baby chicks. Just want to share a Brilyn quote real quick. In reference to a lil chick having a hard time getting out of his shell, "Mommy, this one's gonna need batteries." LOL! The best part is, she had already gone to get the battery!
More later....
xoxox
Joce

Happy Friday!

I am so glad the weekend is here. This week just seemed to drag a bit. One thing we (well, mostly Joey) did this week is paint our living room floor. We painted it red, and since we have had quite a few questions as to how that looks with our furniture, I took a pic with our chair in it.
As you can see, the colors compliment each other nicely. And, our ratty old wood floor looks nice and clean and new. YAY! (And, it cost us approximately $25.00). Our living room will soon be looking all put together, we are going to put up some moldings, and I am going to make some new curtains.
Next up, we have this lovely phothograph- "Moon over trees in winter" by Joseph Rebisz. Pretty neat, huh? It looks really nice blown up big- I have it as our wallpaper.

And here are some lovely Valentine socks. We got these in the mail on Valentine's Day from my mom. (Thanks mom!) Brilyn insisted that we put them right on, so we did! They made our feet happy.

Two more things before I go.

1. I have heard a lot lately about why God lets bad things happen to good people. This is a really big question, but God has given me a relatively small answer. It involves some heavy theology though, so if you are not in the mood, just scroll down to item two. I am going to assume that you agree with my premises. I don't want this post to take all day. Let me say two things to start. God does not punish people by sending them bad things, and he doesn't send us bad things to "teach us lessons" either. He doesn't send the bad things at all. Bad things are a result of the fact that we live in an imperfect world. In the beginning, God created the world, and it was good- perfect. However, God gave humans free will and they disobeyed God. This brought sin and suffering into the world. Not as a punishment per se, but as a natural consequence. When Adam and Eve sinned, they separated themselves from God. That is actually a merciful act by God, because his holiness would zap our imperfect selves dead on the spot. So, to keep us alive, God withdrew.

There is sucky stuff in the world because of sin. God doesn't send it or even "allow" it. That word still implies that God is responsible for it and he is not. Bad stuff happens to good people because the world is no longer perfect. And God knows that and it makes him sad. So, he came up with a plan to help us be rid of sin. Our sin creates a debt we cannot pay. God sent his son to us to pay for our sins, because we just couldn't afford it. He has set up a way for us to have hope of a life without pain and sorrow- aka Jesus.

And, on top of that, he uses the bad things in our lives for good. He doesn't send them, but because he loves us, he works it out so that we grow from the trials in our lives instead of sinking under them. He sends support in the form of fellow believers and The Comforter- aka the Holy Spirit. And then, when all is said and done, perceptive Christians can look back and be thankful to God for helping them through a hard time and bringing them through to the other side, not just alive, but stronger!

So, if you are in the midst of a trying time, ask God to show you the supports he has placed around you.

If you have come through a trying time, ask God to show you how you are stronger and who you might be able to come alongside to help through a storm.

2. Tillaboro. A number of people have asked me what this is. It is the name of our farm. It comes from the German "Dillenburgh" and roughly means farm town. It is also the name of the place where my ancestors, the Duesler's, settled in New York in 1752.

And all this time you thought the BD in Jocelyn BD Rebisz stood for Big Dog. (It is actually for Briana Duesler, in case any of you are scratching your heads.) Speaking of names, my Gramps lived on Tillaboro Road, and his CB handle was Tillaboro Tiger. That is now the name of the apple jack we brew right here at Tillaboro Orchard. Wondering why would name it that? Have some when you come to visit.
Tillaboro is also a historic site. It was raided by Indians back in the day. You can read about the Tillaboro Raid online. Notice that there is no mention of the Dueslers- we all lived! HAHAHA. Legend has it that all the kids hid in the potato bin. There are two ways to pronounce Tillaboro, neither one phonetic. You may choose (a) Till-burr-oh, or (b) Till-a-burr. I generally say it as shown in number (a). (That one is for you, John Keller.)This picture is of present day Tillaboro Road in my hometown of Ephratah, NY.

What do we grow here at Tillaboro Orchard? For now it's chickens, eggs, apples, grapes, various vegetables, and deer. And beer. And kids, ain't she cute? This pic is from last spring. SPRING! It's coming! I know it !

Well, TTFN!

XOXOX

~Joce

Hi! Sorry about not posting this week- it has been really busy- Joe was home Monday through Wednesday. I have lots to say, but no time today to say it. Hopefully, I will post tomorrow.

XOXO

~Joce

Bribe picture: A little girl who got caught playing with mommy's makeup during nap time. As you can see, she was not happy with herself as this point. However, now when she sees this picture she says, "Look at my pretty makeup!" LOL.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are some of my Valentine's We have an update on the baby chickens eggs: 13 out of 18 have a definite baby chicken inside. Here's a pic of what we saw: You can see the beginnings of a baby chick! How cool.

I tried to make some maple cream candy. It came out as maple caramel. It is still yummy. All the candy making books say to keep trying, so I guess I will. I usually have more success in the kitchen so it is hard on my ego to have to "practice" a recipe. Anyway....

We are looking forward to the long weekend. Thanks to Washington and Lincoln. If only we could get some candidates like them running in November. (Although I might not have voted for Lincoln). I definitely would have voted for Washington- I hear he was a real hottie. Not that I could have voted at all due to my lack of a ....an ability to own property. My thanks then really goes out to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, born in Johnstown, NY. I gotta give props to the lady who fought for our right to vote and just happened to be born in my (almost) hometown.

Check out this article (scroll to page 24) to see why I like this lady so much.

Anway, one more random thing. I like coffee. I like it strong, but not bitter. I like just one big cup. And I like it with lots and lots of real cream. I just thought you should know that about me. In case you ever need to order my coffee.

Well, I really have a lot of things I should be doing. Better go do them or I will be all stressed out when it is time for me to leave for class tonight.

Love you all! Happy Valentine's Day!

XOXO

~Joce

Bribe picture: Brilyn and Cade after church yesterday!

Here's a quart of our very own maple syrup! It is really really good. We did a head to head tasting with maple syrup from a local producer- ours is much more buttery, and has a light maple taste. I think I might enter it in the fair!

I also wanted to include directions for delicious oatmeal-

Prepare some oatmeal according to the box (I use organic old-fashioned oats from the Mennonite store). Add cinnamon, vanilla, and raisins to taste. Serve with real maple syrup and half and half. Enjoy!

And one last thing, Joe and I have discovered a great new game (thanks to the Kellers), Settlers!

We may be addicted, its all we can think about. (Last night, all I could dream about was buidling roads and cities.)

Anway, I will post again this week, so stay tuned!

XOXO

~Joce

Happy Thursday morning to you! The thing about Thursday, is that it is almost Friday! Yippee!

Anyway, lots going on here at Tillaboro Orchard.

1. The sap's runnin'! We tapped a few trees- 4 to be exact, and two days ago we got 5+ gallons of sap. That's really good. So today I am boiling it down into syrup on top of my stove. Not the ideal setting since my walls and windows (every surface, really) are covered with a fine layer maple sugar mist. Ooh- Maple Sugar Mist, that sounds like a nice Bath and Body Works fragrance.

You can see in the picture above that the pan on the left is closer to being syrup than the pan on the right. Sap starts out almost clear, and darkens as the water evaporates through boiling. To deal with the fact that I am purposely evaporating about five gallons of water into my house, Joe set up the dehumidifier right next to the stove. Three benefits of boiling sap in my house- great humidity, my house is warmer than it has been since July, and it smells great!

This is helping the "mist" significantly. Our plan is to build an outdoor fireplace under the overhang of our barn this summer as a summer kitchen and also as a place to boil off sap next sugar season. Right now, I am just waiting for the sap to become syrup- measurable by the temperature. Add seven degrees F to whatever temperature the sap first boiled at- Our sap boiled at 210.5, so we are waiting for it to hit 217.5. At that point, I will strain it through cheese cloth and bottle it up! If you are interested in a nice book about the life, lore and recipes of maple sugaring- here's the book for you-

Sweet Maple: Life, Lore and Recipes from the Sugarbush by James M. Lawrence (Author), Rux Martin (Author), Paul O. Boisvert (Photographer) .

2. We are also growing "chicken's baby eggs" as Brilyn likes to call it. The eggs are from our own chickens. Our hens started laying about a month ago- they sure didn't take much of a break. Which I am thankful for, because eggs are bloody expensive at the store. Here's a pic of the eggs in the incubator. This particular incubator keeps the eggs at the right temperature, the correct humidity, and rolls the eggs completely every three hours. It's pretty easy. We'll candle the eggs tomorrow to see if anything is growing. We'll take a pic if we find anything interesting!

3. Another project we are (well, Joe is) working on is making some honey wine (mead).

As you can see Joe is brewing one gallon of mead on top of my piano, it elevates the bottle to a slighter warmer temperature, and my piano is in the warmest room in the house- the dining room. Our hard cider is coming along nicely too, we poured a glass for your viewing pleasure. Our cider sparkles!

When (if) you get a chance to taste it I am sure you will say-"Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!" like Dom Perignon at the moment he discovered champagne.

4. Where are our children when we are working on all these projects? Well, they are usually underfoot, imitating our every move- but sometimes, when they get bored, we let them watch a movie. This week's favorite is worth sharing with you- The Stranger in the Woods. Very good movie for young kids, and even older kids and adults if you only watch it once. We also watched Fly Away Home this week. I really liked that movie too. The only part I didn't love was that they made migratory bird hunters look like bad guys, when, in fact, migratory bird hunters do more to help support healthy bird populations than any other group. This includes both time and money spent.

Well, I had better wrap it up for the day, I have lots on my to-do list. I am making some friendship bread, so come on over if you want some! Also, every morning I make my coffee and think to myself, well, I better make two cups in case someone stops in. Well, if you never stop, I am going to have to stop making coffee for you. And, I make good coffee. And, I always have real half and half.

XOXOX

~Joce

Bribe picture: Brilyn playing DDR with Nicholas- helped a bit by Uncle Larry.

A few thoughts and random pieces of information:

1) Cooking venison- a) Do NOT overcook it. Do your family a favor and invest in a meat thermometer and avoid cooking "Mom meat" aka cardboard porkchops, plywood venison steaks, sawdust hamburgers, etc. Venison should not be cooked over 140 degrees F. b) Do NOT be afraid of spices. I personally recommend Montreal Steak Seasoning, onion powder, and garlic-any form. c) DO cook it in fat. Venison has no natural fat, so add some. I personally like to use olive oil, butter, or bacon grease*. d) Finally, do NOT bake it. Fry it, grill it, put it in a stew, but please, keep it out of the oven.

2) Saving money- a) Eat venison. b) Buy frozen vegetables. They are more nutritious than fresh anyway. This is because they are picked closer to being ripe since they won't have to survive the grocery store shelf. c) Get rid of unnecessary bills like car payments, cell phones, cable, etc. It is possible to live without them. d) If you have babies: use cloth diapers, make your own baby food, and breast feed for as long as possible. Also, avoid paying for childcare at all costs. e) I saved the best for last. TRUST GOD for the things you need. I hear a lot of stories about how people blow their budget and/or go into credit card debt for something they need. In my experience, God provides. (But, you have to wait sometimes. Patience is a virtue, really). You know the lilies of the valley? Even Paris Hilton doesn't dress that nice. (Not that I think she looks all that nice, its just that she blows hundreds of thousands of dollars on clothes. That's my point.) And, if God dresses flowers even better than Paris Hilton can afford, you can bet He'll keep clothes on your back. I will share just ONE of the ways God has provided for us this way, okay two ways, here goes. We needed a carseat for Brilyn. She had outgrown her carrier. So, we looked at carseats, they were out of our budget for that month. The next Sunday at church, our pastor asked us if we could use a like-new carseat. WOW! And, now for story number two. We needed clothes for Cade. I prayed. God sent WAY more than Cade could ever wear and I was able to share them with a friend. Talk about packed together, shaken down, and overflowing.

3) Simplifying life. Just one thought for the day. Don't watch TV. Try it for a week and see what happens. I'll tell you more about how this affects my life later. I have to go do laundry.

XOXO

~Joce

Here are my baby's diapers drying in the laundry room.

*After cooking your bacon, pour the grease into a heavy coffee mug and keep it in the fridge. Use it by the tablespoon when frying in place of butter or oil.

I made some delicious English Muffin Bread- it was so good I thought I would share the recipe!

The recipe came from the book shown in the background. What a great book! Full of traditional recipes and craft ideas.

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F)
1/2 cup warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
Cornmeal

DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add warm milk and water; beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat on high for 3 minutes. Stir in remaining flour (batter will be stiff). Do not knead. Grease two 8-1/2-in. x 4-1/2-in. x 2-1/2-in. loaf pans. Sprinkle pans with cornmeal. Spoon batter into the pans and sprinkle cornmeal on top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately to cool on wire racks.

Look, you can see the nooks and crannies! YUM!