The Cottage on the Hill

There was a bit of a surprise this morning when I woke up. 8 1/2" of snow! That's not considered a storm where I live, though the media may paint it as one for the sake of a story. It's very lovely, nonetheless and once again, I'm gladly housebound. The picture is of the woods next door. Lovely! I must be nesting because I've been rearranging furniture and staying up at night thinking about home improvements. Even this blog I'm not satisfied with the style and background color. So, bear with the changes, please. :) One thing I always thought would be the bee's knees would be to have an official laundry room, preferably on the first floor. Right now I have a laundry area in the basement. I'm not complaining, not in the least. But, I am nesting and a laundry room always seems so charming to me. Well, here's my idea. When we finally add the second storey on the house, we'll be knocking out the wall between the kitchen and the nursery to ...

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, and I'm on a rest order from Hubby. I was all set to go to church, but pains in my lower abdomen (not womb-related, thankfully) and back kept me laying down. Hubby recommended that I stay home. Isn't he wonderful?! He's also wonderful because I've been offered a piano for free! However, I lamented that we really have no place for it. Hubby is determined that I get that piano and is offering ideas for it's placement....one of which includes moving the TV to the basement. Now, THAT'S a motivation to get that basement cleaned out! Anyone have any idea what it costs to get a piano tuned?

Yes, I jump on the New Year's Resolution Bandwagon every year. And yes, every year, I usually break them. This year, though, I'm doing something different. I'm praying over them and trusting in the Lord to help me keep them. I printed out 10 of them and left 10 more spaces to fill in and I'm going to keep them in my Home Management Binder. Here they are: 1. Maintain a written budget. 2. Keep on budget. 3. No impulse purchases or odd spending without hubby's explicit permission, or with my own saved money for such purposes. (some may say I'm just doormatting myself, but this is an area that I struggle with and I need accountability.) 4. I love eating our and ordering out, but no more unless hubby asks to and we have the means. 5. Organize and declutter, especially the basement (I've got a head-start on this one!) 6. Keep on nutritional track. 7. Cut down on debt. 8. Avoid adding to debt. 9. Use cash more (and credit and debit less) 10. Find ways to redu...

I had a wonderful Christmas full of so many blessings! Bubby made out like a bandit. It helps to be little a cute and have a large family. Now, I have to go through all his toys because he simply has too many. I'm also obligated to get this basement cleaned out and get an official playroom going for the little guy! Many great gifts were given to me, but three really stood out: Hubby got me a gun! Yeah, that's right! The preggy chick is packing heat! He got me a .22 mag rifle. Hey, we live in the country and we've had our share of rabid and dangerous animals in the area. With our growing brood of little ones, I'm not taking any chances! I'm a Grizzly Mama, not a Deer Mama. I also got a food processor! Woo hoo!!! Thirdly, I got the non-fiction "Olive Trilogy" books by Carol Drinkwater (All Creatures Great and Small fame). Today is definately post-Christmas slump. After days of activities and energy, I'm a tired nutritional wasteland. I l...

Just a couple nights ago I felt my baby! What a wonderful feeling it is to feel that flutter. I can hardly wait until they turn into kicks, bumps and turns. Just before Bubby was born and he was in the head-down position, his little rump was at the top of my tummy on the right hand side. I could literally pat his little pointed bum through my skin. Thankfully, Bubby never beat the wind out of me from the inside. He's certainly making up for it now! That child wears me out! He's so much fun and energetic. It's hard to keep up!

Today was a busy day for Bubby and I. There was a lot of errands to run and then we visited great-grandpa in the nursing home (before I get comments, he was cared for in the home, but his illnesses have gone too far. He needs 24 hour nursing care and the medical advantages such a facility offers). So, it was well past lunch and nap time, so I figured McDonalds would be cheap, fast and easy. It was cheap, it was fast, but it was DISCUSTING! Bubby barely touched his food. He spit out the fries and the cookies of his happy meal. All he ate were two pickles off his burger and half his drink box. I had a cheeseburger, small fries, fruit and yogurt parfait and water. When I got home, I downed a mug of chamomile tea because my stomach was off. Blech..... He loved his happy meal box and the bionicle toy that came with it. I guess I've eaten too healthy too long to enjoy fast food any more. Even the fruit and yogurt parfait was too sugary for my taste.

With winter storms constantly coming on top of the cold, the bother it is to get not only myself but my son bundled up, and illness after illness (I now have a sinus infection), I've been enjoying life as a semi-hermit. Granted, I'm still getting out every week, but I'm in a lot more which is good for me. Not only does it save money and vehicle wear and tear, but it keeps me disciplined to stay home. That is something I've been working on. It's nice to stand in the living room at 9 am and realize there's nothing pressing to do and that I can just sprawl on the floor and play with my son! It's nice to open my check book and see days go by without a dime spent. Tomorrow, my hermitage ends temporarily as I have many errands to run. Errands, I know will take two days to do. Then Sunday is church and family dinner. Monday, I go get blood work done. Tuesday is Christmas and all it's visiting. Wednesday, I hit after-Christmas sales to stock up for next...

The time has come. I cannot put it off any longer. Hubby wants the space. I want the organization. Bubby needs an area to burn energy since it's mighty cold and the snow is too deep for him to go outside. Thus starts the Great Basement Clean-Out! This is going to be quite the project. Here's the problem: Since we live in a small cottage with limited storage, anything that did find a home in the main living space was thrown down into our basement. Our basement is PACKED! I'm trying to start with what I know. I have a box for keeping, a box to get rid of, and a big garbage bag for the trash. I'll work from there. It's going to be a lot of work and a lot of motivation will be needed. I'm not kidding when I say, "pray for me!"

Over the weekend was my birthday! It was a blessed one. I had a good day and spent time with family. I received many wonderful gifts, all of which I'm thankful for: My parents gave me: scented candles, a dictionary (I asked for one), cosmetic pads, a metal spatula (they heard me lament over my lack of one) and stationary. My oldest brother and his wife gave me: Josh Groban's CD Noel. My older brother and his wife gave me: A box of my favorite confections, and a forced bulb kit. My little brother gave me: an Alison Krauss/Robert Plant CD My little sister gave me: Burt's Bees lip gloss, potholders My dear hubby gave me: two unique and beautiful, feminine blouses that I can wear pregnant or not. My sweet penpal gave me: a drawing journal and a graphite pencil kit I am just so blessed! ladyscott

Busy, busy, busy! We're expecting foul weather, so I grocery shopped early on top of Christmas shopping. Poor Bubby was out past his nap-time and was getting out of sorts in the stores while mommy made her choices. I treated him to Subway to make sure he had a good meal in his tummy. I always get their veggie delight subs on whole wheat. Once home, I had to unpack the groceries and start working on all the gifts I had to put together. I also bought a cheapy wreath at Walmart and some bows and a string of lights for it. That got put together and hung in my picture window. In my effort to keep my gift buying on budget, I managed to put together and nice gift basket for under $14.00 thanks to the Dollar Store and some coupons. The basket includes the basket itself, a box of gourmet biscotti, a wooden nutcracker ornament with candies, a bag of gourmet chocolates, a picture of Bubby in a frame and 4 Christmas-themed scented Yankee Candles. The Dollar Store also provided me with s...

It's been a while. Summer and Autumn kept me busy. The harvest was plentiful and needed preserving. That left me little time for anything else. Then, becoming pregnant, though such a joy, I'm sure many a mother can relate that the goal of the first trimester is to just get through one day at a time. Now, it's all behind me. I'm waltzing to Christmas music into my second trimester and joyfully enjoying the fruits of my harvest labor. Couple winter rest with the New Year, and I've got goals flying out of me! Granted, all the goals are pretty much intertwined, but they're happy goals I hope to acheive and maintain before my little one arrives late spring: 1. Go through all my collections. Keep an eye out for a possible online tag sale! 2. Reduce spending greatly. 3. Pay down debts. 4. Start an etsy shop. 5. Keep up on housekeeping and general homemaking. It'll be nice to see these things come to fruition before my child birth and infant-rearing responsi...

It's been a busy day so far and it doesn't seem it'll lighten up any. I don't mind. It's nice to be this busy again and to be able to keep up! Laundry is almost done, too! It's been quite some time since I was able to get laundry done in half a day, let alone one day! I also cleaned the bathroom, bathed the dog, vacuumed, made a squash-nut bread and molasses cookies, took the garbage to the curb, burned cardboard and loaded the furnace, changed a lightbulb (it was outside and up a ladder), shoveled some of the driveway and path (just touch-up of what hubby couldn't finish this morning and it was only 1/2" of snow), and played with Bubby. It's 1 pm now. The squash-nut bread emerged from an acorn squash I baked for dinner one night and it really did look unappetizing. No one ate it. Now, it's a yummy nut bread! I modified a recipe for pumpkin loaf. I my homemade unsweetened applesauce instead of the oil. I used whole wheat flour, 2 pack...

The doctor says everything looks great! I did get an ultrasound and my little one danced for me! As for possible complications because of my miscarriage D&C, everything looks good and it shouldn't be a worry. Baby is exactly on target. Today, I wrapped presents. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be because Bubby kept stealing the tubes of wrapping paper to bang into the floor and unroll. I gave him the empty rolls, but apparently, they weren't as fun. :) I also had him sit for Christmas pictures and he was miserable. Usually, he likes getting his picture done. Oh well. I'm pretty sure out of the MANY that I took, one of them will be a good photo.

Today is Christmas decorating day! My friend is coming over to help and I hope hubby is really pleased and comforted when he walks in the door. One nice thing about Christmas decorating is that when you clean it all up in January (I usually don't wait that long), it's like instant declutter! The house looks so open. I only have enough money to buy a gallon of milk today. Yet, I must feed my dear friend! She prefers not to eat meat, though she's not a strict vegetarian. In her current displaced situation, she's been eating poorly and I know she'd enjoy a healthful, delicious meal. I have romaine lettuce, tomatoes, baby carrots, havarti cheese and pecans. SALAD! I'll also boil some eggs in case she wants to add an egg or have an egg salad sandwich. I have tea and oatmeal cookies on hand, too. Can you tell I'm REALLY trying to curb spending and work with what I have. My mom has a saying that keeps running through my head, "I do the best I can wit...

I have a little dinner dilemma that I think I've figured out. Hubby and I are expecting guests tonight. However, when I went shopping for the week, I didn't plan a meal for Tuesday let alone plan for two extra people. (We were supposed to go to their house for dinner.) So, this morning, I opened up my freezer and stared at my selection. I couldn't do chicken. I needed the chicken for another meal. I couldn't do venison, because they don't have a taste for it. I couldn't do tenderloin because it was already promised for another couple for a dinner party. I couldn't do lazagna because I didn't have enough milk to make the cheese filling and I can't leave the house today. My only option was the stew beef, yet I didn't want to make yet another batch of beef stew. Then it struck me... BBQ'd steak strips and boiled potatoes with a side of squash. Now, I just have to come up with a dessert.

But surely the Bible makes exception for pregnant women! Tee hee. :) I'm pretty sure Little One is going through a growth spurt. I can feel my womb stretching and I'm quite tired. It doesn't help that I'm up quite often at night to go to the bathroom. The advice I got was don't drink anything after 6 pm. HAH! What else am I supposed to do if I'm so thirsty!? It's ok, though. I really don't mind. I am reminded how truly blessed I am to be a stay-at-home wife and mother. I was able to sleep in this morning (before Bubby woke up screaming and throwing up...he's fine now) and I'll be able to lay down at Bubby's nap time. Also, I can go to bed anytime after 7pm if I need to. Our "major snow storm" turned into a mild mess. Still, the media made a big craze about it, but you look out the window and say, "so what!" There's not even anything much to shovel. Today, I'm going to clean up the house the best I can...

Yesterday, I started cleaning out my basement and found the offending dead mouse. I'm so glad to be rid of it. It was in a box of fabric scraps and it gave me a great excuse to throw it away! Ok, perhaps this isn't the best segway....dead mouse topic to food topic, but bear with me. :) Thank God for His provisions! I was able to stretch one bottom round roast into 4 meals! The roast was a blessing to begin with. It was given to me by my neighbors (they raise their own beef cattle) for free! Meal #1: Crockpot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies. I placed the roast in a crockpot and poured an undrained can of mushrooms over it. Then I added some water and beef bullion and seasonings. I let it cook. Then, I made a gravy out of the broth. Meal #2: Lots of leftover beef and gravy. I sliced up the beef and added it to the gravy. I made a batch of buiscuts and steamed some carrots. Meal #3: I had some beef and gravy left over, so I threw it into a stockpot with water,...

Yesterday, I was all set up to start making my baked ziti. I grabbed the last box of whole wheat ziti in my cabinet and discovered there was only about a cup of pasta left! I had a good chuckle and decided I couldn't look back, so I grabbed the brand new box of ring macaroni and hoped it would work. Well, it did. I just made sure not to cook the ring macaroni all the way through before popping it in the oven. It turned out well, though it could have used more moz. cheese. Yum! I used my homemade sauce, ground beef from my neighbor's cows, and homemade riccota-like cheese. The recipe is for homemade cottage cheese, but it actually turns out more like a riccota. I also put in locally grown broccoli and shredded carrots and plenty of parmesan cheese! Yesterday, after a rather disappointing grocery shopping trip (it seems I buy so little and pay so much lately), I went to Goodwill to drop off some donations. While there, I found some good finds. Maternity clothing was 50...

Today is errand day. I'm glad because Bubby really needs to get out of the house. He's been bouncing off the walls! Next Friday, we get the basement waterproofed and then I can start working on the playroom! Oh!! I just remembered, they're spraying to kill the mold, mildew and must. I have to clean stuff out of the basement!! Judging by the amount of stuff I have down there, it's going to take me all week! What really stinks, literally, is that a mouse died down there in an impossible to reach spot so now it stinks. Today, I'm buying some Oust in hopes that that'll kill at least some of the odor. It'll be so nice to go through everything and really clean out. What's even better is that I'm pregnant and nesting. I'm going to be moving the computer down there as well. Right now, it's on our unheated enclosed porch. Brrrr...... I really don't want it in the main part of the house because it's so big and clunky and unattractiv...

On the preggy-front, I'm pooching a little, nausea has returned just a little, I'm more tired again but I've started exercising, and I see my doctor next week! I'll most likely get an ultrasound done. My doctor always does one early on to make sure everything is ok (baby and placenta are where they should be and developing normally). I'm looking forward to that first baby picture. Hubby and I's credit card number was stolen and used to buy very expensive hotel accomodations in China. Thankfully, the card services were on top of things and notified me and I'm not responsible for the charges. The card has been cancelled. It's stuff like this that really makes me wonder about my debt and spending habits. I think it's a good kick in the pants for me. On top of that, there was another funny charge on my card which prompted me to look into a website that hubby bought a book from for me for my birthday. It has been 2 months and no book and no respon...

Now that I'm feeling better, it's so nice to get things done. I was finally able to get outdoors and clean up the outdoor toys, put away the autumn decor, clean out some garden stuff, and finally clean out my bay of the garage so I can now park in it. Today, Bubby and I bundled up (it was only 16 degrees this morning) and we did some Christmas shopping. Hubby and I have a budget limit per person we shop for since we have SO MANY people to shop for! Here's what I came up with: My sister requested a nice shower caddy for college. I found a beautiful one at Walmart for under budget. My mom requested new hand towels for her bathroom. At Big Lots, I was able to pick out 6 beautiful towels and had enough money left over for a lovely collection of her favorite confections. For my nephews who are now sharing a room, I went to Lowes and picked out one of those rugs with the roads on it. It was $20.00 (under budget for the two of them), but I had a coupon for $10.00 off any pu...

Tuesday, my dear husband gave me the afternoon off by taking our son to Grandpa's house. This gave me a chance to just relax and rest and heal. I took a nice, steamy shower to break up the mucus. Then I went to bed. Then I got up and put together my Cold Season Kit ideas. After that, I knitted some, called my mom, jumped online, listened to a Bing Crosby Christmas CD and called my mom again. Ahhhhh..... Thanksgiving was very nice this year. I was feeling better, but my dear mother had a bad cold. I'm glad I was able to go over early and give her a hand. Everything came out perfectly and all the dishes arrived at the table at the same time and piping hot. The 28 pound turkey was beautifully browned and perfectly moist. The coveted stuffing was so delicious, we were picking it out of the bird as soon as it came out of the oven. My dad did make his delicious sourdough bread. We had more mashed potatoes than we knew what to do with! And my mom was relieved that the gr...

After this last barrage of colds, I'm determined as a wife and mother to have a Cold Season Kit to always be prepared. Bubby and I have each had 3 colds since August! Here's what I plan to have in my kit: 1. Chewable Vitamin C tablets 2. Tea Tree Oil 3. Plug-in Vicks 4. Quality Tissues 5. Natural/Herbal throat lozenges 6. Horehound drops 7. Garlic Pearls 8. Saline Nose Spray 9. Chicken Soup 10. Chamomile Tea 11. Concentrated Frozen Orange Juice (to make a warm orangeade for toddlers who won't drink tea and need something more than plain water) 12. Pedialyte 13. Vapor bath 14. Honey 15. Ice Pack (for sinuses and headaches) 16. Humidifier 17. Listerine 18. Herbal Ear Drops (for related ear aches) 19. Oral Gel (my teeth always hurt when I have a cold) 20. Clean Wash Cloths 21. Antibacterial lotion

We've already had one snowfall this season. Granted, it was a dusting and didn't last past 10 am, but there was still snow. I'm looking forward to our first significant snowfall. I like being buttoned up in a warm house, watching the flakes gently fall and settle onto the shivering blades of grass. Plus, I can't wait to see my newly green painted house with a backdrop and covering of snow. Today, we're having a "wintry-mix" as they call it on the news. Rain, sleet and freezing rain will fall for most of the day. Winter is definitely trying to get on in. As I opened the curtains in the bedroom this morning, I saw 29 turkeys venturing across my backyard. I quickly grabbed my son and showed him the birds. He thought they were funny. It's nice to know if things go downhill fast, we have food walking through our backyard. Wild turkey tastes so good. My father shot on in time for Thanksgiving when I was a teenager. It was a smallish bird, so mom ...

No pun intended, since I have a cold..... Really, though, I have been a whiny-complainy pregnant woman. But, it's not just the not feeling well. Anyone who's been pregnant can understand that. My whole attitude this pregnancy has been a negative one. I've been very down and out. What's really scary is that I read in some parent/baby/pregnancy magazine that cranky preggy women are more prone to baby blues/PPD. The nausea and exhaustion are easing up. Now, I just have to beat this cold and I hope to feel so much better. In other news, we're getting a basement waterproofed and humidexed. No more dampness. No more mildew, mold, must and general ick. My house won't have leporasy anymore!! I'll actually be able to have my son in the basement to play and my fabric stash won't get mildewy! It'll be pleasant to breathe the air in the basement, rather than dying for fresh air just by going down to switch laundry from washer to dryer! I'm very e...

Bubby is still suffering from a cold. The doctor said this one will probably last another week. Now, I have a cold on top of severe preggy exhaustion... Still, I'm a quarter of the way through this pregnancy!! I can't agree with my ticker (which seems to get more and more offensive...I'll have to switch from the humor ticker to the medical info ticker). I do not want to throw my grapefruit sized womb at my husband. I do, however, want to sleep for a couple of weeks and kick this cold in it's behind. The other day, I did manage to rearrange the bedroom a little. I was given a table and moved it beside my side of the bed and turned it into a vanity. I moved my dressers and cheval mirror to the corner opposite and created a dressing area. The room looks so much neater now. Well, I have guests coming from out of state today. So, I'm going to wrap up my online time and catch a quick snooze before they arrive. Thankfully, she's a midwife and mother of four a...

My dear mother found this book for me at a second hand store. My parents have the same copy they bought at The Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown, NY. I used to peruse their copy when I was a teenager but had forgotten about the book since. Now, I have my own copy! It's "The Complete Medicinal Herbal" by Penelope Ody. I recommend it to anyone who's just getting into natural and herbal medicine and for the veteran herbologist alike. It's set up nicely, easy to read and understand and has an excellent index. I have this little dream of having a beautiful, fragrant herb garden someday. Week 9 has been going fairly well. I'm very tired, I suffer insomnia and frequent trips to the bathroom and bouts of nausea. Thank God! While it's bothersome to be incapacitated, I'm happy to know it's a great sign that all is well with my developing little one. I'm also doubly tired because I was up most of the night with Bubby. He's sick with a sligh...

I don't know if it's just my time to start feeling better, or if some changes I've made have really helped me ease my nausea. I've been cooking more simple, healthful meals. I've been eating more balanced meals. I bought some organic whole milk plain yogurt and ate what I could tolerate (not much), but soon started feeling better. Now, I've got a batch of homemade yogurt culturing! Yum and my stomach is thanking me. I also took a few days off of taking prenatal vitamins. That helped a fair amount. I'm now on Flintstone-type chewables and don't get absolutely sick off of them. I also noticed that my prenatals and a lot of the processed foods I was eating contained soy. Soy has an estrogen-like effect. I wonder if that aggrivated my hormones that cause the nausea and actually made it worse? I haven't any whey made yet, so I've been finishing off a box of bran flakes before I switch to oatmeal for breakfast (can't tolerate eggs yet). I...

This morning as hubby was getting ready to leave for work, the daily delivery truck to the nursing home drove by the house. He always hits his jake brakes right in front of our house. As soon as he did, a little voice behind the closed bedroom door said, "Gack-oor!" It was so precious! That's how he says tractor and identifies any truck or tractor or construction machinery. After a few very sick days, I'm doing better today. For dinner last night, I made a chicken and veggie stew. Tonight, my in-laws are taking us out to eat. I'll probably get the baked haddock. Simple, tasty, and good for me and baby. I think tomorrow I'll make a chicken and brown rice casserole.

I've noticed quite blatently that I've been eating JUNK! Quick, easy, cravable junk! I think I need to get my creative juices flowing and get back on my NT diet. My baby will thank me. Thanks, Candy. Your recent comment and recent blog post helped push this forward. I have noticed that fruit, particularly citrus and beef are my two main healthy crave-ables. So, this weekend, I'll work towards a healthier grocery list. I feel like I need some plain whole yogurt anyway. My stomach needs to repair after eating that Banquet lazagna. BLECH and double BLECH! The funny thing is, I haven't gained any weight. I thought for sure all these carbs and sugars would have packed on the lbs. They haven't, but that may be due to the much smaller portions I can only manage. However, I do have this puffy, bloated look. I can't say whether it's pregnancy or diet related. Tonight is my last junk meal. I'm making frozen pizzas.

I've got an extra layer on today! It's crisp this morning, and I'm glad. I'll bundle Bubby and I up and go for a walk and visit the farm. My ticker says that the baby is doing his cardio, but I'm not. :) It's true! I've been so tired and sick that I've been prostrate. However, it's really starting to come back and bite me. I can't sleep at night because my muscles twitch. So, I prayed to my Savior and Healer that I'll have a good day today, wakeful and no nausea so I'll be able to get a little exercise in. Hopefully I'll sleep better tonight. Last night, I made the boxed Banquet meal lazagna. It was discusting. I would have done better buying a large can of Chef Boyardee and cooking that for dinner. Tonight, I think I'll make Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches. :) Yum! Well, I better go pay some bills. Blech.

I have lazagna listed, but the thought of it just doesn't settle with me. I'm craving tacos, but I have no tomatoes. I'll have to run to the store the buy tomatoes and hard taco shells. I want hard tacos, not soft. The soft doesn't settle with me, either. Pregnancy is so strange! My food cravings and aversions make no sense whatsoever, but they're as real as the day is long. With Bubby, I lived on white cheddar cheez-its, frosted shredded wheat and grilled cheese sandwiches. I remember craving pizza, blueberry waffles, veggie subs from Subway and milkshakes. This time around, it's a lot more varied and the cravings are stronger.

Yesterday, I talked to my SIL on the phone and was able to voice all my preggy concerns. She promised to pray for me and I prayed too. Soon after, I got a tummy ache again! This time I'm not lamenting it. I also feel a stronger sense that this time my pregnancy will be fruitful. I'll feel so much better once I get past week 11, though. Hubby announced yesterday that he's taking 2 weeks vacation in November! Woo hoo! My mom is coming over tomorrow to help me clean the house...and boy, does it need it. My neighbor came over and gave me 2 grocery bags filled with ground beef, hamburger patties, a huge pork roast, a beef roast and stew beef. Oh, and I'm not going to be fostering goats. My friend found a home for them. I think I might actually put it to prayer to get rid of the fish and the tank. I truly don't want them. The fish were left to us by the previous owner of the house. The fish proceeded to breed. I now have 3 generations of gold fish in a 55 gallo...

My preggy ticker says I'm morning sick. Reality says otherwise. I'm not. While some might say, "lucky," it actually scares me. I wasn't morning sick very long with my last pregnancy and I miscarried. However, with my last pregnancy, I was very bloated but otherwise didn't feel pregnant at all. I had a TON of energy, a great appetite and felt great. With this one, I'm very tired. Doing too much makes me sore and very sleepy. I can't eat much at one time and I usually feel ill when I'm hungry and after I eat (usually have to lay down to digest). I have to eat at regular intervals to avoid feeling ill. So, I'm guessing that I've been able to manage my "morning sickness" into just about oblivion. Perhaps it'll come back, too as hormones change. I'm only at 7 weeks. If I remember correctly, with Bubby I had off and on days. So, I guess I won't worry. I'm too tired to worry. Oh, can someone clean my fishta...

I took it all to the Lord and I'm feeling better. I can actually function now. Still, I have to be really careful with what I eat and when and I down plenty of Altoids. Altoids are a preggy staple for me. The real gingerale has done nothing for me and churns my stomach just to think about it. Strange. But, that's pregnancy. :) Now, I'm beginning to enjoy my pregnancy, but I'll feel so much better once I get past 11 weeks. Then, I'll be more sure that this pregnancy is a keeper and I won't miscarry like I did last time. I got an issue of Cottage Living in the mail yesterday. That helped spur me on to tidy up the house a little. I still can't do too much. I'm still so sleepy and too much thrashing about sets my stomach off. Still, it's nice to get something done.

Ah! You may think this is some brave, super-mom keeping the house spotless while writhing in nausea and sleeping 15 hours a day post. But....it's not. Housekeeping in the first trimester? Almost non-existant. I vacuum in the morning. I clean the bathroom with lysol wipes when I can. (Usually, if I feel the need to visit my porcelain friend, I grab the wipes and clean while I wait for my stomach to settle.) The kitchen....I do dishes once a day. I take the garbage out when I can't stand the smell anymore. I make my son simple meals. For dinner, it's packaged easy-to-make dinners like frozen lazagna and hamburger helpers. I put stuff away when I can. I do laundry when it desperately needs it, but I admit that Monday's whites are still dry in the dryer. My laundry is in the basement and walking down stairs really churns my stomach, and walking up them leaves me winded. What's hubby doing, you may ask? Oh, he's just working 6 days a week to provide a l...

I've really had to lower my expectations of myself. I'm just too sick this pregnancy. I'm on a Cheerio and Seltzer diet. I can barely exercise at all, much to my great disappointment. I sleep for at least 12 hours a day. Otherwise, I spend a lot of a time prostrate. I love to cook, but cooking just churns my stomach. Food churns my stomach. Still, I have loving, hardworking hubby to feed and a sweet, caring son to feed. So, I managed to drag myself to the store today and buy enough easy-to-make/ready-to-make dinners for a week. Plus, I needed more seltzer and Cheerios. I look forward to my second trimester. The energy, the nesting..... My Pollyanna view of the whole thing is: at least I have a great excuse to rest, relax, and not have to do much at all!

In a letter to abolitionist and social activist, Julia Ward on Octover 16, 1878, Elizabeth Cady Stanton penned, "When we consider that women are treated as property, is it degrading to a woman that wae should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit." July 1869, Susan B. Anthony wrote, "I deplore the horrible crime of child murder...No matter what the motive, love of ease or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed...but oh!, thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime." 1868, Matilda Electa Joslyn Gage (Native American activist, suffragist and abolitionist) wrote, "The subject lies deeper down into woman's wrongs than any other...the crime of abortion is not one in shich the guilt lies solely or even chiefly with the woman....I hesitate to assert that most of this crime of "child murder," "abortion," "infantic...

I found a couple of things that help ease my "morning" sickness: real gingerale and Boston music. My favorite songs are Amanda and More Than a Feeling. For some reason, just listening to them keeps my mind off my stomach.

It upsets, and I dare say, angers me that Christians get into this Hermit-Habit. We go to our familiar church, sit in our familiar pews (and get a bent nose if some new face invades our church or worse, our pew), go home to our familiar houses and forget about everyone else around us. When my father was forced into retirement after an on-the-job injury that wasn't his fault (he was safely parked and someone hit him), raising a family of 7 was very difficult. When he ended up in the hospital, a call was put out to provide meals for our family since dad was in the hospital and mom was with him (my brothers were old enough to watch the littles.) A local restaurant owner provided us with pizza every Saturday night for free. Otherwise, the only other person to step foward sent us a dish of baked beans. That was it! The reasoning? "I have my own family to take care of." "We're worse off than they are!" "I can't be bothered, I'm too busy."...

Day Off: Last night, Bubby wasn't breathing so well. He has a cold coupled with a possible allergic reaction to something he ate yesterday. So, I had him sleep on the sofa with me last night, keeping him upright. Needless to say, I got very little sleep. So, we're having a day off today. Lots of R&R for the both of us. Still, when he goes down for his nap, I'd like to get at least one project worked on. I might clean out more of the basement or work on the beadboard for the mud porch. For dinner tonight, I'm in the mood of pork schnitzl with homemade spaetzl(spellings?). Off Day: The news just keeps getting weirder and worse! Here's some of the news for the day: The Governor of New York has made it legally possible for illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses. The Governor of California has decreed that it is discriminatory for "Mom, Dad, Husband and Wife" to be used without also adding reference to alternative sexuality, especially in pu...

I received my first issue of the reinstated Victoria magazine in the mail today! Oh, how lovely it is, too. www.victoriamag.com I curled up on my sunny windowseat in my porch and went cover to cover. Through the nausea, fatigue, food aversions, and gas pains, I'm smiling radiantly because I know all the former means my pregnancy is going very well. The food aversions and cravings really destroy any idea of going "low carb" this pregnancy. I'm going to start a sidebar list of my food cravings. It'll be a funny little way to chart my pregnancy.

The idea popped into my head yesterday to cover my grandma's chair in tartan material. Ebay didn't have any Scott tartan and it was just too expensive to buy outright. Then, I remembered that hubby has 3 great kilts packed away in the basement. Two are blackwatch and one is a tartan I can't recall the name of. So, I grabbed the lighter of the blackwatch and covered the chair in it. The blackwatch matches the rest of the living room and it looks so cozy and perfect for the cooler months! The best thing is that it was FREE! Frugality is something I'm diving into for the winter months. I have a few rather impossible goals: 1. Use only 1 tank of gas per month 2. Keep electric bill under $80.00 3. Cut grocery bill to $180.00 a month Also, now that I'm pregnant, I'm going to need the space in Bubby's closet for baby stuff rather than my clothes. (The closet in hubby and I's room is pathetically tiny. Hubby has all his clothing in it because he prefers...

Looks like I might become the proud caretaker of two female goats. A friend of mine needs to find a home for her two goats and hubby said we could take them in! I've got my work cut out of me. They need to move in before Thanksgiving and that spot out back needs cleaning and the shed needs to be divided and prepped for safe and adequate goat housing. For Bubby's pregnancy, I allowed myself the pleasure of indulgences. I "ate for two" and gave in to every craving. I knew I was going to blow up like a balloon and that I'd have to work hard to get it off, but I was ok with that because I knew I could do it and I did do it. Not only did I go down to my pre-preggy weight, I lost 7 more lbs! For this pregnancy, I'm really trying to stay fit and healthy with healthful meals following the Nourishing Traditions diet and exercise. So far, so good because I'm not bogged down with nausea (I get little bouts now and again, but it's still early). Here's ...

Crystal at http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/2007/10/giveaway-10-copies-of-passionate.html is giving away 10 copies of this book! You must register by this Saturday, though!

My grandmother had a lady's chair in her bedroom. She eventually gave it to my parents who had it in their library room. Somehow, I ended up with it, and gladly so. I'm honored to have my grandmother's chair. However, the chair has seen better days. The upholstery is extremely threadbare and in the arms and seat, worn right through. A good portion of the horsehair filling is pulled out, no thanks to a curious dog. When we were filling our house with loved ones to celebrate our son's first birthday, I grabbed some fabric I had stashed away and did a quick 1/2 slip cover ~ 1/2 reupholstering job on it. However, the fabric just doesn't go with the rest of the living room and really isn't suitable. Reupholstering it is out of the question right now. The style of the piece makes it too difficult for me to do it myself and expensive to have it done professionally. Eventually, we will have it reupholstered, but for now, I need a quick and lovely and inexpensiv...

Luke 3:14 ".....and be content with your wages."

I can't ignore the sales this week! They're actually pretty good! I'm really trying to be more and more frugal. Here's what I'm buying today that really will save me money: 1 lb butter $1.88 (usually around $2.12-$2.23) 1 gallon whole milk $2.99 (usually close to $4.00) 1/2 lb roast beef lunchmeat $1.99 (usually around $5.00 and I don't buy it, but hubby needs lunchmeat for his work lunches and he loves roast beef. To save money, he only gets lunchmeat sandwiches every other week. On the non-lunchmeat weeks, he gets salad sandwiches (tuna, egg, etc) or peanutbutter) 1 lb American Cheese $3.99 (usually $4.99, but not the best deal. A couple weeks ago, it was $2.99. Still, we could use the cheese. If money is tighter than expected, I'll only get 1/2 a lb.) Golden Grahams Cereal $1.66 a box (usually hovering around $3.50-$4.00 and I don't buy it unless on sale, or I get the generic version. I get it for hubby. I don't eat boxed cereals anymore...

1. God. It is immensely important to spend time with the Lord each and every day. I find that if I don't, my day goes right down the drain. Everything else seems to fall into place more easily if I spend my time with my Savior every day. 2. Husband. Make sure the man you're supposed to be in love with feels loved! It's funny how the top two priorities in our lives are often the first two to be neglected when we get too busy. 3. Children. We wanted them. We gave birth to them. Now take care of them! Quit sending them off for other people to take care of. They only need a couple of extra curricular activities. They NEED to be with us. That also means turning off the TV, putting down the novel, and getting off the computer or phone when they need us to spend time with them. 4. Family. Thankfully, I was blessed with a very close knit family. It's easy to spend time with them. It is nice to stay in touch and not become strangers. I do need to improve in a cou...

I've been rather distracted these last couple of days. I guess finding out you're pregnant does that to a woman. :) So, I'm not getting as much done as I'd like. It also doesn't help that the nesting instinct that hits me like a ton of bricks every pregnancy distracts me into alternative projects. For example, I've taken up knitting again! Ok, I admit, I can't knit. I can purl. That's it. So, I'm purling a nice dish towel. Walmart sells "Peaches and Cream" cotton yarn and it's made in the USA. I found an "earth tones" skein and am using that. It's so pretty! Plus, the repetative clicking of the needles is rather comforting and restful for me. I feel so feminine and old fashioned while I'm knitting. Something about autumn and winter brings the old-fashioned out of me anyway. Also, lately I've read other women's posts about thinking they were born in the wrong era or wishing that things were more lik...

I'm so jittery! I can hardly sleep, I'm practically bouncing off the walls! Plus, I can't stand anything out of it's place. I don't mind, though. I'm getting plenty of housework done. There is scheduled rest times, too. There's nothing like curling up on my down mattressed window seat in my sun porch with old issues of Victoria Magazine. I refuse to fear another miscarriage. I'm taking it one day at a time, but I'm optimistic. So far, it's going (symptom-wise) much like Bubby's. Thankfully, no morning sickness yet. My family is so great! Today, after church, we got together and the 4 cousins were able to play. Everyone had a grand time. My parents' house was so gleefully noisy. The happy squeals of children is music to my ears. My dear mother made a huge pot of galumgies (spelling?) or Polish cabbage rolls. She also made a roast with veggies in the crockpot and two of her signature apple pies with crumb topping! Oh, it fel...

I didn't do too much today. I haven't been feeling well. I'm not sick. I'm just hovering around 60-70%. I ran my errands today and visited my parents. Then, while Bubby napped, I tried working on my business site, but an essential computer program crashed. So, I tidied a bookcase and got rid of some books and then went through my catalog pile and got rid of a pretty heavy pile of catalogs. For dinner, I made lazagna and used my homemade curdy-cheese. It was delicious and filling! I always make my lazagnas different. It depends on the ingredients on hand. Here's how I made today's lazagna: I cooked one box of lazagna noodles. I spread a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Noodles, then half the curdy-cheese, garlic and italian seasonings, mozarella cheese, fresh spinach, parm. cheese, sauce, noodles, sauce, remaining curdy cheese, moz. cheese and parm cheese, cooked ground turkey with minced garlic, italian seasoning, noodles, remainin...

Wednesdays are usually home project days. Today's projects were: cleaning out the walk-in closet, cleaning out two cabinets in the kitchen and painting window frames. (This evening, I have to can applesauce.) The projects went well. The closet is now a tidy, organized space and I was able to get rid of some junk. But the cabinets were a pleasure to re-organize. Both were stuffed full and in danger of avalanches every time the doors were opened. Also, I had things in each cabinet that really didn't make sense. Why keep most of my pots in pans in one cabinet, but some others in the other? The cabinet by the door, I decided would be better used for my least used items and as a sort of dry-cool storage (it butts up against two outter walls). The cabinet on the other end would be for my oft used supplies. For the winter, I plan to put a chair between the cabinet and the door for hubby to use to remove his slushy boots. Therefore, I didn't want to be moving the chair s...

My mother picked up a 5 volume boxed set of little cookbooks of recipes from Early America through the young Republic and Ante Bellum through Victorian America and the Westward Expansion. In the Victorian cookbook, there's a "Facsimile of a list of minimum utensils recommended for every kitchen of the 1880's. From Miss Parloa's New Cook Book (1884)." Utensils The following is a list of utensils with which a kitchen should be furnished. But the housekeeper will find that there is continually something to be bought. If there be much fancy cooking, there must be an ice cream freezer, jelly and charlotte russe moulds and many little pans and cutters. The right way is, of course, to get the essential articles first, and then, from time to time, to add those used in fancy cooking: Two cast iron pots, size depending upon range or stove (they come with the stove). One griddle One porcelain-lined preserving kettle One fish kettle Three porcelain-lined stew-pans, hold...

Step 1: Get off the computer....

I tried my homemade cottage cheese today. I used it in a ziti dish. It's rather like ricotta rather than cottage cheese. Hubby liked it. I thought it was good, too. Here's the recipe: Cottage cheese:1 gallon 2%,1% or skim milk1/2 c. vinegar directions: Heat milk until ALMOST boiling, turn off heat. Add Vinegar, then cool a bit. Pour through a cheese cloth lined strainer, and set until the whey drains off. Great in lasagna, with pasta, with fruit, or plain. You can add salt if you want to. I used whole milk, but am going to try it with skim. ladyscott

Yesterday, I replaced the spring mattress on hubby and I's bed with our air mattress. I topped it with a memory foam mattress pad and fixed the bed up really nice. Well, I can honestly say I slept better last night. I could lay still and comfortably. I was warm enough. I didn't feel all stiff and achy in the morning. I didn't feel dizzy and sick during the night. It is now the afternoon and I don't feel like I need a nap. Hubby says he'll let me know later if the air mattress gave him a better sleep. If we do decide to stick with the air mattress, it will be rather funny having to re-inflate the bed every morning or two as part of redressing the bed. Still, it is so worth it to finally feel like I had a decent night's sleep. I even had good dreams!

I really like the AIO diaper I got from www.gracefulbabies.com . At only $9.00, I consider that a steal (and it comes with a doubler!). I have 3 fitted diapers that need vinyl covers over them, and 2 of my own homemade diapers that also need vinyl covers. I also have a goodly supply of chinese prefolds of varying qualities. It was hot yesterday, so Bubby drank a lot of water. Consequently, after 3 hours, his fitted diaper was soaked. He could feel it and was doing this cute little dance....pull on the vinyl and then dip into squats. Of course, I changed him. I do prefer the AIOs at this point. I also part time washable wipe Bubby. For poos, I use disposable wipes. For urine only, I use soft cotton washcloths. I've saved money there. Rather than using nearly an entire $8.00 bulk box of wipes a month, I use only 2 packages of that box of 6. As winter comes upon us, I'll probably use less because I'll be traveling less and thus not using so many disposable wipes a...

I have a couple of new initial phrases....you know how stay at home mom is SAHM. Well, my new phrases are PTCD and FTCD (part time cloth diapering, and full time cloth diapering). I am offically a PTCD SAHM! I'm cloth diapering while home, but for trips and overnight, I'm still using disposables. I still have to build up my cloth diaper bounty. Now, do any of you other cloth diapering moms, when you first started cloth diapering, feel better about what your child had on their tushy and feel a sense of at-home pride or satisfaction (you know, the feeling you get when your homemade bread is baking or you hang homemade curtains on your windows)?

Ok, I'm hooked! Cheese curds are soooo good! Too bad they're rather expensive. I wonder if I could make them myself? I'll have to look at up. I'm also looking into making my own cottage cheese. I made a cheater version the other day out of nearly boiling milk and vinegar, but I haven't had the guts to try it yet. It looks like it would work best in lazagna or stuffed shells rather than eating it plain. Regular readers of my blog will notice I've taken down my weight loss meter. That's because I hit a plateau and thought I was happy with myself. Well, my legs are in great shape. My arms, shoulders, back, etc are in great shape. But my abs....well....they could use a little work. I'm not sure if it is weight loss I'm seeking or just a great ab-blasting workout. Regardless, I'm watching my carb intake more and I'm looking into some videos that'll knock my abs into shape. Any ideas?

There's a small, but growing movement in my local area called becoming a localtarian. It means doing your best to buy your food and products from local growers and suppliers. If you want a bookcase, instead of picking one up from Walmart or JC Penneys, go to a local furniture maker. If you want pears, go to a local orchard. Of course, this means following the seasons as well. I've taken to the idea myself since I save a bunch of money going to a particular local farm for produce. The orchard's prices are comparable or a little more expensive than the grocery store, but the flavor and quality is so much better. It is so nice to eat a fresh peach and not a hard, tasteless one from the grocery store. I can get local grains, herbs, honey, maple syrup, eggs, milk, cheeses, and even peanut butter! Buying this way is not only healthier, but I don't have to worry about impulse buying of processed foods. Also, Bubby likes it better because he gets to go to farms instead...

Home and Garden magazines are dangerous. I received my latest issue of Cottage Living in the mail yesterday and after thumbing through it, I rearranged part of the house! It was a chain reaction that was bound to happen anyway. When I got the hutch for the kitchen, I moved the smaller hutch to the porch and the bookcase on the porch went down into hubby's man cave. Since Autumn is upon us, I moved some of my herbs indoors and put them on the sun porch. They needed a perch, so I moved the small hutch to the window and placed the herbs on it. So, I had an open spot in the porch. I dislike electronics in the bedroom, so I pulled out a wood folding table and placed it in the porch and moved the computer out there. Now that it's cooler weather, a computer can safely live out there and it makes a nice little office for me and a play area for Bubby. Also, if I get pregnant and suffer my usual insomnia, I can wile away the wee hours online without bothering hubby. So, I moved th...

Now, this post is supposed to be tongue in cheek, but at the same time a little thought-provoking. At-home moms are worth an estimated $136,000 a year. Now, what if "domestic engineer" really was a paid career (rather than a rewarding life)? Would you hear Donald Trump say, "You're Fired!"? Lets look at some ways a professional needs to be...well....professional to be a success in their career. Do we wives measure up in our own career? Or would we be fired? Appearance: Who says looks don't count? To be bluntly honest, they do. I've never seen a lawyer appear in court wearing sweats. Now, there is something to wearing clothes appropriate to the job, but are sweats and frump necessary? We at-home wives should be dressed for success! Besides, getting dressed and ready for the day helps the day move along better and we feel better about ourselves! Education: We all know that without that college degree, it's really hard to get a good paying jo...

I've given myself the evening off. My ears have been ringing loudly all day and that usually means I'm headed for one of my "grand mal" dizzy spells. I can usually avoid it if I rest and keep my fluid intake up. I feel a little bad because I wanted to put up tomatoes and pickles this evening. However, it's better for me to add a couple hours of work onto tomorrow than go ahead and can tonight and possibly be incapacitated for 10 hours tomorrow. Besides, hubby mentioned today for me to be careful physically. He's afraid I'm going to get myself sick. So, that confirms it. Tonight, I'm resting. Right now, I'm blog-surfing. Later, I'll spend a little time primping myself, and then I'll settle in bed with a book. Sounds good. :)

Here are three ways I'm eliminating plastics in my home: 1. Use freezer/butcher paper to freeze products. 2. Use wax paper to wrap sandwiches for lunches 3. Use mason jars to store foods and leftovers in the fridge and pantry

Last week, I went to a farm to purchase 50lbs of potatoes and 1/2 gallon of maple syrup and met the farmer's wife. She's a sweet lady who's very down to earth and a conservative Christian. We chatted a bit about Nourishing Traditions and healthy living. During our conversation, she mentioned that it would be best for me to put the maple syrup into glass jars when I got home. Plastic gets into our food and alters the flavor. I remembered a friend of hubby and I's who nearly died from cancer suspected to be caused by an over-exposure to plastic. While he was going through chemo, he learned about the dangers of plastic, particularly in our foods. So, today I had a crazy idea. I wonder if I could successfully eliminate as much plastic as possible in my home. Can you imagine how difficult that can be? I mean the computer alone, the fridge, Bubby's toys, even parts of my garments...plastic. Still, I might give it a go and see what I can eliminate. The picnic was...

Yesterday, after getting lost twice, I finally found a local farm that sells peaches for a reasonable price! I bought 1/2 a bushel. I'm going to freeze some, can some and can some pie filling, too. Bubby loves peaches and is very good at eating it like adults do. Well, today is Saturday. I have a family picnic to attend, but I'm also going to do my best to keep up on my desire to have a clean house over the weekend. I'm a bit behind because yesterday evening was a mad dash to beat the rain and the dark to drain the pond and get the fish in to the aquarium in our dining room. One fish was dead, so we tossed it, but the biggest fish had 3 babies. All surviving fish are doing very well. Bubby discovered the full tank this morning and has been enthralled with it. Well, gotta go bake a pie or cobbler and make a squash dish for the picnic.

Ok, I've pretty much got the organizing and tidying down pat. Now, I'm ready for the simplifying. I really just want to have what I need to live the lifestyle I enjoy and attain to. That means tossing out gels and lotions I never use, hair goodies I never use, clothes I rarely or never wear, shoes I don't need, etc. I'm also thinking of going through my books and getting rid of any fiction that isn't classic. Libraries are great for getting fiction books out, should I want to read them. I don't need to keep a supply for myself (except for a couple favorites I just can't part with). Classics, I'll keep for homeschooling. I want to purge my cleaning supplies and only keep the things I need and use. I want to dump my cabinets and toss anything old and no longer a part of our diet. I want to know exactly what I have and what I need. Well, I'm talking the talk. Let's see how I walk the walk.

A bleary-eyed ladyscott is checking in. Last night, Bubby was all congested and had a hard time breathing. Every time his nose plugged up, he'd wake up crying, coughing and trying to de-booger. I put the humidifier in his room, but it didn't help much. I wanted to keep an eye on him and be able to quickly soothe him every time he woke up, so I ended up sleeping on sofa cusions on his floor. Oh, what very little sleep I got. He's doing much better this morning and is relaxing in his crib right now. I want him to get plenty of rest this morning....and I could use some, too. Yesterday was pretty productive. I got my finances taken care of for the week. Bubby and I picked through the garden. I got two loads of laundry done. I baked yeasted buttermilk bread. Vacuumed, tidied, "homeschooled," exercised and even relaxed for 3 minutes with an old Victoria magazine. Lastly, I put up 2 quarts of ratattouille, 3 quarts of potatoes, 3 pints of beets and 2 quarts...

For two days, we finally got much needed rain. I'm thankful, but I'm also thankful for today's sunshine and more autumn-like temperatures. I look forward to wearing a cardigan and throwing open the windows! It is imparative that I go through the garden this morning. Today, I'm putting up as much produce as I can. Yesterday was my sewing day. I put together a diaper for Bubby and worked on some Bubby Hats. I came up with a new design for little girls that's really cute. I'll get a picture up as soon as I can. I also made yogurt, set dough out for bread today and made mayonnaise yesterday. That was time consuming and rather cost prohibitive. A 12 ounce jar of mayo needs 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil. I think I'll just keep on buying it from the store. I found a lady who makes AIO cloth diapers for only $9.00! www.gracefulbabies.com

I like having a compost heap. I hate throwing away food, even if it's gone bad, because I know what a waste it is. However, having a compost heap, I don't feel so wasteful. At least my discarded food is being put to good use turning into organic matter for my garden and not rotting away in a plastic bag in our landfills. I made a batch of yogurt the other day but my culture died so the yogurt was terrible. (There's not enough enzyme and good bacterias in pasteurized milk to carry the culture for many batches of yogurt.) I tried eating it anyway, but ended up with an upset stomach. 4 altoids later, I decided to throw it away. It'll make a great addition to my compost heap! I have a new batch "cooking" in the crockpot right now. I'll use a new batch of storebought yogurt to culture it. Barbara asked how I changed the look of my blog. I clicked on the template tab and looked for the fonts and colors tab. Click on that and you can change away. I be...