My kitties and my camera see a lot less of me of late!

Thoughts From My Big Green Chair

I’ll link you to the tune of this lovely hymn. It is written by Henry W. Baker and set to the tune of a traditional Irish hymn melody.

The King of Love My Shepherd Is

The King of Love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his,
And he is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul he leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed
But yet in love he sought me,
And on his shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my confrort still,
Thy Cross before to guide me.

Thou spread’st a table in my sight;
Thy unction grace bestoweth;
And O what transport and delight
From thy pure chalice floweth?

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within they house for ever.

Ushering in a New Era

March promises a lot of changes on our farm: My husband has taken an engineering job and will begin work on Monday. The children and I will be taking over the task of keeping the farm going the four days per week that he will be gone. We have purchased the seed and are enrolled in government programs, so we have chosen to continue farming through the summer. What the future will hold is unknown. The family farm is slowly being phased out in America right now—it simply does not pay for itself and provide an income for a family. The times they are a changing….but He is Faithful.

New Babies and Mud

We lost a good calf this week when we could not get it out of the mother in time. It had a hoof stuck inside, and I will not explain what the vet had to do to get it out. Those of you raised on a farm probably have some good guesses. Otherwise, the farm is abounding with new life. Today one of the cows we have been watching walked past the house in the nearby pasture with “eight legs”—in other words, she and a newborn calf were walking past, but all we could see were the newborn’s legs showing on the other side of the cow as she tried to keep up to mommy. Almost everyday another little one seems to be added to our babies. Those big brown eyes and long legs always make it into my heart!

New life on the farm

The Fairview Kitchen

Today I served Oven Fried Chicken. It is a favorite of my family. Add rice, broccoli and a salad, and you have a wonderfully nutritious meal. I’ll write what I make, and you may want to cut it down to fit your family’s needs.

Oven Fried Chicken

Chicken parts (legs, wings, thighs—15 pieces)
1-cup whole-wheat flour
2-teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon pepper

Place flour and spices in a large plastic bag. Add rinsed chicken parts and shake. Place in a large pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes in 425-degree oven; turn and bake another 25-30 minutes or until done.

Country basics: Chicken, rice, broccoli, applesauce and milk.

The Night Sky

This week we had two nights of gorgeously clear skies—and I was busy both nights. I did not get out with my new telescope. Now it is raining and dreary, but I’m sure there will be blue skies and plenty of viewing time in the future.

We can expect to see the moon near several objects this next week: Tonight Saturn will be below the moon. On the 8^th Regulus, in the constellation Leo, will be just below the moon. The moon will be at apogee (farthest from the earth) on the 9^th. On the 12^th Spica in the constellation Virgo will be just below the Moon. On the 14^th Jupiter will be just left of the moon. If you are trying to learn the constellations, this may help you locate the main stars in some of them; it will be easier to see them when the moon has passed beyond them because they will be “drowned out” by the bright moon light, but it may help you know which direction in the sky you need to look to find the constellations you are trying to find.

I am sad that my dear friend Orion is starting to slip so far to the west. Soon I will have to say good-bye to him for another season. He is my favorite nighttime friend, so tall and heroic.

Nasa's photo of the constellation Orion. What a beauty!

School Days

We are coming to the end of our holiday, and Monday we will need to get back into the books. I’m scouring ebay for materials for next year. I’m also working on the list of subjects my daughter needs to finish before she graduates next spring. We plan to visit Hillsdale College in a couple of weeks, and the ACT test happens this weekend. Soon I will be putting together her transcript. It is hard to believe that we have gone through 12 years of homeschooling and in one short year, we will have completed the journey. Those thoughts are filled with happiness and sorrow, as I’m sure you can understand!

I’m sure my daughter will be sharing her experiences in the homeschool play this weekend on her blog; if you are interested, you can pop over there once in a while to see find out how it goes.

Cats and More Cats

I’ll just leave you with a few favorite photos:


Orion: Fluffy Boy with an attitude

Dear Spit Fire. She's a beauty!

India glares at Ears--she knows this outside ball of fur has over stepped the bounderies by curling up on HER couch!