When the children were young, we used to always buy a quart of eggnog at Christmas. Then I would put a quart of whole milk in it. We didn’t like it so sweet, and mixing it made it last longer. I still mix mine when I get it. I got it out at Christmas but the kids didn’t drink it that much. They just drank plain milk.

Anyway, I have had a lot of leftover eggnog and wanted to tell you some things you can do with it. You can make French toast with it. I just put the eggnog in a low flat bowl, add an egg, and beat it with a fork. If it’s too thick, just add more plain milk. This makes a nice breakfast. Also, you can add it to your coffee if you like it like that. Or to hot chocolate. I have made many custard pies with leftover eggnog.

Jill makes eggnog bread. You could make muffins using the eggnog, rather than just plain milk. I have made a lot of bread pudding with it, too. You can use it for about any baking that you use sugar in. Just substitute the liquid for eggnog. You could make pancakes, too. The eggnog is just milk and cream, eggs and sugar, and spices and vanilla. So you can use it for cookies or cakes or whatever.

Custard pie is very easy to make. Old fashioned pumpkin pie is a custard pie. I have made pumpkin pie with eggnog before and it’s good. But a custard pie is a pie that is made from eggs and sugar, milk and spices. The milk sets up in the custard because of the eggs. I have made many custard pies and so don’t go by a recipe. But it would be, like, for one pie about 2 cups of milk and about 3 eggs and about a half cup of sugar and some spices. Throw in some vanilla and beat it up. I just make it and if it don’t look right, I add things. But the old fashioned raisin pies were made like this, only with about about a cup of raisins in it and cinnamon. Sour cream raisin pie is good. But I used to use fresh raw milk and so had the real sour cream. I don’t know how it would do with the sour cream from the store.

But with any of my writing, be sure to look up a recipe. Jim’s mother just cooked from whatever wasn’t tied down. And I learned to cook that way, too. Sorry.

Happy New Year. John, his wife Christine, and Romeo came over last night for supper. We had a ball! Well, anywhere this family is, you can’t help but laugh and have a dandy time. They had to go to Missouri for Christmas so they brought our Christmas presents over last night. They gave me a lovely sweater and Jim a billfold and bedroom slippers. We had given them a crockpot. That’s what they wanted. Also, we got Tiff one, and Tiff and David got us one. Susie, Dan’s wife, cooks in hers every day. We all love our crockpots. I had one but it was wearing out.

Last night, I had fixed vegetable soup in my new crockpot and we had Pasta Salad. Also, I had made tomato bread and we had a lot of homemade Christmas candy and cookies. Jim had to work yesterday so I made some things, but he was home for the evening.

I had like 2 half cans of mixed nuts that I knew we weren’t going to eat. So I took some chocolate chips and some chocolate almond bark I had leftover and put it in the microwave. Ya gotta work with it and add milk and stir it up until it is smooth. It takes a while. So I got this all melted and then added a half a bag of the miniature marshmallows and the nuts. Then I spread all of this on a buttered cookie sheet. It’s really good. So I gave about half of this to the kids to take home.

I had about four cups of the soup leftover so I sent that home with Christine. She said she had a bunch of fresh vegetables and wanted to go home and make soup using my leftover soup. I had just made hamburger vegetable soup. And for the base, I used tomato soup diluted with about 5 cans of water or whatever would cover the vegetables and 1 brown gravy mix. My kids love it all like this. And I get the dried soup greens in a bottle, made by McCormick. Get it in the spice aisles. But, anyway, Christine will use my leftover soup as a soup starter. She and John both love vegetables. Romeo eats some, too, but not like his parents will. Christine would just sit down and eat a can of kidney beans as a snack. She loves all kinds of beans. So I know that today she will get out her new crockpot and make soup in it.

In the old days, when the children were little, I would get a soup bone from the store and make vegetable soup. Can you still buy a beef soup bone at the store? I haven’t even looked for one lately. But, anyway, I would cook the soup bone for hours with onions and herbs. Then, after all the meat was tender and falling off the bone, I would add the vegetables to make soup. You could do this with chicken pieces, too. For a soup stock, just add the meat and herbs and then water to the top of the pan. Then just cook all of this for about 3 hours or all day. And, when it is all done, then just put a pan in your sink and strain the soup of all the bones and fat, etc. And then you have a nice soup stock. You could then can it or freeze it to make soups with.

To make the soup stock to begin with, when you add the bone, you could add celery, onion, garlic and carrots for flavor. But then, when you strain it out, strain out the carrots and celery, etc., as these veggies would be cooked to death. I would just add these veggies to my outside compost pile for the garden. Your soup stock should look somewhat clear and strained. Like the chicken stock you buy at the store.

I have used the homemade chicken stock to put on fried potatoes when they needed a bit of moisture to get soft, but still crisp on the outside. You can also make mashed potatoes with chicken stock instead of the milk. Soup stock is nice to have on hand and easy to make.

I try to save my celery leaves for soup.

For the Pasta Salad, I just make the pasta and add fresh veggies. Whatever I have. Then I add the vinegar and oil dressing. But you could add any dressing. I had made mine with the vinegar and oil Italian dressing. But when I went to eat it, I put Ranch dressing on it. I think John did, too.

Simple Soups

Sometimes I just made a quick soup for the kids. One I used to make went like this. I would cut up leftover cooked chicken. Then I would put it in a pan with about 4 cups of water. Then I would add a can of cream of chicken soup and a can of chicken noodle soup. And also a can of the mixed vegetables from the store. I just brought this to a boil and it was done. You could add pepper and whatever herbs ya like. Also, for a nice tomato soup, I would cook up peeled tomatoes and onions and cook them until soft. At the end, add a couple cans of tomato soup. We almost never had just a can of store bought soup for a meal. I always made a can of soup go for about 8 servings.

I know some of this don’t sound very healthy. But we do have to cook for our husbands and children. And if they wont eat what you fix, then you defeat your purpose.

Also, I would take, like, apples and all kinds of fruit the children weren’t eating, and I would cut it all up and put it in a pot. Then just cook it all with some sugar for stewed fruit. Then I would serve this in little sauce dishes with a meal. Like maybe apples and cranberries with cut up oranges. One salad I used to make, if the bananas were going to be wasted, goes like this. Just take a can of peaches from the store and mix it with about 4 bananas. Fruit cocktail is usually cheap and I would buy this each week for the children. I would put the miniature marshmallows in it with the bananas. Sometimes I would add coconut or whatever. The children would eat this in a bowl for breakfast along with pancakes or fried potatoes.

All of my children and Jim love fruits and vegetables. We never had a lot of meat at our house. But usually each meal had some meat, mostly for flavor. I would make a whole meal for 8 people with a half pound of hamburger. So I would use a gravy mix to make it look good and brown. Tomato soup and brown gravy mix makes one think they have had some meat. Well, a housewife had to do what a housewife had to do, to keep everyone happy and fed.

My kids still laugh about my Chicken of the Sea soup. I would use tuna and tell the kids it was chicken and made it with chicken soup and vegetables. They never knew the difference when they were young. I don’t know how they eventually figured it out. Well, they didn’t care, anyway, as they liked tuna, too.

I used to make tuna patties from drained tuna and crackers and eggs. It’s like meatloaf. Anyway, I would use just one can of tuna for about 7 patties. I would fry them up good. Then I would put these in a 9 by 13 pan. Then, over the top, put a couple cans of cream of chicken soup diluted to be creamy like a gravy. Then just bake it in the oven until it bubbles. My family loved this meal. Then have potatoes and vegetables with the meal. Make up some baking powder biscuits or some kind of bread and you have a nice meal.

My children were always healthy and never needed a doctor. We ate more hillbilly, I guess. Not really back to the land. I went back to the land as much as I could in town. But I did what I had to do to keep my home happy. No, all the soup wasn’t probably a good idea but it was all I had. Either ya gotta have meat or a meat flavor if your husband likes meat. Jim would have to have a piece of meat once in a while. But he didn’t want it all the time. He is very healthy, too.

Now days, we can have what food we want. But Jim prefers the old time comfort foods. He asked me this morning if I would make some chicken soup for today. He has to work but will be home for supper.

I love my new crockpot and the girls love theirs. We got Susie a nice mixer on a stand with dough hooks for Christmas, as she has a crockpot already. Boy she loved that. She loves to cook. The crockpots around here are only about 15 bucks. And we found this nice mixer on the stand for Susie for only 15 bucks. We got all the appliances at WalMart.

Good Morning! Wild Man had me laughing so much before we went to sleep last night. I told him I hoped I wouldn’t wake up in the night laughing and wake him up. Here’s the story.

At the pizza place where Jim works, they were really busy yesterday. But it was just him and this kid who were the drivers. Well, this young man in about his 20s got tired and had to go home and take a nap. He was supposed to be back in a few hours but overslept. Jim is old enough to be his grandpa and Jim had to do all the work. Of course, Jim was meet for the match. I mean, it wasn’t funny for Jim — I didn’t mean that. But this kid that had to take a nap was hilarious. People had quit calling for pizza and there was a lull. So this kid asked to leave for an hour to pay his bills. But then, instead of going back to work, he went home and took his nap.

Another time, Jim was working in this restaurant. Well, this one guy was on drugs. He was on the phone calling someone to bring him some drugs. They were busy at the restaurant and he was supposed to be working. But he would yell out to the coworkers, “Can’t ya see I am on the phone trying to buy drugs?”

I could just see me if I had to work in a restaurant if anything ever happened to Jim. Half of my time I would be laughing and when I would quit laughing, I would be trying to minister. I swear those people would keep me busy.

Jim is always telling the young men he works with things like, “Go home to your families after work. Quit your drinkin’ — your children need you. That drinkin’ is gonna kill ya one of these days.” They call him Grampa and they love Jim. One kid was smartin’ off to Jim, and Jim told him he would take him out back. This kid said he knew Jim could do it, as he knew Dan and David. Our boys respect Jim and I am sure glad they do.

I sure honor Jim for going out to work at his age and doing what he does. He has to work to keep us goin’. It ain’t like it used to be to retire and watch TV when ya get to be 65. I really don’t know how some of these seniors will make it. The high gas bills, etc. would take up their whole S.S. check.

My own Dad retired from Quaker Oats and had many benefits. My mother is now 82. Dad died about four years ago. She had some good retirement benefits form Quaker Oats. Well, now they are taking some of them back. Her insurance benefits are to go up in price next month to the tune of hundreds more a month in cost. It’s sad, as Mom is used to living well.

But, ya know, Hello? The lie is “All is well with the economy.” It isn’t all ok? All is well with Jesus Christ on the throne in heaven. But all is not well in our economy. We as a nation are spending way more money then we are taking in.

Heather’s writings are so valuable right now. Not just her instructions on how to live off the land. But her willingness to do this is what she needs to teach us. We have to get pioneer spirits, I think. We have to have to have this spirit — it is so vital. Some families will just run to the street over nothing. They would rather stay in a shelter than rough it at home.

There is a false feeling of security that the state will care for you. Well, sometimes the state does for a while. But this way of life is about to be over with, too. Thank God for the churches that help folks with food. This used to be all the job of the state. But the state is helping less and less. Folks in our country are going hungry. Now this was unheard of even 20 years ago. But with pioneer spirits we can make it.

Years ago, my mentor MaryL told me, “Connie, one of these days, we will all be living as you have all along.” But, ya know, many women are too afraid to rough it. Heather, your information to us is very important. God is calling women like you that you that are stout hearted enough to live as you do. Like Helen says, it’s a lot of work. All of us play a part. I don’t go without electricity and gas heat but I could.

Some of you probably weren’t with us when I used to tell about Dixie’s husband Wild Bill who drank like a fish. Anyway, Dixie was embarrassed to pieces to bring all those beer cans back to the store for the deposit. One time, Jim and I had gone out to their farm. Bill was in the garden hoeing and drunk as a skunk. He saw us so he stopped to talk and visit a bit. He hung on the hoe like a scarecrow. The only stable thing in his life was the hoe at the moment. As he talked to us he says to Emily, who was about 12 years old, “Emily, go get me another beer.”

As Em obeyed her Dad, she walked by Dixie and Dixie whispered in Em’s ear, “It’s soda pop, Emily. By faith, it’s soda pop.” Dixie had prayed with Emily and they together walked out their faith. Bill did finally quit drinking. Dixie died of cancer and later on he remarried and is the model husband. That second wife has a lot to thank Dixie for.

But Bill, no matter what he did, Dixie praised him. She would say things like, “He can really hoe that garden good. Most men couldn’t hoe like that as drunk as he is.” Dixie was often naked with embarrassment except for her smile and faith. Bill shot a coon once at the farm out by the chicken house. Dixie’s comment was “Pretty good shot for a man in his liquor.”

Dixie was trying to raise Emily for the Lord. It was a terrible heartache to Dixie that her husband drank. I mean, this guy could really drink. I am not talkin’ about a beer in the evening. Dixie prayed and prayed for Bill to do right. But to Dixie, it was a matter between her and God. When she represented Bill to the world, she always spoke well of him. But behind closed doors she was very embarrassed that Bill drank.

Some things are just rock hard. But ya gotta walk by faith and from your visions of answered prayers.

You can’t battle with a man all of his and your life over him drinking. Let him go and just pray. Have peace with God and be settled in your heart that God has answered your prayer already. Rest in Him and give Him the burdens of it all. Don’t fight about it in front of the children. Just tell them to pray and let the family agree in prayer that God has delivered the husband. If, right after you pray, your husband falls down drunk in the living room, just tell the children that Daddy is tired and help him to bed. Be at peace and make a peaceful place for the children. If you don’t give up, you will see the glory of God.

My friend Kathy had a husband who drank a lot. Never held a job — just drank — and they had 5 children. One day Kathy brought her guitar to my house for a prayer meeting and we prayed. Her husband had drank for 30 years or more. When she got home he was stone sober and never drank again and that has been 20 years ago. God delivered him in an instant. Never went to AA or anything — just got healed overnight. And when Kathy left the house to come to my house, she had to walk over her drunk in the floor husband. But when she got home he was totally sober and never drank again. It was a miracle. Then her son had the same problem and he got healed saved and delivered, too. We had prayed for Kathy’s husband for years and he just kept on drinkin’. But the one day God just came on him and he was healed and he never drank again.

Good Morning! I just wanted to say, first off, that when I was writing that writing yesterday I got a miracle. I hope you will get to read that writing. I think it was called Remain Strong. Right in the middle of that writing, the devil attacked and gave me an opportunity to remain strong and not give up. And I was to see a wonderful miracle.

As I was writing yesterday, Jim comes out of the bathroom with alarming symptoms of sickness. I just stayed in my faith as I had been writing about it. I rebuked the sickness and the demons of lies as Jim is telling me he is dying. He yells out at me that he really is dying. I never yell at Jim. I probably haven’t yelled at Jim in 20 years. But I felt a leading of the Lord to argue with him. I never argue with Jim. And I didn’t argue out of a spirit that couldn’t shut up. I just felt led to tell Jim off, and I did. He had a lyin’ demon on him and I had to get it off.

So right in the middle of my prayer Wild Man tells me I ain’t no doctor and I don’t know what’s the matter with him. I said I knew a demon when I heard one. So I told him, “Jim, if you want to keep that thing, then go ahead, but it is a lying spirit.” (Actually, I was arguing with a demon and not Jim.) Finally, Wild Man admitted it was a lyin’ demon and he let it go? And the man was healed. I mean, completely healed. He got up and went to work. I gave him some pain reliever to take in 4 hours. When he got home, he told me that he didn’t even have the time to take the pain reliever and was perfectly fine. He made good tips, too, and was really busy at work. He put in a full day’s work at age 65 and was going strong still when he got home. God is good — really good — all the time!

I don’t say any of this so that you all will think I am any big deal. Oh no. I don’t even like to tell this stuff. But you all need to understand it. Why should I see miracles and not tell you all about it or tell you how they came about. I tell you all of this to show you how to walk out your faith. I can’t tell you all the details or it would scare you. But I had this miracle happen while I was writing yesterday’s writing. And I mean, you can see miracles, too. They are just a breath away. You have to get up in the morning and believe God! Believe Him for many miracles!

A few days ago, Jim had written a letter to Richard. He said in it that he (Jim) had been healed by God many times. I reminded Jim of that yesterday. “Remember, Jim, that you told Richard that you had been healed many times?” Then Jim reminded me that I wasn’t healed when I had to have my gall bladder out and he is still paying the bill for that. Oh, don’t Satan have a sense of humor. But I didn’t let up! I will go until the last dog dies, ya know. If I fail, I will fail, but it won’t be that I failed for lack of tryin’.

And, ya know, ya gotta be submissive to your husband. And I am most of the time. But I think, once in a while, the Lord will call ya out to say something. To tell your husband the truth. You have to earn that right. If you are naggin’ all the time and then you say something important, then your words of wisdom get lost in the shuffle. But if you are mostly quiet, and then you yell something, at your husband then he hears ya. Well, I wasn’t about to sit with Jim and agree he was dying. “Yes, Dear, I agree, shall I call the mortuary?”

Jim asks me if I will ever let him die and I tell him no. I tell him he is still young and I don’t want to live without him. I have always told the devil he couldn’t have Jim. For almost 40 years I have been tellin’ the devil he can’t have Jim. It’s a way of life for me and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I have served this man since I was 19 years old and now I am almost 59.

“How old do you want me to live?” Jim will ask me.

I tell him, “As long as I live, Wild Man, I want you there.” He would have to sneak off to die.

And, ya know, Brandon, Mary’s husband, has been so sick again with Chron’s. He is about 5 ft 7 inches and weighs 110 pounds. As I sat with him last week and we talked, he told me he felt he was dying. I, of course, rebuked that, too. Mary heard him say that and yelled at him to cut it out. Boy, she won’t put up with that dyin’ stuff, either. I mean, she is a hen on a bug if Brandon says anything about dying.

Brandon tells me that every day he loses weight. I told him, “Brandon, when I was your age, I weighed 95 to 100 pounds and I was 5 ft 8 inches. My nerves were so bad I couldn’t eat. I didn’t die and you won’t, either. You are getting enough nourishment to stay alive and you will not die.” When I was first married, I didn’t eat for days. Finally, if I got sick, I would eat enough to keep from being sick. The only taste I had in my mouth was toothpaste. I never ate anything and only drank water when I brushed my teeth. And part of the time I smoked. I told Brandon all of that and said if I lived he would, too. I did get him to laughing a bit.

But at times I feel I live in a burning house. We have never had any health insurance. Man, the devil has told me all kinds of stuff. I haven’t had a pelvic in 20 years. Certainly no mammogram. Heck, I can’t afford to get up in the morning! Well, it’s live by faith or die — for me it is, anyway. The state is always sending me letters about when I get to be 65 I won’t get any Medicare as I never worked enough. So it’s have faith or die in the street? Jim has to work. He gets Social Security but, heck, that ain’t enough to live on. So he will have to work until he falls in his grave. Yesterday, when he told me he was dyin’ he tells me to get him cremated. I just laugh when he says that. I ain’t gonna do that. He is too cute to get burned up.

I fixed Jim a nice supper to come home to last night. My brother had given us a nice picnic ham. I baked that and sliced it up and will have a lot of extra meals. I made gravy and biscuits, too. And I made Wild Man his favorite dish, candied sweet potatoes. We had coffee and enjoyed our evening last night.

There is so much peace in trusting in Jesus. And, yes, death is up in my face every morning as I wake up and think of Baby Chloe Faye who died. Death and destruction seems always about us. Destruction seems so often a blink of an eye away. But we must live by faith and not sight. Our fears are between us and God. We have to get this settled with God. We cannot live in fear as we will go from one defeat to the next one. Faith is the only way out.

We must live out our lives from our visions from within. We live in such an unsettled society. We need lots of quiet time in our lives where it is just us and God.

Yesterday, I was alone as Jim was at work. I didn’t call anyone and the phone just rang once. I needed this time to be alone with Jesus. To hear His voice and to do my works of faith. I spent the day in my homemaking and then prepared Jim’s supper. Jim came home to a quiet house with no TV on. I was alone in the kitchen working when he came in. Being a man of faith, he never mentioned the morning. He just says in a peaceful way, “I had a good day today. I made good in tips — we were busy.”

I said, “Oh, Honey, I am so glad.” Later, he told me that he didn’t even have time to take the pain reliever I sent with him in case he needed it. I said, “Oh, Jim, that is so wonderful. Praise the Lord.” He told me again and again what a nice meal it was that I had fixed. I told him he sure deserved it. I had been sick during the day. But I made up my mind I would hide it from Jim, as he had enough to do. I don’t want to worry him. Now, this morning, I am much better.

I just wanted to make a place of peace and Joy for Jim to come home to. I fixed our bed all up, too, with flannel sheets. He loved that. It hasn’t been so cold lately here in Iowa — it’s been in the 30s lately. I am glad for Jim’s sake.

Good Morning! I didn’t get all the emails answered yesterday. Jim was home and it’s hard to get on the machine. If anyone wanted me for anything, just always put my name in the subject line. I skimmed through emails this morning but may have missed something. Today Jim goes back to work and I will be back to my regular homemaking.

As I look up from my keyboard, I can see the sweet potatoes laying on the microwave. I know Jim will want me to fix these for supper tonight. I just cut them up and put them in a pan and bake them with brown sugar and butter or margarine.

We bought groceries yesterday so I have laundry soap and will do the wash today. Also, I hope to make some bread. I lost one of Jim’s work shirts so have to find that today. I hope it can just be a quiet day to work.

On the response group, we were talking about how hard it is to watch those around us suffer and then just go on with our lives. Boy, I hear ya on that! But the Lord gave me a vision once of myself on a battlefield. So many laid suffering and I stopped for each one. And the Lord told me that He needed for me to come on and to follow Him. He told me to obey my orders from Him and together we would win the war and not just a few battles. Even though we see great suffering about us, we still have to follow His ways. He sees the suffering about us. He knows about it.

Ya know, I pray for my neighborhood. And the neighbors on both sides of me are happily married, and the next house, too. And the family behind us is a nice family. The folks across the street have a lovely family. And the ones next to them and the ones beside them. The people around me are all doing well. They dip a bit and, when I see a problem, I pray for them. The Lord told me that the whole neighborhood was mine and I needed to take authority over it and I have. And everyone around me seems to be doing very well.

The house across the street from us was haunted with demons for about 29 years. If you went out my door and went straight across the street for about 30 feet, you would run into the front door of this house. Nuts from everywhere moved into that house. But a few years ago, a wonderful Catholic mother and her husband and family moved in there with 3 children. The place has never been the same. This house and this woman bless the socks off of me every time I look at that house. She decorated for Christmas with two Christmas trees and lights shining everywhere. She collects angels and has angels everywhere. Even a statue of one on the front porch. Talk about an answer to prayer. But, ya know, I wanted a safe neighborhood for my grandbabies to play in. And I have just prayed for all of these people and the Lord has put peace upon us.

Years ago, we had a prostitute with regular customers and drugs as a side line operating just two houses down. Well, God booted her out. Of course, I witnessed to her and tried to help her. She would come down to my house all but naked for me to braid her hair. But God took her out of there. Thank the Lord. The rookie cops in our town were some of her best customers. So we had to call the cops on the cops. But, ya know, God answered my prayers and a Christan couple took over the property. And they had a garage sale once and the Grandmother stood on the porch and sang songs about Jesus and witnessed. I was like, “OK, Lord I get it!”

But we have to just pray over this stuff going on around us. I mean, these people around us can get so crazy. God only knows what they will do. Sometimes you do have to call the police or do whatever. But we can’t let these nuts get the best of us. We Mothers are to live in peace. We have to be about our Father’s business. We can’t be taken back by this sinful society. We have to trust in God. The world needs JOY and FAITH more than anything. They need to see stability.

See, it takes a really strong wife and mother to build her nest on branch that hangs over troubled waters. But, Girl-friend, quit lookin’ down! Sure, the water is swift and, Baby, its a loooong ways down. But no one asked you to look over the side. Look up to Jesus.

Don’t concern yourself with the affairs of this world. Good-night, it could scare the life out of ya. The Bible says to even stay away from those who fear. Fear is classified as a sin in the Bible. God tells us to always pray and not give up. Jesus is our king and commander. He is our President. He is our leader and not this world and their leaders. Sure, we have to obey the law and pray for those who have the authority over us. But it is the Lord’s hand that moves the king’s heart either way.

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. We are His own daughters and He will protect us as we have faith in Him. Our homes are our business and we must be about our Father’s business. God can’t trust us, His daughters, if we gasp at every wicked family about us. And, yes, there are some real pieces of work out there.

Folks call me and tell me stories that are out of this world. After I get off the phone, I want to tell Jim all about it. But I know better than that. I don’t want to attack my own home with the crazy stuff. One of my friends yesterday wrote me an email. (Not anyone on the group.) But, man, it was horrid stuff. It came on me like a cape of evil. I had to pray it off. But now why would I want to tell Jim and put this evil on him? No, our lives as wives and mothers must be stable and faithful to duty.

Our husbands and children should know us as faithful wives and mothers at home. We should be as song birds singing the Joy of life. And, oh, the Lord knows that I don’t wanna forget the evil about me and be a light in the darkness. I want to complain and be mad as hell, too. But all we end up doing is pulling our own families into the mess around us. And this is Satan’s plan to wear us down so that God cant be almighty in our lives.

God has a plan of victory for all of us. He plans on answering our prayers. But, see, Satan tries to intimidate us. He puts fearful people around us to weaken us. He loves to tell people that we don’t care about others. It isn’t that we don’t care but that we are standing in faith and don’t want to waver. We plan to put God first in all things. We plan on a victory in our families. And as we walk in faith, those around us come unglued and we have to play both sides of the fence.

We have to be sympathetic and minister with our hands but we must not let our faith waver. In our own soul, we must not give up or give in. Our visions must be kept clear and sharp as this is our directions from God. His voice must be stronger than the voice of the doctor or the mother-in-law or whoever. We must remain who we are in faith, no matter what comes at us. And, ya know, you have to be submissive and sweet to those around you. We must serve those who are fearful. But don’t let the fear come on you. Fear is like a sickness and it is catchy.

We must be like missionaries that minister to those around us. And, to me, a man who commits adultery is mentally off. Any of the men I have seen who were like this were severely mentally off. They make no sense as all. Becoming one with a whore is like giving a part of your life to a demon spirit. And demons are the reason for mental illness. And the Word says that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind.

This world is in such need of soundness and stability. To remain calm and sound and stable is not easy in this world. But the virtuous woman is like this. The world twirls about her but she remains true to the visions in her heart from God. Proverbs 31:25 says “Strength and honor are her clothing and she rejoices in the time to come.” Strength is her clothing. Honour is her cape.

Well, Wild Man and me had a wonderful Christmas! Yesterday, we had baby Rose for the day. She cried all through Christmas and barely had any naps. So Jim and I wanted to bring her here to just be quiet. She loves her old toys here and had fun playing. Then I read to her and gave her a good nap and she woke up happy. Her folks are young and are so busy. Our kids always got upset at Christmas, too. it gets their little schedules all goofed up. And they get overly excited with everyone giving them gifts. But Christmas comes but once a year, and thank God, huh? Man, I worked myself to the bone. And I am glad I could do it, too.

Anyway, after we took Baby home last night we had to stop at the store. On the way out we saw these poinsettias that were on SALE for just 2 bucks. Well, we saw one like we have never seen before. It looked like a cross between a rose and a poinsettia. Like it was a tiny red poinsettia with little petals. They have long stems — very pretty. From a distance, they would look like long stem roses. But up close they look like tiny poinsettias. Anyway, Jim got me one and I love it. Jim loves flowers and I do, too. I like the white poinsettias and the other colors, but I think my favorite is the red.

Today we have to go to the dollar store and another store to buy yeast in bulk. The store we went to last night was the only one open and stuff is way too expensive there. So it will be busy today!

We just took the tree down and I vacuumed. Ours was a real tree and it lasted a good long time. There was hardly any needles that fell off. I wanted to leave the tree up until New Years. But the man of the house wanted to take it down. I always leave the manger scene up until after Valentines Day. I love it so much, as it was the first gift Jim ever got me. I enjoy looking at it and thinking of Mary and how Jesus is the king of Kings and Lord of Lords. I celebrate His birth death and resurrection all year long. But really not at Christmas. I can’t expose Him like that when there is so much worldliness goin’ on. It seems like a blasphemy to me. I mean, I know it’s supposed to be His birth, but to me, I love to worship Him and His birth in a more quiet way. So the manger scene is more precious to me the days after Christmas.

Well, duty calls. Wild Man is makin’ out lists right behind me at the table so I better scoot and go take my bath.

Have a fun day! Live out of your visions from your spirit. “What’s God told ya?” Plan on a miracle today and don’t prepare your house to not have one? Invite Wisdom for lunch and get the house ready for her. Don’t plan on defeat but on victory.

All is well. God is still on the throne. Expect a miracle.

Dear Wives and Mothers,

So many of you are going through such troubled times. Adultery is so out there in our society. I think when a man commits adultery against his wife that it is the worst of sins. I can’t think of anything worse than that. I am so sorry for what many of you go through. I mean, to lose your husband in death would be a lot easier. And so many ask me what they should do. Many are confused as to what to do.

Well, its all very simple. The Bible says that if the unbeliever wants to leave, let him. But the Bible doesn’t say you are free to remarry. Sure, a lot of believers do remarry. But the Bible says that you are bound to your husband for as long as you live. You are to remain unmarried or be reconciled to your husband. So, ya know, I have seen women who are just happy to be alone after their unbelieving husband left the family. To me, that would depend upon your age. As for me, I am not the type who would want to be alone without a man at any age. But some women are just ok with being alone.

So I think ya got a choice. If your husband leaves you, then you can just stay alone. I think the Bible gives you a way out. But the Bible doesn’t at all say to go remarry. So ya gotta consider this. Don’t wonder what God wants for you to do. Its clear that, yes, you are free if your husband leaves you. But you aren’t free to go about and look for another man. I mean, a lot of women do and it works out for ‘em. But this is not the Bible way.

And ya know, I am past all of this stuff. I don’t care if you are remarried or what not. I love you where you are. NO, I wouldn’t want for you to divorce your second husband who you have children with. As Aunt Toot used to say, “You can’t unscramble eggs.” I mean, I would fight for ya and your second or third marriage as fast as I would for any woman who was on her first marriage. God forgives us and we go on. But if you are married and your husband has committed adultery against you, and you want to please God, then don’t divorce unless you plan to stay single. No. If you out and out know the Word and you are a seasoned believer and you divorce and try to remarry? Man, are you in a heap of trouble.

Don’t let your husband who is an adulterer make you one, too. Sure, in the church world, anything goes. Oral Roberts’ son Richard divorces and remarries and never seemed to miss a beat. Well, no, but it sure hit Oral’s ministry. And he was always a great man. And it sure hurt the body of Christ and caused a lot of people to get a divorce and think it was ok to remarry and have a big ministry in the church. All very sad. And you may think you can play games with God and get away with it, but you can’t.

For many of you whose husband is committing adultery? It is only a test. God is looking for women who will hang in there and be Titus 2 mothers. Some of you are being tested good. But I would say that this all goes with the territory. We have the world soaked with adultery and God is going to choose Titus 2 mothers who know the scoop. Who were tempted above measure but put God first.

The Titus 2 mothers of today ain’t like the ones years ago. The ones now have to have some fire in their spine. God knows that the teacher can’t teach beyond what she knows or has experienced. So when God sees a woman worth her salt, then she will get tested. Like Job who was a righteous man, she is righteous. And Satan can’t beat her down, no matter what he wants to do. God doesn’t want the Titus 2 mother to drop dead in front of her young students. He wants the strong older woman to have been there and done that.

So, yes, I think the Lord especially calls the older Titus Mother. You don’t all of a sudden have wisdom because you are older as a Christian. You get wisdom through the testings. But it’s ok — this is only a test. Your TV (your soul) isn’t messed up — its only a test?

But, ya know, it’s all about you? The Bible isn’t confused on this issue.

And, ya know, God doesn’t need anymore half baked women up there tryin’ to preach the Gospel. If He sees a woman who will be true to Him, then He will work with her. He will throw at her a few opportunities to give up? He will allow the buzzzz of lies and confusion to attack her mind. But will she wait upon God or will she run for the gold of this world?

See, I always had a heart for the home and family, even when I was sorely tested in my own home. I was always shoveling dung out of my own home and out of the homes around me. Even in my 20s I had a burden for broken homes. I saw what it did to the children and the husband and wife and it broke my heart. So when I was tempted to leave and walk out, I thought twice about it, knowing I would be weakening the body of Christ.

Folks say I don’t love His body because I don’t go to church. It takes a lot more than goin’ to church. To help the body of Christ, it takes living a life for Him. It takes a lot of self sacrifice. Because if you choose to follow Him, then get ready to give your life for Him. You lay down your own hopes and dreams to follow Him. It’s being an empty vessel for His sake. You may be rich or you may not be. It’s up to Him.

But, dear Mother, adultery is nothing more than you make it. It hurts to be forsaken by your husband. Oh my gosh! It hurts like a firey arrow being thrust into your heart. And it burns there and, really, it will burn forever. You learn to carry it but, no, you are never really the same. You forgive, forget and go on, but are never the same. And ya gotta make a choice. Is my life here to be lived for the perfect marriage and the perfect husband, or is my life to be lived with integrity and faithfulness to God? Will I stay in the marriage and be an example or bail out under pressure? No, the Bible is not confusing concerning the issues of marriage and divorce and remarriage. It’s as it always has been. But it’s how you receive it. And all adultery ever is, is a lie.

The whores are always the same. They ain’t gonna be faithful to your husband if they knew he was married in the first place. If she isn’t faithful to stay away from him when she knew he was married, then she won’t be faithful to anyone. These women pop from one bed to the next. She will use your husband until she is done with him and he loses his home. Then she will go to the next victim and kill him and his home.

I have seen this many times. I have seen lately a man who was a good and honest worker. This whore drew him away from his home. She demanded to be first in his life above his kids from the first wife. She was a Christian, right? Well she bled this guy dry, who was supposed to be a Christian, too, by the way. He had the same job all of his life but, in the end, the whore got him and took everything he owned. Well, ain’t that just like a whore to do that?

So, anyway, it is your choice as to what ya wanna do. It is you who is confused and not the word of God. You have to take yourself in hand and decide how much you love yourself or the body of believers. Some women are not called as Titus 2 mothers and some are. It’s your choice.

I am past gettin’ all up in the air about women who want to divorce. Most of my friends are divorced. I love them all the same. But I am glad that I am not divorced. I am glad I stayed in my less than perfect marriage. Because now, Baby Girl, I have a good marriage. I am happy and joyful with Wild Man. God gave me a one of a kind marriage. And I probably went through more than what any of you did. But when it came to bailing out, I just couldn’t go. I could have committed adultery. I had plenty of time to do that. But I just thought I could serve Jesus better at home taking care of my kids. It’s just who ya wanna be for Jesus.

I am up in the night thinking of Christmas Dinner at noon today. My brother Scott gave our family a nice ham for Christmas. I had two chickens out thawing for dinner today. And Papa says maybe we could have the ham, too. I said, “Honey, my oven is not that big.” So we put the ham away for another day. Oh, men. At Christmas, they love to watch the little woman cook.

Anyway, I tried to stay in bed this morning. I mean, after all, it is 2:45 in the morning. But I went ahead and got the crock pot goin’ to make sure it boils for the mashed potatoes. And I put the chicken in the oven. I will bake it tonight and then just warm it up for my company. We will have 12 for Christmas Dinner.

I put two whole chickens in the oven in a big pan. I made a marinade for them. I just took about a fourth cup of vinegar with a fourth cup of oil, added spices, and put this on the chickens. The spices were celery seed, black pepper, salt and garlic. Then I just put a bunch of paprika on it to give it a festive look. I put some onion in the cavity of the chicken to hide the the poor onion from Papa. He loves onions but he don’t know it. I put the oven on about 450 and it will brown good. Then I will just turn the heat down and let it simmer until done. I want it to be a nice roasted brown. Then, after the chicken is done, I will take it out of the pan and make a gravy with homemade noodles in the pan, and then I will lay the two chickens back in the pan on the top of the noodles. I will just put the whole pan on the table.

I have some sage I dried from my garden and I will decorate with that. I bought some Amish made noodles and didn’t make my own this year. Then I will make dressing {stuffing} in another pan and a vegetable, and then we will have the mashed potatoes. Mary will bring bread and my Mom made a relish tray. I have cookies made and Aunt Toot’s pretty candy and some fudge. I guess no one will starve to death.

Also, this morning, I took out some grape juice to tone the Cordial down a bit. Yeeow!

Last night when Toot came over, she brought in a sack for my Christmas present. In it was about 10 cans of cat food. I tried to be polite. She loves to do this stuff. Bring Peggy Sue a present and not me! But it was a joke and she went back out to the car and got her pretty holly candy. Very funny, Aunt Toot.

Well, I deserve it for all the suffering Johnny used to put her through when he was a boy. We were always kidding Toot and putting her in embarrassing situations. Like the time she came over in a new outfit her husband had just bought her. John shot her with invisible ink. Wow, a big black spot right in the chest of a light mint green outfit. You should have seen her face. She about fainted. I thought she was gonna cry so I start yelling, “It’s invisible ink — it will become invisible.” I am looking over at John and whispering, “It will become invisible, right?” John just stood there enjoying the parade, acting like maybe it wouldn’t come out invisible. So I deserved cat food for Christmas this year. But never fear, the next practical joke will be my turn to perform on poor Aunt Toot. Hmmm I will think of something. I will let you know.

Well, I think maybe I can go back to bed. I will put the oven on very low and cover the chicken.

Merry Christmas.

Dear Christmas Mothers,

Last evening Lynetta came by for a Christmas visit. We laughed and had fun and drank a sip of the Cordial. And, of course, Lynetta took pictures and put them on the group. Peggy Sue had a merry time, too, although she was not allowed to drink the Cordial.

I often refer to Lynetta as Aunt Toot when I write about her. She used to be on the response group but is on the big group now. Anyway, she forgot her reading glasses on the table. She wrote me an email and thanked me for putting them up for her and not allowing Peggy Sue to wear them. Ya know, Peggy Sue would if she thought they would fit. Peggy Sue was her general happy go lucky self and put on a show for Aunt Toot.

Wild Man was at work. When Jim got home he visited awhile and ate and then he went to the store, as we needed eggs for today. But, of course, he brought home a poinsettia for Toot. It’s traditional!

Lynetta brought the most stunning Christmas holly I have ever seen. She made them out of cornflakes. I think she made them like you do the Rice Krispie treats but you do it with cornflakes. Then she put in a gorgeous dark green food coloring. So then she bunched them up like leaves and put dark red “red hots” candy on each bunch. They weren’t round piles like a cookie? She made them in the shape of leaves. They were honestly, without any exaggeration, the prettiest things I have ever seen. Jim thought so, too. We just had a fit over them. She put them in a black plastic plate and put a clear cover over them and a gold bow on the top. Absolutely stunning! She said her kids eat ‘em. Man, I don’t think I could eat one.

I will take some to the folks this evening for Christmas Eve. But I will definitely freeze some to just look at. Our Mary will love to see them, as they are like something she would make. They look really old fashioned. I think folks used to make like little wreathes with them in the 1970′s and then put the red hots on. But, to me, they are more artistic in the shapes of holly. Aunt Toot put like about 5 red hots in the middle of each cluster of leaves. Then, to separate the layers, she has the white wax paper. This white paper adds to the picture as it looks like white snow. If she is on the computer today, I will ask her to send the recipe.

One simple candy I made, too, was as follows. You just melt almond bark in the microwave, then spread it on a buttered cookie sheet. Then, while it is hot, you sprinkle crushed candy canes over it. Then let it dry and then break it up. Just put the candy canes in a plastic bag and crush them with a hammer. Anyway, I have had a lot of compliments on these. I took them to my aunt at the nursing home and the nurses asked my aunt to get my recipe. She had invited them to sample some. I will take a plate of this candy mixed with the green holly leaves from Aunty for Christmas Eve. It will make a lovely plate of candy.

I have a big old fashioned plate to put it on. I had gotten this plate at a sale. It is chipped on the side. But it is about 100 years old. The art on it is beautiful. It is different colors of green with large red and white and pink roses. Perfect for Christmas, and a perfect backdrop for Aunt Toot’s stunning handiwork.

This morning, I am boiling eggs to make filled eggs to bring. Mary is bringing breads. She used a cup of butter instead of oil in her Pumpkin Bread. I can’t wait to try that.

Tomorrow, for Christmas dinner, I am baking two whole chickens. I will make crock pot mashed potatoes. Then I will make noodles and gravy and sage dressing. I will have about 10 for Christmas dinner. I can’t wait to see Baby Rose. John’s family had to go back to Missouri for Christmas, but we will have them next year. I will miss little Romeo but we gave him many gifts and kisses before he left. I love that little boy so much. He is so ornery like my boys were.

Merry Christmas. Hold onto your dreams.

Recipe for Holly Leaves

1 stick of magarine
40 marshmallows or 4 cups mini marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. green food coloring
4 cups of any brand of corn flakes

Mix & lay on way paper in clumps.

Sprinkle with red hot candies…allow to harden on wax paper before putting on serving plate or storing.