God is in charge and I'm not. My emotions suck and are the death of me!

I feel very peaceful and calm this morning. I don't know if it is becaus e no one is out and about, or if it is the great side of my hormone cycle, I just really feel calm and nice! I love these days. I left my windows open all night long. It is nice to have some fresh air circulating through the house. It's chilly, but it still is nice. I do have a space heater I can turn on  if it gets unbearable. The coffee is now running, so it won't be so bad. I am all stuffy this morning too. The air even smells good. I really like that. Yesterday I was able to get some planting done and even got in a small bicycle ride, which was nice to do. I have an area marked off for a hosta bed, so I look forward to getting that done and it being completed. I love this about summer in the midwest!!! I look forward to things turning. Even in the fall when that seasonal cycle begins, I love the changes. I love seeing new green growth in the spring. I love how it feels when a summer storm comes through and breaks the heat of the day. You just can't get this living ANYWHERE. We have the perfect place. I love the proximity to the river. I love the fertility of this ground. Recently the frogs hav ebegun their sining in the field next to out trailer park. That is heavnly as well. I also filled a couple planters with some Dusty Miller as well as some dark red coleus. I can't wait until that grows up so I can take cuttings and propagate them. They root very easily and they are beautiful.

The milk came out nicely, but needs some tweaking, since it came out a little weaker than I would have likedd it. I'll be using that for milk.

I have some sourdough starter working it'self together in the toaster oven....should be ready in a couple weeks to make bread. I'm excited about that too!

From my friend Patsy at Homesteading Today:

It IS easy! The 1st time can be a little intimidating, but don't let that stop you! The recipe is very easy to halve or double.
Soak 2 C dry soybeans in 2 qts water about 10 hours. Increase soaking time if temp is much below 70* & shorten if its much above 70*. After soaking, drain & rinse, drain & rinse again. At this point, you can refrigerate if you need to, & finish the next day.
Add 6 C fresh water to soybeans & grind/puree in blender a little at a time. (Like maybe 1/2 C at a time). Meanwhile, start heating 2 1/2 qts water in large pot. If using a meat grinder, grind the soy beans twice using the finest blade & heat 4 qts. water.
Add the ground beans to the heated water. Heat to a boil, stirring often, & watch carefully, as it will foam up suddenly as it begins to boil.
Line a colander with a sturdy piece of cotton cloth ( I use dish towels) & set it over a large container. When bean mix boils, pour it into the cloth to strain off the milk. Pull up the sides of the cloth & squeeze with spoon, potato masher, etc. to remove as much milk as possible. The grainy stuff left is okara. Put it into a container with hot water. Stir, then pour into colander, too. When in cools some, you can squeeze the cloth by hand for the last little bit of milk. This makes 3-4 qts milk. I use the okara fresh or dried as an extender- meat loaf, spaghetti, oatmeal, etc. (use your imagination) It has little flavor, & I figure it adds nutrition. Its easy to dry in the dehydrator. You can also dry it in a very low oven. Turn often or stir to dry the okara evenly. The damp okara will keep a few days in the fridge, indefinitely if dried.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't. And it really doesn't take long, except if it boils over.....it foams up FAST!!!!
Patsy

This was a great experience. I will let you all know in the morning how it tastes on cereal. I'm pretty excited about having learned this. In other homesteading news, I planted a garden, a VERY small garden, and I purchased a water bath canner. Looking forward to what I can grow in the garden. also looking forward to preserving my food. That will be its own post. It has rained all day tody and it rained yesterday too. Good for me. I want to plant other things too, but one payday at a time.

Also, since the soymilk is cooling to the perfect temp for soyghurt, I've decided to drag out the yoghurt maker....after that it will be yoghurt cheese. I'll post results!

I made my own laundry detergent. Half bar Fels Naptha, 1 cup borax and 1 cup washing soda. I grated the fels into a pot of water, boiled it and melted the soap down, then I added the hot water to the cups of powders, and then I mixed, all three together in a five gallon bucket while adding more hot water to fill the bucket. This should last me a while! I went back to wiping with cloth, as I really don't want to be putting that down the draiin, plus, I don't like how toilet paper breaks up on me. Cloth is much more durable and can be machine washed. I can pour the whole bucket of rags in the washer and let the thing do it's work.

U2 have recently made another studio Album: No Line on the Horizon. I already love the album, from a fan base...I haven't even heard the album, but there is just something about the heart of that man Bono that just speaks to someplace deep inside of me. The Irish Isle is calling me again, after several years pf dormancy. I just don't understand. I think God is calling me back to my poetry as well...thought that was almost over too! I'm a strange one. My heart just yearns for those people. Recent days have left a bad taste in my mouth, as there were two British Soldiers killed at a base in Northern Ireland. It really hurts my heart again...someplace deep that I"m really unfamiliar with to be quite honest. My love for this band really peaked in about 2002-3. I thought I had truly given them up. It's sort of like an addiction or something. I just don't understand it...they are talented but this man Bono speaks to my soul...makes me dream. Haven't dreamt in a while...not like this man Bono calls me to dream....he makes me want to make the world a better place for others...he's inspiring...not God but definitely a grand heart...idenifies with the great King David....I  want a heart like King David myself. Willingness to repent...to make it right...to get back up after falling flat on my face....to get off my knees and onto my feet to put my hand back to the plow and never look back...."don't turn around...don't you turn around again...don't turn around..your Gypsy heart"

My house has been pretty chilly for the last few days and I finally decided that it was time to crank the heatback up to 80 degrees. Boy did that take the chill off well! I just cannot tolerate the cold like mostcan and I don't want to be dressed in military strength cold weather gear and be sitting in my livingroom! I figure I'm paying electric bills here, I should be warm enough. I cannot yet get the insulation I want so I'll just keep the heat up to 80. In my apartments I have lived in with better insulation, 70 is plenty warm for me.

If it passes, companies will have to charge more for their services. If it doesn't pass, there will still be the overburdened poor. If it doesn't pass, I would like to see more people persue an education, instead of being satisfied with government handouts. I'm not for sure what the answer is. Maybe we shouldn't pass this. That would force people to think about where their lives are headed and they can make some needed changes. The unfortunate among us are the ones who are in some form of developmental disadvantage. THESE are the ones who really need a safety net.