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September 4, 2020December 15, 2022

Janoel 12 Incubator Review and Helpful Tips

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Read what I like and do not like about the Janoel 12 Incubator. I share a few tips I have used to help this incubator work for me.

While I have used different incubators, I have found the Janoel 12 to be my go to incubator right now. To be open here, I have used the Incuview (plastic), and the Little Giant Styrofoam incubator with the addition of a fan. I have listened to others experiences with different incubators. Of course, the price has influenced my personal incubator purchases.

My flock of 3 heritage breeds consists of breeding pens made up of 1 or 2 roosters with 1 to 6 hens. To clarify I do not put one hen with 2 roosters. Due to the smaller pen sizes and my desire to track what chicks hatch from each pen, I like the incubators that hatch a smaller number of eggs. I share this to provide a picture of where I am coming from with my current goals.

Table of Contents

What I like about the Janoel 12 Incubator

1. Price

I find it hard to beat for the price of slightly over $50.00, based on what I see available on the market. This incubator has an auto turner, temperature settings can be modified and a display of real time temperature.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Learn more by clicking the picture above.

2. Auto Turner

The auto turner provides room for 6 to 12 eggs. I say 6 because with larger eggs that is about all that fits on the turner. Given the fact I may only have 5 or 6 eggs from a specific breeding pair, this incubator serves an important purpose on CG Heartbeats Farm. I have found a way to place close to 30 eggs in the Janoel 12 incubator. See my Tips for the Janoel 12 Incubator in this post.

3. Bottom Half Cleans Easy

I love the how easy cleaning the bottom of this incubator is. To start I dump out the water and mess. I spray outside with a garden hose. Next, I put apple cider vinegar in the bottom and the amount varies based on how dirty it is. I fill almost to the top with water and allow it to soak for several hours. The mess simply does not stick to the sides or interior bottom. The tray takes a bit of scrubbing with a brush to get the stubborn stuff off. I wipe the legs of the hatching tray with a paper towel. I also wipe the bottom half inside and out to dry it.

4. I Hatch Chicks with the Janoel 12

Examples include a hatch that started with 14 eggs, 2 were not fertile, at lockdown there were 11 viable eggs and the end result was 9 chicks. In another (1 time) instance, all 10 eggs hatched. I generally have a decent hatch rate with this incubator. There are several factors that influence how well a hatch goes. I will share that the first couple times I used this incubator I was not successful. I needed to determine the right amount of water to add at lockdown and I share that later in this post.

5. 360 degree View

The sides provide a view all the way around the incubator.

6. Adjustable Spacing in the Janoel 12 Turner

The spacers in the turner allows the width of each row to be a custom fit.

A way to adjust turner spacing on the Janoel 12

7. Durable

The longer I use this incubator, the more I am impressed with its durability. I have hatched in my original incubator for 3 years, gaining multiple batches of chicks each year.

Purchase your own Janoel 12 Incubator by clicking the picture.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

What I do not like about the Janoel 12 Incubator

1. Cleaning Inside of the Top

Cleaning any part of the top requires a screw driver to remove parts. It is simple to take part and put together, but more time consuming due to needing to remove several screws. I do not clean the top every time.

2. Lack of Setting Options

While the temperature is displayed and can be changed, that is the only setting. This model does not provide other settings such as a count down to hatch day, or a setting based on current room temperatures. There is not a humidity reading or a way to automate humidity levels. I have experimented with how much water to add at lockdown, based on the climate here in northern Indiana.

3. Not made in America

I like to purchase products made in America. This incubator is not.

4. Harder to See

While there is a 360 view of the eggs, the durable plastic has a bit of smoky haze when looking through it or taking pictures. The view is not as clear compared to other incubators I have used or seen used. I have noticed after several hatches the plastic becomes scratched, clouding the view.

Tips for Using Janoel 12

How to fit 20 plus eggs in the Janoel 12 Incubator

If I remove the tray the turner sets on and place in the hatching tray, the Janoel 12 holds 20 to 25 eggs. The eggs need to be hand turned. I try for 6 times a day, but fall short some days. This starts a larger group of eggs. Often when I use this method, I know that it is likely not all eggs will be fertile. If the number of fertile eggs drop low enough after a week, I begin to use the turner. If not, I am committed to hand turning the eggs until lockdown. Either way, I end up with a higher number of chicks compared to only using the turner from day one.

Adding Water at Lockdown

I have found the best hatch results by adding ½ cup to ¾ cup of water at lockdown. The room humidly plays a part in my determination. To date, I use the dry hatch method. I may add a ¼ cup water on day 17 depending on the size of the air cells when I candle. If I do, I would only add ¼ cup to ½ cup more at lock down.

Note the incubator in the picture is not on a level surface. The water level is not equal but this is a general idea of what it looks like.

Maintaining a Hatch

The eggs often become bunched when using the auto turner. Maybe I do not have the spaces set correctly? I am not sure if that is the cause. I check the eggs once a day when they are on the turner and place them in a better spot.

“I like this incubator so well I have three.”
Maria Graber

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

In Conclusion

The Janoel 12 has been my go to incubator this year. I even purchased a second one in April, to hatch out different batches in. As I said, knowing the chicks correct parentage ranks high for me and the Janoel 12 helps me meet this goal. Is it a perfect incubator? No, but when I consider the small amount I invested in each one and all the ways it serves my purposes. I am excited to use the Janoel 12. I would love to hear your experience with the Janoel 12. Please reach out using the form below to send me an email with your questions or leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

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August 31, 2020August 31, 2020

How to Process Bread and Butter Pickles

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My grandma used to make Bread and Butter Pickles. They were my favorite over dill pickles. I recall an open jar of bread and butter pickles on many a Sunday dinner table. I usually ate a few with whatever what served that day. We did not need to be eating sandwiches to eat bread and butter pickles. We ate them for the flavor.

Table of Contents

Memories

I reached out to my aunts to find out if they had a recipe passed down by my grandma to them. A few hours later, I had a picture of a hand written recipe card text to me from an aunt.

A warm feeling flooded my heart remembering my grandma as I looked at the familiar handwriting which had filled letters, cards and notes sent or given to me over the 34 years I was blessed to have this particular grandma in my life.

Bread and butter pickles, tasting like hers were not easy to find. Now, given the opportunity to create my own, I could hardly sleep. my excitement building. The 2 Tokyo Green variety plants produced 50 plus cucumbers in a week. I had plenty to work with, eat and share with family.

In years gone by, pickles were soaked, prior to canning, in either alum or lime to promote a crisper pickle. For myself, I choose my health over a crisp pickle and opted to leave out the soaking process.

Her recipe written for a batch of 6 lbs. of cucumbers required a bit of math on my part. Instead of combining all of the spice and seeds, I would be placing a specific amount in each jar similar to the way I prepared the Dill Pickles.

Here is my version of my grandma’s Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe. Spoiler alert: Yes, they do taste like my grandma’s, despite skipping the unhealthy step of soaking in alum and adding less sugar. And no, I did not open a jar I canned. Keep reading to learn more.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Ingredients

2 T Tumeric
Large Onion Chopped
2 T Celery Seed
2 & 1/2 T Mustard Seed
7 lbs. Cucumbers
3 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
3 cups Water
Redmond Sea Salt
2 – 4.5 cups of Sugar (amount is optional)

Tools

Water Bath Canner
7-pint jars
Lids
Rings
Pot
Jar lifter
Plastic Spoon
Towels

The Preparation

I sterilized the jars by boiling 10 min in the water bath canner prior to filling the jars.

Filling a pot with 3 cups water, 3 cups apple cider vinegar and 2 ¼ cups Evaporated Cane power as a sugar substitute, I started these heating on the stove while I filled the jars.

Preparing Jars

Add 1/3 T of Turmeric

Next, 1/2 T of Celery Seed

The third ingredient to go into the jar is 1/2 T of Mustard Seed

I grabbed a handful of chopped onions and placed into the jar. Since a handful is subjective a better description would be just enough to cover the bottom of the jar.

I measured between a 1/2 and 1/3 T of Redmond Sea Salt. This salt has a flavor all its own. It has not been processed like many other sea salt options on the market.

My last step before adding the brine to the jars was to slice the cucumbers and stuff as many as I could into each jar. I strived to keep the level of cucumbers below the threads of the jar.

By the time I had the jars ready the brine was boiling on the stove. It had reached a boil before I was ready for it so I turned it way down. Also, I stirred it a couple times until I knew the sugar had dissolved.

I filled the jars to a ½ inch below the top of the jar or just below the threads.

After using the plastic spoon to push any air bubbles to the top and squashing most of them, I cleaned the rims. I placed lids on the jars and rings.

Processing in Water Bath

Off I went to the water bath canner a few jars at a time. When the water reached a heavy rolling boil, I noted the time. After 10 min, had past, I removed the processed jars setting them on a towel.

I love hearing the pop of sealing canned goods. And yes, again I covered the jars with a towel too. If you did not read my post on How to Can Dill Pickles, you might not know I picked up this habit from canning with my grandma as a child.

I will say the workflow is a bit different because of heating the brine, but still an easy process, this thing of canning bread and butter pickles.

I mean it simply isn’t on the same level of needing to dodge a stallion about to plow me over or standing my ground when a wild mustang stallion charged my direction with his ears pinned. Ah, the quiet life I lead these days.

Completed

I canned a total of 15 pints and 2 quarts. The quart jars I processed for an extra 5 minutes, a total of 15 minutes.

Since I had extra brine left over and hated to waste it, I put it in a glass jar with all the other ingredients except chopped onion as I was out. Covering the jar with a lid and rim I placed in the refrigerator. I sampled the next morning, evening and morning of day 2. The flavor continues to improve. These ingredients seem to work for refrigerator pickles too.

Tips

Wash Cucumbers and remove both ends before slicing. I keep a pan of water close as I slice.
Have the water in Canning pot hot and close to boiling as possible before placing the fill jars into process. It is important to fill hot jars and add a hot brine so the jars are not cold going into the almost boiling water. The glass may break if you place a cold glass jar in boiling hot water.

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August 19, 2020August 19, 2020

How to Can Dill Pickles

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The two Tokyo Green Cucumber plants produced over 20 cucumbers in 3 days. I decided to can dill pickles. Knowing the increase in harvest would happen soon last week I had looked up various recipes and methods. I chatted with friends to hear their process.

This is my first year raising Tokyo Green cucumbers. They were gifted to me from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Read about all the other new garden plants I am raising here at CG Heartbeats Farm by clicking below.

Plant Trials on a Homestead

Table of Contents

Memory Lane

I recalled my grandma’s crocks of marinating cucumbers beside the stairs to the clean basement. Oh, I almost smell the scents that rose up where my grandfather created anything from furniture to trinkets out of wood.

I learned folks used to soak cucumbers in lime or allum to crisp up the future pickles. I decided I would omit this part based on my desire to keep my process as healthy as possible. It seems many do not use this method now.

Before I started, I reached out to my aunts to find out if they had a recipe for my grandma’s bread and butter pickles. I was rewarded with a photo of my grandma’s hand written recipe card for bread and butter pickles. I want to try my hand at those next week.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Ingredients for Dill Pickles

Water
Vinegar
Salt for pickling
Dill Seed
Garlic
Onion

Tools

Glass Canning Jars
Canning Rings
Water Bath Canner
Jar Lifter
Stock Pot
Table or counter top
Stove

Preparation for Dill Pickles

Saturday, I purchased dill seed, and onions recently, and had a stash of wide mouth lids I have been intentionally accumulating. Also on Saturday, I harvested 10 cucumbers and stored them in the refrigerator. The day I canned, I harvested 14 additional cucumbers. I used around 20 cucumbers to make 14 pints of dill pickles.

I washed 7 pint jars to begin and placed them in a stock pot on the stove to warm them. You may desire to sterilize them in this manner, but I did not heat the jars hot enough for this.

Rather my goal was to reduce the amount of time they needed to reach the boiling point in the water bath to promote crisper pickles.

While the jars heated in the water filled stock pot, I cleaned and prepped 2 bulbs of garlic raised here on CG heartbeats Farm

Spanish Rojo Garlic smaller in size has an earthy flavor.

Metechi produces slightly more oil when pressed.

Montana Garlic has a mild flavor and 6 cloves per bulb.

Majestic

Click on the garlic of your choice to pre-order your selection.

Music Garlic is mild similar to Montana in flavor.

Elephant is known for its mild flavor as it is actually from the leek family.

German Garlic provides a strong flavor for stews and other cooking projects.

Limited availability of all varieties

My Process to Can Dill Pickles

First, I placed 1 tablespoon of dill seed in each jar.

Second, I chopped 2 cloves of garlic into each pint jar and added around a tablespoon of salt.

Third, I sliced Tokyo Green cucumbers into spear shapes filling the seven jars.

I filled the jars half full with apple cider vinegar and added hot water to just below the threads.

I pressed the top of the cucumbers with a plastic spoon to release air bubbles.

After, wiping the rim of the jars clean, setting the lids in place, I turned on the metal rings. Note: I often heat the lids prior to setting them on the jars, but skipped this time due to time and space constraints.

I felt excited to place the prepared jars into the water bath canner. I turned up the heat and waited for the water to boil.

Noting the time when I seen the water had a heavy rolling boil, I waited ten minutes. At this point, I started removing the processed dill pickles to cool. I like to set the jars on towel and often cover them with a towel to keep the heat in. A habit I picked up from watching my grandmother can food in her blue kitchen.

Checking for Sealed Lids

Is there any sound so sweet to a homesteader’s ears as the pop of a jar sealing? I heard the distinct pop a few times in the course of setting jars of dill pickles out to cool. A streak of excitement flowed through me every time!

I waited until the next day to inspect each jar lid to know for sure they were sealed. To my delight all 14 had sealed.

Do you know how to tell if a jar has sealed? Look at the next pictures for examples of sealed jars and jars which have not sealed.

Sealed and Unsealed

No bubble in the center of the lid. This jar is sealed.

Notice the bubble in the middle of the lid. This jar is not sealed in the picture. It sealed later.

Any jars found to have not sealed properly need to be placed in the refrigerator and eaten in the coming weeks. Dill pickles keep for at least 4 weeks under refrigeration. Other canned foods will have different times limits before spoiling.

Other Variations of Dill Pickles

In the second set of 7 pints I canned I added white onion to 5 of the jars and instead of cutting the cucumbers into spears, I sliced them. Searching for a knife to cut them in fancy ripples, I discovered I do not have one.

My two Tokyo Green cucumber plants will be producing cucumbers for weeks to come. I think I will make bread and butter pickles, perhaps relish, and additional dill pickles for they are quite easy to make. Or, I might try adding red bell pepper to add a pretty red color.

What other variations and ideas do you have for preserving cucumbers? I would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below.

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August 10, 2020August 10, 2020

Tomato Juice: How to Prepare and Preserve

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To my recollection, the last time I canned anything was around 20 years ago. As I am producing my own food, canning is one of the homestead activities I want to incorporate back into my life. One family branch has a tradition of eating tomato gravy at Christmas gatherings. I have been blessed with a wonderful crop of heirloom tomatoes. In August of 2019, I decided to make tomato juice for my own consumption and as a base for the tomato gravy this coming holiday season.

Table of Contents

List of Supplies

Clean pots
Sharp knife
Scrap bucket
Pan with water
Jars
Lids
Rims
Stomper/Colander
Pan/pot for juice to drain into
Water bath canner or pressure cooker
Ladle
Funnel
Measuring cup

Food Ingredients

Tomatoes
Garlic
Onions
Water

Before I share my personal experience making tomato juice, do you want to learn other ways to begin living a homestead lifestyle? Click this link to learn other ways to start living a homestead live-style.

Prep Tomatoes for Tomato Juice

First, gathering a knife, a pan of cool water, 2 clean pots, a scrap bucket, and of course a five-gallon bucket full of tomatoes, I sat on the front porch of my neighbor’s house and cut up tomatoes.

What I started with
Pan with water. I changed the water once when I was halfway through.
Clean pot to cook the tomatoes in.
Srapes or waste left from prepping the tomatoes to cook.
For the fun of jumping ahead: the result. From a heaping 5-gallon bucket of tomates I now have 6 quarts of tomato juice and 7 pints.

I removed any bad spots and the cores. These large, heirloom tomatoes filled 2 pots. I spent 30 to 40 minutes cutting these up.

Before I started cooking the tomatoes on the stove, I cleaned up the jars I wanted to use. My basement has become dirty over the last few years. So, I cleaned them outside with a hose, before cleaning them again inside.

Cook Tomatoes

I added a glass of water to the smaller pan, and 2 glasses of water to the larger pan. I realized later I did not need to add that much water. While I have canned food before, tomato juice is a first for me.

Cut tomatoes in pot — The tomatoes are starting to cook down in this picture.

My plan was to work with my friend, but she needed to be elsewhere. I knew I needed to process those tomatoes or I would end up not getting it done. Feeling excited and a bit unsure, I decided I would move ahead one step at a time. I expected her to return home while I was cooking the tomatoes off, however as life happens, she was unable to be there as early as she thought. I looked up online how long to water bath tomato juice.

Cooked tomatoes — Ready to make tomato juice.

As the tomatoes cook, I prepared candy onions and garlic to add to the tomato juice. I added two onions and a garlic clove to one of the pots as the tomatoes cooked for an experiment of sorts.

Stomper and pan where the tomatoes are pressed for juice — Colander to press cooked tomatoes into tomato juice.

I phoned another friend of mine. I felt a bit unsure. After our chat, I felt more confident. I decided how I was going to add the garlic and onion. I would place one garlic clove and a small onion or a portion of an onion in the jars, for additional flavor. Oops, I realized by that point that I added more water than I needed to. The additional veggies would give the juice additional flavor. Thanks, Dolli!

Tomato juice with onion — The garlic sank to the bottom of the jar and the onion floated to the top.

A closer look at the lids and rings I had found new in their package in my basement, showed me the lids were definitely not fit to use. When the tomatoes were sufficiently cooked, I ran into town to buy new lids.

Stomp Tomatoes to Make Tomato Juice

Using a large pan and stomper, I set out to make my first tomato juice. I pictured myself pouring the contents of the pan (cooked off tomatoes) into the stomper. I seen myself making a huge mess. Instead, I used a ladle to place the cooked tomatoes in the stomper.

Making tomato juice — All that remained after one pot of cooked tomatoes was pressed

My mind wonder as I pushed out the juice to the days of my past. I remember making applesauce in my grandma’s kitchen using similar tools. I am quite fond of applesauce. Remembering fond memories of my youth when member of the family would work together preserving food, feelings of nostalgia lurked in my mind. Despite beginning to get tired, I felt excited to be canning again. Canning touches the creative side of me.

Jars

Inside I rinsed and dried 6-quart jars and 7-pint jars in hot, hot water. I allowed them to air dry on a towel. I again used a ladle to dip the juice from the pan into the jars.

When my friend returned home, I ask her, “do you have a faster way to do this?” We laughed as she said, “oh yes, I do. What was I thinking?” That certainly sped up the process. She handed me a funnel and measuring cup. The measuring cup had a handle and a spout to pour out of. Perfect!

With the jars full, I cleaned of the rims of the jars. The things that come back to me as I went through this process. I remember my grandma using this little sauce pan to heat the lids before placing them on the jars. I am quite certain I have that little pan somewhere, or one like it. For this process, I skipped that step.

Canning Process

Placing lids and rims on the 6-quart jars that I had cleaned the rims into the canner they went. We used her tap water to fill the canner (water bath). The water almost reached the top of the jars. I waited until the water was at a rolling boil.

I took note of the time and made a metal note of what time the jars would be done. During this time, I continued stomping the second pot of cooked tomatoes. I had enough to fill the 7 pint jars I had cleaned. When the pints were filled, clean and covered with lids and rims. I washed up as many of the dishes as I could.

There was only a small amount of waste from all of the tomatoes that were cooked and stomped. To take a guess, I would say it would not have filled a quart jar. Her chickens would get them for a treat. The waste from cutting the tomatoes before cooking went to my house.

Six quarts of tomato juice waiting for water to boil — Six quarts of tomato juice ready to be canned.

When the quarts were done cooking, I ran home to get my own canner. Returning, I took the 7 quarts home in that and later that night I canned those. A side note here: I used water purchased in town to process the pints at home. The tap water left a residue on the quart jars. The purchased water did not.

Cool

I removed the quart jars from the canner placing them on a towel on the counter. I covered the 6 jars with another towel. Some of the jars had already begun to seal. They sat on my friend’s counter for a couple days until I could get back over to pick them up.

Tomato juice waiting to be processed — These 7 pints of tomato juice waiting to be processed.

Storing Tomato Juice

On Tuesday, I stored them in my basement. Here they will sit for future use. The 6 quarts are for making tomato gravy at one of the family Christmas gathering. Yum, I feel hungry thinking about the delicious taste. Have you ever eaten tomato gravy? Leave me a comment below to let me know.

I skipped the part where I write the date on the lids. If I can more, I will go ahead and date them.

Yield

I was rewarded with 6 quarts and 7 pints.

Did this inspire you to preserve food? Are you looking for other ways to live a homestead life style? Use this link for more ideas: 10 Ways to Begin a Homestead Life Today.

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August 6, 2020August 6, 2020

Plant Trials on a Homestead

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Table of Contents

Trying New Garden Plants 2020

I continue to research, conducting unofficial plant trials, as I look for the best producing plants which also market and provide value to local and online customers.

Late last year, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds donated 10 seed packages of my choice as way to support both this website and homestead. Check them out using the link: https://www.rareseeds.com

I took this exciting opportunity to choose new plants to try here on CG Heartbeats Farm. I want to update the progress on a few of the different seeds I choose and other plant trials from other sources. Our growing season rolls into August and here in northern Indiana and zone 5 we are about halfway through a normal season.

An Overview

I had a few preconceived ideas about certain plants I tried out this year. But first, these plants trials are a part of my research to find the best types of products to raise here at CG Heartbeats Farm and meet the needs of local customers while working to create a sustainable income from 11.7 acres.

My biggest surprise has been how well the peanuts sprouted and grew. My biggest disappointment? The Quinoa did not even sprout.

I thought long and hard about the location of where I wanted to try these new seeds. Soil type and drainage plays a huge part in the success of any plant production. Currently all of the garden space sits high on the property with a sandy subsoil providing a well-drained soil. The fertility of the soil varies slightly, as the does the topsoil construction. Sandy loam to varying degrees of clay would describe it best.

Almost all of my garden space once provided a place for the chickens to live outdoors (see Chickens on the Homestead). Thus, chicken manure has been added naturally to the existing soil composition. In the new garden space this year, the soil is actually to over laden with manure.

One are of the 10 ft. by 20 ft. garden has not sprouted a single seed. I think by next year it will be ready to produce wonderfully. There manure deposited there was too much for the seeds to develop.

Mid-Season Update for Plant Trials

Sorghum

After deep thought, I decided to plant the Sorghum south of the Glass Gem Popcorn mounds with beans and squash. Going into August, I clearly see the Sorghum needed to be on the north end of the garden space.

It is towering over the glass Gem Popcorn. I planed them the same day. I did later reseed sorghum, popcorn, and beans in spots they did not sprout the first time.

Flax

I learned I need to to use Flax seeds abundantly. Not every seed sprouted or 50% fed the birds. In one area I accidently dropped quite a few seeds. As pictured below these group of seeds I dropped produced a nice grouping.

Next year I will plant seeds closer together in groupings. So, the seeds are plants are slightly closer to each other.

Quinoa

Quinoa as a part of CG Heartbeats Farm plant trials, taught me I needed to plant these earlier. They like cool soil. I planted them in warm soil. I will try Quinoa in 2021, but none of the quinoa sprouted in 2020

Tokyo Green Cucumbers

I planted all the seeds I had in a 10-foot row. At first, I had 4 to 5 growing. Three of the plants that sprouted were choked out by grass when I was gone for a week. You would not know it now looking at the tremendous growth of only 2 plants.

I am impressed with the number of cucumbers I have already from 2 plants. I have harvested almost 20 in the last two weeks since they started producing.

Peanuts

Oh, these Kentucky Red Peanuts are fun. I am learning as I go and hoping to pull peanuts out of the ground. To date, I am impressed with how well the plants sprouted and grew.

I have begun to see flowers, but now waiting to see them bury down into the soil to grow peanuts. Just today I found where a flower has buried itself in the ground. This is how peanuts grow and develop. Simply fun, I think!

Lincoln Peas

I do not think I choose the best location to plant the peas. Why? I am not certain the peas receive enough sun through out the day. The part of the row where the sun shines the longest is growing tallest and producing the most peas.

I reseeded around a month ago at the end of June. Thankfully, the second planting has sprouted better than the first. I am waiting for them to grow and produce peas. I intend to plant more plants next year.

Herbs

Dill

Four Dill plants are growing nicely in a pot.

I will transplant them to my future herb garden I am working on creating this summer.

Lemon Balm

To date even my second planting as not sprouted.

Sage

The Sage seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds have sprouted producing several plants.

I will be adding them to the herb garden this month. I might add, after I weed the herb garden. The weeds or grass as it actually is has the upper hand at the moment.

Additional New Plant Trials

Elephant garlic

Last fall I ordered and planted Elephant garlic. I expected a larger bulb, but went ahead and planted what I had received. The plants did not get as tall as I thought. You see, I expected 6 to 8 feet instead of 3 to 4 feet. The bulbs I harvested were not exceptionally large. In fact, they are smaller than other varieties I raise. The cloves themselves in some of the bulbs are larger.

I will plant the largest Elephant garlic cloves I have this fall and see what next year’s harvest looks like. If I am still getting small bulbs, I may find a new source and try again.

Egyptian Walking Onion

I am excited for this variety of onion here on CG Heartbeats Farm. Unfortunately, the moles decided to tunnel right where I had planted them. Either, the moles ate or disrupted them over the winter. There was only one spouting this spring.

To date no bulbs have appeared at the tops of the onion stems. I am waiting and checking weekly or signs. Egyptian Walking Onions, a fun, sustainable plant, produces a top bulb which falls to the ground and creates a new onion plant. All parts of the plant are edible.

In Conclusion

It is fun watching the development of new produce. I think, my favorite to watch is the Kentucky Red Peanut plants. The trial and error of finding out the best way to create sustainable income is an ongoing process for which I am thankful to be a living part.

I get excited thinking about what plant trials 2021 may bring. Time to go shopping! Look for posts this fall sharing the details of how each variety I tried for the first time grew and produced.

Leave a comment sharing any new plants you have tried this year and how they are growing and producing.

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July 31, 2020July 31, 2020

5 Ways to Use Garlic

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Here are 5 ways to use garlic in your kitchen. I have included recipes I created over the last few years.

One might need a bit of bravery to pop a whole clove of garlic in their mouth and start chewing. I have been known to do just that.

Table of Contents

5 Ways to Use Garlic

Scrambled eggs
Goulash
Garlic tea
Bake
Sauté

Scrambled Eggs

Minced or pressed garlic is a favorite of mine when cooking scrambled eggs. I use a garlic press to create little pieces and press directly into a hot cast iron skillet after adding coconut oil.

Often, I add an extra clove or two for my own eating pleasure. After it caramelizes, but before it burns, I use a spatula to scoop the cooked pieces out on a plate to cool. Oh, the delicious taste! Of course, I only recommend if you actually like the taste of it. I will add heating the it takes the sting out. You know the burn you get eating it raw.

When I add garlic to scrambled eggs, I use a Mexican flavored shredded Colby Jack cheese, onion (sometimes) and peppers if I have them. Any time I make scrambled eggs, I add whipping cream to the eggs along with salt and pepper before placing in the pan.

Scrambled Egg Ingredient List

eggs
1 large garlic clove
¼ cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ cup shredded cheese
½ medium sized onion

Goulash

Another favorite dish of mine is a stovetop dish, I call goulash.

Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger
½ to ¾ box of shell noodles
1 to 2 garlic cloves
a quart of V8 juice
1 pint of stewed tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Begin by heating water in a pot to cook the shell noodles. Start cooking the hamburger. Add the pressed pieces and chopped onion to the hamburger as it cooks. I add salt and pepper to the hamburger at this point.

Place the shell noodles in the boiling water.

When the hamburger has cooked thoroughly, I add a pint of stewed tomatoes, and a quart of V8 juice. Once this mixture begins steaming, I turn down the heat to a simmer.

As soon as the shell noodles are slightly soft, I drain the shell noodles and place them back into the pot I cooked them in. Next, I add the hamburger mixture. I continue to cook all the ingredients together until the shells are cook to desired softness.

After I dish out my portion, I top with Parmesan cheese.

Garlic Tea

I choose to drink garlic tea because mixing minced pieces with water removes the burning sensation I feel when eating it raw. But I am still getting the benefits of the raw product. I read waiting ½ hour after cutting or crushing enacts allicin.

Instructions

Heat water to boiling.
Place in cup.
Using a garlic press crush into pieces directly in a cup of boiling water (include the oil).
Cover and allow it to seep for 30 min.
Drink and if you desire eat the crushed garlic too.

Bake Garlic

Drizzle a whole clove with olive oil, coconut oil or other oil of your choice. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes covered to soften it. Uncover it, cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes to caramelize them.

Sauté

Using a skillet, place garlic cloves and oil of your choice. I like olive or coconut oil. Cook stirring often. When cloves are soft and caramelized remove skins. Eat as is or spread on bread.

Order garlic from CG Heartbeats Farm by clicking the link below.

CLick to order garlic

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July 15, 2020July 20, 2020

Seasons ~ Summer 2020

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Summers bring heat and humidity to northern Indiana. While I enjoy warm sun on my skin, I do not like the sweat, dripping days of high humidity. I have high expectations for summer 2020 homestead goals I want to complete no matter how I try not to.

My biggest health challenge in summer involves drinking enough water, napping and resting when I need to in order to feel good enough to work hard. Perhaps I need to define good enough. I need to be able to function with out getting light headed every time I squat down and stand up or running out of breath after only working for 30 min.

To complete a task, I must not be exhausted when I begin. If I am exhausted after, well now, I joyfully see a job complete and happily rest. I bring you my list of hopeful goals for the summer of 2020 at CG Heartbeats Farm.

Table of Contents

Animals in Summer 2020

Chicken Goals

Work projects for the chickens involves cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Here is the list:

Pen cleaning
Deep clean incubators
Clean empty brooders

Continue reading to learn where I moved roosters, hens and grow outs into new pens. I have a few Swedish Flower Hen chickens who I will be moving in the coming weeks.

Hatching plans are limited to am going to setting a few Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner eggs and Silver Gray Dorking eggs through the month of August. I may make a few exceptions, but I will be cutting back on the number of chicks I hatch until September

Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners

Sadly, I lost 2 of my 3 remaining hens leaving only one hen here with Cisco and Clinch. I added the 2 cross bred hens to their pen for at least the next couple months. The crossbred hens lay a completely different egg to make keeping the eggs separate easy. Knowing which egg a hen lays preserves the breed integrity.

Combining the pens reduces chore time. I took a planned trip the beginning of July and wanted to make chores easier for those kind people caring for the animals and gardens while I was away.

Silver Gray Dorkings

The Silver Gray Dorkings have shown little fertility this year so I switched up the rooster with the Silver Gray Dorking hens. I have not updated the web page yet, but here is the new pens info.

Rooster Cogburn joined his daughter who hatched in January 2019. A younger son of his joined the SGD hens of Pen # 1. I lost both Mr. and Mrs. McLintock earlier this year. I am excited about testing the eggs in a few weeks.

Did you know I wait 6 weeks after switching roosters to incubate the eggs? Unless a hen or hens did not have a rooster with them for the previous 6 weeks, in that case, I do not wait.

Swedish Flower Hens

I am excited to announce a new pen of Swedish Flower Hens here at CG Heartbeats Farm. I am currently deciding on a name for the rooster and the web page is only started. Check out the video showing the pretty flock of blue based Swedish Flower Hens making up pen # 11

Apache, the rooster of pen # 8 passed earlier in 2020, but not before I hatched a son to take his place. At the moment I am unable to offer crested Swedish Flower hens until Apache’s son grows up enough to cover the hens. I hatched and raised an additional hen from Pen # 7 to join pen # 8. She is a pretty black based hen with sno leopard highlights on her neck.

Aneta

My Great Pyrenees puppy brings joy to my life. She rarely is unhappy, wagging her tail, appearing to smile broadly in welcome. Her puppy behavior includes chewing on anything in her reach, but she barks deeply, as if already an adult.

Aneta is not allowed to run unattended, but on a couple occasions her collar came loose. I walked outside to find her hanging out on the farm. I am happy to say she did not run off. At 4 months old she is still a young pup. Behaviors may change and I continue to learn and enjoy her.

She is not especially fond of a bath. Ah, it looks like we will be training for bath time this summer. She certainly needs them after her digging exploits. The first bath removed much of the hidden dirt. A week later she appears to be in need of bath number 2.

Horses

Drifter, Bo, Cider, Rosie, and Dusty continue to enjoy life living a horse’s life out to pasture. I desire to ride again this summer, but I have not figured out how to fit horse time into my schedule.

Gardening Summer 2020

As the Black raspberries began to ripen, I have enjoyed picking and depositing directly into my mouth, thus far. When I had enough picked, I froze all I did not eat for later use.

Garlic Scapes

Raising food in summertime requires watering, weed pulling, and monitoring plants as the grow and produce. Harvest and food preservation happen during summer months too. I almost daily inspect the gardens for plant development, and of course pull weeds. I do not seem to ever pull all the weeds, but I celebrate those I do.

For the first time you may order garlic online to be shipped in September. Click on a variety of your choice to begin the process.

Spanish Rojo Garlic smaller in size has an earthy flavor.

Montana Garlic has a mild flavor and 6 cloves per bulb.

Click on the garlic of your choice to pre-order your selection.

Music Garlic is mild similar to Montana in flavor.

German Garlic provides a strong flavor for stews and other cooking projects.

Limited availibility of all varieties.

Grapes

I watched tiny grapes appear and disappear on the grape plants this past spring. Something removed them. An insect? What ever the culprit, I only have 3 grapes ripening on the largest of the grape plants. I am disappointed as I crave those delicious Concord Grapes. You can bet I am going to savor the 3 I hopefully eat.

I know I want to make the task of setting up a trellis a high priority this fall. The grape seedlings I planted are currently leafless. I hope the roots are growing and will survive. I plan to continue working with the grapes for a future harvest. In the mean time I will also eat the wild grapes growing around the farm.

General Farm Work and Area Clean Up

There are always areas around the farm that need to be cleaned up. The heat of summer does not lend to daylong outside work for me. While I desire to tackle these projects, truthfully, they may get put on the backburner for the pressing jobs like weeding, watering, harvesting and preserving. Fence building and pasture maintenance fall into this time slot as well.

Transplanting Trees

I had a few crab apple trees pop up around the current tree. I want to transplant a couple one to the center of the circle portion of our driveway.

Online

Because a part of my homesteading journey includes sharing my journey homesteading with a chonic illness, I want to tell you about my website summer 2020 homestead goals.

Chick Hatching Practices

In the coming 2 months I plan to complete the finishing touches on the digital course Chick Hatching Practices teaching folks new to hatching chickens how simple and easy the process can be.

Updating to breed and pen page info

Changes to the different pens of Swedish Flower Hens, Silver Gray Dorkings, and Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner create a needed update to the differnet website pages.

You Tube videos

I want to continue adding a weekly video to the CG Heartbeats Farm You Tube Channel. Use the link below to subscribe so you do not miss a video. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6vCR-u2f0ucynCHJWylqVw

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June 17, 2020June 17, 2020

Sowing Seeds

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Last week I excitedly started my Monday morning. I determined I would be sowing or planting seeds. What is so fun and exhilarating about sticking tiny, often hard to see, little pieces of what looks like nothing, in soil? Potential. The prospect of all to be seen from a tiny start. Future hopes and plans lie in the planting of a seed.

I rejoiced. I sang hymns of old as they popped into my head. I knew I would be accomplishing a goal today. Today I celebrate planting seeds. Planting vegetable seeds on June 8 might be a week or two later compared to others in my area. I do not worry for the growing season in Zone 5 allows time for the plants to grow and produce.

The bright sun warmed my skin and a heavy breeze kept me from becoming too hot. The temperature, forecasted to be near 90 degrees continued to rise as I worked. I knew I needed singular focus to accomplish the days task of placing seeds beneath the fertile soil. I knew today required me to push beyond comfort.

Homesteading and farming brings joy, but discomfort too. On seed planting day I would choose to focus my thoughts on the future joys of seeing new life push through the soil, satisfaction in producing my own food, and ignore dwelling on thoughts pertaining to physical discomfort.

A little bit more of my dream happens today as I take another step toward producing my own food. Garden space is larger in 2020 allowing for a greater number of plants and varieties.

To read how I put the chickens to use preparing garden ground, click below.

Put Your Chickens to Work on the Homestead

The previous week, Julie from Blooms on 800, brought her tiller and worked the ground saving me the hard work of turning the dirt with a shovel. Before I started planting in the 10′ x 20′ garden, I used my ‘Maria’ powered hand pushed tiller to go over the ground one more time.

Heirloom Tomato seedlings grown from second generation seed saving. The same tomatoes I made tomato juice and stewed tomatoes from in 2019.

In 2020, I am trying new heirloom seeds. Peanuts, Quinoa, Sorghum, and Flax are 4 I feel super excited about. The grains will potentially help produce my own chicken feed in the future. I say this lightly as I am not exactly sure how the process will all play out. Grains also potentially provide flour when ground and would replace pasta in some dishes as healthier options.

Peas and cucumbers, also heirloom, make up the last of the new to CG Heartbeats Farm garden plants. Look for blog post in the fall and winter sharing my process for growing from seed and saving seeds for next year.

A favorite returning vegetable of mine is the heirloom tomato I grew last year. Peppers, sugar baby watermelon and butternut squash return also. I did not plant all the seeds today.

Herb seeds will be started in pots and planted near the house where garlic grows now. These include Sage, Thyme, Dill, Basil and Oregano.

Julie from Blooms on 800 generously shared a few herb plants with me. She started these from seeds in her green house. Now, I have a few plants I will be able to gather from right away. I plan to leave these as potted herbs for the summer.

While I worked, I imaged the futire fruits of my labor. I thought about how pretty the Flax Flowers would look. I considered how I would create places for the cucumbers and peas to vine. I wondered how I would stake the Quinoa if I needed to.

Before I planted any seeds, I considered my layout for the garden spaces. Where would I plant each variety to allow for maximum plant productivity? I read the seed packages. If the information I looked for was not listed, I searched google. Between the 2 sources I came up with a plan, a garden layout.

While the majority of the seed planting happened on Monday, I continued to plant through the next week. I planted carrots, sweet potato starts, romaine lettuce seeds, spinach, moss rose, and 5 herb varieties.

One of the first pea seedlings to appear

I intend to plant a few flower seeds and perhaps bulbs too. My heart is happy with the seed planting progress. I am even beginning to see seedlings appear through the soil one week later. The way a seed grows into a tiny plant which continues to develop until it produces its own seed amazes me. New life, sustainable, regenerative cycles and producing my own food bring satisfaction to my soul.

I may harvest and preserve a couple weeks later due to later seed planting, but harvest and preserve I intend to do. Today I planted. Tonight, I will water the seeds. After today, I wait for seedlings to appear.

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June 1, 2020June 1, 2020

Homesteading and Chronic Illness

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How do I homestead and balance 3 diagnosed chronic illnesses? Imperfectly!

Taught high standards and a hard work ethic as a child, letting go of perfection proved heartbreaking at times and freeing at others.

Homesteading lifestyle does not lend to ease and comfort on a regular basis. The rewards of opening a jar of home canned tomato juice, drinking my fill, savoring the flavor, while feeling thankful I know exactly what is in my healthy drink motivates me to take one job at a time.

For the fun of jumping ahead: the result. From a heaping 5-gallon bucket of tomates I now have 6 quarts of tomato juice and 7 pints.

Many steps and a bit of hard, uncomfortable work goes into the delicious drink I canned myself. Planting seeds, weeding, watering as needed, picking tomatoes, and the work of actually processing and canning the juice.

Knowing the reward of healthy food options and a feeling of accomplishment for a job completed keeping me moving when my body aches, my head feels dizzy and I am simply tired.

Get a FREE PDF on how to preserve Stewed Tomatoes.

12 steps complete with pictures.

Get your copy today!

There are days I need additional rest, days the best thing for me is to be up and moving however slow I may be. There are days I feel like I used to. On those days I often become wonder woman for a few hours until reality catches up with me.

Table of Contents

Reality

Realty might hit me in the form of a low sugar, or becoming so tired I can. Not. Go. another step. It often appears to come on sudden, but in truth many times I am busy celebrating all I am accomplishing. I miss the signs, or I ignore the tiredness lurking because my focus keeps them at bay. Reality might be a high sugar level for unknown reasons requiring me to rest or extra sleep.

Reality means I do not have the same number of hours available for hard work I used to have. In certain moments it means pushing myself because when caring for animals and raising your own food there are windows of time where tasks must be completed. A time for extra rest will be required for sure when the work is done.

The Hardest Part

The hardest part for me has been letting of my high expectations for outcomes of all I do. One of the good parts? Learning to see and act on what is important on any given day. What has to be done today? Resting when it is done.

I brought home my first Swedish Flower Hens in May of 2016. I drove 3 hours to pick up 13 chicks. Pictured about are offspring of those chicks crossed on others I added later.

I might be a workaholic if my health allowed. If you ask my spouse, I am any way. I may need to take breaks before a task is finished or leave things I want done today, for tomorrow.

A New Direction

The idea of writing and running a website was born only after I realized I could no longer work as hard as I used to. To my belief my number one asset I brought to a job, was my physical strength and stamina. It sent me for a loop when I realized I could not longer push through anything I choose to.

The realization came on over a period of a week or two. I was working at a factory learning a job I would have not had a problem with in the past. Sanding a trailer should not have been out of my range of capability. Instead, I learned I had contracted mono. I was let go from my job with the understanding I had the option to return when (if) my health allowed.

I did not return. Six years later, I do not believe myself capable of doing the work.

Blooms from Ashes

Roses will bloom again, Just wait and see, Don’t mourn what might have been, Only God knows how and when, but roses will bloom again.
~ chorus of song ‘Roses Will Bloom Again’ by Bill Gaither

Recently, I was reminded how events look terrible to us at the time, actually open doors for opportunities we would have never looked for. Loosing my job pointed me in a new direction. I felt lost , my pride wounded. I carried (from God) a belief blooms rise from ashes and good awaited me down the road.

The road meandered slowly bringing me to my current life. I did not immediately decide to start a website or homestead. Such ideas came along over the coming year and a half. Implementation itself continues to this day.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

I earned my first income online in 2016 from Swagbucks.

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I write to share my journey and knowledge. I homestead to produce more of my own food. I continue to learn how to improve my writing, homestead skills, and earn a bit of money along the way. I strive to keep the genetics of 3 heritage chicken breeds alive. In my newest venture, I am learning about the Great Pyrenees dog breed as I train a puppy.

I may be slower these days, but I still find joy in a new challenge. Blogging, homesteading, and creating provide me with ways stimulate a desire to see what lies around the next bend. I have a couple ideas up my sleeve for the remainder of 2020. Stick around to find out what they are.

Are you living life with a chronic illness or two? How do you make the most of your life?

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May 28, 2020May 28, 2020

Roots and Wings ~ Joy or Heartache?

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A homestead lifestyle, raising food and caring for animals brings joy and hardship. Today, I struggled to find the good.

I recently read a quote from the last chapter of Old Yeller.

What I mean is, things like this happen. They may seem cruel and unfair, but that’s how life is a part of the time. But that isn’t the only way life is. A part of the time, it’s mighty good. And a man can’t afford to waste all the good part, worrying about the bad parts. That makes it all bad.
~Fred Gipson, quote from Old Yeller

Today I am watching a kitten die. I found I lost a hen. I cried about the kitten. I have been nursing him daily I feel those familiar words creeping in, ‘You are a failure.’

He happens to be a niece’s favorite via pictures. I do not look forward to telling my niece, but a voice inside reminds there is a life lesson for my niece in the story of loss. A silent prayer, ‘Lord, May I have the right words?’

I quoted the following Bible verse to myself.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is noble, whatsoever is just, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is noble, whatsoever is of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be anything praiseworthy, think on these things.
~ Philippians 4:8 NKJV

A reminder to focus on what is of good report and praiseworthy. I almost forced myself to think on the fact it was time to take Aneta for a walk. Spending time with the adorable Great Pyrenees puppy decidedly brings joy to my life. Time with her has already proven an antidote for any dark mood I might be facing.

As I prepared to head outside, I thought, I am thankful 4 of the 7 eggs in lockdown are pipped already. It was late last night when I set up the lockdown. I skipped candling them. I have no idea what to expect from this hatch.

A long list of work awaits me. Our wet weather in the last week has proven a challenge to do any planting or working the ground. The chicken barn is over due for a good cleaning and the list goes on.

Again, I have a choice to look around at all the blessings and good or carry a weight of frustration. Where will my focus be? On this day, the battle rages minute by minute, hour by hour. Yet, Do I really have a right to be discouraged? My friend recently lost her mother. Now there is a reason to grieve.

I recall a specific night I worked at a foaling barn. On one side of the 30-stall barn was a baby who would be gone by morning. Mamma had kicked a, soon to be fatal, blow earlier that evening. On the other side of the barn a healthy foal birth, new life. The contrast of life and death sharply burned in my heart.

As living people, we are free to make choices in our thoughts and actions. There are moments a hard choice will bring a good emotion down the road. Choices might appear good under present circumstances that down the road create a terrible emotion.

Our world may saturate us with feelings of fear and unknown future. I am thankful for a God who sits on the throne no matter what. He sits there when I lose a chicken, when I watch a kitty die, when we lose a loved one and when a family member struggles.

I am thankful for all the good around me, watching other kittens play, watching a puppy romp in the grass, the chirps of newly hatched chicks, the whinny of a horse, the warm breath of a trusted horse, and wet puppy kisses. Life’s blessing surrounds us, we choose to see them, or not.

Jesus said he goes to prepare a place for us. I am thankful this broken world I live in is not my final destination.

Perception, a powerful word when put into action.

May I encourage you to focus on all the good you are surrounded with today?

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