Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Little Miss getting in the spirit!

 

Snowdrifts

 

Got any leftovers?  Gus looking in the kitchen window.
(Before the snow)

Christmas ribs!

 

Merry Christmas from our family and farm to you and yours!

 

 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:6,7

First

First snowstorm of the winter.  Daughter #2 and I were going to go shopping together in the afternoon, but wisely chose to stay home.  We lost power at about 9:30 Thursday night and I decided not to bother hooking up the generator.  The hog houses have their own automatic generator, so I suited up and braved the storm to make sure it was operating properly. It was, so I knew the hogs would be OK until morning.  However, in the house, with the strong wind outside, it got a little nippy by morning.  Our inside thermometer had the temperature in the fifties when we got up.  I had the tractor generator hooked up and running by 8:00 A.M..  Without electricity to plug in block heaters or use the battery charger, the first two tractors wouldn't start.  Finally the third tractor I tried did start (with ether) and I used it to jump start the one I wanted to use.  Without power we can't use our diesel pump to fill the fuel tank on the tractor, so I had to use the tractor that already had a full tank.  Power was restored at about 1:30 in the afternoon.
We only received about 2 inches of snow from the storm.  Because of the high winds, I think all of the snow in the section ended up in drifts between our buildings.  The biggest drift was about 7 feet deep.  Gus loves to romp up and down on the drifts and play in the snow.  Once the wind died down, I spent some time moving and clearing snow for company.

We had our first Christmas gathering Friday evening (Schlipf).  We had our annual soup supper (chili and potato), 5 flavors of ice cream for desert (plus goodies), family reading of Luke 2, and gift exchange.  We followed by singing some of the little known Christmas Carols that never get sung.  It was an enjoyable evening and a good way to start the festivities.

Today, the first two seed catalogs arrived in the mail.  Not even Christmas yet!  I'm not sure who would be interested in gardens in December.  Maybe late February.

I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
Ecclesiastes 2:5

Birthday

I have been out Christmas shopping 4 times already!  This has to be a new record for me this early in the season!  And I have only bought two things for myself so far, and the most amazing thing is that I have not been in a bookstore yet! 
That will probably change soon.

Gus had his first birthday last week.  We have survived his first year!  All in all it hasn't been too bad.  Although, our yard looks more like a landfill than a lawn.  Living in the country on a farm, has made it possible for him to find all kinds of dead things in various stages of decomposition to add to his collection.  He has his dehydrated squirrel he likes to fling into the air, his hog leg to chew on, a coon carcass, and various bones that he digs up from the compost pile or the "graveyard".  Yesterday he found a rat and deposited it in the yard.
There are the towels (bedding from when he was a puppy) and the leather swatch (from Klopfensteins) that he wrestles, the frisbee with the rim chewed off, and his broom with which he tears around the yard dragging behind him, and then stops and chews off the bristles.  There are tennis balls that are used to play keep-a-way because that's more exciting than fetch.  The plastic watering can that he confiscated from the garden is also a favorite chew toy/ keep-a-way toy.
He chews on water and pop bottles, a chunk of firewood, large branches that fall out of the trees, ears of corn and corncobs, empty feed sacks, rope, and packages that the UPS man leaves sitting out.  When he goes for walks with the old farmer's lovely wife, he helps clean up the trash (beer cans , wine bottles, fast food containers) from the ditches and brings it all proudly back to our yard.
Fortunately he hasn't chewed on any of our boots or shoes, and he hasn't destroyed anything of value. 
He chases cats only if they run away from him, otherwise he rambunctiously plays with them (totally annoying them).
We think the neighbors are even learning to like him.
He does look a little like a coyote at times, so we hope he doesn't stray too far from home.
And he has discovered that he can bark. 

And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
Psalm 59:14
    

Modesty

A week and a half ago, two of us drove down to the Western Illinois Correctional Center to visit Phil.  He was in good spirits, but shared how he had gone through a rough month in which he was feeling rejection so bad that he considered suicide.  Thankfully, scripture kept coming to him reminding him of how Christ was rejected by most people and institutions around him also.  And yet Christ fulfilled his mission and is now at the right hand of the Father.  Part of the reason for his depression was the fact that the prison had been on lock down for (2) two week periods in the previous month and a half.   Two fights had to be broken up by the guards discharging their guns.  That results in an automatic two week lock down for the whole prison.  When on lock down, you spend 24 hours a day in your cell. You don't even get out for a shower or exercise for two weeks. 
He was very excited to have visitors.

It was a crowded day in the waiting room, and I learned what a strict dress code they have for visitors.  I learned by watching a lady get sent away, and by visiting with a young lady I was standing with after the "pat down" rooms. 
A few examples:
- No spandex, stretch pants, leggings, or tight fitting pants
- No tank tops, tube tops, halter tops, spaghetti straps, or bare midriffs
- No deep V neck or scoop neck tops
- No sleeveless shirts unless covered by an outer garment that will not be removed
- Appropriate undergarments must be worn, and must not be visible
- Skirts, dresses, and shorts must be knee length or longer
- No wearing pants below the waist (sagging or bagging)
- Infants and children wearing dresses must have shorts underneath
- Nothing sexually explicit or see through
And there is a much longer list than this.  Each person is taken inside a room and checked to make sure they are properly dressed, and that they are hiding nothing in their clothes.
I find it ironic that so many people in society today (including many Christians) seem to be confused about what constitutes modesty, but the prison system has it figured out.

And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
Proverbs 7:10