A Meek Perspective

Merry Christmas 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 02:59:00 +0000

Greetings to our dear friends and family,

2014 is winding down fast. Like last year, we can’t believe its time to share another letter with some updates for our family. 2014 was another busy year with lots of changes for our family that we look forward to sharing.

Joseph is continuing his career path with the Army passing the 2-year anniversary mark on Sept 24. He made it through his first winter in Alaska for his duty station at Fort Wainwright. He made a trip back to Alabama in late May for the wedding of two former HS Classmates. Our “bucket list” trip to Alaska did not materialize due to some changes in Joseph’s schedule with field exercises this summer. Joseph made a second trip to Alabama in November for a short visit. During that visit, we were able to meet his wife, Yvonne. We welcome her to our family with every ounce of love in our hearts and wish them a lifetime of happiness. Yvonne is currently attending the University of Fairbanks as a Biology major. She plans to continue her studies in the medical field after graduation.

Judy enjoyed some antique furniture refinishing projects from auction and antique store finds. She “tried” a short stint in a corporate accounting environment with a local hospital but quickly got that out of her system when overtime became the norm. Thankfully, she was able to return to the small accounting firm she has been with since 2007. Her role at Leigh King & Associates has changed to include assisting with audits.

2014 had some major changes for Charlie as well. After 8 years of serving the Hawk Pride Church of Christ, Charlie resigned as their Minister. Then a new door opened for Ministry in May. Under the leadership of the Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ, he now serves as the minister at a long-term care and rehab center each Sunday morning. In late July, Charlie transitioned from part-time employment to full-time with the Northwest AL RC&D Council as their Executive Director. Over abundant rain, overfull work schedules and back issues made part-time farming an even greater challenge so we reduced our sheep numbers to hopefully simplify things this winter. We are truly honored that demand for our lambs has never been stronger so the less supply and strong demand has been a good problem. Charlie is ending the year with some health struggles and we are girding up to face them with determination and faith.

Charlie and Judy enjoyed a short fall vacation to Burkes Garden, VA and viewed some historic farmland owned by the Charles Marvin Meek estate. Not sure of any kinship but it was an honor to find another Meek family tied to the land and agriculture. Judy checked off a bucket list item hiking a minute portion of the Appalachian Trail near Groseclose, VA. Charlie tagged along as best he could! We made a swing home via Asheville, NC to visit the Biltmore House. Biltmore was quite the opposite of the first leg of our trip but it was good to learn the history of the Vanderbilt family and see the farm still involved in active crop and livestock production.

We pray this letter finds you and your family in good health and best wishes for 2015. May God Bless each and everyone!

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year,

Charlie &Judy Meek

Merry Christmas 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 20:02:00 +0000

Greetings to our dear friends and family,

2013 is just about over. We can’t believe its time to share another letter with some updates for our family.

Joseph is continuing his career path with the Army passing the 1 year mark on 9/24. After Basic Training which ended in Dec 12, 2012, he completed his individual training assignment at Fort Gordon, GA studying to be a radio operator/maintainer. His training was delayed three weeks so he had a lesson in patience. He was the distinguished honor graduate for his class having the top GPA, for which he received a promotion…. YAY! His next training assignment was jump school at Fort Benning, GA. Here he encountered another huge test as he had an injury on one of the zip line training activities. This derailed his graduation plans and he took a medical drop into a hold over unit. His original orders were for Fort Hood, TX but with the delays he was re-assigned to Fort Wainwright, AK. That’s right Alaska. We were able to visit with Joseph in GA briefly before his transfer to AK. We have had a visit to Alaska on our “bucket list” for a long time so we hope to check that item off next summer. We look forward to having Joseph home for a Christmas break starting Dec. 17^th.

Judy continues to enjoy her association with Leigh, King & Associates as a staff accountant. She is currently studying for the IRS Enrolled Agent Exam and has passed the first and second tests for her certification – ONE more to go! She enjoys antiques shopping/refinishing and photography as her key hobbies. Finding time to blog seems to be harder each year and 2013 just had too many moving parts to allow time for blogging. Our gardening efforts were a challenge with a VERY wet spring, lots of travel and Charlie battling a back injury. Our berries did yield much fruit and great peace of mind to enjoy fresh food right out of the garden. Late July we visited with Judy’s High School classmates in Keyser, WV for her 30^th Class Reunion.

2013 had some bumps for Charlie as well. He had a back injury that derailed most of his shearing plans and restricted most “normal” farm work. He was thankful to be able to arrange for a shearer from NC to come shear our sheep and the bulk of his clients in North AL, and TN. His former apprentice was able to shear for a few clients as well. Farm life continues to bring great joy yet also struggles…not the best combination but such is life. Charlie still enjoys his part-time employment with the Northwest AL RC&D Council as their Executive Director. The Council was honored to receive the Outstanding Project Award for AL and the Southeast Region. 2013 continued his 8th year of service as the minister of the Hawk Pride church of Christ in Colbert County. During our trip to WV he was able to visit the VA Tech University farm and view their Polled Dorset Sheep. Charlie was able to add some breeding stock to our farm from VA Tech that we hope will help us increase efficiency and quality. As we go to print with this newsletter Charlie is still struggling with back issues and awaiting test results with hopes we can find out what is causing the problem.

As we all encounter struggles and set backs in life they are a constant reminder of what is most important….RELATIONSHIPS. We continue to cherish our relationships with family and friends and of course our spiritual relationship with the GREAT I AM!

We pray this letter finds you and your family in good health and best wishes for 2014. May God Bless each and everyone!

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year,

Charlie, Judy and Joseph Meek

Merry Christmas 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 03:38:00 +0000

I know I have been missing from the blog world for quite a while. I hope to be back soon, but I didn't want to miss wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This is what we have been up to this year:

Greetings to our dear friends and family,

2012 was another busy year with BIG changes again for our family.

Joseph began the year starting his second semester at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. After a summer of reflection, he decided to re-focus his career plans and enlist with the US Army. He completed his basic training at Fort Jackson, SC on Dec 6th. We were thankful to have his girl friend of a year, Rachel, with us for his graduation. He is now at his individual training assignment at Fort Gordon, GA studying to be a radio operator/maintainer. He did very well during basic training and qualified as an expert marksman. We are proud of Joseph’s decision to serve our country and we pray for his safety. Needless to say our outlook on life, being thankful and praying for Joseph have all reached new levels. We look forward to spending some time with him during the Holidays.

Judy continues and enjoys her association with Leigh, King & Associates as a staff accountant. She is currently studying for the IRS Enrolled Agent Exam and has passed the first test for her certification – two more to go! She enjoys antiques shopping and photography as her key hobbies. Finding time to blog has been a challenge this year but you can still learn of some of our happenings and events at http://ameekperspective.blogspot.com. We grew a larger garden this year and we enjoyed the fresh food right out of the garden and were able to freeze some for the winter months. Judy was able to travel with Charlie to the National RC&D Meeting held in Madison, WI in June. We were able to squeeze in a quick visit to the historic “shack” mentioned in the classic book, The Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. We also enjoyed a visit to the Leopold Center, which highlights renewable energy and “green” technology. We also visited Southeast MN to get another state on Judy’s list visiting the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN. The bluffs along the upper Mississippi River are captivating. Other stops for our trip included the Decorah, IA Eagle Cam and a sheep farm in Iowa for Charlie to feed his sheep farming addition during our travels. Late fall we visited the North American Livestock Expo in Louisville, KY with two dear friends. Judy is rapidly adjusting to the role of an Army mom.

August 31 was Charlie’s one-year anniversary being “officially” retired from USDA-SCS/NRCS. Charlie is as busy as ever, but most days don’t feel anything like retirement. Charlie is continuing his part-time employment with the Northwest AL RC&D Council as their Executive Director. 2012 continued his 7th year of service as the minister of the Hawk Pride church of Christ in Colbert County. The shearing side-business continued in 2012 (6th year) assisting clients in TN, AL and MS (sheep, llamas and alpacas). New for 2012 was planning and hosting a Farm Day for a group of home schooled students and their families. Staff from the Florence USDA-NRCS office assisted and several special friends attended as well, we had a total attendance of 50 special guests. Charlie enjoyed shearing for the group to share our love of raising sheep.

Our small farm continues to not only feed us but also of equal importance give us wholesome experiences such as a glorious sunrise or majestic sunsets. Seeing seeds pop out of the ground and chart their course to harvest and making trips to the barn during the wee hours of the morning and seeing steam rising from a new lamb and hearing its first bleat of “hello world” sure make the world seem right! We continue to be thankful for our jobs, great coworkers, great neighbors and two church families that love and support us more than one could dream. We cherish communication with our family and friends and seeing them when our paths cross which is NOT enough!

We pray this letter finds you and your family in good health and best wishes for 2013. May God Bless each and everyone!

Happy New Year,

Charlie, Judy and Joseph Meek

Road Trip: Illinois Countryside Interstate 39

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 13:06:00 +0000

The first of June we left on a road trip traveling toward Wisconsin for a business/vacation trip. We chose to drive this trip to be able to see the countryside all the way from Alabama to Wisconsin (a 2500 miles round trip journey). We also visited Minnesota and Iowa. These photos were taken around Rockford, Illinois. We drove off the interstate to be able to get some closer shots.

Our first day we traveled through Illinois and enjoyed viewing the farm scenery...corn, corn, corn and corn was growing in this area. When we looked at the farms passing by our car windows, every farm had one of these barns on their property. They were dotted all over the landscape. We wondered why every farm had this particular barn. Most were exactly alike. Some were painted, some were not. Some red, some white, some green, some naturally gray.

We also noticed that there were no fences. In the southern states, every farm has fences not only to keep their livestock in, but also as boundary lines. We didn't see much livestock in this area of Illinois. I guess there was no longer any need for fencing.

We stopped and worshipped on Sunday with a friendly congregation in Ottawa, Illinois. One of the men was a farmer so we asked him why every farm had one of these barns. He said they were old-fashioned corn cribs. We soon got off the interstate after church and drove closer to one of these barns. After a closer look, you could definitely see the gaps in the sides of the barns for the corn to dry out.

The barn below was painted white and had a slightly different design for the roof and cupola. All of the barns had the cupola on top -- I assume for added ventilation.

We also saw plenty of windmills for electricity. There was plenty of wind. Such a nice change from the hot, humid air in Alabama.

We arrive the afternoon these pictures were taken in Madison, Wisconsin just a few blocks from the capital. Stay tuned for more pictures from our trip.

Judy :)

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Farm Day at Wehdo Sheep Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 13:00:00 +0000

We were honored to be able to host a wonderful group of homeschoolers this spring for a Farm Day. Renea Dyer, our county's District Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and my husband, Charlie, were the speakers for the couple of hours they spent here with us.

We began mid morning with Charlie giving a welcome to the farm and the order of the day.

We were able to have the shearing demonstration filmed by Ginger Leigh owner of Blue Lantern Productions. We hope to be able to share some of the farm and Charlie's shearing with you soon. You can view some of Ginger's photography here. Ginger uses her talent to help missionaries document their work through photography and video. She has taught me so much about my camera (and then I show you the picture below with a reflective spot...who put that in there?). We love that girl!

Renea Dyer began the day with a lesson on soils. She began in our garden and then spied some bare soil where we have a few eroded areas and moved the rest of her lesson to a more interesting area of our farm.

Renea talked about different types of soils.

She also brought different soils with her so the students could see and touch the differences.

Charlie and Brandon McCray another employee of NRCS, take a rest while sitting on a eroded bank while Renea talks.

And yes, that is Charlie holding our Craigslist kitty, Lulu. She has certainly made herself at home here and is totally content. A great Craigslist find!

Charlie began his shearing session by explaining what equipment he used and how the clippers work.

He also answered questions before he began his shearing demonstration.

Below, he demonstrates the first position for the sheep. The sheep is comfortable and relaxed.

He began shearing.

As he sheared, the wool seemed to peel off the sheep into a fluffy wool blanket.

And the blanket grew until he was able to release a much cooler ewe.

He began a second demonstration...

and was able to let a couple of spectators give shearing a try.

Much harder than it looks!

Our tour ended with questions and answers in the shade. The students enjoyed visiting with our newborn twin lambs and seeing the llamas and other farm animals. Their day continued at a memorial to an special young lady (Te-lah-nay) a Native American, who walked back to this region from Oklahoma after she was removed from this area by force (www.ifthelegendsfade.com) ...a must see if you are ever in our area.

What a beautiful day! The weather was perfect, the sunshine was warm, and this group was a wonderful bunch of students and parents. We loved having them!

Judy :)

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Rasberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries...Oh, My!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Remember this?

This hard work is paying off!

Yum!

Judy :)

Around the Farm - Berries, Lambs, Kitten & Sheep

Expecting Twins?

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

This year's lambing season had very few twins. Last year we had twins, triplets, and quadruplets so we felt such a let down for 2012. What do you think Sunshine was going to have?

Yep, twins!!

These twins were our sheep in the middle of the street of Bethlehem during Vacation Bible School this year. Will was fascinated!

Judy :)

Mother's Day 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

For all of our moms, Happy Mother's Day!

For some reason, I feel the same way about you

that I felt about my kids

when they were small--

that it wasn't their job to love me,

it was my job to love them.

--Eat, Pray, Love

Before & After: The Master Bathroom (The Details)

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:51:00 +0000

This bathroom has been a long time in coming and a long time of planning and dreaming on my part.

The color scheme was the first thing set in my mind. I knew I wanted blue and white but had not decided on the particular blue until I saw this picture from Joan @ For The Love Of A House blog.

The blue was not quite white, but not quite a true blue. The color is Horizon by Benjamin Moore.

We decided to go with a walk-in shower at the prompting of our contractor. He recommended doing some type of a pattern in the shower. I first picked out a gray/white marble porcelain tile for the large tile and then decided on the mosaic. The mosaic includes tiles of blue, aqua, gray and gray striped. All of our tile was purchased at Lowes. Our contractor, Danny, laid out the design for the shower. He also included in the right wall of the shower a small alcove just large enough for our shampoo, conditioners, and soap.

Of course, the optimum master bath would have two sinks and two mirrors. Two sinks was definitely not going to happen in a bathroom just 7' 8" by 5'. We are rarely both using a sink at the same time, but we often do need a mirror at the same time...so I thought why not have the two mirrors. These mirrors were purchased at Lowe's for a fraction of the cost of similar bath mirrors shown in Pottery Barn catalogs. I just love the tilting feature. We not only added the extra mirror but also an extra light, and an extra plugin outlet to the wall. The extra outlet allows whoever is working at that mirror the electricity needed for a curling iron, blow dryer, or electric razor without having to cross over the one standing at the sink. I believe this is my favorite part of the bathroom.

I also fell in love with this shelf from The Fairfield House blog. We removed a cabinet above the toilet and a medicine cabinet above the sink. This shelf afforded us some well needed extra space for bathroom supplies and gave us a place to rest makeup, curling iron, etc. Danny did a great job creating this shelf for us.

As I showed before in my inspiration pictures, I love vessel sinks. The ideal vessel sink for me would have been a white porcelain sink shaped like a big antique kitchen bowl. Vessel sinks like that do actually exist they just cost 4 times more than the sink we actually purchased. The sink below was purchased from Amazon.com as well as the faucet at great prices. This bowl is white on the outside but the inside is more of an aqua color. The description was "frosted glass". I wasn't really sure about the aqua with my color scheme, but the aqua in the mosaic in the shower matched perfectly and really pulled out this bright accent. Besides loving the design of a vessel sink, a vessel sink also leaves so much more room on the counter area of the sink. Having that extra space below where the sink stands makes these types of sinks perfect for small bathrooms.

The counter is granite. I know...it looks marvelously like marble! Our contractor was able to purchase scraps of granite at a local supplier to use in our bathroom. We were really fortunate to find a color that exactly matched the shower tile.

I used vintage canning jars for bath supplies and decorative elements on the shelf. The aqua in the jars help tie in the aqua accents in the bathroom.

Our floor tile is ceramic - also purchased at Lowes. Our contractor warned us that ceramic tile is much more slick when wet than porcelain tile, but I couldn't find any porcelain tile that I liked. I decided our bathroom floor was so small (about 5' x 5') that we wouldn't be as likely to slip with two rugs on the floor. So far we haven't hit any slick spots. :)

This is our towel wall. When I saw the beadboard wall on The Lettered Cottage's dining room wall, I knew it would be perfect in a bathroom. I have ordered hooks from an iron forger on Etsy called Furnacebrook. Hooks will be installed on this board for towels and wash cloths. I don't know about your men, but mine don't know how to use a towel rack. Hopefully, they will use a hook. :)


thelettered cottage.net

Here are a couple of before/after shots that matched up pretty good so you can see the wonderful changes in this remodel/renovation.

If you missed either of the earlier posts on this bathroom, they are listed below:

Before & After: The Master Bathroom (Before, Progress, and Inspiration)

Before & After: The Master Bathroom

Linking with :

Thanks for stopping by,

Judy :)

Before & After: The Master Bathroom

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Details to come.

Before & After: The Master Bathroom (Before, Progress, and Inspiration)

Before & After: The Master Bathroom (Details)

Judy :)

Before & After: The Master Bathroom (Before, Progress, and Inspiration)

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

After eight years of living in our house, we have finally completed remodeled our master bathroom. Master bathroom is probably not the term used by most modern homes to describe this bathroom. It is the Master bathroom only because it is across the hall from the master bedroom and we are the only ones who use it. The designer of this house planned a huge master bedroom. Our master bedroom is larger than our living room and includes two nice sized walk in closets. For some unknown reason though, a bathroom is not connected to this large space. We had toyed with the idea of turning the office beside our bedroom into a bathroom but quickly discarded this idea because of the cost and we really did need an office.

Our master bathroom measures 7 feet 8 inches by 5 feet...a very small bathroom.

Here are the before pictures:

The tub and shower was our real eyesore (and sore spot) in our opinion. This tub was a jacuzzi tub. When it was originally installed, the installer was not careful to level the tub so whenever the shower was run, the water all ran onto the floor...even with the shower curtain tightly closed. We tried hooks to keep the shower curtain tightly closed. We even installed a guttter a long the edge of the tub to run the water back in. All a short term solution to a huge problem. In the end we decided to just use the tub and resigned to taking showers in the guest bathroom.

The Progress:

Demolition Day!

A small peak at the new work:

The Inspiration:

I love the beadboard and wider board on top.

theletteredcottage.net

The color scheme is so bright and clean.

fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com

The shelf above the sinks...what a great idea!

fairfieldhousenj.com

A vessel sink!

You can see more of this sink and the Tucker House Bed and Breakfast in Louisville, KY here.

In the next couple of days, I will post the after pictures. Please check back soon.

Note: See the after pictures here.

And the details here.

Judy :)

It is so good to be back after a busy tax season. Thanks for coming back and sticking with me!

Around the Farm - Berries, Lambs, Kitten & Sheep

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Busy days around the farm lately from planting blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries to the beginning of the 2012 lambing season. Enjoy some pictures:

Judy :)

Royal Wade Kimes Cold Country

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:22:00 +0000

Had to share this country music video. This was filmed on my father-in-law's farm. The cabin in the video was built by him. We used to have our Christmas in this cabin yearly. Good memories! Hope you enjoy!

Judy :)

Liebster Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:02:00 +0000

My cousin, Diane, who blogs at Diane Turpin Designs presented me with this blog recognition. Diane is a wonderful photographer, scrapbooker, designer of digital scrapbooking layouts, seamstress, and artist -- she received a huge dose of the crafty gene in our family. Her work is excellent and you can purchase a piece of it from her Etsy Shop. The highlights of my childhood were the times we were able to spend together at Christmases, Thanksgivings, and weeks in the summer. There is 10 and 1/2 months between our ages and since I never had a sister, she is the closest person I have to fill that void. We even roomed together in college for a year before she married. Check out her blog when you have a chance and give her a shout.

This award is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers, in the hopes that it will bring many new friends/followers.

Leibster is German and means 'dearest' or 'beloved' but it can also mean 'favorite'. The idea of the Leibster award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers. So, in the spirit of good fun I am passing this award on to five other bloggers. Please stop by and visit them.

The Rules are:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2. Reveal your five picks for the award and let them know.

3. Post the award on your blog.

4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blog share-other bloggers.

5. Finally and the best rule of all..........have fun and spread the love!

I present the Liebster blog to the following blogs:

Charissa Explains It All - spiritual thoughts with a dash of humor

Quilting Grannie - my Mom! Anything to do with a needle, she can do it!

Upon A Dream - a recent find for me - great photography, cute kids, and crafts.

Spring Hill Farm - restoring a 180 year old farm house - exquisite redos.

Living On Live Oak - renovating, cooking, and baking.

Please give your support to all of these "small" bloggers.

Judy :)

My Favorite 25: The Blogs I Read

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Blogs are now popping up everywhere. Links are on Facebook, Twitter, websites, newspapers, and even magazines. Blogs for me have replaced magazines. The words written by you inspire me, change me, teach me and encourage me.

I love reading blogs! In fact, I love reading these blogs much more than I love writing one! Writing a blog is something that I constantly struggle with: How much of my personal life should I disclose, why am I doing this, does anyone read what I write, what is my purpose here? Sometimes I just wonder.... But reading blogs is pure pleasure.

I normally pack my lunch and eat at my desk in my office. My entertainment during this time is reading My Favorite 25 blogs. Well...actually 26. My favorite blog of all time...hands down...is The Pioneer Woman. The only problem with her blog is I can't program her link into my Google Reader. So, I have set up a folder in my Google Reader with these 25 blogs. When I log into Google Reader, My Favorite 25 are current - updated but with the blogs I have yet to read still waiting for me. After I read the current blogs, they disappear so I always know what I have read and what is left to catch up on. My Favorite 25 list does change from time to time. Sometimes I find a blog isn't fitting into my interests and when I find another blog I enjoy more, I will replace it. I try to keep this list to 25 because 25 seems to be a good amount of reading material for my lunch break. Not everyone posts daily which works well for the time allotted for my lunch.

I find I am drawn to several categories of blogs. My Favorite 25 fall under five different categories: Decorating, Housekeeping, Health, Organization, and Inspiration. Some blogs deal with just one of these while others cover several categories at once.

I will be introducing you to these 25 blogs through my eyes during the next several week. As some of you know, I am an accountant and tax season is just now beginning. I will be much busier than usual and to have my blog planned out for the next couple of months should help me get posts out more timely instead of taking up to four months off. I sent emails to each of the writers of My Favorite 25 and asked several questions to make these post more personal for you. Many replied and I will be sharing those answers with you.

I'll leave you with a picture from our Alabama Snow last winter in January 2011. This is a view from the back field of our farm looking toward the back of the house and barn. You can just see a little bit of the partially frozen pond between the house and field. The sheep were being "sissies" that day and staying warm and dry in the barn. How I would love to have some snow this year! Not likely...it was 63 degrees today!

Enjoy winter!

Judy :)

Road Trip: Lobelville, TN

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

...and Linden and Parsons, TN and Cypress Inn, AL.

My husband has been under the weather for the past couple of months, so I was thrilled when he announced he was ready for a little road trip. He had his taste buds set on molasses and the best molasses are made by the Amish. I had just purchased a new camera and was itching to try it out, so we headed for Lobelville, TN and the little Amish settlement there on the morning of New Years Eve. From Alabama, Lobelville is just past Linden so Linden was our first stop. We were searching for coffee and found a little cafe open in The Commodore Hotel on their main street.

About a month ago, we saw a Groupon ad for The Commodore Hotel so we did know a little about it. After the gentleman poured our coffee, we complimented him on how nice the hotel was looking. He asked us if we would like tour and we happily agreed. (Of course, I had left my camera in the truck!) He showed us the bedrooms upstairs and explained some of the history of the old hotel. It has about eight bedrooms that have all been recently restored. The Commodore would be a nice weekend retreat.

With coffee in hand, we set out for Lobelville and turned off on a side road with signs pointing toward molasses. We saw all of the usual sights when you enter an Amish community: horse drawn wagons, children in their blue shirts, dark trousers, suspenders, blue dresses and aprons. The men with their long beards, and the women with their hair bonnets. I would love to have taken some pictures of them, especially the horses and wagons, but did not have a chance without invading their privacy. Maybe another time. I did take the following pictures of their farms and homesteads. Notice the absence of electrical lines. I love seeing smoke coming from their chimneys.

We found our molasses and also purchased some blackberry and raspberry jam. (Just to let you know... homemade buttermilk biscuits were made to try out our new purchases after we got home and it was all delicious!)

On the way back, we drove through Parsons, TN so we could drive across the new bridge over the Tennessee River to Clifton, TN. When our son was a baby, we used to attend church in Clifton, TN. Right before we moved to Georgia this bridge was projected to be built. So, the bridge was actually "new" to us, but is now about 15 years old! The drive from Clifton to Parsons was made so much easier and the bridge affords a nice view.

We ended up on the Natchez Trace on our way home, so I asked my husband to drive past this old country store at Cypress Inn, AL. This store is about 5 miles from our house and I had always wanted to photograph it. The day was beautiful with blue skies and sunshine and I was pleased with the outcome.

When we arrived home, we needed to check a new lamb who was born right before we left on our road trip that morning.

As you can see, the new lamb and mom were doing just fine!

Judy :)

It's A New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Reflecting on 2011 and making plans for 2012.

Judy :)

Our 2011 Christmas Letter - Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Happy Holidays 2011 from the Meek Family

Greetings to our dear friends and family,

2011 was another busy year with new phases, BIG changes and transition.

Our family survived Joseph’s case of senioritis and we all enjoyed his achievement as he graduated from Mars Hill Bible School in May. We were glad to have several family members come be a part of his graduation. His senior year of high school was a busy one with the same cast of characters Soccer, Show Choir and Chorus. His class also made a spring break trip to New York, NY. He had a very busy social calendar this past summer. He spent many nights with friends; we think to prepare us for being empty nesters. He began his first year of studies at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. We wish him well as he starts his college experience and pursuing future dreams.

Judy has increased her work to full-time for Leigh, King & Associates. College expenses are now a reality so we hope to survive physically and financially the next 3/12 years. Hint…Joseph we want you to graduate on time! She continues to enjoy part-time searching for antiques. In addition to Facebook, Judy has entered her second year as a blogger. You now can catch up on our family, farm, and news at http://ameekperspective.blogspot.com. Judy finally convinced Charlie to spend a little time on our farm instead of traipsing over AL, NE MS and TN shearing critters so we planted a small garden this year. While the planting was later than desired our efforts yielded a pleasant harvest of radishes, corn, okra, tomatoes, field peas, and lima beans. The rabbits enjoyed the green beans so next year we will have to add a fence to curtail their appetite.

Well…the possible budget cuts that we always mentioned to our close friends each year, as concerns, became a reality this year. Congress cut the RC&D Program on April 15^th for which Charlie had served since Sept of 1996. So with only a 24 hour notice the run with RC&D was over and Charlie had to work other programs. The Agency offered early retirement due to the cuts and Charlie felt it was time to say goodbye to USDA and try something else. August 31 was his last day and he turned the page to new dreams. In July Charlie celebrated 30 years with SCS/NRCS so it was a good run. Post retirement Charlie is VERY thankful that he is able to work part-time for the Northwest AL RC&D Council. 2011 continued his 6th year of service as the minister of the Hawk Pride church of Christ in Colbert County; it is Charlie’s desire to assist this congregation and community in an expanded capacity. The work at Hawk Pride has been a JOY with new additions and restorations in 2011. Hawk Pride has a Facebook page so please visit them via social media to see how the work is doing. As Charlie has struggled with some nagging health issues (Epstein Barr Virus and two oral surgery events,) the brethren at Hawk Pride have gone the extra mile in helping us in our time of need including driving Charlie to doctor appointments, house cleaning, feeding the sheep, delivering loads of hay for the sheep not to mention encouragement and prayers. At the time of this letter Charlie is recovering from oral surgery and some side effects of the medications he was taking for the surgery. The shearing side-business continued in 2011 (5^th year) facing the similar dilemma of scheduling appointments for too many clients (sheep, llamas and alpacas) and driving lots of miles. Thanks to having the assistance of another shearer (Bret, that we mentioned last year) the miles were less than past years and production has been more efficient with two people shearing on most sites.

We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season! May God Bless each and everyone!

Merry Christmas,

Charlie, Judy and Joseph Meek

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

Judy :)

Christmas Decorations 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Christmas decorations this year were much more simple. I pulled out very few decorations and filled in with greenery from our farm. The feel is more open and less cluttered.

I simply added a ribbon to the front door wreath this year. The ribbon is just woven in and around the branches...very simple yet effective.

Pine branches were added to the mantel with small antique ornaments in a crystal dish with the nutcrackers.

We added a "Noel" banner this year made of red ticking, burlap and ribbon. You can purchase one like this at my cousin, Diane's Etsy Shop.

We filled our dough bowl with pine cones from a tree that fell on the back of our farm. A simple branch of pine with a little tuft tucked in the pinecones was all that was needed for a great dining room centerpiece. The jar with greenery is filled with our trimmings left over after decorating. This makes the pine and cedar handy for including with gift wrap tied with twine.

I thought the tree needed more garland than just our cranberry beads. This year I added rope as a second garland. It suits our lifestyle and keeps our tree more casual.

This is a closeup of the rope and beads.

Enjoy your Christmas Eve to the fullest!

Judy :)

Christmas With Nature

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Saturday afternoon, my husband and I had chance to walk to the back of our small farm to cut greenery for decorating our home for the holidays. I find myself more and more wanting to simplify not only Christmas, but also my entire life...maybe this comes with approaching a half century in age. Last year I wrote about Holding Off Christmas and after reading my post again, we have pretty much stuck to the same Christmas schedule this year.

Low Fog - Early December 2011 Morning

I wanted to bring more of nature into our decorations this year. We used to purchase a "real" Christmas tree every year and the smell was so wonderful. It soon became so much easier to have an artificial tree but I really missed that pine scent. We walked to the back of our property and clipped boughs of cedar, pine, and privet berries. The smell was wonderful and the greenery in our home looks very festive.

We had some sweet help on our walk from our Craiglist Kitties.

See our kitten, Percy, playing under the pine boughs?

I will post a few pictures of our decorations later in the week when I am home during the daylight to take pictures.

Have a good week as you finish your last minute Christmas details.

Judy :)

Coconut Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Tracey, who blogs at Notes From A Cottage Industry -- one of my favorite 25 blogs, had a recipe for My easy-peasy-tastes-like-scratch version of Coconut cake. I love coconut cake. Tracey's blog post was published around the time I was already considering the Real Food Pledge so I decided to make this recipe from scratch...so you can call this recipe the "Not So Easy-Peasy But Tastes Better Than Scratch Coconut Cake." :)

Actually, my mother-in-law made the absolutely most wonderful Coconut Cake from scratch even down to the grating of the real coconut and using the fresh coconut milk to moisten the cake after it was baked. My mouth begins watering just thinking about it. I have the recipe for it and plan to someday try to bake one just like hers. But until then, this recipe is really. really. good.

I decided to use the White Cake recipe my mother-in-law used in her "real" coconut cake.

First, toast about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of coconut in the oven. Tracey suggests 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then stir, and let toast for another 5 minutes. This worked perfectly.

White Cake:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup shortening (I have been substituting Coconut Oil {which is a solid} and it works great with no Trans Fatty Acids.)
1 cup milk
3 eggs whites (or 2 whole eggs - which is what I usually use)
1 tsp of vanilla
1 Tbsp coconut flavoring

Combine ingredients in the order listed. I divided the batter into three 9" pans (or you can do two 8" pans and cut into four layers as Tracey did). I prepare my pans with cooking spray and then cut out parchment circles to fit my pans...cakes never stick to pans when parchment paper is used. Bake at 350 degree for 25 - 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes and remove to wire racks for cooling.

While the cake is baking, prepare your coconut filling.

The coconut filling is from The New Pillsbury Family Cookbook I received as a wedding gift in 1987 -- not so "new" any more.

Coconut Filling:

1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp coconut flavoring
3/4 cup of toasted coconut

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in milk, blending until smooth. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Blend a small amount of hot mixture with 1 beaten egg. Return the mixture to saucepan, mixing well. Cook just until the mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, coconut flavoring and toasted coconut. Allow to cool.

I used Tracey's Coconut Buttercream Frosting but made a smaller amount since I only made 3 layers:

3/4 bag of confectioners sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 Tbsp coconut flavoring
Milk to thin to desired consistency

Beat all ingredients together adding milk to desired consistency. For this recipe, I prefer the frosting a little thinner than most frostings on cakes.

Assemble the coconut cake:

Place one cake layer on a decorative plate. Pipe a fat bead of frosting all around the cake (great idea Tracey!) and fill the inside area with half of the coconut filling. Sprinkle toasted coconut over filling. Top with the next cake layer and do the same using the remaining coconut filling. Top with final cake layer and frost with the remaining buttercream. Sprinkle with remaining toasted coconut. Just as Tracey states, you do not need to frost the sides because the cake is already just gorgeous.

This cake is a wonderfully moist coconut cake. I love the creamy texture of the coconut filling with the cake and buttercream frosting. Add a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk and you have the perfect dessert for any holiday or birthday.

Enjoy! I did.

Judy :)

Disclaimer: Although this recipe is made from scratch, it is not a "diet" recipe!

And The Winner Is....

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Ruffles and Relics who said,

"I usually put my tree up Thanksgiving evening when all the kiddos are home.. "

I will be sending the winner an email. You can visit the Ruffles and Relics blog here.

Thank you to everyone for participating in the giveaway. I truly appreciate each and everyone of you who stops by occasionally to read what our family has been up to.

Thank you also to White Flower Farmhouse for all of their help organizing and setting

up this giveaway. Lori and Lisa, you are the best!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Judy :)

Giveaway: White Flower Farmhouse

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:26:00 +0000

**This Giveaway Is Now Closed.**

Because this blog has finally past its 10,000th page view and because I love everyone of you for stopping by here from time to time, I am having a giveaway! AND I am excited to be able to offer you a gift from White Flower Farmhouse, one of my favorite internet stores.

White Flower Farmhouse is owned by Lori who also blogs at Frugal Farmhouse Design. She certainly has a gift for turning everyday items into wonderful decorative pieces. She finds vintage and salvaged items and resells them at White Flower Farmhouse. It is like having your own personal shopper at estate sales and antique malls! I, personally, have purchased a dough bowl and antique Christmas ornaments from her shop and absolutely love them. The dough bowls sits on my dining room table all year round with a constantly changing assortment of items inside to be displayed. The Christmas ornaments remind me so much of the ornaments we had on our tree when I was a little girl...just beautiful!

Lori even makes her packaging beautiful! Her prices are fair and her inventory is gorgeous. Her store also sells farmhouse tables and other items created from salvaged barn wood. I just wish I lived closer to New York where I could pick up one of those farmhouse tables. Lori's sister, Lisa, ably assists her with the store and the White Flower Farmhouse Blog. Lisa has been a joy for me to work with while planning this giveaway for you! Be sure to visit both of these blogs. They are two of My Favorite 25 Blogs listed on the side. Enjoy the following photos from her store:

www.whiteflowerfarmhouse.com

Today I am giving away this vintage simple style pitcher. It is silver plated and made by Keystone Wear E.P.N.S.

www.whiteflowerfarmhouse.com

Lori was even kind enough to photograph the pitcher all ready for the festivities!

www.whiteflowerfarmhouse.com

You have two chances to enter the giveaway:

1. Leave a comment below telling me when you put up your Christmas Tree or when you plan to put up your Christmas Tree. I haven't put mine up yet!

2. For a second chance, if you want to be notified of updates, follow me here on this blog (see the side) or follow A Meek Perspective on Facebook and then come back here and leave me a comment letting me know you did. If you already follow, just leave me a comment stating that you do.

**Be sure (if you leave an anonymous comment) that I know how to get in touch with you! Thanks!**

Sorry, I can only ship this gift to addresses in the United States. The giveaway will stay open through 6:00 pm Thursday night. I will post the winner here on the blog sometime on Friday. Be sure and check back on Friday...especially if your comment does not open to an email address. I really want the winner to be able to "win"!

Good luck!

Judy :)

Craigslist Kitties

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 02:17:00 +0000

We have been without a barn cat since August when our barn cat, CC mysteriously died. She was a wonderful mouser...keeping our barn and basement clear of all types of "varmints". She was always on the lookout. In the three months we have been without her, my husband began noticing a huge increase in our mice population.

He began looking on Craigslist for free cats or kittens in our area. He found an ad posted by a family who lived on a farm but was selling out and moving to town. They had a cat and 5 kittens that needed a home. The ad stated that she was a great mouser but they couldn't vouch for the dad -- he was a "no count" wanderer.

Three or four weeks later we decided to contact this family. We went out on a Saturday to see how many "mousers" they might have left. We found a mama cat and two kittens waiting for us on their front porch. We definitely wanted the mama cat since she was an "experienced" mouser, but wasn't really interested in the kittens. We petted the mama cat and she was very friendly and sweet...then we made a mistake. We reached in the kennel and picked up the two kittens - one gray and the other yellow. They were both so soft and sweet and warm...there is nothing like sweet kittens. The family mentioned their daughter had become attached to the little gray kitten, so before we knew it, we were headed to the truck with both the mama cat and the orange kitten.

These cats have been so much fun. They are very attached to each other and are happiest curled up together. The mama cat was already named Lou Lou. I tend to all her "Mama Lou" (sounds like a dorm mother's name, doesn't it?). The yellow kitten did not have a name yet. Our son, Joseph, was in from college for Thanksgiving that week. He decided that since it had "red hair" then it needed to be named one of the Weasley boys' names from Harry Potter. He landed on Percy and so our yellow kitten is now Percy. Percy is extremely playful and plays with the rugs, string, empty boxes, his mama's tail...anything that catches his eye. Percy is a little more fearful of the world on the farm than his mother is. We have had to rescue him from climbing trees twice. Hopefully as his size increases his bravery will too.

Percy likes to keep me company outside the kitchen window while I'm washing dishes. How sweet is that?

Judy :)

How Blessed We Are

noreply@blogger.com (Judy @ A Meek Perspective) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:37:00 +0000

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day spent with family.

Our table had fewer chairs pulled up to it (only 7 of us Meeks this year), but it was a calm peaceful day

filled with family chat and nature.

We took a drive to what we refer to as "The Wall" - an Indian memorial

to a great-grandmother who walked back home from the Trail of Tears. Her great grandson built this wall in her honor to represent her walk.

The wall is amazing just with the sheer amount of man power it took this one man

to build this wall with no mortar. The wall measures 1.3 miles in length.

Many blessings of the day: camaraderie of cooking together in a small kitchen,

the sharing of food with loved ones,

a clean kitchen at the end of the day thanks to a new brother-in-law,

warm weather to take a walk, health to enjoy a walk,

beautiful fall scenery at a wall built by a dedicated man,

time spent with a college son during the entire day,

leftovers, pumpkin pie, laughter.

Hope your day was just as blessed.

Judy :)