….. you plant a garden around your new septic tank cover.”

We passed our septic tank inspection earlier this month, and our neighbor kindly helped Jack adapt our septic tank with risers and this green lid that you see in the picture above.   With a few hours work and $269 worth of supplies, the guys fixed it so that we should never have to dig up the septic tank again!

The project left us with this rectangle of grass-free fertile soil smack in the middle of our front yard that was begging to become a flower garden.  Years ago, when I thought I wanted to learn how to garden, I borrowed tons of library books from our library.  These gardening experts warned against making a garden around an eyesore in your yard.

According to those authors, nobody should plot a flower garden around a telephone pole, a large painted tractor tire, or a septic tank cover.  Okay, so maybe the books didn’t actually mention septic tank covers, but the authors probably assumed all their readers would know that a septic tank cover does not warrant a floral frame.

Who cares what those professional gardeners say?  Not us!  We’re Pennsylvania rednecks and when we get a new septic tank cover, we want the whole world to stand up and take notice!  There’s nothing like eighteen petunia plants in shades of red, white, and blue to say, “We’ve got a new septic tank cover, and we’re proud of it!”

Critters can be a problem in rural Pennsylvania, so after planting our garden, we saw that a fence was a must.  We did not want any animals digging up or nibbling on our petunias and tomatoes.  Tomatoes?  Yes, we did plant our two tomato plants in the middle of our front yard this year.  Over the septic tank.  Beside our petunias.  What can I say?  This is the best soil on any part of our property thanks to Jack’s working in of all of the contents of our compost bin.

Now that our garden was planted, it was time to protect it with a redneck fence.

Jack found some plastic chicken “wire” in the shed then supplemented our fencing supplies by wrangling two pieces of wire fencing out from behind the shed.  The fencing didn’t match but since this fence is just temporary, we decided to go with it.

Just so you know, I was not just standing around taking pictures of the work as I have been known to do in the past. This year, I actually helped with the planting of the garden and with this fence.

After the plants have grown a bit and are hardy enough to fend off the rabbits and the dogs, we will remove the fence and enjoy the beauty of our petunia bed unhindered by wire and plastic.  But for now, the fence is the best way to secure our investment.

Now we can kick back on the front porch and enjoy the beauty of our garden AND our new septic tank cover.  I have a feeling it’s going to be a great summer for rednecks!

What are you planting in your gardens this summer?

The post Our Redneck Garden appeared first on My Grandma Knows.

After reading lots of moving tributes to mothers yesterday on Facebook, I was thinking of my own mother and how grateful I am for all that she taught me.  My mother was a wise woman who raised six children who love her and love each other.  She’s gone now, but her life lessons live on.

I’d like to share just three of the many things I learned from my mother:

1.  Housework isn’t all that important. 

With six kids, Mom certainly did her share of housework, but it was not her top priority.  Our home was clean enough to be safe and messy enough to be comfortable.   I remember Mom telling me that the older she got, the less she cared about housework.  I decided to adopt that philosophy before I got old, and I can now look back over my thirty-two years of married life and agree with Mom.  Housework isn’t really all that important.  My personal goal is to have a home that is reasonably clean and comfortable for all who enter, just like Mom’s house was.

2.  Hobbies are a not a waste of time. 

My mom enjoyed her hobbies, and as I was thinking about this, I realized that she and I share a lot of the same interests.  My mom was the first seamstress I ever knew, and she taught me how to combine fabrics and prints in fun combinations.  Her purpose was to save money and use up every scrap of fabric, but it was fun all the same.

Mom, like me, never liked to just sit down to watch TV.  She always liked to keep her hands busy crocheting or working a jigsaw puzzle while she was enjoying a TV show.  Mom loved to read, too, and mysteries were her favorite genre.

I, too, enjoy my hobbies:  reading, sewing, crocheting, smocking, jigsaw puzzling, and scrapbooking.  I know my mom was seldom bored and neither am I.

3.  Don’t meddle in other people’s affairs without an invitation to do so. 

Jack and I, along with two of my sibling and their families live within walking distance to Mom’s house.  Mom never used her close proximity as a means to meddle in our lives or to offer unsolicited advice.

I make every effort to follow her example in this regard, though not always with success.  Looking back, I wonder if it was difficult for Mom to watch me make some mistakes without jumping in to share her words of wisdom.  She was wise enough to know that sometimes making a mistake is the best way to learn a lesson.

Mom’s way of staying connected to her adult children was a model for all of us.  She maintained her relationship with us not by force but by friendship.

Yesterday on Mother’s Day, I thought of Mom, but not with sadness.  I thought of her with a heart filled with love and gratitude for who she is and all she means to me.

What valuable lesson have you learned from your mother? 

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My Pal Violet is a cuddly purple puppy from Leap Frog, and Aaliyah loves her!

What’s so special about Violet?  Violet is a soft stuffed dog who does all kinds of amazing things.  The very best thing about Violet is that she can be customized to call a child by name.

Justine hooked Violet up to her computer, followed the instructions, and now Violet calls Aaliyah by name and “knows” all of Aaliyah’s favorite things.  It’s so precious to hear Violet in her sweet voice say, “I love you, Aaliyah.”

By pressing Violet’s paws, you can play bedtime music, familiar children’s songs, various phrases and requests.  This is hands down the cutest baby toy I’ve ever seen.  Violet came into Aaliyah’s life when Aaliyah was two months old, and now at eighteen months, Aaliyah is still in love with Violet.

If you’re looking for a gift for a special little person, I’d highly recommend My Pal Violet by Leap Frog.

I’m including this review of My Pal Violet on my blog just because I want to.  I have not been compensated in any way for this review.

What toys could you recommend as a great gift for a child? 

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Nothing says springtime in the country like green grass, blossoming trees, and the fragrant smell of …… an open septic tank.

We live in a beautiful rural area, and sometimes people are envious of our location.  We love our country home, but I thought I should clear up any misconceptions that country life is all sunshine and flowers.

Here at Grandma’s house, we recently received a letter from our local township office informing us that it is time for an inspection of our septic system.  We are required to pay a $75 inspection fee every five years for the privilege of having our  septic system checked out by an expert septic system inspector (talk about a dream job!).

Had it been five years already since Grandpa uncovered our massive septic tank?  Time flies when you’re busy flushing!

As soon as we mailed off our $75 fee, Grandpa commenced digging.  It was hard work, but thanks to Grandpa’s ingenious use of logs five years ago to displace some of the earth, it didn’t take as long as it did last time.

Finally, it was time for the inspector to inspect.  We knew this because he called us yesterday at 6:36 AM to confirm his appointment.   He arrived at our house in the afternoon with his assistant who is pictured below.

While his assistant waited in the truck, the inspector jumped right in and started inspecting.

If you’ve never had the joy of standing outside on a warm, sunny day staring down into a septic tank, then you haven’t experienced country life to the fullest!  The verdict is that our septic system looks good, at least as good as a septic system can look.   We passed the inspection!

Whew!  That’s over for another five years.

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse of country life.  In spite of our septic system, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!

City life or country life, what’s your preference? 

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I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sun and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, “There she goes!”

Gone where? Gone from my sight – that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the places of destination.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, “There she goes!”, there are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes!”

I first read this Henry Van Dyke selection,  “A Parable of Immortality” a few years ago just after my mother died.  Last Friday, during a funeral message, I heard a reference to it again.  It’s a poignant metaphor for death, particularly for those of us who are certain of a life after this one.

The funeral I attended was that of my brother-in-law, the husband of my oldest sister.  It was a beautiful service, a tribute to a man much-loved by his family, his friends, and his God.  These words of Henry Van Dyke, the words of the pastor, and the words of Jesus Himself in John 14 are comforting and reassuring to a grieving family.

My sister is the first of my five siblings to have to walk this road of widowhood, and I hurt for her.  I have no words that will erase her pain and speed the healing process.  The best that the five of us can do is to be available for our sister and assure her that although she has lost the one she loves more than any other, she is not alone.

Last week was a sad time for our family, and my heart aches for my sister and her children.  Yet I am confident that her husband and their father is not gone, but rather gone from their sight.

How do you help people you love in times of sadness and sorrow? 

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What do you do when you really need something that you don’t have?

Please tell me your answer to that question isn’t “go to the store and buy it”.  Sometimes rushing out to buy a brand new item  that we need or think we need can cost us money we wouldn’t have to spend.  I’ve got several alternatives to suggest to you today and some examples of ways we have saved money over the years.

1.  Borrow the item from someone else.

If you need something for a one time use, then you may be able to borrow the item from someone else.  For instance, because Grandpa cuts most of the wood we use in our wood stove, he sometimes needs to split logs that are too big for his log-splitter to handle.  When that happens, he doesn’t rush out and buy a bigger log splitter.  He uses one that our neighbor or brother-in-law so generously share.

This idea of borrowing works best if you are willing to lend out your stuff when others have a need.

2.  Buy used.

I can’t even begin to calculate the amount of money we have saved over the years because we are content to drive used cars, wear used clothing, and work with used tools and appliances.

3.  Be creative.

Think of ways you can meet your need without spending money.  When we needed a gate for our porch, we window shopped for gates, but rather than buying one immediately, we mulled over our options.  After a few days, we remembered that we had an accordian style baby gate in the basement.  We decided we could use it for a short time until we found what we wanted.  That was six years ago, and that baby gate is still working for us.

4.  Spread the word about what you need.

The more people who know you are looking for something, the greater your chances of finding it at a reasonable price–or even free!  I put the word out to family and friends when we were interested in kitchen cabinets for our basement, and you know how that turned out!

This works both ways, as we have passed on various items over the years because we knew that someone else had a need.  When we know each other’s needs, we can help each other.

One of our biggest blessings came recently when we received another old truck for Grandpa to use in his wood hauling work. We used to have an old blue Chevy pick-up truck that Grandpa used just for driving around on our country lanes.  (You can see that old truck in the picture above, but it has since gone on to its final resting place.) When the transmission went out, we did not want to invest in a costly repair.   Instead, Grandpa began the search for a replacement truck.

He put the word out to our local used car lot owner and alerted friends and family to be on the lookout for a cheap old truck.  What a blessing when his brother showed up at our house a couple weeks ago with a new-to-us old truck.

This truck is a Godsend for us, and we are so thankful for the generosity of Grandpa’s brother Pete.   If we had kept this need to ourselves, Pete probably would not have thought to offer us this truck.  This old 1985 Ford pick-up truck won’t pass inspection, but we don’t care!   It’s perfect for our needs.  And it was FREE!

What are your suggestions for getting the things you need without spending too much money?  

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Grandpa and his daughters

March 30, 2013, marked the second annual gathering of Grandpa’s side of the family at our house for an Easter celebration.  After last year’s gathering, I evaluated the event, and determined to make a few changes.  For the most part, I changed the things that I wanted to change and kept the things that worked so well last year.

Let me share the highlights of this year’s events with you.

1.  Beautiful weather

After a winter and spring filled with cold, snowy weather, we enjoyed a dry, sunny day for our gathering.  Praise the Lord for His blessing of sunshine on our family time!  I hope that the people who were having their family get-togethers on a rainy, cold Easter Day were praising God, too.  I sure was glad that we had our party on Saturday!

2.  Great-granddaughters!  

Kyra, Aaliyah, Makaila

They were definitely the stars of the show!  We were all disappointed that our newest great-granddaughter, Ivy and her family were unable to attend.

3. Easter egg hunt

4.  Help with clean-up

This is Ciara, our oldest granddaughter with her dog, Leo.  Toward the end of the afternoon, while the rest of us were outside, Ciara slipped inside and cleaned up all of the dishes and food.  She enlisted the help of some of the others in putting away chairs and tables.  I was touched by her thoughtfulness.

5.  Lots of great family photos

I’ve decided to start a small scrapbook with photos of our annual Easter get-together.  It will be fun to look back over the years and see how our family grows and changes.

Here’s one of my favorite photos of the day:

Once again, I have to declare our Easter tradition a success!  Grandpa and I consider ourselves fortunate to have such a loving (and photogenic) family.  Thanks to all who joined us and made the day special!

What are some highlights of your family’s traditions? 

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I love a good mystery.  One thing I love more than a good mystery is a good mystery series.  In February, I happened upon the Flavia de Luce mystery series by Alan Bradley when I was searching for audio books.

The first book in the series is entitled The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.  As I began listening, I was introduced to the main character, Flavia de Luce, who is an eleven year old girl.  Flavia’s passion is chemistry, and she delights in poisons.

The series is set in England in 1950 in a rambling country estate owned and occupied by the de Luce family.  The family which includes a widowed father and three daughters is dysfunctional with a capital “D” which adds to their charm.

Cozy mysteries are among my favorite reads, and these books are some of the coziest I’ve ever read.  I’ve listened to the first four books in the series which were read by Jane Entwistle, and I’m eagerly waiting for the library to get the fifth book so that I can read or listen to it, too.

Listening to the audio books rather than reading the series for myself certainly added to my enjoyment.  I love listening to audio books recorded with a British accent.  In fact, if I have to actually read the fifth installment in the series, I will have to translate it in my head to the King’s English using my best British accent.

If you’ve been looking for that next good book, I’d highly recommend this series by Alan Bradley.  This series was a break from my usual book choice since I rarely (for reasons I don’t even know) choose books by male authors, and I rarely read books in which the protagonist is a child.  Yet, in this series, it is Alan Bradley’s fine crafting of his child-detective Flavia with her  youthful innocence, precociousness, and extraordinary deductive skills that makes this series so utterly delightful.

What good books have you read or listened to lately? 

Image courtesy of Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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FOR TODAY

Outside my window… the sun is shining giving the appearance of a warm, spring day even though it’s rather chilly out there.

I am thinking… that I’d really like to take a nap.

I am thankful… for the blessings of this past weekend when we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus and spent time with family on Saturday and Sunday.

In the kitchen… this morning I cleaned out the refrigerator and freezer, and it makes me feel good to know that the junk food is cleared out of the way for healthier choices.

I am wearing… jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and a fleece vest!  When will it be time to pack up these winter clothes?

I am creating…a lot of different items to sell at a Relay for Life event in two weeks.  Today I made a wallet and some coasters.

I am going… back to lower carbohydrate eating after a time of indulgence in too much junk food.

I am wondering… if I will suffer withdrawal from my sugar addiction.

I am reading… the fifth book in the Yada Yada Prayer Group series.

I am hoping… (and praying) that my brother-in-law makes amazing progress in his post-stroke rehab.

I am looking forward to…a scrapbook retreat that I’m attending later this month.  I have lots and lots of pictures of adorable great-granddaughters that must go into albums soon.

I am learning… the importance of keeping up with household chores.  Again.

Around the house… I’m forcing myself to pick up after myself in order to keep our home looking good most of the time.

I am pondering… ways to be more productive.

A favorite quote for today… “From the virgin’s womb to the empty tomb. Mission accomplished.”  I saw this quote on Facebook on Easter, and I love it!

One of my favorite things… listening to a good audio book while sewing.

A few plans for the rest of the week: sewing, MOPS, laundry, and whatever other opportunities come my way.

A peek into my day… today I made an orange and white wallet to match this orange and white chevron purse.

To read other interpretations of these prompts, please visit The Simple Woman’s Daybook.

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This macaroni and cheese, in all of it’s buttery, gooey, cheesy goodness is surprisingly easy to make.

I first tasted this particular macaroni and cheese several years ago at an all day scrapbooking event at my church.  One of the other participants had made this macaroni and cheese recipe to share, and it was definitely the best mac & cheese I’d ever eaten.

When I asked Bethany to share her recipe, she obliged, and I’ve been making it at home ever since.  That day at church, Bethany made her mac & cheese in a crock pot, and that’s the way I’ve always done it, too.  I will say that this doesn’t, in my book, qualify as a crock pot recipe since it’s not something that you can leave unattended for hours and hours.  It can be baked in the oven instead if that works better for you.

I got Bethany’s permission to share the recipe here.  Here’s what you’ll need:

1 lb. of macaroni or shells, cooked al dente (thanks to shrinking food packages, I have to open two boxes)
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or in chunks
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed  (Bethany told me that Cooper sharp is good, too, and she’s right!)
1/4 c. butter
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 c. milk (I use a 12 oz. can of evaporated milk)
1/2 c. of bread crumbs (I use a 1/4 cup of bread crumbs)

Bethany’s recipe instructions call for layering of the ingredients in the crock pot or baking dish.  I just dump the pasta in the pot and then add everything else except the bread crumbs and give it a stir.

I cook mine in the crock pot on low for two hours.  At that point, I stir in the 1/4 cup of bread crumbs and cook it on low or on the “keep warm” setting for another 30 minutes.  And that’s all there is to it!

You can bake it at 325 degrees for 30 minutes if  you’d prefer.  I can’t vouch for that method since I’ve never tried it.

We almost always have this macaroni and cheese when we have fish for dinner.  I also serve it with thickened and sweetened stewed tomatoes which we dump over the macaroni and cheese on our plates.  I used to think that everyone the world over ate mac & cheese topped with stewed tomatoes, but I’ve since learned that is not the case.  We Pennsylvania Dutch country folks have some interesting combinations, and most of them are quite tasty.

Either way, with or without stewed tomatoes, this is the best macaroni and cheese recipe I’ve ever tried.  It’s always a hit at our house!  Thanks so much for sharing the recipe with me, Bethany!

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