Grandpa Pete

Well, Grandpa Pete died. We went to the funeral on Tuseday, I think that I cried my eyes out. (and there was no tissue)

I feel as though I have lost my own Grandpa - when I was little, I often saw more of Grandpa and Grandma Pete (as we McKee children called them) and had more to do with them than I did with my “real” grandparents - and they often saw us more than some of their “real” grandchildren. The everyday things like pink bubble gum, going out to the garden, and bringing in the hay.

It went something like this:

“Climb up there, (on the nose of the tractor) put your feet in the grating and HOLD ON! See this pipe??? Don’t touch it - you will get burned!”
I was so happy that I got to bring in all of my hay bales before Mrs. Hale got home…”Mike! What are you thinking, letting them do that?! Do you want someone to get killed?”

I feel like Bella Wilfer, (from Our Mutual Friend) who said something like this: “I think that I have aged whole years today.”

I cried for everyone - I cried for myself, and I cried for Grandma Pete.
I cried for his friends, and for some of the Hale children that may not allow themselves to grieve. And I cried for cousin Paige who sat alone - I could see that after each song there was a mental check mark, if you will “I made it through that one”.
Then at the end, seeing her in a way I never had before - human and in need of comfort.

I am sorry that I did not go up and see Grandma Pete, but I just could not do it, and that was selfish of me - very juvenile.

I think that I will miss him more or just as much as my 3 real grandfathers!

So, good bye Grandpa Pete - I loved you, though I never told you so.


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Grandma Pete
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Resources for you!!!!

Robert and Nancy Hutchins with Rehoboth Ranch in Greenville, have beef, chicken, pork, lamb, eggs, and goat milk. (We buy our chicken, and some pork from them.) http://www.rehobothranch.com/ they also have an organic produce co-op every other Tuesday. The co-op is a share arrangement, we each get a box with our share, half share or full share, we get the full share.

Debbie McKee in Campbell, has a Frontier Co-op, Frontier natural products sells everything from household products, personal care, herbs, spices, supplements, some food items, etc. We order every odd month. Prices are wholesale and we just charge a small percentage. Mom and I also sell homemade bread, organic jams, soaps, etc..

Wes and Kelly Adams in Ladonia, sell grassfed/pastured beef.
We buy a split quarter from them each year, you can get really good smoked sausages, breakfast sausage, no additives, etc. as part of your meat.

Mike and Connie Hale are in Campbell, also sell chicken, beef, lamb, & eggs. http://www.windymeadowschicken.com/

Mark Ganske is in Yantis: He has a organic raw milk dairy. They will also offer slow heat pasteurized milk also. The milk is about $6.00 a gallon. This is a government inspected certified dairy. They will have yogurt, cream and butter available as well.
Contact information for the dairy is 903-810-7153. He tells me they should have their web-site up soon.
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If you want to educate yourself on the benefits of raw milk go to www.westonaprice.org.

"I have been following the recent attacks on raw milk, and I am shocked by yet another affront to the liberty of the people. I am also a fan of Ron Paul, so I thought I would forward this link on to you and your people. It is not surprising that Dr. Paul is the one who has introduced this bill to protect the rights of people to choose their food. " ~Stacey
http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.4077

Pudding etc.

This moth is bothering me.

How to make the perfect pudding.

1. Use the recipe from More Make Your Own Groceries by:
Daphne Metaxas Hartwig

2. Do Not try to wash dishes or any other similar activity while you are cooking pudding - it results in a not very good product. (strange lumps)

3. If you are not careful enough when you mix the eggs in, you will end up with scrambled eggs - then your male family members may refuse to eat “that stuff”.
And Mom will say, oh.

4. But 2 heaping teaspoons of instant coffee added at any point (before it is cool) WILL hide a multude of sins! (and imperfections in your dairy product)

5. If you own them, you must always put the “Opt. Butter & Vanilla” in!

6. You Must Always let the pudding cool down some before you put your extracts in - or else it will curdle.

7. Cover your pudding while it is still warm with waxed paper or plastic wrap - get out the bubbles!

Alas and Alack! I failed to follow steps 2 & 3 - but I did do all the others. And listen to this - I never eat warm pudding, and I never (well almost never) eat it straight out of the dish - but I did both of those abominable things today. (I guess that it has to do with being home alone) Mom had the camera with her so there is no “photographic evidence”.

I had started out with Butterscotch and it morphed into coffee - again!


But the good news is that if you can make Pudding then you can make Ice Cream, but don’t tell my Dad……

Did you know that I hate moths?

At the same time of the pudding episode, we were listening to 2 CDs. (okay one and then the other) The first was Duncan Holmes’ Live & Alive! which is on some kind of “Permanent loan” from the Rockett Family as they passed through years ago. It was only listened to once or twice at the time (now I know why) and was then stored away in my dresser drawer ‘till now. (as a side note Angus hates the song “Topaz”.)

Hear Ye, Hear Ye: If a Rockett or some other desiring person wishes to be the new keeper of this CD then we can see about arranging it! (I only liked a few of the songs - Home on the Range was the best.)

So we ended on some good notes: CD #2: Deep in the heart of TEXAS favorite songs of the Lone Star State. (click here)

I just killed that moth!

Please forgive me for such a lengthy and boring installment …..I don’t even know what possessed me….