"The great giveaway"...

My brother, Andrew is hosting a giveaway on his blog to celebrate his 3rd year of blogging. It's quite a good one with good options for anyone/everyone! You still have a few days in which you can enter....

Please visit his blog HERE to enter his drawing.

It's nice having such a handy person as my very own brother. ;)

Anniversary cake (and giveaway winners announced)...

Today, I baked and decorated a cake for 3 couples' anniversaries. My grandma asked me to make the cake for their get together on Sunday, so I wanted to be sure to have enough time to get it done and proceeded to bake it today.

Marble cake:


After cleaning the house quick, I had time to decorate the cake too! :)

Now, all that's left is keeping it safe until Sunday!

I thought I'd let you all know too that my brothers drew names for my giveaway winners on my 1,000th post. The names drawn are as follows:

KIMBERLY K.

&

HANNAH F.

Congratulations, dear friends! Please leave me a comment, ladies and let me know which of the prizes you prefer! :)

Wishing you all the happiest of weekends,

~Cora

Post #1,000!

It seems like forever ago that I started my blog on April 2nd, 2009! The Lord has blessed me ever and ever so much since then with the blessings of friendship and inspiration, encouragement and joy! I hope I've been able to share helpful things along the way for others as well, even if it was just something to put a smile on someones face. :) After all:

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."
Proverbs 17:22

One of my blogging friends suggested that I tell you all 10 random facts about myself that you may, or may not already know. I thought this sounded like a fun idea, so the facts are typed out below:

1. My favorite color of cows is red. I own mostly black cows (their calves sell better around these parts) but do own most of the red/tan cows in our herd.



2. I do not like eating tomatoes plain! I will eat them in a sandwich, but do not enjoy it. It has something to do with the texture, as I'm not a picky eater, but tomatoes that way just are not appealing to me!



3. I love poetry! I like to try my hand at writing poetry every once in a while, but especially love reading it. Isn't it fun to read a story in rhyme?



4. I'm shy.... Too shy, sometimes, especially when it comes to talking to young men. God has helped me to work through some of this though since I began working at the nursing home, as I HAVE to talk to the residents (which I enjoy!) and to their family members/company (which is a little harder, as they're complete strangers sometimes), and to my coworkers.... :) There's even a young man CNA working there now which means that I HAVE to talk to him when I work with him, which is a good thing--a growing experience.



5. I/we don't observe Christmas and Easter (and definitely not Halloween), as we've researched the roots of these holidays and don't believe in keeping them the way most people do. We do thank the Lord for His coming to earth and dying for us and rising again, and sing songs about that, but don't believe that he was even born in December....



6. I love playing music on my piano! Classical; Marty Goetz or Lorie Lines music; and pretty hymns are my favorite, although hymns seem harder to play (mechanically speaking) than others, even though most people say hymns are easy to play. Hmmm.... I also own a violin and an accordion, both of which I know how to play a little.



7. I love growing things! You probably know that already though. I have a Rubber plant (that I started from a snip from our big plant) and a Hops vine slip that I'm trying to grow in my room currently...



8. My favorite color is green, a rich, dark green.



9. I'm still working on my one and only quilt. It will be King sized when it's finished. It will be very colorful and has many pansies strewn amongst the hearts... :)



10. I've learned a few German words since working at the nursing home and hope to learn more. It seems hard for the residents to translate the words over into English, so I haven't gotten too far with that. One really good word to know though is "Shlofa"--meaning "Sleep"!

So, now you know. :)

I was thinking of having a giveaway in honor of my 1,000th post, and my family was giving me suggestions tonight for what I could do. I've decided to take part of one of their suggestions, so my giveaway is as follows:

I will be choosing 2 winners.

If you leave me a comment on this post, your name will be entered in the hat for the chance to win your choice of 1 of the following things:

#1. A gift of 1,000 pennies--(perhaps all put together into one $10 bill for shipping convenience!) :)

or

#2. I will attempt to write a poem about you--if I know you well, it will be all the easier, but if I don't, it will be a fun challenge! This poem will be published here and/or sent to you as soon as it's finished, depending on how it turns out! ;)

I would love to hear from you!

~Thank you again to all of you who have come to be good friends through blogging or who have stayed in touch better because of it. You are a blessing from above! May the Lord bless you abundantly in return!

And now, "Shlofa gut!" I'd say, "Sleep REAL good", if I only knew how to say "Real" in German........ :) Does anyone know?

.....And the winner is:

After writing out the names of those of you who entered my giveaway, and then putting them in a hat, and after Andrew thoroughly mixed all the names, I reached in and drew the name, "Robert" (and no, my dad did not enter my drawing. :) ) So now, Robert, you can just let me know which of the prizes you'd like and where I should send it to and I'll get "It" in the mail soon... If you'd rather not have me publish your address, that's fine, just let me know. Thank you to all that participated! It was really fun to see that there are some new people reading my blog now, and also to see that my "Old" friends still read about our life here in ND. I took a few pictures today and thought I'd share them here. This is a box that holds the tomato and pepper seeds I started. I have a couple other boxes that I started seeds in too and now have cabbage, cauliflower and onions coming up. :) The toothpicks in the box below mark off the separate "Plots" I've planted (there are many different varieties of peppers and tomatoes in there that should be peeking out any day now.) This is how I've filled up those shelves I was telling you about a while back: It's nice to have extra room on my dresser and piano now for books and boxes of seeds and....

Speaking of books, this is the kind I've been digging into recently. I'm SO glad it's finally Spring!

We had to pull our first calf (of this year) this afternoon, as it was upside down and backwards, meaning the mother would not have been able to push it out, no matter what. My dad managed to get the calf turned (inside the cow) so it's feet were down and then we pulled it out backwards, quickly. The baby is doing fine, so we and the mama are happy!

I counted tonight and, with the 8 calves today, we now have a total of 53 calves (we've had 2 dead ones so far). One of the cows who calved today (Suzie) was Sally's (our milk cows') calf from 2 years ago. Andrew's thinking he might try and milk her in a couple weeks, when he's done with grain cleaning and is around to train her. He thinks she'll be easy to teach, as she was a bottle calf and he's kept her fairly tame all along. She even let him squeeze some milk out tonight to make sure there was some there for the calf. Oh, the calf is a beautiful heifer, by the way, whom he's decided to call "Sweet Pea".

Those were the highlights of this day. I guess I could tell you about how Dad and Jacob were really with it while playing Foosball today, but that wasn't really a highlight for me! :) Or, I could write about how Mom and I tried playing out of our new piano duet book, but that didn't sound the best (yet), so that wasn't a great highlight either! It was, for the most part, a peaceful day and we're now ready for a new week. How about you?

Giveaway deadline coming up, and another anniversary date~

I just wanted to remind you all that the deadline to enter my 2nd-year-of-blogging-celebration-giveaway is tomorrow (Saturday) around 5:00 (meaning it for sure won't be before 5, but might be a little later than 5.) Scroll down to my post from last Saturday to enter, if you so desire. :) Oh yes, I thought I'd say too that I'm willing to ship the package to someone out of the USA too, as I have a couple of friends that are not in this country and I don't wish to exclude them! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I realized today, while dating the cream "April 8th" after separating the milk, that it's been 1 year exactly now since I started working at the nursing home! My how time does fly!!! To me, it does not seem like I've been there a year already, but a couple of my coworkers have told me that it seems like I've been there for years. :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~We had some adventures with our cattle today... The first adventure happened this morning, after Dad finished feeding the cows. He noticed that one of the calves, Tag# B20 was really weak and wobbly and wondered why, as this calf is already a few days old. Then he noticed Jacob's cow, O4 running around, looking for her baby. He drove around a bit, looking for her baby too, and when he finally found the baby, he was frustrated with the sight that he beheld! #B20 (the cow) was claiming O4 (the calf) as her own for some reason and was abandoning her own baby... Soooooo, we had to get cow #B20 in the calving pen (and later in the head-gate) and then go get her weak little calf and take it to her mother so she could nurse. This afternoon, #B20 was letting her baby drink without being locked up and this evening, while out feeding cows, Dad saw that the O4s had reunited, so all is well, hopefully! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Our second cattle adventure came tonight when Andrew said that his milk cow, Sally was in heat and he wanted to get a bull in with her. We got one in the same pasture with her alright, but not for long! The bull was really dumb and kept running along the fence, wanting to get out while Sally tagged along behind him. He finally did crawl THROUGH the fence, back to his original pen, so then the guys went out and got a different bull in and locked him and Sally in a smaller pen so the bull couldn't break out. This was a smarter bull, thankfully, and Andrew should be getting a nice little calf in January, if all goes as planned. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We had hoped to get the plastic up on the greenhouse today, but it was very windy, so we are waiting for a nicer day to finish that project. There were many other things to keep us busy with in the meantime! One of the things we're doing to help heat our greenhouse is to put large, 50 gallon barrels in the greenhouse (some filled with water and some with oil) so the liquid will absorb the heat in the daytime and release it at night. The guys bring back a pickup box full of barrels that they've bought each time they go down to Titan and then they are lining them up against the black plastic wall. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mom and I were busy in the house today, cleaning and cooking mainly. I used a new razor blade to clean off the sides of my aquarium, as recommended by a friend of ours, and it worked really well! It did feel pretty funny though when I had my arm in the water (to clean the bottom of the glass inside the tank) and a fish came up and "Nibbled" on my arm! I baked 4 pies: 2 sour cream raisin; 1 chocolate pudding; and 1 peanut butter! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There were literally HUNDREDS of cranes in our corn field this morning and they kept flying around the farm all day, making their gurbly noises. We are located in the middle of one of the main flyways for birds, so we get to see and hear all kinds of God's flying creations! Sometimes, when the wild geese fly over head, our domestic geese will try to fly across the pasture or yard. They surprisingly get a few feet off the ground, but can't stay up for very long, on account of their liking their feed a little too much. :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, that's a pretty thorough review of our day. I guess I didn't tell you about the Don Knotts movie we tried to watch this evening, but there really isn't much to tell, as we were only able to watch about a third of it, as either the tape is dying or our VCR is! I hope you all have a peaceful weekend, spent with those you love most.

Two years ago today:

I started this blog! :) It has been so much fun to share with others here about our life on a ND farm, and also to go back and read through the posts from time to time to refresh my memory of all that has happened in our very busy lives. The greatest blogging blessing though has been the great people I've met all over the country and, yes, the world even and the encouragement and ideas I've gotten from them and, hopefully, have been able to share with them also... I praise and thank the Lord for His bringing you into my life!!! And now, I feel like celebrating! Last year, I did a giveaway on my 1st blogiversary and I've decided to do another one this year.... I looked around my room today for something I could give away and actually found several things, so I've decided to give the winner a choice of what he/she'd like. So here it is, choice #1: The book, "Stepping Heavenward". When I read this book several years ago (not this exact copy, as this is a new book :) ), I found it a little hard to get into at first, but it got a lot better as it went along. I especially liked the part where the one young woman was so upset because she wasn't exactly sure if she was saved or not, and then the heroine points out to her that, even if she wasn't before, she could repent and ask the Lord into her heart right now! .... Choice #2: A new copy of the relatively new DVD, "No Greater Love". A dear friend shared this with me about a year ago, as you may recall, and it has a great message about the permanency of marriage.... Choice #3: This is a new VHS copy of an OLD musical film, ("Seven brides for seven brothers") but it's such a very fun, good movie that, if you haven't watched it yet, I just know you'll enjoy it. :) And choice #4: Your choice of a packet of flower seeds, either: a special water-saving mix ordered from Bountiful Gardens; a decorative sunflower mix; Zinnias; or Love-in-a-mist from my garden. *You have until Saturday, the 9th of April at 5:00PM (or so) to leave me a comment, letting me know you'd like to be entered in the drawing. You don't need to have your own blog to be able to enter, just leave a comment "Anonymously", but sign your name at the end please, or I won't know who you are! * If you'd like to tell me while you're leaving your comment, it would really be fun to hear about how you found my blog in the first place! And now, on to the 3rd year! May God be with you and I and bless us, everyone, ~Cora Beth

Giveaway...

There is a great giveaway going on over at my friend Hannah's blog...

But you'll have to hurry if you want to enter, as she's drawing names tonight!

Visit Hannah HERE.

A giveaway--and choir music...

I wanted to let my readers know of a blog giveaway that a relatively new friend of mine is doing over at her blog, "Girlish Musings". She is giving away a very cute apron that she sewed--an apron with a beautiful bow! You can visit her blog HERE and enter for a chance to win, but you'll have to hurry, as the drawing ends in just a couple days...

A package came in the mail today, a package containing music for 2 songs that are going to be sung by home school students/young adults at the home school convention in March. Andrew will be the only young person in our family who's able to participate, as he and my mom are planning to leave a day earlier than the rest of us to take in the events of Thursday, and then he'll be able to practice with the other members of the choir. I saw this cute video of a song my brothers and I grew up listening to on "WeKids", and as it also has something to do with a choir, I thought I'd post it here...

On second thought, HERE is a link to the song, seeing as my computer won't let me post it for some reason.

My dad drove over to our hayfields by Hazelton to get a sample of our Organic alfalfa hay this afternoon. He will mail the samples to a place where they test the quality of hay, then we will know what we have to work with. My dad has talked to a potential buyer already, an Amish man whom another Organic farmer friend of ours recommended. How exciting this will be if it all works out---our dream of selling Organic hay will finally come true!

Dad has also talked to buyers for grains and has sold some of our corn and wheat recently. Our goal is to sell directly to consumers, but until we are all set up and have enough people buying from us, we need to sell our grains to the "Middle men".......

I have more I could write, but it's getting late and I must get up earlier than usual to milk the goats tomorrow morning, as we have plans for an outing tomorrow. :)

A great giveaway for ladies...

Good morning friends,

I just wanted to point you all in the direction of a great giveaway at Meditations of His Love! Enter in several different ways by January 9th for your chance to win a copy of Leslie Ludy's book, "Authentic Beauty".

Click HERE to find out more.

Have a great day!

A great giveaway!!!

I just wanted to let you all know that my friend, Hannah K. is hosting a special giveaway on her blog,

but it's ending today (she extended the original ending date), so if you want to be entered in the drawing, please go visit Hannah right away!

A couple of giveaways!

Our neighbor and friend, Tamera is having her first giveaway, so you may wish to go see what that is--especially if you enjoy quilting! :)

Also, another friend is having a giveaway (a sewing pattern) and you can read about it here.


On the home front:

My dad and brothers got the combines ready to roll yesterday and hope to be able to combine today, if it doesn't rain....

Mom and Jacob picked up all the apples that fell off the tree in the recent wind-storm and we now have boxes, buckets, and baskets full...

I worked in town yesterday and do so again tonight. Since school has started, the high school and college girls aren't able to work anymore, so the nursing home is running short on CNAs. Want to come help? :)

I'd best get to work! Have a great day, serving the Lord in whatever things He has for you~

A great giveaway!!!

One of my dear friends, Hannah of Marilla Heights is having a wonderful giveaway over at her blog!!! Go here:
http://hannahoftheheights.blogspot.com/2010/05/bringing-in-summer-giveaway.html to enter--several different ways even, if you so desire.

The giveaway ends June 20th, so you still have some time to get your name in the hat too.

I really need to get to bed, as I just got home from working in town a little bit ago and need to be there again at 6:30 tomorrow morning, so I need some sleep! I just wanted to make sure you all had heard about the fun doings over at Hannah's blog though...... :)

And the winner is.......

Congratulations dear friend!!!

As I already have your mailing address (and have a note mostly written...), I'll just tuck the prize in the envelope too and send it to you, soon--hopefully! :)

Thank you to all of you who shared about your favorite music as well! It was (and always is) so fun to read your comments.

~Sweet dreams~

My very first giveaway!!!

Dear friends~

I am very excited tonight to announce my very first giveaway here---in honor of my "Blogiversary"! When I posted my first post on April 2nd, 2009 I'd thought only people I knew would be interested in reading what we were up to on our farm, but God's surprised me abundantly and has blessed me with some very dear, new friends over these last few months. I'm so happy now that I started a blog back then! :)

But, let me get to the part about the giveaway...

I pondered for a while what would be a blessing to most anyone who reads my blog, and finally decided on getting one of my very favorite music CDs, "Sanctuary" by Marty Goetz, to give away.

Mr. Goetz is a Messianic Jew who puts many of the Psalms to beautiful music he composes. We were introduced to his songs several years ago and have, since then, bought all of his CDs. His music is so inspiring and I'm sure you would find it a blessing too!


If you'd like a chance to win this giveaway, please do one or more of the following and let me know you did so... You'll get 1 entry per thing that you do below:

• Leave me a comment--preferably telling me the name(s) of your favorite music CD(s)
• Blog about this giveaway and link to my blog
• Write about (and link to) this giveaway on FaceBook
• E-mail 3 of your friends about this giveaway--with a link to my blog

A week from today, I'll be drawing the winning name out of the hat, so you have a little time to spread the word and increase the number of times your name's put into the hat--if you so desire. :)

Don't know how to leave a comment? It's pretty easy really... Just click on the "Comments" link at the bottom of this post, then scroll down until you see the "Leave your comment" box and write your comment in the empty box. Next, you'll be at "Word verification", where you type in the word that shows up above the empty box. Then, you'll need to "Choose an identity"--if you don't have a blog, just click on "Anonymous", but then please be sure to leave your name at the bottom of the comment so I know who you are! :) All that's left then is to push the "Publish your comment" button, and you're done!

Just in case you don't read my brother Andrew's blog regularly, I wanted to let you know that he is having his 1-year-of-blogging celebration now too and you have until Sunday to enter there.....

Thank you so much to those of you who've made my first year of blogging so enjoyable, educational, and exciting! May the Lord bless you richly for all you do to bring honor and glory to His name.~