UPDATE FROM THE COUNTRY!

Greetings and salutations to all of my friends and family! My prayer is that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has blessed everyone and kept all safe in His arms.

I couldn't believe it has been so long since I last wrote, but, it does seem right. We, my beloved and I, seem to have fixed the computer; so I should be able to get back to writing on a more reasonable schedule. It had gotten so bad that I couldn't even open my writing program or get on the internet. Let me tell you, we were not happy people. I never realized how much time I actually spend on the computer until it wasn't working! I did get my  ancient laptop running. But it takes forever for it to do something. And since it is so old, it runs out of virtual memory and has to adjust which makes everything run even slower. Needless to say, I didn't do much on that one. Checking email was about all I could do. Anything else would have caused it to overload and explode! I have been informed by my dear husband, that if I am a good girl this year, Santa may bring me a new laptop. I told my sweetheart I am always good, bring on the laptop! So there should be a new addition to the family and I won't have to tie up my husband's computer with my writing and blogging and book reviewing and whatever else I want to do. I am blessed being married to such a wonderful man. 

Okay, enough of the computer saga.... on to better things!

I love the Fall. I love how the trees have changed colors and I love the smell of the air. I think foggy mornings are beautiful and something about seeing clouds nestled between the hills tugs at my heart. Two of my favorite spots on my way to work are probably overlooked by everyone else, but to me I think they are beautiful. One is on Carpenter Creek just before I get to my road. There is a field to the left and behind the field is a row of oak, alder and maple. The colorful leaves of the trees and the honey color of the field is very pretty. The second place is on Stringtown Road. The place is called Westwind Gardens and lining the road is Redleaf Maple, fir, another type of maple and more fir.... It is so pretty seeing the dark green of the fir between the wines and golds of the maples. Now that I think about it.... it's almost a Christmas type of colors...... I know my eyes enjoy looking at them as long as the leaves last.

I did gather some leaves to place in a bowl. Just a little fall to enjoy in the house. Here is a couple of pictures.....

They are pretty, aren't they. Fall is my most favorite time of year. 

What next..... Oh yeah.... The chickens.... 

I still have all of my chickens. However, I believe there are really 15 hens and one rooster. We finally got nesting boxes built and on a good day, I am getting 15 eggs. One of the black chickens actually acts like a rooster. He doesn't cock-a-doodle-do but he does let you know he is the king of the hen house. I also have a broody hen and my husband tells me they do that if there's a rooster.... so I may have some baby chickens... if I leave her eggs alone. One of the leghorns is laying double yolkers, HUGE double yolkers. She is quite noisy when she lays them, which is about 3 to 4 times a week. 

We finally got some chicken wire, so now we can fix the outside for them and keep them safe from other critters who happen to like chickens as well. The coyotes are hanging around liking the smell of my chickens so I haven't been able to let them go outside. When my dear heart has an extra minute, he's going to fix things for the chickens. 

We still have the pheasants. But they shall soon be pheasants under glass. Not this coming week-end but perhaps the next one, they will be in my freezer. This week-end, my sweetheart is going deer hunting with his friend and will hopefully bring home a nice big deer. The deer will become ground meat and the hide will get tanned. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it, I might just put it on our bed. We'll see after it gets back from the tanners.

Because of all of the rain, the garden didn't do as well as I had hoped. No one's vine vegetables did well. I think I am going to do it a little differently next season. I still have carrots to pull and I need to get the last of the apples in for applesauce. Mmmmmm.... yummy... I love applesauce!

My dear husband and I did manage to take a honeymoon of sorts, finally. We did a three day tour of lighthouses. We have lots of pictures so I am going to put them in a slide format and then post it with the story. Hopefully I will be able to do that this week. I'm back to working six days a week but I have been told that we are getting a couple of new people so my hours will start going down a bit. I am looking forward to that happening since I have a lot to do to get ready for Christmas. I am making gifts for the family and I need time to do that..... it's rather difficult when I'm working 40 plus hours 6 days a week.

Hmmmm..... remember when I told ya'll that I drove our dump truck? Here's a picture of it....

You can't see it, but it says in gold paint "Kintz" above "Excavating". That is just one of the many loads of dirt we moved from one end of our neighbor's property to another.

The sawmill got put on hold until Spring, but my husband put a log on what has been done, just to give himself some encouragement and to show me what it will look like.... check it out.....

Pretty cool, huh?! It will be awesome when it's operating.... just needs a few more things done and we'll be sawing some lumber!

Now, when you only have a wood-stove for heating, you need to have some wood to burn. If you don't have any wood to burn you have to go find logs to cut. That means there has to be downed logs that have been seasoned because green wood doesn't burn, it smokes. The week-end before my husband  and I took our trip, we went and cut up some very large logs into rounds. Those got loaded into the bed of the pickup by me, Cal and our neighbor/friend, Kerry. Well, I did as much as I could until my hands were completely numb up to my shoulders due to the carpel tunnel. After we got back from our trip, Calvin started splitting the rounds into burnable sizes that will fit into the wood-stove. The whole point of this is so I can tell you what a genius I am married to..... He rigged up a conveyor system that allows him to split the wood and put it on the conveyor and the conveyor dumps it into the woodshed. All I have to do is stack it! Between the wood-splitter and the conveyor... he has eliminated several back-breaking steps! I would include foot-wearing but, if I'm not fast enough the wood will fall on my poor feet reminding me to MOVE! Ahhh.... to be married to such a genius..... He really is the best!

Well my dear friends and family I'm afraid it's that time. I must bid you adieu until next time... which will hopefully be later this week or next week and not next month. Watch for our story of our lighthouse trip. I will be posting that soon.

Until we meet again..... I pray our Lord and God will keep you and your families safe, healthy, and blessed. Please pray for my mother-in-law (such a sweet lady, I love her so....), she is undergoing tests. The doctors are looking at her pancreas. Please pray for her, her husband (who has Parkinson's), her children, the doctors, we all need strength, hope, peace, healing, and Jesus to lift us up. I am praying that there is nothing there and she is going to be fine. Her name is Grace. Please remember her as you pray.

May the Lord bless you and keep your families safe and well.......

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies'

Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."    Psalm 103:1-5 (NKJV)

Update From the Country!

Greetings to all of you, my family and friends, near and far. My prayer is that the Lord has blessed you and continues to bless each one of you, in Jesus name.

I must confess that this is a difficult month for me. My mother, who has gone to be with the Lord, and my oldest daughter, who isn't speaking to me still, have birthdays this month, along with my daughter's youngest daughter. So, it has me a bit sad and blue. Yet, at the same time, it is the month that my husband and youngest son celebrate their birth, so it's a happy time, as well.

Ok, ok, it's a bit of a rollercoaster, emotionally. I miss my mother, though she has been gone for 12 years. She became my dearest friend and I miss talking with her. I miss her wisdom and insight. But I know I will see her again, one day. I miss my daughter. I continue to pray for her and her children. And I ask all of my praying family and friends to continue to pray for her and the girls (Lily-Ann and Haley) as well. I received some disturbing information recently that has me on my knees.

We celebrated my son Nathan's birthday this past weekend. It was a wonderful time. My sister Colleen and her husband Roy came down from Washington to help us celebrate. My sister is so silly! We had lots of laughing and fellowshiping that day.

She wanted to hold a chicken, so I took her into the chicken house so she could catch one. (It's not as easy as you think! It took her a minute or two!) She finally caught one and was just estatic! Silly city girl (hehehehehehe). I still get excited about my chickens.... I did catch my favorite one for her to hold. Colleen had a good time in the hen house!

We showed them the sawmill. They were dutifully impressed (teeheehee). It's still a work in progress, but it's progressing more. Calvin has gotten the carriage on it. He even put a log on it, it does look quite impressive. I will show you some pics next time I write. He hasn't downloaded them yet.

We took a walk around the property and we talked and talked and talked. Now the guys (Calvin, Nathan and Roy) were making fun of Colleen and I. I don't understand why. We only look alike and sound alike and we laugh alike. The fellas had quite a laugh!

Calvin's parents came up for the party and so did Nathan's sister and family. Our good friends and neighbors come up as well. So we had quite a number of people here for cake and ice cream. It was a good time to be had. I hated to see it end. But Roy and Colleen had a ways to drive back home and it was getting late. I did make sure they got some produce from the garden to take home. And she brought my dear husband and I a blanket she crocheted. (It fit the bed perfectly!)

I was glad the weather cooperated. It wasn't too chilly nor was it hot. We did experience a bit of sprinkling.... but overall, it was decent weather. Not necessarily typical August weather in the Pacific Northwest.... but nice.

We have been having a bit of a cool spell lately, weather-wise. But the weather people have assured us that we will experince some summer weather this week. We are expected to get into the high 80's and lower 90's. I just hope it will be nice and warm for my sweetheart's birthday. It's the 21st, and we are going to have family over again, for it. Now if I remember to call everyone, that will be good!

I remember the year my daughter was born, it was the hottest summer this area had experienced in years. The weather people keep referring to it when they talk about what's going on now with the summer weather.

It's hard thinking about my husband's birthday without thinking about Minyon's. She was born the same date as he was. So, it's a bittersweet day for me, right now. I pray for the day when we can celebrate both of their birthdays together. What a blessing that will be. Until then, I thank the Good Lord for my beloved husband and I pray for my baby girl.

Well, I did get my sweetheart a birthday present... it's a ........ Surprise! I can't tell you what it is, in case he reads this. You will have to find out later. I sure hope he likes it. He really needed some new socks and underwear... Oooops! I told! Or did I?

The garden is doing well. But, I have a problem gopher that is being difficult to get rid of. And something has decided my green beans are delicious because they are eating them right to the ground. If it's the deer, and I already told them this, they are going to be dinner on my table yet! I went out there yesterday and found half of them gone!

The corn is alreay producing baby corn! How exciting! And the apples are just about ready to pick! One of the trees has good, sweet apples on it already, even though they aren't completely ripe yet. The squash has blossoms and the rest of the garden is flourishing! I thank the Lord for such good harvest.

Some other news.....

On my book review site LaTawnia Kintz Reviews I have a drawing taking place. Those who enter have an opportunity to win one of two books. So be sure to go over there and enter. There are some rules to the drawing (of course) and if you want to try for both books, you can do that as well. They are both good books.

I also just posted a book review on a Bible study. So go check that out as well. If you are looking for a Bible study, this might be of interest to you.

In closing....

I pray the week is filled with blessings for you. I pray that the week-end is a time to relax and have quality time with your family. And I pray that each one of you will be kept safe by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1 John 5:5 (NKJV)

Update From the Country!

Greetings to all of my family and friends!

I cannot believe it has been two weeks since I last wrote! Where has the time gone? In fact, I'm having a hard time believing it's August, already! 

Happy Birthday to Maggie! And Happy Anniversary to Maggie and her husband, Mark! I will try to send you a personal email today or tomorrow. 

Saturday, our neighbors had a combined birthday party for friends and family members whose birthdays were/are the last week of July/first week of August. Our son, Nathan, is having a birthday August 4th. So Calvin and I went birthday present shopping. It's difficult to buy a present for a 25 year old young man. But after some investigative snooping we determined he would like a RC car. WOW! Who knew those things were so expensive! And that was a base model! We finally found one we thought he would like and it didn't quite break the bank. We gave it to him that night. (Neither one of us could wait to give it to him!) He has been enjoying it ever since!

Critter updates:

The chickens are doing good. No eggs yet, but I am still hoping. The pheasants are doing well, also. All of them are growing nicely. Soon it will be time to begin cooking!

We found a home for the two female kitties. Now if we could only find a home for the two boy kitties. Momma cat decided she liked motherhood so much she got pregnant again! So we will have another batch of kittens to get rid of. I'm thinking these will go to a shelter, or somewhere like that. And before she can get pregnant again, Momma cat is getting fixed. 

Garden update:

The garden is doing well. I picked a good bunch of bush beans last night, along with a few beets and rutabagas. The corn is getting tall and they are getting tassels! The carrots are still small, but doing well. And I finally found the parsnips! They don't seem to be doing as well as I would like. But, my husband says they usually don't. 

I have never grown brussel sprouts before, but aren't there suppose to be something like little cabbage heads? I'm not seeing anything like that. I wonder if I didn't do something I was suppose too? They are getting nice and tall but I ain't seeing any little cabbage heads! Suggestions anyone?

We do have a gopher in the garden. Possible two. So my dear husband has been setting gopher traps. There is a mound by the beets and one by the squash. I am going to get that thing yet! 

The squash is doing good. We finally have blossoms on them. And the tomatoes and potatoes are blooming and growing as well. Yummy tomatoes and potatoes! I can hardly wait. 

And the apple trees are just about ready! The apples are still growing and are just now beginning to turn color. The boysenberries and blackberries are just about ready for picking as well! Hmmmm..... yummy blackberry cobbler, blackberry jam, boysenberry jam, apple pies, apple sauce, apple crisp.... 

The dogs are doing better now that they are kenneled at night or while we are gone. They were going through a phase of making a mess on the floors. My husband was getting a bit upset. Not that I can blame him. I was getting tired of cleaning it up! So we have a kennel (one we used when we went camping last month) and they seem perfectly happy in it! Dumb dogs!

The sawmill is coming along slowly. I'll go down and take some pictures this week. Calvin is putting the track on now. That's for the carriage to roll on. He also has to put in a pulley system still. There is a bit more work to be done. But he hopes to have it finished soon. We still need to cut lumber to put a new roof on the house. That needs to be done before Fall gets here. 

It's hard some days to come home from work and then go to work at home! I had half a day off this past week that I used to clean the inside of the house because it had been somewhat neglected. I usually spend that half day out in the garden weeding. My husband comes home in the late afternoon from work and he goes out to work on the sawmill or something else that needs to be done. There is a lot that has to be done to keep this place going. Some days it just seems to be too much. Thankfully Nate helps us a lot. He will clear brush or help on the sawmill or whatever else is needed to be done. He will even help me in the garden. It's not easy when I work nights, Calvin works days and Nate works graveyard. But somehow we get it done!

Yesterday I didn't get out into the garden until around 4pm. I just didn't feel like doing it. But, once I got down there and got to working, I felt better. I managed to get about 8 hours of work done in four! The poor thing needed lots of water and weeding. I even got to use my new clippers on berry vines that were invading the corn!

Well my family and friends, there isn't much more to say today. No great words of wisdom or anything like that. But I do want to tell you about a great site to get some good preaching and teaching. Go to Faith Harvest Church and be encouraged, strengthened, and blessed by sound Biblical preaching and teaching. It's where I go to hear the Word of God. I know you will be blessed.

Until we meet again, I pray the Good Lord to watch over you this week. May He keep you and your family safe and sheltered in His arms. 

And I would like to leave you with this verse.....

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

Update From the Country!

Greetings and blessings in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord! I pray all has been well with you and your families since we last met. 

My dear husband, Calvin, is finally much better. He was very sick for a couple of weeks. He got ahold of some type of virus and it was very difficult for him to get over it. But, praise the Lord, he is now feeling much better.

Our daughter, Jennifer, and the baby are doing well. As is our new granddaughter by our son Richard and his fiancée Crystal. Our youngest son, Nathan, is such a help around the property. He is truly a blessing to us. He works hard at his job and here at home.

I haven't hear from my daughter Minyon. I do ask that you continue to pray for her and her daughters, Lily-Ann and Haley J'lynn. They are still in Arizona. I ask that you pray for protection, peace and restoration. 

Lily-Ann just had her seventh birthday and Haley is going to have her fourth birthday in August. Minyon's birthday is the same date as my husband's so it's not difficult to remember either one! Both of them will celebrate in August as well.

(Just came back from giving water to the chickens and food to the pheasants. The chickens have figured out if they make enough of a ruckus when their water runs out, I will go see what's going on and give them water. Maybe they aren't so dumb after all!)

My beloved had a dream since he was a child, to own and operate his own sawmill. Several years ago he was able to purchase one. He and Nathan went to Idaho to get it. Since then it sat down from the house on the property, in pieces. Due to the discouragement from those who should have supported him, it never got built. The sawmill isn't just to satisfy a dream, but it is also another source of income, it's beneficial to the buildings and home (yeah! a new roof without the bats!)

The slideshow you are seeing here is a day's work on the sawmill. Nathan (in the red shirt) and Calvin, our neighbor's son Brodie and I all helped Calvin get the frame work together. Calvin is a welder by trade so he was able to do all of the welding of the frame. I wish you could see his welds... they are a work of art.

It may not look like much to you... but to those who have seen sawmills on private property know this is going to be a great sawmill. This is a Foley Bellsaw sawmill. If you want to see one in action, YouTube has several on there you can watch. 

I will be taking pictures as we progress, so you can see how it looks. Soon, it will be operational and I hope to have a video camera by then so I can video it! 

THE KINTZ'S SAWMILL - THE FRAMEWORK

Calvin and crew started working on the sawmill early Sunday morning and we were finally at a stopping place by 6:30pm. (Brodie and I went to town and got some KFC.... we were too tired to cook even for barbeque!)

More updates.... 

"Mary, Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow?" I don't know about Mary's garden, but mine is crazy! I get half of the garden weeded and the other half explodes into weeds! No, I'm not using any kind of chemicals to control them, just my little hands. I'm not using any chemicals of any type at all on this garden. (Does that make it organic?) 

Other than the weeds though, the garden is doing well. The corn is getting tall, and everything else is growing wonderfully. I thank the Lord for that. I am believing He will give us a bountiful harvest so I can bless others with food. The potatoes are doing great. The bush beans are flourishing. The carrots are growing. 

I was talking with a dear sister in the Lord the other day. We were catching up as we had lost touch with each other. (May the Lord bless her dearly.) I was telling her how with my work schedule and all that has to be done here at home, especially now at this time of year, I'm not able to attend church as I would like. So I spend a lot of time in prayer and praise while I am working in the garden. (I'm usually down there by myself. It's a good, private time.) I am also participating with an on-line bible study. (The bible study has been really good. It's on the book of Ruth.) My dear sister told me to use this time to allow the Lord to continue healing me (she knows my past and hurts) and in time the Lord will restore me. (I am a teacher of the Word.) She said that just as Ruth spent time in the fields gleaning before she was redeemed; the Lord is using this time in the garden to heal and restore me. It was confirmation to my spirit. How the Lord blessed me, through her.

I ask that you pray in agreement with me that the Lord will provide a video camera so I can video a teaching He gave me. I believe and have received confirmation that He would have me present this teaching online. I'm not sure how to get it from the video to the website I am going to set up.... but I am sure He will show me or bring into my life those who know how. I have a syllabus for those who will take the course that I want to put in PFD (?) format. That way, the students can download it and print it for free. If you have any suggestions as to how I do these things, please don't hesitate to let me know, as I am not that computer savvy. I felt pretty amazed that I was able to put together a slideshow! Of course Photobucket makes it pretty easy!

Well my family and friends, it's that time. I must go and prepare for work. I enjoy our time together and look forward to the next time. As always, I ask you keep me and mine in prayer as I pray for you and yours. If you have a specific prayer you would like me to be in agreement with, just send me an email or if you would like others to pray with you, leave a comment. 

Leave a comment that you've stopped by, please. I love to hear from you. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe throughout this week.

"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 

"for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

"who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

"who gave Himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time." 

(I Timothy 2:1-6 NKJV)