Hi! Welcome to my blog! My name is Jane (PlainJane) and I am the blessed and happy wife to Jeff and doubly blessed mama of two perfectly wonderful daughters. Please join me as I share our Lifestyle of Learning through Christian homeschooling and homesteading on our little hobby farm with our prairie girls.
Amber (Bookworm) is our dd15/10th grader.
Our perfectionist and over-achiever. She loves reading, playing violin, all things vintage, riding her Paint horse, and being a farm girl.
Anna (Ladybug)
is our dd13/7th grader.
Our "girls just want to have fun" girl. She loves to play and has a great sense of humor, but also enjoys cooking, music, and riding her QH pony.
Here our Bible Quizzing team is awaiting their 5th match of the day to begin. There are 7 on the team, always five quizzers with 2 alternates. We had a very good day with two first places, three second places, and one third place finish. Amber managed to have three perfect quiz outs (a quiz out is the best one can do -- when a team member answers 5 questions or quotes during a single match - then they must sit out the rest of that particular match and give others an opportunity to answer -- a pretty neat honor and I love how everyone claps and encourages everyone else.
Jeff working on the interior of our sauna. He just finished the walls & ceiling - still has more to do, but it's getting there. The cedar smells so nice in there.
Thought my southern friends would like to see MN in February.
These photos were all from yesterday. It wasn't that cold out, in the low 20's and I really don't mind the snow that much since we could use the moisture after last summer's drought, but I do tire of the gray/white sky. The snow is pretty, but MN winters are lacking in blue skies & sunshine.
Behind our house - all day -- snow & more snow.
I thought this turned out pretty - a picture taken by Amber of our house the other night.
The snow is mostly ended. I haven't heard an official snow totals yet -- we really didn't get that much as SW Minnesota got hit the worst. It's not that bad this time of year with the warmer temps., spring is just around the corner (although now we are going to have some -5 to -15 windchills for a couple of days).
Feb. 4, 2010~ Only a Puppy or My Life is Such a Circus ~
Elsa is now 4 months old and little by little we have been relaxing our restrictions on her and trusting her with more and more privileges. I am truly thankful that we don't have a dog that chews up furniture or woodwork, but that's not to say that we have been problem free either...Leonbergers are known to be very family orientated and need to be a part of everything the family does (their herd). We try not to leave Elsa any more than we have to, but sometimes it's unavoidable. At first she would really trash her pen area when we left the house -- separation anxiety, but she was soon jumping out of her pen & we were forced to trust her with more freedom, which with our open floor plan, is most of the house. She was doing really well, with only sometimes moving throw rugs, & dish towels off the oven door, BUT...this is what we found when we came home from church last night! LOL
Well, I better run. Now I can hear her playing in her water bowl...I guarantee there is water everywhere!
(I know she doesn't look very rural, but I like the picture)
For Today, Monday, February 1st, 2010
Happy First Day of February
Through the Windowpane...cloudy skies. It's currently +5, looking for a high of +15 with a windchill of -1 to -11. Expecting a tich of snow later this afternoon. Normal hi/low is 25/6.
From the learning rooms....Here are photos of one of the girls' (Amber's) American Revolution Lapbooks...
Front Cover with the two Georges -- George Washington & King George
It was fun learning right along with the girls as I don't recall learning much about the American Revolution except, "The British are Coming! The British are Coming!".
We are now into our studies of the Early 19th Century plus we are doing well keeping to my new Science schedule. Previously science was getting a bit boring even to me, but now that I am putting a little more effort & planning into my weeks it's gotten interesting & fun again. This week we finish up volcanoes & start earthquakes.
From the kitchen...
M - Lasagna T - Garden Salad & Rolls W - Mashed Potatoes w/Hamburger Gravy
TH - Soup & Breadsticks
F - Hamburger Hotdish
S - Sauteed Sirloin Tips & Potato Skins
S - Friends over
Creative Endeavors...
Anna had all kinds of help when it came to cutting out her apron.
Around the house (besides school)... a typical BUSY first week of the month.
Plans for the Week... today library; post office; Walmart, pick up some raw meaty bones for Elsa; laundry day; Tuesday school; clean house; maybe go ice skating at a friend's house; Wednesday clean house; lead Awana Cubbies; Thursday clean house; Amber's violin lesson; Friday clean house; go swimming with friends; Saturday last Bible Quizzing match of the season; Sunday have friends over.
Farm & Animals...Muck the stalls. Still need to call the farrier to set up an appointment for hoof trimming. Too icy to ride. Currently Elsa is playing a game of chase with the cats - it sounds like she is tearing up the house!!! I have always had jingle bells hanging from our front door knob as a security thing - partly as when the girls were little, I didn't want anyone walking out without me knowing & I didn't want anyone entering without me knowing either. (Jeff & I are very safety conscience); but now the jingle bells are serving a new purpose...Elsa rings them every time she wants out (ALL DAY LONG) and sometimes to get our attention when she wants to help her pal Midnight get back in.
Though the viewfinder...
My mom & I recently swapped sewing cabinets. I had a nice one I inherited from her sister, but mom's sewing machine broke down & I told her she could have mine which was bolted into the cabinet. Mom was thrilled and gave me her old cabinet instead which is even nicer than what I had. It even has an electric lift that raises & lowers the machine in the cabinet. I love it - now if only it would teach me to sew.
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Have a Blessed Week!
Time is almost up to be included in The Girlhood Home Companion January Giveaway! If you are like us, with one or more girly girls who love all things vintage and appreciate the words and ways of yesteryear with a Christian flavour ~ this magazine is simply a MUST!
Remembrance Press is giving away 3 issues of the 2009 Spring Edition of The Girlhood Home Companion (Make It Lovely Issue) and the Mother/Daughter workshop cd’s that go with them... but you only have until midnight this Sunday to enter.
Through the Windowpane...still dark out, but it's lightly snowing & quite gusty - the motion detector light on our garage keeps coming on from the blowing snow. We have a dusting of new snow on the ground with a forecast of 1-3 inches. Winter is returning this week with single digit highs by mid-week. Normal hi/low is 22/5.
From the learning rooms....I still need to take pictures of the girls American Revolution Lapbooks, but today we start our studies on the Early 19th Century . I also planned out our Science schedule for the rest of our school year - being we try to finish by May 1st, that means I only have 14 more weeks to go and lots of ground to cover. We will make it if we keep our nose to the grindstone. The girls are still busy sewing. It's a busy week, so I don't know if we can do it all this week - school comes first. Still need to check into drivers ed. for Amber.
From the kitchen... M -Tacos T - Sauteed Sirloin Tips & Jojos W - Meatloaf
TH - Pasta
F - Baked Potatoes
S - Soup & Salad
S - Friends over (?)
Creative Endeavors... helping the girls with their sewing projects - or at least keeping Elsa occupied while they work.
Farm & Animals...Maybe muck the stalls. Still need to call the farrier to set up an appointment for hoof trimming. Put a couple more braids in Sundance's mane (training it to fall on the right side). It was so nice, the girls got to ride a little last Monday. This week is a different story with the weather.
Around the house (besides school)... an ordinary week of school & housework.
Plans for the Week... today if we go out at all, it will just be to the library & post office; laundry day; Tuesday nothing but school; Wednesday lead Awana Cubbies; Thursday girls' bible study; Friday go visit my mom; Saturday nothing planned - yeah; Sunday church & having friends over. We are going to try to fit in one afternoon of ice skating & another of swimming each week now during the winter - probably won't skate this week with the bitterly cold winds.
Though the viewfinder...
Yesterday...dispite our lovely warm weather last week, we still have several inches of snow on the ground. Elsa is doing one of her favorite activities -- rutting in the snow.
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Have a Blessed Week!
It has been quite an exerience having a puppy in our midst again - fun & tiring. Sometimes I'm not sure if we are training her or she is training us, probably both. She seems quite smart and full of wonder. Elsa learns quickly, is mostly house broke, and will even ring the jingle bells hanging from our front door to let us know she wants out or lets me know when her buddy, Midnight (Amber's cat), wants in. The biggest thing we are currently working on is having Elsa come when she is called. Oh yes, she comes easily when in the house or with no distractions, but outside is another story. She usually just comes when she is good & ready, so lately I have had to resort to food bribes to get her consistantly coming and we are making good progress. I think having so much snow really helps keep her close to home until she gets trained.
Now, we have reached another little problem...
Just prior to bringing Elsa home, we purchased a "PetYard XT" (below) at Petco. It wasn't cheap, but nice and sturdy heavy plastic & very adjustable...I figured our investment would work out just fine for Elsa & perhaps later whenever we have baby chicks outdoors.
I also figured it would take about a year before Elsa would outgrow the thing...WRONG! Elsa is now almost 4 months old, and yesterday she proved that this puny 26" high fencing was no match for her. We were out visiting at friends, and DH comes home from work to find Elsa out of her pen with free roam of the house. (Yikes) I guess it was a good test, all was well...with only evidence that she had been playing with Anna's balloons and we won't say what she was doing in the kitty litter box (ewww). I think she may have had a tummy ache last night, but all in all, the house survived with all of our possessions intact.
We will see how it goes tonight while we are at church.
Here is a photo of Elsa standing up - the photo doesn't really do her justice. She is getting quite big & strong. If she catches you off guard - she can knock you over.
Anna being tackled by Elsa - one of Elsa's favorite games.
Elsa has very sharp puppy teeth & claws. Sometimes we wrap our hand/arm in a towel like how they train police dogs to attack and let her go at it - she's not aggressive, it's just her way of playing.
Through the Windowpane...mostly cloudy, but relatively warm. Most of our property is still covered with 6 to 12 inches of snow, but with our unseasonably warm temps. last week, I can now see some grass/mud near the house & on the driveway. Our porch temp. is 32, dispite the high forecast of 31. The rest of this week will be in the upper-20's to low 30's. Today's normal hi/low is 22/4 (according to the weather calendar, last week was the average coldest week of our winter, now it should gradually warm up - woohoo).
From the learning rooms....Didn't get our American Revolution lapbook put together last week since we were skating & swimming so much so that will be a today project. The girls are busy cutting out Edwardian aprons & skirts to sew - need to watch the dvd on my new sewing machine (bought about 6 months ago, but haven't used it yet) so they can get started sewing. Still need to check into drivers ed. for Amber - I'm dragging my feet a bit on that one.
I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year ... This week I'm in: OT: Genesis; NT: Matthew, KJB
I ocassionally get a few minutes here and there to read my Raw Meaty Bones book -- I'm a non-fiction reader, but when it comes to books on health, science, or history, there is a great difference between the Christian writers & non-Christian. I am finding this book has a lot of evolutionary wordage which is a big turn-off for me. I'll keep reading to try to gleen the good from the bad, but it makes it a lot less interesting. I usually don't read non-Christian book, but I'm hoping I'm past the worst of it in this book.
From the kitchen... M -Chow Mein Hotdish T - Pancakes W - Roast Beef
TH - Chicken & Pasta Salad
F - Amber's Choice
S - Pizza
S - Brats on the Grill
(of course, I'm on a diet, and will have non of that except the chicken)
Creative Endeavors... helping the girls with their sewing projects - or at least keeping Elsa occupied while they work.
Farm & Animals...A good day to muck & maybe clean the chicken coop a bit. Should call the farrier to set up an appointment for hoof trimming. Need to braid Sundance's mane (training it to fall on the right side) & maybe just saddle up the horses & let the girls sit on them for a while in ths stall as it may be too icy to ride.
Around the house (besides school)... laundry; ironing; trying to keep the house somewhat company ready at all times ~ just in case (usual Monday stuff). Jeff is home today for MLK Day and is working on the Sauna Haus all day - his dad will be by to help for a while. They are currently working on the smoke stack leading from the stove through the roof.
Plans for the Week... today We will do school dispite the holiday, need to run to the store for grapefruit for my diet and buy some more raw meaty bones for Elsa; Tuesday we were invited to a friends' home for a visit; Wednesday lead Awana Cubbies; Thursday violin lesson for Amber; Friday nursing home ministry; Saturday nothing planned - yeah; Sunday church & family time. We are going to try to fit in one afternnon of ice skating & another of swimming each week now during the winter.
Though the viewfinder... Okay, so I don't have any new photos to show - here is another photo from Anna's recent birthday party. (An Ice Cream Cake done in Polka Dots)
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Have a Blessed Week!
For Today, Monday, January 11th, 2010 (My new Daybook look)
Through the Windowpane...dispite a snow flurry this morning, we now are enjoying clear skies & sunny; expecting much warmer tempatures this week. Today's high +20 and the rest of this week in the mid-20's to around 33. I LOVE JANUARY THAW TIME!!! Today's normal hi/low is 21/3.
From the learning rooms....We finished our studies on the American Revolution last week -- oh sure, I have a ton of books and could study Am. Revolution all year, but it's time to move on. We will put together our lapbooks this week and then continue with Home School in the Woods' Early 19th Century Time Travelers material. Amber has the sewing bug & wants to sew a lot. Oh, and Amber is ready to start her driver's training, so I need to look into that.
I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year ... This week I'm in: OT: Genesis; NT: Matthew, KJB
+ have a stack of books, but no time to read.
From the kitchen... M -Chicken on the Grill & Pasta Salad T - Ham & Hash Browns W - Fried Rice
TH - Burgers & Home Fries
F - Lasagna
S - Mom's Choice
S - Deluxe Baked Bean Hotdish
Creative Endeavors... I'm a few years behind on the girls' school years scrapbooks - I hope to start back up on them this week.
Farm & Animals.... The stalls need mucking as it's been too cold for soooo long - will get caught up on that this week. Elsa, our sweet puppy is eating me out of house & home - she's like the teenage son I never had. lol For example, for breakfast, she had 4 raw chicken necks which btw, she can gobble down in 5 to 10 seconds per neck (it would be nice if she would at least taste them), about 1 cup of rice with turkey broth, 1 piece of cheese, 1/2 banana, 1/4 yam, 4 crackers -- let's see, I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Normally she then gets a raw meaty bone to chew on while I have devotions, but I'm out. And that's just breakfast, and then there are snacks & supper. I've read that adult dogs can be fed only once or twice a day, but puppies need to be feed 3-4 times a day. She's a growing girl, but being she isn't on kibble, she isn't belotted, she looks skinny, but not ribby
Around the house (besides school)... laundry; ironing; trying to keep the house somewhat company ready at all times ~ just in case. Progress slows down considerably with a toddler-like puppy following me EVERYWHERE and being such a helper -- as only toddlers can do.
Plans for the Week... today I need to run to the post office, feed store for horse oats, & to the store for raw meaty bones for Elsa; Tuesday we were invited to a friends' home for a visit; Wednesday lead Awana Cubbies; Thursday visit my mother & take her my aunt's old sewing machine & cabinet (long story); Friday maybe take the girls swimming; Saturday nothing planned - yeah; Sunday church & family time.
Though the viewfinder... Saturday was Anna's birthday/sledding party. If everyone that was invited could have come, there would have been 14 girls, but as it was, only half could make it, but we had so much fun! Here is a shot from our family room window at our sledding hill. The hill was good and slick so sometimes they had to lay down while their sled took them under the electric fence and into horse pasture #1 (elec. fence was shut off & raise for the ocassion). Elsa is such a party animal!
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Have a Blessed Week!
Good Morning All,
Just wanted to let you know that my long-time blogger friend, Tamara, is hostessing a New Year's Giveaway with some fab prizes. I think there's still 7 more days to enter so please feel free to hop on over and enter before time runs out. (just as long as you don't win what I want - teehe).
For Today, Monday, January 4th, 2010 (My Daybook is undergoing some changes)
Through the Windowpane...the sun is rising in the clear sky with the moon still bright in the West, lots of hard/frozen snow on the ground. The temp. is currently -14 with a blustery windchill of -10 to -20. We just came in from the barn and it feels a lot colder than that. Today's normal hi/low is 22/5.
From the learning rooms....I have a very full schedule planned for the week. Plan on finishing our studies on the American Revolution this week (yeah) & put together our lapbooks. Hymns for the week are: "Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb' and "At Calvary".
I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year (my 34th year of doing so)... This week I'm in: OT: Genesis; NT: Matthew, KJB
also, "Raw Meaty Bones" by Tom Lonsdale - not finding much time to read
From the kitchen... M -Hamburger Hotdish T - Sauteed Sirloin Tips & Potato Skins W - Chicken & Rice
TH - Baked Potatos
F - Baked Bean Hotdish
S - Anna Grace's Birthday Party
S - More Birthday Celebrations
Creative Endeavors... working on ideas for my baby's 13th birthday party - in 5 days! It will be a sledding party on our back hill with a Polka Dot theme and 13 guests invited!
Activities around the house & barn (besides school)... laundry; ironing; party planning & shopping; Wednesday Awana; Thursday violin lesson for Amber; Friday Nursing Home ministry; Saturday birthday/sledding party for Anna; Sunday church (MIL & her sisters sing at our church - go out for lunch with extended family).
Though the viewfinder... Anna is my girl of action - here bouncing on her school chair (exercise ball). I wish I had half her energy!
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Have a Blessed Week!
Dec. 28, 2009~ The Simple Woman's Daybook - Monday, December 28th, 2009 ~
For Today, Monday, December 28th, 2009
Outside My Window...clear skies, lots of snow on the ground. The temp. is steadly falling - currently +18 with a blustery windchill - feels like +9. Forecast calls for a chilly week. Today's normal hi/low is 23/6.
I'm thinking... need to get out and do morning chores.
From the learning rooms....school is out for the year. Yeah! I am thankful for...the days gradually getting longer now.
From the kitchen... M -Grilled Chicken T - Applebee's (Grandma comes for a late Christmas) W - Sloppy Joes
TH - Papa Murphy's Pizza (New Years Eve)
F - Lasagna
S - Garden Salad & Rolls
S - Soup & Breadsticks
I am wearing...denim capries, navy fleecy top, sports socks, hair is long.
I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year... This week: OT: Zachariah - Genesis; NT: Revelation - Matthew, KJB
also, more about pet nutrition
I am hoping... can't think of anything.
I am creating... memories for my girls.
I am hearing... the clock ticking; Jeff watching the morning news (he took the week off); Anna fixing herself some breakfast & Midnight begging for a saucer of milk (Anna gave him some milk as a Christmas present & now he thinks he should get it every morning).
Around the house & barn... some cleaning for Grandma coming tomorrow.
One of my favorite things... just being together at home.
I am going... to Walmart to pick up a perscription & to the meat market for Elsa. A few plans for the rest of the week (besides school)...
M - Light housework; laundry; iron; local shopping T - My mother comes to celebrate Christmas since she couldn't come Friday because of the snow storm W - Taking the girls shopping since they have gift cards; Bible Quizzing practice
TH - New Years Eve - Take down Christmas tree & decor; family game night; go to bed 5 minutes after midnight. lol
F - Sleep in as long as Elsa lets me (maybe 6 am).
S - Bible Quizzing Match in Hudson, WI S - Church & Family Time
A picture thought I am sharing with you... Recent Christmas Program by the kids from church - Amber is in red on the back row (your right) and Anna is just below her and to the right in pink.
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Have a Blessed Week!
Much thanks to our hostess Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook
Okay, in a recent post we established that kibble (dry commercial pet food) or most all commercial pet foods, wet or dry for that matter, is made up of the 4 D's (dead, diseased, disabled, and dying animals) and other contaminates and that this so-advertised "nutritious" food is a major contributing factor in the illness and shortened lifespan of our beloved companion animals. So then, what should we feed our fur babies to help ensure more years to their life and more life in their years?
The answer is as old as the first canines & felines themselves...naturally! Commercial pet foods have only been in grocery stores since the 1950's, so what did the poor dears eat before then? Ask grandma & grandpa; it was...table scraps and whatever they hunted on their own of course. There was no such thing as buying dog or cat food and they didn't have to have all the vet visits they do now either. Bowser did just fine, and he didn't have to eat the same ole crunchy kibble day in and day out -- how boring! Oh, btw, with the exception of table scraps, their meals were RAW too, there has yet to be found an undomesticated cooking it's meal before it ate it. God specially designed our furry friends to be able to process all that gross stuff without incuring the harmful effects - amazing!
So, here's where it gets a little tricky. One can read 10 different sources on the subject, and get 10 different answers as to exactly what to feed our dogs & cats. Some say cooked, some raw, some say a combination, some say grains included, some say no grains, dairy, no dairy...AUGH, the differences are endless. So I'm no expert, and obviously not all these people are either, but the one thing they all agree on is NO KIBBLE. After that, it's whatever you are comfortable with. Just feeding your pet homemade food puts you way ahead of the game.
Personally, I bought our puppy a bag of "super high quality" kibble to start since all the puppies were being fed kibble at the breeder's and I needed a bit more time to learn about what to feed our puppy before we switched to an all natural diet. I bought Nutri Source Large Breed Puppy food. It was a 30 lbs. bag that lasted me exactly 6 weeks and 1 day for our giant breed puppy (the last of it is in her dish right now) and that's with ocassionally feeding our puppy real raw meaty bones & other people food from time to time. The bag cost me a whopping $50.00! It is recommended that if you do choose to continue with kibble, get the highest quality you can afford. Read the ingredients! Never should you read the word "bi-products" as some of the first ingredients listed. Your bi-products or meal is your 4-D poison mentioned above. Yet, I have to say, that in reading the ingredients on my expensive kibble package, they only list just over 50% of the nutrient breakdown, such as 26.0% crude protein, 14.0% crude fat, etc., so that brings me to the question of what's the other 40+ % that's not mentioned? Filler of some kind I guess. Although chicken is the first ingredient listed, it looks like it has a lot of grain. Pretty pricy grain if you ask me.
So I guess my two biggest issues when considering feeding our dog homemade food with raw meat was: (1) the grossness factor & wouldn't my dog get sick on raw meat...you know, E. coli and all, and (2) sounds way too expensive for me. Well, after now going through a bag of raw bone marrow and other raw fruits & veggies around the house, yes, it's gross compared to the neat little kibble, but really not as bad as my weak stomach imagined. Being we have a big puppy, I have to choose my battles when it comes to a "clean" house. She doesn't slobber, but she laps up her water and then leaves her bowl dripping all the way, so feeding time is just another one of those compromises. I usually put down a big OLD towel on our tile floor and that is her "Place" where she is allowed to eat her bone. (A good command to teach dogs is "Place" -- some place you designate they must go when you say the command "Place" and that they must stay until you say they can come). Even at 3 months old, she is doing pretty good at staying in one place with her bones. And as I mentioned before, dogs & cats are designed by God to be able to eat raw without ill effects. In fact, studies have shown that dogs and cats are MUCH healthier if they do eat raw rather than cooked meat and bones. Some benefits of raw is that it can eliminate problems such as doggy odor; bad breath; tartar on teeth; eye discharge; excess wax in ears; fleas & worms; and even cancers plus it builds a strong immune system. And oh yes, never cook your bones...uncooked are much more pliable and less likely to splinter and choke the animal. Things like neck bones are perfect, but if you are worried, use a meat grinder and grind the bone too with the meat; and (#2) the cost. Well, I can't say my 30 lb. bag of kibble for $50 was cheap in the first place. And neither is paying $500 - $1,500+ for a dog only to feed it cheap feed that cuts it's lifespan in half. Homemade can be expensive, but remember, if you feed your animal right, it will only eat once or twice a day and some even suggest it fasting for one day a week - so six or so meals a week isn't bad. It really pays to shop around for a good deal. You won't be buying Bowser the same high cuts of meat that you and your family are eating, but rather, cuts that most people don't want -- chicken & turkey necks, chicken backs, liver/organ meat, bone marrow, and the like. I have an advantage living in the country, we have a couple of good meat markets and lots of farmers around. I can get a bag of bone marrow with lots of fat & even a good amount of meat on them for $1.59/lb. which is half the price of what another large chain store wants for their dog bones that have no fat or meat on them. I'm just starting, but will be stopping at a couple of butchers and seeing what kind of deal I can cut on getting chicken & turkey necks & their "throw-aways". Also, we have chickens, and although Anna would never let me butcher our chickens for dog food, we do get a lot of eggs in the summer - free food! (and no, they don't associate what is on the farm with what is in their bowl). I will be expanding our garden even more this summer just for raw veggies for the dog. I cook our carrot peels & put them in the food processor for a nice veggie mush. Oatmeal & banana are cheap & make a nice hardy breakfast mixture (for the dog) as well as soaking some homemade bread in warm water. Most anything we eat that is unprocessed (no twinkies), our puppy can have too. I really don't think feeding our puppy homemade will be any more expensive than what I paid for that kibble - probably slightly cheaper.
Please Note: Besides chocolate, there are several other foods that are toxic to dogs, like grapes & raisins, onions, coffee, etc. Do check out several sites that list "Toxic foods for dogs" as they differ a bit. I don't agree with all that is mentioned on some of these sites, but when it doubt, don't feed it to your pet.
So there you have it. Like I say, I am just learning and still reading. Besides the book & link I mentioned on my last post, here are a couple of other books you might want to read...
Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale
This book seems to be thee book on the subject of feeding our dogs raw meat and highly recommended by holistic vets. I just ordered it on Amazon.
The BARF Diet by Dr. Ian Billinhurst
"Barf" stands for "Biologically Appropriate Raw Food" or "Bones and Raw Food". I guess you can call me a Barfer now, lol. I want to read this book, but I'm going to see if I can get it through intra-library.
There are many books and online sources that can give you menu ideas and what to feed and how much to feed your size pet. The variables can make your head spin, but I don't think it's a huge exact science. It just takes some trial & error and commonsence. Our grandparents pets did just fine and often lived to a ripe old age without all these "experts" and your pet can too.
Just one more thing...kibble is not the only thing potentially harmful our beloved pets...vaccines and flee & tick products are equally harmful or more so.
Really, in reading many of these books & articles, many, in my opinion get carried away when it comes to all-things-natural for your pet. Afterall, our pets are just that, companion pets, and sometimes helpers/workers, but just like all humans, it is appointed unto man once to die. We do our best, but one must draw the line on some of the rediculous lengths some go in caring for animals. Since Creation, man has been appointed as having dominion over our animals and all of creation - not the opposite.
Thinking naturally for our puppy has reminded me in a very real way the importance of not only caring for our beloved pets, but also caring for ourselves/myself with moderation in all things as unto the Lord. Afterall, it's just not right that my dog should eat healthier than I or my family. I'm working on making healthy changes around here for ALL of us - not just the dog.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Dec. 21, 2009~ The Simple Woman's Daybook - Monday, December 21st, 2009 ~
For Today, Monday, December 21st, 2009 Winter begins at 11:47 a.m. today
Outside My Window...took Elsa out at around 5:00 a.m. and all was dark & peaceful. I love the quiet of country living. It's a relatively warm 19 degrees with no wind, looking for highs in the mid-20's this week and snow Wednesday through Friday. Today's normal hi/low is 25/9.
I'm thinking... grateful that Elsa is laying down, giving me a little time on the computer.
From the learning rooms....school is out for the year. Yeah! I am thankful for...renewed heath and a good night's sleep.
From the kitchen... M -Chicken on the grill T - Amber's Choice
W - Spaghetti
TH - Christmas Eve at our house with all the traditional foods - feeding 10
F - Christmas Day at our house - mom is coming - more of the same
S - More leftovers, yum!
S - Soup
I am wearing...jammies yet, sports socks, hair is long.
I am reading... Thru the Bible Each Year... This week: OT: Micah - Haggai; NT: Revelation, KJB
also, more about pet nutrition
I am hoping... for a productive day.
I am creating... memories for my girls.
I am hearing... Elsa chewing on her raw meaty bone (will post more about that later).
Around the house & barn... baking & cleaning, cleaning & baking.
One of my favorite things... a happy, peaceful home
I am going... to the store today to pick up all the food-stuff I need for Christmas. A few plans for the rest of the week (besides school)...
M - Laundry & iron, Clean basement & barn & oven, bake cookies T - More Ironing (I'm way behind), Clean top floor & shampoo bedroom carpets, bake cookies W - More Ironing, Clean main floor & shampoo carpet, bake cookies
TH - Cooking, feasting, enjoying family
F - More feasting, enjoying family
S - Resting & Family Time S - Church & Family Time
A picture thought I am sharing with you...
Anna sledding down our hill yesterday (photo taken from our familyroom).
That's all for today!
Thanks for stopping! Have a Blessed Week!
Much thanks to our hostess Peggy for the Simple Woman's Daybook
Okay, this post has been sitting in my drafts for over a month - time to stop thinking about it and get it out...
Longevity
I love to do research! Lately I have been reading devouring everything I can find on holistic pet care. And no, I haven't gone over the edge (I don't think) -- I am passionate about our animals, but still practical and skeptical enough to weigh & question everything I read and hear...and my findings are frightening to say the least with regards to our modern, conventional "care" for our companion animals and livestock. Boy, how disillusioned I and probably most pet owners are about what we do for our pets for the sake of their health and how I wish I knew "then" what I know now. Things that we have always been taught that are good and healthy for our beloved dogs, cats, & livestock are often really, really bad and sometimes even deadly (running parallal with our misconceptions of human healthcare - but that's another post). My latest research all began during our puppy search -- when upon learning that the giant dog breeds' (like our puppy) lifespan has been declining over the years and that whereas most giant breeds use to live 10 - 14 years are now only living 7-8 years. And the breed of dog we now have is very susceptible to cancer. WHY??? Thus my quest for answers. I quickly hopped online and found out that this does not necessary have to be the case, that some are still achieving long lives in their giant breeds of 14+ years and some are even claiming that healthy dogs could achieve a lifespan of 25 to 30 years. Amazing huh? (likewise with all other breeds). But when you think about it, 70 years ago before commercial dog food, before vaccinations, before flee & tick products, dogs usually lived longer, thank you very much.
Commercial Pet Foods
The books and articles I have been reading are eye opening indeed as to what goes into commercial pet food (not for the weak of stomach). Commercial pet food is made up from the 4 D's (dead, diseased, disabled, and dying animals) - often labeled as "meat byproducts". Most anything that is NOT for human consumption is trucked to a rendering plant and eventually made into our "complete & balanced" pet foods, including condemned and contaminated material from slaughterhouse facilities, roadkill, dead-stock removal, zoo animals, and euthanized dogs and cats from the vet (and here I thought they were just cremated). Pet & livestock food includes rendering of animals with cancer, animals drugged from euthanization or over-antibioticed, sick animals, fish with too high mercury content, and I have even read where animals that have succumbed to mad cow disease or the like are rendered. Not only is the complete animal from head to tail, including hoof & fur, in the rendering, but sugar, dyes, additives, enough preservatives to last through eternity, fertilizers, and even styrofoam & plastic wrap from grocery meat gone bad, dog collars, flea & tick collars, pesticides & herbicides, and some 50 percent of the antibiotics manufactured in the US are included in the mix. And not to make you sick, but yes, the vat of animal remains is heated, but not at high enough temperatures to kill off much of the disease and whatnot. I was apalled! What I have been reading is heartbreaking to say the least. It's all about the money! How can anyone that has the inside scoop on the rendering/pet food market connection say they care about animals?
As unbelieveable as it seems, this information comes from not just one sorce, but many. The pet food market has gone wild. Of course, there are some vets and some of the high-end pet foods that try to do the right thing. It pays to find a good holistic vet!
I believe as Christians we have an obligation to care for what God has entrusted to us..."A rightous man regardeth the life of his beast..." Proverbs 12:10a.
I'm just beginning my research on natural health care for our puppy and have a lot more to learn. I love all the online sources one can find on the topic, but like most any subject, you can get varied opinions and especially with holistic matters, sometimes what I find is very humanistic in nature and must be weighed with discernment.
Recommendations
If you would like to read more on natural nutrition and healthcare for pets & livestock, here are a couple of resources I have liked so far...
by Ann N. Martain. Much research on the truth of what goes into commercial pet food and the lack of regulations on such.
Website: The Whole Dog by Dr. Jeannie Thomason, a holistic vet. Lots of great articles. She also has a yahoo group - a good way to get a lot of free advice. She also has several links & recommendations of other good books.
I also highly recommend looking up your local holistic vet websites, I know the ones around here have many great links and articles. And also some breeders (often high-end) have great websites that not only educate on their speciality breed, but talk much about natural pet care.
My Own True Horror Story
Once upon a time (over 12 yrs. ago) we had moved into our nice new house in the country; Amber was 3 and getting potty trained; little Anna Grace was just beginning to crawl - getting into everything; and just to make it a three-ringed circus, I brought home our little Boston Terrier, Peanut, as I promised Amber a puppy - so I'm puppy training to boot! Life was busy and I wasn't able to keep a constant eye on all three little ones all the time as you can imagine. Anna seemed to take full advantage of this fact and managed to find the puppy chow accessable and tasty (AUGH!!!) on more than one occasion. Besides being grossed out that my precious little baby girl ate dog food, I tried to see the humor in it and didn't think too much about it -- afterall, if it was healthy for a little puppy, this isolated incident (or two ) certainly wouldn't have any ill effects. Besides, for some reason, I really believed in this Purina chow and our dog just LOVED IT. ...Well, shortly after this, I began to notice that on occasion a few pieces of this same dog food would be spilt on our mudroom floor and upon discovering it the next morning, I would find dead crickets lying all around the dog food, just out in the open. Besides the two or three times of finding this within perhaps a couple of weeks time, this had never happened before. Oh great! My baby ate dog food that also serves as cricket poison! And, shortly after that, I noticed this same favorite dog food had been pulled from the market! Someone else must have tipped off Purina but no recall or warning was ever issued to my knowledge.
Makes ya wonder doesn't it? I guess I'm a slow learner and at the time I just considered it an isolated incident and didn't think anything more about what is really in commercial pet foods in general, afterall, if you click on any number of pet food sites, you will find words such as, "Nutrition", "Healthly", "Premium", "Optimal", and the like. Are they really? I'll write more about this later of what they recommend we feed our beloved pets.
Jeff working on the interior of our sauna. He just finished the walls & ceiling - still has more to do, but it's getting there. The cedar smells so nice in there.
It was fun learning right along with the girls as I don't recall learning much about the American Revolution except, "The British are Coming! The British are Coming!".
Anna had all kinds of help when it came to cutting out her apron.
I have always had jingle bells hanging from our front door knob as a security thing - partly as when the girls were little, I didn't want anyone walking out without me knowing & I didn't want anyone entering without me knowing either. (Jeff & I are very safety conscience); but now the jingle bells are serving a new purpose...Elsa rings them every time she wants out (ALL DAY LONG) and sometimes to get our attention when she wants to help her pal Midnight get back in. 
Yesterday...dispite our lovely warm weather last week, we still have several inches of snow on the ground. Elsa is doing one of her favorite activities -- rutting in the snow.
Here is a photo of Elsa standing up - the photo doesn't really do her justice. She is getting quite big & strong. If she catches you off guard - she can knock you over.
Okay, so I don't have any new photos to show - here is another photo from Anna's recent birthday party. (An Ice Cream Cake done in Polka Dots) 
Saturday was Anna's birthday/sledding party. If everyone that was invited could have come, there would have been 14 girls, but as it was, only half could make it, but we had so much fun! Here is a shot from our family room window at our sledding hill. The hill was good and slick so sometimes they had to lay down while their sled took them under the electric fence and into horse pasture #1 (elec. fence was shut off & raise for the ocassion).
Elsa is such a party animal!
Anna is my girl of action - here bouncing on her school chair (exercise ball). I wish I had half her energy!
Recent Christmas Program by the kids from church - Amber is in red on the back row (your right) and Anna is just below her and to the right in pink.
) certainly wouldn't have any ill effects. Besides, for some reason, I really believed in this Purina chow and our dog just LOVED IT. ...Well, shortly after this, I began to notice that on occasion a few pieces of this same dog food would be spilt on our mudroom floor and upon discovering it the next morning, I would find dead crickets lying all around the dog food, just out in the open. Besides the two or three times of finding this within perhaps a couple of weeks time, this had never happened before. Oh great! My baby ate dog food that also serves as cricket poison! And, shortly after that, I noticed this same favorite dog food had been pulled from the market! Someone else must have tipped off Purina but no recall or warning was ever issued to my knowledge. 
