Monday Message (on Tuesday)

Provident living: Our last class will be May 13 until fall again to give you time for your gardens and families. The class will be hands-on planting in the garden (weather permitting) 9:30 a.m. at the Shook's.

Summer is just around the corner! Scroll down to check out a list of fun ideas to do with the kids :)

The Lord has warned and forewarned us against a day of great tribulation and given us counsel, through His Servants, on how we can be prepared for these difficult times. Have we heeded His counsel?" (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, November 1980

"When the economies of nations fail, when famine and other disasters prevent people from buying food in stores, the Saints must be prepared to handle these emergencies." (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 264.)

“Noah heeded God’s command to build an ark...that they might be saved from the floodwaters…Yet there was no evidence of rain and flood…His actions were considered irrational…The sun was shining and life moved forward as usual. But time ran out…The floods came, the disobedient were drowned… When God speaks and we obey, we will always be right” T.S.Monson Ensign 10-07

We need to develop skills we do not have and we need to improve on the ones we have

http://thesewingloftblog.com/2014/02/24/simple-steps-improve-sewing-skills/ improve your sewing skills even though at this time we can buy clothes, even used ones fairly cheap, we should know how to make the clothes ourselves and have supplies on hand to do so.

http://thesewingloftblog.com/2014/01/20/pressing-and-ironing/ brush up on the basics of pressing here

http://amandafarquharson.com/blog/the-8-most-helpful-hand-sewing-stitches these are basic and good to know

You should be watching the weather, when it is dry enough you should be getting ground tilled if you do not already have a spot cleared off ready to go if you do.

Planting season is just a few weeks away.

FHE is a good time to draw pictures of what will be planted where and involve everyone let them plant their own little section.

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/7-ways-plant-potatoes? - preferred method potatoes

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/331085010076140022/  celery this is the part you would not keep so why not make more? This does work, actually I have some in water now that are waiting to go out and they already are doing this just in the water alone but I want to put them out.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/331085010076132065/ I showed this with onions before just wanted to tell you that mine are continuing to give me green onions. I put on baked potatoes or in anything that needs onions. You just keep cutting the top like you would chives.

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/containergardening/herbveggie_containers.cfm no room to have a garden? Here are great things about container gardening

This is something the Prophets have said for us to do. Believe me I hate gardening but I push on through. What I don't like and am rewarded for the grocery budget that it saves....plus through all the years of doing this I can tell you what not to do...as I have done them all, yep maybe I should write a book of failings in the garden.... naaaahh :p

http://naturalthrifty.com/how-to-mill-flour.html  this might be something to try in a Goodwill blender, not so sure how much the motor will take but if you get a used one at a good price this might be an option. If you do not have a grinder it is a good thing to know what you can do.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/259449628503563967/ this has a lady show you both ways of grinding. I am not familiar with the brands but the prices seem close. Yes, the electric grinders are that loud, my only add to this is that the tupperware she is mentioning that she gets ahead must be stored in the freezer.....  One more tip is like her it is good to have both types

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWOJovFzWfw  she walks you through making bread pretty well. You also could put it in loaf pans instead of free form loaves like she shows. I like the more narrow bread pans as opposed to the wide ones that one might put meatloaf in and then I spray my pan and I put the dough in so that when I push on it so that the dough touches all four sides, it is half full in the pan. I spray and cover and let raise till you have one to one and a half inches above the rim and bake.

http://giftedkids.about.com/od/nurturinggiftsandtalents/qt/cheap_fun.htm

http://www.carolinaparent.com/articlemain.php?12-Ideas-for-Summer-Fun-on-a-Budget-833

http://www.pinterest.com/tgilbert1/summer-picnic-ideas/

http://www.watermelon.org/Carvings/CarvingsDetail.aspx?ID=10

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201958364513147798/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201958364512278637/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201958364510375294/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201958364510374206/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201958364510348294/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201958364510341602/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201958364510250998/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201958364510023419/

http://spoonful.com/recipes/whatta-melon-pop

http://easybaked.net/2011/06/11/nutter-butter-flip-flops/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201958364510004537/

These are the things from our class. I particularly love the idea of the gummie bear popsicle. I hope you all enjoy with your kids or grandkids what is gathered here to have fun and yummy at the same time, too neat!

Keep working on your storage, keep working on your skills. I know that it is harder to do in the summer with kids home but you can have them help and teach them and make gummy bear popsicles - yum! And you can have fun while doing them. I remember sewing and Laura would stand with one foot on each side and leaning over me while I sewed... :)

Spend time together, prepare together and work on a garden - do what you can do.