Faith-Family-Fun & Fiction

I’ve moved!

Please join me at my new web home JessieGunderson.com and don’t forget to like the Blog Schmog Facebook community HERE.

I’m an anti-blogging, mom of five, living the redneck life on a small Idaho farm. God gave me the gift of creative story telling and a passion for life.

Check out some of the posts in the following categories…

Long and Short of It:    Stories and Bible study. I love the Lord with all my heart soul and mind.

Motherhood Uncensored:  Raising four boys and one redneck Tinkerbell.

Craft/Art Coral: Mixed media art, paint, crayons, collage, crochet, fabric creations and more for kids and adults from a home school mom.

Farm Friends: From my big ol’ draft horse to chicken bums.

Journey to Publication: Ideas, resources, becoming an author.

My current novel in progress:
co-authored by my husband Matt

National talk show host, Clark Jacobson seeks to expose the Egyptian politician whose life work is planting “churches” designed to bring the three monotheistic religions (Islam, Judaism and Christianity) under one roof. When the Egyptian senator announces he will run for US President and his exotic secretary allegedly accuses Clark of being Islamophobic and Anti-American, the struggle gets even more personal.

A redemption story inspired by the biblical account of Joseph

Visit My Website

www.jessiegunderson.com

Purpose, Passion, Strength!

“Like a shot of vitamin J”

New location, same random nonsense & a giveaway!

Please update your readers and email subscriptions. I’m finally up and running at the new location JessieGunderson.com. Will host a mad (as in I’ve lost my marbles) giveaway at 100 Facebook followers! There is all the same nonsense and some fun new features.

Want craft tutorials, art journaling, homeschool fun? JessieGunderson.com

Farm craziness; chickens, rabbits and horses oh my? JessieGunderson.com

Life with my 5 Thinglets and Mom encouragement? Check out the category Motherhood Uncensored at JessieGunderson.com

Follow my journey to publication and beyond at JessieGunderson.com

FACEBOOK Jessie Gunderson author of Blog Schmog
TWITTER JessBlogSchmog.

Moving Week and Giveaways

I’m working on moving this blog to it’s permanent location at jessiegunderson.com

I hope you’ll join me over the next week or two or three…as I get things up and running and we have some giveaway fun! Don’t forget to subscribe at the new location. Subscribers and FB fans will get extra entries in the contests.

“Like” the facebook page Jessie Gunderson Author of Blog Schmog for updates.

Three months and he already has a menacing brow!

Hashtag Help – Twitter

I could seriously use a Twitter tutorial. How about you?

Here are the top ten writer hashtags according to an article written by Robert W. Hart at Novel Publicity.

1. #amwriting – Meet other writers by using this hashtag on updates about your writing day.
2. #amediting – When you are editing your WIP (work in progress) use this hashtag.
3. #askaagent – Some agents you follow might answer questions when you use this hashtag.
4. #fridayreads – What are you reading? Better yet, are people reading your book? Twitter your favorite books on Friday with this hashtag.
5. #WW stands for Writer Wednesday – name writers you follow by using the @ sign followed by their name like this @jessblogschmog and then use this tag on Wednesdays
6. #pubtip – Authors and agents will use this tag offering free advice and possible publishing wisdom.
7. #yalit or #yalitchat – This hashtag is for YA authors and writers.
8. #wordcount – For the word count crazed.
9. #writetip – Have a writing tip? Need a writing tip? This is the hashtag for you.
10. #FridayFlash or #FictionFriday – Share your flash (quick) fiction blog post with this hashtag.

I’m going to try to use some of these from now on in hopes of meeting more friends. See you on Twitter!

Fly Predators

Time to order Fly Predators!

I just love these fly eating flies so I’m sharing the information again. This is one of my favorite pest solutions.

We’ve been using these tiny little bugs to control our fly population for five years now.  I learned about them while wearking at a ranch as a horse wrangler.  They are the neatest little bugs and of course, they provide a solution that is pesticide free and in my opinion actually works better than anything out there.

Spalding Labs sends you a small package filled with little black, rice shaped eggs packed in wood shavings.  It’s the fly predator larve.  The bugs emerge in a couple of days and you simply sprinkle them onto the ground on or near manure, rotting hay or any other problem area.  They are not much bigger than the period at the end of this sentence but they work wonders.  The tiny bugs get straight to work eating the regular fly larve, stopping the flies before they even get a chance to hatch.

At my first introduction to the predators I was amazed but sure I would not be able to afford them.  Not so!  A monthly shipment of 10,000 predators (enough for my small farm) is only about $30, much less than a couple cans of spray and a trap that doesn’t work.  It’s cold enough here that I only need 4-5 shipments, other areas of the country may need to continue the shipments longer.

Click here to check it out for yourself.

Container Gardening: How to make planters that don’t dry out!

I have dirt in my eye and dirt under my fingernails. That’s what I get for picking a windy day for the planting project. But I’m happy!

Have you ever tried a container garden and found it was a bust because you couldn’t keep the potted plants watered enough? Or you leave for an overnight camping trip and poof! Your little babies burn up in an unexpected heat wave.

If so, you might like this method that I dreamed up in my little pea (haha) brain. It’s modeled after the highly successful Earth Boxes that I have. But since my whole vegetable garden is going on the deck this year and I only have two Earth Boxes I knew I needed to come up with a plan. Two planters simply would not do. See the original earth box? It is the black planter in the back. The other’s are my homemade version.

So, here is what you do.

To make a water reservoir in the bottom of a pot you will need to either start with a container that doesn’t have holes or plug them somehow. I used tin foil. My goal was at least an inch deep reservoir. Larger for my big planters. If you have a slightly smaller pot to slip inside that is also shorter and will allow a small space under it that is ideal. You can also use rocks to create the space for water to collect. Some of my planters have 1″ rocks in the bottom to create the bowl for water.

 

Next you will need some type of tray to keep the dirt from filling up your reservoir. In my smallest pots I used a piece of paper towel. Larger pots got a cardboard piece with holes poked in it. Who knows if we really needed the holes. This is all an experiment.

I filled the reservoir with water before putting the tray or porous membrane in then added the dirt and plants. In large pots I inserted a piece of pipe down the side of the pot so I could deliver water directly to the reservoir instead of top watering. Below are diagrams of the whole process. So far it is working splendidly! I’ve even got some small pots with Wave Petunia’s on the South side deck that I’ve only had to water once a week so far this spring! I’m sure in the summer heat they will last a couple days if we take off for the weekend.

I have a large cedar box with watermelon and another with an heirloom black tomato. My earthboxes contain bush beans and squash. Then I’m growing a yellow pepper. A jalapeno, a planter with various herbs and several pots of mixed lettuce and edible flowers (nasturtium and pansies) as pictured at top. What’s in your garden?

I’m no super mom. Po’ girls cafe latte. And help I have three babies.

Please join me at my new web home JessieGunderson.com and don’t forget to like the Blog Schmog Facebook community HERE.

I’m definitely not a super mom. I don’t dress my kids in matching outfits each morning (or dress them at all for that matter) or have every meal (including regularly scheduled snacks) ready in a jiff. I do yell too often and I’m selfish with my time. I don’t handle it well when my four year old regresses into diapers or my two year old embarks on another extremely messy adventure. I’m just plain selfish ol’ me. I never was the one on the playground who’d say, “When I grow up I’m going to be a mom.” I’m not the one with a perpetual smile and a guest ready house. But I’ll probably let you visit anytime anyway. Nope, I’m just plain ol’ over ambitious me.

Despite all my shortcomings my children and my hubby think I’m great. Peewee tells me I’m the super girl on her pull ups.

This morning I brewed myself a pot of coffee without the coffee!

If you are like me, that could be an enourmous tragedy. Want my Po’ Girl’s cafe latte recipe?

Po’ Girl’s Cafe Latte:

• Brew coffee (don’t forget the coffee)
• Heat 2 cups of milk in a small saucepan
• Add 2 Tablespoons of dark chocolate peanut butter (or 1 Tablespoon each of peanut butter and chocolate syrup)
• Sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar
• Whisk and whisk to create a frothy foam
• Pour 1/3 cup of coffee and fill the rest with your milk mixture.
• Drink up!

Yesterday I yelled when Peewee poured a powdered Gatoraid drink all over the kitchen floor.

Last week I started to cry while trying to get the family to church. But I stopped, crying was a waste of time.

Do you ever feel like you go one step forward while your kids drag you kicking and screaming, ten back?

I’m back to the seasons discussion I have with myself at least every–well–every season.

This too shall pass and when it does gone will be the days of chubby baby cheeks and the unhindered smiles of an infant.

Gone will be the days my little girl thinks I look like every pretty lady in a magazine and especially the super girl on her panties.

Away the days will fly when train track pieces clink and boys make manual driving sounds in the play room.

And fly away the days when my boy thinks I’m a famous author when all I ever accomplish is a blog post here or there and a paragraph or two on my novel for sanity.

What will you miss?

It might be spring finally.

So gimee a break will ya?  I’m gardening. Woohoo!

What vegetables are going in your garden this year?

Friday for Fun- A question for you.

Oh, my boys take such good care of me. Look at my lunch love from Scarfunkle.

It’s Mother’s Day this Sunday so I thought I’d pose a fun question and we can  celebrate by getting to know eachother a bit better.

If you could take a day off and do anything or go anywhere without having to worry about the cost or the consequence (ie. messy house when you return). What would you do?

I am so spoiled, I get to do my favorite thing often. Mine would have to be a nice long horseback ride alone with Mountain Mare! In case you missed last years virtual horseback ride, here is the link.

Unofficial boys book list. A reading toupee.

Please join me at my new web home JessieGunderson.com and don’t forget to like the Blog Schmog Facebook community HERE.

Getting boys to read is sometimes as difficult as putting hair back on a bald man. You can slap on a toupee but it ain’t gonna be pretty. Or, you can poll moms on Facebook and come up with a pretty good idea of what might work and what those little (and big) guys might actually like. Not to mention, come up with some great reads for Mom as well. Here is our list. Many of these I have yet to read, but my mom friends recommend them, so if you find a book that is a toupee (dumb) and not a real head of hair (super cool), don’t blame me.

Don’t laugh at my alphabetizing. They are all mixed up by author and/or book title based on how they were recommended to me. I just left it that way. This list is largely a list for me but I’m just sharing it with all of you so no haters. Ha!

I’ve included some of their comments. Anything I’ve read personally is highlighted in red. Also, my comments are in red so you will know what books you can ask questions about. Do you have any questions on the one’s I’ve read? Do you see any great books we’ve missed?

Younger Boys:

• Andrew Clements
• A-Z Mysteries
• Beverly Cleary – My boys love the Ralph Mouse series
• Boxcar Children
• Douglas Bond books
• Farmer Boy (Little House Series) – My boys loved all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books
• Flat Stanley
• Geronimo Stilton
• Hank the Cowdog
• Jack Russell – Dog Detective
• Junie B. Jones – one mom felt she is a bit sassy for her liking.
• Looser List
• Magic Schoolbus series
• Magic Treehouse - …popular, but it has Merlin and stuff in it.
• Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot series
• Star Wars
• Teddy’s Button – 1800′s language

Older Boys:

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid – lots of grose boy humor but they like it. Not real literary if you ask me.
• DK Eyewitness – non-fiction
• Dragons in Our Midst by Bryan Davis
• Dragon Series by Donita Paul
• G.A. Henty historical novels – Good for ages 8-16… some violence, so depends on the child and you. Read aloud for 6+… My boys and girls love them.. and all love history too.
• Great Illustrated Classics – simplified (and illustrated) classic novels.
• Hardy Boys
• Louie L’Amour – Westerns
• My America series for boys – fictionalized diaries of young boys in America at different times.
• My Side of the Mountain – good for outdoorsy-animal loving 11 year old.
• Narnia – C.S. Lewis
• N.D. Wilson – Christian author, VERY creative, funny, quirky, intense.
• Peretti’s, The Cooper Kids Adventure Series – Christian author, intense. Some said scary.
• Red Rock Mysteries by Jerry B. Jenkins (author of the Left Behind series) and Chris Fabry
• Rick Riordan
• 39 Clues
• Xander Nash – teaching the Bible through the adventures of a young boy detective.

Young Adults:

• Ted Dekker – Christian author. His more recent novels are a bit dark.
• Frank Peretti – One of my all time favorite authors. Intense.

Mixed Emotions about Osama Bin Laden

Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11. “…As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!…“

I’m just going to be honest here. I am conflicted about the death of Osama Bin Laden. When I first heard I couldn’t believe it. My first though was, “Thank goodness that’s finally over.” Its a bit eerie to realize your country has just taken out one of the most feared terrorists on the face of the earth. You can’t help but feel a sense of pride and that maybe, just maybe justice has been done and those who were directly victimized in the September 11, 2001 tragedy will sleep sound tonight.

BUT… there is a big question of caution in the back of my mind at the same time. My second though was, “It’s a false peace, this thing ain’t over.” I had this uneasy feeling that retaliation is coming and that the death of the mastermind and leader of Al Qaeda is just ripping off a scab that will now allow the blood to flow. By that I mean, extremists loyal to Osama will have even more reason to hate “The Great Satan” (terrorists call America this) and seek their own brand of “justice”.

My mind finally settled on grief. A fresh wave of grief over the massive losses on that day at the Twin Towers and at on the plane bound for the Pentagon.

Another gut wrenching sadness shook my foundation at the realization that we just sent someone to hell.

And yet more sadness when I look at the potential for an upsurge of prejudice and rage this has the potential to produce. The Proverbs say,

Proverbs 24:17, “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice“

So for now I’m still struggling with mixed emotions. I support our troops and commend a tough, long-awaited, mission accomplished but I cannot rejoice, for both at the hand of our enemy, souls were lost, and by our own hand souls have been lost.

Deuteronomy 4:29, But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

For insightful and ongoing news and analysis from a Christian perspective on Middle East politics and events go to Joel C. Rosenburg’s blog HERE.

What’s your reaction?

Why Japan? What can I do?

Can recent events in Japan be a good thing?

I don’t want to make light of the tragedies but I know some personal ways in which the crisis in Japan is a good thing for me.

My favorite outcome:

 I’m thrilled to reconnect with the woman who made it necessary for me to fly to Japan and wear a real Kimono. My husband and I attended her wedding in Tokyo when Captain Obvious was 11 months old. Dressed in beautiful silks and funny shoes, I stood next to her sister as a bridesmaid.

The recent events prompted me to track her and her family down after 5 yrs absent. It wasn’t easy but they are all accounted for and we will now be able to stay in touch. I also learned that she has two little boys! Where have I been?

Another positive outcome:

Before March 11, who had ever heard of Fukushima Daiichi? And yet, today it would be hard to find someone who hasn’t heard the name of one of Japan’s nuclear plants where radioactive contaminants are leaking.

Funny how we learn of places, people, or things that we didn’t seek out on our own when tragedy hits. I think that this is one of God’s ways to get the world to notice a place where our prayers and support are desperately needed.

Not only does Japan now need help rebuilding towns and lives but it is a nation that needs the Lord! Less than %1 of the population is Christian. The Japanese are traditionally Buddhist. A religion which teaches that all answers lie within us. Pretty bleak since I’m a dunce. If all there is, is what I can think up then I’m doomed.

Japanese are kind and generous people but they also have one of the world’s highest suicide rates. In my opinion it is due to lack of hope, striving to reach an incredibly high standard and spiritual oppression. It is hard to share about Jesus and even harder for Japanese to choose to follow Him. They value relationships so much that they will rarely disagree with you or even use the word no. I remember asking my friend for the Japanese word for no and she said she honestly didn’t know because they would never use it.

Now that I am reminded that there are millions of people on a tiny island in Asia I wonder if God allowed this sadness in order to wake up the world’s Christians to pray and go; to love Japan.

What can you do? Go visit my friends David and Tomo HERE and adopt them as your “missionaries”. They are working hard to get to Japan to serve. Or stop by the blog and encourage this Christian family HERE who live and work in Japan and were affected by the tsunami.

Thank you Lord that you are in control. I pray for the hurting in Japan and I pray for those who are safe but worried about their futures. Even though the tsunami and nuclear fallout is an enormous tragedy I pray that you will urge your people to use it for good. Let us remember to pray for Japan, minister to her through giving, going to rebuild houses, befriending her people. Thank you for reminding me of the lost island of Japan and for reconnecting me with my dear friend.

Murder, betrayal, forbidden love

Murder, betrayal, forbidden love. It’s all there in MaryLu Tyndall’s latest novel, Surrender the Night.

I don’t usually read Christian Romance but MaryLu Tyndall has become one of the few authors that I look forward to reading even though she sneaks in the mushy stuff. If you love romance then you won’t be disappointed. If you enjoy historical fiction, you won’t be disappointed. And even if (like me) you prefer books for their intrigue and suspense, you won’t be disappointed.

MaryLu weaves intriguing tales of redemption while keeping you at the edge of your seat. In this book I couldn’t see how she would get a rogue British officer and an unladylike American farm girl to fall in love. Boy did she surprise me.

I love the depth of her characters and the impossibilities she puts before them in her plots.

Surrender the Night is the  second in her Surrender to Destiny series. It is a fictional retelling of the British invasion of Baltimore during the War of 1812.

Alexander Reed is wounded when he kills his superior and Rose McGuire ends up hiding him in her barn until the wound can heal and she can be rid of him. This, even though his countrymen killed her family and caused deep scars for Rose. Alex is annoyed by the backward ways of this simple family but can’t help but wonder if they don’t have a love that he has never experienced in his wealthy upbringing.

As Washington is being attacked, can Rose and Alex save the day? And for those of you who must have it, can they reconcile their differences and find love?

*I was given an advanced copy of this book but the opinions and this review are sincerely mine. That scurvy capn’, MaryLu Tyndall did not hold a dagger to my throat or threaten to have me walk the plank if I didn’t like her book!

Mom’s sadder, Saturday Seder.

I’m convinced that I might not survive my little girl. I don’t know how you moms with more than one of the ”pretty in pink” species do it. Boys make an entirely different breed of mess. Somehow, for me, they are so much easier.

I decided to write about this so I don’t go ballistic or cry. It is therapudic to share my frustrating moments and somehow, documenting it takes away a bit of the sting, reducing the boiling anger roiling in my chest.

Guess how I got to spend the baby free moments of a (rare) sunny Saturday morning?

Dealing with this…

The guest bathroom looks fabulous decorated with a whole roll of fluffy TP don’t you think? And the squirted out toothpaste adds a chic look to my stool. And everybody needs a soaking wet hand towel to primp themselves.

And this…

“Mommy bandaids” expertly unwrapped and stuck to the bathroom floor. More “stickers” (planter wart bandaids) stuck all over adding to the masterpiece. And no little girl mess decorating job would be complete without one hundred or so baby wipes in the trash. At least something made it to the trash!

I didn’t get a picture but little Peewee also poured a coffee can full of chicken mash into my clean laundry! Here chicky chicky, come into my laundry room and clean my clothes please. What was she thinking?

All I wanted to do was trim my rose canes and attempt a batch of gluten free Matzo for a Christian Seder.

Check out this post on Gina Conroy’s blog with a script and family friendly ideas for doing an easy Christian Seder.

Drawing one-handed

Right now, there’s no one else I’d rather be than a one-armed artist. Besides, its snowing outside and this little guy keeps me toasty warm.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19