Welcome to Marmee's Pantry

Welcome to Marmee's Pantry

Friday, April 30, 2010

Everyone Benefits from Flaxseed!

As I arrived into my mid-40's, I noticed some changes in myself that I didn't like...and usually my family had to put up w/them more than I did. If you know what I mean. :-/ "The Change" was upon me. I had never realized before how many women I know who have had hysterectomies and who are NOT going through natural menopause! I can't even go to my own mother and ask advice ("Is what I'm going through normal?!") because even SHE has had one! So, I decided that, since I do NOT want to go the medical HR route, as that has been directly related to breast cancer, I needed to do some real research on dealing w/these issues.

Around that time, I was looking through the book section of my trusty Urban Homemaker (Marilyn Moll) catalogue. There, I found a great book that was one of the most helpful recommendations I've ever gotten.

In the catalogue, Before the Change ~ Taking Charge of Your Perimenopause by Ann Louise Gittleman, MS., C.N.S., was reviewed as "The author writes some of the clearest, most common sense better-health books available, & this new title [at that time] is no exception. She explains the symptoms of perimenopause & offers a self-diagnosis quiz, details safe & natural alternatives to hormone therapy, including healing vitamins, minerals, herbs & natural hormones. I like the ways she uses nutritional information to address the many various symptoms associated w/perimenopause. Highly recommended." If Marilyn highly recommended it, I had to see it!

In many cases, Gittleman said that her 1st recommendation is often flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil & progesterone cream. I tried this cocktail & it was one of the best choices I've ever made! In the next few posts, I'll fill you in on some of the benefits of each...

The 1st part of this experiment is flaxseed oil. Most people have heard of flaxseeds, many even sprinkle them on their hot cereal or cottage cheese - did you know that the whole seeds do your body no good? Our bodies cannot digest or assimilate them - we need to either take the oil (by the tablespoon or in soft-gel capsules) or use the flaxseed meal (like I use in my bread).

Not only does flaxseed benefit women, but it's good for everyone ~ but particularly women in the child-bearing years & ESPECIALLY women in the change of life years. Some people will take fish oil for the Omega 3's & some 6's, but flaxseed oils have 3's, 6's, 9's AND lignons! Lignons are cancer fighters, many plants have some lignans, but flaxseed has at least 75 times more than almost any other plant. They not only fight existing cancers can but were shown to fight off even on-coming new tumors in animal studies. They help w/fighting hot flashes & night sweats. And, get this: They are also antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral!

Flaxseed has been shown to help with: Heart disease, heart arrhythmia, high cholesterol, angina, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, stroke, lupus-related kidney damage, low immunity, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, fingernail problems, constipation, diarrhea, hot flashes, gout, migraines, asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatitis, sunburn, arthritis and sciatica. It has also been shown to help w/hair, skin, nails & even eye health.

So, you can see why I say that flaxseed (oil or meal) benefits everyone! My husband & I take a TB of the oil everyday. My DD's don't like the oily feel, so that's when I began putting flaxseed meal in my bread, so that they would get the benefits, too.

Next time, I will give you some info on Evening Primrose Oil ~ Every woman's friend. '-)

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><
[This is not meant to be taken as medical adice; simply what has worked for my family & why we use it.]

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Ear Candling

Since I now work in a health food store (nope...haven't given up on the dream of my own bulk food store), I've happily been put in charge of the health & beauty dept. I have watched as an old remedy has come back into popularity...ear candling. I have heard of it for years but had never, that I knew of, met anyone recently who had done this. I just remember older relatives talking about having done it years ago. I live in a part of Ohio that has been rated as #3 in the country in pollen count. People w/allergies & sinus problems are suffering & MANY are coming back to this old tried & true remedy. They swear by it!

A while back, I did some research & copied it to my documents (I believe it came from a Canadian lady's blog...The Noble Touch?), copied a couple of pics off of Google (so I'd know what they looked like & how they work) & have been trying to convince my DH & DD#2 to do this. This spring has been so hard on them, so if you have tried this, I'd be interested in your experience & results.

But, for your own information, here's what I found out about ear candling...

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><
~~~~~~~~~~~
WHAT IS EAR CANDLING?

Ear candling dates back to Egyptian times over 4000 years ago. The candle is made of natural beeswax and unbleached cotton muslin. You lay on your side on a massage table. After lighting the top, the bottom is inserted into the ear canal. The spiral of the candle causes the smoke to be pulled down into the ear canal causing the wax to warm and soften. As it heats, a horseshoe effect happens, causing suction, pulling out old wax and debris. As the candle burns, you feel a drawing or gentle pulling and hear a crackling or hissing noise. The heat feels very soothing.

WHO BENEFITS?

All ages can benefit!

WHY HAVE IT DONE?

DO NOT CANDLE IF YOU HAVE HAD EAR SURGERY OR A PERFORATED EARDRUM!

Many people prefer ear candling instead of the ears being "flushed out" by a medical doctor because of the gush of water causing pressure on the eardrum. Some of the benefits are:

1) clearing the sinuses (allergies);

2) helps stop ear itching (flaky fungus);

3) improves hearing (wax build up);

4) improves balance;

5) relieves headaches;

6) helps stop ringing in the ears;

7) helps with swimmer's ear; and

8) helps with that plugged feeling, before and after flying.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

FREE Healing Herbs E-Book!!

LearningHerbs.com is having an amazing give-a-way!! They are giving away their Healing Herbs e-book ~ FOR FREE ~ just by going to their website & registering. They will send it to your e-mail.

THANKS, Learning Herbs! We appreciate your generousity & your knowledge.


Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

Monday, April 26, 2010

Focaccia Bread & Brechetta Topping

FOCACCIA BREAD

1-1/2 ts. OR 1-1/4 oz. pkg. of active dry yeast

2 ts. sugar

1-1/2 to 2 c. very warm water

2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour OR organic bread flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

2-1/2 ts. coarse sea salt OR Kosher salt

3 TB. extra virgin olive oil

Asiago OR parmesean cheese, freshly grated

Rosemary &/or other favorite herbs

~In your mixer or large bowl, place yeast & sugar with 1/2 c. of very warm water. Let stand unitl foamy - several minutes.

~Stir in the flours, salt & then add the olive oil & remaining warm water. Blend or mix until well combined.

~Turn onto a lightly floured work surface & knead until smooth & elastic.

~Transfer to an oiled bowl & coat all sides of the dough. Cover & let stand in a draft-free spot until doubled in size - about an hour.

~When doubled in size, pre-heat oven to 425*, then punch down dough & transfer to a lightly oiled or sprayed baking sheet, pat dough to fill sheet. Take handle end of wooden spoon or use your fingers, to push down on dough to make crevices that will be filled w/oil & toppings.

~Sprinkle w/salt, freshly grated Asiao or Parmesean cheese, rosemary &/or your favorite herbs. Let stand 15 minutes & then bake for 15-20 minutes.

~Cool on wire rack.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

BRUSHETTA TOPPING

In a large bowl, take as many Roma tomates as you need, seed them, chop well. And a few chopped garlic cloves, chopped parsley, 8-10 fresh Basil leaves. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top, sprinkle w/sea salt & papper. Let stand in frig for one hour. Serve on warm focaccia.

**optional: also top w/goat cheese!

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

Friday, April 23, 2010

Another Threat to Farmers...

Grrr! Those of you who have read my blog(s) for any length of time KNOW that I love my farm-fresh brown eggs & milk. Well, once again, our more & more intrusive gov't is trying to limit our healthy choices by threats to our much-cherished farm sellers.

Read this & take warning...and do what you can to protect our freedoms!!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Bob Unruh© 2010

WorldNetDaily

Federal agents invaded an Amish farm in Pennsylvania at 5 a.m. to inspect cow-milking facilities then followed up the next day with a written notice that the farmer was engaged in interstate sale of raw milk in violation of the Public Health Services Act.

A failure to correct the situation could result in "seizure and/or injunction," the warning letter from Kirk Sooter, district director of the Philadelphia office of the Department of Health and Human Services, told farmer Dan Allgyer of Kinzer, Pa., on Wednesday.

The farm invaded Tuesday is the one agents visited in February, driving past "Private Property" signs to demand Allgyer open his property for their inspection, saying, "You have cows. You produce food for human consumption."

The case is being publicized by the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association, which promotes traditional methods of linking farmers with consumers.

Spokeswoman Deborah Stockton told WND Allgyer "is the type of farmer who exemplifies what we are trying to restore." On her organization's website is the commitment "to promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products."

She reported she got details directly from Allgyer of Tuesday's early morning inspection, which highlights the growing conflict between farmers who want to provide health food locally and federal regulators.

Allgyer could not be reached immediately for comment.

The farmer told NICFA he came out of his house about 4:30 a.m. for his milking routine and noticed a lot of traffic on Kinzer Road.

Shortly later, the cars were coming up his lane.

"I stood back in the dark barn to see what they were going to do. They drove past my two 'Private Property' signs, up to where my coolers were, with their headlights shining right on them," Allgyer reported.

He called to the five men as they were preparing to knock on his home, where his wife and family remained asleep.

"Two were from the FDA, agent Joshua C. Schafer who had been there in February and another. They showed me identification, but I was too flustered to ask for their cards. I remember being told that two were deputy U.S. marshals and one a state trooper. They started asking me questions right away. They handed me a paper, and I didn't realize what it was," he said.

"Schafer told me they were there to do a 'routine inspection.' At 5:00 in the morning, I wondered to myself? 'Do you have a warrant?' I asked, and one of them, a marshal or the state policeman, said, 'You've got in your hand buddy.' I asked, 'What is the warrant about?' Schafer responded, 'We have credible evidence that you are involved in interstate commerce,'" the farmer reported.

WND telephone calls and e-mails to the FDA requesting comment did not generate a response.

Allgyer said he confirmed his identification but then said he wouldn't answer anything further.

He said he questioned their arrival at his farm at 5 a.m. when the warrant clearly stated it was valid during "reasonable times during ordinary business hours," but one of the agents said "ordinary business hours for agriculture start at 5 a.m.

"The agents spent their time "rooting around, like a couple of pigs, in the freezer and cooler area and took many pictures," Allgyer reported.

"They came in the dark, shining bright flashlights while my family was asleep, keeping me from milking my cows, from my family, from breakfast with my family and from our morning devotions, and alarming my children enough so that the first question they asked my wife was, 'Is Daddy going to jail?'" Allgyer said.

The subsequent warning letter was an all-inclusive notice that federal regulations prohibit "the delivery into interstate commerce of milk and milk products in final package form for direct human consumption unless they have been pasteurized."

"It is your responsibility to ensure adherence with all requirements. … Failure to make prompt corrections could result in regulatory action without further notice," the letter said.

The letter directed Allgyer to notify Compliance Officer Richard Cherry of the corrections.

Stockton warned the requirement now is for federal agents to claim they have "credible evidence" regarding a case, but a proposed federal change would strike those words in the law and replace them with "reason to believe."

"The phrase 'reason to believe' would be inserted 14 times into the code with S 510," she said. "If this bill goes through, the FDA will have control of farms. They will not need 'credible evidence' to act. They will essentially be given a free hand to act as they want. And look at how they already act, even with the existing constraints in place."

Allgyer previously had told the officers that as a private farmer, he does not sell to the public.

Advocates say raw milk is healthier.

According to natural-foods blogger Kimberly Hartke, Kevin Trudeau touts raw milk in his New York Times best-seller "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About," and Sally Fallon Morell's cookbook, "Nourishing Traditions," which has sold 350,000 copies.

On a forum page at Chronwatch-America.com, a participant concluded, "The food produced on that farm is probably far safer than anything you get at the grocery store."

That opinion was endorsed on the Food Freedom blog, where one participant wrote, "Factory foods are the ones making people sick & getting recalled."

The Weston A. Price Foundation, which is among the nonprofits that educate consumers about more natural food-production methods, said demand for such products is growing.

"Raw milk … is a supremely healthy food that should be available to those who want it," said Morell, the foundation's president.

In January, Canadian farmer Michael Schmidt won a court victory when he was found not guilty of selling raw milk to members of a cow-sharing consortium.

In a previous U.S. case, Mennonite farmer Mark Nolt of Maryland had his farm raided by SWAT-type agents. He was fined more than $4,000 and had his equipment confiscated for providing unpasteurized milk to participants in his program.

The History of Aprons

My aunt sent me this in an e-mail and I thought it was so sweet I just had to share it with you. Having come from a loooong line of counrty folks ~ farmers & incredible country cooks ~ this brings back so many memories.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The History of Aprons

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. Af ter th e peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.

Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron--except love.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

The Saga of Jenny Wiley

I love history ~ especially American history and MOST especially family history. I am hooked on that new show "Who Do You Think You Are" where famous people trace their family trees back as far as they can to see who they are related to. Fascinating.

I am the 7th great-grand niece of Jenny Wiley (on my daddy's side). Some of you from this part of the country may even have been to the State Park in Kentucky that bares her name. The saga, below, was written by a fellow gr-grand niece in the same generation as I am, however, I do not know her. But I DO appreciate that she took the time to research & record Jenny's story. If you want to read further, look for the book, "White Squaw." You may even want to use this story as part of your homeschool studies on pioneer living in the 1700's.

Jenny's story ~ as you will see if you read on ~ is both tragic & wonderful. Sort of a 1700's version of a female Job. I've thought about Jenny at times & I wonder...Would I have been as strong as she was? Would I have been as brave as she was? Would I have been able to pick up the pieces of my life as she seems to have done? Jenny was an amazing women who makes me proud of my heritage & I hope to meet her in Heaven.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A True Saga of Heroic Survival and Escape from the Indians

About Jenny (Sellards) Wiley (1760-1831)

Jean "Jenny" Sellards was born in Pennsylvania in about 1760, the daughter of Hezekiah Sellards and (Ukn) Brevard. The family migrated to Walkers Creek, Tazwell County, Virginia (now Bland County, Virginia) where Jenny met and married Irish immigrant Thomas Wiley, in 1778.
The couple erected a log cabin, where their first four children were born. (It is considered by most reputable researches that names given to the Wiley children killed at Walkers Creek, and in captivity, are given by tradition only, and not by documented fact.)

Late one fall afternoon, probably in 1789, a group of renegade Indians stormed the Wiley cabin while Thomas was on a hunting expedition. Jenny, expecting their fifth child, watched as her young brother and all but her youngest child were brutally murdered. Jenny and the surviving child were taken captive by the Indians. Shortly after the capture, that child was also murdered, as was the child Jenny was expecting, shortly after its birth.

After many months in captivity, Jenny managed to escape and make her way to safety at Harmons Blockhouse in Floyd (now Johnson) County, Kentucky. She returned to Walkers Creek where she was reunited with Thomas, and began a new family. Eventually, the Wiley family crossed the Big Sandy once more, and settled permanently in current Johnson County, Kentucky, near Paintsville and the blockhouse that had been her salvation after her escape.

Five children were born to Jenny and Thomas after her escape. Over the years, thousands of their descendants have been enumerated.

Jenny's story is one of sheer faith, courage, determination, stamina, and tenacity that has captured the hearts and minds of everyone who has heard her story.

Prologue:

Jean (Jenny Wiley) Sellards was a daughter of Hezekiah Sellards. She was born about 1760, probably in Pennsylvania. Hezekiah had brought his family to the wilderness area of Virginia with a group of settlers which he led across the mountains. Jenny was about 19 years old when she met and married Thomas Wiley. The were married at Walkers Station in 1779. They settled in the Walker's Creek area and here Thomas built their two room log cabin home where four children were born to them . Jenny's sister Elizabeth had married John Borders and they lived on the adjacent Farm.

Jenny Wiley Memorial Plaque, near Prestonsburg, KY
Thanks go to Larry Fitzpatrick for the picture.


Chapter One:

All afternoon John Borders had heard the intermittent hooting of owls as he worked his farm across the hill from where the Wiley homestead was located. This would have seemed strange to hear the owl hoots in mid day, except for the fact that he knew that there were wandering bands of Indians in the area and this was their favorite way of communicating with each other when they were attempting to keep their presence unknown. He was more than a little worried because he knew that his brother-in-law Thomas Wiley had left before dawn with a load of dried herbs to attempt to sell at the nearest settlement. (The herbs probably included Ginseng and "Sweet" Anise and such, {my assumption} for they still grow wild in the hills through out the area.)

John Borders was married to Jenny's sister Elizabeth. As the day grew late and the sky darkened with rain clouds, he decided to make the trek across the hill to warn his wife's sister, and to invite her to bring her family and come spend the night at his and Elizabeth's home. As he knocked at the door and entered he saw Jenny sitting at her loom, weaving some cloth for the family's clothes. He told her of his fears and she promised him she would do as he suggested just as soon as she finished her weaving.

When she had finished her work and as she was gathering some things to take with them across the hill, the door burst open and a horde of howling Indians rushed into the room wielding tomahawks. She fell back into the room clutching her youngest child, still a baby, to her breast. She was forced to watch as the painted savages made short work of her other children and her fifteen year old younger brother. When their scalps were hanging from the Indians' belts one of them lunged for her and tried to take her baby from her. When she resisted, the Shawnee Chief, Black Wolf intervened. After some violent argument among themselves they left, with the chief dragging Jenny behind him as she clung to her baby.

(She was to find out later that the Indians had thought they were in the home of their old enemy Mathias Harmon, a famed Indian fighter who had killed one of the Chief's sons. This had happened about a year before as Harmon and his party were fighting off an Indian attack upon themselves not far away. The Indians had come to seek revenge on their enemy and had mistakenly burst into the Wiley home.)

This was the horrible beginning of an equally horrible experience for Jenny which was to last for almost a year.

Chapter Two:

It was dark by now and the Indians faded into the shadows of the forest dragging Jenny, still clinging to her baby, along with them. The next day they stopped once for food and to rest for a while. Jenny refused the piece of dried venison they offered her, but since the baby was sickly and fretful the Chief, who was also the Shawnee medicine man went into the forest and returned with some herbs. He boiled the herbs and made a tea which Jenny gave to the baby. This seemed to do some good and they pressed on. Jenny grew weaker as time went on, but she did her best to keep up for fear of reprisal on her or the child. One day a scout whom they had sent back to make sure they weren't being followed, rushed up to warn them that Mathias Harmon was on their trail not far away.

By this time the baby was even more fretful and began to cry. The Chief tore the baby from Jenny's clasp and dashed it's head against a Beech tree. (Superstitious people would say years later, that was the reason for a blight on the Beech tree which killed off all the Beeches in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.) After that they moved even faster until far into the night. Soon they heard the sound of rushing water and they came to a river where she was forced to swim across with an Indian on both sides of her. Jenny was nearing both physical and mental exhaustion when they finally stopped again to eat. This time Jenny accepted the dried venison they offered.

(I haven't mentioned it before but complicating things all the while, was the fact that Jenny was pregnant with another child and all this strenuous activity was causing pre-mature stirrings of the unborn Baby.)

Again they swam another even bigger river (which she found out later was the Big Sandy), with the Indians helping her across as before. They were very anxious to put the river between them and their enemy Mathias Harmon. They went down river until they came to the Ohio river, and down the Ohio to where they could see the Shawnee village at the mouth of the Scioto river on the Ohio side. By this time the flooded Ohio river was a raging torrent, overflowing it's banks and making a crossing at this time totally impossible.

(You get a better feeling for the ordeal they were putting a pregnant Jenny through if you recall, as I said earlier, it was some 30 to 40 miles from the mouth of the Big Sandy to the mouth of the Scioto river where the Shawnee village stood. All together the distance they had traveled from the Wiley home to the Scioto River would have been more than twice that.)

Black Wolf and his band of Indians decided to retreat back into the Kentucky hills to a camping place they had used before to wait for the flood waters to recede. It's hard to understand why, but they didn't stop until they were all the way back up into what is the present day Lawrence County, Kentucky where they made camp on Big Blaine Creek to wait things out. They placed Jenny in a little cave at the edge of the camp. It was there on a cold winter night some time later, that she gave birth to her new baby. Tradition says the she named him Robert Bruce.

Jenny was forced to perform the most menial of tasks around the Camp site, and as time went by she also learned to speak and understand much of the Indian language. One day as she was about her chores she was confronted by a group of the Indians who informed her it was time for her baby to undergo the test by water to see if he would become a warrior. They broke sticks from the underbrush to form a small raft and laid the baby on a piece of bark on top of the raft. They said if the baby didn't cry he would grow up to be a strong and brave warrior and would be raised in the ways of the Indians. If he were to cry, he would not be a brave warrior and would be put to death.

Jenny attempted to save the baby by grabbing it from the raft and fleeing into the forest. Needless to say she was re-captured and brought back and the Indians placed the child back on the make-shift raft. The baby gave one feeble little cry and an Indian grabbed him up by the heels and smashed his head against a tree as had been the fate of her other child months before on the trail.

Chapter Three:

On the fateful night of the massacre at the Wiley home, Thomas Wiley who was late in coming home from the settlement was met by his brother-in-law John Borders and told of what had happened at his home that day. Thomas was of course overcome with grief and would have taken off after the Indians immediately if John had not restrained him. Word was sent to Mathias Harmon and after surveying the situation he started getting a party together to overtake the Indians and rescue Jenny. Upon seeing the distraught condition of Jenny's husband, he shrewdly decided to split the rescue party in half and sent the party with Thomas on a wild goose chase in the opposite direction.

He was relatively certain what trail the Indians would take, so his hand picked hunting party began doggedly following their trail. Of the many signs they saw which told them they were on the right track, the worst was the gory body of Jenny's child which the Chief had smashed against the tree. They buried the child there on the bank of a large creek which fed into the Tug River. This creek is known today as Jenny's Creek. They resumed their pursuit of the Indians with renewed vigor until they came to the Big Sandy River, which by this time was so swollen by the rushing flood waters it would have been foolhardy to attempt a crossing with the horses. The party was forced to turn back. They returned to their homes, intending to try again once the rivers were passable.

Chapter Four:

As the winter wore on the Indians moved again to another camp, this time in what is now Johnson County, Kentucky. There they were afforded a little more protection from the elements and were visited from time to time by other bands of Indians who brought news of the activities of Harmon and the other settlers. Jenny was able to understand enough to bolster her spirits somewhat and she began to plan her escape. One night the Indians brought a young white man into the camp and proceeded to torture him before burning him at the stake. Afterwards they came to her cave and told her that she too was to be burned at the stake. She could see her thoughts and plans to escape dashed to the ground as easily as the Indians had smashed her two children against the trees, but she was determined not to give them the satisfaction of seeing her break under the torture.

Her stoic behavior so impressed an old Cherokee Chief that he started to argue with Black Wolf and he bartered to obtain possession of Jenny and take her back to Tennessee as one of his wives. To Jenny, who could understand enough of the language to determine what the conversation was about, this was almost as bad as the death sentence she was already facing. The Cherokee broke out his store of Jewelry and trinkets that he had gathered on his many raids on the white man and placed them one by one on a blanket in front of Black Wolf until he finally grunted his approval and the bargain was struck. Following that, the two of them left her and went off to celebrate.

The next morning Cap John, as the Cherokee Chief was called, came to Jenny's cave and told her that the entire Indian band was going on a hunting trip and would return late that day. He tied her to a tree using rawhide thongs and left her there. It was a dreary day, much like that day so long ago, it seemed to Jenny, when she suffered the first part of her nightmarish journey into captivity. As the day wore on she slumped against the thongs, almost totally exhausted both physically and mentally. It started to rain, just a drizzle at first, then it turned into a torrential rain, thoroughly wetting the thongs that restrained her. The weight of her body as she slumped against the rawhide caused them to stretch as rawhide will do when wet. Feeling them loosen, she worked feverishly then to stretch them more and finally she was free!

Quickly she ran into the forest with renewed strength in her body, undoubtedly brought on by the adrenaline that surely must be flowing heavily now as she was experiencing the exultation of her newly regained freedom. She put to use some of the very things she had learned from the Indians as they were striving to elude Mathias Harmon who was tracking them months ago. She leaped into the first stream she came to and started wading downstream so she would leave no signs of her passing. The heavy rains were now filling the creek with rushing water and several times she was swept from her feet as the water grew deeper and the current stronger.

Later, when the creek flowed into a larger body, she was forced to swim it to reach the other bank where the mouth of another creek joined with the larger one. She was unaware that this was the very creek which would later bear her name and where the chief had killed her baby on the way to her long captivity. Or maybe she did start to recognize some familiar territory, for something, whether it be instinct, luck, providence or whatever, caused her to turn in the proper direction toward safety. She waded upstream along the shore of the larger stream which was Big Paint Creek. As luck or maybe divine intervention would have it, she was headed in the right direction toward Harmon's station, a fort which she had heard the Indian scouts telling Black Wolf that Mathias had built along the river.

Soon the physical exhaustion overtook her again, and she crawled out of the water and took refuge in the hollowed out trunk of a fallen tree. Although the exultation of her new found freedom kept her mind racing for a while, she soon drifted off to sleep. As she slept she dreamed that she came to a fork in the trail while she was running from her Indian captors and hesitated, not knowing which way to go. Then the young white boy who had been burned at the stake the previous night appeared to her in her dream. He told her to take the fork where she would find wood chips from the white man's ax.

Shortly she was awakened by footsteps and voices near by. The Indians had managed somehow to follow her this far. One of them even came and stood on the hollow log where she hid. He saw a Spider web woven across the mouth of the hollow log, which fortunately had been woven while Jenny slept. Upon seeing this he didn't bother to stoop down and look in and he moved on. The little dog which had followed Jenny from home on that horrible first day, was as usual, tagging along with the indians. He came sniffing around and into the log where Jenny hid. She was afraid the dog would betray her hiding place, so she clasp her hands around his nose to keep him from making any noise. She held on so tightly and so long that when the Indians had finally gone out of earshot and she released her hold, the poor dog was dead.

Chapter Five:

After waiting for what seemed to her like an eternity, she crawled out of the log and started following a trail which led away from the direction that the Indians had taken. Later she came to a fork in the trail just as she had seen in her dream. She remembered the words of the young man in her dream. "Take the fork where you see the fallen chips of the white man's ax" he had said. Scouting a short distance down both trails, sure enough in one of them she discovered recently cut wood chips that could only come from a well sharpened ax. She hurried on down this trail.

She moved as quickly as her exhausted limbs would carry her and after what seemed like hours and probably was, the trail burst out of the forest at the river's edge. Providence or maybe God himself, she was thinking, had led her to within earshot of safety. Directly across from where she stood was the blockhouse that Mathias Harmon had built to protect the settlers. As luck would have it, Mathias and all his men had gone off that day on a hunting trip, leaving one lone old man at the blockhouse. Jenny recognized the old man as he came out of the blockhouse toward the river. She started shouting and waving frantically to him, calling him by name. "Henry Skaggs don't you know me? It's me Henry, Jenny Wiley", she shouted.

At first Henry was skeptical, but finally recognition spread across his face. He dropped his rifle, grabbed an ax and ran to the rivers edge frantically chopping at some fallen logs and brush from which he fabricated a crude raft. Using vines and poles to lash it together in any way possible he then shoved off into the stream to rescue Jenny. He called to her to wade out into the river as far as she could. She was finally pulled onto the makeshift raft and Henry started just as frantically back to the blockhouse side of the river, for Jenny told him that the Indians could not be far behind. Sure enough just as they reached the shore, the Indians burst out of the forest to the shore on the other side, shouting and calling her name.

One version of the story says that the Cherokee Chief stood on the bank shouting "Honor, Jenny, honor", as if to infer that she was honor bound to return to him, since he had bought and paid for her fair and square. My Father's version said that the Indian braves were shouting something which sounded like "Hooray, Jenny", as if applauding her for her courage.

Whichever version is true, they both said the Indians were unwilling to chance the swollen river and the possibility that the settlers would wait until they were in midstream to launch a full attack. When old Henry picked up his rifle and fired a shot toward them, they gave a war whoop and disappeared into the forest. The hunting party heard the shot and rushed back to the station where the store keeper broke out some of his store of clothing for Jenny to wear.

Jenny Wiley was re-united with her husband Thomas and they raised six more children. Their first born child, after this ordeal, was Jane Wiley. She was my 4th. Great Aunt

In spite of the difficulties of the frontier life and the hardships she encountered during her captivity, Jenny lived to be 71 Years old. She died in 1831 and is buried in Johnson County, on a hill overlooking the Big Sandy River and the farm not far from present day Paintsville, Kentucky where she had lived out her remaining years. A monument to this courageous frontier woman is located south of Paintsville, between there and Prestonsburg. It is called "Jenny Wiley State Park", and it surrounds a beautiful lake named Lake Dewey. The trail that Jenny took, can be found here

****NOTE: This was pieced together several versions of the story which were first passed down by word of mouth and finally printed in one or more of the references mentioned in the introduction. Other than the fact that the story itself was a true story, I can not factually vouch for parts of it. Harold Sparks, my 5th removed cousin, simply pieced it together and edited it for continuity and condensed it to fit the Web Site in an effort to make it as readable as possible. I Hope you enjoyed it!

Pamela Walton ( GGGGG Grand niece)of Jenny Wiley

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Sausage & Tortellini Soup


{Not my photo, but I will replace it w/my own soon!}

1 lb. Italian OR sage sausage (depending upon how spicy your want it)

1 c. chopped onion

2 log. garlic cloves, sliced

5 c. canned beef broth

2 c. chopped tomates

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

1 lg. zucchini, sliced or diced

1 lg. carrot, thinkly sliced

1/2 bag frozen spinach

1/2 c. dry red wine

2 TB. dried basil

2 TB. dried oregano

8-10 oz. fresh cheese tortellini

Salt

Pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

~Crumble & saute' sausage in heavy Dutch oven.

~Remove & saute' onion & garlic until translucent. Return sausage to pot.

~Add all other ingredients EXCEPT tortellinin & Parmesan cheese.

~Simmer until veggies are tender, about 40 minutes.

~Add tortellini 8 MINUTES BEFORE finished; season to taste w/salt & pepper.

~Serve in a bowl, sprinkle top of soup w/Parmesan cheese.
~ENJOY!!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#75~ 4/20/10


For Today...

Outside my window...Lovely sunshine; but later today, in-coming clouds will bring in a few days of rain.

I am thinking...of all I need to do.

I am thankful for...the time I had w/my oldest DD this week. She came over & we gabbed til almost 1:30a.m. yesterday morning! I miss her being here everyday.

From the kitchen...I'm thinking about making Amish French toast for lunch, since it's just me. DD#2 will be fixing supper tonight b/c I have to work til 9. :-/

I am wearing...jeans, burgandy long-sleeved shirt.

I am remembering…the care-free days of childhood. Ahhh...how good we had it & didn't even know it.

I am going…to work on a Bible study I'm preparing & go to work.

I am reading...Bible ~ Daily Psalm, just finished Daniel & I'm going to start Ezekiel.

I am hoping...that it is the Lord's will that my dream of opening a bulk food store will happen...soon. I still feel it's my 'calling' & my God works miracles!

On my mind…those pesky, never-ending bills!

I am creating...a peaceful, Christ-centered home.

I am hearing...the radio, the dryer, my typing fingers.

Noticing that…Prov. 19:3 is SO right: "A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD." I see people, especially those who don't know the Lord, making stupid CHOICES - repeatedly - then they blame God for all the bad things that happen to them, which are really the consequences of THEIR OWN CHOICES! No one wants to admit that they are wrong or that they need a Savior. PLEASE Lord, don't let me become complacent & forget Your mercies & grace.

Pondering these words…We live in sad, currupt times. Where are the leaders who will stand in the gap like Aaron, Moses & even Jesus? People are begging for someone to stand in the gap between them & God...to bring God near, to pray for righteousness & to stay the hand of God's judgement. Is that me? Am I that person to the unsaved in my sphere of influence?

Around the house...making laundry detergent & deodorant.

One of my favorite things...that my sweet DH wakes me up to kiss me good-bye every morning. :-*

A Scripture thought...Hebrews 13:15-16 ~ "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Sometimes, when times are tough, it can be hard to offer praise to God. In our troubles, we can get a little confused & think that God wants us to praise Him FOR the hard times (however, that MAY come in the future, once we see where those hard times have taken us)...but in the midst of those hard times, simply praise Him for WHO HE IS! HE never changes! Whether times are good or bad, God is still on His throne! It wouldn't be a sacrifice if it didn't cost us something, even the strength of will to praise Him in the storm. Praise Him for that.

A few plans for the rest of the week...work, plugging through a workbook for my job, getting ahead on a couple of articles/devotions, preparing to put out my little herb/kitchen garden for this year.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Our dogwood tree. To the right of the porch (which is actually in front of it) you can see where my front yard herb/kitchen garden goes.

Enjoy other Daybooks at:
http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Encouraging Quotes

{Hat tip to Stephanie for having them all in one place.}
" I suppose it is because nearly all children go to school nowadays and have things arranged for them that they seem so forlornly unable to produce their own ideas. "--Agatha Christie

"Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality."-- Beatrix Potter

"Homeschooling and public schooling are as opposite as two sides of a coin. In a homeschooling environment, the teacher need not be certified, but the child MUST learn. In a public school environment, the teacher MUST be certified, but the child need NOT learn."-- Gene Royer

" I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn."-- Albert Einstein

Monday, April 19, 2010

Good Ol' Abe

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

~~Abraham Lincoln

Friday, April 16, 2010

The Bible vs. The Cell Phone

My wonderful friend, Marcy, sent this to me in an e-mail & I thought it was worth passing on. One of those 'Things that Make You Go: Hmmmmm..."

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....'hmm...where is my Bible?'

Oh, and one more thing...

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
And no dropped calls!

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities?'

God's Accuracy

God's accuracy may be observed in the hatching of eggs.

For example:

-the eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7 days;
-those of the canary in 14days;
-those of the barnyard hen in 21 days;
-The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days;
-those of the mallard in 35 days;
-The eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days.(Notice, they are all divisible by 7, the number of days in aweek!)

The lives of each of you may be ordered by the Lord in a beautiful way for His glory, if you will only entrust Him with your life. If you try to regulate your own life, it will only be a mess and a failure. Only the One Who made the brain and the heart can successfully guide them to a profitable end.

God's wisdom is seen in the making of an elephant. The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other quadruped is so made. God planned that this animal would have a huge body, too large to live on two legs. For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily.

The horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first. A cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first. How wise the Lord is in all His works of creation!

God's wisdom is revealed in His arrangement of sections and segments, as well as in the number of grains.

-Each watermelon has an even number of strips on the rind.
-Each orange has an even number of segments.
-Each ear of corn has an even number of rows.
-Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains.
-Every bunch of bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas, and each row decreases by one, so that one row has an even number and the next row an odd number.
-The waves of the sea roll in on shore twenty-six to the minute in all kinds of weather.
-All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks, and the Lord specified thirty fold, sixty fold, and a hundred fold - all even numbers.

God has caused the flowers to blossom at certain specified times during the day, so that Linnaeus, the great botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the flowers that were open and those that were closed!

Thus the Lord in His wonderful grace can arrange the life that is entrusted to His care in such a way that it will carry out His purposes and plans, and will be fragrant with His presence.

Only the God-planned safe life is successful. Only the life given over to the care of the Lord is fulfilled.

[Author Unknown]

"The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, & His understanding no one can fathom." Isaish 40:28

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Taco Soup

This recipe was handed down to me from my dear friend Ellen W., MUCH to the eternal delight of my entire family! :-P This is one of our favorite soups. You can make this at home on your stove-tope, in your crock pot or in a cast iron Dutch oven (pot) over the fire while you are camping. Enjoy!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{full disclosure: this is not my soup but looks like it! YUM!}
1 lb. ground beef or chuck

1/2 med. onion - finely chopped

1 lg. bunch of fresh cilantro - finely chopped

4-6 jalapeno peppers (depending on your taste buds & stomach lining!) - finely chopped

2 15-16 oz. cans kidney beans (UNdrained)

2 14-15 oz. cans whole kernal corn (UNdrained)

1 15-16 oz. can black beans (optional)

2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce

1 pkg (1-1/2 TB) taco seasoning

1 c. water

~ Brown beef, drain; add onion, peppers, 1/2 of the cilantro and cook until onions and peppers start to get tender.

~ Mix everything together in a dutch oven (pot) OR crockpot OR cast iron dutch oven (pot).

~ Heat through in dutch oven for 45 min. - 1 hour OR in crockpot for 2-3 hours on low.
~ Top with shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese, sour cream and corn tortilla chips crumbled like crackers.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Happy 101 Award!!


THANK YOU to my sweet friend Dianna for blessing me w/the Happy 101 Award!! What a dear friend she is. As she said on her blog, you would think we were related b/c of all the shared interests that have! One of these days I'm going to HAVE to go to West Virginia. I hear it's 'almost Heaven'! '-)
Now...as part of receiving this award, I need to share w/you 10 Things that Make Me Happy, so here we go...
1) My precious husband. What a gift from God he is. He has worked so hard this long, hard year (since his lay off) to keep our heads above water. I love his laugh, I love his beautiful eyes & love his sweet kisses. I love that HE loves the Lord. And I love to hear him sing.
2) My DD#1. My wonderful young woman. She has such a great sense of humor & always brings a smile to my face. She is so creative & would be an incredible writer...if she had the time. She is often the subject of deep prayer lately, as she works 2 jobs, has moved in w/my mom who is not the most pleasant of people (she moved there thinking to help us after DH's lay off) & my mom also has some dementia problems & she is trying to enjoy the fun social life that every young woman wishes to have.
3) My DD#2. My other wonderful young woman. She is giving & self-sacrificing almost to a fault. She also sings like an angel. She works hard at her job to help out w/bills & everyone at her workplace loves her. No surprise to me. ;-)
4) I love to be w/my family & friends enjoying each other & laughing our heads off.
5) I enjoy riding horses. Sadly, I don't get to do it as much as I used to - mostly b/c as we have aged, my family who had horses have either passed away or has sold them. As Ronald Reagan said, "There's nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse." Women like them, too.
6) As I drive throughout our rural county I count it a gift from the Lord to see a Red-tailed Hawk flying above or sitting in a tree, on a fence or on a telephone wire. I always say a little "thanks You, Lord" in my head. It's my like my little personal gift from Him.
7) Living in a rural area makes me happy. For now, we live in a little village of a town...but we are mere yards from the 'city' limits & farms. We are so close that deer come up to the road in the huge front yard of our across-the-road neighbors & they even cross the road from time-to-time in the early morning or late evening. We have coyotes that ramble through our yard at night & howl from the pond across the road. Who needs the city?
8) Having so many things that belonged to my grandparents makes me very happy. I'm a sentimental sucker at heart. I have things like: aprons, dishes, end tables, picture paintings, a rocker, favorite hats, tools, even slingshots!
9) I have, & wear, my parents' original wedding rings. My daddy's is so big that I can only wear it behind my engagement ring so that it doesn't slip off of my finger; I've worn it since the day of his funeral almost 12 years ago...he wore it for just days shy of 51 years. I also wear my mom's original wedding set on my right hand. It's like having a little bit of them w/me all the time.
10) What makes me most happy is that I serve a LIVING and RISEN SAVIOR!! I serve GOD'S 1 & only Son, Who loved me so much that He left the humanly unthinkable treasures of Heaven to come to earth & endure the humility of this life, & then to be stripped, beaten, spit at, have His hair & beard pulled out, have a 'crown' of huge thorns smashed into His dear head & be crucified on a terrible cross FOR ME! Then...BEYOND HAPPINESS...is that He rose from His tomb, conquering death, went back to God's side & is preparing a place just for ME! THAT'S happiness!
Now...I have the pleasure of telling you about a few blogs that bless me...
~Connie is a local gal whose friendship I have come to treasure. She is a fellow 'retired' homeschool mom from our little village. She's a dear.
~Nanny Dearest is all the way out in California. She even has a 2nd blog. We have become such good friends. Always so encouraging & such a prayer warrior! And...I LOVE her blog background...it's 1 of my favies! lol
~Fairmaiden is also in California & lives at The Sea Cottage. Her blog is simply & completely be-a-u-ti-ful! It is a treat for the eyes & soul.
~Julie is a new bloggy friend of mine. The comments she leaves on my blog bless my heart. Thank you, Julie. She has just announced that she is taking a little blog break, but you can still stop over & be blessed by her back-posts.
~Amy is a wealth of knowledge! I enjoy her blog so much & learn something everytime I'm there. Homesteading in the modern era, for sure.
Thank you, again, my Dear Dianna for blessing me w/this award & allowing me to bless others in return.
Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

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