tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082Fri, 09 Jan 2026 04:17:29 +0000RecipeshomeschoolingQuizGardeningCraftsFrom Seeds to Harveststrawberry towerchickenshttp://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Karen)Blogger414125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-5296480144498159895Sun, 03 May 2020 17:41:00 +00002020-05-03T13:41:42.237-04:00 Julianne has become the little...presence...whispering in my ear lately.  She spied the floral focaccia last week and showed it to me.  She also stumbled across "Leopard" bread and had me take a look.  I think she's liking how this works out for her so far. The inspiration comes from this blog. I didn't follow the recipe and methods exactly-I couldn't figure out why http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2020/05/more-food-fun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-453892536441148060Sat, 25 Apr 2020 19:40:00 +00002020-04-25T15:40:57.787-04:00 Julianne showed me a picture this morning on Pinterest that piqued my interest...focaccia decorated with vegetable "flowers".  It was so pretty and, hey, I'm a bread baker so it didn't seem too out of reach.   I suggested the girls and I could do it together since we're still under our stay home order and it would be a break in the regular routine. I mixed up the dough andhttp://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2020/04/playing-with-my-food.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-2063000421315287975Fri, 10 Apr 2020 23:31:00 +00002020-04-10T19:33:28.578-04:00 We have been enjoying seeing several bluebirds lately.  We have a bluebird house in our yard but a sparrow has taken it over and refuses to allow the bluebirds admission. Imagine that. We have this problem more years than not...this year it's a sparrow but the wrens have been culprits in the past as well.  As have the cowbirds.  Sigh. Clarence decided today to build http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-view-out-my-kitchen-window.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-1766428464730681920Thu, 02 Apr 2020 00:56:00 +00002020-04-01T20:56:26.411-04:00 Cooking can become drudgery sometimes...these people actually expect to eat.every.day.  Add trying to stay out of the grocery store and cooking these days can be more challenging than usual.   The upside of being ordered to stay home is that we have no commitments to plan around and so, some days, I put a little extra effort into my dinner preparations.  http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2020/04/bibimbapquarantine-cooking.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-2926029286547968856Mon, 09 Sep 2019 03:14:00 +00002019-09-08T23:14:21.898-04:00 Allison is calling this my "Table of Accomplishment".😀 It's a table set up in our living room in order to allow the jars to stand undisturbed without taking up the whole kitchen. I bought a bushel of peaches, a bushel of tomatoes, and a big box of jalapenos at a Mennonite store.  Then I spent three days "putting up" all of it and feared I'd actually run out of rings to fasten downhttp://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-past-weeks-efforts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-2753865635626351687Wed, 20 Jun 2018 03:26:00 +00002018-06-19T23:26:22.141-04:00 Pinterest can be a dangerous thing.  In the best way, of course. After seeing some decoupaged crates on Pinterest, I knew I had finally found something to replace the dilapidated baskets we use to hold firewood.  A couple years ago, I had purchased some pretty napkins at Ikea but never used them for the project I had in mind at the time.  (And I hate printed napkins for http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2018/06/decoupage-it-might-be-illness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-8379778457232466287Wed, 16 Aug 2017 02:25:00 +00002017-08-15T22:25:01.357-04:00   (My niece, Victoria, nagged me about sweetly mentioned to me how long it had been since I last posted on my blog.  I guess the prodding must have worked.) This is one of today's blessings.  In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit I didn't pick a single one of them. We have a neighbor who has a couple of apple trees growing by the ditch of his field.  He http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2017/08/its-been-long-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-5782030071492766412Sun, 26 Jun 2016 01:03:00 +00002016-06-25T21:03:06.849-04:00Recipes Earl and Kathy invited the girls to spend the night at their house Friday night.  Not only that, Kathy offered to bring them back home today, leaving my car available for me and saving me the long drive to pick them back up. I was very appreciative and decided to whip up some lemon curd as a token of my thanks.  As I looked up the recipe, I was reminded that a friend of mine http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2016/06/lemon-curd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-7155931611429901054Thu, 12 May 2016 19:46:00 +00002016-05-12T15:54:38.584-04:00 Last Sunday, when I walked into the sanctuary at church, there were some unusual things on a small table up front.  A pitcher of yellow liquid, a pitcher of blue liquid, and a jar with a bit of water in it.  During the sermon, the pastor took each of the pitchers and poured them into the jar, filling it to the top as an illustration to go with what he was saying in the sermon. http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2016/05/unique-wedding-idea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-2601467845880300672Thu, 03 Mar 2016 00:09:00 +00002016-03-02T19:09:24.734-05:00 Ever have those nights when you can't get comfy enough to sleep?  Or you get to sleep, only to wake a couple hours later needing to find a new position because the one that was comfy when you fell asleep is now causing you pain?  That was me, several months ago.  My solution was to get a recliner for the living room in hopes that I could sleep, or at least nap, in it when I wasn'thttp://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2016/03/chair-sleeping.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-8685894982335554623Tue, 09 Feb 2016 21:31:00 +00002016-02-09T16:31:16.088-05:00 It's been a long time.  There have been several reasons I haven't been around but who wants to hear tales of health, or busyness, or that I've hardly taken a single picture in months (therefore, I can't blog, right?). I went grocery shopping yesterday.  (It's shaping up to be an exciting post already, isn't it?) I do most of my shopping at our local Kroger which has undergone a http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2016/02/bargain-tulips.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-1275877011054918616Sat, 23 May 2015 21:11:00 +00002015-05-23T17:11:51.392-04:00 Last Sunday was Allison's commencement ceremony.  She shared the day with two longtime friends, which made it extra nice. I stressed about the details ahead of time, mostly the question of what I might be leaving out of my planning.  We used the program from Julianne's graduation as our starting point but I had niggling worries about what I was forgetting to do that I didn't even http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2015/05/commencement.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-2273715622350862399Wed, 18 Feb 2015 00:44:00 +00002015-02-17T19:44:31.503-05:00 For several years when the girls were younger, we had a Fat Tuesday tradition. I had tried purchasing Paczkis at the grocery store but no one here was all that impressed.  Maybe if we lived near a Polish bakery it would have been different but, as an alternative, I tried my hand at making fried cakes like my mom had made a few times when I was growing up.  They were a big hit and a http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2015/02/traditions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-2234885215531881548Thu, 08 Jan 2015 16:25:00 +00002015-01-08T12:28:39.890-05:00 Clarence has been plugging away at remodeling our bathroom for a while now and it is finally pretty much done.  We still need trim around the door but that has to wait for spring, because I'm the painter around here and I don't want to stain and polyurethane the trim until I can do it outside.  I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me to get it done before the weather turned http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2015/01/bathroom-remodel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-3537040323564446408Sat, 23 Aug 2014 02:28:00 +00002014-08-22T22:28:00.835-04:00Gardening Our garden is finally picking up speed.  Each year, the trees in our yard shade the garden just a bit more which, in turn, slows down the harvest a bit more.  We have generous friends who have shared their beans, dill, cucumbers, and tomatoes with us long before we've gotten a taste of our own so we've been able to enjoy garden fresh treats while waiting.  And waiting.  And http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-start-of-canning-season.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-9023958037700497783Sun, 10 Aug 2014 21:40:00 +00002014-08-10T17:40:39.245-04:00 My niece, Victoria, got married last night.  I probably haven't mentioned it here (and this might be the only place I haven't mentioned it) but I set her up with Mark. Mark has been a quizmaster at the girls' Bible quizzes for several years so we've gotten to know him a bit over that time.  Last year he came in to the office where I was helping with stats and was moaning that he http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/08/victoria-and-marks-wedding.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-3125172885530038432Sat, 02 Aug 2014 17:27:00 +00002014-08-02T13:27:07.221-04:00 I gave up keeping track of my age years ago-make that decades ago.  Life got too busy once I was an adult to automatically remember my age and stopping to do the math simply seemed too time consuming.  (Yes, I truly am that lazy.) This past year has been different, because I hit a milestone last year.  As of yesterday, however, I'm going back to choosing a number and stickinghttp://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/08/celebrating-22nd-anniversary-of-my-29th.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-4329523754877274507Fri, 25 Jul 2014 23:19:00 +00002014-07-25T19:28:58.531-04:00Crafts Clarence and I are invited to a 25th anniversary party tomorrow. I've never met this couple but Clarence has worked with the husband for over 30 years, so he really wants to attend.  Me, not as much-though I'm much more outgoing than I was when I was younger, I still have a very hard time going to an event where I will know no one. I started with the questions early on, http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/07/anniversary-party.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-426251777558932544Thu, 01 May 2014 23:23:00 +00002014-05-01T19:23:54.105-04:00 I recently stumbled across something on Amazon that I hadn't seen before...egg molds.  I don't quite remember how I happened upon them, but they were so inexpensive and fun that I had to order some. They took 2 1/2 weeks to arrive from Hong Kong.  As an aside, I had to drive to my post office to pick them up so I could sign for them, since I wasn't home when the carrier http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/05/fun-eggs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-4885313280362778150Wed, 16 Apr 2014 15:32:00 +00002014-04-16T11:43:48.812-04:00 It's a sad day at our house today. Last night our dear friend, the girls' adopted grandpa, went peacefully home to Jesus.  We rejoice for Gordon, but weep for all of us who will miss his presence in our lives. Less than four weeks ago, we found out he had an aggressive lung cancer.  We will especially treasure these recent days when he lived out his faith and assured all of us http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/04/gordon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-628987264903480058Thu, 03 Apr 2014 01:29:00 +00002014-04-02T21:29:41.691-04:00 Last weekend we realized that every time the coffeemaker cycled on, it would make our ground fault outlet trip and we'd lose power to half of the kitchen outlets. We, of course, didn't diagnose this problem before our planned visit to The Home Depot.  No, that just isn't our style.  Too easy, ya know.  Instead, later, I picked the girls up from work and took them with me to gethttp://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/04/its-little-things_2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-939976177934853199Fri, 14 Mar 2014 00:19:00 +00002014-03-13T20:19:22.978-04:00 Today is special I celebrate with haiku Molly's day of birth  She laughs easily And everyone laughs with her Joy she brings to all She is beautiful She is sweet, kind, and loving Now she's seventeen. Molly, I hope you have enjoyed a wonderful day, filled with surprises and happiness. http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/03/for-molly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-9104056538429434266Thu, 19 Dec 2013 20:30:00 +00002013-12-19T15:33:57.075-05:00 We traveled up north for this month's quiz.  The girls and I took the opportunity to make it a weekend away with our friends by leaving Friday afternoon and spending the night at a hotel near the church where the quiz was held.  Clarence drove up Saturday morning, bringing our remaining quizzer and the coach along. We had a lot of fun spending time with our friends but as far as a http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2013/12/december-quiz.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-1131363407250995892Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:18:00 +00002013-11-29T16:18:23.581-05:00 First, make sure they hear all about your Vibe vs. Semi accident a couple days prior to the holiday.  Let them know you were unhurt. The day after the accident, keep your appointment to have skin cancer surgery-the kind where they scrape some skin off, test to see if they got all the cancer, then scrape more skin off until they are sure they have all of the bad stuff http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-freak-out-your-family-for_29.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447954121346082.post-1613575978271991875Thu, 28 Nov 2013 01:08:00 +00002013-11-27T20:08:15.007-05:00 There was a freezing rain advisory until 4 AM Tuesday morning and by the time Clarence left for work around 6, it was still slick. This fall, the road commission paved about a mile of road between our road and the highway.  We've been enjoying the smooth ride and a little less mud on our commutes.  We have had concerns about how it would differ from years past once the weather changedhttp://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2013/11/thankful-for-inconvenience-instead-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Karen)5