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Greene Boys 2004
We were outgrowing our 7 acres after 27 years of living, birthing, and growing. My Man was dreaming of acres of land...and lots of it. Room to roam, hunt, fish, to work and grow some more--this time with his crew of boys. 2000 was a banner year and the toodoo about Y2k and all the scary predictions came and went with much adoo about nothing. But then we had always strived to be self-reliant and live out from the bustle of city lights, so the longing for bigger spaces and double-digit acres didn't have much to do with the calendar and current events.
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1966 was another banner year as a 16-year-old was man-size in both determination and stick-to-it-ness. Determined to have something of his own, he had saved his summer wages working through his teen years of $0.93 per hour working on a road paving crew and then as a carpenter's helper at $1.25 per hour. He then bought a house for $5000 cash and was a homeowner at the age of 16.
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1973 was the summer that changed the course of my life when I made the choice to come to the US and be with my sister in the dormitory on a college campus. I found my Man by being her tag along to Greene Gate Farm during school holidays since our parents were missionaries on the other side of the globe. Roger had already decided life was just fine as a single guy living at home on the farm and working a weekday job for Xerox. He certainly wasn't expecting a 14-year-old gangly blonde to show up that Christmas of '73 on Greene Gate Farm.
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Our story fills the pages of "Built from Scratch: A Love Story" in my lifebook I self-published in 2020. It is available in mini-digital sections and all the extra behind the scenes of the stories that fill the pages are found here on my home on the world wide web where I share our "built-from-scratch-life".
Review:
This book is the most unusual book I have ever read! It contains the true story of a couple whose hard work and creativity made a dream farm come true, while raising 11 children. The photos, poems, recipes, and do-it-yourself instructions scattered throughout the book make it a must read. I will treasure this book, and I highly recommend it. ~Grace R.
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This is my favorite type of toothbrush I've used for the last few years. I love the 2 minute timer and the deep cleaning pulsing floss-action!
Oral-B Vitality Battery Electric Toothbrush with Timer.
And while we are on the subject of "TEETH" let me share with you my very favorite oldie-goldie rhyme with motions I do with my little bitty dears...
(Knock on lchild's forehead like you would knock on a door-gently please)
"KNOCK AT THE DOOR OF THE LITTLE CUTE HOUSE"
(Carefully pull their eyelids open wide and say)
"PEEK IN THE WINDOWS AND SEE WHO IS HOME"
(Gently twist nose like a door-knob & have child open mouth wide when you turn the "knob")
"TURN THE KNOB AND OPEN THE DOOR"
(point to all the little pearly white teeth and then tickle their tummies!)
"BUT DON'T STAY FOR TEA!! THOSE LITTLE WHITE DOGS...THEY WILL GOBBLE YOU UP! YOU'LL SEE!
(repeat over and over while you enjoy their little giggles)
My cutiepatootie grandboy showing all his pearly whites!
If you would like a free sample of doTERRA On Guard toothpaste sent to you:
Comment below with the answer and any other tidbit you wish to add!
QUESTION:
If you add up all your children's and grandchildren's teeth
what is the total number?
(HINT: An adult mouth normally has 32 teeth and children have 20 baby teeth)
UHHH??!!! I counted up my total - it is 668 and counting!
That's a lot of teeth to keep clean!
MarmeeDear & Company, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
]]>I wore braces from age 14-17. I became Mrs. Greene at age 18 and somehow had the notion that I was all grown-up now didn't need my retainers. They were a lot of trouble to keep up with and I was happy with my straightened smile and was foolish to think it would stay that way over the years.
Fast forward to age 59. My stubborn front tooth had been really crooked until I got my braces off in highschool. Now it was getting "crookeder" over the years and my bite had long since reverted back to a cross bite by not wearing retainers.
My birthday 59th gift to myself was to get clear aligners from CANDID. I had high hopes of getting perfectly straight teeth once again. Here is my honest review of my own experience with clear aligners from CANDID.
Convenience. I loved the fact I didn't have to go 50 minutes away to the orthodontist. It was NOT easy to do the initial photos and molds! It definitely takes someone else to help to get accurate photos of your teeth. They have strict and specific requirements and I had to send in multiple sets of photos before they would accept them. It is NOT the most flattering thing to have your mouth pulled wide open and have photos taken!
Packaging. It was over-the-top quality! All the pamphlets were clear, easy to follow instructions, and the boxes were beautiful- almost too nice to be even called a "box". I have saved them and re-purposed them for storage containers.
Customer Service. I would give it 5 stars! It was helpful to receive email reminders when it was time to change my aligners and even when I had to call and email over and over trying to get answers on my still crooked teeth after a year long treatment - they were always courteous although I did get pretty frustrated on the long wait between my 1st treatment being completed and my extended treatment of aligners arriving (about 6 months!)
Professionalism. I was impressed by the 3D imaging they create so I could see how my teeth were moving over time. But I will say my teeth did NOT perform as perfectly as the imaging. I understand I had to take into account my age and that it was no small feat to get teeth to budge from where they had been for so many years! The first and only video conference I had with a "DR" was more like skyping with someone who had just crawled out of bed and was late for their appointments but I was satisfied enough with the information I received and moved forward with their plan.
Comfort. I vividly recall the pain and ache of actual braces in my highschool years. The aligners move your teeth very slowly - probably too slowly in my opinion. It was really difficult to get a new set to snap into place but once they were on - it never was pain just the feeling kinda like a new pair of shoes that are too tight! It always passed after the first 48 hours.
Treatment. When I completed my aligner treatment (I was given 17 sets to wear and change out every 2 weeks) I was pretty disappointed with the results. There wasn't that much improvement from when I started except for my bite was some improved!
Results. Pretty disappointing and not at all like the perfectly aligned 3D image of my own set of teeth that they showed me. I am sure it works for some people but apparently my age had something to do with my results. I was initally pretty excited when I saw the image of what my teeth were to look like after treatment.
STARTED with this SMILE
AFTER 17 SETS of CANDID ALIGNERS
They refunded me $100 trying to keep me a happy customer. I had to begin the process all over again with taking photos and making molds but they sent me a complimentary kit this time around. Then they lost me in the system. It took nearly 6 months for them to send me aligners to continue the process.I kept wearing my last set from the aligners to not get back to square one where I had started.
I contacted them multiple times through that time and they always assured me I would get further treatment. They ended up refunding me another $100. And finally I got another batch of aligners. I was to wear 10 more sets changing out every 2 weeks with high hopes of having a straight front tooth once again.
I began with the extended treatment set of aligners in July of 2018 and I am wearing aligner #26 now with my very last set to begin next week. And I am disappointed with my results as you can see very little change. But I am looking on the bright side and going to keep smiling anyway!
SMILE AFTER 26 SETS of CANDID ALIGNERS
My momsy used to get tickled telling the joke about the old lady who only had 2 teeth left! The old lady said, "I only got me 2 teeth left and thank goodness they both meet!"
Find something to smile about today! It's always the least expensive way to improve your looks!
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There was a man. He loved a woman. With all his heart, and his heart was full. On a close day in the off-season he asked her a question, “Will you marry me?” She said, “Yes.” He asked her, “Do you know why I ask this?” She said, “I think I do, but I’d like to be sure.” He took her hand in his, and he squeezed it …1…2…3…times. And with each squeeze a word, “…I…love…you.”
The date was set. But the date was found to be too long. So it was set again. But was found to be too long again. So the date was reset again. And finally the day came. After delicate words and carefully set phrases the vicar finished, and a kiss was had. After they were hugged goodbye by more relatives than they knew, and pelted with rice, the man and the woman left in their little green car. The man took the woman’s hand in his and squeezed it…1…2…3 times. And although he didn’t say a word, she knew that he loved her.
And time went at an unsafe speed, and found them a year later, with a child, although the child had not yet been born. And the man and the woman who had been happy to the brim, overflowed with joy. And they prepared their lives for the child. And the mother of the woman came, and the mother of the man came. And clothes were bought, and toys, and diapers, and anything else the mothers could get their hands on. And though this was the happiest of times words carry weight, all words, but, especially doctors words.
And the woman no longer had a child in her. And the cup of joy was poured out and refilled with a less pleasant substance. And the woman cried, she cried the mist of Rachael: Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. But the man came and comforted her. And he spoke soft words to her. And he took her hand in his, and he squeezed it …1…2…3 times. And although he didn’t say it, she knew that he loved her.
And this event was not content to perform itself once, but several times. Again and again. And more weighty words came from the doctor: “Stop.”
And the man and the woman obeyed. And the man squeezed her hand again …1…2…3 times. Time rushed by. The winds of time that no man can alter, and time found them several years later with a child of six weeks, although this child was from South Africa. And when the man and the woman received the child the man took the woman’s hand in his and squeezed it …1…2…3 times, and she knew that he loved her. And the child grew and was found to be weak, and sickness chased the child for many days until it caught up with the child and tagged it. And the child was set into the ground, and the plans of man failed again. And the man and the woman wept, for their joy had been removed again. And the man squeezed the woman’s hand …1…2…3 times, and she knew that he still loved her.
And another child was found for them and hopes went up. And they went to fetch the baby, but words carry weight. But the words on this occasion came from a single mother. A single mother who had changed her mind. A single mother, who was a bruised reed, and scarred by the world. A world where there are debts, and a world where there are unjust men. But, just the same, a single mother who loved her baby, although she could not afford her baby, she kept it just the same.
And the man and the woman looked, and hoped, and prayed. And in the swift movements off time they were given an infant son from a mother who liked money better than children.
Time moved again, and in 17 years found them again. This time they had a son, a young man, but the young man was without respect and he was ungrateful for his parents who were almost past middle age. For the son did not realize how much his parents loved him. And ungrateful he remained until he had flown the nest. And the man and the woman found themselves alone one morning in a silent house, and knew that the baby they had worked so hard to receive would not come back. And the man took the woman’s hand in his and squeezed it …1…2…3 times, and she knew that he loved her.
But now, the man and the woman were old. And the man found raw meat in his dresser. And he questioned his wife about it. But neither of them knew how it got there. And the man found his socks in the deep freeze. And he questioned his wife about it. But neither of them knew how it got there. And the man found the newspaper in the refrigerator. But he did not question his wife about it. But instead he questioned the doctor who carried more weighty words.
For the woman was found to be sick. Sick, not in body, but in mind. And the woman’s mind waxed worse. And she was taken from the man and placed in a white room with a sign over the door that read, “229”. And the man went and visited the woman and he talked at her, with no response. And as the man prepared to leave he looked back at her and said, “I love you.” But the woman did not know him. And the man felt emotion bubbling up in him in the form of tears and he hurried out of the white room, out of the hospital, ashamed of his tears he placed his hands over his face. And his hands obscured the large truck that had been sent to the incorrect hospital with a load of canned prunes. And the man met the bumper of the truck-“Sir, stay calm. You’ll be OK, just stay calm and try not to move.”
The voice came from a figure that was leaning over the man’s hospital bed. The figure was blurry and dressed in white. The man knew in the back of his mind that the figure was lying, so he used some of his last breath to ask one last request,
“Bring… her… 2… 2… 9.”
A nurse was sent and returned with a confused woman who was sick in mind. And the man tried to talk but breath failed him. But he mustered the last strength that pulsed through his veins, and he took her hand in his and squeezed it … 1 … 2 … 3 times. And he breathed his last. And although he didn’t say a word, the woman, though she knew very little… knew that he loved her.
THE END
A moving short story by my nephew, Judson, age 15. February 14, 2010. Timeless!
Posted with permission.
I haven’t had a LP record player since my childhood so was even happier when I found MidWest and they were able to put all the records on a CD for me.
[ I"ve updated this as I found it here it on youtube. ]
Now my grandchildren are listening and learning the same way I did! It’s a snap when you can hear it and sing to the catchy tunes and percussion in this vintage collection. Look for this treasure in Etsy shoppes. Occasionally I see a set listed there.
]]>It was many many years ago that I first came to know about Christopher Robin and the 100 acre wood. I was a young girl living in a far away land where my parents were missionaries. A new family of missionaries had arrived to join the team. We were helping them settle into their new home in this foreign land and they brought along from the US a record player and vinyl records.
While the adults unpacked and set up house - their children put on a record for me and my sister to have a listen. It was the story of Winnie the Pooh and the little black rain cloud. I loved it! I listened to it so many times I had all the words to the song memorized and still hum them to myself today.
Vinyl records came and went and are back again! And now there is vinyl lettering that adheres to flat surfaces like walls -- so perfect as if you want to remove it - it removes easily with no residue left behind.
I have it on my mirrors and walls in most rooms of my home although I don't give Pooh lines all the space. I often cut my own with my Silhouette electronic cutter. I'm a die-hard crafter at heart and if I can do-it-myself ... then I will! This is the brand cutter I have and love!
Since I have so many children -- I have at least one with the same personality as all Pooh’s friends - there is Gopher, Eyeore, Rabbit, Tigger and....I have lettering on the walls in my house with some of my favorite lines.
"If you live to be one hundred, I hope I live to be a hundred minus one day, so that I never have to live a day without you."--Winnie the Pooh
Here are more of my favorite Winnie-the-Pooh quotes:
"It isn't much good having anything exciting, if you can't share it with somebody."--Winnie the Pooh
"One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries"― A.A. Milne
"To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks."--A.A. Milne
"If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear."---Winnie the Pooh
“I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.”―
MarmeeDear & Company, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
]]>As a momma to 8 boys (who are all grown up now..sniffle) there have been plenty of baths with lots of bubbles to scrub those little fellas clean again! We scrubbed them clean day after day but they always found the dirt again! We lived on acres in the country and they played to their hearts content outside and there was never any dirt that couldn't be scrubbed off!
In our house-that-Roger built we had a huge cast iron double sink in the laundry room. It was the perfect spot for Saturday night baths for dirty little boys, rubber ducky and lots of bubbles. When we sold that first home and started over - the sink was something I was NOT going to leave behind. It came with us but I had no idea where it would find a space to put it...until our dream of a owning a farm came true a few years ago. We were able to purchase the 88 acres farm that joins our 95 acres and give it lots of love and hard work to bring it back to life.
Here sits "the sink" today in our venue's kitchen at The Farm at Greene Acres.
We obtained it way back in the '80's when the hospital that our first 3 children were born in was set for demolition. We were given a tip that everything was being taken out before the wrecking crew started work. Roger was able to get this gorgeous heavy cast iron sink from the janitors room at the hospital.
Now 40 years later we still have the sink that came from the hospital where our first 3 children were born, where all our children enjoyed bubble baths to get squeaky clean and now is installed in the server's kitchen at our Farm.
I just love things like this that fill my surroundings that have memories attached to them. I'd love to hear about a favorite memory of rubber ducky or anything to do with fluffy bubbles and bathtime fun for your little ones!
My little grand loves to play in a tin tub on my back porch with bubbles.
Big sink or tin tub....It's free homemade fun especially if Rubber Ducky is there!
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I'm always excited about starting a new year with a clean slate and new goals. For the year of 2020 I am creating a monthly calendar for you. It is free and printable and filled with topics that I’ve chosen to share--to inspire you--from my home to yours.
[Click on the calendar image for a printable copy of the JANUARY Calendar.]
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Once again Thanksgiving is upon us in just a few weeks. For our annual family tradition, THE GREAT BOAT FLOAT, I've gotten a volunteer to build the boats for yet another year of fun! We have wood scraps aplenty around here with the family full of carpenters. We celebrate the pilgrims long and difficult journey across the ocean in the Mayflower. Without their sacrifice, many of us wouldn't be enjoying our beautiful homeland today.
Here is our pattern. Click Here. Download and Print it for FREE!
Cut the boat base from scrap wood
Drill a small hole 3/8 inch deep to insert a bamboo skewer.
On the day of the boat float have card stock weight paper and markers for everyone who participates to personalize and make their sails. If you use bright colored paper, it can be easier for the children to identify their boat once it begins its journey.
We usually have a small prize for the winner - the boat that crosses the finish line first! A metal sailboat pencil sharpener makes a great prize idea!
This fun activity on Thanksgiving Day is a great opportunity to teach our children some history about the Mayflower Voyage across the ocean before the GREAT BOAT FLOAT begins.
The creek at Greene Acres
"The Pilgrims had a long and difficult journey across the Atlantic Ocean. A storm blew them off course so instead of landing in Virginia, they landed further north in Cape Cod. The Pilgrims decided to settle in this area and called it Plymouth. . The Pilgrims finally stepped foot on land in November of 1620. This was not the best time to establish a colony. It was very difficult for the Pilgrims to find food and shelter in the middle of winter. By the time spring arrived, half of the colonists had died. When spring arrived the Pilgrims set out to plant crops and build their colony. They Pilgrims were told how to plant corn and other crops and how to trap animals for food and clothing by Samoset and Squanto. By fall the colony was saved and to celebrate their success they celebrated the first Thanksgiving."
What annual tradition do you enjoy with your family on Thanksgiving Day?
I love hearing from all of you!
MarmeeDear & Company, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
]]>MarmeeDear & Company, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Greene Acres was the place to be ~ Farm livin' was the life we loved! Fresh Air! Fresh Bread! and our Country Store! They came. . . .They shopped ~ 'Til we shooed them out the door!
If you drove far enough, and looked close enough, you could see the little hand-painted sign marking GREENE ACRES COUNTRY MARKET, and you knew that you had arrived - IF - you continued on the windy, bumpy drive thru the woods. Thinking no one would ever find the little market way out yonder down that road named "Leopard", the Family enjoyed it anyway. It was a boon to have a store in the backyard!
The market was the Family Workshop-Barn turned country store - all the Oldies who came sat a spell on that old front porch in the wooden swings. The Younguns ran in the fresh air, caught fireflies & bugs, dipped their toes into Patchwork Puddle, and nibbled on gummy bears & sesame stix.
The wood shelves were filled with every sort of sundries the cook and baker would use. BOSCH mixers, black beans, brown rice, bulgar, bakers pans, baking powder, broccoli, baskets, bushels of wheat, books for the cook and more.
Then one day They started coming. First a few and then some more. She said, "If you build it -They will come!" Some days the little road creaked from all the back & forth-coming & going. Each one,told one, and so the little market grew and grew. The Family found new friends every week who visited this little country store in the woods. The friends and shoppers made memories and always left with a wave from the Family and with a sackful of wholesome foods and sundries from GREENE ACRES.
One day the Family found new acres...a 130 acre wood. The children were yearning for bigger spaces to roam and the time had come to move on and tame new wild and thickety acres. Then when the long road dipped down and around the curve, all that could be seen was the little hand-painted sign, worn & weathered from years of rain and sun, with a note nailed on: "SOLD - Please come see us another time...another year."
THE END [circa 1994 - 2002]
I want you to write a book, dear. A book about us. You and me. Our story.
Where would I begin?
Once upon a time.
But our story isn't a fairytale. It really happened.
So I'll start at the beginning...from scratch.
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Coming in early 2020!
(update! and after years and hours of writing, typing, remembering, editing, designing, and everything else that goes into creating a book from the first words I jotted down to having it printed...it's here!)
Built from Scratch : A Love Story – MarmeeDear & Co., LLC (builtfromscratchlife.com)
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It sparks their imagination and creativity.
My grandchildren love to paint on our porch! If you don't have a porch...try the sidewalk? All they need is a big bowl of water (let's pretend its a paint bucket!) and a paint brush! Elizabeth had loads of fun creating circles, alphabet letters and 100 leg centipedes! She even used her imagination and told me which color she was using! First we would pretend it was pink, then yellow, then black! It's a great way to teach them to spell their name....so Grandma...go get a bowl of water and an paintbrush and let them have some fun!
"I asked the Lord for quietness;
The lightning flashed, the thunder roared,
Earthquake and fire and threatening waves
Overwhelmed my soul.
And then, even in the center of the storm
He made a place of calm,
And in my heart there came a hush,
A stillness doubly sweet
Because the roar was still about
But could not touch me.
I asked the Lord for joy:
The treasures of my heart were swept away,
And sorrow followed woe
Till naught remained.
And then, He came and filled my cup
With healing potions rare.
He touched my lips with heavenly song,
And comforted my soul.
He brought me to the banquet house---
His banner over me was love!
I had not known the Lord if joys of earth had stayed;
I had not seen Him as my All-in-All
Had He allowed my heart to rest in transient loves
That dimmed the vision of His face.
Through fire and pain He took the veil away--
And lo! He filled all things;
The fairest of ten thousand,
The prince of peace, the Life of God!
I had not known Him thus except through this.
~Unknown
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snapping pics while passing us...and it was even crazier when my kids
with driver's licenses borrowed the car....everyone who passed had to get a good look at the driver and they were like..."NO WAY!"
]]>A favorite spot on my 100 acre wood where I can enjoy all the
beautiful irises and remember that
God ALWAYS knows best!