Chats on the Farmhouse Porch #147

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Patrice at Everyday Ruralty has another great collection of questions for our link up this week. I just love having the bits of randomness to share. 
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1. Do you like cucumbers? Is there a favorite way for you to prepare them?

No. I am not a cucumber fan unless in the form of sweet pickles. I do enjoy pickles and canning pickles. We lost our whole crop last year (as did most of the gardens in our area) due to a horrible blight, but this year they are looking lovely! 

I really enjoy using my re-usable canning lids when I can now. They work perfectly and eliminate the lid cost each year. I can get them in wide mouth and regular mouth which is perfect. I prefer using wide mouth jars for things just like pickles! Lots of hands go into those jars! LOL! When we are done using a jar, we just put the reusable lids in a ziplock bag in the pantry. 

2. How good a housekeeper are you?

Define good...I enjoy a clean and tidy house, but I am definitely not OCD about it. In fact I am rather...ahem...messy at times. My house looks lived in, but I do enjoy a sparkling clean kitchen and bathroom! :) Just ignore the cobwebs and dustbunnies everywhere else.

3. Please finish this: To spend a day____________would be amazing!

To spend a day....zip lining and/or white water rafting would be amazing! I love both of those things and haven't done them in awhile. I always wanted to do one of those really big ziplines where you go for a few miles over a rainforest or something. But I also love white water rafting and haven't been in about 12 years.

4. How do you handle times when you are "down" or "blue"( depressed )?

I have a few things I like to do:

*I put on some good music...usually the classic oldies. You can't help but get cheerful when "Splish Splash" comes on.

*I spend some time chatting with my friends. They always make me feel better.

*I open up the Psalms. King David can bring anyone out of the dumps!

And when I'm REALLY in the dumps--which like hardly ever happens--

*I get down on my knees and start counting my blessings and thanking God. I don't go very far before I realize I have nothing to be depressed about.

But I'm very much a glass half full kind of person so I hardly EVER get blue...

5. Have you started using essential oils, since they have become so popular?

Oh yes. If you are a regular reader you know that I totally love my essential oils. I've been using them regularly for about 2 years now. I own about 25 singles or blends and use them daily. I purchase oils from three companies that I am very very happy with: Mountain Rose Herbs, Aura Cacia and doTERRA. Most of my oils are from Mountain Rose Herbs and Aura Cacia--as they are singles. I have had great success with them both and believe they are each high quality--and I've heard and read that they are both ranked in the top 5 oils...side by side with Young Living and doTERRA. I use doTERRA exclusively for oil blends. My favorite blends have some expensive single oils in them, so it is far less expensive for me to buy them pre-blended instead of trying to blend them myself. My favorite blends are: Breathe, On Guard and Serenity. I don't sell oils--but I read and learn about them as much as possible to help my family and friends. We have had great success with them--especially for every day ailments like colds, fevers, wounds, stings and sore muscles. 

*****

I am so thankful to be home from my whirlwind trip back to WA for my grandpa's memorial service. My boys are happy to have me back. I'm thankful to be back in the country away from the city. I'm happy to pick my green beans and lettuce. To hang my clothes out on the line. Sigh. I love this country life.