When Life Gives New Slogans

Our first winter storm of the year.
This is my view from my living room window. 

When I started this blog a few years back, I was just beginning my writing career. I say "career" because it marked the first time I'd been paid for one of my stories.The figure on the check might have only been $0.75, but I was proud of that seventy-five cents. I bought a pop at the gas station.

At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom with a small toddler and two older children. Our hobby farm was thriving.

Some of my best thinking is done on the riding lawnmower, while cutting grass on the two flat acres of our ten-acre property. Here's where I adopted this blog's slogan "Hobby Farmer by Day, Author by Night."


Since then, my life has changed.

My toddler is now in Kindergarten, we can no longer claim to have a hobby farm (though we plan to rectify this come spring), I've once again joined the workforce, and I write every spare moment I get in between cooking, cleaning, working, laundry, church, and extra-curricular activities.

My new slogan is "Substitute Teacher by Day, Author by Whenever-I-Get-A-Chance-To-Write."

Not as catchy, but this is life for me at this moment in 2016. And that's okay. I'm enjoying my new job, I'm still plugging away on my stories during lunch breaks, while I'm cooking dinner, and after the kids go to bed (on the rare nights I can actually hold my eyes open).

Three years from now will my life's slogan change? Count on it.

But that's what keeps life interesting.

My Year in Review

2015 brought unexpected events. Some good, some bad. 

The farm aspect of our "hobby farm" went from growing to non-existent. Spring brought a tough trial, which prevented us from having the time to plant our yearly vegetable garden. Our chicken flock became dinner for hungry foxes. Our peach trees weren't as productive as usual, and our plan of getting sheep didn't pan out. 

But the year also brought wonderful blessings. So as I set new goals for 2016 and plan events, I've decided to share the highlights of the past year. 

My debut novel was contracted by Pelican Book Group for release in late 2016!

We had milestone birthdays!
5, 11, and 13

We went to Disney World!

We got to take part in director Scott Paul's documentary on "The Home."

The kids had a successful year in 4-H!

Hubby and I toured Louisville, Kentucky in a bi-plane.

I participated in some wonderful and uplifting writer's meetings. 

We carried on our family traditions.

Our family is growing! The head above mine is to be my new sister-in-law!

I signed a contract for a new contemporary romance titled Preserving Liberty, 

for release in 2017!

I can't wait to see what this year brings!

Our Disney World Vacation 2015

We've had a VERY busy summer so far, which is why you haven't seen many posts from me other than book reviews. In between baseball games, VBS, and 4-H projects, we took a much needed vacation to Disney World. Here's a little scrapbook to show you what we've been up to.


EPCOT

Here we are in Canada, watching
the rain clouds approach. 

We visited Epcot the day of our 14th wedding anniversary. The weather was hot and muggy but most of our day was spent indoors enjoying the great attractions this place had to offer. After the rides, we toured the World Showcase.

In France, we devoured a Croque Glace` 
at L'Artisan des Glaces. This amazing dessert is 
a warm brioche filled with white chocolate coconut ice dream...I mean cream. 

And this is us, taking the world's worst selfie. Unfortunately, the rest of our evening got rained out and we weren't able to see the other countries, but we had a blast at Epcot all the same. 





DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Tow Mater

Here, we saw all the stars! The kids loved meeting their favorite characters and being part of the movies on The Great Movie Ride, Star Tours, and The Tower of Terror (though the little guy wasn't a fan of this last one). 

Phineas and Ferb

Me and the boys are Singing in the Rain. If only my voice and dance moves were as graceful as Debbie Reynolds's. But the "rain" sprinkling off the umbrella was a nice break from the hot sun. 

MAGIC KINGDOM

Cinderella's castle

We celebrated little guy's 5th birthday at the Magic Kingdom. It blessed my heart to see him enjoy his favorite characters' rides, like Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo, and Aladdin's Flying Carpets. The older boys loved Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, and exploring Tom Sawyer's Island. 

Happy Birthday!

Again, we enjoyed meeting our favorite characters!

Buzz Lightyear

Rapunzel's tower

And seeing where they live!

It was a fun-filled and long day with amazing fireworks to end the journey. Goodbye, Disney!

We ended our trip with a relaxing day on Siesta Key, Beach, Sarasota, before the long drive home. I can't wait to see where our next adventure awaits! 

Eye of the Storm

Image courtesy of George Stojkovic
freedigitalphotos.net

The last month has been eventful for our family, to say the least. We've had enjoyable times together, cheering at ball games and track meets, working as a team around the farm. We've also had times of devastation, where an unexpected life event sweeps in like an F-5 tornado and leaves so much debris you don't know where to begin cleanup. Sometimes it takes the tornado to make us appreciate the clear skies, as we tend to take our days for granted. The storm forces us to slow down and reflect, perhaps enlightens us to much needed changes.

I'm blessed to know the One who can calm the storm, the One who holds tomorrow. 

During our difficulty...     Read the rest of this article at Quid Pro Quills.  

~Candice posts twice a month at Quid Pro Quills, a blog she shares with her writing partners-in-crime. For more articles like this one, author chats, and insight into the crazy life of a writer, visit their website. 

Cast Iron--How to Protect and Maintain Your Cookware

Image by fanpop.com

As a transplant--this is my husband's term for a city-born person gone country--I was raised eating foods cooked in aluminum, stainless steel, and Teflon coated cookware. Not that these items are reserved just for city folk, but they were what I was familiar with. My husband, however, was raised on a small farm and was no stranger to cast iron. So four years ago, when he brought home a cast iron skillet he'd purchased at an auction, I didn't know what to do.
     
I stared at the slight rust on the handle, the black coating, and bit of grime on the bottom and sides and curled my lip. I knew that cast iron, like stoneware, couldn't be washed in hot, soapy water so.... Ew!

"I got it for a dollar," my husband said proudly. "It's a Griswold, and it's pretty old."
"Yes. I can see that." I love all things antique and vintage the same as he does, but did I want to cook in something I couldn't wash? No.
     
Every day he'd come home from work, smell dinner on the stove, and ask if I'd used my new-old skillet yet. "Not yet, but I will." Eventually.
     
I think more than anything, I was afraid of the unknown. At the time, we had satellite television and the Hallmark channel played around the clock (well, until all the guys got home anyway). I got hooked on Mad Hungry, a cooking show hosted by Lucinda Scala Quinn. She has three boys too and can relate to the exhaustion of a mother who's constantly trying to fill their bottomless bellies! Finally, an ally.
     
A few weeks after my hubby's proud purchase, Lucinda hosted an episode dedicated to properly seasoning, cleaning, and caring for cast iron cookware. Be brave, I told myself. Give it a try. Using her instructions, the skillet transformed into a rust-free, grime-free, shiny black beauty. The more I cooked in it, the more the fear subsided. Now, cast iron is my go-to choice for cookware. Over the last few years, I've collected many sizes of skillets, and sometimes I even bake in them.
     
In fact, I'm so obsessed with cast iron that my initial reaction to the scene in the Disney's Tangled when the hero and heroine meet for the first time was, "Ooh, I wonder if that's a Griswold number seven."
     
I'd like to use this post to inform others of the joys of cast iron, not only to clean and maintain your already existing cookware, but also to ease the fears of anyone else who might be apprehensive. I hope you find these links helpful:

Clean and Refurbish Cast Iron
A great article from HobbyFarms.com that gives step-by-step instructions on how to burn off baked-on mess, how to remove rust, season, and maintain your cast iron cookware.


Martha Stewart--How to Season Old and New Cast Iron
This great YouTube video instructs on how to properly wash and season new and old cast iron cookware, brought to you by the knowledgeable Martha Stewart.

Cast Iron 101
Basic tips and techniques from FrugalLivingNW.com


I prefer to clean my pans using the oil/coarse salt method, but it may not be for everyone. For more information on cast iron cookware, including sizes, availability, and uses, visit Lodge website.

______________________________________________

Candice Sue Patterson is the author of Bright Copper Kettles and Silver White Winters. She lives on a hobby farm with her husband and three sons in a restored farmhouse overtaken by books. When she's not tending to her chickens, splitting wood, or working in the vegetable garden, she's working on a new story. Candice writes inspirational contemporary romance. Visit her website for more information. Follow Candice on Facebook and Twitter!

A Child's Perception

This picture was drawn by my four year old son in his Sunday school class. The lesson was about John the Baptist, baptizing Jesus. Afterward, he was asked to draw the scene. Apparently, he thinks John baptized using a dunk tank. 

I chuckled about this all afternoon. I love how his little mind works. When something isn't clear or he doesn't understand, he computes it into something he's familiar with.

This drawing is one of many in my keeper pile.

Pulling Weeds

Cute isn’t he? Our youngest is still at the age where he enjoys working—he says it’s fun—because it makes him feel grown up. Our oldest children, ages ten and twelve, found out a long time ago work is far from fun. But enjoyable or not, pulling weeds is vital to a successful vegetable or flower garden. The same goes for our lives. We must pull the weeds of negativity and hurt, even if it means refusing to let others take advantage of us. Except we’re Christians, so standing firm against others when we know we should is wrong if it will upset the other person, right? WRONG!

Jesus called people out when needed and spoke the truth bluntly. Just look at the account of the moneychangers in the temple, or the times the Pharisee’s attempted to trick Him into saying or doing something wrong. The key is Jesus did so in love. He stated the facts and those individuals could choose to listen and change or ignore Him, but either way He still loved them. Enough to die on the cross for them (us), in fact. So what does this have to do with weeds?

I’ve been reading a fantastic book by Paul Coughlin and Jennifer D. Degler, Ph.D. called No More Christian Nice Girl. The truths in this book are profound. You see, from the time we females are born we’re taught to be nice—never intentionally hurt anyone’s feelings, always do what we can to help others, be soft-spoken, never rude, and—if raised in a strict religious household—remain silent, keeping opinions and ideals to ourselves, especially in the presence of men. Problem is these characteristics can be poisonous if not used correctly. Over time we grow so accustom to these traits we let others trample upon us like a doormat. It’s time to take the Welcome sign off our foreheads and be, as the book states, the 360-degree human God created us to be. Yes, Jesus is love, but he’s more than just love. What’s killing a lot of churches today is that His gentle and kind side is the only side of Him being taught. Folks are putting God in a box and refusing to experience the rest of Him. How can we conform to His image if we only choose to study one aspect of His personality?

This book not only walks the reader through the 360-degree Jesus, giving many examples of this truth from scripture, but also provides a study of many women from the Bible who chose to be bold and were blessed for doing so. See, being silent isn’t always the best option. Even when in the presence of men.

          Topics covered in this book include:

*Social and Cultural Pressures

*Harmful Childhood Experiences

*Friendships and Family

*Career

*Dating

*Marriage

*Sex

"Nice girl” syndrome negatively affects every one of these areas. Yes, even sex. So if you want a beautiful, inviting, more productive life garden start pulling weeds!

To purchase your copy of No More Christian Nice Girl, click here! 

*Yes, there's also No More Christian Nice Guy! Click here!

Scared Stiff

Back in March, the little guy decided he wanted to play T-ball. We signed him up, paid the dues, and practiced with him. Whenever anyone asked him what position he wanted to play, he’d say, “I’m gonna be the coach!” We all laughed at this utter cuteness, but come to find out, he was serious. VERY serious.

Team practices started, and it was a constant struggle to get him to participate. Either I or my husband had to be on the field with him every second, and even then, he wouldn’t make it easy. Now don’t get me wrong, we realize he’s young, and we certainly don’t make our kids play sports. However, we do teach our children to not be quitters. There are too many quitters in society already.

Games begin. Three into the season and little guy refuses to play. He watches his teammates have a great time, but he won’t join in. Why? He wanted to be the coach!

Finally, by a miracle from the good Lord above, he decided to play last week. No fussing, scowling, or shyness. Just a lift of his little chin, and he walked out there, determined, and played. He did great. Hit every time he was up to bat, ran the bases in order, and played in the dirt in between. After the game, proud mama gave him a big squeeze, bought him a Slushie, and had a heart-to-heart.

“Did you enjoy your game,” I asked.

“Yeah, I did. I knew I’d be good at it.”

“You are. But if you knew that, why wouldn’t you play before?”

“I was scared.”

“Of what?”

“I was scared I might fall down. Scared I’d get hurt. Scared people would laugh at me.”

I was stunned. This whole time I’d thought it was because he couldn’t be the coach. It was in part, but I had no idea an underlying fear kept him from playing.

This hit me square in the face. How many of Christians are being called to make some kind of change in their lives but are sitting on the bench instead, missing out because they didn’t get the “position” they wanted. Or scared they might fall down. Scared they might get hurt.

I know because I’m dealing with this myself right now. Sometimes we’re so scared of failing, we do absolutely nothing at all. I’m grateful God is a patient God. A merciful God. A God full of grace and love.

Lord, help me to overcome my fear, step away from the bench, and help my team achieve victory.

*This post was originally posted by me on May 23, 2014 with the Quid Pro Quills. For more posts like this visit www.quidproquills.wordpress.com

Stars and Stripes--Celebrating Flag Day

nixxphotography/freedigitalphotos.net

Today, June 14, is Flag Day--the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777, established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and designated as a holiday in 1949 by President Harry Truman.

If you haven't already, fly your flag high today. Let everyone know you're proud to be an American.

We bring out our American flag every spring when all signs of winter are over. We display it 24/7 from a bracket on our front porch post as a testimony and reminder of living in the greatest country there is.

Here are a few tips for caring for your flag, proper display, and what not to do:

Cleaning
The flag may be laundered or dry cleaned as appropriate for the fabric. Faded or ripped flags should be replaced.

Clothing
The U.S. Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Sec. 8(d) states, "The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery."

Care and Respect
The U.S. flag should always be treated with the utmost care and respect. Remember, the flag represents a living country and, as such, is considered a living symbol.

Always display the flag with the blue union field up--never display the flag upside down, except as a signal of extreme distress.

Always carry the flag aloft and free--never carry it flat or horizontally in processions or parades. The exception to this is carrying very large flags in a parade that are too big to be flown from a staff or pole.

Always keep the flag clean. Keep it safe from those who would not respect it, or do not know enough to do so, such as small children.

Illumination
If displayed at night, the flag must be properly illuminated. That means the stars and stripes can be seen from a distance.

Patches and Decals
Flag patches or pins worn on the left side (near the heart) of a shirt or uniform are okay.

Photo by Candice Sue Patterson
May not be copied or used in any format
without permission.

*For more information on care and respect of the American flag, visit The National Flag Foundation

*For an illustration on how to properly fold the American flag, visit USFlag.org


Happy Flag Day, everyone!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I'm a mother of three boys, ages 11, 9, and 3. There's never a dull moment around our house for sure. Over the years, I've learned that males aren't nearly as concerned with cleanliness as females, they tend to react first and think later, despite their steel exterior their feelings run deep, and though they rarely get along, they closely watch each other's backs. I've discovered that Legos are the greatest invention for entertainment and learning. I know that no matter how much I feed them they'll always be hungry an hour later, and a dinner free of bodily noises won't happen until I'm dead. But what I'm learning―and struggling with―the most is how much differently they think and perceive things than females.

Where I jump in and help mow grass, split wood, plant a garden, bleed brakes, and other dirty jobs, I often tease my husband that taking out the trash is a man's job. (Yes, I do take out the trash sometimes.) But as my three-year-old stated last week, it’s also God's job.

I woke the boys up to get ready for school and went straight to the kitchen to make coffee. My oldest son went into my youngest son's room after being called in there. The little guy wanted a hug before his brother left for school. My oldest mentioned he could hear Little Guy's heartbeat and let his baby brother listen to his heartbeat when Little Guy showed confusion over what a heartbeat was. After pulling away from his brother's chest, Little Guy said, "Hey, God's talking in there."

"What's He saying?" oldest son asked playfully.

"He's got a big trashcan in there, and He's getting ready to take out the trash."

Out of the mouths of babes. Our wonderful Savior, so willing to come into our heart and remove our trash. A never ending chore.

At some point, Little Guy has taken a Sunday school lesson or sermon and condensed it into something he could relate to, taking out the trash, as he sometimes does with his daddy. A chore a young girl probably wouldn't have compared to.

Another lesson learned: my husband and I aren't only teachers in our home. Sometimes we're the students.

Home Sweet Home

A hobby farm, by definition, is a small farm operated for pleasure or supplemental income rather than for primary income.


That being said, welcome to the farm. 


Hubs and I and our three boys live on ten acres where everything we farm is strictly for pleasure. We use our resources to teach the kids self-sufficiency, hard work, and the satisfaction that comes from both. Our "operation" is small and in no way fancy. We don't have any livestock, a situation we hope to rectify soon. That being said, what do we do?

Let me show you around.



Almost every farm has a good dog. Meet Indiana Bones (yes, the kids named him). He may not be ferocious, but he's loyal. He chose us by showing up at our doorstep one day and refusing to leave. When no one claimed him and the pound was looking imminent, we took him in.






We have fruit trees that we nurture every year. At harvest time, I bake desserts, slice the fruit to freeze, and make jam. All of which are great to pull out in the winter and enjoy. We have peach and apple trees and blackberry bushes. My goal is to add blueberry bushes to the mix this year.




We plant a vegetable garden every spring with tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, watermelon, banana peppers, (sometimes) corn and green beans, and pumpkins. We till, plant, cultivate, and harvest the garden as a family. And I must say there's nothing better than a ripe, juicy tomato straight from the garden.






We cut, split, and stack our own firewood to keep warm on cold winter nights.








And as many farms do, we have kittens!









The chickens are by far my favorite addition. I enjoy watching them, spoiling them (I've turned them into big babies), and a farm fresh egg is no comparison to store bought. Currently, we have Rhode Island Red hens, but hope to raise other breeds this spring.

Every year we try to improve on our little place. This spring/summer, I'd like to add some landscaping, a few bat houses, blueberry bushes, build a larger chicken coop, and possibly eliminate our trash service by recycling, turning food waste into compost, and burning paper products.

Though this blog is titled "hobby farmer by day, author by night," nowadays it seems like the roles have switched. The chores that can't wait until evening are done in the morning before I sit down to write, laundry and house cleaning are sprinkled throughout the day when I need to get away from the computer and stretch, and the rest of the chores are done in the evening. This routine will change yet again when school is out for the summer and all the kids are home, making writing more difficult to accomplish.

So, that's what we do.

It's not much, but we love it!



Holiday Cakes

Countdown to Christmas--10 days left!

In Bright Copper Kettles, Darcy Carr lives next door to a bakery where the air always smells like Grandma's kitchen and entices her sweet tooth. One of the hobbies I enjoy outside of writing is cake design. I'm no Martha Stewart, but I thought I'd share some of the holiday cakes I've designed over the last few winters.

My Holly Wreath Cake

My Pine Branches Cake

My Winter Snowman Cake

For great holiday recipes, visit my baking and cake design blog by clicking here!



 

Christmas Movie Mayhem

Countdown to Christmas--17 days left!

In my debut novella, Bright Copper Kettles, Darcy Carr introduces Dean Whitfield to her collection of holiday comedies. To help ease the lonliness of her single-status, she gravitates toward Christmas mayhem instead of romantic, sappy films. Here is an excerpt from the book when Dean asks Darcy what her plans are for Christmas:

        "After my Marie Callender feast, Gomez and I have a date with my towering collection of Christmas comedies."

        Didn't most women prefer sappy films? "Comedies?"

        "I have a whole selection I watch every year: A Christmas Story, Home Alone, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." She scrunched her nose. "I tend to gravitate toward chaos and disaster around the holidays."

        Dean grinned. Disaster did seem to follow her like a hungry dog.

        "I avoid movies involving mistletoe and necking couples at all costs. Too depressing. A cat getting electrocuted is much more uplifting."

For anyone who hasn't read the book yet, Gomez is Darcy's cat.

To keep in the spirit of the Christmas movie theme, I thought I would share some of my favorite holiday movies and the reasons why I love them.

A Christmas Story 

In A Christmas Story (1983), Ralphie tries to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder BB gun is the perfect gift for Christmas.

Why do I love it?

Every person during some point in their childhood wants a certain gift so much they can't think of anything else. Where I personally have never had a BB gun on my Christmas list, I did want a Strawberry Shortcake dollhouse when I was six so badly that I would dream about it at night. Literally. I would close my eyes and picture myself playing with it. I drove my parents crazy. (Yes, I got one.) And when my husband bought a BB gun for our oldest son two Christmases ago, the first words out of my mouth were, "He'll shoot his eye out." To this day, I'm not sure if that bit of movie dialogue is just stuck in my brain, or if that's a genuine fear of all mothers worldwide.

Home Alone

In Home Alone (1990), Kevin McCallister is accidentally left behind when his family flies to France for the holidays. During their absence, he defends his home against idiotic burglars. 

Why do I love it?

It might be a generational thing. Yes, Kevin is a spoiled brat who needs a good spanking, but what kid hasn't longed to be the adult for once--making the decisions, calling their own shots? And though his character is devious for one so young, he is clever. And the way he outsmarts the bad guys...hilarious!

White Christmas

In White Christmas (1954), a successful song-and-dance duo team up with a sister act to save a failing Vermont inn, belonging to the duo's former general.

Why do I love it?

It's full of conflict, great music, entertainment, and romance. And any time spent listening to Bing Crosby sing is a pleasure. Iconic songs such as "White Christmas," "Counting My Blessings," and "Sisters" are known and loved by many 59 years later.

The Grinch

In The Grinch (2000), the classic Dr. Seuss character comes to life, intent on stealing Christmas.

Why do I love it?
It started as a child with the book, then the cartoon I never missed during Christmas, then with Ron Howard's remake. As an inspirational writer, I'm a fan of character growth. And who grows more internally than the Grinch? After all, by the end, his heart literally grows three sizes. It's witty, true to the original story's characters, and the details in the movie are so fun to pick out.

Pluto's Christmas Tree
In Pluto's Christmas Tree (1952), Chip 'n Dale take refuge in Mickey's Christmas tree. When Pluto discovers their hideout, mayhem breaks loose as he tries to run them off.

Why do I love it?
This cartoon is by far my absolute favorite movie to watch at Christmas. It has been since the first time I saw it at age 3. Who doesn't love Mickey and Pluto? The clever little chipmunks invent ingenious ideas for outsmarting the dog, and in the end, they all decide to put their differences aside and enjoy the holiday together.




These are just a few of my favorite movies to watch during December. There are many, many more I failed to mention, such as A Charlie Brown Christmas and Elf...
I'd love to hear from you. What are your favorite Christmas movies and why?