Hi, I'm Sonshine!

I live in Georgia with my DH of almost 25 years and our DS who is almost 11 yrs old. We're a military family, so it's been hard to do much homesteading, however, this will probably be our last duty assignment, so we bought a couple of acres of land. Slowly we have been adding to our little homestead. Our first year here we put in a garden. Unfortunately, it didn't do very well because the soil was so poor. The following year we bought 12 baby chicks, 6 Rhode Island Reds and 6 Buff Orpingtons. After our girls were fully grown we were given 2 Buff Orpingtons roosters and 4 Barred Rock roosters. We butchered the Barred Rocks, which was an adventure all by itself. DH and I are basically city folk, trying to learn homesteading skills, so neither of us has every butchered anything before. The first one took forever, but the others went pretty quickly.

This year we got goats. African Pygmies, a doe and her two kids, both does. I also just put in an herb garden. I plan on adding to it as I can, but just taking things a step at a time.

We're children's pastors at a small Assemblies of God church, where we minister using gospel clowning, puppets and gospel illusions. We've been involved in children's ministries for 24 years now.

We homeschool our DS, who has some learning disabilities.

The most important thing for us is that no matter what happens in life, we know that God is in control.

I look forward to seeing who all God sends our way and getting better aquainted with each of you.

Sonshine

... your resident herbalist. I am happily married with 3 steps and 3 birthies. I am politically active, a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and a member of our Garden Club. I am also a techno-junkie and an infomaniac. I will study anything that I might come across.

Regarding my herbalism, IU believe that God gave us everything we need for health. I am learning what it is. I have a history of nursing for 25 years and teaching for 3 years, so can apply my knowledge to the herbalism. God has blessed me with the gift of diagnostics. I usually diagnose my family (and self) faster than the doctors can get the tests back by using traditional medical skills~ observation and talking to the patient. I started treating my husband with herbs for his COPD last year and he had the healthiest winter in 30years.

I don't know it all, but God is guiding me in my knowledge of what is needed.

Looking forward to getting to know everyone here a little better.

(((((HUGS))))) I'm sure glad you joined. Ok, now I can really pick your brains. LOL Seriously though, I could use you in the alternative medicine group. Would you be interested in being my moderator in that forum? Basically it will be your forum to direct. I especially am interested in what you're doing for your husband's COPD. My MIL has that and would love to know how to help her.

Sonshine AKA Katrina

Katrina, I would be honored to be your moderator. Thanks. As soon as I finish my profile here I will head down to the forum to address COPD.

And we're going to have to re-word the herbal remedies section. For some reason we have all those other forums in herbal remedies. Dawn is setting that part up for me, so tomorrow we'll see if we can figure out what went wrong. Sorry.

Hi,

I just signed up, so hello....

I am 52, single, divorced (after 26years)... I live in Southwest MO.. I consider myself to be post-denominational.... I find that life is less stressful, if we accept all who claim Jesus as Lord and Savior, as our brothers and sisters.... Denominational boundaries, are often the no-mans-land where we tend to fall out of fellowship with people of like precious faith...

My children are all living in Missouri, as are my grandchildren, that is why I am here too...

Anything that you would like to know?.. Just ask... I'll tell you what I can....

David

Hi, I'm Marie from Michigan.. I'm 57 years old and have been married for 37 years.. We have 3 married children and 3 grandchildren who live in the Minneapolis/St Paul area. Over the years we gardened, had livestock, horses, rabbits, chickens and a whole assortment of dogs, cats and the occasional hamster . I spent most of my adult life teaching Sunday School and as a church organist, worked as a pharmacy tech, secretary and travel agent. Now, I love to just be home, getting back into gardening and simple living. My husband is a disabled vet. I'm glad to be here!

Hi, Marie! What part of Michigan are you from? I am originally from Michigan and my family lives back there.

**waving** Hi everyone. I'm so glad you are joining us. We're still setting up, so it may be a little chaotic initially, until we know what we're doing. If any of you would like to become part of the team, we're looking for moderators. Just let me know and we'll find the perfect spot for you.

Medicine Mom wrote:Hi, Marie! What part of Michigan are you from? I am originally from Michigan and my family lives back there.

We live in the Upper Peninsula.. where does your family live??

Thanks for doing this, Sonshine.. I'm really glad.

Marie,
I'm glad you joined us. I sent you a PM.

Katrina

Waves at everyone!

Dawn

Marie wrote:

Medicine Mom wrote:Hi, Marie! What part of Michigan are you from? I am originally from Michigan and my family lives back there.

We live in the Upper Peninsula.. where does your family live??

Thanks for doing this, Sonshine.. I'm really glad.

Mom & Dad live 20 miles south of Alpena. My kid lives in Port Huron. Other family in Flint. My youngest, Molly, and I just got back from a month over there.

Sonshine, I am glad you set the forum up, it was a great idea.

For several years I was part of a Christian Guitar forum, but last year it "went under", I have been kind of wondering, looking for the right place to hang out. Maybe this will be home...

I hope you have found a home here too. Many of the folks you'll see here I've known for quite some time. We've been in yahoo groups together. I can assure you, all of them will treat you right. Some have been through some rough times with me, and had it not been for their prayers and support, not sure how well I would have made it through them. I'm sure as you get to know everyone, you'll realize that this is a Christian group, in every sense of the word.

Katrina

Hi. I am Martha Anne, a li'l ole lady from and in Tennessee. Looking forward to sharing and learning with all of you. I live on 63 acres in rural Mid. TN, about 1 1/2 hours sw of Nashville with a donkey and my 19 yo ds still at home. Waiting for the rain to finally slow down a bit so I can get my garden out. My herbs (the perrenials) are up and doing well, but it has been so wet for so long, I can't get plants into the ground let alone the seeds. Trying to raise taters in a bag again this year. They did pretty good last year for me, and hope for good results this year. I do raised bed gardening mostly as I am 69 yo, and the old grey mare jist ain't what she used to be. God bless all, M. A.

Hi Martha Anne,
I'm glad you joined us. I hope you post in the gardening section how you do potatoes in a bag. Sounds interesting. I also hope the rain lets up enough for you to get your garden planted. We've been blessed here in Georgia. We've had rain, but have had enough breaks between to get things planted. Now it's just battling the weeds. LOL

Katrina

Hi, everyone! There are quite a few names I recognized, and who I thought would be here. Yay!

I can't wait to meet everyone.

Hi Sonshine...thankful God placed this forum on your heart...MissKItty

Cotton Picker wrote:Hi,

I just signed up, so hello....

I am 52, single, divorced (after 26years)... I live in Southwest MO.. I consider myself to be post-denominational.... I find that life is less stressful, if we accept all who claim Jesus as Lord and Savior, as our brothers and sisters.... Denominational boundaries, are often the no-mans-land where we tend to fall out of fellowship with people of like precious faith...

My children are all living in Missouri, as are my grandchildren, that is why I am here too...

Anything that you would like to know?.. Just ask... I'll tell you what I can....

David

Hi there, David.. Good to see you here! I agree, life is less stressful if we accept all who claim Jesus as Lord and Savior as our brothers and sisters.. God is not going to be looking at 'which church' we belonged to. Post-denominational is a good word for it. I am in a denomination, grew up in it and still in it... but people within the denomination don't even agree on many things.. there has to be something more that binds us together. And that 'something' is actually "Someone" - Jesus, and the faith that has been instilled in our hearts.

I am from an conservative Lutheran background. Most members are of a particular ethnic group, although that is changing. Our church is very mission minded and does mission work all over the world. But again, the church and the denomination is where we worship and fellowship, but God's church is in the hearts of men.

Okay, you said questions were okay.. tell us about your family - sons and/or daughters? How old are your grandchildren and how many do you have?

I know you like farmin' and such .. you know a lot about cattle. And you know a lot about the Bible!! You have an amazing vocabulary and sometimes I burst out laughing at the words and phrases you come up with. You're a character - and in a good way!

So talk to us man! Share somethin' with us! (oh, where's that cowboy tipping his hat when you need him?) lol

Hey! Wait a minute! Did you say David knows a lot about cattle????? Ummmm, hold on one cotton pickin' minute! I need a moderator for our cattle section. Oh DAVID....... wanna volunteer???? Huh, huh, huh? Pretty please????

Yup, he does.. I've seen him posting in Cattle over at HT..

now, I know next to nothing about cattle except they moo and have four hooves, but his advice looked pretty good to me.. Sooo, I think he'd be PERFECT!

What say you, David?

oh, where's that cowboy tipping his hat when you need him?

Here it is!

ooohh, I love it

ROFL!

My kind of people.....certifiable nuts. LOL, Blessings, M. A.