To start with, this is not one of my normal posts – this is really quite serious, in fact diet and life changing. As Don Knotts said in the Ghost and Mr. Chicken, ”Let me clarify this.” At age 17, I was found to be allergic to fowl, pork and red meat! This may sound awful but after my teen years full of stomach/bowel problems and surgery - it was great to have relief. At 19, I was further diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis but no relief was given. Hence I was content to live a life without meat (except fish) and looked for no other answers. My arthritis would flare periodically but after a few months would subside and life would go on. That is until last winter after some female surgery, my arthritis flared and wouldn’t stop but grew increasingly worse. So bad was it that my husband had to cut my food for me! I was desperate – even prescription medications didn’t provide much help. Then my daughter-in-law, Jessica, went to a Weston-Price conference and among other things found the following book. So if you, or some family member or friend is suffering with or has been diagnosed with a long term medical condition, PLEASE read on!
The GAPS book – Gut and Psychology Syndrome – is written by a British physician, Dr. Natasha Campbell – McBride MD. She primarily uses the information and diet presented in the book to treat children with autism and learning disabilities. The results of her work supports her position on the link between physical and mental health, the food and drink we take in and the condition of our digestive system.
GAPS is broken up into four parts. The first part explains how all diseases begin in the gut. Dealing with many psychological issues, such as, schizophrenia and depression, she explains how these patients are often malnourished and suffer from vitamin deficiencies.
In the late 1970s it was discovered that gluten from grains and casein from milk can be turned into opiates in the digestive system which absorb into the blood, cross the blood-brain barrier and affect the brain. These opiates were found in the urine of schizophrenic patients and those with depression and autoimmune conditions. Later on Dr. Reichelt … found the same compounds in the urine of autistic children. - GAPS pg. 72
Simply put, our digestion begins in the stomach with stomach acids, continues with pancreatic juices and is completed as the food moves through the intestines. The gut is lined with a bacterial layer which provides a barrier of protection. This layer contains the beneficial bacteria necessary for proper and timely digestion of food.
In the gut, the absorptive surface of the intestines has finger-like protrusions called villi and deep crypts between them (like hills and valleys) The villi are coated with specialized cells called enterocytes. These cells complete digestion and absorb the nutrients from ingested food. They are continually born in the depths of the crypts and slowly travel to the top of the villi. They digest and absorb becoming more mature as they move upward. At the top of the villi they are shed off. So, the lining of the intestines is constantly being renewed.
When beneficial bacteria of the gut are removed the renewal process is disrupted – there are fewer enterocytes (absorptive cells) and the existing cells no longer function properly. The villi degenerate and are not able to digest and absorb food properly. This leads to mal-absorbption and nutritional deficiencies.
An example is given on page 21 of the GAPS book using the digestion of milk and wheat proteins. In the first stage of digestion, the digestive juices of the stomach split the proteins into less complex amino acid chains (peptides), some of which include casomorphines and gluteomorphines. These peptides move to the small intestines where the second stage of digestion occurs. At the intestinal walls, assisted by the pancreatic juices, they are broken down by enzymes. In people with abnormal gut flora (and resulting poorly functioning enterocytes), the undigested complex proteins (casomorphines and glutemorpines) are absorbed into the bloodstream unchanged and cause problems.
These problems include interference with brain function and immune system function. According to Dr. Campbell-McBride’s experience, when the gut flora is restored, many GAPS patients can digest casein and gluten, at least, in moderate amounts without a return of symptoms. So, the treatment focuses on returning the good gut flora and allowing the digestive tract time to heal.
Part two of the GAPS book focuses on treatment which is an Introduction Diet consisting of six stages. Moving through the stages, food is added in an orderly way from what is easily digested to what is more difficult to digest. After the Introduction Diet, the Full GAPS Diet is followed for a period of time to be determined by the patient’s symptoms. Instructions are given for coming off the GAPS Diet along with recipes and supplementation recommendations.
Part three covers different issues including ear infections, influences which boost and those which damage immunity, constipation and genetics.
Part four deals with having a baby in the GAPS family.
GAPS – Gut and Psychology Syndrome – has for many been life changing – from parents of children with learning disabilities to those (like me) with autoimmune diseases. Having already benefited from dietary changes made as a result of this book, I admit that I have a biased opinion. However, if you or anyone you know suffers from any of the mentioned illnesses (and I did not cover them all!) I would recommend purchasing this book or check with your local library.
We have a new toy in the vineyard! It is the Pellenc AP25. What, you might ask is that? It is a battery powered tying machine used to anchor grape vines to either a bamboo stake (for new vines) or wire for older vines. This little baby was not cheap but it is already proving its worth!
Soon, we will be going through the vineyard with a pre-pruner. The pre-pruner will cut off and shred last years growth from the vines. The amount cut off is adjustable and we will leave 2 buds per spur. Our vines are trained up to 4 ft and then 2 arms are tied down horizontally in opposite directions on a wire forming a cordon.
Each arm is allowed to grow 2 ft along the wire. From these arms, upward growing spurs have the buds for the new growth.
Each bud should produce two bunches of grapes. Optimally, we want 20 buds per plant – 10 evenly spaced over each 2 ft arm. These will yield 5 to 15 lbs. of grapes per vine. You can see the fuzzy white bulges in the picture below.
With the pre-pruner we will cut the vines back so that each spur has 2 buds. We will then come through and hand prune, cleaning up each vine to achieve the 20 buds per plant.
Before pre-pruning, it is important to replace any dead or weak arms. This is done by pulling down a healthy looking arm from last years growth to replace the compromised one. The Pellenc AP25 is used to tie down the arm to the cordon wire.
You can see from the picture below, the bulk of the Pellenc AP25 is worn at the back of the waist. (The jeans are designer, by yours truly – call for pricing!) This back part holds the battery pack and the roll of ties. For tying down mature arms, we are using a standard tie designed to last 12 – 14 mths. They look much like bread bag ties. When training our new planting, we will be using paper ties designed to degrade in 8 – 10 mths so that they do not girdle the fast growing young plants.
The handheld part of the Pellenc AP25 looks like a space age gun. You can hopefully see the line of brown ties coming from the back pack and feeding into the rear of the gun.
The open tip of the gun is positioned over the vine and cordon wire (in this case) and the trigger is pulled.
The Pellenc AP25 does the rest. The tie is extruded, twisted and voile!
Until now, we have all had our own hand tapers and done our own pruning (or training, as the case may be) and taping as we go. The old tapers, pictured below, just didn’t last even the season – we went through 19 of them!
To date, we are finding the Pellenc AP25 to be very fast and feel that while 6 or 7 of us are pruning, 1 person using the Pellenc AP25 will be able to keep up with the rest. Pellenc proports one person can do 12,000 ties per day. We will see!
In Good Girls don’t have to Dress Bad, Shari Braendel gives a style guide for every woman. Shari helps you determine important issues from your body type and dressing accordingly, to the colors which best compliment your skin, hair and eye colors.
What does it matter how I dress? As Christians, we should make sure our dress reflects who we are – a child of God, created in His image. The way we dress our temple says something about our character. Certainly, our inner beauty and character are the result of our relationship with the Lord, but He even addresses outward attire. The Proverbs 31 woman is clothed in fine linen and purple. It boils down to the fact that we are the Lord’s representatives on this earth. There is definitely a balance here. To quote from Shari,
“If your idea of beauty is based upon what we put on, rather than our relationship with the Creator of beauty, we’ve got a problem …. When we feel precious , redeemed and loved by our Saviour, we won’t need to impress with ostentatious clothing, jewelry or handbags. Instead, we’ll find an appropriate way to dress to reflect what’s going on inside us.”
Does your appearance reflect who you are on the inside? Shari offers a free color analysis to help determine which colors enhance your natural beauty. She also has a wardrobe plan list to help you build your wardrobe with mix and match items. The goal is to have your wardrobe filled with only the items that you like, which fit you well and in colors flattering to you.
I am not a clothes horse (and NO, you may not ask my husband’s opinion on this!) ) but I am a sucker for a “deal”. Therefore, I, and I suspect many of you, have a lot of clothes that you neither like nor feel good in. So, even though many of my clothes have been good deals, they really are not, because, they sit in my closet.
Good Girls don’t have to Dress Bad is a book every Christian woman should read. Shari is both encouraging spiritually and practically. I am having my daughters read it and we are discussing it chapter by chapter. After all, it is a mother’s responsibility to teach their daughters how to dress modestly and in a way which is becoming.
How does this book help you financially? Now, you will shop with a purpose. You can go shopping with the wardrobe plan list as an inventory of what you have and what you need. Armed with your most flattering colors (you may purchase color swatches after taking the color analysis) and knowledge of the styles best suited for your body type. You do not need to make impulsive, unnecessary purchases!
Shari is part of the Proverbs 31 ministry and has become one of the most sought-after Christian speakers across the nation. A fabulously fun fashionista, she is the host of the popular What to Wear Christian Women’s Conference and conducts fashion shows on modesty for teen girls. She also has an encouraging blog, A Beautiful Place, which I encourage you to visit.
I am in no way affiliated with Shari Braendel. She does know who I am because we have emailed – she is such an encourager! You may purchase Good Girls don’t have to Dress Bad online or at your local bookstore. I purchased mine through amazon using Swagbucks, so, there was no money out of pocket!
After my homemade whole wheat bread recipe post yesterday, I thought I would answer some questions regarding the Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine. I read and appreciate each email I receive – thank you.
I would first like to say that I am in no way affiliated with Bosch or other websites that I will point you to for more information. I merely want to share with you a product that I enjoy and feel is well worth the money.
The Bosch is a mixer, blender and a food processor. It truly is an all-in-one kitchen appliance. After our second machine died in February of this year, 2010, I purchased a new machine from Pleasant Hill Grain. Believe me, I checked around for the best price and they had it! Pleasant Hill has several packages available, each including the base and mixer. You have the choice to stop there or add the blender, food processor or both. They even periodically bundle a special to include a grain mill. Free shipping and no tax are also benefits they provide.
We bought our first Bosch over 20 years ago. I am now on our third machine. Each has lasted approximately 10 years. I do not remember how much I paid for the first one, but our last one cost $359.00. I did not purchase the blender or food processor as my old ones still work well.
This is my favorite kitchen appliance – well, I really like the dishwasher and microwave too! I (or one of the children) normally make a 4 loaf, batch of bread one or two times per week. That is not to mention the blending and chopping/slicing with the food processor that we do. Our machine really gets a workout!
The warranty offered by Pleasant Hill is 30 day satisfaction guaranteed. After that, they direct you to the customer service department of Bosch. The motor and transmission are guaranteed for 3 years. Our new machine, after a couple of months, started making a high pitched noise. After our other machines had lasted so long, I was a bit concerned. I called Pleasant Hill, who directed me to the customer service department of Bosch, because it was over the 30 days. To make a long story short, they replaced the motor with a brand new one and, they were very nice about it!
You can read all the details at the Pleasant Hill Grain Bosch Universal Plus Mixer page.
Have you ever needed a stylish yet feminine dress, only to come home from shopping, frustrated and empty-handed?
The problem: Finding a dress both feminine and stylish which also covers enough skin for you to truly feel comfortable.
You are not alone! ShabbyApple.com owners, Emily and CK, had the same experience and even went to trade shows, markets and design studios. Their discovery – it was not that stores just weren’t stocking the right dresses. The designers were not designing the right dresses! Thus, ShabbyApple.com was born.
I found their styles to be refreshingly modern and modest (no need to wear a tank top or cardigan to cover what the dress does not!). I received the Helena for review in bubble gum pink, jersey knit. I admit, I needed to exchange the first dress for a larger size and this was accomplished very easily. The customer service was friendly and helpful. The stitching on the ruched bodice is secure and evenly spaced which can be a problem with jersy knits. The fabric is soft and since it is knit, I do not have to worry about wrinkles. I am looking forward to wearing it throughout the summer!
Shabby Apple also carries maternity, baby, bridesmaid, plus sizes and swim wear. Unfortuanletly, they do not have a “brick and mortar” store location but they do offer free shipping on items for exchange!
I am pleased to offer my readers a 10% discount code on any order from ShabbyApple.com. At checkout use code: dimes5253. This code is good until July 3, 2010.
I received a dress for review but no other compensation was received. The opinions expressed are my own. A special thanks to the Shabby Apple for this opportunity.
This Giveaway is Now Closed.
Congratulations: #38, Rachel and #34 Haidy :)
What does your closet say about you?
Each woman’s closet is a room of her own and it does not matter the size. Side by side hang the special occasions and the everyday, the successes and failures, the precious memories to savor and those we wish to forget.
In “What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life”, Kim Johnson Gross shares candidly her personal journey as well as humorous stories from many women she interviewed across the country. Kim has been a fashion editor for over thirty years, is a former Ford model, fashion editor at Town & County and Esquire, and columnist for More and InStyle, has appeared on the Today show, CNN’s Headline News and the CBS Early Show. 
I found her advise to be practical as she shares how to choose flattering clothes that fit any shape and size. Kim gives great advice on “closet classics” – those basic pieces that you feel good in and that form the basis for many outfits. She covers all aspects of the phases of a woman’s life, from wife to mother, from empty-nester to globe-trotting adventurer – whatever phase you are in, she helps guide you in expressing your inner beauty.
You May Purchase It! “What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life” is available at local bookstores and online for $24.99.
You May Win It! I am pleased to offer two Dimes2Vines readers a copy of “What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life”. This giveaway will end on June 19, 2010 at 11:59pm CST and is open to all US residents. The winner will be selected by random.org, posted here and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hrs to respond or another winner will be selected. Please be sure to leave contact information.
***Please remember to leave a comment for each of the following entries.
***If you already follow Dimes2Vines via RSS, Email, Twitter and/or Facebook - Leave a comment letting me know as your entry.
Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment letting me know what you consider a “closet classic” in your closet.
Extra Entries:
**Follow Dimes2Vines via RSS feed or email.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Twitter.
**Tweet about this Giveaway and leave a link.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Facebook.
**Mention this Giveaway on Facebook.
**Sign up for Swagbucks as my friend. You will earn 30 Bonus Swagbucks just for signing up!
** Enter my other giveaway.
**Comment on a non-giveaway post and leave a comment here telling which one.
The prize will be shipped direct from the sponsor of the giveaway. Dimes2Vines is not responsible for shipping or lost/damaged prizes.
I received a copy of the book for review but no other compensation was received. The opinions expressed are my own. A special thanks to the Product Review Place for this opportunity.
This Giveaway is Now Closed.
Congratulations #27, Birdie S. 
Hurry Up is the new, fast paced, dice game from Random Line. Players compete to get the highest score but the clock is ticking so you better Hurry Up! Each challenge must be completed in 30 seconds. If you make it in the alloted 30 seconds, you not only get the challenge points but also add up the total of your dice for additional points. What happens if you don’t make it in 30 seconds? Sorry, no points!
While this game is stated to be for ages 8 and up, I found that even our younger children enjoy it with help. Because of the 30 second time limit, Hurry Up! held the attention of the children without their getting bored.
You May Purchase It! Hurry Up! is available from Random Line.com for about $15.00 including shipping.
You May Win It! I am pleased to offer one Dimes2Vines readers a Hurry Up! game. This giveaway will end on June 12, 2010 at 11:59pm CST and is open to all US residents. The winner will be selected by random.org, posted here and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hrs to respond or another winner will be selected. Please be sure to leave contact information.
***Please remember to leave a comment for each of the following entries.
***If you already follow Dimes2Vines via RSS, Email, Twitter and/or Facebook - Leave a comment letting me know as your entry.
Mandatory Entry: Visit RandomLine.com and play one of the online demos – Leave a comment letting me know which one you played.
Extra Entries:
**Follow Dimes2Vines via RSS feed or email.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Twitter.
**Follow RandomLine on Twitter.
**Tweet about this Giveaway and leave a link.
**Become a fan of Dimes2Vines on Facebook.
**Become a fan of RandomLine on Facebook.
**Leave a comment on RandomLine’s Facebook page – may be as simple as “great idea!”
**Mention this Giveaway on your Facebook.
** Enter my other giveaway.
**Comment on a non-giveaway post and leave a comment here telling which one.
The prize will be shipped direct from the sponsor of the giveaway. Dimes2Vines is not responsible for shipping or lost/damaged prizes.
I received a Hurry Up! game for review but no other compensation was received. The opinions expressed are my own.
This Giveaway is Now Closed – Thanks for participating!
Congratulations to all three of our winners:
#38 – Elana
#86 – Nancy
#62 – Ed
Culinary School – what comes to mind with those words? Le Cordon Bleu? World renown chefs? Julia Childs?The movie – Julia and Julie? Unattainable?
Culinary Professor, Louis Eguaras from the California School of Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu Program, a former White House chef who as cooked for foreign dignitaries as well as many celebrities, brings his knowledge to you. In his very interesting book, 101 Things I Learned in Culinary School, tips from his years of experience hold the reader captive – 101 tips to be precise! Not only is this intriguing but also educational!
Here is a quiz from the tips in 101 Things I Learned in Culinary School:
- In Kitchen Lingo what do the following mean: “In The Weeds”? ”Make it Cry”? “Down the Hudson”? “Check the Score”?
- Rate the sales of the following cookbooks in order: “The Joy of Cooking”, “Better Homes and Gardens” and “Betty Crocker’s Cookbook”.
- What is the most popular meat in the world?
- Why is the chef’s jacket reversible and double breasted?
- What is the difference between how cookware and bakeware is measured?
The answers to these questions are just a few of the interesting tips I learned from reading this book. We had a family quiz and my husband was able to rate the sales of the cookbooks and several others figured out what “Make It Cry” meant! I would never have guessed what the most popular meat in the world is! I now also know how to properly hold a knife!
You May Purchase It! “101 Things I Learned in Culinary School” may be purchased at local bookstores for $15 – $18.
You May Win It! I am pleased to offer three Dimes2Vines readers a copy of “101 Things I Learned in Culinary School”. This giveaway will end on June 5, 2010 at 11:59pm CST and is open to all US residents. The winner will be selected by random.org, posted here and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hrs to respond or another winner will be selected. Please be sure to leave contact information.
***Please remember to leave a comment for each of the following entries.
***If you already follow Dimes2Vines via RSS, Email, Twitter and/or Facebook - Leave a comment letting me know as your entry.
Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment stating your favorite cooking tip.
Extra Entries:
**Follow Dimes2Vines via RSS feed or email.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Twitter.
**Tweet about this Giveaway and leave a link.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Facebook.
**Mention this Giveaway on Facebook.
** Enter my other giveaway.
**Comment on a non-giveaway post and leave a comment here telling which one.
The prize will be shipped direct from the sponsor of the giveaway. Dimes2Vines is not responsible for shipping or lost/damaged prizes.
I received a copy of “101 Things I Learned in Culinary School” for review but no other compensation was received. The opinions expressed are my own. A special thanks to the Product Review Place for this opportunity.
This Giveaway is Now Closed. Thank you all for participating!
Congratulations: #87 Chelle
Tropical Traditions, a name trusted to provide quality Coconut Oil, also has high quality, certified USDA organic, palm oil. Palm Oil is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, with most of the unsaturated fat being monounsaturated fat. Palm shortening is palm oil that has some of its unsaturated fats removed, giving it a very firm texture, and high melting point. It is NOT hydrogenised, and contains NO trans fats! It is great for deep-fat frying and baking, and is not prone to rancidity. Since it has been separated from some of the unsaturated portion of the oil, it is colorless and odorless, and will not affect the taste of foods like Virgin Palm Oil does.
Palm oil is not widely used any longer in the US but is the most heavily consumed dietary oil in the world after soybean oil. Most of the world’s soybean oil is consumed in the US.
“Palm oil traditionally has been used for baking, shortenings, margarines and deep fat frying, as it is shelf stable with a high melting point and does NOT require hydrogenation. Therefore, it contains no trans fatty acids. Saturated fats, such as tropical oils like palm and coconut, as well as butter, have traditionally been considered healthy fats and oils. In modern history, commercial interests have condemned saturated fats and replaced them in the American diet with polyunsaturated fats that are hydrogenised and contain trans fatty acids, which most people now consider harmful. These trans fatty acids were banned in some European countries as early as 2004, and food label laws in the US just forced manufacturers to list trans fats in their products last year. Some cities in the US are now banning trans fats in restaurants as well.”
I am enjoying using the Tropical Traditions Palm Shortening in our whole wheat biscuits. While the shortening itself has no taste, it seems to accentuate the nutty flavor of the fresh ground whole wheat flour. They have great recipes at FreeCoconutRecipes.com
You May Purchase It! At Tropical Traditions.com you may purchase 1 gallon for $35.75.
You May Win It! I am pleased to offer one Dimes2Vines readers a gallon of Palm Shortening! This giveaway will end on May 29, 2010 at 11:59pm CST and is open to all US residents. The winner will be selected by random.org, posted here and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hrs to respond or another winner will be selected. Please be sure to leave contact information.
***Please remember to leave a comment for each of the following entries.
***If you already follow Dimes2Vines via RSS, Email, Twitter and/or Facebook - Leave a comment letting me know as your entry.
Mandatory Entry: Subscribe to Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter.
Extra Entries:
**Visit Tropical Traditions and leave a comment letting me know which other product you would like to try..
**Follow Dimes2Vines via RSS feed or email.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Twitter.
**Tweet about this Giveaway and leave a link.
**Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter.
**Become a fan of Dimes2Vines on Facebook.
**Mention this Giveaway on Facebook.
**Become a fan of Tropical Traditions on Facebook.
** Enter my other giveaway.
**Comment on a non-giveaway post and leave a comment here telling which one.
The prize will be shipped direct from the sponsor of the giveaway. Dimes2Vines is not responsible for shipping or lost/damaged prizes.
Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
This Giveaway is Now Closed.
Congratulations: Jason, #49
Mandatory Entry Question - According to the book, how often do men’s fashions change? Answer: Every few centuries. Before the modern era, men’s and women’s fashions changed with similar frequency. The tailored man’s suit emerged in the 19th century and has changed very little since then.
*******************************
101 Things I Learned in Fashion School is a book written by Alfredo Cabrera. Alfredo is a fashion designer, teacher and illustrator who has taught and served as critic at Parsons The New School for Design, Fashion Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute and the Altos de Chavon School of Design.
The world of fashion is brought to vivid life with 101 introductory lessons on such topics as how a designer anticipates cultural trends and “sees” the fashion consumer, the workings of the fashion calendar, the ways a designer collection is conceived, the manufacture of fabric, fashion illustration, and more.
Some of the interesting tips I learned include the fact that satin is a weave, not a fabric, taking measurements with ease, why jeans have maintained there appeal and who does what in the fashion industry – from the fashion designer to the sample-hand and machine operator.
You May Purchase It! 101Things I Learned in Fashion School may be purchased at local bookstores for $15-$18.
You May Win It! I am pleased to offer one Dimes2Vines readers a copy of 101 Things I Learned in Fashion School. This giveaway will end on May 29, 2010 at 11:59pm CST and is open to all US residents. The winner will be selected by random.org, posted here and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hrs to respond or another winner will be selected. Please be sure to leave contact information.
***Please remember to leave a comment for each of the following entries.
***If you already follow Dimes2Vines via RSS, Email, Twitter and/or Facebook - Leave a comment letting me know as your entry.
Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me how often (you think) men’s fashions change if women’s change every day. I will post the answer when I post the winner!
Extra Entries:
**Follow Dimes2Vines via RSS feed or email.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Twitter.
**Tweet about this Giveaway and leave a link.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Facebook.
**Mention this Giveaway on Facebook.
** Enter my other giveaway.
**Comment on a non-giveaway post and leave a comment here telling which one.
The prize will be shipped direct from the sponsor of the giveaway. Dimes2Vines is not responsible for shipping or lost/damaged prizes.
I received a copy of 101 Things I Learned in Fashion School for review but no other compensation was received. The opinions expressed are my own. A special thanks to the Product Review Place for this opportunity.
|
Grab My Dime! 
<a href="http://dimes2vines.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac339/dimes2vines/newbutton.jpg"/></a>
|
About Me 
God has amazingly blessed me, Dina-Marie, with a wonderful husband and 10 beautiful children. Moving from our "secure" life in Alabama to the "exciting" life of starting a vineyard in west Texas has been challenging to say the least. I have had the opportunity to take a crash course in frugal living and become a real farm girl - complete with milk cow and chickens. I hope to encourage you to make the most of where you are and what you have. |
