This Day Is Finally Over!

If it could of happened.... It did! Started the day at 4am this morning because I couldn't sleep knowing I had things to do today and a upset husband. Fed the animals and headed up the road. Got behind every school bus that was out. Of course there had to be a check point by the local police in Pinehurst (PGA golf town) so I am digging out my registration and insurance and end up handing him an old and new insurance and no registration ... Had to dig it out. Make it to Lexington where Sharon and I go pick up the tax papers I need to take to the IRS. We drive to Winston Salem to the IRS after yahoo map quest finally gave us directions. (We had only tried about 10 times) IRS office is in the courthouse so we have to go thru security check and of course with my wrist brace on I set off the alarm and they have to do the little wand up and down to make sure I am not carrying a weapon. We get to the office and have to take a number.. Its 402 and they are on 301! We sit to wait and to our surprise #401 is called but no one goes up to the window. #402 was called I did my thing and we were out of there to pay $2.00 for 10 minutes of parking. We go fax the papers to William's bosses office, go back to Sharon's and I say goodbye and head home...... Phone rings and its William telling me I have sent the wrong years paperwork ....... So I turn around as I am calling Sharon and go back to her house and we get the right paperwork and go back to the IRS cause it needs that special stamp that only they can do. We get a number and the place is packed... And yes I set off the alarm and it was a different guy there and he had to check my hand and everything! Thank goodness a lady comes out of the office and takes my paperwork (and check) and goes back to her office and puts her little stamp on it and we are on our way back out to pay another $2.00 for less than 10 minutes parking! Drive back to Lexington to fax the paperwork and have forgotten to bring the fax number with me so call Ray to get it and I copied it down wrong so couldn't send the fax... Sharon calls back home and gets Wayne to go out to my car and read the number. I had missed it by 1 number! Get the fax off, go back to Sharons, get my van and head home... Find out my inspection sticker is going out of date so stop to get van inspected and oil change. Have a exhaust leak so can't get inspection till that is fixed but got oil changed. Start home again. Get almost home when traffic comes to a stop again. I am thinking another check point so try digging everything out of glove box to have it fall in the floor. There was no license check. There was highway patrolmen, cops, county coroner and sheriff deputies at a house with crime scene tape wrapped around it. Everyone was stopping to look so traffic backed up. I get to my driveway and the man that bought the land behind us is walking down the middle of my long driveway. He sees me behind him and stays in the middle no matter how close I get to him..... So I idle down the driveway and he walks across my yard to go to his land and I am finally home. Cats, kittens, dogs, iguana, chickens.... ALL want food right then even though they had been fed before I left. My phone is ringing and its my neighbor Fran wanting to know if I am home and how things are.... I talk to her, feed the animals and try to eat something but Dimples wanted it more than me so ate my chicken salad sandwich. I am going to take a shower, get in my jammies and watch a movie! If tomorrow is anything like today... I will send you all a postcard from the North Pole! Before you ask, I have counted my blessings all day. Everytime something went wrong I thought of how worse it could have been and said a silent thanks. Besides I had all of you sending good thoughts and prayers out for me or my day would have been a lot worse!!!! Have a great weekend!

Its late and I am tired so this will be short. Stepson came down and we put the posts up for the chicken and goat fence. He will be back Tuesday and we will put the fence up then I can get the goats. One of my neighbors dad died so I am trying to fix food to take to her house. I have to drive to Lexington tomorrow EARLY so I can get the paperwork to go to another town (not sure which one yet) to pay a heavyhaul tax that we thought was paid last June that wasn't. Have to fax that receipt to William's corporate office so they can fax his truck registration to him in Oregon or wherever he will be tomorrow. He is a unhappy camper right now and I have been tearing out papers and burning the phone lines to find out what and how to fix it.Company paid it year before last so I thought they paid it last year... NOT. So everyone have a nice relaxing day for me cause I won't be. Will try to get on tomorrow night to catch up or it may be Saturday.... Have a great weekend and count your blessings..... And yes, I am counting mine!
Oh, Heather's dad is having surgery tomorrow so please if you would keep him and his family in your prayers. There are several blog friends having sickness, problems, etc so place say a pray for our blog friends to be able to handle what's in store for them (include me in that) and that God will be with them and bless them.

Here are the other 2 babies. I am really in love with them all but Tiger is my favorite and am thinking I might keep him. They are just at that cute age and Precious is being such a good mom. She no longer wants me picking them up unless I stay right beside her. I think she knows that they will be leaving one day and she doesn't want them out of her sight.

Here are photos of 2 of the babies. The other 2 were busy nursing momma kitty and snoozing. I will get theirs later and a better one of white kitty as she was mad I picked her up!

Old age has caught up with me so I don't remember the people that recommended these movies but thank you. Both were outstanding! The Chorus, a French drama was all in French but I got so into the movie I didn't even notice I was reading the subtitles. It really is a must see.
The second one: Chocolat is another French movie but speaking English so no subtitles. I really enjoyed this one a lot .
If you want a afternoon or evening relaxing with a good movie I think you will enjoy these.

Thank You Kali!

All morning I have been trying to get some yardwork done and trying to count my blessings and not complain about my cold. I take a break and go to the mailbox to not only find that wonderful catalog: Victorian Trading Company waiting for me but a package from Kali!! What a nice surprise from a very special lady! Kali, I love the card and your sweet note. The beautiful box and all the sweet smelling things inside were an extra special surprise. The fairy tin has rose pedals and bath fizzers inside. She also sent a Victorian bouquet, lemon meringue soap,body soap, French lavender sachet and a beautiful handstitched doily! All of the items are in a beautiful blue box with a rose and ribbon...... I am so blessed to have a sweet, caring, wonderful friend in Kali. Thank you with all my heart for the wonderful birthday surprise!

Monday, Monday

A new week, a new day and lots of new things waiting on me. Took a spoonful of the whiskey, honey and lemon last night and didn't cough all night. Still have the runny nose and sneezing but feel like I can get a lot done on this beautiful day! It was cold last night but today is suppose to be the warming trend for the week so I am going to get outside this afternoon to plant and work around the yard. Almost have the inside things done for the day so hopefully that 62 degree weather will be here by the time I get outside. Going through some old photos my brother gave me of mothers I found this one. I didn't know my dad was on a ship in the Pacific when Don was born until seeing this photo. I called him and he told me he was a year old before dad saw him for the first time. Dad was shipped out when mother was 8 months pregnant. This display was put in the jewelry store window in 1944 (year my brother Don was born) His picture is there but way down on the right side. But anyways thought I would share this picture with you...... Have a great day and count your blessings!

Home At Last

I am home. Had a nice trip. Kristine had a bowling party and several of her friends were there and their parents. Went back to Maggie's and spent the night where Kristine gave up her room for me and bedded with her little sister... Thank you Kristine. Brannon made a huge pot of chili and Maggie made cheese bread so we had a good supper. I have a head cold or the flu, not sure which just know I am achy, head and nose are stuffed up, throat sore and I was told I looked as bad as I felt so went to bed at Maggie's at 8:30. Got up this morning and after a pancake breakfast I headed to Melody's where Megan had left my birthday gift as she and Brian are in Mississippi building a house for a week. Left Melody's and drove an hour and stopped at my mother's grave to see if they had done the repairs we had ask. Left there drove 2 hours and met my mother in law on the side of the road in Lexington so she could give me a gift, some plants and some whiskey so I can mix it with honey and lemon before bed. Drove the 2 hours on here, unpacked the car, fed all the animals,caught up on emails and blogs... And had my shower, built a fire and going to relax on the sofa watch a movie and fall asleep. Thank you Maggie and family for the beautiful patio pot planted with spring flowers and yes thank you Brannon for the Elvis care ( I will pay you back) Thank you Megan and family for the beautiful opal necklace, garden plaque, pot sticks, garden trowel and bird feeder....... I am very blessed with the gift of having 3 wonderful daughters, 3 wonderful son in laws and NINE wonderful grandchildren.... All of you made my weekend special!

Norm

You really must go visit Judy and see where Norm is and what he is doing! Man, he is having all the fun, all the good food and seeing all the sights!

Thank you Ms. Maggie for the lovely card and flower seeds! I will be planting them as soon as it warms up here. It was nice to find your card and sweet note in my mailbox today. Thank all of you for the birthday wishes and taking time to leave such sweet comments today. I have had a nice quiet relaxing day. All the children and stepchildren called to wish me well today. The grandkids had a contest to see who could sing happy birthday the loudest over the phone. William and I had dinner out for my birthday 2 nights ago as he is on his way back to Oregon. I went shopping and enjoyed taking my time and looking around. Ended up purchasing 2 beautiful hanging baskets to hang near the front door. Read and rested on the sofa all afternoon. It has been cold so I have had a fire all day and its nice and cozy. The cats have been snuggling with me and 2 of the kittens have their eyes open and are sooooo cute! Tomorrow if the weather is okay I will driving to Tennessee for Kristine's birthday party. She was 11 on the 18th but is having her party tomorrow. It's snowing and sleeting there so I will wait till morning to see how the roads are. Well, I have a book calling my name so everyone have a great weekend !

March 24th, 1953

Yep! Today I am 53 years old. Yes, I have heard from my daughters that I am getting OLD but as I pointed out ... So are they! These 53 years have been good and bad but you know I have grown a lot from the bad things that have happened. If my life had been all fun and happy times I don't think I would be the person I am today and I kinda like who I am! Every year I get older I seem to like myself a little better.I can't thank my mother and dad in person for giving me life and starting me on this wonderful journey but I know they are smiling down on me and remembering all the parties and presents they gave me growing up! Mother always made sure I had the biggest, prettiest cake from the bakery for my school party. Her friend owned a bakery and she worked there sometimes so I always had a extra special and yummy cake. Dad never ask me what I wanted but every birthday he gave me a present that was something I had been wanting forever. Now mind you he never wrapped it and it was still in a store bag or box but I didn't care cause he had took the time to listen so he could give me a special gift. Mother always gave me clothes which I loved cause I always had to wear hand me downs except for the clothes I got as gifts for birthdays or Christmas. My brothers gave me barbie or baby dolls cause they hated that I was a tomboy and loved to play ball and skateboard. They kept telling me to act like a girl but if they needed a extra person for a ballgame they always came and got me! My sister always gave me a gift that was something she had been wanting so that she could borrow it and forget to give it back to me... That's okay I did the same thing to her. I was blessed to have a family that celebrated birthdays in a big fun way. We were made to feel very important on our big day. If my birthday was on a weekday then after school I would walk to my dad's work and he would take me to the drugstore for a banana split. If it was on a weekend then he and I would drive to the drugstore for a banana split and alone time. I always got my favorite meal which way back then was chili dogs, French fries and 7up. Always got funny cards from everyone except mother. She gave me a mushy one. When I grew up, married and had my daughters I tried to make sure their birthdays were special and give them some of the special feelings I had on my special day. I think I did a good job cause they sure make me feel special now! God has blessed me with a loving husband, family, friends and home. I am so blessed to have my grandchildren to love and spoil then send back home! And I am truly blessed to have each of you in my life! Thank you for stopping by to share my day with me..... Hugs to all!

Get Free Books!

I have just signed up to read and review books. They send you names of books they have available for review and a site you can go to that tells you a little about the book. If you want to read and review any or all you email and let them know and the books are mailed to you. The books are a gift to you FREE! You just have to write a review about the book and post about it on your blog. You are also given a HTML to put on your side bar while you are reviewing. My friend Leann from Prattling Pastor's Wife blog has been doing it almost a year now and recommended it. I checked it out and its got great feedback from everyone I have ask and all I have read about it. They did start a $25.oo joining fee in January but with being able to read as many books as I want and getting to keep them as gifts I figure its well worth the $25.00! Sometimes you even get CD's and DVD's to listen to or watch and they are yours to keep too... Just for writing your own thoughts about each one. They want your honest opinion when you read, watch or listen to anything sent to you so you don't have to worry if you don't like it... Just write why. They give you several weeks to review so you aren't rushed........ Check it out. It might just be something you are interested in if you like to read. http://blogforbooks.com/

Wonderful Friends

What a nice surprise in my mailbox! I got the sweetest handmade card made just for me from Ms. Judy with a handstitched hankie, a gourmet tea, plus a bag that held tea from a place she use to work...How special is that! AND!!!! I got a beautiful card that Wendy made for me with the prettiest flowers on the front that she mailed all the way from Scotland! BUT... That was not all.... Ms Jeanne sent me a surprise package from Canada with photos of her area that have me drooling to go back to Canada! I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends and to each of you I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your friendship is a true gift from God and the cards are just a added blessing!

Norm the Gnome

Norm has arrived in Kentucky! Judy will be posting tomorrow (Tuesday) so don't forget to check in to see what he is up to. He will be going on a trip with Judy which I wish I were going on but at least Norm can tell me all about it. Have fun Norm! Thanks Judy and could you teach Norm how to quilt while he's there?????

Shipwreck Casserole

Here is a recipe that mother use to make a lot when I was a child. I hated it at first but as I got older I came to like it a lot and so does my family.

Spread 2 tablespoons cooking oil in the bottom of a 13x11x2 inch baking dish
Layer 1- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
Layer2- 1 lb. ground chuck, broken up and spread over the onions (uncooked)
Layer 3- 1/4 cup uncooked rice
Layer 4- 2 stalks celery, chopped
Layer 5 - 3 large raw potatoes, sliced thinly
Layer 6 - 1 green pepper, chopped
Layer 7 - 1 can red kidney beans, drained
Layer 8- 1 can corn, drained
Layer 9 - 1 can cream of mushroom, plus 1 can water, poured evenly over casserole
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Serve with salad and bread.

Cyclone

Okay all my down under friends... roll call. I just saw on the news where there was a cyclone on the coast of Australia and I am not sure where all of you live in relation to the cyclone so leave a comment please so I know you are okay.... Thanks

Ms. Diva

Meet Ms. Diva. I will be going to meet her in person this week and if she and I like each other she will be coming to the homestead to live next week. I would bring her home this week but until my sprain heals I cannot milk her. I am so excited to finally get a milking goat and one that is so pretty and sweet natured to boot. Her owner has a goat farm about 3 hours from here and when she decides to keep one of the newborn she sells off one of her seniors. Diva is a senior but not old and is a great milk goat. So now we will have fresh goatsmilk and I will be making my soaps with fresh goatsmilk and will be learning how to make goat cheese.... Life on the homestead is getting to be the best!

Nice Saturday

Had a nice day. Ray and Sharon came down with their son Wayne. We did some repair on the roof, chicken pen, and a few other odds and ends. Sharon and I left for the flea market and thrift stores for a little while and Ray and Wayne visited friends. Sharon made me an awesome lamp for my birthday present (early). She took a gallon jar, drilled a hole in the bottom for the cord. Placed a flicker candlelight in the jar with silk flowers and greenery. Covered the jar lid with gingham material and raffati with wooden stars hanging down. It is soooo pretty and looks perfect in my livingroom! I did a little dusting and cleaning and then sat down to watch " The Butterfly". What a good movie! Its a French film about the true meaning of friendship starring Michel Serrault and Claire Bouanich. A young girl befriends and old age gentleman and helps him in his collection of butterflies. Its all in French but has subtitles so I was able to enjoy the beautiful French language and understand what the movie was about.

Happy St. Patty's Day

Gabby talked to me on the phone this afternoon to tell me about her visit from a leprechaun. She left a note last night to ask him to leave her some gold. While she was sleeping he came in and turned over some furniture (cause you know leprechauns are a little mischief). He also left her 3 small gold colored balls and a note.The note said that his gold was too heavy to carry around so if she planted the gold balls that she would have gold in 6 days. She woke up at 4am this morning and woke up her mom and dad to tell them about this visit. All the other kids at school are jealous cause the leprechaun didn't visit them!

Baby Photos

Photos aren't the best cause they were taken with my old camera. But here are Precious and her babies.

I got a nice surprise in the mail today. Leanne sent me a sweet smelling car Gnome and he is sooo cute! I have never seen the car fragrant things with a gnome before so this was a nice surprise. I just love surprises! Thank you for thinking of me Leanne! (still using old camera as Dimples has chewed my cord for new camera and it doesn't want to work, so photo isn' the best)

Midwife For Cats

Precious is my "wildchild" in cat form. From the time I got her till we moved here she had never been outside except the time Whiskers knocked the screen out (another story). Before we got her she was wild. She was born in an old barn and it took animal rescue several weeks till they caught her. When we moved here where she was safe to go outside she decided she would not come back in. I tried to bring her in and she went crazy running from window to window trying to get out so I let her stay out. She would come up each morning and evening to eat and for her petting on the deck but that was it. I didn't get her fixed (yes I know I should have) cause I just didn't want her stressing out being locked in a carrier and the trip to the vet. (the 2 hr trip here when we moved was a nightmare) Anyway she met a beautiful gray cat and they became a pair. He came here to eat but would not let anyone touch him. I noticed Precious was pregnant and wondered where she would hide to have her kittens . I wanted to be able to handle them so they wouldn't be wild and could find homes for them. Not to worry.. Yesterday from the moment I stepped out the back door Precious was under my feet. Every step I took she was right there crying. I started down the steps and she got under foot and I fell. Sprain my hand and wrist but I am fine. I finally just sat down on the deck and petted her. She layed down in my lap and I rubbed her big belly. It seemed to relax her. William suggested I take her inside and I did and I rubbed her belly and she was fine till each time the phone rang. She would bounce off the walls running trying to get out. I finally let her back outside and sat down to rest. A few minutes later I hear her crying at the door. I open the door a little and tell her if she wants to come in to come on and I go sit back down. She comes in and sniffs around for a few minutes and then hops in my lap. I get a blanket and spread it out on the sofa and start rubbing her belly and talking to her..... her water breaks and I see a moment of panic in her eyes but she relaxes as I rub and talk to her. Dimples and Whiskers are sitting across the room on the other sofa watching everything. About an hour later I am talking to William on the phone while I am rubbing her belly and she lets out this horrible scream and her eyes hold so much fear my heart breaks. William hears her and says good luck and hangs up. I rub and talk and after one more scream she has a baby. A BIG baby but beautiful and it starts trying to nurse right away. She starts cleaning the baby and relaxing while I am still rubbing and talking (its hard talking a cat thru labor let me tell ya). About 45 minutes later I hear her grunt and another baby just pops right out with no problem and no screaming.Its now about 8:15 and she is tired but happily cleaning and nursing her babies. I haven't had supper, my arm is hurting and I want a shower but I know she has more babies to come. Its a good thing we were on the sofa and I could watch American Idol to pass the time ! I finally go take a quick shower at 10pm and come back and she is grunting and pushing again so I start rubbing and talking. We have another baby! Okay 3 babies is enough Precious lets call it a night..... Not yet. She has one more baby taking his own sweet time in coming into the world. I give her a few sips of milk, get some warm water and wash her a little as she is tired but dirty and is busy washing her babies. She seems to relax as I wash her and closes her eyes to rest. Finally at 12:10 the last baby is born. She has 4 beautiful big babies and you would never know she is a first time mommy the way she is taking care of them. She seems to be handling staying inside just fine (for now anyway). The inside of my coffee table has been made into a nursery. I padded it with old pillows and blankets and then put down a nice flannel sheet for her to rest on. (sprayed lightly with lavender of course) She is all cleaned up and babies have been nursing a lot. In fact when I gave her some food and she stood up to eat she had one of the babies still attached nursing and he wouldn't let go the whole time she was eating. I carried her to the litterbox so she could do her business and carried her back and she is resting. Yes I know she can walk but she just had 4 babies and needs pampering! I promise pictures soon but want to give her a couple of days rest before posing for a family photo. In the meantime if you need a cat midwife just give me a call! I finally got into bed around 1am so I could get back up at 10 till 6 to let Whiskers out. He and Dimples left the room after the first baby was born and hid in the diningroom till morning. They are outside on the deck enjoying the sun and still in awe of what they saw. *grin* So that's how I spent my Tuesday, hope you enjoyed yours!
By the way Precious has had her one and only baby experience as she will be fixed as soon as she is able. Thank goodness Whiskers and Dimples have already had that as I don't need anymore babies of any kind around here!!


Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise. Matthew 21:16

Who can tell what God may let those little hands or that baby voice do for His glory in the turning of the nations?

Tuesday Treasures

My friend Heather is doing a Tuesday Treasure post. I enjoyed reading her treasure of the day and thought I would do it too. I have so many treasures that I will have to do a lot of Tuesday Treasure Posts.Today I am choosing a quilt my mother made. So many hours of hand stitching went into it. Each time I look at it I think of mother and how I never saw her that she didn't have sewing in her hands, right up till the last few weeks. She sewed all the children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, her sisters , brothers, nieces and nephews quilts. Even though I don't need material things to remind me of mother, I am so happy and proud to have this quilt that represents what a special wonderful and caring lady she was. The presidents head look painted on but everything is hand stitched. Nothing is drawn or painted but she sure used alot of black thread!
My Tuesday Treasure :

I found a new (to me) Christian singer. Her name is Carmen Calhoun and you can listen to her sing some of her songs here at this site:

http://www.carmencalhoun.com/music.html
My favorite is When God Says Move

Norm is On the Move

Norm is on his way to Judy. He had such a great time with both Heather's and with Oreo but he is looking forward to arriving at Judy's as she is taking him on a trip with her. She promises him lots of adventures on the trip so I am looking forward to reading about them and seeing photo's. He hasn't arrived yet but should be there any day now so be sure and check out Judy's blog and keep up with Norm's vacation adventure. Thanks again Oreo for showing Norm a good time! Judy have fun with Norm but don't let him wear you out!

Season Swap Photo's

Still can't find my cord so used my old camera for these photos... sorry they don't do my gifts justice. Thanks again Jane.... I am so enjoying my package!

Seasonal Care Package Arrived!

I just got the absolutely delightful package from Jane over at Queen Conch! I cannot find the computer cord for my camera to show the pictures but will show them as soon as I do. Thank you so much Jane! This dear sweet lady went to a lot of work to make some beautiful gifts (just for ME). First of all she covered the box so pretty that I am going to set it on my vanity to keep my special things in. Then inside the box was an abundance of gifts. She made me a starfish soap to wash my hands with after being in the garden.She made a candle shaped like a seashell. I also got some homemade seaside sugar scrub to use on my face, hands and feet (going to try that out tonight). This sweet lady made a gorgeous pair of shell earrings that I love. love. love! I got 3 packets of her own special packaged seeds. ( candytuft, red poppy and calendula) and I cannot wait to get them in the ground!!!! She painted a seashell on a beautiful rock that is sitting here on my desk now as a paperweight along with the little ladybug note holder.I got the yummiest sachet to put in my dresser drawer. She used a flower material and sewed it in shape of a heart. She must of read how I love tea and sent me green and creme caramel teabags. My favorite gift (though I really really love them all)...... She took a salad fork, decorated it with wire shaped into a design and holding a pretty blue stone at the top and put a magnet on the back so I could use it to hold a photo on my fridge!! I love it! I have never seen one like it and have it on the fridge now..... Thank you from the bottom of my heart Jane. You really outdid yourself on this package and I am so lucky you were chosen for me. (thank you Ms. Robyn). I promise as soon as I find my cord I will post photos of my very special package. I just LOVE these swaps!

Making Pancakes

Six -year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten. Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked!. Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky. And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process! That's how God deals with us.. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend, or we can't stand our job, or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes" for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried...

Someday's it hard to feel like a woman! I use to have dreams of living my life like June Cleaver. Mom to Beaver on Leave It To Beaver for you youngsters out there. I would wear dresses every day. Have the perfect hair and make-up, keep the house spotless and cook the perfect meals and not get a hair out of place or break a sweat. That was one dream that got left by the side of the road! Today I started off by fertilizing the grapevines, all my plants, flowers and shrubs. I cleaned out the dog lot and played with the dogs, cleaned out the chicken pen, washed and filled their water containers and feeders. Cleaned out the birdbath fountain as it was stopped up and not running right, cleaned the iguana house and put down fresh wood shavings. I then came inside and made stuffed meatloaf, homemade mac and cheese and banana pudding along with baking 3 loaves of bread while doing 2 loads of laundry.( these are going to Lexington with me tomorrow for lunch with family) Sowed some radish and carrot seeds in the raised beds and cleaned off the deck. I thought I had had a nice day. Got lots done and was ready to rest and call it a day.... But nooooooo I had to run to walmart at 9:30 at night and get a tarp. There is a section of our roof that hasn't got the new shingles on it yet so is covered by a tarp. Well that tarp decided to rip across the middle in some wind gusts. I had to climb up on the roof ( I am terrified of heights) and unfold the tarp and fix it where it would stay put till morning so I can have daylight to see. Ever tried to work on a roof in the dark? Poor William is driving into a snowstorm out west after being caught in the hail and thunderstorms of the Midwest and trying to talk to me on the phone how to fix the tarp. I wasn't very chipper while talking to him and being on the roof so told him I would call him later. At 10:30 all is done that can be done till morning and I called William and apologized for being stressed. He feels bad that he isn't home long enough to finish the roof but all is okay for now. Think I am going to get my dear sweet son in laws to come down for a weekend of putting on shingles. Anyways I have hung my toolbelt up for the night. I bet June Cleaver never climbed on her roof. So I can say I am one up on her! I have had my shower, got my pj's on, got a magazine I want to read so think I am going to take this handy woman to bed so I can get an early start on finishing the tarp so I can head for Lexington. Megan and Brian are coming down to pick up some furniture and I am meeting them at Sharon's for lunch. Everyone have a great weekend.... And if you need a handy woman you know where to find me! *grin*

Snapdragon

A friend sent this to me today and made me smile... hope it brings a smile to your face... enjoy your day and count your blessings.



Just wanted you to know I have entered the snapdragon part of my life. Part of me has snapped........... And the rest of me is draggin.

Vintage Housekeeping Swap... And Norm

Ms. Robyn has the perfect swap starting!! A vintage housekeeping swap, how wonderful is that? You can send/receive housekeeping items with at least one item being vintage like a cookbook , apron, etc. The price limit is same as last $15.00 so all you ladies that read about our seasonal care swap and wanted to join in now is your chance. Go to Ms. Robyn's swap blog and follow the instructions! I think this swap is going to be my favorite as I have already started getting my package ready for mail..... it may be coming to you!

You really need to visit Oreo and Heather's blog to see what Norm has been up to. If you haven't kept up with his visit there scroll down the blog and see all his photos and read about his adventures. He did get into a little trouble by not playing nicely but all is well now. *grin*

Another busy one but no truck ran over me today! I cleaned out the leaves from the flower beds, cleaned out the strawberries (need to get more for some replanting), burnt leaves, spent time with Fran, and still had time to play with my electric chainsaw. We got a load of oak slabs from the sawmill and what we aren't using to build raised beds we are cutting up to use in our woodstove. William had bought me the chainsaw last month and I have used it a few times but today I sawed a lot with it. Its light weight and easy to use so decided that if I cut slabs that would be one less thing he would have to do. I started putting soil in the raised bed along the dog lot. That is going to take a lot of dirt! It has been a warm sunny day and tomorrow is suppose to be even warmer so guess where I will be... My swap partner got her package and I am so happy she liked everything. She and I think alike as she sent almost the same thing in her swap package. Thank you Ms. Robyn for getting this together... Now how about another vintage swap????????? Here are a few pictures but will take better ones when everything is blooming.

Mouse Story

My friend Jeanne sent this to me. After reading it I have spent the day pondering. Will explain more after you read the story.
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers." The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house!There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose." So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them. The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

Now to my pondering. Today I was trying to get things done on my to do list and was kinda ill at the world. Mad with William for putting what I thought was too much on my list. Mad about not getting any sleep last night because I sat with my neighbor when it should have been her family there. Mad because I seem to be the one getting blamed when things aren't done on the to do list. Just mad and ill in general. Then I thought about the mouse story and how we should encourage one another. I get mad or hurt at William a lot and some of the time there is a good reason but most of the time there isn't. He will call to talk or ask me to do something and I am busy and cut him off. I complain about him to others. He is a good man. He is the first to help when someone needs it. Will give money to help someone when we can't really afford it. Offer homeless person a place to stay and a job to earn money. He may fuss at me about not spending money but he always agrees when I purchase something or if I mention I want or need something he says go buy or will buy it for me. Family members will call and vent on him if their life isn't going well but don't have time when he calls to chat. They are right there to take whatever he wants to give and feel they deserve it but if he asks a favor of them to do something.... They complain. He never asks anyone to do anything that he wouldn't do. He gets the run around from us instead of encouragement. He encourages me with my wants and dreams. He encourages everyone in whatever they want in life. I am very blessed to have the love of a man like William. He is out on the road for weeks at a time to provide for us why shouldn't I want and enjoy doing the things he ask of me without complaining or giving him the brush off? So I don't want to end up like the farmers wife, I want to learn from the mouse and help and encourage family, friends and even strangers whenever I can. I want to enjoy the love and encouragement of my husband and give him the same in return. I want to listen when he or anyone comes to me and really hear what they are saying and help where I can. Who knew you could learn something from a mouse story!

The Day is Finally Over

Did anyone get the number of the truck that hit me? Wasn't a truck???? That's what I feel like happened to me. Every bone and muscle in my body is aching. Got up bright and early to finish cleaning the living room. My neighbor and I went to Raeford so I could pay our county taxes. I then took her to Walmart so she could purchase a microwave and other items. Took her home, set up her microwave, showed her how to use it and came home. Covered the iguana's summer outdoor house and pen with plastic and filled the closed in part with wood shavings. Put in two heat lights and moved the baby chicks out of the house. They have grown so fast! They already have their wing and tail feathers and trying to fly out of the box we had them in. Where I put them they will stay warm plus have a nice fenced in area to scratch and peck in. The cats don't like I moved them but they will get over it. It took about 4 trips to get them all moved and I had to crawl in the pen each time and I do mean crawl. They are happy and walking around right now and I got rid of the chicken box and all the dust they stirred up in the house. I made a trip to the feed store to get a bigger water and feeder plus a 50lb bag of starter which I had to put away when I got home. The weather is cooling off this evening so I carried and stack wood for the night and built a fire. My neighbor called me to come back and show her how to work her microwave again so I walked back over and showed her again and will probably have to show her in the morning as her memory is getting worse everyday. Worked on another raised bed for a little while till my back said enough and came in and did 2 loads of laundry. Tomorrow is suppose to be a sunny warm day so want to finish all my inside work this evening and spend all day outside working tomorrow. I am feeling my age tonight but hopefully after a hot shower and a good nights rest I will be rested and ready for a busy day. Ft. Bragg decided to play war last night with the big guns so didn't sleep well with the windows rattling. Praying they finished their war games and will let everyone sleep tonight. Well I had better get up and move or I won't get my shower or anything else done.
Enjoy your neighbors, enjoy your daily tasks, enjoy your pets, enjoy your family and home but most of all enjoy your daily blessings!!

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. John 5:39

Don't you think that some of our trouble is in being content with simply reading, not studying the Bible?

Photo Day

Ethel Mae's package is on its way from Whiskers and Dimples. (Connie don't let her peek). I have all my packages and cards mailed. My kitchen and dining room are clean. My potpourri pots have been cleaned and changed to lavender for spring. I am changing my indoor decorating to spring so goodbye snowmen see you next year. Maybe with changing the season in my home Mother Nature will surprise me with one last blast of winter with a snowfall. Hope everyone has had a wonderful day.

And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord? 1 Chronicles 29:5

It doesn't seem to me that it is money, or time, or strength, or talent, that is lacking, it is the consecrated heart. A heart that is given first to Christ, and secondly, to His work, whatever form it may take, or whatever may be the door that opens.

The top of Bud's (iguana) house was a catch-all for things so I cleaned it off and Dimples the cat thought she was hiding from me by sitting on top of some of my picnic baskets. She did not like having me cleaning everything today.
This is a bench by my back door. It is usually piled with items I have brought in from the car or things that need to be mailed or taken to the shed. In my cleaning today I cleaned it off and put things away and decided to give it a good polish. At least one entryway is clean and looking uncluttered.
I got these books, a pair of jeans, a queen size flannel sheet, 2 pillow cases, and 4 placemats for a grand total of $2.46 at my favorite thrift store on Saturday. The manager there is a sweet lady and always gives me a deal when I go up to pay for my finds. The horse book and the one below it are for my granddaughter Gabby.

This is a electric teapot I picked up at the flea market Sunday for $1.00 and it actually works! I also got 5 aprons for $1.00 each that I will be giving as Christmas gifts. A almost new pair of tennis shoes for $2.00 and a brand new pair of wrangler jeans for $2.00. I even got some nice big carrots, celery and green onions for $1.50 for all. It was a nice day.

Happy Birthday Melody

30 years ago on March 6th I gave birth to a beautiful 101/2 lb baby girl. Its hard to believe its been 30 years and you are now a mom too. You might have been the second child but you are number one in your special ways. Being the middle child was rough but you became the peacemaker so you 3 girls could get along. You would be unhappy or give up a toy if it meant making someone else happy. You knew how to use those big dimples and that big smile to get you out of trouble, and if that didn't work you would remember to put a book down your pants before your spanking. You got teased by your sisters with nicknames of "golden child" or "brown noser" but you were there whenever they wanted you to play. You gave us many times of laughter in your teen years with your "blonde" moments. My all time favorite: Mom what's the local number for 9-1-1. I promise not to pass on any of the others. *grin* We could always count on you to make us laugh or cheer us up. Even when you lived in Alaska you made me laugh. Remember calling me to ask what lard was when you were baking? LOL You also made me feel good when you would call me to ask advice or just to talk to because you were homesick. Your husband telling you that you didn't need a doctor because you always called me when one of you were sick or hurt. We could also count on you not to keep secrets. Telling your sister if she wasn't going to be nice and play fair you weren't going to tell her she was getting skates for Christmas. When you were little and asked what you wanted to be when you grew up you would say a mommy. Well now you are all grown up and you are a good, loving, fun mommy. You are happy, have your own home, have a great career working with needy children. You have made your childhood dream come true. I am so happy I got to enjoy part of the journey with you and proud of how you traveled parts of the journey with no help from anyone. You are a strong,happy, loving, caring,strong faithed woman now and all I can say is: I love you and am very proud of my "golden child", HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You can bet your daddy is looking down on you today with a big grin on his face and pride in his heart. Have a special day and do something crazy!!!

Saturday morning and its cold outside so what do I do? I have a nice fire going and I am sitting looking at pictures I have stored on the computer and find this. Megan, my youngest daughter is the one on the right. This photo is several years old so I am sure I will be getting a phone call asking why the heck I put this on my blog. *grin* Megan is the youngest of 3 daughters and had the label of being my wild child. The other 2 girls had their moments of pushing the limits but Megan seemed to thrive on excitement, pushing limits and doing anything she was told couldn't be done. With Megan around it was never boring. Getting a call from her saying: Mom don't get mad but the fire truck just left. ( she didn't know how to operate the gas stove and smelled gas) The firemen laughed and explained things to her. Another call same day mom don't get mad but we called a radio station (she had friends there with her) and gave them our phone number so guys could call us. ( I got collect calls from prisons for months over that one) Scuba diving, sky diving was nothing to her, the more dangerous the better she liked it. This wild child that slept in clothes for the next day so she could sleep longer went into the army and thrived on getting out of bed before daylight and running with full gear on her back. She loved having them get in her face and yell. This crazy wild child of mine grew up into a fun, loving, caring, tenderhearted wife, mother and lady. She made sure the soldiers in her husband's unit in Iraq had treats at all holidays and mail during their tour. She works for home healthcare and the lady she cares for is having a birthday this month. Megan isn't allowed to have patients in her car because of work policy. She ask for that day off so she can go and take the lady out for her birthday and spend the day with her on her own time. She worries if someone is having a hard time and is in need of something. She will buy them food or clothes or whatever it is they need out of her own pocket. She will give them her last dollar and have faith that she will have enough gas to get her to payday. This crazy wild child of mine may have given me gray hairs growing up but now she is giving me great pride. She and her husband Brian will be leaving the 27th of March going to Mississippi for a week to help build a home for a hurricane victim. They are taking a week off without pay and having someone watch their children and take care of their animals so they can help someone in need. So my little wild child I sure do love you and am proud of the woman you have become!

Raised Garden Beds

I have been asked about raised bed gardening so will give you our version. Our soil is pretty sandy and great for growing watermelon and cantaloupes but not too good for other things. Plus I HATE hoeing the garden. I love digging in the dirt or even pulling weeds but hate to hoe. With a raised bed you don't hoe and if you do it right you have little or no weeds. We are building ours out of slabs we got from a sawmill. You can get them free or very very cheap. You can also make them out of scrap lumber, cement blocks , old tires or just use your imagination. The first 2 I built only had to be 3 sided as I used the flower bed wall and porch for the other side. I only made mine as high as the slab was wide but am going to make some that are 2 slabs high for the deeper rooted plants. You can nail them together or put stakes in the ground, put the slab against the stakes and then put stakes on other side of slab as tightly as you can. I then put plastic down before filling bed with topsoil,manure and mulch. You can do your own mixture for filling the bed. Usually our front yard has trees and flowers but this year I am placing my raised beds around and mixing flowers, vegs, blueberry bushes, strawberries etc. I am trying to choose colorful veg plants. For example I found a beautiful pole bean that has bright red flowers on it so I am making a tepee out of poles for the beans to climb and I can enjoy the flowers while waiting on my beans. I have purchased okra that grows Burgundy and turns green when cooked. Anyhow you get my point ... To have a pretty and useful garden. Another good thing about raised beds if you decide to move one or not have it next year they are easy to take down or move. Hope this helps somewhat and if there's something you want to know I will be happy to try and answer or give you a friend that can.
This is a picture of my onion bed and at the top of the photo is where I set out some cabbage plants.
I have cabbage plants around the edges to leave room for other things in the center
Just had to show that my onion buttons are starting to pop up!

Cool Friday

I had to come back and edit this to say what a small internet world we share! I just found out that Whiskers and Dimples secret paws doggie friend is Connie's cocker spaniel Ethel Mae! And Ethel Mae's sister got Whiskers and Dimples for a secret paws. So Connie when I post Ethel Mae's package photo don't let her look. LOL
I am sure everyone thinks we are nuts but at least we are fun nuts!

Those lovely warm sunny days have gone again. Mother Nature has been so nice giving us such beautiful weather but I think she forgot to turn the heat up today or forgot to pay the heat bill as it is cool and windy today. Suppose to get down in the 20's tonight. I have had a few nights of not having to build a fire and even left the doors open during the day. Now I am back in warm clothes and bringing in firewood to build a fire. Guess I will not be working on my raised beds today.

On a different note... I got my care package sent off. You will know how bad I am hooked on swaps when you read what I did next. My cats Whiskers and Dimples are in a secret paws swap so while I was out I went shopping for their secret paws package. They got a doggie named Ethel Mae. It was easy and fun shopping for her. We are also sending a care package to a shelter that takes care of abandon bunnies. Children get the bunnies for Easter then when they start growing or they realize they have to take care of them, the bunnies get dropped off at shelters. The secret paws got a list of shelters and we send them items for bunnies or a $5 donation to help take care of the bunnies. I just love sending packages!!

The baby chicks are growing and getting use to my voice and petting them. I think I am spoiling them but it will be fun having them use to me and coming when I call them. William laughs at me but I just love the little things.

Garden wise I have set out my cabbage and leek plants. I also finished setting out the onions. I have 3 raised beds finished but lots more to build. After years of wanting to we are finally doing the major of our gardening in raised beds. We will till for potatoes and corn but that will be a lot less hoeing than normal. I am bitten by the spring bug and anxious to get digging in the dirt.

Its the weekend so enjoy your day, enjoy your garden, enjoy your pets, enjoy your friends, and most of all enjoy the blessings given you this day!

For the work of man shall be render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. Job 34:11

God will not call me to account for your undone work, only my own.

Swap Care Package All Ready

I just love when I can put a package together for someone . Its so much fun, especially when its a new friend and I want to send items that they enjoy and will let them know I really care. So yesterday and today I got my package ready for Leanne. I had fun tagging and numbering each gift so she would open them in order. Thank you Ms Robyn for all the time and stress you have put in to our swaps and thank you Leanne for being such a sweet all around lady that made getting your package together so much fun and so stressfree!!!!

Seasonal Swap is Underway!

Ms Robyn has given us our swap partners and I am soooooo excited! I got Leanne and have had fun reading her blog. This lady has 4 children with 2 of them being identical twins! She still finds time to post delightful stories about her day, her family, or wonderful books that I am going to be purchasing to read. If you get a chance go over and visit her. You will have a wonderful visit.... I promise!
Leanne, part of your seasonal care package will arrive tomorrow but the rest will be there next week........ hope you like it!