Helping a Blog Neighbor

Please, Please post this on your own blog so we can get the word out to as many people as possible!
I will start the auction next week with each item having 5 days of bidding time before its closed and winner is announced. So lets see how many items we can auction off and how much money we can raise for Lisa and family.

Edit to say you don't have to be a blogger to donate an item for auction or be in the USA. We have people donating from all over the world. Just email a photo of the item, a small description and price to start bidding at. I will post all the items on Hidden Haven so everyone can see all the items and hopefully bid lots!

Ooops, my email addy: happe2b50@yahoo.com Already getting great response... thanks everyone! this is going to be a great auction and Lisa will be so blessed!

I posted about a blog friend and her husband going through some rough times and ask you to visit her blog.http://www.crazycowcountryfarm.com/2006/08/ever-stuck-your-husband-with-needle-i.html
Thank you everyone that left her such kind comments. I had several emails about wanting to do something more for her family so Ms. Robyn and I put on our thinking caps and came up with what we think is a great ideal. We are going to have an internet auction right here on Hidden Haven! I know all of you are crafty or have something hidden away that you would like to donate for auction. If you will email a photo of what you are willing to donate and a starting price I should start the bid at plus a little description I will post the photos of what we will be auctioning off along with the rules of the auction. Everyone can bid in the comments and that way see who is bidding and the highest bid. When the auction is over the winner will pay through paypal and when I have received the payment I will contact the person who donated that item with the address so they can mail it to the winner. I will collect the auction money in my paypal and then send the total amount raised to Lisa and family. So besides donating I will be asking that you mail your item also. That may make you want to keep items small or light in weight. I also ask that you post about this auction on your blogs so your friends will see and hopefully bid. It would be so wonderful to raise a lot of money to help this family. So everyone pull out those craft items, those collectibles, artwork, books, etc. and lets show the world what good blog neighbors we are.

Nice Day

After terrible lighting storms off and on all night today has been very nice. I milked Miss Diva early and she didn't even stomp her foot at me. Fed all the animals and then headed on a 2 hr drive to Lexington (NC). Picked up my antique wash stand that I am going to use for a sink in my bathroom with a vessel bowl. I picked up an old wooden cabinet with a thick butcher block top that I am going to be putting into my kitchen. Brought them back so Wayne my wonderful handyman can get them sanded and stuff so they will be ready to go in the house. After he finishes painting the outside he will be helping me rip out my kitchen and bath and redo them both. Sharon and I had lunch and did a little thrift storing before I headed back home. You would have thought I had been gone a week for all the animals were about to faint from hunger! I went from the truck straight to feeding these poor neglected creatures before I even went in the house. They all have full bellies and are relaxing while I get things done inside. I found out after dealing with all the traffic that I like my homestead. I like not having to leave it every day for a job. I like that I have sweet animals and nice gardens and good neighbors. If I never had to leave the homestead again I would be happy. God really gave me a special blessing when he brought me here. Hope your blessings are special too!

Miss Diva Escape Artist

Today in between rain showers (hooray for the rain) I was out raking and clearing an area William wants to build a shed. I bend over to pick up a pile of leaves and what do I see???? Chickens walking around on the outside of the pen. I am asking myself how they got out as I have netting up above the fence all the way around the pen. Then I see the door to the pen standing open. I KNOW I latched the bottom hook on the door but didn't latch the top one but also know chickens can't unlatch a hook. I do another look round and see Miss Diva behind me eating the saplings and bushes near where I was clearing! This is like the third time she has decided to unlatch the door and come out. She checks the door to see if I remember to latch both hooks. If I do then she leaves the door alone and if I don't she takes her nose and nudges between the post and the door enough to get her hoof in between then slides her hoof up till she gets the latch to unhook. I know I should remember to hook both latches but when I am feeding the chickens and then going out to get her hay and feed then going out to get the water hose and coming back in to clean and fill all the water buckets its easier to just latch one and the bottom one is easier to keep latching and unlatching. I just forgot after I finished to latch both. I didn't scold her and in fact let her stay out and graze while I raked. She went back to the door and stood when she was tired and waited on me to open the door so she could go back in. She didn't even go near my flowers or veggies, but stayed near where I was raking. Most of the time its a fight to keep her away from my hydrangeas! Miss Diva the escape artist is all safe and snug in her stall sleeping after her great escape trick. Resting up for something new to try on me tomorrow I am sure!

Just Another Manic Monday

Its 11:30pm and I am just getting relaxed for the evening. Worked till 3am last night to get a big special soap order out. Didn't mind though as this lady has ordered several times from me and is super sweet. This morning I dashed to get it to the post office and then had to pick up some supplies for a special soap project I have in mind. Had to run home and get eggs for my mail ladies and then I finished canning my spaghetti sauce, cleaned the kitchen, worked on a business letter. Cleaned off the back porch so Wayne can reach the back of the house to paint it. He is going to pressure wash the back porch for me too so I won't have to. Miss Diva was being a little moody today. She decided she didn't want me to milk her so I did my trick of leaving her tied while I fed and watered the other animals. She stood there staring at me and actually stomped her foot at me. When I came back to milk her she stomped her foot again. I stomped my foot she looked like she would like to smack my face and stomped her foot again. I stomped my foot looked her in her eyes and told her I was as stubborn as she was and we would stay there all day. She turned her head away and just stood there while I finished milking her. Some days she just has to actually act like a diva and some days I actually have to be as stubborn as a goat! This afternoon I gave her a nice back rub and some carrot/apple biscuit treats. She stood at the fence and cried mama while I was visiting Fran. She can see us sitting on Fran's porch and when I leave the property she cries till I come back. When I walked back in the yard she hushed and went back to eating her hay. I had to go to a ladies circle meeting tonight. It started at 6:30 and didn't end till 10pm. Those ladies sure had a lot to talk about! I was ready to come home long before it was over. Got some more things to do for my project before turning in so best get at it. Everyone have a good day/night depending on where you are. Don't forget to count your blessings!

Concord Grape Jelly

We have a few small (they are growing) concord grape vines. Today I noticed there was enough grapes ripe enough to make jelly. The birds and I have been eating most of them as they ripen. So I went from this
To making 10 jars of this:
Now I am waiting for my homemade spaghetti sauce to cook so I can start filling jars for canning that too. I can hardly wait for winter!

A Part of my Family Tree

When mother died my brother Don gave me the photo albums, boxes of photos and notes so I could make a family tree photo book for him, my other brother Marshall and myself. Today I decided I needed to scan more photos and do a little more work on the book. I love looking at family photos and seeing where I got my nose, eyes, etc. and wondering about each relative and how they enjoyed their life. Here is a few photos from the family tree>
This is my Great Great Grandpa Julius Woody. He was my mother's great grandpa on her daddy's side.
This is my great grandpa Julius L. Woody and great grandma Jennie Bell Woody. My granddad is the little boy standing in front of grandpa Julius.
This is my granddad Lawrence Woody and my grannie Birdie Woody. My mother's parents
This is my mother Bonnie Marie Woody Messer with my brothers Don (the short one) and Marshall. Now that you have been bored with a trip down my family tree you can go back to your regular scheduled day!

Saturday, What a Day

Of course its still hot and humid around here. I keep drooling over my keyboard when I visit my friends blogs that are talking about their winter weather and posting such lovely pictures. But soon I will be doing the same and they will be roasting in their summer weather! The chickens and Miss Diva all have clean pens, stalls, nesting boxes, etc. The peacocks have decided they like sitting on the roof of the hen house and looking down on their royal subjects. I took all some veggie scraps and pieces of watermelon and noticed Miss Diva walking funny. Seems her hoofs grew over night! She needed a pedicure right away and of course being a diva she isn'tgoing to take it like a lady. Needless to say I have one hoof (the one that really needed it) done except for filing a little more. She would not let me trim any of the others no matter how many treats I gave her! My handy dandy raising goats book said to let it go and just do one every day or so till they were all done. Something tells me this is going to be a long time in getting done. I even told her I would paint her hoofs a nice hot pint if she would hold still. She gave me a look that didn't leave anything to the imagination on what she was thinking about that! I came back inside and worked on soaps. I made a batch of pumpkin harvest that smells so much like fall of the year. A batch of Christmas Magic, batch of cranberry and a batch of bayberry. At least I can pretend its getting fall and winter by smelling goats milk soap all night! Time for a shower and a glass of ice tea. Night All

New Friend Lori

Have found a new blog friend that lives in the mountains where I lived until 7 yrs ago. Lori is about 20 miles from 2 of my daughters. You will love her blog and Ms. Robyn you will love her goats! She makes soaps too and loves farming so check her out and tell her hi for me while you're there.
http://blossomsundries.typepad.com/blossom_sundries/

Ms. Fran

Since I am always talking about my neighbor Ms. Fran I thought I would post a picture of her. I took her some milk, eggs and soap yesterday and we sat out on her screened in porch and visited. She loves talking about things she did growing up and working on the family farm. She said she would rather work the tobacco field than cook. Her husband came to visit her brother one day and stayed for dinner. Her mother had the table loaded with food grown on the farm and since he was a city boy he was amazed at how good everything was. He thought Fran had helped cook the meal. Later after they married he found out she hated cooking! LOL Fran said it was a good thing he enjoyed cooking. Some days Fran's mind is quick and some days she is very confused. Yesterday was a good day.

I have found a wonderful farm blog that I have been enjoying reading lately. Lisa is a young wife and mom with a very very busy life. You will enjoy her posts about the animals and chores but that is not why I am asking you to visit her today. Her husband got some very sad news from his doctor so things are kinda crazy around Crazy Cow Farm right now. Please stop by and offer prayers and good thoughts for this wonderful farm family.

These are the photos blogger wouldn't let me post last yesterday. They are photos of the homestead stew. Ang, I cook it in my cast iron dutch oven then I can it. Today has been spent getting soaps packaged and mailed out. Your soaps are on their way Ms. Robyn and Miss Diva says thank you. I also had packages going to Hawaii, Texas, Arizona, California and one to London, England. Think everyone is starting to shop for the holidays. I also had to deliver eggs because the ladies at the post office couldn't leave work to come get them so I made a trip back. Nice to live about 5 minutes away from everything yet still live so far out in the country no one can find your house! Got the best of both worlds. Now its time to get back outside and do yardwork. I almost cried today. The leaves are starting to turn and fall. I still DON'T have last years all raked and cleared away. Now I will never get caught up. We are so blessed to have huge oak trees shading our home and parts of our yards. The down fall is the leaves, as there are so many it kills our grass so we need to rake them. But falling leaves mean cooler weather is just around the corner. Everyone knows how much I love fall and decorating! Just have to count my blessings everytime I see a leaf fall to the ground. Have a great day!

Canning Again

I cooked a HUGE pot of homestead stew last night so I could can it today. And I did. I have 8 quarts that won't even put a dent in my Christmas gift list. Brannon, (SIL) asked only for cans of the stew last year for Christmas and didn't even share with Maggie or the girls. This year I am canning enough (I hope) so I can give each of the girls and their hubby's, my stepson and his wife several jars. It is so delicious that even William likes taking pint jars with him on the road. But I am tired of canning and will put the canner away for a few days and get back outside and do the never ending yard work. We are going to build a storage building/soapmaking building and I am trying to rake, pickup leaves and limbs plus dig up all the little saplings that are where the building will go. Seems like there is always something that I am behind in but I wouldn't trade this life for any other! What a blessing to wake up each day to the sound of John Henry and Chicken Little crowing. To Whiskers and Dimples sitting at the back door crying cause they are starving. (yeah right!) To go out the back door and hear Lady, Tramp and Sheba start barking for their doggie treats. To see Bud stretch and yawn waiting for his lettuce and feed and a good back rub. All the time Miss Diva is crying in the background because everyone should know she is THE diva and should be first in anything going on. I get her alfalfa and put it in her tub so she will eat while I feed the chickens that are under my feet every step because they too think they are starving. After I feed them and Donald, Daffy and Sally (the ducks) and Charles and Diana (pea fowl) I put Miss Diva's leash on her (yes she wears a purple collar cause she is THE diva) and let her walk me to the milking station where she is impatient for me to set her pan of goat feed in front of her. She may be a diva but she eats like a horse! I try to finish milking before she finishes eating or I will have to move around with her to get the last few squirts of milk. I have Whiskers, Dimples and Tiger waiting for me to finish milking so they can have their pan of milk. Then Miss Diva and I take a nice slow walk back to the pen so she can graze while we walk and I can try my best to keep her away from the shrubs and plants and more toward the weeds and grass. When she is back in her pen I empty the water buckets and pans and fill them back up while the cats have finished their milk and are outside the fence crying for their food. They race me over to the storage bin where their food is and then race me to their feed dishes. Everyone has finally been fed and taken care of so I can pick up the milk pail and go inside to start my day and then turn around and do this all over again in the evening. So now you can see why I feel blessed. No 9 to 5 job. No boss breathing over my shoulder (well except Miss Diva and I can bribe her). No traffic to fight to or from work....... Life at Hidden Haven is truly a blessing from God. Don't forget to give thanks for your blessings then stop by for a bowl of stew and a hot blueberry muffin with goat butter. I promise not to make you work for your meal. ( will edit later to post photos that blogger doesn't want to right now) Homestead Stew
1 lb. mix 15 dry beans
4 chicken bouillon cubes
water to cover...add as you cook to desired thickness
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 big onion, chopped
1 bunch of green onions chopped
1 head garlic, peeled
1 TBS. oregano
1 polish sausage sliced to desired thickness
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. mixed frozen vegetables
Put all but frozen vegies in crockpot. Cook until beans are getting tender. Add frozen vegies and desired water, cook another hour or two. I cooked this in a huge pot on my stove and double the recipe so I would have enough to can 8 quarts. This is another dish that tastes even better the next day.

Broccoli Cornbread

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped broccoli (use fresh if you have it)

1 large onion chopped

6 oz. cottage cheese

1 stick butter (melted)

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. salt

1 (8 1/2 oz) box of Jiffy cornbread mix or use your own cornbread recipe using only the dry ingredients and leaving out the egg and other wet ingredients.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and grease a casserole dish ( I use my cast iron skillet)

Thaw and drain the broccoli. Mix all ingredients except the Jiffy mix. Add it last. Pour into your greased casserole dish and bake 30 minutes. Serve hot but I will also tell you this is even better the next day cold!

Laundry Soap

From this:

To this:
To this:
And finish with this:
Now I have Lavender scented laundry detergent. Anyone want to come use my washtubs and do your laundry?
Another busy day at the homestead. Made 8 more pints of blueberry jam along with blueberry muffins. Made some broccoli cornbread and it is soooooo yummy! Moved everything off the front and back porch so it is ready for the guy to pressure wash the house and start painting. Have a HUGE pot of homestead stew cooking getting ready to can. Part of my Christmas presents this year will be home canned goods, homemade soap and laundry detergent, home baked breads, and homemade jams and jellies. So I have lots to do before the garden and fruits get taken by cold weather. Someone ask about blueberries still being in. I was surprised that a neighbor still had blueberries but her bushes are loaded to the ground with them. We had a late cold spell is all I can think of that made them late coming in. They are usually gone by middle of July here. Now I really must run as I have to feed the animals and gather the eggs...... Count those Blessings as God is in Heaven and all is right at the homestead.

Is It BedTime Yet?

I had plans today of finishing up paperwork and doing some decluttering around the house. But plans can be changed. My neighbor called to see if I wanted to go pick blueberries so of course I went. So the blueberries went from this
To this:


So I am going to shower, have a nice cup of destressing tea and go to bed. Last night I was so tired from making soaps I sat down on the sofa, fell asleep and thats where I was this morning. Good Night Moon.

Happy 71st Birthday Sarah!

Happy Birthday "ferret"! Miss sitting and talking with you so much. I know you are happy and busy with that gorgeous grandson of yours (give him a kiss for me) but hope we can get together one day soon when I get back up that way. You are looking younger than me lady so being a doting grandma must agree with you! Give Heather and Fred hugs for me and get them to give you one from me. Lets get together and hit the antiques and thrift stores!

Day of Rest?

Yes, I know its Sunday and my mother raised me to observe the Lord's day. Sometimes though you just have to do what you have to do. I am so far behind since I pretty much spent all my time with Davie for a few days that there were things that had to been done today. Things from the garden were ready to be made into soup so I put up a few quarts and couple of pints. My soaps were ready to come out of the molds so I had to take care of that. Got my jars washed and cucumbers ready for making pickles tomorrow. Still got tons of bookwork to do before bed but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Ms. Robyn suggested after seeing my day at the homestead slide show that I challenge each of you to post photos, slides, etc on what a day with you would be like. So come on everyone let us follow you around for a day! If you take this challenge leave a comment and I will link to your blog so others can see. Everyone enjoy the new week and count those blessings!

Just Another Day on the Homestead

Hope you enjoy tagging along with me today. Sorry couldn't take a picture and milk at the same time!

For every comment, email, ecards, posts, good thoughts and most of all every prayer! I am truly blessed to have such wonderful, understanding , caring friends. Thank you doesn't begin to repay the kindness each of you have shown me but please know its said from my heart.
Davie is buried in a nice spot near one of my flower gardens and bird feeders. I am planting a gardenia bush at the head of his little grave. I do want to tell you about Tiger and Davie. Tiger is the kitten I kept from Precious. Well he has always been a spitfire wild thing. He comes to you at feeding time but you better not try to pet him any other time. Well when I brought Davie onto the back porch Tiger went over and sniffed around his bed. Then he sniffed Davie and laid down beside him and started licking him like he was giving him a bath. Tiger stayed right there all night. He slept up against Davie and had a paw on Davie all the time. During the day Tiger would sit right next to Davie and when I held Davie and gave him his bottle Tiger would rubbed against Davie and cry till I laid him back down. Tiger would then start licking Davie all over again till he had him clean then would lay back down beside him. He never left Davie from the time I brought him on the porch till I buried him. When Davie died Tiger was laying against him and got up and moved off his bed and just sat and watch Davie. He sat there watching until it was light enough for me to see to bury Davie. Then Tiger walked with me and sat while I buried Davie and then walked off. He hasn't been back on the porch since. He comes running at feeding time but will not come sit with me on the porch again or let me pet him. I think he knew Davie was sick and needed him. Animals never cease to amaze me with their knowledge and love.

Little Davie has passed away. He took his bottle last night, had a good snuggle with me and when I put him back on his bed my kitten Tiger snuggled up to him and started rubbing and licking him like he knew Davie needed his family around him. I rubbed his head and he fell asleep. He only woke up once all night and I gave him a drink and he snuggled down with Tiger. Around 3am he just took his last breath. I am so very blessed to have had Davie come into my life if only for just a short time. I am also blessed to have each of you. Your prayers and good thoughts have been a blessing and strength to me. I truly believe your prayers are what helped Davie die with peace, love and dignity. Your prayers helped me from having to make the decision of taking Davie's life. I prayed too. I prayed last night he would pass in his sleep peacefully. God answered our prayers. I am so upset that Davie had to die and though I know he is just a goat, he was my baby. I feel like I have lost a member of my family. I am going to bury Davie in a corner of the backyard where he enjoyed sitting and watching the birds. Thank you again for all your prayers, thoughts, posts, and emails. They truly helped Davie have a peaceful death. I ask that you keep having good thoughts and prayers for Miss Diva. That she will not get CAE. From the very depth of my heart I thank each of you for being with and giving me strength through Davie's journey.

Davie

Updated to say that Davie will not be getting better. He has CAE ( caprine arthritis encephalitis) and there is no cure. He isn't in any pain and is eating and drinking. He can not stand on his legs. They are like rubber and he can't control or put weight on them. He can stay like this for days or weeks and the Vet said it was up to me about putting him down or making him comfortable. I have him on the back porch at night and bring him in the house during the night. I am trying to spend as much time as I can with him. I hold him and feed him his bottle and I cry. I have cried all night and about all day. I feel like I am losing my child. I can't seem to make that decision to put him down. I just am not sure what to do. Thank each of you for your prayers, good thoughts and emails. Keep praying for Davie and that Miss Diva will not get CAE. We can't test her for 10 days and if she does get it the same will happen to her. Thanks again for caring.


Davie has gotten sick. Really sick. He is on antibiotics along with his electrolytes but he isn't doing very well. I know he is only a baby goat but he is part of my little homestead family and is very loved. Some will laugh at my asking to keep a goat in your thoughts and prayers but most of you will understand. So as you go about your day/evening send out good thoughts and prayers for a very special little goat that has stolen my heart.

Lord of the Hymn

Don Marsh presents :
Lord of the Hymn
Publisher: http://www.coolspringsrecords.com/
Lord of the Hymn is a Celtic worship with music. I was captured with the very first hymn. Each one is inspirational with some even making your toes tap. You have 12 wonderful hymns on this CD. My favorite Amazing Grace will reach to the very depth of your heart. If you have no other CD this one is a must have.
Instrumental artist Bruce and Lisa take the flute and violin and produce a very wonderful unique sound. They left their positions in the secular music world to pursue a full time music ministry. Their love of music and Christ can be felt in every note. I highly recommend this CD! On a scale of 1 to 5.. this is absolutely rated a 5!

This CD was reviewed for Active Christian Media . I am a 53 yr. old retired lab tech who reviews for ACM in exchange for their books and CD's. No money is paid for my review.

Norm

Norm has been having fun in Scotland with Wendy. He has been to the Rosslyn Chapell and the Drumlanng Castle. Wendy says I shouldn't be surprised when he comes home with a Scottish accent as he has made himself right at home there. Wendy has closed her blog right now as she is busy with school and her son is having some medical problems. Hopefully he will be just fine real soon. Wendy gives her love to everyone and will try to get online to visit blogs when things slow down for her. Norm will be heading back to the states soon. So MS. Judy start watching your mail in about a week or so as Norm is coming to visit you.

Just Another Manic Monday

Another new week and another to do list to work on. Just when I think I am getting caught up all I have to do is look around and there are tons of things waiting to be started, finished or just cared for..... I just love homesteading! Trying to get some weight on Davie has helped Miss Diva gain a few pounds. She has lost her girlish figure because she thinks if Davie is getting a bottle she needs a treat. If Davie is getting some feed treated with molasses then she should too. I think I need to put a mirror in her stall so she can see how big her hips are getting! Davie still has a long way to go on getting his strength and weight where they should be. This hot weather is keeping us from making too much progress. The peacocks have finally decided its OK to mingle with the chickens. They still look down their beaks at the hens but what can you expect from royalty. The silky hens are also getting over their shyness and not letting the other hens push them around. Bud (iguana) is mad at me because I turned off his heating pad. It has been over 100 degrees and he is laying on his heating pad with a smile on his face! He has a summer home outside and loves it. He comes down from his closed in part to his screened in yard to get a shower from the garden hose everyday. He lays in the sun for a while then climbs back to his room and sleeps on his heating pad. I couldn't take it anymore and turned it off. Now he turns his head when I go out to feed or pet him. He also hates me for several weeks when I bring him back inside before cold weather. He won't let me touch him and will keep his nose in a corner if I am in the same room with him. Whiskers and Dimples are being lazy which is a good thing as it means they are not chasing birds or squirrels. Tramp and Lady are mad at Sheba right now. We put in a stainless steel automatic dog feeder and Sheba seems to think its all hers. I have to stand at the fence and scold her so Tramp and Lady can eat. The animals here have me trained I tell you! Saturday while I was outside a hummingbird kept zooming right in front of my face. He would zoom by turn around and zoom back. I finally realized as I was filling the bird feeders that one of the hummingbird feeders was empty. Guess I was being scolded for not doing my job! This morning all the animals have been fed and watered. Everyone has a clean bed so I am going to start on laundry. Have the washtubs on the deck waiting for me and made a fresh batch of laundry soap with a touch of lavender. With the lavender and hanging on the clothesline my clothes and linens are going to smell so fresh! Have a great day everyone and stay cool. Don't forget to thank the man upstairs for giving us this day and the blessings in it.

Angelos by Robina Williams

Angelos is a sequel to "Jerome and the Seraph". I recommend you read that one first. In Angelos Brother Jerome travels through his after life with his cat Leo (Quant). This is a magical cat that can travel through time and space. While Brother Jerome is dealing with his after life Father Aidan has came to the Order to take the brothers place. He has always been known as kind and easy going so everyone is looking forward to his arrival. Upon arrival he starts imposing strict rules and changing things while dealing with his own problems of faith. The cat is the glue of the story with all his space travels and magical ways.

If you enjoy mythological creatures, magical cats, a blend of religion and fantasy, and traveling through time and "worlds" then Angelos is a must read. I think since I hadn't read the first book is the reason I had a hard time reading this one. Trying to keep up with who was who, what was real and what was mythological, the dead world from the living world was a little too much for me. I will read the first book and then reread this one and see if it makes everything clearer.

The author Robina Williams has a M.A. from Oxford and an M. Phil from Liverpool University. Angelos is her second fantasy novel and she is now writing her third.

I reviewed this book for Active Christian Media.

Cool Day... 89F!

After weeks of 99 and 100 degree temps today is only 89! I have been out cleaning pens, doing yard and garden work. Its still muggy but at least its cooler. We even had rain last night. Not much but enough to make the plants stand back up and look alive. The peacocks seem to be adjusting to the chickens nicely. Eventually I will let them have free run of the property. They just need to start feeling like this is there home and comfortable. Have eggs boiling for egg salad and potato salad. The hens are really laying good now. Made a batch of soap and trying out some new scents. I just need to take photos and list them with etsy. Think that will be my nighttime project. Hope everyone is having a nice relaxing weekend. Count those blessings... there are more than you think! Posting a photo of Pilot Mountain that I took on our way to pick up Davie. This is a small mountain a short drive from me and makes me long for the Smokey and Blue Ridge Mountains where I was born and lived most of my life.

I Have Been Tagged

I got tagged by Lady Laurie
Five things in my freezer: Lots of ice! a pint of mint ice cream, squash and okra from the garden and some parsley I dried
Five things in my closet: christmas presents, box of books, too many shoes, toolbox, handball rackets (that I have never seen William use even once)
Five things in my car: jacket, road atlas, sun glasses, umbrella, box of kleenex
Five things in my purse:gum, pen, change (in the bottom) lots or receipts, wallet
Five things in my wallet: photos, debit card, $45, ID, business cards
Okay the five people I choose to do this are:
Heather Smith (both)
Mary
Bossy Bee
Rosa
Momx2

And On That Farm We Had A....

Eee I Eee I OOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!
Click each photo to enlarge

Working in the Heat

William and I finally got our sign up at the end of the driveway. I am very pleased with it but it sure caused lots of problems making it. We decided if we were going to get anything done we would have to ignore the heat and keep working. I am a grouch when I am hot but William put up with me and we finished most of our projects we had planned for this week. William decided if he wanted any rest it was time for him to get back in his big truck and hit the road. He is leaving for Oregon and says he should have plenty of time to rest up for his next time home! I brought Sharon's hen down to mate with my rooster and they seem very happy together. We haven't gotten any eggs from her yet but she loves being petted and picked up. Topper is just happy to have a mate with him as he was lonely. Have to keep them both away from other chickens as they try to peck their head feathers off. We had about 10 drops of rain this afternoon but a nice breeze for few minutes helped cool us. I feel for the road workers and construction workers as they have to be burning up in this heat. I hope our winter is as cold as our summer is hot. Can you guess I love cold weather? Everyone have a great evening and instead of counting everything that has gone wrong today, count all the blessings God has given us.

Too Tired To Post

Sorry don't have a big post full of fun and witty things going on here. It was 100 degrees F with heat index of 105. Tomorrow heat index will be 110. We are cooking! Spend our day trying to keep the animals in cold fresh water. We had to divide Miss Diva and Davie's condo into separate rooms. They don't like sleeping together but will stick their noses through the railings at each other. William and I both were so wet after working on that we looked like we had just came out of the shower. We had put the 2 silky hens in with the ducks because the other chickens gave them a hard time. They looked unhappy so we chased them around till we got them out of one pen into the other. They are back with the other chickens but we have to go out at roosting time as John Henry our big rooster likes to sit on the roosting post next to the ladder and keep the silky's from coming on up to roost. Davie had a problem with diarrhea and William washed his bottom while I held him. He didn't like it but when I let him suck my thumb he stood still. Gave him a home remedy out of my raising goats book and it seemed to have worked. Think its the heat but at least the little guy has lots of shade and cold water. Hopefully I will have more to post and some photos tomorrow. Everyone try to stay cool or warm (depending on where you are) and count those blessings. At least we are alive to enjoy the weather!