AUGUST GOES OUT LIKE A LAMB !!

The temperature is rising again this morning ,the rising humidity level has the grass wet with heavy dew and as I finish my walk both of these are contributing to the sweat that is dripping from my chin !!!
I did find some beauty as I walked.Little butterflies were everywhere feasting on the nectar of the late summer blossoms.
We had the high winds from the hurricane last weekend and this thankfully was vacated before it blew out of the tree.
Lately I've been looking for 2 of my favorite wild flowers and this morning I found one of them. This Cardinal flower is so colorful.
I'm still looking for Ironwood flowers that I see this time of year.
I finished icing caramel cakes this morning between the extra loads of month end laundry and floor cleaning.
I went outside and swept off all the porches and patios,enjoying the hot sunshine and feeling like it is August even if it is the last day. Maybe the end of dog days means the end of the high heat of this summer.
Sadly I lost one of the latest hatch of chicks today, it never looked quite right and another one isn't looking to well either. I think it was too hot while the hen was setting.
I can't believe August is over,signaling hopefully cooler weather, the end of the garden season and a slow down in my business.
August started out busy with a week of Bible School, market has been very busy this month and I feel like I have carried 1000 gallons of water trying to keep my potted plants alive while we have had little rain. I started morning walks and have been enjoying the quite start to each day except market and church days.
We turned the air conditioning off about a week ago and are hoping not to have to turn it back on until next year. Temperatures are mostly staying in the low 80's with nights around 60.
Our fall garden is in the ground and we are still getting tomatoes, green beans and a few squash and cucumbers. The pears are ripening and neighbors apples are getting ripe.
My preserving season is winding down.
Daughter has spent the month in turmoil trying to close on her house and hopefully tomorrow is the day. I'll believe it when I see it.
We have had an earthquake and a hurricane from which a bunch of states including NC are still recovering , her name was Irene and she will go down as one of the most costly hurricanes in history,42 people died, more than 7 billion dollars.
G-son started transitional kindergarten and got his first case of strep throat.
D-in-love's dad had a stroke and has just got home from the hospital.
Our extended family grew by one this month as on the 19th we were blessed with another great nephew from hubbie's brother's son and wife.
And most important of all I am thankful that God saw fit to bless me with another month of life and blessings only He can give.

Tonight #1 son came by to get one of my coconut cakes to take to his work tomorrow to make up for burning their hamburgers on the grill today when he got busy and forgot to watch them.
Daughter baked and I iced another coconut for market tomorrow.
As another month comes to an end I'm very grateful for the Lords love and guidance during August 2011.
Good Night and God Bless.

PEACEFUL HOUSEWORK TUESDAY

Woke to a socked in cloudy sky . After chores and breakfast the sun was trying to break through so off I went on my morning walk.
The first thing I noticed was how little dew there was on the grass this morning. I could have walked in my tennis shoes today and not got my feet wet.
As I walk I always try to enjoy the beauty God has put before me. This morning was no exception as I captured this beautiful little butterfly flitting from leaf to leaf.They are small and quick so I felt lucky to catch one with its wings spread open.The beauty of the morning sun shinning through the clear creek waters.

The beauty of the wild (weeds) flower blooms this time of year.

Enjoying watching Annie take her daily dip in the creek. She always goes to the same place and just stands in the water until I get out of her sight,then she catches up to me so she can shake some water on me.
The mornings are so peaceful around here with nothing but nature noises to listen to as I walk ,a perfect time to have one of my daily conversations with God.
It was 66 degrees as I began walking this morning,82 in the heat of the day and is now 68 at 10:00 as I type this while daughter is doing her baking.
Today was laundry and housecleaning day as well as end of the month time to change all furniture covers and rugs. I'll need to do more laundry loads tomorrow to get all the extra stuff washed and line dried.
I watered my potted plants tonight as we are really dry again. Hubbie did some watering in the garden of the newly planted greens and broccoli.
I tried to sit out on the patio like we have been doing every night but tonight the mosquitoes found me and I decided to sit in the sunroom to watch the darkness settle in this evening.
I iced 6 caramel cakes this morning and 6 more tonight.
Don't know what kind of sales we'll have this weekend as the Apple Festival is in town. Sometimes that helps sales and sometimes it hurts, we'll just have to wait and see.
So far I have taken several orders for both days so that is a good sign.
I am finished icing and am listening to the 11:00 news before heading to bed.
The govenor of NC estimates damages from hurricane Irene is 70 Million dollars, more than 1100 homes were destroyed and roads were washed away.
There is another predicted hurricane headed this way but is a long way off and it's too early to plot a path very far.
A teenage girl left her dead 2 day old baby in a trash can in the local Bi Lo store a couple days ago. They have not said why she just left it ,but she did say it was already dead, thankfully. They haven't given her age but she must be under 16 because they can't give her name. She must have wanted someone to find the baby because she left it in an open topped trash can instead of in the one with a lid. Many questions are unanswered!

God is in control always and I rest in the peaceful knowledge of His Glory.
Good Night and God Bless.

FIRST DAY OF TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN

Monday morning,uhhhhh, g-son was here at 7am. Thankfully Hubbie is off on Mondays!
He fed him breakfast,got him dressed and took him to his mom so she could take him to school on this first day of transitional kindergarten.
While they were gone I did the chores and had my breakfast. When Hubbie got back he walked with me.As we walked in the cool morning air I looked at all the green leaves on the trees and thought how soon it would be that they would be colored in the brilliant colors these mountains are famous for.After our walk we did some yard work until it was time to pick g-son up. These 1st 2 days of school he gets picked up at 10:40, then it will be 11:40.
He was playing on the playground when we got there, we met his teachers and then had to peel him off the slide to get him in the van. He didn't cry or pitch a fit he just sulked.
We stopped at Sam's Club on the way home and he was fine again with a piece of their greasy cheese pizza for lunch.He must have had a very good morning because he was a chatter box all afternoon.
After his mom picked him up I worked in the garden with Hubbie deciding where to plant some broccoli plants and pulling weeds to feed to the chickens.
I made an Avon delivery while Hubbie fixed us an all vegie supper again.
After chores we sat out on the patio for our nightly relaxation time and watched the sun go down and these clouds bank around the horizon.
The evening air was scented with the sweet fragrance of my Moon Flower blossoms.MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of God's gifts !!

Tonight I baked 40 layers , 2 pound and 3 wine cakes,finishing just before midnight.
Daughter's house closing time has been pushed to Thursday at 4:00 because the lawyers office didn't get things done on time last week. After daughter blasted the lawyer himself in an e-mail things got moving and supposedly it will not cost her the extra $425 in interest because she is going into another month, we'll see !!
She made the mistake of thinking someone would actually do their job without being prodded along. She's learning how to take up for herself.
As for me I'll believe it when it actually happens, there is still to much uncertainty for me.
God is good all the time,all the time God is good.
Good Night and God Bless.

RELAXING SUNDAY AS IRENE FINALLY EXITS

It was casual day at church this morning,of course every Sunday is pretty casual at our church.
Our preacher had made a promise if we had 175 in Sunday School he would stand on his head and sing Jesus Loves Me. Well today was the day !!! He did an impressive job .
We also had 2 youngsters Baptized and 3 more people join our church family ,Glory be to God !!
So it was a good start to a beautiful day.
Cooler air and sunshine felt good today.
We had spaghetti for lunch as only #1 son and g-son made it for lunch. #2 son is golfing,daughter isn't back from her Fontana weekend and d-in-love is working.
D-in-love's dad was sent to the hospital last night and has had a stroke, a TIA which is a warning for him. He is still having tests ran today and they are going to keep him over night again to try to keep his blood pressure down.
After lunch daughter came in and #1 son went to mow his lawn. He had a near accident as the brakes on the riding mower failed while he was opening a gate and the mower almost ran over him. It hit a post and broke the hood off and bent some stuff.
Thank you Jesus that mower didn't hit him !!
G-son and I played all afternoon while Hubbie and daughter went over to her house and mowed the grass over there. She is suppose to close Wednesday and that will be one thing that she won't have to rush in and get done.
When everyone got home and we were sitting out on the patio it got really cool. Fall is definitely on the way!
I have worked on my 3rd volume blog book this evening and am almost finished.
A relaxing Sunday at least for me .
Hurricane Irene has finally finished her destruction and moved out to sea. But not before dealing a severe blow to many thousands along the east coast. Flooding was the worst problem as 10 and 12 inches of rain were common along her path.
Vermont took a hard hit as these photos show.And the Outer Banks of NC which took a direct hit had major damages. Highway 12 which connects Hatteras and other small towns with the mainland was breached at the islands narrowest part and completely destroyed.Praying for the people in all these areas tonight as they pick up the pieces tonight.
Grateful for the grace of a forgiving God tonight.
Good Night and God Bless.

WINDS FROM IRENE HOWL AS SHE SLOWLY MAKES HER WAY UP THE COAST

As we got ready to go to market this morning the winds were beginning to blow from hurricane Irene as she makes land fall on the coast.
Market was kind of slow today but I still had a pretty good day.
After market I came straight home because I didn't feel well again,but after we got unloaded and I had something to eat I was okay.
Hubbie and I napped some this afternoon as the wind is really whipping around outside.
The sun is shining and it is 85 degrees but it is still uncomfortable out there in the wind.
About midnight last night it rained about 1/10 th of an inch. I guess a little is better than none.
We decided to put some potatoes in to bake and go to Ingles to get some steaks to grill for us and #2 son who has worked a 6 day week. We bought Angus rib-eyes , they were a little tough but tasted good.
After supper I watered all my potted plants ,then moved a mama hen and her 5 babies to a bigger house.
I have another red silkie hen wanting to set but unless I find some special eggs to put under her she'll have a dry run also.
I haven't neglected my decade photo project, I just haven't found any August pictures for 1971,81 0r 91,or 2001 . Maybe in September there was more stuff going on !!
I am sitting here tonight still listening to the wind howl outside. This is a very slow moving hurricane.
8 people have lost their lives due to the storm so far just in our state.Sadly an 11 year old boy lost his life as this tree blew down on his apartment.

This is the preferred mode of travel in many places tonight.

I hope these folks evacuated !!



These were some of the first scenes in North Carolina this evening just before dark,I'm sure there will be worse tomorrow when the skies finally clear.
And the damage is only going to intensify as this monster storm moves up the coast ravaging the more populated cities who haven't seen a storm like this for almost 30 years.
Prayers go out to these folks.
Looking forward to a blessed Sunday church service.
Good Night and God Bless.

LATE SUMMER TIME BEAUTY AND IRENE'S WRATH IS CLOSE

Already hot this morning and as I can attest by the sweat that is dripping off me as I walk this morning it is definitely still summer time.
Even in the heat I love this late summer time because of all the beauty in nature that seems to show off just before it is time for the cooler weather.Ragwort blooms on the creek bank.

Everywhere you look the grass is dotted with color,white Queen Anne's Lace,yellow Primrose, and purple Chicory.

Golden Rod and Fleabane Daisy's .

Queen of the Meadow,Jewel weed, and Primrose.

Sulpher butterfly on false dandelion.

Sulpher butterfly on Burdock blooms.

A White butterfly shares this Burdock with a friend.

A colorful mushroom.

It felt good to get back into the cool house this morning after my walk in the already low 80's temperatures.
I baked cakes until lunch time, 2 pound and 4 wine cakes with 8 layers for coconuts and 2 layers for chocolate cakes.
After some popcorn chicken and cucumbers for lunch I headed to church to work. Some clouds are starting to roll through from the outer bands of hurricane Irene but we don't expect any rain in our area.
I came home got a cool drink and sat down for a few minutes until Hubbie got home from work. We went back to church to finish our work but there were some folks there from the contemporary music group practicing so we left and came home to wait.
The preacher called and said they were going to vacuum the church since they took my time without letting me know ahead of time.
I talked to him about maybe we should think about getting someone who could work during the day cleaning the church when there was no conflict. I wanted to let him know I wanted to do what was best for the church.
Hubbie and I relaxed this evening while watching the news on the hurricane as it nears all the islands we have vacationed on up the North Carolina coast.
This is a historic storm as 29 million people are under evacuation orders all along the east coast. The New York mass transit system will be shut down for the first time in history tomorrow and all the airports are closing in anticipation of the major flooding that is predicted with this slow moving storm.
Many people are not following the evacuation orders and are choosing to ride it out. I pray that these folks stay safe and are making the right decision. I can relate to some of the reasons for staying but don't think any of them would be good enough to make me take a chance on getting blown or washed away by Irene.Predictions for storm surges on the Outer Banks is 6-12 feet and rainfall totals as high as 15" in a 12 hour period could happen tomorrow all along the coast.

So glad tonight that I can rest in the confidence that God is in control and I know His will is best.
Good Night and God Bless.

MIGRAINE AFTERNOON AND HURRICANE IRENE TAKES AIM

School started this morning here and the normal slow market day followed. Had plenty of time to catch up with some neighbors and visit with some customers today.I talked to d-in-love and she said g-son had a rough morning early but after she got his medicine in him he felt better.
As I type this I decided I needed to do something more industrious so I crocheted tops on a couple of towels to give all the spare time a purpose today !!!!
Sis-in-law came by and said my new great nephew is having some problems. He has Jaundice and because they sent him home without noticing he was dehydrated he has not been sleeping or eating well. He has the special lights for Jaundice and has to be constantly monitored under them. They are all taking turns sitting with him around the clock and giving him some extra fluids in a syringe.
After market I ran errands and picked up supplies for baking .
I haven't felt the greatest today and it finally caught up with me when I was unloading the van in the 90 degree heat of the afternoon. At least I was home. The vision fissure that always precedes a migraine started just as I carried the last of the things into the basement.
By the time I pulled the van around the house and parked and got into the house sweat was litterally dripping off my chin. I first grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer and hit the couch. As I tried to stop sweating I remembered vessels actually contract to start migraines so as Hubbie came in from work. I put a hot pack in the microwave and took 2 tylenol then went to bed in the bedroom so it would be darker.
The ice pack had intensified the vision fissure and it had spread into both eyes by then.
Surprisingly as soon as the hot pack cooled enough to lay against my eyes and head my vision cleared and I was able to see the news on TV.
I remembered one other time I had used ice then heat and got over the migraine almost immediately. Maybe I've found a cure that works for me and that would be a sure blessing. I don't get many of these and usually I can pinpoint the cause and tonight while looking up the use of alternating heat and cold I ran across the migraine triggers which I already knew. When I saw the cheese I knew immediately what caused today's migraine, cheese !!! I hadn't eaten anything but a couple packs of crackers at market today so I was hungry and a package of cheese sticks looked so good to me while shopping in Aldi. I munched on several sticks while at the bank drive thru and as I drove to Walmart. Yep , that was definitely it !!!!
Hurricane Irene is baring down on the coast of NC. As she took a westward turn and is now expected to make landfall around Morehead City ,NC then travel up the coast line remaining at hurricane strength and track right through the middle of New York City.She has battered the Bahamas and is now back out in open waters. They closed the beaches at Myrtle Beach,SC today after 7 people had to be rescued in the rip currents.The track as of tonight.
A state of emergency was issued tonight for the state of NC and a mandatory evacuation was issued.
This is highway 12 through Pea Island Preserve,the only road out of Hatteras and the other towns north on the island. I remember traveling this stretch of road many times when we went to this are on vacations for several years.Just on the other side of those grass covered dunes is the ocean and on the right side is the shallow marsh areas full of wildlife.This photo also brought back memories of the ferry over to Okracoke island which is only accessable by boat or ferry.This is a huge storm !!Updated path brings it closer .I'm sure this sign in Avon,N.C. where we once stayed reflects the wishes of anyone in the path of this storm.
I pray for all the folks in the path of Irene and pray also for this delicate,beautiful area of our state. May God spare them too much damage at the hands of mother nature's fury.
This evening has been quite for me as I still don't feel up to par and decided to put off baking until the morning. I should be fine after a good nights sleep.
Daughter did her baking tonight after she came in from her volleyball game because she is leaving for her friends bachelorette party which was moved from Myrtle Beach,SC to Fontana lake because of the hurricane.
God bless all the folks leaving the coast tonight ,keep them safe in their journey to safety. And thank God for these mountains that I live in !
Good Night and God Bless.

FIRST CASE OF STREP THROAT

G-son came early again today and wasn't as lazy as yesterday so we didn't get to stay in bed long this morning after the alarm went off.
After I fixed him waffles and chocolate milk for breakfast I went outside to do the chores.
I came in ,ate my breakfast of cereal and fruit and hot green tea and then as we started outside for our morning walk. He stopped and whined that he didn't feel good and his stomach hurt. I left him inside in front of the TV and walked around the circular drive around the house,shed, garden and barn for about 30 minutes, peeking in at g-son on every trip around.
I noticed all the different colors of morning glories as I walked.
This light blue is my favorite.


Just a few of these pinks.


A lot of the dark purple ones.


Only this one vine of whites.

Back inside I iced 6 last caramel cakes and cleaned all my floors.
G-son complained all morning that he didn't feel good but after I talked with his mom we decided he was probably just tired from the early mornings and a play date yesterday evening.
It was shortly after lunch when I decided it wasn't just tiredness. As he napped all wrapped up in his favorite blanket in a warm living room as I had turned our air conditioning off earlier today because the temperature is around 80 today I noticed chill bumps on his arm.
I got the thermometer and stuck it under his arm as he slept,after just a short time as he woke and pushed it away it measured 102.5 and he felt very hot to touch.
I got him unwrapped and tried to get him to drink something cold but he was too sick.All he wanted to do was doze off and on. I asked him what hurt and he said his belly and his neck, as he pointed at the front of his throat.
I called mom and she came and took him to the doctor who said he has his first case of Strep Throat. Bless his heart, at least we caught it quick and now he will be well to start school next Monday.

This evening after supper as I watched the news I saw this poor fellow at the feeder on the front porch.I have no idea what kind of bird this is !!! A true bad feather day !!!!


This male cardinal was a lot farther along in his molting.
D-in-love called and g-son is doing much better after several doses of fever meds and a dose of antibiotic. He had eaten a crust of a piece of pizza at least.
I did weekly paperwork and payed bills while daughter baked tonight. Her new closing date on her house is next Wednesday,we are crossing our fingers nothing goes wrong this time.
After she finished I iced 2 coconut cakes and labeled all my cakes.
Thanking God for watching over g-son and praying for a speedy recovery.
Good Night and God Bless.

RECORD 5.8 EARTHQUAKE FELT HERE

#1 son brought g-son in and put him in bed with me around 7 am. I turned the TV on for him and dozed for another hour.
We got up,I fixed him 2 waffles and chocolate milk for breakfast then went outside to do the chores while he ate.
I had my breakfast then we headed out on a walk.
A beautiful cool sunny morning for some exploring.


Some airplane watching.....

It didn't take long for his little legs to get tired so I got one of our creek chairs out of the tree where we keep them and he sat in it and sang for me as I finished my walk.
He is a sweet little boy and as we walked back to the house he looked up at me and told me out of the blue that he loved me bunches.
Just made my busy day a lot easier !!!

As he settled in front of Sesame Street I started a load of laundry and then iced 6 caramel cakes.
I cleaned bathrooms, washed mirrors and windows, and dusted between 5 loads of laundry. All with g-son either climbing the ladder beside me or kissing the inside of the bay window while I washed the outside so that I had to come in and wash the inside.
After the work was done we "camped" in his campsite in his playroom until mom picked him up at about 3:00.
I sat outside for a little while and soaked up some vitamin D until Hubbie got home from work.
We watched the news tonight and learned of an earthquake that shook our area this afternoon.
Many people around my area felt it,daughter felt it, I didn't but with my activities and g-son jumping around simulates earthquakes every day around here.
Buildings are not designed on this side of the country for earthquakes as they are on the west coast. But so far there are no reports of major damage only a few injuries.
After supper I watered some potted plants that were looking thirsty already after our rain this past weekend. I looked through the garden to see if there was anything to pick and found some cucumbers and the vines are blooming again.
We are still getting quite a few tomatoes and beans and the squash are starting to bloom again. The late greens Hubbie planted last week are already coming up. Hopefully we will continue to get rain.
These guys were peeking out at me wondering if I was coming to give them a snack before bedtime .I love my Silkies !!!

As I looked around the yard this evening I saw these Beauty Berries already showing there beautiful purple berries. This is very early for these to be out ,I think they are confused like so many other plants and trees this year.On the bright side I will have more time to enjoy the color of these berries.

Daughter came in from coaching her volleyball team to a victory and started her baking.
I got in the kitchen about 10:00 and iced 6 more caramel cakes.
God has blessed me with a generous hand and I am grateful each day for His love.
Good Night and God Bless.