A STORMY BIRTHDAY AND FARM SCENES FROM 2002

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !!

On this day 58 years ago at 8:09 am I entered this world,all 6 pounds of me.
There aren't many color pictures among my oldies but this is one of me later that year,guess I always loved animals.

Got a rude awakening in the wee hours by daughter bringing my b-day present by on her way to work. I woke from a sound sleep and didn't know what was going on or what time it was.
I just went back to sleep when g-son arrived and then we went back to sleep only for me to be awakened again shortly by a boom of thunder. Oh well it's just not meant for me to sleep this morning. I tried to wait the storm out before doing chores but when the thunder passed and the rain looked like it was set in for awhile I put on raincoat and boots and sloshed out to let the chickens out of their houses. I could have just as well waited longer because when I opened the doors of the houses ,the hens looked at me as if to say "you don't expect me to get out in that do you?"

 We are under the yellow dots below Asheville,whew !!
At least today is laundry day and my wet clothes just went into the wash.
2  1/2 inches of rain later the storms passed on to our south and east but the day has stayed cloudy.
After g-son and I had breakfast he helped me open my present.
I love this old radio replica birdhouse and a gift card to Cracker Barrel, my favorite place to eat, thanks kids !!

I gaurantee there will be wrens nesting in this baby next spring and maybe even using it this winter to ward off the cold winds at night.
I spent this cloudy dreary day with laundry, routine housework and first of the month decor changes.
Each time I get these placemats out they remind me of a customer from market years ago who's daughter designed for a local factory. She came over to our farm one day to photogragh a baby calf  for a design. This is it. That was the year hubbie and I bottle raised about 100 calves.

This is my August sunroom table setting.

I also think of my dear friend Honey B. who brought me these wonderful life like sunflowers several years ago.

G-son has been inventing things all day today and I have to regularly go and look at the latest invention.
I have had so many things going on lately I have neglected my decade photos so much that here it is the last day of the month and I still have July 2002 pics to put on here. I know this post will be long but here goes anyway.
These are some photos around the farm that year and of the house which has changed so much since then. We had hay stacked everywhere !!

This last photo reminds me of when I got my first big double oven because my old oven is covered in plastic waiting to be hauled away.

Daughter and I went to our nutrition class at church tonight,postponed from last night. We talked about stress and rest tonight. These two things have to be under control for this program to work in our bodies. I got a nice b-day surprise there also as I have lost 2 1/2 more pounds in just one week.
Going to bed early tonight to catch up from my early morning awakenings.
Grateful to God tonight for today's blessings of strength,love and family (both personal and church).
Good Night and God Bless

SALSA DAY AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT DANCING !!

G-son was tired after his exciting weekend and slept until almost 9:00 this morning. I got the chores done and had breakfast before he stirred.
After getting him something to eat I did an exercise tape and took a short walk. I needed to pick up my new glasses. Unfortunately they weren't right and the guy that does the adjustments wasn't there when I got there ,so I'll have to go back another day because I really didn't have the time to wait around today. I had a long list of "to do's" for today.
After g-son and I had lunch I tackled that list. First I cleaned out my two setting boxes up in the hen lot and put a couple of non-stop setters in them. I put all of today's eggs under the white silkie that has been setting for quite some time in the regular hen house but I've been confiscating her eggs.
The red silkie will have eggs tomorrow.
Then I moved on to the small pillows I had cut out last week for my 30 minutes of promised sewing time today. Now they just need to be stuffed and closed.
Now it was time for the main job of the day. Hubbie picked tomatoes last night and came in with 1/2 bushel,so I need to make salsa.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent turning these into salsa.

After blanching and cutting them up I added bell peppers and onions to the pot along with some vinegar and a couple packets of Mrs. Wages salsa making spices.

When all this cooked down a bit the house was filled with a wonderful aroma,even g-son followed his nose into the kitchen to see what was going on.

I filled my hot jars and put them into a water bath canner for 40 minutes and this is the finished product.

Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with the rest of the tomatoes in this basket plus more that ripen today.

Most of our tomatoes are the heirloom variety,they don't look to pretty and smooth but the taste is excellent.
Just as I took the canner off the stove a lady came to buy some of my silkie chicks.
I did evening cores after I finished with her and then got ready for church.
We are having the celebration of life service for my dear friend Rhonda tonight.

It was a beautiful service and they had to bring in chairs to seat folks in the aisles. I saw a lot of our classmates and some old friends who had traveled back here for the service. Rhonda is definitely smiling down tonight at all the friends and loved ones who came to pay tribute to her tonight.
There was a reception after the service and it was still very crowded when hubbie and I left for home at 9:00.
I am going to bed early tonight because tomorrow's list is even longer than today's.
Praying tonight that God be with Rhonda's family and our church as we strive to fill her duties over time. And so grateful for my health and His love each day.
Good Night and God Bless.

EVENTFUL SUNDAY AND JULY 1992 MEMORIES

Up early on this Sunday morning getting chores done . Before I head for church I need to make a grocery store run for some BBQ sauce for the chicken breast we are grilling for lunch today.
Sometimes I get so mad at myself for forgetting what to pick up at the store when I am there,seems if it's not on my list it doesn't get bought. Someone told me a long time ago , when you start making list your brain gets lazy, I think they were right. But I'm in a catch 22 situation ,if I don't make a list I definitely forget things I need, if I do make a list I forget anything that's not on the list. Answer to this situation, don't forget to put things on my list !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Church was good, if you've been following my blog long you have read about the situation I had with the other church that was using our sanctuary. The damage and disrespect they were showing for our church,both people and building that caused me to give up my position as custodian after 8 years. Well after I left my position I turned it over to God, if God was okay with what was going on then who was I to stress over it. Today the pastor announced that this other church was leaving our church and would no longer be holding service there. They are joining with another church in town. God has a way of taking care of things in His own time and His own way. He created a situation that is good for everyone involved.
Plus we had 2 people Baptized this morning and had 3 folks join the church, so it was a wonderful Sunday morning. This first young lady is from Chili and can be seen with my d-in-love in one of last weeks VBS post.

And this young man is the associate Pastor's son and was Baptized by his dad, how wonderful is that!

We had grilled chicken breast, fresh corn,beans,fried squash and baked potatoes followed by peach cobbler from one of the market neighbor's culled peaches.
Sunday lunch is my one free meal per week I get on my new nutrition plan so I make the best of it right down to a nice dessert.
Everyone scattered after lunch and g-son stayed with us to ride out to the estate sale we usually go to.
We didn't find much, hubbie got some rakes ,shovels and other outside work tools, g-son was given a minnow bucket with a cricket cage and small net inside, I got a picture and a small bouquet.

Back in July 1992 life around here was very busy with a farm, lots of animals and 3 kids,whew!!
Here is a glimpse back to that time in pictures.
A trip to Myrtle Beach.

Fun on a water slide.

Back home there were calves to feed.

Cows to milk.

Rabbits to take care of.

Sugar the Eskimo Spitz.

Helga the Norweigen Elkhound.

Tom Tom the kitty cat.

Life was good !!!
I thank God each day for the life my family and I have led over the years and I look back now and realize just how fortunate we have been and still are as a family in good times and bad times.
Good Night and God Bless.

BUSY MARKET ON A HOT DAY

Daughter was already at market ,set up and selling blackberries when hubbie and I arrived this morning. She sold 15 gallons of berries before 11am. We also sold most of our baked goods.
Another hot afternoon, 90 degrees, made customers scarce after lunchtime.
I stopped at Sav Mor and Aldi to pick up baking supplies on the way home along with picking up my Avon from my friends house. I visited with her for a few minutes to check on her recent hospital visit. I stopped at a local farm stand for corn and at Ingles for some Boars Head turkey breast and made it home by 4:00. Hubbie helped me unload and then we both took a short break before we grilled some shrimp and corn on the cob for supper.
After chores we took a walk around the bottom pasture.

Baby calves are so cute and playful and fun to watch.
These seem to be saying "where did she go? I know I saw her go in there !"

Oops, there she is !!!

Let's follow her so she won't get lost again !!

Well she is the same color as us but she sure smells different !!

Sadie is used to calves and is not afraid of them, I think she knows she can out run them if she needs to.

This was the moon in a clear sky as we headed back up the hill to the house.

#1 son bought a jon boat a couple weeks ago and has spent many hours working on it ,getting it in running shape. This is a before and after photo from d-in-love's blog.

It looks like a totally different boat now.
Today was the first time on the water for it, as d-in-love and g-son went with him to one of the local lakes. Not knowing if it would even float before they left.
It floated and the motor ran well and they all had a wonderful time until  a storm brewed and they headed for home.
G-son looks like he is having fun riding in dad's "new" boat. D-in-love said tonight that he said "today was the best day of his life" !! I know that his daddy felt all the work he put into the boat was well worth it just for that comment.

They did some fishing. Here g-son is having a talk with his worm before putting it in the water.

Making special memories together as a family is one of the most satisfying things you do in life.
I can remember how excited our kids were when we would head out in our boat on the lake.
With only a month of summer left I hope they get many more opportunities like today.

Dolly and Bernie were going to get haircuts and baths tonight but since it is already 10:45 I think they will escape another day .
A storm passed by this afternoon but we got nothing but some thunder to go along with the 90 degree temperatures.
Grateful for God's blessings today.
Good Night and God Bless.

VBS COMMENCEMENT SERVICE

Friday at last !! G-son arrived before 7am ,thankfully hubbie is off on Fridays now and is an early riser because there was no going back to sleep this morning for g-son.
I napped on and off until my alarm went off. Then it was off to do the chores .
Hubbie has a doctor's appointment this morning in Asheville to discuss his artereiogram.
While g-son watched Sesame Street I did an exercise video and took my morning walk.
The sun is hot this morning and I was sweating plenty at the end of a 30 minute walk.
Hubbie got home just as I finished and he and g-son went outside for awhile before it got too hot.
I baked cakes again until about 3pm. 12 caramel,3 coconut, 6 chocolate, 4 pound cakes ( 1 for church).
When the last ones came out of the oven we thought we would have time to run out to my eye doctor and pick up my new glasses that arrived this morning. The storms were starting to move in but appeared to be going the other way, wrong !!  As we got almost into town the wind,rain ,thunder and lightening started out furiosly. I turned toward home on a back road and the storm got worse so I slowly made my way back home. My glasses will wait until Monday !
By the time we made it home the rain gauge has only 2/10th inch in it. I'm thankful we didn't get the hard rain I drove through just a short distance away.
Chores were done early and we all headed to Bible School commencement at 6pm.
The program was good and g-son continued to have fun. That's him on the far right in the navy blue monkey shirt with the big smile.

And here is the whole group of kids.

Another successful VBS comes to a close tonight.




I left right after the service to get home and ice my cakes while everyone else stayed for the BBQ meal and taking down the decorations duty.
G-son is going to be sad next week with no where to go play with his friends but soon he will start kindergarten and I know he will love that.
As I sat in the sanctuary tonight looking at the teachers and classes in front of me  it made me have mixed feelings as I looked at the young women and men who were teachers. Time is moving fast for me and seems this is one area that the torch has been passed and it feels good yet sad.
For years and years and I have taught a VBS class or had another duty of some kind during this week but this year it was truly nice to be able to roam freely and enjoy all the goings on.
May all the good things that happened in these kids lives this week glorify God and may these kids cling to His love for them forever.
Good Night and God Bless.

HOT MARKET DAY, DAY 5 OF VBS

Off to market early this morning. I can tell it is going to be a very hot, humid day .
I had a pretty good morning selling but as soon as lunch time rolled around the customers disappeared and the heat moved in. I felt a little ill it was so hot in market,as soon as my orders were picked up I loaded and thankfully got inside  my air conditioned van.
I got all my weekly errands done and shopped for baking supplies,getting home at 3:30.
After I got unloaded,hubbie came in from work and we both collapsed to watch the news and take brief naps waiting for the outside temperature comes down, at 6:00 it is still 90 degrees.
We ate supper and then I did chores and headed up to Bible School while he stayed here to do some weed eating around the yard.
I took my big camera tonight and took lots of pics.

Daughter and some of her class, she had 10 kids tonight.

D-in-love and a dear friend who has a son the same age as g-son.

A giant water slide.

Smiling faces !!

All wet and loving it !!

Yep, he's having fun !!

Chasing a frisbie to dry off some.

Music, the favorite class !!
G-son has had the best time this year I think he has ever had,every time I've seen him he has a smile on his face.
It has been a tiring week for all involved but a good one. God has blessed us with another wonderful Bible school year with around 100 kids each night and almost as many volunteers.
All the glory be to God our Father.
Good Night and God Bless.