CATCH-UP SUNDAY

A cloudy morning greeted me today but no rain yet. As I got ready for church I couldn't decide whether to wear a jacket of not, so I just carried it. I always arrive early to fix flowers for the communion table and as I was finishing that up today a good friend followed me back to my flower closet with some bad news. She is having surgery Wednesday for a melanoma that was a lump under the skin of her armpit area and the cancer was already in her lympth nodes. About 12 years ago she had a mole took off her back that was melanoma and now it has rared its ugly head as a lump under the skin.She has COPD and with only 25% of lung function she is very worried about any treatments she may need after the removal. I am praying that God will work his miraculous powers on her during this time.
Our associate pastor gave an energetic message this morning since our regular pastor is on vacation this week. The service was good and touching.
We had everyone over for a lunch of BBQ, baked beans,cole slaw,oven baked fries and corn.
The BBQ came from Sam's Club and it was good. I can't wait until we get our new smoker going and can do our own BBQ.
Hubbie bought a smoker from a friend of his last week, it has never been used,was originally priced at over $200 and he payed $40.  We have to season the entire grill box before we can start using it, hopefully later this week after the rain passes we can get that done.
After everyone left I sat out in the sunroom with my 4-legged kids for awhile until I started to doze off. I decided that it would not be good to sleep the afternoon away so I went outside to catch up some little jobs I've had on my "to do" list for this month. I trimmed some overgrown bushes in the yard,and got so involved that after I was finished I had to get hubbie and his truck to load all the trimmings and haul it up to our brush pile.
As I walked by my hen houses I was reminded that they needed a fall cleaning so I dived into that job also. I ran out of shavings and had to use some old hay from the barn to line the bottom of the big house but the hens acted like they liked the hay better anyway. I had better remember to buy shavings this week because they may have all the bedding eaten before the week is over !!!
I took no pictures today so I thought I would catch up on some weather maps.
This is the fall leaf color map for this week for our area.

And this map shows the predicted rainfall amounts for the next 48 hours, we are in the 1-3" area.

With all the clouds here we are going to miss the "harvest moon" for tonight and probably tomorrow but here is a picture from last night.

The first full moon after the autumn equinox is always called the "harvest moon".
It is hard to believe another month has passed already. September 2012 was a typical early fall month for the most part.After a short family vacation at the beginning of the month it turned out to be a very routine month mostly.  G-son finished his first month of kindergarten, #2 son has found a house after searching all summer, market business was better than expected for me and hubbie and daughter hauled many loads of free mulch for jobs at both our houses during this month.  The weather hasn't been bad with rain to begin the month from the remnants of hurricane Issac after it entered the gulf coast and one other flooding threat about the middle of the month. Temperatures were close to normal and we haven't ran the air conditioning this entire month and even had to cut the ceiling fans off on most days.
Relaxing tonight after a busy afternoon but with an accomplished feeling.
God is good all the time and all the time God is good, ready for whatever He has in store for me in October.
Good Night and God Bless.

FALL OLD TIMEY DAY

Up and out an hour earlier than usual this Saturday. If we don't get to market early on this day there won't be a parking place. Fall Old Timey days are always busy and hopefully this one will be even with the threat of rain in the forecast.
We got there just after 8:00 and got set up without any interuptions. A re-certification of why I don't go at 8:00 every morning, I sold my first item at 9:45 today !!
When daughter came in I took time to walk around and make pictures.
There was a line for the wood stove cooked breakfast of ham and sausage biscuits or a plate of sausage and gravy biscuits.

Hubbie ( in the gray t-shirt) cooked ham and sausage while a neighbor Liz stirred a huge pot of gravy.

There was fall fare for sale outside.

As well as inside on our tables. This is my one pumpkin that made it this year.

The aisles were full of shoppers today as everyone was enjoying the nice fall day.

Pick'n and pound'n livened things up with their music all day.

The 40's was our dress-up theme for today and this is my outfit.

This is a pic from yesterday when I tried the outfit on at home.

Don't know if it was truly 40's or not but it sure reminded me of my mother's type of dress when she went to market.
All in all it was a good day and seemed to be enjoyed by all,  young and old .

I was making my supplies stops on the way home when the skies opened up and poured rain. I had an extended stay in Aldi waiting for the downpour to slack before heading to the van.
When I got home it had poured here as well but had stopped and the sun was battling the clouds.
After we got unloaded we both crashed for a little while to see what the weather was going to do.
Just as I finished chores the rain began again and then stopped just as quickly. I poured 1/2" from the gauge as I came inside.
Off and on rain is predicted overnight as a cool front passes through our area and then tomorrow  the serious rain comes with another front.

After hubbie grilled us burgers tonight to go with sweet potato fries from the freezer I decided to blog early so I could work on my next blog book.
Thanking God tonight for the beautiful day and for the blessings that came with it.
Good Night and God Bless.

ANOTHER BUSY FRIDAY

Had a moody g-son this morning,Friday mornings are always a challenge as he doesn't want to go to school on this day for some reason. I think he is just tired, just like the rest of us, that's why we have TGIF !!
After I got him off to school I did chores,ate breakfast,read my Bible then exercised and walked.
The sun is shinning and it is in the upper 50's already.
Flash got tired and watched from the yard . He is a handsome fellow !!!

 This is the bank hubbie had been spreading the free mulch on.It looks good and won't need mowing now.

I baked 12 caramel,2 chocolate and 1 coconut this morning. Then after a quick sandwich lunch I soaked up some Vitamin D before the clouds took over the sun.
I completed the 12 apple seat cushions from yesterday.

I think they are really pretty ,hopefully someone else will think they are pretty enough to buy !!!
I had some extra time so I made these 3 jean aprons since I only have one left at market.

The cloudy skies and distant thunder sent me to gathering my herbs a little earlier than I had planned.
This will be the last of the herb gatherings this season except maybe some  sage that is still growing.
After I got the fresh all gathered in I bottled all the dried ones from the last gathering.

I have basil,sage, rosemary, french tarragon,apple mint, spearmint and oregano. I have lots of oregano so I didn't cut anymore of it this time.
Whew !! I have got a lot done today that has been lingering on my "to do" list but there is still plenty left to do.
Hubbie is over at daughter's house tonight  helping her spread another load of the mulch on her bank.

We never got any rain as it passed to the east of us do far. I only hope it doesn't rain tomorrow during market's old timey day. That always makes for a long day for all the helpers. Hubbie borrows a meat chopper and chops the BBQ for the lunch they sell. He always helps cook the ham and sausage on the old wood cook stoves also.
Hubbie came in about 7:00 and I helped him clean and load the chopper after he washed the bed of his truck out good. The mulch is still "pickling" and it doesn't smell real good.
I iced all my cakes and we went ahead and loaded the van so that won't be left to do in the morning.
The  clouds made for a pretty sunset tonight.

As I looked at the sunset I notice this lone colorful tree in the woods in front of the house. Guess it wanted to be the first to turn color.

That bed is going to feel really good tonight.
Thanking God tonight for a wonderful blessed day filled with wondrous miracles He creates for our pleasure.
Good Night and God Bless.

SLOW THURSDAY MARKET DAY

G-son was in a really good mood this morning as we headed out for school. His little nose has stopped running and he is feeling like his old self again so his world is coming up all roses right now.
I hurried home and did chores and got ready for market. I have several orders and need to get there on time.
I made it and got all set up before any customers showed up. And it stayed that slow all day. I was glad I had the orders I did have. Since last Thursday was a good day I had high hopes for today but they were, with one look down the empty aisles, dashed quickly.
Daughter came by on her way from a meeting and picked up some cakes for another order.
She also over baked today because she sold out early last week. Oh well it never ceases to amaze me at how things at this market are never predictable.
After market I ran regular errands,picked up baking supplies and delivered 2 Avon orders on my way home. I unloaded and put things away before Hubbie made it home.
He changed clothes and headed out to get another free load of mulch for our bank below the house.
I did chores and stuffed 12 apple print chair cushions I bought at Foam and Fabric on Monday. Now they just have to be sewn closed and they are finished.
Hubbie got the mulch unloaded about dark and came inside for a salad supper.
I iced 6 caramel cakes that were already baked.
Here are some of my fall decorations, I use the same decorations each year so if you've followed my blog since last fall you've seen these before but maybe in a different position.
I had to move Mr. & Mrs. Scarecrow so Flash wouldn't be tempted to chew on them.

Love this little guy  peeking out of this bunch of pretty leaves.

And of course the horse collar beside the front door gets a fall make over.

I am planning on getting the inside fall decorations done next week.
This has been another really nice fall day, the temperature got up to 78 today for a little touch of summer but is predicted to drop back down even starting tomorrow.
The leaves are starting to turn already on some trees. Could we be in for an early fall ???
Grateful to God tonight for His many blessings of today and for my health and strength to do the task I take on each day. Also still praying for #2 son's house deal to work out.
Good Night and God Bless.

EARLY SCHOOL DISMISSAL AND DENTIST TRIP FOR G-SON

It's starting to warm up some this morning,51 degrees feels warm compared to 41 anyway. G-son and I are still in long jeans and jackets on the way to school.
The fog is still hanging low among the mountains as I drive by my favorite picture taking place.

After chores and breakfast I did an exercise tape and took a nice walk in the warm sunshine. My back is still sore from yesterday so everything was done with careful consideration this morning.
This is going to be a busy g-son day with school having an early dismissal day and a trip to the dentist on tap for him so I got my baking started early.I baked some extra for Old Timey Day Saturday hoping it will be a busy day.
18 caramel,2 chocolate,1 coconut, 1 pound 1 wine cake.
I finished just before time to go pick him up at 1:00. We came home and while he ate another lunch I caught up some little chores around the house and bagged my Avon orders.
His dentist is in Skyland and he was ready to go as he loves going to this dentist. As soon as we walked in the door he was called back. He had only 10 minutes earlier went to sleep in the van and I was afraid he was going to be a real grouch but as soon as he got in the chair he was fine.
He's listening carefully to instructions.

This hygenist was really good with kids and she had names for all he instruments so she made it fun.

He got a flouride treatment and had to hold this yellow tray in his mouth for several minutes.

We had a good laugh at his big yellow smile and he pointed at the camera so he could see what we were laughing about so I took a pic and he tried to laugh .
He got a no cavity report from the dentist and got to pick a toy from the toy chest so all was good !!
He went back to sleep on the way home,but woke up as soon as I stopped at our mailbox so he could walk up the drive way.
While he played with his foam letter and number bocks I worked on paperwork and payed bills for the week.
I have such a long to do list for the month of October I can only hope I find the time to get it done along with all the regular stuff that comes in October.
I guess that's what makes me sigh with satisfied relief when winter does make an appearance.
Hubbie got one of his jobs almost complete as he is nearly finished cleaning off the garden.

Digging potatoes is on my list !!

I iced 12 caramel ,2chocolate and 1 coconut cake tonight. My back is still bothering me so I'm looking forward to bedtime tonight. Truth be known I didn't even open my computer tonight,I'm writing this Thursday morning while I'm sitting at market wishing I had some customers !!
I love that blogger lets you back date post so they will appear on the day you are writing about.
God is faithful and true each and everyday if we only allow Him into our lives.
Good Night abd God Bless.

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY

41 degrees this morning,brrr!!  As g-son and I headed out for school,he wanted to know if it was going to snow today ????
I spent this Tuesday morning normally with laundry and housework sprinkled in with my regular things.
The sun is shinning brightly and the temperatures warmed up into the low 70's by afternoon. I wish I had time to soak up some of that Vitamin D, but not today.
On the way to pick up g-son I noticed one of the local farms has a new display. I love this team of corn husk horses.

 You can see them better when you enlarge the photo.
We came home and when I stopped at the mail box g-son wanted to get out and walk up the drive for the second day in a row. In this beautiful weather who could resist.
He stopped along the way to investigate things.

Annie was waiting to greet him.

And then it was rest time when he made it to the house.

He had a good day at school even if he is a bit under the weather with a cold trying to get hold of him.
While he watched TV and ate his mac and cheese and cookies I got out some of the outside fall decorations and put away the summer ones. I discovered with the addition of Flash the curious Basset Hound I would have to relocate some things.
It was getting to late for photos this evening by the time I finished.
D-in-love picked g-son up and hubbie and I did the evening chores.
He worked on clearing the garden some more and I finished my 10 white pillows.

After all the vacuuming and mopping today this little bit of sewing fired the painful muscles up in my mid back so I am headed for an early hot bath and bed tonight.
As I started to look through my e-mails I heard loud screeching tires and when I looked out traffic was stopped down on the road. Evidently some one lost part of their trailer load of baled hay on the bridge and they had several people helping trying to pick it up. They were trying to stop traffic and I silently prayed that no one would get hurt in the darkness.
They got a lot of help from folks passing by in pick-up trucks and finally got all of it picked up and hauled away.  That's an exciting country living evening for ya !!!
Grateful to God for the safety of all who were involved in the hay dropping frenzy this evening and thankful for the strength He gives me each day.
Good Night and God Bless.

FALL FAVORITES

A busy early Monday morning. G-son came at 7am, then the freind who is a teacher at the local middle school that I had the Curb Market basket donation for came about 7:30 then hubbie took g-son to school at 8:00. Whew !! 
I did chores and ate breakfast, did an exercise tape and took a walk while hubbie started cleaning off the garden.
After my walk I helped and we shucked and tied some of the corn from the few stalks that didn't blow over. With all the rain we had the ears filled in nicely. The black kernels in a couple ears must have been a cross with some Indian corn either last year or there is some around our garden that we haven't found. A man that hubbie works with gave him the seeds last year.

I planted several pumpkin vines but got only one huge pumpkin this year. We cleaned it up and I will take it to market and try to sell it, however the buyer will have to be able to lift it because I can't.

Flash is a pretty good sized dog with a huge head that shows how big the pumpkin is.
On my walk this morning I spotted these two signs of fall laying side by side in the driveway.
A black walnut and a ripe persimmon, both good sources of food for the squirrels.

I needed to go to  Foam and Fabrics in Fletcher to pick up some pillow stuffing so hubbie decided to ride along.
I bought several other things that I found on sale there that I am out of and a 25 pound bag of stuffing that will last me for a long time.
There was a new thrift store next door so we did some shopping in there. The prices were non existent! You picked out all the things you wanted and then gave a reasonable donation. The shop was run by a church for their prison mission program. They had some very nice things and it was all clean and orderly. I found a dress that will suit my 1940's era at market on Saturday among some other things and hubbie also found a nice denim shirt and some books. By the time we finished our shopping it was past lunch time so we stopped at the local SubWay for lunch. We also made a stop at Tractor Supply for animal feed and picked up my Avon order on our way home.
Haha, we left before 11am expecting to be back for lunch at home, it was 2:00 when we got here.
Hubbie started mowing the lawn and I put everything away then went to pick up g-son from school.
On our way home we stopped for some more apples at one of our favorite stands.

G-son was surprisingly reseptive to photo's today and was glad to carefully make his way to the middle of the pumpkins for a nice fall pic.

I bagged my apples,they were already out of one of my favorites, the Fuji, but I got Jonagolds, Cameos, and a new one called candycrisp while g-son munched on apple do-nuts from the pastry counter. He has become one of their favorite customers !
His dad came after him shortly after we got home,they both are fighting off runny noses and scratchy throats just as hubbie and I are. Must be the season !!!
Hubbie went back to work clearing the garden when he finished mowing,finding one last yellow tomato and 1 green one. We usually have tomatoes until frost but not this year with all the rain we were lucky to nurse them along as long as we did.
The only things left are a few chayenne pepper plants and or course the potatoes that are waiting to be dug. We have lost a lot of our potatoes this year also as the hard rains washed the dirt off them and they turned green and will have to be thrown away.
We are very thankful for what we did get as I know it was much more than a lot of folks got this year for various reason.
I got the stuffing in the 10 white eyelet pillows this evening so they are ready to sew up and finish.
It is going to be another cold night with temps predicted around 40 degrees. The high today was 67 but it is supposed to slowly warm up in the next days.
I have strayed from my new way of eating today and I feel really yucky tonight because of it. Tomorrow will be a strict day of "back to the plan" !!
Gratefully thankful to God tonight for this glorious season and for all the wonderful blessings that He bestows on us each day.
Good Night and God Bless.

NURSERY DUTY AND SEPTEMBER 2002

Nursery Duty Sunday comes around once in every quarter for Hubbie and I. Years ago when our church nursery was established and they asked for volunteers we were one of the first to sign up. My feelings are that those young parents need to be able to relax and learn about God while their children are being cared for by responsible adults. Thankfully enough folks felt the same as we did so everyone only has one Sunday a quarter. I think God smiles on those who volunteer their time to care for His children as they develop a love for Him through their caretakers.

We had 7 little ones this morning with just hubbie and I pulling duty and they all seemed to be happy and played well together.
We had roast beef, baked potatoes,green beans, corn and strawberry shortcake for lunch. Everyone came but d-in-love who was cleaning house.
Shortly after we ate we all went our separate ways and hubbie and I made a trip to Sam's Club and Ingles then came home to relax for the evening.
It was 73 degrees this afternoon in the bright sunshine but when that sun went down this evening the temperature plummeted,already at 59 at 8:30 and headed for maybe the upper 30's tonight !!
It is very early in the season for these temperatures.

One thing about this kind of weather it will bring out the fall leaf color sooner.
As of  Friday this is the leaf viewing map,I have a feeling this will be changing soon.

 Fall is my favorite time of year, it is as if the whole world sighs and slows down. The cool days and nights bring out the jackets and long pants and send many living things into hibernation and dormancy for a long rest. The garden is spent, the lawn soon will no longer need mowing and the bush hog attached to the tractor will be replaced with the wood carrier.
The air has a special fragrance this time of year as chimneys begin to smoke and leaf burning begins.
The sky is a brilliant blue and the chill puts a new energy in each step. Yea, did I mention I love this time of year??!!
Back in September of 2002 daughter was beginning her senior year of highschool. This is her senior photo with a puppy that #1 son's then girl friend Brandy had given him.

She was also beginning her senior year of volleyball.

This is the entire team ,daughter is to the left of the ball next to the coach.

We spent many hours in the gym watching her games that month,she is #2.

 That's her in the air hitting the ball .

#2 son was starting his sophomore year at Montreat college and #1 son was working,laying rock.
Just doesn't seem like 10 years have gone by since these pics were taken !!!
I'm blogging early tonight because Bernie gets his turn to be groomed tonight. He doesn't realize how lucky he is that hubbie and I groom him each time instead of sending him to the groomer but his hair is so fine he is no trouble for us to do it with the clippers we have. Dolly on the other hand needs professional grooming at least twice a year to get into the places we just can't cut.
God is so good to me and I humbly strive to spread His glory in all that I do.
Good Night and God Bless.