GOOD BYE TO SEPTEMBER 2020

 This last day of September 2020 is leaving beautifully if this sunshine continues to glow.                             

All three girls were here this morning and ready to play.  Apparently it was "dress up" day for IR !!!            

After chores and breakfast we loaded up in hubbie's truck and headed out to do our weekly errands and make a couple deliveries.  CA napped the entire trip and RL and IR talked and sang the whole way.             We picked up lunch on the way home and we all ate lunch together.   After lunch hubbie took the girls outside to play in the warm sunshine while I baked cakes.                                                                   Daughter and d-in-love came in and picked up the girls then hubbie and I watched the early news and got chores done.  This was too beautiful of an evening to waste inside so we took a walk around our lower pastures. We saw some interesting  things in these pods growing on what looks like a grape vine.       

Hubbie almost stepped on this little ring neck snake crawling across the driveway. These are nocturnal and we have never seen one around here before.                                                                                          

The fall colors in the pastures are really pretty this time of year.                                                                  

And these coleus are so pretty this fall turning a true fallish color.                                                               

As I finished shutting up my chickens I looked up at this beautiful almost full "harvest" moon. Tomorrow night is the fullest moon but it sure lights up the world tonight also.                                           

I came inside and got the cakes iced then relaxed for the evening to rest my aching back muscles.            Thankful for the blessings of this day. As we are  saying good bye to what seemed like a very short month and hello to a new month I pray that God continues to bless my family and friends with protection and His love.

God Bless and Good Night

RAINY COOL DAY

 UP to greet IR and CA this morning on a rainy day.  I heard it raining hard a couple times when I woke up overnight and there was plenty of standing water this morning.                                                                  I sloshed through chores and came back inside for breakfast with the girls.  I need to go out to market this morning and get pay roll done and any paperwork or banking business that needs to be done taken care of.                                                                                                                                                             We loaded up and headed that way about 10:30. While we were there the rain poured and poured, filling the streets and making driving hazardous as we made a stop at the bank to make the market deposit and then headed out of town. We stopped and grabbed lunch for the girls and came home.  CA slept the entire time we were gone and IR took a short nap to the sound of the pouring rain.   After we all had lunch the girls played while I cleaned out drawers and sorted clothes.  Daughter had a doctor appointment after school so she was late getting here and the girls were happy to see her when she did arrive. It has rained lightly all afternoon but no more heavy showers thankfully. This evening about chore time the sun peaked over the horizon as it set creating a pretty colorful sky.                                                            

The weather this year has been as crazy as everything else that has happened this year and the next week is supposed to be really nice and dry but with temperatures well below average.                                            

And as this chart shows we definitely need some dry weather but I am not complaining as the news is still filled with stories of fires devastating the western states.    I am pretty sure at our house we are much more than 15.57 inches above normal as this measurement is taken at the airport quiet aways from us and on several occasions we have much more rain in our gauge than they have had.                                                                      

I did paperwork and paid bills tonight and then hubbie and I both got an early bedtime . 

Thankful for the blessings of this day. 

God Bless and Good Night

FIRST DAY OF IN PERSON SCHOOL FOR G-SON THIS YEAR

 Another "new" Monday morning schedule today as schools for 6-12 open up on an alternating day schedule. G-son is on schedule A so he goes to school on Mondays and Thursdays. Daughter also has to go back into her classroom today for the first time since last March.                                                              It is a foggy morning but the sun is starting to glow through the trees.

                                                          

These 2 pictures from d-in-love's elementary school are so pretty as the clouds came and went off and on all morning.                                                                                                                                               

All the kids were here earlier than usual and hubbie had to take g-son to school as both d-in-love and daughter have to be at school at 7:15 and students can't arrive until 7:30 at the earliest.  I sat  with the girls until hubbie got back then got my leg stretches done and headed out to get chores done .   I came back inside and Connie, IR and CA 's other g-ma called and said she was over at daughter's house so hubbie took the IR and CA over there. Connie can't get up here before daughter needs to leave for work we're trying just switching the girls when she can get up here on Mondays. It worked today without too much complaining from IR about not getting to stay and play with RL today.                                               I got laundry started with some help from RL who is now lost with no one to play with !!   She was my shadow for most of the day and wouldn't let either of us out of her sight.                                               I did 3 loads of weekly laundry and hubbie got my Honda washed today. I haven't washed it all summer and it was starting to look really dull and dirty.                                                                                 I had a cake delivery to make at 4:00 and I dropped RL off at home on my way back home. She was glad to get there to play with BB and EL who had rode home from school with d-in-love.                        Hubbie and I came home and got chores done. I was wondering why I felt so tired this evening but I remembered our earlier different morning schedule. I popped my knee and didn't get to walk too much this evening but I did get some in before it got dark.                                                                                    Thankful for the blessings of this day and praying for the health of all the staff and students back at school.                                                                                                                                                            God Bless and Good Night                

QUIET SUNDAY

 Another quiet Sunday morning for us as we are still staying in and worshipping with Don Wilton on TV each week.     I got chores done and then prepared for lunch while listening to the church service. Don Wilton is one of my favorite preachers and he always has such a meaningful message. He is still outside in a  large park in Spartanburg, SC and we just wish it was closer so we could attend service safely. Everyone made it to lunch today of beef stew, green beans, corn and biscuits.                                 Everyone had a nice visit and then went on their way.                                                                                Hubbie and I spent a restful, pretty boring Sunday afternoon with nothing happening.                               I did resolve to start walking each evening again and I got that done today as I made three trips around the driveway. It is still too wet in the bottom pasture for walking yet.                                                          Since I have no pictures for this post and it is very short , here are some of the pics from daughter's family photo shoot last week.                                                                                                                                        

Thankful for the blessings of this day and praying for a safe good week as g-son and daughter have to go back to school tomorrow to begin a very different learning and teaching experience.                            God Bless and Good Night

FARMERS MARKET AND CAMP FIRE EVENING

 Up to get chores done and get ready for daughter to come by and pick me up to go to the dept street farmers market in town this morning.  Hubbie isn't going so CA stayed with him, IR wanted to go because we are meeting #1 son's family there and she wanted to be with RL.  It is a nice day and is getting warm quickly.   The girls had a good time together at the market under the watchful eye of g-son.                           

We got our vegetables and then we all left, son's family went to South Carolina to pick up a bumper for the truck he is fixing up and daughter, IR and I went to our friends produce stand to get some of the things we didn't find at the farmers market.  Our next stop was at Bath and Body Works in the mall to get me some refills for my fragrance flower room fresheners. And after seeing all the signs of a huge sale at Belks we had to check that at also. We all found some things on sale in there and even hubbie and son-in-love got some sale items.                                                                                                             Daughter dropped me off and picked up CA on her way home. Hubbie went outside to work in his fire wood and I cleaned house. I cleaned out the freezer and the cabinets in the kitchen and was surprised to only find very few items that were out of date.                                                                                             I also did a load of legging laundry of the leggings daughter had given me earlier in the week and I wanted to hang them out on the clothes line to dry instead of inside the basement. The sun wasn't rightly shining but there were peaks of it and there was a nice warm drying breeze.                                   Later we got chores done and then RL called and wanted to come up and have a fire. So that is how we ended our evening with #1 son's family sitting around a nice warm fire.

An early bedtime felt good for hubbie and I tonight.

Thankful for all the blessings of this day.

God Bless and Good Night

ANOTHER COOL RAINY DAY

 

I saw this today and thought wow, hw fitting this is for us this year. Waking to another rainy cool morning makes things feel even more like fall. My Burning bushes think it is time for them to show off their bright red color.                                                                                                                                                             

And watching the upcoming forecast sure looks like we are in for an early fall in our area. Which makes me think back to my childhood days when cool temps did come in with the first of October and by the middle of the month the colors would be peaking and frost was always expected. In the years lately we have had longer summer weather seems like each year and the growing season was always extended most years through the end of October.  But this year is shaping up to be a kick back to the old days with the dipping jet stream welcoming in the month of October.                                                         

Wondering if the heat will return after this cold spell ??????                                                                        Today around here was a pretty boring normal day with all three grand girls here and stuck inside for the day. After chores and breakfast we all played in the living room and playroom alternately until it was time for me to go pick up lunches for them.  CA was taking a nap when I got back so the rest of us had lunch and then IR and RL were banned to the playroom until she finished her nap.                             More play , a cake delivery and an egg order pick-up made up our afternoon.                                           After the girls were all picked up I cooked hubbie and I some BBQ chicken leg quarters and riced cauliflower for supper. I woke up with an upset stomach and haven't eaten much all day so I wanted a good meal.                                                                                                                                                     I emptied 2.4 inches of rain from the gauge today and hopefully Beta is out of our area tonight.              An early bedtime is on tap for me as I still am feeling a little weak from my stomach troubles of the morning.           

 Thankful for the blessings of this day.                                                                                                           God Bless and Good Night

RAINY DAY , THANKS BETA

 Only IR and CA here this morning. It is a drizzly dreary morning as the remnants of tropical storm Beta have made it to our area.  The heavier rains are due in later tonight as this map shows.                                                                                                                                   

I got chores done and then came inside to have breakfast with IR and CA .  They have been playing this morning very well together.                                                                                                                               After we ate we got ready to go into town to make an egg delivery and a cake and bread delivery at the downtown library. The library is still online book take out so the parking lot is a perfect place to meet.        We picked up lunch on the way home from the elementary school and IR was tickled because it was a big slice of pizza. We are very thankful that the schools in our county received a grant that allows the lunchrooms to provide pick-up lunches for everyone not attending school from age 2-18. This helps us out tremendously because it gives the girls a good variety of food that we could never cook just for them.         We all ate lunch, hubbie and I had BLT's with a couple of our last tomatoes that are still holding on out in the sunroom in the cool temps.                                                                                                                           After we ate the girls played and hubbie and I just watched and waited on them when they wanted more food or drink. CA took a good nap that allowed IR to quietly rest and watch her shows on TV without interruption.                                                                                                                                                        Daughter picked the girls up and then hubbie and I watched the early news and went out to get chores done before the heavier rain sets in.                                                                                                                   It has rained lightly all evening but not any hard rains yet so maybe we will be spared any downpours.       Thankful for the blessings of this day.                                                                                                              God Bless and Good Night

FUN WITH NEW TOYS

 Up to greet all 3 grand girls this morning. I got chores done and then we all had our regular breakfast.        I had to pick up our Walmart order at 10 and then we got that put away before we headed out on our regular Wednesday errand day.  We stopped by the post office to mail bills and then headed to the dump / recycle center where the girls were disappointed again because the wild turkeys weren't out today.          We left there and stopped at Sav Mor grocery to pick up cat food and more hand sanitizer as well as meet up with an egg customer to pick up her order.  RL had a pretty bad nose bleed episode while we were there. We think she probably picked at her nose as she has been having regular nose bleeds lately and says she has a lot dried boogers in her nose.                                                                                            We picked up lunch for the girls and were home by noon.  After we all ate lunch the girls played and played with all the new things I bought for them at the kids sale.                                                                     

While the girls played I baked 6 caramel cakes and a pound cake.                                                               Daughter and hubbie went out to her classroom today to put up her plastic shield they had made to help keep her away from any covid germs when she has to go back to school this Monday.                               After everyone left hubbie and I had supper of a fresh broccoli salad and sweet potato . We got chores done then came inside earlier it seems every night with the daylight now getting shorter and shorter each evening.                                                                                                                                                 I iced the caramel cakes and then relaxed for the evening.                                                                              Thankful for the blessings of this day and praying for safety for all the staff and students back in the schools.                                                                                                                                                          God Bless and Good Night

NEW KITCHEN SET A HIT

 IR and CA were here early this morning to get the day started. I got chores done and then we all had breakfast together. IR always wants waffles and syrup and today I had an egg and salsa omelet.  After we ate the girls went into the playroom to break in the new kitchen outfit I scored for only $10 at the kids sale last weekend.  The play food looked so real CA thought it was good to eat.                                                    

We all loaded up and made a cake delivery at 11:30 and then picked up lunch for the girls on the way home.  While the girls ate their lunch I made some "fallish" treats for hubbie and I. I love acorn squash baked with butter and brown sugar inside and we both love sweet potatoes.                                               

We also tasted the pickled peppers I put in the frig last week and they were perfect, delicious and crispy.                                                                                                                                                             

After lunch the girls played and we tried to sit outside for awhile but it was too cool with the breeze blowing. The sun makes it look really warm but the breeze keeps the 70 degree temp feeling really cool.   Daughter came in and gave hubbie and haircut before she took the girls home.                               We got chores done and then I moved the last chicks out of the large brooder box into an outside smaller tractor .                                                                                                                                              More cooler weather is headed out way along with the rain from tropical storm Beta for the end of the week.                                                                                                                                                              

And the long range forecast for us is for an early fall with cooler weather moving in with October.          

The local elementary schools opened back up for in person learning yesterday for K-2 grades and things sure look different for school kids this year with the covid virus still raging.    They do all there classes they can outside and thankfully the sun has shined for first couple days.                                          

Mandatory mask wearing and spacing dominate the inside learning environment right now and it looks like everyone is obeying the rules.

Grades 3-5 start later this week and grades 8-12 start on this coming Monday. I pray that this doesn't cause an outbreak in the virus that causes someone to get really sick.                                                         Thankful for my blessings of this day and praying for all the staff and kids that are attending schools and getting ready to go back soon, may God wrap His protective arms around them.                                 God Bless and Good Night