2020 HIGHLIGHTS

 A cloudy but warm morning greeted us on the last day of this year. We got chores done and then had breakfast. We don't have any concrete plans for today so I did some house cleaning things that seem to get over looked routinely like cleaning the ceiling fans, etc.  Hubbie went up to split some more firewood.   Just as I finished the kitchen fan bubbie came stumbling in the front door with one of his hands wrapped in a rag and said he had had mashed his hand really badly.  He passed out from the pain almost as soon as he came through the door, I have no idea how he made it this far.  I grabbed ice packs from the freezer and cold rags and got him back conscious before I looked at the wrapped hand. He said he had caught his fingers in the wood splitter and his left hand ring finger nail was hanging be a couple pieces of skin and bleeding and swelling badly.  Thankfully we got his wedding band off and I put his finger in ice to hopefully stop the bleeding. He said it was very very painful and was making him sick at his stomach it hurt so badly. He wanted to get up from his position of lying on his back in the living room floor so I called g-son who was the only one around today and he came right up to help get him up and catch him if he passed out again. We took it really slowly and thankfully he made it to the bathroom and then into the bed without passing out again.  G-son helped me get some gauge pads wrapped around his finger to catch the blood that was still coming from 2 splits on each side of his nail.   He took an Aleve pill and layed really still to help stop the sick feeling.  G-son was great with him and watched him closely. Daughter happened to come by to pick up something and her and the girls stayed awhile to make sure he was going to be okay. D-in-love and RL also came in to check on him.  RL and IR were glad to see each other and get a few minutes to play together since they haven't seen each other in a couple days.                                  

After everyone left hubbie ate some crackers and had a coke that made him feel much better so he got up and sat in the living room. After a short rest for him and more house cleaning for me #1 son came in the put the wood splitter and tractor away and he went ahead and finished splitting the wood in the wood box on the tractor and put it in the shed.   I got chores done and hubbie fed the dogs before he had to come inside to sit back down and get the ice back out to stop the bleeding that started again.                He didn't feel like any supper so I had a vegetable patty and some cheese and crackers for my supper.     Tonight we washed the finger and continued to try and stop the bleeding but blood is still seeping out from under the nail which is completely detached and hanging there. Hopefully we can ice it and bandage it overnight and the blood will stop.  At least the pain has subsided a lot.                                     As this year ends I want to take a look back over what has been a surely strange year as be found we had to let our faith guide us more and more as we treaded the troubled waters of the year 2020.

January ...... Who knew we would look back on these first 2 months as the only normal times of this entire year.  We had a routine month with the big events being that IR started going to the preschool that RL goes to and had a hard time adjusting as sickness and weather cancelations limited her days in school.   Market annual stockholders meeting was held and I was re-elected to the board and appointed to be treasurer this year.  One birthday this month as BB got a year older.  The month ended with a snowfall but it didn't last long.                                                                                                                       

February.........This month began with a major flooding rain and ended with another snowfall and in between there was many days of snow and rain. It was a very routine month with the girls being able to play at the park on a couple days and taking turns with sickness.                                                               

                                              

March.......... This month started out normally with market days and park play days and g-son's first track meet which he did great in and unknown to us while we enjoyed these days by mid month the world as we knew it would change totally.  With the arrival of the covid_19 virus that is assumed to be a manmade virus from China invaided our peaceful routine. President Trump issued a national emergency and govenor Cooper issued a stay at home order and closed all non-essential businesses which ended my cake baking market business.  As we started to rely more on ourselves we planted an early garden and ordered meet from some small farms around the area to make sure we kept our food supplies up as grocery store shelves emptied from an unspoken panic. Toilet paper and paper products became highly sought after items and every mom became home school teachers as schools closed. All our family started wearing face mask when we were around anyone even though the news was saying these wouldn't work.  We knew the reason for them saying that was so that the same panic hoarding of face mask wouldn't take away medical staff mask.  This month 4 members of our family got a year older as #2 son, daughter, Re and EL all celebrated birthdays.                                                                     

April......As store shelves continued to stand bare we were very glad for our abundance of fresh eggs and some early garden produce already coming in.  I bought a new incubator and decided to hatch my own chicks as a shortage of chicks at all the nurseries became evident as more folks bought chicks for meat and eggs. I had only a little above 50% hatch rate both times I ran the incubator but I feel like there is a learning curve to this and will begin candeling the eggs next time to see at what time the eggs are going bad. However with full incubator racks I got enough chicks and guinea chicks to satisfy my needs.  The guinea chicks are to sell and replenish my flock after a fox let me only 2 males and 1 female this spring. There were no park days but we made the best of all our playground equipment here and the girls had a great month. Easter was a wonderful celebration with just our family as the kids hunted eggs and had fun on Easter Sunday and we all recognized the significance of our Savior being nailed to that cross for the opportunity for all mankind to be able to be forgiven of their sins. We celebrated one birthday this month as d-in-love got a year older.                                                                 

May........Hubbie and I with the help of #1 son built a fire fit patio and we really enjoyed it this year. Mother's day was celebrated with gifts and love from all the kids and son-in-love and CA had memorable birthday celebrations this month. Late cold weather delayed garden plantings but we managed to get the garden plantings completed before the end of the month. The kids said good bye to their teachers in drive by fashion still under covid lock down rules. Hatched more chicks this month. #1 son found out he had a gall bladder problem when he made a couple trips to the ER with stomach pain.We had a lot of rain this month for a lot of wet inside play days but there was a lot of sunshiny days to enjoy outside also as the girls all still stayed here while their moms worked from home.             

          June...........Summer weather was finally here and the pools were opened and the kids enjoyed the hot days cooling off in #1 son's pool, Aa's pool and daughter's neighbor's pool. Daughter participated in the drive through graduation for the 2020 Senior class. We started harvesting garden produce and enjoying the bounty of our work.  IR had a toothache and her dentist saga began. I bought a new chicken tractor to house some of my many chicks that are still hatching. We celebrated father's day along with 4 more family birthdays as d-in-love Tif, hubbie, IR and Aa all got a year older. #2 son and Tif also celebrated their 1st wedding anniversary.                                                                                        

July........Started the major food preservation process from our garden with dilly bean canning on the first day then canned green beans, made zuchinni relish and froze some of our excess zuchinni, also made hot mustard thoughout the days of this busy month. We had an awesome fourth of July celebration over at Aa's after he and #1 son went after fireworks and it was a beautiful evening the God added some of his own fireworks to but thankfully we only got the colorful lightening and not the rain. We made visits to a local farmers market and to a friends berry farm this farm to add to our fresh produce. IR finally was put to sleep and had her dental surgery which we were all grateful to have behind us.  Pool visits were numerous in this above normal temperature month. I also picked blueberries and blackberries this month for the freezer and the 2020 hurricane season geared up with several storms but thankfully none caused trouble here. I got a year older this month and daughter and son-in-love celebrated their wedding anniversary.                                                                                        

August.......  Started out with virtual Bible School for the kids. I started this month out busily baking and decorating 375 wedding cupcakes for a friends wedding.  I had tomatoes to can this month and more hot pepper mustard plus more berries to pick .  Daughter and I were to cover story on a local magazine called Boldlife ,with our caramel cakes . Started clearing off some of the shelly beans and onions and planting fall crops in the garden. G-son got braces on his teeth and a jaw alignment hinge put in.  Schools decided to go back on a virtual schedule. As some major hurricanes came into the gulf and came our way we had several flooding rains but thankfully no damage. We gated our driveway after numerous airbnb customers came looking for an address that was in another county at all hours of the day and night.  And to end the month we had a corn harvest and but up all our freezers full of corn for the season.                                                                                                                                                      

September.......This month started off differently with a visit from a big black bear to our front yard. He spent the night in a big tree right in the front yard and we haven't seen him since.  There were more tomatoes to put up this month and apple jelly was made.  We spent a quiet Labor day and celebrated RL's 5th birthday. The hurricane number for the year record was broken in this month and at one time there was 5 named storms in the Atlantic at the same time. We received plenty of rain from several of these storms. Part of the family and hubbie and I hiked to the top of Bearwallow mountain and had many fun playdays and smores making campfires.  School started back on "B" schedule where students went to school 2 days a week and had virtual school 2 days a week with Wednesday an off day. Kindergarten through 2nd grade went to school fulltime with everyone wearing face mask and social distancing being strongly enforced.                                                                                                               

October........This was a fun month as always with fun outside play and pumpkin carving.  We celebrated g-son's and #1 son's birthdays.  We did some fall garden planting and dug our potatoes. #1 son also had his gall bladder removed and they found it was full of stones which had not shown up before in any of the test they did. I had a good annual checkup report and hubbie got a good report in his dental exam. We had our first frosty mornings and moved all the plants into their winter basement homes. Hubbie and I voted early so we would not be subjected to Covid carriers at the regular poles.     Had a bad flood from a tropical storm named Zeta along with strong winds that knocked out power to a lot of folks but thankfully not us.  We made fun trips to the pumpkin patch and ended the month with a very fun Halloween trick or treating and cook out here.                                                                               

November............ brought the end of daylight savings time and earlier darkness in the evenings. A new president was elected under major suspictions of voter fraud as high numbers of votes changed overnight in some states and mail in ballots delayed the final results in other states. We harvested our first run of roosters that I had raised from chicks. Daughter took her turn at surgery as she had MOH surgery to remove a cancerous mole from her forehead.  Daughter and I stayed busy with cake and pie orders for customers for Thanksgiving, even though we are not going to the Curb Market right now we had more orders than normal this year.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner of Thanksgiving day attending by all the kids.  We harvested a second set of roosters for the freezer and ended the month quietly with a cold blast of weather.                                                                                                              

December..........The first day started off with the first snow flakes of the season and very cold temperatures. I got my Christmas decorating started and had plenty of good help this year with all the kids getting in on putting ornaments on all my trees. #1 son and d-in-love and hubbie and I both celebrated wedding anniversaries this month. We had a light icing on a couple mornings and then had some really pretty days to play outside. We had a wonderful Christmas eve celebration and even had snow that started during out celebration and we woke to a very rare white Christmas morning. We visited all the kids on Christmas morning and all the kids got everything they wanted .  We had the coldest temperatures of the season with the chill factor well into the single digits but the year ended with some nice weather before a rain storm moved in for the first day of 2021.                                          

This year has been challenging but as for me ,I have enjoyed the staying more at home and curbside grocery and shopping pickups and most of all  the closer family time we have had the opportunity to have. I pray for health and guidance from our Lord in the coming year as I expect it is going to be another challenge for all of us.  We have our faith to lean on and God always is in complete control if we continue to follow Him and use the Heart and Brain He gave us to help ourselves with His guidance.

Thankful that I have a wonderful, loving Savior and in that I can face anything that comes along with Him beside me.                                                                                                                                                God Bless, Good Night and Happy New Year

 

FOGGY ERRAND DAY

 Up to a misty cool cloudy morning to start this day. We got chores done and had breakfast .  We loaded the truck up and headed to daughter's to pick up IR and CA who wanted to ride with us on our errand run today.  We made stops at the PO then the courthouse to drop the market taxes check in the outside drop box then we headed over to the market to get some end of the year things cleaned up. I talked to Sue the manager on the phone while I was there and she isn't happy at all with the challenge to get some of the vendors to wear face mask. Hardly any vendors are coming in and practically no customers and she feels that the refusal to wear the mask by a few of the vendors is contributing to the absence of customers and she is very uncomfortable with them not wearing mask.   Sue is such a great caring manager that will be impossible to replace so I hope the board members that are attending market will take this into consideration in enforcing the mask wearing rules.                 

We left there and went by the dump before going to pick up lunch for the girls who were both asleep by this time. We dropped them off at home with their lunches and they both woke up to eat.  Hubbie and I came home to have our lunch then hubbie  went outside to work in his shop and I finished up a last load of laundry before IR came back to stay with me while her mom delivered some cakes. CA was napping in the car so she rode with her mom.   IR and I cuddled under blankets and watched some cartoons until daughter came back.   After they went home hubbie and I watched some early news and had a left over bowl of soup for supper.     We went out and got chores done in a still misty foggy evening.

After chores we relaxed for the evening . 

Thankful for all the blessings of this day.                                                                                                      God Bless, Good Night and Happy New year
        

"COLD MOON" LAST FULL MOON OF 2020

 Up to another beautiful sunny morning and the temperature is already above freezing at 37 degrees as I head out to get chores done.

After chores I had breakfast with IR and CA who wanted to stay with me while daughter delivered her cakes to the produce stand. Hubbie is also gone this morning to get his truck inspected so we can renew his tag online today.  The girls and I ate and watched cartoons until hubbie got home.  We all played until daughter got back , she had stopped in Sam's Club to see if they had any after Christmas sales but she struck out there also.   We all had lunch and I got hubbie's tag on it's way and did some market business online.    After daughter and the girls left hubbie and I went outside in the very warm sunny afternoon with temps in the upper 50's and took down and put away all the outside Christmas decorations.  I wanted to get them all stored away dry before more rain comes in tomorrow and for the next several days.  After we finished that we decided to get out the clippers and chainsaw and cut down all the Walnut and Wild Cherry trees that are growing on the bank below my sewing shop. Hubbie cut and I dragged all the brush and tree trunks down into the woods.  I know I will be sore tomorrow but this had to be done. It is one of those jobs that we have been putting off for a while and had decided we would get it done during this vacation time.   Thankfully we were able to get it done today.   After a short rest it was choretime.  The moon is a lot lower tonight than it was last night at this same time. This always amazes me when I see the moons different position each night while everything else looks like it is in the same place. The explanation I remember from science classes is that the moon is also orbiting the earth along with the earth moving. It takes the moon 27 days to orbit the earth so it is in a different position each night. This is where the moon was at the same time I took the picture last night of it already above these trees.

I watched it slowly work it's way above the trees and through the clouds tonight. 

In the other direction of the sky the sunset was beautiful tonight probably the last colorful sunset of 2020 with all the rain predicted for the rest of the year.

I did weekly paperwork and paid bills tonight and then sat with my new weighted heating pad on my aching knees. And I can tell my back will also be sore tomorrow after using muscles that I don't regularly use.

Thankful that we are healthy enough to work like we did today and thankful for all the other blessings of this day. 

God Bless, Good Night and Happy New Years

SHOPPING MONDAY

 Monday morning is beautiful but still cold at 26 degrees . But at least the ice isn't as thick today.  I got chores done and then had breakfast before daughter arrived to pick us up to go to Target with her. I needed to exchange something I got for Christmas and she needed a couple things they had so off we went. Hubbie went along to sit in the car with the girls while we were in the store and he wanted to have a burger at the new Culvers that opened up across the road from Target.   We were surprised that all the Christmas decor shelves were completely bare at only 50% off . We finished our shopping and my exchange was successful and we headed over to have lunch. The drive through line went quickly thankfully because both girls were hungry .   We sat in the van and ate lunch and it was really good. I had a salad with grilled chicken on it that was very good. Hubbie said his burger was pretty good.  We headed home and the girls stayed and played while I got weekly laundry started.  Daughter and I did some online shopping for an upcoming birthday and then she took the girls home.  Hubbie went out to work in his wood pile and I got more laundry done. We got chores done and then relaxed for the evening.   The almost full "cold Moon" is pretty again tonight and I actually got a picture that shows the dark forms.                     

Thankful for the blessings of this day.                                                                             

God Bless, Good Night and Happy New Year

                                                                                                                              

RESTFUL SUNDAY

 Up to a lazy Sunday morning . It is 18 degrees this morning so at least things weren't froze as solid as yesterday.  I got morning chores done with the help of a couple gallons of hot water once again today.  Back inside I got the vegetable soup started. I had taken out all the soup bones and neck bones from the beef I bought last spring and roasted them in the oven yesterday and put them in the crockpot with some vegetables and spices to make beef broth overnight.   I added some of this to the soup as a base and then added all the other vegetables and some left over roast beef from a couple weeks ago.  I also made turkey and cheese and ham and cheese sliders ready for the oven before the church service we enjoy came on TV.  We sat and watched another very good service from Don Wilton of Spartanburg First Baptist Church.   After the service I put the sliders in the oven and put in some sour dough bread daughter had brought over in the other oven for toast.  Everyone made it to lunch today and we all had a great visit and enjoyed the delicious soup.   After they all left hubbie and I spent the afternoon relaxing and resting.    Another uneventful day but these are  refreshing and refueling days so we aren't complaining.        The temperature got into the upper 40's today with bright sunshine in a clear blue sky. This almost full moon stood out in the clear sky as we got evening chores done .                                                                                                   

This moon is called the "cold moon" and will be full on Tuesday.                                                                

There is so much dark forms on this moon which I couldn't get pictures of but this file photo shows what I am talking about, it looks like there are continents on the moon the same as our earth.                   

The sunset was colorful this evening as well.                                                                                               

Thankful for the blessings of this day .                                                                                                         God Bless , Good Night and Happy New Year 

COLDEST TEMPS OF THE SEASON SO FAR

 BRRRRR !!!!!   It is 12 degrees this morning as I start out to get the morning chores done.  Hubbie carried 3 gallons of hot water up to the chicken houses so I could thaw out the water and let them get a good drink.  It isn't going to warm up above freezing again today so I know the water will soon be frozen again.   We took the quilts and blankets off the plastic covering the winter vegetable beds so that the sun could warm them through the plastic hopefully.   There was some ice on the inside of the plastic so we will have to see if we have frozen plants or not when it warms up enough in the coming days to peek inside.  Back inside we had breakfast then waited for the sun to melt the slick spots off the main roads before we headed out to Ingles on the other side of town to pick up supplies for tomorrow's lunch.  We want to have vegetable soup and sliders so I need to pick up some Boars Head sandwich meats and some Hawaiian rolls to make the sliders.      We went straight there and back home.  Hubbie went outside to work in his wood pile and I put away laundry and did some house cleaning.  This year I am leaving my decorations up until after New Years to enjoy them more. Usually I have to take them down before then because the kids go back to school right after New Years but this year the schools are closed for at least the week after so that gives me an extra week to enjoy the Christmas lights and decor.  I will probably take the outside decorations down in the coming days before it rains again at the end of the week so they won't get wet again.   This is one of those totally uneventful days and as I get the evening chores done and get back in the warm house to relax for the evening I am thankful for the blessings that have come my way over this joyous season and remain forever humbled by the goodness of our precious Savior ,Jesus Christ.   Hopefully your holiday was joyous and safe .                                  God Bless, Good Night and Happy New Year

SNOWY WHITE CHRISTMAS DAY

 We slept in on this cold morning as the temperature is in the upper teens this morning and the snow is icy and dangerous outside.      As we got up and bundled up to get chores done it took me almost an hour to do what usually takes 20 minutes with all the water frozen solid and the ground icy and slick it was a real job to get things done and get back inside to warm up.  But the snowfall is still really pretty.   

  Our first stop was at #1 son's house for biscuits and gravy and to check out what Santa left for g-son and RL.                                                                                                                                                                     

They got everything they wanted and were very happy.                                                                              

   

    

                                                                                                                                                             

Next stop was daughter's house to check out IR and CA's Santa gifts .   IR was busy learning how to ride her new bike and she was letting CA take a ride.                                                     

And they got everything they could have possibly wanted !!!!                                                                     

We ended our visits at Aa's house where EL and BB were also happily playing with some of their gifts . 

We came home and cleaned the living room and then enjoyed going through all our wonderful gifts one more time.      I dearly love all my gifts and know that I will enjoy each and everyone of them.                                                                                                                                                

We relaxed for the afternoon and then got out to get chores done and watch a beautiful sunset behind the manger scene as another wonderful Christmas season comes to an end.                                                

Just  as the sunset the snowflakes started to fly once again making the ground and road white and very slick once more .                                                                                                                                            

We got in the house and watched the thermometer plunge throughout the evening resting at 14 degrees as we headed to bed. Praying for all animals or humans out in the cold tonight.                                         Thankful for all the blessings of this day .                                                                                                    God Bless and Good Night 

WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS EVE

 Hubbie was up extra early to get to Asheville to his annual physical. This is his "welcome to medicare" check up so it is just all talking and getting the results of his bloodwork.   He is going to pick up the one item we are missing on his way home.  I got to sleep in and then had to get out in the pouring rain to get chores done. I uncovered our winter vegetable beds so they could get a drink of rain water.  I also took a package to the mailbox for our mail lady.                                                                                                       

  It poured rain all day adding to more than 1.5 inches by choretime and it was still raining when I emptied the gauge.                                                                                                                                          While hubbie was gone this morning I finished wrapping all the packages and did some house cleaning. He had to go to 2 different stores to find our missing item so we are all set now.                        We spent the afternoon cooking and getting ready for our family Christmas eve gathering.

                                                                                 

                                                                               

  

We are having it earlier this year due to both #2 son and d-in-love Tif getting off work early and no candle light service at church.  I fixed the ham, mac and cheese, deviled eggs, sweet potato casserole, green beans, gravy and biscuits. Re brought au gratin potatoes, apple cheesecake, broccoli salad and a couple cheese balls, d-in-love brought corn casserole, daughter brought coconut pie, sour dough bread, pumpkin roll and some brie to snack on.                                                                                                                             These four were here early and ready to celebrate the season.                                                                     

When everyone got here we ate and the kids were very  antsy to open their presents but ate a good supper first as we allowed them to have a picnic in the living room while they wondered which presents were theirs.                                                                                                                                                     

It was finally time to pass out the presents and let the kids dig in which they surely did !!!                        

Everyone enjoyed their gifts and the kids had a great time afterward as they got to enjoy just being with each other in their pj's d-in-love bought for all of them.                                                                                                                                                      

While we were having the festivities inside God was setting up a magical Christmas eve outside as the rain quickly changed over to snow and the ground became white and the temperature plummeted to make a very rare white Christmas for us to enjoy.                                                                                        

Got some good pictures of my three kids tonight ......                                                                                   

brothers...................................     and they are as different personality wise as they are looks wise !!!!!                                                                                                                  

Thankful to God for the gift of His only son on this night thousands of years ago so that we all could enjoy forgiveness of all our sins and all we have to do is love the Lord with all our hearts in return. As we celebrate the birth of our wonderful, loving Savior may all be safe and well in this season and may the love of Jesus Christ reflect in my life each and every day.  Merry Christmas to all.   God Bless and Good night.