MAKING MORE GRAPE JUICE

 Up to get this last day of August started. It is cloudy and looks like rain is on it's way here from hurricane Ida. I got chores done then had breakfast. After I ate I went up to the loaded grape vines and picked a big bowl full before it rains on them again to make another run of grape juice.

First sign of Fall today as hubbie is blowing leaves out of the driveway. This Lumbardy Poplar tree is always the first to drop it's huge leaves.

Daughter dropped off CA and picked me up to go with her to IR's "meet the teacher" session at her pre-school . We met son-in-love there also and IR went right in and acted fine with the teachers and other kids. Mask are mandatory for adults but the kids can choose. IR said she is wearing hers because of her baby sister. She wasn't the only kid in her class room today that had a mask on. These are terrible crazy times !!    After the meet the teach we picked up lunch for #2 son and d-in-love-Tif and went there to visit and let them see EA for the first time. Tif is feeling much better thankfully and we had a nice visit.   Daughter dropped me off home and went to her house to meet up with Kristen who was bringing them dinner.  I started getting this big bowl of grapes ready for juice making.

I made these 15 pints of juice in about an hour. I opened one of the previous jars just to test the sweetness because I didn't put the amount of sugar the recipe called for in the jars. These grapes are so sweet I knew they didn't need that much sugar to sweeten them. The juice was very good and still very sweet so I cut the sugar even more in this batch.  Just as I took these jars out of the canners the rain stopped and I saw on the radar we were in a break from the heavy rain so we got chores done a little early. There was already 1/2 inch of rain in the gauge from the rain of this afternoon and the heaviest rain is due in here tonight.  This hurricane season is starting out to be rough on our area but thankfully the next 2 named storms , Julian and Kate pose no threat.

I'm sure the folks along the gulf coast are thankful they aren't looking at another storm. These folks are suffering greatly from the damage Ida left behind.

Thankfully we aren't looking for too much bad weather from this system and we are looking forward to some "fall" feeling low temps at night coming up this week.  

Got a call from d-in-love-A tonight saying g-son has been exposed to someone at school who tested positive for the covid virus. He is showing no symptoms now so hopefully he doesn't get it. He is very upset that he is out of school for the rest of the week and can't be tested until Monday. If he test negative he can go back to school on Tuesday.  We are just praying he doesn't get the virus.                                     Thankful for the blessings of this day .

God Bless and Good Night

PREPARING FOR IDA

 Up to a strange "alone" morning. I did wake up several times last night in a panic because I didn't feel IR pressed against my back !!   I got chores done and had oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast. Our blueberries are almost all gone now but we are very thankful to have enjoyed them until September !          After I ate we headed over to daughter's to pick up IR and CA while daughter and son-in-love took EA to the doctor to check on her rising bilirubin when she left the hospital yesterday.   Thankfully it was oaky today.  The girls helped me gather laundry and get a load started.  Then hubbie played with the girls while I baked 6 caramel cakes. I am making cakes  for daughter's business partner until she gets back on her feet.  Daughter and son-in-love picked the girls up and went home right after lunch time.  I did more laundry and then got out some things that need to go to market to sell and tagged them and got them ready to take out there on Thursday.  These are some things that have been in my sewing room since before the covid virus hit that just needed a few tweeks to get them finished and I need to get them out to sell.  

Mommy / daughter  matching aprons.

Small baby afghan.

Crocheted cap and pants for baby boy.

Large baby afghan .  I love this one as it is so soft !!

After I got these all finished I did more laundry then took a break out in the covered patio. It is another sunny hot, 88 degree day but if the extended forecast holds this is the last upper 80's day for a couple weeks at least.  

Ida made landfall and has slowed down pouring rain on Louisiana and Mississippi as it slowly slogs northward.  There is a lot a major damage in it's path and I pray for all the folks affected by this storm.   

We will feel some effects from Ida in the next couple days. 

This little girl just can't get enough of her baby sister today !!!!

Thankfully both newborns went to their doctors today and both got A-okay checkups .  

I iced the caramel cakes this afternoon and hubbie took them over to daughter's so he cold help son-in-love get the belt back on his riding mower.  I stayed home and cut okra and picked some cucumbers and hot peppers from the garden after hubbie had gleaned the tomatoes before the storm rolls in. I need to make more grape juice and hopefully can get grapes picked tomorrow before the rain moves in to get it done.

We got chores done and then relaxed for the evening.

Thankful for the blessings of this day and for the healthy babies.

God Bless and Good Night

EVERYONE IS HOME !!!

 Up to get the girls up and start the day. IR helped me with chores again this morning and then we all had breakfast.  We had some great help breaking beans for dinner today.

#1 son's family and Aa's family came to have lunch with us. I made a huge mac and cheese and ham casserole , green beans, corn, biscuits and sweet tea for lunch.   After lunch we had watermelon outside for dessert and then after everyone left the girls and us rested for a while.  Daughter is getting ready to come home tonight. we think.  EA is a big healthy baby and daughter is doing very well.

We took #2 son and d-in-love-Tif supper of the lunch fixings we had . I remembered the mac and cheese and ham casserole is one of her favorites I make so that is why I made it today. She is doing good and the baby is good also.   I still can't believe I have 2 new grand daughters in less than a week.

We came home and got chores done  and watched the news of the Cat 4 hurricane that made landfall in Louisiana today and may be headed our way.

We met daughter, son-in-love and EA at their house this evening.  This little girls was certainly glad to be coming home so soon.

The girls were thrilled with their baby sister.

Thankful and blessed beyond measure this evening. I am so glad we have a loving Lord and Savior in Jesus Christ who watches over all of us.

God Bless and Good Night

AND ANOTHER GRAND DAUGHTER EA IS HERE

 This morning brought the news that daughter was still waiting on the doctor to break her water or whatever he was going to do. Her contractions were still far apart and she wasn't even feeling them. Thankfully her blood pressure had come down a little bit.

We got chores done and then we just spent the day playing and taking care of these two little sweeties.

Daughter was making progress throughout the afternoon but the doctor was afraid the baby was large and she was turned sideways making it harder for her to drop and let her dilate more.  #1 son fixed supper for all of us and while we were eating our 6th grandchild was finally born naturally .

She is a big baby at 8 lbs, 15 ozs and 21 inches long. This baby will be known on here as EA.  I don't think I put NP's size on here but she weighed 7 lbs, 9ozs and was 18.5 inches long.  I am so thankful that they are both here now safely and everyone is on the road to recovery.

After we ate hubbie and I left the girls at son's house and picked up supper and took it to the hospital for son-in-love and daughter. While we were gone the girls had water melon and dance party with #1 son.

We came home got chores done and then picked the girls up to get ready for bed. They have been so good about staying here and not crying for their parents of to go home. This is settling down and getting ready for bed.

Thankful for the blessings of this day and so so thankful for these 2 little additions to our family this week.

God Bless and Good Night

DAUGHTER GOES TO HOSPITAL

 Just a few minutes after I finished writing the blog post for yesterday I got a call from daughter saying for us to come over to her house because she was having some serious pains and thought she should go to the hospital and get checked out.  We went over and picked the girls up and brought them here to spend the night. Daughter wasn't sure what she was going to do as she waited for a return call from her doctor. We got the girls settled down here and daughter just as daughter called and said she was headed to the hospital.  When she got there they put monitors on her and found that she was having contractions but they were far apart but their main concern was her blood pressure was 148/98. They told her she couldn't go home until she saw the doctor the next morning as they needed to keep those monitors on her and the baby.  This morning when the doctor came in her wanted to go ahead and break her water but the nurses were so slammed today and short staffed that they talked him into waiting until this evening so she came home and is supposed to go back at 5:00.  I had some really good help getting my chores done this morning.

She came here and layed on the couch all day trying to keep her blood pressure down. it was down to 132/92 when she left the hospital this morning but that is still in the range of gestational hypertension.  Her doctor texted her at 4:30 and told her to come on in.   When she got to the hospital things were moving very slow as the nurses were still very busy. At least she was back on the monitors because her blood pressure was back at 148/98 this evening.

#1 son, d-in-love and RL came up to visit us this evening and the girls had a blast drawing all over #1 son.  

I hope it washes off !!!!!

We got chores done and then  got the girls a bath and got settled down for bed.  Daughter was still waiting for the IV when we went to bed.  D-in-love-Tif is up moving around this evening and NA is doing well. Sad they can't even visit with each other since they are in rooms just down the hall from one another.

Thankful for the blessings of this day and praying that daughter has an easy quick birth.

God Bless and Good Night

GRAND DAUGHTER NP IS HERE !!!!!

 Woke to the sweetest picture on my phone from #2 son saying she was here and he would call later with the details.

Bad thing was I knew by the hair cover and the fact that it was son doing the skin to skin with the new born baby that it meant that Tif had to have a c-section.  But when son called later it became glaringly necessary for that to happen around 3am this morning and both were recovering nicely. He was taking care of the baby while she came out of  the surgery.   He said the baby was super healthy and was a very good eater.  

I got chores done today and then hubbie and I picked up CA who wanted to ride with us to run our errands today . This is the first time she has wanted to go along with us without her sister but she was ready and willing.  We made stops at the dump/recycle center, made a cake delivery at market and then made a stop in Sav Mor grocery store. CA slept the entire trip until we got home. We got things carried in and then we all had lunch. CA was very hungry after her long morning nap.  Daughter and IR came over after she made a stop at the hospital to have some flowers delivered to #2 son and d-in-love-Tif.    Tif was awake and feeling much better and the baby is so cute !!!  All 7lbs 9 ounces and 18 inches of her.  God is so good and we are blessed for a 5th time with a little girl who will be known on here as NA.

I took it easy this afternoon after working preserving food each day this week. Although I have plenty of tomatoes staring at me, but they can wait until tomorrow.  I did cut the okra again this evening.

I made another cake delivery this afternoon and then got chores done.   I iced the 3 caramel cakes tonight and then rested for the evening.  The "I" storm was named today and may be headed our way early next week.

We are so saturated right now with rain as we got another 1" last night from the thunder storm that passed through more soaking rain would cause more flooding for sure.

Thankful for the blessings of this day and so thankful for the protective arms of Jesus Christ in the birth of my 5th grand child, little NA and her mom through her surgery.

God Bless and Good Night