FREEZING RAIN ALERT

I emptied 1/2 inch of rain from the gauge this morning, that's a total since this messy weather started. It is by far not over as I hurried through chores in the misty cold rain.
Spending another day inside doing catch up house work and just resting felt good. I need to get started on my downstairs projects but it is still too cold out in the unheated part of the basement.
The high temperature for today has been around 40 degrees and tonight we are supposed to get around 28 with freezing rain for our area.

As I watched out the window this afternoon taking a break from my cleaning I spotted this squirrel with what looks like a walnut in his mouth.

 It gets rough out there some days as evidenced by the missing top feathers on this Cardinals chest.

After hubbie came home  from work he carried more wood in and then we did chores in a still misty rain. There was another 1/10th inch of rain in the gauge.
Dolly and Bernie got baths tonight much to their displeasure. I am giving Bernie the pills the vet prescribed and they seem to be calming his cough.
This has been a pretty boring day and I had to laugh this afternoon as I looked around for something else to do and remembered how I had looked forward to this month last month when I was working so hard so I could just do nothing for a while !  I guess doing nothing isn't in my DNA !!
I snuggled with my 4-legged kids tonight to help warm them up after their baths and relaxed the evening away.
I hope the roads don't get bad for the early morning commuters tomorrow.
Grateful for the love of our Heavenly Father tonight and thankful for all the blessings He gives out each day.
Good Night and God Bless.

DREARY RAINY MONDAY

I heard the rain as I woke up this morning,making me want to roll over and stay under the warm covers a little longer.  I don't think anything minded as I opened the doors on all the hen houses when I finally sloshed out to do the chores and nothing was in any hurry to get out in the rain either.
After breakfast , hubbie who is always off on Mondays asked if I wanted to go with him to run some errands in town. I first said yes but then I looked out at the dreary day and decided to stay home and get laundry started and keep the wood stove downstairs stoked to fend off the dampness which made the 48 degree day still feel pretty raw.
While the laundry washed I boxed some emptied canning jars getting them ready to go to the outside shed to be stored until they are needed for our garden preserving next summer as well as some other small task that have been getting bypassed.
Hubbie got home in time for a late lunch then took up residence in the recliner for the afternoon as that is about all this day is good for.   After the laundry was done I did some research on the computor of some of my ancesters. I have found some very interesting things and have got a good start on piecing my dad's life together.
I want to join Ancestry.com but not until I have enough free time to make it worth the price they charge.  I have found some random websites that give a lot of the same info for free.
The rain is getting heavier this evening and a dense fog has draped things in a thick veil this afternoon.

This is usually an early morning foggy view but today this pic was taken about 2:00 .
After chores I put a whole chicken in my pressure power cooker with some Italian seasoning and it was delicious for our supper.
 I have lost count of the cups of hot tea I've drank today !!!  On days like this that is what I crave.
Tonight after the news I went down stairs and just sat and watched the fire flames in the wood stove. With all the junk on TV I had rather watched the dancing flames and day dream !!
I forgot to check the rain gauge this evening so I will get a total tomorrow when the rain ends.
Thanking God for all the blessings of this day and asking for His guidance in the coming days.
Good Night and God Bless.

1985 JANUARY FIRST

Another cold 17 degree morning and more frozen water, although I tried something last night that saved me from carrying water all the way from the kitchen. Hubbie brought me a couple of buckets or fresh water from the barn catch basin and I covered the buckets full of water, one with a heavy glass piece and one with a large heavy old stainless bowl. This morning there was only a thin layer of ice on the water under these covers.
I cooked macaroni before I left for church so I could mix it up with ham chunks I cut up last night, cheese , butter and evaporated milk and get it in the oven to bake as soon as I got home from church.
Everyone made it to lunch,and everyone got acquainted with Re's mom.  Re brought a salad to go with the macaroni casserole and we also had some of our this summer's canned green beans.
After we ate we all had a nice visit before everyone headed out on their own ways this nice cloudy, 42 degree afternoon.
I put out birdseed and then sat in the sunroom and read some in one of the books I collected for this winter's reading.
The air felt like the rain could began falling at any time all evening and the temperature dropped to 35 degrees by chore time but it is actually supposed to warm up overnight as the rain begins. The next couple days look like rain outs.

This has been a nice relaxing Sunday used for what Sunday's are supposed to be used for, rest and regeneration.

Back in January of 1985 I received the first photographs of daughter. I had no idea she was a daughter back then and when I compare these pics to the images that they do now the difference is mind boggling.

Ultra sound imaging has certainly come a long way.
Thanking God tonight for the wonderful world He made for us and all the creations He put in it for our pleasure.
Good Night and God Bless.

SLOW COLD MARKET DAY

Brrrr, 13 degrees greets us as we head out to market this morning. I am dressed in several layers as I know with the cold this past week the concrete in the walls and floor of market will be holding on to the cold.
Today was slow as I expected but I am thankful for what I did sell.  I gave a favorite customer who is always buying cakes for other people a cake of her choice today when she came in to buy herself a birthday cake. Happy 73rd birthday Doris Henderson.
Re  brought her mom who drove down from Ohio yesterday to be here when the baby is born in to see me this morning. She found some hand woven rugs for her new house up in Ohio. Little EL had to get reacquainted with everyone at market.
Daughter came in after she had ball practice and brought me a cappucino from the coffee shop next door.
I had really nice visits from friends all day so it made the slow customer traffic day pass quickly.It was a good thing the smell that filled market shortly after noon from one of the heater's motors burning up was detected quickly and that heater shut off or I would have surely had a migraine from that strong odor before I could have gotten out of there. These old gas heaters are very old but new ones are so expensive we can't afford to change them right now. Hopefully we can have a new motor put on this heater and get by another year.
After market I made a stop at Aldi and then Petco to try to find something for Bernie , who is still coughing. The Lomotil works in stopping his cough but I hate how he acts so drugged after I give it to him. I found some allergy ease pills to give him daily in there that strengthens his respitory system.
After hubbie helped me unload the van we watched the 2nd half of the UNC/ Louisville basketball game. It was a very good close game and UNC won by one point.
I did chores and then had supper so we could rest on this Saturday night.
The high temperature today was 38 here and tonight is another cold one with a low of 17 again so it is another 2 stove night.
I shouldn't complain as I look at the news and see what is going on in the northern states.
This is lake Michigan frozen in the frigid temps .

And this is a sad event that proved deadly for several people as 170 cars and trucks piled up on an interstate in Michigan during a blinding snow storm.

Now this weekend the second storm in a week, this one named Hektor, aims more snow and nasty weather at the same areas for this weekend and the first of next week and bringing us rain starting tomorrow evening.

In sad news of the day, a smoldering electrical fire in one of the barns at Hollywild, a petting zoo type park in Inman,SC  caused the death of 28 of their animals yesterday. They all died from smoke inhalation.

I have never been to this park but G-son's family has been there several times. The park always has a Christmas light display and it is always a very popular place for kids and adults.
So sad for all those animals but the vet said it looked like they had quick painless deaths.

Praying tonight for all involved in these accidents on the roads and in the fire and also praising God for all the love He gives me each day.
Good Night and God Bless.

"B" BALL GAME

Another cold ice breaking morning !!  I think the animals are getting as tired of drinking water laced with ice as I am of breaking ice out of their dishes.
The sun is shining nicely today but the 17 degree temp hung on for a slow warm up this morning.
I baked cakes before lunch, 6 caramel, 1 chocolate,3 pounds and 1 blackberry wine cake.
The temperature tomorrow morning is going to be lower than today around 13 so market will not be good again probably.
After lunch I dusted the house and vacuumed and mopped all the floors. My back is telling me it hates housework also !!!!
I did chores early and waited for Re to pick me up to go out to the school to watch daughter's team play ball. D-in-love met us there.
At these 4:00 games the crowd is very sparse and so we could let little EL enjoy herself as she watched the game. She calls it a "B-Ball" game. She's all decked out in the school's purple colors.

Daughter was very disappointed with her girls hustle in this game as they lost to Brevard who they had previously beaten.

We stayed after the game until daughter came out of the locker room so EL could see her as she had been wanting to go down on the floor where she was coaching from.
We left and came home at half time in the JV boy's game about 5:30.
It is great how much later already darkness is coming as the days get longer now.
I got these pics from the site of another photographer of daughter in the back ground as she watches a cheer leader flip and as she watches the varsity players fight for the basketball.

The varsity team won their game.
I had supper when I got inside for the evening and then iced my cakes and got things ready for market.
Grateful for the blessings of this day as always.
Good Night and God Bless.

CLEAR AND COLD

A photographer friend of mine posted this early this morning.
Actually our thermometer here at the farm said 4 degrees, but who's arguing, it is very cold.
Thankfully we didn't loose our electric overnight as many to the south of us did with wind blowing down trees on power lines.
G-son was up and raring to go at 7:30 this morning wanting his waffles for breakfast.  A 2 hour school start delay seems like a long time to wait for school and by the time it was time to go he didn't want to go at all. It's been awhile since the living room looked like this early in the morning !!

 He kept telling me to call his mom and let him talk to her so she would let him miss school today, I kept telling him that would not happen.
I did all my morning chores and had breakfast so after I dropped him at school I headed on into town to do my shopping at Aldi and Walmart while I was out.
This is the temp this morning around 10:30.

Whew! I got all my shopping done. I haven't been grocery shopping since before Christmas so I had to go all around the store. Thankfully not many folks were venturing out in this cold and it didn't take long.
I came home had lunch, kept the fires in both wood stoves stoked, and got the 6 caramel cakes ready to be delivered. I just didn't feel like getting into anything else today.
I left at 2:30 to stop by the P. O. on the way to the cake delivery. This was the high temp for today.

The customer was waiting for me so that was great and I got a head start on the school traffic to get to the bank before heading home on all the back roads to avoid the after school traffic back ups.
Poor Flash was inside Annie's warm straw filled dog house when I got back this afternoon. His short hair offers no insulation against the cold . He always stays inside the basement  at night and I put him back up this morning while I was gone but he took care of himself this afternoon. Sadie also gets to sleep inside the basement and Annie would if she would come in, but that dog would have to be carried inside as she does not like being in a crate at all.  We did carry her inside last year when it got to zero but last night decided to fill her house full of straw and not  traumatize her. She snuggled back in her house which is out of the wind and made a nice warm nest so we knew she would be fine. Flash found that nice warm nest this afternoon.
I had to carry a bucket of water from the kitchen to give all the chickens a drink this evening at chore time as all the waterers were frozen back solid.
At least my gloved fingers didn't stick to the metal fencing tonight like they did last night.
As I type this tonight at 10:00 it is 20 degrees so maybe it won't get as cold as last night.
I am tired tonight , hopefully from the extra person in bed last night and not from something I'm coming down with. I have been sneezing tonight but the wood stove upstairs that lets out smoke each time we add wood always makes me do that. At least I hope that's what it is !!!
An earlier than usual bedtime will help my energy level I'm sure.
God is good all the time, all the time God is good and He loves us all !!
Good Night and God Bless

CCCCOLD !! AND AN OVERNIGHT GUEST

Up early to get this busy day started. A couple years ago I decided I would get up each day with a purpose in mind for that day.  I stuck with this plan for a while then kind of let it go. I think it was a very good idea so I am getting back to that idea starting today.
After chores and ice-breaking chores as we have already passed our high temperature for today early this morning and now the temperature is dropping throughout the day.
I carried everything fresh water this morning and hope they get a drink before it refreezes.
Back inside I kept 2 fires going all day in both wood stoves, upstairs and downstairs.
This is the first time this year our upstairs stove has been fired up but it feels really good today.
After breakfast I baked 6 caramel cakes for an order to be delivered tomorrow then had lunch.
My purpose for this day was to go through my closets. I still have clothes in there that don't fit anymore since I lost my weight and I needed to get all those out and in bags to be donated.
I had to try on several things to decide which I could wear and what I couldn't wear anymore and what I just didn't want anymore.
I have a huge box and a big garbage bag full of donations and that job is done !
I also had time to get the December figures all tallied up and the end of the year figures done. I had a better year than I thought with a very good December.
I humbly thanked God for the good fortune He allowed me last year and asked for His blessing on this year.
#2 son came by to bring some tools back and get some firewood for his fireplace in case the power goes off in this cold weather we are having.  He showed me some pictures he took of his rock work after he got finished and it looks really good I need to go see it when I get out tomorrow.
After chores and supper we watched the news. The weather is the big story with temperatures overnight close to 0 and high winds dropping chill factors to well below 0 , schools are on delay in the morning and we are all hoping the power stays on. These are the temperature maps at 10:45 tonight.

 Since g-son's school was on a 2-hour delay tomorrow and his mom has to go in on regular time g-son came to spend the night with us tonight so he can sleep in tomorrow morning.
He is so sweet, we played math card baseball tonight.

Even with the excitement of spending the night he still crawled into bed early with his pawpaw, leaving me my blogging time.
The snow flakes were flying this evening giving everything a hazy look as the sun set in another blaze of color.

Feeling very blessed tonight to have a warm house and a loving family.
Praying for all who are out in this cold windy night.
Good Night and God Bless.