HAPPY BIRTHDAY CA

Up to another cloudy day. I got chores done and then came inside to have breakfast of eggs and grits.
We headed out to pick up RL and then went to daughter's to get her trash and recyclables and also picked up IR and CA. Daughter has to work at school today to print graduation programs to be handed out in their drive thru graduation ceremony next Friday.
We went by the post office first to mail bills, then to the dump / recycle center, then we stopped by a couple produce stands on the way home and the Dana Dollar General for more potting soil and some 60 watt light bulbs. I am afraid a 100 watt bulb like I always use is going to be too hot in the new brooder box with it in the green house so I thought I should have some 60 watts on hand.
We left there and headed home to pick up the kids lunches. We had lunch then they played for the cloudy misting rain afternoon inside.
Holding baby chicks was still the favorite activity of the day.

 Even CA wanted in on it but didn't know how to be very gentle yet !!!

While hubbie let CA nap in the living room I played with RL and IR in the playroom and then we took a short rest on our bed and the girls found some of my hats to try on in the mirror in our head board.

CA is one year old today and that doesn't even seem possible. I remember praying so hard when she was so sick that we would get to celebrate her first birthday and she would be healthy. Thanks to God because He answered all our prayers and this little bundle of joy is now a happy, healthy one year old.

 After the girls all left hubbie and I got chores done. I got the brooder box set up and turned the 60 watt light bulb on in the closed up box.
After checking it multiple times it didn't give off enough heat to raise the temperature to 95 so i changed to the 100 watt bulb.  It got it too hot , up to 105 quickly so I took the cover off the screened window in the side of the box and them temperature dropped to 93 so maybe that is what I will do at night and in the day time if the sun shines I probably won't need any extra heat.
Between going up to the greenhouse and back several times I worked on CA's quilt and got it finished except for finishing the embroidery on the back of who made it.
No pics until CA's party on Saturday.
Thankful for the blessings of this day and for a special little blessing that God allowed us to have.
God Bless and Good Night

GALL STONES FOR SON

Well this day started out roughly , well actually things started just before midnight last night with a call from d-in-love saying #1 son was hurting so badly she was going to have to take him to the emergency room.
Hubbie went down to stay with RL, who was asleep and g-son.
Son went to the emergency room at Advent Health and was the only patient there thankfully. D-in-love wasn't allowed to go in with him because of the virus but he was able to check in and they got him back to start running test quickly.
At 12:30 they had ran an EKG and blood test and getting ready to put dye in his arm and run a test to check his gall bladder.
RL woke up and was upset that her dad had to go to the doctor and wouldn't go back to sleep so hubbie sat and held her until they got home.
They got home just before 2 am and the gall bladder test showed a very inflamed gall bladder with gall stones that was causing the sever pain.
They gave him pain meds and he has to call the surgeon tomorrow and make an appointment to see him to schedule surgery.
We are all thankful that at least they found what was wrong. This is the second time he has been to the emergency room with this pain. He has been having it for weeks. Why they didn't test for the gall stones the first time we don't know.
Anyway we all got to sleep after 2am so this morning was a late start morning. It was another rainy cloudy day.

During the early morning hours the second tropical storm of the season formed and came ashore in the Charleston area on SC which thankfully only brought us about 1/4 inch of rain today so far..

I got chores done and then brought a box in the house to put the newly hatched chicks in until the rest hatch and to give them a good start before moving them out into the new brooder box in the green house.
So far there are only 12 total hatched, 5 guineas and 7 chicks.

Daughter came over with the girls after picking up lunch for all the kids. Of course IR wanted to be the first to hold one of the baby chicks.  She is so funny she wants to hold them but acts afraid of them .

Soon RL , g-son and d-in-love came in and of course RL had to hold chicks and then guineas and she definitely isn't afraid of the babies.

We all ate lunch and then the girls played  while their mom's worked on their online schoolwork. Daughter and d-in-love had some errands to run so they took CA so would nap in the car and left RL and IR with hubbie and me. We all wished we could get outside but the light rain and mud made for an inside play day.
After their mom's came back the girls had to hold chicks one more time before they left.

After the girls left hubbie and I took short re-energizing naps while we tried to watch the news.
We got chores done and this large hen is maintaining her setting so I gave her 7 layer hen eggs which she promptly pulled underneath her .

I will be starting the incubator back up again once these eggs all hatch and I get it cleaned out for a couple days so maybe if she does get off the eggs before the 21 days I can rescue them.
And who knows maybe she will be a good setter.
After a snack for supper I did weekly paperwork and paid bills and then spent the evening working on CA's birthday quilt.
She will be one year old tomorrow and it doesn't even seem possible !!!
Thankful for the blessings of this day and so thankful that son's trouble was identified and praying for him as he faces another surgery in the near future.
God Bless and Good Night

EGG HATCHING DAY

A Tuesday that feels like a Monday today !!
We had some exciting entertainment today as the chicks started hatching. I checked them at 4am when I got up to use the bathroom and there was one little yellow chicks flopping around.
This morning there are 5 chicks, 2 little guineas and 3 chicks.

I got chores done in a damp mist.  While I was out I got the new brooder box fixed with shavings and food and water dishes.

I will probably keep them in the house a couple days just to make sure they get a good start before moving them to the new brooder box in the greenhouse.
Back inside daughter brought the girls over so she could work and a little later RL came up while her mom took Roscoe the beagle to the vet for his final set of shots.
Both girls watched the chicks as they continued to hatch.

 Addie came over to stay while her dad went to the doctor and ran some errands and the girls had a great time playing her.

D-in-love brought lunches in and the girls enjoyed the lunches and then continued to play well together.
Ben picked up Addie and then RL and IR went outside to have pop sickles before they left.
I needed to make a deposit of the Curb Market money and really didn't want to drive to town in the rain so d-in-love did that for me.
It is so nice to have the kids around to do things for us during these challenging times.
After everyone left hubbie and I watched the news to wait out a short shower of rain and then got evening chores done. I have one of my laying hens broody so I moved her into the biggest brooder box I have tonight to see if she will stay broody. If she does I will give her some eggs tomorrow evening. Typically I don't let these hens set because they won't stay on the eggs the entire time but I'll give her a chance and see what she does with a few eggs under her.

I walked down to the pasture to check on the guinea hen that is setting on a nest and walked over this hole in the ground where the tortoise was laying her eggs the other day. She had covered them all up down in the hole .

Hubbie and I had some of the fresh Kale greens I gathered yesterday for supper tonight with some of the left over roast beef.
Then we relaxed for the evening.
Thankful for the blessings of this day and for the wonderful grace of the Lord.
God Bless and Good Night

MEMORIAL DAY 2020 AND 1980 MAY MEMORIES

Happy Memorial Day 2020, I hope you take some time during this day to reflect on what it takes to preserve our freedom in this country.  I am very grateful to all the veterans who gave their all to preserve that right for us.

I got chores done on anther muggy, cloudy morning. 
I met with the market manager at 10:30 to get the money straightened out and ready to deposit. We thought it would take about an hour. It ended up being in such a mess that it took us almost 3 hours and we still don't know where $60 went that was missing !!
Sue the manager doesn't feel it is safe right now to come back and the board members who voted to keep market open are tired of managing market.
There are very few vendors coming to sell right now so my suggestion was to either do without a manager and let everyone have their own change and then no items from absent vendors could be sold or just close market until Sue feels confident in coming back. She said she would be more comfortable if everyone was required to wear a mask and I thought this was a good idea also with the number of older vendors and customers we have.
I don't know what the final decision will be.
Hubbie and I came home and had a late lunch of left overs.
I got laundry started for the week and hubbie sprayed the tomatoes with a fungicide hopefully to help them survive all the rain.
While the laundry was washing I went to my sewing shop and cut out a quilt for Caroline. I have made all 3 of the other grand kids quilts but didn't have time to get one made for her last year before she was born. This is the material I choose to make hers from.There are 9 other colored hearts that will go on her quilt.

My back was screaming when I finished this so I came inside and watched the news with a heating pad between my shoulders. I can certainly tell it has been a long time since I did any sewing projects.
We got chores done and then I gathered some more Kale leaves to have for supper and for lunch tomorrow as well as another bag for the freezer. At least there is something in the garden that seems to love all this rain.
These potato vines seem to love the rain also and we are wondering if there will be any potatoes under these very tall vines. This rabbit guard fencing is 2 feet tall and the vines are towering over it.

Daughter and her family came over to have smores with us as hubbie wanted campfire hotdogs again for his supper.
Our fire time was cut short when a rain shower popped up and ran us inside.
As we sat in the living room visiting we could hear little soft peeps coming from the eggs in the incubator as today is the last day for incubation time . Several guinea and chicken eggs have little pips starting to form in them.
Hopefully there will be a good percent hatch for my first time trying an incubator.
Back in May of 1980 we had a very busy and fun month. We went camping at lake Keowee in SC with hubbie's brother's family.

Holly his niece was excited to get to ride in our boat.

Hubbie and I both loved to water ski.

Marty, hubbie's brother also skied.

We also went to Cherokee on a weekend tent camping trip . All I remember about that weekend was the rain that flooded out tent overnight.

We also attended my youngest brother's future wife's high school graduation that month.

My dad tying my older brothers tie before we left.

Hubbie and I also attended the nascar race in Charlotte, NC on Memorial day.

We had new kittens and of course this is my old poodle named Jaque.

 In back of me in this picture is the old climbing rose that is now planted below the house beside the basement door.

Good memories of a special time in our lives, our first year of marriage.
Today has been a cloudy muggy day with only the short shower  of rain that came around this evening that measured about 1/10th inch.
Thankful for the blessings of this day, thankful for all the brave souls willing to give the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom in this country and to the one who gave the most highest ultimate sacrifice of all, Jesus Christ who gave His life for all of mankind.
God Bless, Good Night and Thank You