LAST DAY OF JUNE 2012 HAS RECORD BREAKING HEAT !!

Made it to market on time for a change this morning. Daughter was already there and we both stayed all day expecting a busy pre July 4th Saturday. The day was okay but nothing like the past 2 years. The high temperatures kept folks comfy at home in the air conditioning.

This is the temperature as I left market. I made a couple supply stops hurriedly getting back to the van so the things inside wouldn't completely melt. The temperature at the airport was 99 which broke the old record of 96 set back in 1952.
We're not the only ones sweltering in the heat,most of the country is in or close to triple digits.

 Last night there were some severe storms in several states that killed 13 people and knocked out electricity to millions. In one of the storms was our pastor and many members of our church who are on mission to West Virginia. Word from them is good, they are all okay ,only damage to one of the vans from falling tree limbs, thank you Lord.

Hubbie worked out in the heat today on finishing the barn. I helped put up one side of the fencing when I got home and we only like stretching the wire on the other side and cleaning up and we are done !
#1 son and g-son came by this evening to visit for a while.
At 11:00 tonight the temperature has dropped to 76.
It's hard to believe that June is gone, we have been so busy this month it slipped by me barely noticed !!
We helped #2 son move in with his sister and get his house rented. I looked at several houses with him but he hasn't found that "right" house yet.
We rented out lower pasture to the same couple that rented his house and built them a small 30ft X 12ft horse barn to keep their 2 horses in. They also will be putting some of their cattle in the pasture.
This month also hubbie and I both passed our yearly physicals with flying colors.
The weather has been cool for the month of June until these last few days which have been very hot.
We've had a couple bad rain storms but no damage except some washed out places.
Well that's a short recap of June 2012 and it will be part of history in just a short while.
Looking forward to what God has in store for me in the next month.
Good Night and God Bless.

97 DEGREES, PERFECT HAYING WEATHER !!

Whew ! when I opened the door this morning and the heat hit me in the face it felt like I was in Florida or somewhere else farther south for sure. It was 77 degrees at 8am today. Thankfully we had a nice cloud cover that held the heat down for the first half of the day,at noon it was only 85. But this afternoon the sun broke through and we were sweating to 97 at around 3:30 !
After chores this morning I spent the entire morning in the kitchen baking, 12 caramel,4 chocolate,1 coconut,3 pound and 1 wine cake.
Hubbie was outside finishing closing in the back side of the barn. Just as I got down there to help he was figuring what lumber and gates we needed to build the fences back. I remembered I had a 10% off coupon from Tractor Supply so we headed out first to the lumber yard and then to TS for animal feed and gates. Got a very good deal on the gates plus the 10% off.
Back home while he dug post holes and set the gate post I came inside and iced 6 caramel cakes.
Then back outside to help,actually the heat didn't feel too bad and we were working in the shade. We got one side of the board fence up and layed the other side out for tomorrow before we quit for the evening.

While we worked renter Aaron and a friend baled the hay in the bottom pasture.
There were over 30 rolls when they were finished.

The pasture looks so nice this evening.
After chores this evening I iced the rest of my cakes and got things ready for market.
Another hot day is predicted so I don't know how many folks will ventured into an un- airconditioned market. I do have several orders so I'll have a pretty good day just on those.
Praising God for His blessings and asking for His guidance for daughter who is facing a difficult  career decision in the coming days.
Good Night and God Bless.

SLOW MARKET DAY AND OLD TIMEY DAY 2002 MEMORIES

Early morning chores to get ready for market today. For some reason lately I can't seem to find a routine that gets me to market on time these days.
Today was another 10 minute late arrival and I realized I forgot to cut fresh basil and oregano last night but at least I remembered the extra yellow squash.
My table between noon and one. I have sold slowly this morning as there have been few folks through market today.

This is the aisle both directions from my table .

Me speaking with one of the few folks who wandered through today.

The conversation is all about the heat wave coming, starting today as it was 95 degrees on my way home this evening.

In my opinion the media is causing panic over a typically normal happening in the summer months.
For as long ago as I can remember there have been days each summer with the temperatures in the mid to upper 90's . Folks that's just "the good ole summer time" !!
Daughter came in and helped me load after she left her basketball camp that she has been helping with this week at the local high school.
I ran regular errands and picked up some groceries and baking supplies on the way home. Also treated myself to a stop at Goodwill just to look around. I found a few things I will photograph later.
Hubbie was home from work by the time I got here and we unloaded the van and watched the news while taking a cooling off break. Then after supper and evening chores #2 son came by to work on the barn with hubbie.
The new renters came by and visited for a while, they are starting to move in this weekend. He is going to bale the hay tomorrow.

I have almost let this month slip away without finishing my decade photos. In June of 2002  we were busy.
This is hubbie taking a break from cooking on the old wood cookstoves on Old Timey day at market that year.

 Old Timey Day was a family affair that year, here are #1 and #2 son with a long time friend and market vendor Stanley who passed away a few years later.

My table in June of 2002

At that time I sold as many craft items as baked goods,unlike now.
This is my cousin and his wife who came by to visit with me that day.

And here is my nephew who was with me alot back then after his mom and dad separated. This guy just graduated high school this month. Wow where does the time go ??

It is still 74 degrees tonight at 11:00.
Grateful to God for the blessings of the day.
Good Night and God Bless.

ANOTHER BARN WORK DAY

MORNING  GLORY !!!!

I love seeing these beauties each morning on my walk.
G-son was here again today before 7am and was wide awake and didn't go back to bed but did lay in bed and watch cartoons for a little while. At least until I could shake the cob webs out !!
After breakfast and chores he went on my morning walk with me, talking all the way.
We checked out the hay field just so I could smell that nice smell again this morning.

The sun makes it look like there is a heavy frost on the grass on this side of the fence.
There is going to be a lot of hay just in this one field.

Before we came inside we gleaned the garden for ripe produce.  Yummy, I love cucumbers .

It was a wonderfully cool morning and I'm thankful for this brief reprieve from the heat.
While I finished my Avon order and hung a load of wash out to dry ,g-son led Flash all around and said they were going to "never land". Love the imagination.
I spent the rest of the morning baking cakes, 12 caramel,3chocolate,2 coconut, 3 pound  and 2 wine cakes.
Hubbie took the afternoon off today to work on the barn , so after lunch daughter came after g-son to take him swimming over at sis-in-law's pool. He had a blast playing with some of his cousins for over 2 hours.
Hubbie and I got the siding he picked up Saturday all up and there is only enough for one side. The neighbor we bought it from is in Ireland for a couple weeks so Hubbie is using some of our recycled siding on the back which won't be seen.

#2 son came to mow his yard one last time and take the rest of his things to daughter's.
He is meeting with the renters tomorrow evening to give them the keys.
Hopefully hubbie and I can get the barn finished Friday and get a fence up and be done with this project.
I am grateful tonight that #2 son has things working out for him and just pray that he can find the home of his dreams.
I am grateful also for the continuing strength that God gives me as I go through each day and asking for His guidance for each day.
Good Night and God Bless.

HAY CUTTING TIME

Up early to greet g-son before 7am. While he went back to sleep I did chores and had breakfast. He got up by the time I finished and went outside to play on this nice cool morning.The high today was in the upper 70's ,for a nice break from the hot weather.
I started laundry and house cleaning while keeping an eye on him as he entertained himself by walking Flash the dog and playing in the outside patio.

I spent the morning and early afternoon busy inside. I finished and then went outside to join him.
He shared a secret with me as we zoomed around in the "hammock mobile".

His dad came after him just as hubbie got home from work.
Three generations !!

The man who is renting our pasture cut the hay this evening. I love the smell of freshly mowed hay and with none of the worries of getting it up it is much sweeter !

Hubbie and I made a trip to Sam's Club and to Ingles for groceries this evening. When we got things put away we hauled the last of #2 son's things up to our basement. One more trip to daughter's with his grill and lawn mower and the move will be complete.
As he delivered mail today he found a house he likes and is going to look at it Sunday.
I changed out my furniture covers tonight so I can get them washed and hung out on the line early to dry in the morning.
I put an Avon order on line tonight and am listening to the news before I head to bath and bed.
Seems like every day this month I have had a long list of things that need to get done that day and tomorrow is no different. Whew, I'm already looking forward to winter time !!
Thanking God for blessing me much more than I deserve each day.
Good Night and God Bless.

CONDO DWELLERS AND SUMMER DECORATIONS

Up at 6:45 to get g-son settled in bed. I can never go totally back to sleep after this commotion but at least I get to rest and doze until the alarm sounds at 8 am.
I had finished chores,breakfast and devotions before g-son came stumbling into the sunroom saying how tired he was to sleep so long.
After he had breakfast I went out to walk while he stayed inside to answer the phone.
The chicken condo is full these days.

The bottom Silkie hatched 7 eggs.

And the lady in the top unit has 6 little dibs to keep her occupied.

After I came inside I washed a couple loads of rugs and hung them out to dry before this evening's storms.
This is the last week of the month and time for decoration changes. With Independence day just around the corner, red.white and blue was the order of the day.
New dining room placemats.

 The sunroom table got new dressings also.

 I found these 4 small plates at Goodwill for 25 cents each and thought they would be great for  summer table decoration.

I love using my old pottery pitchers for vases.

Do you like Snoopy? I sure do and this is a lovely red,white and blue set.

I cleaned and swept all the leaves and debris from the last 2 evening's storms off the porches and then g-son came outside wanting me to push him in his swing. And if you've followed my blog long you all know what takes priority around here !! 
I pushed him and we sang made up songs until hubbie got home from work and took over so I could take Dolly to get her a Rabies shot at the vet's office.
There was a sad  scene inside the waiting room as we waited to go back for the shot. A lady and her 2 young daughters were there with a 16 year old cat that was going to have to be put to sleep. They were crying and I tried to comfort them as best as I could by talking with them while we waited. I don't know their names but God does and I pray that they are finding peace with their decision tonight.
I came home from the vet's office,rushed through chores, grabbed a quick sandwich and daughter picked me up for our nutrition class at church.
After the class we went on a 2 mile walk at  a local community center trail. I loved walking and talking with a couple ladies from church.
It was almost 9:00 when we finally got home.
Hubbie had cut me a nice ice cold slice of watermelon to help me cool down when I got home  and it tasted really good.
I had actually gained 1 1/2 lbs tonight in our weigh in so she told me to cut my 250 calorie meals to 200 calories until I started feeling hungry between them.
We had an additional 1/4" of rain overnight  but even after a humid 88 degree day we managed to stay dry this evening.
I am tired tonight,it is almost 11:30 and I'm looking forward to bedtime.
Thanking God for the peaceful day and for the blessing of an awesome church family.
Good Night and God Bless.

NURSERY DUTY SUNDAY AND ANOTHER STORM

Nursery duty Sunday for hubbie and I at church this morning. We had another lady helping us and we had 6 little ones so it wasn't too bad. It was this lady's first time for nursery duty and it didn't start off very well with 2 of the kids who don't normally cry pitching fits for their mamas but they soon calmed down and the time passed quickly as they all played well together.
#2 son was the only one missing from lunch today as he is at the lake with some friends.
He came in later and took leftovers for supper.
He sold some of his furniture today so all he has left is the dining room set now. He moved more things this afternoon using my van. He brought 1 load up to our basement and took his clothes and other stuff to daughter's.
It is sad to see him go but I want him to be happy and I don't blame him for wanting off the side of this busy road we live on.
Hopefully he can find a quite,nice place like daughter has.
Just after he left taking the load to daughter's the skies opened up again around here. We were pounded with 1 3/4 inches of rain with wind again today. The wind wasn't as bad as yesterday and blew from the opposite direction but there was harder rain, so we have more gulleys in our roads.

Here is hubbie checking out the drive in front of #2 son's house.

When I walked by these Hosta blooms dripping with rain droplets I had to snap a couple photos .

Hubbie and I relaxed for the rest of the evening. We talked about how things are surely changing around here and we do wonder what God has in store for us in the future.
We weren't the only ones getting soaked with rain today as tropical storm Debbie slowly moves around in the gulf.

As we dug the ditches out and turned water away from the new washes getting ready for more predicted rain tomorrow I saw this rainbow .

It was pale and short lived but it was the promise from God of His forever love and care for us.
Good Night and God Bless.

GOOD MARKET DAY AND STORMY EVENING

An early morning sudden wake up had me wishing for more sleep. About 5am I heard the front door close and as hubbie came back into the bedroom he said he had just been down  the bank in front of our house to check to see who was in a truck backed up to #2 son's house. It was a couple of son's friends picking up some water skis.  He said they started yelling out who they were when they first saw him in fear he would shoot them.  We later had a good laugh but at 5 am nothing is funny !!
Got a late start to market but stayed steadily busy all day. Daughter was there to help most of the day until she left to direct a friends wedding. Here is a picture of her with the bride.

Another hot afternoon kept customers scarce after lunch but a few braved the heat to pick up cakes and bread.
On my way home I picked up baking supplies and fresh vegetables. Just after we unloaded my van the skies darken and then opened up to pouring rain and high winds for over a hour.
Not much thunder or lightening but side ways pounding rain was enough to make me want to run for cover until it was over !
These are some pics of the aftermath.

Our three rows of corn now flat !!

Along with my Lambs Ear plant.

There are limbs all over the yard, looks like we've had an ice storm !!!

Plenty of gullies in the drives around the farm.

One of my apple trees blew over.

I thought this Mimosa limb had split off the tree but all these heavy wet blooms is just weighing it down until it almost touches the ground.

All this minor damage is a blessing with the 1 1/2 inches of rain that fell giving everything a much needed drenching.
Speaking of weather today history was made as the 4th named tropical storm formed in the gulf, Debbie is drenching the west coast of Florida right now but the predicted track will take it into Texas. Oil rigs in the gulf are being cleared of workers which means we will probably be paying more for a gallon of gas next week.
After touring the farm for damage we did the evening chores ,slogging around in the mud and then had fresh corn and steamed squash with a small grilled chicken breast for supper.
The evening has been a relaxing one and I'm tired and ready for an extra early bedtime to make up for the 5am wake up call !!
Grateful to God tonight for the rain and for sparing us from major damage during today's storm.
Good Night and God Bless.

A LITTLE RAIN IS BETTER THAN NONE AND 1992 ACTIVITIES

Today has been a bit stressful for me. #1 son had to work last night so he has today off and g-son is staying with him. Hubbie is off today also and headed out early to work some in the garden.
Daughter is attending a friends wedding rehearsal today and for some reason has to be there at 10am, the rehearsal isn't until 4:30 this afternoon !  So I get 2 extra dogs to babysit today.
As she left she didn't pay attention to Flash who was running behind her car barking ,when she didn't stop he followed her all the way to the highway.  After having spent the last week making sure he doesn't go down the drive to his old home this was not a good thing.
I baked 6 caramel, 2 chocolate,1 coconut, 3 pound and 1 wine cake this morning. Getting finished just in time to go with hubbie to a consultation at the endoscopy place in Asheville. He has decided to put off the colonoscopy for now because it would cost us so much with the insurance he has.
After we got home it started to storm and we received about 2/10ths of an inch of rain without too much thunder and lightening. It was just a drop in a very dry bucket but we'll take anything right now. Hubbie said earlier today that if we didn't get rain in the next couple days our garden probably would be gone. It is just now starting to produce vegetables so we are praying for a good soaking rain. The temperature today was 87 and the humidity level tonight is 100% but it is a cool 67 at 11:00.
#1 son and g-son came by for a while during the storm this afternoon then they left to get movies to go home and rest.
After chores this evening I relaxed for a little while before icing cakes. Daughter came by and picked up her dogs after the rehearsal dinner.
Sometimes I think about how busy we seem to be this year but then as I look back at the Junes of years past ,they were busier, so maybe I'm just getting older,haha !!
In June of 1992 it was Hubbie's turn to go to Cub Scout Camp with #2 son.
Here is hubbie watching over craft time as #2 son watches a friend finish his project.

 #2 son gets help from another leader with his project.

 Exercise was part of their daily routine. This is #2 son and his friend who remained one of his closer friends all through high school.

Here they practice target shooting skills.

We also had Bible School at our church in June that year.  I taught a class of 4 and 5 year olds that year. I always brought something interesting each day ,on this day it was a baby chick from our farm.

Here is #1 and #2 son with some of their classmates.#1 son in the black shirt and #2 son peeking over his shoulder.

This is daughter with some of her classmates. She is in the dark pink shirt and flowered pants.

This is one of her projects and I will say she has lived up to this pledge.

Our lives have always revolved around God and church activities and it is evident in the lifestyles of all three kids.
I thank God each day for the blessing He bestows on me and my kids and say prayers for them each day as they go through the challenges of this world.
God is so good all the time.
Good Night and God Bless.