COLD !! COLD !!! COLD !!!

Woke with g-son snuggled to my back this morning as the phone jangled with a "schools closed" due to power outages message early this morning. As I dozed back off silently thanking God that our power was still on I prayed for the folks who are waking up to a cold house this morning.

This was our temperature when I got up. A new record for this day !

A later phone call let me know that #2 son was one of the unlucky ones who did not have power this morning. He turned his gas logs on but without the blower working they did not put off enough heat to keep his house warm. He just lives up the road from us now but his power is on a different circuit than ours.He said it was 49 degrees in his living room by the time the power came back on at 10am after being out for over four hours.
G-son and I kept logs in both our wood stoves and stayed toasty warm and thankfully our power stayed on.
I went outside to do the chores around 9am and by the time I got everything some unfrozen water and feed my face was actually hurting.  Thankfully old Snowball made it through the frigid night and was standing outside against the side of the barn with the sun shining on her old body. I gave her some grain to help warm her up.
I watched all three of the dogs as they romped around and seemed to know also that they needed the bright sunshine to stay warm this morning. Short haired Flash the basset hound came to the door a couple hours later shivering and had to go back in the basement to his crate for awhile but Annie and Sadie the Aussies stayed outside all day. They are all three back inside again tonight as the temperature is supposed to be 8 degrees after a balmy high of 21 this afternoon.
I spent the day doing more cleaning and reading and building Lincoln log structures with g-son today.
Daughter who had frozen water this morning finally got it thawed out and she came by this afternoon to help g-son put together a gingerbread barn I had bought.
They didn't have too much success getting the barn to stay together but g-son enjoyed decorating it anyway.

It's always a good day for g-son when his aunt T comes around !!!
After his dad picked him up and daughter took some old blankets home to wrap around her well cap to help the insulation hubbie put in this morning I wrapped up and headed back outside to do the chores. All the animals seem to be doing well as I made 3 trips up to their pens with fresh warm water today.
This is the coldest weather we have had around here in years freezing some major rivers in the area.
This is the Little Tennessee River  with ice looking like waves.

The Toe River in Spruce Pine is solidly frozen today.

This is Skunkawauken Falls in Columbus NC just south of us.

And just down the road from us and this is where #1 son does alot of his deer hunting in this area. This is the Big Hungry River.

And another unwanted waterfall is from the sixth floor in one of the buildings at Memorial Mission hospital as a broken waterline created this icy mess.

Everyone of the continental U.S. states will have freezing temperatures tomorrow.

And the national snow cover is very large after this storm passed across the country.

As of 11:00 tonight I haven't heard any school change announcement so I guess we are back on a regular schedule tomorrow morning.
Very grateful to God tonight that my family only had a couple small issues this morning and that all is well tonight.  Prayers for all those who were not so lucky.
Good Night and God Bless.

RECORD BREAKING COLD TONIGHT

Hubbie got up with g-son this morning and took him to school. Our county got no snow just cold and windy this morning so school was on regular schedule.
After chores and breakfast hubbie cleaned the stove pipe out in the living room wood stove. We only use this stove when it is extremely cold because it gives off so much heat in our small house. But we will need it later today ,tonight ,tomorrow and tomorrow night .
The temperature is 28 this morning and is supposed to drop throughout the day getting to 0 overnight.
Hubbie ran my errands this morning in town when he went to buy feed and get some antifreeze to top off our radiators.
I stayed home and did some deep cleaning in the living room along with getting most of the January decor out. I have some candles but don't want to put them out around the wood stove in here.
I put out one of my salt lamps in the living room.

One of the girls on daughter's basketball team's parents own a shop in Lake Lure that sells these. I read of all the benefits of having them burning in your home and decided to try them.  These rock salt lamps are said to be excellent air purifiers by releasing negative ions to add many health benefits to the air in the rooms they burn in.
Daughter gave me one for Christmas and I have it in my bedroom. I went in together with my friend the head coach out at the high school and we bought a case of six and split them so we could get wholesale pricing so I now have a total of four to spread throughout the house. This is a huge one in the living room.
#2 son came by today and I went with him to do the final check on the condo he has been living in. He was mad because the Direct TV man was supposed to come out and hook his system up this morning between 8 and 12. After he waited at home for four hours they called him and told him due to the weather issues they would not be coming today. At that time the sun was shining, the roads were clear and it was 28 so why they didn't work, who knows ????   Now he has to wait until Wednesday because their not going to work tomorrow either !!!    All the work at his house is inside so we have no idea what is going on. The dish is already up and the wires are run through the wall. He even had his box that he took from his house when he suspended his service 5 months ago.  Direct TV really dropped the ball on this one !!!  Son went to Lowe's to buy a washer and dryer and got a really good deal on some display models so that lifted his mood some.
#1 son came in after sleeping some this morning after an all night work night and said he was buying an old truck from one of his cousins who needed money badly today.  The truck looks really good but has some mechanical issues.
I picked up g-son from school and he was hungry as a bear when we got home. When I picked him up the principle told me that schools will be delayed two hours in the morning due to the cold so he will come back and spend the night with us tonight so he can sleep in a little tomorrow.
After chores hubbie and I put all three dogs in the basement tonight. Annie does not like the crate at all but isn't putting up to much of a fight down there. She probably won't come anywhere near the basement doors tomorrow night but it is going to be a little warmer tomorrow night.
As I looked around the living room tonight I thought how empty it looks after having all the Christmas decor in here.
As I write this blog and listen to the news there are many warnings out for most of the country about the cold temps and a record is supposed to be set tonight for our area as the old record low set back in 1879 was 3 degrees. It is already 6 .

I am  leaving the sunroom door open tonight with the Eden Pure heater running out there to help keep it from getting below freezing and killing all the plants out there.
It is dangerous out there if you have to be out be very careful.

 Thanking God for the blessings of the day and praying that He will give warmth and comfort to all the folks and animals out in this brutal cold tonight.
Good Night and God Bless.

CRACKER BARREL SUNDAY

A warmer morning than we've been having but a misty rain was falling as I did the chores before church.
Church was good today as we finished up the last chapter of Malachi.
We all met at Cracker Barrel for lunch after church as hubbie's and  me's treat and celebration for all the good news of the last week for the kids.
G-son always likes to having a rousing game of checkers with his mom as we wait our turn for seating.

It was a little cool out here today and the game was short.
We all had a delicious meal. I had my favorite of the spicy grilled catfish with salad, fried okra and boiled cabbage.
After our meal we all stopped by the estate sale place. I found a couple small quits I bought to cover the recliner g-son sits and eats in and some linen appliqued pillows.

I also found a small cheap display rack for market.
Hubbie and I left there and stopped by Belk's to look for him a suit jacket and white shirt. He found both on the 85% off racks and of course I found a couple things for myself on these racks. I also stocked up on my favorite lotions from Bath and Body Works semi-annual sale.
We got home to find #2 son looking for a hole saw to put cord holes in the TV stand he bought last night. He had already been to Best Buy and bought a bigger TV. He seems so excited about this new house.
As hubbie and I started chores Aaron and #1 son pulled in with a trailer full of furniture that Aaron and Rebekah had bought at the sale last night.  Hubbie took his truck and helped them get it up to Aaron's house. Then they took their old living room set up to #2 son's sunroom that is empty of furniture. They are going to advertise to sell it and that will be a good place to pick it up from.
G-son came to stay with me while his mom and Rebekah went grocery shopping. I finished taping all the plastic containers of my Christmas decorations so when hubbie got back we put them in the garden shed for a long 11 month rest.
I still haven't gotten down all the outside things but they are wet again now.
The big news tonight is the weather as winter storm Ion is putting almost the entire country in the deep freeze for the next several days. Here we are expecting the coldest temperatures we have seen in over 20 years.

With winds up to 30 mph that 0 is going to feel like - 20 degrees.  These coming days will definitely be  two stove fire days.
Tonight's misty light rain is supposed to turn to snow before daylight but we aren't looking for alot of accumulation.

 The frigid temps are really going to be the story for us and most of the country.

BRRRRR !!!!! 
I really hate to complain about a temperature of 0 when the northern states are looking at highs in some places of - 38 degrees !!!!
I tell myself after all this is winter and  this cold blast will do a lot to kill off  all the germs and do away with some of the insect pest that have slowly moved north to our area over the last years.
Giving all my cares to God and knowing that He knows whats best for all of us as I go to bed tonight.
Good Night and God Bless.

FIRST MARKET DAY OF THE YEAR

Up and out to market today. Seems like it has been a long time since I was here but it was only last Saturday !!
Spent the day repeating the saga of our managers untimely death to customers who came through that hadn't heard the news.
I sold unexpectedly well for the Saturday after all the year ending holidays are over.  There is a buzz all around market about who will be the market's next manager. I would hate to be the one who does the choosing. After lunch the aisles emptied out and customers were scarce.

After market I stopped by Walgreens and Aldi to pick up a few things. Got a head start on next year's operations Christmas child boxes with some books and things that were 75% off in Walgreens.
Aldi was so crowded I hurried through just getting what I needed and headed home.
Hubbie was here to help unload after he has spent the day helping #2 son get all the things he had stored in our basement moved.
After I fed the hens and dogs hubbie and I went with #2 son over to a furniture store that is going out of business in Asheville. They had some great deals as everything was 50% off the lowest marked sale price which mostly was already deeply discounted.
#2 son found a TV stand and a loveseat that he got a good deal on. Aaron and Rebekah came over to check out couches. We left them there still checking out the couches and went across the road to Rug and Home to look for son a large rug so I don't know if they found a couch they liked or not. Son found a nice rug that was on sale so that made his shopping trip complete. We headed home with both trucks loaded. I wasn't sure about the rug but when we put it down at this house it really looked good and matched all the new furniture he bought very well. I hope it looks as good in the light of day. If it doesn't he has 7 days to return it or exchange it.
Hubbie and I got home around 7:00 and finished chores with flashlights. Thankfully it is still in the upper 30's tonight so it doesn't feel so cold. It has been a nice day in the lower 40's but mostly cloudy.
 We had soup for supper then relaxed for the evening. My legs and feet are tired from all the shopping and I didn't buy a thing !!! Although I am going back to look at rugs for my living room next week one day when I have more time.
Grateful tonight for all the blessings of  a Loving Heavenly Father.
Good Night and God Bless.

COLD MOVING DAY FOR #2 SON

Not much sleep last night as the wind was blowing so hard limbs kept slamming into the house and hitting the metal roof. I left my bath water in the bathtub so we would have toilet flushing water if the power was out this morning. Thankfully we were some of the lucky ones around here that kept our power.
The ringing phone at 5:30 told me that school was canceled today and hubbie was up getting ready to go to work. He had talked to #1 son who was out all night with the DOT road clearing crews and he said the roads that hubbie uses to get to work were not bad.
I went back to bed and snuggled under the warm covers on this 13 degree windy morning.
Thankfully the wind died down before it was choretime. The chickens were drinking fast before the water froze right back into a slab of solid ice.

Not much of the snow is left this morning as most of it has blown away.

The road looks dry.

After working all night #1 son came home to sleep and d-in-love brought g-son here on her way to work. She is fortunate to have a boss that will check out the roads and let her know when to come to work.  He was not happy that he didn't get to go to school today because they were going to have a "show and tell" day.

He played well all day with some things he hasn't played with in quite a while along with his new toys.
I spent the morning baking 4 pound cakes. I expect market to be extremely slow tomorrow as the temperature tonight is supposed to be around 12 again and tomorrow not warming until after lunch.
I took time this afternoon to finally complete a couple post of re-caps of 2013 and get them posted.
I also worked some on packing away Christmas decorations as well as getting some cleaning started.
#2 son came by to have a late lunch and pick up some tools to put some of his furniture back together as he moves it into his new house. The closing went well and only took about 10 minutes.
This is his new home and he acts happier than he has in a long time with this purchase.

There is almost 3 acres of land that go with the house so he doesn't have any close neighbors.

He had a friend come by and help him move the heavy stuff and hubbie helped when he got off work.
He got all his things moved into the new house and is spending the first night there. I know it will be quieter there than in the condo complex he has been in.
Thankful that he seems to have found what he has been looking for and is ready to settle down.
Hubbie was up there this evening when another friend stopped by that lives up the road to help unload some things. I think he will enjoy being back in the neighborhood with his friends and family.
This has been a really cold day with a high temperature of 27 degrees,at least  the wind died down and the sun shined brightly all day.
To warm up this evening g-son and I went out to the high school to watch daughter's JV basketball team play Pisgah.
Daughter gives directions from the side line to her point guard.

She is a good coach and these girls respond to her very well as they fought hard with a very good team tonight and kept coming from behind to challenge them for the lead. Unfortunately they could never quite keep the momentum long enough to take the lead but they fought really hard.

G-son and I left after this game and came home to do the evening chores.
He decided he wanted to stay with Pawpaw until his dad came after him so d-in-love and I went back to watch the varsity girls game. They also lost in a very lop sided game. I talked to a friend after their game until daughter came out of the dressing room then I came home to melt cheese for the nachos at the fifth quarter tonight after the game.
They may have a huge crowd tonight as the kids look for a warm place to go to have fun.
I wrapped and labeled my cakes and washed the eggs for market.
I am grateful tonight for the blessed life that God leads me through each day and am very thankful for His guidance for #2 son and all my kids in all their endeavers.
Good Night and God Bless.

YEAR STARTS OFF GOOD

Although #1 son is taking g-son to school this morning as he is taking the day off to work on his water pump I got up at the regular early time to get all my chores done before the rain begins and before little Evy gets here. Her mom and dad have a meeting with a loan officer about a farm land loan they have applied for.
Evy was in a good mood and ate her breakfast while watching #1 son make calls to check prices on pump supplies.  She is such a great eater and has her mouth open before you can get the next spoonful ready !
#1 son had me call my cousin's husband who does all our plumbing. He gave him a really good price to pull the well pump out and repair the line which he said has a hole in it somewhere. He is coming after lunch to get the job done.
When Rebekah came after Evy she was bummed out after getting a preliminary denial of the loan.
After we talked she went home.
I did more un-decorating today getting almost everything in the plastic storage containers. The rain has been light all day but the temperature has stayed in the low 40's making for a raw day. Glad its not me working on pulling a well pump from a 175 foot well today !!!
I stopped my work in time to pick g-son up from school as other g-ma is still feeling under the weather.
I stopped at #1 son's and talked to the plumber for a little while as I passed back by with g-son.
After I got g-son settled with his mac and cheese and chocolate milk I got an excited call from Rebekah.  The loan officer re-submitted their loan and it got instant approval so they will become our permanent neighbors !!  Yea !!!
I am so happy for these two as they are such hard workers and such faithful Christian servants.
Wow what a way to start the new year  !!!!
As I did chores this evening the wind started to blow and the air definitely changed from cool to cold.
The hens needed no coaxing to get them in their nice warm houses this evening.
After a light supper I caught up my last blog book reading so now I am caught up through  yesterday with the last 4 years.
The wind is howling out there tonight at 10:00 and it is 28 degrees. There is snowing flying in the higher elevations but so far no flakes for us.

We are just hoping our power stays on with all this wind plus tomorrow's high temp is predicted to be 28 degrees.
UPDATE AT 11:00.......   Snow has been flying here for sure as the ground is white already.

Thanking God tonight for the wonderful news for Aaron and Rebekah and for #1 son's well problems solved. Praying that all goes well for #2 son as he is closing on his new house tomorrow morning and then moving in.  2014 is shaping up to be a greatly blessed year already for our family and I am so very grateful.
Good Night and God Bless.

WELCOME 2014

2014 started out very very  early for us here at the ole farm stead with the ringing of the phone  just as hubbie and I got into bed long before the ball dropped I might add, so I guess we weren't really in 2014 yet  !!!   Anyway !!   #1 son on the other end of the phone line needed hubbie to come down and help him get the cover off his well house as his water just stopped working.
As they worked I got up to listen and watch the neighbor's fireworks display which by the way started at 10:00 !!
This is the first year in a long time that both hubbie and I were awake and up when the new year rolled in.  Shortly after midnight he came back to the house from son's after they couldn't figure out why the pump wasn't working.
This morning after chores and breakfast I put on a smoked pork shoulder for our traditional "New Years day" lunch of pork which represents good health for the coming year, black-eyed peas which bring luck, some say you must eat 365 peas on this day to have luck each day of the new year,  collard greens for hopes of coming wealth in the new year and corn bread with it's rich gold color representing gold coins of wealth.    Our family has always had this meal each new years day.
Today's lunch gathering included #1 son, #2 son, daughter, Aaron, Rebekah, Evy ,Hubbie and I as d-in-love took g-son to watch the Polar Plunge in Lake Lure. They came in just as we were finishing our lunch and had theirs.
After lunch the men went back to their well work where they had been all morning and the girls went shopping at Target. Hubbie and I started un-decorating. He took up all the outside cords and put some of the displays under the patio so the rain tonight and tomorrow won't soak them.
I worked in the living room and got all my Santa collection as well as the tree down. We taped the containers and put them back in storage. We hauled all the empty containers down to the front porch so I can work tomorrow on getting the rest of the decorations down while it is raining outside.
We stopped at dark just as the girls got back from their shopping trip. They grabbed some left-overs and all headed home.
With no water yet d-in-love and g-son came back up later to get their baths. #1 son is taking tomorrow off to replace his well pump.
As I read another December's blog in my blog books I remembered I didn't take any pics to start this new year off today so I will put some weather maps up.
Winter Storm Hercules is headed our way and is going to drop temps to the below normal range and give us some rain and a chance of snow depending on when the cold air gets here.

The first day of 2014 has been a calm day with temperatures in the mid 40's but thick clouds hung low all day.

The jet stream is dipping allowing some cold air to flow into our area starting tomorrow evening.

The next 48 hours could give us a mixed bag of precip and some of the coldest temperatures of the season.

January is predicted to be a pretty normal month for most of the country including our area.

With the record breaking year of 75 inches of rain we are starting out this year with extremely moist conditions in our area.

Well one day in the new year down with 364 more to go. Looking forward to what God has in store for my family in the coming months.
Praying tonight for the family of my friend Elaine who's memorial service was today.
R.I.P.  Elaine, tell Stanley I said hello !!

Feeling very blessed tonight as I look back then look forward to God's wonderful plan for our family.
Good Night, God Bless and Happy New Year  !!!