FALL GARDEN PLANTING

 Up to a phone call with a cake order. It wasn't a simple order as the man argued for over 10 minutes trying to get me to bring 1 cake all the way across town on a day I don't go to town. We finally settled on the day I do go to town.  I probably need to start pricing my cakes differently if it requires a longer delivery route. I got chores done and then had breakfast. Hubbie and I loaded up the cakes I had left from last weeks baking and took them over to daughters so she could take them to her produce market that buys cakes from her. She had baked sour dough bread for them but didn't have time to bake cakes. We stayed there until she got the girls ready and got things loaded up to make her delivery. The girls wanted to go with her as they get ice cream every time at this market. Hubbie and I headed to Fletcher to pick up chicken feed and then we headed over to the shoe store where I got my Hoka shoes this past spring that I loved. The kids had gotten hubbie a gift certificate for his birthday back in June so he could get him a pair. He tried on several different brands but decided that the Hokas were the best shoe for him also. They really feel like walking on clouds. We came home and unloaded the feed then had lunch. After we ate we went up to the garden to transplant some of our broccoli and cabbage plants we have raised. We did one double row so it will be easier to cover it for winter.  Half row of broccoli and half cabbage.  We also replanted Kale and Collards in the a row in the garden since the ones we previously planted didn't make it and I replanted all the things in my raised bed since none on it didn't make it either that was previously planted. We think it was the very hot weather right after we planted that killed them. Hopefully this time it will stay at least moderately hot.  Looks like summer temps are going to make a come back for at least a couple days next week though but luckily the seeds won't be up yet !!

And we are very thankful "Larry" decided to stay out to sea !!!!

After we finished gardening hubbie went down in the lower pasture to bush hog and I came inside to do a load of sheet laundry and put away some laundry.

We got chores done and I continued my task of cleaning out chicken houses this week with the younger hen house. Thankfully everything that has been moved around have settled in nicely and I didn't even have to get them familiar with going in new houses to roost that have all done it themselves !!

I cut okra again and put it in the freezer to add to my bag.

We came inside and I baked 3 caramel cakes.

We are celebrating tonight as g-son's covid test came back negative today so he can get back into school tomorrow. 

Thankful for all the blessings of this day.

God Bless and Good Night

HAPPY LABOR DAY 2021

 This labor day started off really shaky for me as I was getting chores done this morning I developed a migraine fissure in my right eye. I hurried through chores and came back inside to grab my hot pack and heat it in the microwave and grabbed a couple cold packs from the freezer. As soon as I layed down in bed and put one cold pack behind my head and one on my forehead the fissure left my eye. I stayed in bed and relaxed for a while and put used the hot pack to help me relax even more before I got up to have some breakfast. I think not eating supper last night is probably why I had this problem this morning. After I ate I felt much better but my head still hurt slightly. I got laundry started and then decided to tackle a few small things around the house that I have been putting off. I got these Jacob's cattle beans all shelled out and jarred up for the pantry. I've never had these before so this is about 2 meals worth that will give us a chance to see if we like them or not. These beans are very pretty.

Then between 2 more loads of laundry I strung all the cayenne peppers that have been drying.

And I also managed to shell all these Dragon Tongue beans to use as dried beans. We had these last year and really liked the flavor of them. I had to throw alot of them away because when the rains came from the tropical storms if any beans were touching the ground they molded and sprouted.

I will allow these to dry a little more on this screen before putting them in a jar.

The clouds covered the sun for awhile this afternoon and I went outside to clean out a couple more chicken houses. I got the Tractor Supply tractor ready for the three younger surprise chicks that the hen started sitting on while we were on vacation in June. They turned out to be 2 roosters and  1 pullet.  I also got the Bonesteel tractor cleaned out that houses my incubated from this spring pullets. There are only 9 of them.  The 5 pullets we moved into the camper cover tractor last night are loving their new habitat and ate almost all the mustard greens that I had planted where we moved the tractor over yesterday. 

I finished laundry and then we did chores early to go over to daughter's and have supper with her and help with the girls because son-in-love is down with a kidney stone again. This same stone has been bothering him off and on since June.  We ate then entertained the girls until it got dark and we had to come home to shut everything up. EA hasn't had a good day with a tummy ache, poor babe.

God painted us a pretty sky tonight and the temperature sure feels good and cool this evening.

Thankful for all the blessings of this day.

God Bless, Happy Labor day  and Good Night

SWEET BABY GIRLS

 Up to a quiet Sunday morning after a very good night of sleep. We both slept very well and woke up feeling refreshed and ready for another day. I got chores done and then had breakfast.  I changed out the decor in the living room this morning while hubbie got the lunch fixins started. We are only having #2 son's family and daughter's family here today as we are still waiting for g-son to be tested to see if he has covid virus or not.  We have BBQ'd pork chops, baked potatoes, green beans, corn and biscuits with some delicious blondie brownies d-in-love-Tif brought for dessert.  Everyone had a nice lunch with both babies sleeping.  After lunch both babies were fed then went back to sleep for a together pic. They are about the same size and are both so cute !!!  NP on the left in pink sleeper and EA on the right . Can't wait to watch these two grow up together !

We are so thankful for 2 more healthy babies to add to our family !!!

After everyone left today hubbie and I rearranged the carseats in my Honda. I will have to be using the 3rd seat in there now if all the babies go somewhere with me.

Then I went up and cleaned out the camper cover chicken tractor that the roosters were in and got it ready for the 5 pullets that are in the smaller tractor supply chicken tractor.  I also cleaned out the bigger older hens house. All the houses need cleaning but I didn't have the energy today so I will hopefully clean a couple out each day this week to get them all done. 

We came inside and watched the 6:00 news then went out to get chores done. Back inside we put the roosters from the frig in vacuum sealed bags and put them in the freezer. I still have 2 younger roosters that were surprises to harvest later probably December but that is all for this year.

I was glad to get to sit and relax this evening. 

Thankful and grateful doesn't even come near how I am feeling these days with all the grandkids around and I am praying that g-son gets back in school this week with a clean bill of health.  Thankful you Jesus for all you do for me and my family everyday.

God Bless and Good Night

ROOSTER HARVEST DAY

 Up to get this busy day started. We got chores done and then had breakfast before we started setting up for our second day of rooster harvest. We have 9 more roos that got a week reprieve with the birth of EA last Saturday.  We got set up and got started about 11:15.  I didn't feel quite on my game today and it took as long to do these 9 as it did last time and we even got started an hour earlier. I don't know what made today longer and more tiring but hubbie and I both were wiped out when we finally got everything cleaned up and the roos in the frig to cool down for 24 hours.  We had an egg delivery to make then we came home and rested.  IR and CA called wanting to come over and help with chores and they helped pick beans and pick up potatoes for tomorrow's lunch after we got chores done.

We came inside and while pizzas cooked for supper the girls both had to have some time with their baby sister who is 1 week old today.

We all ate supper then daughter took the girls home and hubbie and I had a very early bedtime as we were both very tired.

Thankful for the blessings of this day.

God Bless and Good Night

MORE GRAPE JUICE MAKING

 Up to get another day started. Daughter picked hubbie up around 8:15 to ride with her to take IR to pre-school so he could sit in the car with CA and EA. I got up and got chores done and was having breakfast when she dropped him back by.  I noticed this huge bloom on the Peace Lily in the sunroom this morning. I don't know why but each time I see this plant bloom it humbles me with it's beauty and meaning. This plant came from my father-in-law's funeral in February 2010 and reminds me that he is still with us spiritually.

After I ate we cleaned house until it was time for me to go meet a couple cake customers. I came back home and did a little more cleaning then we headed out to pick up IR from pre-school.  We picked her up all smiles again today and then we made a stop by McDonalds to pick up lunch for her and CA and for g-son who is still out of school under quarantine. Thankfully he is still feeling fine and shows no signs of covid.  He was very grateful for the lunch we brought him.   IR wanted to eat outside so daughter dropped CA off here for lunch while she went to the drug store to pick up a prescription.   She came back here and we all ate lunch outside today in the nice upper 70's breezy afternoon. We are hoping this weather holds and we have an early fall.   CA went with me to make another cake delivery and went to sleep on the way so she took a good nap on the couch all afternoon. EA took a nap in hubbie's lap in the recliner and IR helped daughter and I pick grapes and make 22 pints of beautiful grape juice for their family from our grapevines. She is such a great helper !!!

She loved the grape juice I made so much she really wanted to make some for their house.

After we finished making the juice this little girls had to be woke up to be fed her and hubbie had snoozed all afternoon.

CA also had to be woken up from her long nap.  Daughter took them home and hubbie and I made spaghetti and Texas toast for #2 son and d-in-love-Tif.  Tif got her staples out today and got a good report from the doctor.

We  came home and got chores done then I shucked more money plant as we sat out in the covered patio. It feels so nice these evenings and I even had my jacket on.

Thankful for the blessings of this day.

God Bless and Good Night

ERRAND DAY THURSDAY

 Up to a errand day Thursday this morning. I got chores done and then hubbie and I loaded up a cake order and the things I was taking to put on my market table and headed out. First stop was the PO to mail the weekly bills , then to the dump / recycle center and the bank before heading to the market. I got all the things put on my table and met picked up money for the money plant that sold. I have only one bunch left out there so I need to work more on that this week and get more bunches shucked.  We made one more stop at the Dollar General store on our way home to pick up a couple things.  We made it home just in time to have lunch. We made BLTs as we continue to enjoy the bounty of tomatoes we are getting from the garden.  Daughter came over with the girls and while she rested with EA and CA took a nap with hubbie IR and I put together this large puzzle and she was proud of her work.

Daughter didn't feel very good today so it was good she came over for a break from the 3 girls.  We enjoy having them and little EA is getting used to us now and is more at ease.

After they left to go home and meet son-in-love after he got off work hubbie and I watched the news then got chores done.  We also picked in the garden and although most things are really slowing down our tomatoes are still going strong.

I put another pan of okra in the freezer today . This is perfect to add to soups and gumbo. 

I need to go back and look at past years because it seems like I have more vegetables this year and am preserving longer than usual. We are very thankful for the bounty our garden has blessed us with this year for sure.

We came inside and I iced the caramel and chocolate cakes I made last night. 

D-in-love-A sent me this picture of RL busy at work in her kindergarten class today.

Thankful for the blessings of this day.

God Bless and Good Night

HELLO SEPTEMBER

 Hello September !!!   Coming in with a rainy night and morning but thankfully Ida only left us with 1.3 inches of rain at least so far !!  Daughter dropped CA off this morning on her way to take IR to her first day of pre-school. I pray she does better than she did last time we tried putting her in pre school. Daughter called  and said she walked right in and had no problems !! 

Daughter had a follow up appointment today with her OB so she went to that and then came back and picked up IR before she and son-in-love came here for lunch.  Hubbie, CA and I had made an egg delivery and a stop at Sav Mor grocery store and brought CA and IR lunch from McDonalds.  This little one slept right through lunch today.

So we all ate here and then they all left. I started getting some tomato soup going to use up some of the excess tomatoes we have right now. I am going to freeze this soup and see how it taste this winter. I taste very good now.

We made roast beef , mashed potatoes,corn, fried squash, biscuits, and slaw for #2 son and d-in-love-Tif and delivered it over to their house this evening before chore time.  NP is doing so good .

Daughter sent this pic tonight of EA who was just staring at the camera !!

We got home and got chores done and then I came inside to bake 3 caramel and 2 chocolate cakes before getting weekly paperwork done. I am enjoying the earlier darkness already.  

Thankful for the blessings of this day and thankful that g-son is still feeling fine.

God Bless and Good Night