BEAUTIFUL EARTH DAY

G-son arrived very talkative this morning. Hubbie took him to school while I was able to snuggle with my 4-legged kids under the warm covers a little extra.
It is 38 degrees but for some reason feels colder as I go through chores. Sure enough the little white silkie hatched all the 5 eggs I placed under her.

She was keeping them under her warm feathers all day in the low 60's temperatures with a brisk breeze keeping the sunshine from warming it up.
Hubbie and I spent the morning running errands. We went to Target to get a drawer pod holder to fit under my Keurig coffee maker. They were the closest store that had one of these storage drawers.I don't have much counter space and needed this to save space.
We came back through Fletcher to Foam and Fabrics to pick up some more apple designed chair cushion material for an order I have for next Saturday.
By this time it was noon so we stopped by a Subway for our favorite Italian BMT sub.
Then it was to Southern States feed store for a restock on all our animal feed. Also found some nice cabbage plants.
Our last stop was Sam's Club for some things we were out off and then we made it home around 1:30.
For some reason we are being invaded by field rats around the foundation of our house. They are digging holes and tunneling all around the flower beds and under the porches. We have never had this problem before and can't put out poison because of the dogs,especially Sadie who was seen killing one of the rats a couple days ago.  Hubbie has declared a trapping war on them,setting muliple traps around the beds. He has made covers for them so the dogs don't get "trapped". He caught 2 last night and has added more traps this afternoon. Thankfully they can't get through the cement foundation to come inside the house but I hate to have all the holes around for rain to run down in beside the foundation.
After I picked g-son up from school he played outside for a while. He is in one of his wants to be outside all the time moods these days so that's fine by me. I had much rather see him out there getting exercise than sitting in front of the TV every afternoon.
After chores I got out the last bunch of dried okra from last year's garden to take to market and noticed these little purple flowers had dried  perfectly along with the okra.

This evening was a dog grooming evening as Bernie and Dolly got haircuts and baths. We hated to do it on this cool evening but tomorrow is supposed to warm up to 70 with sunshine. They are both wrapped in warm blankets on the couch as I write this tonight.
It is 46 degrees at 11:30 tonight so I'm looking for mid to upper 30's again tonight with the cloudless sky.
Today was Earth Day 2013 and as I looked around at all the beautiful green grass and blooming plants on this spring day I prayerfully thanked God for the unmatched beauty He created. May we as caretakers of His creations always be vigilant in the effort to preserve their beauty.
Good Night and God Bless.

WONDERUL SUNDAY

Church was wonderful this morning as we had 6 folks join today. Three couples came forward at invitation,with one for Baptism and the rest by letter or statement,may all the glory be to God !!!
We had both son's and g-son for lunch since the girls were all gone on their ladies weekend to Beaufort,SC. Daughter ,d-in-love and Claudia went to the home of daughter's friend down there for a little R&R. They got home in time for the first VBS meeting at 4:00 this afternoon.
#2 son has a good lead on the sale of his house hopefully this week.He went home to do some extra cleaning.
The weather was nice enough for outside play today with sunshine and low 60's temperatures.
G-son got out his jeep for the first run of the season. He is much better at driving this year even with one hand.

I have no idea why he is looking at the underside of the jeep but I do know that he is going to have a very strong right arm before that cast comes off his left arm.

He rode awhile then wanted me to pull him around in his wagon which I did to get some good exercise for the day.
He stayed outside all afternoon while his dad worked on their cars.
This bed or oregano below the house is ready for it's first cut maybe tomorrow. I only have a couple jars left from last year.

Everyone has been complaining because there is hardly ever any pictures of me so I guess I'll have to do this more often. Although it would be better if I wasn't squinting into the sunlight and the wind wasn't blowing my hair up.

During chores this evening I heard some extra peeps coming from the setting silkie who is due to hatch chicks tomorrow and sure enough there were at least three already hatched and drying under her. She has vigilantly sat on her eggs all through these cooler nights and hopefully will have a full hatch.
Tonight daughter came by to pick up Tipper (her dog) who has spent the weekend with us and said they had a good trip.
Thankful tonight for God's protection for my girls as they traveled and for blessing me undeservedly each day.
Good Night and God Bless.

BIRDS AND BLOOMS

A cool 36 degree welcome this morning got my attention quickly as I did the morning feeding chores.
Market was slow today. There were a couple other activities going on in town so maybe that's why. Thankful for what I did sell as always.
After a stop at Harris teeter for some "on sale" specials and a stop at the local fresh produce market that just opened today  I made it home around 3:00. I was tickled with the fresh produce,yes it's Florida grown but at least it's not frozen or been in a store for days !!
I bought fresh corn of the cob ,half runner beans, yellow squash, bell pepper,tomatoes and red potatoes mostly for our Sunday lunch tomorrow with left overs for the week,yum.
After we got things put away hubbie finished mowing the lawn and I went on a photograph journey.
Each time I walk into the living room from the hallway this azalea just takes my breath in this window.

Outside it is even more breath taking.

Our apple trees are loaded with blooms, I am hoping these cold nights stay above freezing as predicted for the next several days.

My lilac is starting to put on some blooms,hopefully it will have more blossoms than it did last year.

I got to relax in the warm 63 degree sunshine for awhile and watch my little feathered friends at the re-filled feeders.
This little Chirping Sparrow tips his little red head for a photo.

I am surprised to see this White-Throated Sparrow still hanging around these parts, maybe the cooler temperatures have him confused.

The brightly colored Gold Finches dine together.

Then argue !!!

The "Mr." wins the battle and looks proud of himself as he scouts for more intruders at "his" feeder !!

Caught this Dove silhouetted on this tree branch in the evening sun.

I keep watching this new birdhouse from the trip to the flea market a couple weeks ago but I haven't seen any takers yet !

G-son came to stay with us while his dad mowed their lawn and showed off his autographed cast.

He and Pawpaw were making great plans in the hammock.

We played hide and seek down in the woods in front of the house ,hiding behind the big trees down there. His full arm cast isn't slowing him down at all.
Dad came by and let him drive the mower back to the shed.

They stayed and had supper with us before heading home to spend a male bonding evening while mom is on a weekend trip with some friends.
The sun sparkled like a diamond in the clear blue sky this evening.

 After evening chores hubbie and I spent a restful evening.
On the news the bombing suspect still isn't able to talk and is in serious but stable condition. It appears as if he tried to take his own life while in hiding yesterday by cuts on his arms and throat.
Thankful tonight for all the beauty God has provided for our pleasure.
Each time I look at one of these little colorful birds or the beautiful blooms and see all the small details of the markings on them I am humbled by His love for each little thing He created.
Good Night and God Bless.

BOSTON TERRORIST BOMBERS CAUGHT

My alarm radio blared the news of the shooting of one of the Boston bombing suspects this morning. They are brothers and the youngest one escaped during a gun fight so the entire town of Boston and surrounding areas have been shut down and all traffic in or out has come to a stand still.
These are the 2 suspects.

These brothers are from Russia and are Muslims.
I went though a rainy,windy morning doing chores and then worked inside on housework and cake baking while the TV station carried minute to minute reports of this manhunt.
I decided to downsize the amount I was baking today as the weather reports for tomorrow aren't great and it is also the day of the annual Steeplechase in nearby Tryon,NC.
I only baked 3 caramel,3 chocolate and 1 pound cake  to hopefully have a decent market day in spite of the weather and other activities.
In other sad news after the plant explosion in Texas 12 more bodies have been recovered and now over 200 injured are being cared for.
Just after lunch more heavier rain and harder winds moved in. Here is the map of the cold front moving toward our area.

I should have exercised but with my sore back and my elbow tendonitis still bothering me a bit I decided against the much needed exercise routine for today. Instead I sewed some more aprons that I had cut out.
I finished this last towel apron.

When I was rummaging around in my sewing shop a couple weeks ago I found 2 sets of toy kitchen tools. I used to make these cute little girls aprons and filled them with the small plastic tools. I stopped being able to find the little tools so haven't made any of these aprons in a couple years. I was glad I found these 2 sets.

As I finished the aprons the rain became harder again just as hubbie came home from work.
Daughter came by and brought her baked things for tomorrow.
I waited for a break in the rain to do the evening chores. One of my little female quails is in the little house I have in the cage and hasn't come out in a couple days. I am hoping she is nesting.
I poured another one inch of rain from the gauge today. At least it has been a slow soaking rain all day.
The weathermen keep lowering the temperature for tonight, now it is 36 degrees.
Breaking news came through tonight that the second bombing suspect has been captured alive.

He was hiding out in a covered boat just outside the secured perimeter area and was found when the owner went outside his house this evening and spotted blood on the boat cover.

He had been apparently wounded in the shoot out last night and was bleeding badly when he crawled into the boat through a zippered opening. When the lock down was lifted and residents were told they could go outside this evening because the authorities thought the bomber had eluded them and escaped, this older gentleman went out in his yard and noticed the blood on the boat cover. He actually climbed a latter and looked into the boat and saw the suspect laying there. He ran back inside and called police. They surrounded the boat and took the suspect into custody,rushing him to a local hospital desperately trying to save his life for the information he might be able to give them. No one is relaxing until it is known if these two were working alone or if they are part of a terror network in our country.
Tonight I iced my cakes and washed the eggs.  Getting ready to snuggle down with my 4-legged kids for a cold night.
Grateful to God tonight for His blessings for our entire country tonight as justice is done,may it glorify His name.
Good Night and God Bless.

ANOTHER SLOW MARKET DAY

A cloudy morning again as I hurried through chores to get ready for market.
Maybe if the clouds hang around they will keep the temps down and we can avoid those severe storms later today.
#1 son came through and said g-son was independently doing everything for himself this morning getting ready for school with one hand. As soon as he got in the classroom he was surrounded by his classmates.
Market was slow today but I am very thankful for the sales I did have. One of the camps I serve is starting to get going and they picked up 3 cakes today.
At almost noon I can see patches of blue sky now appearing as the clouds break up and the temperature is holding around 71 degrees today.
I have worked a crossword puzzle and caught up on all my blog reading, so what to do next to ward off the boredom?
Finally close enough to closing time to sneak out a bit early. I did my weekly errands and just got inside Aldi grocery store when #2 son called and asked if I would go up to his house and meet the Home Depot guys that were delivering his riding lawn mower today. They had called him and said they were on their way.
They were waiting when I got there before they unloaded the mower because they had to have someone sign to confirm the delivery.
He got a Cub Cadet mower like ours,just not quite as big. His grass definitely needed mowing,maybe he got home in time tonight to try out the new mower!
I stopped at his old house on my way home to visit with  little Evy. Her mom said she went to the doctor this morning and had gained 2 pounds already. She is an alert baby for sure.
I got home at 4:45 and was unloading when hubbie came in from work . After we got everything put away I ate a salad supper,watched the early news of the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas that totally destroyed the plant and numerous houses and other buildings around it spreading out to most of the town of Waco. They are still searching for victims of the blast tonight with a death tole already at 14 and expected to rise. There were 160 at least injured in the blast that happened last night. Right now this just looks like an industrial accident, not a terrorist attack.
The explosion was so strong it measured on the richter  scale a 2.1 putting up a mushroom cloud.

And some breaking news in the Boston marathon bombing, they have these 2 guys on surveilance videos with these heavy backpacks and one of them is pictured setting his pack down at the spot of the second bombing.

Word is that the authorities are now thinking this was an act of foreign terrorism. I just hope they can catch these guys and know for sure where they are from and why they sat those bombs off that day.
Fortunately no other victims have died but there are numerous reports of lost legs.
Daughter came by tonight from a coach's meeting at the high school to pick up her baking supplies she asked me to pick up today.
After chores I relaxed out in the sunroom with my 4-legged kids watching darkness fall while we listened to the night sounds of frogs singing and birds fluttering in the trees,getting comfortable for the night.
It is nice to sit out here with the doors and windows open but that won't be the case this weekend as "dogwood winter" is making an appearance and hanging on for a while with some 30's predicted.

 Drag the long pants and jackets back out !!
At least I haven't bothered to put my plants outside yet.  I still won't complain too much as I look at the snowfall in the midwest and the flooding in the Ohio Valley states. Tomorrow looks to be a wash out for us but maybe the severe storms will stay at bay.
Thanking God for today's blessings and  striving to glorify His name in all that I do.
Good Night and God Bless.

SEVERE STORM AND DISLOCATED ELBOW

A phone call from #1 son about 2am let me know that they were on their way home and g-son was alright. He wouldn't wake up from the sedative for re-setting his elbow enough for the nurses to let him go but finally he drank some water and talked enough for them to let him go home. Bless his heart I'm sure he was just really tired after being up since 6am and having all this excitement.
I had a hard time getting back to sleep as it was too hot in our bedroom. I hated to make noise of opening a window because I didn't want to wake hubbie.
This morning was cloudy and warm as if welcoming stormy weather. After feeding animals I spent the morning inside doing today's housework duty. After lunch I baked 6 caramel and 1 pound cake,barely getting the ovens cut off before a surprise thunderstorm rocked our area.

That dark orange blob on the NC/SC line flared up right on top of us and sat there for over an hour. These storms caused all kinds of warnings across the country as they sprang up this afternoon.

Guess we can count ourselves very fortunate tonight as we only saw thunder/lightening and hard rain in our area. That white area is snow and in some places "lots of snow" !!

In our yard the downpour of 1" of rain caused both front and back yards to become rivers.

#1 son called and after spending all afternoon at a pediatric orthopedic center in Asheville with g-son having a MRI to make sure there were no bone fragments to cause future damage in his elbow and getting a hard cast on his left arm they were finally on their way home to rest.

#1 son took the rest of the week off to take g-son to school and take care of him.
Thanks for all the prayers for him and I am so thankful that no further surgery was needed.
Reports are that he was a real strong little trooper all through this.  Funny thing that less than a month ago one of his church friends and school classmates fractured her elbow falling off a trampoline and he now has a cast that looks just like her's did.  He is ready to go back to school tomorrow to show his cast off and tell his story !!
After the rain stopped I did some raking repair jobs in our yards and then fed the wet animals so they would have full stomachs before they were shut in their houses to dry out.
I did the weekly paperwork early tonight and then iced my caramel cakes before we watched Survivor on TV.
Daughter came by on her way home from church to pick up some racks for her baking supplies she is baking for tomorrow.
This has been a blessing filled day for our family and I am humbly grateful to our Heavenly Father tonight for His grace and love.
Good Night and God Bless.

G-SON TO EMERGENCY ROOM

As g-son and I headed for school this morning the sun was trying to win the battle with the clouds.
I spent a regular laundry and housecleaning Tuesday morning. By lunch time I had both finished and the sun had mostly won the battle with the clouds so it was outside time for me.
I took a nice walk then soaked up some vitamin D for a few minutes before time to pick up g-son from school.
After he ate we went outside to swing for the first time this season. Today was soccer practice so his dad picked him up and they were off to Jackson Park.
I sewed some until hubbie got home making these three towel aprons.

I was going up to to the chores when I got a phone call from #1 son saying he was on his way to Mission Hospital with g-son who he thought had broken his arm.
After soccer practice was over he was playing on the playground and fell off one of the climbing towers. He landed on his arm and son said his elbow was displaced and he couldn't use his arm.

Hubbie and I sat outside after supper and drank coffee in this nice warm evening. Signs of spring's new growth is very evident now as this Box Elder Maple tree in the front yard is starting to put on it's "hula skirt" blooms.

This little lone violet sneaks up between the walkway stones.

As I look out through the trees I wonder if this is a squirrel or hawks nest.

It will be quickly hidden by the leaves on the surrounding trees so I will just have to keep wondering.
Sis-in-law called and found me some "on sale" eggs so hubbie rode with me over to her house to pick them up. She was gone to the movies with her sister and cousin since her hubbie is working second shift for a few weeks.
Well it is 11:00 and the last I heard from g-son was that they were waiting on more x-rays before they would know for sure if the elbow was dislocated or broken.
I am going to soak in a hot tub for awhile then to bed.
Praying that g-son will be okay and that his pain will be minimal whatever the outcome.
Good Night and God Bless.