Dizzy Debbie is on her way and no work for me for the next four days!

When last we spoke, she was just outside of Chattanooga which is about 2 1/2 - 3 hours from us!

Let me just get the Wal-Mart saga out of the way. It wasn't AS bad as it usually is but it was no walk in the park. I ended up going by myself because Wally was working on the drive-way and the outdoor kitchen and all that... The trip there was uneventful as traffic just doesn't compare. The parking lot was ridiculous so I knew the store wouldn't be much better, if at all. I got my buggy and naturally it was the wobbly, squeaky one - do they have any that aren't? Really?

Off to the produce section where I needed mushrooms, spinach, lettuce, green peppers and a red onion. Oh yeah, and the cole slaw mix. I know I should shred the cabbage myself, but with the party quickly approaching, I'm not sure I'll have time. The cilantro looked terrible so I skipped on it. Please tell me what it is about people that makes them think they are entitled to eat the grapes while they are standing there deciding whether or not to actually purchase the grapes? Buy them and if they aren't any good - bring them back.

So on over to the meat department where I needed only a bag of chicken breasts and a pound of roast beef. I'm making roast beef roll-ups for the party. If they turn out anywhere near decent, I'll post the recipe next week. Then the torture began of navigating through the buggy maze within the aisles... ugh!  I got my Dale's Low-Salt marinade, my Hellman's (only) mayo and Dijon mustard and got the heck away from that aisle. Please tell me what it is about people that makes them think they are entitled to park their buggies on one side of the aisle and then shop from the other side? They have effectively blocked both directions with this act.

The part of this Wal-Mart trip that was good? Well, they had the darn plastic forks I needed and the contact lens solution!! I loaded up on both so I wouldn't have to return for a long, long time :) I had to get a new microwave as ours just decided to quit working the other day. It was old and had served its purpose well. Now one of us will have to figure out how to program it since it's one of those newer models with fancy buttons on it. It wasn't even top of the line, in fact it was one step up from the bottom of the line but still it requires some kind of knowledge I don't care to possess. I've always had Neccy or the kids to take care of these kinds of issues :)

I and all my goodies were out the door in less than 30 minutes. Whew, it was good to be out of there! I rolled down the windows, put up my hair and headed for home. About 5 minutes into the drive I realized I had forgotten to get Wally a pair of sneakers. His other ones will have to do for just a little bit longer because there was no way I was going back... nope, nada, newp!

Wally had just finished the driveway when I pulled in and he was hot and tired. He brought the microwave in and I got the few other bags. While he took a shower, I unboxed the microwave. Good grief the styrofoam!! After a mild struggle in which the microwave LOST, I finally got the thing on the counter and plugged in. Don't ask me if it works, all I did was stuff the bread back in it and shut the door. Someone else can test the start button LOL

We were in bed in time for the season finale (not premier as stated yesterday ha ha) of Criminal Minds which was a really good show except for the fact that it was "To Be Continued." I think only going to Wal-Mart aggravates me more than seeing "To Be Continued..."  But I have no choice other than to watch it next week so I can see how it all ends. I fell promptly to sleep after that and didn't awaken until 4am at which time I should have called Dizzy Debbie because she over-slept and didn't get on the road until 7:00. That was about 3 hours later than she wanted to. But she'll be here soon - woo hoo!

I won't be on the blog until Tuesday, don't miss me too badly... Enjoy your Memorial Day cook-out, day off work or whatever you tend to do on that day. Don't forget to honor those who died and those still serving so we can sleep at night in safety and with the feeling that only freedom can bring. Nowhere else in the world can that be said.

 "...And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me."   ~Lee Greenwood

One more day before "Me Dizzy" woman gets here... lol

I will be working tomorrow since it's unknown exactly what time Debbie will arrive. At first she was leaving after dinner on Wednesday, then it changed to sometime in the wee hours of Thursday morning, now I'm not really sure when she'll leave FL but it is definite that I will see her sometime Thursday - sounds like her doesn't it? lol

I'm taking a vacation day Friday and I'm out of the office Monday due to it being Memorial Day - woo hoo! A four day weekend is going to be really nice :)  I should have a nice fat blog posting for you come Tuesday.

Depending on when Debbie arrives, we may have to put her to work helping finish the outdoor kitchen. We have a little clean up to be done and we have to get the chairs and swings moved over there. The outhouse is ready with the exception of lighting and a mirror. It has power but we haven't decided what fixture will be installed and the mirror is just not a priority. The entire outhouse is supposed to be pressure washed today so I can get in there with the garbage can, bowl brush and a few decorations. It's pretty cool!

We didn't break the news to the horses that they will be saddled and ready for riding...I don't think they would take it well so we're just going to surprise them with that little piece of information ha ha ha. Daryl is coming over Friday night to start the smoking of the pork butts. He says it's an all night deal but I don't really understand why that is. I've done them in the roaster in 4 or 5 hours with no problem. Apparently the smoking process requires some attendance on his part. Hey, that's okay with me, I'll be hanging out with Dizzy Debbie anyway :)

The weather held up nicely yesterday, it was supposed to rain but it never did. I got home, brought a load of clothes in off the line and moved some miscellaneous stuff up to the loft. Wally and the guys were outside working and he took a break to come and get me. We sat out there on the tailgates with a couple beers and enjoyed a pretty funny conversation. There's never a dull moment when one person is working with heavy equipment and the other three are drinking beer and commenting on his work or better yet, giving him advice... lol

It was nice and cool over in the shady spot where we were sitting so we weren't in any hurry to go inside. The dogs lazied up and stayed on the porch and the horses walked around eating what grass they could find without having to go to the bottom of the hill. I have a perfect spot cleared out for planting the seeds Teri gave me - marigolds, alyssum and one other that I can't think of right now. These seeds come in a little box with the planting medium included. All I have to do is rake an area, pour them in and spread them out. I'll cover them with a little bit of dirt to keep everything in place and give them some water. Hopefully they'll be peaking out of the ground in a week or so. They'll be to the left of the outhouse so I won't be able to see them from the cabin but anytime I'm outside I'll see them.

I have no veggies in the ground but no one seems to be in a big hurry to get them there except me. They say there's still plenty of time so I guess I have to go with that. Sure does feel weird to not have any tomatoes in the ground with June right around the corner... in FL I'd be eating them already! Is this where "absence makes the heart grow fonder" comes in? Patience, patience, patience...

I ended up with some chiggers yesterday - they were itching like crazy so we got out the nail polish and covered them up. Ah, blessed relief from those pesky varmints!! None of the guys got any so it must just be the sweetness in me that attracts them ha ha ha ROTF!  Does anyone know if skin so soft keeps them away or is it only mosquitoes that SSS is effective on? Your swift reply to this questions will be greatly appreciated:)

Dinner was simple but nourishing and good tasting. We had pork chops with gravy, I just pan fried them in a little olive oil. I took the leftover peas and green beans and put them together then chopped up some onion to go in with them (Rebecca's favorite). We had whole wheat pasta ribbons which we covered with the pork chops and gravy. There was a little bit leftover but I'm sure it was eaten at some point today - probably lunch for Wally.

Tonight I have to go to the dreaded Wal-Mart....accckkkkk! Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!!  I knew the day was coming but I was really trying to avoid it. The fact is, everyone is out of those darn plastic forks and no one else has the contact lens solution that I need. Maybe Wednesday isn't a real popular day for Wal-Mart... jeez that's what I'm hoping for. I'll pick up the buns and whatever other little things are on my list darn it.

The season premier of Criminal Minds is on tonight and I sure don't want to miss that so I'll be home by 8:00. Not that we're ever out much after that anyway - very rarely does that happen. Very rarely are we still up that late... LOL  Debbie can attest to this and we really aren't sure why it even happens. I know I get up early but still... in bed by 8:00 in Florida never happened unless I was sick or coming off a bout of insomnia. That's just the way it is. Wally calls it farmers hours. I don't even have anything to farm yet...

Speaking of which we are looking at purchasing a cow and preferably one with a bun in the oven. That way when it comes time to slaughter, we'll already have a new cow for the following season  - providing the bun doesn't turn out to be a bull... LOL  They are pricey so we're doing some serious comparison shopping. Pudgy gave us a deep freeze that is just the right size for a small to medium size cow. I'll keep you posted on how this turns out. Either way, I'll have fresh beef to last for quite some time - if you know me well, you know this does my little heart good!

Sorry to cut this off so soon but I got in early today so I get to leave early - woo hoo!!  I hope you had a good hump day!

This may be a repeat but it's so good it bears repeating... :)

"You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be -
I had a mother who read to me." -Strickland Gillilan

So much to do, so little time...

Even though we got so much done over the weekend, planning a party takes more work than you ever expect at the onset.

I made my list for the store; cups, plastic forks, etc. and I made my list of things "To Do" at home; finish putting hanging clothes in closet, move filing cabinet to hot tub room (where no hot tub actually exists - we just call it that because it was going to get a hot tub at one time and may still at some point in the future), organize the remaining few boxes and decide what side items to make for the cook-out. Those are just to name a few as the list is pretty long and even though I cross things off every day, it seems new ones get added right about the same time.

I'm not really worried about it - what gets done, gets done and whatever doesn't, must not have been all that important anyway. LOL  I think we'll have a good time and a good mix of people. Mostly everyone is coming from Pee Wee's Place and Wally has invited a few people he knows from around town. I invited all of you and so far Dizzy Debbie is the only one coming up. Ernie wanted to come but she couldn't get the time off work with such short notice :(  Maybe next time... Jay and Teri from Atlanta are coming too so I won't be without friends. I have made a few friends here but most of them are Wally's guy friends. The few women I've met, I'm not close enough with to invite them over. Claudia is coming over with Daryl (they aren't together together, they're just riding together), I've written about her before, she's really sweet and I'm pretty sure she'll get a real kick out of Dizzy Debbie. Well, actually, everyone will! I wish you could be here too but we'll have more parties and you'll always be invited.

My day lilies are blooming like crazy!!!!!! The one plant out front probably has 15 blooms on it and they are taller than I am - literally, I can't take a picture of the top of the flowers because I can't see the top without bending the stem over to my height. I'll see if Wally can get one with me standing by them. The problem is I can't download to my work computer so it will be some time before they get posted. In another week or so I'm going to start the U-verse installation project so we'll have internet at the house before too long.

The Tiger Lily has started to bloom as well and it is absolutely beautiful - it is a really dark orange color. In the Crayon box it would probably be labeled as Red-Orange. It has the little black spots all around the center which is what gives it it's name of Tiger Lily. There are 4 buds on the one in the front yard and probably close to 10 buds on the one in the back yard. I may move the one from the front to the back as they seem to do better back there. Not the Day Lilies - they love the front or back yard, shade doesn't seem to matter. Although, I will say they lean toward the sunshine when they start blooming.

Claudia is bringing me bulbs of her irises and hostas and she planted her garden with summer squash, cucumbers and tomatoes. I won't need to plant squash as she will have more than enough. I told her I would plant extra peas instead so we can share.

Debbie says she's bringing me some Zellwood Sweet Corn so I'll be getting the canner out for the first time in a couple years. I don't think she's ever canned anything before so it's sure to be an experience she won't forget. I remember the first time Neccy heard about me canning corn. At first she said something like "who cans their own corn these days?" and that I was weird but the next time I did it, she came over and was hooked for life.

That first year with Neccy, we put the kids to work shucking it and then I cut it off the cobs. She helped with the jar washing, filling, sealing, etc. Once the jars were in the canner, we just sat back and waited. When the time was up, the canner cooled down and we took out the jars and set them on the counter. Within about 5 minutes we started hearing the lids pop and we knew we had been successful!! That added to the fact that the house smells like popcorn, it's just so cool!

We spent one Mother's Day out at Neccy and Jack's house shucking, scraping and canning corn and had a blast. Jack put some on the grill and we had it fresh with our ribs and chicken. He cooks some incredible ribs and chicken on the grill so if you ever get invited, don't pass on the invitation - it's well worth the trip and if at all possible, the doggy bag you get to bring home :) As a side note, if I bring macaroni salad to their shindigs, Neccy will typically hide it so no one else gets any. You have to watch her... lol

I stopped for fuel on the way home last night and got it for $2.56 a gallon. That was at the Kroger where it is normally $2.59 but I happen to have a Kroger card so I got a .03 discount... woo hoo!! Hey, everywhere else, it goes for $2.69 and up so that's a bargain anyone would enjoy. I also stopped at the Food Lion to see if the beer was still on sale as we needed to stock up for the weekend. It was on sale for $13.99 an 18 pack so I got us both 2 of them. This party is getting expensive!  ha ha 

I think I ended up spending $100 before I got out of there. I needed my salad stuff and the rib eyes were on sale so I picked up some more of them. I got the plastic cups and looked for forks but they were sold out. The Dollar General was sold out too. Not sure what we'll do for forks if I can't find them anywhere - please don't suggest Wal-Mart. I've been there once since I moved here and that was once too much...see previous post. I am already resigned to the fact that I'll have to go sooner or later because I still need contact lens solution and they didn't have it last time...

You won't believe it but Smokey actually came up to me last night. I walked out to give them some carrots and of course the PIG Rebel came right up to me. He got his carrot and then Smokey surprised me by sticking his nose out to get one too. He didn't let me pet him but he got close enough to eat out of my hand. That's a true step in the right direction especially after the way he acted over the weekend. Wally says that will all be over with once I ride him - he'll go back to acting like he doesn't even see me. LOL That's okay, I'm going to ride him anyway. I'm sure I'll be sore since it's been awhile but it'll still be fun.

I got my dinner started and brought the clothes in off the line. I had about an hour to kill while dinner cooked so I started reading my new cookbook. It's by Jenny at The Nourished Kitchen. She's all into real, whole foods like our ancestors lived on so it makes for some interesting reading. For me anyway :)  You can check out her website at http://www.thenourishedkitchen.com/. If you do nothing else, visit her site and look up the recipe for her baked oatmeal. The picture looks so yummy I decided to make it this Friday morning while Debbie is here. I hope it tastes as good as it looks.

Yes, I'm following it to the letter. You should know me well enough by now...

We had chicken breasts which I seasoned with Adobo, Lowery's Seasoning Salt and black pepper (my usual combination) and then I just browned them in my Wolfgang Puck pan (thank you Neccy and Aunt Karen) with a little olive oil. Once it was browned on both sides, I put it in the oven at 350 degrees, covered, for an hour. The chicken was partially frozen and it was the breast with ribs so it really needed to go for the whole hour. I've never tried this with chicken before, only pork chops and all I can say is WOW! It was really good. I made some country gravy to go over top and we had cheesey squash and seasoned green beans on the side. I wish you were here to enjoy it with us but I'll make it again when you come up - if you remind me. You may need to make a list because I'll never remember everything I've written about by the time you get here lol!!

You can always send me your favorite recipes - I'll give them a try and let you know how it goes on my blog. Keep in mind that Wally is diabetic so we don't use white flour (except in very limited quantities), white rice or white bread. Sugar is out too so any recipes that require it, have to be able to use Splenda as a sugar substitute. Fruit is always on the menu whether it be oranges, grapes, strawberries or bananas. I'll be adding blackberries to that list as soon as they come in :)

Did you know Howenwald, TN is the place to be if you are a retired elephant? It's true! I read about it in the Farm Bureau magazine. You can't go visit them but you can donate money to help with their care. The magazine had a few pictures of the elephants and they seem to be pretty happy. They wander about at their leisure with no one to bother them or hang around staring at them. Howenwald isn't too far from us but I'm not sure we can get there via the usual route. Some of those roads were washed out during the flood and the only way to know if they are open again is to ride down them. It's not like we would get to see the elephants anyway, so we probably won't make that trip. But it's cool to know they are there :)

One of the mystery plants has bloomed and I'm sure Karla was right when she suggested it was an allium. I looked them up and it appears that's what I have. I put the picture on the blog so you can see it.Wally calls them onions because they smell like onions. I know they're in the same family so it makes sense. As I said before, this one started out as a light green color but is slowly turning to a lavender color. It's pretty cool. I'll have Debbie get a picture of it and put it out there for all to see. Mystery solved? I think so :)

The nights are getting warmer and it seems we'll be turning on the A/C pretty soon. I don't look forward to those days as I'm really enjoying the fresh air coming through the windows and doors. Not only that but the electric bill will definitely take a hit trying to cool a 2800 sq. ft. cabin. I'm thinking it will be worth it when the temps start hitting 90 and above!! I know you're already there - I check the FL weather every day just to be sure :)

Next time you see Marcia, please tell her I said hello. I've called her twice but haven't heard back from her. I know she wasn't happy with me for moving here but I still love her :) 

I ordered a hummingbird feeder to hang in the tree outside the front door. I've been reading up on the little birds and they seem to do well in this area. I've noticed people have started hanging and filling their feeders so now must be the right time. The feeder was free with the points from my bank card and since they expire in December I figured what the heck? I don't have any expectations of getting a picture of these guys, even professional photographers have a difficult time of it because of their speed. I do have expectations of sitting on the porch and catching a glimpse of them as they drink that sweet, red nectar from the feeder - always something new to look forward to!

Whether you're working or at home, I hope you're enjoying a pleasant Tuesday... This little "Thought for the Day" is really for Dizzy Debbie but the rest of you can certainly take from it too :)

"If you always do what you always do, you’ll always get what you’ve always got." – Unknown

Sore muscles as predicted...

Whew, what a lot of work we got done this weekend! The spare room is ready for visitors, the weeds were pulled from around the plants out front and out back, the yard was mowed up close to the cabin as the horses pretty much take care of the rest. It's nice to have them there when it comes to mowing :)  We didn't get to plant the veggies because we had more work than we expected getting the outhouse ready. In fact, the guys are working on it again today. However, my garden area was enlarged due to Wally clearing out some old boards while looking for the cedar with which to line my closet.

He found enough wood and by chance found a couple of black snakes as well. One was about 3 1/2 feet long. The other one was in the process of shedding so I couldn't tell how long it was. Black snakes kill rodents so we left them alone to do their job. It is a farm after all and rodents live out there too. The black snakes are beneficial just as the horses are - albeit, horses are much more fun!!

I must have made 12-15 trips up and down the stairs (hence the sore muscles...) Saturday just helping Wally with the closet. It had a bunch of junk on the floor that needed sorted and put away elsewhere and there was a bunch of dust which we eliminated with the shop-vac. We hung the plastic over the insulation so it can't get on my clothes and Wally hung the cedar on the ceiling. We can't do the walls until the U-Verse guys come out just in case they need to get to the wiring for the televisions. I can live with that - just having all my clothes upstairs will be nice.

The spare room looks nice. I have had a set of sconces that were an anniversary gift from AT&T and I've never had a place to display them. Once I got everything out of the room, I was able to put my sconces on the windowsill and my antique telephone table in the corner with, none other than, a candle holder! It looks very cozy and quaint in that room. Anyone who stays in there should sleep very soundly. Just walking by makes me want to climb into the bed. But that was sooooo not going to happen this weekend - too much work to be done.

After breakfast, I donned my gloves, sunscreen, bug spray and hat and off I went to the yard (clothes too ha ha!). The day lilies have a ring of rocks surrounding them which help to keep the weeds at bay but some still sneak in and have to be eliminated. I'm pretty sure no weeds had been pulled in a good couple of years or more! The rocks sometimes get displaced by the horses so they have to be set back in place. I picked up sticks and branches that had fallen, I pulled weeds and set rocks and mowed and I sweated from the minute I stepped out the door. Surely I must have sweated off about 5 pounds... the clothes don't show it but any exercise is good. The smell of freshly cut grass completely covered the scent I had been working on ha ha ha - thank goodness.

It was warm enough to use the shower in the hot tub room so after I brought the clothes in off the line, I got into that shower and scrubbed the day's work off. It was so refreshing it reminded me of that first "real" shower you get after you've been camping for a few days. A bird bath is okay when it's necessary but the real thing just can't be beat, especially on a hot, humid, Saturday in May. I even left the back door open so the breeze could come through if one happened to kick up :)  Brazen, huh?  lol

I took pictures of the day lilies as they are now as tall as I am and there are two flowers open. However, my work computer won't allow me to send pictures to it from my new phone. I have no idea what changed because I was able to send a couple of them before it shut me down. I'll figure out some way to get the pictures on here but it may take a while. Just because I created the blog, doesn't make me computer savvy...LOL  trust me.

The mystery plants have still not bloomed but one of the buds fell off so I stuck it in some water and it opened up to about golf ball size, maybe a little bigger and it has a whole bunch of little pods that are beginning to stick up - pretty cool looking even if it is a mystery :)

We headed over to give the horses some sweet feed and these days we don't even have to call them. If they even think we're headed that way, they come along. Of course Rebel was more than happy to let us rub his nose, ears and neck. Smokey was a whole different story. He wouldn't come to us for nothing. There are two entrances they can use to get back to the feeding area and he kept going from one to the other. I was even holding out the bucket of feed for him and he wouldn't come to it. At one point he got so close he could probably see in the bucket but instead of sticking his head in it and eating, he turned and ran the other way. He even tried to run Rebel off which he succeeded in doing but only temporarily.

After they ran around in the woods for a couple of turns Rebel came back to his trough. Not Smokey - he snorted and stomped the ground and even tried stomping the dog and still he wouldn't come to us. I thought he had hurt the dog and he was beginning to lose my favor when I realized that if had really wanted to hurt the dog, he totally could have. He was just showing off. We weren't about to give in so we just kept petting Rebel and standing with our backs to Smokey. Well he must have thought we couldn't see him (like a 2 year old with his head in a closet and the rest hanging out...) because as long as we had our backs to him, he would slowly creep up to us. It's amazing how quiet they can be when they want to. So it took him about 20-30 minutes to get close and then we set his bucket down and he was finally rewarded with his feed.

Wally petted him but I was still a little put off by his antics and his acting like he was going to hurt the dog. I told Wally I would pet him another day, when he deserved it and after I get over it. Wally just laughed at me. I'm not changing his personality by doing this and I know Smokey could care less but that didn't matter. In fact, he was probably happier without me petting him at all... lol.

I did get to see my turkey hen as she wandered across the front yard in search of sweet feed droppings. She didn't have any babies with her but I know they'll be coming by soon. She has to show them the way and the horses will undoubtedly keep dropping the feed as they munch.

The steaks I mentioned last week were tender, juicy and cooked just the way I like them. Since the weather was holding up, we got our cooler and a couple chairs and headed out to the grill. Wally had already put some roasting ears on and the steaks were added after those were almost done. You know the smell of the grill when your neighbors are cooking out? Yeah, it was that good. The steaks were cooked to perfection for me - not so much for Wally. He likes his more medium but he ate them anyway. The corn was crunchy, salty and dripping with melted butter and I had bought some canned butter beans seasoned with Vidalia onions so I heated them up to go along. I think they were Glory brand - they were delicious. I've never seen them in FL so you may have to come here to get them...But Oh Man was this ever a Good Dinner!

I cleaned up the kitchen and we fed the corn cobs to the horses. They really love them and we also found that they like cantaloupe skins, strawberries and cucumber peels. They make the funniest faces when they eat the cantaloupe.

I made some chicken broth on Sunday which I'll bag up and freeze tonight for later uses. I couldn't use my regular recipe because I couldn't find it. I'm hoping Ernie or Kathy will forward it back to me so I can go back to my old way using the slow cooker. In any event, the dogs were happy because I made this broth with a chicken carcass left from Saturday night's dinner and I threw in some celery tops and bottoms, some carrot peels, some onion end pieces, some asparagus ends and some frozen green beans. It may sound like soup but you wouldn't want to eat the veggies as they were mostly scraps that I had frozen in bags for just this purpose. Frozen green beans are horrible in my estimation so they went in the pot just for added flavor and to get rid of them. I've cooked with them before and they come out with a rubbery texture that just doesn't work for me. Canned or fresh but no frozen green beans. Once I strained the veggies off, they went into the dog bowl and were devoured in less than a couple of minutes. Who knew dogs would eat all those vegetables - even the onion ends were gone! LOL 

The house smelled wonderful with that broth cooking all day so of course, we were getting hungry. We had tacos for dinner using corn tortillas. I think I'll go back to Aunt Karen's recipe for Taco Surprise next time. The corn tortillas just didn't hold up well once they were filled. Aunt Karen's recipe has Fritos on the bottom and everything else you would put on a taco, on the top. Hers were certainly more yummy than mine were last night. I remember well that it used to be everything she cooked was teasingly called "Prison Food" or the "Same Old Sh_t." It was easy to figure out what we were having that way. Those days are gone and my Aunt Karen has become an amazingly wonderful cook. Her beef and pork roasts are second to none and I always enjoy hanging out with her and cooking up something good for all of us to eat.

As my weekend came to a close, my laundry was done with no rain to interfere, my house was more organized than ever, my yard looked beautifully cared for and everyone had full and satisfied bellies. It just doesn't get much better than that. 

I hope you enjoyed your weekend as thoroughly as I enjoyed mine...

"I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn't itch." ~Gilda Radner

Busy, busy, busy this weekend...

We have so much to do to get ready for our Memorial Day cookout:

The outhouse has to be finished - not much left to do there but put in the toilet and sink and get them hooked up of course. I don't get to participate in that activity but I do get to decorate :) I might have a thing or two that would look cool out there. Wally already said no candles... I guess since it's made of wood, candles probably wouldn't be a very good idea...lol

The outdoor kitchen still doesn't have the stone in place but the grill will work and the seating is ample so we're good there. The sink hasn't been hooked up but there shouldn't be too many dishes in need of washing. We'll be using styrofoam - thank you very much. Wally wanted to have the bar put up in time but I don't know if that will get done or not. He did find a nice big cedar log with which to make the bar top. It's going to be the kind of bar you stand at rather than sit. If you want to sit at a bar, you'll have to go inside and don't forget your phone book - you'll need one to sit on because the inside bar is built "Wally Tall."

Our spare room needs a few things cleared out since we're expecting guests from out of town. I have to load up the bags and boxes of stuff that I have set aside for the thrift store and get them delivered. I also have to figure out where my Grandma's china is going to go. Right now it's on the floor of the bedroom in my dad's old foot locker. I don't have a cabinet here like I did in FL and I don't want to put it out where it could get broken or dusty, etc. This one is a challenge though because there are times when I like to use it so is still needs to be readily accessible. I'll have to think on that.

I need to get the fold-out couch cleared off. Right now I'm using it to store extra towels, jeans, socks, etc. until I have shelves in my closet upstairs. I do have a table in the laundry room that I can stack this stuff on. At least it will get it out of the way in case someone needs to stay on that couch.

We have plenty of extra sheets, blankets, and pillows. If you remember, I wrote about all that stuff when I first started the blog. I was busy washing, hanging and folding the sheets and blankets for a couple days :) I'm glad I did all that now that we may be in need of them!

We won't have time to get shoes on the horses but Wally is going to saddle them up and tie them to the hitching post in case anyone wants to ride. You'll need to know how to adjust the stirrups for yourself because he's not planning on spending the day readjusting them... lol  Don't worry, I need a lesson myself, it's been years since I did that.

Today the FEMA guy is supposed to come look at the holler and determine if we're eligible for any funding to repair it. Wally, Daryl and Jim were down there the other day and it took them 4 hours to get back out. They had to cut down trees to put in the holes just to be able to get the truck turned around so they could get back out. Good thing Daryl packed the chainsaws before they headed down there. Daryl said some of the holes are so deep I could stand in them and you wouldn't even see me. Wally said it looked like you could stand down there, have a truck drive over and you could change the oil... lol  our own little Jiffy Lube in the holler :)  ha ha ha   I make fun but it's a shame such a beautiful place was so devastated by that water. The picture on the blog doesn't really do it justice. At that point the water had only just begun to do its damage. Keep your fingers crossed, hopefully we'll qualify. As it is, we have to leave the farm and go out and around the back way just to get anything to or from the barn. It's a long ways which makes it really inconvenient to say the least.

So there's all that plus the usual chores of cleaning the bathrooms, the floors and doing the laundry... lol You can well imagine how tired I'll be come Monday :)  At least it's not supposed to rain - indeed we've had about enough of that and while it is nice for the land, trees, yard and flowers, it makes for a difficult time doing laundry when you like to hang it on the line. Which I do - as you well know.

Pulled pork and chicken leg quarters are on the menu along with whatever sides we come up with. I'm sure there will be bunches of those because everyone we've invited has asked what they can bring. Claudia's bringing German potato salad, she's German so I trust it will be authentic and yummy tasting. I'll probably make some of those sausage and cheese stuffed jalapenos and some cole slaw. Gotta have slaw if you're having pulled pork... they just go together!

I got a really good deal on some rib eye steaks last night at the Food Lion grocery store. They were $4.99 lb and hardly any fat on them at all. There's a little on the edge but the rest looks real lean. I bought two pounds and may go back for more tonight just to put in the freezer. I won't usually buy rib eyes because A - they're too expensive and B - they're too fatty. These were neither. We're having them for dinner so I'll be able to tell you how they taste when I write my post for Monday.

I bought the ingredients for the biscuits so I can make them for Debbie. She said her mouth watered when she was reading about them so she is now insisting that I make them for her when she comes up next week. No problem here - we love them too. The only problem is going to be making enough of them!

It wasn't raining when I got home but it looked like maybe it had just stopped when I got there. I took a picture of how it looked as I was coming down the driveway. It was a little foggy but otherwise very green - so green it smelled green... ha ha. If I can get my phone to send the picture to my email, I'll post it.

All the while we're working on the list of chores, we also have to fit in getting my squash, peas, radishes, onions and tomatoes in the ground... if nothing else gets done, the planting will. If all goes well, Wally might make it over to the Mennonite store to get the plants today. If that's the case, I'll get them in the ground before darkness falls tonight. Jim says they're on sale now because they need to clear their greenhouses for the next crop. Lucky for me, we waited all this time... LOL  As you well know, we didn't purposely wait, we had no choice because of the rain, rain, rain.

I have so much more to say but alas work calls - I'm providing back-up assistance to a co-worker while she is on vacation so if I'm able to finish her reports in a decent amount of time, maybe I'll check back and write some more.

If not, I hope you enjoy your weekend and get plenty of rest...

"An hour's hard digging is a good way of getting one's mind back in the right perspective." - Richard Briers

"Green Acres is the Place to be... Farm Livin is the Life for Me..."

The garden has been tilled and manure has been incorporated!! We're ready to go with planting this weekend. I'll have to hoe the rows (always wanted to say that) and get the squash hills ready but other than that - it's planting time on the farm!!  I'm going small this year because I still have that learning curve for the weather here. I decided on summer squash (just one row), peas (surprised, aren't you?), radishes, scallions, peppers (hot and sweet) and tomatoes. I may do some cantaloupe but that will be later in the year - or so I hear.

I'll take a picture tonight and going forward so you can watch the progress.

Let me take a minute here to recognize a couple of people who passed away yesterday, may they both rest in peace.

Roy Woods
Our dear friend Roy Woods, who was a true gentleman and a very wise man. About 4 years ago Roy told me I should pack my things and move to TN with Wally. Well, as you know I didn't heed his advice 4 years ago but I sure do wish I had. Now it seems I'm trying to make up for the lost time. Roy could be soft-spoken but the meaning of his words was loud and clear. He believed you should do whatever it takes to make you happy and not worry about what other people thought. He always used to tell me that if he were a younger man he would court me until I finally agreed to marry him. What a sweetheart he was and he will be truly missed. Sonny (Roy's son), our thoughts are with you during this time.

John K. Davis
Jack's father passed away yesterday at the age of 92. While I did not know him, it is still important to recognize the father of my sister's most wonderful boyfriend. I credit Jack's parents for instilling in him the sincerity, generosity, and loving nature we have all come to know. My guess is "like father, like son" and if this is true then I consider Jack's father to have been a great man. Our thoughts are with this family as well as they honor the passing of their patriarch. 

"As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well used brings happy death." ~Leonardo da Vinci

Yesterday I was so busy at work that I didn't even have time to take a lunch break. Hence the missing post. I even had to stay late and if you know me well, you know that overtime is something I WILL do but something I really prefer NOT to do. Well, here I am with about an hour of it so I'm planning to leave early on Friday :)  That's about the only benefit of overtime I can think of.

The weather was nice so I rolled down the windows and let the fresh air come blowing through the car. It's nice not having to use the air yet but I know those days will surely come. When I got to the dirt road, there were kids playing some kind of ball game and a couple dogs laying there like they owned the place. They were in no hurry to get out of the way. I'm not the most patient sort but they seemed to be having a good time so I did wait a little bit before just driving on by. Don't worry, I didn't run them down, they realized the need to get the heck outta the way! LOL

Wally was tilling the garden so I grabbed a couple beers and headed out to see him. I was charged with picking out the bigger rocks and piling them up over by the wild roses to be used on another project. After a few minutes of that I got to work raking and shoveling the hay/horse manure into the wheelbarrow. I'll tell you what, this was no easy chore. It was deep and damp and heavy. Thankfully it wasn't stinky. I think I filled the wheelbarrow twice before I was done in. I know, what a weeny! But I am starting to get calluses on my hands. Well, I could have kept going a little longer but then I wouldn't have it in me to work on it again tonight. Wally dumped the wheelbarrow on the garden areas and I took the rake and spread it out. He tilled it in really well so there's nothing left to do but plant :)

It was nice getting my hands in the dirt finally. I took a look around to get a good perspective on things - I had wild roses blooming and perfuming the air around us, I had the horses coming over to get fed and I had my boyfriend on the tractor tilling up my garden. For me, it just doesn't get much better than that. Well, plus the fact that not one single neighbor could be seen or heard.

I fed the horses their sweet feed and had to dump out about half a bucket because it had gotten wet. They can't eat it when it gets moldy but the turkeys can. The turkeys will appreciate that and the overflow from what the horses drop. I haven't seen the turkeys since the weekend so I'm wondering if there will be some little babies coming soon... it's that time of year:) I remember when I was here visiting last year, two of the hens and about 12 little babies went walking by on their way to the horse feeding area. It would be so cool to see that happen again. The toms haven't made an appearance in weeks. I feel certain they went the way of the hunted.

I checked on my day lilies, my tiger lilies and my mystery plant. No blooms but tons of buds. One of the buds on the mystery plant is trying to open up. I can see a really tight cluster that looks just like rice only with pink/lavender tops. Still no clue people. Now that I've figured out how to use the camera on my new phone, I'll try to get a picture tonight. I know I keep saying that but we get so busy when I get home that it slips my mind. Gimme a break! lol

I had taken out pork chops for dinner so while Wally finished tilling in the hay/manure mixture I went and got cleaned up and made dinner. I like to use Adobo on pork chops. For some reason they retain that flavor better than any others I can come up with. I did add some black pepper just because we both like lots of it. I browned them in the Wolfgang Puck skillet (love it!) and while that was going on, I chopped up some onion and got the pot of water ready for the whole wheat pasta ribbons (like an egg noodle but without the egg).

I like to mix a can of Cream of Mushroom soup with a little milk and some ham bouillon and then use that as the gravy on the chops. Well, I kicked it up a notch (ha ha) and added a half a can of peas to it, drained of course. The gravy gets poured on the chops after they have browned good on both sides and then into a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes - depending on how thick the chops are. I don't like the really thick ones as I think I have said before. Anyway, the water started boiling and the pasta ribbons went in. Wally finished up cleaning the tractor and tiller, got himself a shower. Everyone and everything was ready at the same time. Rarely does this happen for me when I'm cooking. I'm getting better but there's still a timing issue when I try to get everything ready and hot at the same time. We ate at the table and talked about how each other's day went.

It was pretty darn nice :)

I cleaned up the kitchen and Wally fed the dogs the bones. Everyone was happy, full and tired so we watched a little AFV and headed up to bed. We were working too late to catch Archie, Two and a Half Men or even Everybody Loves Raymond. It was kind of chilly last night so I had to have an extra blanket. Here I am, cold, and using two blankets and there's Wally, no covers, hot and in front of the fan. LOL Our thermostats aren't in sinc. I warm up from his and he cools off from mine. Works out good!

Tonight we're supposed to go to Pee Wee's place. We'll see how that works out. I have to stop at Food Lion for the beer sale and the gas station for fuel while it's still $2.65 a gallon. It's hard to believe that that price is considered good...

I posted a picture of my drive to work but it was still a little too dark for you to see it very well. You can see all the traffic I have to deal with though... that's what it's like every day. Just imagine :) or better yet, come see for yourself.

I hear Dizzy Debbie is planning a trip up this month. We're having a cookout Memorial Day weekend so hopefully she'll make it for that. It'll be the maiden voyage on the outdoor kitchen... lol

Until tomorrow... enjoy your day :)

"If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito." ~Betty Reese

I could use just one more day off.... do we always say that on Monday?

Even if you don't read the entire posting today, please be sure to scroll past all the postings so you can see the poem Neccy wrote about her little Granddaughter, Jackalynn. It's very good and quite touching. 

It was a very busy weekend even though we had no plans... LOL  That always seems to happen, right? Friday night it was pouring down rain when I left work. I waited for it to slack off a bit but that never happened. Of course, my umbrella was in my trunk...ha ha ha so I got soaking, sopping wet. I think the only time I got wetter was one day when Kathy and I were car-pooling. We were so completely soaked all we could do was laugh. It was a fun day :)

On my way home there were flash flood warnings out for the two counties that I happen to have to drive through. I'm sure this was precautionary due to the flooding from a couple weeks ago because it wasn't really raining all that bad on the roads I take. I was out of work pretty early but traffic seemed to be backing up and I couldn't figure out why. No one was driving any faster than about 20-30 mph. I felt the old road-rage creeping in so I took a look around me and I soon realized that these folks up here may very well know how to drive in the ice and snow but they have no idea how to drive in the rain. This wasn't a typical FL downpour, I had my wipers on delay if that tells you anything, but they were driving like the retirees on I-4 at 5:00 pm.  LOL (sorry Mom, it was the best description I could come up with). 

Needless to say I put the road-rage aside, after all, they really couldn't help it and I'm going to need them to be considerate of me when it snows...

I stopped at the Food Lion to pick-up something for dinner and ended up with chuck-eye steaks for $4.49 lb (thank you Kris - they are still a favorite after all these years) and some sweet potatoes and a pork loin (for another recipe). I got rained on again leaving the store.

Back on the road it was much nicer now that the traffic (not really even a lot but more than I'm used to up here) had gone all separate ways. I saw some poppies blooming and some kind of spiky looking plants with tall spires that have buds on them but no blooms (seems to be the thing with me). The spires are probably about 4 feet tall so I'm looking forward to seeing what they will come out looking like.

When I got home, the gate was open for me but I still had to get out and close it so the horses wouldn't escape. I got rained on again closing the gate. I think I had had about all the rain on me that I could take at this point. It was time for dry clothes, a cold beer, some Archie on TV and major relaxing. That's about the order my Friday night went in... lol   Well, I did get the steaks marinating in some "Dale's" seasoning, the low salt version, and put the rest of the groceries away.

We had more rain for a little while, then a sun shower and then it was done for the time being. Dinner was pretty easy. We had the steaks cooked in the cast iron skillet because it was too rainy to go outside. I can cook a mean steak in a cast iron skillet just ask Jarrett & Rebecca or Dizzy Debbie for that matter. She'll even eat hers medium rare nowadays...I'm a good influence. We had corn and some okra (just cooked in a little beef broth and some Old Bay) to go with it. It was a darn good dinner if I do say so myself. The best part was having enough steak left over for breakfast :)

Saturday we went to the "dreaded" Wal-Mart... ack!  I had to get contact lens stuff and they have the best deal otherwise you wouldn't have caught me there - seriously, where is Marcia when I need her????? Well, we picked up a few other things (of course, did you read the quote about picking up a loaf of bread?) and guess what? They were out of contact lens stuff...how dare they? This is the second time I've been to this Wal-Mart (always against my wishes) only to find that they are out of the solution I need. I'm beginning to think it's a conspiracy to get me to come in every day hoping to find what I need...talk about annoyed. That's why I don't like Wal-Mart.

They had Wally's diet Mt. Dew on sale so we got a couple cases of that if it makes you feel any better. It didn't make me feel any better. LOL  Home we went and when we got there, Daryl was at the gate waiting to get to work on whatever Wally had planned for the day. I worked inside and I boy did I get a ton of things done!

I moved the remaining Christmas boxes over to the door so Wally and Daryl could get them in the trailer. I unpacked the candles I have for everyday use and repacked those used only during the holidays (yes, there are special ones for special holidays). They won't be going to the trailer since the probability of them melting is fairly high. I'm not taking that chance. I also found the little ornaments Dizzy Debbie made for me... a little "Dizzy Devil" and a little "Darcy Angel." They are so cute and I can't wait to hang them on my tree this year!

I moved all my candle holders upstairs so they would be out of the way. I will figure out where they're going at a later date. I moved this buffet table that was Wally's Grandma's over to the wall by the love seat. It fit perfectly. Prior to my being there, he had piles of junk stacked on top of it. It's a really pretty table and I knew it could be put to use in a couple different ways. On it, I spread out a runner that belonged to my Great Grandmother and then put two candle holders on either end (ones that used to belong to Rebecca and Jarrett) with a candle house in the middle. You saw the candle house when I was in FL. It was sitting on the speaker closest to my room. I'll post a picture once I figure out my new phone.

I put the candle house that looks like a cabin upstairs on my dresser. You may not have seen this one as it was a gift to Wally a long time ago. He never put it on display (imagine that) and I figured it was time. It matches the walls of the real cabin and will be used while I'm sitting in my Grandma's chair reading. I almost found time to do that this weekend but not quite...keeping my fingers crossed. The cabin candle house looks really warm and inviting when candles are lit in it. Just like a cabin should be...

So I did a bunch of laundry and cleaned the floors downstairs - they were super horrible to say the least. I swept and swept and mopped and mopped and wished and wished that you were here :)  ha ha ha ha ha. I made some egg salad for the guys and when an hour went by and they didn't show I ate my sandwich without them. It was yummy - just a pinch of garlic powder and some salt.

I have to clarify something while I'm thinking about it. The other day I said Wally was using the back-hoe. Well, that wasn't the back-hoe. That was the tractor with a bush hog attachment on it. Francis, you probably know what I'm talking about. I get these things confused. Anyway, Saturday he was on the tractor with the box grader (grater?) attachment and went up and down the driveway over and over in order to smooth it out. This way we don't have to bother with FEMA. At least not for the driveway. The driveway looks like brand new - it's so nice and so easy to navigate whether you're coming down the hill or going up. Trust me, there's a big difference depending on which way you're headed. He did a great job on it!

I had to rake the bigger rocks out from around my mystery plants and boy did that make me realize how long it has been since I worked in the yard/garden. I got a blister and I was only raking for about half an hour - what a weeny. I'm getting some gloves until my hands get tough again. lol  It was worth it because the mystery plants line the driveway up by the cabin so it looks really nice now.  I still have some weeds to pull but a lot of them came out with the raking of the rocks.

Saturday came to a close with us getting cleaned up and having egg salad sandwiches with a pickle slice for dinner. Yeah - I had a sandwich for lunch and another for dinner but there were hours in between :) and besides, I said they were yummy.

With my boxes out of the way we could see the view of the front yard again. We sat there eating and looking out the door and it was a very pleasant, if early, evening for us. We showered and headed upstairs before dark and crashed out exhausted from our days work on the farm.

Guess what, Sunday - it rained. LOL We didn't feel like going anywhere anyway so we weren't bothered by it one single bit. Wally brought in his Grandma's cabinet (in her day, it was called a pie safe) for me so I could put my canned goods in it and make some room in the kitchen cabinets. He should have done this for me a long time ago - I was in hog heaven rearranging and organizing not just his Grandma's cabinet but the two in the kitchen as well. I think he knows to keep me busy when he needs to relax and Sunday was one of those days. I'm pretty sure cabinet and closet organizing are a couple of my favorite things to do, especially on a rainy day. I've gotten pretty good at getting a lot of stuff into a little space. You'll see my pantry situation when you get here.

I did make the Shepherd's Pie and I used sweet potatoes instead of regular ones. It turned out really good. Neccy told me how to do it and I followed her instructions to the letter... ha ha This is a joke because she uses no instructions, she just mixes stuff together and it comes out good. Of course, that's if you can get her to do it :)  I don't think cheese is necessary when you use sweet potatoes though - it kind of gets lost in the other flavors. It made the house smell good and it made our tummies feel good so it'll be on the list of things to make again someday.

Sunday was rainy on and off. It rained enough to keep my clothes out on the line but the sun did shine and the cloudy mist moved across the mountains throughout the day. After my crazed organizing efforts, I grabbed the binoculars and headed to the front porch. The horses were out grazing and a bunch of little brown birds were hanging out real close to the horse's mouths. I wanted to see what they were up to by getting so close but not getting eaten - turns out they eat the bugs that come up when the horses pull the grass out of the ground. Smart little birds - they don't have to work for their dinner, the horses bring it up for them!

No blooms except wild roses. I picked some and took a picture of them in the vase on the kitchen table. I have to get Wally to send it to my phone so I can post it. They are a real pale pink color and each petal is heart-shaped. I have so many that I'll be clipping these guys for as long as they bloom without even coming close to running out.

I found out that horses like broccoli. I had the stems left over from making my salad so we fed one to Rebel. He loved it and came back for more. Of course Smokey wouldn't come to us but Wally threw a stem over towards him and he ate his too. We gave them some sweet feed and while they were tied up eating we rode around the property on the 4 wheeler. Mostly we were checking out the driveway but we took our time and enjoyed the sunshine while it lasted. Maybe just maybe they'll get shod this Friday so we can ride, rain or shine, this weekend. More finger crossing!

It's Monday and I hope yours turns out to be all you expected it would... in a good way :)

"Riding: The art of keeping a horse between you and the ground." ~Author Unknown

Weekend plans...

We don't have too many plans made but we always end up getting busy with whatever comes our way. Tomorrow, Daryl is supposed to come help Wally put the stone up on the posts around the outdoor kitchen. I think I'll be getting the remaining boxes out of the cabin, into the motorcycle trailer and down to the storage trailer behind the barn.

Since the fold-out couch is in the hot tub room, I have to get that space cleared out in case we have visitors for Memorial Day weekend. They can't hardly pull the couch out into a bed when it has my junk all over it. Wally is going to get the closet set up in our room so I can get my hanging clothes out of the living room. For one thing, I can't even reach them to wear them because they are hanging from the bridge. If he comes downstairs with me in the mornings then he'll reach them for me. Otherwise I have to get a step stool. That's a real pretty sight! 

It will be nice to have those clothes out of the way. They block the view to the front door where I find myself standing whenver I'm not in the kitchen or out sitting on the porch. He's going to put some shelving in for me too. I'm hoping it will be cedar planks but I can't be too picky since I'm sure he'll be using whatever wood is on the farm. No wire shelving here thank you very much! I'll be able to stash away all the extra towels, my one little box of winter clothes (ha ha), my shoes and my candles (I might have just a couple boxes of those).

My only other goal for the weekend is to get the living room floor cleaned. I haven't been able to do it with all the boxes in the way and it gets very dusty very quick. If you feel like coming up to help, let me know. I have extra brooms, dust pans and mops. I brought all mine and he already had a set so there are plenty to go around :)    I hear the phone ringing off the hook as I write... LOL

I put some new pictures on the blog today. These are the wild roses that bloom over on the side of the cabin by our room. I haven't been able to see them yet because it's dark when I get up and they are closed by the time I get home. I saw them last year and it's a really big area that they have overtaken. When they bloom, they smell like someone sprayed perfume all around outside. Since they're wild they have a woodier scent as compared to the really sweet scent of some domesticated roses. I'm hoping to get my hands on some of them in the morning so I can clip them and put them on the table in front of the fireplace. At least I have something in bloom!  It's a NO on the Daylily scene and a NO on the mystery plant as well. To those of you who thought I had a green thumb, I guess it only worked in Florida...darn things.

Kathy tells me to be patient, that the weather here is behind Florida's weather. It seems to be quite true so I'm in the midst of learning a lesson in patience. If you know me, you know what a difficult lesson this is proving to be. It's one of the reasons I always bought at least two "Early Girl" tomato plants - it was satisfaction in less than 30 days when all others require 60 and sometimes 70 days :) 

We decided this morning that the dinner bell is to be hung on the post off the back porch. Since the back porch is closer to the kitchen, it will be more convenient for me to get to it when dinner is actually ready. Speaking of which, we had lemon pepper chicken last night. It was accompanied by sweet corn (which the Publix guy said was from FL, but I'm thinking "not so much.") cooked with cilantro and black pepper then brushed with melted butter and we had greenbeans cooked with garlic and chicken bouillon - just a little of each for some extra flavor.

The dogs got the fat off the chicken (it was cooked, settle down) and the horses got the corn cobs. Well, Rebel did anyway. Of course Mr. stubborn Smokey wouldn't come near enough to us to get his corn cob. Rebel sure did enjoy his though. He even came over to be petted so while Wally petted him I went in and got him a couple carrots. When he's being a good horse it's easy to spoil him. I wouldn't know if that's the case with Smokey since he has yet to be good unless you're riding him. It's not his fault really - he came from an abusive home and even years of niceness hasn't re-trained him to trust anyone. Maybe he never will but that doesn't mean I'll give up on him. It's that whole thing about wanting what you can't have. I want him to come to me but he could care less. Even carrots don't tempt this horse so I have my work cut out for me. He was very fond of Nacho Cheese Dorito's but Wally says we can't give them too many of those because of the salt. They make the funniest faces when they eat them! Maybe they'll get bathed this weekend so they'll be ready for riding next weekend. We couldn't get them shod today because Wally has to fix the gas tank on the truck in order for us to have something to pull the trailer with. I'm sure the horses aren't too disappointed... I am though :(

Dinner was good, so good I could smell it outside when I brought the clothes in off the line. So good, I could still smell it upstairs when we went to bed. It makes me hungry for more even if I just ate. I don't smell it in the kitchen or at the table but it sure lingers upstairs. Wally likes it when the house smells like food. No wonder the dogs hang out on the back porch when I'm cooking...I'm surprised we don't have more animals come up!

We're hoping to catch a crow this weekend. Some old guy told Wally to put some corn on a fishing hook and tie or hang it on a tree. When the crow takes the corn, he's caught on the hook and dies. Now don't go getting all "animal-friendly" on me. These crows ate every tomato in Wally's garden last year and I certainly don't plan to have that going on again this year. I'll hang corn from every tree on the farm if I have too. From what the old guy said, all you have to do is kill one and the others won't hang around to see who is next. We have chicken wire too just in case the corn and fishing hooks don't work... lol

We still can't get down through the holler. We may have to file for aid from FEMA because it's going to take a lot of money to buy enough gravel to fill the craters left by the waterfall when the flooding rains came through. The path down through there is not even in the same place as it was and you really can't call it a path or a road anymore. I don't know what to call it. It's mostly a waterless ravine down the middle and washed out rocks all off to the left side where it used to just be woods.

We need some gravel for the driveway too as most of what was there is now on the side of the driveway, in the grass. It makes for a somewhat bumpy ride getting down the hill. It makes for an even bumpier one on the way up! LOL When we take the motorcycle, we ride in the grass.

The weather was nice and cool this morning but it's supposed to be in the high 80's today. I haven't seen any rain yet but they say there's a 20% chance of it. I've found that that's what they always say around here unless they know for sure that rain is coming. Like Sunday, it's a 60% chance on Sunday. That's a little more definitive. My luck - it'll rain when I walk out the door to go to my car...

We still haven't had to turn on the air but I sense that the time is quickly approaching. It was humid enough last night that we both showered off before going to bed. Once we do that, then we're cooled to the point of almost being chilly. Of course, we're in the shade too. I like this time of year when I can roll down the car windows, put my hair up and enjoy the wind blowing through the car. I can sit on the porch with my gray jacket and be perfectly comfortable. Before long, it will surely be sweltering hot and those days will have gone by until next year.

Come along with me if you will - I'll be sure to describe all manner of weather and seasons as they come my way. It wouldn't be that big of a deal except for the fact that I've never experienced all those changes. You're invited to come experience them with me here at the cabin but if you can't make it, you can rely on the blog to make you feel like you're here.

Enjoy your weekend whatever you end up doing, or not doing as the case may be!

Until Monday then...

"I find I always have to write something on a steamed mirror." ~Elaine Dundy

Blackberries galore!!

I've been noticing that there are bushes blooming with little white flowers all along the roadways and in people's yards and just seemingly everywhere right now. We even have them in our yard down in what we call the trailer park. It's where we park the motorcycle trailer, the car/hay trailer and the horse trailer. They are just blooming like crazy and from what I hear there will be blackberries on them before mid-June. There are a couple bushes over by where we feed the horses and some down the driveway.

Guess what I'll be making?????? That's right, blackberry preserves. I'm in search of a tried and true recipe if anyone has one. There are many on the internet but they all vary in some small way. I would really like one that you know works best every time. It seems we'll have an abundance so some will get put up in freezer bags for when winter sets in and we feel like having something juicy and spring-timey tasting. I would like to make blackberry syrup too...We have heard that Sav-A-Lot has a vanilla ice cream that is "no sugar added." This doesn't mean entirely sugar-free but in small doses, a little bit won't hurt. Ice cream with blackberry syrup doesn't sound bad at all.

Anyway, please let me know if you have a good recipe for either the preserves or the syrup. Otherwise, I guess it will be trial and error...

We never made it to Pee Wee's last night. Instead we stayed home and had meatloaf sandwiches, which were the ultimate in yumminess! Wally had already finished off the biscuits so I'll have to make more if I want those again. The meatloaf was a good idea though. It was kind of warm outside and I didn't want to heat up the house by cooking a big meal. I think Wally said it was 84 or 85 degrees? We may have to turn on the air for the first time this year as today is supposed to be 89 degrees. Whew, that's hot.

After my sandwich I took the dirty clothes out to the laundry room and saw that Wally had moved a metal shelf out there for me. I started my laundry and then I ended up unpacking 4 boxes of the "too large to store in the kitchen" stuff and cleared a big space in the living room in doing so. It is so nice to have all my stuff put up and out of the way. It all fit too and with room to spare. This doesn't mean I need anything more for the kitchen, believe me, I have enough. However, it was nice to see my cast iron skillets (thank you Mike) and my Pampered Chef Stoneware.

By the time everything was unpacked and thoroughly organized on the shelving, it was time to hang the clothes on the line. I know you've heard me say it before but they just look so awesome blowing in the wind and they smell so incredibly fresh and clean when they come in. Sitting at work, every so often I'll catch a really pleasant scent and remember that it's my clothes! It may sound hokey to you, but it's life on the farm for me :)

We had a very relaxing night. Wally had given the dogs a much needed bath so they were tied up on the back porch where I hang out the clothes. They were all wiggly and wagging their nubby used-to-be tails. I had to take time out to pet them. Smith isn't doing so well, although I don't believe he's in any pain as he makes no noise whatsoever, I do believe he's losing the ability to control his hind legs. He wobbles and leans into us and sometimes just plops down in a way that doesn't appear to be of his own accord. We give him the baby aspirin every day and I'm going to start giving him some of the chicken broth I wrote about in an earlier posting. Maybe it will help him since it effectively helps us.

While hanging the clothes I saw a hornet up near the roof of the porch. Talk about a huge critter - this thing was close to the size of the clothespins he was buzzing around. I called Wally to come kill him but by the time he got there, the darn thing was gone. Wally said he had killed one earlier and that was the second one. The one I saw makes three so there must be a nest somewhere in the vicinity. This is not a good thing at all. They are incredibly dangerous and very mean. Indeed, we are now on a mission to destroy before anymore come around. It wouldn't be such a big deal but we still leave the windows and doors open all day and the potential exists for them to come inside. Not gonna have it...nope!

Wally had tied up the horses so when I got home the gate was open. Unfortunately, I didn't even think to close it so after dinner and after hanging out the clothes, we got on the 4-wheeler and rode down to close it. Since we were out, we went ahead and checked the mail where I found an envelope for me inside. It was from Marcia and inside were pictures of Mikey, a note from her and a note from Ricky. Everyone's notes are so sweet and you can't imagine how thrilling it is to see mail in an era when people  prefer to write through email or via text messaging.

Wally showed me where the Hollyhocks were just coming up at the mailbox. James (Hushpuppy) Tidwell had planted them many years ago from seed. I have no idea what color they will be and it won't be anytime soon that I find out. The plants have only two sets of leaves and stand about 6 inches tall. From what I've seen they will grow to about 5 feet tall before putting out a bloom. Another flower to look forward to and drive you crazy with anticipation about. LOL

No my mystery plant's buds have still not opened up. I'm beginning to think they never will. Maybe I really did get onions instead of flowers...wouldn't that be a kicker? A whole driveway lined with lovely, big, fat, onions!! Ha ha that joke would be on me. I forgot about getting pictures last night. I'll try to remember tonight as we take our stroll around.

Rebel was funny when I went to unpack those boxes... I had a handful of paper that things had been wrapped in and I was taking it to the burn pile. He just came walking right up as if it were food in my hands. I got to pet him but he was surely disappointed when it turned out I had no snack for him. And here I thought he only came to me because of the carrots... lol   Smokey let us know the water bucket was empty by standing by it and whinnying repeatedly until we finally realized what he wanted. I went out to check it and sure enough it was bone dry.

Wally had to give me instructions on how to get the water to come out as the faucet is not your average faucet. Of course. Once I got the proper instructions, the water sprayed out into that 50 gallon bucket and filled it in no time. I could have waited for Smokey to come up to get some water and then try to pet him but it may have taken days and I knew he was thirsty so I walked away and let him have it. He tried to run off Rebel but Rebel was thirsty too so he wasn't having any of that. He waited until Smokey was done though before dipping his head to partake in that nice, cool, refreshing spring water. It's pretty cool that they aren't shying away from me as much as they used to. They won't come to me unless they think I have food but at least they don't take off whenever I get near them.

If anyone is going to the club, please tell mama Joyce I said "Happy Birthday." Rebecca sent me an email saying it was today. If it's not, just be sure to harrass Rebecca on FB for me...thanks!

I thought this was cute and ever so true...

"The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with only a loaf of bread are three billion to one." ~Erma Bombeck

Enjoy your Thursday!!

Biscuits, back-hoes and a broken phone...

I may not be able to put a decent plate of crispy, moist, southern fried chicken on your plate but just ask me to bring biscuits and you won't be disappointed! (Aunt Karen -  I know I can't bring biscuits to the picnic, but what about if I brought "Darn good biscuits," then could I come? LOL - old joke...)

I told you about the Farm Bureau magazine I found that had all the good beef stew recipes? Well, that's where the biscuit recipe comes from. They are made with country ham, swiss cheese and sour cream along with flour, Crisco and a little bit of buttermilk. THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! Wally said the meatloaf was wonderful (thank you very much Lizzard) but he could have had just the biscuits and been fine.

I knew they were going to be good when I started mixing the batter. It was so soft and fluffy even with the Crisco cut into it. There was nothing sticky or gooey about it. After the flour and Crisco were mixed together, all the other ingredients go in at once. You mix them together to get them well blended. I used my hands, I don't know what else would have worked because the ham and cheese really has to be well incorporated so that you get a lot of both in every bite.

Once everything is combined, turn the dough out on a well floured surface and roll into a 1/2" disc. My thanks go to Jessica Gutierrez today as she is the one who bought me the rolling pin. It's the old fashioned wooden one with the handles and it was perfectly suited to this purpose. I love using it, I feel like my great-grandmother, Doozie, is watching over me. Hey, maybe that's why they came out so well?

I don't have a biscuit cutter (it's on my list, don't worry) so I used a glass. I would have preferred they be a little bit smaller but Wally liked them just the way they were. I had both flour and dough on my hands, on the counter and in the sink but it was a hugely satisfying sight to see when the floury mess turned into the perfectly rounded biscuits on the baking sheet. Yeah, it's a little messy but get over it - you have to clean the kitchen anyway so why not have warm, soft, buttery, hammy & cheesey biscuits as the payoff? Didn't bother me one bit.

All together it took about 20 minutes to get all the ingredients measured out, mixed together and into the oven. Another 10 minutes and they were done. Brushed with melted butter on top there was just nothing better to be had. The meatloaf was wonderful. It was juicy, tender and flavorful just like always and if I hadn't forgotten it, I would have had a meatloaf sandwhich for lunch today. Instead it's my usual salad but with pepperoncini peppers included today - yummy peppers give crunch and a tanginess to the flavor and texture of the lettuce and cucumbers. No tomatoes - I just can't see paying $2.99 lb for squishy, flavorless, hothouse tomatoes. Soon I'll have my own and they'll be worth the wait. I'm changing it up a little with Italian dressing instead of the mayo and Spike mixture. woo hoo - going out on a limb... ha ha ha

So that was the biscuit part of the posting...

The Back-hoe part is because that is what Wally was doing when I got home. This isn't technically mowing this is more cutting down of the weeds. The blade is higher so as not to cut the grass. The grass is still fresh and tender for the horses to eat so we didn't want to cut that down. It started out he was going to do just the driveway but since the tractor was running well and the weather was cool and sunny, he decided to just keep on going. There are 20 acres cleared around the cabin so he went ahead and got it all including up the sides of the driveway. Of course this meant the daisy-looking wild flowers were cut down but he says more will take their place. Looking out the front door you can see patches of them all around the yard. I picked some and put them in a vase on the kitchen table. They are white with yellow centers and very bright and perky looking. I hope to be able to keep them on the table throughout the season. Maybe they'll still be growing when you come to visit.

So in the time it took Wally to do all that mowing, I got the meatloaf, biscuits, carrots and spinach ready for dinner. Literally, he came in and took a shower as I was making our plates. He found a dinner bell down at the trailer and brought it up to the cabin - that will surely come in handy when he's out working in the barn and dinner is ready. It's not on the wall yet but I plan to have it hung in the next couple days. If I knew where the nails were, I'd hang it myself. LOL  The timing worked out well this time so I didn't have to have the dinner bell... it will be fun ringing it though :)

Lastly, I have a broken phone. It has completely lost its mind and nothing I do seems to help. Not that I'm the most knowledgeable person when it comes to wireless devices - ha! probably the least knowledgeable but I know when one gives up. One minute it was working and the next minute the screen was doubling and tripling everything on it. Each menu level takes forever to load and text messaging is completely out of the question. Get this, wait - take a seat first... drum roll please (pretend you hear it)... I figured out how to order a new phone on-line all by myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yeah - that's right first a blog and now ordering a wireless device on-line. Tennessee just suits me I guess. ha ha ha ha ha

I think it will come in sometime in the next couple days. If you don't hear from me or if I don't answer your call it's probably because I'll be trying to figure out how...I have no doubt this will prove to be a challenge for me. Every phone I've ever gotten has been a challenge. You have to forget everything you knew about your old one and start anew learning the menu and keys for the new one. Ugh! It drives me crazy.

It's Wednesday and that means it's Jackalynn's funeral service. Our thoughts go out to everyone and our thanks go to Beverly who has been a tremendous help in putting things together for the gathering at Kelly's house to follow. She helped Kelly and Kaylee find outfits to wear, she coordinated the food donations and she volunteered to stay at the house and get everything set up so it will be ready when everyone arrives. It's a terrible sadness to lose a child, no matter the age, so keep the whole family in your thoughts as they work through their grief.

Mom called last night to tell me thanks for the Mother's Day card and gift (she has the card on display with one that Neccy got her if you would care to stop in and see) I sent. She said that she was unable to access the blog but couldn't figure out why. I don't know if anyone else had issues but I hope you're able to get caught up today. Either way, it'll be here when you are able to return.

As I stood at the counter making my biscuits last evening and watching Wally drive around on the tractor, I remembered that the outside world does still go round... It's so easy to forget that when you are fortunate enough to have the view that I do now. There weren't any turkeys, deer, horses or dogs in my view this time but they are really just a plus. The view itself is enough. Come see for yourself if you don't believe me...

Enjoy your Wednesday :)

"I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world." ~George Washington

Still no blooms...

I'm sure both the mystery plant and the daylilies will open up any day now... I'm really, really sure. At least I hope so. I really, really hope so.  LOL

A HUGE thank you goes out to my cousin for hooking up Karla with a K to my blog!!!  I'm sure that must have been Dane - it's nice to be back in touch with her and the Peter Man. Karla moved to NC several years ago - gosh, it's been so many years I don't remember how many... Anyway, we have all sorely missed her and Pete as they are the most dynamic, hilarious, intelligent and friendly people you would ever want to meet. I'll be busy doing some email catch up so I'll know all about what's going on with them.

Karla suggested the mystery plant might be an allium. This is a pretty good possibility everyone! Teri was unable to open it or even see it very well on the blog so I'm going to try and get a better picture tonight. Maybe it will even be blooming when I get home - ha! I doubt it... stubborn thing.

Well, I'm sure you're all sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to hear how my fried chicken came out last night. It was a total flop!! Once again I did what I always do. I burned the outside and the inside was bloody. It wasn't bad bloody but you could see red juice at the bone. Wally couldn't eat it. Actually the piece I got was done but his wasn't so it grossed us out. Thankfully I had made enough corn and broccoli with cheese sauce to get us through. Wally thinks I didn't have enough grease in the skillet. It wasn't completely covered but it was about half way up. He must have been right. Not only did it look unappealing but it was kind of flavorless. I wasn't impressed and neither was he. Good thing thighs are cheap. I didn't feel bad about giving a couple of uneaten pieces to the dogs. Where's my Mom when I need her?  LOL

Tonight will be a success as I'm making "Lizzard's Famous Meatloaf." This tried and true recipe is the most moist meatloaf I've ever made. Just ask Ricky Kline if you don't believe me. I made him the meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy for his birthday this year and he loved it. I always had an issue with my meatloaf coming out really dry. Lizzard hooked me up with her recipe and it's been a successfully moist meatloaf ever since. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, LIZZARD.

I'm also making country ham and swiss biscuits to go with it. I know, I know, country ham is too salty for most of you. Well, I plan to soak it first so it won't be that salty, especially since swiss cheese is kind of salty too. Biscuits have never been a total success for me either (unless Mom was there to guide me) so let's hope I do better with them than I did the chicken. We're going back to Publix for our chicken from now on. That's not to say I won't ever get brave and try it again some day but it was a lot of work to end up being so disappointing. :(

When I got home the horses were eating along the driveway and they were not even the least bit fazed by my car going by. This time, they didn't even lift their heads. They did swish their tails but I'm sure that wasn't in acknowledgement of me but rather to swat the annoying flies or whatever bugs (ha ha ha) them. Wally unloaded all the groceries and the dogs just followed back and forth hoping for a tidbit. They got more than they hoped for when the chicken came their way... lol  Happy dogs!  I got the groceries put away, which entailed rearranging the refrigerator, and cleaned my lunch dishes and started on the chicken. We watched Archie - it was the episode when he first met Helen and whatever her husband's name is. Archie wasn't impressed, naturally, but Edith insisted he be nice to them because she liked them and they were her friends. This was one of the few times Edith stood up to him. His reaction was a classic! 

During dinner we watched Criminal Minds and the show was most definitely better than the dinner... LOL  I cleaned up the kitchen, got my contacts out, changed into shorts and a T-shirt and we headed off to bed. Hey, we did pretty good last night. It was quarter to nine before we went upstairs... how 'bout that?

The weather was chilly and it even rained a little during the night. I wasn't sure what to expect this morning but it was sun-shiny beautiful and 59 degrees. The owl was hooting and other birds were singing away. It must have been that time of the morning where the old owl hasn't gone to sleep yet but the little birds are already awakening to their new day. I just know it was nice for me to hear :)

The other day I noticed that a blue bird kept flying off into the trees whenever I would go to the laundry room. I couldn't figure out what her purpose was but then I thought she must have a nest near by. So when we went to feed the horses, I watched for her and finally saw where she built it. I thought it was in the planter box below our bedroom window but it is actually up on the roof between where the outside light is mounted and the wall. She must be really paranoid because that's really high up. Hope the birdies are confident when they get their flying lessons!!

The wood bees are doing some real damage to the cabin this year. Wally has been swatting them with a tennis racket (yes, they're that big) and filling the holes they make with WD-40. It kills the eggs and runs the parents out of the hole so you can step on them. These aren't honey bees y'all - we're talking wood eaters and we live in a log cabin. They just can't be eating up the house like that!!  They look like bumble bees to me but I've never seen a bumble bee eat a house...

Sorry today's post is so short (even though Dizzy Debbie will be happy about it) but I have to leave work or I'll be on overtime. Not that my boss cares but I don't want to have to be here any longer than I'm supposed to.  :) 

This was all I could find on short notice:

"Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music!" - Ronald Reagan    Love it!!

Rainy Days and Mondays...

Well, rainy days and Mondays they don't always get me down but our family does have some sad news to report. Neccy and Jack's little baby granddaughter passed away Friday. She was a beautiful little Angel who profoundly touched the lives of many people and she will be truly missed. May she rest in peace.

On a lighter note, we did have a very nice weekend. It was supposed to rain but that never happened. Of course today is another story - it's already drizzling outside. Friday I was able to take Hwy. 100 home and it was such a relief to not have to get on that interstate again. However, seeing all the debris and downed trees and mud residue was an eye opener to all the damage done on one of my favorite roads. It's going to take some time to get everything cleaned up and somewhat back to normal.

The people who suffered all the flood damage already had most of their household belongings out by the side of the road to be hauled off to parts unknown. I'm not talking about a few garbage bags and some furnishings, I'm talking everything inside the house from kitchen cabinets and appliances to bed frames and mattresses. There is drywall, mouldings, framed pictures - all soaked or otherwise damaged. FEMA is on the scene but of course those things take a while. We know a couple of people who lost their homes and have had to move in with their siblings, parents or friends who have space.

The schools are opening again in Nashville but in Hickman County they're still closed. In Dickson, it is at the bus driver's discretion. If the driver can get to the kids, they go to school. If the driver can't get to them, they stay home. Many, many roads are still closed. They aren't flooded but the water did so much damage, you can't get down them. Our favorite road coming home from Pee Wee's place, Totty's Bend, is a complete washout. It was narrow at best on a good day. We're told the boulders slid onto the road and it is impassable. It may never be dealt with as the rock that fell on the road is stronger than the road itself. Time will tell.

Friday we went to Pee Wee's and stayed for a few beers then came home. We watched a little TV and hit the sack. I was tired from being up so early in the morning and working all day and Wally was tired from being on the motorcycle in the sun most of the day.

Saturday morning we were up and at 'em around 5am. We headed over to Claudia's house to help remove a tree that had fallen across one of her paths. I know you don't know her but she's a sweet lady and about the only person I've met who befriended me in a way. She likes to cook, garden, read and burn candles so we have a few things in common. Anyway, we headed over to her place with a trailer and chain saws in tow. Daryl (the bartender at Pee Wee's) came with us and the guys got to work on the trees while Claudia showed me around her garden. What a treat that was! She has so many plants to share that I can't wait for bulb splitting time :) 

She has Hosta's both variegated and regular and she has one that is so dark it almost looks blue. She's promised me some of all types. If you have ever shopped Hostas, you know they are quite expensive, ranging anywhere from $18.00 to $25.00 per plant. I wouldn't want to have to spend that much on a plant so I appreciate her generosity in sharing them.

She has Irises too! Yellow, blue and purple and says she'll share whatever colors I want. Of course I want some of all colors! My plan is for them to be planted around the flagpole along with the mystery bulbs and the rose bush from down at the trailer.  She has Peonies and Lenten Roses all of which she is willing to share. What a dream for me! Not so much for Wally as he has to help me dig. The soil is some tough stuff up here y'all. I'll be building muscles I didn't know I had - LOL  I can't wait for you to see my, soon to be, garden when you come to visit.

When we got home Saturday I got my clothes in off the line and hung up another load - boy do they ever smell heavenly coming in from that springtime fresh, mountain air. I got my cleaning supplies and headed upstairs to get started on the bathroom. In no time I had finished the bathroom and started on the floors. They were in desparate need of sweeping and you would not have believed the dust bunnies I rounded up! I really should have wet swiffered them too but I just wasn't in the mood.

I came downstairs, grabbed my magazine and headed out to the front porch. Wally was taking a nap on the couch so I sat out there and talked to Beverly Sue until my phone kept dropping the calls.
The sun was shining, a gentle breeze was blowing and it was nice to spend time catching up with my friend. I took a picture of the daylilies as you can see on the post and that's my chair where I sit. They are as tall as the hitchin post so I had to get on my knees to take the picture from under the hitchin post otherwise I couldn't get all the buds in the picture.

Saturday night we went to this bar called Memories. Wally calls it Miseries so all along I thought that's what the name was. When we pulled up to Memories, I thought we were in the wrong parking lot. Well, he got a kick out of that. One of his friends was doing karaoke and most of the people from Pee Wee's were there. We had a lot of fun watching people dance, listening to people sing and using the bathroom outside. They still don't have water because of the flooding. Of course everyone thinks they can sing while those of us listening know otherwise... LOL  just like karaoke anywhere else in the world.  We both agreed Brittany Crites would knock their socks off! For the first time since I moved here we were out until midnight. I was driving so Wally had slightly more fun than I did :)  I'm getting better at driving on these curvy, unlit, unmarked roads. I don't even think he used the brake pedal on his side of the car...ha ha!

Sunday was Mother's Day and the kids called me at 8:00 am. They were at Aunt Neccy's and there was total chaos in the background. We talked for a little while and then they were off to see their Grandmothers and step Mom. I made breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the downstairs bathroom and brought in my laundry off the line. I know it sounds like work and not the sort of thing you would want to do on Mother's Day but I was just fine with it. The bathrooms are sparkling and the air coming through the windows makes the whole cabin smell fresh and clean. Here's another first for me since moving here - there weren't any kids to clean the house for me. In passed years, for as far back as I can remember, Rebecca and Jarrett always cleaned the house for me on Mother's Day. Hmmm, does this mean they owe me one?  LOL

We headed over to Pee Wee's place for a fish fry and hung out there for a couple hours. Someone had given Daryl a 7lb wild turkey breast and he cut it into pieces, seasoned it and deep fried it. Was it ever to die for... oh my goodness, it was juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside - my favorite textures when it comes to food - and I think I ate probably 10 pieces of it. There's was plenty so it didn't even look like I made a dent in it. With hushpuppies, tater tots, cole slaw, great northern beans and FISH - we had plenty to eat for Mother's Day dinner.

We were home in time to see the turkey hens eating whatever they could find in the driveway, the dogs were napping not 100 yards from them but weren't about to go on a chase - they were enjoying a sunny, lazy Sunday instead.

We had tied up Smokey before we left because he was misbehaving when we fed him his sweetfeed so we went over to the horse stalls to set him free. What a show those two horses put on for us!! They were running, bucking, tossing their manes and really showing off. They ran from the side yard by the woods all the way to the gate and back again 3 or 4 times. All the while, they're looking at each other, looking at us and generally just burning off some energy. Wally said they do this whenever the weather gets cool and yesterday it never got over 69 degrees. They were so pretty showing off like that - I'd never seen it before so there's another first! I've seen them take off running when they first get unloaded from the horse trailer but never like this - what a sight! Just listening to the sound their hoofs made it something to behold. I couldn't even imagine what an old timey stampede would have sounded like after hearing just two horses.

We had been outside enjoying the beautiful weather and laughing with the people who we had partied with the night before so once we had our bellies full of good food and a few beers, we were ready to get back home. Night, night termite came around 8pm. With the moon shining ever so slightly in our bedroom window it didn't take long for us both to fall soundly asleep.

I did cook this weekend - just in case you were wondering... LOL I made the okra and bean stew that I talked about in an earlier post. It was the recipe Joe Brack gave me. Saturday was the perfect day for it because it was a little chilly and this stew really warms you up. It's not heavy like a beef stew but it is filling and nourishing with the protein from the beans and ham and the vitamins and minerals from the okra, tomatoes and onions. We both enjoyed a bowl of it and later I had another bowl. If there's any left when I get home, I plan to bring it for lunch tomorrow. Guess what'll probably happen instead? LOL

I have chicken out for dinner tonight. I'm going to try my luck at frying it. No, it's not healthy and yes, it's very fattening but I'm in the mood for fried chicken and even more so, I really want to perfect my technique. For some of you frying chicken comes naturally (Neccy, Ernie, Kelly, Marcia). I, on the other hand, have never been able to master it on my own. The only successful attempt was made with Mom there to guide me along. So wish me luck - if I get it done right, maybe I'll serve you some when you come visit. Mom, you should be remain near your phone just in case... LOL

Enjoy your Monday be it rainy or sunny and I hope to hear from someone with a guess at what my mystery plant (bulb) is. The picture isn't very good because you can barely see the little bud at the tip of the stalk but all suggestions are encouraged and welcome :)  Too bad it hasn't bloomed yet or the mystery would have been solved...

Until tomorrow then -
"Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others." - H. Jackson Brown