Company Delayed So Here I Am...

Yes, my plan was to be taking vacation to spend time with Ernie, William and Britney but so far that's not the way it's working out. We sure hope William is feeling better soon but in the meantime, they won't be able to make the visit as originally planned. It's not completely out of the question as of today but we're waiting to see how William is before making plans. GET WELL SOON WILLIAM! :)

Last week was so busy at work that it was all I could do to get some pictures posted for you. There was no time to write...my teammate is back to work today so I'm hoping to get you caught up. If nothing else, you'll have my ramblings to read about while you drink your coffee or, if I don't get it out until late, maybe enjoy reading it while you eat your lunch? Now, where to begin??????

The weather is a good place to start as it determines much of what we do. We have had quite a bit of rain and some chilly temperatures but nothing to deter me from work. Today is the first day since Thursday evening that rain is not called for. Tomorrow night though, they say it will be back. After some 70 degree temperatures for a week or so, we're not expected to get above 63 until maybe the weekend - we'll see. Regardless, we have been busy :)

A week ago Sunday I was finally able to plant my peas. According to the almanac they were about a week late. The peas went in along side the chicken wire fence that was put up for me last year. I had enough to do one row that Sunday and this Sunday coming, a follow up row will go in. This is advised when you want to have a second crop come in and so you aren't so overwhelmed by the first one. Peas will be shelled, par-boiled and frozen and/or shelled, par-boiled and canned. If I have time - a little of both. Either way, we'll have plenty of peas for the first month or so of next winter. Pea salad, pea soup, peas for dinner :) hahaha I'm a pea-aholic!

If I didn't already tell you, Darryl came out with a tiller and between him and Wally, they got both sides of the garden tilled up. It was some work too I'll tell you. The tiller worked fine and they were able to get about a foot deep which is really nice when it comes to digging a hole. So far, I haven't needed to dig any holes but when it comes time for the tomatoes to go in the ground, I'll be grateful for the tilling that was done.

I did hoe some rows this weekend past. Opposite the peas I have about a 10 foot row of carrots.These carrots only get about 5 inches long. They are bigger around and are guaranteed by Burpee to be the sweetest carrots I've ever tasted. I'm looking forward to testing that promise :). In the next row, about a foot over from the sweetest carrots I've ever tasted is a 12 foot row of golden beets. Not to be confused with the typical red beet, these beets are of a milder flavor and they stay a nice golden color that doesn't stain your hands when you work with them. Not that that bothers me in the least. I consider it part of the fun :)

My final planting for the day was a packet of Ferry Morse green onion seeds. My Mom sent the packet and according to the back of it, March through May is the perfect time to plant them in Tennessee. Outside of the fenced in area, to the left of the walk-way is another patch that was tilled up for me. It was tilled last year but I was too late to get anything substantial in that space. So, since it is fence-less, I figured onions would be safe over there. I can't think of any animal that likes to eat onions?? The rows there are shorter but the space will allow for more of them because of it. As it is the rows are about 6-8 feet long and I ended up with enough onion seeds for about a row and a little more than a half. The packet says they are ready to harvest in 60 days and when they are about the size of a pencil. woo hoo!!! My hope is to also plant the bush beans there with another planting of onions around them. Maybe just maybe this will deter the critters from eating all my beans...if not, I guess we'll fence it off.

So we have peas, carrots, beets and green onions in the ground. I think I'm making some real progress compared to last year when I had nothing but hopes and dreams buried out there (and at least a million rocks). This year those hopes and dreams are sure to come about with a bountiful harvest for me to share. Just come on up and I'll make you a garden dinner :) When the weather gets nice again, we can even eat out there :)

According to the Almanac, the beans and tomatoes are not due to go in the ground for another week or so. That works for me as I have flowers to plant too you know??? I bought something called a "Burning Bush." I see them all over the place right now and they bloom a bright firery red bloom - hence the name I'm sure. I picked up two of them from Fred's and I'm planning to put them on either side of the driveway, down by the split in the road where I had my fall decorations. They are green throughout the summer, brown in the winter and then all of a sudden they turn their bright red blooms out for all the world to see. A glorious sight to behold I must say. This bush will eventually get about 5 feet tall and as big around so it will be a stand out in the yard where only the oak trees currently reside.

Speaking of my decorations, while they have all been put away or eaten by the horses, the flower garden is beginning to show more promise. Those little green things that I was hopeful would be hollyhocks are, instead, weeds. But they have a pretty purple flower so they can stay for a while. I'll have to pull them out before too long so they don't take over but right now, any color is good color.

Last August I planted what I thought were 3 Allium bulbs in that flower garden. I now realize that one of the three is actually an iris...it's one of those from Claudia that actually survived. I know why - they puppies had better things to do when they traveled this far down the road. They weren't wasting their time digging up my plants with all that other space to explore. With any luck, they'll continue to leave it alone and the sole surviving iris will bloom.

I'm still hoping the hollyhocks will come up as well as the delphinium that Teri gave me. I saved a few seeds from both bags in the event I needed to plant more come spring. On my vacation, you'll find me doing just that. Hollyhocks and delphinium flowers will grace the space at the split in the driveway where our American flag blows proudly in the breeze. Talk about Americana! I'll send photos for sure.

I bought a packet of 4 O'clock seeds. It seems crazy, I know, since they are such prolific seeders themselves but I can't find the ones I brought with me from Florida and I wanted some flower seeds in the ground as soon as possible. I planted some of them around and under the hitching posts in the front yard. There were a few left so I stuck them in the ground in between the butter cups over by Dizzy's apt. The packet was mixed colors of pink, yellow and purple. I didn't even know yellow and purple existed. I've only ever seen pink so this will be a nice change of pace. We know there's plenty of manure to fertilize them so they should be growing like weeds in no time. I hope :) That's assuming the squirrels haven't dug them up for dinner...

Caladium and Lily of the Valley are planted around the oak tree that overhangs the front porch. So far the squirrels have dug them up just once...I replanted and I am once again hopeful that they'll remain in the ground long enough to come up and leaf out. With the millions of acorns laying there on the ground around that tree, I honestly don't see what the attraction is for the squirrels...?? They could eat all day for 10 days and still there would be plenty of acorns! lol I know it wasn't the puppies this time because they aren't allowed in that area now that I have plants in the ground.

I dug all the rocks out from around the mums and the azalea and I still have the tiger lily, day lily and the hosta to clean up. I'm not sure the hosta will make it but Claudia says she has another one for me if it doesn't. There's still time for it to come up and turn green but I've seen no sign that this might actually happen. Between the horses trampling and scattering the rocks and the ground freezing and heaving them out of the ground, there's plenty yet to do over there. I don't suppose it would be nice of me to ask my company to lend a hand in the garden...LOL so I'll be getting to it when I can :)

The tiger lilies are up out of the ground and standing about 3-4 inches high. A couple weeks ago I posted a picture of what I was told were weeds...turns out, they aren't weeds at all but rather the expanding mass of tiger lily bulbs. I guess I need to get my little digger out and dig them up and separate them this year. They have almost outgrown their rock circle :) LOL I can't seem to contain anything around here hahahahaha. I'll update the photograph on the flickr site when I'm through here. Just so you can see what I'm talking about.

In all there's been quite a bit of activity on the farm. Wally continues to work with Colt and Ruger and I do my best to keep up. hahaha They still run me over but they don't do it intentionally - they just don't know how big they are. This weekend they were allowed to run free and guess what? They stayed right there by us and wouldn't leave until Wally started throwing the ball for them. They'll run and get it and bring it almost all the way back but then they drop it right before they get to us. They absolutely LOVE to play! Oh to have the energy...

We picked up some solar lights and got them in the ground. Some go around the outdoor kitchen and a few lead the way to Dizzy's apt. Others line the walkway on the far side of the cabin as you're headed towards the horses. These are really nice when you're walking around outside and the sun has gone down. We plan to pick up a few more packs of them in the event they get stepped on by the horses or run over by our guests who may not be as familiar with the property. In this manner, we'll have plenty of replacements. They look so cool when we're standing on the porch in the evening looking out over the front yard.

We watched the race and we were in the money for it no matter who won. I had any car number that ended in the number 8 and Wally had the number 9. It looked like Kyle Bush would take it away but in the end Kevin Harvick snuck up there, passed Kyle, passed Jimmie Johnson and took the lead with only about a quarter of a lap left to go. Since his car number ends in a 9, Wally won the race pool at Pee Wee's Place...! woo hoo!!! Even if Harvick hadn't won, both Kyle and Jimmie have car numbers that end in an 8 so I would have won the money. Either way, as Wally says, we're going to the poor house together...lol!!

I tried another new recipe yesterday. The ingredients sound strange together but they worked out just fine. It's crushed pineapple (the big can), 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 3 tablespoons of flour (I used self-rising but I can't see where it would matter in this recipe) and 1/2 cup of sugar (I used splenda of course). For the topping, 1 stick of butter, melted (yes, I know...whatever!) and a sleeve of ritz crackers, crushed (I used whole wheat of course). So you pour the crushed pineapple into a 9x9 pan. Mix the cheese, flour and sugar together and sprinkle that on top of the pineapples. Then you mix the crushed ritz crackers with the melted butter and sprinkle that on everything top of it all. Put it in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes and you have a nice, warm, sweet dessert that would be perfect with some ice cream on top. We were too full for that but it would be nice :) You can't really tell there's cheese in it - somehow it just works. Try it and let me know how you like it. We sure did! oh man - I should have taken a picture! Well, I'll be making it again so not to worry...

I cleaned out the freezer again and found the makings of a fine turkey soup. I had gravy leftover (believe it or not) and a bag of turkey frozen since Thanksgiving. It was still good - calm down! LOL I melted the gravy and thinned it out with water. I added some pepper and some sage and let that simmer for a little while. As that went on, I scraped and chopped up some carrots and added some celery and onions to the mix. Everything bubbled away and made the cabin smell like the holidays. When the vegetables were cooked, I served up big, piping hot bowls of turkey soup. I gobbled (hahaha) mine right down while Wally waited for his to cool off some. I say, along with my friend Daiana, it's not edible unless it's boiling hot! LOL We are a strange breed indeed and Jessica (Daiana's sister) says we have alien tongues...hahahahaha! Wallly agrees. He's seen me eat food that still has smoke rising from it and not even flinch. mmm mmmm It might burn my fingers to pick it up but my mouth can handle it for some reason????

Has anyone tried the mayonnaise biscuits yet? Lizzard said she was going to try them as did Kris. I haven't heard back from either to know if they were a success...I hope you enjoyed them as much as we continue to. They seem to have evolved into a weekend staple around here. When we aren't having pancakes, we're definitely having biscuits. I can easily double the recipe for company - I just need to know to plan for it :) :) :)

Now that springtime is here the horses have decided they don't need us anymore. They haven't been up to the house since maybe Thursday of last week. Wally fed them their apple flavored worm medicine, a couple scoops of sweet feed and off they went. Not one sighting over the weekend which was a loss for them. I had cantaloupe rinds and carrot peels all ready should they make an appearance. By the end of the weekend, it had gone bad and was tossed. Oh well...silly horses!

Despite the chilly temperatures yesterday, we were bound and determined to cook on the grill...lol I pattied up some burgers, seasoned them with steak seasoning and made the cranberry/cabbage salad that we enjoyed so much over the holidays. We donned our heavy jackets and headed for the outdoor kitchen. Crazy of us really - it was sooooooo cold and damp out there. But there really is nothing in comparison to a hot, steamy burger on the grill. I covered them with cheese and let that melt for a minute before we loaded up our gear and headed back inside where it was WARM! lol

mmm mmm good!!! Those burgers were cooked to perfection, the cheese had melted just enough to slip down on the side and we loaded them with lettuce, tomato and condiments...no refrigerator pickles this time - we'll have to wait for the cucumbers to come in so I can make more. Sara Lee makes a whole wheat hamburger bun that is out of this world when it comes to texture and flavor. Whole wheat can be dense and dry but not these buns. They're worth the little extra expense knowing that you're getting some health benefits from them...piled with a grilled cheeseburger - you have to consider some of the health benefits lol!!! I'm having a left over one for lunch right now and it's just as good.... :)

As you can see from the pictures my rooster dinner bell is now proudly hanging outside the front door just waiting for me to call everyone in to eat. So far, only Wally and I are in attendance, but we hope to have visitors before too long. When Wally first moved here, he lived in a trailer down where the barn is (not the condo) and worked weekends building the cabin. When the cabin was done, he moved in and used the trailer for storing his tools and other equipment. He eventually built the barn on the front of the trailer so it sow serves as one side of it. I tell you this because throughout the years many things have been stored down there and like everyone else, he tends to forget what's there until he comes across it one day years later. That's how I got my rooster dinner bell. He remembered buying it but didn't remember it was down there and it had been years back when his grandma was alive.

While digging for something else, he found the box, opened it up and knew I would love to have it hanging at the cabin. It even looks like my roosters! It has a fine sounding bell on it and anyone would be happy to ring it to call in the hungry farm workers. Well, okay, we don't have any farm workers except him and I but we still ring the dinner bells pretty regularly if only to hear the pure iron sound of them.

As for the Budweiser thermometer, I've been wanting a thermometer since I got here. I may sound like an old person but there's something about the temperature that I like knowing... (maybe it's how to dress? lol)besides, older people are smart so it's no insult to me to be called one :) Every day I get to look at that thermometer and know what our weather is no matter what the tv says and as we all know, they don't have the best tack record in history. 

Oh the bath day...gosh those puppies were not the least bit happy when this got underway. First Wally tied them to the porch posts so they couldn't get away or get in the dirt. It's also easier for him to reach them when he's standing on the ground - no bending down to reach them! I stayed up on the porch while he stayed down on the ground. He and I wet them down, squirted flea and tick shampoo all over them and started in scrubbing!

Poor guys were miserable!! They made some of the funniest faces, they barked and whined, they shook and sometimes they even refused to stand up! Well, we got the job done, we were probably as wet as they were before it was all over with, and then we had to let them sit. The shampoo has to do its job for about 15 minutes so there they sat while Wally and I took a beer break. I took the opportunity to get a few pictures...funny if you ask me, but seriously not to them. Since they were so good (haha), we gave them some dog biscuits before they went back to their dog house. I don't know how often they'll get baths but I know how often they'll be excited about it! LOL

The old dogs knew what was coming and new what to expect. They didn't make a sound and I think Smith might even have enjoyed the scrubbing part. He was allowed to sit seeing as how it's so difficult for him to stand up these days. They were all clean and smelling good for about 20 minutes and then they hit the dirt and started rolling- whatever!!! All that work...typical dogs! lol Well, you can see how big they are in the new pictures especially if you look back to the Christmastime pictures from when they first came home with us.

As days go by I continue to make plans for my vegetable garden and for flowers in the yard, I continue to look for new recipes and some we like, others not so much. I look forward to visits but thoroughly enjoy the time alone with Wally just as well. We have our routine and as Jerry Clower once said, "mama likes the deal she's got!" That's me. Come see. :)

Come Monday I shall return to post another issue for your reading pleasure :) Hopefully it will be filled with fun vacation antics shared with Ernie, William and Britney but in the event they don't make it, I promise Wally and I will still have antics to share :)  Miss you already :)

"There is probably no more obnoxious class of citizen, taken end for end, than the returning vacationist." ~Robert Benchley

C'MON WEEKEND...

I have stuff to do and I need it to be the weekend so I can really turn up the gardening volume! Going in the ground will be Caladium bulbs, Lily of the Valley bulbs, 4 O'clock seeds (multi-colored), Alyssum and more Hollyhock seeds.

As I was planting the bulbs over the weekend I noticed that there were two different types of greenery coming up in the flower garden down at the flag pole. I'm not sure that they aren't weeds but I don't want to yank them out just in case they are the newly emerging Hollyhock seeds that I planted in August of last year. I posted a picture to see if any of you recognize the leaves for what they really are. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these little shoots are the result of my hard work. :)

I should have had the peas in the ground as of the 13th of March according to the Farmer's Almanac but that was Sunday and it rained all day. We couldn't hardly get out there and build a pea trellis and plant seeds in the rain. Well, we could have but who would WANT to? LOL Instead, the peas will likely go in the ground tomorrow and Sunday...well, it went something like this...

There was no race Saturday night so no reason to stay up late either. As Sunday dawned we awaited the rain that was promised and watched as the clouds moved in. We had just enough time to eat breakfast and feed the animals before the drizzling began. I made pancakes, sausage and scrambled eggs with sliced green apples on the side. Don't be getting all bent out of shape over green apples...when you dunk them in honey, they taste just like a candied apple from the fair...I swear! And so the rains came and with them the wind - it was relaxing to watch from inside the warmth of the cabin.

We switched to Fiber One pancake mix and it's just so so... If I could find the Aunt Jemima mix that we had before, I'd definitely buy it again instead. The Fiber One makes a nice fluffy pancake but it doesn't have the depth of flavor that the Aunt Jemima whole wheat pancakes had. Oh well. I've looked everywhere to no avail so I'm settling for the Fiber One until I can figure out how to make them myself with whole wheat flour. Any suggestions from the peanut gallery would be greatly appreciated :)

To the scrambled eggs I added some steak seasoning and a little garlic powder. I think it's McCormick's brand but either way, it sure gave those eggs a little boost and changed up the morning routine just a little bit. We finished the sausage and the apples and washed it all down with big glasses of tea. From there we headed out to feed the animals. I had some carrot shavings and tops for the horses and a few chunks of romaine lettuce ribs. Rebel turned his nose up at the lettuce but Smokey was game. He ate all I threw out to him. Rebel chowed on the carrots and as always he stuck his head so far over the gate that he could have touched me nose to nose if he wanted to. Funny guy!

The roosters didn't come out from under the porch since the rain was now coming down so I threw a handful of sweet feed out on the ground in case they showed up later. They cock-a-doodle-doo'd the whole time I was out there but refused to come out in that weather...lol I have to admit that when their feathers get wet, they aren't the prettiest guys on the farm. Maybe they know it and are embarrassed to show their faces LOL!! hahaha Still no Roo... :(  booooo

The puppies are wild in the morning - they really need exercising to get them to calm down and stop jumping. Right now they are learning not to bark at us when we approach the dog house. As it is they just go crazy with barking, jumping, standing on their hind legs and running all around. I know they're excited but they have to learn that all their antics won't bring us there any sooner. They're cute as can be when they finally sit and stop barking. They still whine and you can tell they would rather be barking but they somehow manage if only for a minute or two. We can't ask much more than that from those youngsters lol!

So all were fed and petted (roosters - not so much) and settled into their daily activities...but let me back up just a bit. While I was making breakfast, standing at the kitchen window, looking out at the length of the driveway, I saw 5 deer eating the new grass just beyond Dizzy's apt. They had not a care in the world and stayed for quite a while now that there is plenty of green grass to attract them. As I cleared the breakfast dishes, they meandered off down the side of the hill where the holler is. I thought how cool it was that they were back after hunting season. We thought we had lost them all.

When next I looked up, Colt had starting barking his head off in the direction of the outhouse. I looked all around out there but saw nothing and I told Wally he was just barking at the wind I guess. In the next second after I said that, here came what looked to be about 50 deer running full speed ahead from behind the outhouse all the way across the yard, across both driveways and off down the holler where the other 5 already were. UNBELIEVABLE!!! That was absolutely the most deer I'd ever seen at one time. By the way, there were really only 8-10 but it looked like there were a whole lot more! lol As I stood there in awe, two more emerged from the woods and quickly caught up to the herd. Fifteen total as far as I could tell, possibly a few more that I missed when I was trying to watch them and count at the same time. Happy is how I felt - happy in the knowledge that we'll have another strong population again this year. It was looking pretty grim prior to Sunday.

I walked around and checked on the daffodil bulbs I had planted the day before and sure enough, they were all still there and all were happily soaking up the slight drizzle of rain that still fell. To me they seemed even perkier...perhaps it was because I was still on a deer-sighting high :) Really folks, this place just never ceases to amaze me.

I spent some time cleaning out the refrigerator, rearranging the pantry and making my shopping list. Believe it or not, this actually consumes quite a bit of my time...lol What is it that takes so darn long? After that I got the pooper scooper and scooped the rooster poo off the back porch. Darn roosters! While I'm grateful for the fertilizer, I wish they'd keep it on the ground where I can shovel it up and use it LOL but that's not the case. Glancing off the porch, I saw that a bunch of stuff had blown down the hill during the storm so I headed out there to pick it up.

Going down the hill towards the holler I must have picked up two or three plastic dog bowls, a couple of cans, some of my planters that weren't heavy enough to elude the winds and fortunately the garbage can itself. LOL this made bringing everything back up the hill, much easier. Am I out of shape? You betcha! I was winded from just that little bit of a climb up hill. We've been doing our walk with the dogs every day that we can fit it in but Sunday's little jaunt reinforced the notion that one day missed makes climbing the hill all that much harder hahahaha It's not like it's that far to go - it's just that it's so steep :) Apparently I'm still a flat-lander. LOL well, you're welcome to come on up here and walk it with me...any takers? hmmmm that's what I thought! haha

The day went fast and before we knew it, it was time to retire. Oh was I ever ready. I spent a whole day doing lots of nothing but it sure kept me busy...ever have one of those? You can't really tell you got anything substantial done but you worked all day at it? That was me on Sunday :)

Monday - oh, around 7am, I received a call from a Fraud Prevention company who notified me that they had detected some unusual usage on my Visa debit card. Low and behold, someone had somehow obtained my number and bought themselves an X-box, something from Apple on-line and two things titled only with the New York Times name. As you may know none of these are anything that I would ever buy and so my card had to be shut down completely.

In order for the credits to be posted to my checking account, I have to fill out a claim form and send it to my credit union. In the meantime they are sending out a new card. Blah, blah, blah lots of work for me and rarely do they find the culprits of these thefts.

Can you imagine going back to using checks and cash...??? You are treated as if you have leprosy or something...lol! It's true though. The people in line at the grocery store were not impressed with my delaying them their purchases. The lady at Fred's actually had to consult with her cash register to see how much change to give me when I paid cash. What's worse is I had to check the receipt to make sure she was right...LOL I can't do math without a calculator either - hello!!!

The work week has been very busy, hence the minimal blogging but it's going to get worse before it gets better. Sorry!!! I have to cover a team mate next week so that's twice the work. Then, the week after that comes my much needed and I think, well-deserved, vacation with Ernie, William and Britney. Whew! I'll have to take notes to remember everything that we do so I can post it here for you. There's sure to be lots of funny stuff.

Wally has been working on changing out motors from one vehicle to the other. There's a picture of the one that's going into the bronco on the flickr site. Already it looks much different than the picture. He de-greased it, pressure washed it and painted it. It looks like new! He tells me what kind of motor it is but of course I don't remember all the words. It came out of a 5.0 Mustang - I know that much...LOL We hope to have the truck running when our company gets here so we can all fit easily in one vehicle.

One night this week we were both pretty tired at the end of the day. I had thawed out a couple ham steaks from the piggy harvest so I put them in some water with some black pepper and ham bouillon. They simmered on low while I made some mayonnaise biscuits to go with them. Can you believe we actually had no veggies that night? It was so weird. It didn't bother Wally in the least because I had made gravy with the pan juices that were left from the ham. I just thought the plate looked kind of bare without any peas, carrots, corn or green beans on it... It was good and it was very filling but it still seemed strange.

I bought corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day but was too tired to make it. This training is wearing me down I tell ya... lol We're going to have our St. Patrick's Day dinner on Saturday if you would care to join us...LOL! There's still time to get here :) We had tuna salad on toast with lettuce, tomato and mayo (for Wally) with a pickle on the side.

The last of the refrigerator pickles was eaten last night. Come on cucumbers!!! I gotta make more of those little babies :) Neccy took a jar home with her but I haven't heard whether or not she liked them...if you see her, ask her. She was hiding them for a while so no one else could get their hands on them...LOL I hope it was worth it.

As you can see from the new pictures, the plants all seem to be coming along just fine. The puppies are growing like weeds and springtime is truly on its way to Tennessee. It comes this Sunday as a matter of fact. We're supposed to be in the high 60s with clouds on Saturday and sunshine on Sunday. Next week it's supposed to be in the 70s so we'll be outside as much as possible. There's surely enough to do to keep us busy through the whole summer lol We're already planning cook-outs! The invitation remains open for you to come visit.

The weather is cool, there's always a breeze on the top of the hill, the grill and smoker will soon be fired up and the cooler stays filled in anticipation of your arrival. We even turned on the water to Dizzy's apt. so the outhouse is back in action! LOL Don't worry, if you can't make it up here, I'll take lots of pictures so you'll feel like you were in on it.

Enjoy your weekend - plant a flower or put up a bird feeder - you'll be surprised what one little thing like that will do for your attitude.  :)

"Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams

We're Getting There... March 20th is The First Day of Spring :)

WITH the hurrying winds of March come the inevitable signs that springtime is hiding just beyond the curtain. Patches of grass turning green in the yard. The Forsythia in bright yellow bloom (see flickr). The Bradford Pear trees are full to bursting with the flower buds to be. People are starting to emerge from their winter hibernation.

On the way to work Friday, I topped a hill and out of nowhere my car started making the most horrendous noise. It was so loud that it sounded like a hot rod. I knew this couldn't be good but with only a mile or so to go, I kept trudging along. It's been leaking some oil so I thought maybe that was the problem but it seemed louder than a typical low oil ticking sound. How's that for mechanical terminology? LOL

After being at work a few hours, I went outside and checked the oil. Just to be on the safe side and so I could report back to Wally my findings. He said for me to just come on home and he would look at it. He must have been pretty confident because I thought it was hurt really bad and didn't want to even risk driving it. But I did - he's the mechanic who is going to fix it either way, right?

I drove it straight to the barn which is also the shop. He was there and he came out laughing when he heard me pull up. I asked him how he liked the sound of my hot rod Mustang and he said it sounded as if I had muffler troubles. hmmm Now if I was in FL I'd be freaking out a little bit. For one, anytime you have to have work done on your vehicle, you know it's going to be costly. Then there's the fact that you don't know who to trust and typically feel like you're getting ripped off.

Not so here in TN. He diagnosed the problem and said it could wait until tomorrow to be fixed. We climbed in the Camaro and headed for home. Just that simple. No days and nights of worrying what it would be or how in the world I would get it fixed or even how I would get to work... none of that. It was so nice :)

I was already making plans to dig up some buttercups that were growing at the condo (aka trailer) and get them transplanted up at the cabin along with the rose bush....day-dreaming has become a favorite past-time. lol. Maybe that's what 3 months of winter does to me?

We fired up the grill and threw on some steaks for dinner and it was nice enough outside so that no jacket was required. We let the puppies run free while the roosters ate the scratch feed we threw out for them. I made a salad, peas and green beans for side dishes and we relaxed and enjoyed the evening knowing there would only be many more of these to come as days go by.

Fridays are always kind of up in the air with regard to whether or not we're going to go out. Mostly we stay home on Fridays but you never know... this was a stay at home Friday and I was glad. We finished our dinner and I cleaned up the mess. I took out some smoked turkey kielbasa for breakfast the next day, grabbed a beer and went to watch tv in the living room with Wally.

I've been doing the whole "no sleep" thing again so it wasn't long before I was ready to hit the hay. We watched tv in bed for a little while and talked about our plans for the next day. He had plans to work on getting the Bronco running so I have a truck to drive but my car problem kind of waylaid that. I had plans for digging, separating and planting bulbs and whatever else I could get done in the yard. The weatherman promised 70 degree temperatures and we were ready to take advantage of it!!\

Indeed it was sunny upon our awakening and already it was 52 degrees - woo hoo!!! I made us breakfast sandwiches on toasted whole wheat buns... they had strips of the smoked turkey sausage, a fried egg (with the yolk just barely cooked) and a slice of cheese melted on top. mmm mmm good! We each had a glass of tea to wash it down with and then headed out to start feeding the animals who were anxiously awaiting our arrival :) the roosters crowed from the time we got up until just before we left for the barn. LOL

We unhooked the puppies but kept them on leashes and took them with us over to feed the horses. The roosters followed us around and even the old dogs came off the porch for the morning feeding. The horses were prancing all over and we could tell they too were enjoying the sunshine and warmer temperatures. Once the horses were fed, we walked the puppies over to Dizzy's Apt. where the chicken feed is kept. I threw out the scratch feed for them and while they ate, Wally filled the water buckets for the dogs and puppies. I filled my bird feeders on the back porch and about 20 minutes later we met up at the door. We washed our hands and headed out for the day's adventures to begin. For some of you this would seem like a full day already, huh? lol

We got my car up on the ramp and he started working on it. He found that I did indeed have muffler troubles so the muffler had to come out. Unfortunately it has these little wire sensors all up in there and they have to be disconnected in order for anything else to be done. It's a good thing he's the mechanic - I think I would lose my patience with all those parts and pieces and wires and bolts, etc. Well, as we stood there getting ready to weld the muffler back together, we heard a truck coming up the driveway. It was Kurt and company!

It was good to see them. We hadn't seen them since Tennesha's birthday party and with such a beautiful day, we just couldn't see doing all that work. Wally, Kurt and Tennesha finished up my car while Beverly and I visited and before long the car was off the lift with the muffler in tact and we were loading up to head back to the cabin. So much for digging up bulbs... lol

Wally took Beverly and Tennesha in the camaro, Kurt drove his truck through the holler and I followed Wally in my car. Well - I went in the same direction as Wally - he was way, way, way up ahead of me LOL

We seasoned up some steaks and loaded the cooler with beer and ice and sat on the porch enjoying the first pretty day in a long time. The puppies were freed from their dog house pulleys and the roosters wandered around eating anything that moved on the ground. It seemed as if everyone was in a social mood and we really had a good time laughing, visiting and sharing food together. I cooked the honey-buttered carrots while the guys cooked the steaks on the grill. Tennesha wasn't a fan of carrots but she likes honey so she tried them and was very surprised to find that she like them - A LOT... lol! I sent some home with her :)

Tennesha had a date that night so after dinner they got ready to leave. They needed to get her home in time to get a shower and get ready to go out whereas we were ready to get showers and get ready to stay home...LOL!! I remember what it was like to get ready to go out around 8, 9 or 10 - when things really got hopping. Not anymore :)

I wouldn't let them help with the kitchen. It's kind of my time to remember the day and the fun and make note of things to do next time.  So we hopped on the 4 wheelers and escorted them to the gate where we waived good-bye until next time :) I cleaned up my kitchen and settled in with Wally for some more relaxing. Ahhhhh
what a wonderful day :)

For Sunday's activities...you'll have to come back and read some more tomorrow as it's time for me to leave for the day :)  lol


"Middle age is when you're sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn't for you." ~Ogden Nash

LOL I just thought that was so funny. But of course I would love to hear from all of you, only don't call too late...bedtime comes in around 7:30 here LOL stay tuned...

Tricky Tennessee Weather.... fooled me!

ALL my big weekend plans for working outside came to an abrupt halt Saturday morning when we awoke to major thunderstorms passing through the area. The wind was howling across that big tin roof like nothing I'd ever heard before and I've been through the hurricanes in FL! What with the wind, the rain and the chilly temperatures, I resigned myself to indoor activities. You Day Lilies out there in the yard - you'll just have to wait a little longer :)

Before coming downstairs I crossed the bridge and started hunting through boxes for those scrawled with "Spring 2010" across them. They weren't hard to find as they were the last ones to go up there. They were pretty much on the outskirts of the box collection. LOL

I brought down a box filled with my sunflower candle holders, the bunny candle holders and the King Frog and Queen Snail candle holders. I found my spring table cloth, some empty picture frames that needed filling and the very last jar of "Bloody Mary" mix that Wally and I concocted and canned as the summertime tomatoes came to an end. It took me two trips up and down the stairs and back and forth across the bridge. Can you say "Whew!"

I set the boxes on the dining room table and started unwrapping the tissue paper that protected each piece throughout the fall and winter seasons. Not until everything was unpacked and unwrapped and rinsed clean of dust did I realize that my winter place mats, napkins and pine cone filled gourd were still adorning the table. Back into the boxes and onto the floor did everything springtime go...just long enough for me to grab up the darn fall and winter stuff that I had forgotten and move it into the living room until I was ready to make yet another trip up the stairs and across the bridge. One can get their exercise around here...

First things first - the spring tablecloth goes on. The area is immediately brighter and fresher looking. I set the candle holders out on the table debating where everything should go. I had a pretty good idea but you know how easy it is to change your mind when it comes to decorating? LOL I tried everything in probably 6 or 7 locations before finally coming to rest with my decision. Now, that's not to say it won't change again a couple more times before I'm through but suffice it to say I was done for that particular Saturday morning.

As you can see by the flickr photostream, the sunflower candle holders went on the bathroom windowsill. I used some of the pictures from last spring to fill the lucite frames (my first day lily and the "mystery" plant) and in the center is the candle holder that Marcia sent me for Christmas. Thank you Marsh!!! Love it! If anyone would like to print a picture of the windowsill and show it to her, I'd be ever so appreciative :) 

I don't think I've ever done so much decorating on a bathroom windowsill. Have you? It seems silly but that window has a nice view, great sunshine and a very slim chance that anything will get knocked off of it. For whatever reason I tend to go there first when I'm decorating. LOL Remember Christmas? Yeah - weird - I know.

The King Frog and Queen Snail are made of clay and can be used inside or outside as you see fit. They came from Partylight back when I was having candle parties all the time. We used them at the outdoor kitchen to burn citronella candles during our cook-outs. I don't know how effective they were on the mosquito population since we all wore insect repellent but they were very pretty and the glow from the candles was nice when the late afternoons turned to dusk. I promise to overload you with pictures this year now that I know how to use the camera and the little download thing that Ernie sent :) I hope you don't get bored!

There are two turtles and two frogs that go with the King and Queen and they are equally fun to burn candles in. The only problem with them is that the evening summer showers quickly doused the flames. Ah but they are cute and since it all matches... what the heck?

The bunny candle holders are back in their rightful place on the bookshelf but in a different arrangement from last year. They're so versatile that I tend to move them around a lot. There always has to be one next to the picture of Jarrett when he was just a little guy (jeez, have you seen that kid?) because his nickname was "BunBun" for the longest time. He had many more nicknames throughout the years but BunBun just kind of stuck. We went to a garage sale with Aunt Karen one morning and she bought him a plastic coffee cup (no, he didn't drink coffee but he wanted something...anything...you know how kids are) with the word "Bun" on it. I guess it came with one of those fancy coffee makers...anyway, that was his garage sale score on that particular Saturday and we started calling him "BunBun" from then on. He drank from that cup for so long it finally cracked and had to go by way of the trash can. Funny how a little thing like that stays with you forever but you can't remember what you wore yesterday...LOL

So I busied myself for the better part of Saturday morning just piddling as I've described. We did have breakfast in case you were wondering...lol Of course it was those fresh eggs - I picked the biggest one for breakfast - bacon, mayonnaise biscuits and orange slices. You're probably saying to yourself, "cholesterol ridden and artery clogging." Well that might be true in the case of the bacon but fresh eggs have less cholesterol than pasteurized eggs have. It's proven - really - I can provide documentation upon request. As an added benefit, they also have omega 3 fats that you typically get from salmon and other fatty fishes. Imagine getting that "good for you fat" in an egg instead?

We had just two slices of bacon, two biscuits and a half of a navel orange each to round out the meal. So while it may have had some saturated fat and probably loads of calories, it was filling and, in part, healthy but most of all, it kept us satisfied until up close to dinner time. I worked most of it off with all the stair climbing and bridge crossing...LOL or so I tell myself anyway :)

Well, if you don't feel like leaving the house and you've done all the decorating you can do for one day, what else is left? I started in cleaning...lol you thought I was going to say take a nap, read a book or watch tv, didn't you? Don't get me wrong, those are all very good options, especially for a rainy Saturday, but the bathroom was in desperate need of my attention. That's what I get for being in there decorating...made me notice my laziness hahahaha.

After the cleaning was done there were animals to feed. I couldn't feed them earlier because it was raining so hard I didn't care to venture out. Apparently the dogs didn't care to either because they were all nestled up in the ho-dog house not to be seen or heard from until much later in the day. The horses were another matter entirely. They were out there at the gate and every time I went around to do the laundry, they whinnied at me and pranced around as if to let me know I had forgotten them. I knew they were getting tired of waiting so when it finally let off - I didn't say it quit - it let off enough for me to don my muckboots and gray jacket and head on over there.

As I gathered their buckets, they snorted and stomped and generally showed some attitude that I haven't seen in quite some time. Even Rebel who is usually so good natured, wasn't impressed with the lateness of my appearance...LOL I filled their buckets and threw a handful of sweet feed to the roosters (still just the 4). Since Rebel was about to come over the fence I went ahead and held out the bucket so he could get a quick bite before I set it on the ground. Jeez he must have been really mad about something...he pushed his head down in the bucket so hard he almost made me drop it. As I scratched Smokey's neck, the rain began to pour again so I headed back up the porch steps to store my boots in the box and get back to the warmth and dryness of the indoors.

Late Saturday we watched the Nationwide race coming from Las Vegas and we were please to see Mark Martin win. Too bad the same couldn't be said for Sunday or I would have won $100.00 in the race pool. LOL Good Job Mark on a well-deserved win on Saturday.

I guess all that box sorting,toting and emptying combined with animal feeding, house cleaning and laundry doing had me pretty well exhausted. It was after dark when we went to bed... but not by much :)  LOL

Come Sunday, the rains had passed but it was COLD again. I think it was in the 20s when we got up. Darryl and his son came over eggs in tow and a huge bag, literally filled to overflowing, of the first crop of turnip greens for the season! Oh JOY!!! I was so happy to have green food (not rotted - that's gross...you know me better!) in the house I just stood there sniffing up the fresh, crisp, earthen smell for the longest time.

I rinsed them and rinsed them again and then let them sit in the cold water so whatever dirt might have been left, would fall to the bottom of the sink. As you can see from the pictures, they are beautiful in their greenness and I can't wait to sink my teeth in. That day would have to wait as we already had more than enough food out for Sunday. So the greens were rinsed again and yet again until I was happy that they were clean enough to go into freezer bags to be saved for another day. The timing was perfect as I was down to just one more small bag of turnip greens in the freezer - now, I'm all set! I sure hope Ernie, William and Britney like them :)

mmmmmm maybe I'll make my warm turnip green dip from the Southern Living website. It's really good, huh, Ernie???

I set some eggs to boiling so I would have hard-boiled eggs to carry in my lunch bag during the week and began gathering up all the things I would need for cleaning the upstairs bathroom and floors. Yes, it was another day of up and down the stairs! lol  Before heading up I cut two slices of cake for Darryl and his son and topped them with some fresh strawberries. I also bagged up the empty egg cartons so Darryl will have them for refills - he always laughs when I do that.

I rode my broom upstairs (hahahahahaha) and started in on the bathroom. Keep in mind that this is a log cabin. The floors are wood, the walls are wood, the ceiling is wood. This means there's very little to do scrubbing-wise but lots to do, floor-wise. Armed with Scrubbing Bubbles along with Windex and paper towels I finished that job in just minutes.

Problem #1 - Wally hung the medicine cabinet to his height. This means I can only clean the mirror about 1/2 way up even on my tippy toes. After that, he's going to have to take over...LOL It looks kind of funny to have half your mirror clean but that's the way it goes here in Wally World!

Problem #2 - my swiffer wouldn't work!! ARGH! There I was with the porcelain and glass all clean and shiny, the floors and trim were swept and ready for mopping and no swiffer action was to be had....ugh ugh ugh.

This is something that will really put a damper on your cleaning mode if you know what I mean? Well, there was nothing I could do but go BACK downstairs and fumble with the swiffer until the guys showed up. You already know the extent of my mechanical prowess so there's no real hope of me fixing the problem...LOL!! oh that's so funny! I took the batteries out (proud I could even find them!) and put new ones in. There, that should do it, I pushed the button - nothing. I shook it - still nothing. Hrmph? So much for that. I rinsed the hard-boiled eggs in cold water, put them in a baggie in the refrigerator and took out the shrimp to thaw for dinner.

It wasn't long before the guys showed up and when I went outside it felt like it was freezing cold. They assured me it was and they even saw a couple snowflakes while they were at the barn. I gave Darryl his goodies and they came inside for a few minutes to warm up before taking off back towards Centerville. They described all the work they got done at the barn and I'm sure it was a lot but it may as well have been in Spanish for all I understood of it....jeez, I can't even get a stupid swiffer to work - hello?

As they headed off down the driveway I explained my swiffer dilemma to Wally. He took out the batteries that I had just put in - wiggled something around and then used a knife on it. He put the batteries back in and pushed the button. Of course the stupid swiffer worked for him - Whatever! UP THE STAIRS I went...LOL!

I swiffered the bathroom, the landing, the steps down from the landing and the entire bedroom floor. It's a big floor - come see for yourself if you don't believe me... lol! Then I mixed some Murphy's Oil Soap in a bowl of water and by hand I cleaned the spiral cedar staircase. It came clean pretty easily but it's no easy job just because of the angle and the fact that the steps are about as long as I am tall...at least 3 of them are. Well, before long the spiral staircase was clean and shiny just like a new dime. Cedar takes on a reddish hue when it's wet and looks absolutely beautiful!

I collected up all my cleaning supplies and started putting them away while Wally talked on the phone with the Dish Network people. We had to move the one TV from the hot tub room to the living room as the big screen tv in the living room has decided to crap out on us. He is in charge of remote control programming as I'm about as good at that as I am with mechanics - just ask my kids or Neccy. Whatever that takes - I don't have it.

While he was getting assistance with the programming, he figured he would have customer service help with the remote upstairs too. They were very helpful and in no time all the remotes in the house were working better than ever before. Yeah!!! I'm still not sure how to turn on the tv but we now only need one remote for changing channels and volume control - cool huh?

I went to finish folding my last load of laundry and as soon as I walked in that door I noticed foot prints on the steps of the spiral staircase where I had just spent a good 45 minutes cleaning by hand!!!!! Oh My Goodness....talk about counting to ten to remain calm. Well, I still had my rag with the Murphy's Oil Soap down there so I grabbed it up, squeezed it out and once again, cleaned that staircase. You can imagine my pleasure :) :) lol!

As I was dumping the dirty water down the toilet, I mentioned to Wally that "someone" had dirtied up the staircase that I had just finished hand scrubbing...I said I wondered who that might have been. He looked at his shoes and said it might have been him. He said he might have done it when he went upstairs to mess with the remote and he also said he was sorry... I had to laugh. He really had no idea he had even done it...I also put a rug down at the foot of the steps.

The race was coming on and Wally had bbq ribs on the grill even though it was really too cold for cooking outside. I put the pan o' shrimp in the oven and grabbed a cold Bud Light. The time for resting had come. I sat in my rocker and he sat in his recliner and we enjoyed watching the NASCAR race at Las Vegas motor speedway probably more than either of the first two races.

Sorry about the Bush boys Kris - they normally do so much better there. I like Carl Edwards as a driver but still I haven't decided who to pick for MY driver. I wish I would hurry up - it makes watching it so much more fun. We stuffed ourselves on shrimp and ribs and still there was plenty leftover for both of us to have for lunch.

The roosters were cock-a-doodle-doing and the dogs were all in the ho-house with their red light warming them up. The horses had wandered back out of sight and the sun was still high in the sky when we hit the hay. It had been a weekend of stair-climbing for me and I was tired. This morning I wondered why my legs were cramping and stiff with soreness as I came downstairs and then I remembered why...lol! How out of shape I must be from this winter of inactivity!

Hope your weekend was fun! Hope you enjoy the new photos - there'll be lots more to come as things start to green-up around here :)

"If the shelves are dusty and the pots don't shine, it's because I have better things to do with my time."
~Author Unknown

Just the Beginning...

Happy March!!

From the Farmer's Almanac comes this quote:
"Now Spring Has Come, The Birds Rejoice, And Chaunt The Cheerful Lay;
The Farmer With Exulting Joys, Prepares For April's Day."

I put in my seed order, I replanted my bulbs AGAIN (dang!!), I talked to Darryl about a tiller and about a trellis for my peas. I'm getting ready to get my hands dirty after a nice, long, winter reprieve. My new email friend, Arlene, assures me the leafy plant that popped up (and is pictured on the flickr account) is a tulip and she advises lavender for around the walkway of the cabin. I think that's a really nice idea. It's pretty, it smells good and it doesn't spread. It's also very hardy here in TN whereas FL would have been too hot for it. Think I'll have my hands full?? You betcha :) and I can't wait!    

The early daffodils are blooming and they simply brighten up the roadways with their yellow faces turned upward and outward as if to smile at the passing vehicles. Hope is not lost for mine as they are out in the sun and surely just biding their time.

The Allium are all about 8-10 inches tall but show no sign of the flower stem coming up. As I recall from last year, they didn't bloom until right after the day lilies. It's nice to look upon the driveway and see green in between the stone border.


I guess placing my seed order must have kicked in the spring fever LOL. I'm ready for the screen doors that Wally is building so we can open up the cabin and let it air out. Oh for those fresh mountain breezes to be blowing through while I'm piddling around all day.... :)

Those sunflower candle holders and the tablecloth that have been packed away since sometime in September are ready to be unpacked, get cleaned up and set out again. The fall and winter things are destined to be boxed up this weekend as the swap out is made. After a winter of white candles and crystal, clear candle holders, brown acorns and grapevine wreaths, it's time for some bright yellows and crisp blues to adorn the mantel, bookshelf and door.

I even bought a couple bags of potting soil the other day :)  Yes, it seems springtime will be upon us just any day now and while the winter was amazing with its force and its beauty, the colors of spring are beginning to call my name.

So for all those of you who declined the offer to visit during those colder months the door is still open (literally now...lol) and awaiting your approach down the driveway. Which, by the way, has been graded so it's a very smooth ride. The spare bedroom has new linens and pillows and is just begging for a visitor :) The puppies are learning their manners and the horses are shedding their winter coats. The roosters number just 4 these days but we have been hearing sounds off in the woods that might mean Roo could be coming home... when the 4 of them start cock-a-doodle-doing in the morning, there's a resounding cock-a-doodle-doo that comes right back at them. One can only hope.

As Days Go By I find that I have indeed settled in here. I still miss all of you and FL too but this place has become home for me. My thoughts drift toward the beautiful land, trees, cabin and critters and I couldn't imagine life without them. I knew when I moved here that it was where I wanted to be. What I didn't know was how near and dear to my heart it would become in such a short amount of time.

I'm ready to get the canner out and give it a test run to make sure it's in perfect condition for canning season. I have boxes of jars that need to be run through the dishwasher and my quest for new recipes this year will include finding a way to can my soups and stews so I can share them with those of you who have so earnestly requested them. hmmmmm maybe that's what I should use to bribe you to come up...lol! Want a jar of my beef, barley and vegetable soup? Well, come and get it............lol!!!

If you are making plans to come see us, we have a couple of visits on the calendar already. Ernie, William and Britney are coming up March 26th and Paul and Missy are planning a return trip sometime towards the end of April. Those dates aren't set in stone yet. Dizzy says she's planning a visit in April too so I'll keep you posted on her schedule as well. Sydna keeps saying she's going to come up but now that she has her new boyfriend....well, you know how that is.

Mule Day is coming up March 31st through April 1st. If our company so decides, we may make the trip to Columbia to check out the festivities... the straw covered grounds, the mules braying in the distance, the home made crafts and jams and relishes, little kids running barefooted, I feel it all tugging at me like the Hickman County Fair did last fall. mmmm that corndog sure was delicious!

If anyone comes up in May - please oh please bring me some Zellwood corn... :) :) :) The corn here is good, don't get me wrong. It's sweet, crunchy and juicy as all get out but there's just something about knowing that it's from Zellwood that makes it so special.... I'll even give you a jar once I have it canned :) now that's a deal right there!

I haven't come up with any new concoctions lately but I did recently learn that you can cook a meatloaf in a roaster. Yep, it's true. My friend Kris sent me a picture of the one she made. I know it sounds crazy and that's exactly what I told her but what an awesome idea, right? You don't have to heat up the kitchen, the roaster only takes up a little space and you can plug it in anywhere you want - even outside if there's an outlet. What the heck, it's worth a try. Maybe a roaster meatloaf (Lizzard's Amazing recipe of course) will be on the menu for the race on Sunday. I'm feeling adventurous...! 

The weather, I'm told, is typical of this time of year. It's in the 60s during the day and the 30s-40s at night. I can wear a long sleeve t-shirt without a jacket as long as the sun stays out. Ah, now that's nice... sometimes it's the little things that make us happy. We just have to take the time to think about what they are.

Well time has gotten away from me today and I must sign off until tomorrow. Gosh, there's so much more to say (write about)... where does it all come from? LOL

Raise a glass folks as March 26th marks my one year anniversary of being in TN. Woo Hoo!

"An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow." ~Author Unknown      I sure am excited to know that I'll be spending this, my first anniversary in TN, with my wonderful, beautiful, funny, sweet, loving friend, ERNIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  See you soon!