New Years Thoughts

                                                         Our newest addition .
    Well, it has been a while again.  Seems I am not very consistent.  Life is that way.  I noticed that last time I posted was in September.  Wow!  We all caught colds while at the beach and someone has been sick, pretty much, ever since then.  It has been a long winter so far. lol.  We have started back to school. The kids are getting into the routine again.  I decided that I needed to organize myself also.  I have tried all kinds of things and of course as life changes around you, you have to change.  Anyways, I decided to try the pioneer method.  Whats that you ask?  Well, I assigned a chore for each day of the week.  Monday is paper day.  I go through the bills, mail, do some filing, make a menu, plan my grocery trip, etc.  Tuesday is market day.  I go to the grocery and run any errands that I need to.  Wednesday is wash day.  I am tired of laundry going on and on all week long. Not to mention the laundry baskets of unfolded laundry sitting around.  So now we do it all on one day, fold, and put it away.  Thursday is a free day for me to choose what needs to be done or what I want to do.  Friday is cleaning day.  This involves everyone.  Everyone has a room or area that they are responsible for.  This makes going into the weekend so much better and if we want have someone over after church on Sunday, I don't worry about what the house looks like.   Saturday is baking day.  I bake bread and sometimes desserts.  Sunday is for rest. Now this is only the second week that I have done this, but it seems to be working for me.  We do have other things going on each day, but if I can accomplish the biggies.......HOORAY!

   This time of year always makes me want to plan our garden, think about new chickens, and milking goats.  I been going through the Murray McMurray catalog.  Such pretty chickens!  It's so hard to choose.  And with economy the way it is, I am thinking of enlarging the garden this year. We are really enjoying everything that I put up this summer.  I am definitely canning again this year.  Besides I love to can!  Isn't that weird?  I am hoping one of the goats is pregnant, and I am hoping to milk her this spring.  I will keep you posted.(another new years goal. lol)

       Have a great weekend! ~ Angie

   

  This where I have been the last week.  We went to the beach in Seagrove.  It was very relaxing.  It was good to spend time with the kids and not think about any of the regular stuff.   It was swimming, digging in the sand, eating junk food, walking on the beach, and taking in a different scenery and wildlife.  Funny how even in a beautiful place, you can still miss home.  We were all glad to get back to animals, trees, grass, and especially my own "bed". lol.  I am also facing a boatload of canning.  Oh well, maybe tomorrow.    We all came back with a cold, so today I am resting.  I hope everyone had a great week.  

~Angie~

Mark My Words

   This is our newest member of the family.  His name is Mark.  I know, it's not much of a horse name.  His registered name is "Mark My Words".  We really weren't in the  market for another horse so soon after Sunny, but he fell into our laps.  He is 20 years old, thoroughbred, ex-race horse, with a great disposition.  He is very different from Sunny so we are all getting to know each other.  Isn't he purrty????  

  We spent Saturday at the soccer fields.  We lost 2 games and tied one.  It was really hot but windy from the hurricanes.  Today is very cool outside.   I had to wear a jacket this morning.  Hope the whole week is like this. Please remember the hurricane victims in your prayers.  I can't imagine having to leave my home or losing my home.  

  I must get running.  This week is going to be crazy.  We are leaving for the beach Saturday.  So we have school and packing to deal with.  That means tons of laundry. Hope everyone has a wonderful day. 

~Angie~

FAREWELL

    I know it seems I keep coming and going, but I really have not forgotten how to blog.  It has been a very busy summer and now we are beginning school.  I do my best to keep my priorities in order, and sometimes that means very little time on the computer.  That includes reading any of my favorite blogs.  Hopefully we will be on more of a solid schedule now and I can fill you in on all the things that I have been doing.

   We had a very rough week.  On Wednesday night our beloved horse, Sunny, became ill.  We called the equine vet and he seem to think it sounded like colic until he came out to see him.  Then he began to doubt it was colic. Sunny could not stand up and in fact fell over twice.  The vet gave him a shot for pain and a steroid shot hoping that would get him back up.  We had to leave him in the field for the night ( that was disturbing).  We got up during the night to check on him and he was basically in the same spot still unable to get up.  The next morning we came out and he was not where we left him.  He had moved to the front of the pasture.  We thought "great, he is doing better", but we were wrong.  He could not get up.  He had beat himself up thrashing around.  The vet stopped by around 8:00 am and said he felt that Sunny had had a stroke, and that he was in worse condition.  He said we could watch him and he could give him more drugs but that was probably prolonging the inevitable.  We decided that we would not make him suffer .  I thought it ironic that Sunny loved  to be in the rain and as the vet administered the shot it began to rain.  I think that was God's way of comforting us.  He was 26 years old and thought he was a dog.  He was the most gentle horse anyone could ask for.  We never had to worry about the kids around him.  For that matter he even was careful to not step on the goat babies that would stay under him.  The goats act like they are lost and we are feeling a little lost too.  I know this may seem sappy to be so sad over a horse or any pet but we all loved him and he was a part of our homestead.

   On a more positive note, my garden is still going strong and I am canning again tomorrow afternoon. What a blessing!  Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday.

~Angie~

HELLO AGAIN

Hello there.  It's me.  Can you believe it is already August?  Where did the summer go?  I have been pretty busy around here just taking care of the garden.  I did not have that big of a garden but what I do have is really producing.  I have become addicted to canning.  That's right, I finally got up the nerve to use my pressure cooker.  And guess what?  I did not blow up anything.  I love it.   I found a great buy on corn from a local farmer and I canned corn first.  Then when I went back for more corn, he had 24lb.s of green beans that he was willing to discount if I bought them all.  So I did.  The kids helped me shuck corn and snap beans.  I also purchased some peaches from the U.T. Extension for cheap (50 cents a pound).  So I canned those. I have ton's of tomatos coming in so I will be canning them little by little.  See, I really am addicted.

   We will be starting school on the 11th.  I don't know if any of us are ready.  I am trying to get myself organized.  We finally were able to give away the kittens and have the mamas spade.  O f course one of them had to have the surgery twice because her stitches busted inside.  We have had another chick hatch.  This one is black and white.  That's different for us.  We also had  a choking episode with the horse. Scary!  I think that was the same week the goats broke out with orf(sp?) which is a virus like chicken pox.  So far only the mama and three babies have gotten it.  We have had a lot of animal issues to say the least, but that is how you learn.  And I love that.

    Well, I know this is just a touch of what I wanted to tell you.  The kids have a lock-in at church tonight so I need to get ready. I hope everyone has a great weekend.  

~Angie~

Company, Strawberries, and World's Greatest Dad

                                                     The man behind most of the pictures

I am sorry it's been so long.  We have been so busy.  My mother was here from Nevada and my brother and his family were here form Georgia.  We had a good visit and lots of good food.  It seems like the summer is already flying by and we have barely gotten started.  My garden is coming along pretty well.  I am really having to fight the weeds.  I read the other day that if you can keep weeds out of the perimeter of the garden you have won half the battle.  We have this grass that just wants to creep in from all sides.  But I do not want to use chemicals around my plants.  I could till but they say that robs the soil.  So what do you do?  

  So far I have put up approximately 26 pints of strawberry jam.  Some are freezer jams, some are sweetened with sugar, and some I tried sweetening with fruit juice.  We have tried them all and they all taste good to me.  The fruit juice sweetened is not as sweet as the sugar kind but still good.  I also froze about 5 galllons of strawberries.  Yes, I went picking.  We went to "Uncle Al's", which is about 15 miles from our house.  And when the whole crew goes with me, we can pick a lot in a short amount of time.  I am hoping to get blueberries next.  We love blueberries. I have three bushes left (after Daisy got done with the others) and they have some blueberries but not enough to freeze. Maybe next year.

  Now, I want to say "Happy Father's Day" to my husband.  He truly is one of the best dads I have ever been around.  His family always comes first and we know it.  He is loving, kind, patient beyond words(he puts up with me and three girl teens), a true leader, encourager, faithful, trustworthy, honest, and all round good guy and did I mention smart?  I know I am slightly biased but God truly blessed me when he brought us together.  He is my Ebenezer. I know ,"gush, gush, gush".  Happy Father's Day , Jeff.  

  I am going to be spending a lot of time in the garden this week and a lot of time with my washer and the clothes line. LOL  They are feeling neglected after all the company!  I hope everyone has a blessed week.  

~Angie~ 

  It's seems like forever since I posted.  Thats how crazy it has been.  We took a trip to Holiday World this past weekend.  It was so much fun.  The children had a blast.  We spent 11 hours in the park Saturday and the weather was perfect.  We came home Saturday night and had a flat tire at 11:00 that night.  We called the state trooper , not because my husband doesn't know how to change a tire, but because we needed some lights.  You couldn't see anything except cars and trucks rushing by on the interstate.  Very scary when your husband has to lay on his back to get the spare out from under the car.  You just pray that the other cars will see us.  God was with us though and the state trooper got there in minutes and flashed his big lights.  It did take a while to get the tire changed though.  We didn't just have a flat, we completely lost the tire.  There was nothing left of it.  

  Caitlin and Jonathans big sister is visiting with us this week. I picked up my mother at the airport last night and my brother and his family are coming on Thursday.  My mother was going to stay with us but Olivia has some kind of stomach flu.  So my mom is staying at my sister's.  A whole mile away! LOL I am so glad she is here.  I don't get to see her often enough as she lives in Nevada.  

  My garden is looking great!  I think we are going to have to put a fence around it though to keep the dogs and chickens out.  Of course the chickens can fly over.  But maybe it will deter them.  Speaking of chickens, we found one of the Barbies (buff chicken) dead behind the small coop.  It looked  like she got her head stuck in the fence. Very sad.  Now I only have one Barbie left.  

  Yesterday I spent disinfecting the entire house and washing towels and sheets.  Anything that Olivia came in contact with.  Towels and blankets take forever.  I do love the way they smell after hanging on the line though.  Today I will be doing more laundry and hopefully baking.  I got my grain mill back this past week. Yeah!!!  Bread, here we come!!! I hope everyone has a great day.  

~Angie~

p.s. Just a few pictures from Holiday World.