It's Been A Year...Already!

So much has gone on that a lot of it has been forgotten and the (almost) worst of it has been the computer has been on the fritz. As in, I couldn't access any web sites except those the computer (or Google...let's not forget Google...) decided I could see. That includes my very own blog which explains no Sabbath Keeping yesterday but today the Good Fairies seem to want to play nice. ??? I'll take it!

I don't even pretend to understand! So...if something wonderful has happened in your life, please let me know because, for more than a week, I've missed it all. Except for the storm last week. I sure didn't miss those zero temps with wind chills below zero. I would sleep for three hours then wake up in a tizzy, afraid the pipes were going to freeze, burst, thaw. When awake, I'd feed the wood stove but when asleep, I had nightmares of freezing, bursting, thawing pipes. Seriously, I would wake in a sweat because I was dreaming the ceiling was falling down around my ears just like it did Jan 8! Speaking of...the epic mess is still not fixed. Pipes are still leaking although it's of absolutely no concern to the insurance rep; he just said, "Oh, that's a separate issue and has nothing to do with this issue."

Welllllll...I do not have issues...I've got problems, one of which seems to be ignoring the fact an insurance policy is a contract. Anyhoo, I'm still waiting on the heat registers which are on order. The insurance rep "allowed" the exact cost at Home Depot and not a penny more. Yeah. Those registers are doing me a lot of good at Home Depot because not only do they not have them in stock, the insurance rep didn't allow shipping. I am puzzled, enormously, how those registers are supposed to get here. Is the insurance company responsible for shipping or not? Home Depot assured us the registers would should might be here by mid-May. At the very least, the end of May. Surely. Yeah. We think. wink. If those registers can be found anywhere else, trust me, they're coming to this farm. No one wants to mess with a cranky, cold senior citizen who knows her rights!

I do know this much...I am well and truly sick of being cold, living in chaos, not being able to get into my closets, having bedroom furniture and clothes strewn in three rooms and a hall, sleeping in sharing a twin bed with Sam P. Spade, still doing laundry of textiles and clothes that were either in the dining room or my bedroom...blah, blah, blah. Three months is long enough to wait...I want to be warm and sleeping in my own bed...NOW!

Okay...rant over...apologies if you require.

I need to make a run to Duchess Dairy, I'm in need of sweet Jersey cream to churn into butter and buttermilk then to make biscuits, gravy and a lot of other fattening, nice kitchen goodies. The two large churns are both family heirlooms with the largest being from my Grand-Grandmother Delilah via Aunt Bonnie. I learned to churn, make cat head biscuits, apple butter and a lot of other things from Aunt Bonnie and have always had a serious case of heroine worship on her.

Aunt Bonnie kept a Jersey and a Guernsey cow for milk and cream and yes, chickens for eggs and the table. If you're going to keep milk cows, Jersey and Guernsey are the absolute best. Most commercial dairy herds are Holsteins because of their prolific production; a Holstein produces more milk but of less, much less, quality while a Jersey's quality is best in the bovine world.

Daddy John and Daniel have been calving...yes, in the nasty, cold, bitter weather. Last week, on the worst day, they had eleven calves born. I was allowed to tag along and took these photos of a calf being born.

This cow's water has broken and the small white dot is the calf's foot. When presented correctly, a calf will come out front feet first. Sometimes, when a cow is in labor, she'll steal another cow's calf which is what this cow did. She tagged a calf and followed it around the field, all the while, in labor with her own. Sometimes, a calf will follow a cow in labor and steal milk. The animal world is funny, just like the human world.

She finally laid down and began pushing only to get up, move around again

laid down again, the calf is beginning to slip out

cow is taking a break and you can see the calf raise his head...he's alive!

cow clambers to her feet but calf isn't fully birthed

 this is where it got funny...

the cow began walking around, poor little calf still caught half out, half in

the cow feels something strange, keeps turning, turning, turning

what in the world!!!!????

calf scrabbles for ground, can't get purchase

and...suddenly! slips out onto the ground

proud cow turns and begins licking the afterbirth and in a few minutes, the calf wobbled to his feet and began nursing.

Sadie, watching over the Peaceable Kingdom, is enthralled with the cow herd and with the idea Spring is here, so says the calendar. The old timers said whatever weather was on the first day of Spring is what we'd have the rest of the quarter. Please God, let it be so! It's been warmish today, a tot of rain and mostly sun. I've done seven loads of laundry, a bit of house cleaning, some re-arranging which means I'm, slowly but surely, putting furniture back in rooms where they belong. Yes, by myself. Don't ask.

Happy Spring People...be safe!

Ponder this ~ conduct is the best guide to character ~

Anna, Last Post's Winner, Vogue Knitting Give Away and Recipe

~ Anna Grace ~

It's a rare occurrence I come home late and almost as rare I come home after dark. It's a dark drive across the mountains so plans are carefully laid so that errands are finished well before dark.

~ taken the day after she arrived,still hungry ~

One night last week, I came home late, after dark and when I parked the car, got out and walked into the yard I was met by this darling face, lungs bellowing "I AM HUNGRY! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?" So, I hurried inside (I live to serve), poured cat kibble and put it on the porch where she tucked in eagerly while Girly and Lady Gray watched and waited their turn.

Although Sadie is huge compared to the kittens, she's gentle with them. The other kitten is Lady Gray, named for her color and my favorite tea.

This is Girly, mother of Lady Gray; Girly came here late winter, set up house keeping in the basement which is where she eventually had Lady Gray. In time, they both moved to the back porch, making it ever so much easier on me because I was going to the basement, twice a day, to feed them and mostly in horrible winter weather. Yes, all three females...oh joy.

Lady Gray is about 5 months, Anna's features are similar to a Lilac Siamese, and about 4 months and in January they'll all three be spayed. That is, if I can catch Girly who isn't as gentled as the other two.

Are you surprised to know Anna moved inside? I seem to recall it took her less than 24 hours.

Quinn, Comptonia blog, asked about cranberry recipes and posted a Cranberry Apple Mosaic Cake that looks super delicious. I made Banana Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread Muffins because I couldn't find my bread pan and, truth be told, it tasted even better as muffins due to the crunchy tops. I added a few chocolate chips because I thought it would offset the tartness of the cranberries. I don't do a lot of food pictures because I assume you know how to mix butter and sugar, etc. If not, visit Martha Stewart or Pioneer Woman; they go in for tons of food photos.

Banana Cranberry Chocolate Chip Muffins
6 large muffins

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup mashed banana (2 medium)
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts - walnuts, pecans (optional)
1 1/2 cups cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease 6 large muffin tins.
Mix sugar and butter very well.
Add dry ingredients, mixing til moist.
Stir in nuts (I didn't add), cranberries, chocolate chips.
Spread evenly in tins.
Bake 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from pan and cool.

Last blog post Kathy, Kathy in Ozarks, won J. Stephen Lang's The Christian History Devotional: 365 Readings and Prayers to Deepen and Inspire Your Faith. The next give away is The Best of Vogue Knitting: 25 Years of Articles, Techniques and Expert Advice.

Click on Vogue Knitting for a photo and review. (I've been on the tractor all afternoon and am crying for my bed.) So, if you're a knitter and would like a chance to win, leave a comment and a way to get in touch with you. Comments will be taken until Tuesday at 5 p.m. when a winner will be drawn via Random.

Blessings ~ a good recipe ~ great books ~ Anna Grace ~ Lady Gray ~ Girly ~ Sadie ~

National Dog Day on the Farm

Sadie and Sam are both "good helpers" during farm chores, keeping an eye open for ground hogs, rabbits and other "farm vermin".

Dang. Now that I've loaded all these photos, I check and find out National Dog Day has been changed from Aug 26 to 31.

tough. It's after 9 p.m. and my flannel nightgown wants to go to bed and I must take it.

Gray Tom isn't fazed when Sadie decides to play; the cat takes it in stride, knowing he's really the ruler here.

An enjoyable time is spent sitting on the porch, watching Sadie Lovebug and Sam P. Spade, Secret Agent play in the yard.

Not sure what Sam is telling Sadie; bet it's interesting. These past few mornings the temp has been 42/43 degrees F around 6 a.m. but it's sure to be even cooler at 5...if I'd thought to check.

The county library has Two Fat Ladies DVD's and they are a hoot! Dave and I watched every episode, back in the day, and thoroughly enjoyed them. The Two Fat Ladies are now deceased but due to the magic of film, they can still be viewed and appreciated.

Blessings ~ cooler weather ~ Two Fat Ladies DVD's ~ my best buddies, Sadie and Sam ~ Gray Tom ~ people who pray and if you're one, please tuck me into prayer...a while back I had a bad fall and am struggling to recover, thank you ~

The Very Best Time of the Year...

~ Joseph, Mary, Jesus, Shepherd Boy ~

That's what the song says about Christmas but I disagree. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas...the story of Jesus' birth, the stable, animals, shepherds, star and every year I wonder anew at Mary delivering her first born. Did she have help? Who was it? Was it Joseph or did a woman from the village hear her cries, come to investigate and stay to help. So much we don't know yet so many stories in those very few verses.

~ Gypsy Rose Lee ~

Like Forrest Gump, today is my favorite day and this season my favorite season. Today was full of work, lovely work, that put me a tad ahead yet still, overall, behind. It's all right though; I'm good with that because I get to work outside in this very beautiful valley, listening to horses nicker, cattle lowing, sheep calling lambs, birdsong. We have a sanctuary household, meaning all the animals live in harmony and you wouldn't be surprised to know Sam P. Spade, Secret Agent Angel and Sadie Baby watch over me constantly.

~ Gray Tom ~

However, it might surprise you to know some of the cats follow along as well.

~ Hey JD, do ya need help shooting the groundhog ~

Last week, Daddy had vascular surgery and I stayed in hospital with him. Dad is tough, the Greatest Generation 2, doncha know but this has tried him, and the family, sorely.  In about 150 hours, I slept 20 hours and am still trying to recover. There are a lot of problems (not issues, ta very much!) that are attendant to Dad's surgery, recovery and physical therapy and prayer is urgently requested and needed.

This little pillowcase is one of two; the work of my hands and heart. I'm not good with hand work but I do like it and, sometimes, the product is sweet.

Yesterday was Dave's birthday, bittersweet indeed. This grief journey has been horrendous and the best I can say is I believe I've finally accepted it all. His illness, his death, the loss of all my dreams. I still struggle with "Why, Lord?" I still struggle with my inability to understand, the isolation, the question if I'll ever be happy again or have a life as good as the one I had. I struggle with "friends" who once were and are no longer but am grateful not to have to deal with as many takers. Yes, I do know I was greatly blessed being Dave's wife and am grateful, very grateful. I'm grateful to have meaningful work where I am blessed and can bless others yet I'm still sad.

No, this is no pity party but an ennui that I simply cannot shake and wonder if God will restore the years the locust has eaten. I struggle with being a Christian, all these questions with no answers and wonder how those who have no faith get out of bed in the morning or even why bother. I tell myself to 'practice faith until I have it and then, because I have it, to practice faith'. I listen to Joel Osteen, a lot, and his ministry of encouragement helps. Then, I think of people who think Joel isn't Biblical and wonder which Bible they read. He seems to me to be Biblically sound but not very theologically deep and that's all right too. Heck, I've know a lot of preachers who couldn't preach their way out of a wet paper poke and they still got paid. At least Joel makes his living from book sales, speaking, etc. and not from the church offering plate; I don't know many who can say the same.

I'm grateful to have the legacy of strong, mountain women (and men) who taught me by example. When I'm weary and it seems like too much trouble to continue, I think of them and their struggles and know the same God who was with them is with me. With God, I. can. do. this. thing. called. life. I call on Him, He hears and gives me strength and bread for the journey. It is an enormous feeling of awe when I consider I am a daughter of the Most High God; He has chosen me and I have said yes to Him.

Today is my favorite day, this season my favorite season and this time the very best time of the year.

There is no turning back.

Blessings ~ today ~ this season ~ this time of year ~ being a daughter of the King ~

Three Days of Absolutely Beautiful!

~ home sweet home ~

I'm participating in Vicki's Grow Your Blog Party here and have giveaways.

Just yesterday, the weather report said three days of absolutely beautiful! Today, tomorrow and Wednesday are supposed to be warm, sunny, bright and, totally, un-February. 

Wrong.

Today is rainy, chilly and absolutely not clothes hanging outside to dry weather so no laundry today and not even thinking about it. January and February have been bone crushing exhausting and mostly spent on the road, tending to business which, for the most part, is almost caught up. The South Carolina Cherry Grove condo was made ready for Canadian snowbirds (hi John and Rosie) and then for the season ahead.  The website has yet to be updated but VRBO is, mostly, updated.

In between trips, it's been farm work with time taken for drinking in the beauty. I never want to allow myself to be so busy that I forget to take time to enjoy this moment. Recently, my brother asked if I remember something and was surprised when I said, "No, I've got maybe half dozen memories of the last three years. For the most part, it's a blur." That's what grief can do to a person's mind and body; it can wrack you with such emotional pain that you simply lose huge swaths of time. Never let someone force you into how you should respond, what you should do after the death of a loved one. Thankfully, due to God's mercy and grace and the positive actions and prayers of many, I was able to come through to this side mostly whole. It takes as long as it takes...

The dogs and I did a pasture walk to clear out the water trough, pick up trash and take photos. Please note, all the work was done by the one with actual working thumbs as the dogs are moral and love support only. ahem. 

This photo was taken from the far corner fence line, in the alfalfa field and the house is seen, barely, in the distance, to the left of Morris Knob (at about 3400 feet, the tallest point in Tazewell County), where the copse of trees stand. 

On the upper hill, hay needed to be set but I have to wait until the afternoon sun has come 'round and heated up the stable door lock so it can be unlocked. (Ain't nothing ever easy, is it?) It's difficult to tell but the tractor is on a slight hill, facing downward, so I always raise the front end bucket to offset the weight of the 1100 pound round bale being picked up behind; the tractor is in 4-wheel drive for added security. I spend a lot of time thinking things through in an attempt to do my part at preventing accidents but pray and rely on God to do the actual preventing. Although, as Daddy says, "There's no such thing as "preventing an accident". I believe he's right, basically, it's just an oxymoron. So, I spent a lot of time thinking about safety and then following through.

With the tractor in reverse, I floor it, just a tad, to shove the rear spear into the hay bale. For me, this is a tricky part...the three prong spear has to be in the right places in order to pick up the bale and you can see snow on the ground so it's a trifle slick. The three prongs are one on top and two side by side below, somewhat forming a triangle. 

Usually the round metal hay ring is frozen to the ground and I'm beyond the point in time where I could physically break the ground hold then move the feeder. The round feeder weighs close to 250 pounds so the tractor is put to good use by using the front bucket to lift the feeder and break the ground hold.

Before putting the ring around the hay bale, I remove all the twine that was used in baling the hay. Others have told me they don't remove the twine but all I see is a vet bill should the horses eat the twine and it gets wrapped around their intestines. It takes all of a minute to accomplish this step, lessens my anxiety and is safer and healthier for the horses. 

Once the ring is broken from the ground I, physically, lift it from the ground

then walk it so the flat side is toward the hay bale

and drop it over the hay bale.

The last step is positioning the ring so it's even all around making it easier for the five horses to eat. 

The dogs help by providing entertainment...Daisy on the left, Sadie in the middle and Sam on the right...chase, jump, bark and generally have a high ole time. Sometimes I join in and then we all take a toes up on the pasture to enjoy heavenly scenery. 

And in the "whoever said God doesn't have a sense of humor department"...you might remember when, first of January, I was bemoaning the fact my wood supply was, dangerously, low. To some folks I mentioned I wanted a supply of black locust because it has the best BTU's of any wood around here, burns cleanly and leaves few ashes. I also mentioned that to God but on the next to last day in January, I figured He had other plans for me. ... Until I remembered Charlie's son had a small business selling wood. In nasty weather, on the last day of January, B. and his friend, delivered a load of wood, directly to my back porch! The wood rack had three pieces of spongy, sorry looking wood.

While the young men were working, I asked, "I'm not good with wood but that looks like oak, is it?" B. stopped working, turned to me, looked me in the eye and said, "No ma'm, it's black locust we cut out of a fence line about four years ago so it should be plenty dry. We really appreciate you buying wood from us." 

I started laughing, raised my hands to the ski and said, "Thank you, God!" The young man grinned and looked at me. I said, "First of January, I asked God for a load of black locust and, honestly, figured He'd forgotten but this proves me wrong! I bet there's laughter in heaven right about now." (Truly, I know God doesn't forget but sometimes it's easy to confuse myself.) 

I ordered three more loads and will, probably, order more before summer. I like having wood stored in the barn; makes me feel like I've got a hold on winter before it gets here next year. This young man is impressive! He shows respect by stopping his work, looking me in the eye, listening and responding with beautiful manners. Several times he said, "Thank you for buying wood; we really appreciate it." Pick me up off the floor! Charlie, you and K. have done a fabulous job; I love this boy...may I have him, please?

Using the Polaris Ranger and an old metal bed spring, I drug the yard to distribute horse manure. Lightly has been allowed to graze the yard and her manure means I don't have to spend money on chemical fertilizers (as if!). Next time, I'll use the tractor as this job was a bit too hard on the Ranger. (Daddy John did warn me...)

What's on your back porch? 

If you've surmised my computer woes are over...they are, at least for the here and now but who knows how long that will last? For a lot of years, there have been no computer problems but, since October, that's changed. Hopefully, I'll have a spell where I'm able to visit around so act surprised when I show up on your blog, although, it'll be slow going for a while. Yesterday, I dropped a ladder on my right hand and the pain level is such I'm forced to go slow; thank God my hand isn't broken.

Blessings ~ days of beauty ~ safety ~ round bales of hay ~ dogs ~ black locust wood ~ another day above ground ~ I'm ready to go but I'm not homesick ~

After a Brief Rant, Then Back to My Regular Fluff and Nonsense

~ red sky at night, sailor's delight ~

 

These are the days of insanity, where up is down, right is wrong, black is white and some folks seem hell bent on destroying the USA. Then I remember: we aren't wrestling, fighting or struggling against flesh and blood (although I can see why some...including me...are confused), we're fighting against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil and wickedness in the heavenly realms. My rant, dear reader, is brought on by some of the latest insanity perpetrated upon us by BO and minions, both Dems and Republicans.

 

Yes, I am against granting amnesty to illegal aliens and my biggest reason has to do with that pesky lil' word, illegal. President Theodore Roosevelt put it best, "In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any many who says he is an American but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flat, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." For more of President Roosevelt's thoughts, click here.

~ Sadie and Daisy ~

 

We aren't Irish Americans, Polish Americans, Afro Americans, Anglo Americans or ______ (fill in the blank) Americans. Everyone has a heritage and even the Native Americans, American Natives, Indians, Redskins (or whatever is PC these days), came here from somewhere else. But, dang nabbit, if you're a resident of this country, you're an AMERICAN and, to be exacting, a North American.  Lest you think I'm on a tear re. Dems...the traitor John Boehner has included a provision (pages 958 and 959 of the 1,603 omnibus spending bill) giving social security benefits to illegal aliens under BO's amnesty order.  Yeah, I have a problem with that, in part because I know 80 year old widows who have been denied, time and again, Social Security benefits. 2012 figures say the USA has borrowed $363,000,000,000 from China...$1,492,000,000,000 from Japan. We're the largest debtor nation in the world, borrowing money to give it away and the US House and Senate elected officials make $174,000 a year, here while people go hungry and homeless. It's obscene and I weep at our indifference.

Yes, this is the Christmas season and yes, I'm still against illegal aliens...it's a slap in the face of those folks who came here legally and sweated, prayed and studied so they could take the difficult
citizenship test. It's a slap in the face of those who are living on $1000.00 a month and still paying taxes so illegals can have social security and food stamps. Yeah, I have a problem with that and yeah, my kith and kin are from across the pond...Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England to be exact, but they came here legally, well before Ellis Island, and assimilated themselves into the warp and woof of this country. Legally.

Ah well. What can be expected when people live for the here and now and not the hereafter? When people have no fear of an Almighty God, when they live to suit themselves with no regard who gets ripped to pieces in the bargain. It's obscene and I weep at their indifference.  end of rant...for now...

Dalton, son of my friends, and I filled the wood rack:

The tractor was filled with diesel...no small feat because a container of diesel weighs well over thirty pounds and it's impossible for me to, safely, lift and pour. So, after lifting the diesel container onto the tractor floor, climbing onto the tractor then lifting the container to the tractor hood, I used a hand held pump to disperse the fluid into the tank.

I finished checking and topping off all fluids in all vehicles.

watched a calf born:

cleaned algae out of a water tank:

watched a buck leap the fence:

wandered around the farm and house, camera in hand:

In five days winter will be upon us but this is Appalachia and actual calendars mean little o' nothing. The weather does what the weather wills and all I can do is be as ready as possible. I've finished pointing the foundation...meaning I've used mortar to patch the places where the mortar has fallen out. This house is 114 years old and has held up extremely well but, like everything else, from time to time needs a bit of patchwork. The inside temps stay toasty and the wood stove is in use only when the temps drop below freezing or it's raining/sleeting/icy with a stiff wind.

The county library has a nice selection of British mysteries on DVD; they're getting a good workout even as the dining room turned sewing room calls out to me. It's the season of nesting and after working so hard to prep farm and house, I feel lethargic, lazy even, and my energy level is low to non-existent. Earlier today, Anita wrote me, "I too need to get my nose out of the book. It has been gloomy here for over a week. So easy to let the hours slip away. OK, I need to start moving!" When she wrote these words, she had no idea of the encouragement she gifted me. There's so much to be done on the farm, in the house and there's so little of me, so little energy and I feel I not only don't keep up, I continually fall behind. Even so, today I told myself I was going to inject some play into my day...after doing some outdoor work, I took some things to the camper. While the weather is a trifle warmer, I'm determined to enjoy tarting up the "canned ham". I'll have a few photos later, along with my recipe for breakfast of champions.

For now, it's time to say good-night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite...ugh...does anyone remember that saying from their childhood?

Blessings ~ never experienced bedbugs ~ my companion dogs ~ blogger buds ~ new life ~ a leaping deer ~ full wood rack ~ vehicles, farm, house prepped for winter ~ red sky at night ~