Crumbs of Happiness

Just Incredible!

2012-01-26T10:06:00.004-05:00

I've been so excited about this for almost two weeks now and thought others might like to know.

While listening to A Prairie Home Companion on the radio one Saturday night, they were talking to a wildlife researcher on the radio about a black bear who is expecting her first cubs to be born this winter...and very soon.

Well, being the nature lover I am, I paid close attention to the conversation! Turns out there is a web site www.bear.org that has web cams right in the bears' dens. I've been keeping an eye on her and Monday Jewel had her first babies.

If you want to get goose bumps, visit this site and you can hear everything. The microphones are incredibly sensitive and you can even hear other animals in the far-off distance. One of the babies 'screams' a lot and it's very distressing to hear both to mama bear and me, but she seems to be a good mother and responds immediately.

I have mixed feelings about the researchers working so closely with the bears (or any wild animals) because it conditions them to not be as afraid of humans as they should be but that's my own opinion. It certainly provides much needed education to others though, so I guess it's a mixed bag. Anything that helps humans understand that the creatures we share this planet with have feelings and should be respected and valued! has my support though.

Check it out - see what you think!

A Beautiful Quilt

2012-01-16T10:55:00.006-05:00

Hi fellow bloggers!

Thank you all so much for the kind words about Tinkerbell. It appears there are lots of people who get attached to their farm critters as much as I do and I am very glad for that.

This is a quick post to share a gorgeous quilt that my sister made for me many years ago. I don't think I've ever posted about it so this is way overdue.

She made a log cabin quilt and used very bright colors with black as the binding. I've always loved bright colors on black and one of my most favored dresses that my grandmother made when I was little was a solid black dress with every color of rick rack sewn around the bottom of it. Wish I still had that as a keepsake.

So my sister, Susan, is very detail oriented and is blessed with an abundance of patience (evidently it was all given to her because I have very little myself). Notice in the close up picture that she even changed her thread color to match the portion of the quilt she was working on.

Boy not me! I would have used neutral thread and kept right on sewing! I really appreciate the effort and love that was put into this beautiful quilt and I know you quilters out there can too.

Have a good week folks. I have today off as a holiday and will be making cookies with Alissa. It's the first time I've seen her since Christmas so we're having a fun day together :)

A Tribute to Tinkerbell

2012-01-07T21:35:00.014-05:00

The weather was beautiful today and I worked outside all day for the first time in a couple of months.

My day started by burying my special hen, Tinkerbell. She was born here over six years ago and was the only black hen I had. Like several of my chickens, she was named after a Disney character by Alissa.

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that Tinkerbell wasn't roosting at night and chose to sleep on the barn floor. Some of the other hens do that from time to time, so I didn't think much of it at first. But then I noticed some other symptoms and brought her into the garage. She wouldn't eat or drink so I did a Google search and learned that it was probably bacterial in nature. I started administering antibiotics by a syringe orally but she continued to go downhill. I brought her into the bathroom Tuesday night since it was bitterly cold. She was warm and comfortable and lasted till about 7 p.m. Wednesday evening.

She was a friendly chicken
and always close by whenever I was working near the barn.

She got along with all the other chickens very well

I know she was "just" a chicken, but it's so sad to see a pet of any kind die. I prayed that she would go quickly but it was kind of long and drawn out. Because it's still dark when I get home from work, I couldn't bury her till this morning. I had already cried Wednesday so there were no tears this morning, although going through some pictures, it's hard not to cry looking at her.

RIP little black hen.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T21:13:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T08:45:00.002-05:00

Here's a toast that 2012 is better for those of us struggling and just as good for those who aren't!

My DS is visiting and we'll be going to the best little quilt shop on the east coast - Thimble Pleasures. They're having a New Years Day sale and it should be lots of fun to go see all the beautiful fabrics they have.

I am still focused entirely on my job but hope I can find a little balance in the near future. That's the closest thing to a resultion that I'm making this year.

Bring it on, 2012!

Making Time To Blog

2011-12-11T18:10:00.006-05:00

I have never been so married to a job in my entire life as I am with this one. That's why I've been MIA. But tonight I am making time for my blog because I have something special to share with you.

Have you ever visited Vicki from 2 Bags Full? She is the nicest woman and I'm very glad I stumbled onto her blog a while back. She makes incredible knitted bird nests that are specatular works of art. She has a beautiful blog, so please stop by and pay her a nice visit.

When I first saw her nests, I inquired about them. I've been waiting for months for mine to come; I've actually ordered two. I received my Christmas nest a couple of weeks ago and finally finished putting my Christmas decorations out today and can share some pictures (but these pictures were actually taken before I put my bird table runner out).

These nests are loaded with embellishments and are so beaufitul. Vicki even tucked in a couple of surprises. Inside the nest was a pretty clay pear made by a friend of hers. The same friend also made a sweet partridge ornament which I have hanging on my bird Christmas tree - a really nice addition to my collection of bird ornaments.

Here's my little partridge ornament temprarily hanging from a little decorative chandelier. It's since been moved to a place of honor on my bird tree.

My beautiful Christmas nest...

A side view...

Last weekend I went to Home Goods and happened across this cool bird made from wool felt and it was the perfect size and weight to add to my special nest.

How perfect is that?

I haven't made the first gift for anybody yet and am not sure what I'm going to do about gift giving this year. I can't buy anything due to a tight budget and a monster car repair. I'll probably get a few things made but I know they will be late.

On top of all that, I've got two sick cats. Long story and I may share at some point but tomorrow I'll be taking Smudge back to the vet again as he is no better and hasn't eaten since last week. Right now I've got to clean up my kitchen and get ready for my new favorite show, Once Upon a Time. I love that show and hope it lasts forever!

Silent Sunday

2011-11-13T17:41:00.000-05:00

A Little Autumn Project

2011-10-30T17:55:00.013-04:00

October has come and gone in a flash. A lot of my decorations are still sitting on the porch waiting to be used. Guess I need to put them back in the bin for storage.

I bought a quilting magazine several weeks ago that has a lot of cute and simple projects in it.

I was determined to make one of the autumn projects. There is a really cute runner but I didn't think I'd get it completed since Christmas is right around the corner - yikes! I decided to make one of the round placemats and use it as a little table mat. I think it's the perfect size for a little color in the center of the table. Although I must confess, I made this to give to somebody and won't be keeping it. I'm going to attempt to get another one of these completed this week.

I think it looks pretty cute.

I've gotten the barn almost winterized and the little rooster pin as well. This pay day I'll buy wheat straw to pile up inside to help keep it a little warmer than it would be otherwise. The little goat family have their winter coats on now and are all quite fuzzy.

Because most of my hens are pretty old and don't lay many eggs these days, I bought two laying hens from some friends.

Here is Ginger - a gold laced wyandotte.

And Golden Girl - an Americauna

I don't know how Big Rooster is still alive. He still has a huge hole in him but acts normal in every way.

My monster tractor has been serviced and used for the last time. We had our first freeze Saturday night so all the annuals are mushy now. I'm in no hurry to clean up the yard and gardens as I lost interest in them late August when I couldn't keep things alive, or from being eaten by deer or voles. So discouraging.

Last weekend my older daughter, husband and little girl came down for a nice visit. All the younger folks went to the NC State Fair on Saturday while I ran errands and cooked and baked. Sunday we all went to the Zoo and had a good time seeing the animals in their nice habitats. Of course the batteries in my camera died right after we got there so I don't have many pictures to share. Thank goodness we arrived at the perfect moment to see this wonderful creature getting a brush down. His name is Artie and he's about 20 years old. I was in heaven being this close to an elephant.

...till I can make time to blog again - stay warm!

Wordless Wednesday (a little early)

2011-10-11T20:01:00.002-04:00

Pete Pictures & My Crow Wall Hanging

2011-10-02T10:29:00.008-04:00

Happy Fall Ya'All! It's quite nippy here this morning and it feels great to me, even if it does make my joints ache a little.

Yesterday I attended a big adoption event in town sponsored by PetSense. They opened a store in my little podunk town about a year ago and are making a big effort to make a difference around here for the animals. I couldn't take Pete because he hasn't had his vet check yet but I spent some time visiting the other rescues that were there. There are so many animals in need and I'm glad that some of them get help. I fell in love with a sweet 5 month old white girl pup of some kind. She was terrified and sat right by her foster mom's feet just shivering the entire time. I was told that she was found running down a busy street by herself. I just love talking to rescue folks!

I've let Pete out of the laundry room a few evenings this week and he's done great. He still has a little bit of the skunk smell on him so he still mostly stays in the laundry room. Here are a couple of pictures of him when I did let him in my bedroom though. He was quite happy to be with the rest of us and made himself right at home.

Late last summer I started a crow wall hanging from a pattern I had purchased at a quilt show the year before. I got a lot done but had to put it away to make Christmast presents. I was determined to finish the wall hanging in time to use it for this fall - it was one of the goals I listed in January.

I'm happy to say that I've completed the hanging and am pleased with the way it turned out. The details don't show in the pictures, but I used a silver metallic thread to topstitch the crows with. The black fabric is a beautiful print I purchased at Jinny Beyer's studio a couple of years ago when my sister and I visited there.

It's so nice to actually complete something! Now I'm working on Christmas gifts so won't be sharing any of those pictures for quite some time.

It's time for me to make some cookies for my neighbor who brought his horse down last weekend for my granddaughters to ride. I'll post some of those pictures next time. I had thrown a tiny surprise party for Alissa, who turned 9 years old. Her little 2 year old cousin came down from the D.C. area and it was a super weekend!

Have a nice week, everybody.

Meet "Sweet Pete"

2011-09-18T11:37:00.008-04:00

I did a lot of complaining this summer about having too many animals to take care of. I'll blame it on the heat. Most of the animals are easy but I have way too many cats in this house. The cats drive me nuts. Three of them I took as outdoor mousers, but since a cat doesn't distinguish between killing mice and birds and bunnies, they've all ended up indoors.

Blair is the last dog I've helped save.

While I agreed to foster her, it appears she now will live here permanently. She's a good dog and doesn't ask for much, although she has a horrible habit of counter surfing. Nothing is safe on the counter if it's even remotely edible and sometimes I forget to put things away. Other than that, she's pretty perfect.

I am still on one rescue distribution list and I usually just delete them w/o reading. Once I see an animal's picture it becomes difficult to delete the email. Long story short, I've decided to help another dog. Meet "Sweet Pete".

Pete was an owner surrender to a high kill "shelter" in Vance County, NC where they "euthanize" by heart stick or gas chamber. Where they also hose down the kennels with the dogs still in them. Last winter Ashley said the puppies had ice hanging off of them. Pete is old and black. For reasons that I don't understand, black dogs and black cats have the lowest adoption rate and thousands are killed every year. But that doesn't stop people from continuing to breed black labs by the thousands every year either. Stupid. Pete didn't stand a chance of survivng in there.

Anyway, I spent the day on the road yesterday meeting the angel, Ahsley, from Middle Mutts who goes into the kill shelter every week to pull some lucky animals. I dont' know how she does it. I had agreed to foster a senior dog and Pete is the guy I ended up with. He's skinny and I suspect he has heartworms because he has a dry cough. He's loaded with intestinal parasites which will be addressed this week. He smelled so bad that I took him straight to a groomer in town where he was bathed three times. Poor old guy.

I was assured Pete would get along with other animals and people. So far, so good. He's met my precious Princess and all went well. When I brought him into the house and Smudge, my big cat, came around the corner, Pete tucked tail and slinked in the opposite direction. I don't think he'll bother the cats. In fact, he's in the laundry room with two of them now and not a peep from him. The cats are another story however.

So, I will be working to get Pete healthy and adopted into a nice home where he can live the rest of his years. I don't know how old he is, but he's definitely old. Old and sweet.

Happy Sunday everybody.

Animal Stuff and My Grandmother's Chair

2011-09-10T23:10:00.005-04:00

Oi vay! The last few weeks have been busy with my new job and taking care of animal issues. The job is going well; I have a new executive to support and he is used to having his hand held big time so I'm really exhausted when I come home now.

I've been nursing a very sick rooster for the last two weeks. I'll spare you the gross details and just say that "Big Rooster" must be part cat. This is the third time he's almost died and recovered. He's still not 100% but after being in a pen in the garage for two weeks, I put him back with his flock today.

Little Fizz has been staying with some huge goats over at my neighbors for the last two weeks after being neutered. He was being bullied terribly and when I checked on him Wednesday evening, his incision was bleeding. I put some cornstarch on it (did you know that it stops bleeding immediately?) and left him crying to come home. As I looked back, I saw one of the big goats ram him right in his rear again.

I called the vet the next morning and asked if it was absolutely necessary to keep him separated from the girls for 45 days. While she said yes, she advised me to bring him home because he could be seriously injured by the large goats he was staying with. I'm happy to say that he came home Thursday evening and so far, I haven't seen him show any signs of being interested in the girls. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it stays this way.

I'm glad summer with its heat and drought are over; onward to taking care of some projects.

Remember the odd wooden chair I wrote about a couple ofmonths ago that used to belong to my granddmother? Well, I refinished it and had the cushions reupholstered. I got the cushions last week and I couldn't be happier with the way they turned out. I remember this chair from when I was very young and I have to say it looks great...and it's comfortable too.

The weather was really pretty today and I spent the day mowing, weeding and working on my walkway. This evening I put the binding on my autumn crow wall hanging that I started last year. I'll wash it tomorrow and put a pocket on the back to hang it by and take some pictures to share.

I'm off to bed now but wanted to get a post in before another day went by.

Happy blogging!

Weekend Project and a Huge Mess!

2011-08-22T20:43:00.010-04:00

Boo hoo - I couldn't connect all weekend to share my weekend project or visit blogs. But I'm up and running again with lots to tell you.

I've been living with painted sub-flooring in my bedrooms and living room for a few years now. I've wanted to install laminate flooring but keep getting deterred by lack of employment....uh hum. Anyhow, I took the plunge this weekend and installed new flooring in my bedroom. It isn't laminate, but luxury vinyl and a nice choice for my bedroom, I think.

It's nice to walk on and it doesn't make as much noise when the dogs' nails click, click, click across it at night. I'll admit it isn't as pretty (to me anyway) as my beaufitul laminite but I'm very happy with it and will use it in the other bedrooms when I can get to them.

Here's what I've been living with for a while now...

Because I didn't want the "planks" to move out of place I used painters tape to hold them in position till I got across the room. Once I reached the other side there was no place for them to shift to.

I'll take some pictures of the completed project when I get all my stuff put properly back into place in there.

Now for the huge mess part. The weekend here was rather miserable for me and the goats. Fizz has grown and gotten quite horny. Sorry, there is no other way to put it. His nose was constantly up the girls' butts and his behavior was getting quite disgusting.
Then Lola started coming into heat and he really went bananas. I had to wait till he was four months old to have him neutered (sounds a little better than castrated), so he is at the vets tonight recovering. Remember what a tough time he had with the debudding (removal of horns). Well, seems everything he grows is extra big, if you get my drift hence, the overnight stay at the vets. Oh, brother.

I don't want, nor can I afford another single animal and I'm certainly not going to start breeding goats to sell as a few friends have suggested. I can't bear the thought of them ending up on somebody's table or used for bait to train fighting dogs. Nope - no more goats around here.

So to make certain that doesn't happen, all the girls have to go in later this week for "morning after" injections. Fortunately they only cost $10. In the mean time, I have to keep Fizz-Man away from the girls for 30-60 days.

You wouldn't believe how impossible that was over the weekend! I had him in a rooster pen and that contained him for about 24 hours. Then I moved him to my fenced in back yard with the 5' fence which added additional stress because I couldn't let the dogs out at will for fear of them terrorizing Fizz. After all, he still is very much a baby for the most part.

The back yard fence didn't contain him either. All the while I was installing my new flooring and having to run outside to check on the goats, all of which were bellowing for each other non stop. Fizz was scared and miserable, mama Lily was miserable because her baby was crying, Lola and Bindi were miserable because ... well because of a lot of reasons. So by yesterday I had no alternative but to tie poor Fizz to the tree in the middle of the back yard - far enough from the fence so that if he did climb over, he wouldn't hang himself. Talk about non-stop bellowing for hours...and hours...and hours. I was so incredibly grouchy all weekend from it all.

So how am I going to keep Fizz away from the girls when he comes home you ask? Fortunately, I have some neighbors who have a few alpine goats in a huge, safe area and they have agreed to babysit my little guy for two months. I am so relieved. I don't know what I would have done if they said no to me. I'll be taking them a pan of brownies tomorrow evening as the beginning of my 60 days of gratitude for them. So for tonight at least, the goats are quiet and I am happy. Not to mention exhausted!

The Magic Lily and Farm Critters

2011-08-07T08:47:00.019-04:00

Summer has always been my least favorite season. This one has been especially difficult for most of the country and I am so sick of it! Here's what we have to look forward to this week...again. It's brutal and hasn't eased up since sometime in early June. As hot as it will be, it's better than the 100+ temps we've been having.

My little magic lily is blooming. How it has survived deer and voles is beyond me! I went to Gail's garden center yesterday and a very knowledgeable gal told me that a complete bulb can grow from the tiniest piece that an animal has eaten and then deposited. So either it was in mulch from the town that I got two years ago or a deer has tried to repay me for all it has been eating in my yard. Either way, I'm surely enjoying it, and it's my favorite color of flower to boot!

I don't know about you, but I haven't had many butterflies this year at all. I've seen a few Yellow Swallowtails and Black Swallowtails, but I haven't seen the first Monarch! My butterfly bushes are blooming, but not in abundance. I've got plenty of annual salvia, which they usually flock to. Only one of my lantana has survived and it's in an area I don't look at very often. I hope this isn't a sign that the butterflies are in distress.

How about you - have you noticed a decrease in butterflies this year?

Because I ran my weekly errands yesterday and then chose to stay indoors to vacuum up pet hair (it was actually a drizzly day), I have no choice but to spend today outdoors mowing weeds and cleaning the barn.

Here are a few pictures of the chickens and goat family trying to stay out of the direct sun. That is a huge forsythia bush the chickens like to rest under. The branches used to come out much further from the fence but the little goat family has eaten some of it.

It's not even noon and the poor little things are already panting :(

I haven't taken pictures of the goat family for a couple of weeks. Fizz and Bindi are growing so fast. Fizz is almost as tall as Lola already.

Bindi is still small and such a sweet little girl goat. Don't tell the others, but she and Lola are my faves. This is Bindi next to her mama, Lily.

Lola - the most curious little goat. She follows me everywhere when I let them out.

Lily was quite curious about what I was holding and was trying to sniff what was in my hand. They pretty much expect treats of some sort when I go out to talk with them. Sorry, Lily.

The little goat family wasn't very happy when I closed the gate. They get quite tired of the pasture. There is so much more to eat on the outside. Later, guys - I'll let you out this evening when I can watch so you don't get into trouble!

No Solution Yet

2011-08-04T20:38:00.006-04:00

My little flower still isn't open, but looks like it might be tomorrow. I hope it survives the darned deer tonight.

I think Amy is correct that it's a surprise or magic lily. I've always wanted some and now, somehow, I have one. Thanks for identifying it, Amy!

My Vole Movers don't seem to be working. A new round of vole damage is all over the front yard and gardens. I've just come in and am soaked with sweat and have decided to quit watering and trying to keep flowers alive. I'll continue to soak the trees once a week, but that's it. The gardens will have to survive the deer, voles and drought on their own. It's just not worth it for me to spend every night in 90+ degree heat trying to water only to have everything eaten by animals. I've got so many other things to take care of - like getting started on Christmas gifts!

I'll post a picture of my little lily if it's still there tomorrow. Have a good evening everybody.

I don't have a clue

2011-08-03T21:03:00.005-04:00

as to what this plant is. I don't remember planting anything in this spot, but I've been watering quite a bit to try to keep my cherry tree alive.

Whatever this is, it should be blooming tomorrow. It appears to have five buds or petals. The foliage is a small licorice mint that volunteered.

I know - one of the pictures is pretty blurry...I moved the camera just before it took.

Stay tuned for the solution to the mystery :)

Ahhhhhh

2011-07-31T17:59:00.016-04:00

Wonderfule rain! We had a much needed shower last Monday and another good one this afternoon. It's been horribly hot and dry here for the last two months.

The shower came too late for these plants; I'd given up watering some areas.

The little cat, Pumpkin, had another emergency trip to the vet Tuesday. Turns out she has a double ear infection - poor thing. She's feeling much better now though and on the mend.

I finally finished my kitchen table makeover. It started out as unfinished wood several years ago. Then I stained it a cedar color and wasn't happy with it. Then I painted it green and did a little faux finish on it. I lived with that for a few years till I decided to try jumping on the "white" bandwagon. I was not happy with the results at all. So about a month ago I took the table outside and started sanding the top with my sander. My intention was to sand it all the way down to wood and then stain it again, but a happy accident happened along the way.

There were some areas where the old green paint showed through and even some little bits of white. I really liked the way it was starting to look so didn't take off all the paint from the previous attempts at making the table look the way I wanted.

Then I decided to paint the bib and legs solid black. I really like the way it turned out and it keeps the theme of the beige, black, white and bronze in my kitchen.

I would love to paint the chairs black but will leave them natural for now. I'll also be painting the aqua table white (I think, but may paint it black). All my kitchen cabinets are white and I don't want too much black in there...but I might change my mind about that later.

I saw some pretty tan chair cushions at Kohl's recently, but they were $15 each. I think I'll just cover the existing cushions to get a similar look for a lot less.

I started another chair makeover this afternoon but had to stop due to lack of supplies. I'll share the makeover in a day or two. And I've brought my autumn crow wall hanging out and am working on that as well. It's almost ready for the binding. It feels great to get back to a "normal" life after being in limbo for so long!

It's time for me to hit the hay so I wake up on time tomorrow. It's going to be another intense week at work (I'm loving it btw).

Have a great day tomorrow!

Inflation

2011-07-22T11:52:00.004-04:00

Last year I ordered a case (24 packets) of Hain's Vegetarian beef flavored gravy from Amazon.com. It cost $24.95.

Yesterday I ordered another case of the same thing and it now costs $36.90!!! That's a 50% price increase in one year!!!!

Patio Improvements

2011-07-19T19:35:00.012-04:00

Today has been another super hot day here in central NC; tomorrow is supposed to be worse. It's very scary that it's so hot and with no rain, everything living is suffering.

I've taken care of the animals and watered my containers, determined not to stay outside till dark tonight. I visited a new blog today (more on that later)and have been even more inspired to start painting again. I'm tired of spending all my time trying to keep the plants alive against so many competitors, but I'm straying from the subject.

Here are a few pictures of my patio I snapped this evening. Things aren't in the best shape due to weather and water, but I am enjoying this space. This first picture is the new grouping I created using what I had and adding one new pot that I got in trade for labor. The tall, thin pot in the center is my new one.

Left side of patio...

Right side of patio...I'm having to fill that hummer feeder every five days due to the dryness around here.

The fairy planter Alissa and I made last year - it's gotten a little out of control and the fairies get lost in there now!

I went back to Big Bloomers (Gail's nursery) Sunday and purchased a hanging basket and a few more plants to make a large container garden.

A beautiful double impatiens from Gail's nursery...

Here is my loyal Princess. Check out those pretty teeth she just had cleaned last week to the tune of $320 (not including pre-op bloodwork). I'm just glad I can take care of her the way she deserves.

In retrospect, I wish I hadn't tried to create so many large gardens 10 years ago. I should have let most of the land go wild and just created a small front and back yard. But...hind sight is 20-20! And I was 10 years younger then with a lot more energy and dreams of having even more animals than I do now! Crazy...

Voles

2011-07-18T21:30:00.009-04:00

There is an epidemic of voles on my property this year! I've had them before and they caused minimal damage here and there. But this year there must be hundreds of them tunneling around all over the place.

Every day there are new tunnels and I have large areas of dry dirt from where they've eaten the roots of the "grass".

(Image courtesy of Google search)

And they ruined some areas of the flower beds nearly destroying some of the plants. It's so bad, that there are tiny sink holes all over the place. When I water the soil gets wet enough that the deer sink when they do their evening dining.

A woman I know who happens to be a landscaper, recommended that I buy some of these - mole movers. She swears they actually work. I've installed two in the front yard and need a couple more. It will take two weeks before I can see results (according to the info on the box).

Between lack of rain, voles and deer I was just about ready to give up on the garden completely this year. Then I visited my friend Gail a couple of weeks ago and was reinspired. Her patio area is so beautiful; she has lots of container gardens. So that's the way I've decided to go with my small patio. I've rearranged the few containers that I do have and added one new container. I've got the same amount of filtered light as she does so I know I have the right conditions. I'll take pictures tomorrow to show what I've done so far. Nothing big or fancy, but I like it a lot so far.

My limelight hydrangea out front is growing really well. The blossoms are smaller this year but I guess that's from lack of water. So far, so good with surviving the deer. Of course, I've just jinxed myself by saying that.

Alissa and I made a pair of giant flip flops to decorate the entrance to my property. I had a couple of scraps of exterior plywood so cut them out and she painted them. We've decided to make cut outs for each season. We had made pumpkins a few years ago and didn't make any others, but now that she's older she has lots of ideas.

This is week #10 in my new job and I'm finally starting to feel like I belong there. It's nice to be able to start moving ahead with projects and needs that have been on hold for over two years. Of course, most of my checks are going to the vets for one animal or another, but that's another story...

I hope you all have a great day tomorrow and survive this horrible heat that most of the country is suffering with!

I Knew That Would Happen

2011-07-11T21:12:00.008-04:00

I started this post a week ago but had issues transferring photos from the camera to the computer....

So I finally got my sink project completed a week ago Friday evening, with the help of a neighbor.

The picture I posted previously had the new sink top laying on top of the old vanity that I couldn't remove. The hole had to be cut bigger for the new sink to drop in place, so off it came and with a lot of patience, I was able to cut the hole big enough for a perfect fit. I was so happy, and it's gorgeous if I do say so myself.

But the plumbing portion was an issue. I am now very familiar with crimp rings and crimper tools. I've purchased and exchanged these expensive crimp tools twice now.

I managed to get the new faucet connected but because the sink was now 1 1/2" higher, the drain pipe wouldn't connect to the 'S' trap. Long story short, I was able to find an extender - an easy fix. I had to change the water valves so that I could connect the new faucet tubes. Then came the crimp rings. I needed two to complete the job and got one on without a hitch. By now it's Thursday night and - I forgot to mention - I didn't have any running water for two days at this point. I had to turn off the water main to change out the valves. And because I couldn't get them connected to the existing intake lines, had to keep the water off.

I know I'm jumping around with this story.

So Thursday night I had one more crimp ring to put into place that my neighbor was lucky enough to have on hand. That was good - I only needed one. Wrong. Don't you know that little ring slid right down the intake tube and under the sink cabinet. Was I mad??? Let's just say I felt like I could have sawed down a very large tree with a hand saw I was so ticked off!

Friday meant another trip to Lowes to buy more crimp rings. I called my neighbor and asked him if he would put the final ring in place. He told me he had messed up plenty of times with these things and that I shouldn't feel bad (and he's a plumber!).

Finally, everything was finished and my new sink had running water. I didn't mention that I actually took a "shower" with less than two gallons of water I got from the yard pump by bucket loads. I felt like I was camping but with A/C.

Here's the new sink completely installed (with running water). I am very pleased with it!

Here's a close up of the tiles...

Alissa spent the day with me this Wednesday. I had to take off for an A/C repair and it worked out that I could keep her. I had promised her we'd do more arts and crafts and because it was so hot outside, I decided to pull out the scrapbook I started for her several years ago. I haven't touched it in over a year and it was fun to work on it with her. I have now introduced her to the world of scrapbooking and she likes it. She designed this page all by herself and I didn't do very much on it at all except for the writing. We're going to continue working on it together and make more memories as we go.

Last weekend we made some big wood flip-flop cut outs to decorate the yard for summer with. I forgot to take a picture of them but will tomorrow. They turned out really cute!

Now that I have my camera working again, I can start taking pictures again and get current with all that's going on around here!

Have a good day tomorrow and try to stay cool!

It's Another OJ Simpson Trial

2011-07-05T14:48:00.002-04:00

I can't believe Casey Anthony has been found not guilty on all charges for the death of her innocent two year old child.

Absolutely disgusting.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T20:18:00.001-04:00

The sink is installed! But the plumbing is not...

Hope you had a great day. God Bless the USA!!!

Not Yet

2011-07-03T16:34:00.007-04:00

Well, these projects always turn into a bigger deal than you plan for - at least for me anyway.

For the life of me I couldn't get the existing counter top removed from the cabinet. The sink was easy to get out and I thought of just sawing the top off, but had already spent hours and was quite frustrated. I almost gave up and returned the solid top for another drop in, but it would still leave me with a big mess to fix.

Then I couldn't get the intake tubes disconnected because they had copper clamps on them. Finally I got my handy Dremmel out and sawed through the rings and used all my strength to disconnect the intake tubes apart.

Here's part of the mess I made dragging in everything from a sledge hammer to the drill to try to take apart the old stuff. What you can't see is the drill and more tools!

The solution to not getting the countertop removed?? I just plopped the new sink right over the existing top.

It fits - just barely, but it has created another problem. The drain pipe is now exactly 1 1/2" too short to connect to the S pipe. And....the two intake tubes have male ends and the tubes they connect to are male. So, I have my new sink in place but not in working order yet. I have to make a Home Depot run tomorrow to get parts to make it work. Hopefully it will be an easy fix. But isn't she pretty??? I just love it! It looks so much bigger but it's actually the same size as the old one. And it will be so easy to clean :)

I really wanted to get this project finished today but I refuse to drive anywhere. I was on the road all day yesterday going to the Farmer's Market and getting chicken food and pet supplies. I never did get to the grocery store and don't have all the ingredients to make delicious meals with the fresh produce but am making do. Even if I need stuff, I'm keeping the car off the road one day a week for the environment's sake.

In the mean time I'm taking care of other chores that I've put off for ages. I've replaced a non-working smoke detector and am painting and installing toe molding in the den. I mean - I've only had it for three years....

Weekend Project

2011-07-02T08:11:00.007-04:00

Yippee - a three day weekend!

I've had a home improvement project on my priority list for quite some time and I can finally tackle it today. I would say 98% of these projects are as a result of keeping animals in the house.

See the hole in the sink...the little one that isn't supposed to be there? (Yes I know there is cat hair too; Smudge likes to play in the sink)

It' from this innocent looking character - Smudge.

He likes to lay up on top of the tall cabinet that is right beside the sink. I used to have a pretty painted tile on an easel up there and he knocked it off. Wouldn't you know, the tile fell pointed end down directly onto the sink. This happened months ago and the hole has since fractured in four directions, which is just so lovely to look at on a daily basis.

At first I was going to get an exact replacement but decided to go with a solid surface unit. It was only $84 and a little sink was more than half that, and since I use this bathroom a lot I decided to upgrade a bit. Besides, I had attempted to paint the counter top; didn't like it and tried to remove the paint which completely ruined it. Of course, I couldn't put the worn and crappy faucet back onto the new sink, so I bought a new faucet as well. Not the one I wanted - geez are they expensive! Crazy... I bought a simple fixture that was about $42. I tend to take the practical path with most things.

So as soon as I got home last night, I started removing the tiles that surround the sink. The new sink has a built in backsplash, so I had no choice. Unfortunately, the new backsplash isn't as tall and I have a real mess to cover up in a creative way. I have a few ideas though.

Here's what I did last night - there is no graceful way to remove tiles from drywall.

I can't wait to get the new unit installed. The hard part for me will be connecting the faucet. I hate messing with plumbing. But first I'm going to the State Farmers Market and buy some yummy veggies. I haven't had my first tomato sandwich yet!

I hope you enjoy the holiday weekend!

Nothing Against White But...

2011-06-28T18:20:00.006-04:00

It's just not for me.

I've tried to join the white bandwagon, but it just doesn't work for me. Not to say that I don't enjoy visiting all the blogs that have beautiful photos of white homes - chippy or not. They all look so calm and soothing.

But folks - I live with too many animals and can't keep up with all the mess they make. White shows every little thing - especially their fur!

This little table was a beautiful dark brown when I bought it. I painted it white last year. I only put one coat on it and was never happy with the way it was looking. But...I lived with it for a while and really tried to like it.

So much for that experiment - I ruined a perfectly beautiful table. Live and learn.

But now look at it! So simple - so pretty!

In my quest for a simpler life with far fewer possessions, tan and black with white accents really appeals to me these days when it comes to decorating some parts of the house. It's the color combo I'm using in my kitchen and am very happy with it. It's clean and sharp and updated. While I'll never redo my den, which is perfect in every way, I am moving towards a more streamlined look around here.

We had a terrific rain a while ago, so I won't have to spend all evening watering the plants and animals. Boy, did we need it!

Just Stuff

2011-06-25T09:57:00.012-04:00

Hello bloggie friends,

Are all of you as hot and dry as we are here? Oh, it's horribly dry here and even the weeds have turned brown and crunchy.

I am spending most of my 'at home' hours tending to plants and animals in one way or another.

Blair had a spa day a couple of weeks ago and I managed to get a picture of her. She's such a great dog.

There have been two animal emergencies since the little goat babies were debudded.

Lily punctured her foot, which meant anti-biotics and betadine soaks for 10 days. She's fine now and a major infection was averted.

Last Friday little Pumpkin - the long haired kitty that appeared at Laura's last fall - had a major health incident. Laura discovered her laying in blood so I rushed her to the vet. Long story short, she had a horrible UTI, high blood pressure, a retinal bleed out (gross) and a seizure. All symptons are being treated by me here and she has dramatically improved. She was blind for a few days but has some vision now. What a scare - not to mention expensive and not budgeted for!

Pumpkin last year....

I took Princess in for her annual and she was given a clean bill of health. She's such a tough little dog. Remember it's only been a year since she had surgery for thyroid cancer. So now she can have her dental, which is long overdue.

So I'm literally working for the animals and while I'm barely on my feet financially, I'm glad I can help them. But enough is enough and I'd like to start building my savings from zero to something....and begin moving ahead with my priority list of projects and purchases that have been put on hold for over two years.

Because the pasture is so dry, I've been letting the little goat family wander through my 'yard' when I'm outside (have to watch them so they don't get into too much trouble). Well, I don't mind if they do a little pruning but when they came up on the porch and gobbled my pretty mini fuschia in two seconds, I wasn't happy.

Lola pruning a crepe myrtle...

All joined in....

Little rascals came up on the porch to check out the foliage there...

My poor mini fuschia - it was so pretty....

The weekend is here and I'm pooped from a busy week at work. It's hot and miserable outside, and once I get a little watering and barn cleaning done, I'm staying inside. I've got the A/C turned up pretty high to conserve energy (hope you are too), but it's still way better than the outside temps. I really want to make a little set of coasters for Laura and Alissa - and a couple for me. Plus, I've promised to make a princess and castle painting for Alissa last summer, so really need to get that project completed! She's growing up so fast and won't want it by the time I get it finished!!

Till next time...

Fizz Update

2011-06-10T09:22:00.002-04:00

Poor little Fizz-Man just wasn't rebounding from his debudding. Yesterday I stopped by the vet's and she gave me some pain medicine for him - three days worth. He's had two injections now, and seems to be feeling better.

I should have asked for pain meds when I picked him up. He has suffered for over three days. I will definitely ask for medication when he goes in for his neutering in a couple of months.

The Goat Family Goes To The Vet

2011-06-06T20:12:00.012-04:00

I got more than a couple of strange looks by passers by as I was driving up the highway with four goats in the back of my car.

It was time to get the babies de-budded. I hated to do it, but have read that even the nicest pet can hurt you with those horns.

Little Fizz's horns had grown huge already and I couldn't put it off any longer. The good thing though, is that all the goats were checked by the vet, checked for parasites, had their shots and got their hooves trimmed professionally. Next time I can do it if I can find somebody to hold them for me.

Bindi and Fizz are doing great, although Fizz looks horrible.

It was a very stressful ordeal for Lily. She is such a good little mama to her babies - always right beside them.

Fizz makes me hurt just to look at his little head. The vet said there would be some swelling, but the bandage can come off tomorrow, if he doesn't work it off by himself tonight.

Little Lola was great and such a super little pet goat. She didn't seem to be phased by any of it.

Mama and babies back home

***

I couldn't upload pictures last evening so am updating this today. Little Fizz is pitiful and I know he hurts. This morning when I opened the barn, he lagged behind the others with his head and tail down. When I reached out to pet him, he shyed away from me. Same thing with the second try. When I tried to remove his bandages, he cried and ran into the barn. It broke my heart when he hid behind a bale of hay and cried again when I reached for him.

Oh, I felt horrible and was so upset.

When the vet called me today, I told her about it and she said I could give him two baby aspirins crushed in some molasses. Well, I couldn't get him to touch it, but it's still out there for whoever wants to lick the spoon.

His little forehead is so swollen.

Bless his little heart.

I Miss Blog Hopping

2011-06-04T22:31:00.002-04:00

I've barely logged onto my computer since getting my new job. It's late and I'm ready for bed and decided to do a little virtual visiting.

I sure have missed seeing all the pretty blogs. You gals sure do post some pretty pictures!

Luna Moth Assemblage

2011-05-28T19:28:00.007-04:00

I've been wanting to craft for ages but just haven't made time for it. I was gone on a business trip to San Jose all week and came home very tired, so today was spent doing some quiet things - along with a lot of laundry.

Laura found a beautiful Luna moth and wanted to frame it (it was already dead). I had some shadow box frames left from other projects and put a little assemblage together for her. I could have added some trinkets and such, but I'm into a more minimalist approach to decorating these days. Nature is perfectly beautiful all by itself and doesn't need a bunch of stuff distracting from it. I did tweak the nest a little more after I took these pictures, so that it wasn't so squished looking. I think it turned out beautiful.

I hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend. God bless the USA and all the brave people who serve in the military! Some troops from the 82nd Airborne shared one of my flights back yesterday. I spoked to some of them and told them to stay safe. I was proud to share the sardine can that we flew back in.

Gardening and "Wild" Life!

2011-05-15T09:56:00.017-04:00

Hello blogger friends! Goodness how time flies.

My new job is going really well. I have so much to learn and am glued to the computer about 98% of the time so the last thing I want to do when I get home is log on here. The days fly by and I don't even have time to think about the afternoon drowsies I usually get.

This is the time of year that I can't keep up with the mowing and weeding. The weather has been perfect for all things to grow. The Forest Pansy Redbud tree I planted to commemorate Ginny's birth has grown and was really pretty earlier in the spring. I don't think I got a picture of it before the blossoms faded. I just love these trees!

My pink dogwood that Erin gave me is growing too and had such pretty blossoms on it this year.

My little vegetable garden has turned into a small jungle and I have blossoms on the plants. I can't wait for the first tomato!!

I've been enjoying fresh lettuce that I'm growing in old nursery pots by the driveway. It won't last much longer now with hot weather approaching.

There is a lot of territorial behavior going on with birds protecting their nests with eggs in them. Mr. and Mrs. Purple Finch have made a nice little home in my Boston Fern on the porch.

I haven't seen the baby deer yet - all the mamas seem to still be in hiding but it won't be long before they start appearing.

We have a new visitor in the area. There was a noise that was driving me nuts last weekend and then I heard on the news that the 13 year cicada had emerged. They arrived last week and will be here for about four weeks and won't return for 13 years! They look almost alien-like to me with their huge red eyes.

There must be millions of them but I've only seen a handful in the yard at this point.

Yesterday was rainy so I actually stayed inside and cleaned my bedroom. And do you remember this jacket I made for my mom?

I don't think I told you that it turned out too small for her, so I tore the whole thing apart and made it larger. I sewed all afternoon and evening yesterday and it's almost finished (again). What a job!!!

I hope you are all well and have a good day/week. I'll be outside most of today cleaning the barn. Between 13 chickens and 4 goats, there is a lot of pooper scooping going on around here!

They're Growing So Fast

2011-05-04T21:33:00.009-04:00

Little Fizz and Bindi are growing so fast! On day four Fizz was already trying to climb out of the barn, and on day five he succeeded.

They sure have distinctive personalities. Little Bindi is calmer and on the independent side.

Fizz-Man is wild and crazy and jumping all over the place. And he is already showing signs of dominance with his little sis and big sis - Lola. He was challenging Lola when he was four days old by going up to her and butting her! I was shocked. It was all quite distressing to Lily but she's doing a great job keeping all her kids in line. She sure has her "hands" full.
Fizz - close:

Bindi - close:

Here they are trying to climb on some stumps I've provided for them. Bindi managed to climb it first - you go girl!

The little family:

Laura, Alissa and I just love these little babies so much already!

The Confession and Announcement (sorry - it's long)

2011-04-27T20:32:00.008-04:00

It happened the day after my birthday. My contract position abruptly ended on March 18th. I shouldn't have been surprised - the contract never closed and I was bored beyond words.

I started on December 1st and was told after the first of the year, things would get crazy. January came and went with very little for me to do. When I asked the directors if there was anything I could help them with, my supervisor told me not to approach them. If they needed help, they would ask me. This style of working is totally opposite from what I've ever done before - I don't like to sit around and wait for somebody to come to me.

Then I was told February would be really busy. More of the same boredom that month. I was disillusioned and told the project manager. He gave me a little work but not enough to keep me busy.

By March I was looking for another job. Yes, this position met expenses, but barely. And I had partial health insurance, but no other benefits, and the commute ate a lot of gas. So..on with the search.

Then on March 18th they let me go. I had nothing in the works as far as assignments and didn't know what I was going to do. I went straight to the unemployment office and opened a new claim. Becuase I had been working for $10/hour for so long, that's what my benefits were based on. I would be drawing $156/week. Who in the H can live on that for gosh sake???

I also applied for food stamps at the suggestion of my daughter. Again - because I've been responsible and current on all my bills, etc. I would be granted $16/week. Why even bother???

I was facing losing my home, which certainly isn't the end of the world but not the way I want to leave here. And I wasn't going to abandon my animals no matter what. Gail came to my rescue and offered me a place to live in trade for labor, and I could take all my animals. Knowing that I had a place to go if it came to that, took a huge weight off my shoulders.

I called the bank and informed them I wouldn't be sending them any more house payments. They sent me a package for a loan modification, which I sat on for a couple of weeks.

Then I sent out an email with my resume attached to it asking for any leads. Some of my friends responded with connections and information. As it turns out, an old friend I used to work with ten years ago told me to take a look at his company's web site to see if there was anything I was interested in. At first, I didn't see anything but digging a little deeper I saw they had just posted for an Executive Assistant position, which I was qualified for.

I applied for it on line that night and emailed my friend. He responded the next morning to say that he had handed my resume directly to the CEO himself. A week later I was called in for a screening interview with the HR folks. Then bing, bang, boom I was called in the next day to meet with the big man himself. I got the offer that afternoon as the Executive Assistant to the CEO of Intuit Health. The offer was not too far below what I was earning when I was layed off over two years ago, and the benefits are fantastic. I just started this week and am still learning my way around the building.

I know everything happens for a reason, but I think I really hit the jackpot this time. I've got a lot to learn and feel like a kindergardener, but that will pass. The commute is fantastic and with gas prices, that's a plus by itself. It's still soaking in that I have a real job that's all mine and my life can get back to "normal". I can save money like crazy to try to make up for more than 2 1/2 years not contributing to a retirement plan or saving anything at all. I can move ahead with home repairs/improvements. And I won't have to worry every day about when this ordeal is ever going to end! It has ended and a new chapter has begun. It's been a very long time coming and as soon as I realize I'm not dreaming, I think I'm going to be just fine.

I've informed my friend that when I get my first paycheck, I'm taking him out for a steak lunch. Now that's significant for me to offer because he knows how I feel about people eating cows! He laughed...but accepted. Happy ending for me. Finally.

Not the Announcement I Had Planned

2011-04-24T20:52:00.021-04:00

I hope you all had a nice Easter today. Mine was very busy, but nice.

I was going to tell a confession and follow up with an announcement, but I have something else to share.

Lily had twins early this morning! Yes, she went into labor last evening and I was a nervous wreck. I emailed Wendy of Beyond the Sidewalks and she reassured me. I tried staying in the barn all night, but I think I was making Lily more nervous so finally went to bed when she wasn't even dilating by 11:30 p.m.

Here she is in labor with faithful Lola at her side.

I got up early this morning and was out in the barn before 7 a.m. to find twin little babies - one girl and one boy. Their little cords were still very wet, but their fur was mostly dry so I'm guessing they were born between 4 - 6 a.m.

I've named the black and white one "Bindi", which is what Steve Corwin named his daughter who is carrying on his work. Bindi is an Aboriginal name that means small girl.
Bindi....

I've named the little buck "Fizz" (he's the white one). I was trying to think of a name that had some significance for Easter, or Sunday. I thought of the number 7, since Sunday is the 7th day, and then that made me think of 7 UP and fizzy drinks. Hence, Fizz.

Fizz (or little Fizz Man)...

These little babies are a mere 14" end to end and about 9" tall at the shoulders. I'm not sure how much they weigh, but they feel like about 3 pounds, if that. They are TINY! I asked Laura to hold my cell phone beside Fizz so I could show something of a size comparison. It's all I had, but maybe you'll get an idea of how small they are.

Lily did such a good job and is very protective and attentive - especially to little Fizz. Bindi seems to be quite independent and brave. Fizz sticks right by Mama's side at all times!

Laura and Alissa came this afternoon to see them. They have spent hours in the barn with the new arrivals.

Lola is no longer the baby and has been such a good girl today. She is already acting protective over her siblings when she hears them cry. She has left Lily and the babies alone all day and not bothered them, other than to check on them from time to time. Usually, she is right by Lily's side.

I felt so bad for Lily yesterday and last night. She was so huge and I'm sure she was quite uncomfortable. Her bloating has gone down considerably and she has been eating and drinking a lot of water. Both babies have been nursing and then taking long naps, so I think everybody is doing very well. I'm just glad it's over with and I'm sure Lily is too.

They are all tucked in for the night and I'm ready to hit the hay myself. I have a very important day tomorrow (a little tease)!

Happy Easter

2011-04-23T08:40:00.002-04:00

I hope you all have a nice Easter. I have a confession and an announcement coming soon.

Multiple Tornadoes Yesterday

2011-04-17T08:43:00.008-04:00

We had been warned by the National Weather Service on Friday that Saturday was going to be a potentially very dangerous day, and brother did it turn out to be true.

The day started out with a lot of wind and heavy, gray clouds. The creepy kind of weather that can happen here from now till September. Tornado season is always worrisome.

My plan for the day was to go to the feed store and buy the chickens and goats food, and then go to Gail's to work for a couple of hours. Then I was going to stay inside and craft for the first time in ages. Well, so much for plans. While at the feed store, the owner told me I needed to go straight home and "batten down the hatches". So I called Gail and asked if she minded that I put off the work for another day, which was fine by her.

I came home and filled containers with water. If the power goes out, I can't get water from the well. Then I got my weather radio out and decided to clean the house. I spent a few hours dusting and cleaning and watching out the windows with no major change in the weather. I thought "I could have had my work for Gail finished by now", and decided to go outside and mow the lawn. I mean, it was very windy and gray but that was all - at that point. Then it started to rain and I went inside.

The television was on and there was a big notice that Sanford (my town) was under a tornado warning. Gail lives 20 minutes south of me and I called her to make sure they were aware. They were and she had put the animals in a safe room. We got disconnected and from that moment on, it got really intense.

I didn't lose power and was able to stay glued to the television and kept looking out the windows. I had things in the bathroom, ready to take the animals and myself in there, but couldn't stay away from the storm coverage. There were multiple tornadoes that hit one after another in a line. They went from Gail's area up through Raleigh and northeast to Virginia.

Because Laura was working in Raleigh, I knew she wasn't aware of the tracking so I called her. Long story short, she had left work, literally drove straight toward one of the big tornadoes and was pounded by quarter-sized hail. She turned around and went back to work, where she was safe. If she hadn't, she would have been right in the middle of one of the worst ones. She actually had seen it. So, she was safe.

I called Jeremy (Alissa's daddy) to see if they were ok, because Alissa was with him in another area. He was fine, but he had been to Lowes where I used to work just 10 minutes before it hit. Here is what Lowes looks like now.

I was able to get up with Gail and they had been spared. I was on the phone the rest of the afternoon and evening making and receiving calls to check on friends. There was a lot of damage left by the storms. The National Weather Service even said that these tornadoes were some of the worst ever to hit North Carolina. I mean, we get tornadoes, but not a series of long-lasting ones like yesterday.

http://www.wral.com/

I'm good in a crisis, but by the evening when I had time to think about it all, I could feel myself getting emotional about all the "what if's". I thank God that my family and friends are safe, and that I am too.

My Little Vegetable Garden

2011-04-10T00:33:00.012-04:00

This year, I am going to be serious about growing some of my own vegetables. Every year I plant a few tomato plants, only to have them eaten by my herd of deer. Well this year will be different. I love fresh vegetables but don't often drive to the farmer's market mostly because it's inconvenient. But the food we buy in the grocery stores is full of chemicals and I firmly believe that's why cancer is so prevalent. Even the "high quality" pet foods are full of bad stuff. Have you ever looked into what dog food really is and how it's made? But I'm getting off subject.

While helping Gail's husband clean up a rental property, I brought home some things that were headed for the landfill. You know me - always have an eye out for free stuff I can repurpose in one way or another. Well, there was the ugliest "light fixture" in the kitchen. When John took it down, I asked if I could have it. It was nothing more than a box built out of really thick pine wood surrounding some fluorescent bulbs. I immediately saw potential for a raised bed. So I dragged the thing to my car, brought it home and put it in place.

Now Gail and John are very generous folks, and they let their employees at the nursery take soil from their compost pile for free. This compost is actually high grade soil with fertilizer in it that they use for growing the plants they sell.

Now check out my little garden that Alissa and I planted today.

The frame was free, the soil was free, and I've basically worked off, or will work off the cost of the plants, so they're kind of free. I've put the frame next to my fence, which will be a perfect support for the climbing veggies I'm planting (some beans and cucumbers). There's plenty of room for tomato plants and some green peppers. I've even bought some varieties of lettuce. If nothing else, I can live on tomato sandwiches this summer. I'm also going to put some other vegetables in pots in the back yard where they will be safe from the deer. Zoe and Blair, on the other hand, are quite another story. I'll be taking precautions so they can't dig up all my plants.

Here is my little garden helper taking a break. She said she was digging for treasures in the driveway.

I am taking part in the Sustainable Living Project hosted by Jan at Thanks for Today. Please go visit her blog and read more about this project. While you're at it, hop over to Garden Girl's blog and read some very inspiring posts about sustainable living and the importance of growing our own food, or at least part of it. She has a lot of very important information.

You know me - ever the tree hugger. While I usually come at it from an animal right's perspective, it's all about respecting nature in all its forms and taking care of Mother Earth...not just taking. Change one little thing that you do. It will make a big difference to our planet.

Is She Prego or What?

2011-04-05T22:17:00.003-04:00

Lily has gotten so much wider since I took these pictures over the weekend. This morning it was a little difficult for her to get up. I'm expecting a baby any time now, or maybe two. She's really huge but it doesn't show in these pictures.

Silly Smudge

2011-04-01T08:51:00.007-04:00

I am continuing to pare down my belongings and have sold some of my antiques. One particular piece is a very unusual grain bin, which has three sections inside it. It's full of Christmas decorations!

The minute I had it emptied, Smudge just had to get inside one of the sections. Now all my kitties like to get inside containers, but not like Smudge. He is so funny.

And I have to brag on him in particular. When I took all the cats to a rabies clinic last Saturday, the vets immediately remarked on how huge...and beautiful...Smudge is. He's such a special cat and really lucky to be alive. He can be contrary at times, but I love him a lot.

Silent Sunday

2011-03-27T11:18:00.001-04:00

Treats for Lily and Lola

2011-03-24T19:51:00.010-04:00

A couple of weekends ago Laura and Alissa came down for the afternoon. It was a beautiful day and we all wanted to spend some time with Lily and Lola.

I gave Alissa a bunch of crackers to use as treats for them and brother, did they want them all!

Poor Alissa couldn't break the crackers into bite sized pieces fast enough :)

Afterwards, Alissa took the stand to declare the opening of a girls only club.

When I asked her what the club rules were, she proceeded to say "no hurting, shooting, teasing or being mean to any animals"!

That's my girl!

I'm linking up to Farm Friend Friday.

The Scent Is Heavenly

2011-03-22T20:47:00.003-04:00

My beautiful Clematis Armandii is absolutely loaded with flowers this spring. I thought I had killed it summer before last when I started pruning and didn't know when to stop.

Well it has bloomed better than ever this year and the sweet scent of the blossoms flow in through the windows.

I paid $7 for this plant at WalMart or Lowes several years ago and it just grows and grows and grows!

I hope you're all having a good week!

Pretty Things!

2011-03-18T08:28:00.014-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday and a friend who I haven't seen for a year took me to Panera for lunch. I love Panera Bread! It was great to catch up with her and now that I'm back up in the area, we should see each other a little more frequently.

I haven't posted about my pretty gifts I got from my family. My talented sister made me this bag. A friend showed me one that she had made last year and I loved the size and shape of it. My sister bought the pattern (it's called Baby Bow Tucks) and made one and gave it to me the weekend she and my mother came for a visit.

I don't have the patience to sew like this! Everything she did was perfect. She measured her cell phone and check book to customize the interior pockets to fit my stuff. And how pretty is the contrasting lining?

And how about this gorgeous button?!?

And she made me a pretty tissue holder...check out the curvy opening.

Laura and Alissa went shopping at Big Bloomers Flower Farm (Gail's garden center) and bought me this beautiful oxalis and put it in a pretty lavendar pot.

And she also bought me a little mushroom that I had flipped over when we were there the other weekend.

My Rosebud gave me a sweet bird. She knows how much I love birds and picked this one out all by herself.

I'll be helping Gail's husband on their rental property for just a bit Saturday morning and then will be out in the yard all weekend long. There is so much left to clean up and get ready for planting. I hope you all have a good weekend!

Kindness

2011-03-15T08:18:00.005-04:00

I'm feeling the strain of my financial situation and I suppose that makes me also feel vulnerable.

Zoe is due for her annual physical, so I had made an appointment to take her last night to get only her rabies and DHLPP vaccinations. When I learned that she would have to have a physical by the vet, I decided to decline getting the DHLPP vaccination. Because I don't want to jeopardize Zoe's health I changed my mind at the last minute and told the vet to go ahead with all vaccinations.

She looked at me and asked "money tight?". Yes, I said. For the first time in my life I've had to ask family for some help. She looked at Zoe's records and said that the DHLPP wasn't critical since she's had three sets over the years, and that she could just take care of the rabies without an exam to keep the bill to about $20. She then proceeded to give Zoe a quick once-over anyway at no charge.

I've been a client of this particular veterinary practice for many, many years. The vets there are compassionate, support rescue groups and aren't in it just to make money. I appreciated Dr. X's concern for my situation and what she gave to me, getting almost choked up before leaving.

Since I was in the "big" city, I decided to treat myself to dessert at The Olive Garden. My sister had sent me some money to help with the IRS bill (more on that later) with some extra for fabric or something just fun.

It was getting late in the evening so I didn't want to wait to be seated and just walked into the bar area. I had been sitting there for more than a couple of minutes with the bar tender making a couple of drinks and cleaning up. I hadn't been acknowledged and was watching him wondering how long he would take before doing so. The second bartender came from the back with a carry out order for another customer and after taking care of that, immediately came over to me and asked if he could help me. "You sure can", I said and gave him my order.

There was something about him that seemed so genuine. He made eye contact with me and the other customers he talked to (yes, I was watching him). There was a certain appeal to me about him. He was young - maybe in his 30's - and had a nice demeanor about him. Not cocky, but very pleasant, and while average looking, attractive to me.

I ended up ordering a full blown dinner to take home, but ate some of it there. I can't remember the last time I've had dinner out and I felt like I deserved it. It was my sister's treat and I appreciated it. So I sat there and ate a little, but packed up most of it to enjoy this evening. I had dessert and coffee, which felt luxurious. As I sat there, I watched the first bartender, who did finally talk to me a little. It was almost 9 o'clock and I still had things to do before going to bed, so I didn't hang around after I had finished.

I wanted to say something to the young man who had waited on me and when I saw the opportunity, I signaled for him to come over. I told him that he had been very kind. He seemed a little surprised and thanked me immediately and said that he had enjoyed waiting on me. As I left, he told me to have a nice evening.

I wasn't feeling sorry for myself for sitting there alone. I rarely get lonely. But the kindness that was shown to me by two individuals - one a complete stranger - touched me so much that I almost cried. Silly? I don't know.

The quote ...be kind to strangers, for you never know what battle they are fighting... kept going through my mind all evening.

Spring Flowers and Sweat Equity

2011-03-09T20:13:00.010-05:00

Ahhhh spring - things are blooming all over the place and it's such a beautiful sight. We aren't out of the woods here yet; some of our biggest snows have happened in March.

My forsythia is huge as ever. I even pruned it a little during the winter.

I don't have a lot of daffodils, but what few I have are in full bloom. Well, except for the ones I transplanted; they're just tiny green things this year.

My tulip magnolia has tight buds all over it, and some are about ready to open.

My iris grew about 3 inches over the weekend!

I'm saving the best for last. Remember I told you I was helping Gail's husband clean up a rental property and taking merchandise from their nursery in lieu of pay? Well, lookie what I got.....is this a beauty or what!?!

This double wide arbor has the sweetest gates that actually close. I'm leaving them open though so I can hang things on them.

I have GOT to finish my walkway this spring. It looks even worse now that I have this beautiful arbor.

My sister and mom were here over the weekend and DS helped me put up this gorgeous piece of architecture. I took them to Big Bloomers (Gail's nursery) and they really enjoyed themselves. There are so many things there that we all wanted, so I will be helping Gail's hubby a few more weekends :)

Now to do some chores before it's time to go to bed. I've already made a new shelf and hung it in the laundry room. Another repair job thanks to the cats over the weekend. If it isn't one thing, it's another with all these crazy animals!

This Will Make You Smile!!

2011-03-04T09:02:00.002-05:00

Each morning, I usually check CNN when I get into work. Sometimes you can find stories that you don't necessarily hear about on the news at night. I mean, God forbid if we actually heard some good or postivie news.

Anyway, check out this story. I'm definitely going to think about this when I feel old and am hurting. He's an inspiration!!

93-Year-Old Bag Boy Loves His Job

You have a good day now, ya here? :)

Starving The Farmers? Really?

2011-03-02T13:13:00.005-05:00

OK, I realize my blog has taken on a different direction lately. Things are getting out of hand and I believe in passing along information about topics that are important to animals, the environment, and society that promote a common-sense way of doing things. Mostly, I'm a tree hugger from way back and like to feel I'm making a contribution to "the greater good".

I just read a post on a farm blog that somehow led me to this article, a commentary on programs being cut in New York state.

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Starving-a-vital-industry-1032545.php

I've been so concerned with my own survival the last couple of years that I haven't had the energy to do much else. Now that things are getting a little better for me, I feel I need to help make some changes. And don't think one person cannot make a difference, because we can.

While I'm on the subject, I'll let you all know that I've recently stepped up my own game as a responsible custodian of this planet. I am no longer using paper napkins; I've replaced them with some cloth napkins that I sewed up last week.

I will also be making my own earth friendly laundry detergent this weekend using 20 Mule Team Borax, Ivory soap and Oxi-Clean. It's cheap and easier on the enviornment; you can find several variations of the recipe by doing a search on-line.

I'm using fewer plastic baggies and am going to start using good old-fashioned waxed paper to wrap my sandwiches in. The enormous swirls of plastic in the ocean should concern everybody. If I'm made a permanent employee in my current position, I want to push to get rid of bottled water this department buys (about 4 cases a week = 96 plastic bottles) and have a water filter system or cooler put in.

And...I am making a conscious effort to buy more American-made things when I can. I can thank Diane Sawyer's challenge for that one.

We can all make a difference by changing one little thing in our daily habits and routines. So take a minute and think about what you can do in your own home routine that will have a great impact somewhere down the line. Just like a smile can be contagious, so can leading by example. Think Globally and Act Locally!

I hope you all are having a good week. Spring has popped in my yard with pretty forsythia in bloom - woo hoo!

He's Everywhere!

2011-02-28T21:14:00.008-05:00

Last evening I packed up Pumpkin and sent her home with Laura. I have too many cats in this house and I really needed to make this change.

I got out the little cardboard carrier to put her in and within 60 seconds, look who jumped in. Smudge was quite happy in there but I had to remove him. He wasn't happy.

So I turn around to carry Pumpkin into the living room and there he is on the little table I'm sending up to Ginny next week. I painted it years ago for Alissa but she's outgrown it and Ginny is just the right age to enjoy it.

So I'm taking pictures to put on my blog 'cause I'm thinking it was kind of cute. Smudge got perturbed and jumped down.

After Laura and Alissa left with Pumpkin, I noticed Mr. Priss Pants had found yet another spot to take respite in from all the flashing lights in his face.

I decided it was time to leave him alone for a while before he really got ticked off at me. He can be a real stinker sometimes.... but he's so pretty :)

The Importance of Insects

2011-02-28T09:26:00.002-05:00

I've just read a very informative post over at Native Backyard and I let her know I was going to post it on my blog.

I cringe every time I see commercials encouraging people to spread this poison over their lawns. Not only does it kill the bugs we don't want, i.e., fleas, ticks and grubs, but it is non-discramantory and kills bees and other very beneficial insects.

Plus I didn't know about tall fescue grass and the toll it takes on the soil. You know what they say - you learn something new every day!

*********************************************************
What group of lifeforms do we most need for our own survival? I'll give you a moment to think about it.

Ready? Insects. Avid students of gardening probably answered this without need of the white space pause. Here I paraphrase E. O. Wilson, from his book The Creation:

First there are the pollinators, without which flowering plants would cease to be in only a year or two. Other insect-pollinated plants would follow. Then the kicker: "The soil remains largely unturned, accelerating plant decline, because insects, not earthworms as generally supposed, are the principal turners and renewers of the soil."

In my personal quest to find the best combination of plants to create habitat, the lawn question led to more questions than answers, at first. I hope I will include enough information in this post to help you answer your own. My goal is to create lawn space that looks attractive but does not discourage other life forms that are necessary for the success of my "target" life forms (like songbirds). What I found was disturbing, with wide-spread impact.

In municipal and federal landscaping (think DOT), plants are searched out and chosen on the basis of low maintenance and high success rate. Over the years, this has contributed to many unintended consequences, such as the invasive presence in North Carolina (and many other states) of miscanthus. Some of these plantings have been so wildly successful that they have choked out other native species and the other life forms that depend on them. An example of this is tall fescue, which has led to drops in the population of (among other things) quail, which require huge numbers of insects for forage.

Tall fescue is an introduced grass. Around airports, as mentioned before, it is probably an excellent choice because it does reduce the population of potential airplane destroyers. It has a symbiotic relationship with a fungus (called an endophyte) that not only improves the viability of the fescue, but reduces the viability of insects. Without the insects, species like quail cannot survive.

Because of its success in choking out competition (and therefore requiring little if any weed control herbicides), tall fescues have been billed as an environmentally conscious choice for turf grass. So far as that standard goes, the marketing agents are correct. The fewer toxins we use in our landscapes, the better. That ought to be a no-brainer. However, if the goals is to sustain life, rather than just to inhibit it, tall fescues really, really fall short.

Agricultural industry has focused primarily on the "defeat the weed" strategy. So most research is aimed at solutions for weed-free turf or forage. A fine summary of this agricultural research comes from Cornell University. This type of research is not directed at finding which grass species support forage by other species, but rather on what is not required for species success--water, fertilizer and herbicides. Another approach was taken by Stevie Daniels. A Penn State Master Gardner, Daniels has worked to understand the best solutions for native turf grasses. She has selected the fine fescues as one of her lawn solutions, depending on your location. Others are discussed at the included link.

Fine fescues, based on what I can find, do not need endophytes to succeed. This would mean that they would not inhibit insect life the way that introduced tall fescues do. There may still be a threat of allelopathic(linked document has great chart) relationships to consider, but the native clumping red and sheep fescues should be safe choices for turf that won't disturb the balance of life. Mixed with violets like johnny jump-ups and other native, low-growing species, these less-aggressive fescues can help you achieve a lively lawn that allows the bugs (and bunnies...I'm all about the bunnies) to thrive. Which will make your birds happy.

The real point here, however, is that it is not just our songbirds who need bugs. We all do. We need them to pollinate our flowers and crops, we need them to till and aerate our soil, we need them to maintain the smaller life forms that feed us, either directly or indirectly. So in my own personal habitat, the quarter of an acre that I can control, it would be the height of foolishness to discourage my insects. I need to provide them all the sanctuary I can.

Posted by R K Young on Sunday, February 27, 2011

Flea Market Gardens Magazine

2011-02-24T08:57:00.004-05:00

I've had spring fever for a couple of weeks now, but now am practially hyper about getting started. I know it's way too early to plant anything, but the weather is perfect for clean up and preparation.

While at WalMart yesterday at lunch, I picked up a gardening magazine I hadn't noticed before. Turns out it's the premeir issue and boy is it loaded with ideas and inspiring pictures. A lot I've seen before, but there are some new ideas in it as well (new to me anyway).

For all you garden enthusiasts out there - you should check it out.

I'm so excited.....!!!

Completed UFO and Bird Count

2011-02-22T13:25:00.003-05:00

Well, I had just just about given up even trying to complete anything. The weather has broken and I'll be outide till about August now.

I had actually finished this embroidery right around Thanksgiving, but didn't have time to make it into a pillow. I spent a lot of time making a jacket for my mother for Christmas and it was a priority.

This pattern called for a checkered border, but I left it off. It would have added a lot to the finished piece but I just wanted it finished. It also called for some cross hatching on the pumpkin stem, but I think it looks ok the way it is.

Now it's in the closet and I'll enjoy it this coming fall. Maybe I'll add some ribbon to it to really frame all that stitching.

I participated in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. I didn't get to spend nearly as much time as I wanted to, and my numbers were very low considering the amount of birds that eat at the feeders everyday. Still, I had 12 species visit in the 15 minutes that I timed myself for a total bird count of a little over 20 birds.

If I did it correctly, I had to count the number of birds that were at the feeder in a 15 minute window. I know the feeder was busy all day though because all the food was gone. I'll give it a try again next year and will definitely block out more time to participate.

Spring is springing and I'm ready to sew a table mat or runner or something out of some pretty tea fabrics that my friend, Diane, sent me a few months ago. I'm still trying to decide what I want to make.

I've got a few daffodils in bloom and the forsythia is ready to pop! I'm going to bring some inside to force and enjoy!

Great Backyard Bird Count 2011

2011-02-18T13:23:00.012-05:00

The Great Backyard Bird Count is this weekend - February 18th through the 21st. I'm going to participate this year for my first time.

I've been a bird watcher since I was a little girl. I still have a bird book that my grandmother gave me in 1962.

There are so many birds at my feeders and around my property. I have open fields for the bluebirds, killdeer and flycatchers, and I've got lots of woods. Most everything I plant, I keep in mind if it will provide food or shelter for the birds. I feed the birds seed year 'round and sometimes put suet out for them.

There is a pair of pileated woodpeckers near by. They don't come on my property but I can hear them. They need dead trees to nest in. Unfortunately, some houses are being built near me and trees are being cut down. People seem to think that dead trees hold no value, but they are so wrong.

(Bird images from Google search)

I've got several eastern bluebirds that live on my property year round.

I've got some of these guys around too - the red bellied woodpecker.

To find out more information, go here. This would be a fun and educational thing to do with your kids or grandkids!

Another Beautiful Blog

2011-02-16T13:15:00.002-05:00

Be still my heart. Through Quill Cottage I have discovered Life @RuffHaven. Not only does Marianne share my love of senior pooches, but she is a real nature lover as well!

If you visit her blog and scroll down a little, you will find a beautiful video from YouTube that will speak volumes through art and music. The message is and has been my mantra for several decades. We are destroying this earth so fast that it makes my heart sick.

I try very hard to live what I preach and leave as small a footprint on this planet as I can. I compost most of my garbage. I re-use cardboard and old carpeting as landscape cloth. I re-use plastic bags for dumping used litter box nastiness into. I combine as many errands as I can into one outing. Even though I am struggling financially, I continue to donate to the NRDC and other nature and animal related organizations. I talk to people about pet overpopulation and the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Just this Saturday there were two pick up trucks of puppies being given away in the WalMart parking lot. I gave the owners information about two low-cost spay/neuter options locally. I use minimal chemicals in my yard and gardens. I eat chicken and turkey very sparingly.

If you do one small thing a day, it will make a huge difference to the world we share.

I certainly didn't intend to get on my soap box, but that video really touched me. I hope you go visit Marianne's beautiful blog. She creates gorgeous pieces of art work.

Hard Work and Results

2011-02-13T19:44:00.014-05:00

Hi everybody. I hope you've had a good week.

I'm so happy....my hard work helping Gail's husband clean up a rental property that was in horrible shape is paying off. Instead of being paid for it, I asked Gail if I could work for merchandise from their garden center. I seem to be able to find money to pay for things I truly need or have to take care of, but not necessarily for those things that I just want.

Well, look what my first items are that I brought home yesterday - these two ginormous concrete pots to put on either side of my arbor. They're really going to make a statement when they're planted.

I have yellow jasimine growing over my arbor. And because my little herd of deer eat everything - even plants that are on the safe list - I want to plant some pretty purple cat mint for the filler plant. Gail suggested I plant the yellow creeping jenny to hang over the edges. Then I'd like to try planting some annual salvia for a bright splash of color.

I learned something new from Gail yesterday, who is a master gardener and expert at putting plants together. She said to remember "filler, spiller and thriller" as the rule for planting containers. Isn't that a neat way to remember? :)

So Laura and Alissa came down for a while this afternoon. Alissa is magical with animals and while I've been working slowly with the little goats to tame them down, take a look at what Alissa managed to do in a few short minutes! They were eating from her hands and they still won't do that for me. They've only seen Alissa twice and they see me every day!

Today I worked for the animals all day again. Lola and Lilly have been jumping over the fence into the small chicken pen that houses Big Rooster and his friend. Even though it's covered with chicken wire, they are getting in and then can't get out. Two times this week I've come home to them stuck in there. Then they knock off the chicken's pop door and go inside their section of the barn and upset Big Rooster (pictured below).

So...I had to move all the 10 foot posts I had out there from when I enlarged Big Rooster's pen last summer. I sunk them around the pen and attached yet another band of chicken wire all around the top. Now there is a wire barrier that stands 8 feet tall and if the goats jump over that...well, I just don't know what else to do. You can see the posts in the background here.

And the geese, Hansel and Gretel, now have the upper hand with the goats. Lilly and Lola gave into the geese's intimadation tactics and are now scared to death of them. The geese have been terrorizing the goats all day and then started in on the chickens. Usually the geese will go after the chickens but allow them to run away without a chase. Not today. Hansel and Gretel were angry and chasing everything. Even tried chasing me but I had a big stick and let them know I wouldn't tolerate that behavior. That only made them even more angry. Then when I saw Hansel actually grab onto Lilly's tail and hang on while she ran towards the barn, I got mad. It was either give the geese away (and they'd be eaten) or somehow separate them from all the other animals.

Well, I had to think and think of how I could move everybody around without having the expense and labor of building yet another pen. I finally figured it out and it took all day to achieve. I didn't realize Alissa had taken some pictures while I was working. At least you can get an idea of what I'm trying to explain.

The geese are now in the small pen where I was keeping two other roosters, Snow White and Beauty. You can see here that I moved the pool into the pen, but I didn't get the geese in there till just before evening. That's me walking toward the pen.

I have rigged up a makeshift pen to move the roosters into tomorrow morning before leaving for work. You can see it in the background here - it's on the outside of the pasture and has a dog house in it for the roosters to have shelter.

I also need to move Big Rooster and his friend into the main section of the barn and put Woodstock (my little bantam rooster) and my bantam hens and silkie in the section where Big Rooster has been.

It's a lot of work, but if the geese can stay cointained in the small pen then everybody but them will be happy. Soon I will enlarge their pen so that they don't feel like they're in such a tiny prison.

I was ready to call my neighbor to come down and take them but am not quite ready for that to happen yet. When I was trying to catch them, I felt sorry for them because they were so afraid.

Taking care of animals is hard when they all don't get along peaceably.

Pumpkin Does Yoga

2011-02-08T19:56:00.002-05:00

I just caught her in this position last night. She's even leaning against my yoga mat!

I hope you are all well and surviving winter!

An Animal Weekend

2011-01-30T20:31:00.023-05:00

I've spent two whole days repairing and improving my little barn. I've been wanting to do this for ages and the time has come!

It was such a beautiful weekend - especially today. I put the baby dove and my daughter's parakeets outside to catch some much-needed vitamin D. Then I went straight to work on the barn.

My barn is made out of chipwood. I've painted it with oil paint 5 times in 10 years and it continues to flake. I started covering it with tar paper yesterday but had to stop when I ran out of staples. I got the right side done, and the door.

Since I was out of staples, I decided to replace the bottom board on the door. I also put new nails on the interior door braces, so now it's a little more solid. Animals are rough on things!!

Today all the little animals were excited - especially the chickens. Chickens are very curious little creatures and want to be near you, believe it or not. They were all scratching around in an area that had been blocked off to them for a while. I started rolling out the tar paper and measuring. I had lots of company.

Here is Tinkerbell just on the outside of the pen where I was working. She wanted to make sure I was doing things to her satisfaction. She stayed near me most of the day.

This was the difficult side. I had to take apart the entire pen. Removing the wood posts from the barn was hard. But what was harder was getting the little "pop" door off - and back on so the hole lined up.

Lilly and Lola are checking out my toolbox...

They are so close to me here...and decided to come in.

They insisted on being in the chicken pen once I got it reconfigured. Maybe they liked the cozy size.

Lilly got quite close to me several time.s

And don't you know she started chewing the tar paper off! Little stinker!!

The girls see Princess outside the fence. Their hackles stood straight up and Lilly kept snorting a warning to Princess. Lola was stomping. Look at their little tails straight up in the air.

Before I got the goats, this tar paper would have been all I needed to do. Now that the two little goats are here, I'll eventually put some siding over the paper. But till then, I'll need to protect the paper so will be getting some tall chicken wire tomorrow to staple on top of the paper. Ugh - my figers are so sore already.

The trees need to have their trunks wrapped in wire. Goats love to chew trees...and most everything else.
I'm going to have to wire off these big roots, or they'll get destroyed. This is one of the major shade providers and is an important tree in the pasture.

I really wanted to do a little stitching tonight but my hands are sore from working with tar paper and wire. And my fingers are a little swollen and stiff. I need to go to bed but don't feel tired or sleepy yet. I guess once I crawl into my bed with clean sheets, I'll fall asleep soon - I hope.

Poor Princess is absolutely exhausted from being outside all day. Poor old girl.

I hope you all had a good weekend and some nice weather too!

Brotherly Love

2011-01-30T08:42:00.001-05:00

I've Been a Baaaaaad Girl! (and updated w/question)

2011-01-25T19:50:00.006-05:00

I need more animals like quilters need more fabric. I couldn't resist; I... am...crazy.

Meet Lilly and Lola; my two dwarf nigerian dairy goats. Lilly is the mama and has the black shoulders. Lola is her 10 month old daughter. There's a chance Lilly is pregnant; we'll see. I got them Sunday and have the barn all cozy for them. This picture was taken in their previous barn. They are slowly getting used to me and I can't wait to start working with them. I hope to teach them a few tricks.

Have you noticed I'm partial to black and white critters? Now I have three black and white dogs, two black cats, and two black and white goats.

Question: Where did this stupid photobucket thing come from on my post and how do i get rid of it!?! Thanks for your help!!!

Winter or Spring?

2011-01-23T17:35:00.016-05:00

My decorating skills are confused. I still have winter on my mantel and am enjoying it very much. And goodness knows it's colder than a meat locker outside! My little white lights look so pretty at night.

I've jumped on the white candle bandwagon and wrapped mine in some sheet music I found at the Graphics Fairy. All I had to do to make the switch from Christmas to winter was trade out the red candles for white and add the music. I've left everything else the same.

I've been continuing to work on my kitchen re-do and it's coming along nicely. I painted my brass chandelier this week with a hammered bronze paint. What a mess that made! It needs a second coat but I doubt I'll ever get it done. Ditto for the white table.

Eventually, I'll paint my chairs and side table black and make some new chair cushions out of black and white fabric.

I have some burlap left from a project last year and I think I'm going to cover my little lamp shades with it, and maybe make a narrow table runner. I'm definitely going to cover my gold flower pot with a burlap wrap this week.

I painted my bakers rack last Sunday with the same hammered bronze paint I used on my chandelier. It was a beautiful day and the sun helped the paint dry quickly. I need to give the drawers a second coat of black, but that will wait till we have another warm day.

I put my teapots back a little differently and wanted to add some greenery, so borrowed a silk plant I used to have on top of my cabinets. That made it look a lot better. Then I made a little topiary from a tiny gold bucket I bought at Michaels last year. I sprayed it with white primer and covered a piece of foam with sheet moss. I just noticed that my marble eggs are in a straight line...will need to fix that!

But what I'm really happy with is the little mini hurricaine with moss and quail eggs! Last year I had three female quail and they layed a few eggs. The little birds died not long after they reached adulthood and I was sad about it. I'm happy that they gave me a few eggs before they passed though.

Early last week I made a couple of pretty white hearts, inspired by an issue of Somerset Home. Disregard the cat whisker on the large heart; I didn't see it till after I took the picture.

I've been helping my friend, Gail, the last three Saturdays to get an old house painted and ready to rent. Considering Sunday is the only day completely mine, I think I've accomplished a lot. I am determined to be super-productive this year and am off to a great start.

Wait till you see what I did today - you'll really like it :)

I'm In Love

2011-01-14T14:49:00.002-05:00

with this blog I've just discovered today.

Being a country girl at heart and loving all sorts of animals, this blog is now one of my favorites. And it's located in Huntington, WV - not far from where I was born!

Go visit Verde Farm when you get a minute. They've got the cutest animals and I am so envious!!

Sewing Again and Pet Stories

2011-01-12T19:12:00.007-05:00

Now that all the Christmas stuff is finally put away, I've been able to sit down at my sewing machine again.

Yesterday I couldn't go to work (again) because of an ice storm. It was just too dangerous for me to try to slip and slide my way across back roads for the few dollars I would have made (they didn't open till noon). So, I stayed in my jammies all day and organized my fabrics and made the biggest mess but had so much fun!

I put away all the patterns I was trying to work on and got my bird quilt out. I've joined Dawn's Sew It's Finished challenge and this item has high priority for me. I put it across my bed to see how much quilting needed to be done and you see what happened...Wendy...!

I finally got her off the bed and worked a few hours on my quilt. My goal is to have it completed by this Sunday. I wish I could have had this quilt professionally quilted. I wanted it to be so pretty, but I am making do with what I can do myself.

And speaking of the ice storm, unbeknownst to me, Big Rooster was tangled in some deer netting that had fallen in his pen and was trapped in the ice storm all night. It's dark when I get home from work and all the chickens are already in the barn by then. I usually do a quick head count but didn't Monday evening. I didn't discover him till about 8:30 a.m. yesterday and he was on the ground, unprotected and practially frozen. I ran to the garage and got my scissors and went back to cut the netting off his legs. I felt beyond horrible! If only he had clucked or something the night before when I was only a few feet away from him.

This poor rooster has been through more than any guy should have to deal with in his life! I put him in the barn with the heat lamp and left him there all day. I made him a bunch of scrambled eggs and made sure he had plenty of water to drink. He was limping but immediately started preening himself and I could see that under his wings was dry. If he had gotten soaked to the bones, he wouldn't have made it.

I made him some oatmeal this morning and shared it with the other chickens. They love cooked oatmeal! Big Rooster seems to be fine. I'm going to have to use chicken wire as their pen roof from now on.

I wanted to share a couple of cute pictures of Pumpkin. I noticed that she was sleeping in such an odd position. These are her BACK legs her head is laying between! So funny...and cute. She's an adorable lap kitty.

How cute is she?

Beautiful Words

2011-01-09T08:07:00.004-05:00

When they ask to see your gods
your book of prayers
show them lines
drawn delicately with veins
on the underside of a bird’s wing
tell them you believe
in giant sycamores mottled
and stark against a winter sky
and in nights so frozen
stars crack open spilling
streams of molten ice to earth
and tell them how you drink
a holy wine of honeysuckle
on a warm spring day
and of the softness
of your mother who never taught you
death was life’s reward
but who believed in the earth
and the sun
and a million, million light years
of being"

- J.L. Stanley.

I saw this on Lynn's blog this morning and thought it was appropriate for my post today.

A Wonderful Give Away by Gum Tree Designers

2011-01-04T13:20:00.004-05:00

Oh gosh, I sure hope I win the wonderful pattern kit that the Gum Tree Designers are giving away! If I do, I'll have to change my project list :)

Kitchen Pictures

2011-01-03T09:29:00.010-05:00

Woo hoo! I'm getting closer to a completed kitchen re-do! I still have several things to do - paint the table white, paint the bakers rack and chandelier brushed bronze, and paint the side table black. But here are some pictures of what I've done so far. Still needs tweaking but I'm loving the new, more spare look!

The wall color is called Macedamia by Sherwin Williams. It's from the paint list of the model home I "worked" at last March. That house was gorgeous and is my inspiration for this particular re-do.

My kitchen window - didn't change much except I hung a string of white lights that I plug in at night. Such a happy glow at night! I made the stained glass piece years ago while taking a class (a very expensive hobby I haven't pursued).

Above the refrigerator wall; used to have a lot more prims and will continue to edit these into a more sparse and kind of PB/country french/prim Americana look.

I gave several items to my neighbor in my quest to reduce "stuff". One item in particular was worth $100 two years ago. Maybe that will payback for them helping me last week when my car broke down (again).

For now, I've just put most of my things back where they were. The bird tray and wire cloche are newly bought with Christmas money from my Mom. Thanks, Mom!

Above my stove - took a lot of stuff down and won't put back up.

The baker's rack/wall - edited. Can't wait to paint this and rearrange what is displayed!

The biggest change - my white wall cabinet. I loved the black and white but my stuff didn't show up well and I didn't want to take the fabric down. So last night I decided to put up some of my white plates and fell in love with it. I wanted to keep my little garden angels, so just interspersed them here and there.

And I love, love, love the top of the cabinet! My little white swan just never showed where I had it before. (It's a smaller version of the large one I have in the den.)

It's time to get busy. Work is closed today so I'm home (another day w/o pay). Blair and Zoe are outside and I'll have to keep the cats confined while painting my kitchen table or I'll have hair all over it - permanently!

TTFN - have a great day!

2011 Goals

2011-01-02T09:03:00.005-05:00

Good morning all!

I am full of energy and enthusiasm about starting this year off right. I always have a continuous list of projects going (who doesn't), but I've decided to list some of the major things I want to accomplish this year on my blog.

Living alone with more than enough animals to care for certainly takes a lot of my time. If I'm not cleaning up after, repairing from or just feeding the animals, they take up a lot of my time. I've got the usual house chores and maintenance that comes from being a home owner. Add to that, I'm an obsessed gardner living on six acres of land. While I don't mow all of it, I mow at least three acres every week when the weeds and grass are growing. So, I don't have nearly as much time as I'd like to spend on my sewing, painting and other craft endeavors. Thank goodness I'm a fairly energetic person or I'd never get half the things accomplished that I somehow manage to get done. With that said, here is my partial listof goals I want to accomplish this year - not necessarily in order of priority, however.

First, I've joined Dawn's new Sew It's Finished challenge blog and am determined to get some rather large UFO projects completed with the help of this challenge. That will keep my sewing machine busy for a while.

2. Make some of those cute mug rugs I'm seeing all over the place.
3. Complete my concrete walkway in front of the house
4. Install inexpensive solar lights along completed walkway
5. Repair the barn (cover with tar paper and siding) and chicken pens
6. Install laminate flooring in my living room (dependant on budget constraints)
7. Paint master bedroom and bath
8. Read at least three books this year
9. Be more disciplined about keeping the dishes clean and put away, not
just putting them in the dishwasher!
10. Live by my old rule of putting things away where they belong so I can find them
the next time I need them!
11. Make time to paint again. I've thoroughly enjoyed making a few small paintings
as Christmas gifts this year.
12. Finish my kitchen makeover!

I have so many other projects that pertain to the house or garden maintenance, but there's no need in listing all of them. I never get everything taken care of but do try to stay on top of the important things.

But before I can start on my project list, I must take down and put away my Christmas decorations. That will take a good portion of today. Then I'm going to paint my kitchen table white. I'm really excited about this one!!

Well friends, the chickens are waiting to be let out of the barn so I've got to get started on the daily animal chores before I can move on to anything else.

I hope you have a great day!

Sew It's Finished UFO Challenge

2011-01-01T09:19:00.003-05:00

Dawn has a great challenge for all of us with a basket (or in my case, a storage container) of unfinished projects.

I've joined Dawn with the Sew It's Finished Challenge to complete my projects this year. There will still be time to start others as well, but this fits nicely with my organizing quest! I'll post my list next time.

I feel excited already!!

2010 In Review

2010-12-31T21:46:00.004-05:00

First, I want to thank all of you who have visited with me and helped me get through this year. While I don't get many comments on my little blog, I appreciate those of you who take the time to stop by and wish me well. I've met some of the nicest women since I started this blog, and while I haven't met any of you in person, I feel like I know some of you well.

The last two years have been rough, but I made it through and so did you. I'm looking forward to getting my life back on track in 2011.

Overall, I managed to get a few things accomplished around here. I've painted my spare bathroom, painted my front porch, started a front walkway, and painted my kitchen.

I've rescued one starving dog that was chained to a tree, taken in and vetted one kitten and one cat, and rescued five abandoned bantam chickens. I've seen Princess through surgery for thyroid cancer and Blair through her treatment for heartworms.

I've made skirts and robes for my little granddaughters, a jacket for my mother, and gifts for friends and family.

And last but certainly not least, I landed a good job!

The year has gone by quickly and I have lots of projects I hope to complete in the coming year. I can't wait to see all the new projects you come up with. It's so much fun visiting all the lovely blogs and getting completely overloaded on eye candy and inspiration!

I hope each and every one of you have a happy and healthy new year!

See you in 2011!!

Our Big Snow

2010-12-27T17:42:00.018-05:00

I know a lot of you are snowed in right now with the latest blizzard that hit the eastern part of the U.S. I'm not sure what our total was, but it's at least six inches - which is a pretty big deal for us. It is so beautiful and I took pictures of my pooches running and playing in it yesterday.

I took a chance and let Blair loose with Princess and Zoe. I was pretty sure she'd be good and she didn't disappoint me at all. Zoe, on the other hand, disappeared twice and wouldn't come back when I called her. We stayed out for about an hour, which was enough for my old girl, Princess. Bless her heart.

Hansel and Gretel are so pretty. The cold doesn't seem to bother them at all but I'm still going to build them their own shelter before too long.

The chickens said 'no way' to going outside.

Here's my little old girl in her custom made coat I ordered for her about 11 years ago.

Feeling frisky and running like a younger girl!

Precious Princess playing with Zoe

Blair and dingbat Zoe in the back yard...

Blair loose in the field for the first time!

She was so happy. This time last year, she had heartworms and couldn't run. Now look at her!

Where did Zoe go? I can't see her!

Did she go this way?

Mom, maybe she's over there...

Give it up, Blair. She'll come back when she's ready. (and she did)

Up and Running Again :)

2010-12-26T17:21:00.011-05:00

My internet is back up - hooray!

So, did you all have a nice Christmas?

Mine was low key but nice. I went up to Laura's and Alissa' for a few hours. Of course, Alissa had already opened all her gifts by the time I got there, but I did get to watch her open the things I gave her.

She had asked if I would make her a poncho and "decorate" it a while back. I knew I'd make her one for Christmas and it was fun to watch her open it. Her reaction was just what I needed to put me in the Christmas mood. Her jaw dropped and she said "I love it; it's just what I wanted"!! Made me SO happy!!

I found some sparkly little butterfly beads, which were perfect to add around the lapel area. Alissa likes her some bling :)

On one of my recent trips to WalMart I happened to discover some kids' watches. Low and behold there was a little pink watch with a little butterfly as the second hand. You KNOW I had to get that for my Rosebud. She hadn't asked for a watch and nobody had even mentioned one, but I knew it would make a great little gift for her.

Mother and daughter...

Alissa asked Santa for a scooter and he found a little pink one. She was so excited!

Here's a picture of one of the gift tags I painted.

I forgot to take pics of any of the little paintings I made. Plus, I made two little mug rugs - my first - and forgot to take pictures of them before I took them to the post office. I was in such a hurry to get things out of here :( I managed to paint four cards - each unique. Yep, forgot to take pics of them as well!!

We got several inches of snow last night, so I've enjoyed a quiet day at home. I'm exhausted from painting my kitchen (another post). I finally got a small batch of Christmas cookies made today. I was busy in the kitchen all morning making potato sald and stuff I can eat without electricity in anticipation of a power outage. Then I took Princess, Zoe and Blair outside to play in the snow for about an hour. I'll post those pictures tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow...I wonder if I'll be able to get in to work - or if they'll even be open!?!? It's still snowing and at the very least, I bet things will be on a delayed schedule. Yikes - another day without any pay? Sure hope not.

Sleep well tonight. I know I will!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T14:10:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas, everbody! I hope you are having a wonderful day with your family.

My internet is down at home, so am posting a Christmas wish from my daughter's home. Hopefully, I'll be able to blog tomorrow after I put a call in to Windstream!

Have a blessed day!!

A Miscellaneous Post

2010-12-21T18:24:00.012-05:00

Did you think I vanished?

Nope - I'm right here, just busy like all of you. Now that I'm a working girl again, I only have about three hours each evening (if I'm lucky) to get all my chores taken care of and work on my gifts and cards.

Well, I've made and mailed four cards - that's it! I decided at the last minute to make little paintings instead of using the cute and new winter/Christmas stamps I bought a few weeks ago. I also painted each of my gift tags and sprinkled them with diamond dust. They turned out very pretty.

I've made three small paintings, which have been mailed. I'm working on one for myself and then I have a couple to do for others. If I don't make one for me now, it won't happen. You know how that goes. And did I take pictures of any of the things I painted? No :(

I was determined to wrap my gifts so they were pretty this year. Usually I just throw gift wrap around them and slap on a cheap, pre-made bow out of a bag. This year, I used very pretty paper and used some satin ribbon instead of the gift kind. I tucked in a sprig of cyprus from my property and with my hand painted, glittered tag, the presentation was beautiful - if I do say so myself. I'll post a picture of one as soon as I get another one wrapped.

Here are a few pictures I just snapped so I would have something to make this post a little more interesting.

What's this - a partridge in a pear tree? No, it's Alex, Patches and Sarah on a branch. I let them hatch out an egg a few weeks ago so I'd have another bird to keep Coco company. She's all by herself in another cage since her sister flew the coop last summer.

Here is little Pumpkin, getting braver every week.

Here is a tiny tree I have in the living room. I never did get a proper tree this year, but I'm enjoying this one.

Check out this gorgeous poinsettia that I won at our Christmas party last Friday.

My beautiful swan with a wreath around her neck.

A stack of pretty boxes tied with ribbon

And finally, a santa wall hanging I paper pieced several years ago.

Now I've got to go make a small gift for my new manager so I can give it to her tomorrow. We're off Thursday and Friday so tomorrow is my last chance to give it to her. Two days off sounds nice, but I won't get paid for it, so I'd rather be working. But, at least I've got a job now!

Gotta run - have a good evening!

What I've Been Working On

2010-12-11T17:34:00.003-05:00

Finally, I've completed the gift I've been working on for my mom. What a labor of love this turned out to be. I'm very proud of the way it turned out though.

This is the pattern I purchased when my sister and I went to the National Quilt Show in Williamsburg this past spring.

Here is the completed jacket.

The entire jacket calls for lining, but it made the sleeves so bulky that the jacket was very uncomfortable. I had to make new sleeves for mom's jacket and left the lining out. It shows in the pictures, which I'm not happy about but darned if I'm touching this project again except to mail it!

I used my pretty copper metallic thread to quilt some swirls on the back and front, but other than that just used tan thread for straight line quilting on it like the pattern had.

I couldn't find any nice closures that suited me, so opted to use one giant button. I found the perfect one yesterday at JoAnn's. Then I couldn't decide on the placement and was driving myself crazy over it so called my DS and asked her advice. She suggested putting the button near the breast bone and cover the loop I made with an inchie. I loved that idea but ended up making the closure loop wider and since it had more presence, just left it alone.

(pardon the shadow from me taking the picture)

I bought a more contemporary pattern for myself, plus a gorgeous batick fabric kit. I'll be doing things differently on mine from what the pattern calls for.

Now that this gift is completed, I'm frantically working on things for the rest of my family!

I hope you have a great day. I'm off to work on my other projects, take care of the chickens, haul trash to the dump, buy food.......on and on!

TTFN!

Something I Painted Years Ago

2010-12-05T08:32:00.002-05:00

I'm running out of time to make the rest of my gifts so was looking through files for painting inspiration and came across this.

This is a painting I did for my older daughter and her husband several years ago. Every time I see it, I can't believe it was me that painted it.

Happy Sunday to you all!

First Snow

2010-12-04T17:13:00.004-05:00

Hi everybody,

As I was leaving Gail's house after cleaning, it was snowing a little. The closer I got to my house (I live north of Gail), the flakes were pretty big and there was a nice dusting of white everywhere.

It was almost dark already so I only got a couple of pictures.

The one I took of my deciduous holly didn't turn out very well and I didn't have time to take another one.

I had to close the barn up; my chicken flock had already gone inside for the night. I was glad because all I wanted to do was come inside, make something to eat and then settle in for the evening. Of course, I had to take care of all the inside critters before I could do that.

Now that everybody - including myself - has been fed, I'm looking forward to relaxing in my chair and doing some stitching while I watch my Saturday night Britcoms. I'm tired from cleaning and have a headache.

Before I leave you, I want to let you know that my new job is going great. The woman I report to is about my age and we have a lot in common. She's very nice and it won't take long to complete my training. This job is almost identical to one I had a few years ago.

Enjoy your evening :)

Back To Work For Me!

2010-11-30T17:52:00.007-05:00

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's back to work I go!

Yes, tomorrow I'll be back in corporate America earning my own money. I'm so excited about this opportunity and feel like a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders. My financial struggle won't be over by a long shot, but at least I'll be using the skills and knowledge I've learned over many years and gain some new ones too.

This morning I attended my orientation to fill out paper work and will have benefits in two weeks - a great relief! Then I had to drive to Laura's house to take Alissa's advent tree to them so she'd be able to open the first pocket tomorrow morning. Afterwards, I came back home to get Pumpkin and take her to the vet for her booster shots (another $100!). So my last day at home was spent on the road, but that's ok. All these things needed to be taken care of.

I crocheted a beautiful white on white scarf for my friend, Gail, and gave it to her yesterday. I wish I had taken a picture of it because it was really pretty. I used some soft, fluffy yarn I bought at JoAnn's a few weeks back and then stitched white pearl beads on it and added a few skinny ribbon strands on top of that. She was very pleased with it, but I knew she would be :)

I've almost completed the gift for my mother and am giving you a sneak peak. I'll have to call her and tell her not to look at my blog for a few days so she doesn't see any of it.

So, I've been frantically trying to get as many things done as I can around the house these last couple of days. I've got most of my Christmas decorations put in place and just have to buy my little table top frazier fir to make the house smell like Christmas. Nothing beats a frazier fir for fragrance!

Here is my small cloche with a pair of tiny deer by a tree, and some cool snow - all from Gail's store. The snow comes in miniscule grains and when water is added, it grows 100 times their size. That's why the cloche looks a little foggy - from the moisture. I've got this on my side table in the kitchen.

The snow is really to keep sprigs of holly hydrated, which I've done in the den. And it feels cool to the touch - very neat stuff!

I'll post more decorating pictures when I get them all tweaked properly. Till then, it's back to some final touches on my mom's gift so I can get it in the mail! And then to bed to get back into a nice, normal routine (I love a routine!)!

I Am Employed!!!

2010-11-28T09:29:00.006-05:00

I've waited so long to be able to post this! After almost two years of unemployment / under employment, I have a job!!! I was offered the position last Wednesday, but it is just beginning to soak in.

Immediately after losing yet another offer a couple of weeks ago, I felt like I had hit bottom (again). The next morning I read one of the motivational blogs I have listed on my blog. I really paid attention to what the words meant and it was enough for me to at least half-heartedly do another job search on line. I applied for an administrative assistant position, not knowing any details.

That afternoon, I was contacted by a staffing agency asking me to come in for an interview the next day. While there, I learned some details of the position and it sounded pretty good, plus it was with one of the companies I've been targeting. Then last Friday while driving to MD to visit my mom and sister, the staffing agency called and asked if I could come in for an interview with the hiring manager the following Tuesday. You bet I could, I told her!

So after returning home from MD, I met with the hiring manager and her director and learned all about an absolutely fantastic project they were just awarded with the Department of Energy for a green project. The position is actually for a project assistant, which is what I was looking for. Plus, the duties are so close to what I did a few years ago that the learning curve should be minimal for me. And the icing on the cake is that it's for a green project - for me the long time tree hugger!

I report to my new job this Wednesday and for at least the first three months I'll be working through the staffing agency, but the director said that if I perform up to his standards (and you know I will) that in about three months, I'll be made permanent with full benefits. The only negative about this is that the salary sets me back about 10-12 years, but the opportunity is absolutely fantastic and I couldn't be more thrilled!!

So now I can get on with my life and move forward. I like routine and now I'll get back into a more normal one. There are still struggles ahead financially, but I'm on the right track...and just in the nick of time. For any of you that have gone through the same struggle in this anemic economy, you can understand the relief and hope that I am feeling.

OH HAPPY DAY!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody!

2010-11-25T11:10:00.002-05:00

Gobble Gobble! I hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving with friends and family.

I GOT A JOB!!! More later :)

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-23T18:06:00.000-05:00

She did this by herself; it's dingbat Zoe.

Waiting and Running

2010-11-19T08:41:00.003-05:00

This has been one of the most stressful weeks I've had in a long time. I was told at my 2nd interview last Friday that I would hear no later than today if I was getting the offer or not. Waiting for something so important stresses me beyond belief; it's like being on an emotional roller coaster. One day I was positive and pretty sure I'd get the offer and then without explanation, have a strong feeling of negativity and knew it would happen.

I've been sad, hopeless, grouchy and asking myself why do I even try. Well, the waiting is over - they chose another candidate. When I read the e-mail, I was immediately relieved - not only because I wouldn't have to wait any longer, but that I wasn't selected. As much as I need and want a job, this one was low pay and no benefits. The owners were great and it would have been a good opportunity to grow with them, but I had every intention of continuing to look for what I really want - a project coordinator position where I can run with responsibilities and solutions. And it will come eventually, and I would have felt terrible leaving those guys if I was working for them.

So, just in the nick of time I've had yet another interview for a 6 month contract project coordinator position with one of the companies I've been targeting. I may or may not be called back, but it was just the thing I needed to give me hope again.

And now for the running part of this post...I'm headed to MD to visit my mom who has been in the hospital this week (another stresser). I'll be staying with my daughter and be able to spend time with little Ginny again and she will make me laugh. We have a nice weekend planned with my sister and I can't wait to get there.

I'll leave you with a picture of a piece of mixed media art I made for my daughter, Erin, last year. I don't know if I ever posted a picture of it.

Have a good weekend - I know I will!

Ying and Yang

2010-11-17T08:17:00.000-05:00

A Charming Play House!

2010-11-15T17:58:00.012-05:00

Hi everybody,

Just before my camera batteries died, I took a few pictures of the garden shed Gail built inside her store. She's turned it into the cutest looking Christmas space that makes me just want to move right in and stay. She missed her calling as an architect to be sure. When I make something, I usually just start nailing and screwing without measuring. Not Gail. She measures everything precisely and it always pays off.

Just look at what she built all by herself using nothing but old shutters, doors and windows. The only part she had her husband build was the tin roof.

She even created a little faux fireplace inside under the mantel, but that's when my batteries died. I'll be working there tomorrow and take a few more pics to share with you.

I heard from one of the interviews I've had recently and didn't get that one, but still waiting on another one. I'm supposed to hear either way by this Friday. I felt very positive over the weekend, but not so much now. I know things will work out eventually, and I hope I have a brain left by the time it does! I feel like I'm getting dumber every day!

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

2010-11-14T14:10:00.002-05:00

This morning I was craving something yummy to have with my coffee. Oh I confess, I crave something yummy every morning! I haven't gone to the grocery store since having company last weekend, so didn't have anything "store bought". I started rumaging through my recipes and came across one that I haven't made in years...and I had all the necessary ingredients. :)

My camera batteries died so I can share a picture with you (it would be a little embarassing anyway to show you how much I've eaten already). But I can share the receipe. It's quite old because it's one I clipped out of a newspaper when my girls were little. This was before we were so bombarded about cholesterol and the like.

Try making this and your family will love it!

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

1/2 C butter
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 1/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C milk
****
1/3 C flour
1/3 C brown suger (I used WAY more than this)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 T butter
chopped pecans - optional

Cream together butter, sugar and cream cheese. Beat well until light and smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until blended. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with mil to first mixture. Mix well.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan or bundt pan. Combine last four ingredients and mix with pastry blender until mixture looks like coarse corn meal. Sprinkle over cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool on rack for ten minutes.

I'll be giving half my coffee cake to Laura later today. Otherwise, I will eat the entire thing in 48 hours! Have a good day everybody!

Pumpkin Is Exploring

2010-11-10T11:07:00.005-05:00

I've begun letting Pumpkin out of the bathroom - she was ready to explore the house. When she sat by the fireplace, I thought it would be a pretty picture to send to the rescue group. I wish my arm wasn't in it, but oh well.

I'm home today working on my mom's Christmas gift...gotta get it done. Hopefully, I'll have something to show you by tomorrow. :)

Weekend and Quilt Updates

2010-11-09T08:41:00.008-05:00

What a great weekend I had! My oldest daughter (Erin), hubby (Aaron) and granddaughter (Ginny) came to visit. They haven't been here for a couple of years and it was wonderful to have them again.

Laura and Alissa spent the weekend too, so that they could maximize time spent together.

Alissa loves her little cousin, Ginny, as is evident in this picture.

And Ginny loves Alissa too!

On the sewing front, I've been plodding away at quilting my bird quilt. I've also been working on the crow wall hanging (no pic this time). I've had to set my bird quilt aside because I've got to get my mom's Christmas present together and it's going to take a while!

My bird quilt looks quite messy from the batting pilling up. I'm having to man-handle the quilt a lot trying to quilt it.
I decided to follow the swirl designs in each block as the quilting and it's taken forever, as they are difficult to see once under the needle.

I've got more to share, but need to get to the Garden Market to help Gail set up her Christmas displays. Plus, it will be another busy week with job searching and another interview.

I hope you all have a great day!

TTFN....

Silent Sunday

2010-11-07T09:53:00.000-05:00

A Pumpkin of a Different Kind

2010-11-05T09:21:00.005-04:00

First, I've got to tell you all that I had a fantastic interview yesterday! I came home so happy and excited about meeting with this small business owner. Today I will regain my senses and go on with my life and see what happens, but it felt so good to feel like I actually connected with a prospective employer.

I've had another busy week. I attended my second Job Seeker meeting on Monday and on Wednesday, I attended a Women Owned Business Expo hosted by the Cary Chamber of Commerce. I made more connections for future possibilities and overall, it was a worth while day.

Want to see a funny kind of pumpkin? Here she is...a stray that appeared at Laura's house a few weeks ago. Sucker that I am, I took her to the vet to have her checked out. Other than the usual worms and ear mites, she's a healthy little girl - all 7 pounds of her. She looks like a mini Maine Coon cat with round feet that have tufts of fur poking out. "Pumpkin" is so sweet and will paw at you for attention.

She looks a little mean in these pics, but that's because I just squirted meds in her ears...and you know how much cats hate that!

I've contacted a local rescue group to get her pictures and bio posted, but I guess til she finds a permanent home, I'll be fostering her. Right now, she's isolated in my bathroom, but she seems quite content in there.

I'll be helping Gail with her shop today. She's preparing for Christmas and has a ton of merchandise that needs priced and displayed. It will be nice to spend the day with her, as we don't get to see each other much these days. I'd better get going - lots to do before heading to Gail's.

Have a great day today!

Tomorrow, I Play!

2010-11-01T17:52:00.011-04:00

What a day I've had!

I attended another great Job Seekers meeting 30 minutes away, which lasted all morning and made three more great connections. And I was shocked when a woman came up to me and asked if I remembered her. I recognized the name but couldn't place her face. Low and behold, we worked at the same company 8-9 years ago! I was floored to run into her again and we are now re-connecting.

I had a phone interview this afternoon and will hear back from them in a couple of weeks. Still waiting on one from last week. I have a face-to-face interview with another company Wednesday, after attending a free business expo, also 30 minutes away. Lots of activity lately, which is a good sign in general.

I was home long enough to round up the stray kitty that I've been keeping in my garage for 1 1/2 weeks. She appeared at Laura's a couple of weeks ago. I took her to the vet to see if she was as healthy as she looked. That took a couple of hours and way more $ than they had quoted me. But it's done and she's healthy and safe. She'll be moving back to Laura's house in a few days.

The only thing I am absolutely doing tomorrow is going out to vote. Other than that, I hope to have a nice day at home working on my crow wall hanging. (See, I told you fall would be over before I got it finished!)

Here are some Halloween pics to share...my Southern Bell

A little Halloween kitten...

How I wish I could have been there to hear her say "tick or treat"...awwww

And my own Halloween kitties...looks like one big ball of black fur!

At least now you can tell there are two!

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE TOMORROW!!

Margaret and Helen

2010-10-30T09:32:00.003-04:00

Hi folks,

I discovered a very humorous blog a couple of years ago and followed it for a while. Then I lost my job, got busy and kind of forgot about it. Well, I have just read it again for the first time in a while and I think it's hilarious. I've put it back on my fave list - for a while anyway.

It's a blog by two elderly, retired women who call themselves Margaret and Helen. They don't go by their real names and you'll understand why if you read even one post. They are highly political - mostly during campain seasons - but speak some good old fashioned common sense the rest of the times. I especially loved the post last year about Thanksgiving - no politics, just thankful for family, but still stated with a wry wit.

Now I will warn you, the posts these days are all about politics, but the way they are written usually make me laugh...and they will royaly anger others...just depends on your point of view. Margaret is definitely the stronger personality and cracks me up. Her BFF is Helen, who lives on the opposite side of the country, and is much more, shall we say, diplomatic and less confontational.

I know I'm not the only one out there who appreciates what they say. And I'll be very glad when the election is over so I stop getting all these robo calls from candidates on both sides!!!

Maple Leaf Drawing To Share

2010-10-28T21:53:00.005-04:00

In between job searching, networking, researching and taking care of my crazy animals, I've been continuing to attempt to draw things I'm finding around the house.

And because I received some great suggestions, I am now attempting to share something with you. I've taken advantage of so many generous bloggers who have given us all some wonderful drawings to embroider or use however we choose.

I didn't know how to get my drawing uploaded so asked a friendly expert (thanks, Jenny) how to go about it. Jenny e-mailed me right away and told me how to set up a Google share account, like the one she has.

Now I've got to warn you all that this drawing isn't as clean lined as it should be, so bear with me. But, it is still useable if you so desire. I've started embroidering mine and I started another fabric drawing of it as well.

So, if you want a simple maple leaf pattern to use, go here and downlaod it. I hope it works! If not, let me know and I can email it to you. I've got a more elaborate design completed and will share that one if this all works out :)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-27T16:41:00.002-04:00

Fabric Drawing #2

2010-10-26T09:18:00.000-04:00

I have no idea how to use this. Any suggestions?

A Very Productive Week!

2010-10-24T09:55:00.014-04:00

What I week I've had...and the best in a long time!

As I mentioned earlier, I attended my first Job Seekers meeting on Monday. There are several groups across the country, I assume, and several in this area. I've just never attended any of them, mostly because I've been working a temp or part time job somewhere and just didn't have those days off. I learned a lot and made some connections that can help me.

Tuesday I went to a job fair, but there wasn't anything there to help me. It was geared to military folks who had completed their comittment and the fields of employment represented were way out of my league. So I left there quite bummed and not in the best frame of mind.

Wednesday was uneventful and spent questioning some decisions I've made and a little moping around the house. But Thursday I painted my porch floor. I'm very happy with the color. In my quest to simplify, I'm also applying that to color choices. My porch floor was a beautiful dark aqua/peacock blue but I've changed it to a lovely taupe. My inspiration was the colors used at the model home I "worked" at in the spring. (I have a copy of their paint list for future use.) I'll be painting my shutters and front door next.

My front yard looks like I'm having a yard sale with all the stuff from the porch strewn about.
Friday I attended a class at Wake Tech Community College - free to unemployed/underemployed people! There are a ton of these classes and I've registered for several in the next few weeks. Friday's class was how to target "green" companies in NC, something I'm certainly interested in. Boy, did I learn a lot and discovered so many companies I've never even heard of! Then I came home to an email requesting an interview for another great job I applied for earlier this week. Talk about being totally psyched!! My interview will take place Tuesday morning, so I need to research the company in detail to prepare myself.

Yesterday, I went to a couple of thrift shops in town looking for clear, glass plates. Gail has asked if I would make some of the jar bird feeders for her to sell in her shop. Happy with that request, I needed more plates to use as domes.

First, I had to haul the garbage to the dump. It was fairly early and somebody had just thrown away these great finds...a perfectly good office chair and a sewing machine table.

I stuffed everything in my car, including a rough looking small chest. I took the chest to the thrift shop but kept the chair and table. The table will be painted today and used as a TV stand in Alissa's bedroom. I'll probably keep the chair for myself, but if I change my mind I'll take to to the thrift shop.

So, at the thrift shops I found what I was looking for PLUS these little shutters. I'm not sure what I'll do with them, but they were only $2 each so brought them home as well.

When I came home, I finished painting the lattice trim around the base of the porch.

Now my porch looks clean and fresh and ready for me to put some things back in place. Then I mowed my back yard for the last time this year.

I've been drawing a little more and love the way it makes me feel.

Today, I'll work on my jar bird feeders, paint the sewing table and sew winter rye seed for the geese and mud control over the winter. Tomorrow I'll attend my second Job Seekers meeting and am looking forward to my interview Tuesday. Another week is off to a very good start!

I hope you all have a great day today too!

One Step At A Time

2010-10-20T18:34:00.007-04:00

I hope you are all having a good week. Mine has been mixed so far.

Monday, I attended my first Job Seeker meeting and met some other folks who have lost their jobs. I met a couple of women who I especially liked and we have e-mailed each other with useful information.

I also learned of free classes the community colleges are offering to those of us who lost their jobs. I've registered for a class this Friday and a few others in November - all of which will be informative and helpful.

I haven't heard a word on my last interview, so it has vanished like the others I suppose. All I can do is keep trying. I've applied for some great State Government positions - one of which is in the mountains - but it will take them a long time to act. In the mean time, the clock is ticking on my financial situation.

I've been wanting to paint again, and also try my hand at drawing on muslin to nurture my soul. Inspired by this book I bought a while back
and Michelle Palmer's art, here is my first attempt.

The shading isn't accurate, but overall I'm quite pleased with it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it now - maybe just sew it onto a piece of fabric and make a collage or something.

I'm really just a frustrated artist at heart! If I got the job in Black Mountain, I'd be in heaven! It's an artist community and I can just see myself working during the day and creating in the evenings and sell my things in some local shops. Talk about bliss!!

Tomorrow is another day. For now, I'm going back to my drawing...

Have a good evening!

A Quiet Day

2010-10-17T20:57:00.006-04:00

Last night while watching my BritComs, I completed this little embroidery and made it into a small table mat.

I'll give it to Laura when I see her tomorrow night. She doesn't have any fall stitchery from me and I think she'll like it on her table.

I baked two loaves of pumpkin bread this evening (with cream cheese filling). I'm going to take one of the loaves to my neighbors to show my appreciation for all the work he did on our road with his tractor.

I'm looking forward to attending a Job Seeker's meeting tomorrow morning with my friend, Amanita. I think it will be very motivating for me...not to mention it will be very nice to see her again after such a long time! I feel like this is going to be a good week for me....hope so, anyway!

Friday Night Sew In, Energized, and Look What I Received

2010-10-16T11:29:00.009-04:00

It is a gorgeous autumn day here in central North Carolina - the weather could not be more perfect! The state fair is officially underway and Laura and Alissa will be spending the day there with stories for me afterwards.

I am energized by two things today. First - it's Saturday and I'm HOME! How nice it is to have a "normal" Saturday. There are so many things I want to tackle that I haven't been able to focus, so have started my list making again. I do much better when I have lists to keep me on track - or at least partially anyway.

And second and more importantly, I have reconnected with a friend I used to work with two companies ago (I've had lots of jobs over the years). We had lost touch for quite a while but I'm so glad for email and getting reconnected. Amanita is a true entrepenuer (sp ?) and has gotten me excited about learning some new tools in the job searching arena. She's been out of work for a while as well and tries all kinds of things to find a good job.

I am meeting her Monday morning for a Job Seeker meeting that sounds more successful than the ones I see advertised in my area. And on top of that, she has registered for one of many free classes at a local community college provided to job seekers and now I'm registering for the same class too!

I will say that being at Lowes has drained me of my drive and enthusiasm for finding a new career and I had fallen into the mindset that "this is it" for the rest of my life - not at all happy and not what I want to be doing. Not to mention, losing all my brain power, or what little I had anyway.

So, onward and upward with new energy and motivation, thanks to a wonderful woman I have reconnected with!

Now, here is a picture of my almost-completed pumpkin stitchery. I think I'll take Marlene's suggestion and make it into a pillow for my sofa.

Last month I had emailed Diane and asked if she would like some more small tin items that I don't display any longer. I know how much she enjoys tin ware and in my gradual paring down of things, I thought I'd send some things her way. She then suggested we have a little trade and asked if I would like some of her fabric. Are you kidding me? I'd LOVE some of her lovely creations! What talent she has and what a kind and caring woman.

Well, my box of goodies arrived yesterday. I was so impressed at how beautifully wrapped everything was. I had just thrown my things in a box and shipped them off, but not Diane! The fabric was folded neatly and wrapped in an old Vogue pattern and tied witha pretty ribbon.

She had included a pretty tag with a note on the back and a tiny box she made that held some lavendar.

I was feeling lost yesterday and her sweet package lifted my spirits so much. Women can be such great inspiration to each other and I'm fortunate to know both Amanita and Diane!

Have a great day everybody!

Still Moving Slowly

2010-10-14T19:23:00.003-04:00

I hope you are all well and busy with your lives. Believe it or not, I'm still moving on the slow side. I can't honestly say I'm still sick, but I'm sure not 100%. My appetite still hasn't returned (which is a very good thing) but I'm craving something very comforting - maybe pumpkin muffins filled with cream cheese and a nice cup of coffee.

Yesterday, I spent most of the afternoon at Alissa's house helping make their home a little more organized. I love organizing things - especially other people's - and am quite good at it. It's actually something I'd enjoy doing professionally!

Laura and Alissa's home is tiny, but there is space to be utilized. I made some shelves for the small coat closet and left enough space for her vacuum cleaner to be stashed in there. Before, it was always having to sit out in the floor somewhere.

Years ago, I bought Laura a beautiful swan from TJMAxx for $12. I've never seen one before or since and would love to have one myself. Sometimes there is a potted plant sitting in it but most of the time it sits empty. When I ran across this picture on a blog the other night, I knew immediately I was going to do the same thing with her pretty swan. I didn't have my camera so couldn't take a picture of hers, but you can get the idea. Hers is very similar and is setting on her hearth in front of her fireplace and looks gorgeous!!

I even had some pretty fall ribbon that I bought on clearance years ago and have never used. Her swan can still use a few more pretties, but at least she has something pretty on the hearth now. I've got several fall silk things I can add to it the next time I go up there.

Today I was home and decided to repair something I broke a few years ago. That led to straightening up my craft/computer room, which had gotten out of control again. It's in much better shape now except for my table that has photos laying all over it. I love all my crafty stuff and want to get back into it soon.

Other than that, I didn't get much accomplished today. Well, I did sandwich my crow wall hanging together. Now I need to decide how to quilt it. Fall will be over by the time I get it bound the rate I'm going.

No word on the interview results and am once again I am trying to figure out what path to take regarding earning an income.

I hope you all have a nice evening...

Under the Weather

2010-10-08T12:25:00.007-04:00

Hello bloggers,

Thank you for all the encouragement for my pet portraits. I hadn't thought of listing them in Etsy, but am definitely going to look into that!

I've been wanting to post for a few days but have been bitten by some viral bug. I am very fortunate to have good health and rarely get down, but this week I caved in. I finally broke down and went to the doctor yesterday because I was sure I had strep throat, but alas, it's "just a virus". Well, that doesn't make me feel any better. All I can do is wait it out. It hurts to swallow and I'm forcing myself to sip some hot tea as often as I can.

Before going to the doctor's yesterday, I had an interview (yes, sick and all, I went). It was with a new (to me) staffing agency and they've submitted me for an interview for a great position. I'm scheduled to interview Monday morning and will go no matter what.

Of course, I'm scheduled to work at Lowes and they are already unhappy b/c I called in Wednesday with this virus. I'm sure they're be really happy when I tell them I'll be late Monday. Oh well, I've got to take advantage of every opportunity I get.

The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous, but I've felt too bad to do much. I'm losing so much time outside so have been stitching as much as I feel up to it. I completed this little free design from the Pattern Bee, which I downloaded last year. I think I'm going to make a small table mat and give it to a loved one.

I don't order many things on line, but when I discovered this beautiful pattern, I ordered it immediately.

I've been working on it and want to finish it as a gift. I have no idea how I'm going to use it once it's completed. I've never done the feather stitch before and had a hard time with it. It's not uniform but darned if I'm doing it over.

I haven't even begun to get my fall things out due to feeling so rotten. There is so much to do and so little time, even when I'm well. Don't you just hate feeling bad knowing you've got so many things you want to do?

It's time for some more hot tea, so will say ta-ta for now. I hope you have a great day!

What I Used To Do

2010-09-29T09:43:00.005-04:00

Nine or ten years ago, I was painting up a storm. Quite by accident, I discovered I could paint pet portraits. I even amazed myself because if anybody had told me I had the ability to do this, I would have told them they were nuts.

I used to have a website, and a display at a groomer's shop. The orders were quite steady and I made some extra money, but the real pleasure was from the owners' reaction. I've painted several deceased pets as well, and always strived for perfection.

I'm not sure what happened, but my paintbrushes have been dry for a long time. Probably because I got involved in quilting, and there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to do everything I love. But I try...

I've got pictures of every portrait I did, but can't locate them (another project on my to-do list). Here are a few to show you. I'd really like to paint again; I've never even completed the portrait of my precious Princess I started a few years ago.

I started out painting on 8x8 tiles. Customers loved them because they were easy to display or hang on the wall.

This is Harlea.

This was the first full portrait on canvas I did for a co-worker of her little King Charles Spaniel, Bailey.

Then another co-worker commissioned me to paint his daughter's dogs as a Christmas gift, also on canvas. Here are Buddy and Daisy. I loved painting tongues and teeth for some reason (I know, I'm weird).

I'll get back into it one day....

Finally, Some Rain!

2010-09-27T18:05:00.010-04:00

How glorious rain is after more than five weeks with none. The high temps, sun and lack of rain has taken its toll on plants and animals alike. I've had the sprinkler running almost every evening just to keep my plants alive. But yesterday we had a cold front move into the area and it has been cloudy and raining softly since - hurray!! I just LOVE rainy days!!

My little shell birdbath is full...

My tub with a fountain is full....

Hansel and Gretel are very happy after having a nice long shower.

Oops - I woke them up!

It actually FEELS like fall today and it has made me feel happy inside. I'm tired of the heat and struggling to keep the garden alive and worrying about the chickens running out of water before I get home. Maybe fall has arrived and will stay. It is absolutely my favorite season!

I've made two small pillows using the free pattern that Ariane shared on her blog. I ran out of the fabric I was using for the border, so one is a little skimpy. I'll keep that one and give the other to a friend as a "thinking of you" gift.

I've been machine quilting my bird quilt and hope to get the binding on this weekend. I'm eager to display it on the back of my sofa. I'll show you pictures when I get it all together.

I've sewn all the beads on my crow wall hanging. I have to make a trip to JoAnns to get fabric for the inner boarder; I just don't have enough to make it from my stash.
After I complete these two projects for my own home, I can get back to work on the Christmas gift I'm making for my mother. I'll share some photos as the project progresses.

My phone is starting to ring again with potential job opportunities. I hope that one of them comes through for me. I really don't want to be at Lowes for the holidays.

I hope you have a good evening!