Resolution # ....LOST COUNT LOL TO FAITHFULLY WRITE A POST FOR MY BLOG

Wow, did I blow that goal or WHAT?!!!  It is now the second week in November. I am just now writing.

James has the winter garden in the ground: cabbage and nest onions, some people call them scallions. I don't know if he will plant anything else.  This is it so far.

I am working and debating on when to start buying supplies for the Thanksgiving dinner. We are having the usual:

Roasted hen

Ham

mashed potatoes with gravy

Dressing with giblet gravy

green beans

peas

Field corn

Probably deviled eggs, pumpkin pie, and strawberry Pie.

January 22, 2023. Random thoughts

 I wonder why crime shows appeal to so many people, me included. I sit there horrified at the crime but still watch show after show. Is it the thrill of the outrageous crime being committed or the fact that, hopefully by the end of the show the perpetrators will be caught?

I honestly don’t know the answer to that. I would much rather be doing something productive with my time, yet I sit in my bed or on the couch and watch show after mind-numbing show. I heard a preacher say something the other day that got me thinking.  He said the Satan has been called the prince of the air. And if you’ve watched any movies or tv show in the last 20 years, I think you’ll agree that he is definitely the prince of the “airwaves”.  

Father in heaven, protect us from the evil one. 

Thanksgiving 2022

"Listen! It's the voice of someone shouting, "Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!" Isaiah 40:3 NLT

If ever we needed someone to go before us and make our paths straight it is now. With so much going on in our country and around the world we need God to show us the way.  He has promised in the Bible that if we cry out to Him and repent of our sins and turn from our wicked ways He will hear our cries and heal our land.

Let us join together with one accord and cry out to our Lord and ask Him to be the Lord of our lives.  Not just on Sunday, but every day. Let us love one another as he has loved us and look for ways as we go about our daily lives to minister to those who are hurting.

Let us be thankful that our God is faithful and that He will never leave us nor forsake us. 

WELCOME!

 My husband, daughter, and I live in north Florida. I hope to have things here that will be of interest to everyone. When I talk about what is growing this "season" every one that is familiar with Florida weather knows we don't really have seasons.  We have hot, hotter, hottest, some cool days, then back to hot, with some rain and hurricanes thrown in during the latter part of the year. LOL

My husband is the gardener here. He has been retired 2 years and has probably worked just as hard since retiring as he did when working an actual job. There is always something to clean, make, maintain or repair.

      This year his garden was one of the best ever. Since it is the middle of July, the tomatoes and cucumbers are gone. The okra will continue to produce until frost unless he gets tired of cutting it and cuts it down. It is 10 feet tall. This is about the time he cuts it back and lets it start over. Eggplants are still producing and the peanuts, the first patch will be maturing soon. The peas and sunflowers he planted are growing and soon we will be picking and putting the peas and peanuts in jars. The sunflowers are for James's bees.  James also, canned the tomatoes he grew.  He used jars this year. Canning in jars doesn't require refrigeration.  There is only so much room in the freezers!

On a better note

I had "leftover surprise" for supper. I had some pieces of chicken that I had rolled in bread crumbs and baked, some sausage, green beans, carrots, onions, potatoes and mushrooms. I sauteed the onions, sausage, and chicken in a little butter. Then I took that out of the pan and added a little more butter and cooked the mushrooms. I cut up the potatoes, they had already been cooked, so I just browned them a little. Then I put all the ingredients in and added a can of cream of celery soup and simmered it until the carrots were tender and served it over rice.

A great way to get rid of leftovers. We ate all of it except the rice. Very good.

NOTE TO SELF: Even days that start out terrible don't have to end that way. The kids have played together all afternoon with some sponges that Isaac made into "people" with some scotch tape and an inkpen drawing for a face.

Day 34 of 88

We kept Jade today, she is so much fun! She is talking so good. She still says things I can't understand, but for the most part it's pretty plain.

I cleaned out the linen closet and the shelf above the washer and dryer. I can't believe how much trash was on that shelf. Jade "helped". She threw away the trash as I handed it to her. She wanted to use the tooth brush in the bin that I keep my cleaning supplies in, but I convinced her not to put it in her mouth. :)

Day 29

Surprised the kids today with a trip to the Ag-Expo with Daddy.

Day 24

I am not any closer to my "goal" of losing some weight, but at least I haven't gained any. I am holding steady at 116 lbs. Not as skinny as I want to be, but not too bad.

Goals for the day: School, meals, laundry, cleaning the kitchen, mopping, vacuuming LR and MR and Boys Room, cleaning out the car.

We planted collards and mustard today. Can't wait! Yum!

Isaac helped

Isaac wanted in on the action

My Husband says, "Finally, I've done something country."

Like making jelly and homemade biscuits isn't country? Okay, I have strung some red peppers to dry them. They are beautiful aren't they?

Skunkie Acres

Caleb's 11th Birthday

Getting ready for a birthday

I made Caleb's cake today, yellow cake with chocolate icing. He will turn 11 tomorrow. It doesn't seem possible. Then I made cole slaw and chili for the hot dogs. We are going to have his party after church.

I am tired. Now, after cleaning up the kitchen for what seems like the hundredth time, I am going to cut okra. Yay!

Visit with a Friend

Had a great visit today with a friend that I have known since first grade. We had 30 + years of talking to do in a short amount of time, but I think we made pretty good headway. Ha Ha. My throat feels the strain.

I met her daughters for the first time. They seem to be great kids. At least one of us knows what she is doing in the parenting department. :)

We have exchanged email addresses and hope to keep in touch more often. I miss her already. She lives on the west coast, so we won't get to visit very often.

Busy Week!

Sunday, the husband of one of the ladies from our church passed away unexpectedly.

Monday, I got to keep Jade and Kisha and the kids came over to play. We had a fun day, just sitting around talking.

Tuesday, after we "did" school, I took the kids to Bonnie's to swim with Kisha's kids. Joyce and JaBen came over and Caroline came over and we talked for a while. We should get together more often. I really enjoy the company.

The funeral for Mr. S. was this Wednesday. I took food and stayed to help.

On the way back to church Wednesday, I got a call from Bonnie to tell me that Chris, one of my nephews, fell from a tree in his backyard and was taken by helicopter to Gainesville. He has a broken sacrum and his pelvic bone is broken so he will have to be in a wheel chair until it heals.

I picked his two brothers up from school today (Thursday) and kept them until Celia came and got them. It was nice. I made spaghetti and fed them and then Celia ate with me and I sent Lanier a plate. It isn't very often I get to do that for one of my sisters. I like it when I can help one of them. Celia was so tired and now she didn't have to fix supper when she got home. Yay.

Tina and Sally had a scary episode on the way to town today.

Chris is supposed to come home tomorrow. I hope all goes well. I will have to get the boys again and I will be keeping the Jadester again. We love her so much. I will hate it when she starts daycare. Why can't they just give her to me!!! :)

Well, I'm off to read the Bible with the kids and hopefully get to sleep before eleven.

Remodeling/Repairing

James took Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off this week to repair a hole by our back door. While he was into it, he installed a new back door and refloored the back entryway. He is almost finished and he is completely give out. I helped him a little with the floor and if his back hurts worse than mine he won't be able to walk tomorrow.

Cleaning

Isaac, Jamie and I cleaned and wiped down the frig, rearranged and wiped down the shelves of my two pantries, and 3 small cabinets by my back door, swept and straightened the shoe rack, also by the back door, and homeschooled. I hope the pantry stays neat for more than 2 seconds. That is usually how long such endeavors last.

I made bread: a cinnamon loaf, a plain loaf and six rolls. I also made homemade biscuits for breakfast. After I rest for a few minutes, I am going to make grape jelly. Of course, there's always laundry to do and supper to get ready. I am cooking Ezekiel Stew, I hope it tastes as good as it smells. When we cleaned out the frig we started the stew with some left overs and it kind of snowballed. Now it is a gigantic pot full of chicken and veggies, and whole grains.

Blah

Haven't felt very well today. And the weather has drizzled rain and been gloomy-looking all day, so that doesn't help.

James put the turkeys in the addition to the chicken pen so they would be separate from the other birds and built a shelter in there to cover their food.

He's plowing now in the drizzle. I think he is getting ready to plant the butterpeas.

I cut okra this morning and filled a 5-gallon bucket about two-thirds of the way.

My even more beautiful children

These photos were taken August 3rd.

They were hot and sweaty, but it IS summer after all.

Our beautiful yard.

Our pond.

Our apple and blueberry trees.

Our front yard.

Our gourds/tomatoes jungle.

My herb garden.

Doesn't James do a good job?!