Happy Homemaker Monday

Good Morning folks! I am loving the weather we are having (I know, unlike most in New England), but my body is NOT loving it at all. Ho-hum.



The Weather:::
It was 48 degrees when we got up this morning. There is a wind advisory alert for our area. Sustained winds of 20-25 mph and gusts up to 35 mph today. The wind has been blowing crazy all weekend. The expected high for today is 63 degrees. Clear skies. I really love the weather but I am hurting all over!! Despite MY grand weather, I cant quit looking, thinking,and checking the situation with the storm in New England.


Right now I am:
Sitting here in the computer room, listening to the wind. We harvested this weekend and my bones are paying for it. I feel arthritic...at 41 years old!! What the french toast??? I should not be hurting like this!!



Thinking:
I hope it is cold enough to build a fire in the fireplace this week. We had the foam insulation put in 2 years ago & that stuff has really helped our home! I'm also looking forward to seeing my granddaughter Wednesday...I miss her even if its only been a few days since I last hugged her. I think of her all the time.



On my reading pile:::
Nothing much...I finished "The Tale of Holly How" and I really need to get to the library.
I have a few more lessons in the Beth Moore Study, "Why Godly People Do Ungodly Things".
I picked up a book out of the "China Bayles" series by Susan Wittig Albert but it was out of sequence. I just cant read out of sequence...ITS AGAINST THE LAW you know!!
So my reading has just about stopped COLD TURKEY!!! (dont read the book out of sequence, Tina...dont do it!)



On my tv:::
Emily Owens M.D.
I'm trying to get into this one.

Elementary
I'm really starting to like this new version of Sherlock Holmes. I look forward to the next episode.

Once Upon A Time
My husband & I are behind.

Grimm
Love Monroe...got to finish last Fridays episode.

The Good Witch movie series with Catherine Bell
I love these and cant wait to watch the newest movie.

Practical Magic
Who can get through Fall without watching this movie every year! (I love the clothes!)



On the menu for this week:::
Monday
Italian Veggie Soup (I didn't get to have this last week so it is for sure happening this cool day!)
Tuesday
Meatball sandwiches and french fries
Wednesday
Cheesey Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
Thursday
Baked pork, mustard greens, and sweet potatoes
Friday
Not sure..Maybe Cajun 15 bean soup OR Cheese and Sausage Grits Casserole
Saturday and Sunday will be up in the air.



On my to do list:::
Wash and change the sheets on our bed and add the winter comforter.
Blow out the garage (Cant do it today with 30 mph winds!)
Wash my little Jack Russell puppy. (He is a cool little fella)
Clean up the cook kitchen at the building. When we are working, we have a tendency to leave it in a mess.
I need/want to go to the library this week but I was hoping to NOT have to go to town this week for anything.
We harvested what pecans were ready this past week. Now it is to keep the strays picked up off the roads until more varieties of trees are ready to be shaken.



What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Really not creating anything. trying not to create any messes around here!





Homemaking Tips:::
Not sure if this is really a homemaking tip but here goes.

Right after we built our house we added a generator. It runs on propane and is attached to all the major things we need in a power outage. Our A/C & heat, lights for each room, the refrigerator, freezers, TVs, and select outlets are all attached. If our power goes out, in one minute the generator comes on automatically. It is a wonderful thing! Money well spent! We have a gas stove top but Danny made a grill that fits inside our fireplace. We have tried to think of ways to be self sufficient if we were without power for long periods of time.

We were just talking this weekend about adding a water hand pump outside. You know, like the old ones. Just as an extra source of water on the outside.






Looking around the house:::
I'm thinking I am very blessed to have such a cozy, dry place. Thinking that there will be many that will not have this in a couple of days if Sandy does her worst.



From the camera:::


BOO!!!
I thought I would go ahead & give you a good Halloween scare!! No make-up, bobby pinned, scary mess!!

On my prayer list:::
All the folks out there in Sandy's path!! Lots of my blogger friends are in harms way.
My Father-in-law had back surgery 4 months ago. He is not recovering like we all hoped. This is a go-gettin, hard-workin, christian man. I hate this for him, my MIL and our whole family.







Bible verse, Devotional:::
I once heard Charles Stanley say this: Storms surround us all the time. We are either going into one, in the middle of one, or just coming out of one. It is how we respond to it that really matters. God is with us in all of it.

Isn't that true!



Visit Sandra for more Happy Homemaker Monday!

Happy Homemaker Monday

The Weather:::
It was 54 degrees when I first got up at 5:30. It 63 degrees now, cool & crisp with a blue bird sky. A high of 79 is expected today.



Right now I am:
Writing this post while listening to the washer on its second load of clothes. I've already baked a batch of Reese's Oatmeal Mini Pieces Cookies. They are cooling.



Thinking:
I hope our pecans hurry & open up. The quicker we get them in the better price we receive (most of the time). I'm also thinking that my husband has some difficult things to figure out. We are thinning one of the orchards at the end of harvest. It is going to be a heartbreaking, difficult task to accomplish. Trees will be moved to some other property about 2 miles down the road.



On my reading pile:::
Continuing the study by Beth Moore, "Why Godly People Do Ungodly Things". This is a really great study.

"The Tale of Holly How". Its the second book in the mystery series by Susan Witting Albert. I am enjoying this fictional series about Beatrix Potter.



On my tv:::
Elementary
Call The Midwife
The Bomb Girls
Beauty and The Beast


On the menu for this week:::
Tonight
Leftover Shrimp Jambalaya that my husband made last night. Really good!!
Tuesday
BLT's
Wednesday
Italian Veggie Soup
Thursday
Baked Chicken with baked potatoes
Friday
Crock pot roast with carrots & rice



On my to do list:::
Finish Laundry
Deliver snacks to my granddaughters class (fresh baked cookies)
Clean my back porch
Re-pot some plants
I need to begin refreshing my ICU skills. You know the old saying, "If you don't use it, you lose it"!



What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
NOT ONE THING HERE.



Homemaking Tips:::
I clean my tubs and showers really good and about once a year I wax them with car wax. I was told to do this when we built our house by the people we bought our tubs from. It does help preserve the finish and prevent scum from sticking as bad.



Looking around the house:::
I have a basket full of my granddaughters toys to put away from her playing this weekend. She didn't have a chance to do it before she went back home. I also have a basket of clothes to put away. I really need to vac & mop my kitchen floor. We made a mess Friday when Danny & I were putting up 50 pounds of shrimp we bought.



From the camera:::
Playing by the pond.

On my prayer list:::
My kids and grands
My father-n-law
This wacked out government system that we have.



Bible verse, Devotional:::
"As people who desire to seduce-proof their lives, we see that the world is going to get increasingly wicked, yet we've been sent smack into the middle of it." per Beth Moore in regards to Christians.



Join Sandra for more Happy Homemaker Monday.

31 Days of Autumn- Day 13 & 14

I am running out of pictures!!! Tomorrow Im going out with my camera in hopes I will find more pictures to represnt Autumn in my neck of the woods.

For more 31 Days of Autumn, visit Sandra!

This & That

So I have been trying to keep up with Sandra's "31 Days of Autumn" from my iphone. I am running out of pictures because hot South Georgia wont get on the same page as everyone else!!

A change in the leaves and a real "sense" of Fall just doesnt happen here and what changes we do have occur in late November & early December, (you know, while everyone else is getting into the feel of a Winter Wonderland!).

BUT...we have had more enjoyable weather here in the South. I have been able to sit outside on the porches & out by the pond without breaking a sweat or swatting gnats and the tormenting mosquitos!!!

I think I have been able to have coffee and read my Bible & a good book every day this week by the pond!! I love it! I love being outside without heat & bugs!

Yesterday we started a little pecan harvesting. Not a hard days work, just getting some of the early varities up before the crows eat them. I cant say the crop looks too good. The early varieties did not produce as much as they did last year. That disappointing.

Another disappointment was the the brand new KUBOTA tractor we bought last harvest...it died yesterday afternoon!! Knocking & smoking!! You know, just SEVERAL thousands of dollars to spend on something that should last you YEARS!!

We are hoping it will NOT be as serious as we think it is and that KUBOTA will make it right & make it fast so we dont get behind in our harvest (and lose more money).

So that is the This & That of it all here on this farm.

Have a good week!

So what's wrong with blogger now....I can't get a picture uploaded for nothing!!! Sorry!

31 Days of Autumn-Day 12

Freshly Dug sweet potatoes.

31 Days of Autumn-Day 11

31 Days of Autumn-Day 10

31 Days of Autumn-Day 9

31 Days of Autumn- Day 8

Pumpkin Spice from Dunkin Donuts!

31 Days of Autumn-Day 7

In South Georgia, a field of cotton is a sure sign of Fall.

31 Days of Autumn-Day 6

Burt's Pumpkin Patch

31 Days of Autumn-Day 5

I picked my granddaughter up from school this afternoon and we spotted this pumpkin family beside the road. She wanted me to take a picture of her with them.


Perfect for 31 Days of Autumn, don't ya think?!

31 Days of Autumn-Day 4

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31 Days of Autumn- Day 3

Check out Sandra for more 31 Days of Autumn!

31 Days of Autumn Day 2

In South Georgia, you just don't get much Fall and usually it is in late November, BUT, I have been given a little bit of color change in MY BACK YARD! I took these pictures from my back porch yesterday morning (with my Iphone, hence poor quality).

Go to Sandra's for more 31 Days of Autumn!

Happy Homemaker Monday #37

The Weather:::
It's 85 degrees, a little humid but a nice breeze is blowing which makes it feel a little "Fall-ish".

Right now I am:
Sitting at my desk, typing this post on my laptop.

Thinking:
Pecan harvest is just about here. We already have some pecans falling. It's my favorite time of the year. Also my granddaughter turns 5 friday and my youngest son turns 25 Saturday...sniff, sniff...

On my reading pile:::
"My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife" by Sara Horn
"Ramona and Beezus" by Beverly Cleary. Actually, I've been reading this to my granddaughter.
Just finished the first book in a series called "The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter". The first book is "The Tale of Hill Top Farm".

On my tv:::
Once Upon A Time...I'm so glad it's back on!
Copper
Blue Bloods
Grimm
Call The Midwife

On the menu for this week:::
Monday: Baked Chicken, baked potato and salad
Tuesday: Italian baked pork chops, sweet potatoes, mustard & turnip greens mixed
Wednesday: Crock pot roast with carrots and rice
Thursday: Grits & eggs, fresh sausage, and toast
Friday: Spaghetti and salad
Saturday: Chili dogs, chips, cake & ice cream...birthday party food!
Sunday: I've got my fingers crossed that my husband will be cooking! Fried shrimp & flounder, french fries and hush puppies! Nobody does it better than him!

On my to do list:::
Some laundry.
Take the puppy to the vet this afternoon.
I have a bucket of pears to put up.
I have some left over baked ham that I need to cut up and freeze.
AND THIS WEEK I'M GOING TO CLEAN OUT MINE & MY HUSBANDS CLOSETS!! Not thrilled!
Friday I will be cooking the chili for the party and Saturday will be getting everything else ready for birthday girls party that will be in the evening.
When my husband is home, there are various chores to fill the time in preperation for the pecan harvest.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
I have a good many shells and sand dollars from our last visit to the island. I am getting them cleaned to put in a pretty display for a gift. (My grandaughter and I are doing this together to give to her mother)

Homemaking Tips:::
Less is better....throw it all away! Easier said than done, huh!

Looking around the house:::
Things are in order and clean for the most part (minus those dreaded closets!).I really wish I could keep things like this during harvest season.

From the camera:::

Last years trip to the Pumpkin Patch

On my prayer list:::
My family...a friend.

Bible verse, Devotional:::
I'm on my second week of the Bible study "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things" by Beth Moore....lots to think and ponder over.

Join Sandra for more Happy Homemaker Monday.

How We Spent Our First Day of Fall

We put the boat in at Jekyll Island and went across the sound to Cumberland Island. The weather was very nice until about 2 in the afternoon.

We collected some nice shells and sand dollars, caught some nice flounder, and lost a $200.00 rod &reel.

Oh well....

Do You Remember?

I was in the break room at the dialysis center visiting with my friends when the first tower was hit. We were all watching tv. Then the second tower was hit. I left and went to my office.

As the events unfolded that morning a weird, indescribable feeling came upon me and I think everyone in America.

My husband was working at Ft. Stewart in Hinesville, Georgia. I was able to have a couple quick phone calls with him before they started locking the base down.

I remember feeling a little extra state of panic then those around me. Would Ft. Stewart be attacked too?

I think most Americans felt a state of panic that day, a state of insecurity. We live near a nuclear plant, a navel and an army base. Good targets in my opinion.

What in the world was happening to the greatest country in the world?

I think that was the beginning of many terrorist attacks on our country. I think these attacks are happening everyday in a very real but a desensitized way that we have all ignored. TV, our government, the schools...I believe these are just a few of the tools used to destroy America.

We all know that what's going on in our country today is wrong. The break down of the Christian home, the family....this government.

I hate what is happening to our country, But I am still thankful to live here. I'm thankful to our military and to everyone who sacrificed on 9/11.

This is a sad day in our country but it is also a day of Thankfulness. We do have a lot to be thankful for!

May God continue to bless us all.

Fall Preview

Mother Nature has given us a taste of Fall the last two days. Perfect weather. This morning, the grands are out playing.

No church for us today. The boy has been a little sick so while he is without fevers and the weather is cool and crisp, I will sit and watch them this morning.

Danny has battled the rain all week and now the wind. The orchard needs spraying for mites and scab. With the storm brewing South of us, it's crucial that he get coverage on the trees before the rains come.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday.

There's a Hare in my Shower!

Of Course I Will!!

So I told you my Granddaughter started Pre-K this year (with me kicking and screaming all the way,I might add!).

Her mom said it was her turn to provide snacks for the class and asked me if I would do it.

"OF COURSE I WILL!!!"

So I asked the teacher when was snack time. Her response,
"We have snack time around 2:15. You can drop them by the office if you like or come to the room (just make sure you sign in the office first and get a visitor's pass). Thanks!!!"

So what do you think I did?!?!
The Boy and I got our visitors pass and went right to her room!

It was great!

Little Package was also able to come home from school and have supper with us.

See how silly we were after school.

Thank you Lord for snack time and stolen after school moments!

PS
Just in case you didn't know,
I've called my granddaughter Little Package since she was born. She was premature and just did weigh 4 pounds at birth.

Me and The Boy

It has rained off and on here all month. The rain has been good. No irrigation for the orchard....no big light bill to pay at the end of the month!
Thank you Lord for both!

So this morning The Boy and I went for a ride around the farm since the hot sticky South Georgia weather seemed to be a little milder.