It flurried this morning. It was a perfect day to stay inside close to a crackling fire, doing nothing in particular. So that's just what I did. A dear friend called me this morning and we chatted for quite a while - catching up on our respective moves and our new lives and reminiscing a little about our lives as they were just a few months ago. I pulled out a few Christmas decorations and decorated the mantle and kitchen table and hung a nostalgic decoration on the kitchen wall - we're in the process of redoing the living room floor so I'm not ready to put up a tree yet. I played with the pups. Brigitte and I snuggled up in the bed for a nap. We baked an apple pie and put a pan of lasagna in the oven. We've watched a little college football and have just enjoyed a lazy day. Life just doesn't get much better than this!

Blessings from the creek y'all!

Thanksgiving Blessings From Goldens Creek!

I've learned some new things this week. Things that are easily forgotten after living in Florida for 30 years. I've learned that one must allow at least 10 minutes in the morning for the car to defrost - unless one is ingenious enough to think of using a plastic putty knife to scrape the frost off of the windows (which by the way works extremely well). I've learned that horses that sleep standing up outside in the pasture (yes we have a barn, but they choose to stay outside) will have a layer of snow on their backs in the morning and it doesn't even phase them. I've learned that a puppy (or a grown dog) will not have to go outside to do their business until well after dark when the cold wind is blowing and the temperature has dropped to 25 degrees or less.

Speaking of the puppies . . . it's been a bittersweet week here at the creek. The puppies have weaned themselves! They no longer require or want bottle feeding every few hours. I was actually a little depressed at that idea until I realized that although they have become very independent in their own little way, they still enjoy snuggle time in the evenings - something both my hubby and I relish. Speaking of my hubby, I've learned to read him like a book! He got that "far away look" in his eyes the the other night during puppy snuggle time. I knew he was thinking of our old friend Buck and how much little Clyde's personality reminded him of Buck. So, being the sentimental old fool that I am, I asked him if he wanted a puppy for Christmas. He just grinned and proceeded to tell Clyde that he didn't think Clyde was a suitable name and has renamed him Buster. Now tell me, who has who wrapped around their little finger (or paw as the case may be)?



Our little lost beagle found a new home this week too. We think she may be in the family way, so we had decided to take her to the animal shelter. We didn't feel that we could handle the responsibility of litter of puppies in the dead of winter. Evidently the volunteer at the animal shelter has a soft spot for beagles, so she was going home with him. Whew! Now if we can just keep the neighborhood dogs from dropping off their stray friends on our doorstep . . . . .

Blessings from the creek ya'll!

Seasons have changed and lessons have been learned here on the creek. Bumps in the road. Hellos and goodbyes. Things lost and things found. I feel as though I could fill a catalog with inspirational signs - bits of inspiration that have come to me when I needed them the most. A timely post from a wonderful Sister blogger who has been through some bumps along her own road. A stern "relax Mom, God is in control" from my son. And then there are quotes like . . . "Sometimes He calms the storm and sometimes He calms his child" "God doesn't give us more than we can handle - God helps us handle what we are given" "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain" EVERY DAY IS A BLESSING!. Add to that the song "God Will Make a Way" or in my case God will make a job . . . and you may get an idea of where I've been for the past couple of months.



I started a new job the first part of October. I'm working in a wonderful, Christian family practice office. It's been quite a transition going from working at home on my own schedule for the past 10 + years to working a regular 8 hour day. It's a great feeling, though. I work with some incredible people. I've made some new friends that are a wonderful addition to this new chapter in my life.

Our son was here for a few days before he took off for basic training. We had a wonderful time together - short as it was. It's hard for me to believe that he's so grown up. He'll be in South Carolina for the first nine weeks, then off to San Antonio for his medic training. Makes a mama proud!

There have been some temporary additions to our zoo crew here at the creek. A a few weeks ago the neighborhood dogs brought a new friend - a Beagle - by to play with Gracie. When play time was over, everyone went home . . . except the Beagle! She was in definite need of some TLC. Needless to say, she's still here. Then, a week or so later my son and my husband came across 2 newborn puppies that someone had dropped off along side the road. Ryan dubbed them Bonnie and Clyde. We've bottle fed them from the day they were found. They've grown from tiny, little squirmy bundles weighing only about half a pound each - not even old enough to have their eyes open - to squirmy, chubby bundles that have beautiful dark eyes, a mouth full of very sharp puppy teeth, and little round bellies. They give the best puppy kisses. We think they're at least part lab. Bonnie is chocolate colored and Clyde is coal black. We're hoping to find homes for them. Anybody out there want a couple cute puppies for Christmas?

So, that's basically what I've been up to for the past couple of months. I've missed you all, although I must confess that I've been lurking in the commentless shadows of most of my favorite blog spots checking up on you. Thank you all for your kind comments and your prayers. I can't promise daily or even weekly posts until I get used to this new schedule, but I will promise updates on the happenings here on Goldens Creek!

Blessings from the creek y'all!

PLEASE BE PATIENT

I'm not gone forever. I'm just trying to regroup. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers . . . you are all in mine.

Blessings from the creek y'all!

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!

The nights are cooler. The grape vines are shedding their leaves. There's a smidgen of color here in the holler, if you look real close, but you have to go up on the mountain or further north on the Interstate to see much color. It won't be long, though, before the hills will ablaze with fall colors!

Hubby and I took a trip further north on the Interstate this weekend. We had the opportunity to adopt three hackney horses that needed a home. All we had to do is come and get 'em. So we loaded up the truck, the trailer and our buddy Ken and made the 2 hour journey to Lexington to Whistle Stop Farm. Waiting for us there was a mama, her young son and her . . . um . . . husband. They are absolutely beautiful. Daddy (nick-named Houdini until we come up with a name) was evidently stunted in his growth somewhere along the way so his legs aren't long enough to qualify him as a show horse. What he lacks in height, he makes up for in attitude. He has a little of that "Rastafarian" look about him. He evidently has a passion for rolling in the briar patch so he'll need some grooming when he's ready. He's just as loving and sweet as can be . . . UNTIL you try to get him to do something he doesn't want to do. It took us less time to drive to pick them up than it took two grown men (professionals no less) to catch him, put a halter on him and get him ready to load on to the trailer. They all seem to be adjusting to life here on the creek. Houdini managed somehow to slip himself out of his halter during his first night here, but other than that everyone seems to be getting along famously.

Never a dull moment here on the creek!

FarM LIviNg iS tHE LiFe FOr Me!!!!!!

Yesterday I took some much needed time off from my job as a construction worker and played farm wife for a few hours. It was a beautiful fall-like day and I a bunch of zucchini and about a half bushel of tomatoes from our garden that I needed to do something with so I made spaghetti sauce from the tomatoes and, with the addition of a few apples from one of the trees in the front yard, I made some zucchini/apple muffins! The muffins were a huge hit with my hubby! I found out that I can freeze grated zucchini, so I'll be able to have some on hand for fresh muffins, etc. throughout the winter months. Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight! I'm really enjoying being able to walk out the back door and grab some apples, pears, zucchini or tomatoes. Next year, we'll be able to put in a larger garden with a bigger variety of veggies and I'll have a fully functioning kitchen so I'll be able to do some canning! Farm livin'!



Apple Zucchini Bread (Muffins)

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. Gound nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Salt
5 eggs
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp Vanilla extract
2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1 cup peeled, shredded fresh apples
1 ½ cups chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, sugars and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients. Mix well. Stir in zucchini, apples and nuts (batter will be stiff). Spoon into three greased 8"x4"x3" loaf pans (I made 18 jumbo muffins). Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes for bread (about 20 minutes for jumbo muffins) or until done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Freezes well.

Back to construction work!

Blessings from the creek y'all!

P.S. FYI, the apple shaped snack set that the muffins are sitting on as well as 7 more are going to be listed on E-Bay soon. If any of my blogger friends are interested in them before I list them, I'll make you a special deal. Just e-mail me and we can talk about the price.

Turkey and deer and coyotes . . . OH MY!

My wonderful hubby and I took a walk down one of the many logging/mining roads in our area the other day. It was nice spending some quite time together, away from the painting and priming and sanding and . . . . well you get the picture. I thought I'd share some pictures of things we saw along the way.

I've learned that you never know what you're going to see when you go for a walk around "The Creek".

Blessings from "The Creek" y'all!

GOD BLESS THE USA!!!!!

The Breakfast Club

I was thinking this morning about how much not only my life, but my lifestyle has changed over the past few months. Simple things, but they've had such a huge impact on me.

For instance, having breakfast with "the girls" used to mean taking time to do my hair and makeup, picking out just the right outfit and shoes and driving to the restaurant where we'd have our meal and sit and talk about all the things going on in our lives. Having breakfast with "the girls" now consists of throwing on a pair of jeans and an old tee-shirt, pulling on my wellies, grabbing a pocket full of apples from the tree in the back yard and walking the short distance to the barn and pasture. Parsley and Lullabelle prefer to have their breakfast served inside the barn at their own private table - they don't much like to socialize while they eat. Lilly doesn't much care where she eats as long as she gets to eat, so she usually hangs out with Emma and Jenny. I usually share the apples with Emma and Jenny first while Lilly is munching down on her "cereal.” Jenny prefers whole apples. Emma's mouth just isn't quite big enough to eat a whole apple, so I share mine with her. OK, before you get all grossed out and say "eeeeeew!", we don't actually take bites from the same apple, I do the biting and give her little pieces. After we've finished our apples, Jenny and Emma head off to share the "cereal" with Lilly and I head back up to the house to finish breakfast with my hubby. Do I miss "breakfast with the girls" as it used to be? Sure I do! What I miss most is sitting around the table talking after we've finished eating. Neither the animals or my hubby are very talkative first thing in the morning. Would I give up "breakfast with the girls" as it is now? NOT ON YOUR LIFE!

Having fresh flowers in the house used to be a luxury - saved for special occasions or sometimes when they were on sale at the grocery store. I'd bring them home and carefully arrange them in my favorite vase and be a little sad when they died and I had to throw them away. Fresh flowers now are nearly an everyday occasion! I can walk to the creek or stroll along the fence line in the pasture and pick as many beautiful red, purple, yellow and white wildflowers as I can fit in my hand. When I bring them into the house, I don't place them in a beautiful vase. That would be an insult to the flowers. They would rather take center stage resting in an old Mason jar or a milk bottle I picked up at a flea market a while ago. You know what? I much prefer the hand-picked wildflowers to the florist shop or supermarket bouquets! I'm not sure when God created all of the beautiful varieties of flowers that he meant for them to be used for profit. I believe he created them to be enjoyed by anyone at any time - free of charge. Why else would he place them in out of the way places like along a pasture fence, bordering a creek or scattered among the trees on a mountain path?!



Blessings from The Creek y'all!

FAREWELL, PART II

FAREWELL

I mentioned on my last post that we said goodbye to an old friend yesterday. It wasn't a sad goodbye or a tragic goodbye. It was a fond farewell. A sendoff to a new home, to a better life. OK. So maybe I'm being just a tad melodramatic. The old friend I'm talking about is a bus.

When we purchased our property here on the creek, it came complete with several outbuildings, and The Bus. The Bus evidently started out life as a Whitley County school bus and upon retiring from academia, worked part time as a church bus. Somewhere along the line he was put out to pasture. Literally. Out in the pasture behind the house. Over the years he was stripped of his seats and his engine and his dignity and was evidently used as yet another storage shed. I can't imagine the embarrassment that this once proud servant of the academic world must have felt to be forced to live out his golden years in a cow pasture, filled with junk. The ridicule he must have endured as the shiny, new school buses passed by each day as well as the semi-retired church buses that travel our road on a regular basis. The on bright spot in his life in the pasture was the bush of wild honeysuckle that had grown up through what used to be his engine. It was beautiful to behold and had a beautiful, sweet fragrance. The honeysuckle actually acted as camouflage and after a while it hid the fact that The Bus had no engine.

Hubby and I had discussed on several occasions what we should do with The Bus. We toyed with the idea of turning it into a novel guest suite. Unfortunately, with everything else we have going on around here, The Bus just wasn't one of our top priorities.

Well Tuesday, when Hubby was off picking up our new menagerie and I was up on the ladder painting, a gentleman came to the door and introduced himself as "Centers, Junior Centers, C-e-n-t-e-r-s". He was just wonderin' if we might be interested in selling that old but out there. I thought about it for about a micro-second and said in my calmest voice, "yes sir, I believe we would!". We agreed on a price for the bus as well as an old lawn tractor and some scrap metal we had laying around waiting for a chance to take it to the scrap yard. Centers, Junior Centers told me he'd be back in a few days, after the rain stopped from "that thar hurrycane".

Yesterday, Mr. Centers, Junior Centers, and two friends came by armed with tools and a tow truck that was nearly as old as The Bus. It took help from Hubby and his trusty tractor and about two hours worth of pushing and pulling and banging and turning by the other three men before The Bus finally moved from his spot in the pasture and for the first time in who knows how many years rolled proudly down the road with his head held high (OK, so it was held up by the hook on the tow truck) on his own new adventure. So, farewell old friend. You have left a void in our pasture and your leaving has opened up a wonderful new view of the mountain.

Blessings from the creek y'all!

P.S. Blogger is not allowing me to post any pictures tonight. I'll try again tomorrow and will add pictures of The Bus and his journey if I can.

ANd oN THis fARm hE HAd SOmE . . . .

Yesterday, while I was priming the kitchen (I think our kitchen grew because I swear it was at least twice as big as I remember)my wonderful husband and our friends Ken and Dewey climbed into the truck and headed for London. NOT London, England! London, Kentucky. Home of Patton's Livestock Market. They were just going to look, of course. Get set up with an auction account so when we're ready for a couple of cows for the pasture, we'll be all set to go. I should have been suspicious when they had the trailer hooked up to the back of the truck, but Hubby reassured me that since they were going to be close to Lowes, they'd stop on the way back and pick up the range we ordered. THAT'S why they needed the trailer. Well now, at about 5:00, they came rolling into the driveway and drove straight back to the barn. "Why?", asked they woman of the house as she was standing on the ladder priming the ceiling, "are they going to the barn? The range is coming into the house!" A few minutes later Hubby came to the kitchen door and asked if I'd come out to the barn for a minute. Oooooh Kaaaaay! So I put on my rain jacket (it was pouring at the time) and followed him to the barn, where I found Dewey and Ken, leaning on the stall gates just a smilin'! Seems that they decided to stay for some of the auction - just to get a feel of things, mind you - and one of the first things that came up for sale was . . . you'll have to see it to believe it . . .
Meet Ginny (the mom) and Emma (the baby). And then, while they were there . . . they might as well bring home baby Lilly and then of course came a deal NOBODY in their right mind would have passed up . . . LulaBelle and Parsley, the Hereford Sisters.

Needless to say, the range is still at Lowes, and we've been having a ball today watching everyone get used to their new surroundings. In the midst of everything else going on around The Creek today, we took time out to say goodbye to an old friend. But that's a whole post in itself, so you'll have to wait until next time.

Blessings from The Creek y'all!

Just a little bit more . . .

We're down to finishing up a little tweaking and touching up! Accessorising will have to wait a while until I can find the right boxes.

It's raining here at the creek today - the first rain we've had in several weeks. Such a wonderful, relaxing sound! The birds are happy! The crickets are happy! The dogs are happily napping and I'm using the extra humidity as my excuse not to start priming and painting the kitchen today. So I'm doing laundry and catching up on some reading and listening to the rain. I've promised myself that tomorrow, bright and early, no excuses, I will paint!

Blessings from The Creek y'all!

There's Room At The Cross . . .

This is a picture taken from our back yard a few days ago. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!


Blessings from The Creek!

ALMOST DONE!

A few before and after pictures of our nearly completed bathroom!





We finished the painting today. The toilet is in place, the shower door is installed, the vanity is set and after a few technical difficulties due to a 12" height difference between the two inhabitants of the house, the medicine cabinet and light are in place. There are just a few more little details to finish up, but its functional and beautiful and 1000% better in its present state than it was when we bought the house. I'll post more "after" pictures as soon as the batteries in my camera charge. Hey! I can't remember everything.

Blessings from The Creek!

Something Worth Sharing

I received this via e-mail from a dear friend of mine (one of my "ancients") I thought it was to special not to share.

To my sisters in the Lord...
There comes a time in every woman's life when she has to take a close look at herself. Not at her circumstance, not at what she did, not how unfair life is, or at who made you do it. She has to just look at herself in all her glory and imperfection. Have you ever admired a woman who has been through changes in her life? Or have you made up in your mind that she is just messed up. Before you make this mistake, take a closer look. A woman who has endured the most unusual life is someone of wisdom, someone who has been chosen by God to go through things that have made her stronger.

Think of all the great women in the Bible: Mary Magdalene, Ruth and Naomi , the woman with an issue of blood, and Esther , to name a few. Mary was a prostitute, a very uneasy woman. But by the time Jesus was done with her, she was His closest follower. Esther was unfortunate in marrying an abusive man, but by the time God was done with her, she had married one of the wealthiest men in the land.

Women are so quick to beat the next one down instead of trying to hold her up. Before you wonder, " What's up with her?" ask yourself, "What's up with me?" That woman could be my mother, sister, aunt, in-law, stepmother, niece, grandmother, great-grandmother, neighbor, friend, or co-worker, etc. That woman could be ME .

Women are the carriers of life, not the channels of death. Let's build and encourage each other, as did Ruth and Naomi . Pass this to all the women in your life. Encourage and love, forgive and forget, and trust that the woman that receives this will be touched in some way.

Blessings from The Creek!

THE 7 SONG TAG!

I almost forgot! Kim also tagged me for the "7 SONG TAG".

There have been many songs this summer that have taken on new meaning or have come to mean a lot to me. Just a few are:
1. In The Presence of Jehovah
2. I Can't Even Walk (without holding His hand)
3. Friends Are Friends Forever
4. Bound For the Promised Land
5. The theme from Green Acres
6. Dueling Banjos (it's a Kentucky thing)
7. I'll Fly Away (in tribute to the Barney Swallow Band)

The rules:
List 7 songs you are into right now. No matter what genre, whether they have words, or even if they are not any good, but they must be songs you are really into right now, shaping your summer. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs.Then tag 7 other people to see what they're listening to.

I'm going to tag . . .
Kathy
Adrienne
Sharron
Elaine
Leigh
Grace
Sheri

Anyone else who wants to let me know what you've been listening to, please feel to leave your list in the comments.

Blessings from The Creek!

Share The Love

A few weeks ago Kim from Kim's Treasures honored me with this award. Due to technical difficulties and time constraints, I'm just now able to send a belated THANK YOU, KIM! her way. I was finally able to pull up the blog where this beautiful award originated and read the story that sparked its conception. A beautiful story and a beautiful tribute to a family that shared the love in a totally selfless way.

The rules of this award are simple: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **Please include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**

So it is my honor to pass this award on to all of you who have stood by me through my adventure . . . who have laughed with me and prayed for me . . . who have worried about me when I was absent from blogland . . . who have encourage me . . . and have even taken time away from their vacation to visit with me in my new town. I love and appreciate you all.

Blessings from The Creek!

Testing 1-2-3 Testing

The very nice gentleman from Wild Blue Satellite Internet was here today to free me from dial-up Internet service. So far, it's not the high speed I was used to, but it's MUCH speedier than dial-up! The true tests will be #1, whether I can upload pictures to my blog and #2, whether I'll be able to download some of my favorite blogs that have been unaccessable to me over the past few weeks. So here goes . . .

Welcome to The Creek!


"Baby Gracie" and her older sister Brigitte

Puppy paws (and she's still growing)

The Barnie Swallow Band . . Doo, Whah, Dittie, and Duhm

Our "open floor" plan kitchen


So far so good! I'm going to go visit some of my friends now. I'll post pictures of the new and improved kitchen and bathroom next time.

Blessings from The Creek!

Things they don't tell you on the DIY netork!

Renovating has been an eye opening experience so far. We've done remodeling before and that's basically what we were expecting to do this time. HOWEVER . . .

Here are some lessons I've learned over the past couple of weeks.
1. A one piece fiberglass tub/shower unit does NOT come out in one piece. I recommend at least six pieces so that they can be carried out the door without the danger of falling through the gaping 12 foot long hole in the kitchen floor. (see #2)
2. When a square Mason jar rolls across the kitchen floor, that is a very big indication that there is probably a project of massive proportions lurking beneath the layers of old vinyl and plywood.
3. Don't judge a book by its cover . . . or a box by its label. For instance - if hubby remembers buying a toilet and the box containing the toilet was loaded on to the truck and brought with us andwe found the box and it doesn't looks like it has ever been opened, then there is no need to purchase a new toilet. Right? Weeeeell . . . somebody forgot that they bought the toilet to put in for a customer before we left Eden - not to bring with us for the remodel - and somebody else forgot that they used the box to pack picture frames in and must have neglected to label the box or the label fell off. Sooooo an hour before 5 extra people were to arrive at the house and the only other facility is the tiny little bathroom in the travel trailer when hubby opened the box to set the new toilet . . . . let's just say it's a good thing I hadn't had a chance to take the sledge hammer to the old toilet. Which leads me to #4. . .
4. When removing an old toilet from the house, it is best to either empty the water from the bowl/tank with a shop vac or make sure the height of the people carrying it is somewhat equal. For instance, if a 6'2" man and a 5' almost 2" woman attempt to carry a toilet with water in it, gravity will inevitably cause the water to flow out of the toilet towards the lowest point (the feet of the 5'almost 2"woman).

Well, dear friends, I'm off to learn some more lessons.

Blessings from the creek!

A Lesson I learned From My Little Dog

From the time she was a tiny pup, my little doxie has chased shadows. For all the years she lived in Eden, she spent hours on end chasing shadows. Butterflies, dragon flies, bees, birds . . . . anything that flew and cast a shadow, she'd chase. Since moving here to the creek, she's made an awesome discovery. While chasing humming bird shadows, she happened to look up and discovered the source of the shadows. Since then, it's as if a whole new world has opened up for her. Instead of spending her days with her head down chasing shadows, she's now romping through the yard with her head held high. She's discovered birds in trees and butterflies on flower bushes. By the simple act of looking up towards the sun, she's found new joy. Is there a lesson to be learned here? Is it possible that we spend much of our life chasing the shadows of life on earth, never looking towards the Son the true source of our joy? Oh, the lessons you can learn from your dog!

Blessings from the Creek y'all!

Oh, what a day!

Whew! I'm tarred (that's KY for tired)! It's been a long, hard day and this old gal's body is not used to all this physical exhertion. Hubby had an early doctor's appointment today so we were up and at 'em early. The roofers showed up at 7:30 (the roof is DONE!!!!!). I putzed around the house and trailer, rearranging and straightening up, washed a sink full of dishes, filled up all the bird feeders and the hummer feeders, did a load of laundry - all before 9:00.

Our friends Ken, Alex and Dewey came by to see if they could get our tractor out of the prediciment it was in (mud up to the axels) down in the lower pasture. They needed a shovel, so when Ken came up to the house to get one, I walked back down with him. Didn't find out till we got down there that he'd grabbed the broken shovel. So, it's back up to the house to get another shovel, some more chain and the "come along", then back down to the lower pasture. For those of you who are on the 10,000 step a day program - I think I completed my 10,000 before noon today - about a third of it up hill, a third of it through a waist high hay field and the rest through freshly mown pasture. Anyhow, after a lot of head scratching, a little digging and a little pulling with Dewey's truck, the tractor is free once again to roll through the fields!

We found out that our little crick (creek for those of you who weren't raised in Western PA or KY) is full of small mouth bass, brim and bluegill. Two grown men and a 16 year old boy were whoopin' and hollerin' and catching bugs they could toss in the crick and see how many fish came up to eat them. Cheap entertainment after all that manual labor. :)

Ken and Dewey went home and Alex and I hiked back up to the house to start on some demolition projects. First project on the list . . . unscrew the kitchen cabinets from the walls. Easy, right? WRONG! We're finding out little by little that this house is put together with 3 inch long nails. The kitchen cabinets are not screwed to the walls, they're nailed on with . . . . you guessed it! three inch nails. Of course the pry bars are nowhere to be found so it was on to project #2 on the list - digging an 8" x 8" trench around our patio/carport, laying in a perforrated pipe and filling it in the rest of the way with gravel so the patio/carport won't flood everytime it rains. Since we'd left one of the good shovels down in the pasture with the tractor, and we only had one good one left up here and since neither of us felt like hiking back down to the pasture again, I did the only thing a middle aged woman could do - I let the 16 year old wide receiver dig the ditch! I'm sure you know how much of a sacrifice it was on my part.

Hubby rolled in about noon-thirty. I fed the boys, fed myself, and being of sound mind, put my feet up for just 10 minutes while I was watching HGTV and woke up an hour and a half later, just in time to help Alex and hubby fill in the ditch with gravel. Somehow I think my timing was off just a bit.

In the middle of all the ditch digging and gravel getting, Alex got a call from his dad. There's evidently a Pop Warner football tournament going on in Miami. The wide receiver on one of the teams was injured and they called Alex to tell him to be on the plane to Miami tonight! So, after a a day of tractor rescuing, ditch digging and gravel loading and unloading, Alex is on his way home to shower, pack and probably sleep his way to Miami. He had a big ol' smile on his face when he left here. Whoooo hooooo! Way to go Alex! Ten years from now when he's receiving his MVP award as a pro, I wonder if he'll remember li'l ol' me and the day I made the ultimate sacrifice by handing my shovel over to him?

Blessings y'all!

Hummers and Habits.

I know it's wrong to be prideful, but sometimes I just can't help myself. We now have not one but TWO hummers in our driveway. I know what you must be thinking. With gas prices the way they are . . . but these two are compact and run on fairly inexpensive fuel - one part sugar to four parts water. Fill up their tank and they're good to go for about a week. Have you figured out yet that there are not two Hummers in our driveway, but two hummers as in humming birds? We hung the feeder on the corner of the driveway and the carport turned patio on Friday and within 15 minutes it was humming with activity. They're much quieter than the Barney Swallow Band and they make much less of a mess. I loved those little guys, but MY WORD what a mess they left behind!

We have 2/3 of a red metal roof now! It looks awesome so far. Our house sits down off the road, so it's the first thing you see when you round the corner towards our driveway. No more ugly black/gray/missing shingles! I still can't download pictures to Blogger, so for now you'll just have to take my word for how great it looks. We've hired our friend's nephew (a 16 year old football player) to help us with some of the demolition inside the house and some of the heavier work outside. Hubby threw his back out last week and hasn't been able to do anything since so he's going to be the "supervisor" and let the young buck do all the heavy work (or so he says). Our friend,Scott, will be coming up from Florida in a few weeks to help us with the drywall and tile in the bathroom and the floor and cabinets in the kitchen as well as some other odds and ends of things. Hopefully by the end of August we'll have enough done so that we can move out of the travel trailer and into the house.

They say that three weeks makes a habit. I've been here for three weeks now and I can honestly say I don't regret the move one bit. I thought the novelty might wear off, but even with all of the rain and hubby's injury and living half in the trailer and half in the house . . . even with having to do some creative thinking to get the tractor unstuck when it bottomed out on a high spot in the bottom pasture and then find out an hour later that it's stuck again (another post) - I'm still content. Yes, I miss the people I left behind, but I don't miss the lifestyle at all. I didn't realize just how stressed both Tony and I actually were until the stress factor was cut by about 75%. I know I'll have to go out and look for a J.O.B. (still not ready to say the word out loud yet) soon, but even that isn't as scary of a proposition as it once was. I have so many options available to me and this time $$$ is not going to be the deciding factor.

Well, I have laundry to do and walls to demolish (if you've never experienced it, you don't know what you're missing!) and new things to experience and places to explore so for now . . . .

Blessings Y'all!

P. S. Grace, you really need to have a talk with your dogdaughter! She's taken a liking to chewing up my shoes and books. I'd kick her back out on the street except that she's such a good watchdog and she's so darned cute!

I'm suffering from the empty nest syndrome . . . again!

I couldn't be prouder if I had hatched them myself! The Barney Swallow Band has flown off on their first engagement. My hubby and I watched yesterday as Ditty was the fist to audition. He spread his wings and sang his loudest and off he flew. Dew, Wah and Duhm were a little apprehensive and actually wouldn't leave their dressing room(nest). No amount of bribery or urging by their mom or dad would coax them out on to the stage (aka fan blade). They did some of their best singing standing on the edge of their nest, though. The three of them still had their feet planted firmly inside the nest when we left the house this morning. When we returned home this afternoon - the nest was empty. Either they decided Ditty was having altogether too much fun without them or mom got tired of their stubbornness and gave them a gentle push. It's so quiet out on the porch now. For nearly three weeks we've listened to the sounds of their mom and dad waiting expectantly for them to poke their little beaks out of their eggs, then the round the clock feedings, then when the fuzzy little quartet with the rocker hair doos found their voices, they practiced singing at least 12 hours a day. It's been so awesome watching them grow! We are so blessed to have been allowed to witness such a beautiful miracle from beginning to end.

I'm sad to say that the House Wren and the Dove families didn't fare as well. Their nests were within climbing reach of the dreaded night stalker (aka cat) and the twins in both families were evidently midnight snacks for that evil Puddy Tat. Such is the circle of life.

Well, I'm off to see if I can tell which of the dozens of barn swallows out for their evening meal is my little Barney Swallow Band. Dew, Whah, Ditty and Duhm . . . you'll always hold a special place in my heart!

Blessings Y'all!

P.S. My new "friend" Nancy from Olive Leaf Ministries is having a give-away. Stop by to pay her a visit. I promise you'll laugh a little, cry a little and learn to love her and her family within the first ten minutes.

If They Could See Me Now . . . .

I have to be totally honest. When we first bought this property and decided to move to the hills of Kentucky, one of the things I was most excited about was being able to hang my laundry out on the line to dry in the breeze and sunshine. I've always loved the smell of clothes and sheets dried on the line. Even though I had pleanty of room in the yard in Eden, I had some pretty snooty, high falutin neighbors that made rude comments about people who live in "the projects" being the only ones who hung their laundry on the line and if they had wanted to live in "the projects" they would have stayed in New Jersey. One could only wish they had. But, being the peace keeper that I am, I folded up my little "umbrella" clothes line and gave up.

The first 10 days or so we were here, I was elated! A clothes line (strung between two old truck drive shafts if you missed my last post)! Fresh smelling clothes and sheets! Time in the sun! Exercise! Whoo Hoo! It was GREAT! it still would be great except that the weather is not cooperating. It's been raining. A LOT! Not just a shower once a day. That I could handle. There's a shower in the morning. Then a couple hours later another shower. Then at least one downpour a day. People in town tell me they haven't had rain in a couple of days. Great! Of course they haven't. The rain clouds are all stuck here in the holler.

Normally it wouldn't be a big deal. So it's raining. Instead of hanging the laundry on the line, just throw it in the dryer. You see, therein lies the problem. My dryer is still in the box. It's waiting for the gas man to come and hook up our meter. Then when he hooks up the meter the plumber (aka my hubby) needs to dig a trench from the road to the house . . . through clay and rocks . . . lay the pipe, connect to the meter and the house and THEN I can use my dryer.

So, to my snooty neighbors from Eden . . . I really wish you could see me now! I've got a clothesline zig-zagging its way through the car port - being extra careful not to disturb the "Barney Swallow Band" living up on the ceiling fan or the Dove family living in the grape arbor - and my laundry is waving proudly in the breeze. And guess what! We're not in the projects! We're in the promised land!

Blessings y'all!

fARm LiVIn' iS tHe LiFE fOR mE!

Funny how normal things can go unnoticed day after day and then one morning, as you're standing in front of the kitchen sink (in the world's ugliest kitchen by the way)washing dishes by hand because the dishwasher is hooked up totally wrong and could possibly start a fire if it is used (along with the wiring in most of the house), before taking the first of several loads of laundry out to on the clothes line in the back yard (which by the way is made out of the drive shafts of 2 old trucks) because the gas man hasn't been here to hook up the gas line and the clothes dryer is still in the box . . . then you get a mental picture of hubby riding through the back pasture last night on his new to him tractor (which I have put into the same category as the kitchen - world's ugliest)with a big old smile on his face .... Well if you're me, you'll start humming the theme song to Green Acres. Then you'll start laughing hysterically because the hound dog puppy and the doxie are sitting there side by side on the kitchen floor staring at you like you've gone completely over the edge.

As I'm typing this, the neighbor's Jack Russel Terrier is frantically scratching at the back door, which means a storm is coming . . . oops! I mean a storm is here. I guess that means the laundry on the line will be going through a second rinse cycle mountain style. Oh well . . . .

GOODBYE CITY LIFE!

Blessings Y'all!

Wow! Two weeks already!

I just realized we've been here for 2 weeks now! In some ways it doesn't seem possible. In other ways . . . it seems like we've always been here. We've all settled into the slower paced lifestyle of the area. It's refreshing not to be stressed about when things HAVE to be done. For now at least, things will get done when things get done.

The first of our major renovations begins sometime next week. Our poor little adopted house will be getting a new "hairdo" in the form of a barn red metal roof. She's been a brunette with patches of gray for a long time now and I think she'll be happy with her new look as a red head.

I did venture out into the "big city" of Lexington with our friend Karen this past week. It was a beautiful drive and I got to see a part of the state I've never seen before. We met Karen's sister, Tamara, for lunch at Chedars (mmm, mmm,mmm!)then spent the rest of the day shopping (actually mostly just window shopping and killing time until Karen's car was ready to be picked up). I really enjoyed myself, but found myself longing to be back in my quiet, little holler. Traffic and crowds were among the top 10 reasons we decided to leave Florida.

Tony started a small vegetable garden with tomatoes and squash this week and we reworked one of the flower beds in the front yard by planting some red, white and blue (actually purple) petunias. The weather has cooperated by watering the plants nearly every day. Tony also purchased an old (and in my opinion quite unattractive -actually ugly is the word I'd use) tractor he'll be able to use to take care of the pastures, etc. Of course he had to try it out the minute it was delivered and he mowed a piece of pasture between our house and Mr. Wilson's house. Brush hogs and sickle bars . . . all foreign to me, but T is happy as a clam. I couldn't help humming the theme song from Green Acres as I watched him bouncing along through the pasture. Haven't told him that yet - maybe it's best he doesn't know. :)

I'm still on dial-up Internet service and for some reason I still can't upload pictures to my blog. I have been able to share pictures through my photo program, so if anyone would like to see pictures of "our promised land", send me your e-mail address. My e-mail address is listed on my profile page so you can send your e-mail address without having to publish it in the comments. I promise I won't share it with anyone and I won't send you an endless line of forwards.

Well, dear friends, Brigitte and Grace are trying their best to convince me that it's time for me to stop what I'm doing and play with them. They can be rather convincing - especially Gracie when she grabs my hand and starts to drag me out the door. I have to keep reminding myself that she is just a puppy. A very LARGE puppy, but still just a puppy. If she continues to grow the way she has over the past 2 weeks, it won't be long before I have to either get a job to pay for her food or start hanging out at the entrance of the grocery store holding a sign that says "will work for dog food".

Until the next time . . .

Blessings Y'all!

It's A Lovely Day in the Neighborhood . . . .

It's a balmy 53 degrees here on beautiful Goldens Creek - something quite foreign to someone who has spent the past 30 years in Florida. I'm loving it! Hubby is loving it in his own way - snuggled deep beneath the covers in bed with a doxie shaped foot warmer snuggled up against him. Gracie and I are the adventurous ones. She's out exploring the property. I'm sitting in front of the living room window listening to the morning sounds and watching our neighbors (the fine feathered ones) prepare for their day.

I'm settling into life in the country a lot better than I thought I would. I really thought I'd feel isolated. We've made several trips into town over the past week and I enjoyed that greatly, but I found myself turning down a trip to WalMart the other day in lieu of staying at home and waiting for the satellite guys to show up. I've got me a genuine "farmer's tan" from hanging clothes out to dry - a luxury I've not been able to enjoy for probably 15 or 20 years and spending time on the lawn tractor. We had satellite TV hooked up over the weekend, but so far I've watched very little. I haven't seen the evening news or Good Morning America in 2 weeks, so if the aliens have invaded New Jersey or if a cure for the common cold has been discovered on an obscure mountain top in a little known country by an 80 year old blind woman . . . I'm clueless.

Well, the sun has come up and burned most of the fog off of the holler, so I guess I'll throw a load of clothes into the washer and get ready to enjoy some time in the great outdoors as I hang the clothes on my solar powered clothes dryer. Today I think we will start the demo process in our bathroom - WHOO HOO! Tomorrow I will rather reluctantly leave the holler to make a trip to Lexington with a friend. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this beautiful state, but by the end of the day, I think I'll be looking forward to returning to Goldens Creek.

Blessings y'all!

WE HAVE ARRIVED!

We have arrived . . . well, actually we arrived a week ago today, but things have been hectic and I was without Internet access until Thursday. Our trip went off without a hitch. Our friend Duane and his son Christopher arrived about 8 hours behind us with the truck. After a wonderful breakfast at the Cumberland Inn in Williamsburg, we got the travel trailer set in place and the beds made and let the guys take a nap before unloading. My "niece" and her new husband drove up from Knoxville to help us unload. I don't know what we'd have done without them!

True to form for us, life is an adventure. We found "squatters" in the carport/patio in the form of a family of barn swallows that had nested on a blade of the ceiling fan. Good thing the guys noticed the nest BEFORE they turned the fan on! We've had a blast watching Barney and Mrs. Swallow prepare for their hatchlings and then when the little quadruplets arrived, a constant flurry of activity to keep the little guys fed. Much better than TV! Mrs. M. Dove has also nested in the carport - in the grape vine growing between the posts. So far no little doves, but there are two eggs in the nest. A family of house wrens has made their home in the trash can in the barn. We'd left some dead branches from an old rose bush in the can before we left in April and they must have decided we left it just for them and built their nest amongst the thorns. Guess we didn't need that trash can anyhow - at least not until the eggs hatch and the little wrens fly the nest!

The greatest treasure waiting for us comes in the form of a puppy - and I use the term puppy loosely! She is probably about 6 - 8 months old, a beautiful red color with long legs and paws the size of a small third world country. Our neighbor, Mr. Wilson, tells us she's been hanging around for about three weeks or more - just like she'd been waiting for us to arrive. Throughout the day, while we were unloading the truck, we tried to come up with a name for her. Trouble was one of the top choices of the day, but somehow just didn't seem right for a pretty little girl. I finally decided on Grace (or Gracie). No, I didn't name her after my wonderful Sunny friend, although she does have a sweet disposition and constantly makes us laugh. Her name came about after she followed Brigitte and I on our evening walk down our little country road. She was galloping along beside us when she suddenly disappeared - down into a ditch on the side of the road. She looked up at me with that "how did I get down here" look on her face as she picked herself up and made her way back up on to the road to join us. Once was funny, but when she rolled down into a ditch on the other side of the road just a few minutes later - well you can imagine me doubled over in laughter. I was still laughing when we got back to the carport/patio where the guys were relaxing. Before I had a chance to tell them what happened she, in all her clumsy puppiness, cleared a table with her tail. I told the guys that I thought we should name her Grace - something that she was definitely lacking, but a beautiful name for a beautiful "little" girl.

Unfortunately, pictures will have to wait until I figure out where I put the little cord thingy that transfers pictures from my camera to the laptop. I put it somewhere I'd be sure to find it easily - so if anyone out there can give me a clue as to where that might be, please let me in on the secret!

Blessings y'all!

Bound 4 Kentucky!

I thought I'd post a few quick lines while the postin' is good. My internet access has been limited for the past week and time has been even more limited. The house is empty, save a few personal items and cleaning supplies. We had so much help loading the truck last night! People running every which way, grabbing everything in sight - including a few things that were supposed to stay behind! I managed to hold things together fairly well in the emotions department with a few minor exceptions - like when my Junque Syster got in her car to drive away, when my Sister at Heart got ready to walk out the door and when our good friends Jim and Janet left. I allowed myself only one major meltdown (last nite at least). Closing went off without a hitch. It's the first time I've ever been on the selling side of the table.

Well, I've got a little more sprucing up, and one more look through the cabinets to do, then we're off to spend the night with friends and by first light tomorrow morning we should officially be

KENTUCKY BOUND!
LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

IT'S REAL!!!!!

It's real! It's official! It's time to panic! We just got a call from our Realtor. Our closing has been moved up to Tuesday at 10:00. That means it's real. really real! I've been living in a cave of boxes for several weeks now and my cabinets are nearly empty, but somehow, it just hadn't sunk in! We're really moving! OK girl, BREATHE! In through the nose, out through the mouth! Or is it in through the mouth, out through the nose? And if I hyperventelate, is it paper or plastic?

Enough of this, I have things to do and people to see!

Did I mention IT'S OFFICIAL!? Did I mention IT'S REAL?

Blessings y'all!

Liz

A CELEBRATION OF LOVE

I love vintage things. Vintage furniture! Vintage linens! Vintage quilts! Vintage kitchen gadgets! Vintage dishes! Vintage! Vintage! Vintage! Saturday I had the opportunity to help our Pastor's daughters decorate the church Fellowship Hall for Brother Billy and Sister Jean's 50th anniversary celebration! We used vintage pictures, jewelery, handbags, hankies, gloves, Brother Billy's highschool letterman's sweater and baseball cap, and Ms. Jean's absolutely beautiful wedding dress and headpiece as part of the decorations. It was beautiful! Simple! Elegant! Definitely befitting a beautiful, elegant, vintage couple.



On Sunday afternoon we celebrated not only their 50 years of marriage, but their 50 years in the ministry together as well. We celebrated when they told of their wedding day 50 years ago to the day on a Sunday afternoon and the fact that Brother Billy actually preached the Sunday morning service and then had an afternoon wedding! We celebrated their wonderful, Godly family. We celebrated Brother Billy's recovery and we celebrated the strength he is regaining every day. We celebrated old friendships. We celebrated young lives that have been touched by this wonderful couple.




At the service last night the celebration continued with special music. We celebrated with tears of joy that our Pastor, although still not able to climb up to the platform, was able to deliver his first message since his accident!



I'm certain that Brother Billy and Sister Jean enjoyed every moment of their day. I know they appreciated all the beautiful gifts they received. The greatest gift that day, however, was not a gift they received. It was a gift that those of us who know and love them received. The gift of being there to celebrate their lives and their love with them!

Blessings y'all!

Sunday Repose

In and out of situations
That tug-of-war and me
All day long I struggle
For answers that I need
But then I come into His presence
All my questions become clear
And for that sacred moment
No doubs can interfere

In the presence of Jehovah
God Almighty, Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended
In the presence of the King



Through His love the Lord provided
A place for us to rest
A place to find the answers
In hours of distress
Now there is never any reason
For you to give up in despair
Just slip away and breathe His name
You will surely find Him there

In the pesence of Jehovah
God almighty, Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended
In the presence of the King . . . .
In the presence of the King

Geron Davis/Becky Davis

Treasures and Friendship

I was given the most incredible gift on Saturday. We'd made a trip into town to deliver some things to my Junque Syster. She's beginning to go through the purging and packing and nail biting associated with an anticipated move in a few months - something I can relate to very well. During the course of our conversation, she asked me if I would like to have her treadle sewing machine cabinet and sewing machine. My heart stopped. A treadle sewing machine has been on my "wish" list for as long as I can remember. And for her to offer me something that has such a long history in her family and has held a place of honor in her beautiful home for many years. . . oh my! Our wonderful husbands loaded this beautiful treasure into our truck and we brought it home. "She" is currently residing beneath an old quilt, amongst boxes and other pieces of furniture awaiting the trip to Kentucky. "She" will eventually have a place of honor in our new home and will be a constant reminder of a treasured friendship. As my Junque Syster so beautifully put it . . . "a piece of her will be going to Kentucky with us".





P.S. I've decided my beautiful treasure needs a name. So, from this moment on, she will have the honor of being called "Ms. Annie Ruth Singer".