Sister in Arkansas???   Hello??  This song’s for you!    

Where oh where did my sister go? 

Oh where oh where can she be?

She moved away just the other day?

So please dearest sister call me….       

(I know she’ll get to it,   Sooner or Later…..)

ps- the stepmother didn’t receive a wedding invite!!!  Red flag alert!!

1.  Build the chicken coop.  I already have my idea written down.  Dh and I just need to sit and figure out the size, and then the cost.  I’m really looking forward to this project!  Part B of this plan is get more hens.  I’m even toying with the idea of a few turkeys and a pig.  Pig might have to wait til next year, though.

2.  Build the canning kitchen.  If re-assembly is anything like dis-assembly, DH will be spitting nails by the time summer is over.

3. Replace pond with park-like play/sitting area.  Another project I’m looking forward to.  Really, I am. 

4.  Plant sugar maples along the back fence row.  I’m thinking about 20-30 of these will be needed.  I’ll probably join Arbor Day and order from them.  Perhaps some elderberries in between.   Hmmm… the possibilities…

5.  Obviously keep up with homeschool work.  I would like to go on more field trips. 

6.  Ditto the garden.  I have some different ideas I’d like to implement this year.

7.   Start some remodeling in the house.  That might start this winter even.  Yikes!

8.  Still I’d like to learn to quilt.  I’d also like to take a photoshop class, and work on improving my Spanish.  Maybe MIL can teach me to use a sewing machine.

9.  Take a photographic inventory of our home and out buildings, copy to disc and store in the safe deposit box.

10.  Get all the paperwork that needs to go to the box gathered and placed in there.  I was added to his box only last week, so we are working on this. 

11.  I have a few other landscaping projects I’d like to do, but as you can see, this is not high on my to-do list.

  It’s good to have goals; something to work towards.  It is also a good feeling when you can mark that as “done” on your list.  I can’t explain the good feeling I have from just visiting our lawyer and doing paperwork for the living trust, and getting life insurance.  Guess my good feelings are from having lived through the “what if” scenario once in my life already.  Sometimes “what if” becomes “when” and I am happy to know we’re prepared.

  Overall, life is good right now.  No complaints.  Yay!

  Recently we took a walk to a local park.  Dear son found the face of the forest.  Can you see it?

If you look closely, you probably could find more than one.  I had never noticed this before.  Hmm…

  Last week I stopped into the insurance company’s office to have some things changed on our policies.  Turns out our car insurance was canceled in August for non payment.  Now, I’m pretty sure I paid them, but oh well, can’t change the past.  Our agent at the time flew the coop, so now we have a new one.  I had him make us a new policy, and guess what?  Now I can do brain surgery, because I just saved a bundle on my car insurance!  (sound like a familiar commercial?)  Well, it’s down about half the cost we were paying.  Two vehicles had full coverage removed, and one went into storage ins, so that’s much less.  Yay!

  While I was there, I inquired about life insurance.  So tomorrow I have a nurse from the ins. company coming to take blood and urine samples.  joy joy joy….. On a side note, I do have a DS who wants a birthday party at (gasp!) home this year with (double gasp!!)- Friends over!!  So the house has gotten pretty well cleaned up the past few days.  It also helps that DH gave me my Christmas gift early, so I can have it in time for DS’s B-day, and the holidays.  He bought me a really nice Kitchen Aid mixer.  It’s white, but almost looks like a pearl color.  I haven’t used it yet, but I will this week.  I only rec’d it yesterday.  Oh, and did I mention it’s just Huge?  I really had to give the counters a good cleaning/decluttering so it could find a home.

  Going along with the cleaning and decluttering theme, I cleaned DS’s room (yes we found the missing games, very last place we looked, too, of course..)… and cleaned/sorted his dresser.  I went shopping on Saturday for birthday/holiday gifts, and clothes shopping (esp myself…).  My closet got a good sorting, too.  Now if only I can get to St. Vincent’s sometime, this place will look like I actually decluttered it! 

  Well, I have a lot to do tomorrow, so it’s off to bed now!  G-nite!

  This Saturday is my day for him.  We’re planning to get stuff done outside.  We are going to add fencing around the top and sides of the chicken yard, so that this winter, I can let them out, but not to where they’ll get eaten.  I lost enough checkens to the foxes this past winter, I don’t want to lose anymore.  We are also going to winterize while we’re at it, so we won’t be standing out there in the freezing January temps again, hanging heat lamps.

  Beside the chicken house, we need to clean out the gutters, hang Christmas lights, mow and yard vac the lawn, and I need to pull the irises out of my garden so the FIL can rototill.

  Yesterday I picked all the brussel sprouts.  I got more off those plants than I thought I would.  I came to about 3 harvst-size bowls full.  They are in the garage until I can get to them tomorrow.  I also have apples that are waiting to be finished.  And yesterday I went to Dad’s and picked his carrots, so those need done, too!  He didn’t want them.  He also divided his rhubarb, so I have some of that to plant as well. 

  Last week I painted the fruit trees white, so to help prevent splitting.  I also mulched them with a nice ring of compost, too.  They’re all ready for winter, now.  I also (mostly) filled a raised box bed with compost, added fertilizer and an acidifier, and replanted my raspberries.  There are only about 6 plants left.  Hopefully they make it through winter.  I think I’ll plant my rhubarb divisions out there with raspberries. 

  So, to make a long story even longer, I’ve revisited my geneology project.  I took a few blank ancestor charts to DH’s mom, and she in turn handed me two manilla envelopes full of paperwork for their geneology.  Aparantly, someone has done this before, but so far all the useful info I’ve found in there was on about 5 or 6 pages.  About 10 pages are ancestors, back to the 1600’s, but the print, literally, is probably a font size of 1.  I didn’t think printers could go that small in the 1950’s, back when it was done.  I can read it with my contacts out, but even then some of the print is smudged together.  What’s worse, none of it is marked for who they are directly decended from, and so far I can’t find any familiar names on there.  It’s going to take me some time to work through the mess. 

  So that’s about all the fun we’ve had around here.  Between running DS to piano, and swim team practice, work, and house work, and lessons, we’re running around all the time.  Once winter sets in, we’ll be done with all this outside work, and can focus more on the inside stuff.  Oh yay! 

•  We went to the pumpkin farm on Saturday.  One weekend every October a Civil War reinactment is held.  It’s a very good time.  People come from all around to live and perform.  They set up camp and behave just as though it’s the real deal.  They also have little camp shops set up, where you can buy things from plastic toy solders to hand made quilts, soaps, and knitting material.  They cook, dress, and during the afternoon each day a battle is held.  We missed the battle this year.  Dear son was having major cravings for a pumpkin pie, and since I recently came by a new recipe, I wanted to give it a try.  We got there afterwards, and went around talking to the “actors” and asking lots of questions.  DS took a particular interest in the cooking methods of the time, so one lady was kind enough to show him what she was having (black eye peas w/bacon, sweet potatoes w/rehydrated raisins, and coffee).  But before we went to the camp site, we had to….

  play in the hay bale area.  And, as dear son was quick to point out, yes, that’s the same shirt he wore to the pumpkin farm last year.  Says it’s his “favorite sweat shirt for wearing out there”… 

  Then he was thirsty, so we grabbed a cool drink and headed to one of the barns.  The leaders of the war were being interviewed by newspaper reporters (the audience).

    <– my kid’s there

  <—- just a head this time….

  I thought the mural in the back ground came out great, until I noticed the basketball hoop.  Did they play basketball back then?  I’m not too sure.  That’s Custer with the mic there.  I believe on either side of him is General Lee and Grant.  One reporter asked Grant what his future political aspirations were.  Of course, this setting happened before he was president, so I liked the fact that the answer didn’t reveal what hadn’t yet occured.  I did have to explain the situation to DS, since we are covering the midevil era during history lessons.

  From there we visited a cow in the pasture.  Two of them, actually.  But the other would only give me the flavorful side.

  

  I can’t wait to play with this pic in Photoshop.  Once I get the actual program.  And learn to use it.

  Then we walked through the Union soldier camp.  We didn’t walk to the Confederate campsite.  It was nearly half a mile away.

  

  A view from the south. (of the North!  HA!)  If you look in the background is the hill we have to climb up to get to the battle field.  It’s a lot taller than it looks in this photo.  The trees are mature oaks.  This family’s farm is loaded with them.

  

  A soldier’s tent, complete with gear.  DS noticed how some soldiers put straw around the base of the tents, and I explained that it helps keep the drafts out.

  

  What’s for dinner? 

  

  Grandma, mending MaMa’s dress. 

  

  Bugles played while the flag was lowered.  All soldiers on the campsite stood, faced the flag, and saluted.  It was very moving.  We were already walking up the hill when this occured.  I was too far from the flag to take a pic of it.  These soldiers were the closest to us.

  

  A view of the campsite, looking west.

  

  Another view, this one we were farther up the hill, looking southwest.

  

  Up on the hill, this tall tree stood.  Underneath were confederate soldiers, taking a break.  You would be able to see one if this picture was enlarged.

  I didn’t take a pics of the battle field, since it is too big to appreciate on film.  Plus, there are power lines up there, though down quite a ways.  I’m not sure of the demensions of the field, but it’s probably 15 acres or more.

  

  Ladies making the hike from the confederate camp.

  

  Then there was this guy.  I think I’ll call him “Cowboy”.  (wink wink!)  The lady to his right is his wife, and the other two are daughters.  The one in the pink dress is pushing a baby stoller (modern one).  He was heading back to his tent in the Confederate campsite, of course.

  Then we headed back down the hill.  Of course, we had to play in the hay again.

  

  That shirt will be way too small next year, son!

  

  It’s a little blurry, but it’s my fav.

  Then we picked out a pumpkin.

  

  Then time to go home.  I won’t tell you what that pumpkin cost me.  I try not to be too disturbed by the price, because I really love this farm, and would hate to ever see it close.  It’s soooo beautiful there.  If I won a big jackpot tomorrow, I’d probably use a (very large) portion of it to buy this place.

   

  It was a very good time.  Next year I hope the weather is just as perfect, and we would like to see the battle.  We saw it a few years ago, and it’s really something.  I’ll need a bigger lens for it, though. 

    For those of you who live in the really cold parts of Canada (or Alaska), where do you get your nice warm winter coats?  I think those who design coats around here must live in…. I dunno, Florida, maybe?  It’s just not easy to find a nice, really warm, winter coat.  What do you look for when buying your coats?  It’s not even November, but I’m starting to freeze my tail off (And big Thank-You goes out to my dear friend, Hashimoto’s Disease, for that one… It’s a swell gift!)  Maybe I should fatten up like a Grizzley, and just go hibernate ’til next June.  No?  Ok.

  So any shopping help you can give me would be greatly appreciated!   Thanks!

 From much work this year I have this:

These are my two potato bins.  The one on the bottom has the larger potatoes in it.

And from much picking at a very generous friend’s house, I have this:

Needless to say, my garage smells very, very good!

The apples, as you can see, have some black spot on them.  I’m not sure if the actual disease is “black spot,” though there IS a disease with such a name.  That name just discribes very well what they are suffering from.  It doesn’t affect the inside of the apples (there are a few apple core worms to do that), but over all, the harvest is very good.  Very yummy.  The green apples are among my favorites.  They don’t darken fast, are tart, but not overbearingly tart.  And when you mix the greens with something sweet, oohhh, it’s bliss! 

As for the reds, I think one variety is Red Delicious.  It smells, looks, and tastes like R.D.  And it darkens quickly when peeled.  Not good for pies so much, but also very tasty!

My friend bought her house a few years ago, and the previous residents were much into gardening.  They probably had 24 apple trees at one time, and now have about 18, with at least 6 different varieties.  You can see from my pics the good assortment.  Some of her trees I didn’t pick from because the apples were too small, surely representing a variety that depends heavily on early fruit pruning.  This friend also has 3 pear trees she said I can pick from, too, but the apples are keeping me busy.  I had not only this plastic tote, but another 5 gallon bucket full as well. 

  So far I’ve put into the freezer pie fillings, and I’m making an apple pie right now.  I will make apple sauce, and more pie filler, but probably not apple butter, because I have several jars of that left from a few years ago.  We like it, but just don’t use it much.  I might make some up for gifts, though.  And due to all the worms I’ve seen, I probably won’t be pressing any this time around.  I’m not into worms in my drinks.

Shield your eyes!  A picture of me! 

Does this dog make my cheeks look fat?   

 And yes, that is my natural hair color.  And no, I don’t wear make-up.  I am pretty sure I don’t own any, except face powder.  And maybe a tube of eye-liner I experimented with once.

This is dear son’s photo entry, which took first place in the youth- people catagory.  It’s a sooc shot.  It was on Smokey’s last day with us… I’m pretty sure his owner was parked in the driveway when this was taken,

  As for other things a-goin’ on… we have been inundated with mosquitos.  Like, I think sister imported some when she came up recently.  To walk outside during the day is dangerous.  I did some yard work yesterday, and despite TWO layers of Deep Woods Off, they still were biting me.  They swarm up from the grass, trees, and bushes whenever you walk by.  The only difference between home and Arkansas mosquito-wise is that our night time temps are down in the low 50’s, maybe even upper 40’s (you can see your breath outside).  So, the only safe time to be outside is after dark.  That is just the opposite from dear sister’s house, where you dare not venture out after dark for fear of being carried away by the little vampires that they are.  I ran the fogger yesterday, and I really can’t tell that it made a difference.  No fears, though.  We should have a good frost within the next two weeks.

  The outside work I’ve been doing lately is I power washed the concrete stoop by the front door.  I also washed off part of the metal railing that is on it.  I say part, because the pressure washer started smoking and died before I could finish.  I added more oil and more fuel before restarting it two days later.  It took a bit to start it, and then it ran for about 10 minutes before dying again.  I think I see a winter project blooming.

  The next thing I did was I dug up what is left of my raspberry bushes.  Most died, I’m guessing of some wierd fungal disease of the root, since the dead ones had a white fungusy-mold looking thing on them.  So I went to the local supply store and purchased lumber and built a raised bed that is 4ft x 8ft x 10 inches for them.  I need to buy some more fill for it, and find a bag of peat moss that seems to have gone missing (and exactly how does a large cubic bag of peat moss go missing??? I’d really like to know….)  It rained earlier, so I guess that will have to wait until Wednesday, my next day off.

  Another project getting under way… I purchased the new camo-colored bedding for my DS.  We might not get to add the dormers like we want, so I plan to spiffy up his room instead.  I found 300 thread count sheets in green and brown for under $6.00 each at Wally-world.  The comforter is camo, and the rest of the linens are greens and browns.  The only bedding sets I could find online were 200 thread count tops, and the cheapest sets were $50.00, up to over $150.  I haven’t counted it out, but I maybe spent $70 all together, except no curtains yet.  Not bad, I think.  He doesn’t know yet, but he’ll be happy in the morning.

  Which leads me into our next project….. Christmas lists!  Have you started thinking of the holidays yet?  Well, we started our lists early this year, knowing from last year that shopping is easier earlier rather than later.  Plus if the other want’s an expensive gift, we can save up for it now.  I hope to NOT put the holidays on credit cards this season.  Not that we have problems with it, but it bothers me to cut the check for the card companies so soon after the season.

  Lastly *ha-ha, yeah right!*  I am giving consideration to my menu planning.  I am ashamed to admit that I have 10 or so meals that I make really, really well….. so we eat them often.  Yay if you like eating the same thing all the time…. but I feel pot roast fatigue coming on WAY too early in the season.  So, I am going to try new recipes until I can create a dinner menu that doesn’t have to be repeated more than twice a month.  The criteria needing met are :  it must include a meat and veggie.  It mustn’t be called “instant” unless it’s white rice.  Preference given to variety of beef cuts needed (so to empty my deep freezer).  Oh, and it mustn’t use more than 1 specialty ingredient…. you know, those things you would never buy except for that one specific recipe, that you’re only eating twice that month, if even that often.  I have several bottles of “special” things taking up space either in my cupboard or in the fridge d/t trying recipes that are so darned different.  Bonus points to a specialty ingredient that can be found in 2 or more recipes.  If I like it enough, it might become a “regular”. 

  So that is all that’s going on around here.  Now I think I hear my bed calling…..

  The photo my son submitted took first place, too.  He only submitted one pic.  It is funny that he won first place because when we went to pick up the print from the store, they had ”check copyright” written on it!  They thought it was done by a professional.  I thought his pic was good, but golly, I’ve never had “check copyright” written on any of my photos.  He was so happy!  I had been a little cautious, because he told me “I’ll enter one, and see how I do” which I thought translated into “if I win, I’ll enter again, and if I lose, maybe not.”  It turned out ok, though.  I also pointed out to him how some of my photos won, but others did not, and it’s ok not to win ribbons for all of the pics.  I think his interest in photography has been piqued, though, so maybe we’ll do more shooting this next coming year.