Chaotic Morning

Today was Tuesday, and it was our first day back to work.  This day really started out on the wrong foot.  The first thing I do each morning when I get up is to look at my phone to see if I have missed any calls or texts from Daughter #3.  There were no missed calls, so I started getting ready for work.  Last night was the coldest night we have had here since last February.  It got down in the teens, and was very cold.  Within minutes, the phone rang.  Daughter #3 was on the phone, and I could tell, about to cry.  Her car was broken down at a busy intersection, and she wanted me to come, hurry, and bring lots of water and anti-freeze!  She said her car quit, and wouldn't start back up.  She was sure she needed water and anti-freeze, though.?  So I told her one of us would be there shortly.  We live about 30 minutes away, and were not dressed.  I woke Pappy up, and he went to help her.  I also called a wrecker to get the car moved to the garage we use, and out of the road.  By the time all this was done, it was 7:30, and time for me to leave for work.  Problem was, I wasn't dressed.  So I threw on some clothes and rushed out the door. 

The wrecker driver took her car to our garage and Pappy took Daughter #3 to work.  Our mechanic said her radiator busted and the cost would be $270.  So Pappy said fix it, and Daughter said she would pay us back.  One delima solved.

Daughter #2 took our small dog to the vet.  I believe I told you yesterday he was sick.  He had a bone and some meat lodged in his jaw.  The vet removed the bone and debris, and gave him medicine.  No more bones for him!  Tonight he acts like he feels much better.

I wanted to share with you that I enrolled again today for the Hello Mornings challenge.  The sign up for this wonderful group ends tomorrow at 5:00 I believe.  I have done this challenge twice before and it is a great way to encourage yourself to spend more time in the mornings getting ready for your day.  I am NOT a morning person.  I am a night owl, and always have been.  But I am trying to get up earlier, and use that time for special things I don't have time for otherwise.  I read the Bible, pray, have a bite to eat.  Some people exercise, but so far I'm not a part of that group.  If you need more hours in your day, why don't you join us and try this?  I remember last time, there was a lady who said she was going to get up at 4:00.  I said, "If I got up at 4:00, I might as well not go to bed!"  But everyone choses the time that works for them, so don't be put off by that.  Just try it!

Our weather will be cold again tonight, and then heat up to the 50s by Thursday.  Pappy is waiting up for some more rabbits to be born.  So far two nests of babies are on my kitchen table.  No sign of the hawk today.

We had our own pork roast fixed in the crock pot, with potatoes and carrots, and iced tea.  So good.  This was the first "most normal" meal I have eaten since my surgery.  We'll see how it goes! 

Daughter #1 is off work till Monday.  She has orientation for Nursing school tomorrow, and oral surgery Thursday.  Pray for her and for us that everything goes smoothly for her.

Well, I guess that is all the news from here.  See you tomorrow.  Honey

This is the photo we used on our Christmas cards this year.  This was taken on July 4.  Everyone was shooting skeet at our annual gathering, and GrandBoy dind't like the noise! 

31 Days of My Real Farm Life - Day 3

31 Days of Life on Our Farm!



Hi!  Welcome back!  Today was not a real "farmy" day.  Hope I don't disappoint you!  I woke up, and it was COLD here!  36 degrees.  That is cold in Alabama in October.  I was not expecting it.  I panicked and thought I would have to clean out the garden and move my plants inside this week.  But the weather is only suppose to be in the 40s at night the rest of the week, so that can wait.  The first night the news calls for a "freeze"  - temps at 32 or below, we are very busy.  We move the doves into the greenhouse.  I pick any blooming flowers and bring them inside.  I can't bear for them to go to waste.  I go through the garden one last time, and gather the last of the vegetables.  All the peppers get picked, no matter how small.  Any stray beans, cucumbers, etc.  We pick all the green tomatoes and sit them out to "turn".  The will eventually ripen and turn red.  It just takes time.  I was glad not to have to face that this week. 

I began the day by getting Pappy and Daughter #2 up.  Usually I'm the only one up, but we were suppose to move a mobile home today, so that was why Pappy needed up.  Daughter #2 was up because her college classes began again today for the fall semester.  So everyone was trying to get ready at the same time, and it was a little rushed. 

I went to work till 12 noon, like usual.  The mobile home mover had not called as he said he would, so I called him.  He said they were just finishing the home that was suppose to have been finished Saturday.  He said they would arrive shortly, work for two hours, and move the trailer in the morning.  Another day.  So Pappy and his helper went up to our trailer park to work on some projects.

I went to both PO Boxes.  No rent at all.  I had an appointment to pick up some rent at a mobile home occupied by a Hispanic gentleman.  I helped him to get a mortgage to purchase the home and land, and we took a second mortgage for his down payment.  So he still pays me some each month.  I went by to pick up his payment.  No one was there.  A fat puppy as wandering around the yard, and all the chickens were lose.  The door was unlocked.  No cars in the yard.  Very strange.  Alabama just passed a new immigration law.  Rumor is that Hispanics are leaving the area in droves.  I have four Hispanic families.  I'm not aware of any of mine leaving.  But I began to wonder as I waited to see if anyone would come home so I could collect.  I told myself I would wait till 6:30.  At about 6:15, a young man pulled up in a car.  He didn't speak much English.  He paid half the payment.  No one has ever paid except my client, so I don't know.  I'll go back in a few days, and see if I can find Jorge and collect the rest of our money.

When I got back to the farm.  I started some laundry and cleaned the bathroom.  I thought about dinner, but waited to do anything.  I planned yesterday to have a pork roast for dinner.  But I didn't know that husband has a meeting tonight, and Daughter #1 will be in bed because of the shift she works this week, and Daughter #2 will be at her boyfriend's house.  So I will eat pork roast alone.  No reason to cook accompaniments, I'll just have fruit, chips, and bread. Alone.

I picked some tomatoes from the last of our garden.  I check for eggs, but didn't find any.  Our hens have taken a break, I guess.  I did find a large rat with a long tail, running along the edge of the roof, in the hen house.  Have to tell Pappy about that.

I made an appointment with a new insurance company to come out Thursday evening to give us a quote on a farm policy.  There are not many companies who will write farms here.  So I would like to get an idea if this one has better coverage, and a cheaper price.  Usually, if your cars are there, you get a break, and this is where our auto insurance is.  The Cattle men's Association sent out an email about them, and I jumped right on checking them out. 

Last night Pappy asked me to price raspberries and see if we could order some for fall planting.  We have already ordered blackberries.  He wants to sell them next year.  So I will do that in a minute.

I'm trying to finish up the Bible in 90 Days program.  Saturday is day 90, and I am on day 72.  I have a lot of reading to do if I am going to finish on time.  I have read the Bible through before, in this program a few times, and in a yearly program.  I hope I finish on time.  We'll see.

Pappy finished juicing the grape for wine.  I've never made the grape juice to can for drinking, that I'd planned to try this year.  I always wash and throw my grapes in a bag, and put them in the freezer.  When they are all ripe and ready, I do them all at one time.  Well, the frozen grapes didn't look like they would work well for my juice recipe, so I decided to put that off till next year, when I have fresh ones that haven't been frozen.  All the grapes this season will go to wine making.  We got three gallons of grape juice today, and I will start the wine process later in the week.  I've already bought the sugar.  It takes a lot of sugar to make wine.

I think that is all the news here.  I hope your day was blessed, and that you will visit again tomorrow.  Honey