Happy Haloween

Hope there were many treats and no tricks. Was not sure if anyone would stop by , made some cookies just in case. Wouldn't you know with all the cookie cutters I have the only Halloween one I could find was a bat! Oh, well I frosted them, found some black sprinkles and small orange balls for eyes and they were good to go. Now Hubby will have something to munch on this weekend cause there were no takers. I was not sure how much of a deal they made of it around here. I know there are some kids, but not sure of ages.

The wind finally died down some so was a nice sunny day, chilly but nice. Next week will be another story, maybe some flakes. My project for this week is covering all my roses and putting more hay around the new trees. Hopefully I will do it right this time and everyone will make it through the winter.

I found another box of pictures, so have been rummaging through them. Isn't it funny how you can look at an old picture and you are right back there, smells, emotions. I am also trying to figure out how best to preserve the old pictures and papers from my Grandfather. I want to respect him by taking the best care I can of things. I can't wait much longer, many of the pictures are on glass plates and they are starting to deteriorate. The fact that many of them are from the 20's and earlier is a big factor. Another project, like I don't have enough going as it is. Keep me on my toes!!

Good life to all

Almost Haloween

Hubby and I got so much done this weekend, he took a big load of things to the dump. Another thing about country living, those nice men on the big, loud truck do not show up at the door and haul off all your castoffs. I have yet to find out where to recycle all the bottles and cans I have been carefully saving. I am told there is a guy who does it, but trying to catch up with him so far has not happened. We really are trying to be green, but sometimes it is a struggle. On Extreme Makeover they did a house in New Mexico? all wind and solar power, the meter was running backwards!!! Yes, my goal, not to have to pay for heat, lights etc.
We cleaned up 3 burn barrel sites from previous owners, all kinds of stuff, lots of glass and cans plus the rusted barrels. We also burned lots of downed limbs and weeds which helps with my mowing.

My talented Hubby enclosed a corner of the goats stall so they will have a cozy place to cuddle as the temperatures drop. This coming weekend he is going to put a top on it to hold in body heat. We also tacked up an old rug over bottom part of their door to outside to keep drafts out. Our place does not have an official barn, but what I am told is an animal shed. There are 5 stalls and a concrete apron that runs around 2 sides of building, 4 of the stalls open to this area. In the past there were partitions not only for the stalls but also the outside, with neglect most of that fell into disrepair. We have closed in 2 areas so that I can shift the goats from side to side for cleaning. The goal will be to have nice wood dividers, but that is further in the future. Our task for the spring will be to fence in a pasture area for them so they can have more freedom. At present I try to take them out twice a day, weather permitting, to graze.

The temperatures have been wonderful, warm, sunny beautiful blue skies and at night that huge Hunter's moon. The last vestiges of Indian Summer, cold is coming tomorrow night.
We spent most of Sunday creating more mess, we have been trying to find the box with all the photographs and also some books that Hubby wants. Kind of like Christmas opening all the boxes, now I am trying to find places to put some of the things that were uncovered. I will be glad when we reach the point in the restoration process that allows me to paint, paper and put up shelves.

Seems strange to look out the window and see empty fields for miles, they finished clearing all the fields around us. Really amazing how quickly they are able to harvest such huge quantities of corn. The locals think nothing about it, but since the closest I was to corn before was the market seeing the process is fascinating. Break time is over, I have scrubbed the kitchen from top to bottom and am pooped, but need to bake cookies in case any "Trick or Treaters" show up. In our search I found the container with many of my cookie cutters and also sprinkles. I also found a couple of strings of lights, pumpkins and bats, oooohhhh!! so made a small display with my corn stalkes, baby gourds and the lights. Gave Hubby a chuckle as I also found some of those ghosts that you stuff paper in and hangup, hung them on the big fir tree in yard. Yeah, I'm one of those silly people!!

Thursday

Hubby is on his way home, he took an extra day of vacation so we can do more work on house.
Caulking windows and all that fun stuff, also building pen in stall for goats so they can be cosy.
Beautiful hunter's moon out tonight, and I am proud of myself I got a decent picture of it. I have been trying to get details and not just a big white blob.

The last several days have been beautiful fall weather and by Sunday they are predicting a
hard freeze. That is always so sad for me, I hate to see the last of my flowers die, silly I know.
The weather people keep going on about when first snow will be, I wish they would hush.

I have been working on my attic office, trying to get thing arranged so will be workable. I also need to start working on Santa suit for hubby, his nice one was ruined in our basement flood. So I am going to tackle making him a new one, I could not find the nice velour to match the old one.
Hopefully the material I got will work, if not, back to the sewing machine. I also have a couple of
new leads on work at home things.

I have been checking out some of the other blogs, they are great! I need to find out how they make them look so cool, more research. Violet Lady has been so nice and welcoming, she left me another friendly comment. Thank you so much!! I enjoy her blog also, pop over and see what she is up to.

Good life to all

Beautiful Tuesday

What a pretty day we had today, started out chilly. At 9 am the yahoo weather said it was
30 and felt like 25, by the afternoon I had to take my sweater off. For the first time in ages
it was sunny and no clouds. When I took the dog out early there was frost on the grass, hard freeze due this week. I took the goats out this afternoon and we all enjoyed the sun. I had the bright idea to hook their chains to some old tires, in hopes they would eat and I could go clean their stall. Wrong, every time I tried to walk away they could cry and pull at their chains. So................ I stayed so they did not hurt themselves. I think they have my number,lol. The stray cat that has showed up now and then has taken up residence in stack of hay, guess it is nice and warm. I put dish out for water and bought some dry food for it.

Around 5:30 the wind started really blowing and the temp dropped like a stone. Took the dog out a little while ago and had to run back in for jacket, I guess shirt sleeve weather is over. Husband's hard work seems to be paying off, the house is nice and warm so far, of course the true test will be when it is sub zero. Still so much more to do, but it will all come together. Some times I just sit and imagine how it will all look once the stolen molding is replaced and cracks in walls fixed. New paint and paper, it will be super. I have whole stack of magazines for reference, both for house and gardens. I might just have to live to be 125 in order to finish all my projects.

Follow your dreams, but enjoy your present

Comment from Violet Lady

How very nice to see someone had left a comment.
Made me even more confident that I had done a good thing by starting this blog.
I think I am going to meet wonderful people, and perhaps learn some new things.
I went out and picked some of the few remaining violets in honor of Violet Lady,
enjoy!!

Monday, again!

Today is a special day, my youngest son Jame's birthday, he is 26! I found a box of pictures the other day and it does not seem possible that so much time has passed. He was such a super baby, I so enjoyed those times with him. Now he is this 6 foot guy, who is still super and seems to still like me, which as a parent is an accomplishment. He lives half the country away and I sure miss him, but wish him everything wonderful on this, his day. Happy Birthday Kid, your Momma loves ya!!

Seems strange not going into work, you would think after being off since May I would get
over it. My hunt continues to find something to do from home. I need to make a trip to the
courthouse to give out samples of my pet treats. When we were down there earlier in the
summer several of the ladies said they had dogs, so will do some networking. I found the blanks to print out some cards, now if I could just find the notebook with all my other information. I know it is here somewhere, just have not hit the right box.

Yesterday was interesting, while down in the basement doing wash noticed movement, lo and behold twas a bird. Little tiny thing, first bright idea was to open window for it to fly out. Opened window and promptly got beaned with pane of glass, no damage to me just shock. Then realized, duh, there is screen so that won't work, so opened door and tried herding it that way. I think it went out, time will tell. Then heard a frog?? yep, swimming in the drain of the pump room. These are just some of the joys of living in an old country house, livens up conversations. Mentioned online in a game room about the bird and the response from one person was for me to call police and they would catch it! Well, by the time the sheriff drove over 20 miles to get to me, I don't think he would be in bird catching mode. The ladies on the farms handle much more then that. They go out and drive the tractors and combines and get up at 4 am to feed and milk cattle, no my problem would be way down the list. Since moving to the Midwest I have a much greater appreciation for the farmer and their life. You see them out in the fields until midnight trying to get their crops in. They are at the mercy of the weather, too much rain, too little rain, cold, hail, wind. I do not see how they do it and survive. My attempts at gardening have had mixed results and to do it on large scale and it be your living, wow. My hat is off to them and their families. I will stick with my little patch of vegetables and hopefully pumpkins and gourds, and my 2 little goats.

Today is overcast once again and in the 40's, I really would like some sun. The up side is there is no snow yet and the heat is working well. All my husband's hard work seems to be paying off, there is much more to do. He still has to insulate the attic and on the agenda is blowing insulation into the walls and building a fireplace. It won't be a fancy fireplace, we have checked out the inserts at the home improvement store and they are only $150.00. Jim is going to try carving the mantle to match our wood work, all in all it should only be around $300.00 to make it ourselves. We have plenty of wood with all the downed trees and branches in our little patch of woods, so will be a plus on those subzero days.

Well, off to get into more trouble. Wonderful life to you all!

Violet Lady has 105 posts

I went into the blog "Over the back yard fence" and there was a link to blog by Violet Lady so I checked her's out. She has had over 105 posts, how cool is that?? Check them out
pretty good sites. I think I am going to like this.

Oh, My gosh it is October

What has happened since August, lots and lots. Jim has finished the attic windows so that now they open, and stay open. They also no longer leak which is good news for our bedroom ceiling!! He has also stopped the leak in the roof, which is comforting. I have now been working on trying to sort things out so that I have my office set up and also craft area. In the Martha Stewart site she shows off her "attic workroom", mine pales in comparison. The plus side is that finally I will have paints, crafts and photography items in one place. So once the snows fall and I am not able to get down the driveway, much less drive any distance, I should have plenty to occupy my time.

The picture shows my stunted attempts at growing pumpkins and gourds this year, late planting and early frost gave me decorations, but no pies. I now have a somewhat clearer idea of how to proceed next planting season. My goal is to have a pumpkin patch selling the sweat of my brow and also taking pictures of all who would like to be immortalized. I found on line folders to put the pictures in for posterity. I also have designed cutouts for people to stand behind, so will also spend part of winter cutting those puppies out so will be ready for next October. Well, at least that is the plan, among many. I have also dragged out all my animal treat making supplies, found out that here in Iowa is much less costly to get licensed. So this weekend will be spent cutting out and baking all sorts of puppy treats.

Jim also tore out and replaced a window in his machine shed, playroom. It came out really well, I was impressed. He also tore part of a wall out in back of large garage and future home of Elven Catering. That project also came out wonderfully. I took many pictures to document his triumph. It is a little depressing to look inside the garage as it is piled to the hilt with all my shop things, plus so much more. Oh, well, the time will come when it will be up and running and everything in it's place. He never fails to amaze me with all his talents and skills, sure glad he likes me.

I have gentled down the goats, did I mention I acquired 2 goats?? I can now take the goats for a stroll so they can eat tree limbs and assorted weeds, they stand so nice and let me put on collars. When the weather is accommodating we spend time enjoying nature, each in our own way. Since soon there will not be any green growing I am trying to get them out as much as possible. When time and money allow we will start fencing the area around the animal shed, eventually having whole property fenced in. It will be nice to open door and let them roam and play. They are such characters, so curious and playful. Also they like to have their chins scratched and being brushed, who knew???

The weather is so, so, actually sun is out today. A treat, as we have had rain and clouds for weeks. I tote my camera around with me taking pictures of this and that. Since the humming birds and butterflies have moved on I have to find new subjects. Jim and I were standing in side yard when there was some excitement. A large Red Tailed Hawk flew over the fence and tried to catch some of the little birds at the feeders. I only caught a glimpse of a large bird going over fence and then the evergreens rustling like crazy. Soon, up he popped minus lunch and took off to sit in giant Maple tree and glare down at us. I hear him calling now and then. I always thought the noise they put in movies was fake, but no, that is how they sound. We have a large redheaded woodpecker that visits now and then, and several smaller different type of woodpeckers. I was pleased to see them at the feeders I put up for them, Jim bought me all kinds of suet cakes to put in the feeders. I will be interested to see what type of birds will show up over the winter. I heard on tv about being able to send for bird guide and some forms so that you can report who and what showed up. Just might have to do that, if I can remember to send off for it.

Bye for now, I plan on being back in less then 2 months. Of course we all know what happens to plans. Lovely life to all