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

August 2007

August has arrived and with really nice weather, the end of July was super. Last weekend we finally had some much needed rain which the crops can use. Joyfully it was a nice soaky rain without thunder, lightening or tornadoes. Today is the 8th and more rain is expected.

Last weekend the big news was the collapse of the 35W bridge in Minneaspolis. They have not recoverall all the bodies yet. makes you think how an ordinary day can change in the blink of an eye. One min you are driving home from work and the next you are struggeling to stay alive.

Jim is accomplishing so much, so far since June he has finished the radient heat in basement, put up the plates and almost finished the insulation. Installed a new hot water heater and waster softner system. Put in the filter and wiring for our new fridge and icemaker, torn out the windows in attic to get to rotten wood. He has purched table saw, work bench and router to work on those projects. He is working on taking out ceiling in front room so can start installing tubing for heat for second floor.

There is so much to do, but we know it will be years until things are done to our satisfaction. My corn and peas came up and may actually get some produce from them. My tomatoes are exceeding my expectations, now if they would just ripen so I could taste one that would be cool.
Since they are not getting mowed I am finding hollyhocks all over the place, so pretty. The roses are in riot of blooms, I was worried after the wind earlier made such a mess of them. One big project for next year will be trying to figure out how to protect them from wind.