April 2007 Archives

I don't consider myself a cerebral type writer. I don't write alot of my opinions here. I don't discuss current events. I don't do politics or religion or money. I see most things in this world to be black or white, not much room for grey areas. I am a person who has a well defined sense of right and wrong. I am conservative, a fundamentalist, a republican and a christain with convictions. I do not keep this journal to win readers though having readers is awesome. I love your comments. I love you. I love knowing you are out there and check in on me to see how my life is progressing. I have found when I write my personal opinions I send readers running away. You know, click the "X" and don't come back if you don't like what I saying. In that sense I come off like some radical thinker. Which I am not. When I came out of the closet with the fact that I have weight issues that I have been struggling with all of my life I lost half my readers. This site once attracted over 800 visitors a day (not that you could ever tell it by the number of comments). Now I am barely drawing half that amount. I often think it is because no one wants to be around the fat kid on the block - perhaps that is just my insecurties that have followed me for many years and yet in some ways it must also be true. I really don't know why readers keep coming back here. I don't know what I offer to you all in any tangible way. I do know many of you like my recipes. I know some of you come every once in a while because maybe you feel obligated because I made you a new blog look. I am very sure some only come here to get a new blog look then they disappear. And that's o'kay. I hope you enjoy the new looks and feel pretty in blogland. All of you constant readers give me loving friendship. Reading your comments and answering them makes me warm and tingley inside. I do feel as if you care about me and what's going on my world. For that I can't thank you enough. Much of my posting consists of how-to's, what I am doing on this little plot of land that is in my stewardish, recipes and to brag a little on the awesomeness that is my children. I am not an all out homesteader. I don't dream of days of living off the grid or sticking it to the man. I do try to be self supporting in the ways I can. I try to give my children experiences and the knowledge that they would know how to care for themselves in many ways without having to be dependent on an electric comapny or a grocery store. A large part of my life is the influence of my childhood. I grew up with a summer garden, canning, freezing, animals and making things last a little longer and stretch a little farther. I am curious about what my limits are. I have made my own soap and loved it! I have (and will again soon) raised my own poultry and enjoyed my very own farm fresh eggs. (Badger, I wish you lived close to me. Those organic brown eggs you purchase from the market and love so much? You would covet my eggs and I would give them to you when you came over for coffee. I would also give you fresh fruit from my trees, yogurt that I made, and maybe in exchange you would help me make cheese when I get my milk goats? Yes? MMmm, fresh produce, fresh eggs, fresh milk, yogurt and cheese ... Ohhhh and if my fig trees produce like I hope can you imagine how good lunch would be with fresh figs, cheese, crusty bread, and local wine? Or desserts made from my blueberries and apples? Hahaha! I should stop here before I get carried away!) I do cook many things from scratch and have plans to try so much more over the coming spring and summer. I want to stop buying bread and learn to make really good bread. I am not a baker. It is something I haven't ever gotten the hang of. I can bake a few things but I want to make incredible breads and know that I can bake something better then I can buy in a store. It is a challenge and one I want to tackle over this summer. I like to be engaged in hands on projects. I like to look back and inspect my progress, my successes and my failures. There is something to be learned from them all. So can you imagine my surprise when I read that Badger had given me the thinking blogger award? I am completely flattered. I am also surprised to read that what I post here challenges her and gives her cause reflect on where she is in her life. Would it be conceited to ask how that occurs when I post about a plow, planting some vegetables, or having a leaking roof? The idea behind this award is to give recognition to other journalists who make me think and give me cause to reflect and examine myself. Had she not bestowed this on me I would have given it to Badger first. Here are my five: Miz S - Lives within driving distance of me although we have not met. She is someone I would love to spend a girl's weekend with. I want to taste her curry. I want to see her banter with Mizter S. I want to hear all about her girls, her trip to Italy and her classroom. Mary writes beautifully about her feelings. She also has a wicked sense of humor. Leah - Has the cutest fat cheeked baby girl. I love Leah's ability to express herself. Some people even think she is a liberal hippy. Hahahaha! I want to learn to make beer. I want her to come to my house and walk me through the process. I might even be willing to let her watch the ball games on TV while she is here. Liz - A transplant to Northern Virginia I discovered Liz when she wrote about growing up a product of divorce. I could identify with that part of her childhood. Liz loves to read and I always check her book recommendations. I love reading about her going back to school as well as how she juggles beging a mommy, a wife and a student. Liz also lives close enough we could visit if we ever found the time. Vicki - Is the landscape gardener I wish I could be. Her home in Florida is gorgeous. I love how she is able to express herself so beauifully. She always seems to have the right words that leaves you feeling peaceful even when she writes that her feelings are not always so peaceful. She has a gentle hand that knows how to sooth ruffled feathers. If I ever needed to go to therapy she would be my choice for a therapist. Pam - Has also struggled with her weight for a very long time. She has taken herself in hand and is working toward her goals of getting herself to were she wants to be. I can identify with Pam in so many ways. She has a great sense of humor, a super cute grandbaby and lives close enough I could visit. Now each of each of you need to pass it on to five people who make you think. Chop. Chop.

Have you ever had a vegetable garden? One with rows? And weeds? Do you hate the hours upon hours of having to do the back breaking chore of hoeing weeds? I do! Eventually at some point I have even let weeds just have it and walked away from a garden. I know. Shameful it is. This year I have big plans for my garden. Same as every year only this year I have Steve who also has big plans for a garden. Yayyyy! Help with fighting the weeds. Only this year we have a secret weapon. Steve bought this. Hopefully I won't have to hoe too many rows in the beating sun this spring and summer.

Anne from Cooking with Anne did a post on her pantry staples. Those things she wouldn't be without. Some of you might even remember the post I did on keeping my pantry stocked. I think I may have Bettina's syndrome and her idea of an emergency shelf. Any way - Anne's list is a great list. I keep most of those things on hand also. You never know when you might have last minute guests or need to make the budget stretch for another few days or a week. Here you can find my standard pantry and cupboard items that I pretty much have on hand all of the time. Open my cabinets and plunder around and you'll find all sorts of things. My make-do and make-it-last list is different. Part of me is the ingrained be preparedness of growing up with a grandmother who canned and prepared a lot of summer produce. The other part of me thinks about FEMA's emergency preparedness recommendations and takes heed. I probably wouldn't go to as great a lengths if I still lived in Georgia but with us living so close to D.C. and seeing how grocery stores empty out in bad weather I can imagine if we went into a state of emergency there would be NOTHING to be had in the stores around here. We live in the rural country side. We figure if something major happened the cities would most likely evacuate to us. We base this on the fact there is an underground shelter a few miles away that is intended to house important members of Congress and supposedly the Vice President. There may seem like a lot on my list but there are six of us here much of the time. FEMA recommends that we be ready with an emergency food and water supply just in case a disaster should occur. (Do you know you need to store 1 gallon of drinking water per person per day? For us we would need to store at least 18 gallons of potable water. That is alot of water. Nursing mothers, babies, elderly and sick people need to consume more. Plus water for other needs.) Here are things I try to keep on my shelves -just in case. I do rotate out flour, meals and the like so that it is not more than a month old. When I empty a bag I use the reserve bag then replish that with a new bag. Baking Goods -Flour -baking soda -baking powder -powdered milk/buttermilk -Crisco and/or Lard -Vanilla Extract (real vanilla, my mother brings it back when she goes on her fall cruise to the Bahamas or I buy it at Costco for a fair price in a large bottle) -Yeast (one of the small 3 pack strips) With these items I can make, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, muffins or any number of quick breads that do not require yeast. Pancakes and waffles are excellent for both breakfast and supper. My kids find it a real treat especially during the cold weather months to have pancakes for supper. They also are huge fans of cornbread. Can Goods (at least 2 - 4 cans each) -Green Beans -Whole Kernel Corn -Tomatoes -Light and Dark Kidney Beans -black beans -Pintos -Turnips -Carrots -Peas (Sauers only!) -Tuna -Chicken -Peaches -Pineapple -Cranberry -Fruit Cocktail Jarred Goods -Spaghetti Sauce -Jarred Salsa - (there is a lime and garlic and a black bean and white corn salsa that is Walmart brand that is great to pour over chicken and bake or to add to rice and serve as a mexican style rice, or layer with hamburger, tortillas and cheese for a casserole. Condiments -Mayonnaise -Ketchup -Yellow Mustard -Specialty Mustards -Soy Sauce -Worcestershire Sauce (with ketchup, mustard, worcestershire and spices I can make BBQ sauce, tomato gravy, etc.) You never know when a can of vegetables will come in handy. Either to stretch a meal or to add to a soup or stew to make it go just a little bit farther. I have a selection of other things we like on hand at most times as well. Soups and crackers and other things the kids like both canned and dried. Gracie is a big fan of romein soup. She has been known to survive a week or more on that stuff for supper every night. Not that I don't cook. There are days when I know she won't touch anything I have cooked because she doesn't like it. I also keep the canned beans because they do not need hours to cook like the dried ones do. Dry Goods Beans and Peas (dried limas, yellow and green split pea, black beans, kidney beans, black eyed peas, white beans, navybeans, pintos, etc.) Rice (risotto, basmati, jasmine, japanese rice for sushi, etc.) Cornmeal (yellow and white) Pasta (several varieties) CousCous Barley Grits (in the winter my kids want grits every morning, especially Gracie) This includes things that are prepackaged like a quick mac and cheese, dirty rice, spanish rice, red beans and rice, yellow rice, etc. Things that will not go bad even if they sit on the shelf six months or more. They also require no special storage just a closed dry place. Many things I buy when I have a good coupon or the store has a buy one get one sale like pickles, olives, sauces, carnation milk, eagle brand condensed milk etc. I can't even list everything out there on those shelves. I do keep check of things and rotate them out before dates expire. A supply of seasonings -Mrs. Dash -Pepper -Salt -Garlic Powder -Chilli Powder -Onion Powder -Cinnamon I have a stockpile of tiny little jars and bottles of spices. I am sure alot of us do. Buying even the tiniest of spices available for just one recipe we are left with a nearly full jar of something we don't use often. You name it I probably have it. This list above was just the basics. With onion and garlic powder it makes up for not having fresh onion and garlic to season things with. Chilli powder is a quick kick-em-up. I also keep a jar of local honey, air tight pouches of tea bags, and an extra small can of coffee. I buy peanut oil for the fryer in the 2 gallon container. Peanut oil keeps well, it has a very high burn temp and things will cook without being greasey. A 5lb bag of sugar will last us almost a year. I use it for baking for the holidays and for birthday cakes. Sometimes I may need to buy two bags depending on how heavy my baking will be especially at Christmas. If we were to lose power for a couple days or longer I have the wood stove we can cook on. During the cold months when I burn the stove daily I practice and challenge myself to see what I can cook, what I can learn to cook and how to regulate the heat to cook all sorts of things. The kids laugh at me and make fun but they always gobble up whatever it is I have prepared. Especially pancakes and sausage. (see previous post). I also have a couple gallons of fresh water. I probably should think about setting in a few more -just in case. 6 people for 3 days is 18 gallons of water. That is so much water! I also keep my tank filled on my truck. I encourage Colby not to let her tank get below half full. I keep the tractor and cans filled with diesel as well. I keep first aid boxes upstairs and down also in our car and trucks. We also have a medicine cabinet and drawer in the bathroom filled with all sorts of things. When I buy over the counter medicines for the kids I usually buy the Walmart brand where you get two bottles for less than one of the name brand. We have plenty of bandaids and the like. I also keep a bottle of alcohol and peroxide. I have witch hazel as well. Back in Georgia I kept it in the fridge. Here I don't. I don't know why. Perhaps too many hands going in and out of my fridge all of the time. If we had to I know we could do fine for a good while without feeling like we are doing without because I also have a deep freezer I keep stocked with premade meals, extra meats bought on sale, etc. If I needed to preserve things in my freezer I do have a supply of jars and a large pressure canner. I have a small supply of pickling lime, pickling salt, vinegar and whatnot on hand most of the time as well. For his big Christmas gift Steve's parents gave him a large generator. If we had to use it we could power our refrigerator and/or freezer for a while until we could eat what was stored in there. A few years ago Steve picked up one of those radios that you wind up and it generates its own electricity to run on for two or three hours at a time. We also tend to have extra batteries due to the kids having several items that require batteries. We have not set out to be prepared for a disaster. A disaster is the last thing on my mind. But I do think about it sometimes. You know, just in case. We seem to be pretty well set on the home front if we had to be. We also have a few spirits on hand. You know, the kind used for snake bites. (Hahaha!) How about you? Do you keep a standard stock of staples for your family? Do you keep a emergency supply in your pantry?

I did! What I had planned to do before my mother came at Christmas has been done in this past month. I painted the baseboards and the window frames in my kitchen. Finally! Sometimes I cook on the woodstove. Why waste electricity?
Look at those pretty white baseboards! Not only did I do the painting but I have managed to also complete one set of curtains for my windows. See the unpainted things that never got painted at Christmas?
Looky there! Curtains! These curtains are a project I have worried over for almost two years. Yes, two entire years. I flipped flopped on the curtain/no curtain issue many times not wanting to put up a curtain that would close in the room and block out the wonderful sunlight this room gets all day long. I purchased this fabric online a month or two after we moved into this house. It was always earmarked for curtains. Either in my kitchen or my bedroom. The kitchen won. It is a great toile print of a barnyard scene with an old red bard and rooster. Although I had ordered 10 yards of the fabric there was not enough for two windows of this size and the smaller window at the end of the kitchen. Nice. Because this print is out of stock. It is a two year old print that has long been gone. I have wanted in some way to have gingham in the kitchen but I didn't want to go overboard and look like a barn dance in here. So I thought about it alot. I looked through thousands of patterns for curtains and draperies. It wasn't until recently that I was inspired by a designer kitchen advertisement to make the curtains you now see. Not too much gingham. The perfect matching crimson. Nice fabric for draperies. The first set I made I lined them. The lining blocked out too much of the sunlight. I do not want this kitchen to be dim. I like it flooded in natural sunlight. So I ripped out the lining and remade the curtains without it. I like the look of the yellow walls, red accents and white trim in this room. The appliances are stainless steel with black trim. I have begun to add black and cast iron things to the room to flesh it out. The heavy black cast iron is a great contrast to the more feminine white ceramic pieces and china in the room. I never planned to paint those cabinets white. It was sort of a last chance to have a nice looking kitchen without the expense of new cabinets. These are just too good of shape to toss for the sake of cosmetic wants. I never planned to paint the walls yellow. I never had a color in mind but yellow just wasn't one of my choices. One day I saw a yellow cloth given as a gift in something when Steven was born. My brain said paint the kitchen that color. And so we did. Last July. The black granite of the countertops was simply what was available without a special order. The price was right. The white cabinets and black countertops deemed the black hardware the wiser choice. I chose them online based solely on price. I think they work. With the brick red floors I already had a lot of red accents. The rugs and towels, the wall plates, the roosters and painted sign. As things began to come together I realized the little sofa was red with yellow(ish) and black plaid stripes. It just works without any conscious effort on my part. Eveything is really beginning to come together after alot of hard work. I am really beginning to see and feel the room as a part of the house and not as an addition without much thought to the rest of the house. This has been a long time in coming. I started painting the cabinets (3 coats of primer 2 coats of paint) and continued on when Steven was just a newborn. I have progressed over the past year slowly. Very slow. My infant grew into a giggly baby and then into a busy toddler and now a non-stop very active little boy. Meaning it took me this long because instead of painting from the bottom up I painted from the top down. Little people under three feet tall do not listen to you when you tell them not to touch the wet paint on the baseboards. I suppose you already knew that. I should have. Speaking of which ... Steven, 14 months old His smile pretty much says it all.

You know how nice it is to walk to the sink and turn the knob and the water comes out? Or how great it is to use the bathroom and push the handle down and the toilet flushes? Yeah, me too. For all of my frugal, do-it-yourself ways I just am at a loss when the water stops flowing up from the well and through the pipes into my kitchen and bathrooms. For the past couple weeks I have notice a change in our water. The pressure would come and go. Then everything would be fine. Sort of like when the lights flicker and you know it is probably a squirrel walking near a transformer somewhere in our grid. Last evening just as we headed out for church I was the last to flush, brush my teeth and wash my hands. As I finished washing my hands the water stopped. I came into the kitchen where Steve was waiting. Turned the knob and no water came out into the sink. It was 6:15 so I went to church and left Steve to see if he could fix the problem or identify exactly what the problem was. Was it the pressure tank in the cellar? Was it the pump itself? For heaven's sake was the well going dry? The preacher gave me a local name to call and see if he would come check it out. I stood in a sunday school room and dialed Steve on my cell and passed the information to him. Then I went into the sanctuary. My thoughts where not were they needed to be. I followed the sermon but kept looking at my watching silently urging him to be finished. Gracie has guitar lessons after church so I left her andbrought Steven home to find out if Steve had managed to solve our lack of water problem. He could do nothing. Surmised it was the pump. And had called a plumber to come out. The pump that had been pumping for 19 years. At 7pm on a Sunday night. I closed my eyes thinking about the weekend rates those people charge. The plumber came. Checked the power and pressure tank in the cellar. Killed the electricity and pulled the cap off my well. The brand new pump that I hope will pump for 19 years or longer as well. My well is not like everyone's well. It is not a pipe running out of the ground sitting in a little house. My well was hand dug in 1909. It is about 3 feet by 3 feet. It is stone lined. I could drop a bucket in and hoist up a bucket full of water. My well pump is a submersible pump. It is simply a piece of modern machinary suspended in the center of the well reaching from the top about 90 feet down into the pool of water. Lifting the well cap. For the first time we looked down into the well last night. In about two hours start to finish we had beautiful flowing water again. 98 years ago a man took a shovel and began to dig. He did not stop until he hit water nearly 100 foot below. I knew the bill would hurt. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. In the end it was worth it and then some to be able to turn the knob and water flow from the faucet. And the toilets will flush.

Buttercups Rhode Island Reds Buff Orpingtons Black Giants Barred Rocks White Wyandottes Partridge Rocks This is the poultry that will be delivered to my house next month. ***** To all of those who emailed, commented and otherwise asked: It is not too late to begin your garden. Any time this month is good even as far down as South Carolina and Georgia. Those of you further south mightnot have tomatoes until the end of June or beginning of July but you will have them. :-)

When we lived in the townhouse I didn't let the lack of a yard stop me from gardening. Those of you who replied to my gardening post shouldn't let it stop you either -if you really want some fresh produce this spring and summer. We had a super tiny backyard and I gardened in 2 little plots that were approximately 2 foot wide by 6 foot long running against the side fences that seperated us from the neighbors on either side. In those little plots I grew zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and lettuce. We had a major supply of squash and tomatoes all summer long. They grew like wildfire! The lettuce just couldn't compete and soon was taken over by the giant leaves of the squash. I grew lettuce and spinach in hanging baskets off the side of our back deck. I grew strawberry plants in a strawberry jar. We had a nice harvest of those too. I also had two cherry tomato plants that I grew in containers. Those things grew so crazy! They were in containers at ground level and by early fall they were over 10 feet tall and growing up the deck posts and railing. Every day was plenty of tomatoes for salads, for snacking and for giving away to the neighbors who were awed by the idea of growing your own vegetables. In the city. In a townhouse. In some little pots. If nothing else you can grow a salad in a couple of containers right on your deck or balcony or even a bright sunny window. Yes, you can. It doesn't have to be expensive either. I saw these planters just this past week 2 for $5. These containers can be found at the local dollar store for 2 or 3 dollars each. Punch a couple of drain holes in the bottoms if they don't already have them, add some rocks or broken pottery for drainage. Fill with potting soil. Miracle grow is pricey but it has plant food in it. Walmart sells a much cheaper potting soil $1.50 for 40lbs. Either way you have to feed the plants weekly to produce good vegetables. Into one container you could add one or two cherry tomato plants. (Remember as they grow they will need something for support.) Into another you could add a couple of cucumber seeds. (Cucumbers are a vine they will spill out of the container and creep along a banister or small trellis.) Into another you could sow a mixed lettuce seed. (Lettuce grows quickly. You could start seeds about 6 weeks after the first seeds so that you have a never ending supply for your salad bowl.) Place in a sunny place, add water as needed and watch your salad grow. You will be amazed at how much better those few little vegeables taste compared to what you buy at the grocery store. Come on. Give it a try. Don't say "I can't because I live in an apartment/city/tiny townhouse." Say, "I can even though I live in an apartment/city/tiny townhouse." It only takes a small pot of soil and a few seeds. You can do it. You have plenty of time. Especially those of you that live up here in Virginia where winter and spring are still butting heads. The weather is still cool. Lettuce LOVES cool weather. You have plenty of time to start seeds. Plan this weekend to get a few packs of seeds, some pots and soil. You will be glad you did. This week end we plan to start putting all of the seeds I started into the ground. Yipeee!

I am not much of a tv watcher. I am more of a tv listener. I have the tv on all the time for noise. Taking on a task in a quiet room makes me completely unproductive. My mind wanders and doesn't concentrate on the task at hand. I need that background noise to occupy some part of my brain that otherwise is very unhappy being idle. During the day while I am puttering about the house, working in the kitchen, cooking, doing laundry or even sitting with my laptop trying to vcatchup in the minutes Steven the Tornado has slowed down there are shows I prefer to listen to. One of my favorites is City Confidential. Probably the thing that attracts me most to this show is the fact that more often than not the shows are about some place I know. Many times it has been a show centered in Northern Virginia, Metro D.C., or out this way in 'horse country'. There is a gossipy feel to some segments of the show and the snide, tongue-in-cheek, smart-ass quips often make me laugh a little. It is no secret the amount of wealth that resides in the big estates and manors nestled into the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I am here to tell you alot of those people are theives, murders, suspected murders, felons, shadey characters hidden behind the iron gates and green money. It is shocking to know who lives where in such close vacinity to me. I also listen to American Justice, Cold Case Files, Law and Order, CSI, CSI:Miami, and several others. Evening tv is completely different for me. It has an entirely different set of rules. Often we watch whatever new has come from Netflix. We have spent the last couple of weeks watching the PBS line-up of Manor House, Regency House, Colonial House, Frontier House and others mixed with an odd selection of movies old and new. Except for Sunday and Tuesday night. On those nights I am glued to the TV. Would it surprise you to know that not only am I a huge fan of Gene Simmons Family Jewels but I am also a giant fan of Dog the Bounty Hunter? I am! We have always only had basic cable service. I have always been happy with basic cable. There is alot to choose from on basic cable. However, Comcast caught me a weak moment this week and I signed up for the promotional offer of HBO, Showtime and Starz for just pennies increase in our cable bill. The cable guy is supposed to come hook us up sometime Monday morning. I have no idea what is on those channels. It has been years since I have even turned on a TV that has those channels. This is where I need your help. What is there to watch on those channels? Is there something we must see? What should we be watching that doesn't interfere with my Sunday and Tuesday night must see tv?

What I planned to do: Prime and paint large window frame in kitchen. Prime and paint small window frame in kitchen. Prime and paint corner of baseboards behind woodstove. Scrub kitchen floor with ammonia then wax to a gleaming shine. Begin painting the dining room to coordinate with the lovely finished kitchen. Make curtains for kitchen from fabric purchased nearly two years ago that is now discontinued and can't be found anywhere at allwhatsoever. Work in backyard, spray clover and weeds, trim up and clean up noticable public areas that are showing signs of neglect from the last snow storm. Pot up plants for hanging baskets for front porch. Scrub planters for front porch and place lovely ferns on either side of the front door. Fill planters with lovely flowers for the front porch steps. Work on blog template requests. Finish quilt. What I accomplished in 1 week: Prime and paint large window frame in kitchen. Prime and paint small window frame in kitchen. Prime and paint corner of baseboards behind woodstove. Make two of eight curtain panels. For three days get Colby to work. Pick Colby up from work. Try to find rims for her Explorer that do not cost $400+ each. Cook three meals a day, every day for children home on Spring Break. Bring in firewood and keep fire going in woodstove due to temperatures barely cliimbing into the 50's all week. Wash dishes. Wash clothes. Wash dishes. Wash clothes. Wash dishes. Wash clothes. Rinse and Repeat. Wash dishes. Wash clothes. I am really struggling to get things done today. Colby doesn't have to go to work so she is going to help me with Steven today. Maybe I'll get to the point I can show you a few photos tomorrow. Then I dropped a piece of firewood. It nearly broke two of my toes. One toe is cut and bruised. There is no way I can wear a closed toe shoe but the foot is so ugly in its current state that my cute sandles and slides don't look so cute with black and blue and bloody toes poking out the tip.

Yesterday was an attempt to finish the last little piece of baseboard that needed painting and the small window frame. A trip to Lowe's was needed for a couple little things. NOTHING went as planned yesterday. Nothing. Colby had a tire blow out yesterday. She was on a busy 8 lane highway. Thank heavens she was in the far right lane when it happened. The truck tire blew out and threw her into the curb. Hitting the curb peeled 1/4th of the rim away from the rim body. Cell phone photo. She called me crying and not knowing what to do. She was not hurt. That is the good news. The bad news she was too far away to limp into a service center. I called a tow truck. I got her to the tire center. The back tire and rim, shot. The rim and the front tire is too damaged to use as well from slamming into the curb. 2 rims + 2 new tires = Entire first paycheck. What a rude welcome to the real world of adult life.

It is a cold spring break. I am keeping the fires burning. We are carrying as much firewood now as we did back in January. The children are out of school for the week. J. is with us. While them being home creates far more work with the need to cook more meals and offer more snacks, etc, it is also easier as they play with Steven and I can accomplish larger projects in the day. I am finishing the painting in my kitchen. Almost done! Today is day 2. I am making great headway! Yayyyy me! I'll have photos of the kids from Easter to post later. No Easter egg hunt though. It was far too cold to have the baby out and it was way too wet to hide eggs. I do not remember a spring this cold. All of my plants are doing great in hot house of my kitchen. Though space is running very short on the counter tops. I'll be posting photos of the vegetables that have sprouted and will be transplanted to the garden in a week or two. I am so excited to get things underway. Last year the rains flooded out my garden. This year I hope it doesn't freeze. I want a bumper crop of good things. Oh, the tv series 24. I hate that show. Why do so many people like it? Keiffer Southerland - ugh!

Matthew 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Matthew 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. Matthew 28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: Matthew 28:4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead [men]. Matthew 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. Matthew 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the [mother] of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. Mark 16:2 And very early in the morning the first [day] of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? Mark 16:4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. Mark 16:5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. Mark 16:6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. Luke 24:1 Now upon the first [day] of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain [others] with them. Luke 24:2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. Luke 24:3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: Luke 24:5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down [their] faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? Luke 24:6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Luke 24:7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. John 20:1 The first [day] of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. John 20:2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. John 20:3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. John 20:4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. John 20:5 And he stooping down, [and looking in], saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. John 20:6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, John 20:7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. John 20:8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. Jhn 20:9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. John 20:10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. John 20:11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, [and looked] into the sepulchre, John 20:12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. John 20:13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. John 20:14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. John 20:15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. John 20:16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.

We got snow for Easter. 3 am Saturday morning It certainly is lovely in the beginning. It is also a bit exciting to think of it snowing in spring. This is a very odd thing for a girl from middle Georgia. Down the driveway. Gracie is very upset because she is very sure it will be too cold for her lovely open toed new shoes and spring dress for Easter Sunday. I certainly am in awe of this oddity. I, too, have open toed shoes for my Easter dress. Across the back yard. I am still a bit stunned at having snow this far along in Spring. Can you tell this has sort of blown a fuse in my head? Apple blossoms. I guess it goes to show you that you can take the girl out of Georgia and bring her to Virginia Forsythia. but you can't take Georgia out of the girl and snow the day before Easter just isn't right. Happy Easter to you all.

I don't have any silverbelles, cockle shells or pretty maids all in a row. I do have all these seeds started* and/or we have ready to go into the ground- Lettuce*

Green Curled Endive Roquette/Arugula Green Towers Romaine Black Seeded Simpson Salad Bowl Grand Rapids

Spinach* Eggplant*

Ghostbuster Hybrid (white) Black Beauty (Purple)

Tomatoes*

Eva Purple Ball Cherokee Purple Abraham Lincoln Brandywine Mortgage Lifter Snowball (seeds have not come yet)

Squash*

Grey Zucchini Zucchini Elite Yellow Crookneck Spaghetti Squash

Celery* Cabbage*

Early Flat Dutch Red Acre

Cucumber*

Marketmore 80 Sumter

Herbs*

Dill Tarragon Rosemary Basil Dark Opal Purple Basil Chives Cilantro FlatLeaf Parsley Thyme Oregano Mint Lemon Balm

Okra - clemson spineless Beans & Peas

Asparagus Beans Sugar Snaps Alaska Peas Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans Tender Green Little Marvel Stringless Blue Lake

Turnips - purple top white globe Collards - georgia southern Artichokes*

Emerald Imperial Star

Popcorn

Strawberry Chocolate Cherry

Sweet Corn

Silver Queen Chubby Checker Ruby Queen

Mamoth Sunflowers Pumpkin

Cushaw Giant Jack O'Lantern

Watermelon

Sugar Baby Strawberry Grey Stripe

Gourds Red Potatoes There will be more to add to this list. Steven is pitching a fit and my time is over for the morning. Will you be planting a vegetable/herb garden this spring?

I have started several entries only to sideline them after reading other's posts on similar topics. Even though I had started posts long before other people have published on the same topic I don't want to be thought of as a copycat. I am at a loss as to what to write or post on. With as many people who journal online these days it is obvious that many will post on similar topics on similar days but I don't like to do that. While it seems as if I have been very crafty and productive in my days I am not really all that productive as of late. Steven is climbing, walking, running and in to everything! All the time! He might take a 45 minute nap during the day and that is it. Also - he does not sleep all night. He is good for about 4 hours then he spends the next 4 toss and turning and whining and finally he goes back to a deep sleep for about 2 hours. Then he is up and ready to go full blast. I am dragging through the days. It also doesn't help his mood that he has at least 6 new teeth pushing through. The sharp white points have erupted through his gums but they are so slow at finishing their entry. I really don't remember it taking this long with Gracie or Colby for the teeth to fully make their appearance. If I manage to sew or be crafty it is because I can sew one seam, run after him, come back and sew one seam, wash, rinse, repeat through the day. After 8 or 9 hours I show a bit of progress with the one seam at a time. Which I hate because I like to tackle a project and get it done quickly. The weather here has stalled. What was 80 degree days is now mid-sixty degree days but it is a cool/cold side of sixty. It is too cool to try to begin planting my vegetable garden. It is too cool for hanging baskets to go out on the front porch. It is too cool and wet to have Steven outdoors all day to try prune, clean, cut grass, etc. It doesn't take much for him to end up wet and cold and needing to come in. If I sit down at the laptop during the day he has a screaming fit. He pushes at the laptop, cries, whines, climbs into my lap and does evrything possible for me not to have one minute to do anything. I have Susie's new template 90% complete but he just has a fit when I try to finish it. If I should walk away from the laptop he then thinks it belongs to him and takes the mouse and clicks clicks clicks and resets everything, etc. It is a no-win situation most days. I am not complaining about my son. These days will be over quickly and I will wish for them back. I do however get frustrated with not accomplishing as much as I would like each day. I have scouted my church and found a possible baby sitter. Having her come in a few hours a week may be the only way I get anything done. Everything seems to be in a state of limbo for me. Nothing really getting done but a few chores, the laundry and the evening meal daily. I am over eager to get the garden going. I am itching to sew. I am almost finished with my quilt. I do have new templates in progress for those who have asked. It is just a matter of finding the baby-free time to get it all together. How are things going for you?