Jan. 13, 2019

We had a forecast of a winter storm but instead of dumping snow we have received Ice!  I waited a while to go out this morning until I realized that the temperatures were not going to warm up enough to get rid of the ice. So I carefully inched my way up the hill , hanging onto trees and branches of anything I could get my hands on.

I knew I could not get around to each of the cages or to feed the donkey without some kind of help and I did not want any broken bones. I Knew that a friend had bought me some kind of ice support system a few years back and I had looked for it last month in the building but could not find it. I knew I had to find it so I started pulling everything off the shelve in the building and Bingo I lucked up and found it. The reason I had not been able to see it was because the mice had eaten the box up that contained it and buried it in the rubble. I pulled it out and thought  O Gosh, no directions now , how do I use this creation?

Finally I figured out to stretch it out like a spider webb and slide it over my shoe like a sock, leaving this wire form under my sole. I eased out on the ice and I could walk ! I was thrilled to death . I carefully eased around the main building feeding and watering all the separate kennels and coops and finally eased down the longer , steeper hill to where the donkey was waiting for me in the falling down barn. He was glad to get his pellets and a bat of hay . I think he even knew it was dangerous to get out on that slick stuff and risk breaking a leg.

I was happy to make it back to the house and fix eggs and tators and biscuits and gravy to feed the kids. Got all of that cleaned up and went to work on this pair of blanket booties. I had messed up the correct size I was aiming for and had my best friend try them on for me to confirm it-so I readjusted my stitches and I am Hoping I have them correct to fit a size 10.  I will hopefully get to see her Tuesday when she takes me to the eye doctor and I will ask her to try this  new pair on again to see if I have pulled it off???

The ice is still here but I used the "magic ice socks" to get around and gather up the few eggs so they would not freeze. My neck and shoulder and back are giving me fits because I have not stretched much as I crocheted my day away except when I made a hamburger and potatoe and cheese one pot dish for the kids while I had a single serving pizza and popcorn.

A Dream Come True

How do you thank someone for making a dream come true? Almost break down in tears and scare them to death?

For the longest time I have wanted to have a sliding door to open into the pasture for the chickens in the main chicken house. All summer I dreamed of it and then I built the little small chicken coop beside the main house but struggled with my sight, so I was afraid to attempt cutting into the back wall of my little chicken house ??

So a new young flock was almost ready to start laying and I knew they would thrive with access to the pasture to get bugs and worms and organisms in the soil. The last few days have been very mild and I had cleaned out the inside runs and kept eyeing that house with the fenced in lot which always turns into a muddy mess with all of the rain we have had. Today would be our last warm day and then winter comes back so I decided to just buck up and try to pull it off.

Once I started I got in trouble right off the bat. I had to cut an old stock fence from the back of the building and I was not strong enough to cut through the heavy gauge wire. I had got the fencing pliers  and a busting mall and forced the pliers against a tree where I was cutting and banged it hard and got one cut-many more to go when I heard a sweet voice ask if I could use some help? Help! SUREEEEEEE I could and be so grateful for it, but I knew Crystal had kept Emmett busy helping her with her projects and I did not want to interfere. But turn down free help- my eyes might not have good eyes but I do have a good appreciator of help.

once he offered to tackle the deed and  I ran and hunted up all the tools and supplies that I thought we might need.

It would have taken me until dark to pull this off but Emmett had it accomplished in about an hour! I still want to just cry..... Help is just one of the most wonderful things in the world to have another human being give of themselves to make you happy and your life better. I am so very lucky to have my children.

Miss Sandra was the "go-fer" girl today always offering her help in any way she can and it is such a gift.

First Crochet Project of 2019

I have switched over to crochet projects for a while for several reasons. One is because of my diminishing eyesight. Two is because I crocheted a lot longer than I sewed so I am more familiar with it. Three is because I have a stash of yarn I need to use up before I kick the bucket and four just because I seem to find more projects that people will use instead of stick in a drawer or be forced to donate. So, that is my story and I am sticking to it for the time being.

I had made a pair of booties for my youngest granddaughter for Christmas -from that Bernat Blanket Yarn that we all love because it is soooo very soft.  She had thanked me and suggested if I ever wanted to make her a blanket she would love it -from the soft stuff. So, I knew it was getting time for the stores to put the yarns on sale and I checked out Jo-Ann's and low and behold it was on sale from 10.95 to 6.99 for the 10.5 oz. skeins. Her favorite colors are pink and lavender so here they are combined in the variegated colors. Yes, I mentioned I had a stash but no I do not have the blanket yarn in my stash .I sure wish I did but it disappears off of my hooks as fast as I can swing it.

I have one problem with this yarn. I can Never find the inside end to enable me to pull from the inside so I am forced to use the outside end and bounce my skein all over the place. I have looked online and asked on forums and finally I have written the Bernat Company to ask if maybe this is the only way you are suppose to use this yarn????I do not know so I am hoping they will reply and share some feedback for me.

My pups had a wonderful Christmas and my dear friend June from Tenn. sent them Christmas pup cookies. Indy is checking them out.

  Daisy picked the only solid white one from the pack.

Bandit had a hard time deciding. lol

Then Indy decided to take a nap. I love it when my pups are happy.

Dec. 23, 18

I finally got my youngest granddaughter a new poncho made for this year. When she was very young I made her one that she absolutely loved and that Thrilled me over the moon and back that I had made her so happy.

Then last year she had mentioned that she wished I could make her a new one . Then I decided it might be a nice Grandmother/Granddaughter gig to try to complete her a new one each Christmas. This one is really prettier than the picture gives it credit for and I am thinking about making me one too, after the holidays.

Daisy has spent most of the day just supervising my indoor activities. She said she did not really appreciate all that miserable cold and wind outdoors.

Crystal did take my car & end up going to the doctor and does have a concussion from the accident. I think she had a crazy doctor because when she could not follow the testors fingers she wanted to say she was schizophrenic???? Not even paying attention to the fact that she had been run over  by a cement truck , spun around in the road and drug across the highway??? She is starting to show some of the light sensitivity and irritability also. I think the shock is wearing off and the reality is hitting her body. That was the way it was for me .

I made a carrot cake this afternoon for our desert . Been a long time since we have had one of those.
I also completed one of the other granddaughters a hanging car organizer to put on the back seat of her vehicle to store some of the baby items she needs with her new baby and other two small ones. They are always needing something. But I think I forgot to take a picture of that and it was cute. I hope she likes it and can get lots of use from it.

A few years back when DH was still alive I made several of them for my family members with small children for their cars and I also made DH one for his truck. I still have what is left of his truck in the back and I walked to it to see if his was still in his truck and it was. I peeked inside of its contents and he had put his turkey calls and hunting supplies in the different pockets. He really enjoyed it and made good use of it so that made me smile to know I had made him happy.

My dear sweet neighbors Patty and Tony popped in and we exchanged gifts. She is fighting colon cancer and it just breaks my heart . She and I went to school together and there has never been a better lady to walk the earth. She knew she wanted to be a nurse from the time we were in the first grade and back then when you reached a certain age you could volunteer as a little "candy-striper" at the local hospital and that was what she did and then it was just up and on until she reached her goal and was a wonderful nurse. She worked in the ER a lot of the time . She was there for me when I had pneumonia and later when I shattered my leg and ankle and foot . So, I can tell you how much she has helped humanity in our neck of the woods and for this to jump on her just breaks my heart.

Emmett's girlfriend, Sandra also went to Urgent Care today with her infected teeth and they gave her some antibiotics and hopefully that will clear up the infection because she has a dentist appointment this upcoming week. I do SOOOO Hate to see anybody suffer with their teeth as I had that battle most of my adult life and to think of it just makes me shudder.

I am so grateful for good friends, and wonderful family , my beloved pets and my good health and independence.

Dec. 19, 2018

Not the day I had planned which was to do my morning chores and get them out of the way to work on a sewing project as I am narrowing down on my gifts.

I had gone outdoors and fed the donkey and one run of the chickens and came back in the house which I do not do very often. The phone ran and it was my daughter . Now it was a miracle that the call came through because she was in a blind spot for cell phone reception and all she could say was Mom I have been hit over at the Graysontown bridge. I could feel myself gasp and say I'm on my way and out the door I ran.

I kept thinking Graysontown bridge ?? She would not be going that direction this morning and when I got there - I did not see anything so I turned around and backtracked to another bridge which turned out to be Simpkinstown bridge and still no daughter. My phone rang again and it was my baby son saying she had seen me turn around and she was there on the hill. So I turned around and headed back to Graysontown bridge and still no sign of her?? I turned around on that bridge and went back to Snowville bridge and finally I spotted the police lights up on the hill.

It was cold and I spotted her so I eased the car near the accident and left the heater running while I checked on her standing out in the cold . She had been heading up the hill when a concrete truck came down the hill and hit her in the front and dragged her across the highway. There were pieces of wreckage strewn all over the road

I could tell she was really rattled and her head was hurting and she was not thinking clearly so when the policeman asked her how fast she was going I knew she was not going fast because she had just pulled from a stop off of the bridge so she guessed maybe 30. Well, the young policeman walked down around the curve and came back and gave Her the ticket for doing 30 in a 15mph?  Nothing in the world about a monster vehicle plowing into the very front of your vehicle and dragging her across the road ???? Not even noticing she was in no shape to even know what exact speed she was running ?

 She was not even heading in this direction ? She could not drive it home as the steering did not want to work. The young tow truck driver like to never got it to turn to get it on the roll back.

We got the vehicle home and then headed to town to go talk to the insurance company. Doesn't sound good at all. I am just glad she was not killed . I tried to get her to go to the doctor as I am suspecting a slight concussion? But not today-maybe tomorrow. They really can't do anything for one anyway except tell you to rest and not use your brain.

Another day in life in the country. lol

Happy Birthday Dec. 15,18

It was a lovely birthday. The temps are mild enough that the snow is melting like crazy but of course it is a muddy mess.

I started off my second morning having a fresh glass of carrot juice . Emmett bought me a big bag and I was curious if I tried that I might help my eyesight out any?

Sandra and Emmett helped me do chores this morning and that was nice so I could get back in the house and work on Christmas gifts sooner. I made a really neat army fleece cap for a young friend but wrapped it before I got a picture.

Then I struggled through making this nursing cover up for one of my granddaughters. It was one of those projects that kinda took on a life of its own, so it is definitely one of a kind. lol

I got a lot more gifts wrapped so I am narrowing down on them.

Sandra made me a chocolate birthday cake and Emmett cut it and served it with chocolate ice cream. It was really tasty-so nice and soft and moist. It was the nicest gift to have them helping me .
Crystal popped in for a few minutes and brought me what I had asked for for my birthday , a fresh pineapple and a toilet seat ! Mine has been broken for quiet a while now and she found one with metal hardware instead of the plastic that is always breaking. I am trying to figure out how to make some kind of a softer covering to go on it??????? We will see???

Right now I am tired and my back is hurting and my throat is soar but I gargled with something called Firewater and it did seem to help although it takes my breath away. Shewwwwwwwwww- it is strong. lol

Emmett spent most of the afternoon outdoors working on his little car while he had a friend come help him. They are pulling the motor and putting another one in it. I am hoping it will fix his problem and he can have his car back running. Our cars are our independence and they mean so very much to us.

Today I am grateful to family. They all are gifts from God.

Our First Big Snow of the Season

It started last night around 1 and has  not let up until about 3pm. My shoulder and right ribs are hurting because I have fought with it all the time except for sleeping from 3 to 9 this morning but it just kept coming . I was having trouble lifting it from my paths as the sides of my paths were getting too tall for me to heave it up onto. I am really glad it has stopped. I think there are 15 inches all total and I am a whipped pup.

I kept all of the chickens except one run closes today and the one I opened up -they did not even want to poke their heads out in this white stuff. The pups even said it was TOO COLD for their little "footsies" and abandoned me to the warm house. Everytime I put on dry socks I get them wet again.

I am so very grateful for all of the wonderful wood that Emmett and Sandra have cut and hauled to the house.
My wonderful neighbor Bill Burton came and plowed our driveway this afternoon. Even his big tractor was grunting in the effort. This is deeply appreciated as I could never dig my long driveway out.

Winter is not officially here until next week so this is a Fall snow. It was very beautiful falling but so much work keeping up with it that it takes away the splendor. I have fixed a cranberry pie and brownies and a big pot of soup and one of chili beans just in case we lose our electricity . Sandra fixed them a monster sub so we do have food and each other to rely on. That means a lot in times like this.

When I was shoveling snow at 3am it was so bright outdoors it was like daylight. That was quiet beautiful too. It is almost a magical experience.