Home on Marshmallow Ranch

The Black Iris is Blooming!

Mon, 12 May 2025 01:30:00 -0600

Just a quick update on the tractor. I got is all put back together and wouldn’t you know it…it did the SAME thing it was doing before I started. I looked at even more YouTube videos and I finally fell onto a couple that talked about the brake. If the brake is at all engaged, the mower will not move forward. After seven years of mowing five acres, sometimes twice a week, the spring that brings the brake back up in a disengaged setting was getting a little old. I tried mowing and holding the brake up with my foot and bingo! The mower drove like a champ. So, being the mechanical girl that I am, I said, “Why don’t we just use a bungee cord to hold that pedal all the way up? It would still be stretchy so I can hold the brake in to start the tractor.” Mr. FixIt said he thought that might work, and sure enough…I was mowing in five minutes.

Then…I smelled something hot and there was a big clank and the mower blades stopped working. The deck belt came off. I drove it back to the building and looked underneath. The belt didn’t just pop off. It was shredded! It turned out, I didn’t tighten one of the belt guides in the right place. Ugh! Fortunately, Mr. FixIt had another deck belt in the building. (Of COURSE he did! lol) I got the belt on and we changed the position of the guide to be sure it didn’t rub on the belt anywhere and I was back in business.

I mowed the whole five acres and I’m telling you, by the time I was done I was done for. I ended up having a nice Mother’s Day. I spoke to both of my Colorado girls and the WV family, as well. I’m going to knitting group this morning then, if it’s not raining, I’ll go out to the farm to mow. If it’s raining, I need to bake bread…today or tomorrow.

Hope you had a nice weekend. The weather was perfect and things are so green it hurts you eyes! Oh…the “Black Iris” bloomed just in time for Mother’s Day!!!

Well, actually…in a certain light…my iPhone makes them look very dark purple.

🩵

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***  
Today, I am grateful to have a patient husband who enjoys teaching me how to do things around our little homestead. He never gets mad at me for making mistakes…even when I ruin a $55 mower deck belt!

Just Stretching to See What Hurts

Sat, 10 May 2025 01:30:00 -0600

Can you find the Buckeye Tree?

Oooooh, you know how great it feels to finally get outside in the spring to do yard work? And, there’s always that one day when you wake up and have to gingerly move your body to see what damage has been wrought? Yeah…yesterday was my day. My hands hurt. My hip hurt where I sat on the cement for too long fiddling with the Husqvarna. The tendons on the front of my neck even hurt from holding my head off the ground while laying under the tractor. Still, it was a satisfying ache.

We didn’t get much done on the tractor yesterday. We had to go to town for another doctor’s appointment. Are you like us? We go through a period where the appointments are reasonably spread apart, then all of a sudden…we’re there all the time! When a round trip to town is at the very least sixty miles, you have to add all your stops for shopping, banking, haircuts, whatever to that because you don’t want to make the trip very often. So, by the time you get back home it’s time for supper and the news and the day is pretty much shot.

The first daisy!

I did get the new deck belt put on and switched out three of the five little wheels on the mower deck. We have a 30’x40’ building full to the rafters with anything you might need for such jobs as these. But, do you think we could find a couple of washers for those wheels? Nooooo! Finally, Mr. FixIt pulled a small tray out a tool box and sure enough, there were the washers we needed. That building is like Lowe’s after a tornado…you know you’ve got just about everything for just about every job. The thing is…can you find it?

Multiflora Rose…it is a scourge in the Appalachia’s. Early settlers planted them as “living fences” and they took over everything. They are impossible to get rid of and their brambles are sharp and intertwined.

Mr. FixIt still has to change the oil on the tractor. Or maybe I’ll learn how to do that, too! We should get everything put back together by afternoon when we go out to eat to celebrate the youngest WV granddaughter’s graduation from WVU. And tomorrow? Back to mowing. Our next big project is buying a new storm door and installing it. I know I can’t do THAT job by myself. Those doors are heavy and if I dropped it and shattered the glass, I’d feel awful!

Top Row: Buttercup, Milkweed, Common Starwort Bottom Row: Our 1st “Early Girl” Tomato, Fleabane, Milkweed (always excited when I see these because I pray for monarchs, but just to the right is a single stem of Garlic Mustard…a highly invasive weed. I need to get after them before they seed!)

It’s always something, isn’t it? I’d rather be busy than not. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop! I did have a chance to do a walkabout last evening during the golden hour and snapped some pics for you. Enjoy!

🌷☀️🌷

“She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***  
Today, I am grateful for good healthcare providers who watch out for our health. May it always be so, Lord.

Wannabe Farm Girl

Thu, 08 May 2025 01:30:00 -0600

All planted…five varieties of tomatoes, all heirloom except one.

I grew up in a medium-sized town in WV. We had a bustling downtown till they built the mall around the time I graduated from high school. Even though I was a “townie”, we spent just about every weekend out at my grandparents’ farm. Grandma and PopPop had a truck garden next to the house, and they grew a canning garden up on top of the hill. I worked alongside my grandma for as long as I can remember. From planting seeds to harvesting to putting up the produce, my hands were always busy.

I planted marigolds to keep the bugs away.

Like most adolescents, I grew up wanting something different. I didn’t want to be “stuck” working on a farm all my life raising a houseful of children. I wanted my life to be exciting. And it was. I lived in England for a couple of years and then Colorado for forty more. Somewhere in there, I decided I wanted a farm. Trouble was, I didn’t have a husband that wanted the same thing.

Our rhubarb plant was overgrown and died, so I bought a new one. This will be kept in a pot.

When Mr. Virgo died in March of 2013, I took advantage of the opportunity to return to my roots. I actually lived on Grandma’s farm for a couple of years and it was phenomenal. Then, about five years later, I married my high school sweetheart and, as most of you know, we live on our little five-acre pseudo homestead. We are not self sufficient, but we get closer every year. And even though we are both in our early seventies, we strive to do everything we reasonably can to reduce our carbon footprint and be prepared for any negative circumstances.

Tomato Variety Board…SIMM’s Greenhouse - Palestine, WV

We’ve tried having a garden here on Marshmallow Ranch, but we are of an age where dragging a tiller around and bending over for hours planting and weeding is just too much for our aging bodies. We always plan our summer projects during the winter when we are closed in with snow. This winter, Mr. FixIt decided he wanted to build a raised garden bed where we could at least raise tomatoes for the table. He bought the wood last week and slowly put it together. We tweaked it a little here and there till we got the configuration we thought would be useful. He finished putting the boards on the last side yesterday and lined the box with a double thickness of plastic. He had half a pickup load of top soil, some straw, and a few bags of compost/manure mix. Our son came over yesterday and between the two of them, they had the raised bed filled with dirt in a couple of hours.

While the guys worked on our super new garden space, I went to the tractor store and bought a new drive belt for the Husqvarna. We need to take the mower deck off today and replace that belt so I can get out there and mow. It’s getting really deep in the areas that are not designated as pollinator gardens. When I got home, our son was just leaving and Mr. FixIt and I decided to go to Simm’s Greenhouse for plants. When we got back, I planted the garden. Along with the tomatoes, I bought some marigolds to help keep the bugs away. I also bought a beautiful rhubarb plant and I’m going to grow it in a tub out back.

Our grand-doggy, Cooper. He is SO precious!

It was a very busy day but our bones were weary in a good way. It’s supposed to rain so I know I won’t get out on the mower today. But, there is ALWAYS something to do around here so I am sure the grass won’t grow under our feet. As I am sitting here writing to you, the little grey tree frogs are out there singing their hearts out for Ms. Right. It’s a pink-fringed evening with a cool breeze and I’m happy to my core.

I’m finally home.

🩵🌷🩵

“Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might not be passed to the next generation. After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears and the mountain grasses are gathered in, your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will provide the price of a field. And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself, your family, and your servant girls.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭23‬-‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

***Gratitude Journal*** Today, I am grateful for the opportunity to be as close to a farm girl as I’ve ever been. No chickens or pigs or goats, but we’re living in the country with the birds and the bees! And that’s something!

Ahhhh…the Whippoorwill is Back!

Tue, 06 May 2025 01:30:00 -0600

An eastern whippoorwill (Antrostomus vociferous) perches on a tree branch in the eastern deciduous forest (Photo credit: birdsoftheworld.org).

It was dusk when I walked out to the camper. The air was cool after a late afternoon rain and the frogs called back and forth in their amphibious love fest. The bunnies froze in place as my headlamp brushed across the new mown grass, their red eyes glowing in the impending darkness. Night birds called here and there as they settled for the night. That’s when I heard her…the lone whippoorwill in the hedgerow at the end of the far field.

Sunday’s hail storm about a mile from our house.

I love the sound of a whippoorwill. It takes me back to my childhood, lying in bed beneath the tin roof at my grandma’s house. Back then, there was a pair of bobwhites on the hill across the road. One night I heard their unmistakeable call followed by the scream of a bobcat. That was the last time I ever heard a bobwhite.

A foggy night at Marshmallow Ranch.

A whippoorwill’s call can get mighty obnoxious if they’re close to the house. I don’t know if you remember the story about the time a whippoorwill perched on top of the old TV antenna at the end of our house. We were “yard camping” and that thing would NOT stop and it wouldn’t fly back to the hedgerow where it belonged. I got up and left the camper to try to shoo it off. I got a big pot and a metal spoon and clanged away but it didn’t move an inch. It called nonstop for 45 minutes and I was about ready to pull my hair out.

The rhododendron is blooming! It seems early to me this year.

I looked around for something else that might work. There was a ball peen hammer laying on the grill for some reason. I grabbed that thing and marched out to the antenna and gave it a sound WHACK! That bird few off and much to my dismay, I didn’t hear it again for three years. I heard it once last year in the early spring, but I’ve heard it several times this year. I don’t think I’ll ever try to scare it off again. These are God’s gifts to us and should be appreciated for their beautiful song.

The beautiful rhododendron…West Virginia’s state flower.

Especially if it’s down in the hedgerow at the end of the far field!

🐦‍⬛

“The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.” Song of Songs‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for the many songbirds who are migrating through WV at this time of year. I awoke to my very favorite bird yesterday morning…the lovely wood thrush with its crystal clear song just makes my heart sing. When I’m out at The Farm, I hear them back up the holler behind the barn and their song echos and rings like a bell choir.

It’s Stick Pickin’ Season

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 01:30:00 -0600

Picking up sticks in the field. This keeps me from having to hop off and on the tractor every ten feet so I don’t run over them.

I met some of my high school friends for lunch yesterday. We had such a great time…telling stories and laughing and having a big time. This group meets once a month at the same restaurant. There’s a big room in the back where we gather. Two walls of this room have large windows which make for a sunny, warm spot to dine. It’s nice this time of year, however it’s a little less comfortable in the summer.

It’s stick season!

I had a lovely spinach salad with grilled chicken and hot bacon dressing. Divine! But after eating, I experienced some gastric distress and had to excuse myself. We were nearly finished anyway. This restaurant puts all the orders for your table on one ticket so I didn’t have a slip in my hand. And I was thinking of my next stop and ready to get home. Well…I walked straight out of that restaurant without even thinking of paying! I hate when things like this happen, and they seem to happen more and more often as I age. Fortunately, one of the other gals picked up my check and I’ll mail her reimbursement today. These “senior moments” just aggravate me.

I found these double daffodils along the far creek bank near the culvert. I waded over and moved them to the near bank at the base of a tree to protect them.

I prayed since yesterday’s post about flying and asked God to calm my nerves and allow me to look at this as another Grand Adventure. It’s been quite a while since I’ve gone off on my own for a long trip on my own. I was just going to go for a couple of weeks, but Mr. FixIt talked me into staying longer so I can visit the kids and my brother at a more leisurely pace. I’ll be there for four weeks, the ticket was really affordable, I get a carry on and a personal item for free, and…I can fly out of Charleston instead of drive three or more hours to a bigger airport. By the time I had the ticket purchased, I felt much better about the whole thing.

The weather was so beautiful yesterday afternoon that Mr. FixIt and I went out stick pickin’. Our five acres are surrounded with lots of trees. During the winter we lose a lot of limbs and sticks from the wind. We have to go out stick pickin’ a few times before mowing season and I still need to stop often the first couple of times I mow to pick up more. They tend to slow down after the trees are fully leafed out. It was a lovely time to be out in the warm sunshine with my sweetheart.

The big bed of yellow iris is popping up!

Pumpkin Kitty follows us wherever we go when we’re out walking the fields. And without fail, we get to a particular place in the field and that cat does NOT want us to be there! She jerks her head over to the underbrush then she makes a beeline to us and herds us back to the house, hissing and having a fit till we get away from there. She must detect something we can’t and wants to keep us safe. We are HERS, after all!

Coltsfoot growing along the ditch.

I’m happy I don’t have anything scheduled for the rest of the week. I can get some spring cleaning done. Doesn’t it feel wonderful to throw the windows open and get some fresh air in the house? I love it!

💚

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for the courage to step out of my comfort zone and do things that make me nervous. Because I can do all things with Christ who strengthens me.

The Farm The Farm The Farm!

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 02:30:00 -0600

Finally…I got it together enough to come out to The Farm for a few days. The internet is so much faster here than at the house, so I came out to do the taxes. Then, when I opened the computer program I use, my information from 2023 did not migrate over. That’s when it hit me…I did the taxes on the desktop computer. Either that, or I saved everything in a backup on an external hard drive. There’s just one problem with that…

I remember putting all my external hard drives together to put them away when I cleaned up for a family gathering. I put them “somewhere safe.” You guessed it…I don’t have the foggiest idea where I put them. It’s always something with me and these taxes, isn’t it? Argh!

Still…I’m at The Farm!!!

Frank and Beans came over for a visit. It was great to see them. It had been quite a while. There were no further incursions in the house and no tracks outside so I think (hope…PRAY) that was a one-and-done once they found out there is absolutely nothing in this house that’s worth taking. I guess I won’t be staying as long as I thought I would since I can’t get the taxes done. Although…I did bring my knitting.

Hmmmmmm.

It will be much warmer in the coming week which is most welcome. It’s so funny…I can’t wait to get out to The Farm and away from the television. Then, I get out here and I’m lonesome for Mr. FixIt. What can I say…he’s my person!

💜

“Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

***Gratitude Journal*** Today I am grateful I can still spend time in my grandma’s house fill with memories…sights, sounds, and smells of my childhood. Just walking through the back door is like getting wrapped up in one of her hugs.

#TheFarm, #Home, #Taxes

The Zen of Bread Baking

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 02:30:00 -0600

“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” I’ve heard this proverb since I was a child. My grandma used to say this to me when I was bored and complaining there was nothing to do. If I didn’t have something to do, she’d make sure to find me something so I quickly learned to at least LOOK busy. If not, I’d be oiling all the wood in the house or scrubbing something.

I love having my hands busy doing something. In the summer it’s usually doing something in the garden. I knit and crochet and write because it soothes my soul. Now I’ve thrown myself into baking bread. Creating something beautiful from such simple ingredients is deeply satisfying. Baking bread stimulated all our our senses. From mixing and kneading the dough to the heady aroma wafting from the oven…from eyeing that crusty loaf to cradling that perfect slice in my hand and spreading butter and jam over it. And the taste….oh, the taste is divine. There is nothing as good as hot bread fresh from the oven in my opinion.

Mr. FixIt made a trip to town yesterday. He always calls before he heads home to see if I need anything. I asked him to stop and get some ham from Aldi for sandwiches. He said, “Speaking of sandwiches, do we need any bread?” Nope, I told him. I have two loaves and a pan of cinnamon rolls rising, plus some dough in the fridge for making a pizza. That man knows how good he has it here. He may have to put up with my sassy demeanor and my intrepid independence, but he knows he’ll be rewarded with yummy things from the kitchen. I think that’s a fair trade!

OMGosh! It is so cold here! Our high temp has been in the mid 20’s with lows barely out of the teens. This has been a hard winter on several fronts. When I put the camper out behind the house facing the “far field,” I could clearly see where the pollinator gardens were…lying dormant, waiting for the warmth of spring to bless us with bees and butterflies. I can’t wait to hear the songbirds return…and the owls and whippoorwills and nightjar in the hedgerow. I want to ground myself in the grass with my bare feet and feel the sun on my face….wear tank tops and shorts and flip flops…sip cool drinks in the shade of the maple tree out back. It’s coming, dear friends. The sun is rising earlier and setting behind the far ridge later and later. Soon, we’ll hear the high-pitched call of spring peepers followed by thousands of green tree frogs with their intermittent calls back and forth. After that, the occasional deep-throated bullfrog will charm us. The night sounds of crickets and katydids and cicadas.

Just hang on. The world may be a dumpster fire, but spring will come and remind us there is still beauty in God’s World!

🩵

“We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.” ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for the smell of freshly baked bread in my kitchen and the ability to give my family good food to eat.

#baking, #bread, #springiscoming

Things Are Looking Up!!!

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 02:30:00 -0600

Girls, you’ll never guess what we did yesterday! Little Gracie was finally ready to pick up from the RV Doctor! Hokey Smokes…I was SO excited. She looks beautiful….not a single dent. She actually looks better than new because they resealed everything…twice…to make sure there are no leaks. She got new skin on the passenger side, new decals and vent covers, a new jack, and a new awning. They even threw in a new tire cover for the spare on the back bumper. They combed over the roof to make sure it was sealed and wouldn’t leak. So mama’s a happy camper! Too bad it’s too doggone cold to sleep in her yet, but Spring is in thirty days. Well….Spring 1.0…you know there will be a couple of false starts before it gets and stays warm.

I didn’t get a chance to bake bread yesterday, but I’ll get on that today. The weather is going to be really cold till the weekend when it warms up again. I want to get out to The Farm for my annual Tax Marathon but it’s just not as fun when it’s too cold to sit out on the front porch. This is power outage season. I don’t mind so much not having water out there, but when it’s cold too, I prefer to be home. Mr. FixIt has an appointment in town today so I’ll work on the bread and enjoy the quiet here.

And the big news…well, at least it is big for me. I manage to fix my iPad. Not only that, when I fixed it the storage went down from 264G to under 19G! That is huge. It’s running like a brand new device now and I’m over the moon. Whenever I have a problem like this, I set it aside when I go to bed. I tell God we have a problem to fix. And the next day…somehow, some way…I get this clear solution that pops into my head. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it goes smoothly and the problem is fixed…better than new. God wants to help us even in the small, everyday things. I love it when the God-winks come!

This has been a long, hard winter. I know not everyone is feeling this way, but I’ve been really worried about the current events. My biggest fear is for my brother’s care and my family members in the LGBTQ community. I’m just praying hard every day, giving it to God, and throwing my heart and soul into helping others through their struggles. I have always been a bit of a Pollyanna, but I can’t blow sunshine up anyone’s skirt.

These are hard times, but I will not be broken. Look for the helpers and if you can’t find one…BE one. Someone can always use a lift up…a hug…a word of encouragement…a smile…a hand to hold…an ear to listen. But you don’t have to do or say anything. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is to sit quietly beside them.

Just give people love. That’s all they need. In so doing…the love comes back to you.

💜

““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.””
‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

***Gratitude Journal*** 
Today I am grateful for my friends who love me and keep me close in their hearts. They are a blessing beyond measure!

#Friends, #iPad, #Technology

Help Yourself

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 02:30:00 -0600

On September 6, 1916, Clarence Sanders revolutionized the grocery shopping experience. Up until that time, the woman of the house, or someone in her employ, would present a list to the grocer. She would wander around looking at the wares for sale while her groceries were gathered and either placed in a box, or a basket of some sort. The grocer would hand her a bill and she had a choice to pay it then, or have it put on her tab.

Mr. Sanders realized he could save time and money if he stocked shelves and had the customers make their own selections. Thus, the first Piggly Wiggly was opened in Memphis. I heard of “The Pig” for years, but they were mostly operated in southern states. The name “Piggly Wiggly” conjures up a simpler, slower life to me for some reason. So, when our local grocery store aligned with the brand, I was thrilled.

My grandkids enjoyed going to the store with me when they were here visiting. It didn’t look like any of the grocery stores they are used to in Colorado. The idea of ham salad about did them in. Jars of pickled eggs and smoked ham hocks and cornmeal mush had them nearly running for the door. They didn’t have a clue what I was talking about when I asked them to “get us a buggy.” My daughter whispered to the oldest, “She means a grocery cart.” Yeah…they felt like they had jumped into the “Way Back Machine!”

I love the Pig. I don’t do the bulk of my shopping there because they’re a lot more expensive than the shops in town. To me, saving money is not the point. It’s going in the front door and the two gals at the register waving a happy hello to me. It’s pushing my cart up and down the aisles looking for little treasures like homemade sausage seasoning, Amish goods like honey and jams and jellies, and local produce from the high tunnels out Nursery Road.

I moved to this little town of 698 souls in late 2017. The population peaked in 2000 at 1,012 but has steadily dropped since then. We have a service area of 4,098 in the county and gain some from the neighboring counties. We’ve seen mom and pop businesses come and go. We have a number of churches, three thrift shops, two gas stations, a quilt shop, a parts store, a barber and a hairdresser and a firehouse. There’s a little flower shop, a couple of banks and insurance agents and restaurants. We have a couple of schools and a really nice library. We even have a recycling place next to the ambulance barn and across from the little park by the river.

You often meet people at the post office and catch up…looking at pics of the grandkids and asking after someone’s health. I actually made friends with one of the gals from my knitting group at the PO and through her I’ve gathered even more friends. It’s just the quintessential small town…kinda like Mayberry. I love it here…a little bit isolated from the big world outside. Where you can breathe clean air and sit in the sunshine…maybe fish a little.

It’s home.

💜

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for a simple life in the country. A place where I am free to be me and enjoy God’s nature, my sweet husband, and clean living.

#farmlife, #countryliving, #PigglyWiggly

Missed a Day

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 02:30:00 -0600

One of the first things I do every day is check in here to see how everyone is doing. I write my posts every evening and schedule them to go live every morning at 4:00. Imagine my surprise when I check in and find I hadn’t written a post the night before. It doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, I toss around the debate…take the time to write one in the morning, or consider it a well deserved day off. I almost always choose the latter. I figure it gives me an extra twelve hours or so to come up with something interesting to talk about.

We had Mr. FixIt’s birthday party Wednesday night at the bowling alley. We took cupcakes and pizza over to Mrs. FixIt 1.0 and visited with her a little bit. She couldn’t come to the party and we wanted to be sure to include her. It had started raining around 8:00 and the temperature plummeted from 61° to 31° in the two hours we were bowling and when we came out, there was ice hanging from all the power lines and trees. It looked like diamonds twinkling in the street lights, but driving in an ice storm is anything but beautiful. We came home on our little twisty-turny two-lane blacktop going about 30mph. We never slid but there were lots of accidents that night. A head on collision on the Ohio side of the river claimed the lives of two women that night, so I was extra careful.

We got home safe and sound and watched the late news. Right around the time we were heading to bed, our power went out. Not a bad thing unless you are counting on that electric blanket to keep you warm. I did fine. I even had my window open. But poor Mr. FixIt had to get up and go into the family room and turn up the gas stove. The cold gives him cramps in his legs. The power finally came on a little after noon. It’s funny how flipping on a light is an automatic reflex…even when you absolutely know the electricity is out.

We had company in the afternoon. My bonus daughter and her husband came over to show us their new-to-them car. They got a really good deal on it and it was really super clean. They were so proud of it.

Other than that, we didn’t do a darned thing yesterday. I was considering going out to the farm for a few days, but it’s not as easy to go out there when the weather is dicey. There already isn’t running water. Then if the electric goes out, there’s no internet. There already isn’t TV which is one of the main reasons I like to go out there…to get a break from the noise. When I go out, I have to take my food and water, my knitting, my computer and lap desk, my cuddle blankets, clothes and toiletries, too. It’s quite the ordeal. I don’t like leaving a lot of stuff out there since we no longer own the place. So I cart it all out there and back. It just seems harder to do when it’s cold.

Spring will be here again before we know it. Mr. FixIt was remarking how there was still light in the sky going on 7:00 in the evening so the days are already getting noticeably longer. Think I’ll bake more bread today. I forgot to double my recipe on Wednesday and I only made one loaf. We had French toast for breakfast and sandwiches for supper and that used up quite a bit of that loaf.

I finally cleaned up my “nest” around the Big Red Chair! Trying to decide what project to work on next. Do you all see one project through to completion before you start the next? Or, are you like me and have several going at once? I’m incorrigible!

💜

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” Nahum‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***  
Today I am grateful for electricity and all the utilities we take for granted.

#electricity, #poweroutage, #icestorm

The House on Storm King

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 02:30:00 -0600

I posted a picture on here the other day of the first big snow after Mr. Virgo died. It made me think of my sweet little farmhouse up one the op of the hill. I had the best view in the neighborhood. When I first had it built, I furnished it to look like an English country cottage. Since it was just Daughter #2 and me living there, we were very comfortable with the shabby chic, girly look. But once Mr. Virgo came into the picture, that only lasted about six months before he asked if I had given any consideration to redecorating.

I took the hint and we set to turning the house into something more sophisticated. Something a man like Mr. Virgo would like. He had more expensive taste than I did and I had never lived in such a nicely appointed house before. Even when I lived in the big house with Hubby #2, our home was still pretty much “Early American Garage Sale.”

You know…life is what happens when you’re making other plans. I ended up getting rid of almost all of my beautiful furniture when I sold the house and moved to West Virginia. There are many pieces I wish I still had…like this console. It was painted brick red with delicate designs on it. I miss that incredibly comfortable couch. It was down filled and gorgeous. My elderly aunt gave me her second husband’s roll top desk. There was an alcove in the living room when I kept the desk so I could look at it. Eventually, we bought a long cabinet for the electronics and put the TV on the top. I had a darling round table in the breakfast nook. The bedroom furniture was more Mr. Virgo’s taste than my own. It was dark and heavy with carved pine cones. But still, it was beautiful.

When I moved into Mr. FixIt’s house, the furnishings were much more my taste. It’s more like what I had pre Mr. Virgo…comfortable, homey, and lived in. Really, the only new things that I brought in were my grandma’s jelly cupboard, a desk that I bought, the entertainment center that I use in the office to house my appliances, and the two Big Red Chairs we bought with one of the stimulus checks. I don’t need fancy things anymore. I just need comfy and serviceable.

And Mr. FixIt. HE is my home. By the way…he wants me to tell you all thank you for the many heartfelt birthday greetings. I have asked him not to comment on my blog himself since I keep his picture under wraps. I give so much of myself in my writing…he’s all MINE! He went down to the creek today to make sure the ditch was clear. We’re supposed to start getting a lot of rain this week.

I also want to thank you all for the kind words and prayers when I got hurt last week. They really helped and I’m feeling much more like myself. I’m not getting headaches now. You all are awesome!

💜

“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” Isaiah‬ ‭32‬:‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***
Today I am grateful for the skills I’ve learned to keep us fed, clothed, housed, and safe. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

#Faith, #Home, #Marriage

Knocked my Noggin

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 02:30:00 -0600

I was still in bed yesterday morning when Mr. FixIt asked if I wanted to go to IHOP for breakfast and then the DMV. Sounds simple, right? Ahhh…there’s no such thing as a simple trip to town when you live twenty miles away.

I was down for pancakes so I got ready, fixed my RYZE, and headed to town for what I knew would be at least a four hour trip. I always take a list so I don’t forget things and it was going to involve several stops.

The DMV didn’t take very long, surprisingly. We went to Sam’s, Aldi, and Lowe’s and headed home. All told, we were gone exactly four hours. Our primary goal when we got back was to get the other headlight put in Mr. FixIt’s truck. It went in without a hitch and looked super! The only thing is the right turn signal light isn’t working right so we need to get a new bulb.

I was getting the flat of water out of the bed of the truck. I shut the tailgate and bent over to pick up the water. Just then, I got hit in the back of my head with what felt like a baseball bat. I saw stars! It was the tailgate that fell open and hit me. If you don’t get that thing latched just right, it will fall open. The bonk on the head didn’t hurt all that bad, but as the evening went on, I could feel the muscles in my neck and upper back getting sore like whiplash. I’m fine. I know what to look for medically, so I’m not concerned. Just another bump in the road…errrr, noggin.

I didn’t do much of anything the rest of the evening. Mr. FixIt made us some supper and we watched the news. We don’t have a lot coming up. Saturday is Mr. FixIt’s birthday. I’ll fix him a special supper that night and we’ll celebrate next Wednesday with a bowling party with the family.

The cold spell has been broken…for the time being. The highs are up in the 50’s and it actually hits 60° on Monday! I called to get a report on Gracie, the camper. The gal said she looks beautiful but it still could be three more weeks or so before she’s ready. We can’t bring her home just yet anyway because the snow hasn’t quite melted and when it does, the ground is going to be really soft so I’ll have to back her in all the way down the curved drive to her parking space. OMGosh! I’ve missed her something awful and can’t wait to camp…even if it’s on our property.

Isn’t it funny…when it get’s down to 50° we think it’s freezing. But in February, when it gets up to 50° we’re praising Jesus that it’s almost over!

☀️😎☀️

“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭32‬:‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***
Today I am grateful for my health and my hard head. We take our health for granted and as we get older, accidents just happen more often. Mr. FixIt was quickly at my side and took good care of me all evening.

#accident, #errands, #repairs

English Muffins!

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 02:30:00 -0600

Finally! I got the English muffins to rise enough to bake. They were tangy and crunchy when toasted and tasted great with butter and jam. However, they were still pretty dense and a bit chewy on the inside. Really, the only room in our house that stays toasty warm is the family room but even with the bowl of dough sitting right next to the gas stove, it was still too cool to get a proper rise. I even tried to set the bowl on a heating pad but it kept timing out and turning itself off after 10 minutes. Sourdough is a tricky animal. Its performance is highly dependent on perfect conditions. I think I’ll try a different recipe next time.

I haven’t ventured out in the snow yet. Mr. FixIt has to run to town today, but I’m staying home. I will have to give in and go sometime soon. When I was flossing last night, one of the caps on my front teeth came off. I’ll need to get in and have that cemented back on. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another, right?

We watched the special ceremony at the capitol last evening when they brought President Carter’s coffin into the rotunda to lie in state. As they were firing the cannons in the 21-gun salute, I teared up. For one thing, it reminded me of the gun salute at Mr. Virgo’s funeral. I still can’t hear Taps without tears stinging my eyes. As the camera shot from the top of the Capital Dome down into the Rotunda, I was struck by the goodness of that man. He may not have been the best president we ever had, but he sure ranks up there with the most honorable.

We finished off the last of the beef stew yesterday. I have a piece of fish in the freezer. I think I’ll take that out and we’ll have fish and rice and a nice salad for supper. What are you all cooking these days?

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

#snow #sourdough #baking #homebody #hygge

A New Day…A New Month…A New Year!

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 02:30:00 -0600

Well, after four years of not so much as a sniffle, I woke up yesterday morning with a scratchy throat and a cough, tired and achy, and generally just…blah! I’m so disappointed, but I wouldn’t trade spending time with the kids for anything. Little germ bombs! lol I’m sure it won’t last long…right? At least I have cookies!

I pretty much spent the day in the Big Red Chair. Mr. FixIt cooked oats for me for breakfast and brought me a sandwich in the afternoon. I started crocheting an Artisan Market Bag and watched educational YouTube videos in between football games. It was all I could do to stay up to ring in the New Year with Mr. FixIt.

2024 was busy as usual with the addition of so many unexpected expenses. We got to travel a lot which was fun…the beach twice and our annual trip to Colorado. We’ve been blessed to have good health, a roof over our heads, and food on our table with enough to share with those less fortunate.

I remember when we moved to Colorado when Hubby #1 was in the Air Force. That New Year’s Eve, we were at a party ringing in the New Year. I happened to look at the time when it was 10:00. I knew it was midnight in WV and I just had an overwhelming urge to talk to my mom. This was LONG before cell phones, so I used our host’s phone and charged the call to my home phone. We didn’t talk long…we couldn’t afford it in those early years of marriage…but I just HAD to hear her voice! Oh, I would give just about anything to hear her voice again. She’s been gone 21 years this month and I still think of calling her to tell her about something.

I don’t know what the future holds for us in 2025, but I know who walks with me so I never have to do it alone. I pray you always have enough.

Keep hope alive, dear ones!

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

#newyearsday #newyear #cold #undertheweather #crochet #home #hyggehome

Making the Most of Time

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 01:30:00 -0600

We had a lovely day, keeping cool and swimming in the pool. We grilled steaks and corn-on-the-cob and were just truly lazy. A day spent doing nothing is not necessarily a day wasted. We enjoyed each other’s company. I worked on my laptop all afternoon, trying to get a handle on the 65,000+ e-mails I’ve ignored for far too long. I’ve made a commitment that if I am sitting in the Big Red Chair with Mr. FixIt, I’ll work on this unless I’m writing.

We need to buckle down and get things packed for the trip. My list is long and time is short. I don’t think we can take a whole day off before we leave Thursday. We have all the arrangements made for the house sitter and the lawn mower. Pumpkin Kitty will be well cared for.

We have the funeral today and I’ve gotten a late start on this post. So I’m going to leave this here and I’ll be back tomorrow. Stay cool, my friends.

☀️

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Matthew 25:13 ESV

A Full Day of Fun!

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 01:30:00 -0600

I woke up at 5:30! The sun coming in the window and shining on my legs makes me hot and wakes me up. Then, of course, there are the Red-Shouldered Hawks making a ruckus bright and early. I had to get up at 7:00 anyway…what’s another ninety minutes, eh? I put away everything in the camper and got it ready to tow into town, then went in to make sure Mr. FixIt was up. Mr. FixIt Jr. was coming over to help his dad cut down trees while I took the camper into town.

When I scheduled the appointment at one of the local RV dealers, I asked for the bearings to be repacked. I was assured they could do that. When I got there, the guy came right out and got to work. He said I didn’t have to unhook the camper and I could just sit in the truck. I was looking at my phone and caught a glimpse of the fellow crouched down by the wheel on the camper. I looked closer and all he was doing was putting axle grease in the fitting. When he came around to tell me he was finished, I questioned that because repacking the bearings is much more involved than that. He said I had a different kind of fitting and you don’t have to repack the bearings till you get your brakes checked.

He led me to the office to pay and when I saw the bill, I nearly swallowed my teeth! $107! To put 2-3 pumps of axle grease in the nipple? I don’t think so! I reminded the woman that I had asked for the bearings to be repacked and she had told me they would be. I told her if I would have known all he was going to do was pump grease into the hub, I could have done that myself. I was kind, yet firm. She listened and compromised and cut the bill in half. No need to burn bridges on either end. They were accommodating to get me in on short notice and I appreciated that.

As I was leaving, I asked if she could direct me to the place when I could fill up the propane tank. It turns out, they fill them at the service center so I got that job done at the same time. The next stop was the tire shop. Again, I didn’t have an appointment, but they weren’t that busy and were able to fit me in. Having only one axle simplifies things because there are only two tires to change. They also checked the spare…and cleaned out the big wasp nest that was under the tire cover.

Next up, the dump station. I found one closer than the one I usually use and that made things easier. But when I was getting out of the truck to get started, I reached for my camper keys and they weren’t where I normally keep them. I looked everywhere…no luck. I thought back and the only place I could have left them was at the camper dealership. Fortunately, I ordered some spare keys early this spring for just this reason. We got the camper with only one key, so if we lost that, we’d be out of luck. I stashed on in the truck, one on the camper key ring, and one on Mr. FixIt’s key ring. I got in the storage bay for my tools and cleaned the tanks…easy-peasy. When I was finished with the tanks, I circled back to the camper place and there were my keys!

I hurried home, unhooked the camper, and got it set up. Mr. FixIt & Son were cutting down trees when I got there. They called me over to video them cutting the big one down. It fell exactly where it was supposed to go. It was so big, it took them another couple of hours to cut it up and haul it over to the already huge brush pile. I went inside to finish with the cleaning and laundry so I could work on the meal for our family gathering. Everyone came over between 5:00 and 6:00. No one brought a bathing suit, but we still had a big time.

Mr. FixIt added extra chairs on the deck and we sat out there for supper. The smoked pork was wonderful! I only added wood chips twice so the smoky flavor was very subtle. I think the next time I’ll add a third load of chips to give it just a bit more smoke. Our daughter-in-law brought macaroni salad, baked beans, sliced cucumbers fresh from her dad’s garden, and a watermelon. Our granddaughter brought her homemade brownies. Mrs. FixIt 1.0 brought her yummy homemade coleslaw. We furnished the pork, chips, and four kinds of homemade ice cream. That Ninja Creami is a pretty cool gadget! I made chocolate, berry cheesecake, banana cheesecake, and pineapple sorbet. The banana cheesecake was my favorite but everyone had a little scoop of each to try them out. Served with a small brownie and topped with sugar free whipped cream in a can and it was really a nice meal. We sat out on the deck and talked for a couple of hours till it started getting a little chilly.

Mr. FixIt had a wonderful visit with the family for Father’s Day…a day early. Now he can just rest today. So, we have leftovers, a clean house, and warm memories. It doesn’t get much better than that, does it?

🩵

““Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Field Day at Marshmallow Ranch

Wed, 29 May 2024 01:30:00 -0600

All these little black and white dots are frog eggs suspended in a gelatinous substance that feeds and protects them till they grow their little tails and start swimming on their own.

We got our usual lazy start yesterday. The weather app said the high would only be around 75° which is wonderful for working outside. The grass isn’t quite long enough to mow, so we knew our attention would be on the pool. We left it Monday evening with a chorus of green tree frogs and a little too dark for me to try to fish them out without them jumping on me. So, after our breakfast of grits and eggs, we headed out to get to work.

I put the net on the leaf catcher and sucked up as much gunk as I could off the bottom. Once all the big stuff was up, all that was left was algae and it just filters right through the mesh bag. I switched to the skimmer to get what was floating and about that time, Mrs. FixIt 1.0 and our daughter came by on their way to the nursery on out the road.

I had just discovered masses of gelatinous blobs containing hundreds of frog eggs. I dutifully scooped them up and carried them out to the ditch along the road so they could grow into more green tree frog and grace us with the song of their people. As I got a closer look, I noticed tadpoles swimming in the pool. This was getting serious. We have to do something before we’re overrun with these little boogers.

I asked our daughter if she would like to take some of the eggs and tadpoles home to show the littles. She thought that was a great idea, so I got an old plastic container and filled it with water from the pool. Then slowly, scoop by scoop, I added egg masses and tadpoles. At one point, one of the tadpoles didn’t get in the jar and landed on our outdoor dining table.

I tried to scoop it up with the net but it was too awkward. And, there is a very long pole connected to the net. Before I knew what was happening, the long handle slipped out of my hand and hit the deck…at which point the contents of the net flipped up and hit me square in the face! Thankfully my first instinct was to shut my mouth. When I slowly opened my eyes to evaluate the situation, I realized there was a long stringy mass of frog eggs dangling form my nose!!!

Being as cool and calm as I could muster, I scraped the eggs off my nose and the table top and dropped them into the container for the kids. Hokey smokes…I’m ALWAYS getting into something, aren’t I? lol We all had a very good laugh over that one. Off and on all day, I scooped more and more of the tadpoles out. We turned on the pump and the skimmer took care of the egg masses.

Next up was power washing the deck furniture. We live in such a humid environment that green algae grows all over everything if you don’t keep up with it. We didn’t use the deck that much last year, so nothing got cleaned up. Mr. FixIt sprayed down all of our furniture then I sprayed the glass topped table. I missed a few places so I’ll have to go over it with Windex and a scrubby today.

I don’t want to put out the new cushions till we get the deck power washed and sealed. And we can’t do that till after the pool is clean. We still need to stir up the bottom and sides of the pool with a broom then, in a day or two, we’ll be able to shut down the pump, put the new sand in it, add chemicals, and get the pump turned back on. That will be the end of the frogs in the pool! (I hope!)

I fixed a wonderful pot of spaghetti and sauce for supper. It was cool enough to cook without heating up the whole house and we’ve missed having a real meal. After supper, we went out on the deck and sat listening for the tree frogs and watching the daylight fade away. I went in for a couple of bowls of cubed watermelon for our dessert. We were thrilled it was a good one. It was billed as seedless, but there were seeds. I like watermelon with seeds. I think they have more flavor.

Once the lightning bugs came out and the cool of the evening came rolling in, we called it quits. It was a good, productive, and fun day visiting with our peeps and fishing out the peepers…even if I DID get egg(s) on my face! (See what I did there? lol)

🤭

“Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.”
Psalms 105:30 NIV

Froggy Went a’Courtin’

Tue, 28 May 2024 01:30:00 -0600

Photo Credit: vuecustompools.com

I’ve been hearing these frogs out by the pool all spring. Calling back and forth. I’d never heard them in our yard before. They sounded like they were under the deck where there are some mud puddles…the perfect environment for them. One has been making a call that sounds like a chicken. I did a Google search and discovered that was the mating call of the male green tree frog. Uh-oh. I had a sinking feeling about this.

I came out back last night to listen to their calls and try to figure out exactly where they were. I heard the one making the chicken sound and yelled for Mr. FixIt to come out and listen. Then…I heard a splash. Now, there isn’t enough water in those puddles to make a splash, so I crept up on the deck to have a peek.

OMGosh!

Remember how I said the pool resembles a prop from a movie? Swamp Thing comes to mind. Well…not only do we have our own personal swamp, we also have the amphibians squatting all over the place in there living rent free in the pool! I took the skimmer net and tried to scoop them out but one jumped and landed on my arm and I decided this was a job for another night! Mr. FixIt says they’ve had them before. I really want to get them out before we put chemicals in the pool.

What next? I dare not ask!

We didn’t get a lot accomplished yesterday. It was, after all, a holiday. We cooked. We ate. And we replaced one of the rotten boards on the deck. We need to go to town to get more boards. We also need to move the leftover wood from building the beds because the pressure washer is conveniently located behind that mess.

I am not used to things taking so long to get done. I’ve always just gone ahead and get started on the jobs I determine needs doing. But there are so many extenuating circumstances now to consider. The wishes of my spouse. Money. Time. And physical ability. I used to get frustrated with it, but I’ve learned (most of the time) to go with the flow and realize it will get done at some point. One way or another. It saves us both a lot of stress when I eliminate my handwringing.

We went for a walk around the pollinator gardens last evening as the sun was fading. There was a deer down at the end of the far field carefully watching our approach, hand-in-hand. The daisies are prolific and definitely the most prominent flower out there now. I mentioned to Mr. FixIt that I was worried that I wasn’t seeing many bees. He said not to worry…there were tons on the honeysuckle vines. I was relieved to hear that and I’ll have a look today.

I hope you had a nice weekend and have been safe from the severe weather!

🩵

“I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.”
Leviticus 26:4 NIV

We’re Building an Ark!

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 01:30:00 -0600

This creek runs along the border of our property.

Hokey Smokes, y’all! I have seen hard rain before. I rode out a storm in a camper one time at Myrtle Beach that lasted a week and dumped 25” of rain. We had one heck of a rain storm yesterday and received at least two inches of rain. Mr. FixIt came in and said I should go down to the creek and see how high it was. Both creeks were roaring. We are at the mouth of the holler and the bottom of a big hill. Gravity is not our friend when it comes to drainage around here.

Poor Mr. FixIt was watching the drain at the bottom of the outdoor staircase that goes to the basement. Every fifteen minutes he went out with the headlamp to see if the pump was dumping water out in the yard and if the water level was going down in the drain. It finally let up around 8:00 with intermittent light rain showers predicted during the night. Hopefully he won’t be up all night worrying about the drain. It’s been doing a lot better the last few years, but when we have really high water, it covers the drain opening where our roof water drains into the creek and that backs things up. Ahhhh, the hazards of living in the country.

I worked on a lot of different projects yesterday. I was up a lot earlier than my sweetheart so I cleaned up the living room and put some of my finished projects and supplies away. Then I settled in with my cuppa RYZE and worked on the cross-stitch sampler for a couple of hours. By the time Mr. FixIt got up, I was working on the computer. I have all the arrangements made for our trip to the beach later this month. Mr. FixIt Jr is going to be at the beach the week before us, so we made arrangements to go a couple of days early so we can fish together the day before they leave. Fun times ahead!

I did a little knitting on the striped socks and made big progress downloading all those photos to my external hard drive. That on top of making Chicken Alfredo for supper! Yummmmm! Ok…don’t be too impressed. I deboned what was left of the rotisserie chicken, mixed it with a jar of Bertolucci Alfredo Sauce and poured it over spaghetti. Bon Appetit!

The redbuds are blooming!

I told Mr. FixIt they shouldn’t give us old folks that memory test where they ask you what day it is. It isn’t fair. Every day is Saturday when you’re retired!

🩵

”Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.“
Zechariah 10:1 NIV

A Good Time Was Had

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 01:30:00 -0600

Tuesday night was clear as a bell and the stars were so close it felt like you could reach out and brush them around with your hand. When we got home from town, the moon was just short of rising of the far ridge across the two-lane blacktop. By the time I went out to write my post, the moon had come up and it was so bright out, I didn’t need the headlamp I always carry with me.

I wrote my post and as I crawled under the covers, the moon was shining through the camper window and I just had to get up and capture the moment. It didn’t disappoint! One shot and it was perfect. I love when I get good pictures to share with you all. I can paint pictures with my words, but it’s also magical to have the photographic evidence to back it up.

I didn’t sleep very well Tuesday night. Even though the outdoor temp was in the 40’s, I was way too hot. Too many blankets, heavy jammies, and I needed to open the window I had closed earlier. When I finally drifted off, I slept blissfully deep and was rearing to go when I got up yesterday morning.

I drove to town to pick up my bonus WV Daughter. We met her mom at Kreinik Manufacturing to check out their sale and take a tour of the factory floor. We were all really excited to see the place and I was happy to see the parking lot full. I picked up a a beautiful cross stitch kit for 32 count linen using silk thread. I still need to get the linen and I need a couple little items that are helpful for working with cross stitch. OMGosh! It’s been so many years since I’ve done that. I got so burned out on needlework when I had my shop. This is getting me excited to pick up my needle and thread. I also bought a couple of cones of pure silk yarn to make a little summer tee.

Here’s a cool video showing some of the spinning machines that make the specialty threads that Kreinik produces. Some of these machines are over 100 years old and were used by Goodyear to spin the fibers that go in tires. These threads are used all over the world by needle artists, costumers, and fly fishermen.

When we finished at Kreinik’s, we drove over to Mary B’s…one of our favorite little restaurants in town. We had a late breakfast and wonderful conversation till I finally had to take my leave and head off for errands. I wanted to get the oil changed and the tires rotated, but when I got there…I would have been the fifth person in line and that was a no go for me. I’ll try again on Friday. I paid the taxes and stopped to pick up the new dishwasher and headed home.

Mr. FixIt and I unloaded the new appliance and stored it for when we are ready to install it. We found a space to put it under cover without it being IN the living room! Score! Mr. FixIt had been out all afternoon cutting up trees and we were both whupped. I cooked some spaghetti and heated up the sauce with Italian sausage and called it good. I couldn’t get it together to even pick up my crochet hook to work on the shark slippers.

I’m so happy we don’t have to go anywhere today…unless something unforeseen should arise. I’m looking forward to a home day!

🌷

”My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.“
Isaiah 32:18 NIV

Spring Rains

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 01:30:00 -0600

Yesterday was a sad day with the news of the bridge collapse in Baltimore. I shared a video of the collapse on my personal page and remarked that leading up to the ship hitting it, there was quite a bit of traffic crossing over. But in the moments before, I didn’t see nearly as much traffic. Turns out, when the police were alerted to what was imminent, they stopped the traffic from going on the bridge. They saved many lives, I’m sure. It would have been an entirely different scenario if the collapse would have happened during rush hour than at 1:30am when it came down.

Also, one of our readers and frequent contributors to our conversations here lost her son unexpectedly. Please pray for Pam and her family as well as those families who lost loved ones yesterday in Boston.

It rained like crazy here all night and all day. I woke up to the sound of rain on the roof of the camper, then along about 4:30 or so, the thunder woke me again. I drifted off again both times, but when I woke up and looked at the weather app, the radar indicated a torrential downpour was about to hit. I jumped up and came inside to avoid having to walk through the rain. I was up quite a bit before Mr. FixIt so I started crocheting the second shark slipper.

When we were in town on Monday, we found that dishwasher at a really good price. I wanted to just go ahead and get it, but Mr. FixIt said no, we’d pick it up later. Then, during the night, I realized after today, the two sales no longer overlap and we wouldn’t get as good of a deal. It didn’t occur to me till Mr. FixIt brought up the dishwasher again, that I meant to tell him about that. So, at 8:45 last night, we jumped back in the truck and headed for town to buy it. I don’t even want to figure in the extra gas making an extra trip to town cost.

Gosh, I get tired of being so far out of town. On the one hand, I love living out in the country on our five acres. On the other hand, it seems like we are forever making that drive. I’m going back in today to pick up my bonus daughter and we’re meeting her mom to do a little shopping and have lunch. I’m getting spoiled with all these “girl’s days!” My friend Deneene is coming through town on Friday so I’m coming back in to meet her for coffee!

I was making supper last night and looked out the window. All this extra rain and warmer days is making the grass grow really fast now! I told Mr. FixIt we’ll be mowing in just a few more days. And so it begins!

I wrote this sitting in the camper last night and the creek out front is roaring from all the rain. I think we got 1.5” in about fifteen hours and the ground was already soaked. The sky was clear and the stars were bright when I came out here. And the frogs are calling. I turned the fridge in the camper on. I had it open all winter to keep it aired out. When I opened it last night to check to see if it was working, it smelled a little funky. I opened the freezer to touch it and there was a package of ground turkey in there! It’s been in there all winter!!! Thank goodness I found it before it gets any warmer out. Ugh! I’ll pick up some baking soda when I’m in town today.

🌷

”Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.“
Joel 2:23-24 NIV

#Spring, #Rains, #Dishwasher, #FarmLife

Rise and Shine!

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 01:30:00 -0600

My favorite breakfast…Grits and Eggs!

I woke before the sun came up and sighed. My fun week with the girls had come to an end. But the upside of course is…I was heading home to my sweetheart! I stripped the bed and cleaned the little cottage so Gail wouldn’t have to do it. I fixed breakfast and enjoyed my cup of RYZE while Gail quietly spun her beautiful yarn. She’ll be knitting a sweater with it as a gift. She is such a prolific knitter and is always making something for her extensive network of family and friends.

I worked a little more on the socks I’m knitting for Sue and when I came to a logical stopping point, I packed up and headed for home. It’s a good four hour drive. I stopped at the store for a couple of things and filled up with gas before I headed out into the countryside for the last leg of the trip home.

Gail’s beautiful homespun yarn. Isn’t it yummy?!

Mr. FixIt contacted me Thursday night to say a boulder the size of a passenger van had come down, blocked one lane of the two-lane blacktop out to our house. I was so grateful it didn’t hurt someone. It took hours to break it apart and haul it away and you could see where it hit the roadway.

I stopped for Chinese food on the way home and my sweetie and I watched a little TV. I was really too tired to write a long post, but wanted to let you know I got home safe and sound. It’s still so cold here. I’m happy I don’t have to go anywhere for a while…we can just enjoy each other’s company and our warm and comfy home.

🩵

”“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.“
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

Time and Treasures

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 02:30:00 -0600

Even though my main purpose of doing the taxes has been unfulfilled, my trip to The Farm hasn’t been for naught. I’ve been reading and knitting. And, I’ve been figuring out a way to send my posts as a sort of newsletter via email. There’s some prep work on my end before that becomes a reality, but I made some progress yesterday. With the way Facebook’s algorithms so haphazardly send my posts to people, many just are not receiving them. This might be a great solution. If you are interested in receiving these emails, you can scroll down on my website to the box that says “Become a Rancher” and register your email if you haven’t done so already. Thanks so much, y’all. You can help this little project grow by spreading the word to friends and family. I really appreciate it!

I snapped a picture of the treasures I found in the old smokehouse. None of it is worth a thing to anyone save for the memories they bring to mind. There’s the bottom half of an old wooden box. And look at those welding goggles! I remember my Pop-Pop wearing those when he welded something on the old Model A that he turned into a farm truck. I’ll never forget that summer day in 1969 when he let me drive it down to the road and back. He wouldn’t let my boyfriend drive it because he didn’t trust his “lead foot.”

It was a temperamental beast. It didn’t have a muffler and when you cranked it up, it went “Crack! Crack! Crack!” You could hear Pop-Pop coming from way back on the hill. We had family come from Illinois that summer and it was a big deal to pile as many people in the back as we could and go for a ride back to see the old home place. The road was SO steep, we had to lay down in the truck bed with our feet on the tail gait. In some places we were nearly standing up!

We had rain all night and most of the morning yesterday. I could hear the water roaring over the waterfalls up behind the barn so I grabbed my phone and went up to get some pictures. Along the way, there was a Mylar balloon stuck on some rocks in the creek. We’re ten miles from nowhere here so who knows where that thing started its journey. I walked the length of the creek to the road. There’s the frame of an old walking bridge that led to the garden across the creek and it’s rusted and sunk down several feet into the creek itself. There were all kinds of limbs, trees, mud and rocks caught up in it. The creek was running really high, so I got the shovel and worked on it awhile. I finally broke through enough to let the water rush out and in about fifteen minutes it was down by a foot. Crisis averted.

There’s always something that needs doing here, and even though my family doesn’t own it anymore, I’m still the caretaker and do whatever I can to keep it up. I try to breathe life into the old girl, but I’m sure you’ve seen old houses that just die when their people are gone. I’ve seen it happen a lot here because it’s so damp and all. But I honestly think a home has a spirit of sorts and when its usefulness has passed, it just fades away. I hope to keep her as habitable as I can for as long as I’m able.

There is one thing about this house that has always been a problem. It is so poorly insulated that it’s either too hot or too cold. The furnace kicks off and on all night and it’s located in the basement right underneath the bedroom I sleep in. I kept turning the electric blanket up and down all night. It’s only bothersome in the winter. There’s no air conditioning in the summer. Grandma used to open the back door and the front door and a cool breeze would come right down the holler. She called it “nature’s air conditioner.”

The screen doors still squeak and slam shut with a bang. The sound of the rain on the roof is the same now as it was the very first time my mama carried me across the threshold into Grandma’s waiting arms. She would rock me and sing “Bye oh, bye oh…baby bye” to the tune of Rock of Ages. I, in turn, did the same with my children, my grandchildren, and now the great grandchildren. My kids remember summer trips here, but my grandkids don’t really have an interest in West Virginia. They are Colorado kids, born and raised. They’re a different breed.

I am so blessed to have had this extra time visiting my past. I know full well most don’t have this opportunity and I am truly grateful to Frank and Beans for allowing me the courtesy. I’ve had my “farm fix” for a while and I’m ready to head back home today. Mr. FixIt is anxiously awaiting my return. I need to cook him a really good meal tonight!

🩵

”By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.“
Proverbs 24:3-4 NIV

Screen Time

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 02:30:00 -0600

Look what showed up on my computer when I opened it yesterday!

I worked all day on the FB page, adding photos to the names on the list. Mr. FixIt went to town to run some errands and take our daughter out for breakfast and left me with a quiet house. I made my “coffee” and settled in the Big Red Chair with my lap desk and computer. I asked Echo to play the Spa Station and settled in to work. I didn’t look up till 4:00 and Mr. FixIt came home.

That was perfectly fine. We run around with our hair on fire all summer. There’s a reason God created winter. It’s our reward for all the work we did the rest of the year. It’s our time to rest. And, daddies need to spend time with their girls…even when they’re all grown up. He gets to do a lot of things alone with our son, but he hasn’t had as much of an opportunity with our daughter. It was a really good day for them as well.

I checked in with my brother this week and he sounded great. They’ll be doing some more tests to see what is going on, but he was feeling much better. The other prayers were for someone special and she is home now from having surgery. It doesn’t look like cancer and she is on her way to a full recovery. So, we are breathing a sigh of relief this weekend.

A day of softness was most welcome. As I copied photos from an online yearbook to paste into the list document, memories wash over me. All these people, all these familiar faces brought back such feelings of love. I didn’t necessarily have the happiest of childhoods in some ways. I was bullied in school by some people because I was a quirky kid. Yet, as I poured over the pages of smiling kids, all I could feel was love…and pride that I went to such a wonderful school.

Things change with time and not always for the better. Our high school was always a source of pride for our class. It was instilled in us as we sang the Alma Mater under the Friday Night Lights. We walked through the hallowed halls of this gorgeous building and everywhere we turned, there were reminders of students’ achievements. I don’t hear great things about the school now, but that may be the norm anymore. It’s been a long time since I had a child in school and my grands aren’t necessarily forthcoming in discussing the ins and outs of school. You know how kids are…they get to that geeky teen age and it’s hard to get more than a sentence out of them sometimes.

It will take me a few more days to get this done, but I’m determined to stick with it. And it’s the perfect week to do it with the weather changing in the coming days. I’m tickled to death to stay right here in our little nest.

❄️

”And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.“
1 John 1:4 ESV

Using it Up: Cooking

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 02:30:00 -0600

I sat in the Big Red Chair for a few hours yesterday and worked on the basket/tote that I’m crocheting using scrap yarn. It’s coming along and looks so pretty. I love the colors and feel good that I’m ever so slowly reducing my stash. We watch some shows on TV and Mr. FixIt snoozed a little in his big comfy chair. Along about 3:00, I asked him what he’d like to have for supper.

We both thought about it a while. In the past, I might have suggested he run over to town and get some hamburger and I’d come up with something. Instead, “Use it Up!” Went through my mind. I had a couple of pie crusts out to make an apple pie for our family Christmas, but with so many of them not coming due to covid, it was still in the fridge. I went through the ingredients I had on hand and one recipe came to mind…Quiche!

I love when a plan comes together and tastes yummy to boot. With things I already had on hand, I baked a beautiful Broccoli and Bacon Quiche in about an hour.

BROCCOLI & BACON QUICHE

Preheat oven to 375°.
Par-bake a readymade pie crust for about 10-15 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 350°.

Beat four large eggs. Add 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. You can use Half & Half instead of the heavy cream. Add 1/4th tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Herbes de Provence (a blend of savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.) Add 1/4 cup softened cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer till smooth and combined.

When the crust is par-baked, sprinkle some grated mozzarella, crumbled bacon, and chopped broccoli in the bottom. Then pour the egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle with a little paprika and place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes then cut and serve.

It was delicious, but it was a little too rich. When I make it next time, I’m leaving out the cream cheese and just using milk instead of adding the cream. If you try it, leave us a picture and tell us what you think!

I’m having some of our knitting group over this morning for some fun and fellowship. We usually meet on Mondays and since Christmas and New Year’s Day were on Monday this year, I thought we might gather here. I hope you have a wonderful day, dear ones!

🩵

”Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.”“
Acts 27:34 ESV

#Cooking, #Quiche, #UseItUp

A Day in the Studio

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 02:30:00 -0600

It’s been a long time since I could sit in my studio and just create whatever I wanted. I ended up making some Christmas gifts… attaching prayers and love to every stitch. Mr. FixIt was in town so the house was quiet. I was cozy in my little corner of the basement. The stove was glowing, soft music in the background, a hot mug of tea at the ready. My workspace is beginning to look like a tornado blew through it. Such is the life of the creative with ADHD.

I’ve been making Christmas stockings, hats, scarves, and slippers in the studio. Then I place the pieces in a basket and spend the hours after supper, sitting in the big red chair carefully assembling them while Mr. FixIt watches his shows. Sometimes I listen in, but if it’s a western or a shoot ‘em up show, I put on my headphones and listen to thunder storms in the background.

One of our readers posted that she’s been making divinity candy. My Grandmother Roush used to make divinity every Christmas. I remember Mom making it once, but it didn’t turn out like Grandmother’s so she never tried again. I’ve never made it myself, but I’m lining up my recipes for my Holiday Baking Extravaganza next week and I might give it a try. I just found this YouTube video from Come Sit at my Table. He makes it look pretty easy. You can see his video here. [youtu.be/XzCDVlCkw...](https://youtu.be/XzCDVlCkwcI?si=0x9z37V4K19sORda) I’m going to make some English Toffee, Fudge, Sugared nuts, and those little Rolo Pretzels that I always make. Oh, and I’m thinking of trying my hand at Souther Pecan Pralines. Do any of you have a foolproof cookie/candy recipe you’d like to share? Have any of you made pecan pralines?

We won’t be having our family Christmas gathering till the 30th. Everyone has places to go

I do have good news about my eyes. The doctor put punctal plugs in on Monday. The drops she has be on has reduced the inflammation and my vision is much clearer. And, I can work without my eyes feeling like there’s sand in them. That is such a relief. I kept thinking I had cataracts or something. As long as I follow the regimen she has me on, I think I’ll do fine.

I’m thinking of offering some of my handmade items in my Etsy shop. Everyone loves having something handmade, and it would mean a lot to me to make things people love. I’ll be posting some items soon.

🎄

”By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”“
John 13:35 ESV

Big on the Big Screen

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 02:30:00 -0600

As promised, I stayed home and had a lay low day. I did a little cooking. I worked on the computer awhile. I watched some instructional videos on YouTube. Mr. FixIt went to town to unclog a pipe in the rental house. When he came back, we watched football. It was a lot of fun to watch the students win big scholarships to further their education. It makes the high cost of sodas a little less painful. We got to have a video chat with some of the Colorado family, and that is always a delight!

The highlight of my day was watching Big in her swim meet. It still floors me that I can sit in the Big Red Chair and watch her swim in the Pacific Northwest! Her other Grandma sent me this picture that they caught of her. I had to watch on my laptop and between the smaller screen and the terrible internet, I had a hard time picking her out of the crowd. She did really well. I chatted with her on Friday night and she said she was a little nervous about this meet. It’s big and it counts for a lot. I told her I was sure she’d do great. And if she did her best, no one could ask for anything more of her. She’s a solid swimmer, but not Olympic material. She knows that and she’s fine with it. She loves to swim, she’s competitive, and she has a lot of fun. Swimming at college has really brought her out of her shell, so that’s Number 1 in my book.

I need to stay off the screen more today because my eyes were really tired by the end of the day. I think they’ve been like that for awhile, but now I’m paying closer attention to them and really noticing how irritated they are. You know, you can have a medical issue creep up on you so slowly, that you accommodate what’s happening. Then you don’t realize how bad it was till it starts to get better, and then you go, “Oh, yeah… this is what I’m supposed to feel like.” I’m looking toward to that happening!

I hope you have a Blessed Sunday and enjoy some restful moments.

🎄

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6 ESV

Holiday Preparations

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 02:30:00 -0600

Breakfast here at Marshmallow Ranch is determined by Mr. FixIt’s blood sugar. When it’s low, he gets a nice, breakfast and yesterday we had French toast. I made a cooking video of the preparation, but my iPad is running critically low on memory. I need to do some housecleaning in there and get some room back before I can edit and post it.

I had the afternoon to myself as Mr. FixIt went to town and I waited for the furnace dude. As I started decorating, I took some videos of my special ornaments I’ve toted around with me for decades. Again…no room on the iPad to edit, so they’ll have to wait, too. I didn’t put as many things out this year. I wouldn’t say I went minimalist, but I definitely went for a curated look. Mr. FixIt was really happy with it all when he got home.

The heat exchanger was riddled with holes! It’s no wonder it didn’t work…and it’s a miracle we weren’t overcome by carbon monoxide!

The furnace man came at 1:38 and was done at 3:10. He showed me the old heat exchanger and it was riddled with holes. When he was finished, I was happy to discover there was no more rank smell coming from the exhaust outside. I’m guessing our gas and electric bill will improve with the new efficient heat exchanger and every penny saved is a blessing.

Noom gave me a day off yesterday so I didn’t have to record my food. I am nearing the end of the course and they are preparing me for living my life without their daily support. I’ve been down this particular path many times before. I’ve lost the same fifty pounds so many times, I’ve lost count. But, this time feels different. This time was more personal. I’ve been on weight loss programs before, but they were auditory based. I’m definitely a visual learner so reading the lessons every day, especially in the way Noom presents them, has had what I feel is a lasting, lifelong effect on me. This is the first time I’ve really felt confident his is a lifestyle change and not just a fad diet and I’m really excited by that. Again, if you decide you would like to try the app, you can use this link and get two free weeks and 20% off. And, I’ll be happy to help you in any way I can. https://noom.com/r/JthjXSfaA

After Mr. FixIt got home, he helped me put all the boxes for the Christmas decorations back down in the basement so the living room is clean again. I seasoned the cast iron griddle for the second time and took a video of the process. I only need to season it one more time. I love how it came out, so I’m thinking of repeating the same process with my two favorite cast iron skillets and my griddle. They are getting tacky from the kind of oil I used and I’d like them to feel exactly like this new-to-me griddle feels.

I was supposed to join my brother on Skype this week for his semi-annual IP meeting, but it’s been rescheduled for next week due to the holiday. I’ll spend some time in the kitchen today. Mr. FixIt will do the Turkey Trot on Thursday morning with our son’s family. I am more than likely going to stay home and start the turkey so we can have our own little Thanksgiving Dinner in the afternoon. Then the family gathering will happen on Sunday.

If you are traveling this week, do be careful. There are supposed to be storms in the east and we want you all to be safe. My prayers for travel mercies go with you all. And if you’re staying home like I am, I hope you enjoy your day and give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy by living in a free country!

🍁🦃🍁

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High,”
Psalm 50:14 ESV

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“Let’s Stay Home”… a different configuration of yesterday’s sweatshirt. I love the hygge vibe!

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Knit One, Purl Two

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 02:30:00 -0600

My knitting throne!

I made a good breakfast yesterday and plopped myself in the Big Red Chair and knitted all day! What a treat! It felt weird…like I should be doing something else, but I stuck it out and got half a hat knitted. We watched old reruns and drank hot beverages and it was just so nice. It rained most of the day and it was so cozy under my blankie. I’m heading out to meet my high school girlfriends for coffee today. I’m cooking up some ideas in my head for Christmas gifts I can make. I don’t need to buy a thing because I bought those five boxes of fabric this summer and I have two tubs of yarn. I’m sure I can come up with something from all that!

Since I took the day off, I’m taking the night off, too. I’ll leave you something from the archives and I’ll be back tomorrow.

[www.marshmallowranch.com/things-ma...](https://www.marshmallowranch.com/things-make-smile/)

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 ESV

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A week from today is Small Business Saturday. Please support small businesses that day. You aren’t paying for hefty advertising budgets or the high overheads of big box stores. You’re helping a single mom put food on the table. You’re helping a young entrepreneur get their dreams off the ground. You’re helping a retiree supplement her fixed income for the little extras she can give her family. If you have a friend who has a small business, share their site on your social media page. It doesn’t cost anything but a few moments of your time and you’ve done a great deed in helping spread the word. No matter who you buy from, small business owners appreciate it so much…so, thank you from all of us!

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The Continuing Saga of the Mouse Avenger

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 02:30:00 -0600

Posies by my doorstep, shining in the afternoon sun!

I needed a hearty-ish breakfast to start my day. At the same time, I’m doing that bouncy thing on the scale. I’ve lost the same two pounds twelve time in the last three weeks. I know what it is. I’m not working outside like I was all summer and you cannot expect to lose at the same rate when you aren’t burning off the calories. Also, the more weight you lose, the harder it is to lose more. That’s because your metabolism slows down. I hauling thirty pounds less fat around with me every day, so just walking the same pace I did when I was thirty pounds heavier isn’t going to cut it.

Mr. FixIt and I love grits. And, they are “Green” on the Noom list of foods so I’m encouraged to eat better. I watched Miss Brenda Gantt making her Southern Grits from Andalusia, Alabama and she puts a whole stick of butter and half a brick of cream cheese in hers. If I did that, they definitely wouldn’t be on the “Green Food” list, but ohhhhh, they would sure be scrumptious! I just cook them up in water with salt and a couple tablespoons of butter till they’re nice and thick.

Once the grits are done, I take them off the heat and put a lid on them. Then I fry a couple of eggs with the smallest amount of oil in the skillet… just enough to keep them from sticking. Mr. FixIt likes his eggs over medium so I cook his up first. Sometimes we have a little ham or turkey sausage with it, but we passed on the meat yesterday. I want to get those two pounds off for good this time! I like my eggs over easy and I put mine right on top of the grits and mix it all together. It’s laruppin’ good as my grandma used to say!

Neat as a pin, and not nearly as crowded as it used to be.

I finished washing all the cups and mugs that were in the cupboard that had the mice in it. I scrubbed down the cabinet itself, then lined the shelves with that cushioned liner. I think it lasts longer and it’s cheaper than all the others. I don’t like to use self-adhesive shelf liner. After awhile it just gets gummy and the heat and humidity in the kitchen can actually make it shrink a little. Then the adhesive around the edges gets dirty and it’s a mess. With the cushioned liner, you can easily take it out and spray it off if it gets dirty then put it back in when it dries.

I’ll trim that foam stuff off sometime this week. The cable is from an old under-the-cabinet TV.

Mr. FixIt brought me a can of that expanding foam spray that you use to fill gaps in things. It’s a really pain to work with and you sure don’t want to get it on you because you’ll have to wait till it wears off. I dropped a little on the counter, but I picked up the excess with a paper towel then used a nylon scrubby and some grease cutter and got it off before it hardened. I had a hard time getting the stuff to spray up into the cracks around the board that was over the hole in the top of the cabinet.

We’re going to paint the kitchen in the spring, so we’ll paint the interior of the cabinets and put new plywood shelves in them. For now, this will have to do. It’s clean and safe, so that’s all we need.

I found out the reason there was a hole in the first place was the roof leaked in that spot one time and Mr. FixIt had to get up in there to fix it. He had it up there good, but a mouse can get through the smallest space. I wore vinyl gloves while I was working with the spray foam so I just squirted it on my fingers and shoved it up in the crack. That works fine. Now, when it’s hard, I can go back with a knife and trim the excess off that expands out of the crack as it cures.

This isn’t all that’s going to Restore. But it’s a good start!

Once I had that all done, it was time to decide what was going to go back in the cabinet. I had already started the ball rolling by picking out three mugs I didn’t want anymore. We picked up each one and decided if we should keep it or let it go and I am so happy to say we filled a medium-sized tote full and I’ll take it to Restore for Habitat for Humanity. Now I can get back to the living room this week. I have already taken several tubs of camping stuff downstairs to the storage room and it’s looking better.

I have a boat load of things to do this week. It’s time to renew the tags on my truck, get it inspected, get the oil changed and tires rotated, and I need to have the transmission flushed. The furnace part should be in this week so hopefully the repair man will be here to put it in and it fixes the problem. We also need to take Mr. FixIt’s truck to the dump to empty some old building materials he’s gathered then he gets to do all the same things with his truck soon.

I looked around yesterday and thought how nice it will be when this is all finished and I can sit down and knit or make a quilt or bake cookies for the holidays or whatever my little heart desires. I never dreamed retirement would be this busy! I don’t know how I did all this plus work sixty hours a week and take care of my family.

But, before I start all that, I have knitting group this morning and I’m really looking forward to fellowshipping with my new friends. I hope your weekend was good and that you have something fulfilling to do this week!

🍁

“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”
Proverbs 13:4 ESV

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A friend wanted this ornament with the year on it so I thought I’d offer it here, as well.

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A Speedy Saturday

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 01:30:00 -0600

You know, for not doin’ much a nuthin’, the day sure got away from me. I basically piddled doing one thing or another without accomplishing a lot. I did move the black walnuts over to the garden. The hulls need to rot off and if I leave them in the buckets, they’ll just mold. Grandma used to take them to the basement and spread them out on old newspapers to dry. But to be honest, I don’t have the square footage available here to do that…in the basement or in the building. I spread them out in a single layer and shut all the gates. I can see the garden from the bedroom so if something gets into them, I should hear/see the nut snatchers. I don’t think a bear would scale the tall fence for walnuts when there are plenty down by the creek. The deer can’t get in with the gates closed. So, if anything gets into them, it’s got to be something small.

I worked on the computer a lot yesterday…designing some Christmas ornaments for the shop. In the middle of the day, I decided to bake Mr. FixIt a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It’s his favorite and I’m trying to get some calories in him to build up his strength. He’s feeling better every day. He’s still congested, but he hasn’t had a fever for a couple of days now. I’ll run another Covid test on him tomorrow, but I think the worst is past us. I’ll test myself again tomorrow, as well. God was watching out for him, I’m telling you that.

Along in the afternoon, I moved the dresser away from the wall in the bedroom and vacuumed the cool air intake vent. I did the same in the hallway and guest bedroom. I don’t think there is a blockage on the supply side of the furnace. And, there doesn’t seem to be any blockage from the blower into the rooms. Personally, I think our son might be onto something. He thinks maybe bees got down into the exhaust from the furnace burners and it’s tripping a safety switch. Either that, or the motherboard is faulty. We have to figure this out pretty soon. The temps are taking a nosedive in the coming days and it’s going to get pretty nippy in here!

Isn’t it sad about Matthew Perry who played Chandler on Friends? He passed away from an accidental drowning in his hot tub. He has struggled with the disease of addiction for many years and I know from personal experience how terrible that is to live with. I was blessed…my miracle came instantaneously after I overdosed. I never had a desire to drink or abuse prescription drugs after that. Others aren’t so lucky. They fight and lose over and over and over till that particular demon takes them. My prayers go out to those who knew and loved him…both in real life and those who loved the characters he played.

I think I may try to sleep in the camper tonight. It will be quite some time before the temperature will be above 50° at night. Mr. FixIt hasn’t needed me at night since the first couple of days he was sick so I can slip away. I need to get out to the farm and get the furnace and the gas stoves turned on and make sure everything is working right.

I spoke with my sister-in-law in Utah last night. They are Jewish. We talked about the war in Israel and how everyone in the Jewish Community knows someone or is related to someone there. It breaks my heart. I am so worried for my Jewish friends and family and for everyone affected by the violence perpetrated against them. I pray earnestly for them all.

Please pray for peace.

🍁

“And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.””
Exodus 33:14 ESV

So Much Has Changed Since We Left

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 01:30:00 -0600

Looking across one of the pollinator gardens to the near field.

When we left for our trip, you saw an occasional leaf turning. You felt the crispness in the air. You knew fall was right around the corner. When we got up yesterday morning, it was grey and dismal. No rain. By afternoon, the sun broke through and it was a stellar fall day here at Marshmallow Ranch.

Just Across the Dirt Road Along the Near Field

I had to run to town midday to pick up the mail they’ve been holding. I stopped by the courthouse to leave my personal property information at the appraiser’s office. Then I ran into a little antique and junk shop tucked away on a side street of our little village. As always, I found some things that had to come home with me. There was a really nice pair of Herman Survivor Boots that were just a little too big for me, but I’m sure someone in the family can wear them. I couldn’t pass them up for the price. I found some things I can use for decorating and for gift giving. I have always wanted one of those friend plates. It has a lovely verse about enjoying the goodies on it, then refilling it with your own baked goods and sending the plate on to the next recipient.

The Far Ridge on the Other Side of the Two Lane Blacktop

I had to stop at the Piggly Wiggly for some staple since the fridge was bare. That’s one of the upsides of having an uber clean refrigerator…when you go away, you don’t come home to a bunch of science experiments. As I wandered the aisles, I chatted with this person and that. A lady stopped me and said, “You seem pretty happy.” I told her we just got home from a two week camping trip the night before and I was on top of the world. She smiled and patted my arm. “I’ll ask you again in a week.” Yeah…this high is wearing off soon. Even with the furnace on the fritz.

The Blueberry Bush

Mr. FixIt worked on it most of the day yesterday and wasn’t any closer to an answer other than the igniter isn’t getting any juice. He’s the handiest man to have around and I’m sure he’ll figure it out in no time. I brought home fixin’s for chili. Mr. FixIt and I haven’t been eating much red meat anymore. I found two huge chicken breasts on sale at the store and brought them home. I got out my handy new/old meat grinder that I bought on our trip to Colorado and ground them up. I cooked the ground chicken just like ground beef and made the chili for a lot less calories. It was great!

The Hedgerow Along the Front Creek

With the leftovers tucked away in the fridge, I noticed it was the golden hour so I went outside to catch some shots of the colors around us. There’s not a photo that does it justice. I walked the perimeter of the far field and noticed we have a bumper crop of walnuts again this year. I’ll go out with a bucket before the rains on Friday and pick them up. There’s a ton more on the trees. I counted FIVE walnut trees, just loaded for bear!

The Last of the Pollinator Blossoms

As I was marveling and taking photos, I turned around and there was Mr. FixIt just watching me and smiling. He just makes my heart do loop-de-loops when he smiles that smile at me. This trip away was good for us…no daily distractions like broken furnaces or some such nuisance. It’s so sweet to fall in love with your spouse all over again.

The Hedgerow Along the Back Creek

I have a couple of deadlines to meet today. Mr. FixIt has to go to town for a few things, so I’ll stay home and work on the computer and enjoy the view out the office window. There’s supposed to be a turn in the weather tomorrow.

🍁

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32 ESV

Sourwood Honey and Boggin’ for Jesus

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 01:30:00 -0600

Yes…these things went together. We live in a pretty tiny town. Really tiny. I mean…we have a post office and a grocery store. A couple of gas stations and several churches. And there’s a bar not too far out of town. But we’re good people in Small Town, America.

We luxuriated in not really having to do much yesterday. It was pretty hot out. So we hung out indoors in the AC. I worked on my shop while Mr. FixIt snoozed with the TV on in the background. We didn’t do anything of any importance till the news was over and we headed over the hill to the Piggly Wiggly to get some bread and milk.

There is a good sized section in the store that features products made in West Virginia. I always have a look to see if there’s something interesting and this time they had Sourwood Honey. Oh…if you’ve never had it, see if you can find it. It has a very delicate flavor...not like the stronger honeys of the Appalachias. There is a world championship of honey called the Apimonda and this honey regularly wins. As the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective says, Sourwood Honey “is highly coveted by food connoisseurs throughout the world.”

And here it was…on the shelf in our Piggly Wiggly that serves a town of 706 souls without a stoplight!

Even though we’re going to the big town today, I picked up a few things yesterday to make another batch of that Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. I’d like to take some to our granddaughter’s workplace today. She loves hummus and I love surprising the kids with treats from time to time.

As we were leaving the store, we always stop and look at the bulletin board to see if there’s anything we don’t want to miss out on. That’s where I saw the poster for a local event…Boggin’ for Jesus. For those of you who aren’t in the know, boggin’ is short for Mud Bogging…ie running a motor vehicle of some sort through a muddy course. They have boggin’ contests and boggin’ fundraisers. Tons of people just go out boggin’ for entertainment…or a great date.

Boggin’ is puredee country…it’s as real as it gets. There may be alcohol involved. I’ve gone boggin’ before. And, while it was a hoot and a half…it’s not something I would actively pursue. But I’m sure glad they’re doing it for Jesus. It means their heart’s right. I’m not sure HOW they’re doing it for Jesus. There are Rodeos for Jesus and Bikers for Jesus. I’ve been to Cowboy Church. So maybe it’s a church service in the middle of a mud hole, I don’t know.

I think I’ll stick with the Sourwood Honey and leave the boggin’ for the younger crowd. Now I’m thinking some biscuits might be needed to go with it.

Yummmmm!

“My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste. In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short.”
Proverbs 24:13-14 NLT

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Whether you love it or hate it…Pumpkin Spice is HERE and I’ve gotcha covered. Here’s the I LOVE IT version!

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Our Piece of the Sky

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 01:30:00 -0600

Mr. FixIt and I record CBS Sunday Morning every week. Then, when we have time, we like to sit down and watch. There are only a couple of shows we watch together. We love old Andy Griffith reruns. We watch the evening news at 6:30 then as soon as it’s done, we might catch a couple episodes of Big Bang Theory. Rarely I’ll sit down and watch an episode of 48 Hours or 20/20. And that’s about it. I really don’t care for television as a whole.

CBS Sunday Morning has some of the most beautifully produced stories and yesterday’s episode was remarkable. A segment on Tiffany’s was beautiful. There was a recurring theme of homes and architecture and design throughout the show. One segment was about Marrakesh and its artistic riads. These are ornate courtyards within the confines of the house. Even though these homes were in the midst of a busy city, standing in the courtyard with a water feature is an oasis of calm and peace for the occupants. The narrator said, this is the owner’s “piece of the sky.”

That really spoke to me. When I think of our five acres out at Marshmallow Ranch, I don’t always look at it as our piece of ground. I see it as our piece of the sky. A bigger piece than that of a small courtyard, to be sure. But just as peaceful and soothing as any oasis anywhere. When Big was here with her mom and Little, she didn’t like our sky. She felt smothered by the canopy of trees that close in from all sides. She’s not the only person I’ve heard who describes it as smothering. When we were in Colorado this summer, I was gobsmacked by the immensity of open sky out there. Even though I lived there for forty years, I’d forgotten just how spacious it is.

We mowed this weekend and trimmed back a lot of the forsythia along the fenced pool enclosure. I hadn’t really thought of it, but we were cutting the overgrowth back so we could see more of the sky. And, so that things would stay somewhat drier. With global warming, we’ve been getting hotter and hotter and more and more severe weather. The ground is almost always wet. Having access to our piece of the sky is a godsend. The sky at the farm is getting smaller and smaller as the trees encroach into the little holler behind the house.

This will be another very hot week with highs in the nineties. This is why we wanted to get the mowing done over the weekend. We have several things coming up that will take us to town a few times. And I need to clean the family room and put some things away. There’s always something to be done. If you are in the path of the storms…do take care.

“Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.”
Isaiah 40:26 NLT

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I Know A Change is Gonna Come

Sat, 12 Aug 2023 01:30:00 -0600

Looking down the creek, I think the big rains we’ve had the last few years is washing dirt and rocks down from high up and it’s filling the creek. Maybe that’s why it is spreading out.

I fiddled around on the computer and cleaned up the house before I came home yesterday. I moved a floor mat to the inside of the back door into the kitchen because we’re always tracking mud in. The steps off the back porch and that sidewalk grow moss and algae on them, so every step is wet and soggy and that just leaves muddy footprints all over the kitchen. I know it’s not my house anymore, but Grandma would want it kept clean, so I cleaned it.

Tradition. Peer pressure from dead people.

I can’t believe the amount of stuff I tote there and back. I think I’m just going to leave some stuff in Grandma’s dresser and not carry so much back and forth. I’m sure I’ll be going out more often with that lightning fast internet out there! Especially now that the biggest portion of our travel is over. Well, sort of. Next week, I’m going up to Gail’s for a couple of nights for a visit. We’re camping the third and fourth weeks of September. Then we have our big two week camping trip to the beach in October. Then we’re done for the year!

This was just an incredibly busy summer. Daughter #1 led Freshman Orientation at her high school yesterday and they start classes on Monday. School doesn’t begin in our area till the last week of August. Once that happens, then I’m kinda ready for fall.

I reopened my shop yesterday from vacation mode now that we’re caught up with the mowing and all. (Although, I need to mow the next good day. The grass has really grown this week.) I had fun designing some fall things yesterday so I’m looking forward to sharing them with you. Also, I was gifted some beautiful silverware last weekend and I’m actually going to start making art jewelry again. I’ll let you know when you can expect that to show up.

I didn’t write much when I was out at the farm this time. I wanted to really be mindful and present to those warm feelings I get when I’m there. Each time I visit, I’m reminded how old and tired that house is. The encroaching forest seems to threaten to swallow it whole. I was standing on the edge of the creek, shucking corn for my supper when I was struck by how wide the creek-bed has become. What was once just a little trickling branch has turned into a true creek…roaring past the house when these heavy storms fueled by global warming fill it nearly to the brim. It is eroding the creek-bank FAST. I have seen a noticeable change year after year since I moved back in 2014.

I know my days are numbered at the farm. I don’t dwell on it, but I am trying to prepare myself for the eventuality. I know, I know….how many times have I told you that? But, this time feels different. And it’s not just the house. It’s the times. It’s the world. It’s the division and unrest.

I don’t know…I am just reminded of Sam Cooke’s song…..“A Change is Gonna Come.” It’s been running through my head all week and Jennifer Hudson slayed it at the Kennedy Center when they were honoring Denzel Washington.

“There been times that I thought
I couldn’t last for long
But now, I think I’m able
To carry on

It’s been a long 
A long time comin’, but I know 
A change gon’ come
Oh yes, it will.”

[youtu.be/_ZEzUq9th...](https://youtu.be/_ZEzUq9th3g)

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8 NIV

A Respite at The Farm

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 01:30:00 -0600

I know how blessed I am to still have time at The Farm. It’s old. The pump on the well isn’t working now. The floor isn’t level and there is evidence of carpenter ants here and there. But no matter what else is going on in my world, when I walk in that back door…it smells exactly as it has since I was brought here the very first time. And that’s been quite a while ago.

It smells like old wood. It’s dank and dusty but I run two dehumidifiers to try to keep her old bones dry. And even though I cannot actually smell the red furniture polish Grandma used to use on the wood, my mind tells me this is what it smelled like. I keep gallons of fresh water on hand for heating up to do the dishes. Beans has some big containers of water in the bathroom to use to flush the toilet, but I use my tinkle tank from my camping gear. It works fine.

I remember when there wasn’t running water here. There may have been a water tank on the side of the house that caught rainwater. That’s what Grandma did the wash with. She heated it up for baths in the galvanized tub that she placed in the middle of the kitchen floor. She used to turn on the gas cook stove to warm up the kitchen so we wouldn’t catch a chill. We had indoor plumbing at home of course. But stepping back in time at Grandma’s house spoke to something primal in me. It was simple and pure and good. It was hard work and sweat and a feeling of accomplishment.

Sitting on the front porch during a rainstorm yesterday afternoon was better than a dose of medicine for an ache I’ve felt ever since my grandma died. Listening to the wood thrush’s song echoing down the holler. Watching the Eastern Wood PeeWee and the Eastern Phoebe pick the elderberries. Catching sight of a rabbit underneath Grandma’s Rose of Sharon. Picking seed pods from the 4 O’Clocks alongside the house. Rocking gently as the hot and humid day fades into the glorious coolness of the Golden Hour.

My children don’t get it. This was just a place to visit for them. A place to tolerate Mom’s obsession for a week or two before heading back to what they defined as civilization. I had the chance to move back here with Daughter #1 when she was about three years old. Instead, I elected to stay in Colorado for two reasons. The first was, Colorado had more educational opportunities than West Virginia did. And the second was, I was self aware enough to know that If I went back when Hubby #1 went, I’d end up back with him and I couldn’t see a positive future with him. So, I stayed out West…hoping one day to return to the home of my heart.

Sitting on this front porch, married to my best buddy from high school, and knowing my girls are happy where they are?

Priceless.

“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.”
Isaiah 32:18-20 NIV

Spinning my Wheels Again

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 01:30:00 -0600

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

This was one of those days where I had a clear goal in mind, but in order to achieve it there were several things that needed doing first. The biggest tie up was chatting with Verizon. Since our internet service is so dicey out here, I depend on the cell service to access the internet a lot of the time. They told me there are notes on our area and they are “working on the problem” but they couldn’t give a time line or explain exactly what the problem is. “But rest assured, we are working on it.” Right. I’ve lived here for five years. It used to be better before the pandemic. Then it just got crappy and it hasn’t improved a bit.

They asked me to update my phone…she would be happy to wait on the line. Just tell her when it’s finished. I laughed. “Ok. But, you do know this is why I’m contacting you, right? Sometimes an update can take four or five hours.” “Oh.” Yeah…oh. I dutifully set the update to download and it only took 45 minutes! Awesome! She was long gone by that time, of course. But she said just to resume the chat and someone would pick up.

Sure enough…Alex came onboard. He wondered if I would make a phone call to see if the update made a difference. I complied. It did not. The reception still cut in and out. He asked me to hold which I happily did as I was also working on the computer. He finally came back and told me he was sending a special kind of order that signaled they couldn’t help me through troubleshooting and “someone will be calling soon.” I’m not holding my breath, Alex…but your sure were kind about the whole thing.

One of my long time Colorado besties contacted me last week and asked if I was still doing punch needle embroidery. I sold some supplies for it in my needlework shop a million years ago, and Barbara got into it big time. She got me excited about it in 2015. I, in my true Gemini fashion, went out and bought ALL the things. Needles, threads, fabric, frames…the works. And…it is still in the bag I brought them home in. I’ve moved twice since then! I have good intentions, y’all. I really do. But there are SO many things!

Barbara’s beautiful punch needle embroidery. The piece on the left is mounted on wood from a leaf of her grandmother’s dining room table that was beyond repair. Her brother cut the shape for her.

I informed Barbara I still had all the things and they were pristine since I hadn’t done a thing with them. It turns out, these needles are harder and harder to find and she has daughters-in-love that want to learn so she offered to buy them from me. Yes!!! Now they can go to someone who will used them and I won’t feel so guilty that I’ve wasted money on something that’s just sitting in the back room. Win-Win!!!

Between Verizon and my friend Barbara, I spent hours on the phone and didn’t make much headway with the trip planning. Mr. FixIt popped his head in the office to tell me he was running to town to get gas for the mower. I asked if I could come along because I needed a break. The day was beautiful. It didn’t get hot, so when we got home, I decided to grill our supper. I had two large portobello mushrooms and stopped for corn and a tomato on our way home. I grilled the mushrooms with a marinade made of butter, lemon infused olive oil, bread dipping spice blend, and Tabitha Brown’s Sunshine Seasoning. Oh, it tasted SO good!!! I did eat it in a sandwich which was the first bread I’ve had in weeks. I was really looking forward to it, but the bread tasted awful to me. Bland and gummy. I don’t miss it one bit. The corn is getting better and better as the year progresses.

Today is another appointment in town and you know what that means…it’ll turn into an all day ordeal. At least the weather is supposed to be comfortable. I think we’ll go shopping and get Mr. FixIt something nice for the wedding. I’m picturing a nice sports coat in a light tan color with a white shirt and his grey dress pants. He cleans up good!

“But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”
1 Corinthians 14:40 NIV

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I created these boots with Little and Daughter #2 in mind. They are cheerful and something fun to brighten up the dreariest of days!

My Fight With a Snake aka A Very Long Day

Sat, 03 Jun 2023 01:30:00 -0600

I slept like a stone. Even though I’ve all but stopped wearing earplugs to bed, I wore them out at the farm because the cardinal in the flowering quince right outside the bedroom window thinks she needs to start singing the song of her people at around 4:00 in the morning. That’s a big nope. And, even with the earplugs in place, I kept hearing something out of place. Not enough to actually wake me up to investigate. Just enough to think…”Huh. I wonder what that is?”

When I finally woke up at about 8:30, I was aware of the noise again and took out my earplugs to listen. It was the FURNACE! It was 92° on Thursday, but it got down to 50° by dawn. Since I sleep with the windows open as often as possible, it was pretty darned chilly in the house. I had a medical appointment yesterday at 2:30 so I finally dragged myself out of bed and started packing up to go home to my sweetheart.

I always pack like I’m going on safari when I go to the farm. Well, when I go anywhere, really…although I tell myself I’m doing better. As I filled each bag, I took them two at a time into the kitchen and lined them up in the kitchen in front of the door. Once they were all there, I started taking them out to the car. I know this farm like the back of my hand. I was brought here as a tiny newborn and I’ve loved it ever since. I navigated the two steps to the sidewalk carefully. Every time I go down those steps, I think of my Aunt Peeps. She fell and broke her wrist. It was obviously broken. But she was never one to suffer a doctor so she went inside, wrapped it with a telephone book to create a splint and went about her business. That wrist was bent and wonky the rest of her life.

Anyway, I digress. I moved the car up by the cellar house when I mowed the other day so I could fit the John Deere by it and mow the front of the house. I looked up and it reminded me so I turned up the driveway. A bird caught my ear and I scanned the trees up on the hillside to see if I could Identify it. Just then, I happened to glance down and very nearly stepped on a good sized Black Racer. The thing coiled up as if to strike. Even though they are non-poisonous, they will bite if they’re cornered. It had the whole yard in which to escape, but it stood its ground. I stomped in an attempt to scare it away. Instead, it reared up and lunged at me!

Ok, game on.

I set my bags down and went back to the porch for the shovel that’s always kept there for instances such as this. I came out and smacked the shovel on the ground right in front of it. I didn’t want to harm the snake. They are great at killing mice around the farm. But…again…it reared up and lunged at me. So I just quickly scooped it up in the shovel and gave it a toss toward the creek. It turned and slithered away over the edge of the bank and we were done with that. The shovel went right back to its place of honor by the back door.

I’ve seen more snakes out there in the last two years than I have in all the time I’ve ever called this place home. As a matter of fact, I had never seen a snake there until three years ago. I suppose they know we’re just in and out now and the place is going wild again. I finished packing the car and scurried home to shower before I headed to town.

I seldom have to wait at my doctor’s office, but yesterday was an exception. It took over an hour and a half, but I had my new issue of Girl Camper Magazine in tow. I could hardly wait to see the t-shirt I designed featured in the “Things We Love” segment! I showed it around the office and encouraged the camping lovers to check it out for themselves. And of course, to check out Marshmallow Ranch Designs!

When I finally got out of the office, I made a trip to the grocery store and to pick up prescriptions. By the time I got home, I told Mr. FixIt that I was beat and asked if he would tote the contents of the shopping spree to the house on the dolly. He is such a good man…and we were SO happy to see each other! We fiddled around in the kitchen putting things away. He’s going to the annual company picnic tomorrow and is taking chicken noodles so I put the chicken on for him in the Instant Pot.

He got a lot done while I was at the farm…namely he got the pool opened. I was hoping we wouldn’t be messing with it this year since we’ll be gone so much this summer, but old habits are hard to break. We hardly ever get in it…only to clean it. It seems like a waste of resources. But maybe the kids will come this summer for some cookouts and they’ll be really happy to have it available.

It was 93° when I came out of Walmart and down to 85° by the time I got home. And this is only the first week of June! Yikes…we need rain!

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
Luke 10:19 NIV

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Today I’ll share a link to Girl Camper Magazine. It come out quarterly and is one of the highest quality magazines I’ve ever seen. The spared nothing in the production, the photography, and the stories. It would be a love gift…to a camper friend, a camper wanna be, or an indulgence for yourself. I learn something from every single issue.

Check it out!

An Abundance of Gratitude

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 01:30:00 -0600

A look down inside an old Poplar Tree stump. My PopPop planted this tree when I was almost a teenager. It got really big, really fast and when my elderly aunt lived here alone, she didn’t like the way it twisted and turned in the windstorms so she asked my uncle to cut it down. This is all that’s left and there is a young berry vine growing in it. I suppose a bird “planted” the seed and off it went!

First of all, I want to thank you all for your wonderful words of support and admiration for the quilt I made for our granddaughter’s wedding. You are right…it was truly a labor of love. I joked with the former Mrs. FixIt that I was going to need to start on her little sister’s quilt soon so I won’t be so pushed for time to get it done. She just finished her first year of college…so time’s a’wastin’!

I decided to stay at the farm for one more day because I have been neglecting my shop in order to finish the quilt. With this lightning fast internet, I was hoping to get boatloads done. Unfortunately, what I learned was…it wasn’t JUST the internet that is slow. I have had this laptop for several years and no matter how much I take off of it and move data to an external hard drive, I think it has just about reached the end of its usefulness. It really is impossible to get ahead if it takes you all day to do three little things. So, I’ll be watching for sales for a good laptop because we travel so much…I need something portable.

Once I finished with the three items I was designing, I started researching a little on our Colorado trip. I usually have this completely finished with an itinerary in a file, mapped out with directions, maps, phone and reservation numbers. I’m just way behind. I have no doubt it will all fall into place and work out perfectly. To be honest, I was concerned the debt ceiling wouldn’t get passed and our Social Security checks would be in jeopardy. I was a little hesitant to spend money preparing for a trip we might not be able to take. I’m thinking we have a little breathing room now and things will be ok…for now, anyway.

I was really frustrated yesterday when I got on the scale and it went up a pound and a half again. I have never weighed every day when I’ve followed a diet plan, but Noom is different. If it keeps frustrating me, I’m going to put the same weight every day and just weigh once a week. There is no need to risk quitting out of frustration. I’m enjoying the learning that come with this program. I’ve always been science and psychology oriented so this is definitely in my wheelhouse.

At the risk of putting some of you off, I am going to share something I made in my shop. I can’t remember if I shared the boots I made for Little for the big 16th birthday. Little loves dinosaurs and bright colors, so I designed these. They were a BIG hit and all the kids at school LOVED them. So much so that some of the teachers want me to design some for them as well! I finally got a chance to work on them yesterday so I’ll share a little. I love how they came out!

I tried to light the hot water heater yesterday. It started right up in December when I tried to light it, but there was something wrong with the exhaust vent so I turned it back off. No matter what I tried yesterday, it simply would NOT light. Mr. FixIt said he’ll try it when he comes out next time. I’ll be back out tomorrow to put some air in the well pump but he can’t make it out. He has two things he has to go to.

So, this morning I’ll pack up and head back home to my sweetheart. Absence really DOES make the heart grow fonder!

“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
Genesis 2:24 NIV

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Positive Aging entails embracing all things with a sense of joy and hope. One of the things that I’ve been adamant about regarding my upcoming 70th Birthday is…NO negative self-talk. I am NOT old! I’ve got grey hair and I love it! Gone are the days of dying my hair and acrylic nails. I am what…and WHO…I am. Grey Hair…Don’t Care!!!

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My Morning Walkabout

Mon, 22 May 2023 01:30:00 -0600

The garden is filled with Field Hawkweed and the bees love it!

Mr. FixIt headed out mid morning to help the soon-to-be newlyweds with the new roof on their house and left me to my own devices at home. I lazed around and fixed a nice breakfast, then headed out with my hot cup of RYZE to check out the pollinator gardens. I could see the new yellow flowers from clear across the field and was really excited to get some lovely close up shots.

The dainty little Blue-Eyed Grass is so sweet. Old-timers called them “Bluettes.”

I use my iPhone 13 Pro Max for all my photography. I’ve never claimed to be a true photographer, but the iPhone takes the guesswork out of capturing good shots 99% of the time. One of the really great benefits of this phone’s camera is a plant identifier link built in. When you are viewing the photo, swipe up and hit the link “Look up: Plant” to find out what you’re looking at! Would you believe I just discovered this little bit of sorcery in the last week??? Amazing! What else can this phone do that I haven’t discovered yet?

The Philadelphia Fleabane looks like tiny little daisies.

When I was going through the photos for this post, I wasn’t happy with one of them. It was out of focus So I went back out to reshoot and I was just so taken by the beauty of this little oasis in the far field. Why didn’t I do this years ago??? I took off my shoes for a little grounding and eventually, I just sat down alongside the garden…watching and waiting for the bees to get close enough to capture in a photo.

The Lyreleaf Sage blooms all around the stem every four or five inches.

It didn’t take long. I still didn’t get as clear a photo as I would have liked, but these will do for now. I sat there for a long time, thanking God for making such beauty and allowing us to be stewards of this portion of the earth. It finally got a little to hot to sit out there so I came in to edit and finish writing my daily missive to you. My “Letters from Home,” so to speak.

Creeping Charlie is a ground ivy in the mint family and is used as a salad green in many countries.

While I really should be in the house, working on the finishing touches of the wedding quilt, I can’t help but sit out here in Grace…our little camper. The door and windows are wide open and the fan is moving the air around. I can watch and hear the birds, flitting from the hedgerow to the trees and singing the songs of their people.

Clockwise from Top Left: Yellow Woodsorrel, Daisies, Dandelion, Mouse-ear Chickweed, a tiny little Maple Tree, and WhiteClover

I pulled the other half of my dinner salad from last night out of the fridge and happily munched on the tasty and colorful veggies and the savory chicken on top. I made a balsamic vinaigrette from a lovely balsamic glaze and EVO to round out the flavors.

Meadow Buttercups are one of my all time favorites. Their little faces turn up the the sky and follow the sun all day.

Sunday is made to be savored…to honor and praise our Maker…and to rest our bodies, minds, and spirits in His most excellent care for the day. This makes for a perfect day in my book!

My ground level view of one of the Pollinator Gardens. I’m a happy girl!

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”
Proverbs 3:7-8 NIV

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One of my all time favorite photos was taken out at the farm. Grandma’s Heritage Peonies are show stoppers every year and if you get the light just right, they look like they’re straight out of a Renaissance painting!

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Hold Tight, Toto!!!

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 01:30:00 -0600

We’ve been getting high wind warnings for days saying Saturday was going to be bad. I don’t know that it was any worse than last Saturday but the wind sure blew! We went out to take pictures of the pear tree blossoms before they were ripped from the branches and while we were out there, we heard a big tree crash on the ridge beyond the dirt road. We heard it going down, but there are so many trees up there we couldn’t see exactly where it was. All my life, I never really worried about a tree coming down on me…till I moved back here. All those year growing up, we traipsed around this woods like a herd of goats without a care in the world. Now if there’s a stiff wind and we have to drive someplace, I have my eyes on the trees as much as I have them on the road. I don’t know what I think I would do if I saw one coming down on me. Perhaps it would be kinder to just not watch it falling.

So, the power went out around 4:00PM. We called the power company and reported the outage. They estimated it would be back on at 8:00PM but I’m not holding my breath. The power went off just as I put supper in the oven. I made salmon filets the same way I made them a few weeks ago in my smaller iron skillet. I sautéed mushrooms and onions in a little butter, placed the salmon on top and spread some of that wild and long grain rice you buy in the microwave pouches all around the edge. I seasoned it with Tabitha Brown’s Sunshine Seasoning with a little extra garlic, fresh ground pepper and lemon juice. I covered the skilled with a lid and popped it in a 350° oven. It hadn’t been in there for five minutes when the power went off. These new stoves have a safety mechanism that turns the gas off if the power goes out so I just left the door closed and let it sit in the oven. About forty minutes later, I took the skillet out and plated the salmon and rice and it was divine! I think it would have been better to take it out a little earlier but it tasted great.

Mr FixIt got the generator out and started to make sure it was ready if the power didn’t come back on. That way we at least would have lights. I got out my knitting and started working on this sweater I started when I was camping with the girls. I have never knitted with real Irish wool before and it feels so rich and lovely. It’s a great, deep red tweed. I think it’s going to knit up beautifully and should make a pretty cardigan.

I worked on some new designs yesterday but the power went out before I was finished. Leaving them for today…or tomorrow. Who knows? We did a walkabout an caught some pictures of the flowers. The deep freeze nipped some of them, but I’ll take what I can get!

““So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.””
John 3:7-8 MSG

*Keepsake Box - Here’s a place to store your special keepsakes when you’ve lost your special person. I had an old leather watch box that I used, but I love this one…especially the comforting Bible verse.

Kiss Me, Sunshine!

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 02:30:00 -0600

Our forsythia are popping open right and left!

Oh, my word…I don’t know what the official temperature was yesterday, but around 4:00pm the thermometer on the back of the house read 82°!!!!! I know we aren’t supposed to be excited about the world getting warmer, but when I have a day like yesterday, I feel like I just got let out of prison.

We had several things that needed to be done before Mr. FixIt went to town for his turn at errands. Namely, we wanted to switch the tongue jacks between the Big Birdhouse and Grace. It was a lot easier this time because we had the a-frame hooked up to the truck. It wasn’t going anywhere. And we had two solid stand jacks under the front of the new camper.

I hooked up the wiring harness between the two batteries on the a-frame like a pro. The fact that my husband thought ahead and took a picture of it before he took it apart was pretty handy. Then, while he was undoing the wiring on the electric tongue jack, I took the manual jack off the other camper. Before we knew it, we had the jacks switched out. Now the only thing we need to do is charge up the battery for Grace, the new camper. Then Mr. FixIt can hook up the electric jack and that part is finished.

Why is it, when you put something in a safe place and then, try as you might, when you need it again it’s just…gone! That’s what has happened to the title for the a-frame. I think I know where it is, but I will have to do a little searching for it today. If I can’t find it, I can always run to town and get another one. But it’s just aggravating. The next step is to advertise the camper for sale and I know God will bring us the perfect person who needs it. The nice thing for the new owners…all the little glitches that come with a new camper have already been worked out and they’ll have a fun little camper that will hopefully give them many years of enjoyment.

While Mr. FixIt was off galavanting around yesterday afternoon, I went out and walked the grounds here at Marshmallow Ranch. The weather was downright balmy. The birds are coming back and they are so hungry after their migration north. We’re really running through the birdseed in the last month. It does my heart good to hear them start singing with the earliest crack of dawn.

As I wrote this last night, I was “yard camping” out back. My goal is to sleep in the camper at least one night out of every month this year! There may come a day when I can no longer do this, but it’s no time soon, I hope. I read a story about a woman in her 80’s whose husband passed away right after they bought a 40’ motorhome. Like me, she knew she had to put something joyful in front of her in order to get through her loss. So, she learned how to drive the RV all by herself and now she and her little dog go everywhere together!

Age is largely a state of mind. If we can stay healthy and fit, there’s no reason we can’t just keep this up for a good long time. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than camp out and about, sitting under the stars around my propane “pretend” campfire. And when the time comes that we cannot continue to travel, the camper will remain my sanctuary beside the house.

Now…on to the next thing!

“You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.”
Psalm 104:10-13 ESV

Little Bunny Foo Foo

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 02:30:00 -0600

The first year or two that I lived here on what has now become known as Marshmallow Ranch (formerly known as The Ponderosa), there were no critters in the back yard. Before that, a big Australian Shepherd policed the fenced in back yard and nothing dared to enter. But, after those first couple of years, the dog’s scent dissipated and the bunnies came back with a vengeance.

We’ve given up trying to raise a garden here because between the poor soil and the bunnies, we were knocked down every year. That’s just as well…we can get better produce while we support local farmers anyway. And, I love the bunnies. Something got one in the yard the other night. I’m thinking one of the owls from the surrounding woods had a fine supper. Or maybe an early morning hawk. Either way, the yard was littered with bunny fluff on Monday morning. It is the hazard of country living.

When I went out to the camper last night, this beauty sat stock still and didn’t make the usual run for the shadows. I stood and talked to the bunny while I carefully took out my phone to capture a photo, knowing fully well I might miss the opportunity. Night shots on a phone…no matter how wonderful they are, loses detail when you zoom in. But if you take the picture, then crop it down, you get better definition.

Mr. FixIt stood at the door, watching me watch the bunny. I waved him out to me because the peepers were also calling. They really shouldn’t be out this early…it’s a sign of negative climate change which affects everything, including the storms we are subjected to. Storms have been getting worse and worse over the last few years and it’s not a good sign. All that being said, there is a little flutter in your heart when you start seeing and hearing the first vestiges of spring.

I saw a robin in the pear tree yesterday morning. I was awakened at dawn by the sound of rain on the roof of the camper. Mr. FixIt has ditched his jeans and has changed to shorts. Now, it won’t matter if there’s a blizzard…he’ll be wearing shorts till next winter. (implied eye roll) Our diet is changing. Gone are all the heavy sweets and stews. We had a lovely chef’s salad last night. And I was back in the camper again. I’m making it a goal to sleep in the camper at least once every month of 2023! The time for heading out to a campground will be here soon then Mr. FixIt will come along with me.

We didn’t get quite as warm yesterday as they predicted, but today ought to be in the mid to high 70’s and that is blissful…global warming aside. My peeps in Colorado are freezing with sub-zero temps and snow. Yet another reminder of why I left there. I just can’t do snow like that anymore.

I have errands in town today, so the project will sit for the day. I need a break anyway. Big will have a birthday soon and I want to get a little care package sent to her. I’ll need a farm fix soon, as well. Keeping busy with this project since Christmas has kept my mind occupied and made the deeper darkness of winter pass more quickly. I do better with the “winter gloomies” if I have something big on my plate.

“Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.”
Proverbs 21:5 MSG

Scratch, Scratch, Scratch

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 02:30:00 -0600

I sleep in the camper whenever it’s warm enough and we’ve been getting some lovely, unseasonably warm weather this month. When I came in yesterday morning, Mr. FixIt was still snoozing so I went to the kitchen to make my tea. While I waited for the kettle to boil, I heard a noise. At first, it sounded like it was in the bottom kitchen cabinet by the refrigerator. I was almost afraid to open the door, but I finally screwed up my courage enough to take a peek fully expecting a raccoon to pop out at me. Whatever it was it sounded big!

Relieved that Rocky Raccoon wasn’t taking up residence in the kitchen cupboard, I tried to follow more closely to see exactly where it was coming from. I finally made my way into the hallway on the other side of the wall from the kitchen. There, very clearly over by the door…something was definitely in the wall.

We live out in the country on five acres. We get critters from time to time but none that sound this big. I was ready to tear the wall apart, but the ever wise Mr. FixIt stopped me because then we would not only have a big hole in the wall, but we would also very likely have a critter in the house with us. He assured me…if it found its way in there, it can find its way out. Just give it some time.

Finally around 3:00 it stopped scratching around and we assume it made its way out of the wall the same way it got in there. If it continues today, it will warrant further investigation, but for now…I’m sleeping in the camper out of the reach of the wild things! Mr. FixIt just laughs at me. He’s lived in the country a lot longer than I have!

What started out as a cloudy morning gave way to gusty winds, then the sun broke through and it was gorgeous. Mr. FixIt got out more baseboards and took them outside to paint. I work on the big project and made pizza. That was about the extent of the excitement in my world yesterday…which is fine by me.

We’re supposed to have temps in the mid-70’s today, but it’s going to rain most of the day. Another home day! The grass is greening up and it will be time to mow before long if this keeps up. With this early warmth, I’ve been listening for the peepers to start singing. They shouldn’t be out this early, but the last few years, they have been. Climate change will do that. Although I’ve seen posts on Facebook affirming their presence, I have not heard them here at Marshmallow Ranch.

I have been hearing more and more birds in the last week. The songbirds have been warning up their pipes at the first light of dawn. I especially notice them when I’m sleeping in the camper. We keep the feeders full so they can get some quick fuel when they arrive from their winter grounds. Lots of suet blocks so they get some fat for energy. They make my heart sing. I still have to laugh at our little Tufted Titmouse that taps on the window…telling Mr. FixIt the window feeder needs refilled.

The world is waking up. God’s promise that life does go on…in spite of us. I know there is such a large swatch of the nation facing winter storms today. My heart is with you. Please…be safe out there!

“Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.”
Song of Songs 2:12 NIV

Evidence of Hard Work

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 02:30:00 -0600

I was working at the desk in my “studio” yesterday, sipping a mug of tea when I leaned back in my chair. I looked down at the keyboard case for my iPad and noticed reflections on the key pads. I got my phone and leaned down to get this picture at just the right angle to show you how hard I work. I’ve had this keyboard for several years and it shows. The finish is worn smooth from the millions of words I’ve written since I bought it. Impressive.

I sat down one time to calculate how many words I have written on this blog. To get an accurate number, I’d have to go in and check the word count on every post. That’s not feasible. The next best thing is to guesstimate how many posts I’ve written. Mr. Virgo died 3,607 days ago. I started the blog 72 days before he passed away. I would say I’ve only missed about 60 days posting in those 3,679 days bring the number of posts down to roughly 3,619. I’m a bit long winded, so I’ll give a conservative estimate of around 800 words a post on average. That brings be to somewhere around 2,895,200. And that doesn’t count the many rough drafts of my book and the writing I’ve done for hire.

It’s no wonder this keyboard is smokin’!

I love it. Getting to come here and talk to you all every night is like sitting down with old friends and having a nice chat at my dinner table. I love the idea that, come 4:00 in the morning, my posts magically go live thanks to the marvels of the internet. And soon, some of you will make you cup of coffee or tea and sit down with me for a little peek into the extraordinary life of a quite ordinary woman.

Someone said the other day, it helps them to know other people’s life are just as ordinary as theirs. Or, someone else is going through the same trials and tribulations. I will never forget the comfort I felt when I wrote about losing Mr. Virgo and so many of you came to me with understanding and love and support. You shared your own stories. You started talking to each other in the comment section. And before we knew it, a whole community rose up in this little space.

I am humbled by this. By your outreach and by your sharing in this ministry God pressed upon me. Every time I think I’m done writing, God moves something in my life and tells me to keep going. He might turn me a few degrees one way or the other, but it’s always…keep writing. I love it. I wish I would have been more brave and started writing earlier in my life. But, I needed to go through all these things in order to have the “voice” I have now.

Grief isn’t sexy. It isn’t funny. It isn’t popular. It’s not what most people come to the internet to read unless they are actively looking. The thing is, death is a certainty in life. It’s just a passage we all must take at some point. My Facebook stats tell me my demographic is largely made up of women sixty-five and older. Not surprising that we understand each other…we speak the same language.

I talked with my cousin yesterday…Aunt Rosie’s daughter. She sounded good. Sad that her mom is gone, but relieved that she is no longer suffering. We got on the subject of family stories. She was raised in the Chicago area and only came for a visit once a year. Her family had a resort at Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota. They worked the cabins at the Pine Aire Resort from from the thaw in spring to the freeze in the fall. Then they went back to Chicago for my cousin to start school and my aunt to go back to work at Cook County Hospital.

My cousin’s family sold the resort when they retired. I had no idea what became of it and I looked it up. It is still open under the same name. Why mess with perfection, right? I’ve never been up there. My grandparents drove up one time when I was a little kid. And mom flew there on her birthday in 1971. Unfortunately, that was the same day our PopPop died and Mom and Aunt Rosie turned right around and flew home the next day.

I told my cousin story after story yesterday. When she said she’d never heard them, I told her I was family oral historian and I’d be happy to share stories till the cows come home. I’m looking forward to sharing with her in the coming months.

We have to make a trip to town today for an appointment. I haven’t been out of the house all week so I could use the fresh air and change of scenery. Well, I was out yesterday helping Mr. FixIt with a job. We had some stiff winds on Tuesday night and it blew the old clothesline pole down. It was loaded with three full bird feeders and and suet cage. The two plastic bird feeders broke so we’ll need to get replacements. The birds will have a fit if they have no food to eat.

“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”
Revelation 1:19 NIV

Earth and Heaven Collide

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 02:30:00 -0600

I’ve been writing a lot about organization this week. That’s because I’m doing the project…the BIG project. I have great ideas for a LOT of things I want to implement. But, unlike Martha Stewart, I don’t have a creative staff at my beck and call. When I have grandiose ideas, there’s only one person who is sitting in front of the computer and doing the scut work to implement them. That’s not to say Mr. FixIt wouldn’t help if I asked him…he certainly would. But I’ve done my typical “Gemini Ginny” thing and bit off a really huge bite.

I took the weekend off and sat back to ruminate on how I want this to work. I checked my visions and ideas and the practicality of it all and decided I’d better make a “vision board” so I can embrace this in chunks. Nothing worse than getting overwhelmed and not get anything done. I have an initial goal of mid March. However, I don’t want to launch something halfway, so I’m just going to let it unfold organically, take the pressure off myself, and set up one part at a time. There is absolutely NO need to bring myself unneeded stress!

That being said, I did play on my computer with a new program yesterday. Not to make much of anything, but to learn the ins and outs of it. I’m still on the fence as to whether this program is actually better than the one I’ve been using but I’m willing to give it a chance. I did find a bunch of supplies I put away a long time ago that are going to come in very handy so that was a pleasant surprise, and a big money saver. I know I’m being cryptic, but I don’t want to give too much away till I’m ready. It may happen a little later than I hoped.

My Latest Christmas Stocking

Mr. FixIt went to hang out at the bowling alley with his buddies last night. I stayed at home and had some quiet time. We had a peaceful day. After online church, I knitted while he watched football. I baked some cinnamon rolls in the afternoon and then played on the computer in my studio for a few hours before I called it quits and came upstairs to write.

I spoke with my cousin yesterday morning after church and my aunt is still hanging on. She is my mom’s last living sister. Mom passed away nineteen years ago tomorrow. I wonder if she’s “coming” to take my Aunt Rosie home? Mom had a heart of gold and would do anything she could for someone. It warms my heart to think she would come to get her baby sister. Earth and Heaven are about to collide in my world.

“Isn’t it obvious that all angels are sent to help out with those lined up to receive salvation?”
Hebrews 1:14 MSG

Another Trip to Town!

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:00 -0600

It just doesn’t end! Yesterday I had to go in for a test that took about a half hour. Easy peasy…just had to lay there, turn this way, turn that way, hold my breath…you know the drill. Within a couple of hours the results came back…all good! I had one million errands to do. You know those days when you think… “I’ll do these five things and be back home by noon…1:00 tops!” Am I the only one who NEVER gets that right? It was 6:30pm when I got home! Errands that I thought would take 5-10 minutes turned out taking an hour…EACH! Ugh. And to think, I couldn’t even blame it on Mr. FixIt. He stayed home!

Ah, well…I did get just about everything I need for this new project. At least until I decide to tweak it a little. I’ve been known to tweak. Bless my heart. I just didn’t get anything done at home but that will change today. I don’t have to go anywhere for DAYS!

Living in the country on a septic system presents challenges. I am not sure, but I don’t think the septic system out at the farm has EVER been treated with RidX, but Mr. FixIt treats ours once a month. Now, with as many places here that have septic systems, you would think RidX would be something easy to find. Well, it is…sorta. Mr. FixIt doesn’t like the liquid variety. The first two places I went to only had one month supplies of the powdered variety. Finally, I found the three month pack. Then, I blew my frugal husband away when I found a SIX MONTH supply of a different brand for the same as the three month. Winner, winner…chicken dinner! I know the way to my man’s heart…save him some money!

While I was at Sam’s Club looking for the RidX, I came across a display of “Grammy Skirts.” My girls called my mom Grammy. She used to wear these elastic-waisted, pleated skirts. She’d pull the waist way up under her boobs. Mama had a “yummy tummy” and wasn’t in the least bit self conscious about it. I sent my girls a picture of the “Grammy Skirts” and they both remembered right away. I mean…how could we forget? My mom was one of a kind. No one is ever going to forget her. She was golden and everyone loved her. Next Monday, she’ll be gone nineteen years. So hard to believe. She left us way too soon!

A couple of my stops were for some supplies for my “secret project” and I was so pleased to have coupons that cut the prices WAY down. Over half in some cases. I love a deal and since this is a process I’ve never tried before, I really don’t want to invest a ton of money in it till I know if I’m going to enjoy it. I priced some other things on my wish list for future reference.

I bought myself a day planner that was half off. I use my iPhone and iPad exclusively to keep track of things, but sometimes I find the old fashioned way easier to keep track of. I am a visual person. I need to see things written down in order to commit them to memory. One thing that may challenge this project I’m doing is my memory, so I want to stay on top of things to give myself the best advantage for success.

I called Mr. FixIt eleven times yesterday! By the last call, I told him he was probably sick of hearing from me and he was adamant I’m never a bother…he loves talking to me and hearing my voice as much as I love his. For someone who says she needs time away to recharge, I sure do miss the heck out of that man in a couple of hours!

Today…I get organized!

“But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.”
1 Corinthians 14:40 NLT

Organization is NOT in My Skill Set

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 02:30:00 -0600

I’m making lists and checking them a zillion times. I’m heading down rabbit holes when I really need to be concentrating. I’m going to have to treat this project like a job and have set hours to work on it or it’s never going to happen. It’s not happening sitting in the living room in the Big Red Chair with Mr. FixIt watching TV. I have a desk set up in the basement so I can sit there and work. Then, when I’ve finished the hours I will set aside to be productive, I can work on the quilt and other fun projects. I’m determined to do this because when it’s set up, I think it’s going to be fun!

When we went into town on Monday, my Aunt Rosie was weighing heavy on my heart. That made me think of the only aunt still living on my dad’s side. Even though she and I have been estranged for many years (not my choice), the hurt in the relationship still haunts me and I wonder about her. I found out through Find-a-Grave a few years ago that her husband, my dad’s baby brother, had passed away. His listing showed his headstone and where it was located. My aunt’s name and birth year were inscribed on the joint headstone.

Since I have no connection with her now, and since they are very private people, I asked Mr. FixIt if he would mind if we go up to the cemetery to see if there was a new grave. There was not, but she has the most beautiful view from up there. She always told me she was going to be buried on top of the world, and that’s just about what it looks like. Then I remembered my in-laws from my first marriage are buried nearby, so we went off looking for them.

I have never been to their gravesite. I always thought they were buried in the cemetery by the park, but it turns out they’re at the cemetery we were in. It took some doing but we finally found them. I’ve never thought much about visiting cemeteries. I’ve done my share, but it feels different the older I get. It’s a reminder that I’ll be changing addresses at some point down the road and the directions are getting clearer.

What is it Robert Frost said in his epic poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening… “I have miles to go before I sleep.” Mr. Virgo thought he had miles to go and we know how that worked out. The thing is, there’s no guarantee this project will ever be completed. But, the pleasure is in the progress…not the destination. It’s the same with everything in life. It’s the journey. The journey is everything.

“The people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite spoke: “You’ll remember what God said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me back at Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of God sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. And I brought back an honest and accurate report. My companions who went with me discouraged the people, but I stuck to my guns, totally with God, my God. That was the day that Moses solemnly promised, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance, you and your children’s, forever. Yes, you have lived totally for God.’ Now look at me: God has kept me alive, as he promised. It is now forty-five years since God spoke this word to Moses, years in which Israel wandered in the wilderness. And here I am today, eighty-five years old! I’m as strong as I was the day Moses sent me out. I’m as strong as ever in battle, whether coming or going. So give me this hill country that God promised me. You yourself heard the report, that the Anakim were there with their great fortress cities. If God goes with me, I will drive them out, just as God said.””
Joshua 14:6-12 MSG

SUCH Good News!!!

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 02:30:00 -0600

Guess where I am???

OMGosh, y’all…I had my last appointment with the endocrine surgeon yesterday morning and received such good news. My numbers are now in the normal range!!! That means my second surgery was a success. I thought it must be improved because I’ve been feeling much better the last six months. I no longer feel the deep bone pain I had before. And, as my sweet husband can attest…I’m no longer Miss Cranky Pants! I don’t need to see Dr. Phay again unless something comes up. He said while it IS possible one of the remaining glands may give me trouble in the future, it’s not very likely. Thank you, Jesus and Dr. Phay!!!

An additional high note is…the new medicine I’ve been taking for sleep seems to be doing the trick. Instead of an occasional restful night, it’s flipped and I have an occasional night with not quite as much sleep as I would like and the rest are 8-9 hours of good, solid snoozing. Can I get another “Praise, Jesus!”

I finished Christmas Stocking #9 yesterday!

I’m on cloud nine! Mr. FixIt and I went to town yesterday afternoon to get more birdseed for our little feathered friends. We needed to get birthday presents for two of our great grandsons. And we were out of eggs. I am praying the next generation of laying hens fare better and aren’t plagued with avian flu. I didn’t even ask Mr. FixIt how much the eggs were at Aldi’s. We are fortunate to be able to still afford most of the foods we are accustomed to eating. We have cut way back on red meat. We mostly eat roast pork and chicken when it’s on sale. But it sure hurts to pay so much for eggs.

After we arrived home from town and I got the groceries put away, I packed a few things and headed to the farm for a couple of days. It has been quite a while since I’ve stayed out here…maybe before Thanksgiving? I’m not sure. All I know is, I needed a farm fix! I brought my laptop, a book, the new Girlcamper and Country Living Magazines, and my knitting. I brought out some of the leftover spaghetti sauce, a can of Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup, and some pancake mix. Oh, and a couple of slices of the Hummingbird Cake!

It is so quiet and peaceful out here at the farm. It’s toasty warm with the gas stoves and the furnace running. I have an electric blanket on the bed so I am cozy and snug as a bug in a rug. I’ll make some phone calls that I don’t seem to have time for when I’m at home. I’ll go back to my sweetie tomorrow morning because it’s supposed to start snowing on Friday. I am so blessed to have access to my childhood home. Even though it technically isn’t “ours,” we work all summer mowing and keeping the place up in exchange for getting to stay here whenever we can. And that makes my heart sing!

“My people will live in a peaceful neighborhood— in safe houses, in quiet gardens.”
Isaiah 32:18 MSG

The First Day of Winter

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 02:30:00 -0600

Ahhhh, the Winter Solstice has come and gone and so has the longest night of the year! Every day forward…from now to June 21st…every day will bring more light and less darkness. Isn’t that a wonderful thought?

It would be very easy to wish this time of darkness away. To only look forward to brighter, better days. But if we do that, we are cheating ourselves out of an experience. All experiences…good and bad…have a purpose. Good times make us joyful. Bad times make us stronger. And quiet times give us space to meditate. To slow down. To breathe and just…be. ALL times should make us grateful for the experience.

I awoke in the early hours yesterday and couldn’t get back to sleep. I ruminated on several things that I couldn’t put away. I read for a while. I tossed and turned. I know I was keeping Mr. FixIt awake, but I just kept thinking I’d fall asleep soon. Three hours later, just after dawn, I finally drifted off and my sweetheart came in at noon to check on my. I’d been awake for just a few minutes. Even though he was on the other end of the house, and I hadn’t made a sound…he knew I was awake. He’s good that way.

Since it was so late, I heated up the leftover quiche for “brunch” and we settled into our cozy red chairs. I picked up my knitting and started Christmas stocking #4. Winter is definitely coming in the next couple of days. I was chatting with my dear friend Sue in Colorado the other night and they are predicting the lowest wind chill temperatures EVER recorded. I sent a message to the girls to make sure they keep the cabinet doors open under the sinks so the room heat can get in and to keep the faucets dripping slightly to avoid freezing pipes.

Our furnace is right beside our pipes in the basement here at Marshmallow Ranch, so I’m not terribly concerned about freezing. I think we are pretty prepared out at the farm. Pumpkin Kitty has a 30’x40’ building that’s all her own with a heated bed and a heated water dish, a big window to look out of, and Mr. FixIt leaves the light on for her at night. He’s sweet that way.

We have plenty of food and water. We have the gas fireplace in the family room and a gas wall stove in the basement if the power should go off. We have the generator, too. We cook with gas so I’m pretty sure we could last for quite some time without power if need be. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Please stay safe out there and check in to let us know what’s happening in your neck of the woods!

“The windstorm comes from its chamber, and the cold from the driving north winds. Ice is formed by the breath of God, and watery expanses are frozen.”
Job 37:9-10 CSB

Another Busy Day in Busy Town

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 02:30:00 -0600

I honestly did NOT want to go to town yesterday but I had no choice. I had to go to the bank because I was having an issue with their app and they couldn’t help me over the phone. If it didn’t involve something that needed completed right away, I would have blown it off. But, it was time sensitive so, there ya go…another trip to town.

It was bitter cold when I left bright and early. The frost was heavy on the Louisa the Lincoln’s windows. I have no idea where my window scraper is, so I waited till the heater softened the frost then wiped it away with the wipers. It was so cold, I brought out the big guns…my Canadian parka and the new L.L.Bean boots I got from my friend Janine for Christmas. I was toasty warm!

I got to the bank and waited my turn in line at the counter in the lobby. When the cashier called me over, I promptly tripped over the rug they used to keep the floors clean and ironically…less slippery. I fell into the marble counter and jammed my right arm pretty hard. They were most apologetic and filled out an incident report…just in case it bothers me later. It’s always something, isn’t it?

Someone tried to help me with my tech issue and as it turns out, it’s actually a glitch inside the app itself and they are trying to fix it. They have no idea how long it will take to get that corrected, so they suggested I contact the other bank I was trying to connect ma account to and see if they can connect from that end. I made the phone call on the way home and they walked me through how to do that online.

The bottom line of that is…I made a trip to town that I didn’t need to make because I could have taken care of it from the comfort of my big red chair. What can I say? I was already in town and Mr. FixIt thought of something he needed. I stopped at the big box store on my way home to get it and made it home by 1:00. Overall, that wasn’t a bad trip…time wise.

I got home, settled myself in the big comfy chair, and worked on Operation Christmas Stocking 2023. I made great progress and it’s a cute one. Mr. FixIt had to go to our little town so I had him stop at the Piggly Wiggly to get some things. I am going to make a quiche today for something a little different!

Looking at our calendar, I honestly don’t think we need to go to town at all this week. They are predicting snow and frigid temps by the end of the week. Mr. FixIt tried to get the generator started yesterday to no avail. We had it running this past summer so it should start. He has some trouble with his hands since his strokes, so if he can’t get it started tomorrow, I’ll go out and give it a pull.

Sometimes you have to tag team chores to get them done. You each have your strengths in a relationship, and time often changes those roles. You have to learn to adapt in order to make things easier. A burden shared is a burdened halved. My memory takes me back to that long, cold winter with the horrendous snowstorms after Mr. Virgo died. When I was left to do everything on my own. Thank God I had wonderful neighbors who helped out with some of the heavy lifting.

Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice!!! From now on, the days get longer and the nights get shorter. It won’t be noticeable at first, but there will come a day when we think…hmmmm, it’s not getting dark till X:XX!!! I love that and it gives me hope!

I’ll never forget the morning I woke up and heard a small engine running out in front of my house. Wrapping my robe close around me, I tiptoed out to the front door and peered out through the sidelight window. There was my neighbor with his brand new snow blower, clearing off nearly three feet of snow on my driveway and front sidewalk!

Believe me, I know how incredibly blessed I am to have Mr. FixIt in my life…my helper, my love. But I still can conjure up that feeling of emptiness and desperation I felt that first Christmas alone. What a long, dark, and lonely time that was. If you are feeling this acute loss this holiday season, please know my heart is with you and you are not alone, dear ones. Even though it feels like it, you are not alone in your suffering.

God weeps with you and for you….as do many of us here.

?❤️‍??

“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 ESV

#Busy, #Holidays, #Errands

T’was the Week Before Christmas…

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 02:30:00 -0600

Ohhhhhh, the things I still have to do! I took stock today of my holiday preparations as I sat in my big comfy chair. The floor around my feet was littered in every direction with gifts, gift bags, and all manner of flotsam and jetsam that needs to be taken care of. The dishes were piled in the sink. Mr. FixIt was kind enough to whip up some oats for breakfast while I decided what was going to get done first.

After eating my oats and toast and sipping on the new store brand decaf tea (which wasn’t bad, mind you) I came to a semblance of order. In my head, anyway. I cleaned the kitchen first. I’ve learned over the years that if I have a nice clean sink and a clear countertop, I can move mountains. Once that was done, I raided the icebox and set the Dutch oven on low to make chicken and noodles.

I had half a rotisserie chicken left in the fridge. I threw it in the pot along with a coarse chopped onion, a couple carrots, and several stalks of celery. I added a little salt and fresh ground pepper, a couple shakes of smoked paprika and poultry seasoning. I tossed in a couple dried bay leaves, some minced garlic, and half a box of chicken broth I had leftover in the fridge.

To this heavenly mixture, I added about eight or nine cups of water and placed the tight fitting lid on the pot and let it simmer all day while I worked on the presents. It smelled SO delicious! I got all the girls’ gifts in their gift bags with their names on them and under the tree. Then, instead of hustling all day doing this and that, I sat down and worked on another knitted Christmas stocking for the littles.

So what if people get their cards after Christmas…it just extends the holiday joy, right? More cookies? Heck…I’ve baked plenty! I’ll just box up what I have and call it good. Nope, yesterday was a day to just sit and enjoy the season. Mr. FixIt ran to town…yet again. And I elected to enjoy the peaceful setting I created in our little corner of the world. A cozy red chair. A cup of hot tea. Homemade Chicken and Noodles simmering on the stove. Knitting in my lap. Slippers on my feet.

Indeed…the world was my oyster!

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 ESV

A Change of Plans

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 02:30:00 -0600

I responded to the invitation with a very solid “We’ll try to make it.” At this time of year, there’s just WAY too much going on. There was once a time when I thrived on the chaos, but that ship has long left the harbor. I love our high school friends…I really do. I don’t particularly love the restaurant they chose for dinner last night, but even that wasn’t my deciding factor.

What kept me home? Just sheer over it up to here’s-ville. We were happily cuddled up under our cozy throws with the fire roaring and an interesting show on. I was knitting a miniature Christmas stocking for one of the babies. We each had a piping hot mug of tea. When the moment of truth came and a decision had to be made…yay or nay…I said, “Let’s stay in. I’ll fix you a meal better than what we would get at the restaurant, and we don’t have to drive 45 minutes each way on a narrow, winding country road in the dark dodging deer.”

So, that’s what we did. We stayed in. I cooked a feast that couldn’t be beat. The kitchen is a mess…yet again. And I’ll clean it up this morning. There are some things more important than going out. I’m making our health and well-being a priority this season. I think Mr. FixIt was relieved…he didn’t put up much of a fuss, anyway.

Since I finished the last sweater, and since the hair fiasco has been largely rectified, I finally got back to the quilt I’m making for our WV granddaughter’s wedding in June. I have the first row of blocks pieced together. I used an acrylic square to trim the blocks to exactly 10.5” so they piece together nicely. That make the top nice and even for the final quilting. I haven’t made such an intricate quilt in years and it’s fun getting back to it. I’m using the pool table to lay the blocks out on. It makes it so much easier to join the blocks correctly for the pattern.

My cousin is in sales. She buys end lots and sells things for a bargain price. I bought two big boxes of some clothing items she got her hands on and they arrived yesterday. Now I have to figure out a way to wrap them. I hate spending a lot of money on boxes to wrap Christmas gifts in. Last year, my dear friend Gail sent me some sock yarn for Christmas. She made the cutest little sack out of holiday fabric. I’m going to go to town today to find some inexpensive fabric and make my own cloth gift bags. They’ll be cuter and cheaper than buying those gift boxes that may not be the right size. And, they’re reusable!

As I sat writing this post last night, the rain was pitter pattering on the roof. I wonder if we’ll have a White Christmas. I tried to watch Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation the other day and it just didn’t hold any allure for me. We did watch White Christmas, so that kicked off the holiday season. I have all these plans for cookies and cheesecake, Christmas cards, maybe a little more decorating. But, so far I’m not getting much done on that list. It’ll either get done…or it won’t. I’m just not going to stress about it this year. Nor am I feeling guilty!

We’re just going to live in the moment and enjoy what comes our way!

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Colossians 3:2 ESV

Finding Comfort at Home

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 02:30:00 -0600

Knitting in front of my ”fireplace”…the one on Netflix!

Comfort comes in many forms. There is comfort in food, as that is the origin of nurturing in our lives. The same goes for the comfort of touch and smell and sound. It can harken us to our earliest memories of our family of origin who loved us, held us close, and fed us. Comfort may change form over time and it may come from different sources, but it always takes us back…way back to “home”.

When we go through times of emotional upheaval, we reach for those things that brought us comfort. And if they no longer work, or they’re no longer available to us, we make substitutions. When I went through my divorce from Hubby #2, I found comfort in the home I built. I chose colors and furnishings that calmed me. I burned a zillion candles and played soft, soothing music that made me feel safe and secure. When I lost Mr. Virgo, I found comfort and solace in camping.

The Farm has been a touchstone my entire life and I am always comforted there. I can walk in the back door and instantly feel calm. When I was going through the worst episodes of fear and anxiety and sadness in my life, I could close my eyes and visualize Grandma’s house, the wooden staircase leading to the “Girl’s Room” upstairs, and the warm bed piled high with comforters. The house was always warm…and there were always wonderful aromas wafting up from the kitchen. It smelled of good cooking and lemon oil furniture polish and Ivory Snow.

When we woke up yesterday, I snuggled over against Mr. FixIt to soak up his warmth. I remember the pain Mr. Virgo’s sudden absence brought me and I swore, if God would ever see fit to bring me another partner, I would memorize every moment to save up…just in case. We always check in with good morning greetings and how did you sleep questions. We look out the window and wonder about the weather of the day. One or the other of us picks up a phone to check the temperature and forecast. Then we take a look at the calendar to see if there’s anything going on. We hold hands and share contented sighs. Then one of us has to break the reverie and get the day going by getting up. It’s usually Mr. FixIt whose feet hit the ground first. He starts the electric tea kettle while I get myself up and about.

That ritual, in and of itself is incredibly comforting and I know all too well how nebulous it is. I padded into the kitchen and made oats and toast for breakfast. We watched a little TV. I baked bread and froze a couple dozen hot rolls for later in the month. I was at the end of my flour supply. I didn’t have enough bread flour, and the all purpose flour was a little past its prime. But we were down to just a few slices of bread, so I baked anyway.

I heated up turkey pot pie for supper, then Mr. FixIt went out to put up the inflatables. We hung the huge four foot wreath up together on the end of the house facing the road. I knitted a little on the sweater. Every row is another row closer to being finished. And here it is…the last day of November. Another month gone…a brand new month starting tomorrow. We sat in our big red recliners and enjoyed the warm glow of the Christmas tree. I read with my lap comforter thrown over my legs. Mr. FixIt softly snoozed with his feet up. The flames in the gas stove that looks like an old fashioned wood stove flickered softly. This is my comfort and joy.

We don’t live in a fancy new house. We don’t drive expensive cars with the latest gadgets. We don’t jet set around the world or buy the best of everything. We don’t need to. We have everything we could possibly need right here on this beautiful patch of ground. We have a big, healthy family. And we have each other. What more could I possibly ask for?

God has answered every prayer I’ve ever uttered one of three ways. Yes. Yes, but not right now. Or, no…I have something better in mind for you. I rest in great comfort knowing He is always a breath away from us. And I am always and eternally grateful.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 ESV

Still Plugging Along!

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 02:30:00 -0600

We had a heavy frost on yesterday morning so it was a bit of a late start. Which is ok from the labor standpoint. Everyone is working so hard…especially Mr. FixIt Jr. I know he is a chip off the old block because his dad is a really hard worker and has been all his life. His body is just pretty beaten up and his balance is off since the strokes. He just can’t get on a roof anymore. But that didn’t keep him from working hard in every other way from the ground.

You can see clear through the house!

Mr. FixIt and I took the trailer yesterday morning to pick up the shingle hoist from the rental place. It’s like an extension ladder with a motor and cable system. There’s a flat tray that you lay the shingles on and it works on a pulley system to lift it up to roof level. It’s really cool! We needed to get the wood repairs finished before that could start.

Mr. FixIt Jr. threw down the pieces that needed replaced and his dad and I used them for templates to cut out new wood. They got the long support strut out that needed replaced and the 2x4 we bought was about two feet short. I ran to our little town hardware store to buy an 8’ board and they soon had a piece spliced on the end and it fit in the spot seamlessly.

Pinto beans and cornbread. I crumble my cornbread into the bottom of the bowl, add a couple scoops of piping hot beans, top with a generous heaping spoonful of diced onions and a big squirt of spicy brown mustard. I add a dash of finely ground chipotle pepper for a little kick. This is stick to your ribs, Appalachian comfort food right here. Love in a bowl!

The former Mrs. FixIt sent over a pot of pinto beans and corn bread so I didn’t have to cook. She is so thoughtful that way. I went in to heat up some supper for us while they finished replacing the damaged wood. We took a break and sat in the warm sun for a little bit. Our daughter-in-law came after she got off work to help.

As they were getting started hoisting the shingles up, we pulled the roll of tarpaper out to start precutting the strips to staple on the wood surface. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a miscalculation and we needed two more rolls of tarpaper. I elected to run to town real quick to the big box hardware store and got back as fast as I could. In the time I was gone, they got all the shingles up to the roof and used up the one roll of paper.

Our daughter-in-law and I rolled the paper out on our back sidewalk, measuring the length by chalk lines on the cement. We cut the rest of the strips, rolled them up individually, and she carried them up the ladder to the roof. We kept busy refilling the staple hammer with staples and sending it up the ladder. And right at dark, all the tarpaper was in place and stapled down.

We gathered all the tools and covered them with a drop cloth. We got the shingle hoist taken apart and put it in the trailer to return today. Then we sat and visited for just a little bit before we sent the kids home with the all familiar farewell...

“Watch for deer!”

That’s West Virginian for…I love you!

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing,”
Philippians 2:14 ESV

Oh My Gosh! What a Day!

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 02:30:00 -0600

The cedar trees are gone!

We got a fairly early start yesterday. The very first thing on the agenda was scrambled eggs and toast. We’ve been eating a good breakfast every day and I think it’s helping me keep from noshing during the day. And, I’m sleeping better. I may have lost some weight, but I haven’t stepped on a scale in quite some time, so I’m not quite sure on that.

We drove over to the polling place and voted. The other night, I told Mr. FixIt we should go vote early so we wouldn’t have to stand in line. I knew we’d be busy yesterday and I didn’t want to take too long voting. He laughed at me. He said he’s lived out here since 1979 and he has never stood in a line. Ever. We went in and sure enough, we were the only ones there. There are two voting machines. TWO! One for him and one for me. Mr. FixIt told them I didn’t want to stand in line and they laughed and laughed. I told them…in my defense…I lived in Colorado for forty years. There’s a line for everything! She asked if I wanted a sticker and I told her I was good. I was just heading back home to put a roof on the house.

I love country life!

We added to the burn pile!

Boy, howdy…did we work our butts off yesterday. Well, my stepson worked HIS off, for sure. The first thing we did was cut down the three cedar trees out front. They were leaning precariously close to the house. The first one came down kinda where we wanted it. The second fell towards the house instead of away and it slid down along the gutter and landed parallel to the front. The third fell in the opposite direction and came so close to the house it wasn’t funny.

There are two brick pillars with a round cement ball on top of each…one on either side of the front steps. The tree knocked one of those off and came within an inch of taking out the railing on the basement access steps. Good thing cedar trees are relatively soft and squishy or we could have had a real mess on our hands.

Cedar is the most beautiful wood and it’s so aromatic.

Mr. FixIt Jr. took the chainsaw to the bottom of each tree to knock off some of the trunk. Then he wrapped a tow strap around the base and I dragged them around to the burn pile. The guys followed me around and cut each tree up…one at a time and added them to the pile of brush that’s been accumulating over the last few years. We got a beautiful stack of cedar logs for the fire pit.

Once that job was finished, it was time for more work on the roof. Mr. FixIt Jr. got the rest of the shingles scraped off. While he was up there, II did climb the ladder just enough to reach over the edge of the roof. There is about a two foot wide strip of underpayment that needs to be replaced so I worked on removing the nails and pried that piece out. Wow! It was crazy the amount of bees nests that were in the the soffit below. And a couple of dehydrated mice, as well. Ugh!

WVGranddaughter #2 and her beau came out to help. I fixed lunch for the two Mr. FixIts. Then everyone got busy and by 4:30, we had everything ready to replace the boards today. This morning, we need to go to town and rent the shingle hoist. We also need another sheet of plywood. And a 16’ 2x4 to replace the one where the leak rotted it. When we get back, we’ll replace the wood that was water damaged then roll out the tar paper and staple it down. And then…the shingles!

I was supposed to go to the doctor today and we were to meet friends from out of town for lunch on Thursday. But there is just way too much to get done and it has to be finished by sundown Thursday night. Because sometime during the night, it’s going to rain. So, I cancelled both of those, unfortunately. Sometimes you have to do the grownup thing and be responsible. Believe me, I’d rather be doing just about anything besides what we’ve been up against this week.

When the kids were preparing to leave, they were discussing what to have for supper. Mr. FixIt suggested Chinese food. They weren’t in the mood, but we were! Of course, that means I had to drive to town, place the order, wait for it to cook then drive home. It’s a whole hour before you’re tucking into that yummy lo mein…but oh, is it ever worth it!

I was so exhausted by the time I was finished eating, I could have gone straight to bed. I’ll be so glad when Friday gets here!

“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”
Proverbs 13:4 ESV

After the Jab

Sat, 29 Oct 2022 01:30:00 -0600

The last time I had a Covid Booster, I kinda felt puny for a couple of days. This time, not so much. My arm isn’t even all that sore today. I suppose I still had enough antibodies in my system to not react terribly, but I’m awfully glad we got the vaccines. We still are vigilant with mask wearing and hand washing and social distancing. We’ve relaxed a little bit with restaurants, but then only mid to late afternoon and ask to be seated in a far corner booth. I’m feeling really confident that we can get through the holidays a bit more at ease than we did last year.

I am perfecting the two ingredient biscuit recipe I learned this summer. I made a batch yesterday and it is indeed the most forgiving dough. The biscuits were perfection! I fried up some sausage and eggs to go with them and we had a fine feast before a day of chores.

My stepson called yesterday morning to ask if we wanted a load of firewood. Mr. FixIt jumped on that, hooked up the utility trailer, and headed over to help. While he was gone, I did a little cleaning and knitting while I watched Celebrating Appalachia videos on YouTube. It’s such a peaceful oasis in the storm of news and social media. Yesterday was a particularly awful day with the attack on Speaker Pelosi’s husband. I’m sure you join me in prayers for his speedy and complete recovery. Some days are harder than others to deal with the brokenness of this world.

When Mr. FixIt returned with the load of firewood, I went out and helped him unload and stack it by the fire-pit out back. It wasn’t a lot of wood, but we could both feel it in our backs by the time we finished for the day. The kitchen was completely out of hand so I did a thorough cleaning before I sat down to watch the news. When it was done, I came out to the camper to write. I was thinking of ”yard camping”, but decided to come back in after I finished this post. I’m not soft, but I didn’t want to spend the entire night with my arms tight under the covers. I guess I’m relegated to occasional visits or naps. *sigh*

I have a couple of prayer requests to add before tomorrow. My dear friend Sue has hit a bump in the road in her recovery from knee surgery and could use some prayers for strength and healing. Little has had mono for a month and is still struggling with fatigue. And my friend Gail asked for prayers for Chuck for a brain bleed with upcoming surgery on Tuesday. Big is in her first big college swim meet this weekend. Prayers for safety and strength. Thank you!

We need to go get the roofing shingles today. And…I found the electric blanket! It was folded up inside a quilt I had taken off the guest bed this spring. It was stuck behind the “Tub-o-Yarn” I bought when the knit shop closed this summer. Mystery solved!

What’s going on in your neck of the woods this weekend?

“for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
1 Timothy 4:8 ESV

Not What I Wanted to Wake Up To

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 01:30:00 -0600

I’ve been practicing the military method of falling asleep. And…so far, so good! I’ve been falling asleep quickly, and staying asleep all night and it’s been amazing. Yeah, ok…it’s been less than a week, but I have hope. I’ve never been a great sleeper. I have had trouble turning my brain off at night. This sleep technique that the Army teaches their recruits claims to bring the Sand Man in less that two minutes and I’m just going to believe that and run with it!

I woke up yesterday morning…the sun was up, Mr. FixIt was softly snoring beside me, and I felt wonderful! I reached for my phone and found a series of puzzling messages on my Lock Screen. They were from the fraud prevention at my bank. It seems someone in Australia tried to put a $1200+ charge through…under five different names. Thank GOD there are these fraud protections in place now!

A couple of months ago, I purchased a vintage apple peeler off the internet. There were a couple of red flags, but I REALLY wanted that particular peeler. So I hit “valid” when they asked if it was actually me behind the card. Then, I waited. And waited. And waited some more. I kept going back to the website where I purchased the peeler and it said “In process.” The little red flags were turning into big red banners in my brain and I called my bank.

My only option was to freeze my debit card permanently and have the bank issue me another one. Or, give it a little more time since it was coming from out of the country. (Yes…that was the red flag I chose to ignore because…I REALLY wanted that peeler!) We decided to give it a little more time, but when it came down to the cutoff for a fraud claim, I told the bank to file it. I still didn’t elect to get a new card. ALL my bills are handled electronically…by that card. What a pain in the rear. The bank said they would clamp down the security on my card an alert me at the first questionable transaction.

And, that they did. At 4:00 yesterday morning. I hate to have to go through this mess, but honestly…as often as I use that card on the internet, I’m shocked it hasn’t happened more often. I love my bank in Colorado. They’ve been my “hometown bank” since 1986 and I kept my accounts with them even after moving to West Virginia. They always help me out and alert me to any kind of problem. And, my debit card has a painting on it by my friend Mary Noone who passed away recently. That card makes me smile every time I see it.

We are binge watching Grace and Frankie and even though there’s quite a bit of irreverent material in it, we really get a kick out of it. Especially since the main actors are “seventy-somethings” and are so relatable. Robert had a heart attack. Sol has retired and become an activist. Grace had a knee replacement and Frankie had a TIA. They are vibrant and yet they struggle with their memory, their physical limitations, and navigating the specter of aging in place vs. a “retirement community”.

Mr. FixIt and I face some of the same things with our health and memory and the house becoming a lot more work as we age. We hate it and we fight it and we figure it all out together. For now, that’s fine. But there will come a time…down the road…hopefully, WAY down the road. How did we get to be seventy? We don’t FEEL seventy…and we certainly don’t ACT seventy. We’re brave and profess age as “just a number”.

I’m going to have to reach back to a few years ago when I wrote a lot about “positive aging”. More movement. Improved diet. Better sleep hygiene. Mental stimulus. Time to get back to basics and stay healthy as long as we can.

“no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.””
Isaiah 54:17 ESV

Ahhhh…Home Sweet Home, Again!

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 01:30:00 -0600

We need a new mattress in the camper! That is the first thing most people will change out when they get a camper. RV manufacturers will never give you a decent mattress. Not unless you’re buying a $500,000 mega rig and then you can’t be certain. I know…mattresses are a highly individual thing. Just ask Goldilocks. But, maybe if you could have a choice when you buy your camper…soft, medium, or firm…innerspring or memory foam…six inch or ten inch? That could make the whole camping experience much better from the get go.

Neither of us slept terribly well this trip. It was difficult to regulate the heat. The little ceramic heater we bought is terrible and I’m returning it. There are so many settings on it, but it never shuts off…and even at its lowest setting of 59°, it was still WAY too hot. Then we couldn’t get the electric blanket just right. I think Mr. FixIt had more trouble than I did because he is his own heat generator. Honestly, it’s like sleeping with a radiator. So, if he isn’t comfortable, he tosses and turns and neither one of us sleep soundly. We were supposed to stay till today, but we came home yesterday so he could rest up his back and be ready for bowling tonight.

The camp hosts at Beaver Creek State Park where we stayed serve coffee, cider, and donuts at their site every weekend of October. We sat around their campfire and enjoyed some fellowship and tasty treats. Then we finished hooking up and took off for home. Mr. FixIt seldom asks to stop and see something in particular. On Friday, he wanted to drive back down to Steubenville to see the reproduction of Fort Steuben that was built in 1797. It was thirty-two miles back toward where we came from. So, round trip of sixty-four miles to see something my friend Gail said was nothing to write home about. If I’d felt better, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but I was up sick during the night Thursday night and all I wanted to do was snuggle in my fuzzies around the fire and knit and enjoy the campground.

When we were heading through Steubenville yesterday, I pulled off the highway and turned in to the fort so my sweetheart could see it. Unfortunately the guest center was closed for some reason…covid, staffing, whatever. But we got to walk around the grounds a little and see the buildings from the outside. Now that we know we can get in and find a place to park with the camper, we can try again the next time we go up.

When we were packing up yesterday, the ground prong broke off of our heavy duty extension cord so we stopped at Lowe’s on the way. Mr. FixIt replaced the plug as soon as we got home so we could hook the camper up to the house electricity. We got my sweetie all settled in the recliner with the heating pad and I got all settled in the camper under the electric blanket. I know there aren’t too many more nights where I can sleep out here so I’m taking advantage of it. They were predicting our first frost last night!

Tonight is the Hunter’s Moon…October’s “harvest” moon. As I lay here writing this, I watched the full moon rise over the far hill in all her glory. I was prompted to recall other full moons of note in my life. I was at a James Taylor concert in late summer 2001. 9/11 hadn’t occured yet and the world was still turning. I was at Red Rocks, overlooking the Denver Metro area. The moon rose full and I swear it was the biggest and most beautiful I’d ever seen it…pumpkin orange in an indigo sky. It shimmered with the heat rising up from the city far below.

Sweet Baby James started singing Up On the Roof, and I was transported to the summer of 1979 to a mountain in West Virginia. I was backpacking with Hubby #2. I’d never been so vulnerable in the woods carrying a way-too-heavy pack, missing my daughter, exhausted and hungry after a full day’s climb. I started singing this very song, bright and clear, as a way to ground my panicky heart. Just then, we heard a thundering sound, looked up the hill above us, and a whole herd of deer came running down the mountain and leapt gracefully over our heads before disappearing into the woods below us. My then fiancé and I locked eyes for a moment then looked at the sky above us. That evening, the Milky Way stretched out in the black inky sky as the full moon peeked through the leaves, sending dappled shards of moonshine onto the forest floor. We stopped and pitched our tent right there along a cool babbling brook and slept like babies.

I love the moonlight. I’ve gone snowshoeing in the peaceful quiet of a Rocky Mountain winter, guided by her brilliance. I’ve made love on the top of mountains in her silent shadows. I’ve swam naked in pools of warm water under her canopy of light. I’ve rocked my baby at my breast in our log house as I watched the moonrise over the wilderness. I’ve stood at the grave of my beloved, beating my chest with my fists…crying out in my grief to God and the angels and the Man in the Moon. And, I’ve held my new love’s hand as we watched the moon rise over the ocean waves. With the moonrise comes the hope in all things new. It’s always steady, it’s always there…whether we see it or not.

As is God.

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
Psalm 8:3-4 ESV

Camping in the Cold

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:30:00 -0600

Brrrrrrr….the high yesterday was only 52° and it was downright chilly. I put a roast in the slow cooker in the morning and let it simmer with onions, mushrooms, and beef bone broth till it was fork tender. We served it over noodles and it really hit the spot last night. We sat outside as much as we could in front of the propane heater but eventually we went inside because we were freezing. We brought our DVD set of the entire series of West Wing, so we sat in the dinette and watched that while I knitted. I got half of the last arm of the 3 year size sweater done yesterday.

I didn’t hear any owls this trip. And camping here just isn’t the same without my dear friend Gail as the camp host. It just felt kinda sad, because I remember so many wonderful spring and fall camp outs here with the girls.

The campground really started filling up in the afternoon. Our “next door neighbor” arrived around 8:00 last night so there was quite a bit of banging around for a while. I’m so glad to see people getting out camping and enjoying the outdoors. I called yesterday to see when the A-Frame camper will be finished and they said it depended on when they got the wallboard. I asked them to go ahead and winterize the camper so we won’t run the chance of any pipes freezing before it gets back to us.

As much as I would love to camp again next week, Mr. FixIt is right…we have stuff to do to get ready for winter. We may need to mow again, both at home and at the farm. We still haven’t winterized the pool yet. And the elephant ear and African lily bulbs need to be dug up and dried then placed in the basement for the winter. We are hoping to get the roof replaced over the family room before the snow flies.

Our wedding anniversary is coming up next week, too. Hard to believe…the last four years have flown by! We were supposed to stay here till tomorrow, but Mr. FixIt is substituting for his friend for bowling league the next few weeks as he recovers from surgery. We figured we’d better get back home and give him a chance to rest up his back before he bowls. We need to get a better mattress for the camper next spring. This one is really hard.

I had the best memory foam mattress in my first little camper, and even though the bed in Big TOW-Wanda was a queen size, I put that same full sized mattress in it and used it till I bought the little camper that fell apart on the trip to Colorado in 2019. When I sold that camper out there as a project camper, I traded mattresses with my son-in-law’s mom. I took an older mattress for the camper, and left that nice memory foam one for their guest bedroom. So, I get to sleep on it when I to out there to visit. It’s one of the nicest mattresses I’ve ever slept on and I can’t find another one like it. I want a queen sized one for this camper so I’m on the hunt for a good one.

Did you know a lot of the memory foam mattresses have fiberglass in them? I didn’t know that. I’ve read about people who get terrible rashes from the fibers. The ones without fiberglass are more expensive, of course. But you get what you pay for. Good quality always costs more.

“You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.”
Psalm 74:17 ESV

Home Sweet Home

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 01:30:00 -0600

We were supposed to go home today, but we decided to leave yesterday afternoon after looking at the weather reports. There was rain heading our way from the remnants of Hurricane Ian and, given the small leak we found in the wheel well on Wednesday, we felt it was best to drive home while it was dry.

We had a leisurely camp breakfast. We have a “camp kitchen”…an aluminum framed stand with a shelf on either side and one below. I use our electric skillet out there and cook anything that’s going to have much odor or that creates any oily residue. We buy frozen sausage patties and take them out of the camper refrigerator/freezer as we need them. Yesterday we had sandwiches with scrambled eggs, cheese, and sausage and big mug of piping hot tea. Nothing better than cooking and eating out of doors!

We sat in front of the propane heater and chatted while I knitted and Mr. FixIt read the news to me. Finally around noon I decided it was time to started gathering and cleaning and putting things away. We left the campground around 2:30 and stopped at Leith Run Recreation Area where we camped last week. We pulled in to the large parking lot in the Day Use area, put the slide out enough to get in the bathroom, and then I fixed us some lunch. I could have stretched out right then and there and taken a nap, but Mr. FixIt wanted to get on home before dark. Always my practical partner in crime!

We got the camper all set up at home. Rain was expected to hit around 10:00. Mr. FixIt got settled in the house doing some preparatory things. He got the hoses set out for the sump pumps…just in case. We haven’t needed to use them ever since we started using root blocker in the drain! Yay!!! He turned on the furnace to get that “new season” smell out of it. I came out to the camper and got the essentials out….the tea kettle, mugs, and accoutrements. Before long, my sweetheart called and said, “Quick! Come look at the sunset!”

Red sky at night, a sailors’s delight…so they say. It was truly spectacular! One of those sunsets that’s almost as pretty behind you as it is in front. I took a gazillion pictures and hugged my man…thanking him for wanting to share this moment with me. I love this time of year and I love this camper and there are only so many nights I’ll be able to be out here enjoying it. My sweetheart shares my love of camping…traditional camping. Like…at a campground. He’s all for that. But when his bed is fifty feet away, he doesn’t quite see the point. He obviously never wanted to live in Barbie’s Dream House! So, I came back out here.

It wasn’t fifteen minutes later, he came knocking at the camper door. I got up and unlocked it and said, “Get in here! Did you forget something?” He looked at me a little sheepishly. “I wanted something sweet with my tea and you have all the snacks!” I winked at him and laughed. “Darned right I do, sweetheart! What’ll it be? Cherry pie? Apple pie? Cookies?” He smiled big. He knows I know the quickest way to his heart.

“Cherry pie…AND cookies!” And a big ol’ hug, you ol’ teddy bear! I truly love this man… ‘deed I do.

Happy October!!!

***Oh, and by the way…FB seems to have corrected the comment issue I was having because I saw you ALL yesterday! ?

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 ESV

Well…That Was Fun!

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 01:30:00 -0600

Don’t forget to look up when you’re out in the woods!

When a camper is the right fit…when the weather is picture perfect…when the park isn’t crowded…when you’re with your best mate…when the stars align and the owls hoot on cue and the whippoorwill calls…when the chairs are comfy and the tea is hot in the mug…when the stitches are on your needles and the sweater is coming together…when the leaves are beginning to turn and there’s just the faintest whiff of campfire smoke in the air…when it is cool enough for a sweatshirt and leggings and an extra blanket on the bed…when you hate to pack up and want to stay another day and another. Well, when you have all that and more, you can honestly say you’re onto something here. This is the camper we’ve been looking for…hoping for…wishing for!

Thank you, God. Thank you, Jayco. Thank you, Elizabeth. Thank you, Coleen. Thank you, Union Trades.

And last, but not least….Thank you, Mr. FixIt! You always make my adventures more fun!

We got home by 5-ish after running several errands on the way. We stopped at Menard’s in Athens and returned these two small lanterns with battery powered fans. We thought they’d be perfect by the bed. But they made WAY too much noise so they had to go back. I picked up a couple camper things there. We stopped at the Rest Area just off the interstate and dumped the tanks. Then we headed to the RV Parts & Supplies store and picked up a new anode rod for the hot water heater. And a wrench to remove the sewer hose once it’s attached to the camper. I had the worst time trying to take it off at the dump station. Then we went to Walmart and bought some of those cloth baskets for organizing our personal items like clothing and toiletries.

We parked the camper at the end of the house, plugged it in, and I grilled burgers for supper. As soon as we were finished eating, I came out to the camper to stretch out and there I stayed.

Waiting at our door…a Praying Mantis.

It was a long day…and a great getaway. The kind of getaway where you aren’t sure what day it is and you really don’t care! We head out again on Monday but till then, there will be mowing and knitting and all manner of things to do as the summer wanes.

Today would have been my dear friend’s birthday. Happy Heavenly Birthday, Sparky. I hope you get to celebrate with your parents and your sister and have all the cake you want! I sure miss you.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””
Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

The Perfect Porch

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 01:30:00 -0600

I was listening to Tipper Pressley on one of her Celebrating Appalachia videos on YouTube yesterday while I worked on this quilt. She was talking about her front porch and how important porches are to people…not only to those in Appalachia, but to people all over the world who have them. They expand our living space and bring us into the outdoors during the warmer months of the year. They offer safe places to relax and read or visit with friends, family, and neighbors.

Porches facilitate community or solitude. They offer a cool place to get out of a hot kitchen during canning season. They’re a resting place when you’re too old to chase the young’uns around the yard but you still want to be a part of things. You can watch for the mailman or the newspaper or the school bus. You can wave goodbye to your loved ones as they back out of the driveway and head on home.

I’ve had some really great porches in my lifetime. One of my favorites was the farm style house I had built after a divorce. I needed my house to be as Appalachian as I could get living in the Rocky Mountains. I had dreams of living in my home state of West Virginia, but I still had a young child to raise and those dreams had to rest on the back burner. It wasn’t a huge porch, but I had plenty of sitting room and flowers and, white wicker furniture, a barn wood bench, and an old chippy-green rush-seat chair.

My country-style porch in Colorado.

When Daughter #1 was little, we lived in an old brick bungalow that had a great front porch on it with swings. It was nice to sit out there and watch the world go by…and the traffic. It was a very busy street in Denver. I have had decks and patios that served as porches. And I’ve lived in tiny apartments with no porch at all. When I lived in my camper, the whole outdoors was my porch.

But, my favorite porch of all times was Grandma’s front porch out at the farm. We still sit out there and have a cold drink whenever we go out to mow. When I’m there for my R&R breaks, I sit out there and knit and listen to the birds. I have so much history…so many memories that include that porch. I remember sitting out there with my grandma, stringing and snapping beans to can. I still have the old roaster pan lid that Grandma used to sit in her lap and peel potatoes or shell peas into.

This sound takes me back to the long summer days of my childhood and Grandma yelling at us kids to quit slamming that screen door!

One of my friends has the greatest porch. He designed it and had it built onto his historic red brick home and let me tell you…it is stunning. One of these days, I’ll ask him if I can come over and photograph it for you because it is truly magazine worthy.

Here at our house, we have the pool deck with the pergola on it for shade and a nice table and chairs, but that’s not really a porch, per se. There is a porch on what is officially the front of the house, but it’s just not very conducive to sitting and relaxing. It’s on the busy road side of the house so there’s a lot of traffic noise. And there is a gravel road along the side of the house so it’s really dusty out there. Maybe someday we’ll have a covered porch we can sit on and watch the rain. But in the meantime, I’ll enjoy whatever porch I might get to sit on at any given time.

We’re almost at the end of porch sitting season. I hope you’ll share a picture of your cozy porch in the comments below and tell us what makes it your special place. Give us all something to dream on.

“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
Isaiah 32:18 ESV

Back Home and Back to Work

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 01:30:00 -0600

We camped at Beaver Creek State Park near East Liverpool, Ohio this week. It’s one of our favorite campgrounds, largely because my dear friend Gail is sometimes the camp host there. She isn’t hosting again till fall, but she was supposed to come camp with us at least one night. Unfortunately, she was a little under the weather this week so we had to take a rain check on the visit. We still had an amazing time, as always.

We visited Columbiana and shopped at the local antique dealers and ate at Das Dutch Haus restaurant and it was SO good. We took apple dumplings home for dessert and they were heavenly! We had ice cream TWICE at Bruster’s Ice Cream Shop in Calcutta. They have Black Raspberry ice cream at this time of the year and it’s one of my all time favorites. Mostly, we just hung out at the campground, chatted with what few campers were there, and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the woods in June.

Midweek camping is the way to go. Even at the peak of June, people don’t usually start showing up till Thursday night. We took long walks and got lots of good photos with nothing but nature in them. We did gain some fellow campers on Thursday night and it was so fun to hear the kids playing, riding their bikes, and running around catching lightning bugs. Tuesday and Wednesday was really hot and we had to run the AC, but Thursday night got down to 56° and I actually woke up cold at 3:30am. I had to get up to turn off the fans, and then…of course…I couldn’t get back to sleep till just around dawn. Poor Mr. FixIt…there isn’t another room to escape to in a camper, so I kept him awake, too.

There was something I saw at the campground that really upset me. I was sitting with Mr. FixIt, the sun was setting, and I had been knitting. I set my needles aside to get up for a drink when I noticed something on a tree at the edge of our campsite. I walked closer and…believe it or not…someone had BRANDED the tree! Like…with a livestock brand! I know there is someone out there who thinks it’s uber cool that there’s a tree at every campsite they’ve ever camped at with their “brand” on it. But that is just wrong. What ever happened to “leave no trace”? Campsites and parks should be left better than you found them! Don’t leave “art” like decorated rocks or walking sticks behind for the “joy of others to discover”. Don’t stack rocks in streams…it disturbs native habitat for all kinds of critters. Don’t move picnic tables or fire rings.

Go to the woods…enjoy it to the fullest…then leave it pristine for the next guest! Nature is for everyone.

*stepping off my soapbox now.

And now, it’s time to get back on that mower and get some work done around here! So glad to be back home and with you fine people. I hope you’re enjoying summer so far!

“You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.”
Psalm 74:17 ESV

Back in the Saddle Again!

Tue, 31 May 2022 01:30:00 -0600

I’ll tell you what…recovery comes more slowly with age. Both Saturday night and Sunday night, I laid down at 5:00 just to stretch out and woke up at 9:30 in the morning! I went right out and mowed the yard yesterday as soon as I could because the temperature was supposed to be in the 90’s by mid-afternoon. I got almost finished and ran out of gas. After a quick trip to town for a refill, I did the last three loops and was done. It always looks so pretty when it’s finished.

I received a notification that Glenwood Springs had a frost warning out last night. Y’all have no idea how nice it is to live where there’s a long growing season. We have tomatoes on our plants and Colorado is having freeze warnings. There was a blessing in that weekend in the mountains when it snowed. I stayed three days longer than I expected to and really enjoyed visiting with my brother. He’s calling me more regularly now and sounds so much better. I was getting worried about him, but I think this new move and the extra attention is helping him. He called yesterday to tell me they were having a barbecue and playing games last night for Memorial Day. That does my heart good.

I haven’t touched anything I brought in from the truck. It’s still in a big pile in the living room. We have to mow at the farm today, I think. It’s supposed to rain the next couple of days so we’d better get out there. Mr. FixIt worked on his brakes yesterday while I mowed. We always have something to do at this time of year. The pool is just about ready to get in. I’m hoping the camper gets fixed soon because we have a little camping trip scheduled in the middle of June. Then we’ll probably put this one up for sale and look for a camper that better suits the kind of camping we do.

We had a little calamity at the house Sunday. A couple of years ago, I built a birdhouse at a Girl Camper event with Gail at Beaver Creek State Park. The park naturalist did a talk about bluebirds and showed us how to build a birdhouse. When I got home, I sat it on top of the smoker and there it sat. As I was sitting on the deck having coffee Sunday morning, I was on a FaceTime call with Gail and thought I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. I thought a bird went in the birdhouse, but I waited and never saw it again. Then, I got busy doing something else and forgot to investigate.

Mr. FixIt came in to get me and showed me what happened. The cat knocked the birdhouse off the smoker and it shattered into several pieces. There were several little baby birds in the box and that scattered in every direction. They were SO close to fledging and I just hated that their time was interrupted. I gathered as many as I could find and put them back in the nest in a safe place. When I went out to check them yesterday morning, they were all gone. I am praying they made it up into the trees and bushes nearby. I believe they were Carolina Chickadees. They were so precious.

There is an Eastern Phoebe nesting in the light fixture over the basement stairs. She’s doing a great job and her nest is high and out of the way. I see her sitting on the edge of the pergola on the deck every morning. We have Red-Shouldered Hawks nesting on the ridge across from the house. I haven’t seen a single hummingbird which always worries me. Our West Virginia hills are filled with beautiful birdsong every day and it makes sitting out on the deck a true pleasure.

There was a possibility of a meteor shower last night, so check here tomorrow morning to see if I saw anything. I always write these posts the night before so they can go live at 4:00am. Some of you like to “visit” with me over morning coffee! Can you believe May is gone?!

“Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.”
Psalm 104:12 ESV

A Shock to the Senses

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 01:30:00 -0600

Our redbud is still blooming!

We went from meat locker to microwave in less than twenty-four hours! It was downright chilly last week when the wind blew but the last two days at the beach were very pleasant…in the sixties. We got home well after dark Saturday night and by the time we went to bed, the temps were back down in the sixties which made for pretty good sleeping weather. That and being thoroughly exhausted after driving fourteen hours.

We knew it was warm here while we were gone. The family said they turned on their air conditioning already. We got up to a beautiful sunny day and took a good look around. There was a good deal of rain the first half of last week. Add heat in the eighties and the grass grew thick and deep. It was in desperate need of cutting.

I went out to have a cup of coffee on the deck and I could tell already that mowing was going to become pretty uncomfortable, pretty quickly. Mr. FixIt ran to our little town to fill up the gas can and I got started on the mowing. We had to take a break mid afternoon to cool off before we went out to finish.

I’m telling you…I just do not tolerate heat like I used to. And by bedtime, even with a shower, I was still way overheated. We’ve tried to put off turning on the AC but just couldn’t put it off any longer. We had such a lay low winter that pulling off a week at the beach, a fourteen hour drive, and a full day in the hot sun mowing and I’m toast. So, I’m going to keep this short again as I’m writing in front of the fan, sipping electrolytes.

Getting old(er) ain’t for sissies.

“for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
1 Timothy 4:8 ESV

Peek-a-Boo Spring!

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 01:30:00 -0600

The dance of spring can be wild. Multiple seasons appear in rapid succession within just a few hours. Afternoons can bring violent storms and high winds…thunder and lightning…tornadoes…hail…heavy rain….and beautiful sunshine. We’re trying to wrap up things here at home before we make our annual trek to the beach. I wasn’t sure if we would have a window dry enough to mow at the farm with all this rain we’ve been getting, but yesterday we found our opportunity.

We haven’t messed with the older tractor in the barn this spring, and since time is a precious commodity this week, we just packed up our riding mower on the trailer and off we went. It was pretty windy and we both found ourselves praying that God would keep the trees standing on the hillsides on either side of the area we mow. We thanked him profusely when we were finished and not even a branch had fallen.

The lawn out at the farm is so small we can finish in not much more than half an hour. And, just as we were wrapping it up, it started to sprinkle. Perfect timing! We loaded up the trailer and headed on home. Mr. FixIt spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning out the truck and starting to pack for the trip. I went in and worked on the taxes. I was waiting for a 1099 that I found out yesterday, I don’t need. So, taxes are delayed again.

I really don’t like waiting till the last minute to do this stuff. It just seemed to sneak up on me this year for some reason. Everything went really smooth except for one little hiccup. I needed to download something and couldn’t for the life of me get it to work. Enter…Debby from TurboTax Customer Care. She walked me through the process and it worked fine…till I tried to submit the tax returns via e-File. I imagine about half the country was trying to do the same thing at the same time and I got a popup that said there was transmission difficulties, to close the program and come back in an hour to check the status. I am sure, at some point it will go through.

So, everything is mowed, the laundry is just about finished, the taxes are all but complete, and all we need to do is throw a few things in a suitcase and we’re outta here! Even though we have a house sitter, Miss Pumpkin is going to the Kitty Hilton to visit with her little kitty friends. It always works out to coincide with her yearly checkup so she’ll get all that done while she is relaxing at the “spa”.

Now…breathe!

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
Proverbs 13:20 ESV

Mindless Knitting and Memories

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 02:30:00 -0600

I ran across a really simple shawl pattern yesterday morning. After looking through my stash of beautiful yarns, I selected a simple single twist cotton/rayon blend in rich jewel tones called “Fire Opal”. Such a yarn needs a simple, straightforward pattern because the variations in color and texture are what makes it interesting on its own. I got up a couple of hours early and Mr. FixIt slept in, so I had my coffee and watched the fog slowly dissipate as I began working the yarn on my needles.

Other than keeping track of right and wrong sides and adding stitches every other row, there really isn’t much to this particular pattern. It’s something I can knit while Mr. FixIt watches his shows. Around mid-day, he went out to empty the bed of his truck. He purchased a fire pit kit in town on Tuesday and he needed to unload it. We’ve decided to buy a Solo Stove to set in the fire ring. They don’t put off an inordinate amount of heat, but they do keep the smoke down with a patented afterburner effect. I love a fire…but not the smoke…and I like to sleep with the windows open at night. I can’t stand to smell a stinky fire while I’m trying to sleep, so hopefully this will be a proper compromise.

We have been watching the weather reports and it looks like we may get a sizable snow Friday night through Saturday. The wind chill could get down to -15°…NOT my idea of a good time. And just in time for the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. There have been studies that show an increase in heart attacks in the three days after the beginning of Daylight Savings time. You can read an article HERE. It has to do with an interruption in the circadian rhythms. Mr. Virgo died on the second day after the time change. If you don’t think I have an eagle eye out on Mr. FixIt surrounding the time change, you’ve got another think comin’. I’m hyper-vigilant…poor man. If I could wrap him in bubble wrap, I would do it. So, please be careful out there.

I called a dear friend of mine yesterday. I met Kathy in church…she was my small group leader. Kathy is one of those friends who you can go to for spiritual advice and I always value her counsel. I told her about losing my friend, Diane in December. I still feel the ache of her absence in my life, but one of the deepest feelings I’ve been dealing with is guilt. I feel that somehow, I should have been able to go get Diane and get her to a hospital when she was so sick. However, ever since Mr. Virgo’s heart attack and watching them do CPR on him for what seemed like forever…I don’t handle emergencies particularly well. When Diane got so sick, I was having massive panic attacks. I wanted her to get help. I encouraged her every time I chatted with her to get to a hospital and get fluids, but she was adamant…she was NOT going. I’m not sure why. But, when she died and I hadn’t even tried to go get her, I was wracked with guilt.

I shared this with Kathy and she stopped me mid-sentence.

“Ginny…that is the enemy talking to you. He’s whispering in your ear and telling you…if you were just stronger…if you’d just gone over to her house…if you weren’t so weak…you might have saved her! He’s telling you that you weren’t a very good friend.” She’s absolutely right, of course. That’s what the enemy does…he tries to use your own thoughts to destroy you. I was a very good friend. I encouraged Diane to seek help, to call her son…to at least call the doctor. I wasn’t the only one who tried to warn her. As my doctor explained to me when I shared my grief with her….

“People make decision about what they’re going to do and what they’re NOT going to do. And sometimes, those decisions don’t have a good ending.” I am healing, but it’s still hard sometimes. Add to that the events of the last two years…between the pandemic, the election, the insurrection, the great and terrible losses, and now this terrible war in Ukraine…and frankly, my heart hurts.

I thought I might go out to the farm for a couple of days this weekend, but we are expecting that snow and I don’t need to be over there where the power could go out and I’d be stuck there without Mr. FixIt. I’ll just stay here and honor Mr. Virgo in some way from the comfort of home.

March 11th was a Monday. Mr. Virgo was so tired. He dressed in his Philadelphia Eagles sweats and stretched out on the sofa after breakfast…snoozing to the soft monotony of the Golf Channel. I was upstairs working in my studio. I came down at lunch and peeked over the back of the sofa. Mr. Virgo was on his back, his mouth gaped open in the depths of a nap. As I stood there watching him, I heard a voice standing right next to me.

“This is what he’ll look like when he’s dead.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I honestly thought someone was standing in the room right beside me, but there was no one there. In retrospect, I think God had been preparing me for a week for the upcoming disaster. But, at the time, I was properly freaked out. My gasp woke him up and he smiled up at me.

“Hey, baby doll….what’s for lunch?”

If only he’d known what I saw. If only I’d told him. If I’d just insisted he follow the doctor’s advice four months before and had that cardiac work up. As with my friend Diane…it seemed as though I was watching events unfold but I had no control over them. I don’t believe I could have changed the coming events with either one of them. It seems like a movie I was destined to watch unfold but couldn’t stop.

““For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?””
Amos 3:7-8 ESV

Life in Miniature

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 02:30:00 -0600

Babies are the best, aren’t they? I’ve only knitted a few baby things in my life…mainly because I lacked the confidence to follow intricate patterns. But, once I started making socks, my friend Gail (knitter extraordinaire) assured me I could do anything! I finished knitting the little baby sweater yesterday morning. I had enough yarn to make a pair of baby socks. I wasn’t sure if I had enough to make a hat as well, so I started with the socks first.

I’ve been knitting adult socks for several years now using various patterns and methods. I searched for a baby bootie or sock pattern I liked and ended up starting and tearing out at least three socks. That kind of day is frustrating and it would be very easy to just put it all away and do something else. But I have a project that I’m looking forward to starting and there are a few yarns I want to use up before I settle in on it.

I have to say, this little tiny sock for a little tiny human is the sweetest thing. It took me all day but I finally got one finished. I mean, once I finally got the right pattern it was smooth sailing, but up to that point I knitted a lot and didn’t have anything to show for it. I still need to buy little buttons for the sweater. At this point, our new little great grandson is already too big for this one, so I’ll put it away for the future. Someone will have a baby one of these days!

Our weather will start getting warm again for a few days. We will see temperatures up in the 70’s! It’s time to start cleaning out the big building and getting our lives organized while we still have the physical capabilities to do so. The birds have been emptying our feeders two or three times a week. When I woke up, I heard a woodpecker outside our bedroom window, but I couldn’t remember which kind. It turned out to be a Red-bellied Woodpecker which is an odd name because their bellies are white. They’re really pretty with a bright red head.

I made Baked Steak (a traditional staple around these parts), Buttered Noodles, and home-canned Green Beans for supper. The news continues to be distressing and I needed comfort food.. I find comfort in my faith and knowing God has us in His hands. Reading Heather Cox Richardson’s daily Letter to America helps keep the “news noise” down to a dull roar.

I keep praying for the courageous people of Ukraine and for those Russians who are caught in the crossfire and who are against what is happening. What happens to one of us, happens to all of us. We are one species…human.

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.”
Galatians 6:2-5 ESV

Learning Lace

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 02:30:00 -0600

I’m really enjoying learning new patterns and stitches in knitting. I just finished the rainbow scarf/shawl last night. One thing I’ve discovered…you really do need to block your work when you make something like this. To block a hand knitted garment, you need to wet it, then lay it out on a thick blanket or comforter that you don’t mind a little color bleeding on, gently stretch the piece to the shape you want, pin the edges, then let it dry completely. If you ever have to launder the piece in the future, you need to repeat the steps for blocking. I will block both of the scarves I just finished this week and show you what they look like after.

I have quite a bit of both yarns left, so I think I’ll make some hats with matching fingerless gloves for the grands. They should love that! I really love the lacy section of this piece. Now I’m thinking I need to make something that’s all lace…like a sweater or vest or a bigger shawl.

I ordered a couple of books this week. One is the 50th Anniversary of the Foxfire Book of Simple Living. The first Foxfire book was published in 1972. I would have sworn my family had the first volume when my PopPop was still living, but he died in 1971. At any rate, I remember that book in the bookcase out at the farm and I read it on Sunday afternoons during the traditional nap time. I’ve wanted to be a farmer all my life. I sure took the long way around Robin Hood’s barn to get here.

I think I’ll take a few days off from knitting. Or, at least set a specific time to knit. Like, during the evening news. It’s rainy right now. I need to start a little spring cleaning. I need to move around and stretch my legs and breathe. Like the green shoots peeking up between the carpet of leaves around the house, I’m feeling life coming back into these bones.

I know you may be anxious to get out there and rake up the leaves from your flower gardens, but let them lay for awhile. There are bees and bugs in there…sleeping. And, when the dandelions start to bloom, leave them alone. Those sleepy little bees are going to be SO hungry. Let them have the first sips of spring from those cheerful yellow blossoms.

I had the opportunity to talk with an old friend of mine. Joanie owned a lovely home goods store in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. After my divorce from Hubby #2, I found it impossible to get a job in medicine. I knew everyone in town and the gals who owned the little downtown shops were my friends. I started working one day a week for each of five stores. I was known as the “Downtown Shop Girl”. I loved working in Joanie’s store. Her late husband was an attorney in town and when I found myself as an extra in a Charles Bronson movie being filmed in town, I was paired with Bob on the platform at the train station.

Joanie is big time into genealogy and we had a lovely conversation about our tips and tricks. The second book I ordered was The Pioneers by David McCollough who also wrote 1776 and John Adams. The book follows the original settlers of the Mid-Ohio Valley and I can hardly wait to see if I find familial connections in its pages. Joanie is a member of the DAR. I know I have family from both my parents’ ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. So, maybe I’ll also become a member. We’ll see.

And, here it is…Friday. Another week done…another week closer to true spring. Before we know it, we’ll be mowing again!

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,”
Colossians 3:23 ESV

More Cast Iron, More Knitting, More Snow

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 02:30:00 -0600

My son-in-law’s mom texted me yesterday. She found a really cool piece of cast iron in the shed they’re cleaning out and will hold it for me till we get there in May. This is called a Gem Pan. Our grandmas and great grandmas made Gem Cakes in these back in the day. It looks like you could also use the pan to bake individual tarts or mini quiches, as well as corn cakes.

My grandma didn’t have anything as fancy as this. She had two or three cast iron skillets. My mom had several. I took them with me when mom died and I cleaned out her house and of all things…they were amongst the items I let go of when I downsized. In the end, it’s ok. Because, one cast iron pan is as good as the next for cooking in and this way, I’ve been able to concentrate on collecting Griswolds. I do have several pieces that are unmarked save for a size number.

I finished the tube portion of the first sock in this pair yesterday. Now I need to cut in the heel. I want to finish this pair quickly because my sweater yarn arrives next week and I can hardly wait to start on that. I chose three colors…a soft heather grey, a medium rose heather, and a dark heather grey. I have the supplies I need and I’ll print out the pattern. This one doesn’t have a tutorial video. I found those to be so helpful when knitting the socks. I saved them on my YouTube channel so I can go back and view them when I need clarification on a particular step.

Now that I know my surgery will be coming up sooner rather than later, I do need to get some things done around the house in preparation. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to be traveling or I know I’m going to be down for a while, I like to have the house in order, the pantry stocked, and maybe even some dishes prepared ahead of time to make meals easier upon my return. Remember…we were talking just the other day about being a good scout and always being prepared.

I am so grateful that my family members with covid are getting over it now. Thank God for vaccines…they really did their job in protecting them from severe illness. I was talking with a couple of my cousins this weekend and we marveled that we had managed to avoid getting it. Then, I woke up yesterday morning with a scratchy throat. The older I get, the more easily I choke on my own saliva…or air, for that matter. I got choked Friday afternoon, so I think that’s why my throat was a little sore. I’m going to watch it and not get up in Mr. FixIt’s face for a couple of days. I mean, after all this time staying well, wouldn’t it be a bummer to get covid right before I’m scheduled for surgery?

My girlfriends from my class are gathering for coffee on Saturday, but I’m not going. Other than going to the hospital for my pre operative testing, I’m sequestering myself from everyone. I don’t want to run any risks. There will be time for gathering for coffee after this surgery is done.

The temperature was 3 degrees at our house yesterday morning. I think it’s going to be warmer in the next few days. Isn’t it funny when you start to call the 30’s “warm”? It’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it? We have a 62% chance of snow today.What’s it doing in your neck of the woods?

❄️?❄️

“It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”
Psalms 127:2 NLT

Where’s the Storm?

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 02:30:00 -0600

They've been talking all week about this MASSIVE storm that was supposed to hit us yesterday and today…like, 5-8” of snow. Now, I’m writing this at 9:00 on Sunday night, and so far the sidewalks have just enough snow to make them white. Unless a lot more comes in overnight, we’ll see a whole different scenario that what was predicted.

I feel sorry for weather forecasters. They can study every model, calculate every possibility, compare and scan and look at all the gauges and computer printouts and radar and still be wrong, wrong, wrong. Perhaps they need a weather rock. If it’s wet, it’s raining. If it’s white, it’s snowing. If it’s moving, it’s windy. We are often just as far ahead if we stick our head out the window and look. Yet, you can get an app on your phone that sends you a message to say it’s going to start raining in seven minutes. Often, it’s right. Go figure.

We changed our doctor’s appointments from today to Wednesday in anticipation of this latest round of dire predictions. Facebook is full of stories of empty shelves at Walmart. Did they wait too long to go? Or were the people ahead of them greedy and buy ALL the things…just because they were there? My Denver family have seen shortages in the stores secondary to the strike at King Soopers. In all this time of “supply chain issues”, I have yet to see it reflected in our local stores unless they’re predicting snow. Then, everybody and their brother runs out to get “French Toast”…eggs, milk, and bread. Oh, and let’s fill a whole cart…you know, just in case we can’t get out till the spring thaw.

These people would never make it in the Colorado Rockies in the winter. I know they haven’t had big snows since they’ve been in the grips of this drought and if you waited till the threat of snow was over, you’d only get out in July and August. I talked to my sister-in-law in Salt Lake City last night. We discussed the difference between winter driving here vs. the Rockies. First, the feel of the snow under your tires is different. Here, the roads feel greasy when there’s snow on them. Colorado snow is a lot dryer and compacts differently. Also, it doesn’t snow nearly as often here in West Virginia…no one uses studded snow tires while they’re de rigueur in Colorado.

I put a crockpot of chili on late Saturday night and we had a big bowl while we watched football yesterday. I’m making quicker progress on the second sock and shopping online for yarn to make a sweater next. My brother has managed to dodge any real illness with his case of Covid…just one day of head congestion. He was fully vaccinated and boosted…on time. Daughter #2 and her wife weren’t as lucky. She hasn’t had fevers for a few days, but still feels pretty darned sick, bless her heart.

We have no place to go till Wednesday, so it’s more knitting for me!

“The stormy wind comes from its chamber, and the driving winds bring the cold. God’s breath sends the ice, freezing wide expanses of water.”
Job 37:9-10 NLT

My iPad is Getting Smarter

Sat, 08 Jan 2022 02:30:00 -0600

We’ve come a long way, baby!

Every evening, I head to the back bedroom between 8:00 and 8:30 to write my posts. This is because…The Big Bang reruns are over for the night, and Mr. FixIt is ready to watch some detective drama. Not my cup of tea. This works for us. I’m always finished writing around 10:30 or 11:00 and I chat with my son-in-law’s mom for forty-five minutes or so to catch up with what’s going on in Colorado. By the time we are wrapping it up for the night, Mr. FixIt heads to bed and we watch some funny video or another for a little while, leaving the day on a note of laughter.

I noticed last night, when I settled in to write, there was a notification along the top of the lock screen on my iPad that said, “Open Pages - based on your location in your home”. I’m not surprised by this. Electronic devices are designed to make our lives easier. My iPhone tells me where I parked. I get in my truck and, based on the precise location by GPS, my phone turns to “Driving Focus”. Text notifications are interrupted and an automated reply is sent to the person texting, telling them that I am driving and using “Do Not Disturb. Send a repeat text if it’s an emergency.”

Still…this is all so “Jetsons” to this Baby Boomer. Remember Dick Tracy’s wrist watch that he communicated through? We’re here now. I remember when I bought our first home computer when Daughter #1 was in…what? Eighth or ninth grade? Hubby #2 thought it was absolutely ridiculous and extravagant…kids were never going to need home computers! When the salesman was showing me how to use it, he commented that someday, women would carry computers a thousand times more powerful that this…in their handbags. Get…out! How could that be?

The very first flip phone had more computer capabilities than the Lunar Landing Module. Think about that for a second. While we still don’t have personal jet packs, they’re building cars that drive autonomously. I’m a forward thinker. I love innovation and all things geeky. But I don’t know about driving with no hands. It’s one thing on a bicycle. It’s something else on an interstate with a ton of steel and plastic hurtling down the highway on its own.

There are really good things that come with innovation. When I was a Diabetes Educator, self blood glucose monitoring was a new thing. I was invited to participate on an Advisory Board for LifeScan…later bought out by Johnson & Johnson…to design the next generation meter. It’s been fun to see those innovations we suggested in the mid-‘80s come to fruition along the way. But one idea eluded scientists for a long time. The sensor that you stick to your skin and it reads your blood sugar in real time…anytime, day or night…without sticking your finger. When I saw that on a commercial in the last year or so, I beamed. We thought of that…and, there it is!

Electronic banking, automatic bill pay, instant messaging, Zoom meetings, FaceTime, online shopping…all things that have made the “Pandemic Era” more tolerable. Innovations arrive at what seems like lightning speed now. Online gambling…not so good. Cryptocurrency? Holy cats…how do they “mine” money out of thin air? How can it be worth something if you can’t touch it? Those of us who lived through the bursting of the internet bubble and the real estate collapse may have a little bit of trouble trusting such things.

That’s the thing, isn’t it? We have SO much information thrown at us in a constant stream of data, our brains can’t keep up. It affects every part of life…not just technology. Things we actually saw and heard…with our own eyes and ears…just one year ago are now being denied by the people who did the things and said the stuff. It’s almost as if…there isn’t an electronic record…video and audio recordings of them actually SAYING and DOING it. We aren’t stupid people. We are often…misled. It’s kind of like a magician’s trick. The hand is quicker than the eye. And, any time we get too close to figuring out the trick…there’s a diversion. They’re banking on us forgetting. Or being so overwhelmed, we just don’t care anymore.

It’s easy to be lulled into complacency when new innovations and new information and new technology is presented. I don’t think we can afford to close our eyes and ears and bury our heads in the sand. I come from the generation to whom the directive…Question Authority…was our buzzword. “Critical Thinking 101” should be added to the buzzwords of the 21st Century. I try to use my faith as a measuring stick and look critically at those who deliver information and compare them to the ways of Jesus instead of just accepting what the world is telling me.

In the meantime, my iPad knows when it’s time to write. Now…when it starts bringing me tea and cookies, I’ll be happy.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
Romans 12:1-2 MSG

One Sock Done, One to Go!

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 02:30:00 -0600

I finished the first sock yesterday. I had two skeins…one per sock. I nearly ran out of the first skein and it took me a bit to figure out what I did wrong. I followed the pattern precisely, but I think I could have made the top a good two inches shorter. Then the foot could be longer. But, as it is, these will fit Little perfectly. Tiny feet! A perfect Valentine’s treat!

I didn’t sit all afternoon and knit like I have been. I had some other things to do. I needed to mail three packages. Two late Christmas gifts. And, a book for my dear friend Diane’s granddaughter. She is grieving the loss of her Granny, so I sent her a copy of “Rise Up, Little Bluebirds” written by Kristy Boike. Remember when I shared the story from CBS Sunday Morning about the man who lost his wife to brain cancer? She was an avid gardener and loved bluebirds. So, after she died, he started making bluebird houses. His daughter not only lost her mom, but soon after…lost her father-in-law. Her four children were struggling with the losses and, being a former primary school teacher, she wrote a sweet book that helps kids process their feelings about loss and normalizes conversations about grief. I hope it helps her. That child was the center of Diane’s universe…and vice versa.

Mr. FixIt got the generator out and cleaned up. It started right up for him and he wanted me to go out and see if I could start it, too. I told him as soon as we became serious about this relationship that I need to know how to do everything around this place…just in case I ever have to do it on my own someday. Once you have lost your spouse, you will forever be aware of how tenuous life truly is and I don’t ever want to be caught flat footed. He reminded me of the steps to get it ready, and on the second pull, it fired right up. We have it out on the covered front porch along with the snow blower (it’s actually battery powered) so we’ll be ready for the coming snowfall. We have the battery plugged in and charging.

On my way back from the Post Office yesterday, I stopped at the two grocery stores in town to pick up a few things. Dick’s Market for fresh ground hamburger, and deli sliced Colby Longhorn cheese and sliced Tavern Ham. Oh…that ham is fabulous and makes the best sandwiches and is great on breakfast biscuits with egg and cheese. Speaking of biscuits, I stopped at the Pig and got fresh buttermilk, bacon, and some great pepperoni and cheese to make homemade Pepperoni Rolls. I may make a batch of Cinnamon Rolls, too. We’ll see.

While I’m not a huge fan of winter, I sure don’t mind getting stuck at home with lots of fun foods to bake and eat. And, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be stuck at home with than my sweet husband. Knitting, baking, sitting with my sweetheart, and watching the snow fall outside. It doesn’t get any better than that!

My world is so vastly different now than it was as a new widow. This is the ninth winter since Mr. Virgo died. That first winter in Colorado as a widow was so awful. We had SO much snow that year and…thank GOD I had great neighbors with snowblowers. Between them and hiring the sprinkler guy to come dig me out of a few really big dumps…plus all the times I shoveled by hand in between…I was absolutely bound and determined I would never live where I had to deal with snow like that again.

Enter the Winter of 2014-15. I had moved to West Virginia to live on the farm, but Christmas found me scrambling for other living arrangements. I housesat for a friend for a couple of months up in Marietta, Ohio. I remember sitting in the front window of the second floor loft apartment…drafty and cold…watching the snow pile up outside. I was bereft. Things hadn’t worked out at the farm like I thought they would. And I spent those two months scanning thousands of photos onto external hard drives. The memories were so thick, you could cut them with a knife. And they cut my broken heart even deeper.

By the end of January 2015, I was living in my camper up on a ridge overlooking the Ohio River. The river was frozen and made sounds like ice being dropped in a cooler…all night, every night. The train ran by within a couple hundred yards…every few hours. Tug boats pushed barges of gasoline, chemicals, and coal up and down the river…day and night. No running water. My fridge stopped working and I lost all my food. I showered at Planet Fitness and did laundry at a laundromat for the first time in three decades. It was…challenging, to say the least. But, it made me a stronger person, I think. I had to learn how to survive and thrive on my own. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. However…I wouldn’t necessarily want to repeat it.

It’s a good life I live here on five acres with Mr. FixIt. I never dreamed I’d be where I am today…and certainly not with my old high school chum. If you would have told me this was where my life would lead, I’d have said you were crazy! Yet, here we are. This is a great story…chapter…volume of my Book of Life.

“We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails.”
Proverbs 19:21 MSG

We Hit it Out of the Park!

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 02:30:00 -0600

We’ve had to divide up the family parties since covid. One faction believes in vaccines and the other does not. It’s not a problem in the summer so much because we can gather outside, but during the winter when we can’t do that, we have to take everyone’s choices into consideration and make the necessary adjustments to holiday festivities.

My bonus son and his family came yesterday for lunch and to exchange gifts. When I joined the family, I introduced a Colorado tradition of chili and homemade cinnamon rolls. I’ve been baking cinnamon rolls for decades. As a matter of fact, I used to supply one of the local coffee houses in Glenwood Springs with my cinnamon rolls once a week. They were always a big hit and people would call ahead to reserve them. Well, I thought they were good, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the new recipe I tried yesterday!

The 2021 Recipe of the Year for King Arthur Flour is Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls. OMGosh! These things are HEAVEN ON A PLATE! They are light and pillowy soft thanks to an extra step at the beginning of the recipe where you make a Tangzhong…a cooked paste of flour and milk to which you add the wet, then dry ingredients. The recipe sounds complicated, but it is surprisingly easy to make. You know how wonderful Cinnamon Rolls taste when they’re fresh from the oven…but within a very short while, they get hard and dry? Well…these will last up to a week (although I cannot imagine them making it that long the way we eat them!) They are SO good…I will never make a different recipe when I want this particular yummy goodness. They were a major hit…so much so that the youngest grandchild wants to come out this week and learn how to make them!

We exchanged gifts and had a wonderful visit. I felt much better yesterday and having family around did me a world of good. I didn’t get to see all the family in person, however we at least got to talk with all of them either over the phone or on video chat. It turned out to be a Merry Christmas after all! Inviting Jesus into every circumstance has really helped me feel so much better. That being said, I’m still not terribly excited about the upcoming procedure this week, but I know He’ll be there with me so I have nothing to fear.

❄️

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20 ESV

Our Tree is Dying a Slow Death

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 02:30:00 -0600

Our Christmas tree is giving up the ghost…slowly but surely. Mr. FixIt came back in the living room last evening and looked at the tree with a puzzled expression.

“I think more lights have gone out.”

“Oh, surely not,” I said as I whipped around to look. Indeed…there was a mysterious black hole where I distinctly remember light the day before.

Rats. I snapped a quick picture and compared the lights to Tuesday’s, and sure enough…they’re dying off, one by one. Double rats. Our new angel arrived yesterday…a full twelve days before it’s estimated delivery date. The tree is going to stay up till at least Valentine’s Day. So, I think I may run to town and get a new one. This one is a “pencil tree”…a tall, thin job that doesn’t take up a lot of floor space. It’s exactly what I needed when I was living at the farm. But this family room is huge. Think “extra-large-two-car-garage” big. We can go with a fatter tree…with more lights! LOTS of lights! LED lights that don’t burn out in five short years. Yep…I think I’ll go tomorrow when I see the chiropractor and shop for a new tree.

The endless saga of Christmas decorations. Not every year goes smoothly…what can I say?

Mr. FixIt and I went shopping for the cookie containers for Christmas giving. They had a pretty good sale at Dollar General. We bought a box of 32 Christmas cards and three sacks full of containers for $15. I didn’t think that was bad at all. I sent out about 3/4 of our Christmas cards yesterday. I love getting cards so in order to get them, you need to send them. Postage has gone up so much, I balance that by buying more affordable cards. Gone are the days of Hallmark cards with foil envelope liners and 3D cutouts and pop ups. If I had my act together, I’d make cards like I did in the old days…but I didn’t help work five acres of land back then. It’s the thought that counts. And, I do take the time and write a personal note in each one, so…there’s that.

Around here, I’m seeing just a little lower supply in some things. I noticed a lot of the processed meats for sandwiches were picked over. I don’t usually buy them anyway because of the sodium content. We’ve never had to go without something we really needed. I bought gas yesterday for $3.02 at Sam’s. That’s an improvement. It seems meat is staying high. I’m not paying $35 for three ribeye steaks. I bought a rotisserie chicken for $4.98. We each had a leg/thigh quarter last night with a hefty serving of steamed broccoli. A huge bag of broccoli florets cost $3.74. That will give us side dishes all week. The breast meat will give us at least three meals of sandwiches, and I can simmer the carcass and add the last of the broccoli for a nice chicken noodle soup this week. Two bags of chopped salad came to less then $6.00 and blueberries were on sale as were clementines. They’re both great in salads and an excellent source of fiber and vitamins. I did spring for a bag of pecan halves. I like to break them up a little and make my own candied nuts to add to oatmeal, yogurt, and salads. And, if I candy some of the halves and wrap them, we can add them to the holiday gift baskets.

I remember when Hubby #2 was in Medical School and Residency. We made it an adventure to see how far we could stretch our food and entertainment dollars. I’ve lived the fat years of plenty and the lean years of want. I know we are incredibly blessed to be in the financial situation we are in now and I am incredibly grateful to be at Medicare age. The trick is to know contentment and gratitude no matter where you find yourself. I thank God every day for His bountiful provision.

Today, we bake!

❄️

“But all things should be done decently and in order.”
1 Corinthians 14:40 ESV

Update on All the Things

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 02:30:00 -0600

I received an email over the weekend from the daughter of the soldier named on my POW/MIA bracelet! She was thrilled to hear of another of her father’s bracelets out there and thanked me profusely for taking the time to find her. She shared her mailing address and I’ll get the bracelet sent off to her this week. The internet is still good for sharing love and light around the world. Like all tools, it’s what you use it for that makes the difference.

I fiddled with my new phone yesterday. I’ve been puzzled by something for the last several years. Somewhere along the line on one of my phone upgrades, I went from around 500 contacts in my phone to nearly 3,000! Nearly every name had multiple entries of the same name with all the same contact information. Also, my calendar might have one person’s birthday listed three or four times on their special day.

I just couldn’t figure it out. I talked with the people at the Apple Store. Nothing…making the term “Genius Bar” seem somewhat dubious. I’ve asked in various forums. I Googled it. The answers I got varied from “Here…buy this app. It’ll fix it” to long detailed instructions to “get to this setting and click on _______” but the place they wanted me to click didn’t exist. Every once in a while, I’d sit down and delete or link the contacts, but they inevitably came back. I just couldn’t make heads nor tails of the whole thing and figured it was something I had to live with.

Yesterday, I sat down with the phone and explored the settings. I know it had to be something simple like a switch was selected, but where it was eluded me. I closed my eyes and let my mind wander the “streets” of my phone. What would make something be repeated so much? Then I remembered seeing a drop down menu that listed my five email accounts that I use: one for personal, one to use when I need an email to sign up for something and don’t want to get inundated with spam, one for the Cloud, one for my Apple ID, and one for my business.

I pondered those five accounts and remembered seeing “Yahoo” on one of the multiples, but not on a different one. I wondered if it could possibly have something to do with the fact I am using so many email addresses. When I went in the drop down menu, there was a place to click on each one. And sure enough, each one consisted of multiple tabs I could select…one of which was “Contacts”. Another was “Calendar”. I went through and unselected everything but email on all of them except for my personal email and the Cloud.

Sure enough, I immediately went WAY down on the number of contacts. I spent about an hour linking what few were left as duplicates, as well as deleting names of people I couldn’t even remember. I ended up with 499 contacts! Voila!

My new sourdough starter should arrive today. I woke up in the middle of the night last week and decided to order a fresh, new batch of starter with a covered crock specifically to use with it. I’ll throw out the old flour and get fresh, new flour and get a nice new batch of sourdough started. It’s about time to get that going again. I’m also going to look up my Aunt Marge’s White Fruitcake recipe and make some fruitcakes soon. And some of Grandma’s Raisin Filled Cookies.

Our little town delivers Thanksgiving meals to anyone who wants them. You don’t have to qualify…they just want to share a good meal with everyone. I love our town. We don’t have a stop light in the whole county and we look out for one another. My friend Diane shared the number, so I called and ordered two meals. That means I don’t have to cook a big meal this year. Instead, I’ll start my holiday baking and put up the Christmas decorations this week. We decided our phones are our gifts to each other. That takes a lot of pressure off of holiday preparations and I think we can just sit back and enjoy the whole season this year! That’s the plan, anyway.

You know what they say about plans, right? lol

Come…take a walk with me!

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Proverbs 16:9 ESV

A Farm Fix!!!

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 02:30:00 -0600

That’s me, standing where the house used to sit just after they moved it onto the new basement.

I had to go to town for a followup appointment with the endocrinologist to bring him up to speed with all that’s been going on with my parathyroid issues. The symptoms are the same and it’s obvious to everyone I need to get this thing taken care of. He said it’s like having termites in your house. You may not see much evidence, but behind the scenes the little suckers are busy and before you know it, the piano is in the basement. That’s what is happening with hyperparathyroidism. It is slowly leaching the calcium from my bones so the time is now to get to the bottom of it.

I woke up yesterday morning and told Mr. FixIt I needed a “farm fix”. I haven’t been able to stay out here as much as I would have liked this year…mainly because of all the traveling and medical appointments. There was always something going on. But I’m here now for a little R&R. I have a few new magazines to curl up with. I revel in the stillness here. No TV. Very little traffic. I am hoping to hear a lot of birds.

We are supposed to have a really warm day today, so I’ll sweep the zillions of dead ladybugs off the porch and sit out there with my coffee and my magazines and soak it all in. I love this place so much. I finished the memory book of the farm and ordered copies. I can’t wait to see it! It should arrive the 22nd or 23rd. They are having an 80th birthday party next month for one of my mom’s cousins. I’m going to take a copy to her. In one of the big group family photos, she is just a little girl holding a puppy in the front yard here at the farm. Her family lived down the road a mile or so. As a matter of fact, four out of my grandpa’s five brothers lived within two or three miles of each other most of their lives.

That’s something I marvel at. People have longevity here. My friend has been married all these years to the fella she started dating in 8th grade. They’ve lived in the same house within a block of where her husband grew up. When people announce they are nearing their 50th wedding anniversary, I jokingly say I’ve been married that long, too. It’s just been to four different men. I don’t know what that kind of “career marriage” would feel like. Or living in the same house, let alone the same city for all my life. I have made twenty-eight moves and have lived in thirteen different cities/towns in two states and two different countries. Change is all I know. I think that’s why I’m so flexible.

I am so happy to be where I am now. I love Mr. FixIt. We’re going on five years since we started dating, but it seems like so much longer since we’ve known each other since 1968. I love living in West Virginia. I love our little five acres in the country. And, I am so blessed I can still come and stay at the farm pretty much whenever I want. What a great barter…mowing in exchange for time here. It still gives me such a peaceful feeling to sleep in my grandma’s bed.

I may not have lived with the same person all my life, nor have I lived in the same house. But, this farm? This farm has been in my heart since the day I was born. This farm is what gives me that feeling of longevity, of steadfast love, of comfort….and peace.

This house still has the heartbeat of my family nestled in its walls.

“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

Isaiah 32:18 ESV

Finding a Needle in a Haystack

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 01:30:00 -0600

I made great strides in organizing the camping gear yesterday. Now, you might ask… “For crying out loud…how much camping gear does this gal have???” Yeah, well…enough to make me crazy. It’s not just sorting the gear, though. There were boxes in the belly of the big camper that had just been hauled around from one side of the country to another without ever being opened. There were boxes of toiletries that had long ago either dried up completely or leaked out all over other things that were still perfectly usable. There were folders of pamphlets for the inner workings of the campers I’ve owned over the years. There were bags of receipt I kept for my business. There were countless business cards for people I don’t remember. Discount cards, rewards cards, gift cards with a dollar or two left on them. A couple of boxes of change. I’ve always said “I’ll get to that.” So, it’s time to pay the piper and go through all that. I have to maintain my mantra…be ruthless. Not a problem…till I found a rabbit hole I had to go down.

Capt. Chambless Chesnutt 30 Sep 1965

Some time ago, I found a Vietnam MIA/POW bracelet in a box of stuff I bought at an auction. I can’t remember now where or when. But when I went through the box, I came across the bracelet and immediately recognized it. The bracelets were created initially by a California student group called Voices in Vital America in May 1970…the year I was becoming a senior in high school. The bracelets cost $2.50 to $3.00 and were worn so that Prisoners of War would not be forgotten.

The last time I stumbled across this bracelet was when I was downsizing the Colorado house after Mr. Virgo died. He was a soldier in Vietnam. I thought of all those soldiers who were POW’s and MIA and thought I’d look his name up on the internet. The only thing I found was his date of death and that he was from Little Rock, Arkansas. And, that he was listed as a Major. He must have been awarded that rank posthumously. I had a lot on my plate back then, so I carefully placed the bracelet in a box of stuff that was going with me in the camper. And never thought of it again until yesterday when I found it.

The internet has come a long way…even in just shy of nine years. While I didn’t find much on the web, I decided to give ancestry.com a try and found several pieces of information. He was in a play in high school. He was a runner in a track club. He was a handsome young man. The city directory listed him as being a salesman for Royal Typewriter. He was thirty-one years old when he died. He is buried in Little Rock National Cemetery. He was born 13 Aug 1934 Chambless Marshall Chesnutt. There were other Chesnutts listed in the City Directory of Little Rock in the early ‘50s.

In the 1958 Little Rock City Directory, it looks like he is married to “Pat D.” and lives at 2202 Marshall.

I’d love to find his family and return this bracelet to them. I know the power of social media and this is one of its GOOD aspects. I also know I have readers all over the country…even some in other countries. I wonder if you can spread this around and help me find this late soldier’s family? A week from today is Veteran’s Day. Wouldn’t it be awesome to find his family before then…or at least by the holidays???

Thank you in advance for helping me out with “Project Chesnutt”! It’s Feel Good Friday…Let’s see what we can do!

“for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.””
Luke 12:12 ESV

#Veteran, #Vietnam, #KilledInAction

Home, Sweet Home!

Sat, 23 Oct 2021 01:30:00 -0600

We watched this little maple tree slowly turn crimson over the week we were camping at Alum Creek State Park in Lewis Center, Ohio. The park is due north of Columbus and is about two and a half hours from our home. That’s a nice doable drive for a camping trip. You don’t have to leave at the crack of dawn in order to get there at a decent time to set up and still have time to play and enjoy your first day.

We couldn’t have asked for nicer weather. It did get grey and rainy on Thursday, but we spent the day indoors wandering around the mall and people watching. My poor Mr. FixIt about froze yesterday morning when we were packing up to go home. The man refuses to wear long pants long past any reasonable person would give in and wear them. It was only 46 degrees and his hands were wet and numb by the time we were finished. I turned on the heater for him and he was soon feeling much better.

When you buy a new camper, there will always be a couple of things that need adjusting or fiddled with. Such is the case with Big Bird. We noticed the Formica on the table was chipped along one edge. And one of the drawers seems to be off kilter. We also had a couple of questions for the guys at the dealership, so we stopped in on our way home. We were in and out of there in under an hour. They even adjusted our hitch for us. It was a little too low and the front end of the camper was angled down. They raised it up, and the camper was even easier to pull than before!

All the systems worked fine on Big Bird’s inaugural trip. We turned on the furnace to make sure it worked like it was supposed to. It did. One thing I love about this model, the fridge is bigger, has a small freezer, and it switches back and forth automatically from gas to electric. You have to do that manually on Birdie, which isn’t hard…it’s just less convenient. The fridge kept the food nice and cold without freezing it. We cooked a couple of meals on the propane cooktop. I prefer to cook any foods that have oils or strong odors outside when we camp. I don’t want the greasy residue in there, nor to I want the fabrics and bed saturated with any off smells. Our electric griddle or electric skillet would have been an excellent addition to this trip, but unfortunately, it was one of those things that didn’t get packed in the rush to get out on the road last weekend. We’ll be sure to bring it next time.

We picked Pumpkin up from the Kitty Hilton on our way home. They just love her there. They were talking about how sweet she is and when they take her out and love on her she just snuggles up to them. I’m glad they take such good care of her. We had one crate-sized space left in the truck in anticipation of picking her up. She talked to us all the way home and was so happy to get out and run when we got home with her. I was afraid she wouldn’t want to go in the building at dark, but she came running for her treats and her scritches behind her ears before she settled into her safe place. She has a heated bed, but nine times out of ten, we find her snoozing on the tractor seat when we let her out in the morning. She is a little over two years old now. How time flies, eh?

We set up the camper when we got home, cracked open the roof vent for a little circulation, and plugged it in so the fridge will continue to work. We brought everything in that we needed inside last night. We’ll bring the rest in today. And…oh, my word! You should see out living room. We dumped all that camping gear from Big TOW-Wanda on the floor in front of the entertainment center last Friday so I have my work cut out for me this weekend. Mr. FixIt has to close the pool and work on the brakes on his truck. I need to winterize both campers. Can you believe…we STILL have four campers?!?! What is wrong with us???

???

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.”
James 5:7 ESV

The Blessings of Autumn

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 01:30:00 -0600

The Forsythia are Blooming…Again!

I spoke to my cousin last week. She told me she and my aunt were out for a nice walk. It had finally “cooled off” and was only 84 degrees. They live near Las Vegas. Summer is 120! I can’t imagine living like that, yet that’s what’s coming with global warming, I’m afraid. I remember living in Colorado. There was always that moment when you knew autumn was coming hard. You get up and turn on the furnace. Then, mid-day…you turn off the furnace, take off your hoodie, and open the windows. Then, mid-afternoon…you change into shorts, close the windows, and turn on the AC. Then, the sun sets. You turn off the AC, open the windows to catch a breath of fresh air. Shortly after, you close the windows, put the hoodie back on…and maybe socks. By bedtime, you have the electric blanket warming up and maybe you can get by without the furnace for a while longer.

The African Lily is Putting Out Seed Pods

Here in West Virginia, it’s a different game. We have humidity. That makes the heat feel hotter and the cold feel colder. It’s been quite a while since we’ve had the AC on, and we aren’t anywhere near needing the furnace. I slept in the camper Saturday night and the temps got down in the 50’s. It was right comfortable out there, although I did turn on the electric blanket on low.

Another Giant Puffball has Started on the Lawn

We still have much to do to prepare for winter. We need to close down the pool yet. The garden needs cleaned up, the brush pile burned, and some shutters replaced. Mr. FixIt is going to put new rotors and brakes on his truck this week if it doesn’t rain too much. I need to winterize the camper and clean it out from the last trip. We were so busy all year, my brain has kinda been on autopilot since we got back from Colorado. I need to get moving and get things done around here. The snow will fly before we know it!

Passion Fruit…also called Passion Flower Pods

I wandered around the yard over the weekend and took some more photos. The flowers are producing seed pods for next year. I harvested some seeds from the evening primrose under grandma’s kitchen window at the farm. I need to see if I can get some more before the wind scatters them everywhere. I didn’t get the iris thinned out this year…again. Maybe next year will be better…less hectic. Whadda ya think? Any chance of that? lol

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
Isaiah 40:29 ESV

Home is Where You Park Birdie

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 01:30:00 -0600

It rained all Tuesday night in Indiana. We awoke to a veritable pond surrounding our camper. I said a little prayer the night before that there would be at least a small break in the downpour…just enough to get things packed up and on the road. When I woke up, I listened. Nothing! The rain had stopped for the moment. I sprang up out of bed, threw on my clothes and told Mr. FixIt he’d better hustle his butt up out of bed because I was closing up shop as fast as I could. We were up, dressed, packed, and on the road in less than fifteen minutes. Good thing, too…it started raining again with a vengeance.

I-70 is a barrel race with automobiles, trucks, tractor trailers, RV’s…it’s crazy. Add some really heavy rain and road construction and you’ve got white-knuckle driving extraordinaire! I was SO glad to turn off the “I-70 Raceway” onto US-33 and ease on down the road to West Virginia. We are always pleased as punch to see that “Welcome to West Virginia” sign over the bridge as you cross the Ohio into Almost Heaven Land. Even more so yesterday.

We had just passed Lancaster, Ohio when we went around a curve and…all the windows in the truck fogged up at once. I looked at the thermometer on the dash and we went up ten degrees in just a couple of miles. We had crossed through the cold front. Things were about to get interesting. Those few miles in front of a moving cold front are dicey. The abrupt temperature change causes winds and heavy rain in most cases and by heavy rain, I mean car wash heavy. I hit standing water on the highway and couldn’t see the vehicles around me. For a split second, my foot said “HIT THE BRAKES!” Fortunately, my brain was there with “Not so fast, Jack!” Mr. FixIt and I both had our noses as close to the windshield as we could get and in a few hundred feet, the sky cleared up. There were cars and trucks and RV’s parked on both sides of the highway where they took shelter. That’s too scary for me. I just stay in the middle lane with my emergency flashers on and keep moving careful forward. I feel safer that way.

We stopped and picked up the cat from the Kitty Hilton. I expect one of these days, Mr. FixIt will decide it’s cheaper for him to just stay home with the cat and let me go on these trips by myself. Wowza!

We got home just before it started raining again. I refused to go inside at first. I hate when a trip is over. So, I stretched out in the camper, watched the rain on the back window, and relaxed. Mr. FixIt will change the oil today…unless it’s too wet, which is highly likely. In that case, I’ll run to town to get it changed. And tomorrow, I head off to camp with some of my girlfriends for the weekend! Gotta take advantage of every moment in the camper that I can possible get, because winter is coming. It’ll be here before we know it.

“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
Ephesians 4:7 ESV

Getting Things Done and Making Big Decisions

Tue, 25 May 2021 01:30:00 -0600

Shredded Documents

We’ve been checking things off the master list of things to do here at the Ponderosa this spring. And, I’ve got to say...it feels pretty good. The end of the house that we painted and put a new storm door on looks great! The electric line over to the deck is going to come in very handy. We had the kids over Sunday evening and plugged a fan in and it made all the difference sitting out there. Plus, the market lights are so pretty.

New Paint and Doors

Mr. FixIt had things to do in town today and I elected to stay home and get some things done here. I had all kinds of plans, but ended up sitting for five hours shredding documents. We’d been putting it off, and since I’ve been doing some deep cleaning and organizing, today was the day. I still have some to do, but managed to get the most of it done. Now, to file the papers that weren’t shredded. Oy! The work of life is never done, is it?

Irises Blooming

I remember when I was a new widow, sold my house and 95% of personal belongings...I felt so incredibly free and liberated. There was none of this accumulating, organizing, cleaning, purging, and re-accumulating that life seems to be filled with. My time was my own, to come and go as I pleased. Now, my time is full....but I’m incredibly happy. Not so much with the clutter, but we’re dealing with that...slowly, but surely.

A Room Always Looks Worse Before it Looks Better

Change has been a big focus in our lives the last few weeks with the sale of the farm. And, it has come to change our priorities in a way I didn’t expect. For the last couple of years, we’ve been giving serious consideration to selling the Ponderosa and moving to our acre lot near town. The driving had become cumbersome, and the responsibilities and upkeep seemed to loom large as we begin to wind down toward our sunset years.

The Butterflies are Coming Back

Living near town had great appeal to me. Our friends and family are there. We’d be closer to medical facilities and shopping. And our outdoor chores would be minimal compared to here. However, knowing the farm was always there to commune with nature and get our “country fix” made it easier to think of letting this property go. After going through what I’ve experienced with the farm selling, I gained a greater insight to Mr. FixIt’s attachment to this place.

Mama Box Turtle in the Far Field

I know how I feel losing my lifetime home. This weekend when we were driving home from mowing at the farm, I asked him how committed he was to selling out and building on our other property. He’s lived here on the Ponderosa for 45 years or so. That’s a long time to put down roots. We discussed all the pros and cons and what it would take to even get the lot ready to build a house on....all huge considerations.

Milkweed...Waiting on Monarchs

In the end, we’ve decided to just stay put where we are for the time being. For a lot of reasons, really. Neither one of us are ready to give up farm life yet. I love waking up to the neighbor’s rooster. I love the mockingbirds in the hedgerow and the lightning bugs in the field. I love the little town we live close to. I love having a garden and a pool and a place to see the stars. I especially love having a place to “camp” on our own property. It’s what I moved to West Virginia for in the first place...to live in the country.

The Near Field by the Road

Mr. FixIt agrees. This is home to him. And, somehow...after going through the farm selling...it’s suddenly become more “home” to me, too. Besides, Covid showed us we don’t need to drive to town as often as we were...merely out of boredom. We’ve saved money on gas and dining out and extra shopping. And, we’re getting this place fixed up and more like “ours” and less like “theirs”.

Sunset Over the Far Field

I’m feeling more settled this week than I have in a long time. Having the sale of the farm dangling over my head for the last few years has been difficult for me....like waiting for the ax to fall. Now that it’s here, I know where home really is. It’s wherever we are...so, it might as well be here because it’s what we are blessed with. Sometimes the best things in life are right under our noses.

“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”
Proverbs 24:3-4 ESV