Wednesday, we had a GREAT time!!  We went with the Horn’s to Dollywood.  They had bought season tickets and got free one day passes to take a friend.  We were their friends.  Thanks again, guys.  We left Floyd at 7:00 that morning and got back home around midnight.  It was a long day but filled with fun.  Everyone was tired but happy.  Please be in prayer for Vicki and Quentin.  Quentin’s grandfather passed away yesterday morning. 

Yesterday was a dry day here in Floyd so I jumped in and started working on the garden.  

I tillered both gardens and got them ready for planting.  It was a full day.  This morning I started getting the plants in the ground.  So far, I have planted the potatoes, corn, onions, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.  After lunch, beans and tomatoes.  The girls will be helping me with them.  They have been inside doing the housework this morning while I worked outside. 

These are the seeds the girls and I planted in the greenhouse.  They have done really well.  Maybe all we needed all along was a greenhouse.  They certainly look the best of any seeds we have started before.  Hopefully, they will do good when transferred into the garden.

The squash and cucumbers have really grown.  Speaking of growing, look how big the goslings are.

They were up in the field watching me while I worked.  Well, I think that’s about it.  I better get back into the garden.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

We certainly have had a lot of fun things going on here.   Thursday we went down to Jessica’s.  We got 2 more gallon of fresh strawberries.  We put 1 gal. into the freezer and just enjoyed the other gallon.  Friday was Hubby’s birthday and the girls piano recital.  We celebrated Hubby’s birthday with burgers and cake.  Then got ready for the recital.  Saturday, the ladies from our church made a trip to Bramwell WV.   It is a town where the extremely rich coal barons lived.  Very fancy and extravagant houses.    The above picture shows the town from one of the houses.

Our group-such fine looking ladies!

Most of the houses had amazing lawns-huge.  The kind you know had to have several gardeners just to keep them looking nice.

Several houses had cooper sinks in the kitchen.  When the wealthy were living there, they all had servants to do the work.

I think every house had stained glass windows.  This one was in a bathroom.

A cozy little nook in one of the houses.

One of the houses-notice the brick road.

Another house.  Altogether we toured 9 houses.  It took over 3 hrs to walk through them all.  On the third floor of one of the houses, there was a ballroom.  We did not get to see it though.

Every house had tables set with old dishes, Mrs. Faye.  You would have loved them. 

The old furniture in these houses was amazing.  The wood floors, cabinets, everything.  I have so many pictures it was hard to choose which ones to show you first.  We had a great day! 

I hope each and every one of you had a great Mother’s Day.  God bless.

This picture of our grapevine was taken on April 12.  This is what it looked like last week.

It seems to be growing every day and full of baby grapes!

This makes me very happy.  I hope to make some jelly this year and lots and lots of grape juice!  We so enjoy having our own juice to drink.

Our weekend was a busy one.  I didn’t get to tell all about it on yesterdays post.  It was late and I was tired.  Anyway, on Friday, our church had a mother/daughter banquet.  It was lots of fun with about 25 ladies attending.  Then on Saturday, we had to go to Jessica’s to start working on some things her ins. agency said needed to be done.   After we got there, Hubby realized we would need the scaffold, so we came back home Saturday evening.  We went back down on Sunday and finished it up.  Jess, the kids, myself, Julie and Grace went to the Farmers Market on Sunday.  We had a great time just walking around looking at everything.  Okay, so I have to tell you, we rode Jessica’s van to the market.  7 of us.  We took the double stroller and the small stroller, plus, of course, all the other stuff you need for small kids.  Needless to say, her van was packed.  Then when we get there, the first thing Jess sees-2 HUGE hanging baskets, that would look just perfect on her front porch.  Now if you would like to have seen something funny, you should have been there in the parking lot watching us try to get all that stuff back in the van.  It really was hilarious!!  We finally did it though and didn’t even damage her new hanging baskets.  I guess we are just talented. 

Our lunch break is over and so I must get back to school.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

The little chicks new home is ready!!  We worked on it all day today-running the fence and putting up the gate.  Hubby helped or we would not have finished it.   They have 150 feet of fenced in area to run in. 

Check out their gate.  It was an old baby crib spring. 

They seem very happy to have more room.  We are planning on leaving them in the building part tonight to give them time to adjust.  Tomorrow we will open the door and see how they do in the fenced in lot.  Needless to say, we are all tired but SO happy to get this big job done.

I hope you all have a great evening and God bless.

Our irises are in full bloom!  These were given to us several years ago by a friend from church.  It has taken them a while to get going but I think they are looking pretty good this year. 

We have been busy this week.  Does any one think this is becoming the norm?  Seems like spring is a busy time.  Anyway, we went to the dentist on Tuesday.  Both girls got a good report.  Then on Wednesday, we went to Sam’s club and bought our bulk items.  Yesterday, we went down to Jessica’s.  Today is full as well.  Our church is doing a Mother/Daughter banquet this evening.  I am bringing rolls.  I also have to take Hubby’s van in to Little Town to get 2 tires put on.  I was hoping the girls and I could get the nests made today for the little chicks.  Hubby also wants to work on the floor for the new boxed in part of the back porch when he gets in from the job site.  We’ll see. 

 School has taken a back burner this week with all that has been going on.  We only lack 15 more lessons in math and we’ll be finished with it for the summer.  We are calling quits to language when math is finished.   Then we plan on doing history and science during June and July and taking August and September off.  These two months are so busy here with canning.  It is much easier for us to take those months off.

I also hope to make strawberry jam today.  Yesterday, while down at Jessica’s we got 2 gal. of strawberries.  I put one gallon in the freezer yesterday evening and hope to make jam with the other gallon today.  I think Jessica is planning on making jam tomorrow.  I am going to try using the liquid certo this time.  I just haven’t been having success with the powdered sure jell. 

Well, that’s about it for now.  I better get busy if I am going to get anything done.  I hope you all have a great day and God bless.

1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, 3/4 cup sugar

Add 3/4 cup evaporated milk  and mix well.  (I use 1/4 cup  evaporated milk, then add enough water to make 3/4 cup)  Bring to boil 3 cups water.  Add above mixture to boiling water, stirring as you add mix.  When thick add 1 tsp vanilla and 2 tbsp. butter.  Serve with hot biscuits.

Some of you all might remember this picture from last year.  Last year’s post was titled “Snowball bloom” because it only had one bloom on it.  This year it looks like this.

It has lots and lots of bloom on it. 

Today is foggy here.  Very damp.  I was hoping to hang clothes outside on the line to dry but I don’t think that is going to happen.  It is fairly warm though-55 degrees.  We are working on school this morning.  Then I have an appointment to get two tires put on the car and get an inspection sticker.  I guess that will fill up my afternoon.  By the time I get back it will be time for supper.  We are having homemade soup this evening with grilled cheese sandwiches.  I used the remainder of the  pork that I cooked Saturday for the soup.  the girls and I are having chocolate gravy for lunch.  It is one of their favorites. 

Well, it is time for me to go check math problems.  I hope you all have a great day and God bless.

I thought I would show you all how big these goslings are.  It always amazes me how fast they grow.  They are however ravenous eaters.  We also have ducklings (we think).  She hatched them off and took them up into the field.  We have not seen them since.  Mama  and Papa Duck are still around though so we are confident the ducklings are too.  Mama is just keeping them well hidden.

I forgot to mention in yesterdays post about the chick house, all the planks and the door are from the old farmhouse we are working on.  He said we could have all the old wood.  We have been thinking of ways to reuse it.  I think some of it will go to box in the remainder of our back porch.  Today is a nice day here in Floyd.  Temperature is 66 degrees.  We have had some sun but it is overcast now and I think rain is coming. 

Tonights menu at church is kraut and weiners, pinto beans, cornbread, cole slaw and strawberry rhubarb pie. (Thats just what I know about).  For a class of 10-12 people, we sure do eat good.   Time for me to start getting everything ready.  Enjoy your evening and God bless.

We’ve been busy getting the little chicks new home ready for them.  They are growing so fast.  They have outgrown their little coup and are in need of a bigger home.  We decided this building would work great for them.    It was a metal shed we built several years ago to store the lawn mower in.  It needed planks on the inside to keep it warm in the winter.  The girls and I put them up Friday evening.  Then this morning, we all went out and got started fixing the front.  It now has a nice door and a window and is fully enclosed.  All we lack now is making some nests for them and putting up the fence and building the gate.  Okay, so that sounds like we lack quite a bit but we are one step closer now than we were yesterday.  You can see one of the old hens in front of the house.  They were so curious as to why we were blocking off the shed as it is one of their favorite places to take a dust bath. 

Today was cool here.  Temperatures were in the high 40′s-lower 50′s.  We wore light jackets all day while we were working.  We came in and ate supper.  I knew today would be a long day outside working so this morning I put some pork in the crockpot and some pinto beans in another crockpot.  All I had to do when we came in was fry some potatoes and make cornbread.  I then decided to build a fire as it was about 60 degrees in the house.  We are nice and warm now.  There is just something very comforting about a wood fire.  So relaxing.

I hope you all have a great evening and God bless. 

I thought I would show you ladies what happens when a cinderblock falls on your toe. Thankfully, I was wearing boots or it would have been lots worse. I must tell you all though, I really hesitated about showing you this picture. I did not realize I had such strange looking feet until I took this picture. Oh well, they are what they are, I guess.  It didn’t get me out of work though. I had to go with him this morning to texture the ceiling on the sheetrock job. That job is finished now so we can go back to working just the remodeling job. He has been going to the sheetrock job in the mornings and the remodeling job in the evenings. Doesn’t that sound wonderful!!! 2 jobs at one time. We are so blessed.

 Our temperatures did warm up some today. I think we actually got to about 50 degrees. It is supposed to be cold again tonight. I just finished building a fire to keep us toasty warm. I kinda thought we were finished with fires for this season but I guess I was wrong.   I hope all this cold doesn’t destroy the fruit harvest.

 I hope you all have a great evening. God bless.