It's been 5 days since my last post.  Again, I've been a very busy girl.  I completed a quilt top for my son, finished a backing for my granddaughter's quilt.  Cooked 3 dozen oatmeal cranberry cookies, made two loaves of bread(still not like I used to make), put together a quilt frame with the help of my husband Frank, and my mom came on Thursday.  We started cutting another quilt top for my youngest granddaughter last night and today....lets see....cleaned out my cabinets and rearranged them, cleaned the pantry and wash room and organized them with the help of my mom. Trimmed the hedge bushes and cleaned up around the outside of the house with the help of my daughter and husband.  I am a very tired girl.  But, I am preparing to start putting the quilts together, starting with the one for Trinity my 2nd granddaughter because I promised to have it finished by Christmas.  Whew... I have alot to do between now and then.  Because, I also have gotten orders for cookies, pralines, and other goodies from Frank's coworkers.  So, not so much something funny to read today, but just and update of happenings.  Eventhough I seem to be working myself to death I am enjoying being able to do all the things I've wanted to do for years...I'm sure that there will be more interesting posts at a later date.  So until then.

A Long Weekend

This weekend started with most of Friday afternoon at my Dad's grave site observing the installation of his monument.  3 hours of careful construction produced a beautiful marker and many bittersweet memories.  Mama, Naomi (my neice) and I were there for the production. 

Frank gathered eggs and found a very unique...and strange gift from one of our hens.

An egg with ridges and crevaces that made it look like a large walnut.  Isn't Gods creations strange and wonderful.  I just love my chickens.  I love to hear the clucking and cackling when they eat or forage the grass and bugs.  I love to gather the eggs and see how many were produced for the day and I love to see the colors that they have given me. 



 

Kaci also loves the animals. She cries to go to MawMaw SueNu's house and she says " I'm gonna feed the chickens and the rabbits and get the eggs in my basket and feed the dogs and look at the garden. That's MawMaw's Farm Girl. See her get the eggs and put them in the basket? "I got one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight eggs" and "a little egg."  "I got brown, green and pink ones."    .........She also likes to help pull or push the wagon with the food and water for the animals.  



It's hard not to cry when its time for her to go home.  She is "MawMaw's Heart."    

Saturday.....Frank, Kaci and I spent about 5 hours on the Ice Cream Truck.  Kaci had to take the money and hand out the ice cream.  She never got fussy or cried.  She even got a $0.25 cent tip for being so cute.  She would stick her little head out the window and say "what you want to get."  And she would hold conversations with the customers.  Then when we were finished she would say, "MawMaw, that's a cute baby." 

That evening we stopped at the grocery store and got supplies to make Hot Tamales and after Kaci went to sleep, Frank and I were up until 3 am making them.  10 dozen in all.

My son, Clint and his three children came and ate lunch with us today and watched the "Saints" game. "Go Saints!"  and they won. 

Eventhough it was a long weekend it was good.  Maybe tomarrow I'll get a little more quilting/sewing done.  Tonight.....I think I'll go to bed early.

So little time

The Ice Cream Truck takes up most of my time during the summer and I've no had time to post or anything else that was originally planned for my farming days. I've spent late days on the Truck, and late nights making jelly and putting away produce from my small garden. The Grandkids think Mawmaw's house is boring because they don't want to go outside and help with the garden or other duties....all except my Kaci Rayne. She's the one in the initial pictures. Kaci crys to stay. And crys if she thinks Mawmaw's went out to "feed the farm" without her, and crys when she can't go with me on the Ice Cream Truck. If I thought I could get away with it, ie, Mommie's permission and Daddy's OK...she could just live with me until she was older and began to think Mawmaw's house is boring...like the other 4.( which would only be about 4 years. I think that is reasonable, don't you? I'm no so sure it would go so well with the parents... So I am relegated to the occasional weekend when Poppie is in a good mood and feels like a grandkid won't drive him CRAZY!

Anyway, I've gone to quilting and trying to find the bread recipe that I use to make about 10 years ago using a potato flake starter. This was the most decadent bread you could eat. Lightly sweet, very fluffy. Yummy, hot out of the oven with butter. So far...no luck. I'm really going to have to break down and hunt up my old friend to see if she can help me out with a small starting of the revered bread yeast liquid and recipe. I can still taste it. Mmmmmmmmmm, with milk! Or hot tea...or. Just the bread and butter. I don't care, as long as I can get it.

Oh! By the way...we have a new addition. Rio, a now 3 month old, 2 1/4 lb chihuahua who is my almost constant companion. You should see him sitting next to my sewing machine trying to investigate every stitch... And he's learning to fetch! Pics are coming soon so stay tuned.

Has it been that long???

I can't believe it been since may that I haven't tickled a funny bone or two. I've so much to tell.

My first set of rabbits were slaughtered along with all my bantam chickens by the neighbors Pit Bull....and have since been replaced. My chickens are laying quite well at 6 a 8 eggs a day. And,...I bought an Ice Cream Truck.

Uh-oh, an escapee in the yard!

I worked at my part time job today as a RN, and when I got home there was a strange, highly movable, white spot in the backyard. An escapee from the rabbit pen. One of the does is hopping around the back yard, merrily eating the knee high grass. Frank is feeding the chickens and Sam, our weenie dog, is going wild, barking at the rabbit. Frank has the dip net and I circle around behind. Both of us with our arms spread wide as if we are ready for flight, and walking like turkeys , inching closer to the furry ball that is staring with big pink eyes. She sits very still with the 6 inch lop ears standing straight up until we are about 2 foot away on each side. She makes her move and brakes or should I say jumps with the intent to slip by Frank. Thank goodness for the dip net...I didn't think Frank could move that fast anymore! After securing the rabbit pen and finishing with the chickens(3 more bantam eggs), we head to the garden and harvest yellow squash, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and cayenne peppers. Here's a picture of the harvest and some of the jelly, and pickled eggs fresh from the micro-farm. One day soon I'll have to get a picture of my little, older sister in the garden, or even my mom(she calls all the chickens her grandchildren because I got them as biddies!)

More adventures

It's been a week since my last post because I have been a very busy girl. Making and selling jelly, working 2 days a week, feeding "the farm," and I bought me an Ice Cream truck. You know, the ones that you use to chase with small amour of money your mother or father allowed you to have, or your token allowance gripped firmly in your grimy little hand as you listened to the cartoonish melodies that irritated the you know what out of your parents....yea that kind of truck. I do plan on making weekly rounds to a neighborhood near you(possibly). Yea, I know the gripes about children being overweight and the one I most recently read about "exploitation of children". That's not my goal. My goal is having fun and providing kids with summer fun, not to exclude the elusive adult with a child's heart. Also, to provide another way of distributing my wares...jelly, fresh produce, and in the winter to offer pleasing substitutes of chili and a Louisiana favorite, "Gumbo." Will I be a millonare? Probably not...but I will be doing something I want to do as opposed to doing something someone else expects me to do. What's the worse thing that could happen? The "boss" will fire me?... Oh, wait... That will also be me! Therefore, I can work as little or as much as I wish, and still have my time to be more self sufficient. I'm reeeally loving the "less is more" motto I have adopted. Oh, by the way...the chickens, rabbits and garden are doing wonderfully well and Frank(my husband) has jumped on the band wagon and has taken to helping me "hawk my wares." Stay tuned for more! And tell your friends to follow the adventure, feel free to comment, and get a laugh. I will try to be more diligent in my posts. Until next time....

 I found one!

 On May 6, I jumped ship as a Registered Nurse to stay home. I planned for that day for months. My husband Frank and I proceeded to plant a vegetable garden consisting of four 4x4 raised beds and a 4x8. I bought 14 chicken(13 pulleys) to go along with my Bantams that I already had. I also acquired 3 rabbits. All in effort to be more self-sufficient and to provide food for the table. We also obtained various things to help bring in a few pennies to the income...a grain mill, and jelly making supplies. The past few weeks have been interesting to say the least. Rising early, and feeding "The Farm" which consists of about 1/3 of an acre, hence the name of micro farm! I also found that my 5 grandchildren are as enthused as I. Here are a few pics of my youngest helping feed the rabbits and gathering produce..

there is 2 more.                                        



see what I can do.



I like to water the rabbits.