WhoKnowsWhat

2011-05-02T14:44:00.000-05:00

Wow. Just...wow. I don't know if I have the words to adequately explain what happened in to Alabama on Wednesday April 27, 2011.

An as yet undetermined number of tornadoes of as yet undetermined strength pulverized huge swaths of the state. Highly populated urban areas as well as entire small towns all over the state were wiped out. There was unfathomable destruction within 20 miles of us in every direction...but we never even lost power. I am SO grateful that I and all of my loved ones are safe, but I feel so much guilt as well. So many lives were lost. HUNDREDS. So many more lost EVERYTHING.

The pictures that follow are of debris we found in our yard that night and in the days following. Debris. Things that used to be someone's home. Now, just debris.

The first photo is my outdoor table covered with insulation, shingles, splintered wood, sheetrock, bits of siding, a drawer side (with nails), and part of a door.

What appears to be part of a child's door where their name was written.

The third photo is a close up of painted bits of wall and a piece of old linoleum floor.

Roof shingles of every color.

There is more. There are also photos, personal papers, and insignificant scraps that may have gained significance in their journey. I'll post about that next.

Easter

2011-04-25T23:18:00.001-05:00

These two are so beautiful, they make my field of weeds look good!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T00:39:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T05:00:00.001-06:00

Tasty Tuesday 02/01/11 Pie

2011-02-01T05:00:00.006-06:00

Pecan pie and apple pie from Thanksgiving 2010

Pie. So simple, but it makes my husband so happy. I made a lemon pie yesterday, but it's gone. Pie gone, family happy. Simple.

Macro Monday

2011-01-31T23:01:00.000-06:00

Beauty!

2010-04-07T14:47:00.004-05:00

This was the most exciting thing going on a few weeks ago. Seriously, these tiny green sprouts and a sunny day really went a long way toward lifting my mood. There have been many more since these were taken.

They are the anxiously awaited sprouts of the peas I had planted at the end of February.

Since then there have been many more lovely things to brighten many more days.

Johnny-Jump-Ups

Bluets

Maple tree

Some kind of ornamental pear. (make it big and check out the lichen on the branch)

And of course, Daffodils! I don't know what kind these are, they were here when we got the place. There are several clumps and they are all really double like this.

Credit where credit is due:
With the exception of the peas and the maple, all photos were taken by my dear daughter Charlotte. ( who may have decided to be a photographer for real!)

Wordless Wednesday--Green Velvet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-03-16T21:35:00.005-05:00

Macro Monday--The Seasons They Are A Changin'

2010-03-15T13:40:00.003-05:00

The old gives way to the new...Green things are popping up all over...

and we are looking forward to greener pastures

Give It Away

2010-03-12T23:40:00.005-06:00

I wish I had things I could give away to random strangers..... Anyway, here is a super nice person giving away a super neat camera. Yes, I said CAMERA. All my Sunday Stills, Macro Monday, and Wordless Wednesday *peeps* ought to check it out!

And I can't post without a picture, so here is something random.

I Just Love This Cat

2010-03-12T02:57:00.004-06:00

She bring us gifts.OK, it wasn't so much a "gift" as my odd, fearless daughter pried it away from her. Why? you may ask...... To take pictures of it , of course.

After some searching of "alabama rodents" I finally identified it as....

a Pine Vole.

I had never seen one before. Have you?

Macro Monday--Signs of Life!

2010-03-08T16:04:00.004-06:00

Autumn Joy sedum
More like Spring joy! Oh yea!

Wood Ducks!

2010-03-05T22:05:00.005-06:00

We had some unusual visitors this week. Hello cutie!

Isn't he handsome?

Such a cute couple!

(these are all shots of the same two ducks-- not a whole flock or anything)
According to one of my bird books, Wood Ducks are considered one of the most beautiful birds in North America! It doesn't say by whom. They are in fact quite striking. These pictures (captured by my dear daughter Charlotte) were taken from my garden about 100 feet or so from the pond. They may not be postcard quality but I sure am glad she got them!

Macro Monday--Yummy in my Tummy!

2010-03-01T21:16:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T22:08:00.003-06:00

Macro Monday--Happy Birthday to me!

2010-02-22T16:51:00.002-06:00

A big "thank you" to my Mom for bringing me this yummy birthday cake!

Come on Spring!

2010-02-21T20:48:00.004-06:00

Even the children of the house are busily planning for Spring planting!

This is very serious business...It has to be just so...

There! Can we plant now?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T21:53:00.001-06:00

Macro Monday---A quiet evening

2010-02-15T02:28:00.002-06:00

More like an insomniac evening, really. Maybe not exactly "macro" but I'm trying. Feedback is welcomed.

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!

2010-02-13T15:49:00.010-06:00

(WHY WHY WHY does Blogger keep randomly underlining my text?!?!)

Anyway, The last post I did that mentioned snow was after "they" had talked endlessly about the coming "winter storm" that was to bring an accumulation of 2-4 inches. It was barely a dusting. What a letdown.

This time "they" called for a "dusting" and we got 3 inches!

This is the end of the driveway.
This is the backyard.

In fact, this was the most snow my 18yo daughter had ever seen! (We don't count "the blizzard of '93" cuz she was not even 2yo) Here, she poses with her first snowman(snowperson? snowchick? snowgal?). . The kids had the best time! I don't know if I've ever seen them play so hard.

I think they look kind of conspiratorial here.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-10T18:26:00.003-06:00

Adventures in Kefir (also Sunday Stills)

2010-01-29T22:26:00.006-06:00

How did this all come about? Well, one hears things...reads things...not even sure where... Then one day you're reading one of your favorite blogs and there it is again...kefir. OK, you think, since this blogger is close to home, here's my chance, maybe it's just meant to be. You see, kefir (a frothy drink made of fermented milk) can only be made with the use of kefir "grains". The "grains " are the starter and are a living mass that continues to grow and so can be passed on. So, to make kefir, and enjoy it's myriad touted health benefits, one must acquire "grains".

Let's see if I can shorten this story a little (it may be too late). This particular blogger lives in the same county I do, but nearer to my Mom. So I commented and asked if she (her husband actually) had any to share and could I please have some. She did, I could, and they delivered it to my Mom and Mom delivered it to me, and now I am documenting the process for all to see. (THANKS MEG AND LEE!)

Also, the Sunday Stills assignment this week is texture so I felt like maybe these pics could do double duty.

This is how I began--

clean jar
kefir grains
milk
spoon

Close up of the "grains". They actually look kind of like very very overcooked cauliflower.

I put about a tablespoon of the "grains" in my jar. I was only making one cup so according to my internet research this was a good proportion.

I then added one cup of milk. I'm sure fresh raw milk would be best, but I don't know where to get that. Yet. My research said to cover the jar, but not airtight, so I put a coffee filter over it with a rubber band. I don't what difference things like the type of cover or the use of metal utensils might make. This is my first time after all.

That was easy, right? Now I just had to let it sit for 24 hours at room temperature. You can let it ferment longer, but I was afraid it might get too stout (sour) for my taste.
Here it is 24 hours later. I shook the jar a little so you can see the change in texture.At this point, you strain the kefir into another clean container. (nylon mesh was recommended, but again, I don't know the consequences of metal use) The purpose of this is to retrieve the "grains".I found that a gentle lifting,stirring (NOT PRESSING) motion helped get the liquid through without damaging the "grains".Here is my first recovered "grain". You put these back with the others.OK. All strained. "Grains" in one jar, kefir in another. It is recommended that the kefir be well chilled before drinking.At this point I have not yet tried it. I'll run get it and try it "live".

OK. Here we go.
Hmm. Pleasant smell, not at all like spoiled milk. Tangy. Smooth, creamy. I think I could drink this! It is very much like plain yogurt, but somehow different. However it will probably be better in smoothies with fruit. I may try it with a little honey. OK, I just tried it with honey, and
yum!

In conclusion, I believe this has been a worthwhile endeavour and I encourage you to try to find some kefir grains yourself!

I just had the kids try it (the version with honey) and they liked it! Whoo hoo! We are just gonna be so healthy....

Off I go now,to make another batch. I have some more experimenting to do!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-27T21:54:00.003-06:00

I REALLY needed that!

2010-01-20T22:23:00.006-06:00

NOTE-Blogger likes to underline and color my text. I gave up repeatedly fixing it so it's kinda random.

What a glorious day! Warm. Sunny. Exactly what I needed. I spent the entire afternoon in the garden pulling weeds and generally tidying up. The kids ran around and played and got dirty just like kids lucky enough to live in the country ought to. My favorite was either when they were climbing on the hay ring like it was jungle gym crowing like roosters at the top of their lungs, or when Emily was walking around carrying and talking to the big snail I found.

All in all it was just a lovely day. Even the "weeds" were somehow inspirational:)Elijah looks like he has burst out in song!

Farm kitty basks

One final thing- here are some "after" pictures of the pond. I'll try to remember to take one from the same spot as the "before" and "during" pics.

Don't mess with my little girl

2010-01-09T20:55:00.005-06:00

We live in the country. We shoot things. Things like- old refrigerators in the woods. You know, next to the abandoned trailer. I feel the need to point out that the trailer and refrigerator are not on our property, just very near it.

So anyway, this was the first time Charlotte ever shot a 22 rifle, in fact, it was the first day we ever had one. (my husband wants it known that he does have experience with this type of gun-he grew up shooting old appliances) Watch these short videos and you'll see why I am impressed with her skill. (oh...yeah...that IS snow, just not what was promised by our weathermen...I was bitterly disappointed...I don't want to talk about it)

Keeping Up Appearances

2010-01-06T01:17:00.004-06:00

It's not so much that I have anything to say, It's just that I don't want to lapse into old non-blogging habits. So here are some pics my daughter took in the backyard to play around with our new camera.

We are still trying to figure out all the settings, so these could be better, but I've never had a camera you could zoom on the moon before.

Christmas

2010-01-02T17:22:00.010-06:00

The one thing that occurred during the last six months or so that I really must mention is that the grandbabies are living with us full time for now. So, things are a little different but we will make t he most of the situation, of course. Just goes to show--when men make plans, God laughs.

Can you believe I got this silk kimono for a dollar at a thrift store?!?

My Mom and I and Charlotte (but mostly Mom) built this awesome dollhouse for Emily. (Look for more on that project at a later date, probably here and on Mom's blog).
Elijah got this really cool castle with some knights and dragons. (thank you Craigslist) All in all it was a nice, somewhat medieval Christmas. Whoo hoo! Big New Years Eve at our little homestead. Cool it ya'll before somebody calls the cops!

It's been HOW LONG????

2009-12-31T23:51:00.001-06:00

A not quite up-to-date update

2009-06-07T22:21:00.006-05:00

As of May 24:
The spinach was bolting(going to flower/seed)

The peas were climbing beyond expectations

and beyond the fencing

we had a nice little harvest

I put in some tomato plants and something dug right next to one the first night. (They are fine, and I never did figure out what it was. I probably prefer, on some level, not knowing.)

Last ,but by no means least, I built this uber awesome trellis/obelisk for green beans to grow on. Mimosa must be eradicated, but that doesn't mean it can't be useful!

Gray Rat Snake

2009-06-06T21:53:00.003-05:00

First, let me say that I truly love living in the country. That said, I do NOT love everything about it. For example...

My daughter opened the back door and said in a surprised tone of voice " oh...hello", then she turned to me and said "gimme the camera gimme the camera gimme the camera". I figured the cat was doing something particularly cute, but no....

She is standing in the doorway here. That is the doormat. Yes, there by the SNAKE.
I'm sure he's very helpful, but, ICK. This is closer than I'm really comfortable with.

She then proceeded to STEP OVER it for more pictures.

You can really see how long it is if you click this pic.

~shudder~

Radishes

2009-04-24T18:52:00.005-05:00

OK, here is a tiny piece of my garden. It is about4x8 and contains some radishes and carrots as well as the peas starting up the back and the parsley spilling over the front.

I started out planting the radishes and carrots in rows.....

but I got tired of that tedium pretty quickly, and went with a more "try to scatter 'em fairly evenly" method.

They look like they aren't going to wait to be pulled, like they will just hop on up out of the ground right now thank you very much.

First harvest of the season!

They clean up well, don't they?
Oh, here I go again with teasers in the background. That is our new puppy wondering if maybe those are for her.

No, they are definitely not.

What Was That?!

2009-04-24T09:12:00.003-05:00

Tuesday morning after removing and patching the tractor tire, Hubby was going to start her up and was quite startled by the frantic flutter of a bird as he lifted the hood. Mama bird took off so fast we couldn't tell what kind she was.

These are the clues she left behind.

Our research indicates Nuthatch or Chickadee. Maybe.

I don't know if these pictures are "clickable", but if they are you can see details like the two different colors of horse hair in the back of the nest.

Sadly,of course, we had to move the nest. We put it in the cavity of a concrete block and set it about the same height off the ground and in the same area. This really is much sturdier than it looks.

I'm afraid that it didn't work though, we haven't seen any bird activity in the area since then.

That is my garden in the background. (and my horse) Garden posts to come. Stay tuned.

R I P our best friend

2009-04-16T21:56:00.005-05:00

Words are difficult. She is missed. It's been three weeks, but it will always be hard.

A lovely, productive weekend

2009-01-27T12:56:00.003-06:00

We spent the weekend at a lovely cabin in the mountains at Mentone, AL. My father-in-law bought a house with property up there and built a few cabins and some "bunkhouse" rooms off the main house. One cabin looks like a barn, one looks like a church, and two are just cabins.

The first two pictures are in the main room of the main house. My darling daughter is sleeping on the sofa because there are no televisions in the "bunkhouse" rooms. There is a massive fireplace just out of view on the left of the first pic. The blanket on the floor is for our dog.

The third pic is the view from the bed I woke up in, in one of the "bunkhouse" rooms. You see why I keep putting "bunkhouse" in quotation marks. The rooms are furnished in a not-so -rustic style. The word bunkhouse doesn't really seem to fit.

Last is a pic of the true nature of our visit. We were loading up the old kitchen cabinets that were being torn out for the remodel of the main house kitchen. I am so looking forward to having cabinetry in my kitchen.

To be continued.........

Hope Springs Eternal

2009-01-23T12:20:00.004-06:00

Eternally hoping for Spring......Hoping for eternal Spring.....Oh, sorry. Rambling.

It's just that I'm so giddy. He did it! My dear, kind, thoughtful husband finally got the tractor to wake from her long Winter's nap and tilled my garden spot. What a rush! All the sins of last season wiped away! Hmmm....I must try to make the very best of my fresh start.

What service! He fumigated it too! Poor tractor needs attention. Is the garden still organic?

By the way, THAT friends and neighbors, is a tiller.

Just a reminder...

2009-01-19T12:33:00.003-06:00

to myself really. We do actually make progress here. The first picture shows how overgrown and shaggy this side of the property was when we got it. (although, it was taken before all the vines and brambles had started to green up in the Spring) The shadow line in the center of the picture is as far as you could walk. We didn't even know what the rest of it looked like until we started getting it cleared.

If you look closely at the "after" picture, you'll see the pond area at the back. Close ups can be seen of that area in my post about tractors.

Anyway, we just need to remember to give ourselves credit sometimes. But, by no means does this mean we are going to rest on our laurels and stagnate in a pool (or pond)0f self congratulation! No! We will press on with renewed hope for further and greater accomplishment! With that in mind, tomorrow my DH has promised to till my garden. Yay! I just love new beginnings, don't you?

Let's just pretend I haven't been absent for 6 months

2009-01-10T16:56:00.004-06:00

When I started this blog last year, I envisioned wonderful, witty, fascinating posts flowing daily from my keyboard. Didn't so much happen, did it? Oh well, as I always say, "so what?". It's a whole other year now so let's move along.

Things I Want To Accomplish This Year

1. Actually plant my garden. (so that I have something to photograph and blog about)(obviously that's not the only reason:feed my family, save money,etc.)

2.Finish the @#$% bathroom. (wanting a sink in the bathroom doesn't make me high maintenance does it?) At least it doesn't look like this anymore.

Odds-n-Ends

2008-07-15T16:50:00.001-05:00

I've been pretty scattered the last couple of weeks. Here are the highlights:

At home.

Away from home.

From Alabama to Enid, Oklahoma to Wilmington, North Carolina and back again in one week.

Saw this in OK. Oh, phooey! I forgot to turn this picture over and now I don't know how! Sorry!

Saw this in Wilmington. I know, I know, reeeaally bad picture through the windshield. But hey, you saw the itinerary, no time for proper picture taking.

(It's a battleship.)

Saw this on the way home. I bet they have a full bath in there. Maybe a hot tub too.

We got home just in time for this.

This is the annual "Thunder on the Mountain" fireworks display over the statue of Vulcan on Red Mountain in Birmingham, AL. We hadn't been in the last couple of years, but my older daughter lives on a street right under Vulcan, so we sat on her front steps to watch. Fun!

Oh, and I thought I'd show that not all of my garden critters are scary.

Cute, huh?

Oooh, nature, my favorite

2008-06-29T00:55:00.001-05:00

Hi there! I just thought I would post a little post about gardening so that you all might learn from my vast experience.

Some reasons not to let your garden get overgrown with weeds.

1. It is unattractive to the human eye and artistic sensibilities.

2. The things you have actually planted in your garden suffer due to competition.

3. It will sadden and embarrass you to see your once lovely garden in such a state.

4. You will feel compelled to remedy the situation. If you do not use chemicals this may mean hand pulling an obscene amount of grass from a ridiculously large area.

5. If it is hot, this is unpleasant.

6. Bad, bad things lurk in weeds.

OK, so it is technically only one bad thing (and her cottonball of billions of baby bad things).

It is clear isn't it? You do know what this is, right? No? Look it up.

I pulled up a clump of grass, and there she was. I missed grabbing her by about a centimeter.

That was the end of the weed pulling that day.

I would like to say "live and let live" or something about all God's creatures....but no. I smushed her and her little ones too.

Can ya dig?

2008-06-15T23:26:00.002-05:00

My super cool neighbor chick posted about needing a tractor and since I can relate to that, I thought I'd share some of our tractor history. We talked about needing a tractor for about 2 years before we actually got one. This is my husband on our first tractor, a 194?(or was it 195?) Ford Workmaster.

This served us well until we(read he) broke the axle. We found a neat old guy who fixes and sells old tractors and he gave us a good trade value for a very slightly less antique International Harvester B-275. I can't seem to find a pic of that one. We are still using it 2 years later, although there is a laundry list of things it needs(tires, brakes, you know, nothing very essential). I really wish I could find the pic of our daughter driving the Ford. She was about 14 and Dad taught her to drive it. And let her drive it! Freaked me out a little but it really was cool.

Last summer we decided that this spot needed to have a pond.

So we did what any"normal" person would do, we rented a backhoe. Now mind you, it had not rained at all for about 2-3 months. Perfect time to dig, says we.

Quiz: How do you break a record drought? Why just rent heavy equipment for the weekend, of course! It started drizzling immediately upon delivery and did not stop all weekend. By the way, this was at the end of the week that the Governor of Alabama had declared a "week of prayer" for rain. It was awsome timing in that regard, but I was still a little irked.

That's me in the blue raincoat being irked and supervisory all at the same time.

I'll put up recent pictures soon (I'll have to take some).

Oooh, know what you get when you get a pond?

TADPOLES! Lots of tadpoles.

Waterbabies

2008-06-12T13:37:00.001-05:00

Busy, busy ,busy. I can't think of a single thing that has kept me from my blogging commitment, but I must have been terribly busy. This was one of my occupations recently.

These are my beautiful grandchildren, Emily and Elijah. The stunning redhead is their aunt, my sixteen year old daughter Charlotte. Yes, I know she is but I try not to think about it. I am sooo thankful that she is a sweet, obedient,Godly girl.

So, anyway, I was terribly busy photographing the swimsuit edition of my blog and just couldn't possibly find time to post. But I will soon, I promise.

I read 'em , why not write one?

2008-05-22T22:19:00.001-05:00

Maybe because I have no idea what I should say. Hmm, I have an idea! Maybe if I put photos of my "projects" up here and resolve to update my progress frequently, I'll not only have something to say, but I'll be honor bound to actually MAKE progress. OK, I'll start with my vegetable garden(because I happened to take some "before" pics today).

As you can see, there is much work to be done. The garden area is about 40x40. Those are my compost piles on the right. Don't get the wrong idea, I actually have very little gardening experience. This will be my second year to have one. Last year had huge successes(okra, zucchini, green beans) and HUGE failures(tomatoes, corn, peas). I don't use chemicals at all and don't yet know all the organic tricks. I hereby vow to post new pics as progress is made. There!

Soon, I'll put up pics of the antique dresser I'm repurposing as a bathroom vanity and the whole bathroom remodel itself. Oh, and don't be surprised to see pics of the horses, cats, dog, random critters I run across, and the chickens(ok, not yet, but someday and soon)(I hope).

"Most things in life won't kill you, and the things that will, will only do it once."-don't remember who