tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35641256287221854452024-03-19T13:55:11.433-04:001909 Farmhouse - Our LifeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger344125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-57310401402983991852016-01-25T12:17:00.003-05:002016-01-25T12:20:12.062-05:00Windows, Windows, Windows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: justify;">When we first saw the house, I loved the window treatments in the living room. They went with the P.O.'s antiques. (There's our Hunter again...wow, does time fly!) </span><span style="text-align: justify;">There are four windows in this living room...not all the same size and not evenly placed or centered. An issue not to be discussed in today's blogging! </span><span style="text-align: justify;">The P.O. left the valances and shades for me - the shades lasted a few months. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Shades and I don't get along. I can't seem to operate them with any degree of consistency - resulting in a lot of four letter words late at night and early in the morning. </span><span style="text-align: justify;">So, rather quickly, the shades were </span><span style="text-align: justify;">replaced by wood blinds. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Shortly after that, the P.O. realized those curtains didn't work in her new home so brought them back to me. </span><span style="text-align: justify;">They didn't work with the furniture I had at that point, so into the linen closet they went until I could fit them in.</span><br />
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In 2006, we tackled the room after having electrical and structural issues worked out. And in 2007, we got new furniture that suited the age of the house more than our original over-stuffed couches did and I was able to finally use the curtains. </div>
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When the Christmas Decorations came down this year, so did the curtains. The valances were put away a few years ago. (That's our Hunter with that cup of coffee on Christmas morning. Wow, does time fly!)<br />
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I had recently realized how dark the living room was what with the curtains covering part of the windows (spending four days on a couch will open your eyes to a lot of things!) and decided that it was time to hang those curtains differently. The new plan was to hang them off to the side of the windows to avoid blocking light during the day but still allowing me to draw them at night for privacy. I'm ready to get rid of those blinds; living in a farmhouse surrounded by fields means lots and lots of cleaning blinds. I needed some pretty rods, so after painting the room, David and bought those pretty rods as my birthday gift. </div>
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And we put them up; and we hung those curtains. And we promptly took them back down. Four windows of color promptly took over the room; all you saw was those curtains...no furniture, no trim work, nada. Just - those - curtains! So down they came.<br />
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I ran upstairs and grabbed the Sheers from the Guest Room and hung them up in one window to verify what I thought I needed to do. Yep, I needed to go with a curtain that is going to disappear into the walls.<br />
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This photo is with the blinds pulled up allowing light to spill into the room and nothing in the way of the view...lovely, but.... it looks awfully nice with the blinds down too. So, now I have to decide if I really, really want to get rid of those blinds....how much does the work of keeping them clean really bother me? I'll let you know in a future post; I think it will depend upon whether I end up with some sheers or with actual curtains.<br />
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David swears I knew all along that changing the room color was going to mean new window <span style="text-align: left;">treatments...but honestly, if I hung those curtains the old way, I think they'd still work but I'd be giving up the light that hanging them off the windows allows into the room. </span><br />
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Good thing he wants more light in the room as well... So it's off to choose curtains; in the meantime, this is the state of our living room windows...</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-88274773793329869472016-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:002016-01-23T08:00:13.332-05:00Through the Storm<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">One of the ways I stayed sane during the two years of storm recovery was to photo journal it all. Just after the barn was raised, I posted this to share with my friends and family through FB/youtube. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Since then, a few more things changed outside...namely Huffy Got Anther Coop to share with her new friend Gracie....</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">David modeled it after the old barn you saw in the video above; the "Dutch" style door allows the chickens to come and go as they please during the day while keeping four Labs from going in and stealing their food and water supplies.. These photos show it in the building stage; it since has been sealed with trim pieces and we've begun to add half walls (recycling old four foot fence panels) to the pen area for wind and predator protection. </span></div>
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I love where the new coop stands; just outside of the Gazebo where we can hear the clucking of the hens and where they feel part of the goings on....! After all,what with sleeping in the house at night for a full year and blending in the dog pack during the day while she was the lone hen on the place, Huffy is more of a pet than anything else by this point.</div>
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Come spring, we'll bring in new hens to up our egg production. Huffy Puffy is an old girl now and with Gracie nearing 5 we'll be lucky to get enough eggs for one of the three folks living here. Now that we are back to some semblance of a normal life, it is time to rebuild the flock. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-22610133505381107942016-01-22T15:35:00.000-05:002016-01-22T15:41:32.609-05:00The story of a room...In 1909, it was the front porch.<br />
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In the 1940's, it became the side porch when the new road was put in by the county; a new much larger and grander front porch replaced it.<br />
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In the 1960's, it was enclosed to be used as a bedroom for the elderly farmer because he could no longer climb the stairs to the bedrooms upstairs.<br />
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In the 1990's, the grand nephew of that old farmer sheet rocked over the old siding and used it as a T.V. Room.<br />
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(Photo: December 2004 - That's our Hunter who was only 7 on the day this photo was taken. We had returned to take measurements and so on after our contract had been accepted).<br />
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In 2004, it became my office space. That flooring was the original wood flooring of that old front porch. There was nothing between it and the ground below. During the winter months, I would have boots and gloves on to stay warm! I could hardly wait to get to work on this room.<br />
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In 2010, we finally tackled this room. David raised the floor to the same height as the rest of the downstairs rooms and insulated it. We removed the sheet rock that had covered the original siding and the window you see in this photo.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">It seemed that everyone loved this room as much as I did. That old chair in the corner would be sought out by visitors over and over again. Always my favorite room in the house, it's new warmth attracted just about everyone.</span><br />
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In 2015, I realized it was time for new colors throughout the house; the custom color of the trim and mustard of the walls had grown tired....and so I searched Pinterest for color ideas....and stumbled upon what I now think is a timeless color for our trim...Benjamin Moore's Iron Mountain!<br />
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We began with wisely hiring our son-in-law to paint the green ceiling (something I had wanted to do since 2004 but had not wanted to tackle on my own)..it took him about 12 hours altogether to get it ready for the final coat of paint; the dark color had hidden all the gaps in the 100 plus year old bead board ceiling. After painstakingly putting up that first coat, we came to the realization that he had to caulk that thing...David ended up putting the final coat of paint up on day 4 of the job. The walls and the ceiling are now Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter.</div>
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I am currently loading the room and will add more photos when I'm finished with that job...! Out with the old and in with the new....a perfect start to a new year!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-59346691080300670692016-01-22T12:12:00.002-05:002016-01-22T12:20:23.877-05:00A Fresh New Outlook....<div style="text-align: justify;">
For as long as I can remember I've left Christmas Trees and decorations up until New Years Day. But not this year - I was oh so ready to have it all down and packed away until next year. I had big plans for the new year that I was in a hurry to begin.</div>
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You might remember that in May of 2013 we were hit with an F1 tornado that destroyed all our outbuildings. During the recovery process, we had to make some major changes to ingress/egress due to the death of our Farmer across the street. All of these changes meant that the total time from destruction to recovery was (a very long) 2 years and 2 months. Our new "barn" went up the end of June 2015.</div>
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Once that barn was built, there were (and are) a few more things that needed doing; we brought in more rock for the new driveway and repaired the last of the damaged fencing that had been being held up by mature Jasmine, but we took our time with these things for the remainder of the Summer. When Fall rolled around, we pretty much took a vacation from all the work of the past 2 plus years. And then, right before Christmas, I was hit with a vertigo attack that meant I spent four days lying on the couch and looking at the neglected house. </div>
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The Tornado did damage the house and most of the repairs were taken care of by the Insurance company in the months that followed; but a house that is above grade will show additional damage as time goes on. Not to mention that 14 months after the tornado, we were hit head on by straight line winds estimated at about 120 mph taking down another of our ancient trees! Anyway, this is what had happened inside; any vulnerable spots in mudding and sheetrock began to show cracks; baseboards shifted and lost their caulking as the house settled back in after being buffeted by major winds twice in less than 2 years. </div>
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Those four days, I was staring at all of that damage that I had been ignoring (deliberately - I had rearranged wall hangings to hide the damage until it could be tackled!) until the outside chaos was back under control. So, the Christmas decorations were away only three days after the celebration! And I was at the paint store on January 2nd! And as of today, two downstairs rooms have been mudded, sanded, caulked, mudded and sanded and caulked again and finally painted in brand new wonderful colors! </div>
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And of course, new colors means that old colors may not work any longer....so what to do? Grab that crochet hook and some yarn and make it work!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HnkeGZMNr_E/VqJepKWWvPI/AAAAAAAAFs0/0er6KiYvucs/s1600/IMG_0441.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HnkeGZMNr_E/VqJepKWWvPI/AAAAAAAAFs0/0er6KiYvucs/s200/IMG_0441.png" width="200" /> </a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XLTfLoOs3Fw/VqJd4U_ei1I/AAAAAAAAFsk/s7j5qpJmTQk/s1600/IMG_0442.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XLTfLoOs3Fw/VqJd4U_ei1I/AAAAAAAAFsk/s7j5qpJmTQk/s200/IMG_0442.png" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ie4Qk_FVysc/VqJeRb7F3HI/AAAAAAAAFss/Q2lvasBxccM/s1600/IMG_0439.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ie4Qk_FVysc/VqJeRb7F3HI/AAAAAAAAFss/Q2lvasBxccM/s200/IMG_0439.png" width="160" /></a></div>
These old lanterns used to belong to my late Mother In Law. She also lived in a 100 plus year old house where power outages were frequent; they sat in a cabinet built by my Father In Law for their kitchen, so despite the fact that their green base no longer matches my color scheme, I wanted to keep them part of the decor.<br />
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I simply crocheted a "jacket" by starting with a single crocheted circle; after that circle was the right size to cover the bottom, I stopped doing rounds and began doing rows - increasing and decreasing rows as needed while leaving a side open to use a "string" to draw it tight and tie a bow at the back of the lantern when completed. I set the lantern on the table in front of me and continued to place the growing jacket on it to keep the fit snug. <span style="color: red;"> </span><br />
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Anyway, it was time for a fresh new outlook on life and what better way to start off a new year than with freshly painted walls and trim...especially if I was going to have to do all that mudding and sanding and mudding and sanding anyway! More photos to come. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-35702259438692804002014-04-18T12:18:00.000-04:002014-04-18T12:18:31.127-04:00 I'm back AND there was an egg in that coop!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3evRyidMpC_DVnSNLzEDX7f0k8Bg2sYkbE8WMMIOy1FyHLCF-Z9QsiJmK3mpxsI0sRAPP8PfwRkM2gzvLGkCztlfSe3b6ZPIk5hwfSMAPdvfNjtneDLrQewfmCoOV0xAieEM6PHNi3hy/s1600/Rainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3evRyidMpC_DVnSNLzEDX7f0k8Bg2sYkbE8WMMIOy1FyHLCF-Z9QsiJmK3mpxsI0sRAPP8PfwRkM2gzvLGkCztlfSe3b6ZPIk5hwfSMAPdvfNjtneDLrQewfmCoOV0xAieEM6PHNi3hy/s1600/Rainbow.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's been a few days since the last posting and since Huffy got her new coop. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmeZUsMta8_ZqQFFv4HmYOWbBxABfmUr4PnaDi_zUtE70UMi46Skcgi_soPuq7vyqg7I2vGlIg15xG64cJSjF8P0zHNDgmOB85CiEGmV69-NrXsKIyU_aycOvLMB57jHrY2uWtCtxatMb/s1600/Rainbow+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmeZUsMta8_ZqQFFv4HmYOWbBxABfmUr4PnaDi_zUtE70UMi46Skcgi_soPuq7vyqg7I2vGlIg15xG64cJSjF8P0zHNDgmOB85CiEGmV69-NrXsKIyU_aycOvLMB57jHrY2uWtCtxatMb/s1600/Rainbow+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I just got internet back.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_y4lWD8RauBBIug9KJDgK_mie7ftTNbJn4DdJ2502Fg-p8PW6f23P4rRFPhGiykL75TojBjw5qJo0wpjZdHPO7uH_VfPZQD9RKrdbpn3WkMedRAWQUvDrVy3z8HqUr8zJUsoU31V_loWY/s1600/Rainbow+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_y4lWD8RauBBIug9KJDgK_mie7ftTNbJn4DdJ2502Fg-p8PW6f23P4rRFPhGiykL75TojBjw5qJo0wpjZdHPO7uH_VfPZQD9RKrdbpn3WkMedRAWQUvDrVy3z8HqUr8zJUsoU31V_loWY/s1600/Rainbow+3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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After four days.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOjlgCnaxXof617yR3JDdQiqj4qtILExHGzHmR3TFFIKr2LkhlW1VYnnQTbkxePVFhbP4VmPvrUAS4-RkZjuq80INJEc26YWnYtE0UZgj0rhkSjxkl05pPNNIQcbI28vDC4Hw01f3-Ehw/s1600/new+coop+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOjlgCnaxXof617yR3JDdQiqj4qtILExHGzHmR3TFFIKr2LkhlW1VYnnQTbkxePVFhbP4VmPvrUAS4-RkZjuq80INJEc26YWnYtE0UZgj0rhkSjxkl05pPNNIQcbI28vDC4Hw01f3-Ehw/s1600/new+coop+5.jpg" height="300" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I lost count of how many times I went to check the weather (had to figure out which channel was the weather channel on the TV); at least a dozen times I went to go on Pinterest to gather ideas for our new landscaping (had to pull out old Southern and Country Living magazines instead); and I shot a lot of photos with my camera to share on Facebook or here and realized I couldn't send or upload them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEld8LVBPY0dM-5uTptr-Yu2XFEt-XVTRNz2wCyzKvCKkz40LBg-qgRzvpzo_Z1grxRPCkZK2TH6D1WZB3iJ3Tb6JTjG6tqE2S97RQ3mdUNunKu7JrYZLhZnCEroyU2tdR6ROLsJwV29R/s1600/New+coop+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEld8LVBPY0dM-5uTptr-Yu2XFEt-XVTRNz2wCyzKvCKkz40LBg-qgRzvpzo_Z1grxRPCkZK2TH6D1WZB3iJ3Tb6JTjG6tqE2S97RQ3mdUNunKu7JrYZLhZnCEroyU2tdR6ROLsJwV29R/s1600/New+coop+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I knew I was addicted to being connected but I really didn't realize just how much until I was forced to live my life without that connection. I have no issue while camping or cruising with being cut off from doing the things I usually do, but wow, was this an eye opener. Anyway, life went on…</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALowfJTx9wHKJK6uqDLeSarMtjHm9tsLYROry04SIddO3Nz9Gk1H9i3uDfqxZbdlk6WBBAFDpfEElNMX5x9KtSuVxcYsGl_gtsR7Cdch1Q2L6FsilFW5krUxO1LYej-dNFbu_N9mm-X9o/s1600/new+coop+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALowfJTx9wHKJK6uqDLeSarMtjHm9tsLYROry04SIddO3Nz9Gk1H9i3uDfqxZbdlk6WBBAFDpfEElNMX5x9KtSuVxcYsGl_gtsR7Cdch1Q2L6FsilFW5krUxO1LYej-dNFbu_N9mm-X9o/s1600/new+coop+3.jpg" height="320" width="297" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Huffy spent her first few nights in her new coop and finally today, I gathered my first egg from a</span></div>
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coop since the storm totally disrupted our lives. What a good feeling that was. For almost a year now, unless we knew that Huffy had just laid an egg we would find somewhere in the yard, we didn't eat it. </div>
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We know all about the "float" testing but even when we did that, we just couldn't bring ourselves to eat an egg unless we knew it was freshly laid. Don't know why we are that way, but we are. Can't fight it. Our dogs have quite beautiful coats from all the eggs they've been either finding outside or have been getting in their meals. Again, what a good feeling it was to get that egg this morning..although I'm sure the dogs will miss their eggs…<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Tomorrow night, we will be bringing home a hen from some friends of ours who are willing to share one of their girls so that Huffy will no longer be alone. I struggled with what to do about her loneliness for a very long time…with the chaos we have lived with I just couldn't make a decision until recently. </span><br />
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After doing some research about all the different ways to bring in new girls, I realized that I wasn't up for raising chicks at the moment (I've just gotten Huffy out of our mudroom and couldn't bear the thought of dealing with the mess of chicks for the next 8 weeks). </div>
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Bringing in fertilized eggs for her to brood was not a surefire way to go either since a) she might refuse to brood and we'd have to incubate them ourselves - something we are not set up to do and b) up to 50% of the clutch would likely be roosters and I don't want to deal with rehoming or culling roosters again any time soon.</div>
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Bringing in more than one hen could lead to Huffy being the low hen in the future pecking order and since she's my girl that ain't happening! Which left us two choices - allow Huffy to lead out her life as a lone chicken in that coop or bring in a single hen who would bond with her out of her own loneliness. This option will apparently allow us to build our flock later because these two would always have that bond limiting the chance that any other group of hens would pick on them (there is safety in numbers in the chicken pecking order!). </div>
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Anyway, the idea is to get through this year with just the two girls and then next year bring in some chicks and have a group of hens again…and maybe adopt a rooster. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-49413979049864021842014-04-12T10:19:00.002-04:002014-04-12T10:20:07.426-04:00Huffy Puffy Gets a Coop<div style="text-align: justify;">
Although our Little Roo, Hecky Pecky and Huffy Puffy all survived the barn coming down on top of their coop in the tornado, only Huffy remains on the "farm" today. The sole survivor of two nights of carnage by a dog someone dropped off to starve, she is starting to show signs not only that she is ready to sleep outside again but also of loneliness. </div>
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Huffy Puffy will have a coop to sleep in tonight or tomorrow. She's been sleeping in the mudroom in a puppy kennel since last June. In five years, she has never brooded but last week we discovered her brooding behind the a/c unit.</div>
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I hate to admit it but I will miss seeing her walk in the back door at 6:30 each night and go straight into the kennel where her food and water bowels waited. I will miss seeing her following the dogs and cats around the back yard getting her companionship from them. I will not however miss the daily pulling and pushing to get that puppy kennel (designed for a lab puppy so not a teeny little kennel) out the back door and down the steps and off the patio for cleaning.</div>
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Now we have to decide how to go about bringing her some companions; our choices are a) bring in little chicks to raise in the mudroom for about 6 weeks or b) ask a friend with an abundance of hens to provide us with two or three of them and go through a week or two of introduction so that they don't pick on her. </div>
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Any chicken folk out there with advice?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-46532368089835273552014-04-09T15:06:00.000-04:002014-04-09T15:07:17.955-04:00An English Garden….?<div style="text-align: justify;">
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One of my favorite memories is of being sent out to the garden that grew along the privacy fence of my English Grandparents yard to pick "new potatoes and mint" for dinner; boiled with salt and the mint, and then eaten with Salad Cream, those potatoes were something I long for even today and try every so often to recreate. </div>
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My grandparents left the narrow middle of their "yard" for sitting and planted beds along the three sides of the fencing; along with the potatoes and mint and beans, they also had flowers of every color under the sun spilling out and into the pathways. Coming from acres of land here in the US, I was always amazed at what my grandparents (and Grand Aunts and Uncles as well) could grow in their small back yard.</div>
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The new layout of our back end will leave me with a small area to landscape and garden. While I would love to recreate my grandparent's garden along the fences of my back yard, there are things that I would have to contend with that my grandparents did not. Several types of venomous snakes common to our area come to mind first, followed quickly by the fact that there is no neighbor on the other side of the fence taking time to make sure that weeds don't overtake their garden first and mine second!</div>
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So, there will be no overflowing combination veggie and flower fence gardening for me. Instead, I continue to plant flowering jasmine to cover my fences and put fern and bulbs in the beds below them. The fern grows so thick that it eventually grows on both sides of the fence choking out weeks that grow profusely in the irrigation ditches that surround us. And every now and then those bulbs will poke up and through with a beautiful amaryllis or lily….but I won't have to reach into an overgrown garden to grab a veggie or herb and worry whether a snake has taken a nap wrapped around my potato…and I'll gaze at Florida Rose Bushes that need little more care than a cutting back every other year or so.</div>
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Instead I will plant Rosemary bushes all around the Gazebo and use fast spreading border grass as a ground cover between those plants…and build a rock garden with mint that will spread out to an area where for ten years grass has failed to grow….I'll grow my tomatoes and peppers and everything else in containers that alternate with the rose bushes and bring to mind those days of veggies and flowers all growing together…</div>
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I've given nods of acknowledgement to certain things that I loved about those English gardens; I used boxwood to line part of the patio path that leads to the Gazebo and I'm thinking about putting them in the little garden area that juts off the back door of the house. It used to be used as an herb garden for old Mrs. B I believe but I've had no luck with herbs there…</div>
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Will the end result resemble the English gardens I remember from my childhood? It's doubtful, but as long I can walk out my back door and down a garden path to pick a tomato or a pepper or cut a sprig of rosemary or mint, I'll be able to remember those summers with my grandparent's….and I can be content with that!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-25373054554875558472014-04-08T09:06:00.000-04:002014-04-08T09:06:48.012-04:00Planting a Magnolia Tree….<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEK7sZfzKmKB2ksxQK3K6omP_f7x91O_AeeNCYV4a9r5Bd8iakHL0MIV-1ydP82_jbscxx9EmwMksfD9x8hP0nFCMHderWZiNBj55tYkMlBykvGUtEUUB0HxL5nSx3lQbuM8qBYe0qEx_/s1600/Magnolia+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEK7sZfzKmKB2ksxQK3K6omP_f7x91O_AeeNCYV4a9r5Bd8iakHL0MIV-1ydP82_jbscxx9EmwMksfD9x8hP0nFCMHderWZiNBj55tYkMlBykvGUtEUUB0HxL5nSx3lQbuM8qBYe0qEx_/s1600/Magnolia+.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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One of David's co-workers overheard him talking to another about how time consuming the recovery process has been; he then said "the tornado is over, get over it". You know that old saying "ignorance is bliss"? That person had not been down here to see the damage; he had never been through a tornado before…his ignorance allowed him to say that to David and allowed him to walk away afterwards without realizing that David stood there biting his tongue. </div>
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We are heading rapidly towards the one year anniversary of the storm that turned our little world upside down; although the "to do" list is a lot smaller than it used to be it is still somewhat overwhelming to us. </div>
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I've written about how the exhilaration of using the Bobcat the first time wasn't experienced the second time we rented it. That kind of let down is felt quite often around here. You see, we will spend a three day weekend really pushing through and getting an almost unbelievable amount of work done only to sit down that night or the next morning looking it all over and realize how much more there is to do. </div>
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The driveway is in - three truckloads of road grade dirt have been delivered and spread BUT, we have yet to build the front gate, the bulkhead, complete breaking up the slab, AND still have gravel rock to purchase and spread. </div>
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The shed is moved to its temporarily permanent place (I know…I know…) BUT, we still have to replace that with a new building because it is barely holding together - a tarp is covering the gaping hole in it's roof for goodness sake. </div>
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We won't be finished with all of it by May 4th. There just isn't time to get it all done. But at least we now can see the finished product taking real shape. </div>
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And, there is now a Magnolia tree standing where there used to be a Holly tree. Progress.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-53142607307460502072014-04-04T11:37:00.000-04:002014-04-04T11:37:40.944-04:00March Forward...<span style="text-align: justify;">This time last year, we were planning a wedding. Now we are still cleaning up and rebuilding after a tornado. In between, we lost my Dad and found out that our beautiful Angus Demtrius (now 10 months) has Hip Dysplasia. We've fought with our auto insurance company for seven months to get them to pay a debt to one of the contractors they hired to repair our tornado damaged vehicles. And we fought to keep the back 20 feet of our property from being "stolen" by the heirs of our Farmer Across the Street's estate. We've had rebuilding delayed time and again by things outside of our control. It has been one hell of a year.</span><br />
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Immediately after the tornado, rebuilding was something that was there in the back of our minds but recovering everything in the damaged sheds and finding temporary storage for it all was foremost. During Gazebo time (we end the evenings in our hot tub in the Gazebo ; ) we'd discuss a plan that included building a new barn in the same footprint as the old sheds and slabs and leaving fencing and landscaping pretty much the same as it was before the storm. In November, that plan was obviously not going to happen. We had run smack dab into realizing that the seemingly friendly and neighborly relationship we'd had with our Farmer's son hid a passive aggressive agenda that would rock our world for the next four months. It began almost the minute he had put both his parents into nursing homes and became the power behind that estate.<br />
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Due to the power of the Title Company who closed our purchase of this property and a few other God driven events, we won the fight over the land our well, parking area, and Gazebo all sit upon but it was not easy and it was not fun.<br />
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And so we move on with the plan to rebuild. Totally different than our original plan but one that protects our interests. We move on knowing that evil can exist behind the sweet smile of your neighbor. But that God still has the ultimate control of any situation you may find yourself in.<br />
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Marching forward….<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-73674141449253138282014-04-04T10:48:00.000-04:002014-04-04T10:48:42.192-04:00Smoother sailing ahead….<div style="text-align: justify;">
After 11 months of staring at chaos, I can finally look outside and believe that this journey through the aftermath of the tornado is nearly complete. Over the past three days, we've moved the shed a few feet forward and a few feet over; this placement is more "pleasing to the eye" than the when it was placed along the back fence line. We moved some fern to soften the hard lines of the pump house and shed. The shed will only be used until we begin to build the new structure next spring so I'm just using planters along its edges instead of any kind of permanent transplanting. The planters are filled with newly purchased flowers that will soon brighten up the view. Soon the Gazebo will have hanging plants placed….<br />
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The shed's new placement allows for the kayaks and boat to be hidden from the view of the back patio, gazebo and not be what one is staring at driving up the new driveway. The Kayaks will be hung from the back of the shed or perhaps from 6 ft fence sections that will be brought in later; the boat will actually be where the trailer is now. Three of the four sides of the fencing is now moved/repaired; this back line of fencing is the last to be replaced. We've been using the sections of the kennel temporarily as we can take it down to bring in heavy equipment. (That kennel has come in really handy as fencing as we completed work on each section of the back yard.)<br />
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We pulled up edging from the rock path that will be covered with sod and while we didn't yet get it placed to mark the edge of the new parking area, it is lying roughly where it will be placed allowing us to visualize the final result. </div>
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We'll dig up the grass from there and put it in the old pathway (not shown) and then bring in gravel rock. Extra pieces will line the boxwood gardens that line the patio (making those gardens much easier to maintain in the future).<br />
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We placed six fence post solar lights up the north boundary fence to light up the new gate and driveway.<br />
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And we liked the look of the solar lighting so much that we have decided to place them on top of every other post along the front as well to point the way to the new driveway. (The sign is placed on the ground to stop folks from driving through the wire fencing at night now that it is lit up. The gate will be built this weekend.)<br />
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More solar lighting will come in along the bulkhead when it is built and along the top edge of the culvert when we've completed breaking up the old slab and placing the pieces to help mark the edge of the culvert. The wood for the bulkhead is stacked ready to begin that build. <br />
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We can now walk out the back door and actually visualize the final result; no more staring at a design on a piece of paper and hoping that it will look good. We've had to do a lot of practicing patience and adjusting during this long road out of chaos, but finally, we are reaching the finish line (for this year anyway.)<br />
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On our way to the year anniversary of the tornado, our project to "do list" finally fits on one page; from pages of "to do" items that took up the front of the fridge to just one sheet of paper that sits on my desk…</div>
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<i>Build Gate</i></div>
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<i>Build Bulkhead</i></div>
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<i>Hang Kayaks on back of shed</i></div>
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<i>Break up slab</i></div>
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<i>Bring in gravel rock for parking area</i></div>
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<i>Complete transplanting, fencing and lighting</i></div>
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<i>Go fishing and kayaking again!</i><br />
<i>Go On Cruise!</i></div>
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Can't wait to cross off that last one! Half Moon Cay, here we come!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-64947256228638155482014-04-02T07:03:00.000-04:002014-04-02T07:04:50.740-04:00Praying for your enemies….<div style="text-align: justify;">
It seems like our extended family has had to deal with it's share of sad, evil spirited people lately. From the passive aggressive behavior of our neighbor's son to my sister's tenant who admitted his passion for engaging in electronic harassment had taken him too far this time as we observed his eviction from his home, we've had our fill of people who need to get a life and stop messing around with the lives of others.</div>
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What is it about these folks? What is missing in their lives that they seem to find joy in exerting some kind of power over others? Why is it that in order to get them to back the heck off, it takes bringing in the attorneys? </div>
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I know they lack empathy and compassion. I know they must be very lonely and sad people. They walk the very edge of legality in their actions and their words and only those who also understand the law can wrest the power back and send them packing. </div>
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I also know they need to find Faith. I know that there is a huge hole in their spirit that can only be filled with God. I know that now I must find a way to pray that they find that in their lives. We won. They have both been dealt with…now, we must be gracious in the victory that we have seen. But boy. Praying for your enemies in not an easy thing to do…..</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-33449638080516367382014-03-30T16:04:00.000-04:002014-03-30T16:04:59.332-04:00Moving forward...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxDlgmDb289yxLYUFUhLVXB-ZwB7qKXg35t2U2FORdpnCmRzL8FYQWkxAa9bImrGv2k8TEr4_tT82aPQsNgg2Gn4bCKvxNrMIDXadFEPu2CQYT3nKgiHdAcGA3p9us_2CaEET5KTq27C5/s1600/Bobcat+and+Azaleas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxDlgmDb289yxLYUFUhLVXB-ZwB7qKXg35t2U2FORdpnCmRzL8FYQWkxAa9bImrGv2k8TEr4_tT82aPQsNgg2Gn4bCKvxNrMIDXadFEPu2CQYT3nKgiHdAcGA3p9us_2CaEET5KTq27C5/s1600/Bobcat+and+Azaleas.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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The view from the front porch and from the road has changed as well. In order to put in the new driveway and gate, we needed to move what we thought were six ancient azaleas that somehow managed to survive the storm. When we got down to the business of moving them, we found that instead of f six azaleas there were actually eleven of them. </div>
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In this photo from a few years ago, you can see the old azaleas forming a corner of our yard with our fencing running inside the boundary lines about five feet along the front and along the side. To accommodate the driveway, we moved the fence along the north side of the property out to the boundary line and moved all but two of those azaleas along the front. Here's another view of the bushes in bloom….from the road looking in. The pink one began the formation of the corner you see in the first photo.</div>
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And here is the new view; they are just now losing their bloom for this year; we didn't think they would bloom after just being transplanted but bloom they did. </div>
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And a slightly different angle….</div>
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The rock runs right up along where the old fence ran; the rock is from the 20 foot slab that was destroyed in the tornado. We are still breaking that old thing up and using the rock to secure both the new culvert and an old one along the front that diverts water during tropical storms. </div>
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Today Hunter and I have been planting more jasmine in front of each fence post and transplanting fern to run in between each post.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Eventually, that fence line will look like this one on the other side of the property…</span></div>
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Another view of the new driveway and the stone that lines the first part of the entrance. We cut away a few feet of the extra large drain field and David will start building a bulk head there this week. The wood will be painted white to match the stone and the fence posts…. The two small trees you can just barely see the other side of the pecan are the Lemon and Cumquat trees that used to be in front of our back fence hiding the old parking area. We are hoping they survive the transplant because they both took a real beating in the tornado when the ancient pecan fell right on top of them. The lemon tree was accidentally cut down almost to the ground while we chainsawed our way out of the yard. It has a lot of new growth on it so we have our fingers crossed.</div>
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Although Friday night was bit depressing sitting on the back patio looking at a sea of various shades of brown; taking the time today to look at each section of what we have so far accomplished and focusing on moving forward, I find I can visualize the day when once again, our place is an oasis for our spirits.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-25493109466058047782014-03-30T14:17:00.000-04:002014-03-30T15:21:35.856-04:00Our View…boy has it changed.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9C9B9-r5gPgTo-Nq1TMywynyWgACR3MuGJOyLn9VFl20FWTC1-8zUEIGV1KDFSKz5EflNFwedk2XLoQQ9QuLXUC0s91Qd_eI0oQihE87auKitUl2XyslzDX77Gik_Em9tJxOnDmFLnUq/s1600/View+May+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9C9B9-r5gPgTo-Nq1TMywynyWgACR3MuGJOyLn9VFl20FWTC1-8zUEIGV1KDFSKz5EflNFwedk2XLoQQ9QuLXUC0s91Qd_eI0oQihE87auKitUl2XyslzDX77Gik_Em9tJxOnDmFLnUq/s1600/View+May+2013.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was our view last May about three days before the tornado hit us. You can see the two ancient pecans that were destroyed in the storm and the backdrop that was the 100 year old barn. You barely notice the cars parked because of the fence that ran between the old wooden shed (destroyed) and the gate just the other side of the pump house (destroyed); the fence was covered in Confederate Jasmine and had a lemon tree, a cumquat tree and a large rose bush on the yard side. You can barely see the chicken coop sitting just in front of the old barn and between the two sheds.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwznWaW6feJCDYvF51Hz8ibzkNI6QazX_a7CdsvAHQTkvlKXwYNk4wx1XmDU3yWGZd81UKRCDoaGtCOnx3Tm3RURKj3EDf1-rW1vCG6Qs0Tq80qlztBqrjQXFAJh8iQByEVGYGfzbW1t5/s1600/View+Two+May+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwznWaW6feJCDYvF51Hz8ibzkNI6QazX_a7CdsvAHQTkvlKXwYNk4wx1XmDU3yWGZd81UKRCDoaGtCOnx3Tm3RURKj3EDf1-rW1vCG6Qs0Tq80qlztBqrjQXFAJh8iQByEVGYGfzbW1t5/s1600/View+Two+May+2013.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was our view (taken the same day) looking from the barn to the house. All of this was changed in a storm that barely lasted 4 minutes but has taken us 11 months so far to even begin to set it all right again. The next photo was taken the day after the tornado and after we'd spent about 8 hours with chainsaws cutting our way from the back porch to the barn.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dNh5rTF87ELukfuzHDwVQN_sH2lz5Sy8XC2sgHqXKJ8FYL_IcVXiYrmbQ_Su7tjR3hIowiw2LKj7o0SlMqOKI-nDXt-RnmH49T3hitxrzydx2KVyS8NRT7BODG0lKJCSZhB0sLlnq5B6/s1600/May+5th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dNh5rTF87ELukfuzHDwVQN_sH2lz5Sy8XC2sgHqXKJ8FYL_IcVXiYrmbQ_Su7tjR3hIowiw2LKj7o0SlMqOKI-nDXt-RnmH49T3hitxrzydx2KVyS8NRT7BODG0lKJCSZhB0sLlnq5B6/s1600/May+5th.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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And the next one is what we've been staring at for the last four months.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYePXJAKjzU2Qrmvmq-iIh6CCAso1L9VZ0SqE4P3J5Z9pbd7qpdZuBgC1qlUR2TgwEcENACLUMcYT1hbhcKp_5l3C7uBQO24WNxuejRChMeH_ISYUmBWKSLgCEulDmuDPOe_y_AhJebE7C/s1600/New+View+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYePXJAKjzU2Qrmvmq-iIh6CCAso1L9VZ0SqE4P3J5Z9pbd7qpdZuBgC1qlUR2TgwEcENACLUMcYT1hbhcKp_5l3C7uBQO24WNxuejRChMeH_ISYUmBWKSLgCEulDmuDPOe_y_AhJebE7C/s1600/New+View+2.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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A slightly different angle…shot just after we'd spent our first day on a Bobcat moving dirt and rock and the shed. Note all the junk on the slab behind the fence is NOT ours. That constitutes the remaining contents of the old barn that has been there since September without him doing much of anything except walk around with his hands on his hips. WE cleaned up all the trash debris from over there in November - glass, wood, broken pottery, and bits and pieces of barn wood. </div>
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And this is the view we saw after another day on the Bobcat……at least the Barn Junk is out of sight for the most part….<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILmOPexIMhrmjZDJKE-hVi9jfgYvAG4n0x8_QXbV7W1RC64J_o9xkMTd2_aQLXggfYbDe1H0ndy7PVDH-KBl1uktXQZxHl2ROt8lwi1UymDDIoO4dEY7dpjf0Evw-QWEl1k5r6i8zptNP/s1600/Today's+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILmOPexIMhrmjZDJKE-hVi9jfgYvAG4n0x8_QXbV7W1RC64J_o9xkMTd2_aQLXggfYbDe1H0ndy7PVDH-KBl1uktXQZxHl2ROt8lwi1UymDDIoO4dEY7dpjf0Evw-QWEl1k5r6i8zptNP/s1600/Today's+view.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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But this is what had us slightly depressed after spending the day moving dirt to form what will eventually be our new driveway and parking area….and had us doing a bit of re-thinking about the layout of it. There is yet another boat to come in the fence plus three vehicles. There just isn't room the way we have it now. Something that looked big enough and "should" have worked according to measurements just won't work after all…plus, I have to say that I don't want to be looking at boats and kayaks from my back patio.</div>
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So we walked around and did some more measuring and decided that we'll move the old metal shed (that is only temporary until the new barn/garage is built next spring) forward to line up with the front of the pump house. This will allow us to hang the kayaks on the back of the shed and park the fishing boat behind the shed hiding them from any view but from the back driveway and allow room for two of the vehicles to pull in right beside the RV. The third vehicle will park behind the RV. </div>
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I immediately knew that for me it was the lack of trees and other landscaping that was bothering me the most…although it is not really noticeable in the photo, it is a sea of various shades of brown. The grass has been so trampled and damaged from all the reconstruction that it is mostly weeds right now. Removing one of the paths (the one that sort of leads to the shed but used to lead to our back gate) and replanting grass there will be a big help. Moving my stone planters in front of the shed to hide the bottom of it will be a temporary solution to looking under the shed while sitting on the patio. And finally, once the rock is brought in to mark the parking area, adding a black edging and planting a foundation row of boxwoods or something will break up that "sea of various shades of brown". </div>
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You also can't see in the photo, but we've already planted Confederate jasmine on the new fence just the other side of the RV and down the new driveway. Once that takes off, that will provide a back drop and again draw the eye away from the "sea of …" …you've got it.</div>
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And if the Farmer's son ever gets all his junk out of here….</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-74190588764741524782014-03-29T14:29:00.000-04:002014-03-29T14:29:11.358-04:00Moving Dirt…again<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thursday night, three trucks full of road base dirt arrived for the driveway so we headed to town to rent the Bobcat for spreading it all out and to finish getting dirt and rock moved from our old parking areas to the new. Three hours of working Thursday night (thanks to Daylight Savings Time!) and 8 hours on friday only to find that we could actually have used another load. </div>
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Despite the upbeat nature of the video (making videos of the past 11 months have been therapeutic for me), the end of the day was actually a little bit of a downer. After returning the Bobcat, we headed out to the back patio before dinner; I don't think either of us was prepared for the let down we would feel. After our last "Bobcat Adventure", we were so exhilarated by the amount of work we'd accomplished I think we were partially blinded to the remaining chaos of our back yard. I think both of us felt that that chaos would be less noticeable after the driveway had had it's base put down and we began to move the boats, RV and vehicles into their new parking areas. </div>
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More than though; we've learned through the past 11 months to live without the old barn that was so much a part of our home; we no longer feel its loss so quite so badly each time we walk out the back door. But, sitting down last night and looking in that direction once again brought it home how much the tornado changed our view and our landscaping. Along with the beautiful old barn there were two ancient pecans; a fence lined with Confederate Jasmine, citrus trees and a large rose bush not to mention yards of green grass; all of these have been destroyed or moved in the rebuilding. What we see is a path of brown strewn with the debris of constant construction. </div>
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It is temporary. We know that in our minds but every now and then, when exhaustion from looking at chaos and the hard work of getting it all done hits us hard, we are overwhelmed with sadness at what once was and will never be again.<br />
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After dinner, we headed back outside to walk around and discuss our next steps….let's just say for now that the old shed will be moving…again. This time though just a shift of a couple of feet will do the trick….</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-35307001392544390132014-03-27T09:15:00.000-04:002014-04-04T11:37:27.399-04:00Legal Issues Over…Work begins again!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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After months of being unable to move forward with our rebuilding, the day finally arrived when all the legal issues were settled. We were ready for a big push to get things moving…..We hauled rock and dirt from the former RV parking spot and filled in holes left from removed trees. We moved Confederate Jasmine and fences and azaleas to accommodate the new front gate and driveway... But some of the jobs were just too much without some heavy equipment….<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-59958457301323837822014-02-25T09:38:00.003-05:002014-02-25T09:38:36.978-05:00Being Graceful <i>A few months ago, I posted this...</i><br />
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<i>I have a love-hate relationship with those old boots; they are heavy and awkward and there is absolutely no way to walk gracefully in them....but I get a kick out of the farm workers as they drive by and point at them and give me a thumbs up! I don't think they see too many women weed whacking and carrying wood to the fire pit wearing steel toed boots! </i></div>
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<i>I hope those heavy awkward boots will soon be put away in the closet again; I plan on getting a good pair of cowboy boots to replace them...that is what most of the folks out here wear to do their chores...I'll be able to do the hard work that this place requires and still walk with a bit of gracefulness!</i></div>
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<i>Then, I found a new blog. The topic for that day was "What is Feminine?" - not Feminist, Feminine. And that there was a debate about whether or not one could be both! I learned that apparently there is a lot of debate going on with what has been termed "the third wave of Feminism". I wrote this post then but our life went just a bit crazy for a while and I never published it…..but for what it is worth…I'm publishing it today….</i></div>
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I say GOOD. </div>
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We all know the "first wave"; so let's talk a bit about the "second wave"; it began in the 1960's with "free love" and "free drugs" and that whole hippy movement. I was born in the decade and can remember watching the news reports as it swept the nation; as I entered my teens in the 1970's, I knew it as "The Women's Liberation Movement". And in my own opinion, that is the decade it really began to change things..that was the decade that I realized that the things I wanted in my life were possible for me in a way never felt by my Mother's generation yet, I also began to feel that some of those things were looked down upon by other women. </div>
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The 1960's had the Flower Children where feminine qualities were seen by both men and women. The 1970's saw women hurling insults at feminine things. They were burning those bras. They weren't shaving their legs and their armpits. There were a lot of good things won by women in this time, but something else was lost. Respect for other women who choose to live their life by traditional standards and respect for women who embraced their femininity.</div>
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My generation entered the work force right as 1980 was ushered in. We were becoming the beneficiaries of the battles those women had fought. We entered jobs with equal pay for the most part (and if we didn't there was the Wage and Labor Board to report our boss to). Our boyfriends, fiancés and husbands were aware that we most likely would work through our marriage rather than be the traditional stay at home wife and mother. We benefited from licensed, commercial daycares rather than just organized pre-schools or babysitters. The world was ours for the taking and many of us were ready to take.</div>
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And so we entered the brave new world where women were beginning to break the "glass ceiling" and our men were beginning to share the household and parental duties that typically had fallen on us. Some of us were lucky enough to earn enough to have a Nanny come in to care for our children and keep the household running. Many of us weren't.</div>
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And something began to happen. Some of us realized that we didn't want to leave our children in the hands of others for 50 hours a week. We started to stay home with our children; we starting having dinner on the table when our husbands came in from earning the household money. We filled our time volunteering at the schools and churches and doing traditional crafts (gasp!). And we dealt with the attitude of those women who "chose" differently than we did. </div>
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In my thirties I had a neighbor who became a very good friend. But before that happened, we had to deal with her belief in a stereotype that had evolved about we who chose to stay at home. She was shocked that I was politically aware. She was shocked that I continued to educate myself on any and every subject that interested me. She was shocked that I'd been college educated. </div>
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I remember her slow "evolution" from a Feminist who thought anyone who stayed at home was unintelligent or lazy; I remember the day that she drove home from her job to eat lunch and she was followed by another woman who was riding her bumper and swinging her hands in the air and yelling at my friend. My friend was doing the speed limit but this wasn't fast enough for that woman...so my friend pulled over to let her pass and then followed her. When the woman stopped in her driveway, my friend asked her what her problem was...only to be told that "you stay at home women have all the time in the world; I WORK and only have thirty minutes blah blah blah". My friend said a lightbulb went on in her head and then, she quietly informed the woman that she too was on her way home from work for a quick lunch and that now, both of them had even less time!</div>
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This came after my friend had once said basically the same thing to me only it was in reference to parent teacher conferences. She was angry that she had to take time off of work to attend them and said that it was because "stay at home mom's are running the schools". I quietly asked her how she thought that was the case when it was the school board who set the hours that children would attend school and it was the teachers - the majority of whom were WORKING WOMEN - who set the times that they would be available for conferences. I asked her if she thought that those teachers who usually left work at around 3 p.m. should come back to the school at the 7 p.m. time that my friend thought conferences should be held. </div>
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The point is that Feminism which should have united women began to divide us. The freedom to choose whether to be career oriented or be family oriented or a combination of both had caused conflict between us. </div>
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So I'm pretty glad that this generation of women are talking about things like being a Feminist and being "feminine". That it is okay to not emasculate our men in order to make us feel better about ourselves. That a feminine woman who loves to dress like a lady and take care of her family in the traditional ways of our mothers and grandmothers is not worth less than a woman who chooses to make her own way in this world cutting through barriers to achieve that brass ring. And that they too can be feminine as they seek that ring. </div>
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I'd like to see this conversation progress to a point where women like Sarah Palin are defended by ALL women regardless of their politics when they are attacked about their looks or their choices. I'd like to see a stop to the belief that the darts thrown at the women of Fox News for their ability to tackle the politics and news of today while looking beautiful is okay because of their political choices....the comments about dying their hair blonde to get hired are divisive....and hypocritical. Seen the early pictures of Hillary Clinton? She went blonde and got contacts to help her HUSBAND's political career.....</div>
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I'd like for those women to respect my ability to understand that I am a better person staying at home and caring for my family than I was when I tried to make sure that my boss was happy, my husband was happy, and my children were happy....everyone was happy except for...you guessed it, me! And respect the fact that that understanding of ME led to me exercising the <i>choice</i> that was made possible for me by the Feminists who came before me.... </div>
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I have total respect for women who can "do it all" and do it all well. I was and am not one of them. One of my best friends didn't even make it past her 6 week maternity leave before heading back to work. Staying home was making her crazy...she loved her infant daughter but knew that she would be a better parent and a happier wife the minute she was able to go back to work. I spent my first maternity leave dreading every minute that brought me closer to returning to work and leaving my infant daughter for 9 hours a day. I returned to work after that 6 week maternity leave and lasted precisely 3 months before I gave my resignation and found a way to stay home. I embraced everything there was about staying home while she embraced everything there was about being an accomplished working mother and wife. We are still friends more than 30 years later...we walked different paths supporting each other's choices.</div>
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That should be the next wave of Feminism. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-5918637058732204732013-09-10T09:35:00.003-04:002013-09-10T09:35:44.044-04:00Steel Toed Boots....<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red;"> Why I need those boots...hundreds of rusty nails!</span></span></td></tr>
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I got a pair of steel toed boots about 8 years ago primarily because we spent a lot of time traipsing through the woods in South Carolina looking for old property boundaries and family burial grounds. </div>
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There were times when we had to cut our way through the trees and vines and times when we would see a slithering snake getting out of our way. Those boots gave me a sense of security that was needed.</div>
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I've used them around this old farmhouse land a few times in the past nine years, but most of the time they stayed in the box they came in tucked away in the guest room closet. </div>
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They're sitting in the mud room right now and being used almost every day because in the past two weeks both David and I have stepped on nails as we continue to clean up the debris of our outbuildings in preparation for the rebuilding. Despite our dragging the grounds with magnets and de-nailing most of the lumber and carefully placing those boards that might take a bit more effort or have a hand made nail in them that we want to save, nails got us. For me, it meant a trip to the Doctor for a tetanus booster and soaking my foot four times each day...that was one rusty old nail that got me. David's was a "clean" nail that was not too many years in use prior to the tornado; and he's had a booster since we moved here.....</div>
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I have a love-hate relationship with those old boots; they are heavy and awkward and there is absolutely no way to walk gracefully in them....but I get a kick out of the farm workers as they drive by and point at them and give me a thumbs up! I don't think they see too many women weed whacking and carrying wood to the fire pit wearing steel toed boots! </div>
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I hope those heavy awkward boots will soon be put away in the closet again; I plan on getting a good pair of cowboy boots to replace them...that is what most of the folks out here wear to do their chores...I'll be able to do the hard work that this place requires and still walk with a bit of gracefulness!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-74404986799799088572013-08-11T14:36:00.000-04:002013-08-11T14:52:57.335-04:00Training Angus....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Angus is now 15 weeks. It's hard to believe how fast he's not only grown, but how quickly these 7 weeks have gone by. From the timid 10 week old who only went in water if one of us was in the pool - whether large or small - to this little water baby who is pawing at his pool when it is empty begging for it to be filled.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-35954892700797056262013-08-06T09:37:00.001-04:002013-08-06T10:19:22.203-04:00Driving Solo.......<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Today was the day. He drove down that driveway all by himself and then made the trip through town to his high school. I'd both looked forward to and dreaded this day. I offered to drive him one more time. He said "not needed, Mom"; I offered to follow him in the truck "just in case". He replied "not needed Mom...but you can if you want to". Of course, I didn't follow him....even though I wanted to....Instead, I filmed this big day in the life of our youngest and then went inside and spent the 30 minutes it took for him to get to his destination working on this...........</div>
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Made that 30 minutes fly by......</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-72980832858052913292013-08-05T11:26:00.001-04:002013-08-05T11:47:57.610-04:00It's Official - The Growing Up phase is almost over.... <div style="text-align: justify;">
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My family has a "tradition" it seems. Most of the women have a couple of kids in their 20's and then sometime around the age of 35, they add in a third one. Although the age of the mother's might be a bit different, the age difference between the children tends to always be 9 years. My mom was 9 years younger than her brother, my sister is 9 years younger than our youngest brother (who was a 3rd child) and Hunter is 9 years younger than Dallas. As a genealogist, I found that this "tradition" goes back generations - and not just on my maternal side. My paternal side has a history of this as well.<br />
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There are a lot of good things to be said about this "tradition"; older parents have more patience, more experience, and more money. Any parenting issues have usually been worked out already in the older children; take for example the fact that our Nikki got a bath every single night. The very thought of her going to bed without one was horrifying! By the time Dallas was born, it was not quite such a horrible thought to bear if I considered skipping one every so often. Nine years later, Hunter got his feet, hands and face washed and a clean pair of underwear and we were good to go on the occasional busy evening. <br />
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Or, consider the fact that most first time parents read every book they can and NEVER want to even consider the thought that their pediatrician might not always have the right advice. With Nikki, we dealt with an underarm rash during her toddler years that would not go away despite several prescriptions of something or another from her doctor. Older women in my life kept telling me it was probably the apple juice but her doctor kept poo pooing that as an "old wives tale". Finally, when her rash was so bad it was leaving scars, I took her off of apple juice and walah! No more rash. When Dallas came along, I took the doctors advice AND listened to the poo pooed "old wives tales" as well. A particularly bad case of teething got him a bit of whiskey poured on a cloth diaper and rubbed on his gums...out the boy went for a good nights sleep! Again, with Hunter, I ended up on a formula that my doctor wouldn't "recommend" when he had digestive issues that made both of us miserable. Within four days, all digestive issues disappeared and I recommended that formula to everyone whose baby suffered the same issues (when they weren't first time parents who thought anything their doctor said was gospel :)<br />
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So, parenting Hunter was a lot different than parenting the older two; I was more experienced and wiser in my choices because I had a greater understanding of the pendulum that swings continually as the so-called experts switch back and forth on their theories of child rearing (many of whom are academics floating out Utopian theories of how they want things to be!) I slowed down and enjoyed every single minute of parenting him because I knew how quickly the time would come when he would flee the nest.<br />
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This more laid back form of parenting worked well with his personality. His siblings called him the "self raising child" because David and I only needed to offer gentle guidance to him through the years. He did his homework without having to be told to do so; he kept his room decently clean and organized without having to be constantly told to; he chose friends slowly and carefully making sure their habits and values were similar to his. <br />
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At 17, he and his girlfriend still are totally okay with hanging out here or at her house and with only dating in group settings. There is never a word of complaint that both households still have the same rules that applied when they began dating two years ago. Hunter was in no hurry to get his driver's license and seemed to enjoy that hour we spent every school day together in a car with no distractions to stop us from checking in to each other's life and thoughts and worries and goals and....<br />
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He got that drivers license this morning. And he registered to vote. And he checked the organ donor box on the form. Afterwards, I dropped him off at the high school for a day of Marching Band Camp. And as I pulled out of the parking lot, it hit me. It's here. He's about to start his senior year of high school; he'll be driving himself every day. The final phase of that proverbial cutting of the apron string is upon me. Because when he flies the nest, it will be completely empty!<br />
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Not sure how I feel about this.......<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-32629828960349699192013-08-03T09:52:00.000-04:002013-08-03T09:54:00.352-04:00The Barn: Saying Goodbye <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday, our Farmer's son pulled down the remains of the old barn. He'd salvaged as much as he could of what had been stored inside it for nearly 100 years. It's been a slow process for him as he dealt with his job, putting both of his parents into nursing homes in the last three months along with the rains and the heat and bugs of a Florida summer.</div>
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If David was home while work on the barn was being done, he would spend a lot of time just listening to Douglas as he talked about his memories of that old barn. How Mr. B showed him how to garden and to work on farm equipment; how he was dared by Mr. B's daughter to ride his bike out the hay loft and onto the ground below, how his Dad and his brother and a couple of others used tractors to pull it back up after Hurricane Dora in the 1960's. </div>
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There are things we can't get to working on ourselves until that old barn is completely hauled off. We can't have our concrete slab hauled off nor can we get the old metal shed pulled out. There is a pecan tree on our property that is now leaning so far over with compromised roots that we have a tree guy coming on September 17th to take it down...but David empathized with Douglas and practiced patience as he waited and listened to the recounting of memories as he worked through his emotions. We all went through that Tornado and its aftermath, but Douglas's journey is different than ours. He has a lifetime of memories tied up with that old barn and the house he grew up in across the street from us; a house that no longer has both his parents there with him. He is hauling away bits of his childhood.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-68930891987832828712013-08-01T08:00:00.000-04:002013-08-01T08:00:01.410-04:00It's that time again...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOOawHSN2308-VNUU2ocYJpWHx-J2j0BOcF8yMpAJseSHDjbRU3t8P40Mak77RN-Px5MpDKaLZXDWZRnaOtS4SpPMiBxdFMWY6VTE1P1EHWXunbdw5bMbawG0W4_3iwl_O1PaL2l20hES/s1600/Road+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOOawHSN2308-VNUU2ocYJpWHx-J2j0BOcF8yMpAJseSHDjbRU3t8P40Mak77RN-Px5MpDKaLZXDWZRnaOtS4SpPMiBxdFMWY6VTE1P1EHWXunbdw5bMbawG0W4_3iwl_O1PaL2l20hES/s320/Road+shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Harvesting. </div>
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I always have mixed emotions when the farmers harvest the fields around us. In the spring, I look forward to it while at the same time I know that the house will be filthy inside and out for a few weeks between the harvest and the re-planting. I know that when they re-plant, I'll soon have a six foot high privacy fence and I know that soon Hunter will be home for the summer.</div>
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Last spring, the farmers planted corn instead of the usual cover crop. Some of it is feed corn and some of it we believe is for ethanol. These farmers are all struggling to keep their farms going in this economy; a lot of them had switched to sod farming prior to the recession but with the housing market going south, they soon had to change direction. Today, they have been harvesting that corn.</div>
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I know that the harvesting means that I lose my natural privacy fence and will once again have to deal with the dirt for awhile and that soon, Hunter will be returning to school. But, I also know that it means that before too long, those potatoes will be planted and a sea of white flowers will be our view; and that the holiday season is coming!</div>
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We don't just deal with the dirt when the fields are harvested; snakes and other critters race out from the danger of the tractors to the safety of our yard. We will have to mow and weed whack more frequently for a few weeks to avoid those snakes deciding to take up residence in our hedges.</div>
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It's all a part of living out here. And I wouldn't trade it for subdivision living for any amount of money!<br />
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This is the first time Angus is experiencing the noise of several tractors harvesting all around our house. </div>
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He's been running around the fences keeping an eye on all of the activity. Can't wait to see him in the fall when they send out the Crop Duster's!</div>
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Fall 2012 - Crop Duster</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">What I couldn't get on film was the plane coming down on the other side of the house. He flew up from the other side of the barn, over our house, and down just the other side of our driveway....it's crazy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tidbit: Most of the tree cover you see in this is gone now. Those are the trees that came down in the Tornado. I should get some good video of it this year!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-70020211251891189192013-07-31T08:00:00.000-04:002013-07-31T08:00:06.580-04:00About that Movie!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yesterday I mentioned that our Farmhouse had been chosen by a producer and director to be used in a movie. </div>
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We moved out here to live a slower life. And so we'd hardly ever have to deal with a traffic jam. Let me just say that this ideal that we'd built up in our minds of moving to the country where acres separate us from neighbors and where the only people we have to see are those we want to see (excepting those occasional visits from various contractors/repairmen!) gets a laugh from David and me now. </div>
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The very first year we were here, John Travolta filmed part of the movie "Lonely Hearts" in the abandoned farmhouse across the tater fields from us. This required various detours of the roads leading to our house...which translated into we could leave our house using one road in the morning only to have to drive another to get home. We'd have to show ID sometimes to get to our house. While it was exciting (and I will admit to using the zoom lens on my camera to gaze at the lovely Travolta during the filming - Counting those blessings! :) it also rather quickly became a situation that could make your head explode. Especially if you'd moved here to avoid traffic and people and noise.</div>
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The second year we were here, <a href="http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/030305/met_18116139.shtml" target="_blank">Extreme Makeover Home Edition </a>chose the family of Hunter's third grade classmate for their show. The house was just behind their school. I'm sure you realize already that this meant traffic detours...where you'd go to the school to drop off your kid using one road only to come back to have to use another...and where you sometimes had to show ID to get to the school to pick up your kid! But, Hunter got to be a part of something very few ever will be blessed to experience. (The kids participated in "Tear down that house" and "Move that bus" and got to take time out of class to watch the process - Counting those blessing! :)</div>
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The years in between were filled with lots of things that made it hard to feel as if life had slowed down out here and then there was another filming! Over Christmas holiday, two young men walked up our driveway and spoke first to Dallas. They explained who they were and what they would like to do. David and I spoke with them, got the details on just what the movie would be about and said "sure"! </div>
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Now, we didn't get a lot of money from allowing them to use our home for two scenes in the movie; that's the first thing that folks ask. This is an Indi film by a young man who built himself a very good reputation in the short film genre; this would be his first full length movie. Basically, we broke even since they ended up borrowing quite a few things that we needed to replace afterwards...let's just say we did this for the experience!</div>
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And, the second question always is..."will you do it again if asked?". That's a hard one. Letting movie folk come into your home and your neighborhood (even if it's a neighborhood with acres and acres between the houses) is kind of like letting your world be turned upside down. And could be one of those things that make you feel like your head might explode~</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-41525944487009296232013-07-30T06:33:00.001-04:002013-08-03T11:54:55.418-04:00Floridians love their AC more than their spouses!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94hiF2RgNyn6ASMKGs_lshHM3_JxoMLaQmdYbL4CF54GMXhXVQdC1s3vI3TvmXK8CPZlhhjrEaWdpQ9H9Qo1ol6wUu4DI4Or1XCevedTL20DkWUY_NGitu_L9GuHkFlzfyI4LEUSQ2uTM/s1600/IMG_1161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94hiF2RgNyn6ASMKGs_lshHM3_JxoMLaQmdYbL4CF54GMXhXVQdC1s3vI3TvmXK8CPZlhhjrEaWdpQ9H9Qo1ol6wUu4DI4Or1XCevedTL20DkWUY_NGitu_L9GuHkFlzfyI4LEUSQ2uTM/s640/IMG_1161.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, this has been one of those years. You might know the type. Its the kind where every single good thing that happens is balanced by a bad one? I'm talking about the kind of things that totally upend your world for a while. Its the type of year where you have to keep on counting those blessings to stop yourself from having your head explode! Things like oh, your house gets chosen to be used in a movie...then you get a tornado! Your daughter gets engaged and the wedding is at your house...where you had that tornado 14 days before the wedding day! A year with things like that happening! How many more months are left in 2013? Just sayin'! Anyway......</div>
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It was David's weekend off so there were plans to get a lot of work done. My sister was in town and we were having her and her kids and Mom for lunch. Saturday morning started out really well; David and I got a few things done directly after morning coffee and then split off to do the individual thing...he went outside to finish up the Pump House (or Well House as I'm apt to call it!) while I vacuumed up dog and cat hair and dusted and all those other housewifely things you do when company is coming.</div>
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It's summertime so a lunch get together has to have potato salad. So about 1 p.m. I got those taters peeled and boiling. And had a hot flash. Or so I thought. I went to the AC thermostat and turned it down a degree...went back to the kitchen to start the next dish....still having that hot flash. Went back to the thermostat and turned on the Fan...went back to the kitchen and back to work preparing for lunch. About an hour later, my family walks in the kitchen...someone said something about the temperature of my kitchen. Back to the thermostat I go....to see that it reads way hotter than the setting and that that fan I turned on wasn't on!</div>
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To make a long story short; we call our AC company to come see what is up with our <b>3 year old </b>system. </div>
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Its the Fan. </div>
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A GE product. </div>
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And GE and the AC company KNEW it was going to go out. </div>
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Because they are all - one by one by one - going out on all the systems that contain that product. </div>
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Did we get a recall notice like you do for your vehicle? Nope. They just wait for your system to fail to tell you that they are going to replace it for "free" right before they tell you how many hundreds of dollars it will cost to get that "free" fan!</div>
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Have they known for years that this fan was defective? Yep. </div>
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Did ours go out on one of the hottest days of the summer here in Florida? You betcha. Along with two others that our neighbors (well, they share our county) had put it in within the last few years! <i>(Our AC guy thought it would be helpful to let us that we were his THIRD call this weekend for the EXACT same issue with new systems they'd put in!)</i></div>
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Could they fix it there and then? Oh, no way! They have to order the part and wait for it to be shipped to them and then we have to wait for them to come out and pull out the defective fan and put in the new one.....In Four Days. Maybe. But they sure needed that several hundred dollar check right then and there didn't they?</div>
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Lucky my head didn't explode!</div>
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Anyway, we did what any Floridian without AC does in the dog days of summer. We headed for water! And did some Angus training to boot!</div>
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Like I said....counting my blessings! And waiting for the AC guy to call and tell me he'll be here with the fan this afternoon........</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564125628722185445.post-72837786153160714542013-07-27T08:00:00.000-04:002013-08-03T11:55:17.403-04:00Photography...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My Christmas gift this year was a new camera! Since moving to Mac, I'd been videoing and photographing non-stop. What I'd wanted to be able to do when the children were small - film, edit and then actually watch the results, I was able to do. I'd video and then race to the laptop with the SD card and get it all into iMovie and go to town editing and adding music and photographs. Camping trips and cruises and family get togethers were all making their way onto our T.V.!</div>
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There was one issue though. My old camera didn't do HD videoing; in fact, it didn't video very well at all. Normal movement of subjects - even in Sport mode - left a "vapor" trail. Moving the camera during filming had to be done very slowly or you received the same result.</div>
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So, David bought me a new camera! In addition to HD filming, it takes really beautiful stills as well. I'm still learning how to use all of its functions to their best capability. Dallas was home last week and he sat and played with it and helped me to move forward in that regard....the best thing he showed me? That there is a "continuous shutter" function.</div>
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Trying to get a good photograph of a Black Lab is difficult. Without the correct lighting, whatever photo is taken shows a completely black spot where their eyes and other facial features should be. Profile shots are not too difficult to get, but a full frontal shot? Nearly impossible without a really good camera and the best lighting. In the past, we'd hired a photographer to get photos of our Black boys so that we'd have some good shots of them.</div>
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With our new little Black boy, even with my new camera, getting good photos was not easy. But yesterday, I sat outside on our drain field as Angus explored the yard and played with Callie. Using the continuous shutter trick, I was able to get quite a few good shots of him....here's my favorite...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip05p-wypZnS1rFWCy4zb5ZuebMkYKH59y_hzVhry7gkp8QbzzxunVYzfhTCK7z84Dx-nCFJ9_Xy8pZ4nUHOicegeZDvoNMGHcoPZJkc-l6v0L-i6RT6Qnw8WWiIRZtWlfcgExTG4TdCUw/s1600/IMG_1974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip05p-wypZnS1rFWCy4zb5ZuebMkYKH59y_hzVhry7gkp8QbzzxunVYzfhTCK7z84Dx-nCFJ9_Xy8pZ4nUHOicegeZDvoNMGHcoPZJkc-l6v0L-i6RT6Qnw8WWiIRZtWlfcgExTG4TdCUw/s640/IMG_1974.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using the continuous shutter trick, I just kept shooting. Right before this shot, he'd been sitting quietly staring at Callie. Suddenly, he began to run to attack her! This would never have been caught if I'd been simply taking a regular photograph....! And yes, this is the same sweet boy in the photograph above! : ) </td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0