The ol' homestead

Good morning! I hope these long hot days are not slowing you down too much. Here on the homestead things are still moving along, but it sure is hot! We had some baby chicks hatch out and I am glad that the mommas are not sitting on eggs as hot as it is in the henhouse.

This week-end we rode up to the city on the motorcycle to the big bike rally they had at Bricktown. It was a long ride in the heat coming home but we sure met a lot of nice people and enjoyed seeing a lot of nice bikes too. I must say I did not expect the thousands of bikes that were there.

Little Miss and I have been going for our 2 mile walk at 8:30-9:00 in the evening. It helps not to have the sun bearing down on us and the dogs are now waiting on us on the porch as they have gotten used to what time we go.

Police Son now really is a police son as he got the news that he gets sworn in on Wednesday for the Pauls Valley police dept. and will be badge number 118. YAY ....... this has been a long hard uphill climb for him but he is actually there now!

Here he is trying on his uniform. (he is not crazy about the bulky bullet proof vest!)

Over the week-end my nephew got married. He and his bride (and their precious baby) had a sweet outside ceremony. It was hot but it was well worth it to see them take wedding vows.

Little Miss is so excited that next week she is going to camp! Yep, it is hard to believe as this is the one who goes nowhere without mom. Albeit, it is just a day camp and Cowgirl Cutie will be there as counciler, but she is going everyday without me. She is so excited as she will get to ride horses everyday. (I think I am being traded in for a horse!)

We are getting everything ready here for our upcoming river trip. We will leave on the 10th and get back on the 19th if all goes well. Frontier Man is so looking forward to a break. He is working out in this heat everyday and sometimes it is just a struggle to make it through one more day. I pray for his safety and his health and do the best I can to feed him well and make him rest when not at work -that is also a struggle most of the time because he sees so much that needs his attention round here. It is also so nice to get to see family too -hope to see you soon Sunshine!

Thursday is The Littles 1st birthday. I can't imagine him already turning one. The time sure goes by fast and our little ones sure remind of us that as they grow.

Well, today is bread baking day so I better get to it. You all have a great day on your 'steads!

Swim time

England, the German hairdo and chicken fajitas

Howdy! I thought I would post some random pictures as I have a bunch of odds and ends from the last few weeks. Hope you enjoy them.

A day in cupycakes!

My car came home

Hello there. Wow, so much to share with you and so many new pictures of dollhouse potholders, chicks growing, garden blooming, a hawaiian wedding cake I made for Mothers Day and a super new margarita recipe I am lovin. But alas, I wish I could share. Here is the thing though, my computer stopped charging and has been shipped off for a new part. So this will be a writing post and the pictures will have to follow after the repair (you have to see the potholders, they are so cute!)

Well we have had rain, rain and more rain. It has been so nice too. But of course, now it is extremely humid. Guess we can't have it both ways. Frontier Man is still working a lot of hours but things seem to be slowing down a bit. Now they are stuck wherever they go to work because of the mud. Not complaining though! Our ponds are full again.

Frontier Man and I are so excited. For the first time since Little Miss has been born (8 years!) we are planning a just-the-two-of-us-3day-ridin-the-bike-packin-a-tent-layin-on-some-miles-grabbin-a-bottle-of-chablis getaway! Man, we can't wait either. We are going on Memorial week-end and have set up a tag team for the care of Little Miss. Now if the weather will cooperate we will be good as gone. Woo-Hoo!

My car is fixed! Can you believe it? I got it back a week ago after an 8 week stay. Not sure what took so long but we insisted that we needed it back very soon. The great news is, that it was repaired with no damage to the valves. I told the mechanic it would be fine because I had been praying over my car -maybe he thought I was a kook and was just ready to be rid of me. Oh little car I missed you and I want to kiss your shiny grey exterior.

Our chicks are growing and Little Miss spends a portion each day, trying to train them. This morning she informed me that her friend told her that they could be housetrained. Housetrained? I asked. She then went on to explain how a terlet (toilet) was involved in the training process. Not buying it I told her, they have a lovely roost outside. Times such as these, I wonder if I am doing her an injustice with homeschooling, when her funnest part of the day is with chickens.

Police Son did indeed pass his CLEET test and now he is in job search mode. He has been calling depts. and looking up leads. We are praying Gods direction in this. Lord, let it be SOON though. I know, I know, Gods timing.

Big Miss made it to England and is having a ball. Literally. They went to the MayBall and seemed to have a great night there. She has been there but a week but I think she is in love with London. I spoke with her last night and by golly she is talking with a British accent. I asked her a question and she answered me with "yea". Not yes, not yeah, but yea. What the heck...... Big Miss you better come home now!

And lastly, I am hearing through the phone from Pianomanjess, that The Little is walking. Oh, I cant wait to see. Such precious times as these.

Well, I guess I will end this edition with a promise of a new recipe posted soon. Blessings to you all.

Grief, gout and garden clay pot people

Good Morning. This week has been a pretty busy week and lots happening here around the homestead. My car quit running a few weeks ago and it has been in the garage trying to find the problem. Last week I got the call from the mechanic and it was not good news. The timing belt had broke and to make this quite simple there is a good possibility that it damaged the valves in the process. I am hoping that it will turn out that it did not damage anything, but we will not know till it is put back together. As it stands, the repair will be around 400.00 but if the valves are damaged it will be an additional 1,300.00 I am saddened and really discouraged as I have only had the car back a month from the cow accident!

Yesterday I took my dad to the doctor as he has been having extreme pain in his ankle and could not walk for a week. Dad has had heart sugery and so his veins are not good (not to mention he is diabetic) and he is a big beer drinker (note "BIG") So I was not really sure what was going on (blood clot? ulcer??) But they said it was gout. Now I know nothing of gout, but they didn'tseem to be surprised and seems to be common. Back home with medicine so we will see how it goes.

Let's talk about granola. I love granola and eat all variety of it. Crunchy, soft, chewy, fruity, nutty, any kind. Well last year, I was at Sunshines house when she bought some Harvest granola at the Wal-mart bakery dept. It comes in a tub. Thankfully. It is sooo good. Like eat a piece and can't-stop-myself good. And thats what I do. I eat a piece and can't stop. Every once in a while I will pass it up on grocery day, just to prove to myself I can still live without it. To prove I am not an addict. I took some to mom and now she is an addict as well. Sorry mom.

As promised, I am here to show you Frontier Mans new leather. I have new leather too, but since I was taking these pictures at 6:00 in the morning as he was getting ready to leave for work, I was not ready to model mine. (It is a nice black leather jacket though) In case you can't tell, Frontier Man's leather jacket weighs a ton. It is sooo heavy. Mine was too, till I stripped all the armour out of it and the liner and now it is a managable weight. Anyway, FM looks rather sexy at 6:00 in the morning putting on his jacket......and his boots..... and those chaps.....

Police Son is still in California. He called. Yesterday. From Disneyland. He sent a picture with Micky Mouse ears on. I want to be at disneyland. I want to ride through "It's a small world" with mouse ears on.

Little Miss is plugging along with school and piano. We have been doing science experiments and she thinks science is pretty cool. The rest of school stinks...... She also hates her hair washed. Last week she packed a few clothes in a bag and declared she was going to live outside in a tent if she had to wash her hair. We washed her hair. She stayed outside till it started getting cloudy and rainy looking.

Last week we made some bookmarks. Recycled bookmarks. Just save up some cereal boxes and snack boxes with cardboard.

I was having a snack the other day that reminded me of my great aunt Nina. When we moved to Oklahoma many years ago we lived for a short time with my great aunt and uncle. In the summer, after school as a special treat, she would make and leave out for us graham crackers with frosting. So simple, but just the right snack. I love it when something you eat or do or go will conjure up those sweet memories of the past.

We also canned 15 more pints of salsa. It sure is good! I love to be able to pop open a jar whenever a recipe calls for salsa. I made a cherry coffeecake last week that was really good. My friend TJAF made it with blueberry and they loved it as well. I will put up the recipe soon as it is so simple but so good. Love those kinda recipes, don't you?

I took these pictures of my moms clay pot people yesterday. She's been working on them and I think they are so cute!

Spring has sprung

Good Morning to you. Here on the homestead we have been very busy with Spring preps.... getting the garden plot tilled (the onions and taters are doing great), cleaning out tons of windblown debris, raking leaves, hauling dirt for the new raised garden bed, and lots of other chores. It sure is getting warm now, and we are loving it. Lots and lots to do.

Last week was Spring Break and Cowgirl Cutie come to stay a few days. She and Little Miss even got a little fishing in down the road. The girls are looking forward to the river trip and are planning away. We think we will be going July 10th through the 19th. We hope to spend a few days with dad and Sunshine in there also (one of these days I expect to hear Sunshine decline our generous intrusion

)

The baby chicks have graduated to an outside cage with their warming light, they are sure growing fast. Frontier Man will be making them their own run in a few weeks as they are really too small to put in with the rest yet.

Beep-Beep has become a bully! He wants to fight everyone and has flogged me several times and so he is now locked up in the turkey run with his hen (who is now laying also) so he cannot bully us around anymore. I am sad about this as I thought we had an agreement... after all, I fed him and pampered him and now I get bruised for thanks? Hmfff.

Pianomanjess and Grand-doll Mom came to see us with the kids the other day. Boy is The Little growing! He is pulling himself up now and just jabbers away. He will be walking soon. Grand-doll just loves playing outside with Little Miss and they have built some cute tents and such.

Frontier Man and I got away Sat. night and went out to our favorite ol' country dance hall and spent the night dancing away. On Sunday afternoon we headed out on the bike to the Arbuckle Mts. and spent the day looking out at some scenic views. It sure is beautiful and everything is busting open with color and seem to be screaming "Spring is here....Spring is here"

I would love to tell you about some new leather that we now own, but I will show you in pictures in my next blog. I can tell you this though, Frontier Man looks really good in it and it sets my stomach all aflutter....... and makes we want to swoon.... and drool... and bat my eyes... and, well you get the picture.

A few friends and I have decided to start our own book club and our first chosen book is "Thirteen Moons" by Charles Frazier. He is the author of Cold Mountain and we all liked his style of writing and thought it would make a good conversation. I am partway through it and am enjoying it alot. It is definatly different than what I thought it was going to be but very interesting just the same.

Police Son is headed out to Californy next week to see his favorite gal. He will spend an exciting 2 weeks with her before returning home to take his CLEET test. This is the biggie. After this test he will have everything completed to apply and take to the streets as an official policeman. Already he practices on Big Miss and Little Miss. When he slaps that duty belt on and reaches for the handcuffs, the girls are out the door and down the road.

Whatever happened to a fair trial???

I made a new Cinnamon Swirl Coffeecake last week that was good. I used whole wheat and it was rather crunchy, but I sent some to Frontier Mans work and they seemed to gobble it up with out a problem.

Heres the piece I saved for you...

I leave you with a picture of Little Miss giving Pippin a ride to the vet for a "check-up".

Till next time, have a great week!

Chickees in the house...

Yep, we have chickees in the house. Last Friday I picked up our chick order of 25 new Buff Orpingtons. They are so cute! By Fall we should have some new layers and I will be able to sell eggs again. Right now I just have my 8 hens and the rooster so we really needed more. Mom said all the guinees are doing fine at their new home and peace is restored once again on The Homestead.

Can you spot the not? There is one chickie that Little Miss chose, it is a special breed that grows feathers on it's feet. (hint: it is lighter than the others) she is working on a name for it.

Today is my oldest sons birthday. Justin would have been 26. 26? Really? Wow, where does the time go. I can't believe the years have flown by so quick.

Little Miss had her first piano recital Saturday evening. She did very well although she was extremely nervous and says that is the first and last recital she wants to do. She was beautiful though and her sister brought her flowers.

We've been getting some good rides in with the bike as the weather has been so nice lately. Even Big Miss who is excited about her new gear, has been riding. I am afraid it will not last though as we are expecting cooler temps later this week.

Big Miss surprised and made her Cuda Dude some of these delicious cinnamon rolls to take with him as he went to work with his dad in Texas for a few days. HE LOVES these rolls

and was very thankful.

The garden plots are coming along and we should be planting by the end of the month. I will be starting my seedlings soon. We are hoping for rain soon as we are still in drought conditions and that doesn't make for a good garden.

The tornado that killed 8 people...

Crochet veggies/fruits

Well here they are -in all their glory as promised . I spent a few months off and on getting them done and Grand-doll was able to have them for her birthday (she turned 3!) I enjoyed making them, they were a lot of fun to see how each one turned out.

Here are all the fruits... lemon, orange, tomato, apple, pears, grapes, bananas, cherries, strawberries.

Here are all the veggies... Chili peppers, green onions, crooked neck squash, bell peppers, pumpkin, broccoli, corn on cob, celery, cucumber, green beans, carrots, onion..