~just a note~

Written by Sue, Tuesday,September 27, 2011             very warm and Muggy, temps. 80's
One of the most wonderful benefits from blogging has been sharing our hearts,  and of our  prayer needs with one another. Also of our great joys such as my two friends Cheryl and Debbie, they both are rejoicing, in the birth of two special babies, Isabel, Cheryl's niece's first baby, and Samuel, Debbie's daughter Mel, and dh Mike, being welcomed into their families.... May all of their hopes and dreams be fulfilled.

 I am so glad to call these two ladies my friend, they always  inspire and encourage  me. Click on their names and you will be able to visit and rejoice with them,  What a joy for me to rejoice with them too, I find it so amazing that I am able to connect with ladies I have never personally met, but would so love to.... Blogging has afforded me the honor and privilege of meeting some of the most wonderful women I have ever known. I enjoy reading about your days more than mine. ~smiling~...

Here are a few of my favorite fall plants, this is an ornamental grass, she sits in the garden all summer looking like a weed, and then all of a sudden she struts her stuff.

This Purple Salvia, does the same. 

I am always amazed at how these

(An advantage  while picking pole beans is.. I get to stand up. ~grinning~)

become these in a matter of a few hours.

Yesterday was spent gathering and preparing more pole beans for winter. This week will be a busy one, I have more beans to pick and can, prepping the garden for winter, and planting fall and winter crops. Hmmm, does this mean I am on a blog break this week???  ~smile~ Be back soon!

Enjoy your day, 

Hugs,

Sue

..

~footprints in the Sand~

Written by Sue, Saturday, September 24, 2011                                     warm and humid, 80 temps.
I went to bed last night, with many prayer needs on my heart and mind, some were personal others from family and friends far and near, and for you dear friends too.I am also much concerned about the direction our country is going.

As I lay there meditating, I felt this sense of "peace" that can only be given by our Heavenly Father. I was also pondering on some events in my own life, and wondered how I came through without falling apart.  My Heavenly Father and I were quietly having a conversation, ... Don't you enjoy those special quiet moments with Him, especially in the wee hours of the morning?.....After a few minutes my mind was brought to a picture that hangs in the guest bathroom. (click to enlarge)

Written by Mary Stevenson

Isn't it wonderful that when we get so weary and unable to carry our load, that He just sweeps us up in His strong loving arms and carries us through. I am so glad that my Father is not weak and emaciated, that His muscles are big and strong, and will not falter under my heavy load.

Thanking Him for reaching down and lifting me up.

Sue

Deuteronomy 33:27~ The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms;

He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say 'Destroy'


Note* When I read something, I like find out something about the author, I googled Mary Stevenson and I was so moved by her story. You can read by clicking "here"

"Aprons" & "Chicks"???

Written by Sue, Thursday September 22, 2011                    Cloudy, rainy, temps. 80's, perfect fall day!


While waiting for the rain to subside, (I  truly love fall days like this), I decided it would be a good time to post. We have been so busy finishing summer bounties, and starting  fall duties. If anyone lives or has ever lived on a farm, you well know that there is always something to do.~grinning~


My Dad's mother,who was a widow, lived and worked on a farm, her brother, (who was a bachelor), lived with her. He was the grandfather that I never knew, he spoiled me rotten, I have so many wonderful memories of time with both of them.


When my grandmother  dressed in the mornings, she would tie a bib apron around her very round tummy, she wore that apron all day. The first thing she did was to put on a big pot of coffee, that stayed on the stove all day, and was warmed over for supper.She prepared a big country breakfast, eggs, sausage, or ham, with grits, and homemade biscuits. theses biscuits were so big, and yummy. After breakfast she fed her chickens, and other animals. then it was on to milk the cow, I also remember listening to her praying in the barn, she prayed long and loud...... 
Proverbs 31:26,27~She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness;


That apron held eggs she had gathered, extra veggies, I have seen her wipe her brow with it when she was hoeing in the garden, she would fan it while she ran the chickens out of her garden, but one of my fondest memories was going to Sunday dinner after I was married. She would put her beautiful "Sunday Best" apron on, and serve us dinner........


While picking beans this week, I filed my bucket and had just a few more plants to pick and didn't want to go back to the house to  get another one, so I used my apron to hold the few I had left, just like she did...... note;  my camera is with me at all times. lol

I had just finished canning the beans,when... 

~thirteen pints~

the phone rings, it is Mr P. calling, asking me to hurry and  please come help him, "bring your camera", I knew right away it had something to do with an animal. ~lol~
I grab the camera and go running,....there they were, I began gathering them and putting them in my apron, all the while Mr. P. laughing and saying  "wait I will get a bucket."

Aren't they the cutest, I want to hug them , ... and I did!

 Do you see the little yellow peep, that is not a guinea, it belongs to one of our hens, it seems she found the guinea hen's nest and decided to lay an egg, the guinea hen hatched it out. Here is the funny part, chickens take 21 days to hatch, guineas take 28 days. That little peep had to sit in the nest with the guinea for a week, we were pleasantly surprised that the g-hen stayed. Usually when a hen hatches she will only stay for a few days, I guess she must have felt them moving in the eggs, to me this "girl" gets a blue ribbon, a true sign of a good mother.

Wonder what this peep thinks about the brothers and sisters, who made he or she wait a week? ~big grin~ 

 Back to the story...
Are you kidding I had all those peeps in my apron before you could turn around. BTW, it happened so fast that he didn't have time to get the camera off of the hood of the truck. "Lucky me", This is the scene I believe he wanted to photograph......


A woman(me) with a red apron on her knees grabbing peeps as fast as she could while the mother guinea was trying to flog her, I wasn't going to stop, I knew I had a fight on my hands and had to move quickly,...  I was going to save those guineas. Whew!  mission accomplished.


Just in case you are wondering about  the apron, it  went in the laundry basket when I went back to the house.`lol`


I went  back to the house wondering "why I was called", was it to help, or was it that a "certain farmer" wanted to be amused? hmmm! you be the judge. ~grinning~


Why take them away from the mother? Guineas by nature walk a lot, guinea hens will walk the newborns and because of being weak they die. We weren't going to take a chance with these. We either take them away and put them in a pen, or try and catch the hen with them, (I prefer this). After a few weeks when they are stronger and if they are with their mothers we will let them out. 
Guess what happened?

We put them in a pen with some other baby guineas, that were taken away last week. the g-hen has taken them all under her wings. Don't you just love a "happy"ending?


The rain has stopped and I must go pick grapes,.... hope to finish today. 


Thank you for your visits, and for all of your sweet notes, I so appreciate you all so much.

Until next time,

Sue

The 91st Psalm is one of my favorite Psalms, it offers so much comfort of abiding in His presence! 

Psalms 91:4~He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 

Just as the guinea hen gathers her young under her wings to love and protect them, so does our Heavenly Father gathers us under His Wings for the same. How comforting this is to me....

Fall weather has finally arrived~ let's try posting again!

Written by Sue FridaySeptember 16, 2011,                                               Yippee!!  enjoying rain, temps. 60's 

Nothing says fall like pumpkins, orange and golden leaves flowing from the trees, apples, lots and lots of apples,... pies, cider,  apple butter, fritters,... not to mention decorating,

To be able to take these...

And make these, is another sign that fall is in the air...We are having our first fall like day, temps. are in the 60's, thirty degrees lower than yesterday.  Do you see me doing a "happy dance"?

Must  leave some for my taste tester,..... he came by, tasted, and gave me the thumbs up, hinting that biscuits would really make it taste better!

My  kitchen not only looked like fall, but smelled like fall, There is nothing any better than the smell of apple butter, simmering on the stove. The farmhouse kitchen and I were really humming yesterday, I finished the apples for this year, apple butter, apple juice and made grape jam. Tomorrow I will finish the grapes, plans are to make juice, and grape jelly.

I managed to refill the sugar canister, before the photo.~lol~

I have been adding a few touches of fall around the farmhouse,.

Foyer..

View from stairs...

The living room...

A few fall touches on the coffee table...

Sharing secrets.."I think we are being watched!!"

Giving of thanks.... two  Turkey Creek figurines I love the expressions on their faces

 "Relaxing", you know you  will have to find another sitting place, once the fire is lighted.

 Mantle in master bedroom...

Dining  room....

I had so many gourds from the garden, that I was placing them in any thing I could find. ~smile~

The figurine was painted and given to us by our oldest grandson, about sixteen years ago, each year he is taken out with much care.

 Fall is my favorite season,  I have always decorated for fall, I remember when the children were small, we could hardly wait to get the decorations out. I rambled through an old photo album to find these pictures, ended up sitting for an hour reminiscing. Where did time go? and how did I get so old. ~lol~ I used to be skinny and purty too!!~still laughing~

This is my sister,  Mary, along with Susan , and Dh,... Mary always came over to join in the fun.
I did have  a great time today looking at one of the "old" albums, I laughed, I cried, and laughed some more.

View from dining room looking toward foyer,

Our plans are to put the outside decorations up this weekend, and the weather is so cooperating.. I can't show decorations from the kitchen today, as it is a mess! ~grin~

Until next time,

may your days be filled with love, joy, and peace.

Sue

Ecclesiastes 3:13~and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor----it is the gift of God.


P.S.
I asked dh the other night if he thought my posts were a little long. (Don't ever ask your best friend their true thoughts.) He, being the diplomat, said "I love your posts and enjoy reading them, bbuuuut they might be a little  loooong." ..."What was that you said? says me.~laughing~ As you can tell, I must not of been listening, maybe next time!... naaaa!!

Guess who came for dinner?

Written by Sue, Monday, September 12, 2011                       sunny, beautiful 80's temps.

At 5:00 p.m. Saturday, I got a call from grandson Will, he had been trying to get up with us all day, but we were at a church event. He was wanting to come for a visit, me thinking maybe next week, but he wanted to come "Today"., and bring a friend! "Yes!" "Yes"!!

Oh! boy! Oh! boy! company's  coming!! Hoo! Whew! and Whoopti Doo!! says Lucy.

We got busy, tidying up, and putting fresh lines on the beds.
And of course Maw Maw got busy  baking some cookies, Will's favorite....chocolate chip.~smile~

As the time drew nearer for their arrival, Mr P. would run back and forth from the front porch, to the kitchen, testing the cookies,seeing if they met his approval for grandson. See my fall table decoration,I am now 95 % finished with all fall decorating. Both young men commented on the decorations, I would not have thought they would have noticed, I guess it might have reminded them of "Home" . ~smile~

They  arrived at 10:30, we talked for a while, they ate and then they announced that they wanted to go fishing at the pond. dh said "have at it, guys, I will pass tonight."so off  they went fishing. Looking out the window and seeing these two young men, with the truck lights shinning and getting their fishing equipment was such a wonderful site to go to sleep on. I only wished I had taken a photo, I would wake during the night and see the light still on in the kitchen I knew they were not yet in. About 4:00 a.m., I woke to see the lights out, and I knew they were asleep.

They were up by nine a.m., remnants from last night.~grinning~

and were out by the pond, then I got my camera!

For lunch Will wanted to go to his favorite restaurant, Salemburg Pizza and home cooked meals, truth is there is this young girl there that he became friends with and has kept in touch. lol. 

We have now added another grandson, meet "Zeb


Papa observing, and learning from the "Best"!!

Granny Maw, came by to get some sugar, need I say more?

I was back and forth from the kitchen, to the pond.. Here is some roast beef, sliced and ready for them to take back, for next week. You should have heard what they had to eat in their apartment.. noodles!

For dinner Will wanted some of my cheese biscuits, along with spaghetti and my homemade sauce. He also wanted to take some goodies that I had canned back with him, especially the meat sauce and some jams. We sent him and Zeb, back with watermelon, cantaloupe, cookies, muffins, grapes,apples, and of course roast beef. Now you know why we preserve so much. ~lol~
"A prayer", and group hug, was also in the "going home package."

We called them in for dinner but they were so into fishing, I asked if they wanted their dinner by the pond,
"Oh that would be so nice!"......"Does Papa and Maw Maw spoil them?"

Zeb, let the "Big" one get away, and was showing Will how big it was. He told me he was going to stay until he caught him. LOL

These two came as young men who are ready to defend our country,... and yet for a little while they were once again, "Little Boys"playing, laughing and having fun. Oh! My! watching and listening to these two and to be able to see them as those carefree little boys, was such a blessings.

Yesterday, our thoughts and hearts were very much with those who lost their lives on 911, and praying for their families who are still trying to put their lives back together. What a joy and a pleasure for us to spend time with these two young men, and hopefully give them some R&R. These two men along with thousands of others place their lives in harms way to make sure we never have to experience another  911 ever again. Both Will and Zeb serve their country, in the Navy.....

Oh! No! they left us alone again!! what am I going to do???, 'they said they were coming again soon so "be happy!!", says me

I want to thank all of you so much who ask about Will, who pray for him, and  our other men and women in military service,  if you ever have the opportunity to serve one of them you will be so blessed. What a comfort it would be as a parent, who has a child so far away from home, to know that they were loved and allowed to become a child once again.

All my love,

Sue

~"One of my neighbors here in blogland"~

My friend Vee, (click on name) who is so patriotic, loves her God and country so much. Vee was the first person who welcomed me to blogland,  you never forget the first person who welcomes you to your neighborhood, and that was on my other blog, even after closing  it she still comes to visit me here. I have gotten to know her through these visits, and cherish her as a friend, she has taught me so much about life and how one deals with situations, and writes with so much candor and humor, I always leave so uplifted. Thank you Vee!

1 John4:11~ Dear friends, since God so loved us,we also ought to love one another.

                       

~Me Day~

Written by Sue, Thursday, September 8, 2011           Beautiful fall day, sunny, temps. 80's

I am finally getting around to taking a "ME" day, as a matter of fact today is my second "Me" day, ~smile~. Yesterday I went to Raleigh with my dear friend Debbie and we were  treated to a facial, by the sweetest lady, her name is Lisa,

Debbie and I had lunch at one of our favorite places, Panera Bread, went to Whole Foods, Oh! my!, such a treat. You are probably wondering"why no mall shopping"? Simply put."no makeup", "no mall", clothes don't go well with faces with no make up ~grin~,  though Debbie  doesn't need it, Boy, our sun glasses really came in handy.

Today was my second "Me" day, I stayed home and  decided I would go and sit by the pond,(haven't done that in a while). I took, my coffee,  Did I say coffee?, I meant soakie biscuit, (it's a southern thing.) ~grinning~

Devotional books, along with my journal,...and spent some quiet time, or at least it was quiet for a while,... these guys showed up and began to entertain me, and what a show they did put on,

Oh! I almost forgot,... you know my camera goes everywhere with me...~lol~ and then these guys come by to say hello

 "You know I can do that too, don't you!!" says Whitie

"See I told you I could do it, I can even splash water while I dunk!!!"....  "Show off" says me!!

Lucy came by after her run, and shared some breakfast with me.

Then these friends decided to stop by!

Yes!my nemesis  was with them and he was taunting me! !! But he has a nemesis too! and it isn't me hee, hee

Just a bunch of teenagers out having fun. I wonder where their parents are. Could it be they are out by the pond?

My most Welcomed friend" was this guy, he came by for a hug!!, and maybe a kiss or two.

Talk about having some "Me" time,.... around here you might as well forget about it. It reminds me of when our children were small, and you announced to the family that you were going to go and have some "Me' time, and it would be at that precise moment everything in the house would come alive or apart.lol....

I decided it was time to take a walk, and here is what I found...I call them "The Three Musketeers!"

Ain't they sweet?

Nothing like sharing fresh water with a friend!!

 "Excuse Me!!!  OOPS!! SORRY not the best view!

While "ahem" viewing the donkeys....this beautiful song bird flew near by and began to serenade me, and sat still for me to take its photo. I knew he was sent especially for me, just another "simple country pleasure", for me to enjoy.Says me to Mr songbird,"sing, sing, sing, for you have my undivided attention."~smiling~

After my walk I came in the house to download the photos, and who calls from their cell phone? Yep!!Mr. P telling me to come quick with the camera, a guienea had just come by with her babies.

I absolutely love early Fall or what it really is called "late Summer",when the mornings and evenings are cool, and the days are warm. I know My Heavenly Father must of had me in mind when He made days like this, for which I am so grateful. You know "Fall" is just around the corner when the Golden rod begins to bloom.

I have decided that having a "Me" day is really sharing it with those you love!! and that means "you" too dear blogging friends!

To  all who take the time to visit my little corner in Blogland, I am ever so thankful I cherish your every visit. I am so sorry for keeping you to long, it's just that when you have girlfriends you just want to share every little detail in your life.

Until next time, may your days be filled with His love, and peace

Sue

This post is dedicated to my friend Janette's son, Benjamin, who loves our animals and has even named one, please visit(click on name) Janette, I promise you will leave renewed and refreshed.

Ecclesiastes 3:1~There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.~"."