~Who's watching us?~

Written by Sue, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011                                              Sunny, temps. 50's


Some weeks ago I wrote of  having some weight loss this year, when that happened my clothes didn't fit as well as they should. I had put off buying new clothes and just kept wearing my old ones, even though Mr P. was encouraging me to buy new ones.....
I was kidnapped by these two last week, it seems they led me to believe we were going Christmas shopping, but they had other plans.~grin~

I was then lassoed into a dressing room, trying on one outfit after another. At first I reluctantly went along with them, but before I knew it I was right in there with them. Susan kept bringing all these clothes for me to try on, while dh sat right outside with his thumbs either up or down. ~smile~ She kept oohing and ahhing every time I came out with a new outfit. I don't know which of us was having the most fun.~wink~

I didn't realize the mother with two of her daughters in the dressing room next to us , was watching and listening to us giggling, acting like two school girls, and how Susan was so attentive and flattering my new outfits. I truly felt like a princess, both by her doting and Mr P.'s thumbs up.~smile~

I went to  put some clothes back, while Susan took our choices to the register, in a few minutes Susan came over to me and said, "Mother, I have just been given a wonderful Christmas present." It seems this mother followed her out of the dressing room and asked her how old she was, after Susan told her, she said, " I just want you to know what you did for your mother has really touched my heart, I have two daughters and I wish they would do something like this for me."

My heart went out to this mother, who has probably given so much to her daughters, but was longing to have some return, maybe just a "thank you", but at the same time I was so proud of our daughter who gives so much to everyone, doing this just comes natural with her. Susan is a recent single mom with two beautiful daughters, and is now going  back to college for her degree in the medical field. We are so proud of her and how she is allowing "God" to put her life back together. And God always does things right, He is in the restoring business.

We had no idea we were being observed so closely, the lesson learned by us ... We never know who is watching our lives,,, how we interact with others, our attitudes, how we speak to one another, etc.  I thought about this and realized that I too am a people watcher, and have seen some very interesting people and sites, but never thought we were, or at least me, interesting enough to be watched. LOL

Here is the before.. me "hiding" in my over sized clothes as my two loved ones so gently put it. lol

After my excursion with two of my favorite people. Susan later told me how much joy she received in helping me with these choices.

Though the granddaughters are not with us this season, ( and oh! how we have missed them!!) Susan, her dad and I have spent so much quality time together. God has ordained "such a time as this"!

Christmas is a time when families gather to celebrate the birth of our Savior, but it is also a time when we gather together to renew relationships,and make new memories that will endure for ever.

Tonight is "spa night", I wish all you ladies could join us we would have so much fun, as I dearly love you all.

Looking forward to hearing about your special Christmas memories

Blessings and hugs,

Sue

I Corinthians 13-13~ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

"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....

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.

                       

Family fun time!!!
written by Sue, January 23, 2011
We have been busy counting sheep around here, the count is now 16 and still climbing.
January is the month of birthdays in our family, we celebrated three this weekend, My mother, brother, and brother-in-love.  Twenty of us gathered at a favorite restaurant and had a great time, I had the privilege of baking the cake for our gathering. just a few pics.

The birthday girl!!

Birthday brother!!

Birthday Brother-in-love!!

Lots of hugs!!! some of us have not been together in a year!

When these two are together, no telling what mischief is in the air!!

Our niece just adores her uncle!!!

She is the matriach  of our family! I am so thankful for Mother, she is a friend, example to all of us.

One of m favorite photos...

This one is another favorite.. look at great grandson looking at his grandmother...

 Sis, and her family...

 Other sis and her sweetie!!

I love and adore my family, we have always enjoyed times like this,.
Thank you for allowing me to share.

I am still walking my 2.5 miles a day, and needed it after this get together.