Herbs and Punkin' Plants

Sometimes I leave my seed packages close by to remind me of things to come! I planted my Jack-be-Littles close to this fence for them to climb on. It will also make a nice shade for the chickens.

This is part of my pumpkin patch.

Yay! They are up and growing!

My basil!

My herb garden in front of my "potting shed". I really need to work on my potting shed.

All my pumpkins plants are up. I am so excited about the prospect of having a large variety of gorgeous pumpkins this fall!! I have Jack-be-littles, Big Max, Jack-o-lanturn, Lumina (white pumpkins), and Pie pumpkin plants! I can hardly wait until they grow those beautiful large leaves and vine out across the pumpkin patch! My herb garden is doing pretty good also. I have a nice crop of dill and basil. My sage is a little skippy and I'm thinking about reseeding. Gotta have plenty of sage for my dressing on Thanksgiving! Mmmmm mm!

Another beautiful day in the country

This is my huge front porch. Lots of work needs to be done but that is not going to keep me from enjoying it! Later we will put cedar siding up and new steps. I love my wicker chairs and so does the dawg. UUH! There he is by the front door probably waiting for me to go on so he can get in one of my chairs.

This bird house was already here when we moved here. I was going to paint it but discovered a beautiful bluebird had made a nest in it. I can always paint it later.

Yesterday I lifted the lid and started snapping pictures. Here is what I found. It's not a very clear picture but look at those three tiny baby bluebirds. Hopefully I can get another one before they fly away!

The clematis is loaded now with blooms. This a partial picture of them. They are so pretty!

My Brood

Here are the gals in the chicken house. It was just too hot outside so they went in to cool off.

I love domineckers. Her sister died tradically the other night. I found her dead without a mark on her but her whole head was wet. Very good indication that the villan was a snake!

Here are a few of them getting a little fresh air.

Just thought I would post some pictures of the gals and show how much they have grown. I started out with 15 and have 12 left. Hubby ran over a huge black snake tonight with the lawn tractor. He thinks it was probably the one that killed my little speckled hen. Hope so! I hate snakes! Anyway, hopefully pretty soon the girls will start laying eggs. Looks like I will probably have to find me a rooster.

Just wanted to...

Just wanted to post a picture of the beautiful hanging basket of purple petunias my oldest son gave me for Mothers Day. Actually he gave me a gift card and this is one of the things I purchased with it, along with a few heirloom tomato plants and some other flowers. So sweet!

Happy Friday!

I love getting long stem roses! When they start to droop I turn those gorgeous blooms upside down to dry. Pictured are my Mother's Day roses. I really love the deep red/wine colors!

Ok, that's a weird title. Just wanted to blog a little. I think I have posted enough pics of Essie Mae. RIP, Grandma.
Looks like a busy weekend ahead. Darling oldest daughter and grandmunchkin are coming out to spend the day with us tomorrow. Looking forward to that. I would like to plant more and more and more plants especially in the way of veggies and fruits. There is plenty of room out here and I would love to just have it over growing with good stuff! I think I will transplants some more of the little maple trees around today for some future shade trees. Might go into to "the towns" (remember the movie The Village?) and get a few groceries and STUFF. Lots to do and am wasting time talking about it.
So for those of you who read my blog...Have a blessed weekend!

My Altered Photo Album

Essie and her favorite husband, Fred

Family pictures. My paternal great-grandmother Lillie in top right corner.

Some pictures of Essie in her younger years. Look at her in that scandelous bathing suit!

I remember when I was a small girl visiting her in New Mexico and her sitting at that kitchen table.

This is a picture of Essie Mae when she was 45 years old. It is one of my favorite pictures of her.

Another cold, dreary, rainy day. Is it really Spring? Looks like I will be spending most of the day inside so I thought I would post some pics of my altered photo album I am working on. Most of the pictures are of Essie (my paternal grandmother). She loved having her picture made. After she passed away my daddy had about three medium size boxes full of pictures of her. I picked through them and sent them back to mom and dad. I thought maybe someone else might want some. Unbeknownst to me they were burned!! I would have kept all of them if I had known they were going to be burned. Sheesh! Ok, I will have to say this about my grandma and why no one would want her pictures. She was not a very loving woman. She was very very selfish. There. I said it. There is a lot more that I could say but I won't. Don't get me wrong. I loved her but she was a hard person to love. But growing up I was not aware of some of her ways. She was just funny grandma that brought neat stuff for me to pilfer through. She was the Mother of all Thrift Store Shoppers and I know that is where I got my hankering for thrift stores. She loved to buy a dress or blouse and transform it into something that she liked better. I could go on and on about Essie but not today.
Anyway, lots to do today so I am going to wrap this up. Have a blessed day!

Realizations

The Vegetable Garden (hardly anything is up yet!)

My Chickens (aren't they growing!)

This is my potting shed and those are my grapevine wreaths

that I made out of wild grapevines. Crazy, huh?

This rose bloomed yesterday and is the first yellow rose that I have ever grown.

I named it Ruth after my dear aunt Wilma Ruth. Her favorite flower was the yellow rose.

My Aunt Wilma was always so nice to me.

I really did not want to buy this house at first. To be honest I fought the idea for a few years when hubby would mention it. I did not want to own my in-laws home. I did not want to live here. I finally caved in knowing he really wanted to live in the country again. He has worked so hard for so many years and he deserved it.
Well, we closed the deal a little over a week ago. It is ours. Or at least we have a mortgage note on it. I don't think Father-in-law has truly got the concept that it is not his anymore. I guess that will have to take time to sink in for him. Mom-in-law has Alzheimers so she is oblivious to most everything (bless her heart). She is a good woman.
Anyway, I titled this blog "Realizations" for a lot of reasons. I am admitting that I am very comfortable out here. I feel pretty peaceful. Hubby and I have more peaceful times together here. He is happy now or seems to be. He must have felt like a caged animal, bless his heart also. I was ok living in town. I liked the conveniences and I was pretty busy all the time raising the kids.
As I walk around the 5 acres I realize that I have a lot of things that I have always wanted.
I have a Dogwood tree. The blooms are gone now but I enjoyed them the short time that they was here. I have ALWAYS wanted a Dogwood tree.
Redbuds! Love them! I have tons of blackberry plants and they are blooming!!
I have two grapevines! Looking forward to making grape jelly! I also have wild grapevines and have already made 6 wreaths!
A Pecan Tree! My favorite!!
I have my chickens and THEY are growing! Looks like they are all pullets so I guess I will have to find them a rooster. Yeah I know I named one of them Rhett but I just might have been mistaken on that one.
I have a huge house with lots and lots of room!!!! My sweet little house in town was just not big enough for all my junk! And I am having so much fun with my JUNK.
More later...

Happy Mothers Day!

Daughter Amanda made these gorgeous Gourmet Chocolate Covered Strawberries for me for Mothers Day. There are a few missing (hee hee) They were so GOOD!

Cards and Roses!

Close up of the beautiful roses from Hubby

First of all I am thankful for my mother. I went to her house yesterday and gave her some Asian Lilies to add to her beautiful flower garden/yard. Then my sis and I ordered pizza and had lunch with Mom. My youngest daughter LuLu and grandmunchkin Chantry was with us also. It was a good day.

I am very thankful that God blessed me with 4 wonderful children. They have been such a joy to my life. I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without them. God has been VERY good to me!

What a Blessing!

I am posting twice today. I got the rest of my new Stainless Steel appliances today and wanted to post pictures. I have been without a dishwasher since we moved out here in the country. The sound of my new Maytag dishwasher running was MUSIC to my ears! Also, the refrigerator that was here was just a wreck! It still worked but it was literally falling apart. Needless to say I was glad to get a new one! Hubby put in the new vent-a-hood and sink last Saturday. I am so thankful for all these things.

Mamas

I wanted to pay tribute to some very wonderful women in my life. Wonderful mothers! The women in the following pictures represent strength, hard-work, courage, and love. I am so thankful to be a part of this family. This is my maternal grandma. Her name was Pearl and her name fits her well. She was a wonderful and beautiful mama to 14 children!

This is my mother-in-law. The word Christian defines her. She was a beautiful woman and still is today at age 84. She is the mother of 8 children. The little boy in the striped shirt is my hubby.

These precious women are my aunts (except for the sweet lady in the bottom left-hand corner, my mama). There are only four living now.

I thought this was a sweet picture of a young mother and child. This is my mother's youngest sister. She is beautiful, strong, and good.

This is me with my mother and two daughters.

Flowers and Two Special Women

We closed on our house in the country today. It is finally ours! Anyway, I wanted to show some pictures of the Clematis that my Mother-in-law had planted here. She is a very Godly woman and unfortunately has Alzheimers. When I look at these blooms I think of her goodness! The Hydrangeas were recently given to me from my sweet mother. She lives alone now but boy has she been busy planting beautiful flowers around her little house. I told her I would love to have some Hydrangeas and wouldn't you know she went straight to Walmart and bought these for me. Aren't they gorgeous! I am thankful that Jesus put these two beautiful women to help me through my life's journey! Isn't this a beautiful color?

I made the trellis out of part of the old storm door from this house. I like the way the Clematis vine looks climbing it, don't you?

Pretty blue hydrangea

Pretty pink blooms

My one-eyed ceramic guard cat. I keep her in the flower bed to ward off the family DAWG. He likes to sleep in the flower bed and smash my flowers!