Happy Valentines Day to ME!

Hey friends!  Valentine's Day came a little early for me this year.  I won a giveaway over at Liane's blog, http://tenderhearteddaisy.blogspot.com/ . She put together the cutest Valentine's Day assortment of goodies.  How cute is this package!  She said her daughter wrapped all the little gifts very carefully. Look closely - done up with string and buttons and little fabric cutouts!  I'm gonna have to borrow this idea from Liane's talented daughter sometime!

Remember "brown paper packages tied up with string,

These are a few of my favorite things!"

I had to take pictures of my goodies all wrapped up - I almost didn't want to unwrap them - they're just so clever.  Liane - tell your daughter she did such a wonderful job on the wrapping!  I wonder if she hires out for Christmas presents?????

But..... unwrap them I did! My curiosity was just getting the best of me -  how can I not open these little gifts!

WOW and DOUBLE WOW!!!  I hit the Valentine's JACKPOT!  Look!  A cute RED clutch handbag to slip my compact and lipstick in when my husband takes me out for a romantic Valentine's dinner....

Some SWEET HANDMADE mini-Valentines cards for some special friends .....

A pair of luscious earrings with RED strawberries for Valentine's Day - think CHOCOLATE covered...

Won't I just be "blinging"!!!

A cute Valentine's Heart that I've already hung in my  kitchen to remind me what a SWEET giveaway I just won and what a SWEET lady Liane is!

And two delicate silver hearts.  They have a lid that comes off that I can fill with KISSES for my someone special!  Thank you Liane!  Go stop by and pay Liane a visit - she's a SWEETHEART for doing this giveaway!   This was such a nice surprise and so unexpected!  I'm looking forward to Valentine's day even more this year!  How 'bout you???

SSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  Don't tell my husband!  I didn't show him my giveaway - he'll have to wait for Valentine's Day for the big reveal!

Gardening 2011 and the FIRE at Janaye's Granny's House

And so begins "Gardening 2011" season.  YEA!!!  It's beginning!

Saturday, January 23, 2011 - Onion sets out in the garden!!!  Tony got out "Boss Hawg" the Tiller, cranked it up and we worked in 10 bags of clippings and leaves, and he turned up that dirt like nobody's business.  When we first started that morning, the ground was still hard and a tad frozen, but it warmed up after a bit.  Daddy was there, too, and he threw his efforts in and helped me make rows, fertilize, lime and get the onions in the ground.  Set out about 500 or so - Yellow Granex, White Granex, and Aggie 1016's.

After Dad & I dug the first row, we put some fertilizer and a peench of lime into the row and worked it in good.  Dad says the onions will grow underground while it's cold and they'll reach down for the fertilizer.  Cain't argue with that - he always has a good onion crop!  In a few weeks, we can start eatin' green onions with our meals!  We luv 'em even tho we're all a bit stinky - everybody has to eat some so's we're all "armed"...

Now, see how straight this row is?  Daddy was an architect when he was young, and he always is a stickler for detail.  His brother, Uncle Bob, always said you could grow more from a crooked row than a straight one.  Dad used to give him a hard time about his crooked rows.  But he always had a bumper crop, too!  So I guess they're both right!

I know they're hard to see, but the onion tops are there. I wound up with 7 rows of onions.  Taters will go in next after the ground is not freezin'.  Taters are easy and really make you feel like a farmer - they look so pretty while the tops are growing!  Can you eat tater greens?  Hmmm...

Mr. Jasper is always nearby watching or helping.  Today, KATHY at Cedar Pond, I caught my first two gophers for 2011.  Jasper pulled one of the traps out of the ground, and ate the gopher off it - all except for the jaw.  There was only a piece of hide left on the trap and some gopher teeth.  I pulled the second dead one out of another mound, and as soon as I took it off the trap, Jasper grabbed it and started playing with it.  He was hoping it would move I guess...  He knows what I'm doing when I'm setting traps, and he helps me dig.  I have my little hand spade and he sticks his arms way down in the holes and feels around.  I've seen him catch one.  He does know what he's doing - and he knows what I'm doing, too.

Sorry, people - some of you squeamish folks might not wanna hear about that...

In other news, Saturday p.m., the cute little gingerbread house on the land behind ours burned to the ground.  The area volunteer fire departments raced by our place and we went out to see if we could see where they were going.  Little did we know that the house behind us was engulfed in flames.  There were about 8-9 firetrucks  there fighting the blaze for most of the night.  They left in the wee hours, but were called back Saturday morning when it broke out again in some hot spots.

No lives were lost - no one was home.  A space heater - probably propane - was left burning, and they think that was what sparked the fire.  Nice young family lived there on the land.  It had been family land for a long, long time.  I need to call and check on them and see if there's anything they need...

We took the Mule and rode over there about midnight to see what we could see.  You hate to be a voyeur, but you also wanna know what's going on.  We stayed in our pasture hoping none of the sparks flew our way...

There's a bit of a shell on the front of the house - you can still see the picket fence...

Such a sweet family... I just think of all the personal items that were lost - the things that cannot be replaced - the pictures, the keepsakes, the hand-me-down treasures --- but they have the most important thing - EACH OTHER!

Thank the Lord for volunteer fire departments!  If you have one or more in your area, be sure to support them both physically and monetarily!  They are selfless, brave and a dire necessity in small communities!  They've saved our hay pastures on our place.  Fire would have gotten to our house had they not been around!  SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS!!!!

OK, there's my soapbox for the day!  Have a good one, and as always...

Keep your dress down!

PS - had to git rid of that snow header.  I was gettin' blue... From here on out, it's warm colors, warm thoughts and ...

"Blue Skies and Rainbows

and Sunbeams from Heaven,

are what I can see

when the Lord is living in me!"

(Know that song?)

The VERMIN-ATOR - ME

Don't know if you remember, but Kathy at Spot on Cedar Pond and I have been having this contest in 2010. She and her husband, Jim, have huge moles that run amok under the surface of their lawn and garden areas.  Tony and I are overrun with gophers digging holes and leaving big mounds in our lawn and pastures, too.  With either one, a person could trip and break and ankle or something if you step on or in one of these huge mounds.  So we decided to have a contest!  The COUNTS are down on my sidebar, and Kathy also has one on her sidebar.

Well, guess who won?  ME, that's who!  And Kathy decided that I should have a prize -

Look what she sent...

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS !!!

who even know that there was a game like this???

AND LOOK HOW IT WAS ADDRESSED!   That Kathy - is she somethin' or IS SHE SOMETHIN' ???

I think I can handle this game ok.  Ages 4 and up...

See, it has these cute (?) little varmints - moles or gophers - take your pick.  They pop up with little hard hats on - different colors - and when your color pops up it lights their hard hats, and you have to BOP them on the head!  I just wish it was this easy to take care of our real gopher program!!!  Kathy, this game is so cute! Isn't blogging fun!  I've met some of the nicest, sweetest and FUNNEST people EVER!

Stay tuned to 2011's varmint contest!!!

In other news....

We got a light dusting of snow last week.  It was nice, and didn't last long, so I hope that's all for the year...

It snowed more at the farm than at our own house!  Weird...  I'm ready for spring!  My daffodils are trying to come up...

Nothing like the nice snow we got last year on February 12.

Have to get a pic of Princess shivering in the snow. 

This one was kinda cool.  I sent it over to PIKNIK to edit and made it kinda grainy. 

Well, my friends. Tomorrow is Sunday, and I'm looking forward to meeting with all the saints for worship.  I hope you all are doing the same.  Have a wonderful Sunday and time with your family and loved ones.  I'll ketch ya on the flip-side.

Yours truly,

THE VERMIN-ATOR

NEW Flea Market Style Magazine!!!

It's almost TIME, people!!!  Get on over to Margo's blog, RoboLady, and pre-order your new Flea Market Style Magazine!  If you pre-order, they'll send it right to your house  OR  Margo, gracious lady that she is, will work out a way for you to get yours from her!  If it's anything NEAR the one last year, this'n will be DA BOMB!  I'm getting mine ordered for sure!  Bet I can beat you to it!  While you're there, check out Margo's brilliant junky and industrial creations that she does out of her barn.  I can't wait to see what those "Junk People" have been up to in the new Magazine!  Snag this button, too, if you want!!!

A Haven for Vee

Just had to stop in to ask for your prayers and thoughts for our dear blogging buddy, Vee (A Haven For Vee).  Her dear sweet mother passed away quite unexpectedly on Saturday the 15th.  And not too long after the passing of her grandmother.  What heartache she must feel.  I ask that you remember her in your quiet times.  I've known her for several years now, and she's a lovely, caring friend with a tender heart and a kind word for everyone.  And she cares deeply for her family.  Keep her in your prayers and stop by when she's ready and offer your encouragement.  Thank you ~~~  Vickie

Pre-Christmas FUN!

I'm sitting here with my daughter watching the Bachelor - her favorite show, well, she's 20-something, what do you expect...  new season and new girls and cute hunky guy.  And if you aren't watching, I'm serious, there's a girl on here that's into "vampire-ism" and she has fangs.  This is going TOO far.  This is making me gag... Blech. 

Lots going on around Sand Flat Farm this holiday season.  I guess I should catch y'all up.  First off, my middle son J GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE!  He actually graduated in August, but the ceremony was right before Christmas!  We were so proud of him - 6 years it took- course he changed his major a time or two, but he's OUT!  Here he is walking across the stage to accept his diploma at the University of Texas at Tyler.

And a pic after the graduation with his family!  We are thrilled to have one more kid off our payroll!!! One year closer to me quitting work! 

And of course, have to have one with the proud fiancee, too!  They are both SO happy! 

Then, we were so sick of holiday food in between that I busted loose and fried up some chicken fried steak, mashed taters, gravy and purple hull peas - which we all gorged ourselves on and later had some Tums for dessert...

Josh and Lindsey at our home in an artistic shot by Princess... 

Of course, we had to celebrate Josh's birthday a few days later.  We had chocolate cake with the good ole orange & white University of Texas colors on it! 

THEN,  me and Princess took off to Fort Worth and met up with my sister and her daughter, Erin, for a fun day at the Gaylord Texan Hotel.  If you've ever been to a Gaylord Hotel, you know how huge and fancy they are and how they go all out on decor and architecture.  At the Texan, they were having the Ice Show "A Charlie Brown Christmas" there and we were taking that in.  While we waited for the show, we spent time browsing in shops, having ice cream and designer coffees and touring the hotel and enjoying all the Christmas decorations.  It was SO over the TOP!

Since it was the "TEXAN", the hotel was all decked out in Texan stuff - a Riverwalk like in San Antonio, Oil wells, mission style shops, Texas style landscapes and vegetation - nothing was left out.  It was great. We took a hundred pictures, me and Erin. 'Course she has a new fancy 35 mm digital camera and my pics do not compare with hers, but I wanted to show you some of what we saw anyway. Thanks for your tolerance.

Here's our girlies in a sleigh - perfect photo op! Aren't they cute!

And me and my sister!

The interior of the Hotel upon first entering.  It was truly breathtaking...

There's no tellin' how much $$$$$$ they spent on Christmas decor...

This is a Gingerbread House replica of the Gaylord Texan Hotel!  WOW!!!

This guy was a NUT - but he was keeping the kiddoes laughing and running around crazy!

Are you in San Antonio at the Theater on the River?  Or are you still in the Gaylord Texan?  Enquiring minds want to know!!! 

Now, I'll tell you a bit about the Ice Show.  The Hotel invited 40+ Chinese ice sculptors and they came over and transformed 2 million 2,000,000 pounds of solid ICE into all the sets of the "Charlie Brown Christmas".  They were spot-ON!  The ice characters were so life-like.  We entered the Ice Show and they provided us heavy knee-length parkas to wear.  They keep the temperatures in there at 9 degrees to keep the ice solid.  They told some scientific reasons why 9 degrees is perfect, but I couldn't begin to explain it to you. 

Anyway, there were quite a few folks there that day, 23rd day of December right before Christmas, so the hotel was pretty full.  But it makes it so much more fun, don't you think!!!  It wouldn't have been nearly so much fun if there were nobody there.  We wove through the maze and visited all of the sets, took tons of pictures, and froze our BUNS off!  Our toes were numb, our fingertips were numb, and our mouths were stiff so we could barely talk!  Man, it made me think about all you folks that live up in the north and have to deal with the frigid temps all winter long!

I'll let you stroll through the scenes with us...

Two Ice Maidens....(below)

And me and seester huddling to stay warm!

Got a little free counseling while we were in there!!!

These were the ICE Slides - talk about freezing your tokey off!

Now actually my favorite sculptures were the angel announcing the birth of Christ, and the whole Nativity Scene - they were so realistic, and they were bigger than lifesize - they were amazing!

It was beautiful and the colors were awesome.  You can kinda see baby Jesus laying there in the manger...

Gotta have a little Alamo in there, too...

And oil wells for Texas...

Gorgeous!

And finally, here's a photo of the whole Gaylord Texan Hotel.  The Gaylord in Nashville is just as luxurious - if you ever get to visit one of these, jump on that chance - it's well worth the effort.  We 4 had a blast all day long - but more than being at the hotel and Ice Show, just being together - just us girls and making some new memories! 

http://dbeckdesigns.com/final_project/links.html

AND I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO CHRISTMAS YET!!!