Meanwhile, Back at the Farm...

First off, I just want to add my condolences, well wishes and prayers for all those folks that have suffered loss of life and property in the wake of the tornado up in Joplin, Mo.  As I sit and watch the devastation on the TV and hear of the mounting casualties, it just breaks my heart for those people.  It's hard to imagine. The wreckage that I see in the pictures is some of the worst I've ever seen from a tornado. Every time I think about them and hear about the rising loss of life I could just sit down and cry.  I know we all have some blog friends from that area AND from the Alabama area that was also hit hard.  Let's all continue to lift them all up in prayer now and in the days and weeks to come...

Second of all - Vee is having a giveaway!  YEA!  She's giving away a copy of Mennonite Girls Can Cook and I want to direct you over to her blog and enter - WOW, what a treat to win that book!  Those gals can really cook!  Check in at Vee's place, A Haven for Vee, and also go by and visit the Mennonite Girls! They have some great recipes that we all would  appreciate! 

Here's a quick picture of the beautiful flowers my oldest son sent me from Nashville on Mother's Day.  He NEVER forgets his mama on special days.  He's so thoughtful.  (don't look at my Christmas mat...)

My Princess's boyfriend, "the beast" (her words, not mine) football player, happens to be quite handy with power tools.  She had him make her a thingie to put on the wall in her closet to hang her necklaces and such on. (I know you don't end a sentence in a preposition...)  But that's the way we talk down here in Texas.  I guess that rule doesn't apply here... You know there are alot of rules that don't apply  in Texas.  It's like we are our own country or something (she says proudly...)   He also built her a nice heavy desk that she distressed and painted and it looks great!  He lives in a second story apartment and his closet is full of power tools and such. He ran an extension cord down to the parking lot and they worked on the desk all of one or two days.  It may last til kingdom come.  It may also have to double as a dining table in her tiny apartment that she just moved into (another preposition).

Meanwhile, back at the farm, the garden is going good (Texas license to talk thataway).  I was wondering if I was going to have any time at all to get it in this year, what with the wedding and all.  But get it in I did.  I planted some grapevines last year and this year they are doing great and even have grapes on them.  If the crows don't get 'em before we do, I hope they'll be great.  We did go buy some bird netting to cover the blueberries, the grapes and the plum tree.  I hope to have enough to cover the peach tree, too.  Cuz they're all going to ripen about the same time.

Sorry about the quality of the pictures - I took them with my IPhone and they're not as sharp as with my camera.

See this here?  You know what it is?  Chicken litter - no, not chicken little - CHICKEN LITTER.  It stinks to high heaven.  Our hay man is fertilizing the hay pastures with it.  I also confiscated a few bucket loads to mix in my compost and put in the garden and a little in some of my flower beds. Last Saturday, the hay man was applying that stuff and the wind was blowing and it really stirred up a brown cloud of chicken poop. I'm sure all the neighbors were happy.  Smells like money to me.  A different guy last year did the hay and he used commercial fertilizers and weed killers - chemicals - and they did great, but part of me is glad that THIS new guy is doing it naturally.  You know, the cows and such eat the hay, and then we eat them - are we getting all those chemicals?  I don't want to think about it!  So I feel good about this process and I don't mind the stink so much.

Thought I'd slip this in, too.  Daddy's birthday was Sunday and we all went out to eat to help him celebrate.  I'm so thankful to God in heaven for my parents and that they've stayed healthy for the most part and they're still kickin' around in their 5th wheel camper every month, and they're still keeping the road hot with all their running around they do.  Thank ya, Lord!

A few random shots of my garden... This year I planted 'maters, peas, beans, onions corn, watermelon, squash, cukes and a couple of pumpkin plants from seed I had leftover last year from the pumkins I bought. Oh yes, and jalapenos - I'm planning on lots more homemade salsa this year!  We're already pickin' beans and have cooked up several batches.  I've got a couple of bags in the fridge right now that have to be snapped and blanched and put in the freezer.  The cukes are about ready, the plums are ready (I'll be making jelly come thursday - daddy's going to help me - he helped me do pickles last year. We had a blast!) and the corn ain't too far behind.  We've been eatin' on the onions for awhile now...June is usually the busiest month for the garden produce around here.

This mornin' about 7:30 before I left for work...

Now, early this spring I planted some sunflower seeds in an area in the back by the watermelons.  Can you see where they came up?  I'm guessing the crows moved them or something.  They've come up in random places all in the garden - mostly in the onion patch. Wierd.  I just left them alone. They look kinda cool sticking up in different places.  I imagine some people may think they look like big huge weeds, but it's just nature doing its thing.  So I left it alone.

Just a little quick shot of my garden shed which I love immensely.  I had some morning glories planted along this little rickety piece of fence last year, but didn't get them in soon enough this year.  Hmmm, maybe some clematis would be good.  I'm trying to get perrenials planted everywhere and just do a few annuals to fill in so I won't have to keep spending so much money on new plants every year.

Plum jelly making is in store for Thursday, so I better round up all my jars this evening and get 'em washed and ready to sterilize.  Friday we load up a sofa and loveseat and drive it out to the Princess's apartment 4 hrs away.  Glad to have "the beast" to help us move some stuff... Last night we went and helped the newlyweds clean out Lindsey's duplex and get everything over to Josh's house.  They guys moved and me and Linds cleaned.  I know that was hanging over their heads to get done so now they can quit worrying about it.

Well, I'm gonna take off - allergy season is here in full force (and has been for me for the last 3 months) and I'm fixing to lay my head down on my desk here at work and take a little nap.  JK!  Wish I could - that Benadryl really knocks me out!  I haven't had much luck with Claritin, etc.  Ya'll take care - I'll be back soon, good talkin' to ya this mornin'.  I've missed ya!

Keep your dress down!