We're Finally Home at the FARM!

Taking a break from moving to say hi and check in on all my lovely blog buddies.  I'm trying to cram 2600 sq ft of stuff into a 1200 sqft farmhouse. It's unreal.  I fear that another garage sale is in order here at the farm. I cannot keep all this junk.  But don't you think I should wait til it cools off a bit?  Just shove it all in the barn and do it in maybe October?  Thank you, I think so, too.

OK, we're gettin' real here, people.  The farmhouse was my "playhouse" and I foo-foo-ed it up big time - now it's time for a clean sweep.  Git rid of everything that we don't need - including all the pink - in time.  This is going to be a working farmhouse - we need space, minimum foo-foo, minimum doilies, flowers and cutesy wall art.  This is a time to be practical.  Why don't you all come to my house and see what you want?  I've got to streamline - playtime is OVER. 

I'm leaning more "farm-style" now.  Pink foo-foo is over.  It'll take time to make the changes. Plus - do you know how quickly pink and light colors get dirty and stained with my guys (and gal) doing the farm thing and bringing loads of dirt into the house?  Granted, they're not all here all the time, but me and hubby are, and I must confess that I bring in dirt, too.  All the stained light blue towels and cloths are going to the rag bin.  In with the dark blue and brown.

First change I've made.  You remember my cute little glass-topped garden table and chairs in the dining area?  Well, they're OUT.  I ran across an old, old handmade farm table, bench and some odd chairs that I'm going to use in the kitchen. I was always afraid that the glass was going to get broken and it only held 4 people.  The farm table will hold 8.  It's rough cut, but smoothed by the ages and use, and I think it'll be perfect. Won't have to worry about breaking it or scratching it.  It's a work table. Only one thing ---

I sat down on the end of the bench and guess what happened???  Just like a cartoon!  Up went the other end and I landed on the floor!!!!   Stop laughing!  At least it didn't hit me in the head.  It WAS pretty funny!  We'll have to get used to doing a balancing act when using the bench!  (sorry for picture quality - phone...)

Princess wanted me to show this picture of some chairs she bought for her little apartment at college.  They were covered with burlap potato sacks!  How cute is that!

In other news, WE GOT HALF AN INCH OF RAIN!  Woo-hoo!  It's not much, but we'll take all we can get!  The ground was cracked and sandy, grassburrs were sprouting up everywhere, the garden was about gone even with watering from the water hose, the grass is all crackly and brown.  There's nothing like the Lord's natural rain to bring life back in all things growing!  And nothing like His grace and love to bring life back into our souls!

Back to unpacking, friends - take care - don't forget me!  I'll be back! Hugs to all!!!!!

This 'N That...

Doncha just HATE fire ants?  I DO!  I was picking blueberries off my 6 bushes the other day when I felt fire enveloping my left leg.  I knew immediately what it was.  I looked down and my leg was covered with the little boogers and I instantly began swatting and brushing them off.  DAD-gum!  It's like they sneakily swarm on you, and then one of them gives the command and they all sting at once!  I know it's true - how many times does it happen!  At least once a week or so!  Ran the water hose on my leg but it burned for awhile and then started itching.  Now I look like I have chicken pox all over my left calf and ankle - looked real purdy going to church this morning... and they'll leave pink scars for a long, long time.  Yuck.  And I just won't put fire ant killer anywhere around our garden areas that we're going to be eatin' from.

Still packing up the house. We DID get a contract on the house, and Lord willing, that'll go well so we can get moved out to the farm permanently.  I'm so tired of the back and forth.  Princess came home this weekend so she could help me pack.  I swear she's the most organized thang you'd ever meet.  She saves EVERYTHING, but it's all neatly organized and labeled.  She packed up lots of plastic crates with her stuff.  She probably didn't want me trying to do it cuz it would not be organized.

Garden's going well.  All you're getting today is some random shots of the farm. DISCLAIMER - You'll have to excuse the photo quality.  These pictures came off the cellphone. 

Dad came over to make plum jelly with me.  We had so much fun!  It's such a hoot when we get to do "garden stuff" together, cuz my sweet mom is just not into this stuff.  She'll do some freezing, but she will not can, doesn't want to, has no interest.  So that's me and Daddy's play time.  Sometimes my sister will come up and do it with me.  We put up 3 dozen small jars, and I still have another batch to go.  Oh yeah, here's a batch of green beans.  I think I put up about 10 quart bags of beans in the freezer.  I've got to get out there and pick my pintos, too.  They're ready...

One thing that I have really enjoyed growing at the farm, something fun just for me - is giant sunflowers!  I absolutely love them to death.  They're so big and sunny and cheery.  They make me smile!    The birds moved the seeds all over the garden from where I planted them.  They came up in random spots and I just left them where they came up.

Baby mockingbirds under my kitchen window.  There were 4 of them, just like last year, and all 4 of them probably won't make it this year either unless I guard the nest 24/7.  And I can't.  Too many cats around.  They are stretching and hopping on the side of the nest now so it won't be much longer before they are hopping out to their death.  Maybe tomorrow they'll start.  Sad, but true...

Just some more garden pics - corn and tomatoes and my watermelon vines.  I even planted  pumpkins this year just for fun.  There are several small ones forming. Maybe I won't need to buy some during the fall!

My grapevines did well this year.  They have several clusters on eath of them.  This year, we wrapped our fruit trees and the grapevines in bird netting and it HAS helped alot.

Below - my plum tree before I picked all the plums off...

AND, my morning glories are finally starting to bloom!  They've been a long time in coming. Don't know why.  I've tried them in different places around the farm to see where they did the best.  I got this piece of iron fence from Margo cuz I thought it would be good to grow something on it!

AND...................a parting shot of some of my day-lilies.  I hope you all have a wonderful week with your families and that God blesses each and every one of you richly with His grace and love!  Catch ya later!

Keep your dress down!