Update 5-13-14

Hello there friends...

Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged.  I do miss you all and miss hearing about your lives and goings-on.  Just thought I'd check in and update you all.

My sister Lisa is still fighting her ovarian cancer.  She's one tough cookie.  Keep those prayers coming please.  I know several of you are keeping in touch via email and I really appreciate you!  Lisa has exciting news ~~~ SHE'S GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER IN JULY!!!  Her son and his wife are expecting her first grand baby!

Where should I begin... hmmm...

My daughter Hayley, just graduated from nursing school with her BSN and already has secured a job at a Ft Worth hospital.  YEA!  Nursing school is tough - those folks are on the front lines every day - I have a new respect for them - they are definitely Florence Nightingales and sometimes spend way more time and thought with their patients than the doctors do!  So proud of her!

Adam Fears, my country musician son, is still in Nashville and on the road touring, and his video, "Middle of Nowhere"came out TODAY on GAC Great American Playlist program at their "one to watch".  He made it.  It's been his dream since GAC's beginning to be on there!  Take a listen and a gander at his new video... If you're interested, the same show will repeat on May 22, 23 at 11:00 am Central time.  His songs are available on ITunes, too!

He's doing great!!!  If you like the song, pls go to www.gactv.com, go to videos and click "emerging artists" in the left column. Scroll down and you'll see Adam's video in the listing.  There's a place to send email requests and comments, too, if you're so inclined.  The more comments/requests he gets the better his songs get in the ratings!  Thanks!

In other news...

I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER IN OCTOBER!  Can you believe it's finally happening??? It's MY turn!  And me and my sister Lisa are BOTH expecting our first grand babies!  Lisa's first comments were "YEA!  We'll have babies at Christmas-time!" and "Vickie, it's just something else that we can share!"  We've not had any little ones at Christmas since my daughter and her son were young!  And they are 25 and 26!  My son and his wife are expecting - my New Zealand/Denver kids. Mine and Lisa's two kids that we thought would be the least likely to have babies, much less get married!  Couldn't have planned it if we'd tried...

Farm life is going ok, I'm still in the chicken business and working on my garden, altho it's smaller this year.  It's been a weird spring - the weather has been crazy up and down in temps.  We got a late freeze and it got my plum tree, but not the peaches.  Cut my grapevines way back and it looks like we're going to get ALOT of grapes this year. Been doing a little painting, too.  Will have to update my art blog...

Well, that's all the news for now.  I'll try to get around and do some visiting as I can.  The best thing that's going on (besides the babies) is that I'm getting to spend LOTS OF TIME with my dear little sister/best friend!  She is my heart...  Take care friends - will try to be back soon!

What's Been Goin' On...

Hello friends ---

Sorry it's been awhile since I've surfaced.  Been spending time with one of the most important people in my life - my dear little sister!  The past 3 weeks have been a whirlwind - diagnosed with ovarian cancer, surgery and chemo started.  She's healing from her surgery, learning to manage her pain and nausea levels, and trying to get some much-needed sleep and rest her mind.  God is always good and He shows her daily that He's taking care of her.  The out-pouring of love, flowers, cards, meals from her church and work communities has been a testament of her love of people and her love of the Lord.  The hospital staff and even her surgeon have all commented that they have NEVER had such a crowd of people at the hospital in and out and some staying all day long to show their love and support of my dear sis.  There has been a steady stream of folks coming by her home to see her and leave meals.  I've been spending time with her and am taking our parents to her house tomorrow.  Thank you all for your prayers and your kind thoughts!  I treasure each and every one!

 

She's on the right - isn't she beautiful?  And just as beautiful on the inside!  Everyone loves her for she loves everyone first!   Thank you in advance for keeping her in prayer.  She has a long way to go - about 18-21 weeks of chemo - but she's strong in the Lord and with His help, she's going to overcome!

In other news, the garden's about in - just got my tomatoes planted.  It's a bit smaller this year as recent events have called me away, but it's done and I just feel like the Lord has blessed me with multiplied time this year.  He knows what we needed before we even ask!

My son, Adam Fears, the country-music singer/songwriter has released a new single ---

"There's A Girl Out There"

It's a great song, if I do say so myself!  (I'm a proud mama)  It was released to country radio this Monday past and you can call and request your local station very SOON to play it if you like!  The more hits he gets the better his single will rise up the country music charts.  That's how new artists get started, so get your phones ready and get requesting as soon as I get the green light from Adam!!!  Please!  If your local station doesn't have it yet, the station can go to 

http://allaccess.com to request it.  They have to be a member I think.

 

Now just look at that smile!  Don't you think a handsome guy like Adam needs to be a country music star???

They shot a music video (which I've seen) and it is awesome!  It won't be played unless the song does good, so that's another reason to request his new song! He's been playing, writing and singing since he was in high school, and been working his rear off in Nashville for the last 7 1/2 years.  I think it's high time that he succeeds, don't you?

http://www.reverbnation.com/adamfearsmusic

This is a popular place to hear Adam's new song - check it out! and share with anyone you want!  He has a twitter account, too - I think it's

Adam Fears @ AdamFearsMusic

I'll try to get around and do some visiting - it's just been so hectic - Thank you all again for your friendship and your caring!  Sending you all a Big Ole Texas Hug!!!

GIVEAWAY at River Bend Farm!

It's GIVEAWAY TIME!  Oh, not for me just yet, but for Berte at River Bend Farm!  She has reached a goal of 100 followers and she's having a contest about Blessings in your life.  She wants to bless the winner of her giveaway with one of her yellow spatterware bread pans, a cute napkin and a recipe keeper!  Jump over there and visit this wonderful Texas gal (a kindred sister :) and see for yourself what makes her so special!

I LOVE Spatterware!  So, run on over to Berte's place and sign up!

We've been so blessed these past couple of weeks with scattered showers - usually, we are not in the "scattered" areas, but recently the showers have scattered all over us!   This is my perennial garden - I know you can't really tell what's in there.  Some of it's been cut back and dead-headed - it was getting out of control.  I have some herbs like basil and rosemary and lavender, some purple coneflowers, lantana, clematis (it's little - just starting to climb that little thingie there, and some other flowers.  The lantana is still in need of a haircut so I may move it somewhere else come fall.  I don't know why the grasshoppers are eating the clematis leaves and they won't eat the lantana leaves.  That would solve a big problem!

Sunflowers are going great! They're so cheery and they make me happy!

My daughter's birthday is coming up next week, and we are planning on going out to visit her and probably take her and her boyfriend out to eat or something.  Along with her job, she is a "junkin" gal.  She likes to buy cheap, paint and fix up and sell on craigslist, ebay or her area "buy, sell & trade" facebook page.  She loves a rustic or western theme.  Doing pretty good, too!  She's very artistic and knows how to make things look good.  If she lived closer, she and I would have our own little business together - we've talked about it...it would be so fun!

Josh and Lindsey are settling in at her folks' B and B - they are staying in one of the cottages right now until they decide what they are going to do.  Job hunting starts tomorrow for Josh!  Hope he can find something pretty soon!  Lindsey's parents are re-vamping an old country house right now and I imagine Josh is going to be working on that project as well to supplement his income...I'm SO jealous of that house - it has a screened-in sleeping porch - HOW WONDERFUL!  Pictures will be forthcoming as they complete

the re-do.

We're going to Nashville in a couple of weeks to visit my oldest son, Adam. It's been awhile since we've been up there and it's time for a visit.  Sure miss that boy!

Dolores at Moving Forward With Alzheimers shared this video on her blog...

Well, back to work for me tomorrow.  Thank goodness I'm down to two days a week - which is not bad at all - but I'd like it to be a BIG FAT ZERO days a week!  One of these days...

Keep yer dress down, friends.

I'm A WINNER!

Lucky, lucky ME!  I entered a give-a-way over at Dawn's Comfy Corner (she's a fairly new blogger and buddy) and she sent me the news that I won!  And what a nice gift - it came in the mail yesterday and I'm so anxious to give them a try...  Seeeee?????

They are thick and absorbent and she made them very generous to scrub and wash all my dishes and pans!  Can't wait to use them.  I imagine I'll be gettin' to that shortly cuz I've got NO dishwasher other than myself and a sinkful of dirty dishes from breakfast!  Thanks so much, Dawn!  (Just noticed my "Butt Rub" seasoning for BBQ back there behind...  oops! - Promise that wasn't staged.)

In other news, my oldest son, Adam, is home for a few days to enjoy the farm, the tractor, AND most importantly - Fishing with his Pop (my daddy).  He said the rest of the spring is going to be very busy in the music industry and he probably won't be able to come home anytime soon after this.  EVEN THO it's supposed to rain torrents later this week/weekend.  He and Pop may have to find other things to do besides fish!  My middle son, the Kiwi son Josh, is a photographer, and he did some publicity shots of Adam last time they were home together...

 Josh is doing a great job, I think!  They took these photos down at the old train depot here in our town...

New topic...  about 3 years ago, a friend of mine gave me several starts of her white iris.  I spread them out in one of my flower beds behind the deck, and planted them and they've done really well at spreading and filling in and making new leaves.  They lived through our drought last summer, too.  I was about ready to pull them up and move them because in 3 years, they hadn't bloomed.  I thought maybe they weren't getting enough sun in their locale.  I even threatened them out loud that they were about to get yanked out of the ground if they didn't bloom this year.  Well, lo and behold...

THEY BLOOMED!!!

Think it was just time?  or think it was the threat???  Who knows, but I'm glad they decided to show their pretty faces!  Yes, they're all white, but I think I'll add some more colors to them.  I had intermixed them with some blue hydrangeas, but they died during the drought even tho I really babied them to no end.  So, iris it shall be!

Fruit trees are blooming their little hearts out...

My lovely onions.... Do you see some bare spots?  Well, my sweet little Gypsy decided to do some digging in the boxes.  I repaired as best as I could, but will have to get another bunch or so and fill in.  I can see some fencing in the near future around the garden, but that's okay.  The last 3 years, the coyotes ate most of my watermelons. Drat.  I've been asking for fencing since the first year, but THIS is the year for a garden fence!!!  Gypsy is one of those puppy dogs that buries her treats, her bones, her chewies, and goes back later when no one's looking to dig 'em up and eat 'em.  Another lesson from being a stray I suppose.

Kathy, you know what this means, doncha?  WAR ON GOPHERS!!!

Gypsy tries to dig them up, and if she finds one on a trap, she pulls the trap out of the ground and carries it off to eat the gopher.  Yuck.  (note to self - get worm medicine from vet...)  So... I've lost several gopher traps and at $6-$7 apiece can't afford that.  We've taken to driving a piece of rebar into the ground and wrapping a wire connected to the trap around the rebar to save our traps!  Works pretty good...

I've already caught two, and possibly 3 more that were eaten off the traps.

Ok, my peeps - love you all and I wish you the very best of weeks!  We have beauty outside right now, but rain is promised.  Only thing to deal with today is 30 mph winds!

Keep yer dress down!

Goin's On

Life's been fun around here on Sand Flat Farm.  My Nashville son left to go back this morning. Always sad to see them go, but I can't keep him here.  We had a great 10 days while he was home.  Of course, the house is a disaster - not because of him, but I tend to let everything just go by the wayside so I can spend time with the family. Plus I was injured - more to follow.  Josh and his lovely wife came over and spent lots of time, too.  And my folks.  We just partied all week long!  It was great!

My guys, all of them including the girl kid when she's here, have to go shooting while they're here. Even me!  It's fun, and we compete to see who's the best.  Stupid me didn't move her thumb out of the way when I pulled the trigger and the hammer got me - took a hunk 'o hide off my thumb.  I took a picture of my bloody stump and told everyone I shot my thumb by accident.  They half-way believed me. I was so brave - I didn't even cry.  It was pretty gross, but no worries. I only had to get 2 pints of blood. (JK) The thumb was saved to pull that hammer back another day...

I'm so glad I'm not a chimpanzee - it's been really hard not having an opposable thumb to work with, do dishes, fold laundry, cook, pull up my jeans, wash my hair this week, etc. ...  ;)

Protective ear-gear is a must. I think it's a new fashion statement.  Here they are "plinkin'" with .22's.

Adam is a bachelor still  >:-/   and so he doesn't get to eat home-cooked food much.  He eats out alot on the road traveling, so when he comes to Texas, his big request is momma's chicken fried steak, real mashed taters, green beans, and lots of thick cream gravy.  He looks extrememly happy doesn't he?  He filled his plate 2-3 times at least.  Makes a momma feel good to make her kid happy!

We've got hawg problems here in Texas, heck, they're overtaking just about everywhere I guess.  Dad's got a few hawg traps set up with feeders here.  They tear up everything and breed like rabbits.  They can ruin a good pasture of crops or hay in a few short hours.

These are baited with corn here... Dad checks 'em every day or two and he's got game cameras set up around them, too, so we can see what kind of activity is going on.  There're always 'coons and possums and other varmints, and of course deer.  But with a game camera one can see what you're up against when trapping hawgs and what times they come and how many, etc.  Helps when planning their demise.

And, with the scattered rains we've been so blessed with the last couple of weeks, the gopher situation has been on high alert.  We've gotten 9 NINE, people, during the month of October, and probably could've gotten a few more with a little more diligence.  We were busy with family stuff.  Gopher huntin' took a backseat while we were kickin' up our heels.  However, for your enjoyment, I have saved a picture of my last hunt.  Three in one morning. I think that's my new best record.  Don't worry - there's no blood.  Laid 'em out here so you can get a reallllll good look.

They thought this photo below showed their best sides...  Look at those claws.  They can really do some excavating, let me tell you!  I guess this is not very dignified to make fun of them in their present state, but oh well... I promise you they had no idea they were being set up for ridicule.  At this point, they didn't care if syrup went to a dollar a sop.

Early in the wee hours of last Wednesday morning, the motion detector light went on out in the front of the house.  It doesn't come on very often, but I saw it and got up and looked out the front window. I didn't see anything, and I'm not sure, but I think I heard a car.  Guess what I found when I opened the front door later that morning?????

THIS!

He's probably 3-4 months old.  Not very big yet.  He's not yellow - he's tan colored with big orange eyes.  Tony says his eyes look evil cuz they have a red cast to them.  I wonder if they'll eventually turn yellow?  He was a drop-off by some kind sweet soul, I'm sure. I think that's how we got our other cats, too. I guess that's what the motion detector light came on for.  Either that person dropping him off or the kitty himself.  Usually something that small doesn't trigger it, but ... whatever...

This is the 4th FOURTH cat that has been dropped here.  He's very sweet, but I'm not spending another arm and leg on a cat.  He is welcome to stay around, but with the coyotes, I don't know how long he'll last.  It's sad, really, and I don't wanna get attached to him.  I haven't even named him yet.  Josh told me to name him "Gepetto" but I think that's too long. We'll see how long he lasts and if he's coyote-savvy, then I'll contemplate neutering/shots, etc.  I love cats, but I'm allergic so he can't come in the house.

Well, I'm outa here, people.  Y'all try to have a wonderful day and keep yo dress down, ya heah?

What's Going On ...

Good morning, my friends out there!  Sorry I've been so busy this week.  Big son, Adam from Nashville, is home for a week or so.  He hasn't been home since the end of April and I have SURELY missed him!  I think he's getting a bit tired of me huggin' on him, but too bad!  Sunday was his birthday and we had 4 of us together minus the girl child in nursing school.  We had cake and we got him a nice gift that he'd been wanting for a long time.  We had grilled hamburgers and all the trimmings and enjoyed ourselves immensely!

Ever CAN'T find a good box for a present???

Enter Ch*rrios box - family size!  Works great!  AND I wrapped it in Sponge B*b Square P*nts paper!

Since I have my guys here this week, some long-needed projects that need man muscles and know-how were scheduled to be completed at Mom's request.  I've been wanting running water out to the  garden shed for a couple of years now - much easier to water that side of the garden AND water any chickens or livestock in the future.  It will eventually run out to the tractor barn which is another 100 yards or so but for now at least I won't be dragging 200 feet of garden hose around to water.  That sucker gets heavy!

A trench was dug out to the garden shed from the tap in the back yard and PVC pipe was laid.  Also, they ran the line up directly to the garden shed  porch and put a spigot there so I can have my old washtub right under it and wash veggies.  The drain run-off will have a short hose attached to direct it back to the garden or a small flower bed beside the garden shed. Fabulous!

Covering up the ditch with our trusty steed...

We were also needing a larger compost container. We had a little makeshift one for a couple of years but it was coming apart and we  noticed that some little varmints were getting in there and strewing some of the ingredients around outside.  My guys built this much nicer, much stronger, and much bigger compost container.  One side of it comes completely off - they fixed it where it would slide out the top somehow and we can get the tractor bucket in there to pick up loads of compost to put in the garden.  Ingenius!  Don't you think?  It's about 4'x8' in size and about 3.5' to 4' high on the sides.  I'm wondering if we need to put a top on it?  Doesn't it break down quicker? I think I read that somewhere - will have to do some checking on that...

My husband at first thought it was kind of unnecessary to have a compost bin, but after he saw how cool it was to have all that luscious broken-down good stuff to put in the garden, he really got into it.  He's always out there turning it and "going out to check on the compost", he says.  He's totally with the program now!

Now I'll have to really stay on top of collecting things from the kitchen, etc., to put in the compost. I sometimes forget and toss something in the trash or think it's something too small to worry about, but I'll be more watchful now.  I wanna have lotsa good compost to put in the garden next year. Oh, it's not big enough to do the whole garden area, but it'll sure help.  I'm thinking of adding a few raised garden beds next year and see if I like them as opposed to rows of continuous crops like I've been doing.  Cuts out a lot of weeds and easier to water and walk around.  We'll see...

Well, that's all I've got today.  We've got big plans all week long.  There's always so much to cram into the time that we have with our kids when they come home.  Fishing, shooting, cooking out on the grill, family get-togethers, golf for the sons --- speaking of,  I just LOVE when both my sons are here and they "hang out" and do "guy stuff" and all the male bonding.  My husband is with them as much as possible, but I love to see my two sons are spending precious time just with each other.  All of us who're moms and dads love that I'm sure!  I'm off to take some pics of my boys shooting! 

Keep your dress down!

HEY - ANYBODY AROUND LONDON, KY???

KFC  (otherwise known as KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN) is having their KFC Festival in London, KY, today and this evening.  They are having a big street fair and flea market and lots of FRIED CHICKEN!!!  The main attraction is at 7:00 p.m. tonight!  LIVE MUSIC put on by Eric Lee Beddingfield Band  OF WHICH  MY SON, ADAM, PLAYS the guitar & SINGS.  Should be a rockin' n rollin' and greasy fried chicken and red dirt hootin 'n hollerin'  time this evening!  GO for ME - I can't go - it's a fer piece from Texas....   ;(

My son, Adam, is on the right.....  in case you were wondering.......

"Over Her Now" - New Song by Adam

http://www.balconytv.com/v/adam-fears


If you'd like to hear my son, Adam Fears, Nashville Country Music Singer and Songwriter, sing one of his new songs, feel free to click the link - it'll take you to Balcony TV.  He sings his new tune "Over Her Now" and does an interview above Nashville at the Hard Rock Cafe -  Hot off the press!  Check him out! See what you think!  Thanks!

http://www.adamfears.net/

The Hermitage, Nashville, TN

Hey folks - back from Music City and back to the old grind at work again... sigh... a wonderful time was had by all in the 'Ville.  We took advantage of the long weekend and went to see Adam, our oldest.  While there, the weather was absolutely fantabulous - cool nights and warmish days - but not so warm that an outside adventure is out of the question.   We LOVE to visit historical sites. And Nashville and surrounding area is full of them.  Adam loves this stuff, too.  We decided to visit The Hermitage, the plantation home of President Andrew Jackson.  It was gorgeous, immaculately up kept and preserved and the perennial gardens were out of this world!  If only I could duplicate that at home!

Let me take you on a brief tour.  I believe the tour guide told us that the Jacksons had around 1,200 acres and today still they have all but about 80 or so.  We had these headsets that we could wear and take our own tour at our own pace. Sweeeeet!  Andrew Jackson bought this place and he and his wife first lived in one of the log cabins on their place and later built the big home that we see today. His son inherited it later on, wasted alot of the money, and a grand-daughter took over the place and had it restored to a museum and historical landmark.  I believe her foundation still maintains the upkeep even today.

There is a nice museum and gift shop and restaurant on the property - not attached to the main house.

There are several oil portraits in the museum of Andrew Jackson, photos of the family, the slaves, and lots of interesting information about the family and their lives and history.  They have a movie about the Hermitage also, but we did not take that in.

(above)  This picket fence is what you see on approaching the house...

(below) the family carriage and Jackson's personal phaeton are housed in the museum...

(below)  The staff would not let us take photos inside the house - everything is under glass and climate controlled to prevent mold and decay.  Everything is much the same and they have most of the original furniture in the house.  Original French wallpaper murals adorn the entryway, library, and upstairs bedrooms. It's QUITE beautiful... wish I could show you pictures...

(above) We were able to take a picure of this dining room.  Very nice - notice the old linoleum... Just outside the dining room was the chef's pantry where all the dishes and serving pieces were kept.  Normally, the affluent kept a sugar cabinet in the parlor or the formal dining room.  It was a sign of wealth.  There was also another pantry that was kept under lock and key, and the mistress of the house kept the keys.  All food was raised on the farm, but anything else they wanted was shipped in and kept locked up for special occasions and special guests.

An outside kitchen was later built - There was a kitchen in the house at one time, but people used to have outside kitchens, in case it caught fire it wouldn't burn the whole house down...

THIS (above) was the smokehouse right outside the kitchen.  They would butcher the hogs here, drain the blood in these big vats carved from some mighty thick trees and  hang the meat in the rafters and they would smoke the meat for about 6 weeks to cure it...

(above) a view of the back of the house...

(above) horse-drawn wagon tours available, too!  How fun!

(above) The Jacksons had an English styled garden - foursquare and all symmetrical.  The family graveyard is there, too.  They did own slaves and at least one of the men is buried near Jackson.  They had a beautiful monument/tomb erected from Andrew and his wife surrounded by the gardens...

(above and below)  The whole garden was very "Monet-ish" and provided lovely photo ops and painting ops for me!  YEA!  Hope to get to that pretty soon!

(above and below)  The monument that contains the tomb of Mr. & Mrs. Jackson...

A side view of the house from the gardens...

(above) Adam reading some of the headstones in the garden and family burial plot...

HAD to get a picture of these two hard workers!

(above)   Adam and I in the garden - notice the sunspot on my nose!

(above & below)  one of the cabins on the property.  I think the one above was converted into a barn structure.  See this sleepy guy hanging out?

This is a renovated cabin believed to be the first cabin that Andrew Jackson built on the property - later converted to slave quarters.  To the left of this cabin behind the trees were the "Field Quarters" - a couple of hundred acres where the slave cabins were - they must have had quite a few to take care of this large estate- the gardening, the field crops, cotton, the animals and the daily tasks of running the home.

(below)  These were the resident roosters - Dave & Buster.  They crowed the entire 2 and 1/2 hrs that we were there...

(above)  My guys along with one of two of the other draft horses that pulled the wagon.

And, you might be a redneck if.....

You wrap your carport in Confederate flags, and sell steaks and seafood out of your home!!!   (spotted in Arkansas...but why am I surprised?  No offense, Arkansas - we got stuff like that in Texas, too!)

 You might be a redneck if you use your defunct tractor as a pond fountain to aerate for your catfish!!!!

Spotted in Pittsburg, Texas (I think)

And just one more...

You might be a redneck...

If you ride ON the mower ON the trailer from job to job

And get your picture taken not once but twice while stopped at a red light!!!  I had a guy even pull his car out of the way so I could get my shot!  (spotted in Arkansas - sorry Arkansas - gotcha twice on this trip, I did!)

Next up - a few shots of Adam and his Rock 'n Roll show at Big Shotz, downtown Nashville Saturday night Sept. 5!       Hope you all had as wonderful a weekend as I did!