Autumn 2013, My Sister Lisa

Knock, knock?

Anybody out there?

Autumn is under way at Sand Flat Farm.  Our temps have been in the 70's the last week or so and will continue.  I still have time to winterize the chickie coop with plastic around the north side AND finish getting the garden put to bed.  We pulled and burned alot this past weekend, but there is still about a third of it to get done.  Flower beds need mulching again, altho the falling leaves do make a good protective cover. 

Shout out to Kathy at Spot On Cedar Pond - we've had some rain lately, and the gophers are popping up everywhere!  The moles, too!  I've got traps set all over the yard.  Not worried about the fields - our hay man takes care of that himself.  Gypsy can be spotted at any time of day with only her rear end sticking up above the hay digging for gophers.  (should be one more cutting before the first freeze)  You should see the holes she digs in our yard.  While it pains me to have to fill her holes, if she catches a gopher, that pleases me (I guess).  I was a little perturbed that she dug a huge trench in my rose bed that almost unearthed one of the bushes...

In other news, chickens are molting - they are hideous-looking and my #1 HCIC (head chicken in charge) is so embarrassed at her frock that she generally stays off to herself right now looking so forlorn.  Usually, she is keeping everybody in line and is always first in line for treats and to get out the door when they are ranging for the day.  She usually walks around with her chest puffed out like a little rooster and is not timid about attacking somebody that might get in her way to the food bowl...

Don't know how the autumn skies are where you are, but this is what our sunrises have been looking like lately.  They were utterly gorgeous - I've been out walking early...  Have to confess that I did amp up the color just a titch (like Vee says) but not much!  They were beautiful skies, and it makes me feel like heaven is coming down!

 

This is Texas Ranger Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  Many of you will recognize it.  This was the site on September 21 of the Ovarian Cancer Walk for the Cure.  Just about my whole family participated (including various significant others of the kids)  We walked in honor of my sister, Lisa.  She was there in fine form, but could not do the walk, but what a cheerleader she was!  It was a 5 K and we walked the course around the new Cowboy Stadium and Arlington Stadium and park areas.  It was a stellar day, and SO humbling to see all the family/friend teams walking for those they love.  Lots of survivors there, too!!!  We'll be doing this again!  Our team was called the Lollipops - my sister was called "Lollie" when she was young and momma still calls her that.  My niece named our team and had our Tshirts done - they were so cute!  Then we all went out to eat at Babe's to celebrate! 

L-R,   Lisa, Me, Mom, Lisa's daughter, & my daughter.  The menfolks were around somewhere... It was a great day!  Lisa has finished the first round of chemo.  3 weeks ago, she and I went to MD Anderson in Houston and she has begun another round.  Her hair is coming back and I like to pet her head.  She feels like a puppy...  Continue to pray for Lisa - she's a fighter and she has the most positive attitude!  God is with her and she is with Him every step of the way.  Thank you so much!!!

Afternoon Amish Cinnamon Bread and Coffee

This afternoon, I had been cruising Pinterest and ran across a recipe for Amish Cinnamon Bread.  I tried the recipe and it's become a part of my recipe box now!  It was SO easy and it's great with coffee or tea or for breakfast... It'd be great to carry to someone who's under the weather or just to cheer someone's day.  Here it is, and I'll put the recipe below...

 

http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/668434739// 

Ingredients

Batter:
1	cup butter, softened
2	cups sugar
2	eggs
2	cups buttermilk or 2 cups milk plus 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
4	cups flour
2	teaspoons baking soda
Cinnamon/sugar mixture:
⅔	cups sugar
2	teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

Cream together butter, 2 cups of sugar, and eggs. Add milk, flour, and baking soda. Put 1/2 of batter (or a little less) into greased loaf pans (1/4 in each pan). Mix in separate bowl the 2/3 c sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 3/4 of cinnamon mixture on top of the 1/2 batter in each pan. Add remaining batter to pans; sprinkle with last of cinnamon topping. Swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min. or until toothpick tester come clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

I think it actually took about 40 minutes in my oven and I  had to put a piece of foil over the bread pan to keep the edges from getting too done.  But this recipe is totally worth it!  Not too sweet, not too cake-y.  I loved it!!!  This recipe will make 2 loaves of bread.  I halved it to make sure I liked it before I went whole hog.  There ya go!

Think I'll go have another piece and maybe some hot tea this time!  Cheers!

Oh, by the way, check out my latest painting - South Light Art Blog!

(Sorry this thing is all printed on the side - I couldn't get it to align correctly!!!)

California, Here We Come! (rather - There We Went!)

 

 Hello from Sunny California!  Actually, we got back Monday night from San Luis Obispo in central Cali along the coast.  My nephew got married on the beach at Avila Golf Resort.  It was a beautiful place and lovely setting for a wedding!  My sister, Lisa, and her husband, my parents and Tony and I went to help celebrate this happy occasion!  The weather was perfect, and it was SO nice to get away from the Texas heatwave!  I know why people love living in California!

We got to Cali a day early and our plane flew into Santa Barbara so we took in the beautiful mission while we were passing through.  Here's me, Lisa and mom...

 

If you've never been there, the grounds are beautiful and there is a wonderful rose garden across the front of the property.  Many different kinds and colors of roses, but MY favorite is always The Yellow Rose of Texas!

 

Avila Beach Golf Resort is near San Luis Obispo so that's where we decided to stay - it's a pretty little town and has its own mission, too, which I'll show you in another post.  I just love the landscape out there with the mountains and eucalyptus trees.  It was quite dry this time of year and the grass was brown and crunchy, but it was nice to see something different...

 At the wedding, here's my nephew walking his mom, my sister Lisa, down the aisle.  It was a beautiful and informal wedding.  The bride chose lime green and black as her colors and it was gorgeous!  Isn't Lisa pretty! 

 My nephew's bride was stunning.  She's a beautiful young lady and they will make a handsome couple (and cute babies!)  And the best part is, they are moving home to Texas!  My nephew has been in the Navy and he put in for a transfer to Texas!  I'm So thrilled that he's going to be closer to his mom!

After the wedding festivities were over, we stayed a few extra days to have some R & R.  Took the family to the beach and  played...  Whatever we felt like doing!  Aren't vacations wonderful!

 

On one of our beach excursions, we spotted these lazy things laying on the beach - sea lions.  (sometimes I feel like this after a big meal, too!)  There were a couple of big males out in the water scuffling and making horrible noises with those big snouts of theirs.

 Well, so as not to make this post too picture-heavy, I'll close for now and post some more pics next time.  We visited the Hearst castle again with the family and I think the flowers were even more beautiful this visit!  Thanks to all of you who stopped by to say hi and let me know you're still my blogging buddy!  :)

Summer at Sand Flat Farm

Don't know if many of you are still with me, but I'm still hanging around.  It's been such a busy summer 'round here - what with the garden, the canning and freezing, the kids, the folks, and spending lots of good sister time with Lisa!  I've let blogging fall by the wayside, but it fell way down on my list of importance this summer.  And, I've been doing some painting, too - which has been something I've been missing...

Lisa is doing well.  She finished her 18 weeks of chemo and her CT scan came back clear - for which I am praising God  every day!  However, her Dr. wants her to do some different chemo in addition, so I ask for your continued prayers as she readies herself for more treatment.  She's been feeling good, a little tired, but SOOOO much better than a few months ago.  She's gone back to work and is enjoying having her routine and her great girlfriends around her.  That's such a praise, too!  Our family, including our parents, Lisa & her hubby and me and my hubby are all traveling to California soon as Lisa's son is getting married!  We're looking forward to that trip and will spend a few extra days just having some fun, too!

We've been working hard in our garden - it was good this year - except for the corn.  It pretty much just dried up.  I think I made my garden too big this year.  I'm going to cut back a bit next year.  With just us two, and pretty much mostly me being at home to take care of everything, it just got a little bit out of hand.  I did a really great job of the garden - it was just too much for one person to handle alone, plus I was out of town alot this summer, too. The weeds got away from me and I had way more produce than what we could use.  I still have several gallon bags of tomatoes in the freezer to make hot sauce, and the silly peppers are still coming on.  Can't complain, tho - the freezer is full!

 

 The chickens are doing well.  I lost one.  She died after a terrible seizure-fit-Idon'tknowwhat right in front of me.  She was fine an hour earlier and then she just had this anaphylaxis fit and keeled over.  I couldn't figure out what happened - can a copperhead snake bite and kill a chicken?  Because a couple of days later, I killed a copperhead (with my 12 gauge hoe) that was hanging out in the same flowerbed as my chickens usually do.  It could have bitten any of them OR Gypsy OR me when I pull weeds.  Hmmmm....  I did get a couple of new chickens, too.  Been keeping my eyes peeled for a silver-laced and a gold-laced wyandotte.  They are so pretty, and I found a young lady not too far away that raised some from babies.  I got one of each, and will have to show you their picture soon.  They have just started laying...  My Rhode Island Red looks like she got caught in a fan belt - she's molting and could easily pass for roadkill OR Phyllis Diller...

 

 

My chicken guard dog, Gypsy, is doing a fantastic job of watching over the girls...

 

I REALLY enjoyed my sunflowers this year.  I think this would make a good painting, don't you?

I think the funnest thing that I did this summer was ----  Spending time with my sister Lisa.  She has lots of artistic talent that she's used with her needlework and quilting (she's an awesome quilter), and I've suggested to her many times that she should try her hand at painting.  She never gave it much thought and sort of pooh-poohed the idea.  But then - she changed her mind!  We had a painting weekend a few weeks back when I went to stay a few days.  I took some of my supplies and she bought some, and this girl has been painting!  And, she's doing a wonderful job!  We got one of their daughters to stay home and paint with us, and we just had THE BEST DAY EVER!  Lisa's continued doing some painting on her own at home, too!  I'm so proud of her!  I knew she could do it!  Isn't she beautiful! Just look at that smile!  I can't wait til we have a repeat paint-a-thon!

 Here's a picture that Lisa painted just a week or so ago.  How's this for a budding artist?  I think it's GREAT!

Well, I hope and pray you all are doing well, my friends, and that your summers have gone well.  Hope
you've gotten to see family and friends and go places and relax.  It was hot here as usual, but the last week of August was probably the hottest we've seen - in the 100's.  The first part of the summer was actually not too bad.  OK, I'm ready for cool weather now.  I mean it IS September, but realistically, we won't see any cool weather til October/November...  The Virginia creeper is turning scarlet and the sycamore trees are beginning to turn gold and lose leaves.  Always the first things to go... As much as I hate Virginia creeper, it sure does look lovely when it turns...  A sure sign that fall is on its way!

Sending you all a big hug from Sand Flat Farm!  

Independence Day, 2013

Happy July 4, Independence Day!

Hope you and your beloveds have a wonderful time making new memories and remembering why our Nation is the best place on EARTH!  Thanks to our service people present, past and future who gave their lives to make us free!  And thanks to our founding fathers for taking the steps and the risks to make this country ONE NATION UNDER GOD!

And May the Lord Continue to Bless the United States of America!