Hodges on the Hill

The 7 Dangers to Human Virtue

2012-01-15T21:08:00.000-08:00

1. Wealth without work.
2. Pleasure without conscience.
3. Knowledge without character.
4. Business without ethics.
5. Science without humanity.
6. Religion without sacrifice.
7. Politics without principle.
Ghandi

TO MY RUTHERFORD CO FB FRIENDS

2011-08-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!! I really could use some help. My daughter-in-law, Tina Hodge, found some locally made goat milk soap made by a man and sold at the Flea Market on 221 in Danieltown. She gave me some of the soap to see if I liked it and WOW, did I ever. It is the most wonderful soap I have ever used. It leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean and so soft. I use it on my face too. The folks around here keep asking me what am I using on my face.

Here's the problem. The man no longer sells at the Flea Market and someone told Tina, he was letting a person sell it in their shop but didn't know where. She has tried to no avail to find out who.

The soap comes in a variety of very light scents and doesn't bother my asthma. I am including a picture of Cherry Almond. There is also Bayberry, Honeydew Melon, an Apple scent, many many more. I am down to only two bars left and I really need to find some more.

If you know of someone who sells this soap please contact me by leaving a comment on this post or leaving a message on FB. Thanks a lot.

THIS IS WHY S&P DOWNGRADED US ON FRIDAY NIGHT

2011-08-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

Chris Thomas says this......

Kinda brings home what a pitiful attempt has been put forth by our leaders who get raises practically every year, and have their own retirement and medical insurance that is not subject to the plans that they vote on for us and ask us to make sacrifice for after we have paid in for it.

The Debt Deal In Perspective

Purpose:

To put the debt limit debate / debt deal of the last few weeks in perspective.

2011 Federal Budget Deal

Federal Budget: $3,820,000,000,000 (3.82 Trillion)

Income: $2,170,000,000,000 (2.17 Trillion)

New Debt: $1,650,000,000,000 (1.65 Trillion)

Amount Cut: $38,500,000,000 (38.5 Billion) - about 1% of the total budget.

Harry Reid is calling this a "historic amount". The President said it is a "historic deal". John Boehner simply said, "We've come to an agreement".

Let's put this in perspective. It helps if we put the numbers in terms to which we can relate.

Let's remove NINE zeroes from those numbers and pretend this is a monthly household budget for the fictitious Jones family.

Amount of money the Jones family spent this month: $3,820

Total income for the Jones family this month: $2,170

Amount of new debt added to the Jones family credit card this month: $1,650

Outstanding balance on the Jones family credit card: $14,271 (represents our national debt).

So last week, the Jones family sat down at the kitchen table and agreed to cut $38 from their monthly budget.

A historic amount?!!!

Regards,

Bob Kralowetz

NOT SO SWIFT JUSTICE

2011-07-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

Well, by now, I guess everyone knows that Casey Anthony got away with murder. Some will say "they couldn't prove she did it", or "they couldn't prove she didn't do it". But who will speak for little Caylee. No one. At the mercy of the one person who was supposed to protect her with their life, a woman of no emotion except for herself. Why wasn't she saying "where is my baby? My baby is missing. We can't find her." Instead she waited 31 days to report her daughter missing. 31 days!!! Who waits 31 days to report a 2 yr old child missing?

My father sexually abused me! What? Who cares! Where is your child? She drowned in the pool! What? Why didn't you call an ambulance? My father was there when she drowned! Why didn't he report the accident? Why didn't he call 911. Why did you all hide that body and then dispose of it. The Anthony's all had a part in this child's death. Somebody should be charged with conspiracy to cover up. What you say! A murder! But they couldn't prove it was murder.

If a police officer had done his job and checked the location 4 months before there may have been enough evidence to convict. But is anyone chastising this officer? No

A little child is dead. Gone, never to grow up and experience life like every living person should be able to do. All of them, Casey Anthony, George Anthony, Cindy Anthony, a negligent police officer, the prosecution, the defense, the JURY failed little Caylee Anthony. Sad so sad.

IRRITATING PRACTICES

2011-07-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

Lately I have noticed that in my cbox (which I added to my blog for comments on my posts) has been used by other blogs or websites to advertise their sites, or invite me to join their whatever, and most of the time it is in a foreign language of which I don't understand, but I can pick out certain words like "jom join" or "jom tonton" which is "come join" in two similar languages. I understand that people want you come to their sites but with these you never know if they are virus sites or porn sites. I have already be infected by a porn site once and had to cancel my e-mail account ( which I have had forever ) and open a new account with a new provider. It just irritates me that the Internet can not be policed better and these sites closed down. I understand that everyone has the right to have their own blogs but I have always thought that use of the Internet to promote porn has been a no no. These people know exactly how to get around any one's security net no matter how tight. The devil is working overtime on this problem across the globe. I just wish there was someway to rid the Internet of these moral less people. I guess I'm just blowing off some steam this morning. Anyway, everyone have a great day.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

2011-06-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

THE HOLY SPIRIT

Have you ever been just sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like doing something nice for someone you care for? THAT'S GOD talking to you through the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to talk to? THAT'S GOD wanting you to talk to Him.

Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn't even ask for, like money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or a coupon to a department store where you had just seen some thing you needed, but couldn't afford? THAT'S GOD knowing the desires of your heart.

Have you ever been in a situation and you had no clue how it was going to get better, how the hurting could stop, how the pain would ease, but now you look back on it . THAT'S GOD passing us through tribulation to see a brighter day.

Do you think that this e-mail was accidentally sent to you?

Keep this going. You have no idea which one of Your e-mail buddies could use a little hope today

Dear God...

I know you're watching over me
And I'm feeling truly blessed
For no matter what I pray for
You always know what's best!
I have this circle of E-mail friends,
Who mean a lot to me;
Some days I 'send' and 'send,'
At other times, I let them be.

I am so blessed to have these friends,
With whom I've grown so close;
So this little poem I dictate to them,
Because to me they are the 'Most'!

When I see each name download,
And view the message they've sent;
I know they've thought of me that day,
And 'well wishes' were their intent...

So to you, my friends, I would like to say,
Thank you for being a part;
Of all my daily contacts,
This comes right from my heart..

God bless you all is my prayer today,
I'm honored to call you 'friend';
I pray God will keep you safe,
Until we write again.
IN GOD WE TRUST!!

STUPID SALESPEOPLE!!

2011-06-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

I have carpel in both my hands and it hurts to hold onto a phone or other object for very long. My fingers go to sleep and have sharp pains in them and my palms. I needed something to help with holding the office phone in my hands. I went to Office Max to get a headset that I could plug into the handset on the office phone. I told the salesman what I needed and he helped me find it. I bought it. When I got back to the office I discovered the office phone had no connection port for the cord on the headset. I was surprised because the last phone I had at home had one.
Danny and I had to go to Wal-mart that evening so we checked while we were there and they didn't have any phones that had the connection port either. Checked at Office Max in Inverness and their display was a winged one with all their phones (about 40 or more) displayed on the wings and in the middle was a display of corded headsets. What was unbelievable was that there was not one single phone in their display that these headsets would connect to. When I asked the salesman what was the use of having this display, he said, "I guess they want you to get disgusted enough to purchase one of these." At which point he showed me the display of wireless headsets costing from $125.00 to $399.00.
Of course, I looked at him like he had lost all his marbles. I said, " if I bought one of those my boss would fire me on the spot." Don't know what I'm gonna do now. But I just don't understand the reasoning behind selling an item to someone when you know it's not going to work. Just saying!!!

The Need

2011-05-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

I have a need to blog. My feelings have been hurt to the core. I am feeling so angry right now that I can hardly breath. What is worse is that I am the type of person that can not intentionally hurt someone and I know that if I say something I will loose control and say very hurtful things. And they will have serious repercussions. So I think that the best thing to do is keep silent and let it eat me alive. And I ask God to forgive me for the resentful need I feel to hurt back.

Lifetime Changes

2011-05-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

Well, as some of you already know Danny and I have left his beloved mountains of NC and moved to my beloved flatlands of Florida. It was necessary for more than one reason. I lost my job back in Dec 2009 and Danny lost his in Dec 2010. Prospects had not looked good for me at all and were looking even worse for Danny. Then we got letters from the ESC of NC that stated since the unemployment rate had decreased (about 1/2 of a percent) in NC, that the Federal Gov't would not longer support the extended benefits program. I was on extended and Danny would have needed it about 6 weeks later. So seeing that we were running out of time, we had to make a life changing decision. An opportunity opened up in Inglis, FL and we applied.
So here we are back in Florida, closer to my family but further from his. It's always hard being away from the people you love, especially when, now it includes your own children and grand-children. But we are adults, and we will survive. It is also great for my asthma. I have been doing a lot better since we got here. And we are both gainfully employed ( thank you Lord).
There is a small problem with my blog though. The name says "Hodges on the Hill". Well, we're not on the hill anymore, so I guess next time you see this blog, I will be changing the name. I could use a little help though. I have thought about, "Hodges in the Flats" or Hodges on the River ( Withlacoochee River across the road). Or something like that. I just don't know, so I'm open for suggestions.
It's good to be back, I'm loving it here. It's quiet, peaceful and the work is not that hard.

A MUST READ

2011-02-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

Catching Wild Pigs

A chemistry professor in a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.

In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms -- just a little at a time.

One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself.

Also, if you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America , you might want to send this on to your friends. If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life then you will probably delete this email, but God help you when the gate slams shut!

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have" Thomas Jefferson

APPLE BUTTER

2010-07-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

It's apple time again! Yeahhhhhh!! Tina picked me three buckets of apples yesterday at a friends house and I started peeling and cutting as soon as we got home. The first run was 34 jars. I'm so excited. I still have a bucket and a half. Lots more to come.
I can hear them sealing from here. Pop, Pop, Pop!!! I love the sound of canning jars sealing. Have I said that before!! LOL

Late Night Visitor

2010-07-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

The other night we were just sitting around. I was playing on the computer and Brenda was watching TV in her room. We kept hearing this odd noise and the dogs started to bark toward the front windows. We went to investigate and found this beautiful Regal Moth flying around outside the front of the house.

You can see by the size this is a pretty big specimen. They can get up to 6 inches across. They are one of the largest moths in North America.

As you can see by this picture, the Regal Moth is truly regal. The larval stage is called a Hickory Horned Devil. Although they look quite foreboding, they are actually not mean or dangerous.

Back in the Kitchen..Again! Part Duex

2010-07-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

I started making homemade vegetable soup this past week. Danny's sister, Diane, gifted me with bunch of tomatoes, so I started making soup and salsa. So far, I have 40 jars of ready to heat and eat soup and 33 jars of salsa.

I can't wait for the apples and pears to come in. There won't be any plum jelly this
year because the worms got them first. Maybe the birds will eat them. They are
full of protein you know. Ewww, yuck!!

Fourth of July

2010-07-20T12:27:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I posted on this blog. But a lot has been happening. Sh-h-h
don't tell anyone, I should have been posting about that too. Jamie finished truck driving school and went to work with Prime, Inc. out of Missouri. So now he's on the road all the time. Tina is with him on the truck. She will be coming home soon to start her truck driver training and afterwards she'll be joining him on the truck, team driving.

Ambre and Kojak decided to move back to the coast. Ambre got accepted at Carteret CC in the nursing program and Kojak starts work tomorrow with DirecTV. So that leaves me here alone except that Chris's grandmother is staying with me while we get Ambre's house ready to move into. She will be renting from them. So I do have someone here with me and she is a big help. She makes sure I take my meds ( she's bossy like that! hehe!)

We went out to visit Ambre and family over the fourth of July weekend. Even though they had only been gone a couple of weeks, we were missing them something fierce. Right now they are staying with Kojaks grandmother and looking for a place of their own. Here are a few pics of our adventure.

We were hiding on the little
beach area on the island
when K and Ambre brought
them down. They were
looking like "who are those
strange people over there
taking our pictures. " Then
they realized who it was
and pandemonium broke out.

We stayed near the end of the island at Calico Jacks. You could see the Cape Lookout Lighthouse from the boat docks.

The air was so clear.
You can almost see
the light keepers house
at the base of the light-
house. The light was
turning and I tried to
get a pic and the light
but the only one I was
able to get was blurry.

We went fishing too.
I don't know what that
is that Danny caught.
But Ambre caught this
really cool, toadfish. It
had the tail of an eel
and the head of a cat-
fish w/o whiskers.

Anyway, we had a great time and can't wait to go back
Labor day weekend. Hopefully by that time, they will
be in their own house and we can stay with them. I
would not recommend Calico Jacks. But it is very
beautiful and relaxing there on the island. I would not
mind living there at all.

Back In the Kitchen....Again!!!!!

2010-06-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, summer is finally here. The time for planting is over and the time for harvesting natures bounty has begun. Danny's sister, Diane gave me some cucumbers and squash. I canned the squash and made pickles with the cukes. I enjoyed making the pickles so much, I went and bought some more. The plums will be ready soon for jams and jellies. Already beat the birds to the cherry trees and froze the fruit for pies later in the year. The apple tree is full and the pear tree looks about the break with all the fruit that's on it. Why is it that I hate cooking but I love to can. Who knows, who cares. Here are some pics of my canning so far.
Here are the four quarts of squash I got. They turned out real pretty and colorful.
This is the first batch of dill slices I made yesterday. Can't wait to taste them. I have to wait 24 hours.
Twelve more pints of dill slices and 11 pints of kosher spears. Yum!!! Tomorrow it's more kosher spears and bread and butter pickles. I hope I can find the jars. I bought the last two Walmart had this morning. Anyway, can't wait for the apples to ripen so I can make apple butter and canned pears too. Yum! Yum!! Oh! Wait. I've still got two jars of pears left from last year. I think I will have one right now. Goodnight everyone. Enjoy your summer.

Special Quilt

2010-05-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Jamie got home Wednesday night. He had asked my to make Jim, his trainer, a quilt to thank him for putting up with him for the last few months. Jim is an ex-marine, so we made him one to fit his personality. Here are the pics.

Here's a close-up!!

FOR SALE

2010-03-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I am posting some pics of some crocheted blankets I have made. They are for sale. So if you know someone who needs a gift for a new baby or would just like to have one just in case, let me know. My email is " gabsnana@bellsouth.net.

This first one is called "Mommie and Me". It's actually a knifty knitted blanket. It's done in panels that are mattress stitched together. It's 26" X 36" and is oh so soft. It sells for $45.
This one is called " Peaches and Cream". It's crocheted in a chevron pattern. It measures 36" X 42". The perfect size for a crib. It sells for $45.00 also.
This beauty is a " County Fair" pattern done is soft peach and off white. It's very soft and measures 34" X 50". This pattern is especially dear to me as it was designed by my Mom. It sells for $50.00. If you like any of these, please do not hesitate to let me know. If you have special colors or patterns in mind, I will do those too. I can also make coordinating quilts and changing pads too. Some of those are in some of my earlier posts. Take a look below!!!

Another Gift set

2010-02-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

Our friends, Ruchir and Dhrutika Patel, had a baby girl on Jan 6. They live in Centerville, Ga now. I made them a set for their baby and here are the pics.
I've got the material and am starting their quilt set to match. Pics later.

Next, I have been working on some baby boggins to present to the Hands of Hope for Life organization in Forest City. They are a group that works with unwed and teenage pregnant girls. I am going to take them down tomorrow. Here's a picture of all 30 of them.

Baby Tate's Quilt Set

2010-02-02T05:46:00.000-08:00

My great-niece, Courtney, and her husband, Jason, are the proud parents of Baby Tate. Born Feb 1, 2010 at 11:15. He weighed 8 lbs 9 oz and was 20 1/2" long. I would share a photo but I don't have one yet. But I have been working on a quilt, a crocheted blanket, a changing pad and boggins for little Tate. Here are the pictures.
This is the quilt and changing pad. It's made from the same material that Ambre made the diaper bag from.
This is the crocheted blanket and two toboggins I made. I hope Baby Tate enjoyed them. I really enjoyed making them for him. We are going to see him later today.

New Beginning

2010-01-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

Well, Danny and I have decided to try and lose some weight. We have been watching Dr. OZ everyday and Lord knows we both need to. I had lost 34 lbs when I was able to swim at the college but I had to quit for awhile. Hopefully I can start back soon. I know that will help me a lot. I was breathing better and had a lot more breath. We brought the treadmill back in the house and we have both been walking on it. Building a little bit at a time. I am going to be posting here on the blog with updates as we progress so, wish us luck and here goes.

The Ant

2010-01-14T10:15:00.000-08:00

One day a very small and timid ant climbed a very tall mountain. When he reached the summit, he looked into the heavens and said, " God, why am I here?" And a voice answered and said, " Because I love you!". " But how can you love me? I'm just a small, insignificant ant. The smallest of the small." And God answered, " No one is insignificant to me. Everyone and everything is important. Even the smallest of the small." And the little ant smiled and went on his way. The moral of this story is: God loves you no matter how big or how small or how insignificant you think you are. Believe in Him and He will believe in you.

Book Marks

2009-09-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

We decided to start a library at the church. I am going to be the new librarian. We don't have very many books so I came up with an idea to earn some money for books. I am making
special bookmarks. Here are some below.
Here are a couple a better views close up.

Staying Put?

2009-09-09T14:27:00.001-07:00

I think I explained a while back that the company I work for is like a sub-contractor inside another company. We run and stock their supply room for them. On July 2 we received notice that the company would no longer need our services. So after a 90 day exit agreement I would be out of a job. They really wanted me to be able to stay but things did not work out the way they had planned. Their corporate will not allow them to add any more employees to their headcount at this time. So they have played a sneaky and hired me through another service. I will be making 3.73 more an hour than I am making now. And they are hoping that one of the people they have hired will not work out, and they can hire me permanently.

I'm kinda excited about it. First because I've never made this amount of money in my life and at this time in our lives this will be a godsend. We have lost a lot of money on Danny's 401K because of the state of the economy and my extra income will help to replace some of that. Second, I will be in a supervisory position and it's about time. I've run that place basically on my own for 7 years and I think I deserve it.

So keep your fingers crossed that all will go as planned and I will be able to be hired permanently with IAC.

Dear Ol' Deer

2009-08-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

Hi! Everyone. Danny loves to hunt as most of you know. And he has a camera that takes pictures of anything that moves within its range. Well pictured below are a few of the pics that his camera has taken thus far.

This picture was taken in the back yard. This deer was definitely on the move.
This was taken the next day. Probably the same doe but she's not in as big a hurry today.
Now do you see the black at the bottom of this photo. THAT IS A BEAR!!!!! No, not really.
That's Jamie's dog Titan. But really, you should have seen the reaction when this pic flashed up on the TV screen and everyone said " it's a bear " until someone remembered Titan. Then we all had a laugh. But it is a way to keep the grands from wandering around without an adult.

This was made during the night from under the apple tree in the front yard. Can you see both of them. So far we have not been able the catch the elusive buck but we have not given up. He is out there somewhere and we will get a picture. And I will post it so you can see him too. He's got the be a pretty good size buck, because his tracks are enormous.

Canning Pears

2009-08-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

We have a couple of pear trees outside in the yard. They are very tall. They were loaded with pears this year and Danny remarked he'd like to have some canned pears, so I told him to get me some and I would try. Well, he finally got up there yesterday evening and I peeled, cored and cut them up. Made up a batch of syrup and cooked the pears for about 15 minutes in the syrup. Then I packed the jars( with Christopher's help) after placing a 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick in the bottom of the jar. Filled the jar with syrup and cooked them in the canner in a hot water bath for about 30 minutes. They turned out beautiful.

We opened a jar up tonight and tasted them. They were delicious. I had to threaten Ambre. Jamie tried to sneak out with a jar. So he said he would climb up the high ladder tomorrow and get the rest out of the top of the tree if I would make some more so they could have some. I'll make them some but someone is going to help peel and core.

Rose of Sharon

2009-08-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

I love Rose of Sharon trees. Years ago, Bo, Ambre, Bo's girlfriend at that time and myself were walking for exercise and we came across a whole forest filled with Rose of Sharon bushes. I pulled two or three of them up and planted them in my yard. I planted one down at Mama's. They are in full bloom right now.

Cool Marriage Proposal

2009-07-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

I found this on our High School website. Thought it was really neat the way this guy proposes!

SALSA (not the dance)

2009-07-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law, Diane, gave me some tomatoes from her garden. She also gave me her recipe for homemade salsa. So this evening Ambre and I made salsa. You start with a lot of tomatoes.
Then you add all kinds of good things like green peppers, onions, tomato paste, salt, sugar and then you cook for a while.
After that we filled the sterilized jars and cooked them in a hot water bath for 20 minutes and there you go. Salsa!!!!
Note: Pay no attention to the Texas Pete in the background. None of this was added to the recipe. It just happened to be sitting on the table when I took this picture. However, a small pod of hot pepper was chopped up in the mix to add a little zest.

Cicadas !!!

2009-07-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

Every few years, we see a few of these unusual bugs around. We've never had
a major infestation. And according to the scientists, they are not expecting
one in 2009. I found this hatched shell on the end of one of my sidewalk bricks
this morning.
This is the cicada cocoon, so to speak, it looks like a large bug. The back
breaks open and the cicada comes out. When it emerges it is a bright green.
But after opening and drying off, it changes color.

And so ends the short science lesson.

Resemblances

2009-06-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Ambre made me a new purse and wallet set. I love them. They are great. When we got home from church, we changed clothes and I was fixing to start Danny some lunch, when one of the boys came busting in hollering Poppy, Poppy, come see the terweddle. We found a terweddle. It was hilarious. They were so excited because they had found a turtle in the driveway. Anyway, I sat down to change my purse around and ran across this picture. It's been in every wallet of mine since 1971.

Do any of you know who this is? It's my Dad, taken when he was just 12 years old. I don't remember who gave me the photo but I have always kept it with me. Anyway, Ambre held it up to one of the boys and the resemblance was uncanny. So I pulled a picture of Chris also. Here are the photos. The resemblance to Dad is really fascinating.

Well, this is Chris when he was about nine years old. Sorry for the blurriness. Next up is this picture of the boys. What do you think?

GRANDS

2009-05-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

Danny and I have been putting in a garden. We put in some potatoes and beans and tomatoes, okra and squash. The other day he brought some iron fence poles to put up for the beans to run on. The boys were outside playing and they wanted to help. They brought Danny the poles, each one yelling, "Help me Poppy, help me!" It was hilarious.
Here are a few pictures of Danny's little helpers in the garden.

That's James in the front. Sometimes he's a little camera shy. But not often. That's Cameron coming up behind.

That's Cameron up front, puttin' on the glitz. He's such a camera hog. He loves getting his picture made so he can make that glitzy smile. Don't know whether James is coming or going.

My Children!!

2009-05-21T18:54:00.001-07:00

You know the Bible says you are not supposed to brag and I really don't want to. But I really need to say something about my children. I just need to say that I thank God for them everyday. They have been a blessing to me through out the years. Bo is the oldest and he is married to Millie. They were meant for each other, like two peas in a pod. He is the maintenance supervisor at Blue Ridge Homes in Campabella, SC. He makes rustic furniture in his spare time and makes keeping Millie happy his number one priority.

Then we have Jamie. Being a middle child is not easy. I think Jamie has always felt kind of left out, but he really hasn't been. He's had a hard time in his personal life but has never let that keep him down for long. He has such a resilence that's its uncanny. He quit school in the tenth grade. But now he is going to ICC and getting his GED. He has the determination of a Brahma bull. And the temper to go with it, I might add. He has such a love for his children. And he's also talented. He went down to Bo's and used his shop tools and made the most beautiful jewelry box. He has the voice of an angel, if you could get him to use it. I've heard him sing and its beautiful.

Then we have Ambre, otherwise known as Dingleberry, Doodywhopper, Banaboo! She is my youngest. To me, Ambre is the most beautiful thing on two feet. But I can't convince her of that. She has always had a problem with confidence. Everything she has ever attempted to do, she has accomplished. When line dancing was in, I don't think I 've ever seen anyone who could outdo her on the dance floor. She learned to crochet at an early age. She quit school in the tenth grade like Jamie but succeeded in getting her diploma at ICC and surprising me one Christmas. She can make pottery and knows how the figure the ratios for making glazes. (there are some Chemists who can't do that). Her Daddy bought her a sewing machine and she taught herself to sew. She will take an instruction book and read it from front to back and find it interesting. ( I think it's a pile of slop and only skip through what I need ). She has gone back to school to get her nursing degree and has made almost all A's. She makes quilts and totes and purses and does all this while trying to raise three children ( two in potty training). I see myself in Ambre. The me that should have been. I'm so glad she will not wait like I did to try and make something for herself in this world. To wait is to be forgotten and pushed aside. But Ambre will not be, she will succeed and I know that she has the determination to keep going until everything she wants to do in life, she does it.

I'm very proud of all three of my children. They are three very talented and very loving individuals who make me a very lucky mother. I thank God for them everyday.

ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR NIGHTMARE

2009-05-15T18:44:00.001-07:00

Picture this. It's Jan 30. A woman, trusting, sincere, just a plain ordinary woman. Sitting at a computer paying bills. She decides to pay 100 to Verizon. She owes 357.17 but since this is the short week, she only pays 100. She'll pay the rest next week. It's Friday night. She enters the amount and gets a confirmation back for her $100 payment. Fast forward to Tuesday morning. She checks her bank account.. Oh no, overdrawn!! How can that be. She checks, there it is, Verizon took the whole $357.17 out and caused and overdraft in her account. She immediately call the bank. They cancel her card and institutes a fraud case against Verizon the retrieve her money. In the meantime, they put $257.17 back into her account plus the overdraft fees they took out. She waits to see what Verizon will do. She waits and waits and waits. March 24, Verizon returns the entire $357.17 ( because they don't do partials ). They immediately turn all the phones off for non-payment. She calls and makes arrangements to pay partials until they return the $100. She waits for the bank to put the money back into her account but it doesn't happen. They say they don't have the money. They don't know where it is. They are trying to find it. Call after call after call and no one can tell her where it's at. The bank says they have not received the money from Verizon but Verizon says they have. Finally, she's able to contact the Fraud Dept. at the bank. They say the found the money. The extra 100 dollars will be returned to the Verizon bank under her account number. She waits, the bank says the money transferred on May 7. Verizon says that its not there. She talks to a supervisor, she says they can't find out because they don't have contact with the dept that handles the bank division. Who do you think your dealing with? an idiot? she asks. Your telling me that one of the largest companies in the world doesn't know how to contact another division in the company? Give me a break. Call back in five days, the money should show up in your account by then. Fast forward to Friday, May 15. She calls, no money. Now they say they need the bank to provide them with a transfer number for the transaction. Do you see where I'm going here? A nightmare! But one thing I can promise you, they WILL find my $100 and put it where it belongs or I will haunt them til they do..........................

News News News

2009-05-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I think many of you may remember this picture, but some may not. The event took place on July 19, 1969. It's almost 40 years now and that day falls on Sunday this year. Danny and I have decided to renew our vows on that Sunday. So be expecting invitations soon. Anyway, we've changed a little bit ( ha, ha). But we are looking forward to it. Hope you all can come. Ta Ta.

Busy, Busy , Busy!!!

2009-04-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll. Long time no see. Ha! Ha! Well, I've been working on a few things around here. Been busy at work and church and I've had that old crud that's been going around. Lost my voice, but I'm getting that back now. Getting better every day. Anywho, I've been working on a new crib quilt set.

What do you think? The material in front is the trim and back pieces. I'll add post more pics as I get it done. The pattern is called " Fence Rail ". Ambre and I took a class last weekend on Free Motion quilting and I'm hoping I can get good enough by the time this is done to try to quilt it with what I've learned. Next on the agenda is this.......

I got this two pieces of material a long time ago ( well, maybe about a year ago) anyway, I was going to make a large tote out of it, but the more I think about it, I think I will get Ambre to make me a purse. Kool, Huh? What do you think? Anyway, tonight I am attempting to make soft pretzels. You know, the kind you get at the mall. Here's what they looked like before the oven.

And here's what they looked like after the oven. Now keep in mind, I think I used the wrong kind of baking pan. I should have used a cookie sheet. You'll see why in the second photo. The tops are very soft but the bottoms....welll........

Oh well, tomorrow is another day. I will be stopping at the market for more yeast and I will be at it again, and I will be using my cookie sheets. I'll post. Ta! Ta!

Rain Rain Go Away

2009-03-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Rain, Rain, Go Away! Come again another day! Oh I wish it
would stop raining. It's been raining for days. I love the rain
and we really do need it to bring the water levels back up but
not everyday. (Thank you God for the rain!) But could we
please have a couple of sunny days. We like the sun too. My
bushes have taken to protecting themselves. I left my umbrella
on the porch and this is what I found.

This is my camillia bush that has been losing its flowers since it started raining. If this keeps up, she will be naked. Danny and I want to go fishing tomorrow after church and the forecast says its supposed to clear off some. I hope so. Well , gotta go study my Sunday school lesson. Bye for now!

Little Boys!!!

2009-03-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ambre brought James to church this morning. He was wearing
a yellow shirt. When we got home, she came up and asked if
we would come down for a little while. She surprised me with
a birthday cake. It was very pretty. ( and good, I might
add.) Anyway, she had been telling me about some things that
Cameron had been doing, so I took my camera with me to hope-
fully record him making these faces. Well, I kept calling
him James because he had on a yellow shirt. But it was
Cameron. They had switched shirts when James got home.
Anyway, here is Cameron and his description of animal sounds.

Breathing Easy--er

2009-03-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

As many of you already know. I have adult onset asthma. It's been
a long road for me. My doctor prescribed a medicine for me that
my insurance company refused to let me have. He put in a request
for reconsideration but Monday, I got a letter that stated they
were going to stand by their original position. No medicine. Well,
not any medicine but no Symbicort. I happened to have an
appointment with my regular doctor on Monday afternoon. I
mentioned this to him. He asked me how my treatment with the
Symbicort was going.(Oh, yeah! My asthma doctor had been giving
me samples of the Symbicort for a year now) I told him that I
couldn't get a good breath, I was tired all the time, coughing
really badly all the time and it didn't seem the medicine was
helping at all. He gave me some samples of Advair. WOW! I
started it on Monday night. I have not had to use my inhaler
at all since then. I sang a complete song yesterday without
giving out of breath. I have lots of energy, and I feel a
100% better. My mind even seems to be clearer. I am thanking
God that I feel so much better. There is just one problem.
There is a stern warning on the Advair that there is a risk
of asthma related death. This is kinda scary and I have been
trying to find info on the internet but so far I haven't
really learned anything. So pray that I will continue to
improve and also find out about this warning, so I can do
what I need to avoid the problems that cause these deaths.
Love to all and thanks for your prayers.

AWARDS AND PRISES

2009-03-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

If you remember recently (actually back in November), I told you
that I had been working at my present job for 10 years. Well, the
company finally got around to sending my 10 year award certificate
and gift pack. I got a certificate of appreciation and a crystal
paperweight that has my name and 10 year anniversary on it. Nice.
But I also got a packet that I could pick a nice gift from. It took
me a couple of weeks to make up my mind. Lots of nice stuff in
there. I finally chose a digital photo album/MP3 player. It is
really cool. I have downloaded some photos and about 30 songs on
the internal memory, but this thing also has an SD card slot. I
had Chris download all the music I had on my other player (gave
it to Jamie) onto my computer. I then downloaded all almost 100
of those onto an extra SD card and inserted it into the player.
Now I can listen to any kind of music.

Most of the music I have on the internal drive is Christian Music.
Haley comes up almost every evening after I get home from work.
She loves my new player and most of the time she wants to listen
to Jesus music ( as she calls it). But every once in a while she wants
to listen to the other music. She gets really quiet when she's using
the player. So the other night I looked in the livingroom and here
she is walking around and around, bumping her butt from one side
to the other. It was real comical to watch. Hopefully I can get her
on film with my camera and post it.

2009-01-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

I'm back!!!! And we had snow last night and possible more tonight. Pictures to follow. My computer has been fixed and I am back online. Things are still happening around here. I am still under threat of losing my job. We only had 5 lines running yesterday. I didn't go today, even though I tried. Couldn't make it up the hill. Pray that the economy will pick up and everyone will be called back to work. I have been watching the inauguration today. Very historic. Good speech.

Posting Is Hard ( with no computer )

2008-12-19T08:46:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to post as much as possible for the post a day month. But it is hard with my computer being down. Dave still doesn't have it fixed. He keeps saying, It's not talking to him yet. Whatever that means. Anyway, I posted three posts on the sixteenth, so maybe that makes up the 17th and 18th. I will be out of work all next week and the week after. So if you don't see another post for a while it will be because I didn't get my computer back today. Pray that I will. I can't see myself going without it for two weeks. Its worse than cell phones. Do you remember when we didn't have cell phones? I wonder sometimes, how did we get along? Ha Ha! Anyway, if anyone is leaving comments in my c-box, I can't read them right now. For some reason, my c-box is surf-controlled from corp and I can't see it. But I can see Ambre's and Becky's, go figure.
Well, I'm going to sign off and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Hopefully I will be on tomorrow on my own computer. Bye!

Post Post Post!!!

2008-12-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

Today is Tuesday and I am thankful for nieces who keep me on my toes and give me encouragement.

Unconcious Mutterings!!!

2008-12-16T06:56:00.000-08:00

I say ... and you think ... ?
Travel :: Not right now
Expensive :: Groceries
Backspace :: too many times
Traffic noise :: non-existent
Now see here :: angry motorist
Vegetables :: green
Chat :: as little as possible
Your calling :: Potter
Weekly :: paying bills
Oh! :: my aching feet

My Life's Soundtrack

2008-12-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

Thought this sounded fun! You should try it too!
Some of them are quite funny.....Thanks Becky!Here's how it works:
1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie.

So here goes!
Opening Credits: Only Time by Enya
Waking Up: Thats What Friends Are For by Dionne Warwick
First Day of School: We've Only Just Begun by The Carpenters
Falling In Love: Rainy Days and Mondays by The Carpenters
Fight Song: Cold As Ice by Foreignor
Breaking Up: The First Cut if the Deepest by Sheryl Crowe
Prom: How Deep is Your Love by Beegees
Life: Baby Come Back by Hall & Oates
Mental Breakdown: Cyclone by Baby Bash
Driving: Dancing Queen by ABBA ( That's funny 'cause I have danced a car before)
Flashback: There Goes My Life by Kenny Chesney
Wedding: I Just Called to Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder
Birth of A Child: He's the Reason For the Teardrops on My Guitar by Taylor Swift
Final Battle: Baby's Got Her Bluejeans On by George Strait
Death Scene: Put Your Head on My Shoulder by The Platters
Funeral Song: Waiting For a Girl Like You by Foreignor
Final Credits: Unforgettable by Nat King Cole

and yes I do listen to these Golden Oldies. Jen

Computers

2008-12-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

I wish I had more fonts to play with on this thing. Anyway, I miss my computer. I am thankful for Dave Dufresne, who is working on my computer and he doesn't charge me anything. But I always buy him a special gift for doing it. Usually a small wizard statue. He's known around here as the C&A Wizard. Only now I guess it would be the IAC Wizard, since C&A is no more. Things are not looking good around here. We will be off for two weeks, Christmas week and New Years week. Some will still be out the week after as Toyota is shut down that week. Barry, my boss has mentioned that our corp office is making inquiries into our earnings at this site. He is afraid that they are about to get rid of one person and that will be me. I can't afford to lose my job, although I would like to stay home for awhile. But if I give it up, I will lose my 10 year seniority and my insurance and if they ever decide to hire me back, it will be at a lower wage and position doing something I can't handle all the time, like receiving. I will never be at the level I am now. I don't understand why they wouldn't let Barry go. He will be retiring soon and they will have to hire a new manager and I am already here and knowledgeable in everything. I think the only thing that will save me is for Jack Davis to stand up and say no way is Jennifer leaving. I know a whole lot more about this plant than Barry and even some of the people who have been here for years.

Todays Post

2008-12-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

Well, today is Sunday and I am still without computer. I am using Ambre's right now. This is going to be short. For Saturday I am thankful for my daughter. She is my best friend. For Sunday I am thankful for laughing babies.

Had to share.......

2008-12-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

I just had to share this. It's very uplifting!

Comments

2008-12-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

The last comment left on my blog was Nov 22. Apparently no one is visiting or they just don't want to leave a comment. A comment every once in a while is nice so that I know that someone is visiting. I try to visit everyone's page either everyday or at least once a week. If they have a new post, I try to leave a comment. Lord, I am thankful for being able to type on my blog right now.

Rainy Days

2008-12-11T06:22:00.000-08:00

Today is Thursday and it has been raining here for three days. Flash flood watches in effect til this evening. I'm really not complaining. I love the rain and also the fact that it is not 27 degrees outside. B-r-r-r-r-!!! It has warmed up nicely and was 60 degrees on my front porch this morning. Have not worn a coat for two days. My problem with this is - why couldn't we have gotten some of this back in the growing season when we needed it. Things didn't grow very well this year in the garden. The grass turned brown and some of the trees lost their leaves before fall. Although, we did have a beautiful fall ( late of course, but beautiful just the same). Today I am thankful for the rain, which we still need very much.

Wednesday Happenings!

2008-12-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

Well, Jamie came thru his surgery OK. he's back home and doing well. Thanks for your prayers. Today has been a disturbing kind of day. Barry, my boss, told me that there are some things going on at corp that he is worried about. They have been asking a lot of questions about our site. With the auto industry in trouble, the trickle down effect is beginning to work here also. We have lost a lot of business here at IAC and there have been a lot of layoffs. We are not doing as well as we have been and they are wanting to cut this site back to one person. That means I may lose my job. Please pray for me. I really need to work. I am thankful I have a job and would like to keep it.

Patience and Control

2008-12-09T06:39:00.000-08:00

Well, my computer has died. So I guess I will be posting when I can. I have missed Sat., Sun., and Monday's blog of thanks-giving. I will have to take my computer to get it fixed and this is not the best time of year to be doing that. So it will have to wait.
Got a lot done at home on Saturday. Sunday church was great. Chris came home sick from his Mom's. He caught a stomach virus and it threw his sugar out of whack. I couldn't get it to come down so I took him to the hospital yesterday morning. We were there for 7 hrs. He's doing fine now. For Saturday thanks, I am thankful that I was able to work in the house some. It was hard, thought I would die a couple of times. Having a bad time with asthma. New meds Doc gave had not kicked in yet.
Sunday, I was thankful that the Lord led me with wisdom to do a good job teaching the sunday school class. Monday, I was thankful for the doctors that got Chris thru his little trial. And today I am thankful that I feel better ( meds have kicked in). Also, please pray for Jamie. He is having his shoulder surgery today and he's really scared. I will I could be there but I could not get off.

Bloggin' When I Can

2008-12-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

I am having to post blogs when I can. My computer at home got a virus. Well, Kojak got that fixed but then an advertisement bug got me. My computer has 78% free space on it but all it can do is hang up and is so slow, its worse than low speed dial up. Ads are still popping up every once in a while. I guess I will have to have it wiped clean and redone. Just can't afford it right now. Anyway, that's why there are no pictures right now with my posts 'cause most of them are being done at work. I am thankful for my computer at work.

OH NO!!!!!!! I Forgot!

2008-12-04T05:32:00.000-08:00

OH NO! I forgot! I got so busy yesterday afternoon with having to pick Annabelle up so she could go to Bible Study with me. And getting supper and picking up the other ladies that go with us. I forgot to blog. So I'm doing two thank yous today. I am thankful for my little Annabelle, who informed her Mama the other day that she HAD to go the school church with Nana on Wednesday night. She does my heart good. I am also thankful for MarySue and Jean who ride with me to church on Wednesday nights.

Blog a Day

2008-12-02T07:17:00.000-08:00

Well, today is the second day of Post a day month. Thanks is the theme for this month. I am thankful I am a Christian and Jesus is my savior.

Post a Day ( NaBloPoMo)

2008-12-01T14:49:00.001-08:00

For the month of December, I will be trying to post everyday for National Bloggers Post Month. The theme this year is "thanks". So here goes. I am thankful for my family! They are the one constant in my life that makes me happy.

The Dead of Winter

2008-11-29T17:18:00.000-08:00

What does that mean? The dead of winter! Does it mean the middle of winter? The deepest part of the winter season? Or does it refer to everything that was green is now dead.

As you can see in this picture, the pods that held the Rose of Sharon flowers on this bush are dried out and dead. All the leaves are gone. And as you can see in the background just about everything is dead and leafless.
This is the big beautiful maple in our front yard. Totally leafless. The cold has set in. I am dreaming of spring and beautiful greenery again.

Name Change

2008-11-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

Well, Chris has changed his dog's name. It is now China. And she does bark. Not much but I was beginning to think her prior owners had had her voice box removed. ( some people do that you know, awful isn't it?) Anyway, just thought I'd let everyone know.

Introducing!!!!!

2008-11-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

Introducing Saphera, pronounced " Sah-fear-rah". She's Chris's new dog. He has been wanting his own dog for awhile. His Mom rescued her from the pound. She's a little over a year old and well trained. I haven't heard her bark yet. They took her to have her spayed yesterday, so she's still a little slow. She doesn't like Casey yet though. But anyway, he has to take care of her. And she is his dog. She even growls if he touches Casey. She's already jealous.

Autumn Colors Abound!

2008-11-02T14:28:00.001-08:00

Autumn has come late this year to the foothills of NC. I have never seen the colors take this long to bold out. It is usually halfway through October for the peak of the colors but the seasons are changing so much every year. We have had a lot of dry weather and some trees were already losing their leaves before they started changing. I was afraid I would not be able to get any good pics, but on the way to church this morning, Danny and I spotted some beautiful ones in his cousins yard so we went back after church and a visit to the hospital to see a friends new grandbaby and took some pictures. Afterwards we rode around and found some more. Following you will see some of our efforts. Enjoy, the colors are spectacular!!!

An Internet Meme!!

2008-11-01T14:49:00.001-07:00

Never heard of an internet meme? Me niether! Until the other day when my niece, Becky, did a meme on her website. Apparently you are supposed to pick at least three other people to do a meme when you do yours.

The term Internet meme is a neologism used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet. So here goes!!.

1. Unlike when I was a younger person, I now have a tendency to let people run over me to avoid confrontation. Or it just may seem I have this insane desire to be nice to people.
2. I love my children and grandchildren beyond measure and they know it and use it against me. ( Also, they think I don't realize this )
3. I love science fiction, action, and some types of horror movies and I despise love stories and comedies. Although one of my all time favorites is " Somewhere in Time" ( I think it may be 'cause it has a little science fiction thrown in.)
4. I miss my Lily tremendously. I think about her everyday and cry about her in private.
5. I have a twisted foot that cost $8000.00 + to correct and it didn't work.
6. I wish I had finished college.

Now I must name three people who I think should be a meme. So here goes! Melissa, Theresa, and Katy. Let's have 6 random tidbits of info about yourselves. Go for it girls!

Cruisin'

2008-10-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back!!!! The escaped turkey's have returned safe and sound, but very tired. We had a great time. The weather was gorgeous. It rained the night we left port and we had some rough seas going out. Danny was very seasick. I felt really bad for him and he made me really feel bad when he said I had run off and left him to puke on his own. But I was just sick enough that if I had stayed to watch I would have been joining him with my own head in a bucket. The seas stopped rolling during the day on Tuesday and was quite pleasant the rest of the trip. Key West was a very nice place. We walked all the way across the island to the Southernmost point in the US. Nassua was OK, but there really wasn't enough time to really look around and maybe see some of the sights. The next time we go, I think we will try to go in a different direction. I have included some pictures and will try to put more on as we have them developed for the picasa album.
This is the St Johns River Suspension bridge in Jacksonville. They are in the process of repairing and updated the cables. If you look real close you can see where the cables end on the bridge. My Dad and the company he worked for built the approach bridge up to the suspension part. You can tell how overcast it is right now and it was raining. We were standing on one of the decks near the top. We passed underneath this bridge headed for the ocean.

Here we are docked in Key West. The water here was the most beautiful blue green I have ever seen.

Here is Dad and Theresa and Me and Danny at the southernmost point in the US. Look at the color of that water. B-U-T-full!!!. I didn't get in the water here, mostly because there was a lot of trash and messy stuff out of the ocean washed up on the beaches from the last hurricane. They were still in the process of cleaning it up. It just didn't look to healthy to me. But it was a pretty place and I would like to visit it again.

This is a picture of the ocean between Key West and the Bahamas. That is such a beautiful blue color.
This is a picture of part of Nassua as we were coming into port. The low white building on the left is what is called the Straw Market. It's mostly a flea market where everyone is selling basically the same thing. All in all the trip was wonderful. I enjoyed being out on the ocean a lot. I sat out on the balcony and watched the ocean almost every night. It was very soothing. We had a great time and looking forward to doing it again.

More Pies!!

2008-09-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last night, I made the first apple pie I had ever made. I had a piece, Chris had a piece, Jamie had a piece, I sent a large piece home with Beth and girls, Ambre and Haley had a piece and there was one piece left for my hubby of 39 years ( that's a long time to wait for an apple pie).

Anyway, by the time the pie was done, he was already in bed asleep. He said I'll eat mine tomorrow when I get home from work.

Well, I told Jamie and Chris (who was already in bed) not to touch the last piece, it was for Poppie.

When Chris and I got home today, I went down to Ambre's to watch the kids while she went to school. Chris came up to the house and was going to come down later and spell me while I cooked supper. When I got up here, he had eaten Danny's piece of pie. I just about had heart failure. He said, he didn't remember me telling him not to eat the pie. So anyway, Jamie and Chris took off for Teresa's and got more apples and I made a couple more pies. Not too bad!!

I think I'm gettin' the hang of this! It's not that difficult. Now I wish I had tried it sooner. I still need to work on my edging though. Anyway, I made sure Danny got a piece of one of these. I cut one and put him a piece in a container for his lunch. Nite Nite!

Apple Pie!!!!

2008-09-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hi! Everybody! You know, ladies are supposedly not supposed to divulge their age, but this one time, I am going to say that I am 57 years old. I hate to cook!!!! No doubt about it!!! I hate to cook!!!!. I used to love to cook but somewhere down the line of preparing meal after meal and being told that " you know what would have made this a lot better?", I kinda lost the desire to try and create anything in the kitchen.

Now don't get me wrong. I do cook and feed my family everyday, but I despise it. Anyway, a few weeks ago, the Pioneer Woman, Ree, was visiting her sister and her mother made them a blueberry pie. Well, it looked so good that I decided to make one. About that same time, my niece, Becky, posted a pie crust recipe that I thought maybe I could handle. You see, that is about the only thing that has kept me from making pies throughout my married life, was the pie crust. Well, I tried it with Ree's Moms BB pie and WOW was it good.

Everyday I pass by Danny's cousins home and she has two apple trees in her yard and I have been watching them turn red for awhile. I stopped by on Friday and asked it I could get a few for a pie and Chris and I went and picked some. At the ripe old age of 57, I made my first ever apple pie. I must say it turned out pretty good!

So, what do you think? Chris said it was just right. I thought it tasted pretty good too!

I Hap'd Upon A Fairy Ring!

2008-09-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

On my travels to and fro

Not traveled once but time and agin'

not noticed when passed by before

I hap'd upon a fairy ring.

My poetry is really bad I know, but I couldn't resist when I looked up information on fairy rings and found out how many time they had been mentioned in literature through the years.On my way home the other day, I passed by the hospital and noticed an unusual phenomenon.A beautiful fairy ring of mushrooms in a spot that I had passed by many time before and not noticed. According the information, they don't just pop up all of a sudden they are formed ove many years and can grow to great widths. The oldest one known to exist is in England and is over 800 m across and 700 years old.

In the photo above you can see the ring as it appears during the normal season. If you look real hard you can see an even larger one in the background. The dark grass is formed on the outside perimeter of the ring and is called the death ring. They are usually formed during a very dry season ( which we have had this year). The inside of the ring contains the mycelium which is the fairy fungus that spreads out like long tenticles underneath the ground ending at the necrotic zone or death ring.

The ring above is found in Namibia in Africa. These are fairly new occurences which scientists are trying to figure out their causes. Some have even suggested they were caused by radioactivity but soil sampling have proved negative. They are still trying to figure it out as we speak.
This is a forest fairy ring. I was just reading about a fairy ring in the state of Oregan that is believed to be over 2200 years old and could cover over 1600 football fields. But with the intrusion of logging and homes it has all but disappeared. Sad!!
And now, this is my fairy ring. If you look real close you can see the dark ring, just inside the mushroom circle. The mushrooms are a fungus which grows mostly on dead or dying things, hense the death ring. Sadly, the next day it was gone ( they cut the grass). Fairy rings are mentioned numerous times in European literature and lore. It was believed to step inside a fairy ring brought certain death in some form or another. But I just think they are a phenomenon worth a few words of mention. Thanks for stopping by. Jen

Maiden Voyage

2008-09-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

Well, today we took the new, slightly used boat out on Lake James. After trying for several days to work on the motor, Danny finally took it up to Green Hill to see Tim Garner. Tim found the problem almost immediately and fixed it. Tim is Mike Garner's brother and for those of you who don't know, Mike is probably Bo's best friend from forever. Anyway, we took Jamie and the girls with us.

Here's Jamie bringing the boat into the dock so we could all get on. Look at that water! Man, I just couldn't wait to get in it. We went over toward where Danny's jobsite is at and anchored for a little while and did a little fishing. Then after much pushing we finally convinced Danny to travel around the lake a little ways. Don't understand why but he wanted to load back up and come home right after we fished for about 30 minutes.
Here we are tooling around the lake. Gabby took this pic. Don't be concerned about the foul look on Danny's face. He was scowling because Gabby stood up the take the pic and it kinda scared him.
Gabby and Annabelle had a great time but all they wanted to know was when I was gonna get off the boat and go swimming, so they could too. Well, shortly after this pic was taken, I finally convinced Danny to stop and let me swim in the middle of the lake ( the fish finder depth goes to 120' and there was no bottom on the finder, so we were in deep water). I dove off and then Jamie put Annabelle in and she freaked. Then he put Gabby in and she freaked even worse. Needless to say, they were both scared of the water. When we got back to the dock area, I took both of them over to a little swim area nearby. Annabelle actually went out over her head ( with a vest on of course), clinging to one arm and was laughing and having a good time. Gabby was still afraid. I'm gonna have to work on this one a little harder. But we still had a great time and are looking forward to a lot more. I have to go now. It's 1:30am and I have church in the morning. Good night all. Jen

Is it gooses or geeses?

2008-09-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

Every year our little Lake Imogene at ICC college is invaded by Canadian geese. They have started coming in early this year. Before it's over they will cover every inch of spare ground area around the lake. There will be thousands of them. They have started already.

This picture was taken from the car in front of the foundation building. There are already hundreds of them. I really need to load a shotgun and have it handy so I can shoot one as it flies over the house. They sometimes fly over our house on their way to the pond. Goose for Thanksgiving, UmMMM!!!.
Not to worry, my family probably wouldn't eat it anyway. But I would. So they're probably safe from my gun. But they are beautiful and sound wonderful when they honk. I love it!

The New Toy

2008-09-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Poppy and I bought a new boat ( well, not new but new to us ) a couple of weeks ago. We are really looking forward to taking it up to Lake James and doing some fishing. Poppy and Jamie have been working on it this weekend. It hasn't been cranked since last year but had just had the motor overhauled. So far they have not been able to get it cranked but getting pretty close. It has sputtered a little. I think Danny keeps flooding it. Anyway, here is a picture of our new slightly used boat.

We installed new seats on the front and back pedestals and recovered the inside driver and passenger seats. Next we are going to install new carpet. Everything works, the fish finder, the trolling motor. We just have to get the big motor to work. Wish us luck. Bon Voyage.

The Mound

2008-08-31T18:06:00.003-07:00

Well, I said on my first post that I would give you a picture of the mound that Thompson's built when they moved the old driveway and here it is.

As you can see, it looks like its 500 ft high from down below, but probably only between 150 to 200 ft high. But the bottom is very close to the driveway. In the bottom left hand corner is the ditch probably two to three ft deep filled with the runoff from the other day. You can also see where they dug the ditch out and piled it up on each side where the slide occurred. I think they think that is going to stop it again. Ha! Ha!. But on the bright side, look how green everything is. This is the most rain we've had in months, everything was turning brown. It's really pretty, this green stuff.

Little Visitors

2008-08-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Beth came over tonight to walk, so the girls stayed out here at the house with me and Poppy and their Daddy. Annabelle and I went down to Ambre's house for a little while to visit the boy's. We ordered pizza in and while Beth went home to get a bath, the girls stayed here and ate pizza with us. Afterwards, they both fell asleep on my bed.

If you look real close you can see Annabelle's kool-aid lip. Anyway, school started here last Monday. I can't believe the things that the schools do here. Parents are already stressed out with buying clothes and school supplies and two days into school, they send home packets for purchasing class rings ( $50 deposit required ). You think they'd at least wait a couple of weeks.

The one Chris wants costs $600.00. Oh my Lord! I don't know if I will survive high school again. Pray for me! I'm already stressing. But on a another note: I want to say how proud I am of Ambre. She has been working hard to get all of her pre-requisites done, so she can join the nursing program in January. She crossed another hurtle today when she passed her written exam and skills exam to update her nurses aide certification. She takes the PSB test on Wednesday then has the interview. If she does well on these she will be in the program. Please keep her in your prayers.

First Blog

2008-08-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

I started this blog to keep friends and family posted on the happenings around the hill. And hill it is. We live in the foothills of NC near a gravel pit. Danny's family has lived in this area for over a hundred years but about 1965-66, the Thompson Brothers bought the land near the corner of Miller Rd and Maple Creek Rd and started blasting away to get to the mountain of gravel underneath. At that time, Pawpaw, Danny's Dad owned some land that was behind the area on the back side of the hill. The original driveway crossed the top of the hill behind the office and equipment yards that Thompson had set up. The property belonged at one time to an old black man and his family that sold the land to Danny's Dad around 1953. Pawpaw ran cows on the property which also connected to two other pieces of property he owned nearby. We moved back up to NC in 1983 from Florida and soon moved out here onto the hill. And we've been here since then. A number of years ago, Thompson had some test drilling done in our driveway ( which actually came over their land ) and found a huge supply of stone. They wanted this stone so asked us if they could build us another driveway, so they could get to the stone. We said yes but they had to make sure it was stable and they had to keep it maintained ( that's a law anyway ). The first try was a dismal failure. It was too steep in one area and the dam they build almost washed away the first really good rain we had. Anyway, nearly a year later they finally got it pretty right and we started using the new driveway. It's rained a few times and they have had to repair it several times but it's mostly been good. Anyway last winter they started to move the dirt from the old driveway and shift it over. In the picture you will see below, you can see the top of the mound they made in the photo. It runs almost the length of our new driveway. At one point, it is extremely close to our driveway. I asked them not to dump anymore dirt in that area but they kept at it. Well, we had two full days of rain this week and guess what. MUDSLIDE!!!! Yep, on the left hand side of the picture the mud is about three feet deep. But they came right out and cleaned it up and needless to say it will probably happen again.

Well, I thought you could see the top of the hill they built in one of these pictures but it must be on my phone. I'll try to take another pic tomorrow and show you the work they've done to try and clear this little mishap up. I just can't wait to see the next rain. Anyway, bye for now.