Yes there are still good folks in this world.....

Since I've found myself, discovering a new part of my life in the last 8 months being a new found "Farmgirl", working the garden, canning, freezing and every thing else that goes along with it, I've become a bit isolated in my own little world. I've discovered that yes, I still talk with my friends and family, keep up with my facebook world and of course my duties at church, but what I don't do is meet new people. I mean all types of people!! After 22 plus years in the Personnel industry I miss meeting and talking with new folks, and of course in the people industry when you're interviewing and trying to place these people you learn a lot about them, some you need to know and more often than not more than you want to know. So I've found myself striking up conversations while out shopping. Now keep in mind I try really hard to limit my shopping visits to once or twice a week to save on gas (and my pocketbook) but I do enjoy those outings once I'm there.
Last week during my trip for weekly supplies, on my list were canning jars. Keep in mind this is the biggest our garden has ever been. My dear hubby and I have always worked and kinda had the garden as a pleasure, a few of this and a little bit of that but this year since I wasn't working a public job we decided on a bit more. So as the garden started producing (Thank the Lord) I discovered, man oh man I don't have enough canning jars!! So this particular trip was my third for jars. While I was loading my cart with the jars this really nice looking elderly man with his straw hat on and riding a "scoot about" made the comment to me, "looks like somebody is getting ready to get busy", my comment back was you're right, but sir I've been busy this is my third trip for jars. His response was little lady I have a shed full of those things I will never use!! "Perhaps you should advertise those treasures and get yourself a few dollars", was my reply. Now keep in mind after dealing with folks for so many years I feel like I can pretty much size a person up, have I been wrong before?? You betcha but I didn't think so with this kind man in his "scoot about". So we exchanged names and address's, not thinking I would ever hear from him again I went ahead and purchased my jars.
The very next day during a pouring rain storm, this kind man with, whom I assume was his wife showed up at my house with 9 cases of canning jars!!! I went out to help him, this kind person couldn't hardly hold on to his truck and walk to me with these cases but was so kind as to bring them even though he had to stop and buy a map because he wasn't really sure where I lived. I offered and offered to "pay" for these treasures and his response was "I'm a man of my word"!!! After trying one last time to pay this dear person, he looked down on my driveway holding on to his truck and looked up at me and stated, "look I got paid" with the biggest smile I believe I have ever seen!! I smiled back and said "pennies from heaven" he had found a penny in my driveway!!!
When I'm no longer able to can and do the the things I'm doing now that I've grown so to love, I'm telling my children and grand's don't sell these old relic's ...go to the local store in the canning isle and look for someone who's loading their cart with jars, trying their best to provide and preserve what they have taken so very care of to feed their family, be kind and deliver all these jars even if it's in the pouring rain...you just might get a "penny from heaven"!!

Farm girl in the making!!

At this point in this journey I call life, we have one grandchild...Nataleigh, and she is indeed the apple of our eye. My hubby and I have three wonderful son's and a dear daughter in law, so when God blessed us with this precious little girl we were thrilled to finally have a baby girl. At a mere 3lbs 11 oz. at birth the first thing Papa said was "look at our little Nat Bug" and the nickname has stuck on this side of the family. Our little Nat Bug loves the outdoors and anything that goes along with it. Her swing, slide and playhouse she has in our backyard along with a covered sandbox to top it off, so she can build all the princess's castles she wants for as long as she wants, but I think her favorite of the yard are the flowers and the garden. She loves to smell, pick and most important water!! It doesn't matter if we just had a glorious rain or just got a thorough watering she'll look at me and say "time to water Mima" so out we go to water again!! Keep in mind we only give her a little water at a time in her watering can due to weight and the thought of changing her clothes every few minutes so it takes a lot of trips watering the garden, but she doesn't mind and will water and water till we finally say "plants all watered" time to give them a break.
At her MommyDaddy's (notice that's all one word, that's what she calls them while she's here) they have a very nice little container garden area and she diligently water's it daily and takes great pride in showing it off when Mima and Papa goes to visit.
I am so proud to know that this precious little girl in her short 2 1/2 years has come to realize the importance of our plants and our garden's and what it means to take care of them and watch them grow and produce. This 2 1/2 year old will eat any vegetable you bring in from the garden and knows the difference between store bought and homegrown. In fact during her visit here at Mima and Papa's last weekend she woke me up at 7:30am (which I was thrilled about as opposed to 6:00am on Saturday morning) and promptly told me she wanted some squash to eat! Well I love you baby with all my heart and soul but Mima's not frying squash at 7:30am!! What about lunch time? "Ok" was the response (thank the Lord, no tears), and by lunch time chicken nuggets was the request as opposed to squash but she would have eaten both had I cooked them.
So my prayer for this precious Angel sent to us from above is that we, MommyDaddy and MimaPapa will not only show her and teach her God's word, but teach her to appreciate the gifts from heaven given to us to guard and protect. The birds, bee's, our gardens and the fruit they bear, given to us so freely only requiring our care in order to feed and continue to provide for us will not only take care of us now, but for years to come as long as us "Farm girls" stay true to taking care of these gifts for many generations. Yes, I'm very proud of our little Farm girl in the making and thinks she's off to a very good start!!

Lessons From a Sunflower...

Early on this summer I bought some sunflower seeds at the local Feed & Seed center, and planted them around in some pots here and there around the yard. I have planted them in the past in the flower bed around the deck and always enjoyed them and their glorious bursting of color and admired their height but never really watched them grow. Have you ever really, really watched a sunflower? This year has been different.. I planted my seeds (hoping my feathered friends didn't swipe them before they had a chance to grow), I watered, tended and watched after my dear little seeds, then up they came...woo hoo!! Every morning when I go out to feed my cat Tux and check on the herbs and all my plants I noticed, boy that sunflower is getting big and I mean really big. I had planted this group in a somewhat small coconut lined pot just to see what would happen and low and behold it was growing the biggest and strongest of all, so I started watching that sunflower and it grabbed my attention of how this flower followed the sun all day long....morning to night it would reach with it's head held high following it's sun. It has grown tall with a strong healthy stalk and amazing enough the sunflower continues reaching up toward it's support. As I've watched this flower I've thought about my own and each one of our life's and how similar it is to this mammoth of a flower. We have our children, we tend to them, we feed them and take care of them the best we can, teach them God's word and guide them so they will become strong and healthy with the ability to stand on their own. Then one day the sunflower bursts open the flower with such beauty it thrills us...just like our children, one day all of our efforts burst out with such amazement we are proud we had a part of the strength they have developed. So as I gaze at the sunflower following it's sun, I'm thinking as long as we follow our "Son" the same as the sunflower and as diligently, this amazing gift of, "His Son" that God so graciously has given, to strengthen, encourage, prop us up when we need it and through his blood that was shed for each and every one, we too will be as strong and proud as this magnificent flower!! As I patiently await my sunflowers burst of bloom I too await my own bursting of bloom in my new career that awaits me as long as I stay strong and continue to follow my "Son" sent to me from above!!

Yep you are seeing correct....I got Muck Boots

These boots are made for walking....we (well some of us old enough) remember the song by Nancy Sinatra and that's just what these boots will do...a lot of walking in the garden through the muck!! While shopping for the new mower this past weekend my eye spotted these really cool, some purple, some red, some all different color's of Muck boots. Some folks call them barn boots, my grandpa had a pair he wore while working, he was a dairy farmer and he always took them off and left them in the "mud" room by the kitchen before he came in the house. I just kept talking and thinking about these boots. I knew, hey you guys are already having to blow the budget on a new mower there is no room for something that's not really needed...and besides what difference does it really make? Well after realizing that the great deal dear hubby got for the mower (without the shiny red cart) wasn't really a deal after all because they didn't give him his discount, he called the store and the manager stated oh yes we will honor it so off he goes to collect. On the way to the store he calls me and says I know you really want those boots what color would you like....excitement fills my soul!!! Can you really believe it I'm going get my Muck boots!!! Keep in mind this a woman who loved her cute little heels to match her outfit for work 8 months ago! Surprise me, I say I'm not hard to please these day's!! So he get's home and I say goody goody what color did I get?? His response... navy blue....what no purple or red with strips, no ladybugs??? What I got was a much better quality pair of boots that were made in the USA!!! Thrilled, that I was, that my dear husband overlooked all the colors and hoop la la for a product that was made here in our dear Country where we have the freedom to worship as we please and not be afraid to voice our beliefs and follow the way God leads us. Oh yes I wore my new Muck boots this morning while working the garden after a wonderful rain from heaven yesterday and I absolutely loved them!!! Could a Farmgirl ask for anything more? Blessings from heaven and good pair of Muck boots!!

A Man and his wheels....

As we all know and have experienced at one point in our life when you can least afford it and are watching every nickle, dime and penny the inevitable happens....something breaks down or goes on the blink. Well for us it was the lawn mower. For the past several weeks dear hubby has been tinkering or calling a fellow church member who works on mowers for this and that concerning the mower...well it finally happened...died, dead no more, although it's been a trooper he got it about 5 years ago for about $100.00 so we got our money's worth for sure. So this past weekend with grand baby in tow off we go on a lawn tractor hunt. We visited three different stores searching for the perfect bargain....then there it was...all nice and shiny with a shiny red cart behind it for hauling stuff, oh my dream come true, oh wait it's not me searching it's hubby, so back to my story, after visiting one stores grand opening and really having a blast, because our sweet little girl got to see the antique tractors (which for some reason scared her to no end, thought she would choke me to death) and the horses pulling the wagons and all the neat "farm" toys inside hubby decided that was the better bargain due to the grand opening discount....but he needed to think about it, so after 3 hours of looking at mower's we headed home. Keep in mind this is on Saturday. After church on Sunday and recouping from a weekend of chasing a 2 year old my husband decides 1 hour before the store closes...going to get the mower hopefully it will be the last it should last for years to come...then well maybe I can still get the old one fixed...he asks what do you think? By this time I say what time do they close? In one hour, "Get the mower" was my final answer no I don't need to phone a friend I am sure on this answer. Once arriving home with his new bargain in tow I made the comment ooh I bet I can operate this one....stop not a movement "dear in the headlight" look my way, oops did I say something wrong??? His loving comment back was you never got on the last one you don't need to get on this one!! Hehehe was my thought. So as you can see from the photo's,(and yes your eyes are correct in that the new wheels are parked in the garage with the cars and the music equipment) this is one proud Papa of his new wheels and in my mind I'm thinking oh boy I can sure see a shiny red cart behind me on this sweet machine hauling all my stuff!!! Yeah life dealt us a blow in the ole pocketbook when we least expected it, but I see the blessings, perhaps God willing, of a shiny red cart gliding behind it "hauling" away all the "stuff" that seems to clutter our life.

I see......Blueberries in my future

Yes that's right Blueberries!!!! My dear hubby had last Friday off for the 4th of July and took a trip to town. When he got home from the garden center, hardware store, grocery store and every other excursion he had in between (I even called him on his cell to make sure he was ok) low and behold he came bearing not one but two blueberry bushes. I was soooooo excited (as I've said before it's the simple things that are pleasing me these days) not only did he have two bushes but they were bearing fruit, not much, but fruit. So in my future I see blueberry pancakes, muffins, jam, and a freezer stocked with the color of blue!!! I am so excited, and so as I continue my endeavor of finding a new job I pray God leads me to one that allows me to keep these simple pleasures close and most important in my heart. I know with out a shadow of a doubt God has placed me at this very place in my life for a reason and it is for sure he will lead me when and where I need to go next and still give me time for those sweet blueberries and all of the other simple pleasures I have grown to so love!!

What difference will it make 100 years from now....

How many times have we all heard this saying and not really thought about what it really means? As you all know from my previous post's I am learning AGAIN how to live simply and during that process relearning what to really appreciate in life and the blessings that God have given me and continues to give me each day. So in the process of this relearning stage I've been thinking what can I do now to make a difference 100 years from now, what can I do now that will help that part of me that still exists then because God willing there will be a part of myself still going on through one of my offspring's and theirs and so forth, after all I'm here thanks to all my ancestors before me. So one day while admiring God's art work around me I prayed that this earth the way I know it now and when I was a child growing up and hopefully a whole lot better will still be here for my future grand's no matter how many great's there are in between. I want them to see the waterfall's and the wildlife that grow within, wake up and hear the birds, walk out to their garden's and pick the fresh fruit and vegetables that will enable them to feed themselves and their offspring....to enjoy the gift of life that God have given us for free. So what can I (we) do now? Start one day at a time by turning our backs on the chemicals that fill our home's, our landfills and contaminates our lands, gardens and life. So one product at a time I am saving money and hopefully preserving a part of our world by going "green". I am converting all my chemical laden products with less expensive homemade products and to date I'm proud to say everything is looking sparkly and smelling really fine. So next time we see that "to die" for outfit, shoes or purse let's all say to ourselves what difference will it make 100 years from now. Here is a photo with some of my supplies to get myself converting. I realize that one person cannot change the world but there are a lot of one's out there and yes us "one's" can make a difference

Just one of many blessings!!

Since becoming unemployed I have undergone several adjustments in my life and to date they have all been good, challenging but extremely good. In the following days I intend to show myself and my friends and family what I have learned through this experience, and to record it so when I do return to the "working world" I can go back and reflect and keep close contact with what God has so gracefully provided and given to me and my family and I truly intend to stay within those boundaries.
I am truly learning to appreciate the art of gardening and the smell of fresh vegetables and the dirt between my toes and fingers from digging and picking. In the past when my dear sweet husband planted his tomatoes, squash, peppers, cumbers etc. and brought them in to me to "do something with" I would moan groan and complain about how I had worked all day and didn't feel like messing with all this stuff...give me a break, I still had supper to cook, clothes to wash and get ready for the next day. But now oh how God gives us a wake up call!!! Get back to your roots girl, realize what is really important and enjoy your bounty from heaven. So here are a few pictures of the result of my bounty!! When I'm in my garden in the early morning and the smell of dew, fresh dirt and listening to the birds I know within my heart God is watching and providing!! Not only were these recipes "slap your Momma good", but they were slap your Momma, Grandma and Great Grandma good!!!! Instead I just slapped myself upside the head dove in and enjoyed!!! Above we have fresh potatoes, onions. garlic and rosemary harvested that very day, and the next is daily fresh tomato pie!!! Oh my gosh at this rate I will gain back all those pounds that I've dropped since not eating fast foods for lunch anymore!!

Things I've Learned to Appreciate

I've spent so many years raising my children the best I could and trying my best to make a career where I could retire at, I've come to realize I've lost the importance of what's really important. After 22 years at a job I truly loved, due to economic times my new company decided to close my branch office and out of the blue I was faced with the question of what to do now. I have come to the conclusion that there are some very important issues that are now more important to me than ever before and I would like to share them with you here. This is mainly a journal for myself and my husband, children and grandchild (and any future I may be blessed with). I type faster than I write so I thought I would go this route. Sit back and enjoy my thoughts.