The Chicken & The Runner..........

GREETINGS!

Or is it the Runner and the Chicken?  A while ago I posted this picture of a "chicken" I'd found on one of my outings, and said it had a special meaning to me.

The "special" part was because I was in the process of making my youngest daughter's runner, and it contained some "chickens" made of felt and using the triangle shape!   See below.

If you enlarge the picture I think you'll see what I'm talking about.  I think so far, of the three runners I've made, this is my favorite!  And I was so pleased to get it done and to my daughter for her 41st Birthday!  Yay  -  Happy Birthday tomorrow!!

I don't know what my next runner will be like, but I need to decide and get busy because I really miss working on them.

We are in for a few 90 degree days this week, so it will be a hot Memorial Weekend.  Ronnie says he heard this summer will be a repeat of last summer.  How I hope they are wrong!  And I have a new quote that I love - "God gives you enough difficulty to draw you close to Him, but then God gives you enough grace to meet those difficulties every day."  So when you are having a bad day, just read this line!

All for this time; until next time, take care and God bless you and yours.

Back Road Trip

GREETINGS!

Yesterday was a great day!  We took a "back road trip" in the Jeep, which is all fixed up with new brakes, rotors, pads (whatever), brake lines and a new  master cylinder.   My pride and joy!

We went over 60 miles - round trip - without being on blacktop;  except to cross 2 major highways.  We went from our house to Checotah.  It was great to see new countryside, and houses and cattle, etc.  The only wild creatures we saw were 2 turtles and a road runner!

Also saw lots and lots of these Wild Roses along side the road and leaning on old fences.  So cool; reminded me of reading Little House on the Prairie or a great-grandmother's place.

The trip to Checotah took at least twice as long as going the freeway, but was a lot more fun.  When we got there, we went in to Boomerang, a little restaurant that has wonderful, old fashioned burgers and fries.  I mean the burger patty is hand squished, with rough edges and all.  Ronnie said his was a 4 napkin burger that day; you know how the juice and fat and goop runs out and down your hand and arm to your elbow!

Then on to Atwoods to look for a new pressure canner - with no luck.  So on to good old WalMart and I got a new one a little smaller than the old one I had.  The extension agent said I needed a new pressure gauge on my old one and so I decided I'd just get a new one!  This one has the weighted pressure gauge - no dial - and I'm going to like it better!  Also picked up what few groceries I needed.  Then it was hit the dirt roads again for home!

The only bad part of these trips is the dirt and dust that gets in your hair and on your body!  You cannot even run your fingers through your hair when you get home.  So needless to say, a shower was in order!

That's all I know for now.  Hope you have a great weekend and give some "back road" exploring a try!  Until next time, take care and God bless you and yours.

Getting Garden Ready

GREETINGS!

Yesterday was a busy "planting", "weeding" , "fixing" day around here.  First we made a quick trip to town to get some barrels for the "garden" and to stop at the post office and mail my youngest daughter's birthday present.  It's my most favorite table runner I've made so far; will post picture after she gets it.  Also a stop at the grocery for some instant powdered milk and epsom salts.

Then it was home to weed, fill barrels and plant.  We borrowed the barrel idea from my brother and hope it works well for us.  The ground here is so rocky and clay-ee and nonfertile anything is worth a try!  The picture below is the "barrel brigade" of tomato plants.  Only 4 of the 6 with plants so far.  Oh, the powdered milk and epsom salts go in the bottom of the hole for the tomato plant to give them those nutrients and it supposedly helps prevent blossom end rot.  I borrowed that from Hickery Holler Farm blog.  Hope it helps our crop!

This next one is our "above ground box garden", waiting for some Kale to be planted.  I don't know what else will go in there, if anything.  Looks nice all weed free though, doesn't it???

We are not really in to planting a bunch of stuff.  Ronnie does his radishes in early Spring and we love our tomatoes and kale.  My brother on the other hand plants melons, cukes, potatoes, tomatoes lettuce, brocolli,  etc. so we just hope and pray he has an abundance!  hee hee  Just kidding.  I ordered a new seal for my pressure canner and took the gauge in for pressure check and was told I need a new one!  Not surprised really.  Now I'm wanting a smaller sized one since I won't be canning quarts anymore.  I'll have to shop around before the sweet corn is in!

This picture is of my Prickly Pear Cactus garden!  Ronnie got the rocks around it yesterday.   Looks really good when they are all in bloom.

And the following two pics are of the wild flowers growing around the edges of our back yard.  They are Oxeye Daisy's - the little, tiny while daisies, and Black Eyed Susans.  Oklahoma is full of pretty wild flowers; as is your state too I imagine.  We just need to appreciate them!

Be sure to double click on the pictures so you can get a better look at what I'm talking about!

And last but not least, this is where Mr. Jax has decided to spend his time now.  I think because all the furniture in the front room is covered with newspaper to keep him off because he's shedding so badly!  And this is the only place he can lay, except on a footstool with a towel on it for him.  Poor Jax!

That's for sure all I know for today!  Until next time, take care and God bless you and yours.

Arkansas Scenery

GREETINGS!

On one of our little road trips in to Clarksville, Arkansas I was amazed at all the rolling hills and mountains and all the greenery.  I took the following picture out of the car while we were moving, so it could be better, but you get the idea.  We were truly in the Ozark Mountains.  Beautiful!

Would you belive I had 3 or 4 pictures and now I can only find this one?!  Guess you can tell I'm still having trouble with this new blog/picture format.

It has been rather "cold" to me today, only in the middle 60's!  And a little bit of rain.  I wanted to go outside and do some more brush clearing but decided it wasn't a good day for it.  So Salli and I hopped in the car and went to Stigler.  I took the lid to my pressure canner in to the extension office to have the pressure gauge checked before I start doing any canning.  I ordered a new seal for the canner last week and it should be here in a day or so.  Anyway, my lid will be ready by next Friday or sooner, and they will call and let me know.  It's a 60 mile round trip, but worth it if we avoid botulism!  :)

Then we went to WalMart and I shopped for tomato plants.  I bought 3 different plants and a big bag of Miracle Grow soil.  One of them is my Cherokee Heirloom (purple) one and then a Better Girl and a Big Beef - I think it was.  I sure hope they grow fruit this year.  After last year and the drought and no tomatoes, we are soooooo ready for some this year.  So, 3 tomato plants and a bag of dirt = $22!!
Such is the good life...........

Also stopped by Shelton's grocery for some produce and ice cream.  They had strawberries, cukes, tomatoes and asparagus on sale so I couldn't resist.  And I'd been wanting ice cream for a long time.  Got a bucket of Neopolitan.  Oh boy, let the good times roll!  LOL

My cousin Kay in Alabama has been having quite a bout with different illnesses and headaches and they have caused her to lose a bunch of weight.  So, her being such a nice cousin, she sent me a box of clothes she can't wear any more.  I was able to keep probably half of what she sent, and my favorite is a pair of real jeans with a zipper and all!  Thank you cousin Kay, they are so much nicer than elastic waist jeans!  :) :)  ha ha ha  It's so strange how different people can wear the same size in some things and not others.  I guess it's all in how and where the weight is distributed!  Anyway, I am grateful.  What didn't fit I took down to the Mission so nothing went to waste!  And I think she is getting better, but it is a long slow process.

Well, Mother's Day is upon us this weekend.  I got a nice Mother's Day surprise in the mail the other day.  It's a laminated, multi-page, folding brochure (with pictures) of the flora and fauna and trees of Oklahoma.  My daughter had read my blog with the wild flower pictures where I didn't know what they were and thought the brochure would be handy.  And boy is it fun to have.  The other day we were going down the road and Ronnie made me stop  3  times so he could get out and pick a flower to compare it to the pictures and decide what it was!  Thank you daughter Sonja - again.  :)

I hope you all have a great Mother's Day.  I will surely miss my Mom more than usual.  Until next time, take care and God Bless you and yours.

I'm Determined!

GREETINGS!

I looked through all my pictures the other day and couldn't find the one of my new purse.  It must have accidentally gotten deleted; BUT stubborn as I am (and determined), I just took another one!  Not like you all couldn't live without seeing my new bag, but it's the principal of the thing!  So here it is - if I can figure out this new picture posting thing.........

Hooray for me!  Only took two tries to get the picture on here.  Now let's see if I can get another one!

Wow!  This one took 5 tries!  What in the heck is wrong with me........or this????  Anyway, this is another treasure I bought when Judy and I were on our "outing" last month.  I fell in love with this "chicken".  He's got a home on top of my refrigerator, that's why you see the ceiling!  I think my love for him comes from his triangle shape, since I had recently made some almost like him.

I went outside this morning with my handy dandy chain saw and cleared some more brush and branches from a copse in the back yard.  Looks much nicer now.  I ended up with my wagon over flowing and made a trip to the burning pile!

Well, that's all I know for today.  Posting pictures stresses  me out so I'd better quit while I'm ahead!
Until next time, take care and God bless you and yours.

New Bag

GREETINGS!

This is the new purse I bought last month when Judy and I had our "outing".  She says it "looks" like me, so who was I to argue?  I love the colors- kind of a mauve and dark burgundy - and the studs!  Well, you won't believe this, but I can't find the picture!! 

Sometimes I think I'm just getting too old for all this nonsense!  So now I'll try and show you a picture of my "prickly pear cactus' in bloom and all the buds waiting to bloom!



Don't even ask how long it took me to get this picture on here!  They have changed the format on loading pictures and I had no idea how to do it -- it was just hit and miss and cross  your fingers  and hope one of them worked!  Good Grief!  Why keep changing things!*@# !   

That's all I know for today, and quite frankly, my nerves wouldn't stand for trying to do any more.  Until next time, take care and  God bless you and yours.

Reclining

GREETINGS! How time flies! It's been a few days since I last posted and I just don't know where the time goes! Or is it that I just get lazy and don't post?! :)

One day last week Ronnie and I went to Muskogee because I needed some more thread for the runner I'm quilting for my daughter, and also to get a new wash basin for my bathroom. Well, we got a new sink and faucets and whatever else we thought we needed and when Ronnie went to install it, the sink was too small and the wrong shape! Needless to say, that required another trip to Muskogee. I ended up using my old sink with a new drain and it looks brand new. Only difference is I have to use a rubber plug instead of a pop up one, which is fine with me! Sometimes what seems to be the simplest of ideas and fixes turn out just the opposite!!

After getting the thread and sink stuff we had lunch at Long John Silver's and then went on to a furniture store to look at recliners for Ronnie. His old glider rocker was getting pretty run down, and I hate how much room it and the foot stool took up in the front room. So this is what he found and bought:

It is faux leather and has a power button to make it recline.  Of course men love that feature!  It matches the new love seat and piano great!  Now, my chair needs to be replaced; its getting old, is green and looks kind of ratty!  I think I'll search for a smaller recliner, one that looks like a chair - wingback maybe - but reclines. 

We are having semi nice weather this week.  Had a thunder and lightening storm for over 2 hours the other day and lots of rain.  But today is warm and sunny, in the 80's.  Hope your weather is being kind to you.  That's all I know for now.  Until next time, take care and God bless you and yours.