Books, Books, and More Books!

After getting myself moved back into my room last Friday and getting the shelves on the bookcase fixed at the same time, I decided that it was time to fill that empty looking bookcase up with books. Since I have a closet full of books filling it up was not going to be a problem!

"All of Grandma's Books"
Now I know that these seven boxes of books do not look like very much, but when they are all in your closet with all the other things that you store (and other people store!) you sometimes get a panicked feeling upon opening the doors!
After pulling the boxes out I began to wonder how many books I had.... Well seven boxes looks like.....

....this.... and....

....this.
Along with some that are in my other book case! In all I "inherited" two-hundred-seventeen books from my Grandmother!
As I took the books from the box I alphabetized them by author and then documented what titles I had by each author. Grandma never kept a book that she thought was poorly written so I should have some fun reading ahead of me.

"The End Result"
I had quite a time deciding which books I was going to display and wound up picking the books that I knew were good, looked interesting, or were so old that I couldn't stand the thought of them living in a box.
Most all of the books have a copyright date of at least 1945 or earlier. I found two copies of Ishmael by E.D.E.N Southworth, one of The Wide, Wide World by Susan Warner, and one of That Printer of Udell's by Harold Bell Wright all of which have been republished by Lamplighter Publishing! All of these books have the latest copyright date being the early 1900's! I'm thrilled!
As I begin the task (or pleasure?!) of reading through all these books I'm reading them with several things in mind. First of all, is this a romance? If it is, it's going straight into the ebay or yard sale pile. I'm not going to keep that kind of reading for I know these books will someday be read by my children. Secondly, is this book one that I would reccommend to others for pleasure reading?
I hope to write a little "blurb" giving my thoughts on the book and maybe a short synopsis of the story. I'll then place it in the front of the book so I know where to find it!! Given my "age" some things are more easily forgetten than others....... :o)

Lets see, if I read one book a week means I read fifty-two books in a year, which means I have four years worth of reading in my closet!!! I'd better get started.

Bull Run

Big things are beginning to happen over at "Bull Run" (what we call the new property) and it makes one want to be over there in the midst of it all! It has been a while since I was over there so on Saturday I made a point to visit!

Trevor brought his boss's skid steer home on Friday and began work on "grading out" his driveway. Since the house sits on top of the hill, he's had to figure out the best, and least steepest, ascent.

He also got his "house" site graded out. He is actually building the garage first, but is going to use it as a house until he's ready to build the real house.

Trevor does most of the "grading", dirt moving, and ground works side of his boss's business so he's really good at running a skid steer!

This is looking down from the hill. Daddy and Sayre had spent most of the day working down in the clump of trees, there in the field, clearing brush and hauling it off.

The fence lining the road is all grown up so Daddy and Trevor worked on clearing it out while......

Sayre hauled brush to...........

the gully. I'm told that there is a spring down there that has slowly eroded the surrounding bank away creating this ten foot deep-or more- gully.

If I were going to build a house at Bull Run, it would be at this spot. I love looking out over the pasture and can only imagine how many deer frequent it when we're gone!

A light late afternoon rain brought all of the men folk back to the house. As they got cleaned up I agonized over what dessert might be the most tasty for the evening and soon realized I was going to need help with this very important decision!! :o) Trevor was just at hand so I asked him what sounded good...... "Chocolate Torte. I'll even help make it!" was his reply, to which I readily agreed!

It was so delicious and was the perfect way to end the evening. Thelma even showed up and was able to taste Trevor's handiwork!!!
All in all it was a terrific afternoon!

A Morning Stroll

As I let Jasper out earlier this morning I noticed that it was just beautiful outside!

It was seventy-nine degrees with cloud cover that had "character" (you could see the different clouds). A walk through the gardens was in order!

"The Welcoming Committee always is so glad to see me in the mornings!"
I first stopped by the dog/cow/goat pen to feed Lila and Buck. It's an adventure going in there; the cow wants the dog food and the goat will NOT leave me alone..... In the end the dog food got eaten and I made it out of the pen in one piece!
The Big Garden was my next stop...

"Banana Peppers"
I was surprised to see how well the peppers were doing. The Banana Pepper plants are covered in peppers and I'm sure are almost ready to harvest.

"Hot Peppers"
Collin has been giving special attention to these little guys! He LOVES hot peppers although I wonder what he is going to do with all these!

"Eggplant"
I was so surprised to see that this was finally bearing fruit! How exciting! I can't remember ever having eaten eggplant before so this is a first for me. How do y'all like it? Does it taste like squash or have it's own flavor?

The tomato's are slowly beginning to ripen. We have at least two different varieties- Rutgers for canning and another kind which no one can remember the name of! With so many green tomato's within reach we cannot pass up having fried green tomato's as a side dish for dinners! Mmmmm good!

I next moved on to my garden.....

"A Bunny amidst the Phlox"
Momma gave me quite a few of these little bunnies for my birthday and I have them sprinkled all throughout my garden. I love seeing them peek out from the most unsuspecting places!
I've already started thinking about all the plants that will need transplanting, dividing, or planting this fall and I'm getting excited!

"It's Amazing what a Little Water will Do!"
The Gerber Daisies are the highlight of my garden! Since they are second year plants the foliage is fuller, healthier looking, and greener! The flowers are so cheerful and are perfect for gathering for use in a vase.

Despite the "cooler" temperature this butterfly was flitting around my garden. The Cleome and the Butterfly Bush- in the background- keep the butterflies busy in addition to looking wonderful!
After walking though the garden, it was time for me to head back in....

as I walked up to the porch I noticed that this watermelon that has doubled in size since Monday nights rain. We now have a watermelon patch right under/beside the porch where several melons are in various stages of development. They are intertwined with morning glories, hummingbird vine, and potted plants. It's starting to look like a jungle out there!

While I've been strolling around I've musing over what I hope to get done today and I believe I shall keep it simple. I'm going to finish putting my room back together (all but the closet doors are painted and the furniture was moved back in last night!), practice my Horn, do some housework/cooking, and maybe wrap some soap. I have a Horn lesson this evening so I do need to practice today.... :o)

Sawyer is feeling rather under the weather today. He has a fever and is absolutely pitiful. Momma made him a nest on the sofa and is serving him meals on the "sick tray" which is a special treat! I have fond memories of being sick as a child (when it wasn't a stomach sickness).
I must be off.... laundry doesn't fold itself!

Recent Sewing Projects

By the end of May I realized that my stack of fabric wasn't going to turn itself into something by itself, so I knew it was time to decide what to make and write it down on my "Summer To Do List". Happily, I was able to quickly get to the sewing rather quickly and here are the results!

I first tackled this fun piece of rayon that I had originally bought thinking I'd make a blouse!! However, the more I looked at it, the more I thought that it would make a really nice skirt!! It's full and I love how it seems to flow when I walk!

"Which zipper shall I use?"
When I was able to begin work on the skirt, I became a woman on a mission and nothing was going to stop me from finishing the skirt in a day!! That is, until my Momma caught a glimpse of what zippers I was contemplating using!! Since I had just recently decided it was going to be a skirt I didn't have a zipper that matched so I was just going to use the closet matching zipper that we had on hand. Well, Mother insisted that I use a properly matched zipper instead of the brown or gray one I had picked out and so I called our Knight In Shining Armour (Daddy!!). He is always so happy and willing to run errands for those of us who can't, so he took his life in his hands and ventured into the fabric section at Wal-Mart to purchase a cream colored zipper! Thank you Daddy!

"The Blouse"
This was next on my list and had everything I needed to make it. The blouse has the tucks from Marmees pattern on it but is cut out from a different blouse pattern. Momma showed me how to transfer the tucks to this pattern, so I may make it again!

"The Apron"
Lastly, I made myself an apron! I had talked about doing so for months but couldn't find "just the right piece of fabric". Upon arriving at the bottom of my fabric stash I found "the perfect fabric" for making an apron! I made the apron in an afternoon and am so tickled with the results!

"Little Details"
I lined the apron as I wanted it to have a bit of substance to it and I wanted the extra thickness just in case I splashed liquids on it. I also turned the surged edges under to give it a more finished and "dignified" look. I'm so pleased with the results!

"The Sewing Room Mainstay"
Moppet and I fought constantly over who was going to be using the ironing board! The sewing chair was also in high demand between both of us and things became rather "hairy" amongst the two of us.

"Another Stash of Fabric"
It was nice knowing that I no longer had a pile of fabric, but that feeling lasted only a week. Momma and I have been to Hancocks two different times in the past two weeks and I now have another pile of fabric!! Sigh....... does this happen to anyone besides me?!

"Showers of Blessing"

Yesterday was a hot-hot day with our thermometer reading around 100 degrees around noon. The weather channel wasn't calling for any rain but the Lord had other plans!

Around six o'clock it started raining and quickly turned into a downpour!

Since it's been sometime since we last saw water falling from heaven, those of us at home sat out on the front porch watching it rain!! With the lightening, thunder, hail, and lots of wind we were in for a real treat!

I was contemplating this morning how we would rather have a slow steady rain that the earth would be able to soak up, but yet, we've been asking the Lord to give us exactly what we need and He knows perfectly what is best for us! So if the Lord sends us a downpour or a light rain, this is what He is sending us, and I'll be thankful for it!

Our power went out for about an hour so we enjoyed eating dinner by candlelight! There was a little delay in getting Daddy and Momma to the table so the boys start singing "Our Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas". It was so funny as they all intentionally sang on different notes and then they got Sawyer singing which made it even funnier! I wish you could've heard it!
Today I'm working on getting the ceiling in my room painted! I can't wait to see how it looks!

My Daddy

Today is a special day for my Daddy. It's his birthday!!! Happy Birthday!!!
I consider myself very blessed to have him for my Daddy.....

There are several qualities that I really love about my Daddy. 1) He is willing to uphold what the Lord says and not what man dictates. 2)When Daddy makes a decision you know it's the right one. He mulls things over and thinks them out before making a decision on anything! 3) He works hard, and at times long hours, to provide for his family. 4) He's a logical thinker and can point out different things that you hadn't even thought of. 5)He enjoys working and being with his family!
Of course, there are many other things that I love about him but these are the most loved.

Mommas been causing all kinds delicious smells to waft through the house and I hear that there is homemade ice cream on the menu as well! I see a monstrous pile of meat thawing on the counter, potato salad in the refrigerator, and the ice tea (a necessity here!) is brewing all day long! I think Daddy is in for "the party of his life"!
Happy Birthday Daddy!

Summer Plans.

Lately, it seems that I have read more than one article on "making your summer count" where they have talked about giving purpose and direction during the "free" weeks of the warm season. I know that I have viewed summertime as the time where you relax, take vacations, go swimming, and take part in those fun summertime activities, but I've been reminded that this isn't all that summer time is about rather, it's the perfect time to accomplish many things!

"Aprons in the pantry"
Back at the beginning of June I began to realize that there were allot of things that I needed to do THIS year and that there was no time like the present to begin work on them. Knowing that I was going to forget half of things on my quickly growing mental "To Do List" I decided to put it down on paper. Here's what I came up with..
1-Paint Room
2-Make curtains to match
3-make raspberry tea bags with loose tea... done!
4-clean up and re stain bookcase... done!
5-paint shelf Trevor made
6-clean up and paint small shelf....done!
7-go through and re-organize Wash Basin
8-make light pink blouse... done!
9-make rayon skirt... done!
10-make denim skirt
11-finish John John's...done!
12-write article...done!
13-read "Moby Dick"
14-document linens
15-document glass wear
16-make apron...done!

"Andy Griffith is the best way thing to watch on a sultry summer evening!"
according to certain boys!
As you can see I've gotten quite a bit done in addition to other things that have come my way. Sewing jobs for others, books that I didn't mean to read, household odd jobs, gardening, etc... but this list compromises the "big/major/to-be-done-now projects" that I must complete! So if you don't hear from me for a while you know what I'm up to!!!

In the Gardens

July has finally come to visit for a while and brings with it the strong sunshine that plants need to grow. Many of the plants in the garden have put on fruit in the past week and I'd like to show you some of it!

"It's Raining!!"
The Lord sent us some desperately needed rain last night!! What a delight it was to sit at the dinner table and see it suddenly start!! The Lord is good!

"Black Turtle Beans"
The beans have been flowering for several weeks now, and we have just begun to find these seed pods. I'm not sure why we weren't seeing the pods before as they must have been growing for at least a week before we saw them!
Does anyone know how to tell when dry beans are ready to pick? Green beans are one thing, dried beans another.

"Sweet Corn"
I also found little ears of corn!!! I can't wait till they are ready to eat!! The fourth of July just wasn't complete without corn on the cob!

"The Melon Patch"
Last year the boys picked a watermelon out of the garden each afternoon and stuck it in the fridge for their after dinner, or before dinner, treat! I'm sure the same will happen this year!

Now, lets move onto my garden where I've been encountering some interesting things.

I've noticed that my cosmos plants have had the tops bitten off of them, but I didn't think anything of it as they are planted around a bird feeder and assumed the birds were doing it. Then I took a closer look.....

Ants have been eating away at the tops of the cosmos plants. They've eaten holes into the sides and in general made a mess of the plants. I also had aphids on several plants so I started spraying them with a soapy water combination to kill everything. I have yet to find the nest that the ants are coming from so I'll just keep the soapy water water handy until I find and destroy the nest.
Momma thinks that the ants are sucking water from the cosmos plants since they are probably the easiest to bore into. With the lack of rain this really makes sense.

Other than the ants in my garden things are going well! As you can see the Gerber Daises and blanket flowers are loving life! I've planted quite a few caladium bulbs in the shady area and am eagerly anticipating their coming up!
I've had to pull up all of my Foxglove as it was dying so I have quite a few bare spots that need filling in. I also cut all of the iris' back since they were turning and dingy shade of brown. So, things look a little bare at this point in time!

The Humming Bird vine is a beautiful green!! I've been unwinding different tendrils to encourage growth all over the trellis.

The Butterfly Garden is doing well too. It seems that the butterflies are beginning to discover this spot as I've seen several different types on the butterfly bush recently. It's hard to catch them still long enough to get a picture!
There is also a hummingbird feeder hanging off of a shepherds hook and I have a pair of hummers visiting frequently!!! They been enjoying the butterfly bush, Hyssop, and verbena as well!!

The bees have claimed the Hyssop as their personal domain!! It's always covered in bees!!

Out at the compost bin the volunteer tomato plants seem to be thriving and make us all laugh as we walk past.
Have a terrific day!