Sewing Project

Several months ago my friend Cathy made a couple of skirts for her granddaughter and posted about them. They were really cute and she told me they were easy. So I asked her to send me the pattern. And, she did - six months later ( I might be exaggerating a bit). Since I had the day off work today, I decided to make a couple of skirts. One for Hannah and one for Gracie. I had a hard time picking out fabric because I wanted them to be able to wear them this fall and into early winter too. When I saw this fabric, it reminded me of western - cowboy - horses, and Hannah loves horses, so I decided to try it for the skirts.

Gracie and Hannah's skirts.

Hannah's Skirt

Gracie's Skirt

Thanks Cathy for sending the pattern. These were a lot of fun to make. I wish I knew where to buy them a cowboy hat (cheap). I'll take them over to them this Thursday evening after work.

Now I need to get busy and make some bibs for baby Bella. Lori tells me she is starting her on "real baby food" - homemade!

All is well . . .

I made it through the night without any mishaps - although there were a lot of strange noises I wasn't sure about. It's a beautiful fall day and I am loving being home - I think I could get use to this. I planned to sleep in this morning, but I was wide awake at 5:30 a.m. So I got up and started my day. By 7:00 a.m. all the bathrooms were scrubbed, laundry was going, I took the trash out to the street for pick-up, and fed, watered, and played with all the animals. I do need to fill the bird feeders later this morning.

This little kitty is solid black. Isn't it cute? The last litter produced a solid gray kitty.

Group picture. I couldn't get a picture with them all looking at me. There are two black kitties and four striped. Four boys and two girls. And, they are all up for adoption. Hope some of you can help me out here. As soon as Bootsie weens these kittens, she is going to see Dr. Putman. Although it is fun having kittens.

Here are our three cats enjoying their breakfast. Bootsie and two of her babies from the last litter, Big Foot and Tiger. We found homes for two of the kittens, but these two didn't have a home. Bob, became attached to them, but decided that he should find a home, so he put them in a cage and went to Walmart hoping to find someone in the parking lot that wanted a nice kitten. Well, he changed his mind when he got to Walmart. So he went in to the store and bought more cat food and brought both of the boys home with him. So, now we have three cats and that's our limit. They have visited Dr. Putman, so all is well there. They love living in the barn and they play in the chicken yard with the chickens. Maybe that's why Bootsie moved her kittens to one of the chicken's nesting boxes in the hen house. Could it be the cats think they are chickens?

Hide 'n Seek

I've been out of town for a few days, so when I returned home today, I wanted to check on all our pets, gather the eggs, and work in the flower beds. The dogs were easy to check on because all three of them were wagging their tails and wanting attention. They are such sweet dogs. And, so good! They stay on the property and appear to stay out of trouble while we are gone. At least they haven't been caught being naughty. No call from the dog catcher, and no injured dogs from playing in the busy road in front of our house.

Last week, Bob told me that Bootsie (our adopted barn cat who now has six kittens) had moved her kittens again. She just isn't happy with people disturbing her and the kittens so she keeps moving them all over in the barn. Bob was down in the basement of the barn where the chickens roost and nesting boxes are located. He kept hearing meows, so he started investigating. He found two of the kittens on the floor of the chicken house. They had fallen from the main floor of the barn through a whole in the floor. They were fine because they had landed on a pile of hay (lucky for them). Bob took them upstairs and found the old cat carrier and put hay in it and put all six kittens in it and put it over in a secluded corner and then placed a board over the whole in the floor, so if the kittens ventured out, they wouldn't fall through to the basement. Today when I went to the barn to check on the kittens (I really wanted to just play with them) I checked the entire first floor of the barn looking everywhere, but no kittens. I was afraid that maybe something had gotten into the barn and something might have happened to those little kitties. But I kept looking, but no luck.

Then I went downstairs to the basement of the barn to check on the chickens and gather the eggs, and when I checked inside one of the nesting boxes, there were four little eyes looking back at me. Two of the little kittens were in the nesting box. Bootsie must have moved the kittens to the basement, but there were only two. I checked all the nesting boxes and gathered the eggs and then went over to check inside of a wooden box that was hanging from the wall in the chicken house and there were the other four little kittens. I went and gathered the two little adventurous kittens and put them in with the other four kittens. They are the cutest little kittens and so sweet. They love to be held. Bootsie, Big Foot, and Tiger all went out into the chicken yard with me to check on the chickens. The chickens seemed to be fine with no casualties since the raccoon was taken care of by Punkin a couple weeks ago.

We thought we had lost our banty chicken to the raccoon, but Bob found her nesting over in the small barn. We should have ten banty eggs hatching any day now - but I won't be checking to see when they hatch, because that little banty is mean.

As I walked out of the basement barn door, my faithful dogs were sitting there waiting for me.

I wish I knew the dogs were out on the front porch right now, because there are noises out there and I'm not sure what it might be. The dogs are in the back room sleeping. Maybe I'll go let them outside to do some investigation.

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

I guess the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure" is a true statement. At least it worked at our garage and barn sale this past weekend. Bob spent quit a bit of time cleaning out the barn and gluing chairs and tables back together and I spent just as much time going through every room in the house and the back unfinished "catch-all" room. We cleaned and organized everything, borrowed six tables from the church, priced every item. We had a great time visiting with all the neighbors that came by. And when it was all said and done we totaled up the money and made $1,050. I'd say that was worth all the work we put into it. We're going to have another one next spring and hopefully get rid of all the extra stuff we don't need or use that I couldn't bare to part with this time.

Blueberries and Raspberries

Sunday, Bob and I decided to go and pick blueberries. The weather was perfect - sunny with a cool breeze. We picked 53 pounds of berries. Bob went back today and picked another 39 pounds. We washed and bagged a good part of them to freeze, but left a box out for us to eat fresh.

The bushes were loaded and it was easy picking.

Bob's been a picker since he could walk - in fact when he was a toddler, he took his favorite blanket with him to pick green beans and remembered he had left it in the field when they were on their way home. He cried and cried, but his mom would not turn around and go back to get it. I'm told she was thankful he forgot it.

The berries were nice and big.

We received a recipe from the berry farm - "Grandma Hafner's Fresh Blueberry Pie" and we decided to try it. Bob is making two baked crusts. One for us and one for me to take to work.


Before I left for work, I (with Bob' help) put the pie together. I whipped cream cheese and a little cool whip together and spread on the bottom and sides of the baked shell.

Then we followed the recipe for the filling.

Grandma Hafner's Fresh Blueberry Pie

3 cups fresh blueberries

2/3 cup water

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 T lemon juice

1 baked pie crust

Mix 1 cup blueberries, water, cornstarch, and sugar together in saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. The blueberries will burst and the mixture will become dark purple. When thick, remove from heat, add the lemon juice and the 2 cups of remaining blueberries, and pour into baked pie shell. Cool for at least 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream.

The office staff enjoyed the pie I took and so did I!

When I came home from work today, there were ten quarts of raspberries waiting for me. Our raspberry bushes are doing great this year. We have three different varieties; June berries - Taylor and Purple Royal, and the ever-bearer is Fall Red.

I'm glad I didn't say, "I told you so!"

Bob thought it would be fun to let one of the chickens hatch little chicks. Once this hen started sitting or setting (I don't know which one to use), she was not very friendly. She would squawk and peck at you if you came near her. Bob didn't care what she did, he would pick her up to see if any of the chicks had hatched. One morning when he went to the barn to feed and water the chickens and to check on the setting hen, she was especially spatty and fussy, but Bob picked her up anyway and four little chicks fell from under her wings. She had two little yellow chicks and two black.

When I found out about the chicks, I thought we should bring them into the house and bring in the washtub for them to grow-up in. Bob wouldn't hear any of that. He said hens have had chicks in barns for many years and somehow they survive without being raised in a kitchen. The hen is very protective and if any of the other hens or roosters come close, she lets them have it. She has even pulled some feathers out of a hen that got to close.

The chicks do just what their mother does. When she scratches at the food on the ground, they copy her. It's so cute. And when she calls them, they come running and get under her wings. The chicks have been getting through the fence and the mother hen has a fit. When I saw this, I of course told Bob we should definitely bring them in the house till they got older. Nope. That didn't happen.

On Monday evening, Bob went out to gather the eggs and make sure all the chickens were inside. All but the mother hen was in the chicken house. She was huddled outside with all four baby chicks underneath her. It was beginning to rain, so Bob didn't think he should just leave her there, so he braved the pecking and gathered the hen and her chicks and took them inside and put them in one of the nesting boxes.

The next evening, once again the mother hen was outside with her baby chicks underneath her. It wasn't raining, so Bob decided to let her stay there. The next morning when Bob checked on them, they were all running around in the fenced in pen.

That evening when Bob went out to gather the eggs, the mother hen was inside in the highest nesting box - just sitting there. Bob looked all around for the little chicks, but he couldn't find them. When he came in he told me that either a snake or the cats must have eaten the chicks because he couldn't find them anywhere. That's when I wanted to say, "See I told you so" but I didn't. It was really sad to hear about those little chicks because they were so cute - and seemed to be quite happy.

Once again in the morning, Bob went out to feed the chickens and out in the chicken yard was the mother hen and all four chicks. They must have been underneath her in that top nesting box. How did they get there? They can't fly yet. I wonder if they got on the mother hen's back and she flew up there with them?

I was so thankful that they were safe. They are so cute.


We also have a strawberry patch this year. Here grandpa and Madeline are picking strawberries for our supper. The strawberries are really good - very sweet. I wish there were enough to freeze or make jam. Bob says next year we should have plenty. We've been sharing this year's crop with the deer. They seem to like them as much as we do. Bob will probably have to fence the strawberry patch.

Our three dogs just can't get enough attention. And, if they see Bob petting one of the other dogs, they become jealous and come running wanting attention too. They are such good dogs. Yesterday, I got a call on my cell phone while I was at work - and I was able to find my phone, in the bottomless pit of a purse I carry before it stopped ringing. It was the county clerk's office telling me that Punkin Doodles - and I was thinking, oh, great, Punkin has gotten out in the road and has been hit by a car - dog license expires the end of the month. I let her know that I had the renewal license and check on my dining room table ready to bring in.

Grandpa and Madeline went to the barn to check on the chickens and play with the cats. That's right, cats. Bootsie had kittens and we had homes for all four and then one of the families didn't want to wait six weeks for them, so they got some elsewhere. So, we couldn't find homes for the two leftovers and Bob has named them so there's no way he's going to give them away. Madeline asked grandpa if she could have the one she is holding and he said sure. Then she said her mom said she could have it, but it had to live at his house. She named it Oreo - grandpa calls it Patches. I hope the cat doesn't get too confused with his names. The other kitten he named big foot because it has seven toes on each foot. We have got to take all three cats and Checotah in to be fixed. I do not want more animals. Enough is enough!!!

Bob wanted a picture of us in front of the barn before he shaved off his beard. I refused to let him catch a chicken to hold for the picture - he wasn't happy about it either.

May Birthday Celebrations

The end of May we had a birthday celebration for Bob, Lisa, and Matthew. Ryan made grilled vegetable kabob's which were a big hit. Matthew is getting the vegetables on the sticks.


Ryan cut the vegetables up the night before and then marinated them in Italian salad dressing.


We must have made over 50 of these and I thought there would be quite a few left-over, but there wasn't one left.


The menu: hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans, pickled okra, fresh lemonade, angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream, chocolate cake, fruit pizza, and maple walnut ice cream.


Lisa's parents, James, John, Seth, and his girlfriend came over too. John liked the homemade ice cream Bob made.

Hannah just enjoyed picking at the pizza.

Gracie had an earache so Shannon is holding her with a blanket wrapped around her. It was really cold and windy!

I should have taken more pictures of everyone, but I was busy making sure everyone had enough food to eat.