HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to all!

It's unbelievable that an entire year has flown by - but it also seems like 2010 lasted forever. I'm excited to have a clean slate in front of me, and am hopeful many issues we've been facing will be resolved within the next 12 months.

Big John and I have gotten back on the workout track in the last couple of weeks, but are still struggling with eating better - and by better, I mean healthier. Make no mistake, we've been eating real well around here! We've looked at finances, checked out the freezer, and decided our grocery store trips need only consist of milk, cereal, fruit, and bread. That should cut out a big chunk of our expenditures. Goals for the upcoming year include getting into better shape, both physically and financially. We've got big plans in the making, and we need to be in the best shape possible, in all ways possible.

My personal "resolution" - actually a necessity - is to BE HAPPIER. I know, that sounds kind of ridiculous, but it's becoming a need, not just a want. So in an effort to help me help myself, I'm instituting a new spot on the blog. I hope to put it over on the side with some of all the other features, but that may not work out just like I'm picturing. So let me get it started here. It's a countdown. A countdown to what, exactly, will be revealed in the coming months. As of today: 99

Whew! That makes me happier already, just to see it in writing. Oh, you'll be so excited when you find out what that means!! Stay tuned. And in the meantime, enjoy the first day of a brand new year. May all your dreams come true! Happy New Year!

HAPPY (EARLY) BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Just the other day (Sunday, to be exact) I started prepping Big John for the inevitable. We were in need of  new cookware. The old set - the best we could afford 15 years ago - was starting to shed it's life-time warrantied, no-shed, non-stick surface. And if I hadn't done everything in the book to void the warranty (using metal utensils, burning stuff, scrubing with sandpaper to get off the burnt stuff), I'd sure try to get a new set free.

 Now this is not the kind of news most men want to hear, especially at the holidays when ridiculous spending is at an all time high. But I figured if I started talking about it now, it wouldn't come as such a shock in June or July when I decided I'd had enough and headed to the mall.

And then this morning, as I was bemoaning the fact that my sauce pan was pitiful and wouldn't hold up to the homemade caramel recipe I was about to try ... Big John brought in this GORGEOUS set of stainless steel pots and pans. WOW!! And my birthday is still two days away!

Here's the gifter himself. My husband, my hero, my one true love, my knight in shining armor - I could go on and on and on. But you get the picture! (Big John's reading up on "how not to burn stuff." He's going to give me a tutorial!)

THANK YOU, BIG JOHN!

THEY'RE PERFECT!!

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!

Lights have been strung.

Wreaths have been hung.

The tree is up and presents are bought. The house is filled with the smells of sugar cookies, rum pecans, and chocolate-almond toffee.

I don't think I've eaten a meal in 3 days - I'm too full of dough and sugar and nuts. I may be ready for my New Year's diet by next week!

TOUGH WEEK ON THE FARM

We've had a bad run in the animal department these last few days. I decided yesterday that it was time for Cloud and the three chicks to be outside on their own. Big John didn't say much when I announced my decision - I guess he knew it wasn't the best idea. The blue chick went missing yesterday afternoon - probably supper for a hawk. This morning Daisy made the mistake of eating one of the banties we hatched this summer. They've been out with the big chickens for months now, with no problems. Daisy has paid the price for her snack, and we'll have to be much more careful with her and the chickens. That's the problem with Labs...

We had to put Mischa down the week after Thanksgiving. She'd spent many days of the previous two weeks at the vet with kidney issues. We brought her home, she seemed better, then went down fast within a day.

Mischa was a rescue, of sorts. She'd been given to our vet by an owner who couldn't keep her any longer. The story of her past was a little unclear, as was her age, but no matter what, she defiinitely needed a home. And we always have room for needy animals. Misch was very much a one-man cat. She took to Big John like flies to honey - and the feeling was mutual. Many a night, I'd find them settled into the recliner watching "Cops" or "Border Patrol," Mischa gazing up at Big John's face with unashamed adoration. She'd sleep by him, sit in the chair by him at supper. They bonded, for sure. She tolerated me, but her love was for Big John.

Mischa also took a shine to Uncle Dick while he was here with us. Uncle Dick was in bed most of the time, enjoying air conditioning and satellite TV for the first time (another story for another day.) Once Mischa discovered we had a house guest, she took it upon herself to keep him company all day long. She claimed the far corner of the foot of the bed - just out of reach of Uncle Dick's toes - and made herself at home on top of his boot box. She'd stay in that one spot until we got home. I think she enjoyed another body in the house while we were off at work. Uncle Dick claimed he didn't want her in there - said he even kicked at her under the covers - but we were convinced he was trying to reach her to pet her. Didn't matter to Misch. She spent every day for months watching Uncle Dick rest. And for weeks after he died, she continued to sleep on that boot box. She missed him as much as we did.

It's always hard to remember those last moments of a beloved pet's life, when the suffering becomes greater than you or they can bear. Mischa brought many joyous moments to our lives - we hope we did the same for her. Rest easy, Sweet Mischa.

FROST ON THE PUMPKIN

Yep, I've been waiting to use that one! Ever since we planted those darned things, the song's been running through my head. Late pumpkins and an early frost meant we had ... frost on the pumpkin! Click here to hear: Cal Smith's "Country Bumpkin" on That Good Ole Nashville Music. (Just hit your back button to come back to the blog.)

Colder weather than we anticipated meant Big John and I had to cut our Thanksgiving trip to Dallas short, race home, put Brownie's blanket on, and try to cover as much of the tomatoes as possible. We ended up with a low around 34 degrees, and a pretty heavy frost. We lost the tops of basil and tomatoes, a few bell peppers, and probably the spaghetti squash. Everything else looks ok.

We've spent today cuttin' up some firewood for the fire pit. Guess we'll be getting winter pretty soon. Tonight we'll enjoy the cool weather, cook some fresh cut pork chops on the fire pit, and enjoy a beautiful sunset - country livin' style.

PUMPKINS FOR SALE!





Get your Thanksgiving decorations today! Last 4 days of this amazing sale - Buy 1, get the rest of the wagon-load FREE!!

Can't beat a deal like that!

THE ACQUISITON, PART I

I've been "workin' a deal" on some chickens, and this Saturday everything fell in place. These pretty birds now call our place HOME.

A friend and co-worker ended up housing some chickens for a young relative - I think it was one of those school projects that suddenly end up with live animals needing a home. While she loved the fresh eggs, the chicken poop left daily - hourly - on her patio proved to be more than she had bargained for. We discussed sending these chickens down the coast to live with us, but the rooster involved kept holding me back. Sambo is a very happy guy, with no one but Tribett to fight with, and we really want to keep it that way. My lack of egg production got the better of me though, and fast and furious emails ensued. In the meantime, two hens had vanished (it's never the rooster that 'goes missing'), so I figured I'd better act now while there were some layers left.

We caught them all fairly easily, and I brought them home in a pet carrier. For a couple of weeks, they'll live in the dog kennel. The dogs are more than happy to relinquish their prison to chickens. They hate being penned up and avoid it like the plague! This will give all the fowl a chance to get to know each other through the safety of a fence, and hopefully keep any of them from getting sick.





Meet Nathan, the rooster. He crows A LOT - and really, really early!

                      This is Star. It's said she has a bit of an attitude.

Boots - 'cause she has feathered legs.

And Sunny. As you can tell, she's very friendly and inquisitive.

The names came with the poultry. They happen to all be names I would choose - except for "Nathan." But it's growing on me. He's a very grand bird, but not in stature. More in attitude. My friend knows the probable fate for Nathan, and she's ok with it - as long as she doesn't hear about it. I also "know" the probable fate of Nathan, but hope springs eternal in my mind! What if Sammy and Nate become best rooster friends? Who needs chicken to have soup?

All seems well with the new birds, and I've already gotten an egg from one. At least they're earning their keep .... hint, hint, hint.