Way to Early

Good Morning. Its way to early to be awake. First pot of coffee is made, first cup is mostly gone. Mr.Anthony had me up at 3:30a.m. coughing so hard. I do believe a trip to doctors will be in order this week for him. He has such a bad cough and running nose now. Came on with in 2 days. But the whole family at his moms is sick with the same thing. Little guy its sad he coughs so hard he vomits. Need to see if I can find a natural remidy to give him before dr.s visit.
So excited today Rob doesnt have to work. We might be able to get a few things done here. The basement still needs hoeing out to put in the wood furance we're suppose to be getting from his boss. Never mind the log load of wood that needs to be delivered next week.
Exerise time, I love to split wood I really do.

Valentines Day tomorrow, was a really special day in 1993 I married a really special man. Even had to wait for him to return home from work because of Blizzard to get married. Sadly things didnt stay the way they should of and we got divorced but still are good friends, So Happy Valentines day Mark.
It will be a year also tomorrow Rob's gram died so I dont think celebrating will be in order. besides my husband isnt a hopeless romantic over the past 5 years I have learnt thats its just another day and am Blessed every day to have him so I dont need one day for him to prove it. If I waited for that I would be sadly disappointed.
But of course this is coming from the man who (doesnt need a cell phone) but calls every hr to check on me, just to talk. So I guess I get shown in ways that arent material. he did tell me one day along time ago he would buy me 11 roses, and I asked why the 11 ,he said cuz I was the first rose and that would make a dozen.AWH!!!!! Sweet. I have all my letters he wrote me when we first were together, so He's a god guy guess I will keep him. LOL Happy Valentines Rob. I love you.

Are you as excited about spring and warm weather as I am? I ist here and look out into the dark yard and dream how in a month or so it will be almost light at this time, it will be warmer. by May I can sit on the step and drink my coffee. Maybe by May I wont be sitting here with flannels and wooly socks and a lap quilt also.

Hold on Coffee refill. Be right back. Do you have your coffee? Would you like me to get you a cup? How do you take it? Thanks for stopping by and sharing your morning with me and sitin a spell.
So how do you celebrate Valentines Day? Its it special in your house or is it just another day?

Think I will spend a little time going to thru my seed catalogs today. Have so much I want to do, now to find the time and the energy.

The houses needs to be finished in side and out this yr the pole barn needs to be put up,chicken house needs moving. and the horses need their winter pen built. Just a few things on the Honey do list. Thats doesnt count the gardens the shop I want to put in and petting farm.

I was reading my Backyard Homesteading book yesterday in the log truck I am up to berries. I want to be able to grow our own blueberries and strawberries, I love raspberries also. I want it all, LOL now to do it. I want to be more self suffient this yr than last. The less I can spend at the grocery store is more that can be put back into the farm.
Now to work on the public services we pay so much for lights, phone etc.

What kinds of things would you like to see on this Blog? What information can I help you with that might make your lifestyle a little more self suffient and less depending on the out side world, recipes,gardening tips animals? Let me know?

Well I think I will refill my cup and go see what my Husband is doing now he is awake. You all have a great and Blessed day, talk to you later

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP RECIPE

LAUNDRY SOAP

1 BAR FELS NAPTHA grated

1 cup BORAX laundry booster

1/2 c ARM & HAMMER washing soda

see picture

1 5 gallon bucket

container to put finished soap in

this is my recipes that works for me.

1 grated bar of Fels Napths, i use my chees grater and use the smallest side to grate it small,

in a pan add 6 cups hot water and heat with grated soap until dissolved.

in the 5 gallon bucket fill 1/2 way with hot water and dissolve the Borax and Arm & Hammer in

it. Once that is totally dissolved added the water and grated soap mixture. Fill the rest of the bucket with hot water and stir until totally mixed. Let cool, this may take a while, water stays hot for a while, (speaking from experiences here)

Once your mixture cools it will be a thick gel. Put in what ever containter you plan on storing it in. Only 1/2 -3/4 fill with soap and add more water. I usually only 1/2 fill because the longer it set the thicker it gets. Before using you will have to shake the bottle and mix soap up. If you decide to leave in the 5 gallon bucket after it cools cover it. If storing and using this way add your soap before clothes to the water.

I use 1/2 cup or if using a old laundry container that has oneof those caps I use that.

It makes between 5-7 gallons of laundry soap depending on if you add more water to seperate containers at the time of storage. i have done it both ways depending onthe amount of time I have when making it.

If you have any questions just ask.

I know my husband likes this soap so much better and brags to his friends on how much cleaner his clothes are and he is a logger and get real dirty.

it is a fresh smell. I dont add any fragrances to my laundry soap

Out my front window..

Blustery and windy this morning,partly sunny and lots of wind. Watching one of my buckets rolling around the driveway. I have to go clean the rental house today.
Anthony is having his first birthday today. My precious grandson gets to have his own cake this afternoon.,, lets see if he smooshes it all up. LOL
I do have to go pick up 2 more round bales of hay today, picked up 2 yesterday, if I get these 2 I will be all set for the rest of the month.

Anthony will go home today, hoping tomorrow and this weekend will be nice to work outside, Ihave to clean the front of the cow barn out so I can make a pen for Daisy the goat. Not sure when she is due so watching her closely. Excited about her having a baby. it will be the only new baby born on my farm this yr. I do miss not having any piglets born here this yr. But I am enjoying the freedom of chores.

I would love to have a couple sheep, as many of you know my dream is to learn to spin and use my own yarn. I have a cousin who amazes me she is a farmer. I guess growing up I never thought of her as farmer type. But she grows, dyes and does all her own yarn. i wish she lived closer. She is in Maine. i do have a lady on HT site who does live only 30 minutes away that has said she would teach me how to make soap, not sure if she knows how to spin i guess have to ask her.

Rob is way down in the western part of the state today hauling logs. He will have a long day.
Well if I dont get busy I wont get done.
Pray you all have a very Blessed day and stay safe and warm.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTHONY JACOB TYLER LOVETT OCONNOR

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY PRECIOUS GRANDSON. TODAY IS YOUR NUMBER 1. YOU WILL HAVE CAKE AND ICE CREAM LATER AND GET LOTS OF PRESENT.You are the brightest light of my day. You keep gramma young and tired.LOL

I love you sweet heart.

gramma

No Blinking Light

Sitting here drinking my um-teen cup of coffee this morning I am noticing my red blinking light isnt there.Alot of people wouldnt understand the true value of this single blinking little red light. BUT if your a farmer you understand all to well what a non blinking light can lead to. LOOSE animals. Sitting where I sit every morning I have the view of my front yard,which is also my driveway,pasture, and barn yard in the winter. My fence charger light that all to valuable red light isnt blinking this morning. Now I bet cha a dozen homemade plain ole fashion donuts before I get outside to do chores Jacob will be on the other side of the fence. Thankfully he is very easy to put in and scoop of grain and he will follow you any where, typical male lead them around by their stomaches. LOL.

My precious grandson is sleeping so soundly this morning in his play pen, ok my problem with this is, not that he is sleeping but at 11pm I tried to put him in same play pen to sleep and he wanted nothing to do with it. So my darling Anthony and gramma slept in the recliner again and believe me, I use the term sleep, loosely. He laid on my chest all night and slept fine, wanted nothing to do with play pen, now gramma is up play pen isnt so bad. Which really I dont mind it give us cuddly time. Rob has been working long hrs and hasnt been home much at all for the past month so when he gets home he is exhausted and when he sleeps he snores so loudly that the baby just cant sleep, so Anthony and I sleep in the recliner, so baby can sleep.



Woo-Hoo its daylight at 6:30 now. I could see all the way to the end of the driveway at 6:30. signs warmer weather is coming the more day light we get the closer spring is to getting here.

We have so many new plans for the farm. I am so excited.

Finally will have my petting farm for children,a shop to buy homemade & bake goods, different country crafts. I have been working hard on getting inventory made to be able to have well stocked shelves. Cant open the shop til the cows go to pasture. I am renovating my cow barn, the building already has power so it a start. And I have a son who is good with lumber so I plan on putting him to work also. Trying to get Rob to do some rustic country wood items, towels racks different things, still working ideas for that. But I think Alexandria needs a little store to buy things. We have the Apple orchard you can get great apples, jams,pickles,cider(to die for) and Nancys great apple pies. We have a wonderful soap shop down the road a piece where Lilly makes the best soaps and lotions. Her stuff is wonderful.

I live on past both on them and on the way to the AMC Lodge where hikers go yr round and many stop and buy eggs from me on their way up the mtn. and have asked where to buy muffins,breads with out going back down the mtn. We dont have any place in town. So I was figuring I love to bake and not so bad at it, I could make stuff and put it in the shop, when stuff is in season have specials. Hey if things dont sell my family eats it, they see this as a winning idea.



So many things to do today, take Sami to Tilton,buy hay, hoping the guy in Franklin is back from Brazil. Need to get the ingredents to make a cake and homemade ice cream for his birthday tomorrow. The big number 1....Oh yes have to clean the rental also today.

Well I suppose I need to get busy all the animals are looking around for breakfast, and yes time to fix the blinking light. have a Blessed day

No energy,but things need to be done

Even when your down and out,the animals and critters around the farm still need feed and water.

Ever had one of those days were you cant get out of your own way?

That seems to be what kind of day I am having. Baby and I spent the night in the recliner so Rob could sleep. He is teething,baby not Rob. So between the recliner,not reclining fully,baby fussing, and Rob snoring so loud and the dogs who cant seem to sleep unless they are touching me.I think I see every hours there was to the middle of the night. Oh well the joys of being a wife,gramma and farmer.

The sun is shining bright today as I gander out my front window, the old dog is actually laying out on the ground where my truck use to be parked,theres no snow there and he is enjoying the sun.
Baby is now eatting crackers and cherrios. Praying he feels better so sad his little whimpers.

Since his 1st birthday is Thursday I have been introducing him to a big boy cup. I think he will be easy to break from the bottle. They make sippy cups now with the soft nozzles unlike when my kids were little they were hard as a rock.



Rob has firemens meeting tonight and their having their pizza night, so its just me and Nick for supper. Nick says we should have pizza also,so i am going to get one just for us also. No need to cook a big meal Nick's pretty easy to please. I am very lucky Nicks such a good kid.



Need to buy more hay today. I will be so glad when warmer weather gets here. Then everything can go out to pasture then chores will be so much easier.

Not much going on here til I get going.

Just wanted to check in and say good morning

out my front window..

Good Morning, this is the view from my front window. The sun was bright and pretty colors of pink, today we were Blessed to have orange into purple and greys. My window screen dims the colors you are able to see, I am sorry. But wanted to share the beautiful view of God's grace this morning.

We are so Blessed to live on the mountain we live on. Most days we have peace and quiet. The sounds of nature and the farm animals surrounds us on a daily bases. The sights out my front window this morning are as follows, my cows are rambling around their pasture waiting for their new feeding of grain and hay. The 2 horses have their heads over their gate watching the cows and listening to the chickens and that mouthy rooster. I personally love my mouthy roosters, we have 2 and they are just great. We actually had the roosters before the chickens, I know kind of like the cart before the horse, which techanically we had that also.

The sun is out and shows me just how icy my driveway is.

I can also hear the rabbit"Blue" who resides in the house, thumping his foot on his cage, Charlie the ferret is sleeping, earlier he greeted me at the top of his cage waiting for food. Daisy the goat is sleeping soundly next to her house and Stray the dog in in the kennel. Thats about it for out side, inside the kittens are being kittens, the dogs are all being lazy and sleeping and the baby is eatting crackers.

I do believe we will go to the store today and buy Anthony a new crib mattress I think the one I had given to me has mold in it, I can smell mold now in my room and he has woken up stuffy for 3 mornings. So I wont take any chances with his health.

Speaking of Anthony my sweet little grandson he will be 1 yr old this week Feb 11.

I am not sure yet if he will be here or back home with his mom, but we will have cake at some point. I know everyone throws big birthday parties for their first one,but he wont remember it and I would rather throw him a big one in a couple yrs where he will be up running around and more active, I say that now. LOL

Rob left this morning at 2:30 a.m. to go on a long trip with a load of logs, I usually ride this trip but with baby there isnt enough seat belts. He was going with another truck so at least he would have company.

Had a busy day yesterday did loads and loads of laundry and made over 7 gallons of laundry soap. So we're set for a month or so.Gracious I hope til at least summer depends on the boys and how much laundry they give me.

Just fed baby breakfast and I have had several cups of coffee and a bananna. Really should be crocheting or something to get things stocked up for the new shop going in.

Need to pick Rob up metal cutting blades today for the sawsall he is making a new barrell stove for making maple syrup. Its almost that season. Well time to get busy. have a wonderful day.