A FIRST FOR ME

CAN YOU BELIEVE I LEARNED TO USE A RIDING LAWN MOWER THIS WEEK? WELL I GAVE IN AND GOT ON THE THING. I TRY TO GET THE YARD MOWED BEFORE THE WEEKEND SO TIM CAN REST, I USE THE PUSH MOWER. WELL IT'S JUST GETTING TO HOT TO USE IT. THAT HAS TO BE IT, IT CAN'T BE THE FACT THAT I'M GETTING TO OLD TO PUSH THE THING. ANYWAY I GOT THE YARD MOWED. THERE WAS THIS ONE LITTLE TIME I TRIED TO JUMP OFF BUT I REMEMBERED TO STOP THE THING. WHY WOULD MY FIRST THOUGHT BE TO GET OFF? I'M JUST GLAD TIM WAS IN THE GARDEN WITH THE TILLER AND DIDN'T SEE ME. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY LAST TIME ON THE THING.

WE GO TO HUNTSVILLE TODAY FOR TEST. TIM HAD SEVERAL THINGS SHOW UP ON HIS VISIT LAST WEEK WHEN HE HAD TO GET HIS PACEMAKER CHECKED. MOST WERE SHORT BUT ONE LASTED 29 MINUTES. TIM'S WORRIED ABOUT IT, I'M STAYING POSITIVE.
I HOPE THE RAIN IS GONE BY THE TIME WE LEAVE AROUND LUNCH.

1-3 POUND GOWN

THIS LITTLE BURIAL GOWN WILL FIT A 1-3 POUND PREEMIE. I'M GOING TO MAKE A GOWN FOR A BOY AND GIRL IN THREE DIFFERENT SIZES TO KEEP ON HAND. IT WILL SAVE ME A LOT OF STRESS WONDERING IF I WILL GET IT MADE IN TIME IF SOMEONE LOCAL NEEDS ME TO MAKE ONE FOR THEM. I'M MAKING THE GIRL GOWNS WHITE SO I CAN CHANGE THE RIBBON IF THEY WANT A CERTAIN COLOR. AS ALWAYS THEY WILL BE DONATED IN THE NAME OF E G F.

MY GROOMING BUSINESS GROWS A LITTLE EVERY WEEK. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THIS MORNING SO I'M PLAYING CATCH UP. HOPE EVERYONE OUT THERE IS GOING GREAT.

33 BABY CHICKS

I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE BABIES BEFORE I TOOK THEM OUT OF THEIR BOX SUNDAY. WE GAVE ALL OF THEM TO MY BOTHER-IN-LAW AND HIS WIFE. THEY LOOK SO CUTE I HAD A HARD TIME LETTING THEM LEAVE. I TOLD TIM IF WE WERE GIVING THEM AWAY WE NEEDED TO DO IT FAST BEFORE I GOT MORE ATTACHED.

BABY CHICKS

OUR FIRST BABY CHICK BREAKING OUT OF IT'S EGG. THAT WAS AROUND 11:00 THIS MORNING AND WE NOW HAVE AROUND 10 BABIES. THIS IS GOING A LOT SLOWER THAN I THOUGHT. I HAVE BEEN WITH THEM ALL DAY. MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM BECAUSE THEY WORK SO HARD TO GET OUT AND THAT MEANS THEY ARE SO TIRED THEY JUST LAY THERE WHEN THEY DO.


CAN YOU SEE THE LITTLE HOLES IN SOME OF THE OTHER EGGS? SOME OF THESE STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY BIGGER. I KNOW THEY ARE TOTALLY WORN OUT. I'VE BEEN WARNED ABOUT HELPING THEM OUT, THEY MIGHT NOT LIVE, SO I JUST KEEP SITTING BESIDE THEM.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THESE TWO ARE STILL NOT DRY ENOUGH TO TAKE OUT YET. I WAS ALSO TOLD NOT TO TAKE THE TOP OFF UNTIL A CHICK IS DRY. YOU KNOW I'VE ALREADY HAD MY HANDS ON THIS ONE, I COULDN'T HELP IT. I JUST RUBBED IT JUST A LITTLE AND PUT THE TOP BACK ON. I'LL POST A PICTURE OF THEM IN THE MORNING BEFORE WE PUT THEM IN THEIR NEW HOME. WELL THE ONES THAT ARE READY TO MOVE. IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG NIGHT, I'M STAYING WITH THEM ALL NIGHT.

I FORGOT TO TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE RHODE ISLAND RED CHICKENS AND THIS IS SOME OF THEIR EGGS WE HATCHED OFF. THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME TO DO THIS. OUR NEIGHBOR USUALLY DOES IT FOR US. THIS HAS REALLY BEEN HARD ON MY NERVES.

LAPGHAN

THIS IS NOT A VERY GOOD PICTURE BUT IT'S A LAPGHAN FOR THE NURSING HOME. I'M WORKING ON A BURIAL OUTFIT FOR A 1-3 POUND BABY.

JUST CHECKING IN

I'VE BEEN BUSY GETTING A GROOMING BUSINESS STARTED. THIS IS YOSHIE MY FIRST DOG, WELL IF YOU DON'T COUNT THE BATHS COCOA HAS HAD.


THIS IS THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING. IT WAS AN OLD STORAGE ROOM AND MY HUSBANDS SHOP. WE ADDED THE PORCH AND WALLS ON THE INSIDE. IT'S ALL MADE OUT OF THE TREES WE CUT. LOTS OF WORK. WE STILL HAVE A LOT TO DO. WE HAVE MY MOTHER-IN-LAWS OLD ROCKER, IT NEEDS PAINTING, THE DOOR NEEDS TAKEN OFF AND PAINTED AND NEW BLINDS OR CURTAINS MADE, THE CEILING AND FLOOR NEEDS PAINTED, NEW STEPS AND RAILING WILL BE MADE FROM CEDER LOGS, AND A TON OF OTHER THINGS NEED DOING.


THIS IS THE INSIDE. I WANTED A HALF WALL TO DIVIDE THE WAITING ROOM AND GROOMING AREA. TIM PUT A TWO INCH THICK BOARD ON TOP OF IT WITH SHELVES ON MY SIDE. I LOVE IT. HE STILL NEEDS TO MAKE A PICKET FENCE GATE IN CASE A DOG GETS AWAY FROM ME IT WON'T GET OUT OF THE BUILDING, FOR NOW IT'S A BABY GATE.

THIS IS THE TEMPORARY WAITING AREA. IT WILL BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM LATER, IT STILL HAS A FREEZER IN IT NOW.
NOTHING FANCY BUT I LOVE IT. I HAD TO DIG THE WATER LINE, IT TOOK 4 DAYS AND THEN MY YOUNGEST SON CAME HOME AND HE FINISHED IT FOR ME. THANK YOU LORD. TIM DIDN'T LET ME DO VERY MUCH AT FIRST BUT I THINK HE GOT TIRED BECAUSE HE LET ME NAIL SOME ON THE LAST WALL THEN THE BAR AND CAN YOU BELIEVE HE CUT THE BOARDS FOR THE PORCH AND I NAILED THEM ALL DOWN. I LIKE MY HAMMER.
THE REASON WE'RE DOING THIS IS BECAUSE THE PLACE WHERE TIM WORKS WILL CLOSE IN JUNE. THEY TOLD THEM AROUND CHRISTMAS, I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BACK THEN. I'VE HAD FAITH THAT IT WOULD WORK OUT. THE ONLY THING WE'VE HAD TO BUY HAS BEEN NAILS , PLUMBING STUFF AND PAINT. THE CABINETS, WATER HEATER, GAS HEATER, MATERIAL FOR RECOVERING THE CHAIRS, CURTAINS, CHAIRS,WELL TONS OF OTHER STUFF HAVE ALL BEEN GAVE TO ME. I DID HAVE TO BUY MY GROOMING THINGS WHICH HAVE PAID FOR THEMSELVES, BEEN GOING TO THE HOMES OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY GROOMING. THIS HAS TO BE WHAT GOD WANTS ME TO DO.

THE WOOD WAS GREEN WHEN WE NAILED IT UP SO I HAVE TO SPRAY IT DOWN WITH BLEACH WATER AND SCRUB IT WITH A BRUSH WHEN THE MILDEW STARTS TO GROW.

WE HAVE A BIG FAN BLOWING ON IT NOW , HOPE IT DRIES OUT SOON.

WELL THAT'S ALL FOR NOW, MY BLEACH BOTTLE IS CALLING ME.

BURIAL GOWN

MY FRIEND DEBBIE ASKED ME IF I COULD MAKE A BURIAL GOWN FOR SOMEONE SHE KNOWS. THIS IS WHAT I CAME UP WITH.

THE BABY WEIGHTED 1 POUND AND 3 OUNCES. SHE WAS BORN LAST WEEK AND BECAME AN ANGEL BABY LATE YESTERDAY. THE MOTHER WAS ONLY 20 WEEKS ALONG. I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO CROCHET A BLANKET SO I SEWED THIS, IT HAS WHITE FLANNEL ON THE OTHER SIDE. I REWORKED THE BOTTOM OF THE GOWN AND I REALLY LIKE THE WAY IT TURNED OUT. I GAVE DEBBIE SOME PURPLE ROSETTES TO GLUE ON SO SHE WILL HAVE A PART IN MAKING THIS FOR HER FRIEND. I PRAY FOR THE FAMILY I KNOW THIS IS A VERY HARD TIME FOR THEM.

I'VE ALSO DECIDED THAT I'M GOING TO KEEP A FEW WHITE GOWNS ON HAND, IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, I CAN PUT RIBBON ON THE GOWN TO MATCH WHAT THE PARENTS WANT. I HAD SOME PINK GOWNS BUT NOTHING WITH PURPLE IN IT.

I ALSO HAD A PURPLE MEMORY BOX, TWO LITTLE DOLLS, A SMALL BOOK FOR THE MOTHER TO WRITE HER THOUGHTS ABOUT LILTH IN AND A PAIR OF BRACELETS (THAT AUNT JANELLE MADE) TO GIVE TO THE MOTHER.

WORKING HARD

42 LOGS WAITING TO BECOME LUMBER.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT'S NOT THE BIGGEST LOG?

GETTING THE LOG READY TO CUT UP INTO LUMBER.

MS. DEBBIE, THE LADY THAT BOUGHT MY FATHER-IN-LAWS HOUSE, WANTED SOMEONE TO CUT HER PINE TREES FOR THE WOOD. SO TIM AND HIS BROTHER CUT THE TREES DOWN AND BROUGHT THEM ACROSS THE ROAD TO THE HOUSE. TIM'S BROTHER HAS A PORTABLE SAW MILL SO HERE THEY ARE HARD AT WORK. TIM WANTED ME TO POST THESE PICTURES TONIGHT SO I DID. I WAS GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THEY WERE ALL SAWED. IT WILL TAKE A FEW DAYS TO GET THEM ALL DONE SO I AGREED.