What's New?

Not much going on around here right now except school.  Yes, I decided to take a summer course in Pre-Algebra.  Not one of my best ideas I've had.  I have no time for anything else.  Maybe if I understood it better it might help.  This old brain has just about decided that it doesn't want or maybe can't retain and learn this stuff anymore.  But, I am going to try and keep on trudging it out until the end of this 6 weeks.  If I can make it through I'm going to take the other half of the summer off so I can enjoy a little bit.

Now, on to other things.  I did get a little sewing/quilting in last week.  I had bought this table topper kit a while back that I wanted to do for my coffee table.  It's farm print, but will work for the 4th of July theme also.  So I though it would be good for a summer table topper.  I pulled it out one day and cut everything by the directions, then the next day I sewed and quilted it.  So it went really fast.  It was quite easy.

Have a good weekend!!!
Gaila

My Block of the Month - June

I finally got around to getting my Block of the Month done for the Wise County Quilt Guild meeting that is Saturday.  We make the blocks, then one lucky person wins all of the blocks for that month.  I haven't won yet, but hope to one day.  This month we use floral prints with green and white solids.This block is call 'Sentimental Journey'.

Farm Updates

I found a few photos that I had forgotten about.  When your pulling them from two different cameras and an iPhone, I forget sometimes what I have where.  So, now I think I have everything uploaded to my computer, thus the new updates of what's been going on around here.

Mole Hunting

Seems like every year we have moles, armadillos, grasshoppers, etc. visiting us.  And, we have had them all this year.  Libby and Palyn got on the trail of a mole one day.  It was so much fun watching Palyn dig and get her little long nose down in the dirt.  You have to know her to know that she is just too much of a princess to get her nose dirty.  I mean, when Bill literally pics her up and takes her out to the carport for potty breaks when it's raining, you gotta know how much of a princess she is.  So without adieu, here are a couple pics of the mole hunting.

Once they were through digging and things settled down, Jordan got down and played with the dogs in the grass.  Doesn't it look so nice in green.  It's so hard to keep it green without rain.  But we have been getting a good deal (well, a little) here and there.  So things look good right now.

We got Libby back in 2006.  We just happened by PetSmart one day and there was a rescue place out front with 4 of the cutest black lab looking puppies.  Well, we called Pawpaw and told him, and it wasn't soon we were bringing Libby home with us.  She was about 3 months old they were guessing.  The puppies had been found in a cardboard box on the side of the highway.  We named her Liberty because we got her on July 3rd.  It got shortened to Libby soon after.  But she does get called Liberty every once in awhile when she's in trouble.

Around the House

Now on to some other things going on here.  Our plum trees really gave us many many plums this year.  My freezer is full.  Now I just need to find a day in my schedule to get some jelly made.  Here is a picture of the last handful of plums we gathered from our trees.  They are so pretty and red.  We had to pick once in the morning and once in the evening for the last couple of weeks because they were ripening so fast.  As you can see, Bill had to place a board under those limbs because they were so loaded that it was sagging to the ground. 

Then, these beautiful sunflowers just popped up one day.  Bill has moved dirt from different places of the yard, filling in mole holes and leveling the yard.  One day these sunflowers just started popping up.  They were just in the middle of the yard (kinda).  We just left them and let them grow.

One more last thing I have to add about what's been going on.  Bill has been working on a walkway from the house to the carport.  You know how it feels to have to walk across wet grass in the mornings from the dew or after it rains in flip flops.  Or to have heels on and they go down in the dirt.  He finished it this week.  It looks so natural with him using the sandstone that was taken up from the old walkway that went to the old porch.  We still need the grass to grow to cover, but it's looking great.  Thank you Hunnie!!!

Well, that's all I can think of today.  Have a wonderful rest of the week! I've got a Math Exam tomorrow, so you know where I'll be.  STUDYING!!!!

2 Weeks with Jordan

Finally got to spend some much needed time with my oldest grandson Jordan.  He is growing so fast, so I enjoy being able to spend time with him and see just how much he reminds me of his daddy.  Sometimes his expressions remind me so much of Robby, as well as some of his mannerisms.  Robby has never been able to deny Jordan.  He looked like him the day he was born.  Well, enough of that. 

Let's see what all we did over the last two weeks.  Jordan spend alot of time with PawPaw.  He follows Bill around like a little puppy.  No matter what Bill is doing, Jordan wants to be there.  Much more than with me when I'm either sewing, cooking, or doing homework.  Plus Jordan prefers outside to inside.

There is a story behind this picture.  Jordan wanted to shoot his BB gun, so I told him to get a couple of cans and set them up and shoot at them.  Well, he started going outside and I saw him. He had 3 full cans of coke in his hands.  He was going to take 'good' drinks outside.  I said, "Whoa"...  How about you getting a couple of empty cans?  He said the wind will blow them over.  I told him it might just be a little bit more cost effective then if he was to fill them with water.  "Ohhhhh", he said.  Just one of the funnies we experienced while he was here.

It started raining one day and he wanted to ride the 4-wheeler in the rain.  I thought about it, and said why not.  When I was a kid I probably would have wanted to do it too.  So away he went.  He rode up and down the drive back in forth with the rain pounding down.  After a couple of trips, he was ready to come in and get dried off.  He has a blast.

When he was done with outside for awhile, or when Pawpaw came in, he would come in and play on the Wii, or play with his tractors.  His mom had sent him some workbooks to keep up with his schoolwork for the summer, so we would work on that some.

But then would be time when he would just act crazy and make me laugh.  I love this little boy.

I did get a chance to finish up his quilt we had bought last year during the Quilt Across Texas Shop Hop.  Now to get it quilted so he can take it home.

Jordan went home on Saturday so it is quite around here.  He'll be back soon though.

Chili and Jerky Makin'

Once a year for the past few years Bill and most of his hunting buddies with significant others get together with their venison and antelope and make some awesome chili and starting last year they have been making jerky also.  Hunting buddy Larry graciously lets everyone invade his home and pretty much take over.  Everyone brings their dehydrators and electric cookers and lots of food and mass production starts.  Then it's bagged up and distributed.  This is a whole day process while all have fun while things are simmering in the pans.  They play washers, eat, drink, play washers, eat, drink, well, you know the drill.  Now this is what the men do...  Once everything is pretty much started, some of the women (ah, me included), kinda disappear from site and head north to Choctaw for a few hours of fun.  Then by the time we head back, most of the cooking is just waiting to be cooled off and packed for the trip home to everyones freezers.  A fun day is had by all. 

This is the best picture I could conjure up of Mr. Larry.  He is the sweetest and most gracious man.  And there with him is Ms. Lindie, his significant other.

Here are Tanner and Danny playing a little game of washers.  I've heard this can get pretty serious, but haven't witnessed any knock-down drag-outs yet.  All are very friendly games.

Here are a few more of our friends that we get together with for this fun-filled day.  Allen, Bill Paula, Kima, Amy, and Sandy.  Can you tell from the picture that this place belongs to a hunter? 

This picture is of a couple of great guys I know.  In the forefront would be Mr. Marshall.  He makes this "BEST" grilled stuffed bacon-wrapped jalepenos around.  Don't tell anyone, but one of the main reasons I always show up is because of his masterpieces.  I think that is all I ever eat.  And, might I say, I do eat my share.  Now for that guy in the background.  This would be Trent, Bill's son, my step-son.  I have to admit that he is a pretty good guy.  He is very supportive of his dad and is always here when needed.  He himself has a pretty-good knack with the grill spatula too.  Now if he could just show his Dad a few more pointers..

I've saved the best pictures for last.  Trent's son, Patrick came with him this year to get his first start with the jerky makin' process.  So him and Bill (PawPaw) spent the day going over the steps that make this awesome stuff.  Bill is pretty good with the jerky gun.  Can you tell from the pictures who Patrick takes after?  Is it not amazing the resemblance these two have?

A fun-filled day for EVERYONE!!!



My Favorite Nephew Graduated!!!

Seth Graduated
I say my favorite nephew, well he is, but he is my only nephew.  I love this boy like he was my own.  I didn't think my sister was ever going to have a kid, but she finally did, and I have loved him ever since.  He came into my life when things were a little "harried", I guess you could say.  He would always make me smile when I was down. I still can't believe he just graduated from high school and is waiting for his contract from the Air Force.  My how time flies.  I wish him all of the love and happiness this world can give him.

Now a little about the graduation.  Seth has been taking singing and guitar lessons for several years now.  He has sang at several different venues which I have gotten to go and see him.  Places like The Stephenville Opry, The Wylie Opry, Denton Mall, he tried out for American Idol in Austin, he was in his school choir where he sang solos and he is a member of the FAA Chorus.  He was selected to sing at his Graduation in front of all of his classmates and their families.  We were so proud. 

Now for a few family pictures from graduation day.

 Teresa (Mom), Seth, and Bobby (Dad) - My Mom (Memaw) and Seth.

After the ceremony, many of us went out to eat.  While we were waiting on our table, I went ahead and gave Seth his graduation present from Bill and I.  I had, of course, seen an idea on Pinterest and knew right then this is what I wanted to do for him for his graduation present.  You take an empty tissue box and decorate it, then, tape bills (money) end to end, roll the bills up and put in the box.  The caption reads, "Don't blow all of this in one place!".  I think he liked it.

 

SO PROUD!!!!