Rain, Books, Cows, Ducks and Baby Chicks...oh my!

 

It has just gone past 10am, and I've come in to sit for just a few minutes to chat a little.  

I used to keep up with my blog and made sure to have daily updates, a record for myself and for my children one day, to be able to look back at where I've been, what we've done and what was happening around us.  We live in such a high paced technologically filled life, that it's often hard to take some moments to record our lives.

It sounds strange to say that, I mean everyone has a phone stuck to them at all times, and we have no shortage of videos and photographic evidence anytime anything happens.  But have you noticed that it is not really used for family time?

We are so eager to capture anything news worthy, but not our lives, and I find that quite sad and disheartening.  

And trust me, I say all this knowing that I am part of the problem too.  I may not be out there doing tik toks (can't stand that app), or filming world news, but I also get caught up in daily life and forget to see what is around me.

It also doesn't help that my children are now grown and don't like being photographed, or talked about on my blog.  Hence no birthday pictures from Nick's birthday on the 11th and there will be none from Jasmine's either on the 25th.  It bums me out, but I have to respect their wishes.

 

But, I digress!

 

So let's rather talk about the things that I can talk about, or want to talk about, which is what I've been up to around here.

 

Tea.....lot's of cups of tea, some times milky tea, sometimes plain black tea.  The weather has been rainy and wet, which always puts me in the mood for a nice cuppa while I read a book.

 

 

I've been using my free credits on Paperbackswap, to pick up some new reads, like this one from Lucy Maud Montgomery.  It is actually a compilation of 2 of her books, The Story Girl and The Golden Road.

I've also received Georgette Heyer's Venetia which I'm quite excited to get into.  Georgette Heyer is fantastic and I don't think there is a single book of hers that I didn't like.

Last week we also had quite an interesting thing happen on our property.  Every evening, after dinner, our family plays games, whether a card game or a board game, even sometimes some tv games.  It's a way that we bond and spend time together.

It was during one of these evenings, that we looked out the big dining room window and noticed a huge cow, just casually walking across our yard.  It's nothing new, and it's certainly not the first and I'm sure the last time that a cow happens upon our property.  We live surrounded by land and there are about 5 or 6 homes in the area that own cows.

We put the game on hold and my husband headed outside, right as a truck pulled into our driveway.  The man was not the owner of the cow but he did know the owner.  

About 35 minutes went by, the cow just stayed behind my house, just hanging out doing nothing.

We had a neighbor from just up the street, come down to us, who also knew the owner of the cow, and said he would grab her and deliver her to the ranch.

Next thing we know, we have cowboys, cowboy hats, horses and a full on cow chase with lassos going on. 

 

It was quite fascinating to watch, especially since on the 2 horses, were a father and son.  The young boy looked to be about 8 or 9.

They went around the back and chased the cow towards the front where a huge trailer with other men were waiting.  It was over pretty quickly once they got the horse to our property.

I swear, never a dull moment in my life.  

 

Our duck friends have also returned, we get them every year.  There are about 8 or 9 them, they show up during the day for an hour or so, then they leave, and come back again.

One of these times, they decided to leave us an egg.  I chuckled so hard when my husband came inside with an egg in his hand and completely confused Hahahahah

We feed so many animals in our area, I wonder if this was their way of thanking us for food and water.

Whatever the case, I think it was sweet.

Last but not least, our little baby chick is doing amazing.  Puffy is such a good mama to this baby.  She brings the baby out every morning and then takes it back into the coop every night.  Until 2 days ago, we would have to go out every evening, and let puffy into the coop, then help the baby in because it was too small to climb the ramp.  Our ramp has a little space between it and the coop entrance, and the baby was just too small to make that jump.  Now it's big enough.  

I swear, we may have lost our other 3 chicks but it's been such a wonderful, fascinating and informative journey just watching all of this from start to finish.

How long have I been wanting chickens?  If you know me, you will surely know that it's been years if not a decade that I've been talking about this.  It seems surreal sometimes that we now have our own coop and flock and we've had the pleasure of seeing chicks hatch, from egg laying to brooding to hatching.  All of it.  So thankful to God for this blessing.

Anyway, you are now caught up on what has been happening around here.

I sure hope you all are doing well, and please friends remember to stay close to God, to stay in prayer and above all to cover yourselves and your families, homes, cars, finances and health, with the blood of Jesus.  It is so important to do that right now.

I love you all, stay blessed and until next time,

Sandra

{ This home that I love }

Do you ever just stop and look around your home, your property, your life, and think "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, I love my life"?

It's easy to get caught up in every day, and to forget to look around, and to be thankful for what you have.  I learned a few years ago, to thank God constantly, for everything, even those little things that we think He surely wouldn't care about.

But He does.  See He cares about everything that has to do with us, the big things, the little things, the important things, the mundane....all of it.  

 

 

I started my day in the kitchen, early, getting a batch of cinnamon rolls into the oven.  Most days, breakfast is more along the lines of a piece of toast, some cereal or oatmeal.  Whatever is quicker and at hand.  But sometimes, it's good to take the extra effort, to prepare a special treat for the family.

It's all about getting organized, and if you learn how to organize your time, you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in just a few hours.

But, as I sat making the cinnamon rolls, the washer drumming a beat in the background with a load of laundry, the pets playing with pieces of ice, and the steam of my coffee cup rising ever so gently, I felt this overwhelming feeling of gratitude, of contentment, of pure joy.

 

The kind of feeling you wish you could bottle up, for those days where you're lacking joy, lacking motivation and just not feeling it.  And yes, we all have those days, those moments of sheer irritation that creep up on you, that make you snap at everyone and everything around you.  

I actually get on my own nerves on days like that.  Here's the kicker though, I can't get away from my own attitude, so I have to get through it, and change it.  Oof, it's not easy, but it's doable.

I pottered around the kitchen, sipped my coffee while the cinnamon rolls baked, replied to family member messages, switched laundry from the washer to the dryer, all while sporting a lazy smile on my face.

As the cinnamon rolls came out of the oven, the smell was incredible.  It's the smell of an Autumn morning, cinnamon and spice, coffee, all the wonderful scents that set your senses on high alert.

 

The kids came out of their rooms, gathered in the kitchen, and in between huge bites of gooey cinnamony goodness, chatted, with each other and with me.

I sat back for a second and watched them.  My 23 year old and my 19 year old, just chatting, laughing, egging each other on.  At that very moment, I had a pang of hurt in my heart, a want and need to deep to turn back the time, to go back to when they were toddlers running around my legs.  

We all want our children to grow, to become adults, to be successful, and then they get there and we start feeling like we want to pull them all the way back and do it again

I often see moms online complaining about their children, about the mess they create in their picture perfect living rooms.  How they are exhausted and wish they would just be older to take care of themselves.

I'm here to tell you that while I myself had those thoughts once or twice, back in the day, I regret it so much.  Because......well because you wish their childhood away, and because those toys you trip on today, will be the toys you wish you could trip on years from now.

I long for the chaotic home of runny noses, toys strewn all around the living room floor, tousled hair, tight hugs, and fingers stained with strawberries and blueberries that were enjoyed as a snack.

I'm in a different season of life now.  I no longer run after little feet.  My days consist of taking care of our home, running errands, cooking and running after Jesus.  I guess in a way we spend our lives running, running from things, running after things.

 

Most days now, you will find me in this little spot.  It's become my reading nook, right next to one of the big bookshelves.  After the housework is done, I grab a small blanket, a good book, and sit and read for at least an hour.  There is always a cup of milky tea next to me, and sometimes a few shortbread cookies.

I used to dislike the quiet, it reminded me too much of the noise of children that no longer were around.  But God has taught me to enjoy the quiet, to use it to  my advantage, to read, to relax, to be thankful that our children are grown, healthy and happy.

As I sit and enjoy the view from my reading nook, I smile, again, because I am where I never thought I would be, just led by God's hand.  We never in our lives thought or even considered living in Texas, it was not something in our plans.  

But then our plans are not God's plans, and He always knows where we belong, even if we don't.

Today, I am so thankful, so blessed to live in Texas, in this beautiful house, on this gorgeous property.  Feeling pure contentment and joy.  It's a great feeling to have.

{ Canning and fresh cut flowers }

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” 

— L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables 

 

Oh beautiful October, beautiful fall, beautiful leaves and warm morning glow.  This time of the year brings so much peace to my soul.

It's started to get darker earlier, by 7pm the sun is already dipping below the horizon, and yesterday we had to turn on the car lights while driving home.  And I love every second of this transformation from warm to cold.

I wanted to come in and just share a bit of what I was up to the past few days.  

#1 - I would love to say that I got the recipes on the food blog.  Truth is, I didn't.  I haven't had the time, and the little downtime that I have, I end up just wanting to sit for a bit and don't have the motivation to do anything that requires me using brain.  You understand, I'm sure.

#2 -  I have so many projects that chores, tasks that need doing before the cold weather truly arrives, and I'm so hoping to get them going this week.  They need to happen and soon.

 

Okay, now that we got that out of the way, let me show what I've been up to.

 

 

 

My slow cookers have been working overtime.  They're either making dinner, or a side dish, or something that I need to process to be able to can for the winter time.

 

Last week's slow cooker meals, were not only delicious, but they saved me so much time, and ensured that we had a home cooked meal on the table after a day of running around.

I also made a delicious Pumpkin Spice Apple Butter, and canned two of them for the pantry, and left one out in the fridge.  It is soooo good, so so delicious.  It's one of the recipes on the list to be posted.

I also canned some of my nectarine brown sugar jam, and some pecans as well.  Forgot how much I enjoyed canning and am determined to get back to it, as soon as possible.

We are slowly filling our cellar with canned goods and all sorts of canned food.  I will be getting some big buckets soon for flour and sugar too. 

I mentioned last week how I made this Immune Booster drink.  I've been taking a tablespoon every day, especially going into the cold and flu season.  It packs quite a punch and I'm sure it is going to be wonderful especially with such ingredients as grapefruit, lemon, ginger, cinnamon and tonic water.

As our gardens come to a crawl and put out the last of their beautiful blooms, I've been trying to make the most of them by bringing them in, and adding pops of color to different rooms of the house.

 

Walking into a room, smelling the outdoors and seeing the beautiful flowers, is sure to brighten your day, at least it does mine.

I also brought out more of my candles, and placed them in different rooms.  Not just for those nights when we lose power due to strong storms (which happen more often than we would like), but even though I light candles all year long, there is something magical about candlelight.  

It invokes a feeling of cozy and warm, of soft blankets, cups of coffee or tea, a cheeky cookie or a slice of cake.  Crackling fires, and the sound of rain or a winter storm blasting outside.

I've started gathering wood and getting the fireplace ready, and can't quite wait for the first fire of the season to be lit.  

As I type this post, a storm has moved in, and is howling outside, trees are dancing to and fro, and our lights are starting to flicker.  

I had no sooner finished typing that line, and we lost power.  It would go on to last from 7pm to 3am.  I think one of the longest we've lost power due to a storm.  There is a lot of damage outside, a neighbor's trampoline from across the field, is in our front yard.  A mangled mess of bent iron and torn fabric.

Trees have come down, huge branches have broken off and toppled to the ground and we have a lot to clean up.

I just wanted to come in and quickly finish this post so that I could post it for you all.  Thankfully, we were ok, and aside from losing power, we were kept safe by the Lord.

{ A quick trip to visit my mother in law, and Marley gets sprayed by a skunk }

Beautiful Texas!

We live in such a beautiful country, every State with it's own beauty.  All it takes is a quick road trip out of the hub bub of the cities.  Anytime we are headed out of town, I always remind myself to take my camera.  Funny how that never used to be a thing, the camera was just always at my side, no matter where I was.

I guess we change with time, and some things change too.

On Saturday we took a quick road trip to visit my mother in law.  They live 3 hours from us, and while that may seem like a short distance to some, for people like me and my son Nick, who suffer from car sickness, it is no fun at all.

We wanted to go spend some time with her, after she had been sent home from the hospital.  We knew we would be staying but a few hours, but that didn't matter, we just wanted to see her and visit for a bit.

As we headed towards their small town, I spent most of the trip looking out and appreciating the beautiful scenery.

Rolling green hills, gorgeous ranch houses sprayed out as if they had been thrown into the prairie and allowed to land wherever they may.

Cows, horses, little stores selling antiquities and barbecue joints.  I mean, it's Texas y'all!

We visited for a few hours, talked about old times and the future and tried to distract her as much as we could.  The situation is dire, she has entered hospice care today.  We know that she doesn't have much time left, she does not want to do any kind of treatments and we have to respect that decision.

I don't blame her, she has been in constant treatments for the past 4 years and they've taken a toll on her body.

I pray for comfort and peace for her, and for a passing that is not surrounded by pain.  For us left behind, I pray for peace and comfort too.  We know she is going to Heaven and that we will see her one day, but we will miss her, that's for sure.

But, we don't want to concentrate on the sad part of it all.  This is life, we are all going to pass away one day.  We are choosing to go on and appreciate the time we have with her, keep positive and lean on God for guidance.

While there, I got to meet Geraldine.  She is their last remaining chicken.  They had a few, but you know how it is living in the country, some predator always seems to find their way in and take off with some.

Geraldine is so pretty, and just the sweetest.  Makes me want to get my chickens, sooner rather than later.  Ken, my father in law also gave Curt some pointers on building the coop, keeping chickens and all that stuff.  We are very excited to get started.

As we headed back home, late afternoon, we were met with the most beautiful skies.  The sun was just starting to set and we were chatting about the situation we went through, the fact that it got resolved positively in one hour and just a few hours later our life was turned upside down again with the news of my mother in law.

It was as if God wanted to show us that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.  The picture of the sun seeping through the clouds was taken from inside the car.  I was in absolute awe, because I have never in my whole life, seen something so beautiful.

The drive takes us through a few small towns, and I mean small towns like the typical small towns in America.  Tiny historic main roads, buildings that have stood the test of time, historic mile markers.  The kind of stuff I am all about.

I told Curt that next summer we need to take a small road trip, so that we can stop at all these places, I can take photos and share them with you.

We arrived home early evening, got ready for bed, and then Marley needed to go out to potty.

Curt took him out back and then next thing I hear a huge commotion and Curt yelling "Nooooooo Marley, noooooo."

The skunk smell hit my nose before I even became aware of what had transpired.  Apparently a skunk got into our enclosed back yard and was on the patio.  Curt didn't see him and let Marley out, which of course, proceeded to chase the skunk around the patio table, before the skunk stopped and sprayed him.

Y'all, this is the first time it has ever happened in the 5 years we have lived out here.  I guess it was bound to happen, and Marley is now officially a country dog. 

He did get a bath right away, with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing liquid.  It works really well for removing skunk smells.  He has a slight linger of the smell on a spot on his chest, but not bad at all. 

The temperatures have now dropped, which makes me so happy, I am looking forward to Fall weather. 

Have you started decorating yet?

{ Our first big snake encounter }

I want to live in the country.  I love living in the country.  I can't wait to have a huge property with lots of land.

That's me!

Oh.my.gosh, is that a rattlesnake?!?!?!?

That is also me.  Yesterday morning.

Let me rewind real quick.  LOL

We were doing yard work, which we've been doing a lot of the past two weeks that Curt has been teleworking from home.  We like to get out there early morning, while it's still cool outside, because as it is with Texas weather this time of year, it is already well into the high 70's by the time the clock strikes 10 AM.

Curt was busy weeding and working his way around our fences, both in the fenced in backyard area and the very front of the house, near the street.

I started working in my veggie garden behind the potting shed/greenhouse.    Moving some veggies around, planning where the rows will go and so on.

I then moved indoors and was rearranging, placing plants here and there, and just basically getting on with my day.

I was in the middle of this, when Curt yelled for me from outside, he wanted to show me something, and told me to grab the camera.  So I did, because you know me, as a blogger, the camera goes with me wherever I go and if there's a chance of something fun to share, even better.

While weeding around the wooden fence, he came across baby bunnies.  He was so thankful that he didn't hurt them because they were just blending in with the fence and not moving an inch.  We stood there oohing and aahing, I took pictures and then he went on to weed the remaining fence near the front porch, and I went back inside.

I hadn't even been in but 5 minutes when he ran in to get me.  As he started weeding near the fence, three other small baby bunnies darted off.  One went towards the other two around the corner, and the other remaining two ran towards the house.  One hid under my bench on the porch and the other one, the little cutie above, hid in my flower bed.

At the same time that they darted in opposite directions, my husband saw a snake slither under one of the pallets that sits against the wall.

We didn't know what kind it was, but we knew it wasn't the usual small garden snakes we sometimes see around the countryside.

Yeah, this one screams STAY AWAY.  She started making a rattling noise and hissing at us.  I honestly thought she was a rattlesnake, because she sounded exactly like it, but this was before we saw her head.

Thinking it was a rattler, I called the local police department and they contacted the animal shelter.  We were told to stay away from her and the animal shelter would be out as soon as they could.

We kept an eye on her, just to know where she was because the last thing I wanted was for her to slither off into a spot I couldn't see.  I can't deal with that.

It also quickly became evident that what we had was not a rattlesnake but a bullsnake.  They mimic the rattlesnakes though that's why we were certain it was one until she started coming out from under the pallet and trying to strike at us.

The animal shelter????

Showed up 2 hours later.

Now from what we know, bullsnakes are not venomous and usually not aggressive, but this one, boy was it annoyed with us.  I'm not sure if it was because we interfered with her plans for a meal (baby bunnies), or because we disturbed her hiding spot.

Curt made a rope with a noose at the end, and pulled a MacGyver by making it where at the pull of the rope, the noose tightened.  He placed it on the pallet, waited for her to strike again and managed to catch her.

Rattlesnakes and bullsnakes are illegal to hunt and kill, so he didn't kill it, but merely caught it for the animal shelter.

That thing was HUGE people, almost 6 foot long.  Every time he moved or hissed, I shivered from head to toe.  I'm not usually scared of snakes but my word, that one was unnerving.

Just glad she was caught, we had no idea she was under there as we hadn't cleared that area for a few months, since Winter time.  But, she's now gone, and the baby bunnies are all safe and reunited with her mom and dad.

This is one thing that I have to get used to, if I want to live out here.  We have 3 acres, lots of field and land around us, always see wildlife around here whether it be deer, coyotes, skunks whatever.  It's not surprising that we encounter snakes too.  Just need to be more careful and make sure that we keep our property cleared out.

With that excitement out of the way, I managed to get back in the house and finish off all my chores before running out to pick up Jasmine from work.

I got my parsley and cilantro, washed, cut up and in the freezer.

Also made my garlic paste, added a few extra things this time to make it even tastier.  I didn't add that whole serrano pepper because as you know, or maybe you don't, they are pretty spicy and unlike the jalapeno peppers that lose their heat as you cook them, the serrano gains more heat as it cooks up.

I literally added a tiny sliver to my paste.

Was able to get a full mason jar for the fridge, and then almost a full tub that goes into the freezer, until needed.  I should have enough to last me for at least a month or so.

Then, I moved on to making my homemade cleaning mixtures.  It had been 2 months since I last made any, because I could not find rubbing alcohol in any store.  Luckily, we were at Walmart 2 days ago, and they had it in stock and even had hand sanitizer and gel as well.  So happy to see these products showing up in stores again.

It was a crazy day but it made me realize just how blessed I am to live where I do, and how much I love my house, my property and every little animal that comes with it.  They're creations of God and are here for a reason.


Every animal has it's purpose, even if we are scared of them or don't want them around for our own selfish reasons. 

I honestly didn't want the snake dead, just wanted it moved and maybe placed in a nearby field or just somewhere where it wouldn't get the baby bunnies, or lay eggs near my house.

It is par for the course when you live in a rural area, and I know there will be times when I'll encounter something I may not exactly be prepared for, but I am willing to learn and accept all that comes with living where we dreamed of.