Down on the Homestead - July 25 - July 31st

**homesteadmamma** · 07-25-2004, 08:59 AM

Good morning everyone. Its promising to be a wonderful day here, with warm temperatures and a little breeze.

As soon as the papers are done, were heading to the lake to visit with our friends. Its and hour and a half drive to get there, but we always have such a wonderful time. The kids will get to swim while the adults get to visit.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

**Darlene** · 07-25-2004, 09:36 AM

I haven't been here in a while, shame on me!
Sounds like a fun filled day for you and your family today CJ.

Nice cool day here, just perfect for getting out & weeding & deadheading flowers.
Going to check & see if I have any surprises in the garden, it's been a great year for ours and beans hopefully will be ready soon, I'm hoping they are hiding in the lush green growth.

Still have a ways to go with the tomatoes & corn.

Kids will all be working and later Jack & I are going to the inlaws to celebrate FIL & BIL's b'day. We got Dad a camp stove for when the power goes out and some Brandy to keep 'em warm if it does. We got BIL a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble. Got a couple good cards sure to get a few belly laughs too.

Already did a load of laundry so I'm all set there. Just a nice relaxing day ahead, hope you all have a wonderful one too!

**Strawberry** · 07-25-2004, 01:11 PM

Good morning CJ & Darlene and all who follow!

Yesterday was such a hot day but today it's a bit cooler. It feels so good!

After a bad week with my asthma I decided to stay home from church. Too many perfumes and stuffy air. I'm feeling a little better but I'm still taking it easy.

I have bread dough rising and I'll probably make some muffins too. Other than that I'll just be resting and reading a good book.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

**forestdale** · 07-25-2004, 04:22 PM

Hello everyone!

I'll be at home today - Monday. I'm really tired, although I am over my cold, I just feel worn out. I'm going to rest today, I only have a bit of laundry to do and bread to make, the rest of the time I'll read and wander around the garden.

It's DS Kerry's birthday today but he's working so I told him I'll take him out to lunch on Wednesday. We bought him some sheep skin seat covers and a swinging hips Elvis for his beloved car - and a big mason jar full of M&Ms.

DS Shane came home for dinner last night. He went down to our creek which I haven't looked at in months and he said the water's not flowing any more. We desperately need rain. We might get some later tonight if the weather forecast is anything to go by - it usually isn't.

DH and I are going to close the store tomorrow and change everything around. We have the service man coming to move the phone and electrics and we'll move the serving counter to the back of the store. We have a verandah area that isn't used properly now - we will have that behind us and use it for storage of packing boxes and extra stock. We'll move all the furniture and we've bought two new display shelves so it should look really good for our busy season which has just started - now till the end of the summer holidays in January. It's going to be a busy week here so I hope I have more energy after my rest day today.

Enjoy today.

**guest2** · 07-25-2004, 04:44 PM

Have fun CJ at the lake, Bethany get some rest, hope you feel better Tina and Darlene, hop you find some wonderful surprises in your garden!

Today has been a busy one here. Jaysn is finally feeling better but we didn't know that until this morning so we planned on being home for the day. This is what had been accomplished so far today:
Jeff~trimmed out the glass door and my oven
Jaysn~cleaned out, rearranged and redecorated his room, got one load of laundry done
Chris~made a good start on cleaning out his and Josh's room and got one load of laundry done
Josh~fed the dogs and horses for our friends, weeded out that strawberry bed and the fenceline in the garden
Me~made 4 loaves of whole wheat bread, 16 whole wheat tortillas and blanched 2 bags worth of brocolli plus got caught up on my email.

The boys are going to take a break until 4 to play with their friend before he heads out to Alaska for about a month and then we may head to the pool. As for me, I'm going to try and convince hubby to take a nap with me for awhile!

**slowtypinwoman** · 07-25-2004, 07:07 PM

~What a busy bees you have been at your house Debbie!
~Glad you are feeling bettet Bethany
~ Darlene have fun in your garden!

Well it rained here all day Sat. so I had to go in the garden to hammer in a couple stakes that washed out on my tomatoes. I was in mud to my ankles. lol It felt good squishing betewn my toes. I haven't done too much today, but did get some salsa put up. I'll have to go over to H/G and post that on the running record. Alex isn't feeling well today. She went to bed with an ear ache about 2 hours ago and just woke up.She hasn't had one of those since she was little. A couple years ago I made some of those hot rice packs you put in the micro wave so I heated one up and sent her to bed. Before I knew it she was fast asleep. I hope she gets to feeling better.
It is really chilly here hard to believe it is July 25. Tommorow we are going to go to W*M and get a new t.v. for the bedroom we have one that will work for about five minutes in there then it shuts off and wont come on.
Think I'll make some pumpkin muffins tonight and work on a rug. Waiting for more boxes to come in so I can get to work on those.

Have a nice eve all.
Marcia

**Mom23boys** · 07-25-2004, 11:03 PM

I am glad to be back home from vacation! Now I just need to catch up.

Vacations are fun, but who likes to come home and unpack and put everything away? That is what I need to do.

Then on top of that, DH had to leave this morning. So we had to pack his suitcase once again. He is attending Texas A&M Fire School for the week. The county we live in sent him with a paid tutition, meal card and room and board. He is out nothing. There are over 5000 people there this week from around the state. He is excited. So we are without Dh this week, but we plan on going to watch the 75th annual family fire night on Wednesday. My mom lives close to there so I will probably stay with her that night instead of driving back home. They will have burn demonstrations and other displays.

Chris' select baseball coach called me on my cell Friday to let me know that they are going to start practicing this week. So I guess I will be taking him to practice....which is in another town. I just need to wait on him to call me back and tell me a day and time. I am proud that Chris is such a great baseball player and that he can play year round, but sometimes the comittment gets overwhelming. We just finished summer baseball.

I put driver's ed training aside while on vacation, so Richard and I have to get back on track tomorrow.

**homesteadmamma** · 07-26-2004, 10:13 AM

Good morning everyone.

Michelle, glad to see you back from vacation. Miss you around here.

Bethany, you get some rest okay. Remember "simple".

Tina, hope your feeling better soon.

Marcia, your my kind of gal. Mud between the toes, love it.

Darlene, nice to see you posting here again.

Debbie, your one busy lady. Hope you were able to take that nap yesterday.

Well today I have company coming this afternoon to discuss homeschooling. So I need to do the following before she gets here:

~straighten up the kitchen
~deliver papers
~make lunch
~get a few books organized for her
~wash a load of clothes and hang them to dry.

I better get started if I'm going to accomplish all of that.

Have a great day everyone.

**canadian gardener** · 07-26-2004, 11:55 AM

Good morning all!

Happy Monday, I'm about to start the laundry, and the Monday cleaning spree, it's a hot day forecast and a smokey looking sky this morning, forest fire burning somewhere nearby by the look.

Rasberries need picking, and here I am chatting, I better get to work and quit enjoying myself so much talking away here.

Love to all and I'll check in this afternoon when my chores are at least part way done.

**Mom23boys** · 07-26-2004, 12:35 PM

Good afternoon!

Sounds like everyone has a busy day ahead of them.

I made a few phone calls this morning and set up some new appointments for my WAH business. I love doing it. I am still undecided whether I should do it part time and go back to work this school year or not. I am suppose to report on the 10th of August and I am really having a tough time with my decision. I would prefer to stay home and work on with the WAH business and sub part time if need be for extra income. I am making $500 a month less than I would be if I were to start back to school full time. I am expecting that to grow of course, but in the mean time could sub 10-11 days a month. Subbing is $50 a day. I am so unsure of what to do. I will pray about it and hope I make the right decision for my family.

Laundry has been started. I plan on using the drying rack to hang them to dry.

Supper is undecided. I will ask the boys what they want to eat since DH is away. Maybe they will want something simple...

I hope you all have a great day!

**guest2** · 07-26-2004, 08:24 PM

Finally checking in this afternoon. This morning we had to run into town and get a few things. I was able to snag some great deals on TP at Walmart and am stocked up again on my beloved Scott TP

. Chris, my "I always have money in my pocket" took me out to lunch at the Chinese buffet place and we all had a great time. Jaysn was with us too and he managed to find something to use his gift card at Walden books on.

Joshua spent the day at work with his father since he was a booger here yesterday and I thought a good long day or hard manual labor would do him some good. Turns out when I went to check on him after lunch and see if he was ready to come home yet that he was loving it!!!!

I guess it's a mixed blessing though. At least he can look back on all he has done today and be proud of a job well done (now if that would just transfer over to his jobs here at home

). I did let Jaysn drive the new van home and he found that it handles differently than our old van. He did a pretty good job after he figured it all out.

Jaysn and Chris went swimming with friends this afternoon and will be helping a family move tonight. They are moving out of a house that some friends of ours are moving into. Our friends need to be in by the 29th so both families need all the help they can get. Hubby and I will most likely go up and help also.

I got the boys Science (Chemistry) curriculum ordered today and can't wait to get it in. I'm excited to do it with them!

I also am still busy getting all the Shakespeare stuff together and getting ready for the yard sale this Saturday. Lots to do to get ready for that.

Anyhow, that is what is going on here! Be blessed!

**QuilterMom** · 07-26-2004, 10:25 PM

I am tired and feel like I have been running nonstop! We are having sales tax free days (9 days) on things that are considered 'back-to-school' items (clothing, shoes, school supplies, books, etc.) so we headed to the next county south of us over the weekend to the mall and outlet mall there. We also stopped by an organic farm. They didn't have any better prices than the health food store here except for red potatoes so we got a big bag of those. Yesterday was church then home to work on raised garden beds and smaller beds - dh was able to get three done and I got the compost and soil in them. I also got more tree trimming done and need to continue that tomorrow so we can get our lemon tree planted in an unshaded spot. Then we hit the beach with some friends for some fishing (had some bites, but they all got away). We also fished a little in our pond yesterday, but threw everything back (wouldn't eat anything from there).

Today ds and I have run around like crazy continuing to take advantage of the sales tax free deal. We left an hour and a half later than I hoped due to trying to find a missing library book that ds had not put in the book bin, but we located it at last and went to TJMaxx, Staples, the library for the summer carnival, Sam's, Target, and Marshall's. I was able to get some shirts for dh for Christmas (tax free) so at least I am started on gifts for him. I also got some school supplies we'll need for homeschool this year and I managed to sneak a Christmas present for ds in too even though he was with me. I've been doing laundry since we've been home and trying to figure out what in the world is going on with dh's mom. One of his sisters called tonight and said we needed to come 'home' (650 mile trip one way) because his mom is on the verge of a nervous breakdown (she has to wait on his dad hand and foot - his is partially paralyzed from a stroke - and it is taking a toll on her). Dh's sisters tend to overreact so we're trying to get more details.

**sunshine** · 07-26-2004, 10:34 PM

HI everyone-- I worked the last 3 days. Dh and dd put up a hitching post for the horse today, got her water trough set up again and weed whacked around the perimeter of her pen. She's coming home from boarding school tomorrow- hopeful devoid of her nasty habits.

**homesteadmamma** · 07-27-2004, 09:17 AM

Good morning everyone. Its drizzling here a bit and very humid. Were looking at the possibility of thunderstorms for most of the day.

Yesterday I met the lady who plans on starting her hs journey come Sept. What a wonderful lady and we hit it off really well. She didn't leave until 5 and even then, neither of us wanted her to go. She is a Christian and has 2 wonderful kids. Her dd is a couple years younger than our dd, but they hit it off and had lots of fun for the afternoon. She has invited us to her place so we need to make plans for that.

Margery, thats the second time. I'll try to make it today or tomorrow.

Today I need to get the papers delivered, clean out the junk drawer in the kitchen, take the recycling to the recycling bin, finish folding clothes, weed the gardens at the lodge (if the weather co-operates), clean the post office and get the material in the mail for the sample quilt blocks.

Hope everyone has a great day.

btw - Denise, hope that horse has calmed down and learned her manners.

**Mom23boys** · 07-27-2004, 09:31 AM

Good morning!

Sounds like the visit went well CJ. I bet you had lots of great advice for her.

Today I hope to get motivated and start cleaning. I have lacked motivation lately.

I had plans to pull up the carpet in Chris and Dakota's room, repaint it and redecorate it, but that doesn't seem to be happening either. Maybe I will start on that sometime today.

I hope you all have a great day!!!