I'M BACK!! The Truth Is .....

.....since I have to be home for the next 3 (THREE!!!!!) months... mending from knee surgery, I have been looking for some Guinea Hens. Something to make some noise around here.... just too quiet, and I can't stand tv hardly at all .....

I need something ALIVE ........

something that MOVES ..........

( besides Izzy ..... shes quiet )

I had the chickens before, all pretty colors of them, till they got et by the possum. (well ........ now I just have to plug the hole in the chicken fence....)

And those guineas are like watch-dogs and will make lots of noise if someone comes around. Which, no one ..... hardly ...... does...... just sayin'....

AND, just to make them worth their keep ..........they eat TICKS!

So what do ya say??? You know me by now.... I like to have an alternate plan, just to cover my BE-hind..... never know what the gas prices are going to be.... or if Social Security will take a dive...... Yep, alternate plans are good ones. Besides it helps keep me from being down in the dumps because I can't go to Arizona right now. BOO-HOO

So Many Changes ......

I didn't intend this to be happening ..... it just is. My life ...... is changing. After years, and more years of heading in the same direction ......

Doing this home-made, and homegrown ...... home-business ....... homesteading...... Doing as much as we could for ourselves, and trying to help others who wanted to learn to do the same.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now that there is only myself ...... to cook from scratch for ..... to grow a garden for ..... to can for ..... to bake bread for ..... to make cheese for ..... to raise my own meat for,

It just doesn't seem as important ..... or needful ......not even wise ........ to expend all that energy and time for the little bit I use. I have found that too much food goes to waste ...... so I need to change my way of producing, cooking, shopping, and storing. Is it wise to keep a flock of chickens for eggs? .... or a couple dairy goats for milk? ....or some rabbits for meat?

What would I do with more than one tomato, squash, or cucumber plant? ...... or one row of beans , peas, or corn?

How long does it take me to use one jar of apple butter, when I don't always eat a slice of bread every day?

Is it even worth my effort of making my own laundry soap, when I have only 2 loads of laundry most weeks?

So I can see my "just plain country" way of life is taking a new twist of its own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hence, my new blog, "Changing Lanes ....." It will cover my newly-found station in life, pursuits I have had in the recesses of my mind for years ..... thoughts on how widowhood has changed my life ....... and the struggles that go along with it all.

I have enjoyed writing this blog, but as my hubby always reminded me, the only thing constant in life is change. And so I must learn to embrace it .... thankful for each new day. I hope that many of you will follow along with me as I grope my way along this new road. Otherwise I will miss each of you who have been such an important part of my blogging life.

Sincerely,

Sunny

Knitting - Not just for Winter time

It was just a year ago my eldest daughter Tina, the family "Knit Wit", came to visit while I had scopes done on both my knees, and she got me back to knitting , which I hadn't done since being a very young mother. I progressed during the following months from knitting dishcloths, to a shawl, to a tiny hat and leg-warmies for my new grand-daughter, to my very first pair of socks!

I have heard it said the knitting is a great wintertime project. I found it also to be a great project during a time of bereavement. These are the projects I have been working on the last few weeks. My second pair of socks (for when I am out plein air painting in the cold) is now finished....

.... and I am now doing a pair for my youngest daughter. She loved these colors! She also likes her socks short so knitting these should go a little faster than the regular length. I have just turned the heel and picked up the stitches on the sides , ready to do the gusset.

Knitting is such a relaxing project, almost mindless at times once you know the pattern. And such a great reward for the work put into it. The next pair I am planning to make has cable design down the sides. That may prove to be a challenge!

Ecclesiastes 3: A time to mourn....

http://atsunnysplace.blogspot.com/2011/06/ecclesiastes-3-time-to-mourn.html

Some Strange Going's -on

........at the end of our long driveway....

I saw this little Killdeer wandering around, (bottom right) ...


leaving and coming back to the same area.....

On further inspection, I saw she had a nest of 2 eggs on the very edge of our driveway! Concerned that her eggs might get run over I quickly decided on a plan of action. Going to the workshop, I located a couple fence-rods and some bright orange plastic tape. I took the chance of scaring her completely off, and put the posts in the ground at an angle that would keep my dear hubby or the truck driver who delivers rabbit feed, from running over them.

Since then she has laid two more eggs and has been setting her nest, getting off only for short periods of time. She will even stay on the nest as I drive s-l-o-w-l-y by. It is interesting how she fans her tail feathers over her nest and keeps her body toward you as you pass by. Here, she is standing just over her nest....

I am glad she decided to have her nest where she did instead of in the field, because
the next week .......



...... the cultivaters, the fertilizer trucks and the corn planter came in to plant 87 acres of corn!!

Now ..... how did this little bird know to keep her nest out of the field?? Doesn't it remind us of the Lord's loving care for all His creatures? and how much more for his children!

Any strange goings-on at your place this spring??

Happy Mother's Day

I am blessed to have four lovely daughters! They are all so very special, each in their own way.......

These are flowers from my oldest daughter in PA

I love geraniums..... especially pink ones!

Aren't they pretty???

Thank you so much, Tina!

What's in there???

Miss Izzy just has to see whats going on....


Hmmmm.......

Three weeks ago we gave a bucket of eggs to farmer friends, as they were starting an incubator and had room for more eggs. Forty-one of ours hatched out, they kept 10 for their troubles, and gave us 31. Do we need more chickens?????



Not really, but they are so cute!! ....and fuzzy!

There are just all colors!!! Paint-spiration, I call it :)

Stripes, and yellows, and blacks .... and ones with gray butts!

I think this in my favorite!

And Miss Izzy keeps watch. She is checking them out every 5 minutes. She is a little short so we set a brick in front for her to step on so she can ... see..... better. She's such a litle momma!

Spring Blooms

These irises are blooming early this year!

Just at the right time actually..... giving me renewed hope....


And there are more on the way... I have white/lavendar ones yet to bloom.

I have been quite busy with doctor appointments lately.... New glasses (which needed re-done 2 times; they finally got them right) last Thursday; before that to the orthopedic doctor for a cortisone shot in my left knee; yesterday to the podiatrist for fitting for badly needed orthodics..... WHEW! (So glad for hubby's job where we get some insurance coverage)

.....so these early blooms gave me a sense of encouragement :) I believe the Lord uses different ways to encourage each of us, if we but take time to look and to listen.

What picks you up.... encourages you..... re-news your hope?

Auction Purchase

We had to run in to town the other evening for a couple errands and hubby decided he'd like to take me "out". There was an auction across the street from one of our stops, that we had never been to. Oh there was lots of stuff, an old wooden shovel, a set of light pink kitchen accessories from the 50's, a bottle capper and bottle caps, etc. Hubby decided we "needed" this. I said I didn't think so but I was out-bid. Now mind you, I am not one to have stuff just sitting around to have something else to dust. So my guess is this will eventually be put to use :) But it does have a nice nostalgic feel to it doesn't it?? (and I can always do a painting of it to add to my "homestead collection" :) At least I gave the dining room a good cleaning today. Couldn't bring a prestigious piece like this in and give it a dirty home, now could we?

For "Save the Chidren" of Japan...

To my blogging friends....

I have taken the opportunity to donate one of my paintings for auction with all proceeds goint to Save the Children of Japan, because of the recent Tsunami and resulting damages there. There are 2 days left for this piece to be auctioned off so....

"Culinary Arts"

6" x 6" Shelf Setter, Oil on Canvas-covered block.

I decided to ask my blogging friends if anyone would like to help out by bidding. (I have already embarassed myself enough by begging on facebook :) )

Look what you would get in return ..... besides the joy of helping others. I keep none of the profit. It all goes to children of Japan. I have decided I will pay for the shpg myself. I will accept a check, and as soon as it clears, your painting will be shipped.

You can bid by clicking here "Daily PaintWorks" and scroll down to where you see the challenge entries. Put my name (Rebecca Jennings) in the search box. My painting will come up and you can bid. They will notify me of the winning bidder, and notify the winning bidder as well. Then we make the transaction. Or you can access the page and scroll down to see many other fine paintings on this site if you would rather bid on something else.

Thanks for your kind consideration.

Sunny

Garden??? No pictures, just thoughts.

Well, ya'll..... both our tillers bit the dust last year and so we decided not to garden this year as hubby works alot of summer overtime anyway. But, the way the weather has been I am thinkng on trying to spade up a bit and at least put in some carrots, beets, spinach and peas. How am I going to live without my garden????

Project finished- 1 pr warm socks!

Finished these last night

Whoo-hoo... comfy!

Love 'em!

Kentucky Burgoo ... and other things

BURGOO (ewww) .... a southern soup-like dish I never thought I'd care for, but Hubby brought home some fixing's the other night .....

.... and we got at and added to, and made 3 huge pots-full. We canned 15 qts., put 1 qt in the freezer and had enough left for a couple meals for the 2 of us. (We had googled for a recipe to see what to add)

Doesn't it look good?? It is!

We just cannot see good food going to waste. So, leftovers from a company dinner, and a couple bags of lima beans, blackeyed peas, and celery, carrots, and onion that we had on hand.... oh, and 4 bottles of BBQ sauce and seasonings. and we have quick meals to open at a momments notice!

The kitchen had already been cluttered cuz I was out all day seeking references for paintings. But we pushed things aside and did it anyway. BTW, one of the most useful things I learned growing up was...

... how to stack dishes! Our canning was done and kitchen clean by 11 pm.

Meanwhile I have only a few inches til my 2nd sock is done. I will post when they are so you can see too (two ?)!

Ah, yes.... and I need to give Izzy a bath and a trim. Doesn't she look like she needs one???

Maybe I'll get to pick up a paint-brush yet this afternoon.

Winter is Alive and Well... but I Must Paint

We had blizzard like conditions a couple days ago. Total 6' - 7" snow. It lasted all day long until about 9 pm.

Next day almost as bad.

A very crisp, cold morning. yesterday. I had planned to get out and do some plein air painting but woke up to a -5* !! No outside painting today...

(I thought this was KY ... not PA!)

Today it finally warmed up to 17* by 9:30 am, so I got my stuff ready to go and pulled on my wind-suit over several layers of clothing. Paint, thinner, canvases paint rags. Yep... going to do it!

I was back home at noon with this... at Sunny's Studio.

Thanks for visiting!

Here They Come....

.... back again.

Second day of seeing this band of turkeys.

Only this time, closer to our house.

They are good-sized birds for being wild ones.

These turkeys, huge as they are, can fly up into the trees and roost at night. We have come upon them before in the woods, and they make a loud sound flying away.

Country life is grand.

PS. Right now SW Kentucky is getting a white-out :)

Turkey, anyone?

We had visitors today... of the feathered variety. I got up early to let Izzy out to do her potty chores and this is what I saw from our front porch.

A herd of turkeys! .... well, a flock. But it looks like a herd to me, don't you agree??? Must have been 50 of them at least!

They didn't waste too much time getting across the field. Do you suppose they knew we had... er.... well.... they were in a hurry anyway. Didn't stick around too long.

Amazing what you find here in the country. Thanks for visiting!

Off the Needles!

My first sock!

Not perfect, but a sock none-the-less.

I am thinking about "framing" this one :)

and buy yarn to make one more. It takes 2 skeins of this yarn to make a pair of socks, This one can be my "practise" one.

Homemade Laundry Soap

Good morning! As Mondays are my scheduled wash day I thought this would be a good post for today.

I got this laundry soap recipe from Sue at Peartree Lane Farmhouse. I could not find her post on it when it came time to make mine up so I emailed her and she graciously sent me the recipe. Thanks, Sue!

My ingredients boxes look a little shabby (...ok, aLOT shabby) but thats because my jug of distilled water for my iron had a pinhole leak and it caused dampness in the sodas.

Anyway, I grated up my 3 bars of Fels Naphta soap and then...

ran it through my blender on the pulse/grate speed.

In the bucket I carefully mixed (being careful not to breathe it in as it creates quite a fine dust as you stir) 4# box of Arm and Hammer soda, 3# 7oz box of Washing soda and 4# borax. After that is combined, I added the blender grated soap and mixed it in.

I keep mine in a 2-gal bucket.

2 of these scoops = 1/4 cup.

I put the soap into a 2-cup measure and run hot water into it to disolve (mostly) and add it to the washer, then pile in my laundry. I have had very good results with this and it saves at about of what commercial laundry soap would cost, of course depending on the brand you buy.

This recipe made 24 cups of soap powder. I use about 1/4 cup for a large load, which means I can wash 96 loads of laundry.and at an average of 4 loads per week, it will last me 24 weeks or half a year.

Look what I Won!

Look what I won from Jennifer at "Our Little Farm" blog for guessing the closest to her little pot-bellied pig, Porkchop's, weight.

Isn't this just so neat? Especially as I didn't raise any sunflowers of my own last year. And that little bird-house.... of course with Jen's "signature picture" on it, as she is all about chickens and really knows her stuff! So cute!! I'll be hanging this in under my bird trees ;-)

Thanks Jen .... it was my first-ever blog win!!

A New Dish

Baked, stuffed rabbit breast and pieces, with Mandarin Fruit sauce

... in the wood-stove oven, of course.

..... accompanied by our own frozen corn, and baked sweet potatoes w/ brown sugar/cinnamon topping.

Oh, YUMM it was good!! and Hubby gave his approval!

Mandarin Fruit sauce

1 can (11oz) mandarin oranges

3/4c orange juice

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp lemon juice

1 T cornstarch (I added a little more)

2 T brown sugar

3/4 tsp ginger

a few marashino cherries, sliced

Drain oranges and reserve liquid. Combine andarin orange liquid with orange juice, soy sauce and lemon juice in saucepan. Mix cornstarch, ginger,and brown sugar and add to the liquid; cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Fold in oranges and cherries. Stuff the rabbit breast cavity with your favorite stuffing and place in roaster pan or dutch oven with other rabbit pieces, Pour sauce over rabbit pieces and bake in oven on med. heat (325-350) for 2 hrs, basting occasionally. Take lid off roaster the last 20 mins. Enjoy!! I am sure this could also be used nicely with skinless chicken breasts.