Endings and Beginnings

     Classes have come to their end as of tomorrow. Summer break begins. First things first, I have to find homes for 7 kittens before long, they are all over the place now. We will be commencing to continue on our house remodel. I feel like it is and will be a never ending project. We will just be getting started and the love of my life will be going to have his back surgery. By the time he is healed enough to get back to it, it will be just about time to go back to school.
     We are expecting piglets again this year. This means a lot of work preparing for them will take place too. We have a few that we will be slaughtering this next weekend for our refrigerator and for my son's boss for a summer bbq. These  are the ones that have escaped and we can't catch .
     My garden did not get to be as big as I would have liked to do, only because those pigs that have escaped have been up rooting everything their noses can up root and then some. I have all my trees and house plants fenced in for that very reason. I just hope that the temperatures will not keep me from planting all my herbs and flowers once we do slaughter. I have a whole herbal garden that I wanted to have already growing too.
   

Garden Time Again

     I started my garden yesterday. We bought several bags of organic garden soil to fill up raised beds. Just put the lettuce, arugula, and kale seeds in. they can withstand the freeze we might have, it got to 27 last night again. I did manage to plant spinach, swiss chard, turnips, radishes earlier and they are coming up good. We are adding some plowed rows this year because the raised beds were not near enough. This year we have to get serious about the garden.

     The 2 pigs that have been out running the property have almost destroyed my herb garden up at the house. I have saved a few hostas, my angel trumpets, a few strawberry plants, my lemon balm and bee balm. That is it. I am glad I got seeds to replant. The pigs are going to become dinner sooner than they think. I bought some plants at the School’s FFA sale to add to my herbs too I bought a purple Angel Trumpet which I never seen it now and a few rosemary plants, a eucalyptus tree, and some peppermint.

     I started taking classes again I finished up one in reflexology. I am now certified to practice it. The other classes are in acupressure, one is a master class and the other is fully accredited. I can use them for my family who all have ailments of some sort. I hope to help ease their problems. I would love to go to get certified to be an acupuncturist but money is tight. Maybe in my bucket list.

January has Flown on by

      Wow can you believe we have already flown through the first month of 2019?  I can’t, seems like we haven’t even hit the end of last year! I have managed to make a plan for this year’s projects. Making a list of all the things that need to be done here on the farm and when I feel these projects should be accomplished. Weather here has not been a great thing to move forward on much of anything but making sure we have enough firewood cut as we have had some major cold days and wicked nights, Rain too. Keeping all the animals dry and warm has been crazy. Downsizing has been on my mind a great deal too. Weeding out all our unregistered pigs and having a slaughter day. We have someone who would like to have the last 6 piglets to start their own pig farm. That works for us. Starting off with a plan will keep things less crazy and easier to manage.

     We have had three piglets out running the top of the hill along with the goat. They have all but dug up the new garden area all the way around the pool and my herb garden. They have uprooted all my flowers and dug up my brick sidewalks which doesn’t make me very happy at all. I had planted hostas and hydrangeas in my herb garden and they are all gone. Knowing that the house project will be an ongoing thing for a long while, fences will be the next thing in line for priorities.

     I have already selected my seeds for this year. Adding new seeds to the ones I have saved over the last planting season. I need to replenish the soil in the boxes and maybe build a few more. There will be a fence around the garden, don’t need no critters eating my lunch.

     For the time being I have been creating crazy little tiny rooms out of stuff that would otherwise go to the garbage. I have always loved building doll house furniture and houses.  This year instead of crocheting I decided to create a tiny world here in my tiny office. Who knows one day I might have a tiny she shed to build tiny stuff for sale. I just love to create. I introduced this art to my g kids and they have tried their hand at it. Until the weather warms up enough to get out and do something that will be where you can find me.

Bringing 2018 to its Close and New Beginnings

   

  Knowing I have not typed up a post for a while, I feel like I have lost track of time in so many ways. Time seemed to get away from us here on the farm. The weather has played such a great part in that too. Rain seems to have come down and cold weather in the past few months. I am talking torrential down pours too.

      My daughter, her husband, and children have moved away, which was probably for the best as they didn’t find time to help us in the roof project much. Having one working bathroom was too hard to deal with also for 6 people.  That can create negative feelings too. On the up side, I have my living room back, something that had been taken over by my g daughters since we had the hurricane last year. Boy was I happy too, even though I ended up clearing out their stuff by myself and packing it up for them. I found some nice free antique furniture to take their place instead.  The g kids still come for the free internet lol.

      As far as the work on the roof we have put up a roof section over the top of the worst part of the trailer and have a dry dining room and kitchen once again. We have 12x12 feet of walls built on one end of the trailer to begin the next section.  Seems there are great intentions, but rain seems to hit on the days I am off and sunshine on those I am not. I finally through in the towel for this year and said we could start in the spring. (We all know here in Georgia we only have two seasons these days’ winter and summer. Spring is a week or so long and so is fall.)  

      We have had a hard time keeping our hogs in a dry spot and lost a few again to the abundant amount of rain that we have had. We still have several piglets that we would love to sell for feeders. We have slaughtered a few for bbq and sold several. Even then, we had so many at born one time and despite loss we should cull a few more to start out on the right foot for the coming year. Our chickens have done well over the raining months no egg laying, but no loss.

      Speaking of loss, my husband lost his stepdad this month. Both my brothers lost fathers-in-law too. As our parents seem to be coming into that age we should be somewhat expecting this, we really don’t. 80 is a long time to live for many folks, but in my family they seem to hang in there a bit longer. My great grandmother was 102 when she passed. My grandmother lived to 90s. They were from my dad’s side. Not so great for my mother’s side, 60-80.  My mother has gone through a lot this year. She lost her eye and her vision is very poor in the other. She has had countless health issues but continues on. This year has been fair to my husband and myself just your everyday ailments for the most part. We sure are not at all spring chickens anymore though that is for sure. My husband is 60 already and I think I will stay 17 for a few more years tee hee.

      I just want to say that I have been patient for what it has been worth and I know that one day the roof will be finished and the old trailer will be gone. But for now I am ending this year hoping for a better beginning and less rain. Lots of love coming and going as we never seem to have enough love. Saying please forgive me if I wronged you in anyway and find more time to listen, more time to laugh,  more time to share. I am thankful for all I have: new friends, old friends, family spiritual and natural. Thankful this old broken down farm that is mine and is just like me. Life is good. See you all in the coming 2019 year. May great blessings be given to all.

August Endings

     August was a very busy exciting and sad kind of month. We finally got through all our six momma pigs deliveries. We had 43 piglets but only 17 of them survived. The survivors are all thriving and growing fast. Too many were born at different times and the smaller of the bunch just got pushed back by the bigger ones. We know there will always be losses but this was a hard one to swallow. We also lost a rooster. He was a mean little booger too. Two of us had gotten spurred by him. One morning I found him dead in his pen.

     It has been a stressful ending for me as I find out my mother is not doing well as her eye sight has gone from bad to worse. She is no longer able to care for herself as she once was. It is sad seeing our parents begin to lose their abilities to care for themselves. My father in law is unable to do for himself either. My mother in law is doing well. Growing older brings so many changes and some not for the best.

      We have gotten back to preparing the house for winter, but even this is a slow process with work schedules and all that is going on (Weather included). I have cut down the house plans to help with the cost. It will be done in time for colder weather. Cars and trucks are on the list to be taken care of also. I may have a car to finally drive again and two full size trucks in good running order.

     We are preparing to sell all of our baby pigs and I would like to sell all unregistered females and 3 registered intact males before the year is out so if you know of anyone interested in a pig please let us know. We would love to find a registered male that is not of our female blood line as soon as possible.

     Our goat Jacob has been quite the escape artist. He spends a lot of time foraging the yard. He wiped out the rest of my beans in the garden. He comes to the front door and knocks to come in every day now. I have spread my winter seeds out, I hope we can have a good crop from them. Happy end of the summer and start to fall to you all.

Expansions to the Farm

     Summer break flew by way too fast. It has been a crazy time of it too. We have 11 new babies on the farm and 4 more mommas  due any day now. We have a boar for sale or trade for a different bloodline other than (American Guinea hogs) Cersi BPR Bloodline.

     We have been working on 101 projects and one of them have not been the roof. my daughter and husband now reside on the farm and have become members of Earthsblessing Farm, along with their two daughters. We have been helping them settle in. They were married on July 27th and we wish them all great success and love in their new adventures.

     School has brought me to a new position and it is one I truly love. I am privileged  and honored for this  spot. I new work with Severe students now.

     I have been working on ponds and patios over the break and my garden is growing like crazy. We have a new kitten named Taz; he was a wild one from  out at the barn. He has become friends with Claire our indoor cat. They are holy terrors when they get running through the house. We have also added a few new chickens to the roost. We have a lot to be thankful for here on the farm. May we continue to grow and thrive as the years go past.

   

58 Sounds like a Great Year

This is my new office desk and set up

     Well, here we are yet one more year has flown by. I can’t say if it has been good nor bad because both have balanced out each other. So much has changed yet so much stayed the same. We have not got much done on the house as we have been dealing with far more important things; family. It gives me great pleasure to know that we have all grown closer in these last days. We have one moving home with her family and that takes priority over other things. Sad though it may be for her and her family it will turn out to be a great blessing not only for her but for us. One has found love and one has found many yards to be mowed. One has her hands full raising her three.

     Not much time left in my vacation away from school. Not looking forward to going back as I truly need to get more done here. Time will tell. Once all the dust settles and things slow down a bit I have plans for my future. In the meantime I have been studying the Bible with someone very excited to learn more and that brings me more joy than anyone can ever imagine. I try to keep up on my preaching and teaching as best as I can to serve the Most High and Mighty God ever; Jehovah. He has watched over all of us here on the hill and I am truly thankful.

     My granddaughters and I have managed to enjoy each other’s company also. We have played games together and swimming most days when it don’t rain and even after the rain, (which we have had more than we thought we would). We have cooked together and baked all kinds of great goodies, some of which I should not even eat, but loved it all the more. Our farm is growing in ways I never thought to be possible. My garden is growing and the blueberries are finally ripening up.  We made a blueberry cheese cake, yum it was delish! We are expecting baby piglets in August and many at that, we even managed to have a few new baby chicks to add to the list and a few more cats.

My girls having fun in the sun.

     So many things have changed, many for the best. We have truly been blessed here on our little hill out in the country. I thank Jehovah for all I have and for keeping a watch over all my kids near and far. Having us all together would be nice but most are too far and money sure don’t grow on trees. I just want them all to be happy and know I love them all over the moon and back. May the next year bring great joy for us all. 58 sounds like a good year to come. We will see!

Roof on Dude

Front Roof

Trailer roof and front roof

My work space/office

     Despite all the pitfalls and negative onset of getting the new roof on the house, I can honestly say that we are finally getting started. The rain has finally cleared our area and the weather is warm, maybe too warm for some but we have now begun to build a roof. Woohoo!

     Since I am not going on the roof until it is safer I have been working on plenty of other things. I am afraid of heights and if anyone will be falling through, It will be me. So that being said I have been busy with gardening and yard work. Safe things like that are more my way of getting things done. I have planted a four square garden a month ago and it has taken off like crazy with all the rain we had. I have filled in a stone walkway between each square and last night I laid out my frame fencing to keep the critters out. I am recycling an old pool frame for the base. I have also recycled an old round bath tub to make a small fish pond in the one end of the garden.

 

     At the front of the house I have planted a flower/fairy garden. I have been collecting flowers and herbs just for this place. I also dug out all of the debris from around the steps going down to the ravine that has accumulated over the past years. Today I will begin cleaning out the downed branches and wisteria vine and poison ivy that has taken over in the ravine. My daughter has an old pool liner that she is bringing me to line the bottom with to make a big pond for Koi. This project may take some time in between all the other things going on. I have also laid out plans for my pool shed.

 

My steps to the ravine & strawberry patch

My garden

poison ivy & wisteria I will be clearing out for pond

Where the new pool shed will go

     I have been going from one room to the next cleaning out and getting rid of stuff that will not be used or has not been used for a while, downsizing. My office has just a few new thing in it. I now have a sewing area. That is something I needed. We ran all the electric last week and I have just one wall to cover now. I can say it is always cool in there with the a/c we added. Everything has a place and that includes my rocking chair with my massager. I need that too for those days I have gone beyond my breaking point for the day. Little by little I see progress in motion. It may take more than the summer to get things finished but it is well worth it to get up early and start the day off right and work till I drop. I know one thing, I sleep well most nights, unless I have over extended and I do have a tendency to do that. That is when the arnica comes out.

     We have figured that six of the seven female pigs are pregnant and we shall have piglets come August. We moved all the pigs to a new pen since the rain has all but washed them away in the old one. Hopefully that one will dry out soon. We will have to move them all soon to the new pasture. 

     That is what has been going on here at EarthsBlessing Farm. I will be keeping up with new progress and more pictures soon. We hope you like our blog and share it with others as we continue to survive and sustain in all our great adventures.