Pies and Other Thoughts

I am having beach withdrawal. The weather is beautiful here
so I feel bad about wishing I could go watch the sunset and listen
to the waves. That is the only reason I posted that picture, just
because it is where I would like to go just for a bit.

I made my second pie.

Here it is and it looks pretty, but I made it Thursday and
there is still half a pie left. So what that tells me is I won't be
making it again. The coconut rose to the top, and while it is chewy
and I love coconut I feel like I was eating a mat of something.
I kind of had to drag it off with my teeth and then you have chocolate
and coconut all over your lips, not a pretty sight.
It was only the second pie but I was disappointed.

I will give you the recipe but I like plain ole pecan pie and I
didn't like the chocolate with it. I also like coconut pie but again
not with chocolate.

Coconut-Pecan Chocolate Pie
Crust
1 Pillsbury boxed Pie crust ( Remember what cook book I am taking it from
I am just following directions.)
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Filling
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
4 oz sweet baking chocolate, chopped
3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 cup evaporated milk or half-half
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
topping if desired

1 Heat over to 350 degrees Place pie crust in 9 in glass pie plate
as directed on box for One Crust filled pie. Sprinkle coconut and pecans in bottom
of crust-lined pie plate.

2 In 2 qt saucepan, heat sugar, butter, and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly, until
smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into medium bowl; cool 5 minutes.
Beat in flour with wire-whisk until well combined. Beat in evaporated milk, vanilla
and eggs with a wire whisk until well blended.

3. Slowly pour chocolate mixture over coconut and pecans in pie plate. Cover crust with edge
2 to 3 inch wide strips of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during last 15 minutes of bake time.

4. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until center is set. Cool on cooling rack at least 1 hour and
30 minutes before serving.

It has taken me this long to want to share the recipe. Next week is a
Easy Apple Pie Fold-over. That is one of the reasons I wanted to do every pie
in this cook book is I have never made a fold-over kind of pie before and I knew
this way I would try it.
Have a lovely Sunday,
~Kim~

Why I Grew A Garden

I was thinking about how much my life has changed in
the last three years. As I was looking back early this morning
in my mind. I have seen how much the Lord has done for us
and not to us. Sometimes taking a step out of a comfort zone
even though hard, becomes a huge blessing.

For 22 years my husband had a very nice job. We had a very nice
life and yes, I was quite spoiled. I didn't garden much I always had
my tomatoes and my peppers and I grew flowers but other than that
the most I did was read books.

In 2008 just before the the crash. The company that my husband had been
working for all of those years, sold to a group of investors. The company that
had spent years being proud of the services they provided became more concerned
about making a return for their money. My husband started praying that God would
open up another door for him to walk through and God answered.

At 50 years old, my husband started a new job in a new field and in a new industry.
He also started over at the place college students started too. He was working with
young people the same age as our children.


We didn't know if we would be able to keep our house because he also took a giant and I
mean giant pay cut. Our insurance was gone and we were back at the place we
had been when we first got married. So I did what we had done in the beginning.

I put in a garden, I knew if I could keep my freezer full, my pantry full and work as hard
as I could and cut out everything that wasn't a need and only live as carefully as
possible we would be okay.


As I watched my husband day by day struggle to grasp all of the new concepts coming at him
I watched him work so hard and I saw him never complain and I knew I must to
a better job at being a help mate and we would work harder than we had ever worked before.

Our first garden became our joy. Gone were the vacations but it was okay because we found
we loved working in the garden together we sat and talked and as we worked our way through
all of the hard things that were coming at us, we saw that the God who delights in
impossibilities begin to do impossible things. Our marriage got stronger our life got simpler,
life became better.

We garden because now when we are out there we remember that it is God who gives the increase. No, my husbands pay scale hasn't changed we still live pretty close to the edge. God though gives us just what we need when we need it. He provides all of our needs, and sometimes
He does throw in our wants. The Lord continues to bless the work of my husband's hands.


So really, My field of dreams is still that and I am thankful that God allowed us
to keep it and it really isn't my field of dreams but Gods who promises to never leave
us or forsake us.
I am praying for the people of the south who are going through so much, my thoughts
and prayers are being lifted up today for you.

All photos in this post are from our first garden and my first adventures in using a camera. ;)

~Kim~

Dishwashers and Stuff

I got my new dishwasher today. Since my birthday is almost
here, I guess you could say Happy Birthday to me. It is a nice dishwasher
it smells nice and clean, sort of like a new car smell.

I thought I would tell you the story of all of the things that happened today.
The dishwasher delivery man told me on Friday that the dishwasher
would be in either Tuesday or Wednesday. I of course hoped it would
get here on Tuesday but it didn't. He called on Wednesday morning.
To say I was on the edge of my seat would be an understatement.
I got up this morning feeling like it was Christmas.

I have bought all of my appliances from this man and his family for 30 years
My family and my husband's family have bought theirs as well. So we kind
of go back a long ways.
Today when he got here I answered the door and Sasha the dog is always
very polite and well mannered, well except when it is babies and she wants
to kiss everyone. When the man got here she stood in the door with the hair
raised on her back, growling and not moving from in front of the door.
He stepped back and I grabbed her collar and took her to my bedroom and
shut the door.


He went in the kitchen to take the old dishwasher out. I stood there and he pulled
it out and set it to the side. He went out to get the new dishwasher and I thought,
" I can get a wet rag and I can clean all underneath the old dishwasher and it will be all
nice and clean."
I got the rag went and started wiping and not really noticing that he had disconnected
the water and that water is now running out from under my sink onto the floor.
I grabbed some dish rags and started trying to stop the water that was running out from under
the sink. I was trying to hurry because after all of this time I know he goes back and tells
people about this nutty lady who makes him wait while she cleans everything.

He came in as I was trying to get the floor all mopped in front of the sink because of the water.
He doesn't say much but patiently waits. I get finished and he puts the new dishwasher
in the place where the old one was and then he takes the old dishwasher to the
door, which he tells me that I must have had something eating the insulation on the
old dishwasher because as he drags it out it is leaving a trail of fuzzy stuff that looks
like I shaved a cat. The dishwasher must have had water in it as it
mixes with the cat hair looking junk. I grab more dish rags and start trying to clean
that up.


My dryer is only two years old and the whole time I have had it it has had this
squeak. It sounds like a bird that never shuts up and I can hear it all over the house.
My normal repairman told me it was all in my head. I had told this guy and he said
he would look at it. So he took my dryer apart and it was full of lint. I asked if I could
vacuum it out and he just smiled and said okay. This is the vacuum that the handle won't
stay up so I am very careful about not letting him see how the handle doesn't work.
I put the hose on it to clean up the lint and the first suck of the hose plugs up the
vacuum. I get a wire coat hanger and try that, I get a chopstick and try that, I
got the screwdriver and tried that and I just resorted to cleaning up the lint with my hands.
I never did get the thing unplugged so I will need to go see the repairman with my vacuum.


The back door was open and there was a nice breeze so it blew the chewed up insulation
all over the place. All of the dish towels in the drawer were dirty so I had to do a load
of wet laundry and thankfully the upright part of the vacuum worked so I was able to
get it all cleaned.

The dish washer works nice and I am very thankful for it. I can't wait to cook
lots and lots.
I just thought I would let you know how my day went today.

~Kim~

Wedneday Words for Weight Loss

This is a post for Wednesday Words for Weightloss.
Patrice has had a hard couple of days with Wendall her horse.
I am glad he is okay for now. Now that Easter is past it will
be good to not want to run every time I go to the grocery store
away from all of the candy. I think there has been Easter candy
in the store since February 15th.

Questions

1. As the weather is getting warm, I want to know if you're a person for the higher temps or one who likes to be in with the air conditioning.

I live in the Central Valley of California. This year has been wonderful and cool but most years my kids will swim in February. Our temps in the summer are about 100 degrees. A nice cool day will be 90 degrees. When we have heat waves, the nights will not get down below 90. I try to stay outside in the mornings and the evenings.
I do like hot weather but always I am excited to see fall. I get so tired of air conditioning, and I do turn it off in the house until the house gets about 85 degrees. I would rather just keep the windows open.

2. Shorts or capris? Both. When I work in the garden and no one can see me I wear shorts. If people will be around I always wear capris.

3. Do you need the prescribed 8 hours of sleep, or can you get by with more or less?

I really prefer 1o hours of sleep, but I have to live with 8 because my husband wakes up
so early and just keeps going and going. He is happy and excited every morning to greet the day.
Where I might be a tad grumpy, well a lot grumpy until I have woke up a bit more. Now that my kids work, at dumb places think it is good to work your kids until midnight I sleep a whole lot less.

4. What's your favorite healthy snack?
My favorite right now is Greek yogurt. I am in love with the stuff. I could eat it three meals a day and have eaten I know for two. I like a bit of fresh fruit in it and I am one happy camper.

5. Tell me one thing you can do for yourself this week that would make you feel good.

I think getting back on my walking schedule. I really miss my walks in the morning. I have
had some early morning things going on and I can't seem to get outside and my schedule is all
out of sync right now. I even sat with my day planner trying to work some time in Sunday night
and there are just other things that take precedence. It is the end of the school year so there is lots going on.

Stop by and visit Patrice and enjoy her lovely blog.

Spring Again

I was doing school this morning with the boys, and
as we are at the end of the year and I am pretty much finished
with the the things I hoped to get accomplished. I
dug out my Mcguffey's Fifth Reader just to see what I could find.

I found this poem by a lady named Celia Thaxter I thought it was
lovely so I thought I would share it with you. She lived in a Lighthouse
cottage on a group of islands called the Isles of Shoals about 10 miles from shore.

Spring Again

I stood on the height in the stillness
And the planet's outline scanned,
And half was drawn with the line of sea.
And half with the far blue land.

With wings that caught the sunshine
in the crystal deeps of the sky,
Like shapes of dreams, the gleaming gulls
went slowly floating by.

Below me the boats in the harbor
Lay still, with their white sails furled;
Sighing away into silence,
The breeze died off the world.

On the weather-worn, ancient ledges
Peaceful the calm light slept;
And the chilly shadows, lengthening,
Slow to the eastward crept.

The snow still lay in the hollows,
And where the salt waves met.
The iron rock, all ghastly white
The thick ice glimmered yet.


But the smile of the sun was kinder,
The touch of the air was sweet;
The pulse of the cruel ocean seemed
Like a human heart to beat.

Frost-locked, storm-beaten, and lonely,
In the midst of the wintry main,
Our bleak rock yet the tidings heard;
"There shall be spring again!"

Worth all the waiting and watching,
The woe that the winter wrought,
Was the passion of gratitude that shook
My soul at the blissful thought!

Soft rain and flowers and sunshine,
Sweet winds and brooding skies,
Quick-flitting birds to fill the air
With clear delicious cries;

And the warm sea's mellow murmur
Resounding day and night;
A thousand shapes and tints and tones
of manifold delight,

Nearer and ever nearer
Drawing with every day!
But a little longer to wait and watch
'neath skies so cold and gray;

And hushed is the roar of the bitter north,
Before the might of the spring,
And up the frozen slope of the world
Climbs summer, triumphing.

Have a lovely day,
~Kim~

Wonderful Friends

One of the things I didn't know about blogging was that
you would meet friends from all over the world and that
as they shared their lives, how my life would become enriched.
When I was starting to get my feet wet and wanting to be a rug
hooker I started going to rug hooking sites. One of the gifted
ladies I ran across was a blog named Cotton-eyed Jo takes a look at life.
She does beautiful rugs. She also does beautiful hand work.
She was going to start dyeing wool and she had a give away that
I won.
Yesterday I received my palate. It is called Blue Violets. The picture
doesn't do justice to the beautiful colors.

I love the way this wool feels and I find myself petting it.
How in the world will I ever cut it up and use in a rug I have
no idea. I see why now that ladies go to the trouble to dye
their own wool. I didn't know why before. I asked my friend,
Kim why and she told me that it was to get the richer colors say in a flower.

I really need to take a class so I could get this stuff down. I am learning
and that is all that matters, right?

I just thought I would share this beautiful wool. I hope
you had a wonderful day.

~Kim~

He Has Risen!

He Has Risen Indeed.
Wish you and your families a blessed day.

~Kim~

It is a beautiful morning here today, the day before
Easter. The day calls me to stay outside and my problem
is where to start first. Days like today I am so thankful
for life and spring and all that I have been given.

Last week was the Friday sew in and I am only a week
late but I finally did finish what I was working on.
It is a little ditty from Primitive Betty's
She really does have my favorite little projects to do.
They always make me happy.

I thought that since Easter is tomorrow I needed to finish
it up. It isn't that big but it still took me a month to finish it.
I hung it in my kitchen.

I also rearranged the house yesterday, and as my son
was carrying furniture back and forth inside and outside,
He looked at me and said, " You know in a week, I am going
to have to move it all back." I just laughed but he is a good
sport.

I moved my bench into my living room with that catty-
corner wall. It is okay for now I think. I still love my star
board. I usually get sick of things that I made that I stare at all of the time
but I still really like that one. I have even been thinking of making
one on a smaller size and also doing a hooked rug like it. I really do
like those shapes.
Here is a close up of my bench.

I will be working on the porches today. Not to mention
weeding some more. So it will be a wonderful day.
I hope your day is wonderful too.

~Kim~

Farm Friend Friday

It is Farm Friend Friday. It is also Good Friday.
It is a beautiful day here today. Unlike some years
when it is cloudy, cold and rainy. I am going to go buy
a dishwasher today. So that is all that is on my mind
this morning. I do not want to buy a dishwasher but
my husband said that today is the day. He is tired
of seeing dishes to be washed and dishes that are washed.

I think with having the lawn mower be broke for so long and
the grass just kept growing and it looked worse and worse.
I mean our fence got broke that was a sick feeling, but we got
that fixed. Then the lawn mower broke, the dishwasher broke
at Christmas. The weed eater broke last weekend. My faucet in the
kitchen started spraying out the top where water isn't supposed to
spray. My vacuum has to be propped up against the wall when
you stop it because the thing that holds the handle is broke.

So with all of the lessons we have learned. The first lesson is
change the oil. Pay attention to the little details. The next lesson
is in life, constant use just will wear things out. Just go buy a new one


I am telling you a deep secret here. I did lay hands on the dishwasher
hoping that it would be healed. Another thing I have learned is
prayer doesn't replace common sense.

I found this little book I had on a shelf and the author put in her
story that I thought fit so well.
This is from a book entitled "Normal is just a setting on the dryer."
By Adair Lara

" I was putting ointment on a deep scratch from having tried to toilet
train the cat. I had bought a kit for this purpose, a cardboard ring that went over the toilet
bowl that the cat used during the potty-training phase.

How much stranger can ordinary life get than feline toilet training? Which did not go well,
as she fell through the cardboard, she leaped out of the toilet, soaking wet. I grabbed,
her and 10 terrified claws sank into the tender flesh of my arm.

So , for the things I wish I'd known, When the instructions on the flimsy plastic cat-toilet-trainer
say, " The cat must weigh no more than twelve pounds."
Weigh the cat."

So life is made up of tiny things that give us things later to go laugh about and we do forget
about the hard work and just remember the funny things.
I am joining farm friend Friday and I thought I would have some chicken pictures today
but this is what came out of the key board this morning. Stop by and give all of those wonderful
ladies a visit.
~Kim~

It's Pieday! oops Thursday

A couple of movies I really liked was Julie & Julia and
A movie called Waitress. I liked Waitress just because all of the
pies. Ever since I have had this crazy desire to start at the beginning
of a cook book and make every recipe in it. The other day I was
digging around in my cook books and I ran across this.

As I looked through it there are so many I would love
to try that I thought is why don't I just start at page one and work
my way through the whole cookbook.
So my first pie was called Rhu-Berry Pie

I had an idea what rhubarb looked like, but I have
never eaten it or cooked with it and I had to wait
a week because they didn't have it at the grocery store.
(note to self, start growing it.)
I didn't know how much I needed for two cups so I guessed. ( 3 stalks made two cups.)
Then I read the recipe over and over to make sure all
I did was cut it in pieces.
It turned out nice and I liked the tartness from the rhubarb and
how it mixed with the blueberries.
I think the only thing that would have made this pie better would have
been making my own crust. I wanted to follow the recipe exactly as it said,
since this was my kick off pie. The recipe called for coarse ground sugar which
I will be getting just because it looks prettier.

Here is the recipe:
Crust
1 box (15oz) Pillsbury Pie Crusts
*in the future homemade*

Filling
2 Cups fresh or frozen cut-up rhubarb
2 cups fresh blueberries ( I used frozen)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash salt
2 teaspoons milk
1 Tablespoon coarse sugar, if desired

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Make pie crusts as directed.

2. In large bowl, mix filling ingredients except milk and coarse sugar.
gently toss to mix. Spoon in lined pie plate.
Cover pie with the other crust. brush with milk and with coarse sugar.
Cover edges of crust with 2 to3 inch pieces of foil to stop excessive browning.
Remove foil the last 15 or 20 minutes of cooking.

3. Bake 42 to 46 minutes until filling bubbles in middle and crust is golden brown.
Cool on cooling rack at least 1 hour before serving.

This has the recipes from a Pillsbury bake off so I am looking forward to making those.
My family when I asked them what they thought, they were excited to get to
eat the tries. I thought I would rate these as I go,
This was a good pie, and it won't go to waste, but I don't
know if I would fix it again. I did like rhubarb though. I liked
the color but I think I would like a different kind of berry with it
rather than blueberry.
Next week Coconut-Pecan Chocolate Pie

It should be fun and since I am only making one, it won't
change my girlish figure...much.
Happy Pie day
~Kim~

Wedneday Words for Weight Loss

It is Wednesday today. We have another beach day.
Cloudy and cool but the clouds do burn off around noon.
Then the day is beautiful. The air is sweet and there is a
gentle breeze.

I am linking with Patrice today for Wednesday Words for Weight Loss.

Here are this weeks questions.

1. Can you resist Easter candy?Yes, most of the time. I will admit to having a weakness
for jelly beans and Cadbury Mini Eggs. I am though like a drunk if I take one I will crave
them and they will call my name and then I will sneak up stairs and find the kids candy
and demolish the baskets. So I have learned do not even take one. I hate when
something has that much power over me.

2. Have you ever purchased a piece of exercise equipment? Yes, sadly, I bought a
rowing machine. Used it a few times and this was in the early days when I didn't
like to sweat. Then we bought a Solo flex. It ended up being used for a clothes
hanger. Then we bought a treadmill. Something was wrong with it as I would
think I was going into cardiac arrest when ever I got on it. The best equipment
I have ever owned have been my feet and tennis shoes. Walking has been the one
that I enjoy the most. Oh and my iPod. I love my iPod and I don't know how
I ever lived without one.

3. When you're in a store, do you use the escalator/ elevator or do you take the stairs?
Well, if I am by myself I always take the stairs, just because I hate wasting time waiting
for the elevator. If I am with my kids, and we are in a store with a escalator, we always take
a few rides and ride up and down as far as they go. I just enjoy running up and down stairs to
see how fast I can make it to the top.

4. Do you promise yourself anything as an incentive to lose weight?
No, not anymore. I know I won't ever loose weight until I make it through
this time in my life. I belong to a web site called Women to Women and they have
pretty much explained to me why I don't loose weight, but that I will once my body
gets through this period of life. It is a hormonal issue. Once I am normal??? as long
as I keep exercising and watch what I eat, they tell me it will all come off after my
body finally adjusts. That is what they keep saying.

5. Is there a friend you haven't heard from in a long time that you'd like to connect with?
I don't think so, I sat here and thought about that question. I think I know pretty much
between facebook, texting and the blog and the telephone and email. I stay pretty well connected. I love texting just because I like the instant way to be able to send a message,
and say," I am praying for you" or" what are you doing?" So that is one thing that
makes it easier to stay in touch.

Well, there is this week's questions.
I hope that today your Wednesday is well, Wonderful!
~Kim~

Start Again. (Original Hard Rock Song)

This is a video of my oldest sons music. I haven't posted anything he
has written in awhile. I thought I would share this. He writes and performs
his music along with being a Dad of 3 little boys, works about 48 hours a week
plus finds time to put in sprinklers in his back yard and put in a garden. Not to mention
Meg, is pretty happy with him.
I really enjoy his music.
Here is a plug, you can now buy his music on iTunes.

All of my sons play different kinds of music, My oldest, plays
metal, my next son plays keyboard on a worship team, my third son
plays classical piano and my youngest son plays lots of Credence Clearwater Revival.
My daughter plays Violin as well as piano. My son-in-law plays electric Violin.
My oldest daughter played the piano too. She liked art a lot more.
My husband plays guitar, piano, banjo, 12 string guitar.

Me, I just find places to store everything and brag a lot.

Have a great Tuesday,
~Kim~

Holy Week

Yesterday was Palm Sunday. One of my favorite days
of the calendar year. I have always loved it as it makes
me so happy that people rejoiced, sang praises and threw
their coats down as the King of Kings passed by on a donkey.

We we walk this week toward Jerusalem and all that happened
in the days before Jesus gave His life for the whole world. I find
that most of this week it is on my mind. I think about things like
God died. How does God die? How does He come back to life?
If God keeps everything that was made running, then how did the
world feel when the maker of every living thing was in the tomb
for three days?

I puzzle about passages in the Bible and it may take years but
they do get answered. I wanted to share one of them today.

In John 20: 4-8
And the two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead
faster than Peter, came to the tomb first; (Doesn't that make you laugh?
John wanted us to know he could run faster than Peter)
And stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.

I have often wondered why John didn't go in then I think about when things are too
big for me to imagine and I must come to myself before I can proceed to the next
part of what I need to do, I think this was so huge for John he just couldn't go
inside.
I wonder, did John stand and weep as he came to the empty tomb? Remember
they were looking for a deliverer to take off the yoke of Roman bondage, not a savior.
I think too they wanted to be in leadership when Jesus came into His kingdom. All of that
was gone now. I am sure they were heartbroken. I know I would be because my desire
for all of the worlds offering would have been greater than the the desire to see it saved.

Simon Peter therefore also came, following him, entered the tomb; beheld the linen wrappings, lying there,
We are told twice in this part of John that the linen wrapping are lying there, so John wants
us to get the picture that this is very important, there is no body, the linen wrappings are
empty and the body is gone. I understand from this narrative they are just as shocked
as we would be if we came to a empty casket, opened but with the clothes our loved one
had been wearing but now empty.

And the face-cloth, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but
rolled up in a place by itself.
So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb entered then also, and he saw and
believed.

I have pondered this verse and read about it and read it in the original language over
and over. I know that there is something here bigger than the text but not understanding
Jewish culture or anything it wasn't until I was listening to an interview on the radio
with Simon Brower, that he solved my mystery.

He said," that that verse has always bugged him and he was doing research on a book
and he knew that Jesus was a carpenter. We forget for the first 33 years
of Jesus life he worked with his hands in Joseph's carpentry shop. People in those days
didn't read. So they used other ways to convey that a job was finished. They would take
a cloth, fold it up and lay it on a finished product. "

Just as in the above verse, the face cloth which had been on His head, Not lying with the
linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by it's self,
Sending to John the message, It is Finished! The job was complete.
Then very simply the next verse says, "he saw and believed."

I have always wondered about John, it wasn't the empty tomb but the cloth.
I know for me, it has been the simple things that open my heart to the Bible.
The tiny parts that seem to shout to me the glory of God.

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about this and I thought
I would share it with you. Because this week to me is one of hope, promise
and the gift of eternal life, paid for and given to the world, freely.

Have a lovely Monday,
~Kim~

Thoughts Today

Just Today.

I am reposting a blog I did last year on this date. Not much
has changed in a year, it is still beautiful and I still over bought on
seeds. This year though I did grow my own tomato and pepper plants.
I have been under the weather the last couple of days. So I thought
you might not mind a repeat as no one knew me as of yet when I wrote
this.
Have a lovely Sunday.

Today is a beautiful day, the air is sweet and filled with
the smell of orange blossoms. The trees are covered in
new green leaves that are dancing in the breeze. I know
I will forget the beauty of spring when summer comes and
there will be no work outside because it will be 100 degrees
by noon, but today it is so lovely.

I bought way more seeds than any sane person needs. I can't wait
to go out and play in the dirt and I even bought tomato plants.
I wasn't going to but they were just sitting there and I was walking
by and they sort of jumped into my arms. :)

I am going to digress for a bit and tell you what I saw the other night.
I was looking out the window, and I saw this little black kitty sitting
under the lemon tree. The kitty was intent on what ever it was watching
and I wanted to go see what it was.
I walked out as the kitty faded into a shadow and disappeared into the
tall grass next door. The sun was gone and it was that mystery time
of twilight, that if you could stand very still and quietly, you might
see a tiny fairy, in the blossoms of the lemon tree gathering nectar
for her evening tea. The moon was a new moon and had a smile
on its face and Venus was just rising. The air was still and
twilight on this night was very blue. As I stood at the lemon
tree, I could hear katydids in the grass, and the lemon tree
was full of moths. There were lots of dusty millers, but there
were also the great big plumy night ones. That really do
look like fairy's. It is still so early in April I did not
know they would be hatched yet. I love the night
moths. I think they are prettier than butterflies.
I think it is wrong that moths only got a boring name when
they are so much prettier but you only see them at night.

I wanted to take a picture but my camera shutter wasn't fast
enough. I do love spring.

Have a wonderful day today,

Friday Night Sew In

I maybe should not of signed up this morning for a Friday
Night Sew in but I did with good intentions. I still have
to cook dinner and clean up and then go pick my son
up at work and then I will be able to sew a bit.
I had plans to work on my new rug I started and to
finish up my Easter freebie from Primitivebetty's .

I hope to have pictures of my good intentions tomorrow.
The above picture is of some tiny sunflowers that came up on
their own. I have been fighting the birds and I want this kind
of sunflowers as the plant is small and has cross bred with another
variety.
I just had to show a picture of it.
I hope you have a great Friday evening.
~Kim~

Farm Friend Friday

Today is another day of Farm Friend Friday with
Verde Farms and Dandelion House. I have been
visiting some of the ladies who have linked there
and I have already had a nice morning meeting,
really nice people and some really nice blogs.
If you have a chance go by and visit I am sure you
will be blessed.

It is Friday again. Unlike other Fridays my Easter
vacation starts today. Hooray!!! All it means really
is that I don't do school from 9 to 12 everyday.
I get to putter around without racing the clock.

This is all of the drip line that will be connected tomorrow.
My husband laid it out last night so that today it can
get warm in the sun and be more pliable.
There is a lesson in there isn't there? I just noticed it.
In order for me to be more pliable, I need to be warmed
by the Son. Without Him I am brittle, hard, and unbending.
Wow, what I love about gardening, little gems all around me.

So then I should be planting seeds this weekend.
I found this little blurb the other day in one of my old
books.
" Plantin' Time"

Whut we hill people calls th' "dark of th' moon" is th'
time frum full moon to th' new---or th' shrinkin' of th' moon.
Th' other half of th' season, frum th' new moon to th' full, is
knowed as th' "light of th' moon".

Now plants thet grow underground, sech as 'taters, turnips,
onions, an' so forth had orta be planted in th' dark of th'
moon or they'll all "go to tops". Beans, peas, tomaters an'
sech, thet have their crop 'bove th' ground shud be planted
in
th' light of th' moon. Taters had orta be dug in the' light of th'
moon or they'll rot.

Beans shud't be planted till after tn' furst whipporwill hollers, an
shud be planted in th' mornin'---not th' evenin'.
Th' best plantin' time fer lettuce is 'bout February 14th. Cucumbers
shud be planted 'bout May1st, watermelons 'bout May 10th, and
turnips' bout July 25th.


My grandparents always planted that way, and
they always had better gardens than my folks who
thought the old ways were nuts. I have learned myself,
that some time old ways are better and I seem to get
better results with the old, time tested ways.

I was out taking pictures this morning and I looked down
in my flowerbed and this is what I saw.


Hobo kitty watching me.
I hope you have a lovely Friday Thanks once again
to the ladies at Verde Farms and Dandelion House for
a link up party.

~Kim~

Hobo Kitty

Here is finally a picture of Hobo Kitty. She is now living
in my garage bathroom. She is really a young kitten.
But what my sleuthing has figured out is that she was
raised around little kids. The morning I finally was able
to get her to come to me, she ran to me then ran to the dog.
The dog was all set to chase her when this little cat runs up to
the dog and starts rubbing on her. The dog was completely confounded
by these actions and just sat down and pondered this weird cat.

A little later in the morning she met my grand children and she ran
to them. My grand daughter picked her up by the neck the cat went
completely limp and never even tried to scratch.

She has had a collar on
but it was removed. She has never unsheathed her claws at any point
since I have been trying to get her calm and not afraid.
The kids can hold her now and pet her and she has a nice motor. She is a
young kitten. I am going to take her to the vet and make sure she doesn't
have anything wrong with her.

My problem is I already have 5 cats who are not happy at this at all.
I am afraid of turning into a cat hoarder. We only have one cat that
wasn't dumped or thrown out of a car. All of our cats are because someone
didn't want them.

She comes to my back door now and looks in, I always think she is saying,
" I can see other cats in there what is wrong with me." So I go outside and sit
in a chair and hold her and pet her.

So that that is how Hobo Kitty is doing. My daughter who is a great fan of
Russian Literature who is reading Doctor Zhivago wants to call her Yuri.
I know if she gets a name then we will be adding a cat to the family.
I think my house has a sign somewhere but I have yet to find it,
something like," soft family lives here leave all cats or dogs"

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week.
~Kim~