ALMOST THERE

I’m sorry that I didn’t blog last week but I turned around and the week was gone.  Where did it go?  I guess the same place the year has absconded to.  Anyway it seems both are gone.  Like everyone else I am busy, busy, busy.  I have my shopping done and my sweet husband has done most of the decorating for me.  Now we have to wrap the gifts.

One of my best gifts will be here this coming Monday.    My youngest son is coming home for Christmas.  I am so excited to have my family together.  God blesses us with a family and it is up to us to enjoy them  Yes, there will be the usual cooking and preparing but we will also be enjoying each other’s company which is a gift money can not buy.

Since I have so much to do I won’t write much this time.  I might not write any for the next couple of weeks but know I am thinking about y’all and the joy you bring by following my blog.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you are all prepared for the most blessed day of the year.  Merry Christmas and God bless.

 

FLORIDA COLD

We’ve had a little cold snap here in Florida for the last couple of days and it zapped some of my basil and my broccoli.  Maybe the broccoli will grow back but if it doesn’t that is all part of gardening.  I’ll plant again in the spring.

This morning I gathered some collards and have them cooking so I can take them over to my son’s for dinner tonight.  He loves collards.  I also picked green beans for dinner because my eight year old grandson likes them.  I try to go over at least once a week and have dinner with them.  I love to cook since they are so busy working and what have you.  I’ve been there and done that so I know what a hassle it can be.  Tonight along with those green vegetables I am making mac and cheese and lemon-pepper chicken two more favorites of my grandson.  He loves his vegetables and I am proud of that.

I still have a few flowers blooming in the yard and that makes me smile because my goal is to have flowers all year round.  Granted my Mums might look a little ragtag but they are mine and I think they are pretty.

I love these dark red ones.  Strange because I had forgotten I bought them.  I usually look at the marked down flowers when I go to Lowes and find some pretty good bargains.  I have to be careful because I am a plant collector.  I will buy one and figure out where to put it once I get home and I take anything someone offers me whether it is seeds or plants.  But like I said I have flowers blooming in my yard all year round. which is a blessing.

I am still working on the manuscript “Forethought” but will try to give you an excerpt in the next few days.  Sometimes it is hard to write even though I love it because I am busy with the garden, my online classes and of course work at the hospital; all of which I find rewarding.  Once I get out in that yard it is hard to get me back inside so my writing is usually regulated to working at night after I do my classes.

I just finished a great novel I have to tell you about in another post.  Thank you for stopping by and have a blessed day.

LET’S GIVE THANKS

I’m sorry that I didn’t get this blog out yesterday but I had a doctor’s appointment and time just got away from me.  We have so much to be thankful for.  I always thank God for letting me live in a country where I am free to blog on whatever I choose and I can worship when and where I want.  We know that God determines where we live even though we might think the choice was ours.  In this wonderful country we can choose our careers and be as successful as we are willing to work hard.  I saw a billboard the other day that said “The distance between your dream and reality is call action.”  I fully agree.

The garden is coming along just fine as you can see from the peppers above.  I am so proud of them.  This is the first year that I’ve had such a large beautiful bounty.  My eight year old grandson had a sleepover with me this past weekend and he was excited to pick them.  He chomped right in to one like someone might eat an apple.  I’m glad he likes vegetables.

He was thrilled when he gathered the eggs and found nine in one nest.  The young hens have started to lay so now we are getting plenty of eggs.  Granted they are small but will get bigger as the girls mature.  He took the photo of this one on her nest.  The older girls are still molting so right now they aren’t earning their keep but that’s all right with me.

I sent in a query letter to see if I can get my novel “Defiance of Destiny” republished.  Hopefully this time by a publisher who will give more help with the promotion.  I’m almost finished with the suspense novel “Forethought” and soon will be sending it to get a copyright.  Once that is done I have to finish the women’s drama novel “Tomorrow’s Memories.”  As you can see I have plenty to keep me busy and out of trouble.  Maybe I’ll include and excerpt from one with one of my blogs.  Please let me know if you would like that?

Thanks for stopping by; have a blessed Thanksgiving and keep writing and gardening.

God Bless.

 

BEAUTIFUL MORNING

It is another beautiful morning here in Florida with the temps in the 70s.  The birds are singing and the chickens are clucking.  My garden is growing and my family is healthy.  I know God is good all the time.  I hope all is just as well in your corner of the world.  I don’t know if the election turned out the way you wanted it to but we must all remember that God is still on the throne and He is in charge.  He sets up kings and removes kings Daniel 2:21.

Have a blessed day and please stop back by soon.

 

FRESH EGGS

   Here we are back to Monday again and life is good.  My young chicks have started to lay.  Not all eight are laying right now but at least they have started.  Yesterday and today I got five eggs each day so that was good.  It is good the young ones have started because the older hens are molting so that means no eggs from them for a while.

The young chicks scratch all the hay out of the houses.  Why?  I have no earthly idea.  However, they leave a small amount in the little red house and that is where they have laid their legs the last two days.  Saturday I found two eggs under a couple of the houses so I had to have a talk with the girls and explain the idea behind having the nest.

They are all so funny.  The six older hens crowd into the little red house to sleep at night and the young go in the new house.  There is a fine house the size of the newer one in the middle but they all insist on sleeping where they choose.  The older hens laid their eggs in the middle house (when they were laying.)  Each house has a nice run and they all join to a larger pen; plenty of room.

They love day old bread and any fresh greens that I am not using.  That is their treat along with their regular food.  Their eggs are so rich and creamy.

The new beets and carrots are peeping out of the soil.  Plus the radishes and English peas that I planted last week are sprouting.  This past week we had the first from the turnips and they were delicious.  Right now we have plenty fresh green leafy vegetables.  Healthy and good,

Thanks for stopping by, please come back soon.

God bless.

 

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

My photos for the seating challenge.

One of my photos where I was playing around with Photo Shop.

Pull Up A Seat Photo Challenge Week #7

PERFECT DAY

The last few days have been absolutely perfect here in Florida.  My grandson came for a sleepover and he took tons of photos. He loves the chickens and garden as much as I do.  He even took a picture of a frog that was resting on his swing.  There is just something about little boys and frogs isn’t there?

The older chickens are molting right now so no eggs from them but a couple of the young ones have started to lay.  Granted not every day but I do get a couple of eggs every day but I think from different girls.  They are small right now but that is to be expected.  The Rhode Island Reds lay nice size eggs and a lot of them from what I have heard and read.  We shall see.  In a couple of months we should have plenty to share since I now have 14 hens.

One on the nest.  He isn’t the best photographer but he is learning and he enjoys it so that is what matters.  He is such a joy and we share so many interest.  I thank God that he shares my love for nature, gardening and of course chickens.  I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love my sons and then he was born; what a blessing.

     Thank you for stopping by please come back soon.

God bless.

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME

God is so good all the time. This morning I gathered our first mustard of the season so we will have fresh mustard for dinner tonight. I just love being able to go out in our garden and get our fresh vegetables. My little grandson loves the star apples lol. Thank God we have a few on the tree this year; more than ever before. Last year we had some but the cold ruined them. This year the tree was loaded with blooms but not all the blooms mean fruit because the tree is self-pollinating so some of the blooms are male and some female and only the female bear fruit. But we have plenty and some to share; I love to share.

Everything in the garden is looking good except… My onions are not coming up like I hoped but I will give them time. And the first carrots I planted refused to germinate so I replanted them and some more beets last week. I think with the beets, spinach and English (sweet) peas I used too much cow manure. They were all planted in the raised beds and none of them did anything. So this week (maybe Wednesday) I will plant some more pea seeds in the side garden.

Oh yeah, I didn’t tell you. In September my husband rotator tilled the side yard for me and we had six yards of garden soil brought in so I now have a garden there. I am so proud of it because I can plant a lot more. It used to be in the shade but my neighbor had her tree trimmed so now it is in full sun; love it.

I will also till up the soil in the raised beds and try to plant some more spinach. I have just never had much luck with spinach. This year I  planted turnips and they are doing well; first time I’ve tried them in ages. I don’t know why because we love turnips. I just love fresh greens period.  My radishes are doing well so I’ve been able to get fresh radishes for a couple of weeks now.  These are a tiny bit spicy but good and crunchy.  Radishes are wonderful for a snack.  I’ve planted some Watermelon Radishes for the first time and they are up but not big enough to eat yet.  I can’t wait to try them.  I try out new and weird vegetables from time to time.

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you come back soon and in the mean time have a blessed, happy life and happy gardening.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/

 

Coquina Beach

    One of my favorite places to go and relax.  The water is so beautiful and you can wade out a pretty long way before it gets deep.  I don’t put my head under water; coward?  Maybe.

Thanks for stopping by.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/favorite-place/

 

 

FLORIDA FOG

Here are my entries for Jennifer’s Weekly Weather Challenge titled “Fog.”

And

 

https://ceenphotography.com/2018/02/13/jennifers-weekly-weather-fog/