So, out of the corner of my eye I see something move on the front porch. I turn to look and there is a snake slithering on the porch......thankfully it's a baby snake but still, a snake is a snake. I go out onto the porch and look at it a minute thinking, and how many cats do we have?????? You've got to be kidding me! Looking around I don't see a cat in sight and then I found them, taking cat naps (no pun intended) on the back porch. All would have been well had they just decided to rest on the front. Anyway, I killed it and have no idea what kind it was. I really do need to get a book on snakes so I can at least identify them when they visit on the front porch.
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Whew!

Well, finally back! VBS is over and we're exhausted but we had a great time. It's always a fun time for the kids....and me too!  Now we'll slow down a little bit and see what we can get into outside. We've finally gotten some brown eggs! My son was really excited when he found it. He goes to the coop about five times a day to see how many he can find. It's really funny too because the chickens seem so proud when he finds all the eggs. They all follow him into the coop and they'll look at him, then the egg, then back at him, as if to say, "See, see, here it is!" Cracks me up. They have the funniest personalities. The other day we were all down the hill feeding them and one of those big oil trucks came by. My kiddoes love to make them  honk, so they waved their little arms and the truck let out a really loud honk... scared the chickens to death! They went crazy, making so much racket, and ran into the coop as if something was after them. It was very entertaining to watch. They're not quite as tough as they think they are. My son built them a little feeder last week and they really seem to like it. You know, it's amazing what you can do when you try to improvise. At the feed stores, they have all those nice feeders and waterers, but really, if you have some wood and somewhat of an imagination, you can do it all yourself and save a heapful of money....and have fun in the process!
I know in an earlier post I said I was going to learn something new everyday and then post it. Well..............I have tried to learn something but I haven't been so good at posting it. Maybe you should just forget I said that so that it will be a suprise when I actually get to it. :)
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Fall Planting

I've been busy trying to figure out exactly what I want to plant in our fall garden. This will be the first time we've planted for fall. I think I've narrowed it down to these plants: pumpkins, onions, carrots, potatoes, and lettuce. Might try some perennial herbs on the outskirts but I'm not sure which ones yet. I think we'll try gourds too just for fun. It will be fun to have a bunch of pumpkins by the time fall gets here. I love to decorate for fall and the kids will love to grow and pick the pumpkins and gourds. I'll have to clean out the tomatoes which I really don't want to do yet. I think I might give them another week or so. Some of them are ready to go but some are still producing even though they're not very big. We'll have to plant everything but the potatoes from seed. Our local nursery said they won't be getting any more bedding plants in this summer. Planting from seed takes longer but is really more fun to watch. It's rewarding to see the first green start to pop out of the ground. Just love it!
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Our Precious

Here's a picture of our little Precious girl beagle. She's such a good little watchdog and keeps the varmints away at night. She's seven years old now and her best friends are the cats. Some beagles are stocky and much bigger, but Precious has always been a petite little thing. When the chickens used to run freely all over the place, she never tried to kill one.....and she could have numerous times. Such a good little dog.
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New Things

I've had a revelation today. I don't think this is the first time I've had this revelation, but maybe it's the first time I've been determined to follow through. I've decided to learn something brand new everyday. Whether it's a new word of the day ( I need one of those calendars), a history fact, a new recipe, interesting fact about our beloved animals, or just some random fact that really no one cares about, I'm going to learn it. I've also decided, first and foremost, to find a new plant, veggie or flower, that I don't know much about, research it, then post what I find. Someone once told me that if we would learn something new everyday, at the end of one year we would have 365 new facts and by the time we're on up in years, we would be one smart cookie. I guess the important thing is actually retaining what you learn. This is where it can get tricky. I might need to eat an extra dose of blueberries for this one. They're loaded with brain power, you know. So, here's my new history fact I learned about blueberries.
In the early history of the United States, blueberry juice was used to treat various sicknesses such as coughs and digestive problems. It was also used for a relaxant during childbirth. There you have it. I found that very interesting.
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I do believe I'm addicted to, obsessed with,  dedicated to tilling. I know that sounds strange for those of you that don't like to dig in the dirt, but I just love it! I left room in between most of the rows in the garden and all around the outskirts so that I could till while things were still producing. I will say that it has kept the fire ants out. In years past we have had a lot of fire ants in the garden but not this year. I think tilling as much as I did before we planted had a lot to do with it. There's just something about seeing freshly tilled ground. Wish I had planted pumpkins in time but will save that for next time.
We still haven't seen any brown eggs yet but we should get some any day now. Can't wait to get all those eggs. They are so good! We've got a lot of egg customers just waiting for fresh eggs. The cookbook I have posted on here, The Amish Cook at Home, is an amazing cookbook. I just love it because she goes through all the seasons and has a story on each page along with the best recipes. She explains how they live and at what time of the year they butcher and can and just all sorts of things. It's just amazing. I'm always really fascinated with the Amish. I love their lifestyle although I couldn't go without the water or electricity as some of them do. I have made so many recipes out of that book and they are all delicious! Browsing through my cookbooks is one of my very favorite things to do. Paula Deen is my favorite too. That lady knows how to cook!!!  A friend of mine has given me a subscription to her magazine for the past four years (for my birthday) and I love it! Every year she says, "What do you want for your birthday?" And every year I say,
"The same please!" I believe I have tried almost everything out of all the issues and you just can't beat her cooking. Would love to meet her some day....wouldn't that be a hoot!! She likes desserts as much as I do!
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Chicken Patties

I concocted this recipe the other night and boy was it good! Here goes:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup mayo
4 tablespoons butter
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups crushed seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's (I use Tony's in pretty much everything I make :))
Saute the onion, bell pepper, and 2 tablespoons of butter in pan until tender. In a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Form mixture into patties, whatever size you wish.  In a large skillet, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Cook chicken patties about 4 min. on each side or until browned. YUMMMMMY! The kids really liked them too. We were so involved in eating them that I forgot to take a picture! Serve with potato salad and it's a keeper!
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The Cat That Thinks She's a Dog

I told you in a previous post about our cat, Cinderella, that thinks she's a dog. We actually have another one that sleeps in the dog house with our dog Precious. I'll post that one also. She's quite the watch cat!

This is Gunsmoke, who also thinks he's a dog. He and Precious get a along well and share the dog house. It's quite comical to look in there and see them both sound asleep. And who made up the expression,"fights like cats and dogs"? Not at our place!

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Fun Days

What a great 4th of July!  The weather was great, not too dry for fireworks.  We had a church picnic after the morning service then went to friends' house for hamburgers, desserts, fireworks, and lots of fun. The kids loved every minute of everything! We really take for granted all the freedoms we have. It's a shame that we take them for granted but we do. May we stand up for the Biblical principles that made our nation great! And may we never forget that God gives us the freedom to do so.
We are getting a basket full of tomatoes every morning. I will be freezing them; there are too many to eat before they ruin. I would like to harvest some seed for next year.....let's see if that gets done. The landscaping mood has struck, actually I don't think it ever leaves me. I built the kids a swing set frame coming off of the tree house so I have moved all the swings down the hill. That means that the back yard is open for all kinds of beautiful plants. Of course Bottlebrushes will be the first thing to go into the ground.  Lady Banks rose bush flows from one corner of the fence and on another part I have Carolina Jasmine growing hog wild. I would like to plant more Jasmine or some other kind of vine...or both, on the remaing bare part of the fence.  In the spring the Lady Banks rose bush and the Azaleas are in bloom at the same time and it is absolutely beautiful! I am also wanting to construct an arbour to cover our picnic table.  Not enough hours in the day!  
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Cinnamon Blueberry Muffins

Cinnamon Blueberry Muffins

These are tasty little muffins. The cinnamon really adds to the taste. Of course, how could you go wrong using fresh blueberries? Here's the recipe.

Cinnamon Blueberry Muffins
1 stick butter softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups fresh blueberries (add strawberries in with the blueberries too, YUM!)
1/2 cup milk
Mix butter and sugar on low speed until combined. Add eggs one at a time until mixed well. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into mixture and mix until smooth. Add milk and combine; do not overmix. Then gently fold in blueberries. Bake on 375 degrees for 20-25 min. depending on your oven. Coat with butter while warm and dig in! So good!

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