Goings on around here on the farm!

I have not cried so much over drying my goat off that I haven't been able to cope with life. I promise I haven't even though it has been rough on me. The fact is that I have just been so busy. Doing what I am not sure and neither is my hubby!! Just stuff.

Stuff like family reunions and boating excursions and job hunting! I hate job hunting. Of course you wouldn't think that I hated it if you knew me better but I really do. I have landed (apparently landed) a job though. Fulltime M-F in a Dr's office in Blacksburg. I could throw a rock and hit Va Tech from the office. It seems that I had given up on hearing back about this position and the manager thought I knew that it was mine......miscommunication from the get go......... that might not be a good sign!!

Otherwise all is well here on the farm and around in my life. I'll update better with pictures and such soon.

Becky

Second post of the day, but it's a sad one :(

Well you see I love mozarella cheese! Or any kinda cheese that is! You will not believe me but I will tell you any way.....I made it myself!!
Yep!! I sure did!! After about 3 attempts at cheesemaking at home I finally figured it out!!
Look at that curd setting!!
Oh My I really could get a good stretch out of this batch too!!
Just look at that cheese!! My grandpunks Colton and Emma were here and they said it was "The best cheese they ever had." Well there ya go, straight from the bruttaly honest mouths of babes!! So I guess in this family I get the "Cheesemaker of the year" award ;o)

They were right it is yummy. Perfectly wonderful.

Now the sad sad sad sad sad part........... you see this cheese comes from my fresh goats milk and my dear Saphira is drying up...sob sob sob....crying here let me tell ya.........Her production suddenly dropped off to about a pint a day and then yesterday down to about a cup total so I didn't even milk her this morning as to go ahead reluctantly and let her finish it off. It is really hard for me to do because we have bonded so much. I loooooove the milk too. And I just learned how to make cheese too. I will probably forget how to do it come spring time when I have Saphira and Violet freshened and I have milk yet again coming out of my ears!!

Honey I guess I will get to the beach this fall afterall!! He said we couldn't go anywhere cause I had a goat to milk. I'll tell ya a little secret but don't tell him ......... I would rather forgo the beach to be able to have all that good fresh milk again!!

I do have enough milk in the fridge to make a batch of fresh mozarella tomorrow morning to take to our family reunion tomorrow and see if I can WOW some of my folks!! I am sure that my Italian cousins will like it ;)

My new bad habit!

Ok Girls. Here it is! My new bad habit is getting the best of me and it is time to come clean. Is there a program to dry up the habit of collecting silverware? If so I need it. I need help badly! But I mean just look at that beautiful pattern! This is a place setting from my 67 piece service for 12 of W.M. Rogers Silverplated flatware in the Leilani pattern from the 40's.
OMG!! It even came with a terrific chest!! I am so spoiled! It didn't even smell vintage!! It had no smell at all!!
This my little girlfriends is another service for 8 that is silverplated from W.M. Rogers also and the pattern is "Desire". Here you see it all polished up and glistening. Now you want to guess how long it will stay that way?
It has a beutiful little rose on each piece!
And last but not least, a brand new service for 12 of Colin Rowie stainless flatware. Whew! No polishing needed!! You can click on the above pics for a close-up and then you will understand why I am hooked!!

All this new flatware came from ebay at a terrific price. I tell ya, a woman would be crazy to pay a really big price for something that is going to give her so much work to do. I never thought I would utter the words "I have been polishing my silver." hehehe

Now I have to tell you that the person who got me "Hooked" or "Addicted" to this new habit is Cindy over at http://wwwcutepinkstuffcom.blogspot.com/ ......yep it's all her fault.......I told her about it too!! If only I had a farmhouse table like hers with the drawers to store all this new flatware it would be better!!! You go Cindy!! I love ya!!

Check out that Waverly Leaf Platter (TJ Maxx) with the mozarrella cheese and homegrown German Pinks Heirloom tomatoes. Are you hungry yet? Well then come on over there's a plenty!! I might even find a clean fork to eat it with!!

Oh Happy days!!

"If it ain't completely broke, don't fix it"

That's my dearest husbands motto.

However there usually comes a time that I finally end up getting my way ;o)

After 7 years of begging for a new toilet and hearing the chant over and over, I am finally yet again getting my way. I know you think he got his way with this cause it was on his time but no my little ladies don't even think along those lines. If he did totally get his way the lid to this toilet would be duck taped down to avoid use and we would resort to using the other one forever!!

Yes it finally died. I mean a complete and very slow progressing, I might add, death. It's cousin in the other room has the same illness and yes ladies I have begged to no avail for it to get some relief for it's misery too. Now I have been married to this dude for a long time and I know where my boundaries are!! I know when my girls read this they will be ROFL ing!! Because they know me and if I truly felt the need to replace the toilets I would have already went and purchased a new one and just set it in the middle of the bathroom til he got it in!! LOL

Now girls, I would have already done this but I needed to spend my money at the antique and thrift stores.Sorry honey but I did not see any new American Standard toilets any where that I have been lately! hehehe

Last night I was doing some research on new toilets. I know it doesn't take much to entertain me!! I picked out the perfect throne at Home Depot and was telling dearest about it features and mentioned the fact that I would have to buy the toilet seat seperately......

dh: "Just use the old one."

me: "OMG! What do you mean? It is broke too."

dh: "Well if you didn't use the throne as a recliner it may not break the seat!"

me: "Well if you would buy me a recliner I wouldn't have to sit on the throne to read my Romantic Home magazines!!"

dh: chuckle chuckle

So my friends it's off to the Home Depot for a beautiful new toilet that actually works!

Well at least I will be off to do that tomorrow cause I am cleaning really hard this morning and getting ready to start the dreaded redo of my foyer. Dreaded it is cause every piece of furniture in there has to be painted along with the walls. New curtains to be made. New wall decor and EVERYTHING from top to bottom. Whew I think I need a break already. I sure do need a recliner!! Does Rachael Ashwell make a shabby chic recliner?

You gals have a great day!!

Becky

Playing catch-up after a little R&R on the lake again!!

Oh My Goodness!! Isn't this a great picture! Morgan playing Mother Hen to Colton as they were heading to the water at Fairystone State Park! After a little while they were everywhere and very hard to keep up with!
This little lady is Princess Haley! Now isn't she a doll! She was very clingy to her mother for a long time cause she was scared of the water and then about 30 minutes before she had to leave she really decided that she liked it! I didn't post the pics of me floating around in the little yellow rubber ducky float that we took for her!!!!!
OK So is this a left over 60's hippy chic or Elvis's girlfriend, who know's? As you can see my hair is at a length that while cruising around on the boat my hair will beat holes in my face so I got creative and decided to make a bandana headband, which worked but the girls thought it needed Morgans "Yellow Elvis Glasses" to go with it!! Crazy girls!! They actually let me out in public looking like this!!
More pics of the Olympic Diver! Robin caught this angle with her camera. I am sure this is the shot that will be on the Wheaties box one day!! I mean perfect form!! This is my kinda diving cause when her little belly hits the water her head does not go under. How does she do it? Would it have anything to do with my weight? I mean when I dive...excuse me belly flop or fall in....I drink half the lake and of course my hair is wet!!
I love this picture!!!! I think it really captures the beauty and peacefulness of the lake on a summer evening around 6:30. The water was perfect and the air was warm and gentle and we all had a great time!!

The first 2 pics were Friday's little romp on the lake with the girls!! No boating that day! Haley is Leslie's best friend Kerri's daughter. Kerri is the one who is building that beautiful new house and letting me have her dollhouse!! Isn't that nice of her? Haley's brother, Jarrett, is there too but I missed posting his pic so I'll get it next time! I am really glad they joined us. We had a really good time and lots of really good food!!!

At the lake with us also was my niece Cynthia and her dd Sarah and ds Jared whom we haven't seen in like forever. Cynthia and I go way back. We were best friends before I met my dh, her uncle. I of course, met him thru her. Now I see him all the time and almost never see her. Something is wrong with this picture, cause she is way more fun to be around than he is!!!! LOL!!

So anyway I am now back to doing housework and making some more blueberry jelly and putting up beets today. We also have our first mess of corn today!! YUMMY!!

On a more serious note. I interviewed yesterday for my job and I know it went really well. I go back tomorrow to interview with the Dr herself and then I will know by Friday if I have it or not. The problem is, I am not so sure that I want it now and I don't know why. There was just something wierd about it but I can not put my finger on it. I was really excited to go for the interview and I really liked the manager and the office layout and atmosphere and the whole bit. I think maybe I am scared because the manager changed my appointment time 3 times and then I was supposed to interview with the Dr yesterday but the manager decided that I would have to come back tomorrow and then after that if the Dr liked me she would then overnight me an application (she was going off of my resume) and schedule another day to come back in to go over the application and then come back for a drug test and then come back to discuss benefits!!

OMG Why so many trips? I asked if there was anyway that I could take an application home with me yesterday and she said "Good idea. I'll get you one now." and she did. I will take it back tomorrow when I see the Dr but I am not really getting too excited about this whole process. The office is owned by HCA and is a great company but I am not sure about this whole process.

She did tell me that we were looking at at least 3 weeks out before I start if I do get the position. That's OK with me. I am not even sure I will take it if it is offered now. She did tell me that I was by far the best candidate and they have been interviewing for over a month. huh? I am not sure what they are looking for in me??

A lazy Sunday evening on the lake

Look Mom! No Hands! Or life jackets!

Well here are my little fish just floating around on thier backs all in perfect order enjoying the warm weather and the shady area near the boat dock to Fairystone Lake. We had to stop there on the way to Philpott because Robin's car broke down. The kids could not wait until we got to the lake with the boat so they took a quick and relaxing dip here!! We would have just put our boat in here but you cannot have a gasoline engine on this lake. This area is directly across the lake from Fairystone Park where a slew of us girls and kiddos will be on Friday for another romp before school starts back.
Oh My little princesses are enjoying the spin around the lake now aren't they. You wouldn't think they had a care in the world. (these little tootsies belong to the little fishes mothers, however you would think that thier mothers had fins the way the little buggers can swim)
A Fish Called Emma!! (5 years old)
She is very serious about her new found sport! Olympic diving!
All wet and ready to take home her gold!!

It is amazing to watch these kids just suddenly know how to swim. I learned how to swim at Fairystone Park many years ago, my girls learned there and for the most part that is where these kiddos have been, outside of thier backyard pools. It is looking as if thier PaPa Danny is going to be learning there too. We hope so anyway!! He is not afraid of the water at all. A few good afternoons on the water should take care of that!!

On a more serious note. I have decided to look for a job. Did I just put that into words for all the world to see? I mean really did I? What must I be thinking?

Well I am thinking that since the bulldozer is tore down in my driveway and obtained a diagnoses of "really sick" that I don't want to deplete our savings just to buy me a dollhouse to put at the lake and repair the engine in the dozer. So on Monday I shot out my resume to a Dr's office close by and within 30 minutes I had an interview setup for this Thurs. Then she called and changed it til today at 10 AM and since it is 10:24 right now you can guess that I did not make it either. No I didn't back out, I really want my dollhouse, she called this morning and said her child was sick so it is again scheduled for Monday!

It will be really hard going back to work after so many months off but I will be fine. Monday thru Friday and no call, no nights and weekends!! I do not have to work but I want too many things and I don't expect him to really have to take care of my every need/want. Not for a few months or maybe a year anyway!! Pray that the dozer is back together soon because my land is next in line to be cleared for my dollhouse!!