Out and About in Asheville, North Carolina

• On Wednesday, Robin and I went on a little road trip to Asheville, North Carolina to visit a friend of hers who just had a brand new baby girl.

As we were traveling thru the Tennessee Mountains we were just in awe of the beauty before us.

 Good thing I had my camera.

This was taken at a rest area, nice place to stop and take a deep breathe, huh?

 At one of the beautiful scenic overlooks.

 The one above was at a very steep overlook that I endured but I have to say I did NOT attempt the upper steps due to lung capacity and the high elevation...yes, I am a wimp!!

 It was a nasty dreary cloudy day but I sure love me some clouds and I don't mind capturing them thru a car windshield either.

 The mountains just rolled on and on!

 and on....

It was such a lovely trip....really good to get away from home for the day.....great to spend some quality time with the girls and take in some awesome scenery at the same time! I am ready for another day trip!!

 

Lot's been happening around the farm and I am ready to blog about it all again so grab a cup of coffee and stay tuned!

I have missed you guys!



This is my favorite of the day!

Boat for sale, only way to get pics posted!

 

 

We have our boat listed on Craigslist but I am unable to upload pics to craigslist and this was the easiest way to put them out there for people to see. Sorry! 

Sunny Morning Farm's Italian Red Bean Soup

 I've been playing in the kitchen today, making up a new recipe.

I have to say it was a very successful attempt, this was very yummy!

 

 Of course this was made in my Electric Pressure Cooker.

This is such a multi purpose cooker and I use it practically everyday.

 Made a couple loaves of my Homemade Italian Loaves

(recipe another day)

 It was such a bright sunny day today and I was so happy to have that sunshine in my kitchen.

Getting ready for a big snow storm Wednesday.

 Not perfect but they sure do taste good!

Surprise Fruit Cake for dessert straight from Canada!

Danny's Aunt Dee sent this to us and it was in the mailbox today.

I guess she knew how much he loves fruitcake! He was so happy to get this, THANKS DEE!!!!

Isn't it beautiful, of course homemade, and delish!!

Can't wait for a slice with a nice cup of sweet creamed coffee in the morning!!

 

Sunny Morning Farm Italian Red Bean Soup

 

1 pound package Small Red Beans Dried (Minus a good handful, not really but I spilled that many of mine on the floor and had to toss them, lol)

Cook in electric pressure cooker with 8 cups water, salt and black pepper to taste, 80 lbs pressure for 40 minutes.

Or cook in pot on stovetop until beans are tender and make sure there is around 8 cups of bean juice in with the beans.

 

Add: 1 Quart Chicken Stock (I used my homemade Chicken Stock)

14 ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

1 Cup tomato puree

1 pkg sliced pepperoni (I'm not sure what size pkg but it's an adult fist size, lol)

8 ounces dry spiral noodles, uncooked

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 small can diced green chilies

3 bay leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons Taco Seasoning (I use some that I buy in bulk and it is very spicy)

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste

 

 

After beans are cooked until tender, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until pasta is tender and soup is slightly thickened. Serve with Green Olives, grated fresh Mozzarella Cheese and sliced Italian Bread. 

How did it happen, you ask?

 I have drooled over this little Dream Home of mine for a couple weeks now, and you all know how I love campers and could so live in one in my mind, but I must put him away today for yet another year. However, as of lately I have felt as if I was living in a tiny house or a tiny camper! I have accumulated so much junque....yes "Junque" is a way nicer description of it than my husband gives it! Makes me think it is all worth something with such a pleasant title to it!!

So I have jumped on my bandwagon to change things, for good, not a New Years resolution, in fact I started it on Friday December 28th, even before if you count searching for inspiration and ideas.

 Just to share my newly/recently finished painted kitchen island. I had dropped a pot of spaghetti with sauce on the floor in front of the fridge and it went everywhere and on the vintage linens that are hanging here, I washed them immediately but just got them pressed and back up yesterday. I have been going full force at this reorganizing/purging deal. Danny is not sure what I am smoking but he loves it! He comes home to a foyer full of garbage for the dumpster each day and is very eager to carry it off for me. Not sure why I had to beg to get the kitchen garbage taken off? hmm??

 Have to do a little on-a-shoestring decorating as I go, as a reward for all my hard work. Found some really cute Fat Chef stuff at Family Dollar yesterday, like 10 pictures and 2 packs of wall clings for $31....I think so!!

 This little Rabbit Cage was the second area hit by Storm Becky. My father-in-law made this for us in about 1985, made each of his 5 children one for Christmas and I think I am the only one who still uses them. Why not, I ask? You should have seen my foyer after I cleaned this out! Danny had just left with a truck load of garbage from another area and came back home to yet another....he just glowed with pride! This has always been used as a telephone area and housed phone books...yes, all the way back to 2002.....shut up....no comments.....and plastic grocery bags. OK I am not sure how many million plastic grocery bags were in there but I am sure that I could smother one of the islands in the Bahamas with my plastic waste.....for that I am very very sorry. I pledge to do better and always carry and USE my homemade grocery bags from now on!! I even found a vacuum cleaner in here that I do not remember owning. I know, I know my house was that bad! Out of sight and out of mind!

 The doors on this were wire only but I had a great idea to cover the inside with my FAVORITE fabrics, Tufted Tweets collection...can't wait to get some sewing room time to make something else from that fabric stash! Now this little cubby houses casserole dishes and baking pans! Clever, no? I have a strong urge to paint this white but the dearest hubby will chop me up for chicken stew if I did but next spring I do plan to update the natural finish on it. Maybe go a bit darker with some cherry stain, he agreed to that one.

 Here is my first project that I pounced on. My "basement" no I do not have a basement but that's what I have nicknamed this area due to using it to store items that would ordinarily be stored in a basement. This is the hallway from my kitchen to the master bedroom and is a straight shot to my bed. My side of the bed to be exact and each morning I woke up and my eyes hit this eyesore area first and I vowed it would be tackled first, and it was. I went to Target on Friday and found these awesome handled tubs shown below and came home and went to town on this area. Shown above are part of my nice collection of Sam Toft prints....I have a new one coming today....I have vowed to buy one a month until I get all of them that are available, they are so cute and cheery! Danny said they look stupid....MEN!!! The new one will go in my kitchen area cause it has ducks in it!! teehee

 Yes this is organized, very very very organized.......VERY! I keep empty canning jars, canning supplies, Foodsaver and it's supplies, etc etc etc in this corner. I am so proud of myself and I just want to sit and stare at it! Yes there are a few things in the floor but they are where I want them!

 I used this cute little ladder to hold my late Aunt Eleanor's hand embroidered towels and to hold my aprons. The enamelware bucket holds my homemade goats milk soap, pretty and functional. The gallon jar holds pickles cause that's how I bought them at Walmart....LOL! I plan to make some Kool-aid pickles with them soon!

 Upclose of the cool utility tubs that fit perfectly on these shelves.....ahhh bliss!

I also purchased this shelving paper at TJMAXX and lined the shelves and used some to cover a little cardboard box that now houses the handmixer and get this......the beaters are also in the box!!!! No more searching thru the utensils to find the beaters!! I'm so smart!!

This was just a little taste of what's to come. Soon, I will have covered my entire house in reorganizing/purging. I forgot to mention that I have a truck load of Goodwill stuff packed up ....yes, it's in the middle of the kitchen floor but so be it!!

******

Now I want to share some other way over the top excitement.....I have a new Grandbaby , Caraline, on the way on or before 1/15/2013!!! I have mentioned Lillie getting a new little sister a few posts back and that time is upon us. I want to ask all of you to join us in praying for this little booger to get off her butt and turn head down so Robin will not have to endure a Csection. As a nurse she knows just enough to be scared to death to be awake for the surgery! Please and Thank You!

*****

Now as you all know I am a nurse and you have been with me the past many years in and out of jobs......you all know I really just want to be a housewife but that is so hard to do in this tough economy and I have a champagne taste,,,,,,you know the rest of the story. So I go back into the partime work force tomorrow! PRAY FOR ME!!! I am excited tho about this, 12 hour shifts are for the strong nurses but I can do it and it is private duty in a nice little gentlemans home only 2 days a week.....if I tell myself that it's ONLY 2 days a week I will be fine, right? I can still do my photography....which I need to catch you up on some of my recent shoots, that were awesome. The money is good and needed to replenish the savings acct since I depleted it all this past year. The GOOD LORD ABOVE did provide for me to be able to not work and be there for Leslie and to that I am eternaly grateful. So now I will pay it back. I do not want for anything at this time in my life except my bills paid and a few sam toft pics mentioned above and a nice little cushion in savings......I will let ya know how that goes!........possibly not so good considering I just bought myself a new car.....well it was time as I have had the jaguar shown in my sidebar for 6 1/2 years. I needed something with a lot more room so I got a Chevy Traverse like this one. Not this one but just like it!

Hey, If I have to work anyway I might as well get there in style! Also plenty of yardsale room....did I say that? LOL

Hopefully you guys will see some great things out of me as part of this "non-resolution/resolution" is to share with the world all my projects so I am held accountable!

Happy and prosperous new year to all of you out there in blogland!!

 



Such a senseless crime.....

 

All three of my babies shown here, L - R, Ellie Mae, Belle and Karo along with our buck Sawyer Brown were brutally attacked last night and killed.

It was a terrible masacre that has hardened my heart.

The two spring doelings were spared because they were in a seperate field.

All my girls were bred for spring babies, too.

 This means no milking in at least a year and a half unless I find a bred doe soon.

Not sure if the attacks were made by coyotes or wild dogs.

 Sad.......



"Mama, the Dr called.....

.....and she said I do have breast cancer and all she said was it was very aggressive breast cancer.", Leslie poured out so blatently from the other end of the phone line.

(Leslie is my 31 year old, age 30 at the time)

This was on a cold rainy day, February 16, 2012.

The day I thought my world had surely came to an end.

 

Fast forward to today

November 19, 2012

.........

Today was Leslie's last cancer treatment!!

She endured a bilateral mastectomy in March,

6 rounds of chemotherapy,

breast implant surgery

and today finished up 28 rounds of daily radiation treatments.

WOOOOOOOOTTTTT!!!!!!!

 

.........

 

This past 9 months have been a roller coaster ride of lows....way down low....nope even lower than that.....

and highs....very high highs!! Higher, higher.....HIGHER!!

When you can reach out and touch God, then you are at the right level of high!

However, God was right by our side at all points along the way, the lowest of places he was there to lift us all up and at the highest points he was still right there beside us as we rejoiced for His works!

 

Leslie's faith in her Savior can not even be described in words. Not from me anyway, I am a writer, blogger, motor mouth (as my dearest calls me so often) and photographer. I am a blogger and facebooker and I am very transparent. Yes, transparent! That's me. What you see is what you get with me. I don't hide anything. I have always gotten in trouble for that little flaw but I still bear all, tell all, share it with everyone is my motto! Don't get me wrong I can keep a secret when I need to, unless it is the secret of Christmas gifts for my children, they need to know asap what I have gotten them! LOLOLOL

 

God really does work in mysterious ways.

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason even though as a human I question his plan very often. Then out of the blue He comes through with a subtle explanation of His plan in the funniest of ways so I keep my faith in him and trust and lean on his power thru it all!

 

..........

Leslie's amazing support group has been such a big help to her and all of us.

We all gained a brand new church and an awesome church family thru this disease.

(possibly to be considered one of the HIGHEST points along this roller coaster ride)

The new church's pastor came into our lives from out of the blue and is such a close friend and spiritual leader. We all love him and he has been right by our sides from the first Sunday after her dreaded call from the Dr. Danny and I were led to attend this new church and we haven't missed a Sunday since that gloomy weekend in February.

I am pretty proud of that accomplishment.

Fighting Ole Satan off can be pretty hard some Sunday mornings but we know what a blessing always comes from our Sunday morning service at Slate Mountain Presbyterian Church!

We are thankful that Leslie and her family are there to worship with us and our sweet Morgan, all under one roof! That makes a Mama happy, ya know!

 

..........

Leslie has always been loved by so many people, I don't think the child has ever had an ememy in her whole life. Her friends and family have showered her with so much over the past 9 months, food, cards, prayers, love, company, gifts, benefits, money, prayers, etc etc etc......

and more prayers!

Yeah, she likes those prayers!!

We like her to be prayed over, too!!!

There have been people in her past who she had not seen nor spoke to since school and they came in jumping thru hoops to help wherever they could.

Family, same way, some that we never get to see have sent cards, gifts, prayers, etc etc.

Some that we never thought cared at all about us little people have rallyed together for a greater good.

Some, on the other hand, who should be there totally gave up on us and chose not to honor the family oath. Leslie does not deserve that treatment. Those people have been tossed to the wayside and are no longer burdening my life. I have way to much living and negative people don't have any room in my life.

Tired of wasting time begging for love from them and now I just continue to pray for them to see the light one day. I just wish they would stop talking about us in the mean time....that's all I have to say about that!

There have been so many in our extended families who have been brought closer together for one common bond, Leslie! For that I am eternally thankful!!

 

..........

Now that her treatments are over, she still has some minor cosmetic surgery and a port to be surgically removed someday, but her big job is to remain cancer free for 75 years!!!

Help me to continue to ask God to take care of my sweet Leslie and her little family!

She has so much to live for and she is a fighter and a winner!!

 

Thanks to all of you who have had any part in this battle!

May God richly bless you all!!!

 Robin, Leslie and I will be celebrating tomorrow!

Big celebration!!

Big!

Huge!

BIG!!!

love you guys,

becky

She was all smiles this morning after that last treatment!



been a while... more random thoughts

 Danny and colton finished the barn roof Saturday!

 Now to finish the inside, stalls, feedroom, milking parlor, etc etc

 and lots and lots of white paint

 I have done so really cool photo shoots lately. This is our Pastor, Jeff and his Yorkie, Chester, his bible and his Harley

 This awesome little family, their cutey patooty daughter, Ada is way too sweet!

 Shot some cowgirls on location.....teehee

 I have even got Leslie onto the photography bug!

 Got these guys at a neat farm festival a few weeks back.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe in the midst of Hurricane Sandy!