Pioneer Woman at Heart

The rain brought us some garden bounty!  I froze 3 meals of green beans, and brought in cucumbers, zucchini and yellow squash.  So happy for that. The ticks are bad this year, so I made us some tick repellent oil . The bathroom is still under construction.  I'm trying to be patient, but....the new vanity light was installed.  There was an issue with the shower base being un-level (fixed), and then there was the issue with studs and where the shower will need to go (getting fixed).  The flooring and/or shower should be going up today or tomorrow.  Then again we thought that last week. Daughter K called.  She isn't coming over today to clean the upstairs as planned.  Sigh.  One of her co-workers has covid, so she didn't want to take a chance coming here, considering. The heat is returning, and today may be a very humid day as well.  It's been too wet in the garden to weed, till, etc.  I had to hose my boots off yesterday.  Tomor...

Gah, it may be a bad tick year here this year.  I mixed up some tick oil for us when we are outside (can be put on the dogs as well).    I put my laundry out on the line (sheets/towels), and when I went to get them down, I saw my plush bath towels covered in ticks.  I have never (ever) in my time living here have had ticks on my laundry.   I'm seriously considering getting some guinea hens.  It won't happen this year, but it's on the wish list.  The plan may be to use the coop I have for them, after building the new one for the chickens. (photo taken on my phone and transferred to computer, and they transfer distorted now.  Ugh.  Sorry, will try and stick with my camera) My poor husband is still recovering from working two midnight shifts followed by a first shift, so I made a nettle tea infusion for exhaustion. It's time to give this mystery box (crafting misc./books) away.  Comment below(that you want in on it), and I will draw a...

I'm betting my hens are getting coop fever, with all this rain and wind.  Most likely stir crazy at this point.  We haven't had much of a day for them to free range lately. Started my day making homemade condensed mushroom soup .  There is nothing better than homemade.  I made another for the freezer.  The first "can" went on top of pork chops in the crock pot. Thursday morning we had a  major  storm roll through.  More rain is not a good thing at this point.  It's just downright bad.  I prayed my planted tomatoes made it through and went out after the storm let up to check.   The wind was so bad, it took out power in several counties, and took down many trees, limbs, utility poles and more.  One daughter of mine is lucky it moved through our area quickly.  She had a bonfire out back with friends, and left all her stuff, plus all my furniture including seat cushions.  Nothing blew away, but my weed...

We had a beautiful morning sunrise Monday morning.  It was cold out, but gorgeous sky. Never hit your shin on something.  The pain is like no other.  I've been using up my freezer stash of comfrey poultices.  They are helping, but man... (used my mortar and pestal for a small amount) I've also been picking plantain.  I somehow got an itchy patch of a rash on my ankle (hm, could be from wearing flip flops out when it was warmer and brushing on something).  I got rid of it using a fresh plantain poultice in two days (second one I added fresh chickweed).  Yay, for the power of weeds.  Our plantain isn't very big yet, but we are getting some here and there.  I also ordered a free small food processor for small batch making.  Does anyone here take horse chestnut for varicose veins?  Would love to hear your input.  Just wondering if I order the horse chestnut, do you make the extract as you would a "tincture?" I p...

I went to the barn early yesterday to fetch the hoe before the bumble bees woke up (terrible again this year).  (steps I got on my fitbit yesterday) The hoe and I had a date.  I got the beets in finally, and started weeding some of the flower beds.  I had a ton of laundry, and ran out of clothespins.  The day went way too fast, but work was done.  It was a nice 60-some degree day, so it wasn't sweltering either. I found one of my rain barrels completely drained. Hubby and I will have to put a clamp on the hose.  It's a different set up than my barrel looking ones.