Key Chain Collection

 

(Soon to be on my S.C.R.A.P. Blogspot)

I have a another collection that I started collecting around 1981 (best that I can remember) - key chains.


Despite living a more self-sufficient lifestyle, key chains are still an inspiration for me.  I try to buy one from every place I visit.  Some of them were also gifted to me.  Some I make myself.

This one I made recycling an empty pill bottle.  I'll try to get the directions written on my S.C.R.A.P. blog soon.  I won't be using this keychain, as it contains shells from the last island trip with hubby.  It's more of a "memory" key chain.

I wonder if the Pioneers collecting anything?  Possibly marbles, dolls or buttons?  Our world today in America is "more."  Everything is in abundance. 

I do have plans to display my collection.  The "where" and "when" hasn't been decided on yet.

Storm rolling in

 (Sky above a few of our old barns)

Yesterday the weather started out with a nasty downpour.  Although there wasn't any thunder, our youngest dog still had anxiety.  

We've ordered him a Thundershirt, and it's on the way.  It's a jacket that applies pressure to naturally calm the dog, when they have a fear of noises (thunder, fireworks etc.).

He wasn't born like this, he was out on a walk during a very bad storm, and it thundered loudly.  Ever since then, he's been horrible afraid of the noise.

I'll update you on the progress of the jacket, as it is natural, and requires no pills.  We first heard about it from the woman who sells homemade pet treats at the Farmer's Market.

The rain kept me from doing any outside work yesterday.  However, by the afternoon, it cleared up.  By that time, I was already deep in another project.  Funny how that works some days.   

Nostalgic Barn and Silo

I took this photo when I was lucky enough to be with hubby, and he was driving.  I had my camera too.  There have been so many barns that have been torn down, when I wished I would have stopped to photograph them.  I hope to take more photos.

Fancy Pen ~ Dehydrating

Here is another one of my fun pens.  This one lights up in the bottom, and flashes different colors when I write.  I can also turn of the light.

Hubby and I went to a choir concert last night.  Two of the girls were in it.  However, this morning they are grouchy.  Anytime they have an event on a school night, it wears them out.

I'm not sure what's on today's agenda today, other than cleaning up the mess the kids left in the kitchen, and laundry.

Yesterday I filled the dehydrator with more green peppers and one tray of jalapeno peppers.  I stocked up the dried ones and ground the cayenne to a powder.  Next on the list is making my own onion powder.  I'll have to wait until next season to make my garlic powder (unless I can find USA grown garlic here).  I re-planted my remaining garlic.

I also made a batch of breakfast burrito filler, using up more green peppers and onions.  I still have more in my garden basket too.

If the farmer is far enough away today, I will pull more garden plants, and weed the flower beds.  And of course, I'll be writing also.  Now that we have the goats dried up, I buy organic milk - $6.99/gallon.  We'll need the extra cash if we want milk this winter.

 
  

 

Thrift Store Finds ~ Corn Crops and Allergies

As promised, here some thrift store finds I found recently.  I set out in search for a nice pair of dress pants for one of the girls.  We did find a pair for $1.00.

I found the hot iron transfers for $.50....

 A seat cover for my desk chair - $3.00.  These sell for $12.00-14.00 each in stores.  Even Big Lots.  It didn't take Tiger long to find it.

 A vintage hankie for $.50....

 And this vintage recipe binder, complete with tab dividers and extra paper - $1.00.  I really didn't need to buy this, but after reading about avocado green and harvest gold, at Pat's blog Corn in my Coffee Pot, I just had to buy the thing.  It was just screaming "buy me, buy me."

I'll be locked up inside, nice and tight today.  The farmer is taking out all the corn crops that surround our property.  There won't be any laundry on my line today either, as this stirs up dust, allergens, and a mass of teeny tiny black bugs.

They started taking them out late last night, keeping me up, with that "beep, beep, beep" every time they backed up. Ugh.


Today I woke up with sinus pressure, a sinus headache, ear drainage and such.  I've already had my elderberry tea, so I hope to battle this out today.   

It would have been an excellent day to pull more plants form the garden and make a visit to the front porch.  

Monday Ramble

I had a nice blog post all ready, but noticed I was typing it up on my S.C.R.A.P. blogspot.  When I tried to copy and paste it here  - poof!  It was gone.  So here's this morning's ramble....

~all the goats were loose this morning, my daughter forgot to latch a door.  All are safely back in their pen.

~had to call the sheriff to remove an abandoned vehicle that was left, with the end of it sticking out in the highway traffic.

~crock-pots and Monday's are synonymous here, and I already have beans cooking for dinner.  

~it's cleaning day, but after finishing one bathroom, the mop broke.

~the dehydrator is working overtime with green peppers again.

~this weather is playing havoc on my allergies again - itchy and watery eyes.  I'm still drinking the elderberry immunity tea.

~managed to created a fun Christmas tree ornament - check it out on my S.C.R.A.P blogspot.

~I made a trip to the thrift store over the weekend.  I'll post some of the goodies tomorrow. 

   

Fall Hike at the Campground Woods ~ Mom Funny

When you have bad allergies, you get tired of being locked up in the house all the time.  I was itching to get out, and so I did.  Although it was the shortest hike in the woods, I still savored it.

My 10 year-old was the only one to join me, and she gathered leaves, as well as myself.

The campground we like to camp at, has many trails for hiking and biking.  

 We each came home with some very colorful fall leaves.  I hope to feel up to collecting more this weekend.  I like to use these for fall house decorations.  They are free, beautiful, and smell wonderful.  When the season is over, we can simply put them back into the garden, or the kids can create pictures with the leaves.
 

 When we got back home, I took a few photos of the foilage that is about one corn field away from the farm.

 Here it is again, with the corn still up, in front of the trees.

Despite morning frosts, we continue to have fall flowers blooming.


Mom Funny ~  I pulled a quadriceps . . .

Yesterday, before the kids arrived home from school, my son got my attention.  "Hey Mom, come look at this."

I first thought we had another stray outside, but he was at the side door looking down. Behind him was Tiger (the golden tiger cat) with a mouse in his mouth. 

Oh this was a joy.  While we tried to get the mouse out of the house, Tiger was bent on keeping it.  He kept playing with it, and it would run up and down the hall by my bedroom door.  

We grabbed a bucket and tried to get it, but it went under my son's legs and right into my bedroom.  Tiger went after it.  

My son, waiting for the cat to catch the mouse again, took the dogs outside for an outing.  

While he was out, I went in search for Jasper (our other black tiger cat).  I put Jasper under the bed too, but he had no interest, as he could not see the mouse or Tiger, who were both buried under my bed (ugh).

I grabbed the flashlight, bent down on my knees, pulled the bed cover up and moved one box.

BAM!  That beady eyed black beast, flew out from under the bed, and straight at me.   I flew my body up, and out of there in less than a second. 

We eventually caught that little booger, but my leg remains strained.  Oh the joys of getting a mouse in the house, and those little surprises that come with it.


Today  
 
Today it is very chilly inside the house.  My coffee is not staying cold in the mug.  I need to crochet a few of those mug covers, to help keep it warm.  I'm not ready to start burning wood just yet.

Hubby has to work 10 hours again today.  I hope to get some help from the kids, and start pulling out tomato plants.

I don't have a mask (to block out allergens) this season yet, so I am praying the farmer does not take out the corn while we are out there today.

Tea update:  The Edlerberry Immunity blend tea (organic) seems to be doing some work.  It's only been a day and a half, but the kids feel that the lymph node swelling is going down a teeny bit.  It's still very much there, and still painful, but I have faith it will reduce completely.

This tea does wonders on the body.  Be careful though, it works like laxative and also a diuretic, as it flushes the toxins out.   The seawater nasal spray is wonderful.  However, it shoots clear up in there, unlike those spritz nasal sprays from the pharmacy or over the counter.  It really gets up in there to do it's work.   

We also have one dog and one cat that are suffering from bad allergies this season (worse than ever).  Right now, we are trying a granule that is simply placed in our pets mouth and dissolves itself.   It is organic and natural.  If it works, I will post the information. 

We have also switched to a dye free, natural pet food that we buy at the Tractor Supply Store.  It's more expensive, but we care about our pets (I just haven't found an affordable way to make this myself yet).  I won't be buying them pet treats at the store anymore either.  The dogs love the dehydrated treats I made.  They run to the kitchen when they hear the ziploc bag open (no kidding).  I just have to come up with a cat treat now.