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Posted on Sunday, May 05, 2013
Rain All Weekend
Pauline, Brent, Julie, Kyle and their dogs arrived Friday evening. We
talked until bedtime and caught up on each others activities.
Saturday
morning it was raining when we woke and it rained all day long. We
stayed inside most of the time watching movies and playing with the
kids. Pauline was enjoying working on a quilt while we kept the kids
busy. We took a short trip to Columbia to pick up some thread and eat
lunch, then back to the house. Saturday evening, we rode down into TN to
a place in Byrdstown called "the Dixie" where a band was playing. The
teacher that Linda is working with at school dates the lead guitar
player in the band and she had asked Linda to come hear them play. It
was a small place and nearly full when we arrived late. We found seats
near the front and enjoyed the music. After the band quit playing, we
talked with Jennifer for a few minutes, then headed back to the farm.
Sunday
morning it was still raining. Linda had asked Brent to replace the USA
Flag we have hanging in our barn hallway, so Kyle and I brought the
tractor up the driveway to use the scoop to lift Julie and Brent into
the air so they could replace the flag.
After
lunch, some took naps, others watched the Pacer game on TV and I watched
Julie and Kyle. Pauline and Brent went home with their kids about 4 PM.
Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2013
Hoadley's Quilt
Last weekend it was rainy and Pauline and Brent were here with their
kids. It worked out well, Pauline needed to finish a quilt she had
started making, so Linda and I watched Julie and Kyle while she quilted.
The project had begun when Kim Bourke and Linda were talking a few
months ago about Kim's Dad having a lot of Crown Royal Whiskey bags and
him wanting a quilt made from them. Linda brought them home and talked
to Pauline, they bought material for the lining and the other items
needed and Pauline began the work. The work was hit and miss, sometimes
she would work a lot on it, other times not at all, but then came the
realization that Hoadley's 75th birthday was coming up, so it was time
to "get'er done". She worked most of the weekend in order to finish.
After
Pauline finished, they washed the quilt and laid it out on the table. It
was really done well!
After
Pauline and Brent left, Linda boxed the quilt up in one of the Crown
Royal Whiskey boxes that Kim had gave to Linda with the bags inside.
I
wasn't allowed to post pictures last week because they were afraid
someone in IN might see pictures of the quilt and ruin the surprise.
Linda and Stacey went to Brent's house Friday afternoon and rode to IN
with Pauline, Julie, Kyle and Brent. They attended the party for Hoadley
on Sunday and were there when he opened the box with his quilt inside.
Linda said he was very pleasantly surprised and that he complimented
Pauline on her work.
Posted on Tuesday, May 14, 2013
First Picking
When Linda came home from the school, we rode in the Mule across the
road to our strawberry patch. We each had an ice cream bucket and
started picking. The berries were really close to the ground, kind of
buried in the dead grass and hid from plain view. But we found quite a
few. We ate as we picked too, then poured our buckets together and
headed to the house. Here's a picture of what we made it back to the
house with in our gallon bucket.
Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013
Strawberry Jam
Linda had borrowed Pauline's Ball Jelly & Jam Maker when they came back
from IN.
We went to the berry patch and picked another gallon of
strawberries, so we were almost ready to make some jam. We worked
together to get the job done. I cleaned the berries while Linda cleaned
the jars, then I started a pan of water boiling to heat the jars as
Linda measured out the berries she squashed. We both measured out the
ingredients for the jam, Sure-Jell, sugar and a little butter, then
added them, except the sugar, to the jam maker and started the cycle.
Four minutes later it beeped a few times to signal that it was time to
add the sugar, I did that and put the lid on too.
About
twenty minutes later, a few more beeps and I pressed cancel and
unplugged the appliance. I began ladling the jam into the jars and it
made 5 half pints. Linda put the tops on and then the rings and set the
filled jars back into the hot water. We turned the temperature up so the
water would boil for 10 minutes, then took the jars out and let them set
on a towel on the stove top. We tasted the jam and oh boy was it good!
We made another batch with the remaining berries. 9 half pint jars with
sealed lids and one with a plastic lid to use right away.
Yeah
baby, homemade strawberry jam with peanut butter on toast. Now that hit
the spot this morning!
Posted on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Strawberry Update
We have picked over 7 gallons of berries and made at least 60 half pints
of strawberry jam. It is becoming a job, although a good tasting one!
Below is a picture of our strawberry patch. Last year we bought 150
plants, which cost us $30. We planted them and sprayed them once last
year and once this year to kill the grass that was growing amongst the
plants.
Posted on Thursday, May 23, 2013
Hay Being Cut
Stevie and Phil are cutting the hay across from the house today. It
looks like it will make a lot of rolls when they roll it in a few days.
The hay is thick and tall this year.
Virginia Blackmer (1932 -2013)
Virginia Elizabeth Blackmer passed away Thursday evening at the
Woodland's Nursing Home in Muncie IN after an extended illness. Virginia
was born in November of 1932 to Hytie and John Parrish in Burkesville,
KY. She later married Delbert W Norris of Burkesville and had one son,
David A Norris. Virginia remarried a few years after Delbert's death to
Joseph Blackmer. Joe also preceded Virginia in death.
Visitation and
funeral services will be conducted by Ballard and Sons in Daleville, IN.
Visitation will be from 6 - 9 PM Saturday and the funeral service will
be Sunday at 2 PM. Mom is being cremated so there will not be a
graveside service.
Posted on Sunday, May 26, 2013
Funeral Trip
Stacey, Linda and I went to Daleville IN Saturday and Sunday to attend
my Mother's funeral. Pauline, Brent and their kids stayed with us at
Mom's house. Julie and Kyle were well behaved during the two days we
were there and between visitation on Saturday and the funeral on Sunday,
we walked down to the town's park and let Julie and Kyle burn off some
energy on the playground equipment.
We
left after the funeral, stopped a little while to see Linda's Mom, then
came on home to KY, arriving at the farm about 10:30 PM.
