I post a lot about keeping busy and Poppy never catching me sitting down...well it runs in the family. Mama's oldest sister, Ella Vastie, worked hard her whole life. She was 98 when she died, but all those years working on their farm, well nobody could outdo her or keep up with her. Aunt Bass, as we all called her, loved to fish, and she let others fish in her pond. However, if she had her arms full and was headed to the barn as fast as she could walk, don't stop her and ask if you can go fishing!! One man did and Aunt Bass slowed down, glared at him and said, "NO, YOU'RE NOT A GONNA FISH!! I DON'T HAVE TIME TO FISH, AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA FISH EITHER!! The man thanked her and left. That's Aunt Bass on the front row, far right...
My sister, Shelby, and I don't see each other as often as we should, or want to. Shelby is about three years older than me (let me mention that right up front)!! :) I post about being busy and crossing things off my list of "things to do"...well Shelby is busier!!! She doesn't have time to make a list in the first place!!! While I play here on our hobby farm, Shelby and her husband Jimmy have a "real" farm!!! I took this picture from their back deck.
The funny thing is...Shelby and Jimmy, both had careers and worked until retirement age, then became farmers!!!. They both retired at the same time. They did quite a bit of traveling before their farming venture. While a lot people their ages are relaxing in their recliners, Shelby and Jimmy are busy feeding cows, hogs, and chickens. They sell fresh eggs, and their home grown produce at the farmer's market, and they have recently gotten in to bee keeping. Shelby sells jams, jellies, relishes, and baked goods at the market. She always has a pot or two with some kind of fruit and sugar bubbling on the stove. If you want to talk with her, you get put on speaker phone!!!
Their high tunnel is new, completed just this past spring.
Shelby insisted I take home a bag of mixed greens that she said were about to get too big. You never leave Shelby's empty handed. While I'm saying to her, "I can't take all this", she is loading stuff in the back seat of the car...half a crusty cream cheese pound cake, a new jar of jalapeno peach preserves, and bags of whatever they happen to be getting out of the garden at the time!! Shelby will probably fuss at me, (as we say around here), for posting this picture of her in these big boots. It was muddy that day and we both traded our shoes for a pair of boots that were parked on the deck. I kept my big feet out of the picture!! :)
Shelby and I share funny stories. Especially stories about the crazy things we do. Things that are fairly common when you get our age!!! She was telling me just the other day about being home alone, which is rare. She was going out to the chicken house to gather eggs, and thought she might ought to carry the pistol. Shelby asked me, "do you know how to open a pistol and look in the chamber to see if it's loaded?" I said, "no"!! Well, she said she had always looked at the barrel end of the gun and into the chamber to see if it was loaded, but her son Greg, insisted she NEVER do that again!!! Not knowing what to do, she walked into the bathroom, pointed the gun at the mirror, and looked into the chamber!!! Yep, it was loaded alright!!! I think that was pretty smart, don't you?
It was hot and sticky working outside yesterday but I did get a lot of limbs cut off and hauled away. I was sounding pretty smug in my post about using my chain saw!!! Well, truth is, I lost my nerve. It didn't even get turned on!!! The little hand saw worked just fine!!! When Poppy got home he showed me again the right way to hold the chain saw. :)
All the bull frogs were croaking yesterday!!! Actually, the males croak to attract females and warn away other males. I love listening to them. Mama used to say, "do you know what that old bull frog is saying?" It's saying, "under the root, under the root, under the root"! Then another bull frog will say, "wha daya chew, wha daya chew, tobacco, tobacco, tobacco" ! If you really listen, you can hear those old frogs saying that.
A plastic owl keeps watch in the front yard. This plastic frog keeps watch over the pond... :)
Need to get busy. Thank you for looking at my blog. Hope to be back soon!!!
Love,
Henny Penny
My sister, Shelby, and I don't see each other as often as we should, or want to. Shelby is about three years older than me (let me mention that right up front)!! :) I post about being busy and crossing things off my list of "things to do"...well Shelby is busier!!! She doesn't have time to make a list in the first place!!! While I play here on our hobby farm, Shelby and her husband Jimmy have a "real" farm!!! I took this picture from their back deck.
The funny thing is...Shelby and Jimmy, both had careers and worked until retirement age, then became farmers!!!. They both retired at the same time. They did quite a bit of traveling before their farming venture. While a lot people their ages are relaxing in their recliners, Shelby and Jimmy are busy feeding cows, hogs, and chickens. They sell fresh eggs, and their home grown produce at the farmer's market, and they have recently gotten in to bee keeping. Shelby sells jams, jellies, relishes, and baked goods at the market. She always has a pot or two with some kind of fruit and sugar bubbling on the stove. If you want to talk with her, you get put on speaker phone!!!
Their high tunnel is new, completed just this past spring.
Shelby insisted I take home a bag of mixed greens that she said were about to get too big. You never leave Shelby's empty handed. While I'm saying to her, "I can't take all this", she is loading stuff in the back seat of the car...half a crusty cream cheese pound cake, a new jar of jalapeno peach preserves, and bags of whatever they happen to be getting out of the garden at the time!! Shelby will probably fuss at me, (as we say around here), for posting this picture of her in these big boots. It was muddy that day and we both traded our shoes for a pair of boots that were parked on the deck. I kept my big feet out of the picture!! :)
Shelby and I share funny stories. Especially stories about the crazy things we do. Things that are fairly common when you get our age!!! She was telling me just the other day about being home alone, which is rare. She was going out to the chicken house to gather eggs, and thought she might ought to carry the pistol. Shelby asked me, "do you know how to open a pistol and look in the chamber to see if it's loaded?" I said, "no"!! Well, she said she had always looked at the barrel end of the gun and into the chamber to see if it was loaded, but her son Greg, insisted she NEVER do that again!!! Not knowing what to do, she walked into the bathroom, pointed the gun at the mirror, and looked into the chamber!!! Yep, it was loaded alright!!! I think that was pretty smart, don't you?
It was hot and sticky working outside yesterday but I did get a lot of limbs cut off and hauled away. I was sounding pretty smug in my post about using my chain saw!!! Well, truth is, I lost my nerve. It didn't even get turned on!!! The little hand saw worked just fine!!! When Poppy got home he showed me again the right way to hold the chain saw. :)
All the bull frogs were croaking yesterday!!! Actually, the males croak to attract females and warn away other males. I love listening to them. Mama used to say, "do you know what that old bull frog is saying?" It's saying, "under the root, under the root, under the root"! Then another bull frog will say, "wha daya chew, wha daya chew, tobacco, tobacco, tobacco" ! If you really listen, you can hear those old frogs saying that.
A plastic owl keeps watch in the front yard. This plastic frog keeps watch over the pond... :)
Love,
Henny Penny
Good morning Henny! You are such a blessing to me working here at the hospital this morning... I can see you are all workers! But, what a wonderful thing, to get to visit her sister and see her glorious farm! Your home is just perfect for you, I love that plastic frog, I always wonder about what the real critters think about them! I wanted a chain saw too, but I have no one to show me how to use it and don't want to end up here in the ER. We have had 5 to 6 inches of rain here in the mountains and more on the way. We are totally waterlogged, with about 18 inches or so over the yearly total right now! Any way, I will go on and on, so just checking in to say hi and that the trees gone has made an opening up for the sun and you will feel safer, I hope! Love Ya - Terry!
ReplyDeleteDear Terry,
DeleteThank you. I love hearing from you. Like you, I've always wondered what the real animals think of the plastic ones. They probably laugh at us. That frog is way bigger than the real frogs in the pond. That 18' over in rainfall is unbelievable!! No wonder all the gardens look bad! Don't you think all of 2013 has been a little unusual, especially the weather everywhere??
Love,
Henny Penny
Dear Henny,
ReplyDeleteShelby sounds like a go-getter too. I believe staying involved as much as a person can for as long as they can is very essential to living a good long life.
It's nice you were able to go see your sister for a visit. Is she far away? She's got a great green house going. How fun is that? I'm sure a lot of work too, but my type of work, which seems like fun.
Peach jalapeno sounds like such a great combination. Set out a little square of cream cheese, let it soften to room temp and pour some of that peach jalapeno jam over the cream cheese, on a fancy little dish. Serve with corn chips, pretzel sticks, veggies or on little toast points with a pot of tea, peppermint of course!
Love,
Jen
Dear Jen,
DeleteIt's about a 45 minute drive to Shelby's. Yes, we could carry my little greenhouse right through the front door of her's!! Funny you mentioned the cream cheese and Jalapeno peach...that is how Shelby serves it at the market for customers to sample, with wheat thins. Poppy and I love it too! We have only tried it with wheat thins though. Your suggestions sound good! I will have to mention these to Shelby. Thank you!!!
Love,
Henny Penny
Mom, I love these photos, and I truly love reading about the family! Keep writing! It's like reading a history book, only not dry and boring. :D
ReplyDeletexoxo
Your best gur (except Andee)
Lynn
Thank you Lynn. I am so happy that you helped me start a blog. I love you...
DeleteMom