Kitty cats make me happy

What's happened to me! My blog has simply gone to the dogs. How do you pull yourself out of a slump? I'm really struggling here.

Maybe a kitty post will help..

This little fellow cheers me up, always! 

And sweet Dumperoo.

And again.

and sweet Bickett. He doesn't have a black eye, really. Lots of times Bickett's eyes look pink. He has certainly had his share of medical problems over the years.

I finally gave up on trying to sew last night. Sometimes there is a little too much help in the sewing room.

and that's Eli's teddy bear stuffed under the ironing board too. What we need around here is a few animals in the house. :)

The snow was pretty when it started to fall yesterday but it quickly turned to sleet and freezing rain.  At least it brought the Cardinals back...that's a good thing.

Poppy sees his doctor tomorrow. His appointment was cancelled today because of the icy roads. He may go back to work Thursday. 

Hope you will come back. Hope to be back soon myself...and in better spirits! I've missed you all.

Love,
Henny

Old Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day!

My Mother loved valentines. She loved those sweet old fashioned ones. I can see her now, laughing as she opened and read the valentines that Lynn and Andee and I picked out especially for her. For many years mama kept a valentine tucked away in her Bible. It was one that Andee, when she was very young, had sent to grandma. Many times we have been at mama's when she would pull out that valentine and show it to Andee.

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In grammar school, Valentines Day was one of my very favorite days. Covering a cardboard box with red construction paper and pasting on the pretty pink and red hearts. Then a slot was cut in the top of the box so we all could mail our valentines to the class.

It was quite a job picking out just the right card for every classmate...and then that really special card for that cute boy in the class.

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So, I got to the computer bright and early this morning to wish you all a happy Valentine's Day. Have to be pretty fast to beat Poppy. :) Speaking of Poppy, he is doing fine although not feeling as good as he did the first couple of days after the surgery which seems odd. He goes back to see the doctor on Tuesday.

Oh, something else to tell you...about a vintage valentine. We were having a yard sale a few years back. I had gathered up a box of old books to sell, some very old, bought at a thrift store. A lady picked up one of the books dated in the 1920's and was flipping through it and found an old valentine. A beautiful love note was written on the back. The lady that found the valentine said how much she loved old valentines and she would love to have that one. I said okay and she walked away with a treasure. My treasure! 

Thank you for visiting. Hope to catch up with reading all my favorite blogs today. 

Love,

Henny

Gifts of cotton and straw

Is there anything any more fun the getting a surprise package in the mail? That's just what happened to me this week. This pretty white cotton lacy blouse sent from my cousin Pat. In the package too was a big delicious 'get well' candy bar for Poppy. Patty is always doing things like this. She is very thoughtful...unlike me...who forgets birthdays and special occasions. Thank you Patty.

Lately it seems like I've had to put my blog on the back burner. There is always something needing to be done around here and nine times out of ten I'm the one doing it..

We were warned by the weather people this morning to get any outside work done before noon. That this afternoon the wind would be brutal and the temperatures drop drastically.

After getting the usual morning housework done I drove in to town for a few groceries and to pick up a bale of hay. The goats will eat this coastal hay but I actually got it to make warm beds for all the animals. Smokey is a big help!

Friends, I have spread some pine straw!! Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined having this much pine straw...all mine! To use all around the yard! Here's the latest pile...I may have to store what's left of this huge pile under the shed to use later. Our neighbor Fred has raked all these loads of straw from his yard. Talk about work!

Gosh, here it is 10:00. Where does time go? 

I seriously hope things will brighten up around here and my posting will improve. Thank you for coming back. :)

Love,
Henny 

Poppy and a few animals

Good grief! I am so far behind with reading posts and posting. Maybe I'll just pretend I'm not, and start here...

We were at the hospital at 6:15 Monday morning. Poppy came through his surgery fine, and honestly, I think they must have prescribed happy pills for him. He has not been this cheerful and happy and talkative in years.

Saying hello here and still looking a little high from the anesthesia. I'm sure the nurses in the recovery room were glad to see us leave. It sounded like a party going on from the time he started coming off the anesthesia until we got out of there. Folks coming off anesthesia can sure say some funny things!

When I asked Eli if he wanted to play in the Goat's lot, he grabbed his bear. Wanted to carry back-up this time.

Smokey watching from his post...

I said once, no more big bones but on Sunday, Poppy brought home surprises...

One for Eli and one for Weetie...

These floors will never be the same.

I'm really in need of something fun and interesting to talk about. Maybe when spring and gardening time gets here...

Thank you for stopping by.

Love,
Henny

A silly animal post

Darned if the days don't simply fly past! Yesterday it was one appointment after the other. First it was me rushing out the door for my doctor's appointment. Then Poppy left to get the taxes done. Then there were groceries to buy. Then Poppy went to town for a hair cut. Poppy said he didn't want to look like (his very words) "fido's ass" Monday when he goes in the hospital for sinus surgery. Sorry.

Eli kept barking and barking this morning from inside the goat's lot.

Thinking I had better check...last time it was a pig walking up the road. This time it was the grey goat with a pile of hay on her head.

Now it's hard to see all that hay on her head between her horns, but trust me she is a funny sight. A sight Eli didn't like.

"Don't be frightened Eli", said the rooster. "I'm not frightened".

Okay! The hay's gone! Silly dog.

Well, mama needs to let me outta here. Silly goats!

This little sweetie pie had his follow up visit to the Vet. He's doing fine and good to go now...hopefully for a quite a while. Glad to be done with all those old shots.

It was a cold 17 degrees here this morning, which is very cold for here in NC. The high winds almost blew the chairs off the raggedy old pier.

With an icy pond.

I appreciate your visiting and hope you will come back. Hope too that I will be back, and soon.

Love,
Henny

silly dog

Out and about with a cup of cold coffee

It was 7:59 when I pulled into the parking lot at the doctor's office this morning. Nah, I'm not sick, at least not to my knowledge, it was just to get blood work done before my yearly physical. Nothing like getting this stuff done and over with early in the morning. Besides, that first cup of coffee had to wait until after my blood was drawn...that will get you in a hurry! Can you drink cold coffee? I fixed my big mug of coffee as usual this morning and carried it with me. Even cold and about two hours old, it was still downright good...

Leaving the doctor's office I swung by the, combination, "seed store and license plate agency" to hang more bonnets and aprons. Sorry I've never taken a picture of that place to show you. Just about everybody in the county goes in there and while standing in line they can't help but see the aprons and bonnets hanging on a rod above the front window. Occasionally, Jimmy, the store's manager, comes in Food Lion where Poppy works and hands Poppy a little wad of money to bring home to me. Yep, spending money. My spending money, and that's exactly what I do with that money. 

Finishing up at the seed store I did a little grocery shopping, then came home to begin the day's work...still sipping on that cold coffee. Couldn't help but think about Mama. She used to sip on her cold coffee all morning. Mama enjoyed dipping her toast or biscuit in the coffee, and so do I.

Yesterday morning, at least I think it was yesterday, when Eli and I were out early, this was the sky we saw. I came running back inside for the camera. Poppy said, you have enough pictures of the sky on your blog. But seriously, this one was breathtaking. The colors change so quickly and had already gone from a fire red to orange and it was still mostly dark outside...

And one more thing. Look who enjoyed the new pine straw...curled up in the warm sun under a thorny rose bush...

and stretching out, curling those sweet little back feet...

Okay, I simply must get busy. We've had rain this morning but now looks like the sun may come out. It's very very windy! In fact, the weatherman predicted gusts up to 45 mph. Hope the roots on these tall trees around the cabin can hang on in this wet ground.

Thank you. Hope to be back soon.

Love,

Henny

A brown post

Just finished spreading those two truck loads of pine straw in the goat's lot.

Now I don't know how a goat feels about walking on a bed of pine needles, but it looks to me like it would feel mighty good. Pine straw looks warm and cozy. This summer when the temperatures are in the high 90's I may feel different about all this brown.

Still working on the lay of the land out here...

One of these days we may be looking uphill instead of downhill, when we look out the kitchen window. :)

Chickadees, the little acrobats, don't mind telling you to hurry and move on. This one and a few others fussed at me the entire time...

Cardinals too were waiting for me to go away...

and even a Mockingbird tried to shoo me away... 

It drives me crazy that all the wooden posts in the yard have turned green. That ugly green. Must be the shade and moisture. Wonder if I could scrub everything with a stiff brush and Clorox water. Now that's a job to add to my "to do" list. Good gosh! 

There's plenty of help around here. All you have to do is slow down for a minute...

Guess this will be a "brown post". Speaking of brown, I've just made myself a cup of hot cocoa to help me feel warm again. The temperature was 33 when I went outside to work. Wasn't long before my heavy coat was unbuttoned. Then I had to come out of that heavy coat...down to my sweater and long sleeved tee shirt. Hauling that last load of straw, I was downright warm. In the house now, I feel chilled to the bone.

Once again it's about time for Poppy. Need to be thinking of something for supper. 

Sure is good to have you to talk to. Thank you for stopping by. 

Love,
Henny