Another first!

There's lettuce growing in the teeny tiny garden...

Lettuce fit for picking and eating! I'm pretty tickled about that. 

Have I told you about the farmer's market?

Well you see, wishing for a little extra spending money and seeing all the sunbonnets and aprons I've sewn, hanging around decorating my little sewing room, I decided to call our county extention office. What a sweet lady I spoke with..."honey, she said, we would love to have you"!

"Spring Fling" , opening of the markets, begins May 5th, so I packed up and was there at 7:00 am.  Can't see my table in this picture, but here's half the market...

My bonnets and aprons were a big hit, who would have thought! My first sale was to this lady who was a vendor there selling beef from her ranch.

She wore the bonnet and apron all day and had it on again last Saturday.

Anyhow, you have got to see this! Talk about luck! I've been raking and scraping for fabric to sew with and said to Poppy, "with the money I made at the market, I'm going to Walmart tomorrow and buy a few pieces of fabric"! 

And so I did...

Every piece I picked up, the clerk scanned and said, "oh, this is on sale for $1.00 a yard"! Be still my heart!  Here's my messy little sewing room with my new fabric folded under two new bonnets...

Right now I'm working on three bonnets and two aprons. Pieces stacked on the right of the sewing machine need stitching. I then move it to the little table on the left for pressing. Kind of a one man assembly line. :) Works good for me. 

S

and...

So, I am all excited and into sewing again...what with a stack of new fabrics and a place to sell what I make. 

Okay, I'm sure you have heard enough. Thank you for listening and oh my goodness, new followers! Who would have thought! Thank you so much!

Will say goodbye for now and leave you with a picture of Randall Rabbit, visiting with me in his home...

Love, Henny

Not once, since February 2013

until now, have I gone a whole month without publishing a blog post. Feels like starting all over. 

So here's our little ole log cabin, not quite as deep in the woods as it once was...

down Henny Penny Lane where the two, not very bright, Guineas guard the place and compete with Eli and Ellie as to who can bark or scream the longest and loudest warning alarm for every thing that moves...

and the chickens, well we're down to one big feeling rooster and six humble hens and getting a few eggs every day...

The playhouse still stands but needs a good cleaning, especially the rusty contents of the "Old Motor Grader Road" museum...

and back in March I started vegetable seeds in the teeny tiny greenhouse that actually germinated and thrived and are now planted in the teeny tiny garden. Sorry I don't have a picture of the garden yet, duh, how slack of me. I will be back with one.

Can you believe single garden plants, even at Walmart this spring are close to $5.00 a piece! I had to start seed. Could not afford to spend that much on plants. Remember back when you could buy a six pack of vegetable plants for 3.99?? Boy have things changed!

Oh, I do have a picture of the rose bush Andee gave me for Mother's Day three years ago. It grows in a pot inside the garden gate. It bloomed beautifully this Mother's Day...

Doing fine also are Rosie the goat, Miss Ducky, and Randall Rabbit. Guess my best news today is to tell you that our sweet Ellie is doing well. We still have vet appointments with blood work and pills to take twice a day but she is like her old self again, maybe even better...

Here are Eli and Ellie early this morning...

Of course, that's Eli in 'his' chair and Ellie on the old couch.

So if I still have a few friends out there, thank you for looking in. Oh my gosh! Smokey will never forgive me. I've forgotten him. Let me find a picture to add before he reads this post...

Here he is! He says there's plenty of room for both of us at the sewing machine. :(  He's my boy!

Love, Henny

Not just Ellie,

But Poppy and I too, felt better after reading all your "get well" wishes. Thank you very much...

Ellie is doing great and almost back to her old self. She just may eat us out of house and home before the doctors get her medications adjusted. She is on Prednisone and Fludrocort. It's the Prednisone! Dr. Davidson said Yes, Ellie has one goal right now and that is to find food. We think she has gained back the weight she lost and maybe a little extra. She goes back for more bloodwork on Monday. 

Ellie was showered with attention last week at the vet's office. It was her first visit back for bloodwork after being hospitalized. Most of the staff came out to greet her with hugs and kisses and were pleased to see Ellie looking much better. 

I hate to say anything but it's that time of the year again..."the snowball bush"!! When all the green blooms first came out Poppy said, Mel you've got to take a picture...

So many snowballs, the limbs will never support them, said Poppy.

So now they're turning white, but still not fully opened and no broken limbs, yet...

Seems the warmer weather is finally here to stay and it feels wonderful. 

Miss Ducky hasn't been back on her nest since losing her two precious eggs but enjoys swimming on the pond these warm days...

and our early morning walk down Henny Penny Lane one day last week. The sky and clouds were just so pretty, to me anyhow...I could feel spring...

even looking out across the old cutover was pretty...

some mornings everything just feels beautiful, doesn't it?

Guess that about it for now. Mostly just wanted to say, "thank you friends"! 

Love, Henny

Been a little stressful around here...

stuff happening, you know, those everyday problems that can drive you crazy, problems I kept thinking I would post about...but then when our sweet little Ellie became deathly ill, well none of those other things seemed important.

Here's Ellie, saying hello from her hospital bed. 

This nightmare began March 16th when we carried Ellie to our regular vet for x-rays. She had been limping and having trouble getting up. But what a surprise, the x-rays showed nothing. Ellie's hips and legs looked fine...But, Ellie came home a changed dog.

Give her 24 to 48 hours we were told because she had been sedated. Those 48 hours turned into six days of not eating or drinking. She lost 8 pounds and spent two of those days in the vet's office getting fluids and bloodwork done. Bloodwork showed a serious bladder infection that had spread to her kidneys. 

We left the vet's office on Thursday the 23rd and drove Ellie to an emergency hospital in Raleigh. She stayed there three nights and underwent extensive bloodwork. The doctors all suspected "Addison's Disease". Ellie was hooked up to IV fluids and put on 2 different antiobiotics, 2 different steroids, a feeding tube, and 2 meds that would hopefully give her appetite back. Ellie began to show a little improvement and on Sunday we brought her home.

Tuesday we got a call from the hospital confirming that Ellie has Addison's Disease. There is no cure for Addison's disease and Ellie's quality of life will depend on lifelong treatment. We came awfully close to losing our sweet Ellie girl. Gosh!

So, I will just have to come back with all the other day to day happenings around here...

One thing for sure, while away on all the trips to and from the vet's office and emergency hospital Smokey had our place under control...told us not to worry, he would keep watch...

Thank you friends.

Love, Henny

Burrrrr!!

What a shame we had temperatures in the 70s and 80s in the month of February, tempting spring to arrive early...

Oh, I thoroughly enjoyed those warm beautiful days...

even the butterflies were out and about and birds busy building nests.

So, we all got too relaxed and what happened? Winter came back! Freezing temps last night and a freeze warning again tonight. Covering everything is simply too overwhelming. We might as well say goodbye to the tiny figs and pears once again.

Anyhow, Sunday morning we had sleet and snow flurries...

Looks pretty dreary, doesn't it? I mean, if it's going to be winter and snow, couldn't we at least have enough to play in?Before all this dreariness arrived Sunday morning, I was simply amazed at the sunrise...

Look closer. I actually thought the woods were on fire...

I should have opened the back door instead of taking the picture through the screen wire.

Once upon a time I did a blog post on this big dog house that sits in our front yard.  My brother Randall, who passed away in 2004 built this dog house and gave it to us many many years ago...

The last time the house was used was when our little red hen named "Jewel" hid a nest of eggs inside and sat quietly, and patiently hatched eight baby chicks. What a surprise that was! We thought a fox had caught her.

Anyhow, Sunday morning while I was at the grocery store, Poppy sold the doghouse to a nice young man who wanted it for a small hen house. Seems his young daughters had a few chicks they were raising. So coming home from the grocery store I stopped for a red light and there turning right in front of me was a big truck and trailer and loaded there on the trailer was the doghouse. Like it was meant to be...so I could say goodbye to Randall's doghouse. Kind of hurt my heart. But at least the house will be put to good use. 

and since the snow didn't amount to anything here, Eli and Ellie played in the leaves down near the pond...

Guess that's about it for now. I'm far behind once again visiting and reading but friends, I'll be there soon. Thank you for your visit.

Love, Henny

My Goodness, friends...

Thank you for the many many comments on my last, "what we older women should wear" post. 

Look, just so you will know, I did order that pretty shirt and the cool cowboy boots. The shirt arrived, and guess what...It doesn't look good on me. sigh! Of course, I ordered an extra large and the tail of the shirt hits just above my knees. 

Anyhow, maybe the boots will get here soon and if the boots fit, and if I can walk in them, I will show off my feet. :) 

I really had my heart set on that pretty shirt. Funny how the shirt looked totally different on me than it did on that gorgeous 5' 11" model. Imagine that! :)

Sure was fun reading all your comments. Thank you so much! and Connie at Crafty Home Cottage, you're right, I did ask! and you answered, and I totally agree with what you said. 100% Thank you!

Smokey got comfortable beside me on the couch after supper. Said he liked all the pillows I use to cover up the old worn out couch...

We just couldn't resist a little photo shoot...

Have I told you that Smokey can say "ma ma"? Well he seriously can. Poppy and I taugh him...

When he weaves around our feet meowing for somebody to open a can of food, we say to him, can you say "ma ma" and he changes his long drawn out meaow to two short "meow meow's". It's the sweetest thing. I just have to pick him up and hug him, he is saying "ma ma".

Hard to believe, here in the middle of February we are still struggling to get the leaves cleaned up...

With my back problems and then shoulder pain too last fall, I really got behind. The leaves are actually too much for a leaf blower. I'm right behind poppy with the rake and a giant tarp...pulling the leaves away.

In Randall Rabbit news, I've added an old wooden chair to his pen...

gives him something more to jump on and gives me a place to sit andvisit with him. 

Tomorrow is line dancing...I can hardly wait. Guess I will be dancing in my old boots again.

Oh, would you believe there is a 96 year old lady who line dances with us?? She is actually in the advanced class. Her name is Helen and she turned 96 on December 21st. How encouraging is that! 

Here it is Tuesday night, I've been to line dancing, bought groceries, cooked supper and washed the dishes...and now finishing up this post. 

Line dancing was really fun today, must say it was the fastest hour of the day. Carla and I plan to start staying for the advanced classes which start as soon as the beginner's class ends.  Every Tuesday a few new ladies start the class and a few drop out. So for those of us who have been there long enough to know the more simple dances, it tiring listening to the instructor start all over...when we want to be dancing. :) 

Okay, I'm sure you've heard enough, if you're still here. Thanks again for all the comments. Hopefully, I'll be around in my new boots soon...hopefully, I will be able to walk in them. :)

Love, Henny

Tell me something...

Should we women wear clothes designed for our age, or should we wear clothes that we love and feel good in?

Both my daughters tell me, mom, wear what you want to wear, wear what makes you happy. Well, I've always worn jeans and I have always loved boots...here's a little bit of me... 

These aren't real cowboy boots, but close enough. Since I've been line dancing at the senior center, my love for cowboy boots have come back...

and not only my love for cowboy boots, my love for cowboy hats. Well, I have always, always, loved Western wear. In fact, over a year ago, Andee and I were in Tractor Supply Store and I found the the cowboy hat I had been looking for so I tried it on. "Mom", Andee said, "you've got to buy it". 

Poppy snapped a picture of me. I despise pictures of myself especially like here in the old raggedy tee shirt, but it's my cowboy hat...

Look, a few years back, when I was into having yard sales at the local flea market, my friend Nellie stopped by and talked me into selling her my black cowboy hat, for $5.00! I regretted it as soon as she 'happily' drove away.

Have I told you how much fun those Line Dancing classes are? Oh my gosh, friends! It is the most fun thing I've done in 30 years. I believe it was last May when Carla and I started the classes. I have missed being there only one Tuesday and believe me, I struggled to learn those dances. My brain and my feet just couldn't get together, then one Tuesday, it clicked! 

Wonder if it's okay to post a picture taken from Amazon?? It's a shirt I want. Well, here it is... (maybe I won't get arrested and thrown in jail)

isn't it beautiful! why, it's the most beautiful shirt I've ever seen, and that's not all. These are the boots I want...

Be still my heart! Anyhow, probably won't be able to get them but will keep you posted. 

Now, I realize this shirt and these boots are designed for the younger set but why can't I wear them? I mean, if the shoe fits? (is this a good place to use that little saying? :)  At the risk of getting my feelings hurt, what do you think? 

Guess I should mention the weather while trying to decide whether or not to publish this.

Today has been cold and windy and has rained non stop... "It ain't a fit night out for man or beast", W. C. Fields   

Better check in the living room where Poppy is watching the Super Bowl. Guess I'm missing all the action!

Love, Henny

Here I am back, doing a little update to this post...a picture I wanted to post of Poppy back in the late 1970s. Take a look at this cowboy hat he wore back in our dating days...