I am going to keep this short sweet and simple. I went to get my hair cut and eye brows waxed and when we got back to town I met ex dh and his wife (whom I could tell was not in a good mood).. I tell ex dh there better not be any trouble this weekend.. And off I went.. I went to a town about 30 minutes away to eat with some friends and get a call from my mother who says " you better scurrie your little self back to my house. We need to talk and I have your kids.." So after several phone calls and a trip back to my car I get to moms house to find out what happened..

They stopped at my moms to drop off something and my mom went out to talk to ex and tell him she was sorry bout his brother and etc. She says his wife was hateful and witchy to her and saying things about the kids.. They left and got maybe 2 miles down the road and all heck broke loose.. Ex took kids back to my mom and took his wife home... Needless to say it was not a good weekend..

My kids do not like their stepmom and told their dad they do not want to be around her as she is calling them names and being mean to them. My ex did the right thing he took the kids back to my mom..

Anyway the stepmom got it to where they did not have the kids..

Please pray for her. She is having some problems and my kids are catching the blunt of it... I will not let them go be around her anymore.. My kids do not deserve that..

God Bless,

Mars

Dearest Readers,

"Oh, what a beautiful morning, Oh, what a beautiful day"...... I just can't keep that song from my lips this morning.  I adore the cool mornings of Autumn....cinnamon coffee, a few soft lamps glowing, the fragrance of "Spiced Pumpkin" wafting through the house.

Here is look around my dear Honey Hill Farm as she sports her fall fashions......

I was delighted to find that my little pumpkins fit just right on the rounded shelves on the front of our old pump organ.  I don't think I have ever posted a picture of this old gal....she works....and believe me, WORKS is the word if you want to pump out an entire song!

This is the coziest corner in the front parlour! (Sorry the photo is so dark, but I took these in the wee hours of the morning)

Our piano is always obliging, no matter how I "dress" her....

This little vignette sits right under an old wall phone here in the parlour.  We have dozens of bills and checks that belonged to my Husband's Great Aunt and Uncle (they lived here at Honey Hill before us).  They date back as far as 1900!  It is so fun to display them and see just what folks were paying for things here on our farm so long ago.  Many of the businesses are long gone, but a few are still here...isn't that just adorable?

I am working on the entryway decorations and have a banner yet to make.  I also am creating a small display to put under a cloche.....it's not very big, but it has been a challenge to find anything that fits.  I finally gave up and I am making a few of the things myself. 

Sewing continues on my "winter" curtains for the front parlour.  I am re-purposing an old curtain into a pair of new valances, complete with Victorian looking trim that I was so fortunate to find at JoAnn's.  I plan to pair them with my velvet drapes and lace inset curtains. We will be cozy come winter!

I will close now, as I have much to attend to....I do hope you enjoy your day and take time to enjoy this fine season...

Yours kindredly,

Shan

WE HAVE ELECTRICITY AGAIN!  There were several "Thank you, Lords" and "Hallelujahs"  spoken (loudly) around here by my hubby and I when the power came back on yesterday at 5:pm!!  I even found out today that at least one of our grocery stores is up and running and has replenished what they lost.  So after being shut in for days I'm off to the bank and the store today.  I hope I never take those things for granted again...try going for very long without your bank, grocery store or gas station...

As for my daughter, Summer, she is expected to be in the hospital on into next week we know.  They are trying to reach her Urologist but haven't been successful due to the phone systems being down in the city where he is.  They have found that one of her kidneys is not emptying like it should.  It's emptying at about half the speed her other one is and there is a blockage.  That's probably why she's been swelling so much.   All along it's been kidney stones and infections but now kidney function?  That worries me a lot.   Poor thing.    Thank you for remembering her in your prayers.  God bless you for that!

Wow I can't hardly believe it is Friday already.. :) I get out of classes at noon today... WOOHOO I have some laundry to do then I am going home to clean and finish putting away all my groceries I got yesterday.. I need to get the kids stuff packed up to go with their dad although he would not acall us back last night to let us know when he would be there to get the kids..

I am also going to get my hair cut and my eye brows waxed today.. I called my sister in law last night and was like HELP I need my hair cut.. LOL so I am supposed to go there this afternoon or evening and get it done.. I am so excited...

Well it is about time for my first class to start so better run for now.. Have a great morning and a blessed weekend..

God Bless,

Mars

Dearest Readers,

What a glorious Autumn (almost) day here on Honey Hill Farm!  I have delighted in this day, its gentle rhythms soothing my soul.  A little laundry, time in the garden gathering the harvest, some sewing on my winter curtains ( I'll post that later) and, of course, time spent here with you dear friends.....

Earlier, I put up a few Autumn decorations...I am not nearly finished as I will be adding cornstalks and pumpkins from my garden as soon as they are ready.  But I just couldn't help myself....so take a look around, won't you?

This adorable flag is one of my favorites! 

It is easy to add a bit of Autumn almost anywhere...

Even a favorite chair sports a touch of Autumn!

I saw the idea for the "bunting" while watching HGTV....how easy and inexpensively you can celebrate.  This is 4 yards of fabric, just gathered....no sewing!  You can wash it at the end of the season and pack it away for next year.

Instead of putting my porch cushions away for the season, I cover them with vinyl tablecloths.   The cushions stay dry and I can change them for each season or holiday.  I found the cute "harvest" tablecloth for $4.00 at the discount store. Besides, we have so many beautiful sunny days here in Colorado, you might find yourself sitting out on the porch in the middle of January, just soaking up a glorious afternoon!

I hope you are having a blessed day and enjoying all the beauty that this season has to offer!

Yours ever so kindredly,

Shan

P.S. Thank you for all the kind comments about my youngest heading off to college.  You are all so dear, you bless me with your friendship.

All my hens are laying now.  I just love all the different colors I get each day.  I knew I'd be getting pastel blue, green and pink, and of course brown and white, but I'm loving the deep olive green eggs.  Those were a surprise to me.  Look at that tiny brown egg in the basket!  I put it in the pot when I was boiling eggs for potato salad and egg salad today and snapped a picture of it in a teaspoon right before it got salted and peppered and popped in my mouth!  Mmmm-good!

I was beginning to get quite a number of eggs in the refrigerator so I knew it was time to freeze some.  Recently I have cracked bunches of eggs into a big bowl and scrambled them, added a little salt and poured them into a freezer bag to keep until I needed them for a scrambled egg breakfast. (or supper!) 

Today I wanted to freeze them individually to use in recipes like cakes, cookies, pies, so I emptied out my ice trays and cracked an egg into each section and this time added a pinch of sugar and broke the yolk of each egg.  {Always remember to add a bit of salt or sugar before freezing.} Once they're good and frozen solid I'll just pop them out and put them into a freezer bag.  This will keep me in good supply of farm fresh eggs even if my hens stop laying for a time.         Just eggcellent!

 And so dawned a new day.
Thankfully yesterday is but a pale distant memory.
Add snicker here.
Well, it’s enough of a memory.
Today was a much more FANTASTIC 2^nd day of school.
I thought to try my schedule for Mr. Conductor one more day before trying a revamp and I’m glad we did.
Today was great. We did everything on the schedule and had so much fun together. Plus we were done in 45 minutes and he was off painting his latest masterpiece with his new watercolors while I worked with the girls. In order to work without much interruption with Mr. C, I assigned Sassafras to read one of her assignments to herself rather than doing it with her. It went well.
The only blip is that it seems I have misplaced one of Maiden’s grammar books. I didn’t do the frantic search like yesterday- just a quick one- but fruitless all the same. We decided to make it a matter of prayer and pray that it shows up within the next day or so----- or my memory becomes equally clear as to where I may have put it . . . . . .
That could be a bit of awhile.
No matter- today was a good day. We enjoyed our learning, had great discussion and just plain fun doing it.
It is my hope and prayer that we have many more days like today than days like yesterday.
To do that one needs to have perspective.
Perspective.
It starts with me- if I wake up in a lousy mood it’s a pretty safe hypothesis that we’ll have a lousy day.
If I sleep in and don’t get up ahead of the children and have my coffee and quiet time . . . . . well, it’s just not good, people.
Today could possibly have gone down yesterday’s road if I’d let it- what with the missing grammar book and all that.
But it didn’t.
It was icing on the cake to have Mr. C do so well- but I was also prepared to let him run off if it was necessary.
There is only so much one’s sanity can take.
I continue to learn that even in the small every day stuff it is necessary- no VITAL, for me to go to God’s strength first and not go “own my own”. I work with the children to make it a habit to commit our day to the Lord first and ask Him to help us to accomplish all that He desires for us today.
We are never suppose to go it on own strength and then go to God when we’re burned-out and strung-out, gasping for air and begging for mercy. That’s backwards. He is our strength even in the mundane day-to-day-ness of each 24 hour period.
He’s my strength when we’re just starting the day and we’re eager to crack our books and get started.
And He’s my strength when I’m juggling teaching 3 school levels and the doorbell chimes along with the ring of the phone.
He’s my strength when we stretch one meal to two- including leftover for Mr. Steady’s lunch.
Just as He’s my strength when Mr. Steady takes the wrong container of leftovers to work and it throws off the dinner plans.
He’s my strength when Mr. Steady and his brother take turns driving to work to both economize on gas.
And He is my strength when Mr. Steady reveals to me that he put the spare tire on his car because one tire was so bald he thought it would blow-out.
Amazingly enough- I have no idea what kind of strength I will need for each day but I do know this---
What I have on my own will never be enough.
Not ever.
And so being the ever practical sort- I find it best to lean on and invite God’s strength at the beginning of each new day.
Sure I’ll still have those bad days- those Oh-I-just-want-to-go-back-to-bed-and-start-over-or-just-skip-it-and-sleep-through-it days. I’ll have those days when I “forget” to commit the day to the Lord and ask for His strength to lead me through.
And I will fall completely flat on my face.
Good thing God makes each day new.
Thank you Lord for the chances and opportunities each new day brings.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not His benefits. Blessed be the Lord. Who daily loads us with benefits. Psalm 103:2, 68:19

The sun has come out today and it's pretty hot.  We're still without electricity.  I hear there are places here and there getting power back on.  Walmart had power yesterday but someone told me there was no fresh produce or frozen or refrigerated food or bread, etc.  I got out and picked up a few limbs in the front and some around the chicken coops today.  It will take a lot more work plus a power saw  to get all that mess cleaned up.  This sunshine will dry things up I hope.  Thank you for your prayers and kind words and thoughts everyone.  It does cheer me up.  And it was great hearing Kitty was alive and well and she asked that I let everyone know here at HSB and asked for continued prayers during her very trying circumstances.  My daughter was able to be admitted into a  hospital ast night thankfully and her doctor has started another IVP and has called in a Urologist.  Please keep her in your prayers.

I was able to talk to Kitty today.  She and her family are doing okay.  Her house withstood the storm and I think they lost a shed and maybe some things outside.  She is fortunate to have a generator but they are only running it a little while at night.  As we are finding out too, the gas to keep one of these things running is very expensive.  She said where she lives took a direct hit from the hurricane and they are without power and may be without for 6 weeks.  I sure hope that's not the case!! 

Her mother is in need of prayer.  She is not doing well at all.  She is considering calling an ambulance today.   It's very hot  in her house, yet she's cooking a lot of food, rather than it going to waste.  I think others in the area are coming over and eating at their house. 

Let's all continue to keep Kitty and her family, her mother especially, in our prayers.  They are going through such a terrible time.