~ Chicken Coop ~

Dh and Son-in-law have started working on the chicken coop , they have the fencing almost done. They are putting boarding around the bottom and top today. We plan to fence in the top too , we have many predators around here.

I'm trying to decide if I want to get chickens right now or just wait until spring. I'm thinking that I might get a few guinea , we really need some tick control. I might get a few to house in the coop until spring , then I'll let them free range. I would like to get something now , so the puppy will be use to them.

Dh has the garden ready for planting our garlic , today I'll be dividing the cloves and grading them. What are you doing this weekend ?

~ Many Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

Late Evening Stroll with Shadow

~ Autumn Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~ Fall Gardening ~

Yesterday I dug up a blueberry bush and replanted it. I planted the bush 2 or 3 years ago and it hasn't grown much , so I decided to move it to a new area and see what happens. I moved it to the area were I planted the other blueberry bushes back in the spring. I didn't think those bushes would live , it was late spring when I planted them and the summer heat came right after I got them in the ground. I was looking at them yesterday and I believe one of them might live , so I'll watch it closely next spring. I also cleaned around the pear tree that I planted back in the spring and

mulched it.

DH mowed the field last week , I raked the grass clippings and put them in the compost bin. I had to empty the compost bin first , shovelled all that wonderful smelling dark dirt into the wheelbarrow and buckets , love the smell of the rich dark compost. I hope to get my garlic planted this weekend or the first of next week. I gathered more pine needles and have them infusing in oil.

It was a very productive day and I really enjoyed being outside. The leaves have changed colors , it's beautiful around here. Shadow stayed under my feet , pulling and tugging on everything I picked up. He played in the grass clippings and chased leaves , it was so cute. I actually managed to get a pic of him with a leaf in his mouth.

~ Autumn Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

* Doing Not Thinking Challenge Update *

I started decluttering my art room last week , managed to get the closet decluttered. I'm planning to use it as a pantry for my canned goods and other items I plan to stock.

I hope to do more decluttering in that room tomorrow , today I have things I need to do outside before it rains.

Please say a Prayer for Kathie ( organizer of this challenge ) over at http://twofroghome.com/ , her Grandfather passed away last week. Kathie , you're in my thoughts and Prayers.

~ Blessings to You All ~

JoyceAnn

~~~ Trick or Treaters ~~~

All the Grands came for treats lastnight , they all looked sooo........ cute. Curious J was Batman , Little Man was Spiderman and Little Missy was a chicken. We did have 1 trick or treater besides the Grands , he was a glow in the dark skeleton. We don't have many trick or treaters , so it was exciting to see that little fellow.

~ Feeling Blessed , Hope You are too ~

JoyceAnn

~ This Week ......... ~

I had to go grocery shopping Monday , needed cat food , milk and a few other items.. I decided while I was in town I would go ahead and vote early. Glad it's done and I won't have to go out next week and stand in line to vote.

I did some decluttering in my art room , the closet is clean. Now I hope to get hubby to build in some shelving , so I can store my canned goodies and other items I'm stocking up on in there.

Annette ask about the recipe for the pineapple sage jelly , I found the recipe I used at this link http://www.willowpondherbs.com/kitchen/sage/page3.html , it also has the marinated chicken recipe I plan to try this week. I'll be making a few more jars of the pineapple sage jelly too.

**** Hope your Day is Blessed ****

JoyceAnn

~ Busy as a Bee ~

Hope everyone is doing well , I haven't had much computer time lately , been busy finishing up the fall harvest. I made more pear preserves and pineapple sage jelly last week. We also picked more grapes . I've made wine with some of the grapes , I'm not a Wino (LOL) but I do like a glass with my evening meal occasionally. I bottled my first batch last week , it tastes pretty good. I'll be teaching my youngest daughter how to make grape jelly this week , her boyfriend loves my grape jelly , so she has decided she needs to learn how to make it.

I've moved my herbs and tropical plants to the basement for the winter. I found a recipe for pineapple sage marinated chicken , that I'm planning to try. We've been cleaning up the garden and picked about a 1/2 bushel of peppers from the garden , I've been pickling those. In the next week or so I will be planting garlic for next summer's harvest , hope to double or triple the amount from last year. Anyone tried Garlic jelly ? I'm thinking about trying to make some , just wonder how it taste.

~ Green Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

* Doing Not Thinking Challenge Update *

I haven't did any decluttering over the last week. My oldest daughter , her husband and Little Missy have been staying with us. They are doing some remodeling on their mobile home , new flooring.

I went to the grocery store last week and did some stocking up. I want to start a nice stockpiled pantry. Hope to get the art/craftroom organized and use the closet as a pantry.

~ Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~ Snake in the House ~

I had a very unwelcome guest in the house this morning. I don't like to kill snakes , but this one invaded my territory and had to be dealt with. I went to throw some junk mail away and it was wrapped around the trashcan. I grabbed the broom and gave him a few good whacks. I couldn't take a chance on it getting away , so it's history.

Yesterday I canned 9 pints of grape jelly and 4 quarts of pears. My uncle brought me some more pears this past weekend , I plan to make more preserves from them. What are you harvesting and preserving this week ?

~ Many Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

* Doing Not Thinking Challenge Update *

I've been busy decluttering the grand's bedroom , it's almost done. I also give the bathroom a deep cleaning and did some decluttering. I've got a couple of shelves I need to declutter in the bathroom.The house is looking better , although I haven't got to the most cluttered room yet (yikes). My art/craft room has become the catch all place for the last year or so , it needs a major declutter , hope to start in there next week.

~~ Hope your weekend was Wonderful ~~

~ Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

* 100 Foot Diet Challenge *

10 ~ 9 ~ 08

Meatloaf ~ Homemade

Ground Beef ~ Local Owned Store

( Need to find Local Grown Beef )

Egg ~ Local Owned Store

( We're working on getting laying hens )

Garlic Salt ~ Local Owned Store

( Plan to make my own soon )

Bell Pepper * Homegrown

Banana Pepper * Homegrown

Cayenne Pepper * Homegrown

Onion ~ Grocery Store

( Need to grow more next year )

Ketchup ~ Local Owned Store

( Hope to make my own next year )

Creamed Potatoes

Potatoes * Homegrown

Butter * Grocery Store

Milk ~ Homegrown

( I would love to have a goat or cow in the future so I will have milk and

can make butter )

Collards

Collards ~ Locally Grown

Fatback ~ Local Grown Hog

Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberries ~ Wild Food

Flour ~ Local Owned Store

Sugar ~ Local Owned Store

Milk ~ Local Owned Store

Vanilla Extract ~ Local Owned Store

( In the process of making my own )

Butter ~ Local Owned Store

~ Cleaning , Cleaning and more Cleaning ~

I've been busy cleaning the Grands bedroom and it is almost finished , need to declutter a couple of shelves. Thought I would share a photo of the ceiling I sponge painted a few years of go.

The bedroom has a moon & stars theme , Curious J loves looking at the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling when he stays overnight. I have more stars I need to add to the ceiling ,when I finish cleaning. The framed art is Curious J's first finger painting .

~ Hope your week has been full of Bright Stars ~

Blessings ~ JoyceAnn

~ It's only Natural Odor ~

I don't know why , but I was inspired by that skunk to create a drawing. We haven't seen it anymore , so hopefully it was just hunting food. Jazzy , the rabbit has been turning her food bowl over and the rabbit pellets fall to the ground. I think maybe that skunk has found a food source , since it went to the rabbit cage twice. I put a rock in the wire basket that holds her pellet bowl , she hasn't turned it over yet. Hoping I solved the problem. I'm still a little paranoid , so I'm keeping a eye over my shoulder.
The skunk we saw didn't have a stripe down the back , it had a white spot below the head. I did some research about skunks and found out it was a Southern Spotted Skunk.

~ Hope your day is Blessed ~

JoyceAnn

* Doing Not Thinking Challenge Update *

I finally got that closet decluttered and organized ( Yay ~~~ ) !

I also managed to get the back porch decluttered , lots of gardening items found their way there over the summer. I've got them back to were they belong.

Today I'm working on the Grands bedroom , hope to get it cleaned and decluttered. I feel like the challenge is working , now that the closet is finished.

~ Autumn Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~ Never A Dull Moment for Sure ~

I had a new visitor today , this one has me scared. I was at the computer this morning , when DH looked out the window and saw a skunk. It went around the house , I got to the puppy just in time , he was on the back porch so I opened the door and he came in the house . The skunk then walked across the yard , toward the dog lot and rabbit pen. A little while later it came back around the house , Dh wanted to shot it and I told him not to , I thought it might be looking for food. It went out toward the road , so we thought it was gone. I decided a little while later I was going to get some fall / halloween decorations from one of the outbuildings , when I came out I saw the skunk coming back through the yard. I grabbed Shadow and eased my way back to the house. It went back toward the rabbit pen and under the other outbuilding. This was about 11:00 a.m. , so now I worried it maybe rabid. DH was gone to pickup the wood splitter , when he got back I told him he should kill it. Now we can't find it , I 've got the puppy in the basement , I'm afraid it will come back and you know how curious pups are.

It has halted my plans for today , guess I 'll stay in the house and do some cleaning.

Hope you are having a Great weekend .......

~ Autumn Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~ Gathering Grapes ~

~ Beautiful Trellised Vines ~

~ the vines were loaded ~

Guess Who ?

My Niece


~ adding a few more ~







Wow ~ what a Blessing , my Mom's neighbor let us have all the grapes we wanted this year. My niece and I enjoyed picking grapes in the drizzling rain yesterday , a nice cool day for harvesting.






~ Autumn Harvest Blessings ~
JoyceAnn

~ My Weekend Visitors ~

We had some visitors that showed up this past weekend. They enjoyed rooting around in my front yard Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. I tried to shoo them away when they headed toward the garden , but they tried to come to me , I finally gave up and went back in the house. My hubby went around the neighborhood trying to find their owners , without success. The neighbor called animal control , hopefully they found the owners.

I've been busy catching up the wash and pickling more peppers. Today I'm going to pick more grapes. I want to make a couple more batches of grape jelly. I'm also determined to get that closet cleaned and decluttered today..............

Hope you have a great day !

~ Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~ Doing Not Thinking Challenge Update ~

Cleaned Front Porch

~ Decluttered Spiderwebs ~

( Does that Count ? LOL )

~~ Pine Oil / Red Oil ~~

I posted about the natural pine oil I made awhile back here http://feather-spirits.blogspot.com/2008/09/natural-pine-oil-furniture-polish.html. My Mom went to move a fan week before last and the blade hit her finger , gave it a good slice. She was talking about how everyone used red oil in the days , and its healing properties. Red oil has become a thing of the past , you can't find it at the stores anymore. I told her I had made some pine oil and we should try it on the cut , I read that pine has antiseptic qualities .

I applied some and put the bandage back on it. She called the next morning and was singing praises about the oil , she said it took the soreness out of her finger. She kept applying it and it healed wonderfully.

I love the thought of being able to clean/ dust and use it medicinally too. I don't have to worry about the grands , accidentally spraying it in their eyes ( using a squirt bottle ) or ingesting it because it's just olive oil with oils absorbed from pine needles. I made pine needle tea last year when I had a cold that wouldn't go away , it worked great too. I plan to do more study on the healing properties of pine , will let you know what I find.

~ Green Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~ Weekly Wrap-up ~

It's been another busy week around the homestead. I didn't get much decluttering done. I had business in town that had to be taken care of this week. I did get 8 pints of grape jelly made this week , actually 4 pints of jelly and 4 pints of syrup. Four pints didn't set , so I guess I'll be experimenting with some syrup , any ideas ? I wonder how grape syrup

taste on pancakes , it'll probably be good.

Shadow has adjusted well , he plays well with the Grands. Little Missy yells pup-pup , each time she sees him.We have a wild kitten that has taken up residence too. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. I've been feeding it and hope it will get use to me , it is staying on the back porch , but each time I go out , it makes a mad dash off the porch to the edge of the yard behind the bushes and starts crying. My husband thinks someone dropped it out Saturday night , he saw a car stop on the road in front of our house late Saturday night. The kitten was on our porch Sunday morning.

I finally got some fall planting done , hoping it's not to late. It's been kinda chilly this week , seems like Oct. instead of Sept. We're having a early fall , so we'll probably have a early winter too.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

~ Green Blessings ~

JoyceAnn