Last Wednesday (Oct. 2) night, Uncle Alvin's oldest daughter and her family came down and brought us their chickens to 'babysit'. They are moving, and mom offered for us to keep the chickens until they are settled into the new house they're building. They have some pretty chickens, and they are so friendly too. I guess my cousin and her husband's eight kids have them pretty much used to anything :) .
When Trissy and I came in from church, my cousin's oldest daughter was calmly fixing peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches while the next-to-youngest little boy was sitting sleepy-eyed next to the counter. The adults were out in the night, trying to get a chicken coop and pen put up so they could deposit the chickens and get back to finish up a long list of things before my cousin's husband had to be at work in the morning. The kids were loving our country place (they currently live in the city, and are moving to the country), roaming the yard, playing with Murphy and Jack (our two cats), trying out our small basketball court, the older boys helping with the chickens. I know my cousin and her husband have taught and trained their kids well, but I was still so impressed to walk into the house (tired and, I admit ashamedly, rather cross and irritable) and find the oldest little girl calmly making everybody supper. And soon the baby was brought in for her to look after, so my cousin could help with the construction of the chicken pen. She deftly hoisted him to her back, and there he clung like a baby opposum, while she supported him with one hand and continued making sandwiches with the other. Her responsibility and calm just impressed me so much, and warmed my heart in a way I can't explain!
I snapped these pictures of a few of their chickens yesterday morning when I went out to feed them.
Wednesday (Oct. 9) afternoon we had Joy over for a little while. Wednesday is not the best day to have 'the girls', because they (at least Joy and Lela - Abigail and Piper are a little more flexible since they are home-schooled) have school 'til 3:00 and then we have church at 6:30, even if we cancel Piper's 5:00 piano lesson and Joy's and my 5:35-ish discipleship session. But Wednesday was the only day I had off work this week, and we've been wanting to have the girls come over for quite a while, so we worked hard, got the house clean, and invited them. Turns out, Joy ended up being the only one who was able to come (Trissy and I picked her up from school, then took her with us when we went to the church). Mrs. S's mother was to have surgery the next day and Abigail and Piper were going with her, and they had packing to do. So Joy came and we had a short, nice, afternoon. We made and ate corn dog muffins (only we put two 'dogs' in them, side by side, and called them "pig noses" instead!), and Mom played a game of Rummikub with us. Joy had never played but caught on quickly. We finished the game and the muffins right about time to leave for me to get to the church for Piper's piano lesson. It was a quick but very refreshing, enjoyable, and fun afternoon treat with a dear friend.
Thursday afternoon when I came in from a long day of work, Mom and Trissy had hot tea waiting for me in a china cup, and some of Mom's hoarded 'French Vanilla' creamer in a small matching pitcher (Trissy took the photo below, of her tea. She was working on some project in the sewing room).
Thursday night I stayed up late updating/preparing/working on the 365 photo blog I hope to start the first of 2014. I'm enjoying my new Nikon so much. I'm already taking lots of pictures, so set up a page for some of my favorites before the "365" challenge actually starts. The blog still has tweaking and work to be done (for instance, I'm not sure I'll keep that title... But I've got a couple more months to think about it.), but I feel very happy with the beginning results.
Biscuits and gravy last night for supper at The Grandparents'. The Grandmother's biscuits and gravy are still the best, and Friday evening is a special treat - the six of us together for a bonafide Southern home-cooked supper, and usually a movie or game or reading out loud afterwards until bed time. So thankful for these times together.
Today is, I am afraid, one of the last flip-flop days of summer. The weather is getting cooler and is so beautiful. Fall is, hands down, the most wonderful season. I'm lovin' it.
And yes, I do wear mis-matched flip-flops around the house.
I had a little free time today, and a burst of inspiration, and pulled out my things to make some more reversible flag pendants. The academy is going to be doing a "Fall Festival" fundraiser in the old part of town near the end of the month. They are renting booth spaces to craft and food sellers, and I'm thinking about renting half a booth with Niclole and her mom.
Yesterday as I left work at the restaurant, I stopped at the vacant lot next door where a family was having a yard sale. They've had about three during the time I've been working at the restaurant, and I always go over and see if they have any books. When I walked up this time, one of the ladies said with a smile, 'There's a box of books over there. They came from my husband's aunt though, and some of them look a little strange.' As I knelt and looked through them, one of the little girls (there was a whole passle of cute kids playing in the tall grass behind the lot - this one was probably about seven years old) bent down to me and asked, 'Do you want some lemonade?'
"Well, how much is it?" I asked.
She answered shyly, "Fifty cents."
'Fifty cents. Then yes, I'll take some lemonade!' I've always been charmed by the fact that there are still kids who do the old-fashioned lemonade stands, and I couldn't turn down this sweet little cutie. I chose two books - "Heidi", an old classic, and another old one that looked promising - and as I paid for them, she came back and handed me a sturdy plastic cup full of icey lemonade. And it was some of the best lemonade I think I've ever tasted!
{Note: I considered it quite providential that Jewel had just loaned me an old book called "Penrod: His Complete Story" which, so far (I just started it this morning), has proven to be quite well-written and very entertaining! The book I bought from the yard sale was not good, and left 'a bad taste in my mouth', so to speak, though I only skimmed it.}
Blueberry jelly :) . The end.
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