Tails of Heaven Scent Farms

Posted By admin on August 8, 2010

This post is in memory of my beloved grandmother. She passed away Saturday August 8, 2010. She would have been 98 next month.

My Grandmother

My grandmother was a wonderful person who knew what she believed and to Whom she belonged. She had a deep passion for her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I am sure He welcomed her home with open arms saying “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

My grandmother was the oldest of five siblings. Her youngest brother went to meet Jesus only a couple of months ago. She had outlived her family and most of her childhood friends. Everyone who came in contact with her liked her. She was kind, loving, generous, empathetic, smart and beautiful. She raised two wonderful men who were devoted to her. She went to Muskgingham College where she met my grandfather. My grandfather was truly her soul mate. He went to be with the Lord almost 30 years ago. Wow, it is hard to believe that it has been that long.

My Grandparents, just starting out

This is my favorite picture of my grandparents. I think this was their engagement photo. They are so young and full of life. They were a wonderful pair.

I remember going to my grandparents house every weekend growing up. We would go and my dad would help them out or we would just have Sunday dinner. When we went for dinner there was always dessert, but it was always a surprise. It would drive my brother and I crazy trying to figure out what was for dessert. It usually had ice cream with it, my grandfather loved ice cream.

My grandmother was a spectacular gardener. She could do it all, flowers or vegetables. She would have a huge garden with everything in it. Sometimes she would let me help her. I remember she always carried a big shovel with her “just in case”. I think I remember a war with a certain groundhog. She had fruit trees, a grape arbor, a blueberry bush and lots and lots of flowerbeds.

Occasionally I was allowed to spend the night. I can still remember their kitchen table and my grandparents laughing while watching Family Feud. It was their favorite show at the time. And rolled oats in the morning. She always wanted to fix us rolled oats. She always had shredded wheat or puffed rice cereal in the morning. I still remember her puffy white robe, my grandfather’s wet kisses, and making Christmas cookies every year.

My grandmother was very smart. She worked a crossword puzzle nearly every day of her life. She studied her Bible and prayed daily. She was not afraid to tell you what she thought, but she did not speak her mind often. If she was disappointed, you knew it. She was also not short of praise though. She loved to brag on her children and grandchildren.

I hope to one day grow up to be just like her. She was amazing and a saint among women. She will be deeply missed.

Y’all come back now!

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Posted By admin on August 5, 2010

Wow, it has been a crazy week and a half. A week ago Monday I came down with what I thought was a stomach bug. By Wednesday I was still unable to hold anything down so my family took me to the emergency room, if for no other reason than to get some fluids because I was becoming dehydrated.

I received two bags of fluids and they also gave me some anti-nausea medication. The doctor asked about past antibiotic medication. Since I had recently been on two courses of antibiotics for the spider bite they told me my illness was caused by the antibiotics. So they prescribed another antibiotic. Well, that did not make sense to me at all so I was leery of taking them.

I had a physical already scheduled for the following week so I was just going to “tough it out”. Turns out that was a pretty bad move. I did go to my physical and in talking to my new doctor she explained to me that the course of antibiotics they prescribed to me was the only thing that was going to help this particular illness. I was shocked to learn that it was a life threatening infection called C Diff.

The good news in all of this is that my new doctor told me I was young, for which I hugged her on the spot. I also lost 20 pounds. Most of that is water but I am hoping to continue the trend.

My family really stepped up on helping around the farm while I was laid up. Quinn and the boys collected eggs and fed the chickens, fed the dogs and the goats, watered everybody, and even helped me milk. That is one draw back about the farm…no matter how sick you are, the animals still need caring for. Not too bad though, to only find one drawback in two years of farm life. God has blessed me with great family and a wonderful life.

Y’all come back now!

Category: Family, Uncategorized, homesteading | 1 Comment »
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Posted By admin on July 20, 2010

We had Quinn’s birthday party Saturday. We had a really good turnout. I was putting this post off because I put out a plea for pictures. I had my camera out early and the lens fogged over when I came out of the house into the sauna that is Tennessee in July. I set the camera in a chair and went on to do other things. It turns out that Quinn did the same thing. We had so much fun that the cameras were never even thought of again.

Quinn had rented a golf cart for the day. The kids had fun with that until in ended up down the hill in the trees because, let’s face it, children don’t know how to drive. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt. Then there was the issue of how to retrieve the cart. Gerald came to the rescue on his white horse er, four wheel drive vehicle. He sounded just as happy to save the cart as I was to have him save it. After a few ground rules were set the adults went on to have a great time with the cart.

The men were just getting set up for some shooting when the cart accident happened, so when the cart was retrieved and everyone was safe, the shooting commenced. Conrad’s cell phone had gotten lost in the tall grass because it bounced out of his pocket while on the run to the golf cart, so several of the guys formed a line and searched for it in grid-like fashion, looking like FBI or CSI or something. Of course, he couldn’t just call his phone in order to find it because it was set to ‘vibrate’. But it was finally found by Chet who was rewarded with the offer of a double portion of ribs!

After all the delicious food had been consumed I had to milk the goats, and for a change I had help. I love to see kids milk a goat for the first time. They are excited and apprehensive all at the same time and when they hear the “Sssshhhh” into the milk bucket the delight on their face is so priceless. They try a couple of more times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke and then they are done.

When the barn chores were done it was back to the house where there was a “Skip-Bo” game in progress. We love that game and they let me join in. There was a group outside with guitars playing and singing as well. So Cool! Next thing I hear is a weird sound coming from outside that sounded like an amp with a ton of static. I looked out to see what it was….It was Quinn with this flame thrower lighting a fire in the fire pit! Ok, “You might be a redneck if you use your flame thrower to light your fire pit”. All the kids thought that was the coolest thing.

The evening ended with a very cool birthday song, composed and sung by Jim. Quinn even did a little jig. Wish I had that on camera or video. We have great friends! Thanks y’all for hanging with us for the evening.

Y’all come back now!

Category: Family, barn, goats | 1 Comment »
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Posted By admin on July 14, 2010

We are trying to put some final touches on the place before the big shindig. Quinn just had his 55th Birthday so we are celebrating his oldness on Saturday. If you are in town you can share in the festivities anytime after 2pm. Please bring a dish to share and maybe an instrument to play around the bonfire.

We had new handrails put up at the front steps! They are so beautiful and I am glad they got up before the party so I don’t worry about people falling on the stairs. Eventually we will cover the brick walkway with concrete so that it is not so uneven.

Bullet is waiting for you to arrive

We also got some really neat solar lights for the front walk. It gets really dark in the country so we wanted people to see where they are going.

solar light

The full effect.

Hope to see you Saturday!

Y’all come back now!

Category: Family, homesteading | 3 Comments »
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Posted By admin on July 9, 2010

Today I had a “day off”. I did not have any dogs scheduled so I enlisted the boys to help me with blackberry picking. We came up with a deal and I paid them in Wii time. For the most part they were a big help. After all the berries were picked I started making jam. My kitchen looks like a Smucker’s test kitchen. I did a triple batch of blackberry jam and then I went right into the peaches that were awaiting my attention. I had enough for a triple batch of that as well.

While we were eating dinner this evening we were watching the hummingbirds. They are quite active little birds, arguing over who gets to be at the feeder next. There is usually squabbling and a lot of aerial acrobatics. Well tonight one of them flew right into the window. They know it is there and there are enough fingerprints and dog nose prints to tip them off. I guess she just miss judged. I went out to see if I could help her or at least save her from the cat. She was quite stunned and had the wind knocked out of her.

stunned but alive

I say “her” because she did not have a ruby throat. She is so small and delicate but a very sturdy bird. Samuel came out with the camera to get a few pictures of her close up.

As big as my thumb.

After a while I put her on the feeder to see if she would come around. She was able to sit and catch her breath and then the next thing we knew she was gone.

Y’all come back now!

Category: Family, canning, homesteading | 4 Comments »
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Posted By admin on July 2, 2010

We are keeping a new cat in the barn. She is very sweet. Her name is Amy and we got her from a friend who needed to find a new home for her. I caught her today sunning herself in the barn.

Amy caught in a sunbeam

Later I found her in a bunch of hay that the chickens had fluffed up for her. I suppose they are her new servants because she is the queen of the barn.

bed of hay

After finishing the barn chores this evening I happened to notice that the bird’s nest, above the light in the goat stall, had babies in it! I think they are Barn Swallows but I am not sure. I almost had a picture of Momma bird, but she spotted me and darted away.

3 little babies

Y’all come back now!

Category: barn, chickens, homesteading | 3 Comments »
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Posted By admin on July 1, 2010

Wow! What a wild and crazy month it was. I will recap for you:

Samuel went to 4-H camp and then on a mission trip called Fish Camp. All in one week we had Vacation Bible School, my sister-in-law and niece from Dallas visiting, and mid-week my parents came and stole er, took both my boys to Pittsburgh Pa. for my cousin’s wedding. They got to see tons of family and some old and dear friends of mine from when I was growing up.

Stitches had her kids and we have been dealing with the drama of one of the kids being mauled by the Guardian Dog, Lady. Stitches is also not allowing him to nurse as much as the other one so he is smaller too. We released the chicks in with the hens after Quinn took care of Hercules, the mean rooster. Quinn saw me running from the rooster one morning and suggested that I shouldn’t live in fear. He asked me if he could get rid of him. I agreed it would probably be best. Then I ran went to the house because I am not a brave farm lady. I did not particularly like that rooster but his demise saddened me all the same.

Hercules R.I.P.

Jacob and I went picking blackberries and because he did not shower right away he has an abundant crop of chiggers. They don’t seem to be bothering him too much though so that is a good thing.

Yummy Blackberries

I have made 2 big batches of strawberry jam and peach jam and one of blackberry jam. I also have zucchini for zucchini pickles to complete tomorrow.

June is going out with a bang though. Turns out I got one horrible spider bite either Tuesday night or Wed. morning. Hopefully we got it in time. I am on two different antibiotics. Who knows? Maybe my belly will rot off and I will be skinny? Ya just never know what will happen in the country.

Spider bite

I almost forgot! Quinn rented a golf cart for the week that his sister was here. The boys and Alison had so much fun driving around the farm. I would have had fun too but there is only so much time in the day, and man was it hot that week.

Whee!

Jacob had so much fun!

Y’all come back now!

Category: Family, barn, canning, chickens, goats, homesteading | 1 Comment »
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Posted By admin on June 9, 2010

It has been a wild couple of days. We had chicks born this am. When I went out to the barn tonight to milk I noticed a different mother hen on the ground with a chick. I think it is the chick that is seen here.

brand new

It is this Momma hen who is on the ground with a chick tonight.

Want-to-be Momma

Notice how big and puffy she gets. She wants to be a momma so bad but I think she has ADD. She changes nests about every two to three days. Could she want to be a Momma bad enough to adopt a chick that jumped out of anothers nest? I won’t know until morning for sure.

I also came home from Bible study Monday night to find that one of the kids had been gnawed on by the dog. I know it is because the dog is a puppy and just wanted to play with the little kid but it appears that she tried to drag the little baby by the ears so his ears are badly mangled. I found the poor thing under a tree just shaking. I have been doctoring his ears and making him nurse. Stitches doesn’t really want him to nurse at all. She will keep him clean but every time he comes to nurse while I am there she steps away. I have been holding Stitches 3 times a day for him to nurse. I also put them all in the stall when I have to leave so that Lady doesn’t have access to the kids. It is wild and crazy in the barn lately.

Y’all come back now.

Category: barn, chickens, goats, homesteading | 2 Comments »
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Posted By admin on June 4, 2010

Samuel just returned from 4-H camp today! This was his first camp experience, first school bus ride, and first time away from home without family. He was away for five days. I was definitely more nervous than he was. He is a very outgoing child who’s motto it seems is “A stranger is only a friend I haven’t met yet”. He did have a few jitters the night before he left.

For those of you who do not know yet, Samuel has Goldenhar Syndrome. He was debating whether or not to take his glasses to camp. He wanted to take them because he thought they might conceal his physical differences a little bit. We talked about that and the fact that most kids are just curious, so if you are open about it it becomes a non-issue. We tried to prepare him for the possibility that he might be teased, just in case that happened. He told me today that several kids did ask about it but he wasn’t as nervous to talk about it and that no one teased him. Thank you, God.

signing in

There were 500 4-H kids at the camp this week. It was for three counties: Robertson, Davidson, and one I had never heard of and can’t remember. Robertson (where we live) had the largest number of kids. I think there were 200 kids from Robertson county. After we got through the sign in, the ‘head check’ and dropping off the luggage, all there was to do was wait. One by one the boys arrived arranged by bus color. There were 3 buses. The color dots had cabin and room numbers. We met a bunch of boys assigned to the same room in the cabin.

Looks like trouble to me.

Samuel came home walking taller and with a lot of stories to tell. He LOVED the archery. He also had fun at the pool and on the zip line. He took his Canjo for the talent show. He said that he got “real applause” when he finished his song.

Ready to hit the road with the Canjo

Of course, “You might live in Tennessee if” ….this is what they used to take the luggage to camp. Too funny.

Luggage carrier?!

Y’all come back now!

Category: Family, Field trips | 3 Comments »
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Posted By admin on May 30, 2010

2 Babies!

Stitches had her babies this afternoon! Momma and bucklings are doing well. Stitches gave me no sign that she was ready to have those babies this morning. We went off to church and when I came home there they were! I am kind of bummed I wasn’t with her when she labored but I think she is probably happier that I was not there.

Cute little boy

We are not sure on the Daddy of these little ones but the white one’s daddy was probably a Saanen (pronounced Sah-nen). Karen told me that white is a dominant trait. The other little boy’s daddy is an Alpine. See Stitches jumped into the buck pen. Little hussy. Before Karen could get her out of the yard 3 bucks had had their way with her.

Cute little buckling.

I am happy that everyone is doing well. Babies are so cute! Want one?

Y’all come back now!

Category: Family, barn, goats, homesteading | 5 Comments »
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