Harvest 2009

Wheat harvest this year....in one word...it was AWFUL! And, thank goodness for insurance. We had an early spring freeze and it really zapped the crop. The wind turbines and clouds made better pictures than the wheat.

We cut 1500 acres of wheat---cutting about 100 acres a day IF we don't break down, and this year we broke down a lot. My old combine is now classified as obsolite and it's getting harder to get parts for her. One breakdown sent us to Dallas (4 hr trip one day) to get parts, so I can see a newer combine in the future.

Thank goodness for boys who can repair whatever Mom tears up. I took a corner a little too sharp and hit a terrace. Did a little bending on some metal parts and took a welder to put it back in place. Poor Troy. It was a standing joke "what is Mom going to tear up today".

No, we're not done either. A rain shower came through Saturday evening and we had to stop. Hopfully we'll get done in the next few days and this harvest will be history. Next year will be better or at least we hope so.

Outside

The last few weeks have been in preparation; first for graduation and now for harvest. The prospect of having visitors at the house made me get my french doors painted. I used a Sherwin Williams paint called Stolen Kiss....love the color, but hated the humiditiy when trying to paint. This is the final outcome. AND...if you see a thin spot...keep it to yourself. I've been promised that the metal chairs will be painted too...sometime.
This is the view of #1--my slow-starting garden and #2--wheat trucks getting worked on.
The garden is about where my old kitchen use to be in the old house. Oh, BTW..I went and visited my old house. That'll be another post someday.

Does anybody else have a 4440 JD tractor in their backyard? Since the yard was going to be tilled up, Troy and I moved all of the playground equipment out. It probably won't get done until this fall. But, if I keep pushing it'll get done eventually...maybe.

This is MY combine being worked on. They're leaving the door opened on it to air out---yep, mice can leave a horrible smell behind. Hope it's gone by the time I get to the field with the combine. You can see the other combine inside the shop building. It's ready to go to the field as soon as the wheat is ready.

I call the tractors Ugly Betty #1 and #2. They're ready to work ground as soon as the wheat is cut. THankfully, they're not waiting on me to drive them!

Another view of the combine. Am so glad that my JDeere mechanic is able to work on these things.

Harvest should begin in the next day or two. I'll be working half-days so I can run the combine...thank goodness for air conditioning!

I'll accept donations for my diesel bill.

On the wall

JudyL talked about taking a picture of what's on your design wall. This is my latest project and hopefully will get done as soon as I get back to sewing.

I can find the pattern link if anybody is interested. It's a free online pattern from QuickQuilts (if my memory is right)

Grandma Duty

I'm currently spending a week at my oldest son's house taking care of this little one while her Mom teaches her last week of school for the year.





It's a tough job, but us Grandmas always come thru! This is Mia--born in January.

End of Year Activities-Part 3

Senior Recognition at Church.





Don't know if he was being a ballerina or showing how big the fish was that he caught.

End of Year Activities-Part 2

State Farmer Degree at the State FFA Convention in OKCity. Three Seniors from our FFA chapter. There were 648 students receiving the honor and you can see the numbers on the chairs in front of them.

End of Year Activities-Part 1!

We've been going so much here lately, I don't know if I"m coming or going. Thought it would just be easier on me to do this in several parts. Bear/bare(?) with me!

Prom 2009

Mother's Day Cuteness

I haven't shown the girls in awhile and they've grown quite a bit. This was both DIL's first Mother's Day and I think they've both doing a great job. This grandmother is quite proud of the fact that she has two bundles of pink to love on!

The youth of Today

My youngest offspring is about to graduate from H.S. in about two weeks. I remember being 18....I was already married.
He has a college picked out and we have all of the necessary paperwork ready for him to go. Now, if my money tree will just bloom we'll have it made.

Bear with me for the next few weeks while I"m in and out. I'll post pictures when I can...and YES..we had a wonderful Mother's Day!

FFA Night

We were in OKCity the other night getting Troy's State Farmer Degree with FFA. If you've ever been a part of FFA, you'll understand the importance of this. There were 648 students from Oklahoma who qualified for the honor...and they read EVERYBODY'S name. Long night but lots of fun.

May is going to be a busy month. Graduation announcements are printed!

Trip

No, I'm not going on a trip (Lord knows I could use one), but this is what I've been working on. It's scrapy-trips from Bonnie's quiltville site. I'll post the link if anybody needs it. The blocks have all been sewn together, and it needs a couple of borders but this project works up really fast. And...right now I need fast for some graduation presents. There are some really ugly stuff in this quilt, but it all goes together in something like this. Click the picture if you want to see UGLY!

Everybody Needs a Watch-Cat

Boots keeps the lion, tigers and bears off of the back porch. He also watches over Rusty to make sure he keeps out of trouble. Can you see that there are WEEDS in my backyard instead of grass? Getting grass started is on my list to-do this spring

Last Friday in April

I hate to admit it, but this week went fast. Maybe we've just got so much going on that the busy fills the time.

I got my car back only after a day of driving the PM. Troy was glad to have his purple machine back too..so, we're both happy. Why is it that when I borrow somebody's vehicle it never has gas in it?

The crop adjuster came to look at our wheat. We're still about 2 weeks away from knowing for sure what is going to happen. There was one field that he told us to destroy--just too much freeze damage to salvage.

Tomorrow we're touring one of the major universities for Troy. I'm to the point where all monies saved goes directly to Troy's college-fund. One more month and he'll be graduating. Is that possible? Need to get his announcements ready to mail out.

Monday

It's definitely Monday.

• Car wouldn't start...just needed a battery....and got an oil change too...and it always needs a tank of gas. We did the vehicle shuffle this morning.


• The crop insurance adjuster comes today. Am not looking forward to what he says. You better hug that loaf of wheat bread 'cause there probably won't be too much wheat cut in Oklahoma this year due to the freeze about a month ago.Taken during harvest-June 2008
  

Frozen Recipe

I've told several about this frozen slush that I make and decided to post it here.
You can make it any flavor/color or combination to suit your own taste...believe me, we've come up with some strange flavors at my house!

2 small pkgs. jello
2 pkgs kool-aid
2 cups sugar

Boil about 2 quarts of water and add to mixture. Stir until dissolved.
Add enough water to make a gallon.
Freeze! It takes a full day for this to freeze..and may not freeze solid overnight.

Okay..now, the fun part. Get out of the freezer and enjoy.

We've made this into punch--add partial orange juice or pineapple juice instead of about half of the water. And then add gingerale to it for a punch.

Instead of gingerale, add rum, vodka or your favorite alcohol for an adult beverage. (one glass at a time because I may not like as much rum in mine as the next person)

Add it to (vanilla) soft-serve ice cream for a smoothie. We've made this for concessions at ballgames to raise money.

This is great for when your 18 yr old has his tonsils out too!

Strawberry kiwi is one of our favorites....as is cherry. Strawberry is also good and add fresh strawberries to your drink.

We keep some of this in our freezer all summer. It's great when you're really thirsty. But...just remember....the color in kool-aid will stain.

Forgot to post...

I'm taking Troy for his 3-week checkup after having his tonsils out. IF your child has strep-throat more than TWICE a year...please, please, please...get his tonsils out while he's young.

Troy would have strep maybe twice, three times a year and the doc always said it wasn't enough to have anything done. The older he got the more he snored....heavens, the kid snores worse than me (and that's bad!). New Year's Eve he had his wisdom teeth out (this has been a bad winter) and that doc said to get his tonsils out NOW! (65% blockage of the throat?) So..he sent me to a throat specialist (larynx doctor--and no, I cannot spell it).

His tonsils weren't big, they weren't huge, they were enormous and they came out the week after the office visit. The surgery was rough on him--remember he's 18. He even had scar-tissue from having strep not real often. He missed a week of school and another week of feeling drained. Red jello is not in his vocabulary any more.

His voice has changed--he's not so nasely sounding and he's SLEEPING! He's also waking up without being so draggy.

Both doctors said that he would've developed (worse than he already had) sleep-apnea. So....if you have a young child who snores...and is tired all the time....and cranky...check his tonsils...do it before they turn 18.

Happy Easter!

I know I have a warped sense of humor--my boys will agree with me on that, but this struck me as being funny.
My oldest was probably close to two years old before I ever knew of the concept of The Easter Bunny bring presents to little kids. We just didn't have that custom at my house. Yes, we hid easter eggs....but to bring a basket full of gifts? Hmmmm.... But, I didn't grow up with Santa Claus either.

I had 13 for Easter lunch--after having a pew-full at church. Had a lot of fun playing with two little girls. We had a nice rain Saturday night and another rainshower Sunday evening. We're SO dry....and I'm afraid we've lost some wheat fields to a freeze.

Gonna be a long summer, I can feel it already!

Latest Finish

Here's a sneak peak before I put it in a box and it goes to JudyL.

and if those plaids multiply any more in my sewing room....I'm gonna send them all away!

Storm that Passed

I didn't shrink them enough...you'll have to click on them to see the whole picture.