Treasures!!!

The last few days have been so messed up.I was enjoying my day last week with the girls and ate at Macaroni grill and broke loose one of my teeth--It didn't fall out but Fri it popped right out of my partial. I called the dentist and they are always out on Fri. I was going to take it to them on Mon. but I had this idea that I could glue it in with a tooth repair kit I got at the Dollar store--So I glued it in just like it said. Sat morning I ate breakfast and it was swallowed----Yes I said I swallowed my tooth. I did not look for it I went to dentist today and they put me in a new one and now I can calm down. By the way Angela told me what did I expect --The Dollar Store---I could have made up me some wallpaper paste and would hold as well. I got a little anxious about it being the very front tooth. I felt half naked.

I am taking Farmer Man to Day Care tomorrow and coming home and see if I can get things done---I had special things I had planned to make for the family but it has not materialized and is probably not---not in the way I wanted it to. I have another easier plan it will work. Christmas is all about Jesus and I do have my Nativity Set out where the children can talk about it.

Natty my cat is always looking out the window and I caught her in a new place---the kitchen window with the Christmas cactus and the Poinsettia. If you notice in the picture is a pile of rocks-these are treasures My Farmer Man brings me he picks rocks that are interesting some look like little animals some have a special shape some have shiny stuff in them and some are colorful and smooth. This is the little boy that I know now.
I keep the rocks I have them at lots of places sometimes I put them in a flower pot and he gets them out and shows them to me again.
This is OK I have always liked rocks too.

Love Aunt Maria[marie]

Christmas!!!

How did it get here so quickly this year? My year has been fast running through the valley. That's where i have been this year with my Old Farmer Man getting worse and my fall last Feb. I have battled with pain and confusion . I know my God has been with me through it all and we will come out of the valley soon. There has been some very good days and I am thankful for them. There has been some sad days ---when he looks at me every morning and asks where is his sisters and dad. I try diversion but he will keep on until I have to say again they are all dead. Then he tells me with sadness in his eyes,"That makes me sad."

Yesterday I made a decision to try a new place to take him for the day. I can take him from 8am until 5pm with breakfast, lunch and supper but I will not leave him that long at a time. Yesterday I took him at 10:00 and picked him up at 3:30 --he made it fine and found others to talk to and people that knew his father and his brother. When I went in to pick him up he was waiting in the parlor, which is beautiful and all decorated for Christmas, "He told me he had been waiting on me all day." He was OK and seemed more alert. I thought the interaction with other people might be a very good thing.
I will take him again tomorrow. I pray this works out for both of us.

I had a good day out Christmas shopping with my granddaughter, daughter and two great grand babies. What a treat and sometimes funny.

Will keep you posted on our progress.

Love Aunt Maria[marie]

The Old and The New

The reason for my title to this blog is no matter how old something is we love to hold on to it. It can be tattered and torn but it might be home and we love it. The memories we have of something --if good memories-- makes us feel good to think about them. It is hard for my husband now with his dementia to separate the old from the new. Dementia is such a robber---It robs the person of everything as it once was. His home place burned this weekend although no one had lived in the house for years, and it was in bad shape, he went home every night in his mind. Last night when I heard it was burning i told him about it, it really didn't mean much to him he just said I had some things out there in the shed. That was one of the things he was always talking about the things he still had up there. He never gets up in the morning that he wants to know where everyone is at. He had six sisters and five brothers and they are with him every day. Tonight before he went to bed he wanted to know if his bed burned? I told him no,your bed is right back there where you sleep every night. He was satisfied with that answer. He is more like a child now and it is sad to see. So you see why I put the old goat house on. See the goat face looking out one hole in the shack and one goat standing looking out the front---they loved that falling down shack. We did tear that down and build them a new one and they love it too.

Love Aunt Maria{marie}

Being Thankful!

I hope all 2 of my friends that look at my blog had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
It was a house full here and all went well. I had to pull out all the chairs and put leaves in all the tables and still there is people sitting at whatever table or side table they can find. They even ate on the front porch this year. The children got to play outside in the dark ---we didn't eat until 4. We had a delicious turkey and ham. I had plenty of help cooking they all brought delicious dishes to share. We do have so much to be thankful for. Even though Farmer Man has dementia or alz. it could be so much worse. I am thankful he is able to be mobile with a cane and tell his tales and talk to everyone.
He did get nervous before everyone left. He tells me he is ready to go home---I tell him they have to go home we are already at home. It is bedtime now at 6 o'clock for him. We have to discuss where to put the dog and get her to bed. Where is his bed and am I going to sleep with him? I tuck him in and close his door to his bedroom and he feels safe and secure because he tells me to watch out for everything. This is part of the ritual every night but actually it starts about 2 o'clock in the afternoon every day.

With my shoulder being so sore all the time I was one more tired little lady when they all left. I sat up after putting him to bed to unwind and just be quiet but when I went to bed at 10:30 I never went to sleep until after midnight.

I didn't get any pictures for some reason the pictures I took were all blurry.
I always have pictures to post though so I will show you something.

Love Aunt Maria{marie}

Sweet Pears!!

I haven't been here in a while---I had to get a new computer my other one left this world.
I have been lost without it. I am going to try to get back to writing for i have some things i want to talk about.
It will soon be Thanksgiving--this week to be exact. All the family will be here I think --we will eat at 4pm. everyone will bring their favorite dish or dishes.All my girls are very good cooks. I have a ham I will bake. Angela brought me some of the finest turnips today and while I was at church she cooked the turnips and the greens that came with the turnips. We ate some turnips tonight for supper and they are delicious. The greens and turnips will be even better Thursday for our meal.

Christmas is soon to follow. I have things to get done like everyone else. I make special Tea Cakes i call my,"Chicken Whisper Cookies", I will give you the recipe later and pictures of the cookies.

Farmer Man is getting worse and that is a story too. I hope to get used to my new computer so I can write some of the stories i have to tell.

I hope all have a Happy Thanksgiving.
I am thankful for the love of God and his blessings everyday.

Love Aunt Maria[Marie]

Autumn Fun

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My Smilebox

On this one are some pictures you have seen maybe some you haven't ----Just enjoy them again ---That's what I just did.
Love Aunt Maria

Love This

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God's Creatures

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Saturday!!

I just had to put Nattie cat on --as you can see she is right beside me at all times --on top of whatever I am doing.

This has been a busy week and a progressive one. I have helped with things that I like to do.
I took Farmer Man with me for a couple of hours the two days I went to the church to help. He did OK but if it had been any longer it would not have worked. Today he is all confused and i don't know why unless it was because it was different things we did. This morning he is asking about his mother and are we going to grannies?
This morning he is a little boy again I can always tell when he starts early in the day it will be a confusion all day long and get worse in the evening. I gave him a little job to get him thinking about something else. I let him try to sweep the living room and he did OK--- then I let him take the floor fan out on to porch and dust it now it is lunch time.

I'm glad he can be here with me and I hope it stays that way.

I went out and took some pictures before the frost gets everything. I hope I can do some special things for the coming Holidays. I love this time of the year.

God Bless,
Love Aunt Maria[marie]

Fall Beauty!!

I have been gone again for a while. I have finished my therapy and then had a tooth to give me trouble so this week I had that worked on.

I am glad we got the rain to clean things up from all the dust. The trees are looking beautiful from here on the hill. I also have to show you the grown guineas now they are so amusing. You should hear them when it is time for me to come out to feed them. They make so much noise most people wouldn't like it, but I do. You know they are an African foul and also they love each other a lot. The father helped raise the 10 young ones just like the mother. They all still stay together and love each other. When a hen hatches she is on her own the rooster doesn't even know she has his babies and doesn't care. The father guinea feeds the babies just like the mother and he never pecks them like a rooster will do baby chicks.

I thank God for the wonder of nature and life.

Farmer man is not feeling very well seems every day he tell me he doesn't feel good.
I would love to be able to make him feel good once again. I just give him his medicine and pray it helps. He goes back to bed now and sleeps more.
He still can come up with some funny tales and I just laugh at them. He still thinks there is three of me and most of the time he wants to know where I am at. We have deep discussions about me. It feels a little strange talking about myself as if I am someone else---See sometimes I laugh and tell him you get me all confused and he says well I am too. I live a funny strange life now but I am glad he is happy with me and I can take care if him and just live each day knowing God is in control and will guide me through it all.

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

Love,
Aunt Maria[marie]

Watermelon!!

This is the last of my garden --well I do have a few pepper plants with some peppers and some almost dried up okra. We have had no rain around here for a while and things are very dry and dusty.
Earlier this year I showed you a picture of my Moon and Star watermelons while they were still growing in the garden. These pictures I am showing you tonight are of the melon big and ripe. It was so heavy I could not carry it. I cut it up and shared it with our church last night. We had a benefit fish fry --I didn't get to go but did go by and pick up two plates from two sweet girls waiting on the side of the road with them. My daughters. I hope someone ate the melon and enjoyed it.
I have so many seeds that I saved I can plant an acre or more. These seeds are heirloom seeds that you can keep and keep seeding.

My shoulder is better and my therapy is almost finished. I will try my best to take care and not injure it again.

Farmer Man is not better he has been falling and I hope he doesn't do that again. He is still having therapy here at home. It does help and i am glad they can come here to do it. Memory is getting worse and worse. He is looking OK but I know he is not. He doesn't walk OK he stumbles and his legs are weak and I really don't know why.
He could have had another mini stroke.

He enjoyed the watermelon.

Love,
Aunt Maria{marie}

Coming Soon?

I really don't know what is coming next and it is a good thing. I did not like what happened to my favorite prize rooster Turk but the predator is gone and none too soon. He was getting braver and braver as the days passed and was watching me and the chickens each day as I fed them. He came into the barnyard and watched us and was near to the yard and I was expecting him to come under the yard fence at any time. He was not afraid of me I seemed familiar to him. I am sure he had been watching me for some time. It was sad to have to get rid of him but you cannot trust a wild coyote they have been known to attach a child and I have children around here all the time. I also had my registered Rat Terrier killed by a pack right in front of my house on a Sunday morning. I cried about the way he was brutally killed and I still miss him. My other Rat Terrier was also attacked by two large ones and we were watching. WE started running toward and screaming at them so they dropped him. We took him to the vet his back skin was all pulled loose and his wind pipe was punctured and didn't bark for six months. The vet wrapped his back and I kept him in the house and nursed him back to life.

The dog attacks happened a few years ago and I hope the coyotes are out of sight for a while.

Farmer Man has been in a lot of back pain lately so physical therapy has started back here at home for him. I knew he was getting weaker in his legs and back and needed to be strengthened by the therapist. I can't get him to do all the things for me. Dave is the one that came before and he really liked him so he is the one coming again. Dave calls him " Boss" and he likes that.

My shoulder is getting better--I am going into town for therapy three times a week.
It is taking some juggling to get everyone taken care of.

Two pretty great granddaughters playing in the yard.

James 1:2-3 Says--Whenever you face trials of any kind; consider it nothing but joy,
because you know that testing of your faith produces endurance.

Blessings,
Love Aunt Maria[Marie]

Turk!!

He got him---Turk I mean. The coyote got him. Turk was my very special Brahma Feather legged rooster. I had raised from an hatched baby to this beautiful sweet gentle rooster. The coyote also got one of my large black layers she was always with Turk. I named him Turk because when he was young he ran like a turkey ---so Turk he became. He was only 3yrs old. I really miss him because he was always greeting me when I was in the yard.

This morning about 6:30am I went out to feed the chickens and my 10 guineas--I feed them in the yard at the house. I thought I would walk out to the barn and see if the coyote was out there. There he lay under the tree looking at me right there at the barn. He didn't run he just got up and started walking off. He is very scary because he is too brave. He will have to be taken care of or he will eat all of my chickens and could jump me if I went in the barn and surprised him.

I love all of God's creation but there is a time when something like this is unsafe for my animals and children and myself. We may try a live trap but I might catch my dogs but it will not injure them just scare them. I will let you know more of this story as time goes on.

God Bless
Love Aunt Maria{Marie}

Old Friends

Wish this machine of mine would stop giving me problems. I couldn't' get on to post for some reason --well tonight I got through --Thank you.

Last weekend Farmer Man and I had a enjoyable time. I decided to take him with me to my grade school reunion and he did remember some and talked to some and seemed to enjoy while we were there. Now that evening he didn't remember where we had been.
One of our great grandchildren had a 4Th birthday so we went to that also after we left the school gathering.
That was on Sat. then on Sunday afternoon our oldest great granddaughter had her 16Th birthday party and we went and he seemed to enjoy that and I was glad we got to go to everything. Now this week he has had lots of back pain and has not felt very well---That is why I don't go much with him it seems to make him have more pain. I just have to take him when I think he is doing pretty good.

I have a picture of me when I was 13[One on left] My aunt and one of my best friends.

We have a predator on the farm that is after my chickens and it is a coyote.
Farmer Man saw him come out of the barn and go under the barn yard gate. All the guineas and chickens were having a squawking fit and Farmer Man told me to come there --I was feeding the chickens. I went and looked out toward the gate and there the thing stood looking at me like he knew me. He walked off turned around and stood there looking at us again. I yelled at him and he trotted of and stopped again and looked some more. I yelled louder and he trotted up the hill toward the woods and the cows and horse chased him and he ran then. I go into the barn everyday now I am going to have to watch for that thing. I knew some of my chickens had started missing
so now I know where they are going.

Well just had to share some good and some not so good things but mostly good. Thank God for the good days.

Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians's 5:17

Love Aunt Maria{Marie}

Happy Days!!!

I have been trying to get to my blog for days but my computer would not let me get here --until tonight.

I have been having some very painful days like over a week of it. Both shoulders have made me sick from the pain. Well I got an MRI last Wed. and it showed my rotated cup was torn into and had been so long it could not be reattached. It has formed a protective fat around one end the end that tore away I suppose. I said," What can I do ?"He told me to take physical therapy again and then do it my self as faithfully as brushing my teeth daily for the rest of my life.

I was thankful I don't have to have surgery but I must be tough as nails if this has been in this kind of shape so long. I did hurt my shoulder years ago shoveling mulch[a truck load] and had to go for therapy then. He said when I fell in Feb. I just hurt it bad and it is very inflamed. My Primary care Dr told me to take Ibuprofen three times a day and take Vitim D a 1000iu --2 a day for a week and then 1 a day from then on. He says everyone he has tested is low in Vitamin D. I will find out more about this --I will do little Internet research and let you know or tell you how much better I feel in a couple of weeks. I do know the physical therapy will help I have had that before.

I have things I want to get bact to and finish up before the end of the year gets here. I feel like now I will be better and get these things done.

Farmer Man is still good old Farmer Man. So confused but I go with him to the barn and he feeds the goats and waters the chickens and goats with my direction.
I am glad he can walk pretty good but does have to use his cane all the time.

God Bless,
Love Aunt Maria[marie]

Cats --Cats-- Cats

Just a few lines tonight ---I need to post more often and come up with some interesting things to tell you. I have been back to Dr today and have been in lots of pain in my shoulder. He said i need to have MRI so tomorrow I will have one. I am praying I do not have to have surgery. I have to take care of myself too or I can't take care of Farmer Man. Today he was pretty good just that when I was helping him to bed he asked where the other girl was. She didn't die did she? I told him no she had left. If I tell him that she is me he says ," No that can't be." Life goes on no matter what. We deal with it. I know God has plans for us all---Just don't know what they are. I do ask !!

Something light here!!! I have 12 cats now and I only asked for one. Ms Pinkie brought the 3 new kittens to my cabin so I could help feed them as they grow.
Her four almost grown ones come in there to be fed too. I want to give the almost grown ones away but most people have cats if they like them and if they are not a cat person just don't mention a cat. I just can't take Pinkie and her babies to the pound cause I know what they do . I will figure this cat thing out too.
OK ---Now I am going to have to have a chicken and cat sale that might work. I have lots of chickens now and they eat lots of corn like the cats they eat lots of cat food. Maybe I could advertise cat and chicken feed for some company. I could tell them how much my pets like their special food.

Love ,
Aunt Maria{marie}

The Old Chicken House

I could not upload my book cover picture so i just did this picture.i will try the book cover later it is 10:00pm and time for me to settle down before I go to bed.

Love,
Aunt Maria

Just Chickens Talking

This is not the front of the book this is a page from inside. I also had to show you a pretty bouquet of flowers from my dried up garden.

This is the title of the small children's book I wrote last November. It is titled this because I listen to chickens every day and they do talk to each other and to me.
I have lots of free range chickens and I mean free. This year I have raised about 30 I think ---I really don't know for sure. I have about 60 in all. They greet me each morning at the back door. Now I know you think my my she must be a little eccentricity---probably so. I have a chicken coop my grandson built for me joined onto the back of my cabin. Oh no you must say. It does work well for me but every thing thinks the cabin belongs to them too. Chickens cats an more cats.

I have a cat hole in the back door for Miss Millie my only black cat--Used to be my only cat. In February a new cat showed up in my cabin with a pink collar so she became Pinkie---well Pinkie stayed because I couldn't find her owner. Now she has four almost grown kittens[She was pregnant when she came] ---before I could do anything about getting her fixed she was showing again and now she has more at the barn and I can't find them. What am I to do? I am going to give them away if I can.
I could go on with chicken and cat stories---well I might some other time.

My little chicken talking book is small for the beginner reader only about four lines to the page. I haven't even had any printed I did two copies on my computer for myself.

I have to say Farmer Man has had some really bad days lately. We think he has had some more mini strokes. For several days he was talking about our car that we haven't had for 30 yrs or more. He was going to get it he knew the man that had it.
So this has gone on and on and has not been easy to take care of him wanting to leave. I called Dianna and she came Fri. and took him out to look for the car and he couldn't find it---he has been some better sense he came back.
He has slept a lot, a lot more than usual. I just hope he stays calm and not agitated like he got Fri.. He did go out with me to feed the goats this afternoon and he likes that.

Hoping for a good week.
God bless us all.
Love,
Aunt Maria[Marie]

Surprises!!

Farmer Man and I have been married 59 yrs today. It was a hot summer that year too--seems it was about like this year. Today was not a good day for Farmer Man --some reason he didn't even know me today.I asked, did he remember our wedding day and he didn't. I had him come into the kitchen and help me seed the damsons. We talked a lot and he thought I was his sister again. It is sad to see him have these days when he doesn't know me and they are getting more and more.

This picture is of some things from my gardens and I really don't know how we have much of anything with all this heat. It is good to have this much and i have flowers that haven't dried up completely.

After lunch he went to the porch with the fly swat which he carries around all the time killing flies or ants or wasps and anything that he thinks needs swatting.
I was in the kitchen washing dishes and after a while he came in and sat down in the living room---pretty soon i heard him snoring. When i finished in the kitchen I went and sat on the sofa and took a little rest and he woke up and looked over at me and I looked at him --OH my goodness his left eye was as big as my fist , almost swollen together. I jumped up and said," What happened to your eye?" He had to think a little bit and said,"A wasp stung him on the eye". I got an ice pack and gave him a baby aspirin cause that's all I had. He never complained but when Dianna came by after work she said she would bring him Benadril and she did so I gave him one.
The swelling was all over the side of his face and neck by night ---he still never complained only he asked me if i had some eye drops and I put some in his eyes at bedtime. I hope tomorrow is a good day with no unexpected happenings. Today was a good day in The Lord and I thank him for it and the 59 yrs of marriage to Old Farmer Man.
Love,
Aunt Maria[marie]

New Design

I had to have you some picture today ---here is my 3 feather dusters taking a dirt bath. I just love these cute chickens.

I am trying to make a new look to my Blog. I may mess up so be patient with me.
Right now some how I think I have two blog spots and one probably carries you no where but they are the same name. I will be telling you more that is if you can even find this. Let me know if you are seeing Hill Farm Stories by Aunt Maria with all my postings. I would love to have new followers.

Love,
Aunt Maria{Marie}

Night Time Sunshine

I went out tonight and took some night time pictures and thought you might like to see them.

I finished my tomato canning and I got that 100 mark. I love canned tomatoes in the winter with most anything. For a snack I like peanut butter and crackers and a cup of home canned tomatoes. That might come from when I was a little girl in the summer when we came in from school I would go to the garden and pick me a tomato and go in the house and make peanut butter and cracker to go with it--- try it you will like it too I am sure.

Farmer Man is health ways doing good or pretty good but memory is getting worse and worse. Tonight he went way back to Korean War time and thought he had to go to Nashville to sign up for the service. He talked and talked about it--- and finally I told him I would call them and tell them he wasn't able to go to the services. That pleased him cause he said,"His ankle and leg hurt and he didn't feel like he could go"---So I took care of it and he felt better. Well God is with us and I thank Him every day for Farmer Man being up and able to get around.

Love,
Aunt Maria{Marie}

Garden Art

I have been busy this week canning tomatoes and other things--I have canned 68 qts. so far of tomatoes. Hope to make the 100 qt..

Today I started the day off with picking the corn and shucking it to make my corn relish. Everyone loves corn relish and so do I. My mother always made it. I have a cook book that was her book---She bought it in 1947 one summer when I was 12 and had the most awful summer cold. I had an awful fever and was so sick. I remember lying in bed and the wall paper had flowers on it and the flowers would get larger and then get small again. I don't know what mother did to get me well but I am still here so it must have been a home remedy that worked.

One of the days while I was sick there was a salesman came selling the cook book and mother bought it. He came to the door and mother thought he was Dr Cooper a local Dr. she told him she didn't call the Dr and he laughed and said,"He was Dr Cooper's brother". Well I still have the book and it is full of all the old relishes and other good things we would make.

I got the corn relish made and it is delicious all I need is homemade biscuits to go with it.

Farmer Man helped me silk the corn but he feels bad so he doesn't do much of anything but rest and sleep. He is very mixed up lately talking about family a lot.
He wants to know where the other girl went to that had white hair like me. He really thinks there is another me. I tell him to let me hold his hand when we are sitting ,he in his recliner and me on the end of the couch. It helps to make him feel calmer and I tell him not to worry about things I will take care of things and him.

Have some pictures of my work and a pretty sunflower arrangement i gathered out of the garden.
Enjoy---
Love Marie{aunt maria}

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Sunday Blessings

I have always enjoyed going to church on Sunday and hearing an inspiring message from Pastor Doug. I don't get to go to Church now like I used to. Farmer Man went with me a few Sundays and then he started feeling sick on church day so now I only go about twice a month. The daughters stay with him when I get to go.
Today I thought God is everywhere I will go out with my camera and show all I have to enjoy here and all that God has supplied for me to share with others. I enjoy taking pictures of all God's creatures and his gifts to us.

I have sent this Smile Box to some of you but I thought someone else might like to see it.

Enjoy

Love,
Aunt Maria{Marie}

"Wampus Cat"

Have you ever heard of a Wampus Cat or do you know what one is? When I was growing up I used to hear my daddy say something about the "Wampus Cat". This was in reference to something scary or something strange happening. I never asked what a Wampus Cat was and I really never knew there was such a thing. Wampus cat is folklore and it was interesting when today I looked up Wampus Cat.

Today I have been canning tomatoes and Farmer Man came in the kitchen and started talking about the hogs being stolen. He wanted to know if I knew any thing about them and out of my mouth came these words," Maybe the Wampus Cat got them", I tell you my daddy popped into my head instantly and I remembered him speaking about that thing.

Well I finished my canning I came to my computer and looked up Wampus Cat---There it was for real. No pictures but the tale about the Indian Woman that was turned into half woman and half wild cat. Story goes, the Indian men would go out at night and meet to share tales in the woods---One of the women wanted to know what they were doing so she put on a cat skin and hid in the bushes to listen. The men saw her and caught her and tied her up in to the cats skin and put a spell on her and she roamed the woods and scared hunters by her following them and also scaring the farmers as half woman and half wild cat.

My daddy lived folk music , folk tales, folk singing and Bluegrass . I can hear old Jimmy Rogers songs he used to sing and I can still hear singing in the barn yard when I hear one of those old songs. My daddy passed away when he was only 57 yrs old --soo young.

I hope you will look up Wampus Cat in Tennessee Folk Lore.

This picture is of my daddy holding the reins, my grandfather ,me and my three little brothers. I am holding an animal of course, I think a rabbit.

God Bless all that read this story of remembering.
Love,
Aunt Maria {Marie}

Summer Time

I have been lost seems lately. I haven't had a phone or computer for over a week and I really missed them. I have a cell phone but to tell the truth I don't really like talking on the cell phone. I used it everyday while my other phone was out because I had to ---I wanted to keep up with the world you know.

Other things I have been doing is i have canned tomatoes, peaches, blackberry jam and bread and butter squash pickles. I keep having squash-squash and more squash.
My okra is delicious--fried or boiled I love it any way.

My guineas are getting big enough the mother told them this week it was time to fly up into the pear tree with her and their father to roost at night. They cried and cried ,jumped and flew up onto anything that was getting them close to a limb---I tried to help by putting the ladder under the tree and they did use it and they got up there. They are not really very big about the size of a quail --not hardly that big but the mama wanted them up in that tree and she got them up there.

Farmer Man has helped me some with pealing peaches and that is about all. He sleeps a lot in the mornings. He has not felt very well lately. He can't get out in the heat much and I have to get him to come in because he will forget how long he has been out I guess. I know he gets so confused about so many things that everyday
we discuss the same things over and over. Right now he thinks someone has taken our hogs and we haven't had hogs in 35 years or longer so he is back in the past where most of the time he talks of the past. He is in pretty good shape and I am glad.
I love him and he loves me and soon we will be married 59 years --Aug.4Th. WOW WE what a long time.
Time to say,
Love Aunt Maria{Marie}

The Fig Tree

My fig tree is so full of figs this year I will have figs to give away and make fig jam. Most years I have figs but the first ones usually get frozen. This year the first ones that came on are about to ripen. Figs have a continuous crop.
Here is a little bit of information about figs---Have you ever considered what the fig fruit is? It's an unusual fruit. If you doubt this , ask yourself have you ever seen a fig tree bloom, you see peach trees bloom and pears ---and other fruit trees but when you eat a fig you are actually eating flower and all. It blooms from the inside and forms the fig and when you open it up it is sort of strange looking but delicious.

My fig tree is old and close to 20ft or more tall. My mother had this tree she ordered from a catalog. The tree was put at the back door of her house. It grew and grew and one day when she was not able to do all the things she once did---she asked me to come dig that tree up. You have never seen such a root but I dug it up and transplanted part of it to another place in her yard and brought the rest to my house. I put it on the west side of my cabin thinking it might not make it ----Well it has made it many years probably 20.

The parable of the fig tree is in Luke13:6-9---There is other mentions of the fig tree in the Bible.

Farmer Man pruned it one time to my horror---but it did come back.
Farmer Man is not better but I do get him to go out some but he can't take this weather and should not go out in it right now. He still thinks there is two of me.

Love,
Marie [aunt maria]

Life and Living

I wonder where the time goes--it goes so fast.
June is almost here and it seems it was only yesterday it was February and snowing. I am glad spring is here and my trees are full of fruit. The cherry tree had lots of cherries but they were so small it was hard to prepare them. The cherry pie was good.
The garden is coming along but with my shoulder still weak i don't have a lot in there. I did have spinach this week and it was very good.

We went to Shoney's tonight and met my sister Deb, she came from Pulaski and we had a good visit and meal together. Farmer Man asked Deb after our meal if she knew who I was? He had another little stroke this week and every day he has been very confused.
He hasn't known me this week. He asked me lots of questioned trying to figure things out. I try to kelp him --I told him not to worry I was here to help him. He said he was confused he just couldn't understand how things got this way. It is hard for him i can see it in his eyes.

"We win by tenderness;we conquer by forgiveness." ---Fredrick William Robertson

I pray I can live up to this.

Love,
Marie{aunt maria}

Happiness!!!

Benjamin Franklin says--"Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of the mind than on outward circumstances." Having the HEART right with God must be where it begins.

I was happy I got to go to church today. Bro. Dough was not able to be there after the latest surgery. We are all praying for his complete healing to take place. He has had a very hard time after heart surgery ---it has led into many other surgeries.
He keeps on going soon after each surgery.

I will just say a word about the day with Farmer Man. Today he wanted to know where our white car was. We don't have a white car just a red truck. He was thinking of yesterday when our daughter came in her white car. Next thing he was in bed ---I ask," What's wrong"? I am mad about my car being gone. I explained Betty came in her white car and he was just thinking it was our car. He eventually got up and never mentioned it again.

I want to get back to my painting studio and be creative again. If I don't get back in there my chickens keep trying to take over the inside of the house as well as the front porch. All the old wooden boxes and other antique things out there is where they lay their eggs. I have a cat hole in the back door and one smart hen went in there and made her nest on my paint table. I kept running her out so now she is back on front porch.

Have a blessed week.
Love,
Marie{aunt maria}

Some new things!

I have been missing for a while. I thought when spring got here and I could get out and work in my garden and do other things outside---everything would be better. For some reason this doesn't seem to be the case. I have had some things to hinder me. I fell as I told you earlier this year and had to go to therapy for a while. It did help me but my shoulder is still weak and I have to take care of it.

Well about a month ago another freak accident that left me in much-much pain. A can of pinto beans fell off the pantry shelf onto my big toe. I ran hopping and moaning --Instantly my toe nail was black. That night I wouldn't have been in any more pain if I had been in labor to give birth through my big toe than I was that night. I slept about 3hrs after I took pain med.--The next two days I thought I would die it hurt so. I had to sit with it on a pillow with really no relief.I had many offers to drill holes in it ---but I couldn't stand for the sheet to even touch it. I did go to the Dr on the third day and it was swollen in a strut and black and red and inflamed looking. He took an instrument with a hot wire on the end and burned three little holes in the toenail----OH-- the instant relief, did not hurt any more blood ran out and now the whole toe is pealing off. The fever and swelling caused the skin to come off and my toenail is going to come off too. I am sure you liked this play by play story of my toe experience. I just hope you never have a full can of anything to fall on your toe.

Farmer Man is still getting worse in his memory and knowing who some of us are at times. He does go to the barn with me and feed the goats now if we feels like it.
I have a new kitty out at the barn and he likes her. He has never liked cats but he likes her. She has some kittens and they are just now showing their faces. I hope they are as sweet as Pinkie their mother.

Things happening on Hill Farm.

Customize a photo album

Chick-Chicks and Sunshine!

I am so glad to see baby chicks and spring time sunshine!! I am doing very little in my garden -still nursing this shoulder and [yes]- it is getting better but not fast enough. I am still going for therapy three times a week.
Farmer Man has been very sick again, last week end he started having high fever and had UTI again. He is better but tells me he never feels good. I know he does not feel well but the week before Easter he helped me a little outside, we painted two outside tables with me giving him the instructions he had to have to be able to do it. It is so sad to see him seem to be so weak. I can't take him anywhere any more much he gets so tired. He does go with me to help feed the goats and chickens. I think he needs to go out and get some exercise and be in the sun some.

We went on with Easter even though Farmer Man was sick. He stayed in bed most of the day and got up in the afternoon. Most everyone came and all the children had fun hiding eggs and hunting them. We always make lots of pictures at Easter. When my mother was still with us we always went to her house and had good food and egg hunting. Well all my kids, grand kids and great grand kids do that here now. This was the most beautiful and warm Easter we have had in a long time--we certainly enjoyed the day---Farmer Man watched the kids hunting eggs out the window.

My new baby chicks are growing so fast. They are bantams and I didn't know what breed i was getting but now they are getting feathered and two of them are Frizzles.
The feathers curl up they are so cute.

I thank God for the variety of creatures he has given us to care for or just look at--and all the beautiful colors.

Love,
Marie{ Aunt Maria}

Ecclesiastes 1:1---Right time for everything--

This picture is Farmer Man with the youngest great grandchild Fisher--Cute--
It is finally time for spring--by the calender it is and some days it gives us a glimpse into the sunshine and I love it. I am enjoying it as much as I can.
I did have to start therapy for my injured shoulder--and am looking forward to it being back in good working order soon. I am having to do the exercises to strengthen it it has gotten so weak from the pain i was having and not being able to use it very much. Enough about that I will be back in good shape soon.

I do not in any way know how to be a writer nor do I know how to write poetry---I am
a child of God and he did give me some things to do and a talent of creating things in the way he leads me to do them so I wrote something this week ---titled,
"I Saw and Heard God Today"
When I awoke today I saw the Sunshine-
When I awoke today I heard the breathing of my spouse-
When I awoke today I had food to eat-

When I went outside I saw all God's creatures and heard them speak to me-
When I walked about I saw the birds and heard their songs-

When I walked about I saw the colors of the creatures in my care--white--red--black--brown--hazelnut--spotted and mottled-
When I walked about I saw the flowers God has given to me to enjoy--yellow--white-- green--purple-
Gather the flowers I give you and enjoy and give to others to enjoy too-

Today I saw and Heard God in Everything.

Thank you Father.

Love Marie{aunt maria]
Wed. March24, 2010

Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes 1

What's in a name?

Today Farmer man has not felt well --He has been taking one kind of med. and they changed it. I don't know if that is what is wrong or if he has had another little stroke. He called me his two sister's names all day ---the sisters that are dead. I asked if he knew me this morning and he said I was them. The physical therapist said he could tell he was not himself. He went with me to the barn this morning and he threw the hay out for the cows and i got the goat feed and let him feed them. When we had been back in the house only a few minutes he thought we had to go do what we had just done. I called our DR. and he said watch him he might be getting a urinary tract infection. In the midst of everything though there is rays of fun or something to laugh about. Tonight after supper and I was clearing table I leaned over and hugged him and asked if he knew me tonight and he said ---I WAS, "JUMPING WEED"---I laughed and told him that was the best name I had ever had. Jumping Weed fits me pretty well because I am always jumping around doing many things. He thought it was funny too.

Later in the evening he asked if i was going with him in the morning? I asked,"Where are we going". To Miss Yoes's to eat breakfast with her---I told him I wish we could but mother was dead 7yrs this mo. then he didn't remember that and asked could we go to the house and stay all night I told him it wasn't our house anymore. Then I told him I could cook him a breakfast like mother ---we will have ham, eggs and homemade biscuits and gravy if he likes. The day was a day to remember and it was not a bad day.

Love,
"Jumping Weed"--Marie
My American Indian Name I guess.

BUTTERCUPS AND CROCUS

HERE I AM FINALLY . TRYING TO DO DAILY GET BEYS AND CARRY ON. I THOUGHT SPRING WOULD BE SHOWING HER FACE A LITTLE MORE SUNNY THAN IT HAS BEEN AROUND HERE. THE CROCUS AND BUTTER CUPS ARE FINALLY HERE AND I LOVE THEM. I GATHERED A BUCKET FULL AND MADE YOU PRETTY PICTURE OF THEM AND A PICTURE OF THE LITTLE CROCUS.

I HAVE MY GARDEN READY TO PLANT SOMETHING BUT IT IS PURE MUD NOW. THE ONE EYED GAME ROOSTER THAT STAYED IN THERE FOR PROTECTION HAS NO PROTECTION NOW AND TODAY TWO OTHER GAMES TRIED TO KILL HIM --SO I RESCUED HIM AND PUT HIM IN THE CAGE AND NOW I HAVE TO FIND HIM A HOME. ANY TAKERS?

WELL I HAVE HAD SO MUCH PAIN IN MY SHOULDER I HAD TO GO FOR ANOTHER XRAY TODAY---I HOPE THEY CAN TELL ME SOMETHING.

FARMER MAN IS WORSE IN THAT HE IS VERY CONFUSED ABOUT HOME --HE WANTS TO GO HOME ALL THE TIME. I TELL HIM TO LOOK AROUND ALL THIS IS OUR HOME. IT IS SO SAD TO SEE SOMEONE SO HOMESICK FOR SOMETHING IN THE PAST THAT IS NO LONGER THERE---FAMILY AND HOME.HE WORRIES ABOUT THE DOGS BECAUSE HE SAYS THEY WANT TO GO HOME TOO. HE SAYS LOOK HOW THEY ARE RUNNING AROUND. SUNSHINE COME SOON SO HE CAN SIT OUT SIDE IN THE SUN I AM SURE THAT WILL HELP SOME.

LOVE,
MARIE[AUNT MARIA]

Cameras and Love!!!

My little camera has made many- many pictures for me --many i have shown and many I have not. I do not know a lot about cameras --my camera is a Polaroid 5.1 mega pixels.
It was a Christmas gift 3 years ago and in that time I may have made a 1,000 pictures with it and still going. I wonder what I would be able to do with a larger one?? Maybe some company will offer me one to try out for them--what a surprise that would be!!!

The grass has got to have this rain we are about to get to start growing and the warmer days we are having --I love it.

My arm is hurting right now and I am so fed up with this. Today I have not hurt as bad only when I start using it. I went to town today and driving makes it hurt.
My Dr called today to see if it felt better and I told him it does but not 100% yet.
I need your prayers.

Mr Farmer Man just follows me around like a little boy now. He is just a little boy.
He did go out today and feed the goats --that is good for him to do the things he likes. He walks better sense the therapy started and he is answering the speech therapist questions better. He still does not remember our address.
Each night he goes to bed early and I tuck him in and tell him Good night I love you--"Sleep Tight and don't let the bed bugs bite",--He says --we don't have bed bugs and I love you.

Love,
Marie{aunt maria}

Sunny days!!!

I loved this day because I could get outside and think SPRING. Got my garden spot tilled today. I am getting things like onion sets to put out after the rain that's coming. Just happy for the sunshine.

The kid goats are growing and eating with mamas now--corn and goat pellets.

I had to go back to Dr with my shoulder today --I have hurt a lot with this and I have not wanted to blog much because it hurts my arm to hold it in the position to type. Dr gave me another shot in the front of my arm where the ligament goes from shoulder down the arm in the front. I have not slept very well lately because I can't seem to get it in a good sleeping position--Tonight I am hoping for better rest.

Farmer Man has been doing pretty good. The therapy is helping him to walk better and seems he remembers the days better. He sat outside today while the garden got tilled
then he tells me that tree over there beside my cabin needs cutting down---OH no that is my fig tree and you better not touch it--He is just talking he can't do it he would just like to. He did get the saw after it a few years ago and I was not happy about that. The fig tree is probably 15ft tall and has figs every year.
That tree is my fig tre last year.
Have to stop my arm is starting to hurt!!!

Love,
Marie{aunt maria}