Seed Starting Begins!

 

I finally started by tomato and pepper seeds today! As you can see, I had a little help from Ginger. (If he fits, he sits.)

I haven't bought any new seeds this year. I had plenty from last year. I am trying to practice restraint here. I am sure I will buy some seeds eventually. 

I used larger seed starting pellets this year. I got them on Amazon. The trays are just pans from a local Dollar Store. As you can see, I am using heat mats to help them out. 

What started out as a rainy morning turned into a sunny, beautiful day! I got a little repotting done and now to catch up on my reading. (Feel free to visit my other blog, Free Spirit Books. The link it on the above right.) Thanks for stopping by!

 

First Day of the Rest of My life

 Public school starts back today here in Armuchee, GA. This makes it real. My first year as a retired teacher...and homeschool mom. 

It feels weird but in a good way. Rain is falling outside, but we are snug inside our cabin. My daughter is stationed on one side of the couch, listening to The Knight's Tale. I'm on the other end, under a blanket, typing this blog. Our smallest dog is curled by my feet. One cat rests on my daughter's chest as if to say, "If you are forced to listen to this mess, I will go through it with you." 

Of course, with retirement, money is an issue. I have consignment shelves in two different stores (in two different towns). I plan to drop off a set of Sears Cat tail dishes and a jewelry tray made from vintage dishes, at Farmhouse Vintage in Armuchee later today. Single moms- what are your side hustles? What works? What doesn't?

So this is my new life. Looking back, when this blog began, I was a married working mom. Now I am a single, retired homeschool mom. Out here in the boonies at the dead end of a dirt road on this sweet mountain I have always called home. Our cabin isn't fancy. Our life is simple. In exchange for lower pay, we have less stress and distraction from this crazy world. We aren't isolated- my daughter and I do have friends and a social life. However, we are introverts at heart. This works for us.

So join me on this journey as we figure out this new life..one day at a time.

Scenes from a (Sunlit) Sunday

What a lovely Sunday! Looks more like spring than winter! I wanted to take a long walk but this lovely cold I'm battling won't let me. Intead I replanted my tomato seedlings, started some hot pepper plants, and took a short walk around the yard.

It's hard to believe they're talking about a wintry mix tomorrow when it's so lovely out today! I'm enjoying it while I can. Y'all know I'm just not much of a winter girl.

I refilled the bird and squirrel feeders just in case the weather man is right. I hope he isn't, although a free day off is always nice. My child is hoping for the blizzard of the century.

I found these egg sacks on the butterfly bush beside the goldfish pond. Are these praying mantis egg sacks? I HOPE so! Not only are they my favorite insect but they are also helpful in controlling harmful insects. There were three of them If you know about this, I'd appreciate your input!

The sky is an incrdible shade of blue today. I know it's early February, but days like today keep a country girl like me hanging on. It reminds us that spring is coming.

A couple of buttercups (daffodils to y'all yankees) are already blooming in the yard. I've said in previous posts that my daddy told me buttercups are notorious liars. You can't believe it when they tell you it is sprng time. It is comon to see their little yelow heads pushing up through the snow.

  Forgive the shadow in the picture below. My camera has died on me. I've got to purchase a new one. I am making do with the phone until I can pick out a new one.

Hope your Sunday has been a lovely one whereever you chose to spend it!

Links:

Straight Out of the Camera

Sunlit Sunday

Goodbye 2015! (And Good Riddance!)

Gosh what a beautiful day! We had early spring temperatures which is weird for this last day of 2015, but so wonderful after so many days of rain!

I spent the day cleaning out and throwing away. I felt this was a wonderful opportunity to weed out so many old, unused, and unneeded items from my home. Out with the old and in with the new!

I finished up by smudging with rosemary, sage, cayenne, bay and lemon balm. I'm ready for peace, new hope for the future, and new confidence. I'm ready for a renewed faith and a new outlook on life. So it wasn't what we expected. Does that make it less wonderful?

It is time for counting my blessings. I live in a beautiful part of the country... out in the country. I have great friends and a family that loves me. I have a job that pays the bills. Most of all, I have my beautiful, wonderful child. Life goes on.. We walk by faith, not by sight. Better times are coming.

I am ready!

BIg Changes on Devil's Hollow

It has been an unforgivably long time since my last post. Our little family has gone through some big, unplanned (well, on my part unplanned) changes in the past year. I'll spare the world the TMI details. Let's just say that we are no longer "a small family living in a farming community in Northwest GA". We are now a single mom and child living in a small farming community on a mountain in Northwest GA". Enough said.

So I had to ask my self, "Do I still keep the blog?" At first I decided to chunk it. Then, I got to thinking. The fact that our family has changed is not a reason to give up. Seriously...this is still a blog about country living. It might be interesting to see how the changes affect us here on Devil's Hollow.
Things are certainly different now.

Also, my daughter is watching me. Daily she watches the things I say and do. Does a woman curl up and die just because there is no man there to "take care" of her? Is that what a woman is? NOOOO! That is not the example I want to be setting. That is not who I am. I am a survivor, not a victim. So on with it.

I'm having to get used to either doing it myself or finding someone who can. (Thankfully I have some helpful relatives here on the mountain.) I grew up here. I know how to garden and can and all that. But there are somethings I can't do- like drive a tractor. You know this is the time of year I begin planning my garden. Did I mention I can not drive a tractor? Did I mention that I never really wanted to drive a tractor? So I guess things will be interesting. It's an adjustment, to say the least.

Everything has changed, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I have a new book coming out soon with Schiffer Publishing called The Legend of the Ghost Hearse and Other Spooky Tales from Northwest Georgia. This has been a long-time dream of mine- to be published-so I'm all excited about that.

And of course there are the usual changes that occur when a divorce takes place. Our schedule changes. The meals change. The laundry changes. The entire routine changes.Therefore, this blog has now changed somewhat. We are all going to find out whaat it is like to be a single mom way out here in the country.

Any advice? Been here and done that?

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Day two of the Polar Blast. 8 degrees makes life hard on a southern girl! School was still out for the kids, but teachers reported in at 9. I do believe this is the first time I ever worked wearing my cuddly duds beneath my jeans and heavy fleece shirt.

I've enjoyed these winter days at home. I caught up on some reading (and blogging) and learned to crochet! You're never to old to learn new things. The opposite of growth is decay!

Stay warm and keep your fur babies warm as well. Last night we banished Phoebe the kitty to my daughter's room so that our cat- detesting dogs could sleep in. Kitty is still miffed at me about this.

Stay warm and enjoy use this extra time inside to catch up on the things you love, be creative, and even learn something new.

:)

Our World Tuesday

This is my first time joining in on Our World Tuesday. I think it's a lovely idea- to see what is going on in various places on a Tuesday, of all days.

Considering that I am off work this last day of 2013, I didn't think I'd have much to add. Not much happening on Devil's Hollow today.

Still, I grabbed the camera and took a quick walk. This is what I saw....

I love this old tree!

 These two are always up for a photo op!

I can't wait to see what is going on around the world on this last Tuesday of 2013! What;s going on in your world?

Scenes From A Sunday

You can take a girl out of the country...

Welcome to my world. :)
I am an ordinary working mom with one daughter, age 4. My husband and I live in the mountains of Northwest Georgia on my family's farm.  My mother's family has been on this mountain since the land first became available in the land lotteries of the early 1800's. My mother was born just down the road, as was her mom, and hers....
The farm we are on now was a gift from my great grandfather to my grandmother and grandfather. He worked hard as a farmer all his life and saved until he could leave a small (300 or so) acre farm to 4 of his children. To his youngest, who did not want to farm, he left the home place. He told my grandmother he did this so his children and their families would always have a place to live- a place to make a living- a place to be. And here we are...
Our home sits overlooking a hollow known as the Devil's Garden, or Devil's Hollow. OK, I know it sounds creepy...but I've never seen anything slightly creepy here. Well, at least not of a supernatural nature. When a bobcat screams in the middle of the night...well, that's pretty creepy to me.
My husband and I are not "farmers" in the sense of making a living off our land. We both have full time jobs. As much as I would love to stay at home, it just isn't possible for us right now. We do, however, live  a rural lifestyle that we love. We raise and preserve much of our own food. We raise chickens and guineas. We are working together, day by day, to make our place a happy, peaceful place to be.
I have tried living in town and I just couldn't do it. I have to be near nature to be happy. It's how I was raised.  This place is my peace. I can come home from a hard day at work and, after a little "porch swing therapy" I am just fine.
I guess I am just a country girl. My MawMaw always said, "You can take a girl out of the county...but you can't take the county out of the girl."

This is a picture Devil's Hollow, taken in front of our house.

 Another view of the hollow. Our mountain actually makes a "Y" shape. We live on one branch of the "Y". This is looking across at the other branch. This is what forms the hollow.

My little girl taking a walk down our drive with Belle, our sweet dog.

 This is a wet-weather pond. It tends to dry up in August and September. Still, it's nice while it lasts...

 Our guineas

 Taking a break from the snow pics! This is where I learned to swim. My hubby loves to fish, but I mainly read while he fishes...and my little girl explores.

 This is my great uncle's barn, across the road from our place.

 Since I was a little girl, I have always thought this pond was so peaceful.

An old home place down the road.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you will come back soon. I plan to get into my seed catalogs this weekend and start ordering. Stay tuned and we will see what we get in to.....