Synn

I got one too! Awesome! Thanks Peaceful! I am almost out of time to go and get my postcards! I even had the car today. But I just had to get these grapes done.

I sent an ecard to Fran! Thanks for keeping us informed Snowmom!

Good afternoon! Well I just got done canning 13 quarts of grape juice! YEA!!!!!! I am in the process of fixing lemon bars and peanut butter cookies for dessert tonight. I think after dinner I will go out and pull the rest of the carrots and do those tomorrow.. It's a beautiful 78 degrees here right now with a wonderful breeze! Going all through the house! I can't believe that summer is nearly gone already. Part of me is very glad.. Then theirs the lonely part of me.. Trying to get the house in order before school starts when I won't have the help from my oldest dd.. Hope ya'll have a great night!

Yes it's a very large tree.. But naw I don't think it will last the entire winter. Though I think it will do until Christmas! Most of it is dead.. Has been for well over 6 months now.. It's dead enough that the limbs are now starting to fall. But we can't bring the whole thing down until after the crops are in! Don't want to take out the field corn with the tree. This will be our third winter here. The past two winters we would run out of wood.. We didn't have a lot of money and I was working, so no one was home to keep the fires burning during the day.. When I was a kid I used to hate going to school smelling of wood smoke.. Now my opinion is man that smells good... We do let the fireplace go out at night and just run the wood furnace.. But it's the fireplace that reminds me of home. I just sit and watch it for hours and get lost in the memories! Hmmmm now look who's rambling! Sorry...

We are so far behind it's not even funny... We added 7 new windows to this house.. We need to insulate around those windows still and put up some drywall... I think I too will start making a list of things we need to do or get before winters arrival! A check list.. That way when we do achieve something we can just mark it off "the list".. Wes, we always use the metal trash cans because the mice and coons could too easily get into the plastic ones.. I picked up a new rooster yesterday.. He is gorgeous! He is a black cochin and he is huge... If I take pics with my digital camera how can I put them on the site for all to see? I also got a tom turkey!!!! I got him for 5 dollars! I was so excited. He's a big one too not a baby! I am thrilled! Now if I could only find a hen for just as cheap! I would have liked to had him for dinner on Thanksgiving.. But I don't know if I will be able to part with him... Then tonight I took my sisters van back to her and picked her grapes... So tomorrow dd and I make grape juice! Free stuff I love it... Well I am off to start making that list!

Hey what did that hammer ever do to you???? LOL just kidding.........

Oh Theyd... So sorry your having to go through this.. It was hard enough to divy up my mom's belongings after her death. I can't imagine fighting over her remains. God give you strength! Love, Dawn

Cat that's good news.. I bet you needed that nap.. I can't stand to see my children in pain.. Makes my heart literally hurt! Rest well tonight..

Dawn here....... Could I have mine with strawberries please??

You took down your dining canopies already?? How come so early?

This morning we were at the school at 9am registering the children for school. I took my sisters children also so I had 6.. We got that finished and we were home by 10.. I cleaned off my dishwasher (catchall) because they are coming to get it at 1230 today. Thank goodness I am still making payments on it and they are fixing it for nothing. This is the 3rd of 4th time it's been in the "shop".. He said if something goes wrong this time he is gonna just switch it out with a different one. So dd and I refused to do dishes last night and this morning. We are waiting to try out the loaner! time! Trying to get things washed and in correct dressers before school starts next Friday! Ya'll take care! Later........

Woodchuck! I love your siggy!!!

Cat that is nice of your ds to spend the day with his little sis! I pray that your dd's operation turns out well. Lois can I order some wood too? We have a friend going to come help us fell the big tree out back that is dead.. It's a huge tree and since my dh doesn't have that much experience with something so large a more seasoned woodcutter is coming to help. Thank the Lord. Dh spent the day in MO today. Didn't get home until nearly 1030 tonight. I like it much more so when he is home and I know everyone in my house is safe where they belong.. All of the children are going with their grandparents tomorrow to a family reunion! Whoohooo. Alone time... Just me and dh.. We are going to start our day at a small animal auction. Then I told him I would like to start cleaning up the back yard.. It hasn't looked the same since we started redoing our house. All the old plywood and stuff like that are still lying where he and helpers tore it off the roof and tossed it down.. We still need to insulate around the windows, put the j-channel on and the metal roofing to finish that one side up.. But I don't know how much he and I will get done alone. Since it's just gonna be me and him maybe it's just a good day to snuggle and nap together.. yeah I vote for that too... But there aren't too many more weekends left before cold weather comes our way. He has been so busy helping neighbors and friends every Saturday that our place has been neglected.. Well now that I have rambled on.. I'ts after 1am and I need to get to sleep.. Grandparents will be here at 8.. Girls need baths and need to dry their clothes. So ya'll have a good night (what's left of it)

Oh by the way with my birthday money from Mikes mom I went to walmart and bought a 9 quart canner! For something like 13.88! I won't tell you about the really really "blonde" thing I learned today! After all of these years of canning... Ok I will... You know the rack that sits in the canner? the one with the arm like things you can pull it up out of the water with? Well...... I never understood why it was shaped the way it is. Until tonight at a friends house while canning spaghetti sauce. Apparently that rack will fit around the rim of the canner to where you can put your jars in it before you let it down in the water.. Now mind you I have been canning nearly 15 years! UGH... I was quite embarrassed and chalked it up to Learning something new everyday.... She thought it was quite humorous... And no offense to blondes either I happen to be one myself..

I did this just the other day when I did my peaches. Only instead of just the pits I also used the peelings.. And it did turn out a nice dark pink color. I think what I did was 3 cups of juice and maybe 4 cups of sugar.. to one box of pectin... I ended up with 9 cups of juice which was enough for 3 batches of jelly. Which I think gave me 3 pints a piece. Which wasn't bad for just using scraps and sugar!

Or if you would like try it this way......... http://groups.msn.com/dawnsfrontporch

Well I guess since I don't have the foggiest idea what I am doing... I guess I need your e-mail address to be able to send you the invite. I thought I could just pm the addy but I don't know if that will work or not. Thanks, Dawn

Wow that's cool.

LOL not selling a thing. Just shows pictures of my kids and things, that I don't want to put out where everyone in the world can see...

Whooooooohooooo... I got twenty dollars for my birthday today... So tomorrow I get to go buy a new water bath canner that will hold quarts!

Hey ya'll I have a group on MSN if anyone is interested in joining send me a pm and I will pm you the addy. It's restricted and only I can accept or reject membership. To the sunporch moderator, I hope it's ok I posted this. But I wanted my friends here at MrsS to be able to know more about me personally and some of us don't always feel comfortable publishing it all where anyone can read it. If you would rather I delete this message, please let me know.

MMMMMMm Lois that all sounds soooo good! Can I come?? Just kidding. The little cafe in town is having an all you can eat Fried Chicken special tonight... I told Dh that's where I wanna go for my birthday... Actually we went in last night and the owner came up to me and said are you coming in for the special tomorrow night for your birthday? I looked at Mike and it registered...DING DING DING... "OH shhhhhhhhhhh_____"! I was gonna let him hang himself for forgetting... But she reminded him... LOL....But then again he didn't tell me Happy Birthday when he kissed me when he left for work this morning... Chances are.....He forgot again.. Such at short memory for a 36 year old. Have a great evening!

Shewwww..Buttercup Knocks a chicken off the rocker to have a seat on the porch with all my friends.. Spit.. Sorry there was a feather in my mouth.. Mmmm strawberry lemonade! Thanks to all of you that send birthday wishes my way... Today I am 33! Please pass the cake... Oh wait who brought the cake? Dd is home from camp maybe she will make me one... White with vanilla icing.. My favorite...

Good Morning... Here I was laying all comfy in bed... Kinda in that twilight stage sleep...When I hear a chicken start having a fit. I look out and there is my great pyrenees cornering this poor thing in the weeds. I hollered the chicken survived. I can't understand why he went after it. He never has before. And I know he's not hungry. I will have to keep a close eye on him now. School starts in two weeks. Lil DD ask every day how many more days. Even ds is asking now. He said mom I never thought I would say this but I am ready for school. He said this after I made him help me can peaches and make jelly the other day.. LOL...Everyone got big plans for the weekend? I guess I get to sit at home with the kids as usual. DH is going to help a friend move some more of their belongings back from MO. I don't mind him helping, but it does leave me here yet one more day without a way to go anywhere. Big dd comes home from camp today.. Lil DD is beside herself. She's been asking everyday if we pick up sissy today... Last night I told her today was the day and she said oh good Kays gonna come home and she takes care of me everyday... LOL.. Guess Mama is chopped liver when it comes to big sissy... Oh well. I hope she always feels that way about her. Ya'll take care and have a great day. Dawn

My mom always used the almanacs to know when to quit smoking.. I think it was while the signs were in the knees? Anyone heard of that?