a little gem

Look at what Ed surprised me with the other evening!!! This is a "feather weight" Singer sewing machine, circa 1940's. This little gem is a quilter's dream and they can be quite hard to get a hold of, especially one that is in top condition like this.

I have know about these little machines since I was a child. My Mom has one, that actually was her high school graduation gift, and only weeks after she got hers, it was in a house fire!!!! My Mom and her family pretty much lost everything in that fire, but her little sewing machine was found in the basement after the fire. It had been in her bedroom on the second floor of the house, and fell the two stories to the basement during the fire. My Grandfather took it back to be repaired and gone thru, and wouldn't you know ... the little machine came back to life. I remember my Mom sewing all sorts of things on her little machine... it did everything!!!

When I "got into quilting" and took a few classes and such, I saw that the others there had these machines, when I told them the story about my Mom's they were impressed, and many offered to buy it from her if she ever thought that she would want to sell it. Of course, that would never happen, because if my Mom wanted to part with her machine (which she doesn't,) you can be sure I would scoff it up in a heartbeat.

Well, my Dad found this one somewhere... and he was telling me about it, and he wanted to sell it. Never knowing that I would love to have one, I told him I would buy it from him. I haven't ever got around to doing that, though, and Ed knew that I would love it... so..... as a surprise, HE bought it from my Dad and gave it to me!!!!

I would love to know more about this little machine.. because it was well loved by.... Flora Dennett... and the reason I know that, is she has her name etched in the bottom of it, and on the foot pedal. She didn't want to loose it, that if for sure.... I haven't had it running yet, but, I know it works just fine and come fall, I will certainly find a quilt to make on it.....and "Miss Flora Dennett" will know that her little machine is in good hands and will be much loved!!!!!

Ed's day

So, I am always talking about "my stuff" on this blog, but let me tell you about Ed's day today at the farm. Leave it to my Ed, his adventures are as eventful as mine!!!

This morning, Ed goes to do some work on the barn, and as usual, meets up with Ken. They putter around for awhile, and then decide that they need some supplies from the local lumber shop. Off they go.
After loading up with things and heading back to the barn, it is about lunch time, so they stop at a little store to get some sandwiches made. Just as they are leaving the store, Ed hears Acton Fire tone out for a structure fire!!! And it just so happens that this fire is just a very short drive from where they are. Now, Ed is a member of Acton ( as well as chief here in York ) and Ken is a Wakefield firefighter and used to be on Acton.. so needless to say, they both rush to the scene.

They are the first ones there, a lady is waiting outside, and smoke is pouring out of her house. Ed gets on the radio to advise the fire crews and Ken takes a quick peek inside. It is a fire on a stove top, but it's moving quickly and is starting to char the kitchen cabinets. Ken comes out of the house and asks Ed if he has a fire extinguisher in the truck... which he does. Ed stays with the home owner and continues to talk to the fire company on his radio and Ken goes back inside and manages to get the fire under control.

When "Acton" arrives, they are a bit surprised to see a York Fire chief and a Wakefield Firefighter have saved the day ... er house!!! but everyone is quite pleased that they did, especially the home owner!!! The Acton fire crews make a double check of the situation, and asks Ed to continue his radio traffic to the dispatch as needed.

After their big fire adventure, the two of them head to the barn. Now, as I said on a previous blog, the trucks can't make it back and forth across the field right now.

Look what the two of them did to my little gator. Loaded it to the gills and had it carry all their supplies across the field to the barn!!!!

I don't know, Ed and Ken are a pair that spells trouble in my book!!! I thought that Ed and Dave made enough mischief, without Ed having another partner in crime!!!!

but who am I to "complain".. they have built a fine barn this winter, and now can go on the "books" as the rescuers of houses!!!

Not a bad job guys!!!!

farm photos

With the mud being so bad on the farm, we can no longer drive the trucks in and out. Thank goodness, we have the gator to help cart things back and forth. Being on the lighter side, it doesn't create big ruts in the field, and can easily get thru the mud holes.

the cockers just LOVE it there!!! Trevor "camps" out beside the gator...

Camille and Hunter enjoying the afternoon sun

Moxie is practicing her "being a farm dog" act...

If this what "spring" is going to look like... you can be sure that the cockers will be wearing short coats most of the time.

a grand day...

I think spring has actually found the state of Maine today. I headed out fairly early this morning, and was pleasantly surprised at the warm air that met me at the back door. Not, only was this perfect weather here today, but it also arrived on lesson day.... and what could be nicer than that??

"Ol Tonka boy" was enjoying the morning as well, I felt kind of guilty (NOT) about taking him away to do some work!!!!! I think this whole thing of laying in the mud is a way of him saying ..."do you really want to bother riding and having all this mess to clean up?" but, his "trick" didn't work.... that is one good thing about mud, it comes off almost as quickly as it goes on!!!!

Laura decided that we would be riding "outside" for today's lesson. She has worked so hard to get her farm just so, and has a wonderful indoor arena, but also an outside arena. The outdoor is so much bigger and gives just oddles of room to work in. Each year we have a goal in mind for Tonka, and have declared this riding season as "the summer of the canter". Tonka is a willing student, but his canter work needs balance, so it will be our big focus.

I often have to remind myself of how far we have come in the four years that I have owned him. He was "broken" when I bought him, but we pretty much decided that it was "quick job to get him sold" sort of training. Laura "warned" me when I bought him, he would be a project, but I was (and am) happy to take that on. The first summer was all about tack.. he is the hardest horse to fit!!! He's quite a bit bigger than horse, and in some pieces not big enough for draft, so it's been a puzzle finding things that fit. I am still not that happy with his bridle, it has been working, but, it is on my list to "up grade"...to what, I don't know. The second summer I had him, I was laid up for most of the season due to some fairly serious surgery.. so, by the time I was riding again, it was mostly about getting fit and getting back into the saddle. Last year's issues were with the trailer!!!! I did do a fair amount of riding, but alot of work was done with loading and unloading.. and of course, we started our driving work with him..... and here we are again, at the start of a whole new season.....

I still get a bit nervous in the "outdoor" arena. There is so much to think about out there.. inside, you have those four sturdy walls, but outside is different. I am always glad that Laura warms him up first, and puts me on when he is a bit on the tired side.

So, I will add that to my list.. ride Tonka when he is fresh in the outdoor!!!! He really is quite sensible, but I am always questioning my own skills. Laura says I am too hard on myself, which might be true, because I do like to do things well.... I don't like being a "newbie" at anything... course, you can't be an "oldie" until you have been a "newbie".... one of those great rules of life .. I guess!!!

So, today has been a grand day with so many blessings in it, that they can't be counted on both hands!!!! And when amazing weather and a ride come together... nothing can beat that.....

inside

Despite the muck and the mud, work continues nicely on the barn. The interior walls have been boarded up now and Ed is working on the wiring and the pre-plumbing. The days go back and forth between outside work and inside work.. depending on the weather. It won't be long now, before this "open" side will be enclosed with stalls.

Which reminds me... I haven't told you all the "stall" story. We were told that there is a company in Eliot who basically builds barns, and that if you hit it "right" you can sometimes find "bargins" in their scrap pile. So, Ed and I took a ride over. We told them what we were looking for and as "luck" would have it, they said they might have just the thing.

A client of theirs had four stalls in a barn, but, they did not like the fact that a bit of rust was coming up on the stall doors... so, the client had the company come back and take all the stall out. Everything (including all the hardware) was sitting in a pile... we looked it all over, and the little spots of rust that were the complaint, didn't bother us in the least.... so, we bought all four stalls for a fraction of what they would cost new!!!! There were even guards for the windows!!!!! Fortunately, Ed got the stalls up to the barn before mud season... because it is highly unlikely he would get the trailer in now!!!!

Here is a view of the tack room..... the sink is one that Ed brought home from who knows where... but he has had it for all this time, sitting in a box and just waiting to be used....

THIS is just the thing he likes to talk about when I get on him about being a "pack rat" and wanting to save everything!!!!!

And just in case my last "mud" photos weren't impressive enough.... just take a look at Ken's poor truck......

the game is flyball

this past weekend, my dog club (Piscataqua Obedience Club) and our flyball team (Maine Coast Runners) were the hosts to a new england regional flyball tournament. This is the fifth year that we have hosted a tournament and they get better and better each year. As usual, our horse trailer was pressed into service to transport mats, jumps and the various equipment that is needed. I love pulling my trailer and so, am more than happy to help out in this department.

I used to play flyball with Moxie, but sadly (and rarely does this ever happen) she was "hit" by another dog from another team that we were racing. After that, she would not play.... we tried for months to get her back in the game, but she was either too smart or too scared and never went back. I did pull Trevor out for awhile, and he picked up enough points for the first two titles, but somehow after that, I guess I just lost interest and now, am more of a "moral support" to the team.

For those of you who may not know what this is all about.. here's a quick run down. You have a team of four dogs racing another team of four dogs... it's a relay race. The idea is to have the dogs jump over four jumps to a box that has a ball in it, the dogs catch the ball and race back and the next team member is sent. The team that gets all their dogs down and back and have no mistakes... wins the heat.

Any dog with a drive for running and fetching can play. And since the height of the jumps are based on your smallest dog, teams often look for little ones to play.. they are called "height dogs"... which is what Moxie and Trevor were. Really fast teams can do all of this in about 16-18 SECONDS!!! (which is hard to get a good picture of the race, the dogs are just way too fast!!!) Each race is worth is certain number of points and as dogs wrack up the points, they are awarded different titles.

There were 39 teams that raced this year... they came from all over new england and we even had a couple of teams that came down from Canada.

It is great fun, and I do miss having a dog to run. I sort of am toying with the idea of bring Trevor out and see what he thinks of all of this. He is "crazy" about a ball, and now that he is older, perhaps he will be a bit more settled than he was in his younger day. We'll see...

but, it made for a fun weekend, it was nice to see a lot of my "old" flyball friends and have dinner out with the group... and, as with anything of this size... plans for next year are already in the works.....

visitors........

"let this be your warning!!!" It isn't that we don't want visitors to the barn right now.. but, I am telling you... DON'T COME!!! unless you don't mind a little bit of walk and you bring your boots!!!

I have always heard that here in Maine, we have 5 seasons... summer, fall, winter, MUD and spring. Now, I do know mud season, just take one look at my kitchen floor this time of year (with little spaniels that run in and out the doggie door).. but, I don't think that I really "appreciated" mud season, until we started being up on the farm.

THIS is the drive in.........
And this is what one little red truck looks like, after it has made the drive in.. you definitely need four wheel drive to even think of making it......

Oh, and one more thing to remember.. this used to be a cow field, so from what I am told... not only do you get to enjoy the visual side of this wonderful mud... you get to enjoy the "smell" side of it as well....

So, just in case you don't get an invitation to come and see us.. please don't be upset, I am just waiting for .....

spring!!!!!

saddle season

This is the "look" I got when I told Tonka that today was "lesson day" and it was time to get on the trailer!!! I have officially declared it to be spring and riding season once again!!!!

It's a funny thing, though... I still get "butterflies" on this first day of lessons. I ask myself all sorts of silly questions like... "do I remember how to ride?? do I really know how to handle this 1300 lbs. horse? do I know how to drive with my trailer? why do I like to do this?" but the moment my foot hits the stirrup, all the questions melt away, and it's just "me and Tonka" taking a lesson with Laura.

Right now, I feel amazing, our lesson was grand!!! Each year when we begin again, we are further than the year before and practically picked up where we stopped last December. Course tomorrow will be another story, once the old muscles find their place again. I wish that I could do more winter riding, but where the boys live at the moment, there really isn't good riding... that should all be different next winter!!!!

Tonka loaded like a champ... walked right on the trailer... WHAT a difference that is... oh, the first summer I had him.. I would plan at least a three hour time frame for just getting him on the trailer... we even missed a couple of lessons, because he absolutely refused to get on!!!! Hours of "work" have paid off for certain!! I would just spend afternoons, loading and unloading and loading again. I would feed him on the trailer and have all sorts of his favorite treats AFTER he got on.. and one day, it seem to click with him, and now... for the most part... I just tell him to "step on"....

These pictures are little dark, but I assure you.. that's me in that saddle!!!!

The nice thing about the horses being able to come and go as they please, is that Tonka has kept a lot of his muscle tone and suppleness over the winter. He was very "giving" to the bit, and though we did keep this first lesson on the light side, he was hardly warm when we got done... and that's with winter coat!!!!

We rode for about 45 minutes, and it was a good place to stop... you always want to stop on a good note. And for the first day back... trailer loading, tacking up, the lesson itself, and the ride home was more than enough to begin "saddle season".....

And as we pulled back into the yard...

here was the "welcoming committee"......

it is spring!!!!!

almost forgot!!!

I almost forgot that today is Titus's one year anniversary with us!!! He was last year's birthday gift, and to this day, I don't even know why I thought I wanted a turtle!!!

I am guessing it had something to do with my childhood. Probably like a lot of you, we got these little green turtles at the department store. I had "hundreds" of them, mainly because they were pretty cheap to buy and usually died within a month. I remember you could get a plastic bowl with an island in the middle of it, and the "fancy" ones had a "palm tree" on the island. You were suppose to put your turtle in sunlight a few hours each day and feed it bugs and things, and if your turtle didn't escape, he sadly didn't live long either.

Now, that I have "properly owned" a turtle, I feel very sad for those poor creatures and what they went thru for our entertainment. Turtle keeping is exactly "easy".. they are a reptile (as you know) and they have some very specific needs. If I had done more research before getting Titus, I might have thought differently. Because this "free" turtle has been a rather expensive "pet".

You see, last year, my family got me a ten gallon turtle tank for my new pet. But when we got to the shop, they did not have any babies... as I had been told. Disappointed, I sort of "complained" to the store manager, and to try and make it right, he offered me Titus for nothing. He told me he was a male turtle about three years old.. "they" say the males are better pets, because you don't have to worry about "eggs being laid"..... and the fact he was an "older" turtle, got me past that crucial stage... so, I took him.

Well, the 10 gallon tank wasn't nearly large enough for him, so within the first couple of weeks, we had a 20 gallon tank.... which was ok, because the same filter, sunning lamp, sunning rock and such all worked fine in the 20 gallon. After about 6 months or so, we noticed that Titus was getting bigger!!! I thought he was pretty much full grown.. but, I guess not . The 20 gallon was getting squishy and on top of that, he could escape from it!!! More than twice we have had "turtle hunts" in the house. I began to look at bigger tanks... and found a 75 gallon that looked like it would work for a bit. Course that meant new filters, lamps...etc. etc...... well, the clerk in the store was trying to "get rid of a 120 gallon tank" that had been special ordered and never claimed. She "gave" it to us for nearly the price of the 75 gallon tank... a REAL bargain!!!

I didn't exactly realize how big this tank was, until we got it home!!!! You need a lot of space for such a big tank!!! and it took us a few months to get it set up.. one thing was ---Ed needed to make a base for it... 120 gallons of water weighs a lot!!! and with a special size, you can't just go and buy a base. So, that done, and a corner in the living room, Titus moved into his third tank within a year!!!!

Now, don't get me wrong... I wouldn't trade him for the world.. I have spent many hours watching him and amazed at some of the things he does. He is also quite personable, he will "follow" you back and forth when you stand by the tank... he paddles like mad in the corner when he is hungry!!, He does his "stretches" when on the sunrock, and has been a fun pet overall. but, if you are thinking about turtle keeping.. do a little a homework... AND plan for a pet for a long time, I understand that with proper care... turtles can go 15 to 20 years!!!!! Certainly a long way from the ones we had as kids!!!

April Fool's Day!!!!

The first thing to be said about "April Fool's Day"... is HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Deb and to my brother-in-law, John!!!! From some stories that I have heard from the two of them, I think this can be a "hard" day to have a birthday on..... but, we are lucky, because these two great folks were born on this day, and we have them in our lives!!!! many, many happy day wishes to you both!!!

As promised, I shot some pictures of the neat presents that I received for MY birthday... the first is this cool "turtle stool" that Kas and Nate found for me in a little shop somewhere near their home. I guess this store has TONS of turtle things, and IF we get the chance to take a trip south... I will be sure to check this out!!!! Dancer is quite taken with this little stool, and I am keeping it near Titus tank, so that when me little niece comes to visit, she will be able to stand on it and see what Titus is up to.







My second very cool gift is from Deb (and Dave) and so happens to be yet another turtle!!! He is very nice and I can think of several places for him to live, but for now, I have him out on my antique sewing machine. I thought he looked quite comfty near the basket and the dog lamp. Several folks have noticed him already!!!

The next gifts come from Ed and Sadie... now, what do you get a girl who is expecting a new barn, and will have plenty of chores to do??? Barn stuff, of course!!!

So, here we have... a leaf blower.... I have swept enough ally ways to think there has be an "easier way" to do this.. and I am thinking that a leaf blower will do just the trick. Afterall, you're only moving dirt, hay, sawdust about and I am anxious to see if this idea is going to work out. Course the horses will have to get used to the sound of it.. but what a great "training opportunity"!!! Next we have two metal cans. I currently store my grain in two plastic cans, and it has worked fine for all these years, but Ed thought that the metal would be easier to wash out, and will certainly keep out any unwanted critters (though I won't be allowing any of those "sorts of critters" in my barn!!!!) There is also a broom, and a 5 tier metal shelf unit.. and last but not least... a new wheel barrow... the TWO wheeled kind!!!! After mucking stalls for the past 11 years, I have used a number of different wheel barrows, and for manure!!! THIS is the only one to have. Nothing is more upsetting then dumping a one wheeled barrow that is filled to the brim!!! (been there / done that). I am very excited about my new things!!!

When I opened up our barn door (the York barn that is) and got all excited about my things, Sadie said to Matt "you have to understand that only MY Mom could get excited about such things".. However, I know that isn't true... I bet some on you out there are thinking... "I could use some of those things!!!" must just be the circle of friends that I "chum" with!!!!!

Ok, April... you are suppose to be the start of "good weather"... let's just check out the Farmer's Almanac and see what's up for the month Solar, then doler; must this month be so bipolar? Wondrously warm, followed by thunderousy storms: Boom! Rain's a-fallin';streams a-risin; but there's hope on the horizon. Daffodils garland the hills. Doesn't sound too bad overall......

Happy birthday to.....

ME!!!!

Today is my 48th birthday!!!! I can't tell you what it's like to be 48, because if one must "feel" their age... I can tell you... I don't feel that age!!!

I am a little girl, watching my barn come to real life and waiting to play with my horses!!! Playing "kennel" with my dogs, and hanging out with my best friend (Ed)!!! I like birthdays... I like mine.....

My Grandfather (who sadly passed three days after Ed and I were married) always loved his birthday. When most "older" folks said things like.. "I don't celebrate birthdays anymore or it's just another day"... my grandpa always said his birthdays were the best... it meant that he had been blessed to see another year, and he always looked forward to the year to come. I "adopted" that idea years ago, partly because of him, and partly because it's very true. I have been blessed with another year, and I am certainly looking forward to the one to come!!!!!

I received some pretty nice presents.. which I will show you tomorrow (as it was too dark outside to get a good pic tonite)... and as much as I love presents... it's my "gifts" that I really appreciate....

Ed, Kassy, Sadie, Nate, my folks, and sisters... neices, the "Flaggs"... friends that are almost too many to name...

my cockers, cats, horses, guinea pigs, bunny ...turtle...

a farm.....

the list is endless..... Happy birthday to me!!!!!

who ordered this???

I think Kas and Nate left one day too early.....

look at what they missed!!!!

AND if you are the one that ordered this.. please let me know, because I will gladly share my part......

One good thing about spring snow.... it really doens't last that long.....

happy 11th

I just couldn't let today go by, without wishing my little Moxie dog a very happy birthday!!! I can't believe that she is 11 already.... it makes me wonder... where did 11 years of my life go???

But, here we are 11 years later, and I am so happy that she is in good health and attending dog classes every week and is my little shadow...

love you, Moxie girl!!!!!

heading home

It's a very good thing that Kassy loves living with Nate so much, and that she also loves living in the warm southern states, because it does make saying goodbye at little easier for me. I know she loves her family, but I can also see how happy she is being in North Carolina right now, and so, it's OK to say goodbye when we have to. We all met for breakfast this morning.. Ed and I, Deb and Dave, Kas and Nate... and then said our goodbyes in the parking lot.

So, this past week didn't go exactly as had been planned, but it was a very good week just the same, and it flew by!!! We had plenty of time with Kas and Nate, enjoying their company and being all together with both the families, talking about some of the plans for the up coming summer, and how it will be when Nate's term of service is completed.

We "sort of" talked about planning another trip south, but after the way things have gone around here... I have decided not to plan TOO far ahead... on anything!!!!

The "goodbye" hug looked SO much better than the "hello" hug last week... at least Ed is on his feet!!!! He was so surprised when the "kids" showed up in his hospital room last week.....

Oh, I forgot to say.... in case you didn't notice... this isn't the little blue beetle bug anymore... Kas and Nate traded it a month ago and got this little Jetta. It's a better car for them, with four doors and a "real" back seat.... should take them quite a distance.. and will certainly be a good "family" car (when the time arrives!!!)

I asked Kas to ship us some warm weather when she gets home... she said she will see what can be done about that!!!!!

spring project

Kas was saying that she would like to have a nice spring wreath for her door at home in NC. She hasn't had the chance to live in the south during the spring time, as Nate's past deployments have always been during this time of year, and Kas has found herself back in Maine. The wreaths that she had looked at were quite pricey, so I told her it would be easy, fun (and cheaper) to make her own. She wasn't so sure she could do it.......

But on their way over to Brentwood, Kas and Nate stopped at a craft supply shop and Kas picked up the things she would need to make her own wreath (or at least give it a shot). Last night, we went over to Brentwood as well.. to check out the progress on Deb's kitchen and to have a wonderful supper with them. After dinner, Kas pulled out her wreath making supplies and we got to work (actually I just got her started and she went from there).

It was a quick and fun project, and as you can see, Kas did a great job making up her own wreath (she can't wait for you to see it, Mandi!!!!)

since she did such a great job, I am thinking that I want to make one for my front door... might be a good project for today....

an outing....

Ed has been so tired of being "within four walls" that yesterday, he needed to get out and about. Kas and Nate had stayed over the night before, so we asked them if they would like to go to breakfast and then take a run up to see the barn. (they haven't seen it since December). We all packed up, including Sadie and three cocker spaniels and headed to Acton. Ken and Steve had planned on working on the barn while we "were on vacation", so, we knew that things would be done in our absence.

We were so pleased and surprised to find out how much they have gotten done!!! The "shed" roof on the "road side" is now in place, the one on the "wood side" is all framed and ready for roofing, most of the windows have been put in.....

AND, the framing for the tack room is in place!!! This is SO exciting for me, because I can really see what sort of space I have to work with now!!!!

The other thing that I am so happy about, is how bright the barn is inside!!! We knew it would be with all the windows that we had planned, but this is amazing. I have a "thing" about dark spaces, and I really wanted to be certain that the barn would be as bright as possible.... guess I got my wish!!!!

The other "surprising" thing is how much snow is still in Acton. I keep forgetting that when we have rain on the coast, they get snow inland, and there is probably a good three feet of it in the field. Kas and Sadie just had to climb "the mountain" and get this shot (and no it isn't all snow, there is a dirt pile under there). No flowers or leaves here, but the day was beautiful and we were certainly happy to be out and about, and all together!!!!!!

On the way home, we stopped by a place in Eliot , we had heard that they build barns, and carry the supplies for stalls (doors, hardware, dividers). I will blog a little more on this later, but will tell you that we bought some "leftovers" and "slightly used" stall hardware for a fraction of the original price and now have almost all the material to get the stalls into place. Needless to say, it was a wonderful, wonderful day and we in the hopes that it only gets better from here....

family affair

It took Camille all of five seconds to find her favorite spot in her "daddy's" lap yesterday when Ed arrived home for the hospital. Of all our dogs, I would have to say that Camille and Hunter really "belong" to Ed. He can hardly sit a moment in his chair without having one or the other up there with him. (Camille just happened to be faster!!!, but Hunter was hanging out beside the chair and "grumbling" to Ed!!!)

So, HOPEFULLY, we are really on the mend now!!! Ed is doing so much better and is very happy to be back at home, though we have to say time and time again, that York Hospital was (is) an outstanding facility and when you feel awful, it's the place to be.

I ran and did some errands, as we were having the "family" over for a cookout and celebration of being all together. It is so great having all the kids around again, I miss them when they are away, but such is the way of life.... families do grow and go about their business.

Now, Deb and I have birthdays coming up.... but, I wanted (needed) to give her her present a little early. You see, she is now the proud owner of a new guinea pig!!!! Since Sadie has decided to keep Penelope and I am keeping Curly, we wanted to give Dottie to Deb. Deb always liked to check on the babies when she came to visit and talked about the guineas that she has had in the past, and it's nice that Dottie can still stay in the family. (that way I can visit her often!!!)

I wasn't sure what Deb had for a cage (she is probably like us and has a "million" of them some place or another,) but, for her birthday, we got her a nice new set up for Dottie!!! Deb seemed surprised, and little Dottie went to her new home last night with Deb.

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie-- I sometimes wonder if he would rather be a fish than a dog. He absolutely loves the water (can't keep him out of it at the lake or anywhere else that he can go swimming) and he spent much of the "cookout/party" last night watching Titus!!! Deb has a fish tank at her house, and when Charlie is there, she says he will sit for "hours" watching her fish. Kas and Nate have fish, too, but had to put their tank up high where Charlie couldn't watch them, because he almost pushes the tank over.

What a funny dog he is....... but it's certainly nice to see him buzzing around the house with the other cockers.

The next few days promise to be busy ones with the kids home and Ed on the mend. I feel like I can finally take a breath........

the mountain comes to Mohammad...

It's been quite a day.. first off, Ed is almost back to him old self!!! He actually called me on the phone first thing this morning, and the moment I heard his voice, I knew that the worst of all this was OVER!!!! I raced to feed the dogs, and got to the hospital and we had breakfast together!! It was wonderful... and even better news, he will be allowed home tomorrow!!!!! I am so happy, that I don't even know how happy I am!!!

Now, as you all more than well know..... we didn't get to Williamsburg, which meant, no Easter with Kas and Nate. When we cancelled out on the trip, Kas asked me if she should come home. I told her no... it's a very long drive (usually about 18 hours) the weather here isn't that much fun, and with Ed being sick, we didn't know how long he would be in the hospital. Kas didn't believe me, and she even called Ed at the hospital and asked if they should come home, and he told her the same thing. Aside from the long drive, it also meant that she would have to get another day off from her nanny job, and Nate would have to be cleared for more leave.... we just thought that was too much of a hassle.

Kass told me that they would go to Ashville instead, she and Nate really wanted some time out of Jacksonville, and they haven't had the chance to see the mountains of North Carolina, and I thought that would be a good idea. So, it was settled, Ed would work on getting better and the kids would have a nice weekend in the mountains.

I got home from the hospital last night and Kass called... I asked her where they were and got this long pause.... she finally said "Maryland".... "what are you doing there?? thought you were heading to the mountains"... and she said "no we're heading to Maine".... I broke down and sobbed on the phone. It was only then that I realized I really, really, really (!!!!) wanted them home!!! "Don't tell Dad we're coming" she said, and I promised not to.

After Ed and I had breakfast, I came home for a bit to get things done, and wait for them to arrive. I was so excited when they pulled into the drive. We all went up to the hospital together... I went into Ed's room and said "something arrived at the house for you this afternoon".... "what's that" he asked... and Kas and Nate walked thru the door......Ed was completely surprised!!!!!

We had a wonderful visit together, I think that .. along with the good care... has helped Ed turn the corner!!! I guess if Mohammad can't get to the mountain... the mountain comes to him!!!!

Just because we were all together, and the quilt was in the truck (read the next blog)... I thought it would be fun to pull it out.... so, here is Kassy and Nate with their wedding gift... which is only coming about two and half years late..... but it's DONE!!!!

So, Easter doesn't look as "gloomy" as I had feared... the kids are here, Ed will be home tomorrow.... and right now, life is very, very good..... "thank you so much our Dear Heavenly Father!!!!"