Bountiful.....2nd Journal

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New Journal For Debbie

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2002

Answers

Have lots to tell but need to get to the UPS and Post Office (30 minutes each way) to mail out a bunch of small packages (soap). We too need to get in the wood, Bruce has been trying (for the past 3 years, since a terrible ice storm) clearing the creek beds. I have had to go to where the cattle are and give them water a half-dozen times a day (well it seems, and the bull stares at me!), because Bruce wants them on the only pasture that seems to have decent grass still but doesn't have water! He doesn't want to bring out the hay yet. All the other pastures have large creeks running through them (sometimes it looks like white-water rafting). All our animals appear to be unrulely to me this week. Maybe it is just me! Tonight (I hope) I'll grab a cup of tea (tension tamer) and catch up on all what is happening to you guys and maybe I can write in my journal. By the way Diane, how do I start a new trend. I notice my old one starts with my age, I am older now! Blessing Debbie at Bountiful

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2002

It sure is cold here today. Wish I had wood in and could build a fire. Hubby is home today, it is Columbus Day so we drove to town and had breakfast then he needed to pick up wood to build our dogs a house!

The "Hard Time" Craft show on Sat. was fine. I actually did better than I thought I would. I did that particular show because the small town asked if I would, they are trying to build up some sort of tourism and they do have all these old mines (not open). I had one person actually ask me and with all honestly if I was useing bacon greese to make my soap. I explained the benefits of Olive Oil and pure essential oils but they passed most of these people by. One darly little old lady was so disapointed in that I didn't just pour some greese into the lye, she sure misses her lye soap. Definately, an old timers town. It was fun visiting with my oldest daughter who came home from college just for the day to help. She has a Church she is the pianist at on Sundays and the Church is a 3 hr drive! Needless to say all my selling was to the tourists! So all in all I was happy but tired. I have a couple more shows to do before Thanksgiving and then one after.

Well we put 3 more lambs into the freezer. That makes me nervous, the freezer is about 22 years old and with all that meat. My husband says he will have the generator sitting next to the freezer for power outages which we get a lot. We had one a few years ago for 13 days. Talking about "Hard Times". Mostly they are a full day or so. I can't figure out why they have such trouble with utilities. I called once and they said they had an abundance of rabbits getting into the boxes and there were 16 boxes from town to my place that needed to be looked at. I just let that go by!

My husband is getting ready to go to out of town again. I shouldn't be upset because he doesn't travel like he use to. I remember up North when he claimed we had a mild winter. My girls and I wanted to slug him because we had to wrap all the pipes and still had frozen pipes all the time, took turns running in and out of the house to feed the animal, I think you could only be out there a few minutes at a time. He had been out of town for most of that winter somewhere in the South or California and even Hawaii. Yea right a mild winter!

Well tomorrow is my craft ladies day. We meet at someone's house(eat mostly) and quilt. I have been working on the same block most of the year so it might end of being a placemat instead of a quilt.

I hope all is well with you guys, I think of you often. Blessing, Debbie at Bountiful

-- Anonymous, October 14, 2002


Good Evening,

I am sitting here by myself. Hubby is on a business trip and girls are in college. I walked part of our land today and just couldn't believe how beautiful it looks this time of the year. We have rolling hills and behind our homestead is 1500 open areas with absolutely no homestead so...wildlife is plentiful. I always get a little scare walking alone because you can get turned around and not see the home anymore and there is panthers, wild cats, bear, coyotes, timber wolves, deer and what scares me the most is wild boar because they attack, not to mention the rattlers and all. Anyway a hunting paradise! My family says I should take the gun but I really can't shoot. I sort of keep track of where the cattle are roaming and I know I am probably okay. The bull is nice (as nice as a bull can be) and the wild life stay away from him!

I must go to town tomorrow to drop off boxes at the UPS office in McAlester, OK. That is a 35 plus minute drive each way but I do need to see civilization from time to time, not just on Sundays.

Well all my lambs have been sold so the animal chores are down to winter size. Husband lined up all the hay bales and we fenced in the area so we can get the tractor out to feed animals but the animals do not have free choice to the hay. We do not start feeding for a while. In early Dec. or late Nov. we move the cattle to a pasture area near the house so we can feed grain everyday and move a hay bale for them. Up until then and all summer we feed only to count cows and see the new babies. We got a new one yesterday and he is so cute with those long legs, a little bull calf.

We built a two room dog house! Painted it red to match the house and the dogs are just staring at it. They slept on the grass last night staring at their new 2 room dog house! We did that because they tend to get upset with each other in the middle of the night so we thought if they each had their own room...well anyway...

I hope all is well with you all, Blessing from Bountiful Debbie

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2002


Well the dogs are not just staring at their new (hubby built) two room dog house. They're sleeping on top of it! I give up! Well, I am very lonely way out in the boonies by myself. Late last night the "indoor dog" started barking about 2:30 a.m. and I was scared too death. Of course I new it was because I have the place all lit up like a landing strip and it was upsetting the dog plus being alone with me upsets the dog too (she likes her daddy).

I managed to get a spot of lye on my ear (again) and after running it under cold water and using vinegar, I will be alright. Although, I will lose some skin on the ear for a few days. I am starting to get careless. When you make soap everyday you tend to not take some of the precautions you should. Like not wearing gloves when cleaning out the pot. I feel like I have lost my fingerprints! Well, back to the gloves, goggles and all.....

I've received several phone calls for hay but with Bruce out of town I do not want to load the hay onto their trailers. I guess I could let them use the tractor but wish they would wait until Bruce is back home. I can drive the tractor but it is a rear loader and I never get the 3 prongs into the hay in the right spots. One person can't wait though, he absolutely has no hay to feed his many goats. Why on Earth would someone wait until they're out completely to look for hay.

I sure wish the rest of you guys would come back to the board. I miss you all. The tea breaks I get are not as interesting without a little reading to go along with it and I am afraid Diane is getting disappointed in us. She has done a great job and all we have to do is keep our journal up. I am very guilty about that because I tend to write just a little on the Chit Chat of the week and forget the journal. You know though, at some point in time when you read your year long journal you'll be happy you did it. It is a story of your life!

I hope all is well,

Blessings from Debbie at Bountiful

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2002


I can't believe all the Christmas stuff out. I am still thinking Thanksgiving. Did I miss something! I have to say it is beautiful on our piece of property at the moment. We have rolling hill with lots and lots of color and the sun is shining just right. I think God did that for me because I have been down. I haven't seen enough of my girls and I do not have neighbors plus all the soap shows I have been at is tiring. Then my husband works very hard on some political compaign that wore me out. That is all done though, I am going to work on getting the house pretty for the girls to come home for Thanksgiving. Then I will not see them until the 20 Dec. for Christmas break. My youngest will be home most of Jan. but my oldest plays for a Church by her University on Sundays and Wednesdays so she'll be back and forth. Well we started to feed the cows grain every other day. I had to drive into town and bring back a ton of feed. That is fun because I can only go straight with the horse trailer and there were 3 turns to make. I think I closed my eyes! My husband is out plowing up some ground because we are going to plant another 100 blueberry plants in Feb. and another 200 Christmas Trees next March. Our plan is when he can retire everything will be ready for a Christmas Tree Farm. We already have opened up a Blueberry U-Pick (small one) but it did do well. If he doesn't get in the proper irrigation for next summer I think I'll run away!! As it has been, I spent 2 hours every day of my life watering plants!! He has promised, so I guess I should just have faith................ I hope all is well with you guys. I read Sher and it was nice to see you back. It must be nice that Diane and Cora Vee can get together. I would give anything to have a few of you by me. Oh Diane, I started my second block on my quilt. I have a feeling I will be doing place mats instead at this rate! Blessing to all, Debbie at Bountiful

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2002


Good Morning to all - One of my daughters comes home tonight and the other tomorrow nite. I must get all their Christmas presents from my parents off the floor and try to find a "secret hiding place". Every year I ask my parents not to buy so much and not to send it so early, but my Mom cries thinking I don't want her stuff so I guess I better be quite. I have always wanted a "Little House on the Praire Christmas" but commercialization gets into it every year. I realize the present thing is with the 3 Kings but don't you think it kind of grown and that meaning is lost!!! I realize that Christians should have a solitute time everyday worshiping the Lord but wouldn't it be nice to actually have a Christmas type of occassion that was "just" about worshiping and showing thanks.

Well, I think we are set up. I have the hay bails into 3 locked in areas that the cows can't get into. Although, I am sure Charlie the Bull can if he chooses too! I have two areas for feeding grain, which the cows are now coming to every nite so we can count them. The way the land is that it is valleys through rolling hills and you have to find the cows sometime on horse back but..if they think food they come to you.

Anyone out there with chickens. Mine stop laying eggs. They are through with their molting, I have a heat lamp on, a clean run and clean hen house plus plenty of food and water. Why don't they lay eggs? My husband says they know they don't have to because they still are going to get food and water!

I hope all have a nice Thanksgiving and are with plenty of family. Seeing my babies is all I need.

Blessings, Debbie

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2002


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