Summer is flying

Can you believe this weekend is the fourth of July weekend? The summer is flying by. Other than the trip to Gettysburg nothing much is happening around here except work and sleep. We do find time to do some geocaching, but after what happened last weekend we are putting certain area's on hold until winter when the bugs die. Unfortunately we managed to find a nest of Chiggers, or I should say they found me. Just look at my back and under arms. I am eat up with bump. I have bites where I shouldn't have bites and won't talk about in polite company.

The bumps are slowly getting better, but now I have scabs and bad bruising from the intense itching especially around the top of my thighs and tummy area. If you saw my there you would swear someone had beat me. Needless to say we won't get around any more bushes, woods or pine needles for a long time. And no we were not naked in the woods ha ha. I had just failed to spray myself down with bug killer. I laid down on the pine straw to search for a container in some thick bushes..
Ok enough on that. I am sure everyone is itching by now..ewwww

Did I tell you we got a kitten? I think I might have mentioned it in a previous post. His name is Smokey and he is about three months old. The people across the street from us have the mommy and they were/are living outside.He has adjusted well to being an inside cat as you can see from the photo below.

Him and our other cat Bella have finally become friends and sleep and play well together. Speaking of sleeping my daughter and I talked last night about my youngest grandson. It seems he is going through a very bad stage. He is throwing temper tantrums every evening and she is really having a hard time settling him down for bed. He is 16 months now and has had a real problem adjusting to day care this last few months since she went back to work. I feel so helpless not living close to her now. It takes me about an hour to get to her so I can't just pop in and help with the kids.  On the bright side she plans on bringing the kids out to see me this weekend. We will probably have a early 4th of July bbq and just relax and hang out. I hope all of you will have a great weekend too, and I will try and update again soon.

Yes, it's me!

Hello blog world. I can't believe I have let another month pass without blogging. I told you I am bad *giggle*. Actually things are going ok. My sweetie and I just got home from.....you guessed it. My favorite place. Gettysburg PA.  We only had time for a quick weekend camping trip, but really enjoyed the time we were there. We had bought a new tent and thankfully it didn't leak, because we got a little afternoon rain both days.

Here we are putting it up

 

All moved in (notice a smart woman never goes anywhere without her purse)

While in town we got a chance to do a little geocaching http://www.geocaching.com. We had read about this one ahead of time and I was very excited to be able to visit this old cemetery. Some of the graves there went back to the Revolutionary war. We also found a cache at this old barn. It was used as a hospital for the southern soldiers after the battle.

Of course we also took time to visit the battlefield and on this trip we decided to stop by the monument that is dedicated to the brave men from Alabama. I recently learned that an ancestor of mine fought in Gettysburg with the 13th Alabama (read more about this unit here) http://history-sites.com/civilwar/units/5albn/Beginning%20Gettysburg.htm

He was a great great (how ever many greats) Uncle of mine, so that answers a lot of questions as to why I feel so drawn to Gettysburg. Thankfully did survive the war.

The weekend went to quick and unfortunately we did not have time for a ghost walk this year, but maybe next time..

I promise to try and update more often and will try read some of your blogs soon

No Excuses

I am really really bad about this blog. When I started it a few months ago I thought I would update more often. The only excuse I have is I really am not in a place in my life *YET* where I can talk a lot about my personal life. As you may or may not know I am going through a divorce as is my sweetie. To be perfectly honest I can't trust that his soon to be ex-wife won't get access to this blog like she did my former one and raise all kinds of havoc. For a while she was stalking me, copying everything I said on the Internet and mailed it to me under stupid names for return addresses. She admited to the letters and actually my sweetie had her arrested at one point. So far she is being good, but being good only means she is being silent. It doesn't mean she isn't plotting. I will be back to update, but have to find time to sit down and find something to blog about that won't set off the wicked witch if she reads it..Be patient..I'm around

Playing catch up

Wow am I behind on my blogging. I swear every time I sit down at the computer I find a thousand other things to do besides write in this poor neglected blog. Not a lot to update but here is what I've been doing.

Don't you love the little fish! I had not been fishing in years so my boyfriend and I took a day off to relax. This was my "big cactch"
Not much else in that lake so we took off to Newport News to my daughter's home and grabbed my grandkids and went to a different area.
As you can see the lake here is quite nice.

My oldest grandson Cody managed to catch several fish while Noah watched from the comfort of his stroller. All in all we had a great day

I think I have mentioned before that my boyfriend and I are avid http://www.geocaching.com geocachers. We go out to find the little hidden treasures every chance we get so last weekend we went to our local downtown area. i was so thrilled when I realized the cache was hidden in of all places an old cemetery. Now you followed me on my older blogs you know that I LOVE old cemeteries.

Saint Paul's Episcopal Church also known as (Borough Church) is a historic church in Norfolk, Virginia. Built in 1739, it is the sole colonial-era building which survived the various wars that Norfolk has witnessed. The church has played host to several different denominations throughout its history. Originally an Anglican church, the building was home to a Baptist parish in the early nineteenth century and was finally converted back into an Episcopal church.

 Just take a look at some of the old grave markers

In wartime

Cannonball in the wall of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church

Following his defeat at the Battle of Great Bridge, Lord Dunmore attacked Norfolk from the sea as he fled Virginia on January 1, 1776. In retaliation, patriots set fire to the homes of loyalists; however, the fire became unmanageable, and nearly the entire town was destroyed by the flames. The church was the only major building in the city to escape substantial damage in the assault,though a cannonball (purportedly fired by the Liverpool)did strike its wall.^[By the 1830s, the cannonball was no longer embedded in the wall. However, it was discovered buried in the yard of the church, and returned to its original resting place in the 1840s, and remains there today.During the Civil War, the building acted as a chapel for the Union army, and was returned after the surrender of Robert E. Lee, though it required extensive repairs.
Visiting the church while in Norfolk during World War II, Lord Louis Mountbatten is reputed to have said that Dunmore's cannonball "damn near missed" its target.

All in I really enjoyed the visit.

In my next post I will tell you about the rest of the day

Time to catch up

Hello Blog World. I really didn't get lost. It just seems that every time I plan to sit down and write a post something gets in my way. I'm off today so maybe I can finally catch up. Life is good here in the hood (trailer hood), no drama and almost bordering on the edge of dull ha ha. I'm thankful for boring since things could be much worse considering all the bad weather that hit here last week. Tornadoes ripped into North Carolina and parts of Virginia hitting the town of Gloucester and killing three. One of my co-workers lives there, and thankfully was not hit. I was working at the mall late that night and I don't mind telling you I was a bit nervous. Where  I work is about 30 miles from it and that is to close for comfort. My house is 30 miles in the other direction but my boy friend said the trailer did some rocking. Whew. Anyway with that behind us the weather is finally trying to clear up and make way for spring. The azalea bushes are in full bloom

As you can see the yard needs some work, but I'm just happy to have one. It's been over 15 years since I have had a space to call my own. My side yard has a few things growing (including these little trees seen here that have to be cut down)

Hopefully by fall we will have this area boxed off and mulch put in. I am trying to get phlox to grow on the other side and will take some photos of it next time.

Miss Bella Kitty (Isabella named from the Twilight movie) has taken a liking to the porch and wants to spend her days when I am home out there.

I can't say that I blame her, as it is becoming a favorite of mine too..

  Well gang that is about all the news around here, just wanted to check in. I need to get my self motivated. I hear laundry calling my name. I need to finish it up and start cooking tonight's dinner (spaghetti) so when my honey gets off work we can get in a bit of geocaching before dark. I hope everyone has a lovely day and a blessed Easter Sunday.

Things that make me go Hmm

My first bill for my cable/telephone came today, and I have to tell you that I was a bit taken back by the amount. It was almost double what I had expected. When I called to question why I had an extra 50 dollars due I was informed that it was a "standard" charge for installation. Hmmmm I thought to myself. isn't it funny that the young lady who set up the appointment and quoted me the price when I went in to ask for installation just "forgot" to mention that they charged this. Not a good way for the local company to do business in my eyes. I live on a very tight budget and now I have to pay out money I had not counted on.  Oh well guess it has to be paid.
On the bright side I am enjoying my week off, but it is going much to fast. I can't believe it is Friday already. I did manage to get out in my yard and plant some gladiolus bulbs. I hope they come up this year. The yard itself is in as bad of shape as the trailer was when we moved in and I know it will be next spring before it is in any kind of shape. I just don't understand why it is that some people do not take pride in there home and yard. Just because this is a trailer park and not a million dollar neighborhood is no excuse. I won't even begin to talk about how run down some of the homes in here are. Each to there own I suppose but I don't plan on living like I am a slum somewhere. Ok enough said.
My mom and my son came for a visit a few days ago. Mom had not seen the trailer at all and my son had not seen it since before we moved in. He couldn't believe how much we had done to it. He really didn't want me to buy it when he saw it the first time, but I think now he is feeling different about it.  Mom of course sat with me on the couch and dreamed of laminate wood floors throughout and pretty white kitchen cabinets. I guess it must be a girl thing.
My sweetie and I have managed to get in a little geo-caching this week. We always have fun with that, and have plans this evening to attend a pot luck for the local cachers in our area. Last I checked about 100 people had signed up to go. I got up early this morning and baked corn muffins. Chili is the main dish for tonight along with some awards for how many finds people have done. It should be fun.
Tomorrow morning will find us on the road, we are heading to North Carolina for the weekend to visit David's sister and her family. It's suppose to be a beautiful weekend and I am looking forward to the trip. We will be back late Sunday night. I still have Monday off but then it is back to the real world. I'm not ready. Sigh!

Anyway I have been trying to remember the last few post to put a couple of photos of the inside of my house on here so everyone can see what it looked like before what it looks like now so here they are..Catch you in a few days

Living room walls before

dirty carpet and walls (before)

This was my bedroom wall

Had to replace all the plugs they were falling out of the wall

Looking at the same front door with walls painted

Where did the nail holes go?

Wow we have a clean kitchen

Just a few of my chickens

Pitter Patter

I woke up this morning to the sound of the wind and rain hitting against the trailer walls and roof. Both are made of metal, and when the rain hits them your going to wake up. It makes it sound much worst than it really is. Even though he has been gone 6 years now My first thoughts when I woke up were of my dad. As I was growing up I can always remember him talking about how much he loved the sound of rain on a tin roof. I suppose it made him think of his own youth growing up in rural Georgia. My grandparents were share croppers and I think now what a hard life they must have lead. They moved thirteen times while raising two daughters and a son. I'm sure most of those old houses they lived in had tin for the roof. Cracks in the floor boards and fireplaces to keep warm. While I don't have cracks in the floor, or sadly a fireplace (since I would love to have one). I do have a metal roof. I think it is a bit stronger than tin, but metal neither the less. These thoughts took me to my porch where I sat for several minutes with my cat Bella, just listening, thinking about my life and how blessed I really am. I have a place to live, I have food, I have a man I am deeply in love with, I have two children and three beautiful grandchildren. Life is good.  With all of today's modern conveniences I think most of us take simply things like a warm home for granted. If we want heat we simply hit a switch. Air, just push the button, pick up the phone and talk to a friend. Or turn on the computer and find out what is going on around the world.  While I would be lying if I didn't say I enjoy this life, I do long sometimes to live in a different time. One where you grow your own crops, raise your own chickens and sit and listen to the rain on the roof. Instead I hurry, hurry hurry.  Thank you daddy for coming into my thoughts today so I could slow down.

Vacation has arrived

I'm on vacation this week. Yeah. I'm so happy. I haven't had any time off to call my own in a very long time. I have EIGHT glorious days off to do absolutely nothing in. Of course that is not going to happen because  I have a list a mile long that I want to accomplish this week. Things I simply must get done, so if I know this why am I finding myself laying on the couch being lazy. There is still a mountain of boxes in my spare bedroom that need to be unpacked and sorted out. Clothes to be hung in the closet and laundry to be done. I have books that need a home and dust bunny's giving me the evil eye. Well you get the idea. I need to motivate. I need caffeine . I need to move, ugh. Ok first step, sit up, ok that wasn't do hard. Now put both feet on the floor..Oh that was a bit harder. Stand up, put one foot in front of the other, head down the hall. Pretend I am the little  train engine going up that hill. I think I can I think I can, I know I can..ok. I'm up. Later everyone.....

Where did it go

Spring played tricks on us this year. It came for a quick visit then ran back into a cold dark cave somewhere to sleep awhile. In it's place came rain and cold. Brrrr. When we bought the trailer we knew that the heat and air was not working. In its place are several electric heaters. This work great and keep us nice and cozy, Hopefully the window unit that is in our bedroom for air and the ceiling fans will work equally well for summer. If not we are going to be wishing for the cold cave. On the bright side I have flowers coming up in the yard. Since this is our first spring here I have no idea what they are other than some kind of bulb planted and forgot about by the previous owners. I suspect in the next few days (If Mr. Sunshine ever decides to join us again) that they will bloom.  I work tomorrow, but then I am on vacation for about 9 days. I have some daffodil bulbs I got from my mom and plan on putting them along the side of the trailer closest to the street, then plant some gladiolas in the flower bed. Hopefully this time next year we will be a sea of beauty in the "hood".
Also we have plans to do a little geocaching this weekend. If your not sure what that is look it up at http://www.geocaching.com. We have so much fun with it, and it keeps us on our toes trying to find these treaures. We are trying for our 100th find. I will let you know how we do

Life On The Super Highway

It's amazing how spoiled I was to the Internet and didn’t know it. I have been on line on and off for about 20 years now and have come to depend on my computer for everything from a simple chat with a friend to checking my bank account. When I made the move to “the trailer-hood” I didn’t have money to hook back up right away. Finally today I got a house phone and internet installed. Woo hoo. Now I am riding on the super highway again. To bad I still can’t find an insurance company. GROWL