We've slipped through a wormhole in time

It's about 1865 around our place this weekend. A Civil War reenactment group is here this weekend. They've set up camp on the property and we woke up to gun shots this morning (although not really louder than the first Saturday of deer season).

The men involved have come from North and South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and I heard rumors of someone from Kentucky. They spent months preparing for the weekend, including building a bridge across a stream on the property.

Shhhh...we snuck over to the Confederate camp with fresh eggs from our chickens. We put the eggs in a muslin bag because a styrofoam carton just didn't fit with the spirit of the day.

Steve, one of the guys, took lots of time with my children answering their questions, showing them his gear and letting them taste rations. My 9-year-old son loved it! I think we can call this a school day at our homeschool.

Um, ignore the anachronistic car in the background.

And Frodo the Wonder Yorkie has been captured by The Cousin Who Shall Not Be Named.

Nice Morning in the Swamp

Funny thing about chickens, they want fresh water and food. Every day. Rain, shine, cold, hot, it doesn't matter to the selfish little critters. So, some days going out to take care of them is not a pleasant experience. My hands get cold when I have to thaw their water and refill the container with fresh water. Rainy days are about as bad; have you ever walked around a WET chicken pen? Eeeeeewwwww. The summer isn't too bad, if I go out early enough, before the temperature gets too high.

But then there are days like today. The sun was just getting over the hill and peeking through the pines. The temperature hovered around 40F degrees, so, cool enough for a sweater but not cold enough to freeze the water. My nine-year-old son brought the waterer down the hill from the chicken coop for me to fill and return.

I filled the waterer and carried it back to the coop, escorted by Frodo the Wonder Yorkie. I tossed some feed into the yard for the hens and left them happily scratching around, clucking and munching.

These ARE the good old days.

Nook Cover

I love my new Nook e-reader! It's very convenient for taking reading material anywhere I go and I can take loads of "books" without having to bring a huge tote bag (although Bede Sisters has some great totes!).

The pattern for my nook cover came from a great etsy seller, Birdiful Stitches. She has several patterns for nook/kindle/ipad covers and the patterns are delivered right to your email inbox.

Any new projects at your place?

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Hmmm, the north side of the tree, maybe?

"We are all human beings," Mma Ramotswe had once observed to Mma Makutsi, "and human beings can't really help themselves. Have you noticed that, Mma? We can't really help ourselves from doing things that land us in all sorts of trouble."

Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith

So, what are you reading?

Getting Organized-A Little

I found a nice pattern when I was browsing at a fabric store recently. It's for a fabric organizer that fits around a mug. I confess. I didn't follow the pattern exactly. (Okay, I hardly looked at it, once I cut the fabric.) So, it doesn't fit a standard coffee mug, but it DOES fit a tall glass mug that I happened to have.

I like it this way. What do you think?

Repairs to our bathroom

At last! Our bathroom is being repaired from the water damage last month. A pipe burst in the upstairs bathroom, sending a stunning amount of water running down the walls of the master bathroom. All the moulding is being replaced and the room is being repainted.

Aw, shucks! I can't clean the bathroom this morning.

Again? Really?

It's snowing. In the swamp. Again.

We've been told that if we want to play in the snow, we should do it this morning. Later, the fluffy white stuff is going to turn into little balls of ice and after that, to a glaze on everything.

The nice thing about snow in the south is that nobody expects us to go anywhere. We have very few snow plows or sand/salt trucks; no one has chains for their tires or a snow shovel. Therefore, we stay home. And we like it that way.

Eat up, Jinx. You could use the extra insulation right now.

A Fabulous On-line Tea Shop

I just wanted to let you all know about the best tea shop on the web, in my humble opinion. It's called Dream Weaver Shop and they are on Etsy. I've tried several of their teas and have been impressed with all of them. Customer service is wonderful and shipping is lightning fast.

The Earl of Mint tea is very good and it is just what it sounds like--earl grey tea (what could be better?) blended with mint. Ahhhh....

Dream Weaver's Southern Peach Green tea is perfect for the southern belle in you--delicate green tea with a bit of peach.

I've saved the best for last, the Chocolate Chai Tea. And, yes, it has actual chocolate in it. Just savor that thought for a moment... chocolate in your tea.

Okay, now go to Dream Weaver's shop and order some tea.

You're welcome.