Hello friends. I need your help.

I need your help. I've run out of ideas to help the go fund me account.

An Anonymous donor has proposed a Memorial Day challenge to match any donations made on the Memorial Day weekend in honor of the combined service of the family that was in the house at the time of the tornado up to $3,000. That being:  Linda Gremillion 20 Years US Air Force, Ken Gremillion 16.5 Years US Air Force plus 18.5 Years as a Civil Service Employee of the US Navy supporting the USMCs war effort in Iraq, and Robert Gremillion 6 Years US Army with 2 tours of combat duty in Iraq. This is a total of 61 Years of service to the United States of America.

If you could help get this out, I would greatly appreciate it. thank you.

As a reminder.

Go fund me to help with recovery costs.

Thank you and God bless and protect you all.

So we put in a new vent

for our stove.

We looked long and hard for a vent like the old one when hubby grew up in this house, but they are just not made any more.
So we bought a new vent to go with the new hood we're going to be putting in.

Hubby had to cut through the wall of the farmhouse, of course. I managed to save two pieces. The third fell between the walls.

The reason so many old houses survive so long? They are made with double walls. Double wood walls. Walls on the inside, and walls on the outside. When my brother came out to help us last time, he said he couldn't build a house like ours. The cost would be prohibitive.

I should have taken more pictures, but I was busy helping hubby. I did take a few though.

This is what 100+ year old cypress wood looks like. :-) The wider piece is from the outside. The narrow piece is from the inside.

They used tongue and groove back then. Stupidly, I forgot to take a picture of the 'tongued' wood;

But I do have a couple of pictures of the grooved inside wood.

Doesn't it look amazing? Very well cut, I'd say.

The outside is... lap board, I think it was called? The boards were placed bottom to top, each board overlapping the previous one.
They were ... sorry. Words don't come as easily as they used to. But here's how the outside boards were formed.

That looks pretty well done to me, even without modern routers.

Hope you all have a safe New Year's Eve, and a wonderful New Year. ♥

Home again, home again, jiggety jig.

I think I mentioned we were going to North Carolina? Sorry if I forgot, but yes, we went to North Carolina. We were gone a week.
We needed to talk with the company that is renting out our other house. And of course we needed to see our boys. We had heard that our two youngest had lost their jobs; but we hadn't heard from them.

We took money from my husband's retirement account for the trip. Paid a penalty, but it was worth it. Found out our youngest boys are doing okay. They had not wanted to worry us. They did everything they could to make ends meet. Collected aluminum cans, scrap metal, and found a food bank. The rental agency worked with them to keep them in their apartment. The same agency handling our house for us. We are very grateful and I thank God for that. They didn't tell us everything, but they did explain that they didn't tell us because they knew I would worry.

They're right, too. But the middle son is going to college now. Between his Pell Grant, and the G.I. Bill, he said they are doing okay. The youngest boy is looking for work. We believe he has Aspergers. He does really well at jobs, and then loses them. I gave him some information and hopefully he will look into it as much as he can with no income.

We are very proud of all of our sons.

This is our oldest boy, our granddaughter through marriage, and our daughter-in-law.

He went with his wife when she went to England. While there, he got a job at Boots. Right before he left, he got his certification to be a pharmacy dispenser. He enjoyed the job so much that when they came back to America, he decided he wanted to become a Pharmacist. He did two years at the local Community College and won a full scholarship to Chapel Hill University, where he is taking classes to get his Pharmacy degree.
We are really proud of him.

Our other boys. The Iraq war vet on the left, and our youngest on the right.

They are sharing an apartment. Our veteran told us last year that he would 'take the youngest boy off our hands', to help him grow up. I know he didn't intend it to happen the way it did, but we are very proud of them for getting through a very tough time. I kind of wish they had told us though.

My thoughts are with those in the Midwest and the terrible snow storm last week.

Hope you have all been well. Will try to catch up. It's nice to be home again. Have a wonderful, blessed weekend!

I missed St. Patrick's Day

We've been really busy. I've had little time on the internet. I've fallen behind on so many blogs, sorry. I only just realized that yesterday was St. Patrick's Day.
Hubby did not have his surgery today. He had to get approval from his heart doctor and today was the earliest they could get him in.
Now we wait and see if the doctors do their parts. He is not going to contact anyone. He would like to put it off until July.
We've been trying to get things done that he wants done before his surgery.
He made his first screen door this week. It's a learning process, but it should fit the kitchen door that others replaced.
We've been living in the house.
He wants to use old air conditioners that will be energy hogs. I want fans in all the rooms, but we need dozens of window screens.
So we'll see how it goes tonight with just fans. We may sleep in the trailer on hot nights. It's a smaller area to cool.

Here are some pictures of my messy kitchen...

That big pan between the sink and the stove is my rinsing pan, since I only have one sink.
Then there's the pantry. The shelf on the left was beaten into submission by the hubby. ;-)

Hubby says these little red flowers are red clover.

And these pretty little yellow flowers are blooming all over, too.

Hope you are all doing well! I hope to have more time sometime! God bless and have a wonderful week! ♥

No thanks to you, Mr. Frost

I know we got too early a start, but with all the feed stores, grocery stores and box stores having plants, (as well as hubby getting itchy fingers) we planted. With a predicted freeze, I covered the plants I thought most tender.
But Mr. Frost had other ideas.
We may have lost 3 of 4 tomato plants. The grape plants have had a set back, as have the bell pepper plants.
The broccoli didn't notice the weather.
The potato plants are a little wimpy, but we're pretty sure they'll recover fine.
The apple and pear trees seem none the worse for the cool night.
Oddly, the sunflower plants seem to be doing okay as well.

We found our bed frame and got our bed set up in the house, but we can't sleep in a 40 degree house, so we're still in the trailer.
Monday night might be 60!
So we may try sleeping in our bed Monday night, we'll see.
We did buy a small, electric space heater, so maybe we'll give that a try.

I lost a day or two somewhere.
Trying to get the tax stuff sorted too.
I think that's all I know right now, but that could be wrong, too, haha!

Have a blessed week, everyone!

Thursday Things

We got the toilet installed. After three leaky tries, we decided the toilet we bought at Habitat must have a hidden flaw. We bought a new toilet at a box store, and it went on first try.
Then the tub leaked.
And we couldn't get the drain to screw on to the pipe properly. So we took it apart and glopped RTV (Silicone sealer) all over both parts and screwed the drain part back in.
We also tightened some nuts on the piping.
After two days of leaving it sit, hubby had his first bath.
He really enjoyed it. :-)
He showed the images from his CT scan to the VA doctor he saw on Tuesday, and the VA doctor said it looked like he tore 2 tendons in his right shoulder. He has an appointment in March with some specialist to review the pictures. He probably will need surgery.
But he's been using his right arm. Quite a bit, actually. He does have limits, but he can use it. He said he's going to question the specialist a lot and not just jump into the surgery.

That celery plant in the garden I showed you last post? It's dying. And that little broccoli plant is not going to survive either. But the others?
We're going to have fresh broccoli in another month or so. :o)



These photos were taken a couple days ago on my phone.

Have a great day, everyone!

Let's see if blogger will be nice

And I'll try for my first post of the new year.

I am one of those people trying to grow celery from the heel. In my red neck planter, as you may remember.
Here are some updated photos of the celery.

It hasn't grown much more than others I've seen. After I rooted it in water, I transplanted it to the 'planter'.
Since it's an experiment, I'm not too worried if it doesn't grow - but I know it needs a long growing season.

And a shot of some of the 'store' garlic bulbs.

We have been getting a lot of rain. It just starts drying, and then we get more. It's mostly rained since Christmas, if I remember right. We've had a few nice days, but the ground hasn't really dried out, so I haven't been able to get many more pecans.

We do have... daffodils? Narcissus? Paper whites? Blooming. Growing wild, like the spider lilies.

And these little purple trumpet-shaped flowers.
Oops, sorry. Let me get this finished.
The purple flowers.

And these little yellow flowers haven't been bothered by the rain and cold either.

Hubby is feeling a little better, so hopefully some things in the house will go quicker. The kitchen is a mess, so you only get a couple of pictures...

My sink.

We decided on a single bowl so we could get the deepest possible sink - and I'll probably still end up using the utility sink we're going to put in the laundry room, for the big gumbo pots and fryers.

And a close-up of the patter on our counter top. That was a disaster for another post, if I didn't tell you already.

Anyway, I think that really is it for this post. Not thinking too clearly tonight, I guess, or I wouldn't have published this prematurely.
Those of you down South here, stay dry! Those of you needing rain in some form, hope you get it!
And those of you who have seen too much rain, I hope you dry out soon!
Have a wonderful Wednesday! ♥

Thursday things

In an old house that has supposedly has had a termite contract for 30+ years, this is not what you want to find in the bedroom...

That's hundred year old cypress, and then some, since we don't know exactly when the house was built.
And termites are not supposed to like cypress.
The termite company did verify none of this is active, and was probably caused by the leaking roof. Apparently wet wood attracts termites, whether cypress, treated, or whatever.

There are a couple more places on this outside wall that we expect may have damage, too; judging by the water damage to the hardboard; but we haven't pulled those off yet.
The company will, of course, give extra attention to the outer wall in this area.
And hardboard is still made, so we won't have problems matching the other walls.

It has been very interesting to see how the room was done, while trying to remove the molding on the wall. For instance, the closet was added to the room after it was built, so we cut the molding level with the closet wall to minimize seams.

You all have a blessed, safe weekend. We're going to get some more pecan trees tomorrow.

No clouds or smoke today

Just a short update.

Things are proceeding slowly on the house.

We have harvested probably another 250 pounds of pecans since the post where I told you we sold 460 pounds. This is all done by hand (with a hand held picker) because all of our trees are too old and big to use a mechanical shaker on, even if we knew someone who had one.

My husband's back has been bothering him a lot more since we retired, understandably. It has bothered him for years, but with a desk job, he usually was okay after a cortisone shot. Now with all the clearing, roof repair, plumbing repairs and other various things; it is bothering him more. He is concerned he may need back surgery.

My biggest concern, after buying the house and seeing all the work needing to be done (4 years ago) was that we might be getting too old to accomplish it.

His knees have been bothering him more, too. He had outpatient surgery on one knee, oh, maybe five years ago? Maybe a bit longer.
The doctor mentioned knee replacement surgery then.
We were hoping not to have to go that route; but now I don't know.

Anyway. We have a bathroom about half finished.
We got the counters. One was measured wrong. Because we did not pay $900 to have them installed, we were told at the time we ordered them that any problems would be ours to deal with.
We paid $35 to have the Lowe's 'professional' measure the cabinets for the counter tops.
It has taken us a week of thinking and moving and measuring, and finally cutting a notch in one of the cabinets, to be able to get the counters to match so I could have a sink where it should be; without having to move all the major appliances.

I did complain to Lowe's, home office 3 days ago; and supposedly someone from the local office is going to call; but I am not holding my breath.
We have already come up with our own solution which we think will work (fingers crossed).

I've already told my husband we need to find other places to buy our lumber. There are several options, so hopefully it won't cost us a lot more. There's a lot of work to be done on the house yet.

So, that's why no updates and no pictures. I do still try to document things, but now that we are here, I see it every day.

I've also been in touch with the daughter of Eva-Lou Joffrion, who also grew up in this house back in the early 1900's. Nice times.

Have a wonderful, safe weekend!

It's raining, it's pouring

So we are under a severe thunderstorm watch.
We had a severe thunderstorm last night.
And this morning.

And a lovely rain a couple days ago that hubby and I shared in the house for a bit. It smelled really nice.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! ♥

Just a note to let you know we're still here.

Literally and figuratively.
We're doing okay. Trying to stay cool while trying to pack and not seeming to make any headway.

Hubby got sick right before bed, then felt better. With the heat, his lunch sat in his stomach for EIGHT HOURS. He told me "You'd think with everything I drank to stay hydrated, it would have flushed it out."
But at least he felt better when we went to bed.

We'll be on the road sometime tomorrow. And probably have to come back one last time to get the last of it. Seems like with all that we've already moved, packed, given away or tossed, we've barely made a dent.
How do you collect so much stuff?

We're getting a hotel room tonight so we can pack our bed.

38 years on Friday.

60 for me today.

He jokingly told me I was officially over the hill.

I told him I was not.

But this heat and humidity certainly lets me know I am not in my 20s any more.

If you celebrate the 4th, have a safe one! (And thank you for celebrating my birthday, Haha!)

If you don't, have a safe day anyway!

I may be out of touch for as much as a week or two, if we do have to make a second trip back to get the rest of our stuff, we're going to drop this load, get a night's sleep and come back.

Just know that I think about you all and hope you all stay safe and well.

God bless us, everyone. ♥

Tomorrow

is hubby's last day at work. He told me they usually expect you to take off at noon when you're retiring.
To top it off, there is some sort of function that is going to close a good part of the base for this afternoon, so he will probably be home in time for lunch.

We have a lot of things to do besides pack, so I have no idea how much online time I will have for the next couple of weeks.
I expect I will have some time, but who knows.
Hope you all take care and God bless. ♥

Oh, the pictures I promised you.

See you around!

We have lived in this house in NC

For almost half of our married life. 17 years. We celebrate 38 years in just under three weeks. 20 days.
What an anniversary present.

Hubby asked if we were going to the farm the first weekend of freedom. I said no, I figured we'd take a week to slowly get everything packed up. Hopefully everything. But maybe not. That is still under debate, haha. We may need a storage unit for a week or two.

And then we'd leave after his last payday. Our anniversary weekend.
Both of us driving a vehicle and pulling a trailer with stuff on it.

Crazy stuff that wakes you up at 3:00 AM.
Hubby woke up, too and neither of us could get back to sleep.

Just wanted to share these:









I've tried and tried to get a slip (branch, cutting, what-have-you) of this:



because my oldest boy gave it to me for Mother's Day many years ago, but the cuttings just don't root. At seven feet this year, I feel it's too large to move, and I wouldn't really want to leave a hole in the yard anyway. I've looked at different things on the internet and it seems they are not easy to propagate by cuttings.

I'm going to miss this bush.

Have a wonderful weekend. ♥

Our New Roof

House

And shed.

One less thing to worry about. Now to decide on paint.