Tuesday, June 28, 2011 AM

It's been quite a while sinse I've posted.  There are too many reasons to go into it all now, but 'password problems' are leading the list of reasons why.
Elaine told me she missed my posts, so I need to post more regularly, I suppose.
I went to Dr. Duck a week ago, and he found some growths on my throat, which he thinks are serious enough to have me see a throat surgeon.  I guess they're going to cut my throat.
I see the surgeon on Thursday, and Penny Baily, my new Girl Friday, is taking me.  She's afraid that I'll 'chicken out' and not go.  It's tempting, but I want to get this over with.
I've learned lately that Sharon Weirwill, an old friend from the '2X2's has stage 3b lung cancer.  She has never been around smoking or the use of tobacco at any time in her life.  My mother died of lung cancer, and she did not smoke, either.
Sharon had been a special singer at funerals for many years, both because of her considerable skill and her sweet spirit.  She is in our prayers.
Evelyn Kidwell died two weeks ago, and I flew the flag at half-staff for her, but the family did not want anything done to commemorate her passing.  They rebuffed the offers of food from Connie Fain and Lois Kitts, two good neighbor ladies (Watson Lane was named for their father).
Steve Kidwell told Barbara (here's your mention, Barbara), that he didn't want anyone coming to offer condolences.  She was cremated.
The house is going well now.  I had to fire S2 and Chris Dailey, as they were sitting around talking instead of working.  Penny is now the supervisor over the restoration project, and she's a whiz!  She FINDS work to do, and she is good at lighting fires under the men-folks to get the work done.
Randy, a son-in-law of Elaine, is working now, and he's doing a great job.  He's really smart about project knowledge, and he works at getting along with Penny and Kerry, Penny's husband.
Kerry is an excellent wood woodworker, and Randy is a good plumber, but neither of them are afraid of tackelking any job that needs done.
It's a world of difference there now.
We've got the new, beveled-glass window set above the windows in the right front bedroom, and they let in a LOT of light.  They are stunning!
We've got the sub-flooring in the upstairs sunroom, and it steadies the floor a lot more.  I'm getting anxious to get the smooth-surface material put down, and start the tiling.
I think we're going to have to lose a large wiondow upstairs in the sunroom, to make room for a wall for the bath, but there will still be lots of light..
We had a calf the other day, and it's doing well.  I guess it was born Saturday or Sunday, when I was sick with the flu, and couldn't get out to see what all was going on around the farm.
I was down all week-end with the flu, and felt terrible.
Penny gave me a shot of Penicillin yesterday, and I'm lots better today.  I still don't feel well, but better.
Cherokee brought me a new kitten last week, and she's as sweet as can be.  I've named her Sweety, and she has stolen my heart.  She's not Yoda, but she's a dear, and I'm considering keeping her in the house.  I didn't think I'd ever want another house cat, but she's so sweet and affectionate, and she's nice to cuddle with at night when I'm tired.
Dennis Acuff got me some crumbled asphalt from a bridge construction project to fill in the front yard at Creekside, and it raised the level of the yard about 3 feet.  That will make a LOT less fill dirt I'll have to buy to make the yard level.
I was walking down there one evening, burning brush, and looked down to see a dime.  It didn't feel right, but Clarence Singleton said it was really a dime.  I couldn't read the print on it.  It's a 1906 aluminum dime, and is very rare.  I wonder what it's worth.
We're finding all kinds of funny things about the house, and it's a surprise to us when we see them.  I'll have to up-date on them at another time.
I need to get off this computer and get to working onmy day, but I'll post more often, I hope.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I guess I'd better post, or Barbara will have some sort of coniption fit, not being mentioned in print for so long.
The flag on the bluff at Clairemont is at half-staff today, in comemoration of the death of our good friend and neighbor, Evelyn Collins Kidwell. I met her shortly after moving out here to Grainger County, and we became friends right away.  She had been critically failing for several years.  There is to be no funeral or burial.
Sherry Denton's mother died on Sunday morning, also.  The recieving is tonight at a funeral home in New Market, I believe.
Some vicious animal got into my chickens and has killed them all.
I'm dispondant. 
I'm also sleepy, and I want to go back to bed.

Sunday PM

I haven't posted much lately for several reasons.
I've been busy (I'm Shocked, SHOCKED!), and I've been depressed.
The depression comes from the lack of effort Steve is expending toward the house and our farm, and the added effect that the rest of us workers are held back by the fact that the electricity is not finished, the plumbing is not finished, the walls cannot be closed back up, and the base boards cannot be put back in place.
I'm worn out, and I wonder if the depression is one of the contributing factors.

Will post more soon

I haven't posted in several days, but I will post soon to let everyone know what all has been happening.
Barbara is having a coniption fit because she hasn't been seeing her name mentioned by myself, so we must acconodate her.
Does someone out there have a life they can give her?
Lynn has been so ill that she can't post, and we ask prayers for her.
Steve has just been ill.
Thanks to Faune for her unflagging support, and to Elaine for all the praises for the work being done on the house.
I saw Peggy Corum Smith last night at the Down Home, and she asked for a tour of the house when it's finished.  It would be a great honor to conduct that fine lady around the house for a viewing.  She took music lessons there when she was a young girl, and she commented that it was so cold that Miss Lowe kept a heater under the piano.  I can believe that.
It won't be cold this next winter.

Friday, June 3, 2011 AM

Elaine told me I need to post more often.  I used to post every day, but I'm now so busy working at the new place, and trying to keep up with the work here at Clairemont.
I had a terrible migraine on Wednesday, so I couldn't assist with the loading of the cows to take to the auction.  Steve helped Ed Boling with then, and sent too many.
He could hump up a one-car funeral.
We had worked Tuesday night until 11:30 up at Creekside, and I think I was just exhausted.  I slept on and off all day Wednesday, and was so sick I couldn't get to the bathroom to throw up.  I had to keep a dishpan beside the bed.
I drank only a few sips of water and Diet Pepsi all day, and ate a half of a cookie.  I was as weak as a kitten Thursday morning, but I was able to get back into the swing of things (but very slowly).
Steve had picked up some corn for the birds on Monday, and had unloaded it at 9:00 Tuesday evening.  I asked him on Thursday morning if he had fed any corn while up at the bird houses, and he said that he had 'fed some'.  I went up there to find all the reservoirs empty, so I had to fill everything myself.
That made me late getting to Creekside.
Chaos reins when I'm not there, and nothing gets done.
Penny Bailey, the new girl, had mowed the yard with Steve's new weed-eater, and it looked pretty nice.  She said that the other workers had done very little while I was sick, and I could tell that it was the truth.
Late yesterday, Kerry, Penny's SO, came by and helped Penny and me hang the wall cabinets in the kitchen.  He did a masterful job, and the kitchen is taking shape now.
Steve told me that I should hire him to take over the management of the work site, and I want to.  All the workers are getting out of hand, and I can't be there all the time.
We saw Penny while at the Down Home for supper, and I asked her if he might take the job.  She thinks he might, and I'm planning to talk with him about it.
He had told Fern (at the Family Dollar) that my workers were taking advantage of me, and that I would have to get control again.
He sounds like he's the man for the job.
It would take a lot of stress off of me to have someone else manage the employees and the work load.
Last night, Steve said that he thought the ceiling in the dining room would have to have the plaster removed.  He's never seen such a project, but it's a dramatic sight, and a HUGE clean-up.
It comes down in huge, gritty, dusty chunks, and it's HEAVY!
Well, I guess I'll have a little more fill for the front yard.  Rah!
We'll have a lot more dust for the whole house, too.
Where's the Sudafed?