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Garden Gate:  Garden Adventures  |
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shunger
True Blue Farmgirl
224 Posts
Suzanne
Helena
MT
USA
224 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 28 2010 : 06:40:45 AM
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| Ladies, I've been busy at work and haven't checked in. My garden is winding down too, although I have great hopes for the squash still and the tomatoes. It was almost 100 on Thursday and int he 70's Friday. So it's strange weather for the crops. All beets and carrots are harvested. The sunflowers are beautiful, hoping to get snacking seeds. Squashes, summer and winter, are still growing. Onions are ready to gather and dry for storage ( I hang them in knotted pairs of old clean pantyhose legs)and we are harvesting potatoes daily. Suzanne |
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violetrose
True Blue Farmgirl
960 Posts
Ruth
Epworth
GA
USA
960 Posts |
Posted - Aug 28 2010 : 09:41:45 AM
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Peggy, Thanks for sharing that the Little things in life are really the big things. That is such a profound statement. Sometimes we get so caught up in the "doing" we forget to enjoy the moment. There are so many precious moments that we can miss if we don't "stop to smell the roses" along lifes path.
Kris, The wedding will be wonderful, enjoy ever precious moment you have with your DD as you prepare for her big day. I'll be there with you in thought and prayers! What time is it?
I picked a few tomatoes yesterday - and got chiggers! Ugh!!!! They are so bad this year.
Hugs, Ruth
Farmgirl Sister # 1738
God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us!
St. Augustine |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Aug 28 2010 : 1:47:26 PM
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PeggyAnn, you are so right about that. Thank you. I love little things. Like today. My DD and her 3 DD'a all came for a visit. That is just the strangest thing for me to say. A visit. They came, we had fun, and they left. Not just to go next door. But they all got in the car and drove away. To their own home. It was so neat. I never would have thought that was such a big thing but it is. The middle grand, Coryn, wanted to sew. I asked her if she'd like to learn to crochet. She said sure. So I taught her the chain. She did really good. I tried to show her mom but she jsut couldn't do it. This time. Maybe next time. Anyway, we had fun. The kids brought a cake mix, just because. So we made it and ate it without frosting. It ws so good.
Suzanne, I hope your tomatoes get ripe soon. They just have to. It sounds like you have had a good garden this year. And I like your way of doing the onions. If I ever get a good crop of onions, I will try that. Thanks. I have the huge mammoth sunflowers. They are all full of seeds. I will let them all dry out there then cut them all off and hang them up. I'll use them for the goats and chickens.
Ruth, I'm sure next week is going to be a busy time. I am so happy for them both. They have been together for 12 years off and on. More on than off really. Jason's a good guy. He just needs to grow up a bit more. I don't think I have ever had chiggers. I have 6 cousins though that would get them all the time when we were growing up. What do you do for that?
If I had a better mower, I'd just get out there and mow it all down. The weeds are so high though. I can mow around everything but that's it. Hubby needs to sharpen the blades and tighten the things that make them turn.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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shunger
True Blue Farmgirl
224 Posts
Suzanne
Helena
MT
USA
224 Posts |
Posted - Aug 28 2010 : 2:41:46 PM
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| Hi, on Garden Journals -- I keep one each year -- very informal in a spiral notebook. It has dirt marks in it and ink stains where it got wet. But it helps me remember when the first potatoes were ready, what kind of basil I planted and where I got the seeds. We mark out our gardens and show where all things are planted. I just do it freehand. My husband uses a nickel to make a circle for each kind of tomato. We've recorded summer snows and drought and hail. All the joys and trials of gardening go in. Suzanne PS. I'd like to tape in the seed packets this year. |
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shunger
True Blue Farmgirl
224 Posts
Suzanne
Helena
MT
USA
224 Posts |
Posted - Sep 01 2010 : 07:40:22 AM
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| We had a frost Monday night. My garden looks okay so I'm keeping my fingres crossed. Suzanne |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - Sep 01 2010 : 09:20:53 AM
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Wow Suzanne that seems like an early frost even for MT. Good Grief!
My garden is doing really good again since I went out and cut off all the big
leaves off my Zucchini and cut half of my tomatoes down. Now all the water is
going to the fruit and not the plant and everything is producing better.
My Zucchini plants had gianormous elephant ear size leaves. Biggest I had ever
seen. Kept the fruit too shaded from the sun actually.
Suzanne I can still see you in the Sunflowers....
Hugs to all My Garden Girls,
Peggy
Lady In Red
http://ladyinredsite.blogspot.com
A "SMILE" Should Be A Woman's First Accessory, Then Her Purse, Shoes, and Bling! ~p.smith |
Edited by - LadyInRed on Sep 01 2010 09:22:22 AM |
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Lida
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Lida
Rochester
NY
USA
157 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2010 : 7:02:50 PM
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Oh my, Suzanne has frost in Montana and we have a heat wave in New York State.
Update on my 2 gardens. First, my city garden at my home is still going strong. The cucumbers are done. I will pull them up this weekend and put some spinach in their spot, using square foot gardening technique. I have had a couple of bushels of tomatoes. I planted heirloom Amish Paste Tomatoes and I am very impressed with them! I will be saving the seeds for next year. Lots of green and red peppers, and I have pulled a couple of carrots and they look and taste so good. The potatoes are still lush. It is so tempting to dig up a hill to see if there are actually potatoes there! This is the first year I have grown potatoes.
My second garden, the country garden, is also coming along nicely. It is 4 hours away from my home so it has had to be low maintenance. The weeds weren't too bad, despite not being tended since the 4th of July; this garden is heavily mulched. I worked in it yesterday. The potatoe plants were all dried up so I dug up 25+ lbs of potatoes. I will dig the rest tmoroow aftenoon. I cut 6 huge heads of broccoli. Because of not living near this garden I almost missed any harvest of the broccoli. I composted one head that was blossomed but the others are still edible. I made cream of broccoli soup this evening from one of the heads. The green peppers are not doing so well- the sides towards the sunshine on most of them turned a whitish grey and got all soft and nasty. Some of the carrot shoulders were showing so I picked some tasty carrots. The tomatoes are still all green. The winter squashes are doing well. I have acorns, butternuts, delicata, and an heirloom whose name excapes me.
There are many farmers markets where I live. The one near downtown is huge (over 80 vendors) and I love it! It is open year round with local produce from local farmers. It was just voted the best large farmer's market in the US.
I enjoy reading about everyone's gardening adventures. Our local newspaper recently had a great article about a woman from India who is growing plants native to India in Rochester- very interesting. If I can figure out how to share the article I will post a link if anyone is interested.
Happy growing!
Lida |
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shunger
True Blue Farmgirl
224 Posts
Suzanne
Helena
MT
USA
224 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2010 : 05:44:32 AM
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Ladies, gardening in Montana is always a challenge (I suspect this is so in many places). Yesterday, it was in the high 70's here and beautiful. We dug up another hill of purple potatoes. Yum. I boiled them all and we ate some last night and tonight we'll eat the rest pan-fried with some of our onions. But the weather story unfolds and Sunday night I expect it to be cold enough to frost again -- snow is predicted at 7500 feet and while we are much below that -- it is supposed to be very cold and wet here tomorrow and Monday.
I'll gather sage and rosemary to dry. And I'm stocking up on tarps and blankets to cover the garden. Can't cover our huge sunflowers so we'll hope they do okay. Suzanne |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 05 2010 : 06:20:01 AM
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All your gardens sound like they are still producing. I think next week I will be doing apples. And I need to go on a pear hunt. I have to have some pears put up. I haven't done hardly any canning this summer and now am feeling the need to do some. I want to get some toamtoes to make sauce and ketchup. I feel like doing things now that the weather is changing. It's been too hot before.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - Sep 05 2010 : 3:50:10 PM
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My garden is still producing but very much slowing down. Still no ripe tomatoes yet but I think they
are close!
Pam...I went back to Barnes and Noble and bought me one of those Botanical Diaries. I talked them up
so much to you...that I sold myself on the idea. LOL Even though it is for 2011...I started from the
day I bought it. Writing stuff down about our weird growing Season etc this year and little reminders
about somethings I want to do differently for next year etc and when to do them etc. Then I will end in
Late August next year (journaling) just in time to buy another one. I know I am a little CRAZY but it
keeps life interesting. Ha Ha! Have you decided if you are going to do a Fall Garden or not?
Well, I am starving...here it is almost 4 pm and I haven't even eaten today. Chat with you all later.
Blessings,
~peggy
Lady In Red
http://ladyinredsite.blogspot.com
A "SMILE" Should Be A Woman's First Accessory, Then Her Purse, Shoes, and Bling! ~p.smith |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 05 2010 : 6:13:16 PM
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My 2 cow girls got in the garden this morning. It's ok because it's all done in there. I still have beets and potatoes to dig up though. And I hope to get the sunflowers before they do. But I do have my grape vines and blueberry and blackberry bushes in that area. They did nibble a few leaves of the grapes but so far haven't hurt them. SO I guess they can help clean it up in there for me. There is alot of tall grass in there. ANd the pasture where they have been is kind of drying up. SO I guess this is good for them. I will have to move them over to the other garden later. There isn't anything there that they can hurt. Except the turkeys. And hopefully they can get away before a big cow foot gets them.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - Sep 05 2010 : 6:54:49 PM
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Well Kris...when it comes time to clean my Garden out maybe I can borrow your two
cow girls. That is so funny! LOL A couple of years ago, I had two coyotes come and
clean mine for me. Now that was a little scary...as my older dog (the one we had to
put down this summer) wanted to fight with them. Those coyotes tore everything out
including the dirt...they just went nuts in there. I had to replace top soil the
next spring. They didn't touch anybody else's garden but mine and we have never seen
them back again.
Smiles & hugs,
~peg
Lady In Red
http://ladyinredsite.blogspot.com
A "SMILE" Should Be A Woman's First Accessory, Then Her Purse, Shoes, and Bling! ~p.smith |
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kittykill
True Blue Farmgirl
608 Posts
Pam
Portland
or
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - Sep 05 2010 : 8:54:54 PM
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Peggy-I need to get one. I've been thinking about it since you first mentioned it. Everything in my garden is winding down for the summertime. Next year we are planning on planting more. I can't wait. I'm missing all my lettuce!
www.fasterkittykill.blogspot.com
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violetrose
True Blue Farmgirl
960 Posts
Ruth
Epworth
GA
USA
960 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2010 : 12:17:54 PM
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Kris, The last time I was at the Farmers Mkt in Delano, they had big boxes of tomatoes for about $8 I think. They were beautiful. Don't know if they will still have them or not. Can't call them either - ugh.
Have you rested up yet?
Our garden is all done for this year. It was fun, however we didn't get much.
You gals in the west - enjoy your gardens as much as you can before the weather changes. Seems like the Garden Adventures thread was just started - and now it is almost Fall - oh my - time flies!
Hugs, Ruth
Farmgirl Sister # 1738
God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us!
St. Augustine |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2010 : 6:25:03 PM
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The cow girls only seem to be interested in fruit trees and bushes so far. Oh, and they did eat all the corn stalks. But this afternoon I looked out there and Mazie was on the other side of the fence separating the garden from the pear and apple trees. So I had to shoo her out of there and fix that fence. I have got to move them next door to the other garden field. It will have more for them to actually eat. And Roxie is going in the freezer pretty soon. That darn little heifer is too mean. I almost had to bash her brains in while I was fixing the fence. She kept trying to come at me with her head down. I don't know what's wrong with her anymore. She's just mean.
Peggy, I have never heard of a coyote doing that in a garden before. They must have been after something out there. That's strange. I'm glad they didn't get your dog.
Ruth, I need to go to that market soon. But will have to wait at least a few more weeks now. Trying to play catch up right now.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2010 : 10:05:58 PM
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Hey Farm Girls what are we going to chat about once are Gardens are all done for the Summer?
You'll have to hop over to the Virtual Porch and hang out there.
Hugs,
Peggy
Lady In Red
http://ladyinredsite.blogspot.com
http://pegsmiles7.wordpress.com
A "SMILE" Should Be A Woman's First Accessory, Then Her Purse, Shoes, and Bling! ~p.smith |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2010 : 07:24:58 AM
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howdy all, well it froze here and i was too dog tired to cover anything. lost a lot of zukes etc. well i am with kris whatever. milking and butchering are taking my time now. i have 45 fryers to get done. so if it grows great if not oh well for me peggy we talked a lot of soap last year in the winter.we can go to the porch and dream of summer warmth on our back as we plant new hope for a better summer in 2011. my tomatoes did survive the frost. they are a potatoe leaf variety. they are looking good. but who knows. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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kittykill
True Blue Farmgirl
608 Posts
Pam
Portland
or
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2010 : 07:33:13 AM
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Isn't it amazing the difference in just a few hours? I'm in Portland and it's cool and rainy here. Do you make cold process soap? We are planning our expanded garden for next year.
www.fasterkittykill.blogspot.com
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2010 : 3:58:25 PM
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I need to make some more soap soon. I want to try goat milk again in the lye. I burnt the first batch I tried and have been scared to try it again. I was reading where the milk has to be just thawed where it's still a little slushy before adding lyt to it. I will try a small batch. I make French milled soap where I make a soap base with the lye and oils then let it cure a few weeks then grate it and remelt it and add milk and scents. It takes longer but I like it and that's how I learned.
I got the cow girls over to the other side where I have the bigger garden field. They seem happy over there. The poor turkeys don't though. When I got home awhile ago all but 1 of the turkeys were in the other garden. But they are easy to get back in.
I want a fall garden. I want collards and turnip greens. And kale and brussel sprouts. But it's already too late for all that now. I will have to find a pick your own garden and get some greens.
And the 3 chickens I thought were hens are not. I heard a strange noise out back this morning and it was one of those chickens. So I probably have 3 young roos that will need to be butchered in a few months too. Plus 4 turkeys.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2010 : 09:19:10 AM
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I just pulled all the weeds out of one of the raised beds. I will go get some collard and turnip green seeds tomorrow and plant in there. Without a tiller it's hard to do too much. I have another raised bed I need to work on. At least I'll have some greens. I'd like some lettuce and spinach too.
It's nice out but I still worked up a sweat. I am also trying to pull all the grass growing along my border that I planted this spring. I have big rocks for the edging and the grass grows real thick there. So I am trying to get that looking good. My hubby is hardly ever here so can't weed eat alot. I can't work that big ole thing or I'd do it. But this is just as good. And I am pulling them out. The turkeys are out there right now and rooting around in the mulch. I can't have anything nice for all the animals. But it's my own fault for haing them free ranging.
So what are ya'll working on?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2010 : 09:53:36 AM
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Hey...working on No Garden Work Right Now, as it has been raining. But the rain did give me a chance
yesterday to sit at my computer and print out 84 pictures of my Neighbors beautiful flower garden. I love
to do photography...so, I told her I would take and print pictures for her free of charge...since we all
get to enjoy her hard work. She has a TRUE GREEN THUMB! and a Bottle of Miracle Grow! LOL So, that was
a big project. ~ So far today all I have done is take my dog out, finish my Bible Study Lesson I am teaching
tonight and add an article to my second blog listed down below my name here. I need to get on my other blog and up-date that one too...but with all my swaps and chatting on here...I have been neglectful! So, that is my goal sometime in the next few days. I will be gone for four days of the next two weekends...so I need to pull things together before I leave...or I will be even more behind.
Have a good day everyone and I hope that you enjoy plenty of what ever your Gardens
are needing today!
Blessings,
~peggy
Lady In Red
http://ladyinredsite.blogspot.com
http://pegsmiles7.wordpress.com
A "SMILE" Should Be A Woman's First Accessory, Then Her Purse, Shoes, and Bling! ~p.smith |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2010 : 5:05:38 PM
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Well, I got my one good raised bed all weeded and got some collard and turnip green seeds today. Got them planted and watered in. I hope they grow now. I have to put wire over the bed or cats think all that fresh dirt is a cat box. And chickens think it's for them to scratch around in. Here's hoping for some nice greens soon!
PeggyAnn, I hope you get all your things done and checked off the list. Can you post pictures here? I'd love to see your neighbors gardens. And I hope it rains here tomorrow.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2010 : 07:36:21 AM
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Hello everyone! Its me...LisaLu in California! I had a free minute this morning (hasnt happened in months) so I thought Id stop in for a visit. I am in the process of pulling out my squash, tomatoes, fennel, corn and sunflowers. Its 80 degrees out, and its only 7:00am! I dont last too long out there when its this hot. I plan to plant today all the fall goodies, I just noticed we r having a full moon tonite! I dont know if it will help, but I need all the help I can get. So Im goin for it.
I am very exited to share some really big news....after 11 long years of owning a hair salon, I am happy to say I sold it and my dear husband built me a beautiful salon on our property. I will be working solo from now on, and I hate to admit it but, I should of done this years ago. I plan to work more with cancer patients, so the privacy is wonderful. AND... when Im not with clients....I get to be in the garden! Yippy! Hurray! Im so excited! I can feel the stress relief already and its only been 2 weeks. I cant wait to see what magic happens out there.
I also have 2 roosters now, 2 out of 12 chicks, not bad. They are roaming the property, Rudy: he's big, black/white with a glob on top of his head (his comb looks like someone smacked him on the head), and Johnny Cockrin: he cant crow, but he really wants to...he's red with black/green tail feathers. He follows me everywhere and lets me hold him! My giant Great Dane: Newman, loves to chase the roosters, Newman has hypersensitive feet and hates to walk on rocks, so the roosters will be on the grass with Newman, then all of a sudden, Newman gets a runnin', and the roosters know to head for the rocks, and they stop and laugh at him! Its a comedy show I tell ya!
Sorry to babble but there's sooo much goin on here! Life couldn't be better if I dreamt it up! Thanks to all of you gals who have inflenced me, the city girl is now offically gone...."she has offically left the building!"....Long live the farmgirl!!!!!
Have a happy day ladies!
LisaLu
Happiness is homemade... |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2010 : 11:37:09 PM
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LisaLu...good for you! It is going to be so much fun writing a new chapter in your life! And hopefully we
will get to share in it with you! Just your story about your Roosters had me chuckling! You sound happy,
enjoying a new freedom and stress free. I love that you are going to work so much with Cancer Patients.
That is just awesome! And to have your Salon on your property is really going to be a blessing. You won't
feel tied down by it. Long Live The Farmgirl is Right! Yahoo!
Blessings,
~peggy
Lady In Red
http://ladyinredsite.blogspot.com
http://pegsmiles7.wordpress.com
A "SMILE" Should Be A Woman's First Accessory, Then Her Purse, Shoes, and Bling! ~p.smith |
Edited by - LadyInRed on Sep 14 2010 11:38:24 PM |
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Garden Gate: Garden Adventures |
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Garden Adventures
