Settling In ..... an Update.

Just got my own internet service up and running again. Hope you have all been doing well.

The girls have been over several times helping me unpack boxes. The other day, daughter #2 and GD came and helped get wind-blown branches and sticks picked up out of the yard so I could get it mowed. I have a zero-turn mower so I really like doing the mowing myself. My son came to put up my new flat-screen tv. I have some of the curtains up and hope to finish that soon. Still have alot to unpack, but can go at it slower now.

I start back to painting April 2nd, using my new easel-on-wheels and a microwave cart that I adapted to be my painting cart. I use the drawer to put my pallet in when not in use and can store supplies in the bottom. I will post pictures later.

I will be around to visit your blogs in the next couple days, till then enjoy the Spring!

See you in Pennsylvania!

Its finally here! The week of the "big move"!

I will be fortunate to get this written and posted as my internet coverage has been very spotty since tornados went through Kentucky on Friday. We had strong 60-70 mpg gusty winds and hail but nothing worse as it went around us on the north and south. It is sad to hear about those who lost everything .

Ridding out and organizing for the movers to pack everything has been my goal for the last week and a half and I am finally seeing the end of the tunnel. my next post will be from PA. Hope to have a couple pictures to post as well. I am expecting a last of the year snow-fall in PA near St Patrick's Day, and then Spring!!!

Until then, stay safe, and tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.

I am Living on Someone Else's Farm!

As of yesterday at 2:30, the farm no longer belongs to me. And the Pennsylvania property does not belong to me yet. I am property-less. Such an unburdened feeling :)

Here are a few photos I took as the sun was setting this evening, of a very atmospheric sky. I think Kentucky has some of the most beautiful skies.

There never seems to be a repeat of the cloud configuration. Each day it is different.

I think this is what I will miss most about Kentucky.

The Pennsylvania home closing is scheduled for Feb 28th. The movers are already contracted and will be here to pack and load up on March 8th or 9th. I am planning to go through each room again and weed out every last thing I can to cut back further on what I take with me.

All the tool and the bob-cat were loaded and removed yesterday. They will be at a hugh farm auction in TN this Saturday. Another door closed, but I did come to terms with it by the time it was done. Today, I noticed 2 toothpicks stuck up over the visor in the suv. Just bringing a plesant memory, it made me smile.

Yes, I am Moving!

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions and prayers. I really appreciate you all. I know its going to work out ok . I am usually stronger and not such an emotional basket-case, but I suppose we all have our days....

I promised pictures of my Pennsylvania home-to-be, so here is what is available right now. There is sooo much more but will have to wait till I get moved

Coming in to the paved driveway, the home is nicely landscaped with lots of perenials and cute little birdhouses in the midst. Lots of nice evergreen trees and maples on the property. I am imagining cardinals, bluejays and chickadees in the wintertime!

Looking from the backyard toward the house, there is a "bridge" from the driveway to the deck, and a small koi pond on this side of it. And that one section of the house where you enter through French doors from the deck?...... THAT is one large roomwhere my painting studio will be on the far end, Yippee! Lots of light and wind-tight!

A large 2+ stall garage with workshop on the end, sits on the right side of the driveway. There are flowers planted and another birdhouse in front, carrying on the landscape theme from the house.

A fabulous kitchen with stainless steel appliances and tons of cupboard space. A great place for our girls cookie-bakes at Christmas time!

This room with the fireplace will be a den/tv room where the guys can hang out and watch their games.

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Meanwhile, son and dil arrived from PA Thusday afternoon. It was so good to see them! They got my 4-wheeler loaded on the back of his pick-up, and the log-splitter, generator, and zero-turn mower loaded on the trailer. Then I asked him to take what-ever tools that he didn't have but needed. They were very few, because he does have alot of tools himself (he is self-employed and buys and cuts timber). DIL even found a few things for her garden. They gave me some good advise on what tools to keep for myself.

We went out to eat at O*Charley's and had a great meal and more conversation. Back home, They tied the load down while I started the wood-stove. Then it was on to bed for them and I knitted on a sock for a while. They had gotten up at 2 am to make the trip here and wanted to start back about that time in the morning. My son wanted to be back in the woods to work today! Not a sloucher, that one! Maybe its because he has always remembered a very important lesson from when he was little........
...........It was summer time and we grew a large garden. I had given all 5 children a row in the garden to weed. He announced he didn't want to weed his row, and just kept fooling around. I told him "if you don't get your row weeded, you don't get to eat lunch". He laughed and thought I was bluffing. As he soon found out, I wasn't. As he recalls, it didn't take long to get that row weeded! .....and today, all his children know this story. He uses it on them :)

Late yesterday, after a long nap, I carefully walked up my 900' long lane to the mailbox, The gravel is rough in places, but good exercise. Tabby, the cat, accompanied me. I had left Izzy in b/c I didn't want to fight the leash. That crazy cat walked about 5' in front of me the whole way, until near the end and then she swiftly grabbed a field mouse and took off back toward the house. When I got back I got out the pruning tools and proceded to prune the 6 small fruit trees we had planted a few years ago. I am trying to increase my activity a little each day.

You all have a great week-end! Thanks for stopping by!

Changes .... Will they ever Stop???

Saying good-bye to your dreams is not easy. Wishing I could shut off my emotions and just get on with what I need to do ..... for me ....

I was recently brought face to face with another decision I had subconsciously been putting off; the dispersal of my husband's vast accumulation of tools. I think in a way by avoiding making a decision about the tools I was hanging onto him a while longer.

There are small tools and large ones, tools to be used on a farm, tools for working on vehicles, tools for wood-working, machinist tools, garden tools, welding tools, some truckers tools, even a few bee-keeping tools in the mix. Screws, bolts, nails of various sizes, shelves of paint, yeesh!

For people who have not been through this, or have family living nearby to help, I surely do not expect you to even fathom what it is like to go through this alone. And thats ok, if this is boring to you, just go on to your next blog :)

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I had been planning to go to Arizona to visit my brother, stopping on the way at a blogging friend's home, (Susan, of Penless Writer) in Ok, then down to Dallas TX to visit my youngest and her family. My little grandson misses me and I him.... It is evident we have a special closeness. Breaks my heart to disappoint him by not coming right now. Then I was to go on to another blogging painter friend near Tyler, TX (Vickie of Sandflat Farm) and spend a day or two painting with her. Then on to a cousin south of Ft. Worth for a few days, and finally on to AZ, taking my good old time stopping to paint along the way, visiting my brother and sil in Tucson, and meeting up with a couple more RV'ing blogger friends.

I COULD really get angry about all this ...... I think this is the most anger I have felt since my husband passed away last June....... but what good would that do???? When it all boils down to it, I KNOW that GOD has the better plan and He knows much better than I what is best for me. Still it is not always easy to follow the Master..... until you actually take the first steps needed to submit to His wisdom and follow, but it is wise. Then it does become easier and joy begins to enter in and you actually become relieved that He is guiding you.

So, I need to wait on the closing on the Kentucky farm(a few more days), and the closing of the new residence in PA (scheduled by March 5th) Then the move and settling in..... There I will be living close to lots of family. There are good things in store I am sure. I am not fooling myself as I know there are trials and tests ahead as well. I just need to put on blinders like on a horse and stay focused!! Be who I am, who God has made me to be, not drown in the pool of sameness... be smothered by expectations of others and my pensity to make everyone else happy. I must be on guard against that human fraility of mine.

I am going to Nashville to an RV show with friends this weekend ... and not promising just to look.

It's been a While ...

.........since I blogged last. I haven't been thinking much about RVing, although I am still planning on making my way to TX and AZ. I should be hitting the highway in about 2 weeks.

Meanwhile, I've had alot of sitting and musing time .......

I have made the decision to sell the farm and pursue the purchase of the house I looked at in PA last fall ( I really didn't even want to consider moving back at that time, but this place caught my eye). Fortunate for me, it was still available. My eldest D and SIL met with the agent and checked out several things I thought neccessary to have a guy look at, and several things I wanted my daughter to check out that I could not remember.

But I am getting ahead of myself. I had been approached by 2 individuals last summer and fall wanting to know if I would consider selling my farm. Then, while I was laid up from surgery, a 3rd party also stopped by to inquire about it. Well, sometimes the Lord just has to hit me over the head so to speak, to get my attention. Can anyone say, "Amen"?!

SOOOO, I had to pray about and see what was the best way to approach offering it for sale. To make a long story short, I called the one who was in my heart to approach first, told him how much I'd like to have for it, then how much I would take for it. We talked for hours over a matter of days, and struck a deal. We are both very happy about it! Closing will be next week.

Right now I am finishing up my taxes to get sent in and then I will be packing up the RV. Taking my sweet time so I don't over-work my knee. Izzy is chomping to go and I am too!

Oh, the home in PA? Signed the contract today!

I had wondered if I really want to go through this 2nd inevitable knee surgery so far away from my family again..... But it is more than that. Its about being near family period. Its about having another chance to have important time with my kids and grands. Its about doing things together, and its about having a place where we can all come together and I dont have to just hear about it over the phone from 625 miles away..... Yes, I am ready to move on.

Next post, pictures of the PA home, if I can get them. You all take care .

I found myself! (haha, I wasn't that far away)

I finally feel like I am finding the real me again. I was able to do the dishes and run the vaccum in the LR on Tues. before my knit group arrived that evening. I am using the cane full time now instead of the walker ...... when I don't walk off and leave it also :-/

This morning I awoke to a beautiful Kentucky sunrise! It was prettier before I took the picture but this one isn't bad either.

Yesterday was the first day I was able to sit long enough to get at some painting. I started this for my "homework assignment" for the online 'Painting Skies' class I am participating in. I hope to finish it today.

Then a friend stopped by to visit me while her children were at youth group. She happened to see my knitting project on the coffee table and said she wished she could knit .... I told her about the winter knit group I had started and she was very interested. I left my painting sit and we got out some needles and cotton dish-cloth yarn. I showed her how to cast on stitches and do the regular knit stitch. She took to it like a duck to water. She had several rows done before having to leave so I sent needles and yarn home with her until she could get to W*M to get some. She was so excited! She will be back next Tuesday :)

This is what I had been working on while recuping. A French Slouche' hat and knit-in-the-round matching scarf out of yarn I got in PA last fall.

I originally had trouble pulling the yarn from the center of the skein because these skeins are very short and fat, and it would squoosh together and get tangled near the end of the skein. I thought about how to remedy that and came up with the idea to use my paper-towel-holder to slip the yarn ball over and instead, use the yarn from the outside of the skein. Works for me!

Today I had a back-to-my-old-self lunch. Looks good and healthy don't you think? Half an avacado, a hard-boiled egg, green olives, baby carrots and ranch dip, and a couple slices home-made cheddar cheese from the neighbor Amish farm ...... yummy!
Also, in the background you can see the little crocheted coasters I made up this week. I now have a slate coffee and end tables and they always feel cold. When I set my cup of hot tea on it in the mornings it doesn't stay hot very long, so the coasters will delay the cold transfer.

Besides all this I am making more solid plans to get back in the RV asap and get to AZ. I have several stops along the way, and I am sure looking forward to it. Praise the Lord for health and healing!!

I am still trying to catch up on all the blog reading I have fallen so far behind on. You all be safe! Do something good for your neighbor , or even a stranger. It will bring happiness to you both!