Tuesday, September 8
It was a pretty rough start to the day. I woke up around 5 o’clock with a pretty bad allergy attack – clogged up left nostril yet running; itchy eyes; itchy mouth (both inside and out); sneeze attacks; then a runny nose. While the nostril was clogged yet running (don’t ask me how that works) I had gotten up and had gone downstairs so that I wouldn’t wake CountryBoy. I broke down and took an allergy relief tablet then sat on the couch with a blanket where I sat in a sort-of numb state until CountryBoy got up which wasn’t that much later. He said he was awake when I got out of bed. Since he had an early tee time today he went ahead and got up. Before he left he made my lunch. Bless him! He knew that I wouldn’t have used up the energy to make my own. After he left I read and looked through the Shaker Village photo book I picked up yesterday. By the time I finished it was time to get ready for work.
By then I was feeling better but I numbly drove into work and things did not get much better. Computer issues, server issues, it was a long day especially when I really didn’t want to be there. We did get the A-OK from the printer just before 2 o’clock so I was able to leave at 2.
Thankfully the afternoon progressively improved. Once home I listened to all the golf outing stories which were many! He threw his back out on the first hole and played the rest of the 18 holes in pain. He still shot a 96 so he was pleased. We decided to go to town to get the pizza we didn’t get yesterday. Just as we were leaving the UPS guys drove up with our new Victrola 8 in 1 player!!!
I just love the vintage look. Now we can practice our songs that we sing in church. (We sing to a split track – where the vocals can be taken out – on CD’s.) The volume on the last several ‘boom boxes’ we bought was never loud enough to be heard over our voices which made it difficult to hear the music when singing. I tested the Victrola out with a CD of some local musicians and the volume is good. We’re thrilled to be able to practice once again. AND, we can play tapes, records, plug in an iPod or phone (if we had one), record, and do other stuff beyond my technical abilities.
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This evening I printed out one of my photos from our trip to the Rock Bridge. It’s an 8×10 photo in an 11×14 frame. I’m going to put it up in the cabin on the ladder shelf along with the Shaker Village book. I have other Kentucky books on the ladder shelf already. The shelf, actually the whole cabin, needs a little warming up. Everyone says it’s perfect but I feel that the cozy atmosphere is not quite there. I’m hoping to rework the shelves a bit for a start. I’m also on the lookout for something to hang above the beds. I don’t want to add a whole lot but I think a few things here and there will help warm up the space and give it a cozier vibe.
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Farm news: 22 eggs
Wednesday, September 9
My allergies faired far better this morning with just a sneeze or two and the occasional need to blow my nose. I’ll take it especially after yesterday morning.
I didn’t have to be in to work until noon today so I was able to chat with the guests as they prepared to leave and even introduced them to Mabel, Speckles and all the girls. The boys were nowhere to be seen so the guests didn’t get to see them. They loved every bit of it and even bought some eggs for the rest of their trip.
CountryBoy had another job to do for my B&B boss today so he was going to take me to work and then do what he needed to do. Just as we were getting ready to leave the FedEx guy shows up with a package. It was the battery powered lamp I ordered for the cabin. It wasn’t supposed to arrive until the 18th so it was a nice surprise that it arrived so soon. We took the battery lanterns & lamp up to the cabin this evening and it looks pretty good. A little more on the hotel side with the lamp on the nightstand between the beds but that’s OK. We will feel much more comfortable about the safety aspect of too many oil lamps in a wood cabin. We did leave one oil lamp up there on the dining table just in case someone has a hankerin’ to try it out. I also added the picture I printed out yesterday and some small brass oil lamps (with no oil in them) to the shelf just because. It looks better with the extra stuff and the cozy feeling is almost there. I don’t want to get too much on there because that’s just more that we have to dust especially in the winter with the wood stove going. You’d be amazed at how much dust and ash float about when the wood stove is in use.
The only other thing I did today, other than work, was wash the cabin sheets and towels this evening. The sheets were ready to come out of the dryer just as we got back down from the cabin.
Speaking of getting back, the phone was ringing as we walked in. It’s another job for CountryBoy from my B&B boss. Our truck is earning him a little extra money! He’ll take me to work again tomorrow then have to pick me up. We’ll have to find out when tomorrow’s guests are planning on arriving and go from there. So much to coordinate!
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Farm news: 25 eggs
Thursday, September 10
It’s been one of those days where our best laid plans didn’t work out. CountryBoy took me to work again today so that he could do another pick-up and delivery in the morning. After he dropped me off he returned home to find out that the fella he was helping out had had something come up and it would now be in the afternoon when he was needed. Problem is… I was at work, we had guests arriving between 3 & 6 and everything needed to happen all at once. We managed to get it all worked out but, wow, so inconvenient all because one of the days’ agenda changed.
Meanwhile, CountryBoy made four mini loaves of banana bread while he was waiting for the afternoon run and he did the finishing touches on the cabin.
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It was deader than a doornail at work today. The phone barely rang (which is fine with me), my email was pert near silent and I only had one ad to create that came via fax. A slow day equals a long day. I was more than happy to leave a little early.
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Our guests have already arrived and are settled in, we’ve already eaten a yummy seafood pasta CountryBoy whipped up, I gathered the eggs and fed Mabel, and we found out that CountryBoy doesn’t have to do the pick-up and delivery until Saturday morning and it’s not even 5:30 on what is my Friday evening – yay! What to do, what to do?!
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Farm news: 23 eggs and one mishap while washing the eggs making it 22 eggs. oops!
Friday, September 11
9-11. I remember that horrible day nineteen years ago like it was yesterday. The horror and shock of it all as I watched the second tower being struck and then the collapse of these iconic skyline towers. The many lives that were forever changed that day. The way our nation came together in the weeks and months that followed. Fast forward nineteen years and what a disgrace much of our nation is. How quickly we have forgotten how fragile our lives really are, everyone’s lives!, and that in a blink of an eye everything can change. I hope and pray that hearts will change. That’s the only way to stop the unrest, the hatred and the violence. May all the lives that were lost that September day and in the months that followed as we avenged those lives be not in vain.
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The day was a busy one but in a different way. Since our guests booked another night we didn’t have to clean the cabin which left our day wide open. We decided it was a good day to go to town so that I could look for the perfect color yarn for the baby blanket I was asked to do. The customer requested teal or honey orange. We went to Michaels and I didn’t see anything suitable. TJ Maxx and Home Goods were in the same shopping center so I went in looking for a duvet and duvet cover for our bed. Sheesh, are they expensive! I found a cover at TJ Maxx and a fairly thick duvet at Home Goods but talked myself out of purchasing them. I want a thinner duvet and more option on covers. The reason I’m wanting to go the duvet route rather than a bedspread or quilt is so that I can wash the cover at home. I have a quilt on the bed now but we have to go to a laundromat to wash it. I just don’t have the time these days to hang out at a laundromat. Someday I’ll find the right ones. I did, however, find a nice chair for the computer desk…
It’s comfy and the height is adjustable. After that we stopped at Aldi’s and picked up a few grocery items and some toilet paper. They still had a limit on paper products. sigh. So, only one box of tissue (during fall allergy season!) and one package of toilet paper. I just don’t understand. Anyway, we grabbed a bite to eat and then I went to Hobby Lobby where I found a teal color in my favorite yarn I felt was suitable for a baby blanket…
I also found the perfect tray while there for the cabin. The lanterns needed to be up off the table a bit to help shed more light when lit.
Shortly after we got home the fella that needed the truck to haul some lumber and insulation called. CountryBoy told him he could haul it today since we weren’t in the middle of anything so we headed back to town, loaded the truck and dropped it all off. I walked around the cabin that’s being renovated at the B&B and it’s going to be nice. It’s fun watching the progress and seeing it all come together.
By the time we got back home the evening felt rather short and before we knew it the magical hour of bedtime was upon us.
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Farm news: 24 eggs, 23 useable (one was cracked beyond use)
Saturday, September 12
The washing machine has gotten a work out today. By the end of day I will have washed eight loads plus a cleaning cycle. That’s not typical on laundry day but I washed both cabin comforters and I could only do one at a time. I also decided to wash the bath mats and rags. Meanwhile CountryBoy whipped out eight mini loaves of banana bread.
The cabin was left very clean even with two dogs making quick work of putting it back in order. Good thing because we ended up with a last minute booking so as soon as the comforters were dry we took them, the snacks, and a freshly baked banana bread up and swept. We have been so blessed with a steady stream of guests. We had guests cancel last minute on us for this weekend but both nights were filled. We are so thankful!
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Now that I have the yarn for the baby blanket I’m excited to get started on it. The problem is – I need to finish the lapghan I started months ago. I stopped working on it because I was at the point of needing to weave in the ends. Y’all know how much I love to do that (yea, right!) so I folded it up nice and neat and laid it in the basket on the coffee table. Then it got hot. And humid. And there was no way I was going to pick it up and have it on my lap during those sweltering days. Enter a request for a baby blanket and some cooler weather and now, all of a sudden, I feel the need to finish it before I start the baby blanket. That’s typical with me though. It’s quite common for me to have to finish one thing before starting another of the same type project. I may have several projects going at once but they will all be different types of projects. But to have two of the same, for example, crochet? Nope. Can’t do it. So, I spent some time over the last several evenings weaving in those ends. I’m now ready to do the border which should go rather quickly and it will be done leaving me free to start the baby blanket with a clear conscience.
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Farm news: 29 eggs
Dream Valley Farmstead 