Sunny Days

The morning sun emits extraordinary rays of light down into a world, painting a portrait of beauty while illuminating a place that only hours before was covered in a satin blanket of darkness.

The Morning sunlight is my favorite type of light, the beauty in her precious rays is a reminder for my gratitude. Graciously I thank the majestic sun for yet again lifting us out of the nights darkness...

Leigh Lou Boowhoo singing, "Earth Spirit Mojo, Where Are You"

As we all know I have been stuck in a rut that I am determined to get out of. I have been like Cindy Lou Who singing "Christmas, Where are You". During my quest to recover my hidden Back to the Earth Spirit "Mojo", I have been throwing myself full force into my the grass roots revival and urban homesteading.

Yesterday morning I baked bread.


I ALWAYS have the radio on, so I flipped on some motivational music, (Janis Joplin, Take another Piece of my Heart, Boston, More than a feeling and Cat Stevens Peace train.... just to name a few) I felt the tingle of excitement as I was rolling and kneading the dough. I was reminded what my capable hands can create or maybe I was just really into the Janis Joplin song... either way though, I was so excited that instead of one loaf of bread, I made four!

Yesterday afternoon was absolutely beautiful. In order to absorb more of the Earthy spirit, the children and I went to the creek.

While at the creek we caught some dinner....

Maybe it was the crawfish dipped in butter but I have to say by this time my Mojo was returning.

This morning I woke up to find that my love for homesteading and the great outdoors had returned. I took a little time bright and early this morning to enjoy the life that surrounds me...



Looking back at the situation now... that's all I really needed, just a little time to remember my love and to not take her presence for granted.

A Lazy Homesteader

Here lately I have fell off the bandwagon. I am not sure why. It may be because usually we use our winter months to dream of our summer plans but this winter we worked on the things we didn't finish in the fall...therefore I could possibly be feeling somewhat burned out. Maybe it is because it is impossible to change the nature of humans... We are consumers. Maybe my lack of motivation has been because I have battled stomach virus and head colds since January. I am not sure of the reasons I am feeling unmotivated but either way, trust me, I plan to get that motivation back!

My first strategy is to list the reasons why I chose this life style.

1. I am a rebel and this is my way of sticking it to the man.

2. I love the idea of being able to depend on myself... I am just control freak like that. ;)

3. I love to be outside, around nature. It reminds me of what life should be like (verses the synthetic versions of life that commercialism has created for us.) I get a different feeling of connection to the world when I am living off the land.

4. I want my family to be healthier and happier people, which for us has been achieved by working in partnership with nature by growing our own food and living a more sustainable life.

My second strategy is, as Kevin over at The Weaving Spider unintentionally reminded me, I really should watch more documentaries. They seem to fuel my ambitions. Next on the Netflix list... Capitalism!!!

And my final move, spend more time outdoors. Nature always has a way of putting things in perspective for me.

On that note I leave you with this... My motivation....

(the kid not the frog!)

Dimetapp Induced Delirium and The Suckish Weekend

This weekend was like I was just going through the motions of day to day life but not really present for any of it. There were many unpleasant moments... maybe it was the cold medicine, but I mentally wasn't there for any of them. I just know that in a normal state, I would have been angry sad happy nostalgic but I wasn't anything, except, I was present.

Friday morning we got the call that Lee's cousins wife had passed away. She was just twenty six years old. She left behind an 18 month old daughter, a 6 year old son and a loving husband.

She had been waiting for a new heart. Three months prior, a heart became available to her, but due to the fever she had continued to battle, she was unable to receive the heart. You could tweak the scenario a thousand different ways with a million different ifs but in the end, the chips fell the way they did and there wasn't anything anyone could do to change it. In the wake of a tragedy, I always hated hearing people say "it was his/her time to go". As a result to the phrases over use, it just gets annoying but at the same time... the slightest detail could have changed things... the only reasoning in such a tragedy is, it was her time.

I am not an emotional person. Well I suppose I am but I tend to not physically express those feelings. What I am trying to say, you would be more likely to find me expressing my emotions in writing instead of a physical expression, such as crying... Does that even make any sense!?

Crying makes me extremely uncomfortable. Therefor events such as weddings baby showers and funerals are quite awkward for me. I hate to see people cry no matter the circumstance. Just as I fear those feeling in others, I fear them in myself as well. Therefor, I was really nervous to view the body, I wasn't sure what kind of feelings that could trigger. I hadn't seen her in over a year. I was scared she wouldn't look the same and she didn't. It was startling to see her laying there. I knew it was suppose to be her but it didn't even look like her. It looked like a doll... just laying there. I cant describe the feeling other than being completely freaked out. My conclusion to this experience... I want a closed casket for my funeral.

To continue with the flow of the weekend.... About 5:30 pm Lee called and said he had a blow out on his way home, I dropped my hoe (I had been gardening) and set out to Morgantown KY to assist him. It was about 9pm when we finally arrived back home.

Friday night my throat was starting to tickle, by midnight my tickling throat had turned into a full blown hacking cough. I took some children's Dimetapp (yeah, cause I am a baby and children's medicine taste better than the grown up stuff) and conked out. Morning arrive way too early. Sat morning I had to coach a soccer game (with a cold medicine buzz). It was anything but fun and exciting. I am assuming that the kids picked up on my lack of enthusiasm. They were really draggy out on the field and as a repercussion to all of our lack of effort, we got our tails kicked.

FYI... Green team you better have enjoyed it because in three weeks we are taking you down!!!! GURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

Once we arrived back home (with our tails between our legs). I laid down and slept until it was time to go to the funeral home. While I was at the funeral home it was hard to not be somewhat thankful to see some faces that we haven't seen in such a long while. The entire time we were visiting with our old friends I couldn't help but to feel like it was such a shame that we did not spend more time with these people. We use to have so much fun with them. Why did we not make more of an effort to keep these people in our lives? Maybe we should work harder at it? I finally concluded that one of the leading member would be missing, so now it wouldn't be the same anyways...

Sunday, Lee tended to the children and animals while I laid around coughing and sneezing. I will be so happy when I have the energy to enjoy being outside. I did leave the house for about five minutes in order for Lee to show off his Spring clean up job. I was pleasantly surprised that he managed to fix most of the ruts in the field, left from his unintentional winter plow job (Blog post, Its Going to be Very LOOOOOOONG Winter.)

Last night I took some more cold medicine and slept in a deep coma like state. It was a much needed rest from an unpleasant weekend.

This morning I dropped Sissy off at school. Today is her first day back from spring break. She was really excited to go back to school but I have really missed her today. I cant wait until she gets out for summer break.

That has been the gist of my weekend. I promise to have a better post next time. Have mercy on the choppiness and lack of blogish flow.... I am still sort of buzzing from all the cold medicine. Speaking of which, I cant believe I give this stuff to my kids!!!? I am feeling super spacey, like my head is about to float away...I hope posting this is safe... I mean, I hope its not like drunk dialing!? I am sure we all know drunk dialing never ends good! NEVER!

****Note this blog is different than the Cold Induced Delirium that I posted back in Jan. and "One of these Days" that I posted in March. Which brings it to my attention that I really need to start taking some Vitamin C.

Hell was hot this morning....

This morning I walked bare footed through the charred fields of hell. The ground was covered in soot and still smoldering. Everything was black. Smoke lingered in the air burning my lungs, drying my lips. Each step was a blur as the heat cause my eyes to burn and tear. There was this non-existent fire burning my body. I could feel the heat like I was only inches below the sun but I could not see any light nor fire, just the blurry aftermath.

The sounds I heard were beyond horrifying...I could only use my sense of sound to protect myself. Danger was close. Blindly, I tried to steer myself away from the screams. Fear gripped my soul.

I realized that I was in the valley of the shadow of death. With a desperate plea for hope, quietly I repeated psalms, "I shall fear no evil, you are with me, your rod and staff comfort me". I dropped to my knees in a layer of hot ash... still blinded I frantically searched for my emblematic staff...But just as my fingers firmly grip a random stick, I jumped backwards releasing the sizzling burning wood from my blistered palms. I then jumped to my feet and began to run...

I found my way through the darkness... into the dimly lit shade... The air was stale but no longer burned my throat. I felt relief. When my eyes adjusted, I saw the black soot that clung to skin but what else laid with in my sights was a vision far to morbid to even write about.

I had blindly wandered into a mass grave... Although I could see pounding of their hearts, these people were dead. My head started to spin or maybe I was still and it was my surroundings spinning...

I fell into what seemed to be an endless black hole... I woke with my heart pounding both hands clutching my sweat soaked sheets. Thank God that was just a dream... a nightmare.

Let me just say this, I spared you many horrifying details! That was by far one of the worst nightmares I have ever had... next to the dream of a psychopath reaching into my stomach and stealing my soul. Then of course there was the nightmares I was plagued with as a child about Alf coming into my room, relentlessly tickling me... I still hate Alf, and refuse to be with in a five mile radius of anything pertaining to the twisted 1980's sitcom!

As I look at the world around me, even with all the destruction, pain and suffering, I am still thankful that this world is my reality and that the dark caverns in my subconscious mind is not a real world that in reality exist to me.

One Tree

No Elephants Allowed!

I was tripping over Milo the barn cat who insist on doing a figure eight between my feet while I walk and also attempting to make it through the gate without Jasmine trying to squeeze out behind me. I glanced into the backyard trying to plan my next strategic move to get into the second fence undetected by the barking dogs. I looked around the property at the various animals and children running about and thought, "This place is a zoo"!

As I was walking through the second fence I noticed Sammy Ray Toby and Apple Sauce peacefully basking in the spring sunlight together. Serenity swept over me... I thought to myself, "At times it does get a little chaotic around here between the animals and kids and sometimes it really does feel like a zoo but who doesn't love the zoo!?". I sighed graciously with a smile... But just as the gentle air from my sigh was slipping between my lips, I stepped in huge steaming pile of dog shit... and at that moment I shook my head and mumbled, "No way in hell is this zoo ever getting an elephant"...



Sadie Mae- The Good Girl. Mountain Fiest(?)


Sammy Ray-The Hero. Siberian Husky Mix. Shelter dog.


The Parakeet named Pretty Boy formally known as "Moose"...


Toby- The Sweetest boy EVER! Terrier mix. Shelter Dog


Hannah Banana- The Rat Terrorist. Terrier Chihuahua mix. Shelter dog and bottle baby.


Shit load of chickens- The shit load includes Black Copper Marans, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, and we will just call the rest...Barred Rockingtons.


Milo- My dream barn cat.


Apple Sauce- The cat that wouldn't go away.

Jasmine- The infamous Nubian thief that stole my heart.

and.... drum roll please.....

JESSICA, the newest four legged member of Come by Chance Acres!

Walk with Me...

The kids and I decided to travel outside of our normal ten mile radius from the homestead in order to add a little adventure to our lives at Bledsoe State Park.

There is a different world there waiting for us!


Take a walk with me, wont you?


We may just make a few friends along the way...


The woods is a quiet magical place, filled with nooks and crannies of hidden worlds.... An undiscovered world, waiting for us, the explorers!


Some of the wonders were better hidden...

What is in there!?


Ok, some of the hidden worlds were not "treasures" or magical at all and thus should remain hidden! GROSS!!!



The treasures of the woods revealed, beautiful shades of yellow...



Emerald carpets of green...


We found a cove of water peacefully pooling under the protection of the tree roots.


Some of our discoveries were just sort of odd looking...

The water sanded roots remind me of grave stones... kind of creepy on an over cast day like today...

There was poetry in the view,


Although as within any world, there were obvious dangers...


And signs of destruction....


Signs of pain and suffering...


But in life there is a balance to the tragedies...

Bursting through the ground a sign of birth... growth... beauty...

I am so Eggcited!!!

I would like to take moment to congratulate my Black Copper Marans hen that just clocked in on her new egg laying job. Her first day on the job was very productive, as her first egg is not much smaller than the older Orpington hens. I look forward to seeing your progress in the future. We are pleased to have you on board! Job well done girl!

The Destiny in Chance

"There was this chance that a family would move away from their home lands into a world of unknown. From there some sort of desire...The desire to explore, lead a little girl to a secret place hidden from the outside world. There in the woods of destiny the rain uncovered the magic just beneath the surface..."

Are we each connected by some preordained destiny? Is fate decided by the embrace of opportunity or lack there of? Is it fate or chance? Maybe both?

I was about seven years old when my family moved from our heritage roots of coal mines and the hillsides of West Virginia into the foreign lands of corn fields and cow pastures in middle Tennessee.

Along the edge of our property line there was a small wooded hillside. Being the explorer type child that I was, I lived for days of playing among the large trees just behind our property. With all my heart, I knew that one day, when I was old enough, I would move into those woods. That place would one day be my new home. I knew it was a special place. It was... and in a way I did eventually make it my home.

One afternoon, after a hard rain I followed a small water run off down into the woods. I remember the sun shinning through the trees, sparkling against the random murky puddles of water that littered the ground. An unfamiliar glimmer caught my eye. It was a broken plate sticking out of a mud puddle. I began to dig. I found several piece of broken china that day. I went from explorer to archaeologist in a day! I was hook!

After each rain I would wander out into the woods with nothing but a sharp stick in my hand. I was fully prepared and equipped to uncover the buried treasure that laid hidden just beneath the surface.

I found several broken pieces of unknown glass a few broken glass medicine bottles and broken figurines but I kept digging for I just knew that one day I would uncover something great... something in its entirety! One day I did just that! I cant remember the weather or the way the sun hit it but I remember the feeling I had once I uncovered it! I was excited... beside myself excited! I ran all the way home leaving my precious tool (my sharp stick) behind. I showed my mom and we were both in awe. I uncovered a jewel of some sort, a broach maybe? No matter what the purpose of the jewel was, it was indeed my buried treasure!

Fast forward about 14 years later. I am sitting at my In-Law's house. We were discussing family history. The house that I grew up in was brought into the discussion. After giving the address and description of the property, comes to find out my husbands Great Great Aunt lived in a little house (that had been torn down) on the far side of that piece of property, placing the old home not far from my excavating site.

There had only been two other owners of the property, one of which built and live in the house we lived in and then my husbands Aunt whom lived in the old house that was torn down near the woods. Logic leads us to believe that at age seven I unknowingly uncovered what was a family heirloom! One day I will pass this treasure down to my daughter.

My husbands ancestor built memories in my life far before I ever even met him. Each broken piece of glass was a part of their family history... Uncovering it became mine...


Come.By.Chance

Come By Chance's Easter Sunday...

This morning I woke up to a cool breeze blowing through the window. It was the perfect wake up call on a beautiful Easter morning. The children and I got ready to go to church with Memaw and Poppy.

(We had to get a picture to document the fact that I am actually going to church)

After Church we had a family dinner and then the children had an Easter egg hunt.



The adults relaxed on the front porch as the children were wandering around looking for Easter eggs. Watching the children, I was reminded of all the years my brother and I spent at my grandmothers for Easter. Every year my Aunt forced us to look for Easter eggs. We were well into our teen years when my brother and I would beg and plead with our mom to not make us do it again the following year. As I gazed out across the front yard watching the children... the memory of our Easters past made me smile.


(My younger-oldest brother and my mom)

After the Easter egg hunt we took a little stroll to burn off the afternoon dinner. As we made our way back to the barn yard I was reminded of when I would tag along with my Papaw on his after dinner walks.



The children and I made our way around the barn yard to wish each of the animals a happy Easter...

"Happy Easter Jasmine"

Jasmine wasn't happy about us having company... she was a little miffed over the lack of attention she was receiving on her first Easter holiday.

"Happy Easter Milo". Milo was perfectly content being left alone to bask in the sun.


"Happy Easter Broody Hen". The broody hen was absolutely ecstatic over her new Easter eggs. (Which are actually goose eggs)


"Happy Easter Hijeevey"

Hijeevey received his crow just in time to say cock-a-doodle-doo Easter morning.

As our stroll was winding down... so was my energy... there is just something about family a big holiday meal and an afternoon walk that just makes me sleepy.

The same breeze that gently nudged me awake this morning will be the same breeze that carries me away in a dream... and just before I drift deep into the land of nod, today's memories and the memories of Easter past are sure to be swimming in my head... and what a restful sleep that will be....

I Hope you all had a great holiday. Happy Easter everyone.