Gosh! Isn't that a phrase we've all heard time and time again? "Better late than never." I know I heard it a lot growing up. And it suits my life, the material in this blog and the blog itself quite well. If you check the dates, you will find that I have neglected my wonderful blog page for almost 8 months. Yikes!!! I went back and reread every page and I remembered why I loved this old blog. I enjoyed sharing my everyday; albeit humdrum, life with all of you. Good memories on this old farm, great recipes, fun times, and Miranda's beautiful photography. If you decide to peruse this website, please notice that after scrolling to the bottom of each page, you can click on 'older posts'. There are quite a few pages if you are interested. I know I had fun with each and every one of them!

So... here I am again! YAY!!!



After the crazy winter weather we had that seemed to last forever, it was difficult to even begin yard work, fencing, and gardening this year. So, for the past couple of weeks (yes, it is May) Kent and I have tried to finally get these things checked off of our "to-do" list. Mowing, trimming, mulch, removing limbs, branches and twigs from the yard, and yes... finally tilling our small garden. Flowers will have to wait until next weekend.





This has been a good start to getting back into blogging... I have missed you my friends!

Yes, you read that correctly.... I titled this 'hodgepodge'. Not a word I use a lot or one that I have heard in many, many years, but I thought it appropriate for this particular blog.







We have had so many nasty storms come through the valley these past few weeks, I wanted to share some of the fabulous photos that my (daughter, Miranda) own little prof. photographer captured as well as some mobile pics I have. There were numerous reports of funnel clouds, sighted tornadoes, and rotations in clouds in our area during this time. It just amazes me, because for many years, this was not something we were accustomed to ever experiencing. I have been in awe!




My daughter (Miranda) and I really enjoy taking photos of this old farm, but it's even more exciting when something captures your attention..... and makes you realize how "great the powers that be"!



In this photo, you can actually see something dropping down in what will actually become a funnel cloud. Pretty amazing!



















And this, of course, is our backyard, being belted with heavy winds and rain!!!



And with all of this in mind... we decided that we needed something to look forward to ---- a vacation!!! Wheeee! Since Kent and I have been married, we honestly have not been on a vacation together other than our 'honeymoon'. Granted.... that was pretty special! So we perused over a gazillion different beach houses all over the Outer Banks, NC. (We love the Outer Banks ---- so romantic!) And voila! We found the perfect get-away!

Yes, it might seem a bit over the top.... and with 8 bedrooms, it is a bit large for us, but by the time we found everything we wanted in a beach house, this was what was left. Plus!!! We fell in love!
It is not only in the 4x4 section of Corolla... which means 4-wheel drive only vehicles, but it is pet friendly (you all know how much we love our animals!), and has a heated pool and hot tub. And with all of that... there are wild mustangs that roam the beach. Oh wow! We are so very excited... and it is always nice in life to have something to look forward to, isn't it? Like a little light at the end of one's tunnel, so to speak.

As you can see, the view is spectacular!


















And since we will be miles and miles away from restaurants, stores, etc.... we will be taking advantage of this beautifully equipped kitchen and dining area. I have already contacted a family owned business back in Alaska that is going to ship Alaskan King Crab for a dinner on the beach! Oh yum! Something else to look forward to....











Besides Kent and I, my daughter, her boyfriend, a couple friends of theirs, and some wonderful new friends we have made over the course of a few months will be enjoying this fabulous beach retreat around the first of September, 2009. I will be sure to update and share photos after the big event.


Until next time....

Kent and I spent most of the weekend doing yard work. Cleared the rocks, sticks, and large branches from around the trees and hauled in mulch, mulch, and more mulch.









After several hours taking care of the three large trees in the front yard and replacing the stone border, it was time to take care of the ugly patches around the house. We're going to add the stone border next and do some reseeding.




Sheesh! The grass took a beating this winter, huh?


...and look at my famous "mulching outfit". Ha!

Filling in holes, raking it smooth, whistling a tune, and dancing in clogs. Wheeee!


Yes, I'm a yard-workin' fashionista.










We finished the weekend tilling the garden and mulching our little fire pit sitting-area.

It's small, but so nice for hanging out in the evening.

Note: the grill is close by. Ah yes. Nothing better than grilling fresh meat and veggies and then sitting by the fire with a cold one. It won't be long now.







Mister Bunny is back where he belongs, now all that is left is to fill the garden with lots of beautiful flowering plants and veggies.

I can't wait!


More yard work is on the way, along with repainting the large wrap around porch, flower pots, and rockers.















Yessss, I love Spring!

I was tooling around the grocery store today and felt my buns clinching along with my wallet. My eyes even began to water as they bugged out on prices.

If you're like me, and feel like you've been paying more for groceries lately, you're definitely onto something. Why the difference? Unfortunately, the rising gas prices that are pinching your wallet at the pump also have a big effect on groceries. Fuel is needed to process the foods and truck them across the country. Prices for fruits and vegetables as well as milk, wine and ground beef are all on the rise.

Also, the high prices of gasoline have increased the demand for corn-based ethanol, which drives up the price of corn as well as other foods. Half of the corn produced in the U.S. is used to feed livestock that supply meat and dairy products, and corn is used in many food products (just think how many items contain high-fructose corn syrup or use corn oil).

With this is mind, if we are all to keep paying these prices, we should definitely be paying it locally. Support your local economy and your local farmers by patronizing our local farmer's markets, local grocers, and produce stands.

After I put away my grocery purchases and sat down at the computer, I decided it was time that blogging to my friends and readers wasn't all that I could do. I think a letter to the editor of my local newspaper is in order. I will let you know the outcome soon.

I just can't get this little tune out of my head tonight:

All around the mulberry bush

The monkey chased the weasel;

The monkey thought 'twas all in good fun

Pop! goes the weasel.

A penny for a spool of thread,

A penny for a needle—

That's the way the money goes,

Pop! goes the weasel.

Goodnight my friends!

We all will enjoy the cooler days of Fall that is certain, but I will miss the hot days of summer. I enjoy all that summer can bring.

I will miss the thunder showers and the dew covered mornings. I will miss the yellow squash and the fresh tomatoes hanging on the vines. I will miss the smell of hay that is newly mowed and the cool nights after the sun sets with sheet lightning in the distance. I will miss fireflies lighting my sky.






I will miss the frogs groaning in the pond, and the I will miss the barefoot opportunities that exist to wander about my yard. I will just miss the whole season.





But Fall is in the air, and so the farm, grass, and animals are welcoming the cooler evening temps. And, I guess that I am too.

'Fall' conjures up visions of gourds, pumpkins, fodder shocks, and colorful leaves. The local farmers market is still being stocked with fresh veggies, herbs, and flowers each week, but I suspect it won't be long before those wonderful Fall colors will splash through the market and give everyone Fall Fever.

I've also noticed that the new market grows each week. Each Saturday, the locals ascend upon the town for a few hours to pick over the freshest of the fruit and veggies as they socialize and catch up with friends and new neighbors. There are a smattering of children from time to time, but they're usually running about playing with new friends or shyly hiding behind mom's skirt. I think it would be wonderful to include the young in this new market; teach them about the farms and what they produce for our table. With that in mind, I will close this blog. I think I will be bringing that idea up this Saturday. "Children Grow at the Market".

The title almost sounds like a weather forecast. Ha!

Sorry for the bad humor. Now for the blog.











I want to apologize for not getting the photos and story to all of you waiting on the blackberry jam. I didn't realize I wasn't ready for canning on Sunday, so I opted to put this off until later this week. Stay tuned for the update.


This afternoon; however, I harvested more garden veggies for a summertime feast. I gathered a mess of beans and began stringing and breaking them to soak for dinner.










Winnie didn't think much of the whole 'stringing the green beans' process.






I slow cooked the green beans in fat bacon with baby red potatoes and corn on the cob. Dinner also consisted of pork roast and cornbread.




To top it all off, I definitely needed to use some of the berries we picked on Sunday, so it was blackberry cobbler and french vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yum!

After dinner, Kent headed for the sofa and I went back to the kitchen to start the process for freezing our abundance of tomatoes.

I finished up with the apples on Sunday, but our tomato plants are reproducing like rabbits this year. (Not that I'm complaining.) They are loving this Southwest Virginia soil. If they keep it up, we have decided to introduce them to our local farmer's market this coming Saturday. It's held here in our hometown of Big Stone Gap, VA. This is their first year working the market and it's slowly proving to be very productive for our area.

Local farms and farmers have been struggling and so I definitely want to get the word out about the importance of farmland protection for local food. With the new farm bill for the state of Virginia; it is a start to turn things around, but I am also cheering for a new "No Farms No Food" campaign spearheaded by the American Farmland Trust. You can find the link to their website under "I support" on the right side of my blog or by clicking on the American Farmland Trust link provided above.

I know how much all of you love finding fresh produce at the supermarket. Please know that you can make a difference by getting involved.

I've filled the last freezer bag of tomatoes and it's time to call it a night. Until next time...

Phew! Not sure where to begin here. Due to the heat wave and lack of rain, I realize I'm going to have to start picking apples, tomatoes, and berries to freeze and can for winter much earlier than anticipated.

So, today I'm going into my back yard to load up most of what I can still find on my June Apple Trees. Then I'm heading up the mountain on my 4-wheeler to pick blackberries along the roadside. I try not to venture into the woods this time of year. It's dangerous enough to pick berries on a mountain road. Keep in mind I will carry a firearm. That is something that just comes with the territory in these parts of the woods. And I'm quite glad that my Grandfather taught me to not only respect a handgun, but also how to shoot well. Black snakes are not my friends!

Later this evening I plan to pick the ripest of my tomatoes for freezing. Of course, I'll also be watering the garden, my ferns, flowers, plants, and puppies. They love the sprinkler in late afternoon to cool them off. They are so cute running and playing in the water as you may have seen on my blog before.










Keep in touch. I'll be back later this evening with photos.

After a long day running errands, picking up around the yard, taking care of pups, weeding the garden, watering plants and the garden, etc. You get the picture. Our usual stuff. We got a little hungry. After a show of hands, grilled chicken won the vote.

As much as I love to eat, sometimes the preparation and cook times can be a little long on Southern foods, so I opted for a quick and easy method for grilling this evening. This is my quick and easy recipe for:







Italian Chicken and Veggie Kabobs

* 2 lbs. chicken tenders or breasts cut into strips
* 2 -8 oz. packages of portobello mushrooms
* 2 medium sized yellow squash
* 1 large zucchini
* 2 bell peppers (We chose orange and yellow to add color)
* 1 bottle of Zesty Italian dressing
* 1 dozen wooden skewers soaked in water (or metal if you have them)
* Basting brush

Pre-heat grill to medium heat.

Rinse the chicken and place in shallow dish. Add half bottle Italian dressing and let marinate in fridge for 15 minutes while cutting the veggies.

Rinse all veggies. Slice squash and zucchini into round, bite-sized pieces. Core and discard seeds of bell peppers and slice into nice sized pieces. Mushrooms remain whole with stems. Place veggies in any order on skewers for a beautiful colorful display or how you like. Baste each veggie skewer with the Italian dressing.

Place skewers and chicken on the pre-heated grill. You may also place the basted zucchini directly on grill as we did. Cook time about 8 minutes on each side of chicken while continuing to roll the skewers. Continue to baste the veggies and the chicken while it is on the grill for a perfect juicy taste.



After dinner, the evening air temp was around 65 degrees. Not too warm or too cool, so we decided to use our fire pit. I enjoyed the fire with a nice glass of wine. My husband, of course, with his cold brew. And my daughter played with her camera....... nothing new there.


The ghost is coming to get Kent.

Waiting for the fire to calm down a bit before getting comfy.

We love Friday Night "fire pit" night!

I snuggled pups, worked in the garden, and cleaned the pool this afternoon. And after a short nap this evening, I crept into my office to work.

I am up in the wee hours of the morn struggling with some character flaws in a novel I have been working on for some time. It's not a common practice to share my writing with others, but for the first time, I thought I would.

I enjoy so much making new friends on the the internet through MySpace and my new blog site. I often get asked, "what do I do, exactly." And I giggle a little bit because my life is somewhat that of a chameleon. I have written so much about the farm and how it benefits my family and that I also teach dance in the Arctic, but I am also a writer. I am especially inclined to write in the political and espionage genres.

Below you will find an excerpt from my current novel.

Chapter Twelve

Al, Big Mike, and Hugh go to play blackjack, but I spy Johnny heading to the men's room. This is when I make my move. I am wearing a figure hugging black silk dress. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was being watched closely.

I rush for the ladies room stall and sit delicately on the toilet. I can hear someone enter the room and I slip open my purse to make sure the gun is inside.

I hear the distinct sound of a knife leaving its sheath. I know this sound well. When I used to go hunting with my Grandfather, the other hunters always wore them on their belts. I knew then that Johnny was inside.

A single gunshot. No screams, no struggle, no lingering stares. I gingerly tiptoe over the body and emerge from the restroom with not a hair out of place. I comb my shoulder length hair back into one hand and calmly walk around the corner and straight into Agent Beard.

"Nice job Mrs. Silva.”

"Please... call me Allie."

The guys that had been with Johnny knew what just went down. No one was going to wait for Johnny or the police to see what went on in the ladies room. The three men dashed out of the hotel.

Johnny lies mortally wounded on the floor. Blood covers his dark Pendleton-type long sleeve shirt. His once spit-shined Italian loafers are splattered red. His dying hand clasps the gold cross hanging from his neck. Two cops enter the bathroom along with two more security guards.

Once I am alone, outside of the building, the adrenaline and assuredness wear off and my hands start to shake uncontrollably. I cannot believe what has just taken place. It won't be long 'til it gets back to Nicky that his 'boy Johnny' has been hit. And not long after that 'til he figures out my involvement. I know now that I have to get the hell away from Nicky Shaff.

But I am thankful that I carried the gun. And even more grateful that my Grandfather taught me how to use it.

Miranda is now selling her own line of greeting cards on CafePress that she has designed herself. You can find them by going to her CafePress store here.

Some examples of cards she is selling:

I'm going to take a step back in time tonight and share one of my better moments with all of you. I haven't shared this online with anyone yet, and I think it's about time.

I was divorced for many years, but after raising my little girl all by myself for over 20 years, I finally found the man I would marry again. And I knew this time it would last. He's my best friend and has been since we were little kids.

James Kent Gilley, Jr. and I married on Oct. 7, 2006 in my front yard here at the farm. It was a little chilly, but the wedding was gorgeous. We had a 60 foot tent with a 25 foot ceiling that fed 350 people. Too many commented that it looked like a circus tent. Ha! And it was probably true. But also very elegant and so nice. I loved having all of our families and our friends here all at the same time. It was a great time!

Another best friend catered the wedding, Greg Clisso. He brought his best bbq with all of the accoutrements. Great food, wonderful bartender, fully stocked bar, and dancing until the wee hours of the morn. It might not have been the Waldorf, but it was spectacular!!!




Even though I am much older, I chose my dad to give me away. He really wanted to do that, and since it meant so much to both of us, we thought it was a wondefull asset to my wedding.


This is my baby, and my maid of honor, Miranda. She is not only my daughter, but my best friend.


This is the wedding party. Kent's Uncle was best man, Ralph Gilley. Then Kent, Me, Mira, and my Dad.

Second row: Brendon is my best friend Kristy's son and Olivia is my Half-Sister, Julie's daughter.












My daughter created this wedding storyboard for me. It's gorgeous! I could not have wished for anything more perfect. She is the ultimate photographer and she captured our hearts on this day!

My extended family now includes wonderful in-laws and it makes for happier times here on the farm.

Did some more apple pickin' today. I know, I know. I get carried away with apples and apple recipes, but there are so danged many of them on the trees in my backyard. And I hate to see them go to waste. We don't eat them once they hit the ground. Those are strictly 'groundhog' apples. And he absolutely loves them! We've walked outside many times and watched that fat, furry critter gobble up ten or more in one feeding frenzy.

I only picked a few today. I had this new recipe that I conjured up and was itchin' to try it. I think I will call it:


Jack Daniels Walnut Apple Cobbler

• 8-10 fresh sliced June Apples with the peel
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 heaping tablespoons of bourbon - we prefer Jack Daniels

Now keep in mind I'm using small June Apples. You can also use a medium
cooking apple from your local grocer, but be sure to cut the quantity.



Combine apples, water, and butter is a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Mash slightly if pieces are large. Add brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and Jack Daniels. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside.

• 1 cup self-rising flour or Bisquick
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk

Combine these three ingredients in large bowl and set aside as well.
Melt 1/3 cup butter in your 9" round cobbler dish or 8" x 8" square pyrex. Add the apple mixture. Pour the batter on top. Do not stir. Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top.




Optional: You can sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on the cobbler while it is still piping hot. This will crystallize as the sugar melts.




Serve with your favorite ice cream. Our choice today was French Vanilla. Ah! So delish!