And Then There Was Ida.....

What a week, what a week. Ida brought rain Wednesday and then developed into a nor'easter Thursday and Friday and hammered us inland with 8 inches of rain and wind. The Norfolk and Virginia Beach area and the Peninsula were hit the hardest and some people are still without power. It was ranked as one of the Top 5 worst storms in Hampton Roads.

I was prepared for this one and made sure the kids got out to play before the rain set in. It was tough because they are getting over sicknesses and I wanted them to get some Vitamin D from the sun and simply run around for a while.

We spent some time in the Fall garden and it is coming along nicely. The broccoli is heading, as well as the cabbage and lettuce. AnnaBelle was the last one to get sick, but hers didn't last long. She shook it off quicker than any of us. I wonder if that dirt eating helps?

Walmart had their Halloween costumes 90% off and I grabbed as many 4-6 sizes that I could find. He ended up with Captain America, Megatron (pic above) Darth Vader, a Storm Trooper and Batman. He was speechless when I handed him a few. I gave them over a period of a week and they occupied him while the rain and wind pounded outside for two days straight.

Ellie stayed glued to the couch and must have a bladder the size of the Titanic, but even that sprung a leak, so she had to go outside to face the elements and was not a happy camper returning looking like a soaked rat.....So we don't need to see any rain for a while. fingers crossed.....

Just Put a Quarantine Sign on the Door

The past two weeks have seen all of us down with chest colds, sinus infections and a general funk. I started it off with a sore throat the week before Halloween and it then migrated into a sinus infection this week. Nathan has a chest cold and cough and AnnaBelle is fighting one off. George has just come down with the illness and well, you know men, he's the most pitiful of them all!

Yesterday was in the 60's so I let them ride with me down the lane to get the mail. We picked up a few pecans along the way. They are starting to fall everywhere, and when I opened a couple they were still wet, so I'll spread the ones I pick on newspaper on the mudroom floor. Can't wait to start crackin'. I have an almost "crack" addiction to shelling pecans. And it was quite a lucrative season last year.

Nathan stayed out of school almost the entire week. I sent him on Thursday because it was picture day and I didn't want him to miss the class picture. He did real well and I told him if he was feeling bad to let the teacher know. Well he took full advantage of that and I got the call around 10 that he was crying and coughing, so off AnnaBelle and I went to pick him up. We decided to make turkeys to hang in the windows on either side of the front door. It was a fun project and Nathan did so well cutting out the colorful turkey feathers from construction paper.

Miss Priss has been begging to get on the old computer we have. I have games on it for Nathan and she has seen him playing them and wants in on the action. I think she has about 15 screens open right now!

Yep, we need a magician or a magic wand to bade away all of the germs that are infesting Woodland right now. What we really need is a good freeze or better yet snow for a week!!!

The Freaks Come Out at Night!

Ah that time of year again. We are starting to get quite a collection of costumes. I wore this one 5 years ago after changing my mind. I have a geisha girl costume but with a cold coming on I didn't want to deal with the white face and having to constantly wipe my nose. I found George a new costume, after being a pirate and a scarecrow this year he was Julius Caesar and he thought it was extremely comfortable.

My little Miss AnnaBelle Farrar was a flower garden gnome. Bless her heart, she hasn't had much sleep lately because of an eye tooth coming in and she looked like she was ready to go to bed when I put her costume on around 4:30. She went to a couple of houses but soon tired out so Nathan and I trudged onward.

Nathan has so many costumes and he changed his mind several times over the week but when it came down to the decision he stayed true to his form and was Spiderman. He loves that costume because he has an obsession with muscles right now. He even lifts little hand weights in his room to pump up his arms. And he is dedicated to doing it at least once a day. He has moved up to the 3 lb weights now!

So another Halloween has come and gone and Nathan boasted that he had a good time the entire trip back to Wakefield. AnnaBelle fell asleep before we even left the city to head home and once we got here she was more than ready to end this freaky, strange day!

A Warm Day in October

Thursday was the perfect afternoon for a getaway. The temps were in the 80's and a southerly breeze was blowing.

We headed for the ravine. A washout between the cotton and soybeans where the children found a new hangout. George found it and took them there a few days ago and Nathan has been begging to go back.

AnnaBelle said the dirt here was the best on the farm and comes in chunky sizes!

Nathan brought his sword so he could fight off the bad guys should they appear. I am really diggin' on the boots! He has almost grown out of them, but alas his Grandma Jessie has bought him a pair for Christmas.

Even Miss Ellie joined in on the fun. She kept up with us until it was time to go and then jumped on the golf cart.

There is so much to explore on the farm, each day is a new adventure to these two. With the cooler weather we can venture into the woods.

This spot is now a favorite and when we head around the farm on the golf cart they both beg to go to the ravine!

Wow, my little girl is growing up and trying to talk more each day. It's amusing to hear the words that come out of that little mouth and I believe she will be more of a talker than Nathan and that is saying ALOT!

I used a warp brush on the background of this pic. That is a sundial he is leaning against and heavier than you can imagine.

We met my father's new girlfriend with a dinner at the Parsons Hotel. It was a wonderful evening. Nathan thought the cheese on the tray was American and when he realized it was cheddar he wanted to grab a napkin so he could spit it out!

Thursday Stuff

Mr. Scarecrow Pumpkin head sure is scary looking lit up when coming up the lane....BOO!

AnnaBelle and her remora, Weasel. He lost is left eye somehow poking it into who knows what, but he has adapted and loves to follow us around the farm.

Ellie could chase imaginary squirrels all day long. I'll holler to her that one has gone up the tree and she goes ballistic. Jumping up and down, running to the tree and chewing the bark off of it.

The soybeans are drying out and will soon be harvested. I'm hoping that they will plant a winter wheat once they are finished.

Little Miss AB Farrar and dirt go together like peanut butter and jelly and just as messy if you allow free reign. The garden is cranking with the broccoli, cabbages, lettuce and kale looking so beautiful. And we are picking butter beans slowly. They are hanging everywhere but haven't filled out yet because of the cooler weather. But these warm sunny days help speed things up, some.

Gone are the Dreary, Windy, Rainy Days (For a While)

We had an extremely cold and rainy past week. It started Tuesday and it didn't let up until today. So what did we do with our time inside? George made a delicious pot of homemade soup from everything produced from the garden. I made an apple cake that all of us devoured each day. We made halloween decorations to put in the windows. We face painted daily, pumpkins, bats, and the Decepticon logo. And I put red dots all over AnnaBelle's face to look like the measles!

We watched movies, played games and I sat in terror in front of the tv watching the events of the balloon boy, and now to find out it was a hoax. How could you put your children in a position like that? Well it's good to know that little Falcon might have a conscience after all when he puked on live television!

And yes, the Robin Hood costume came from Aunt Mary. What a wonderful job she did on it. Thanks again Aunt Mary! He was so excited to get a package and it was filled with so many halloween goodies for sister and himself.

Today we were able to get out and enjoy the sunshine. We all needed it desperately! I worked in the garden picking snaps while AnnaBelle napped and Nathan came down and entertained me for a while.

After AnnaBelle woke up we decided to take the mini-truck to the back of the farm and pick up walnuts. We gathered quite a few from one tree and still have more to pick up. It's just the first step in a long process of producing the end product. But this year, it's well worth it!