"February is for planting peas."

I was going to wait until the end of the month or possibly the first of March to plant the English Peas, but Mother Nature delivered a beautiful weekend of near 70 degree temps and my strong desire to play in the dirt got the better of me. Besides, Grandmaw always said, "February is for planting peas."

My little helper made the row markers.... "Peas, 1 Week".... he's a very optimistic little fellow :-)


Well, here's the spot, better get started.

First I need to cultivate the area. I have a very nice tiller that was my Grandfather's, but it is a large beast and when I use it I really take a beating. So, for this job, I will use this handy little gadget and my shoulders and back will thank me in the morning.

Now I need to get the weeds out. The little wild Spring onions are already popping up everywhere.


Miss Honey takes Grub patrol. Actually, she gobbles up grub worms, earth worms, beetles, bugs, spiders and any thing else that dares to move.

Watch out little earth worm, or you will be the next snack! I'll just cover him up right quick, I really prefer to keep these around.

Now that the tilling and weeding is all done, it's time to add the gold. Compost, made right here on my little farmette.

Well, the seeds have been gently enveloped in the warming earth, given a good drink and now I'll wait in anticipation for the first little green shoots to pop their heads out of the ground and say, "Hello!"

In the words of my Little Blonde Headed Helper, "It is a good day to be a Farmer." Lord, I love that child.

I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed your weekend as we did.~ Rhonda

Sunday Smiles

Good Grief!!

Sweet Taste of Nostalgia

I made myself a treat the other day. It is a pear salad that my Mom used to make my brother and I when we were kids~only my brother, who has an aversion to Mayonnaise, ate his with NO mayo. It is very simple... lettuce, canned pears, cheese, mayo and I added a maraschino cherry, Mom didn't use those.

I made mine with a different type of cheese than she used... I adore extra sharp cheddar. Plus I was fresh out of the government issue sliced American.

Times were very lean when it was just the three of us. My Mom worked two jobs to make ends meet, as a Dental Assistant during the day and as a Shirt Factory seamstress at night. I spent lots of time with my Grandmaw and Papa and my three Aunts. I remember making biscuits with my Grandmaw in her big round biscuit bowl, scooping out the flour and lard from big metal containers in the pantry. She never measured the ingredients or followed a recipe, she just knew how to make them from years of practice. I helped my Papa in the garden, he grew corn so tall that it towered above us and row after row of ripe juicy tomatoes. Green beans, squash, okra, cucumbers, onions and the best cantaloupes I have ever eaten.... from this my love of cultivating the earth was born. My Aunts played with me and pampered me, especially my Aunt Doris who was a young teenager when I was a child.

As an adult, I can understand how difficult it was for my Mom, how tired and worried she must have been. There is a picture of the three of us on Easter Sunday. I must have been three and my brother was 1. We are all dressed for church, me in my white bonnet with little yellow daises, my brother in a striped jacket and clip on tie and my beautiful mother is dressed in a pale yellow sheath dress that details how thin she is. We are all smiling, me with a silly grin that stretches from ear to ear, but under my Mother's eyes are deep dark circles.... she is not even 20 years old in this photo. I cry every time I think of it.

It was not until I was older that I came to comprehend the sacrifices she made for us. Because as a child, I was happy and I was loved, and that was all that mattered.

Funny, isn't it ? How a simple pear salad had the power to transport me back almost 40 years.~Rhonda

Sunday Smiles

My Mother-In-Law sent us this little treat. Guaranteed to make you smile!

Enjoy~ Rhonda

Out for a Drive

Last weekend we had a little snow up in the mountains not far from our house. Here's the thing.... every true Southerner is totally enchanted by snow, we get downright giddy over it. So when there is snow to be found, you load up in the 4-wheel drive and go look at it.

First we came to a small frozen reservoir.

Then we crossed a little creek and started to climb the mountain.

Near the top we stopped at an old rock quarry,

And marveled at the sheets of icicles hanging from the rock faces.

We marveled some more....

Still marveling....

My little scientist decided he needed a sample of the ice. Yes, he is standing on a sheet of solid ice. I am grateful that we did not have to end up with a trip to the ER.


The woods are lovely, dark and deep....

(I love that poem)

Of course there is a dark side to the beauty of ice and snow. As the owner of this vehicle found out.... the hard way. Luckily no one was seriously injured.

We ended the day cleaning off the mud and muck. I definitely had the better end of this event. Inside with the heater :-)

Rag Time

So, I'm ready to show you my weekend Zone project~ I made a Rag Quilt Bag. I love how Rag Quilt projects turn out so soft and fluffy. To get started I cut out my squares of denim, floral print, flannel, and backing pieces.

Then I layered the pieces and arranged them into the pattern I wanted.

I picked out a cheerful little button from by button box~

And of course I selected some ric-rac because it is just fun :-)

Then I sewed the squares together to form the front, back, sides, and bottom. When making a Rag Quilt, you sew backwards... the seams are on the outside.

Then I made the pockets, straps and button closure.

I like to add linings to my bags so that I can make the pockets the size I want.

After I put the linings in place I start to assemble the bag. It sort of looks like a little girls dress in this shot...... hummmm that's an idea.

I pinned the straps and button closure in place and then sewed the top seam.

Next I attached the button.....

Then it was time to get Snippy. I can not stress enough that to make a rag quilt, you need a good pair of snips! I tried to make my first project with just a pair of scissors to snip the seams..... My hand hurt for DAYS!! Plus it took at least 3 times as long to complete.


Here's the finished project~ an inside view...

And the front. Now all it needs is a spin in the washer and dryer and it will fluff up and soften.

This is a lap quilt I made this Spring. See how the seams look fuzzy and oh so soft?

This is another bag that I made. I jazzed it up with some embroidery on my machine. I really liked it, but I sold it to a lady in California. I may have to make another one for me.

I have a couple of other projects to share with you, but I will have to wait until they reach their destinations.... I wouldn't want to spoil any surprises.

Warm and happy greetings from the Zone~Rhonda

In the Zone

Today I am being creative. I will be immersed in fabric, ribbon, buttons, etc....

The sewing machine will be humming along to the eclectic tunes of 89.1 and I will be in the zone.

Want to see what I am making?

Don't worry, I'll share~Rhonda