GREAT First Day!

Yesterday was my first day of Grooming School!!  OMGoodness... I LOVED it!!! 
I took Nanuq with me... and boy he got a nice new look!!!  He is soooo darn cute!!!
It was a lot of info to take in in one day... and it was like Christmas... I got A LOT of awesome tools!!! 
I am blessed to get to work with such a WONDERFUL teacher... she is simply awesome!!  We talked... we bathed Nanuq... dryed him...she showed me how to clip and scissor... and I did nails with NO problems!!  (Of course, she tackled those double dew claws for me... they were TERRIBLE!)  AND... I LOVE her "tools" to calm the dogs!!!  My favorite was Nanuq in "earmuffs"!!! 
I was EXTREMELY shocked when she LEFT me all alone to clip a little pekinese!!  Poor guy had NO clue what he was getting into!!  LOL!!! 
I just LOVE it!!  I can not wait to get moving on my shop!!  I cant wait to have an "open house"... and get ppl in... and work with all of the dogs!!  We cant get those walls up fast enough... LOL!!

I am sooo very blessed to have an awesome hubby that has really stood behind me and supported my decisions... and is making it possible for me to have my own shop!!
This was a GREAT decision for me!!  After things I witnessed a few months back... and the trauma caused to too many dogs... I am glad I am learning the RIGHT way to offer this service!!  There is not a doubt in my mind that this WILL work out of me!

Today...
Taking the kids for hair cuts!  And back home to make more salsa... then to tackle some homework (while I put the kids to work on cleaning their rooms!)
This evening I will put some more effort into clearing out the space that is to become "Amy's Groom Room"!!

Pretty productive day...

I managed to get a bunch done today!!  We officially have a 'linen closet' in our upstairs bathroom!!  I ORGANIZED all of my hubby and kid's hunting clothes and things!!  It's amazing the space HANGING things up opens up!!!  I moved the towel shelves in there... and a basket for extra sheets!  It is GREAT!!  I freed up some space in the laundry room.  I am very happy about this!  Since space just became an issue since we are putting in my shop!

In addition to that stuff... I also made my first major shop order!!  Hot pink dryer... bathing system... towels... shear organizer... It was pretty stressful!!!  I did so much research over the past few days that I gave myself a headache!  Next I need to take the plunge and buy my clippers!!  I think I have decided on which ones I want... but, I need one more night to sleep on it!  LOL!! 
Tomorrow Stacy is calling the tub refinishing company.  Then we will figure out if they will come to the tub... or we need to take the tub to them!!  I CAN NOT wait for the tub to get done!!!

I am getting anxious for Derick to come and hang the drywall in our living room!!  I finish the drywall in the upstairs bathroom.  I NEED some of these projects to get done... so I can focus better!!  I am hoping to have our walls up in the shop... so he can do the drywall work in there too!!  BUT, Stacy is on a 21 day work marathon!  UGH!

Tomorrow...
I need to get back in the kitchen and get some more salsa made!  I picked a BUNCH of beautiful tomatoes this evening!!!

Tuesday is my first day of GROOMING SCHOOL!!!  I am sooo excited and nervous!! 

What will August bring...

HIGH hopes and BIG plans for this month!!!

Yesterday I spent the day making salsa... with Britt!!  We had a lot of fun!!  I got to use my new food processor... which made the task quite a bit easier!!  See... I knew I "needed" that...lol!  So, salsa will be added to our available list--  $3.50 a pint size jar.  I do plan on making some changes on my next batch... always looking for ways to improve!

Today I pulled my beets and carrots... Guess what I will be doing tomorrow...?!?  Britt's favorite-pickled beets, and freezing carrots.  Have I mentioned I LOVE this time of year!?!? 
It kind of hit me today that it is almost over.  :-(

I start Grooming school next week.  And I am in the beginning stages of planning my shop!!  I can not even tell you how excited I am!! 
I also got to network with a local groomer... and after talking to her, I am even MORE excited... and I didnt think that was possible!!  LOL!!

We had some pretty nasty storms come through this evening.  No major damage here... for that I am extremely thankful!!  Our previous storm damage is still looking at me every single day... and I am told it wont be too much longer until they are here fixing it!!  I sure hope so!!! 
Stacy found a really nice bay window for the living room, at a really awesome price... so, I guess I am kind of glad that it has taken some time.  I really didnt want the living room to be dark and gloomy.

I am also putting in my first order for prints to frame!  I found some really nice photo editting software... that I LOVE!!  I cant wait to get my prints... and get creative!!  Hoping I can make something of this hobby!!
Speaking of new ideas... Brittany has a new "idea" she wants to try out... BUT, I am gonna keep it a little bit of a secret for now!!  Soooo... keep checking back!!  ;-)

Last weekend in July... WOW

I can NOT believe that today is the last day of JULY!  Where does the time go... in my case, it surely wasnt spent eatting bon-bons... drinking exotic drinks... lounging on the beach!  BUT... it has been a very FUN and INTERESTING summer so far!!
Our camping plans for this weekend didnt pan out as planned... just too much "life" stuff to deal with!  Of course, we made the best of it...  We managed to hit up the outlets in Hershey on Friday and pick up a few necessities... AND NON neccessities!  LOL!!  Then we went out to dinner, ate way too much...then ended our evening with a visit to my Mom.  (Who gave me a basket for my bike!!  Which I will use to carry my pups when we go for rides!! LOL)
Yesterday we made a day trip up to Rickett's Glen!!  OMG... BEAUTIFUL!!!  It was a pretty hellish hike... down the mountain, and then back up.  I managed to FINALLY see the falls I usually dont make it to.  I am pretty proud of myself!!  It was a rough 4 miles... and we covered them in about 3 hours.  And I am NOT complaining a bit about it!  It was just Stac, the girls, Sprocket and me.  Nathan is headed to the beach with his Aunt Debbie.
By the time we made it back to the truck... I was about "done" with hiking for the day!  My back and knees were KILLING me!!  LOL  BUT, I managed it... and I am pretty proud of myself for forging forward and sticking it out to our goal!  I have the best hubby and kids!!  All were cheering me on... and helping me along the way!  LOVE THEM SOOOO MUCH!!!  I am thinking we will need to try again in the fall some time... when the heat isnt a factor... maybe I will be able to make it a bit farther... and I am sure the scenery will be even more amazing!

This is my last week before grooming school starts!!  I have to make it through a pretty big list of things to do!!  I have to continue on my salsa making.  I also want to dry some tomatoes... I found a nifty idea on making tomato powder... storing it... and using it to make spag sauce over the winter.  It should be interesting! LOL
I want to get my cucumber vines pulled out... and my stray dill that is taking over my berry bed.  We have some awesome pumpkins growing... IN THE COMPOST PILE!!! LOL!  The ones we planted in the beds have flowers starting finally.  I also have a really nice couple of tomato plants growing out of the compost pile this year.  Soooo funny really!!!

Let's see...
I have Josh on the hunt for some really good photo editing software for me.  I want to edit some of my nature pics... add a scrapbooking matte to them... frame them... and maybe attempt to sell some!! 
Other than that... the next few months will be focusted on grooming and gardening!  I am really excited about starting on the path of grooming!  I am not sure my dogs are as excited... BUT, they will manage!  LOL!

Ok... I must get my day started!  I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday!!

A short, much needed break...

It is official... Hubby successfully planned a last minute camping trip!!  He is good like that!!  He made sure to find a campground near a ghost town, with a creek front spot... in the shade, with electricity and near the bathrooms!  I have the BEST hubby EVER!!
I wasnt real excited about this trip... when Stacy first mentioned it... BUT, now that he made the reservations and I started to pack... I am really looking forward to it!! 
I have been pretty busy in the kitchen... and grooming school will be starting in less then 2 weeks!  I need to enjoy some time with my family... while I can!!
I guess this mean we wont be attending the family reunion...  Hmmm.... maybe my hubby did that on purpose...?!?  LOL

I sat down today and editted and ordered some photos that I took recently!  I am pretty excited to get them... and see what I can managed to do with them!!
Tomorrow I MUST order my Thirty-One add on kits!!!  So I can show the latest and greatest!!  I think some of the new patterns are growing on me... I guess I was stuck in the fun and bright spring/summer colors.  The sad truth is... Fall and winter are fast approaching!!  BLAH!  BUT... this year I will busy myself with my goals... and grooming!!  I am hoping to be able to start planning out my grooming shop, once I get about a month into my classes.  By then... all of the other projects should be done around the house... and I will have the focus and the space... and the professional oppinions of ppl already in the business, to help me figure out exactly what I do and dont need!!  I am soooooo excited!!!!
Wow... I just went from Thirty-One bags to Grooming... all in the same paragraph!!  LOL!

Just so  many fun and exciting things going on around here!!
I am soooo very blessed to have an awesome, supportive husband... and amazing semi-cooperative kids!!  LOL!!  They all want to see me better myself and achieve my goals... and that is ALL that matters!!!  :-)

So... I will get done what I can with my tomatos... and my green beans... and everything else popping in the garden... and the rest will just have to wait until our return on Saturday afternoon!!
Hmmmm... I bet we can find at least one old cemetery... because THAT is what we do! 

I sure hope everyone has a wonderful weekend also!!

HOT HOT HOT!

This major heat wave we are suffering through is NOT doing good things around here!  Even with nightly watering... the garden is looking wilty, and I am really praying we dont loose anything.  We lost all but 2 bunnies... and the remaining 2 have been moved into our dining room.  I am worried we wont have baby bunnies for Easter next year.  The dogs have been pretty miserable too.  They dont want to be inside... Dont want to be outside.  I did brush ALL 5 of my fur babies out today... but that was a MAJOR task!!  I gave Sprocket an adorable new doo!  I started to pull is fur up and out of his face... and tying it up with a tiny hair band.  He looks soooo cute!!!  I cant wait to start grooming school... and get more "ideas" for his crazy fur!  AND... there may be a new fur baby in the mix... shhhh!  LOL

I will be finishing up and canning my 2nd batch of Sweet Gherkin pickles tomorrow.  I dont know if our cucumber vines are going to make it through this heat wave... so I dont know if I will be making any other kids of pickles.
I managed to get my first 2 PERFECT tomatoes today!!  I cant wait to get started on Salsa and Spag Sauce!!
And I think I got enough garden beans today to freeze enough for another meal... to be made during the winter months!

I did move on to starting my jerky making.  I have my first batch marinating in the fridge over night tonite... and they will be put in the dehydrator tomorrow morning.
Other things on tomorrow's list...  More corn to freeze.

I spent all last week cleaning out our other house... for Josh to be able to move it.  I LOVE having him closer!!  The previous tenants left the house one hell of a mess!  TONS of damages!  But, I did get the horrible smell out... and I am pretty thankful for that!!  We got Josh all in and settled and he seems to be a happy camper!  I am so glad we are able to provide Josh with a place... away from us, on his own... but close!

I truly do have an amazing husband and my kids have an amazing father!

I pray that the heat wave breaks! 

It's been busy!

Well, it sure has been a busy week around here! 
Our almost 19 yr old son is getting his own place (which just so happens to be our other house)!  So we have been hard at work getting things in order.  The previous ppl that lived there sure did make a mess of things...and caused us one heck of a headache!  BUT... we are so glad to be able to give Josh this opportunity!!

Things around the garden have been a bit neglected the past couple of day!  I did manage to finish up my first batch of Sw Gherkin Pickles... and plan on starting my second batch this morning!!  I also plan on going out and checking for fresh, ready to pick veggies before I move on to doing laundry and packing up care packages for Josh!

I must say that I am EXTREMELY happy with my care at Homza Wellness Center!!  My fibromyalgia pain has decreased GREATLY over the past week... and my usual daily headaches have disappeared!  I am still dealing with some muscle pain in my back... where it is fractured,  but... that is to be expected and I will always have some sort of discomfort there.  I have been able to help move furniture and getting up and down to clean and pack stuff up has been soooo much easier this week!!  Like I said... I am so happy with the results!!  It is like I small miracle to me... and I am so thankful!!

Well... enough computer time... I must get to my "chores"!
Stay cool today... and keep hydrated!!!  It is going to be another HOT one!!

My busy time... and LOVIN it!!!

Here we are... making our way into the middle of JULY!  WHICH MEANS--- My busy time of the year!!
I have been hard at work on my jams... and other yummy things as I pick my way through the garden!  Herbs are being dried... tomatos are beginning to ripen... and of course the cucumbers vines are popping out future pickles every day!
I couldnt be happier with our harvests and all of the goodies I make!!  I will soon be adding all of these treats to my sales lists on loveduckfarm.com!!  OR, anyone interested in anything can always drop me a line by email or FB message!!

I live for this time of year!!!  It brings me sooo much happiness!!