WE HAVE ELECTRICITY AGAIN!  There were several "Thank you, Lords" and "Hallelujahs"  spoken (loudly) around here by my hubby and I when the power came back on yesterday at 5:pm!!  I even found out today that at least one of our grocery stores is up and running and has replenished what they lost.  So after being shut in for days I'm off to the bank and the store today.  I hope I never take those things for granted again...try going for very long without your bank, grocery store or gas station...

As for my daughter, Summer, she is expected to be in the hospital on into next week we know.  They are trying to reach her Urologist but haven't been successful due to the phone systems being down in the city where he is.  They have found that one of her kidneys is not emptying like it should.  It's emptying at about half the speed her other one is and there is a blockage.  That's probably why she's been swelling so much.   All along it's been kidney stones and infections but now kidney function?  That worries me a lot.   Poor thing.    Thank you for remembering her in your prayers.  God bless you for that!

All my hens are laying now.  I just love all the different colors I get each day.  I knew I'd be getting pastel blue, green and pink, and of course brown and white, but I'm loving the deep olive green eggs.  Those were a surprise to me.  Look at that tiny brown egg in the basket!  I put it in the pot when I was boiling eggs for potato salad and egg salad today and snapped a picture of it in a teaspoon right before it got salted and peppered and popped in my mouth!  Mmmm-good!

I was beginning to get quite a number of eggs in the refrigerator so I knew it was time to freeze some.  Recently I have cracked bunches of eggs into a big bowl and scrambled them, added a little salt and poured them into a freezer bag to keep until I needed them for a scrambled egg breakfast. (or supper!) 

Today I wanted to freeze them individually to use in recipes like cakes, cookies, pies, so I emptied out my ice trays and cracked an egg into each section and this time added a pinch of sugar and broke the yolk of each egg.  {Always remember to add a bit of salt or sugar before freezing.} Once they're good and frozen solid I'll just pop them out and put them into a freezer bag.  This will keep me in good supply of farm fresh eggs even if my hens stop laying for a time.         Just eggcellent!

The sun has come out today and it's pretty hot.  We're still without electricity.  I hear there are places here and there getting power back on.  Walmart had power yesterday but someone told me there was no fresh produce or frozen or refrigerated food or bread, etc.  I got out and picked up a few limbs in the front and some around the chicken coops today.  It will take a lot more work plus a power saw  to get all that mess cleaned up.  This sunshine will dry things up I hope.  Thank you for your prayers and kind words and thoughts everyone.  It does cheer me up.  And it was great hearing Kitty was alive and well and she asked that I let everyone know here at HSB and asked for continued prayers during her very trying circumstances.  My daughter was able to be admitted into a  hospital ast night thankfully and her doctor has started another IVP and has called in a Urologist.  Please keep her in your prayers.

I was able to talk to Kitty today.  She and her family are doing okay.  Her house withstood the storm and I think they lost a shed and maybe some things outside.  She is fortunate to have a generator but they are only running it a little while at night.  As we are finding out too, the gas to keep one of these things running is very expensive.  She said where she lives took a direct hit from the hurricane and they are without power and may be without for 6 weeks.  I sure hope that's not the case!! 

Her mother is in need of prayer.  She is not doing well at all.  She is considering calling an ambulance today.   It's very hot  in her house, yet she's cooking a lot of food, rather than it going to waste.  I think others in the area are coming over and eating at their house. 

Let's all continue to keep Kitty and her family, her mother especially, in our prayers.  They are going through such a terrible time.

*PLEASE READ BOTTOM OF PAGE:

Still no electricity.  My neighbor said the newspaper said it may be 4 more days or more.  The generator hasn't  failed us yet.  As long as we can get gasoline we'll keep it going.   So far we're able to run the freezer, frig, tv, a couple of lights, computer, and the small window unit a/c at night, though not all at the same time.  I am so thankful for that.  It's such a helpless feeling watching all your food thaw out and spoil as has happened before with Katrina.  I feel bad for those who don't have a generator. 

 I'm hearing that a few spots here and there have gotten power but for the most part we're still without.   My hubby is really having to work extra hard.  Then there are so many that can't work at all until power is restored.  We've got hotels filled to capacity with evacuees.  I wonder what they are doing with no electricity. 

Thankfully, it's still rainy and windy so the temperatures are bearable.  I'm able to "live" throughout the house.  If the sun ever decides to come out then the temps will rise to the 90's and it will be like an oven in here so I'll have to stay in the bedroom and turn on the window unit for the most part.   

The weather channel shows there may be another storm that might head to the Gulf.  I'm not going to think about that one just yet. 

   Today is our 26th Wedding Anniversary! 

After typing all this my daughter called and is sick and needs to go to the ER.  She can't reach her doctor, the nearest hospital is not taking patients, and the next closest is overflowing and running on gereator power and can't even be reached by phone due to phone lines not working.  Please pray for Summer.

The sun just came out....

I remember my older cousin taking me and my brother to a Drive-In movie when I was really little.  I vaguely remember the movie that was playing on that big screen was "The Birds".  I really remember the experience more than anything.  Since then I've often wished I could relive it all over again. 

Even with tv and netflix movies there's just something about the Drive-in Movie that is on a different level altogether.  Being parked out under the wide open sky, waiting as the other cars roll in and park all around.  And just as it's getting dark you making the stroll over to the concession stand for goodies to eat and drink during the movie.  (Usually even a double feature!)  If you're really lucky your Drive-In still has the old fashioned speakers but some places you just turn to a certain number on your radio to hear the movie which is neat too. 

 I honestly thought Drive-Ins were a thing of the past.  I haven't seen or heard of one since I was little.  Boy, was I happy when I found the website that showed me in a not-so-far-away town there is an old Drive-In still doing business and the cost is only 6 bucks for an adult admission and even cheaper for kids.   It's been lots of years since I went to a Drive-In movie when "The Birds" was playing but I'll be going again before long!  I hope they have a concession stand! 

click here to see where the closest drive in movie screen is in your neck of the woods.

A couple of images from my back door after Gustav paid a visit.  The pictures really don't do justice to the sight of the mess that we see. 

It's still raining but the strong winds have died down.  I just got phone service back on so I was able to get on the computer.  I also called Kitty in S. Louisiana but didn't reach her.   I did get her answering machine and left a message.  (I found it reassuring that her machine was working.)   As for us, for the first time that I know of our entire city and county are without power.  You can't even buy gasoline.   My husband talked to someone with the power company that said this storm hit us harder than Katrina. We were without power for about a week then so I'm wondering how long this time.   Our weather radio is going off every time I turn around warning of tornados.  But we are safe and all our children are safe and we have had no damage to our house and we are thankful to God for that. 

Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for us.  God heard and answered.  

We are experiencing the calm before the storm here.  So far it's just drizzeling rain and a little windy.  We are expecting it to be bad between 5 and 7 pm.    I didn't think I'd have time to post today but I'm glad I do.  Several family members have phoned to check on us this morning and I called my daughter to check on them.  As of now at 10:38 am we are just watching and waiting.  I do wonder about Kitty and have been praying for her. 

Thank you all so much for your kind words and thoughts and prayers.   I'm over my pity party about feeling that I wasn't missed while I was away.  I would delete the post altogether if it weren't for the nice things you had to say. Thank you all for putting up with me.  How special YOU are!

I have this thing that I do...I feel I have the need to get things neat and spic and span before we go out of town on a trip.  And I've found the same rule applies to hurricanes!  It would probably be called a nervous habit!  My hubby seems to be the same way.  I think I started out that way first maybe and gradually after almost 26 years of marriage we have grown into in some ways the same person!  LOL  So he's been working hard around the place outside and I've been working inside.  I just finished up the last thing that was in the laundry hamper and all is put away.

  I notice I'm running that central air conditioner pretty steady today, remembering what it was like after Katrina without it for over a week in scorching heat!  ugh... :  [  Would you believe after  being so proud we had gotten a generator since Katrina that when we tested it this morning it didn't work??  It has worked fine until this morning!!  So my hubby had to go and get another one (sob, whimper) and we are fortunate that there were any in stock at all.  So that shows  the stores are more prepared this go 'round thankfully.  So that's 1000 bucks we'll have to work towards paying off after JUST getting our credit card paid off for the first time in years.  (wah-ha-haaaaa-haa-haaa!)

Well, with all the trees out here where we live the power will likely be going off soon so I better say goodbye and watch the weather channel while I can.

ta-ta for now~

Please pray for those of us who are bracing ourselves for the hurricane.  I don't know who all here at HSB that includes but I do know our friend,Kitty is in dire straights living only 50 miles inland in Louisiana.  They have no where to go and she has a very sick mother in her home that has been having hospice come in and care for a little each week.  She can't put her in a nursing home or hospital - they have all been evacuated.  Not to mention she has her children and everything she owns.  When I spoke to her she said she believed in the power of prayer and is pleading for us to intervene on their behalf.  I'm in SW Mississippi and for the first time in my life our area has a mandatory evacuation of those living in mobile homes. 

Thank you, and I will report as soon as I can. 

Hello Homestead bloggers.  I'd like to say a special hello to the handfull of ladies that posted on my blog, asking about me since I've been away from the computer.  Thank you Trixi, Farrah and Julia  and of course, Kitty who is a close friend that I keep in touch with in other ways.   

I'm dissappointed that one can go from being a long standing  "top commenter" here  (one who reads and comments on others' blogs) to not blogging at all for a long time and come back to wonder if all those friends from my "friends list" even cared I'd been away.  Plus bunches had removed me as a friend of theirs altogether I noticed.  So I'm hurt but won't stay that way.        Blogging is strange....

On a different note some of the things that have been going on have been:

We took a short trip to Memphis with hubby on business.

My hubby's dad has been really sick and in the hospital.

Our oldest daughter is in hospital passing kidney stones.

Been gathering lots of eggs.  (getting double yolks from our new chickens!  I'll take a pic soon of the pretty baby blues and greens and avacado green and browns and white eggs.)

Got lots of rain from Faye which relieved our parched area.

Gearing up for Gustav here in South Mississippi  : (  When Katrina hit we were without power for over a week and lost all our food in freezers/fridg, waited in long lines to get gas that got higher by the minute, lots of clean up, etc....We're going tonight to the store to stock up on some things for the storm.  We've already got some batteries.  And since Katrina we've gotten a generator and a window unit air conditioner so we can at least stay in the house during 90 plus temps outside if the power goes out. 

Lots of things going on at Church.  I'll be teaching 1st and 2nd grade Sunday School for the new Church year again and it will begin Sept. 1st.

Our 26th Wedding Anniversary is next Wednesday.

Our oldest granddaughter turned 5 this week.  Her party is Saturday.

Our 3rd grandchild is due Thanksgiving day!  It's a boy!

Several little trips planned to flea markets and such.

My first post in so long should be more exciting but maybe next time.   With pictures! 

~God bless everyone~