Tabby is definitely in labor but I am predicting she wont give birth until sometime tomorrow. I may be wrong but we'll see. She looks very uncomfortable. I will probably but up a while watching her though.
I was digging in my closet upstairs and came across all my old journals. They start in January 1986. WOW, that was 20 years ago! I thought as I was reading through them I might transcribe some to the relevant parts here. I'll put it at the end of the posts so that you don't have to read it if you don't want to. It's all old news anyway.

Sunday, Jan. 12th 1986
Well this Month is about half over now. That leaves about 10 weeks now until I get to move back with Mom and Dad. I am counting the days. I didn't go to church today because I had to work at Ward's from 12-5. I am also counting the days until I won't have to go to that place any more! Just the thought that I don't have much longer to go makes it a bit easier. Sharon an Lois didn't go to church either. Lois didn't want to be sniffling in church and it wasn't hard to talk Sharon into staying home. I think they wanted to miss the communion part. Especially the way they do it at that church. The girls weren't here when I got home from work, they had gone over to Sam and Ivettes to help them move some furniture. They got home shortly after though. Rachel called and talked about 45 minutes.

The Kings Treasures
Tabby gave us a small scare this morning, she must be nesting and was looking for a nest. She crawled under the back steps and couldn't get out. I don't know how she got under there but when I found her she was trying to get out and couldn't get her big belly back between the steps. I had to get a pry bar and pry up the step a little so she would have room to get back out. I brought her with me to the shop today so we can keep an eye on her. There is a hole under one of the catalpa trees in our yard and one year she got under there and started digging and threw dirt in the opening and almost closed the opening. I had to dig her out of that one and plug that hole.

We woke up to rain this morning and that means Terry can't do much at the sawmill so he will probably be with us at the shop. That's always nice to have him out there with us, doesn't happen very often but it probably will more now that it is winter. And it really looks like winter too, after that rain last night. It took a lot of the pretty leaves with it.

Tabby was digging at her bedding this morning. That is usually the first sign that she is getting ready to pop. It is usually 24 to 36 hours later that she shows the real signs. But then mayby her blanket just wasn't wrinkled enough either. We'll just watch and see. I was perdicting for this weekend anyway.

T

Thank you for commenting on my post and for the kind words. I do check your blog every day, Sharon and sometimes more then once a day and am always happy to see something new. Funny how a pat on the back will change your (my) mood about something.
This effort seems to come and go with my moods too. Sometime I hit a dry spell where it seems nothing happens worth writing about but I try to look at it like when I was writing a journal, nobody ever read that but it was done for my benefit. If I think of it that way it is a little easier to just jot down a little something for future archives.
I better go take my Advil and go to bed again. Hope I feel better tomorrow.

Terry has had a problem for years with the way Sarah Beth dresses for Halloween. He thinks it should be more like he and his brothers did when they were little. They just gathered stuff from around the house and piled it on and made sure nobody could tell who they were. Well, you know we, as girls, have a different idea of how to dress up for Halloween. We like the pretty, girly, stuff. Well, he has been trying for years for her to let him dress her up 'properly'. She agreed, albeit very reluctantly and this is the results! The only reason she agreed was because she could hide behind all that stuff and nobody would recognize her.

I told her if we let him do this just this once we can insist that it never happen again! He had a ball though, and really got a kick out of it as you can see below.

We jsut went to our neighbors and then to Terry's Mom's house. We didn't make a killin' on candy that is for sure, hardly worth the effort to dress up. I figure this won't even happen in a couple of years so I better enjoy it while I can.

Why is it so much easier to write here if you know there is someone reading it? Hello? Is there anyone out there? I tell myself that I am just doing this for me and it doesn't matter if anyone else reads it but it is nice to know if you are there or not. I know.... I should comment on more of what you guys write too and I promise, I will.
We made it through the night, I had to get up and take another Ibuprophen about 4am and another at 8am for a sore throat. Terry was complaining about cold chills this morning and Sarah Beth is just complaining but this too shall pass and I'll be glad when it does.
Lois needs a Bible Character Halloween costume for Timmy tonight and we have some I made for the Christmas play at church so I need to go borrow a church key and get some for her to choose from. She is scared to be around us (wise choice) so I will leave them on Mom's porch for her to pick up.

Seems like we are all coming down with colds in this house. Terry had an Alka Seltzer Plus night last night and I can feel an Advil night coming on tonight. Sarah Beth has been complaining of many aches and pains for 2 days now. Seems like every time we get a change in the weather we end up feeling like this. It doesn't help that it is near Halloween and we have a good excuse to have lots of little chocolate bars in the house. Well, we had a lot of little chocolate bars, them darn little things sure can disappear fast!
Blade is in the dog pen right now and is looking at me like, "You don't expect me to have to stay in here tonight, do you?" "What do you think I am, a dog or something?" I was going to put Whiskers in the back room again tonight but on second thought, I really don't feel like 'throwing 60 lbs through the door' tonight. If he starts that barking again I'll just have to put a pillow over my head I guess.
No church tonight so we had another nice quiet evening at home. We watched Kidnapped on Masterpiece Theater but it is continued next week so we didn't' get to see the end. Here is something to wonder about, how come I never read all the 'classics' when I was growing up? I never read Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevens or Moby Dick or Jane Austin or any of those stories that you hear so much about. Seems like I always steered toward something a little more obscure. Does that say something about me that maybe I wouldn't want to know? Who knows. It's too late at night to be worrying about such philosophical questions. (Thank you for spell check on that word) Good night.

I am really having trouble with the internet today so I thought I would get on here and rant and rave a little. I can't get into the sites I need to work on. One is having maintenence done and the other server is busy so I get to play a while I guess.
The beautiful Sunday morning turned out to be a gorgous day! There won't be many more of these. I hope everybody is out enjoying it. I am looking forward to our all girl get together in Brown County in November. I am saving my money. It has been changed from Saturday to Sunday the 27th, just in case everybody hasn't heard. I hope everybody gets to go this time. Seems like there is always at least 1 that gets left behind. And pray for nice weather!
Am having a good weekend on Ebay, I am excited about that. Not getting rich, by any means, just making a little more then we spent. That is all that counts. Just keeping the money in circulation so it seems like I have a little more in my pocket that I did the last few years.
Well, I'm gonna so back and see if I can get some work done yet. See if the server is still busy. If it is I will just go for a walk or something. I could use a good walk in the fall sunshine anyway. Come join me.

It may be just my imagination but I have always thought that Sunday Mornings are much prettier than any other mornings. I can remember thinking about that when I was little. This is one of those beautiful Sunday Mornings. The sun is up, the air is clear and the fall leaves are still blazing with color. Make you glad to be alive! It is about 40 degrees out side so it looks best on the warm side of the window.
I had to manhandle that big outside dog of mine last night and put him inside the back room for the night. He didn't co-operate but I won in the end. The night before he had barked outside my bedroom window ALL NIGHT!. I said to him, I did, "That's the last time, Buddy. You will sleep inside until you remember your manners!" I forsee a struggle every night but I can still pick up 60 lbs and throw it through a doorway.
I felt so sorry for Tabby last night, she seemed so uncomfortable. She is so big that she cannot lay down in any position and be comfortable. There was a lot of grunting and groaning and she seems to whine a little with every breath. I can just imagine her saying, " I'm too old for this kind if shananigans." Well, this will be her last. I think she has earned her rest. She is too big to even get through the doggy door now. She does but she has to get her head through then hook her claws into something and pull her self through the rest of the way. I feel sorry for her and let her out the door now.

This is Sarah Beth's costume this year. She decides what and tells me how to make it and I just try and follow her directions. She started out wanting to be an Enchanted Forrest Protector (her words) but ended up calling herself a renaissance girl. She was tickled with it so I am happy too.

It is usually too cold to sit here in the evenings and ramble on but we've had a nice fire going tonight so it is not bad here at the moment. It has been a relaxing Friday evening at home and we could do with a few more like this. We watched a good movie on the Hallmark channel, Terry played fetch with the dog and his 'everlovin' ball. I folded clothes so I wouldn't fee like I was wasting my time and I think Sarah Beth was picking her toenails while she watched, YUCK.
I've sold all my pups and we sure miss them when they are gone but Tabby is due in about a week so I think I can wait that long. I thought she was late having them but when I went back to the calendar and counted the days again, I was 2 weeks off! Man, and I was sooooo ready for them babies. I think Tabby is really ready too, she is sooo big this time.
Hildie is recovering nicely from her surgery but my checkbook will take a little more time. She had a really big abscess on the side of her neck that had to be lanced and drained. She has 2 cuts, about an inch long each that have to be kept open so they can drain. She has never been easy to handle and I thought this was going to be so difficult but she is co-operating so well, it surprised me. I think we might be bonding over this experience, as long as I don't hurt her too bad.
Lois and Timmy came over to the shop today and Lois browsed for a couple hours. I did manage to get a 20 dollar bill from her but had to give 8 of it to Lucille, some of it was her stuff.
Terry, Chris and David put up the wood stove at the shop today so we can have a little heat out there now. That will feel good this week end, I just don't know what our insurance company will have to say about that.
The pretty leaves are about gone here now, just a few more days and a high wind and the trees will be clean. I didn't get any pictures of them this year but ....... Oh well. I so miss the green of summer when it is gone and everything looks so gray outside but I love winter too because I get to spend so much time at home with nothing to call me away.
The cocktail's laid an egg the other day, I found it in the bottom of the cage. I guess she wasn't feeling like nesting this time. Sarah Beth wanted to get it and incubate it herself but I talked her out of that real quick. I don't need any more babies around her to have to worry about. Believe me, the worrying part is the hardest part about having and being responsible for all the 'babies' we seem to end up with. I just hate that part.
Well, Terry has gone to bed and I sent Sarah Beth upstairs to read about raising and training birds so I better quit here and wind the cat and throw the clock out. It's been fun, we'll do it again sometime. Yaaaaawwwwwnnnnn. zzzzzzzzzzz

Sarah invited Sarah Beth and Timmy to camp out with her at the park on Friday night. Sarah Beth agreed and was excited at first but the more she thought about it the more worried she got and almost backed out. I had to do some talking but she finally decided she would and she had fun too. Lois and Kenny were cooking the chicken for Lois' church bar-b-que the next day so Sarah Beth stayed to play with Timmy. Rachel, Greg and Isaiah showed up right when we were there to get Sarah Beth so we didn't get any time to visit.

We built a fire in the stove tonight for the first time. I sure felt good! It wasn't that cold but cool enough that a little heat felt good. We wont keep the fire going all night so I know it will be chilly in here when we get up in the morning. I guess I'll finally have to put on some socks and a sweat shirt.
Had a good day on ebay today, sold nearly $400.00 in books. I like weeks like that but it doesn't happen often enough. I did manage to work all day on ebay and got some more good stuff listed. One item I listed today was on about 2 hours when it went over $100.00! I wasn't expecting it of that. That was a suprise.

That beautiful morning this morning turned into a rainy night. It is raining now and will get much cooler tonight and tomorrow. It looks like summer is just about over again. Wow, that was quick! I didn't meet my neighbor walking on the road this morning because I left about a half hour later then usual. The dog did run into his yard though, maybe he didn't notice. Got to the shop about 11 this morning. Took the puppies so we could take pictures again. We just let them run in the grass and tried to get some cute shots. They didn't turn out as cute as last time but maybe we'll do a better job next time.
Terry and David showed up about 1, said he broke a part on the sawmill and had to go home and get his book so he could order a replacement and have it come tomorrow. Kinda messed up his day, he was on a roll sawing out cross ties but that came to a screeching halt. Since they were going home, they, or we, loaded up the piano in his truck and brought it to the house. Sarah Beth has neglected her practicing something awful since we had to give back the borrowed piano. She has no excuse now, You go for it, Girl!
I put an ad in this weeks paper for some stuff we have for sale at the shop and I received 3 calls today about the vintage waterfall bedroom set. Terry only had $135.00 on it but I told the callers $150.00. That makes more sense, I think. They are really nice pieces. One lady is going to come tomorrow morning to look at it. That means I have to get my butt in gear and get out there before 11am. Well, an extra 150 this week would make it all worth it.
I was trying so hard to get some more stuff put on ebay today but didn't manage it. I was messing with the puppy photos all day, trying to get them posted to my website and that took me all day. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. Go to the 'Links' on the left and click on My Web Page to see the new puppy photos.

Good Morning! and a beautiful day it is! It was 55 on my thermometer this morning and the sunshine is beautiful. Will enjoy my 2 mile walk this morning. Our road has been such a perfect place to walk, it is a mile out to the blacktop with hardly any traffic but the neighbor man has started walking too and I am having a hard time avoiding him. He is not dangerous or anything, he is an older man but he hasn't been very friendly in the past and I think my dogs annoy him. He will yell at them occasionally when they come into his yard in passing. I think maybe if I choose to walk a little later in the morning I may not encounter him on the road. That does make me get my mornings started a little later but oh well, what is the rush anyway?
I wish I had more time to read. I found so many good books in that last batch we got from the auction! They are just begging to be read. They are calling out to me, I can hear them. "Read me, Read me, Read Me....." I did pick out one and am really enjoying it. It is by Torey Hayden, you remember her, Sharon? She is or was, a special education teacher and she wrote about her experiences in the classroom with her students. You can't help but love her kids as much as she does after reading her stories.
I let the dogs out this morning and I can't understand it, they bark to be let out, be out 5 minutes then bark to be let in. I think I will just leave them out a while, it is too pretty out there to not be outside.
These puppies are really getting so cute! It is so cute to watch them when they fight with each other. They are not but about 4 inches high but sound so ferocious and act so tough. Really they are just a big ball of love and you can't help but plant a few kisses every time you get near them. The lady that has put a down payment on Alex keeps bugging me to add new pictures to my webpage so I guess I'll have to do that today.
Time to get Sarah Beth out of bed and get this day started. Will chat later.

Lois and Timmy came over to the shop this morning. She brought me a little drop leaf table that needs a lot of work on it and something that looks like them old wooden chicken coops. She brought some stuff to store in our workshop that she needs to work on. Sarah Beth went back with her to play with Timmy while she and Mom canned beans at Ms. Bea's. Lois had to leave them there and go help Kenny work on the bulldozer so when I got done at the shop I had to go pick them up. Mom didn't want keep Timmy at Bea's so I took him to Birdie's where Lois and Kenny were working. He was really upset again, that he didn't get to come home for a sleepover with Sarah Beth. Terry was fixing himself a bowl of leftover beans when I got home so I let him. I had a bowl my self. He wanted to put some macaroni in the beans this time and it tasted really good. I sold $4.00 at the shop today, I sure need to get that sign put up! I need to find me a 4x8 sheet of marina plywood to paint it on.

Just got back from my walk this morning. It is a beautiful day out there! I've had my bowl of cereal with banannas and raisins so I am ready for the day. I've taken all 6 dogs with me to walk before and they LOVE it but sometimes I just want to go alone so I have to sneak out so they dont know it or they set up the most amazing cacophany of noise you ever heard begging to go with me! When I got back I let them out to get their exercise and now I need to straighten up the puppy pen and lay down fresh news paper while everybody is outside. Will do that, then load the car with all my 'stuff' and head for the shop. Lois wants Sarah Beth to go play with Timmy today, they will be a Ms. Bea's today canning beans so I guess I'll be at the shop by my self.

I didn't get anything on Ebay today, I just got my pictures labled, sorted and uploaded so I will be ready to get down to business tomorrow. I opened the doors at the shop and made a whole $2.oo! I am thankful for that though, it is more then I had this morning.
We managed to rig up a diaper for that crazy duck. I am not sure it is working yet because Sarah had a big mess to clean up on her lap a little while ago. She wanted me to clean it up but I said, "No way, Hosea. It's your duck!" We may have to modify that diaper idea.
Terry brought an order of cedar boards that he sawed today to the shop for some guy to pick up tomorrow. They sure smelled good. I sent him home to start a pot of beans and ham while I made a quick trip to Paoli. I made cornbread and fried potatoes when I got home. Now I have to get Sarah started on her chores and clean up the table from supper. We'll chat again later.

I just wanted to stick in a picture of the puppies. Aint they cute???!!!
I finally made it out to the shop but it was after noon before we got here. I had to go help Dad with his new computer. It's not new but it is new to him. It looks like a good one, I think he will be happy with it. Well, I better get to work here. Can't make no money on here. :)

well, I'm back. We'll try this again and see how long it lasts. This is almost October and the last time I was here was in February. About all I have to talk about is dogs, ebay and the Shop. So I'll 'jump in with both feet' like you said. We went to the shop today after church. I cleaned off and condensed a table so I could add some craft supplies we got from the last auction. Terry helped me price the stuff (mostly a quarter or .50 ea). I sorted books for a while, about 10 boxes of them we got at a yard sale yesterday. I was looking for things to put on Ebay. I picked out 2 boxes full but I dont know if I have any thing worth any money, we'll just have to put them on and find out. Right now I have a bunch of books on and just 3 of them will bring at least $100.00 but I knew these were good ones. One is about Elvis, one is the history of Kentucky and the other is about the mountain people from Gatlinburg, Tennessee area from around the early 1900's. Interesting stuff.
The puppies are about 5 weeks old now and are starting to eat the big dog food. They are running around the pen with all the big dogs and everybody is getting along pretty good. I tried to block them off from the big dogs and make it so the Mom could get away from them if she wanted to but they kept "breaching the levy" so I just gave up and let them run with the big dogs.
I am having a problem with ear mites and even bought the expensive stuff at the vet ($14.00 a dog) but it didnt help any, they were scratching again within 5 days. My only other alternitive was the stuff you have to put in twice a day for 2 weeks and I am not very good at that. I always forget after about the 3rd day. I will have to do something though, I really hate to see them scratching so. Treating 5 dogs, twice a day for 2 weeks will be quite an accomplishment for me!
Love your blog, Sharon. I check it sometimes 2-3 times a day. Keep it up.