I Got to go Outside!

Oh my, oh my, oh my!!! What a beautiful day it was yesterday!

I have been inside recovering, and I can't really get around without my walker, (that's right folks--a walker--with tennis balls and everything) but yesterday I became adventurous. Well, my wonderful grandparents also encouraged me to, but I finally got to go outside and soak up some nice Autumn sun! I also got to play with the kittens and the few chickens I have left. I evaluated the garden plot, because as you all should know, I have garden fever to the extreme right now, and have only been able to plan on paper, which I love anyway, but yeah. Usually I do all the hoein' and tillin' and cultivatin' and rakin' leaves over the plot, and pourin' compost on the plot, and turnin' it in, and etc. Well, since I can't exactly tie myself and my walker to a tiller, Josh has been a huge help!! Praise God for big, strong brothers!

I had so much fun yesterday, although I really paid for it later, I was so spent and sore! Eh, it was well worth it!

God is Good

I really don't know how to begin this post. I am honestly at a complete loss as to where I should begin.

I reckon I'll start from where I can remember.

Oh wait. I don't remember anything. At least not until they transferred me from ICU.



Friday, October 16
All us kids were so very excited. It was the opening night for the play we were in. We were performing with Social Circle Theatre. We had been practicing for so long. Our dress rehearsals had been that week. We were thrilled about opening night! We couldn't wait!

Finally the time came for us younguns to take off toward the small town of Social Circle. Mama would meet us over there closer to show time. We loaded up into my red Dodge Durango. We found a good country song on the radio, and we were off!

The show went great and we truly enjoyed ourselves. That's about all I remember.

The following is according to family members>

Josh and I loaded into the Durango. Mama was going to ride with the bitties. There was a church function Joshua wanted to go to, so I agreed to take him. We headed toward Loganville. I approached the stop sign on Bay Creek Church Rd.

School buses are big. They are big and fast. Especially when they have no stop sign and aren't supposed to stop.

My little red Durango slammed into that Winder/Barrow county school bus. The marching band was on its way home from a football game.

It took two hours to pry my body from the wreck. Those EMS worked so hard. I am forever grateful for their determination. Miraculously, a nurse showed up on the scene. She was truly an angel in the whole situation.

Josh got out. No one knows how. He had sustained a concussion. He had several cuts and bruises, but overall he was all right. He was sent to a different hospital.

I was life-flighted to Atlanta Medical Center. I've always wanted to ride in a helicopter. Too bad it was under those circumstances.

I was immediately rushed to ICU. My femur(left) had broken in half. My fibula had been fractured and my left foot was just plumb "tore up". The tendons had to be repaired in surgery that next morning. Mama said my left leg was twice the size of the rest of my body. I had blood on my brain, and fluid in my lungs. They put me on a ventilator. I have positively no recollection of any of this.

Let's skip to last Saturday. They transferred me to the rehab floor. I was still on oxygen and my banged-up leg hurt like nothin' I've ever felt before. I ain't gonna lie. It HURT. I was not a very kind patient to some of the nurses. Considering they had me doped on drugs, I was in pain, I wanted my Mama, and they were poking me with needles, maybe it's justified. Well, after that mornin', I was much kinder, and made friends with every single nurse on the rehab floor. They'll remember that first mornin', though. :)

Today was the day I was looking most forward to. I got to come home!! Needless to say, I was very excited.

There's still a very long road ahead of me, but the Lord will help me.

I cannot begin to express my gratitude to all of the wonderful people who have been encouraging me during this time. I couldn't do it without all my wonderful family and friends. All of the fervent prayers, the lovely cards, the beautiful flowers, the yummy food....all the LOVE!!! I am so humbled by everyone.

Ohhh, everyone on the school bus was safe. There were several cuts and contusions, and a bloody nose, but the Lord was merciful to all those on board.

The Lord has taught me so much these past few weeks. I can't really just write it all out, but let me say.... I am so very thankful for the Providence of God. I am so thankful for His mercy. I am so thankful for His love, His grace, His goodness, His glory, His timing.

God is good!!!!!!

Andersonville

(Jest go ahead and prepare yourself for a whole mess of photos--I don't feel like doin' any typin'. :)




Trying very hard to look serious...


Coley



He is much too handsome...Don't you think?


Makayla


Purty little thang...










We were blessed to find our great-grandfather, Steve C. Pierce's grave. He served as a mess sergeant in World War I.

"Oh the Wind and Rain..."

Hot dawg!! We have had some kind of rain these past several days.

Historical. That about sums it up.

Personally for us, it's been no inconvenience. We ain't under water, and Jack's Creek didn't overflow. The town of Good Hope was blessed.

The only thing we have to show for all this rain is....well...

these things...






(: (: (: (:

Shout, Shout, the Battle Cry...

....of FREEDOM.

Our Dixie forever,
She's never at a loss,
Down with the eagle,
and up with the cross.

We will rally 'round our Bonnie flag,
We'll rally once again!
Shout! Shout!
The Battle Cry of Freedom!


I have never before posted about any reenactments, but that will change today.

I must begin with my personal 1860's attire.
A few years ago, my Nana and I made a lovely dress to wear when attending reenactments. While it was a very pretty dress, I soon learned it was quite "farby".(that means severely historically inaccurate--uh oh!) So I began attending events dressed as a regular ol' spectator. In the meantime, I was really pining for a dress that was accurate. I began looking at patterns that were historical and asked Nana if we could begin another project. So we did. Several months passed, and it still wasn't complete. I was just so plumb busy---and perplexed by the complexity of the pattern. I wanted the dress completed, so I called a wonderful lady and asked if she would finish making it for me. She happily agreed. She is an amazing seamstress and does outstanding work. Needless to say, the dress turned out to be amazing!



I think she did an outstanding job!!
(special thanks to Cooper White for taking the photos)


Daddy and I were blessed to attend the 145th Anniversary of the Atlanta Campaign yesterday, and had a grand ol' time!

The Yanks should've never tried to climb Cheatem's Hill!!

I failed to take many snapshots, but I did get some video, so this will have to suffice.

Kilpatrick's Raid and Battle of Cheatem's Hill

Cottage Industry

Well, I have been planning and creating and praying for a few months now, and I have finally launched my home-based "business" !!!

I will be selling my hand made herbal salves, as well as a few other things. It is somewhat small at the time being, but I hope to be adding more very soon. Expect to see more by Christmas. I am hoping to add some body spritzes, a line of propolis-based salves, soaps, and even a few baby products.

I am still working on the website, so bear with me. :) Please feel free to go check it out!


www.cherokeeroseherbal.weebly.com

Genesis 1:12 "And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

Genesis 1:29 "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."


Psalm 104:14 "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth."

That's When You Know...

6:30 AM: I head out to the shed to start my morning feeding duties. It's still somewhat dark. The night critters are still singing. The peepers are havin' a grand ol' time, and the crickets are playing their tiny fiddles. I make my way to the chicken coop and see a gray figure walking nearby. First, I think it is one of our cats. No, it's slinking. It ain't a cat. Oh My!! It's a postum (as we call them)! I put down my grain bucket and run like mad back to the house. I know the biddies (what I affectionately call my siblings) will wanna see this, so I know I need to get my camera. It is too early to wake them. By this time the postum is up in a tree next to the coop. Sweet little thing.



Now, postums were a regular occurrence last summer, but this is the first I've seen since then. Naturally I was amused.

Last year a big granddaddy postum came and decided to take residence IN my chicken coop. I was not amused by him. Well, I was, but in a different way. I was angry with him, and my hazel eyes showed it. :) I went after him like I would go after a Yank, hoe in hand. No one goes and steals eggs from my henhouse! He didn't know what happened. He ended up being picked up by the tail and thrown into a wire cage. Well, I had caught 'im, so I wasn't angry anymore. Just amused. We had a 4-H poultry judging meeting that afternoon, so I thought I'd bring 'im to show off.
Oh yeah. Everyone got a kick out of that.

We got home and traveled over to the edge of Mr. Thompson's woods. We let him go his way. I wonder iffen we should have let Mr. Thompson know? Anyway, he slinked on off into the piney woods and that was the end of Ernest T. Yeah, of course that's what we named him. A perfect fit. Yup, after my dear, beloved Ernest T. (If you don't watch Andy Griffith at our house, you just wouldn't understand.) I wonder if he knows a she-postum named Romeena?

Hey! Maybe that was Romeena I saw this mornin'? She may pronounce it Ramona, but he would prefer Romeena.

Well, I guess that's how you know you are a Georgian, a homeschooled kid that lives in Good Hope. When you get excited about a postum and name him after your favorite Andy Griffith Show character. Yup. It's official. I'm crazy. A crazy female that thinks postums and other critters are perfectly acceptable. In fact, she is amused by them! Good grief! She is crazy! At least we don't have any bears in our area. I'd die for sure.

I reckon I still should've eaten 'im.



Now I just need to find a coon and name 'im Malcolm Merriweather.

Or maybe a skunk and name 'im Gomer.