Life of the Party

      Summer is already to the midpoint and I'm surprised by how fast everything has quickly went by. My summer reading list hasn't really had a dent put in it, but I am working through it slowly. I didn't get to have a lake day yet. Where I usually swim was once owned by locals and the dumb northerners who bought it posted it. It's funny that they want to come across by land to do things, but I cannot do the same to enjoy the lake. I spent my entire childhood at that spot.      I saw the dreaded back to school stuff going out. My momma heart cannot take  this. I need more time with my child! I'm more than thankful for my summers off with Taylor. They just seem to pass by so fast.           

      The Affordable Dentures location in Asheville is ridiculous. I have been working to get mom a set of teeth for about four months now. Constant cancelations and misinformation has caused them to seem incompetent in their duties. It's not the actual dentist, but rather their front desk workers. Mom cannot drive herself there, so I have to make the 2.5 hour drive each time to ensure she doesn't miss an  appointment.      In this latest mishap, they called Friday evening wanting an A1C completed for today's appointment. It takes weeks to get an appointment with her PCP. Her doctor doesn't even come in on Fridays. Even if she could have somehow go an appointment the results of the blood test takes a week to get back. Our rural doctor offices are not equipped with the fast A1C readings.      She was desperately trying to explain this to the receptionist, but she just couldn't understand. She also had to keep putting mom on hold to go ask...

    Dark's story of Prince's search for a mate is one of awe. I think she could have an entire series based upon Prince's past. I just want to know more. Catt's character was also one that really showed how powerful female shifter life can be. As I listened to this story, I realized that book could be a complete stand alone book and a wonderful introduction to Dark's paranormal world. I have a few book left in this series, which  saddens me to no end.      I would rate this book a 5 out of 5! The narration was entertaining and lovable! Her choice of tones for the different voices made it an easy listen. I think all women wants a man that loves and protects them as Wolf shifters do their mates. Modern day fairy tale at its best.   

      Oddly enough, we have never had to really step in and help out any of our goats. The mommas have always willingly made the choice to stop letting their offspring suckle. We had to do some research and call some other goat owners to learn how to help her out.      The buckling in question is over 7 months old (his new owners are building a fenced in area for him, but who knows when that will get done). He is on the smaller side, but he will not stop feeding from his mom. So we started separating them at night. He is eating regular feed and picking on his own. He can fully function. The mom has been exposed to a billy and will have new babies early fall. I do not want her body stressing to produce milk and grow new kids at the same time.      Weaning is terrible and I feel so bad when Fin screams for his mom. She doesn't to be stressed or bothered by us moving him either. Tomorrow starts the complete separation where he will stay in a sep...

       My husband had briefly spoken about getting rid of a few more hens today while we were feeding. Funny story short. We have four hens in a separate coop that are not laying or are they? I went back down to the coops right before dark to check on everything and look what I found in the nesting boxes. Four beautiful eggs! What trickery is this? It is hilarious to think they really understood that they were on the chopping block, literally. Where have all these eggs been going for over a month now? I check the boxes at least twice a day during the summer months and they have had nothing for weeks. This is odd! Maybe someone has been helping themselves to the eggs?      Maybe one of them has been eating them including all of the shells?  

      My mom is the absolute best and she really strives to make me happy. This is rare considering I'm in my thirties. She does is all out of love and I appreciate it more than she will ever know. With that being said, she likes to buy me clothes. She recently saw a Facebook Ad for Halara's dresses. They were having an impressive sale and she ordered me several items. Pants and two dresses. I was thrilled with the pants and how cute they were! The dresses however were a massive disappointment. The fit is fabulous and flattering. I took special care to read all the attached tags. Apparently, the wrinkles come out after the first wash. Not a true statement. I even borrowed my husband's clothing steamer to see if that would help. Sadly it did not.      I don't want to look and see how much she paid for said items, but I would like to get her money back or exchange the dresses for other items. I don't think they will take them back after I washed them. Th...

      Even with CarePayment it seems an impossible feat to escape this debt. I got off the phone with this company and decided that I would just do the best I could with what I have. They cannot eat me or however that saying goes.      To beat it all the lady stated that they would hand it over to debt collector regardless of payment via CarePayment if the total is not paid in full by 2027. So even making the arranged set payments this may still end up going against my credit. I think as long as they are getting some form of payment that they should just be okay with it. People who dodge paying medical debt should have it reported not those of us trying to make things right!      I just hope nothing major goes wrong again in the near future. It wasn't an elective surgery, so it should be classified differently. 

Classic love story of a damsel in distress. Emma has a rough childhood with a drug addict mother and things that go with that: abuse, hunger, anxiety, and sexual exploitation. McAdams did a marvelous job of keeping her reader's attention. I didn't really like how slow plot progressed and justification didn't really occur until the last two chapters. The narration was decent and I really was engaged throughout the story. I would give this book a 3.9 out of a 5 due to the slowness of plot sequence. I was somewhat annoyed with this!  I do not think I would give this author an additional chance.     

      I have really good health insurance, but it still doesn't help. I had surgery back in May and I'm just now getting some of the bills in that the insurance didn't cover. Come on Blue Cross Blue Shield! With inflation driving up all living costs and this new debt, I'm in over my head. I don't know where to start and the annoyance is killing me.      I am highly educated and barely surviving! With an education (which was heavily encouraged), I should be breaking more than even. I budget well in my opinion and adding this additional $450 payment a month seems excessive. I wish there was some sort of reform that would happen to place medical costs at set rate. My surgery was over $95,000 dollars and my insurance did the best it could. Each department had its own billing as well, so there are also other payments that will be made. Medical debt is ridiculous and there's no way to escape it. I'm still paying on the birth of my child back from back in 2023. Th...

      I'm have zero medical training, but I do have an opinion on what stress does to the body. At the current moment I'm stressed over not working a summer job. This is the first summer that I didn't clean cabins, bus tables, or work a cash register. I'm feeling it more now than ever. With great certainty, I think stress is why my hair is falling out and my stomach is messed up. Stress causes me sleep issues as well. I have also had panic attacks in the past (a doctor called them this).      So, what do I do to manage this? I'm going to try a few new tactics to see it they help me in anyway. I will first start off with lifting weights nightly to see if that helps and then I will move on to punching my boxing bag. Farm chores just isn't cutting it, and maybe I need something more intense. I went down a used the weed eater for over an hour the other day. Honestly, that seemed to really help me blow off some steam. The heat wave has really made me stay indoor...

      And when you just start thinking things have settled  down.. The US attacked Iran. I'm at a loss for words, but I'm also way behind in the news highlights and do not know enough of what is going on to form a true opinion.      I'm a ball of nerves today as we wait to see what form of retaliation will occur in the coming hours. Is this all out war? How does one prepare for this? What is to be expected? I sometimes refer to my disconnection from social media as a "bubble." Should I retreat to that safe space? What does the future hold?      I'm from a family that has many past and current military service members. I will always support them because they are putting their lives on the line for us. I believe in them so I believe that whatever happens we must support our nation's choices. I'm just super anxious to see what the next 24 hours hold. Send good vibes our way. 

Just when I thought this series couldn't get any more exciting here comes along yet another twist that was foreshadowed in previous books. Man, I was absolutely cheering on Denver to declare Mazy as his pack mate. Dark has once again pulled me right back into this series. Unfortunately, I cannot get a copy of the next book until sometime next week, so I will be taking a slight break from Dark's work.      I would rate this book a 4.9 out of 5 because I really thought there was more room for character development. Mazy was poised to be a weak female who needed saving at every turn which somewhat annoyed me. Great book though!   

      It's happened again, but this time it was a mud slide instead of flooding. The highway connecting NC to TN is currently shut down due to excessive rain that produced a mudslide taking out part of the highway once again. What does that mean for me? Why does it matter?      It means that all the semis that travel that freeway will be trying to use the small narrow two lane highways out my to get to TN. There are signs everywhere telling them to turn around, and guess what? They don't because their GPS states they can go that way. The razor back to back sharp curves caused these larger trucks to literally get stuck. It's dangerous and not mention time consuming waiting for them to get wenched out.      This  afternoon alone we passed five headed to ride the Dragon US 129. I know they will not make it and will either get stuck or cause someone else to get hurt. Where are all the troopers this time? They were stationed out our way last ...

Now this is what I'm interested in. Dark's book kept me on edge cover to cover. She is a spell binding author who knows her audience and what we need. I loved this book all the way through. Wheeler is now officially my favorite wolf out of the back. Allowing a shifter of a different species to join their pack was unexpected. Wheeler's guarded character finally comes full circle when we learn that he was been bailing out his twin at all cost... money to cage fighting. The narration was impeccable and as always her various male voices was on POINT!  I would gladly rate this book a 5 out of 5. I have found a print copy of the next book, so let's get started! This summer reading list has been both spicy and entertaining!    

Today's purchase was a success! Taylor absolutely adores this book and she has had me read it 4 times tonight before bed. She didn't want any other book. The graphics are also a plus and afforded me the opportunity to ask my toddler a plethora of questions. Those of you with toddlers of your own should consider buying this book! I would rate this book a 5 out of 5. I usually go to our local public library and check out books, but Taylor picked this up and wouldn't hush until we bought it. I don't really see it as a waste of money because it is a book. I hope my love for reading is passed on to her.   

      As a professional, I have to walk a thin line and not be vocal about  political issues. Today, we had to go to Asheville and this bizarre lady approached me about placing a sticker on my car. Ummmm.... no! I was super respectful and told her, "no thank you." I think it is beyond tacky to have them distastefully placed all over your vehicle.      She followed me all the way in the store trying to inquire about my personal  beliefs. Ma'am "I do not feel comfortable enough with you to have this conversation." That should have been the end of the discussion, but no. She was actively filming me walking through the store trying to talk to me. This shouldn't be allowed. The sticker stated, "Fuck ICE." I don't want some sort of cuss words on my car and that should be my choice.      I'm in a bubble apparently, because when someone hands you a sticker "according to this crazy lady" I'm supposed to put in on my car right then and ...

     Ms. Dark has completely redeemed herself as an author in my book. This installment of the SEVEN  series was fantastic and kept me guessing until the end! This book is in the perspective of Ivy and how she became a pack member. Her harrowing tale of childhood trauma left me speechless. I had the hope that she could one day get past it and receive the ultimate revenge on Fox. I was delighted that she did! This book gets a 5 out of 5 rating from me. Narration made this an easy listen, as well as, the plot!    

       To be honest this humid air is sweltering and it's slowly draining the life out of me. I was an hour into outside chores when my shirt began to stick to me. The salty sweat stung my eyes today as I carried down the goat mix feed. It was everything I could do to fill all three feeders. I don't remember it being like this when I was a child. Somehow it seems more intense.      The sudden rise in heat changes the pressure, which is soon followed by a thunderstorm. The cool rain does provide some relief, but it doesn't stop the already drenched feeling you have from burning up. Taylor and I ended up spending our afternoon in the small stream that lines our front yard. I have damed up a small place that allows the water to get ankle deep. Even in the tree shaded area, the heat is still beating down. I thought once the storm passed that the sun would be blanketed by clouds. I was proven wrong.      The only thing to do on days like this...

 I hate to say it, but my husband is right. Sometimes you have to introduce some new blood into your goat herd. Meet Patch! She's half Boer/ Kinko and she has never been  handled. She is 7 months old and I haven't been able to even approach her since we placed her in the field with my herd. I have a few skittish goats, but they can still be caught during feeding time. My husband likes to have the goats that way so they aren't trying to jump on you. My babies just want love and brushing. All of the goats that I claim as mine are easy to catch and deal with.  We are still moving out our young bills and I'm STILL sad to see them go!  I did get to keep two nannies this season, so that is a positive. It also means that we will have to moved our billy, Junior before they reach breeding age.      So here is your first look at Patch! The  previous owners had named her ugly Betty. I don't know why? Patch is absolutely precious and up to date on all of her ...

  Ohh how they have changed colors! I posted a few weeks ago, but that didn't do my flowers justice. Have a look at them now! Mom suggested that I lay some banana peelings at the base of each plant and that seems to have made them blossom even more! I'm in absolute love! It's one plant but it's both blue and purple at the same time! 

 I was somewhat disappointed in installment of the series. Jericho's character was something that I found very predictable and so was the story. I was somewhat bored with this book. I didn't read this book and that might of caused some disconnect with the story line. I did like the narrator via Audible! Lizzy's character seemed to be a weak person and had a damsel in distress vibe. I do NOT like main characters that exhibit this trait! I would rate this book a 2.5 out of a five. This book seemed rushed and the formation of character was not as appealing last with the first two books.      I don't usually give up on series, so I will be moving on to the next book. I hope it does in fact get better!   

      Life with livestock comes with flies. I hate these pesky creatures with a passion. This year has been especially annoying and nothing seems to slow them down. I've tried sprays for the goats to hanging fly bags around the chicken coops. These flies bite and it hurts. Even the OFF sprayed on my arms hasn't deterred them from eating me alive.      The hanging fly bags are overly full with them. I have already ordered more to see if they can slow them down. I know they are disposable, but I always buy extra bait to keep using them for the full summer before retiring them.      Does anyone else have any  suggestions? The gentleman at Tractor Supply suggested that I used horse fly spray. I put the first coat on the goats today. I cannot wait to see if it works. Wish me luck! 

      I watched the news today. This was the first time I've seen live TV in about a month because I avoid all the negative. Rarely is anything positive covered and during COVID the news only made my anxiety skyrocket. I didn't even know about the riots and what was going on. Bubble life seems so bizarre now. I could have missed a whole history changing moment. Disconnected is how I would currently describe myself. We don't have a TV service and I avoid social media for the most part. I cannot believe what evil is going on at the moment in my country and it's on BOTH sides!!!  Keep the US in your thoughts and send some good vibes our way. 

Ummm, what? This series has really sparked my interest in reading again. I have been so caught up in her line up of characters. This book is written in the perspective of April and it still references the other characters as their lives continue and intertwine in this world of shifters. I love the possessiveness of the male pack members. Reno has been my favorite wolf thus far. I listened and read this book. The narration on Audible was fantastic, but reading it for myself was a special treat. Our local library did have a copy and checking it out was a MUST! I would rate this book a 5 out of 5. I hope the next book in the series is also in April's perspective. My summer reading list is HOT!!!           

      I have discovered that I do in fact need to change up some teaching strategies that I use on a weekly basis. This class thus far has been a game changer for me. I can see that my teaching practices and ideas are somewhat out dated and I need to adapt to a new learning  paradigm.      I'm in the middle of module four and the learning curve is still kicking my  tail. It has been so long since I was a student that I'm having to readapt to excessive typing and technology enhanced learning via an online format. Personally, I think all teachers should have to step out of their comfort zone and take classes beyond regular PD session offered. I really puts things in perspective.  

 Here is a list of activities by child has had a blast doing thus far! 1. Visit a zoo. Small children love them and it allows you a full day of fun. 2. Playing with the water hose and/or sprinklers.  3. Helping "plant" (She doesn't really help, but she seems to really enjoy being out there with me) 4. Splash pad  5. Feeding the chickens (she is finally old enough to hold her own scooper filled with feed) 6. Nature walks 7. Picnics  8. Catching bugs 9. Playing in the small stream that runs down below our house (its ankle deep) 10. Bubbles  11. Riding in the wagon  12. Local lake (fake beach area) 13. Cheap pool from the Dollar General  14. Water guns      I have learned through experience that you don't have to spend an arm and leg for your young one to have a rememberable summer. They just want to be with you. Our spring water doesn't really ever run out, so playing with the water hose is always on our agenda! 

I have officially started my summer reading list. Wow, I'm completely taken in by Dark's character list! Austin is steamy and so his his broody demeanor. Reading Dark's work came at the right time. Summer boredom has already set in. This author knows how to catch their reader's attention. This first book took nearly no time to complete exploring the world of "shifters."  If you're in to super natural stories, this is for you! I overlooked the sexual scenes and skipped several pages, but the story is still swoon worthy. We all need our own Austin!      I would rate this book a 5 out of 5! I was also excited to discover there is more than three books in this series. Count me in!  I will be reading the entire series before August gets here. I just home the series stays in Lexi's point of view. I have no idea how this series was not on my radar. I know it's an older book, but it more than worth its time to read.   

      Every summer I start the count down... I hate it too. I keep a running count of how many days I have left of break before school starts. I wonder if that is even normal? Do other professionals have the same issue? It's more dreadful now that I have a child. Only seeing her for four hours a day when school is in session takes a toll on me. Every parent that works probably experiences the same frustrations.      This summer I decided not to work an extra job, so I could spend some extra time with Taylor. It just seems to be passing by so fast. I'm still somewhat nervous about taking her places alone. The anxiety of dealing strangers and my toddler really puts a damper on my summer plans. I feel like that is abnormal too! I think of all the ways something can go wrong and talk myself right out of "fun" opportunities for family time. I just want her to be a little bit bigger before we take her to the  lake. She is only two and she doesn't listen to a...

     Training chickens isn't an easy job. The coop we put them in for the past few weeks has got too wet and messy, so to transition them out of the mud seems impossible. Tonight, when I went down to check on them nearly all the hens had decided to use the old coop. Man... it is a muddy mess that nothing can help at the moment.      We literally walked over the entire mini herd of chickens and put them in a fenced in area with a very nice DRY coop to roost in. They must like the roost in the older pen. I have no idea. From what I found on the internet I need to trap them in the main coop for a few days so they know where to go. I'm over my head at the moment. Any suggestions? I feel like trapping them in the coop would be too hot on them with this summer weather beating down on us.      I'll try something new again tomorrow. Maybe someone will call and buy 30 or so more. It's just easier dealing with a smaller amount of birds. I collected ove...

Wow, breathtaking story that kept me guessing all the way through! I hope Charly Cox continues to add to this series. I'm officially a FAN! I was beyond disappointed to learn that this is the last book (so far). I have really enjoyed this series and have been into the book from the first chapter! Detective Alyssa is always a favorable relatable character. This cannot simply be the LAST book! There is so much room for more stories and investigations. I would rate this individual book a 4.9 out of 5 due to the ending. With a two hour commute to my specialist appointment this book was a quick listen. It is not part of the Plus Catalog, but the money was worth it. Spending money on a decent book is always worth it.   

      Well, to be honest I still have over 100 chickens to care for. People have been stopping by and purchasing a few here and there, but it hasn't really put a dent in the massive amount of animals I'm having to feed.  Hopefully, everything goes through and a guy is coming to pick the rest up sometime today! I'm only keeping four hens for eggs.      I will miss them following me around! I hope their new homes enjoy them as I have these past few weeks. 

This has been an exciting read! I think this has been my favorite installation of the Detective Alyssa series! Cox has out done themself with this book! I will gladly rate this book a 5 out of 5. I would also like to comment that ending on a "happy" note really made my day. I cannot wait to start the next book. I have no idea how many books are in this series, so I hope Cox has continued to write about each case.      I was glad to see that Alyssa's role does more than looking for sex trafficking victims. Reading over these devil worshippers doings made my skin crawl. I couldn't imagine there are really groups of people out there that actually do these things. Cox's imagination is beyond what I would personally be able to create. 

I don't usually waste time posting reviews of children's books, but this one is special. My dear friend, Mrs. Beam Beam (Elizabeth Beamer) is the narrator via Audible. Listening to her read along with Taylor at my side was fantastic. I know her own children love reading because she has such a range of voices for the characters! Please take some time are listen to her latest recording! Your small ones children will love it!  I will rate this book a 5 out of 5 just because the narration is soothing and easy to listen to!   

      Potty training is significantly more challenging than I originally anticipated. Taylor finds it extremely funny to pee once I take her off the potty. She does however do well first thing in the morning. I have to brag about her willingness to at least try and she is successful 75% of the time.      She had her two year old shots today and a check up with the pediatrician. She suggested that I buy actual "big girl" undies for Taylor. Pull Ups wick away dampness and she doesn't get annoyed by it. I guess I will be spending some money on a few pairs of those in the next few weeks. Wish me luck! I need patience too! 

      I still cannot access my account. Even when I tried to call, I was on wait for over an hour and the app will not let me log in. This whole situation has completely stressed me out. I did find where there is an actual "in person" branch somewhere in Murphy. I will be traveling out that way to get some assistance soon. I have bills that need to be paid asap!      On a positive note: The debit card is somewhat working.      

  My grandmother convinced me back in early Spring to place some epsom salts near the base of the plants. She said it would boost color and perhaps I would finally get the purple blooms I've always wanted.  My plants have just started to bloom and so far....We have PURPLE! They used to blood a bright hue of blue, which is also beautiful.  This plant used to bloom a weird hybrid pink, so I'm waiting to see what they will be this season! The epsom salt did the trick on the other bushes. 

  Sometimes all you need is a walk with your goats. Taylor and I went down and spent the afternoon in with my small herd. I was picking up trash and other undesirable things that have made its way into the field. My dad was a massive junk hoarder, and we have spent years cleaning up his mess. From old tires to old cars.  Just look how majestic my billy is! Junior is the most gentle giant I own and he loves to be fed treats.           I really wanted to share images of all of my goats, but some of the more feral goats do not come within arms reach unless I have food. It seems when we purchase goats from other farms that they actually want their goats to be completely wild. This isn't always a good thing, especially when they need a hoof trim or medicine.               Junior is a Boer/ Kinko cross, so he will end up being massive. He currently weighs in at 255lbs of pure love. I think he is my favorite g...

      Well, I'm not going to lie, but I'm thrilled with this service. I'm able to stream, upload, download, and browse without buffering. I didn't realize how convenient it is to have this here at home. Thankful is an understatement!  I no longer have to go sit at the bottom of the mountain to stream from my phone to get work done. Using my phone as a hotspot sucks and it's unsafe to sit parked for hours on the side of the road.      My only regret is not giving in sooner to get this. Thank you  Starling! Best service ever!

      Potty training has begun! I have been trying my best to watch for her "actions" that she is about to use the restroom. I haven't been too successful, but I'm going to give it my best try. Everyone has advice about when to potty train, and how to do it, but no one is here to walk me  through my failures.      So far...       Taylor has screamed at me, ran around pulling her diaper off, and flipped her tiny potty over. I'm using both a small potty for her and a toilet insert for the regular toilet with no success. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem as easy as most have made it out to be. Suggestions?      I even tried a "Pee Pee" song on her Tonie box to encourage her to use the big girl toilet. She just dances around to it and laughs. Pointers? 

      I signed up for a class via Stanford which was offered through my school. I really like taking courses online and getting CEUs is an added bonus. We are always learning new things, so adding something to my "playbook" is worth the time. This summer I will be carving out some time to finish this course before school starts back in August.      So far I have worked on two modules where there is a LOT of videos with discussion questions attached to them. I wonder if this is the new norm for online courses? Where is the books, reading, and combining materials to write papers? I think I have been out of the game way too long!