SURPRISE!!!

EXPLOSION, V-Day, Seeds, Clue #2

Explosion #1, get down on the floor.  Explosion 2, 3, & 4 what the hell…..are we under attack?  

My sister was talking to us, standing up against the driver’s window of our truck.  We had already said our goodbyes, when all of a sudden all hell broke loose.

Our initial thought, we were being attacked by cruise missiles.

We all stayed hunkered down around the truck until the explosions stopped.  Then there was a dull silence, and people started coming out of their homes in shock.  

 

Stock Picture Source Electronics-Forensics.com

Fire trucks, along with police cars, are flying toward us.  The neighbors across the street from my sister’s house had their electric meters blown off of the wall of their homes.  The walls were black; all electrical appliances were blown…power was no longer functional.

Bulldog Man and my sister ran back into her house to make sure there was no fire, or electrical damage.  After pulling containers away from the wall, it was evident her home surge protector took a major hit.  It was fried, and the wall around it was totally black.  

The local Fire Chief, along with several city electricians, and the electric company, went door to door making sure everyone was okay.  The game plan was to check homes for miles; to put out fires, pull breakers/meters, and appliances.  

A complete grid of homes and businesses were affected by this electrical accident.  Apparently a high tension electric line was dropped onto a city feed electric line, and this caused the major explosions, along all the damage in every home/business (as of last count, close to 2 million dollars worth of damage).  

There’s never a dull moment in our lives.  If you want some sort of excitement, just hang around Bulldog Man and I. :-)

*****

On another note, I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day with their loved ones.  Bulldog Man and I have this agreement; we don’t go out and spend money on flowers or candy on this day.  Prices are astronomical for Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day.  Usually the flowers only last a couple of days.  

After Valentine’s Day, I picked up ½ price candy, a small box to satisfy that sweet tooth we all get. 

*****

I placed an order for seeds this year with Park Seed.  I had a hard time going through 10 separate catalogs to determine who I wanted to order from.  Park Seed was my pick, and I ordered peas, beans, tomatoes, and various flowers to add to my seed stash. 

 

We’ve pulled up all of our feed lot panels used for fencing, and as trellis, in preparation to set them up in a new location on the property.  This year Bulldog Man and I will be starting a little bit later on planting seeds along with planting fruit trees.  You heard right, we’re going to plant fruit trees this year (peaches, plums, & apples).  I also want to plant a Meyer lemon tree in a pot; this way I can move it inside to protect it when it gets downright cold here.  

*****

Here’s another clue of the surprise coming up in 2 weeks.  Can’t wait to share with y’all this surprise.

Soap, Trailer, & Clear Margins!

While cleaning out one of my closets, I came across 4 pounds of suspension soap, goat’s soap (from Hobby Lobby) by Life of the Party; made from all-natural ingredients, in my linen closet.  I decided to go ahead and personalize this soap.  

Using old pots as a double boiler, while continuously stirring, I melted the suspension soap.  Then I added essential oils (ginger and lime) to create a unique scent, along with a few drops of teal to create the color.   Once ready, I poured the mixture into the mold, and let the mixture sit for 24 hours.

Scent and Color Getting Mixed In

My mold is a postal box (extra tape around the box for support), lined with a commercial can liner (lay flat using my fingers inside of the box), cut open with the ends taped down on the outside of the box.   You need to make sure your mold is ready before melting your soap, because the mixture solidifies relatively fast. 

After 24 hours, your soap will be solid. Remove the soap from the mold (discard the plastic liner, don’t reuse it).  Cut the soap to the desired size using a knife or a special cutting tool, I used a wavy soap cutter (purchased at Hobby Lobby).  

The final step is to let your soap cure for 8 weeks.  I use an old cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and a couple of cooling racks.

After 8 weeks, you can place a decorative paper wrap around the soap. 

*****

While shopping at Home Depot for silicon, Bulldog Man and I came across a trailer; built by Agri-Fab, a hauling cart to use with your lawn tractor, made out of steel.  We’ve been looking for a trailer capable of holding 200 to 350 pounds to help with tasks around the property, like hauling dirt, rocks, and wood.   This trailer/cart even has a release lever, making it easy to dump whatever’s in the trailer.  The cost was $99.00, and we walked out, spending only $89.00 with a military discount. 

*****

We also have two things to celebrate. Our son Tank turned 24 years of age and Bulldog Man was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago with basal cell carcinoma next to his left eye.  This morning we drove into Oklahoma City for a surgical procedure to remove the cancer.  The surgeon, a military veteran himself, cut into my husband’s face in an attempt to remove all of the cancer and get clear margins on the first try.  We waited in the surgery suite for the lab results to come back.  If clear margins weren’t found in the initial biopsy, additional cutting would be required.  The lab results came back with clear margins, the doctor stitched up my husband’s face (10 stitches), and we returned home.