Challenged Survival Blog, Mamma Bear Needs Your Help

Dear Blogger Friends,

I sent a Christmas card out to a dear friend, and recently received a card back from the friend’s husband, Papa Bear.  He asked for me to please call him.   I called Papa Bear, we all know of him through his wife, Mamma Bear over at the Challenged Survival blog.  

He has informed me, and I’m informing you Mamma Bear is still recovering daily, from the stroke she experienced on August 20, 2014.  She had surgery, spent 9 days in the hospital, and almost a month in a rehabilitation hospital. She went home to continue her recovery, to be around family, her animals, and friends; during this process, she suffered several seizures, was hospitalized again, and is now on several seizure medications, back at home. The doctors aren’t sure what’s causing these seizures. Mamma Bear is a fighter; even though she’s had a set back from the seizures, she keeps on fighting.  She’s working with her hand, and her leg, and is learning how to express herself, when she knows exactly what she wants to say, but can’t say it verbally.  

Papa Bear placed a medical update on Mamma Bear’s status on her blog, Challenged Survival on October 21, 2014.  Since then, he’s not been able to get back on the computer to update you on her status.  He’s tried numerous times; to sign in to no avail, and that’s where I come in.  He’s asked me to inform you of her status, and has requested prayers to help in her recovery.

From the bottom of my heart, I ask of you, as friends, to please pray for Mamma Bear’s recovery.  

On a personal note, if you would like to send a card, drawing, or maybe write a short note to Mamma Bear, to help put a smile on her face, as she takes these big steps toward recovery, then drop me an e-mail (SandyLivesay@G-mail.com), and I will be more than happy to provide you with her mailing address.   

Happy 4th & A Lovely Surprise

The 4^th of July is about celebrating the birth of our nation, and our independence. 

American families celebrate this day typically by going to see parades, have picnics, barbecue, play outdoor games, and watch firework displays.

To all my Blogger friends, I wanted to wish you a Happy 4^th of July, remind you to be safe when dealing with fireworks, and to pay attention to your surroundings; because this country isn’t as safe as it used to be.

Bulldog Man and I went to town to pick up the mail at the post office; Bulldog Man came out with a package addressed to me.  I know I hadn’t ordered anything, and we weren’t expecting medications, Bulldog Man and I were curious what was inside.  As I opened the package, there was a nicely wrapped item.  I removed the tissue paper, and to my surprise, there was a beautiful quilted flag with a note attached.

Mama Pea, thank you so very much for this beautiful quilted flag you made.  Receiving this flag means the world to me, especially right now….you’ve placed a smile on my face, and happy tears in my eyes.  Girl, I wish I was as talented and patient as you when it comes to sewing!!!!  Maybe one day I’ll pickup quilting through the internet like I did crocheting.J  Or……. maybe one day in the distant future, we could get together, and you could teach me how to quilt. 

As for our 4^th of July celebration, we will remain home, maybe do a little barbecue out back, piddle around the house, and if we can, watch a little bit of fireworks off in a distance from our porch.  Our weatherman is expecting rain, and severe storms………….and we will be the crazy people under the porch overhang grilling in the rain. 

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I also would like to take this opportunity to welcome a new friend to my blog.  Thank you for following me, please sit back and enjoy the ride!!!  If there’s any questions you may have about my blog, please feel free to drop me a comment, or an e-mail, and I’ll be more than happy to return a response. 

*****

Garden Updates

Here are a few pictures of the blooming flowers around the good old homestead.

And here we go again, another harvest of beans, and my first 3 jalapenos!!!

Animated source: Animationslibrary.com

Spreading the Love

 Many of us know 1^st and 2^nd Man from the blog, Two Men and a Little Farm.   

They wanted to move from the busy city life, to a calm, more laid back, place like the country.  When a good friend (who was like family) offered to sell her country home and land to them, (because she wanted to move to Florida to be close to her son)  1^st and 2^nd Man bought the place, and started working to make their laid back, calm life, dream come true. 

If you follow their blog, you’ll notice weekly inspirational posts relating to gardens and flowers.  Ultimately, they have plans for gardens with beautiful flowers on the farm.  They’ve been working on clearing out old garden beds, old trees, built up bushes and vines, and leveling out areas to make beautiful flower beds, and green grass, instead of brown grass.

Recently they purchased bees, and have 2 beehives on the property.  Bee’s need pollen to survive, and to build their world; I would like to see their beehives succeed.  I’m sending some flowers seeds to help with their inspirations of planting plenty of flowers to feed their bees. 

If you stop by their blog and read their posts, you can feel the same excitement and happiness I feel when reading the words they’ve typed. 

Gail from At the Farm, and I wanted to reach out and help 1^st and 2^nd Man plant their garden.  Gail is working on a box of live plants to send, and I’m sending seeds I’ve saved from my garden last year.

How cool would it be to have Blogger friends volunteer to send a packet of seeds to help 1^st and 2^nd Man walk this path toward their dreams?  

If you would like to send our friends a packet of seeds or a box of real plants/flowers, stop by their blog, Two Men and a Little Farm and tell them Sandy over at Oklahoma Transient sent you, and ask for their mailing address.   

 

Join, Welcome, Thank You & BBQ with Blogger Friends

I would like to start my post today by welcoming Mike from ourlittlemeadow blog.  Thank you for joining my blog, please sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

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This weekend was a weekend of BBQ and great friends J

 Saturday, Bulldog Man and I went to his boss’ house for a BBQ with fellow co-workers and their families, then on Sunday we headed to Northeast Oklahoma to meet up with SciFiChick from Bacon and Eggs and Phelan from A Homesteading Neophyte (I was so excited to finally meet some of my blog mentors……..shhhhhhh don’t tell them, it may go to their heads).  Talk about having a blast, Bulldog Man and I finally placed faces with actual blogs, and met their darling families. 

What a perfect day in Oklahoma, the sun was out and there was a gentle breeze which made being outside comfortable.  The smell of ribs smoking in the smoker made everyone crave ribs.  While the ribs were smoking, we all sat around this large evergreen tree (shade), shared stories, enjoyed each other’s company and watch Medium and Small (Phelan’s sons) shoot targets.  When the ribs were done (thank you Mars for the delicious ribs), we enjoyed them along with some fabulous salads and beans all from Sci’s garden, homemade Amish bread, and strawberry peach crisp.  Phelan made this amazing pepper jelly for everyone.  It’s so good, it will make you jump up and slap your Mama, LOL……


At the end of the day we all said our goodbyes and Sci gave us goodie bags filled with vegetables from her amazing garden. 

Thank you Sci, Phelan, and both of their husbands, we had a blast.