Author: Julia

I am a retired software solutions architect. I have been married to my husband, Bruce, for over forty years. We went full-time RVing for 3.5 years and saw much of the United States. After deciding to stop RVing, we bought a ranch house halfway up a hill on five acres. After Bruce and I talked about names for our five acres, we settled on Blackberry Homestead as a homage to the wild blackberries on the hill. We are working on creating our homestead. I love cooking and enjoy sharing recipes. I am also an artist, and I’ll share my current projects. Gardening and reading are my favorite hobbies.

Most of the Day Spent at RV

February 3, 2025 I spent most of today cleaning the RV. I am not done yet. When I got to the RV, I hooked up the water and set up Nox up on her blanket. She loves the theater seating. I called the main office line for the sheriff in Lauderdale County to see about […]

Bluebird Checking the House Out

February 2, 2025 I was eating a cucumber, tomato and yogurt salad when I happened to see a bluebird. It was on top of the post the bluebird house is on. I have a clear view of the post from the dinning room’s south window. While I can’t see the entry, the bluebird appeared to […]

Finished Clearing the Drainage Ditch

February 2, 2025 Last night, Nox decided she needed a massage. She got my attention and made it clear I should follow her. She trotted down the hall, to our bedroom. She looked up at the bed, so I picked her up and put her on the bed. I picked up the remote and asked […]

Visit to RV and Uncovering Drainage Ditch

February 1, 2025 This morning, Nox and I went to the RV. Nox was happy to be back at the RV. She hopped up onto the couch after I put her blanket down. I plugged the water hose in and kept my fingers crossed that we didn’t have any problems after the bitter cold (8 […]

My Father-in-Law Had a Scary Fall Today

February 1, 2025 Bruce called today, very upset. His dad had fallen. My father-in-law wanted to go to church today. Bruce drove him and parked the car as close as he could to the entrance. Bruce offered to get the walker for his dad, but his dad didn’t want it. Bruce suggested using the ramp, […]

Early Morning Fog and Bird Pictures

February 1, 2025 Where did January go? It was here and gone in a flash. Yesterday, we got a lot of rain throughout the day. I got to see the new gutters and downspouts in action. It had stopped raining and the night sky was spectacular. I was lying in bed with Nox snoring next […]

Father-in-law Seems Like His Normal Self

January 30, 2025 Bruce drove his dad to his GP doctor’s appointment yesterday. The GP discussed side effects of some medication. Bruce says his dad seems like his normal self. He is coherent when speaking and is moving around well. My father-in-law still isn’t supposed to be left by himself for long, but Bruce is […]

Nox Had a Dental Visit Yesterday

January 29, 2025 Yesterday, I got up and got dressed. I needed to drive 20 to 25 minutes to get Nox to her dental drop off at 8:00 AM. I gave them permission to pull any teeth that needed pulling. I agreed for them to attempt to save Nox if something went wrong. Nox was […]

Cleaning My Induction Cooktop

January 27, 2025 This post is for Anne, my blog friend who writes Mehrling Muse. She has been very interested in my induction stovetop. My induction stovetop had developed several cloudy spots, so I decided it was time to do a deeper cleaning. Normally, I just wipe the cooktop down with a diluted solution of […]

Father-in-Law Sent Home

January 27, 2025 The hospital discharged my father-in-law today. While the doctors (Neurosurgeon and Internist) had been discussing sending him to a nursing facility, the caseworker said my father-in-law didn’t qualify. He has good mobility, so they are sending him straight home. Bruce says his dad is more coherent and keeps improving. Bruce is still […]