Author: Julia

I am a retired software solutions architect. I have been married to my husband, Bruce, for over forty years. We have a 12-pound dog, Nox, who we love dearly. She has been with us since 2009. We went full-time RVing for 3.5 years and saw much of the United States. We bought a ranch house on a hill in the middle of five acres. 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. Reading is my favorite hobby.

Father-in-Law Made It Home for Thanksgiving

November 29, 2025 Bruce’s dad made it home for Thanksgiving. My sister-in-law reported there was no real traffic during the four hour drive to get her dad home from the hospital. My FIL was in a lot of pain during and after the ride home. Bruce had a quick call with his dad, but his […]

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 27, 2025 Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends in the United States of America. This is a big day for us! We have much to be thankful for as my father-in-law is heading home today! Bruce got a text from my sister-in-law saying they’ll discharge him in two hours.

Fun with Baking

November 26, 2025 On Sunday (November 23), I mixed up a sourdough focaccia from the King Arthur Baking Company’s website: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-focaccia-recipe Since my pan wouldn’t fit in the fridge, I punted and put the dough in a gallon bag to let it rise overnight. This would develop the sourdough taste On Monday (November 24), I […]

Father-in-Law Expected to Go Home This Week

November 24, 2025 Today (Monday, November 24), the doctor removed the bandages from my father-in-law’s skin graft. The doctor was pleased with the progress and said my father-in-law should be able to go home this week. We are very hopeful that my FIL will be able to go home this week. This has been a […]

Happy 40th Anniversary, Baby

November 23, 2025 Yesterday (Saturday, November 22), was Bruce and my 40th wedding anniversary! We had a delightful day ending with a lovely meal. At the LaGrange College & Military Academy Historical site in Leighton, AL, they were hosting “Christmas in the Country.” Their brochure says, “Site Park, Pioneer Village & Antebellum Cemetery.” We decided […]

Working on My Drawing of “Juneau in Wild Sunflowers”

November 21, 2025 The last couple of days (November 20 and 21), have been rainy and foggy. With all the rain, there wasn’t anything I could do in the yard. I was happy to work on my drawing “Juneau in Wild Sunflowers.” Here’s the stopping point from Thursday (November 20). Here’s the stopping point from […]

Father-in-Law’s Skin Surgery Was Completed

November 21, 2025 On November 20 (Thursday), the doctor was satisfied with my father-in-law’s recovery and was prepared to move forward with the skin graft. My father-in-law had his surgery later in the day. The doctor removed some skin from my FIL’s thigh and applied a stem cell spray. This reduced the amount of skin […]

Minor Tasks on Blackberry Homestead

November 20, 2025 On Monday (November 17), I unboxed the art we had used in the RV. I started putting it up. I’ll take pictures once it is all up. I hung up the crystal we bought at the Waterford Glass factory in the south-facing window so it would glitter in the sun. I love […]

Good News on my Father-in-Law‘s Health

November 20, 2025 My father-in-law’s infection is gone! He is building tissue and pushing through his PT. The physical therapist has to slow my FIL down as my FIL keeps pushing to do more. His recovery has impressed the doctors and nurses. He is walking down the hall and back with his wound suck attached. […]

Nox and the Cows

November 18, 2025 On Sunday (November 16), by the afternoon I was feeling better. In the morning, I suffered from the aftereffects of the migraine. I felt exhausted and almost like I had a hangover. In the morning, Bruce climbed on the roof and blew the leaves from the gutters. Since I was feeling better […]