some answers

I'm really feeling bad...I am not able to respond to each and every wonderful comment I receive, as I would like to. There are over 350 e-mails in my inbox, waiting....I keep thinking I can catch up, but the busyness of summer has prevented me from doing that. So to each and every one of you, thank you sincerely for your kind and supportive comments. You are all incredibly nice and wonderful ladies!!

I have scoured through the e-mails in hopes of answering some of the questions you have. If I've missed a question, please feel free to e-mail me with it again.

Question for you...how do you keep your dog(s) and cat away from the chickens? Our dog would love to take a bite out of ours so we can't let them out in the yard. :(

Well, luckily none of our cats have ever bothered the chickens, nor has our golden retriever/collie dog. When we first got chickens though, our cocker spaniel, Zoe, thought it was her duty to chase and attack them. As soon as we realized this, we kept a very close eye on her. The next time she chased a chicken, my husband gave her a swat and reprimanded her in his most disapproving voice; she has never bothered the chickens again. Now, if we need help getting a chicken back into the pen, she does an excellent job of gently 'herding' them.

Talk to me about your clothes pin bags-- do you have a pattern? Is it your design?

I looked at a lot of clothespin bags to find a style I liked. I came up with a size, and a pretty typical shape, and have gradually perfected my construction method. So many have asked about a pattern ~ I would like to do a tutorial as soon as I have a bit more time, probably this winter.

I need to ask --- what kind of camera do you have?? I need to buy a new one and would appreciate some feedback... thanks!!

The camera I use is a Kodak DC210 Zoom. It's the first digital camera my husband bought and so simple even I can figure it out! I've claimed it as my own, as Mike and Stephanie wanted something with more megapixels.

Oh, I would love to learn how to make an ottoman slipcover like yours! Can you post a pattern or directions? The hard part is the piping.

I promise to try and post on this. I'll be making some slipcovers this fall/winter and will try to post some pictures.

Just wondering... my containers never end up looking very good; is there a secret to keeping them looking so gorgeous?

The secret I've discovered is to water EVERY day. I didn't always do so until this summer, and I can see the difference it makes. And I feed them about once a week.

I really like those (clothespin) bags. Where did you get your hangers?

I have found the vintage wooden hangers at yard sales or on Ebay.

How do you freeze your corn?

I follow the directions in the Ball Blue Book: The Guide to Home Canning & Freezing ~ Scald ears of corn for about 5 - 6 minutes; cool in ice water; cut kernels from cob, and pack in freezer bags. I use my vacuum sealer to seal the bags.

I'd love to know more about your ironing table--did you make it? If so, how?

You can read about how I made the ironing table here.

please do share your Enchilada Casserole crock pot recipe!

I found this crock pot recipe here, at a beautiful blog called Eyes of Wonder, with which many of you are probably already familiar. I had to cut it down for my much smaller family ~ I only used about 1/3 to 1/2 the measure of ingredients that Jewels has listed. It is very good and I would definitely make it again!

I'll leave you with a few more late summer flower pictures...