October Classmate Dinner...

Back row: l-r Tom, Max, Donna, Brad, Al, Cal, Dan and John. Front Row: l-r Janet, Kathy, Deb B, Julie, Deb N. and Mary

Fourteen of us gathered to share a meal last night. We had a great time, catching up on the events of the past month, and welcomed new classmates to the group. Our reunion committee members are the core group - who attend as schedules allow - and then there are other classmates who drop in from time to time. It was really wonderful to see folks who hadn't joined us before, but saw the posts I put up in our Facebook group and decided to pop in.

We spend a couple hours together, laugh, share stories, and eat our meals. Afterward, we choose our next month's date, hugs are exchanged, and we say goodbye until we're together again. It really is lovely, and we mentioned that when we're all together, we're really all just kids again. We don't see the gray hair, extra wrinkles or pounds, and our joints aren't quite as sore. We're just old friends who look forward to our visits.

So, we've chosen next month's date - the week before Thanksgiving. We're all here and relatively healthy, and the way time flies these days, we'll see each other again before we know it.

Happy Halloween to my friends who celebrate. Happy Fall to those who don't.

Broken...

One of the first "souvenirs" I purchased when we moved to Sarasota was this handcrafted mug, signed by "Dave". That's all. Just "Dave". I found it in a little consignment art shop in Sarasota Square Mall, down the road from where our friend, David lived. No. He wasn't the artist. Making pottery wasn't his thing.

At any rate, I loved the beautiful ocean blue and purple colors. Ocean blue and sea green colors would have been the only improvement on the design. I used it for the seventeen years we lived in Florida, and then carefully packed it to bring back to Wisconsin. It sat in our china cabinet until about a month ago when I took it out and hung it on our mug rack in the pantry so it could go back into service...even though I noticed it had a very small crack on the rim.

Yesterday, it was sitting in the sink after my morning cuppa. There it sat until I finished baking. Then I started doing dishes. I happened to drop a 1/4 c. metal measuring cup and heard an unusual "plink" sound. It was then that I saw the two pieces of my Sarasota mug sitting in the drain cup. My beautiful treasure was broken. I might have uttered a naughty word as I collected the pieces and sadly set them aside.

I finished doing dishes and then carefully washed and dried the mug and broken bits, and then I walked upstairs to my studio. The entire hike upstairs, I wished I knew one of those Japanese artists who take broken things and repair them with gold to make the break more precious to the whole piece. Alas, all I had was crazy glue gel.

It's sort of back in one piece now, but it will never hold another cup of tea, coffee, or hot cocoa to start my day. Yes. The cracks are noticeable, and even though it's not usable, I can't bring myself to toss it. It still holds memories from our days in the south. I only wish I knew someone who could duplicate it. 

For now, I'll use it to hold pins or something in my studio. Perhaps I'll turn it into a pincushion. I don't know at this point. I just know that even though it's been broken, it could be repaired and still be useful. Perhaps it's a metaphor for broken people. They can be healed, even if the scars are still visible, and most certainly, still useful. 

In the meantime, if anyone knows "Dave", I wonder if he's still making Sarasota mugs?

October Cutout Cookies...

October Cutout Cookies

I managed to bake and decorate the cutout cookies yesterday. Thing is, I substituted an icing ingredient and it's not hardening up as it should. The cookies would be a disaster by the time I'd get them to our monthly dinner.

Soooo, after work today, I'll make another few dozen cookies and use my tried and true frosting recipe. They'll be ready to go with me tomorrow. Some days it just doesn't go by the book. Lesson learned.

On the bright side, my Handsome Cookie Monster is quite happy to take care of the ones I won't be taking to our Wednesday dinner.

Barefoot In The Kitchen Today...

Pumpkins and Ghosties Cookie Cutters

Last weekend's Craft Day was cancelled on Saturday due to our hostess and her husband being ill, but this week's classmate dinner is still on. 

I'm going to be baking cutout sugar cookies to take along this time, so I wanted an autumn/halloween theme. I'm actually not big on this October holiday - I know. I know. - so while the ghost-shaped cutter is a nod to the 31st, I'm not going all in on the theme. I'll make this one a cutesy ghost.

The pumpkins are more my October style, so I chose two different shapes for a little variety. One is round and plump, while the other will be thin and tall.

I'm working tomorrow, so I'm baking the cookies today and will decorate them on Wednesday morning, with plenty of time for them to set up before I take them to town. Although, if I'm up to it, I'll decorate some when I get home from work tomorrow night, which would be even better. Either way, they'll be ready to pack up to take with me on Wednesday afternoon for our get-together. 

I'll be sure to take pictures before I carry them off...and I'll be sure to leave some behind for Handsome. I swear he's the original Cookie Monster!

 

PS. I prefer barefoot to shoes any day, so I definitely prefer going without shoes when I'm sewing or cooking. I couldn't resist using the reference in my post title today.

Sunday Scripture...

Psalms 92:1-2

 

Safe and Sound...

Crystal

I suspect when Crystal made her way back home from the big city (at least 13 miles to the farmhouse) three years ago November 2nd, she encountered many strange and scary things. City and highway traffic could have led to her demise at any point along the trip. Then there was farm machinery, as it was harvest time. But what had to be a surprise for her once she got out into the country were the other animals.

How do I know? Well, when we start a vehicle around here when she's outside, she avoids it, but isn't freaking out or running frantically. I most often find her on the porch, soaking up the sun in one of her favorite chairs. Claudette (her mama), gets closer than I'm comfortable with, so I'll usually get out of the vehicle and shoo her back to the house.

Crystal is the little wild child. While Claudette is ready to come in the house around dusk and remain for the rest of the night, her daughter is a night owl. She won't come in until well after ten o'clock at night. If she stops by for her five o'clock dinner, she wants to go back out - even if it's to hang out on the porch - until right before we go to bed. Then, she can be found on my bed, ready to snuggle until we're both asleep. 

Crystal

That's our usual routine...unless the coyotes start howling like they did last night. I let both the "little girls" stay out while I worked my three hour evening shift at the store. I came home with dinner, so although I checked the porch right before dark (finding no cats), they stayed out while we ate.

Handsome and I like to watch/play Jeopardy after dinner, so we were watching the show, when I heard the coyotes start howling, and they. were. close! Now that the north field is cut, they are free to run without negotiating the cornstalks. Everything is visible to them, so they're on the hunt from treeline to treeline.

I'm never sure how far the little girls range, but Claudette usually pops out of the rockwall in our front yard when I call for her. Sometimes Crystal hangs out in the compass barn in search of mice. But I know that once they hear those 'yotes, they're anxious to come in. Last night was no exception.

Once the coyotes lit up, I immediately got up and went to the front door. All I had to do was turn on the porch light and open the door. Two cats came bolting for the door with all their fur fluffed up...Crystal leading the way. Neither of them wanted anything to do with the nighttime interlopers.

Crystal ran right up the stairs and jumped on my bed, while Claudette preferred to hop on the sofa to be close to Bella. She licked Bella's ear and settled in nearby. They both went for their comfort zones. Safe and sound inside.

Claudette wasn't feeling photogenic after that, but Crystal was more than happy to pose for pictures. They both settled in for the night. After I have my morning coffee and feed them, they'll be ready to venture out again for a while. Until it happens again.

We suspect Miss Carly is about to be in heat, so that may be sooner and closer than any of us likes. Evening air out sessions will be with dogs on leads, a flashlight and at least a whistle to deter any critter that might decide to investigate. I like to coexist with nature whenever possible, but there are limits, so we'll do our non-lethal best to keep dogs, cats and wildlife in their own lane. I'll keep you updated on how that goes.

I Can See Clearly Now...

This season, we watched corn grow from seed to nearly nine feet tall in the planting field north of our farmhouse. Only a couple of these acres belong to us, but it's always planted by our northern farmer/neighbor.

For most of the summer, we couldn't see the horizon, nor the animals that traversed this field over the past few months. Last weekend, that all changed. In a matter of hours, this field was harvested for another season. I'm not sure whether or not they will till this stubble under for the winter, but we already know next year's crop will be nitrogen-rich beans. 

One of the things we respect most about our neighbor is the respectful way he treats the land (including ours). He rotates his crops for the benefit of the plants and the soil. Corn really sucks nitrogen out of the soil, so planting beans next year will renourish the soil for future crops. Not only do they plow the land, but they learn about the sustainable ways to improve without harsh chemicals or erosive practices. We really respect that.

So, this field will be resting again for the winter, and will be ready to again provide next season. So many thoughts and lessons to be learned, but I'll just leave it here for now. It's wonderful to see the horizon north of us again for a little while.

Sherry's Spooky ATC...

Sherry E's Artist Trading Card

I received another Artist Trading Card yesterday for the Handmade Treasures Exchange Mixed Media Theme. This one is from my dear friend, Sherry E. I love her interpretation of the theme for this time of year. Isn't it positively spooky?

Thank you, dear Sherry for your most clever and creative rendition for this month's theme. I'm tickled to add it to my collection, and am already looking forward to Jan's next assignment.

Starting Baby Three...

Bluebirds - Work in Progress

With the weather change the past couple of days, my hands have been a little sore. Even so, the sun was shining and I had the itch to stitch. I sat down for about an hour and a half and began baby bluebird number 3. 

I know it doesn't look like a lot of progress, but I got quite a bit of the design started for the head and breast. It will be easier to lay in the other colors now that I have this part sorted out.

I'm going to spend the rest of this morning and early afternoon going through things to purge in the studio. We'll see how much I accomplish and hopefully the "Oh, look! A squirrel Syndrome" won't strike before I make some good headway. I just keep reminding myself how much I need to move things out, and how much better I'll feel once I get it done. I think I may develop a work plan where I purge for an hour or two, and then reward myself with an hour of needlework. It's not better than chocolate, but it's close. lol

Second Baby Bluebird Finished...

Two Baby Bluebirds Finished

I finished Baby Bluebird #2 yesterday, after I finished baking five loaves of bread and four hamburger buns. As with the adult bluebird, I won't add feet until their perch is stitched so their feet are on top, rather than buried in the fencing.

I have between six and seven hours in this little bird, although I didn't officially keep time. Next will be Baby Bluebird #3, and then I'll move on to the other adult.

Now, about those hamburger buns. We had the pressure canned sloppy joes on them for dinner. Rather than use my own barbeque sauce recipe (actually my grandmother's recipe) for the sloppy joes, I tried the recipe in my pressure canning cookbook. Handsome and I agreed that, while we won't toss the other two jars, we prefer our tried and true sauce. This one tastes a little too "Manwich-y" for us. It's more vinegary. As it will be pressure canned, my recipe sans apple cider vinegar is more to our taste. The rolls were just right, though.

I work again today, so my plans for Wednesday are to spend time purging studio "extras". I'm sorting through more fabrics, rephotographing my cork items, and then I'm going to have a sale in my Etsy shop in November. I won't be participating in the vendor show over deer hunting weekend, but I still want to move some of my current inventory. I'm also planning to add new items in November, too. I'll be making room to move around first, though.

How is your week shaping up? Are you doing something creative? Getting ready to put your yard to rest for the winter? Planning a trip? Celebrating anything special? I'd love to hear all about it! See you tomorrow.

Day To Night At The Farmhouse...

Liljegren's Hickory Hill Farm

It was a perfectly wonderful weekend, and the leaves are beginning to turn. As I was coming home from an errand, I had to stop on the road and take a photograph of our farmhouse from a distance. You can see the compass barn to the left, with the woodshed in shadow behind it. Seeing it from this vantage point always makes me smile. I know I'm almost home.

Canned Pineapple

It was also a perfect weekend for canning. I saw a sale on butter at our local store (Pick n Save), for two dollars off per pound - as long as you purchased at least three pounds - with no limit. No worry there. I bought a thirty pound case of sweet butter and a thirty pound case of unsalted for my baking needs.  (NOTE: If you have a Pick n Save local to you, the sale is on until November 5th, in case you're interested in getting some.)

On my way to the checkout, I stopped in the produce section to see if there were sales on anything in that department, to find that pineapples were indeed at a reduced price. Although not the $.88 they were last time, I purchased four anyway.

When I cut them to can, there was some damage on one, and overripe spots on another, so I didn't get the yield I originally anticipated, but seven pints isn't bad. These will be added to what I canned earlier this summer, and we'll still have lovely pineapple (pressure canned in spring water so it has no added sugar).

Canned Sloppy Joes

I also came across a pressure canning recipe for barbeque ground beef (sloppy joes, or as a friend calls them, "tamales"). I'd purchased four pounds of ground beef from our local butcher shop last week, and had set aside two pounds to try this out before committing to a larger batch. I'll reheat one of the jars some time this week and we can decide whether or not I should do a larger batch to add more to our winter stores in the pantry.

You can see the pineapple photograph was taken during the day. The sloppy joes were finished after six pm, and it was already dark. ugh 

Handsome said that after a day in the kitchen, he was treating me to a meal out of the house. Our favorite drive-in was closing for the end of the season, so that's where we went to enjoy tasty food without the cleanup. When we got back home, I removed the rings from the jars to find that only one jar of pineapple hadn't sealed. That one went into the fridge to eat this week. The rest of the jars were cleaned and labeled and placed in the pantry cupboard. The perfect end to a perfect and productive weekend.

I did stitch on my bluebird babies, too. I'll share a progress photograph with you tomorrow. 

Sunday Scripture...

Zephaniah 3:17 via faithgateway

Back To My Bluebirds...

I had full sunshine in the dining room yesterday, so I could be found sitting with my needlework frame in front of the windows.  I spent hours blissfully working on my bluebirds. It was time to start the babies.

I'd estimate I spent about five or six hours with needle and thread and managed to complete the baby in back, and most of the head of the second baby.

The original plan was to be in Portage today for our monthly craft day, but Adrienne sent out a message Friday morning to tell us it was called off because she and her husband are ill. Best we all stay home, which is fine with me. I'll be able to work on the rest of my second baby bird! I should have this wee one finished by the end of my stitching today.

Brynwood's October ATC...

Brynwood Needleworks - October 2024 ATC

 

Well, it's already dark as I write this, so I won't go back and rephotograph this under artificial light, but...

I can see that I should have tidied up my background to remove the stray threads from my paisley board. sigh

 

I got to spend my entire day playing in the studio! This is the artist trading card design I came up with for the "Mixed Media" October challenge for my sister's group. If you're interesting in joining her Facebook group Handmade Treasures by Jan, you can click HERE to participate.

 

 

 

There are nine other participants this month, so I made one for each, plus one for my collection. The sun was shining, and I had so much fun making these. Each matching card features an acorn fairy image printed on silk fabric, part of an antique doily, and an acorn/oak leaf charm. The back of each one has a signature space so the recipient will know who created it, the ATC group, and how many were created (1/10, etc.) They'll all mail to their new homes today.

 

More ATCs...

Brynwood Needleworks -Jan and Dawn's ATCs

I received two more Artist Trading Cards in the mail yesterday. One was from my sister, Jan and the other from Dawn, who is also participating. These are both mixed media (our theme this month), using paper, findings and some fabric. I'm intrigued by the different techniques used.

I don't work again until Friday, so I'm going to start work on mine. I've been mulling over ideas, and think I now know my direction. I'll share my progress tomorrow. This should be fun!

My Favorite Time of Year...

Smoky Perfection...

Smoky Paprika Tomato Jam

Tomato season is nearly over, but my favorite produce stand still had some beefsteak tomatoes, so I purchased ten pounds over the weekend. I also had more than a few from our garden on the counter, so some of them were added to this recipe. I reserved a few for salads and sandwiches. (I love cheese and tomato sandwiches on fresh bread with Duke's mayonnaise. Summer in a "sammy".)

In all, I made three double batches (four pounds at a time) of this delicious, smoky, spicy, slightly hot tomato jam, which we use as a condiment instead of ketchup, or as a barbeque sauce. It's perfect either way. We ended up with seven pint jars to add to our pantry stock.

I still have the frozen Roma tomatoes downstairs, but those will be thawed and used for homemade Rotel™ in the near future. I'll be doing hickory syrup first before the weekend.

I'm only working one extra afternoon shift (in addition to my usual Tuesday and Friday evening), so I'll have time to do the things around home that I want to accomplish. There'll be canning, cleaning up the garden beds, working on my bluebird project, and another early Craft Saturday this weekend. It will definitely be a fun week, and I think this makes for a great start. 

She's A Survivor!...

With my latest work schedule, my usual baking has been on a bit of a hold. I haven't made the large batch farmhouse bread, so we were getting down to the last "heel", and I certainly didn't want Handsome to buy any at the store. So I got out my supplies and resolved to bake up a small batch using my sister, Di's recipe.

Rather than mixing everything by hand as with my farmhouse recipe, Di's calls for adding a simple four or five ingredients to a mixer and letting it do most of the manual labor. I got everything into my KitchenAid and turned it on.

Now, a little bit about my mixer. This was a Sweetest Day gift from Handsome and the boys, and I still have all the attachments and the instruction manual. It's the heavy duty model which weighs about thirty three pounds, so I like to keep it out rather than horse it out of a cabinet onto the counter when I need it. It's been sitting in the pantry on our new quartz countertop. Did I tell you we set that counter height at 40"? 

I was tending the machine until a dang fly started buzzing around my head, so I set the timer for five minutes - per the recipe - and grabbed the hand vac to scoop up that fly while the dough mixed. I was getting ready to go back to the pantry when I heard a terrible crash. My mixer had walked off the counter and fallen onto the floor. I felt nauseous.

In the fall, the cord tightened and unplugged from the outlet, the mixer was on its side, and the dough (thankfully) was still completely in the bowl. Handsome came running to make sure I was okay, and we got the mixer back onto the counter.

There I realized that the dough hook had snapped in the fall, but the stainless bowl was unmarked and undented, and there were no visible issues with my mixer. The old lino tile floor had a chunk gouged out of it, so I'm glad we hadn't had new flooring installed yet. 

First order of business was to take the dough out of the bowl, extricate the broken hook from the mixture (making sure there were no other metal parts in it), and complete my bread preparations. Then, I washed out the bowl, threw out the hook, and gave the mixer an exam. It still ran perfectly when I turned it on, and when I moved the lever to lift the bowl it seemed fine, too. However, it makes a sickening SNAP when I move the lever to lower the bowl.

I got on the internet and found the phone number for KitchenAid and called to find out about sending it to the company for inspection and/or repairs, only to find my machine is "too old and we don't even make parts for it anymore". I even had the original receipt showing that as of October 17th - this week - it was exactly thirty seven years since it was purchased for me. Hearing that they wouldn't even look at it left me in tears. The customer service person was empathetic and apologetic, but couldn't help. She suggested I look for a local small appliance guy who might be able to take a look at it. None of the numbers I called in the area would look at it either.

When I posted about it on Facebook - because why not? - one of my high school classmates contacted me. I was at work when he called, but he suggested that it could be a broken tooth on one of the gears that raises the bowl that could cause the noise. He told me that if Handsome and I weren't confident taking the machine apart, he'd be willing to look at it. I thanked him profusely and said I'd get back to him.

When I got home, we looked at the mixer and the area where the lever resides is completely encased, and the mixer head would have to be removed for any inspection. We aren't brave enough to do that. The machine is working now - even if the lever is noisy on release - so we're not going to tamper with it at this point. I'll let my friend know that I'll contact him if it gets worse, and that I'm grateful for the offer.

I did a little research, too, and found that KitchenAid does manufacture an updated version of my 7 quart bowl, heavy duty model. No surprise that it costs nearly twice what Handsome originally paid for mine, but the good news is that it must be up to the same standards. The new model also weighs in around thirty three pounds and still has metal gears. That's really saying something about the quality of the machine. I may end up asking for a new one, but am thankful it won't need to be on an emergency basis. I will be buying a special mat to make sure this one - or any other - doesn't walk around my countertop again.

The bread was made, the mixer survived it's swan dive, and there's just one more reason to replace this ugly floor. I'm just happy that this sentimental, workhorse, Sweetest Day 1987 gift will be around longer. The thought of having to scrap her really was more than I could bear. Crisis averted. I'll have her for future celebrations, and there are many recipes yet to mix.Yay!

Sunday Scripture...

 

Philippians 1:6

Artist Trading Cards...

Laura's ATC

My sister, Jan has a Facebook and Instagram group called "Handmade Treasures by Jan". I recently learned that she has a monthly Artist Trading Card (ATC) exchange, and decided to participate for a while.

Rather than being matched to just one partner, every participant receives a list (with addresses) of that month's participants and then makes an ATC for every member. This month, there are ten participants - including me - so we each make and mail ten cards (keeping an example for yourself). We have until the end of the month to mail them out.

This month's theme is "Mixed Media", and my first one arrived yesterday from Laura. I love the sentiment. Don't you? 

I haven't decided what mine will look like this month, but I'm already thinking about it. I'm hoping to begin work on them next week. I don't want to wait until the end of the month to make them. Mixed media will be a great theme for me, though. I can take it just about any direction! I'll be sure to share as I work on them.

If you'd like to check out Jan's FB group or would like to participate in the next ATC Exchange, you can visit her page HERE.

I work today, and then I'm finished until next Wednesday. I'm ready, too. My feet will definitely thank me for the break. Happy Saturday!

October Hollyhocks...

October Hollyhocks and Bumblebees

I took a walk outside after I got home from work yesterday. I needed some "nature" to decompress. I've noticed that one lone hollyhock plant has blossomed right next to the porch staircase, and it has about three flowers on it. It's so unexpected and pretty.

As I finished my walkabout and approached the porch to go back inside, I stopped to admire it and noticed it was inhabited. Two sweet bumble bees had climbed into the topmost flower and settled in for the night. I found myself wondering whether or not they're resting, or if they're preparing for the end of their lives.

I'm reminded that everything will soon be preparing for our Wisconsin winters and their long rests ahead. I need to be pulling weeds from my garden beds, and tidying up the kitchen garden to prepare those spaces, too. 

We'll be taking our porch furniture back to the barn and bringing the decorative plants indoors until spring. I reminisce about Octobers past, and how there were even surprise snowstorms not too long ago. I remember Halloweens as a kid, when we wore warm slacks (or even snowpants) under our costumes. I admit, I'm not ready for snow yet this year, but we'll prepare for the inevitable just the same.

We're so glad that Hurricane Milton downgraded as it made landfall last night. Our friends came through the storm with no water incursion, a few damaged roof tiles and downspouts, and electrical outages. In the main, they did really well, and for that we're very grateful.

Like the little bumble bees, it's time for all of us to rest easy now. Hugs to all our Florida friends. We're so glad you're safe.

Special Delivery...

Although I'm not planning to do any shows in the near future, I will be working on a few new things for my Etsy shop. This new hardware came in today, as well as the new strap material. Wrist bands or shoulder straps? I haven't decided yet. I'll know it when I see it. I am tickled with the kittens, musical, and paw print zipper pulls, though. Makes me want to get back to sewing a little.

You can find me at the other store for one more day and then Friday and Saturday back where I usually work. I'll be glad for Saturday to be over so I can resume my stitching! I'm looking forward to putting my feet up, too. With a cup of tea. And lots of threads. And a little background music. Ahhhh, yes.

Next - Baby Bluebirds...

I probably won't be able to work on them until the weekend, but next on the project is to stitch the baby bluebirds. I'll begin with the one in the background and work forward from there.

These babies will be embroidered in shades of cream, tan and light brown for the majority of their feathering. The babies are never as colorful as the adults, and these are no exception. I'll share my color palette for these little guys tomorrow.

Four more days of work and then I can play. I don't think I'll add extra hours for a few weeks now, either, as I still have canning and yard prep to do for the colder months. As much as I enjoy working at the store, home needs more attention than work, and I need my creative time.

My thoughts continue to turn to our last domicile, Florida. I'm so concerned for our friends as this storm intensifies. I'm concerned that they'll lose everything when Milton makes landfall. I pray that they all stay safe, and if they've tried to evacuate, that they managed to get out of the state before they had fuel and supplies run dry. Please keep everyone in the path of this hurricane in your thoughts and prayers. 

The Girls Are Dropping In Today...

Carly and Bella (WMBBD)

It was such a beautiful morning yesterday that Handsome and I drank our morning coffee on the porch. Of course, the girls (all four of them) joined us. 

Carly and Bella just wanted to stop by today to say "Hello". Mama has more grey now, but we've noticed that Carly Dog is developing a little grey on her chinny chin chin, too. Time stops for no man (nor beast). It's just a little reminder of how short their time is with us, and to appreciate every moment we can share with them.

How Ya Doin'?

Carly's head tilt continues to be a source of laughter and joy for us. Bella's a sweet, old soul we're so  grateful to have around to pet and cuddle.

I'll be at work today, but Handsome will spend the day with these girls. Claudette and her daughter mew to be let out every morning, so by the time I go to work, they're usually snuggled in our porch chairs and enjoying the sunshine. If the weather is less than favorable, they'll ask to be let back in soon enough.

Handsome and I are watching the weather reports for Florida the past few days. Our friends have either evacuated or are hunkered down as they await the next hit. We're praying that everyone will make it safely through the storm. 

As so many are trying to rebuild following Hurricane Helene, the last thing they need is Milton knocking at their door. Perhaps a miracle might save them from the worst of it this time. We'll continue to pray.