Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Simply put. . . ending the day with Cherry Lemonade


Hubby and I spent one day, over the weekend, shopping for specific needs.  I can't remember how many stores we went to, but we ended up at the hardware store too.  We bought a 4 x 4 x 8 post for $7.49 and cut it in half ourselves.  We simply put them in the ground with post mounts, and attached flower pot hangers and added solar lights on top.  


This not only will help prevent tractors tearing up our driveway and yard, but add more light to that part of the property.  We hope it will prevent shady characters from pulling in and thinking that part of the drive goes to a run down barn.  A "private drive" sign may be added to a post later. 



When we got the two posts in, and took photos, I really had to thank Hubby.  They look very nice, and add some beauty to the property.  I haven't decided if I will paint them white or not.  We have decided, however, that we will be putting two more in on the north side of the drive.

We are praying we do get rain today.  We really need it.  It would give me an excuse to stay indoors today, ha, ha!  You know how the "list" keeps growing?  Well, our list is never-ending.  But that's okay too.  When the list is long, I am not a patient person, nor is Hubby.  We are working on that.  Here's a portion of our "list" ~

~Replace goat/chicken barn roof (possible barter set up to get this job done soon)
~Build chicken fence
~Replace the brakes on my car (bummed we could not get them done this weekend, but self repairs are worth the wait to save cash)
~Tear down big barn
~Knock down two trees, cut and split the wood (carried over from last year's list)
~Create a crawl space entrance and get under the house to wrap pipes etc
~Replant two rose bushes we lost over winter
~Replant new trees when the two are cut down
~Replace kitchen faucet
~Replace microwave

Etc. etc........I still have more tomatoes and watermelon to plant.  I totally forgot about cantaloupe this year.  Or seeds were ordered via catalog (non-gmo), so it may be too late to even order more.

The kids have 6 more days of school and then they are home for the summer.  I'm already teaching them how to cook our family recipes, so they can help this summer.

I haven't had time to do any handiwork, or I've just been too tired at the end of the day.  It took all the strength Hubby and I had to watch the movie "The Monuments Men" last night.  We have noticed that everyone is fatigued more and has been eating less with this heat lately.



Yesterday, I did take the time to pit enough cherries to make us each a small refreshing glass of cherry lemonade.  If you are interested the recipe is from the Eating Well magazine.  Although our lemonades were not as red or clear as they appear in the magazine, they were delicious and healthy.  I did not link the recipe, because the website had so many ads on it, but if you search for the recipe and the magazine, it's easy to locate.  It's basically cherries pureed then strained, organic lemon juice, sugar and water.


7 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Gosh, your place looks so nice and neat especially with those two new posts and hanging baskets. Something "small" like that can add so much.

Although we've got a gazillion outside tasks screaming to be done, I've started my "Rainy Day List" for things that are going by the wayside inside already! Summer is like that, isn't it?

We've truly gone from wet, cold spring to full-blown summer. 82° in the SHADE here yesterday. Working in the garden meant frequent breaks for fluid intake and sweat breaks! All of a sudden the refridge is full of jars of thirst quenchers.

P.S. If any of your kids want to come cook for me this summer, just let me know . . . ;o]

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, you crack me up. I have taught my 17 year-old to make Lasagna roll ups and my 14 yo to make pasta salad with our home canned relish. They also know how to make my Mom's old stove top mac n' cheese, and the crock pot mac n' cheese recipe. I think it's been a while, but one knows how to make stove top tuna and noodle too. I am working on more recipes when school is finally out.

Tombstone Livestock said...

Posts and flowers look nice, love solar lights, I put them everywhere.

Michelle said...

Your post look great. We need to do that to our drive way. We have a long drive way and friends and family tend to use that part of the yard as a turn around point instead of backing up. Have to say I am just as guilty.

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

Kristina- I always love to read your lists. I like the practicality of them; and they're simple.
If I may?
I'd like to suggest that the crawl space and pipe wrap gets moved to the top of the list! :)
I'd love to have some cherries- do you have a tree or did these come from someplace else?
Pat

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Pat, I think you are right on moving that crawl space up. We have my Hubby's nephew that may help us too. I do not have a cherry tree, I do have to buy them. I find them at our Farmer's Market sometimes. Maybe I'll add a cherry tree to my mini-orchard next spring.

RB said...

I love the look of the flower plant posts at the end of your driveway.

I do hope the lights on top don't make them easier targets for bad drivers to hit at night though. I lost an entire split rail fence one time that I'd strung with CHRISTmas lights when a drunk hit the lit up fence in the middle of the night. We always wondered, had the lights not been lit, if the fence would have been safer. LOL

God less.

RB
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