Singing Birds ~ Wall Tent Memories

This male cardinal was singing his heart out last night.  My older brother stopped in for a visit, and gifted us wood and fencing, and we were still all standing outside.  My 11 year-old daughter encouraged me to run in and grab my camera.  Birds are the most difficult animal for me to photograph.  They are there one second, and gone the next.  However, I got lucky this time.  What a beautiful sound he made too.


We may have a change of plans today.  Hubby got called into work for a  repair, sometime around 4-5am.  He's still not back home, so I best get started on plan B.  

The weather is even better today than yesterday.  However, like most days in our state, we'll probably be back to colder days soon.  It's a good day to wash the kids bedding and put it on the line.  Not to mention, air out the house.

I'm not drinking a green veggie smoothie drink, that contains spirulina, and blue green algae.   It doesn't taste very good, but it will replenish my body with a good dose of vitamins and minerals, protein, and so forth.  I also read that the spirulina helps with allergies.  I am feeling better each day, but I am really not sure if the smoothie is the source of it yet.

Yesterday, I was able to take my crocheting project on the road.  And during my daughter's dental visit, my Mother met up with me.  She surprised me, and gifted us with two bags of delicious breads.

Days like today make me wish we had our backyard wall tent up.  

I will need to replace our tent, as well as our easy-up, as both are ruined by wear and tear.

 I'm not one to take all this stuff camping, so we look forward to relaxing in it, in the backyard. See the chicken in the photo in the upper right?  Even the chickens join us.

And of course the dogs (which Gus will be missed) join us.....

 And the barn cats too.


A Year Of Quotes:
"Courage is grace under pressure."
~ Ernest Hemingway  

Get R' Done ~ Before Planting Season Arrives

As promised to Hubby, I am finishing up projects that are taking up space in our bedroom.  When we moved here, I was forced to put all my craft totes in the garage, as there are no extra rooms for a craft room.  Unfortunately, they piled up in bedroom and bedroom closet.

I had a small piece of fleece with turtles on it - one my youngest daughter's favorite animals, and her favorite color of green.  I decided to sew a pillow.  

Cha-Ching - one project done.

I started this baby blanket back in November of 2011. Yikes!  I got sick, and decided to abandon it, and make an easier pattern for the new baby.  I am now finishing it, and putting it up for sale (or I may gift it to a mother expecting her first baby this summer).

Ching - another (unfinished) project getting worked on! This one doesn't get the full "Cha-Ching" until it's complete.  But it's a good start compared to the pile of unfinished projects.

 And here is an unfinished winter scarf I started.  It, like some projects, got buried under the "pile" and will get finished this month or next as well.  I'm still knitting blocks for a blanket, but that may not be completed for another year (I decided to make it larger).

My 11 year-old daughter is busy making earrings to sell at this year's Farmer's Market.  She is making them all by herself, with my already stocked supply of beads.  I bought her this rotating display for $1.00 at the local thrift store.  This will also free up some space in my room.

And there are many more other unfinished projects, that will be updated soon I hope.  My son already delivered several boxes of used books (a lot of old homeschooling stuff) to the local library (for their future book sale).  I filled two garbage bags of stuff to throw out as well.  I am turning off the wood/corn pellet burner today, and doing some much needed dusting. I typically do more "spring" cleaning in the fall, but there is some much needed cleaning that needs done here. Not to mention repairs.

The weather is absolutely gorgeous today.  If I had a lawn chair on my porch, I would be sipping my coffee in my jammies and robe outdoors right now.  I could care less about traffic seeing me.

If I close my eyes and breath in the cool crispness, I can imagine sitting around a campfire and enjoying camper's coffee.  Not to mention the sounds of nature.  

I had to take a photo of the goats this morning.  Peanut (far left) hates winter, and won't come out.  Today, they are all out and enjoying this beautiful sunshine and warmer weather.  The two on the left are expecting babies late this month.

And since I do not yet have my porch back to the "relaxation" mode, I will be putting as much laundry on the line as I can, and enjoying the outdoors just the same.  The day will end too soon, and I have to make a trip to town for one of the kids as well.  The fresh air should do me some good, and hopefully put an end to this annoying cough.

 
 

 

 

Pet Funny

Name:  Jesse James Jackson

Occupation:  Family Therapist

Fee:  Mom's Homemade Pancakes

Disclaimer: If fee is not paid accordingly, you will be reprimanded by me stealing your slipper, and tearing up the bathroom trash (not to mention dragging it all over the living room floor). 

$5.00 Vintage Tablecloth

I'm sharing a few thrift store finds and bargains, that I got before getting sick.

From a Journal Junkie

From the Handiwork Journal . . .

. . .knitted 3 more dishcloths.

 . . . crocheted my very first recycled denim jeans rag rug.  I like these.  I will continue to collect old jeans from the family, and make more of these (only bigger than the pattern called for, see S.C.R.A.P. for details).




From the Homesteading Journal . . . 


. . . Hubby, and extended family, picked up a truck load of fire wood for us Saturday.  We were on the last day's worth.  However, the truck broke down after they loaded it with wood.  Sunday, we got the truck back, and wood re-stocked.

. . . made another batch of ginger ale syrup, and another batch of homemade shampoo.
 


From the Gratitude Journal . . .

Today I am thankful for:

~sunshine
~pillows
~my husband's job
~my camera
~God's Love
   


From my personal journal . . .

. . . according to medical experts, it could be another week before I feel better.
   

Writing and Therapy

 

This pen, another one from my collection, is great for writing.  It's a "Wellness" pen.  It even has it written on the pen.

The ink contains a fragrance that is pleasant and said to create a "wellness" overall feeling, when you write. 

....there has been a lot of writing going on in this home lately.   Two of us in particular.

Money.  Have too much, and it can get out of control and cause you to lose focus.  Don't have enough, and it forces you to make unwanted, aching sacrifices.

  To feel so powerless to prevent certain things from happening, can be a tremendously emotional roller coaster.  Especially when it involves your own children.

It becomes extraordinarily stressful and very overwhelming. 

Helplessness -  shattering sense that nothing will be the same.  Headaches, heartaches, stomach pains.  Asking God why did it have to be this way.......

Parenting is enormously complicated, and raw.

......more later.

 

Book Review ~ Illness Continues

First, the Folk magazine has beautiful photos in it.  It focuses on artisans, enjoyable stories, crafts, recipes and more.  I only have a few more pages to read.  It's one that you can read from beginning to end, but with less advertising than you'd find in other magazines.


Pepper in Her Pie, Book 1
Amish Pioneer Series
By Mrs. Cleon Martin 

This series is written for teens, but if you enjoy reading Pioneer stories, you'll enjoy this book.  An Amish couple with a new baby ventures from Indiana to the flat lands of Kansas.  The characters and places are fiction, but the actual events are based on true acts.  I located the series at my local library.  Your library may very well have it too. 

The title of the book refers to a lesson taught in the story.  If you enjoy the Little House series, you'll enjoy this book.  I'm waiting for the next two from our library.


Illness Update:

Two daughters now have the flu.  I've been sleeping until 10:30am to 11:15am.  Not on purpose either.  I hope Hubby is up to bringing us home more supplies.