Tuesday, May 22, 2012

A late start....

We are off to a purposeful late start to the morning.

Well, not totally purposeful.  We did not mean to forget to set the alarm clock, which should have awakened us at 4:30am instead of 5, but the husband was still out the door on time and I still got my run in without child related interruptions.  Which is a good thing, as this mom does not begin to wake until the first mile is behind her.

We have decided that the kids will not be attending their school-sponsored all-day field trip today, so there is no early to rise incentive today.  My son awoke around 6:30, and my daughter just graced us with her presense about 20 minutes ago.  She swears that she was up all night - didn't get a wink of sleep....but the lady who checks on her each night knows better ;)

The extra sleep agrees with them.  Voices are lower, there are secret giggles...they are getting along.  Gone is the rush, rush, rush, of the weekday morning.  We will stay, right here, until about 9:15, and then will pack a bag and load van.  Once in town, they will hop in the truck with my husband and head for a (relatively) nearby ice cream factory for a daddy-sponsored field trip.

It will be delicious, I am sure.

I will stay in town to work in the office, enjoying the peace that the post-tax-season environment brings.  Work is still plentiful, but not back breaking.  Enjoyable in many way, I venture to say.  And a very good chance of pace from the weekend gardening marathons....

My hands are just beginning to heal from last weekend.  My sunburn?  Well that is another thing.  Damn sunblock - it just can't keep up.  And the garden is only about a quarter of the way in....  Memorial Day weekend will provide many, many hours to hopefully plant the rest.

Hopefully.

But, until the busy-ness sets in again, I will rest and enjoy.  Soak in this peace and have another cup of coffee.

And enjoy.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Stubborn baby chicks....

The baby chickens refused to get in the coop tonight.

Simply refused.

I don't know that reason - maybe a rude feathered lady.  Something.  But I tried to tuck them in at 8:30, and then at 8:45, to no avail.  So, then, when I just heard some peeping outside the door to the chicken yard, I opened it slowly and pounced.  Scooped all three up and tossed them right into the coop.

Well, not tossed, exactly.  But, it probably wasn't so comfortable.

But now, they are safe.  Annoyed, but safe. No skunk snack here.  Done.

And the night is nearly done.  The kids are watching a movie upstairs, the husband is watching Swamp People or the like downstairs.  And I am here.  Done.  Or at least waiting to be done.  And asleep.

Tomorrow promises to be a busy day.  I will arise with the sun to get an early morning run in, and then head for the garden.  More seeds to go in, more ground to till.  Then T-Ball plant sales, team picture days, and general kid-related running about.  I will need all of the sleep that tonight will bring.  It will be a long day...



Sunday, May 13, 2012

Busy....

It has been challenging remembering to get online.  The days been taken over by so many things.  By the time I have completed by to-do list for a given day, a new one has begun.

We finally got some new chicks to add to the flock.  I purchased 3 pullets from a breeder in a nearby town.  That trip alone was eye opening.  I drove to a part of a familiar town that I was completely unfamiliar with - I didn't even know section an area existed, but there, on the side of a mountain was the most beautiful sheep farm.  The green rolled on for acres, sheep dotted the field in the way you read about in story books, and their hen house was an actual little house.  So beautiful - I think I fell oh-so-slightly in love.

The garden has been moving forward, more and more raised beds being created each weekend.  I am worried about keeping up with it all once we have passed planting and moved on to the weeding strange, but, well, you don't know until you try.  And try we will....  Dandelions are already popping up with a vengence.

The plants that had been growing full force in our dining room have been moved out to the garage to be hardened off.  The tomato plants average about 18 inches tall, and I am very excited about them.  We have been watching the weather closely, and I think that next weekend may be their weekend....  For planting that is. 

So far, onions & potatoes are the only items that have been actually planted in this years garden.  Asparagus is coming up, but that was planted years ago.  Garlic went in last Fall, and we are hopeful that will be popping up any day.  Time will tell.  We are getting very tired of purchasing our produce from outside sources.  It will lovely to begin our grocery shopping in the back yard once again.

I am continuing to run, training for a 5K that may or may not happen.  That isn't really the point anymore.  I am finding that in running, the thoughts racing through my head each and everyone straighten themselves out and make sense.  So, it is 2 miles every morning and 2 or 3 miles nearly every evening.  It is a good thing. 

It is Mother's Day today...but it really doesn't effect our household.  A few well wishes and token gifts - it is hard to get your heart around a holiday that really doesn't exist outside of Hallmark.  So, the day will filled with some cooking and cleaning, along with a visit from some friends.  I may dig through my seeds packets and see if any should go in today - seeing as how the skys are providing us with a nice light rain and some warm-ish temps.

But, for how, I think that it is breakfast time.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Coming back....



So, we are joining in with the Yarning Along with Ginny and Tami's Amis' Work in Progress and Ambassador Crochet for the first time in ages...and I am happy to be coming back.

At the moment, I am working with some natural tone wool yarn for use in making a cardigan.  I am hoping to make it similar to the one the I made my daughter in the winter...one which is still in her closet, folded and waiting for use.
This is a project that I am only using to hold time as I await the real prize.  The prize which is beautifully dyed wool from sheep at a farm that my friend manages with her family.  Never before have I been about to have any connection to the fiber I use, and this, I am cherishing.

As I have blogged in the past, my friend is Katie from West Bay Farm in Maine.  I would encourage anyone looking to support a small business to give her wool a try.  They don't have a fully working website for yarn sales, but if you visit their FaceBook website and send her a message, she would love to chat.  She does some dyeing ahead of time, but enjoys custom orders.  At the moment, I am eagerly awaiting an order of two skeins of a green and purple color blend which will be crocheted into a lacy shawl.  In the picture above in a scarf done in her aqua and purple color blend. 


As for the literary side of this blog...well, I am at a bit of a stand still.  I am back to the stage of re-reading old favorites...currently being, well....the Twilight series.  Yes, I know.  Crazy.  I just haven't found any thing else that I feel like losing myself in at the moment.  I would, however, love some suggestions.  What are you reading?  Any good story lines out there?

So that is all on this end.  I look forward to doing some blog hopping now and seeing what everyone else in doing.  Want to join me?  Head on over to the Yarn Along with Ginny, Tami's Amis' Work in Progress, and Ambassador Crochet.