Lucy's Tales From Home

Status report...Friday 10pm

 I have not had a lot of time this week to check in. That is not exactly right, I have had the time but just not the spark. I don't know how you regular bloggers do it. I just can't put together something worth talking about everyday. Wish I could. Takes me too long to think about it. Maybe that is my problem. Too much thought, haha. err maybe its not enough thought. Anyways here I am a little after 10pm and this week is behind me and the weekend is laying like a giant present in front of me waiting to be unwrapped and savored and believe me that is my plan! 

(oops picture removed due to author's ridiculous self consciousness)

It was conference week so the days were only half days. Avery was sick one day, thought she was coming down with the you know what, S _ _ N _ flu. But no, just a short crud bug. So far so good as we navigate through this weird flu season. I don't know about where you live but the vaccine is in very short supply.

I talked a few days ago about the middle school woes of my youngest.  Tonight was the first middle school dance of the year. She wanted to go and totally earned to go if you were judging by her grades and conferences. But, I was reluctant to let her to save her from any troubles or hurt, but she wanted to go. So I dropped her off and her dad picked her up. She had a great time and hung out with some other very nice girls. She is happy inside and out and silly and funny and carefree. Seems for now as though the drama is behind us. Thank you Lord. Thank you for giving my girl such courage and strength. BUT, the lesson learned: You know what it feels like to be treated badly, don't repeat it. Be kind, generous, forgiving, even to those who have hurt you. Never intentionally hurt anyone by making them feel left out or like they don't fit in.  Be happy because you are HIS and that is all that matters.

Ok, now its like 10:56pm and everyone has gone to bed. I sit here alone at my computer with some good Pandora tunes going, I am drinking a Thunderhead beer. Its hubby's and sort of strong but not bad. A little relaxing and quite nice at the end of a week. 

I have been thinking about work. (actually I am always trying to figure out how to NOT work :) However, this is my 5th year at this job, WOW, but I have finally gotten in agroove,  I know and like the people I work closest with and I think they like me too. That is quite something, it feels good to go to work and enjoy being there, to be comfortable.  Again, I'm thankful because God put me there. I need to focus on that more and realize that I am REALLY working for him, no one else. I work to pay the bills, but all the while honoring HIM. (something by big girl reminded me of the other day after her bible study, something I forget easily when I want to complain about work instead of remembering why I am there)

  
 (pictures from trekearth.com) 

I guess I will sign off now. I will go read a bit. I have some really fun ideas of trying to make my own cheese after reading my current book. You can actually make small batches of really good cheese at home. Did I ever tell you I wanted to be a goat cheese farmer for the longest time. I did, until I realized how much actual milk it took to make even a small batch and that I would be the only one there everyday to do that milking at goodness knows what hour in the am rain or shine. Still just for home use it would be fun. Homemade goat cheese, on my list of stuff to do for next year! 

Happy beginning to your weekend!

♥ me

10 to Eight, Its a date!

                                              

 I have a date with my hubby in the hot tub at 7:50pm. Right now it is 7:21pm. Thank goodness for Fall Back! It is one of my favorite days. Set your clock an hour behind and enjoy a loooooonger day. I have! So right now according to my calculations I have about 25 min for this post. Ok Ok, get to the serious stuff.

Hmm. What did I do today. Ate a yummy omelet prepared by my wonderful hubby who always makes breakfast on the weekends. Its just his thang. Then I got on the treadmill, yah! Followed by nagging Avery to do her chores before she went to play B-Ball with the neighbor kids. Taylor volunteered to make dinner, so I just watched movies and sewed, perfect!

    

Here is a funny picture of Avery as a dude and her cousin Sam as a girl. (They traded clothes, although Sam was enhanced with some baloons I think:) Love this, so funny.

Taylor, after taking her fabric out of the dryer for her new headboard. Its orange, but not that orange, a nice shade. 

 

Taylor, her dad and Lucy trying to figure out this headboard thing. Doing the buttons. I think it looks waaay cool, but what do I know.

 

Please take into account the bad lighting, and the bad lighting.

It really did turn out so nice and way cheaper than the one in Ballard Design for like $600. I will have to get a picture in the daylight.

 

 

after several tries, this is what I came up with for the beard on my gnomes. What do you think?? Still need something...

Happy Sunday Night, I'am now 6 minutes late for my date, gotta go:)

♥ Me
  

Middle school is like fashion...

 

or as Heidi would say, "One day your in, and the next your Owwt"!

I keep trying to figure out how to start this post and organize my thoughts. This topic is close to my heart. Close because it kills me to see one of my kids hurting, just like any parent. It makes me nauseated quite frankly.

Avery has always been so eager to do and try everything, she likes to be busy. Her M.O. is just to forge ahead to the next new thing and have fun doing it with zest. Nothing gets her down. Like most kids she just wants to be happy! She carries none of the hang-ups or insecurities that her mother does. She can make a speech in front of her peers without a minute of worry or doubt, she charges headlong into new situations where she knows no one else just to participate in a sport or activity she wants to try. (One of the things I have always loved and been in awe of about her).

She has loved and looked forward to school everyday since Kindergarten. Yesterday was the first day she came home in tears. She has had a group of friends that she hangs out with since about 3rd grade, but things are changing, they are changing, but why do they get mean? I know Middle School is or can be a horribly difficult time for lots of kids. I don't know any woman who hasn't experienced this, including myself. I don't understand that about women in general. Not everyone, but you know what I'm saying, women are just plain mean sometimes and enjoy nothing better than picking each other apart, and when somebody is down, then tromp on them!  

I/we have been praying about this. It hasn't helped that we changed churches in hopes of finding a good youth group for her and just has not felt right since we made the change.  But, God is faithful. Last Wednesday I decided to go back to our old church and try the youth group. She is old enough now that she can be in a youth group and not little kid classes like Awanas. (although she did Awanas all through elementary school and loved it. Its a great program for littles). She agreed to go, wasn't thrilled but didn't put up one fuss. Like always she walked right into a room full of kids with no fear, well maybe a little. 

Turns out they have a new youth pastor and he and his wife are young and cool and I really liked them. She came out after I picked her up and was so happy. She liked the girls and even knew a few, and said it was so much fun and couldn't wait to go back. Amen!  We are going again tonight.

This is what I wanted for her, I hope it grows into a strong group of Christian friends that she can grow in the Lord with and be the foundation of her social life as she goes through high school. I'm not expecting it to be perfect, I know there are mean girls at church too, but its not the norm and being in this setting I believe is where He wants her. After all she is His, she knows it and has declared it, she is stronger than I give her credit for, I think because I am view this situation through my own eyes and know how I would feel.I Need to stop doing that, she does not need to carry my baggage too.

It is funny because as all of this was coming to a head the other day as I was sewing my little pouches :

 

The tutorial I used among others was from skip to my lou. In her tutorial she had this image with this verse:

 

So wonderful and prophetic. I shared it with my girl and prayed with her. 

This is a time to learn and realize that you need to rely on God, not people. It is hard, but He has a plan for you and this is part of it. 

She just looks at me, I'm fine mom, I get it. 

I thank God for my blessings, my family, my friends, my faith. In the end it is all that matters, PERIOD.  
 

 

full

 

This weekend, although fast, was full. Full of time spent together, whether working or playing it was filled with us being "US".

My Sis stopped by to bring Avery home after spending the night with her & her cousins at her house and she brought her new little fluff ball, Abby.

 

Lucy just wants to eat her up and Abby just wants her to go away. But, in a few weeks I am sure they will be best friends.

 
 

I had an urge for horribly cheesy, gooey, crusty homemade mac -n- cheese.

 

Obviously not finished, but so much fun to make. I have to make a stop at Joann's tomorrow to get a few bits to finish him up.

 

I have officially made friends with the zipper. I don't think it can scare me anymore. I hope. I whipped out 7 of these little zipper pouches this weekend. FUN!

FULL ♥

Hope your weekend was too!

Bread ~ Wine ~ Cheese

Besides my family, good books, water, a tooth brush with paste, soap, lotion, and maybe a few hundred other things, THESE are the only things I would need to survive on a desert island. I do crave protein from time to time BUT, in hard times I could survive on bread, wine and cheese...which brings me to my point...

 

A quick and really good read. About sisters, love and making champagne.

 

Follow it up with Cheese. Also with filled with family, love and cheese making of the best kind........

 

And then finish it off with Bread. I have not read this one yet but know it will be just as good as the rest. I love how Sarah Lynch combines several different characters from totally different backgrounds that all come together in the end. Easy and mouth watering reads:)

On this same theme I am sad to say that my library has started to charge late fees. I know that this has been customary really everywhere, but not in my town. I am so spoiled. Greedily grabbing those books and keeping them way longer than I should cuz I just don't have the time to get to them all! Now I will be fined for my indulgence. Pooh! Pooh! 

I love the library though. Truly its the coolest thing ever if you think about it. I love being able search,request,renew my books all online. I even love the "Cyber Space" voice mail with my name saying my books are ready for pick up. We always laugh at those messages, but I don't take this service for granted. It was my sanctuary when my kids were little. As an adult its just amazing to me that I can bring home tons of wonderful books for free!

I Love the Library!!
  

giddy

Yep, I'am simply giddy. Its like a Friday night. We don't have school tomorrow.  Yeah! It is some sort of "calendar alignment" day to keep us square with other school districts. Any who, no work, and no school!  I am getting my roots done in the am, (yuck, but I need to do it) then I am free as a bird till we have dinner with my folks. aka...I don't have to cook, and if my sister comes I get to see her new puppy!!! I have been hankering for some new little fluffy thing to love, but just don't want the vet bills to go along with it right now, so her new puppy will be my "fix".

After what seems like just a huge wave of never ending stress at work I am thankful for this weekend. Seems like there has not been a moment for me to breath and just get stuff done, There has been a lot of sick kids, lice and H1N1 stuff to deal with. Throw in a totally new software that we have to enter all our old data into and you have one frazzeled nurse. But, I love the kids and the people I work with and my school, so all is good, just so darn fricken busy!

Don't pay any attention to the above photo, that is just another "event" that my girls do to our poor, (hahaha), dog Lucy. She really tolerates it quite well, she thinks everything is a game and will end in a treat, which it does. But I thought it was fitting to feature her as she is sporting a quite nifty Fallish look.

 

Been watching this a lot while sewing, like over and over again. Which is what I tend to do. I need something in the background that I enjoy and know what is going on but does not cause me to go to the couch and watch instead of sew. Its a problem, finding that "neutral" movie that will be the perfect background for my sewing. No, I do not like music instead. It is ever changing too cuz, well, you know you just get tired of watching something after 15 times...
  

My big girl actually "let me" have her ipod at work the other day and while I was on the treadmill. Seriously, I am So Out of the loop,I don't even know what the loop looks like.

BUT, I DO know what I like. She had "Pie in the sky" by Andrew Hollander, from the "Waitress" soundtrack on her ipod, (it was in a playlist she calls Gentle Slumbers so of course I loved it), its so happy. 

Well, thats it for tonight. I wanted to check in and say HEY I have a 3 day weekend. I have missed having time to stop by and visit you, I plan on catching up this weekend.

 I have some views on "middle school" coming up. Oh GEEZE, I can't wait for it to be over,...more to come on that. 

Happy Thursday/Friday night friends!! 

Weekend Wrap Up

Life, its so fickle. It is always moving and changing. It never stands still for very long. So I must take advantage of and savor those "slow" moments. Learn to just shake off the crap that weighs me down and does not matter at the end of the day. What matters is, did I let the ones I love know that I LOVE them. Did I treat them well, did I build them up? Did I treat myself well too? Was I true,loving and real to others? I don't know if I was, I hope, I tried to be.

 

Its that "Bob Ross" time of year again. I love it, everywhere I look its like a gorgeous explosion of my favorite colors. This is my backyard, what a blessed girl I am.

I usually try to squeeze in every little thing that happens during the weekend in one post. That is just TMI! So here are the highlights according to me...

I went to pick up Lucy from the groomers on Friday with Taylor and even though we knew she was going to have a cow and bark like a crazy mad dog we stopped by our favorite junk shop, cuz we have not been there since summer.

I love the shop lady, she knows me quite well, and said, "Hey, I found some phones". I asked her a few months back when I was re-doing our bedroom that I was looking for a circa 1970's black rotary phone. Well she had a great one for $15 bucks! These are going for like $50 plus on ebay or even more in town at local antique shops so I was very excited. She didn't know if it worked though.I washed it up and plugged it in and it works like a charm. Love that ring too:) Why on earth do I want the same phone that I grew up with in my house, that I talked to my friends on and my boyfriends in the  "ironing/storage room under the stairs"? I don't know, I just do.

 

 

 I would like to know whose number this was?  Mine was 491-5324. I remember my best friends and my Grandmas too. Crazy. Anyway, this fits in quite nicely in my room, like its been there forever.

 

 Picked these up to for $6 bucks. Need to get some pretzels, chips and nuts now.

 

Had to take a pic of this. Taylor trying to dye 4 yards of home dec fabric that she bought to upholster a new headboard she and her dad are making for her bed. She bought the wrong color and is trying to dye it some shade close to what she wanted. I would not let her use my washer or utility sink, thus the wheelbarrow. Hey, its orange dye okay. I don't need orange clothes.Sort of goes with the time of year thought eh?

 

I am gonna throw in a few pics on how to do this quilt as you go method. I cannot respond to anyones comments right now, or at least I don't know how since typepad changed and I can't just hit reply! Its quite complicated, grrrrrrr.

Anyway as you can see you just cut a center piece and start from there. I cut about a 17 by 17" piece of batting. Stuck my main piece in the center and started building around it. You quilt each piece as you go.

 

 

 

 

 

You just keep going,and going till you cover the batting. At this point you can make a bunch of blocks and sew them together to make a quilt, table runner, or anything you want. I made a pillows.

 

 

Wishing all a great week.

♥ me.

 

 

 

 

 

cats & dogs

It is coming down like crazy this morning, i love it! Rainy and cozy, too bad I have to leave my house today. We turned on the heat for the first time last night, (we have used the gas fireplace a little), but not the furnace. Yikes, I can see my bill already. I kick myself in the rear everytime I think about saying absolutely not to a wood fireplace. I didn't want the dirt and soot. Dumb!

Anyway I got up early this am because Ave has volleyball practice before school on Wednesdays, so here I am with a bit of time before I need to get ready for work. Actually I have an inservice today on our new pc system at school, which I am looking forward too. Its driving me crazy not knowing how to input info correctly. The beginning of the school year is all about inputting info! But that is boring and too much information, right.

I stopped in this am because a few of you have asked about the "quilting" technique on my previous post. It is actually from here.

 

Nothing new, just new to me. If I get around to it I will try and show my finished project this weekend. 

Have a great Wednesday!
  

Sunday Stuff......

 

Boo to you! This is one of may favorite Halloween decorations. This year after cleaning out my flower beds and cutting back the hydrangeas I brought in a beautiful bouquet and stuck my scary hand in the middle.

As usual the weekend disappears before my eyes, so fast I can't even manage it. And manage it I TRY to do! I "MAP" out my weekend so much so that sometimes I just forget to relax and have fun......

Like throwing around Lucy's new toy, a flying squirrel, with her, (which I did) or going on an impromptu motorcycle ride with my hubby, (which I didn't cuz I was immersed in sewing), As soon as I heard him motor down the road I wished I would of said yes.

 

Avery, making a fire in our new fire pit on Friday night. She invited the neighbor girls down and they had hot dogs and roasted marshmellows....good stuff.

 

Lonely, dying zinnias.........oh ode to the Zinnia. I Love You, You make me so Happy and you are still trying to keep on blooming and I do so appreciate it !

 

Perfect fodder for the chickens is carrot tops. They don't like the carrots but love the tops!

 

Give a chicken some greens and watch the fun....

 

On my mantel H for Halloween .........

 

I started something last week so fun. A new way of quilting to me.  Quilt as you go. Start in the middle on the batting and place each piece as you go quilting each piece as you go. I love doing this. I can do a few pieces and then just come back to it a few days later and keep going.

 

 

 

I wanted to add a little bit of fun info that I did not know. I thought it was really cool. I love the Beatles but like most peeps I have always thought "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was, well you know the LSD thing. But here is what Love you Up to the Moon says about it. I love it, so sweet and I never new........ 

I will leave you with a blurry picture of my dude. He has this helicopter he "plays" with, I guess sort of like my sewing but not as functional! Anywho, I am just such a sucker for my dude in a baseball cap worn backwards.......just gets me, so cute even if its blurry:)

 

 Happy Sunday Night!

♥ me

 

i don't know

 

I made yummy pizza tonight ala Giada. This taste profile fits my palate to a tee. There is no red sauce, but sometimes that is okay and a welcome change to pizza.  I have made it a few times before, I just love the basic ingredients and the huge yet simple flavors. I use my own dough though which makes it better. BUT, I have used Trader Joe's ready made doughs. They are really good and only $1.29 per bag. One "bag" is a huge pizza that feeds 4 of us with left overs.

So, whats with my title.......I don't know. Actually I do know, but it is so so tiresome to even mention, yet so consuming me. I'm sure it is me and my total lack of social skills and paranoia but here I am, a woman fully grown, STILL letting my self esteem, emotions, daily activities, MY LIFE, be dictated by other peoples moods and how they treat me on a day to day basis. In reality I know everyone feels as I do and are walking around trying to get through their day just like me, and when someone walks by you and doesn't smile or say hi you (or should I say I) just think wow, what did "I" do. "I" must be the reason for their response or lack of response to me. I just pile it on and try to figure out what "I" did wrong.

In reality I have known for quite some time that I am just not a girly girl. By that I mean I don't have a lot of girl friends. I have always had just a few REALLY tight friends. People that know me inside and out and accept me and visa versa.  I just don't do "casual" friends very well. I don't like grazing the surface of life, if its not REAL I just don't dig it. If you don't know all of me and like it and the other way round my thinking is just why bother? Seems like a waste of time. I am praying about this. I think it closes a lot of doors to me. Sometimes it is the "superficial conversations" that bring about real friendships.

Sometimes as I sit in my office at work and if I am there late when parents come to pick up their kids they accumulate in the foyer outside of my office and I hear the "moms" talking and talking about this and that and it makes my eyes roll back in my head. But shame on me. I only wish I could communicate on that level, it would make life so much easier. I just don't get small talk, I am OFFICIALLY no good at it. ahhh, blech! So I laid it out and there it is. The trouble in my soul tonight and many nights actually. I am working on it and praying. What else can I do ☺

 

Sweaty sewing, wishful thinking, & other weekendy stuff...

This weekend was packed, with all good. I wish it would of been 4 days instead of two:) ... but, we made the best of it.

I finally finished the Messenger Bag.  Whoo hoo, I tell ya, I was all step by step and going slow reading a direction a day so I thought I was totally on the ball and no way making any mistakes. Hahaha,

 

The "Zipper" gets you every time. I ended up doing it perfectly only on the wrong side of the bag. Not the top of the bag but the side. Who needs a zipper pocket that opens on the side, mmmm, nobody. So I had to find some new fabric that went with my other fabrics and make new front and back linings but I salvaged the zipper pockets with my trusty seam ripper.

 

New zipper and lining...

 

I'am not afraid of zippers anymore. Easy Peasy :))

 

Fini. and I don't really like it. You know how it is after fussing with something and staring at it for weeks you are sick of it!

 Although I am mighty happy with my zipper. I'll just throw in one more pic of it :)

 

Back of the bag. I had several mistakes making this thing even though I went so slow. I made this the front pocket at one point sewing on the button and everything before I realized it was actually the back pocket. Grrrrrrrhmmm!

 

Not bad for my first real bag.

 

New supplies for my Christmas crafts and Online fun class.  I still need to get some felt balls. 

  

I have been gathering cute fabrics

 

galore...

 

and more...

 I think I am ready to start my Christmas sewing. What do you think ? I spent most of the day sketching and dreaming of what I will do with these goodies.

 

My girl before her game. She is getting sooo grown up right before my eyes, everyday. I see just a little bit more of the adult that she will be.  This year, 7th grade, she is allowed to wear mascara and a little light eye shawdow, NO eye liner or anything heavy.  I don't think my mom was as on my butt as I am on hers.

Lastly I would like to add this little bit of wonder we found . If you have On Demand it is on the Sundance Channel starting October 7th, but you can watch the first episode On Demand. It is called Man Shops Globe.  Oh My Goodness!  In another life this would of been my dream job. He gets to go to France and other wonderful places buying really cool stuff for the "backdrop" decor of all the Anthropologie stores. COME ON...what a gravy job. I'm sure he has his stresses too though, right? Somehow I think I could handle them. This is a fun show if you are at all interested in Anthro or antiques or shopping etc.etc. 

 

 

Happy Sundy Night ♥

 
 
  

Mid-week break

Wednesday is one of the only days we do not have volleyball. So here is what I did and am doing this Wednesday ☺

Started:

                   

      I am always sad to finish a good book as I was House of Daughters. But after just a few pages this seems like another great read. 

     Joined:

        

 Betz White Holiday Workshop . Fun Fun. I am not going to have the time to take any classes or do anything fun crafty wise for the holidays for myself so this is it. I am splurging on an online workshop that I can attend on my own schedule, and learn something new and cool from someone whose work I really admire.

Working:

No pictures yet, but the messenger bag I am working on from Montessori by Hand is  challenging me. I have been working on it a few steps each night and am happy to have finished my first really well done working zipper last night!

Listening:

                                                             

To the Love Theme From Spartacus by Earl Klugh. This is such a pretty song, but I especially love this rendition.

Watching:

30 Rock from Netflix. I love Kenneth ♥

Of course I also did a Target and Grocery trip and cleaned the kitchen so the house wouldn't be a total gross out when the fam comes for pizza after Ave's volleyball game tomorrow night. I know you all are just as busy as me out there, whew! Hope you get a goood nights sleep and some sweet dreamin.

Good Night. ♥

 

 

 

     

  

 

fall stuff, sort of, for tuesday

Its raining this morning. Yay! I know I said I have been enjoying the last of the sun and I have, but this really means Fall is here and I am looking forward to turning my focus to the indoors and less outdoors. Last night I went to bed with a huge pile of old Christmas magazines and it enjoyed them just like they were new. I got some ideas, ripped out some pages and made many lists, good times.

I also should be getting some really smokin Christmas fabric and wool felt in the mail this week. I haven't seen the UPS dude all Summer, at least at my house with something for me :)

Ok, here is the reason I am posting on a Tuesday. Taylor showed me last night. Cracks me up, I have videos of my girls doing the same thing, only to Raffi, not Beyonce, hehe.

 

soaking it up

 

Lately I find myself trying to soak up all the remaining sun there is, morning, noon and night. I feel like I need to do this, to "store" it up and have a "reserve" for when those long grey days come. So today I spent a lot of time "soaking" and just enjoying being in the warmth of the sun.

As I said on my list this weekend was to dehydrate our tomatoes, which you can see I did.  They turned out great, took about 9 hours.

Super simple. No special prep. Wash, slice, sprinkle with salt and pop in the dehydrator.

Today we did not go to church as Glen is still sick, I got the crud too, but am already on the mend. Just a couple of days for me. I finished up some school work, sewed some more on my messenger bag and made labels with my new (and FINAL, no more changing my mind) name to sew in my goodies that I make. I made some ribs for Avery. She has been craving them, I don't know why, but every grocery list for the last month has had RIBS!! on it. My little meat eater. I also enjoyed sitting out on the deck this afternoon for some more of that soaking and reading a great book right up my alley my niece lent to me.

House of Daughters. Set on a vineyard in France... I always thought my vineyard would be in Italy, but this would do nicely:) Its full of wonderful descriptions, people, food and love. I don't know why I want to live on a vineyard. I know nothing about wine. I like it, but beyond that I can't tell the difference between a $10 bottle or a $50 bottle. In fact if I am honest, I prefer the cheap stuff. (I have no idea why typepad switched fonts on me mid post, but whatever!) I guess I do know why a vineyard is so appealing...

   

 

  the endless sun, the immaculate rows of pruned vines, the silence, the sound of my bicycle rolling down the gravel path to home with my basket full of goodies from the market, oh yes, the food. That reminds me. One of the descriptions in this little book is of a tastey they have twice a month. Pain au chocolat amande.

It is croissant dough spread with almond custard and infused with Valrhona chocolate before being rolled, baked and then sprinkled with slivered almonds and icing sugar. Guess what we are having next weekend! I might never venture to France or have my own little vineyard but our senses can have a little taste ♥

I also was very pleased when after several attempts of trying to get her interested, Avery took a hankering to making some fun hemp and bead goodies this weekend when I nonchalantly set them out. Here is my new bookmark with a cute little fishy. I love it ♥

This week we have not one or two but three! volleyball games. Did I mention my girl made varsity. (a little mama pride plug). We are all very excited to go and root her on!

Have a great Monday all.

♥ me

 

 

C.L.F.

Well, here I am, 6:31 p.m., Thursday night, dinner done! dishes done! big girl at work, little girl homework done! and babysitting at her cousins for a few hours. Sick hubby fed, loved and medicated sitting in lazy chair, feeling better but still sick enough to be in said lazy chair..........grr, (just a little), all in all not a bad situation. I have a bit of free time and decided to post something tonight for tomorrow. Wow.

So what is CLF? Well "Chicken Love Friday" of course ♥ I read so many blogs where the author has chickens, or maybe it is just the blogs that I am so attracted to that have chickens. Anyways, I thought I would start putting up some pictures on Fridays of my "girls". I so enjoy looking and reading about everybody elses feathered friends, I thought maybe you might join me in sharing a picture or a few words about your chicken tales/experiences.

 

  

 "Hey, what are you guys lookin at?"

 I love this cuz the cat is just lounging with the chickens, dog, etc. etc. just a lazy day and some easy farm lovin ♥   

These are from the summer, I have not had time to sit with my girls like I would like to lately.

This is our 3rd year with these hens. Their 3rd summer. They use to produce at least 6 eggs a day. I have 7 hens. Sometimes we use to get 7 a day! Right now and really throughout the summer we were averaging about 4 a day. Not good when you consider how much feed, scratch, oyster shells and natural vegetation that they consume every week. I have asked others who have chickens, but still don't really have any reason for this slacking off in production. I did have a couple of "brooders" this summer but made short work of them, kicking them off the nest every chance I got. Glen has been told by the "chicken dude" he got our chicks from that they start to slack off at about 3 years. REALLY? Come on, I thought it was more like 6 or 7 productive years.  I love these girls but hubby is not to keen on keeping them around very long if they are not doing their part. He wants to get new chicks next year.  I would love to hear anyone else's thoughts or experiences on this.

So I leave you with CLF, hehe.

a lovely friday to you all ...

♥ me

 

 

just your normal Thursday

I wanted to put something in this space this morning. It feels so neglected since school started. So I thought I would just do a little update, short and sweet. Sometimes those are  best.

Glen came home sick Monday after being sick and out of town working for 8 days. Honestly men are such an anomaly to me when they are ill. Tough,(in front of everyone but their family), stubborn,  but with a huge side of cranky and just plain babies. The last two days have been spent taking care of him, missing work yesterday to take him back to the Dr. etc. etc. He doesn't have the swine flu but a bad case of bronchitis with asthma thrown in. Yesterday he got some steroids and after two doses he is like a new person. Now I have a sore throat :) but I KNOW it will be gone tomorrow!

I have had that itchy feeling again. The one where I have been hankering for some new fabric and to sit at my sewing machine again. This change to cooler weather always does it to me. I am going to go to one of my favorite shops after work today and pick out some pretty prints. Yippee! I have started a messenger bag, I will show you that this weekend.

I have made my weekend list, always too much on it to accomplish but I do try. I need to work on not feeling guilty or unproductive if I don't finish it. Who Cares really? the world will keep spinning if I don't deadhead my flower pots afterall.

My tomatos are a abundant and I am going to drag the ole dehydrator out again and make some "sundried" tomatos instead of sauce this year, well, maybe a little sauce too.

I tried to post this the other day. Here goes again. I made this yummy granola for the start of school. We eat it plain or on yogut. It is from here surprisingly. Totally delicious, I think it is the pinch of salt that really makes it pop. 

I also learned how to get the skin off of almonds from my big girl.  Super simple.

 If you don't like skins on your almonds, simply throw them in boiling water for about a minute, but no longer. When they are cool, just sqeeze or rub off the skin. Super easy. I wished that worked with hazel nuts too. They are so messy when you do the roasting method to remove the skins. 

I guess that wasn't so short...

happy thursday.

 

Settling

 Hello. Things have been flying around here since school started. Seems like the first and last two weeks are always the busiest, right?  I have tried to check in on you all and even post but had problems with that so gave up till I had more time to mess with typepad. I have many things to share but the one thing in particular that has been simmering inside me for a while is the idea of "Settling".

 I have never considered myself a "settler". I have fought and worked hard for what I have and have accomplished career wise in my life. I fight for my marriage, I don't let things go, when something is wrong we work on it, I don't put my head in the sand and ignore a problem, I "fight".  I fight for my kids, meaning we raise them the best we know how in a Christian home and stick with it.  I/we don't let things slide. Like any responsible parent, I am willing to take the "flack" in whatever form that takes with my kids to make sure they are staying on the path we think as their parents are right, sometimes that means making unpopular decisions and enforcing them. The end result, God willing, we will have well adjusted, happy, self sufficient and productive human beings that are equipped to survive in and contribute to the world.  I don't settle personally either, I stand up for myself, at work or in social and family relationships. I can't keep things inside, it might take me a little bit, but I can't let stuff fester, I like to deal with it when I feel there is a misunderstanding or things are not fair.

 By no means am I saying that I am perfect, no way, no how, far from it. I am trying to say it is my nature to stick to and stand up for things I believe are right, I don't take the easy way or the path of least resistance, (well maybe sometimes I do), but not usually.  I don't think I am out of the norm either, I think most of us out there try to do the best we can with what we have.

BUT, lately I realize that I do settle. I settle for what happens around me, both locally in my own community and in the world. Beyond voting I have never been involved politically, never even watched the news regularly until this last year or so. Without getting too deep and all religious on you my reason for this lack of involvement was basically feeling that whatever I did wouldn't matter or make any difference. To put it "very simply", because I believe in what the Bible says, I know the end of "our" story. I believe nothing mankind can do will ever change the fact that Jesus Christ is eventually coming back to earth to reign.  Our "story" is written in the Bible and unfortunately we are right on course.

 I don't like what I am hearing on the news or rather what I am not hearing. I don't like the arrogance among our elected officials. I don't like seeing the American people being brushed off and talked down to because they are speaking out and expressing their concerns.  I am angry that our elected politicians are more concerned with what they are going to get out of a bill than what WE are going to get. They don't even read much less write these ginormous convoluted things. I'm not exactly sure what they do besides scratch each others behinds. Yes, I know there are a few who really try and have some integrity, but they are in the minority. 

Greed for Money and Power. Pretty much sums up all the problems in the world. What can one little woman in one little town do to stop or change anything? Nothing, if I don't try.

About 5 months ago our neighborhood received notice that a level 3 sex offender moved about 1/2 mile from our house. Besides being aware and extra careful there wasn't much we could do. I mean what can you do in that situation? It's so common no matter where you live.

 I have been driving Avery to school really early since school started for Volleyball practice and I have seen a car parked on the side of the road where we figured this guy was living. I saw it several days in a row just early in the mornings. I also saw someone moving around in it. Creeped me out. Then I got mad. We live in a rural part of town, part of the property on one side of the street we live down is reservation land, owned by the Indians. That is where this guy was squatting.  I got the license plate and called the Sheriff's office and left a message with the detective in charge leaving the license # . He called me back shortly after and confirmed that the car was owned by this perv. He read me his rap sheet and it was disgusting. Rape, child rape, molestation, armed robbery etc. etc. The detective said he was trying to keep track of him but he came and went, living in a tent or his car from time to time. He explained normally he could kick him off the land since it wasn't a real dwelling, but since he was tribal he could squat on this part of the reservation and they couldn't do anything. That just didn't make any sense to me, why would anybody tribal or otherwise want this guy hanging around if he didn't have to be. I called a friend that lives on that part of the reservation actually really close to where this guy was. She didn't even know he was there. Her husband called his brother who is tribal police and turns out they didn't want him there either because of what he had done, Indian or not, and were going to kick him off. My friends husband told me that the police don't like to and won't interfere with anything that has to do with a "tribal" issue even if they ask for help. I don't understand this. Well, maybe I do, two sides working together for the greater good, how silly. Sounds like donkeys and elephants to me.

This post may seem a bit naive (and REALLY long) to some but I learned a lesson this week. Just doing something, some little something like a phone call can make a difference. I am ashamed that it took me this long to get off my rear and exercise my constitutional rights. It sounds so cliche but where would we be right now if Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Jefferson or any of our Founding Fathers had the same attitude as me?  I have written several posts with this sort of content only to get hot and bothered and delete them because I felt this was the wrong place for them. If not here, where else? This is me and how I feel. I will be dialing up my congress men and women and letting them know how I feel.

It makes a difference, at least for now. I am beginning to think we

NEED TO USE IT OR LOOSE IT!

 

 

"Steppin Out"

This was a very loooong week. My fella was out of town working one of those long get the job done sort of jobs. BUT, he so happened this time to be just a few hours away. Normally he is like 6 hours or so away from home. This week he was in Port Ange les, about 2 1/2 hours from home. So me and Ave got in the car and went for a road trip. Something waay out of character for me. I don't like the "unknown". I have a very POOR sense of direction. If you spin me several times around in the street and then tell me to find my way home it would be HARD for me. I'm not kidding. 

This is something that sort of pisses me off, a gene that skipped "me", as my sister and her kid, (my niece), all have this built in directional system.  But me, no, I am VERY directionally challenged.

We headed out anyway, with skimpy directions written by me from my hubs. He tends to go on and on and on. I just can't follow what he says. Probably another directional fault, but I need to know where the Safeway is or the Mickey D's or the Motel 8 in order to get my coordinates, not the .4 miles to the big rock next to the slight hill the goes to the right and then bends to the left where you will see a large log home and then you turn two driveways after that.  Ahhhh, NO, can't follow that dude.

Anywho, we made it.

 

 

 

 

In an effective attempt to hide from my camera she is shoving a bag of cheese popcorn in front of her mouth.

We had fun at the pool for a few hours before Glen came "home" and then we went to dinner with a good friend that lives in PA.  A nice night.

The next day, at the hotel breakfast after her dad went to work, Ave and I were enjoying some really good "hotel" grub when the waitress said......."Are you girls here for the Twilight convention in Forks?".  NO, I mean no, we are here just visiting. Avery's eyes lite up. NO WAY, I said. Talk about walking into a flock of freaks. But, there was a shop in town we saw last night on the way to dinner dedicated to "Twilight". I mean you know that is where Edward and Bella had that really "great" dinner together and he saved her from evil doers.

Yeah, we went there. OM goodness. I felt like wearing a disguise while I was there. The Twilight CD was playing in the background and they had a huge map of the world so you could place a pin where your "coven" was. Ahhh. We hurried up and left with a little "Bella" hand lotion and a pen.

Then totally out of character for me I decided we were going to go check out the

 

Sol Duc Hot Springs. About an hour away. Blech. Don't be swayed by their great pictures. It was totally way over rated, expensive, crowed, gross school camp like accomodations and over crowding in the pools. I think this was a really cool place to go about 15 years ago, now like so many other places it is taken over with tourism. Just plain yucky. The pools looked like they were stuffed with little pink sausages instead of people.

Anyways, it was fun to do something out of character and get home safe and sound:) Tomorrow is the first day of school. Loooooong pause..............

Avery is ready, I sort of am. Not in my head. But, I will set the alarm for the first time in 3 months and get the ball rollin with a smile and a big cup o joe.

If its your first day too, I wish you a fantastic day!!

♥ me

 

 

 

oops and a thank you.

  

This morning I meant to thank Deb of A Fine Feathered Nest for thinking of me and giving me one of her sweet awards. Thank you Deb!  She has an awesome blog filled with lots of fun things and a shop too! Go take a peek.

same stuff different season

 Its really foggy this morning. Looks and feels like Fall. There are still beach towels draped on the railing deck and flip flops all over the place, the pool is still up even though we haven't been in it for weeks (not hot enough). The sprinklers still come on even though we have had lots of rain, the humming bird feeder is almost empty and I don't think I will fill it up again. It makes me feel sad. Oh Summer we hardly had any time together and now, now its time to start thinking about the real world again.

 I have been spending more and more of my time getting ready for school.  I have gone in and  organized my office and put it back together after all the summer cleaning they do. I put my supplies away and looked at all the new student health records and made some parent phone calls. I am feeling physically prepared but not mentally. <sigh> This happens every year, this gradual slide back into routine. This will be my 5th year of school nursing. I feel lucky to have my job and I am not going to complain. I just need more sometimes. I am blessed with a great man and kids. I am not talking about that area of life. I mean a change, a surprise, something unexpected, something that fills that little spot that cannot be filled by anything else.  You know that little spark that keeps life interesting and makes you hop out of bed a little quicker in the mornings. I'm not exactly sure what it is, I think it changes because I have had that before, but its been missing for a while now. I know I am not the only one with this need, and of course it is different for everyone.  Right?

I feel "it" in the fog this morning. There is a change in the air and this will be the year that I am going to do something about filling that spot up, yep.

ok, nough of that. i have been busy with other stuff too...

 

we picked more blackberries

 

 and made more jam.

 

made more apple chips like last year. 

  

yum

 

picked more beans

 

and pickled them, I have 10 jars now, yay.

 

found a bit of time to sew a little too

 

this little pot holder from denise schmidts book.

 

made some potato leek soup at Avery's request. seems its soup weather now.

 

I grabbed this shot the other night. so peaceful and fallish don't you think.

good night moon, or should i say good morning.

i am off for a little girl bonding time with my sis, niece and kiddos.