Monday, November 17, 2014

Snow Day

We got our first sticking snow last night, and I know better than to keep 5 snow-crazy children cooped up inside doing lessons when they would rather be out playing. And since today is going to be pretty much the only day this week warm enough to go out, I was happy to accommodate.

Checking out the bird feeder

Oldest and youngest

My MIL wanted to see some pictures of the new puppy on here, so here he is.
(we had to have B.'s 13 year old dog put down the end of September, and about 3 1/2 weeks later, B. brought this one home.)


Backyard "mayhem"


Tomorrow's high is 19. It's not even Thanksgiving.
Shiver.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Late Canning


I washed, cored and froze the tomatoes as they trickled in this summer. I think we got around 8-10 gallons? (of actual tomatoes) Anyway, with gun season for deer, and Christmas baking looming in the very near future, I needed to clear some space in the freezer. So today we are canning. Tomorrow we do applesauce and Saturday, the deer B.'s co-workers son shot. And maybe some more mushroom soup.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

It Seems...

...That the main computer has resolved it's issues. That or B.'s erase all history/cache move fixed it. Anyway, it's been working all day today, so giddyup for that.
Here's a picture of Muffin and me getting ready for my middle brothers wedding last weekend. She was the flower girl and I made her dress. Which was one of the most awful patterns I've ever made and I threw it out when I was done. (wrong yardages, wrong zipper length, too much skirt material for the size I made, etc. I've been sewing for 20+ years, it wasn't just me.)
Sprout gets his cast off Monday (hallelujah, I've been clipped in the face with that thing one too many times), so if the computer is still functioning, my goal is a post Tuesday. But then I've said things like that before.


Thursday, October 2, 2014

A quick howdy do

Really, I don't mean to keep abandoning my blog. I have lots I want to say. I had a big ol' photo dump planned. And then life keeps getting in the way. Just in the last week, the dishwasher went on the frit ( hand washing dishes for 7 people and we make every last blessed thing from scratch. That equals a lot of dishes.), I finished pulling the garden and all of the weeds out by hand, Sprout fell and fractured his elbow (which meant leaving our bonfire party early to take him to the ER, followed by a trip to a different ER so he could be casted (fingers to armpit) and finally getting home after midnight), having to put B.'s dog of 13 years down (heartbroken children), the big computer going on the fritz (no Internet service), and my having to sleep with Sprout because his cast is bothering him and makes it difficult to get comfortable. I havent actually slept per se nice Sunday. I've catnapped. Lots of fun.
I can at least post from the iPad, but I can't post pictures. Just so's ya know I ain't dead.
Be back.... eventually. Over and out.
Bon

Friday, August 29, 2014

At the End of August


I don't even want to talk about the garden. But at least I'm getting tomatoes. The Fair was last week (but somehow feels like it was months ago), we started school this week, it's about 80* today with the very distinct whiff of fall in the air. And the trees are turning already.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

If You Were In Suspense...

Honey is going to State Fair Competition with her canning project!

For her sewing project, she made this darling skirt, which she modeled at the county fashion show Monday  evening.

She placed 4th overall in her class

And took a blue for the actual project!

And now, if you'll excuse me, it's back to weeding. First bean harvest and freezing tomorrow! ('cuz I have to go grocery shopping this afternoon and we have no freezer bags. Or coffee.)

Friday, July 18, 2014

4-H -in

We have been working on 4-H stuff like crazy this week. Letters to send out to buyers for the auction, poultry skillathon, canning projects finished up and then we just found out that the sewing judging has been moved up a week. To this coming Monday. So we have today and tomorrow to do that. And I have to pick up my order of sour cherries and blueberries today. Oh boy.

Picture for buyers letter


Posters for canning judging today, and also to be displayed at the fair.


I think I'm going to tell B. we're ordering Chinese for supper tonight. There's too much left to do.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Breakfast Links

These Chocolate Chip Scones area favorite once in a while breakfast. Best consumed while listening to the delightfully 1950's children's radio program Ranger Bill. 

Monday, July 14, 2014

Up To Date (ish)

So, almost as soon as I hit publish on the last post, B. called to let me know that the guys were coming to dig up various parts of our backyard to fix our water issues. Enter yet another week of crazy.
This week is proving to be busy too, but a *manageable* busy. Knock on wood.
And I am DESPERATE to get out to the garden. It needs weeding. And then I'll post pictures.
So here are the pictures that happened between water softeners and washers fritzing, speed basement cleaning, wedding showers and weddings, an abominably long trip to the launder mat, taking parents out for birthdays and Mothers/Fathers Day, gardening like crazy, getting a camper, a living-room full of new to us furniture, an unexpected funeral, family reunions, and canning, and all of the other little things that have eaten up our days.
Whew.

My garlic scaped and they were delicious. 

My sister Anna and I were in a friends wedding

My other 3 sisters sang. I wish I had a recording of it- they NAILED all of the songs!

It was a looonnnggg day for the kiddos, especially Sprout.


Hot hot temps warranted a pool I was planning on hopping in to, but it hasn't happened. Yet.


B. has been saving and working over and selling things to buy me (all of us) this:
An amazing gift of love and sacrifices to be enjoyed in the years to come (pretty much only at the fair)
I don't deserve such a thing. But I love it.





It can double as a "guest house". Hint hint.

This is the only picture I took July 4th weekend

These were out back for the last week. My kiddos haven't played outside since last Saturday, too many large machines and holes/pits/trenches. And today it's rainy. Hopefully tomorrow.

A bunch of things didn't happen (like my fruit plans and the herb bed expansion (which I had to dig up thanks to the water work) ), but as it turns out that was good since they would have been ruined thanks to the water stuff. And I *finally* conquered crock-pot yogurt! 
Honey's first 4-H project judging is Friday, so I'm off now to help her can applesauce. Yes, the final project they have her doing is apple sauce.
I'm going to try to post at least every other day, even if its' just a picture. Try being the key word.

Monday, June 30, 2014

The End Is Nigh!

The end of the craziest, busiest, not the most fun 3 months I think we've ever had. Ever. And I am SO ready. Hopefully a big ol' everything post will happen this week (and that jam recipe Renata!), but I have 2 things to finish/mostly finish first. Because they are more or less time sensitive. So for now, a picture of Honey's meat chicks for 4-H to hold you over. They'll be a week old Wednesday and are already getting to the ugly phase. (Sniff sniff. my first baby is already old enough for 4-H :(  )

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Jammin'

Local U-pick strawberries were 8 quarts for $14, so I headed out sans children yesterday morning and picked 2 baskets full. Discovering I was out of sugar meant canning had to wait until this morning.
11 half-pints of strawberry jam pinging on the counter top. A merry sound indeed. 





Next up is Spiced Strawberry. Then the rest are freezer bound.

(my plain ol' jam recipe is the Ball Blue Book one. I'll share the spiced on here if anyone is interested.)

Friday, June 6, 2014

Afternoon Ya'll

I wasn't planning on disappearing for almost 2 months, but life happens and there you are. However, we are done with school, the basement is clean (10 years of crap in about 4 days. Durn near killed me.) and that is good.
I now present to you a pile of photos, and a few words to go along with them:

Easter

The girls dresses I made. And I had them finished the day before! Amazing!

A bit of life that has kept me so busy. There is a reason this little monkey was a number 5 instead of a number 1. It takes the rest of us to keep him semi out of mischief.




Waving our flags on "Remorial" Day

Parade watching selfie

Pumpkin planter

Pea planter

Sunflower planter

Bean planter

Path stomper


A garden post coming once it's worth looking at







Cobwebs in the coop which make me all happy since it reminds me a of a barn. Yes I'm a goof ball.
Hopefully I won't be such a stranger after this, but then again, no promises.
TTFN.