What Do You Think?

I am getting the gazebo ready for the summer picnics. I hung the fern baskets & hung the chicken crate my son Atlee & my mother bought me last fall. What do you think? Should it stay after stained & the basket inside be filled with flowers? Or is it just to much?


The pond is cleaned & waits for water plants. All seven little gold nuggets survived another winter. Just feeder fish that have grown very large & dodged many cats.

I looked for pillows to use in the room I am giving a makeover. I wanted Heirloom Weaver pillows but the colors I wanted were not being made. I bought their napkins at the shop I sell in & decided I could make them into pillows.

I pinned the napkins right sides together & sewed around three sides.

Two reversible pillow covers for the makeover in Sams old room. I do not do zippers so I think I will pickup some velcro next trip to Walmart. I have two duck pillows to a comforter set from when the boys were little & shared a room that I will put inside once I fins them.

I went shopping for a small tent in hopes of the grands staying over night with grandma this summer. I was looking for a small one much like the one my kids had long ago. It fit in the living room & we watched movies together as they camped out & fell asleep. To my surprise this tent was much bigger & took up all the living room floor space after the table was taken out. New plan was decided at that point. The tent will be set up inside the gazebo. I had a little dog very interested in the tent while putting it together & when the door was in his sight. After going in he did not want to come out so I put a sheet down & his bed inside. I guess he thought it was for him. Soon Sam was in there & they both went to sleep. Two birds with one stone. Sam will enjoy the tent to.



Blessings Til Next Time!

Moving Day For The Bunnies

Today was moving day for the bunnies. I think they will be much happier in the new garden area. I can talk to them as I work in the garden expansion & later tend the newly planted seedlings. No neighbors dog kennels right behind their hutch with dogs barking for hours on end each day into the night any more. Less stress for the little critters.

After school today my boys Lucas & Sam loaded the bunny hutch on Lucas's truck & moved it to the new garden area across from the outhouse tool shed.

This is the view into the lower garden from the bunny hutch door. They will get to enjoy the fires in the outdoor fireplace by the gazebo & picnics this summer.

I like to sit & swing as I ponder just what next to do in the gardens. Well the chicken coop needs moved & the enclosure built. More rock beds to build. Another trip to the mountains for more rocks. So many ideas I have marked in garden magazines to. My ideas come faster than they can happen.

The little flock has been put in for the night. See the girls looking out the window? They will not go to roost until I go inside. Now to move the chicken coop into the new garden area. Not sure how this will be done. The day we brought it home I backed the truck into a bank & Laken Lucas Sam & I slid it off the truck bed on to their old little tikes wagon & pulled it into the trees. Well the wagon was well used over the many years of play & all the kids taking turns riding in it down the hill. Yes even me a few times. There were some spills & crying kids back then. As I was saying the wagon was well used & the back tire rod bent & then a wheel fell off. We need a new plan. It will come to me I am sure.

This week I have finished reading this book. It is a wonderful book. You may want to read it yourself. Tasha Tudor was an amazing woman. If only I could have met her.

Night has fallen & all is warm & cozy inside as the temps drop outside. The candles light the windows to welcome all home. I liked it better when my kids were just riding the wagon down the hill. Now there out driving vehicles instead. Well thats why I pray. So glad you stopped in to visit & listen to me chat tonight.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

Garden Expansion / New Treasure Found

The gardens are getting greener & full of color here & there as the weeks go by. The trees have bloomed & Easter flowers have bloomed since I last chatted with you. The seedlings are growing well in the greenhouse. I have been busy reading gardening books & clearing the future veggie plot with the help of Sam. The future veggie plot was started September of 2010. It has went slow but progress is noticeable now. The bunny hutch & chicken coop still need to be moved there. My dream veggie plot was to have raised veggie beds with the critter houses among them with rock paths to wonder about the veggie plot.

The front side of the future veggie plot before any ground clearing began.

The back side of the future veggie plot before any ground clearing began.

After tress were removed & firewood stacked for the outdoor fireplace there was no more progress until a few weeks ago when Lucas & his friend moved the outhouse tool shed to the veggie plot. This got things moving again. Over the past few weeks the tree stumps tree roots & rocks have been being removed.

A load of soil form a cow pasture delivered for filling the beds.

The first raised bed has been built for the garden expansion. A layer of grass clippings. Next a layer of shavings from the chicken coop with much chicken poo then top soil.

I sewed some more seeds & added the trays to the greenhouse. Outside I planted our pea gardens. The chickens are laying many eggs. The duck eggs have not hatched yet. God has been moving for my family & I in a mighty way. Praise be to God! Thank you for your many prayers. I pray God meets your needs & answers your prayer requests.

This shelf beside the frig holds my crocks filled with tatters & onions. It has worked well for some time now but I wanted an oak bookcase to put beside the frig. It would help hide the frig & hold more things allowing for more counter space.

My treasure hunt for an oak bookcase has ended with this beautiful oak bookcase I replaced the old shelf with beside the frig in the kitchen. I have more counter space now to. My gray granite ware bowls & basins have a home & can be filled with fruit. My sewing machine has been under the cabinet waiting to be put back to work making more bonnets. When the raised beds are all built out the sewing machine will come again. I have purchased beautiful fabric colors as I seen them. They are folded & waiting in my baskets that are now sitting in the old shelf from the kitchen. Sam has his game system & T.V. on the top shelf. We have been working on making his old room a game sewing T.V. room to share. We call it the little den. Laken is working more hours & has no plans of moving home. But she is staying here tonight with us. Good thing the couch in the little den has a pull out bed in it. Lucas is starting to work more hours to. I am waiting for them to get home & I have catching up to do reading your blogs. I hope to get started tonight.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

Thank You White Sheep Farm

This week I received this package containing the giveaway I won from White Sheep Farm. When I opened the box a wonderful scent I smelled. As I unfolded the purple tissue paper it appeared. A nest woven as if a bird made it its self. Pretty blue eggs in a bag tied with a pretty blue ribbon. Attached was a sweet card from Teri. Just check out those sweet farm animals. A packet of Sweet Annie seeds from her 2011 crop that I will be planting soon. THANK YOU TERI!

For now the nest & eggs are in one of my gray granite ware basins that covers a five gallon crock filled with household cleaners. A wonderful site to see when it is time to clean. That is oh so often. Teri has a Spring Nest Tutorial on her blog. She has put together many in the makings photos with detailed instructions to create the nest. Stop in & visit her. I have a link in my side bar under giveaways to her blog.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

Jaylins Surprise Birthday Party

I baked a bear cake & cupcakes for Jaylins birthday yesterday. This turned out to be the black bear in the sunflower field. Atlee & his girlfriend Samantha were bringing the girls to visit. We ate diner & I surprised Jaylin with a birthday party. Both my grand babies were surprised & tickled. We enjoyed the cake & cupcakes then opened gifts. Both girls got a gift to open & I gave Samantha a gift card to get Jaylin something she needs. After playing in the yard & visiting all the creatures Atlee & his little family headed home. Lucas & a friend came right after. The boys moved the outhouse tool shed to the new area for me with plans to move the bunny hutch Friday night. Things are coming together for the creatures to be moved to the new location that will allow space for an enclosure for the chickens & more rock beds to plant Veggies & herbs in.




Jaylin the birthday girl making a wish & blowing out the candle.

I could not let Madison out. As you can see she was feeling left out & sad. She got her turn to blow out the candle to. That just made all well & happy. Just small simple acts can make a child happy as pie.
Today I opened the scented wax that was included in the package of hearts from White Sheep Farm. They smell so good. Thanks Janice.

I just could not put the hearts away that I won from White Sheep Farm. I have not had them very long. They are now pinned to a piece of burlap hanging on the Jelly cupboard. These photos were taken in the game room. Laken has been gone for eight months. She takes more of her things with her each time she comes home. Sams things have been moved into her room little by little. I have been doing some work in the game room making it more prim & making a space for my sewing machine. A place to set up & work without having to keep moving it around. This was just a peek at what is to come. I got an order from the shop for more bonnets so I will be getting back to working on them.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

Eggs * Heart Giveaway * Seedlings

I ventured into the duck house to see how many eggs were in the nest momma duck had made. I counted eleven pretty blue eggs neatly arranged & snug against each other with a soft layer or feathers under them. I can not wait to see the ducklings hatch. My brooder is ready for some little ones.

Momma duck is now setting on her nest keeping those pretty blue eggs warm. Momma duck is nine years old & still laying eggs.

I won the heart giveaway from Prims By The Water. I have them in the gathering room in a wood bowl where I can see them all day. Thank you for the sweet hearts Janice. You can use my link in my side bar to visit Janice at Prims By The Water.

I sat on the porch sipping Arizona tea while playing in the dirt. I have started planting my seeds this week. So far red & green peppers. Tomatoes & sunflowers. I was wondering if it might be a bit early to start the basil & oregano. What do you think? I was surprised there were only 14 pepper seeds in one packet & 22pepper seeds in the other. I will need to pick some more of those seeds up.

I moved the greenhouse from Lakens room to Sams game room today then started adding trays of seedlings. Laken has been gone for seven months now & says she is not moving back home. Her work is picking up & she really wants to move from her friends into her own apartment. I kept all her furniture in place but added Sams dresser & turtle tank. I washed & made the bed up with Sams John Deer bedding. Laken had already taken all her bedding with her. If she changes her mind & wants to move back home Sam will just move back into the game room. Or I guess she will take her dressers & desk to her own apartment & Sam will have more room.

The bunnies were happy to have their hutch cleaned today. When I got the bunnies I was told I had two females. You can see the black bunnies is getting a large mass of fur under her chin. I thought they only got that for pulling out to make a nest when expecting a litter. Is that so? I have seen so many cute bunnies here & there on your blogs that you have all made. I had started one before the doctor changed my medication but I have not finished it as yet. I would have thought by now all of the side effects would have went away but the sores in my mouth turned into blisters & continued down my throat. I seen a commercial for Cymbalta warning mouth blisters can accrue while taking it this week. I know I will never take it again. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

Barren Grounds

It was warm outside & I was feeling better. I am still weak & need to rest often. I ended up with more side effects to the medication that did not agree with me. Sores in my nose & mouth. Looking out the dinning room windows today I decided it was time to get with it & put a plan together for the barren grounds that were my view.

Outside entering into the gardens. Come along with me.

These are the seeds I have purchased so far & I hope to start planting some to put in the mini greenhouse next week.

The gazebo looks empty without all the hanging baskets of boston ferns & flowers over flowing from the railing baskets.

I took a little swing while looking around & pondering my thoughts about the gardens.

The ducks took a dip in the garden pond while I looked for any sign of tulips breaking through the soil. Sure enough they are breaking through. Back to the duck house I heard ed the ducks.

the dianthaus have started to sprout green shoots in this rock bed.

Last year this wooded area was cleared & I had big plans for more rock beds to plant veggies in & a potting shed. My plans have changed a bit. That tree in the center will need to be cut before I can get started. The plan is to have the chicken house moved to this area & build an enclosure around it. They will be free to come in & out of the chicken house all day long with no more chasing them down to shut them in for the night. I will still shut them in the chicken house at night due to the dangers of other creatures roaming about in the night. The outhouse tool shed will be relocated again to this area & the bunny hutch to. Now I still want to make rock beds in this area with paths to pull my little brown wagon through. It may take me all summer but it is what I love doing no matter where I have lived over the years. Believe it or not more than once I moved my rocks right along with me.

The tubs are hung back on the outhouse tool shed after cleaning the bunny hutch & spreading the new fertilizer in the gardens today.

The hens have been out and about scratching in the leaves in the woods. Festus is in the chicken run. the hens stay close by to him. When he is out and about I have been having trouble getting the hens back in the chicken house for the night. They act like wild chickens when he is out. Catching Festus has gotten to be a 45 minute to an hour chore when he is out.

The hens are laying & I have a nice supply of fresh eggs.

Festus has recovered nicely after his bout with the frost bite burn. The points of his comb are rounded now rather than pointed. The points turned black & dried out then fell off. He can be heard loud & clear often.

So this was my day roaming about the barren grounds putting together my plans for life to begin a new in the gardens.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara
P.S. When I previewed this post it was not layed out as always but life happens & no time to redo.