Forever Seventeen - Afterglow

AFTERGLOW I'd like the memory of me To be a happy one. I'd like To leave an Afterglow of Smiles when day is done. I'd like to leave an echo... Wispering softly down the Ways of happy times and bright Laughing times and bright And sunny days. I'd like the tears of those who Grieve to dry before the Sun of happy memories That I leave behind when Day is done. I can not & will not say goodbye to you my precious son So as you always say I shall say "Peace Out Man" Forever My Love Is With You 1994 - 2012

Puppy Love

Topaz is one very loved puppy. She is growing & doing well. Topaz was playing with the cats mouse toy. The toy mouse makes noise. Topaz all but ate the toy mouse. I had a time removing it from her jaws. She no longer gets to play with the mouse toy. When Lucas comes home she runs to the door to meet him. Cuddle time with Sam. Sam & his dog Chicho have cuddle time to & watch T.V. together. The Grands visited & played with her. She liked being rocked in the cradle. Laken got her own puppy & comes to visit every day before & after work. Welcome Athena! So you see there is plenty of puppy love here at the homestead these days. More ducks have hatched & kittens were born. For the love of creatures. The gardens are growing. Never enough blooms for me. I am still adding to the plantings. Atlee gave me a butterfly bush gazinas & bee balm for Mothers day. Blessings Til next Time! Lara

"How Dose Your Garden Grow "Giveaway Thanks!

Tuesday 4/24 I joined in with many of you to share how our gardens grow. I was honored to be the winner of that Tuesdays display chain. I received the wonderful gifts & love them all. My stoveboard got a fresh new look for spring when I added the sweet strawberries & the canned goods have a sweet crow to watch over them. I have joined in the fun of some other Tuesday display chains from time to time & also enjoyed all the posts many bloggers have created with the themes of all the Tuesday display chains. I would like to thank Misi of http://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com & Traci of http://yorkmountainprimitives.blogspot.com. A great big THANKS to you both! These two bloggers are very talented so be sure & visit them both & you will find you will just have to become a follower of both.

Topaz at five weeks old. She is a happy healthy pup & growing as she keeps me very busy. I am enjoying every minute of caring for her. She is by my side as I work in the gardens these days. I do the weeding while she sleeps on her blanket in the grass beside me. She is learning fast to not climb over the rocks into the gardens. She is amazed with the fish pond & follows the sound of water splasing from the fountain. Another spot she is learning is a no no for her. Never to early I figure to teach her where she is not allowed.

Laken has brought Bella to visit her sister Topaz some evenings after work. They play happily with each other in the front field of the homestead.

So glad you stopped in for our chat tonight. Wishing you all much happiness. Blessings Til Next Time! Lara

She Captured My Heart

This little one was born into a litter of seven on April 2, 2012. Laken sent me a text message telling me Lady was having her pups. A few days later I visited the litter after taking Laken home after she got off work. This little one stood out from all the rest. The other six were all black & white. I visited the litter a few more times when taking laken home after work & each time I loved this little one. I even named her thow she was not mine. At less that four weeks old mother dog Lady would no longer care for her litter. Laken brought this little one to the homestead so I could visit her on May 2,2012. Oh how this little one captured my heart. I never took her back. She is now the newest creature to live at the homestead. Welcome my little Topaz.

Thow Topaz is very little she can roam the homestead quite well with me close by her side. I am amazed how well she is doing with house training. Never thought it could be done this young. Yes she still has her accidents in her little cage some nights.

Never thought I would be making bottles & getting up for late night feedings at this point in my life. I always wanted to bottle feed a lamb. Oh I am very happy to bottle feed little Topaz. She is doing well.

Not long after feedings & going outside for tinkle tinker time Topaz is napping.

All tucked snug & warm in a basket Topaz sleeps. I wait to hear her wimper & see her beautiful topaz eyes open & we start all over. She makes me so happy & I love her. Oh I am so thankful for her. Blessings Til Next Time! Lara

Hatching & Garden Progress

The hatching has began here at the homestead this week. To date five ducklings have hatched. Watching these small creatures hatch is amazing.

These are the first four ducklings huddling together in the corner keeping warm. I got to be there to see the fifth duckling hatch.

The peach trees have been planted in the garden expansion. They are dwarf patio peach trees. Half grown & loaded with peaches. The layout for the rockbeds have been started. We are still getting frost in our area. The last frost for our area is May 15 so I am in a race against time to get all the beds ready for planting.

I am using tin roofing as a bottom for my rockbeds that I have put holes in for drainage on top of the forest floor to keep any tree roots from growing in the rockbeds. After surrounding the tin with rocks I am adding shavings with poo from the chicken coop & bunny hutch with a layer of lawn clippings then a thick layer of top soil on top.

I think I am satisfied with the design thus far. There is still a large area that I want to put four rockbeds in when I can find more tin roofing. I am now at a stand still until I get the rocks. Looking at the garden expansion from the lower garden beds inside the yard I look & put the details in my garden journal with what I plan to plant in each rockbed. At the end of the day I see my dream of a veggie garden coming true. Feeling tired but thankful & happy.

I have decided to not move the chicken coop. It will be left where it is & the enclosure will be smaller than I planned. The chicken run to the right will be getting some wheels to move the chickens around the fields to munch grass & scratch in the sun.

Thanks for stopping in at the homestead. It has been nice chatting with you. Blessings Til Next Time! Lara

Tuesday Display Chain "Mary Mary How Dose Your Garden grow?"

This Tuesday Display Chain I must say grabs my heart. Gardening is near & dear to my heart at this time of year. The ideas come faster than I can make them happen. How dose my garden grow? Well I invite you on this stroll of my 16 year journey to see for yourself. The garden sleeps in the cold under blankets of white magic that falls from the heavens above.

As God shines his bright yellow sunshine down the rays warm the soil & the white magic melts away & the life begins to be reborn in the gardens as my heart stirs with my garden passion & I itch to get the warm soil in my hands once again. Flats are planted with seeds & kept in the mini greenhouse tended with love. The clean up begins in the rock beds & the pond is drained cleaned & refilled with fresh well water for the golden glins that swim under the water fountain.

Expanding the gardens continues with each passing year. Trips to the mountain for rocks to build more beds. This years beds will mainly be for veggies & herbs. The lower field is being planted with fruit trees. Four apple trees have been planted & some peach await. With high hopes & prayers of planting pear plum & cherry trees in the what will be the homestead orchard.

Most plants I have planted come up each year so while adding more I can see the show begin in all its glory. What beauty God has given us is amazing.

There oh so many more I could show you but I will wait for this years blooms to open & share with you on your return visits to the homestead gardens for another stroll. By then I hope to have all the creature houses moved & we can stop by to visit them as we stroll among the garden expansion. Thank you Misi for hosting the Tuesday Display Chains. I have enjoyed joining in from time to time & seeing all the wonderful chain posts by other amazing bloggers. htp://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com visit to see more. Blessings Til Next Time! Lara

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!