I Won A Giveaway

I am so excited to have won the Mustard & Black Giveaway at Berry Homespun Primitives. Thanks so much Angie for putting together such a lovely giveaway & Happy Birthday to you! I will be sure and share pic's when the package arrives. Thank you to other bloggers for your kind congrats to me. You must visit Berry Homespun Primitives. The link is in my right sidebar.
Blessings til next time!

Turtle In A Tank & Sipping Ice Tea

One of my boys has a pet turtle in a tank. His turtle tank is in his bedroom where he can watch his turtle while falling asleep. We cleaned the tank the other day and put the turtle into the fresh water. Boy was the turtle happy to get back into the tank. Some time ago we got up on a Sunday and the turtle was missing. We searched and searched the house for the turtle but could not find it. Hours later our little dog was barking at one of the cupboards in the living room. Here the turtle was behind the cupboard in a jumble of extension cords for the lamps. We had looked there but did not see the turtle earlier. Thankfully the turtle was found by our little dog and returned to the tank. My son was very happy to have his turtle back. This will be the third summer since we got the turtle. Our turtle was a home school project.

It has been so hot lately and we have been making lots of ice tea. It may seem old fashioned but we like to drink ice tea from mason jars. Making it in mason jars makes it so easy to take out to the gazebo.

The boys have been so busy staining the arbor and moving some of the garden. There has been lots of mowing and trimming inside the garden.It is getting late and the sunsets lately have been so beautiful. The boys and I will soon be going to our bed rooms to get our nights rest to be ready for the next day. We wish you all a nice weekend.

Blessings til next time.

Peas In A Pod

Our pea vines grew very tall this year but we have a wondering ducks who seems to escape the pin every day. While loose she has trampled a
lot of the vines. Last week we had a storm and it bend the vines over to. So I did not believe there would be many peas to harvest from my vines. We ordered a bushel of peas from an Amish family. They have a large garden with lots of pea vines. The day we picked the peas up was a wash day and they had their clothes on the line. The boys and I sipped ice tea while shelling the peas in the gazebo. After all the peas were shelled they were washed & bagged to put in the freezer for later. There was 8 1/2 quart bags to freeze. The empty pods were put to good use to. They became mulch around some of the flowers in the new flower bed. Nothing was wasted and the flowers have some extra fertilizer to. I still hope to get a few peas from my own vines. I would rather pick from my own vines as they are ready than shell a bushel at once. The tomatoe plants are just now in blossom and the pepper plants seem to be the same as when I planted them. The basil and mint are growng so full and tall but we forgot to pick some fresh mint leaves to add in our iced tea. Next time. The boys want to watch a movie today so that is what we will be doing.
Blessings til next time.

The Arbor & Swing Are In The Garden

We waited and waited for the arbor and swing. Still no delivery. We were getting worried it would not be delivered due to the off and on showers. We heard something and it was the delivery truck. The whole family came along to deliver our arbor and swing. It was unloaded and the swing was put up. The boys and I all spent some time swinging tonight. It is calling for rain here tomorrow so we are waiting to stain it on a warm sunny day.

Our trumpet vine behind the gazebo has bloomed this week. The blooms are nice beautiful full clusters. We can sit in the gazebo now and watch the humming birds come and feed. First we can hear the humming sound of their wings and as they feed they begin to chirp away. They make there rounds in the garden from one plant to the next. Having the flowers is so much nicer than mixing feed and filling feeders. So glad I planted the garden with humming birds & butterflies in mind.

I finished the blanket I was working on for my youngest son. He loves his John Deere things. I purchased the kit on clearance after Christmas. We decided it was about time to get moving.


Blessings til next time!

Making Bread & Flea Market Finds

It was so hot and muggy here today but I just had to try making bread. It did not take as long as I imagined it would and it turned out to be easier than I imagined. A very sweet blogger helped me. Thank you much. The bread is so good. The boys and I have ate more than half a loaf tonight. I believe I will be making it again soon. I had fun making it and watching the boys enjoy it.

I got to pick up some goodies at a flea market and yard sale over the weekend. It was so nice to get out and hunt. I purchased the wool cradle blanket from an Amish lady who sells fresh produce at her stand. A little Amish boy had a desk with his money box on it outside the produce stand with a few tables of things. He may have been her son I am thinking. I believe the little boy was glad for the sale when the Amish lady gave him the money from me. I found another gray granite ware piece to add to my collection. I found these goblets that match the plates I already have. That was a plus. A plate rack would be nice to display them on. But for now they are in the cabinet. I could not pass these old garden tools and sheep shears up either. I have been wanting a fishing creel basket to put old garden tools in. I was lucky enough to come across the tools so far. I will trust some time the I will come across the creel.

The arbor is to be delivered tomorrow. We are looking forward to swinging in it.

I have been working on a blanket and the little doll. I will share photos soon.

Two of Ollies kittens have fallen in the pond. I thought cats were afraid of water. We put a screen over the pond tonight. All four of the kittens are growing. Mommy Ollie has brought them to the porch for us to feed. Ollie seems to go off and rest under the shrubs a lot. I guess she needs a break just like all mommies do.

Blessing til next time.

Something Old & Something New In The Garden

This little Old tricycle is setting in a part of the garden that will need some rocks and lots more flowers to fill it in. I love the little rusty tricycle. It was mine when I was little. I had lots of fun riding on my Pap & Grams sidewalk to the kitchen door. I hit the screen door many times. There were dents in the bottom panel to show for it. Years ago Gram told me to take it home with me. That is how it come to be in the garden here at the homestead.

I have been dreaming of an arbor for the garden forever & a porch swing. There is no roof on the old porch so when I seen an arbor with a swing in it I thought this would be perfect. I visited a family who builds them. I showed them a photo of the gazebo and they built it to match. I got to see the finished arbor & swing yesterday. I took a little swing and looked it over. I love it. They will be delivering it this week.

The little doll is now dressed in her red dress. My sons are working on some steps up to the gazebo. We need some more large rocks to finish. I would like to have a rock floor under the arbor to. Who knows maybe a rock run is in the near future. I sure hope so.

Blessings til next time!

Come Follow Colonial Homestead Creations

As I finish some projects I will be offering them at Colonial Homestead Creations. I have added a link in my side bar to make it easy to get there from here. I have posted some wonderful giveaways in my side bar to along with a wood shop I like to visit. I wish you all a great weekend. Blessings til next time.

Walking & Thinking

Still here but I have not felt like myself lately. Just thinking.

A Dozen Ducklings & Antique Show

Over the weekend the ducklings hatched. There were 15 eggs and 12 hatched. The are so tiny and fuzzy. Mama duck has been at the Homestead for seven years now. She is very protective of her flock too. I was placing them in some water for there first swim and she grabbed hold of my arm and pinched the skin twice. I now have two pinch marks. She is getting better now when the chick food is given to her little flock. I went to a church yard sale. I found the doll rocker & wood recipe box. It was near the end of the yard sale so everthing was half off. Some times it pays to go late. Went for a drive and came across some streets blocked off for an antiques at the square in a small town. I wish I would have had my camara with me but it was at the Homestead. There were so many great primitive antiques there. This antique show was a true antique show too. There were no vendors with pencils socks and such like I have been to lately. I will be looking for it next year. I got this little old childs chalk board that has a section that rolls. There is alot of learning information on the roll from multiplecation to wild animals. I put it in the dinning room. The rose bush my grandaughter & her father my son gave me last year for my birthday bloomed. As of now there are four blooms. I got my peach seeds planted. If they grow I will be looking for a spot for that small orchard every country girl should have. Now I need to get busy and catch up on all of you so blessings til next time.