Love Is All Around

Hope your having a great holiday weekend.

Out here in the country the firework displays were all around us in the distance last night. The woods echoed and made it sound like the Civil War was going on. Our valley had the smoke of our fireworks laying low and you could imagine soldiers of time past walking out of the fog.

Its quiet now with just a few booms way off a little earlier. The only light is the fireflies that light up the fields. And the sound of the pond critters and animals in the woods. Back to normal, ahhhhhhh.

We had my Mom , sister, BIL, hubby and I to celebrate the 4th. We had a cookout over at Moms and then everyone came over here b/c we have a better view of others shooting big bucks into the air : ). BIL brought a few so we had our own little ooohs and ahhhs.

All the kids had other parties to go to so it was just us oldies out having cowboy coffee and taking it easy. Oh we had a game of washers to play. You toss washers in a box , something like horseshoes but so much easier on the arms after a day or too. Sis and I beat the fellers, LOL. We even beat em in a rematch, lol. Bring it on!!!!!!

Last weekend we had the bigger party with bonfire and fireworks for our Grandson's 3rd birthday. We used the tent and its still standing.

There was badminton,with super size rackets and shuttlecocks. If you could get past the laughing b/c of the size of the equipment to play , it was rather fun. We had a cookout and our new SIL did the cooking,: ), he did a great job.

We had icecream and cake in the tent. Here is the little birthday boy opening his gifts. He got an ant farm. They have to order the ants, hey I offered my ants, take all you want!!!!

Notice his arm. He broke his collarbone the day after Fathers Day playing on his kiddie jungle gym. The day before he was playing in our woods, climbing on rocks, sticks etc., goes home and gets hurt on a kiddie toy. : ( He's healing great.

This is baby brother eating  icecream and cake , yummy and messy!!!!

DH and I have been cutting dead limbs down and piling up for the bonfire, we are planning for this spot for further bonfires, its open and we can really make it huge and safe.

This one did get pretty big, we stayed at a distance. Our thoughts were on the firefighter in Ca. Just thinking how big this little bonfire was compared to the ones they are fighting. Prayers going out to everyone in the line of the fires and firefighters.

This bonfire shot up sparks that we really didn't need any fireworks. The evening was perfect, rain the day before made it safe for such.

I remember when we first moved from the city to the sticks. My Dad, Mom, Sis and I were sitting around our campfire on the 4th of July. Loving the outdoors but yet feeling we were missing some fun not having fireworks. So Dad fixed that. He stirred up the fire to make sparks fly and yelled Happy 4th Of July. We'll never forget that 4th in the woods.

And then this one makes us laugh to this day. When our kids were little , my sis was so into holidays. And the 4th of July had to have fireworks on that day rain or shine. Well it rained so sis and hubby lit fireworks in the rain while we watched from inside the dinning room window.

Gosh this even reminds me of the time when sis and I were in our early teens and Sis wanted a Christmas tree that very day. It was raining hard then to. So Mom and I sat in the car while sis was out in the rain holding up trees that were leaning up against the Hen House store and we would say ya or nay while she got drenched. LOL we still laugh about that. So sis is not a fair weather person. But she still likes to celebrate on the day that the hoildays fall on. Me, I like to celebrate when we can, even if its a week off. Makes the holidays last longer : ).

Oh back to the b-day party!!!!!

When our bonfire was dying we shot off the fireworks.

Oh and the sparklier fun,

The party was such fun, it felt like we had the 4th of July that night, so its been holiday fun for a few days now.

Now the fun part is when you gather all the blown up fireworks and fire em up. There's still some that has a little more ump in em, some snap, crackle and pop. So DH and I sat out tonight to have the last hoopla of fireworks.

I'm so glad we have another day left of the long weekend. It will be in the garden.

Got the first tomato and I ate it right in the garden : ). Also some more garden pic to share. Blackberry picking today in the woods had me up against a snake, a pretty green one. He posed for a picture so I'll be sharing that on my next blog.

Coal our growing pup is a great fur friend, she did not get scared from the noise of the fireworks, just layed on the deck like it was no big deal. Shake a box of dog biscuits , now thats a big deal.

All take good care
Many Blessings
linda

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These days theres a lot of talk about outdoor living, outdoor kitchens , outdoor livingrooms, heck even outdoor bedrooms and we know theres outhouses. So looking through a magazine of a tent that looked so inviting with an old fashion lantern , tea stained linens, flowers on the table , nice white down comforter on an old stressed out bed frame. The tent screen door flipped open from a breeze ( I think the magazine had motion, sure looked like it).

A fresh blueberry muffin and hot tea in a pretty china cup. A soft used ladies straw hat with a flower hanging over a ladder type wooded chair, the stressed look of course. Old suitcases stacked up with a good book on top.

Ahhhh I could live there and be as happy as can be. But why not was the message of the artical, "Do This Yourself"(Well really it was a Bed and Breakfast) but still I wanted to do this myself and sense I'm still on staycation ,I'll go for it : ). So I did it but it wasn't as picture perfect as on the glossy pages.

Heres my version of tent living just in our front yard and little to the left.

1. I had to find the tent first, the screen tent, I wanted air flow, I needed air flow.
2. Found it, but it was buried in much stuff thats been stored for a very long time. A Very Long Time
3. Found some cool stuff that I have been looking for so that was a plus.
4. Putting it up, its a by numbers type of tent and the numbers were gone , yikes . I had to wing it, that was fun----NOT.
5. Good news the zippers still worked but you could poke a hole in it very easy anywhere, dry rot. Duct Tape is awesome !!!!
6. Surprisingly it didn't smell To Bad.
7. It was airy, Holes

So after the screen tent was up and stood more then ten minutes I was on a roll and time to get it to look like my dream outdoor room. So off to go get chairs, table, flowers and white covers.

Dumping all the accessaries at the front I start to zip open, a little stuck at first, humm it worked earlier, oh plz don't break. It didn't but it came undone on the side. That can be duct taped. I get in there and realize its too sunny and hot, so I go and move it over just a couple of feet in the shade of the trees. Set up my table and chairs, Blackeyed Susans in a vase on the table. White cotton covers on the old cushion chairs. The magazine, the one that inspired me, laying on the table for me to compare. So off to get me some ice tea and I was done for the day and ready to relax in my outdoor living room.

Those outdoor living pictures don't show the bugs that come to visit and stay. There was more bugs inside my screen tent then ouside the tent. Maybe they subscribe to the same issue I was reading and like outdoor living too in a scabby chic way. Anyway they were there,so I open the screen door and shooed them out. I even left it open cuz they were getting in anyway , so I just let them buzz by while I read my mag and had my cold ice tea that was now watered down from my time shooing out the bugs. The magazine was a great bug swatter too.

After a while it got breezy and thoughts of getting a cot and spend the night outside. That all changed when we had the gang over for a birthday party. Do you know what dropped ice cream and cake brings in at night time , bugs and more bugs. (I got pictures of our fun B-day party and fireworks that I will be sharing on my next blog).

Then you get this lone mosquito thats mission in life is to make a super loud noise in your ear, and make you smack yourself. You can't get him, nope its not meant to be. You either take it or leave it and with holes in the screen you run to the house where theres the nice cool fan, soft bed and a big window you can look at all the stars to fall alseep by and also look at my dream tent too : (.

Oh the magazine is still an inspiration and I'll be looking for a better screen tent, maybe on sale this fall.

But until then I'll go sit in my patched up tent, try not to run another chair leg through it like I did when rearranging my outdoor living room furniture. Stick something in the very top, theres a basketball size hole in it. Could be the main reason for bugs, no no they came crawling in too.

Drink my ice tea and look at the magazines that makes me at least want to give it a try .

Heres a pic of my outdoor room , gosh I hope a big wind does't come up.

Thanks for stopping by
tc and many Blessings
linda

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Had a nice thunderstorm tis mornin, shut the pc down and had a cup of coffee and just listen and felt the nice cool breeze come in. Day before yesterday was also another rain storm. I like these because it makes pullin weeds so much easier.

Thats what I was working on when DD and kids showed up yesterday, it was still nice and cool so we made up some peanutbutter and jelly sandwishes and ice tea, layed a big old quilt on the ground had a nice little picnic. The little triangle sandwiches were rather tasty until the little one put his foot in them :P, the critters got the rest of them.

Everyone likes to pick those mulberries , so off to the tree and eat, not sure how many bugs we might have ate, but no matter. If it eats a mulberry it probably tastes like a mulberry.

It was getting warmer so they headed home for a nap and I headed in to think about house cleaning, thinkin was as far as I got. But I did work on my fish tank,its been rather dormant for some time so I got the notion to fix it up again and have some gold fish , plus the sound of the water fall is rather peacful here in the art studio.

I called my sis who was in town already to pick me up some cheap gold fish, and she did, two have already hit the dust, they were sucked up in the water fall thingy :(, bummer. But the bigger ones are strong enough to get away from the current. I don't know fish tank fish well, but these look like puffed up gold fish with fan tails. Sis just handed me the bag and said here and didn't tell me the names. Plus a black one that sucks on the glass and gets pretty big, I just wantn't goldfish, but she felt I needed that one. I call him Little Gill.

Gardens:

Stuffs a growin , and I'm ready for the eatin part, tomatoes esp. You know I like fried green tomatoes but I just can't do them until latter in the season, why, I don't know. Maybe I'll change this rule I have or whatever is going on.

This has been the best year for flowers I tell ya, plus all the new ones I have growing are taking off very nicely.

Heres some tall phlox that I got from a co-op that I have babied during the late winter. Waiting for this day to see them bloom has been will worth it. This one is Blue Paradise. But it looks more purple

The David phlox is almost ready to bloom too, its white with a wonderful fragrance.

Heres another one of these awesome beautiful Caladiums, I am just amazed how big they get. This one is called White Queen

And this one has just open in the last day or so, Gingerland, oh I love that name too and it looks like a gingerland.

Here is some cute little wild flower. I don't know the name but it grows in the fields and a small group is growing in my garden, I will just leave it. Its tall w/a very small flower.



Update on the transformation into butterfly. Nothing yet, its still hangin on by the threads. But unfortunatly there was another chrysalise (that cocoon like shell they do there thing in) that had open up to unleash a beautiful blue and black Swallowtail and a dang spider was on top of it havin dinner : (, so I'm keeping my eyes really open on this other fellow.


Heres another critter that I first noticed in my gardens last year, the Hummingbird Moth. This is a delight to see. This one was having dinner on a milkweek flower. This is a host plant to the Monarchs as well.

I'm not really sure if this is a Clearwing Humming Moth but it sure looks like it. It has a lobster shaped tail. These are such a wonder, with wings beating faster then a honeybee and also does it fair share of pollinating and works in the rain too.

The garden is calling me and so is the dishes in the sink, which one will I choose?

No guilt here, I'm grabin my camera and a peanutbutter and  jelly sandwich and outside I shall be. Those dishes can wait, but these cool breezes are much to take in on these many hot summer days.

All take good care , thank you for stopping by.

Blessings
linda

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Oh I go to the store once in a great while but still its pretty much stay at home. I would like to just blame it on the gas but my work partner, my sister underwent surgery on her gallbladder. She's doing great and getting better each day. We don't take vacations in our homebase business so we sorta made this a real vacation, cept I get to garden and she gets to sit around and heal. Sis loves to paint so she is doing what she loves to do and as for me its in the garden and taking care of those chickies.

We'll be going into town soon for our work so vacation time is almost over.

Its getting warm these days, I'll go out and do some yard work or garden work until i'm beat red and then come in for a cool off. I'm taking a break now and having a pepsi, I wish I had ice tea instead but I'll force myself to chug this down : ).

DH and I took down some dangerous tree limbs and put up my swing, it was on another big old tree but the limb looked to bad to let anyone swing on it, so heres my new swingin in the breeze tree swing. I think I'd like to put a bench type swing someday so I can stretch out and read a book on.

The limbs are being piled up for a big bonfire this weekend. Our DGS will be turning three and we'll have a cookout and a big birthday party for him. Maybe a few fireworks too. Poor little guy broke his collarbone last week, just after Father's Day. He played in our woods and then goes home and falls and gets hurt on his kiddie jungle gym, :/. Hes doing great : )

Got some more flowers to share. I picked up a couple of white Echinacea's at Lowe's yesterday, I got the tag right here to give the name, whata ya know it says Ruby Star and a pic of pink echies, now unless this white one changes, I'm guessin they got the wrong tags. I sure hope so cuz I just love white Echinaceas.

Heres a white poppy that bloomed a couple of days ago, I have never seen a white poppy.

This is such a new plant that I'm growing , Caladiums. I have a lot of them growing from bulbs from a co-op. This one is White Christmas, don't you just love the names of flowers and plants.

Another new one for me this year and seeds that I winter sowed are the Nasturtium, Nasty for short, but they are far from being nasty. These beauties brighten up the garden plus you can eat them.

Heres one that looks like a rose unfolding,

They are so bright,

Here I got some growing with leaf lettuce,

I have been keeping my eye on this fellow. I wish I had taken a pic when it was a beautiful caterpillar, it had the makings of a Monarch, but seem pretty small, its about 1 1/4" long. It started to get really hard and its going through the stages to become a beautiful butterfly. I hope to get pictures when it comes out. Stay tune : )

Ahh and my favorite helper in the organic garden, the Lady Bug. Hey look at the back leaf Lady Bug, thats where you need to be and get those bad bugs. They are eating my bean leaves : ( , Oh theres blooms on the bush beans, maybe beans for the 4th of July : ).

I can't believe these Pansies are still going strong, with our warm days they still have a happy face on them, well some of them. These are the ones that came up from last year, which was a surprise too.

Heres another winter sow plant that I really could have just direct sown, these come up well. Cleome,some are called Grandpa's Wiskers, LOL. I can see why!!!!

Another very new one, Poor Mans Weather Glass, these little blue flowers close up when its going to rain. So with the Tree Toads croaking and Poor Mans Weather Glass, I will know if I need my umbrella or not.

What salad would be compleat without the Daylily. I moved a few of these around today, they grow so fast. Now I just tried eating these last year and they are rather good, kinda got a crunch in some parts. The reg ol daylilies are ok to eat but not the Tiger Lilies. Its always best to make sure you know whats good to eat by someone that has tried them before, this goes with mushrooms too. I like to let them go first at the dinner table then wait a week, its safer that way : ).

Wild Blackeye Susan sweeps the valley in spots among the hay fields, I get a few up closer to the house and in the garden which I just leave. The ones in the field will get chopped down and rolled into big bales of hay, but not before I gather them for sunny bouguets,

Heres something new ,well different looking anyways, It's some sort of garlic. I have never seen garlic do this and plus I didn't plant it here in the Blackeye Susans, so I'm thinking its from birds maybe or a hugh gust of wind brought it in. But I like it cuz its different. And as long as everyone here eats garlic we do very well.

Well theres a few pic of stuff growing on the homestead. This seems to be such a differnt year for new plants coming up after so many years of being dormant (poppies), pansies staying around in the summer, funny looking garlic brought in by a bird maybe!!! Earthworms that are as big as baby snakes,and many other sights.

The garden is full of wonders, its complex and yet simple, thank goodness, simple is what I like but learning something everyday is right up there. And after 28 years on the Locust Trail Homestead, theres still more to learn and wonders to see.

All have a great week. I'll be back in the workshop and sneak out to the gardens on breaks. That will be checking on my chicks and maybe put in a plant or two. With my camera at my side!!!!!

60+ more tomatoes put out this weekend with a ton more to go. I'll reach the 300 mark for sure. I plan to put some in containers to grow in the winter time by a sunny window, never tried that , see theres that something new going on here again : )

Blessings to ya
linda

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You know with the high price of gas that means more hometime for me.  I so wanted to do something  yesterday, run down to the lake with dh and just have a drive but the more I thought how much it would cost just to go for an aftenoon drive the more I didn't care about it.  Plus theres so much to do here on the homestead.  So a trip vacation my not be in the near future for a very long time.
  
   So i'm makin my homestead a place that feels like i'm on a vacation.   And the garden is a good place for that.   I think more people are doin the same thing to. The word "Staycation" stay at home for vacation is going to be very popular these days.
  
   So I took a few pictures of things on the homestead, you know those feel good things, they are simple but thats ok, I mean a vacation is suppose to be relaxing, so come on and have a look at what a vacation means to me. 
  
   Less is more but oh those flowers can be right up there.
  
   This is one of the Lilies that my dd got for me , I don't have the name.  We had a good rain so it had a few drops of water. 
   

   
   I'm not sure what flower this is, I have to check with the person who sent cuttings, but it was bloomin' and lookin' good.
   
 
   
   Oh I just love Echinacea's / purple coneflower.  This one is from a wildflower patch I planted many years ago,theres not many growing b/c of some landscaping work that is still undergoing. A big dozer rolling over it and it still grows. I moved it to my new butterfly garden. 
   

   
   Heres another Echie, a green one,  there are so many different Echinaceas.  I'm in a co-op and will be ordering many for next spring to plant. 
   
 
   
   Heres a bird bath I added to the new butterfly garden,  notice the imprints of butterflies.  I have not seen a bird use it nor bird poop, just a drowned bug or two.  I shall be patient after all I am on vacation!!!
   
    
   I forgot what this flower is but it pretty, some kind of comos maybe
   

   
   I'm really getting some good deals on plants through co-ops, heres some Sedium, Brillant.  The plants are growing good, can't wait to see them in bloom.
   

   I have this plant popping up all over, Yarrow, great to dry out for flower arrangments
   
   
   You know that landscaping project I mention, will it spread a lot of my flowers and I thought they were goners, wrong, nature has a way.  This is some Lambs Ear. I have some growing next to the garden and it can't even come close to this, already blooming , tossed around by the bulldozer. I'm going to just leave and work another flower garden in that area and see what comes up : )
   
   
   Queens Anns Lace grows all over, but I have never seen it do this,  it looks like outer space stuff or maybe in the ocean.  There was only a couple of plants that looked like that and the rest look like they always do, Queen Anns Lace is a very pretty plant.  I like having it growing in the gardens.
   
   
   An old chair is a great place for this Star of Yelta.  I don't know this plant and will be excited to see it bloom, should see something this week.
   

   
   We may not want to have tea under the Mulberry tree, its loaded and dropping not to mention the birds and their droppings too :P
   

   I have really got into flowers this year but I'm still going strong with the veggies and herbs, still much more to get out in the garden.
   Lookie here my first seasons tomato.  With 182 tomato plants out and still more to plant, wait I thought I was on vacation, oh will!!!!  Yes the garden is full of play/work that I just love doing and eating out of.
  
  This picture is a Stupice tomato, an early variety.  I saved seeds from last years tomatoes , seeds givin to me from a dear friend that is gone.  Debby's memory lives on in my heart and garden.
  
   
   Heres something that makes me feel like vacation, 105 chicks,  Barred Plymouth Rock.  Lost two, dang it.  The good news is they are out of my workshop and in the Hen Den.  So I feel like vacation. They are just over two weeks old and if gasoline was free I still couldn't go to far from home. They need fresh water and food refilled a couple of times a day and oh changing their bedding to.  One of these days I'll be having fresh brown eggs coming out my ears, so all this vacation time will pay off : )
  
   The pens have gone highrise.  They like their new home, even got a fan on them, spoiled chickies
   

   
   Heres the place I really feel like a vacation, the campsite in our woods, sometimes we pitch a tent , but we had a Fathers Day wiener roast and smores.
   
   
   Well thats a few pic's and simple staycation, and the thing is everyone can do this with their own homes.  Find a special place at your home and make it your vacation.  And the really good part about a home vacation is, your not tired like you would be if you went on an away from home vacation, ya know the ones you say "I need to go back to work to relax"!!!!
  
   Who am I kiddin I still would like to go to the lake :P
  
   Have a great summer coming up, stay safe from the storms.  Prayers and heart goes out for all those in the storms way with much loss.
  
   Hope all the Fathers had a great Day.  And all those that have and had great fathers, it makes this a very special day.
  
 
  
   All take good care, Blessings over flow

   linda  
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
   
   

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Our daughters wedding was Sat, May 31st. Our son was home for a couple of weeks leave from the Navy and left yesterday , sniff.

Life will get back to norm soon, a light rain fall today with birds and bullfrogs singing. Just a good time to share about the wedding. Got a few pic's. I can't wait to see the real pictures, you know the ones you spend big bucks for !!!!!

DD and our new SIL had an outdoor wedding at his folks farm, it was perfect and beautiful. Looked like storms but heaven open a big circle around the wedding and made it wonderful. There was just a few drops of rain about an hour before the wedding, not more then 2 minutes long, Kisses from Heaven I said.

Rehearsal evening went well, oh some horsein around and kids playin in the field and looking at the cattle. Lots of food and people, gosh we could have pulled off a wedding at that time and skip the next day, but sure glad we didn't cuz if was awesome.

The wedding day started with pictures at SIL aunts house.

Heres our son with his baby sister, bride to be, our youngest DD

Pictures of the flower girls waiting for pictures by the pond, the two end girls are our granddaughters,two in the middle are sisters. They didn't know it or could care less but they are all related through the marriage : ) They were oh so into their pretty dresses, little princesses

Here I am giving some last minute motherly advise, enough already MOM!!!!

Some touching up on the updo's

Ahhh our baby girl is getting married, sniff, sniff

The Tent:

Wow it was a biggy, enough room in there for a huge dance floor and big round tables. 300 invites went out and you think maybe half will show up, nope, there was 220 chairs and 30+ people were standing. so don't count on that. Straw bales where trying to be found, but not, for make shift seating. So when you found an empty seat you took it or you just went up and danced : )

This tent was so pretty at night with little white lights all around

The Ringbearer"

Our little grandson 2 yrs, Wheres the ring? "I dun know"

Our youngest grandson, 1 yrs old, "Whats a wedding???"

The Wedding:

While everyone is seated over looking the pond and the groom awaits his bride to be, here she comes with her court in an old wagon drawn by a work team of horses. Its like a fairly tale wedding, but more country then Disney.

Heres a picture of that beautiful team of horses, Cinderella top that,

As the wagon was being pulled across the lake soft music was being played in the background

Flower girls and ringbearer:

These girl took their part very serious, Junior flowergirls, the curly blonde is our oldest GD

This is the little flower girls, the taller one is our second GD

Now taking his part serious but more casual is our oldest GS, look his shirt is sticking out , oh well, boys!!!!!!

Here is Dad giving his baby girl away, oh this is a big sniff, sniff, Dad's not mine, I didn't want my mascara to run, I was tough!!!!! I did bring tissue tho : ) Come on , we're getting a son not losing a daughter. BTW our new SIL, we love him : )

Getting Hitched:

the preacher was awesome

Bride and groom , looks like they are taking off , must be a honeymoon thing!!!!!!

Reception:

Oh its so nice to have it all under one roof, wedding and reception, less travel.

Here's the food lined up, yum

Those that got chairs dug in fast

The little ones hit the dance floor , Looks like they are doing a line dance, showing brother how its done. It needed to be dark before us olders one cut a rug.

The Dj rocked those tunes tell 3:00 in the morning, it was the longest he's ever stayed at an event.

Now this was just a wonderful wedding and everyone had fun and we could not have asked for better weather.

I want to say perfect but you know nothing is perfect but our Lord God. But let me share a blessing, I and many feel it was covered by angels . You know the horse drawn wagon carrering all my grandbabies and both our daughters and my dd friends and now family safely over the lake, doing a super great job and driver too who is family. Everyone unloaded and wedding ceremony going on when the newly weds were pronounced husband and wife, everyone clapped and the horses jumped and !!!!!!!!!!! look what happen

The hitch to the wagon snapped like a toothpick, Praise God it did not happen when the family was on there. Just Praise God.

Now this next picture is a doosey, DD likes things a little different but this takes the cake, pun intended. She wanted to have cup cakes for her wedding, WHAT I said , cupcakes!!!!!!! yes pretty decorated cupcakes, with the main cutting cake for the bride and groom. But have different flavor cakes all decorated up , no cutting , just come up and get a cupcake. I was convinced that this is a pretty good and different idea, so go for it.

Ok the cupcakes:

Something bad went wrong, the cup cakes where to be on a glass five tier piece, it broke :(. the cake designer made a make shift one out of cardboard with plastic colorful drinking cups to hold it up, it was at a tilt and ready to fall over. Its the most saddest wedding cake I have ever seen. But it will go down in history i'm sure. Here ya go, not everything in this ol world is perfect and heres proof.

I felt bad for the cake designer and the same time felt really bad for our daughter, after all this is her wedding. The best part and I think the most important part is our daughter said it will be ok and gave me a kiss and it was. She is beautiful inside and out.

Cup cakes were good : )

They had a great honeymoon, we were all kind of surprised where they went tho, Grand Canyon. They both never been there, they had great fun.

Heres DD after she got back, our Ggirls play T-ball so she made it to the game, she might be a married women now but she is still our baby girl.

Thanks for dropping by and looking at some of the wedding pictures. Life is a cup cake, gets a little tilted at times but its still good : )

Blessings all
linda

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How about a walk down the garden trail with me, we haven't been on a walkabout sense the morel hunt.   I promise no snakes on this one, no mud puddles, no poison ivy and hopefully no ticks, but check yourself just in case, we are in the country : ).
      
       Nope this is just going to be some flowers that show up in spring and even some surprises that I planted years ago and  this year they show up.
      
       Come on down this way to the gardens,  notice on the left side of picture is the new butterfly garden that was covered with carpet a few blogs back, I got some plants already started and have been mulching with wood chips, theres much to do on this garden.   The background is the veggie garden and gazebo. 
       
      

       
       Greeting us in the entrance to the garden is a garden angel in amongst Siberian Iris.
       
   

   

       
       On the other side is what looks to be Black Irises ready to bloom.
       
   

   

    
    But when open its a very dark purple, very pretty.
       

    

    
    Heres a huge white Iris that was a surprise this year, I planted this one many moons ago and its now doing it showing.
       
   

   

       
       Down below is the Pansies that came up this year, that was a surprise too!!!
       
  

    

       Heres a picture of beautiful Spiderwort from my Grandmothers garden many years ago. I'm so happy to have got starts from her plants not knowing at the time they would be on my very own homestead.  They will be passed on down to my grandchildren when they have their gardens. And they will know the love of gardening that was in their Great GreatGrandmother. 
       

       
       I was setting on the bench and smelled this wonderful scent, Honeysuckle, ahhhh it smells soo good.   I have it growing on the gazebo.  It grows along our trails in the woods and its so nice to just walk along with your nose in the air, sometimes I think I'm a coonhound walking the woods.  I dug some up for the garden.
       

   

 
       
       Now this is my favorite, Grandmothers Peonies, and it could be from my Greatgrandmothers.   Last year was not a good year for the blooms when we were hit with a hard freeze that lasted several days.  But oh this year is awesome and these old fashion Peonies have a smell that will knock your socks off.  Oh they are great, heres a couple of shots of them.  Taken right after the rain today.  
    

       
       Heres another one of those surprises, Poppies I planted many years ago and this year they are blooming, must be a super good year.  I hope my veggie garden does half this good.
       
   

   

       
       Last picture is a new plant on the homestead.  Bloodroot, I shared a picture of it in the early spring with its leaves wrapped around its stem.  Here it is with its full grown leaf, what a pretty shaped leaf.  I have this growing in the woodland gardens.  It seems to be doing very well.
       
 

     

       
       
       Thats a few of the flowers that are growing, there will be many more flowers from my winter sowing, many co-op plants that I got to get planted and the veggie and herb gardens to share. 
      
       Its been a very busy spring and so much more to do.   Today was planting tomatoes, many heirloom tomatoes and more to plant tomorrow. 
      
       Our Navy Son will be coming home for DD's wedding next week, and 100 chicks will be ready to be picked up on the 2 of June.  I got to get ready for that too. 
      
        With the Grandgirls T-ball on Sat mornings and much to do in the garden and in my workshop, I did sneek in some fishing on Moms pond.   The big fish was not caught but it sure was nice to take a breather and sit on the boat and let the little fish take my worms I dug up. 
      
       Hey thanks for coming along on the garden walk, I enjoyed. I should take you fishin next time : )
      
      
       You know I haven't blog in time, mainly because everytime I get ready to do, something aweful would happens in different parts of the world.  I know thats life and my simple fun stuff just seemed out of form to do so.  My prayers are always for the love ones of those that have suffered and loss of life. You just never know in this Ol World when things happen.  Makes us humble and know that every moment is a counter.  Whether simple or complex, its our moments to have and to make the most of.
      
       Have a safe and fun Memorial Day, this is a special day to remember.
      
       Blessing to you all
       linda
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      

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   You ever go by your home that you lived in when you were a kid and see the old trees that you played around still standing tall as ever? Everything seemed bigger to when you were kid. Or how about the Lilac's on your grandparents home.

   Homes on both sides are still standing and not much changed other then my grandparents are gone. While looking at their homes memories of yesterday comes back clear as a bell.

   I wish the same of the homes I grew up in , most are gone, wiped out to shopping centers and such. Especially the farm homes that we lived in when I was a kid. Guess the tree house and the big ol barn just didn't cut it when there was millions to be made in the land. Didn't know it at the time we were living on such rich property. We just looked at the corn growing and jumpin in the ponds on a hot day.

    When my one grandmother moved from her city home that I just loved and remember like it was yesterday, she took many plants with her to the new home. It was more in a country like setting with a little branch and her being a flower expert she had that woods filled with flowers. She was happy.

   Moving as we did living in the city to get closer to our work and clients , flowers and planting trees were not on our "To DO" list. Putting in a veggie garden was more important then flowers to my folks, so we would have fresh veggies, but the yards were plain as could be from lack of beautiful flowers.

   Not until we moved to the country w/ my sis and folks that we changed course to growing something that would come up every year, provided color and pleasure not knowing it was going to bring good memories as well. And those memories are still growing over on our homestead. Grandmother gave us cuttings and tree saplings to get started on our new homestead, probably plants that she started from her mother or even grandmother. I wish I had asked.

   One is the Forsythia that I took just small branches from the enormous plants over at Moms from just a small branch many years ago. Passing it on later to my kids when its time for thinning.

   This is about four years old , it tells of spring and many memories

   Now you either like yellow or you don't. But you sure got to like what yellow stands for in the flower world, "joy,friendship,freedom" How it got to be called coward I just don't know. 

   Heres another plant I love from grandma's, Spiderwort, it will have pretty purple flowers this spring. Theres also a wild Spiderwort that is tall and very pretty that can be found along the country road sides. I always look for the hairy type grass looking leaves before I go pulling thinking its just grass.

   Heres another favorite old fashion Peony from grandma's too. They are popping up and I have cleaned around them and put some chicken manure (recommended by a sweet Amish lady). I have three big spots, and they look so beautiful in bloom. And smell good too : )

Theres other plants still over at Moms that I plan to dig shoots from and start over here on our homestead and pass the history of our family on to my grandkiddies.
Yes memories of the past are loved and cherished and warms the heart. There are also those memories that don't and its hard to shake sometimes.

   Remembering the good will out weigh any ol bad memories hands down, and heres the part I like, we have the choice. I like those good memories cuz it makes me smile. And the simplier they are the more I smile :)

Blessing to ya
linda

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Dh was off work on friday so we spent the day cleaning up the outside. It was so beautiful out. We started a junk pile to have hauled off, a lot of it will be recycled. I'm getting closer to making a greenhouse out of our old trailer that has been used for storage, after we built our home.

One room was used for raising chickens and the rest a place for tools and junk. Stuff that we thought we needed to keep. Well its time for letting stuff go that we will never use. And the room that is closest to the garden will be made into a greenhouse.

Saturday was in town shopping for Easter dinner and candy for the Easter Egg Hunt.

It was cool today but we went ahead and hid eggs for the grandkiddies. Well I didn't but our youngest DD and her fiance hid them, lol . Oh I was inside cooking!!!!!!!

They hid candy and stuff animals in the Redbuds.

The kids had a great time running and hollering when they spied a candy filled egg on the ground.

Dinner was a big whole ham. I used a new type of orange glaze with lots of yummy spices included. And all the fixins. w/ strawberry shortcake to finish it off.

It was a beautiful day.

I heard the weather , hard freeze tonight so dh and I went down and covered the winter sowing jugs, many have growth and I don't want to lose any .

Did some transplanting of tomatoes . They are doing so good. I will have a room full of maters and peppers : )

DH put a couple of more grow lights up so I'm hoping that will be all I need.

Rec. Phlox from co-op order in the mail Sat. I planted just one bag in pots, the rest are in the fridge. I will be planting the others in pots tomorrow. I think I have picked out a place for them. There's a total of 40 Phlox

Busy week coming up. Going into town, meet up with clients and then nose to the grindstone in my workshop.

It was a beautiful Easter Holiday

Pic is one of our grandkiddies finding the stash of Easter candy and our puppy Coal helping out. Coal even found one and took off with it.

Blessings

linda

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That time of year again when its calm, cool and early spring. Before any activity of wildlife in the fields , birds esp. I like to burn off the rough looking stuff so the field will green up pretty for spring. And can see all the birds looking for worms and bugs. Each day it will grow greener.

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Shes a little new, born the first part of Jan. Part Lab and Cocker. My sister found her for me out on the Walmart parking lot, family was giving her and her sisters and brothers away.

Got a call from sis telling me details and my thoughts ahhhhhh,well, ahhhh. You see I just lost my yellow Lab, Sugar last month , just about the time Coal was born. Its sure hard and I do miss Sugar, but sis has been after me to get another dog. So she talked me into it, "but she is so cute", "oh you'll love her", you know that kind of stuff, the kind thats hard to say no to.

Well she is home and makin herself home to , here she is already gnawing on the willow chair outside :(

Good thing she gets easily distracted , she's off to something else to make trouble

Her name is more of a boy dog name maybe, but she is so black, and like a little black bear. Plus dh likes the name Coal as well, so Coal she is.

I have plans for her to run through the trails like Sugar did and play in the garden like Sugar. Teach her to catch the frizzbe. If she gets big enough for pulling , I'll make her a harness and she can pull the sled for the grandkids and help me bring in a few sticks of wood. Now thats only if she gets to be a really strong dog. Her feet look like it. But the Cocker in her may keep her little, time will tell. Oh my a small doggie with big feet, oh well!!!!!!

And she went to the bathroom twice outside #1 & #2, whaooo she is house broke at almost six weeks, wow. I wonder how long that will last.

We can never replace the love for each of our fur friends , each one is very special and you never forget, but if you love animals theres always room for a new love that will bring joy to our lives. Our hearts have much room for love.

But then again we haven't had a night with this little lump of coal, and I hope she loves to sleep all night long : ) Wheres my shoe!!!!!!!!!


Garden stuff:

Planted several containers of flower seeds for the winter sowing. The moon signs were good today. Grandkiddies were over so I put them to work, they loved it. They carried out my coffee cans , one each to the spot that all the other milk jugs and containers are placed. After we were done we sat by the little log cabin and soaked in the warm sunshine and talked. It was beautiful.


Tomorrow will be back to cold again but each day is getting closer to spring.

Have a good tomorrow and a great week coming up

Blessings
linda

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Over on my other blog site, Jen at  'Maters & 'Taters put on a best tomato recipe contest. And I won, yippeee.  I was so surprised. I won her over to my Tuscan Tomato Sauce, I had seen recipe somewhere and kind of added a little this and that to make it my own.  But the main thing was the Rosemary in the sauce, yum. 

This gal knows her tomatoes and she had a bumper crop and needed to have new recipes for all those maters she grew.  So the contest was on. 

I and another tied and the prize was this wonderful homemade jar of Jardienne,  oh is it tasty and pretty too, loaded with all kinds of goodies.  

Jen has a great web blog page and has many interesting gardening subjects.  Also involved in Farmers Market. Check out her website for more info on her products. Jen's All - Natural   is just that.

I made my first jars of roasted basil tomatoes thanks to Jens instructions.  Oh was that so good, the olive oil and roasting the tomatoes brought out the sweetness of the tomatoes.  And then packed them with sweet basil, oh mercy, are they good

This contest was in the fall, but you know when you read something and its out of reason and you tend to forget, (well I do), well this is a jump start to the new growing season.  Get heads up on tomatoes and recipes and canning.  So head on over and check Jens gardening ideas and grow you some tomatoes.   Nothing finer then fresh tomatoes.

Thank you Jen, I love your site and I ordered my heirloom tomatoes.

Homestead update:

Got that water leak fixed over at Mom's.  But the dirt we took out is froze like a rock.  Even in 60* weather that dirt has not thawed.