May 21, 2014

The evening Cody came home

Cody got home on Monday. It was a gorgeous day, we had barbequed pork ribs, the grass was freshly mowed, some rousing discussions, a four sister game of Mexican train dominos that resulted in a lot of hilarity.... 

It was a great summery evening.


Running to see Uncle Cody



Showing off their latest and greatest tricks


Beautiful sky



Lily



Aunt Livie (who is moving away this week) and Elsie


Guys and a haybine



Sisters


Gilbert and Elsie with Penny



Elsie loves Penny


Talking


Gears and Gilbert


The girls, gathering the mown grass


Running in the twilight
(I love the words twilight)


Boys, crawling around under machinery. 


Aunt Lindsey and Elsie

May 19, 2014

A trip to the greenhouse

I love this time of year. The garden of my winter weary mind is still completely possible. My enthusiasm for being outside has carried me through a thorough weeding of my flower bed and given me zest for making things look ship shape. By the end of June, (or sometimes middle of June) I have a creeping apathy for my flower beds. By that point, the garden of my dreams has turned temperamental, weeds have proved annoyingly hardy, some weird little bug has perforated some key plants into a lacy shadow of their former selves, and it is hot.

But right now, it is all possible. Even definite. This year, everything will work out as it should. And so, I set off for the greenhouse with verve and vigor. I have been twice so far this year, once for perennials, once for bedding plants, and then, today with Lindsey, flowers for Mom's flower beds. I love greenhouses. The colors, the smell, the hope....

It is one of my rotating ideal jobs--owning a greenhouse.





This makes me laugh!


Silly boy






Love, love dahlias!



They have a fish pond there, which is the highlight for the kids. 








And then, we came back to the farm, to dandelions and chickens



And here are the chickens, hanging out in the flower bed. Because they can. Those chickens!

May 16, 2014

My windowsill


My windowsill is something that made me happy this week. (Not the dirty window, which I am hoping no one will notice...) It is chock full of things that I love from this little family of mine. 


Mother's Day carnations from Orianna. 


A tiny bird planter with a Mother's Day marigold from Lily


A cup of marsh marigold from our expedition last Sunday. 
(These are pretty great cut flowers. Five days later and they are just starting to be less brilliant.)


A while ago, I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. She mentioned in there about psychologically needing a gold star upon completing something. If her husband isn't forth coming with praise, she finds herself drawing it to his attention so he will  praise her. This was given as a reason to not be happy--relying on others isn't the way to happiness. But this is something I find myself doing too. I try not to need it, but I think all of us like our gold stars of praise and admiration. After telling Justin about it, he would tell me I earned a gold star whenever I accomplished something out of the ordinary. Like having all the laundry folded at one time. Then this past November, after 2 (or was it 3?) solid weeks of him being gone, a case of hand, foot, and mouth, and cancelled Thanksgiving plans that left the kids I all alone, Justin went to buy me some wooden stars, painted them gold and brought them home to me. 

Which makes him a gold star husband. 

Having them sit there reminds me how great he is. 


I bought these little wooden bunnies in satin dresses and white aprons last summer from our local junk man. I have no idea what to do with them, (they have no legs, so aren't very independent) so I stuck them here where I look at them while I am doing dishes. The white aprons are so housewifely, it seems appropriate.


And then, my little talking birds. I saw them for a dollar or two, the first week of spring and decided I had to have them. And they sit there, talking back and forth between them, peering around my little cracked tea cup and the sedentary bunnies


And now, I probably should go do the spring cleaning of my windows. Eek!

May 15, 2014

Baby Leaves

Just for something a teeny bit different, I am going to post a lot of pictures all at once. Ha! 

I have a bit of a crush on spring and I can't get over it. I am obsessed.














A maple tree of some sort in flower 




Willows


White Birch


Aspen? Forget which this is


Frosty grass thing



Drop of dew






Frosty wild roses







Tree shadow on newly green grass



Raspberry cane and new leaves





Unfurling ferns


Trillium




Trout lily



Marsh Marigolds


Pussy toes


Elm


Cherry?



Apple blossoms about to be












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