A Peaceful Rest

     July 3rd. At this point in time this day is history. Most would associate this day with Independence Day. These two days hold the excitement that comes with the celebration of July 4th and remains our most favorite holiday to celebrate. These two days I hold close to my heart for my own reasons. My dear sweet Gran chose the Fourth of July for herself and her own independence away from this earth and has been resting peacefully for 6 years. I still think of her often and miss her sweet quiet ways.                                                                     July 3rd 2012 is the day our sweet boxer could no longer hold ground with a tumor in his brain. Our Angus fought a valiant battle. His silly-boy ways and soft snuff-a-loffagus nose, his unconditional love and acceptance and his cuddle-bug ways will be missed but we know that he is truly at peace and no longer in pain. I can't think of a better time or way to celebrate my Gran and our Angus then Independence Day!! 

Living Life

Who knew the past few months would have gone the way they did. I suppose it is just life. No one can plan it or make it follow a certain set way. You can only live it. Take what you have been given and run with it. If you don't then you have nothing to stand on and you cease making headway. Even the smallest steps are steps that keep you moving and moving forward. There are times that are good and times that are bad. It is during those bad times you learn about yourself. Your courage, your strength, the things that shake you to the core, your determination, your faith and trust in your Jesus. Sure there are those times that you want to go find a closet somewhere and close yourself up in it and cry yourself a puddle but you just can't. Not in that moment. Later. In it's own time. Things have taken a turn down a less hectic and troublesome road in the last weeks and the break is welcome. It's time to breath, breath deeply. To rest fully, mentally and physically. To be able to turn our focus to the simple and easy things around us. Truly those are the things that really matter. None of the busyness or lists of things that we think need to be accomplished. It is all of the little things that are so important and should not be overlooked or taken for granite. 

Be Thankful for Your Health!

Be thankful for your health! Do not take it for granite. I could have never imagined how much I have taken my health for granite. Over the past several months this is a lesson that I have been learning daily. People always tell you this and you think you understand and that you are thankful and not taking it for granite. Well maybe you are, just as I had thought I was being thankful, I really was just taking it all for granite. Being healthy if you haven't been dreadfully ill or been close to a loved one being dreadfully ill or maybe even the care giver of a loved one in these conditions - it comes into perspective quite clearly and very in-your-face. I am so thankful for my health and taking steps to insure that I continue to remain this way. Making a life style change to maintain that health and improve on it so my body can be a strong healthy body. Healthy-ness can be zapped away from you in a moment, one minute you can be moving along just fine and the next you are attacked with an illness that gets you flat on your back fighting to be back to your old self again. I'm not talking the common cold, flu, or allergies. These are nothing compared to a dreadfull illness. So if you have been able to rise every morning and enjoy the sunrise, or buck hay, tend garden, mow the lawn, feed your animals or simply enjoy a cup of coffee and move forward with your day, be thankful but truly thankful. Make the effort to help your healthy body stay healthy- make that effort a conscience one. Don't take it for granite!                                                                                                                             

Overnight Berries

I have so much to catch up with here. Over the last week I have been insane busy. Things are looking pretty good around here for receiving our next set of guests. The weather changed over the last week as well. Going from much cooler low 70's, rainy and overcast to bright sunny 80 plus degree's. That is all we needed to get things hopping around here. Everything is growing. The lawn, the garden, the flowers, the berries and the weeds. Need to water too! The garden needs it daily now. As well as the flower beds. We went from berries getting ready on the vine to berries needing to be picked off the vine overnight. Two large bowls full of the sweetest strawberries and raspberries. No sugar needed. Non of these berries held a chance of remaining in the bowl. Rinsed and set out to drain on the counter, a delectable morsel screaming out EAT ME every time any one walked by. Non of us able to keep ourselves from reaching out and grabbing a handful of the sweet, still warm off of the vine piece of summertime heaven. We shared with our neighbors and  the delight they showed in receiving these wonderful treats was priceless. Love sharing the wealth. Even the chickens and the dogs have made sure to get their own berries from the vines. No one can resist. We will need to check for and pick them every day now through summer. An enjoyable, tasty task. 

Tree House

The tree house. An essential part of childhood. A place of great exploration and an imagination igniter. Every child should be able to have a tree house or a play house. For us it's a tree house. There is a platform in the tree just above the back fence of the chicken run. This is what we used as the floor for the tree house.
The necessity of the tree house became very apparent as work finished up on the coop. When it was learned that we would be hosting our families reunion it was of great importance to my son that we have the tree house complete. He worked on the things that he could do on his own and the rest of us pitched in with the remaining things that were needed to make it complete. 

There were a few things that he wanted. A deck and some walls, a roof was important and some sort of lighting. The deck was created by simply placing the "walls" back about 2 feet from the edge and adding a railing. The roofing was old metal panels from a metal shed and the walls were made as half walls and then left open the rest of the way. To complete the enclosure I hung some old sheets with staples to hold them in place so they could billow in the wind. 

We lined the floor on the inside with an old cloth tacked down and proceeded to fill up the inside with giant pillows. We used twinkle lights draped in the tree branches and tacked up inside for the lighting. It is all very comfy. 

There is something magical about it in the evening with the twinkle lights all around. With front sheets tied back it has a perfect view of the fire pit just below. Perfect for that sneak away place to hide and take a nap or to let the imagination wander in billowing sails and fireflies, secret passages and cliff hideouts. Not to mention a birds eye view of the chicken run.

Something whimsical? Yes. Important? Yes very! 

A Full Heart

     Content. A full heart. Blessed. Tired but a good tired. These are all words that describe how I feel right now. All is quiet this evening as I sit and reflect on the last 5 days events and the days of busyness that lead up to the last 5 days. Preparations for our families reunion began weeks ago. With each day prior to our dear ones arrival being filled with things that needed to be accomplished and finished. Leaving not a whole lot of time to find myself near a computer or able to be submersed in a good book. Time only for "doing". So that is what I have been doing is "doing". With the weeks winding down and everything readied for our guests arrival the only thing to do was to wonder how the reunion would come off. This, I left to itself and figured what happens happens. Our home received 20 guests, not counting myself and my husband. I saw my home serve its purpose-the one that it had been built for 62 years ago by a local family in our small town. Our home was built to be an entertainer and entertain it did! The living room held 15 comfortably and the grounds allowed for everyone to move around and visit. There was plenty of counter space to put out all sorts of wonderful food and the huge sliding glass door allowed the outside in and made it easy for all to move through without walking through the middle of those visiting in the living room. I spent a good amount of my time in the kitchen making sure everyone had plenty to eat and drink and made my rounds to check on dear ones both inside and out to make sure that all were comfortable. I did steal a few moments in the kitchen to myself and just stopped and listened. Listened to the humm of different conversations between groups, laughter, the squeal of a little one passing through from the front lawn to the back lawn, many dear ones all together in my home. All was right this weekend. Our home served its purpose again, as it has in years past and we had happy loved ones close together, enjoying themselves-what a wonderful thing to be able offer and give. Yes, hard work and I am so tired but it was all so worth it.

A Redefined Cabinet

Cabinet as it left the garage.

This cabinet came from the garage. My husband determined that he needed new space so he moved this cabinet from the garage straight out of the patio garage door to rest here in its spot on the back patio. I was excited to acquire this unwanted "space taker" from the garage. Made some changes to it with a few coats of paint and added some doors made from fence pickets to cover the big empty holes in the front. It stores potting mix and extra pots, the garden hand tools, fertilizer sprayer, the chick feeder and waterer and other small items that need a spot. I have all ready used the cabinet for potting a few plants and it has come in handy as a side board for serving meals and drinks. I love it when an item becomes such a handy piece. 

Cabinet from the garage redefined.