Happy Birthday to this fella

This Fiddler (shown here at about age 4) is celebrating a b-day today. He really hasn’t changed that much over the past several years – he still loves dogs. Instead of a terrier, he has a beloved pug.

Happy Birthday with much ♥

Double Nickels!

Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and full of much love and gratitude. Ours was!

And, guess who turned double-nickels this weekend? Happy Birthday to my Blacksmith!!!

The Winner is…

Well, you are ALL winners to me, and of course I wish I had one of these gift certificates to give to each and every one. I numbered each entry in order received, and headed over to random.org to choose the winner.

Lucky number 13!

Without further delay, the winner of the $50 CSN Stores gift certificate is…

Tonia of The Simple Life. Per her description, Tonia is a “Stay-at-homeschooling goat/chicken farming Mom of 3 Wife to 1.” I enjoy Tonia’s blog so much. Please give her a visit and congratulate her! And, I assure you I am not being partial to Missouri bloggers-- the last winner was a Missouri blogger! Maybe it’s because I have several MO blogger/followers, therefore increasing their odds? Tonia was lucky #13 and commented the following--

“I am a follower and fellow MO Blogger.. I am Thankful for my new stove I was blessed with 4 Days Before Thanksgiving!!”

Congratulations, Tonia!! I am sending you an email right now, and also alerting my contact person with CSN who to email the prize to. Happy Shopping!!

Thanks for all of your entries, and wonderful “thankfulness” comments. We all have a lot to be thankful for. Hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving. Today is the hubby’s birthday, and since he now works in retail, he had to be to work at 4 a.m. for Black Friday. Poor guy!

Happy Birthday to the Blacksmith… Love you!!

I want to add in a special prayer request here for my Grandma, if I may please. She was hospitalized earlier this week with chest pain. At any age, we never really know what each day will bring, but at age 97, life becomes more frail and even more uncertain from day to day. We would appreciate your prayers! I am headed over to visit her this afternoon.

Blessings to all, embrace your family, and enjoy the remainder of the holiday weekend!

Grandmothers are…

just antique little girls, aren’t they? And what a blessing they are. We recently celebrated my Grandma’s 97th birthday. It was truly a joyous day for all, but this photo by my cousin Susan captured the joy oh-so-perfectly.

Grandma on her 97th birthday this month, with great-great granddaughter.

What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies. ~Rudolph Giuliani

Here is what it looked like in our neck of the woods one year ago today.

 

Things aren’t so colorful here this year, or at least not yet! How is Fall where you are?

Upcoming CSN Stores Review

Back in the Summer, I was offered a chance to do a review for CSN Stores. In my usual procrastination mode (even for the fun and positive things – silly me!), I am just now getting around to starting this.

As you may know, CSN is an online retailer with over 200 stores, selling everything from dining room chairs to chicken coops (yes, really).

I’m not sure what the review will be on – still working on that. Hmmmm, could be cooking related, Christmas related… the list is endless with all those stores to peruse! Please stay tuned for the review.

I also want to let Patti know that this pretty sedum is doing well, and it’s such a lovely shade of pink. Very different from the other, darker blooming “Live Forever” that I have. Patti so kindly sent me this and some other starts in the Spring while my Blacksmith was in their neck of the woods. Love it!

 

On another note - we will attend a local Fiddle Contest tonight. There just are not many of these old-timey events around anymore, so it’s good to see one small town trying to renew this tradition. Of course the Fiddler is involved! Lots of good, toe-tapping music to be had.  Tomorrow we celebrate my Grandma’s 97th birthday at my uncle’s farm. Yes, she will be there with bells on. She only recently moved to a nursing home, but still is in reasonably good health for her age. She always knows and recognizes her grandkids, great & great-great also… and loves each and every one! I am continually blessed and inspired by this wonderful, faithful, dear lady.

What’s going on in your neck of the woods? Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

I.am.alive

Please excuse my unplanned absence. Somehow life got in the way. Thanks for the well wishes and concern! I’m really just fine, just a bad blogger these days! I’ll try to do better.

Several things have transpired around here:

1) We have new, faster internet as of today. Yay.

2) I turned 50.

3) We traded our dune buggy for a four-wheel drive farm truck. How’s that for practicality? We were both a little sad to see the buggy go though…

I have about 1000 pictures and other things I want to share, but first I promised Mr. W I would finally post updates of his wonderful chicken coop. This is his project and I think he should be very proud. I am! There is more to be done, plus the Aviary/Run has to be started soon. The coop will be red, just like my little coop. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. He also added the niftiest little chicken door today. I’ll have to post it later. Ok, no more chit-chat from me… here’s the coop from almost beginning to present.

And, the journey to the permanent location… which will be near the Donkey Barn.

I will be repaying the neighbor in eggs for quite awhile (once they start laying). He donated the wonderful, insulated tilt-out windows. Too fancy, and much fancier than what we have in our old farmhouse.. hehe!

Since I have a better internet connection, I don’t have that excuse anymore… so I DO plan to be back soon. In the meantime, a few gratuitous critter pictures.

And the garden ~ doing well, but oh so muddy.

See you soon!

Thursday Walkabout ~ The Fragrance of Spring

Can’t you just smell the fragrance of Spring? I want to bottle it up for those long Winter days to come.

 

It is so unbelievably difficult to take pictures of Ruby and Gracie. They are always in your pocket! Here’s an example.

These two boys have been hanging out a lot together lately. I think they’re plotting something.

Springtime Blessings to you and yours….

Thursday Walkabout: Oh, Spring…

How we have anxiously awaited your arrival. So glad to see you again!

Top: Sunshine through the Bradford Pear, Redbud tree ready to pop, Lilacs ready to pop, Creeping Phlox.

Center: Wellies – a necessity, Greta Goose has 3 eggs!, Plum Blossoms, Weeping Peach Buds.

Bottom: Big Puddles, One of the new Bluebird Houses (thanks, Dad! & thanks Mr. W for installation :)), Miss Monkey in Bradford Pear, One more Bradford Pear shot.

Happy Spring!

Happy 28th to the Fiddler!!

You know, it really hits home when your “kid” pushes closer to that big 3-0.

I. am. old.

Happy Birthday, Dear Son. Here’s to many many more. We love ya!!

Ahhhh… Weekends ~ how fast they go

We had a nice, but rushed weekend. Firstly, did I mention that Mr. W has a new job? His job of about thirty years was sent offshore late last year. After being unemployed for 10 months, finally a job! Can I get a Hallelujah? It’s a totally new line of work for him (retail) but he is really enjoying it so far.

Saturday,  Mr. W had a not so blessed brush with some ground bees while woodcutting. He was stung about 15 times before he managed to get away from the vicious swarm that came sneakily out of the ground. He’s fine, but we were concerned for a little bit. Shortly after a good dose of Benadryl and baking soda, and we decided he was going to be just fine… we had special guests from Osage Bluff, Patti and BT. It was a short but nice visit! I’ve decided they should move closer so we can visit more often (I’m selfish that way).

The guys (the Blacksmith & Fiddler) picked up a nice used fridge from my sister’s old house today. This will be used in the Barn/Cottage.  Afterwards, we went to DS & BIL’s new farm to celebrate her birthday with gifts and cake and ice cream. I should have taken pictures of her flock of Toulouse geese who were so comically parading through the yard. Or her beautiful sheep. We were too busy touring and visiting. Alas… next time.

My homemade gift for Sis was a grain sack style pillow. I stenciled her farm name, “Little Flower Farm” and Sheep Feed in French to add a little French Country flair. Now, friend Andrea, could you please tell me if I came anywhere near what I intended  to say in French? Don’t hold back. Show me no merci (hehe!).

On our way back from the birthday celebration, we took a quick detour to a local small town so I could capture photos of this. Isn’t it très cool? Someone made a huge effort here, and I, for one, appreciate it.

How did you spend this September weekend? Hope it was a pleasant one!

Happy Birthday to….

our son. 27 years old today! Wow, truly… where DOES the time go? Here’s a cute pic when he was just a wee man, packed up in his car seat, ready to go with his buddy Ernie and “coffee cup.”

And another one of my faves – he was about five with bib overalls and ice cream face. Oh, those were the days…

Happy Birthday, John!!! And many more to come!!! We love ya.

p.s. John has a new fiddling CD – on its way from the studio. I’ll update the blog with pictures and info, and maybe a snippet from the CD once it arrives. We’re all excited for him!!