Girl Day And... Re-purposing A Metal Crate

Saturday I stated feeling better. My head was still a bit off ,but by the late morning it cleared enough so that I was able to drive. That was a good thing,because My Dear Friend Michelle and I had birthday plans. Since her birthday is in July,and mine is in November,we split the difference and in September we go out for lunch and have a pedicure. We were both ready to get out of the house and away from testosterone ,even if it was just for a few hours.It was a lovely time,even though I did suffer a bout of unpleasant digestive moments. Sometimes when I eat,for whatever reason,it does not agree with me and I get horrible,painful cramps,which lead to upset stomach,cold sweat,etc. Thankfully,we were at the salon when it hit full on,so I had access to the bathroom ,and,thankfully,it passed quickly ( no pun intended!). When these things happen I can sometimes be indisposed for up to half and hour,writhing in pain. NOT FUN. Once I almost yelled for Rick to call the ambulance because the pain was so horrible and I thought I was going to pass out. Sigh.

We did have a lovely lunch,and the pedicure/foot massage was nice. If you have never had your feet wrapped in wax covered strips,you must try it. It feels great! Spending some girl time getting a bit pampered with your BFF is fabulous! The massage chair doesn't hurt,either :)   I got my toes painted orange (for fall) and she had hers painted red. We then decided to get facials for Christmas!

Zach and Rick are gone this weekend for a camping trip with the Scouts (they will be home sometime this AM) so it's been just me and Brother B.He told me he would get my new shelf up over the stove on Saturday,and by the time I left to pick My Dear Friend up,the shelf was in place.

I had envisioned a white metal shelf,with nice scrolls,or something that looked old fashioned.However,I couldn't find what I wanted. I went to little places I had never stepped foot into before,trying to find this shelf that I saw in my mind. When I went to "Just The Thing" in Dover and found my shelf that is now above our computer desk,I looked. They didn't have what I was looking for,either,so I started looking for something different that I could re purpose as  a shelf. I stumbled across this:

No,it's not white,it's not scrolled,and it's not a shelf. It's a metal crate. But I really liked the  look of it. It has rust.It's not perfectly straight. I loved it. The question was,how do we get it up on the wall? Brother B came up with a plan.

He used two pieces of trim we had left over,screwed them to the wall,and painted them yellow to blend in:

He then found four brackets,which were a bit big .However,he improvised with some rubber gaskets that he cut in half,then gouged out some of the rubber so the metal would sit in it. He put the gaskets in the brackets. I held the basket up against the wall,and he screwed the brackets into the wall. The metal of the crate fit in his creation perfectly:

TA-DA!!!! My new shelf!

The first thing I put on it was the pouring bowl that My Dear Friend gave me for Christmas. It's pretty,and I love the color punch it gives to the room.

Now I just have to decide what else to put on it. The boards on the left side can used to hang small items,such as keys,or whatever else we decide to put on it. I'm still mulling it over. Next on the list: seeing if we can re purpose an old ladder for a pot rack. It would hang over the window to the right of the oven.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

Playing In The Snow

 A few days ago,My Dear Friend Michelle called to see if Zach and I wanted to tubing with Pack 188,our old cub scout pack.Her youngest son is still in it,and Zach could keep her older son,Ethan,company. Thankfully,she drove. I don't drive in snow,which sounds silly,living in NH. However, I have had too many close calls ( car spinning in a 360 on the highway when I was pregnant,going off the road) to be comfortable driving. I have enough problems with anxiety,and that makes it much worse.

We went to Moose Mountain,which we can just about see from our house.(We see the closer mountains of the range). Moose Mountain,back in the 70's,was ski mountain which eventually went bottom up and remained abandoned for many years. A couple years ago,someone bought it and made a tubing area. Because of the weather,the 27 folks that showed up from the pack were the only ones there,which meant you could  ride up on the tube,slide down,and go right back up again...no lines. This was the most physical activity I have had for a while,and boy,when I got home, I felt it! My arms and back ached soo bad. This AM my arms are sore (from running,flopping on the tube,and pushing myself up out of the tube when I had to unload at the top of the hill). We had heavy snow the whole time we were there,which added to the fun. The cost wasn't bad,either-$13 for two hours. It was also nice seeing some of my old Pack friends again!

This morning we have large icicles hanging off the the eaves,probably because we have our roof heat tape on to prevent ice dams. Big suckers!

If you had snow yesterday,did you get to go out and play in it?

Out And About Again

Saturday was my first day out in over a week. My Dear Friend Michelle and I went down to East Kingston for a Gardening Seminar,put on in part by the UNH Cooperative Extension Service. We got there early,so after scouting out where the building ( an old one room schoolhouse) was,we went to a little antique shop down the road to pass the time. Once we went back to the school,it didn't take long for the  gardening folk to start filtering in.There was not a lot of seating,which is why it was a pre sign up event.

  The first speaker discussed soil,temperature,etc.,the rather clinical stuff that tends to make my eyes glaze over. We then took a break for some food and drink (sponsored by the local Grange). The second speaker was a woman who discussed permaculture and "lasagna" gardening. Michelle and I both found her more interesting. There was also a bit of discussion about GMO's. After the speakers,they had seeds and starter trays for folks who wanted to learn more about seed starting. Since we are familiar with that,we decided to check out another antique store before heading back home. We had a great afternoon,with lots of laughter.One thing that I found a bit ironic was that we discussed how so many talented people pass away early because of their demons. Then that night came the news that Whitney Houston passed away.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day,and Rick and I decided to go out for dinner this year. We went to a place called the Governors Inn in Rochester. The Governors Inn is the old home of former NH Governor Spaulding-it's a gorgeous old house. We sat in the parlor area next to the fireplace and had a fabulous meal-Rick had Chicken Florentine (which happened to be gluten free!) and I had Filet Mignon. The meal was delicious and the company lovely!  :)

Rick is now getting used to this new meds,so he's starting to feel a bit better. The Depakote does not dull him as much as the Seroquil,so he is more aware of things around him,which in turn causes him a bit more stress,but he has been dealing with it well.

We heard from the med board,and Rick has two appts-one tomorrow in Gilford,NH for the physical part and one down in Boston next week for the mental part. Rick is on "temporary retirement"-anyone that has been diagnosed with PTSD is put on it to see if they will get better. Well, that is fine if the soldier actually gets intensive help right after they come out of combat,but pretty useless if the soldier not only has PTSD but TBI as well,and the soldier isn't even diagnosed with TBI until 2 years after he returns home,which is what Rick's circumstance is.These are issues that have to addressed ASAP,not a year or two down the road. The military can put you on temporary retirement for up to 5 years,and you have to keep going to these evaluations until they determine that 1)you can do your job in the military or 2)you have to be medically out.  He  is 100% disabled through the VA,so whatever the military decides really doesn't matter. He's still disabled and not reenlisting in the service. At any rate,I have a feeling that he will be officially retired after these appointments. At least, I hope so.

Time to make some crock pot chili. Have a fabulous day!!!

Girl Time

I have finally started to feel better.Whatever it is is still lingering,but I have felt up to snuff enough to visit my Mom and take her to her Dr appt. They removed her staples and were very impressed with her progress. I imagine most 85 year olds do not do as well,but they are not my Mom! Now they want her to take off her sling,starting with a few moments a day,and work her elbow,because she can't straighten her arm yet.Being in the sling for over a month,that happens. Her visiting nurses and therapists will no longer go to the house,and she will be going to therapy in Rochester.

Yesterday was a lovely day.My Dear Friend Michelle and I were able to share some real girl time-with pedicures.Last  year we decided that our birthday gift to each other would be pedicures and either breakfast or lunch,depending on what time the appt was,or what our schedules were. We decided this would be our annual gift,and we would work it in between our birthdays-she is in July,and I am coming up in November. She is a very busy lady,with two boys,one whom she homeschools (soon to be two)and a hubby who leaves for periods of time for the Air National Guard,so this year our pedicure was closer to my birthday than hers.There is also soccer,Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts,and volunteering one day a week at the library.... how she does it all, I don't know.Plus she gets up and goes to work out at the gym at 5:00 AM! Bless her heart,she is a far better woman than I,and quite an inspiration! :) (Hi,Dear Friend!)

Anyhoo,we had a great hearty breakfast at The Farmer's Kitchen on Rt 11. We relaxed and enjoyed our omelets,toast,homefries,and tea.It was a busy Saturday morning,but we had some time to kill after we finished our meal,so we just sat,drank tea,and chatted.  We then went to Studio 359 on Main St in Farmington for our pedicures. I wanted something to go with the time of the year,so I picked a pretty orange/copper  polish:

I love pedicures,and this birthday treat is the only one I get. It's a great way to be pampered.

Yesterday,the boys went hunting for the day. They planned on bringing nephew Brody up and spending the day in the woods. I felt bad,because Wednesday we were told that our Troop would be selling popcorn at the mall on Saturday,but this had been planned long before,and both Zach and Brody were quite excited.(Brody is Brother Dale's son.He's 14,about a year and half older than Zach). They didn't see much,though.It was quite windy outside,and though Zach did get a shot off at a red squirrel,he missed. Wiley little suckers! When they came back at 3:00 PM,both the boys were tired. Brother B reported that when he dropped Brody back off at home,he laid down on the couch,exhausted. Zach was sleeping when supper was ready.Lots of fresh air will do that...it's good for them! Better than sitting in front of a computer or playing video games.There will be plenty of time for that when the snow flies.

Last year,we threw some gourds into our compost pile,and this year,we found these:

No buying gourds! I still haven't been out to buy Mums.It rained for a good part of the week,plus with me not feeling up to par,it didn't get done. It should be done soon,hopefully this week,as long as the weather holds.I love decorating for Fall.

Misc.Doings of The Week

We tried the turkey eggs,and they tasted like chicken eggs,but with a noticeably richer flavor. We have been getting about two a day.

Sap season is pretty much over. We have buds coming out on our trees,which affect the taste of the sap-it becomes bitter. The weather is starting to get too warm for sap to run,and the night time temps are starting to be above freezing. We pulled our buckets yesterday,and were pleased with the 5 gallons ( approx) that we processed. It's nice,light,Grade A syrup.Now work begins on cleaning out the garage.

This weekend the temps are going to soar into the 60's,and on Monday may hit the 70's. This is a heat wave for us here in NH! I am so excited to be outside in pleasant weather. Though I live in NH,I hate the cold and will do all I can to stay inside. It doesn't bother me. Folks ask me,if you don't like the cold,why do you live in NH? I live here because it's the place of my birth, a beautiful state,it's a lovely way of life,and having winter makes me appreciate the other seasons.I never take them for granted.

Yesterday morning I woke up,and saw the sky was bright blue and the sun was shining,and the birds were singing away. It was wonderful. I love this time of year. The snow goes away,things turn green,the air starts becoming warmer,and my bird friends come back and serenade me with their beautiful Spring song. It's the rebirth of the Nature after being dormant all winter. It doesn't get better than that!!

Today I am going to start my broccoli and tomato seeds. I have three new green peppers that have sprouted,but since I last checked a couple days ago I may have more,and more oregano,thyme,and marjoram.

This weekend I plan on raking where it's dry. I need to check on my strawberry info to see when I should uncover them from their layer of protective straw. I need to get outside and soak up the rays. Like Laura Ingalls Wilder said,"...she could never get enough sun soaked into her bones."

Rick is excited because now that he has been deemed 100% disabled from the VA,he is eligible for a permanent hunting and fishing license. He only had to pay a one time fee of $10.00 to get the license,as well as  show documentation stating his disability,a signed form from his Dr,copies of previous hunting and fishing licenses,and his ID. He and Brother B went to the Fish and Game Dept in our state capital of Concord yesterday to get it. He could've just sent it in,but he didn't want to take a chance,and this way he would get it right in hand. The only money he will have to spend is on the tags ( deer,turkey,etc). I had a Muffin Date with My Dear Friend Michelle,so I didn't go. Girl time is of utmost importance!!!!

I hope all is well in your area of the world. Enjoy this wonderful day!!!!!!

Girl Time And The Finished Product

Today was a very nice day.My Dear Friend Michelle invited me over to watch "Eat,Pray,Love." She has read the book,but I have not as of yet. She made a lovely ham and cheese quiche,warmed fruit with curry,coffee cake,fresh grapes with a nice homemade punch that we put a little kick into with some Amaretto. Everything was delicious,and it was great spending time with her,enjoying good food and a wonderful movie. We ate at the kitchen island,then curled up in easy chairs with our second glass of punch to watch the rest the movie. It was the quintessential girl time.

After I came home, I finished putting everything back up on the walls in the dining room. The walls in the photos below may not seem like a big difference in color,but in person it is. The walls are so much warmer now.

This is how it looked before:

This is the finished product:

The cabinet all set up:

I have not place all my canning jars in the cabinet yet:

I have an old decorative mirror that goes on the rack on the bedroom door,but it needs a wing nut or some good glue to attach it,neither of which I have right now.

I am so pleased with the way this room came out. I love the color,I think it's very warm and inviting. There is such self satisfaction when one does a job and it comes out the way it is wanted,and it makes the home that much nicer and "homier."

Tonight we are going to Zachary's school to see the premiere of the movie he participated in,a remake of the Twilight Zone episode,"The Monsters Are On Maple Street." This was an after school enrichment program,in which the students rewrote and acted in the episode,which they called "The Monsters Are On School Street." We are anxious to see it!!

Thankful

Today here in the States it is Thanksgiving Day. We continue the celebration started by our Pilgrim forefathers. Life had been very hard for them,and,with the help of the Wampanog natives,they finally had a good harvest,of which they were very thankful. They celebrated their good fortune with their Wampanog friends by feasting and playing games.

Throughout the history of the US,Thanksgiving has been celebrated at different times until President Lincoln proclaimed it at national holiday. We now celebrate it on the third Thursday of November.

It is a wonderful day to stop and count our blessings. Nowadays,when it seems like there is so much negativity going on in the country and around the world,it's good to realize that yes, in fact, each of us has good in our lives that we should embrace and not take for granted. We shouldn't,however,only remember this one day a year. We should wake up each morning and remember what is good,positive, and important in our lives.

I am thankful for many things,and I remind myself many times a week of what I have.I have a wonderful husband,who survived a war,and who loves me with all his heart. I have a great son,who is smart,funny,and loving. I still have my Mom,who,at nearly 85,has more energy than I do,and who handed down her Yankee traits. I have wonderful memories of my Dad, who had a great sense of humor which he passed on to me. I have older brothers and a sister,who,though they all moved out when I was young,I enjoy learning more about with each visit and see some of myself in each of them. I have brothers and sisters in law who I love very much.Rick's brothers have embraced me like a sister,and I especially appreciate Brother Brian for being here for us when Rick was gone,and now,while he is still struggling with his TBI and PTSD. I am very grateful for my friends,those I have known for many years,and those that I have recently come to know and love,especially My Dear Friend Michelle. I am thankful for my warm home,food on my plate and clothes on my back. I can look out my window and see beauty every day. I am thankful for those who served so that I can live in such wonderful country,especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and those who will live with War for the rest of their lives so that we can be free. For all this,and so much more, I am very thankful.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Then and Now

I have a list of blogs that I enjoy reading,though I don't comment on them a lot. Several of them are from Australia and New Zealand ( Hello Rhonda Jean,Sue,Rina,Damaris and Laura!).Right now in the Land Down Under they are beginning their Spring season.It's nice to see their photos of flowers blooming and gardens coming to life.Here in NH,it's quite the opposite,though.

Remember my favorite tree? The colors were so pretty just a few weeks ago:

This is what it now looks like:

Goodbye,colorful leaves.....ALL leaves. This is what most of the trees look like now. Bare. Except of course for the pine trees. We do have few leaf bearing trees that still have leaves on them,but they are a deep rust color and very sparse. My yard has more leaves than the trees! :)

Last night I lit all our candles and oil lamps. I was in the mood to create a cozy atmosphere. I counted 22 lit at once. I would've liked to have taken a photo of how pretty it was,but those type of photos never come out for me. There is something very relaxing about candlelight. We noticed that the house was getting warm-no wood stove was going,and the thermostat was set down to 67 degrees. The temperature in the living room was 77 degrees. Hmmm. I then went to an oil lamp and held my hand over the glass chimney. A surprising amount of heat was coming out of it. The seven oil lamps and candles were creating enough heat to keep the main rooms warm.

While the flames were giving us heat,we watched "The Pacific",produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. We just purchased the mini series a few days ago,and have been watching a couple episodes a night.Last night the fourth episode concentrated about the soldiers time in Australia. I have a special interest in the Pacific during World War II,because my Dad served there. He was in Australia and New Guinea,and some place he called Moretai Island (the spelling is probably wrong,I apologize). My Dad had a great respect and affinity for Australians.He said the people were warm and friendly,and that the soldiers were tough fighters. He would be tickled that I have blogging friends from there. He was with the 197th Coastal Artillery,anti aircraft. He went from Camp Hulan in Texas right to Australia,then to Hollandia, New Guinea. I know he was in different areas in New Guinea,but he really didn't speak of it much.One thing I do remember is that he talked about how the natives would help the Allies,even the head hunters,because the Japanese were so brutal to them. I would love to find some show or documentary about the New Guinea campaign,but haven't so far. We have only seen the first two discs of the 6 disc series,so I am hoping they might have little something about it,even if it is only based on fact and not a documentary.

So today my thoughts range from our country fighting side by side with our Australian brethren 68 years ago,to pretty,colorful flowers being posted by my Down Under blogging friends. From war to flowers,then and now.

Loss of Manners

Yesterday My Dear Friend Michelle and I met for one of our muffin dates. We had to meet in a new restaurant,as,alas,our favorite little spot closed because their rent went up and they could no longer afford it. It has been a bit since we have had a muffin date. It's a nice time for the two of us to get together and chat. Though we do communicate via email on an almost daily basis ( neither one of us are big on phone use) we enjoy sitting across from each other to touch base once in a while.

We discuss many things-our interests,our children,etc. We also discuss things that are going on in our country.

Yesterday Michelle told me about one thing that made her blood boil. She was driving along in an area where two lanes merge into one. The right lane is suppose to merge to the left,and she was in the left lane. This "gentleman" driving a Mustang was in the right lane,side by side with her,and instead of falling back and merging behind her,he decided to literally edge her over,so she had the choice of either falling back herself,or going into on coming traffic. ( She obviously opted to fall back rather than getting in a head on collision). This not only happened to her this one time,but a second time in the same day.

This lead to a discussion about the trend in this country right now:lack of decency and manners. We see it everywhere-on the road,in our politicians,and in our media. If you are rude,you get air time. Those who scream the most get the most attention. People can say the most horrible things, things that are not true or filled with hate,and they get rewarded with air time on news channels. We both find very disheartening and appalling. There is no filter anymore. People think they can do and say whatever they want,whenever they want. They don't care who they hurt,or what the consequences of their actions or words are. It doesn't matter. Frightening the public to gain votes is the norm. It doesn't matter if it's lies or not. And,sadly,people actually believe the things that are spewed at them 24 hours a day,seven days a week. News channels have become tabloid channels. There is very little factual news anymore. I used to want to be a journalist- I now mourn the death of a profession that I thought was a very important one-keeping people informed of the truth. Now it's all conjecture,theory,and political partisanship.

People think they are the only ones who matter,whether on the road,or in a line at the store. They have no patience. They think because they are in a hurry,the rest of the world needs to step back and let them through.Is this the legacy we want to leave our children? Use bad behavior to get your own way? Be applauded when you show no respect for anyone or anything? I am shocked at the way some children speak to their parents-and get away with it. It wouldn't fly in my home, I tell you that.

All we can do is keep peace in our homes,teach our children to be respectful of everyone,and have manners. Hopefully in the future that mentality will overshadow the bad behavior and loss of manners that is permeating our world right now.

Gardening Is a Common Thread

I have joined a local Gardener's Roundtable. We meet at the library in Farmington. I believe I started going in March or April. I had not heard of the group until My Dear Friend Michelle asked me if I wanted to join. I think I only missed one or two meetings.

The group is a cross section of ages and abilities. Some folks have been gardening for years and have massive gardens.Some have only gardened for a few years,and there are others like myself,who have only done it for a couple of years and have small gardens. The purpose is to exchange ideas and knowledge. You can imagine I don't say much! But I listen carefully. We have had visits from Dr Tomato,a couple who has and sells geodesic greenhouses,a food canning discussion with a representative from the UNH Cooperative Extension Service,a seed swap,garden tour,and My Dear Friend Michelle gave a demonstration on how to build worm bins and discussed worm composting ( she loves her worms! Hi Michelle!!!!). A couple weeks ago,we had a potluck dinner. Everything had to be made from something we grew. At first,I was going to make a zucchini/summer squash casserole,but since I have never made one before,thought better of it. I didn't want to make this poor group my guinea pigs! So I made Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots. All the food was great! I never thought of getting filled by vegetables,but there were so many different kinds of dishes that it wasn't difficult. One of the nice things about our little group is learning from others. Michelle and I sat across from this older couple,Carl and Kay. I guess that they are in their late 60's to early 70's. They live on this wonderful piece of property,over 50 acres,that one has to drive down a long driveway to get to.They are in the middle of nowhere,yet not far from anyone,really. They haul water for their many massive gardens from a pond on their property,and work all day outside.Their gardens are so large that they would drain their well water. We discovered that they spin their own yarn,and weave their own napkins,dish cloths,etc. They are such a fascinating couple.

The folks in the group vary,but the thing that brings us together is our interest in gardening and being more self sufficient. We mentioned possibly in the winter months expanding the agenda to include candle making,soap making,etc...things that folks can do for themselves. Next month,we will discuss problems we had with our gardens,and see if anyone has had the same issues and what they did to resolve it.We are also going to watch "Food Inc" at our November meeting, I believe.

It is wonderful to connect with people in groups such as this.Not only can you exchange ideas and learn new things,but you can also find new friends, sources for bartering,getting veggies,eggs,or other homemade goods. Everyone wins!

....And We're Off!

This weekend has been a fun one. Yesterday I went to a get together of people I went to high school with. While it wasn't well attended,I did see very good friends.It's wonderful to see these people again and just pick up like no time has passed. There have been marriages,divorces, children,good times and bad times these last 24 years. Rick and I had a great time chatting. Though he didn't go to our school,he knows my friends and they are his friends as well. People were very pleased to see how well he is doing compared to our get together last year,and were happy to see how well his knees are working. They were shocked to learn he was 48. They kept saying,"No way!!!" Clean shaven,he looks much younger than he is,no more than 40,max. I probably look older than he does!! :)

Today I am going to my Gardener's Roundtable potluck. We have to make a dish from something we have grown ourselves. I went back on forth on what to make. At first I was going to make a zucchini casserole,but thought better of it since I have never made one before and wasn't even sure how it was going to taste! So I am going to make brown sugar glazed carrots.

When I get back we are going to start packing for our trip to Malone/Burke NY to visit the Almanzo Wilder Farm. I am a huge Laura Ingalls Wilder fan. I love her books,and have read them hundreds of times since my second grade teacher,Mrs.Whittier,introduced me to 'Little House In The Big Woods." The year before,when I was in first grade,the TV series had started. So I was already a fan. People may think it's weird to travel six hours to visit a farm museum,but to me, it's not. I can't wait to step into the house where Almanzo grew up. While I have always known they were actual people,they were long ago and far away. This will make them ...well.....real. I re read "Farmer Boy"and Zach has been re reading it as well. Besides the farm, we are going to visit cemeteries,the Fairgrounds,the grist mill,and take a lot of photos. It's going to be a great trip. We leave bright and early tomorrow morning. It is going to rain,but by late morning up in Northern VT ( where we are going to have a picnic by Lake Champlain) and Northern NY the rain is going to be cleared out. Tuesday when we do our exploring it's going to be nice. We are all quite excited to be going away for a few days,and see a part of American Literature,as well as American History!

Look What I Recieved!

I received this award from my blogging friend,Sue. She has a great blog,Living The Good Life at http://jsmwebber.blogspot.com/. She one of my friends from "Down Under." Thank you,Sue!

To recieve this award,one has to do three things:

1) Thank the person who gave it to you.

2)List 10 things that make you happy

1) My husband,who is the most incredible man I have ever known
2) My son,who is an amazing boy
3)The love and support of my friends,especially My Dear FriendMichelle
4) Having good neighbors,which makes good friends
5) Having our own little piece of earth to call our own
6) Making a home for my family
7) Sitting still outside and listening to the birds,and seeing the beauty of nature
8)Watching our cat,Little O,roll around on the floor
9)Trying to live the way we want to live
10)Finally reaching a point in my life where I am happy with who I am

3) Passing the award along to five others

1)Damaris at Candid Country Life @http://candidcountrylife.blogspot.com/. One of my Australian blogging friends!

2)Karyn,my fellow New Hampshire-ite! Her blog Lizzy Lane Farm can be found @http://lizzylanefarm.wordpress.com/

3) http://ourweefarm.blogspot.com/ Laura,at Our Wee Farm,also known as Darroch Cottage,is my blogging friend from New Zealand.

4)Rina,and her blog Our Slice Of Heaven,which can be found @http://pumpkinpatchgarden.blogspot.com/ Another Aussie connection!

5) And last,but certainly never least,Rhonda from Down To Earth. Her blog gives me lots of inspiration.It can be found at http://down-to-earth.blogspot.com/ She hails from Australia as well!

I hope that all the links work to these sites.These ladies are all great,have a great drive and have lots of joy in their lives,even when things might not be going the way they would like at times!!!

Girls Day Out

Yesterday we awoke to a light dusting of snow on the roof,deck,and stone wall.We were lucky. Up north they received over a foot in some areas. That makes me think twice about moving up north!

I was up and at em once Zach got on the bus,because I was going to accompany My Dear Friend Michelle on her errands to Concord. She had asked me if I would like to tag along,and even though I wanted to go,I felt guilty about doing so. We have lots to do here. However,Rick told me I should go and enjoy the time with my friend. We couldn't do much outside,since it was cold and rainy,but we had planned to clear out the garage so we could have a space for our chicks. Rick insisted on doing it himself. He does have this thing about the garage. Whenever we clean it out and organize it,he likes to do it without help. It's his thing,I guess. So with that,I agreed to go .

I went to her house for a muffin and a cup of tea first. After that went to Tractor Supply Company,so she could return a post digger that was not made correctly. I looked at the poultry supplies,and bought a feeder and waterer for the baby chicks,a waterer for the turkeys and one for the chickens,and a feeder for the chickens. Rick mentioned he wanted to build a trough for the turkeys,so I didn't bother picking them up a feeder. Michelle made some purchases as well (such as food for her goats) and then we were off to Sam's Club. We had a slice of pizza and some soda,then picked up what she had on her list. When she put a mondo sized bag of chocolate chips in the cart,I laughed,because it was BIG. However, it makes sense because she bakes for the family,and it's more cost efficient than buying the small regular sized bags that I buy. Very smart indeed.

After that,we headed over to Jenness Farm so she could buy immunizations for her goats.( I don't know what kind,since I know nothing about goats. Rick would like to get a couple in the future,though,so I might have to learn!) I have heard of Jenness Farm,because they are not only a goat farm ,make and sell goat milk soap. When I was trying to learn about soapmaking,I kept coming across their website. So I was intrigued.

We pulled up and the first thing we see is (what else) goats. Then we saw some guinea hens come running out,and we heard turkeys.Pretty cool. When we went inside,the first thing that struck me was the smell. It wasn't bad,but for a gal with allergies,it was overwhelming. They had soaps,bug spray,lip balms,cuticle creams,shampoo...you name,they make it. The set up was quite quaint. Michelle wasn't able to get her immunizations,because the co owner who takes care of that was off on a trip. The visit wasn't wasted,however,because Michelle purchased a few things,including gifts for her mom for Mother's Day.

Once I got home,Rick was finishing up in the garage and he was pleased with what I had bought. The day was so raw that he started up the wood stove for the second day in a row.

It was a nice day visiting with my Dear Friend.

Busy Hands,Good News, and Rememberances

Good morning!
The sun is shining right now,but the forecast calls for some clouds and some showers later on in the day. The leaves on the trees are popping out everywhere,and before we know it,all the trees will be full of them. I love looking out my kitchen window and seeing the transformation each day-just a tiny thin mist of green at first,then overnight the whole forest is a sea of green. Gorgeous.

The weekend was beautiful,and we got most of the turkey cage done. Rick,true to form,pushed himself so he could barely walk each night. We could only work a bit before he had to take a break,and we probably put in about an average of 3 hours each day,give or take. It depended on Rick's tolerance. We got the upper cross supports on,and the attached the top row of chicken wire to it. Today we are going to put the wire across the top so the turkeys don't fly out and flying predators can't get in. Then we just need to put one more roost in ( we use cut down decent size saplings and run them between trees) and a shelter for them and it will be done. Our friend,CJ,is selling us turkeys that will be big enough to go right in the pen.Then we have to organize the garage and redo a small cage for the chicks when they come in later this week. Then we need to build the coop,and make our garden beds. All this as soon as we can. Our rush is twofold. First,we need to get them done,because we need to get them done! The second,is Rick is finally getting his knees replaced! His surgery date is June 7. They are going to set him up for both knees at once,but if the anetheseologist says it's too risky,they will do one then the other about a month and a half later.The VA cleared it and he will be getting his surgery done at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. We are very excited and happy that he will finally get this portion of his life back!!! Pain free. Imagine the concept!

Zach had his Boy Scout Camporee this past weekend,and the troop did well-two first places and a third. He had a great time,and was quite tired. He and I redid our fire ring,and I thought he was going to fall asleep right on the ground. Later in the afternoon we watched "Avatar",and he fell asleep. Poor little guy. He had vacation last week,and was such a big help to Rick and myself outside. We didn't even have to ask! He was more than happy to help his Dad. He's such a great kid.

Yesterday was a sad day for me. It was the one year anniversary death of my dear friend,Alexandra O'Rourke. She passed away from lung cancer. I was going to say something about it to My Dear Friend Michelle while we were picking up the boys at Camporee,but I had a feeling we would both cry,so I didn't say anything. I didn't need to remind her. Alex was her best friend. We both knew,though I did mention it in an email to her later and I posted a remembrance to Alex on Facebook. It was then I started to cry,and went outside to help Rick. He gave me a hug while I wiped my tears. I haven't cried over Alex in a long time,though I think about her alot, and miss her,especially this time of year when she would out in the garden. Rick told me he thought Alex would be proud of me for starting to live this kind of life,and I like to think that she would be. It still feels strange and hurts a bit when I see her sons,especially her oldest boy who is in Zach's troop. He is the spitting image of Alex,and she loved the scouting program so much. A whole year. It has gone by so very fast. It seems like yesterday.

Thank You!

Thank you to Sue Weber who has given my blog the "Sunshine Award"! The Sunshine Award is given to blogs that make your day a bit brighter. Sue is from New Zealand,and I follow her blog, "Living The Good Life." This is my first award from a fellow blogger,and I am quite pleased that she thought of me waaaaaaayyyyy down there on the other end of the world.

Now that I have received this award,there are some other things I must do,as this is a "rolling" award:
1. Post the Award
2.Pass on to 12 bloggers
3.Link to nominees
4.Link to givers

I am not that computer literate,so hopefully I will be able to figure out how to do this!!!

I don't follow 12 blogs,so I shall have to send this award to just a handful.

1.http://Little House in the Suburbs
2.http://A Homesteading Neophyte
3.http://Down---to---earth
4.http://Living the Good Life (right back at you,Sue!)
5.http://Lizzy Lane Farm
6.http://Our Wee Farm
7.http://Candid Country Life

Thanks again to Sue,and keep up the good work on your blog....New Zealand looks like a beautiful country.

When A Door Closes,A Window Opens

Well, I must say that things have been crazy in our little cottage in the country. We have been running around on errands or appointments,and I have not had the time to blog as I should. When I have had a break I try to play catch up with my household chores. Yesterday I took a real break.Zach and I went to Milton Town Beach on Milton Three Ponds with my dear friend Michelle,and her two sons,Ethan ( who is Zach's good bud) and Kyle.The boys swam while we girls sat and chatted. We stayed about three hours.
Michelle and I have known each other for about three years,and we met through Cub Scouts. We were friendly,but only saw each other during scouting events. We did have a mutual friend,Alex. Alex was a great person,full of life and love for the land and her family. She had a huge garden,chickens,had raised pigs,and grew her own flowers -beautiful flowers. She sold the flowers,veggies,and eggs at the roadside stand at her house. Michelle and Alex were very close,and Cub Scouting brought Alex and I together when our Cubmaster stepped down. We had been in the program the longest at that point,and had mostly new people,so we kind of took the wheel together. We got to know each other fairly well,and we were becoming real good friends. Then,two years ago,Alex was diagnosed with Stage Three lung cancer,and she passed away this past April. It was this tragedy in our lives that brought Michelle and I into our friendship.
We would talk on the phone and console each other, voice our fears,and our hopes regarding Alex.This bonded us. During this,we found out more about each other,and I was surprised to discover we had more things in common besides Cub Scouting.
She had animals (chickens,goats,pigs) and a veggie garden. She loved working outside,being organized,and trying to find better ways of doing things. She wanted to be more self sufficient and make things herself. I found that very intriguing. She said that Alex had inspired her. Alex lived her life they way she wanted without worrying about judgement. Now she was doing the same. So, as Alex inspired her,she has inspired me.
We started emailing each other bemoaning about getting our lives organized and losing some weight. We followed FlyLady together and talked about our successes and failures regarding food/exercise for that day. She introduced me to homesteading and organization blogs. That got me going on my continuing quest for self sufficiency and making my household as organized as it can be. I have wanted to be more self sufficient for a long time,and was happily surprised that Michelle felt the same way. That being said, she is much more focused than I,and I admire her for that. When we discussed making our soap, I told her I had done melt and pour,not lye. She said she wanted to do lye,and I said it would be fun to try. Well, I still haven't done it,and she has. I think within a week of that email she had ordered the supplies,and shortly after that,she had made her first batch! She gave me two bars of her Oatmeal Honey soap yesterday,saying that once fall starts,she wants me to come over so we can make myself a batch. She has made her own cheese. She has her own worms for composting. She does not like to buy plastic that is not recyclable,and is always trying to find ways to reduce waste. She buys earth friendly household cleaners,all the while tyring to find if there are homemade solutions to them. We also talked about making our laundry detergent-again, I say it's a great idea and want to do it,she has gone and done it. It makes it sound like I am all talk,no action,doesn't it? I truly admire her do it attitude.
She has also introduced me to Jamie and Claire,the lead characters from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. She and Alex enjoyed it,and,knowing my love of history,thought I would enjoy them.They combine historical events with fiction. She was right, I love them,and we are counting down until Sept 22 when the new book comes out. We are hitting the bookstore together. I know our emails will be filled with "Where are you in the book? What did you think of..."
One of things we said to each other was that regardless of how busy we were,we were going to see each other at least every other week. When the boys were in school,it was easier,of course. I would either go to her house,or we would meet at a local restaurant for coffee or tea and a muffin. Now that summer is here,with more chores,and the kids out of school,it's not every other week, but that is OK. We are both busy,but take the time to drop each other a line regularly.( It's one of the first things I do in the morning).Once school starts, our "muffin dates" will resume.
I treasure our friendship and know that it will continue to grow as time goes on. I also know that Alex is looking down at us,smiling with approval.