Art Swap Items

I finished up all my projects for Miss Sandy's Art Swap for her "I Remember Laura" Blog-a-Thon over at Quill Cottage. This was really a fun project. I struggled with the nine patch collage piece the most. I am a lot more comfortable creating with paper than I am with fabric. The Quote Book took a long time, but was finally completed last night.

Here are some pictures I took to remember the pieces since they'll all go to new homes. This was a lot of fun and very well organized. I'd happily participate in another one again if Miss Sandy does one! It was good to do something just to be creative and to enjoy.

Week 1- Nine Patch

Week 2- Button Tags

Week 3- Recipe Card

Week 4- Quote Book

Bliss

"She was so thankful for the softness of her lavender-fragrant bed, and so delighted with the lovely freshness of her chintz-hung room. As she lay upon her pillow, she could see the boughs of the trees, and hear the chatter of darting starlings. When her morning tea was brought, it seemed like nectar to her."

~Frances Hodgson Burnett, Emily Fox-Seton

Woo Hoo!

The Settee

*****

Pumpkin's Corner (Not Time-Out--Just where is rocking chair and watering can are!)

I finished sewing my porch cushions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Having conquered this, I can do anything! Well, maybe not. But it looks so much more cheerful now. I even took my coffe out this morning to read quietly for awhile before the boys got up.

I took a few pictures, but they aren't the best. I must have had the camera on macro settings. This works for now. There is also a full-sized rocker that I sewed a cushion for, but it didn't make it into the picture. Now, to make a pot of tea and go relax. Maybe later. The boys are up and running and it's time to get dinner going.

Plenty of Thyme

The Gentle Joys of Summer

Our rose bushes are simply bursting with blossoms. These are my particular favorites. It is called, I believe, an Elizabeth Rose. Their scent isn't as strong as some of the others, but the color is extraordinary.

I learned a few years ago to wait to prune back the roses until spring, not in the fall as they die back even more than is cut. It has made an incredible difference in the size of the bushes these last two years. I am keeping our home, and several others, filled with roses. It's so wonderful!

I love having a garden. Some years have been more successful than others. We have a lot of weeds this year, but our herbs and veggies are going strong. Now, to just get to gather some strawberries before the birds do!

I've been livening up our meals with little touches from the garden already. I made up a quick batch of pesto with the basil and a few other things I had on hand substituting raw cashews for the pine nuts as I did not want to take the time to peel all the pine nuts. It's so good spread on fresh bread and adding a touch of cream cheese and fresh tomatoes makes it truly delightful.

Speaking of cream cheese, I love mixing it with just fresh chives, dill, and thyme and serving it on crackers or bread. Even Pumpkin loves it! It's such a lighter and delicious version of something like a Boursin cheese. It tastes so wonderfully fresh.

Dinner tonight will be Greek Chicken, if I get on the ball and get that pita bread rising. I love to serve it with Tajiki and have fresh dill and cucumbers just waiting to be mixed into the plain yogurt. Sprinkled with a bit of feta for some zing-yum! It helps that I grilled a ton of chicken and other meat the other night all at once so that I have meat ready to go in the fridge and freezer.

Boy, I seem to be really focused on food right now! Must be from skipping eating most of yesterday. I seemed to have caught a 24 hour buggy thing, but am feeling great now.

It's been a bit of a roller coaster month for us. It started off with me dashing off to see my Dad when he had his pacemaker installed, to a scare with Pumpkin last week. The poor little guy fell while we were at a friend's house. We spent the afternoon at the doctor's where the x-rays turned out fine. Pumpkin was in a splint for a few days, and refused to walk for a few more, but is now running around just fine. Thank you, Lord! The stress of it all about did this Mommy and Daddy in.

Now, I'm bouncing back from not feeling well and trying to get ready for a visit from my Dad and Stepmom this weekend. They just decided on Monday to come on up. They haven't seen the boys since Christmas, so we are excited to have them coming. Now, to just try and get done all the things I'd like to have done before they arrive. (Yes, Carey and Mom, I know...I know. You really don't need to say anything.)

We are having such a fun time around here, though, in between little jobs to do. The boys are learning to play together so well. It's not without its tears, but is such a joy to see. They really do love one another. Well, I hear little voices up from naps, so I'll sign off now. Hope you are having a lovely week as well.

Thoughtful Boy

For the "I Remember Laura" Art Swap-- Recipe Card

Visit Quill Cottage for more family recipes and recipe cards.

"In spite of illness,

in spite even of the arch-enemy sorrow,

one can remain alive long past the usual

age of disintegration

if one is unafraid of change,

insatiable in intellectual curiosity,

interested in big things,

and happy in small ones."


~Edith Wharton

Treasure Hunting

Letter Board for the Boys with Numbers on the Back.

Grandma had one of these growing up!

Mom, the boys, and I headed off this morning to the Ballpark Market here in downtown Denver. Mom and I had gone a few years ago, but had not been back for whatever reason. There are three or four of this markets around the city on various Saturdays, so it's nice to visit some of them now and again.

Personally, I was surprised that this one isn't any larger than it was after all the years they've been doing it. There was no Farmer's Market as listed and the pastries and coffees from their snack shop must have been sold out of the hot dog stand. The Paris Street Market by constrast is quite large and very busy. There is also the a Sweet William Market, too for those of you who may be interested!

However, I still found some fun treasures! I had birthday money that's been burning a hole in my pocket since March, so I was on the look out for some unique items.

My New Shelf for Teacups and Treasures

Have you ever bought something outdoors only to be surprised by how large it really is when it is indoors? Sweetheart and I have this problem every time we cut down our own Christmas trees in the forest. Like the year it passed the windows on the SECOND floor of the vaulted ceiling. Yup.

So, that will help you understand this bowl. It looked like a nice big bowl to hold my double batches of bread dough. Ok. It'll do that.

In fact, here's the t*r*i*p*l*e batch of dough, that's six loaves, AFTER it had risen.


Maybe this will help get the size into perspective! It'll hold dough for six loaves of bread with ease, but only one Dumpling.

(By the way, ignore the mess on the counter by the sink, but notice the great vintage Pyrex dishes I got!) I have no idea where I'm going to store this when it's not in use!!!

Button Tags

I made my button tags for Quill Cottage's "I Remember Laura" Blog-a-Thon & Art Swap.

The photographs are of Laura Ingalls Wilder at different ages of her life.

Thanks, Sandy, for putting all this together.

Progress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big breath in! I feel like I'm actually getting my head above water. I've been completely a bunch of projects around the house that have been half done for far too long. It's felt like I haven't finished anything in so long, but tonight I've reviewed what I have done in the last two weeks.

* The garden is all in. Yippee!

* I've finished painting all the porch furniture, except a small part of one piece I need to touch up.

* I've sewn two of the cushions for the porch. I think I have three to go.

* I've clean out our closet, our room, and the loft. These were an utter disaster, especially after dashing out of town last week.

* I've done some sewing on a bag I've been wanting to get to for quite some time. It was a black canvas bag that I loved, but it had an ugly logo for a reading curriculum company that I got at a teaching training years ago. I gave away most of my teacher bags when I quit, but this one was always comfortable and the inside pockets so useful. So, finally I cut out a rectangle from some of my Grandmother's old barkcloth curtains and sewed it over the logo. I tried to sew it on with the machine, but since it was on the pocket of the bag, I couldn't get it to work right on the machine. So I ended up hand sewing it with embroider thread. It's not perfect, but I like it a whole lot better! (I love the fabric, but entire draperies out of it might be too much even for me!)

* All the dishes are washed and now I have time to go work on my projects for the Art Swap over at Quill Cottage. I am excited about this as they are manageable projects with a end result and a deadline. Finally, an excuse to just be creative because I want to! I needed something like this to do just for me and just for fun.

* I've been cutting roses and filling the house with them this week. The bushes have simply exploded with blooms! I'm sure I'll post pictures soon. It's amazing.

Tuesday's Tea of the Week

KIMBERLY'S CUP-MANGO TEA!

It's been awhile since I've done a Tuesday's Tea...

Our box of tea from the wholesalers arrived last night just as Sweetheart was getting home. Unfortunately, it was just one of the two boxes, so we have to wait on the rest of the order. I've ordered some of our favorites as well as a few new tastes to try.



Today I am sampling a Mango flavored black tea. I ordered it because I love to brew different flavors this time of year as iced tea. I have opened the container it came in. Oh, how I wish you were here! It's delicate fruity fragrance has filled the room. I've got the kettle on. I am planning to brew a pot of this hot, drink a cup (or two) and then refrigerate the rest for iced tea.



Sometimes I brew the tea directly in the pitcher for iced tea like sun tea, and sometimes I do it this way. It also works to brew a stronger batch of hot tea, then dilute it with cooler water and ice in your pitcher. Each way works, it usually just depends on how much time I have before I want to serve the tea and whether or not my pitcher is already filled with Peach Tea. :)



I just poured off the first bit of water to help reduce the amount of caffeine in the tea and now I have a few moments before it is fully brewed. The color is just what a pot of tea should look like: golden brown with some russet highlights and the smell is delightful. It even smells sweet. Now, I just drink my tea, hot or iced, plain letting the flavors of the tea come through. Sweetheart loves to bury his in large quantities of sugar. I think if I were to sweeten the tea I would do it now while the tea is hot so that the sugar dissolves. How do you do it?



The pot is resting for a moment as it is a bit too hot even for me to drink. I'm going to sit back down with Pumpkin and finish our apple and cheese snack.

***

Good thing I went back when I did! My cheese and apple both had mysterious, Pumpkin-sized bites missing...



After I finished (what was left of) my apple I started to drink the tea. Yum. This is sooo good! It has a wonderful flavor with a sense of fullness to it. Do you know what I mean? Not like an herbal fruit tea that always tastes watery to me, but like a real-fill-your-mouth-drink. The color is lovely, the fragance delightful, and the taste rich. Sounds like a winner to me!



Now, hopefully, we'll get something up and going soon so that I can share these new tea treasures with you all!

Wouldn't it be nice to have one of these to brew iced tea in? I love this!

Daybook 2

Outside my Window...

the sky is a beautiful Colorado blue with some wispy white clouds up high.


I am thinking...

about breakfast.


I am thankful for...

everything!!! Life is so good.

I am thankful that my Dad is doing so well after receiving a pacemaker last week.

I am thankful to be at home.
I am thankful for the new screen door Sweetheart installed yesterday. It's right next to my computer so I can see outside. The fresh morning breeze blowing into the kitchen is so delightful!


From the kitchen...

not much yet! I need to make some bread and finish my menu plan for the week. Sweetheart was talking about cookies this weekend and I've got some apples that need to be used. Pie or cookies? Decisions, decisions...


I am creating...

a new Everything Book. I need to be working on my Art Swap stuff, too!!


I am going...

to the dentist this afternoon. Woohoo. Wasn't I just there six months ago?


I am wearing...

a denim shirt, white capris and my hair in just up in a barrette. I'll do something with it later.

I am reading...

Farmer Boy.


I am hoping...

to finish something!!!! Anything!!!!!


I am hearing...

boys chattering, a cricket chirping out back, the robin that just flew into my garden, & the washing machine.

Around the house...

are a few projects I'm working on and needing to finish.

One of my favorite things...

is exploring my garden each day to see what new things have arrived. I believe I can see a poppy out there.


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...

working on the cushions for the porch, creating the projects for the Art Swap, taking care of little boys, weeding the garden, and going over to Joanne's on Thursday. Pretty much all the stuff I started last week, but didn't finish.

A Picture Thought I am Sharing...

This is just a random family picture from when my Grandparents were in Germany after WWII. My Grandma is the beautiful woman in the frames. I like the simple dailyness of this picture.

Stop by The Simple Woman for more Daybooks.

Update

Well, just after I posted the prayer request for my Dad, I decided to go see him. He lives across the state. I made plans, and changed plans with such rapidity that I was just numb by the time I ended up on a flight out that afternoon. My Mom and Sweetheart watched the boys while I was gone.
I arrived just after my Dad returned to his room after having a pacemake put in. He is doing well. They released him the next morning and he headed off to a Beach Boys concert that night. I stayed until last evening.
Although the circumstances were less than ideal, and I missed my three guys A LOT, I am glad I went. It was nice just to spend time with my Dad and Stepmom. It was weird though, as it was the longest I'd been away from Sweetheart in quite a few years, and the longest I'd been away from the little guys ever. I kept listening for the boys. :) It was nice to actually carry on adult conversations without interruptions, except from my pregnancy-addled brain.
I am home now and trying to get back into the routine. Dumpling's nine month check up was this morning and he passed with flying colors! We got home, ate lunch, took naps and the boys are playing while I type this and try to figure out what in the world I'm going to do for dinner.
Thank you all for your prayers. I really appreciate all your kindness. Much love to you all! ~K

Prayer Request

Well, this wasn't the post I had planned for today. I just received a call from my Dad that he's going to have a pacemaker installed today. He's never had a problem with his heart, so this is a shock. Please pray for him. Thank you.

Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window...

the sky is cloudy. We are enjoying a rain and hailstorm. Some of those hailstones can sting!



I am thinking...

about all the little projects I'm working on and trying to finish this week. I've also got a decision to make that I want to be wise about, so that is on my heart and mind.



I am thankful for...

the rain, my family, how God has blessed our garden with life, how He has blessed us with this new life inside me, how incredibly blessed I am.





From the kitchen...

are a few loaves of bread and rolls, three meals a day, a lovely pot of Apricot Tea.



I am creating...

some items for the Art Swap at Quill Cottage. My kit arrived today.



I am going...

to be home during the days all week, except for Dumpling's nine month well-baby exam on Friday. I have plans with a sweet friend tomorrow evening.

It's nice to be home after running around all weekend. I attended the high school graduation ceremony and a bunch of parties for one of my former fifth grade classes. Being out and about three days in a row is a lot for me now. Weird how things change! I'd of thought nothing of it all a few years ago.



I am wearing...

a red gingham shirt, white capris and my hair in braided ponytails. I am barefoot as usual, ok--I'm barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen. I took off my apron as it is the end of the day.



I am reading...

Little House on the Prairie



I am hoping...

to join Sweetheart out on the back step in a moment.





I am hearing...

the rain fall, the birds calling one another, the soundtrack to Pride & Prejudice playing softly.



Around the house...

are a few scattered toys left to pick up, a few more dishes to rinse, a load of laundry to fold.



One of my favorite things...

in waiting for me on the back step. *** Time to take a break and go outside to sit by Sweetheart.*** I'm back!





A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...

working on the cushions for the porch, creating the projects for the Art Swap, taking care of little boys, weeding the garden.



Here is a picture thought I am sharing for you...

These are some of the incredible iris I have growing on the side of the house. The iris have been so amazing this year! I wish I could cut a bouquet for each one of you. I'd also pour you a cup of that Apricot Tea so you could sit and visit with me.

Please visit The Simple Woman for more Daybooks and ideas.

Thanks for stopping by!

I Remember Laura

My first introduction to Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder came, like many from my generation, via the television series based on her books, "Little House on the Prairie". I looked forward each week to watching the latest episode of Laura and her family as they lived life together out on the prairie. The hard times, how they worked together as a family, and the love and laughter they shared brought her world alive in mine.

I even had a little sunbonnet that I loved wearing, more than Laura probably did. I've kept that bonnet all these years. It has a colorful patchwork pattern on it with a red rick rack trim. I'll have to see if I can find it during nap time today and take a picture of it!

The first LHOTP book I read was Farmer Boy. I remember reading it, but oddly not enjoying it much. I loved to read and read voraciously, but had a hard time getting into that book, in fact I think I gave it up for a time. After I started the series at the beginning with Little House in the Big Woods and read through the series in order I loved Farmer Boy when I got to it. I'm not sure what caused the change, but I'm glad I did not give up on the series. As an adult, that is one of my favorite of her books.

Many years passed from my childhood. When I was in my early twenties I was at a garage sale where I purchased the VHS tape of the original "Little House" movie that launched the series as well as a well-worn set of the books. I eventually placed the set of books in my classroom library and more time went on.

One year during an English class lesson I was teaching on descriptive writing we read an excerpt from On The Shores of Silver Lake. I was enthralled. I took the set of books home that night and began to reread them myself. Now, examining and enjoying the series for the beauty of the writing and the depth of her descriptions, my love for all things Laura was rekindled.

As a class we talked about her writing from a descriptive viewpoint. I shared with the class how Laura became her sister Mary's eyes after Mary became blind. Learning to see for another, I believe, helped develop her awareness to a better degree than an average child might have had. As she sought to describe the world around her in a way that Mary could "see" she was able to learn how to put her life and experiences into words. I think that is what makes her such an extraordinary writer. I can always see what she is writing in my mind's eye.

More years have passed. I reread the series each year to myself just for fun. Last Christmas I read a picture book based on the Christmas chapter in Little House in the Big Woods to Pumpkin. It quickly became one of his favorite books to read together. I recently began to read the full book to he (and Pumpkin) at the table during lunch. I know, at two and a half, Pumpkin doesn't really understand the story, but he loves being read to and I love reading aloud. Plus, it sure beats a lot of the books written today.

Each little chapter weaves it way into our lives. The lessons learned, not just about pioneer life, but about life in general, stitch together the lessons we want to teach our sons. Lessons about appreciation, hard work, working together, using our time well, and having a lot of fun in creative ways, are things we each need in our lives. Keeping at the chores when I'd rather go read a blog because I am reminded that Ma always completed her work quickly and diligently encourages me to keep on the path set before me. Adding little touches of beauty, without cost, using what one already has in a new way, or making something new yourself, are other lessons I've learned from Ma.

Little patches of memories from the stories, from my own life, come together in unexpected ways. Mismatched lives, set in very different times and different places, sewn together in thoughts and actions create their own designs. Placing these little bits together, seeing how they may fit, pieced together from so many disparate parts creates its own beauty just as a quilt.

*******

Stop on over to Quill Cottage for her "I Remember Laura" Blog-a-Thon. This week's theme is a quilting theme. This quilt was something my mom bought when I was a young girl. The quilt top was pieced together from old aprons (How perfect!) from the 40's and 50's. My mom then quilted it and added the backing. She gave it to me in February when I redid our bedroom. It's the only quilt I've ever wanted. It brings a smile to my face every time I enter our room. The flower with the little roses on seersucker was always my favorite as a child. It still is.