Project Pink - 52 Photos

The first color of the 52 Photos Project, Season 2 ... is Pink.
 I humbly submit to you, my captures for this week....

Canon EOS Rebel XTi

Canon EOS Rebel XTi

51 Days to 41

I love it when my hands smell like parsley, oregano, basil, garlic, ohhh the list is varied and endless.... All crushed and chopped and fresh from the herb garden I've developed just outside my front door. That little patch certainly rates in the top ten "at my fingertips" benefits I won't soon forgo.

And... in 51 days, I will be 41 ... and this is what today started like.

Busy Month of August Fullness

The month began with family at the falls, Niagra, NY...

A family reunited is never a party to miss!

Death Cab for Cutie brought us home

the Boy runs a tiller like a pro!

Adding Sacred space...

Taking journey's and adventures....

Southern Women's reading material at the SuperCuts...? 

Finding ... and relocating veggie foes

Pears... Pears and more Pears

Makes for pear sauce and spiced pears this winter! YUM

Summer time lovelies fading into the school year....

She is large... and commanding... and newly relocated from the 
garden to the forest where I will continue to honor her lessons.

Now, here is a small sample of August... there were marshmallows, cookies, and newly tried healthy recipes to be certain... And all went over with a triumphant call! The SouLodge is wrapping up in a week or so and I feel I will continue to gather much needed knowledge and wisdom from the ladies which I am encountering and listening to in the circle. They are brave and soul-filled, honest and courageous in their sharings.  Our fall / winter garden is taking off beautifully and I hope that I have asked for the balance, nourishment and wisdom to see a lush harvest!

Blessings for a full and bountiful September All~

Over .... done

So, I've been toiling about a bunch of it all... and days like today, when I THINK (bad idea sometimes) that I've got my favorite comfy, get down to business big girl panties on... it really smacks me hard when I realize, not only have they morphed into some 1980's G string that has gotten lost and is crawling the WRONG way searching for the exit... they are inside out to boot.

The past few days have taken me on a spin and I'm just trying not to pass out from the dizzy feeling. This feeling of overwhelmed is way over done. I'm taking a time out (if you couldn't already tell...)

I've been trying and trying to force the text onto these pages... but I can't even seem to find a photo I like enough... and in the Art Shed... it's worse (oh yes, my Emotional Evolution is not evolving... the Abstract Adventure led me down a dead end and I would like to take a trip with another of these amazing teachers, but ... cooked) (yes, my head is a bit low)

I've been trying and trying to catch up on the weeding in the v.garden... and I think its a conspiracy, because now there are mushroom thingies in between the non-carrot looking thingies and the two rows I just so diligently plucked... are beginning to wimper in protest about enemies approaching. The brocolli has sprouted flowers (again?!) which means I'm desperately doing something wrong up there and there are so many bugs that I am darn near convinced I was wrong again, and this isn't MY garden, it's theirs. I went to a neighbor, whom I have not met to see how they are keeping things so free of weeds and the like... no one was home to speak with, but a cursury glance showed a lot of chemicals and a drip line.... Chemicals, I'm not a fan of... the drip line made a lightbulb appear, then again, I'm back to how to fix the well, which has no electricity, but HAD electricity at some point, yet there seems to be NO ONE who can tell us where that "switch" should be so we can get it tested/fixed (yada yada yada) ..... and the beat goes on....

One cat with a hazy eye, one with a thorn in his foot, refusing medical attention (and causing a fitful nights rest because he REFUSED to go into the barn at dinner time!! and ran into the forest to sleep /grrrr), and the one who likes to bite has at least two freshly burst absesses on his arthritic foot.... there are seven others... yes, I'm afraid to look closely. (not really, all others are healthy and seemingly happy, except Olive, who is the Teen's cat, and has an annoyed teenager's attitude... (this is her typical behavior, no worries there).)

"the" Boy who's baseball team is on a 'bye' week and he thinks this means that someone here needs to be the entertainment staff, yet when the Teen agrees to play catch... he doesn't want to anymore! (Can I just say.... this does NOT help keep hold of the waning patience, this mom is desperately clinging to) One of the many GOOD parts about the Boy which can't go untold: EOG's are complete and he is as smart as he thinks he is, (well as far as the books go! haha!!) Scored 99% in Science, and Level 3 Reading, Level 4 Math... all that to say, he will be in the Gifted program when he enters middle school next year!

I know people have it worse in life... but reality is (my reality), worlds are individual, specific and quite pertinant to how you go about your daily routine. I see the big picture and get up every day with big designs and goals with great purpose and intent.... you (me) can't do every.thing every.day for every.one... whether that is dealing only with family, only with work, only with students, your boss... or only with YOU (me), or a combination of all of it.

I need help, I need workable solutions... and I need time outs.

What do you need?

First of April

Things have been fairly whirly windy typical lately so I'm trying my hand at this... the music isn't themed, just what I was listening to and thought you should too :)

Happy Birthday Megan :) Hope your day is filled with merriment and joy.

Off to the chore list, break is well over!

Weekend Additions

The previous week, and this weekend has been very event-filled...

There has been the addition of Buffy, who loves to eat.... and has to have her lighting changed twice daily...

Then, we adopted Chunk here... (which this is unfortunately, not his name... he is still nameless 10 days later...) with his cell mate Hazel Abigail, who is camera shy... they took us on a whirlwind spin through the vet office for three days in a row. Including sub-cue fluids and five different RX's .... umm... not what we really anticipated.... nor did the eight other cats, when they were banished from the house for an indeterminable time frame while the healing began. Sinusitis was an understatement. This is why I do so dislike shelter's and center adoptions.... but understand completely, why they are needed as we get ready to enter kitty season. Please people, if you don't spay/neuter GET YOUR HEAD CHECKED! I am serious, this is a life saving procedure! There are too many cats, dogs, turtles, snakes, frogs and innumerable other pets out there that are surrendered or abandoned.... and when left to their own devices, these cats/dogs just have babies like bunnies... and that's no joke fellas.

If these below are small-ish, click'em to see them big like... The Teen, and her guy friend, made one kick ass fence and gate combo for Joe & Charley, who were very appreciative and excited to be let out of man-cave where they were rushed to when it began to rain on our day party of outdoor projects... a common occurrence of late (the rain, not goats, in the man-cave)...

Girl, and the Boy were my brute muscles and dug up a boat load of agapantha's gone wild... we replaced these with a variety of perennials.... we did the same thing under the carport area, which was also inundated with aggies... there was MUCH love for those buggers here... YEARS of lovin.... we have relocated approximately 250 plants.

The non-pictured beauties include 3 salvia, 2 lavender, a rosemary, I am still in search of some specific sage varieties, and Girl is convinced we can find some wild wisteria rather than hit up the nursery... it is growing EVERYWHERE I look ... and it is gorgeous!!!!



And now.... it's time to sort and sow the herb garden....

Feed Meeeee

Charley & Joe

When we take Saturdays to work in our charmed forest, Charley and Joe reap the rewards with fresh foliage... today we brought out another large batch and the Boy worked to clear debris from our creek which is fuller since the rains and began to flow a bit once he pushed somethings from here to there.

We had only been in the house for a quick lunch break (20 minutes max!) Girl was keeping the laundry train moving and we are guessing that is when the mysterious Farmer neighbor arrived and plowed over the field!! I am so bloomin' excited I can barely stand it! If I weren't heading for a much needed feet in the water visit tomorrow, I would be knee deep in establishing beds! OH It's soooooo big! :)

ps... got tutu materials today too! wahhooo

Forward movements

The promised tilling of the garden area has still yet to happen, and of course, we are anxious... even though there are a bazillion other things that are keeping us overly busy. I cleared the pantry closet this week and it is actually a pantry closet now! :) The just haven't made it to the barn suitcases, computer boxes and various other items that created the "junk closet" now have official homes and the pantry has been reclaimed! This also opened up counter space in the kitchen where I was full speed ahead set up to use as a temporary sewing nook! It's a perfect size, and located far from dishwater and oven... The Girl set it up all pretty for me and everything...

And then, in the great sewing debacle of 2011, the machine took a big ole poo. Or maybe it was my melt down after being unable to stitch more than an inch between the bobbin jamming and knotting, or the thread snapping... the needle breaking was a bit over the top I thought, but I continued to unjam bobbin... even re-threading wondering if I had screwed that up somehow... it's been a while since I've sewn, so it is possible... new thread on the top, this one must be old? right.... snapping every few stitches... the tension is set correctly, I even googled it to be sure... tension is (and was) set fine. An hour later, my glasses thrown to the floor, the machine moved to the center island in the kitchen because maybe the lighting isn't good enough?!! Poooooof

The fabric is here, the panels washed, pressed and one partially sewn, and my motivation floundering... on to the next project until a new machine can be found. Curtainy fabric looks nice in this basket on the counter top :)

The little house which is to be my space for reckless abandon and creativity is in a state of repaint / claim it / clean it ... and this has brought me significant pleasure... being able to scoot away and work in here this week has been a gift and I am excited about the possibilities that will grow up and out of here...

We also began a bit of the yard gardening, which will be more of a design as we go and have the items I use in my daily doings. The 1st of February was Imbolc and when the Girl and I were driving up our road to home, I caught sight of four to six wild pigs rounding the edge of a clearing into a wooded area between pastures... it was so cool! Why I don't keep the camera with me all the time here still drives me bananas... (then I have to rationalize... would I really have been holding it looking out the window as we rounded this familiar bend on the way home...???) Once the Teen and the Boy were home from school, we planted strawberries and worked in the yard for a bit. The goats were playing and we were laughing... celebrations are sweet.

Yesterday was a drawn out day in town, where we did not go grocery shopping and why I'm still procrastinating about that is uncertain (except... I really don't like that store...) This morning has been blissfully quiet and relaxing as the music plays, the dogs go to and fro and the coffee keeps coming...