FOTO FRIDAY- around the yard

You know you're a redneck when......

your clothesline screams REDNECK!

WATCH (WO)MEN ON THE WALL...there is always someone on the lookout when I get to the chicken house to let the girls out for the day. I often wonder if there is somekind of conspiracy going on in there. Perhaps I watched Chicken Run a few too many times!

A SWEET FIND and more!

My son bought an old cabin in the mountain. It was a cabin that an older gentleman had been living in. The man was deceased and his family sold the cabin "as is" to my son. So that meant there was a lot of JUNK to discard. But for "junkies" like me, it was a TREASURE TROVE of GOODS! One of the things that I found (and was allowed to keep;) was this old wooden chair. This chair had been painted that blue green color that everything was painted back in the '50's. (Sorry, but I forgot to take a before picture.) The green paint was all CRACKLED, so I just took the power washer over it to shed the chair of all peeling paint. My plan is to polyurethane it as soon as I get the chance to help preserve the wood since it will be sitting outside most of the time. I found a great use for my NEW chair........yep, you guessed it......a nifty prop for my clothes basket!

Don't you just wonder what this old chair has seen, who sat in it. And how did it end up on a heap in the garage? I guess we'll never know. But it is fun to let your mind wander.

You know how one thing just leads to the other???? Well, since we're talking clothes baskets, my mind is leading here.....

I just wanted to share a few projects was working on over the LOOOONG winter....

The first thing is this cute little clothes pin apron. FABULOUS! I got the apron pattern from MaryJanesFarm magazine, Dec '09 issue.

Secondly, is apron #2. I got this pattern off the internet at Busy Bee Quilt Designs. I'm thinkin' I need one for every holiday!

Living Simply and deliberately

Tammy

SPENDING A WEEK WITH GRANDMUMMIE-from baby Jack's perspective

I spent the week with my Grandmummie while my Mummie was working. We played on the floor with my toys. Grandmummie loves my lumpy legs but wonders why her lumps aren't as cute..

We took several walks to enjoy the spring weather. But that hat of mine sure is hard on my red locks!

I helped GM with some cooking...

I helped wash dishes too....I looovvve water!

That gadget is swweeettt!

Aww, aren't they cute. We took care of the little chickies in the cage...

Cute...but kinda scary!

GM took me outside to see the big chickens. I like to look at the big chickens. But that noisy rooster scares me sometimes.

I enjoyed watching the doggies play!



And we even dug up the carrots from the hot box so Grampie could use the box for planting seeds. He's a garden guru!

GM cooked the carrots and smooshed them in that sweet kitchen gadget for me to eat. Mmm good!


Living Simply and Deliberately

Grandmummie

RENEWAL-SAYING SO LONG TO WINTER

As you can probably tell my fresh new layout....

I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF WINTER!

Regardless of that nasty Phil's forecast of 6 more weeks of winter.....I'm done with it. Winter is officially over at my house! I'm turning the corner and bringing out the spring- time feel at my house! All remnants of winter decor are going to be banished from sight! First on the hit list is the front porch.

But before I completely close the book on winter, I want to share a few last pictures from these last days of winter at my house. I've been behind on my blogging because I have been cleaning out closets and getting the house reorganized. At our house, we have two seasons- holiday season and garden/canning season. So this is the in-between-time of year to roll up the sleeves and dig in. (more on that another day)

About 2 weeks ago, a flock of ROBINS made their debut to our back yard. Well actually they took up residence on the "hunting camper".

BIG mistake! What are they going to eat?

(Oh that reminds me...season number 3 at our house-HUNTING SEASON!)

Here's a great Reminder

We had a lot of snow this year!! Mother Nature dumped 2 feet on one occasion and a few days later another foot. You can imagine the grumbling going on around here with all the shoveling, and plowing. As I walked up the sidewalk one day from getting the mail, my little flag just set off a little giggle on the inside of me. It reads:

REJOICE IN EVERY GOOD THING!

Even snow!??!!

Valentines Day gave us a nice break from the weather. We enjoyed some card making, baking, and a family picnic together (indoors of course). Our menu:

Hamburgers and Hot dogs

Harvest Potatoes

Baked beans

Cookies

Punch in our festive lighted punch bowl

Cherry Pie

And one more thought .............hold on to your bloomers!

As I am closing the door on winter and looking toward spring.....

I'm dreaming of my gardens laden with seeds (already ordered)

that will produce abundantly,

a yard that is a gorgeous lush color of green, instead of a filthy dirty white,

oooh and can't forget the smell of fresh cut grass,

floral decorations and splashes of spring forsythia-like yellow about the house.....everywhere.

pantries and closets, cleared of the clutter and

windows clean and sparkly that allow the spring sun to shine through brightly,

a new batch of fuzzy little chicks,

and the RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD!

And as a water aerobics instructor

I'm dreaming of shedding a few winter pounds!

This little cartoon has given me the inspiration I needed to

KICK IT UP A NOTCH!

With that I'll close!!

I hope you'll take time to dream about spring Today!

Living Simply and Deliberately,

Tammy

Chef Jack

Our little Jack is growing quickly! Don't ya just hate that? It would be nice to keep our babies little forever, but unfortunately, that's just not how it works. And at the same time, it is a joy to watch Jack grow and his little personality develop.

Just like his mommy, grandmummie, and great grandma, Jack is showing signs that he will enjoy spending time in the kitchen. Take a look as Jack helps mommie make some tasty treats!

I love this machine!

Helping mommie add the ingredients

Am I cute or what!!!???

And so many knobs!

We turned this.............

Into this!

Sugar Molasses Cookies

Living Simply and Deliberately,

Tammy

Jack- 4 months old

A BLANKET OF WHITE!

We received a blanket of snow over the weekend and it has been total mayhem. We have been shoveling and plowing. Schools and businesses were closed. Streets in town are a mess as many of them have not been cleared of the huge mounds of snow yet. Parking is at a premium. When I see how high the snow is piled on the street corners, I am reminded of the snows we used to get when I was a child.....the kind of snows we don't see much anymore around here. Its amazing how much white stuff must fall from the skies to produce this much accumulation. Though I am very ready for the arrival of spring, I must say that this is quite a masterpiece!

The front of the house

I opened the doors to the deck to find 2 feet of snow!

Another 8-10 inches is expected Tuesday into Wednesday......AHHHHH!

FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind’s delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

For Thy Church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.

For the martyrs’ crown of light,
For Thy prophets’ eagle eye,
For Thy bold confessors’ might,
For the lips of infancy.

For Thy virgins’ robes of snow,
For Thy maiden mother mild,
For Thyself, with hearts aglow,
Jesu, Victim undefiled.

For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Still Shoveling,

Tammy

Sharing..........a few things

I've been very busy the last few weeks...busy recuperating from the holidays and all the work envolved in restoring order from all the Christmas festivities. I've also been organizing things that need some organizing (I love to organize!)

and finishing a few projects that need finishing.
Another thing that has had my attention lately is keeping up with current events, and posting those things on my political blog.

And while my "to do" list continues to grow faster than I can get things checked off the list,

I just wanted to share a few bright lights from my busy days.

Over the holidays, I came across this recipe. I was in search of a gift idea, you know, one of those recipes with the cookie ingredients layered beautifully in a Mason jar. It turns out that I never gave any jars away as gifts. But we have certainly enjoyed these plump little cookies. In the last month, we have made several dozen. They have quickly become a family favorite!!

Cranberry HootycreeksMakes about 36

5/8 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Layer the ingredients in a 1 quart or 1 liter jar, in the order listed. Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until fluffy. Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix together by hand until well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

I recommend you double this recipe as it does not make a lot


Another treat this week was the arrival of 4 little chickens my hubbie hatched. Little Jack enjoys watching the peeps chirping and running around their cage.

This photo was taken soon after 2 of the chicks were hatched. They're "sun bathing" under the heat of the light to get dry.


The brightest light during these cold wintery days has been Jack. He is now 3 months old. His little personally is developing right before our eyes. He's brings us much joy!

So in closing, allow me to share a little poem about joy. I'm not sure of its origin, suffice it to say-its old. The copy I have is on the old time mimeographed paper.

JOY IS HOMEMADE

Happiness is something we create in our minds--

It's not something we search for and so seldom find...

It's just waking up and beginning the day

By counting our blessings and kneeling to pray--

It's giving up wishing for things we have not,

And making the best of whatever we've got--

For it's by completing what God gives us to do

That we find real contentment and happiness, too.

Living Simply and Deliberately,

Tammy