Category: Thankful

I’m Blessed

Long story here! Earlier this spring I got caught up in buying baby chicks. I knew we were needing a few more as some of our original flock is getting old and they aren’t laying anymore. But, I got a little out of hand and ended up with more chicks than our little coop could hold. Who could blame me, those little chicks are just so darn cute! And there were so many different kinds to choose from! And everywhere we went there were these little babies needing to be brought home! Unfortunately, about the time we were looking to buy or build a new coop, the price of lumber skyrocketed and we were not sure what we were going to do. Then Joe’s brother came to the rescue. He had this little building that he had originally built to be a playhouse for his girls. Well, he never got around to finishing it, the girls are grown and have families of their own, and he really just needed the building to be gone.

So off to Coon Rapids we went, Joe, Don and my dad tore the building down into pieces, and we hauled it home. Then Joe and Drew got to work. I couldn’t for the life of me see what Joe saw as far as how he was going to put this back together and attach it to his shop but I knew he knew what he was doing. He put the walls back together and changed the roofline. Then he moved the whole thing to the side of the shop. Drew loved that part – he was the one who got to drive the 4-wheeler and pull the building!

Then the work began. We used as much lumber as we could salvage from our woodpile but had to purchase windows, flooring and steel. But even at that, it didn’t cost us a fraction of what a new building would have cost.

The girls have been in it all summer. They love it and I love it. Choring is so much easier now. And gathering eggs is so much easier. And it will be so nice this winter to be able to go inside a building to chore and the girls won’t have to go outside if they don’t want to as I their feed and water will be inside. I loved the little prefab coop we originally had. It served its purpose well. And we still use it to house a chicken that the others pick on. But this big coop is just perfect. And then, over the weekend, Joe did this:

He added this sweet little porch. I just love it! It is so darn cute! I am so blessed to have a husband who knows me and what will make me happy! I love my silly chickens, I love having eggs to give to others and I love my sweet little chicken coop. And so do my chickens!

That’s Eloise in white! And I think Matthew the Rooster is to the left. They aren’t all named but there’s always those few special souls that stand out from the crowd!

August Storm

Last Thursday brought us an overnight storm that was quite the ride. We were all in bed and almost asleep when the wind picked up and we could hear things blowing around. Then the rain started in, along with hail. We knew it wasn’t going to be good.

We were lucky and didn’t have anything too major as far as damage at our place. We had tree limbs down, the trampoline was blown completely away and Drew’s swing set toppled over yet again. Compared to many others, we were very lucky. We spent all day Friday at my folks’ place cleaning up their damage. They had trees down, facia missing from the house and their canopy where they park their camper was destroyed. They had a vent blow off the camper and a little water inside but Joe fixed that right away. My Uncle Jerry came and helped out and we got their yard all tidied up. Their neighbors weren’t so lucky. They had a brand new 5th wheel camper that rolled and was completely destroyed and on up the road there were grain bins destroyed. Crops were flattened, roofs were missing, many many trees down all around. A tree fell on the roof of a friend’s house and left a hole. But nobody injured or lives lost. So, when you look at the big picture, things really aren’t that bad.

We didn’t have homeschool on Friday as Drew helped out with cleanup. We headed over to Dad and Mom’s to assess the damage then came home and put on our work clothes and gathered the tools we would need. In the meantime, a neighbor stopped by and Joe and Drew went with him to help with a tree limb that was down on a power line. Then over to spend the day at Dad and Mom’s where Drew pitched in. His favorite task was dragging tree limbs down to the burn pile using the Mule.

Saturday was spent at home where we cleaned up our yard. Dad and Mom came and helped. The swing set was righted and repaired. We’ll have to purchase a board to finish up that process. Tree limbs were drug to the burn pile, the yard was raked, the patio and deck were cleaned up. The worst part at our place was the amount of dead birds we found, everywhere. They were mostly sparrows. I have never seen so many dead birds after a storm. Joe figured he raked up at least 20 from under the oak trees alone. Very sad.

Then on Sunday a neighbor came over and asked if he could have Drew for the day. They went to the cemetery down the road and did clean up there and then did more clean up at his property at the end of our gravel road. Our road ends in a dead end and the neighbor has property at the bottom where he has a couple of cabins on the river and he had lots of tree limbs down. Joe and I ended up down there later and helped them finish up. Then we sat in his screened in porch and visited for awhile. It was nice to catch up.

All in all it was a very busy and exhausting three days. We didn’t get anything done we had planned for the weekend as clean up was first priority. And it was a great learning experience for Drew as he got to witness first hand family, friends and neighbors pulling together to help each other out during a time of need.

Getting Things Done

Some weekends just fly by and this past weekend did just that. Joe was able to work from home on Friday (yeah!) which gave him some extra time in the afternoon since he didn’t have to drive and he called Dad and asked if he wanted help moving his building over the weekend. The weather looked like it would cooperate and since Joe is wanting to do some pheasant hunting next weekend he thought it would work out best to get the building moved now. That worked great with Dad and Mom’s schedule so we basically spent the whole weekend working outside and getting things done! I am so thankful Joe is able and oh so willing to help Dad and Mom around their acreage!

I spent Friday planning and ordering some garden seed while Joe worked. I know, it’s really early to be thinking about the garden, but I want to explore some different types of veggies and I have this fear that I won’t be able to get what I want if I don’t order now. I didn’t get a tremendous amount but I am excited about what I did order. Things like purple carrots and different varieties of kohlrabi. It never hurts to plan ahead!

We left the house Saturday at 7:00 and didn’t get home until 8:00 that evening. Then Sunday we left the house at 8:00 and got home around 5:00. We didn’t get much done around here but we did get things done for Dad so I would say it was a very productive weekend. Drew and I ventured down to the timber as Dad wanted me to see the lichen growing out of the cottonwood tree. This tree has always been my tree, my favorite tree, the one I always gravitate to when we’re in the timber. It is huge and ancient and full of growths and protrusions and nooks and crannies. The eagles love to sit in the very tip top branches and look out over the fields and timber. If only that gigantic and ancient tree could tell stories. I can’t imagine what all it has seen over the years.

I told Dad and Mom that the building should be moved down to the timber, at the bottom of the sandstone bluff where the fire ring is, nestled between the trees. We could clean it all up, put a couple of beds in there, a couch to sit on and set up a camp kitchen. It would be the perfect place to get away. But alas, they had other plans, which I knew they did. But a girl can dream right! So we moved it up to the lot and it will be used for storage and that is as it should be.

I finally got some stitching time in yesterday evening. Mom had gotten out her microwaveable heating pad to show us and Drew wanted one so bad. She got hers from the store but since we aren’t doing much shopping and I’ve decided to try and make what I can with what I have versus buying anyway, I stitched him up a rice bag. I found a pattern I liked on Pinterest and used it as a guide and he loves it! I let him pick out an essential oil he wanted and we mixed few drops in with the rice before we stitched up the bag and he hasn’t let it out of his site since. He slept with it last night and warmed it back up first thing this morning. I love it when something so simple and easy can be made at home and can make someone so happy. Now I think I’ll make one for me too, and use lavender oil. Oh, to have warm toes when I get in bed at night. And then Joe will want too, to put on his back when he’s hurting. I’ll definitely need to put rice on my grocery list. Another reason to get the sewing machine out of the box and teach myself to sew. How much quicker and prettier would it be to sew up rice bags on a machine versus stitching by hand!

Music

Today I’m thankful for my love of all different genres of music. Now there are some genres that I just can’t understand or listen too and that’s okay. But I do love to listen to a lot of different styles. Right now I’ve been listening a lot of Indie Folk and I find it very relaxing. I put on Pandora or the Alexa and leave it on all day as background music. It’s wonderful! If I’m in the truck with Joe we will be listening to 80’s rock. If I’m driving without Joe it’s usually country. Of course with the older kids it’s always something new and different and sometimes I just don’t care for it. With Dad and Mom it’s going to be old old country and nothing else. To be honest I think I was in junior high before I realized there was any other genre of music besides country or church hymns! But that old country sure brings back memories and feels like home! I also enjoy classical sometimes and pop and even some hard rock depending on the day! I remember once years ago, I’d had a hard day and Eric and I drove to Oskaloosa and I ended up buying a Best of Guns N Roses CD and we rocked out all the way home with the volume up as loud as it would go. I felt much better when we got home! I can’t imagine not having music in my life and many different genres. So, from Kid Rock to Hank Williams, Ed Sheeran to Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert to Maroon 5, you never know what will be playing around here!

Another Thankful Day

I love overcast,  misty, chilly November days. This is my favorite time of the year. I love the way the house feels or when I was working, I loved how the office felt more cozy and warm. I would light a candle, play some soft music and it would feel more relaxed and homey. And at home I do the same thing. Light some candles, play some music, turn on lamps rather than overhead lights and just relax. I’m always thankful for this time of year because of the way it makes me feel. Now I know I’m not the norm and I’m not saying a warm sunny summer day doesn’t have it’s appeal but this is my time of year and I’m thankful I get to enjoy these slower, quieter, comfy cozy days of November.

Thankful

Yes – there is always something to be thankful for. I’m trying to post everyday on Facebook something I am thankful for during the month of November. November 1st – books, I can’t imagine a world without books. What more can I say??!! November 2nd – all the wonderful friends and family who wished me a happy birthday on the 1st! A quiet, productive day at home and then supper at Dad and Mom’s. Roast beef and potatoes – one of my favorites! And Aaron surprised me by coming over too.

November 3rd – running into old friends and catching up. We dropped Drew off at Dad and Mom’s Saturday morning to spend the night then Joe and I ran into town for lunch. We hadn’t planned to but we spent more time at Dad and Mom’s than we had anticipated so thought we’d run in, eat quick, then get started on some projects at home. When we got there some old friends we hadn’t seen for a long time were there and we sat down together and had lunch. It was so nice to get caught up with this couple. I went to school with both of them and Joe and Jeff became friends after he moved to the area years ago. I told Joe on the way home how it’s nice to be with couples who have been together and stayed together for years. There is so much love there and they’re just so comfortable to be around. It was great running into them!

November 4th – having a husband who fixed brunch while I tackled the moutain of laundry in the living room that needed folded and put away. And, he helped clean up the kitchen after we ate! Bacon, fried eggs, hashbrowns and toast. I don’t take that for granted and it doesn’t happen often and that’s okay, I don’t expect it to, but yesterday I was very thankful that it did! And it was yummy! Why does food alwyas taste better when somebody else fixes it?

There’s something to be thankful for everyday. Some days you have to look a little deeper to find things but they are always there! I wonder what I’ll find to be thankful for today?