This is Rubio. She lives at my Dad and Mom’s along with her goat friend, Hazel. They are both Boer Goats. Hazel is Drew’s goat. Given to him by his Great Uncle Jerry. At the time Uncle Jerry gave her to Drew we didn’t have a place to keep her so Dad took her in. And he became attached! So, he then brought Rubio home from Uncle Jerry’s so Hazel could have a companion and they both live together at Dad and Mom’s where they are spoiled rotten! They even get daily treats of Fruit Loops!
There’s Hazel in the background!
Yesterday evening we went to Dad and Mom’s for supper. We roasted hot dogs over a fire in the backyard. Drew brought Rambler along and Rubio was fascinated. Dad doesn’t have a dog anymore so she doesn’t really see dogs much at all. Hazel paid no attention but Miss Rubio stood on this rock for a very very long time and just watched everything we did. I’m not sure if she was keeping an eye on Rambler or Drew or if she just liked the commotion of all of us out in the backyard. It was funny as she usually pays no attention to us at all.
It was a beautiful evening to sit outside.
It was a beautiful evening. The humidity had died down and there was a nice breeze. A wiener roast in the backyard was the perfect ending to a busy weekend of working on projects and getting a few things done. Rubio seemed to think so too!
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.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the word simple. I want to live a more simple life. But when I really think about it, simple might mean something totally different to me than it does to others. By simplifying I want to do things more like those before me did. But this will have to be a balancing act as others in the family might not want to go as far as I would like to! As I was snapping beans today for lunch I was thinking about this and I realized that simplifying for me certainly doesn’t mean making things simple or easy. I could have easily opened up a can of green beans, dumped them in a bowl, stuck them in the microwave and served them. Simple. Instead, I walked out to the garden, picked the beans, snapped them, washed them, put them on the stove and steamed them with a little bit of water, butter and pepper and then put them on the table. Definitely not simple. But, they tasted so delicious. Drew commented on how good the beans were. And I know exactly what was in them and where they came from. After all, I did all the work to get them on the table. Well, almost all the work. Joe tilled up the garden for me this spring. Then I planted the seeds, weeded (sometimes) the garden, kept an eye on them as they grew, picked them, etc., etc. And this wasn’t the first time. I have picked beans several times and have put several quarts in the freezer for winter. That is what simple means to me. The simple act of gardening is so very fulfilling. Lots of work, yes, but so fulfilling knowing where your food is coming from and filling your larder for winter. And it’s what my grandmother did to feed her family. And her mother before her. And what makes the most sense to me.
Not only did we have fresh green beans from the garden for lunch, we had leftover jalapeno popper chicken using jalapenos from the garden, along with cherry tomatoes from the garden, pickles made from last year’s cucumbers from the garden made earlier using Grandma’s recipe and cucumbers and onions using cucumbers from the garden. A very simple meal but oh so fresh and yummy.
Simple. For the past two years I have not had a clothesline. We had a clothesline for years and had struggled with it for years. It was made of metal poles and no matter what we did, we could never keep it so the lines were taught. They would constantly sag. Still usable but not always easy to use. Then Drew drove through it one day with the Mule and took out the lines. I asked Joe if we could get it put back together as I really miss my clothesline. I was thinking we were going to piece the original line back together and it would take a little part of a day and I’d have a usable clothesline again. He had another idea.
Yesterday morning he started digging a couple of holes. Then he sent me to Dad’s to borrow the posthole digger. So I gathered up the garbage, ran it to town to the recycling center, dropped off a dozen eggs to an older friend and past coworker who lives in town and then to Dad’s before heading home. When I got there Dad had me come out back because they had company he knew I would want to see. My Uncle Jerry and Cousin Todd had stopped by for a visit! I was more than glad to spend a few minutes chatting as I never pass up a chance to visit with them. Such a simple thing, spending a few minutes on a Saturday morning visiting with loved ones. Then home with the posthole digger. The holes got dug and next come the poles. We used two poles that were originally part of the old building we tore down last year. To that Joe connected the boards to hold the lines. Again using wood from the old building. After getting the poles all put together, he sanded everything down and painted them. This took all day. Definitely not what I had in mind. But, recycling parts of the old building – that I love! That old building is all over our property now! We are definitely putting the salvaged lumber to use!
Then the next morning we sunk the poles. I added dirt while Joe tamped, and tamped and tamped some more. It took most of the morning to get those two clothesline poles in the ground and secure. Now to let them sit for a few days and really get set. Next we’ll add the hardware and the lines. And I will have a clothesline that should last for ages! We will have to purchase the bolts to hold the lines but everything else will be salvaged. Definitely not a simple project. And if we had done it the way I was thinking it would have been a pretty simple project but it would have been something I would have fought constantly. So, I think Joe is starting to look at things a little differently too. He’s starting to think the same way. No more doing something quickly and easily just to get it done. We’re going to take our time, do it right and have something that will last.
Which brings me back to simple. I am so excited to have a working clothesline again. There’s nothing better than bedding that has been line dried. Oh that smell! And I just enjoy hanging out the laundry. And taking it off the line and folding it as I go. Such a simple thing. Does it save time? Absolutely not. Throwing wet laundry from the washing machine to the dryer and pushing a button to start the drying process. Simple. Carrying wet laundry out to the line, hanging each and every piece up, waiting for it to dry, taking each and every piece off the line, folding it all, carrying it in. Definitely not saving time. But for me, it’s a simple and fulfilling process. And, it saves on electricity and saves on wear and tear on the dryer. For me, this is simplifying. Hanging clothes on the line takes me back to my grandma. I’m not willing to get rid of the washing machine yet, and probably never will. And I can’t see myself out hanging up laundry in the dead of winter when it’s freezing cold and blowing snow. But I always think of all the women before me who hung out their laundry because they had to. Because they didn’t know anything else. You can really slow down and think when you’re outside hanging clothes on the line. It’s another fulfilling home keeping chore. For me, another way to add simple to my days. And going for a walk down to the corn patch is a nice way to end a day of hard work and simple living!
Drew and I harvested dandelions earlier this spring when they first started popping up. Most people I know think of dandelions as weeds but after sketching them in our Nature Journals and doing some research we decided to make some useful items out of them. We have so so many dandelions in our yard and I love them. They remind me of little drops of sunshine all over the ground! And the bees and the chickens enjoy them too.
I decided to make some dandelion lotion bars out of the fresh blooms. And Drew wanted to try frying some blossoms. The lotion bars turned out so sweet and they work wonderfully. Drew wasn’t a huge fan of the fried blossoms. I kind of winged it and they could have used a little more flavor in the breading but it was still fun to try. We harvested quite a few extra blooms to dry for later use. I want to slowly start adding to my stash of dried naturals to have on hand.
Making use of dandelions was fun and a great way to get outside even though it was still an early chilly spring day. And now Drew will pick me little dandelion bouquets now and then when he’s outside playing!
We started out with beautiful fall weather this week and today it’s cold and wet. We enjoyed the last of the fall leaves on our Mule drive. We don’t have a lot of vibrant fall leaves around our property but I still find them beautiful. Joe was gone for the week again but hopefully will be home now for the foreseeable future. We’ve gotten so used to him being home that it just doesn’t seem right when he’s not here. Our last lunch and read picnic was Monday. We loaded up chicken noodle soup, jumped in the Mule and found our spot then ate lunch and read another chapter of Little House in the Big Woods. It was a great way to get Drew to sit and listen to the book. Now to brainstorm another way to get him to settle down and listen while we’re in the house!
We decided to try our hand at pouring beeswax candles and what a calming and fun project that is. Time consuming but fun. That beeswax takes forever to melt! I love burning candles but I don’t like all the chemicals that are found in the commercial ones. I had read how burning beeswax candles is actually good for the air in the home, had some beeswax here in the house from other projects, some yogurt jars I had been saving and we now have some beautiful little candles to burn. We tried putting essential oils in a couple of them but it takes so much to get any fragrance and the candles have a nice soft honey fragrance to them anyway, we’ve decided to skip that step in the future. We’ll run a diffuser when we want to scent the air. Since then I’ve found instructions on how to make the candles using the oven and/or a crockpot. A project to try on a cold winter another day.
It sure hasn’t been a very nice spring so far. A day with sunshine has been few and far between. Yesterday was one of those sunshiney days. I made a quick run to the local greenhouse and bought some tomato and pepper plants and a few flowers too. Drew and I planted a few pots and walked around the yard to see what was blooming. It was still chilly even with the sun shining but we just had to get outside and enjoy the afternoon since rain is in the forecast again. It’s nice to see the bright beautiful blooms
I think zinnias are my new favorite summer flower. They come in so many different colors and they just keep blooming and blooming. Some are tall, others are perfect for borders. The more you cut them the more they bloom so you get beautiful bouquets for the house that last for days and yet they keep blooming outside. And they’ll keep blooming into fall. I’m loving them this year!
No Drew was not licking this little guy – he just wanted to stick his tongue out for some reason!
I’ve always loved toads. I remember having a pet toad when I was little when we still lived in town. It lived in our sandbox. My boys always wanted to scare me with all the creepy crawlies they would find but along with toads, I’m not too squeamish with anything creepy crawly. I looked at that as a positive but they were always disappointed that I didn’t scream and run away! Drew loves to catch frogs and toads and anything else he can get his hands on. Right now the crickets are out and he’s having a great time catching them. I’m thankful he’s finally outgrowing wanting to keep all his finds as pets and putting them in jars and trying to bring them inside but he still has to show me all of his finds. He’s getting more and more willing to catch and release – which is good for the house and for the little critters!
This little guy was the sweetest. He had a fat little tummy! And I see I need to trim Drew’s nails – dirty little boy fingernails – yuck!
It took us all weekend but we are finally almost done! We had rain, lots and lots of heat, bugs galore, one minor blood drawing mishap, a few “words”, took a break to go to supper at Belva Deer with Dad and Mom but for the most part everything went pretty smoothly and the fence is up! And it turned out beautifully! We searched in Pinterest until we found something we both liked. Joe sat down and figured out how to build it and here it is! It’s not a very long fence as you can see but it’s going to help tremendously I think with blocking the view from the gravel road although Joe thinks we should extend it onto the end of the deck that butts up to the patio. We’ll live with it for awhile and see how we feel next spring. I’m guessing we’ll end up extending it. Now we just have to wait for the dirt to dry out so we can fill it in and put the blocks back down and then it will be finished. I love the way it turned out and am blessed to have a husband who can envision what I want and then build it for me!
This is going to keep us busy this weekend – if it doesn’t rain. We are so close to finally getting our deck/patio/whatever you want to call it done! Earlier this week we trimmed the tree that overhangs this area. It had so many dead branches and branches hanging over the house and hanging so low we had to duck to walk around the patio. That was a job I’m glad is done! There is going to be a decorative fence of some sort here. Right now there’s the driveway and then the old garage is situated between the driveway and the gravel road which gives us a little privacy from the road. Once that comes down it will be wide open – and we will also be able to see the back of the neighbor’s house across the way which means they will be able to see our patio/deck. Not what I want. They are great neighbors but I live in the country for many reasons – and privacy is one of those reasons. (I want to be able to step out my backdoor in my pj’s without being seen!) So – we’re going to put up a decorative fence. I’m hoping we can get it done this weekend. Then if the heat ever breaks and the bugs ever leave – we can sit outside in the evenings and just enjoy this area. Next year I can concentrate on decorating this space and the fence itself – something to dream about and plan over the winter! !
