Category: Yard

Kindness Is Still Out There

Our local grocery store is running a one day sale today and they are offering bags of mulch five for $10.00. Now that’s a good deal around here, I won’t have to drive out of town and I’m in desperate need of mulch. Not only have we not put any new mulch down the last few years, my beautiful, wonderful chickens have destroyed what was left. (the chickens don’t know it yet but their days of roaming free are coming to an abrupt halt very soon) So, after dropping Drew off at school I made a quick trip to Brother’s Market.

Usually we get our mulch at Menards and I always at least have Joe to help me and usually one or two boys along to help too. But since Joe is out of town, Drew is in school and Eric is home in bed, I was on my own. The store always offers to help carry out groceries, (which I always say no to, I need all the exercise I can get!) and they offered to help load the mulch so for once I agreed to the help. Only to discover that my help was a female clerk older than me. Now I felt guilty making her help me but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, we go outside and there is an old friend – his daughter and mine graduated high school together and our families spent many a night sitting together watching a softball game or volleyball game or you name it supporting the girls.  (Of course I’ve known him and his wife all my life even though they are a few years older than me. We all grew up here and I see his wife when I sub at school as she is an Associate there. And she used to cut my hair as she used to work as a hairdresser. It’s a small community!) But I hadn’t seen him in years as the girls have been out of school for years now and he travels for work like Joe does. He was loading up a trailer with mulch for his blueberry patch. He immediately asked me how many bags I was wanting and offered to help. I helped him throw a few more bags onto his trailer, he pulled ahead, waited for me to get my truck, and helped me and the store worker fill my truck. During this time a young man I’ve known for years from working at the school walked up, put his stuff off to the side and proceeded to start helping us too. He works at the store so I told him he needed to be sure and go clock in before helping and he informed me he wasn’t working there today. He just saw I needed help and stopped to lend a hand. After getting the truck loaded up and thanking everyone, I left the store with such a good feeling inside. This is why I love living in my small community. People you haven’t seen in years will take time out of their busy day and stop whatever they are doing to lend a hand. A young man, someone who remembers me from years ago when he was just a sweet little boy needing some extra help at school, will go out of his way to help me just because he can. The caring and kindness people show each other on a day to day basis, the small little things they do for each other without wanting anything in return, this is what makes my little community and so many communities in this big old world so special. Those two made my day and they didn’t even know it!

This and That Thursday

Dad and Moms windmill and beautiful clouds.

Oh what a beautiful day we had! After some brutally hot and humid dry days it was so nice to be outside and have no humidity and cooler weather. It’s fair week so we ran into the fair for a little bit to see the animals and the fair projects. Drew thinks he wants to be in Clover Kids and bring something to the fair next year. That is something I can get behind – I’m a firm believer in 4-H and all it has to offer!

Helping dad power wash the camper – in other words an excuse to climb the ladder!

We spent the evening outside – Joe and Drew playing with Joe’s new power washer and me pulling weeds and just enjoying the beautiful evening! My coneflowers are really going crazy this year – they are so full I hardly have to weed this flowerbed! Hoping tomorrow brings more of this beautiful weather!

Found this pretty bloom hiding in amongst the coneflower!

River Rocks and Cement

Even as a little girl I remember thinking these flower pots that Aunt Konnie had were so neat but for some reason I never thought to ask about them. Out of the blue while visiting Uncle Jerry and Aunt Konnie, Uncle Jerry told me they were made by his Grandmother and her sister. He said they would hitch up the horses and go down to the river to collect rocks and bring them back to the house and build these beautiful pots. They are unique and one of a kind and had to have taken a lot of hard work and patience to make. I’m glad that they are still there and that they get used. What a wonderful piece of family history for Uncle Jerry!

 

Fun Family Visit

We visited my Uncle Jerry and Aunt Konnie today. Dad, Mom, Drew and I. Aunt Konnie is my dad’s twin sister. They live just up the hill from a teeny tiny little town called Rubio. I have always loved visiting here. They have a beautiful farm and farm house. Aunt Konnie has such pretty flower beds and Uncle Jerry always has different fun animals to see. I remember staying with them for a few days during the summers. My sister and I and our cousins Terri Jo and Todd would spend a couple days with Grandma Ward in Richland and then a couple days in Rubio at Terri Jo and Todd’s. It was like a different world to me. Aunt Konnie didn’t work and Uncle Jerry was a farmer. He had crops and cattle and hogs. We would walk down to Rubio and get an ice cream cone and visit the Post Office. There aren’t any buildings left in Rubio besides the train depot and houses. The train depot has been kept up and we have attended many a family reunion there over the years.

For years we would celebrate Thanksgiving at Jerry and Konnie’s. Aunt Konnie is the best cook – everything was always homemade and delicious. We would have a turkey Uncle Jerry had hunted and all the traditional fixings and the most wonderful desserts. Then the men would spend the afternoon hunting pheasant and the women would make a craft. Usually something Christmas related. I can remember making Christmas tree pins out of cinnamon sticks one year and Christmas tree sweatshirts out of fabric yo-yos. Then we would watch the men clean the pheasants they brought home. Thanksgivings at Uncle Jerry and Aunt Konnie’s are some of my favorite holiday memories.

The weather was windy and warm but comfortable. We wandered around the yard and Drew got to see some of the animals. He played with the kittens and found an egg in the hen house. He got to pet their pet goose that follows them around outside. We checked out the flower beds and the garden then sat on the deck and visited and had root beer. It was a perfect afternoon and something we need to do more often.

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

We were needing rain so badly. It’s been hot and dry and windy here. The wind helps with making the temperature bearable but it also dries things out faster. We came home last night from Drew’s t-ball game covered in a film of dust. The corn in the fields is looking good but is really needing water. I had started watering my tomatoes and cucumbers, which I hate to do. The grass has even started to turn brown. I’ve stopped hanging my clothes out on the line, the dust from the gravel road is so thick – I didn’t want dusty coated clothes. But today we got some rain! Yeah! We so needed this!

A few pictures of the yard after the rain:

This area of the yard usually doesn’t look like this until the end of July/beginning of August.

I’ve let some milkweed grow in the flower beds – they are a favorite with the Monarch Butterflies.

 

 

 

Yard Art

Not sure where I’m going to put this one. It still needs a little sanding and maybe some stain. Whether I actually get that done remains to be seen!

Last Friday Mom and I went to Wellman to The Barn. A flea market/craft show that’s held periodically. It’s out in the country at a private home and it’s such a neat place. They have a beautiful Quonset hut style barn where vendors set up and then vendors are set up all over their yard. We had a fun time looking around. Mom bought a sign for her dining room. I bought a little old picture frame, an antique basket that’s in rough shape but it’s nice and prim and some white picket fence.

This one also needs some sanding and staining. They are just too bright for me!

There were lots of signs there but signs can be expensive and I hate spending money for something that is going to be outside and will weather. So, yesterday I raided the crib for some boards and made my own. It was a beautiful day to be outside. Drew and I spent the afternoon painting, listening to music and Izzy kept us company and I now have yard art that didn’t cost me anything but my time.  I just hope Joe didn’t have plans for the boards!

A Thousand Wishes

A quick post today. To take a quick breath and gather my thoughts I walked around the yard this morning. It’s a beautiful sunny cool day. The birds are chirping. There’s a breeze. Such a change from yesterday’s heavy rains. As I was walking around I noticed all the dandelions that have gone to seed. This spring we have lots and lots of dandelions. They don’t bother me. I love the cheerful yellow blooms. Joe on the other hand really doesn’t like them. In fact he bought some stuff for the yard to try and get rid of them but hasn’t put it on yet. I do have to say we have an overabundance of them right now and when they go to seed they aren’t very attractive but I keep telling him they are good for the bees and really, what do they hurt? Then I remembered what Drew said over the weekend. He said, “Mom we are so lucky. Look at all the wishes we get to make. We get to make a thousand wishes!” Why do kids see the bright side of things so often and we as adults just don’t?

I’m off to pick up all the toys in the living room, tidy up, vacuum and start loading up the graduation party stuff. Tomorrow we decorate and Saturday is the big day. Yeah! Oh, yeah, can’t forget the last soccer game of the season this evening. It will be a nice evening to spend outside!

Another Chilly, Overcast Day

Yesterday’s sun was short lived. Today we have overcast skies and it is chilly out there. Joe decided to burn off the grass around the pond. I call it a watering hole. It used to be a nice, pretty little pond and even had a sandy beach area for the kids but then we had muskrats. Joe did a great job keeping them under control but all of a sudden they just took over and they’ve ruined the pond. It doesn’t hold much water anymore. I prefer to keep the grass growing up around it so we don’t see it so much but Joe hates the way that looks so this year he’s decided to burn around it. He’s having a little trouble get it to go because it’s been so wet. That’s better than worrying about the fire taking off though. That is always my fear when he decides to start burning.

Since they never got the fire to really take off around the pond – Joe and Drew decided to roll the yard. Sometimes I like to ride on the 4-wheeler with them when they do this but it’s just too cold for me today. I’ll stay inside, do some laundry, pick up the house and just piddle around instead! I see Drew’s teddy bear has decided to go along for the ride!