Playing in the Garden

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When times are tough and it's hard to find beauty in my life, I take comfort in nature. I look for the beautiful moments I find in little things.  

This week I found a caterpillar munching on a two year-old, flowering parsley plant.  I've trimmed this plant down once already and thought of just pulling him out all together as he's in the center of my square foot garden and taking up too much space.  Just as I was contemplating this once again, I spotted this beauty.  We believe he is a Swallowtail butterfly in progress and we can't wait to see him transform.  

We agreed not to move him or try to watch him in a jar.  We talked about how the caterpillar needs a lot of nutrition and this plant was the perfect plant for him to eat in our garden as we are not using it.  Meanwhile, Owen decided to make him a home, a little fairy garden of sorts in the garden bed.  Owen played there for a long time.  When he finished he wondered why the caterpillar wasn't coming down to his home. This gave us an opportunity to talk about how much caterpillars need to eat to survive and find the energy to transform into beautiful butterflies.  

I loved watching Owen play here while I puttered about the garden.  

Until next time...

Camping...

 

While visiting family this summer, my Dad planned a camp out.  Me, my brothers and all our kids spent two days and a night hanging out and enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.  Above is my Dad's cabin.  He took two small sheds and connected them.  You wouldn't beleive how nice it looks inside.  There's a wood stove, small shower, little kitchenette and full size bed.  It's partly powered by solar and is so comfy inside. Everything is impeccably tidy and well made.  After I saw my Dad's cabin I called my husband and told him, "My Dad is living my dream!  He has a tiny house!"  If you're familiar with the tiny house movement you know what I mean!

Yes, I even have to show the outhouse!  Inside it was perfectly clean.  He's thought everything out.  It's odorless and composts naturally.  The toilet paper is housed inside coffee cans so no spider webs and I imagine it keeps it from getting damp as well.  He has even painted a moon and star on the door.  A work of outhouse art, me thinks!

My brother brought his camper and a tent for us.  Throughout the night our airbed slowly lost air, so I really got the camping experience; rocks poking into my back, sleeping under the stars and a little afraid of bears coming to visit! 

My nephew sang us a campfire song on his "Geetar".

My brother and Dad sitting around the campfire.  In the morning my brother & sister in law showed us the art of Dutch oven cooking.  They made us all want to learn. 

The cousins played in the woods the entire second day, we had a hard time getting them to take a break to eat lunch! It was a good time, with lots of sweet memories made.

Until next time...

Fresh Eyes...

We are back from our blissful stay in New York!  It was rainy and cool quite a bit during our month-long stay which was perfect weather for us sun worn, Southwest transplants. I won't say it was a vacation because there was much running around trying to see everyone, but it was really fun.



It's amazing how much your perspective can change through the years.  When I was a teen in New York it was the place to leave.  Even though I loved my family, I wanted to set off on my own and see the world a bit.  I haven't really seen the world yet but I have lived in a couple different areas of the country.  I've seen a bit and hopefully more to come.

What seemed a little dead about New York was my old, dead thinking.  It was what propelled me off to new and exciting places.  I wanted to learn and see and grow.  Now, when I go back home to New York it's alive with a whole new world of life I never noticed before. From the weather, to the wild animals, maple trees, wild flowers grape vines, Lake Erie and it's beaches, the Amish and their beautiful, simple life, it's all alive with excitement.  I see it with fresh eyes. 

It doesn't hurt that I have my little boys now and get to see it through their eyes.  Can you see the hummingbird in the picture above?  I just had to see a Ruby-throated Hummingbird after being able to so closely observe our Black-chinned mama bird here.  And yes, I remember seeing Ruby-throated hummingbirds when I was a child, but did I care then?  Not so much, no. 

My sister in law, niece, Mom & I had a great time looking around Amish country & shops.

Amish haystacks.  Note boys walking up the road, far in the distance. 

These are the scenes outdside of a beautiful, Amish toystore.

A little Amish boy we had fun watching.  He had been enjoying a horse swing inside.

 

An Amish, one-room schoolhouse and boys and girls outhouses.

My brother & sis in law live right in the heart of Amish country.  This is a typical scene outside their front door.

 

One of the many beautiful, Amish gardens we saw.  Most of them boast a row of beautiful flowers around the outside edges.

I brought back a few items!  An Amish cookbook, rug for my kitchen, clove scented heating pad, a cedar ornament for the closet, toaster tongs, a couple of cards drawn by an Amish boy, a lucet and my favorite, peach jam.  What's not featured here? The chocolates from the Candy Shop.  Yah, that was gone by picture time.

If you like images of Amish countryside, check out my sis in law's brand new etsy shop, SLPPhotographs.  This photo is one of hers.  

Until next time...

cold & wet... heaven

We have been visiting family and enjoying the countryside of Western New York.  The first day we went for a long walk down our dirt road.  It was overcast and rainy the first week we were here, perfect weather for a few desert rats tired of the Southwest heat.  We found two salamanders and the boys were interested in how they differ from our desert lizards. 

It sounds funny but just wearing sweaters we never pull out until winter in the Southwest was super exciting for us.  Silly Owen, who is used to warm rains went out in the cold rain here to play.  Before I could get him dressed he was out in the rain in his undies.  He came back 3 minutes later saying, "Whew, it's CHILLY out there!".  We then got properly dressed and went out to play.  We laughed when Gramma came out in her nightgown to take a picture of those crazy New Mexicans who were playing on the swing set in the rain.  I said, "Who's crazy you're in your nightgown, in the rain taking pictures of us!"  We all had a good laugh.

I have many more fun things to share.  Until next time...

Strawberry Boy Birthday Party!

Thank you for your condolences about my Gram everyone.  She was/ is a special lady.  ( I say is because I know she still exists somewhere.  Death is not an ending to me.  I know in my heart these loved ones live on.) Her passing was expected yet I was surprised at how much I grieved for my time with her as a child.  She was/is a pretty fun Grandma.

Anyway, on to Owen's Birthday party!  We decided to make Owen's 4th birthday a strawberry party because when we bake or even talk about baking he always asks for a strawberry cake.  I have never made one, so he was thrilled at the suggestion of a strawberry party!

I made all of his Birthday ring decorations except for the two snails, which are from Armadillo Dreams.  The snails are for play not decoration, but they still looked pretty darn cute on Owen's birthday ring,  Here is his happy storm gnome because he arrived during a thunder storm.  His strawberry, the number four, a moon because we sing, "I see the moon and the moon sees me...", a sunshine because he is a summer babe.  And a star because his favorite song when he was just learning to talk was, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". 

My dear friend had this vintage strawberry fabric in her stash.  I fell in love with its quirkiness.  My husband says is looks like a "70's acid trip".  To which I replied, "but it's so ugly, it's cool, it's vintage."  And he said "yah, leprosy has been around for awhile too but you don't want that."  He's going to just love it when I haul out this table runner and eight napkins every summer season!  What do you think?  Quirky vintage or "leprosy"? 

A little felt strawberry mobile.  I love that we can keep all of these things for next summer's seasonal decorations. 



An easy strawberry burlap banner.  My friend just happened to have this strawberry stencil lying about.  The burlap coffee sack material was left over from my covered studio boxes.  Miniature clothespins hold them to a hemp string with curly green hemp string tied between. 

We had five boys at the party and boy were they thrilled with the balloons.  We had a few easy and fun activities planned.  They sailed ice boats on the hot sidewalk.  Inside the ice were little frogs to play a leap frog game.  After that they made wire bubble wands and bubbles with homemade solution.  Then out came the sidewalk chalk.  Lastly I had coloring pages printed and a new box of crayons for them to take home. I printed cute Jan Brett cursive letter practice sheets in the boys initials amongst other Jan Brett color pages.

I baked two cakes.  The first was a strawerry flavored cake that came out disgustingly sweet with an odd texture.  I know this because one of the cakes fell out of the pan in a crumble. This was a really fun way to spend the evening before a party, let me tell you!  The above was my second attempt, this time a yellow cake with yummy chocolate icing and strawberries on top. My friend also brought a strawberry pie.

We had hamburgers, brats, olive & sweet pepper pasta salad, asparagus potato salad,  cilantro pesto pasta, chips and salsa verde, strawberry spinach salad, fruit and veggies.  The kiddos ate well on brats, veggies and fruit, strawberries in dirt chocolate pudding & yummy cake.

Strawberry spinach salad. I took this photo early I guess because it was so colorful.  Later I added feta cheese and almonds. 

Owen loves his new mama made strawberry boy crown.  And yes he was fully dressed when everyone arrived and somewhere along the way both of my boys lost their shirts. It has been about 106 degrees outside so who can blame them, right?

Owen told his friend he loved him & gave many hugs and kisses to everyone. He was very excited about all of the presents, a play doh truck, a wooden semi truck, a wooden tool set and work bench.

A bow and arrow & quiver set by Backyard Ballistics on etsy. 

A pair of wings was the last present to open.  He asked, "Can I fly with these!?!" and went racing out the door to test them.

 

My Dad sent him this Superman cape which he slept in the first night.  We had a bonfire at the end of our party for about 5 minutes before a huge wind and rain storm came up.  Yes, it stormed and poured rain on Owen's birthday, just like when he was born.  A fitting end to our evening. 

Until next time...