Raspberry Bliss…

Raspberries!  Raspberries!  Raspberries!

It is such a great year for berries.  I guess they liked the cool wet spring and early weeks of summer and our lower-than-average mid-summer temps have shown favor to the berries as well.

The rest of my garden?   …not so much!

Our spring/summer weather has been very hard on most of the garden but I’m still enjoying it and I think it’s beautiful.

And…it’s not over yet!

The raspberries though are certainly the gift that keep giving and giving.Truly a delight of summer!

They are also a beautiful addition to flower arrangements.

My nephew, Joel {1}, has discovered the rewards of finding the red berries.  We have a new row that his dad planted this spring and it is just the right size.  He toddles his way along ‘his row’ and finds all of the red berries.

I also love pretty jars!  ♥

I’ve come to a sad realization this year.  Making jam is horribly expensive {and involves WAY TOO MUCH sugar!!!}.  It’s a good thing that I don’t have to buy berries or containers.  I grew up with freezer jam and so have my kids but it’s slipping into more of a for-special-occasions thing around here. 

life on my little {growing} hobby farm…

It’s been such a busy couple of weeks here.  When I was getting ready for my booth at the Farm Chicks show I had to let everything else slide a bit so I could put all of my time and attention into that.  That’s just how it goes and I know that.

I had 10 new chicks {layers} that had to be integrated in with the old chickens.  They had been penned off inside the chicken house for two weeks so they could all get used to each other.  On Monday morning after the show I let them loose.  When I went out a little later, all of the old chickens had pushed their way under the fence and were out in my strawberry patch.   I don’t know how a chicken’s mind {do they have a mind} works but I found it quite funny.

Since that morning, the chickens have all stayed in but have been very bossy with the new chicks.  Slowly they are letting the little ones come outside.

There has definitely been a lot of drama in the hen house!

During this time we have also butchered 27 chickens with the help of my brother and sis-in-law.  That might not be a popular thought with every reader but since we do eat meat in this house it seemed to be a perfect fit with our desire for a sustainable, healthy, farm-to-table way of living.

This was our first time for this and the process was surprisingly smooth and easy.  I wouldn’t want to do it every day but am more than willing to do it again and again.

This sweet pair were in my booth at the sale and because a friend gave them to me for that purpose {saying he didn’t want them back} I am now in a dilemma as to how to make them a part of the flock.  Because of the wee~one, it will take a bit longer.  Right now they get the whole garden to themselves.  They stick pretty close to this horseradish plant but as soon as my strawberries start ripening I’m sure that they will not be welcomed in here any more.

We had a separate little pen for the chickens that are now in the freezer and although a bear cub found it’s way into it for a bit yesterday, it’s nice and big and I think that this hen and her chick will enjoy spending the rest of the summer in there.

So…as our little hobby farm seems to be expanding, it seemed only natural to bring home a couple of goats {in the back of my car}.

I was able to jump right in to milking one {oh, my aching hands} with the intention that the little one will some day also be a milk goat.

They are SO SWEET and lovable and so good with my nieces and although I haven’t let the dog in with them yet, he is very anxious and I think that they will get along fine

When I’m in the pen this little one is always right at my side.

♥ BellaRose & DaisyMae ♥

This does change my life…I told my friend this morning that I can go anywhere I want as long as I’m back in 12 hours!    I have wanted a milk cow for a very long time.  I didn’t envision milk goats but it really is a perfect fit.  I’ve made yogurt, ice cream and ricotta cheese.  It’s all very tasty…no different that cow’s milk…I promise!

for the love of goats…

Have you ever milked a goat?
I’ve milked cows a little over the years but never a goat…until this week.

This girl stands ready and waiting.

With a little instruction…

…I take it on like a pro….[maybe not]…

My niece, Lindsey, even jumped in…eventually, with both hands!

It actually looks like I’ll be able to bring this girl home in a week or so.

…along with one of these kids.
Just when my house becomes kid-free, I feel like I need to take on more?…the upside?  I can get rid of this kid if it all goes bad!   

Isn’t she just the cutest?

I never saw myself owning goats, especially milk goats, but I am just SO excited.

I really love their {very healthy} milk and I’m excited to use it in a variety of ways.

A little hard work…

If hard work ‘never hurt no one’ then why does my back ache?

I love having a blog especially when I have fun things going on around here.

The past couple of weeks there has been a lot going on but not so much the blog-worthy-type of stuff…

I’ve been putting off stripping the wallpaper out of a bathroom for about 3 years because I didn’t think that it would be a very fun job.  Well, in case you’ve never personally stripped wallpaper I will indeed verify that it isn’t fun.

I try to keep my life at a ‘fun’ {there’s that word again} pace.

Sometimes that doesn’t leave an adequate amount of time for the things that some would consider ‘more important’.  {i.e. house work, yard work, stripping wallpaper, etc…}  But, I also like doing things that make me feel good…that are rewarding…and some of this does involve hard work.

So, I shall put a bit of a re-do on that bathroom {rewarding} ~ I’m washing the logs inside my house {rewarding} ~ then I’ll wash the windows {rewarding!!!}  and as I’ve been working at getting my yard raked of it’s winter debris a little bit at a time, that too, is very rewarding.

My dad came over this morning and put me to work in my garden.  He and Mr. T got the orchard all trimmed up last week and my dad got the raspberries in tip-top shape.  So today we burned all the trimmings and worked on other areas…once again, rewarding!

It was interesting to watch him graft an apple tree.  We have a favorite apple tree that does well here so hopefully with his know-how and a little bees wax we can get another one going.  Wow!  This is a very affordable way to get an apple tree.

fyi…Mr.T and I live on the place that my parent’s built 28 years ago.  We moved here 3 years ago at a time when they were ready to down-size.  My dad has babied the orchard and raspberries {as well as other things} for all these years so it’s nice to have him come and help out when he has time.  I always enjoy spending time with that guy!

taking care…

new*fresh*untouched*brand~new*spick&span*unused*

I love all that is implied with the beginning of a new year.

Enjoy YOURS!

Silent and Bright

As of yesterday morning, all of our kids left…everything that remained was still and quiet.

I watched a Jane Eyre movie and then picked up a copy of Jane Eyre {2nd Edition/1847} from my book shelf and started reading it….enjoying the stillness.

This morning with the temperature hovering at -4°, even the ice-cycles have ceased their steady drip.

The scenery here is stunning…perfectly stunning.  It calms my heart and makes me want to not go anywhere {ever again!}. 

The chickens are staying warm with an extra heat lamp.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been so very thankful that we insulated their little house.

Although New Year’s Eve doesn’t often lend itself to quietness, I hope that this day which preludes a brand new year will fill your heart with Peace!

Christmas Eve:~

Today is a quiet day in our home.  Our kids will start arriving tomorrow night and Sunday night which makes Christmas Day a little sad but knowing that they will all be home at the same time truly makes this mom’s heart happy!

Tomorrow will be filled with gaiety as most of my family will be here to celebrate.

In this picture our tree may look like a 16′ Charlie Brown Christmas tree but it is far more beautiful than the picture shows {especially at night time}.

I made this ornament for our kids to commemorate this special year with the wee~one growing {daily} …to make his debut in May!

May the Blessing that God sent to Earth touch your heart and your home.

Simplicity!

It seems that it is often in the simplest of things that I smile the most…

Being with my family and watching them interact rates amongst my most favorite things…

Picking apples off of my tree and eating hot, steamy apple pie {a la mode} a couple of hours later is another.

…digging potatoes and slicing them up….Oh, My!…slicing a small, fresh potato is like slicing butter…

…sweet-talking my chickens…telling them how nice they are to give me…

…fresh eggs ~ every single day!

…gathering plums and eating them right then and there or putting them in the dehydrator and eating them like candy…YUM!

Sour Plum Jam – recipe from THIS POST…

Enjoy this day to it’s fullest…some days we need to look for the tiniest, simplest things that bring joy, grab a hold of all you can…

…and smile! 

Gone Camping…

I’ve owed my nieces a little night of camping for a few months now.

Yesterday was the day that everything fell into place so we could have our special day.

After dinner and S’Mores, they watched a late-night movie from the top bunk…such sleepy eyes.

Yummy breakfast…

Each year I have such great intentions of taking my sweet little trailer camping and most years it just doesn’t happen.  I keep telling myself,  “this year I’m GOING to do better”…so this was a fun start.

…and I didn’t even have to leave my front yard! 

…or have the license renewed.  Once I take the girls on a real camping trip with their playhouse my trailer, I’m not sure I’ll get away with any more of the front-yard camping but for now it’s really quite enjoyable {w/indoor plumbing and all…}

Now they are trying to convince themselves to get into the very cold water of  my new {$10 garage sale find} stock tank!

Remember to go HERE and leave a comment for a fabulous, lathery give-a-way!