planning

 Have I told you that I am planning a wedding?

that my oldest baby is the one walking down the aisle?

that i know I will weep the whole time in joy and in sadness

that i am so happy with who God sent to be my new son

that i want it to be the most beautiful wedding that she has ever seen

that it is November 19 and that is coming closer and closer

Plums

 it didn't take but a second after i walked into the house with a purple plum for Sophie and Hannah to be out the door, down the steps, across the yard, into the chicken coop and scurrying up the tree branches.

it also didn't take long for the steers to hear those two girls in the tree and figure out what was going on and come a beggin at the pasture fence.

plums! we pruned one of the trees and there wasn't as much on it this year, but next year...look out!

these plums aren't making it into the freezer...they are being gobbled up just... like ...that.

are you harvesting anything right now?

pool room storage closet to library

 There are a lot of websites out there that are woman-owned and sharing what they are doing to change their homes. I love reading them and being inspired. The problem is I didn't know where to start. After a little talk with God and feeling pointed in the direction of the poolroom closet (which by the way was piled HIGH with stuff) I dug right in.

 before

 i heart the wainscoting on the walls!

After looking at it now it looks like all I did was paint and put up a shelf. not really. I shortened the depth of the shelves, added a new shelf lower, painted walls and the dresser. Zack (my son) cut all of the wood for me with his own circular saw. I love projects that people spend time together doing. Sophie helped me paint the golden wall area in the bottom half of the room.

it is still coming together, but I am loving it. I even took my new Better Homes & Gardens magazine fresh from the post box and a yummy cup of coffee yesterday morning and lounged on the couch in the morning sunshine. Boy am I glad that whoever built the home put a window in that storage room. :o)

transitions

changed the header on here. i LOVE apple pictures. I didnt stage it, I just layed some apples in a pile on the grass. no rearranging and stuff. just point and shoot. i love how it turned out. there was a post last spring of apples and a photo of a pile of frozen decomposing apples and leaves the winter before. guess I realized something about myself eh?

 i have seen a few closets redone into book nooks on the  computer. i love that idea. part of what overwhelms me from moving is the amount of books that we have. well, to really keep things happening I used the book shelf as a shelf on the back porch for outdoor toys to be organized on. hmmmmm. SO in talking to God about where to start organizing my new home I felt the need to start with the pool(read pool table room not water pool) room closet. There was soooooooooo much stuff in there. Some the previous owners like lots of fishing equiptment that is now mine. We are moving that all in one spot til next spring when Zack can go through it for the summer fishing. Anyway! hehehe...I have it all cleared out and am making the shelving ready for books and closing up some areas that were open to the studs. if you are still reading through my musing then you get a badge for the best blog friend.

I will put some before and after up soon!

the garden is starting to grow more.
the steer are getting more grains.
the horse is settling into wearing his fly mask.
i wont see the dr for a long time with the apple a day saying and having 7 apple trees!

this morning when i was doing the outside chore circuit it felt like fall. all of a sudden. it is here...or on the verge. the feeling to get ready for the kids assignments. breakfast lists, chore lists, assignment lists....slow it down and finish the new library and get the books put away right? ;o)

do you see any signs of fall where you are?

hope you have a GREAT day!

weekend

listening to two totally different sounding roosters crow. one is loud and strong and one sounds like a squeek toy...he is a banty (smaller version) and all I can do is laugh at the outrageous sound of his crow. we have to get our fun somewhere right? ;o)

watching my two youngest on a baking spree last night. Hannah made homemade chocolate cake with peanut-butter frosting and Sophie made pretzels. Both turned out fabulous! Aliss also made baked potatoes and while it is very sweet and they were delicious I don't go on about it because the world already knows her amazingness. hehe

harvested lettuce-some red leaf, lacy leaf and green. also some peas, cherry tomatoes, garlic bulbs, apples, spinach leaves and broccoli for a barter that I am so excited about. the boxes weren't very large this time, but I am looking forward to when I can wow em!

btw...the house is MINE! did I say that before? well, sorry, but that may crop up here in random spots for awhile now. :o)

been enjoying some crafty and homemaking blogs that I haven't visited in a while because of the amount of work around here this summer. felt like a homecoming...you know how it is visiting with an old friend after not seeing them for awhile.

mulled over the thought with some friends on Facebook about getting licensed as a home daycare so I can earn money at home for a season. not going to end up doing it as much as I would like because it would be just as financially inconsistent as the job I am in out of the home right now and so many hoops to jump through. I really dont need to add more hoops to my circus.

Joey the horse was brought back to the pasture. He has his first fly mask and doesnt quite like it. maybe it just takes time.

the steer are eating more sweet cob now. they still dont seem to pack on weight like i thought they would. they sure love the extra portions though. snicker~

well off to turn off the garden sprinkler, get ready for work and make me some jo.

hope you all have a GREAT day!

Lori

xo

Welcome to my garden

 this garden sure has been a labor of love. it started out as a dream like most things. BUT this one is coming true!

some of my classmates from The Evergreen State College, some of their family, and my children all came together and tilled the ground this spring, dug fence hole posts and laid the posts and strung the fencing. they also built the garden gate of my dreams.

at first I wasnt sure about painting it black, but I LOVE it so much. it gives it an European feel of which I really love.
 

  Come on in! 

xo

 the previous owners of this home grew an abundance of every kind of Dahlia on the side of their garden. Oh they were so beautiful! With much love for Louie and Carol I am bringing them back to the farm. My heart cannot help but to swell with love for the example of love and much more that that they were for so many people every time I look at the Dahlia flower.

I can't wait to get more in their honor

 this year isn't the bumper crop of veggies (yet), but it is the start of something great! realizing dreams...

follow God's voice and it is amazing where He can lead you...

sometimes its the places that dreams are made of. :o)

Gerbera daisies that my future son-in-law gave me on Mother's Day 

 

 thanks for strolling through the garden with me. 

hope you enjoyed your visit!