hello and apple sauce

I hear crickets here....seriously, sorry friends.

I have missed this place  and will try to be more diligent in making this blog a part of my life again. I have loved having this as a part of my extension of life on here and on my old blog, lissilulu for the past 10 years or so...sharing life with others and vice versa. :)

I feel so happy to have come to the place that I recognize that I miss being here and part of something bigger.

Another thing that I have come to realize is that I really want to be more diligent. I have several great examples of diligent women in my life...one being my own mom. She hunts, butchers, fishes and cans, picks and cans. I know I am not a hunter, but I have 7 apple trees and about the same of plums on my farm.

 
I say less Facebooking and more preserving. It's prime time right now for one of our trees. Although, this tree is the transparent apple tree so we mostly like to eat the apples fresh off of it.

I have been told by Tessa though that I am becoming more and more like Lewie and Carol (the previous home owners) in the way that I want to make sure that the apples that fall from the tree get used properly before anyone picks from the tree. lol!

I have to say that I am more of a protector of that tree than any of the other 6...those transparent apples are soooo tasty!

The apples in the fruit tower are for eating and the ones in the casserole dish, along with others that I will cull that have fallen will be a batch of apple sauce. I might even get adventurous enough to can them instead of freezing it! Livin large! ;)

I think I will pit the plums, cut and freeze them. That's if any of them make it past me eating them. They are sooooo good! The chickens are enjoying them too as they fall in their coop. 

spring in the PNW

 

:: blossoms ::

plum

daffodils

rhodies

lilacs

primroses

-so far and now-

apples

cherries

bluebells 

corn and tomato seedlings are sprouting in the diningroom window and beside them on the floor are 4 chicks growing from down to feathers. i have been digging a strawberry run, but not getting very far. i have high hopes of having 3 runs 2.5x15 ft long...either illness or weather has slowed the progress down to having only dug about 7 ft into one run.

the daylillies and peonies that i transplanted after thinning cramped plants are doing well. i LOVE the idea of more peonies on the property. thinking of planting some daylillies between the neighbor and our mailboxes along the road.

Monday...say it isn't so.

 Yawwwwwwn.....is it Friday yet?

Hope you have a wonderful week friends!

just because

sometimes a momma needs to make cheesy biscuits and homemade chicken noodle soup.

 and sometimes that same momma needs to deliver it especially to her college student daughter's bedroom unasked for on an especially hard day....

just because. xoxo

January Picnic

we had a fun girl's day in Olympia today. It was nice to get outta dodge and not have it be for the once-a-month mega grocery shopping trip.

I have to admit when my oldest daughter Tessa called me this morning and asked if I would like to take the drive with her I first said no. I dreamed about thinning out Day Lillies and Peonies today....dirt, dirt, dirt.

BUT i'm so glad I went. I love to spend time with my girls (we missed Aliss though) and the day was beautiful to do it. Tessa even put together an impromptu picnic by the water for us. Boy is she a sweetie xoxo

The Seagull on the lamp pole cracked me up...Just its eyes followed us like he was saying "don't mind me here, ya know just a bird being one with the pole."

Dreaming & Planning

the sun has been out the past two days. its hard to imagine my family in Alaska in -25 degree weather and my family in NY state anticipating 12 inches of snow. if i have to have huge windstorms and sideways pummeling rain over negative degrees and feet of snow i'll take it.

the above photos are some of the maaaaany i took last year in my overgrown garden. the chickens are in it now. they have made quick work of the individual garden beds...not much for me to do. i dont rototill. i like my mulch and fertilizers to stay put and not have to weed as much from turning seeds down into the soil.

i got my seed tin and box out this past week even before the golden globe of goodness graced us with its presence. so satisfying to see many baggies of heirloom seed that i have saved from the previous harvest.

i bounce back and forth between garden plotting and homeschool books while all tucked in at night with steaming mugs of peach/green tea. its a wonderful way to end the day.  i have been itching to actually start a notebook for gardening and notes about taking care of this land. i look forward to tax time to search one out with my refund along with ordering more heirloom seed.

for now thoughts of moving the chicken's fence line out of the garden and me getting in there and getting my hands dirty fill my head while i go about my day...i need to restructure my work, homeschool, daily chores to allow time. :)

Lori

2015 Farm Plans

2015 Farm Dreamin'

I think I am getting some sort of a stride for the seasons on the farm now that I have lived here five years. I can't believe it has been five years! The first couple we were surviving the move and the pace of life with 5 kids and a single momma going to college, working and homeschooling kids.

Now we are all a bit older..ahem! Everyone but me right? We have learned a bit and this year is all about living intentionally. It's hard work, but seeing the results that happen when some work is done has yielded amazing stuff how could I not work harder? BUT, we want smart working...that means making a plan and this girl looooooves lists. :)

Join me for some plannin'?

Chickens:
repair small henhouse roof & window
repair large henhouse floor & window
build new roosts in small henhouse
shovel floors and spread new chips
maaaaybe hatch another clutch of chicks...not sure with the run of roosters hatched lately

Garden:
build 2 more pea structures
enlarge every bed by 1 foot
hug sophie every day--(Sophie hijacked)
build shade structure
build tool storage

Yard:
find place for outdoor sink for rinsing produce
plant new bed
dig and plant bed along fence for flowers/strawberries in kids area
thin and transplant peonies & daylillies
plant marigold seed along rhododendrons
shovel plum tree suckers
fix riding mower and push mower--we need to mow all this grass!

Barn/Pasture:
find right size/replace bolt on barn door
organize milking/feeding room
shovel out smaller door on pasture side of barn
kiss sophie every day--(Sophie's hijack again)
clean area under walk through
blackberry bushes - enough said!

House:
kitchen-
Build shelves under cabinets
Build cabinet doors
Sand & paint kitchen


phew! there's probably more, but I will add as I think of it.
What are your plans for your home this year?