It’s been sunny and clear, breezy and warm.
But it’s also been rainy so don’t forget shoes that are okay to get muddy!
It’s perfect weather for kite flying…
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Tag Archives: sweetness
How we know spring is *really* here
This appeared on our front porch late last week:
A first-time mommy; she is doing a wonderful job.
There are three black and two white babies.
One of the gifts farm life gives my family is experiences like this. My kids can identify which tom cat is the baby-daddy, and keep track of how often he is around. They have a feeling for the natural cycle of life and get to watch it play out before their eyes as the seasons spin past. There are things I wish we could experience that living in a neighborhood would offer, but there are wonderful and special things about living in the country as well.
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My yearly homage to Robert Frost and Spring
A Boy’s Will
To The Thawing Wind
COME with rain, O loud Southwester!
Bring the singer, bring the nester;
Give the buried flower a dream;
Make the settled snow-bank steam;
Find the brown beneath the white;
But whate’er you do to-night,
Bathe my window, make it flow,
Melt it as the ices go;
Melt the glass and leave the sticks
Like a hermit’s crucifix;
Burst into my narrow stall;
Swing the picture on the wall;
Run the rattling pages o’er;
Scatter poems on the floor;
Turn the poet out of door.
By Robert Frost
Some of our spring activities this week:
We set strawberries for the first time this year! Aren’t they cute? The onions and peas are waiting to sprout on the left.
I found some pansies in memory of my husband’s mommy – they didn’t have her favorite yellow/dark purples, so I went with a more KSU-esque shade.
I thought of my own mother when we planted bulbs to spruce up this flower bed. I vividly remember the childhood moments I spent ahhhing with Mom over her red tulips. I let Little Cowgirl choose three – she also picked red.
Shooter has asked for blueberry bushes every year since he was four. Imagine if I’d had time to put them in way back then (he’ll be eleven in a couple of weeks!) how many berries we could have enjoyed. Better late than never. Notice the “I’m-so-cool-without-a-shirt-on” look.
I’m in love with these little mounding perennials – but of course I’ve already forgotten their name.
To wrap up, I would like to share with you one of the best. stories. ever.
Cowgirl followed one of the chickens (we have been free-ranging them during the day) to the chicken house while we were planting the aforementioned bushes. She kept telling us that Red was going to lay an egg. We kept saying things like “that’s great,” “cool,” and “maybe so” as we worked away. Farmer Boy rode over to check her story and even kept watch with her for a few minutes.
I bet she stood there for half an hour. I’m not even kidding you. She kept telling us “Here it comes! Here it comes!”
We finished up planting, watering and mulching around the bushes. We cleaned up all the tools. We picked up the rest of the yard.
I was just taking a breath to let her know it’s time to go inside and get ready for our activity that evening when she spins to face me, arms thrown open, mouth open wide, eyes like moons, gasping and laughing.
She had been right all along.
Of course, then we had to have a conversation about her questions regarding the hole the egg came out of, and do cats have a hole for their kittens to come out of, and what happens to mommy’s holes after they don’t have babies anymore, and even really OLD ladies have holes?
Have a great weekend and happy St Patty’s birthdays to my two best girls – you know who you are. xo
Friday Mission
I had two nice surprises last week.
My neighbor came to visit, which was a treat. She also brought red velvet cupcakes. Double treat!
And last Wednesday there was a box of beautiful apples on my porch, with a lovely note attached. My favorite part of the note:
“You inspire me to be a better wife and mother.”
***warm fuzzies***
I took a page from my neighbor’s book. I had ordered a box of juice-grade apples to put up applesauce. After I finished a batch, I enjoyed delivering a jar to the same neighbor and another of our friends ‘down the road’ who I knew would appreciate receiving something I made myself.
Do you have wonderful neighbors? Stop in sometime this next week to say hello. Maybe you could surprise them with a homemade treat.
Is there someone in your life who inspires you? Let them know.
And then, for heaven’s sake people, let me know! This is so much fun when everyone shares the nice things they are doing – it makes us all feel warm fuzzies.
Valentines Day Flashback
My Farmer and I started dating a few weeks before Valentine’s Day in 1997. I still remember that evening really well.
We danced until the bar establishment with a dance floor closed down. Then we went to Village Inn. I had a patty melt.
Fast forward a few years; we decided to revisit that date.
Shooter made his appearance four years later. Cheers!
A new handsome face across the table from me since 2003.
These days it is the cocoa that is HOTT on our Village Inn nights.
I had a cheeseburger.
With Avacado on it.
Oh – and we were all asleep before 11:00 pm.
Everything has changed since 1997. Except this:
My Valentine.
Friday Mission Follow Up
Sorry for my absence this past week!
Here is a follow-up from the most recent mission. I did not have a big response this time, but here are a few lovely replies:
From Stephanie:
“I did the Friday Challenge with an older kid – does that still count?”
Yes, it does, Stephanie. Way to go making someone who is younger than you feel good about themselves and your relationship with them.
And this beautiful comment from Samm:
“Two of my grandchildren were in their school talent show this past week. Knowing how much they love getting their own mail and knowing how well they did, I am sending along some notes of congratulations to them. 
They are wonderful special young people, these two.”
Congratulations, Samm, on your fabulous Grandchildren. My mother told me having grandbabies is utterly amazing because you feel the same love you felt for your own children without the same weight of responsibility.
I may do a few more Friday Missions, to see if more people would still like to participate.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Friday Mission
Okay, people. Let’s give this another run and see if you all still like it.
Something wonderful happened to one of my children last week. A friend of our family came over to cut wood for his fireplace from a fallen tree in our pasture. Farmer Boy conned this friend into letting him help with every step of the process. I’m certain it took MORE time and effort to have the help of an eight-year-old. But he’s the kind of person who makes time for others.
A few days later, Farmer Boy got a card in the mail. MAIL! Remember how terrific that felt when you were eight?
Here is what the card said:
Farmer Boy,
Thank you so much for helping me cut wood this past weekend. You were a big help! Your parents must be very proud to have such a smart young man with such a strong work ethic. I think you are a fast learner with good teachers. I thought you might need some “gas money” for your tractor.
Thanks again,
Your friend
There were five dollars in it! I thought Farmer Boy couldn’t be more excited than he was when he (A) got mail and then (B) five bucks fell out when he opened it.
But then he read the words. And I watched him physically swell. I swear to you that child became a foot taller after he read that note.
Can you think of a child who is special to you? Is there a way you could give that child encouragement, to help that child feel special and amazing?
Let me know what kinds of projects and ideas you take on! Ready, set, GO!
Friday Mission Follow-up
What a great response to last week’s Fun Friday Mission!
Thank you for not making me a jerk and being thoughtful and awesome to your friends.
Here are some excerpts from comments and emails I received:
From Meg:
What a great friend! Thinking right now about whose day I can brighten this weekend.
From Lisa:
Mission accepted and completed. A dear friend of mine had a very rough weekend. Homemade chocolate chip banana bread to the rescue!
From Stephanie:
My friend Teresa is like the work friend you described – she always finds the time to send me a note on a card handmade by her – I just put the stamp on an “I miss you and thanks for all the cards” card.
From Samm:
My best friend, my soulsister, mentioned last week that she needed a coin purse. So today, I started to make one for her, in her favorite cranberry colour. I’ll line it tonight, and because she and I both love buttons, I’ll find just the right buttons for the closure. Best friends who are like sisters, as MarieAnge is, are special.
From Kendra via Twitter:
Also participating in @closeenoughblog hooker challenge. Seriously it’s a lot more fun that what I’m saying! Go check it out!
Kendra gets double hooker points because she then added this to the comments:
My friend/old roommate just had a baby and so my plan is to send her a sweet little dress for her sweet baby girl but also throw in a bunch of pampering stuff for her. Since I know just having a baby is trying on your beauty! Hopefully this makes her day!
And from my city hooker buddy:
You are the sweetest! I was reading this to hubby and got all choked up remembering those sweet memories (don’t forget lunchessssss at the Beacon and their COFFEE!). I have to admit, every time I hear “More Human Than Human” I immediately go back to driving to lunch with you and Stephy while we totally rocked out.
I would like to make this a regular thing – Friday Missions. What do you think? I have an idea brewing for next week from another vein of “somebody did something nice, let’s copy them.” Would you guys participate if I assign another mission?
Also – you’re all hookers.
A Glimpse
Yesterday was a beautiful day in our part of the world. It is NOT normal to have a 63 degree day on the first of February where I come from.
We began our day with school work.
One of my students was a part of Washington’s Continental Army, as you can see.
Shooter was signed up to bring snacks to PSR in the evening, so he made brownies. Lucky for us he made a double batch – which is handy because (a) now we can eat brownies and (b) it gave him extra practice on converting fractions in order to double the recipe.
I did some ‘helping’ after Little Cowgirl was finished ‘picking up’ her room.
On our way home from phonics lessons and tae kwan do, we paid a visit to a friend.
I said a prayer, telling God we were full of sorrow because we miss Grandma, but full of happiness because she is with him in heaven, and full of thanks because she is no longer in the hospital suffering but is surrounded by God’s love and smiling down on us. I asked him to hear the prayers we held in our hearts.
When we left, my Little Cowgirl asked if it was alright to make up words to prayers. (I grew up Methodist, so this question comes as a surprise every time a little one asks me.) I told her that God is our friend and loves us, so we can talk to him in any way we are most comfortable. I said that sometimes it is nice to use words we have memorized when we can’t describe how we are feeling or just want to spend time with him, but we can also tell God anything, talk to him about anything, and use any words to say it. OR we can just think it – and God will listen.
The kids soaked up the best parts of the sun for a couple of hours before we headed into town for PSR class – playing revolution and (of course) farm.
We left 45 minutes early so I could drop by the bank, cleaners and Goodwill (I’ve been doing Flylady flinging!) before PSR began. The kids ate sack lunches (ravenously, I might add) and drained their water bottles. It was surreal to watch them walk into the school wearing T-shirts!
Tomorrow is our ‘slowest’ day of the week – no activities besides band at noon – and I’m going to encourage as much outside time as possible. According to the weather forecast we are supposed to actually have some *winter* beginning tomorrow. But yesterday was a beautiful day – in every kind of way.