Daybook Entry August 25

Outside my window - It is a beautiful, sunny day. Warmth and sunshine have been hard to come by here in Western WA this year
What we're learning - We are starting out the school year learning about scrolls, reviewing our letters and numbers, making scrolls and clay pots, and learning about things close to the ground such as dirt, ants, worms, etc.
I am thankful for - The ability to keep and teach my children here at home. I am thankful for a husband who has always supported this endeavour.
From the kitchen - chicken
I am wearing - still wearing what I exercised in. Time to shower. School starts in 52 minutes. ;-)
I am reading - Honey For a Child's Heart, Drawing with Children, and random things here and there
I am praying - For a blessed school year with the kiddos. I pray for a patient and quiet spirit.
I am creating - I am currently finishing up a couple projects for a little boy who is set to make his debut into this world in September. Also finishing up a shawlette (first ever and really like it!) and needing to finish a sock.
I am hearing - The kids pretending to be pirates and then the switch to Phantom of the Opera songs being hummed. I also hear Clementine (lovebird) talking to herself.
On my mind - my husband
One of my favorite things - The creativity a garden evokes in children. Yesterday they decided to mash watermelon to turn it into "juice" and added mint leaves to it. To them, it was wonderful. To me...well...I wasn't sipping. :-)
A few plans for the rest of the week - laying low today and tomorrow. We need to begin planting the fall crops. On Saturday we'll head north to visit a girlfriend who is expecting the "little boy set to make his debut" soon

Essentials

January 2011 will be the start of essential living. It'll be time to dive in hard, pay off debt and spend money on essentials. Problem...often I make purchases that at the moment seem "essential" to me but in reality they are so far from it. Guess it's time to write down guidelines for the "essential" category.

Blackberry Ink? Who knew?

Homestead Blessing's is giving away a copy of their new DVD: The Art of Crafting. Check it out! I am completely fascinated with the idea of blackberry ink. What a fun albeit messy activity to do with the kids.

Rainy days

The weather has definitely turned fall-ish here in the Pacific Northwest. While the summer was not all together warm, the nights are now in the low 50's with an occasional upper 40. On Labor Day the rain set in. At the moment I love it. The smell of new rain and the turn of colors is the best in my opinion. Fall has long been a favorite season of mine. Truthfully I tend to adore each season as it approaches but fall has a special place. It's a time to finish up canning, enjoy fresh greens from the garden again and a season in which I don't feel guilty sitting down to the sewing machine, spinning wheel or knitting needles.

In the kitchen I've been working on putting up more peaches, pears and apples. Produce seems to be a bit late this year, most likely due to the cooler summer, and I didn't have much of a choice when it came to apples. In a few more weeks I'll head back to obtain more apples. While I have plenty of applesauce and preserves I still need to put pie filling in the freezer and plan on canning apples like you would peaches or pears.

On the handiwork front I need to finish the Mister's quilt. I've decided to hand quilt it and while it's all sandwiched up, I still haven't begun. I also need to finish sewing together his sweater, work on socks (there are always plenty of socks to work on), a quilt for a special someone and other goodies. In the fall my mind runs rampant like it does in the spring about the upcoming garden.

I have picked up a new passion. Hand spindles. I've used my spinning wheel off and on over the last 6 years. It has always been a pleasure to spin up fluffy wool, turn it into yarn and knit something with it. After being intrigued for a while with the idea of a hand spindle I picked one up last September. I didn't take to it. Who knows why. It wasn't difficult. It just took time, something I'm not very useful with yet. During the course of the last year the beautiful purpleheart spindle sat with braids of roving. A couple weeks ago the Mister was in Chicago on business and for whatever reason I picked up the spindle. The kids and I headed north for the weekend with the spindle in tow. The portability is alluring. Oh my. Love. Complete love. Perhaps more love than what I have for the spinning wheel. It's portable. Compact. My wheel is the Ashford Traveller which, to me, does not travel very well at all. With the wheel there are steps to getting set up. With the spindle all I need is fiber, spindle and 2 hands. The most exciting aspect to the spindle is that my little ones can spin. Little Miss has asked repeatedly to be able to do so and once I can get to the craft store to purchase a dowel and wood car wheel I will be happy to oblige. I love that my little ones will learn the crafts of old. It's a romantic idea to me. It seems to put us in touch with the past, in touch with the natural world around us. This pay period saw money left over from the grocery allotment. With some of the extra I put in a request with Mike at the Spanish Peacock for a custom cedar Victorian spindle. I received a note from him today that it is ready to be on it's way to me. Oh the joy!

So, if needed, I can be found working around the house, in the kitchen canning or sitting in a favorite chair with handiwork in hand.

Post Road Vintage

You absolutely must go here to see a little something that is absolutely lovely. It is just what I've been telling my husband I need for months and months. If only I'd get off the computer and get to being creative. :-)

Upside

One of the benefits of being married to a man who travels frequently for work is frequent flyer miles. Yep. The Mister has enough for this gal to take a trip back home to TN. 12 weeks to the day and counting!

This was/is my backyard back home. We still have our house that dear friends are renting out. I miss those woods, the creek and the way my garden grew.

Ack!

So, um, well, it's finally happened. Over the last couple months I have found my first 2 ever grey hairs. Yep. Only 2. I yanked the first and left the 2nd. I no longer can locate the 2nd but I know it's there. Not dying my hair either. More raw fruits and veggies in hopes of helping.
Ack!

What? How? Why?!

When it rains it pours. Life as we, I, this family knows it is not about to change. It has changed. We are being forced to change.
xoxo

Oh yes it is

Last year I planted 3 hydrangeas. While waving goodbye to company today I looked over at one of the brown bunch of twigs to notice some green. Yet another sign of life.

Spring Fever

While strolling through a quaint nearby downtown Little Miss and I noticed hyacinths and the crocus starting to poke their arms out of the ground. Upon arriving home I noticed that the maple in our back yard and the plum blossoms that line our street are starting to push out their little nods. Today it's supposed to be 47 and rainy but God had something else planned and is delighting us with a slightly(very) overcast sky and a warm 59 degrees. The doors and windows are wide open and we're drinking it all in. Too bad I have to sit down at the sewing table. Sunday's birthday is quickly approaching and I haven't even begun the birthday quilt.

Today's warmth and this picture taken in April or May of last year has me itching for the red's and pink's of February and spring. It has this girl day dreaming of days past in Tennessee. It has this girl ready to make plans to load up the kids in April point the truck in a Southeastern direction in hopes of reaching our home in the Cumberland Mountains, a visit to the Smokies awakening in the spring, missed friends and a new baby who's just about to celebrate a first birthday.

2010

First things first. My first goal for 2010 is to locate my cord to be able to upload photos from my camera to my computer. It's gone. Gone and hasn't been seen in weeks. I know I put it somewhere so I wouldn't loose it while rearranging things. Just can't seem to find where that spot was.
I want to spend this next year focusing, simplifying, growing. I want to refocus my eyes on the goal, Heaven. In the spirit of honesty, spending time in prayer and study tend to take a back seat. I could throw any and all reasons on the table but I won't. It's my first priority.
Secondly, it's time to begin focusing the kiddo's to the idea of consistent "school" E is 4 today and J will be 5 at the end of the month. Reality says that if they were going to a school building J would be starting this fall. It's about time. We've been tinkering around with "school" for a couple years and now it's time to move towards a little more seriousness.
Jeff and I have also decided that it's time to really pull the reigns on our lives. It's time to truly live more simply and frugally. We talk the talk all the time it seems but we've begun the walk. It's a time of transition for us not made particularly easy for me since we've begun a new way of eating. We've decided to no longer purchase meat from the "big box" store or regular restaurants due to our conscience. In order to purchase meat that was raised and slaughtered the way we feel is humane it costs 2 arms and a leg until we can afford to again purchase 1/2 an animal from a local farmer. This means a more vegetarian lifestyle. Difficult when trying to loose weight and being in the trendy mindset that carbs=weight gain.
This frugal/simple lifestyle will also affect how and what I craft. I use my hands all the time to knit, spin, crochet or sew. While I generally never thought about the $$ spent to do those things, I am now aware of what I'm generally spending doing such things. Purchasing yarn and fabric can no longer be a common thing but must become a special event. It's time to use up what I have in my stash (not as much as some but plenty more than others) and finish some long awaiting UFO's.
With all of this said, once I can locate my camera cord I'll have a picture of the first quilt of 2010. It's for today's birthday girl, made completely from fabric and batting that was on my shelves and is completely her. Girly. When this certain 4 year old is asked what her favorite color is she'll quickly answer "pretty". When asked what "pretty" is she'll pause a moment and respond with "pink". This quilt is exactly that. Pink with some white thrown in for good measure. Now to dig around my stash and create something for a soon to be 5 year old who's father is very particular about what is boyish and what is not.

An afternoon view from my living room

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue.

And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.

Some day Mr. Bell we will see our dream come to fruition. I love you with everything that I am. xoxoxo

Brrr

It is chilly this morning! Brrr! So glad someone is delivering wood tonight. Gosh this last week has been a blur. On Wednesday my Dad was taken to the hospital in a coma and had had a stroke. The doctors believe that he was having seizures for up to 36 hours. By Thursday the news was completely grim and we were having to face the talk that no one wants to face. A decision needed to be made as to when to take him off of life support. There was no belief that he was going to come out of the comma and if he did the neurologist believed he would be in a vegetative state. On Saturday it was decided that he would be taken off of the support on Monday or Tuesday. By the time we reached the hospital on Sunday my Dad was awake. Awake and talking a little. He remembered me and the rest of the family. He has completely defied the odds. I talked with him over the phone a couple times yesterday and he sounds better and better. Needless to say, he is not out of the woods and no matter what happens I am thankful that I was given a little time with him to tell him I love him.

On another note, I finished a quilt. It was gifted and by the time I finished it Saturday evening it was dark so there are no wow photos of it. The pattern is called Grannies Lap Jam.

Last but not least I'll leave you with a photo taken this morning of some of Sonoma's babies. Today they are 26 days old.

Rain

The first real rain of the season has finally come. It's beautiful. I know that in 8 months from now when I'm sick of it I'll be complaining with everyone else but for a moment I want to relish it. It's cool, windy, wet. Everything that beckons a fire. It also is the start of the season of dirty, cluttered floors. I'm thinking I need more rugs to cover the wood.

Dog Days of Summer

Ugh! It's 91 at 4 in the afternoon. I know that 91 is pleasant for some but not for this native Washingtonian. I'm seriously ready for rain. Lots and lots of rain. I'm ready for apple cider, pumpkin patches, a roaring fire in the fireplace and sweaters. I can barely allow myself to think about such things when it's this warm. If I could only bring myself to start up the sewing machine and work on the pinwheel quilt top that I've been messing with here and there. There is also fall jumpers and shirts to make. It's just too warm.

Never Forget

I will never forget where I was, the fear nor the tears on 9/11. I will forever have the utmost respect for those who have served and are serving.

What's a mother to do

When her 3 year old continually insists that she (the said mother) needs to knit her (the 3 year old) socks and a pair of gloves. That 3 year old also likes to show her mother with her hands exactly how it's supposed to be knit.

I suppose I'm going to put down some projects and knit my baby what she requests.

Sometimes ya gotta get away

Like we haven't been gone enough??? The Mister headed out today for meetings at Shasta Lake and I decided the kids and I needed to get away too. We loaded up and ended found ourselves at the coast. The water was surprisingly warm for the Northwest.
This was Max's first visit to the beach. He's a dogs dog. Loves to go anywhere and everywhere with us...his best friend...not so much.

A 3 year old girl's version of a sand castle.

Where oh where have I gone?

Yeah, so I had hoped to be back here Monday with pictures of wonderfulness that had been completed over the weekend. Um...didn't happen. My "take it easy while knitting and sewing" weekend was something I only dreamed about. In actuality I decided that I really needed to work outside (and in). You know what I'm talking about. Over the last week if I haven't been outside or in taking care of chores, having school with the kids, eating or exercising I've been dealing with this mess:

450 yards of knots. I must get a yarn umbrella. You'd think I had one by now. What with spinning and knitting but nope. I don't want to spend the $$. The Mister had a good laugh over this one. He says it's the most expensive yarn I've ever bought and after the HOURS (we are talking days people) spent untangling this mess he is right. Oh well. It's all untangled with not an inch lost. Now it's time to get some sewing and knitting done. We're headed out camping this weekend so sewing won't happen but camping is prime for knitting.

In other news we are expecting a slew of strawberries this year.

What started as 20 plants last year has turned into an amount that I'm not going to count. The bed on the east side of our house is completely packed with them. God truly has blessed us with the multiplication of these plants. We.love.us.some.berries!

With all this being said, I'll be back next week. We're heading for camp tomorrow evening and I have a ton of things to do between now and then. Have a great weekend.

Quiet Weekend

Lovelies from the back yard

I would love to say that the roses are from the garden but alas, I have no garden. The people who lived here before us didn't have much of a green thumb which has left the last year being spent trying to fix up what they had done. They did however plant 2 climbing rose bushes in a forgotten corner of the back yard and today, the little Miss and I are thankful for these rosebushes. They smell heavenly. I don't know why but the smell of fresh roses always reminds me of raspberries. Maybe it's because my Grandmother had her roses planted fairly closely to the raspberry "patch".

The weather has cooled down quite a bit. It has been overcast with heavy rain occasionally. I, for one, welcome the cool weather. This weekend my Mister is attending a funeral which is about 3 hrs from us. This leaves the kids and I home to fend for ourselves. I've attempted (really it has only been an attempt) to entertain ideas of taking the kids hiking or going to the beach or... I can't seem to do it. We've been gone every weekend for several weekends and this weekend I just want to stay home and relax. If you could see my house now you'd know that's about all I've done this week. The house is very tidy but very dusty. I need to give the walls and molding a good wash down. Really it's the deep cleaning that I haven't kept up on. Oh well. I have a lot of knitting to show for it. I plan on spending the weekend continuing in the sewing/knitting groove because next week it must come to an end. I have a little one who asked me yesterday if it was school time. We were doing well at school until a 'J' got sick and then it's been down hill from there. How can I deny a little girls request for school? When I told her we'd start back up next week I was greeted with shouts of joy and a big hug. Note to self: get you're head wrapped around this book.

Have a wonderful weekend. I'll be back Monday and will hopefully have some pictures of FO's to show.