Summer Goodness x's Ten

Nathan, Jake and imagination at play

1. green lawn
2. perennials in full bloom
3. day camp
4. bird song
5. fresh garden produce
6. family gatherings
7. blue skies
8. homemade ice cream
9. BBQ's
10. road trips

Part II - Sepia Flying Fortress

Our visit to Felts Field's open house revisited in sepia.

A Flying Fortress .. Aluminum Overcast ... B17

Chrome in sepia .. a somewhat self-portrait

Felts Field .. part of Spokane Airport

After The Storm

after the storm .. our front yard

Had a wild snow storm roll through yesterday .. in the midst the kids decided to blaze a sledding trail in the front yard.  Today was picture perfect .. with a cherry on top :) 

Waiting to ring in the new year tomorrow night at home.  It's cold .. and the best place is inside by the stove.  Christmas has come and gone .. and it's almost time to put the decorations away for another year.  Today was spent getting up early to make homemade cinnamon rolls to enjoy with friends, sledding, taking care of car maintenance, and fixing a nice pot roast dinner for my family.   Nothing profound .. simple everyday life .. ebb and flow stuff.  Still resting up from last summer's garden and enjoying the produce put away for winter.  My life speaks volumes of 'homebody' .. and that suits me just fine. 

I hope to get back to blogging more regularly once the new year rolls around.  Been hit or miss of late with Christmas and company.  Enjoy New Year's Eve .. be safe.

sledding .. oh what fun

Hugs,

Oh So Pretty!

Gr-gr Grandma Minni's parlor lamp .. waiting for a good dusting!

It finally arrived!  My heirloom parlor lamp.  It's been years of patient waiting .. trying to figure out how to ship it safely from St. Louis to North Idaho without breakage.  Great-great grandma's lamp is finally resting in safety atop my dresser.  Although my dad claimed it to be from the Civil War era, from a bit of research (on-line) last night, I peg it from the 1880's to about 1901.  Thank you, my friend and neighbor (Cathy K) for bringing this heirloom home to roost!

The lamp is painted with chrysanthemums.  Funny .. not remembering what floral pattern was on the lamp nor the color scheme .. I'd say my bedroom was designed with it in mind.  We even have chrysanthemums on the bathroom curtains and upholstered dressing stool.   Please, Lord, don't let my family members be the ones to break it ... AMEN!

Saturday's Fix

1. Sunrise with the birds from the front porch rocker
2. Awe for God's nature
3. Hot coffee and quiet before the rush of the day
4. Buttermilk pancakes hot off the griddle .. topped with homemade huckleberry syrup
5. Laundry hung outside
6. Fresh sheets to sleep in tonight
7. Clean windows
8. Plant more herbs
9. Set a nice dinner table
10. Give thanks to God for all blessings

copyright free image from here

Last Day Of School

On Friday I'll have to change gears as Thursday is Nathan's last day of school.  I always like sleeping in or having more time alone in the morning without the school rush.  Summer will get going ... family will visit ... the garden will consume me ... taking weekly trips to the local u-pick farm ... mini vacations ... summer camp for Nathan ... canning and freezing food for winter ... then I'll be pooped and long for school to start.  It always happens this way.  So what's on the horizon for you this summer?

Practice Makes Perfect ... Nap Time ...

... and other minutia. 

I was on a short trip to visit family on the West Coast of California.  Ocean air and sunshine were pleasant and a nice change from all the rain we've been having.  This was a trip ALONE.  No kids or hubby.  Just kick back time to relax from the everyday stress of life ... stopping in Phoenix on the way back ... and happy to say not for long as it was over 100F .. much too warm for the Snow Queen.  And wouldn't you know .. I picked up a cold on the flight home ... so now I'm recuperating.

Yesterday I found myself in the dentist office after chipping my tooth on a butter rum lifesaver candy.  Ann is interning with our family dentist .. so she was able to assist.  Nothing like practicing on a family member, eh?;)

It's time for another nap ... hope to be feeling better soon and maybe find something to write about.

A Diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-dee Day

If you live at our home ... anytime Nathan says the phrase: Diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-diddle-dee ... we all know it's going to be a happy day.  Don't ask how he came up with this long verbiage ... but it does make everyone smile knowing he's happy!

Today brings: 

• happiness .. Nathan style
• morning showers to water the land
• food to warm and nourish body and soul
• fresh laundry
• rest from garden and yard work

Have a wonderful Saturday soaking in God's blessings.

Whatever Happened To ...

.....my new over the cooking range (now defunct) microwave/exhaust oven?  It bit the dust after just 2-1/2 years of use.  It seems it just couldn't take the heat from all of the summer canning I do.  And the last time I fried chicken (a once a year ordeal around here) the electrical panel got 'fried'!  Sad at the time, but oh so much happier with my new exhaust fan and the tile back splash repaired .. there is no comparison to the exhaust performance!

And the microwave .. well, I brought in from our front porch a little vintage table Mr. Mac's grandpa made ... put it in our eating area in the kitchen with a small (seldom used) microwave I had stored in the basement. 

Socked In - Stuck Inside

Photos taken this morning from my back porch!

Whatever Happened To ...

Mrs. Mac?

I'm still here waiting for something brilliant to say;) Dummmm,deee,dummmm,dummm ... not happening today. Come for a visit at The Thrifty Garden/Home .. that's where I've been hanging out.

You see, without piles of snow and a crisis every other day, I'm rather soft spoken and speechless;)

Well ....

That's a deep subject;) I have a computer. I have a connection. I have writer's block. I guess;)?

Nothing is pouring out of the deep recesses of my brain ... probably a good thing.

I'm just waiting to find the usb cable to hook up my camera to the computer so I can add photos.

January has been a rather nice month so far. No snow. No shoveling. No need for snow shoes. No problem walking around the property from snow drifts. No shoveling the roof. No need for four wheel drive. No plowing. Enough positive no's.

Getting ready to visit the 'happiest place on earth.' Nathan is hyped!

Back In Business ...

... finally. It's been ever so long since I had a working computer at home. After much fuss, my new laptop is up and running. Hip, hip, hooray! Thank you son-in-law, Ryan, for helping get us up and running.

I'm way over my meltdown in the last post. This week has seen some positive changes! Nathan has matured leaps and bounds and is blessing my socks off by getting himself ready for bed all by himself! That's right! A big step towards his independence. All I have to do is check his teeth, which he readily allows me to do without asking him. We used to fight tooth and nail to get this night time routine going. My evenings are taking on a more relaxing tone. He's venturing out more and more from the safety of his room ... and has re-established his morning school routine which had gone by the wayside during the Christmas break.

I think life is getting rosy. Maybe it's my glasses;)

Good Morning Monday ...

Loving the time change ... a whole extra hour alone in the morning when everybody else is using their external alarm clocks ... I'm still using my internal one .... coffee in the stillness of the morning ... before the rush of the day .... ALONE ... aaaah, reason to rejoice!

Photo: Orange Marmalade Sunrise by Mrs. Mac 2009

Carpe Diem

Aaaah, Saturday!

1. sleep late
2. be less strict with Nathan's diet
3. trip to the public library
4. make 'sticky chicken wings'
5. Nathan's friend to come over for the evening. Menu: self made mini (English) muffin pizzas, salad, and the above referenced wings, hot apple cider, visit a few local neighbors for treats, and a spooky kids movie
6. clean the guest room and bath
7. change beds and wash sheets/towels
8. call my parents
9. write two thank you letters
10. respond to being the winner of a blog contest!

Photo: By Mrs. Mac, October, 2009, Lake Okanagan, BC

This & That

Inquiring minds want to know ;) ... what has Mrs. Mac been doing for the past few weeks to keep her from posting regularly?

1. canning
2. cleaning
3. baby sitting
4. knitting
5. baking
6. visiting
7. canning
8. cleaning
9. knitting
10. baking
11. baby sitting
12. cleaning
13. canning
14. garden work
15. garden work
16. knitting

Now aren't you sorry you asked ;)?

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!

It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,

yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Proverbs 6:6-8

Five Words

OK ... this blog is being neglected as I try to keep up the the Scarf Sisters .. and now Cooking With The Scarf Sisters. So to fill in a few posts, I'm playing a five word meme that Pat posted a few days ago. If you want to play along with five random words, just leave me a comment. I'm taking five days to stretch this meme out. Today's word is:

Idaho

As a relatively new transplant to this state, I've come to think of no other place as home (except for a vision of heaven down the road :) Having lived east, west and in between, the north has exceptional beauty. Hubby and I have pioneer spirit and have moved to quite a few states. Now Idaho is home sweet home to us. We have our names written in the soil so to speak. When I think of Idaho I think of: Potatoes, huckleberries, streams teaming with fish, hunting, wild animals, thick forests, alpine lakes, wild flowers, volcanic deserts, ghost towns, and culture mixed with a wild west flavor. From my front porch rocker I can watch the sun rise over a tree covered mountaintop .. and in the evening, I can watch the sun drop behind another ridge from my backyard patio. There are so many places to explore within an hours drive that living here seems like a permanent vacation.

PC Blues

My computer has needed additional RAM for quite some time. It's been slower than molasses .. couple that with a bad part on my satellite dish ... taking me back to the stone ages of the information highway. I'm trying different things ... getting back my laptop on (permanent;) loan to daughter, and using a USB connect device on loan to me from my son-in-law. He fixed the lack of RAM and installed an external backup device. Sometimes I'd like to 'chuck' the PC out the same window that our TV satellite went out ... but I just don't want to be completely isolated and dependent on the public library's computer. I have pictures in my camera to share on my three blogs that perhaps can be uploaded with ease now (keeping fingers crossed)

Today has been rainy. Thank you Lord for the precipitation. It means no work outside today! No watering the garden or mowing the lawn. Last week was a doozy with busyness, company, gardening, running Nathan to/from day camp, home maintenance, etc. I hate to say it since summer is a much anticipated time of the year, but such a time that makes me look forward to the coming autumn and winter months. Each season has something to offer .. and towards the end of summer and winter (especially) I long for a change.

Minus The Boob Tube

... and getting back my mind.

There, I canceled our TV service this past June. It was costing me $65 a month for junk being teleported into my home. Junk news (especially politics), junk sitcoms (mostly reruns), junk soap operas (I never watched them .. except as a new bride .. nearly thirty years ago), junk home shopping clubs (I never could figure out how someone would spend money by seeing some person that talks and talks about a product .. then tells you you only have five minutes to hurry and call to order .. fill in the blank product), junk info-mercials, junk cartoons, junk sports (sorry hubby).

In place of tv, we have been reading the newspaper, going to the library and checking out books and a few movies, cleaning house, staying focused. No more lure in the middle of the day to suck me into the family room to sit and have my mind zapped. Our socks have all been mended, sewing projects that had been put off and put off forever (curtains) have been completed and I've taken up writing letters the old fashioned way (not that old fashioned .. those sent by pony express .. I did buy stamps).

If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks.

Can't you just see us come this winter when the snow is blowing, wind howling, and we can restart the old tradition of playing board games at the dining room table instead of sitting on the couch with a mindless look on our faces staring at a black box.

Ecclesiastes 10

¹ As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

² The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left.

³ Even as he walks along the road,
the fool lacks sense
and shows everyone how stupid he is.

⁴ If a ruler's anger rises against you,
do not leave your post;
calmness can lay great errors to rest.

⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:

⁶ Fools are put in many high positions,
while the rich occupy the low ones.

⁷ I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.

⁸ Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;
whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

⁹ Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;
whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.

¹⁰ If the ax is dull
and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed
but skill will bring success.

¹¹ If a snake bites before it is charmed,
there is no profit for the charmer.

¹² Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious,
but a fool is consumed by his own lips.

¹³ At the beginning his words are folly;
at the end they are wicked madness-

¹⁴ and the fool multiplies words.
No one knows what is coming—
who can tell him what will happen after him?

¹⁵ A fool's work wearies him;
he does not know the way to town.

¹⁶ Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant
and whose princes feast in the morning.

¹⁷ Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth
and whose princes eat at a proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.

¹⁸ If a man is lazy, the rafters sag;
if his hands are idle, the house leaks.

¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter,
and wine makes life merry,
but money is the answer for everything.

²⁰ Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird of the air may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

This chapter from the Good Book speaks volumes!

Tag Times Two

I'm a slow poke when it comes to acknowledging blog awards. Not that I don't appreciate them, for I truly do. My computer sometimes runs so slow that I have to finagle getting pictures posted most days ... but I want to thank two lovely friends from different parts of the world for bestowing me with kind awards.

First, my friend Maggie Ann ... over at the Knitting Kat blog has given me the "Uplifting Blogger Award." Maggie Ann is a sweet, kind-hearted lady that loves God with her whole being. You can't help but have some of God's Word rub off on you when you pay her a visit (a very good thing, I might add).She has inspired me to take up knitting ... and most recently ... she blessed me with a box full of wool samples to practice spinning ... as in making yarn ... there were even directions and a book with nice pictures. Soon ... I will attempt to unravel the mystery of how yarn is made... thanks to Maggie Ann :)

Secondly, My friend Lidj, from the beautiful Philippine Islands has given me the "Kreative Blogger Award" and asked me to name seven things I love that show my creativity. Well, here goes:

1. God's creative touch has always inspired me. Whether watching the sun set from my backyard hammock, or photographing a snowy winter scene, Each day I go out into the world something He created JUMPS OUT at me.
2. Taking something old and discarded and re-purposing it into something beautiful. Much the way God can transform a person from the inside out.
3. Sewing and cooking were my favorite subjects in school. I learned to sew on a tiny little Singer sewing machine my dad bought me for Christmas when I was only five years old. That started my love for stitching up aprons, and doll clothes at a VERY young age.
4. The last few years have been exciting having built our own home from a drawing I made on a paper napkin. Selecting each door knob, faucet, light fixture and appliance. Paint colors, roof color and style, and what color and type of siding. Landscaping the yards and putting in my veggie gardens. Step by step, line upon line. Much like reading the Word of God ... a little each day and soon you've read the whole Book!
5. Gathering my little flock of 'Scarf Sisters' and protecting them, praying for them, acting goofy with them, encouraging them.
   
6. Being the mother of four wonderful grown children. They bless my world each and every day. How lovely it is to watch them mature and become dear friends.
7. Well, one of my four children is a most precious young man that is maturing leaps and bounds. He was created with an extra chromosome that has given him the most sensitive heart. No matter what 'label' he has placed next to his name in his school file, he's truly the most loving individual I've ever met.

Wow, seven things already! God has blessed me with more creative ideas than I know what to do with ... which is scary ... not to boast. Sometimes, I wish there were more hours in each day so I could attempt other creative projects. But God knows best ... and I have to pace myself.

There are so many Uplifting and 'Kreative' bloggers that visit here. It's hard to choose recipients. So, if you think you'd like to accept either or both of these awards from me, I give you permission to participate. Thanks ladies!