Quietness among Busyness

I don't think I'll ever find the right balance In life where the busyness doesn't feel overwhelming. All I've wanted is a whole day at home for awhile now, and it just seems its not meant to happen. It frustrates me so quickly when I let myself go there. So instead tonight I count the good things about all the busyness and remind myself it's all a blessing. And when I'm just thankful, the evening walk down the road with the girls is enough to refresh me. It was good to enjoy the lemonade stand experience today (what a dream come true for kellen!) And how fun to pick high bush cranberries at our friends and get messy (and the jelly declared delicious at breakfast this morning!) How beautiful to get to go out (all by myself!) and celebrate with Crystal and so many lovely ladies - I am so excited for her wedding tomorrow! Summer end is rapidly approaching so one last beach day with so many lovely friends was much loved by all of us! So many lovely moments to be thankful for!

A moon walk

After a day at work
Supper together
Wanted to feel the quiet
So after playing with kids
And pajamas are on
I walk by the dishes
And the mess
I enjoyed the moon
And the crickets
Though not so much the coyotes
When I turn the corner
The warm lights greet me
And I'm filled with thankfulness

Chicken

We haven't cooked one of our own yet. I am chicken, perhaps! Ha! The day wasn't too traumatic for me. I stayed busy on purpose, making apple crisp, canning juice, chokecherries, and applesauce. Those involved, I dare say seemed to enjoy it in an odd way. (true? Bill, Mary, Ian?)

Just thought I'd finally share my pictures of the day. I'm laying in bed listening to Kellen and his friend running wild having fun playing outside in the dark with flashlights and it's making me smile. The big boys are just finishing up an oil change in the garage. We enjoyed picking cucumbers at friends place after church, having other friends over for supper. Saturday i got to enjoy farmers market and knitting at the library in peace. Feeling blessed and sleepy, groggy. Smiling as I fall asleep.

A Peaceful Friday

What a beautiful Friday here, as I am loving this home day.  What a crazy (but good, too!) day in the city.  The bad was losing my cool trying to be patient with a traffic jam in a parking lot.  45 minutes of life spent in utter frustration and left me with a rare headache, I got so mad.  Kids missed going to the Brave movie with Auntie.  I may have lost some years off my life I got so mad.  The good was some growing and talking for Kellen and I through that.  Yes, I gave him a lesson on how ugly a meltdown looks.  School shopping is pretty much done.  I shouldn't set in foot in a second hand store for awhile, because I really don't need any more baribocraft bowls, but I can't resist them.  My camera was cleaned up and settings were changed by the so incredibly helpful London Drugs employee, and I can't believe how much better it works.  I bit the bullet and got a Costco membership, and although that shopping trip kind of hurt, there are some things which we use often and can be costly that will last forever, such as olive oil, quinoa, pasta.  Anyhow, not that I need to share all that, but I kind of need to debrief after that day.  I was thankful the kids were at Auntie's a lot and she helped me debrief after the incident that was not really such a big deal, but was somehow a really big deal.  I know many people love their city, but its just not for me somehow it drives me crazy.  It would probably be different if I lived there, maybe I just try to do too much in one day.

 

I did really, truly enjoy flying a kite with the kids in the pasture and spending some time in my garden this morning.

 A forgotten green pepper plant has been doing very well.

 And it was just perfect for a breakfast burrito for lunch.  As I chopped my garden grown veggies, I thought about how soon it will be that I'll be scrambling my own freshly gathered eggs.

 Neve is having a great nap after the busy day and late night.  Lanelle is playing dinosaurs, of course.  Kellen is playing lego, of course.

 I am preparing to tackle the kitchen mess.  Hope you are enjoying a peaceful Friday.

Harvest Time

I had to pick up canning lids in town today to process more apples.  First place I stopped was all sold out, I grabbed the last 4 boxes at the next store.  "It's that time of year, these are going like crazy," I was told.  Made me smile to think of the harvest time of year and what all that has been meaning around our place.  Picking chokecherries today.  Making more apple juice with some crab apples.  It makes me happy not just for the food, but for the memories the kids will have of the excitement and energy and for these times working together.  I talked to my Dad on the phone tonight and got their harvest report.  Lentils done, finished canola tonight, a few days break until the durum will be ready.  Just hearing him talk about it gave me the warm harvest feelings from childhood. Memories of meals in the field and afternoon combine ride alongs.  I love this harvest season.

Apples

So sweet you are
So fun to climb the branches
To find you under leaves
So satisfying the plink
As you are released
So fun the plunk you make
Dropping into the bucket
All the while the sun warming my spirit
And later at home
You warm the air with delicious smells
Their tummys with warm fresh sauce
But I try not to look at you after hours
Cutting, chopping, cooking.
Feet weary, blister yelling
Tomorrow perhaps I'll love you again

It was a good day

Up early feeding the chickens and off to the city. Not a store set foot in. Cousins played with and loved. Good news about the littlest cousin and her healthy heart. Back home to visit with a missed friend. Good to catch up. Sad to remember how hard things hurt. Quick supper of canned borscht. More apples cut for the dehydrator. Off to town for The Lorax playing at the library. And Neve did crazy good at it! Kids in bed and I should too. More fun to have tomorrow. This was a good day with much to be thankful for.

Home

During this process of moving, it's been interesting to notice what makes us feel "at home". For Ian, the hanging of his moose antler eagle carving seemed to have such significance, I even felt at peace when it was put in its place. I am thankful its been such a smooth transition to us feeling like this is truly home.

I am so happy to be living this beautiful dream. 6 of our homegrown chickens in the freezer, a jar full of our dehydrated apples, a bike ride down our gravel road tonight. We are so blessed.

Another week

Its been just another week here on the Back Forty.  Being asked at supper out with the ladies last night, how things are.  I say, just fine the summer is slipping away and the days are just disappearing and no we are not really feeling settled in.  There are still boxes in every room and curtains still waiting to be hung.  I hear myself and I know its time to sit and give thanks for the blessings, because these moments are doing more than just disappearing.  I remind myself today that we are living each moment.

Like picking apples from the apple tree we thought was not producing.  Kellen was crazy excited to report that the apple tree did in fact have some great big apples.

 I kept telling him to get down, that branch was not big enough for him.  But, he assured me it felt strong and he was able to reach those high up apples.

 So this morning we went around the long way by the apples and down the row of trees on the east side to go pick the wild raspberries we had found on the far west side of the property.  I remembered the previous lady of the house had told me there were buffaloberries down this row of trees that could make a nice jelly.  We definately will have to try it out, they look beautiful.

 The raspberry picking was amazing, but it the end a big disappointment produce-wise, although not memory-wise.  We battled bad mosquitos, a super grouchy 4 yr old, a 1 yr old screeching if she wasn't being constantly fed what I was trying to collect, while Kellen insisted on hauling "lumber" out of the bush instead of helping me.  I finally got about 2 cups and was dreaming about a precious jar of wild raspberry jam when they accidently ended upside down in the tall grass.  EEE-ouch!

We headed back to the house in the late morning, which had gotten super hot, with me carrying both girls and me laughing at my insanity.

 But a quick stop in the garden for snow peas and kohlrabi to add to a couple of the apples and our few raspberries I picked after the upset, and I was still overwhelmed with thankfulness for this place and what we have. (Aren't those BIG for wild raspberries?)

 The guy who wanted the hay has been cutting and we are loving that its easier to explore a little.  The girls really couldn't walk through the super tall grass.  (And I didn't much like to, when I couldn't see what I was going to step on.)

 I found this picture on the camera from a little sneaky photographer who grabbed the moment when mom wasn't around.  I am constantly finding Neve sitting on the table, its becoming one of her favorite places, yikes.  I liked realizing that house progress is being made when I see curtains and pictures :)

 There's been lemonade and apple chocolate chip goodness.

 There's been time away to visit family.

 The Midsummer Arts Festival enjoyed.

 And even a late night trip to the hospital with a high fever, in which I am thankful for antibiotics and for a girl who can really be so sweet and precious.

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Perspective

Sometimes I wonder how my kids will remember things. I know they are viewing things from a different perspective.

Makes me think a little more about it when I viewed this family portrait done by Lanelle. Does she really think my hair is THAT big?