Reach For the Sky!!

So, I made it home last night LATE!! Apparently, I missed a LOT of wind. .and I was glad.  I have some photos of the city to show you all later this week.  But this post was going to be quicker to wrap up.  I mentioned last week that we had made very little progress on the few projects that we were working on last Sunday.  One of which was a trellis for these two red honeysuckle vines. 

This is about their 4-5 year. I initially intended to weave them through the balusters as far as they would go.  BUT. .it is really hot on this west deck during the summer in the late afternoon and evening hours as the sun sinks and sets. I have been thinking on how to add a trellis to extend up toward the roof  for the last year or so.  A few weeks ago the idea hit me!!

I had a couple of old iron bedframes. .one of which I moved to the front garden to be more of a focus. .

and this one. . .

It's location in the garden just wasn't working out for it's benefit.  Jeremy studied the area last Sunday for a while and decided that putting a metal frame around the headboard and then attaching it would probably work the best.  

He reported that he was planning to work on it when I called him from the Boston airport yesterday afternoon as I was leaving.  A little nervous that I wouldn' be home to supervise. .I was excited to check everything out this morning before church.   

I think it turned out EXCEEDINGLY better than my expectations!! You see the honeysuckle is already tall enough to reach! 

I picked up some of the sagging vines and twined them up so they will continue to scramble upwards. .

and stop taking up my garden soil below!! 

Hoping that soon, we will have a nice shaded sitting spot!! And THEN. .I have the cutest little idea in the back of my curled head. .consisting of some clear plastic hose. .a little galvanized tub. .a spitter and pump. .and some small water plants. .SHHHH! Don't tell him. .I'll have to have his handy self too!! We'll have to see!! The one in the magazine was TOOOO cute! 

In about another week. .this honeysuckle will be bloomin' plentifully!! Maybe that will entice some hummer action!!

Looked like lots of things were getting flower buds!!

This lilac SMELL was absolutely divine!! If you scratch and sniff your monitor. .

just maybe you can catch a little scent too!

Glad you stopped by today!! Come back soon to hear about my adventures in Boston!

Hey. .Hey!!

Just making a quick check in.  Thanks to everyone for their prayers for safety! I made it to Boston Tuesday after very uneventful flights.  I learned how to bravely navigate a Taxi service, survived a very lonely first day/night.  I have an endearing story about my 8 year old and his wish and PRAYER for his mom to find a friend!! I will totally share it with you when I get home.  I met a great woman near to may age last night at dinner (where I DID enjoy my first lobster EVER!) The conference is INCREDIBLE!! And I am having a ball. In the meantime, I learned how to use the internet via Tristan's IPOD at the airport. .but it doesn't work in my hotel. .unless I want to pay $10 a day. .which I don't.  This internet access came from the hotel lobby for free. .so I wanted to let everyone know that I'm safe. .and learning. .and having a great time!! Continued prayers for a safe time and great education are appreciated!! Love to all!!

Let the Parade of Color Begin

My favorite part of spring is the daily changes. .evidenced in the vegetation. .the animal population. .and even in the humans!! We've had a great weekend of work and discoveries! Jeremy, Grant, and Devin took the new dragsta to the race track Friday night and Saturday. .they had a great time. .and the rest of us did too! Tristan enjoyed hanging out with a buddy and Cami and I did lots of naturing walking. .and enjoyed everything from up close and personal observations of rabbits. .to hunting down the bluebird. .to watching the butterflys play "tag you're it."  We saw our first Monarch Thursday.. and have seen several since then.

I made a list encompassing Fri, Sat, and Sun. .of all the things I wanted to get done. Most of it got checked off. I think my favorite project of the weekend took about 10 minutes.  Grant helped me move my rock bench from the fire pit to pondside.  After a few days I notice it is really enhancing my view out of my front windows.

Cami liked it too. .a relaxing place to rest and watch all of our little goldfish. .who are becoming quite active again. 

We have some blooms. .and love them all. This is a flowering crabapple tree. The trees are still small. .but I can envision the impact of eye candy they will be as they mature!! The blooms are VIBRANT! Indeed, one is dead. .so we will have to replace it next fall (that's our personal preference for planting trees).

These were new to me this fall. .they are anenome (windflowers) They are so low to the ground. I thought they would be taller. .but both places I put them, they are still seen well enough. .Cami is about the only one who can get low enough to determine that they have a nice scent.

The hosta are making appearances.  I have about 6 in the bed north of my house.  I also purchased 3 miniature varieties last fall to put into a bed next to the pond. Those are coming up as well. .I can hardly wait to see what they will look like as they grow.  I put plastic under the soil in the bed to keep it moister. .and then worried all winter that the plants would rot! Saturday morning I worked on the north shade garden. .removing lots of misplaced (by the chief gardener around these parts) Maximillan sunflower. By the time I had shoveled those out, and planted the new red columbine and "burning heart" bleeding heart it was 90 degrees. .and only 10:30 a.m.! Did I mention how hot the weather has been?  YIKES!! With a stiff 45 mph wind. .That's Kansas-style gardening at it's finest!

The purple creeping phlox is scattered around the south side of the house. .and will probably be transplanted somewhere else sooner or later. I have not had good luck with things growing there. .and am in the process of giving up on that spot for a few years. It's HOT, and shaded, and dry. .not a good combo!

I love these darling little grape hyacinths. .they are in the new rock garden between the waterfall and the house. I planted a few succulents there today too. I overwintered some 1/2 price ones in a flat pot in the house.  I saw a cool magazine photo and tried to recreate. .theirs was TOTALLY better. .but mine survived!Some cobweb hen and chicks and a couple other varieties of hen and chicks went into the ground from the pot.

Many of the tulips are blooming now. .though with the wind. .they aren't surviving that well!  I also did a lot of bed cleaning, compost hauling, mulching, weeding, and plant dividing.  Another highlight of the weekend was a plant swap with a coworking gardener friend.  I dug several plants that she didn't have and traded them out for several plants that I didn't have.  I got a number of different colored daylilies. .and the start off an oakleaf hydrangea!! Which fit perfectly in the hole vacated by some Nandina bushes that I moved to a sunnier location Saturday morning.  The bark on Pat's bushes peels and gives a great winter appeal. It's now right outside my bedroom window. .and I can't wait to see how it does! 

I went over some projects with Jeremy today. .none of which worked well for us. .but hopefully in the next few weeks we will have a new trellis made from an old bed frame (when I divulged my vision to him. .the idea for building it from HIS vision has got me really excited! Much better than what I even had planned) and a new path from leftover rock to the greenhouse from the west deck.  I think I left them enough projects to keep them out of trouble this week while I am gone.  Tuesday I fly to Boston for a conference.  I am thrilled because the conference content is AWESOME!! And one of the speakers is the author of a book that I have been using since college!! Unfortunately, I am geographically challenged and a baby to boot. .so the only real sightseeing I will do, will occur on Friday evening from a trolley tour that they have set up for the conference participants.  I will get to glimpse the tourist historical sites that I will hopefully drag my hubby back to one day.  Please pray for my safe travels. .the well being of my children. .and the sanity of my husband!!

Fresh lobster. .Come to Mama!!

Here Today. .Gone Tomorrow!

 I love birding!! And when I am big enough to retire. .I guarantee that the habitat here will attract them from far and wide, and you will find me in a hammock with my binocs stuck to my eyes!! But, to tide me over until then. .the last two beautiful days have given me some satisfying bird views!! And just like the blog titles suggest. .these beauties were here yesterday and gone today!!

As Cam slept yesterday afternoon and I went out to tackle some garden chores. .J hollered at me to help him move a vehicle into the shop.  As I wandered over. .looking up into the trees as I have a habit of doing. .I was excited to see two yellow headed blackbirds sitting in the tree.  I impatiently sat in the dead auto silently imploring him to hurry up before they got away!! The birds didn't move from their spot. I was able to snap a couple pictures from as close as I dared when. . 

I heard their gruff voices and flapping wings coming from behind me. .

and about another 50 showed up to join the party.   

I was SOOO glad to be home to watch them yesterday!! They migrate through looking for the wetlands..which is where they take up residence for the summer.  And they travel in HUGE numbers!! We usually enjoy them for a mere couple of days before they head out.

They are VERY loud. .as any other blackbird is. .and secretly. .

I am glad they only hang out for a day or two!! But if you have never seen them. .they WILL get your attention. .they are just gorgeous!! I was worried briefly that my new little pond might look like home to them. .apparently not. .whew!

Along the same lines as the blackbird. .these grackles have been many in number lately.  They are also loud, messy, and hungry. But in their own rights, they are very pretty birds too. .with their irridescent black/blue feathers.  I usually stop putting out bird food when they show up. .as they will clean it out PRONTO!

The robins have been busy eating insects and singing songs.  

This one was hunting a meal!! Last night as Cami and I were walking (her in the jogging stroller), we were delighted to sneak up on a rabbit. .who paid us very little attention. .she loved watching him eat from about 10 feet away. And then we were rewarded to see a Western Meadowlark perched on the fence post.  Because she was able to see him isolated from any other birds. .she was amazed to see his lips open as he sang us his tune.  I will never forget the look of amazement on her face for as long as I live!! She turned to look at me to see if I saw. .She couldn't believe that it "talked."  We didn't see any meadowlarks on our walk tonight. .so no photos.  We were also very pleased to see the thin little bluebird last night and tonight.  We have seen it close to two sets of birdhouses. .so we aren't sure if it has taken up residence in one box or not. .And I haven't seen any others. .so I hope they are coming!

It may be a little early yet. .but I couldn't resist hanging up my hummingbird feeder.  The Kansas bird book that I consulted reports that most hummers come through in the fall. .and that they have very few reports for hummer arrival in the spring. .the book also suggest that they don't stay around in the spring. .I think that a few do spend summers here. .and I hope that a few decide to hang out here too! 

On our final lap around the "trail" tonight I was astonished to see this guy far down the fence row. It's a scissor tailed fly catcher!! I LOVE these guys. .and we are always blessed with several pair that stay during the summers! They have the LONGEST tails. .that flick like scissors as they fly. .totally unmistakeable!! I still mourn the lack of cardinals here. .but we do have some great birds!! I know that more will be here weekly now!! We have a great weekend of garden projects going on around here. .The boys sandblasted some old metal chairs and a swing that I got at an auction before Christmas. .I installed the rest of my drip irrigation to one of the existing garden beds. .Grant helped me repostion my stone bench from the fire pit to pond side. .I hauled in several wheelbarrows of compost to improve the soil where I intend to move a couple of rosebushes. .and improved the soil in the bare spots of the south flower beds, to be ready for seed planting soon.  I LOVE this time of year!! Hope you all have a GREAT weekend!!

Flower Pot Crafts

Last Friday, I took the kids to the local nursing home to help the residents make Easter decorations.  They were so cute, I couldn't help but share the pictures. 

They started with small clay flower pots that someone had painted white.  Using small sponge sticks of varied sizes, the kids dipped them in different colors of paint and sponged designs onto the pots.

Even Cami enjoyed helping. .and her pot turned out pretty cute too. .with no rhyme or rhythm to it! She was very intent on doing a good job!

After the designs were sponged on, they painted glue onto the top lip of the pot and then sprinkled glitter on.

After the pots dry. .Easter grass will go in,

as you can see in the pot center bottom of the picture. Plastic easter eggs will settle nicely into the grass, and they will really make adorable table decorations!! I think they would look cute with goodies in them to give to someone special!

The kids and the residents had a great time working on the project together. .and a super lesson for the kids in working with older adults, challenged adults, and, in general, getting out of their own small worlds!! I sure like Easter coming a little later. .It's nice to enjoy the warm weather along with the holiday!

Weekend of Blessings

We are back to the usual grind this week after a very enjoyable. .and overdue visit with my family.  We hadn't been back home since Christmas. .so it was nice to be there.  Of course. .the weather was perfect for gardening Friday. .and not even too bad Saturday.  Grant and I planted our beets, carrots, onions, Swiss chard, and some cilantro before we left on Friday afternoon.  The winds have been

F-E-R-O-C-I-O-U-S since then. .so trying to keep them moist will be tricky!!

My hometown has a BEAUTIFUL park. .and we took full advantage of the delightful April temperatures by spending some time there Saturday afternoon.  I would say that we took the little ones to play. .but you may notice that the BIIIIIGG one who lives with me. .is enjoying the swingset as much as the smaller ones on either side of him!

They have some great new equipment there. .and this triple layout of slides was a HUGE hit for race fans. .big and small.  The cousins don't get to see each other much. .and is sure fun to watch them play well together. .their smiles were that big the whole time!

This is one of my favorite shots of the day!! Dylan had just hit her little forehead on the side of the slide as she got to the bottom and was crying.  But she took Cami's hand and let her go back up with her to the slide for another turn!

Even the big boys (who REALLYdidn't want to go along) enjoyed the trip!  Even more so when my brother the vet called to see if they wanted to stop by his clinic and watch a C-section on a cow.  Tristan was not too impressed by it. .but Grant and Dev really enjoyed watching!

We missed seeing Colton and Brady this weekend. .they would have loved the park outing for sure!

But what a busy crowd the rest of them were!! We enjoyed a trip to visit my aunt and uncle on the way to my folks. .Jane and I swapped out some gardening stuff. .I received some water iris for the pond. .and she got some butterfly weed plants, a few tomato plants from my excess numbers, a pepper plant, and some basil to put in the co-op veggie garden with her neighbor this summer!!

We enjoyed a trip to the flea market outside of Wichita on the way home. .that sweetie that drives me around is getting pretty good about taking me places that he would rather steer clear of!! Even the kids seemed to enjoy the unusual things that we saw.  I got a great deal on a couple of antique oil cans for Jeremy's shop collection. .and a couple funnels for myself. .I saw a magazine picture a while back that used old metal funnels as planters and hung them up. SUPER CUTE!!! I will keep you posted on how they turn out!! I can hardly wait to get them fixed!

We enjoyed great food, good conversations, funny stories, and even watched the most hideous movie I've ever seen (28 minutes long) that starred my littlest brother as "a cowboy." Though we laughed through the whole thing (it was REALLY pathetic. .guess they had ZERO budget and mostly students doing the filming) My brother did a super job with his 15 second spot :-)

The prairies were all lit up with ranchers burning their pastures and fields to allow for the new grass growth. A beautiful site if you have never seen it!! And as another testiment to God's abundant blessings. .after a 3 hour trip each way. .the fuel pump went out on our Yukon yesterday. . as we drove by a friends house. .7 miles from our home!!! And I know all of our extended family is glad they didn't have to come pick us up!!

Thanks for stopping by today . .Have a great week!

Junior Chefs Strike Again!

Those junior cookers were at it again this week.  I like to think of that experience as a great lesson in patience!! We had 8 chefs Monday night. .and since March was National Peanut Month. .we started by making peanut butter popcorn. .which was a hit among the children!

Our next recipe came out of this book. .and if you don't have it and love cookies. .it's an excellent choice.  I bought it last fall from a Books R Fun dealer for about 13 bucks. .well worth every penny!! The kids' recipes for the Christmas cookie exchange came out of here too.  It calls for sweetened condensed milk and graham cracker crumbs in addition to the regular staples that you would usually have on hand in your kitchen.

Once 8 kids in two separate groups got into the swing of measuring, mixing, asking questions, and sharing tasks. .I totally didn't think about taking pictures. .until they left and all that remained was Dev's plate of cookies. .and a mess!!

And I didn't even take a picture of the popcorn littered floor. .or the flour layered over everything!! Aside from the mess. .the products turned out great!! And these cookies were even better than I had hoped they would be. .We used Recees pieces. .because that's all I could find in my cabinet after I decided Monday that we were making those (nothing like a little proscrastination, eh?) The real recipe called for M&Ms. .I used those yesterday afternoon in another batch. .I like the peanut butter better than the chocolates. .but Jeremy preferred the chocolates.  You choose for yourself. .but you GOTTA try 'em!! It makes a big batch!

Crisp Graham Cookies

½ cup butter flavored shortening

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 ½ tsp vanilla

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 ½ cup flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups plain M&Ms or Recees pieces

½ cup chopped pecans

Cream Crisco and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add vanilla and milk. Blend in peanut butter. Combine dry ingredients; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the candies and nuts. Using cookie scoop, place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

Wishing everyone a terrific entrance to April!!