A Little Extra Help

I only wanted three.

Strawberry Smiles

The farmer planted beautiful strawberry plants two years ago. The first year just as the strawberries began to ripen the deer wiped them out, plants and all. The second year the farmer enclosed the bed which kept them from eating all of them. However, they would push their head under the fencing and nibble around the edges. But we still didn't get any strawberries. He didn't cover them with bird netting and in the matter of a few days all berries were gone.  


This year the farmer had success. Those plants were covered so well it is a wonder the sun could get to the berries. But look how beautiful those plants are! 


This is what I picked tonight. It is hard to beat a great Oregon strawberry.


So for dinner we fixed a wilted lettuce and bacon salad like my mom used to make using fresh lettuce from our garden and our own fresh eggs. So good. This followed by a bowl of those sweet strawberries.


And just because I want to remember this dogwood outside my office building I had to take a picture. The dogwoods this year have had beautiful full blooms.


Now this made me smile. I could watch this over and over. What a great couple. 

Little Weasel

Lately I have just had no inclination to write and no time to read much. So when I had a spare moment I decided I was going to write about this:



and this:




I was thinking I have nothing. Nothing! Well maybe I can bore everyone with another grandchild post. Not boring to me of course and don't think that title above applies to my precious little people. No not at all.

Little Lucy had her fourth birthday and she requested a horse cake. Chocolate. Let's just say I am not a cake decorator but it would do. She loved it.

What would my life be if not for the strange things that happen? Pretty dull for sure. Saturday morning I was cooking breakfast for Emma, my oldest granddaughter, while the rest of the house was asleep. I glanced out the kitchen window and thought I saw a brown squirrel run by. When I looked again I realized it was a weasel. At 8:00 in the morning running around our swimming pool and such. I always thought they stayed away from people and didn't get too close to homes during the day. I was wrong. Dead wrong.

Not wanting to miss an opportunity for a blog photo I got my camera and went out on my deck to see if I could get a close up of him. But when I went outside leaving our door open but the screen door closed, he had disappeared. Or so I thought. I looked around a bit and decided that I better check on Emma's french toast. When I turned around there running around in our family room/kitchen area was Mr. Weasel. He had entered right behind me through the pet door. This little door used to be sealed up and now I understand why.

All thoughts of photos and writing left my wee little brain as I shrieked at Emma that there was a weasel in the house. I flew in there to close off that end of the house so that he couldn't hide somewhere or better yet, crawl up and snuggle with the farmer who was snoring away. Emma had absolutely no fear and just kept telling me how cute he was and that she would love to catch him and keep him.

After closing off the house I opened the sliding glass doors so he could find his way out. But he seemed in no big hurry, scampering around looking out windows and climbing up the back of our futon stretching his neck up looking around the rooms. Soon he went back to the pet door and made an exit much like he must have come in, ignoring all the open large doors.

I don't know if he was someones pet or what but amidst my shrieking and racing around he did not appear to seem frightened or concerned that we were there. Do people even keep weasels as pets? He also left our chickens alone. At least for now.

This is what the little guy looked like. He is what is known as a long tailed weasel. Even though I never got that photo the little guy is burned in my short little memory.

Oh and just so you know, the farmer scoffed and said "if Emma hadn't witnessed it, I would never have believed it".

Just wait, Mr. Farmer. The next creature in our home will be tossed in bed with you for sure.

Now This Makes Me Feel Like A Grandma

There are just some things that can bring up memories for me. This is one of them.

When I look at this sifter it makes me think of both of my grandmothers and the wonderful things they made in their kitchens. 

Yes having this makes me feel like a grandmother. 

Oh! And of course this does too.

What I'm Digging Today

Back in March the farmer and I celebrated our anniversary and he wanted to buy me a new sewing machine. Well, who am I to refuse such an offer?



I looked and looked, read up on many and finally decided on this little beauty. There are so many great machines out there but I really wanted one that would do the basics plus a little more. I loved all the stitches that the expensive machines can do. In fact basically some of them can be set up to sew and you can walk away and eat your lunch. But I really didn't want to spend that much money.  I knew I would never use all the stitches and I just plain like to sew. So having the machine take over just seemed to take the joy of sewing away.

SewSo, here are the last few projects I have been working on. My favorites are the two little kitty purses I made for two of my nieces. Aren't they adorable? So off I go to make Lucy a purple kitty purse for her birthday. Shhh! Don't tell her.

There Is An Impostor In the Hen House Again

 

Heh! I kid. This robin egg was found at the bottom or our pool. How it managed to be there I really couldn't tell you. Perhaps Ms. Robin bottomed out as she flew over or a more likely explanation is that a crow or blue jay stole the egg and lost it's grip while in flight. Who knows!

Lucy was spending the night as usual on Tuesday and she was so tickled to find this egg. She kept saying it was a candy Easter egg.  We had a little lesson on how when something or someone touches a birds egg the mama bird will not come back to it. She seemed to accept that, or so I thought. She then asked if she could just take a little lick to see if it was candy. O.K. then!! I had to take that little blue egg away before a few licks happened. But all was good because she was on a mission.

The fun thing about living out in the country is the things little kids can find to do. Lucy told me she was going to find some treasures. Here is some of her loot. Then off for a bath and bed time story.

Sorry no blue egg for breakfast. 

Farewell For Now

Max

October 10, 1931 - May 11, 2009

Max was my father-in-law, my second father, if you will. My heart broke when my father passed away nineteen years ago but never could I have found a more perfect replacement than my husband's father. This man was so much like my dad that sometimes the two blended together in my mind. Some would say that he was a small man which in stature he was. But to measure by a huge heart, he was a giant among men.  

He loved nothing better than to take a fishing rod and spend hours with a line in the water. The photo above with my daughter, Kyla,  is a perfect example of what he was like as a grandfather. He will be forever remembered for his sweet and gentle nature, his love of family which was not only evident with his own children and grandchildren but also the great love for his sister's and wife's families. His love of life and humor were a joy to experience and he was one of the best examples of what it means to live a life simply and well.

I am going to miss that chuckle, those crinkly smiling eyes, the big kiss he always gave me coming and going, the fishing trips, picnics, family dinners and his gardens. 

There is a crack in my heart again but I just know that he is surely fishing with my Kyla once again.