Summer

I love Summer; I love all the seasons actually which is why I enjoy where I live. We experience all the seasons on Long Island and not to the extreme; our Summers aren't scorching hot, our Winters are snowy but not overwhelming, etc. Summer was always a laid back time and I enjoy that. It's changing slowly though. It seems like yesterday when my kids were both celebrating the last day of school getting off the school bus. Now, although my daughter is only graduating 8th grade, my son goes off to work every morning! So the sheer excitement of "SUMMER!!!" has dwindled some.  Not for my daughter of course...but even she at 14 years old, has become more reserved about her glee that school is over. She has a Summer bucket list~she's already crossed off a few things~Summer is fun but I have to confess that whereas they are moving along I am internally shouting "NO MORE SCHOOL!! I'M FREE!!" because in my mind, I still go back to that feeling I had of happiness walking home on that last day after that last test and thinking SUMMER!I think of the family vacation we took every year, all of us driving to various destinations like St Louis or the Berkshires, staying and eating at Howard Johnsons and visiting every gift shop we passed.  My Summers were filled with reading; sitting in our backyard rocking chair and reading my favorite ~Nancy Drew. The beach and fishing off the pier, bbqs all wonderful. I hope my kids feel the same way about their Summers. They seem to have enjoyed them! They too enjoy the beach, the pool, meals on the big porch, our vacations. All I know is today is the last day of school for Caitlin and for ME :)    YAY School's out!!

So my girls have been working overtime supplying us with eggs. I'm not sure if any of the new chicks, who are now six months old, have started laying. I haven't physically seen them lay or sit on any eggs.

They have grown to be big girls now. No roosters in the bunch which is good. I use what I can and give some away. Once the new girls start laying daily, I will be giving plenty away.

Getting all the rest of my Americana out too. Although I have a lot out all year, I did have some new additions. My parlor is soon to be undergoing a renovation of new paint and carpet and I added my new Amish table so that is my inspiration to build around. We've been taking one room at a time to do fresh paint and updates. We started from the basement and worked our way up! Americana works so well in my home and I view it that way, as an Americana type home. I know Farmhouse style is everyone's current favorite of decor right now. I love it too. I've always incorporated some of that into my style but I still love the traditional country style which to me is a combination country, primitive and Americana.

That's about it for me. Hope you have a day filled with smiles.

Planting & Healing

Happy Saturday! I think it's going to be beautiful day! Hibiscus plants make even the rainiest of days cheerful! I have such good luck with mine! I have two plants and I'm looking for a white one. I have two of what they call "Hawaii Punch."

Taking care of my Mom as she is healing; happy she is at home with us. Isn't it funny how we feel better in our own surroundings? My home is my healing place; my happy place.

I continue to plant and we have expanded our garden. The lettuce is huge. My first year planting it. I planted several kinds but the butter lettuce is really loving its space and growing fast.

This weekend I have to pick up tomato plants, cabbage and the rest of my peppers. I made this tiny little garden too.

My Amish planter is on my front porch! 

Other things I've been doing are knitting and I have been tea staining flags! I want them to look as old as Betsy Ross! A lovely friend told me she uses brown shoe polish to olden up her flags or fabrics! What a great tip!

Back to the knitting, I saw a great tutorial on you tube from a young man and he really was a good teacher! I'm trying!

Well enjoy your Saturday! Thanks for keeping up with me!

Beautiful Monday!

Did you ever have one of those nights when you really sleep well? I mean in a deep sleep; a slumber! I had that last night! I woke up feeling refreshed this morning! The last two weeks have been filled with emotions both good and not so good so I think my body was just saying "time for a reboot!" I woke up ready to face the week! I haven't been home so much lately and  my house is calling me. Sounds strange, I know, but my home is my healer. Better than any prescription a doctor can offer. My mind and spirit is restored in my home. I close that front door and disappear inside and in the yard and I am able to sort out any issue or problem that comes my way. 

I've been planting and cleaning the outside in between all my Mom's appointments and other commitments. As she turns that proverbial "corner", its been hard to see her change and her health deteriorating slowly but we do everything we can to take care of her and we await the results of her latest round of tests and hope for a good treatment plan. She still enjoys a trip to the supermarket, though she sits out most of the time, because although she doesn't cook any longer, she always loved to food shop. As I do! I love to cook and food shop! Some of you are shaking your heads like "why???" I just do. Mom also enjoys being at my home and watching the crazy chickens! And who wouldn't? They're so darn cute!

 

I don't normally let them free range but I was cleaning out the coop. What a crazy bunch of girls! I got this great metal plant holder that suspends from Tractor Supply!

So in the last two weekends, I have attended two bridal showers for the two weddings I have this Fall. Thats what I mean by a rollercoaster of emotions. Sadness that some people I adore lost loved ones this week, gladness for the impending happy weddings and showers and the worry for my Mom, yet the thrill that the nice weather is here for flowers and bbqs...But back to the weddings...next year I have three weddings! Three nephews marry next year! Both showers were beautiful and both were different! One was very modern and the other very traditional! Have you noticed that? I enjoyed both. They say marriages have a 50/50 chance of survival these days. That's a little disconcerting but I am an optimist!I hope they all live happily ever after!

Back to the gardening! I planted broccoli this year and several lettuces along with my usuals. I'm really excited for the garden. My husband shares in my love for the garden and flowers. I bought another hibiscus plant too! The one I have in my kitchen blooms and blooms!

Well, time for me to get moving. I have an entrée to make for the Ladies Brunch of our Ladies Bible Study tomorrow. I became a table leader last January after nine years. It was a nice experience and depending on Mom, I hope to do it again next year.

Have a great day!

Hello Thursday!

Hello Everyone! Hope your morning started off great! I have a list a mile long of things to get done as I have fallen far behind. Mom is having difficulties and a lot of my time has been spent caring for her. Not complaining, believe me. It is upsetting though to see parents make these changes. I find myself pre-occupied and forgetful and unable to concentrate. I need a day like today to stay home and immerse myself in things here and out in the garden and chicken coop. It's how I heal and gain strength to face the next day. These changes are surely depressing and I can't let that overwhelm me so in a way YOU are my help too! I enjoy sharing on the various pages and this blog. Thank you so much for following me. 

A trip to Tractor Supply this past weekend for supplies for my chickens also yielded extra goodies for me :) 

My husband is awesome and found these two great items. A hanging rooster planter for the coop and a lovely plant holder that I have since decided to keep indoors. See the very top of this page! I added some artificial flowers. Also got a grain scoop which I had wanted for quite a while and I added a timer candle and pip berries. Now hanging in my bathroom. 

And yes, I did end up getting those chicken supplies too! 

Visited my favorite garden center and started getting more flowers. New Guinea Impatiens, Gerber daisies, and more knockout Roses so far. 

 thinking of where I should start this morning...beds made first! I also need to adjust the framed pictures on the wall in my livingroom. We got our new furniture in April but the artwork on the walls is not centered over the new stuff yet! Very unsettling. I must fix that!  Also, I want to repaint a table I have. A little drop leaf table that I think I will be painting old burgundy. How I love that color!!! Might add a black painted barn star...

I want to wish all of you Happy Mother's Day! Whether you are a mom to your own children, step children, the unofficial mother of the neighborhood, mom to fur babies, etc. have a happy day! 

It's Friday!

Wow this week went fast! My daughter was on Easter Recess from school and we were busy almost every day and the week just flew by! We have some nice plans for the weekend and then its back to school on Monday. I hope everyone is enjoying this nice weather (though it's raining here today) and had great holidays. We celebrated with big meals on both Good Friday and Easter, both with friends and relatives and it was very nice. I made clams on the half shelf, linguini with clam sauce, asparagus and sweet potatoes and more. It was really good. Easter we enjoyed prime rib and all the fixings. My favorite meal of all.
Here's Jinx in a basket...he thinks he fits in....

The chicks have moved into the big coop with the big chickens! They are doing great! Thriving!

Caitlin's room has been completed with her new rug being installed and it looks amazing., I'll have to get her permission to post some photos. It feels good to accomplish a lot of things around here!Projects getting done on the indoors so that we can turn our attention to the outdoors and enjoy Summer.

I just added this new Amish table to my parlor! How does it look? I have to decorate it now! I've always been in love with Amish painted/made furniture. I have quite a bit of it and I never tire of it though some may feel it has a 90's country look to it.  I love it.

So my attempts at knitting are successful! I had never knitted before and I wanted to learn and I did! From a great you tube video featuring a man! He had the best tutorial by far! Its amazing what you can learn from you tube.

So now that Easter is over, what do you decorate for? I just add to my year round Americana! I love Americana. Christmas Tree Shop will start to have a lot of it now. They get some cute things. Oh! Speaking of cute things! I bought this adorable mouse from By Grace Primitives! ADORABLE! It came in the mail last week!

She's holding a rolling pin and there is also one where she is holding a strawberry and I think I need that one too! :)

Have you ever tasted flan? Its so delicious. I got a great recipe that is so simple its ridiculous and its my new favorite thing! its a delicious custard style dessert if you don't know what it is. Sweet!

Well, time for me to get moving here! I hope you have a great weekend! Comment or follow if you like so I know you are out there! I appreciate the messages I have received and humbled that you enjoy reading about my simple blog!

Celebration Weekend

Monday morning sure got here quickly! I hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was a busy one filled with projects around our house and celebrating Caitlin, who turned 14 on March 28th!

Work is almost completed with renovations on the chicken coop. My new Polish chickens are doing well and their feathers are growing in! A little patchy still but growing in nonetheless! While my husband was working on the coop, we let them free range, which I don't normally do for fear of hawks, but I kept a close eye on them, and they enjoyed themselves. What was funny though was that they only enjoyed their freedom for a short time and kept retreating to their home even as my husband was working with power tools on their run! No fear! They love their home and feel safe and secure. And trust my husband 100%! Here are a few photos of them but not all of them!

I also started purchasing my vegetable plants. We are extending our raised beds which I will fill with kale, butter lettuce, red and green romaine, broccoli and cucumbers. My shelves along the rear yard will have container planters of tomatoes, parsley, rosemary, basil and a few others that I still have to purchase but I did get a nice haul of veggies to start. All those I named, I bought and will plant this week. I love this time of year for the new plants both vegetable and floral. I love going to nurseries and just walking through the rows of flowers! I would love to hear about what you plant!

Caitlin's room continued with a makeover. She changed from "butterflies and fairies"from when she was four to a new "beach" theme at fourteen! Can't believe my baby is fourteen. Billy painted her room in the color of her choice and her new carpet comes this week. I will show you photos in a reveal next week! Very excited for this change for her. Here's the color and her new comforter:

We celebrated her birthday at the restaurant of her choice which was Japanese Hibachi! What a great night!

She had a few friends over afterwards and was surprised that we had a special birthday cake for her! Her favorite band is Panic at the Disco so that was her birthday cake!

So all in all it was nice weekend! I hope you had a great one and have a wonderful week!

Busy Weekend Around the Homestead

Good Monday morning! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I'm taking it easy early but not for too long as I have a lot to do. It was a busy week and weekend but all filled with good things. I'm thankful we accomplished so much in the time we had. New living room furniture and for my daughter's room new carpet and paint. Plus some shopping and some great meals too! In between that, I still had time to care for Mom and get my usual chores done so all in all a lot of productivity.

Painting began early and was completed! Two shades of ocean colors for Caitlin's beach themed room! We brought her to Christmas Tree Shop too to get all the goodies she wanted to decorate her room as they have tons of beach items for the Summer. She turned 14 this past week on March 28th! We can't believe it. We'll be celebrating her birthday out this weekend at her favorite Japanese Hibachi restaurant with some of her friends. High School in September for my baby! The years are passing so quickly. So many weddings coming up, showers, engagements of relatives and friend's children. I feel like I lost about five years some where along the line.

Have you decorated for Easter? I need to get that done! I have had the boxes out for a week but haven't gotten to it. We got our new living room furniture on Saturday and I was getting that room all set up, plus helping with Caitlin's room. Mom had several doctor's appointments last week and I thought I would get to decorate in between them but that didn't happen. I love Easter! I'm excited for Spring and our chicks are getting sooo big! They jump into my hand as soon as I open their cage! It won't be long till they can go into the coop but that won't be till it gets warm out.

It's pretty chilly today! I had bought a few vegetable plants when I saw them because as soon as it gets warm out, everyone shops and I can't find what I'm looking for so I have plants waiting by windows to go in the vegetable garden. We are changing up our planting this year and keeping a section of container plants (tomatoes, parsley, basil, peppers, etc) and in the raised bed I have I am filling with cabbage, two different lettuces, kale, green beans.

So I mentioned we had some great meals this last week too. Well, I had two events to go to. One was at one of our favorite Italian restaurants and the other was at a restaurant in Cold Spring Harbor called Harbor Mist. I had the most awesome stuffed flounder EVER. If it wasn't a political event, I would have asked for a doggy bag! LOL  Have a great Monday!