turtles, flowers, dogs, & birds

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Shanda

I’m skipping right over Tuesday and blogging about yesterday because Tuesday’s pictures are on my phone and I don’t feel like retrieving them at the moment…..

We spent the entire day at home as I was feeling kind of crappy (allergies? not sure…but I was tired and fuzzy headed).

The kids basically did whatever they wanted to do, within reason of course.

Just another carefree day, the kind we love best.

I went over to take care of my poor chickens. And on the way back from the coop I found a teeny tiny turtle in the grass by the pond!!!!! I put it in the front pocket of my sweatshirt and darned if it didn’t run right back out onto the ground. Baby turtles are FAST.

It was so cute. I took it in the house to show the children. Sarah didn’t want to touch it but I “made” her. (encouraged) She was shaking and giggling nervously. But once she had it “This is my first time touching a turtle!” She didn’t want to let it go. She wanted it for a pet.

The two of us sat by the edge of the pond and watched it enter the water for the very first time. Then we walked around trying to find more turtles, but we didn’t. Maybe we will on another spring day.

There was a line at the nesting box. This photo is of the front of one hen and the back of another. I say “poor” chickens because, as I have mentioned in past posts, there is a fox after them. So they have to stay locked up for now. Mr. Fox has only killed one hen and that was heartbreaking enough. This morning I plan on driving to Agway to purchase a supply of tempting feed and treats for my poor hens, to make their stay in the coop more tolerable.

I do let them out in their fenced in area if I am able to be at home to continually check on them.

Ethan spent the day with his girlfriend, Tessa. She brought her dog to our house, so Parker the Dog had a lovely time yesterday with his bestie, Benji. They got wet, they got muddy, they played their favorite dog games.

Benji received an egg from my pocket, just like Parker, but he was clueless. See the invisible question mark above his head? Parker was already lapping out raw egg from HIS shell which he broke himself with his teeth. Benji’s egg is by his left paw, right where he dropped it.

So Caleb took Benji’s egg to the pathway and broke it for him……yum. Nothing like a raw egg still warm from the chicken (so they say).

Later on, my husband got home and took the boys to Little League practice. (Grace made chili for dinner). I sat on the porch with my book but didn’t read it because my friend Sarah Joy had lots and lots to talk about. I had my camera with me and shot two bird pictures from my chair on the porch as I listened to her chit-chat. Not too bad for spur-of-the-moment photography, with the birds about a mile away (slight exaggeration).

A Flicker sat on the very tippy top of the dead tree in front of the house. I read that they eat on the ground—they eat mainly ants and beetles, using their beak to dig them up. They are such a beautiful bird, one of my favorites. They have polka dots, a nice black “necklace” and a patch of red on the back of their necks.

And then Sarah and I saw a duck.

We went inside after this and she read me 30 pages of a 1904 school Primer (early reader). She snuggled up into my side and I smelled her hair and listened as she read in a sweet voice, laughing together at the funny parts. (we totally get 1904 humor).

best picture is at the end of the post

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Shanda

get kids ready for school
run on treadmill for half hour (2 miles) while watching Unsolved Mysteries
shower, dress
make bagels for R and G
fold a ton of laundry that has been too easy to wash but not too easy to fold for some reason
while watching Mr. Selfridge
upload photos then abandon blog to snuggle on husband while he goes through emails
eat a cream cheese, sliced tomato and cracked pepper bagel for lunch
pop a bowl of popcorn and read a book (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince)
fall asleep
wake up to Dave home and clattering things in the kitchen, making perfect rice and a sauce to go over it (youtube video recipes) He needs help finding lid, the cornstarch, and rice vinegar
make a cuppa
facebook

AND NOW I finally get a chance to tippety tap a blog post, a very long blog post.

Did you notice in the first photo how my cobalt canister broke it’s lid so it sweet talked the sunflower canister to give it it’s lid? Now the poor sunflower canister has to use a pot lid.

After years of having a subscription to Country Living I let it run out and now get Cooks Illustrated, which I love reading through. It’s a cooking magazine for readers, as most of the magazine is very long explanations of recipes and THEN the recipe. And I also used the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook again, this time to make potato bread.

while the dough rose

I did a portrait session with a nonpaying customer.

She thought I would be honored to take her picture. Look how carefully she posed for me.

Her brother was, as usual, taking a nap (which often run to 4 or more hours at a stretch).

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I did not realize I would end up with so much bread. we ate it for days. Buns for sloppy joe (sprinkled with herbs) and several loaves. The potato in the bread kept it soft.

This is what sometimes happens when I get a sad feeling.

Star Wars the newest movie became available to purchase on amazon prime so we decided to buy it and eat all the junk food we wanted. (we were sad because Rich had left for a 10 day business trip).

Grace felt hesitant and guilty about the groceries and the boys were all like, “stop it.”

The Ben and Jerrys was for meeeeeeeeeee.

We invited our friends and told them to wear pajamas.

Seths skinny little feet…so cute and dear. (Grace just said I made the face I make when I see a cute baby).

I took one picture during the movie because I saw something so sweet:

Tessa in a love sandwich.

thrifting (fiesta plates and amber stone dishes)

Sarah made me laugh and laugh because she told me she wanted me to fix her hair “just like Tessa’s” which (she directed me) was a ponytail with a big chunk pulled out of the side. She also had a hair band doubled around her wrist “just like Tessa” but I said, “Tessa doesn’t put hairbands on her wrist so tight her hand turns purple” and made her undouble it. Tessa is all the rage in Sarah’s opinion. I should tell her that Tessa would NEVER suck HER finger.

My very favorite way to eat my morning eggs! I found an old bag of frozen raw shrimp from Costco which had been in the deep freeze for like a year. So I thought I would throw a handful in the pan along with some peppers (also bagged frozen). When the shrimp and peppers were cooked I put them on a plate and then scrambled three eggs and ate it all together while closing my eyes and saying “this is SO good!” Jacob cooks his eggs at the same time. It’s fun to be together.

journaling with a dog and a cat and also Grace (not photographed)

David’s perfect rice from a few days ago.

spring is here

the sky is blue, whoa oh oh

birds all sing as if they knew

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Today’s the day, we say I do,
and we’ll never be lonely anymore……

Ethan started track season.

Uncle Nate very generously sent a Tom Brady rookie card to Caleb in the mail, it was so sweet to see (don’t you feel like one of the best parts of being a mom is watching their faces when they’re happy?)

Jacob and Emily playing with Parker the Dog.

I made Alaskan coffee in my french press this morning and then….

It was only like one cup that I dumped but it went everywhere. Then I had to search for a dustpan.

folding laundry in front of the TV

I saved The Best for last…….Rich arrived back home yesterday and as soon as he came in the door he had three of his sons in a big hug.

I cry a lot because I’m so happy.

When the heart is full, the eyes overflow

books, a carrot, friends, spiders, a flower, bugs, and gifts

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Shanda

Yesterday the dollar movie was Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days so I made the kids go in without me. I walked the mall and went to Target. While I was in Target I browsed the books and wrote the titles of some that looked interesting. After the movie was over we went to Taco Bell and then to the library and I checked out all the books I had written down.

Uncle Dave, do you like Dave’s shirt? He loves the solar system and deep space just like you. And he harvested his first carrot from the garden. He could hardly wait for me to take the picture before he ate it.

The best thing happened. My dear forever friend Christie came for an overnight visit on her way to Canada. I love her so much, we’ve been friends for 15 years! We hadn’t seen each other in six years but we have kept in constant contact.

This is her daughter with my Sarah.

The kids were looking for fishing bait this morning and found this mama spider. Do you see all the little babies she is carrying on her back? Emily brought me to the rock they found her under. Emily was scared, she said the spider knows what she looks like and will come to find her. But I was thankful she was brave enough to show me. There was a bright orange slug next to it. Visiting? Or about to become dinner?

This photo was taken at 10 o’clock this morning right before Christie left with her three children. Oh it was just so good to catch up with them.

As soon as we waved them out of sight I went back to see the spider again. (morbid curiosity) and guess what???? The slug was completely gone and there was another spider there. I’m assuming it is the baby-daddy. Caleb said to me, “If it bites me you better take me straight to the doctor’s.” We came away unscathed.

There was another happy couple on a Queen Anne’s lace flower.

Little gifts from my friend. Maple Syrup from Michigan, tea, and irresistible chocolate biscuits from Australia (she wrote an amazing blog about her experience living there). She also gave me the dangly earrings in picture #3.