What I've Been Up To

Hi Friends! It's been a while since I've been able to write a post, although I have been able to read some of my favorite blogs while taking a break. As you can see from the photos above, I was very productive in the kitchen! My mother and I shared a table at one of the local craft fairs, and I decided to do baked goods this year. In all, I had 4 cakes, 9 dozen cookies, 18 mini loaves and 3 regular to sell. The bad news is I came home with almost everything minus only a couple mini loaves and a dozen cookies. The good news is the freezer is filled with baked goods, and I was able to share, as well.  I may have only made enough to cover the cost of the table, but I now have readily available snacks, goodies to offer unexpected company, and gifts. It was well worth the 2 days of baking!

Last Thursday I had a Four Wind's work shop, where I learned about beavers and muskrats. It's amazing how wonderful and unique each of God's creatures is! The children don't have school on Friday, so I think we might expand on our beaver/muskrat knowledge and make a fun "beaver lodge" out of chocolate "mud" and pretzel sticks. I'm trying to think of some likely places to find either animals (or at least signs of them) to go on for a "field trip".

Speaking of field trips, Saturday afternoon we went to an open house put on by a local Omya quarry. This is an annual event that we have gone to for about 4 or 5 years now. We always enjoy it, and learn something new. The kids, (mostly the boys!) love to see the huge loaders and dump trucks that work in the quarry. After donning a hard hat, you can get on a school bus and go down into the quarry. This year I opted out of this part, as school bus seats and my herniated disc just do not get along! I did get to see a double rainbow though! The kids came back to the van with bags of rocks that they had hacked away at with hammers. Next spring they'll join their brothers and sisters out in the flower garden. (the rocks, not the kids!!)

So that's what I've been doing. I'm hoping to get some more posts this week, as I have to more to share about using oatmeal and getting the home and garden ready for winter. Have a wonderful day!
Blessings,
Kelly

Happy Autumn 2011!!

O.k., so this is from last year. But I still love this pic!

Happy first day of Fall! Unfortunately, the weather doesn't really know it's autumn; it's warm and muggy. I'm hoping it cools down to a more seasonal norm for the temperature soon, like perhaps tomorrow, but I don't think that's going to happen!

I'm still feeling a bit yucky, and I have company today. Poor Wheels is snuffling and coughing, so we kept him home from school today with strict orders of rest and plenty of fluids. So far he's done a wonderful job of keeping the couch held down and the t.v. warm! I'm not planning on doing too much, either. I have some paper work that needs attention and I'd like to do some sewing and mending. I think the most ambitious I'll get in regards to house work is to get the kitchen ready for tomorrow's baking. I might have to make a trip to town this evening after dinner, too, but we'll see.

I'm looking into some activities to do with the kids for Johnny Appleseed Day on Monday. We're hoping to go apple picking Sunday after church, but the weather will be the deciding factor. It could rain and the temp looks like it's going to be steamy. We might decide to hold off until the following weekend. This kind of bums me out, but if the kids are under the weather, it might be for the best. (And besides, who wants to pick apples when it's 80 degrees?)

Well, that's all for now. Be sure to stop in tomorrow for a Preparedness Challenge post. I'm thinking of getting together a cold-care kit, so I might be sharing about that. Have a great day!
Blessings,
Kelly

Antique Tractors, Quilts and The Week Ahead

Morning to all! It's Monday, so that means joining the Barn Hop over at Homestead Revival! It's going to be quick today because I'm taking our Princess over to camp in New York. I thought I would share some pictures of our field trip yesterday to Billings Farm.

The quilt show is currently running, and they are beautiful! Making me wish that I could quilt (or even had time to get my sewing machine out!)! Quilting is one of those skills from the past that has turned into a current art form. This is one of the more traditional quilts, but there were many that used mediums other than your usual thread and calico!

The reason we came!:Teddy Bear is a tractor fanatic! Everyone else in the family enjoys tractors,too, but Teddy Bear can tell you sooo much about them. He has practically memorized his John Deere videos.

I loved how these sheep were all lined up along the fence together. They were t-ewe cute!

Teddy Bear watching the tractor parade.

Our family.

Princess and her Darling Daddy. Working the mud boots and skirt ensemble!

Don't let Wheels' scowl fool you, he had fun!



That was our Sunday, after church of course! We headed over to N.H. to pick up my new glasses and get a few groceries. Mondays are my usual shopping day, but with our trip over to the Kid's Camp, I won't have time today. I'm hoping to get the house picked up (it currently looks like a bomb went off in here!) before heading out, and I have to finish getting Princess packed up. (I know we should have been done before, I tend to procrastinate move at my own pace.)

This weeks goals are:

• finish school supply shopping
• take the boys shopping for a few new school clothes and essentials
• get veggies put up in same way, shape or form!
• start planning my daily routines for the school year
• get school supplies sorted and packed into backpacks
• finish items from last week that didn't get done
• finish reading the gardening book I started and hopefully do a book review

Hope you all have a good Monday, and see you soon!
Blessings,
Kelly