things i love

reason to celebrate

2012-01-23T01:25:00.001-06:00

just remembering 13 years ago today i was in labour with a wonderful little girl...that would impact my life in so many unexpected ways. she is...amazing, beautiful, a spitfire, full of life, funny, a dancer, daddy's girl, a healing force, unique, fun to be with, quick witted, dramatic, an animal lover, artistic, creative and the list goes on...happy birthday abbey!

playing with light & bits of fun

2012-01-02T15:26:00.017-06:00

my two beautifully ripened meyer lemons have caused

me to be inspired and play with my new camera.

a canon T3i

these two are perfect specimens of yellowy goodness.

i must say i am quite proud of these beauts.

i bought the meyer lemon tree in the summer knowing full

well i would have to bring it in the house to overwinter...if

i wanted it to survive.

i am not so good at the house plant watering thing.

but to my surprise and delight i have nurtured these beauties

and three more lemons i haven't pulled off the tree quite yet.

since you need a bowl full of lemons to make lemonaid or

most any recipe...i am now in conflict as to what exactly,

i should use these most precious of meyer lemons for.

i just have the five of them.

any suggestions?

so for now i am content just to let them awaken me to

the possibilities of my new canon.

it has been fun today to just change the settings and see what

comes from the same shot from the same angle.

backgrounds can be dark and set off the brightness of the

rose petals or you can encompass the whole picture and give

the viewer an idea of the way the flowers are an integral part

of the overall view.

i love contrast.

i am into contrast.

i used black and white film for years.

so in my decorating, gardening, even in my choice of puppies i love differences.

opposite as it were.

unfortunately for vivian...i can never quite capture her cuteness & expressions

the way i really want to....especially when it comes to inside photographs.

she is so cooperative and the cuteness factor is just there.

my preference is to be outdoors and take lots of photos

in the twilight hours of the early evening.

but what photographer or girl gets what she wants all the time?

for one thing i am still sick but feeling somewhat better.

for another it is a blustery very cold day, not so good either.

also i need to just plan play with this camera until i feel comfortable

in most situations. inside i never really feel comfortable taking photos.

but you have to for so many occasions...therefore i am forcing myself to

try it all.

as you can see outside the window, the first shot is in the day

and the next one is at night with the candles actually lit.

i like the clearness of the first one with shadow from the outside light

but i also like the bit of amber on the nighttime photo...it make the colours

blend together nicely.

i am also working slowing(being ill since christmas) to take down

all the seasonal decorations. why is it the moment christmas is

over it all seems so crowded and overdone?

i want to just enjoy it but the greenery plus the tree is usually shedding,

somehow i feel a bit claustrophobic with all the extra stuff i just had to put up.

i tend to go clean and minimal once the holidays are over.

these white sprays were in the tree but i love the wintery

vibe they give off by their-selves with the idea of the owl

perched on some snow laden branches overlooking the gathering room.

i found these wire baskets at an annual christmas pre~view

party i go to at my local gardening center every year the

first week in december.

when i saw them i knew instantly they would make the cutest

nest for eggs and birdies.

i was fortunate enough to find metallic eggs in these soft hues i love, crinkly brown

paper for the nesting material and these sparkling golden birds added the final touch.

i loved them in my christmas tree but i don't want to tuck them away just yet.

what gardener doesn't love to bring the things she loves indoors for winter?

again the lighting has everything to do with the ambience of the photo.

i am not sure which one of these i like more. but that is the fun of

it...being personal about what you share, what you love, what shows off

what you are feeling at that moment right then.

i am looking forward to this new year we are in "2012".

also to see what life's adventure holds for my family and i.

here's to taking lots of photographs, doing lots of gardening,

enjoying a life well lived with tons of family gatherings.

i hope that you have the happiest of years this year...for you and your families.

ringing

2011-12-31T18:04:00.008-06:00

in the new year.

this year will be different for sure...i am sick and have been since two days after christmas.

it's been a bummer to not feel like doing anything while abbey, jesse, and david are out of school.

so tonight it's just us. me, dh, abbey, jesse, ethan, and david.

it will be a quiet celebration of ringing in the new and letting go of the old.

so i sent dh to the store for food and abbey cleaned up for me and i lit some candles.

we will bring in the new year by candle~light.

here's hoping you have a happy new year's eve.

and that the coming year will find you in good health

and full all things family.

and...

early gifting

2011-12-17T10:38:00.011-06:00

as we all know family photos are a challenge.

(fyi...this was on purpose...just trying something new.)

what to wear, where to gather, getting everyone

on the same page...just to name a few.

scheduling it is a major undertaking with busy lives and not all living in the same state.

when are we all together in the same place at the same time?

for our family it was the thanksgiving holiday.

then you have the weather to contend with...will it be freezing, rainy, muddy,

too hot(that i can deal with).

so between the baking, cooking, cleaning, fixing, doing, exams, traveling,

we made a date to all be there with bells on( aka good attitudes).

this year we had r & e photography.

that would be my oldest daughter, rachel and then the next oldest, esther.

# 1...we did all show up...whew!

#2...the weather was gorgeous...thank you Lord!

#3...did everyone have bells on....absolutely not!

oh well, don't they say two out of three ain't bad.

we like very candid shots but when working with

children and lots of people's personalities you get a lot of

photos where some of the subjects aren't even in the picture.

or someone is blinking, pouting, staring off in space(you know who you are all three of you) or we could say looking a bit strange.

hence we have tons of photos but what is really suitable for

a real family christmas photo?

any one of them that you like.

for me this year i printed my own photos and gave

different people different ones.

i know i love my own family but they are some beautiful subjects to capture.

my girls r & e did a great job.

the little girls cooperated (most of them anyway... one needed a bit of

a bribe)...and i am not mentioning names. mine.

my boys, david, ethan, and jesse...actually were having fun with this

of course i never lost my temper at their tom~foolery. never not once.

so if you can't beat them...join them...it goes a lot

smoother...you just might not have any photos you can send to many people.

one thing i like to do is have props out ie furniture, dogs, tree limbs, candles, tables, blocks...it seems to loosen everyone up and give them something to do with their hands.

we also moved to another location which was a big hit with

everyone...(almost lost a few to...really mom!)

it was a gift to me to have everyone here...to have everyone

participate and to have everyone behave... well sorta behave.

thank you esther & brad... for having your beautiful family spend

such a chunk of wonderful time with us...10 days.

i loved spending time with grace and garnet.

they are growing into such fine young girls.

i love seeing everyone together and that the young girls

have each other in their lives.

thank you, rachel & eric...it is wonderful that your beautiful family lives

close by and doesn't mind being on hand for the madness.

your girls, gwyne and ellery are not only beautiful

but i love having them in my life so often since we live close.

i love that truly.

we did have fun in-between some of the drama that family

picture times are made of.

whew...another year down...so many more to look forward to!

though i am not holding my breath till the next one.

merry christmas to all.

parting is such sweet sorrow

2011-12-03T21:19:00.012-06:00

...tonight my daughter, esther and her family left after ten glorious days visiting with us in tennessee.

don't get me wrong everything is not always wonderful and everyone has their moments but all in all we had an amazing time of thanksgiving, hanging out, making pizza,

dressed up on many occasions,

played inside...played outside, picked out a tree, shared starbucks with girls, painted christmas paper,

we made cards for soldiers, started a sharing quilt, we cooked cookies, dinners, breakfasts,

took family pictures,

had fireside talks, roasted marshmallows, helped a friend move, decorated a tree, made dinner for a family in need, had a gift exchange, got awesome curtains for rachel, tried in vain to find boots for esther, celebrated birthdays for rachel and jess, piled on G~pa, had lunch out....etc.

it was an amazing time to be spend time together and make new memories.

autumn life

2011-10-23T08:46:00.002-05:00

on the way home from a vet visit with our oldest dog, maggie, i was driving slow so she could enjoy it.
she has been blessed with sixteen years of life. she doesn't really want to go for rides anymore but she and i were taking it all in the other day on the back roads of tennessee. we absolutely live in a gorgeous place and i so appreciate that about my life.

i haven't really been blogging much this summer or fall. in may my youngest broke my canon so i have been camera~less since then other than my little cool pics and my iphone.

i used my iphone straight from the car window on these...so not to bad.

driving around on the back roads of tennessee is like therapy to me.
it calms me. makes me slow down and really breathe in the beauty.

i love the wide open landscapes that are an integral part of what makes leiper's fork such a beautiful place to live and in the fall it just couldn't be any more lovely.

so happy to be in the season of autumn.

some time away from it all

2011-09-19T13:40:00.001-05:00

my sister, meems, from hoe and shovel just left last week after a wonderful visit with me here in tennessee.
there is always so much to include in her visit. trying to decide exactly
what to include is usually hard to narrow down.

we met up with gail from clay and limestone at nashville's famous 'loveless cafe'.

it was so nice having some time to catch up with gail and have a lovely face to face

talking a little bit about everything under the sun...including our gardens.

thank you gail for giving us such a generous portion of your day.

afterward we all ended up at a local nursery ( moore and moore garden center) purusing the plants and of course buying some plants.

since meems was flying she wasn't able to buy any local flora but gail and enjoyed taking home some

goodies. i believe among other things gail bought a lovely smoke bush/tree.

i needed a few annuals (white violas, black & yellow petunias, and an interesting ruffled english ivy) to add to some containers for my back patio.

it is always fun to go to a garden center with other gardeners.

that same evening we were able to meet up with my eldest daughter rachel for some dinner

in franklin, tn @ papa boudreaux. we had some delicious soft shell crab, et to fey, red beans and rice.

the best part was watching meems and rachel catch up.

i love having grown children they are some of my best friends.

meems and i definitely sat around chatting it up as much as possible around my house, in the sun room, out back on the patio, on the front porch and walking around the yard.

i love having a master gardener for a sister

but we never have enough time. how is that possible?

sun room fun.

on friday we headed out for a couple of days and nights away by ourselves.

this is a rare shot of the both of us arriving at the b & b, the garden inn located in monterey, tennesse.

the garden inn's front lawn

below is the view from our room. since tennessee had gotten some rain the weekend before we

arrived the trees were all greened up except on single tree that was proudly announcing falls arrival.

we were blessed with some cooler temps while meems was visiting.

on our was back to my house on a beautiful sunday morning we took a couple of detours.

one was a gorgeous nursery that happened to be closed. i took no pictures but meems did. if only it were closer to me i would be a regular visitor at johnson's nursery.

i would highly recommend it.

the next detour was burgess state park and falls.

the lower falls was the first peek at what was to come.

then came middle falls with it's beauty.

it was a great day for hiking and being with your sister.

the upper falls was something to behold. we saw it from up above and then we hiked down below.
at this angle we were misted and it was quite refreshing.

the whole hike was picture perfect.

i loved having some quality time with my sister, meems. i already miss her terribly and can't wait for our next visit together wherever it might be.

thanks dear meems for coming to tennessee to spend time with my family and with me.

happy september everyone,

marmee

cherished moments

2011-08-14T11:40:00.007-05:00

in these days after my dad went on to be with the Lord...i have found it hard to harness my emotions and thoughts.

i have enjoyed remembering past experiences and times spent with my dad

but at the same time have the profound knowledge we will not be making

any more memories together.

it has been a great comfort to me to absolutely know i will see him again...one day.

i do so appreciate the fact that i was blessed with a dad that gave his heart to the Lord and generously taught me about Jesus.

there are many memories of my dad, witnessing about his own personal testimony is a strong one for me. he was an active, rugged man with many wonderful characteristics.

when he worked for the railroad as an engineer just one of my fond memories was him packing his bible everyday into his leather grip that he took to work everyday. i remember thinking, if a man's man like my daddy can take his faith to work and share it with anyone at the drop of a hat...i want to be able to do the same thing.

there are too many words, memories, thoughts, to share but i loved my daddy and i know he loved me and that is the best gift a daughter can be given.

sweet~tooth

2011-07-23T14:54:00.005-05:00

i don't really have much of a sweet~tooth. but everyone

likes something sweet once in a while.

i discovered this company online, took the plunge,

and ordered some very unusual marshmallows.

240sweet gourmet artisan marshmallows.

i served them after for dessert after our meal at dinnertime.

i kinda got some funny looks around the table that night.

but one little giddy girl couldn't wait for dinner to be over to

take a bite of something she had never seen before.

i have to say it was delicious. i think maybe i will even try to

roast one of these over an open fire...next time.

it is fun to try new things in the summertime.

summer days...reveled

2011-07-09T16:19:00.016-05:00

they are full of sunshine...lazy moments....fresh flowers.

we have celebrated holidays & birthdays.

watched our grand~baby garnet's first year fly by.

there have been bike riding days, fostering dogs days

until they could find their forever homes.

barrett, fiona, and sammy.

one thing about these days is there is never enough time.

we have harvested many different times.

we have added four sheep to the farm.

enjoyed beautiful blooms...

herbs and lettuces.

been blessed with volunteer flowers that packed a punch.

eaten from the garden.

had our girl times.

spent camp weeks at kid on stage.

enjoyed the firepit.

wore our hair up...

and let our hair down.

spent time with friends.

and family.

time with our babies.

we have had traveling days.

tye~dying times.

puppy days.

watched sunrises....

sunsets.

we have had our share of bar ~ b ~ que and wine.

we have eaten al fresco, eaten out and eaten in.

spent saturday mornings at the farmers market.

getting amazing things to eat.

enjoyed sunflowers.

... dill blooming.

comos and skippers.

observed the tendrils of watermelon.

saw our veggie garden in full tilt.

took in countless blooms.

relished in the the eibles from the garden.

i love summer days.

life~lessons

2011-06-30T12:13:00.015-05:00

deep in the forest of the golden hills in ocala, florida

was an all girls clan with the princesses of the pretty feet.

this all girl clan was very close.

there were many things that they liked to do together.

there were little girls called the "youngers."

and big girls called the "olders."

and from the youngest to the eldest...

there were many things to be learned as a clan.

taking care of the babies is an important part of learning

how the whole tribe works well together.

one of the star pupils of this life lesson is definitely gwyne.

but all of the youngers were doing a really good job of helping with

the beautiful baby, garnet.

also learning the fine art of colouring was a huge

part of what was being passed on to the youngers.

learning the latest technology was a must in this society of girls.

lots of photographing is neccessary to document all the

learning processes.

so as the olders were striking a pose....

the youngers were observing closely.

like mother....like daughter.

being close is also a necessity of the clan and can be

observed quite often.

one of the almost lost arts in the all girl clan is

the art of the shoppe of the tar~gchet.

it is very important for us olders to show the youngers how

to hit the bullseye and find the bar~goons.

no one is too young to be taught this valuable lesson.

another ancient technique that has to be learned is the

art of tye ~ dying.

this type of dying cloth has been taught

for centuries and must be passed on for the true

hippie~sense of self to be explored.

the tools of the trade are assembled by the olders.

then the lesson begins to the youngers...

to which they pay close attention.

experimentation is key to enjoying the experience.

contemplating is also part of the artistic process.

being able to wear the art is truly the end~all of the moments we have had together.

so until the next time we can all be together we have a symbol of our love and our bond.

this will help to remind us of how special it is when we all can be together at the same time.

the good thing is the next get together will

be just around the corner and more life~lessons will be

taught and learned.

and so goes the clan.

and so goes the princesses of the pretty feet.

and so goes the next generation.

happy summer moments.

honour

2011-05-30T11:42:00.001-05:00

i love our country and am so thankful for the men and women who lay their lives down daily to provide us with such great freedom & liberty. we honour you today especially but everyday we are indebted to eternally.

last year

2011-05-15T20:51:00.013-05:00

(my entry in the gardening gone wild photo contest for may)

in the summer of 2010 i had the priviledge of going to

buffalo and joining the garden bloggers in the buffalo garden walk.

there were so many beautiful vignettes it was hard to know

where to point and shoot. i love close~ups but i had

to take lots of long shots to help jog my memory once i

was back home in my own garden.

i never really got around to blogging about this wonderful

time i spent in buffalo....last summer was back to back traveling

all summer long.

my time there immediately resonated in my mind when

i saw the gardening gone wild photo contest for may 2011.

i thought of all the beautiful varieties of flowers showcased

in the lovely small gardens of the buffalo garden walk.

so here is just a fraction of what i got to look at,

photograph, and enjoy the pleasure of last year.

it rained on us several times but i love rain drenched flowers.

the colour seems so saturated and glowy with drops of water on

the petals.

i love the way the light bounces back at you in the rain.

there were over 60 garden bloggers that attended and

we had a marvelous time rain or shine.

if you have a chance to visit buffalo during the garden walks

i would highly recommend it. they pack their gardens out

like nobodies business. the homes are beautiful and history

in buffalo is evident in the buildings and houses.

happy may. gardens in may are beautiful. but these photos were in

the summer, in buffalo, in the most lovely gardens.

new blog on the block

2011-05-06T07:55:00.003-05:00

my two older daughters, rachel and esther and i have started a blog together.

we hope to inspire women and to build relationships.

hopefully to keep better in touch with each other too...we especially miss our

esther not living near us.

check it out if you want. it is called raw beauty.

http://rawbeauties.blogspot.com/

from the garden to the table

2011-04-25T17:18:00.012-05:00

purple sunrise astra

wild strawberry blossoms

it is a tremendously exhilarating experience to harvest

food from your very own garden.

lemon balm

it is what gives me hope in the winter months.

radishes

it is what i love to do in the spring, summer and fall.

raised bed of lettuces, herbs and flowers.

chives

onions and garlic

lavender astra

being able to walk out of your front door and bring

in all this goodness for your family for dinner is amazing.

perfect fixings for a dinner salad.

winter green lettuce

red oak~leaf lettuce

chives blooms

lemon balm

variegated lemon thyme

from the local farmer's market...asparagus

speckled leaf lettuce

happy springtime gardening.

green makes me happy

2011-03-29T19:35:00.002-05:00

visiting our local true value garden center was on the list

today but not for plants. it was on there to get some

stain for a project i started the other cold rainy day.

i rarely go to the hardware store that i don't at least stroll thru

the plants...if the weather is nice enough.

what a difference a week makes...last week nothing much

was there but today a different story.

some of my containers definitely needed sprucing up so i

bought mostly green fillers(F), spillers(S), and a few thrillers(T).

my list of goodies.

for the victory garden:

anethum graveolens ~ herb dill

flat italian parsely ~ papa joe's

african daisy astra ~ violet

african daisy astra ~ white improved

for my backyard patio containers:

dracaena indivsa ~ spike T

lysimachia 'midnight sun' ~ creeping jenny S

ipomoea batatias 'little blackie' ~ sweet potato vine S

asparagus setaceus ~ plumosa fern F

vinca major maculata ~ vinca vine S

citronella ~ scented geranium T

for a walkway leading to side of yard and our hot tub:

lautentia fluciatilus ~ a lovely little trailing ground cover

for an antique urn in the front yard :

festuea glauca 'elijah blue' ~ blue fescue

got them all planted this afternoon with the sun shining for a bit.

happy springtime.

rewards of the day

2011-03-22T23:11:00.016-05:00

our spring break and the days preceding have been very full.

the weather here in middle tennessee has been spectacular.

the violas were a gift from my dh. they came in two cute faux watering cans.

he got them at the franklin farmer's market.

i've had little time for blogging and there are so many things

going on around dash home farm.

we did get our new little ram.

"mcgruber"

he is an olde english southdown babydoll miniature.

he is fitting in nicely on our little farm.

beatrice has taken to guarding him like we knew she would.

wild strawberries

two(of the four) new raised beds with seating have been built.

we have planted some cool weather veggies and fruit.

red oak~leafed lettuce and winter density green romaine

are in the dirt.

as always we have lots of curious faces watching us wondering

what in the world are those guys doing.

lylah

rowan

tawny

barrette

mcgruber

it's been so warm i have put out some easter stuff

for the younger kids and grandkiddos.

we will have our easter egg hunts all around the farm.

here's hoping we will have nice weather for that day.

sometimes it is very cool and rainy on easter.

our ground cover is blooming although it is not in the ground

but in a lovely old yellow enamel container. the dogs would have

it trampled if it were in the ground.

hellebores are showing up and i get so excited when they do...they have become one of

my favourite flowers.

it's been great to watch each dog bond with our baby ram.

a new variety of pansies for me...

viola x wittrockiana 'delta' pink shades

i am teaching mcgruber to walk on a leash with a harness.

i'd like him to be in the leiper's fork parade in december.

i think he would make a great addition to the quirky little

christmas parade in our town.

same pink shade of pansy as above...i love the variations.

the front yard is finally getting a makeover. we gave mcgruber

the back yard picket~fenced~in area...which is where we have

had most of our raised beds for the last several years.

so we decided to put our new raised beds in our front yard

picket~fenced~in area. i think it will be much more convenient

to keep an eye on and take care of. we will see it every morning and

have water readily available.

the dogs are used to being able to use the front yard so we had to put some new fence boards

up to keep them out and will only let them in when we are out there with them.

i have dubbed it our victory garden. partly, in tribute to the men still

fighting the war and also to be as positive as we can about the success of our garden.

my dh agreed to make me new raised beds with seating.

i am sure glad he did...it will be much easier on the back.

we picked rough hewed wood like the barn as a nod to the farm life.

i am loving the results.

this is the first of four beds we have planned.

we talked about more but...i don't want to get

too many things going so they can't be cared for.

the green watering can is an antique galvanized can from

england i found at a local antique store.

buster brown has taken to the new puppy...barrette.

mcgruber chilling in the front yard.

a new hellebore just planted this year.

winter jewels cherry blossom lenten rose

i am blessed to have both sunny areas and very shaded areas.

hellebores are shade loving.

eggs in a basket.

my black pansies coming back from last year.

back door greetings...

with freshly planted pansies.

some eggs the kids can't get to.

freshly planted columbines on the front porch.

aquilegia hybrid 'winky' double red and white.

coral bells black currant planted in black glazed pot

on front porch steps with bunny.

another columbine combined with last years creeping jenny.

the urn has a new iris.

iris african butterfly.

since we starting sprucing up the front yard

we added some handmade garden art from

the franklin's farmer's market...

planted with some white candy tuft.

we got the second raised bed in and planted last night

just around sunset.

after our hard work outdoors, we opened

up a bottle of one our favourite pinots...

and enjoyed a glass on the front porch

admiring our work and of course the

amazing sunset God had provided us.

it has been thoroughly enjoyable being

back in the garden and welcoming in spring.

don't forget earth day is approaching april 22nd...but don't

you think everyday should be earth day afterall it is our planet.

also jan at thanks for today is hosting a wonderful give~away.

she is promoting sustainable living.

here is the link to join in:

http://thanksfor2day.blogspot.com/2011/03/gardeners-sustainable-living-2011-win.html

happy springtime.

prowess

2011-03-05T10:29:00.004-06:00

we are just gonna call a spade a spade.

puppy prowess.

prowess [ˈpraʊɪs]

1. outstanding or superior skill or ability

2. bravery or fearlessness, esp in battle

[from Old French proesce, from prou good; see proud]

we have been captivated by her eyes....

....nose....

...ears....

...that face....

...that run...

...those expressions....

...the softness...

...the ability to sleep anywhere...

our hearts have been stolen by our newest rescue....barrette.

named after the poet elizabeth barrett browning.

life is full of living & signs of spring

2011-02-21T09:58:00.005-06:00

my light in the dark

2011-02-11T07:52:00.003-06:00

this time of year is not my favourite...but frosty mornings

like this really make for beautiful winter scenery.

having the sun shining makes all the difference.

it gives the much needed brightness that lacks in the winter months.

all of a sudden things don't seem so gloomy when the rays of the sun

hit the frosted branches as they come alive with reflections.

this florida transplant to tennessee needs her light to be strong.

i am grateful for the sunlight flooding my morning time.

happy winter days.

what a lovely eve'n

2011-02-06T22:00:00.011-06:00

we invited some long time family friends over for dinner.

somehow it was just the inspiration i needed for clearing the

last of the christmas hanger~on~ers i hadn't put away yet.

it also inspired me to try a new recipe i have been wanting

to make...pistachio poppy bread.

it turned out to be yummy and very delicious.

my hubby made a raspberry crumble cake.

sometimes i am resistant to bringing out the next seasons

decor because i love looking and remembering all the

memories made in the last season but it is february...time

to move on from christmas.

nandina berries in a hobnob pale pink vase set in a wooden pedestal

bowl with marble red hearts made the centerpiece on the dining room table.

a vintage square cloth laid diagonal with frames in hot pink, white and black placed flat

with various things that remind me of love...like hearts, flowers, birds, butterflies, & candles.

my oldest daughter rachel and her family were there too.

with help from most everyone we had a lovely meal and

lots of good conversation.

the kids had their own table with candy hearts candle,

gingham heart doilies and hearts, flowers, and button confetti.

it's always great when you have good friends over and you

can just relax and eat and laugh and talk.

we were celebrating the beauty of family and friends.

i haven't been able to throw away a couple of

my lovely white pumpkins from thanksgiving...so i

dressed them up with hearts and a ribbon.

february is definitely the month for all things to do with LOVE.

happy february, happy valentine's, happy love month.

flown by

2011-01-30T14:39:00.010-06:00

january has been a blurr.

busy with life and taking down christmas...cleaning out junk...celebrating birthdays...reorganizing spaces...cooking like crazy...trying new things....doing research on the internet.

gardening in january is pretty nill but thoughts about what to do have

been at an all time high. it gets pretty ugly around here in january.

it makes you think about doing all kinds of things.

one of those things that have been going around in our heads for a few years is that we want to raise our own sheep. so i have been reading everything i can find online about being a shepherd. after much research and disscussions on which breed we thought best suited our needs....we have decided on, and this is a mouthful, olde english babydoll southdown miniature sheep.

i have found some great info online at sheep 101 ~ http://www.sheep101.info/index.html

(Olde English) Babydoll Southdown

The Olde English Babydoll Southdown is a miniature variety of the Southdown breed. The Southdown breed of sheep originated in the Southdown hills of Sussex County, England. It is one of the oldest purebred sheep breeds in the world. Southdowns were imported to the United States in the early 1800's. The 1960's saw increased importation of the larger New Zealand Southdown to upscale the American Southdown.

Around 1990, small flocks of the original smaller Southdowns were rediscovered and labeled Olde English Babydoll Miniature Sheep to differentiate them from the larger modern breed. This miniature sheep is only 19 to 23 inches tall. Babydolls usually have off white wool with cinnamon or gray faces and legs. Currently people raise these docile sheep for their wool, as pets, and grass trimmers perfect for today's smaller acreage farms.
Breed categories: medium wool, novelty, meat

my hubby and i wanted a rare breed, of good stock and hardy. there are a lot of breeds out there with many great qualities but this is the one we have decided on.

we are starting with one ram, two ewes and a whether(a neutered male).

the ewes we are getting haven't been born but are due in march and we will

get them in may sometime. i found a ram just born on january 15th that is available and so arrangements have been made to get "mc gruber."

we will pick him up in the middle of march from

sweetwater creek ranch

just outside of atlanta, ga.

he is quite adorable.

we are preparing for his arrival and are very happy to be adding

raising sheep to our little dash home farm.

this is both exciting and scary since we are new to this adventure.

so i will continue to read and discover how to raise sheep.

happy winter days.

my take...

2011-01-05T14:57:00.006-06:00

on italian mac & cheese. but oh so much better for you.

one box spelt pasta(10 ounces)...i used vita~spelt angel hair.

4/5 scallions...thinly sliced...i did them in about 3 inch sections...sliced longways.

3/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese

4 eggs...i used organic

3 tbsps of evoo...extra virgin olive oil

2 pinches of hungarian hot paprika( this is a key ingredient...at least in my opinion)

a dash of lawry's garlic salt

a dash of herbes de provence or basil

kosher salt...i used grey sea salta(esprit du sel...flavourful grey sea salt...island of re')

cracked pepper...season to taste

directions

1. cook spelt according to the package directions.

2. in the meantime, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.

saute' the scallions, seasoned with the paprika for several

minutes...making them tender but not to brown. 3 or 4 minutes.

3. whisk the eggs with the half a cup grated parmesan cheese(saving the extra for later)

and salt in a bowl; next add them to the skillet with the spelt and the herbs de provence.

using a pasta spoon, toss gently together until the eggs are lightly cooked.

4. serve immediately with cracked pepper, extra grated parmesan cheese on top and cuban bread.

5. enjoy!

pasta spoon.

this was simple...quick....delicious.

happy january.

life is a vapor...live in each moment.

2011-01-01T14:53:00.009-06:00

like most of you these last several weeks have been a flurry of

preparations...activities...decorating...wrapping...cleaning...cooking.

our lives our full.

it has been a glorious year...new births...new schools...new endeavors.

here's to you and all you have dreamed...done...planned...and accomplished.

abbey far right as a baby mouse

in nutcracker.

i value all of you as inspirations for your lives well worth living.

i look forward to this new year...it will be a wonder to see

what all we can bring about in this next 365 days we have.

my family is and has always been my first priority.

our house was full to the brim over the holidays...and i love that.

friends gathered.

love, gifts, memories were shared.

it was a wondrous time to spend together.

i love watching the dynamics of all the different relationships.

and personalities coming together and interacting.

it is not always all smiles but that's family.

that's our family.

for good.

for bad.

for always.

merry new year to all.

merry new year.

2010-12-27T01:37:00.007-06:00

from my family to yours.

dusk

2010-11-14T20:18:00.003-06:00

the weather this fall has been nearly perfect....sunshine,

blue skies, cloudless and crisp days, cooler nights.

despite the lack of colour....it has been wonderful.

we have done many projects with the such nice days.

some things are still blooming...

vibrant chartreuse looks pretty against a mostly brown backdrop.

the winding country road that we call home is just

perfection at this time of year.

giving the ducks some free~range time and they are loving it.

orange and blue complete each other in autumn.

it is my favourite colour combination this year.

this is a new purchase for the birds.

it was worth the wait and the sale price.

with the woodlands backlit...it almost looks like they are on fire.

i have always been enamored with horses...our renny is no exception.

he is a real beauty.

when i whistle he comes running.

tonight i am giving him a wheelbarrow full of hay and he is whinnying at me.

he has started his winter coat and loves to roll in the mud to keep himself warm.

in the grey~blue sky...the moon is already showing on this perfect autumn

evening at dusk.

it is a beautiful sight between the bare branches and the fiery red leaves on trees.

happy days of autumn.

all things fall

2010-11-06T11:56:00.001-05:00

what fun we girls had with esther, grace and garnet

visiting from florida. we packed in all kinds of great

stuff in a week...

pumpkin hunting...lots of baby garnet holding...laughing

roasting marshmallows...picture taking...dressing up

eating good real food...fires...hugs...decorating pumpkin cakes

donuts on a string...gourd bowling...dance parties...hay rides

carving pumpkins...drinking coffee...watching movies...sleep overs...kisses

telling secrets...stories...tales...playing what if...making banana bread

playing with the dogs...outbacking...stir~frying...hot tea in fancy cups...making big breakfasts

together...costumes...putting make~up on in marmee's room...perfect weather

lots of front porch swinging...girls playing...diapers changing...baby's napping...harvest partying...j. alexanders

gurgling...cracker barrel...horseback riding...sitting in the sun...etc....

happy fall and family times together.

morning time

2010-10-24T09:09:00.006-05:00

as the sun rises over our home the front porch is flooded with light.

this week has been glorious porch weather.

so we find ourselves drawn outdoors in the early morning

hours in our pj's enjoying simple pleasures.

our dogs are relishing in this fact.

abbey and beatrice enjoying lots of up~close and personal

time.

beatrice guards our farm vigilantly and does it well.

but we have a secret about our bea....she is the sweetest

thing ever. if she isn't getting your full attention...she gently

raises her paw for a quick reminder to pay her attention.

with her over 100 pound body she couldn't be more of a softie.

this always delights abbey.

so spending some much needed morning time

together on the porch is no chore but a pleasure.

what a wonderful time of the year.

happy autumn.

girls and horses

2010-10-19T20:19:00.005-05:00

renny loves bananas.

the girls love giving renny a treat.

as soon as he sees them he runs right over.

they each have a ripened banana for him.

after a treat and a pet...

we are heading to build~a~bear for a few hours of fun.

abbey and gwyne are bbf's.

one is my daughter and one is my granddaughter.

aunt abbey.

with her niece, gwyne.

they are precious together.

love each other.

get along like two peas in a pod.

beautiful girls with beautiful spirits.

i am one blessed mom and marmee.

happy autumn.

walking into october

2010-10-06T23:04:00.000-05:00

most of the colour we have around here is added in the autumn decor.

the weather has cooled down...enough to take some nice walks.

the leaves are just starting to change but as i said before it will

probably be a fairly colourless autumn because of the harsh summer drought.

this week my darling hubby and i went on such a walk.

last week i was delayed while driving when three huge buffalo were

crossing on my street...escapees from a neighbours property.

well this afternoon...this is what we encountered on our walk.

a horse drawn wagon with the most wonderful

clip~clopping coming at us.

it was invigorating.

you just never know what you are going to see in leiper's fork, tn.

we normally walk in the woodlands behind our acreage but

because it is so dry they haven't cut the very long grass and

it's quite brittle and pokey. so we choose the road instead.

we live on a long windy wonderful road. it attracts motorcyclist and bikers.

it is a beautiful place.

there is only a handful of houses on it and they are quite picturesque.

i love the cows stopping to see us passers~by.

especially the three white faces in a row.

i only wish i had my telephoto lens.

i have always been fascinated with the country and all it's charms.

this singular black cow and the dead tree...so amazing.

i am drawn to old rusty things and this being red...i love it.

a well kept barn with hay bales...classic country.

this is the cutest little tiny house on our road.

buster brown and dh on our walk.

this is pretty much right out our front door....i feel blessed

to live in such a beautiful countryside.

i have been busy adding fall touches here and there.

finally got around to planting some black pansies.

along with some ornamental peppers.

putting out all sorts of gourds and pumpkins including this blue pumpkin.

it is a great time of year to enjoy the out of doors.

happy autumn.

it's beginning...

2010-09-27T14:08:00.010-05:00

to feel a lot like autumn.

mums and leaves changing are synonymous with fall.

we have a little of both happening here on dash home farm.

the leaves are suffering because of our severe drought.

i am not sure what this will mean for the normally

beautiful fall colours in october. but it can't be good.

this is the time of year when pumpkins, gourds, squashes are

brimming over at all the local markets.

my dh offered to take me to a little market he had seen

in an out of the way kind of place....of course i said a resounding "yes."

reed's produce market and garden center is a place i somehow missed.

there was an abundance of corn stalks, straw bails, mums,

pumpkins, pansies and all things festive and fall.

we had a lovely time walking around and picking out just

what we wanted for decorating the farm house.

we chose the creamy antique white pumpkins and what they

call "blue" pumpkins. also, some very large squash and gourds.

there are a few things blooming as the

weather cools off just a bit.

i just love to have these colours added in and around the garden.

we found these huge pots of red mums with ornamental

grass growing in the middle...why hadn't i thought of doing

that before?

as most of my regular readers know

we have several dogs on our farm and i

get a kick out of how they love to follow me

around especially when i am decorating or

taking photos. this is lylah our australian shephard.

she is watching me intently. that's okay with me

because usually she is underfoot.

happy autumn everyone and have fun decorating

with all things fall. this is my favourite time of the year.

to everything there is a season

2010-09-20T17:56:00.001-05:00

and a time to every purpose under heaven:

a time to be born,

a time to die;

a time to plant,

and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Ecclesiates 3

happy september.

those ducks...

2010-09-10T03:53:00.000-05:00

have gone and done it.

they grew up for one thing...ducks are messy...but we love them anyway.

it feels a bit like spring around here because

so many things are coming to life after a long, hot, dry summer.

iron~weed in the fields surrounding us is like a sea of purple.

when they sway in the wind it reminds me of the rolling

waves of the ocean.

they are beautiful and remind me that not every seed is planted.

the crepe myrtles are blooming with red profusion.

the mexican petunia has not minded the drought at all.

anyway, word has gotten out around the farm that those ducks

have gotten into some kind of trouble.

the air is buzzzzzing with insects telling the news.

morning glories are keeping a tight~lipped approach to

the rumors that are flying around.

goldenrod even inched closer into the wildflower garden

to get a closer look at all the commotion.

those ducks have done it alright...those darn ducks have gone and laid eggs.

to abbey's utter delight.

to my utter amazement.

to dh utter disregard.

happy september.

adieu august

2010-08-31T20:30:00.008-05:00

this month has flown by not to mention summer.

today august ended with the most wonderful amber glow.

as i walk around the farm, rowan, our huskey follows

me intently...talking all the way.

i found this poor guy on the driveway and rescued him.

beatrice is ready for dark to fall so she can patrol the farm.

the zinnias are on their last legs.

sunsets over the farm have been really gorgeous this month.

oakleaf hydrangea always add such beauty at whatever

stage you find them.

farewell august....welcome september.

my own lil' pumpkin patch

2010-08-23T20:03:00.007-05:00

i was finally able to get some pumpkin seeds in the ground.

i have always wanted a pumpkin patch for the kids and i

to pick our own pumpkins for decorating and baking.

i planted cucurbita maxima otherwise known as big max.

the package says...grow the biggest jack~o~lantern in your

neighbourhood! may reach 100 lbs. also good for pies and

canning. there were 11 seeds...so potentially 1,100 lbs worth of

pumpkin flesh. how exciting.

i got a really late start on this but thanks to my son, david

and daddio...who tilled this ground about 4 times, i now have

at least the start of a pumpkin patch.

hopefully we will have a late frost and i can have some

of my own pumpkins from the garden.

i will keep you posted.