The Inadvertent Farmer

This Conversation Never Happened...

So I will set the scene for you...

Early afternoon, just returned from church.

Sweet Girl is on a stool waiting for lunch.  Baby is in his little chair with a tray that sits up on top of the counter next to Sweet Girl, he is also waiting for lunch to be served.

I am dishing up lunch, pasta salad and homemade bread.

Hubby is milling about the kitchen...I am sure he was doing something useful...I'm just not sure what that is.

The following is a conversation that did not happen...

 

Sweet Girl "Thanks mama...I love pasta salad.  May I have honey on my bread?  May I have a glass of water.  Daddy has salt, can I have some?  Can we have blackberry cobbler for dessert?"

Baby Boy after getting his pasta and bread "Me no want bwed.  Me no wike wawer.  Me want owange jew.  Me want ice in owange jew...pweese mama pweeeeeeeese...

Me "Yes there is blackberry cobbler for dessert but you have to eat your lunch first, I'll get you some honey. Baby we don't have any orange juice but you can have water and you can have ice in it.  You do not have to eat your bread if you don't want to."

Husband after trying pasta salad "The pasta is good honey, it could use a bit more dressing though...do we have any?"

Baby Boy "Me no WIKE wawer.  Mama DORK"

Longsuffering me...who hasn't eaten yet "Well then you don't have to drink water but you are not having anything else.  Please don't eat your salad with your hands, you're making a mess"

Husband "Do we have any butter for the bread?  Orange juice really does sound good, didn't you buy orange juice when you were at the store?  We sure can't seem to keep orange juice around here"

Sweet Girl "Can I have cobbler now? I ate my lunch, well exept the broccoli in the pasta salad but you know I don't like broccoli. Did daddy say we had orange juice? I much rather have that than water, may I have some please?"

Baby Boy "MAMA DORK"

Me starting to get annoyed and very hungry "Eat at least one piece of broccoli and then when everyone's done I'll get out the cobbler and there is NO orange juice...Did he just call me a dork?"

Baby Boy quite loudly "MAMA DORK!!!"

Conversation in my head...He just called me a dork, my sweet angelic baby called his mother a dork.  This is all my teenagers' faults.  What are they teaching him? People who have two sets of kids are crazy.  I am crazy...and my two year old just called me a dork.

Me nose to nose with Baby Boy "Young man you are never under any circumstance to call your mother a dork.  I am the one that gave birth to you and therefore I deserve some respect. You need to apologize to your mama, you hurt my feeling."

Baby Boy looks shocked, twists up his little face and starts to sob...

I look over at Sweet Girl and she has big tears in her eyes too

Me "What are you crying about, I wasn't yelling at you!"

Sweet Girl "But Mama you yelled at the baby!"

Me "Yes I did, you should never call your mama a dork, not even when you are two"

Sweet Girl "But mama, he didn't!"

Me "Yes missy he did, I heard him as plain as day say dork...and don't argue with me"

Sweet Girl growing annoyed with me..."He didn't say DORK, he said he wanted a FORK... he doesn't have anything to eat with!"

Pause...I look over at the Baby's tray...no fork...no way to eat his pasta.

Baby Boy sniffling and refusing to look at me.

Conversation in my head...you are a bad mama, a bad, baaaaad mama.  You made your baby cry, you hurt his feeling...he doesn't really think you're a dork, the teenagers do but the baby doesn't....not yet anyway, just wait, he will...

Me hugging Baby Boy..."I am sooooo sorry baby, mama will get you a fork, I'm sorry I yelled, don't cry, mama's so so soooo sorry"

Baby Boy "Me sawwy mama too, me wuv you"

Me "I love you too baby and you have nothing to be sorry about, mama's the one that should be sorry"

Baby Boy Sniff..."Dork?"

Me "Yes baby, here's your fork...

 

and I'll run to the store and get you some orange juice too."

 

This is a conversation that never happenend...I am admitting to nothing, and that is my final word on the matter...

Really it is...

Shhhhh, I don't want to talk about it anymore!

Got Pumpkin Seeds? Roast 'em!

After making our chilled pumpkin soup we had the seeds to take care of...

Here is what we did...

 

Wash as much of the orange stuff off as you can,

Let dry overnight on a clean towel.

Preheat oven to 300F

In bowl coat seeds with a very light coat of vegetable oil or melted butter.

Spread onto a cookie sheet in a single layer.

Sprinkle with salt.

For these I also sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice...Sweet Girl's choice

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until toasted.

As soon as you pull them out of the oven sprinkle lightly with sugar...again Sweet Girl's idea!

Yummmmmy!

There are many different ways you can do your seeds...

Spicy...try cayenne and black pepper along with salt

Savory...Worschestershire sauce and garlic powder

Chili...cumin and garlic

Cheesy...parmesan

Almost naked...sea salt

Salt Free...Mrs Dash

Italian...Italian seasoning blend

Oh the varities you can use goes on and on!

 

So go create your own one of a kind pumpkin seeds...then check back here and share!

 

 

Potato Pot Pushing or Harvesting Potatoes!

Hey mama...a potato!  Can I get it?

Of course...that's why we're here!

See that mound of soil...that came out of a pot that we grew potatoes in!

The little taters were so easy to find when grown in barrels or pots, no digging, no shovel or pitchfork required...

A brilliant way to grow potatoes!

Hey mama, a red one...look its still attached.

Mama why is it sill stuck to this squishy old potato?

Cause that's the mama potato and the little ones are the baby potatoes.

Oh...

Note:  After yesterday's post I am not even going to comment on the old squishy mama potato...no I am not!  And you better not either...

Well look there...baby bakers and baby red fingerling, ahhhh!

Sweet Girl made sure the littlest were safe as she carried them to the house in her dress...

Each was carefully washed and set to dry...

And since this is a nice family blog I will not go into the details of the royal hissy fit Baby Boy threw when he could not reach the water to wash his potatoes...I will not...because I've blocked it out...

forever...

Peace was again restored to his little world when I told him that his job was to find just the perfect spot on the towel for each and every potato...

And to tell each one what a nice little potato it was...which he did...to each and every last one!

 

So as a parting word of advice for any parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, or friend of a child out there.

Please let them get their hands dirty...let them dig in the dirt.

Let them learn where their food comes from.

This world will better off for it...

Trust me on this, I know...

'Cause I'm as old as dirt...

 

Well almost!

 

 

Friday Funnies...A metaphor for my life!

Hmmm you are wondering...

What is so funny about a bowl of rising bread dough?

Well normally...nothing.

Except that it is in wayyyyyyy to small of a bowl.

 

As I watch my bread rise I get this uncomfortable feeling...

This prickly feeling on the back of my neck...

This strange affinity to the dough forms in my heart...a feeling of kinship...of sisterhood...

What could this be I wonder?

I instinctively stand up straighter...

I tighten my stomach muscles...

I adjust my waistband....

Then recognition dawns...

Oh No!

No it can't be...

 

It's mocking me...

I must turn away...

But I can't...

It is a metaphor...

A drooping, overstuffed metaphor...

One I can not even voice out loud...

Yet one I can't seem to tear my eyes from...

Till finally it sinks under the burden of its own weight, deflated, saggy...

It lies there wrinkled, no longer able to hold itself up for its underlying structure is shot.

 

I turn my head and shed a single tear...

 

After giving birth to 6 babies...

I am that dough.

That tired, wrinkled, saggy dough...

 

Chilled Pumpkin Pie Soup...

I haven't posted a recipe in quite a while...not that we haven't been eating or anything, we have done plenty of that! 

 

No, it is just that I have neglected to share...my sincerest apologies.

 

To correct this grave error, I am going to share a recipe that I whipped up with our first pumpkins of the season...

 

And yes this recipe is vegan, but just because it happens to be, it has not be retrofitted to be, just like apple pie is vegan...well unless you use lard in the crust,

 

Or serve it with ice cream...

 

And a glass of milk...

 

OK, bad example, but you all know what I mean...right???

 

So without further ado...

 

I am proud to present to you the uncut version, with bonus features, in dolby surround sound...

 

CHILLED PUMPKIN PIE SOUP!

 

First you must have...any guesses?

 

Yes silly, you must have pumpkin. 

 

I'm sure you could use canned but I am suggesting that you walk on the wild side, be daring, be bold...go pick a real live pumpkin!

 

Or go buy one or two at your farmer's market, or purchase them at the corner grocer.  Either way this is how I'm going to start our little tale today...with two little pumpkins, two sweet and adorable little pumpkins that lived happily in my garden...until I snatched them up, took them from their home and...well never mind, you'll see.

 

 

 

Here are the stars of today's little show, the first two pumpkins of the season!

They are joined by some supporting actors that will have nothing to do with this recipe...no I am not putting potatoes in the soup...

 

I can hear your sighs of relief from here!

 

 

 

Sitting on the cutting board, blissfully unaware of what is coming next...

 

 

 

Oh the horror of cooking...but there are sacrifices that must be made for the greater good!

 

 

 

 

But in the middle of the unspeakable...there is fun to be had!

 

Kids and pumpkin slime...kids and pumpkin seeds.

 

A perfectly messy and wonderful combination!

 

"Whoo Hoo...pumpkin guts" Sweet Girl's exact words

 

Clean out the innards and you will have...

 

  

 

Cleanly gutted pumpkin, ready for the oven!

 

Put them in a 400F oven, covered loosely with foil, until soft.

 

After you take them out let them cool.

 

Peel and slice.

 

Then...

 

 

Put into your blender with one can of coconut milk, one can of water, and 3 to 4 Tablespoons of honey...

 

 

Add some cinnamon and nutmeg...or you could use pumpkin pie spice.

I would love to tell you how much to add but I just dumped it in, add lots if you like it spicy, less if you want it less spicy...original huh?  Then add a teeny tiny pinch of salt...

 

Then blend!

 

Note I am cheating a little here because I am using a Vita-Mix, you can use a regular blender but just make sure to blend it long enough to be very smooth...unless you like it a little chunky, then feel free.  My Vita-Mix doesn't do chunky well, just smoooooth!

 

 

 

Here it is after blending and chilling thoroughly...it really is best COLD!

 

It is light, refreshing and delicately sweet.

 

 

 

And since I don't do delicate very well I added something with a little zing...

how about some blueberries?  Anyone?

 

 

And because I'm the mama...and I said so

 

I'm going to add a little dab of yogurt,

 

Vanilla...

 

Organic...

 

Soy...

 

In case you were wondering!

So to recap you need, the meat from two small pumpkins, one can of coconut milk, one can of water, honey 3 - 4 Tablespoons, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and a blender.

That's it...could it be any easier?

I think not!

 

Taking pictures from another perspective

Yesterday it was the kids, straight on with me standing up, or part 1.

Note...you can click on any of the pics for a larger version

Today it is just photos of part of the kids, the very bottom part to be exact, part 2. These were taken with me squatting as low as I could go without actually laying in the puddle and getting drenched!

You see I have this thing for...

Bare feet...little kid's bare feet to be exact.

So I wanted a series of shots of the kids' feet.

Left foot, Right foot

Feet, Feet, Feet...How many, many feet we meet. Dr Seuss

 

I like the above photo because one of Sweet Girl's feet is still and in focus, the other is showing so much motion it is blurred, very fun!

 

Love this, up on her toes, ankles straining, with a long reflection.

 

Fat baby feet with little sausage toes...just about my favorite thing in the whole world!

 

Especially when they are obviously having so much fun!!!

 

This shot is from a little further back...I like the bit of dress that shows at the top, again conveying more motion.

 

Its raining its pouring the baby is snoring...and splashing, and laughing, and stomping...

 

This is one of my favorite photos...I love all the action, that both kids are in the shot, and of course all the splashing water! 

 

Here is the finally shot for today, I couldn't resist playing with it just a little...

 

Less color...looking a little dream like.

 

Simply black and white...one of my faves.  I love how black and white makes things look so different, so cool, so hip!

Lastly...

Put through a couple of filters on the computer...just for fun!

If I could encourage you to try one new thing next time you get out your camera it would be to shoot from a completely different perspective...you'll be surprised and pleased with what you get!  This is especially true with kids, get down low.  Shoot from their level, enter their world...your pictures will be delightful, I promise!

Summer Rain Dance part 1

As promised here is part one of the summer rain dance...

I have been trying to take photos from different angles and positions.  These photos are taken from the typical parent angle, standing and straight on.  Tommorrow I will show a very different perspective.  Even though they are straight on they are fun just because of the subject matter.  I really don't think kids have a 'bad side' when it come to photos!

Sweet Girl all girly and twirly!

I love to try to capture water in motion.

I cropped this so the reflection was the same size as the kid...cropping can be so much fun!

I didn't even notice the reflections until I put these on my computer...if I had I may have taken the pics differently.  I need to pay more attention to all the frame, not just the person in the frame.

Even though Sweet Girl is blurry I like this shot because it conveys so much joy and motion.

This shot conveys what a goof she is!!!

 

So what is the baby up to you ask?

Well instead of a rain dance...

He is doing the 'Rain Stomp'

After all, two year old boys don't dance...they stomp!

 

Come back tomorrow for a whole different view of the same scene!

See ya then,

Have a good one!

 

Change is Coming.

As my friends and family have been asking, yes, my blood pressure is now back in the normal range after yesterday's little post

We spent yesterday at the lake, nature does a body good I say. While there, hubby and I had a long detailed discussion about the TIME article, the books I have been reading, our health, the world...you know light fluffy stuff like that.

He has agreed that a change is needed...with a few conditions.

First a little background about me and mine.

I have been a full time vegetarian since my first son was born (23 years ago).  Before that I had dabbled in vegetarianism on and off since grade school.

Note:  you may think what kind of parents let their grade schooler decide to become vegetarian? Well we are members of a church that being vegetarian is the norm so it didn't freak my parents out like it would have many parents. 

It began when I came home from school to see my favorite cow, that I fed daily over the neighbor's fence, was hanging upside down from a butcher's truck.  I was hysterical...who could do such a thing?  My dad asked what all the fuss was about, he wanted to know where in the world I thought my hamburger came from.  This was my first realization that the food on my plate was actually from an animal...a living breathing animal.  I was so sad, sad for the cow, and sad that I had eaten his relatives.

Anyway skip forward some years and I have just given birth to my first, I look at this tiny human and want what is the best in the world for him.  I know in my heart that for me feeding him meat will not be an option.  So all of my kids were raised this way.  Unfortunately back then I didn't realize that the veggies I was so lovingly feeding my kids were sprayed with who knows what chemicals.

Yet another Note:  During all this my hubby has not been vegetarian.  I still cooked meat for him all these years.  He eats our vegetarian dishes without complaint.  I cooked him meat once in a while...usually without complaint.

When my second litter came along, vegetarian was a given, but now so was organic.  I had come to read and learn about what our foods are subjected to. What our land and waterways are being subjected to with all of our fertilizers...and don't even get me started on growth hormones and antibiotics!

So here we are today...

I am up in arms over factory farms, manure pollution, genetic manipulation, animal welfare, cancer rates, heart disease, our government, obesity, big business...

All the while my sweet ever patient husband realizes that is is not in my personality to learn of these things and not to do something about them.  He knows change is coming....

Well, he is right...

Note...again:  I want you all to know that I don't make these decisions lightly and after MUCH research, in this case almost a year of research, reading and searching for facts, talking, digesting, and praying.

I have decided to go vegan. 

Most might think that this is rather radical, but for me it is just the next logical step in my personal evolution.

Am I going to become the food police? No.  Will freak out if I eat something with an egg in it? Nadda.  Will I try to convert my friends and family? Nope.  Will I try to convert you? Again no.

I am just letting you know for the sake of keeping it real around here on the funny farm...just another little tweak in my unconventional life.

Oh yeah...I mentioned that my hubby had conditions to all of this.

I am not to starve him to death...his exact words.

Yes sweet hubby I will always have food, good healthy, homemade, homegrown, food around for you to eat, you will not starve.  I do not guarantee though that I won't try to slip a little tofu in now and then!

And no I'm not asking you to give up your ice cream...

There are some lines a smart wife knows not to cross!!!

So there you have it...me.

The crazy vegan woman with the camel.

Gizmo by the way has been vegan his whole life...

He has always been more evolved than me!

Yes I am a highly evolved, ultra sophisticated creature...please try to remember this would you?

Yes Gizmo...I will try to keep this in mind.

While we are talking...if you are so sophisticated, why do you poop everywhere, and never clean up after yourself?

Because you will.

There are some days that I wonder who runs this show...

 It is obviously not you.

Shush...I wasn't asking you.

The High Cost of our Cheap Food...

I have just finished reading the cover story of the August 31st cover story of  TIME magazine, 'The Real Cost of Cheap Food'

What it has to say does not surprise me...

and that makes me sad...

and scared.

 

What the hell are we doing to ourselves?

What the hell are we doing to our planet?

 

Why do care so little for the bodies that God has given us?

Why do we care so little for this amazing home that God has placed us on?

Why do we care so little for our fellow inhabitants of this earth? 

Why do we feel it is our right to raise them in virtual prisons, spending their whole lives in misery, waste, and death?

 

Why do we feel we can change the very building blocks of our natural world?

How could be possibly think that there will be no adverse effect for doing so?

We have no right...

And we will have to pay the consequences.

We will ruin our land.  We will ruin our health.

We could possibly ruin our children't future here on this earth.

 

All so we can have a cheap hamburger?

That hamburger may not cost us much out of our pocket today...

But it will cost us all much much more...soon.

 

So today I make this pledge...

I pledge to keep my land free from chemicals.

I pledge that my animals will be treated humanely, with the dignity they deserve.

I pledge to support local organic farmers, never factory farms...ever.

I pledge to keep genetically modified seeds out of my soil and their products out of my body.

I pledge to support those businesses that try to be good stewards of our planet

I pledge to be a responsible citizen and contact my elected Representative when I believe that their policies are harming our earth, our health, our children.  I will cast my vote accordingly.

I pledge

To do my small part

If we each do our small part we can make a difference.

This is something I have to believe...

For their sake...

I would urge you to read the articlein TIME.  I also would recommend Food Revolutionand The China Study...you will never look at your food choices the same again...

I guarantee it.

Asleep at the Meal...

Even after as many kids as I've had, this is one thing that little ones can do that simply astounds me...

How can one go to sleep mid meal?

I don't mean when you are done and lay your head down on the table and take a little snooze...

No I mean mid-bite...asleep while chewing...

How can that happen???

Baby Boy had a nectarine in his mouth and one in his hand...

I looked over and he was asleep...still chewing.

In fact he ended up eating the other slice before he started to droop.

I caught him within a hair's breadth of hitting the tray on his way down.

All the while he kept sleeping...

I wiped his sticky face and hands.

He kept sleeping...

I put him on the couch and he slept for another hour!

When someone coined the expression "sleep like a baby"

It must have been a parent watching their kid sleep while chewing because no one in this world can sleep quite like a little one can!

 

Where is the strangest place your kiddos have ever taken a little snooze?

 

Friday Funnies

A Summer Rain Dance

Most of the winter and spring around here my kids complain about it being too cold and wet to go out and play but...

In the summer a rain shower is a delight to both the kids...

And the garden!

Next week I am doing a two day series on our rain play but for today here is sample of the fun Sweet Girl had in the rain.

Tomato Napper...

Before I begin today's little tale...

Here is a photo I have entered in the contest going on over at Gardening Gone Wild.  We were challenged to try to take a photo of our garden from a different perspective...a low one... about ankle height to be exact! Hmmm exactly the place where my two youngest ankles biters are known to reside.

  The oh so very talented David Perry is judging the contest this month.

This photo was taken when I had set my camera on the edge of one of my raised beds.  I thought I had it focused on the lovely dish of tomatoes that I had just picked.  But as fate would have it I found it to be focused on the wooden side of the raised bed.  I must say I really loved how this 'accidental' photo turned out.  I even caught the hand of the sneaky ankle biting tomato napper in the background!

 

Now on with our little tale of crime and intrigue!

It begins when the inadvertent farmer is enjoying a sweet summer morning picking tomatoes from her jungle that is called her garden...

She is quickly filling her bucket with large juicy tomatoes, red ones perfectly round, purple ruffles ones, blocky ones with green shoulders, and tomatoes in the shape of plums.  They are all destined for sandwiches, sauces, and salads...

She is also filling a bowl with a rainbow of teeny tiny grape, currant, and cherry tomatoes.  You know the pop in your mouth, can't get enough, the I can't stop from eating them ones.  Her bowl fairly overflowed with goodness...

But wait...

The tiniest, most vulnerable tomatoes are mysteriously disappearing...

 The sugary sweet yellows are vanishing...

The farmer looks around alarmed...

Then suddenly she hears a muffled giggle...

Could it be???

 

Yes that infamous blond tomato napper had infiltrated the sanctity of her garden...

And was boldly,

With no sign of remorse,

Gobbling up her tomatoes as fast as he could shove them in his plump little mouth...

 

DROP THE TOMATO!!!

The response???

Snort, laugh...giggle, replies he with tomato juice dripping from his lips and down his chin...

The farmer gets no respect...

neither do her tomatoes!

 

Bragging Rights...

I try not to be boastful...

In fact I try to be humble...

If truth be told if you saw my jungle of a garden right now you would say I have every reason to be humble...embarrassed in fact.

Today I am not going to be humble, not one bit...

 

Because look what I grew!!!

 

It's a cantaloupe you say...big deal...I can grow those everyday and twice on Sunday.

Well I have not been able to.  It is not for lack of trying.  I have tried for years and years to get one to ripen here in the notoriously cool Pacific Northwest.

You see we grow big fir trees, apples, hazelnuts, lettuce and all manner of greens.  We can grow beans, potatoes, and corn but...

Musk melons are not what we are known for.

I had to pamper, baby and coddle this little guy along to get him to this point...

Was it worth it you ask...

Well...

 

Ohhh the shear intense smell that is coming from this is almost to heavenly to describe.

Look at that little dribble of juice...divine!

 

And because I wanted to walk on the wild side of breakfast I added...

Can you handle this?

Yes I combined freshly picked blueberries with my newly picked melon!!!

I know, I know...you can hardly believe I'm doing this, and first thing in the morning too!

 

If this was any better I would have had to classify this post under 'fruit porn'...

But since I don't have that specific category, I won't.

But I could...if I was so inclined.

But I'm not.

At least not today...tomorrow...maybe!

 

I ate every single last bite...alone...by myself...in secret.

I did not share...

I did not care...

I ate it all...

I had a ball!

 

So next time sweet hubby stands really close, leans in and whispers,

"Honey, you have really nice melons"

I can honestly reply

"You know darling...yes, I really do!"

 

Lamb to the Slaughter...First Haircut!

Before I begin I must give you a little background...

I have 4 sons, 3 big ones and 1 little one.  I am one of those women that love long hair on men.  When my big boys were little I kept their hair pretty long.  My sweet hubby even let his hair grow out long...he has curly hair to die for and I used to tell him that God didn't give hair like that to just everyone so it would be a sin to cut it, ringlets like that are a crime to cut in my book...

 anyway...

My #3 son had his hair long for years...till he was about 10...long enough he wore it in a ponytail, he was so cute.  He let me know years later that I had totally traumatized him.  He hated having long hair and if I wasn't his mother he would never have forgiven me.

Ughhh, mommy guilt is the worst...

So in honor of my #3 son's sensitivities son #4 got his first haircut...

I'm not sure who was more traumatized, Baby Boy or his long hair lovin' mama...

 

Baby Boy sitting waiting for the scissors...doesn't he look thrilled???

 

A lamb to the slaughter could not have been less enthused than this little man...

 

Here is an excerpt of our conversation...

Me no wike hairtut...

 

Me no want hairtut,

NO hairtut mama...

He kept glancing at himself in the mirror...

The looks he gave himself were not anymore enthused than the looks he was giving me!

 

You are going to look so handsome Baby!

NO, not!

 

Ahhh I like your haircut, you look very cute!

NO, no wike hairtut.

NO, me toot.

Neber, neber hairtut 'gain...

Neber, NEBER!

 

OK...I admit that it wasn't much of a haircut, more of a little trim.  But I could not manage to ask for anymore cut off...

I just couldn't!

Really it is all I could do not to cry over the tiny bits taken off as it was...

Well maybe I teared up a bit...but it was my baby's first haircut...

and I'm a pansy...

plain and simple!

 

And what is Sweet Girl doing during all this...

Oh yeah!!!

 

To See A Friend...

Last week we went to visit a friend.

The kids and I had a very specific reason for going, but that will have to wait until tomorrow for that little story...

For today I am going to show you her darling garden that is just outside her back door

 

 

Her back deck and patio overflow with color!

 

A little wild...a little wonderful!

 

This pot is my favorite...I love all the variety of foliage colors.

 

Then again I am a sucker for something hanging and pink...maybe this is my favorite!

 

She has an upright fuchsia, I had never seen one before.  It is huge and very tropical looking...love it too!

 

Lemonade?  Why yes thank you , that would be lovely!

 

And strawberries...perfect with lemonade!

 

But as much as we all loved the flowers and the pots,

This was the hit of the backyard...

 

She has a trampoline...YEAH!!!

 

Birth of a Sunflower

 

Sometimes I wonder through the garden and am intent on picking something for dinner.  I am focused on finding something ripe and delicious.

Sometimes I wonder through the garden intent on finding weeds that are hiding in the corners.

Sometimes I wonder through the garden inspecting for insects that might be eating the crops.

But sometimes I remember to wander through the garden just for the joy of seeing nature in action, to just be there and appreciate the wonder of it all...

Today is one of those times...

Today I got to see the birth of a sunflower!

 

Note:  you can also find me today over at Not Dabbing In Normal trying to solve some garden issues...permanently!

Friday Funnies

 

Mator Mama?

Baby Boy kept picking red tomatoes the other day...Baby Boy doesn't like red tomatoes particularly, he much prefers yellow and orange ones.

He would pick a red tomato, take a bite, and then throw the rest through the fence to the goat.

Stop picking red tomatoes and giving them to the goat...mama likes red tomatoes

After went back to picking beans .  I felt a nudge on my leg, it was Baby Boy with his hands behinds his back with a big grin on his sweet face

Mama...mator mama?  Me pick mator you!

Thanks Baby you're sweet...but don't pick anymore red ones, ok?

Otay mama...

Pick wellow ones?

Ok Baby, pick yourself some yellow ones

Me wub wellow ones

I love you Baby Boy

Yep, mama wub me

The best thing I ever planted in my garden is my kids!

 

Watermelon Time!

It's that time of year again folks...

Yep the watermelons are ripe, they are juicy, sweet and delicious!

 

 

None in the family looks forward to watermelon season quite like the kids and the camel!

 

 

Sweet Girl eats her's with abandon...

 

 

And more than a little goofiness!

 

 

The brothers share...

All the while there is someone waiting at the fence...

 

 

Hey Sweet girl whatcha got there?

 

 

Could this be a treat for moi'?

 

 

Ahhhh that smells di-vine!

 

 

Rrmmfff, ummm, nmmmm...tastes pretty good too!

Don't talk with your mouth full you big barbarian...

Sorry...

Chomp, chew, sllllurrrpp!

Camels make every season just a little more bizarre!

 

Peace Offering

 After finding many of these muddy handprints around after the kid's muddy adventure, I spent some time wiping them off the walls of the house, the patio furniture, and various other things that the kids had touched.

While I was cleaning up the kids brought me these...

A child size peace offering I suppose!

 

First Sweet Girl brought me her freshly picked daisy...she tried so hard to keep that flower clean.

 

 

Baby Boy's flower didn't fair quite as well!

 

 

Poor little flower...you'll never be quite the same!

 

 

Neither will this shirt!!!

Ah Sugar Sugar...new from the Humane Society!

Sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you.
Honey, ah sugar sugar
You are my candy girl
And you got me wanting you

Everybody sing along now...

 

Status "unknown stray" 

Age "adult" 

Breed "Lab/Pointer?"

Name "Sugar"

We finally got another dog.  After losing our sweet Daisy to Parvo at less than 10 weeks old we were slightly wary of getting another dog from the Humane Society...I'm not sure Sweet Girl could have handled another heartache like that.

But we took a leap of faith and after weeks of walking dogs and trying to find the perfect fit, we found Sugar.

I asked the one of the workers at the Humane Society why the name Sugar...she said they named her that because she was so very sweet...ahhhh!

She is definately a 'people dog'...she goes from window to window and door to door looking in and waiting for us to come out and play! She is energetic, friendly, loving, and so much fun...we are so blessed!

Now to introduce he to the characters here on the farm...meet the llamas, the bunnies, the chickens, the goat, and oh yeah...

 

Sugar...this is a camel.  He is at the very top of the pecking order.  He is big, a little grouchy, and will probably not play tag with you.  Then again you might no want to get tagged by a camel!

Oh yeah he doesn't fetch either...

He doesn't shake, or heel, or come, or stay...

What does he do?

Hmmmm...

I'll have to get back to you on that...

 

Yellow...the 'Look at Me' Color!

 

Come join me at Not Dabbling In Normal as I ponder the small child like attitude of the color yellow!

Friday Funnies

 

As you know I have four boys and one lone little girl...she is the princess among frogs!

Until she came along I never realized the HUGE difference between the sexes even at very young ages.

Sweet Girl is so very verbal, and dramatic, and sweet, and...

Animated!

They boys can be all of these things too but not with the same effectiveness as their sister...

Yep the award for the most animated child goes without a doubt to the girl!

 

The Ugly Camel...

Gizmo is not looking his handsome self now-a-days...

In fact he is looking downright mangy...

Some would say ugly,

I am one of those some ones!

 

Each year around this time it happens...

 

A big bad case of the uglies!

Some one needs to groom him...

 

Any volunteers???

Let's go for a canoe ride!

You hear me talk often about 'the cabin' or 'the lake'...today we're going to go onto the lake and take a look around!

Darling hubby, sweet girl, baby boy and I all pile into our canoe...I decided that I will take my camera along and tell everyone in the boat that if we capsize that no matter what it takes it has to remain above water.  If that means I will have to swim back to shore paddling with one hand while I hold my camera above water with the other and hubby has to drag the two kids...so be it.

They roll their eyes...

We will stay fairly close to shore to avoid being swamped by waves from passing boats and jet skis...and because Sweet Girl gets a little freaked out by them.

 

Here is what our little A-frame cabin looks like from out on the lake...see the wavy trim along the roof line.  It is going to go soon...hubby hates that "girlie trim"...no, we are going with something more manly, maybe some timbers or something.

The cabin is about 600 square feet, a big room on the bottom floor with a bathroom tucked into the back corner.  We all sleep together in the sleeping loft that overlooks the lake...very cozy!

We continue East along the shoreline until we come to a little rocky beach strewn with driftwood.

 

Hubby tries to entice Sweet Girl out to play in the water...

Note the dress...she wears a dress even when canoeing, its her thing!

 

Finally he gets her to join him the the what I would say is very cold water...

I have a camera so have a very good excuse not to have to go in and freeze my hiney off!

 

Besides someone has to keep an eye on Baby Boy who want nothing to do with getting in the cold water...thank you Baby Boy!

Learing proper rock throwing tecnique

Note about my hubby...he is fast approaching 50 years old, yes you read that right, shocking isn't it?  He is in great shape, is wildly active, and in my opinion is much sexier than he even was 25 years ago when we wed, yep I'm one blessed woman...

 The only issue I have with him is the completely annoying habit he has of having a big bowl of ice cream just before bedtime to help him "keep the weight on"...if I didn't love him so much I think I could hate him!

My thighs dimple just looking at ice cream

I have decided life and metabolisms just aren't fair...

 

 

Throwing rocks properly takes great concentration!

 

Looking at the picture our cabin is off to the right in the cove around the corner.  In the distance is the white farmhouse and outbuildings of 'A Summer Place Farm' that I've shared with you before.  Where our 80 year old neighbor lives and thrives here on the lake...I want to be as spunky at 80!

 

Time to head back, I can just make out our dock stairs from here.  We'll go light the fire and maybe make s'mores...and of course hubby will have to have his bowl of ice cream

Grrrrrrrrr!

We've still go 'em!

You have heard that they are disappearing from all over the world...

 

It is a shame as they are quite beautiful...

 

And completely usefull...

 

 I love to hear them in the night....

 

Other places may have lost them but we've still got 'em!!!

 

 

There are still itty bitty green tree frogs here...thank goodness!

For what is a world without frogs?

No good I say!

 

 

Their color is striking...that bright green with the black accents and golden eyelid...

 Simply stunning!

 

 

Yep we're talking about you little fellow...

We're glad to see you!

Make sure you come back now...

Ya here?