Thinking

Weekends.

I love them. I look forward to them all week, as do we all.

What I don't like is being without my husband on weekends. He does travel for his job, which I don't mind, during the week. It is when he is gone on the weekends that I have a problem with it.

This past weekend he was gone from Friday morning until almost dinner time on Saturday night.

Ughhh. I wasn't too upset because he was helping our son-in-law replace shingles on his house in Regina. But today. Today is another story.
Nope, it isn't golf that has him away, it's firefighting. Again.

Grass fire season has been especially bad this year due to the dryness and the wind. And tonight of all nights. We had planned to grill some beef tenderloin steaks with all the trimmings. Not anymore. He'll be gone for hours. At least we had some grilled bread and Baba Ghanoush before he left so he'll have some sustenance. I guess it will be Rice Krispies for me and Athena. Grrr.

Oh, and did I mention IT IS STILL WINDY?

How was that for the whiniest post you ever did read?

And Again

Lest you think that the story of my little Snow White was a one time happening, I bring you Snow White the 2nd.

She has such a heart for little creatures. Especially birds and (gasp) bugs. As soon as she hears a little, or big, bird hit the window, she is out there. She has to protect them from the Tom cats. She has to heal their little wings. She has no choice.

In an effort to stop the 'bird hitting the windows' thing, I installed a stick to the window bird feeder. It has stopped the number of birds smacking their beaks but not entirely. What else can we do?

PS I am not going to put up those sticky outlines of falcons on the windows either.

Wind

The Wind

I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies’ skirts across the grass—
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all—
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song.

O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song.


Robert Louis Stevenson


Wind is the order of the day around here. Three days running. Long sustained winds. Gusting harder, faster, colder.

My little seedlings are battered and blown. Wilting and weary. They are longing for the sun and the light warm breezes. Still it blows and blows and blows...

Thrifted Finds

It is surely the season for thrift shopping. Here we call them Garage Sales. I am on the hunt for wood bowls in particular and I found all six of these for around 50 cents each. Some are teak, the three shallow ones are bamboo. A little oiling and they were as good as new!I also like ceramic bowls. Let me rephrase that. I LOVE bowls. This set of three did not disappoint. They were never used as the stickers were still on the bottom. The largest one is 13 inches across. 13 inches! Huge by my bowl standards. Big enough to mix up a batch of buns or for a giant family sized Caesar Salad. Love them. $10 for the lot. Worth it.

Next I found this divided serving tray. Olive green. $2.

Last but not least, cotton napkins. My daughter inspired me to begin using cloth again after she bought me some lovely ecru colored ones for Mother's Day. I got 16 napkins. New, still in wrap, for $8. About a quarter of the price listed on the packages.

Oh joy, what bliss. And the season has just begun!

Kissed By The Sun

Just because I thought these freckles were too too cute. Don't you agree?

Good Thing Its Spring

This little lady is the best at amuzing herself. The BEST! She can play for hours on end with a string and a rock. I am not kidding.

She collects random items throughout the house to add to her imaginitive play. On this particular day it was some greenhouse purchases we made together. Her miniature rose bush, some lavender and a rosemary plant.

Horses need some trees in their pasture.

Of course they do.

Wet as Water

As you know, it has been cool in Saskatchewan. Very cool for this time of year. I have only planted my root crops so far and my bedding plants are quickly outgrowing their containers. We have been kept indoors more that I would like with rain, snow and the gale force winds that have been battering us at every turn.

The sun came up for a brief while yesterday after supper so I suggested a walk. We all bundled up and yes, I wore my long down filled coat, and headed out the door.

The sunshine had warmed the moist air and the wind had died down enough for the weather to be quite pleasant. Cool still at about 5 degrees Celsius, but nice enough.

We walked down to the deserted golf course by the pond. Deserted only because of the weather.

Much to our surprise we found a pair of Canada Geese and their 4 goslings. Another nesting pair who were NOT happy about us looking in the bulrushes for their nest. There was also a pair of mallard ducks too. No ducklings and no nest to be seen either. I also saw an otter swimming in the water. When I got close enough to look he took a dive under the water and did not resurface while I stood there.

Athena and I have been hearing the frogs in the evening and so have been looking for tadpoles to bring home in a jar. Of course, when you are looking for tadpoles you have to get very near the water. Very near. So near that even though it is 5 degrees outside and you have your winter parka on and sandals on your feet, (what? I hate socks) that your feet slip out from under you and you land right in the water. Then you are lying there up to your thighs in murky dugout water that is freezing cold and you can't get out because you are laughing so hard at yourself.

Your worried husband runs to you and grabs your arms and pulls you out. Still you are laughing.
Yes, this happened to me yesterday and my bum is a little tender today and I still think it was funny.

I am glad we went.

Remember These?

Do you remember these horse heads on a stick? This one has been ridden miles and miles.

He is not ready for the glue factory yet.

No Knead Bread

This is simply the very best, EASIEST crusty bread you will ever make.

4 ingredients. Yeast, water, salt, flour.

No kneading. Just a bit of waiting.

And then... this.

Just try it. You will see for yourself.

The recipe is here from Mother Earth News.

Waiting on the Weather

It is the May long weekend in Canada. Victoria Day is on Monday.
It is the traditional weekend when we Canadians plant our gardens and set out our bedding plants. But my oh my it is cold. I will plant my seeds this weekend anyway.


My plants await their summer homes. They gaze longingly out the patio door windows. The seeds are getting restless. They tremble and rattle against each other. They yearn for the dark rich soil. They ache for the warm sun. They have things to do. They have waited long enough.



So have I.

Snow White

My little Snow White

Truly she is. She loves animals. Loves them. Birds too.

She can identify a bird by its song. She is even learning male and female, or boy and girl as she likes to call them.

We live in the country. Well, in a small, small town of 900 people. We get a lot of birds. Some just pass through on their long journeys north or south. Some stay all summer, some stay all year. We also have 3 large windows on the front of our house and several times a day hear the tell tale sound of a bird hitting the window. No fatalities this year or last. Yet.

Well just yesterday a little Thrush hit the window and rested a while just under the window. Of course little Snow White had to rush out to protect him from the many Tom Cats that run around this small town of ours. She slowly walked up to him, talking quietly, and put her little hand out for him.

He peeped a few times and then he was in her hand. A dream come true for Athena. She held him for a minute then he jumped on her arm and flew to the safety of one of our large pine tree. One of her best days ever. I attach a few pictures of this story and a less appealing "snow white" story that happened today. May 14!!

Signs of Spring

Yes, it is almost mid May. But we live in Saskatchewan, see?

Yesterday was a beautiful, beautiful day. High of 23 degrees Celsius. That is about 74 for those of you in the US.

Athena and I were naturally outdoors for most of the day. We gathered dandelions from the neighbors yard of course. My Love would not allow a patch to grow on his lawn, that is for sure. And naturally we made a dandelion crown for little Miss A. She thought I was amazing to have such skills in crown making!

I also walked around the yard looking for any new growth. The pictures tell the story. I look at the pictures of the blogs of women in Madison, Wisconsin, Wenatchee, Washington and Fairy Glen, Oregon, and I know we are far, far behind. But still I see there is some evidence that spring is to come.

And yet... today it snowed.

Mother's Day Collage

What a great day.

I got to sleep in until 8:21. 8:21!! And it was me who chose to come downstairs at that time. My Love let me sleep in even though he got called to put out a grass fire late at night and was in bed well after I was sound asleep. Nice guy I tell ya.





After he made me breakfast and I was presented with a handmade card from my little girl, we headed into the city to donate some used items to the Salvation Army and pick up a few groceries.
We went out for lunch and then stopped in at a greenhouse to peruse the beautiful flowers and make a few initial purchases for the gardens this year.


When we got home, Jill, my third oldest daughter and my granddaughter Eden were already here. There was some catch played, some digging in the sandbox, some BBQ and some wine on the deck. Athena and Eden enjoyed some popcicles made of strawberries, kiwi, whole milk and organic cane sugar.







Beautiful weather, beautiful day. Nice phone calls from my other two daughters, wonderful gifts and lots of love and laughter. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

Homeschooling

"My education was only interrupted by my schooling." Sir Winston Churchill

"Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality." Beatrix Potter

Make me think, those quotes do. Make me think really hard.

My little gal will start Kindergarten in the fall. She'll be 5 1/2. I hate it. I hate that I will have to send her off from 9 til 3 every other day. I hate that she will have to sit inside a classroom all day long. I hate that she will have to be told what to do, what to draw, what to color, what to read, what to think. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

I am no stranger to homeschooling. I taught my oldest three at home for 3 short years. I loved it. 2/3s of them loved it. (Hi Jen). I thought that it was the very best way to learn. The very best way to live.

So why now do I hesitate? Why am I sending little Athena to pulic elementary school? Why indeed? I ask myself the same question every time it crosses my mind. My answers? Not so convincing. Well, she is an only child. She needs to be with other kids. Good reason? Maybe. Maybe not. Second? I will get some much wanted time to myself. Time for me. Good reason? Um, no.

Oh, what to do what to do. Anyone out there home school an only child? Anyone out there with an opinion? Anyone out there at all?

Rainy Day

Well we finally had our FIRST rainy day of the year. May 6th! It is dry dry dry. It didn't rain for long but it did rain long enough to spoil our plans for planting Morning Glories and Sweet Peas.

The weather was warmer in the morning and dropped steadily during the day until it hovered around the freezing mark.

Change of plans.

I started a fire in the fireplace. (My first one. Paul usually does it.) It actually kept going. I got it going at 10 am and the last embers were still glowing around 4 pm. Yes, I am proud of myself for that one.

Next I started my ironing in the kitchen and Athena did some painting. Yes, those are her pajamas.

After lunch we moved into the living room and she began to play with her blocks followed by her train set.

I picked up my knitting , and using skein ends, started to make some soft knitted balls for Athena. I got the idea and the instructions from Lizz. Well, my balls were knit with nary an error. Beautiful colors. Wonderful textures. Balls they were not. More like watermelon shaped. Aghhhh! Where did I go wrong? Anyway, if you want to see what I was hoping to achieve, check out red dirt mother on the sidebar. She can make most anything.

All in all it was a great day, even though Daddy was away to Edmonton. Tomorrow promises to be sunny. We'll get those flowers planted yet.

Black Bird Blues

So, what does one do when a bird hits the front window and is stunned? Take pictures of course.

A Boat-tailed Grackle is one of my very least favorite birds. It is in the blackbird family and has a horrid song, if one can call it a song. They are bothersome and loud. Their eyes are beady and yellow. But just look at this guys colors!

I suppose he has to have one thing going for him, no?





PS For those interested, he did get up and fly away about an hour later. Athena stayed with him to make sure no cats got him.

Fuzzy Felt

A short while ago I made Athena, our 5 year old, a felt board. She has been creating her own pictures with it since I gave it to her. My experience cutting felt was not going well. I have since had my scissors sharpened and will cut more distinct images in the future.




Her first picture was a pastoral piece. A no-brainer for her. Anything with the outdoors and nature and animals is right up her alley. In fact, she had me cut extra pieces as she was creating because she couldn't find the shapes necessary for her project.

Her next effort was a space ship. Good job I might add. She is not one to sit down to a task. In fact, she would rather be playing. When she does do it, she does it well and with full attention. Its just getting her to start that is the hard part.

Warm Welcome

I have been wanting to blog again for some time now. Why? Sometimes I ask myself that too. Part of me wants a record of my life, of our lives, for my own enjoyment and so I don't forget. I think another part of me just wants to be known. Just wants a place to be honest, to share my thoughts. To think out loud.

I have been with my love almost since I have been alive. We met when I was 14 years old. We married when we were both 18. We have 4 daughters ranging in age from 26 to 5. In a few short months we will celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary. I will be 44 years old in July.

I plan to use this space to "think out loud", to archive my life and that of my family and hopefully gain a few friends along the way.

I read several blogs myself and I have been inspired by so many women. Women just like me. Women unlike me. Women I would aspire to be like. Women who I could never be like. You will find links to these women on my sidebar.

No one may ever read this blog but that is okay. It is for me. If you do read it, maybe it is for you too. One never knows.