Tuesday, May 27, 2014

So Soon?

Dearest Spring,
Must you leave so soon.  It seems you just arrived and I have loved you so.


Saturday I picked up Giddy-Up, at the library this time.  As always, it was a fun and busy day.
On the way home he inquired, "Is there a Pap at your house?"  I had to inform him that there was a Pap at work, but assured him he would be home soon.  It is always amusing to me how my gramerlings won't sneeze unless I sneeze right along beside them, but they want a Pap present and accounted for, though it seems he won't do for most activities.  Likely he's bribing them somehow. "You tell Gramerly you want her to go to the creek with you and I'll give you fifty cents."
As soon as we got home Giddy-up opened the freezer in search of circle cream- ice cream.  Later he pointed to the stove and asked me if something was cream.  I wasn't following him, so I just held up various things till I finally picked up the blue can of flour/oil baking spray and he agreed. "No, babe, that isn't cream."  Next he goes to frig, opens it and points to the top shelf. "Is the cream there?"  I said, "Do you mean pudding?"   "No!"  Again, it is May and I'm fried, but slowly it sank in- blue can, usually on top shelf (he forgets nothing), cream, ahh yes, whipped cream.


I've often heard people say that they just don't know what to do to entertain a little one.  Paper, any kind, scissors, glue stick and tape.  What could be more entertaining.  Now, they won't cut where you want them to, and they'll glue both sides of the paper and use way more tape than is needed, but they love the process.  I can't remember who it was that started putting tape in  birthday goody bags, but I've kept a supply of tape for my wee ones ever since.  A lot of bang for your buck in a roll of tape.


He's trying to give up naps, but by 5 was exhausted and fell asleep on my shoulder, ahhhh.  

Saturday, May 24, 2014

So, the Actual Day

Wow, so crazy busy around these parts.
On Mother's Day, the Handy Man took me to Hemlock Cliff's again.  I said I wasn't going to take the camera this year, but I couldn't help it.
The day was so beautiful.
I can't wait to bring the kids here to splash in this pool.  It will have to wait until I've recovered from the musical and camp.
 
 To me, it's a like a treasure hunt, with another little gift around every corner



 Handy Man  said this wall of pitted stone reminded him of the mountain of skulls in the LOTR movie. True.


I think I would like to live in this little box canyon.

So, I've lived over last weekend, praise the Lord!  Today will be filled with Giddy-up and all his cutest antics.  I received the sweetest letter from a former fourth grader of mine, who is graduating this year.  She wanted to share her academic success and her belief that I am a part of it. Blessed my socks off it did. Aunt Tish came and babysat me last night as I caught up on some desperately needed cleaning and sorting.  And a certain Handy Man I know will share his birthday with this Memorial weekend, so more to do.
I hope it  is a good one for you.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Mother's Day

Last year I ended up visiting with Mom on Saturday morning and kind of liked that.  I think holidays are a bit exhausting for her and perhaps more enjoyable if  we spread out our visits a bit. It turned out Rae had an opportunity to do something enjoyable, so I picked Giddy-up up at the Farmer's Market.  He and I headed to Kroger to grab some needed items for Mom's breakfast. She doesn't eat much after breakfast anymore.  I have to tell you,  this bothers me a lot.  She's always loved to eat and I've been fixing her things she loves for a long ol' time. Another reason to go in the morning. Well, Auntie GLou said she was on a strudel kick. I can make strudel, but was missing a couple of ingredients.  Giddy-up and I got the remaining items along with grapes, strawberries, blueberries, cookies, and chocolate ice cream. Oh, and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Bubble UFO- who thinks of these things?
We headed to Granny Wandy's and he helped me make the strudel.
Which is fairly taxing and requires some nourishment- ice cream.
The Captain, Bean and Bugg came to join us.

 Giddy-Up thought this was a "no friends at Gramerlys day" and was delighted with his cousin's company.  They enjoyed making their own fun with Auntie GLou's walkie talkies and a puddle.
Mom really liked her strudel and didn't seem to mind the good bacon to go with it.  I was happy for her to have something she enjoyed.  At noon time, Giddy-Up and I headed home.
 He wanted to ride umm, push the blue jeep, play in the creek, make a picture upstairs and play with the chickie babies.
The Captain and kidlets brought a pretty plant for the porch for me at Moms. My herbalist/hippie Rae brought another flower basket along with some homemade lotions called vitality and peacefulness. Let me just say I will be using those EVERY DAY this week.  Drummer Boy and his family came by late with another flower basket. We did lots of chick petting and swinging. Still another flower pot was brought by Aunt Tish so we are fancied up all over.
So, for whatever reason on Friday, I had decided to bring all the chicks home, instead of running back to school to check on them. Thank the Lord.
These four chicks are Salmon Favorolles.  I noticed as soon as I saw them, that each of them had two pink spots, one on each wing, close to where the wing joins the body. I didn't remember that from last year, but all four of them had the spots. They looked like they had been lightly dotted by a pink marker.

Well, chickens will do what chickens do, peck.  So I hear Drummer boy at the door and am walking past the brooder when I see one of them is bleeding, and being attacked by the other chickens.  Apparently, pecking that spot results in a lot of blood. I barely got her out, before one of them nailed another one, so I grabbed her out as well and Gwen, who doesn't even like chickens, had to help me juggle chicken babies while we got them sorted out.  Handy Man helped me move most of them to the brooder in the coop. I got her cleaned up and medicated and in a basket by herself, where she promptly fell asleep, and didn't stir for sometime. So, if I had not brought them home I would have had a Mother's Day surprise of the most unpleasant kind.  She's healing and sprouting more feathers daily, that will eventually protect that spot.  So, only six girls went back to school with me today.
Whew, Saturday  was a full and busy day.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Beware the Ides of March, er May

Ha, March is nothing, but May, May kicks my fanny.
I've probably thought about doing this twenty times, but between the musical, the new chicks (22 of them), the Mother's Day Tea, Mother's Day, an inside the house screaming for attention, an outside garden screaming for attention. Ugh.
So, here I am.

Last year, I saved all the wax that fell off the top bar hive, the cappings we removed before we spun out the honey and the comb created awkwardly that I removed.  That dark comb is stain from the pollen.  If you heat it too hot to melt, you risk losing that good smell .
 So, that very handy, Handy Man of mine built me a solar oven.  All the wax goes in the red pan and all the pollen and dead bee parts stays on top.  You can also bake potatoes in there.
A week ago Wednesday brought new chicks. This pictures was taken at the post office at 7 am.  Most travelled well. I lost one speckled sussex.
Today is Mother's Day and on the back of a lovely card from my sister was this sweet saying-
To those who comfort with a mother's hand,
we thank you,
To those who encourage with a mother's praise,
we applaud you,
To those who love with a mother's heart,
we honor you,
not just on Mother's Day..... always
Indeed!  Happy Mother's Day!