Dad's Day

This is the first time I've been in church on Father's Day since my Dad died.  I had a job to do.  Teach Sunday School and share the love of another Father.  I'm doing a fourteen week study of the Bible.  Today we learned that the Bible is a light.  I took my little electric kits and made play dough that conducts and play dough that insulates.  We talked about how we can spread the light of God's love, or be a hindrance like the insulating dough. I try to use a lot of fun games and experiments, which they enjoy, but I sure hope they get the message of Jesus' love as well.  One little guy said, "I've never  had this much fun in Sunday School before.  Next week is about honey, hmmm.

All the kids were by today.  Buttercup made Pappy a big beautiful card.

I know that, as my mother always says, every ol' crow thinks hers is the blackest, but this child's face, well, perfect.

I like these faces too.  I haven't had a good  picture of the four of them since the Cpt.  went to Boot Camp, which will be ten years ago  next month.

Missy Bugg made a cutest card for Pappy as well.

Giddy- Up fed the big chickens up close this evening.




He is an outdoor boy.

My, they surely do grow fast.

Little Girls, Little Girls

Little girls
Little girls
Everywhere I turn I can see them

Little girls
Little girls
Night and day

I eat, sleep and breathe them

It has kind of felt like this week, as I did a sewing workshop for two hours each morning.

Antebellie is my wee crafty partner in crime and wanted a whole Playdate dedicated to sewing.  Just having finished second grade, I thought a sewing marathon might be a little 
much, and it occurred to me to do a camp.

A few others thought it was a good idea too, so I had fifteen little girls. 

 We made purses from jean pockets, a travel tic-tac-toe board, a needle book and lastly, a skirt.

Ms. Gardner E., ML, Aunt SuZQ, Ceece and Bean came to lend a hand the first day. Ceece instructed  crocheting the chain stitch and flowers, Gardner E. helped the two oldest with knitted flowers.  SuZ ran the sewing machine whislt Bean, ML and I threaded needles and tied knots as hard and fast as we could go.

Ceece managed two days before she felt the need for early retirement-ha.  Hey, all of them were crocheting.  Bean and Aunt SuZQ have lasted so far.

I thought little girls would get a big kick out of making their own skirt, but I didn't really know how to make a skirt, so I looked up some ideas and saw skirts with something sticking out from under that was cute, but I knew I wouldn't have the patience to either deal with two skirts a piece or to sew it onto the hem. You know all that straight pin stuff makes me a little crazy.  Did you know they make spray glue that makes the fabric like a post-it note.  Well, they do, and I actually found this cutest fabric that had print all the way to the selvage, same for the lace, so NO HEMMING- Be still my heart!  Sew, uh, I mean so I turned down the top a bit, ironed, turned down again, a  bit bigger than the elastic, opened, sprayed and post-ited the lace fabric in side the turn down, then ran it through the machine. Well, except for the six I talked SuZQ into running through.  The girls pulled the elastic through the casing and sewed the side seam and wha-la.  Adorable.

Another little friend I taught last year, also came as a helper, with her sister camper, so I also had one for her and her littlest sister, so they'll be all matchy. Well, you know Miss Linee has to have one as well, so all17 are finished, or ready to be finished for the last day of camp, and again, I am worn to a complete frazzle. That doesn't include three American Girl Doll Skirts for the ones who belong to me (campers, not dolls).  It was a fun time and much was learned.

Auntie G-Lou appears to have a blood clot in her leg and is in need of our prayers.

Tah Dah!

Well, I did get my room closed up, Sunday School taught, the first Playdate accomplished and the first Sew Excited Workshop day down. And I'm still upright, but am feeling a big need for a nap.
I really enjoy teaching this little Sunday School of ages K-6.
Playdate was a cool one, high 79 degrees here, my favorite weather.  My energy doesn't disappear so quickly when it is below 80.  I need all the energy I can muster on ten hour Playdates.
I have a new helper this year. Jenna wasn't able to be here for opening day, but came last Friday and got the lay of the land and met Bean, Bugg and Giddy-up.  She taught them a new creek activity that they couldn't wait to show the rest of the kids.
Using rocks and other found items to make paint.  It is rather amazing all the colors they came up with. Miss Sydlee has quite a palette.

This is how you get fierce warriors.

 Soon we were all painted.

Giddy-up wasn't the least bit intimidated by the notion of a pinching crawdad.

The catch and release program was in full swing.

 Our little Westerly Wind has gotten so big.

The usual opening day ceremonies- the summer tee shirt, which we tie-dyed.

 Some hammock time.

Some foraging for mulberries and honeysuckle.  My woods are full of sprites.

A new little Playdater, Missy Toddles, having some carrots.

Supper around the campfire Bean started. He's getting good at this fire business. A boy after his Gramerly's fire loving heart.

I am completely worn out!

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.  

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.

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.

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!