happy, sad, and mad

Happy…

As this little lady celebrated her 8th birthday! 

Bailey was treated to yummy snacks and now has

her own Lamb Chop to snuggle!

(If you missed the story of how Bailey came to the farm, you can read it here: Bailey. Oh my, how I absolutely love her sweet and gentle personality.

Sad…

We lost TinkerBell…she arrived at the farm nearly 18 years ago when she simply strolled out of the cornfield and decided to stay. 

The absolute Mom of the crew, she was in charge of all the barn cats. And with a tender heart, when our goat Glowbug became ill, she was right beside him, being “Mom.”  

She stayed smallish, like a kitten, and was oh-so patient during some silly summertime fun!
We will truly miss her.

Mad…

Ok, this may be where you’d like to stop reading. It involves mild ranting, considerable irritation, and absolute disbelief.  

However; if you’re still here, I would greatly appreciate some input from you...women who are wiser than me. 

The million dollar questions:

What has happened to good, old-fashioned common courtesy? 

Where is the time-honored sense of community? 

I’m sure there was a time when looking after one another was a way of life. 

Here are some examples of the things I am absolutely confused by.

-How many times must I have the door in front of me, that someone has just passed through, closed in my face? How hard is it to hold the door open for the person behind you? 

-Right after my daughter was born, my father-in-law had open-heart surgery, and my mother-in-law broke her ankle stepping off a sidewalk. They came here to rest and recuperate. I believe my daughter was two weeks old…how wonderful it would’ve been to have someone/anyone bring meals. One less thing I would have had to worry about while surviving on very little sleep.

-Several years ago a lady moved here from across the country, I brought her a pie to welcome her to our hometown. She looked at me as if I had two heads. Surprise? Gratitude? Nah, neither one describes the look that was on her face. Golly, it's okay if you don’t like pie, toss it in the trash, but at least say thank you.

-Not long ago someone mentioned I was losing weight, and then asked: 

"Are you taking pills?" Wow, um, no...I'm just spending more time at the Y.

So, goodness gracious, maybe it’s me. 

I am neither outgoing, nor a social butterfly. I'm rather quiet and reserved…often those characteristics are seen as aloof. Hmmm, do I have an RBF?  Not intentionally...that face is just me. Listening to whatever is being said, taking it in, thinking about it.

As Mark Twain said:

“It is better to keep your mouth closed

and let people think you are a fool, 

then to open your mouth 

and remove all doubt.”

Maybe, it’s how I was raised – in the country, by my grandmother…a different place and time. 

Maybe, it's modern technology and fast-paced lifestyles. No time to smell the roses, as they say. 

Maybe, it's because today everyone's in a hurry, moving past the moment they're in, making plans and thinking about what's next. 

Or just maybe, I was born in the wrong era.

July MJF post is up!

When you find time, swing by and read all about my 

“Mason Jar Madness!”

Just click here:  Rural Farmgirl 

National Simplicity Day…July 12

 

Honoring naturalist, philosopher, arborist, and author, Henry David Thoreau, Born July 12, 1817. 

Best known for his book Walden, a reflection on simple living, he spent two years in a small cabin he built near Walden Pond in Massachusetts.  

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Let’s take time Sunday to live simply…whatever that means for you. Maybe it’s a walk, maybe it’s sitting on the porch, maybe it’s a simple dinner with food from your own garden, or maybe it’s an old-fashioned Sunday drive. 

Whatever it is, let’s slow down and do something that makes our hearts happy, while taking in the beauty to be found right outside our own back doors.

Happy 4th of July!

“It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

too hot..

During all this miserable heat & humidity, I thought I’d share a photo that may make you smile. 

My daughter and I discovered this barn door on the way to a friend’s home.

Patriotic? Yes, but with a touch of whimsy…

I have no idea who Stinky is, but thank you Stinky, for making us laugh! 

 

so grateful…

 

for gorgeous sunsets,

and beautiful moonsets,

for nearby farms “dressing up” for the summer.

For blooming flowers, 

and curious cats.

For candles that substitute for the sad lack of lilac blossoms this year (my favorite flower),

and for a sweet daughter who still picks flowers for me. And if you’re wondering, yes I kept the volunteer patch of cornflowers/bachelor’s buttons! 

She’s an absolute sweetheart. She put together a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a candle for me as a thank-you for helping take care of her while she recovers from her broken ankle. My goodness, I can’t imagine not lending a hand. (Yes, I did cry.) Physical therapy begins next week, and she’s now walking without crutches and only in the boot. And while the road to recovery may be long, she’s doing a splendid job! 

I’m also grateful for a son who just asked if there were any leftovers we could bring him - it warms my heart to know that home cooking is still appreciated!

The garden is finally in, and I’m working toward catching up on all that needs doing. While the to-do list is still long, I guess, as they say, being busy keeps me out of trouble!

The temperatures have been almost fall-like, for me, absolutely perfect, and highly unusual for summer here. But, we’re about to get a taste of real summer - this week temperatures are predicted to reach up to 97 by Friday. 

I hope all is well wherever you are - and that you’re enjoying these “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer!”

MaryJane’s Farm post…

A quick note to let you know that the June post at MaryJane’s Farm is up - swing by if you find the time…just click the link below! 

Rural Farmgirl

when it rains, it pours…

The last few weeks have been higgledy-piggledy, topsy-turvy, willy-nilly, and all over the place. 

The weather has been sublime - sunny, cool, breezy, absolutely perfect. And that’s from a gal who doesn’t like to see a day over 70 degrees. 

The strawberries are delicious, 

the flowers are blooming,

and Sunday evening drives found us discovering some striking farm scenes.

We celebrated my son’s wonderful college graduation - yay, with honors!

And I planted a little tea “garden” by the back door in an old urn…lavender, chamomile, and mint: black currant and berries & cream.

Heavy rains have kept the garden patch so wet I couldn’t till until this past weekend - I’m running behind, but hoping to get everything planted this week. 

So this all sounds good; right?  All I have to say is bad luck better not come in 3’s!  Settle in friends, this is a chatty post.

#1 - a couple of weeks ago my son came rushing downstairs and said; “I think a pipe burst!”

I’d like to be able to tell you cooler heads prevailed - but nope. I thought I’d find a leaking pipe under the upstairs bathroom sink. But oh no - I came into the foyer and found water POURING from the ceiling light fixture:

Trust me, the photo doesn’t capture the reality of it. I barked out instructions to grab towels and trash cans while I ran to turn off the electricity and the water line.  The mess was cleaned up, the electrical circuit to that area is off, and I’ve been letting things dry out before calling an electrician to check the wiring. A plumber solved the problem easily - evidently, there was an out of sight  leaking pipe under the sink. He said when water goes under a floor it flows to the lowest spot which would’ve been that ceiling fixture below. I’m just incredibly grateful he didn’t have to tear up the bathroom floor. I’m saving for a new bathroom. This one is hideous - pink fixtures anyone?? But I would’ve been very upset for someone to tell me they had to put in a new floor in a ghastly bathroom. 

#2 - storms came rolling through Saturday. That’s not unusual this time of year, so the prep work was done. However, the storm came in fast and furious. It went from ominous skies,

to a thunderstorm with 60 mile-an-hour winds blowing horizontally, and then the power went out  

After the rain had stopped, I found a large tree limb had fallen in the road. I ran out and put orange cones on each side of it so drivers would know ahead of time, and then I came back inside and started making calls. There were power lines and trees down all over town - no one could come right away. And after all, it was a Saturday - I get it. 

Then out of the blue I hear a chainsaw - and bless his heart it was our 84-year old neighbor from down the road! He’s cutting limbs and I’m moving debris as cars are turning around to avoid the mess. And yes I’m grumbling inside my mind - if only a few more souls would stop to lend a hand this would be done quickly…grrr. 

Then a truck stopped, and then another, and soon the 4 of us had it cleared and the road opened - yay! Not long afterward a township trustee came by to shift a limb that was too big to cut and said they’d be back in a few days to clear it up and cut everything into firewood. Happy dance! So grateful to those who took the time to help out - truly, old-fashioned community spirit.  

The generator was started and we picked up pizza for dinner. In about 20 hours the power came back on.  

And so it goes - I need to remember that limb could have fallen the other direction and taken out my “hideodious” bathroom - as well as a few other rooms.  As Scarlett O’Hara said, “Tomorrow is another day.” After all, hummingbirds are visiting, we just saw a stunning blue moon, and tonight I glimpsed the first firefly of the season. Absolutely magical.

Hmmm, best for me to remember:

(Courtesy of southernliving.com)

A quick hello!

There are not enough hours in the day. There, I’ve said it, and I firmly stand behind it.  I have a love-hate relationship with spring. 

I love the perennials that are returning with a burst of color:

I love the simple little pops of wildflowers along the roadside:

I’m amazed that in what seems like no time at all we can go from this, 

to this. 

The hate? Well it begins with the relentless fight against ferocious, tenacious, vigorous weeds holding hands with poison ivy. 

It moves on to fallen limbs from winter storms that are tossed where the veggie garden will be - the safest place to burn said limbs. And moves from there to the rain, rain, rain which keeps the wood too wet to burn, but gives the weeds a reason to do a happy dance around the limbs.

Which are now surrounded by a beautiful patch of cornflowers. Where they came from I have no idea and now I’ll wrestle with the guilt of tearing them out of the VEGGIE garden. Ugh - maybe I’ll just plant around them. That could look nice, right? 

And there friends, is my rant for the day. I’m off for a bite of chocolate-the eternal cure all!  Tonight I’ll catch up on your posts after enjoying a movie with my daughter-a happy way to end the week. 

Oh and one more thing, for those of you who may remember this gal - I’m at my wit’s end…

Courtesy of Google

Grand Jeté in reverse...

Ahhh yes, sometimes, just sometimes, accidents happen. No rhyme, no reason, simply a random act of the universe.

This is the latest, trendy look my daughter is sporting this Spring season:

A highly fashionable, yet often uncomfortable, boot to aid the healing of "a Weber B non-displaced, spiral fracture to the fibula."

I don't allow anyone to tell me ballet isn't a sport...at least not without a dirty look and a strongly worded response. 

She was incredibly fortunate to avoid surgery, and now the recovery begins. After three weeks, she's quite the pro at using crutches! The estimate is perhaps a year until she's fully recovered. Sadly, she was anxiously looking forward to a summer with The Boston Ballet as an RA, so this comes as a huge disappointment. And so we'll be doing our best to fill the weeks with as many mother/daughter "ankle safe activities" as possible to chase off cabin fever. 

The geraniums I stored in the basement over winter are blooming and ready to enjoy some sunshine! But not just yet...I'm still waiting for the first "safe" period to plant flowers. And while we generally would be good to do so next week, there are temperatures still estimated to be in the 30's at night. 

And so, the days are filled with the chores of Spring...pruning, weeding, raking, tossing fallen limbs on a burn pile, and looking at a long list of things that need tending to. 

However; this weekend is my son’s university graduation! Oh my, where did 4 years go? It's an outdoor ceremony, and the prediction is possible rain...packing raincoats and umbrellas just in case. Because photos afterward may find us looking a little bit bedraggled, I will share this one with you...Mother's Day last year. 

They make my heart happy and make me laugh. I couldn't ask for more.

Time to wrap up here, the to-do list is calling!  If you find time to swing by, the May post for MaryJane's Farm just went up last night. 

Here's a quick link:

Rural Farmgirl Post-MaryJane's Farm

Have a wonderful weekend, and Happy Mother's Day to all!