enjoying the day...

Ouch, that is how my fingers are feeling today.  One would think that I wouldn't have managed to damage two fingers doing something that I have done for literally decades.  Yet, her we are.  Trimming threads on the family quilt I managed to put a nice slice into my pointer finger with a pair of super sharp scissors, ouch.  Not terrible, still able to be used, but definitely tender.  

Then yesterday while working on the antique quilt, I was so focused on holding together some fairly interesting seams that I didn't even notice the needle of the sewing machine aimed right at my middle finger of the same hand.  Ouch, ouch, ouch!

Each strike of the keys reminds me that I need to pay better attention to the minutia.  Both injuries are minor.  Both injuries will heal very quickly.  Both injuries have definitely got my attention today.  Neither injury will stop me from doing what I want to do, but they will make me far more cautious and force me to pay attention.  

I lost myself in my project yesterday, I had set the goal of finishing the quilting of another quilt.  It wasn't large so I knew I could accomplish it. With Hubs gone and very few distractions, short of double injured fingers I got to work.  I turned on a few different podcasts, had to make a second trip up to the sewing room to load bobbins, brought down a big glass of water and went to work.  

I'm quite pleased with the final outcome.

I honestly did not have many hopes about the outcome, I was hoping for a simple utility quilt, knowing how awkward the piecing was.  Half way through, I came to the realization that quilting can hide a multitude of sins.  It's not a perfect quilt, although it is a true and pure reflection of someones hard labor and after quilting, I am in love with it.  This morning as I put the binding on and completed it, I was sad that it wasn't big enough for my bed.  The feed sacks, muslin, polyester and flannel bits and pieces feel warm and welcoming.  They invite you to snuggle up beneath it and relax. To spend some time day dreaming.

I need to run to the farmers market today or at least I should.  They still have some great prices on their tomatoes and the season is coming to an end.  I am getting low on tomato paste and this is the perfect time to pick up the supplies.  Truthfully, I don't want to.  I just don't feel like peopling today.  I'm showered and dressed, ready to go so to speak.  But mentally, that bucket is drained.  It's completely empty. 

Even sitting by my beautiful fire this morning did not inspire me to want to go out and about.  That phrase it's just too peoply out there keeps running through my head. I had to go to a neighborhood meeting yesterday, they are going to be doing some repairs to our roads and we needed to be sure we knew when they were blocking us off. Being around that group of diverse personalities was super challenging.  They all seemed to be fussing about someone in the group.  Ironically, the neighbor that has been the worst one for destroying neighborhood unity decided it was the perfect time to preach all about how we should be more community and neighborhood driven.  I understood folks feelings as they walked off, refusing to listen.  It was draining. 

I feel I will probably find myself at my longarm again shortly.  Losing myself in the satisfaction that comes from finishing a quilt.  Its feeling like an addiction.  In two weeks time I have finished two of the quilts that have languished in my sewing studios for decades.  I have about 5 or 6 more waiting to be completed and I now seem to have this super strong urge to complete them all. I mean what is the purpose of having a stack of unfinished quilts?

I pressed out another one to load this morning, I guess it might have been my inner self telling me what I was going to do today. I'm already envisioning the designs I want so use.  I plan to do something a bit different that I usually do, so we will see how that works out.  I figure if I manage to complete one every couple of days I might have at least three of them finally finished before the fabric comes in to finish the "family quilt" early next week.  I would really like to have my family quilt finished before Hubs heads to Alabama, so that he can show it to Sis.

still not the final layout

Yep, I think I am going to continue to boycott being in public.  I'm going to get a big glass of water and head down to my longarm and start on the next quilt. But first I think I will just snuggle with the boy dog, the girl dog simply can't stand to be cuddled for very long, although you can pet her all day as long as she is free to come and go as she pleases and finish drinking my cold cup of coffee and do a bit more day dreaming... 

love and prayers...

stolen moments...

I started to take my laptop inside and curl up in my comfy chair, but the beauty of this morning just kept drawing me back outside.  I'd much rather sit in my beautiful garden and listen to the sounds of nature than be comfortable today.  My back might disagree, but for now, I'm going to enjoy this beauty. 

I love cool mornings.  The kind that invite you to bring a cup of coffee and linger.  I've already harvested today's bounty and taken care of all the plants in the treetop garden, so now I simply get to enjoy.  Hubs had to be at work deep in the city today, so he is already long gone.  I'm listening to a variety of birds chattering, I wish I knew more about the various sounds I hear so that I could easily identify them.  I know the owls (they are finally back in the area) and the hawks are definitely distinguishable and were screeching for quite a while as the sun was rising. I hear the swells of some kind of insect, it echo's throughout the woods as if the ones closest to the house respond to the ones further away.  

The squirrels have finished their early morning shenanigans, racing around the trees and jumping through the canopy.  I might not want them in my garden, but I love sitting out here and watching and listening to them.  It is such a unique sound as they run circles around the trees.  Watching their graceful jumps is mesmerizing. 

Right now, I am hearing the kids getting ready for their school day, their sweet voices are echoing in the silence as they wait for their busses. This is when I find peace.  Of course there are non-natural sounds echoing also, machinery and such, but those sounds seem to take a backseat the softness of nature. 

My little beasties are in the house playing right now, they've already run through the yard at warp speed, up and down the stairs and circles around the deck.  They have a rhythm and routine also.  The inside romp usually precedes a two or three hour nap.

Today will be a bit slower for me.  After processing all of that produce so that it didn't spoil and canning for about 18 hours in two days, my back is definitely revolting.  The pain is making it hard to bend.  I'd injured it way back when I was 20 and working at a fast food joint to pay the bills, most of the time I forget, until I do things like 18 hours of canning, then I quickly remember that it doesn't like to stand in that position for that long.  I will invert a couple of times today and do things where I can sit and rest a bit.  

Hubs suggested I just take a whole day off and be lazy.  And while it sounds so tempting, I'm currently not in that mindset and I know that I would spend the entire time thinking of all of the things I want to do right now.  I have things I should do, but I am not feeling as drawn to those things. Maybe I will squeeze a few into the day... maybe not... 

I'm already frustrated enough, due to my own lack of planning. I finished up all of my "family quilt" blocks yesterday, only to discover that I made a miscalculation in having enough blues to make it balanced.  I don't want it unbalanced, so I ordered more fabric.  Which actually works out fantastic, so maybe it wasn't an error so much as fate, because I really wanted it to be a bigger quilt.  I want it for the queen sized bed in the camper. So after almost a year of waiting, I am waiting again.  This time only for a week or so, luckily I was able to find the fabric, it's out of production and took 3 different online shops to find enough to complete it.  Now I will be able to add extra rows to make it the size that I want. It's just going to be a slight delay. 

My Sis is going to be sending her's back with Hubs when he visits next month for me to quilt up.  Her's turned out so beautiful. I personally love her color choices.  I find it soothing.  I may have to ultimately make me one using a similar theme, who knows. If I do, it is going to be a long while.  I have so many quilts to finish up, that if I didn't buy any fabric for a year and all I did was quilt everyday, I would probably still have some leftover. 

I think I will probably work on the antique quilt downstairs today.  I can rest and stretch while doing that, and it will get me one step closer to completing all of the quilt tops waiting for attention. Soon, I will have so many finished quilts that I won't know what to do with them.  Might have to start selling them off, hmmm... that's a difficult thought.  After all that work, they become special.  

Hubs' meeting is a long one today and then he and his peers are going to gather for a bit of a social hour, so that means it will be a solo kind of day here in my castle.  It also feels like a day stretched out just for the things I personally want to do.  I have a bit of ironing left, a few dishes to wash up, and then the day is stretched out for creating.  I think I needed this day, even if I didn't know it.  

just about ready for harvest

cowpeas

It sounds like most of the wild life surrounding me has awakened and started their day, the sounds are slowly fading away as the sun is starting to break above the tree tops.  I guess that is my cue to get busy also.  

love and peace...

time well spent...

Deep dark rain clouds came rolling in, it seemed like the perfect way to wrap up an incredibly busy weekend.  The thunder was loud and constant, the drops were the big steady kind that the earth loves.  I didn't know it was coming, I wouldn't have watered in the morning. But, after a long semi-dry summer, I guess a little extra won't hurt at all. 

Hubs and I worked in the garden a lot over the course of the weekend.  Saturday morning by 8 am, he decided that we should trim up the trees that were causing us challenges.  The one branch had grown so much it was blocking the steps down.  The other provided way to much access to the garden for our little squirrel friends and was growing into the entire side of the garden.  It needed done, although I was willing to wait until fall after the harvest.  

I was afraid of damaging the garden, over all it didn't.  We lost one branch of a bush bean that was finally deciding to produce.  I didn't see it or I would have harvested the little beans, hopefully the critters will find it where I tossed it down the hill.  Still not bad for all of the overgrowth the garden was dealing with.  It puts a bit more sun on the deck, but it also keeps the branches for ending up hanging super low when the rain is steadily falling. 

After puttering around, harvesting and pruning plants and trees we decided to run our errands.  I simply think I will be avoiding shopping at all on Saturdays, I become so anxious surrounded by so many people.  I almost felt like I was going to have a full blown anxiety attack by the time we headed home.  People are changing so much that it was completely unpleasant. 

I felt  like I expended every bit of energy I possessed trying to navigate being out in public. I simply don't have any desire to be part of the world lately.  I enjoy being home in my little bubble. 

Yes that is wine... I earned it!

Yesterday was filled with canning, Hubs found a great deal on Roma tomatoes and I had 50 pounds to can up.  I canned so many diced tomatoes and made so much tomato sauce.  I'm kind of tired of cutting tomatoes right now, but I am crazy thankful for the sheer number of pints of each that I have.  I'm also drying out skins to grind up into powder and will use the cores in my broths.  Pretty darn good investment for only $30 plus tax. I had started at 7 am and as the clock let me know it was almost 7pm the final canner was depressurizing. I was almost done canning for the day.  I will admit, I was tired of cooking at that point.  

I was ready for a glass of wine and a rest.  This storm was making me feel mellow and calm.  If we had been finished with the canning already, we would have gone and joined our friends for an early dinner. Instead Hubs grilled us up some burgers and we worked on organizing the cantry.

definitely not the final layout,
but not bad at all...

I started to finally work on our "family" quilt, my sister in law, her daughter, Hubs and I are all working on the same pattern.  They both have theirs almost finished, Hubs and I hadn't started.  I couldn't decide on the fabric for mine, I think I ordered three or four layer cakes.  I finally decided that I was going to use the camper designs and make mine for the camper.  I am about half way through with piecing the blocks and started laying it out on my design wall yesterday.  I will definitely need to add a few pops of color into the boarders.  So far I am fairly happy with it, so far, I can't wait to see what it looks like when all of the different fabrics are represented. Hubs hasn't started his, but is starting to talk about it. 

I also started loading another one of the antique quilts I rescued.  I had to laugh while ironing the top to load it.  Boy oh boy is it going to be a challenge.  Very little of it is even remotely square or even.  But the beautiful feed sack materials and the fact that it was hand-pieced really called to me when I rescued it.  I want to finish it for the original quilter.  I managed to match (at least semi-closely) the muslin from the front for the backing, so that will make a huge difference in how it lays.  I finally feel the need to quilt again, maybe it's the changing seasons.  Who knows. 

Belle brought him a toy while he napped,
she wanted to play...

This morning will be interesting.  My sweet boy has a vet appointment, and I am only taking him with me.  This will be close to the first time in their lives they have been separated for more than a quick walk down the road or them choosing to be in different parts of the house alone.  I am physically taking one of them somewhere without the other.  I am hoping it goes smoother on both fronts than I expect.  I would take Belle with us, but she is far too protective of her brother.

I'm in that awkward time of the day.  My appointment is in two hours, so not enough time to really start my projects and too much time to feel comfortable with the wait.  Ugghhh... not leaving the house much does create some interesting feelings when I have to.  

I guess I will go make a few smoothies for breakfast and maybe start another load of laundry, I'm sure I have enough little projects to keep me busy for another hour and a half... 

love and peace....

who's speaking?

What a busy morning.  I can't believe it is already noon and I am finally sitting down for a bit, as both pressure canners work to process the yummy soups that I finished up this morning. After they are finished and the temperature in the kitchen is a tad lower I will go work on a few for my friends.  I also need to get another loaf of bread made before dinner time, Hubs is completely addicted to it and a loaf simply doesn't last long around him.

Hubs and I enjoyed a bit of time in the rain soaked garden this morning, the thunder last night that heralded the storm was unbelievable, we both jumped out of our chairs and ran for the front door as it sounded as if something had literally exploded in the street outside.  It took several moments to realize the sound had been a combination of thunder and lightning striking at roughly the same moment.  It quickly had us rushing to the garden to prepare it for a rain storm.  I hadn't checked my phone in a good long while, or I would have known it was coming instead of being so shocked.  The poor pups were quite  unhappy about all of the noise and ruckus last night, and approached the garden this morning with a touch of apprehension. 

No damage to be seen and the garden was nicely watered by the heavens.  As we sat out there and enjoyed the morning both of us pleasantly surprised by the string of almost fall like mornings we've been enjoying.  It seems the past couple of years that the seasonal clock has shifted.  In the past April was still cold and wet, the same with May.  Leaving June, July and finally August being the scorcher.  Yet for the past couple of years, I've been able to work my garden as early as late March, early April.  And then May starts getting crazy with July being a sheer scorcher and August turning mild.  I was looking back through photos, seems to have been this way for a few years now. 

Whatever it is, I am definitely not complaining.  I'm not a huge fan of the humidity and heat of the mid-west so I will cherish the coolness and the breezes.  I'm sure my electric bill will also. It's just wonderful to once again sit out in the garden and enjoy breakfast and coffee with my sweet Hubs before he heads out for his day.  Sometimes we chat, sometimes we get caught up in the modern version of the newspaper, both of us reading things that interest us.  He will also find a few "pun of the day" jokes to share, yep he knows I don't find them funny, but he finds them hilarious so... what's a gal to do?  Today was a happy combination of the two.  

grain free bread... amazing!

We chatted about the garden, plans for the weekend, the tomatoes that I wanted him to pick up at the farmers market around the corner from where he was going to be today, we talked about current events and our thoughts surrounding them.  We pondered why people think one way or another.  We even spent a few moments commiserating over the economy, before we decided that topic was better saved for another time as it was just so depressing. 

I've spent my morning preparing wonderful soups that we will enjoy over the course of the winter and hopefully there will be some into spring.  I don't want to waste any of this summers bounty and can't wait to enjoy the flavors when there are no fresh veggies or herbs to cook with.  

While doing that I was listening to a few of my favorite podcasts, and also a new one that I have just found.  He's from the British Isles and he's absolutely fascinating, he bouncing between sharing historical information and speaking about modern day events.  On one of his podcasts he asked a simple question and it is still swirling around in my head.  

"Who will speak for you?" He spoke of some of the greatest humans that have walked the earth and their powerful impact.  Buddha and Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi and Mohammed, people that for the most part advocated for goodness and love.  For bringing people together in a positive and healing manner.  He spoke of some of the not so good folks Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot and the always infamous Hitler to name a few.  Mostly known for their divisiveness and power based ideologies. 

And then he moved into more current times, asking who or what will define our times.  

I realize that is a very volatile topic.  People are very divided and there are times of strong hostilities if you do not have the same ideology as the next person.  The part of it that struck me the strongest was when he asked "who will speak for you".  

I often stay silent, it's easier, there is less confrontation and stress associated with it. I feel people are less and less willing to have an open minded conversation about things these days, so why bother? But maybe that is why it matters to speak up. I personally don't want to be remembered through history as part of some of these groups that are rampant these days.  I don't want to be a footnote of the ones that simply took the quiet route to avoid challenges. This all bears some thought and reflection.  

Who is going to speak for you?  Are you like me?  Or are you on the other side of things and very outspoken? And if you are outspoken, do you keep an open mind?  I often hear things that after much thought I can change my own perception closer to what was presented to me.  Sometimes I admit to being stubborn and unbending.  It depends on the information and the style it was presented in. 

I don't think I will ever been that person that will speak for myself, instead, I think I will continue to let the great one speak for me, and continue to do my best to live my life according to his word. 

Not going for deep or philosophical today, simply wanted to share the experience.  Today I am finishing up some of my canning for the week, I'd like to be able to get another one of my quilt tops on the frame and add another finished quilt to my arsenal this weekend.  I'm finally at the point that completing a few projects matters deeply to me. 

Hey... love and prayers... it's time to go snuggle my puppies for a few minutes while I wait on this last canner... 

faith or fear?

I've been crazy busy since about five this morning.  The sun hadn't even considered cresting the horizon as I started my first canner full of soups.  I am trying to use as much of the local abundance as I can before we shift into a feeling of local lack.  This mornings batch for those cold winter evenings was a chicken, bean and rum stew.  I just started a second batch that is bean and sausage. 

When I started canning, I will be honest, it was out of fear.  Listening to news, shopping at my local stores I realized that prices were soaring, there was not an abundance in the stores, and due to weather conditions I had fears about the coming harvest seasons.  Not to mention the supply chain issues that seemed to be growing by the moment.  

This morning, I should be starting the next batch of soup to put up for the fall and winter months.  I'm not, because I felt an overwhelming need to write. I'm sitting in the garden by the fire that Hubs built for me this morning.  It's still pleasantly cool as the final embers burn off. There are enough hours to do everything I want to do, while still pausing.  

While I've been quiet, I've been doing a lot of thinking.  A lot of processing things.  Like I said, I am still concerned, I still have moments of angst and going to a grocery store sends me into almost tears.  They are bare in many areas, sizes of items are getting smaller while the prices are increasing.  People are not at the panic stages that they were at the beginning of the plandemic, but they are getting more anxious, less friendly and you can see the shock on almost everyone's faces.  They are resigned to what is happening.  

I have done a ton of researching, learning, understanding what is slowly happening.  It's not going to be a popular theory, but I feel we have been being conditioned for this moment from at least the 70's, I almost feel like since the early 1900's.  Slowly, like a pot coming to boil we have been subjected to raising prices, lower salaries, a sense of lack.  We have been bombarded with ads, shows, media, news and magazines, by society in general to always be chasing more. 

I mean look at the way people stand in line when the newest version of technology is introduced. Look at the massive amount of debt most people will assume to have the newest, biggest, and best of everything. Look at the smallest things as see how they have been twisted into a money making item. 

I know I'm up there in the years, but I am not by any means old or elderly.  Yet I can remember a much simpler time.  I remember a time before computers - the only people having them were government agencies and huge corporations.  I remember a time of kids happily playing outside with their friends for hours on end.  I remember so many things that it would take an entire blog to simply list them.  Kids don't play for endless hours outside much any longer.  The sound of laughter doesn't fill the neighborhood, probably because the electronics are watching them inside while the parents slave away, giving up the most precious thing in the world in exchange for all those things we are conditioned to believe we need. 

When I left working full time outside of our home, I was anxious.  I was concerned that our quality of life would suffer. We had become very used to the luxuries a two professional income provided.  Would we still have the lifestyle we were used to?  Would we survive?

I hadn't woken up yet, I was still lingering in that false bubble.  I was anxious and filled with fear and worry.  I doubted the reality before me. The picture wouldn't come into focus.  

So almost 18 months later, after much deprogramming, adjusting the lens I was viewing life through, I realized that we are not only doing okay.  We are thriving.  I mean truly thriving.  Do we always do the things that we immediately feel drawn to do?  No. Because we both look at life differently, we are more cautious of how we spend our dollars, we can see how we wasted so much.   We didn't need the things we thought we needed, we wanted them.  

When we started walking in faith, we realized that we had massive abundance.  We aren't living in lack at all.  Are we living in financial abundance now?  No.  But I would guess we are probably in the same bubble as the majority of the planet right now.  Our utilities are soaring, the costs for most anything in the stores is unreal, and while gas is currently going down for over two years it has been higher than what we'd come to enjoy when we purchased Hubs' truck. Everything costs more than it did, and I am fairly sure that if the individual running our country continues on the path he seems bent on, it will cost more and more. 

I'm choosing to not walk in fear.  I've felt a strong shift this month, a stronger pull towards spending time in silence, praying and just listening to the silence.  I have felt the magic of fear leaving, the pull towards simply walking in faith. 

I know I've spoken about how broken and fearful I was when I was divorced.  I felt lost and like everything that defined me was gone.  During those dark days I spent a lot of time lost in prayer.  I have a horrible memory, I don't hold on to the past, I don't day dream about the future.  I am definitely that live for the moment and day I am in person.  It's a blessing and a curse.  Yet I remember as clear as if it were yesterday bowing my head and simply telling God that I was not strong enough, that I needed him to take complete and utter control of my life, that I would follow wherever he lead me. 

A short while later, Hubs came into my life and even though there have been challenges, losses and grief.  He has been the most amazing life partner.  I cherish our life together.  I have always believed that God put us together, we are meant to walk this path together. 

I've been turning a lot over to God once again.  I've spent more time in prayerful silence and listening to his word.  The amazing thing about God is that most people in most religions know he is there, they know he is still the God of old.  He loves his children, and he will lead us through the darkness that seems to be everywhere. 

There is still going to be hard times, God isn't going to simply let us sit on our bottoms and not participate.  But I firmly believe if you are willing to be part of the solution, we are going to come out on the other side of this darkness whole and walking in pure abundance and gratitude. 

We have always had far more than we have ever needed.  Humanity has just allowed itself to be turned away from that abundance.  We've been programmed to always be reaching for more and more.  Wait isn't greed one of the seven deadly sins?

As I sit here in my bountiful garden, on this beautiful morning, I feel completely blessed and loved. When I stepped out of that imaginary world that we are forced into, I never dreamed that I would know the amount of joy, love, fulfillment and happiness that I have now.  Kind of like how I felt two decades ago, I know this is God's blessing. 

I will continue to honor that blessing.  I will continue to pass those blessing forward to others.  I will keep following the voice in my heart.  I have faith that despite what we see unfolding all around us, we are standing at the precipice of the greatest blessings that we have ever known.  Greater than our wildest dreams could even begin to conjure up. 

Well, while I believe our God is capable of all things, I also firmly believe that he wants us to step up and be part of that change, part of the solution.  So... my kitchen is calling.  I have so much bounty that I want to finish preparing.  I have a future of abundance to prepare for. 

love and prayers to each of you... 

gratitude and joy...

Good morning from the treetop garden!  I'm sitting here beside my fading little fire, enjoying this beautiful morning.  I can't believe it is late August and I needed a sweatshirt to sit here beside the fire to push back the chill.  How utterly amazing. The puppies decided we should get up early today, Daddy woke up at four so mommy shouldn't sleep past 4:15 am should she?  Those "little" pups are huge now so those tiny jumps will take the breath right out of you when you are deeply asleep.  

I tried for about fifteen minutes to ignore them, but they can be quiet insistent when they want attention, besides, by then my brain had fully engaged and there was no drifting back to dreamland.  Instead it was full of random thoughts... ya know the kind... what in the world are they fighting over, is that going to choke them, oh goodness am I getting pounced again, should I just get up and start the day, what all do I need to accomplish, I could be using this time productively... yeah that list and more barged in loudly and on auto-repeat. 

As I led them downstairs my eyes were still semi-closed, my feet felt leaden, I really was still sleepy and to top it off the coffee wasn't even brewed yet.  As soon as I walked out into the garden so that they could go outside I felt whole and fresh.  The slight cresent of the moon was barely visible through the trees, I would have expected it to be further west, but I am sure that is a sign of the changing seasons.  The sky was clear and filled with stars, the air was crisp and clean.  I cherish my time outside.  

Right now I am sitting here watching what appears to be an entire family of squirrels (one of which is pure white) racing through the canopy of the trees high above the garden.  They are running through the branches, assuredly jumping and flying gracefully through the air when the distance is a bit too far.  I love watching them, as long as they stay out of the garden.  So far I've seen 5 of them.  Every few moments there is a slight chattering sound from their direction, I don't have any nut trees out there, so unfortunately they are doing any preparing for the cold winter that will soon be upon us. 

Pretty sure I am his support human,
yes he is lying on my legs

The pups are 9 months old now and every day they loose a few more of their puppy fears.  This morning they happily romped for hours in the darkness, something unheard of even a few weeks ago. I've watched them timidly more further and further out from the light.  Today felt like the day they grew up.  As they wrestled, played, ran and romped over the course of the entire yard.  They just got baths on Saturday, today, they look like little mud puddle pups again. Belle will groom herself.  Beau, nope, he is pure boy, he will proudly sit there covered from head to tail and everything in between with a puzzled look on his face that you are concerned with his appearance.  All he needs is a backwards baseball cap to finish the look. They both just went inside to take their morning nap, Belle as tidy as you please and Beau moving through the house like my personal Pig Pen from Charlie Brown. 

why lie on the mat when you can lie in the dirt?

brave explorers in the early dawn

I'm not a huge fan of non-stop sweeping and vacuuming, but they are living their best lives and bringing me boundless joy and happiness.  What's a little dirt?

The seasons are definitely shifting, each day there are a few more brightly colored leaves lying on the deck, the bright reds are starting to pop up in the trees.  My garden is transitioning.  I've let a few things go to seed, in fact just this morning I picked a huge yellow pickle, I will harvest the seeds in a short while.  It was so prolific that I want to insure I have the same plant next year.  There is still active growth on most everything, tomato bushes are heavy with fruit, peppers and beans abound.  My okra is still putting out long slender pods. 

This morning while I was drinking my coffee and watching puppies I decided I may as well work in my garden, there was plenty of light and it was definitely cool enough.  There is something magical about working in the moonlight in your garden.  I watched the spiders spinning their webs, working frantically to get them finished before mornings light, planning for the feast they will have tonight when the sun sets. I braced the tomatoes to hold them tall, so many of the plants are still covered with beautiful tomatoes. 

I am going to harvest some of the green beans here in a bit, I'll can them up in the stews that I will make today.  As winter makes fresh, local veggies hard to find we will enjoy the flavors of summer. I read an article recently in regards to smoking and drying my peppers to preserve them, I need to dig a bit deeper and then I will reach out to my friends that smoke for me when all of these peppers are ready.  The Anaheim and Pinata peppers are covered.  I feel so blessed by the bounty I've been able to grow.  Even the jalapeno's that I was sure were done, are once again covered with new leaves, flowers and peppers.  

Hubs and I spent a very quiet weekend, mostly at home, resting, puttering and watching some movies he picked.  I made great progress on the sweater I am working on, I'm anxious to finish it, but realistic enough to know that I have probably got a couple more weeks to completion. I can't stop everything and knit, although it is tempting. 

added about 6 inches since I took the picture

When we went out yesterday, I realized why I am finding more and more peace being at home.  People are getting angrier and more aggressive. Every time I go out I am observing it. We went to a couple of farmers markets, they were looking fairly bare.  Although there was a steady stream of people, all hoping to find what was on their lists.  

My heart sunk at the last one we were at, it was fairly well stocked although the prices were higher than expected.  A very elderly couple next to me were sorting through peaches, carefully filling a box, in hushed tones they were talking about canning them.  Each questioning the other if they knew how to do it, both saying they didn't, but they were going to have to learn if they wanted to eat.  He in his overalls with time worn hands and creases on his face making me think he spent a great deal of time outside doing manual labor, burst into a huge smile and assured her that he had the internet, he could figure it out. 

I'm worried about where our world is heading.  I am trying not to fear for the future, but finding myself often pondering it.  I went to a regular grocery after exhausting all of the local markets, I had to give up.  I was stunned.  So many shelves were bare, meat departments were not only basically empty, but the costs for things has risen so much.  There was barely any dairy and I was stunned to see full sections of shelves and refrigerated sections completely empty.  I watched so many pick things up, look at the prices and put them back.  If Hubs hadn't been waiting in the car I feel that I would have lingered just to observe.  

I hope you are paying attention.  Things are not getting better regardless of what we hear on the news.  The story they are telling doesn't match up with what you see in the real world.  Trying to get gas was absolutely stressful.  We sat in line for about 20 minutes, people were aggressively cutting one another off, you could see the tension as the got out of their cars to pump gas.  Sure the price is down a bit, but it makes you question what is causing the anxiety if everything is as okay as they say. 

Well, the sun is breaking across the horizon, Hubs has already left for the day, he's taking my car in for a tire rotation before he begins his busy day.  It's inspection week, I won't see much of him. My fire is almost gone, my coffee is cold, I guess it's time to give up on the slow waking up and get busy with my day.  Much to do... 

I'm sending you all prayers for prosperity, joy and gratitude....

love and peace... 

just stopping by...

I've been away.  Mostly not physically away, but definitely mentally.  I have needed a break.  In fact I might still need a break, I'm not sure.  But my sweet Hubs asked me yesterday if I was ever going to blog again.  I have been blogging, what I haven't been doing is posting them.  I found myself in a place of needing to feel the silence.  I think I am still there. 

I feel like God is telling me to be still.  To simply be on the sidelines and be still.  So I have been.  At least where people and blogging is concerned.  I've made my own circle very small, there are few people I speak with or engage with right now.  I spend most of my time alone or with Hubs and my pups and I'm finding peace in that. The silence has been healing.  

There is so much going on in our world right now that is not okay.  There is so much that is just radiating lies and deceit.  I seriously started to ponder moving to a very remote spot, now is not the time for that.  Might it happen down the road... maybe.  My spirit would love it, but now is simply not the time. 

While I've been being still, I've actually been very, very busy.  I've been learning things.  I've been doing things.  I've traveled, I've explored, I've created and I've experienced things.  It's been heavenly.  

I've been super busy with my small circle, spending time with family when we can and close friends.  But mostly just disconnected.  I can't deal with some of what is going on in the world, I don't have words to pretend that some of it is okay, I don't want to pretend that it's okay.  

his happy place

exploring the shore, looking for dead fish

such a good little camper

lounging around watching the fire

Hubs took a week of vacation, although most of it ended up being recovering from the yucky cold we both managed to catch.  During that peaceful time we rested, we sat by fires, we went on a far too short camping trip to spend time with Sis, we watched the meteor shower from the banks of the Ohio river, and we regrouped. 

He fished a bit, I knit a lot, we explored new areas and found a fantastic Amish quilt shop that I feel strongly about returning to.  We bought farm fresh produce and spent even more time sitting by the fire in the middle of the night. It was absolutely pure heaven. 

worn out from adventuring

Beau sitting on Mom's lap - yep he still thinks he's tiny

I don't feel like I am becoming a hermit, I deeply enjoyed being out and about with my pups in Paducah. It's amazing the number of people you meet when you have two adorable pups that are fairly well behaved (I mean they are only 9 months old and have their moments of excitement).  We met some wonderful folks from Chicago (currently) but originally from Poland.  We had a great time talking about the past and present and their experiences in this country.  They are old enough to remember when Poland was a communist country, their perspective was absolutely fascinating. 

I've been busy working on my cantry, falling more in love with producing our own food every time.  My friends had picked up some produce for me at the Amish market while I was out of town, which meant lots of fun waiting for me when I got home.  I also brought some produce home.  If you've never canned your own food, you cannot appreciate the flavors that you are missing. 

Monday was definitely productive

Last night while I was engrossed in my current project Hubs went to the cantry and selected the dinner items that he was going to prepare. In about 15 minutes he called down the stairs for me to come up and eat, the only thing missing was our grain free bread (I'd been busy and hadn't made a loaf).  It was warm, nourishing and delicious.  Why did I never make the time for this when I worked?  Oh yeah, I didn't have a life back then. 

I'm currently working on a sweater, that was my travel project, it's hard to believe but it is actually for me.  I didn't get it finished, I didn't figure I would, but it is coming along nicely.  Being in this space and time is really magnifying my joy in slow work.  For years, everything was squeeze it in, rush through it kind of things.  Now I can take my time, I can create what I want, when I want. And my focus is more on us.  I am already planning to work on several more projects that I have never had the time or energy to work on in the past.  I have the yarn, fabric, supplies, etc... This slower pace is allowing me to savor the task, to treasure the moments that goes into the creation and finished product. 

I can't wait for the cooler weather when I will pull on my newest pair of socks to warm my feet and my newest sweater to keep me warm.  It fills me with accomplishment to know that I am the one that has created it.  From what I am seeing in the stores around me, I may be very thankful for these skills in the not so distant future.  That and my obsessive collecting of supplies over they years "for the some day when I have time" moments. 

Yesterday I spent the entire day quilting a quilt top that I have owned for about 20 or so years.  I bought it a long time ago, not because it was beautiful, it's more or less ordinary.  Made from someone's scrap basket somewhere in the 1980's no doubt based on the fabrics.  I bought it because I knew that someone had put a lot of time and effort into it and it needed to be finished.  I finally decided yesterday was the day.  It is almost king sized, possibly is, I haven't put it on the king sized bed yet, but it took the majority of a 108"x108" batting and backing.  I chose a simply meander for the quilting, I realized after years of day dreaming how I was going to complete it that the piecing was rough and much of it was questionable as to how it would lay.  

I definitely didn't think I would be able to quilt it in a day, but the quilting fairies were kind and the new thread I bought at the Amish shop is fantastic in my longarm and after about six hours of work, the entire quilt is quilted and today I will finish it's binding.  After so many decades it will finally be finished and ready to grace a bed, to provide warmth and comfort, to be cherished for what it is.  I can't wait to finish it. 

I'd planned to be in my sewing room first thing today, but life and puppies had other plans.  Our sprinkler system is malfunctioning and basically flooded our yard, the soil is rich and almost pure black.  I know this because well... puppies... I've spent the morning cleaning up the muddy footprints.  I'm not done.  I still have furniture to clean and carpets to try to salvage.  I've decided it comes up best when completely dry and vacuumed, so that is what we are waiting on now. 

Belle cuddling?  Be still my heart!

Dad's movie buddy - unbelievable

I'm a touch behind on basically everything, I was allowing it to stress me out.  Instead I simply stopped.  I narrowed my focus and became okay.  The only person setting those deadlines was me.  I was creating the storm of anxiety that I was experiencing. 

Hubs isn't going to notice if I don't get every chore that I have assigned to my personal to do list done, he has no idea what is on it.  He is going to notice if I don't fix meals, the pups notice that also, or if he doesn't have clean clothing.  But the rest of it is completely self imposed.  I've needed time to step back from that mindset and to process things in general. 

I'm not sure if I will be blogging much for the time being.  I'm still far too content in my own bubble, I have lots of things I want to say, but I feel strangely drawn towards silence.  I think I am content being on the sidelines of life right now.  Living, doing and being my own person disconnected from the chaos that is swirling all around.  

It's time to return to my bubble, there are things waiting for my attention that I long to do.  I am holding space and praying for all of us at this time, I just don't want to participate in any of it... 

love and peace...