Birthday weekend of creating

It was a fun weekend doing what I love... being with family and friends . 

Friday I spent with a good friend prepping fabric for a Halloween wall hanging.  For us, it was tons of fun. 

I got pockets made and sewn on some of the panels. 

We celebrated one of sons' birthday this today.  A month before my grandson and I worked on a photo album of my son's year since last birthday. 

My grandson made the cover.

He was surprised and loved he gift. 

Dude came home and worked on the tractor, cleaning it and making sure it was filled with fluids.  I spent with this clown. He went to the store with me, the gas station and then followed me all day. 

Today I sewed the wall hanging. 

Of course, I had company. 

I will back it tomorrow and try to bling it up. 

Next, I needed to finish a dress to wear to church tomorrow. 

Done.

A good productive day with family and creating.   The best kind of day to me. 

peace 

Seventh Day - Honoring Family and a Quick Crochet

Here it is … the Seventh Day, Sabbath, and today... Ground Hog's Day, Presentation of Our Lord, Candlemas and Feast of St Blaise.  Also a day of Family.  It was a fun day and a difficult day. 

You've seen the scenario before... an elderly person, selling their home and moving into a senior apartment or somewhere smaller.  We lived this today. Life is constantly challenging us and asking that we step up in life.  My  86year old mom took the brave step to take a leap in her journey to go to an apartment. She has never lived in an apartment.  Her house is becoming more and more empty.  We went today to get a few things for her new place and it here... a house she created into a home for 42 years, she realized,  will no longer be hers.  The burden was a bit much. I was scrambling to pack things quickly before we went to her Great Grandson's birthday.  I was in my own head when I realize I did not know where she was... I found her... alone... crying in my old bedroom where spent my senior year of high school.  It was too much for her.  

I know we will all get there.  We need to acknowledge and pay respect to those who raise us, who stumble at times but do their best to raise good and descent people. 

We took time to acknowledge the loss and then, once again, she rose and showed up.  We made to the birthday party. She didn't sit in a corner, feel sorry for herself or tell everyone her woes.  Nope. She danced, laughed and carried on.  Life does go on and we need to make the best of it. 

She grew up in a town not far from where she was leaving.  She is on the left in the picture below with her grandmother looking on at the door in the background.

Birthday time!  It was also a day to celebrate my grandson's birthday. 

She wouldn't think of missing it. 

He hasn't see this yet but I was able to crochet a crown for him today.  The pattern is over on the Crochet Crowd's page. Very fun, fast and easy. 

peace

Day 24 Christmas Eve on the Homestead.

Christmas Eve is usually the day where things don't go just quite right.  For me , it began at work.

Someone left my chair decorated with Christmas cheer.  It was slow....very slow. Teams were sharing goodies they brought in.  My whole team was lucky enough to all have the day off.  It gave me time to really read email and clean it out.

Half way through the day our neighbors call to see if we lost any goats...huh? Not us but if you don't know who's they are we can hold them until you find the owners. I wasn't home but still working. I call  home and one of our friends and her nephew had just arrived with a plateful of cookies.  Dude said hop in the truck we are going to pick up some goats to hold for someone.  Never a dull moment.

It was fun for my friends who came to visit and drop of cookies to see our day. I drove up about this time.

Right then the honey wagon was pulling into the yard... you know the poo packer or in this case the Turd Hearse.  Company is arriving Wednesday and we don't want any issues.  Ah, the luxury of owning your own land, septic and leach field.

I went running out there to take pictures and learn about the process when half way there I was hit with the smell!  The guy pumping it out looks and me and says, what?  Ohmy, I don't know how one does that turdy, uh, dirty job.

Just then my friends say it's time to leave... smiles and head out. They are such wonderful friends and great sports! 

A big thank you to our neighbors Terri and Blake for rescuing and finding the owners of the goats.  We found out the names of the pygmy goats were Chaos and Fury.    ...and we were able to meet our new neighbor Alex! 

The rest of the evening was laughter and family. 

Merry Christmas everyone.  Sleep well. 

peace 

Sons come to help us on this very hot Sunday.

The are a lot of  other things my sons could think of doing on their day off in 93* heat. But they came to help us. Dude had surgery 2 weeks ago for a new shoulder.  Not a whole lot he can do.  Plus he is bored silly since he is a man that usually never stands still. God had other plans. 

The Brothers (as my sons are known) came to help the day before Dude had surgery. They made sure he had television hooked up, music, a sound bar, and movies for him to watch. They hooked everything up. 

So they came again after surgery... to help recover the hail and storm battled greenhouse.  It is double layer and blows air between to keep in the heat and protection from the elements.

Dude has begun to take an interest in trains and building a replica of some of our mountain towns. So my sons (and their sons)  moved furniture in the house and got a table into the house so he can begin his new train journey. 

Everyone pitched in. 

We had cut a hole in the side earlier in the week.  Usually, late in summer we roll up the sides but thought what the heck, let's just cut it since it will be replaced.

One of my sons begins removing and jokingly, blessing the job that was to be done today. 

Grandkids stuck around with me. 

Carrots picked.

After the tear down we stopped for lunch. 

I cooked...

There were discussions of beards...

And fist bumps for the first part of a job well done.

Then back to work... all serious, let's get this done! It was blistering hot. These dads adore their kids!

I took the young guns in to craft . We made Halloween trees.

And began to make Venus Fly trap plants. 

The guys were amazing and kept going... cracking jokes and talking about things they like in life. 

All done. 

Just need to trim inside. But we tested the fans and the layers blew up well. We are ready for winter. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!  I thank God every day for my wonderful family. 

peace