The Stone House

2012-01-25T10:58:00.003-07:00

I found out what my problem is as far as posting pictures on my blog. I need to down size my photos. (Thanks again Savannah) I'm having a tiny bit of stress in my life, so I can't think about how to down size photos today..... And maybe not tomorrow....but maybe the day after that ( meaning a somewhat mythical day in the future) I'll get it together! Ha! If you know me at all your laughing your head off here cuz you know I've NEVER had it together and the likelihood of that happening is..... Well not very.
However, pictures or not, a thought for the day.

"There are no separate paths back to that Heavenly Home. It is one straight and narrow way. At the end of which, though we arrive trailing tears, we shall be at once
Drenched IN JOY.
Neal A Maxwell

Drenched in Joy. Doesn't that sound amazing?

Really, I can hardly wait.

Thanks to all who love me. You bring sunshine and warmth to my life. Joy!

Blessings from the Stone House

2012-01-22T17:14:00.004-07:00

We have snow at last.
They who love it wish for more, they who don't (mostly me) are also wishing for more.
We need it for up coming crops.
It's been so nice and warm that I have been loving the very balmy-ness of our January!
Well, with the exception of worrying about a drouth...
We all have been watching the skies, waiting for signs of a snow flake, all the
while basking in the warmth of 50 degree weather.
Yesterday it came.
Softly.
Silently.
Clean, wet and fresh.
How funny, something I usually dread brought so much peace to my heart.
( the drouth issue again?...)
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Somehow, I felt renewed.
Which was a surprise to me.
I'm a died in the wool SNOW scrooge!
I ran outside yesterday, and by the time I was done I looked like a yeti.
I needed wipers for my skinny little eyelashes.(did you think I was going to say skinny something else?) Nada. Nonexistent.
Last night the wind blew.
Froze all that beautiful snow.
But I still feel some excitement lingering and swirling around me.
Maybe we'll get some more this coming week.
Who knows, maybe I can reckon with old man winter, and find a reason to enjoy it.
Maybe.
Hmmm.
I had better not push my luck. :-)

Blessings from the Stone House

I heart you!

2012-01-17T08:52:00.001-07:00

HELP!

SO for awhile now, I have been wanting to do some new posts. I was a lucky sucker and got an ipad for mothers day last year, and I have tried to post posts from it, but could not down load pictures. I didn't get in any kind of a snit over it though cuz I was just busy and figured I'd get the process learned sooner than not. Well, I can't download any pictures to my blog at all, not on my ipad, nor the PC. Blogger tells me I've maxed out my quota with Picasa and if I want to download any more pictures, I can BUY more space. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS TROUBLE? No one that I personally know has had any idea what is going on. I'm not sure what I need to do. CAN ANYONE OUT THERE OFFER ME ANY HELP?

SO in the mean time, since I missed almost a years worth of wishing you happy every holiday that has passed, I'm going to skip January and get a head start on Valentines day! LOL maybe I'll have my problem worked out by that time! Here is a re-post from last year.

( it still counts cuz the sentiment is still the same :-0)

"How many slams in an old screen door?

Depends how loud you shut it.

How many slices in a bread?

Depends how thin you cut it.

How much good inside a day?

Depends how good you live 'em.

How much love inside a friend?

Depends how much you give 'em."

— Shel Silverstein

Happy Valentines Day my friends! Thank you so much for your bloggy friendship and visits. :-)

I hope this day you will be able to share mountains of love with your dears! And feel all those mountains of love in return. I hope you can give away many hugs this day, and will receive some back. I hope you can "kick" a valentine or two!! (anyone remember "kicking " valentines? ) (maybe you called it "stomping or stamping" ) ...did none of you REALLY kick any Valentines? Really?

Scones made from bread dough

Hearts around The Stone House

Our dear friend lost her husband on Friday night, and another dear friend is home healing from extensive cancer surgery on her jaw and face, while yet another friend's 3 yr old granddaughter is under going kemo for cancer on both her kidneys. Hold your loved ones close and tell them how much you love them! Shout it to the roof tops and love them tight!

Make the most of loving them 24/7. It's the most important thing we can ever do in our lives!

OK, well, I really meant to keep this post light and I'm getting off track!

Enjoy your day.

I'm behind on my visits, I'm thinking about you

and I'll be by soon.

HUGS!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Blessings from the Stone House

Since this is a re-post, I will tell you, that my dear friend passed away in Aug of 2011. Just 6 months after finding out she had cancer. She never did get well. The 3 year old did. Her cancer is in remission/gone.

Hangin with my "peeps"

2011-07-31T11:52:00.001-06:00

I am always amazed when the mother hen chirps the little ones just come running!

They know her cluck, they listen and they follow.

Blessings from the Stone House

JULY

2011-07-29T22:25:00.004-06:00

Have I told anyone that I LOVE Summer?

If not, I do. I love Summer!

I LOVE the way summer nights smell! I love the smell of newly cut hay, the sound of the frogs and crickets in the night. The sound of the morning doves. The covey of quail that scatters across the road as I drive by. I Mummm, I do enjoy summer! :-)

We are not , here in the Eastern part of our state, the recipient of much rain in the summer. Sometimes we don't even get enough.

This summer however, we have had rain, and then some more rain, and then it will rain again. Last Tuesday evening, we had hail, wind and heavy rains that brought flash floods. These pictures were taken around the lane where we live the morning after the rain. This is my first time seeing the effects of a flash flood in person. This is our neighbors front lawn.

Same neighbors, side yard.

Water just cascaded from the ledges

I had gone to the show with my Mom and Sister, and when we came home, there was water everywhere, along with logs, rocks, silt and other stuffs. Huge rocks that had to be moved in order for cars to drive by. It's amazing and a little bit scary to me that just a few minutes of rain could put down so much water, and that also in just a matter of minutes, it could turn into a furiously fast river where there was no river bed to carry it away!

NOT a normal sight to see after rain

Our daughter who served a mission in Oklahoma, said we had a wall cloud and thought we were having a tornado. The hail and winds were pretty violent. Some of our garden is gone, the cucumbers took the worst hit.

In our small town, the week of July 24th, we celebrate our Pioneer ancestors by having what we call Long Horn Days.

Saturday started off with a 5K run, which my DIL ran with her mom and her sister and her sisters friend. ( I was too big of a wimp to do one yet...)

It was fun to see them run tho. They're pretty fast!

Then we had a parade. It goes down main street once, then turns around and goes back! We love it. They throw candy galore so the kids all love it too.

These are our oldest Grandsons, the twiners, along with their cousin and their other grandpa riding unicycles. I was so proud of them. They are getting pretty good.

There was a play, The Crazy Quilt Club. Our daughter played the part of the"bad guy", only she was an old lady....It was a comedy.

Three of my other kids were in the pre-show.

Sweet faces of two of our granddaughters.

NOW, I have to show you my wonderful gift from my sweetheart of a niece.
I still don't know what I ever did to merit this gift, but I LOVE them! ( so much that I had to do a little photo shoot with these beauties, and my feet! LOL)

Are they not amazing?

Soft, Washable, Wool!

Two years. Two years is all she has been knitting!

I think I'll leave them on my living room table for everyone to see when they come to my house! :-)

OR, I could wear them over my shoulders so that everyone could see AND feel how soft they are! LOL

Won't they look cute with my Birkenstocks?

I just think they're beautiful!

Thank you again dear Shauna

Enjoy your weekend!

Be Safe!

Blessings from the Stone House

2011-07-13T17:48:00.005-06:00

You know that feeling you get after you ride the wild mouse ride at Lagoon?

When you get off you're laughing and shaking at the same time? And it felt like it was a way fast ride, but it was a fun even tho it was a bit scary while it lasted?

Well, these months have just zoomed by like a fast ride. But I've had a good time riding!

I haven't even looked at blogs for so long. I meant too but..................................

We took the camper out over Easter weekend, it was so cold and our SIL got sick and scared us all.
He ended up in the ER, and then again a week later. They told him he has Asthma. Scary . He also graduated this spring with his Masters!!! Way to go B !

That last month of school zipped by....which didn't break my heart at all!

We had a wonderful, awesome trek. Oh my goodness! Words can not even describe my experience there at 6th crossing and Martins Cove and Rock creek Hollow. I learned some things about myself on trek this time.

Girls camp was a BLAST!!! I came home so stinkin tired that I had to nap for two days straight!
I have no pictures of either event. Sigh.

We sold all of our cows. Seems a bit strange, but we felt it was time. We are just selling hay, so we still have wheel lines to move and hay to do, but first crop is done for this year!
We did end up buying a truck. A Ford 4 door king ranch. We all pretty much love it.

Jim Bob (nick name for our teen) and his cousin (BFF) ( oh wait, is that a term that's applicable to guys?) and their friend, each bleached their hair. Hum. I decide that yes, Jim Bob could do it, but would he please wait until after I was home from camp so I could do it for him.
No.
They couldn't wait.
It was a laughable mess really.
They bought 1, (one) box of frost from the grocery store....., and split it on three heads!
Um hum. At least they listened to me when I had told them to put plastic bags over their heads to keep the heat in. Jim Bob had orange hair. Well, in spots. He had to wear it to church like that because it was way to late to go back into town after more frost. I did cut it ,so it was pretty short which helped a bunch.
The next time I helped him and he all got it all lightened. Some of the phases my boys have gone through. :-)

(sorry Mom...she would NOT be pleased to have any part of her, out there...)

I'm still walking and everyday I work at running too. I am STILL not any kind of a runner, but our Angie wants us all to run the Ragnar! Which is a 12 member teem relay run from Logan Ut to Park City Utah, a run of 195 miles. WHAT is she thinking??? We can't get in for 2012 because they are full already, so we are trying for 2013.
I'll be two years older! AHHHHHH! I don't know if I can do it. Can you tell I'm full of doubt? Angie is way sure we can all learn to run and do it! HA! But if we don't try, we'll never know huh! LOL

All of my ~~daughters/DIL's~~ daughters and I went to Provo area for a girls get away of thrift shopping and fun together. We had a good time and found some fun treasures, and played some silly games and just laughted a bunch.

I had another Birthday and the Mr asked me what I wanted to do to celebrate and I told him I wanted to do a session at the Nauvoo Temple. We really didn't have the right time scale to drive to Ill, so we went to Manti instead. My parents were married there. It is such a beautiful Temple.

Our lakes and reservoirs are completely full this year, In fact, the Upper Still Water has tripped. It is flowing over the dam itself. It something to see. ( my pics are NOT good ones....)

We had a ward camp out, and our twiner grandsons caught themselves a little critter......

Oh cute!

Well that cute little Chip, or Dale, bit that cute little finger that was holding him! Lesson learned.

Wild things are wild....and they bite to get free!

(only I think the lesson they would say they learned, was Next time, to hold on behind the head tighter) LOL

The finger is OK, and the twin is full of stories AND, he has a wound to show off.

(that's important ya know)

I LOVE SUMMER! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

How is the summer going in your neck of the woods?

Blessings from the Stone House

2011-03-17T13:10:00.000-06:00

Happy St Patricks Day everyone!

The weather man has called for snow here. Looks like we may get some. Ah, but snow this time of year is a fleeting thing!

My sis posted us a link for shamrock hair styles! Isn't this pretty? There are some fun hairstyles on this blog, Adopt a 'do wish I had some hair on my own head...LOL

Hope you all have a corn beef in your slow cooker, and some cabbage waiting to be steamed!

I'll just leave you today with this simple Irish Blessing

May you have warm words on a cold evening,

a full moon on a dark night,

and the road downhill all the way to your door.

................and may you home be too small to hold all of your friends!

Blessings from the Stone House

A LITTLE GASOLINE HUMOR.......

2011-03-14T13:41:00.001-06:00

These came to my email. They did make me smile and a few of them made me laugh.

....and yet..................... here we sit, on the brink of buying a truck! ;-)

My heart is with Japan and other places affected. I simply cannot imagine what this would be like. I watch the news reports and see the pictures, and still, I can't begin to understand what these people are going through.

Makes all my whining about the price of gas seem out of line somehow.

My life, here on mountain top dry land is good. High gas prices and all.

Oh I have so much to be thankful for.

Blessings from the Stone House

Gift Table

2011-03-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

I LOVE my old doors! Wish I had some place to use them in everyday life. The gift table was an old metal bed. A cot really, I think. At one time, before it was old and rusted, it folded. It was a lucky find by the Mr one day at work. His line crew was building line and he saw this old bed, equipped with bed springs, under a tree in a field. He came home and told me about it and of course I wanted it.......(dah).....anyway he asked the land owner who was a little grandpa gentleman if he could buy it and ended up with the bed for free! I don't have any where for it in my house...yet. I would like to put it in the teens room as a company bed for when his cousin sleeps over, but he has a HUGE adversion to "old"! (There really is just no accounting for bad taste! old is wonderful!)

So, we have our old bed, with two old trunks at each end, a glider bench and a coffee table, all of which held gifts. We had a feather bed underneath TS find crochet tablecloth,

linen covered pillows and velvet throw pillows, a bucket full of roses and hearts, old doors and tiny sparrows under glass to welcome the gifts. The door on the left has missing panels in order to hold and display the brides quilts. She had a bunch.

This little table was in the foyer to greet reception guests. There was a photo album full of pictures of the bride and groom.

This is an old desk that used to be (three days before the reception) brown with a checker board painted on it's top. It was in the teens room....it was leaving there anyway, and it's new home is beside my bed on the Mr's side. It does a GREAT job of hold the "V" pap machine . I love the little drawer. The green knob is truly old. It came off of a cupboard that had be made for my mom when she was a child.

Our snow is here going quite fast. In just the last week its warmed up so much! I have been enjoying walking outside again.

My mom took a tumble down her outside steps. She is banged up but OK. Nothing is broken. She didn't tell any of us, in fact she kept it a HUGE secret! And that had to be work cuz my sister lives with her and I just down the lane! When she was hurting so badly she finally told my sister, who then called me.

Mom called her a tattle tale, and me a snoop! LOL I am so grateful she did not break anything! So grateful!

Enjoy your weekend.

Blessings from the Stone House

CAKE TABLE

2011-03-08T13:26:00.003-07:00

The Bride wanted "old" for her reception. Could we do "old" without making it cowboy?

Yes, We could do "old" without making it cowboy...LOL

( I do like cowboy however...I ARE one..ish.....the MR is through and through)

***

SO, here's our "old" for the cake table. The back drop doors here, behind the dresser went on either side of the oak door that was in the door back drop.

The Mr. pointed out the windows were dirty.....we thought we had them washed once....lol so we washed them again... Or maybe the Mr did! Got them clean anyway!

suit case label

blue canning jar with old silver ware in it

Brides friend made her cake.

I like having the cake in front of a mirror.

...................blurry picture, sorry

. The reception was HUGE. People came and stayed and visited with each other. No one seemed in a big hurry to leave. That's a compliment to their families and the bride and groom themselves I think. :-)

Next post, gift table area.

Until next time......

Blessings from the Stone House

Where For Art Thou????

2011-03-06T19:12:00.001-07:00

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I have LOST you from my side bar!!!!

I. Have. No. Clue. Where. You. went.

I want you back! I NEED you back!

If by chance you read this and I haven't found you and put you back, leave me a link to your blog OK?

I'll be blue without you.

Oh distress!!!

Oh Pain!!

Oh Sorrow!!

Really, how do these things happen?

Blessings from the Stone House

well that was close......... I think I have most of you back............. not all tho :-(
I'll keep working on it......

BACKDROP

2011-03-05T18:42:00.002-07:00

HI everyone. My craziness is over, for this week anyway! lol Here are a few shots of the back drop the morning of the reception. Just the bride and groom stood here. When our oldest daughter was married 10 years ago, she requested an old door back drop. The middle door is oak and was the front door of my parents home in Rexburg Id. They did a remodel and were getting rid of the door. I couldn't let that happen! I have no clue how we got it here to Ut. I'll bet the Mr. remembers tho! lol The white door was the old kitchen door here at the Stone House, and the other three doors my friend kindly gave us from her folks old home. We have enjoyed these doors as a back drop a bunch of times. This reception was for Lindsey Mitchell, a friends daughter. So, this is what we did with the church gym!

I really loved the flowers, which the bride and her mom arranged.

The picture on the green door was the brides maternal grandparents. I LOVED this picture! Thanks again Sarah for doing this for me! AND for all the other help you were to us!

This was the root beer float table.

This was the cookie table. It was loaded with homemade cookies and brownies galore! SOOOOO yummy!

Inside the wire egg basket.

Next post I'll show you the cake table. Hope your week end is going well. I apologise for my bloggy absence. I'm sure I've missed some good times. We have been having very fine weather, and I'm NOT going to be a complainer about the MUD! It is HEAVEN to have it warming up! The tree buds are swelling and patches of grass are green and, the Canadian GEESE are everywhere! A very sure sign of warmer days! Wed morning I stowed away with my mom and sister and went to Idaho. It was a very pleasant two days. We were able to get together with my other sister before she had to go up the mountain to work. I was bummed we didn't get her for the full time we were there. Here we are together with our Mother, and I'm there by her. I'm the oldest sister. ( ya, my 1 1/2 inch hair has grown some from my self inflicted whacked job!)

I am so grateful for sisters!

Blessings from the Stone House

2011-02-25T14:36:00.002-07:00

It's snowing ~~again.~~

Large wet snowflakes,

which seem to be unremitting.

Pretty and quiescent really.

***

But I know spring is on it's way.

A little birdie told me so!

*

He's in the know.

Kevin tells it like it is.

Have a pleasant weekend all!

I'm hoping the storms have not left any of you in jeopardy.

Blessings from the Stone House

NEW BABIES

2011-02-21T13:55:00.002-07:00

Late Thursday afternoon we got our first babies of the year. They were a surprise! Too early in the season for our babies to be born! But aren't they cute? The Mr. warmed them up some, and the momma did everything she knew how to keep them safe and warm. (which mostly amounted to gentle sounds and stomping her foot at us) I was very excited and wanted to have a spring giveaway in their honor. But unfortunately,

Yesterday afternoon one of our little babies died. Sadness. We need a much better place for the ewes to lamb before the rest begin. Sigh. I would still like to do a spring giveaway . It's in the works.

One of my grandsons climbed a tree and brought me this nest. He was very proud of himself cuz he knows I like them. I do, so we oohed and awed and then I put it in a jar and added some blue glass eggs and it's going to be used for decoration at a wedding reception this weekend. (pictures on a later post.)

The other morning, walking through my dining room I thought I saw a man standing outside where no man should be standing this time of day. Just caught a glimpse out the corner of my eye, and it kinda startled me. You know how you do that? Well I looked again, and it was only Kevin and his beautiful tail! I had a good laugh at myself.

We had more snow everyday this past weekend. Yesterday the wind also blew and drifted the roads. We had a very kind neighbor from a few miles up the road who came around and plowed every ones driveways and roads sat night, and then again Sunday morning after we got even more snow. I would not have gotten down our lane in my car other wise. And speaking of cars... the Mr and I need to get a new one. We are driving a Park Ave. ( the teen calls it 'the boat' )and it has almost two hundred thousand miles on it and has begun to fall apart piece by piece. So we are in the process of trying to decide what it is we want/need to replace it with. A car? Better mileage. A 1/2 truck? Better for the farm and other things but not mileage. Which is a major consideration with our fuel prices. Diesel is almost 4 dollars a gallon and gas is well over three. We will most likely need a newer 3/4 ton truck before the tractor is paid for, and so we are in a quandary. We were hoping our car would just keep lasting and lasting and lasting and lasting and then some more. It has been a good car, nice to travel in and dependable. When we get something else the Mr will end up driving it to work and we will park his truck and use it more sparingly. We are leaning towards a truck, which sounds very good this time of year! lol But we haven't made any decisions yet. I have cub Blue and Gold this Thursday, which is causing me all kinds of planning stress! ( lets face it girls, a simple picnic causes me all kinds of planning stress...), and my oldest DD and I are helping a friend do her daughters wedding reception Friday night. AHHHHHHHH! Next week will be a veggie week for me. lol

When it rains it pours! THANK HEAVENS for the PACK COMMITTEE and a DAUGHTER! I'm not in these fine messes alone!

.....and the MR. He's the mussel and heave ho guy behind all of my schemes!

I have a love for sunbonnets. I like the way they look displayed. In my quest to make a more period correct mid 19th century sunbonnet for trek this year, I have come across a pattern I want to try. And for anyone who also likes sunbonnets and wants to try their hand at making one to display, here is a pattern for a slat bonnet. It's ready to print.

Elizabeth Stewart Clark

This is a google image. But looks very much like the Elizabeth Clark's pattern.

To see the real thing visit Buns and Baskets blog.

You can find other sunbonnet patterns there as well.

If you have an interest in sewing period clothing, which I do, you will enjoy Buns and Baskets and you may also enjoy these two blogs. Romantic History by Sarah Jane and her other clothing blog, The Sangamon Settler - Clothing of the 1820s & 30s

This is Sarah Jane and one of her three sons. She is wearing a slat bonnet.

Hope everyone is doing well, and keeping warm. I see that some of you are having signs of spring. Well, this I know, it will come! lol Even here to the land of seemingly endless winter!

Welcome to my new followers, and thanks for the visits from old and new alike. And if you don't see hide nor hair of me this week, know I'm insanely busy running around like a chicken without her head :-) and I'll be by to visit and catch up on your fine happenings at odd moments when I NEED a break to calm myself down.

Blessings from the Stone House

MAN CARDS FOR VALENTINES DAY

2011-02-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

I was going to post this later in the day but decided to do so now . Valentines Day is creeping right up on us huh!

THIS IS SO COOLIE! YOU WILL WANT TO HAVE A LOOK SEE AT THESE MAN CARDS FOR VALENTINES DAY FOR YOUR MEN!

CHECK IT OUT HERE

THESE WERE ALL MADE BY SUE NEAL. ON HER BLOG HERE, SHE GIVES US INSTRUCTIONS AND FREE DOWNLOADS. PLUS, THERE IS A STUDIO 5 CLIP TO WATCH!

THE MR. AND OUR TEEN ARE GOING TO GET "MAN CARDS" THIS YEAR! LOL

TELL ME WHAT YA THINK.

Blessings from the Stone House

Oreo Mice for valentines

2011-02-11T21:28:00.002-07:00

This post is a re-post from 09. Just thought it would be fun to post it again.
ENJOY

Here's what you need to make these fun little mice.
1 package Oreos any flavor. Ours were mostly mint.
Pkg of white and Chocolate Almond Bark
1-2 jars Maraschino Cherries with STEMS. Green or Red, doesn't matter.
Hersey's Kisses, unwrapped
Red hots or something small for eyes. (can use frosting or colored chocolate
Sliced Almonds for ears Cookie sheets lined with wax paper
Melt the bark in pans in a low oven. (170-200 degrees) Watch it so it doesn't burn. Depending on how many you are making, you will not want to melt all of the bark.

Dip Oreos in the white bark, and lay them on the wax paper to set up. These will be the base for the mice.

While these are setting up, drain the cherries and dump them on a paper towel lined plate. Blot them dry. The bark will not adhere to them if they are wet with the juice.

Sorry for the blurry picture.......OK, now the fun part........... Eating all the cherries and throwing everything else away! Just kidding. I do love the cherries though........
Dip the cherries by their stems in the bark. Be sure to cover them completely. Gently shake them to get as much excess bark off as you can, then set them on the Oreo base, in the center.

Some of the stems come broken as you can see, but they work anyway. Working quickly, add a kiss for the head, and then add almonds for the ears. Try to find two almonds almost the same size for each

You need to work quickly as the bark sets up very fast. Now, the eyes. Use red hots, or what ever you choose. Just chocolate glue them in place and WA La, you have Mice! Drop each one in a cupcake paper and they are ready to go. Be sure you only single layer these as you transport them from here to there, because those little ears break.

Hope this makes sense. They are pretty self explanatory.

These WERE lots of fun to make!

Blessings from the Stone House

Thanks Much

2011-02-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Just a fast post today. I've got pack planning meeting in a while and then a fast trip out to Salt Lake to visit a friend in the hospital. Thanks to you ladies who accepted the pay it forward challenge!!!
Just a couple valentines today, this sweet old paper valentine I found behind a drawer in an old desk. I have always meant to frame it. You can see I've never gotten that done.....the bottom part has been torn off. On the back it is written out To Preal R from Eva grace Ekshand.

the last of my old quilt waiting to be sewn into valentines

cookie cutters waiting to be used for salt dough ornies with the grands...

Our stake is taking our youth here in June, for a trek. We will be going to both the
Martin and the Willy sites.

The Mr. and I were called to be a trek ma and pa. We will have apx 10 youth in our family and we will be pulling and pushing one of these. You can see why I will need my sunbonnet!

This is a replica of a pioneer handcart, used to cross the plains from Iowa City Iowa to Salt Lake City Utah.

More about trek next time. Gotta get!

Blessings from the Stone House

Pay it Forward: A Challenge

2011-02-03T15:47:00.006-07:00

Last weekend we went down to the wonderfully warm and sunny Richfield for Jr High State wrestling. 50 degrees! We ENJOYED the warm south! lol

This was our teens first year to wrestle. He has decided he's not a fan. I think he did really well. When he started we told him that he couldn't quit. If he decided part way through he didn't like it an wanted to quit, he couldn't. He would have to stick it out to the end. Ugg. Sometimes it's hard to stand behind your convictions. In the end we were all glad to be done, but I think we could each agree that it had been a good experience. We've spent every weekend almost during the season somewhere sitting in a gym. We had scary weather a couple of times, but these little weekend road trips with just the 3 of us have been good times. On our way home from Richfield, we took the long way home and stopped here .....do you know how excited a 14 yr boy who has been trying to stay at 90 pounds can get when he sees this?

Oh. My. Word.

The Mr and I are almost as bad as the teen! We came out of here with not one, but two dozen donuts!!! 2 hot chocolates, 3 free glazed donuts (like we needed them) and a calender full of coupons! Good thing this place is over 2 hours away! lol

Alright....... I have decided to do "Pay it Forward : A Challenge" with Marcy, a girl in a gorilla suit. Like Marcy, I want to do something that gets me out of my comfort zone, and stretches me to do something I normally would not. And like Marcy, I have felt all kinds of anxt about doing this, the 'what if' this and 'what if that''s are pretty strong.

Here's what Marcy said on her blog

One of my goals this year is to do things that I wouldn't normally feel comfortable doing. I'm trying to step outside myself and help develop the inner me. I'm still really nervous about a few things, but I have discovered that I actually can do hard things!

A little while back I saw this post on FB...

I thought the idea was cute, but I didn't feel confident enough to re-post it. All those doubts of "what if no one comments" or "what if they don't like what I make" came flooding into my head so I quickly dismissed the idea.
BUT, today I read my friend, Lyssa's blog. She decided to do it on her blog! Genius, no?
So here I am, doing things that I don't feel comfortable doing? Are you proud?

"I promise to send something handmade
to the first 4 people who leave a comment here.
To be eligible, you must also post this on your blog,
offering the same thing to 4 other people.

The rules: That it must be handmade by you (me) and it
must be sent to your 4 people (you!) sometime in 2011."

You might have noticed that I changed the numbers a bit. I think doing 4 crafts will be an even "awesomer" challenge.

Now it's up to you. Please comment if you'd like to be one of the lucky 4 people who will receive a handmade gift from me. I'm excited nervous having a panic attack so excited to see who I'll be sending my creations to.

SO Here's the deal..........

"I promise to send something handmade

to the first 4 people who leave a comment here.

To be eligible, you must also post this on your blog,

offering the same thing to 4 other people.

The rules: That it must be handmade by you (me) and it

must be sent to your 4 people (you!) sometime in 2011."

Are any of you up for a Challenge? ? ? ?

Next post I'll share some valentines from around the Stone House, and tell you why I posted the bonnet picture.

I'd like to Welcome all new followers to the Stone House. :-) AND, Thanks to each and everyone who comes visit me ! I enjoy your visits!

Blessings from the Stone House

I run, I pray.

2011-01-26T13:06:00.002-07:00

I used to walk outside 6 days a weeks. 4-5 miles a day. For the most part I enjoyed my daily walks. My shoes and I were tight!

Then we had our snow. I mean, the week of Christmas we got ALL of our snow! And then it dropped way below zero and was so cold forever that I couldn't walk on the slick roads.......

The Mr. and I got a treadmill for Christmas.

Well, that sucker is hard for me to walk on.

Why?

I. Have. No. Clue.

However, I have found to my delight, (?) that I can run on it. 2-3 miles at a time. I know that doesn't sound like much, but for a..... ahem, well, for someone like me, It's huge! I've had this cold or whatever has been going around, and it lasts and lasts and lasts. So needless to say I haven't walked or ran very well for the past while. Pretty sporadically.

Now tell me this,

why is it so easy to break a good habit?

and so VERY easy to start bad ones?

Like, loafing around eating who knows what and not moving all day long? Calling myself sickly and telling myself it's OK to "rest" again.

So I pray for the desire to run and walk.

I do.

I have a son who is trying to quit smoking.

I know this is a way way, way hard thing.

I've told him that while he's doing this hard thing, I'll learn to run. A way hard thing for me.

If he can do hard things, I can too.

I'm running for you, Roo.

And when it's hard and I don't think I'm going to make it, (which is about 7/10's of the way through each mile) I pray. And I keep going.

I pray that I'll have strength, and then I pray that my son will also have the strength to pass up that next erg to smoke. And the next one too.

I could never run by myself. Running is pretty physical, an I'm not very.

But I want to run.

I want to be fit and healthy.

I want to push ALL diseases away that can come to an overweight middle aged woman.

I want my son to reach his goal. And if he slips up, I want him to have the courage and strength to begin again.

So I pray.

For myself and my "little Roo".

That we can meet our goals, and better our lives.

...Just

desires and prayers of a mom.

Blessings from the Stone House

Random and tuck swap

2011-01-19T11:38:00.007-07:00

Tuesday we had a wonderful Chinook wind blow into our neck of the woods. It was NICE, over 40 degrees, which was about 50 degrees warmer than on New Years day when we were sledding. I am loving the warmth!

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a blanket crane. I have the first coat of paint on it. When it's done it will go above this bed in the spare bedroom. I was soooo spoiled this year from everyone. Thank you family!

(the heart tuck belongs further down the post.....I

couldn't get it to move ....it drove me Berserk-O so in the end I just left it here )

Oh, and you can get the pattern here to make your own blanket crane. Scroll down to find it. Chris from Simply Prim blog shows us how.

I have a helper today. I put her on Rinse duty for our breakfast dishes. She's a very dedicated helper!

I had yen to frame a recipe for a snowman but didn't want to stitch it myself..... out of January time..... Well a couple of years ago I had found a pillow with a snowman recipe on it.

So, wal-la! I had to add some fabric to the sides to make it fit into my frame, and I'm enjoying the way it turned out.

You can see it had more buttons on it. They were sewn to the bat and I had to cut them off and forgot to put them back on........yet.

I belong to a tuck swap with 9 other ladies and we meet once a month, taking turns hosting at our homes (last year we swapped ornies) We have a drawing which we all look forward too, and sometimes more than one drawing which was the case last night. We had 3 giveaways, and I won one which I'll show on another post. It was my turn to host last night and this morning I realized I should have taken pictures of everyone's tucks. Next month. :-)

This sweet little punch needle tuck belongs to me, made by Laura. Its stuffed with rags and coffee stained. I LOVE IT LAURA! Thank-you so much!

Here are a few others. I can't tell you who they belong to because the recipients were absent and they haven't see them yet.... :-) (remember the little tuck up top? it belongs here...)

The love letters below were part of the main give away made by Angie. All the work. The stamps, the cancellation stamp, the lines on the bottom..... they have been coffee stained and glittered, cute

huh? I just thought they were fun and you would like to see them.

Here's the total giveaway. oops....minus my knitting in the back ground..... Lucky girl LAURA!

Last week I was at the TS, and I found four of these 100 % cotton curtains. I had them in my cart and they decided to put them back not knowing for sure where I would put them. As I was driving away I had the thought because they have a colonial pattern on them, that I could make short gowns out of them for the little girls to wear at Rendezvous. So after I had run a few errands I went back and got them. The next day, just for fun I hung them in my bedroom............. and here they'll stay.....sorry chick-a-bees, no short gowns from these fine curtains. (if your the kind person who donated these to the Ts, drop me a line an tell me where you got them I need two more!!! LOL ) ( and Thank You! )
( I know this is NOT a good picture, Curtains have a brown back ground, there's a touch of purple, green tan and red. Glorious red. )

And lastly,

I have a another yen,

this time to have a valentine tree. This is Jennifer Bowman's tree. I love it. Jennifer's blog was the very first blog I ever set eyes on. I first saw her home in the Country Sampler magazine, where they gave us the blog address....I was hooked!

This is a way fun tree.

Also

Hazel Ruth has an awesome valentine tree you can see here. It's loaded with goodness! :-)

Hope you are having a nice Chinook in your woods too!

Enjoy your day.

Blessing from the Stone House. Mercy

Blessings Unmeassured!

2011-01-16T09:51:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the world sweet baby girl! This photo was taken on Friday Jan 14th which was her actual due date. She was 20" long and weighed 8lbs 3 oz!

Here she is, 1 day old, being adored by her uncle, but she is very busy "starving" lol

Wow.

Never. gets. old!

Each one comes so perfect and unique, straight from Heavenly Father. Shinning with glory and full of love!

What an absolute miracle!

Blessings from the Stone House

canvas town and A BABY

2011-01-14T13:04:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone. Just thought I'd share a few pictures of a favorite grandson toy. It's a town, painted on canvas. It was made for the Mr. and his brothers when they were children by one of their aunts. My own boys played with it, and now the grands love it too. It's 45" x77" . I have no idea what year she made this,or what it's painted with, but the shops were all shops that were located in Roosevelt at that time.

This is pretty much what the hospital that the Mr. was born in really looked like. It's the home health building now, and it still mostly looks like this.

We don't have a railroad in the basin at all, nor is our airport building this big! But how can you make a town without a train or a big airport? lol

Lots of fun hours have been spent playing with this little town for 3 generations of boys here in the stone house. I love things that last and can be loved and passed down to be loved some more.

This is an exciting day for all of us, big brother and little brother came to spend the night last night because mom and dad went to the hospital early this morning to have a baby! (ya, big brother was not wanting this Kodak moment he he)

and to add to the boy mix,we throw in a girl cousin who came to play today cuz her mom went to work....at the same hospital, where she will be one of the nurses for mom and new baby.

So while I was working on this post I got "the" call from our son. Our tiny new little granddaughter is here!!!! Can't tell you anything more than that because they hadn't weighed her yet. Her dad said she was kinda bald tho. ( like her Granna after her self haircut) I always worry so much about

both mom and baby and I'm so glad when labor and delivery is done and everyone is safe and well. I'll have to see about getting some pictures. I won't be able to go into town clear until the Mr. comes home from work tonight and can sit with the chick-a-bees. Welcome to the world sweet baby girl! (who is still nameless )

Blessings from the Stone House

the winner is.....

2011-01-11T19:01:00.003-07:00

THANK-YOU RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR FOR PICKING OUR WINNING NUMBER!
the WINNER IS # 4 GAYLE! WAHOO!

Gayle said...
Mercy - What darling scarves you made - I love that pom pom fringe! So perfect for keeping warm on a cold winter day! I'd love to take part in your giveaway!
You can visit Gayle at her blog The Middle Sister, and see the many beautiful wool treasures she hooks.

Congrats to Gayle! If you would please email me you address I'll get this little winter time giveaway in the mail to you.
THANK -YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR JOINING ME FOR THE GIVE AWAY, HELPED ME GET "BACK IN THE SADDLE" OF BLOGGING AGAIN. :-)
ENJOY YOUR EVENING1

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Hair Cut? Whack job's more like it!

2011-01-10T14:32:00.002-07:00

I don't think I would have made a very good Pioneer. I'm such a whiner, I'm so done with winter already! I can't imagine what it must have been like for our pioneer grandmothers and grandfathers, just to keep alive everyday. How much work just to keep warm in the winter time! Wow. I'm so grateful for my nice warm home, an my washer and dryer, and hot water heater etc.!

Here's one of the things on my "to make or buy" list for warmer days. Pony swings! I love them, and think we need some (at least 2 or 3 ) for the grands. I want mine hung on a pipe swing set, with ample room in between them. Eeeeehaw! Imagine what places will be visited on the backs of these noble steads!

...and on just as light of a note,

I ~~cut~~ whacked my own hair this morning....I know my DD would have cut it for me, but the deal was, well, I couldn't wait. Oh my word! I knew I wanted it short short, like my oldest DD who is sporting a way cute faux hawk....but when I made that first snip with my scissors, uff da! Opps! What in the world had I just done to myself? It was about an inch long! OK, maybe an inch and a half. lol

I couldn't even cry about it, cuz I knew it would do no earthly good, just got to work cutting the rest off. This January through March part of winter is a very dangerous time of year for me! Out with the old, in with the new! Ha. Help! I need a keeper to keep me out of trouble ! lol Bless my Daughters heart she'll get stuck cleaning up the back where I have a hard time seeing! Oh the things a beautician does to herself because she thinks she can! There will be no forth coming photo......not for a inch or so! he he he :-) Truly, I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy the simpleness of it. This much I do know, it will grow!!!

This is the last day of the winter giveaway here at the Stone House. Enter if you haven't. Tomorrow we'll have randon number do the honors.

Enjoy your Monday!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Traditions

2011-01-06T22:11:00.005-07:00

We have a couple of New Years traditions that we hold fast to. One I wanted to stop for reasons of ~~pure laziness er I mean insanity~~ er I mean because all the children had grown up, (but the Mr. would not hear of it, stating traditions are important, and then I think he sang the tradition song from Fiddler, which you're going to be singing now lol) At any rate you get the point! On New Years Eve, Father Time leaves a family gift under the tree. Something simple like a game or a movie or sometimes a new dvd player. Always something that the family can enjoy together.
The other tradition is tubing/sleigh riding on New Years day, followed by a feast of Clam chowder and ham of some kind. Sometimes we go up to the mountains, and sometimes we stay closer to home. This year it was bitter cold. (BTW we here in the Uintah Basin have been the coldest place in the US or so they said on the news..... ) anyway we stayed home so we could come in and ~~warm up~~ totally thaw out
and have hot chocolate, and hit the tubs again! We did get FROZEN :-)

One of our neighbors gave our teen an old snowmobile, which he and his cuz fixed up , and he has been in motorized heaven ever since. "Zooming" (because there is no other speed to a 14 yr boy) up and down the lane. My opinion? It's been sooooooo cold it's warmer to walk than ride on a "zooming" sled! LOL ANYWAY,
We pulled tubs and sleighs behind both his "sled" and the four wheeler. It was pretty fun for the bigger and fearless, and those with less sense, while the little guys just got pretty cold. Here it is, our teens pride an joy! Why did they make them with only one ~~eye~~ headlight?

This is our son and his son. Look how red little brothers nose is!

This is our teen and one of the twiner grands.

The other fearless twiner

Here is big brother looking cold too. His hat was knitted out of wool by his mom. Love it.

The teen trying out a "slower" version of a sled

This is Bo Dog. He's the back room lay about! He's around 16 this year, so I guess he's due.

This is big brother and I. Do I look comfortable? I was not. Couldn't do it. I needed more air in my tub or a smaller hole in the middle or..... something or rather! LOL I kept dragging my rear end , so we tried something different.

This WAS an accident waiting to happen! We were ALL tied onto the four wheeler, and I can't tell you for sure how many times we had to stop to collect someone on our mile ride. And yes, that's me sitting on my tub, and I rolled off of it as many times as the little kids did!

Here I am running to get back on. You can see how beautiful it is where we live. It was also just up the road about 20 feet that I found the cougar track.

Ahhhh! The warmth of a wood stove!

After we had eaten and ~~warmed ourselves up~~, totally thawed out, we headed back outside for fireworks! We made a "valiant" effort to hoot and holler, wishing the cows and coyotes a Happy New Years Day!

Here's the best clam chowder recipe you'll ever want!

Clam Chowder................ Vern Kaaiakanamu

2 61/2 oz cans minced clams

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup diced celery

2 cups diced potatoes

3/4 cup butter (has to be butter)

3/4 cup flour

1 qt half and half, or cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash pepper

Pour clam juice over vegetables, (adding enough water to "just" cover them) and simmer for 20 minutes till done. Set aside. Melt butter in heavy pan, add flour . Cook 1-2 minutes until thick. Add cream, whisk until smooth and thick. Add vegetables and clams. Do not over cook.

I mostly double this, or more depending on how many are here to eat.

This year we ate it with open faced ham on homemade bread sandwiches. Soooo heavenly

Don't forget to go here and leave me a comment to be entered in my winter give away. Monday is Jan 10Th is the deadline.

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

A WINTER GIVEAWAY!

2010-12-30T08:50:00.020-07:00

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! Brrrrrrrr! It's cold!
I saw the cutest scarves just a week or two before Christmas at Happy together. It's an easy fun tutorial.
I had to make some. And then I had to make some more! Really, you should go check them out! I thought they were way cute, and happy! (can a scarf really seem happy?) LOL
I had a old Chenille pillow sham with coolie pompoms on it, which kept calling my name. I decided it'd be fun in a little scarf.

Here's the end result.

I liked them so well I made one for myself, some more for others, and one for you!

Along with this "happy" little scarf, I'm sending you a bar of yummy soap, for soaking in a hot bathtub after playing in the snow, and a surprise!

To Enter,
Simply leave me a comment on THIS post.

This has been for the most part another wonderful year chuck full of blessings. Even in the face of saddness, we have been very blessed! I really can't complain, nor should I! :-)

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM OUR STONE HOUSE TO YOURS!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

, Hallelujah Chorus - I just checked my mail and found this, I know it's after Christmas...but I still enjoyed this and wanted to share with you.

2010-12-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Real Meaning of Christmas

2010-12-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

A Light Unto All: A Christmas Gift

2010-12-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Heros, kidneys and some Christmas

2010-12-14T16:13:00.015-07:00

I have a young friend, Megan, who has a friend, seriously she is a young mom and is in need of a kidney. Megan gave her one of hers today. She is my hero. What an incredible gift! What an incredible sacrifice for Megan to make. Wow.
I also have a niece who received a kidney yesterday, a gift from a Donner who had lost her/his life. I'm so grateful to a family somewhere, who allowed the donation to take place. My niece has two little children and has been strapped to an in home dialysis's system, and was in need of this gift. Another Hero, only this one from the other side of the Veil.
I pray both young mother's bodies will except these kidneys. I know they still have a long road ahead of them.
Oh but, Megan really is my Hero.

Thought I would share a bit of home Christmas.
These old skates are some of my treasures. They are Uncle Glades Ice skates. He is 80 something. He grew up in the Stone House, and these were his skates as a boy. Remember my chicken coop? Well, the chickens "scratched" these skates up a few years ago. They were buried in their run. I am glad to have them and I wonder what else is buried under there.

Old wagon at the end of my sidewalk

This little door was the outside door to our attic before we remolded the house, an now it sits outside my front door. The bucket is home to our branding irons.

This nativity is in the spare bedroom where the grands play and sleep. They can touch it, and as you see, they do. lol Wow, someone needs to wash some windows.......

This nativity sits a top the computer desk in the dinning room. It's just like the one I got in Primary when I was 10. We wore mine out and I felt lucky to find another at the TS. This one shows the scars of air soft guns and a raging battle (which was not supposed to be fought inside...)gone Arie!

looking down the hall......we use these Santa hats and needed a place to have handy access

This is my "Walton-esk" tree in my living room. It still needs it's popcorn and cranberry garland.

This last picture is what I saw one morning on my walk, not far from where I park my car, which is only about a quarter of a mile from my home. Kinda weirded me out for a day or so....
Here's whats left of a cougar track after rain and fog. Its bigger than my hands can circle.

Hope everyone is enjoying Christmas preparations. Don't forget to read some Christmas stories, and watch some good Christmas movies. Maybe somehow in some small way we can be a Hero for someone this Christmas Season!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Family photo's...good times?......in the end, yes!

2010-11-28T14:12:00.017-07:00

When you get your family together for pictures is it kinda like pulling teeth?

LOL

These sweet little cherubs are our grands. Number 8 is coming in Jan.

It's a real task to get everyone on the same page...........and keep them there!

But I love the outcome anyway! Makes me smile!

These are all my guys!

Our teen has had the opportunity to be apart of his cousins Young Mens in building "Mater". They've entered him in every parade round about, an have won first place each time. They play a cd of his voice, and drive him backwards up and down the parade route. The Young Men ride in the back and sometimes they get really get him bouncing. Friday afternoon they gave him a Christmas makeover and took "Rudolf the red nosed Mater" to strut his stuff in the light parade, where they once again took first place! Summer shot of Mater
Rudolf the Red Nosed Mater in the light parade.

Gum ball turkeys our daughter made us for thanksgiving. Aren't they cute?

Their little pilgrim hats are made from tootsie rolls.

My woolly puppy

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful. So many things to be thankful for. It was great having our children and their families here under the same roof.

Some years ago we started a new family tradition of going to see a movie on Thanksgiving night. This year we saw Harry Potter. Have you seen it? Did you like it? I'm not a purist when it comes to HP, I enjoy the books, as well as the movies. One of my daughters is always so disappointed in the movies because they are not like the books . lol

We went after Christmas trees yesterday. It was cold cold cold. We got some beautiful trees , Pinion from the south slope of Tabby Mountain. Hopefully we will get ours up tomorrow for home evening. The Mr has the flu, and I think it would be nice if he keeps it to himself! lol The sky is flat this afternoon, I think we may get some snow.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T11:49:00.009-07:00

For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies, Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale, tree and flow'r, sun and moon, and stars of light, Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth, and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild, Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.

******

This is our year to have all of our children, my Mom, my Sis, and a nephew home for Thanksgiving. There will be 23 of us. I am looking forward to it all. I had some pictures to show you but for some reason my cord will not work with my laptop, and so, I'll wait. We were able to get a couple of summer projects done after all. We poured cement and graveled the drive ways. YES!!!!! I LOVE IT! We also have laid laminate floor on the kitchen, dinning room/keeping room and wash room floors! How NICE it feels! Thank you dear Mr.!

I have a new puppy...........I'm not exactly sure how it came to be that I have a puppy, and no one is more surprised than I am myself. And to top it off, I'm the one who reached down into the box outside the grocery store and picked her up and carried her to my car, and drove home with her! Ahhhh, she's a cuddle though. What kind of dog is she? Good question. Maybe a border collie/great Pyrenees cross? She has a white wool coat, and big feet, and she has doubled in size in just the few weeks that I've had her. The brother that was in the box with her, looked like he was very boarder collie. So who knows. I took her walking with me today, Ugg. The first half mile was like dragging a dead dog down the side of the road. LOL It took me 2o minutes longer to get my walk in, but I know it'll get better, and she'll be good company.

We have new turkeys at my house, and one of them will be our Thanksgiving feast. Long somewhat silly dramatic story about these birds but I'll spare you the details and just tell you how Thankful I am that all 3 of them are in the chicken coop!

I have some links for you today, some freebies from other blogs. The first one is for a turkey, from Kris
This guy made me smile.

Next one is for homemade bottle brush trees.

I have a thing for old bottle brush trees and I think her homemade ones turned out fun.

These last links are for counted cross stitch patterns. SORRY I don't have a picture for each of them.

http://threadworkprimitives.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-freebie.html

http://libertyneedlework.blogspot.com/

http://woolnsails.blogspot.com/2010/11/winner-and-free-christmas-cross-stitch.html

http://atthehoneysuckletree.blogspot.com/2010/11/free-pattern-christmas-eve-flight.html

On sat., I went to a funeral for a friends husband. It was a beautiful service, full of peace and love. Between that and Thanksgiving, I've been pretty reflective, and feel overwhelmed with gratitude.

I'm so very blessed for sure. I'm grateful for so many many things, and hope and pray that I can become a truly grateful and kind person. Hugs to Sylvia, who is so full of love that when I'm around her, I am always inspired to become a better woman than I was before. I am very Grateful for my 5 daughters. The two that I gave birth to, and the three that my sons have brought into my life. I love you all, and I'm grateful for your support and the way you love and nurture not only your own, but family that belongs to others. Thanks for showing me how it's done!
I'm so grateful that the Mr. is alive and breathing, and yes, I'd rather sweep up that mud than have him gone from my life! He is my everything!

I'm grateful for this old stone homestead house that I am privileged to live in, and for those that built it and raised families here.
I hope you all have beautiful and safe Thanksgiving day. I know your hearts are as grateful and full as mine! Till next time, Enjoy

...............and gobble till you wobble!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

BOO.........?

2010-10-28T11:36:00.003-06:00

Last Friday, our daughter hosted a Halloween party. We all came dressed up, well that is everyone except our teen who has decided dressing up is for "little kids" The Mr wanted to know where that left us......second childhood?

We played some Halloween Jeopardy, tossed some candy corns, ate yummy treats, and visited.

The Mr. had the scariest costume of all. No kidding, he made a couple of kiddos cry! Ya, and one of them was our own grandson! He took one look at the Mr and he started to cry and made a bee line for the door! He was getting outta there , away from that scary guy!
Another of our grandsons was so leery of him, and try as he might, grandpa could not get him to come sit on his lap. He would come stand and look at him, and talk some, but sit? No way.
.
.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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.
.
Well, I sat on his lap. I wanted to get a head of the seasonal rush! LOL
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We have the ward Halloween party tomorrow night, whatda think? Should the Bishop wear his red suit again? I wonder how many kids he could scare there? LOL

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

2010-10-06T08:42:00.003-06:00

Just visited a new to me fun website, A Murder Of Crows Prims . I'm going shopping there tomorrow! ;-) Jenn from over to Taylor's"farmhouse" attic introduced us via her post today.

The rain has stopped, and I am headed out for my walk!

Isn't the fall beautiful!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Swept away!

2010-09-24T10:11:00.006-06:00

While at rendezvous I had the good fortune to run into to this kind lady and her broom! ( here she's trying to fly away lol) Through her I was able to locate the broom trader, which up till that point I had not seen. I bought myself a couple of whisk brooms and of course now that I'm home I wish I would snagged myself a full sized broom.

AH, all is not lost because they have a web sight! PIONEER BUCKETS AND BROOMS and below are some pictures of their beautiful brooms.

This one is a pot scrubber. My whisks are not this fancy.

I love this last one.

If you have any interest in some handmade brooms made in the 18th/19th century style, here's a great place to find one. PIONEER BUCKETS AND BROOMS

We're going after a load of wood tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to being up in the mountains. Hope you all are having the same beautiful fall weather we are enjoying.

Have a great weekend!
Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

all good things must come to an end......

2010-09-19T19:30:00.019-06:00

Rendezvous came....and...sigh.....went......

Hallooooow the camp!
Fort Bridger Rendezvous is a Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Rendezvous. Where folks dress in pre 1840's clothing from head to foot, and sell and buy pre 1840's things. It's held every year on Labor day weekend, inside of Historic Fort Bridger Wyoming, which is also in the town of Ft Bridger Wyo. Most of our family dresses in mid 1750's era, or as colonials and long hunters, which isn't really rocky mountain fur trade, but it is pre 1840 and we love it. Our one daughter and her family dress southwest, or more in the style of Taos traders. We are still learning and researching and that's 9/10's of the fun for us. Our teen took first place on Friday's tomahawk throw, which won him 30 dollars in traders bucks, We were all excited for him. He didn't do so hot the next day, but it still gave him some ump to keep practicing for next year.
Here's our family. We were all here!!!!! You can tell we're in Wyo.... the w.i.n.d. was blowing! LOL We had a really good time and are already talking about next years rendezvous. We camp out of the fort in the "tin tepee" area in our campers and tents. In order to camp in the fort, or in the "primitive camp" as it is called, everything we would use and wear would have to be pre 1840. Tents, bedding, chairs, tables, dishes, clothing all the time, our coolers in wooden boxes, etc. We have talked about doing that, but then we always decide we like our campers and it would cost a ton to go 100% primitive. But we still talk about it. Maybe someday we'll just do it.

The next picture was taken on traders row inside the fort. Men and women come and set up their period tent's and sell pre 1840 type goods from them, and it's called traders row.

This young man and his brothers are Kirkmount. They play Celtic music which is mostly composed by themselves. They are really gifted.

These next pictures are just random shots of family

sorry this next picture is blurry. Kids met while they were out shopping, an I enjoyed seeing them visiting.

more of traders row....

I met this lady on Monday morning. I loved her outfit and her broom. You can see she's trying to ride it! LOL I'll tell you more about her broom in another post and give you a web sight whee you can buy handmade pre 1840's brooms and whisk brooms.

This is a daughter, tossing a frying pan in the frying pan toss. ( she is the one in front bending over )

Bath time rendezvous style

I love love love to watch the Native American dancers. In fact I don't feel like I've really been to Rendezvous if I haven't seen them dance, nor heard the bag pipers play. Two of my favorite things about rendezvous.

a couple of "longhunter" sons looking at a traders wares.

Back at camp, a daughter getting ready to go to the Fort. Over 40,000 folks come to Rendezvous. And sometimes it feels like that many are camped right next door! LOL For the most part, we circle our wagons so to speak, and our little kids play inside our circle and we don't notice so much that there are a ton of people camped right next door!

The Mr. trying out a rocking chair....we came very close to buying it...... it was a folding one, no nails nor screws holding them together. Very comfy to sit in.

Another view from traders row. AND my next rendezvous love, Indian clothing..... I have been talking about "moving" the Mr and I up 100 years and trading in my linen and buckled shoes for leathers and hawk bells instead!

All 5 grandsons.

That's my back. We're inside a traders tent having a look see. I'm wearing a linen petticoat (skirt) and a linen short gown (jacket) a shift, socks that go to my knee, buckled shoes and yes, stays. Oh also, a linen cap and a cotton kerchief. I'm carrying the Mr's haversack because I left my "pocket" back home in Utah lol

This is our oldest son and his little family.

They didn't know we were spying on them. :-)
( son is the one holding his long bow, dil is holding on to the wagon, gs's are in front left side of pic )

Well, can you believe it's early fall? Heavens I really can't! I have bottled peaches and salsa and frozen some ( very little but some) zuk. I'm helping a daughter make salsa this week, going to a fun fabric store with a good friend, going to book club, and planning cub scout pack meeting!

I have been called to be the Cubmaster in our ward. No more nursery for me, in fact today was my last day. I was pretty sad. It's so tender. But on to cubs. I've been there before, some 20 years ago...... but I am looking forward to it and all the fun that it will be.

I've been walking every day but Sundays since March, and my word, I have even lost weight! Just simply walking. I am still amazed.

I have enjoyed visiting your blogs but haven't been much of a blogger or commenter. Just busy like all of you. All of our projects DID NOT get done this summer, and so I have to hope for the next. However, I have enjoyed doing so many things that I can't or shouldn't complain. The fall is beautiful and this after noon we went for a drive up Rock Creek to view the beautiful fall colors first hand. It was pretty.

So everyone, have a great week, and keep yer powder dry!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

I'm here, just holding onto the summer!

2010-07-15T10:55:00.022-06:00

I know you who live in the mid west or the south , east or the south west are NOT going to feel sorry for me, and I don't feel sorry for myself either. I do feel sorry for the Mr. and my sons who have to work out side in the heat though. But we have been HOT here in our neck of the woods! My skin is drying up and peeling away! But I am still in love with SUMMER, and am fast holding on to every moment of it, because soon enough it will look like this again! Ugh.

Remember wayyyyyy back when I told you we were BBQing a goat on a rotisserie? Here it is.

and here's the "vultures" waiting for a bite! LOL It was tasty.

The Mr and I went on a road trip not too long ago. We had planned on maybe going up to Jackson Hole Wy, and going to the Bar J and enjoying ourselves, but I just didn't like the thoughts of driving in a mad rush all day long to get there in time to stand in line for our seats, and then driving in a mad rush to get home sat evening. So, we did something so fun, something that we really haven't done before. We went south, with only one thought in mind, and that was to go see Cove Fort. The Mr. had never been here, and it was only four hours drive. Not too bad.
No deadlines, no motel reservations, and not that far of a drive. Now I had been to Cove fort before, because for almost the first 11 yrs of my life my family lived over the mountain in Monroe. My dad's mom lived in Delta, so we drove by there lots. I knew that my GGGrandfather Charles Wilden had built a fort close by out of wood, Fort Wilden, which had later been abandoned. I had been before on a field trip with my grade school, but I had never been back to Cove Fort since it has been restored and is a mission. The mission part was of great interest to the Mr.
I could go on and on about this little fort, but I shall spare you. If you have an interest, click on the link and you can read and view some more about this historic place. I will tell you, that there were 12 rooms on the inside of the fort, which housed the family and over night stage guests. Pine was used for the roof and the massive doors on the east and west ends, but the fort was made from lava rock and lime stone. The stages stopped twice a day, one from the north going south and one from the south going north. The fort was built instead of a town because of the scarcity of water, and was to be a way station for pioneers traveling along the "Mormon Corridor"....settlements stretching from Idaho to Nevada connected by a network of roads, telegraph lines and postal routes. ( I love historic sights...can you tell?)

looking out one of the gun slits, towards the vegetable garden.

ceder pole corral, tied together with rawhide. It was rock solid.

Telegraph office

This is not an old quilt, but was made and donated for this bed. It was all done by hand, and double stitched like the old ones were.

I loved the kitchen and the dinning room. I could have taken it ALL home with me! LOL

Do you see that pie safe Sylvia? I "need" one like it!

This is inside looking towards the south side of the fort. The north side is a twin. There is lawn and tress in the middle, with huge massive doors on either end.

Ahhhhhh. The kitchen!

WE had such a good time on our trip. If we saw something we wanted to see, we stopped and saw it. We ended up staying the night in Filmore, and even went to the park there where they were having a Fourth of July celebration, and bought us some supper, and ate it as we watched "Filmore's got talent" !

We went to a lavender farm, a fruit farm and an art show. And the best part of the trip was, I got to have the Mr ALL to myself, and I had his entire undivided attention! :-) We both enjoyed ourselves and are looking forward to the fall when we are going to go somewhere else kinda close by and see what there is to see!

Our SIL works for the division of natural resources, (DNR) and we had the opportunity to go stay at one of the DNR's cabins. This one was up by the Strawberry Pinnacles. We had a good time, and were sorry that we could not stay longer .

We did........

a little mountain climbing with the Mr and three oldest grandsons...

and a little fly tying...oldest son...

a little humming bird "nest" watching...

a little sitting and thinkin..... #4 GS

a little fishing... SIL

a little tree climbing... #1 GS

a little long bow practicing to get ready for Rendezvous... DIL, #2,#3 GS, and son #4

GS #2

a little sleeping....GS #5

and just some relaxing.

One of our little "chick-a-bee's" came for a sleep over last night! She kept us entertained.
She did enjoy her "redneck" bath! LOL

We are having a busy summer. I am LOVING it! I have been antiquing, playing, reading, working, dreaming, visiting, and trying hard to walk 4 miles 6 mornings a week! We have even been running some!! ( I'm so proud of us!) The Mr. has a beautiful garden and we have been eating some of the fruits of his labor. I truly hope your summer has been as nice as mine. I hope you can find the time and money to squeeze in some travel of some sort, and some visits with dear friends and family. Our family is growing again, WAHOO! Grandchild number 8 is due to arrive this winter. Blessings for sure.

Soon it will be time for Rendezvous at Fort Bridger, and back to school, so I'm holding on to summer with all my might and strength. I LOVE IT!

I am having some troubles with blogger templates....anyone having any trouble? I'm not too sure I'm a fan of the new stuffs. I am also having troubles uploading my pictures for my header, doesn't seem to shrink to fit.... also, some of the links on my side bar are not links anymore, but just pictures......I've tried to re-do them, but to no avail.... HELP ANYONE OUT THERE! ahhhhhhh I think I need to wipe the slate clean and start over! Or maybe throw my hands up in the air and walk away....yeah, that will do the trick huh!

I need to spend some time on here and get it figured out. Maybe another day.......like in the winter? LOL

A dear friend of mine and her little family are moving to southern Colorado next month. Work.

I shall miss her, but I'm also excited for them and the changes that will come their way. BUT, I know the way to Colorado..... I can go for a little drive and have a visit! :-)

I made bread today........however, it's still not in bread pans.....I just punched it down again......I had better get after it or it'll be a mess. Navajo tacos for us tonight! Yummy

Enjoy your day!

bloomin' desert!

2010-06-12T11:41:00.013-06:00

We went out on the desert with our friends Deb and Alan to get a bloomin' view!

Yucca bloom held open

beautiful globe mallow

Deb and I, and miles of glorious mallow!

Deb, Alan and the Mr.

It was so very beautiful, and the smell......ummmm hummmm.........

was sweet and pungent! It only lasts a couple of weeks and then the blooms fade away, and it doesn't always bloom like this, only every few years, so it was a treat to behold .

We ended our day down at Sand Wash boat launch on the Green river. A place I had heard tons about but had never been too. I'll share pictures of that on another post......

Well, I have been to Young Women's camp and back. I not only survived our extra over night backpack trip up the mountain with my backpack, but I LOVED it! It was a BUSY week at camp. Didn't get lots of sleep, ate good food, ran hither and yon, all up hill.....both directions! LOL Made some dear friends, and totally had my well filled to over flowing!

We are having a BBQ with our kids tonight.......goat cooked on a rotisserie .
No typo, really is a goat. All fat and grain fed. Wanna come?

For the week in heart, or stomach, there will be hamburgers and hot dogs......bring a pot luck salad or dessert OK?

Thank you all for your sweet and tender emails. My heart was very touched. Hard times made better by your love and concern.

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

You're Not Alone written by Michael McLean

2010-05-26T15:30:00.000-06:00

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

2010-05-24T09:30:00.004-06:00

It is with my heaviness of heart that I tell you , my nephew, who was just 18, took his own life early sat morning.

So unbelievable....

I'm feeling very weepy today, and wish that there was something I could do to make it even a little bit easier for my sweet Peggy and Ron. I know their hearts are broken.

Here, my niece shares her love for her brother.

I just want to let you know today, that I know my Savior lives! He lives and loves us! That only through him can we have every lasting life. I know the power of the Priesthood is real, That Temple sealing are real and Eternal.

Families Can be together forever.

below is a link to a short video

He-Lives

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Fridays on the farm

2010-05-07T10:29:00.011-06:00

It was cold here on the farm this morning!

Ice on the wheel lines makes it cold for the Mr. in the mornings
Brrrrrrrrr.

Sometime during the winter I bought this chair from the TS. It's getting a makeover.

I dithered back and forth for a while because I wasn't sure I wanted to pay the $5.00 asking price........LOL

I wasn't sure where I wanted to put it, until now. It will go in my bedroom, the Mr. will hang his clothes over it every night, and when the grand kids come, one of the little ones can sleep on it!

How fun is this? I have never seen one like it. It needs a little bit of work, but not much. Today, it's outside being painted white. The cushions are going to be red something.......I'm needing to make a fabric store run and see what I can find. :-D

Our neighbors came the other day with this large and heavy basket filled to the brim with a peace rose, fruit, and a darling garden ladybug. My goodness it took two people to carry it! The basket was a "thank-you" for the Mr. but I surly got to share the wealth!

The Mr. did their chores for a couple of weeks while they were in Salt Lake. Their almost 21 yr old son rolled his pickup truck 6 times, and was thrown out . He was so very blessed to be alive. The wreck happened around 8 in the evening, and he was not found until almost 2. A very long time to lay in the cold march night critically hurt. He did turn 21 in the hospital, and how grateful his folks were to be able to celebrate that day with him alive! He is home now and doing well. What a scare for them all to go through.

I almost forgot! I was called to be our ward( church congregation) girls camp director. And I am doing a fourth year overnight backpack hike! Ahhhhhhhhhhh! ( not to panic not to panic! LOL) We're going here, which is the BEST place ever to take the girls. I love it there. But the very words "backpack", "bear", and "Overnight" are not my favorite words to use together! :-D

Well, that's the farm today. The Mr. and the teen have been getting the garden spot ready, and are now building fence and my "sleepover" chair is needing another coat of paint.
ENJOY YOUR DAY!
Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Wouldn't it be fun....

2010-04-27T09:17:00.006-06:00

I think it would be fun to have an outdoor shower. A pool, a hot tub, and a lush rolling green lawn would be nice too. Well, I'm not 100 percent sold on a pool ...I worry about my little grand kids....... However, I want an outdoor shower. When the Mr. comes home after he's been cutting hay it would be nice, or when the grands have been "mud bathing" it would be nice, or just on a really hot dry day after working outside it would be nice.

I do live out in the sticks, but I would still need my PRIVACY ! Wouldn't want to get all comfy in the all together and have some one come along.......( Murphy's law) :-D
Here are some pictures just for fun!

This last one is my favorite one. It looks very doable for our skill level and pocketbook! :-D
I would want some kind of a different shower hear though. While I'm dreaming I want to dream it just a little more fanciful.....

So, how about you guys? Do any of you already have an outdoor shower? Do you want to have an outdoor shower?
What's on your wish list for your yard this summer? What ever it is, good luck! :-D
carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Fridays on the farm....

2010-04-23T14:26:00.005-06:00

I'd like to introduce you to a place that is near and dear to my heart. It wasn't always so however. It's only about a mile or two from our farm. Just across a few fields.

There really isn't much in the way of "beauty" to recommend it to the average person, just dry land, no water, full of stickers, lizards, and the hardy glob mallow that grows despite the lack of water. There isn't any shade, and the deer come and eat any plants you bring. But despite all that, I love to come here and walk around and think ......and remember.

No perpetual care going on here.....

There are many here whom I knew.

The Mr's ancestors on both sides of his family are here.

We have a niece here

The Mr's sister

The Mr's Grandparents, uncles and aunts and some cousins.

My own dear father

And the Mr's sweet parents.

My family never went to the cemetery and decorated graves. Never. They were buried in two different states and we lived in another one, which made it too far away.
But the Mr.'s family did.
Used to be, on Memorial day, everybody would mow their lawns, and rake the lawn clippings up in trash bags, and bring them over and sprinkle them on the graves and then put down flowers. Then they would all get together at my in-laws home, which is where I live now, and eat potluck and play baseball. I really used to think it was a little different, I mean really, who would even want to be buried in that weed patch of a cemetery? And grass clippings? Who were these country people and why did they do what they did?
But all of that was before.
Before I lived here and knew people here. Before, when our family loved ones were still living. Before my own parents moved here to be near us, Before I had grown up and learned about what is really important. Before pieces of my heart were laid to rest here,
Now.......now I feel peace here.
Not many folks cover their graves with grass clippings any more, and the fad of placing green indoor outdoor carpet has also passed. (thank heavens) Now we mostly just till the ground and pull the weeds and place flowers on the graves. The little kids still climb the rocks trying to catch lizards, and the Mr. is still saying he wants to be buried upon the rocks in a glass box so he can look out over the valley that he loves. ( this would really give the little kids something to see when they were catching lizard huh)
The family doesn't get together to eat pot luck and play baseball anymore, So many of the Mr.s uncles and aunts have passed on, and families are scatted around. But I'm glad to know, this is the place where my mortal remains will be. Close to home, in that dry old weedy place.

I'll be in the very best of company though, wont I!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

odds and ends

2010-04-13T14:26:00.011-06:00

First I would just like to welcome all you who are new to the Stone House! I haven't been a very "with it" blogger of late......but maybe you will find a thing or two that will be helpful, interesting, or amusing, or just friendly. Welcome. Glad to have you come for a visit. Please come again! :-D

Thanks to all who follow my blog, one slim post after another. I enjoy your "bloggish" friendship!

Next,
Cute little baby and mom toes! These little feet have grown and are trying to walk everywhere. Happy 1st Birthday P-Jo! You have stolen my heart!

Our book for book club this month was the #1 ladies Detective Agency. Have any of you read these books?

HBO had made a series, and it was good. The Mr. and I have enjoyed watching it.
Takes place in Botswana Africa, and it's gentle and full of humor. Very fun. If you are a fan Of JB Fletcher you will enjoy this as well.

Isn't this sky beautiful? There was a little spring snow storm just passing through this morning.

Lastly, the table. Not in good shape, but it has been my desire to rebuild the top and use it as an island in our kitchen.

This old kitchen table was here on the farm, stored out in a shed. Once, when our family was younger we pulled it out and used it. Soon we needed something sturdier, So back in the shed it went.
For shame huh?

It's been calling my name for a few years!

But as it turned out, it was too big to use in my kitchen which frustrated me because I didn't want to put it back in the shed. I wanted to use it.

It ended up in the living room, and we're leaving it's top just like it is. I did repaint the legs, which are not as shiny as they look, but maybe I need to take the steel wool to them again.
The tool box under the table, was really a tool box. I emptied all the tools out of it and gave it a paint and prim job. I used my cricut and made a stencil, painted an under coat, an over coat, sanded it an stained it.

Have any of you tried to drill a hole in a enamel ware bowl? I am thinking about turning one into a bathroom sink.......

Hope everyone is doing well. I have strep.......never had it that I know of, my oh my I have not felt well. Went to the Doc. today and had a shot. The teen had it last week..... and once when he was lying down , moaning and groaning, I told him "moaning and groaning would not make him feel any better". Well, if those words didn't come home to haunt me! LOL :-D

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Hair cuts and Eastering

2010-04-05T15:29:00.007-06:00

The Ewes got their long over due new "do's". Don't they look cold now? Not to mention lopsided, or big headed or something like that! But it has to feel better to them at any rate. It was fun to watch it happen. I got a kick out of the hanging wool bag. It was probably 8 feet tall. Jr took turns with another boy his age, hauling the wool up the ladder, and then getting to be the boy inside the bag, stomping the wool down. I took my camera so that I could capture it in living color, but alas, the batteries were dead! Bummer deal. I was too far away from any kind of a store , so no living color pictures for my post! One guy had some Jacob Sheep, oooohh, I was in love with them! The Mr. wasn't. They had too many horns! :-D

We had our family Easter picnic on Friday this year.

The Mr and I and Jr were going out of town to the city for conference all week end.

We have NEVER left home for Easter before in 31 years! For real! I don't remember one time we have not spent this day with our family and friends, here on the farm, following tradition.

:-D

Friday was somewhat cold and windy, but we persevered anyway. We ate like kings, feasting on steak, brats, hot links, hot dogs, all roasted over the fire, salads, chips, drinks and even chocolate dipped strawberries. All of us were there! That was the BEST blessing a mom could ask for!

Now, before you ask "what in the world are they dressed like that for?" remember our family loves 18th century re-enactments. Hence the 18th century longhunter attire. Our sons take every opportunity to wear their clothing, so that it becomes a part of them... for a "believable persona" an for the most part, they made what they are wearing.........by hand!

....................anyway, here are #1 and #2 sons, skipping along the bunny trail at least for the photo. The little goof balls.

I love this picture of the dad's holding their baby girls. Paislee has been eating chocolate strawberries. Yummy! Wish we could see Evies little face better.

I know it's trite, but it's true...All because 2 people fell in love!

I am amazed when I see us altogether, that there are so many of us! 31 years ago there was just 2 of us. We had a couple of extras in the picture, our DIL's cousin and an exchange student from Germany. They are standing by JR who is in the red hoodie....with the bubble yum bubble hiding his cute face. We enjoyed their company and hopefully they weren't too overwhelmed by our strangeness! LOL

Not the best picture in the world, but this is us, having a good time together. Well OK, the picture taking almost killed off a few of them......kill joys that they are! LOL

I'm glad they all humored me, and stood still for some pictures! :-D

I saved up all the banty eggs so I could boil an hide them for the kids. I don't think there were as impressed by them as I was! :-D I thought they were so cute all brown and small. That little 4 yr old smile is pretty cute as well.

This is a tree that was in Salt Lake, I have no clue what it is, but it is so beautiful. My Mom talks about Tulip trees in NC, and I wondered if this could be one? Does anyone know? It was a treat to see it. We don't have anything like this here at home.

And lastly, this is what we woke up to Easter morning in the city. But it soon melted away. The mountains were pretty with their blanket of fresh snow.

Hope Everyone had a wonderful Easter.

I'm very grateful to the Savior for the beautiful gift of the Atonement.

I know that my Redeemer Lives!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Fridays on the Farm

2010-03-26T16:53:00.014-06:00

Spring time on the farm is here at last! I'm loving it! The Mr. and # 2 son got themselves some ewes last year. Just 6 of them, and a buck.......................

which means............ lambs.

They are so cute! I have been really enjoying them. They run and jump and well, ................. they literally, frolic! :-D

We had two sets of triplets, one set of twins and one single. Of course triplets means one gets bottle fed. So our grandsons are bottle feeding a couple of lambs.

We had a neighbors dogs get into our sheep and as a result, one ewe slipped still born triplets. We lost another ewe and her twin lambs also. A down side of farming for sure.

The Mr. feeding his cows. He'll be feeding them at least till the first of May.
We are calving, and so far, knock on wood, we haven't lost one yet. It's always a good thing when they are all here.

I love this time of year on the farm. All the new babies and the green starting to poke through . The days becoming warmer, and staying lighter longer, and I love not having to keep the fire going.

A couple of weeks ago, one of our Belgian draft horses got colic, it was horrible to watch, and in the end, she had to be put down. It was pretty heart breaking.

I have been learning how to cross stitch on Osnaburg. I think it's good therapy for what ails me. hahah. I have given some away, and put some away (St Patrick's day and Valentines day) and am just making some for Spring and Easter. Can't see this very well, but it's a pattern from primitivbettys, on a little fabric covered box.

AND I have made a bunch of wax pantry cakes. I have three little jello molds that I like to use.

I do like these, and I like making them. But what do you do with a bunch???

well, I have pawned them off on anyone who is willing to take one home! LOL

They are easier to make than their flour and salt counterparts. I didn't have any beeswax, so these are just made from old candles, with some cinnamon and reg coffee added. The coffee sinks, and so the top of the cakes are dark. After they are cold and can be taken out of their molds, I sprinkle them with more cinnamon.

Just a fast post today. Hope you are all enjoying the spring.

Did you hear the fun news? APP (A Primitive Place) is going to be a magazine! How fun is that!
Congrats APP!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Just a Few More Loves........in the Livingroom.

2010-02-13T07:38:00.006-07:00

Hi everyone! I've been away.......... not by choice.............our PC got sick. Very sick. Nasty virus! And to top it off the DSL modem wouldn't even work .

It almost feels like my arm has been cut off! We got a new modem, but I'm having a hard time getting used to my notebook, but I' glad I have it . :-D

I missed Valentines Day, so Happy late Valentines Day! It may take me awhile to make it over to see you.

This little secretary belonged to the Mr.'s grandfather, the Swed who built our home. From him it was passed down to my FIL who gave it to the Mr. after we were married. It's all nicked up, and broken in places, and it has paint spots on it. It's very heavy, and I can't move it very easily. But I love it.

yikes, I need to move it and clean the rug under it..... This old gate used to be the front gate for the yard. I had to have it in my house. Think of how many times it was swung open allowing loved ones and friends into the yard......

Grandpa's kids used to tell stories about him stacking his Christmas presents up on this desk on Christmas day, and opening one a month until the next Christmas came around.

I love this little cubby. See the "secret drawer"? It used to hold land deeds. The cubby

holds a town painted on canvas, and the black lunch box holds match box cars.

This old Navajo wool rug was a gift from an uncle to my grandmother. I was lucky enough to inherit it. Because of it's age, I wonder if the wool was dyed with natural vegetable dyes.

Oh I love this sweet little rocking chair. The Mr.'s aunt gave this to us. It had belonged to her mother in law, whom we call "Grandma Cure". It's not a very big chair, and used to be green! A dear friend snuck it home once, and striped it off and oiled it, and gave it back to me for my birthday one year!!!! All that had work! It's a beautiful little chair. But it was not at all pretty green!

The Mr.'s chaps, saddle bags and spurs are in the background, and the little suit case next to the love seat holds Christmas stories.

This little child's chair was a gift from my aunt. Our grandsons like to cart it everywhere and sit in it. :-D It's currant residing place is to the right of Grandpa's desk, by the front door.

Just a darling little valentine "Cupid's arrow" that a sweetheart of a friend gifted me with the other day! I love it! Makes my day happier just to think of her kindness!

Well, on to a re-do....LOL This is our "harry potter bedroom", under the stairs! It's not a big room at all. In fact I'm sitting in a chair almost touching the opposite wall! Very small. There used to be a built- in- bed here under the stairs.

The room is no longer going to be a bedroom, but an office. The Mr. has been building bookcases under the stairs. I can hardly wait until they're done! So here's a question for you, if you were me, would you paint these bookcases the color of the trim, or the color of the wall? The wall color will be a lt. creamy something, and the trim may be colonial blue....?
(hows that for being specific?)

I have to show you what came to live in my bedroom for the rest of forever.......This belongs to the Mr. Hopefully it will help him rest better. Seems to be doing just that so far, except for the sore nose....As you can see, I don't have a night stand big enough for it, so it's temporally sitting on a chair by the bed.

I know this post has gone on and on and on, but I have some sneak peeks of the next love I want to post about....

didn't see the cobweb until I posted the picture....the story of my life! LOL

Hopefully I won't be as long in between posts the next time. Our snow is receding, and it has warmed up enough that Mom wants to resume our morning walks. I'm so glad.

Oh Yeah, I read a good book this week. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.

Enjoy your day.

Mercy

Oreo Mice...

2010-02-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

This post is a re-post from the 09. Just thought agin itit would be fun to post it again. ENJOY

I had the funnest day yesterday! My daughter Kim and I got together with a bunch of friends and made valentines candy. I think I may have druuuuuuug her along, but we had a good time. We laughed a lot, made some fun creations, made some mess, ate some sandwiches, cleaned up and went home fully loaded. Loaded down with loot that is.

Here's what you need to make these fun little mice.

1 package Oreos any flavor. Ours were mostly mint.
Pkg of white and Chocolate Almond Bark
1-2 jars Maraschino Cherries with STEMS. Green or Red, doesn't matter.
Hersey's Kisses, unwrapped
Red hots or something small for eyes. (can use frosting or colored chocolate
Sliced Almonds for earsCookie sheets lined with wax paper
Melt the bark in pans in a low oven. (170-200 degrees) Watch it so it doesn't burn. Depending on how many you are making, you will not want to melt all of the bark.

Dip Oreos in the white bark, and lay them on the wax paper to set up. These will be the base for the mice.

While these are setting up, drain the cherries and dump them on a paper towel lined plate. Blot them dry. The bark will not adhere to them if they are wet with the juice.

Sorry for the blurry picture.......OK, now the fun part........... Eating all the cherries and throwing everything else away! Just kidding. I do love the cherries though........

Dip the cherries by their stems in the bark. Be sure to cover them completely. Gently shake them to get as much excess bark off as you can, then set them on the Oreo base, in the center.

Some of the stems come broken as you can see, but they work anyway. Working quickly, add a kiss for the head, and then add almonds for the ears. Try to find two almonds almost the same size for each

You need to work quickly as the bark sets up very fast. Now, the eyes. Use red hots, or what ever you choose. Just chocolate glue them in place and WA La, you have Mice! Drop each one in a cupcake paper and they are ready to go. Be sure you only single layer these as you transport them from here to there, because those little ears break

Hope this makes sense. They are pretty self explanatory.

These WERE lots of fun to make.

Oooooo! Loves! and Thank you!

2010-02-04T09:34:00.014-07:00

Thank you all for your tender remarks on my last post. Payton was born yesterday. There was a knot in his umbilical cord right next to his navel. My heart hurts for his family. Thank you all for your prayers and kindnesses in their behalf. Our hearts were further saddened by the passing of a dear neighbor in our area. She has struggled with cancer for the last 2 years, and yesterday, on her birthday she lost the battle. Once again I'm so grateful for my Testimony and knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

It's the month of "LOVE" and with that in mind I decided that this month, I would share some of my loves with you.

I'll start with my bed. The Mr. made our bed. (you are about to see a sight that not many eyes have seen....and it's plenty scary!)

This is underneath my bed. I wanted it built so I could store things under it. AND there certainly is stuff stored under it! LOL There are two cubbies on each side of the bed. I don't have a box springs, just a good mattress. It was tooooo tall as it was, even with a stool on my side, I didn't want the extra height. The bed skirt has to fit on the frame, and not the mattress itself. (poor unpainted bed)

My daughter and I started the headboard, and the Mr. was kind enough to finish it. See that door? I love old doors! I love this headboard!!! I know it's not my "usual" style, but I care not. I love this bed. We are going to be moving our bedroom upstairs when we are done with the remodel, and we are going to have to cut the headboard down. Can you believe it? It's too tall for the walls up there! #2 daughter said she would gladly take it off my hands.....

......NOT even! I know some guys who could help her build her own though.... :-)

So...What do you think of our headboard?

I fell in love with this quilt the minute I first saw it, but didn't get it for almost 2 years.

And after I got the quilt, I didn't put it on my bed right away because I didn't have a bed skirt. I looked everywhere to find one that I liked enough, and just couldn't find that elusive item.

The next best thing was to make one. One day I was in the TS, and there it was, the bed skirt of my dreams. Except it was too short for my bed. I lucked out and found another one I could live with, and sewed them together.

Here it is on the bed frame. (the unpainted bed frame) and then below, with the quilt over it. I love it!

BTW....the quilt pattern is the RED FEATHERED QUILT and is from the victorian Heart Company Inc.

What do you "LOVE" at your home?

You should share you "LOVES" with us!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

2010-02-03T09:48:00.006-07:00

Yesterday our dear friend's daughter lost her unborn baby boy. Little Payton would have been born in just 6 weeks time. Our hearts are saddened today, but we find comfort in knowing and understanding that through the Gospel Of Jesus Christ, Families can be together forever.

Do you know who you are, little child of mine,
So precious and dear to me?
Do you know you are a part of a great design
That is vast as eternity? …
Do you know you’re a child of God?
Do you sometimes review how He took your hand and placed it within my own, saying here is a Child from angel land not a gift but a precious loan.
Do you know where you’re going, child of mine?
Are your eyes on the road ahead?
Do the spires of his castle gleam and shine
Where the sun grows golden red? … You will make it, my child, I know.
(Ora Pate Stewart, “To a Child”.)

Six More Weeks? Phil Makes His Pick

2010-02-02T07:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Groundhogs Day!

A Little Heart

2010-02-01T10:17:00.009-07:00

Happy Feburary Ladies!
We had our Primitive ornie swap last Thursday, and I took an old colander full of Valentine gifts as a door prize. One of those gifts was this little doorknob hanger. Sorry the picture isn't very clear. I coffee stained it, baked it, and stuffed it with sawdust and pinned the hanger fabric on with some rusted safety pins. This was a random use of several free cross stitch charts . I liked it in the end, and am making another one for one of my daughters.

This was done on C C Canvas , but I am learning how to use linen. I desperately NEED the light from Joann's with the magnifier on it! LOL

If you have any interest in any of these charts, this is where they came from. I used the "Love" and the large key, and the bottom heart under this same key, from a freebie chart by The Stitcherhood .

The top key with the heart is from Bettys newest Valentine freebie, the bluebirds and tiny heart below the word love are from the "beholden" freebie. I used the same heart up between the birds and just used back stitching for the ribbon the birds are holding. The middle left key is from the "oh Sweet Valentine" chart. You can see all of Bettys free charts here primitivebettys .
I can't remember where the bottom left heart came from, but it is the outline of a heart so you could do that with any of the other patterns. The "my" was just backstitched free hand. I reversed the left middle key and the bottom key so that they faced in towards the Love.

Thanks Betty and Maria bunches and bunches for the charts you share with us. :-) I enjoy them

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Fridays on the Farm

2010-01-29T07:39:00.014-07:00

Today I want to introduce you to the "ladies". Peeps, this is Lavern, Lavern, meet the peeps! She is one of a pair of Belgian draft horses that make up a team. Some years ago our two oldest sons worked during the summer for a friend of ours, and for their pay he took them to Indiana, to an Amish horse and buggy sale and bought them this team. The "ladies" were just babies at that time, and it was the job and delight of our sons, to break them and teach them how to become a team that would actually pull a wagon. Here is the other lady, Shirley. She had been out to water and was across the pasture so you can't see her very good. Their real names are Birdy and Purdy. But I had the darnedest time keeping them straight, and so our #1 daughter suggested Lavern and Shirley, which worked for me. Lavern is taller and a bit more head strong in the harness, while Shirley is shorter and pulls better. Out in the field however, it's Lavern that is more people friendly, and Shirl is somewhat offish with folks. Both are truly gentle giants tough. Not a mean bone in their bodies. It's unbelievable how much strength they have. It's a little bit scary I think, sitting up and a wagon behind them after they haven't been in the harnesses for a while.

Winter time on the farm in the 60's. The Mr. and his two brothers. Oldest brother Errol in the middle, youngest brother Allen on the left and the Mr. wearing some kind of face mask, on the right. They are west of the granary.

Must be cold. I just keep looking at that that hay and thinking about the other stack yards that were there on the farm at that time, and that it was all hauled and stacked by hand in those days. And these boys, were the guys who helped their dad do it! Lots of work.
This picture has their dad in it. I think the Mr. is the photographer.
(FIL) the Mr. and his younger brother Allen. This younger brother died in May of 2000.

The snow today, in almost the same spot as the last picture. Looks like more than I thought we had.

When I came to live on the farm in 1979, everything was a treasure to me! I started right them dragging in old things and using them. My FIL used to laugh at me good naturedly. An older woman in our area once asked "what's with all these young girls these days? Everything we threw out the door and replaced with new modern things, they're bringing back in". And it was true. We do have an old wood burning cook stove that is out in a shed, that is coming inside after the remodel. I am trying VERY hard to convince the Mr. that it will need a chimney!
As you can see, it needs some fixing and scrubbing.........:-D I am looking forward to it being in my family room area.
(there really is a stove under there LOL)

It's a slower time on the farm in during the winter months. The Mr. is working on making the small bedroom under the stairs into an office. He is building a wall of bookcases. When that is done we can start on the rest of the remodel plans. (pictures for another post)
Wish me luck with the chimney! LOL

Have a fun week-end!
Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

2010-01-25T10:58:00.006-07:00

Well, I couldn't get these pictures to do what I thought they should, so I just tossed them on anyway. Left are all 6 of our children, 15 years after my story, an the picture on the Right is of our oldest 2 children, daughter # 1 and #2. Next, is a family picture of all of us at the time of my story. Aren't they so cute and Innocent? DH's glasses are GyNORMOUS, and he looks soooooo young. No gray and silver hair there! LOL The bottom picture was 7 years after my story.

This post today is for any of you mothers out there who are busy doing many many good things but feels frustrated and worried and tired at the end of the day, and wonders if you are doing ok as a mom and a wife. (Hey there is a Michael McLean song that says these same words almost) Maybe it will make you smile. It does me. It also makes me realize how hard it is to raise kids. How much time and love you pour into doing so. The struggle to find the balance between husband, children, church, family and self. Learning how to manage the check book, cook and keep up on the laundry. These really are the best years! So after you read this story I don’t want any of you too feel sorry for me, or think I had a bunch of bratty little kids. On the contrary. I want you to smile, and think about a story of your own that makes you laugh. I have learned over the years that babies are just that for so very long and it’s not worth the rush to get them all grown up so fast! (I think this may be something I have learned as a grandmother LOL) Some things fade away but the love of a tender child we dearly hold tight right next to our hearts throughout all of this life and the next one to come!

Here’s a little background for my story……
I had just had baby # 4. We had two girls ages 5 ½ & 4, & two boys, aged 2 and new born. I had decided to go to Vernal, which is 48 miles away to go to K Mart. (no wal mart for years yet) The speed limit was 55 and there were no passing lanes along the way, and the road was full of twists and blind turns and blind hills. So I packed up my diaper bag, purse, lunch, (money was tight) and four kids under the age of 5 ½, in our small truck with the nice camper shell on the back which had a nice carpet kit in it. Remember those ladies? Before car seats were mandatory and before the seat belt laws? And off we drove for our hour’s trip to town. When you go that far, you have a list and need to get what you need because it’s too far and too much gas to come again the next day. I don’t remember where I went first or even if k mart was the last stop I made, but this is what happened in K mart on that particular day.
I am in the store, I have a cart which has the baby in his chair in the top portion, and a two year old and a 4 year old in the basket part and my sweet little 5 ½ year old is walking by my side. Everyone is clean and scrubbed and in their nice “town” clothes which I have sewn for them. Their little baby faces are all chubby and pink and I love them all so much. La lala la lalal la. We make such a charming little picture.
Hum.
I made the mistake of going down the Barbie isle. Daughter #1 who was walking decided she was going to have a new Barbie. And not only did she want a new Barbie, she wanted a designer Barbie, you know the ones I mean. Well this Barbie was over 30 dollars which might as well have been the moon in those days, and having a new Barbie was not on my list. I told her no. After all these years the exact events are somewhat fuzzy, in the end however, my no was a firm answer. My sweet little daughter just as firmly told me she wasn’t leaving without the Barbie. I told her how sad that was because we were leaving and I would miss her and it was at that point that she threw herself on the floor and locked her little 5 year old hands around my ankle. Now, here I am, with a newborn who is by this time crying, and 2 year old who is also crying, and the 4 year old is yup, you guessed it starting to cry. I pride I because I managed to refrain from doing any yelling or even being very mad. (Pet peeve I have to see moms yelling at their kids in the stores…) But no was no, and there wasn’t much use of arguing and like I told my daughter, it was most definitely time to go. The worst was, I had some items in the cart I needed to buy, and so I had to take all of my crying kids through the cheek out line. Daughter # 1 is still on the floor holding on to my ankle as I am pushing my cart to the front of the store… I am dragging her along. YES!!! I am embarrassed. I know, you are all telling me what you think I should have done……. However, I tried to just remain calm in the face of this huge fit, and keep my dignity in tact and also teach my daughter you don’t always get what you want, no matter what kind of drama you bargain with.
That when mom says no, that means no, no. What I wanted to do was paddle her little behind all the way out to the car! But my arms were full, and I was alone and couldn’t take her to the bathroom without taking the entire kit and caboodle along with us. I just decided the best thing to do was leave. Anyway, As we were waiting our turn in the check out line, a couple of very nicely dressed middle aged women (about the age I am now) were in the next check out line, eyeing me up and down with frowns on their well manicured faces, and one of them was making little “tut tutting” noises with her tongue. I couldn’t believe it! Here I was at wits end, three little babies crying and one bigger one on the floor crying and screaming for a Barbie and they were judging me like I was something that had nasty black mold on it!
Now you have to know, I was a shy little wren of a person, just 27 years old, and it was NOT in my nature to be bold. So what came out of my mouth at that time is still a shocker to me.
I just smiled at them as I picked up my newborn and tried to calm my other two, with #1 still on the floor, I heaved a very big and audible sigh and told them sweetly “thank heavens the other 4 kids are in school”.
They just kinda sucked in their breath and one of them said “well” and they huffed and turned away from me and stood there having their own little snit!
As soon as I had said this untruth, I felt so much better. I laughed. My kids for the most part had stopped crying, and by the time I was checked out and had reached the door #1 had gotten off the floor and stopped crying too.
I was glad I hadn’t lost my temper that day. I was glad I didn’t beat my daughter or screeched at her, like I’ve seem moms do. It wouldn’t have made any of it better; it would have only made me feel worse. I don’t know why these women didn’t think to help me. Or even smile at me kindly, anything but what they did would have been nicer.
I have never forgotten the way I felt that day with those two women watching me. Hopefully it has helped to be a little kinder to others.
I didn’t always manage to keep my cool when shopping with my kids, but I didn’t stop shopping with them and they learned they didn’t get to have what they thought they wanted when we went to the stores. Sometimes it was me who arrived home almost in tears!
But they are all grown up now. Daughter # 1 is one of my dearest friends. She and her husband were blessed with twin boys 7 years ago. These darling little busy boys have a 2 year old brother and a newborn baby sister. Their mom gets to take them shopping! 
Sometimes I get to go and help out! And sometimes we go down the Barbie isle!

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Fridays on the Farm & raggedy hearts

2010-01-22T08:27:00.019-07:00

ML at House of Whimsy is my inspiration for Fridays on the Farm. I really enjoy her Wednesday posts, and so I have decided to share a bit of our old farm on Fridays. I'll start today, by showing you around the farm yard. Our farm when homesteaded, raised sheep. The land was all sand knolls, covered with sage bush, bull berries, rabbit brush, grease woods, cotton wood trees and cactus. It all had to be cleared and leveled. This was done with a team of horses and by hand. Fields were planted and plowed, fruit trees and shade trees were planted as well. There wasn't much water until they built the canals and creeks and diverted it from the high lakes. Which was also done by horse team.

After some years, the sheep went and were replaced by beef cattle. Which is what we still raise today. That and alfalfa. So come with me for a little walking tour around the yard.

This old guy was a gift from my uncle to our oldest son when he was a teen. It was to be re-built......... the grandsons love it. I think it needs a more dignified spot to call home, maybe this summer ...........

I want to move this closer to the house.......

Hauling wood is an everyday chore.

The front of the Stone House. The stone is there, walls 2 1/2 ft thick under the siding. Our yard is surrounded by Elm trees.

Looking east of the house. This is the only road in or out.

Looking west of the house up to the fields

North of the house sits the cabin and the corrals. The Stone House burnt down in the late 30's, well, the inside of the house burnt, and at that time this cabin , which was also a homestead cabin from the other side of the family, was taken apart moved here and reassembled and built on to. That's where the family lived while they re-built the inside of the house. And where my in-laws lived for a time after they were fist married.
In front is the old water well, which still works. You crank the handle and there is a chain with cups on it that bring the water up. There is also a spout on the side where you can hang a bucket and fill it up.

West end of the cabin. My sons are going to take this apart and move it again, to another place on the farm and use it for over night camping with their kids.

Looking east from the back door, out towards our fire pit and picnic area. You can see a corner of the old garage.

Newest hobby of son #2 and DH, sheep.

Goat in the pig pens.......doesn't everyone have a goat in their pig pens?

Corrals. And behind them, runs the creek.

This is (DH"S) Grandpa's original homestead cabin. He came here as a young man from Sweden and lived as a bachelor when he first homesteaded. He later met and married G grandma Naomi, and her father was a stone mason, and together they built the Stone house. This cabin is now the grainary and tack shed, where Mr. G (cat) lives. Off to the left side is the chicken run.

Old Beau dog. Spends most of his time in the back room on the floor sleeping. # 2 son bought this old dog 15 years ago.

BUT this is the old dog! LOL she is 16 ! I didn't get a picture of the "young" dog because he was off somewhere

This is the back or north side of the Stone House, and the cabin.
No morning chores are done here anymore, no cow to milk, nothing. And electric heaters in the water make it much easier! We just get up, DH goes off to work and the teen to school.
In the evenings, cows are fed, chickens are fed and the "egg" or maybe two or three are gathered (they are really "fair weather" layers LOL), wood is hauled, chore cows ( bull, beef steer we are fattening, and maybe some calves we are feeding), sheep and horses are fed. The truck on my header lovingly know as "old red" is the feed truck. When they use ton bales, they use the tractor to feed with. Most nights there is also a sled pulled behind old red and the teen rides it before and after the cows are fed.

So now come in, and take off your wet boots and set them in front of the stove so they can dry off. Sit down and warm up and I'll show you the hearts I've been making from an old quilt found here at the Stone House.

When we moved here I found an old quilt stuffed in a box out in the garage. As you can see it was in shreds. I brought it in and washed it up and used it for this and that. Lately I've made some Valentine hearts from it. I've backed them with an old cotton table cloth that came from an aunts belongings. I love them. They are little pieces of days gone by here at the farm. I don't even know who made this quilt which I feel kinda sad about. Grandma Naomi? Grandma Stokes? G Grandma Mitchell? G Grandma Smithson? Maybe my father in laws first wife, Jean?

Made a pattern for 3 sizes

These are my 3 favorites. I think I'll keep them for myself. :-)

But I want you each to take a set of 3 home with you as a remembrance of being here on the farm.....

I really love living here. I love the history of our home, as well as the history of our area, the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. I love the red cliffs and red sand, & the sage brush. I enjoy hearing the coyotes howl even though it gives me chills, and seeing deer in the fields at nights.

I hope you enjoyed your visit out around the farm yard, and will join me on many more Fridays as I share ordinary bits and pieces of what life is like for us here on the farm.

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Mercy

2010-01-19T20:00:00.009-07:00

Hi.
Life has just been busy. I know I'm behind on what is going on in your lives. I miss you when I don't blog. Karen, I was glad to hear that Your DH is going to be OK.
Nothing exciting going on, just the "normal" stuff. Thank you all again for your concern. We are doing better here. :-) I won't go into details, but we've been blessed. I think we may survive! At least it feels like it.

Our SIL , who works for DNR, was down by Ticaboo, ( I just love to say that name!) which is in the southern end of our state, catching wild buffalo!
It was fun to see his own videos. Really awesome flying and jumping going on! LOL They chased the bison from a helicopter, and shot them with a net gun and then they were lifted through the air, set down, checked, tagged, given shots, and loaded in trailers. They caught 40 yearling calves. Mostly cows I think.

They will be bringing them back here, to the Bookcliffs sometime this week. If you have an interest in a short little news clip, just click on the link below.

ksl.com - Bison move to new home after stop on Antelope Island

We have some new snow, not much really, but it covered up the all the dirty stuff! The forecast is calling for snow this entire week. Maybe we'll get a goodly amount. We do need some more.
Tonight we have pea soup. It's pretty thick fog out there.
HOWEVER,
I don't know about you girls, but I think I have "cabin fever" ! LOL ( are you singing the Cabin Fever song from Muppet Treasure Island? )
If it keeps getting warmer like it was today, Mom and I can get ourselves back outside to walk! I haven't been skiing yet, but I think I'll get my skis out and go tomorrow. (Cross country ) It's warmer than it has been, I might not freeze!

So looking forward a couple of weeks................ are you making plans for a Ground Hogs Day bash? Are you diehards like us, and watch the movie every year?

Do you look forward to this end of winter ritual? Because, after Feb. 2nd, one way or the other, THERE IS ONLY 6 MORE WEEKS TILL SPRING! Yaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
(I told you I have cabin fever.........)
Take care of yourselves! Enjoy your winter!
Mercy

2010-01-13T19:22:00.004-07:00

Hi ladies. I'm so sorry that I wore my heart on my sleeve earlier today. I decided I needed to delete that post from my blog. I want to thank those of you who left me comments, for your advise and friendship. I know your hearts are filled with compassion, love and tenderness. Thank you for taking the time today, to help me feel some peace. Julie, I didn't get your email. Could you remail it? (nelrh@ubtanet.com)
There is a light, tonight at the end of the tunnel, and I am going to cling to that and with my chin up, persevere!
Even Though I haven't met you dear friends in person, I want you to know, I love you. Thank you again for today.

who? me?

2010-01-02T14:51:00.004-07:00

This is our little P-Jo, wearing 3-D specs ..... but the look on her face , matches my mood today! Shock! Panic! Unbelief!
I'm putting away my Christmas.... (enough said huh)
....and I'm wondering what to do with everything that used to be up........how did I get so many things? Really, Where has it all come from?
AHHHHHHHHH! I need a maid!!!!
As we start this remodel job, I am realizing just how much STUFF I really have and how much of it needs to GO! It kind a feels like taco salad. You know, you order it cuz it sounds soooo good, it comes and it's gynormous, and you eat away at it and it is good, but the more you push it around your plate with your fork, the more it grows, and then, by the time it's time to go, you put in your take home box more than what originally came on your plate ! LOL and just like the taco salad that I love, I love all my many treasures!Woman. Thy name is fickle.
Ugg! I'm a pack rat! (true confession)
Is there a pack rats anonymous out there? Tell me, is there some hope for people like me?
I guess it's time to load it up and take it back to the TS! LOL

BUT, I'm gaining! :-)
I know, I'm such a whiner.....So I'll stop and wish you all a good weekend.
See you back next week, and hopefully this old house will be less filled with so many "treasures" than it is now!
Wish me luck!
Enjoy your day.