He Maketh Me To Lie Down in Green Pastures

Late spring walk through the pastures of These Nine Acres

It's gonna be a hot one...

everyone be careful out there in this heat.

xoxo

Memorial Day 2011

Thank you to all past and current military personnel for keeping America the Home of the Free for future generations.

I am remembering today,

all the men and women who have died

serving our country.

They made the ultimate sacrifice for me 

and all the future generations of Americans 

in order to protect the ideals 

of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Thank you.

Thank you also to all current military personnel 

and their families

who carry on the legacy of our forefathers,

and those that have served proudly before them.

I am proud to call myself an American.

May you enjoy a peaceful and joyful day with your families

doing whatever it is that makes you happy...

and while you are enjoying those activities, 

remember...

Remember what Memorial Day is really about.

Rebirth

So far this year

These Nine Acres has three successful nests...

one wren

one robin

and one bluebird.

The wrens hatched first,

then the robins, which are pictured here,

and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival 

of 4 bluebirds.

While not the most beautiful newborn creatures on earth,

the birds are certainly interesting to watch. 

Below are horrible pictures of the wrens, 

but I am sharing them anyway.

Because of the position of the nest...high in the rafters of 

Ladybug's treehouse,

the lighting and accessibility of the nest

is very challenging, to say the least.

But, I caught Mama wren

with a juicy, fat caterpillar

and could NOT believe my eyes when I saw one 

hungry youngster eat the whole dang thing...

in one gulp.

I think the caterpillar was larger than the baby bird!

He could have shared with his brothers and sisters for heaven's sake. ;)

Have a good weekend!

TGIF is all I have to say...

that means I actually get to sleep in past 

4AM...no gym on Sat or Sun!

Yeah Me!

Sunrise

Taken with my Ipod from a church parking lot on my way home from the gym.

 The last two mornings I have been up to see the sunrise.

To be exact, I have been up way before the sunrise

and have seen the sunrise on my way back home.

I joined Gold's Gym the other day

and started working out yesterday.

In order to fit workouts into my crazy schedule,

I have to go early in the morning.

Very early.

Like 4AM early.

If you know me,

you know how I hate getting up early,

so while this is going to be a struggle for me,

I have to admit that so far,

(granted, only 2 days in)

it has been great.

I feel better.

I am happy.

I get so much more accomplished in a day.

I have an excuse for a short afternoon siesta.

And...

I get to see the sunrise.

Out of the Closet

I am finally out of the closet.

My office used to be located in my walk-in-closet

in my bedroom.

It was great for a while, but it was getting 

a bit crowded in there. 

I hardly had any room for clothes and so 

I started to think about moving out.

The only trouble is there was no where to go...

except the mudroom/old laundry room.

Our mudroom was originally the laundry room

but because everyone uses the side entrance to my house as

the main entrance, I didn't like guests being greeted

by a washer and dryer.

So, shortly after moving here to These Nine Acres,

Brian moved the appliances to the basement, where I like

them much, much better...out of the view of company.

The mudroom in the meantime, was used as a space 

to collect coats, gloves, shoes, and mail.

Still, not an attractive entrance to the house.

So, I decided to move my office into this bright, 

albeit, tiny space and that way it will be functional 

but still attractive when we have visitors.

The cubby holes and the cabinets are great for storage of my equipment

and I love having the sink for water and tea.

Even though the space is small, 

I love it.

The window opens to my garden where I can enjoy 

the scent of the blooming peonies

(and I can see the bleeding heart bush shown in my blog banner)

and the hum of the hummingbirds visiting the feeder.

The white gauze curtains makes even a rainy day

much brighter, compared to the closet.

I can see and hear the kids playing right outside

on the blacktop driveway

and I can keep track of who is coming and going into the parking pad.

Hello world...it sure is brighter out here!

Seeds of a Maple

Trees are the best monuments that a man can erect to his own memory.  

They speak his praises without flattery, and they are blessings to children yet unborn.

~Lord Orrery

Bugged

Well, I was hoping this year those pesky stinkbugs 

would go back to wherever they are from.

No luck.

They are still all around These Nine Acres,

hiding in crevices, flying like a drunk kamikaze,

and in general, making my life miserable.

I can handle bugs...ticks, ants, flies, gnats...

Heck, I think I have taken care of at least 7 ticks already this spring.

I can even handle snakes,

thanks to the desensitizing I was put through upon 

first meeting my husband who owned a pet snake at the time.

But these obnoxious behaving and smelling guys?

Not so much.  They creep me out.

Another thing that has me bugged?

I was completely wrong in this post.

She is actually a he and 

it was not Flappy that needs a wax treatment...

it was Elvis.

I never claimed to be a great farmer, people.

So, sending out my apologies to the goat

who I mistakenly gender crossed

and apparently embarrassed in front of all the world.

And thanks to Brian for pointing out that I don't even 

know my own goats.  

But in the long run, 

boys can take pride in their appearance too,

so Elvis...get some wax, dude.

Well, it looks like you all survived the end of the world,

as I did and I have to say I am glad of it

if only for the fact that I got to get a good rant

off my chest today.

Happy Monday, y'all.  

Have a bug-free one.

A Moth Lights Upon a Lace Curtain

Like a moth to a flame

we become helpless to the beautiful ghosts

that true love sheds.

~Ryan O'Neal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The moth's kiss, first!

Kiss me as if you made me believe

You were not sure, this eve,

How my face, your flower, had pursed

Its petals up; so, here and there

You brush it, till I grow aware

Who wants me, and wide ope I burst.

~from the first verse of In a Gondola 

by Robert Browning

Seriously?  Who doesn't love a bit of romance

by Robert Browning on a Friday?

Have a great weekend, y'all.

Aquilegia

Genus:  Aquilegia

From the latin word aquila, which means eagle

because the shape of the petals resemble an eagle's claws.

Common Name:  Columbine

The Columbine

Still, still my eye will gaze long fixed on thee,
Till I forget that I am called a man,
And at thy side fast-rooted seem to be,
And the breeze comes my cheek with thine to fan.
Upon this craggy hill our life shall pass,
A life of summer days and summer joys,
Nodding our honey-bells mid pliant grass
In which the bee half hid his time employs;
And here we'll drink with thirsty pores the rain,
And turn dew-sprinkled to the rising sun,
And look when in the flaming west again
His orb across the heaven its path has run;
Here left in darkness on the rocky steep,
My weary eyes shall close like folding flowers in sleep.

~Jones Very

(1813-1880)

Reflections: The Riding Barn

Taken from the observation room of my daughter's riding farm.  My daughter's friend, E, is shown here on her horse, Stormy.

As many of you know already, 

reflections intrigue me.

I like the way inside and out are confused

and a mixed-up world emerges in a single image.

It causes the viewer to take the time and 

examine exactly what is happening in the frame.

For more on my Reflections series 

and my Inside Out series

you can check out the links to my Flickr site.

Dew You Love Me?

Beauty, sweet love, is like the morning dew,
Whose short refresh upon tender green
Cheers for a time, but till the sun doth show
And straight is gone, as it had never been.
~Samuel Daniel

Unless, of course the beauty is carried on the inside.

dew

  

–noun

1.

moisture condensed from the atmosphere, especially at night, and deposited in the form of small drops upon any cool surface.

2.

something like or compared to such drops of moisture, as inpurity, delicacy, or refreshing quality.

3.

moisture in small drops on a surface, as tears or perspiration.

Maaaaa

Well, hello there Flappy.

I see you are enjoying some lazy time

stretched out on the trampoline in the afternoon sun.

Girl, some advice...

they make wax and tweezers for hairy ear problems like yours.

Only a good friend would tell you that.

I've got your back ;)

River Rock

If it weren't for the rocks in its bed,

the stream would have no song.

~Carl Perkins

I am wanting for the water to run over me,

smooth away all the rough edges

like the river rock

that is smoothed by the constant 

rubbing and molding of the moving waters.

Belief

Congratulations on your first communion, K!  I love you! 

be·lief

[bih-leef] 

–noun

1.

something believed;  an opinion or conviction

2.

confidence in the truth or existence of something notimmediately susceptible to rigorous proof:

3.

confidence; faith; trust:

4.

a religious tenet or tenets; religious creed or faith

Happy Mother's Day

Spiral Notebook from Shadowhouse Creations

This Mother's Day is as special as always,

but I have learned one thing new this year...

It truly does take a village to raise children.

This Mother's Day I want to send out a special thanks

to all of my amazing friends and family

that help make me the mother I am. 

I couldn't do it without all of you!

Girls of Summer

Softball has been my life the last two weeks.

Ladybug is a natural athlete and she has been 

doing very well playing 3rd base and catcher for her team.

When I am not at a practice or a game,

I am photographing the girls in action.

Here are a few of Ladybug I got at a game recently:

Yelling to the catcher that a steal was in progress

Fielding a grounder

Getting a force out at third

STEAL! (yes, she was safe at 2nd!)

My girl is always happy in the field

In addition to following Ladybug's team,

I also had a rec shoot this past weekend 

so I have been swamped with editing and ordering

baseball and softball rec council pics.

I also had a chance to coach third base at last night's game

and was excited to send home over 10 girls on a passed ball steal of home.

I am an aggressive coach and the girls lived up to my expectations.

I miss playing softball...

but I love watching my girl get enjoyment from it even more.

The Birth of a Bubble

Isn't blowing bubbles fun?

I have a love/hate relationship with gum.

Can't stand when others crack, chomp, and pop it

but I love doing it myself.

Love:

Chewing it in private

Blowing bubbles

Seeing how many times I can pop it at once

Popping in a piece when I feel like eating sweets

Trying new flavors

Freshens my breath

Hate:

Stepping in it

Hearing others chomp, pop, and crack it

When the taste disappears and you can't find a trashcan

When my kids steal mine

A Proper Burial at Sea

Are you kidding me?

A burial at sea...I get that...the no sacred ground idea...

But a "proper" burial?

Please.