Happy Homemaker Monday - June 19, 2017

Family Corner

The weather.....has been pleasant. After some severe thunderstorms and hail last week, there have been very nice temperatures with cool breezes.

Right now I am....getting some things done before the girls head off to 4-H camp this week.

Thinking....how much fun we had yesterday at Lutz Backyard Railroad Garden. This garden is in Eagan (Minnesota) and is in someone's backyard. They have four times during the summer in which they invite the public to see the railroad garden at no cost.

The train runs on tracks around a landscaped and decorated garden.

There's a lot to see no matter where you are. There was a smoking volcano near a town.

I'll be posting a lot more pictures tomorrow about the visit to the railroad garden. (Click HERE to read the post.)

Reading....The Christmas List by Pete Nelson.

From the back cover: "I opened the drawer where I keep my Christmas list and read it again....My list and what she wrote on it changed my life forever. Most Christmas lists name the gifts we want. Mine contained the only thing I really need, which is love. It taught me how to give love. By loving we risk everything, but that's the way it should be. The love you give away comes back to you, multiplied and magnified, for as long as your heart can beat."

Favorite blog post last week....I want to catch up reading some blogs that I enjoy. The past few weeks have been hectic as the girls are preparing their projects for the county fair and are heading off to camp this week.

Also am preparing for a trip to Arizona next month. (Sophia won a trip to attend a leadership camp; and Olivia wants to see two national parks in Arizona as well as Frank Lloyd Wright's home while we are there.)

Something fun to share....Olivia has been taking gymnastics now since March. Typically, kids start when they are either in preschool or early elementary school. She did take some classes at the preschool level and then we stopped. Not sure why.

At any rate, she had been asking quite a bit to do gymnastics, and I thought it would be good enroll her and see what she thought of the sport.

She's been taking classes about twice a week (for the most part) now for 14 weeks. She did the beginner class and passed out of that; was given permission to skip the intermediate level; and moved right to advanced.

She still has a few skills to master before being able to get out of the advanced level and move to the excel prep level. She's hoping that sometime in the Fall she'll be able to do that.

It's been fun to watch her try something new and be excited to go each time to her lessons. This is definitely a sport she enjoys and is happy to be doing.

On the menu for this week....leftovers mostly. Need to clear out space for the next box of produce from the CSA. Last year, I chose a family box not knowing how much produce would be in each box. It was way too much and we had a lot of food go to waste.

This year, I chose a "Couples Package" - basically produce for two people who eat a lot of produce or a family who eats a lighter amount of produce. This is the perfect size for us.

We've enjoyed the Napa cabbage, green onions, spinach, and mint so far in two different salads. Still have a bag of mesclun, some rhubarb, and half a bag of spinach to use before Wednesday.

I may make another batch of homemade yogurt.

On my to do list....

Monday - take the girls to 4-H camp.

Tuesday - clean the house. Maybe go strawberry picking.

Wednesday -  Pick up Olivia from camp.

Thursday - Pick up Sophia from camp. (Camp Counselors stay an extra day to celebrate and clean up the camp.) If the girls aren't too tired, see a presentation at the library about zoo animals. The Minnesota Zoo is bringing some of their animals from their collection.

Friday - Go strawberry picking if I don't do that on Tuesday.

Do a final review of Sophia's photo book that she's been working on (16 Sweet Things for My 16th Birthday). It has descriptions and pictures of each of the 16 things she did to celebrate her 16th birthday.

All of the things she did were to help or benefit others (e.g., make coffee cakes for seniors in an assisted living facility where we volunteer; make a Jared Box and donate it to the Children's hospital; decorate 15 graves at Fort Snelling National Cemetery with wreaths; donate items to the food shelf; donate books to Read Indeed).

Also finish the 4-H club's digital scrapbook; and request a proof to edit it.

Do canning (strawberry jam and strawberry-lemonade concentrate).

Saturday - prepare for a memorial service on Sunday.

Sunday - attend a memorial service.

In the craft basket....I've enjoyed the craft classes I've taken recently: Saori weaving, Saami bracelet, and prayer bracelet.

Took a wood-burning class on Thursday and made a butterfly. Wood-burning is a lot more difficult than I anticipated it to be. Whereas a pencil, pen, or paintbrush glides across paper, a wood-burning tool has to move across the grain of the wood.

Depending on the type of wood used, the rings are more or less pronounced. We used cedar wood which has the smoothest texture. Other types of wood are bumpier because the rings are higher than the growth areas of the tree.

At any rate, I learned a new skill. Both Olivia and I agreed that wood-burning is not something we would probably do again. However, Sophia thoroughly enjoyed wood-burning and wants to do more of it.

Looking forward to this week....having some time to get caught up with cleaning and personal projects.

Looking around the house....I need to do some cleaning while the girls are gone. I stopped doing the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home challenge on March 15th. The 13th week focused on the basement which seemed overwhelming to do that time. However, now that 4-H is done for the year and the winter and spring holidays are over (and the bins holding decorations are in the basement), it seems like a logical time to re-visit the challenge and get caught up.

From the camera...After seeing the railroad garden, we drove about five minutes away to Caponi Art Park (also in Eagan). There were large sculptures throughout the park.

There was a lot of recycling and reuse going on with the sculptures, rock work, and pathways. It was a great way to see art and nature together.

Also linked to:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

Happy Homemaker Monday - May 22, 2017

Family Corner

The weather.....has been raining with some thunderstorms for the most part. Looks like more of the same for the majority of this week.

Right now I am....hoping that it is dries out a bit so I can mow the lawn and plant the gardens before this Friday.

Thinking....how much fun I had this past this past Thursday and Friday with Sophia and Olivia as well as two other families from our 4-H club.

We went camping in a yurt at Afton State Park.

It was different from the camper cabins that we've stayed at in the past. In concept, it's like a tent, except with more structure. There's a wood floor, wood stove, windows, and a door. The lattice work on the sides and wood poles on the ceiling hold the yurt's water-proof fabric in place.

We went on three hikes: one to the St. Croix River.

One through a forest behind the yurts...

and the third through a restored prairie that once was farmland.

We enjoyed making dinner and breakfast around the campfire. Thanks to the other families there, we learned how to use the grill to cook food in a pot and on a griddle. This opens up a lot of new possibilities for us now.

Reading....just started reading The Bishop's Daughter by Wanda Brunstetter yesterday.

Favorite blog post last week....Closet Cooking had a recipe for Corn and Cotija Guacamole that we made while camping.

It was so good. The entire batch was gone by the end of dinner - all the families liked it. We already made another recipe once we got back home it was that good. We made the version that had the tomatoes and bacon in it.

Something fun to share....I'm not sure it's "fun" as it is more of an adventure/story we can tell. Around 3:30 a.m. on Friday morning while we were camping, I learned that adult deer do, in fact, make noise. It's a rather unnerving sound when you don't know what it's coming from.

The deer was very close to the yurt so there were lots of twigs snapping and crunching under each loud footstep. It stayed for quite a while near the yurt, went off for a while, and then came back.

Here's what deer sound like when they are alarmed and notifying others that something is amiss in their world:

As you listen to these videos, might I suggest that you close your eyes, imagine it's pitch black outside, and there's only yurt fabric and lattice work between you and the animal making this sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EWzg4eiJnM
Listen to: 0:28 – 0:40.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjqDaEYTIgc
Listen to 0:46 to the end

Surprised by the sound that deer can make? I sure was. In fact, the sound was so unusual that I ended up calling the police since I had Sophia and Olivia with me; and essentially nothing to protect us from whatever was lurking outside the yurt.

After more than 20 years of camping and living in the country, I have never been more terrified...well, except when I had a close encounter with a bear in the middle of the night while camping. But, that's a different story.

Now that I know what an alarmed buck or doe sounds like, I'll be more prepared next time and not scared.

On the menu for this week....haven't thought about meals for the week yet. Will be doing that later today since I'll be going to town this afternoon.

On my to do list....

This week, in addition to homeschooling, there are these activities:

Monday - chiropractic appointments (Sophia and Olivia), volunteer at the humane society (Sophia and Ann), graduation rehearsal (Sophia is playing the piano and harp), take Olivia to gymnastics, grocery shopping while Olivia is at gymnastics, and take Sophia to a three-hour recording session for her CD.

Tuesday - podiatrist appointment (me) to determine what type of soft tissue injury I have with the my foot as a result of falling down some stairs in March; and take Sophia to the graduation ceremony where she provides the prelude and postlude music as well as plays Pomp and Circumstance; and a song while the graduates exit the ceremony.

Wednesday -  Mary B. here in the afternoon. Take Cooper and Aspen into the vet. Go to Fare for All.

Thursday - Doctor appointment (me).

Friday - Olivia's last speech therapy session for the school year; and then gymnastics lesson.  Evening is the Twins game with a relative visiting from out of town.

Saturday - Visit with relative from out of town and out to dinner.

Sunday - Maybe a visit to two state parks that we haven't been to yet. There are spring wildflowers blooming at both of them that I'd like to see.

In the craft basket....started working on making a pair of socks using a knitting loom. The pins on the loom are so close together so it's kind of challenging. It will be a sense of accomplishment if I can complete one pair of socks.

Looking forward to this week....getting the gardens planted and having the yard mowed. I want to see things looking more orderly, tended, and colorful. It also will be nice to have the vegetables, fruit, and herbs growing. This year we have to put fencing around the vegetable and fruit gardens since there are a lot of rabbits.

Looking around the house....I'm so pleased with how the windows look. Had a company come in to do the outside and inside of all the windows. The second level we can't reach, so they've never been cleaned since they've been installed. What a difference! Even though rain and snow "wash" them, it's not the same thing. I can understand now why my Mom was so excited when the windows were cleaned for her.

From the camera...we made fruit pizza while we were camping. Each slice of watermelon has strawberry slices, kiwi slices, blueberries, and peach slices on it.

Other topping ideas could have been feta cheese and mint - for an even more authentic pizza-looking treat. The kids, teens, and adults who like fruit enjoyed this dessert. It was healthy and refreshing after hiking.

Also linked to:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

Happy Homemaker Monday - May 15, 2017

Family Corner

The weather.....was hot this weekend - in the upper 70s. This week, however, there is rain or thunderstorms forecasted for almost every day.

Right now I am....listening to the wren sing in the pine tree by the bedroom. I love hearing its song each morning and throughout the day.

Thinking....how much fun I had this past weekend at the Shepherd's Harvest with Sophia and Olivia. On Saturday, I brought another family from our 4-H club to the event; and on Sunday we met my sister there for a while.

My sister likes llamas.

This one was a friendly one she enjoyed seeing.

Reading...finally finished Winsome Womanhood. Haven't started reading anything new yet.

Favorite blog post last week....it's not so much a single blog post as it is a Pinterest board with links to various resources on the internet (including blogs) that tie into the Further Up and Further In curriculum that Olivia will be using next year for part of her English homeschool class.

She wants to read the entire Chronicles of Narnia series and this unit study curriculum has a lot of hands-on ideas for bringing the stories to life. The Pinterest board I found has a lot of great links that will be helpful in the coming school year.

Something fun to share....last week the blossoms on the crab apple tree were brilliant. May 9th was the day they first came out and were so vivid.

By the end of the week, the petals already were falling from the tree and the blossoms had turned more of a very pale pastel color.

How quickly the colors change in nature; and each day a new palette of colors is revealed. 

On the menu for this week....still need to figure out some details on the menu plan.

Monday - something quick since we will only have about 20 minutes to eat between Olivia's gymnastics and the recording session for Sophia's CD. Maybe a chicken patty sandwich.

Tuesday - Blue Apron meal.

Wednesday - pork roast in the slow cooker.

Thursday - camping. Not sure what to do since it looks like it may rain. We need to bring a dinner if it isn't raining and we can cook over an open fire as well as one that we could make inside (maybe a slow cooker recipe that we start at home and finish in the camper cabin).

Friday - Blue Apron meal.

Saturday - leftovers.

Sunday - leftovers.

On my to do list....

This week, in addition to homeschooling, there are these activities:

Monday - pick up roses for the Ladies Tea at the nursing home, errands (Dollar Tree and Office Max), volunteer at the nursing home with the Ladies Tea, take Olivia to gymnastics, grocery shopping while Olivia is at gymnastics, and take Sophia to a three-hour recording session for her CD.

Tuesday - Homeschool co-op for both the girls; and a harp lesson for Sophia. Go to the doctor after I drop off the girls at home.

Wednesday -  Curriculum sale in the morning and Mary B. here in the afternoon. Window washers also in the afternoon.

Thursday - Camping at a state park.

Friday - Camping at a state park and then pick up transplants, seeds, and gardening supplies.

Saturday - Harp practice. Plant flowers, vegetables, herbs, and more strawberry plants. Transplant perennials and work on some of the flower gardens.

Sunday - Sophia plays the harp at both services. Continue working on gardens and cleaning the house. If the weather is better, have a picnic in the backyard.

In the craft basket....had a fun time at the Shepherd's Harvest learning two new skills: Saori weaving and bracelet making using tin wire, a colored cord, and leather.

The Saori weaving I had a lot of fun with. It was great using a variety of different colors and textures of yarn, roving, colored fleece, and bits of fabric.

I've been looking for a way to create memory gifts of my parents for my sister, brother, and I as well as my parents' grandchildren (9 of them). I could see Saori weaving as being a good way to use fabric that belonged to my parents - combine some of their clothing with complementary yarn and roving - to create something functional.

Olivia took the class with me and did a completely different type of weaving that turned out beautifully:

She used one color for the weft (black). The warp was already set up for her in a variety of blues. Because we came early to the class, we had the pick of the looms which was nice.

For those living in or near Minnesota, Saori Studio Fun is the company that did the classes. They go around and do Saori weaving classes throughout the metro area as well as host weaving days/retreats at their home. Going to a class is a great way to be introduced to this type of weaving without investing in the equipment. (Though it is quite tempting after how much fun we had at the class!)

The other class I took this weekend was a Sami-inspired bracelet. I learned how to do a four-ply braid using tin thread and a colored cord. Once the braid was completed, it needed to be sewn onto leather, a button attached, and then a leather-braided button clasp attached.

It was interesting to see how varying the cord and tin thread could result in completely different looks for the bracelet. Below is Sophia's bracelet that used the same braiding technique, but she ordered the tin thread and cord differently.

It was a more complicated way to braid even though the process is the same.

Sophia really enjoyed this class and wants to make more bracelets in different patterns. Olivia enjoyed the weaving class a lot more than the bracelet-making class. So, it was interesting to see how each one is different in terms of what they like to work with and create.

Looking forward to this week....going camping - even though it might rain. We have both a yurt and camper cabin reserved. The yurt doesn't have electricity, so I wanted to have a back-up plan in case it was too hot and we needed a fan and/or the girls preferred sleeping in a camper cabin.

I'm excited to see what the yurt is like - and to be able to spend time at the state park hiking, relaxing, and spending time with a couple of other families.

Looking around the house....my goal is to have the house Spring-cleaned by Memorial Day. I have a lot of work left to go if I'm going to reach that goal. It looks like much of the cleaning will be happening next week since this week has quite a few activities already planned.

From the camera...at the Shepherd's Harvest there were a variety of sheep. This one had four horns. I've never seen a sheep with that many horns.

We also saw yaks - including a baby one - at the event which was interesting. They have a very unusual sound they make when "talking" with one another.

Also linked to:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

Happy Homemaker Monday - May 8, 2017

Family Corner

The weather.....has been beautiful. In the 60s. Almost feels too hot with the sun shining.

Right now I am....still trying to wake up. Haven't been feeling 100% for a couple of days now.

Thinking....how quickly the trees grow leaves. As I look out the windows, all I see are trees covered in green leaves. It's beautiful!

Reading...I actually returned quite a few books to the library that I knew I wouldn't have time to read. I had ordered many books that I had in my "Want to Read" file that I kept for the past decade. I was able to skim through a lot of them and realize that I had moved onto another season in my life and in homeschooling.

Favorite blog post last week....I didn't have much time to spend readings blogs last week because I spent a lot of time outside the home transporting the girls to various activities and taking Eenie to the emergency clinic and our normal vet for bandage-wrapping issues and complications from it.

By Thursday, it was determined that we would let Eenie's broken scapula heal without a bandage since each wrapping the vet did resulted in some problem. Needless to say, he is doing very well without a bandage and his mood is greatly improved.

Something fun to share....Sophia, Olivia, and I went to the humane society's annual fundraising event yesterday with Danny and Scooby.

Scooby playing a game at the humane society's event.

He had to move the tennis balls to get a treat.

Needless to say, he was very motivated to

get rid of all those tennis balls!

They did very well considering it was the first time that they were around a lot of other dogs, in a building, and around food.

While we at the event, one of the owners brought his dog who rode in a car with attached camper. The dog sat in the car and seemed to enjoy going around.

On the menu for this week....still need to figure this out.

On my to do list....

This week, in addition to homeschooling, there are these activities:

Monday - volunteer at the humane society doing cat socialization, help Olivia with the video she is creating about the humane society for her 4-H project, and take Olivia to gymnastics.

Tuesday - Homeschool co-op for both the girls; and a harp lesson for Sophia. Get supplies for the service projects for the nursing home and humane society (wasn't able to do this last week).

Wednesday - Volunteer at the nursing home. They are ordering in Chinese food. Sophia and Olivia will bring some of the items they have from China to show the seniors. Mary B. here in the afternoon.

Thursday - No place to go!! Focus on homeschooling and cleaning.

Friday - Annual homeschooling testing in the morning, volunteer in the early afternoon at the humane society (Sophia plays the harp and Olivia and I pet the dogs and cats), and get our Blue Apron delivery.

Saturday - Olivia and I are taking a Saori weaving class at the annual sheep and llama festival. Will be seeing some friends from 4-H there who are interested in fiber arts.

Saori loom.

Sunday -  Mother's Day. May do something in the morning...not sure. In the afternoon, Sophia, Olivia, and I will be taking a class at the sheep and llama festival about how to make a Sami bracelet.

Example of Sami bracelets.

In the craft basket....didn't have time this past week to work on anything. This upcoming week, I'll be doing weaving and bracelet making.

Looking forward to this week....the two classes at the sheep and llama festival, and being able to do something creative with both girls.

Looking around the house....things are coming together. Got the grass mowed yesterday, the bathroom tub tile and floors steam-cleaned on Friday afternoon, and the rest of the bathroom cleaned yesterday. Dishes are all washed. Laundry done.

Still working on different areas of the home that I want to simplify and clean. My goal is to have the house Spring-cleaned by Memorial Day.

From the camera...Sophia is working on a quilt for one of her 4-H projects. She has all the blocks sewn. The next step is to sew the blocks together and then cut the ends so they are even.

She will have a long-arm quilter do the actual quilting of the top/batting/backing since we don't have a long-arm quilting machine.

We are excited to see what the final quilt will look like.

Also linked to:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

Happy Homemaker Monday - April 10, 2017

Family Corner

The weather.....is misting this morning when I let the dogs out. Yesterday, there was thunder in the distance and rain in the afternoon.

Right now I am....having the start of a migraine. Took 800 mg of Ibuprofen and am hoping that it nips it in the bud. Otherwise, it is going to be a very long day.

Thinking....about how good it feels to get rid of 11 bags of recycling since the beginning of April thanks to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge I'm doing. It's all photocopies and clippings that I had filed. I'm going through each homeschooling file and keeping what I want and will use in the next year. What I don't need, I'm recycling. It is creating so much extra space in my home office.

Example of what I'm doing this month.

Above: Files that begin with "E."

Below: After going through them,

the files on the left are what I'm keeping and

the bag on the right will be papers I'm recycling.

So far, I have done eight posts:

A is for Alphabets and Alphabet Books
Bears, Bread, Books, and Bodies
Cats, Character, and Chinese Inventions
Death, Deer, and Discovery Gardens
Earth Day, Easter, and Etiquette
Forests, Foxes, and Frogs
Games, Gardening, and Grains
Hermit Crabs, Health, and Homeschooling

Reading... Winsome Womanhood by Margaret Sangster. The book was written in 1900 and the MN-LINK system had it! I am so grateful for MN-LINK because it allows anyone in Minnesota to order books from any library in the state - some are public and some are colleges. Very rarely do I need to purchase a book since at least one library carries what I want to read.

I had never heard the word Winsome used before so I looked it up. It means "generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence."

It is written for "women, with a wish and hope that it may prove suggestive and helpful to the girl in her teens, who faces so many problems, and stands before an unknown future, to the older woman bearing the responsibilities of middle life, and to her whose outlook is toward the setting sun."

As I was flipping through the book, a quote stood out about the value and "power of womanhood as exhibited in....the doing the little things which alone lie within...reach":

The blessing of her quiet life

Fell on us like the dew.

I immediately thought of my Mom. So many little things she did during her years as a stay at home mom/homemaker that we subtly knew were happening and were nourished by. Yet, she never won awards or was well-known for these things that made our life such a happy one growing up.

On my TV.....the last thing I watched on t.v. was Grey's Anatomy and Scandal on Thursday evening.

Favorite blog post last week (mine or other)....Spirit Cloth combines quilting and embroidery in an artistic way. I enjoyed seeing her latest work with embroidered stars that have a square center and eight triangular points.

Source

Something fun to share....after the 4-H state wildlife project bowl competition in Sauk Rapids, we went to St. Cloud to attend a pow wow. The colors of the outfits were so vibrant; and beadwork was very intricate and beautiful.

Sophia and Olivia both want to go to more pow wows, so I've been checking to see what other ones are within relatively close driving distance to our home.

Blog hopping (newly discovered blog)....Through the A to Z Challenge, I came across Earlier Years. There have been interesting stories of growing up on a farm in the 1950s and 1960s. Besides the good memories, it also gives a glimpse into the hard work required by farming.

On the menu for this week....aren't determined yet since we have some leftovers I'd prefer to use up first before making new food.

Monday - Leftovers of Blue Apron's Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Creamy Fettuccine and Roasted Broccoli. The family meals (which are supposed to serve 4) end up making enough food for 7-8 servings for our family which is great. Lots of leftovers.

Tuesday - The rest of the chicken with fettuccine and/or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Wednesday - Pork roast with baked potatoes.

Thursday - Something with hamburger

Friday - Leftovers.

Saturday - Bratwurst.

Sunday - Easter dinner.

On my to do list....in addition to homeschooling:

Monday -  Sophia has an appointment with the optometrist. She's been having lots of headaches so I'm thinking her eyes have changed again...which means new contacts and glasses. Volunteer at the humane society doing cat socialization. Olivia has her weekly gymnastics lesson also in the afternoon. While she is there, pick up taxes from the accountant.

Tuesday - Homeschool co-op for both the girls and a longer harp lesson for Sophia as she prepares to record a CD. Get supplies for making about 12 welcome baskets for the nursing home (an activity we're leading next Monday).

These were the welcome baskets that

we made with the seniors back in July 2016.

They are given to new residents

when they enter the nursing home.

Wednesday - Dentist appointments in the morning; and Mary B. here for several hours in the afternoon.

Thursday - No appointments or lessons! A full day at home to catch up on whatever we need to do!

Friday - Olivia has a gymnastics lesson. No speech for her this week since it's Good Friday. In the afternoon, we volunteer again at the humane society. Sophia plays the harp for the dogs and cats while Olivia and I pet them. We find that animals that are stressed and anxious benefit the most from the one-on-one time.

Saturday - Depending on the weather, go to a state park that we haven't been to and have a picnic Afterwards, go to United Noodles to get some exotic fruit for Sophia's 4-H project about fruit. Her focus is on fruit that are common in Asian countries, but rare (or not grown) in the U.S.

Dragon Fruit is one of the fruits Sophia wants to try.

Source

Sunday - Easter. Looking forward to dinner with my sister and brother, and their families.

In the craft basket....I took the two projects I've been working on to the state Project Bowl this past weekend. Having time between competitions gave me just what I needed to finish doing all the blanket-stitching around the Christmas table runner. It's a relief to have that done.

Also sewed the opening on the northwoods flannel quilt. Now I just need to put yarn ties on it. There are 9 ties per horizontal row and 12 ties vertically - so 108 yarn ties. It secures all three layers together (the quilt front, batting, and backing).

Looking forward to this week....seeing my brother and sister. I haven't seen my brother since Christmas, so I'm particularly looking forward to seeing how he is doing and spending time with him. It's good for us "kids" to get together now that both our parents are no longer with us. This is the second Easter without our Mom and sixth Easter without our Dad.

Looking around the house....there's quite a bit of work that I want to do this week in terms of cleaning. Going through the files for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge has taken a lot of time. Yet, one of my goals has been to declutter and organize the household this year. It will all come together...it's just a matter of time.

From the camera....this was Saturday morning's sunrise. We were driving from St. Cloud to Sauk Rapids around 7:00 a.m. The entire sky was painted with shades of yellow, oranges, pinks ,and lavenders.

Also linked to:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

Happy Homemaker Monday - April 3, 2017

Family Corner

The weather.....is pleasant. After a light sprinkling of rain yesterday, it looks clear and comfortable today. In the 50s - which is balmy for Minnesota.

Right now I am....listening to the frogs sing in the pond. They have been singing (quite loudly) since last Monday. It's one of my favorite sounds in the Spring. This short video shows our pond in 2011 and the sound the frogs make. It sounds the same today.

One of the many frogs in the pond that the girls have found.

This one was from July 2012.

The ones now will hide and are silent when you approach the pond.

When they know they we are further away,

they begin singing again.

Thinking....about the wildlife I've been seeing and hearing on walks with the dogs: great blue heron, Sandhill Cranes, about six pheasants in a pond/reedy area, a bluebird, and low-flying red-tailed hawk.

Reading...I ordered about 50 books from the library on Saturday afternoon after going through a folder in file cabinet titled "Books."

I've been putting clippings, hand-written notes, and lists of books that I want to read or have the girls read as part of homeschooling. Figured it would be good to order them and start reading or browsing over them.

On my TV.....the last thing I watched on t.v. was Grey's Anatomy and Scandal on Thursday evening.

Instead of watching t.v., I've been:
=> going through files for the A to Z Challenge;
=> setting up a schedule for the upcoming year of when I want to do things (personally and for homeschooling);
=> going on walks with the dogs and by myself; and
=> working on a quilt I've wanted to finish.

A trail at a park on a walk I took last week.

Favorite blog post last week (mine or other)....Yesterday I posted Bears, Bread, Books, and Bodies as part of the A to Z Challenge. I'm going through all my homeschool files (which I've been creating since Sophia and Olivia were in preschool).

Now, as part of the Challenge, I'm going through each file - keeping what I want, recycling what I don't; and adding to my schedule the things I want to do. It's been a great way to get rid of what I no longer need or want; and create space in the process.

Something fun to share....in late-March or early-April, Dayton's (and then Macy's) would host a flower show. Each year it had a different theme. The store was recently sold and literally everything in it is gone. Although there will be no more flower shows, I am thankful for the ones I was able to see.

This is one of the displays from 2014. The dress and hat is covered with flowers.

Sophia, Olivia, and I took my mom that year. Although she was almost blind at that point, she could still see the vibrant colors and smell the wonderful scents of the varieties of flowers.

It was a wonderful day that we spent together. I'm grateful to have taken some photos to remember it by.

Blog hopping (newly discovered blog)....Through the A to Z Challenge, I came across Cheryl Lennox's blog. She's an art quilter who created a tactile barn quilt.

I was thinking she was referring to the barn quilts like my daughter and over 100 volunteers did for our community, but it was actually a quilt that had barns for the squares. She used items she had on hand to create each of the squares. It's a type of memory/tactile quilt using barns as the theme which is very interesting to me.

On the menu for this week....

Monday - Chicken in the crockpot.

Tuesday - Grilled cheese sandwiches using the bread I made on Sunday.

Wednesday - Blue Apron delivery. Spicy Pork with Korean Rice Cakes.

Thursday - Blue Apron's Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Creamy Fettuccine and Roasted Broccoli.

Friday - Leftovers.

Saturday - Something with hamburger.

Sunday - Pork roast in the crockpot with potatoes and carrots.

On my to do list....in addition to homeschooling:

Monday -  Work with Sophia to pick and print photos for her Music Therapy display and presentation at the homeschool co-op. Take Sophia to the American Red Cross blood drive to donate blood. Olivia has her weekly gymnastics lesson also in the afternoon. 

Tuesday - Homeschool co-op for both the girls and harp lessons (Sophia). Sophia has her allergy shots as well. Get supplies for the 4-H meeting on Thursday.

Wednesday - Mary B. here for several hours in the afternoon.

Thursday - 4-H Day starting at 10:00 and wrapping up around 4:30 or so. Starts with the Wildlife Project Bowl team practice; then the 4-H club meeting; and then the 4-H banner committee meeting.

The colors of felt and paint that

will be used on our 4-H club's banner.

Friday - Olivia has speech therapy. Travel and stay in St. Cloud for the state 4-H Project Bowl competition.

Saturday - Starting bright and early at 6:30 a.m.: travel to the state 4-H Project Bowl competition in Sauk Rapids so Olivia can compete in the wildlife division. Sophia is coaching the team. They already placed first at the regional level.

In the afternoon (depending on how long the competition is), attend a Pow Wow and then head home. There's a list of Pow Wows in Minnesota if we aren't able to attend this one.

Sunday - Crafting and cleaning.

In the craft basket....I'm finishing up on the Christmas table runner. Just have some blanket-stitching to do around the outside.

This is half the table runner.

The pattern repeats itself on the other half of the runner.

On Sunday, I sewed the quilt front, batting, and backing together for the northwoods-theme quilt. I bought the quilt top for a couple dollars at a quilt show a few years ago. There were UFOs (unfinished objects) that people were selling. All I had to do was invest in some flannel for the backing and batting to finish off this quilt.

Still need to hand-sew the opening (where the pins are); and

do the yarn ties.

Will be doing yarn ties on this quilt rather than a binding since it's a super soft, all-flannel quilt.

Also have been enjoying making some new blends with essential oils. Put together all the photocopies of recipe blends I have into a binder so they can be easily referenced.

Six essential oils were used to create "Love in a Mist."

Looking forward to this week....taking a short trip and seeing how the team does at the state level. Am hoping we are able to see the Pow Wow also. It's been a long time since I've seen one (the early 2000s in Grand Marais).

Looking around the house....Inside the house, I'm seeing lots of things that are in progress. It will be nice to have projects completed.

Outside the house, I'm seeing more signs of Spring: the tulips and lilies are coming up. Also seeing some new strawberry plants emerging. The barn swallows are looking for nests in the eaves of the barn.

From the camera....Sophia is working on a quilt for her room.

Her bedroom is painted in these colors, so she wanted to have a quilt that matched. This is a challenging pattern for her, yet she's doing an amazing job. This is what she completed so far on Sunday:

Also linked to:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth