Big Universe, Small World... ©2013-2020

We started a new pineapple plant today...I am not sure if this one will make it or not...we will see. It has viable roots on it, but the leaves are being lost from the middle portion and it is mushy there. My son picked the seeds out of the pineapple fruit so we could germinate the seeds. We only got 4 or 5 out so far, but we have not been through the whole pineapple yet.   The children next door seem fascinated by the chicken eggs. The have been over in my yard for quite a while now today to watch chickens and look for eggs - again and again and again and AGAIN .    This is an assortment of eggs from a few days back. The basket is one we made for a craft project. :)

Today was about barrels & chickagirls & leeks... I finished the rain barrel.        The upper spigot is an overflow spigot that will be hooked up to a second barrel later on. The bucket is there for that purpose right now.    The girls followed me around the yard a bit.       About two weeks ago, I saved the leek bottoms and set them in water for a few days. They sprouted new roots.   I planted them and noticed today that they have sprouted new growth through the dirt. We have some more waited to reroot in the kitchen and I will plant those in a few days. This makes me happy!  :)

The week has worn down and it is Friday...   So, first things first...so that I may get a confession out of the way. When I was little my mother had a pair of socks she wore at times. They really were not a pair made for each other, but one she created. The socks were the same pattern, but one was red and one was blue. I remember thinking I wanted to crawl under a rock when she wore those socks...the horror . What if someone I knew saw her socks while we were out in public. Today, I went out with my kid to the hardware store to pick up two bolt nuts. When I got home, I looked down at my feet and saw the white socks with the Keens...last week there were striped pink Betty Boop socks worn with the Keens...but my immediate thought today, was of my mother with her blue and red socks. I have arrived. The difference is my son does not care. My son had already completed his studies for this week, with the exception of one Algebra lesson. He finished the Geography course last week a...

It is not finished....well, it is finished...but, I have to still nip the drainpipe to the gutter...then I can actually put the lid on without the drain going through the screen...   drew cut out area on top piece   notched it to start cut out   beginning to finish the cut out for the rain to enter   hole for water cut out   layered with one piece of screen   layered with two pieces of screen   lid view from top   preppinng for where the bottom spicket will go   bottom spicket hole drawn to cut out   prepping spicket to place on barrel   out spicket on barrel   bottom spicket nutted from inside   overflow hole cut out   overflow spicket in place   overflow spicket nutted from inside   barrell in place under gutter...just need to nip the drain shorter

bend me mold me break me make me be Holy unto You... bend me mold me break me make me grow as You want me to... bend me mold me break me make me be vigilant in growth for You... bend me mold me break me make me go where You want me to... bend me mold me break me make me speak words of praise to You... bend me mold me break me make me have the life You choose for me to... bend me mold me break me make me live only for You. ~selah... 

I first heard this on a day I was running away...God spoke to me through this song and it brought me back and I knew in an instant it was going to be alright...God has got this... I know if Your eye is on the sparrow, then Your heart is on me.

busy, busy day...   one of the neighbors complained about a chicken in her yard. we have recently discovered that when the girls leave our yard, they are typically following a shrew tunnel...which they have become quite adept at finding, catching, and eating.  i did not know these things existed in the abundance they do...but, alas, now i know. i am quite happy that the girls eat these varmints and they seem to not mind the extra protein...   the girls find a tunnel and follow and find the shrew and eat it up...you would think a neighbor would not mind. sheesh!  anyhow, the girls have not been free ranging in a few weeks, because of the one complaining neighbor. so, today, we expanded their 'yard'...     the girls were happy with the new yard for them to cluck about in.  we also cut their wings so they could not fly off or out of the chicken yard.       the kale looks good.      in the middle...

  Today on the way home from my mother's house, my younger child and I were listening to the local Christian station. I do not know the name of the song that was playing at the time. The song was about a father who is reflecting on the life of his children and how their childhood has passed before his eyes. He sang of how he regretted not stopping to play with his child and how he always said he had to work...and now, it is too late. My younger son speaks up from the backseat and says he can only remember two times I have ever had to tell him I had too much to do to spend time with him. We talked about for a moment. He discussed how the times this has happened, it was when I was backed against a deadline. He said what he remembers is that I always stop to play with him or spend time with him or to help him. I am not sure what that states about my work ethic to others, which in my opinion has always been pretty driven and very strong. But, it does speak volumes ...