Memorial Day....

Hello Friends, on this special day we thank our military men and women, past and present, for their service to our great country. Thank you for your sacrifice, for your selflessnes and the security that you afford us here at home. We love you!!

Now to the pictures....I cannot for the life of me remember to take "before" pictures of things! We just dive on in, and wish we had the before pics after we're done..Anyway, this basement door and the planters on either side were dirt and boulders. (see boulders in planter on right). The boulders had shifted and moved toward the door making it rather narrow. The planter on the right was filled to overflowing with ivy and creeping junipers. I'm not fond of either of the two plants as we are both allergic to the juniper, and the ivy is a great hiding spot for skunks and mice and spiders! Last week I spent a couple of hours each day cleaning out the ivy and hubby dug out the junipers on his last day off. This weekend we put up the walls. We still need a load of river rock for the planters, and that brick walkway will be changed as well, but we got a good start on things anyway. On Sunday, we watched movies, made fajitas for dinner, and relaxed. Wishing you a peaceful holiday weekend. Blessings~

Nature's Beauty~A Garden Walk

Welcome To Springtime!

Yellow Yarrow

A Bucket Bursting with Color!

Pole beans coming up!

Wagon Wheels and Pole beans at the base of the fence

Lavender

A Natural Prairie Garden at the very East end of out property

Gerber Daisies

A morning stroll through my gardens, everything still damp from the rains overnight. A little bunny hops out of the prairie garden, we were both startled to see one another! Thankfully Freeway was off chasing a squirrel in a grove of trees. The air this morning is so humid, so thick, you could cut it with a knife...but it is cool yet so very comfortable. Yes, spring has finally arrived in full bloom to Iowa. Today I have 7 more flowers to get in the ground, and I will be pretty much done with the planting. My vegetable garden is coming up so well however, the darn weeds are already taking over!
My hubby's dad and step mom will be coming in June for a visit! I can't wait to see them! And then my dear friend Vicki will also be visiting in June. What a banner month it will be! I love company!!!! With my husband's work, we have never lived close to our families, so each and every visit is more than special.

Well off to hoe the vegetable garden. I am almost finished with a rag quilt that has taken me a month to finish!! Can you believe that?? Sheesh! I can't seem to stay indoors long enough to sit at my sewing machine. And I have been working on the sweetest rag rug for months and months, but I'm still at it!! You will love it, and I will take some awesome pics when I get a little further done. Hugs and Love-from my garden to Yours!

Blessings~Sharon

Out for a Morning Stroll.....

Good Morning Friends! As I was digging and weeding in the front yard I noticed a beautiful deer walking down the street, slowly and peacefully, just having a morning stroll. I was able to retrieve my camera before it came to be in front of my yard. So I sat on the front porch and waited for it to make it's way down the road. Just as I snapped this photo, the neighbors herd dogs came running out lickety-split and chased it into the conservation park below our home. The deer was running and leaping with its tail straight up in the air! It was so wonderful to see. Between yesterday and today I have planted 36 flowers and mowed the 2 acres of grass! This was my first mowing, hubby has been doing it, and I am so sore! By the end of the fall, I will be in Great shape I'm certain. Blessings to you dear friends, enjoy the moment!

Fresh from the Garden....

Hello Friends! Now that the warm weather is here...I have been a bum about my blog!! First thing in the morning I'm out on the deck having a cup of coffee and listening to the birds...next thing I know I'm off to the nursery to add a little color here, a little broad leaf there, and on and on. So by the time I come back in, I've got to get supper ready for my wonderful man! I have also begun to volunteer at our local hospital here in Marshalltown. It's been a wonderful experience, it truly has! I have met the nicest people in the last few weeks at the hospital. I'm so blessed by this opportunity to help out in my community.
As for moving, we don't yet know when or even if that will happen, we continue to pray and ask for wisdom, and clarity in the midst of confusion and turmoil. We are thanking the Lord for our joyful hearts, our health, our love for each other. We are so very, very blessed.
I will be joining your blogs this weekend!! Can't wait to see what you have been up too! I am so inspired by your words and your creativity. I have been sadly lacking a creative spirit lately. I suppose that these "dry spells" make me appreciate the moments when I am Bursting with Ideas for new and exciting projects. It will come...It will come. Love and Hugs~Blessings to you!

...One Duck Up A Tree...A Graduation..And A Fond Farewell..

Can you see this Crazy Duck up in the Tree?? Every morning it comes to sit in the very same spot..staying for about a half hour. It struck me so funny, I have never seen a duck in a tree before! Always they would be walking around on the ground-don't get me wrong, I know they fly, I just never saw one up a tree before! Cute!

A graduation picture from last Friday night!-Okay...it was def. a BAAAD Hair Day! But it was a wonderful day all the same. My hubby was taking the picture of me..Surprise!!!

On a sad note...little Tracy is not with us any longer. She was our neighbors little boy's doggy. We'll sure miss the little rascal! See you in heaven little one!
We had such a storm yesterday! Rain was the least of it, but the Wind was incredible! Lifting heavy items and moving them around on the back deck! It was so loud, that I had to turn the music up to keep Freeway from getting stuck trying to crawl under the bed. Today it is quiet here, overcast and kind of gloomy---but quiet. God Bless my Oklahoma friends~may you be protected from storms today. What devastation!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to the most important woman in my life...My Amazing Mom! She has taught me so many important life lessons, and through her, I have learned to be a woman. She is Elegant, and Charming, Witty and loves the Lord with all of her heart. She is Oh So Warm and Cuddly! She is an Adventurer, an Explorer. She is Fun! Her laughter is music to my ears.

And how she loves to laugh!!! She will try anything, even driving a bobcat or lawn tractor! She is 82 years old and still Smokin' Hot! She is Graceful and Dainty....

Her energy is boundless. She is a teacher, and a student. But most of all.....

She is deeply loved.

Happy Mother's Mom! And Happy Mother's Day to all of you, my sweet friends!

Flowers and Farming With a Chill in the Air!

Thank you friends for your encouragement

A New Season~A New Crop

After Paint (not quite finished yet)

Before Paint

Good Morning! And what a beautiful day it is! First off thank you so much friends for your encouragement and wonderful welcome back yesterday!! I was so happy to hear from you, and so blessed by your kindness. I feel energized today and ready to roll! Bless you MA, Alix, Cindi, Betty, Judi, LindaMay, Lynne, and Tammy, and especially Mom. I love you all!!

I did start painting the wagon, poor ol' thing, I think it looks better. I'm going to put some pretty flowers in it, and plant wild flowers in front of it. But today, I'll finish painting. We had originally thought we'd restore her, but on closer inspection, we realized it would be impossible as there isn't one single piece of good wood left on her. Not ONE! So, I'm painting in hopes that it will stay together for a few years. If we are still here...we will use the hardware, get some old barn wood and build another one. It's been blowin' pretty hard here.. up to 70 mph winds, the last few days. I did paint one day, until I discovered that I had more paint on me, than the buckboard did. I don't think it was ever sealed. I didn't really use paint on it, rather a sealer with a cedar tint. I wanted it to show up a bit. Whaddya Think??

Oh yes, and the farmer was here at the crack of dawn this morning!

Hugs to you and Blessings as well,

Sharon

It's Been Awhile!......

New Curtains with Roses

My Country Road

Hello Friends~It's been awhile since I've blogged...I hope you are all well and enjoying springtime! It's been a whirlwind here..literally and figuratively. I have planted my vegetable garden, and Gurney's delivered a package chock full of springtime goodies! Have you see the Sorbet peonies? Oh my gosh, they're beautiful! Delicate pink, and white blossoms. Perfect!! And I also have a love for lavender, so I added to my garden several varieties. I finished school and and will graduate on Friday! I was talking to my friend the other day...(we have been buddies for 51 years now) and she was telling me that she is getting married in July! Talk about a couple of LATE BLOOMERS!!! She's getting married, and I'm graduating from college!! Ha! Oh well, it's never to late for anything, is it??

I have been struggling with faith lately..it seems that when everything is going well, hey, I'm a faithful Christian!! Right on board, for sure. BUT....when things are tenuous and strained, well, I just fall apart! To make a long story short..my sweet husband is working for a real stinker! It's been a long hard year for him. For those of you who don't know, we just moved here to Iowa a year ago (almost a year), and my hubby has 30 years on the job. He now has 4 days a month off, and is on call 24 hrs. a day...it's exhausting and it's wearing on him. So, he is going to put in for a different position, which very well may have us packing up and moving again. I am heartbroken. We love it here, and can see ourselves retired here. My husband has about 4 more years until retirement. The new job will take him out of town again from Monday-Friday. The last year has been the only time in our married life that my husband has been home every night, and I've become very spoiled to have his company. I don't look forward to moving and being alone in a new State once again, not knowing anyone. So that's my dilemma..my whiny, story. I should have more faith that what happens will be for the best, and deep down I know it will. I really do. And yet I struggle, and despair.

On the bright side, my bedroom redo is coming along. The top picture is a sneak preview of some pretty white linen curtains I made for the bedroom windows. I didn't line them (we have blinds on the windows too, so these are just for "frou frou") and they just look lovely when the wind blows through. I made little flowers and attached them to the curtains. I saw the flowers on a pillow that my friend June from Laughing With Angels made awhile ago, and thought they would be beautiful tossed onto white linen curtains. They do! Thanks June!! They are so light and fresh I love the way they came out...unfortunately, the picture didn't turn out too well. When I finish with the room I will take pictures of the entire redo.

The horses are out again!! I missed them through the winter months. My neighbors across the road, just had 8 baby calves! They are so delightful!! I just love those cute little black noses!!

I have almost finished sealing and repainting the buckboard...today I will get that done. Then I'm going to plant a small wildflower garden in front of it. And of course put a few pots of flowers in it! I'll take pictures of it tommorow.

Be well friends, I've missed you, but have been reading your blogs faithfully.