Horse Play

A couple weeks ago I went horse back "riding" with a friend. I put "riding" in quotes because I am terribly afraid of riding horses. But when the opportunity presented itself, I thought I should be brave & see if I could possibly conquer my fear. But, nope. I'm still afraid. My sweet horse, Ash, was the bestest horse ever though. He was a slow moving, lolligagging, wonderfully mellow beast. And I didn't really "ride". I walked. Which was perfect for me.

Her feet, my feet, horse feet.

I'm finding that if I don't have my weekly or regular adventures I feel rather lost. They are inspiration to me. And they fill me up with good stuff. And besides, I get to hang out with my friends. Just last Sunday, Susan & I went for another random drive. We ate dinner while we rode along, dining on Diet Dr. Pepper & caramel corn. We stopped by a cemetery for a walk. We drove down random dirt roads, trying to chase down the perfect spot for a spendlid sunset view. We were too late, so instead we got out of the car & did cartwheel after cartwheel & jumpy photos galore. There were little frogs everywhere, blending in with the dirt. They looked like pebbles hopping along. We're even pretty positive we discovered some dinosaur bones. But we accidentally left them behind, so we don't have ACTUAL proof anymore.

A gravestone of a baby named Mary Maxine Fortner, 1939-1940, decorated with marbles.

Shy little sunflower.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of spontaneity. And just having simply no agenda.

♥

Week in Review: August 23-29

I get this feeling sometimes: I have so much to do, so many ideas in my head, so many things that need checking off my list. And yet, I do none of them. I just don't know where to start & I feel paralyzed. I know my cleaning & organizing efforts last week AND this week are a prelude to the great things I want to come this next season. Preparing the way, so to speak. A sort of red carpet laid out for my creative thoughts. You know how when your physical space is cluttered, you also feel cluttered inside? Yeah, it's like that. It's just unfortunate that cleaning is my least favorite thing to do. Well, actually, it's MORE unfortunate that I'm such an awesome mess-maker.

Click HERE for a photo play-by-play. 

♥

Squeaky

This week it's all about the clean. I am scrubbing & purging & organizing & folding {laundry, that is} & wiping & sweeping & mopping & dusting &...
It's all summer's fault. All the shenanigans she made us get into. All the fun she forced us to have. And the appearance of my sweet untidy home is definite proof of the merriment we've had. But it's time to step into a more systematic way of doing things now that school has started. Most especially because this is my sabbatical, so to speak. My time to take a break from the shop so I can hopefully come up with some new ideas. Some fresh items to stock in the shop. I've already come up with a couple lovely things---& a few new tutes I'm working on as well for the blog.
So excuse me while I attack those runaway dust bunnies & climb high the piles of stuff-n-things.
♥

Week in Review: August 16-22

This week the girls started school! They were so excited. And, so far, so good. Zoey was thrilled to have real desks like the big kids. She was SO hoping for a desk--- & when I picked her up on the first day of school the first thing she said to me was, "Real desks! Just like I wanted!" And Pazely was squealing about what a great day it was. Nothing specific, just: "It was GREAT!!!" Happy school girls. I like. Let's just keep it that way.

The family hit the road to stay the night in a hotel this weekend--just 40 miles away. We did that one other time this summer & it is a HIT with the girls! We thought we'd give a little celebratory praise to the end of summer & the first week of school.

I'm in the process of working out a schedule for myself. I need to be able to fit everything into my days: things that NEED to get done combined with things I WANT to get done. This new life of mine in Nebraska  has brought about a lot of new things in my daily meanderings. And I don't want the crafty & creative part of me to get left out of the mix. Sometimes you just need to readjust your schedule or priorities. This is one of those times.

As you may, or may not, have noticed, I haven't been blogging every day. It was TRULY something fun to do for the summer. But, gosh, it's a lot of work to blog every day. I like going back to my usual routine: blogging when inspiration hits, or when I want to show off a new crafty project, or I just want to brag about something or ramble about nothing. That's the rhythm I like best.

For a photo play-by-play click HERE.
♥

Back to School

ME: "Ok girls. This is our 'First-Day-of-School' picture! Smile! Look alive!.....Pazely, maybe a little less squinting."

ZOEY: "CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE......."

ME: "That's better Pazely. But not really. Nevermind. By the way, your socks are all funky. I'm not sure what you were going for, but they're uneven."
ZOEY: "........EEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSE!!!!"

PAZELY: "Mom! Just take the picture!"
ZOEY: "Get the lunchbox in the picture mom! Did you get the lunchbox?"
ME: "Yes, I got the lunchbox Zoey.....OK, how about I get some photos of Zoey by herself first?"

(Pazely stands like a statue. An immovable sculpture. A giant boulder, not about to budge. Stationary.)
ME: "Alright, we'll let Pazely go first."

ME: "Pazely, you're arching your back---just relax your shoulders."

PAZELY: "Mom, do you know how much stuff is IN this backpack?! ...48 pencils, 24 crayons, 18 markers, 3 erasers, 2 giant boxes of kleenex, 2 glue sticks, a bottle of glue, 1 box of Nilla Wafers, 1 package of Chex Mix, a pack of coffee filters & a pair of pointy scissors!"
ME: "Coffee filters? Do the 1st graders drink coffee?"
PAZELY: "Apparantly." 

ME: "OK, it's Zoey's turn for pictures now."

ZOEY: "Step aside Pazely! Exit stage right immediately."

PAZELY: "Warning: Diva has entered the room."

ZOEY: "Pazely! MOVE! You're in the waaaaaay!!!"
(Pazely walks away singing: ♫"I'm too sexy for this backpack... ♫ too sexy for this backpack..."♫)

ZOEY: "Here's my first pose. Casual. Confident. Relaxed & ready for a 2nd grade education...."

ZOEY: "And now I'm giddy. Silly. How about I kick up my right foot in the back & lean over for a little 2nd grade *Squeeee!*"

ZOEY: "And now I'm about to change poses. Still smiling. Still cute. Next I think I'll...."

ZOEY: (**GROWLS!!!!!!!**) "Pazely! You're in my shot! You're head is taking up the whole frame! Get! Out! Of! The! Waaaaaaay!!!! MOM! Make her move! She's ruining EVERYTHING!"

ZOEY: ( **Pouts**)
PAZELY: "I am done with this. I'm going inside to pull up my other sock."

ZOEY: "Hmph!"

ZOEY: (**Quickly flips head toward camera.**) ♫"Cheeeeeeeeeeese!!!"♫

This pose says: Homework? For reals? You wouldn't do that to me would you?

This pose says the same thing. Only on the other side.

This pose oozes: I'm sweet. I'm adorable. And yes, you can give me 2nd's on that cafeteria dessert.

I'm swinging my lunchbox from side to side, I'm swinging, swinging.....

ZOEY: "Get the lunch box mom. K?"
ME: (rolls eyes) "Got it."

ME: "What now, Zoey?"
ZOEY: "I'm smiling while, at the same time, planning my next pose..."

BOTH GIRLS: "One...two...three...First day of school! Yippee"
♥

Summer Break: Day 90. The End.

It was a peaceful day. I shopped for the last bits of school supplies not yet crossed off the list. The backpacks are filled. Overfilled, really. Outfits for the first day of school are laid out. Notebooks are embellished with stickers. And I found myself getting quite giddy at getting to make school lunches tomorrow morning. I anticipate the traditional "first day of school photo". And I know the house will be eerily quiet when the girls leave.

Tonight as I was reading my girl's their bedtime story, Zoey all-of-a-sudden interrupted & squealed: "I feel like screaming! I'm so excited for school tomorrow!!!" I am glad. Because the last school year was a rough one. We had moved to a new town, 1200 miles away from home. In December. So the girls started school in the middle of the year, in a new place, with a new teacher & new friends to make--- & even a completely new way of learning math & writing. And to top it all off Zoey had to deal with a pesky little bully of a girl in her class. Zoey constantly complained about going to school. She hated school. And that was hard to hear because she had never been like that before moving here.

So, I guess all my ramblings are due in part to the fact I'm so thrilled that she's squealing! And excited! And she pretty much can't contain herself!

I can't believe this was the end of summer.

Thanks, by the way, to all of you who followed along on our Summer Diary Series. It's been fun!!
We will now resume our regularly scheduled programming...

(Maybe less is more?)

♥

Bee Scene

On Monday morning I got to venture over to my friend Beulah's house for some bee fun. I was accompanied by my other friend Susan & my hubby Scott. We all suited up & headed out to Beulah's hives, which are boxes & boxes stacked atop one another, full of bees. It was such a cool experience.

To view my complete set of Bee photos, click HERE.

I spray Scott with liquid smoke. It helps calm the bees. And it's just a fact that there's nothing more annoying than a testy bee.
By the way, Scott said that Susan & I looked like characters from Star Wars. Did he get a chance to look at himself in the mirror??

Pretty little hives. All in a row.

Beulah checks to make sure the bees are doing what they're supposed to.

Ten of these frames fill each box. The bees work hard to create honeycomb cells on these frames by secreting a wax.

We also searched for the queen bee in some of the hives. In this photo you can see the larvae waiting to hatch.

I win! I win! I found the queen. Well, I was holding the frame & someone else found it.

Can you spot the drone? Drones are male honeybees & they can't sting. In the hive they do no work. They don't even feed themselves. The worker bees, which are all female, feed them. Drones have no purpose in the hive, except to mate with virgin queens.  And after they mate, they die.  And if they don't mate, they usually die after 4 months. And if they survive those 4 months to Autumn without mating, they'll get thrown out by the worker bees anyway & die. Hmm. Interesting...

One of the highlights of my bee adventure: getting to see a brand new bee "born"!! It's right in the middle, peeking its head out. We waited patiently while it chomped away & eventually emerged from its cell! Just 3 weeks prior, she was a newly laid egg.

Beulah's husband Russell built all the bee boxes.

Me & Susan.

After playing our part as bee patrol, we hitched a ride on the tailgate of Beulah's truck, & headed back to the house for some toast & what else? Honey.

I think me likes the bees.

♥

Summer Break: Day 89

Hmm. Yesterday was an unusual day. Lazy bones here slept in late due to my normal 'Monday night into the wee hours of Tuesday morning' work routine. That part is not unusual. I love that part.

But I was in a funk yesterday. And the kids were SERIOUSLY out of control. And we didn't do anything fun. And so last night I got out of the jammies I'd been wearing all day & put on new jammies. And I had a wee sit by the fire with friends & then I was a tiny bit better.

Today is the last day of summer break. And I realize it's ending like it began: not so great. (That first day was a doozy!) I sure hope I can turn things around & go out with a super duper bang!

I'll try my best.

♥

Summer Break: Day 88

I'm going to dedicate a whole post to the fun I had this morning. I was a beekeeper for the day & had so much fun!!

While my hubby, friend Susan & I were playing with the bees, the girls got to head out on a 4-wheeler to the pasture, where they saw cows & antelope & horses. They pumped water from a well & got to drink it fresh before the cows did. Zoey thought it was pretty amazing that they were drinking the same water that the cows do!

What a lovely day.

Really.

I look at all the pictures & smile real big.

I can't wait to show them to you!

♥