Potting Shed News....New Additions

 Hi everyone!  

I know it's been a long time since I last posted.  I'm so sorry!

I hope next week, to blog more regularly ....- 

We've had alot of happenings.

.... New additions!

Myguy came home the other morning and said, 

"Hey; you're horse is having a baby in the front pasture!"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ran out and found Gracie standing right out in front of our house in major labor. (happy squeal)- mine; not hers.

She coulda cared a less who was watching... which kinda surprised me but it was

awesome getting to watch her foal.  

She was up and down I think three times while pushing, 

and out he came.  

Gracie was plumb give out I think because she just laid there a long time,

and the foal had the whole sack still intact around him.  He sat up and I 

could hear him kinda struggling to breathe.  

I waited.

Waited...

and Gracie never even turned around ....

-- I kinda started to panic coz by this time... 

it seemed obvious he was wanting some air.

So I talked gently to Gracie and approached... then knelt

down and

 

 tore open the sack on his head.  

I think he was very glad....

 and we bonded.  

"Happy BIRTHday" little foal.

and I was whispering lots of 

"Thank you Jesus!"s with 

a pounding heart.

The cows and donkeys were all right behind me... 

wondering what all the fuss was about.  

and Gracie just laid there for so long. 

Thankfully she caught her breath and regained her strength.  

She got up when the baby started trying out his new legs.  

Gracie started talkin  to him in such a pretty  Motherly voice and LOVE bloomed all over the place.

 Not just with her... but Auntie Violet too.

Violet fell madly in love in one little nuzzle.  

She's had lots of babies herself and this colt  just grabbed  her heart.

 Yes colt!

A little boy

with one Blue eye.

(Name): Bleu

Yes spelled just like that.  

 We had to pen Violet up for the whole day.

She kept trying to steal Bleu away from Gracie.

Those private hours gave Gracie and Bleu a chance to bond and both I'm happy to say

are doing great!  Gracie is a wonderful Momma and Bleu is growing 

like a  Spring weed.  

Amid all our joyful horsey news... we had a very difficult week 

with our cows.  I'll spare you all the details ... but suffice to say our bull got out

and went visiting... and so we had to go catch him.  After all that we hauled him to the salebarn 

and found out later that a bloodtest came back bad on him so he got quarantined 

as did ALL our cows on our farm.  It was all very upsetting and confusing and after

more and more bloodwork, tons of prayers ... it all came back that it had all been a big mistake

afterall.  It had sure been  a week of sheer worry..... and upset. 

Because of it all we  had to leave our bull for a week at the salebarn and then when he finally did get to be run through the auction we just figured we'd lose our butts on him.  We'd paid 1500 for him to start with.  

But God provided... and when we picked up our check he'd grossed over 1700 and our check was for 1644.  Another blessing!  Thank you Lord... again and again and again! 

Other than that; Myguys' been on vacation to work on the farm here.  

We started two big projects.  

Building pipe fence around the barn, and

adding a greenhouse onto 

the shabby olde potting shed.  

Remember I told you awhile back a neighbor remodeled their house

and gave us all the old windows?  (blessing)

Well, ...some of the wood on the olde potting shed has really been rotting away.

Behind the sink this huge cavity has been getting bigger n bigger- you can

see it here.  So this wall is the way we decided to add on.

I knew it was all going to be for the best in the long run but I can't tell you how 

awful I felt inside watching Myguy take all the boards and window off this side of the shed.

We were a little concerned the whole thing could just tumble down because it got pretty

wobbly for awhile there.  And remember the groundhogs?  Oh Lord have mercy...

they have dug so badly under this little building that Myguy had me jump on the four wheeler

and fly down to the rock pile to find something to put under one of the corners to hold it back up.

He had a jack under there... and we got it re-stabilized.... wish you could have 

seen what it looked like at that point with ...one whole wall off of it.  It looked

pretty pitiful really.  But happily.... it now has a new wall and addition!

 

 Here's a sneak peek.  This is the new addition on the inside.  

Yesterday evening we finished closing it all in and got the new french 

door on.  This photo was taken before all that was finished but... you can 

kinda tell what it's lookin like.  My dear husband has worked so hard on it for me.  

It didn't seem like it was going to be such a big deal but... he has sweat  hours and hours into  this 

ahem..."little project."   I am so grateful to him!  

When the sun goes down we've been putting lights out here and working til 10-11 pm.

I went walking out to the truck to get something 4? nights ago and there was this raccoon

sitting beneath the bird bath.  He just looked at me ... unafraid.  I walked into the shed and 

said, "Hey Mike... come check out the raccoon!"  He walks out there and ... we watched it use 

it's little hands to scoop up  the birdseed I'd tossed under the birdbath and gobble it up.  

He's come back every night now... course we're feeding him pretty good too.

Last night he ate bread, corn, and a little catfood too.

I can walk to my truck right there and open and slam the doors and he could care a less.

You surely know how loud those old Chevy doors are too.

Anyways, it's a been a treat to have such a cute visitor!

We hope to finish the building part of the greenhouse today.

We're putting terra cotta colored paver blocks down for  the floor now. 

And I'm fixin to head to Dollar General to get more Windex and paper towels.  

When thats done,  Myguys gonna start caulking.  

Then I can start setting up shelves, tables and adding plants!

I can hardly wait for that part.  

oh yeah;...And to build some flowerbeds around it! 

Least I can do that part by myself. 

I had to share a picture of my Angel Mother's peonies!

They bloomed beautifully this year and I was overjoyed to put 

fresh flowers on her grave for her birthday and Mother's day.  

Well I better go fetch some Windex and get busy!

I've missed yall!

Holykisses xoxo

Lea

Bless The Lord... Oh My Soul....

Counting my blessings tonight....
I'm  grateful, and it's been a long time since I stopped and recorded just a few random blessings here.    

I'm thankful tonight to have the most High God love even me ... even still, and forever.
I'm thankful for my bestest friend on earth... Myguy.  I'm thankful for the time  we've been spending together, ... to be held in own his heart.... and strong comforting arms.  I'm thankful he's the Bigdaddy of our kids, and grateful God somehow grows our love triangle closer together every single day.

I'm thankful for all our kids... their health
and that You chose me to  be their Momma and GrammaLea.

I'm thankful for this olde house that has so much story inside.
For friends, and family to love and be loved by too...
For my "Sidebar" and our united prayers. (Edit: Sidebar is what iphones change "sisterbear" to- so if my Sister texts, Hi sisterbear,.... I get: hi sidebar"  Still makes me laugh out loud.
For a special friend who surprised me so much yesterday with love, and Art in Lydia purple! 
For  apple crisp right out of the oven...
For warm sunshine on the back of my neck,
Wrinkly hands to hold and be held.

...A mentor who shares life, boosts high and always gives grace.
For hope through a fellow blogger
and encouragement through  people and places -  I wouldn't always imagine....maybe???   
For music that fills and helps turn me.. deeper into worship.  
Smiles from strangers...
and prayers from someone I somehow can feel sometimes?? 
For sweet dreams... and
the whatevers that steer to  truth... and into  trusting....
Those fluffy  mashed potatoes with  real butter.
Our locked fingers squeezing tight.
The  kiss in the doorway....
AngelMother memories... mine and Bettys too.
For art...and exciting possibilities ahead...
For the dragonfly run in,
For the electrician who's working here  and how his kindness trenched around; not through a rosebush. ;) 
 How he mentioned "You" to us!!!!
The tiny birds at the edge of the pond... chicklets with fast little legs.
The hawk catching each new wind wave...
How the catfish know the sound of the four wheeler
and  swirl up the mud; making pond water boil anticipating their fishfood.
That I'm able to walk, sing ... and whistle to You.
and the windchimes tuned to church bells  that help slow us down to  listen and really hear.
For growing grass ... and feeding no more winter hay.
That I get to be one of your dots.connecting along with others into a pattern I can't see.. but I know you do.
I'm thankful for the internet, ... for an olde shed and how  You brought me here... even tonight.

Thank you Father for all these things and so much more....

 

Abiding, Planting and Scripture Pictures

 Hi friends,

.... Last year was there; what.. one wisteria bloom or two maybe?  

This year, they're bloomin their little heads off behind the shabby olde Potting shed, and

I find myself lingering... right here... with Him.

It's quiet... and I can hear best in this very spot.  

Yesterday, they were forecasting showers- so... 

I snuck in the shop and stole Trent away for a minute 

or two. 

He seeks  God... and I think hears Him too 

-maybe especially out there... in the garden.  

Where we goin Momma? he asked as we headed out the door.

--Well, it's supposed to rain, and  it could be gone tomorrow.... so I just want you to see it.

Experience it all..... (our God)

--and I know  He did. 

 He even stood beneath a wisteria bloom and inhaled face upward.....  

My heart... skipped happy!  Coz my manchild-son  could feel Him...-I just know it.   

When we walked back into the shop, Myguy asked what we were doing?  He knows

that when I need some muscle I ask to borrow Trento  sometimes.  

Trent smiled and said, ... Well, sometimes you just gotta stop

and smell the flowers.

:) 

"Look into the flowers... they are your glimpse into heaven" said my friend Fancynancy.

---and so I  share wisteria with you today... with a scripture God gave me.

"I am the Vine, 

you are the branches

He who abides in Me,

and I in him bears much fruit; 

for without Me,

you can do nothing."

John 15:5

(There's that word ABIDE again!) 

It's standing out to me alot ... in part because I realize and confess I haven't been in the word enough lately...

Moving on...all this past week; although the weather has been up

and down...the flowers are still

hanging in there.  

Thankfully; it hasn't dipped below freezing here like weather many of you 

are enduring.  Tonight it could frost however, so once again

flowers will be getting covered and buckets will go over tiny yet persevering  tomato plants.

Maybe this will be the last cold night?

I'm hoping...

and believing!  

 So far; these lil guys haven't been  phased at all.  

- I think they kinda like the cold rainy days.

 Scrambling for vessels in which to plant:   the olde Maytag was planted in more tunies..  Myguy helped  set it on steel plates  so it wouldn't sink; and then filled it up with rocks and potting soil.   This is actually the second time I've planted this Spring.

First go around all I had was pink and purple petunias and ... the red on the wringer part just didn't seem right with them.  So after soaking in the "Maytag"  a couple days ... they went into pots instead and these reds took  their place.When 

dumping out  some old dirt from last years pots that never got cleaned, out popped 

another cute toad.    Kinda wondered if there'd be one inside  Bigdaddy's 

other boots but when dumping them out ... found not a one.

Now that the pots and boots all have fresh soil and flowers, I wonder

how long until a darling toad takes up residence in those ole  boots again.

I do hope soon!

 A few other things have started blooming here....

This is Miss Clematis's first bloom of  Spring. 

The azaleas here are 

 in full blossom.

I wish they lasted a bit longer... 

don't you?

 Aside from planting,

some of the garden junk has been getting moved here and there too.

Planted chairs, the sewing machine, and garden sink full of birdseed too. 

This tub was brought home from a recent yard sale adventure.

I'd never seen one in  this pattern before, have you?    My Sisterbear said it's 

a bushel/grain type. A bushel of zucchini, cukes, maters, .... cantaloupe?

..... happysigh... just imagine a real vine ripened tomato about now.  

With the salt shaker of course!

 This is the newest  flower bed and the  "Angel Mother" memorial  roses now live in it.

They were kinda struggling where they were growing before. So I hope they snap out of it and 

 get lots of SONshine here.  If I don't run out of gumption too soon tonight

I'd like to stencil a little sign for this spot:

Beware of Snapdragons

(they were marked down to 84cents this week and are now guarding the roses.)

 Over the weekend my sweetheart helped drag the old 48 Chevy out of the back pasture.  

He got it for me years and years ago and it's just sat in the back pasture growing lichens.

The glass is good in it but the floors  are pretty much gone in the cab and bed  so a rat had also taken up residence.  

When I cleaned out the cab I never saw it... but trust me... he's been there... a long time.  ick*

Myguy used the pressure washer on it for me and then I pulled him in the truck on the four wheeler to  the cornpatch.  So while the chevy  dried from it's bath,

 the picnic table got painted..... 

and later on.... with this leftover turquoise...

started on the truck. 

...Oh; ...forgot to mention that this was found in the cab with the rat stuff  and it now blooms on a fencepost.  

Does it look like a rusty 

"chevy flower" to you??  

.... okay...hold  your mouth just right and squint harder....

Now does it? 

With no floorboard in the bed of the truck; 

sunflowers are now planted  to grow out the back.... 

It's abit shaded... we'll wait n see what happens?

After this picture was taken the olde tiller made one more

 sweep up and down along  the passenger side

and a couple hollyhocks and a mess 

of zinnia seed  jumped in the row.  God willing

this cornpatch and flower truck will 

now take root.

 

This verse was in my lesson this morning.  

It seemed right to share today.

Let brotherly love continue

Hebrews 13:1

More love!  

Have a blessed day today... abiding, loving

and growing in Him.

Love,   Lea

Give-Away At Sweet Magnolias Farm

 Hi everyone! 

My friends at Sweet Magnolias Farm are having a beautiful giveaway that I want  to share!
Please click the link and visit Sara and Abby to read all about it and  sign up!  There are several ways to win 
If you love blue fruit jars you will be soooo smitten!
I hope you win...
-- okay ...and me too! lol  

Frosting On The Rooftops

This crazy weather!
Friends and fam up north have had more snow... and we Arkys although Spring has sprung; hovered near the freezing marks last night.    This morning I awoke at dawn and pulled boots over jammie legs to do a garden inspection.  I gasped seeing frost on the rooftops but hopefully the plants will be okay as very little seemed to be on leaves or the grass.  Our thermometer read 34 and I think it's supposed to be close to the same again tonight.  Usually I have my garden in by now but only one short row of peas has made it this far.  No sense being in any kind of hurry because nothing grows well anyways until it warms up.  

Seeds have come in our mail from Gurneys but to date they have yet to send  the tomato and strawberry plants- and I'm thankful!  Usually although they try to mail at the proper planting time; it's usually still too early and everything has to be hardened off  for about two weeks or so before goin in the ground.  -Outdoors for sunshine during daylight... and back inside at night to be kept warm and cozy.  Early springtime calls for much doting! But it's a labor of love for sure.

Since things have been on planting hold, I've been spiffin up the bird houses, feeders and butterfly house.  Wondered if I freaked the birds out at first  with the bright color but... hopefully they're used to it now.Filled with new seed today; it's like a candy store out there. 

They've been darting all over and must be gearing up to start nesting.
My neighbor saw a hummingbird yesterday so it's time to clean out those feeders too and boil up some juice.  Bet they're hungry because there aren't many flowers yet. 

Having cats around this year has them all on guard.  I kinda feel bad about that but a kitty hug here and there...

Well; I'm a sucker for that.
Until they do this: 

Then I remember that I'm more a dog person.  Owwww! 
Can you tell how wide this black cat is towards the back in the pic up above? 
She actually looks like she's gonna pop. 
I hope Shell is ready to take kittens home with her when she and Tony get a house. lol 
?  Unless it's all Meow Mix... and I don't think so.*

 My friend Sue has been seeing her Momma ground hog. 
.......  I'm wondering?  Do I have more? 
Last year I trapped two of them remember?  They were eating all my sunflowers, and melons and I thought they were all gone, but now I wonder?  See how something's been digging like crazy under the potting shed?  That's where they lived before.  Dillo... or Hog? 

I put an apple by the water fountain where the ground hogs used to come and go last year. 
Forgot to check and see if it was gone this morning. 
I loved seeing the ground hogs from time to time last year but they were wiping our garden out! 
Just can't help it; .... love sunflowers and melons more n ground hogs. 
Maybe it's just a dillo...-- and we have  been seeing armadillo rootings here and there.  (Debra if I get a glimpse of one; I promise to take a pic for ya. I haven't forgotten... just havent' seen it yet.)

Well, need to head to Lowe's.  We're ordering a brand new walk in door that goes into my craft room.  Our old one has a hole rusted out in it on a corner at the bottom.  It's just the right size for a snake!  I showed the snake hole  to Myguy and he agreed right away it's time for a new door!  He probably didn't think he'd ever hear the end of it after I came eyeball to eyeball with a snake in our kitchen cupboard a few years back.  Part of it was stuck to a mouse sticky trap and the other half of it was all wound up  around a window squeezie handle.  Bout had me a heart atack right there!   I called both  boys on the phone and Trent got there first and cut the thing in two right there in the cupboard with my garden lops.  He was so my hero!!!!!!!!  --- yeah I'd like a door without holes please! 
If you love snakes; I'm sorry...
No hate mail please.  

Have a great day everyone! 
Hope it starts warming up again soon...
L