letter i..... ICE WREATHS!!!!

it's tradition here at my house... to celebrate winter by making ice wreaths!

usually i make nature themed ice wreaths... with pinecones, needles and what not. but this year, i decided to make "life saver colors!" you know... jazz things up a bit... i just added food coloring to the water before freezing it, in the freezer.


i even found a use for "used orange peels," by adding them to the water before freezing ... i think they add a little pizazz to a grey winter day!

it seems like every garage sale i stop at... has bundt type molds.
that's when i pick them up, for squeaky cheap!
i use heavy colored rope to tie them from an old branch i propped on the patio.



each time i look at these outside my window... i smile and think of jumbo life-savers!
i hope you like them, too!

them bones!

what's this?

we've been soaking up the good weather here in michigan. a very late indian summer. on sunday, my boy and i went hiking along my in-laws railroad tracks... well, they're not actually "their" railroad tracks... but, you know what i mean. i expected to find nature things... so i packed a couple of plastic bags and my pink digital camera.

imagine my excitement, when i spotted these bones! the very top picture is a skull. obviously these are the jaws and teeth of probably a fawn... according my husband.

the bones were plentiful. and were so weathered, they were like petrified wood. i was ecstatic! and so very happy to take them back home and add to our nature collection. i'll display them in a large glass jar.

my babe was more more ecstatic with the brake pads and spikes and rusty old parts that were laying everywhere. and yes, we were very careful about oncoming trains like this one. we dashed into the bushes and brush until in smoked by. smile, wink, nod.

plucking feathers!

yesterday, for self-directed un-homeschooling, we decided to pluck feathers off a wild turkey. which had been roadkill. we'll be using the feathers today in one of the classes i teach at our homeschool co-op. it was amazing how God made this critter... the feathers are so beautiful... like He took a paintbrush to them. shades of beautiful blue and all shades of brown. what a sensational mix! and to see how strategically placed each feather is woven into the spine! will be using some of the skin and bones for further science study. we also found a dead frog... which will be perfect to dissect. it's in my freezer, marked: frog.

happy friday.

spot the chickadee!

see if you can spot the chickadee in each picture!

yesterday, we had four of these beauties.... flitting around our patio. try homeschooling when so much excitement is going on. yet... it was too cool to ignore.

the stacked glass scuplture is a homemade bird feeder i made, with garage sale finds!

i've been enjoying this antique drying rack. all i did is ask how much the price was at a garage sale and the older man said my favorite word: free!

speaking of free... how about surprising the man in your life with a free sample? don't have a man in your life? then how about ordering the sample and diluting it a bit with H2O, put it in a spray bottle and use it as an air freshener? i do stuff like this all the time. you can especially find used sprays at salvation army and goodwill. works wonderful! oh, the sample... i almost forgot.... click here!

dirty carrot!

imagine what i thought when i pulled up this carrot, tonight? it gave me a good laugh out in the garden & i just had to share it with you! i hope it brought a smile to your face, too. smile, wink, nod.

frog!

my boy found this tree frog peeking out of our bluebird house yesterday! i brought it in the house, thinking we could play around with him, examine him and just have him visit us for a few hours before we set him free! honestly, i turned my head just slightly and he hopped away! panic set in... that adrenaline rush that makes you scurry about... looking every which way? i happened to glance sideways and found him stuck to the leg of one of my small tables! glad was i! i didn't exactly want to explain this to brad... he is much more uptight-out-of-sight then i am.

so, how about a bag of free potatoes? click here: potatoes!

we started back-to-homeschool lessons today. sure felt good! if you're interested in our day, click here: twisted education!

caught red handed!

do you ever wonder... what really happens to the other sock?

sorry for the blurred picture. i had to be quick! i don't usually hang clothes out to dry.. but on nice sunny, hot days, i do flip brad and tommie's jeans out on the patio... over the railing. i also was drying a pair of socks. this little rascal snuck up and grabbed one of brad's socks... and took off with it! sneaky! we were entertained with the thought of brad's sock being tucked up in our maple tree... in a squirrels nest...keeping the critter warm this winter! the sock however, didn't make it to the nest...tommie found it out in the driveway! we were all glad it was just a sock and not someone's underpants! smile, wink, nod!

trying to read while cow's are giving birth!

i finally wrapped up, "the other bolyen girl," while i was at the fair yesterday. read it in between waiting for tommie's rabbit showmanship and breed classes and barn duty. we were there from 8 am until 8 at night. it's not as easy as one might think, that is... to read historical fiction from the 1500's, while lambs were baaaaaing, turkey's gobbling and roosters bellowing, cow's mooing and oh yeah, cows giving birth... click here to see cow-birthing pics, that i took. warning: we were up close and personal... pictures might be upsetting to weak tummies. now, back to books.... there was nothing i didn't like about this 630 page book. plain and simple... i love historical fiction. after finishing boleyn and the author's notes, i pulled from my backpack, an anita shreve novel, "the last time they met." although, not a historical fiction in anyway, i look forward to learning details about kenya and new vocab. i am knee-deep in novels... many i've picked up brand new from salvation army for just .25 ... like the ones pictured above. so..... you know the question's coming..... tell me, what is your nose buried in? leave a comment for all of us!

smile, wink, nod.

rocks and popcorn!

yesterday found the boys and i winding and weaving through the backroads of very fertile farm country... respectfully, the land that was once engulfed in a couple of wicked wildfires from years ago. the land today, although not pictured, is extremely beautiful and fertile. wheat harvesting and hay baling were in full swing, sugar beets were blanketing green acres, the amish were out and about and my boys were thrilled to pull over and watch the john deere combines and grain trucks!

our turn-around point is lake huron. we have a special spot where we hunt for sea glass and fossils. yesterday, i hit the jackpot... i found BLUE sea glass... which is pretty rare. and quite a bit of green! we also found tons of fossils... but the stones were only the size of nickles.

this fossil was not found in lake huron... but it was found last friday on our trip to lake michigan. my guess is, it's a fern or plant....what's your guess? leave a comment.

tommie and i could spend all day sifting through these beautiful gems... brad, not so much... but he still tried to have fun finding me sea glass.

we came home and watched the very stupid movie, "roxanne," with steve martin... whom i adore and laugh non-stop over. but this movie had to much sexual reference and swearing for us to enjoy with an 11 year old boy. we ejected the movie and will donate to goodwill or our garage sale.

our big bowl of popcorn, however... was delish!

smile, wink, nod.

MY KIND OF PRESERVING!

okay, this is my kind of preserving. yesterday i made vegetable broth. how easy is this? you just pick odds and ends of any vegetable imaginable... anything works. including celery tops and carrot tops, swiss chard and onion tops. wash them and put them in a soup pot. fill the pot with one-gallon of water... add any herbs and salts that you'd like... bring to boil. stir occasionally. reduce heat and simmer for an hour. let cool. strain out the vegetables and herbs and throw them to the pigs... or your compost bin... pack the broth into canning jars and freeze for up to 6 months. no need to peel, chop or dice. just throw everything in! can you even begin to realize how loaded these jars are with vitamins? this may be our answer to the common cold this winter!

now.... how about taking a look at our latest nature find! c'mon over to my twisted education blog and see this pre-historic looking creature! click HERE!

Lily the Twig Person!

yesterday, saturday morning left tommie and i running in really slow motion... we had a late night of family fun, fireworks and way too much potato salad... i took advantage of our laziness, popped in a movie and gathered up supplies to make "lily the twig person!" the movie, "are we done, yet?" was a cute little comedy...and preteen friendly.

this craft is about as cheap as you can get! i sure wish my pictures weren't so cloudy! how about if i list what i used:

scraps of wool for the face
vintage baby buttons for the eyes
raffia
twigs
ivory colored thread
a dried allium
no glue (all tied and sewn)

the movie was 90 minutes long... and i was finished in less time then that.

the sky's the limit on what nature treasures you could use!

i plan to make a family of these and maybe a dog?

time for me to say good-bye for now and head over to our happy, up-lifting church! i can't wait!

X! CLICK. AND FIND OUT WHAT MADE OUR DAY!

yesterday, i needed to add a little sparkle to our day. on a whim... i threw our lunch in a picnic basket. loaded our pond dipping nets, pails and ventilated glass jars..and announced to tommie, "we're going on a picnic and nature hunt!" we went to a local state game area, drove around the bumpy roads, laughed until our bellies hurt and couldn't stop, played the country music loud, shivered when we heard shotgun being fired (note: yellow sign above has been blasted with bullet holes!) and swatted ten thousand mosquitoes! our pond dipping nets only pulled up algae. our ventilated jars held nothing. and our pails were empty. but our stomachs and memories of the adventure were full! the best nature find of the day, was waiting on our patio when we pulled in...

CLICK ON THIS X TO FIND OUT WHAT MADE OUR DAY COMPLETE!

NOTIONS, NEW BOOK AND NEST!

N: A NEST of Eastern BLUEBIRD eggs, in our bluebird box, at the back of the property. Two years in a row! And, how awesome is this? While doing dishes the past few days, I've been watching one of the new parents slurping up insects...right outside my kitchen window- then flying back to feed the babies! Sure makes doing dishes a little more pleasant!

N is for sewing notions, too! Recently, I was at the .25 cent store and picked up this vintage lace, ribbon and rick rack...4 for .25 cents. I'm not completely sure what I'll do with the ribbon. However, my cousin has her order in, for me to make more homemade gift tags. Which I really enjoy doing!

N is for the NEW book that my nose in buried in! My friend Matt loaned it to me. He and his wife, are in awe of how life changing this book is. They are both Christians and swear this is the best book they've read...outside the Bible. I'm on chapter 4. Have you heard of this book? If so what's your opinion?

wild weekend

On Friday, I left to spend the weekend tent camping with three excellent friends, Brandi, Holly and Matt. Our sons are in Boy Scouts together-- they have been for several years...now they're in the same patrol...and, this weekend was their first official Boy Scout camp! The boys were on their own- and so were "us" parents. We had as much fun as them! Will I do it again? You betcha!

Highlights:

tent camped - had air mattress

unbelievable daytime weather - sunny and 70

hiked a lot

saw a huge box turtle

couldn't get my nose warm all night

think it was about 39 degrees during the night

only bathroom choice? out house

holly kept me giggling

holly and i shared the air mattress

i bossed her around since i'm old enough to be her mother

matt slept in the tent beside us

he hiked with us, too.

brandi came on saturday

went for another hike

only saw a nuthatch and robin

i kept my eyes straight ahead or up...too many snakes on the ground

brandi like snakes

i don't

neither does holly

matt acts like he does

i know he is more afraid then me

saw one swan

had pancakes for breakfast- passed on the greasy sausage

grilled cheese for lunch- must remember to take my homemade canned pickles next time

brandi's six months pregnant

she is such a trooper

she slept on a thin air mattress with Holly and I Saturday night, in my tent

she brought some really good board games and cards--didn't get to play

wanted to

Holly brought Arbonne foot spa supplies-- wanted to take a foot spa- didn't get to it. will next time.

Brandi brought snacks... I helped myself to them

Holly knitted

Brandi knitted

I worked on felted change purses with the blanket stitch

Matt made a hemp bracelet

super excellent lasagna for dinner, garlic bread and salad

we girls did the dishes

another hike

saw this dead wood chuck (picture above)

wanted matt to pluck the teeth out for me for my nature collection

he wouldn't.

wimp

used the out house again

after 30 boys using it all weekend

i must think of something else while i'm using it

like i am in hawaii

night time

brandi wore really cute polka dot pajamas

holly wore really cute fleece pajamas that she made

i wore my coat

came home sunday morning

i was disappointed i had to miss church

super hot shower with bath and body works body wash

sweat suit

unpacked, did laundry, regrouped.

a fantabulous weekend...full of giggles, food and friends.

i can't wait to go again.

nature hike

... just a quick blog entry to show you the emerald green river, we discovered on our nature hike, today. It's just 50 steps away from our home! The city, like many cities...colored the river green today for St. Patrick's Day. We also heard frogs croaking..and the bulbs are pushing up through the brown grass! that's right... Speed Spring! smile, wink, nod.

Delivering lambs!

Why will we be sleeping in our blue jeans and sweatshirts tonight? Because.... our neighbor just called and has two sheep ready to give birth, suppose to be sometime between tonight and tomorrow morning. I volunteered Tommie and I to help deliver them... whatever that involves? We've been anticipating this night for a long time! Neither of us have seen animals born! Brad, growing up on a farm... would prefer a good nights sleep with his warm blankets, instead. Now, it's off to put our boots by the door, digital camera and wait.........for the call!

For Presidents Day-Week....

Today, before lunch....we made Hoe Cakes! Just like George Washington used to eat for breakfast!

People from that time period, used to cook these on the blades of their hoes. So, they say.

They're really easy to make! And, they're not the best...but it's fun to say you tried them... Here's the recipe!

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S HOECAKES!

After lunch, we headed to a local nature center and pretended to go exploring like Lewis and Clark!

Come along on our adventure...click here: OUR FICTITIOUS JOURNEY ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER!

thrift store, nature walk and obama

I couldn't help it. I just had to get out of the house today. Just a little bit of cabin fever happening here. My day started out fun! I met an old friend, Donna Y., for tea at our local Tim Horton's. We had a great time catching up! Giggling and talking about life. I headed north...to the .25 cent store, with my mom. I spent a dollar! Look what I found.... 2 wool cardigan sweaters...the buttons are even spectacular! A family movie: Second Hand Lions... this should be really good on a cold - wintry night. And, a restaurant vintage-type sugar shaker. Not pictured: 3 clear, see through plates to embellish... I'll either cover them with decoupage' and fabric or tissue paper and decoupage'.
The weather was just like spring here, today. After what seemed like weeks of below zero weather...it was incredibly awesome to have a day like today! The snow was melting rapidly. You could actually see green grass. And, it was easy to breathe. I pulled on my wellingtons and took a walk around the yard...

Look.... IT'S GRASS!

This is my garden!

Besides the sound of happy birds singing--which I couldn't identify and green grass...the only other nature find I found were these raccoon tracks... which by the looks of it...he serpentined all around the yard!

We had lasagna for dinner. And, I think the STIMULUS plan is insane. Would America not be further ahead, the economy stimulated, cash rolling around...if each American were allocated THE money, instead of 88 million going to Milwaukee schools? And, 150 million going to the honeybee farmers? WAVING MY ARMS...HEY OBAMA...WHAT ABOUT US?