Bird cage!.

I bought this to put in the bathroom. My intention was to paint it yellow, but I sure do like the vibrant orange!

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Newest (old apron)

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I just had to add this to my collection. I didn't have a cheery yellow one. (Yes, someday I really need to learn how to sew!)

Treasures!

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Hi Friends,

If I have any blog followers left, let me just say thanks so much for tuning in and checking back. This has been my busiest summer on record. I’m not sure if it is the combination of my children getting older and being involved in more activities, or if it’s some wiring issue in my brain that makes me think I have more time than I do, to get in all the tasks that I need to. Perhaps it is a combination of both? I don’t remember being this busy ever. In the midst of all the actions, I’ve noticed my dreams and personal visions have shifting in discernable ways. Three years ago I was really into knitting and all things domestic. I jumped in and embraced by agricultural background. I grew a garden and learned how to preserve food. I brought in chickens for eggs, goats for milk. I made meals from scratch, unpacked my suitcase and put it in storage. I put down roots, deep ones.

Everything changes, this we know. Sometimes we may not be fully aware of those changes but they continue with, or without our conscious awareness. We can feel these shifts and even look to the outside to confirm that we are indeed in the midst of changes, yet, I think it’s normal to still not have a clue of how exactly situations are going to turn out, let alone what they will shape up to be until we are fully in them.

I thought by this year I’d be selling my goods at the Farmer’s Market, stocking my kitchen with an array of baked and preserved goods. I’d watch the chickens peck and turn the soil while I sipped my morning coffee. I’d make delicious goat cheese and soap. My garden would be plush and thriving. Perhaps I’d finally have a clothes line and a garage with ample storage, maybe even a back yard that wasn’t decorated in knee high weeds?

My reality though has shifted significantly. I still have chickens and goats. The girls are slacking off in their laying and the goats have escaped milking for the most part. We’ve been so busy that we hadn’t even made it to the garden to reclaim the onions that were planted in April. Our lives seemed to hit fast forward and for the entire month of June, it was all we could do to hang on.

This week is offering me a much needed opportunity to catch my breath. I ponder all the changes, shifts, jumps, bumps and dives that we’ve experienced since January and especially since June and I’m truly in awe. The busy times are forcing me to identify priorities. In the midst of laundry, dishes, housework, child care, animal care, writing, client sessions, golf, baseball and rodeo (not listed in prioritized order) there hasn’t been much time for me. “Me time” is important and yet it can be one of the easiest aspect of my life to push back.

Yesterday I rediscovered my love for creative ventures and old treasures. After the errands and orthodontist appointments we hit the used book store and antique shop. I’ve had several craft projects in mind, yet the time hasn’t been supportive to “dabble”. I love to let my heart lead my mind and wander about looking, appreciating and thinking of all the ideas that arise within me.

We found some great treasures; small, old bottles, a yellow and white apron, some great old bird books and a super nifty orange and yellow bird cage!

This week I’ll be repainting some old furniture that I salvaged from a discard pile. I also aim to paint my bathroom counter tops. I have some twigs that I plucked from a fence clearing mission back in April that will be painted canary yellow to go in the bathroom. That is if everything today goes as planned. So far so good.

Oh how I LOVE to decorate with old things. I’ve always known that about myself but yesterday seemed to solidify something deep in my soul. I had a vision refurbishing an old building and setting up my own antique store. I do not fancy myself as a business owner, I have no aptitude for sales or crunching numbers, let alone worrying about how to make rent. What I would love is the thrill of “hunting”, the joy of renovating an old building and decorating it with vintage and flea market finds. I know where my talents lie, perhaps I need a business partner that enjoys the more linear aspects while I exercise my talents in the astehtic and appearances department?! I’d want an old building with great character, soft comfy chairs and a place to read and drink coffee. Anyone care to join me here?!?!

In the meantime, here are some pictures of yesterday’s fabulous finds!

*Pictured above are the cute litte bottles we scored. I added the guinea feathers and dried rose. These bring a smile to my face as they perch on the kitchen window ledge.

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Cowboy Quote of the Day: "Nature is wabi-sabi's mistress." ~Robyn Griggs Lawrence

Sometimes it’s the little things that make us pause with wonder. It seems I’ve been on the go for so long now, I don’t remember what it was like to have much down time. I’ve noticed that even our vacations and recreation time are filled with going, doing and exploring. One thing we can never claim is that we’re bored.

I’ve recently picked up a great little book titled “Simply Imperfect” by Robyn Griggs Lawrence (great name!) and I must say, it’s the perfect anecdote for a busy life. Though I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to embrace the principles of doing less, and doing it at a slower pace, I’d like to try. The aspect of the book that does resonate is the idea of honoring imperfection. For years, I’ve picked up random natural things to use in my decorating scheme; broken turkey eggs, pine cones, soap weed pods, wild flowers have all graced my tables, mantle and kitchen window.

Tuning into what others might dismiss as mundane and ordinary allows us to notice and appreciate aspects of our lives that would have otherwise gone undiscovered, such as this double blossomed dandelion. My special flower girl came waltzing into my office this morning and plopped it in front of my face! “I found something cool for you Mama,” she said as she handed me the single stemmed flower. “It has two on top!” She then skipped out of the office, leaving me with her find. I pondered this simple treasure for quite some time.

I realize that some people refer to these yellow plants as weeds but I’ve actually grown quite fond of them. Dandelion tea is delicious and refreshing. The roots make an especially robust, coffee flavored drink and the leaves are one of my favorite salad ingredients. Though my husband would love to spray the pesky invasion, I usually manage to persuade him to leave the boundaries past the lawn “wild and untamed”. This is where Pryce journeys out to pick me a wild bouquet in the mornings. Not on a regular basis, just when she thinks I need some flowers!

This was a loving reminder that even something as ordinary as a dandelion can hold wonder and delight if we are willing to pause long enough to contemplate and fully appreciate the gift being offered.

Lawrence shares, “Natural beauty is priceless. We can take in and appreciate a great view because we don’t have any home of owning it, and we can’t manipulate it (positively or negatively) to match our will. We don’t think we can improve on nature, so we witness it with the innocence of someone who’s powerless. With out egos out of the way, we can simply observe.”

Truly this blossom will fade and will be returned to the earth from which it grew. There’s no way to preserve it, only the image from the camera will remain and the gentle memory along with it.

We can appreciate what is here today, knowing that tomorrow, things around us may look and feel differently. Always there is an opportunity to stop, open and witness the natural beauty and abundanct blessings that are always present for those who are purposely looking.

Here’s wishing you a joyful Independence Day celebration. May the precious gifts of freedom, family and friends surround you.

Summer Time, Right?

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Cowboy Quote of the Day: “Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule.” ~Charles Dickens


Happy First Day of Summer! For this sun-loving girl, I sure am bummed that I woke up to high winds and 56 degree temps. Brrrr! This is certainly not the way I had envisioned the first day of my favorite season.

What’s your ideal vision of summer? Mind involves a plush green, freshly mowed yard, (I secretly love the smell of cut grass), a hammock and a good book. Summer to me is fireflies and campfires flickering in a sultry, drawn out evening. Summer is rocking on the glider and staring at the moon and stars, wondering how I got so lucky to be right here. It’s the time when I get up with the sun, not because I have to but because it shines right on my face and gentle reminds me that a new day is on its way. Summer is slowly winding throughout the day, choosing what I will do or not do, focusing on nature and all of her splendor. Summer is crickets chirping, sprinklers running and weeds growing faster than my garden. Summer is laughter and lazy afternoons that wink at me and pretend to last forever. Summer always exists in my mind but I’m grateful when it finally becomes reality. Like the blossom of a flower, it’s short lived but I enjoy every moment and savor it like ice cream.

So it’s a couple of days behind. I’ve waited this long, a few more days probably won’t hurt.

Keep On Trucking and then....take a break!

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Cowboy Quote of the Day:

“Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.” ~Larry Bird.

Hi folks, back to blogging! My cowboy buddy, Ross, has been sending me some fantastic quotes but sadly I haven’t taken the time to write. I could do a quick blurb here and there on my phone but the keyboard is rotten (I got the droid x for a bigger reading screen and great camera, typing is difficult!)

We’ve had a busy spell since returning from our trip to Moab. I dare say a part of me perhaps stayed behind and has yet to catch up to the present me that has been trying to find some stability. We’ve had very late nights and unusually early mornings.

Our weeks are currently filled with baseball, golf, baseball, rodeo and a bit of laundry and dishes thrown in here and there. I’ve coached my children in the art of “drop your pants and the door and then head to your bedroom because I probably won’t make it down to the basement for another month. If you want clean clothes you’d better help me out!” So far we’ve been fine, they just had to wear slightly damp baseball pants to the game the other night.

I am declaring a time out as of, well, NOW! I’ll be coasting for a few days. I have a date with a great book and a hammock, perhaps a little golf, college baseball world series, and an attempt to do as little as possible. Looking back this spring, I really pushed, I felt like I spent the entire spring climbing a big mountain, so I made a promise that I would S L O W down, savor the summer and let a few things go that I would normally push myself to get done, finish, clean up, clarify and/or complete!

Don’t get me wrong, I think agree with ‘ol Larry’s above quote but I’m pretty sure he didn’t state those words in the month of June!

Have a relaxing weekend friends!

* “Victorious rock climbers” pictured above: Chad, Josh, Parker, Pryce and Brecken! Yay…way to work hard in the desert!

We love Jeeps

Hi folks! We are on the go go go. I will be travel details when my breath catches up with me and I have a larger keyboard!

We rented a Jeep today. We have a trail to conquer. It beat the dually last year and we never made it to the top. Today....we will! I'm snapping pics like crazy and have some amazing shots to share!

Happy Trails!
RJ

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