gather

If asked to choose my favorite spot in my home, it would be the middle of my kitchen. My harvest table, precisely. That table represents so much more than a piece of furniture. It is the center of family life. A place to gather and share a meal together. A place to have tea and talk with a friend. A place for me to prepare food to nourish a growing family.
Before we reworked the layout of our kitchen, we had a lovely corner banquet....that I hated to sit at. We ate our meals there, period. If company was over I would quickly usher them out of the kitchen, tea in hand, to a comfier spot in the livingroom. I hated it. I wanted my kitchen to be a place to linger, to enjoy, and to gather. The key to that for me? A big old table in the middle of my floor. I knew in my heart that when we made the changes to the kitchen, it would make a huge difference in how I felt about the room. It did.

The table we have might not be my dream table, but it is big and solid, and it is where I need it to be.
I try to keep it cleared off and ready for a meal, but through the course of a day it becomes many things. A bread kneading surface, a laundry table, a desk, a grocery staging area, and so on.
I was inspired to write about this, after reading what Soulemama wrote about her table. I hope that she makes it a regular feature. I just might join in.
Have a blessed day! Tami

beach = good

Just what we (I) needed.
A family trip to the beach. (with lots of friends of course!)
We finished the day off with fish & chips near the shore.
A truly wonderful and carefree day.

Have a blessed Monday, Tami

{this moment}

Joining Amanda.

slow

I am laying low the rest of the week. I am the unfortunate recipient of a little spot of skin cancer near my right eye.
All is well, and they were able to remove all of it and get me stitched up rather quickly. I have a humongous bandage nearly covering my eye and a few stitches to contend with.
All in all, quite a bother, but I am glad it is done.
So I am taking it easy for a few days, feeling a bit like someone punched me in the eye.
I will be feeling back to my old self soon.
There are a ton of raspberries to pick. Sounds like a good thing to do today. And knit, for sure.
Kane is home, and we are so glad.

Have a blessed day, Tami

messy monday

This morning I spent a good bit of time exercising my "mend and make-do" mantra. I woke up to tiny clumps of down feathers all over the place. When I took the duvet cover off the down comforter, it was just like in the movies, when the end of a pillow fight is a mass of feathers floating everywhere. What a mess. A great opportunity though to spend some time with thread and needle mending about 50 (thousand) little holes AND ONE BIG ONE.
All is well now, and I have freshly laundered bedding and a vacuumed carpet in the bedroom. Love that.

What a way to start the week.

The weather is gray and cold. I appreciate the rain, it means I don't have to water the garden, and I like that. My plants are exploding. They like the rain followed by a few days of heat and sun.

Kane gets home tomorrow night from New Orleans. I have missed that boy so much. I hear that he has been existing solely on Po'Boy sandwiches and Snowballs. Nice.
It has been really hot for them, but it sounds like he is having a great time.

My chickens are taking turns being broody. It's Henny's turn this time. Every time I open the nesting box door, she screams at me. Oh, she is a fun one.

I am almost finished knitting a sweater I started last week. The design is a simple raglan sleeve, top-down, v-neck cardigan. I used a bulky yarn in a beautiful peacock blue color. I am sure hoping that the yarn softens up when I wash it. It is pretty itchy right now. I will wear it anyway, the color is just too wonderful not to.

That's about all for today. We are taking it slow and easy. We have been doing too much running lately. I need a day at home to relax. Today would be a great baking day. Yes.

Have a blessed Monday, Tami

{this moment}

{from our yard}

Joining Amanda.

bits & bobs

{I love a spiffy kitchen}

{dust bath alley}

{kid-photo of some very exciting clothespins}

{the lego boy also loves dominoes}

{the raspberries are flying in everyday}

{anya playing with my hair, she was so excitoed to take a pic.....}

{more lego love around here}

Bits from our week.
The kids hijacked the camera, a few random photos from that fun.
We are off to swim, because summer seems to be sticking around. Yes.
I am looking forward to something easy for dinner.
Overall, a super relaxing week around here.

Have a blessed and sunshine filled day, Tami

chickadees

This little bird house was hung haphazardly in our plum tree, oh, about 10 years ago. Not a single bird has paid any attention to it until this year.
This year, we have baby chickadees.
As soon as the babies leave the nest, I need to take it down, repair the bottom, and put it up more securely. Hopefully they will come back again.

I really wanted a look at those babies. I stood on a ladder and held my camera up over my head in front of the house to get a photo. I managed to catch one of the babies just as it popped it's head up. I am lucky the photo is even in focus. I must have looked pretty funny taking the picture. I am sure that the mama bird was quite perturbed at me.

We do love little birds. Maybe we will put up a few more birdhouses, and in about 10 years, a mama birdie will nest in it. :~)

Have a blessed day, Tami

oh, happy day

There has never been a happier boy.

Have a blessed day, Tami

one of my favorites

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal

into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our

past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

~Melody Beattie

Have a blessed Sunday, Tami

{this moment}

{Kane, my oldest boy, leaving tomorrow for 11 days ~I will be counting the days}

Joining Amanda.

thrifty

I don't post regularly about my thrifty finds. They are usually way too boring and utilitarian to brag about.
(hey, look at this awesome kitchen spoon I bought....get my drift)
I HAD to gush about *this* wonderful find.
This coffee press sells for between $30-$40 bucks.
I scored it for $4.00 at a local thrift store.

I love using a coffee press.

I am off to make a pot o' coffee in my fancy press. Ohhh, I should make a nifty little cozy for my coffee press. Yes.
Have a blessed day, Tami

Flowing Lake

 

We had never been to Flowing Lake before. It's about 30 minutes from home and straight into the country. I loved the drive so much. Winding country roads, little farms, weathered barns, deer signs, all matter of grazing animals.
We stayed (squeezed into) a sweet little cabin and slept on bunks. We ate camp food, and swam, and wandered. I relaxed and knitted. We were there with our best neighbor friends, and my 2 nephews came up for the day. The kids had a great time and fell into bed each night, totally exhausted.
What a beautiful place. We will go back for sure.

Have a blessed day, Tami

Midsummer garden

Our garden is finally growing! We are enjoying beautiful sunshine and perfect temperatures.
Not too warm, just lovely.
I will spend the rest of the day unpacking from our fun weekend. I have lots of wash to hang on the line. I hope to find time to look through all the photos I took at the lake. We had a great time.
Have a blessed day! Tami

just hangin' (finally!)

Seriously. Last Thursday was the first day I was able to hang my wash outside. Anya felt it was a very fine occasion to document me hanging it. She is a very good helper, and is always willing to put the clothespins on my shirt hem. This is the fastest way that I have come up with to access the pins, maybe my new apron needs to have a big ol' pocket just for hangin' laundry. :~)
The next to last picture is a view of the far end of our yard. The house and the little kids on the slip-and-slide are behind me as I take the photo. (the big kid is inside staying cool...) This corner is my favorite. This feels like my little spot, my little wannabe homesteader corner. I love it.
And now a photo of bigtime slip-and -slide fun.

Summer we are so glad that you are finally here.
Blessings, Tami