The Cottage on the Hill

This past Memorial Day was my daughter's birthday party. She's a year old already and growing so fast. She doesn't walk yet, but she's already talking! I'm not kidding, either. She says, "Hi, Dad" when hubby gets her up in the morning and "Thank you" when she hands you something or takes something from you. She also has a very cute and growly, "Yeah, Daddy" when she's being silly. Here's a picture of her and the ladybug cake I made her. There were lots of families there....mommies, daddies, kiddos and BABIES! I'm on the right carrying my daughter and my friend is on the left carrying her daughter who'll be a year old towards the end of summer. I love that we have a circle of friends and family who've all had babies around the same time. Hubby was teasing us in this picture because we both have the "Mommy Hip" jutted out to support our bairns. It was a grand picnic, but it wiped us out. My bronchitis re...

I'm actually looking forward to a rainy day. Just not on Monday because we're having a picnic. The weather has been spectacular lately, so I've been outside gardening and landscaping. My poor little house has gotten a bit neglected on the interior. But who can deny going outside in this beautiful weather!? My son is just loving it, too. We had picnics and he helped with the yardwork. He has his own kid-sized John Deere wheelbarrow and garden tool set, so he gladly works alongside me. My daughter just loves to pick dandelions and chew on the stems. Today, she ventured around the yard discovering this and that. She even climbed the newly dumped sand pile. Hubby and I wandered the yard admiring our sweat equity and discussing future projects. Hubby has a great idea for extending one of our stone walls and creating a shade garden grotto of sorts. The nice thing about our sweat equity is that it's cheap. We have a pie-shaped piece of property that was lined on t...

Today I saw a clip about a mom who got a well-deserved make-over. The hostess of the clip kept going on and on about how busy this mom is. Indeed, she is a busy woman, but a busy mom? She works 3 jobs, is working on her master's degree, coaches soccer and is training for a marathon. She bemoaned the fact that she hadn't been to a stylist in 11 months! I couldn't help but utter a sarcastic "boo hoo." But snarkiness aside, the first thing that popped into my mind was, "when is she a mom?" Self-admittedly, she said that some days she works from 4 am to 7:30 pm. A busy mom changes diapers, reads stories, settles arguments, soothes booboos, cradles a sick child, helps with schoolwork, sings silly songs, does housework, chaperones, chauffeurs, cooks, grocery shops, etc etc etc. I just don't see her being much of a mom when most of her time is spent away from her children. Then, the judging stopped. When I became an adult, God started doing this: ...

My garden is all planted! Today, I feasted on some radishes (which I'm trying to acquire a taste for). There's nothing like fresh veggies from the garden. I've also already had turnip greens (which I hate, but choked down anyway, but little girl loved them) and will be able to harvest spinach soon. One of my currant bushes has one little swag of tiny, unripe currants. I'm surprised because I just put them in this Spring. I'm considering teaching sewing classes to make some extra money at home. We could use the extra funds, but my only concern is that I'm already maxed out. I'm so maxed out, I've been having trouble remembering things and I'm always rushed. How in the world am I going to fit in sewing classes?! Actually, I wish the farm next door could hire me part time. For what, I don't know, but at least I'd be able to take my children with me. In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out how to cut back on spending as much as pos...

The cold, the rain and the high winds all contributed to the authenticity of the weekend. We went to the Battle of Culloden re-enactment. For those who aren't familiar, in the first half of the 18th century, Scotland was divided by who was the rightful ruler. The Jacobites believed James Stuart was. James Stuart sent his son, Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) to raise up support to take back the throne. The Battle of Culloden was a turning point in the war where the Jacobites were massacred. Saturday was the best day. I was invited to attend a tea given by the Dowager Lady MacIntosh in honor of His Royal Highness Charles Edward Stuart. I was able to personally meet His Royal Highness. As I curtsied, he took my hand and kissed it. When I told my son that the Prince kissed my hand, my son protested and kissed my hand until he was sure he overruled the Prince's kiss. Then, he kissed my other hand just to be sure. :) Just outside the door to the tea room, the ...

I have a confession to make. I look forward to my kiddos going to bed and I don't feel guilty about it because I look forward to seeing them in the morning. I've read a few things here and there online that if you look forward to your kiddos going to bed, then there's something wrong and selfish about you. That's laughable. What's so wrong with looking forward to tucking my wee ones in bed, praying over them, reading them a story or singing a lullaby? What's so wrong with looking forward to a little downtime before hitting the sack? What's so wrong with looking forward to spending the rest of the evening with hubby? I don't love my children any less because I like the 2 hours between their bedtime and mine. I like the time I spend with them, too. I even miss them soon after putting them to bed. One of my favorite things to do is check on them before I turn in and just admire their beautiful, sleeping faces and thank God for them. So, yeah, I d...

Happy Mother's Day! Yesterday, I went to a local greenhouse and purchased even more plants! The greenhouse is run by a conservative Christian family and they have a huge variety and very good prices. I purchased flowers, herbs and Amish paste tomatoes and only spent just over $33.00. I wish I went to them first, but am keeping them in mind for next year. I got some alone-time today as I took an hour drive round trip to pick up a chiffarobe I purchased off of craigslist. I paid $45.00 for it. On the way home it dawned on me that most of my house is furnished on the cheap. I like to buy things off craigslist, or I scour garage sales, antique stores, Goodwill, or just get blessed with gifts and giveaways. Sure, I have a mishmosh of items, but it works. The chiffarobe is going to be used for storage of things like music, art supplies, stationary, my exercise equipment, CD's and such. It's in the living room. It looks a little daunting because it's big and dark. I ...

There was a beautiful surprise of sunshine and warmth today! Also, I woke up feeling better. Still sick, but better. We made a trip to Lowes where I bought a bunch of plants for the garden: 5 bell peppers, 1 banana pepper, brussel sprouts, german thyme and sweet basil. This afternoon, I painted a wicker loveseat I picked up for free that someone was throwing out. I wouldn't trust 2 people to sit in it, but now that it's painted, it looks lovely on my front patio. Now, I just want to find a nice outdoor fabric to recover to seat cushion with. Dinner was lemon pepper garlic talapia with a lemon chive butter sauce, seasoned brown rice and mixed vegetables.

Yep, I've got it. Bronchitis. Thankfully, it is fairly mild. Still, recovery is always a bear. I did get a really REALLY good night's sleep last night and this morning coughed up a lot of stuff, so I was able to do more today. However, I took the kiddos outside this early afternoon and did just a little gardening. Within half an hour, I was exhausted and coughing so hard, my lungs felt like they were pushing through my chest. It looks like I'll be convalescing for a while. I plan to eat simply, drink plenty of healthful fluids, rest lots, and slowly build up activities again. Exercise will start with simple yoga moves and some pilates. I take bronchitis seriously. Lungs are nothing to mess around with. Pneumonia is easier to get than you think. Besides, I'm kinda liking this God-given (God-forced) vacation I'm on! Last night, I finally had an excuse to just sit still and watch The Donna Reed Show DVD I rented from Netflix over a month ago!

While I don't expect anyone enjoys being sick, I tolerate colds in the fall and winter far more than I tolerate them in the spring and summer. Alas, I have a cold, and a doozy! Usually, I can murder a cold by mega-dosing Vitamin C and drinking some scotch or brandy and a day's rest. This one is a bit tougher. Probably because I ignored the early signs thinking my sinuses were just irritated by the incense burning at my parents' house. However, in an effort to just take the days as they come and enjoy my favorite month (which on top of the virus, it has been chilly, damp and rainy), I am using this cold as an excuse to just laze about. After all, a mother has to heal! The housework will be there when I'm better. So, I'm enjoying my time laying on the sofa in my jammies watching Veggie Tales with the kiddos and flipping through old magazines. My son loves this turn of events. My daughter would rather climb all over me and hug me, but I can't let her becau...

Bubby, Me, and Baby Girl at an 18th century re-enactment.

No, this isn't a "save the earth" post. :) When we left for our trip, our little slice of earth was still twiggy, brown and wintery. Upon our return, a transformation had occured. Our little slice of God's creation came alive! Green, tall grass. Leaves are popping out on the trees. Buds everywhere! My seeds have poked their tiny green heads from the warmed soil. Even the weeds burst forth in annoying abundance! Daffodils nod and tulips shyly open. The evenings even seem to linger longer. May is coming. My favorite month is returning like a beloved one gone for a year, smiling, warm and sunny with an armload of Spring and a buzz of activity. Life beckons and I take my leave to answer the call!

This weekend offered me plenty of pondering, the biggest pondering being that I need more me time. I know, some of you have red flags going up. I'm not talking about shoving my kiddos in daycare so I can go gossip at Starbucks with some girls or get my nails done. I'm talking about being able to go to the bathroom without an audience at least once in a while, or completing a task in one fell swoop rather than in a series of interrupted multi-tasking efforts. To be honest, I was going insane and becoming a not-so-great mother. You see, I am very VERY rarely without my children. I like it that way. However, on occassion, it becomes too much. I don't think anyone thrives with someone literally hanging off of them nearly 24/7. I have two precious kiddos in a very small house who's lives I revolve around. It's just that season in my life. To top it off, I bought into all the websites and blogs that make a mother feel like a neglectful, selfish, ungodly woman if ...

I'm about half-way through my offline experience (although I did pop on for a short time a couple of times due to some important circumstances). I really haven't missed it. My stress levels are a lot lower and I love all the things I'm getting done: picnics with the kiddos, pies and cakes, organization and creativity, more reading, more sewing, etc. I like this and will probably make it more of a habit in the future. There's just so much to do around the house!

More plants came in today. I received rhubarb, currant bushes, rose bushes, mock orange bushes and lilacs. Those were either potted or planted. I also strung up the fencing for when I plant the peas. I will be off line until the 27th, with perhaps a small check-in halfway through. There are just so many projects to be done that I really need to discipline myself to stay off the computer and get them done! When I return, I promise updates, pictures, and at last that graham cracker cake recipe.

It was so nice to wake up to sunshine today! I also woke up to Bubby throwing up and running a fever. He probably caught something at the doctor's office. I really don't like doing well-child visits because they always get sick anyway!! Anyhow....I managed to get several rows of soil turned in the garden ready to receive beets, turnips, spinach, peas and scallions. I'll plant them after Easter. We're expecting more cloudy, foul weather this weekend. Peat pots fill the south and west facing windows of my porch. I started bells peppers, cukes, fennel, dill, lettuce, spaghetti squash and rosemary. I ordered heirloom tomato plants and will probably pick up a few romas and a cherry tomato at the greenhouse. I'm still trying to decide the color theme for the wall garden. Yellow and purple come to mind for this year.

Dark, cloudy, windy, cold, and SNOW!!?? Grrrrr.......I went outside to empty my carpet sweeper and actually got stark raving mad about the cold, wind and snow. I think my neighbor's daughters heard my rants. *blush* I'm in a better mood this afternoon. The morning's errands went quickly and smoothly and I had plenty of time to help out my parents with some house cleaning. My son didn't want to leave! I think he's ready for another overnight there. Perhaps when Grandpa's back gets better. In absolute spite of the weather, I bought peat pots and potting soil. Oh! At the farm today I bought green eggs! They had eggs that have naturally green pigmented shells on sale for $2.00 a dozen! (I usually pay $2.50 a dozen for farm fresh eggs). Green......we need to see more green here. The fields and lawns are slowly turning green, but no green buds yet. There are some green bulb shoots (crocuses have already come and gone, though).

It was a great birthday party for Bubby today! The party started at noon and the last guest left at 6:30! I am so thankful that God had me born into such a great family. We just chatted and yammered and the kiddos played and played. The atmosphere really left an air of fulfillment and happiness. It's like an aroma, still lingering in the house. I am contentedly exhausted. My son is fast asleep. My hubby is at the movies with my brother. My daughter is babbling to herself in her crib. Hopefully, sleep will find her soon.

Bush cherry bushes arrived in the mail today. As usual, mail-order plants always arrive on the worst days. :b It's pouring rain out and the weather man even mentioned the s-word....snow. I doubt we'll get snow here, though. That's the nice thing about living in a valley. I opened the box and the roots were just about dried out, so I secured my children, donned a rain slicker and wellies, grabbed some large pots and a shovel and ran out to my muddy, poo-slicked, stinky garden and potted the bushes. As soon as the weather clears, I'll have to get some top soil for where I want to plant the bushes. Otherwise, life has been very busy and rather unpredictable. There's a cloud of uncertainty floating around. I do feel better when the days are sunny and warm, though. I just feel a bit detatched, lately. Something's bothering me and I haven't figured out what yet. Spring is a good time to try to lower my electric bill. I want to see how low I can get it. ...

It was such a joy to hear the radio weather guy announce sunshine and upper 60's for the weather forecast for yesterday. I knew I'd be heading outside to putter, but while it was still cloudy and cool in the morning, I packed up the kiddos and ran some errands. At Big Lots I found a Bissel carpet sweeper for only $12.00. A similar one at Walmart ran nearly $30.00! It works well, especially on my bedroom rug. The vacuum doesn't pick up on my bedroom rug for some reason. It just pushes dust around. But the carpet sweeper picks up what the vacuum leaves behind. At Walmart, I found a scientific calculator for hubby similar to the missing one for only $9.38. That's less than I figured I'd have to spend. Once home, I knew today would be the day to get manure. So, after lunch, I packed the kiddos up again, threw a shovel and a covered 18 gallon plastic tote in the back of my grocery-getter and headed for the farm. I caught the farmer just in time and asked for t...