Around the house...

 Homeschooling, taking care of my mom, finding a momement for myself...

 All because...

Added a little sparkle to the porch...

view from the sidewalk...

garden is growing in spite of me... enjoying the fresh greens.

Cat's trying out the cat tree... it just didn't work out for us, I returned it. I will look for something a little less dangerous! I snapped this cute photo and... 

I did buy them a bag of colorful mice yesterday to make it up to them.

Life is a bowl full of Cherries...

Did you know Northwestern Michigan claims to be the Cherry capital of the world? There is a huge Cherry festival in July, with the biggest cherry pie you'd ever lay eyes on!
I have been buying loads of cherries lately and just snacking on them.
I should make some preserves with them. I've brought up all my canning jars from the basement and washed them up.

Brad and I are going to pick raspberries (when it's not storming or hot as heck out) soon I hope to make raspberry jam. My mom's favorite. One year my mom and I canned peaches... Oh my gosh, they were like jars of gold all winter, so good! We've also canned loads of tomatoes.
My mom is getting too old to can, it's hard work.
Someday I hope to teach Autumn how to can, hopefully it won't become a lost art.
My mom's methods are pretty old fashion though. Like she's trying to convince me to use Epsom salts in the jam..."that's how my mom and grandmother used to do it and no one ever died!" She says. Yeah, but it's not the stone age anymore:)

My tomato plants are doing well with a few small green tomatoes and lots of blossoms. The zucchinis and the summer squash are also doing very well. This year I did container gardens, I just didn't have the energy for tilling up the ground, I was a little concerned how the plants would do but they are doing great so far... I just need to keep an eye on the soil moister a bit more.
I'll be freezing the squash and zucchini in slices for side dishes and shredded zucchini to use in zucchini bread... yum! Plus eating lots of fresh veggies this summer:)
What's growing in your garden and are you planning on canning or freezing this year?

Trying to get my mind on something other than my cat worries.

English Viola

Pretty in Purple...

Purple posies in the morning sun, makes me happy.

A morning stroll in the garden...

Columbine

A Bearded Iris

Geranium

I Dream of Chickens...

City Chickens...

I dream of chickens pecking happily in the back yard. I dream of collecting fresh brown speckled eggs. I dream of gentle sweet chickens.~

I've done my homework for keeping urban chickens in our city. My neighbor has 4 hens of different colors, they are beautiful!
I'm allowed 5 hens (although I'd most likely have 3 to start.) Their coop must be 10 feet from properties lines and 40 feet from any neighboring dwelling. Their food must be stored so no rodents can get to it. We have a small back yard that has a six foot wooden fence all around it. Prefect for some hens.
Now to figure out chickens... I wouldn't know a hen from a rooster:)

also dreaming of raised vegetable beds and preserving food.

The boys are all for it, now to get Brad on board with the dream of our own little urban farm. That will be the hard part!

My Kaleidoscope garden

The Spider......and my porch.

A passage from; The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt 1821

"Will you walk into my parlor?" Said a spider to a fly;

'Tis the prettiest little parlor

That ever you did spy.

The way into my parlor

Is up a winding stair,

And I have many pretty things

To show when you are there."

"Oh, no, no!" said the little fly,

"To ask me is in vain;

For who goes up your winding stair

Can ne'er come down again."

I stole some of Sniffy's photos!

Red and Green

Red & Green in the backyard this morning.

In the garden....

In the garden, my soul does grow....

Help!
Does anyone know how to get rid of those beetles in my zucchini blossoms

(see top photo) without the use of pesticides?

Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice...Enjoy

Our Summer Solstice altar featuring Noah's clay sun. 2008

Noah and I made a meditative nature circle to

celebrate the Summer Solstice!

Noah help with all the design and shopping

for plants and supplies. The plants are still small and we

need a few more to fill in all around. There is a

bird feeder right next to it along with Noah's

bean tee pee. We had a great time working

together on this project.

The stumps were a gift from the neighbor who's

tree fell over a few weeks back. It's good that

the tree still has a purpose. Noah loves walking

up and down on the stumps and they make great seating!

Oh yes, the gnomes finally found a good safe place.

They'll enjoy hanging out with Noah because Noah and the gnomes

both love a good conversation. We will celebrate solstice tonight in the circle

with a little candle fire, sparklers, lemonade and cookies!

Happy Summer Solstice!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Slow..... but steady.

My mom's roses.

Noah's bean for his tee pee, are

being munched on by a little beetle.

Tomatoes, safe to eat!

My mom bought this tomato plant

up north at a Amish road side stand.

It's suppose to get pink tomatoes. Cool!

I was having fun with my shadow on the pumpkins and squash.

Something stole every cucumber plant.

Perhaps a squirrel?

Wind, Lighting and Trolls!

The day started nice enough....

Noah cooling off in the hose.

Then it stormed like crazy and sometime

during the storm the trolls came....

The trolls pillaged the gentle gnome's village, They took all the troll and the mushrooms. The mushroom that someone left as a gift. The mushrooms that Noah and I made from clay. It seems the big gnomes were strong enough to fend off the trolls, but they're not talking. So........ I believe in karma, and the worst kind of karma is troll karma.