Good Morning! Happy Feast!

A few pictures to share with you on this bright and cold winter morning ...

 

A pretty hen visiting our yard yesterday afternoon - love how her dark feathers look against the drab landscape. :)

A St. Agnes prayer card, and our dinner menu featuring a snowflake cake in her honor. Today is her feast day!

It is, I must also mention, National Squirrel Appreciation Day, which is a favorite holiday in our household ... 

This is a page from a beautiful book we enjoy perusing called The Ultimate Peter Rabbit: A Visual Guide to the World of Beatrix Potter. This is a two-page spread all about that little rascal, Squirrel Nutkin. I am extremely fond of red squirrels (after my own cats they are my favorite animals) so we'll take a look at this page today and perhaps make some special treats to offer our little woodland friends - seed-filled snowflakes to hang in the trees! If we get it done, you can be sure I'll take pictures and tell you all about it. :)

Have a nice Wednesday, my friends - see you here again very soon!

p.s. I am *thisclose* to finishing our next Q&A post - answering my dear friend Emma's question about seasonal ideas and where/how they get stored. Hope to post later today!

Friday Photos ~ Happy & Homey

Happy Weekend, my friends! :)

Here are some photos I took over the past few chilly days here at my house. (Chilly outside, I mean. Thankfully, it's been fairly warm and toasty inside.) A few post notes at the bottom ...

Somebody experimented with a monster truck (not seen) and his Mama's half-full tea mug. :) This was late one dark afternoon, post-nap, while we rocked and read in the chair by my bed. It was such a sweet moment - ruined tea notwithstanding. ;)

My Archie's favorite napping spot these days ... the fruit bowl on the kitchen table. I think the sunshine - though technically "less than" at this time of year - is truly worth more, seasonally speaking ...

Winter Sunshine > Summer Sunshine

And a picture of Oliver, to be fair, because Archie's always hogging the sunlight spotlight. I just read that "Oliver" is the #1 cat name in America. Any other Olivers out there reading? You know, over their owners' shoulders? :)

My sweet red squirrel, braving a fierce -5° morning to grab a little breakfast under the feeders.

And the lovely Lady Cardinal - a rare sight at the feeders. (Below our front bushes is where we usually spot her.)

What I spied upon stepping out my front door this morning! Wee bird tracks left in an overnight dusting! Not a clue which feathered friend they belong to, but lovely to see all the same ...

My bright (yet absolutely filthy!) window above the kitchen sink - that's the last little bit of our Christmas tree, a reminder to take with us through the year ...

A few pretty things on my kitchen counter desk ...

I'm in absolute LOVE with this floral washi tape. (Purchased at the Paper Source last month.) I will use it wherever I can find room as I spruce up my planning binder ...

Lovely early birthday gifts from my beloved. <3

The loveliest scrapbooking paper - a sunburst for the cover of my domestic journal pages. "Celebrate the everyday" (an affixed sticker) ... that's what it's all about, isn't it? 

And, yes. This is happening. Soon.

:)

Post notes ~ I've just realized that "National Clean Off Your Desk Day" is not today, but MONDAY and all I can say to that is PHEW. Lol. I'm not ready to get my desks post-worthy yet! And by desks, I mean the kitchen counter where I do 99% of my work, the computer desk where Crackerjack does his (+ hours and hours of Minecraft), the pretty writing desk that is used for seat lessons and the good-sized craft desk I am setting up in the library/living room.

I will be posting about my myriad desks and a bit more on my journal and some other stuff like that over the next week or so. I hope, in the meantime, you all enjoy your weekend. Is it as cold where you are as it is here?

(Siri says it's 27° Farenheit right now which is positively balmy compared to yesterday. Warming into the 30s with snow coming on Monday!)

Thanks so much for stopping by, my friends ... I will see you here again very soon!

A Bevy of Baby Birds

I spent some time visiting my aunt and uncle today, and as I first arrived they quietly pointed out a planter hanging by their front door. Nestled inside the pink impatiens were several baby house finches, about a week old. I used my iPhone to take pictures and was quite pleased to get a few good images!

Thought you all might like to see ... :)

"Mama!!"

I think I count about five birds here ...

So very sweet ... though I must admit they look a bit like muppets to me, lol!

Well, I hope you're all having a nice weekend ... it's just beautiful here, in the 80s with sunshine and low humidity. Lots going on - visiting, errands, housework, soccer, Mass and a shower for my very dear cousin. So glad there's nice weather on hand for all these endeavors. Oh, and I'm still having SUCH fun with Pinterest! Getting my boards set up (28 at last count) and filled with pins. How many boards are too many, lol? I fear I can't seem to stop.

Well my friends, thanks so much for stopping by - hope you enjoyed the nestlings pics! - and the rest of your weekend as well. :)

See you here again very soon!

Bits of Domestic Bliss: Bread Pudding

Good Monday evening, my friends ... I hope you've all had a nice day! It was a mild and muggy June day here but I still felt the urge to bake something warm and cozy! Something like ... old -fashioned bread pudding!

This dish made me happy for three reasons ... 1. it used up a good chunk of leftover French bread, 2. it's, as I said above, old-fashioned - nostalgic even, and 3. the flavors are some of my favorites: vanilla, orange, cinnamon and cranberry. :)

Here's the recipe link and a few photos I took as I prepared it ...

I'm serving it tonight after supper with some freshly whipped cream ... but I might have snuck sampled a bit of it at lunchtime ... just to make sure it baked all the way through. ;)

***

Our dinner tonight:

crispy chicken legs (new recipe, sounds good!), sweet potato puffs, steamed broccoli with lemon butter, and the rest of the leftover French bread served up as garlic toasts.

(I bought two loaves of French bread to make overnight French toast for my brother's birthday brunch on Sunday - but unfortunately I didn't get around to making it. I'm glad it's not going to waste!)

Before I go, a note of sincere thanks to Rain, for helping me identify the birdsong I posted about this morning ... it appears we have a wood thrush in our midst! I have only ever seen a thrush once at our old house, so it makes me intrigued and pleased to know we have one here as well.

Have a great evening, my friends ... see you here again very soon!

*❤*

Birdsong at dusk ...

Good Monday morning, my friends!

I hope you all had a nice weekend. I'm just popping in quickly today to share a short video I took last evening. There is a bird somewhere in our yard that sings each evening, just as the sun sets, and I would love to identify it ...

If you have a moment, would you take a listen and let me know your thoughts?

(I couldn't get the video to paste in my post, so here is a link to my Facebook page which should open whether you have a FB account or not ... please let me know if it doesn't.)

Well, I hope you all have a great Monday ... it's rather showery and warm here, very much a June day.

:)

See you all here again very soon!

Welcome Home, Little Hummers!

Good Sunday morning, my friends! I hope you're all having a nice weekend ...

So, the boys gave me new hummingbird feeders for Mother's Day - the old one fell one frozen morning last fall and smashed apart - and yesterday Bill placed them on the breakfast nook window. Now, sometimes it can take a while for birds to find new feeders, but we'd had a few "fly-by's" over the past week - which made me very eager to get up those feeders! I guess migrating hummingbirds can home. :)

And now this very morning we've had not one, but two little hummers visit the new feeders! We'd been watching a tiny female while we sipped our coffee and fed Little Bear first breakfast, when suddenly a male showed up - separately - to sip. Oh boy, we knew there'd be trouble! Soon enough they crossed paths and then the fighting began!

So the lower feeder shown above has since been moved to a spot about 20 feet away. Apparently hummingbirds are quiet territorial, but I'm hoping these two can "play nice and share" - at least at a safe distance!

*❤*

I'm often asked if we make our own hummingbird nectar (we do!) so I thought I'd share the recipe we use which I found in Welcoming Wildlife to the Garden: Creating Backyard and Balcony Habitats for Wildlife. It's very quick and simple to make; I keep it stored in the fridge (for up to 3 weeks):

Boil 4 cups fresh water and then stir in 1 cup sugar. (Do NOT use honey!) Boil the sugar-water for five minutes then let the solution cool before filling the feeders.

Do you have any hummingbirds in your garden? They are such fun to watch. Here's a nice little article about hummingbirds with suggestions of plants to grow to attract them. I bought some bee balm and foxglove at the village plant sale yesterday, so I'm off to a good start!

Well my friends, thanks so much for stopping by ... I hope you enjoy your day and I'll see you here again very soon!

Wordless {Spring} Wednesday

:)

Tuesday Tidbits

Well my friends, this day did not go even remotely as planned ... but still, there were lots of nice moments ... bright little blessings in amongst all the "dailiness." :)

So naturally, I have a few pictures to share ... :)

Here we have some morning glory seeds soaking in water ... they were supposed to be for planting today (a tradition on the Feast of the Annunciation) but A. I forgot to soak them last night and B. I realized I have no potting soil. So the planting part will wait a day or two ... or three.

Our deck was caked with snow for the entire winter and at one point, it reached and exceeded the window frames! I am so happy to see there's just that one little strip of stubborn crusty snow left ... we've been eyeing it for days now ... and with temps in the 50s over the next several days, it's a goner!

Shown above, is my Easter planning folder ... I finally got it together! I've been stashing clippings and lists in my weekly file folder up till now, moving them along week to week ... but it was time to get serious! Pretty paper, isn't it? :)

Here's one of the recipes I have stashed in that folder ... I think this carrot soup sounds delicous and looks so lovely served in tea cups!

Two beautiful books from the library that alas, had to go back today. They are both illustrated by Tasha Tudor and I enjoyed them very much. They got my "spring gardening wheels" turning!

A jaunty robin who somewhat hidden in the bushes as we headed out today ... he let me get close enough to get a few shots, but flew off chirping once I stepped just one step too far. I think he's claiming our yard as his own ... looking for his missus. ;)

I just loved this little visual ... a little boy and his little toys!

:)

Well my friends, I hope the day's been kind to you ... I'm going to sign off now and do my best Little Bear-willing) to get as good a night's sleep as I can. I wish you all the same.  

Oh, but before I go!

I just checked in with the Kitchen Chat post and there are some wonderful comments in there! Lots of great ideas, thoughtful suggestions and delicious recipes ... I hope you'll take a look if you have time! And remember - if you'd like to send me photo(s) of your kitchen (or a spot in your kitchen) for next week's chat, you can do so at this address:

bysunandcandlelight AT comcast DOT net

I hope to hear from you!

And I also hope you all have a nice evening ... see you here again sometime soon.

Could it be?

The one bird we never saw at our old house was the Eastern Bluebird, and so this species has been on my "feeder wishlist" for some time. Well, earlier today, we had what I'm pretty sure was a huge FLOCK of Eastern Bluebirds in our front yard! This picture is tiny and blurry - but that's what you get when you're aiming your camera through a window, with a baby tucked under one arm!

 

What do you think?

:)

Off to a Snowy Start ...

"Announced by all the trumpets of the sky, arrives the snow ... "

(Frost)

 

What a snowstorm has descended upon the northeast! We're expecting a foot or so over the next 24 hours ... and it's already piling up! As much as I loathed the idea of shopping on New Year's Day, I did get over to the supermarket yesterday to pick up a few things before the storm hit - milk, bread, beef, coffee - essential stuff! Now we can just sit tight and watch it come down ...

 

Well, I hope your New Year is off to a good start! Have you spied any birds yet? A friend of mine whose son is an avid birder told me about this neat New Year's tradition - the first bird you see on New Year's Day is "your" bird for the year. For good luck and whatnot I presume. Well my bird for 2014 is the Tufted Titmouse, a rather common songbird in these parts, but a lively little spirit, quite fun to watch at the feeders.

 

 

 I took the photo above many years ago in our old house and just for fun, here's a cheery painted titmouse on one of Christmas dinner plates:

 

 

:)

 

I think it would be neat to "adopt" a family bird to "study" throughout the year, don't you?  What a fun project this could be! It could include seasonal observation, research, photography, sketching, literature/legends, conservation status ... you could choose the first bird you see this year (if you didn't see one yesterday, start looking now!) or take a family vote and decide which bird you'd like to "befriend" this year.

 

If you have a moment, let me know in the comments if you've seen a bird yet this year (and what kind) ... and I'd love to hear about any New Year's traditions or activities you enjoy. I think this is such a fun time of year!

 

Blessings on your day, my friends ... see you here again sometime soon!

The Meet & Greet

Archie spies one of the hens from next door ...

:)

Enjoy your Wednesday, my friends! And thank you for all the kind words and wishes for my Mum on her birthday. It's a busy day ahead ~ lots to do (make/bake/clean) for the holiday tomorrow. All my boys are home and Bill has the day off, and with that storm raging outside (just rain and wind now) it will be nice to stay cozy (and productive!) inside. 

What are you making today, anything yummy or fun?

See you here again very soon ...

Owls and Chickens and Turkeys, Oh My!

Happy Friday, my friends ~ I hope you are all well! I have a little nature story to share with you all today ...

So Mum and I were sitting at the breakfast nook earlier, drinking our tea, chatting about Thanksgiving, and enjoying the drizzly November day ... 

When suddenly Mum exclaimed, "What on earth is that thing sitting on the fence?"

 

The very large size of the creature seemed to suggest it was too big to be a bird ... but upon closer inspection, we realized it was indeed a ginormous owl! From its perch upon the paddock fence, it was quietly (perhaps sneakily) watching "the ladies" (our neighbors' hens), who were visiting our yard for their "afternoon tea."

So what did I do? Well as I'm sure most of you can guess, I flew outside with my camera ...

... and got as close as I could, snapping away. It was almost eerie, the way this HUGE bird turned his head to stare me down!

I got just a few shots before he spread his wings and took off. He was aiming right for the hens, so I gave a loud hiss and at the last minute he veered off into the woods. The ladies, understandably flustered, ran off in a line, clucking and crashing through leaf piles as they headed home.

I came back inside with a few pics, wet socks ... and a thumping heart! 

(Our neighbors occasionally share fresh eggs with us ~ I think we've earned our next dozen!)

***

Oh, so where do the turkeys come in?

Well, my mum was telling me about a flock of turkeys she saw on her drive up that morning; they were milling about in a farmer's field not far from here. We were joking that the turkeys were pretending to be cows, as close as we are to Thanksgiving. 

;)

Have you had any wildlife encounters recently? What was the last bird you spied - at home or while out and about?

Enjoy your weekend, my friends ... it will be a homey-but-busy one for us, as we prepare for the holiday next week. We're also keeping our eye on our Earlybird (who continues to do well) and praying about his upcoming tests. (One in a couple of weeks, another after the first of the year.) Thank you again, for all your kind thoughts and prayers.

 See you here again very soon ...

*❤*

Tuesday Tidbits

Happy Tuesday, my friends! I hope your week's going well! I have just a few things to share on this bright and breezy October day ... a little bit of this and that. :)

*

Well, somebody started solid foods last night! And despite what the middle picture might suggest, it was a hit!

Last night he ate several spoonfuls before firmly closing his mouth, lol - but this morning he ate nearly the whole bowl! And he was grabbing the spoon and humming right along just as happy as could be. :)

(On a serious note, though ... I've seen some headlines about concern over arsenic levels in rice. Does anyone know if this affects infant rice cereal? We use Earth's Best Organic brand, but I don't know if that makes a difference ... I really need to look into this issue, just thought I'd ask if any of my readers can share any thoughts ... )

*

Here are some potted-up raspberries to transplant this fall. My mother-in-law very kindly dug up several shoots from our old house for us to plant here.

Now to figure out where to plant them!

*

The "ladies" were back this morning ...

I think they like our grass!

*

 I thought this made a cute picture ...

 

(Another homeschooler in the making!)

*

 And finally, a picture taken by Crackerjack of Archie ...

Our church does a Blessing of the Pets every year on (or around) The Feast of St. Francis. We did not take our kitties because they do not tolerate car rides/the cat carrier very well. Maybe next year we'll just bring a picture?

*

Well, that's all for now, folks. Many blessings on your day!

Friday Bits-n-Bobs

So yesterday may have been a day for apples but I made use of another autumnal orchard fruit instead ~  a couple of pounds of ripe and juicy Bartlett pears! I baked two dozen pear muffins with the pearsauce I'd made earlier in the week.

And oh my goodness! I had one (maybe three) of these in the afternoon, with a cup of decaffeinated English Teatime, while sitting by an open window soaking in the fresh air and warm autumn sunshine ... just glorious!

(I've also got apples aplenty to use up - a whole bunch of Macs we bought at a favorite farm a couple of weeks ago ... I'll make them into a cobbler for Bookworm who'll be home from college this weekend.)

* And for supper last night I made a pan of ziti and a pan of baked chicken using up some spinach dip and whole grain bread crumbs ... along with a pan of roasted "early autumn" vegetables: squash, sweet peppers, onions, carrots, potatoes ...

 

Now, a quick disclaimer - I don't want anyone to think I'm cooking like this every day. Hardly. I'm still trying to get into some routines here with a new(ish) baby and a new(ish) home. I'm just so tickled I did all that cooking yesterday I wanted to share it!

* Speaking of baking though, I must rave again about the King Arthur Flour Baking Sheet. If you enjoy baking - particularly seasonal baking - this newsletter is a must. Well, apparently I forgot to change my address when we moved so when I realized I missed the Autumn issue, I called to remedy the error ... and two days later I had my new copy! Wonderful customer service from KAF.

* Now, on Wednesday you know how I told you all about the little mouse we found (or rather the cats found) in our dining room? Well yesterday morning we had another interesting nature sighting ... this gorgeous Barred Owl!

I was upstairs in the bedroom with Little Bear when I first spotted the owl in the trees near the edge of our property. I promptly got myself outside (and the baby in a bouncy seat where Crackerjack could watch him) and took a few snaps. The owl immediately zeroed in on me so I only had the chance to take a couple of passable shots. He then turned his back on me ...

And just flew off into the woods. What a wingspan! He was enormous.

* Oh, and the Michaelmas daisies! Have you seen any where you live? Around here they are abundant along the roadsides. Apt timing of course, seeing as how Sunday is Michaelmas Day ...

Love that pale purple, so pretty against the goldenrod which is also all over the place. One thing I love about this time of year is how we have fall foliage starting - there are hints of red and gold in the treescape - but we still have the bright beauty of September's last roses and dahlias and hydrangeas and such. The best of both worlds ... nature's last lively dance!

:)

Well that's all that's new from me today ... thanks so much for joining me this week as I ease my way back into regular blogging ... have yourselves a GREAT weekend, and I will see you all again sometime soon!

*❤*

Ladies Who Lunch

You know those eggs I showed you on Monday? Well yesterday the beautiful free range hens who laid those very eggs jumped the fence and spent lunchtime ambling about our backyard. We were at the breakast nook, Mum and I, when she spotted them.

How fun - and picturesque!

And this gives you a closer look at our backyard. I will have to do a full tour sometime in the near future. This shot is directly behind our house and you can see the edge of the brick patio. We have about 2 acres in all ...

The fence in the back of the pictures frames a pen once used for a horse by the original owners. There is a very old (dilapidated) shed there too, which we plan to renovate and make into a proper potting shed. And perhaps one day (in a year or two once Little Bear's a bit older) ...

We'll see about getting chickens of our own.

:)

Enjoy your Wednesday, my friends!

Lovely Little Hummingbird ...

Having our lunch at the kitchen table and watching the lovely hummingbirds fly back and forth to the feeder. Some of you may remember how fond we were of the hummingbirds at our old house - one female in particular whom we named "Harriet".

What shall we name our new pair of hummers , I wonder? (The female is pictured above, but there is a male too - he of the "ruby colored throat" - but he's a bit more camera-shy.)

Well, it was with very heavy hearts that we took down our birdfeeders this spring knowing we'd be moving and not wanting the birds to be so dependent on our feeding. I can't tell you how it saddened me to see the little red squirrel sitting on the branches outside the learning room, chewing a spruce cone because all the feeders were empty - and the hummingbird hovering outside our kitchen window most certainly wondering where the nectar she liked so much went ... :(

So I hope the next owners of our old house will feed the birds (I asked the realtor to put in a little plug for birdfeeding, lol - stressing how much we enjoyed a wide variety of birds through the years). But I can't dwell on that ... here at our new place I am over the moon to "discover" so many types of birds and critters in the short time we've been here ...

And flora, too ... very early this morning - before the heat got to be too much - Earlybird, Little Bear, Crackerjack and I walked around the property and started noticing all the different trees, plants and wildflowers (and weeds!) growing all over the place. For science this coming school year we will be studying Botany and we'll be starting our "research" right here in our very own 2-acre yard! That should be all kinds of fun ...

Ok, I know I promised a "new kitchen" post and that will come very soon, but most likely after tomorrow's holiday. (Is it really the 4th of July already??)

Hope you're all having a good week ... see you here again very soon!

*❤*

Settling In ~ Pictures & Notes

Good Tuesday Evening, everyone!

Well, my laptop broke last week so I've not been online very much ... but happily, the Apple Store worked its magic and I'm back in action. :) Just thought I'd post some pictures and notes from our second week settling into the new house.

First of all, Archie is doing so much better - he's back to his usual self, just a bit "holier" than he was before. (Lol, that was Bill's joke.) Seriously, though, he was so very lucky - the hole in his stomach was such a deep puncture wound, the vet said it stopped just outside the abdominal wall. We still have no idea how it happened ... we're just very glad he's ok.

Here he is "recouping" in his new favorite spot, on one of the kitchen chairs.

And here he is with his brother. Remember all those window pics of these cats at the old house?

I have a feeling we'll have lots of new window pics to share here ...

Like this one ...

Just one day after hanging our hummingbird feeder we had ourselves a hummer!

She had been visiting these spiky flowers that are growing in a flower bed just off the back patio ...

These flowers are also growing there ... might they be coneflowers?

And I'm not sure what these cheerful flowers are growing out front ...

Also seen out front ...

A teeny tiny baby rabbit ...

(I think he lives under the ferns which I have forbid Bill from clearing.)

And a small "herd" of deer (a third deer is just off to the left) ...

This is our front yard ... very woodsy as you can see!

Now how about the "wildlife" inside?

Our older boys enjoying a hot dog supper in the breakfast nook ...

And introducing ...

"Little Bear"

... as Owen will now be known here at the blog.

:)

(We chose "LB" because ... he makes the cutest little grunty sounds - particularly when nursing - and he sounds just like a little growly bear cub!)

These pictures were taken yesterday when our community was under a tornado warning! We actually had to go down to the basement for a while! The weather's been so crazy lately ...

Ok, so that's all for now, but in my next post I will give you all a peek at my new kitchen!

Hope your week's going well ... thanks so much for stopping by!

*❤*

p.s. I realize my blog sidebars are WAY out of date - I will be working on those just as soon as I can. :)

A Sign of Spring?

I know robins do spend their winters here in New England, but they're really not seen much until spring. (When those spring rains begin they come out in droves!) But since this is the first one I've seen in some time, I'm convinced he's a good sign - a sign that perhaps winter has turned a corner. (That's what the groundhog said, anyways.)

So I spotted this handsome guy in our front tree very early yesterday morning and since then I've seen him a couple of times - again in the tree, and hopping about on the front lawn. I'd like to imagine he's getting on with his spring business which is to mark his territory and start scouting out a bride ... just in time for St. Valentines Day, of course. :)

Here in Massachusetts we had "Focus on the Feeders" last weekend, a bird counting survey sponsored by the Mass. Audubon Society. We take part in this every year and it's always such fun. I was a little upset with myself this year because we've been lax with our feeding lately so I knew our counts would be down - but still, we counted! And our tally results were as follows:

blue jay: 1

black-capped chickadee: 2

carolina wren: 1

dark-eyed junco: 6

downy woodpecker: 1

sparrow: 3

mourning dove: 1

northern cardinal: 1

red-breasted nuthatch: 2

tufted timouse: 2

white-breasted nuthatch: 1

***

Do you feed birds in your yard? Have you seen any new birds at your feeders this year? 

Well, I hope you're all having a nice Tuesday ... take care of  yourselves and your loved ones, and I'll see you here again sometime soon!

Sunday ☼ Snippets

Just jotting down a few thoughts from my day ...

☼

There's a PBS preview here ...with a bit more information on Downton Abbey AS WELL AS a new Martha Stewart Cooking show! As many of you know, the MARTHA show was cancelled this year, and though I must admit I was an infrequent viewer, I will miss that big pretty studio she had! Actually, I still like her original show best - the one set at Turkey Hill, where she just showed you stuff but didn't try to "banter" with celebrity guests. Still, it's nice to know she'll continue to be a presence on TV! (And here's another article about the new Martha show from way back in April. Clearly I've been out of the loop!)

☼

This was a beautiful song sung at Mass this morning. I'm sure I've heard it before, but it really struck me today ...

I just love it. ❤

☼

I have more skls/bnls chicken breasts in the crockpot today - which means more shredded chicken for salad, pizzas, wraps, etc. I'll keep my portion plain, since I'm pretty sure it was Bill's bbq sauce - or rather, the chipolte pepper in Bill's bbq sauce - that set off my crazy reaction.

(Note to self: call an allergist first thing tomorrow.)

☼ 

And Crackerjack took this picture of Archie ...

He's holding his own - still sneezing now and again, but also still acting completely normal otherwise (eating/drinking/playing, etc.). Hates the meds of course, but what can you do?

But I love how we all flock to the learning room, whether we're learning or not.

But really, when are we not?

☼

The older boys are at a "big boy" birthday party this afternoon, so EB and I made crafts and had "Sunday Sundaes" at home. The boy just loves to paint, and he'll paint whatever I give him ... though funnily enough, he absolutely refused to paint rocks today, lol ...

And I had planned to do this frame craft mid-week, for the Feast of St. James, but we made them up today since the mood was just right. :)

EB did the painting, I did the pictures. :)

And in another window ...

I love putting starfish and sand dollars in the windows at this time of year. I'm not sure if this is strictly a New England thing, or more of a coastal thing, but I see them here and there and they always make me smile ... so I hope our "seaworthy" windows make passersby smile, too. :)

☼

Going a bit further with the shell theme - since shells are a symbol of St. James - I'm planning to make lemon madeleines and scallops provençal this week, and we may make this adorable seashell koala craft. Of course, I've been hunting high and low for my madeleine pan without any luck ... but I did find the minifig cake pan! Just in time for CJ's birthday next month! (You're not going to believe this, but he'll be 13!)

☼

Lately, we've been enjoying the goldfinches enjoying our lavender bed ...

I had kind of been kicking myself (as I do every year) for not doing much with our large patch of lavender... but seeing how dearly the birds love it, I feel somewhat less guilty.

☼

Also, I wrote out a rather lengthy post on how I get ready for a new school year, since I've had a few requests for a post of that nature. Alas, I was on Benadryl at the time, so it needs a little polishing before it posts, lol.

(It should be up sometime tomorrow!)

☼

Well, I'm going to sign off now, my friends - I expect my older boys and Bill home any minute, and I'm sure they'll be eager for supper. I hope you all had a nice weekend ... and I wish you a lovely Sunday night. 

I'll see you here again very soon ...

❤

Another Morning in the Garden ...

Just before Bill left for work, we took a little turn about the yard ... it was a beautiful morning, the light filtering softly through the garden as the sun rose behind the woods ...

These interesting plants are in the birdhouse garden, and for the life of me I can't recall what they are!

Can you help?

And here are the lovely purple coneflowers, which naturalized beautifully this year ...

These are some of my favorite summer flowers, because I just love orange and pink together. But I suspect they are also a favorite of the bunnies - not for their color, but their taste. Note the frayed petal edges? I don't mind really, as long as the plants are not harmed further. But speaking of bunnies, as I took these very pictures, a good-sized rabbit flew out of the raspberry hedge, tore across the road and into our neighbor's yard! Little white tail bouncing behind him ... :)

So after Bill left, Crackerjack and I headed out to the deck to fill the hummingbird feeders and check on our herb plants. We were thrilled to see (and hear) two gray herons fly over - we've never seen them travel in pairs!

(At least, I'm pretty sure they are herons - it's kind of hard to tell from this angle.)

The herb garden is certainly feeling the effects of this hot weather (aren't we all?) so we watered and checked over the plants. One of the plants - the Chinese Lanterns - was riddled with tiny, bizarre, crustacean-like bugs ...

We have no idea what they are! Any thoughts?

And how about your favorite non-toxic method for beating garden pests? I have several books here with recipes, but not sure which is the best.

As always, I appreciate your suggestions!

***

And another update on my dad ...

Well, he heard back from the surgeon's office last night and it looks like he not only *will* be having surgery next week, but most likely on both the neck and the lower back at the same time. Not sure what that will mean for his recovery time yet - my folks have a meeting with the surgeon on Tuesday to reassess and confirm all the details. In the meantime, they're starting him on a steroid to reduce inflammation ...

Thank you again, for all your kind thoughts and prayers. They mean so much to us. I will keep you all posted as best I can. I think right now we just wait ... and hope ... and pray.

Have a wonderful Tuesday, my friends. I'll see you here again very soon.

❤