The Sounds of Nature

Last night, I went to sleep to the sounds of mooing. This time of year and again in the fall, the ranch behind our house moves their cows into the field right behind us. I love it! Hearing all the mooing during the day when the windows are open and drifting off to sleep to those little bellows at night is very soothing. This morning I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping before the sun was even up. I love hearing nature around me; I'm THANKFUL for my hearing.

The Sounds of Nature

I can't even imagine what it is like to not be able to hear the sounds of precious family members let alone the sounds of nature. We take our hearing for granted every day; it’s something we need to treasure, because it truly is a miracle.

Seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles, and each part and tag of me is a miracle.
~ Walt Whitman

I hope I inspire people who hear. Hearing people have the ability to remove barriers that prevent deaf people from achieving their dreams. ~ Marlee Matlin

Sounds of Nature

I can hear the rippling water falling gently
From the waterfall that I have found
From the meadow I hear meadowlarks a singing
Seems there's sounds of nature all around

I can hear the wind go whistling through the treetops
I hear raindrops falling softly to the ground
In the distance I can hear the roar of thunder
Seems there's sounds of nature all around

Sounds of nature fill the air with music
How I love and cherish every sound
I often kneel in prayer to thank the Master
For the sounds of nature all around

In a barren tree a lonesome dove is calling
For its mate that's nowhere to be found
In the garden I hear honeybees a humming

~Dolly Parton

Our Week in Review

Last week seemed like it would never end. How crazy is that? Having the week before off from scheduled school work caused this week to drag its feet. I think the longer days have a little to do with it. Today, I'm sharing our week in review.

The Week in Review

Mikey has learned patience with Jamie’s school work. He either waits at the front door looking out at the birds and rabbits, or he is sleeping beside the chair.   Someone asked what kind of dog Mikey is, he is a Brittany Spaniel (bird hunting). Brittanys are very loyal and easy to train. Mikey has become my little shadow and naptime partner. I even taught him how shake hands and we are working with him learning to flip little treats off his nose to catch them in air.

Isn't he cute?

Thursday and Friday, I finally dove head first into croissant making. It is a drawn out process, BUT extremely easy pastry to make. I used Paul Hollywood’s recipe from his book 100 Great Breads. Buttery, flakey and oh so yummy!

I finished the baby sweater I was working on and would you believe I FORGOT to take a picture of it? I always take a picture of baby gifts, but for some reason, I managed to pack it up for mailing without getting a quick picture. You can see the yarn HERE. The color is called FERN, it is the first yarn on the second row. Let me just tell you a little about the Polka Dot Sheep store - I called to check on a different color to verify the amount they had listed on their site, they didn't have enough in, but Aimee was AWESOME! She recommended the FERN color when I told her about my project. She even went to check on buttons for me while on the phone. I placed my order online and within an hour, I received a noticed that my package had been shipped. Talk about wonderful customer service!

Saturday night, I started my very own knitted project. All these years of knitting, I have never knitted myself anything except for dishcloths. My sister sent me some yarn for Christmas in 2013 and I've been searching for a sweater pattern to knit. I finally found it at ALLFREEKNITTING. Honestly, I'm not too sure how the color of the yarn is going to look for this pattern, but I'm willing to knit a sleeve to see how it turns out. If all else fails, I'll be ordering size 35 needles to knit up this really cute afghan for me.

Saturday was my grocery shopping day, on the way home, I snapped this quick picture. My husband and I giggled about a private congressional meeting taking place west of us.

I hope your week and weekend have been just as exciting as mine. I’d love to hear about it.

A Happy Marriage {Thankful Thursdays}

I'm

THANKFUL

 the Lord has allowed me to have a happy marriage.  This summer we will be celebrating seventeen years and I'm scratching my head wondering where the time has gone, as the thought of seventeen years is a little mind boggling to me.  We don't have a

perfect

marriage, but who does? We have our ups and downs, but we are HAPPY! I would not trade where I am today for anything in the world. I'm thankful for my happy marriage.

A Happy Marriage

I'll never forget the day, I signed into my husband's facebook account to get a phone number.

Yes, we both have access to each other's facebook, emails, etc; we hide nothing from each other. 

The newsfeed that morning was full of immature, high school drama - spewing hateful words, "dirty laundry", and family business that should have been kept private. Instead of being responsible, mature adults and talking to each other, they took to the internet to rub each other's nose into the mess they had created. Sadly, some of their children read what their mother wrote about their father, ALL ON FACEBOOK.

This kind of behavior breaks my heart. When a couple gets married, they

choose

each other. They

choose

to

ACCEPT

 the

good

, the

bad

, and the

ugly

in the other person. Everyone has bad and ugly about us, so it shouldn't surprise a mate when it rears it's ugly head.  When a couple makes a commitment to each other for better or for worse - it means just that, we are promising our spouse we will be loyal to them in the good times and in the bad.

Not everyday is a hunky- dory day around here. We both have our moments that can cause problems, but we know our marriage is a life time commitment. No matter how ugly something gets, our marriage is important to us to not allow something to fester; our marriage is worth fighting for.

Mushroom Gravy Smothered Mini Patties

This is my favorite go to main dish with sides of veggies meal. It is on my meal planner one time every two weeks, that is how much we like it; my sweet son gets excited when he realizes it's the day on the planner calendar. If you are looking for a stick it to your ribs kind of dish, this is it. Mushroom Gravy Smothered Mini Patties are out of this world!

This recipe started out with me using venison butterfly steaks, and then I moved on with ground meat during the summer months one year. From that moment on, we've been enjoying this dish. The recipe doesn't call for anything out of the ordinary; you probably have everything already in the kitchen for this easy dish. In fact, it is a recipe you can customize for your family’s tastes.

I have tried making the gravy with plain water, milk, chicken broth and beef broth. They are all very good, but since I mostly use ground venison, I try to stick with beef broth so there will be a more beefy taste.

Our favorite way of eating these little patties is right on top of a cloud of mashed potatoes – oh so heavenly!

Mushroom Gravy Smothered Mini Patties

Ingredients:

•  1 pound ground meat
•  1 (14.5oz) can beef broth
•  ½ package of mushrooms sliced
•  ¼ cup of flour
•  1 small onion chopped
•  garlic powder to taste
•  onion powder to taste
•  salt and pepper to taste
•  up to 1 cup of water (optional)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, mix together meat and seasonings. Heat skillet over medium high heat, if you are using a low- fat meat, you'll need to add a little oil. Form meat into mini patties and fry until done.

Remove the patties from the skillet and drain most of the fat (you only need enough to keep the mushrooms from burning). Turn the heat down to medium low and sauté the mushrooms, add flour to the mushrooms, stirring constantly, add broth and continue stirring to keep lumps from forming.

Depending on how much or how thick you want the gravy, you may need to add a little water. Once your gravy is made, turn the heat down to low, continue stirring until there is no chance for burning. Add the meat patties back to the gravy and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Weekend Wanderings {The Back Road}

This weekend my husband and I enjoyed a nice long, bumpy ride. We went to check out the new Tractor Supply store in the area.  We got excited seeing the prices on a couple of things we've been saving for. They are about $40 cheaper than the local feed store and we are excited because we'll be saving money.

While many around here won't agree about the need of competition among stores to help keep prices low, we’re excited about a new chain store in the area.

Our WEEKEND WANDERINGS led us up the back road on a scoria road. For those of you not knowing what scoria is, it is a type of volcanic rock. Out here there are buttes made of it and it is used in place of gravel since there is an abundance of the neat rock and so little of gravel. Any time I mention gravel, my husband looks at me and asks, where’re you gonna get it? :)

Our travels took us through the oilfield. I didn't take pictures of the PUMP JACKS  because I don’t know if there would be any backlash from an oil company since the company name is posted on the gate around them. So to be safe, if you look closely on the right side of the picture below, there are two pump jacks and on the left are holding tanks. Isn't that open land crazy?

I was a little surprised to see such a large amount of pine trees in this area. This Southern girl dearly misses seeing the color green year round. (Our little house was nestled under huge Ponderosa Pine trees when we lived in the Bitterroot Valley.)  While pine trees are not in abundance around here, I wanted to jump out of the truck and run down the hill and get a good sniff of the pine scent. But, I didn't because it was up in the 70’s and I was not going to risk running into the only Mr. Rattlesnake who would be brave enough to come out in the warm weather on Saturday. Tall or short, skinny or fat, I'm always happy to see pine trees.

Anywhere you go out here, you are bound to see cows. While they are not my favorite farm animal, I do like seeing them because you never know what they'll be doing.  Those little calves are enjoying the warm sun with their mommas.

I have a fascination with old buildings; it doesn't matter if it is a house, a school/church, or an empty downtown building. I can't help but wonder about the people who either lived there, went to school there, worshipped there, or worked there.  The love of history comes out when I see them.

The next few pictures are from Sunday afternoon, I had to run to town and we came home on one of the back roads.

Can you imagine living here 100 years ago?

I finally saw something that I’ve wanted to see. Can you see it? Look again, I'll wait for you...

That luscious greenness tickles my heart, it’s a sure sign spring is here. While this field is actually winter wheat, all the other fields are beginning to show signs of green grass poking through all the brown weeds. I am so excited!

I mentioned in my last Weekend Wanderings wanting to get a good picture of my little partner in crime. Mikey loves going for a ride and looking out the window, I'm pretty sure he is counting down the days to where he can be out pheasant hunting this fall.

Did you have a good weekend? I'd love to hear about it.

A Deep Cleaning Week in Review

What a week! If you read my post from Monday, then you know I had a busy week planned with no schoolwork. My busyness kept me in two rooms for four days. I didn't leave the house to go anywhere other than to walk Mikey.

On Monday, I spent the day deep cleaning everything in the bathroom. I laid the new shelf liner I bought six weeks ago when I changed out the liner in the kitchen. The paper in the bathroom was actually pretty and I hated to go through the hassle of removing it, but it was time to get rid of the peel and stick mess, so I went ahead and pulled up the old stuff and laid the new liner. When my sweet Jamie walked in, he told me the bathroom smelt like “old lady fumes”. We giggled, because they were some powerful fumes! But thankfully, I was able to rid of the smell with some 409 cleaner.

I normally stay away from wallpaper because when we were first married, our little fixer upper house had avocado green wallpaper in the kitchen and marigold yellow in the bathroom. From that moment on, we have never owned another house with wallpaper until now. On Monday, I went against my preference and put up paintable wallpaper because of plaster problems. (cue the Hallelujah Chorus) My husband and I are both very impressed with the way the wall turned out. You can't see or feel the problem places. The waviness in the wall, you can feel it but not see it anymore. As soon as I get a new curtain rod up, I'll share a photo, since all that is hanging in there now is a piece of dark fabric. :)

I love our little Mikey, he is the best companion to just sit around with. But boy, I didn’t realize he sheds so much. My laundry and sewing room has become a hair trap. I usually vacuum in there every day, but when I began moving things around, I was shocked at all the hair that was found. I seriously could have spun it all and knitted a sweater with it. Yeah, that much!

My little sewing area and fabric shelf was in a mess! I took two boxes of fabric to the basement that has been taking up valuable space. It’s fabric that I don’t use too often and is bulky, so it needed to be stored some place else. I found several UFOs among the fabric. I knew I had them, but I just did not feel inspired to complete them, because of the unorganized mess in the room. Now, I’m inspired and ready to get them finished.

I finally hung my antique mirror my mom brought to me back in August. I painted the greenish gold frame a flat black and I love it. I think it looks great with my quilt block and doilies.

The quilt block my grandmother made, the doily on the left I bought at a yard sale and the one on the right, my sister crocheted and sent to me at Christmas, I just love how it flutters around the hoop. I have several more quilt blocks that I'll be hanging on the other side of the mirror once they are placed in hoops.

I bought this little candle holder at the thrift store about a year ago. Since I don't have a candle for it, I thought about the vintage thread that belonged to my grandmother. I love the stray strings!

A top priority for this week was the school closet. I tackled it and I came out on top! For curious minds, that is a vintage 50 pounds Victor oleomargarine can. It is perfect for storing bird seed.

Every night this week, except for Monday, I’ve spent time knitting. While I was hoping to have the sweater finished, I’m far from it. Maybe by Sunday night, I’ll have it finished. I ordered the buttons on Thursday and was a little surprised to find the standard shipping cost to the middle of Nowhere, Montana costs more than three packages of buttons, go figure.

Today, I’ll be working on filing away school papers for the past six weeks and preparing lesson plans for the last weeks ahead. It’s hard to believe our 10th year of being at home is soon coming to a close.

My Christian Heritage {Thankful Thursdays}

I am

thankful for my Christian Heritage

. I'm thankful for a precious lady who took time to show my Mother how to be saved. This lady prayed daily for our family when my Mother first accepted Jesus as her Saviour. Over the years, she has continued to pray for us and to this day, my little family is being prayed for by this precious friend, and I AM THANKFUL FOR THAT.

My Christian Heritage

I was raised in church and attended the Christian school. While our church and school were not perfect, I was able to hear about how God loved me six days a week for sixteen years. I also had the opportunity to sit under the preaching of many of the great men of our faith, and I AM THANKFUL FOR THAT.

I am thankful for being taught about God and His Word while growing up. What precious words are contained in the Bible; words of hope, words of peace, words of love and encouragement, words for every situation we can face. I am thankful for being taught to memorize Bible verses.

While I did not always understand the way I was being raised as a young person, I am thankful for parents who did what was best for me. They knew what the world had to offer me and they did what they could to protect me from it. The rules that were set were sometimes broken on my end, but no matter what, my parents loved and cared for me, and I AM THANKFUL FOR THAT.

Now that I am grown and have a family of my own, I am thankful for listening to my mother when it came to certain young men. While my heart felt as if it were being crushed at the time, the Lord was preparing the right man to enter into my life; a man who would lead me and our son in the right way. A man who would accept God’s calling on his life, and I AM THANKFUL FOR THAT.

While we live 1700 miles away, it doesn’t stop the love and prayers. I have parents who love my family enough to send cards, letters and special goodies in the mail. Any time we talk on the phone the words “I love you and I’m praying for you” are always spoken, and I AM THANKFUL FOR THAT.

I am THANKFUL FOR THE CHRISTIAN HERITAGE I have so I can pass it along to my son.

A To Do List {for 4/6-4/10}

Good Morning, I hope you all had a blessed Resurrection Day!

Today begins another week of caring for my home without any other necessary essentials drawing away my focus. Last week, we completed our six week block in school. Little did I know on Monday, my not so little scholar would work extra hours to complete a week’s worth of work by the middle of the week. When Wednesday morning rolled around, all that needed completing were two lessons in Algebra and two chapters in his The Red Badge of Courage study. Thursday and Friday we unwound from the daily schedule and totally enjoyed those two days. I did manage to plan my To Do List for this week on Thursday so I would be good and ready.

This week, I'm focusing on the laundry room and bathroom. I had hoped to work on the laundry room during the last week off, but I enjoyed the internet just a little too much after completing what was necessary. Since my laundry room doubles as my sewing room, I have a boatload of fabric that needs refolding and reorganizing. Our school closet is in this room also and it will get an overhaul this week.

My bathroom... I’m hoping to do something with it this week. I removed all the wallpaper two winters ago and the ugliness stares at me in the face every time I walk in there. The walls are plaster and have a horrible texture on them. Actually, most of the walls in this house have that awful texture and I dislike it. The bathroom wall with the window has seen better days. The plaster was not cared for before the granny wallpaper was put up, so we are left with fixing a problem. After doing some extensive research, we don’t love this house enough to patch those places. While at Menard’s I came across paintable wallpaper and the man told me that it would be a perfect fix after hearing about the wall. Would you believe the wallpaper matched the texture on the other walls? Talk about a miracle!

I bought a box of TSP (tri sodium phosphate) on Saturday to wash down the walls and prepare them for painting. I can't wait to see just how white the walls are supposed to be. I'm keeping my fingers crossed about the weird pink tint.

While our bathroom is extremely tiny, I will say I LOVE all the cabinets. The originals owners closed off a second entry to the bathroom from the room that became the laundry room when she could no longer go down stairs with clothes. That old doorway became five large cabinets in the bathroom and an awesome school closet on the other side. If nothing happens, I’ll have to share pictures when I'm finished cleaning.

It’s hard to believe there are only six weeks of school left for this year. I'll be working on filing away papers and lesson plans for the upcoming weeks. I'll be making a list of the books I need to order, so I can start ordering next week. Did I say, I can't believe the end of the school year is fast approaching? I'm a little dumbfounded to think about how there will be only three more years of this journey.

I'll be working on finishing up the sweetest little sweater this week. The yarn came on Saturday and I've been knitting like a mad woman. I have to get it finished or my precious grand-nephew won't be able to wear it. As for my quilt, I’m plugging right along. I wish I would have invested in having someone else cut out all the squares for me. I have a fear of not cutting something correctly and end up with squares that don't match. Yeah, I tried making a baby quilt for Jamie before he was born and that happened. So I went back and bought a pre-made quilt top and made his baby quilt. Hopefully not, but it looks like this quilt might become the 8 year afghan. :)

What your plans for this week?