Some old favorites

OK, I finally did it. I can't believe it and I am so surprised by how many people I know are on there...I joined Facebook....ugh....I know, I know....but it was the easiest way to keep in touch with some people. So anyway, in looking for some photos to post on said Facebook, I came across these few and thought I would share them here too.


This is my poppet doing what she does best...clowning. She can make some amazing faces...just like her dad.

Here she is having her first pony ride at age 2 1/2. She was totally hooked.

She spent most of last summer on the trampoline. It is amazing how little kids never seem to get tired.

This beautiful shot was taken by Emily a couple of summers ago.

This one too, this is the cut out in the porch swing, what a cutie.

Pumpkin Carving

My Cutie

Just a couple of cute pictures of Sophie cuddling with her recently acquired, freeby Reindeer chair. What a hoot!

Signs of Fall

In honor of September's dawning and with autumn just around the corner, I took a walk around the yard and gardens to see what early signs of fall there were. It was easier than I thought to see the Mother Earth begin Her preparations for Her winter sleep.






Here we have Bee Balm gone to seed.






Here is Purple Cone Flower [Echinacea] also gone to seed.









Mugwort in full flower/seed.















Some of the walnuts that the children of a friend gathered from beneath their tree and gifted us.













The rake....left standing after my son Jonathan, finished raking some of the first leaves that have already fallen, due in part of the drought we had in August.



















Rose hips~yum.....tea time anyone?














Autumn color, this is just the beginning......












Toad stools, faery umbrellas, mushrooms.....growing across the fence.















Our glorious, 10-12 feet tall sunflowers are now leaning like old ladies on canes, drooping with their heavy load of delicious seeds, for us and the birds.

Have A Sunny Day!

Having A Ball

Mother's Day at the Park

A lovely day to visit the park.

Swinging.....

Slides......

Dragon slide.....

More swinging......

Local SCA practice battles......

Frisbee and dogs......

Skate boarding....

..

Emergency room.......Emily wiped out on her board and ended up with a badly sprained and very painful wrist and arm. Poor thing. Luckily, it isn't broken.

Happy Mother's Day:{

A Beautiful Spring Day

We had an absolutely gorgeous spring day! It was so lovely, there was a breeze, fledgling birds to watch and Mother Earth just sang.....here are some shots from our day.

The unknown shrub in our yard.

A May Day basket .

Bumble bee enjoying the nectar.
Sophie loves her swing.

trying out her new watercolors on the porch. Painting May Poles.

Oh, to be a cat.......

Pretty Little Things in My Yard

Sophie poses on the porch.

Dogwood in full bloom.

Sweet violets by the side of the house.

Sophie picking dandelions.

Posing on the rocks.

Home Sweet Home

I love my home. Not everyone can say that I guess, but the longer I am here the more I do love it. We have been here in this house for just over a year. It now feels like home to me. It is warm and inviting and loving. It is a place that nurtures my soul. In a book called "A Home for the Soul-a guide for dwelling with spirit and imagination" Anthony Lawlor says, "The needs of the soul are satisfied through the archetypal actions of human dwelling--cooking, eating, gathering with others, sleeping, dreaming, lovemaking, bathing, managing finances, and solitude." He also says that

"Some may access soul through prayers, rituals and scriptures of their faith, but they can also encounter soul in a flavorful stew, the caress of a lover, or the textures of a pine floor."

"A home for the soul has character and personality. It contains rich textures and colors that invite the hand and delight the eye."

"An expensive house or apartment is not required to care for the soul. Simple objects and furnishings can become touchstones of inspiration and meaning. A plain bookshelf, holding photographs of family and friends or a collection of personal mementos, creates a haven that nurtures the soul."

" Cleaning is the act of discerning what will benefit our homes and removing what will not."

"Cleaning requires that we slow down and spend more time being attentive to our surroundings, which is another technique for opening to spiritual experience."

"Cleaning blesses our homes with care, and mending readies our dwelling places for the soul's return home"

This is a great book to help you realize just how special you can make your home. I also checked out the voluminous "Martha Stewart's Home keeping Handbook" from the library. This book is about 800 pages and is full of everything you could ever want or not want to know about caring for your house. I admit that I am a Martha fan. Not cool maybe, but she has great ideas and presents them well. Let me tell you that this book will motivate you to clean those corners that you have let go. I was inspired by this book, even though it is a little more reading than I would normally give to this kind of work. It is meant as a reference book to come back to when something needs doing. Its worth looking at. But the $45 price is a little steep for purchase for me. Maybe this post will inspire someone to take a little time and pay attention to whether their home is a home for the soul.

A New Favorite

I finally got my Winter Solstice and Christmas pictures downloaded from the camera. They are wonderful. Here is one of my favorites, all five of my kids, since Laura moved out on her own and Emily is always busy, its hard to ger them all together, so this is a special one to me. Emily, Sophie and Laura, Joshua and Jonathan.