An Old Window Gets a New Life

This past winter I found an old window leaning up against one of the buildings.  I took it and brought it into the house and sort of hid it.....I was afraid that it would be broken into pieces and thrown into the furnace.  It was old...and I liked it.

I thought about what to do with it.....I wanted to make it into something special.

I love quilts.....and I decided to attempt to make one.  I had a bag of scrap materials...so I went through it and cut everything into four inch squares.  Then I sewed them together....and it actually looked like a quilt!

I asked Terry to put a piece of barn board on the bottom of the window....to create a shelf.

I had collected some old glass bottles while on a walk in the bush last fall.  I love old glass bottles....they are all different shapes and sizes.  I scrubbed them up and put them on the shelf.

While on a walk in the spring, I clipped some branches off of some sort of weed/bush that grows on the side of our road.  Then I glued sparkles onto it.

We had been using this old paint can to collect the eggs.  I don't know where the boys found it...but I like it.  I put the branches into the can and then set it onto the shelf.  I'll have to find another container for collecting eggs or we'll be back to putting them in our pockets!

I found the bird's nest in a little bush back in February.  The girls were fascinated with it...it even had pieces of baler twine in it.  I had put it in the cupboard...saving it for something special.

I finally got around to putting the window up today.  I decided to hang it over the tub in the bathroom.

 

 

 

 

When I look at the quilt I see one of Terry's old work shirts.

I see a cotton baby's blanket.

I see a pair of Jack's old jeans....that I had to patch twice in the knees before he outgrew them.

I see a baby's sleeper...that was covered in spit stains.

I see a wool sock...that had a big hole in the bottom.

I see a cotton maternity dress....that was so worn and faded that I actually flipped the material over and used the other side.

I see love.

I see my life.

I am so blessed.

Brenda

A Day to Celebrate

We had a party yesterday.

We had a lot to celebrate.....actually 3 things to celebrate.

1.  It was Father's Day.

2.  We needed to have a party to celebrate Grady's graduation from grade 8.  He will be off to high school in the fall.

3.  It was also Grady's Birthday!

So we celebrated.

Johanna did some face painting.

They played hockey....

There were games of soccer and hide-and-seek.  The kittens were 'snuggled'....and there was lots of visiting....

And FOOD.  SO. MUCH. FOOD.

Here is the cake.  I decided to just make something simple....blue swirls.  When I was decorating it the girls said it looked like waves and I should make a boat and cover it in fish and......I didn't.

Grady is turning 14.

He let the girls blow out the candles....

So much fun.  Good, good memories.

Brenda

A Distraction

It was a perfect day to get some things done.  The boys were busy cutting the lawn and whipper snipping.  I took a notion to paint.  I've been meaning to finish some of the trim and a few doors needed to be painted.  I have done a lot of painting in this old farmhouse...it's a chore that just never seems to be finished.  Usually I paint at night after the kids are all in bed...but today I figured that the girls are old enough and I should be able to paint without them 'getting in the way'.

First, I had to scrub everything down...and no one seemed to bother me when I was doing this.

But as soon as I started to paint, I heard....

"Mom, I'm hungry."

"Mom, I need a snack."

"Mom, I need a drink."

"Mom, you painted this.  Will it come off my fingers?"

"Mom, I want to read to you.  Will you help me?".....good grief.  How do you say NO to that.  It was Lydia...this past month she wants to read all the time.  She knows quite a few words by sight....so, she got the reader and sat at my feet and read to me....and I helped her with the words that she was stuck on.

The painting was being interrupted....and I was ready to quit.  I asked the girls if they would just go outside for awhile....and they actually did.  But it was only for a minute and then they came in screaming with excitement.  They said that I HAD to come out and see this.  So I did.

 

 

They said that he was SO CUTE.  I thought it looked like a pickle.

I said that he was great....because he was a distraction.....from me painting.

They watched him for a while....and protected him from Ruby.

But the best part was that that frog distracted them....from me painting.  They came in the house and they played with each other like they normally do. 

And I got all the first coat on.

But I will need to get the second coat of paint on.  I think I'll do it when they are asleep.

Brenda

A Bird's Nest

Jack was checking the fences all around the sheep field last week.  He told me that he saw a bird's nest hidden in one of the bushes.  It had a few eggs in it.

He showed Johanna on the weekend.

Then it rained....which was a blessing.  Rain is good.

This morning, I finally had a chance to trek across the field with Jack.  I got wet up to my knees...but that didn't matter. 

It was so worth it.

As we approached, the mother bird flew out of the bush.  Another bird, we think it must have been the father, chirped loudly at us.  He was sitting on the hydro line just above us.

Then as I moved the grass away to snap a quick photo, the father swooped down on us.  He was MAD!

One of the eggs has hatched.  I saw the little chick move.

 

We only stayed for a moment....we didn't want to cause a disturbance.

New life is so amazing.  So beautiful.

Brenda

A 4-H Celebration

Renfrew County 4-H had a reason to celebrate on Saturday.  We honoured a special lady who has work tirelessly for her community for many, many years.  Lynn Clelland joined 4-H at the age of 12 and when she 'graduated' from being a 4-H member at the age of 21...she became a 4-H leader.  Over the years, she has been involved in all aspects of 4-H...from writing programs to serving on the board.

Lynn has taught my children how to square dance through the 4-H Square Dancing Club.  She was also their leader for the 4-H Farm Safety Club.  She has probably saved many lives over the years because she has taught many, many children how to be safe on the farm.

Not only is she involved in 4-H, but she is a true community lady.  She has volunteered with her church, the local school and she helped turn a local one room school house into a living museum.

On Saturday, she was presented with the Syngenta 4-H Ontario Arbor Award.  The 4-H Leadership Club was given the task of organizing the entire event.  These young adults did an amazing job. 

They included some square dancing in the program....

And then they made a square with 16 of us!  I don't have any photos because I was in the square! 

There was a hemlock tree planted in her honour.

 

 

And then there were treats!  Lots of treats....cakes and cookies!

They asked me to make the decorated cake for the event....

 

 

Congratulations Lynn!

Brenda

Sheep, Fries.....and Birds

Johanna, Grady and Jack are members in our local 4-H Sheep Club.  They have an annual family barbeque for one of their meetings....and we all really look forward to it.

They make French fries at this barbeque.

We don't have a deep fryer....so this is a real treat for us.

These French fries are better than the ones at the local chip stand.  These fries are amazing.

And we can eat as much as we want.

There was other food there too.  At least I think there was...I was concentrating on the fries.

And then there was dessert...I had taken some buttercream icing filled chocolate chip cookies.

I had another plate of fries.....for dessert.

But then I had a cookie too.

And then I was full.

But the very best part of the sheep meeting happened after I had left.  Terry had taken the boys in the truck and I had drove the girls in the van.  Terry and the boys were still there when I left.

When the boys arrived home they set a little box inside the door...and then went back outside to finish up some chores.

I thought....what's this....and I had a peek in the box.

Yes....more birds.  I don't even know what kind they are.  The sheep boys are also bird boys.  They breed hens....all different kinds....

Just what we need....more birds.  These ones are so loud.  Sophie was complaining that she wasn't going to be able to sleep.

I just hope that they are hens....and not roosters.

We'll wait and see....

Brenda

The Teeter Totter....that's worth a Million Dollars

The other day I heard Sophie come into the house.  She hollered, "Mom"....and I could tell by the tone that it wasn't good.  She was upset about something.  I told her that I was upstairs, folding clothes.  Then she came stomping up the stairs and into my room.

She said that Grady would not make her a teeter totter.

I responded with a "uuuh?".....I didn't even know that she knew what a teeter totter was.  There isn't one at the playground.

I continued to fold clothes.

Then she said, "Maybe if I paid him....then maybe he'd make me one."

I said that might be possible.....how much did she think he would need?

"Maybe a million dollars."

I looked up at her and I saw her glancing at the dresser.  Then she headed toward it.

I told her that I didn't have quite that much....but she was welcome to have the $0.17 on the dresser.

She took it and headed back down the stairs and outside.

It was only a few minutes later and I was downstairs when she came through the door.  She came into the kitchen and placed this on the table....

She was delighted....he had made it for her.

I was a little shocked.  I was expecting a full size teeter totter for her to ride on.

I said, "Who is it for...Barbie?"

She said NO....it was for the puppies! 

What was I thinking??....of course it was for the puppies!

She said that it would need to be painted.  So, I got her all set up and she painted it.

And now the puppies have a teeter totter.

I asked her later if she had given the money to Grady and she said that she hadn't.  I think he was actually making it for her when she was in getting the money.....

Brenda