Down on the Homestead - June 20 - 26th

**homesteadmamma** · 06-20-2004, 08:31 AM

Good morning everyone. I woke up to cloudy skies and the threat of rain.

Yesterday I got all the weeding done and planted some Irises, ferns and Tiger Lilies I got for free. I also got a free rose bush and planted it as well. And I put in the Lily of the Valley I had gotten free too.

Today I'm making it a day of rest, which means I'm going to quilt most of the day away. I need to take a break from work and seeing as quilting isn't work for me, I like to do that.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day, down on your homestead.

**FarmLady** · 06-20-2004, 09:01 AM

Good Morning, I am taking my DH and dad along with the rest of the family out for lunch today. It is a treat for all of us to get together and eat out, as we don't do it that often. One of my dads favorite restaurants is having a father's day buffet so I decided to take the day off and treat them, and myself!

I hope to get out to the garden and pick peas when we get back home. Homesteadmamma enjoy the quilting!

**slowtypinwoman** · 06-20-2004, 09:49 AM

Hi All,
Today I think I'll play a bit. I'd like to paint some Santas and work on a rug some. Michael wants BBQed chicken for dinner so I'm going to make that for him. I told him I'd cut his hair today too. I think I'll do mine as well. Thought I'd grow it out but it's driving me crazy! LOL Have a great day all!

**Strawberry** · 06-20-2004, 01:59 PM

Good morning! A hot day here again; it was 24C at 9 this morning

My brother was staying with us last night and we visited more this morning before he left. The young man who is living with us left for church and at the last moment we decided to stay home from church and the children honoured their dad with some gifts. We all spent some time together and now everyone is off for some quiet time on their own.

We're grilling steaks for lunch today and for supper we're having another of dh favourites, chocolate waffles, strawberries, and ice cream. We're spoiling dh today!

Not much else going on around here today. We're just resting and enjoying the day.

Hope you all have a great day!

**dmvezina** · 06-20-2004, 06:11 PM

Good evening! It was a beautiful day here in NH today.
DH and I did some planting in the garden. He put his new toolbox together and started organizing his tools. Right now, he took 2 of the 4 children to Walmart to spend some of their birthday money and to give me a break. Now that summer break is here, I really don't get any "me" time. He had asked if I wanted to go and I told him honestly that now that it's summer, I really won't have any time without kids around, so any time they won't be here will be much appreciated!! lol, hint, hint!!
The birthday party went well yesterday. DD got some really nice gifts and money.
My parents stopped by today as it's their anniversary too. They're on their way to go camping for vacation. They're not too far from where we live, so I can bring the kids up if I need a break from home.
Breakfast today was eggs, toast, fried onions & potatoes, orange slices, sausages, and bacon.
Lunch was yogurt, goldfish crackers (the "cheap" version), carrot sticks and pears.
Dinner was lemon glazed chicken, venetian rice & peas, carrot & cucumber sticks, radishes and I have a homemade blueberry pie sitting on the stove ready for dessert.
Oh, let me tell you how peaceful it is here right now. The other 2 children, by the way, are at a friends house. So, all is right with the world right now for me!! lol
I finished my evening routine and thought I would check in here since I haven't had time to post yet today.
I hope all the dh's/dad's are enjoying their day. I think my dh has had a very good day. I don't feel guilty about him taking them shopping because he's not the type that can sit still and be pampered. Plus, like I said, I will treasure every moment I can get with no kids around.

Well, I guess I'll go. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their day!

**guest2** · 06-20-2004, 10:30 PM

Wonderful day here! We all slept in this morning. DH and I got up for awhile and then went back to bed. He had been working on putting in a new glass door for us all day yesterday and he was up late with me taking him out to dinner and then watching a special on the Cuban Missile Crisis with the boys. After we got up the second time, I cut his hair and then we all packed a picnic lunch (I had prepared most of it yesterday) and headed up to a beautiful park on the lake in Northern Idaho. They have free Sunday concerts there so we had free entertainment, a wonderful meal, Jeff and the boys played basketball for awhile and Jaysn enjoyed the water in the lake. We stopped for ice cream on the way home.

Jeff is now fixing the swamp cooler since the temperatures are supossed to soar in the next few day. Later we'll call my Dad, FIL and my brother who just became a daddy for the first time a few weeks ago.

**mustang80** · 06-21-2004, 07:18 AM

Good morning!

Today is a work day for me, and also for Ashlee-it's her first day! lol...now if I could just get her out of bed.....

Cleaned up the dishes and made my bed. I've got some laundry I'd like to get put away before we leave, but whatever.

Have a wonderful day!

**homesteadmamma** · 06-21-2004, 08:45 AM

Good morning everyone. It looks like its going to be a very nice day here. I'm off to do my papers in a bit, so hopefully it stays nice.

Danielle, hope the day goes well for Ashleee.

Once I get home from the papers, I need to do laundry. I'll hang it outside to dry which shouldn't take long, considering its nice and breezy out. I love when its breezy like this. It keeps the mosquitoes down and dries the clothes fast.

I was able to weed all the flowerbeds and the veggie garden this weekend. Many of my plants are getting ready to bloom, but many of them are also very delayed. The tomatoes aren't looking as good as I would like for this time of the year. The weather forecast is for cool temps all this week. The onions are doing well and its nice to be eating them at almost every meal.

I'm almost finished cutting all the squares for dgd quilt. All together, there are 465 squares that needed cutting. I'm hoping I have the quilt top together by the middle of July.

Thats about all the news here. Have a great day everyone.

**dmvezina** · 06-21-2004, 09:09 AM

Good Monday morning to you!!! It's nice & sunny here this morning. I've already showered, have 2 loads of laundry done, watered my gardens, made breakfast & cleaned up the kitchen, took the trash out, made hubby's lunch & breakfast & sent him off to work, took my vitamins, changed the cats water & made sure they have enough food, looked over what's for dinner, cleared a couple of hotspots & cleaned both bathrooms.
I still need to make my bed, which all the bedding is hanging out to dry, vacuum & wash the floors, dust, clean the tv screens/mirrors/computer monitors, empty the small trash cans, make some peach jam, make koolaid for the kids, make some refrigerator dough, make some bagels, check my stock of tp in the bathrooms, pull out my July4th decorations & put them up, and my regular routines.

Monday is always my busiest day!!
My rose bushes are already blooming. In fact, I've already had the pleasure of cutting off two roses and put them in vases. One on my nightstand & one in the kitchen. My lavendar plant is starting to bloom. I cannot wait for that one!! I absolutely love lavender.
I really cannot wait to start going out to the garden and picking more than just radishes!! I'm trying so hard to be patient. I guess I have no choice though since there aren't any vegetables yet!! lol

Well, with this busy day ahead, I need to get moving.
I hope everyone has a good, productive Monday!!!

**canadian gardener** · 06-21-2004, 01:15 PM

Good Monday to you all!

I'm off to do laundry and pack.

Going to Vancouver tomorrow on the Greyhound bus to see a specialist on Wed about my thyroid, and then mil's one year anniversary funeral service at the Russian Orthodox church on Saturday after which I can come home.

It's going to be a week before I check back in here as sil and bil are living with fil due to the house burnt and is being rebuilt which will take some months yet.

I'm kind of expecting zero computer time, and being tired due to so many people around all the time, so I'm taking my knitting and going to rest when I can.

Catch you all in a week and much love.

**guest2** · 06-21-2004, 02:28 PM

Margery You'll be missed.

Dawn~I'll bet your roses are lovely. Mine are blooming too.

CJ~My tomatoes are not doing that well either. Everyone around here is saying theirs also have stunted growth this year. I can't wait to see a picture of your DGD quilt when you get it done.

Danielle~Tell Ashlee that I wish her a great first day!

Today is another busy one around here. This morning I got the trash out, cats fed and some reading done all before 7 a.m. I then got the boys up and going for the day. Around 8 a.m. I got into the shower and had a walk planned with Jaysn when Chris comes running into the bathroom saying that Jeff forgot his tool bag and the drill here at home this morning. I have Chris call Jeff at work and see if he needs me to bring them to him. He said yes, so I was off to take those to him, hit the grocery store for marked down bargains (got a big bag full of prok tenderloins and chicken fried steaks along with some baby carrots for under $10! Yeehaw!!!

) Picked up the mail and found a bottle of Green Tea pills that I had ordered (it was a freebie).

The rest of the day is filled with sanding down the railings on the porch and getting them ready to be primed, planting some more pansies, the twins doing their math and later having the kids go swimming. They have a friend spending the night tonight so the rooms need to be picked up. Oh yes, and then there is the laundry that is halfway done for the day.

Chris is off mowing a lawn while it is still under 80's and Josh is heading up to check on some lawn care that he has to do. Jaysn is running things back to to library that are due.

Dinner tonight is spagetti, garlic bread and a big green salad. The spagetti sauce is from the freezer (made it last gardening season with produce from our garden), the bread is homemade and the salad is from our garden.

Be blessed and have a wonderful day!!!

**forestdale** · 06-21-2004, 07:07 PM

Hello ladies.

It's the first of my days off today.

I haven't done much yet although I've been up for 4 hours. It's 9am now and I'm about to wake up my DS so he can go to work. I ahve to take him this morning as his car is in the garage being fixed. When I drop him off I'll drive over to the next town to a store I heard about from my 91 year old friend, jack. He said this place, called Simply Good, has the best fresh bread flour - and lots of different types too. So I'll go over and check it out and buy some other things like oats, sugar and powered milk. It's all in bulk so you just take your container and fill it up. Much better for the environment and the hip pocket.

When I return I have to plant some lettuce seedlings and water the vegetables. I will also spend some time outside with my dogs and chickens this afternoon. The chickens are still laying well even though it's very cold every morning now - it was 4 C this morning and 3 C yesterday. The days warm up to around 20 C. I always give my chickens warm porridge in the morning and I'm convinced that it keeps them laying throughout the cold months.

I'll also do some baking this afternoon - peach oat slices and bread.

Margery, I hope all goes well when you visit your doctor. I'll miss you.

I have to take off my ugg boots now and go outside to water my potplants.

Then I hope my son is ready to go.

Happy homesteading everyone.

**FarmLady** · 06-21-2004, 09:06 PM

Good Evening, sorry I am late getting here today it has just been one of those days, and goodness knows I am a slow moving mama these days, LOL!
Not much going on here at home, I got the chores done, slow but sure today, had wanted to work in the garden today but with the rain moving in, that idea got moved to the back burner in a big hurry. So I spent some time catching up on my ironing and doing some baking. The zucchini are really starting to produce just now so I made some cookies and cake out of them.
Danielle ~ I hope Ashlee had a great day today
Margey~ I hope you have a good trip, you will be missed while you away.
Bethany ~ enjoy your roses, nothing smells as sweet as though you grow yourself
Debbie~ It sounds as if you have had one busy day, take some time out for yourself too.
I hope everyone’s Monday went well!

Barb

**mustang80** · 06-22-2004, 08:38 AM

Good morning! Ashlee did just fine yesterday. She is going to be a good worker!

Thanks for all of your well wishes for her!

I just spent most of my morning trying to eek more money out of my budget. I found that I can drop my select call service from the phone to save $7.34 per month! That's over $80.00 per year!! I'm soooo calling the phone company today..lol.

I took out the trash and recycling, so that's done. Laundry is waiting and I'm HUNGRY! Gotta have my first cup of tea, too.

I have to make up summer chore lists for the girls, otherwise Ashlee will spend the entire day on the computer, and Raechel will watch tv endlessly. *sigh*

I hope to get to the library with them today so they can get lots of reading material.

I found out that Blockbuster has this thing where you can take old dvd's that you don't want into them, and they will sell you new releases for $12.99. That's like an 8-10 dollar savings! or more! I'm gonna get Secret Window. I think it comes out today. Woot! Long live Johnny Depp lol

!

Well off to do my chores. It's nice here today. No a/c for the moment, which is nice!

**homesteadmamma** · 06-22-2004, 09:40 AM

Good morning everyone.

Margery, praying the doctor's find out whats going on. I know its a long trip on the but its such a pretty trip, hope you can enjoy it.

Farmlady - glad to finally know your name.

Yesterday was a busy day for me. We ran into the city so I could pick up my supplies for my new job which starts on the 2nd of July. We also picked up groceries while we were there so when I got home I had to put them away. I also hung out the laundry that washed while I was away.

Today I need to get the papers delivered first thing this morning. Then I need to fold the laundry from yesterday. After thats done, I want to sew some blocks (actually strips) on dgd quilt. I'm anxiou to get the top done and see how its going to look.

I also want to do some changing around in my sewing room. With 2 desks in here, its just too crowded and I'm not feeling like I can create the way I want too. I just finished reading a book titled Unclutter your Life and now I can see why. So the computer desk is going to be moved once again.

Poor dh, he must think I'm crazy.

Later tonight I plan on enjoying the evening by playing cards with the kids and then reading.

Have a great day everyone.