Scamper

                                          



This is our homestead's watchdog. If you try to cross her she may bite your toenails off, or possibly lick you to death.

She doesn't know that she is a dog. She thinks she is a person. We let her think that most of the time.  However, she sleeps in a little cage, eats dog food, and chews bones.......none of the people in our house do that.

She is an Australian Terrier, or is it an Australian terror?  Quite likely one of the nicest small-breed dogs that we have ever owned.  She puts up with all sorts of nonsense from my children.  Also a little nonsense from my hubby who enjoys picking on her.

She-like most females-loves to talk. When we come home she bark/howls at us for a long time--telling us how glad she is to see us and what happened while we were gone.  Too bad we can't understand her.  I sometimes wish I knew what goes on in my house when I'm not here.  Other times I'm glad I don't.

She and Goliath ( the head rooster ) have frequent arguments thru the chicken fence.  Scamper thoroughly enjoys ruffling his hens, and he finds this highly distressing.  They seem to have a mutual peace agreement tho.  She goes tearing at the hens, Goliath runs after her, then they all settle down and she lays outside the chicken run and watches them scratch and peck.

When Plans Fail

Last week was a little busier than I expected, and as a result the only thing that was accomplished on my list was the garden seeds getting planted.  Life is like that--sometimes the best plans fail, and unexpected interruptions come up. 

The important thing is how we respond when our plans get rearranged.  I have to admit that I often get irritated and impatient with schedule changes.  This is something that I'm working on--being more flexible, and open to what God's plans are for my day.

My new updated list for this week.

1.  Clean venetian blinds in master bedroom.

2.  Clean off and organize laundry room shelf.

3.  Clean a little in the garage each day.

4.  Clean and put away humidifiers for the summer.

The garage is a project that I don't expect to accomplish in one week.  I'm hoping to work about an hour a day on it until it is done.  This may take me several weeks. 

I'm struggling to make the transition from school year to summer.  It always seems like the change in routine takes a week or two for us as a family to adjust.  I would be open for advice in this area. 

How does your family transition from the busier school year to the more relaxed (hopefully) summer?

Lilacs

If I had to choose a favorite flower it would probably be the lilac.  We have a huge mass of lilac bushes in our back yard.  The property that we live on was at one time part of the city dump.  The office building was on our land and the majority of the dump was on our neighbors land.  They must have had lilacs somewhere near the office and they have grown huge.  I don't mind this at all. : )



This picture is only about half of the entire bush.  The scent is so powerful right now that when I went for my walk yesterday I could smell them a long time before I could see them.  I wish there was a way you could bottle this scent and save it to smell all year. 

White Chili

Kim is asking for our favorite bean or lentil recipes and I immediately thought of this one. 

This is the first meal I cooked for my husband when we were dating. 

I didn't realize that he liked Mexican food, and I scored all kinds of brownie points with this dish.  It may be why he asked me to marry him. : )

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

2 tablespoons cumin

1 quart of salsa (mild is best since this is the base for the soup)

1 quart great white northern beans ( you can use canned or cook dried ones)

8 ounces montery jack cheese

Cube or shred cheese, and mix with all other ingredients in crockpot.  Simmer for 3-4 hours.  Serve with corn chips.  Serves 4-6

A Walk

                             

When little boys go for a walk--


they take along a bucket to take home "treasures" in.


they stop and inspect each road kill.


sometimes they try to pick the road kill off the road. : (


they throw stones in all the ditches to try to scare frogs.


they keep up a running commentary about what they see in the neighbors yards.


they remind mom repeatedly how HEALTHY the walk is in hopes that she will take them again tomorrow.


they discuss every car that passes them and whether they think they would like to drive one like it someday.


they come home and tear off to play while mom collapses on the couch.

Are You Waiting?

 Contentment is something that doesn't come easy for me, but it is something I need to cultivate.  I tend to be a "do it now and think about it later" kind of gal.  When I have to wait I get agitated and irritable.  However, I've noticed that I grow more when I have to wait.

Waiting forces me to depend on God in a way that I don't "have" to when everything is happening right on schedule.  As long as life keeps moving along I can get caught up in the next moment and forget to depend on the One who is allowing my every breath.

I also think the quiet waiting times are when I can best hear God's voice whispering to my heart.  There is nothing there to drown Him out. 

When you think about it our entire lives here on earth are essentially a waiting period before heaven.

How about you?  Are you waiting right now?

Grape Vines

Remember the grape arbor that was my project for Saturday? 

Well, it's done. 

It took me most of the day, but it's done.

When grape vines climb trees they do not do it delicately or timidly like a morning glory.

Oh no, they do it viciously, and wrap wooden tendrils around each limb they reach.

At one point I was pulling on the vine with all my weight trying to tug it down.

I truly hope the neighbors were not watching.

My list for this week will be a little short.

1. Clean venetian blinds in the master bedroom.

2. Clean off and organize the shelf in the laundry room.

3. Finish planting the seeds in the garden.

I'll let you know how it went on Friday.