Friday, June 29

*random photos from my android

The week before our oldest deployed we enjoyed a seafood lovers dinner at Old Bay Steamers. It is one of our favorite seafood spots on the Emerald Coast.  If you are ever in Ft. Walton Beach or Destin, Florida you MUST go to Steamers!
Cheesy smile! A few days before Robert left, he and I were able to spend some time on the beach together. The weather was simply gorgeous for such a day.  We drove to a less crowded part of the beach so we could relax and chat.  I sure am gonna miss him while he is away!
Navarre Beach Florida - gorgeous!
OK, so these aren't so random.. they are rather specific.. but they are all from my phone. I simply couldn't get enough pics of him.  Just recently a huge change has taken place in his life and to see him have to leave at this juncture was actually quite hard for us.  Time will fly and before we know it, 3 months will have past.


 So, as I said before, these really aren't random, but specific.  Our oldest has been deploying for 4 years now - you never get used to it. You simply have to do as you do when he is enjoying the comforts of his own home - cover him in prayer. Trust him to God and be faithful in intercession.

 PS. I wrote this post out of fear of getting my butt kicked. My BFFL has been patiently, or impatiently waiting for another installment from my blog post.. so once again.. I am trying to get back on track! Have a super weekend!

 mlkm

Thursday, June 7

*rebelious behaviour


I do not recall asking these two in the garden. Oh, that's right, it is Rebel and Mrs. Trump and they pretty much do what they want to around here. No amount of fence seems to keep them in. Perhaps they are eating the bugs and leaving the veggies bug and peck free. We can only hope!





Wednesday, June 6

*stamped by Julie

Do you quilt? Do you have cats? If so, do they do this to your projects too.....







It seems that a quilt just isn't a quilt, unless Julie lays on it after it has been set in. After all, I make these cozy things for her to pile up on right?! I am not sure I would know what to do with a quilt that hasn't gotten Julie's stamp of approval.

Monday, June 4

*courage

Courage takes a certain amount of fear or it wouldn't be courage at all. Someone very dear in my life was recently faced with some decisions to make based on some amount of pondering that had taken place in his heart. These decisions did not come lightly, as he is a very heavy thinker and I can assure you that this is one of the (few) most courageous acts I have ever seen.

 Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage


Courage is the act of doing something in the face of the fear of the results, the not knowing the outcome. To act based on the courage of your convictions will lead you in places that are sometimes hard to walk in, or certainly not the easy path to walk down but always the best, surely.  Merriam Webster says it like this : mental or moral strength to venture persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.  

 Courage is doing what your afraid to do,  there can be no courage unless you are scared


I don't think we are faced with decisions daily or even frequently where we have opportunity to exercise courage, but when you were last faced with such a decision did you choose courage?  
 



*a quilt project of the past!

Voices of the Past, Betsy Ross Sampler is almost a project of the past! I started this quilt top a few years ago and have even shared its beginings with you before, HERE .  And the last time you saw the quilt, HERE it was still without borders.  That is not the case any longer! 




This weekend I was able to get the last quilt on my rack pieced together with borders and only awaiting to be set in.  It seems the quilts I started a few  years ago, needed a bit of time to steep.  Their steeping is done as I have just finished setting in the Betsy Ross Sampler this morning. I know have to decide how I am going to quilt it, in the ditch, stipple, etc...

 

 Pattern: Kay England - Voices of the Past, Betsy Ross Sampler


Since I am all caught up on finished quilt tops, I am now set out to finish putting together some of the partially pieced projects I have laying about.  Happy sewing!

Friday, June 1

*chick inn news




These first two pictures are both of Gwendolyn Wendell.  We purchased Gwendolyn as a pullet, but turns out we got a rooster, Wendell - Surprise!  His name is now Wendell.   He is a most beautiful rooster, he is a Black Copper Maran.  For now, both Wendell and Husan (our other rooster) are getting along nicely.


 These are our youngest bunch of chickens as well as the broad breasted turkeys. 

Eric loves his turkeys.  He is on the hunt for a blue slate turkey to add to our bunch.  This is one of the two broad breasted bronze turkeys that we are raising for meat.  



 Husan had an unfortunate event just a few days ago.  Momma was bringing some table scraps out to the flock and Husan felt it necessary to flock my mother!  I could hardly believe it when she came in and told me.  He should really be watching his actions from here on out.. He not only spurred her about 5 times down the back of her little legs, he also pecked a hole (I mean it was small, but a hole nonetheless) in the side of her leg before he spurred her.  Unbelievable.


 This is a photo I took during the choral performance one evening. It really does look like the are in a chorus doesn't it? They are all ready for sleep. 


 When we added this Silver Laced Wynadotte to our flock, she was TINY and younger in age of any of our chickens. Eric dubbed her "Dot", so it was. Dot is very partial to the turkeys and can often be found right by the turkey's side. 

 The white chicken is a result of an Easter Egger egg having been fertilized by Mr. Baggins our Light Brahma rooster.  We are still not sure if this one will be a rooster or pullet. The large buff chicken is a Orpington  and one of my favorites. She is like that kids you went to school with that was twice your size. She is awkward looking among the other chicks her age.  I think we will name her Hilda or Gertrude, or .... what can we name her? 

This red one to the right is a Welsummer hen and the cute little black front and center is a mix of a Black Australorpe and our Buff Brahma rooster.  She is a pretty little thing isn't she?


 Our heritage breed turkeys have just graduated into a larger roaming area in order to start free ranging habits and instincts.  We had to trim their feathers this morning due to many of them taking flight right over the fence.