Random Thoughts With Photos

It has been quite hot and humid in these here parts, but we were able to have a front yard picnic before the heat set in. My parents joined us, and I totally cut the baby out of the picture. She is in her car seat relaxing in the breeze.

My sign has been "installed" in the front yard! I'm hoping the campground down the road will help supply some customers.

Over the past weekend we traveled to Dayton, OH on a little family trip. We visited some relatives and had a lovely time visiting a working farm modeled after an 1800's homestead, a children's museum, the Air Force Museum, etc. I visited a yarn shop, flower nurseries, and a thrift store. The yarn shop produced some lovely fiber for spinning (another post); the nurseries gave ideas for a fairy garden or terrarium; and the thrift store was a quite productive stop. I missed the day of the week when everything is 50% off, but I still found some "stuff":

Included in the pile is a skein of Icelandic yarn, 2 men's polos, several long sleeve shirts for Brookie's fall wardrobe, a puzzle for Minnow, the classic game of Twister, a silk necktie to cut up for Easter egg dyeing, several books, and 3 dress shirts for Small Fry. I spent a hair under $32 for the lot.

Hope the weather is cooling off for you in your part of the world!

Crazy Eyes

This photo demonstrates the baby's precious smile as well as her completely surprised and wild eyes that she often uses:



Sometimes all you can do is find a box and sit in it:



Today I took the yarn that I have been spinning (a wool and silk blend) and plied it. Then, I "set the twist" by soaking in hot and then cold water.



Lastly (no picture provided), the weight loss update: just click away if this is of no interest to you! I'm just trying to keep myself accountable. The scale read 184.2 pounds today. I'm still in the "approaching obese" category according to some medical charts...yikes. But! I did lose over 3 pounds this past week, so progress is being made.

Hope the week is a great one for you!

A Post.....With Pictures!

I finally grabbed the camera to post a few updates. Let's see if I can "make it work".





One fun summer activity for the older two children seems to be pans of dry beans and rice. I set them outside with various kitchen utensils, and the kids are enjoying filling cups and ice cream scoops. It's our cheap sandbox!

Here are a couple of pictures of my new spinning wheel and some lovely fiber:





I'm trying to spend a few minutes each day getting acquainted with my wheel. It really is enjoyable, and I'm making some fabulous "art" yarn.

My weigh-in was today. I have no picture, but the scale is still moving in the right direction. It read 187.4 pounds, so that's 2.6 pounds lost since last Monday. I am finding that I am a "sneaky snacker". I grab a few animal crackers here and a handful of the kids' dry cereal there. It all adds up! This is something I hope to work on this coming week. This goal will be added to my other goal of drinking more water.

Well, I'm about to publish this post and see if the pictures actually get uploaded! Have a great week; Happy Summer!

Monday Check In

We're busy celebratin' birthdays (Brookie and Small Fry and me!) and an anniversary (12 years) this month. Lots of blessings for which I am so thankful.


Big Fish surprised me with a beautiful spinning wheel for my birthday. He had found it at an auction; and I truly believe that it is in like-new condition. The biggest tip-off? The wheel was not set up right! Now that I've watched many youtube videos and re-read the instruction packet many time, I'm happily spinning away. My yarn is not pretty, but it's yarn! One of the items included in the auction lot was a basket full of wool that I'm using to practice.


The children and I picked strawberries this morning and then came right in and had some for lunch. We are having a bit of a problem with chipmunks stealing some of our produce!


The hardest part about all these birthdays is trying not to eat birthday cake! I weighed in this morning at 190.0. I'm happy to see the scale moving in the right direction! This is the plan I've been following. I appreciate it's structure and am very happy with the breakfast and lunch shakes/bars. I feel like I'm getting good nutrition instead of grabbing things here and there that don't add up to a meal.


We're thinking we might have a thunderstorm here this afternoon, so I need to refer to my list of indoor activities for the two older kiddos.


Enjoy the warm breezes!

And so it Begins

First weigh-in today: 195.8 pounds. I cringe to post that number, but I have to start somewhere! The baby is sleeping almost through the night. She prefers to go to bed late and then sleep late. We're hoping to slowly adjust that, so that she goes to bed closer to 9 or 10 rather than 11! She is in that cute little stage where her eyes are always so wide open; it's like she's constantly surprised! We've been re-organizing our living areas. The TV has been moved downstairs, and the school area is expanding upstairs. Big Fish and I are starting a collection pile of things to sell at our local flea market. Today was cleaning out the school shelf and cabinet. One of the next things on my to-do list is refresh myself on how to upload pictures to this blog!

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 1, 2

Hello, blog of mine! I'm not even going to look at the date on my previous post; ok, it was last Fall!!

I'm working on a few summer resolutions: losing some weight, marketing some soap at some local events, and using up some of my fabric stash. Maybe this blog could be a little outlet for keeping myself accountable.

Monday is the official start date for my new meal plan. I figured I would get through my birthday weekend first! I'm playing around with the thought of posting a "before" picture, as I start on this weight loss journey. Not sure if I have the courage to put a picture up, though. Still thinking about it.....

I have a phone call in to a couple of farmer's market organizers in the surrounding area. We, as a family, attended one this past Saturday; and I was disappointed in the vendor and customer turnout. I'm glad that I didn't set up a table and only walked around to get a feel for the market. Their were only 5 vendors! I'm hoping that the other market will have a greater attendance both in vendors and shoppers! Even though the set-up fee is only $5, I still want to feel that my time will be well-used.

One of the first projects using some of my fabric is placemats. I've had a few orders placed (thanks mom), so I've cut out 5 sets. Right now I'm assembling and sewing them adding a layer of interfacing for stability.

More to come! We're enjoying some sunshine today....with a handful of fresh-picked strawberries.

"Fall"-ing into a Routine

Now that Fall is practically here, we have started to settle into the routine of errands or appointments in the morning and school for Brookie in the afternoon. Small Fry has been attending speech therapy sessions two or three times a week and seems to enjoy the individualized attention and help.

For blog purposes, I will call the baby (who is now 9 months old - yikes!) "Minnow". Minnow looks a lot like those tiny fish, as she wiggles across the floor to get where she needs to go. She is a busy little soul whose happiest moments are in mama's arms or sucking on a teething biscuit while seated in the high chair.

The chickens do not seem to mind the extra time I take to let them out in their pen these past several chilly mornings. We are eagerly awaiting eggs; thinking that the first ones should appear in the next month. We did bid farewell to the rooster, for he was becoming a nuisance both in his noise and his abuse of the sweet flock. Peace seems to be restored, although I did have to shoo a couple of the girls out of the garden today. We still have a few tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants we hope to enjoy.

Big Fish has installed a tree stand up our back hill, so we are officially ready for hunting season. He is turning our children into bargain hunters, as he has been taking them along to a weekly flea market and any auctions that are in the area. They did come home with a cute, vintage "Fresh Eggs" sign a couple of weeks ago. Now we just need those eggs......

Boy is it chilly outside; the thermometer registers 59 degrees. Time for a hot dinner and maybe some post-dinner hot tea! Hope you are warm and cozy in your corner of creation!