Simple Things...

 Sheets, kitchen towels, tea towels, and table cloths 

snapped wildly on the line on a windy day-after-Easter.

All of our family came to celebrate together.

The extra laundry and dishes and dirty floors remind me there 

were lots of wonderful people here laughing and having fun together.

We ate very well too!

A little Easter gift to myself and to the ladies of our family.

I love orchids, do you?

Kite flying.
Let's go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Let's all go fly a kite!
(insert children smiling and squealing!)

 

The Peeps have arrived! 

We picked them up at the feed store today.

This year I chose to get 25 Black Stars,

known for their egg laying superiority.

 Grape Hyacinths popped up a couple days ago!

The daffodils bloomed just in time for our Easter dinner table.

We've had an inch of rain today, just after we planted two big bare patches in our front and back yard.  We did end up digging up the septic line, and I'm thankful our men could do that work with the help of a backhoe rental.  Now the lines are running perfectly, but the yard is in need of new grass.  This rain will give our newly planted grass seed a good start.  

Water is such a basic, simple thing, but a most important need here.  The green grass is growing in the pastures now and the cows and sheep don't want to eat hay any longer.  They're happy with fresh, green sprouts.

What green things are growing where you live?

Simple Little Things...

 It's tea time.

My favorite tea is Yorkshire Gold by Taylors of Harrogate

then I add...

some herbals (for health).

A mix of:

Red raspberry leaf, nettle, alfalfa, and plantain 

in a little fold-over tea bag.

This way I get my yummy caffeine boost

and health boost!

 

 Daffodils started blooming today!

 Do you see the tiny grape hyacinths shooting up?

 And the garlic scapes poking through the hay mulch?

 Rhubarb is coming on!

I'm dreaming of rhubarb custard pie.

 I got some new flip flops from Skechers

Yoga flips.  I like them

Miss Bee drew this picture on their sidewalk with chalk.

Its a mama moon teaching her baby moon how to walk in space.

(Isn't that sweet?)

Thanks for stopping by!

Simple things: the art of folding...

Now normally, I'm not one to show the insides of my drawers

until today!

I've never learned how to fold like this,

and it makes all the difference in the world in organizing drawers

while using less space for storing clothing.
(Great way to pack a carry-on too!)

A young friend of my daughter's, and a friend of mine too,

said she was "tidying up" her home.
First she started with sorting all her clothing, discarding anything
that didn't bring her joy.
That's the key to Marie Kondo's methods.

 Our friend read the book:

Actually, she listened to the audio book for free here.

I started listening today whilst I was sewing four nighties for grandies.

It's really great!  I've learned a lot.

One of the things I learned was how to fold clothes so they are neat, tidy,

and take up much less space in the drawers,

AND the best part is

 you can see ALL of your clothes upon opening the drawer!

No more buried tank tops at the bottom of the drawer.

I love that.

 tanks, slips, swimsuit

 jeans and pants

 t-shirts, shorts, lounge pants

bras and undies

If you're interested in how to fold clothes like this and organize your clothing,

you can click on over to a couple short videos:

perfect underwear drawer

tanks and tees 

sweaters and hoodies 

pants

socks and stockings
A short article on 8 Decluttering Lessons from Kondo's book

Now go clean your drawers and start folding!

It'll make you smile!

I promise.

Keeping Christmas simple...

Brita as Iduna.                          Christmas Morning
Art by Carl Larsson

Dear Friends,
I know it's not Christmas yet, but if you're like me, you are already hunting for those special little things that you want to give to your loved ones.  Things that tell them they are loved and special.  Sometimes it's hard to find just the perfect gift and sometimes the big holiday can't be attended by every family member.  What do you do?  Well, tonight I found this little love letter from a mother to her daughters (and son), and it meant so much to me and said pretty much what I feel in my heart, so I wanted to share it with you too because maybe you feel this way, and you wish your children could know it.  I passed it on to my grown-up kids.  They were glad, I think.

Dear Daughters (On Keeping Christmas Simple)

Be blessed,
Jody

Simple things....

A perfect apple, the only one, found in the grass at the bottom of the tree by six-year-old hands.

Slicing the perfect apple and sharing it with loved ones.

Noon sunbathing on a cozy blanket on the lawn.

Taking a walk to the mailbox at sunset and hearing two Great Horned Owls calling to one another under a full moon.  (Listen here)

Grandchildren coming over for a visit.

Hanging clean laundry on the clothesline for a fresh-air drying.

Eye-ing sheep (shearing their faces) in preparation for winter snow and frost.

Yellow and orange Calendula flowers that persist through cold nights and little water.

Bees who are sucking up every last bit of nectar from their flowers before they wither and die.

The earthy smell of decaying fallen leaves.

Pulling up big orange carrots from the veggie patch as we need them.

Cutting fresh lettuce from the veggie patch.

Finding more pullet eggs in the nests each day.

Selling the last of the lambs today.

Fresh-baked apple pie from Dad's apples.

The low sun shining into my kitchen windows.

Mending.

Flannel shirts.

What are some of your favorite simple things?

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Good, simple things...

 Sage Grouse grazing in the flower gardens.

 A pop-up afternoon thunderstorm brought us a good rain, a half inch.

There was a lightning strike and another fire north of us, 

but it was short lived and rained out.

 

 Just before the storm, I ran out and picked a big head of lettuce.

This is a Butterhead.

 

 My new Birkenstocks.  

Hippie Flower.

Playing in the kiddie pool with the grands.

 Sunflowers blooming inside and outside the fence.

 

The subtitle of this blog post was going to be "Oh Poop!"  Can you guess why?  The septic backed up.  Joe Dirt (that's his business name) came and pumped the septic tank but there was digging that needed to be done to fix the problem.  Thanks be to God for good men who know how to do this kind of work.  Our men rented a backhoe from town and had the problem fixed in an afternoon.  Gotta love 'em!  The backyard's a little messy for now, the bathroom still stinks, but I can flush and wash up the dishes!   You know what Erma Bombeck said, "The grass is always greener over the septic tank."  It was, and it will be again!

We had a nice family gathering yesterday with twenty of us here.  I made Indian Tacos and all the womenfolk brought things to help out with the meal.    The littles had fun in the spa (pool) while the grown-ups talked and while observing all the splashing and screaming.  I made that really delicious Basil Lemonade,  and everyone enjoyed it.  JJo wondered if we could do something with all the lemon & lime leftovers, and I remembered citrus-infused vinegar.  I had an extra gallon so we scooped all that goodness into a mason jar and poured white vinegar over it.  It already smells good and will be nice for homemade cleaning products.  Ever tried it?

Addendum on Lemonade:
If you don't have sweetened condensed milk, you can add another 1/4 cup of sugar (or to your taste) to the simple syrup and proceed with the instructions.  I have also used a combination of lemons & limes for a different twist.  The limes definitely give it a really fun flavor.

Towels & dishes & sandals...

 "Can I use a towel as He did?  Towels and dishes and sandals, all the ordinary sordid things of our lives, reveal more quickly than anything what we are made of.  It takes God Almighty Incarnate in us to do the meanest duty as it ought to be done."
~Oswald Chamber, My Utmost for His Highest

I remember well the days when I was a young, busy mother of five.  There were loads of towels and heaps of dishes and the mud room was lined with dirty boots and shoes and flip flops.  It seemed my work was never done.  Then there were the rare days when someone brought a hearty casserole in a tin pan that didn't need to be returned to the giver.  Why does a casserole like that taste so good? And why does sitting at the neighbor's table for a meal feel so luxurious?  I remember gathering the children from the grandparents after a hard day's work to find them fed and bathed and in their jammies.  These are  loving gifts that can only be given with the hands and the heart.

This past weekend was a week of towels (and wash cloths and rags) and dishes and sandals.  The newest grandchild was born and the Littles were with us while Mommy and Daddy were away.  Can I use a towel like Jesus did?  I hope so.  Just when I think God might not be using me, way out here in the middle of nowhere, He makes me understand that my assignment is simple.  With love, towel off little girls after a bath; with love, cook up a healthy meal for my people and joyfully wash up the dishes;  with love, strap on little sandals several times a day and then strap on my own so together we can go out to play in the sunshine.  Our chores are ordinary, constant, unseen by many, but may we do them out of love, and scatter joy wherever we are.  When the Littles are not here, I ask God to remind me that my Dearheart is also in need of towels and dishes and sandals boots.  Just because there are less of us at home, does not mean that I neglect doing the same things with hands and heart for him, for us.

Simple (summer) things....

I kind of forgot about this delicious tea until recently when I was looking for natural health-boosting foods.  The first time I ever had Rooibos tea (pronounced Roy Boss) was in the summer poured over ice.  They poured samples at a local coffee shop, and I bought it on the spot.  Mine was a Rooibos-Blueberry.  I've heard that Rooibos is a "coffee drinker's tea."  I love coffee -- hot or iced -- and I really like this tea much more than regular teas.   I bought loose-leaf tea at my local health food store today, but you can buy it in tea bags at most grocery stores.  Not only does it taste great, but it's good for you too and caffeine free.  Check out these 10 Health Benefits of Rooibos Tea.

Best Bra Ever by No Boundaries (at W-mart) has these cute, seamless, stretchy bras that are lightly padded and so comfortable.  I've been looking for something that I can wear with shorts in the yard when I mow and garden, and for suntanning.  This gives good coverage in the right places and lets the vitamin D soak into all the other places.  They're about $5 each.

Pumice sponges are great for sandal-wearing feet and for bare feet that have been tromping around in the grass and gardens all day.  I can't live without one of these in summer especially.  You can find them at Amazon, but also at drug stores or in the bath/beauty aisle.

My Neighbor-DIL gave me a ball canning jar lid-straw combination for Mother's Day and I love it.  I pour my coffee or tea in the jar, add ice, and the lid, and I'm out the door and in the garden with my favorite cold drink.  You can find them here or if you are clever (like Julia from Blissfully Content) you can make your own here.

Turtle Turtle.... Have you noticed turtles crossing the roads and sidewalks lately?  They're moving to dry ground to lay their eggs, I think.  This painted turtle came right up to the front patio to say hi.  She didn't even go in her shell when I took her picture up-close.  She did make a hissy sound though like she was a bit bothered.  Don't you love turtles?  They swim around in the water when they want to, then suntan on a rock or log all afternoon.  Perfect summer creatures.  My new DIL says she's like a turtle -- she's out swimming with all the other turtles and when she's had enough, she goes into her shell.

Hot-orange marigolds are great next to the tomato plants.  Gotta have 'em!  I hope you're having a wonderful start to your summer.

What are your favorite simple summer things?

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.  ~Celia Thaxter

Ranchwife de-cluttering...

Start with a tractor.

There's a lot of talk out there about de-cluttering, simplifying, and letting go of excess things in your life.  Blogs, books, and Pinterest boards all have great ideas, but for me, I've got to get in the right mood and then watch out!  The heaving of bags and boxes and bedding begins.  I don't have a fancy method or 10 steps.  I keep it simple -- just do it!  Today it all started when I decided to do some housekeeping.  I dusted.  Then I vacuumed.  As I did just these two things, I noticed the piles of magazines, the closet shelves bulging with old blankets and pillows and oversized clothing.  I've certainly noticed these things before, but today was different.  My mood was of the get-rid-of-it variety, and I always give in to that feeling because it comes so rarely.

 

I thought I might sort through things a little, but honestly, I didn't feel much like that.  I just wanted the stuff outta here!  So without thinking about anything too much or looking at things too long, I began to carry stuff out to the tractor.  Once in the bucket, there was no turning back.  I did spend some time pulling Hubby's oversized clothes off the hangers and placed them into a couple bags for thrifting, but those were the only things I sorted.  The rest just flew from my hands and into the tractor.  

I hauled off two loads to the dump.  Yup, we have our own dump.  It's a luxury.  Man, does it feel good to have at least some of my excess stuff gone!  I'm far from done with this project -- the crawl space still beckons -- but even if I quit today, I feel like I accomplished a lot.

Now I think I'll go outside, read a book, and enjoy my summer porch flower.  I call it my Baby Begonia because she'll require a tiny bit of extra TLC.  She was a $15 steal at the local Shopko and will be worth every dime for the summertime satisfaction she will bring me.  Isn't she lovely?  For all her beauty, I didn't give her a fancy vessel to live in, but I like the look all the same.

Simple Things: triple-sheet your summer bed...

I noticed at the two hotels we stayed in these past couple weeks, that the beds are triple-sheeted.  There were no bedspreads or comforters.  I did a little un-doing of our hotel bedding to discover there is the fitted sheet on the mattress, then the flat sheet on top of it.  Next is the duvet or blanket, and on top of it goes another flat sheet.  Both hotels had a coverlet or a throw tucked in at the very bottom of the bed which added color and more warmth if you needed it.  How very smart, I thought, to keep the blanket/duvet clean and to give the guests the most sanitary bedding.  I know how infrequently I wash my own comforter so I really appreciated that everything is changed and laundered at the hotel for every guest.

I was a hotel maid as a teenager and we did not have this method of bedding, but we did launder the bedspreads occasionally.  But still, not between every single guest.  Knowing how people lay on hotel beds with their clothes and shoes on and do who-knows-what on top of the bed, the triple sheet method makes sanitary sense and practical laundering sense. 

I decided I wanted to replicate the idea in our bedroom.  I looked around my home and found an extra flat sheet or two and some vintage white on white embroidered pillowcases that I had forgotten about. Since it is spring and nearly summer, I decided I would sandwich a light blanket in between the sheets instead of our comforter.   Next up, the sheets, blanket, and pillowcases were washed to make everything as fresh as possible. I sandwiched everything together and here's our summer ensemble.  I'm thinking how fun it would be to change the look anytime by simply changing the top flat sheet, and adding an accent pillow, or throw.

For a demonstration on how to triple sheet your bed, click here, and for written instructions click to Distracted Wanderer.  Here is wonderful video on creating a comfortable, beautiful, and inviting bed. I am going to start collecting white bedding components like he suggests. I have a few, but not many. I also love the organized and attractive look of his linen closet. I am so excited because I'm buying my daughter's small armour (pre-sale at her garage sale) to store my linens.  At the moment, I have bed linens stashed all over the house and many need to be tossed out.   How do you like to dress your bedroom for summer?  Do you have a favorite bedroom look?   One thing I love to do is to cut fresh flowers from the garden and place them on the nightstand.   It's lovely to wake up to a cheery bouquet first thing in the morning.

Simple Things...

 ~A double-yolk pullet egg!

~Cool nights for sleeping and cool mornings for gardening.

~Painting rocks with Peach & Toodles.

Holding hands with Bee and hearing her "amen" at the end of a prayer.

 

~ Peeking under the straw of the potato patch, I discovered potatoes!

~Summer veggie skillet dish:  zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes sauteed together with Swiss cheese melted over top.

~Working the ewes and moving them out to the hayfield stubble to fatten them up before breeding.

~Going back to my old ways of leaving the clothespins on the clothesline so I don't have to take the pin bag back and forth. The Good ol' Lazy Homemaker is back!  Clothespin bags are cute, but for me, impractical.

 

~Fresh Colorado peaches are here!  Yum. I'll be making pies and canning some of these beauties tomorrow.

~An afternoon visit with my parents.

~Finished a good, good book, Mrs. Mike.

~Rose embroidery stitching.

~Nighthawks flying overhead in the evening.

~Bats too.

Simple Spring Things....

 

Yellow-rumped Warbler

This time of year always makes me smile.  There are so many changes that happen in spring in the north country that it seems every single days there is something new to celebrate.

Warblers are cheerily messing around in the trees.  The most common here is the Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Tulips are springing into bloom.

My fresh-mowed lawn looks green and pretty (except for the brown spots).

We had our first wienie roast in the fire pit with The Neighbors (grands and their parents).

Frogs are singing in the evening.

The trees are just about to leaf out.  Some are leafed out; others are close behind.

The green grass is growing like mad and so's the alfalfa in the hay fields.  The newly planted hay field is up and looking great!


The rhubarb is coming strong.  My rhubarb isn't quite pickable yet, but my folks gave me enough of theirs for a pie.  Nothing like fresh rhubarb pie.

The baby calves are still being born and the calves on the ground are healthy and happy.  Perfect calving weather here.

We had a nice rain this past weekend -- 1 3/4" of rain!

A sunny day today.

The neighbor girls got a new puppy -- Charlie.  Happiness is a new puppy.

Speed E Whipper goodness....

 

So....I bought myself a handy little pre-Christmas gift because I knew I would need it desperately for the holiday feeding frenzy.  All of the kids and the grandbabies will be here and there simply MUST be enough whipped cream in the house. And really, since it's Christmas and all, it should be FUN to make, right?  Yes.  Bring in.....

 Speed E Whipper!

  

In the picture above you see cream, honey and the whipper.  Well, I learned a terrific little tip about keeping REAL whipped cream from separating.  You know how it gets after it's been in the fridge a day or two?  Well, the tip for perfectly stuck-together, unseparated whipped cream is HONEY.  When you are ready to whip your cream, add 1 tsp. of honey to each cup of cream you are going to whip.  Whip as usual and then add in your sweetener to taste.  I like to use Torani vanilla syrup for my sweetener.  I got that tip from OnlyDaughter who used to work in the local coffee kiosk, Pony Espresso.

This nifty kitchen tool came out in the 1950s and is the perfect retro tool for any kitchen.  It is so simple and efficient, and I feel a little bit like June Cleaver on Leave It To Beaver when I'm using it (minus the dress, pearls, and high heels).  Basically, Speed E Whipper is a glass jar with measuring lines and a stainless steel plunger with a lid.  I found my Speed E Whipper over on Etsy and I see them out there on Ebay too.  If you look hard enough, you might find one in the second hand shops or at garage sales.  I like the nostalgia and the cuteness of it as much as I like the whipped cream it produces. (I bought mine for $9 plus shipping)

 I think I gave the whipper around 75-80 plunges before I had perfect whipped cream.  It's fun to make and I'm sure my kids are all going to fight to make enjoy making the whipped cream for our holiday desserts this year.

See!  Isn't it beautiful stuff?  The best part of making whipped cream this way is that you can suck it off the plunger when you're done.  I wish it had a nice little snap-on plastic lid to store the whipped cream in the fridge, but it doesn't.  I might find something in my Plastic-Bowls-n-Junk Cupboard someday.  But really, when you've got a houseful of guests, I'm thinking there won't be much left-over whipped cream.  Yum!

It's the Snow on the Mountain, the Frosting on the Cake, the Star on the Tree,  the Tip of the Iceburg, the Whipped Cream on the Sundae!  Got to love it.  Do you have a favorite kitchen tool?