Turning life into a bowl of cherries...

It all started at Whole Food. I was innocently there to pick up some fruit and veggies. I was there looking specifically for some cherries. After looking for them and not seeing them I continued along on my shopping. A trip there takes long enough without me dwelling on not finding exactly the one thing I really wanted. As I was leaving I grabbed my bags of goodness, put the cart away and would you believe it right before my eyes clear as day were my cherries. I scooped up two bags and headed back to the checkout.

Have you ever had one of those days, well months, where it feels like all you have been doing is running? Either running errands or running the kids, pets, or spouse somewhere? Your brain just can't seem to catch up to the daily activities in a timely fashion? Well that is somewhat how my last month seemed to go more or less. As women I think that we have those moments. Well I decided to do something about this past week. I started it all off with calling the Internet provider to see if we could get a higher speed connection so that my family members could stream videos and play their online games more efficiently. Unfortunately, I had to switch companies but that is ok I didn't mind too terribly. Then once I had that done I called Directv and had them get our service down to the bare minimum of programming. I decided that we had all been spending way to much time on the telly. Alright, I am definitely 2nd runner up to the title of T.V. Goddess so I figured I needed to break free. Yes, I do love television in all its glory. The lure of watching beautiful people on the telly has always been a past time of mine as long as I can remember. I think it must have started as a small child watching the Lawrence Welk Show with my grandfather. All those girls in pretty dresses. Then of course Solid Gold came out and yes, gramps watched that as well. It was ritual that you watched t.v. in the evening. I now discovered that most shows I like come out on video or my children can find them online and set it up for me to watch it through the PS3 onto the t.v. screen. Ah, technology! It is sort of like living with men. Can't live with them and can't live without them.

So all this week I took a much need break. Yes, I still did some housework and laundry but more importantly I took time to just sit and read. A pastime that enjoy but regard as a treat because I never seem to have time. Well this week I read three books in a series of books based on what else...a t.v. show. Well the book of course are much better and intriguing. Plus, they were an easy flowing read from start to finish. But now it is back to business. I still need to get that chicken coop painted and put in the garden this weekend. None of my tomato seeds came up so I am being bailed out big time by my farmgirl friends, Beth and Celeste. Beth assured me that she will bring me an assortment of tomato plants to market Saturday. I also have to get busy sewing a few things. I have bags and piles of fabric everywhere just waiting to made into something. Of course none of those things seem like work when I see the finished results.

So now I am all refreshed and thinking straight again. Life is like a bowl of cherries here at this City Chick Homestead once again.

Busy, busy, busy

It has been a busy week here at the City Chick's homestead. It all started with mulching the front flower beds with straw and replanting a couple things. Then we decided to take a little breather from the chicken coop this weekend to focus on the fence that the city is requiring us to put in. Yes, even though we are going to be putting up an actual chicken run we still need to fence in the remaining part of our backyard. Just in case they make a run for it. However, with this mansion I hope that will never even cross their precious little minds. There wasn't much of an area to fence but for those of you that know me you are aware that if I make one trip to Lowe's or the Depot that I end up having to make at least one more (sometimes two) for the stuff I had forgotten. Since we are not builders here at the homestead this happens quite often. Which makes me happy that I live only 10 miles or so from Lowe's. So the fence is all completed now with the exception of the chicken wire that I have to put around the bottom edge.

I am thrilled with how well it looks so i must thank the city guy. Even though the backyard still needs some work I look out upon it and see the real potential. The potential to have little to no grass that is. Of course that means getting those gardens tended and turned this week. Arg! Gardens. I do love to garden and harvest the fruits of our labor but this year I am attempting to start seeds, plant only heirlooms and needless to say it is not going so well. So far none of them have sprouted. What gives? I planted them all according to the directions and in nice organic seed starter soil. At this rate I guess I will just try to start those darn tomatoes directly into the soil and hope for the best. Next year maybe I will have better luck. After all I did just snag two old windows from someones garbage this weekend to make a cold frame. Until next time...Bloom where you Grow.

So it is started...

Well this was a busy weekend. It definitely fueled my creative spirit. I was able to work some more on my punch needle project for starts. Darn I had no idea how time consuming that new little craft would be! I think when it is done it will be well worth it though and I am already wanting to start another one I saw at the quilt store or design one of my own.

The most exciting part though was to start of the chicken coop! Me and my hubby started it finally. Even Jade lent a helping hand. Which if you know my beloved first born she is sort of a non-manual-labor type of girl. She was a great help though. Now if you know me and my hubby you know we are not builders by trade. Yes, I took shop and drafting in high school so I feel pretty comfortable but not confident in my skills. We got the plans online. While they were decent and had pictures they were not precise and we had to improvise quite a bit. However, surprisingly we did get it all framed in and the door hung. I love the door it is one that we found at the habitat Re-Store. We had a few disagreements during the building process but of course he usually gives in to what I want anyway. He is too good to me.

Yesterday the hubby took me to find the handle. I don't think he knows what that has fully lead to though. At least not yet. The reason I say that is because we originally started out going back to the Re-Store to get the handle. Well they didn't have any there that would work so the gentleman there suggested we go up to A & R Salvage to look. WOW!!! I can't imagine how I never knew of this place. It was filled with all kinds of recycled goodies. Old concrete slabs from some of local buildings, iron fence sections, doors, windows, screens and even old cast iron claw foot tubs. You name it they had it. I will be going back because I may be getting the old tin roofing for our coop but I really want to see how much they are wanting for the old iron fencing. It would make a beautiful garden trellis for my beans. I will have to see though because Jade and I still need to finish the interior of the coop. The new city-chicks will need a home with a little farmgirl flair to stay cozy and happy.

It was an amazing weekend so a big thanks to Todd for helping me feed my much deflated creative side.