Awwww

Um, k, shameless momma plug here...

I adore cute preschool kids in costumes.

I can't believe these days are almost over. 

Sarah's school doesn't celebrate any holidays. Today was school spirit day tho and they were told to wear silly socks. She sillied herself out!

Sorry I had no talent w/the early morning sunlight. I hope to get pics of her in her Laura Ingalls costume! But I'm not finished sewing it yet and we have a family Bday party Sun too so this will have to do for now.

And just because I came across these from last year when they won best young pair at our small town event...
My Flower Fairy (w/bells n flowers everywhere) and a pail decoupaged in seed packets...

And our fluffy butt duck who got many looks as his pillow shook when he waddled and he squeezed his quacking toy round his neck! His seed pail said "Please DO feed the duck!"

Hope you enjoy some silliness this weekend!

Fields of gold

I love my country roads this time of year... 

(Although I'll admit to taking these pics several weeks ago.) 

Fields of gold everywhere. 

Some farmers get in some double crop soybeans after they harvest wheat. Those fields are later to harvest than the regular early soybeans and benefited from the later heavy rains. They actually colored up nicely  into gorgeous green n gold.

These neat n orderly fields of straw bales mesmerized me after harvest this summer... 

Straw is the leftover stems of wheat. (or barley or oats) It's baled after the grains have been harvested with a combine. Now that cooler temps are here I love to see my critters nestled into deep fluffy stalls and nest boxes full of bright gold straw. 

Here you can see how farmers stagger their crops; rotating the heavy feeders, like corn, with soybeans which help fix nitrogen in the soil. The strips of hay, barley or wheat are woven into this tapestry to both conserve nutrients and minimize soil erosion from water run-off. Here in Maryland the state has a big focus on "nutrient management" to try to ease the pollution into the Chesapeake Bay. All horse and livestock owners as well as farmers must submit paperwork on their manure disposal and field  management. If you ask me, which nobody does,  getting suburban homeowners not to pave paradise and dump more concentrated chemicals on their lawns n flower beds would do far more good! I'm all for organic and less chemicals, but at least the farmers are producing for the rest of us. Chemicals just to keep yards pretty kinda bothers me. 

Just sayin'. Don't hate.

I cherish bright yellow flowers that I took for granted earlier in the year as more n more tan, brown n grey are creeping into my world...

Hope you're enjoying these last golden days!

Farewell Dear Friend

I really don't know what to write. 

She's gone to heaven. 

She touched so many lives here. 

Now she's a bonafide angel. 

I will be forever changed for having known MacKenzie Stuck. 

Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. 

God loves us right this very minute as we are. 

I want to use that knowledge and create something beautiful. 

In Kenzie's honor. 

Please pray for Sue and Steve, her parents, Katie, Lauren and Nikki, her sisters and all who will miss her here...  

Before she got her angel wings Kenzie already had well over 361,500 visits to her Caring Bridge page and had helped so very many people.  There are many wonderful words, images and tributes there... She gathered toys and money for other sick kids and inspired many adults with her sunny outlook, determination and infectious smile. If you'd like to help beat children's cancers, you might consider donating here or here. We could all probably best honor Kenzie's life by simply being a better neighbor... Smiles, offering hugs and any kind of help. Today.

And again, especially, please pray for Sue.
She's a supreme mother who has made every. single. breath. for. five. years. about her girls. 
May God Bless you and your family.

My wildest dreams

Okay, I got some splainin' to do...

Sorry I've been M.I.A.

Business has been crazy (we're very blessed, and grateful)!

But here are a few pics to prove it's not ALL been work.

Bustling, yes, but BEAUTIFUL!

My wildest dreams have come true.

Today my whole family went on a trail ride together on our own gorgeous farm.

You have no idea how much blood, sweat and yes, tears went into getting to this point in my life. 

To keep it real, a few tears were shed today by Jack as he was cold n tired by the time we'd all gotten our gear on and were out in the fields! (And trying to get everyone in one close group for a pic was not fun. Lucky made ugly faces at the other horses scaring them away. Hence poor little Neil Diamond getting his face yanked in this less than perfect shot.) But at dinner when we asked Jack first "what's the best part of your day?" ~ he shouted "Trail riding!!!"

As I showered later I had happy thoughts and remembered how our first family ski trip had started in similar fashion (kids screaming bloody murder about cold and heavy ski boots etc.) only to quickly become one of their favorite activities. It can be work to make happy memories. sometimes. Below was a spontaneous one with no effort involved from me except to implore them again to
"STAY STILL for one minute, PULEEEZE!" ;-)

Don't these two look like woodland pixies at sunset? 

In paddock boots.

Hope your weekend is MAGICAL!

* apologies for my post's profuse punctuation perjury ;-0

Fall on the trampy farm

Well fall IS here for sure. 

We've even cranked up the woodstove 

(after removing last years sad trapped birdie carcasses)!

We've had cold rains and blustery days mixed with a few gorgeous rays of slanting sun...

Last weekend was gorgeous and busy. 

We played n worked w/ponies and pumpkins.

Jack rode his bike without training wheels thanks to his big sister's extremely patient help!!!

I shed several tears over the sweetness of that picture as they practiced in our ring for hours. 

And several more when I realized he didn't need me to help...

 I don't know if it's because of the severe drought we'd had but lots of things (soybeans, corn, TREES) look plain dried up n dead instead of slowly changing colors...

 I might have mentioned; I love color. 

I do not really like brown. Or gray. Or black.
IN. MY. House.
Outside they're better... Especially w/a hint o red!

I do admire black in others' homes tho.

Lotsa classy ladies do great things with those neutrals! 

They paint n decorate their elegant n sophisticated homes with a refined pallet that mimicks a muted mother nature.

Not me.

I mimmick mother natures garish, trampy side!
(Well, ok, not me ~ my farm!)

You already know my barns sport shocking red lipstick.

So I'm fighting this grey fall.

I added orange ribbon with yellow polka dots everywhere... 

I got out some of the last spray painting projects of the year.

Brown baskets became white. 

Rustic shutters went red.

These are a nod to Donna who challenged us to paint something a fun new color...
(She's got 3,000 followers now at Funky Junk Interiors!)
I'd actually really appreciated the great old patina and hesitated -for a YEAR.
Glad she gave me the go ahead.
And I can always flip 'em over to get the neutral look that works w/my Thanksgiving decor....

My vintage red metal chairs were too tame against the old bricks...

So I went w/the outdoor fabric & wildflower blue spray paint.

LOVE my trampy, happy farm.

Hope you've begun to decorate YOUR way!