Thought for the Day

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.
Tony Robbins 

New Magazine Coming this Fall!!!!

I am so excited!!!!  I just found this by accident and had to share!  A new magazine will make it's preview around September 1.  FOLK magazine sounds like it's right up my alley.
Here are some things they say they'll be including in their magazine:  country living* sweet tea* indie music* antiques* road trips* small towns* comfortable homes* artists* locally grown and locally made* one-of-a-kind art* open spaces* photography* and it sounds like they'll include a pattern with each issue!  I can't wait to receive their "premiere issue".

Thought of the Day

"Shout for JOY to Adonai, all the earth!
 Serve Adonai with gladness.
 Enter His Presence with joyful songs.
 Be aware that Adonai is GOD,
 it is HE who made us, and we are HIS.
 HIS people, HIS flock in HIS pasture.
 Enter HIS gates with thanksgiving,
 enter HIS courts with praise;
 give thanks to HIM and BLESS HIS NAME.
 For Adonai is good, HIS grace continues forever!
 His faithfulness lasts throughout ALL generations."

~Tehillim (Psalms) 100~

From My Backyard

More pictures of the backyard.  I love going on nature walks.  While on my walks, I try to look for things out of the ordinary.  It has been so HOT this week, that my walks have been very limited.  As you see in one of the pictures above, we had some much welcome rain this week.  Yesterday, a front passed through cooling the temps about thirty degrees.  It's warming up today, but at least there's a breeze in the air making it tolerable to be outdoors.  I hope you all have a very blessed weekend.  Shalom!

Daily Thought

"The chains of habits are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken." ~ Samuel Johnson

An Unwelcome Visitor

A cry of alarm came from the chicken lot.  Our rooster has a way of letting us know when things aren't quite right in their territory.  I ran out to see what the problem was and to my surprise, this cute little ground hog was standing on his hind legs holding onto the fence frantically trying to find a way out.  By the time that I ran back to the house to get the camera, he had escaped.  We caught him scurrying down along our field.  Can you see him hiding in the pictures?  He was a cute little guy, but boy can he be destructive.

Thought of the Day

How do I change?
If I feel depressed I will sing.
If I feel sad I will laugh.
If I feel ill I will double my labour.
If I feel fear I will plunge ahead.
If I feel inferior I will wear new garments.
If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.
If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.
If I feel incompetent I will think of past success.
If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals.
Today I will be the master of my emotions. 
~Og Mandino

Sounds of the Past

Excitement filled the air this week as the Nickel Plate 765 passed through the area on its way to the Train Festival 2011 in Rock Island, Illinois.  There's something about the sound of the whistle and the puff of the black smoke that bring people out of their homes. My Grandma lived to be 102.  She passed away last November.  I loved to hear her stories about the days of traveling by rail.  Recently I found a journal of memoirs she wrote to me  a few years ago.  She writes, "I remember when the train whistles  would blow as the trains neared town or a road crossing near the city.  Also the chug, chug, chug of the gears as the train started up, after stopping at the water tower or the station.  Then there was the screeching of the wheels as the engineer applied the brakes to bring it to a stop."  I too am a big fan of the old steam engines.  If we could just somehow turn back time so this could once again be a familiar sight.......Sweet dreams.

Today's Thought

"You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser.  You are what you make yourself to be."  ~  Lou Holtz

Backyard Point of View

I need to learn to carry my camera at all times when I go outside.  I missed two opportunities of very unique pictures yesterday.  These pictures are things that inspired me while on my nature walk yesterday.  So many times I'm so focused on what's around me at eye level, that I forget to look up.  Yesterday when I looked up, I noticed that our walnut tree is loaded with walnuts this year.  I also noticed a hawk circling the chicken lot.  I didn't get a picture of the hawk because I was too busy getting the chickens to safety.

Daily Thought

Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds. Gordon B. Hinckley 

Dog Days of Summer

It's HOT outside!  We've been under an excessive heat warning until Saturday.  At least Mr. Harley is staying cool.

Blueberry Smoothies

The heat is on.  Forecasters are calling for temps to be above 100 all week.  I've been trying to stay hydrated with lots of water, but sometimes you need a little "umph" to energize the day.  I just made a pitcher of "Blueberry Smoothies" .  It just hits the spot.  Here's the recipe:

6 oz blueberries
6 oz plain, vanilla, or blueberry yogurt
1 T honey (opt)
1/2 c ice (3 ice cubes)

Blend at high speed.  Serve immediately

Thought of the Day

"Complain and remain or praise and be raised." ~ Joyce Meyer

A Trip to the Blueberry Farm

My hubby and I stopped by a blueberry farm over the weekend.  We arrived an hour before they closed, so we did some speedy picking.  We ended up with 5 gallons.  Yummy!  Every year I plant two or three bushes in our back yard.  I can't wait until they start producing.  They say the blueberries are having an "off" season this year.  I just love blueberries.  They are one of the best fruits you can eat.  High in anti-oxidants like Anthocyanin, vitamin C, B complex, E, A, copper, selenium, zinc, and iron. They neutralize free radicals which can effect disease and aging.  They aid in reducing belly fat, help promote urinary tract health, preserve our vision, great brain food, helps improve our memory, are great for heart health, constipation, digestion, depression and they are disease and cancer fighters.  Pretty powerful little guys, huh?  Last year I was into baking blueberry cobblers, cheesecake, and pie.  This year with my new eating habits, I have been looking for healthy blueberry recipes.  If anyone has any please feel free to e-mail me.  I will post them on the blog.

Todays Thought of the Day

"Change your thoughts and change your world."  ~  Norman Vincent Peale

Unusual Tour

At the festival yesterday, we got to go through this unique redwood log house.  You can find the story here.  The Redwood Log Cabin is a 1900 year old tree that once stood 247 ft high and 14 ft. in diameter. The section used to construct the house contains more than 11,000 ft of lumber.  They say that 1946 was the year they turned this house into a home.

It's Festival Time!

Yesterday was full of adventure.  We started out at a blueberry farm picking blueberries.  Yummmm!!!!  And then, we were off to "The Power of the Past Steam Show".  I always love going there.  They have hundreds of vendors so there's a lot of walking to do.  Unfortunately, it's usually on the hottest day of the year and there's usually a bad storm while we're there.  This year was no exception in the heat catagory.  Lots of heat, but no rain.  It's always good to see the car after all the heat and walking.

Happy Chickens

My fine feathered friends are happiest after a nice rain.  They love scratching in the compost pile.  Sadly, one day they all were carrying on with such intensity.  I looked out the back door and to my dismay, a big old dog stood with one of the hens in his mouth.  By the time I made it to the poor little hen, it was too late.   Meanwhile the other chickens went into hiding while I chased the dog off.  I had never seen it before, nor have I since.  I'm just more attentive to them while they are out free ranging.  They sure know how to hide.  It took hours that evening to flush them out of hiding and days to get them back to normal.  It was a traumatic experience for us all.

Thought for Today

"Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses."- George Washington

Thought of the Day

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."  Thomas Jefferson

Wheatgrass

I am exploring new territories this week.  I've been reading about the benefits of juicing wheatgrass so I thought I'd give it a try.  Wheatgrass helps your blood flow, aids in digestion, is high in beta carotene so is a cancer preventative.  It also detoxifies heavy metals from the body.  It is superior in Vitamin B12 to other veggies and  is loaded with lots of minerals. Calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc are just a few.  I'll let you know in a few days how it works.  It will be ready to run through the juicer by the end of the week.  A few years ago, my husband and I purchased a juicer and really did a lot of juicing that summer.  I couldn't believe the instant energy that was released after drinking one glass of juice.  I think with the garden's produce getting ready to harvest, I'll have to pull out that juicer again.  I'm in charge of beverages at a reunion in a few weeks, what do you think?  Should I put this on the list?

Highlights of my walk

Yesterday as I took a stroll over the property, these are the things that popped out.  Bees....elderberries....and hay.  Finally, I saw several bees in action.  Yeah!  I noticed that the elderberries will be ripening soon.  Last year was the first year that I harvested  elderberries.  I made elderberry jelly....yummy!   The downside of making the jelly, was cleaning the berries.  They are so small that it took forever to get them off the stems.     The last picture is of hay.  The farmers around us have been baling hay all week.  There's nothing like the sweet smell of freshly cut hay in the early morning or late evening.  I think it's one of my favorite scents of summer.  Well, it's back to work I go today.  Playcation was healing.  I feel refreshed and energized to start a new day.  Wishing you all many blessings!

Nature Walk

I spent the last day of my playcation hiking around our backyard, listening to the melodies of the beautiful birds and just enjoying the beauty in general.  Here are some sites I observed.

Yummy Breakfast

Our black raspberries are winding down for the year.  I have been making a breakfast parfait every morning with fruit.  Todays fruit is the blackberry.  I layer yogurt, grape nut cereal, flax seed and berries until I fill the cup.  What a pick me up for the morning.  I've never been a morning eater.  My cup of coffee was usually it.  But since I've decided to turn my eating habits around, I said good-bye to the coffee and hello to a cup of green tea and my breakfast parfait.  I really haven't missed it and have noticed an increased amount of energy in my day.  They are calling for temps to be in the low 100's today, so I am refreshing a pitcher of water in the fridge with sliced lemons.  Ahhh...thirst quenching.  And now I'm off to enjoy the last day of playcation.

Bee-a-thon

I just wanted to share this important event with you.  I shared with you briefly in my previous post about the lack of bees I've noticed around my gardens this year and it's very alarming.

The Bee-a-thon 2011 is an online event.  Our friends at Your Garden Show.com and The Great Sunflower Project are pulling together with a variety of bee experts to environmentalists to discuss the importance of bees and the critical challenge of a colony collapse disorder.  You can find out more details and R.S.V.P. online for the bee-a-thon.

Living Clay

For the last five weeks, I have been taking LIVING CLAY. The stuff is totally awesome! I've had lots more energy, no heartburn (I suffered from that daily), and have lost fifteen pounds. The first twenty one days that I was taking it, I was using it to detox my body. Since then, I have completely stopped drinking coffee, black tea and pop. It acts as a sponge, pulling toxins from the body. I also have been putting it on my face and bathing in it and my skin is so soft. Unbelievable!! Never have I used anything that works as good as Living Clay. After my first container was gone, I had to order a huge one. I don't want to run out of this stuff.

My Play-cation Project

This is the latest project I'm working on. I've been finding myself being bogged down with work and much activity and have been feeling very burned out lately. I chose to take four days off just to play. No media, no running errands, just full days of fun. I'm feeling very lazy to say the least. One more day left and back to work I go. I just love to get lost in my craft room. It's amazing how much more creative I feel when my time is not chopped up. Hopefully this rest will recharge my battery!

I'm Back!!!

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It's been so long since my last post. Time just seems to get away from me anymore. I have penciled in four days on my calendar for PLAY-CATION. I am just spending them playing in my workshop, reading and just enjoying nature in general. I've been busy cleaning, gardening and doing a lot of projects that just keep me running. I captured this picture in my backyard and wanted to share. My garden is looking spotty in areas this year. A lot of seeds that were planted fizzled. My squash plants are beautiful, but unfortunately, I haven't seen a lot of bees around so they're mainly plants with no squash.