These last few months.

In the Yard and Garden:

Planting of 4 trees

Blueberry bushes

Tomatos

Bell peppers

Cucumbers

It is a far harder thing to do with the shoulder issues so few gardening projects for me, just enough to cushion the grocery budget through summer.

The wildflower bed in the front is very pretty with lots of bachelor buttons.

On Education:

Third Quarter grades

 Five to six days a week at least 5 hours a day and my dream of giving an education to the children has been hard won. Dash will continue next year and want to attend Jr High, Dove wants to return to Jr. High next year.
My hopes for a firmer foundation are being met.

I have been earning a new skill in my beading now I am able to better knot and string.

Around the house:

LAUNDRY

Letting go of clutter and passing it on gives space to the bikes.

Just trying to keep up

Parenting:

My days are full of school, fixing three meals a day from scratch and being available to the kids and my husband.

Adoption day 14 for Dove

Dash had his 11^th birthday yesterday.

 It was a different more mature day. All these many years of making a party and spending a budget on that was changed to all of the budget onto one item. His desire an Itouch, not a phone but a tool for filming and correspondence/media.

 Happy Child. The sweet Grandparents took the children out to lunch yesterday and I dashed up to the grocery and purchased a small cake. Due to my arms making one was not doable. The injections the afternoon before left me far too tender.

 Big sister get to share her knowledge for she had one given to her last year for Christmas. All I do mean all kids these days have phones. Mine DO NOT. We much prefer to have the control over contacts and do without incurring monthly bills. I do not even have a cell. We really hate any bills except what must be to have utility and mortgage, insurance.

Daddy Man set up the new tool

It was hard to allow such an expensive item but we kept to the limits. It was wonderful to see Dash so happy and not begrudge his choice to forgo a party (I had to buy a small cake :)

Boundaries have been a huge focus in the training of the last 3 months. My desire is well able young adults, functioning as successful independent people. We are really focusing on responsibility and reality thinking. When you throw a ball up it will come down and one must consider what they will do about catching it or letting it get away to be lost.

The things of the spirit:

For the last several months my spirit has been healing the wrongs done me during the knee replacement. Those feelings left me in a real struggle filled with anger and pain. I really felt that God had abandoned me, or had asked just too much of me. Endurance is a hard thing. One day I will understand when comforting another where only those experienced intimately could. I think that perhaps the pain medication might of actually been stolen by employees. It is a common issue in nursing homes.

Health and self care:

Shots in each shoulder two days ago allow me to sit here and type a while. Although still tender the level of pain has resided significantly. Avoidance of any further surgery left me all but lame in both arms so pain was insistent and tasks stacking up. I was under the false understanding that no further cortisone injections were available that my limit had set me up to have corrective surgery as the next step. So for several months unwilling to go there I have been in pain unable to do much that required me upper body strength. The surgeon has ordered an MRI and surgery will occur on my right shoulder eventually, but today my pain is greatly improved! Bless GOD!

Creative outlets:

Sun catcher

 Mixed media, those are beads (of course) for the back ground. Sorta starry night image. I have yet to do the highlight in the eyes.

 My heart is my offering.

I have been working on a painting for our anniversary as a gift to my husband.

 This is so fun for Dash and his buddy. Imagine two 5th grade boys loving pix-elation the precursor of pointillism.

 Keeps the iron hot every day.

Relationships:

Our 30^th anniversary is in two weeks and we will get to go on holiday.

The children have sleep over’s every other weekend. My house is most often full of children making U tube videos’. They have such fun writing scripts and filming each other.
All of you have been so neglected as has my writing been. Just dealing with the levels of daily pain , slowed by it, I have all I can do to tend to each day. Now that my shoulders feel a lot better due to the injections I have been able to type! However I should stop soon.

Last night Dove and I spoke until well after midnight. She opened her heart up. Best hours spent listening.

Finance and Budgets:

We much prefer to have the control over contacts and do without incurring monthly bills. I do not even have a cell. We really hate any bills except what must be to have utility and mortgage, insurance.

Taxes are done! YA!!!!

We have been saving for our two day stay in Sedona AZ, a Hot Air balloon ride over the red rocks. We were able to match a goal for Dash and gave him a gift that excluded any party. The amounts spent in times past were not too different. We are now partially retired, well at least the checks will come monthly on our years past employer. It really will help us to have a little ease raising the kids into the teen years.

Goals ahead:
In May we hope to have enough saved up for a new refrigerator. My current one is 25 years old! Still works but it is hard on my back to bend now that my knee is now able to be knelt on. We hope to get one with the freezer on the bottom.

Two weeks in the life of a homemaker/mother/gardener

 Each morning Dash goes out to the coop and gets his breakfast.

Tomato off the vine the night before.

This is what you call a fresh breakfast

 The joy of mothering and growing a garden flowed well this week.

Dash and I really had a time of it pulling carrots.

He was such good pleasure and keeps speaking of it with the biggest grin on his face.t

 The last week has been full of fung shui as I reinvented the studio.

I love it! By shifting the sewing center north the beading center was able to shift into place.

No longer facing a window that could not even be open is huge.

The mirror and window bring added space.

 It is all a little messy yet but coming along.

 I just LOVE it!

 Facing into the room is wonderful. Now my monitor is in view.

 Outside the hens were vieing for the best spot after the coop was cleaned this morning.

The day of seed gathering was spent in 70* wonderful cloud floating by sky

It was so beautiful

After a three large loads of laundry on the line and time in the garden my soul was more than content.

 Carrot seed for next crop

 Dill seed for harvest and herb for the kitchen.

It is a very spicy dill.

 The best onion to seed for next crop.

 this is Leek

 Broccoli

 Narcissism

Just today as Dash was in his hiding place in the garden.

He had his Mac and cheese under the umbrella of the narcissism and the big leaves of the broccoli.

The chickens came to him and he was sharing his macaroni with them.

It was so dear.

 Radish seed pods were collected to dry.

Pick ten leave some.

The birds love them.

I love the birds, win win.

 radish

 Mothers day was wonderful over at my MILove's.

Steve's brother and his family were there.

Dash had me in class on Monday.

I did a painting demo and painted our dear Rena and spoke of deeper things to the children.

It was so fun. I was pretty wiped out afterward and a very sweet girl saw me and came offering to carry the Travel easel for me. Perfect timing. Saturday's infusion was a bit hard on me.

Dash told Steve that in Social Studies Monday they were talking about the Civil War (Steve and I are history buffs). He said in answer to why the war was fought...the South fought for their "rats...". It went over the teachers head. "dad why did they fight for rats"? Rolling in laughter "son...their rights".

"What are rights dad?"

Telling me this at shower time I could not stop laughing. Even after lying in bed a while so funny!

The South were fighting for thier RATS!!!

Ha!

 Doves grown up some after the three days at camp. 

She is doing so well. A real serious student.

We teach that education is a real gift.

These girls out of 99 kids won both camp awards.

She is a good kid to find peace around. 

Her kindness and humor are really treasured.

 Speaking of gifts the tomato plants are very happy.

Kissed by the bees daily a huge crop to come.

 Tonight I got the biggest compliment and joy from a neighbor.

She works at home and her office faces my front yard.

She called to me tonight just as I was finishing sweeping the front entry.

She told me how my flowers are the first thing that she looks forward too each day.

She opens her window first thing in the morning.

That is just why I planted them. It was my prayer as I dug that soil that in so doing that it might bring a little joy to all those who drive by too and from work.

Working on several things at the beading table. 

This is finished now.

We are happy and well. Hope all of you are as well. It was so nice to see your comments.

Susie, Amrita, Denise, Julie and David. Reighine and e-m0m your too beautiful. Hope that you all know that about yourselves.  I know I am forgetting names at the moment forgive me. Know that your sweetness touched my heart. Thank you for saying hello.

Life...it's all so beautiful.