Can you see her?

She lingered in the barn longer than usual, so I resolved to check on her again right after the bible study group members left, but not all of them did leave, so I abandoned my guests and hiked out to check on her anyway. Both cows were in the far corner of the field, under the tree. Maybelle was laying down and Daisy was grazing. Unusual. She got up when I approached, and I pet her nose and reminded her that I was there and loved her, then hiked back toward the barn. She followed, and then passed me, and I noticed a small mucous string. “She’s really close,” I said a few minutes later. “Like 36-48 hours close?” Davey asked. “Like today close,” I replied to squeals of joy.

How about now? (oh, and do pardon the flies. They're bad this year, and Bella was a little too preoccupied to come up for her nightly fly-removal service.)

A couple of hours later, I was sitting under the trees with a different friend, watching the cows graze on the hilltop. I watched Maybelle slowly slip away. I wanted desperately to check on her, but I didn’t want to draw Daisy’s attention to her, so I restrained myself and waited quietly. At milking time, Daisy was up at the barn, waiting, but Maybelle was nowhere to be found. “You take care of Daisy,” I called to Delaney. “I’ll be right back!”

Oh, there she is! Our newest baby girl!

And there she was, when I crested the hill. My best cow and her newest calf, who was up on wobbly legs and trying to find some dinner. Maybelle wasn’t quite done laboring yet and didn’t want me too close, but I was able to visit both of them a couple of hours later. Oh, she’s soft, that little one! And did I mention that she’s a girl?

We couldn’t be more pleased!

(But we are running low on suitable cow names. Suggestions welcome!)

Raise some guineas.  Cross your chickens on purpose.  Grow potatoes in straw.  Try weird foods from the farmers’ market.  Sew a dress.  Or get a pig.  Just try something new. That’s how you avoid getting old.

Mr. Turtle is a long suffering fellow.

Davey laughed as soon as he saw this picture. “Tell me that’s not Tommy,” I dared. “That’s Tommy,” he admitted.  Enough said.

We picked up some tiny little guinea chicks to grow up with our turkeys! Why guineas? Well, because they were there. And because we have a lot of ticks – a LOT of ticks – and I read Dy’s post this morning, and I thought to myself, “I hate ticks. Let me get some guineas because they really like to eat ticks.” They are also good watch-birds, sending up a noisy alarm if they discover anything in their environment which is different than usual. I figured they could keep our ever-vigilant dog company at night. With my luck, they’ll probably ALL sit outside my bedroom window, growling and screeching at everything that rustles in the bushes.

Do I like the pattern? Yes and no. It came out cute, but on the child, it looks uncomfortable under the arms. It might just be because it’s a little too big, and she didn’t complain. It’s simple, though, and I can’t complain about that. I thought the instructions were a little confusing in places, too, and I may have done a step or two wrong. That’s probably a personal problem, though, because I have trouble following all sorts of patterns. I need to be able to see where it’s going, which is how I ended up making this dress – by determining how it was supposed to turn out, then figuring out how to get there. A great plus, though, is that there were sewing tips throughout the instruction sheet, tips for making sure the project would turn out flawless. I really appreciated that; it’s kind of like getting a free sewing lesson.

Was it fun? Yes and no. I love the way sewing projects look when they’re done, but I don’t necessarily enjoy the journey. I need to relax and not worry about how fast it comes together or how many times I get interrupted, which is hard, because it takes so long to get everything set up that I hate to quit before I’ve got a good day’s work behind me. Unfortunately, I don’t have anyplace in the house where I can leave everything sitting out. I’ve had success with that before, just sewing a seam or two whenever I walk by. Maybe I’ll try to revamp my little corner of the kitchen here to make it more sewing-friendly. A project for another weekend!

I noticed these maple galls while I was photographing the dress. There are a lot of them on the tree, and they are caused by insects (which are safely ensconced inside), but, says my source, they don’t cause any harm to a healthy tree. Which is nice, because I think they’re kind of pretty.

First up is this crochet project I started, oh, two years ago?  I was making this autumn colored granny square blanket, got two squares made, and for some reason, put it in a basket, closed the lid, and never looked at it again.

This week, I used the basket for something else and started crocheting again.  I like granny squares because they are small and easy to carry to waiting rooms and meetings where idleness rules.  And these particular granny squares are really cute.  I’m using the mix and match patterns in the book 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans: Crochet Squares to Mix and Match. (If you judge a book by its resale value, it’s obviously a keeper!)

All the blocks are designed to come out the same size and I plan to use several different styles, including some solid colored blocks. I think traditional granny square blankets can be…dizzying. Cluttered looking. Too much in too small a package. I’m approaching this project as a crocheted quilt.

My other project involves the sewing machine. And scissors and pins and the ironing board…

I first saw this dress at Elizabeth’s and purchased two patterns from Oliver + S: the Ice Cream Dress and the Family Reunion Dress. I also picked out a bunch of beautiful fabrics from fabric.com. Just this weekend, though, my friend Diana took me to a local quilting shop and it was like I’d died and gone to heaven. The place is so peaceful and so full of the most gorgeous fabrics, and the owner is so sweet and calm – it’s my new happy place. 

Anyway, this dress is for Penelope and I think I have enough fabric to make a second one in similar-but-not-quite-the-same style for her bigger sister.  I cut it out yesterday, and I’ll work on sewing this morning and hopefully get it finished today.

Maybe next weekend, I’ll make a cushion for my yard swing. Or I might finish painting the laundry room. Or I might start a quilt! I have the attention span of a flea when it comes to projects. Work till I’m tired of it, then move on to something else, and come back to something set aside when the mood strikes again. You never can tell.

What are you working on?

Pardon the iPod photo please.

Buttercup is sixish weeks old now and moved into private quarters. Private, at least, until her aunt moves in. (Why am I so sure our next calf will be a girl?) (Why not?!) (You’ve gotta have a little faith, you know?) (After this year, I promise not to care, but this year… another girl, please.)

Twoish weeks till Maybelle’s calf! Turkey chicks in the brooder! Chickens in the incubator! And is there a piglet in our future?

Exciting times on the farm.

So tomorrow is his first day of civilian life. He’s lived upwards of 22 years under military control. He wants to get up early and watch the sun rise on his new life. Other than that, we have no particular plans.

What would you do with your first day of freedom?

Family picture. Plus a friend.

Rosie was nervous, very, very nervous, but she did just fine. We’d had a good practice session on Saturday with tortilla chips and apple juice, so she was quite comfortable with the rituals of reception, but it wasn’t the actual communion that had her worked up; it was the extra stuff the kids had to do: the procession and finding their parents in the crowd, the readings, petitions and gifts, the singing (which got dropped at the last minute) and the photo ops. If I was in charge of the world, all the children would have to worry about is Jesus, and the grown-ups would take care of the rest, because that’s what grown-ups are for. But I’m not in charge.

Sister Mildred and some assorted children. She likes the rabbits.

Afterwards, it was pretty crowded inside the church, and there was a really long line to have pictures taken with Father. Davey was pretty stressed by all the strangers hanging around (good ole PTSD), so we skedaddled out the back door and took a few photos under the tree in the corner. Then we headed back to our (for now) quiet house. We had all of our tables out in the yard, in my favorite shady spot under four big old trees. (Thank you, Lord, for sunshine on what was supposed to be a rainy day!) We had every chair we owned on the lawn. We had all the food made. All we had to do was change into comfy clothes, move the food and plates outside, and wait!

Sister Lydia and Penelope

We had a good crowd, lots of friends, happy children, and perfect weather. Davey kept to his own space, but nobody was a stranger and he admitted he enjoyed himself. Our reserved Father Kevin surprised us by accepting our invitation, too. I figured he’d have tons of invites and our chances were slim, but I like him and I’m glad he came. And, of course, there were our beloved Sisters. We’ve cultivated a wonderful group of friends here – faithful, interesting, generous, uplifting, beautiful, and varied friends. The company is always good under our shady trees.

Rosie girl, all tired of smiling.

Catholic kids, wonderful friends, peaceful home – I think we have just about everything we ever wanted here.*

*But, dear family, if you want to move out here to the beautiful rolling hills of Kentucky, our joy would be complete.