For the Birds

It's the day after Thanksgiving and we have had a fantastic past few days. Yesterday, we had a tasty meal of ham, mashed potatoes, broccoli, corn casserole, rolls, stuffing, cranberries, and of course pumpkin pie...(well actually squash pie...as winter squash, particularly butternut squash makes an excellent substitute for pumpkin). James & Dad worked outside most of the day and we all sat down at 2:30 for the feast. It was delicious..and the nice thing about a small group is that there are plenty of leftovers!!

So we began today with some ham biscuits (hot out of the oven) and we all got to work. James & Dad decided that they would cut wood for our winter fires...so they spent several hours out in the cold & hauled in 2 truckloads. That should last us awhile! :) I, on the other hand, cleaned house all day...which actually was quite nice considering I haven't had a day to myself in awhile. We reconvined at lunch for some leftovers, coffee, and of course pumpkin pie & whipped cream. What a delight!

Here are some pictures of the place as winter approaches;

And last, but not least, pictures of some birds we have around the place. We all have enjoyed watching them thru the kitchen windows feed. They are hungry little critters....they eat so much seed that James has to replenish the feeders every 2 days...but they are well worth it!

I'm Back

I am back from my trip to AZ, and like many things in life it is bittersweet. I had such a great time while I was there; thanks to all of you for being so generous with your time, food, and love over the past week. I felt right at home...it was really wonderful. The week flew by, but I was able to pretty much accomplish everything on my "must-do" list...except "knitting up a storm"..Everytime Jess & Natalia & I tried to set up a knitting night, we ended up drinking tea or wine, eating tasty treats, and of course chatting (which we all seem to do very well :) But I let that one slip, seen as I can easily knit on my own, but I can't just see my 2 best friends anytime!

When I returned home, James let me know that the construction crew he was working with, had to let him go because they were too slow...not enough work. That was hard news to hear and I am still a little upset how it all went down, but I know I will get over it...and life will be o.k.! So James is helping my dad & I with the tile job...and we'll go from there. Maybe this is the time to start focusing on our CSA and really work on getting customers for the spring. Who knows what life holds...but we will take each day at a time. On a lighter note, the trees around are the most beautiful shades of autumn...in fact when I was flying into Raleigh I smiled (quite big) to myself at the beauty below me. I really love this place and am so happy that we are living here. Until next time...and may each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Off to Phoenix!

This blog message is for those friends and family that read my blog and are in Phoenix....here is a "few" must do's while I'm there (for 9 days...yeah!)

1. Give everyone of you hugs and kisses (...well most of you j.k.!)

2. Eat at my favorite restaurant-Haji Baba's.

3. Slurp boba!

4. Ride bikes!

5. Coffee, treats, and chat.

6. Cuddle the new baby, Nash.

7. Play like crazy with Maile & Landon...since I don't get to see them very much :(

8. Knit up a storm (Natalia & Jess..get ready)

9. Garden w/ anyone who has work to be done!

10. Family Dinners

11. Catch up on life sessions with each one of you.

12. Eat more ethnic food...Kate...you up for Pho?

13. Relax

...I'm sure the list will be longer...so if you have anything you would like to add...feel free!

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL! Smooches!

Trent Wagler and the Steel Wheels

Friday night, we headed into the Madhatter for the second night in a row. Thursday night we saw Audrey Auld Mezera (an Australian country singer) and Nina Gerber (an incredible guitarist) perform. The were excellent and we left with 2 of their cds. Friday night, Trent Wagler and the Steel Wheels were performing. They are out of Harrisonburg, VA...and dang were they good! They consider their music "roots", with rock, soul, country, and blues influences. Incredible performers with some really good songs. We left with 2 cds from them too...well worth the money! Here's a link to their website: www.trentwagler.com. Check them out!

Best Friends

So after having our new puppy Bonnie for a month...Dittles's conclusion is "love". They are getting along really well and are super cute together...here's how they spend some of their time!