Spring has

come early here - but not too sure it is here to stay - fear another freeze before it decides to truly stay. The signs are all here though -dafs and paper-whites have come and are going. Tulips are popping. Fruit trees all have blooms - will fertilize at end of April. Trees are budding-

Best of all, we got our chicks - well, at least 1/2 of them! We have 6 beautiful baby-girls - Buff Brahmas - little peeps right now. Their names are Babs, Daisy, Lily, Rosie, Violet and Tulip. They are brooding in the shed in a baby pool with chicken wire up the sides. They are majoring in eating, drinking and sleeping ( almost sounds like college kids!) and we check in on them frequently, handling them so they get used to it. Today, depending on the weather, they may go on a field trip - literally - in a pen in the fron yard so they can forage, get some greens and much on some bugs....

Next week we will pick up our Auracauna peeps - they lay blue-green eggs. Our Brahma breed is originally from East India. The Auracauna's are originally from Chile'. All are hatched here in the states and shipped. We are becoming quite the United Nations here in our little world when you consider our English Bulldog and Labrador Retriver and our international chickens....very interesting!

The Bumble Lab has met her match in the Bully - who is now almost 6 mos. old. Bumble Lab frequently seems to check in and ask if we can get a refund on this one. The clear answer is no. Lottie (hereafter just "Bully") is a heart stealer and frustrater and funny to watch. Will have to get pictures of our brood soon. In the meanwhile, for right now, we enjoy cool mornings and evenings and warm, sunny days. Come up and visit us sometime....

Almost here....

-the New Year. Have you made resolutions? Or as someone at Faithfully Yours calls them Re-soul-utions. Lose weight? Exercise? Be healthy? Save money? What about your time with God? Have you thought about how He should be a part of these resolutions? Perhaps they will be easier to follow through on with God front and center...praying for strength and guidance and support through the goals...

We make plans and say we are going to do this or that - but really, we are cautioned to say "If God wills it". How do our plans line up with God's word and God's plan? Not sure? Then pray about it. I have prayed for 12 years for my bulldog pup - and it was in His plan - so my prayer was answered this Christmas. He granted my prayer. but he is not a fairy or a genie - He heard the desires of my heart and after 11 years of "Wait", God gave me a "Yes". He always answers s - prayers of ours to live in our beautiful cabin in the mountains, my prayers to find a man with a heart for God, prayers for my children's lives to be safe, God-centered and happy, prayers to be a help the clients I work with....and small prayers, like a beautiful day and a good cup of coffee and time to create. These are all the blessings God has granted me - and so many more I can not count. Even the ones that seem negative - losing a job - can help us learn what God has for us and how it is better.

So what are your blessings? What are your resolutions? How about a resolution to count your blessings and write them down every day? I think I like that one best of all...
Happy, Healthy New Year - Be blessed, Kim

I would wish you....

a Merry Christmas, but it slid right by - busy time in the homestead with visiting kids and a new puppy. So it will have to be about the new year instead...

2011 had a lot of ups and downs - the loss of loved ones and unemployment was tough - a lot of tough changes - a valley experience - to prepare us for the year 2012 to come - prayerfully a better year ahead - Beautiful daughter will start school this summer to become a Forensics specialist - Football boy will finish his second year of culinary school - and DH will enjoy his first year of retirement. Oldest son and wife continue with the career paths they enjoy - we enjoyed their visit at Thanksgiving...

Christmas was wet, but wonderful, with the wonder children (nee adults) visiting for the weekend. Hard to let them go back to Florida, but they have lives that keep them busy - just happy they could visit. Lots of food and great gifts to share - time at the candlelight service on Christmas Eve - together as a family, including the Queen mother this time...

Big wind storms last night and part of today - possibility of snow flurries tonight and tomorrow morning. Nothing like last Christmas when we had a foot + of snow. This year is wet - but no snow yet. My vacation ends today - but long weekend next weekend. Time at home with the DH and the pups is wonderful - needs to happen more often.

So, a lot to get done to return the homestead to its natural state- take down the decorations and store them away until next year - get rid of the wrapping and other items and store the cards where we can pray over the folks we got cards from. Praying for God's direction in the new year for our everyday lives, our little business and how He wants us to worship and where....

Since I missed the Christmas greetings and it slipped past, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I wish everyone a Happy, Healthy New Year in 2012. I hope to be on the blog more often and keeping you up to date with the goings on at Restoration House -
Be Blessed -
Kim

And there it goes....

As quickly as it came, it is gone. The leaves have fallen and the ground is covered with them. The trees are bare and gearing up for the long cold winter ahead. They really do look naked. Here on the homestead, their curling shapes are very inspiring and a joy to observe.

I love winter - I especially enjoy snow. That tiny ice crystals accumulate and cover the ground with piles of snow is amazing to me - and incredibly beautiful. So many folks I know are not fond of snow - but I enjoy the peacefulness of it, the look that the earth is pristine. Granted, driving in it is not easy - but maybe God created snow to slow us down a little. I know the animals always seem a little surprised - the squirrels can't find their stashes hidden all over, because the landscape has changed; the dog is not sure what to do about walking in this cold stuff and hates to "take care of business" when the snow touches the tush. Humans (at least when ever possible) hunker down in front of a fire and stay warm. I love to hike in it and take pictures - I took beautiful ones last year and should post a few.

Thanksgiving is coming - it should be every day - but to serious, pious, hard-work ethic Protestants who started the whole she-bang, a few days of feasting to celebrate being thankful, once a year, seems conservative enough. Of course, blessedly, they never heard of "Black Friday", football games, or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I can forgo the first two, but I do really love the parade - it brings back such sweet memories of going to Gram's for Thanksgiving and watching the parade as dinner was finished - turkey and all the trimmings. But it was the delight my Gram showed in watching me watch the parade. Her favorite parade all year was the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day, but she took pleasure in watching Macy's parade with we between stirring gravy and mashing potatoes. It was my version of Norman Rockwell, warts and all. What is your favorite memory of Thanksgiving?

Which leads to my favorite Christmas movie - "Miracle on 34th Street" - preferably in B & W. I just love the gift of hope and kindness it portrays. I will probably be watching it on Thanksgiving night as I address our Christmas cards to mail on Friday. So I wonder, what is your favorite holiday movie? Please share.

And like I said, "there it goes" - we seem to skip Thanksgiving as we (or the retailers) rush toward Christmas. Take a minute to savor the holiday - the smells of food, the joy of family and the time to slow down and relax before the holiday rush. Be mindful of others - invite a stray or lonely person in for dinner. Share the day with someone who is elderly, away from home, or who has no way to get to family...I promise they will be thankful...and your holiday will be richer for it. Happy Thanksgiving from the homestead!
Be Blessed (I know we are)
Kim

Fall has....

arrived. In a sudden rush at the end of last week, the colors burst forth and the leaves are changing. It is a little hard to appreciate right now, in the middle of much needed rain, but the colors where glorious over the weekend and the temperature working on nice crisp mornings and pleasant days. This week - rain - but we need it, so no complaints.

Time for baking breads and getting out the crock pot - hearty beef stew, emphasis on fiber so yams to replace white potatoes - today we'll have arroz con pollo (chicken and yellow rice) and mixed meat chili - ground turkey and boca mix - much healthier - coming attraction. Baked two artisan breads with carrots, apples, cranberries, walnuts and raisins - whole grains - and harvest muffins with apples, pumpkin, carrots, raisins and walnuts - total yum - high fiber - good stuff that is good for you. Keeps you warm. Mornings of oatmeal too with the fixins'. Healthy eating.
Great left-overs and lunches.

Homestead is painted - done before the rains started. DH got the hang of the paint sprayer. Just have window trims and green trim on bottom and top to finish and the porches. Then he is off to the Queen Mother's to pressure wash and stain her house. Lots to keep him busy

Changed the Bumble Lab's food - we make our own - reduced the fur loss that can be so maddening - ground beef and brown rice - with a little kibble on top. She likes it and it seems to like her as well. She is pretty pushy at meal time - and in between wants to be a lap dog, which we have firmly refused. 85 lb. Bumble Lab does not make a good lap dog - at least not if you want to have a lap....

Time to head off to the office and leave my little piece of heaven...maybe, if I am not too tired tonight, I can come home to a great hot meal and come to the studio and play... plenty to work on and play with...

Be blessed,
Kim

Wow, where has

this year gone? Just had a visit from the Passionate Princess this past weekend and she is remarkable - in this period of pain and difficulty, she is keeping her head high and moving forward. She has many conflicting thoughts, but is trying to steer a clear path. She says she can't wait for 2011 to be over with. A visit here gave her a chance to be with her family and touch base with the real world. She did not find our most recent cool snap to her liking, hollering that it was "freezing" when it hit 69 degrees. Each to their own I guess.

Sadly, no chickens for us. Ordering too late and without total agreement or commitment to the project by all involved, we are chickenless and eggless. Our garden is spent and farm season is winding down. One more trip to the Farmer's market this weekend to scoop up what vegetables are left - also have to pick up pumpkins to process for pumpkin breads this winter. Corn season was poor this year and we did not have much to freeze. Season was dry this year and we are in the middle of a drought.

The leaves on the sourwoods and even the dogwoods are turning already - Fall colors should be right around the corner. The apple orchard was busy this weekend and picked up 1/2 bushel of honey-crisps to make apple butter from. Lots of cinnamon will add to the delicious smell as I cook this in the crock pot. All the beautiful jars of apple butter in glorious rich brown on the shelves next to the delicious reds of the strawberry jams and greens of the pickles in so many varieties, a fest for the eyes as well as the palate.

DH will become the house-husband again by the first of next month. Going to paint our homestead and then paint the Queen Mother's manse. He starts collecting SS from Uncle Sam in November and then becomes a man of leisure - if you ever have leisure when we have so much to be working on before true winter sets in. The Bumble Lab will enjoy the company, I am sure.

Baking breads - excellent fruit-laden artisan breads with carrots, walnuts, pecans , apples, raisins - with barely any sugar (2 tsp. brown sugar) they are still deliciously sweet and moist - no butter (1 tsp.) but use buttermilk instead. They are a lovely treat for breakfast on a cold morning. Working on the oatmeal recipes too! Way to get going in the mornings, when you would rather crawl under your blankets and go back to sleep....hmmmm,,,,maybe the bears have the right idea!

Be blessed,
Kim

It is crazy when you welcome

85 degree weather as a relief - really. Of course, the humidity is not as high as it gets in sand country. But, summer lingers on and the temperatures have been insane, even for our well-shaded cabin. Evening storms wash away the pollen, but scare the bumble lab greatly. Here in the mountains, we are looking forward to Fall with its cooler weather and beautiful colours. I think that the shades of green are sadly overlooked and not given the appreciation they deserve. Through the windows of my studio, through the leaves, growing thick on the trees, I see the mountains a soft blue-grey against the light blue skies and the bright white clouds that fill the horizon. Those mountains make every season worth the changes we experience - they are beautiful beyond words.

Working on so many projects - planted flowers in front of the porch and bought the paint for the outside of the cabin - a luscious barn-reddish color called "Chipolte Paste" - richer and deeper than what we used int he past. Since we re-sided the cabin last year, we left it unpainted. In September, DH hopes to spray a layer of primer and 2 luscious layers of the "Chipolte" color to create the feel of the old cabin. Trim work will come in October. Our beauty will blend in with the rich fall leaves. Hope to have our chicks by September and will have to build the chicken house. Still have to take advantage of the summer harvest to freeze up vegetables - made jam - need to add plum jam and maybe blackberry preserves to the pantry shelves - freeze some for pies too. Tomatoes are producing and some squash - not much on the peppers or cukes, sadly. So I will be visiting the market in a couple of weeks to grab up some of the local produce to freeze or can. Teaching the Queen Mother how to use her freezer bag machine and guess we will have a canning Sunday after a visit to the market on Saturday. Lots to save for winter and autumn meals.

Off to make dinner for DH who is due home soon. With all this work, when will we have fun? Guess we will need to set and appointment for that. Our world is just too busy!
Be blessed,
Kim