Dreams for Summer

My daughter introduced me to Printerest.com.  Wow, another way to get lost in the cyber world.  Lots of fun projects to dream about doing.  If only I had spent the two hours I searched online on an actual project.   I look out on my back yard now and dream about my garden plans for next summer.   Linders Garden Center has a Fairy Garden.  I thought that would be really fun to introduce in my yard.  Then I found this gem; a children's toad stool table and chair set.  This can be purchased at Streamline and is made of resin.  Well, I was wondering if it would be possible to make something like this.  So then I found these cute directions for toad stool chairs using wooden salad bowls.     Well, I'm still without a table.  I found some directions that used an upturned tomato cage, chicken wire and cement.  That's a little more involved than I was hoping for, for it might have to do.

Wild River Geocaching

This fall has been full of firsts.  We went on our first geocaching outing.  We went toWild River State park along the St. Croix River, north of Taylor's Falls.  The park is full of logging history.  We borrowed two GPS units from the Park Ranger.  They have Caches all set up, many of them right off the main trails.  It added a great dimension to our Sunday outing.  The weather was incredible.  October 9, 2011 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  The river valley is beautiful.  I found this prairie field beautiful as well.

Tastes like Fall

My first foray into making apple butter.  We had an abundant harvest this year from our Haralson apple tree.  We couldn't let all those apples go to waste.  I made one quart jar of apple sauce.  It was good, but too much work for the results.  Making apple butter, on the other hand, was a delight.  My son's comment summed it up perfectly, "it tastes like fall."  I used this apple butter recipe. I had no idea what a chinoise sieve was so I had to look it up. I remember my mom using something similar when she made crabapple jelly. Fortunately, my local thrift store Hidden Treasures had one.

Taking a Stand

Elizabeth Elliot, in her wonderful book Keep a Quiet Heart, says "that is where we must take up our stand, Beneath the Cross of Jesus."   http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/621  "This hard place in which you perhaps find yourself, so painful and bewildering, is the very place in which God is giving you opportunity to look only to Him, to travail in prayer, and to learn long-suffering, gentlenss, meekness-in short, to learn the depths of love that Christ Himself has poured out on all of us.  It is His love that must be manifest in you as you quietly submit to what hurts you (Jesus submitted, too); treat your husband as we are commanded to treat enemies-with love (so did Jesus); refrain from taking moral responsibility for your husband (it is not our assignment as wives to do an overhal job!), except as you daily lift him up to God. This form of suffering is your opportunity to learn to leave with God what only God can do....  One of the most transfiguring truths I know is that of our being called to share the sufferings og Christ.  Colossians 1:24 and IPeter 4:12-19 put a wholly different perspective on the matter than any of us could have come up with.  It's up to God to change hearts.  It's up to us to do the simple (not always easy), humble, sacrificial thing, and to faithfully leave the rest to God.  'Continue to do good' (I Peter 4:19, NIV), which means just do this next thing, whatever that may be (mend those trousers? starch a white shirt?)."

Skiing Fun

We had record snow in Minnesota this year.  The following video clips show my son and his creative activity in the snow.  http://youtu.be/Jjk6-oWmVAA  As it turns out, this was good preparation for a ski trip to Montana over Spring Break http://youtu.be/VPvtUsDT8qc 

Knit Headbands

Okay, I'm not a great knitter.  But we saw headbands similar to these in Estes Park, CO a couple of years ago.  I found this pattern on web and have made several since.  http://tmatthewsfineart.blogspot.com/2010/01/free-knitting-pattern-headband-ear.html

Thanksgiving Craft

These are a sweet and simple Thanksgiving decoration I came across and wanted to save. Enjoy! http://thestir.cafemom.com/home_garden/112683/the_perfect_thanksgiving_tradition_decoration