A Chunk of Wood

There was a black cherry tree in our yard that died. When it was cut down Megan asked for a slice of the trunk.

It sat around on the back porch floor all of last summer. Quite frankly it annoyed me as it always seemed to be in the way. This spring it has been put to good use. It now has a place of honor in the middle of the outside table.

It covers the hole for the umbrella. (Which we don't need since we have a covered porch.) It gives this plain jane flower pot a little pop.

It helps to hold down the table cloth on windy days.

It serves a trivit for hot dishes

It serves as base for a game of tag.

It serves a steering wheel for little imaginations.

Who knew that the annoying chunk of wood from last year would bring so much pleasure this year. This goes to show once again that it really is the simple things that bring joy!

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!

  

Joy in the Ordinary

Look around, really look around and you will find joy... joy in the everyday... joy in the ordinary things.

Mother bird was insistant that her babies would reside in the playhouse. Chuck kicked her out a couple of times before there were eggs. I guess we are meant to see these little birdies up close. :)

 We had a new roof installed and the material was loaded onto the roof by a crane. A little boys dream!

 Here is view of what our Sunday morning looked like. Megan drew this picture while I was making dinner Sunday evening. Her attention to detail amazed me.

 
 
 
 The beginning of a birdhouse.

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!

  

Crisping the Greens

I recently learned there is a better way to make a crisp salad. You take your greens of choice (don't judge my choice it was slim picking Sunday afternoon at W*l-Mart) and soak them for a couple of minutes in luke warm water. I have always used cold water but apparently the warm water opens the pours in the lettuce.

Drain and then add to a bowl of ice water for a minute or two.

Next you drain and dry your lettuce well. I received a salad spinner for Christmas, but dish towels or paper towels work just as well.

I then put it into jars and now I have crisp greens waiting for lunch.

Now I know the secret as to why the restaurant salads always tasted more crisp and fresh then my salad at home. You learn something new every day!

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!

  

Digging in the Dirt

Last weekend we were finally able to plant some of our early spring vegetables.

Megan loves to get her hands dirty.

We planted two kinds of lettuce, cabbage, carrots and scattered some lettuce seeds from school.

I can hardly wait to pick my salad straight from the backyard.

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!

  

Fist Full of Love

 

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!

  

Splurge

I have been putting a little bit of my babysitting money away for a splurge.

I have wanted this sink for a long, long time and finally it became a reality.

I know that many are in love with stainless steel, but it has never been my thing. 

It certainly served its purpose. It just didn't bring me joy.

This baby enamaled cast iron and it is heavy! Chuck had to inlist some help to get it in. First my dad helped. Something wasn't right and it needed to come out so in came helper number two. My father-in-law helped to pull it out and reset it.

Ta-da!

Swoon! I love, love, love it! It brightens up this space and gives the farmhouse feel that I like. I am tweeking a few things in this area to create a sun shiny space to do work. 

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!

  

Just Say No

Sometimes you just have to say no. This past weekend was one of those times. We had a full schedule for the weekend and when we woke up Saturday we hit the floor running. Chuck was in a hurry to get a long a waited task completed and I was inside in a hurry to get the day started so we could leave and fulfill the busy schedule.

Chuck called to tell me he was on his way home from the steel run. We both had been thinking the same thing...  sometimes you just need to say no. When you are on the go constantly nothing gets accomplished at home. It was decided that we would cancel our Saturday plans and it would be a say no kind of day.

That doesn't mean that we sat on the couch all day and did nothing.  We were plenty busy.

Busy at home.

Busy at a slow pace.

Busy doing things that needed attention at home.

Busy doing things that were important to us.

Busy doing things for us and not the world.

Busy doing things that caused us to feel renewed and not drained.

Sometimes you just need to say no and go with slow. You know what? It really is okay to do this.

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!