Skirty, Skirty!

There's this fabulous Sarah in Hawaii, and she owns and runs a Hyena Cart store named Deviant Dyes. If you are looking for hand-dyed yarn, she's your woman.

2 weeks ago she sent me yarn to knit a skirty for her daughter out of "leftover" yarn scraps.

These scrappy skirtys, longies, or whatever, often merge together to create unique and beautiful items.

I sincerely hope she likes it!

No, this is not a punishment!

When Adalynn grows silent, it's always worth a check.

But we never know what we'll find.

It leads to interesting insights on how our girl's mind works. Now if only we can find an interpreter...

FarM'n a Driveway

We're the laziest of souls, and the trekking from the road to the field, a full 800' through wiley woods, wore us out.

Just kidding. Actually, sometimes we used it just to wear the kids out. And it worked fabulously.

One of our goals for FarM we set in January included a rough driveway, giving us the ability to start at the road and end in the field without taking a step. No, we're not really lazy, but the thought of hiking daily through the woods with a hay bale on our backs was not appealing.

Driving back:

(think Over the River and Through the Woods)

Up the hill and over the humps, to the Masselink's field we go....

Out of the woods, into the field:

Keely, in the truck that is parked in the field:

She's super excited too.

The field from the edge of the woods. If you peek carefully, you might see 4 white posts by the edge of the 2nd woods. That is our future barn.

The sun setting on our driveway as we head towards the road.

To end today on a happy note

Because I'm convinced that the sight of Keely running around today in her adorable Scuttlebutts and even more sweet, SWEET! homemade by Aunt Laura shoes is the most precious thing on earth. period.

I can't write things like that anymore, I'm worried it's an omen...

So I just say we're going to get kicked out of the neighborhood and Drama with a capital D happens.

Our dogs have a personal vendetta against some snooty Standard Poodles (or more so their owners) that routinely walk on/past our property. So tonight I let the dogs out to go potty. Ginger and Banks have "Please obey me" collars on and stay by me. The Poodles are walking by, I don't realize it. Rocky runs out to the street, recognizes that the wifey's screaming and the hubby's kicking is not a welcome 'hi, and comes back. He then watches carefully while they walk by, ensuring they stay on the street. Our nice, sweet 'neighbor' walked to the edge of the property and told me, "You'd better keep your dogs in your yard". I said, "Yes sir, I apologize." To which he responded, "Otherwise a human may hurt them". "I hope that's not a threat, sir." "It would be the human's fault, not the dogs."

GRRRRRRR. I didn't feel it was the right time or place to report that I was attempting to control my dogs. The fact that there was a collar on 2 of them. That they were sitting by my legs. That the other dog ran out, said hi, and came back. That he's a herding dog, had all rights to nip their flying heels into a circle as they jumped and screamed and herd them into the next county, BUT DIDN'T.

And, now, let me tell you. The first time that we had an encounter with these people, they were SITTING with their 3 dogs in our 2nd lot. We let our dogs out, these people FREAKED, kicked at our dogs! Ok. I will admit, our dogs ran at them aggressively. However, they did NOT bite them, and THEY WERE ON OUR PROPERTY. Since, we have watched the guy deliberately walk his dogs on our property, allow them to pee on our mailbox and little tree, and walk across the 2nd lot. So, really, can we blame our dogs for wanting to eat them? And the fact that they didn't, doesn't this show amazing restraint?

Thank you for listening.

We are so getting kicked out of this neighborhood...

Last week, Travis asked me if I wanted some free chickens. Like, chickens? Yah? The short story: A fellow in Shelbyville owns the Gun Lake Grind (a fab coffee shop with large, tasty subs - when in Shelbyville, you must go). This guy is great, very nice and always willing to help, anybody. And he has chickens. And he asked if T if he knew of anyone who wanted chickens. And T said yes, himself.

Ok...where are we going to put said chickens? and we decided on a Super Secret location, figuring it may be better in this instance to ask for forgiveness than permission. We decided to put our coins in the baskets labeled "If you hide them, no one will notice" and also "Eggs'll shut up the orneriest of people". We'll let you know how that works.

Here's Exhibit A (with temporary tarp):

plus Exhibit B:

equals Exhibit C:

Meet our Ladies! They are approximately 1 year old, beautiful Rhode Island Reds. They are proven prolific layers. We're quite excited!

The dogs, as always, are enthused. Rocky could care less, Ginger (we're dogsitting) obviously cares more for us inside, and Banks cares intensely and would like nothing more than to go on a hunting spree.

Oh jaBankers. Not yet, my man. Don'tya dare touch my chickies.

Do-It-Yourself Chicken Coop

Ingredients:

1 wet-weather friendly daughter

1 handy husband

1 brainy wife

1 50' roll of fencing

1 old wooden shipping crate

1 scrap of plywood

2 latches

4 hinges

A bunch of 2x4s

Even more nails for the air nailer

Even more staples for the air stapler

Wet weather ready daughter? check.

I won't bore you with a tutorial. Here's the finished product.

Dimensions? T could say for sure. I know it is 4' high x 5ish' wide x a 2x4 long.

The Coop and it's MasterMan.

We also planted seeds this week. This year, we're attempting a mostly Heirloom garden. Hurrah for spring!

To TN and Beyond!

This past weekend we departed MI for a quick trip to the wilds of Tennessee. Actually, not really. More like the dazzlings of NashVegas. But, whatever works.

This being Keely's first big car ride and trip away from home, we juggled a little to make things work. She doesn't like sleeping in the pack'n'play. Oooorrr prolonged periods in the car. But by the end of the trip, the kids were growing used to bebopping from one city to the next, in car seat then out of car seat, and eating meals in restaurants. We can't complain, they handle change very well.

Our itinerary:

Thursday night. Drive to Anderson, IN. Sleep.

Friday. Drive to Nashville. Shop at Opryland. Dinner with Colin and Tiffany. Drive to Columbia, TN. Sleep.

Saturday. Miss Opa and Oma running the Mule Kick 5K by minutes. Hang out for awards. Drive to Nashville. Check into the hotel. Swim in the pool. Walk around downtown. Eat dinner. Put Opa, Oma, and the kids down for the night. Visit with Colin and Tiff. Sleep.

Sunday. Dress for church. Take Easter morning pictures. Get to Woodmont Baptist E-A-R-L-Y, MI time. Wait/Play. Attend the Easter morning service. Drive home.

Oh the pool. The girls LoVeD the pool. We enjoyed swimming, while watching passersby and horse and buggy rides through the windows.

Sewiously. Awen't they so cute?

How much is that birdie, in the window? Cheep Cheep.

Adalynn posed sweetly in front of a weathered storefront after noshing on nummy ice cream. Travis stepped out of his comfort zone and ordered something Tennessee with Raspberry. Supergood, we highly recommend.

Keely and Adalynn stepped inside their first every honky tonk. Keely sat mesmerized on the table next to Opa while listening to a George Straight sound-a-like and the steel guitar. When we first walked in, a 14-year-old was pickin' on the guitar with the band - man, he was good!

A shot of Broadway. Oh, the energy and the sounds! There's no place in the world like it.

After thoroughly wiping out the kids and grandparents, we left them at the hotel and drove over to Colin and Tiffany's house to visit. They're so sweet. And expecting their first kiddo. We can't wait!

In the morning, we readied ourselves for church and then posed for Easter morning pictures in front of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Happy Easter y'all!

After church at Woodmont Baptist, my old stomping grounds, we started an uneventful drive home. In all, even though short, we enjoyed ourselves on this much needed vacation!