Today we took a drive to the dam up above us. It is such a nice place to go I could live up there. We only saw a snake, grouse and wild rabbit. I have not seen a wild rabbit in years unfortunately I have seen two snakes in two days.
It was not as nice today not overly cold but not really sun tanning weather either.
I think by the end of the week all the lavender will be harvested it willnbe interesting to see If we get a second crop on some of it.
Well I am off to sleep have a wonderful night pleasant dreams.

Summer time
This summer is flying by. The days start early and end way too soon.
We have been busy so very, very busy.
Farm work never ends.
We have been painting our back room.
Ahh we have made such a mess. I hate it. Our car port looks like a dump. Everything from the room we are painting had to come out and the carport is where we stored it.
Well I am off now to do more farming.

Chocolate pie time

Cherry Muffins

1/2 cup soft margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk may need to double this. If you think it is needed.
1 to 1 1/2 cups of cherries
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Sprinkle top of muffin with sugar. (Optional)

Mix up maybe be a bit lumpy. Put in muffin tins with muffin cup holders.
350 degrees
 Cook until golden brown.

These muffins are soooooo good

Let me know how they turn out

Cherry muffins

More space now. My oldest son took one of the couches so we have a lot more room.

Sunday Morning was so peaceful
Our weather was beautiful. We accomplished so much but by bed time we dropped into bed. I was absolutely done, finished, exhausted.
We moved Buddha heads. We painted gates. We watered. We built and welded steel poles for satellite dishes. We kept moving all day.

A cold start to our day only four degrees, it did warm up though. I am told it is going to warm up. An amazing amount of stuff was accomplished today. I worked on my web site, did chores, played with the dogs, did laundry, and harvested a small amount of lavender.
I picked herbs today, some very wonderful herbs.
 All of them to go into our own mixture of Herbs De Provence.
Then late this afternoon I painted the pillars on our gate....a surprise colour.  I hope to paint the rest of the gate tomorrow depending on the weather. The main gate will or should stay white. Hmmm that does sound boring.
My Dad and Mom are away and I love to surprise my dad with something clever and new for him to admire. :) :0 !!!!
 I bet he can't wait.
 I have done some wonderful projects when he has been away. Our gate was made and put up while he was away. The trees planted down the driveway were planted while he was away. The amazing sign was made and put up while he was away. The planters on the sign were another project while he was away. The rock planter on the driveway was done while he was away. Another rock planter was built while he was away. All three lavender gardens were planted on different times he was away. A fence or two or three was built while he was away. I could continue all night. But, am I clever all projects were done by me!!!!
Now that I see my list forming painted the gate is so mellow. Yah but I guess the colour will make up for it.
Well I am off to have a Creative weekend. What will you do?

Home

I have been working on my web page all night. I can hardly keep my eyes open. Gosh so many things to learn. Have a woderful night

What are you doing to enjoy your summer?

My youngest son is moving his bedroom into my oldest son's room.
Ahh will it ever end the mess, the stuff...oh the mess.

My oldest son came home for a few days with his girlfriend. They needed to pick up stuff they had in storage. He also needed a vehicle. Jord was planing on fixing his truck but nothing was going as planned. He thought about renting a U-hual truck to take his stuff up there.
 He however lives in the middle of no where! So with no truck living in the middle of no where I think he would go crazy. So he bought a new one.
A new truck is no easy decision. He was stressed. I was stressed. My husband was stressed. It all worked out in the end. His truck is lovely. He left in a whirl wind. Now all we have to do is get him closer to home.

When he left, I felt sick.
It never gets any easier when they leave. Have you ever had a lump in your throat so big that burns you, it threatens to suffocate you. Oh my God I was sad. It is so hard to let them go.
I worried about them driving, I worried about the wildlife, I worry this is not his dream job, I pray, I pray with all my heart my kids will stay away from alcohol and drugs.  I worry so much for my kids
Yet I am happy, very happy for him, for all of them. They will be okay. They will be okay because we have raised them well, we have taught them well. My husband and I are very lucky because our kids take the time to phone every day sometimes many, many phone calls. They tell us their stories. They ass us our opinion. They tell us their dreams, their hurts. We are truly blessed.

And, you can imagine with six children I worry a lot.

I have four children still living at home. Four very loud, happy, full of it children. They have been full of piss and vinegar all summer. They have been so happy, so very happy they do not have to got to school. I over heard them talking. "Can you believe it we don't have to go to school" Ahh so very , very happy.
Here's to the rest of a wonderful summer. A summer where there has been no warmth every where in Canada it is hot, burning up except BC.

We have been spending the last couple of days cleaning and sorting.

Baby Chicks

Much needed water.

A fun day today.
A bit of a sleep in.
A six am phone call visit from my daughter.
 A grumbly sky. A bit of rain.
 A nice dinner with family.
 My oldest son and his girlfriend's last day to visit.
Tomorrow I hope to be creative. If it is sunny I hope to harvest more lavender
Have a wonderful Sunday evening. Pleasant dreams

Sweet dreams
Good night

Waiting for company

Banana chocolate chip muffins

Banana Bread Muffins

1/2 cup soft margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk
1 cup mashed bananas
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
Chocolate chips or walnuts or raisins  (optional)

Mix all together will have a few lumps in batter from bananas.
Put into greased or lined muffins tins
 Bake at 350 until golden brown.

Coming down our front steps

Not too sure what I accomplished today. Chores done, books done, dish washer done twice, and the fun part was I made beautiful Lavender lip balm.
I gave one to my Mom to try so I will get the feed back from her.
I seem to be dragging myself today.
 I am so tired I don't know what to do.
 My husband has very, very bad allergies and he coughed allllllllll night.
 Then flew out of bed a hundred miles an hour because he could not breath.
 It went on and on and on and on and on...
Gosh I hope I sleep tonight or I hope he sleeps tonight.

This is a test to see if this shows up on my blog from my iPad.
Wonderful surprise tonight My oldest son and his girlfriend surprised us and showed up tonight Yeah so happy

Sweet Dreams

Last night I did not sleep all that well. Restless I kept waking up not full awake wide awake just enough to say darn it go to sleep and is it morning yet.
 Have you ever felt someone in your room?
 Some may say it is crazy or Yup I am nuts...well for whatever reason it happens to me.
 Last night I woke up to a having a white figure next me, no face or actual body but a nice white soft image fairly tall. The person, angel was not scary not mean feeling but calm and just there standing right beside me while I slept. I never thought to look over at my husband to see if he had an angel...All I thought was Wooo had a good look and thought it was okay. However I was restless the rest of the night but not scared. Make sense
I thought about all morning it makes me smile.
 Then my middle daughter has to be up by six am. So up she got. When she came out she was tired, even though she just bought a new bed and slept very nice.She said to me "Ahh Mom I can't sleep there was someone in my room last night.Sitting on my laundry pile watching me." "I thought it was Sam"
I never mentioned my night to her or to my other kids. They would all end up in my bed and none of us would sleep
So that was our eventful night.

I hope the Sunshine's today. Chilly morning here not even five above this early morning. If and when it does look beautiful today I am off to plant some Lavender. I have so many projects roaming around my head, hard to figure out which one to do first. I wish I could  hire someone to build for me...I have so many dreams and plans.
Yesterday we went off to kamloops two of my girls went to a movie. While they watched their show I hung out at Chapters I am sure they thought I was casing the place. I hate looking around in a store when all they do is think your going to steal. Sad isn't it how are world has become so harsh. I even changed my  purse before I left to a smaller one. However how they think you are going to get a book out of the store is beyond me. Still had fun. I had three books I was looking for they did not carry one of them. Sigh I had such good hopes of reading them.
Well off to start the day. Have a very nice Sunday

I have the most Beautiful job in the world...farming

What a full wonderful day yesterday.

The day started shiny, bright with the sun on my face through the bedroom window. I truly have the most amazing bed. It is one my husband made for us with gorgeous batten burg top edging, amazing cotton sheet and the most incredible duvet.
There is a very soft fountain just moving enough water to sigh not keep you up like you are next to a river.

 There are memories from all my trips with my Mom.

 Lavender, beautiful lavender in bunches in a frame and Lavender linen sprayed daily on our sheets and duvet.
Amazing crystals, shells
Oh and my husbands of hats, he quite likes his hats. I try to nicely pile them for him:). Thank goodness he is not a decorator.
I don't think he minds our room because it is peaceful.
Something funny when he was falling asleep last week he knocked the flowers on the bed frame near our heads.
Then I heard him say "Damn it is hard to be a Princess"! :)
It really has the most wonderful feeling

In our room you feel like you are waking up in Europe.

Today you should all clean your room, make it feel wonderful. Change your sheets, open your windows. Make it your style. Make it so you sleep like a Princess.
I am sure a lot of you do not have a husband as easy going as me so make it work for both of you.
Then when you wake up tomorrow morning even better on a wonderful Sunday.
 Smile it will so be worth it.

Summer time is a time full on Inspiration. I try to fit a bit of time for Creating. The Antique lamp is Kerosene that was from our old homestead ranch. The lamp is now electric and hangs in my French Provence inspired office.
The basket is made out of a collection of Standing Willows, May tree. Grape Vine, Virgina Creeper and Lavender. This is the first time I have put a handle on one.

Quite a few years ago my friend Nickie taught me to make baskets. This friend always has a creative moment and never fails to teach me. This is also the friend who has the most amazing sewing machine who does sewing for my Lavender web site.  That in turn set me out to plant willow trees.

 Another friend Irene found some standard willows from her friends house and marched down the road dragging these long, long willow clippings. Then phoned me up to tell me she found some willows. All I could do was laugh when I realized how big they were. She was awesome.
 Too funny really some wonderful memories

So because of these people, these friends both of who I do not see often have made my life have some great creative memories. Even though at the time they were a just day. It really is amazing how something someone affects your life. Look around today what will Inspire you? What will help you be Creative!
 Who will change a moment in your life for the better.
All of these memories, stories were reminded over coffee with my Mom and Dad this morning.

Go back in time with a bit of a modern tweek

This guy is Old, old, old old very, very old. His name is Piggy, pig or piglet. Every morning is a wonder he is still with us. Yesterday we were talking over coffee and my Mom siad he is a routine ritual. Every morning I am off to check piggy.
He won't let you cuddle him or even that close to him. He does love his littel purple house that is full of hay. He waits every morning at his food dish and loves to leave grain in his water dish. I am pretty sure the grain in the water dish is he is just too old to chew it all. Or he is just idle and lazy to care.

Have you ever just STOPPED?
Stopped what you are doing. Listened. Looked around.
There is beauty all around us, Everywhere
Our world amidst it's harshness is beautiful.
The water a waterfall, a lake the ocean can actually stop you and take your breath away.
Today Stop, quiet, look around.
 Feel the earth.
 Feel the beauty.
 Feel the miracle of today.
Look into the wonderful sky
. Is it blue? Is it full of colour?
 Is it washed with white cloud.
 Or is the sky grumbling with so much to say. So intense. It is all beautiful.
While I go about my day today. Waiting for kids to phone. Waiting for kids to travel safe. I am going to stop and enjoy a moment with today.

Our friends who like to visit us