Overscheduled.

So... I have completely over scheduled myself for the last week in October.  It's no one's fault but my own.  I AM NOT A VICTIM! {She says with resounding strength!}  Instead of pulling up my boot straps and fulfilling my obligations, I chose to spend a bit of precious time on Facebook.  Honestly, I may spend 20 minutes a month on Facebook.  Is that bad?  Some would say yes.  But I {with resounding strength} say "NO".  It's okay to be different.  Really, it is.

During my 15 minutes of down time, I checked on my dear friend Lucy.  She just so happens to be my dear sister-in-law.  She's brilliant and has an incredible sense of humor.  {and, no, I'm not just writing that because she's reading this!}  Lucy posted this link:

http://www.grist.org/living/2011-06-28-the-medium-chill

You have got to read this entire post.  I think most of us can relate.  The comments about hoarding kind of slapped me in the face.  That's ok... the truth hurts.  But this guy is SPOT ON with the whole social group thing.  Now you're curious, aren't you?

Check it out!

Have a great non-keep-up-with-the-Jones' kinda day!

Becky

p.s. Thanks, Lucy. I needed that!

Farmer

My farmer...

"Out Standing In His Field"

I couldn't resist. 

 I think he just called me a dork.

Becky

Turkey Tree

I'm always looking for an excuse to decorate a "Christmas" tree.  During a recent mind numbing blog hopping hour or two I came across Sugar Pie Farmhouse.  She goes to incredible lengths for her fall decor.  Her "Save Your Fork" tree inspired me to do the same.

My tree is the top of a full size white tree that I bought "real cheap, Clark" from a floral shop.  It had been stored in the sun over the summer and turned the perfect ivory color...well, perfect for me...not so perfect for the shop owner.

We used the Cricut to cut out the tags and hung them with twine.  We pasted a few copies of old Thanksgiving postcards on to some of the tags.

The best part is the old tarnished silverware.  The forks and knives are tied on with scraps of muslin.

Lucky number 7.

Gotta love a turkey.  God giggled when he made these guys.

Found the box in the barn.  Sprayed it with a bleach and water combo.  Rinsed it with water and watched the yuk wash away.  No scrubbing needed.

I was inspired by Beyond the Screen Door when I made the table runner.  It's burlap with a fu-fu ruffle on both ends.

Sidebar:  Shortly after I took these photos the tree crashed to the ground.  I was mad.  It laid there for 2 days.  Then I said to myself, "Aunt Ruthie wouldn't leave her tree on the floor." 

I put on my big girl boots and reassembled the darn thing. 

Enjoying Fall-

Becky

Weaning

The cows came home...literally. 

 Mike brought all the pairs (the cows and their calves) home from their summer pastures this last week in anticipation of weaning.  

These old girls haven't had grain all summer.  It can get pretty rough at the feed bunk. 

The big white butt belongs to one of the bulls.  When his lady friends arrived back on the scene, he refused to stay where he's supposed to stay.  We gave up and he got his way.

"Has anyone seen my mom?"

I love #44.  Her white face makes me smile.  Isn't she pretty?

{Mike doesn't share the same love for her that I do.}

These wee ones look like they're hiding behind their mamas' skirts. 

Sweet babies.

It hasn't rained for many days and freshly weaned calves don't do well with dust.

We'll wait a few more days before we separate them from their mamas.

But eventually, the time will come and

with a few months and a whole lotta corn these little darlings ...

...will become something like this...

"I feel fat today.  I'm having a fat day.  Do I look fat to you?  I only had some corn for breakfast.  Then last night I had some corn for supper.  Oh yeah, and then for lunch yesterday - yup, corn again.  I can't help myself.  I feel so bloated."

Have you had your beef today?  I know it's hard when they're lookin' right at ya!

The farmer and the farmer's wife.

Becky

Supper

EVERY night at our house...

Kids:  "What's for dinner, Mom?"

Mom:  {Insert here ANY kind of supper-like menu that may provide one or two nutrients that doesn't include BEEF and involves a vegetable}

Kids' reaction...

Mom: "...or we could work on our chores all evening.  Maybe do some cleaning.  How about those flashcards?  We could fix fence for dad or clean out horse stalls. Wait! Wait! I've got an idea, you guys start planning meals and doing the grocery shopping."

Kids' reaction...

That's what I thought!

Shut it.

Good luck with supper.  I feel your pain.

Becky

The Halloween Mantel

So I drag all the boxes of Halloween Decor out of the storage closet in the basement on Thursday - that's the first step, ya know.  On Monday, #4 suggested that I might want to get something decorated and put things "back in their place".  I hate it when my own words come back to haunt me. 

{pun intended}

On Wednesday, we took action.

Instead of strewing it throughout our home, I/we decided to put most of the coolest stuff on the mantel in the basement...like a good blogger should do.  I always feel like a loser when I'm spending time perusing my favorite blogs and they are showing off their divinely decorated seasonal mantels and mine is empty, bare, deserted, lonely...you get the point.

{ Keep in mind - there is no natural light at 7:30 in the evening in the basement. My attempts at editing the yellow out were not good.  Forgive me.}

Here's what we did.

Old birdcage found in the dumpster after an auction...I have no pride.

Cool old mirror from my summer trip to Indy.

The makeshift shelf came from above a big window in an abandoned house...yes, I did ask if I could have it.

The hurricane is filled with skeleton parts from the dollar store.

The crows are from Jo-Ann Fabrics.

I love crows!  Does anyone else have this obsession with crows?

The signs came from the dollar store for. . . a dollar each.

The "mantel scarf" is black cheesecloth that the kids had fun ripping apart.

#4 decorated his room with orange lights.  He couldn't wait to show his roommate . . . #1.

Oh, and he was especially excited to see #1's reaction when he found the spider that he had hidden under his sheets.  Ahhh, the beauty of being the little brother.

Happy haunting-

Becky