Right Now

Right now, I'm...

...stuffy, sniffling, and weary. There is a bug that's got a grip on 3/4 of us and it has worn out its welcome, let me tell you.
...alternating between chores and sitting still while sipping hot tea almost constantly, and appreciating the gray drizzly day that's keeping me from feeling guilty about taking it slow.
...wishing the chickens would make it easier on me when it comes to gathering eggs- those girls have decided that they'd rather lay their eggs anywhere but their nesting boxes, and I've had to climb up into their hen-house and hunt through the hay every day for almost a week now to find them all.
...feeling hopeful that there's a chance we'll turn the table on that invasive scrub that's been swallowing up our woods this upcoming weekend, which will be the last weekend we have our rented skid-steer miracle machine.
...beginning to flip through magazines and favorite cookbooks to plan what I'm going to bring to our Thanksgiving dinners next week... and bursting with love and pride as my sweet girl follows suit; she has declared that she too will be making and bringing a dish to contribute to our feasts. I could just about smile my face off right now. I can't wait to see what she's going to want to make.
...loving how my (little) big guy has taken to following me around and picking up on chores and such and diving right in to help and actually helping. I have Mama-doubt every day about almost everything I do, but there are days when it feels like I'm doing some of this stuff right, y'all.

Here's to getting something right every once-in-a-while. Happy Monday!

Plotting in the Woods

Now that we've completed the majority of the work with our backyard rock wall, we will turn our rented skid-steer on the invasive Chinese privet consuming our woods. It seems easy when you say it- We're going to clear out the privet in the woods. However a walk into the midst of the tangles and congestion makes it clear we'll need a strategy.

We took a little walk on the kinda-cleared paths to plot the demise of the rest of the bane scrub, and despite the depressing volume that is actually growing in- choking, really- our woods, we got to see the beauty worth fighting for, too...

Creeping cucumber!

Deer scat, so close to the house!

We will probably begin the process of digging up the giant privet clusters this coming weekend, and I'm betting that project will consume the rest of the time we have with the skid-steer. Hopefully, though, it'll lead to a plot of post-oak woods that are healthy and as a bonus we'll then be able to actually enjoy a walk through it.

Hopefully.

The Wall

Once upon a time, there was a family that lived on a piece of land that was very sloped and very full of rocks. The family noticed that every time it rained, water was directed right at their home, and every time it iced or snowed, they couldn't walk up the slippery slope and into the woods in their backyard. So they decided to rent a little skid-steer and do something about it.

First, they cut away the earth so there was a level place between their home and the beginning of the slope. They piled the dirt high as they dug away. The kids squealed with glee at the mounds they could now climb, and the Mama did mounds and mounds of sandy laundry.

Next, they gathered all the boulders from their land and took note of the ones that were too small, the ones that were too round, and the ones that were juuuuuuust right.

Then they called for help from the finest helpers in all the land, and the family began to build a wall.

After an entire weekend toiling in the mud and dirt, the family finally completed their wall. It was a strong, sturdy wall that would help direct the water away from their home, allow for level space that would be much easier to use, and would be safe for the kids to climb. They even built stairs so in the wintertime it would be easy to walk up the slope and into the woods.

There is still much work to be done around this new wall, but the hardest part is now finished thanks to the weather holding, the helpers that came and worked, and the little skid-steer that the Daddy drove like a pro.

The end.

A Fall Weekday, In Photos

Gratitude Challenge 2015

It's hard not to slip into some kind of daily gratitude meditation when November rolls around, isn't it? Or maybe that's just me? Well for a few years now, my fav guided meditation, so to speak, has been Positively Present's 30-Day Gratitude Challenge (see my past years' posts: 2014, 2013). 

I love how it makes me slow down every day, right as things start speeding up for the holidays, and look for the beauty in the little things. Some days those little things just jump right out at me, and other days a little nudge really helps.

I'm going to participate again this year, though I do it a little differently- instead of posting a photo every day for the month of November, I compile a months' worth of photos representing my daily observations of gratitude and come back to this space with one big post on the 30th. Care to join? Check out this year's prompts:

Feel inspired? Try keeping up! We're already a few days in, but it's not too late! Then check back here on the 30th to link what you've compiled and see what I've come up with! Or just have a glance throughout the month and pause to dwell in gratitude privately. The point is just to feel thankful and stay in the moment.

So, think you'll try it?

A Halloween Peek

In doing a little digging in our backyard early in the weekend, the hubs accidentally severed our internet cable. Because of said severing, there was no 'Weekending' post to be had for a little peek at our Halloween celebrations... so here it is now, on November 3rd. A couple moments from our Halloween.

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Working on a Plan

It's almost time for my old garden to come down and the construction process for the new garden to begin. I've had a mental block keeping me from planning the size, layout, and composition of this new garden... I'm sure the block is the emotional attachment to the old garden and the dread of tearing it up.

It will happen, though, and soon.

It's time to start working on a plan.

So... I'm googling raised garden beds. I've got to start somewhere, right?

Photo credit

I'm feeling drawn to the idea of having tall raised beds topped with fencing (or removable fence panels?) instead of a ground-level garden surrounded by fence like before.

I can't remember where I pulled this photo from- anyone know the source? Let me know!

I like how raised beds look grouped together but individually complete. If I space them far enough apart, I could even get the hubs to mow around them and I wouldn't have to fight the weeds in the pathways! I just need to focus on the best way to keep the rabbits out, and the rest will fall in to place.

Photo credit

Photo credit

Photo credit

So anyway, here's where my inspiration has taken me so far. Maaaayyybe I'm a little excited about this process after all.