The Little Things That Make Me Happy - Day 5

"Farm livin' is the life for me...."  

Cutting hay on a sunny day.  Thanks Al!

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

The Little Things That Make Me Happy - Day 4

I'm a day behind...but, our apple trees make me happy.  We should have a good year.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.

Little Things That Make Me Happy - Day 3

The barn cats.  

Sabastian is the black one.  I love his furry ears....take a closer look at the first pictue....

Sally is on the table, she saw my eating breakfast out there and want to join me.....

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Little Things That Make Me Happy - Day 2

Eating breakfast outside - day 2 of the little things that make me happy.  Especially this morning, it is beautiful!  Mindful eating and listening to the sounds of summer.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

A Week of Things that Make Me Happy

I'm taking the lead of my blogging friend Sharon at https://mynewuneventfullife.blogspot.com/ and doing a week of these posts.  First, foremost, my family makes me happy, but these posts are about the "little" things that make us happy.  Go over and check out her list too.  She grew up in Ispwich, England and now lives in Michigan.  She is an amazing photographer as well.  Anyway, these posts are her idea...I just happen to love it too.

Early in the spring, long before I started planting my garden there was a lone onion coming up.  It was in the raised bed I had my onion patch in the year before, so I just let it grow.  Now it has gone to seed and made this beautiful flower head.  I hope to catch some of the seeds for an experiment in planting.  I also had several tomato plants that came up this same way.  These are called volunteers.  These must be of the hardy variety as we have such cold winters here in Wisconsin and for them to lay as seed in the dirt and then come up...that makes me happy.  

I do a lot of volunteering, I have my whole life.  It's in the genes and I've had wonderful, giving maternal mentors.   Anyway, that term vounteer had my thinking about that.  Be a plant, flower that produces good things or works and so that your seeds may produce little volunteers.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

In the Good Ol' Summertime - Cozy Cottage

This is the fictional story that follows along with this month's VIRTUAL pop up, "In the Good Ol' Summertime."  

Link HERE:  

https://www.facebook.com/events/2758757087563380/

Margarite just loved the little house, really a cottage, in Three Lakes, Wisconsin where she has been house sitting for 6 relaxing weeks.  She wanted to leave it, better than she found it, for Vivian's return.  She went over every inch of every room, "well, little cottage, you're spick and span clean."  She admired Vivian's style, the mix of old pieces with the new, it was so cozy.  "When I return to Chicago, I'm going to look around at the antique and thrift shops and redecorate my apartment." she thought.  

This experience really ignited her creativity on so many levels.  She left Tinley Park back in June thinking she knew who she was and what she wanted.  She wrote and is working on a children's book, not the novel she envisioned.  She spent time doing the hobbies she thought she never had time for.  She made new friends and neighbors, that now feel like family.   "I am ready to go back home, a new Maragarite," she told herself.  "I have a few more weeks before school starts, I will make my surroundings as inviting as this little cottage."  "Margarite," she said, "you, will return to this little town again, it is now my second home."  

The items in this staged vignette (Vivian's cottage) will be for sale tonight in the VIRTUAL Event (link above).  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  Where my seasonal shop is located on our hobby farm.  Follow along next month when Maragite returns to Tinley Park, Chicago area, as she redecorates her tiny apartment and prepares to return to teaching high school English.  

In the Good Ol' Summertime - R & R

This is the fictional story that follows along with this month's VIRTUAL pop up, "In the Good Ol' Summertime."  

Link HERE:  

https://www.facebook.com/events/2758757087563380/

The summer days in Three Lakes were just glorious.  "Six weeks of rest and relaxation, just what the doctor ordered," Margarite told herself.  The tiny town was bustling with tourists.  She walked nearly every day through the main street, up and around the center of town and back past the lake.  The "locals" were so friendly and helpful.  "Well, you must be Margarite, Vivian mentioned she had a house sitter for the summer."  After a few days of walking and talking, she bagan to feel a part of this little community.  "Good morning, Margarite, it's going to be a hot one today."  She hardly knew any of her neighbors in the apartment complex.  Everyone kept to their own business and rarely spoke to her.  "Now, if you want to go fishing, I'll share with you my secret spot," the shop keeper told her as she picked up a few staples.   "Oh, that sounds fun, but I've never been fishing."  Margarite hated to admit.  "Well, then we have to go" he said.  "You two go fishing and I'll prepare them for supper," his wife added.  They were a cute elderly couple.  "Oh, it will be nice to cook for someone again," she added.  "Since our children married and moved away, we've been missing visiting with the younger generation.  Isn't that right Henry?" She called to him, but he was already digging in the fishing tackle.  "It'll be nice for him to go fishing with someone too."  Henry looked up "come on back around 3:30 and we'll go," he told Maragite.  She took her groceries and headed back to the house.  

Margarite made sure to enjoy every sunny day sitting outside and working on her favorite hobbies.  "I never seem to have time to do the things I enjoy" she thought to herself.   Writing was just one of her many talents.  "My creativity is in full bloom, just like the many beautiful flowers this time of year."  Margarite was going to miss that the most.  She had a few plants in her tiny apartment, but Vivian's cottage gardens were so lovely.  "One day, when I have my own house," she said, "I will plant lovely roses and hollihocks."  "There is so much beauty here, how could I not be inspired to create."  She picked up her sewing box, kicked off her sandles and she slid comfortably in to the painted chair.  As she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, she thought of just how blessed she was to be able to spend time up north.   

"I've been so productive these past few weeks, I have accomplished almost everything on my list."  Margarite always made lists, she loved crossing things off, it must be the teacher in her.  "And, later today, I can cross off, fishing."  She was almost too excited to work on her project.  "Maybe a nap first."  

Follow along this month and maybe next, with Margarite's story.  All the items in the photos and more will be featured for sale in the event (link above).  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

The Great Novel - Margarite's Story

This is the fictional story that follows along with this month's VIRTUAL pop up, "In the Good Ol' Summertime."  

Link HERE:

 https://www.facebook.com/events/2758757087563380/

Margarite wasted no time in starting off her vaction connecting with herself.  "I spend my whole day, cooped up in school or an apartment.  I want to get my inpiration from nature."  So, she looked around the tiny little house for something to use as a desk to put her trusty old typewriter on.  She found an old, but sturdy washstand on the porch.  She carried that out into the yard, near the garden shed.  She found a radio too and made herself a little work area.  She always considered herself a novelist, she loved the classics.  Her vocabulary was immense and her grammar impeccable.  Those talents and skills, were not enough to get her over this writer's block.  As she sat there, pondering the perfect words, she noticed a tiny chipmunk running across the garden.  The cute little thing, was gathering seeds from the trees and field and taking them under the garden shed.  "Oh, no" she thought, "I should really do something to stop him from making a winter home."  However, the little guy was so fun to watch that she quickly became distracted from her writing.  "Oh, well, this is just day 1 of many lovely days to write," so she left her writing and decided to look in the garden.  "Maybe, if I bring myself a bouquet of flowers, I will be inspired to write" she told herself.  However, the flowers, garden and chipmunk captured her attention more.  

As day 2 grew into 10, she realized she was taking part in working in nature rather than on novel.  She enjoyed getting her hands dirty pulling weeds and tending the few plants Vivian started before she left for California.  As she worked, the little chipmunk was just as busy.  "You are the cutest little thing," Maragite told the little chippy, "I'm going to call you, Timmy."  She watched Timmy's antics for hours.  "Now, I must get back to my novel" she told herself.  Her heart just wasn't into it.  "Margarite, you are a high school English teacher, you wanted to write the great novel this summer, now get typing" she told herself.  As she sat and started to type, she found herself writing about Timmy.  Oh she would laugh out loud as she humanized every little detail of the chipmunk's day.  As day 15 came around she had completed a little book, not the great novel she was planning, but, a book, "Timmy of Three Lakes."  

"My plans were to write about far away lands, love, romance, prince charming or a hero.  Instead, I write about a chipmunk named Timmy of Three Lakes."  Her finger on keys could hardly keep up with the thoughts in her head.  The story was fluid and flowing over pages of pages.  A book about tiny unsung hero and a far away place called Three Lakes.  Each day was full of writing, illustrating and creating her "great novel," and it was wonderful.  

Follow along as we learn more of Margarite in the "Good Ol' Summertime."

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Farmhouse Friday - Painting Furniture

 

Good Farmhouse Friday Morning.  This week, Shannon and I got back to painting furniture.  I have several events in the next 2 weeks.  She cleans, peps, primes and then I do "seconds," stain and wax.  It was a productive 2 days.  

Also, on Monday, I picked up some items I bought from a client.  Several of them are already cleaned, sanded and ready to paint.  It is supposed to be super HOT and HUMID so, I will be doing that in the house.  I also SOLD some of the items I didn't want to put they time in on at my "DeStash Dash" Tuesday sales.

Our garden is ... ughh ... overwhelming for me to find the time to put into it this year with my cleaning out my stash.  I can't do it all.  So, Al has been taking care of the garden and most of it looks great!  Not the pumpkins and squash (that was my part).

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Any fun things planned?  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Meet Margarite - In the Good Ol' Summertime

This is the fictional story that follows along with this month's VIRTUAL pop up, "In the Good Ol' Summertime."  Link HERE: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/2758757087563380/

Margarite, was an English teacher at Tinley Park High School, Chicago, IL.  With the first year of teaching under her belt, she was thinking about her plans for the summer.  She heard several other teachers talking about going "up north" in the woods of Wisconsin for vacation.  This sounded intriguing so, she took out a map and looked at the names of the tiny towns.  "Three Lakes," that sounds inviting she thought.  The map showed much more than just 3 lakes, it looked like a wonderful spot to explore and relax.  

Margarite wrote to the Chamber of Commerce asking for vaction information and lodging.  Well, it just so happened, that Vivian, the chamber's secretary was the one to open the letter.  Vivian was looking for someone to "house sit" while she and her husband visited family in California.  Vivian's husband was also a teacher and had the summer off.  Vivian called Margarite, she wanted to talk with her before she offered her home as a lodging option.  The two made an instant connection and were so happy that they found each other.  It will be a perfect arrangement for both.  "If you could come up on June 14, we would have time to visit and show you around before we leave" Vivian told Margarite.  That was it, plans were made.  "I'm house sitting for the summer" Vivian thought, "it was too good to be true."  

"Margarite, what are your plans for the summer?" several of the other teachers asked.  "I'm house sitting in Three Lakes, Wisconsin." Margarite said and she proceeded to tell of her plans. "Well, that sounds wonderful!"   She had to admit, she felt some of them were a bit envious of the arrangements she had with Vivian.  Afterall, not everyone who goes on vacation, does so with free room and board.  Margarite was looking forward to reconnecting with herself through her art, writing and books.  

Margarite lived in an apartment, one of 24 in that building, on the second floor.  Often times she felt the walls of this tiny space closing in on her and her creativity.  Having a whole house to herself in the northwood of Wisconsin, sounded like a dream.  She packed her trusty old typewritter, "this English teacher, has a story or two to write, now I have the time and space to let my thoughts go wild," she promised herself she would make the most of the time she had, focusing on the things she enjoyed.

With the car loaded and map on the seat, Margarite was ready to leave.  As she drove away she looked in the rearview mirror "Good bye for now, tiny apartment, I will see you again in 6 weeks.  Let my adventure begin." 

Follow along with Margarite's story over the next week as we plan and stage our Virtural Pop Up Sale.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Motivational Monday - "I'm Doin' It"

"I'm doin' it" yells my little grand from the bathroom as I went to get another pair of "big girl" panties.  "Look, Gab Bird!" "Yay!  You did it!" I said.  

Potty training is a process.  Cleaning a hoarded mess is a process.  Losing weight is a process.  Fill in the blank...is a process.  One thing that motivates us, true in many studies that have been done, is to speak positvity to ourselves and reward with praise.   

This potty training example and our telling her, "you can do it, good job, yay!" and of course, a treat (wink, wink - treats motivate me...) I've seen work these past few weeks.  

I caught myself saying "I'm doin' it!"  I haven't mentioned it, because I usually fail, but I've been doing Noom.  I'm down 15 pounds.  I wanted to get below this certain number for a decade and Saturday it happened.  "I'm doin' it!" I yelled to Al.  I've also been working pretty much daily on my "destashing" of my hoarded inventory and actually selling most of it.  I even dug out some "better" specialized items and sold them to a guy who will create really cool art with some of it, the rest he may ebay, but I don't care, "I'm doin' it!" I said to my daughters.  The compliments and praises really do motivate.

Don't get me wrong here, I am a positive person anyway, but truthfully I was at a VERY low place at the end of 2019 and then the Covid!  I just couldn't stay there, I had to move ahead.  I didn't know where to begin, I just put my faith in the process and took one step at a time, "I'm doin' it!"  Even when I didn't hear the praises, I said them to myself.  "You can do it!"  

So, I guess today, if you are sitting thinking, "where do I begin?" or "I can't even!" speak positivity to yourself.  "You can do it!" take one step at a time.  Just start....I know, I hated it when people would say that to me!...but, it is true.  I'm not saying it, I'm living it.  Start small, build a foundation to work from.  Keep building yourself up, one brick at a time.  If I can do this, especially from the low spot I was in, you CAN too!   I was ready to work on "me" and it's a process.....

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Farmhouse Friday - Sweatin' it Out

Good Farmhouse Friday Morning!

Want to know what is worst than this heat and humidity?  This heat and humidity and having hot flashes!  LOL but true!  This past week has been horrible for me with those!  I know I'm not the only woman to suffer...but, I'm hot like an oven!  Then multiply that on to, July is my month to "DeStash" my "stash".... so, think of that in a metal pole building....ya, I was baking!  So, I was happy to dance in the rain when a storm rolled in.  I sent a video to my little "grand" she like it when I do silly things...which is pretty much all the time!  LOL

It was windy!  

I have to thank my friend Michelle for encouraging me to do LIVE on facebook.  Like I said, I have a Wisconsin accent,  "old" sounding voice, I say stupid things, cough all the time and did tell you, the roosters follow me...ya, in the middle of my LIVE "DeStash Dash" sales....crowing!  Help.  I'm such a professional....ahahah!  This is what I've been doing, making up box lots $3, $5, $10 kind of thing.  I have to tell you, people must not care about all that I just said, because I have been selling and I like doing it this way!

I have a "thing" for old paper.  I have boxes of it.  So I started with a few tubs of these.  $3 a pile.  I didn't know if any one would "get this" but, I only had to recyle 2 lots.  I did not let myself bring them back into a building.  I stage the LIVE under the barn lean.  My goal is, if it gets out there, it can NOT come back to either of my buildings (15'x60' and 54'x60')...ya, I'd love to do my LIVE in one of those, but unfortunately, I hardly can open the doors.  This is why the "DeStash Dash."  

The flowers have been so fragrant this week in the heat.  The air is heavy with it.  My favorite flower smell is milkweed - it's intoxicating!  I know it's a weed, but I don't let Al cut them down, the Monarch need them.  

These are from my mom's garden, which orginally came from my sister Bonnie's garden from 1970's when she lived out here in Ringle.  I call them Mallow, but not sure of their true name.

This heat has caused my herbs to "bolt" I did harvest some mint, clover, oregeno and bundled to dry.  I have so much, that I put some in the chicken coop.  They nibbled on it, but I think it's helping coop not so be so stinky and there aren't too many flies in there?  Maybe I'm on to something...

That is bee balm, I love it.  Oh, and speaking of bees, our honey guy (he is a honey too!) added at least a dozen more boxes to our frames this week.  The honey bees have been busy.  Our white clover is prolific and should make for some sweet honey!

I've been trying to bring in a bouquet of field and yard flowers each week.  It just makes me happy.

I can't tell you how many steps I've been getting in.  Thousands over an average day.  However, I did fill my van with items that did not sell and drove them to our "scrap and burn" piles.  However, this picture sums up my week...."my arse is draggin'."  

This weekend we will be helping Jon and Anna butcher chickens.  Well, there really is no "we" in it...I'm more the supervisor...ahahha!  I don't like to kill things.  I hope you all have fun plans for the weekend.  

Blessing from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Chicken Games

I have no idea why the chickens - especially the roosters - love to hop in and scratch around in this wash tub/planter!

This picture shows exactly what they do.  The little black rooster just hopped out, the tan one just hopped in and the other fuzzy black rooster is waiting in line for his turn.  It's crazy!

Now it's his turn.  This wash tub has a plant I bought from the DCE dance team fund raiser.  It was a beautiful pink, wave petunia.

Now it looks like this....

They scratched off every single leaf and flower.  It puzzles me why they did this, this year.  I don't usually put petunias in these, maybe it was that.  I don't know, but this year all my chicken have been destructive.  They have pecked and scratched nearly every thing I've planted.  The hens even dug up my seeds in the garden.  I've replanted some things 2 times.  I like them to free range, because they do eat their weight in bugs and ticks.  Oh well, I'll plant some lettuce, spinach and peas again, when it gets cooler.

I will try mums in these in the fall.  For now, I'm leaving it alone and now, apparently so are the roosters!  Thanks boys!

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Motivational Monday - Realism

Disclaimer, this post may not be for all.  If your core believes are not found in scripture, then you may not want to read this one.  Thanks for checking in and maybe the next post will be one of interest to you.  

Realism is:  the quality or fact of presenting a person, thing or situation accurately or in a way that is true to life.  

At our Thursday night Bible study, our pastor said something that I want to make a Motivational Monday post about.  He asked the question, are you a pessimist or an optimist?  As he went on with the study, he talked about being a realist.  That right there was where this motivational post comes from.

It had my thinking, is your "realism in the WORLD" or is your "realism in the WORD?"  

Another piece of "fake news" spoon fed us as children is this one:  "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never harm me."  Names will never harm me?  Names ALWAYS harm us.  What people say of us is more powerful than what we say about ourselves.  If this is not true of you, read no further...you don't need motivating.  Good for you!  

For me, many issues of my self-worth, unfortunately have roots in the world.  The media, celebrities, trends and seemingly never ending barrage of "what a woman should, (fill in the blank).   It was easier to think of the ways in which I failed in comparision to all that.  In fact, starting in June, I've done waaaayyyy less looking at others on social media and I'm much happier!

I actually have problems with "compare" or so my therapist told me.  It ruffled my feathers, so I asked her..."you don't stuggle with this?" (blank stare...more feathers ruffled...) then I added, "well, I think most women do."  To which she says, "but they don't have to."  Honestly, just typing this still ruffles my feathers - that's why I know it's a area of my life I need to work on.  I guess I should make another appointment.  Anyway, I've asked other women, given examples, "hey, if this happened would you feel this way or that way?"  All I will say is that I'm not alone!  

The "world" has one view of the perfect (yet again, fill in the blank) and guess what?  God has another.  As I have been thinking on this post, that right there "God has another" why, oh why, Dicky Bird do you not think to look in His WORD first.   Shame on you.  Get your realism out of the world and into the word.  

So, this Motivational Monday, I challenge you to dig into His Word and find your realism there.  Do a search on "what does scriptrue say you are?"  I could list scripture after scripture on most any area where I feel weak or inadequate.  Doing just that these past few days, really has made me feel so much better about me, what is expected of me, and it's making me want to be a better version of me.  Dicky Bird 54.0....I've revised myself so many times to fit what I thought I should be or do....so this version Dicky Bird 54.0....working on my Realism in the Word.  

 

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Farmhouse Friday - Independence Day

It's Farmhouse Friday....where did the week go?

The ConJUNKtion FUNKtion was a huge hit.  Even with social distancing, safer at home, we had a nice crowd.  There was a family feel to the whole day.  The customers who came, were very complimentary to both the event and Anna's food.  Her food was a hit!  I can't wait to see her plans for Stone Silo Farm and Bakery.  

Al was on vacation this week.  This has traditionally been our haying week, not this year, maybe in 2 weeks.  He replanted over half of the pasture last year, it's not doing as well as we hoped.  We are going to bale the other half and let the new stuff lay.  Hopefully self seeding to fill in the light spots.  Our neighbor is borrowing our hay wagons this week.  His grandson's do his field work now...we were tempted to "hire" them too (wink, wink).

We planted half of our garden this year in potatoes.  We have over 75 different varieties of plants that came up.  We've been picking the bugs by hand...yuk...they are ugly.  We gave up on the sweet corn...the deer and racoons....decimate it.   One of the problems of gardening near the woods.  This year, the deer walk through, but not one nibble on the potato plants.  My sunflowers, that's another story.  Yes, we've put up fences EVERY year...we deiced to give ourselves a break from that this year.  I'll buy the sweet corn from the "neighbor kids."

This is my summer to reduce inventory.  I am doing LIVE videos on Tuesday nights at 6 pm on Facebook.  July is "DeStash Dash" - it is like a dash too - it's been selling fast.  I had 48 lots this past Tuesday and sold 40 and divided 2 other lots.  I don't know if people understand how much inventory I have, I NEED to DeStash for sure!  After a day, I box/bag up each lot for the customer.  I was so pleased with the results!  Here are the SOLD lots lined up for pick up.  

As far as my business work this summer, I met with 2 new clients this week.  These will probably turn into virtural estate sales in the near future.   Just like the other 2 we did, before all the Covid 19.  

This weekend, July 4, Americans celebrate "independence day."  I'm thinking, in my 54 years, I've not seen our country more "dependent" than we are at this moment in time.  I see what is happening as signs, yep signs....this old world, not just us here in America...the world...is crazy.  I am more "dependent" on Jesus as each day goes on.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.