Now that's a sandwich!

OK, this is the ultimate summer sandwich.  Its stick to the roof of your mouth, NOT whole wheat bread, running down your chin juiciness, healthy and bad for you all at the same time, goodness.

Gotta love a tomato that's so big, one slice covers the whole piece of bread!

We didn't grow this tomato, but it was locally grown.  Our tomatoes aren't as pretty, but every bit as delicious, if not more so!

Freezing Field Peas

Out in the country, here in the South, we love our peas.  Not the little green peas that come in cans, but peas that, after being cooked, turn brownish gray.

One of my brothers called me Saturday to see if I wanted a bushel of peas.  He had already picked them and would bring them to me.  I said yes, of course.  The only problem is that they would need to all be hand shelled because the automatic shellers could not shell wet peas.  Since, it has been raining for days around here, the automatic sheller was not an option.  I could have spread them out and let them dry, but it would have been too late in the day on a Saturday.  Besides hand shelling is free.

I figured with it being a rainy day, I could just stay inside, watch tv and shell the peas, taking my time, even if I ended up shelling some on Sunday.

I didn't realize that one of my thumbs would start hurting after one pan full was shelled.  I think its early arthritis.  Anyway, when my hubby got home from a full day of work, he went right to work and shelled all but the two pans I shelled.  I was so amazed and thankful!!!

I shelled the peas in the small bowl and he shelled the peas in the large one!  However, I did do the blanching and freezing of the peas.

I have been purging and organizing our chest freezer and maybe I can show you some pictures of the frozen peas and the freezer organization later this week.  I am planning for fall and winter soups!

Meanwhile, I've got to get to work!  Have a great Monday!

Updates from the farmhouse

Grandson #4 arrived on July 12, 2014!

That's my hubby's arm in the picture.  I recognize the NC State watch!

Grandson #5 will arrive in about a month.

Here are a few summer pictures:

I hope you are having a great summer.  We have had so much going on, with a wedding, a wedding shower, a baby shower and two new babies on the way, along with the normal summer activities! 

Some homemaking activities have also been going on.  I have been freezing tomatoes and peas in small batches.  A little here and there will come in handy for making vegetable soup this fall and winter.

I've been doing some yard work recently, including planting some zinnia seeds in pots.  If they come up, I can transplant them all over the yard.  Zinnias are very easily transplanted.  Just scoop up the baby zinnia with a spoon and carry it over to where you want it to grow.  It will never know it has been moved.  We've had a few "cooler than normal" days lately, so its been nice to get outside a little bit.

Well,there's just a little look into what's been going on around here.  Have a great day!

Baby Shower Highlights

Here are some pictures from the baby shower I helped give last weekend.  There were 50 to 60 people there! 

A Baby Shower For Baby Jake!

Here are a few decorations I have been working on for Baby Jake's baby shower which is tomorrow.  The colors for the shower are blue and green with a Monster's Inc. theme.

Here's a name banner I made with bows on each end and twirly ribbons hanging from the ceiling.  One of the food tables will be in front of these decorations.

A onesie and baby washcloth bouquet:

A four wheeler made from diapers, a sippy cup, baby dishwasher basket, baby socks, and bib:

Here are a couple of pictures showing the process for making the four wheeler.

The internet is such a wonderful resource for finding directions for all kinds of things.  Directions for all of these things can be found on You Tube and Pinterest.  I even learned to make the bows shown above.  Those are the first I've ever made!

Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own.....

How can it be that my first born is 34 years old? It happened while I wasn't looking. It reminds me of that old song: Turn around and you're tiny. Turn around and you're grown. Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own....

She was tiny.

A young wife with babes of her own.

Her youngest babe.

Her oldest babe.

Happy Birthday dear daughter!

Sunrise

The sun has been rising beautifully at the farmhouse.  Yes, lately I  have been outside at the moment the sun breaks the horizon, which happens at about 6:05 where I live.  I love getting up early.  This morning I first woke at 2:30.  I didn't really get up until about 5:00 though. :o)  The older I get, the earlier I rise.  When I retire, I expect to stay up later and maybe will be able to sleep later.  That's a few years away, so for now, early to bed and early to rise is the rule around here.

Here are some samples of the sunrises during the last two weeks.

The farmer left the tractor here overnight.  This year soybeans have been planted in our surrounding fields.

This grain bin is pretty far off in the distance, so I cropped the picture to show more detail.  I need a different lens to capture it better

Maybe I'll go out and get some pictures of sunsets soon.  There are trees between our house and the sunset, so I would need to walk down in the field behind our house to get the shot.

I can't help but think of what an awesome world our Lord has provided for us.  The list of amazing things could go on and on.  But, the sun is so beyond my understanding.  Without it we would die.  45 minutes before it rises, it starts to get light outside.  Once it breaks the horizon, it moves very quickly up into the sky. I am just in awe of it.  Need to learn more facts about this thing that we live with every day!

Monday Morning Joys

I am finding joy today:

 in new beginnings, even if it is just an ordinary Monday morning beginning, first work day of the week beginning...

For the Seniors' Devotional Bible that Hubby and I are reading together.  It was a gift I gave my Mama, but she preferred her old Bible that was well worn, full of newspaper clippings, pictures and church bulletins, and never used this one.... 

For decorating and quilting magazines that keep me inspired....

For this Mother's Day gift that I will work on at my leisure and then present back to my daughter as a gift to her, and the joy in realizing the cup on the front is the same pattern as the bowl that belonged to my Mama...

For the bowl and cookie jar that matches the cup in the above book, and for the Blue Willow cup I found in a thrift store to add to my collection that was started from the one platter that belonged to Mama.

For happy little boys... picking flowers in the "meadow"..

Running around the bend to see what's on the other side of those trees grandma!....

And laughing out loud with joy while sitting in the dappled sunlight on Mother's Day.

What are you finding joy in this Monday morning?

A Little Baby Sewing

I made this baby name banner for Grandson #5, due in late August.  I plan to use it at the baby shower and then Jake's parents can use it in his room, if they wish.

I'm not sure if anyone is interested in how I made it, but it was very easy to do.  I used Dollar Tree paper alphabet letters for tracing the letters, double sided fusible interfacing, a home made cardboard triangle shaped template and the applique (zigzag) stitch on my sewing machine. 

Here are a couple of Mother's Day pictures of two of the boys.

Dylan, Age 6 & 3/4ths

Eli age 10 months

We had a great Mother's Day, with simple foods, no restaurant crowds, and lots of love shared.