Farm Friday

Saturday and Sunday provided nothing but rain and wind chill, some more rain and even more wind chill. So Monday morning we found slushy snow and some ice. My boss informed me not to come in to work so I was pleased to have the day off with hubby. Then Tuesday became very icy since the snow froze over the night.

I realized that I gave Misty her last flake of hay for breakfast Tuesday morning so I had to buck up and slowly...ever so slowly drive to the supply store. Thankfully the store is a short drive away and not clear across town.

I came to the conclusion on the drive that this will be one of many scary trips because of my babies. There will be more critters, which also means, more reasons to 'brave the storm' for them. My babies depend on me to provide food and water for them. It would be the same concept as being a mother and having absolutely nothing in the fridge or pantry for your kids and you're stuck at home because of a storm or something. You do what you have to do.

So when I'm coming around the icy corners and drifting like a drag racer I just pray to the good Lord and remind myself why I'm doing it.

UPDATE: It's Friday and snowing. I mean a snow storm. I ended up going to work to wrap things up for the week and we might end up shutting down before noon. I might go get another bale of hay for good measure since we're supposed to get rain for the next four days. 

But on a good note, the chicks are growing! My husband refilled the feeder two days ago and had to refill it again last night. Their tail feathers and popping out a little and little feathers are growing on their shoulders and back...sooo cute! Once I have a chance I'll post a photo of what they look like right now. Unfortunately I didn't take a good photo when we first got them but I, at least, can tell they're growing up. I'm a proud mommy!

Written Word Wednesday

As I predicted something major happened when I had the chance to finish The Snow Child. There was a sad ending but I was very pleased with the story. I will definitely have to add it to my library.

So since I'm in between novels I'm posting a quote that I found on Tumblr that I love so much!



"When I go into the garden with a spade and dig a bed I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands.”   - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Marriage Monday

Since we both don't have to work today because of the icy weather Jared and I are spending the day hanging out together and relaxing. Since I was helping with the rodeo all weekend and he was busy with projects that needed to be done we weren't able to spend time/see each other all weekend.

So for our day off we'll mostly be spending it on watching our favorite shows and/or playing games.


For those of you who are in the DFW area, stay warm and be careful if you have to be on the roads!

Foodie Friday

I know it's Monday but I was given the day off from work because of the snowy-icy weather we got overnight. So I figured I would catch up with Friday's and today's posts.

So I promised you a post about what Jared and I had for Valentine's Day. We decided on Kona Grill on W 7th street. They are mostly known for their sushi selections.

We decided to share the sushi platter which included an Asian salad, a California roll, and a couple of sushi bites. Jared and I shared the salad while he had the California roll and I ate the other pieces.

 (I forgot to take a photo before so that's why there's one piece from the roll and the sushi missing)

 

I was proud of Jared for trying the California roll because he does not like seafood or sushi. I figured he would like the California roll because you can barely taste the crab meat from the rest of the ingredients. It was definitely a good choice for him.

I was still hungry so I ordered the coconut shrimp roll. This blew my mind! I fell in love from the first bite.

(again, I forgot to take a photo before taking the first bite)

The shrimp tempura and the macadamia nuts gave each bite a nice crunch and the coconut rice and mango slices made it sweet. Dipping it in the soy sauce or adding a sliver of wasabi gave it a nice balance of sweet and salty. My favorite! It looked beautiful. It tasted amazing. I was very pleased with it and will be back at Kona for a lunch some time.

Overall the meal was perfect for our date. I'm hoping we'll be back for another date.

Written Word Wednesday

A new excerpt from The Snow Child. 

"By the time night fell, Mabel was numb with fatigue. she had never understood how Jack could fall asleep in a chair without washing up, talking to her about his day, or even removing his filthy boots. Now she knew. Yet for all the sore muscles and monotony, the days of working in the fields filled her with a kind of pride she had never known. She no longer saw the cabin as rough, but was grateful at the end of the day for warm food and a bedroll on which to collapse. She didn't notice if the dishes went unwashed for the floor unswept...

It was time, yet Mabel dreaded it. Jack was a different man, unsteady and unsure. She could not forget how, during the worst of it, he had cried and begged her to leave him. And then, while he hobbled about, she had gone into the fields and worked with a new strength and surety. With Esther and Garrett gone, she and Jack would once again share a bed, and she wondered if it would be like sleeping with a stranger. Jack looked at her sadly, as if he could read her thoughts..."

I'm 2/3 done and I need to finish by Friday...and it's Wednesday. It's getting really good where I'm at and I feel like something climatic is about to happen. You know when you are reading and you think "ok, all is well, all the characters are doing fine" BUT at the back of your mind you know. You KNOW something is about to happen. You just have that feeling. Ugh, I want to get to it already! Book worm probs....

Marriage Monday

This weekend was one of my best weekends in a long time. Jared and I had our Valentine's date on Friday to beat the crowd. We got smart and made reservations early at a restaurant we wanted to try out. I was craving for sushi and I was told Kona grill had good quality sushi and they had other options for hubby.

That meal was one of my best I had in a long time. I'll be sharing my food experience Friday. After dinner we went to the movies to see Kingsmen. That was a good, entertaining movie.  It was such a great date.

Saturday, Jared took me to Lowe's to get my seeds and other things we needed to fix up the yard. Since we expanded our fence we have a few bald spots where grass didn't grow. So we took advantage of the large poop pile from the horse and used that with grass seed. I'm so glad we were able to utilize the manure for that and for my garden.

Then on Sunday, we finished off what was left for the grass and garden project and trying to beat the rain we were supposed to have. Strangely the rain never came so we figured we get other chores done like laundry and cleaning out our cars. Mine needed to be cleaned out bad between the hay and the trash.

Overall, I'm exhausted. My arms, stomach, and back are sore. I've got blisters. But I had a great time working with Jared. I am starting to enjoy yard work or any kind of work with my husband more and more. It was a very satisfying weekend, knowing that we're getting projects done and soon we'll be able to enjoy the bounty from the garden.

I'm so thankful for such an amazing and hardworking life partner that is my husband. Thank you superman for being the best you can be for me. I can't imagine my life without you in it.

Farm Friday

After working/finishing the bathroom project we started a yard project to take advantage of the warm weather. We have marked out/staked where the garden is going to be placed and started expanding the fencing so that the garden is protected inside it. We are 3/4 done with the fencing. Jared and I have been doing it alone and even though it has been a struggle (with his broken arm and my inexperience) it has been...well...fun. I've never done any yard/lawn work that involved digging or setting up fences before. At the end of the day I'm tired and sore all over, but at the same time, I've never slept better. I'll lay my head on the pillow and in a blink of an eye I'm out. I'm actually enjoying working with Jared. 

We still have more to do and we plan on finishing up this weekend so we can get the garden started. For Valentine's Day he's taking me to get seeds and the supplies for whatever we have left for the yard. I'm excited!

I'm sure I'm late on starting seeds but the weather has been fluctuating and I didn't want to risk killing the plants when they barely start to grow. The weather has been doing better and becoming constant so we're going to start this weekend. 

Wish me luck! 

"Written Word" Wednesday: The Snow Child

This week I am reading The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. I've looked for this book three times at the library and every time it was checked out. So I ended up putting a hold on it the next time it was returned and a few days later I was finally able to get my hands on it.

The story follows a couple in their 50s who decided to move to Alaska. They are struggling in their marriage because they weren't able to have kids. But one night they decided to make a 'snow child'. The following morning the snow child was gone and now a little girl and a fox are running around the woods and near the homestead.

The pace is steady and has me eating it up. I love the characters so far and there are questions that I'm hoping will be answered soon. With me starting to work I haven't had much time to spend on reading it. But I imagine that I can have it done over a weekend.

Here is an excerpt:

Without another man to help him lower it slowly, Jack shoved the tarp-wrapped body into the hole, where it fell with an ungodly thump.

 

Shall I cover him up then? he asked.

The girl nodded.

He began shoveling in dirt and black, dead coals. He wondered if he had the strength to finish, but he kept at it, shovelful after shovelful, the girl silent behind him. Occasionally he stamped his feet on the dirt to settle it and the girl joined him, hopping up and down on the grave, her small face frowning, her marten-fur hat hanging down her back by strings tied at her neck.

 

So it's done, then, Jack said.

 

He scraped a few last piled of dirt over the grave.The girl came to Jack's side. She closed her eyes, then flung her arms into the air. Snowflakes lighter than feathers scattered across the grave. It was more snow than a child could possibly hold in her arms, and it filtered down as if from the clear sky above. Jack was silent until the last flakes settled.

 

When he did speak, his voice was hoarse from the smoke.

In the spring, he said, we can put some pretty rocks here, maybe plant flowers. 

The girl nodded and then wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her face into his coat. Jack stood motionless for a moment, awkward with his arms at his sides, and then he slowly reached around her and patted her softly on the back, smoothed her hair with his rough hand. 

There, there. All right. It's going to be all right. It's done now.

"Written Word" Wednesday

A passage from Made From Scratch by Jenna Woginrich

"The first time I held a perfect loaf of butter-top browned white bread that I'd made myself, I felt like I had just finished an eight-mile summit; it was just as rewarding and emotionally exhausting. There is some magic to it, too-the chemistry of the yeast and the brushing of melted butter over the soft dough before it goes into the oven. When it's finally baked, you can't decide if you want to chomp into it or wrap it up in paper and string and give it to the first person you make eye contact with. It's a great problem to have.
       I remember holding my first loaf in awe in the winter sunlight of my Idaho kitchen. The dogs were at my feet, looking up at me with their tails wagging, hoping for an impromptu snack. But the idea of ripping into it seemed almost sacrilegious for a few holy minutes. So I stared at it like a crazy person until Annie had enough and jumped at it, teeth gnashing. Which brought me down to earth and taught me a lesson-stop acting like you did something special and dig in, lady, I set the warm bread on a plate out of the dogs' range of theft and cut off a steaming slice. I spread on some butter and watched edges melt into the little pores. The honesty of that first pristine country loaf made the world seem a little simpler. Outside was a cold, ice-covered place, but in my palms was a warm oasis..." (pg. 65-66)
           

New Ideas

I'm rearranging the blog where I will (really) try to blog three times a week-Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The posts' topics will be according the what day it is.

'Marriage' Monday- posts will be about my marriage's struggles and success and I will also share tips and lessons I've learned that might be helpful.


'Written Word' Wednesdays- on this day posts will be dedicated to my love for books. I'll provide tidbits and reviews from whatever I'm currently reading. In between novels I'll add in some poetry or my favorite quotes.


'Farm/Foodie' Fridays- updates on the backyard farm or a food post


What do you think?