and this is why

Tomorrow August travels back to the Vet to see how she is progressing. A broken pelvis means 4-6 weeks of containment in a cat carrier on our porch. If we get the green light, she may move to a larger kennel. She has been such a good kitten, so far taking this little "hospital room" in stride. She eats, bathrooms, sleeps. Breaks for a wee bit of attention, meds and cage cleaning are her day....but mostly sleep.  And she purrs. August and I have become pretty close, I think she is destined to live out her days in our home.

I struggle with spending money on a barn cat, but we can.   No Starbucks daily for me, will pack a lunch-thank you very much.....a welcome meow each morning and night is priceless. She is worth it and so am I!

v a c a t i o n

first full week off in a very long time....
one of those weeks where the agenda is not set,
no meetings to attend, no appointments to keep.

I plan to awake each day and ask, "what shall I do today?"

First day the answer at 4:30 a.m. was get your chores done and head to the Elko Flea Market.  The car is still full to the brim from that wonderful adventure, waiting to be unloaded.
Today, the answer was weed the gardens & hang out.....sitting in the middle of the yard was in order - which is where I am sitting now, where I snapped a few pictures.

I feel the much needed rest arriving...and wonder if I would savor these days as much if this freedom was part of every day. Sometimes "just a bit" allows us to not take these things for granted.

So I sit, birds sing, breeze blows, apple blossoms in the air, lilac scent just around the corner.  The kittens run to me where I sit, then get bored and move on. The goats lift their heads from grazing to stare at their lady-sitting, not hurrying about.

Vacation has arrived, and I welcome the reprieve.

 

Vacation~"Stay-cation"

Saturday - Flea Market

Sunday - Begin work on Fall Barn Sale...up in the hayloft fun!

Monday - Rainy Day...movies & naps

Tuesday - Work on my booth at the Hixton Antique Mall

Wednesday - Gardening

Thursday - Antiquing

Friday - Auction

Saturday - Thrift Saling, hang out at farm

Sunday - Relax, book in hand

Monday - My birthday....no better place to spend it but home!

through my window

On the way to morning chores, I turned to this view.
Magic, pure magic.

Sometimes when the view is less then perfect, the best advise is to find another window.

apple blossoms

We will have many apples this year, the blossoms tell us so!

My thoughts to all the families dealing with such loss due to the spring storms today.

on taking chances

I am not good at letting go....actually, in the scheme of "controlling"
----label me a 9.5. ~~~~  O.K.- a 10.

We made an early decision that we were best with house cats...our Shawnee & McCoy, now 14 years old, in the basket below. We could control their where-abouts, we set their pace. Same goes with goats, once we figured out appropriate fencing, we generally know that they are safe and sound. Fencing & the occasional shots fired into the air to scare off marauding coyote, and we were good to go. I had my animals, and assured their controlled safety. As long as I treated them humanely and with love, they rewarded me with their trust & loyalty. It was this easy, straight paved road. Few unexpected turns, all quite neat & tidy.

In our decision, anytime a stray cat came calling, we diverted all eye contact, never fed them and occasionally moved them on to the next farm with the wave of a broom. Outdoor cats were beyond my control, they would mess with my sanity. It just would not happen on my watch, I knew my limits far too well.

But it happened, in the blink of an eye this homeless, scared, timid cat arrived one winter. And she stayed. She began to teach this old soul to take chances, to risk losing control, to let go. It has been hard....yet for every cat we have buried behind the barn, a new kitten arrives to fill the hole left in my heart. Chippewa, Pumpkin, Shadow, Marmalade, Cinnamon, Summer are gone. August is at the vet as I write this....hit by a car, a broken pelvic bone. We will see in the morning what her chances are for coming home.

Yet, for every worry I hold.....I know their lives are free. They run, climb, hunt...and return home to their barn. They sleep on our porch or on old feather mattresses in the barn, have a heater to keep them warm in the winter, and end their day with a shared can of food in vintage dishes. I believe they are safe in the barn when I close the door at night, but know that I am just fooling myself. There are risks out there.

So I have to now work at counting the cats that have found their way into my barn. One leaves, one arrives. Their road is not neat or tidy....but it is theirs. I'll take my chance on barn cats....look them right in the eye, open the barn door and roll out my heart. There are far worse vices to have.

Saturday, May 18:  Addendum....August came home from the Osseo Augusta Vet Clinic this afternoon.  Her road to recovery is long, they said it was the worst break of the pelvic bone they had seen.  We will keep her contained for about 6 weeks for the bones to heal on their own.  We have pain med., special food and antibiotics to help her along.  We have made a "hospital room" out of a lawn mower box.  I keep thinking how she pulled herself to the safety of the outhouse we have in our orchard, that is where I found her.  Such courage!  It also amazes me that she purred, from the moment I found her, she has purred.  I bet my money on that little girl kitten.

barefoot weather at long last

There is just something about sitting on the deck, shoes kicked off. Goats have returned to grazing after months of hay (Ralphie none too happy about needing to now work for a meal). Barn cats snooze here and there. The grass lush, perennials finding their way out to greet the sun, and my dear pansies, e v e r y w h e r e! Birds sing--oranges are nestled in the bush near the meadow for the orioles, thistle in the feeder for the finch, houses cleaned out for the promise of a bluebird or wren. We have earned this, every wonderful moment of it. Kick off your shoes!

how do you define a mother's love...

Several years ago the rains came, inland flooding, roads washed out. Taking side roads, I wound my way home to the farm, bypassing bridges that could no longer be safely crossed. Checking on the animals, I counted little noses, making sure each was safe & sound in their barn. The ground water level was so high that even the creatures of the earth...worms, were abandoning their homes for higher ground. Nature was moving upward, seeking safety.

Peaking in the nesting box tucked under the barn stairs, I anticipated finding momma Hope with her tiny litter, just several weeks old. Empty. Empty. No teeny noses to count - empty. The rains pounded on the tin roof, my heart raced. And then there she was, leading me to a large plastic trash can with a lawn mower grass bag set open & upward inside. Deep within this double boat were three baby kittens. Hope had dropped them inside.

And that is the best way I can define a mother's love.

Happy Mother's Day!

one more little reminder....

No Spring Barn Sale beginning in 2013.

Last year at this time I was in busy mode, getting the hayloft & farmyard up & running for our May Barn Sale.  After two years of two sales, the reality had set in.....this is a huge undertaking! One that was tricky, at best, to align with a full time job rolling out a new program in 10 counties in Western Wisconsin.  So, offering myself a gentle reprieve, but still allowing the fun of hosting a Barn Sale with antiques & vintage finds in our 100 year old barn, we have scaled back to just one sale a year ~ in October.

This Saturday, I will be behind the counter at the Hixton Schoolhouse Antique Mall instead. There will even be a little flea market going on there. Stop by if you are in the area, and do know that I am always willing to "wheel & deal" when I am at the mall!


For all the information on the Barn Sale or Hixton......jump to the right under "Chapters"!

everyone needs a craft room

Most recently I concluded that this was beyond just a want, it was a need. So, the guest room bed was whisked off to the hayloft (story later), tables brought in....and wa la, we have what the heart so sought. A place for collage, sewing, gathering sweet little things. A place to glue & glitter & dream. The floral wallpaper came with the house..........and sealed the deal when we first walked through. Lace at the two windows, all my Steiff in one spot, and charm galore. Drawers, trays, cigar boxes, locker baskets brimming. A view of the apple orchard. All it needs is a slipper chair....in a yellow gingham I think. Me, writing from my room just now.

this makes me so happy!

First visit to the greenhouse of the year!
I am beyond giddy!
Pansies & herbs....only hardy stock for the still chilly nights.
But it was open and they greeted me with a "good to see you again".
And it will be again & again & again!

My favorite greenhouses:
Chippewa Valley Growers in Altoona, WI (outside of Eau Claire)
Winter Greenhouse in Winter, WI (near our woods)

My new little flower friends wait on my porch, soon they will meet the sun!



Happy May Day!