Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability***Sam Keen

You can never appreciate the shade of a tree unless you sweat in the sun.
 Author Unknown

Hi ya'll.  Who knew that 80 degrees under the air conditioner could feel so good!  When it's a 100 degrees actual temperature outside and the air feels like you are breathing in liquid flames, you know that you are living in Hell's kissin cousin, Oklahoma.  Nothing is moving outside this afternoon.  Not birds, not animals, not leaves on trees, not humans (if they can help it).  The shade trees offer little relief.  Hello, summer!!!

 

I don't know about you, but as a very feminine lady (yes, I clean up pretty good when I want to), I find summer very challenging.  It's hard to look good when your make-up is dripping off your chin (lookin like something that should be in a wax museum, no doubt) and sweat is pooling between your boobs (yes, I said boobs).  The fragrance you are wearing goes sour in a matter of minutes and you smell worse than if you were wearing none at all.  Pantyhose are out of the question!  Your clothes seem to cling to every unsightly bulge you have and your panties settle in some very uncomfortable places.  I think it should be perfectly legal and morally acceptable to go naked in the heat of an Oklahoma summer.  Well, that just what I think bout it. 

Gypsy is hot!

Pushka is hot!

And my tomato plants are hot!

The guys (father, son and friend) came yesterday and unplugged the sewer line and put in a clean out line (A sewer cleanout is a point of access where the sewer lateral can be serviced. It usually is 4” in diameter and has a tight-fitting steel or plastic cap over it.).  The cost was more than reasonable and I found out that they are general contractors (that means they can do anything). 

I was a curious spectator and watched them work.  The hairball (it was the size of a small state) they removed looked like we had scalped at least ten people and flushed them down the toilet bowl (it wasn't pretty).  The look the father gave me when he removed said hairball, spoke volumes.  His tip of the day was to pour one cup of bleach down the bathroom sink and bathtub once a week to prevent this sort of thing from happening again (kinda figured out he thought a little common sense would have prevented this problem).  Anyway, they are coming back next week to hang a new storm door for me.

Ground level view of my new clean out line (box?)
After living here for 18 years, I got a clue.

One of my neighbors stopped by the store today while I was working and left me this gift that keeps on giving.  I love Simple Living  and everything that comes with it.  You never have to stand alone when you live in the country. 

Bless my bloomers!  It's new potatoes and yukon gold!

Thank you for dropping in today.  I gotta go and cook some taters.  Have a wonderful evening and I will see you again soon.
Dirty hands, iced tea, garden fragrances thick in the air and a blanket of color before me, who could ask for more?Bev Adams

   

Harmony Acres Wishes You A Happy Easter......He Is Risen!

. 

"April rain is here again;
Hear it pitter, pitter, patter,
On the leaves and on the trees,
See it spitter, spitter, spatter.
Rain, oh rain, don't go away
We need you for flow'rs in May;
Drip, drip, drop and do not stop,
Send a little rain our way."

Nina B. Hartford, April Rain   

And it rained and it rained and it rained!  We have gone from drought to swim fins!  So it goes in Oklahoma.

The severe storms missed us again last night but it was close enough to drop some rain. Then it rained again this morning and this afternoon...... I was just meditating (smoking cigarette and drinking Dr. Pepper with two cats wrapped around my ankles) on the front porch.  Watching the rain bring much needed nourishment to Mother Earth, I could almost see everything turning a brighter shade of green and silently growing stronger.  What a blessing these showers are!  All things are at peace and Harmony Acres is thriving!

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday.  My boss and I are in negotiations  regarding closing the store till 1:00 p.m.  He and I attend the same Church (when I go) and I told him everyone needed to attend Church on Easter (sunrise service out at Spaniard Creek looking out over the water from cement bleachers, breakfast at Church, then Easter Program) and Christmas just to belie the rumors that one has died. 

When I had him on the ropes (your worst nightmare is an employee like me), I also reminded him that Hobby Lobby is Christian owed, prospering greatly and closes every Sunday.  Brother Danny (Preacher) came in the store today and I ratted my boss out.  Told him that a call from him would probably be more effective than my harping!  We'll see how it goes.  No matter what, we wish you a Happy Easter from our family to yours:

Izzie and I.

Becky and her twin Maggie.

Gypsy

Noah and Gigi

Mischief and Pickles

Grabby Britches

Molly arrived here with only one good eye.

Gracie.

Pushka.

Sophie.

Our Simple Living choice has brought us much joy and sheer pleasure in the small things. Next week I'm going to visit Herb A. and his family to see his custom design chicken coop.  Been thinking about getting some chickens............Can't wait to see what he has created (very gifted and ingenious family. Simple Living personified).

I'm Using Everything You Gave Me, Lord

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." 
Erma Bombeck

Yesterday was so busy that I didn't have a chance to write (still catching up from working 5 days straight, had to fill in for co-worker who got married).  Here is a quick run-down of the day. And for those people who say "Wow, you've got it easy just working weekends", please know that when I look at you and smile, I'm really wanting to smack you a good one upside the head!

Feed and water the Wicket (lovebird), clean Lucky's (fish) bowl, clean cat houses and scoop litter, dogs out, dogs in, feed and water dogs.  Clean ceiling fan in garden room, move china cabinet to living room, vacuum house, wash dishes, do laundry (all bedding for cats and dogs), resurrected lawn mower one more time and mowed lane to house. I know, I know.....boring.   I like boring.  After years of dealing with unpleasant people, woman eat woman quotas, and unforgiving time clocks, this is pure bliss for me.

But anyway, while I was doing all that (Had to pause here, tick crawling on my arm, yuck! Nasty little blood suckers!  If you live in Oklahoma you know what I'm talking about, right?) this is what Molly was doing:

Molly says "This is the life. I eat , sleep, poop and the maid
 (that would be me) cleans my house."

I also tried a new roast beef recipe.  If you like cabbage (we do, inexpensive and nutritious), this is a frugal recipe (roast was on sale at Superfoods in Warner) I used and this is the finished product.  Becky said "last night cereal for dinner and tonight pot roast heaven" (We were both too tired to cook).  Feast or famine around here for sure!

Rump roast with cabbage, carrots, onions and a great sauce. 
We loved it.

Today, I put new collars on all the outside dogs.  No easy task I can assure you.  Writhing, squealing, little terrors.  Once the collars were on the pups, they set about trying to rip them off each other.

Gypsy and her pups now have collars! No longer just stray dogs!
They have adopted us.

After a long, stressful day at work and training after work for the 5K run, Becky (the one looking stressed and semi-conscious) and her twin Maggie (dog who thinks she is a princess held hostage by evil magic in a strange body) chill out in garden room watching T.V. while I put the finishing touches on the roast (don't want help with my masterpiece, thank you for asking though--translation:  leave me alone, I'm fine. No, really I'm fine.  Just left of normal is fine in my book).

Becky and Maggie after a long, hard day for both.

My life is really quite wonderful!  I rejoice in my daily chores and thank God that I am healthy enough to accomplish so many things each day.  My cup truly does run over!  I will leave you today with this thought:

Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings.

I know I have one and can only hope I have the other.  You guess which is which. Thank you for joining me today on my journey to Simple Living.

Hodge·podge/ˈhäjˌpäj....................Noun: A confused mixture.

In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. 
Mark Twain
 To my delight and utter surprise, Brother Dave brought my riding lawn mower home around 5 p.m. yesterday evening.  He gave me a list of parts and supplies that he had purchased to restore my baby.  It wasn't pretty!  Blades, filters, belts, oil............The cost was much less than a new mower (around a hundred dollars) and the labor was free.  Free is good but it came with some "I can't believe you let it get this bad" looks that only big brothers can give.  Brother even washed the whole thing inside and out!  To understand the magnitude of his gift of free labor, you need to realize my only other option:  push mowing an acre and a half on a bum ankle!  To me, that is Huge!  Love you, Bubba.

A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams. 
Author Unknown

I mowed some more before dark and then it was time for the nightly ritual of dogs out, dogs in, more dogs in, feed Maggie (dog who thinks she is a princess and has the crown to prove it) and doctor her ears, feed Izzie (cat), run to little store to get meditation supplies (cigarettes) and shower and finally bed with a good book.

Princess Maggie

Izzie at play.

Just a quick oops note:  Becky was looking for a banana this morning to pack in her lunch.  The dehydrated version was not what she had in mind (note to self: buy more bananas and don't dehydrate).  Daughters can give the same look of disgust as brothers!

The weather is forecasting severe storms later this evening (tornadoes?) so I need to finish mowing the yard today so I can put out granules to kill fleas and ticks.  I still believe in the "do no harm" rule, but if you have ever had a tick sucking the blood out of you in very private places, you will agree that it's O.K. to get them before they get me.  Nothing gets to suck my blood without my permission.  Besides, those nasty things carry Lyme Disease.  An ugly, debilitating illness (just ask nephew Jimmy).  If I am going to be that sick from being bitten by an insect, I want it to be while I am floating down the Amazon River, trudging through the rain forest looking for a cure for a deadly disease, living in the jungle with the Native population. Not walking in my front yard! Good Grief!

Deer Ticks carry Lyme Disease

Also, today, I planted another shrub from our Friday shopping spree.  Only have two left to plant before we can buy more.

Sun Parasol Crimson Mandevilla

Masses of Indian Paintbrushes grow in our pasture.

The flowers of Indian paintbrush are edible and sweet, and were consumed in moderation by various Native American tribes as a condiment with other fresh greens. These plants have a tendency to absorb and concentrate selenium in their tissues from the soils in which they grow, and can be potentially very toxic if the roots or green parts of the plant are consumed. Highly alkaline soils increase the selenium levels in the plants. Indian paintbrush has similar health benefits to consuming garlic if only the flowers are eaten in small amounts and in moderation.^[3]
Well, my outside work is done for the day.  Now I will just work in the house and wait for the storms to arrive.  I have done everything possible to be ready but if one does hit we are simply at the mercy of Mother Nature and God. 

Our entire community was destroyed by a tornado long before we moved here.  There was destruction in every direction.  Weird things happen in a tornado. I saw it.  My neighbors not only lost loved ones but their own homes were destroyed  as well. 
I have spent more than one night huddled in the bathroom (the safest place in our home) riding out severe weather with Becky, dogs and lots of prayers.  Our barn and home received extensive damage during one of these storms.  I was sitting in the bathroom floor with my back against a wall that was moving.  So my paranoia is warranted. Scary stuff! It looks to be a long night. So let me end with a prayer for protection for all:

The light of God surrounds us,
The love of God enfolds us,
The power of God protects us,
The presence of God watches over us,
Wherever we are, God is,
And where God is, all is well.
Thank you for indulging me today.  The threat of severe storms makes me a confused mixture, can't focus (more than usual that is).

Can Animals Predict Diaster?

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way.  Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity, and some scarce see Nature at all.  But to the eyes of the man of imagination, Nature is Imagination itself."
-  William Blake, 1799, The Letters    

As I was doing my daily meditation this morning (translation:  as I was sitting on the front  porch with my coffee, cigarette and two cats wrapped around my ankles), it occurred to me the importance of a sanctuary.  Everyone needs a safe place to hide from time to time. Speaking of hiding, the cats ate breakfast and then headed for the barn.  Even if the news had not been warning us of a severe storm, the cats would have alerted me to the fact simply by their behavior. If we pay attention, animals speak a language all their own.  They sense danger long before we have a clue. Our dogs have been humanized to the point they have no clue either.  Apparently, I'm not the only one that thinks their pre-diaster behavior is interesting.

O.K. on another subject.  This year Becky and I are planning a visit to Hoepfner Kiwi Farm in Eufaula.  We want to start growing our own fruit in accordance with our self-sustaining plan for life.  This is something we have wanted to do for a long time but the demands of life rarely give us the opportunity for a day trip.  However, this year I have a plan.  Just do it.  Here is a video giving some insight into growing kiwi.

Well, time to go for now.  Looks like the storm may be moving in and I need to shut down my beloved computer.  Hope to see you again soon.  In the meantime, hug a tree, plant a seed and embrace life. 

It seems we are safe from the storm for now.  Pushka is back on the porch biting my ankles.