"The little things? The little moments? They aren't little." ******* John Zabat-Zinn

"The trouble with simple living is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it isn't simple."
Doris Janzen Longacre

Good Morning from Harmony Acres!  It's been a tough week, ya'll.  Last weekend, one of my customers at the little store dropped a bug (tummy virus) on me.  So, that slowed me down for a couple of days ( I was still able to mow the yard a little at a time) and then:  I woke up yesterday morning with my left eye swollen shut for no reason.  It's even worse this morning!  I look like a troll!  A troll, I tell ya. A one eyed cyclops! (unfortunately, no magical powers came with this transformation).  A.......One Eyed Flying Purple People Eater? I don't know what but it ain't pretty! 

O.K. that's enough whining about my personal trials and tribulations.  Here's what else is going on around here.

Last Sunday, Nick (another country neighbor) brought me some of the first fruits of his garden.  What a treat!  I have cooked a lot of them this week.  You have never really tasted veggies until you've had them fresh picked from the garden.  Simple Living at it's very tastiest.

Summer Squash, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Bell Peppers,
Banana Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers.

I took the summer squash, banana peppers, some red onions (gift from another neighbor), added some potatoes and fried (yes, I fried.  Beck was not all that pleased) these in my favorite skillet (Calphalon).  It was heaven to a fat deprived person like me.  I served it with a hamburger pattie and a salad.  I was a happy girl!

Then I took the green bell peppers and added yellow and red bell peppers to it for this delicious bread recipe (Bell Pepper Muffins page 58)  from Taste of Home Guilt Free Cooking (a cookbook I borrowed from Becky).  You talk about mouthing watering yummy!

Look for this recipe coming soon on Becky Cooks Lightly.

On a totally different subject:  the boys (blue-heeler pups) are growing like crazy (almost as big as their momma) and are learning all kinds of new (but not nice) tricks. They must plot on me all day and night to get me good.  The latest incident was as follows:

I went out to pen them up for the night.  Pickle starting nipping at my bad ankle.  When I bent over to push him away, Mischief grabbed the seat of my pants and pulled them down around my ankles (naked as a jaybird from the waist down. I mooned the whole neighborhood).  Then I leaned over trying to pull up my pants and they grabbed the ponytail holder in my hair and pulled it out.  So, here I am, fully exposed, trying to push the hair out of my face so I can see and pull my pants up so no one else can see.  What a couple of lovable, funny terrors!

Five and a half months old and still growing.

We have a simple living creed around here "Do No Harm" (except for snakes, spiders, wasp and other creepy crawly things.  It's get them before they get me).  Pushka has never grasped this concept.  He is determined to give me a heart attack.

I was hysterical! I thought I had murdered him!
He was just sleeping under the lawn mower.

"With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy."
Lope de Vega 

Thank you for stopping by today.  I enjoy our little visits.  Simple Living isn't for everyone but it is the piece of the puzzle that has been missing from my life.  Harmony Acres did not happen over night but it did  happen.  I'm praying that each of you will find that special place where harmony, peace and balance can heal the wounds inflicted by life.