the brew*crew adventure

...that seasons change... and to everything there is a season.

Thursday Photo Challenge: Thankful

The peonies I'd transplanted to our front flower beds a few years ago are blooming gloriously and bountifully this month, after not doing much the last couple of Springs. I guess it just took them a couple of years to get re-established. I've been cutting lots of flowers and bringing them inside, only to find them replaced with new blooms the next day. I love how they make our whole house smell like roses... peonies are definitely a favorite of mine.

Spring is absolutely beautiful here in Tennessee. Our rhododendron bush just finished her spectacular show, as did our lilac bush, red buds and azaleas. We're looking forward to lots of apples this summer, after viewing our apple tree covered in blooms, which will be greatly appreciated after last year's late frost took most of our apple blooms and therefore our apple harvest was sparse. We may even have some cherries as the cherry sapling we planted a couple of Springs ago has gron cosiderably and flowered very nicely this year.

I'm still trying to decide where to plant the blue French mophead hydrangea plant that Chris bought me for Mother's day (another favorite! ). Hmmmm... maybe in the back of the new perennial herb/cottage garden I'm fashioning in the front of our house.

So, what are your favorite blooms (if anyone still happens by this lately dormant blog of mine)?

Thursday Challenge: for fun & learning

"PINK" (Dresses, Makeup, Flowers, Toys, Candy, Grapefruit, Cars,...)

Next Week: COMMON (Everyday Things, Food, Clothing, Things for Learning, Work, Play,...)

Thursday Challenge: for fun & learning

This is actually last Thursday's theme, but since it's not Thursday again until tomorrow, it's still good.

"SPRING" (Leaves on Trees, Baby Animals, Green Grass, Flowers, Sunny Days, Melting Snow,...)

Next Week: FAMILY (Moms, Dads, Kids, Grandparents, Pregnant, Family Heirlooms,...)

yet, similar... that's what I love about siblings. It's always so fascinating to me to see how different they are from eachother, and yet so alike as to be recognized by strangers as being family. Each child uniquely from the same lineage, and yet their inherited traits from both of the parents endlessy varying in each individual... simply miraculous and wonderful to behold!

This has especially been on my mind lately, since N and I have been studying dna and genetics together this week (and having all sorts of interesting discussion as we read about genetics, cloning, etc.) for his co-op science class.

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

~ Psalm 139.13-16

PhotoHunt 100 theme: different

that will soon join the 9 hens that now live in the chicken house that Chris built...

They like to sleep all huddled up like this. Here they fell asleep on their second day with us, in their food bowl.

Aren't they adorable?! These pics were actually taken a couple of weeks ago.

We already have six Buff Orpingtons and three Rhode Island Reds. We just bought two more RIR's, two Aracauna Bantams- I wanted these (the calicos, that will grow up to look a bit funky and lay the blue/green eggs) and two Barred Plymouth Rocks, aka. "barred rocks"- Chris wanted these, they'll grow up to be black and white striped.

This picture below was taken just a couple of days later, and you can see that they were already starting to look a bit different, with their wing feathers starting to come in.

I need to take some more pics asap, because they look totally different now, already. They're at that funny looking, scraggly, scrawny looking stage now, where they've lost most of the fuzz and have spiney new feathers coming in. I dunno though, they're still pretty cute to me...

Pretty nifty feeder Chris rigged up there, huh? Same basic design as the ones that the feed stores sell for $10+, but my thrifty man opted to save the bucks and throw some stuff he already had together... clever he is, I tell ya!

We've really enjoyed our chickens, they've been a worthy investment.

Click here to see more chick pics, and some of our other hens and critters as well.

My Mother's Day was just lovely, wonderfully perfectly spent with my family, making precious memories. It started out with my daughter, who'd been outside bright and early, excitedly announcing to me that she had a big surprise for me. She then proudly presented from behind her back a gorgeous peonie bloom (she knows they're my favorite), the first of the season to bloom at our house even... a perfectly delicious way to start the day.

After laying a card down on the table for me, and telling me that I had to wait to open it, she disappeared, but before long she, N and Chris came out of our bedroom singing "Happy Mother's Day to you... " to the tune of Happy Birthday. After opening my cards and getting all teary-eyed with emotion, we all made a nice brunch together of pancakes, grits, eggs, coffee and OJ. We then decided to pack a picnic lunch to take to a local park, after first walking our dog down to the creek behind our house.

On the way down to the creek, I acquired some wildflower bouquets... how my heart took in these moments...

And, after letting Samson romp around awhile, we headed back home and then off to the park we went. It was a gorgeous day...

The squirrels were very friendly... liked our peanuts.

See that smile, I swear he smiled for me... when his back wasn't turned on me that is.

Chris and I lounged on the grass, while the kids played on the playground, or joined us.

Here's a pic of T and I, posing with our little bean, who's growing by leaps and bounds.

After a few hours well spent at the park, we headed home, and T talked me into accompanying her back down to the creek behind our house so that she could hunt for more mud-puppies.

She collected a bowl full, brought them home and then after watching them and googling them, let them go the next morning.

I just relaxed...

and took more pictures...

Did I mention that it was a gorgeous day? Lovely, in every way.

Thank you to my Mothers, who have loved and forgiven me much, and to my Grandmothers, who have watched over me, and now my own children, expectantly.

Blessings to all of my Mothering friends, as you nurture your own little baby birds. I thank you for your comradery and daily inspiration. May you enjoy this day.

Thank you to my darling Christopher for giving me our children, this gift of motherhood, and for working so hard that I may live daily with them, at home...

Thank you Lord, for this immense life, love and joy of Motherhood. Every single Mother that you have placed in my life has taught me something valuable.

love~ Beth

Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;
Home-keeping hearts are happiest,
For those that wander they know not where
Are full of trouble and full of care;
To stay at home is best.

Weary and homesick and distressed,
They wander east, they wander west,
And are baffled and beaten and blown about
By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;
To stay at home is best.

Then stay at home, my heart, and rest;
The bird is safest in its nest;
O'er all that flutter their wings and fly
A hawk is hovering in the sky;
To stay at home is best.

From Birds of Passage. By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"We Have a Beautiful Mother"

We have a beautiful
mother
Her green lap
immense
Her brown embrace
eternal
Her blue body
everything
we know.

- Alice Walker

 

You must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear.

- from the May Queen, Alfred Lord Tennyson

Ode to Mothers, from my son N:

"Moms rule, Dads drool!" ....hehehehehe (though I'm sure I'll be drooling on Father's Day!)

(and what he wrote in my card was much more thoughtful by the way, made me cry even!)

An Oracle his Mother taught him... from Proverbs

but since I cannot, I thought that I'd ramble here on the blog a bit. Today I'm feeling just downright miserable (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, how 'bout just crummy), have a sore throat, along with a head cold with all manner of stuffiness and now a headache is coming on, and I'm just tired. For the last two days I've been getting sicker, we're thinking we caught it from the babies we're watching here, who've had colds for a couple of weeks now. T is fighting it off really well, just has the stuffiness at bed-time, but the mentholatum helps alot. N is starting to feel better today, he got sick before me, a few days ago. I've been giving them lots of vit. C, echinacea and goldenseal tincture in juice, and elderberry extract. Now Chris is starting to feel the sore throat too, but is loading up on the above, so I'm praying that he doesn't come down with it.

Yep, one of the babies just woke up, I knew it (I'd thought of lying down, but figured soon as I did, the sleeping babies would awaken). So, things have been pretty low-key around here this week. The kids and I have mostly just been reading. I've been attempting to plan out what we'll be doing for history this summer and then in the years to come (more on that later). These last couple of days, I've been reading Missionary Stories with the Millers to the kids, along with some favorite picture books. N and T have watched a couple of favorite movies, an old French version of Les Miserables (see my side column) and Winter's End (the last of Hallmark's Sarah, Plain and Tall series). N's read a couple of "Horrible Histories" books in the last couple of days, The Groovy Greeks and The Rotten Romans. He's been laughing hysterically and I've been hearing alot of spontaneous narrations, or "Hey Mom, listen to this!" as he proceeds to read me excerpts. T just finished writing a letter to her Canadian friend and penpal.

Now she's drawing a picture of the Eastern Fence Lizard that Chris found yesterday in the mountains of Scott County, VA, and brought home for us all to see. Chris has always called them "pine lizards", but we looked him up, and found out his true name,

Eastern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus undulatus

He's set up in a 10 gallon tank terrarium, which is sitting on our dining room table right now (Chris has agreed to build us a "nature shelf" pronto, which will be in our breezeway for this type of thing soon), apparently not very interested in eating the butterfly that N caught for him to munch. We know that he's a male due to the green and blue markings on his underbelly (which change shades drastically -from aquamarine/turquoise to deep ultramarine blue- very cool to watch), and we've also learned that he's just now entering his breeding season. N and T named him "Dragon"... it was "April", until we found out that she was a he. If he doesn't start eating soon, we're going to have to release him. We did just learn though that these lizards do acclimate well to living in captivity, and eat insects and spiders, so the kids have been hunting for him.

N holding the lizard, which once he's caught, goes into this completely relaxed trance-like mode. Playing dead? I dunno.

Also, while at work a couple of days ago, out in the mountainous VA woodlands, Chris found two little robin's eggs that had fallen from their nest, and brought them home for us to see. Here is one of them, which we're keeping warm under a lamp (just in case there's a chance?)...

The other one was busted open by an overly curious 3yo... and it did have a developing little embryo in it, very amazing to see. I took a pic, but was wondering if I should post it, or not... T said "not, might be too sad and gross for some people"... some may find it kinda gorey I guess, so I've spared you the biology lesson.

And, speaking of eggs... our hens have been laying really well. I've actually got a friend buying a couple of dozen eggs from us a week, and another that would like to if we had more eggs... Hmmmm, kinda tempts us to get a couple of those cute little Araucana chicks we've been eyeing at the feed store... but then, more chickens free-ranging around here means more poop, and I just don't know if it's worth it!

And speaking of chickens, it seems that our little Penny (yes, N and T are certain that this, one of our four Rhode Island Red hens is indeed Penny, and not Candy Apple, Copper nor Runt- amazing to me that they can tell) has found herself a new favorite nesting spot. I only wish that you could hear the little whispery clucking sounds of contentment she was making as she repositioned and nestled herself in this stroller, out in our breezeway. N found her first, and told me to come and see something funny... oh, it was amusing to hear and see.

Apparently someone left the door open, and she saw her chance... this one literally hangs out around our front door most days, waiting for her chance to get in. I can't tell you how many times I've had to run her out of my kitchen, or laundry room, or the breezeway! And she just bawls me out every time, with cacophony cackling, eyeing me haughtily with that beady little eye of hers.

So, that's about all I have to share for now. I'm hoping that I'm feeling better by tomorrow, we're planning to go to the first part of an AIG conference at a local church here. When I told Chris about it, N said, "Ooooh, that sounds like it would be interesting, I want to go!". So, that's what we'll be doing tomorrow evening. Then on Saturday, the kids' riding instructor has her monthly "Pray, Play and Serve Day" planned for all of her students, so they'll be gone from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. all day on Sat., having a group Bible study, then serving by riding over to and helping another local barn out with chores, and then back to Jennifer's barn for riding and pony games. I'm sure that Chris and I will spend the day around here working on stuff, maybe yardwork, start some planting? Oh, I've been wondering if I'm totally nuts to even think of trying to have a garden while babysitting all these littles? Will I really find the time to weed, and keep up with it? Oh, I want to though. I think I'll just work at it slowly, getting each thing established well before planting something else. We'll see how it goes... I guess that's all for now since I have a fussy baby literally hanging on me, wanting some food and attention, and a 3yo jabbering non-stop "Miss Beff..., uh, Miss Beff..."

I wanted to let you all know that the Homeschool eStore's free product of the week is absolutely wonderful, especially if you're planning to do any gardening with your kids this year. If you go sign up on their site, you can download a set of over 50 Gardening Notebook pages by Amanda Bennett, which I just downloaded (in pdf) and looked at. They're gorgeous! The pages (some lined, some not) are adorned with beautiful graphics, appropriate for any Spring and Summer journal pages really, whether you're gardening or not.

If you're not familiar with Homeschool eStore, all you have to do is sign up to be a member, and then each week you'll get an email to notify you of what the downloadable freebie of that week is. Then you just have to sign in each time, download that week's freebie (or any other items you may decide to buy), print or save for later and voila! Over this last year, I've gotten quite a collection of thematic, beautiful, free notebook/journaling pages.

Also, you may have noticed that I just recently changed my template, hope you like it, and that it's readable for all my visitors. Please let me know if you have any problems with it.

We had a few small flurries of snowflakes today, but so little that I was lucky to have even seen them fluttering by outside the window...

We all ran out to greet them, of course...

The sky was a steeley grey, and the wind was cold. It's felt like Winter today...

How we're hoping for more snow this year than last.

Wisteria is wondering...

Where morning stars

Wander off to

When dusk whispers softly

of dark approaching ~

as she flies into hushed dreams,

First

and Last

color of the day...

Wisteria is in the way

Time passes so quietly,

her fingers weaving memories

of little boys growing up...

Flowers offered by little, loving hands,

Wilted wishes for neverlands.

Incense on the wind,

Like hopes hung out to dry.

Days outgrown and

passing by,

Like stars lighting up the sky.

Days of regret

and promise yet ~

Waiting for the watchful eye,

Keeping time with days gone by.

Wisteria is well wishes

Winsome remembrances

that send us reaching

For we must try...

To reach that sky.

Copyright: pictures and poem by Beth Brewer, all rights reserved.

What Is Green?

Green is the grass

And the leaves of trees

Green is the smell

of a country breeze.

Green is lettuce

And sometimes the sea.

When green is a feeling

You pronounce it N.V.

Green is the coolness

You get in the shade

Of the tall old woods

Where the moss is made.

Green is a flutter

That comes in Spring

When frost melts out

Of everything.

Green is a grasshopper

Green is jade

Green is hiding

In the shade---

Green is an olive

And a pickle.

The sound of green

Is a water-trickle.

Green is the world

After the rain

Bathed and beautiful

Again.

April is green

Peppermint, too.

Every elf has

One green shoe.

Under a grape arbor

Air is green

With sprinkles of sunlight

In between.

Green is the meadow,

Green is the fuzz

That covers up

Wher winter was.

Green is ivy and

Honeysuckle vine.

Green is yours

Green is mine....

~"What is Green" poem excerpted from "Adventures in Color: Hailstones and Halibut Bones", by Mary O'Neill