Saturday, March 29, 2008

A better end to the day...

So..the day started with quite an adventure..but then hit more of a milder tone once I decided "o.k. ...that dad blamed chicken can do whatever it wants to"

Well..she wound up getting back onto the right side of the fence ,and later this afternoon she decided that she'd check out the abandoned duck cage..and in it she went..hubby was outdoors at the time so he shut the door. Hmmm..wonder who wound up coralling that chicken after all..hee hee.
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Had a few household chores to get done this afternoon.

Then wound up getting the pretty girl with chickens picture in the mail,along with my new set of pretty melamine display plates.(shown in a previous post)
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Had a little bit of leftover ham from Easter dinner, so I chopped a bit of that up, and made some cheesy mac and cheese, put it into casserole dish, added broccoli spears, sprinkled with italian bread crumbs and some parmesan cheese and baked for 18 minutes at 400 degrees. Yum..comfort food.

Gonna freeze the ham bone and use it in soup later.
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Hubby bought 24 tomato plants yesterday, only 23 were any good though..and he got those all planted yesterday.

Also yesterday afternoon he re-tilled a large area of our backyard that will be used for flowers and veggies.
He raked that all out after he re-tilled it.

Then this afternoon he went and bought quite a few broccoli plants, crookneck squash,and some cucumber, and cayenne pepper plants.
He planted those in part of the area.

And I'll be getting out my seed stash in the next few days and sowing flower seeds in the remaining area.
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I was given some neat cutter vintage linens by a farm girl over at Mary Jane's Farm..a few things like embroidered sets that were damaged a little..but I'll be using parts of them to create collages and other neat/fun things.
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So..if any of you have old doilies and old linens that are a bit worn out,but areas are still useable.. and you no longer want them... I'd be delighted to give them a new home and to recycle them into something new and fun!

It's o.k. if the doily or tea towel or linen piece or hanky has a tiny tear or tiny stain..as long as parts of it can be cut up and used.

If you don't want them..I'd be happy to take them off your hands..and recycle them and give them a new life.
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I can't wait to share pictures of the things I will be creating with them.
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Well..I do hope that you all have a lovely day tomorrow, and a lovely week coming up.
Thanks so much for joining me in "blogland". I am so glad that you stopped by to visit!

~The Garden Goose~

So how'd your day start??

Everything here is going o.k.
Unless you bring up the topic of escape artist chickens that wind up in the neighbors yard, and hubby waking you up this morning to announce.."I let the chickens out this morning at 6 and now they are in the neighbors yard and you gotta go get them"
And you are like "huh?" why'd you do that?? I only let them out at like 11 in the morning and then they stay home usually and come back into the cage"
(and your thinking..o.k. so your the one that let them out, but now you're saying I gotta go get them..huh??)
And his reply.."well, they were clucking real loud and I didn't want the neighbors to have a problem."
So..there you are groggy eyed and hurrying to comb your hair just in case the neighbors(some of whom you've never met) see you.
And you are out by the fence trying to coax a stupid chicken that can't figure out how to hop back up onto the fence..to "come on girl."

Finally you get fed up cause..

number 1....the puppy is starting to bark because you are late on letting him out and you just know he's gonna pee his kennel and towel if you don't get him out to go potty, and you've had to wash his towel about 4 times already this week...
2. the daughter is hollering " I gotta go pee and I'm hungry now!"
And 3. the stupid chicken keeps running up and down the fence line and can't figure out how to get back over.So..you finally say.."dad blame it! let it get run over or whatever ..who cares. If it comes back fine, if it doesn't who gives a darn."LOL So...that was my morning...how was yours??LOL
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~The Garden Goose~

Friday, March 28, 2008

Lovely Books...and Garden Seeds....

Don't these books look just lovely??
I came across this one..and being a good ole' Southern Gal..it definitely looks right up my alley. Check it out!


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More than a cookbook, this is the story of how a little girl, born in the South of Yankee parents, fell in love with southern cooking at the age of five. And a bite of brown sugar pie was all it took.

"I shamelessly wangled supper invitations from my playmates," Anderson admits. "But I was on a voyage of discovery, and back then iron-skillet corn bread seemed more exotic than my mom's Boston brown bread and yellow squash pudding more appealing than mashed parsnips."

After college up north, Anderson worked in rural North Carolina as an assistant home demonstration agent, scarfing good country cooking seven days a week: crispy "battered" chicken, salt-rising bread, wild persimmon pudding, Jerusalem artichoke pickles, Japanese fruitcake. Later, as a New York City magazine editor, then a freelancer, Anderson covered the South, interviewing cooks and chefs, sampling local specialties, and scribbling notebooks full of recipes.

Now, at long last, Anderson shares her lifelong exploration of the South's culinary heritage and not only introduces the characters she met en route but also those men and women who helped shape America's most distinctive regional cuisine—people like Thomas Jefferson, Mary Randolph, George Washington Carver, Eugenia Duke, and Colonel Harlan Sanders.

Anderson gives us the backstories on such beloved Southern brands as Pepsi-Cola, Jack Daniel's, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, MoonPies, Maxwell House coffee, White Lily flour, and Tabasco sauce. She builds a time line of important southern food firsts—from Ponce de León's reconnaissance in the "Island of Florida" (1513) to the reactivation of George Washington's still at Mount Vernon (2007).

For those who don't know a Chincoteague from a chinquapin, she adds a glossary of southern food terms and in a handy address book lists the best sources for stone-ground grits, country ham, sweet sorghum, boiled peanuts, and other hard-to-find southern foods.

Recipes? There are two hundred classic and contemporary, plain and fancy, familiar and unfamiliar, many appearing here for the first time. Each recipe carries a headnote—to introduce the cook whence it came, occasionally to share snippets of lore or back-stairs gossip, and often to explain such colorful recipe names as Pine Bark Stew, Chicken Bog, and Surry County Sonker.
Add them all up and what have you got? One lip-smackin' southern feast!
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Do you like to have fun with your gardening? And to create theme gardens?..and add a bit of whimsy to your garden areas??
I came across this book and it looks so fun!

Take a peek! Just turn these pages and discover a world filled with whimsical habitats constructed from natural materials.

The idea is to entice a fairy to stop by for a visit.

From rustic dwellings to fairy mansions, these small structures are appearing in woods, parks, backyard gardens and even at the beach.

But beware! Building fairy houses can be addictive for all ages. Symptoms include exploring the outdoors, being creative, sparking the imagination and discovering Nature's enchantment. You know you 're really hooked when you start building fairy houses ... everywhere!
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I like going to garage sales from time to time, as well as finding neat treaures on Ebay and Etsy.com.
I came across this book. Doesn't the cover just look lovely ?
I enjoy decorating my home with my "found treasures", and I'm sure you do too.
This book looks like it would have plenty of inspirational ideas.
Enjoy your treasured collections, favorite items, and must-have finds with the help of enchanting full-color photographs, creative tips, display ideas, and plenty of projects.

Create crackle and distressed finishes to "age" furniture.

Use an old chair as a display stand for a special object.

Artfully arrange a collection of interesting bottles. Wrap a small gift in a lovely vintage handkerchief.

Recycle broken pieces of treasured china into a china-shard mosaic table. Embellish a basket to make an eye-catching centerpiece, or update a lamp with a fabric cover. An empty portrait frame can become a unique corkboard, and an old fireplace screen gets a new life with a stenciled design. You'll love decorating your home with these inexpensive, easy, and fun schemes and suggestions!
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It is that time of year again..time for planning and planting your gardens!!!
Look at these lovelies.
Wouldn't they be so fun to add to your garden this year??

Hen and Chicks Poppy Seeds





Heirloom Red Tiger Lily


This green tomatillo is great in salsas or salads. This variety has diverse gene traits that produce two distinct variations of plants - one is erect and branching, the other more compact. Both are equally prolific. Does best when transplanted. Does not need trellising. Harvesting tips. Pick for salsa when the husks turn brown and begin to open. With additional time, they will become more seedy, but also get sweeter, for eating raw. Planting Depth: 1/2" Soil Temp. for Germ.: 70°F Days to Germ.: 7-10 Plant Spacing: 12" Apart Days to Maturity: 60 Full Sun Moderate Water
Organic Heirloom Tomatillo
~The Garden Goose~

Garden Girl..and more...

Well..I took myself back to the dr. on Wednesday..and yep..I had a sneaking suspicion that although the pain in the kidney had went away..that the first round of antibiotics wasn't enough to wipe out the infection.
3 days of antibiotic just didn't seem sufficient to me.

So..dr. said that it didn't take.
So now I'm on a 7 day course and will go back in about 5 1/2 weeks to the dr.
I really hope and pray this dose takes and gets rid of the infection.
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I bought myself some organic apple juice and am drinking a glass in the morning and one at night. I read that this is supposed to help dissolve the crystals/kidney stones "if" you have them.
But they just said I have a little pustules in the sample/no blood which is good.They didn't mention stones or crystals, but I figured drinking the organic juice couldn't hurt.
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I asked the dr. if this could have been caused by accidentally letting myself get dehydrated and he said "oh yes, that can do it to you every time"..along with bacteria"

So..just so you all know..don't allow yourselves to get dehydrated. It is not fun.
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We've had absolutely lovely weather here the last few days, and this afternoon the "Thunderbirds" from the Airforce... were flying over my house doing their loop-de-loops in preparation for an air show out at our AFB which is only about 4-5 miles from my house, but..since we live across the water(plus 2 blocks) ...from the flight line side of the base..the planes fly over the water to practice...and we can usually see a "free show" the day before the actual show..if we just look up in the sky in our backyard.
In fact they flew real low right over the pine trees in my front yard today.
My little kids loved watching it...and my funny 3 yr. old was hollering"Slow down guys!"...haha.
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Well...hubby brought home 2 six packs of tomato plants to get put in the ground.
My attempts at starting a few of them from seed didn't take.
So..hopefully these ones will grow well for us.
I'd definitely like to make homemade salsa this year.
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Have a lovely Day!
~The Garden Goose~

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Litera-Tea~ March 23-29th

I have been taking part in a fun "blog-a-thon" sponsored by Gracious Hospitality at:

This weeks theme is "Tea in Literature"

We are to share tea quotes, stories or our favorite book about tea.
(poster to the right is available from AllPosters.com
here:
I thought that I'd share a few tea quotes with you all.
~Enjoy!
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There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea. ~Bernard-Paul Heroux
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If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you. ~Gladstone, 1865
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We had a kettle;we let it leak:
Our not repairing made it worse.
We haven't had any tea for a week...
The bottom is out of the Universe.~Rudyard Kipling
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O' peppermint tea
-two delights per sip
as steamy hot as passion
cool as a wintry lake dip
~Astrid Alauda
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Remember the tea kettle - it is always up to its neck in hot water, yet it still sings! ~Author Unknown
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Tea that helps our head and heart.
Tea medicates most every part.
Tea rejuvenates the very old.
Tea warms the hands of those who're cold.
J. Jonker, Amsterdam, circa 1670
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"I can just imagine myself sitting down at the head of the table and pouring out the tea," said Anne, shutting her eyes ecstatically, "and asking Diana if she takes sugar! I know she doesn't but of course I'll ask her just as if I didn't know."--Anne of Green Gables
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Come and share a pot of tea,My home is warm and my friendship's free.--Emilie Barnes
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~~~~Wishing you all a lovely day!~
~The Garden Goose~

Escape Artists... and more...

So..my oldest daughter has been away on Spring break spending time with my husband's parents..and that leaves me to take care of her pet chickens. (really our family chickens)

Of course the last few days that hasn't been too difficult as they have been good little girls and gone straight away into their coop come evening time...except for tonight.

When this evening we get a knock on the door and the neighbor man says "wanted to let you know your chickens are over here by mama's garage" and he starts laughing..haha.


Well..we have been trying to keep this from happening, but gosh darn it those chickens act like they want to have a social life too.

So..I shooed the gals back into the yard and wouldn't ya know they headed lickety split for the coop.

I did tell the neighbor that I was very sorry, and promised her some "farm fresh eggs" as soon as the gals start laying.

Hopefully that will smooth things over.
She honestly didn't seem to have a problem with it. But..a dozen eggs will help things out I'm sure.
Yep..I have some social chickens...ha.
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(see the picture above and to the right?? this is a new antique picture I just got off of ebay..isn't it pretty? I love it.)
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And..it has been cold here!

Last night saw temperatures drop down to about 31 here...brr. But this is typical.

We normally see a frosty couple of evenings right around Easter time..and this year was no different.

I had to make sure that the strawberry bed was covered with an old drapery, and made sure that the chicken coop was covered with an old comforter...and that the water spigots were set on a slow drip.

Certainly don't want to lose our strawberries as we have quite an abundance of berries on the plants right now.
it will be exciting to actually be able to harvest the berries soon.

(isn't the picture of the little boy adorable? that was another item I found this week/so pretty)
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Recently bought some raspberry canes and hubby planted them.
We have 30 raspberry canes and 10 thornless blackberry canes as well. So far they are growing pretty good and putting out new leaves.

Will be so nice to have fresh raspberries and blackberries. We also purchased 2 blueberry trees.
Yum! can't wait until these items start producing.
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I "was" feeling better with my kidney lately..and silly me..I went and cancelled the follow up appointment on Monday, and lo and behold if my kidney didn't want to start a tiny bit of aching this morning! Land sakes alive!
So..I quickly called the dr's office back and re scheduled. Sheesh.

So..hopefully we'll get this taken care of.

At least the pain is hardly noticeable this time around, but still..I just want things back to normal.

I keep on drinking the water all the time.

I honestly don't think I had enough antibiotic this last time to knock it out. I had read online that the typical treatment is about 2 weeks of antibiotic and I was only given a 3 day regimen. Anyhow..hopefully it will all get better real soon.

(found the above picture of the girl and collie to add to my decor. love it..I actually had a full size sable collie at one time/loved that dog/he was so smart/and the little girl in the picture..well she somehow reminds me of my little 3 yr. old mischeif maker...ha)
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Treated myself to a few things to add to my decor this week. As I had mentioned in previous posts....I've been slowly redoing my decor and getting rid of the things that I no longer want to decorate with.... and slowly replacing them with antique images and various decor items that really are the style and look I want in my home.

So..this week I found a few fun things on ebay and etsy.
(have posted the images here on this post)
Some pretty plates that I'll use on the walls. And some pretty pictures.
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Well..I do hope that everyone had a real nice Easter Holiday and that you are enjoying the Spring break.
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Thanks for joining me in "blogland"
May you have a lovely evening!

~The Garden Goose~

Friday, March 21, 2008

Happy Easter!

I'd like to wish all of you a Happy Easter!

I've included a few freebies here for those of you that enjoy altered art/scrapbooking. Simply click on the image that you like, and do a right click, "save image" to your computer.
Enjoy!
~The Garden Goose~


Have fun with them!

Greeting Cards now available

Hi friends!!

I am pleased to announce that I am now able to offer quality Greeting Cards of my photography images through my gallery at Imagekind.com

You can see the images at:

http://www.imagekind.com/MemberProfile.aspx?MID=2dad6acd-7d32-4d77-98e2-7369d4967d31
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Now you can send one of a kind type greeting cards to your friends and family..from one of your blogger friends..moi!...(smiles)
Feel free to check out my gallery if you'd like.
~Thank you!
~The Garden Goose~

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Spring Tea Time and Blog-A-Thon

Happy to participate in these 2 lovely events across "blogland"

First up is A "Blog-A- Thon event to run for several weeks hosted by: "Gracious Hospitality"at:http://gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

The first theme is "Tea Story" ..we are to either tell a true story or make up a story about a favorite tea cup.
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Next is a "First Day of Spring Tea Party "hosted by the "Partea Planner" at:

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I have included a few photos from my tea setting for both of these events.

I set my table with a few items that remind me of "Spring"
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The tea cup pictured is one that was given to me by a farm girl from Mary Jane's Farm(I have had many things given to me by the farm girls and I must admit shame facedly that I do not remember from whom I recieved this little tea cup) but love it..I do!

It is totally handpainted with the most beautiful delicate roses all over it in lovely pastel colors and has the name A. Frank on the bottom of the plate and Bavaria as being the country where it was made.

I have an incredible imagination at times..so once I got this little tea cup and saw the name A. Frank painted on the bottom of it and I knew the cup and saucer to be antique..well..I started thinking..

"Wouldn't it be so neat to have a tea cup painted by Ann Frank from the war times back during the time of Hitler?"

My imagination took over and I could imagine this girl of 10-11 years old or so ....who enjoyed tea in a fancy cup while sitting and chatting with her dear mother...actually going with her mother to a china shop and choosing a plain tea cup..totally white with nothing on it..but especially for her....and taking it back home with her..and her mom teaching her how to paint little roses on it.

I can imagine that once the war became quite intense that this little tea cup became something to cherish..something to remind her of her times with her dear mama.

It would have been safely tucked away into her secret hiding place, wrapped with a piece of old cloth and tucked beneath a floor board for safe keeping.

Then before things became even worse I can imagine her handing it to a friend and whispering to them.."keep this always as a reminder of me".

Then it being passed along to another over time and of course then being forgotten as to the purpose of why it was precious..until it wound up in my possesion..for me to resurrect the story again....

....but of course it is a made up story..all within my vivid imagination..but I rather like the story.
Don't you?

So..that's what I imagine to be the story behind my tea cup. That's why to me..it has become special..even though it is a totally made up story..I like to think that perhaps it "might" have belonged to a very precious little girl with a story to tell..a reminder to" always look for the Springtime in your heart..always to look for the joy in life" So..I tip my tea cup in memory of Ann Frank.
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The plates holding the cookies and cinnamon roll are handpainted Italian plates..they both have matching tea cups(not shown) I acquired these little plates from a yard sale about 6 yrs. ago.
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I want to wish you all a "Happy First Day of Spring!!"
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Also wanted to include a little photo of my first attempt at needle felting..a wee 1 1/2 inch tall "squirrel nutkin". I think I need to practice more..or else resign myself to the fact that this is quite a challenging thing to do, and one that I fear I may never quite "get the hang of". Ahh well. There are plenty of other things I know how to do and needle felting at this time is not one of them...ha. But I'll keep trying here and there with it.
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May you all have a beautiful day!!
~The Garden Goose~

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Sing! It's Spring!

Happy Spring!

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My yard is starting to look so green and pretty again.

I absolutely adore looking out my kitchen window at the bright new baby green leaves on my drake elm tree that I planted a few years ago as a sapling, and now it is about 15 feet tall and my favorite tree in our yard....But oh how pretty! when it is beginning to be re-dressed in new green finery! I love it!

Oh, and I had begun to fear that my cottage garden had just faded away(of course there were a few plants remaining/perrenials like blanket flowers and so forth that are there...but....no! it is starting to make a come back after a long winter..and I have darling little "Northern Lights Snapdragons(baby snapdragons) popping up everywhere in the prettiest pastel colors....and I have some African Daisies(cape marigold/osteospermum) popping up in the cottage garden also! These little flowers are so very cheerful and so far mine are in a bright yellow color and a bright orange color! Very cheery flowers! I just found out that in my planting zone these little guys can be perrenials! woohoo! ..that means they'll come back year after year..oooh yay! What fun!

We call the cottage garden our "surprise garden" ...as we simply scattered lots and lots of various wildflower seeds all in a large area that we had cleared out/tilled in our yard and set a rock path through the middle of it with a couple ofbenches.. and just scattered wildflower seeds of all kinds about a year ago in winter time all over the cleaned out area...and now it is amazing to see what will "pop up" in the garden.
Can't wait to see all my "surprises" this year.
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We had alot of rain this afternoon late..but afterwards everything looked so fresh..and green. A beautiful late afternoon light bathed all the grass and trees. It looked real nice after all the rain.
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I spent a better part of the day getting my house ready for family to come visit for a few days.

Even "Mr. Collin had a bath..he was so funny..at first he acted like he wanted out of the water and started to give me a hard time, but then once I got him good and wet ..I'll be if that little stinker didn't just lay himself down in the warm water as if he was taking in a fine spa treatment..haha. Now he's all clean and smelling good, especially after I used his mango scented doggy spray and gave him a good brushing down. When he gets a bath he also has his own little toothbrush that I brush his teeth with. He doesn't seem to mind it at all.

Spoiled little guy.

Oh..and he's doing so very well with the "sit" command too.Of course the little begging strips in bacon flavor really help too..ha. He loves those things.

And he has learned to play fetch..and loves it! But he's a bit stubborn yet on giving up the ball, he likes to have a tight grip on it and not give it up. That will be next on the agenda..getting him to release it so that play time is alot easier.

Of course I have also been working on the "lay" command with him along with the "sit' command.
And then we'll start working on the "come" and "stay" commands next.

He's doing a good bit better on the not nipping/biting.
When he begins I immediately freeze up like a statue, and if he begins biting my feet/shoes I immediately pick him up and issue a verbal "no"... and tell him that play time will end if he does not stop.So far he is improving on this, but does have a way to go before we have this issue under control....but..all in all he's doing really well and is a darling puppy.
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Wanted to share a few Spring poems with you all to usher in the first day of Spring:
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Spring Cleaning
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March bustles in on windy feet
And sweeps my doorstep and my street.
She washes and cleans with pounding rains,
Scrubbing the earth of winter stains.
She shakes the grime from carpet green
Till naught but fresh new blades are seen.
Then, house in order, all neat as a pin,
She ushers gentle springtime in.

Author: Susan Reiner
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Spring, the sweet spring, is the year's pleasant king;
Then blooms each thing, then maids dance in a ring,
Cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing.
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!

Thomas Nashe (1567–1601)Summer's Last Will and Testament (1600)
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"Now that the winter's gone, the earth hath lost
Her snow-white robes,and now no more the frost
Candies the grass, or casts an icy cream
Upon the silver lake or crystal stream;
But the warm sun thaws the benumbed earth,
And makes it tender; gives a sacred birth
To the dead swallow; wakes in hollow tree
The drowsy cuckoo and the humble-bee.
Now do a choir of chirping minstrels bring
In triumph to the world the youthful spring."-

Thomas Carew, The Spring, 1630
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"Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world." - Virgil A. Kraft
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"In the glow of the dawn,
Welcome a new day,
Greet the golden sunlight or rain,
Nature in all its subtlety.
Whip of the wind,
Earth unfolds,
Softly falling rain,
Growing plants and buds blossoming.
Visions of the earth, with glories of nature,
Beauty of the daffodils,
Sunshine and rain from a rainbow,
Awe! Nature in full bloom."

- Blanche Black, Springtime
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"We do not ask what useful purpose the birds do sing, for song is their pleasure since they were created for singing. Similarly, we ought not to ask why the human mind troubles to fathom the secrets of the heavens... The diversity of the phenomena of Nature is so great, and the treasures hidden in the heavens so rich, precisely in order that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment."- Johannes Kepler, Mysterium Cosmographicum
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"All that is sweet, delightful, and amiable in this world, in the serenity of the air, the fineness of seasons, the joy of light, the melody of sounds, the beauty of colors, the fragrance of smells, the splendor our precious stones, is nothing else but Heaven breaking through the veil of this world, manifesting itself in such a degree and darting forth in such variety so much of its own nature."

- William Law
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"The year's at spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hill sides's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in his heaven -
All's right with the world!"

- Robert Browning, The Year's at the Spring, 1870
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"For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land."

- Song of Solomon
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Enjoy all the lovely poems.
May you all have a lovely day!

~The Garden Goose~

Monday, March 17, 2008

No more Quackers...and more...

Well..after this afternoon we no longer own 2 Peking ducks.

Seems that once we introduced the female duck to the drake "Daffy" that he became overly protective of her and of what he percieved to be "his territory"..in other words our entire back yard suddenly became his domain to "protect".

So much so that every time my daughter would go outdoors, and if the ducks were out..it was almost guaranteed that she'd be attacked by the drake duck and pecked ...sometimes not just once but numerous times..and these pecks weren't baby pecks..rather they were hard "bites" that resulted in bruises of nearly a blood blister look. Ouch!

So...something had to change!

After placing an ad in our local advertiser last week with no results..I decided to call up our local feed supply store this morning and inquire as to whether the owner of the store knew of anyone interested in owning a pair of Peking ducks.

She told me that I could bring them to the store and that they would take them.

So..to the feed store I went today.

Once I got there she asked me if I wanted her to sell the ducks for me..I quickly thought of this and yes..I could have probably made a wee bit of money trying to sell them, but in the back of my mind I thought..hmm..and what if for some reason she isn't able to sell them in what she percieves to be a timely fashion and then what? Do I get called to come pick them up again? No!

So..I quickly said "oh no!..that's o.k...I thought maybe I'd just go ahead and let you have them to sell for yourself"

Of course she liked that idea and I did too knowing that once I made the deal..it was a done deal and I could walk away free and clear.

So we quickly got the ducks situated into the cage at the feed store. What a relief.

I did stop to look at some of the gerbera daisies and parsley plants and she gave a few of them to me for the ducks.

Anyhow..I honestly have no remorse...no regrets.

They'll have a chance to live on a farm with a pond perhaps.
And I'll have a daughter with bruise free arms again.

It wound up being a learning experience for our whole family..raising the ducklings to maturity and also learning that unless we have a pond and plenty of space..having ducks in the city just wouldn't work for us.

Sometimes in life you have to learn things by going through them.

All in all though it was quite a fun experience for the most part, until the duck turned aggressive.

Anyhow..since alot of you had followed my progress reports on the ducks from way back when they were babies..I thought it proper to let you know that we are now a duck less family.
And...I'm a bit relieved for it honestly.

They were beautiful animals don't get me wrong, but when one of them starts getting ornery..well..it just is best for all involved to call it quits. I hope that now they'll have a chance to splash arounds in a pond somewhere for their remaining years.
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We simply are reduced down to owning 2 chickens and one puppy now. Much easier
to manage.
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The children's room was painted today..a pale baby blue color. Glad that that room is now completed and I can hopefully work on getting other areas of the house redone. I do have to decorate the room yet/hang pictures...but it is amazing what a little paint can do to a room.
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I had a few errands to run today also..so it wound up being a bit of a busy day.

Painters here at 11 then gone by about 1:30, then to the post office, then to the feed store, then to a shop that we provide sign work to, then to the health food store, then back to the shop that we provide products to, then to Kmart to get a few things like bird seed and paper towels...then finally home to prepare dinner.
...But a good day....busy...but good. And very relieved that the children's room is finally painted.
Once it is decorated it will look really nice.
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Well..I hope that you all have a really nice evening.
Thank you for joining me in "blogland"
~The Garden Goose~

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Bottoms Up..(subtitled "Never trust a 3 yr. old to feed your goldfish")

So..I had as of this afternoon a nice goldfish bowl on my kitchen counter filled with 3 lovely fantail goldfish that "had" been thriving and doing quite well for the last 3 weeks..as long as mom was the one in charge of their care.

Well..mom turned her back this afernoon for a brief moment while a certain 3 yr. old also known as "michief always in the making" was supposed to be watching a movie with her older brother.

Hmm....seems helping mommy "feed the fish" was a bit funner.

When what should I happen upon except for a bunch of fishy food on my kitchen counter and little mischief maker sitting in the living room as innocent looking as ever..while lots of fish food floated in the top of the fish bowl.

I immediately scooped the fish out of the bowl and changed the water..but...alas the damage had been done.

Within 30 minutes... 2 of the fish were bottoms up and the 3rd was definitely on it's last leg..err fin.

It too was gone within an additional hour.

Said culprit to this catastrophe cried at first that she had killed mommies fishies, but ..in perfect 3 yr. old uncomprehending fashion as to the facts of death...as soon as she realized mommy had to flush the fishies down the potty..what should she declare except for..."I wanna pee on the fishies!"

Yep.. "Never trust a 3 yr. old to feed your goldfish!"....'nuff said.
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On a brighter note..oldest daughter ...(the more mature one, but perhaps not always the best behaved either..although of course she'll tell you differently...ha)...surprised her dear mama with a beginning needle felting kit.

I had been wanting to learn how to needle felt little critters, simply because I find it intriguing and oh so neat to see these wee tiny creatures crafted out of wool.

So..what should oldest daughter have gotten me ...but.. A pretty good selection of wool roving in bright cheery colors and some needle felting needles. How cool!

I have tried my hand this afternoon at crafting a wee tiny "Squirrel Nutkin".
I only have to attach some seed beads to his head for "eyes" and he'll be complete.

He already holds a tiny acorn in his paws. I'll have to share a photo soon.

It is only about an inch a a half tall..and I must say a wee bit of a challenge to create..but fun too.
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Do any of you do needle felting?Do you know of good websites to point me towards for ideas?(Thanks in advance)
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My darling husband decided to hire/trade out some work for the remainder of the kid's room paint work to be done after I got sick with the kidney infection. I was able to paint the ceiling by myself, then afterwards I got the kidney infection..so he decided to go ahead and hire/trade out for the remainder to be completed. So..hopefully this week I'll be able to decorate the kids room in the look that I have been wanting to do for a while.
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I hope that you all are having a terrific weekend thus far.
Have a great evening!...and thank you for joining me in "blogland"

~The Garden Goose~

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Starting to Feel Better...yay!!

Finally starting to feel better."YIPPEE!!!!


Called the dr's office today to ask questions and was told that the antibiotic will remain in my system 5 days after I finished taking it..which is good.

I go back to the dr. in 2 weeks.
But thankfully the kidney pain has started to diminish.

Wanted to say... thanks for all your good thoughts and kind comments..really appreciated it.
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Went to a few stores today after running errands..and I declare.."Collin" was about the only one that got spoiled today..ha.(except for the fact that I did buy myself a few magazines)
Actually I had to buy him some more dog food..so to Petsmart I went..but before that I stopped at Target..
They have some of the cutest Easter chocolates(no..I didn't buy any) but they were in farm animal shapes..so cute..little lambs, ducks and bunnies..absolutely adorable..and all the Spring colors ..love looking at the new designs in the dishes..saw the cutest Daisy plates and cups..but..no..I didn't buy them.(may have to go back and indulge myself)

I got a book on Click training my dog, and a pair of doggy nail clippers, and some doggy smell pretty spray for "Collin"..see I told you he got spoiled today.
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Then I stopped by Books A Million..this stop was for me..ha.

I took a browse through the latest "Artful Blogging" magazine..and saw my friend Kim/from "Daisy Cottage" mentioned in there..and lots of other beautiful blogs.

Browsed through several of the Somerset Studio magazines as well....
but..wound up getting the latest "Tea Time" and "Hobby Farm Home" magazines.
Will have to subscribe to these that's for sure.
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The latest "Tea Time" magazine has a scrumptious looking recipe for Strawberry Macaroons..the true French styled macaroons! ..ooh la-la.

If only I didn't have so much weight to lose..but alas..I can only look and drool for now.
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If you enjoy all things tea,tea time,then do check out this magazine..it has lovely "eye candy" and wonderful tea time recipes.
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The latest issue of "Hobby Farm Home" covers "Cooking with Garden Herbs".

I can't wait to flip through the pages..as I really want to grow several herbs this year by the back door.

Right now I have violas and pansies growing in the repurposed deck area.(An old deck area that was ripped out and changed into a garden bed with 4 small raised bed areas with a mulched and stepping stone path through the middle/still surrounded by the deck railing though)

I have seen/read that violas and pansies are edible flowers..and I actually did try tasting them the other day..but..I think I prefer simply snipping the flowers and pressing them between paper towels to be used later in crafts. They didn't taste all that great..to me anyhow. But..I did get brave and try though..ha.
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And yes.."Collin" got his dog food today..and some chewy sticks to munch on. See..I told you he got spoiled today..ha.
And yesterday hubby bought him a new kennel..and a bed.(I think we have another "child"..ha)
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Well..I am sighing with relief that I am feeling lots better now. Can't wait until I'm back to normal all the way and can get back to the projects on my "to do" list.
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Well...thank you all for visiting.
I have enjoyed it so much..and have noticed that I have some "new faces" visiting my blog lately.
Thank you and welcome!
I hope that you'll become a "regular", and stop by and say "howdy" every now and again.
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Thanks for joining me in "blogland"
May you have a wonderful evening!

~The Garden Goose~

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

About me/a wee bit of clarification...

I have been asked recently via email..
"where do you live that has a "Small Town Feel" ..and still allows you to live near the beach??
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I wanted to clarify a few things for those that might be wondering...
I do not live in a "small town"... as of yet..
It is my dream and goal to eventually live in a small town.

For now..and for the last 18 years..I have lived in a city...perhaps small on some people's versions of towns..but to me..a big city...as I grew up in a tiny South Florida town as a kid..

18 yrs. ago I transferred to the Panhandle region of Florida when I married.

Yes, we live near the beach/intercoastal waterway..but this town in no way qualifies as the "small town" of my dreams...where folks wave and smile while sweeping their porches.
Quite the contrary..here that just doesn't happen..here in this city..finding a scene like that ..one would be hard pressed to do so.

It is a very transient town..folks come and go often due to military duties and comings and goings and this being more of a "tourist trap"/"Spring break/party" type city...folks simply don't put down as many "roots" here or get to know their neighbors and be friendly with them.

Thus..I continue to dream towards reaching my goal of living in a "small town"..where a smile and a wave are commonplace.

Where a plate full of cookies are shared with neighbors, and you know each other on a first name basis.

Do I like this city that I live in?...No!

..have I adapted to it?..sort of..by creating an oasis in my own home and yard and bringing in a bit of the "country/small town feel" into my own life/home/family atmosphere.

Do I wish to escape the city?..you bet! and to live in a "small town" again?..absolutely!!
That is my dream and goal..and hopefully one day soon I can achieve that.

In the meantime I continue to create a backyard oasis by planting and planning little garden areas. Creating a lovely home and enjoying the joys of both gardening and decorating.

Do I actually have many friends here you might ask? The answer is no..actually I have "acquaintances"..but no true friends here.
I have found that a difficult thing to acquire here as ...well..folks just aren't that friendly here.
They don't smile and wave and ask how you are doing..here..that simply doesn't happen.
I can actually define this city/this area..as being rather "stuck up" if you may..ha.

But adapt..I think I have..a wee bit. I simply am continuing to dream about the day..I can pack the moving van and say "hasta la vista baby!" and move to an area as I mentioned..where the folks have a smile on their faces and a wave for ya as you enter town...and where..if you go to the local Wal-mart or any other store..they know you by name.

But for now..the "city" is home..and I continue to dream.
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Since my husband and I are the editors/developers of the online magazine...
"Small Town Living" (http://www.stliving.net/)
I do see where the confusion could enter into the picture as to where I live/what I am about.
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I thought this would also add a bit more clarification:

Who are we and how did we end up producing Small Town Living?
We're the Wilson family, Paul and Tina with three children living on the panhandle of Florida. Early in 2006 we were talking to some family members who were planning to move to Thomasville, GA. Their plans were driven in part by a desire to get away from the congestion and sprawl in their own town. On a whim we drove up to Thomasville for a weekend and fell in love with what we found. People were friendly, open and made us feel welcome where ever we went. At one point, lost, we stopped and asked a woman sweeping her porch for directions. She told us how to get to the street we were looking for and when she heard we were considering moving to her community she told us we would love it. Her friendliness and warmth were one of the many pleasant memories we still have of our visit.
Once back home we began to talk more about also moving to the area to be closer to family and to get away from the rampant development we were seeing in our own community. There were alot of things we had to consider, where to work, where to live, would we buy a new home? a historic home? land outside of town? We spent hours researching all these topics. My wife had been raised in a rural community and she let us know that if we got a place with a bit of land she would like to own a few animals and grow a few things - Her farm girl was starting to wake up again after living in the city for 15 years.
Small Town Living was born from the interests we have in living in a smaller rural community and from my own love of publication design. We'll share the information we find with you and resources we all can enjoy using. For the time being we're going to continue releasing the magazine in a digital format, but we're looking forward to the day that the first print issue rolls off the press. This topic resonates with many people who want things to move a little slower and simpler, who want to call some small town somewhere....Home.
I hope you enjoy Small Town Living. We'd like to give a special thanks to the numerous authors and photographers who help enrich the quality of the publication with each passing issue.
The Wilsons
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~The Garden Goose~/Tina