"Nothing Time"! :)

Hobbes: "Well, Summer is almost over. It sure went quick, didn't it?"
Calvin: "Yep."
Calvin: "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want."

I'm hoping when you click on this photo it will enlarge so you can enjoy Bill Watterson's art work! As I've said before, our whole family are big fans of Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes! :)
We can truely relate! :)
Summer seems to always go too quickly, for us, but this year it sped by extra fast! We were so busy this summer, that we didn't get enough "nothing" time!! :)
The guys managed to spend a little time on the hammock, (one of our "nothing time" favorites), but I think I spent a total of two minutes on it all year!! :)
I love to lay on it, with one leg ready to push off the ground, keeping a steady, gentle swing motion going! It's so pleasant to listen to all the sounds of nature, and watch the birds fleeting to and from the feeders! :) It's especially nice when the sun is shining and there's a soft whisper of a breeze caressing my face! I can even look up at the sky and watch the clouds shifting shapes as they go drifting by! :)
I'm promising myself, right now, that I'm going to make more "nothing time" for myself in 2011! It's going to be one of my resolutions, because "nothing time" can be very restorative!!! :)
Sometimes we need to make "nothing time" for ourselves, to exhale; feel our heart rate slow down; listen to nature; remember the bigger picture; and that we have a loving Heavenly Father Who is aware of us, loves us, and wants to be an ongoing part of our lives! :)
Here's hoping we all get a little "nothing time" now and then, and enjoy it's great bennefits! :)

Evaluating Accomplishments! :)

It's all too easy, when evaluating one's year, to think of the goals that didn't come to fruition, - especially when there are goals you so longed to do! :)
I think of the 2010 veggie garden that I had such high hopes for, that ended up not coming together! This was the year I'd planned to get all the flower beds weeded, add additonal plants, and lay fresh bark throughout! Here it is Sep. and I'm Still hoping to get some free time to get some of that done! :)
This photo I took reminded me of the importance of taking a moment to acknowledge what Has been done, instead of focussing on what hasn't! :)

After all, the reason I didn't get the garden and yard work accomplished, this year, was because of other goals that I was involved with, that took precedence over them! :)

Instead of getting our yard in order, I was working on getting our home in order!! We now are enjoying the blessing of new doors and windows, and the dining room window that I've envisioned being glass french doors, is now a reality!! :) Next summer we plan to add a patio, and patio furniture, so we can make better use of our back yard! :)

And looking through these glass doors I see the new deer fence that my Sweetie built, that will be a huge blessing with the many gardens that will yet be planted there! The raspberry vines I planted last spring have settled in nicely and expect to produce fruit in 2011! :) The garden has been 'tilled and "put to bed", and will be ready to work for us next season! :)

Whatever doesn't get done this year will swap over to next year's goals list! :)

2011's garden, I reason, will be that much more spectacular because I'll have had two years to plan it!! :)

There's other goals too, that my Sweetie and I can feel good about, like losing alot of our excess weight, and working on reading our scriptures! :)

I still have tons to do before the new year! The most exciting one is going to UT to help when our daughter has their 2nd baby!!!! :)

So here's hoping we all take a moment to evaluate the accomplishments we've had in 2010! :) Before we know it, the new year will be upon us, and we'll be setting new, (and rolled over) goals for ourselves!! :) And doesn't it feel good to take a moment to acknowledge our accomplishments!!!!? :)

We Can See Clearly Now! :)

What a difference new windows and doors make!! :)
My blog is still only allowing one photo per post, so since I can only show you one photo, I chose my favorite window! I still need to iron and rehang the valance, but it's the windows I wanted to show you, anyway! :)
We now have Mercer windows, and I have to tell you that I Never have seen window glass that looks so clear, in all my life, nor did I dream it exsisted!! When the protective plastic was removed it looked like there was No glass there!! :) We couldn't be more pleased!! :)
It's a far cry from the windows that used to be there! There were streaks Inside the glass, itself, that no cleaning would remove, - and it always bothered me!
These windows will be fun to clean, because they will look clean when I'm done! :)
And I Do mean clean!! :) It's a happy adjustment because we can see clearly now!! Hurray!! :)

Another Nature Novelty! :)

Last week we saw a baby coyote in our front yard, and clapped our hands to frighten it away! (We don't want it to feel too at home here.) It wasn't untill it ran off that I thought about taking a photo of it!

So when, a few days ago, we saw it strolling across our field, I asked Cal to run out and take a few quick photos before shooing it off! He and his Dad have begun to enjoy taking nature photos, like me! :)

It was fun seeing it enjoying the summer sun, and pouncing on insects, or mice, in the field! :)

This year I learned new respect for coyotes! The rabbit population was higher than usual and I began to realize that I hadn't been hearing the psychotic sound of the coyotes cry and excited yipping. Perhaps, ... just perhaps, ... they've been giving us a needed service to keep things in check, all these years! :) Now that I hear them in our area, again, the rabbits are not so over populated, and maybe my flowers, in the flower beds, will make a come back now! :)

So while they are still not one of my favorite of God's creatures, I do have a new admiration for them and the service they give in keeping ballance in nature! :)

Pollination Population's Prospering! :)

For those who follow my blog, you may remember a post I did about our new addition, - the Mason Bees! :)
I bought the bee house with the empty bee tubes, and one single tube housing 4-6 baby bees! That one, thin, cardboard tube can be seen 3 up from the bottom, center. You now will notice atleast 3 filled tubes in the bottom, center area! :) I have them placed in an out-of-the-way location, and totally missed this tube-filling activity! The few times I thought to go look, I didn't see anything happening, and began to feel concerned that they may have chosen to not use the house I'd provided for them! I noticed them when I went to water some plants in that area! I'm so thrilled to see they are using the house, because that means they are here to stay! :)
And as you can see, their population has now tripled in one season!! :) Hurray!! :) One year we should be looking at a "full house", and I'll be buying more housing for them! We had atleast 3 to 5 Mason Bee homes full of activity at the garden nursery I used to work at! One day I hope to see that pleasant, busy activity, right here at home! :)

Unexpected ... ! :)

This year's garden experience was totally unexpected!
We never expected winter to hang on well into spring, giving us late frosts and temperatures too cool to warm the soil enough to plant seeds! -
Nor did we expect that Rud would be so busy with church responsibilities that he wouldn't have a single weekend free for 2 -3 months, (very unusual), which really set back the time frame for getting the deer fence built! -
We knew we had company coming, and that I was going to be taking a flight back to UT with them, not returning untill July 8th, but had thought the fence would be built, the soil warmed and 'tilled, and I would have it all planted before leaving! Of course things didn't go as expected so I ended up not planting a garden this year.
When I returned I knew it was too late to plant all the garden seeds I had planned to grow, (and I had a family reunion I was in charge of this year), so instead, I decided the smart thing to do was to get the garden ready for next year!! :)
The deer fence is up; I have all the seeds; the new row of raspberry plants, I planted this spring, are getting established and gearing up to bear their first fruit next year; and Rud 'tilled the soil so it will be easy to work up next year, and hopefully help us get an early start! :)
Instead of pouring over the seed catalogs this winter, I'll be laying out my seed packets, planning the lay out of the garden! I can't begin to tell you how anxious and excited I am about next year's garden!! It will have been two years in the planning by the time I place those patient seeds in the ground, and the wait only adds to my anticipation and excitement!! :)
So here it is August and instead of picking and bringing in produce, I'm looking at a garden that has already been "put to bed", which would have been totally unexpected, last spring! But I'm alright with it! I'm just looking forward to next year's garden, That Much More!! :)

Reunion Raves! :)

Since before I was born the Falters have been reuniting annually! It's always the same time every year, and always good company, good food, good fun, and lots of laughter! :)
This year was a little different for me, because it was the first time I've been the one in charge of it! My sister, Diane, and I agreed to take our turn at taking the reins and running with it, and we put alot of ourselves into it! :)
One of the things we dreamed up was this new reunion t-shirt! During the meeting, I gave everyone info' on how they can get one too, and I'm hoping to see a few more matching t's show up next year! :)
I won't go into all we did to try to make the reunion a success! It's enough to know that all enjoyed themselves and appreciated our efforts! :)
I just wanted to take a moment to openly reflect on what a wonderful family I'm blessed to be a part of! :) I need look no further than this comical, warm, delightful, honest, generous, hospitable, and trustworthy group, - to know where some of my best qualities come from! :)
As now is the time of year when many are enjoying family reunions, my wish is that you may all be half as blest as I am!! :) Hurray For Family!!! :)