Man...oh man...oh man!!!  What have I done!!!???  I'm drowning in squash and zucchini!  What with all the trouble we've had, in the past, trying to get a garden to grown, I never thought I would have such success this year!  Well, I don't know if you would call it a success since I have yet to get a single tomato or pepper but I have squash, zucchini, and beets, coming out of my ears!

That's a wonderful thing, you know!  I am freezing some, cooking a bit, here and there, and I am trying my hand at fermenting.  I'll let you know about the fermenting...I'm still not sure if I like it. I'm thinking about getting a dehydrator but I'm not sure what you do after you get the veggies dried.  Have you used dehydrated veggies?  Do you have a favorite recipe or tip for using them?

I have also been making the woven wall hangings, again.  It is relaxing to do this and I can whip a small one out in a day.  Still thinking about making some to sell.  

This one I made in just a few hours.  Super easy.  The picture shows it to be blue but it is actually turquoise and brown.  I haven't decided what to use for the hanger but I'm leaning towards a painted dowel rod or maybe one with some wood burning on it.  

This one was a special request from my sweet granddaughter.  She tends to be a hippie/gypsy, too, and she loves all of the things I come up with.  I can't wait until she learns to do some of these crafts.  I am looking forward to what her imagination comes up with!  Mentioning my granddaughter...

She loves this crazy, trouble-making, dog!  She found one of her little stuffies and gave it to him.  They sat there for quite awhile talking and playing.  

This little man makes my heart happy.  He looks so much like my Daddy!  I know Daddy would have loved this boy and there is no doubt, both the grands would have loved their Great Big Pappaw!  

Well that is about all I got.  I'll just leave you with a couple of pictures.  

Mine and the granddaughter's kayak.  We had a wonderful time paddling around this past weekend.

I wish you could have seen this sunset in person.  It was gorgeous!  God loves to show up and show out, doesn't He!

Grace & Peace,
Pam

Veggies, Weaving, and Are We Crazy???

Well what do you know!  I made it back in here before a month had passed!  I'm pretty proud of myself, for that!  HeHeHe! 

So...our little garden is producing pretty well...for now.  I don't know what or how, but something large enough to take a bite out of the tomatoes, is getting in and doing just that.  Taking bites out of tomatoes, trampling down the squash, and not leaving nary a footprint!  How whatever it is, has managed to get in the garden fence, is beyond me.  There are no holes or dugout places.  The first year I've been able to get anything to grow in this awful soil, and now some little moocher is out to destroy it!  I am putting out one of my son's, game cameras, out there.  They may kill the whole thing but not before I get a look at their mangy little faces!  Devils is what they are!

Mentioning something taking a bite out of the veggies...

I had just washed this batch of spinach and had it laid out to dry, a little bit, before putting it up, when my grandbabies came for the day.  I turned around and this monkey was sitting in the middle of the table just munching away!  That's how they do.  Climb up and sit on my big ole farm table to do all kinds of things.  I don't care especially when they are eating good, healthy, home grown food!  Silly kids!  

What she didn't eat, I made a couple of  wonderful salads and sauteed some of the spinach for supper tonight.  It is so rewarding when you get to eat what you grew.  God is good to provide!

My daughter...my BABY...turned 27 years old, last week.  I don't know who gave her permission to grow up but they need to take it back.  It is unbelievable that my children are the ages they are.  I mean, really, one has already passed me in age and my baby will over take me in two years!  LoL  They are OLD!  

I let the grandbabies put together a small birthday party for her, which was too much fun!  We decorated with streamers and had cupcakes and ice cream.  The granddaughter made her a painted stick with feathers and beads.  I forgot to get a picture of it but it was cute.  My freespirited granddaughter has my hippie blood and she always comes up with stuff like that.  Love that girl!  

I have been trying my hand at weaving, lately, and made this sweet little wall hanging for the birthday girl.  This is the first one I made and even though I had no idea what I was doing, I think it turned out pretty good.  I'm working on a larger one for our travel trailer, now.  I am letting the yarn decide the design just as I did on the one above.  I like to do that pretty much in everything I do.  I think the end product comes out better than if I followed a pattern or recipe.  

So, about that travel trailer...

My Mister, and I, are considering a drastic lifestyle change, within the next year.  We want to sell our home and go full time RVing.  Not that we would travel all the time, because he still has to work, but downsize to the point that we can go on proper vacations, etc., a few times a year.  We don't need all this stuff.  So many people are building expensive tiny homes, these days, but we have a nice travel trailer that is more spacious that most of those tiny homes, so why not live in it.  We would save about $1000 each month, which would be saved for those trips we want to take and a future sticks and bricks house once we decide we can't go anymore.  We have sacrificed, scraped by, and merely existed, for years, to have nothing to show for it but a bunch of bills and no time to do anything.  I hate to see him work so hard, stress so much, and never have time to really relax because the grass needs to be mowed, this needs to be fixed or that has to be done.  I want to enjoy my husband before we are both too old to do anything besides telling one another that food is stuck in our dentures or to please remember to pick up adult diapers!  LoL  I think you get the idea.  So do y'all think we are crazy???  Some do and that's ok!  Would you do it if you could?

Grace & Peace,
Pam

Another month has flown by with not so much as a hello from me.  That's what happens around here.  I get busy with things and before I know it time has flown by.  I always have such good intentions, too!!!  Let me try to bring you up to speed...

RAIN!!!  We've had so much rain.  All the lakes and rivers are full and some are running out of the banks.  I daresay there were probably some upset people during the holiday weekend.  A lot of the parks, campgrounds, and other recreation areas, were closed down because of flooding.  I, myself, won't complain because this is Oklahoma and just as quick as the rain came, it will leave just the same leaving us hot and dry, for months.  Although, I would love to get my kayak in the water at some point in the near future!!!

The squash plants seem to like all the rain.  I just planted these a couple of weeks ago and they are growing like crazy.  Unfortunately, so is the grass!  I can't keep up with pulling grass out of the garden!  Hopefully, I will get a few veggies before the grass takes over!

Weekend before last, we took our granddaughter to a local arts festival.  She had so much fun!  Lots of things to see and do.

There were a lot of art cars but I think Chewie was the best and both of these kids loved it!

I though this was such an awesome idea.  Everyone could leave a painted hand print on the side of  this building.  The Princess though that was the coolest thing.  I am going to take her back to the building to see if she can find hers!  The hand print wall will stay up until next year's festival.  Simple art to brighten someone's day!

Of course there was facepainting!  The coolest, sweetest, Hippie/Gypsy lady did them and I want y'all to know, she is one talented gal!  I wish I had gotten a picture of her but I was amazed by her work!  The Princess certainly thought she was awesome!

My sweet Princess is such a ham.  A colorful, free spirited, ham!  LoL... yes she picked out her own outfit and I always let her wear what she wants too, providing everything is properly covered.  You know what...she fit in perfectly!  After all, it was an arts festival with lots of colorful, free spirited, folks walking around.  I think PawPaw and I were the ones who didn't fit in, what with our normal clothes.  Next year, though...

Last weekend, Princess and I went to an event held by one of my friends.  It is called "Urban Ag Day", and is a learning event, for kids.  They learned about different parts of plants, got to see and pet some small animals that you can raise in the city, how to be sustainable no matter where you live.  It was mostly for the urban/inner city kids, but she enjoyed it.  Of course, her favorite was the different types of soil and rocks!  That is her thing and I think she might have taught the teacher a few things!  LoL  Lots of fun.

It won't be long until this big boy can go on adventures with us!  He is growing by leaps and bounds!

He is already 3ft tall and would you look at those calves!  He definitely is living up to the nickname I gave him.  Hoss!  And he's the Boss!  I can't wait until we can take him fishing!

This past weekend, our church had a visit from our missionaries.  They serve in Rwanda and I tell you, their spirit and love for the kids is above and beyond!  David and Rhonda are walking the walk and talking the talk!  So much so, that I am working on a mission trip for our church.  Check out their website.  Cramers in Africa

Mentioning our church, I have jumped off a cliff and am now directing/teaching our new Creative Arts Ministry.  I don't know what I was thinking!  LoL  I do love it and drama/dance/art if how I express my love for Jesus, and I feel other's, who might feel intimidated by outward worship and praise, can use creative arts as a means to do so.

Y'all remember how I said I thought I saw a tattoo, piercing, or purple hair, in my future???  Well...this happened!

The Cancer Sucks Charity held a benefit tattoo event, last month, and my daughter and I got tattoos in memory of my Mama, who fought to the very end.  We had to stand in line for almost nine hours but the time spent with my precious daughter doing something to fights this evil disease, that has both touched our hearts and devastated our lives, was well worth it.  We already have plans for next year!

Well, I think that mostly catches us up.  I will work on posting, more often, now that it is getting too hot to be outside during the middle of the day!

Grace & Peace,
Pam