Bits and bobs...

"Some old fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat!"

 ~Laura Ingalls Wilder~

 Such a beautiful season...Spring! Wildflowers bloom in all the fields, fruit trees blossom, and the garden comes back to life after lying dormant for the Winter months. Now the rush begins, seeds must be planted soon, or there won't be enough time for them to germinate, grow and give fruit. 

My Shasta Daisy^

 My little flower garden is coming on nicely...my sweet sister, Nancy, gifted me with a pretty little Shasta Daisy bush, which I received with glee! Daisies are my favourite flower, and it looks so lovely in my garden. My Dad also put one of his rose bushes in the corner, and my Mom gave me a foxglove bush. I have also planted more sweet peas and I will be planting zinnias, marigolds and my cornflowers have also come up.

 I am craving a trip to the nursery! I wanted to thank all of my lovely readers who left me some flower suggestions in the comments...you all were so helpful and encouraging♡

Beautiful lusurne fields^

In the mornings, when we go outside early to milk, the sun is shining, and we no longer have to bundle up in warm jackets and scarves...it makes milking a lot easier, and definitely more enjoyable! Our milk cow, Candy, is doing very well, and we all have settled into a good routine. I love milking, and I find that it can be quite relaxing, provided the cow is in an amiable mood of course!

We have gotten our first crop of potatoes into the ground, {{finally!}} as well as our butternuts. We finished clearing the pumpkin patch a couple of days ago, and we will be planting those soon as well. My onions are doing very well, and have begun making bulbs already, which is exciting!

I am looking forward to the fruit coming in, as canning and preserving is a job which I truly enjoy doing, and I set myself a little challenge each year, to see how many jars I can get on the pantry shelf. Sadly, all of our peach and nectarine trees have developed peach leaf curl, a fungal disease caused by too much damp and wet weather. It can eventually kill the trees, if not treated quickly, so last week I spent an afternoon spraying on a liquid that should hopefully sort the problem out. We are praying that the Lord will bless and protect our plants and trees.

My Dad has begun building a fence around the new field. Soon we will have our cow grazing here^

When I am not in the garden or the kitchen, I am enjoying many other little hobbies and pursuits. I have begun embroidering again, and in the evenings Rebekah and I enjoy sitting in our room.  I sew whilst listening to her read aloud. Last night we began a book about Knights and the medieval period, lent to us by our brother in law. I love this cosy hour before bed, and I treasure the friendship I have with my sister♡

I was very excited to find a pretty pair of regency gloves in a second hand store last month, I feel so ladylike wearing them, and I have asked my very talented sister, Nancy, to sew me a regency dress...my sisters and I  firmly believe that we were born in the wrong period, as we all enjoy old fashioned outfits. {{smiles}}

Pretty peach blossoms^

There is also a certain little getaway which I am looking forward to, happening  sometime next month....my sister and her husband have asked me to join them on their three day holiday in Sedgefield! it will be so lovely to spend some time with them...I am missing my sister, and little cutie pie Nicholas♡

Almost every evening, we have the incredible privilege of going to cut fresh lucerne for our cow,  from our neighbour's fields. We are so thankful for his kindness^

In my family, life is rarely dull, and the house never completely quiet. There is always something going on, and as we begin our third summer here on our homestead, we all realise how important it is that we pull together and work as a team. 

 In this crazy, upside down world we are living in, it is comforting to know that no matter what happens, we have the Lord to lean on and trust in, and we have each other.

I hope that you are having a blessed season, wherever you are♡