i have to say...

it was a super-duper dream come true

We finally got her on a horse!

My girl has been campaigning for horse-riding lessons for a while now, and a friend helped us to make that happen.  She was thrilled to be able to hop on one and ride and she wasn't scared one bit.  The scared one was me.  Horses are beautiful and amazing to look at, but I am not so sure about them when my kids are on them.  Lucky for me, my friend is quite trustworthy and I know she will take great care of Aubry.

While I was waiting for the lesson to be done, I was entertained by these turkeys who like to respond to people's talking with gobbling.  It was quite amusing.

Have a lovely day!

***Please note that I have a helmet for Aubry, but just couldn't use it this first week.  Starting next week her head will be perfectly protected.  Thanks for the reminders!

lazy man's grape juice

Oh my gosh, yesterday was the crazy grape juice makin' day.  It was tons of fun and lots of work. 

Not really wanting to deal with any more grapes soon...

We ended up with 98 jars for our pantry shelves!  The juice tastes so good and fresh and clean.  Nothing like the thick, syrupy stuff from the store.  I may actually have to hide these from my husband.

In case you are intereted, this is how we made the juice.  I like to call it Lazy Man's Grape Juice:

To one clean quart jar add:  2 cups of grapes (give or take a few) and 1/4 cup sugar.  Add boiling water to fill the jar and close with a clean lid and a ring.  Process in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes.

You are done.

Now, when you want to drink it, simply drain it through a seive and squish the grapes with the back of a spoon to release all of the juice.  You can drink it as is, or add some water to taste.

You won't want to go back to buying it at the store after you taste this.

It's that good!

i think we may have overdone it

The last couple of years I have tried to find a source of grapes to make grape juice, but haven't come across anybody--until this year!  A friend told me about a lovely lady who is unable to pick her grapes so she allows people to come by and pick in exchange for a few jars of grape juice or grape jelly, whatever is being made.

When we arrived it turned out her vineyard was picked almost clean, but the neighbor's vineyard was full of grapes--full!--and weeds.  The weeds were as tall as me and I instanly regretted wearing shorts.  Pants would have been more appropriate, but that's OK.  My legs look like my 14 year old son's, all scratched up, but it just means that I am happy to have a ton of grapes.

I poured out one of the 24 bags that we picked and it overflowed my colandar.  Three friends and I will be busily making grape juice this morning and afternoon while the kids do school and play.

A little hectic?  Yes.  But one of my favorite kinds of days.

I will let you know how many jars we get.

Did I mention that we may have overdone it?

being thankful

This is one of those weeks where I am going to need to focus on all of the good things in my life, so I thought I would start the week of with another "thankfulness" post.  You can bet that when you see "thankfulness" posts on my blog that I am struggling a bit with an attitude or circumstances that just don't fit.  I am a big believer in making sure my mind is centered on the right things to avoid big pitfalls, you know?

Today I am thankful for:

***apples.  i have a bunch of them that need to be canned.  it's good to have work to do.

***a source of free grapes for making grape juice for canning.  i love free and useful things!

***great kids who make me laugh often.

***a married daughter i get to talk and text to often.

***a really cool business that feels more like a hobby than a job.

***a God who speaks to me when I sit still to listen.

***a God who speaks His love to my heart when I need it.

***my mom lives close by!  how many years did i pray for this?

***a friend with a really good listening ear.  everyone needs one of those.

***brown belt testing in one week.  i can be thankful for something that is a little scary, right?

***sewing projects waiting for attention.  i love creating.

***a dad who loves me.  and his lovely wife who is a gem.  i am so glad he married her!

***a car with a good stereo system.  i love loud music!

***a scale that tells me that my weight is almost where i want it.  almost.

***blog friends who take the time to stop by and say "hi".  you mean a lot to me.

***a bike i can ride.  my hubs fixed one up since mine was broken.  it's a nice way to exercise.

***a laundry pile that reminds me that i have lots of wonderful people living in my home.

***coffee. the first cup in the morning when it's cold outside.  love it!

what about you?  are you thankful for something today?

I completely forgot to link Soulemama's blog yesterday because she was hosting a giveaway from my shop and there is also a sale code good through Tuesday.  Unfortunately the comments are closed on the giveaway, but the sale code is still good.  Sorry about not linking the giveaway!

Thanks!

shop notes: new goodies!

The lovely Breakfast at Tiffany's collection has landed on my shop shelves.  Oh, it's so pretty! 

You will find yardage, bundles and pre-cuts all ready for your lastest sewing projects.

Happy sewing!

what do you say.....

...we all take some time to play this weekend.  Lately I have caught myself being way too "adult" and that's just boring.

My 14 year old son came to my hubs and I last night to tell us we needed to spend more family time together. He said it's been too long since we have had a family movie night and some time to play.

Do I even need to say that I feel totally blessed to have a teenager that likes to hang out with me?

If he thinks we need to play more, I am playing more.  Period.

Have a weekend full of smiles!

he wasn't a good choice for the portrait pictures

You would think I would know better than to try to use Seamus as my subject for the portrait pictures for my photography class.  Even though I am fully equipped with dog biscuits, a soothing voice and lots of praise, he did this at pivitol times:

I guess a subject needs to be not only handsome, but obedient. 

Seamus seems to be in a "teenage" stage right now where the rules are apparently optional to him.  Lucky for me I have some experience with teenagers and I know it's all gonna turn out in the end.

I just need to find another subject for the portraits.

thankfulness

***friends who like to hang out and do silly things together like canning and sewing

***knowing that God is always there, always in control, even when life seems a bit off kilter

***boys who are kind and thoughtful

***reconnecting with old friends

***photography class.  i have wanted to do this for so long!

***a husband with a full work schedule

***first day of fall.  this is my favorite season.

have a lovely day!

EDITED TO ADD: The sweetest girl contacted me about a giveaway she was having on her blog to raise money for a family whose newborn babe only lived for three days.  His medical expenses are very high and she wants to help.  I was so touched by her kindness and by the beauty on her blog that I had to join in.  You don't find many teens like this gal.  She is a gem, for sure.

Click here to find the giveaway.  She has a Paypal button on her sidebar that you can use to donate.  Together we can make a difference in the life of a family whose heart is aching right now.

Thank you, Ashley, for organizing this.  You are a sweetheart.

another step closer

I had mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my Fresh Cottons quilt would be done by the weekend, but that turned out to be a lie.  Not an intentional lie, mind you, just an accidental one. I didn't know I would get caught up in the the other sewing projects that I have posted here recently.

Am I the only one who finds the most inspiration while I am working on a large project?  It always makes the project last a while longer than I intend.

Of course, I have about a million strings to cut before I can go any farther.  Leaving the threads is a bad sewing habit of mine.

Do you have any projects in the works?