Anniversaries And Other Wonders....

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

-Mignon McLaughlin

As I write this morning, I feel a sense of content and quiet that soothes me. Now that school is back in session...Stan and Savanna are both gone for the day. I love our summers together, but must admit that I don't accomplish much of anything. Not only that...I have no structure. We sleep in, we lie around, we eat too much junk. This is lovely for a time, but I am always happy to get back to a routine. In the days since Stan has gone back to teaching, and Savanna has started her first year of high school...I feel I have accomplished much. I have been able to tackle some much needed chores around the house...the laundry is caught up, but there is still painting to be finished in the attic space. I have successfully canned 10 pints of tomatoes with many more to come...30 quarts of pickles and peppers...and even dried some romas and packed them in olive oil and basil. I love summer, but am always happy that as it draws to a close, my favorite season will be here before we know it. This fall brings the second year of waiting in our quest to adopt. I am at a point where I feel it would be perfect. We have done house projects that we could not do had we had a baby sooner...we have our health insurance and other necessities in that area taken care of...and I am trying to make a go of my shop from home so that when a baby does come, there won't be any big surprises. The waiting has been hard, but I have to hope that the baby that needs us will come...sometime. Stan and I just celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. I thought I'd share the pictures of the little trip we took to Nebraska City. Having time to sit back and think and reflect on our marriage and all it's twists and turns...it's true, it doesn't look exactly as we may have sketched it in our minds...but I wouldn't change it for anything. We have widened the scope of our vision...and like some of the pictures I take, it may be out of focus at times, yet still beautiful and treasured.

Here is where we stayed...The Lied Lodge in Nebraska City. It is a sprawling, rustic feeling place...beautiful woodwork, lovely touches of nature.



I love how quiet Nebraska City is. We visited a few little parks. There are these meandering little walkways that are just begging to be lingered over. Of course, the number of trees is magnificent and it lends to that feeling of shelter and secrecy.

After visiting a few of the orchards...Stan took me to the Arbor Lodge, original home of J. Sterling Morton and his wife Caroline Morton. This place is full of romance and heirlooms...built from the ground up by a couple with a love for nature. The story of their courtship and marriage is interesting and the way that they chose to live their lives is fascinating...the legacy that lives on is one they would surely be proud of. Read more about it here:http://library.thinkquest.org/J0111463/arborlodge.htm
Julius Sterling Morton and his beloved Carrie.
Before you get to the mansion, there is a lovely little memorial monument to Julius. The statue is beautiful, but I loved the Whispering Bench. You sit on one end...your partner on the other...whisper something into the back of the bench and your partner can hear it on the other side. I can't promise that everything we whispered was kid approved.
On my end of the whispering bench.

Mr. Harper

I personally thing that this statue of J. looks rather mean...he wasn't that way at all. They were probably going for stoic.

Here is a view of the mansion as we walked up...it is just beautiful.





This is a view from the window of the 2nd floor. I love how it overlooks the garden and oh, the trees.
Love these old buggies in the nursery.

So, if you know me...you know I love bees and so I was in heaven when we walked into the carriage house and saw the bee colony on display. Stan had to drag me away.




Happy Anniversary Mr. Harper.

My Sweet Savanna

Adolescents are not monsters. They are just people trying to learn how to make it among the adults in the world, who are probably not so sure themselves. ~Virginia Satir, The New Peoplemaking, 1988

Thought I'd share some pics of my girl off to her first day of High School. Sniff sniff. Isn't she lovely?

Awake Asleep Owlie Mama and Baby

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."
~Edgar Allan Poe


I recently made a little gift for my beloved niece Chloe. I was going to make her one of my Mama and Baby Owlie pillows. As I working on it a light bulb went off. I would make one side awake and alert, the other side sleepy and calm. These pillows are hand crafted...no machine...with natural linen on one side and a pretty patterned fabric on the other. Mama's wing houses her little owlet who can either be awake or asleep as well. Please let me know what colors and themes you would like. These are custom made. I will also hand embroider your loved ones name on the felt wing. The sleepy side is embroidered with Zzzzz's. Also, Mama Owlie is stuffed with soft stuffing and a lavender sachet. www.chickabiddybaby.etsy.com

A Little Monkey For Your Wednesday Enjoyment

Introducing the Snookie...a soft as a cloud blankie and best friend all in one. Imagine your little one settling down for a nap...all is well and then you hear a little voice..."mama, where is my Snookie". This Snookie measures about 13in.x15in. and has a little pocket on the front for the Chickabiddy Monkey. Monkey is stuffed with lavender to calm and soothe. The best thing is that you won't lose that little monkey because there is a ribbon that attaches him to the inside of the pocket. He can be taken out and cuddled and then tucked back in when it's time to settle down. www.chickabiddybaby.etsy.com

Bee Kind To Our Friend The Bee

"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe,” Einstein is rumored to have remarked, “then man would only have four years of life left.” Whether the wild-haired genius uttered those words — and if he did, how accurate they are — is a subject of historical and scientific debate. But let there be no doubt: Bees are in trouble, and that’s bad news for humans.

The recent emergence of Colony Collapse Disorder — a mysterious phenomenon responsible for the deaths of one-third of the honeybees in the United States — threatens the insect’s ability to pollinate fruits, vegetables, and other foods. The causes of the disorder are unknown; experts blame everything from pesticides to global warming for the sudden decline."
-Greg Ryan...please read the article in it's entirety here:http://www.hvmag.com/Hudson-Valley-Magazine/April-2009/Minding-the-Bees/

I don't know about you...but I was stunned by these findings. I have loved bees since I was a girl. They are magical. They are the hardest workers on the planet and we have long taken more than we've given them. Now they need our help. Aside from the decision to keep bees this next spring, I was inspired to create this Lil Baby Sock Bee. It is soft and smooshy, will fit right in your little ones hand, and is stuffed with lavender and a tinkly bell. Better yet...no stinger. It is embellished with felt and linen and the face is embroidered by hand. 50% of the proceeds of each bee I sell will go to a fund for helping research Colony Collapse Disorder and what can be done. If you love the bee like I do and want to do a little something for them. Here's your chance. The bees thank you! I'll even sweeten the deal with FREE SHIPPING. Pick one up today at www.chickabiddybaby.etsy.com.

Please find out all you can by visiting these sites:
http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/
http://www.burtsbees.com/c/community/community-initiatives/colony-collapse-disorder/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jul/25/save-bees-gardeners

Fairy Garden

Ah summer. All the fun things we can do. I needed a place to put my herbs and I wanted desperately to have a fun place for my niece and nephew to play when they come over. For years we have talked about planting a fairy garden so we this year we just jumped in. We planted sweet marjoram, mint, lemon verbena (or lemon "berbena" as Chloe calls it), dill, pineapple sage, and some little white flowers. Chloe and Liam loved the fact that they got to actually eat a leaf from the herbs as we planted them. We have many more ideas for our little fairy garden, but here is what we have now. The garden is complete with a fairy door, a little fairy pagoda, table and chairs, a fire pit, and cradle. The door came from: www.magicalomaha.com, the sweet little acorn family can be found at www.unwaveringfaith.etsy.com, the table and chairs are from www.woodwerx.etsy.com, and the little wooden log box came from www.somelikevintage.etsy.com. It has been a couple weeks since we planted our little garden and the plants are starting to spread out nicely. Chloe and Liam love to play in the garden when they visit...putting the acorn family around the make-believe fire for ghost stories. Happy Summer!!

Baby Kitties

“Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendous prospect. For what has happened? A miracle. You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything.” William MacNeile Dixon

One of the wild cats at my mom's house (Pudgy...who has become quite domesticated and lets you hold her and pet her) just had her kittens. My mom has a clay chimnea on her porch and it is where Pudgy sleeps most of the time. She had her kittens right in the little belly of the stove...how appropriate. She is very trusting and allows you to pet them. They were born a week or so ago. As you can see...my niece Chloe is very proud of the new arrivals.