A Horse and her Girl

Just around Christmas time our family was given a horse . . . a beautiful little white Arabian named Hope. Our youngest daughter, especially, just LOVES this horse, and it has been so good for her to learn all the work and care and time that goes into owning a horse. Her goal is to be a horse trainer or clinician. I guess time will tell.

I love the name Hope. I love the word Hope, and collect quotes and verses about hope as I come across them. Here's a quote that's currently on my computer desktop (free download from http://www.crosscards.com/) Hope is patience with the lamp lit . (Tertullian)

Don't you love the sense of expectation that sentence carries? Is there something you are hoping for? Keep praying . . . and keep the lamp lit!

What some people do for money

My girls walk dogs.

It's all fun and games on a sunny day in June . . . freezing in February, not so much!

LOOK at this little guy. I could just keep him (but not for long, heheheh!)

Only Your Mom Reads Your Blog...

I saw that on a Tshirt the other day, and I thought it was pretty funny. I wonder who gets paid to sit around and think of snide comments to put on shirts.

Anyway, my Mom DOES read my blog, and I'm glad she does. You see, my Mom and Dad live in Ireland. They haven't been to my house in a couple of years. So, this way they can see what's happening in my little world from time to time.

So, Mom . . . these are the yellow Stella D'oro daylilies and some blue perennials (I forget what they are called) that grow in big clumps around the mailbox.

And these are the red, white and blue patriotic flower pots on the front steps.

And just this week Jim stuck an old birdhouse I bought at a junk shop for a couple of dollars a few years ago onto a tree that we recently cut down because it was growing funny looking knobby things filled with worms all over it. Yuck. Yesterday a bird family moved in. They've been busily moving all sorts of stuff inside to build a nest. I can sit at my desk when I'm supposed to be working and watch them out the window. We're all quite interested in watching their progress!

And these are the chickens. In 10 weeks those cute babies have grown into some gangly, hungry fowl. Hope they start laying lovely brown and blue eggs soon. (Two of them are Araucanas who lay colored eggs.) Today, when I bought a new bag of feed I graduated them from growing crumb to layer mash. The portable coop is working out well.

And it's oh so nice to have a son who can drive and go pick up stuff like toilet paper when we're down to the last roll in the house. He's a good sport!

And the girls have been practicing their volleyball skills heading into picnic season. So there you have it, Friday afternoon round-up at the Joyce household . . . because my Mom reads my blog!

True Story

I've wanted a footed cake stand for a long time. I'm really NOT a shopper, but yesterday I went along to an outlet mall with a friend for a girls' day out. At the Gourmet Chef store I spotted this cake stand that I thought would go oh so nicely with our Fiesta dishes. So after an appropriate amount of oohing and aahing and "Oh, I shouldn'ts" I bought it (since it was 50% off.) A few hours later, same mall, different store, I saw a matching chip and dip bowl. Now WHAT are the chances of that?! So, after a little more oohing and aahing, and since this was also 50% off, I decided to just go hog wild and buy it too! Isn't it cute?

When I FINALLY got home (it was a marathon day) I pulled out my purchases to show the family. Hmm. I set the chip/dip tray upside down on the counter cuz that's the way it came out of the box, and guess what I discovered? Heh heh. Upside down it was EXACTLY the same as the footed cake stand. Whaddya know? THEN I noticed this sticker.

Yes, I bought two of the exact same thing, since they matched so nicely!

I thought it was just SOOO funny. My husband just shook his head and said "And you weren't even wearing your blond wig." I was telling some people about it after Bible Study last night, and one guy said "Umm, that might not be a story you want to tell everyone." But I think it's hilarious. And, yes, I'm going to keep them BOTH.

Yard Sale Report!

Since it's Monday again (how the weeks fly by!) it's time for a weekend wonder report. By far my greatest yard saling this weekend was in reverse. Huh? Well, I helped a neighbor with her yard sale and ended up selling a lot of my own stuff that I no longer used or liked. Can I tell you how great it felt to get this stuff out of the house, and off to happy new homes, while making a little extra $$ at the same time!

I did get a couple of little things, for a total of $2.75. Since my neighbor bought me a big Wendy's salad for lunch ($4.99) I guess these little treasures were free. Anyhow - I loved this little picture (It's about 18" long) and it's inspired me to do our master bath in a modified beachy theme, incorporating those sweet nantucket style baskets I picked up a couple of weeks ago. This should come together pretty easily. I already have some old bottles and shells. Hmmm.

I have a big old primitive cabinet in the front foyer, housing my collection of white/cream stuff. The three little bottle brush trees below were 25 cents each, and will be perfect to use in this cabinet at Christmas time. Since I was too lazy to go dig out the Christmas decoration boxes, the said trees are now upside down inside the bigger jugs. Hopefully I don't forget about them in November!

Aren't they lovely?

Check out more treasures at Econobusters--and feel free to add your own finds to Mr. Linky over there!

His Eye Is On the Sparrow . . .

I love these little thrifted birds on my kitchen window sill, and since my dishwasher has been on the fritz, I've spent a fair bit of time standing at the sink, up to the elbows in soapy water, admiring my birdie friends. They remind me that "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me!"

Here are the lyrics , written in 1905 by Civilla D. Martin, based on the words of Matthew 10: 29-31. (It's worth clicking over for a read!)

(The itty bitty strawberries are from our backyard patch. We get about a whopping handful a day.)

I think I might make a tag or ribbon with the words "His eye is on the sparrow" and put it by my birdies. If I come up with a genius idea I'll post it here.

"Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears.
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

(And you, too!)

It's here! It's here!

". . . beauty is important in this fragile life," says writer Jan Karon. I SO agree with her! I've been watching my mailbox for a few weeks for this; the summer edition of Life:Beautiful magazine.
I posted this cover shot so you know EXACTLY what you are looking for when you go shopping! Even better, visit their website (http://www.lifebeautifulmagazine.com/) and subscribe. One year (4 issues) is $18.95 U.S.

So, why do I LOVE Life:Beautiful? It combines stunningly gorgeous photography and real-life useful articles with dozens of scripture verses and godly principles, in a delightfully gracious way. It is primo quality. I'm not exaggerating. You will not find a more professionally produced magazine anywhere. Really. The paper, print, layout, content, everything, is world class. Every issue is 100% impressive. You know we're supposed to think about whatever is pure, excellent, praiseworthy . . . ? This is praiseworthy--so I'm praising it.

Recipes, decorating ideas, crafts, organizing, travel, parenting, book and media suggestions . . . it's all here, and all so refreshingly presented within the framework of this quote from Editor-in-Chief, Wanda Ventling, "At Life:Beautiful we believe God is part of every minute of every day and that through simple daily tasks, such as cooking, serving others, raising children--and most importantly, coming to a full understanding of God's love for us--we can all live beautiful lives."

I'm not affiliated with Life:Beautiful in any way--I just want every woman to know about this outstanding publication. I want their subscription base to continue to grow and GROW and G-R-O-W! I want to see Life:Beautiful in my mailbox for years to come!

Seems like yesterday . . .but it WAS long ago . . .

While looking for something else tonight I came across these photos in an obscure folder somewhere in the digital guts of our main computer, and just thought I'd share them here. This sweet, impish munchkin is twelve now! Twelve-going-on-twenty, and still sweet and still impish.

And this little lady turns 17 this week. I can't believe I have a daughter that old! Still little, and still a lady (usually!)

And then there's Miss Middle Daughter--still with the same enthusiasm for life, and still best friends with her big sister.

I don't have any sisters, but I SO enjoy my three daughters, and am blest with the best collection of sisters-in-law that a woman could ever wish for!

coffee...tea...or maybe a tomato?

I've been looking for something to hold mugs above my "beverage station" table. So, here it is. A mini oak bookshelf thing--very solid--that I found at a yard sale last week for $2.00. My husband spray-painted it off-white with paint I had in the basement.

I like it. I like my fiesta ware a lot, and I like how it looks here, almost like art. But now I don't want anybody to mess up my mug system. Hehe. They have to take the other mishmash ones out of the cupboard first and only use these as a last resort. Yes, it DOES kinda defeat the whole purpose, but I like the shelves to be full!

The 3-tier plate stand usually holds fruit, but since I haven't shopped for a while all that's left is tomatoes! So, will it be coffee, tea, or tomatoes?

Check out more "weekend wonders" bargains over at Econobusters!

portfolio time again (groan)

PA homeschool law requires us to submit a portfolio to the school district each year by June 3oth, and have the kids independently evaluated by a certified teacher. At certain grade levels standardized testing is also required.

In an ideal year we put together a few pages in each subject each month for our portfolios instead of it being a grand-slam project at the end of the year. But ideal years are few and far between! So we'll be sorting papers, printing photos, 3-hole punching worksheets, and what not else for the next few days. Evaluations are on Thursday.

Help me out here . . . playing hide and seek among the pillars of the U.S. Supreme Court . . . does this look like Social Studies? (Though the 2 oldest did do a full year of Civics as well :)
And how about this for some art in real life? Yes . . . I really did let the younger two paint their bedroom like this!

More art--the chicken coop in progress.

And what about this? Looks like hands-on science to me!

What a difference a few weeks makes!

Ok, gotta run -- the 3-hole punch is calling my name. Let's see what photos we can find for math and health and safety and . . . I'd better check that list of required subjects again!

Weekend Wonders

I was really stoked to yard sale this weekend. It was the first Saturday this month that we didn't have anything scheduled, and I was ready to hit the road, and scout not one, but two neighborhood garage sales.

Sadly, the biggest deal at both these neighborhood sales was the traffic. I didn't find a thing on my list! But I did find a few little beauties at prices too good to pass up.

Like these Nantucket style baskets--a nesting set of 4, plus a little hanging basket. Very cute, and very solid with tight weave and a wooden bottom in each basket. Not sure where I'll use them yet, but I'm sure they'll find a happy home and be put to work! You can see what I paid on the tag--for the whole set!

I happen to love "happy" purses and shoes. They just add a some fun and life to a basic, middle aged wardrobe. I'm no Imelda Marcos (remember her?) but I do have lots of fun shoes and bags from thrift stores and yard sales. Here's a cute Kate Spade bag I found for $1.00 on Saturday. . .

and these cute little yellow flats just make me smile. I love the buckle (and I love that I don't have to undo it all the time - the shoes just slip on perfectly) and since I'm a sucker for gingham-(love it!) I just couldn't pass up these $1.00 cuties. Life is too short to wear boring shoes...no?

Check out "Weekend Wonders" over at Econobusters.com to see what my buds found.