It's nice to finally have a chance to log in to my blog. Haven't even had much time to catch up on what everyone else is doing, but the weather's going to be changing, and the blogging season will pick up, at least for me.
Like everyone else, summer went way to quickly, but our fall has been gorgeous so far, and we've been having some wonderfully sunny days here in the Pacific Northwest. It's always hard to plan things around the weather, so you have to take what you get. We ( my daughter, Kristin, and I) joined Lisa and Sally's Anniversary celebration at The Uncovered Ruby in September. It had been awhile since we'd seen a lot of those girls, and it was great getting to spend time with them. Also, met some new friends, which is how it is with flea markets, etc. For us, we love getting to visit. And laugh. And laugh.
When we went up to Battleground the night before the sale, to set up, it looked like it may drizzle a bit. It downpoured. Our tent was at the 3 foot high stage, we found that we were missing parts to it, my husband and boys had taken off and left us to go to some Sci-Fi toy store to look at Star Wars stuff, and there we were, alone, stuck in the downpour and couldn't get the tent up.
They showed up pretty soon, Randy got the duct tape out, and they managed to get the tent up. Meanwhile, we're looking at the downpour, and at other people's tents getting hit pretty hard, so Randy and Kristin are running around trying to save everyone else's tents lol. Needless to say, we were drenched, everything we had, we couldn't set out-as in displaying, but had to put everything in the center of the tent, go home for the night, and hope for the best.
We got back bright and early the next morning to actually a pretty nice day! Had to replace some tags, had to hurry and set up our little shop, get all ready for the sale, but finally got everything in a semblance of order, and the fun started. Thanks Sally and Lisa for all the work you do to put on a sale, we had a great time! BTW, if you haven't visited The Uncovered Ruby, in Battleground, WA, you're missing a good thing! Great finds are waiting, with good prices, and friendly faces.
The next weekend, we were back at Battleground, this time for the Vintage Gathering's fall flea. The day turned out gorgeous, in fact, the night before, when we went to set up, was beautiful. After we got all done, and were driving down the street, the sunset was so beautiful.
I know, this is a town setting, the photo isn't great, I was clicking as quick as I could, while laughing from Kristin teasing me that I'd lose my iphone out the window. But you see, the sunsets we get are different. I do have some beautiful sunsets, I live on a hill, facing the coast 36 miles away, down the Columbia, so yes, I can come up with a pretty sunset from my own yard. But I'm a country girl, and not that Battleground is considered "city" to those who live there, but town sunsets are pretty to see, too. Just wish I would have been more set up to take a better photo!
This time, we didn't go home for the night and come back early the next morning. Our sweet friends, Natalie and Lynn, offered their home to us for the night. Oh. My. Beautiful! For everyone who knows Natalie (Sparrow), b/c a LOT of people know and love her, they know what a knack she has for decorating. But, gosh, when you go to someone's house and they are this creative, (I have another friend, Faye, who is like this), you want to say, can we just not talk? Can I just look? No, I wouldn't do that, b/c we just HAVE to talk, and laugh. Natalie had the Barnhouse sale the next day, she was tired from working up there all week, she'd made THEM dinner, and had a yummy dinner waiting for us, and we still stayed up late and visited. Natalie is one of those people you feel like you've known all your life! And her family is great! The kids switched their sleeping arrangements around to accommodate us. I had told Kristin I was planning on sleeping very well, b/c I NEVER sleep the first night somewhere new. Even going camping in our trailer, it takes me 2 or 3 nights to sleep well. Let me tell you, we both slept! Loved those feathers and sheets, Natalie lol!
We could have photographed their house forever, but didn't want to be rude. Next time, we'll be rude! I tried explaining their house to my eldest son, who is more into modern, but does appreciate old things, too, how creative she is. I finally said, "You'd just have to see it, I can't do it justice!"
Getting set up for the Vintage Gathering sale was so easy, this time. The weekend before, Natalie and Lynn took our bigger stuff to their house, then brought it up to the Gathering for us, on their way to Barnhouse. See what I mean? Dear, sweet people!
The Vintage Gathering girls are really a nice group of girls to spend time with, too! The pictures above, will show you some of what was there, but you can't hear the laughter so you'll have to add that to it. I don't know if it's that I'm a stay-at-home Mom, homeschooler, and basically sheltered, but when I get around good friends, life is full of laughter! And it makes some great memories! Do you ever find yourself recalling a situation with a friend, you're lost in thought, with a smile on your face, then realize how funny it must look? I get those situations a LOT!
Well, don't want to bore you, but it's been awhile, so indulge me. 2 weeks later, we invited our church and lots of friends over to our home for our cider-pressing party. We worked all week getting ready for company, trying to be prepared for possible rain, since we having a cider party. We had a tent set up, our gazebo was ready, our wood shed was ready, our porch. All places for people to get in out of the rain. Never happened. It was gorgeous! All my kids showed up, too! Sometimes we do this, and since Kristin and I are basically friends besides mom/daughter, she normally will do this kind of stuff. But my eldest son, it isn't usually his "thing". He, his son, and girlfriend stayed the whole day, he showed her all his old stomping grounds, etc. It was nice having all my kids together with friends.
We hadn't closed the pool up, but haven't had the solar heaters on, since the nights are too cold anyway. So basically, our pool was running, but probably 60 degrees or less. The little kids came and asked if they could swim?? What will you wear, I asked. They brought bathing suits! Well, sure, but it's COLD! Did they care? NO! They swam, then the teens swam. THEN they discovered the hot tub! There were kids and adults everywhere! Riding the horses, playing in the fort, jumping on the trampoline, sitting around the fire. More laughter. So much laughter that I wondered if I had somehow gotten carried away, which I have a tendency to do. But you know, it is times like that, that I could literally cry. I feel so blessed. If you saw my home, you'd see it's nothing special, in terms of fancy. My husband builds NICE homes and we don't have one. But I feel so blessed when people tell us they are comfortable in our home. It's where we live, you know? That night, when everyone left, we talked about what a good time we had. People are still telling us what a fun time they had. I think I'm rich! I live in a humble home, in the country. I have wonderful friends, we have good times like this, yep, I'm rich!

Rushing Like the Wind, only slower!

When fall comes, it sometimes feels like your in a race to get things done before the cold, blustery days come. Here in NW Oregon, it's not so much that we get really cold weather, but who wants to rake leaves in the rain? I think of all the seasons, autumn is traditionally the busiest season.
Our family is working on a list of to-do projects to get ready for our usually-annual cider-pressing party. I tell myself I need to have people over more often, we get more done!
Anyway, we've invited our whole church over to make apple cider. It's fun to get together with these friends we most often see from the backs of their heads lol. Seriously, it's not that bad, our church seems to find any excuse to get together! But we like to take the opportunity to have them in our home. So, that's one big thing we're getting ready for.
Kristin (my eldest daughter) and I went last weekend and had a LOT of fun doing the flea market at our friend, Lisa, and Sally's shop, Uncovered Ruby. I don't know why it takes so long to get up there, we've been so blessed by friendship with Lisa, & last weekend we had a chance to get to know Sally a little better, too.
One of the best things about doing these sales-the friends we meet! We have met so many nice ladies at sales!
Well, we're at it once more! Tomorrow morning I'm getting up early to bake Finnish bread, then we're off to Battleground again! This time, we're at The Vintage Gathering, Saturday. We're excited to get together with these talented ladies! If you love vintage, shabby, primitive...you'll love this flea!
We go tomorrow to set up, and this time we'll be much less tired, thanks to our friend, Natalie! Her and Lynn have graciously invited us to stay with them instead of driving back and forth! Even more generous, since Natalie's going to be busy working on her space at Barn House' sale! These 2 sales are very near each other, so that makes it all the more fun!
I'll try to post some pics tomorrow of previews if we get there to set up! The weather's supposed to be gorgeous, so that's even better! Last weekend we had some good laughs over dealing with the rain; it seems that when I'm with my daughters there's always something we find to laugh about!



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September Sale at Uncovered Ruby's

(Love this old photo! It was from my husband's family photos, and I used it to make my sale tags this year for Uncovered Ruby sale.)
We're getting colder nights here in NW Oregon, which means I MUST face the fact that the lazy summer days are gone, and the mad rush to get all the canning, yardwork, and last minute projects is NOW. I do teach my kids at home, but we won't be starting until next week, which is pretty normal for us, b/c of the hectic schedule.
My garden did not produce enough cucumbers, so yesterday we picked some up. $36. for a box? I'm not sure what I was thinking, but sheesh, THAT made some expensive pickles. I got a box of greenbeans to supplement the ones from my garden while I was at it. Got home, tried a new recipe a friend gave me, you know how that goes sometimes? Pour the boiling brine over the pickles, put on the lids, turn upside down for 15 minutes, and voila, you're supposed to have crispy not-cooked pickles. NOT mine! I was really trying to keep these crunchy. They do have a grape leaf in them, that's supposed to help. But, ok, that didn't seal, I tried steaming them just a bit, to try to get a vacuum on them. NO, not again! OK, so I waterbathed for 5 minutes; keep in mind, I was trying NOT to have to cook them for the 25 minutes for the usual kind. NO! Not again. I was about in tears, b/c it's getting late at this point. I finally got mad, took the jars, and vacuum packed them! Think it will work? I guess I'll find out, and it may cost me more that $36. by the time I learn my lesson! Either that, or try to talk all my family into adopting a few jars in each of their refrigerators for 6 months.
My beans did seal today, so I'm a little redeemed. Now I just need to get all that labeled and put away. Another possible redeeming thing that happened, was the man at the fruit market was talking to me about baking some bread for him. I'm going to be thinking about that. Especially if it's one product, and I'd only want to do it one day a week. Everyone who gets addicted to my Finnish cardamom bread will know that's the day I bring it. Am I talking myself into a job? We'll see. I haven't wanted a real job, but for the most part, I'd still be at home with the kids.
OK, now for something a lot more exciting, but definitely a ton of work getting ready for: Lisa and Sally, at Uncovered Ruby, is having their 3rd Anniversary celebration this Saturday. They're having an outdoor flea, and Kristin and I are going to be joining the fun! I don't know how they do it so often, (the vendors who do a LOT of sales), because it is a ton of work! We're about an hour or so away, and I borrowed my dad's trailer to haul stuff. We're actually a little ahead so far, b/c we got the trailer early, and have been loading it and getting it ready. We'll have it loaded completely tonight (yeah!) and will put it in the storage shed and theoretically, we'll just have to hook up and leave to get set up on Friday afternoon. That's the plan.
I'm bringing my Finnish bread to the sale, so in the midst of all this, I'll also be baking on Friday. If you're anywhere near Battleground, be sure to go, I think Lisa said there are 24 vendors there, AND the store itself is having all kinds of fun stuff, like drawings, sales, etc. Go check out here blog to see the list of all the great vendors she's got lined up.

Lost in the...mess

Sheesh, it's been awhile my poor blog! I'm so sorry to not have written! Maybe when the summer winds down (did I just say that? I didn't speak it, I wish it wouldn't happen, but I know it will!), and school will start, and the canning will be done...THEN I shall devote more time to you my poor blog! I've been loving this weather!
What's been happening? Well, this spring, we bought my parent's camper from them. Have taken a total of 3 trips with it, which has been fun. I'm looking forward to forcing my husband to take us when the winter comes, since it's already packed, it has a roof, and heat, and everything we need. Maybe he should become an "avid" hunter, instead of an occasional one, so we can use that as an excuse to go again! Always thinking ahead, to help him think of things he didn't know he wanted to do!
The kids have kept us running with their Vacation Bible School stuff first thing this summer, then the week of camp in July, not to mention all the sleepovers (I swear these kids are as manipulative as I am when it comes to getting to do stuff!), the day trips. The kids at our church even look forward to getting together to WORK! What's up with that? Can't get them that enthused at home!
My garden is growing like the weeds in it! The corn is pretty tall this year, I've managed to grow some huge kind of yellow squash I haven't been able to identify, b/c I through the package away and lost the stick I had put beside it telling me what it was. My cucumbers somehow disappeared, something must have eaten them, except for a couple tiny gherkins, which will take me forever to get pickles from. The green beans are almost ready, so next week I know what I'll be doing. Gardening is such a reminder of the seasons of life! Some things you don't expect, good and bad, pop up like a weed OR a volunteer sunflower plant! You have to do everything in it's time, or you miss out. Just tons of things to contemplate in the garden.
I haven't been able to go to a LOT of sales this summer, but I did manage to get in some really good ones. I've been stockpiling in my messy room, waiting for some boredom days, which never seem to happen. But now I have no choice but to get in gear and get to work on it. My daughter and I are excited to be going to Uncovered Ruby's 3rd Anniversary sale, September 18th; congratulations Lisa and Sally! If you haven't been to their shop in Battleground, you really need to go! I hear they've made changes since we've been there, so we're excited to go. In fact, Kristin and I are going to make a trip up before that, and soon, to visit Lisa, and Natalie (Vintage Sparrow). We've put it off too long, and we've talked about it too long! Soon, very soon! And in the meantime, we're getting busy getting stuff ready to bring up to the sale. I love the sales, the visiting, the meeting people!
I don't like putting a post up without some photos, so I'll ad some pictures of some of the great finds I recently aquired. The table with the blue legs and chairs, is now in my own kitchen.

Summertime...fun...

Like everyone else, spring and summer are busy times for me. Actually, starting in February, I got my greenhouse going, my husband got some raised beds finished in my garden, and then we waited out all the rainy weather...clear through May! I've always tried to be content, but the older I get, the more I see why people go to Arizona for the winter! I like things brighter, warmer, more cheerful.
It always amazes me when my garden does grow! I literally live in a rock pit! My dad actually sold rock and built roads with the rocks on our property! When I got home from school most days, my parents would be waiting for us girls in the driveway, and take us to "work". My dad ran the loader, put the rock into a shoot, us girls would make sure it went through the opening at the bottom, my mom ran the conveyor from a little shed my dad kept heated for her with a barrel stove, and while we were at school my dad would haul the rock to recipients of our hard work. Yep, child labor, but I learned to work! So, yes, my garden is amazing every year. We have round rock in the soil, my dad thinks the rocks keep the soil warm?? I don't know, but the garden does grow some things pretty well. We started the raised beds for the sake of carrots, tomatoes, stuff like that.
We've also had one of those gazebos on a deck above our pool, the kind you get at Home Depot? It lasted probably 5 years, but, although I like rustic, the canvas on this thing was getting REALLY bad. So my husband and sons have been busy building a permanant one that will require less upkeep. Last week, I was wishing it was done, with the hot weather. It's nice being able to sit in the shade and watch the kids and grandkids swim. So that was another project.
We bought my parents travel trailer this spring, and have made a couple camping trips this summer. The first one, we went to Sweet Home, way up in the hills, to go gold panning with some good friends. We knew/know nothing about this, but had a wonderful time and found some beautiful land we had never seen before. Can't help it, I love Oregon, with all it's green and trees and water.
Our next trip was up in the mountains above Bend, to East Lake. Talk about beautiful! We went in June, and there was still snow on the ground. We took a friend of my daughter's, the girls and I drove up earlier in the day. They wanted to go to Sisters, I wanted to mosey along. Going up earlier than the boys turned into a bit of a chill for us girls. We got to the turn off from the highway, had 20 miles to go up into the mountains, never had been here before. We're driving up the mountain, and I asked the girls, have you noticed we've seen NO VEHICLES on the road at all? It's getting dark, I'm wondering what I've gotten us into now. We get up there right as dusk was coming, find our site, get out, and....it's freezing! Like 32 degrees! We drove down to a neighboring campground, found some firewood deserted from the last camper, haul it back to our site, and for the next hour, try to build a fire...with wet wood. The girls got their tent (they thought tenting would be fun) put up, I'm about to freeze, b/c I hadn't even brought a sweater. Good thing we had gas in the car, b/c we kept warming it up so we wouldn't be frozen when the guys got there. We waited, and waited. They finally got there at 11:30 at night! Glad the rest of the trip didn't go that way!
I knew my husband was planning to take the kids to the High Desert Museum, which by the way, they just loved! They also went caving, which is far from anything I would EVER want to do. I'm just way to claustrophobic for caving, just gives me the creeps, and I'm sure I'd faint. My idea of fun while they did that, was to go garage sale-ing in Bend and surrounding areas. One of those surrounding areas, I started wondering where in the heck I was going. With no one knowing where I was, I found myself on a LONG road in the middle of nowhere, but populated with kinds of houses that were a little on the scary side. They had fences with BIG dogs running along them as you drove along the bumpy dirt road, signs on the fences, "Stay back from fence!" "Beware of Dog!" The kind where it was unusual to see a couch laying out in the yard, one house was burned to the ground, well, definitely unwelcoming, druggy type of neighborhood. I got so far down the road, wondering if there really was a sale at the end. After miles of this, finally got to the end, and a guy was selling a couple plants he dug out of the yard, and some old fishing stuff. THEN he told me a shortcut out of the place, which I trusted him for, and yes, made it back to civilization. It was during this offroad experience that I recalled my sister telling me that there were areas of LaPine you need to be cautious of when garage sale-ing.
In Bend, I did find a really neat mirror that I thought I'd probably re-sale, but my husband loved it, so it got adopted. Other than a few little things, I really didn't find much, but had a wonderful time all by myself for hours, driving all over the place. I really don't get much alone time, so I reveled in my day.
I was beginning to give up on garage sales/estate sales, since the whole season so far hadn't yielded a lot of exciting things for me. THEN a couple weeks later, we happened upon an estate sale a couple of young girls were putting on for their grandma. Now THAT was more like it! I love those kinds of sales, where you come across a box of stuff someone else considers "junk" and you consider "treasures!" And for really cheap. This confirmed my faith in estate sales once more. We found some really neat prints, old typewriters, just lots of neat things that I'll be listing in my Etsy shop.
The economic crunch hit us a little last summer, but other than that, so far, my husband's kept busy. He builds custom homes, self-employed. Which means, if you have no work, you have NO MONEY, b/c you don't get unemployment. He used to have people waiting 3 years sometimes for them to get their house built. Since the economy thing, he's had one house trickle in at a time. He is right now finishing a house he's been working on (I'll take pictures later and show you) and then he was SUPPOSED to be starting another house. The plans were at the architect's, the land was lined up to purchase, then all of a sudden, the land owners changed their minds on selling it to the lady he was going to build for, she got a little fearful (she's an elderly lady), and tired of trying to deal with the landowners, and called and said she had changed her mind on building. OK, this is testing time for me. I called my husband and said, "First, I KNOW God is going to take care of us, but....(blubbering by this time....) the house fell through..." It's fine, we'll be fine. I know we will, but sometimes I need to be reminded that it is God who is my provider, and not myself. We do what we can do, and the rest is trust. Right away a couple of remodel jobs came together, and there will be more, unless we get stretched even more, but I need to keep my eyes on Him, and trust that He always has and always will take care of us. So, after my little meltdown, I'm back to knowing it will be fine. It would be a little/lot less stressful if my inlaw's estate would sell, but it's not easy to sell a 785 acres farm out in the middle of nowhere! But, we'll keep plugging away, there are people in a lot worse situations than ours.
The heat we've had recently has been wonderful! My corn is growing higher every day, the kids and grandkids are having a blast playing in the pool, things are getting done around here. My husband was laughing, telling me that someone mentioned to him, that, with the kinds of houses he builds, he must have the best of all of them in his own home. Not quite lol. We actually live very simply. Very modestly. Nothing like the places he builds. But. I love my home. I love my life. We were sitting on the swing under the huge maple in our front yard, enjoying the weather, talking...I told my husband I feel rich. Kind of like the Sonny and Cher song, "yes, it's true, we don't have a pot, at least we're sure of all the things we've got...." We have everything we need, and more. We once went and worked in an orphange in Mexico for a month. For all my humble home, all I could think, as ladies would invite me into their cardboard and blue tarp homes, with the tamales on their camp stoves, their barrel bath tubs at the door, (if they were fortunate to have the bath), was, "I'm so glad they don't see my home!" I was almost embarrassed at how wealthy we are in our country, when four hours from our borders, people were making $5. a day and living in shacks, their children sleeping on dirt floors, waiting in lines for beans from the orphanage. And you know what? I loved their homes! Because THEY were the home, THEY were the family, not the place they lived. I was warned not to drink the water, b/c our systems can't handle the germs, but I could see myself sitting and enjoying friendships with these people. Now THAT'S a trip I've been dying to take again, taking my whole family back down to the orphanage and making a difference in someone's life, and being blessed to meet new friends. It's all about contentment, isn't it?

Anybody Home?

Good title for a blog entry that is so late! I've actually been missing blogging, and getting to read all my friends' blogs. By the time I get school done with the kids, if we ever get a halfway decent day in this rainy Oregon spring (I should say rainy-er than usual), we have to get back outside to start all the mowing and weedeating all over again. Don't get me wrong, I love my country life, I love the beautiful green, all that. I just wish that after we got it done, it could stay sunny a few days so I could go outside and sit and enjoy it a little while. Lately, we've been weeding and mowing between cloudbursts, I'm not even kidding. But life is like that sometimes.
Before I go further, no, these pictures aren't my yard. I just went with my daughter one day on a ride within a several mile radius, to some places that I knew were deserted homes. As I had been weeding in my flower beds, and finding flowers hiding down in the weeds, I started thinking about homes I've seen that are lonely and uncared for. Sometimes you come across an old run-down dilapidated home, and the grass may be 3 feet tall, and over in the corner, you may see some daffodils popping out. Or an old tree or shrub that had once been planted by someone who loved their home. I can't imagine planting flowers at any time if I didn't enjoy my home, or have some hope that, although it may not be much, you are working at making it into a wonderful home. So, when I see flowers in an old deserted place, I imagine the woman who had once lived there. What would she say if she saw her beautiful lawn now? What happens to make someone give up and abandon a place? I do know these kinds of places seem like secret gardens. They need help. But they make you think a little.
Then, if you're like me, you get home and try to get some more done before your own place looks just like it! Will all the hard work I put into my yard, though it may not be anything to a lot of people, be one day neglected? I sincerely hope not! But I do know that while it's mine and while I can work with my hands, I want to be a good steward of what I have.
Last week, I finally got my seeds in my garden. I haven't even had a chance to get out there between showers to see if I'm going to have to start all over again. Seriously, it's been wet, but I'm hoping my poor vegetables will make it.

Later Better Than Never

I do love to blog. But. Sometimes I feel like I'm running in circles, trying my best to keep up with the whirlwind going on, I know you know what I'm talking about. How often do I see a blog titled, "where has time gone?" or some such theme. You know when some of your favorite blogs haven't had a post in awhile, that they don't even need to explain. It's life.
AND it's spring. If there is a chance I can be outside, that's where I'll be. With kids, it keeps the house clean, right? You get them done with what they have to do, then you say, "Outside!" That's what I love about life in the country. With the exception that there aren't a bunch of neighborhood kids to play with, well, ok, we do have a house down the street with 13 kids, some still young, and my kids' friends. But, I think it is good for a kid to go out, build a fort, or a rocket, or wade in that big old puddle that happens from the run-off over in the field every year. Same things I used to do. We would have a minor flood in our pasture, just a foot or two deep. We'd build a raft, get some sticks for poles, and take a ride about 20 feet to the other side. All that work for such a short ride, but oh what fun! Occasionally we would slip off, and our boots would fill up with water. How exciting! I also remember distinctly (OK, this was mean) taking sticks and poking at water snakes to make them hiss. We pretended they were poisonous, and hopefully they really weren't!
Anyway, that's what spring is for, for a kid. For me, I still like dirt. I like to get dirty. I love to play in my playhouse greenhouse. I love going out there to see what has come up or how much something has grown. I'm not hugely knowledgeable on greenhouse growing, but the point is I'm learning, and I'm having fun. And hopefully, I'm sharing the harvest if there is one. Actually, my daughter bought most of the seed this year. Mostly because she bought so much, it was like, well, a waste for me to buy the exact same things. How many zuchinni plants does a person need? So, the deal was, I'll grown them. We planted a LOT of seeds last weekend. Her chamomile came up very quickly. My cucumbers have GOT to be transplanted to bigger pots today. I've got a lot of flowers in there, and my tomatoes are doing pretty well, if I only knew what kind they were. A friend gave me some heirloom tomatoe seed, when I asked her what kind, she said they were a mix. So, later I will have to identify them. I know some were a chocolate tomatoe? I love chocolate, but I'm hoping I have more than just chocolate black tomatoes in my crop of 50 plants. Somehow, I like red tomatoes.
My daughter is almost 15. We homeschool. You'd think we just stay home ALL the time. Well, at 15, that's just no so. She is very active in the youth group. I've not always been real excited about youth groups, but this is a nice bunch of kids, they definitely aren't doing the boyfriend/girlfriend thing; they are like a big family. I like that. But I do my share of running her back and forth to a LOT of activities. So, lately, that has been taking up a lot of time for me. After Easter, we told her it has to slow down. They had their program last night. Today I'm making about 16 loaves of cardamom bread for our church and my mom's, then celebrating Christ's Resurrection tomorrow. The more this old world turns, the more thankful I am for God's promises to us, for His work done on the cross for us, and His power over death and hell. I get depressed if I read the news. People are making choices that, in our free country, we have lost our voice. They don't care what the people want. I don't want to bury my head in the sand and ignore the state of our country, but it does me no good to become fearful of choices our government is making. I just keep reminding myself, that the truth will prevail. EVERY knee will one day bow to the Lord, though it may come as a surprise to some. So, I can and need to live my life in a position of trust.
I've also been taking some cake decorating classes. This has been a LOT of fun! If you ever have a chance to take a class, give it a try. I met some more new friends, learned lots of fun stuff. That's my cake for this week, by the way. The one thing I don't like, is the decorator icing we are supposed to use in class. My teacher let me use another icing, and with some work, I think I could get the hang of it. It has a much better flavor. I like a pretty cake, but it's maybe even more important to me that it tastes good. I really don't like a lot of cakes you have at birthdays and weddings. So, my goal is to learn to make a beautiful cake that tastes even better than it looks. I'm trying now to decide if I am going to take the next class, because it may be cutting into some sunshine. Winter weather was great for class, but when the sun comes out, it's extremely hard for me to go, thinking, "The weatherman said one day of sunshine, and here I am sitting in a classroom!" I try to console myself with the thought that some people have to go to jobs every day, they don't have a choice. So you see my dilemma! But it's only one day a week for 4 weeks, and then it will be May and gardens will really be going. Hmmm, I've got a few days to procrastinate decide.
I've had a lot of fun selling on Etsy this winter. I did a lot better with sales that I imagined I would. The last couple weeks were slower, but that's fine, it's really more of a fun/hobby/garage-sale enabling thing for me anyway, and I haven't found any dream sales yet this year. BUT that season is also starting. Better get that yard work done so I can spend a few hours a week doing that favorite hobby!
My daughter and I are planning a sale soon. I'll let you know when I have the details. I know we want to do it along the Hwy 30, which is a major beach route for city dwellers, so it would catch that traffic. We were planning it near Mother's Day, but there are some other awesome sales going on then, and we don't want to miss them, either. Our town has a big car show and lots of things going on near the 4th of July. In fact, for such a small town, you'd be surprised at how many people come to our parade and fireworks display. If you think country fair, I think you'd get and idea of the feeling of it. Not that we have stables and farm animals, but it's our town's favorite time of year to have a reunion. People we've grown up with, who've left for the cities or other places, even come back. Everywhere you go you see people you haven't seen in years. That's our 4th of July. We're thinking the weekend of the car show, though, b/c people are more all over our small town, instead of congregating in just the park like sardines. Anyway, I'll let you know more when we get it figured out. In the meantime, be sure to make it to The Vintage Gathering, in Battleground, WA. Their sale is the Saturday before Mother's Day, and you will just love it! They have some of the nicest vendors and tons of great finds with great prices!