Mystic Mom

Love in Farm Country

2012-02-13T10:08:00.000-06:00

Love in farm country isn't all theatre, wine and roses.
Sometimes it is doing the chores first so she can sleep.
Sometimes it is getting a bit of extra lumber for him.

Love in farm country isn't all dressed up and going out.
Sometimes it is warming up a truck on a cold day.
Sometimes it is making sure the fire is going strong.

Love in farm country isn't often easy, not always fun.
Sometimes is breaks your heart in a flood, fire or storm.
Sometimes it jerks you up short in a field fight for two.

Love in farm country isn't often dancing and high heels.
Sometimes it is making the first move on a tough job.
Sometimes it is leaning on a fence, just being together.

Love in farm country isn't easy on girls faces or men's hands.
Sometimes it gives us burns, cuts and wrinkles too early.
Sometimes it gives away so much more than it brings home.

Love in farm country isn't how we make a living, not here.
Love in farm country is how we make a life, right here.
Love in farm country is more, and less, simple and complex.

For my Husband Earl, I love you!

Copyright 2012 Shanyn Silinski

Cowboy's Playing Card Bible

2012-02-09T13:56:00.001-06:00

One suit of cards, I chose hearts (no questions as to WHY right?)

Some Tim Holtz distressing ink, printed tags for each card, corner rounder and adhesive.

Punch a hole, add a cowboy star and a distressed ring

and you've got a playing card Bible, cowboy style.

Does his own stunts

2012-02-09T11:00:00.000-06:00

Today I'm linking up with the M.O.B. Society "Let's Hear it For the Boys". Please stop by and see the other blogs linking up there!

Mama! I got up here myself! I'm a real stuntman!

We know real stuntmen and he is fearless like them.

Not too fearless though, cause Mama's heart needs him safe still!

Mama, I love you!

I love you too pal! You are my joy.

Sleeping like a cat in the sun...good job buddy!

Thumbs up Mama! This is so much fun!

I'm a Mama to a boy. A farm boy, a stuntman in training, a special boy who loves to learn and play. A boy who can ask about good and evil and Star Wars all day long! He loves Jesus and God's creation.

I'm proud of his giving heart, his loving spirit. He is a true witness to grace.

He makes me so proud doing his school work, practicing jui jitsui and looking out for littler guys. He is teaching his puppy to be a jui jitsui dog because she was abandoned as a baby, tied up in the bush, and is very afraid of so many things. He wonders about saving hearts and having them grow large in love, and how God works in the world. He loves reading the Bible with me.

I don't brag about him much, but I'm really proud to be raising this child, this special miracle from God, and praying and guiding him into being a big guy. His Daddy and I love him, and honour him.

Critters, Fog and Frost

2012-02-02T09:37:00.001-06:00

Anna how DID you get up there? Huh! Huh!

You mean this is not a cat shelter? Really...

Frost on a foggy morning.

Hay bales, fog and hoar frost.

Spikes so sharp looking and yet so terribly delicate!

Good thing no one was looking for a groundhog's shadow here today, you wouldn't have found the groundhog in this fog!

A splash of red, hello grosbeak!

Foggy breakfast

Stuck in Seuss

2012-01-20T22:32:00.000-06:00

Sneeches on beaches, wickets doing pickets.
I'm Mama to a boy who loves his Seuss.
Weaving my tongue through the wordy thickets,
Twisting, tying, dancing, and laughing like a Snoose.

A Snoose you say, what's that you aren't sure?
It's a critter of course, of moderate size and snout.
Brightly colored they move so fast it's a blur.
They laugh and laugh, belly in and belly out.

A laughing Snoose! What could be better?
Their laughs can move buildings, bridges and walks
they laugh freely, loosely, wildly, without fetter.
They laugh alone, they laugh in pairs and in flocks!

Laugh with a book by Seuss, a poem by Shel.
Laugh with a song, laugh with a look, laugh and laugh,
Laugh with a grown up, laugh with a child, laugh alone as well.
Just laugh and laugh, be sure to laugh whole'y and not by half.

Inspired by our love of great read aloud books, especially the wonderful creations of Seuss!
Copyright 2012 Shanyn Silinski

Farm Fun Part II

2012-01-14T19:03:00.001-06:00

The dugout slopes were just right for some sliding...

Thanks for the help Daddy!

And an assist from Anna as well.

Farm Fun Part I

2012-01-14T18:51:00.001-06:00

Freckles is wondering what Luke is doing with the remote control truck...

Archie is interested but also not quiet sure...

Archie and Brazos can't wait to see who is going to get chased next!

Now THAT is farm fun!

Nothing better than farm fun for farm boys...

Brindle wonders if this truck hauls cookies...or carrots...or apples...

Anna doesn't think the truck is as much fun as chasing a soccer ball or chasing cows...

Lazarus, Luke and Anna...

Aurora and Lazarus

Now that's moving cows buddy!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T16:01:00.001-06:00

Wishing you all the brightest blessings of the season for your family and friends.

(Click on the image if you wish to see the card larger!)

Here She Comes

2011-12-09T14:52:00.001-06:00

She loves to run!

Her body is built for it.

Feet strong, legs powerful and body so sleek.

Tail a waving rudder and her face shows pure joy.

You can't see it when she is after the cows.

The determination shows on her canine face.

She is in her element, she is doing her job.

When she is done, her joy complete, she finds me.

She runs back for a ride, some praise

and always the love.

Feathers loves to go, but her joy is only complete
once she has come back to me.
There is nothing like the joy of a dog with a job.

Copyright 2011 Shanyn Silinski (words and images)

Snowy Run

2011-12-05T11:25:00.001-06:00

The ever present ravens keep us company, follow the cows and play with the dogs.

You have not experienced that play until you see a raven and a dog playing tug-a-war with a dead muskrat.

The only things Feathers loves to do more than chase cows and stare down squirrels is to run and cuddle on the bed. She does love to run!

Our Feather girl, rescue dog, cattle herder and friend.

Frosty Feathers Morning

2011-11-29T13:10:00.001-06:00

All images copyright Shanyn Silinski 2011

Snowy Morning

2011-11-14T15:08:00.000-06:00

Scrabble Poem

2011-11-07T10:18:00.000-06:00

Red ink jesters call,

"Lo! where fly the wrens?"

While a joyous few pace.

Scrabble poem Shanyn Silinski 2011 Copyright

Would you like to join us in a Scrabble poem? Use this board or your own, share your link in comments or join us on Facebook at Triggered Muse!

Ahchoo!

2011-10-29T13:59:00.000-05:00

The moon achoo rises silent and sniffle sneeze full.

Clouds ah ah ah drape her like thbluuee silk.

Sniff snuffle She teases us with ah ah ah her soft light.

Through the window achoo achoo she washes me pale.

Drip drip sniffle I wish I was dreaming achooo but instead

BLACHOWWWEEE I'm awake and can't even think ah ah ah.

For a prompt on being blocked on:

http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2011/10/thursday-think-tank-72-writers-block.html#more

Foggy Frosty Day

2011-10-27T11:22:00.001-05:00

Rain, fog and a frosty morning bring so many interesting textures to light.

Can you guess what this is? It is a macro shot!

Just love the leaves on the Chinese Elm.

I love spider webs, frosted spider webs rock it to another dimension!

Frosted raspberry leaves.

Frosted and purple!

Old iron wheel adds another dimension doesn't it?

That's a frosty seat to wake you up!

Tika enjoying the foggy pasture.

Last hurrah for the pansy's!

Sunflowers, spider webs and sigh...fall.

Still vibrant under a coating of ice and frost.

Foggy, frosty day - perfect for enjoying by the fire!

(All photos copyright Shanyn Silinski 2011)

Poem: Conference Call

2011-10-25T18:28:00.000-05:00

Phone tucked into my shoulder, conference call in my ear.

Listening, understanding, nodding my head to a computer screen.

Sounds of playing little boy and barking dogs.

Traffic going down the road, where do they all go anyway?

Phone on mute, little man with questions, dogs telling tales in the yard.

Listening, taking some notes, wondering when we'll get to the point.

Sounds of the birds, cows and horses.

Traffic going across the floor, another car chase my little man?

Phone battery starting to weaken, I hear the warning beeps.

Listening and wondering when I'll be able to sneak a handset change.

Sounds of people on the call - paper, pens, cars and families.

Traffic going across my screen - games, emails, messages and chats.

Open Link Night on Dverse: http://dversepoets.com/2011/10/25/openlinknight-week-15/

2011 Copyright Shanyn Silinski

Fences

2011-09-26T09:45:00.000-05:00

Wire tight posts in deep

Good fences good neighbors make

Friends, maybe not

http://www.apicturespeakschallenge.com/2011/09/picture-speaks-4.html

Fall Evening '11

2011-09-22T18:26:00.000-05:00

The sun setting on a lovely fall day.

I love the sun shining through the leaves.

My golden girls, Feathers and Anna.

Wow, that is one fast 'Houla dog!

She's my golden girl, Feathers.

The sun, golden, against the storm clouds.

The easiest way to check the fence!

Enjoying the last sunbeams of summer.

What do you mean you won't throw my stick?

Golden sunshine against storm clouds.

He Paints

2011-09-20T16:13:00.000-05:00

Black

he paints

colors he dabbles

round bodies eyes and smiles

the people are happy or mad never alone

I love seeing our family painted, bold strokes, by six year old hands

Thumbs up, ball caps, lopsided hearts, his family

we live in his world

painted by him

with love

colored

2011 Copyright Shanyn Silinski

http://www.apicturespeakschallenge.com/

This week's challenge: Photography: Macro, Poetry: Fibonacci

Ode to Yellow

2011-09-15T08:59:00.002-05:00

I love watching the finches find the sunflowers

their yellow and black on the green and yellow

their simple joy of finding seeds and chasing bees

hiding just a bit as the flowers dip down from their foraging

sometimes one, many times two or three feasting

impatient for the seeds to dry they steal from still blooming heads

nothing makes me smile like sunflowers

fall arrived today and my flowers bowed their heads low

no more sunflowers now until next spring. I'll miss them so.

http://www.apicturespeakschallenge.com/

Poem: Grandma's Stuck

2011-09-06T11:04:00.000-05:00

Magpie Tales Prompt

It was new once, back in the 50's
Grandpa bought it for real cash,
folded bills out of a canvas wallet.

Bright blue paint, rounded fenders.
Big black tires biting the dirt road.
Arm out the open window, he smiles.

Gone are the days of a wagon and team.
The old geldings resting three legged in
the back pasture under the poplars.

Grandma met him at the front door.
Hands drying on her pressed apron,
looking in wonder at the new truck.

He takes her hands, looks her in the eye,
"Honey you are gonna drive her for me,
we have to harvest the wheat this week."

She nods, knowing the boys are busy
running the threshing machine she fears.
She won't look at it, remembering that day.

Her childhood blotted out in blood as her
dad died there, bleeding on the straw.
Farm wife, yes, farming wife never.

She never went to the fields, unless
she was bringing food to leave on the wagon.
She never looked, she knew she'd still see.

He takes her by the hand, and lifts her up.
She's light as a feather, and trembling so.
The truck is so big! Huge. New. Loud.

The gear knob seems so dirty in her hand,
the steering wheel big and stiffly turning.
Clutch deep down, brakes hard and tight.

"Check your mirrors. Don't get stuck."
He reminds her, fearing the worst.
She doesn't drive, and he knows it.

"Follow me to the field, it's easy."
Whine, growl, clunk - she stalls it flat.
It roars to life again, rumbling away.

She idles in first gear, fearing to shift.
She grips the wheel so tight, her hands ache.
The field looms a waving gold killer.

Grandma is stuck. Stuck in the past.
Stuck in this truck. Stuck on the farm.
Stuck because she loves him more.

The truck rolls to a stop, rumbling,
he looks back and sees her tears.
Washing her face, her eyes a blur.

Suddenly the harvest is forgotten.
He remembers too, he was a boy then.
The blood on the wheat, the screams.

The door opens, and he pulls her out.
He understands and holds her close.
She leans, moans and then pulls back.

"We've got a field to get done," she whispers.
"And the bread is rising. I don't have all day."
Hand in hand they stay a moment longer.

Nodding, he knows, and they pull together
as they always did, always do, and the job
got done. Again. The tears dried. Again.

The rough voices and work worn hands of farmers and farming wives seldom reveal their tender hearts for the land, their crops and their animals. They rarely let you in to their hurts and hopes. But every table that bears a meal, ever full cupboard or fridge is because of their love, their passion, their sweat and tears. I dedicate this poem to Lester, Nellie, Albert, Walter and Effie and all those who came before and who come after that feed us. SJS

What Luck!?

2011-09-01T17:43:00.000-05:00

They say the success of a rain dance has a lot to do with timing.
Corn rustled with dried, almost dead, leaves.
Cobs rattled together, too small and too dry.
Grasses crunch, crunched underfoot
and in the mouths of the animals who chewed.

I salvaged the tomatoes with a daily hosing.
The garden a round patch of green, an island.
Frogs moved into the yard, the pond, the trees.
Croaking for every drop of water they found.

Forecasts watched, science more like lucky bones.
Knuckles of a goat on dusty circles predict the same.
Clouds mean rain, well really! Sun is too hot. Duh.
Black hoses hold steaming hot water, enough to bathe.

Dogs and cows pant in the heat, no relief.
Cats seek questionable shade and heave.
Frogs and dogs share the pond, wet and cool.
Hummingbirds drain the nectar, not enough flowers.

World shakes, floods rise and fall back, smoke rises
and fires edge closer to the farms. She's angry
the old ones sagely say, our mother the Earth,
she is holding a hissy fit in weather and watch out!

I don't know about all that, but I do know this.
The happy sounds of thankful baby birds
singing in the rain, of dogs splashing, cows slurping.
Horses rolling in genuine muddy pastures.

It could be the edges of the hurricane's rain
come to visit the prairie's dry soils.
The rain song of a six years old boy worked,
he is sure. The rain came, the toads hopped.

The timing is critical, to be sure, in rain dances.
The same is true for so much other 'luck'.
Maybe it is not 'luck' after all but God having
a laugh at us trying to do His job of running things.

2011 Copyright Shanyn Silinski

Poem: Workin' Dog

2011-08-30T11:52:00.000-05:00

Feathers, intent on a squirrel, because the cows, cats and swallows were not available.

Workin' Dog

Sticks she won't fetch, won't even blink.

Gives you that stare that only a

workin' dog can.

Them balls better have a big ol

bull on the end of 'em or

she won't even twitch an ear.

A cattle dog can be, at times,

worth her weight in gold.

A true workin' dog.

They say a Border Collie can learn

over ten thousand words,

all I know for sure is she is picky.

"Walk em up" those play jus fine.

"Gettim to the gate" does well too.

Fetch, or play - a blank look. No way!

She knows the words alright, from

dirty dog to no poop to get'em

even when they are out of sight.

She's focussed, maybe a little too.

If it ain't cows she's chasing a few

barn swallows or cat's will do.

She's a lovely gal, all red and white,

with flavorful splashes of green manure

to 'scent' up your room at night.

My Feather gal is pretty bright,

but like a laser beam she's tight

to the point with no vary in sight.

There's dogs more loyal, true,

There's even some smarter

(altho' I'm not saying who)

There's dogs who can do tricks

an some who can do math and such

but no one can run em down like her.

No other tail flying, tongue lolling,

narrowed down at the eyes intent

can match my gal a working.

Sleeping by the door she's rank,

that's horse and calf poop today

like a perfumer she blends the scent

An my poor nose suffers but my

feet are getting soft and my walks short

cause she's like a remote control dog.

You can stand on the deck, jus'

point and shout, she knows what to do

an you can sit back really easy.

She has a look she gives, an it ain't nice,

but it says, so loud and clear, in your face,

"what are you stupid? I don't play...

"I'm a workin' dog an I got no time for this

puppy frolickin and such. Give me a tailed end

and one with horns and we'll getti'm good!'

(Dedicated to my best cattle dog who came from rescue and my worst poop roller Feathers)

Poem: Grey World

2011-08-29T14:39:00.000-05:00

Prompt from Magpie Tales.

Like a bright poppy on a grey battle field.
Like a flash of color over the sandy shore.
The umbrella floated down a grey brick road.

The city washed the color from me.
Born of wild flowers and blue skies,
it pulled me into shades of stone and rain.

Watching the umbrella float on by,
I started to catch myself smiling.
I even laughed and splashed a puddle!

This grey city with one bright spot,
has taken too many of my colors.
I'm going back to the prairies.

Bright red barns, white ducks, green
oat fields swaying next to purple flax
and blooming acres of sunflowers.

It took a bright red umbrella to break
the gloom and deliver my heart
back to where I belong - in the country!

I longed to take her with me, but I knew
her bright red would fade in the sunshine
and be lost in the waves of country color.

Better that she stay and share her red,
with the people of that grey city
on grey rainy days on grey streets.

I wont' forget her though, after all
she did with her bright red light me up
and get me on my way back home.

2011 Shanyn Silinski Copyright

Poem: Last Chances

2011-08-25T20:39:00.002-05:00

Putting off the call, waiting.

Wanting not to be first.

Thinking there was time,

not knowing this was

the last chance.

Not playing, not now, busy.

Work piled up and much to do.

Watching play out a window

not thinkinig this was

the last chance.

Going to bed so angry, so mad

Making up so far away and

yet certain there was time

so unaware this was

the last chance.

Last chance to reach out.

Last chance to play.

Last chance to say, "I'm sorry"

Last chances scented by faded flowers.

Last chances gilded by flown wings.

Last chances washed in faint laughter.

Last chances.

Poem: Remember the Ride

2011-08-22T11:53:00.000-05:00

Prompt from Magpie Tales

DeSoto, Chevrolet, Austin, Plymouth or Lincoln.
Who can remember that now?
Brother, boyfriend, father or friend.
Long gone from memory now.
Siblings, friends, lovers or strangers.
Lost from memory, saved on film.

The tires were hot, in the Missouri sun.
Paint gleaming, a boy's pride and joy.
Engine rumbling, pulsing, tired of waiting.

Three smiling faces at the camera,
two reflections in the paint face them.
Photographer, and lover laughing.

A wild bunch of five, ready to run.
Dirt red roads stretching before them.
Flat runs, tight turns and rolling hills.

Gas, clutch, brake. Steer. Laugh.
Girlish screams, soft and high.
Nervous laughter behind the wheel.

Heavy springs float them along,
dust blows behind down the road
behind them like a rooster tail.

No one remembers their names.
Their faces captured for that moment
on film, a print lost to their families.

No one remembers the day or time,
if there was a destination in mind.
All they remember is the ride.

copyright 2011 Shanyn Silinski

Poem: Surrounded

2011-08-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

Ten hummingbirds at one feeder.

Swarming, knowing the storm

is coming and

could sweep

them away.

Blue skies meekly giving way.

Storm clouds brewing and rolling

they come and

I feel them

blowing.

Dogs bark, fuss and howl at the change.

Sensing the lightning and thunder

that they cannot chase away

they hide, afraid

of what they

do not

know.

I watch from the back door north faced.

Flinching from the strikes and yet

hearing no thunder yet

and that feeling

of being

surrounded

crushes

me.

The storm rides on cold northern air.

Bringing what brews within

to leave us with rain,

hail or worse?

Or pass

us by

again.

This storm is me, today, how I feel.

Surrounded by storms and in my

little pocket of calm

I feel the pressure

mounting against

you and me

to change

again.

I want to run into the darkness, waving

and screaming. Like a fool with a

lantern trying to signal that

fabled runaway train.

Knowing it is

too late but

still we

have to

try.

Lights flicker, the power wavers weakly.

Even the grid seems struck by it

and less bright for the might

that these clouds can

shear down, and

hammer us

under with

power.

I waver too, feeling alone here.

It is coming, I can feel

the pressure bearing

down heavy

upon this

place.

Rest won't come, not with worry there.

Peace won't come, not with

that storm in here and

that storm out there

and me in the

middle

alone.

Again.

Or still?

2011 Copyright Shanyn Silinski

Poem: Painted Memories

2011-08-15T09:51:00.000-05:00

Prompt from Magpie Tales

Painted Memories

On the 'to do list' cleaning up,
especially that old mess of painting things.

Dried up rollers, crusted brushes, empty cans,
colors layered upon each other, dried hard.

Reaching for the box I find them calling to me.
Pulling me back to them, reaching back to stories.

Painted memories. The blue from a boy's room.
His first color choice to make it his own 'big boy' room.

The green from our bedroom, willow leaf green.
Perfectly calm, and feeding the passion in us.

Ranchwood, a warm brown grey like driftwood,
paired with cedar when you made the bathroom a spa.

Arroyo red, rich and vibrant, pulling us together in blood,
The color of brick, blood, and of together fighting to love.

Cafe capp, lightest coffee colored just for me the java girl.
Strong coffee with lots of cream, and sugar too.f

The colors of our first home together, as a family.
The dried paints on those rollers and brushes are memories.

Me doing trim with no tape, mistress of the fine brush.
You, zooming and slopping with the rollers. Messy man!

Wiping up paint spots, hand prints on t-shirts, laughing aloud.
Looking back we see each painted wall as much more.

They hold the memories of love, borderline hate, passion and fears.
Baby cries and wet dog splats, calves leaning on them wet.

Each wall holds a part of us, painted in and painted over.
Fresh coats to brighten the scarred spots, scratches and dings.

A truck crash here from the hotwheels race gone awry.
Scratches here from a poorly thrown frisbee on a rainy day.

Here a stain from being 'painted' with sunscreen in baby hands.
There oily frame, shaped like your back strong and leaning hard.

I carefully put the box of dried up rollers and crusted brushes back.
They'll be the last things I take when we move from here.

This, our first home as a family, painted in memories.
This, our unexpected blessing of life, love and laughter.

You'll ask if I cleaned up that box, and I'll laugh.
I'll say, "No" and you'll sigh, "Why?" and we'll make more...memories.

Copyright 2011 Shanyn Silinski

Poem: Threat or Promise

2011-08-12T09:14:00.004-05:00

"Red sky at night..."

Waves of dark clouds

rolling across the

sweeping prairie sky.

"...sailors delight..."

I sail down a rain dark

highway, tail lights

blinking red behind me.

"Red sky in morning..."

Rain drops pounding,

sky soaring reds, and

yellows, purple and blue.

"...sailors a warning..."

The night swallows them,

the last painted shades

of an August sunset.

Jasmine Blooms

2011-08-07T21:50:00.001-05:00

Summer Evening, Edward Hopper, 1947
Poetry Prompt Magpie Tales

Jasmine blooms scenting the night air.
A father's cologne on a grown up son.
Cooling night air filled with quiet sounds.
Buzz of ciadias, tumbling of moths.
Mosquitoes persistent hunting whine.

Front porch brightly light,
No shadows, no secrets.
Him leaning in, her leaning back.
Their silence broken by breathing.

The ball game rumbles faintly
on Father's new radio set.
Mother leans back, seeking
one glimpse around the corner.

"He's a nice boy" she comments.
"She's my baby girl." he responds.
They smile at each other, knowing
that it wasn't that long ago for them.

Hands brush each other, hotly.
A time when waiting was worth it.
The price to pay for true love.
One day they'll be inside too.

Watching young love bloom bright,
under the summer porch lights.
Remembering their budding to bloom.
The scent of jasmine and his cologne.

Copyright 2011 Shanyn Silinski

2011-08-07T21:36:00.002-05:00

Summer Evening, Edward Hopper, 1947

Poem: Lightning Lady

2011-08-04T21:42:00.003-05:00

Like a goddess she rides the winds,

gathering clouds to her like a gown.

Richly, damply, highly charged with energy.

Cloaked in towering cummulousnimbus,

she seems lovely at a distance.

Spinning she gathers more and more to her.

She pulls them in, energy fighting for freedom.

Trapping the lightning, the effort shouts in thunder.

So tall now the winds move around her,

she creates her own breezes below.

Danger comes, lurking in the lovely.

Danger comes, seething through.

Birds flee, dogs cower, cats hide.

Danger comes, flashing a warning.

Danger comes, rumbling a promise.

Like a goddess she blots the blue sky dark,

shadowing the ground under her gowns.

Leaves bend up for the blessing of rain.

Flowers bow their heads for the benediction.

She seems gentle as the rain begins.

Under the gowns the lighting seethes,

it roams in ropy light seeking release.

Dancing on the thunder it waits

for the skirts to part, for it to fly free!

Lighting finds its way to earth again.

Danger comes, out of a clear blue sky.

Danger comes, from a fluffy sweet cloud.

People stand tall, and stare. Unaware?

Danger comes, a fisted hand of energy.

Danger comes, delivered in a smokey charge.

Like a goddess she leaves a terrible wake,

destruction, blessing, beauty and death.

Land soaking up rain, animals bent low,

trees, houses and more torn up and tossed away.

She delivers her gifts with no favor or reason.

Under her gowns dances the deadly light,

seeking to find with one finger a place to send

the total combined love and rage of a storm.

I would face her, arms spread wide, ready to embrace.

I would let it fall around me and know at last.

Danger comes, and like her I can strike.

Danger comes, and like her I am deadly.

Some step back, some cringe away, others flinch.

Danger comes, and like her I just am.

Danger comes, and it is in us - deadly, living and alive.

Copyright, 2011 Shanyn Silinski
Shared on Gooseberry: http://gooseberrygoespoetic.blogspot.com/2011/10/poetry-picnic-week-10-nature-forest.html

Swallows - A Poem

2011-07-29T08:07:00.003-05:00

Swallows

Black bodied, oranged breasted bombers.
Acrobats darting and flying about.
Seemingly random and but focussed.

Mud for the nest, soft bedding.Mud, carried in tiny beaks.
Trip after endless trip.

Spit into rows, built tiny bricks.
Layer by layer rising up.
Resting frail on nail or ledge.

Plant fluff, breast feathers.
The bed soft for the eggs,
Lined for the treasure of young

Eggs, small and perfectly frail.
Life growing, life reaching to
break free and begin their demands.

Black bodied, oranged breasted.
Small bodies, almost all mouth.
Cries for more! More! More!

One darting capture, happless insect
delivered to the demanding babes.
Mouths ever open, parents ever bringing.

Weeks exhausting pass in summer's sun.
Hot days, raining days, morning and night.
Mama and Papa bringing food, defending them.

On my deck with a coffee.
I hear a new sound.
No longer nest bound but not flying.

Lined up on the ledge, a hungry line.
Quiet watching, eyes only moving.
Until a parent is spotted!

The fastest mouth is fed.
The quickest babe to cry.
The others wait, quietly.

Without plan or measure.
Each gets fed, fairly until full.
Each parent rests on the light cover.

Baby barn swallows.
Soon will fly.
Mama and Papa
will do it
all over
again.

copyright 2011 Shanyn Silinski

M.O.B. Society Hop!

2011-07-28T00:36:00.000-05:00

http://www.themobsociety.com/2011/07/the-first-annual-boy-mom-bloghop/

Welcome to my wonderfully blessed and beautifully chaotic life! I ranch in Manitoba with my husband and son. We have a lot of fun, we work hard and we children of God who celebrate His creation every day!

This is my Mom blog, where I share about our adventures, the stories that move us and the poetry that life and the Lord bring me. Sometimes it is just photos, sometimes it is a story. Sometimes it is just stuff! My faith blog is Strawberry Roan and my healing journey is over at Scarred Seeker. You are welcome to stop by either and say hi!

We have four rescue dogs - Border Collie, Catahoula, Great Pyrenees and a Corgi mix. We have Highland cows and horses, cats and lots of wild critters who call our ranch home.

As a writer, photographer and scrapbooker I have a pretty creative mind, and it is so different from my work, which I love, that taps into my work in emergency services and animal care.

We are avid readers, lovers of books and some are authors too. We read Dr. Seuss, Cat In The Hat science books, we follow the adventures of the trucks in the Truck Town books by Jon Scieszka, any books about farming and heavy equipment, the 'talking' Britannica set of books on science, nature and the world are very popular around here! Poetry, Bible stories and singing songs keeps the sounds rolling. We homeschool and spending time reading aloud or to ourselves but together is really important and a lot of fun.

My son, Luke, loves Bible stories and his two favorites are the Easter Story and the Good Samaritan. He also loves to read about Martha and Mary.

It gets muddy, dirty, and kinda crazy around here but we love our ranching life and wouldn't change it for anything. It is a blessing to be stewards of this land, this water and these animals, both wild and not so wild.

Thank you for coming by, I hope you come again!

Bright blessings, always and in all ways...

Sunflowers

2011-07-19T21:53:00.000-05:00

Oh how I wish I could keep my face to the Son,

Faithful as a sunflower watching the sun

crossing the arc of the sky.

Oh how I wish I had the faith in that seed,

planted by winter hoarding birds,

growing in a tiny bit of soil in the crook of a willow tree.

No matter where you plant one,

they always seek the sunshine.

Why can't I, oh Lord, be as faithful?

Planted in rough soil or easy,

all I need is to hold on and seek You!

They seek the sun, the feed birds and bees.

They shade frogs and smaller plants.

Strong as a tree in stalk,

delicate velvet leaves and abundant seeds.

Bet you can't look at one and not smile?

Promise of a tight bud, the fulfillment of a full bloom.

Soon fading to seeds, winter feed for birds and animals.

Reminders for me, during the dark days and during winter months...

The Son always shines and all we have to do is keep

facing Him!

Five Minute Friday: Loss

2011-07-15T00:32:00.001-05:00

Crowd pressed around, smells of the city.

Dirty, gritty, gas and oil.

Concrete and asphalt.

Sweat and perfume.

People press and I push it down.

Then a scent ribbons past me.

My head turns, nose up wolfish.

I know that scent, that memory.

Turning, I scan the crowd.

Searching for the impossible.

You are gone, long since gone.

Your voice faded away,

your face soft and distant.

That scent brings it all back!

That smell of you!

Scents, I wish I could see how

They carry memories so light.

Twisting ribbons of scent

tangling my heart, twisting my mind.

Just one instant and it all comes back.

Losing you, missing you, holding you.

Our last words an argument.

Our last night talking in a pick up truck.

Me fighting, you quitting.

Strangled with a second of scent,

that noose of a memory.

Then, in tears, I realize it is gone.

I seek with my nose, my heart, my eyes.

That crowd, improbable and dense.

Finding you there, a delicate thread

of memory strung along to my heart

all the way by the scent of your memory.

Losing Kelly was the hardest grief, it was and still is the loss of a friendship and a love that never truly got a chance to fully bloom.

Shared on Gooseberry Garden: http://gooseberrygoespoetic.blogspot.com/2011/10/poetry-picnic-week-7-love-and-loss.html

Everything is out of our hands...

2011-07-08T15:31:00.002-05:00

Everything is
out
of our hands.

I tell you,
it's out
of our hands....

Nothing was
ever
in our hands.

Seeds we plant.
Rain we praise
or curse.

Babes we birth.
They grow
weeds, roses or vines.

Everything is
out
of our hands.

Not by works.
Not by righteousness.
Nothing in our hands.
Nothing but grace.

I tell you
it's out
of our hands...

and I tell you
who has
hands enough
for it all.

He does.
He can.
He will.
He is.

Copyright Shanyn Silinski 2011
(This poem inspired by a prompt by our Triggered Muse Poet's group on Facebook. )

Stormy Monday Part I

2011-07-04T16:57:00.001-05:00

Blue sky edges the layers of clouds as the front moves our way.

This was moving like a nest of snakes.

Cloud sculpture any one?

Ominous aren't they?

On a day with many warnings emerging all over the province, the storms are starting to rumble and roll our way.
These are the leading edge of the storm photos, it's been 'use a lamp' dark at our house since about 2 pm.

I love flowers...

2011-06-20T21:44:00.001-05:00

My newest digital layout with goodies from Scrap Girls, I think I missed digital and traditional scrapbooking a lot!

Do you love flowers?

Some of my favorite things...

2011-06-03T22:54:00.000-05:00

Toads and frogs, in the yard and in the pond.

The ducks on the drive way.

Helping Daddy in the shop, learning to be the right man for the job with the right tools.

The loving, smiling face of my joy.

Purple flowers.

Moths.

Hummingbird girls.

Apple blossoms.

Cherry blossoms too.

Wild columbines.

Volunteer violas.

What are some of your favorite things?

Sunshine on my Shoulders

2011-05-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy...and so does...

Watching Aurora teach Lazarus to enjoy green grass, freshly picked by me.

Luke using his amazing Britannica reading pen to learn about animals and nature. On the deck.

The smell of laundry, fresh of the line, is the smell of spring to me.

She thinks whenever I come outside it is 'treats for the cow' time.

An abundance of yellow flowers for my hair, picked by little hands, smudged with dirt.

Nothing could make me feel better than his gift of yellow flowers.

Lazarus loves the green grass, he loves having his Mama with him and well I love him cause he's such a sweet boy.

Love and Yellow Flowers

2011-05-17T23:32:00.000-05:00

It isn't spring or summer, or even fall, if I don't have an abundance of yellow flowers for my hair. Luke reminds me that it is a 'beautiful way to be lovely Mama"

My birds come and sing, eat seeds and tease the cats. It would not be spring without their visits to the feeders, their covering the apple trees in their lovely colored and feathered bodies.

Need to beautify your yard? Plant a Pyrenees! Abby loves to dig, she loves the damp, soft dirt of the flowerbeds. She digs like an excavator, trenches like crazy and doesn't seem to understand when her work is not really all that helpful to the landscaping.

Our newest visitor to the feeders, and one that is able to get the blackbirds to leave the feed alone.

I love spring, this time of year when things are starting to get green and leafy. No real bugs yet. Spending time on the deck, in the yard, out in the pasture and hayfield. Laughing, playing, tracking, learning and being together.

I'm so thankful for the time we spend together, I'm so thankful for the sheets dried on the line smelling like spring. I'm so thankful for soft grass on barefeet, calves testing grass and chasing cats. Dancing in the yard under the contrails, laughing at the birds, watching the stars emerge from a deep blue sky blurring into night.

Longer days, warm nights for windows left open. Planning for flowers, planning for the garden. Planning for doing not too much on the nicest days. Planning to savor each God blessed day.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T14:55:00.000-05:00

Hank, Rio and Monica enjoying the sunshine.

Silly upside down playing on the lawn giggling in the sunshine smiles!

He is joy!

So glad to share the spring with my bird friends!

The critters see a human mama but a mama all the same...

Nothing but pure joy for these two...and to think they were both 'left for dead'!

Happy Mother's Day from our outfit to yours...may you be brightly blessed, always and in all ways.

Lazarus, the calf

2011-05-02T23:43:00.000-05:00

Working on being a good Mama, and he's learning that Mama's milk is best!

Tucked in between the bales, nice and warm and dry...

Finally, sunshine to enjoy...

Food fight!

2011-04-26T20:12:00.000-05:00

I had bought them for a Christmas party and that party never quite happened. They sat in the truck since Christmas and didn't go bad. (makes you wonder if they were made from the same stuff as Twinkies!)

I was gardening, cleaning out some flower beds, and then WHAM I get it right in the backside with a gooey blue cupcake! The food fight of 2011 was on!

Love is...a food fight?

Luke, Earl and I were tossing icing, cupcakes and laughing like crazy. I tell you it was the exact precise kind of fun we needed! Calving, working, learning and life can be some pretty serious stuff but this was just plain old silly fun!

When was the last time you had a food fight?

Oh and the look on the dog's face when she was licking icing of Earl was priceless - HE's EDIBLE! And SWEET! Then she cleaned our laundry, shoes and the lawn too...talk about a sugar high!

They are edible! Nah, just tasty!

"How much fun did you have buddy?" THIS MUCH!

Easter Donkey

2011-04-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

There are many tellings of this story, but this is my version.

(File photo of Michelle Bachmann)

On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode a young donkey colt into Jerusalem. The donkey was so proud, the people were cheering, singing, there were soft palm leaves and cloaks to walk upon. His burden was light, the hand of our Lord gentle on him. No stick, no bit, just a gentle hand and kind words. The donkey thought this was the best day ever!

The donkey was cared for by the man's followers. The young donkey, small and unimportant, was in the presence of someone he recognized by their kindness and love. Someone special. A bond grew. Jesus was gentle and loving, children patted him and gave him treats. He enjoyed being with his new owner.

But then things became frightening. People argued, they moved around in the night. They were not relaxed and happy. Judas was cruel and pushed him rudely aside, muttering, "Stupid animal!" The donkey still kept his eyes on his Master, his Jesus. He knew better than these people the love that poured from this man. Even when he was sad he still showed love.

Then came a night of a big dinner, the donkey got a special treat. Jesus came and rested his hands upon that small strong back. He took some time to pray and the donkey leaned upon him. Later, Judas left the dinner, and there was a lot of talking late into the night. Jesus and his followers came down, the donkey moved to follow Him. Hoping he could serve by giving this kind master a ride upon his strong back.

Jesus put a hand upon him and gently turned him back, "Tonight my friend I walk alone." And the donkey didn't understand why such sadness and love could be felt. His ears drooped and he started to walk back to the stable.

He stopped though, and decided to follow his Master. He followed close behind all the way to the garden, he silently watched from the trees as Jesus prayed and the other men slept. He followed his Jesus as he was arrested and followed all the way to the terrible skull hill.

There he could not bear to see this loving Master on the cross, but he could not leave him alone either. So he stood there, in the shadow of that cross, with his head down, facing away. His loyalty and love forever marked upon his back by the shadow of the cross.

Donkeys carried Mary on her way to bear her Son, they carried her and Jesus as they fled to Egypt. Finally those loyal and strong donkeys had one of their own carry the Son on Palm Sunday. We are all God's creation, and He knows and loves each of us - donkeys too! We should be so loyal, so stubborn, so strong and so kind as that young donkey.

Happy Easter. Bright blessings, always and in all ways...

Cow Cats and such

2011-04-22T20:59:00.000-05:00

I wish I had a photo, or even better video. But maybe I'll capture some this weekend. Picture this if you can!

Three and four week old calves, and barn cats. Playing together! Cats pretending that the calves are not there as they are sneaking up on them. Then the very large calf nose touched the small cat, leaving a wet smudge on their heads. Cats ball up, hiss and dash off - about four steps. Calves shake their heads, like big cattle. The game is on, again.

These are just a few of the things that we see here on our little ranch.

We tagged calves today and that was an adventure. Catching them was Earl's job, mine was doing the tags. Luke helped too. Everyone has nice orange tags, and we are waiting for the other babies to arrive. Will we have an Easter calf or just a Palm Sunday baby this year?

I wrote about Good Friday over on Strawberry Roan today, and will be doing a longer post here tomorrow. I'll be sharing the legend of the Donkey and how it got the cross on it's back. My own version of the famous tale.

Bright blessings!

Number Four

2011-04-19T18:37:00.000-05:00

She is calf number four, a sweet blue black heifer, who could have had a much more tragic entry into the world than she did. Check out part of her story at Strawberry Roan...

We had a much different day planned than what we started with this past Sunday. Thankfully God was leading the way or instead of ending in joy it could have been tragic.

We have Highland Cows which can sometimes drive my loving husband to fits! Mostly because they look much alike - either shaggy black or shaggy red. I think they are all unique with their horns, faces and the like but him not so much.

But to step back a few paces - it was a later than I would have liked start to the day. Our dear neighbor (bless him!) came to put out some hay bales. He almost didn't see her! She was tucked into the bedding pile. Alone. Not one other cow around. Not even in sight. No one. Was she alive? Yes!

When he came to the house I was so surprised...a calf. By herself. That was unlike my cows, but with heifers having their first babies it isn't unheard of.

So...no breakfast, no devotionals, no coffee...the duty of a steward comes first. We bundled up and dashed out. Sure enough she was okay. Very new. Very small. So lovely.

I covered her up from the chill wind, and the snow pellets flew around us. Earl took our cattle dog Feathers to walk out and bring the cows up. We had to find her mama!

Waiting in the wind with a shivering calf and a very pregnant mama cat who strangely wanted to mother this baby had me thinking, praying and wondering about this life we live! Mi vida loca...indeed!

Through the trees I see cows coming and I wonder - who is the heifer's mama? Which one? No one looked that close the day before but cows can fool you! I see them coming up, walking slowly, and I foolishly think we are almost done out here!

It took almost another hour and the the help of our dogs, many prayers and finally a little moo of recognition from this hours old baby. She knew her Mama, even if her Mama wasn't sure about knowing her. So now that we've got them matched up, can she suck?

Not wanting to gamble I run in to mix up some first milk, colostrum, for her, and dash back out. I catch her and try to get her to suck on this fake rubber nipple. She wanted NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! That is a good sign for us cattle folks! It means she has sucked, and now to get her Mama to let her do that again.

In the usual butt up and head down, calf between my legs position, holding a bottle urging this baby to please give me a break. I feel a soft snuffly breath on my cheek. Slowly, S-L-O-W-L-Y I looked up. Horns, hair and a concerned mooo...and the calf replies. I let go and stand up, slowly. She teeters over, gets a little lick on the face and finds her true and proper meal. Her tail wags and her Mama nuzzles her.

Prayers of thanks go up as cow's milk drops down into the calf's stomach. Prayers of thanks go up as the snow pellets fall down in a grey spring sky. Prayers of thanks go up.

Over coffee, and whilst spying from the house with binoculars, I'm amazed at how this heifer has become so mothering so fast. Instinct is amazing, it is a miracle. So is Rio.

Raine's Story

2011-04-12T15:40:00.000-05:00

This is baby Raine, she is a tiny little heifer born in the pouring rain. Her mama's first calf. She was born around noon, and when we checked her later after the rain she was tucked in to a little hollow on the ridge. She was laying so still I thought she was sick so I went to her, slowly, quietly talking. I gently touched her little wet head...and...

...she jumped up and RAN! Right through one barbed wire fence, then through another, fell through the snow and sank into a soft, wet drift (the only one left I'm sure for miles!). I dash to the fence, curse and fret at the gate (bless me that man of mine makes gates tight to open and close sometimes!)...and got cut...then I ran.

Finally caught up to her and thought, "Phew now I can carry her back!"...or NOT!

She ran, AGAIN!, back through the fences (all three) but not before taking a nice swampy detour through the mud, muck and melted poop from the winter. She slipped through the rails on the corral and lay down. So very tired. I wanted to lay down too! I knelt down and softly called her name, and mooed a little. And I PRAYED! Prayed that she wouldn't dash away again. Prayed that she wouldn't get hurt. Prayed that her Mama would finally come get her...and Praise the Lord if that calf didn't just get up and walk to me.

She stood there and let me carry her out to her Mama and aunties. Aunty Brindle thought she should take charge of the baby and she moved her to where her mama was waiting.

My first barbed wire cut of the year! I guess you could say I got that out of the way! Now we can keep on calving and I'll remember to have my hands on the babies more firmly when they are playing possum! No more muddy dashes for me to catch calves if I can help it! Luke was a super helper and we were wise enough to have left the dogs in the house - they would have NOT helped.

Raine and her cousins Hank and Monica are playing in the sunshine. They run, they sleep and they are growing fast. Their Mama's are happy for the snow going away and I am too.

Calving is never boring around here...

Hello Spring!

2011-03-18T14:38:00.000-05:00

Little Hank and his Mama Blackie.

His second full day, and what a sweet woolly boy he is.

It's a cow parade...

Spring, she comes on frost feathered wings.

Spring, she whispers through the winter's fog.

She promises grass, flowers and leaves.

She sings the birds back home again.

Spring, she moves across the snow warmly.

Spring, she sends the snow fleeing.

She promises renewal after a winter's sleep.

She sings, paints and warms us to dream.

Spring, she teases us with warm and cold kisses.

Spring, she dances through the slowly waking trees.

She conducts the frog choirs and raven chorus.

She tickles the horses into bucking and running.

Spring, our shy girl, she comes softly and slowly.

Spring, our dancing girl, she lightens our hearts.

She brings us more sunshine, gentle rains.

She brings us storms and birthing trials.

Spring! She comes! She comes!

Photos by Shanyn Silinski, 2011

Warm Sunshine, Almost Spring?

2011-03-10T11:20:00.000-06:00

I bundled up this morning - the usual for winter oriented people and the it hit me. The sun is warmer now! What a wonderful thing to stand there, bucket of bird seed in one hand and scoop in the other, turning my face to the sun and just feeling it! Warmth! The promise of spring!

I dared to say it! The forecasters can do their best to deter me but I believe that spring is coming. "Cold and wet spring ahead" they warn us. Floods, more snow, storms and the like but all I can hear are birds singing and all I can see is snow melting and I can hear the joy in my little boy's voice!

We played in the lightly falling snow last night. It was warm for us and we had a wonderful time. It wasn't quite spring but we are getting closer.

Waiting for spring to wake up is hard to do! We touch the trees, and imagine we hear them starting to rouse from their winter slumber. We watch the cows and horses run and play, wishing for grass instead of hay. The birds sing of trees, bugs, flowers and nests instead of dry old seeds and dog water.

We sort our winter gear and get ready to trade it for spring coats and boots.

I KNOW we may have more winter yet and I'm sure spring will be the shy girl we expect her to be and that's okay. Just knowing she is on her way is enough to lighten my heart! It is enough to get my fingers itching for soil and my eyes are drawn to the tin bowl full of seed packets. Waiting for spring.

How do you wait for spring?

Blog Hop 2nd Date

2011-03-03T20:54:00.000-06:00

Blog Hop Redux

Blog Hop List

We gone and done it again, got out the fancy dresses and heels and Meg has put on a great blog hop! Thank you for stopping by...it's great to see you!

I've got a few blogs and while they have not been at the top of my life's to do list lately I'm confident that I'll be back better than before. Please feel free to click around, visit my blogs and enjoy the scenery.

There are some winter nights where the colors

bleed away to blue and black.

Bruised snow under the moonlight,

Stark branches casting patterns on the snow.

The evening colors fade to black,

the wolves howl as we turn to the fire.

I have to tell you, the last blog hop was amazing! The visits, the comments and the encouragement was just amazing.

I think as writers we need to remember the power of positive words and within our community of writers we need to show that solidarity and support. It can mean so much and you may never know how that one comment, that one shared link can mean. There have been days when the words didn't come and the research notes were put away to gather dust because I felt no love for my own words. I felt I was writing into a void and that in those moments of writing in the dark it felt like racing on a rocking horse.

Encourage each other! Keep writing! Share the words, the phrases that move you. You may never know how much your words weigh. I've written and raised a ruckus. I've written and poured out my heart. I write for me but I also write for those who honour me with their time which is given to reading my words.

Welcome to the hop, I hope you are able to visit lots of our blogs and I'll see you around soon!

Shanyn

Feeling scrappy

2011-02-18T13:43:00.002-06:00

Tonight is our monthly crop hosted by the wonderful gals at Scrapbook Cottage in Steinbach. You ought to check it out...and see Sharon's blog too!! I've been doing some pages lately, catching up on old photos (some really old and some a few years old). Not quite as fun as the new ones but it's got to be done. I was asked to help with some digital scrapbooking for a group of 4H'ers who are taking it for their club. That will be exciting to plan for them, I did that last year and we had a great time with it.

I've got a folder on my computer for sayings, quotes and verses that I promise myself I'll make into word art one day...well lucky you! Today is one of those days. I love this quote, often attributed to Carl Jung it actually goes back further to Spartan times. It is truly timeless. If you need one in color let me know and I can do one up for you.

Enjoy and get that scrappy feeling going...it feels good to scrap no matter which style or medium you use!

She Writes, I Write

2011-02-17T19:22:00.001-06:00

I write because I think in words, I photograph because I see things framed in my mind and try to capture that with a lens and digital eye. We write because the words must be let out, either through pen or keyboard, through tears or blood. We write, we share and we are She Writes! Won't you join us on this B&W Blogger Ball?

I have been writing as long as I can remember - hunched over an old typewriter in the lamplight as a pre-teen, scribbling in countless notebooks and scraps of paper. I've been enjoying the written word as long as I can remember, immersing myself in a finely crafted poem, a wonderfully wrought story or a rocket roller coaster thriller! I strive to be one of those writers who leave little shadows of their words along the path for others to find for inspiration, for courage and for fun.

I am a poet, a columnist, a blogger and a trouble maker. I share my scars, my dreams and my faith. I'm working on my novel and my second book of poetry. I'm finding a sisterhood of writing at She Writes that I invite you to investigate and join!

If you are on She Writes and we haven't met yet, thanks for stopping by! If you like you can learn more about me at my other blogs:
Scarred-Seeker
Strawberry Roan
Chore Time
and of course here on Mystic Mom.

Be brightly blessed and may your words have wings!

I know Meg wanted a bit of advice, and all I can share is from my own experience, and that is to keep writing, keep crafting. Seek writers who you can build friendships with, who respect your work and learn from each other, lean on each other and have closed bitch sessions when needed. Write! Write! Even if it stays in draft form for a long time you captured the words and gave them a home.

Christmas & New Years

2010-12-30T15:04:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas! I trust you had a joyful Christmas! We are also wishing you a very Happy New Year with health, happiness and time to enjoy life each day!

Here are some of my favorite photos to enjoy...be well and be brightly blessed!

Making paper snowflakes!

Awesome snow angels buddy!

A decoration named either Buddy or Henry!

The gingerbread house before it fell...

Our little family, big on love!

The plow with Earl's ice candles...lovely dear!

Cookie cutters, wax pencils in white and some cardboard or
paper bags to make decorations and gift tags.

I'll be the Queen of the Crop with this rockin' scrap tote from Earl & Luke!

"Santa Parking Only" and yes we left hay for the reindeer!

Tubin' with cousin Julia!

Total fun with Grandpa!

Christmas Photos

2010-12-08T08:52:00.000-06:00

We do family photos around Christmas time every year, and it does make me smile to see how we have all changed and grown since Luke came into our lives those five Christmases ago.

It can be a challenge though - finding something interesting for a theme, some suitable date with the right lighting and of course the mood has to be right. Cannot force either of my guys or the photos won't be spontaneous and fun.

Two days ago we went outside to play while it was lightly snowing and quite warm. Bundled up and playing with the dogs, Luke's joy at being a boy outside was so infectious! I couldn't stay inside and work! I grabbed my camera and my tripod, threw on a hoodie and fleece jacket and went outside to capture some of his spirited laughter and contagious fun!

We did get our family photos done, and I have four favorites of us three, plus a few treasured ones of Earl and Luke. A couple of good bloopers for scrapbooking too!

Enjoy, and share the links to your family Christmas photos or comment to share your ideas for great locations, poses and fun things that help get those wonderful photos we treasure so much!Bright blessings this Christmas season, and all year through!

There is honour in dirt

2010-10-26T01:55:00.000-05:00

There is honour in dirt, there is goodness in doing the dirty jobs. Luke loves watching Dirty Jobs, he respects and admires workers in trades and in jobs like farmers. Someone asked me what our hopes for him were - and my reply was, anything that makes him happy! But being a bit 'old school' they had concerns that he would do a manual job or perhaps something that was hard or would be dirty. I couldn't help but laugh!

Dirty as a problem?   Not likely, and as I got to thinking about it I really considered there is honour in dirt.  There is something about someone who is not afraid of dirt that makes me proud. Mike Rowe, of Dirty Jobs, has some really great ideas on subjects like this, and he inspires us with his show. For us it isn't always about the dirt in the job, but the people and their ingenuity. Their spirit and determination to make things happen, to get things done.

I've done some dirty jobs and I've done clean and tidy jobs.  Except for a few wish-I-could-forget moments I'd take the dirty ones any day! Well almost any day!

When I think about the future I think we'll have more of a need for people who can and will do the dirty jobs.  People who can literally muck their way through and be okay with it.  Growing food, fighting fires, tending animals, building structures, repairing and retrofitting. When we have dirt on our hands we know we did something. Maybe not earth shattering or Nobel Prize winning but something we can put our hands around, take a photo of, stand back from and say, "yep got that done." Even if it is only done for that moment or that day.

My family has a long history of dirt and I'm proud of it. Farmers, ranchers, builders, labourers, ship's captains and scoundrels. Men, women and children who pioneered, invented and created with dirt on their hands. So keep on getting dirty Mike, Andrew and the gang from Mythbusters. Keep on getting dirty farmers, fire fighters, Moms and Dads, hydro men and women, miners and fishermen, vets and rescuers. Keep on getting dirty, there is honour in that dirt! (please wash your hands before eating!)

Back in the Scrap

2010-10-23T21:49:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah I've been getting back in the scrap and does it feel good? Oh Yeah! Went to a crop last Saturday, met some rockin' scrappers and am going next Friday. Thanks Janelle for doing a great crop and Sharon I'm looking forward to yours, I'm bringing a friend and we are going to have a super time. Last Saturday I did five layouts and made two chipboard albums.

I'll be posting some photos tomorrow...tonight I'm thinking about what my next layout project should be - and sadly I know what it must be! I have to finish pages that are languishing in albums, waiting for a final element, bit of journalling or even a photo. No more new pages until those are done!

A few weeks ago Earl and I were working on a page of us enjoying a winter bonfire and we thought it needed marshmallow embellishments. We used stickers of sticks and made our own dimensional marshmallow elements. I've put the tutorial here for you - this would work to make snow men, snow balls, marshmallows or anything else!

Keep on scrapping!

How To Make Dimensional Marshmallow Elements

This is the method Earl came up with while helping me with a page.

Here is how we got this great dimensional marshmallow element for our paper page, you can do it too!

Supplies:

Stamping Up (or other) Chalk set

Square punch

Thick white paper

Corner rounder

'stick' stickers or dimensional sticks

Popsicle stick or embossing tool

Round edged container (I used a wooden candle lid)

Large foam 'pop dot'

1: Punch your squares, be sure they are to scale with what you are using for sticks on the layout

Round the corners with your corner rounder

2: Using dark brown chalk, chalk the top and side edges of your marshmallows

smudge the brown about a 1/3 of the way in to the shape, getting lighter towards the bottom

3: Using black chalk, chalk the edges on top and sides

Randomly smudge some black (like scorch marks) on the top 3/4 of the marshmallow

4: Place the edge of the marshmallow over your rounded object

Using the popsicle stick or embossing tool, curve the edges downwards, all the way around

5: Re-chalk any areas which need more brown or black (to look toasted)

6 Position your pop dot on the page, over your stick

Adhere marshmallow without bending the edges flat again

TA! DA! You have a dimensional paper marshmallow for camping, bbq and fireside pages...

Object of my Affection

2010-09-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

Object of My Affection

There are many 'things' that I've had in my life and lost - sometimes they wear out, sometimes we out grow them. Sometimes they get broken, stolen or just plain lost. Sometimes when you are fleeing for your life and sanity you leave things behind. They are, after all, just things. Not all things can be replaced, and many will hold a close place in our hearts long after they are gone.

Holli challenged us on her blog, A Life Less Ordinary, to think about the 'object of my affection'. You should stop by and read about her friend, Fuzzy.

I'm looking around my house, and there are many things with stories. Some grand. Some small. Some barely there. Some I've carried around through many moves, repaired, cleaned and cherished. One of them is my Maneki Neki that I brought home from my first trip to Hawai'i when I was 13.

It now sits in my china cabinet, by the kitchen table. Next to my Celtic Angel and the Christmas dishes. She didn't always have such a safe place to rest. When I first got her I didn't realize she wasn't made of durable materials, her clay based form is quite fragile. She traveled thousands of miles in a suitcase, in the somewhat careful hands of airline employees. She lived on a shelf which was thought to be too high for the real cats to each.

That perception was literally shattered one night as the crossed eyed peach point Persian, Paul Newman, crashed her off her shelf. In her pieces on the floor she looked so sad. I was heart broken. I was really angry. That CAT wrecked my special cat. I could have cried, but instead I went to find the glue. I sat on the floor for over an hour gluing her back together.

Neki has moved with me nine times, and has so far, not only stayed together (good old Elmer's glue!) but has also been a constant object of my affection. She has survived winter U-haul moves, a temporary abandonment and subsequent storage unit stay. She has been in cars, in trucks, on shelves and held in hands of all sizes.

If you look close you can see the cracks, you can see where her paint is a bit dull, the glitter a bit tattered but her upraised paw beckons still. Her eyes still grace a feline smiling face. She is still an object of my affection.

Nothing Better

2010-08-14T10:54:00.000-05:00

What is my favorite sound? Laughter! From the belly and full of absolute joy. We were playing on his slide and he wanted me to 'watch me Mama!' as he went down on his belly, as far as he could go and then would pop back up and laugh! What fun to see how far down he could go.

There is, in my not so humble opinion, nothing better than genuine, soul deep laughter. Nothing better than the gift of joy so simple and humble that a loving companion and a slide can make your day. Nothing better than being blessed enough to be a part of the laughter.

Too many days have sadness and too many days have fears, anger and too many days we struggle. We don't take enough time to find the joy in laughing with a child or playing in a homemade splash park.

How wonderful to be able to splash on a hot day! How wonderful to be able to share in the splashing!

Where is your joy going to take you today? Where are you going to find laughter today?

Don't wait to find it! Don't wait to have someone make it happen!

Be well and be brightly blessed, always and in all ways...

I used this great kit by Vivayne, see her store and gallery at: www.scrapbooksgonedigital.com

House Keepers and the like

2010-08-01T00:02:00.000-05:00

I was on my fourth Swiffer of the afternoon and was wondering about what makes a house a home - some families I know have spotless, shiny homes...everything has a place (and actually is in it!). Others seem to be slowly fading away under dirt, hair and neglect. But where is ours? Some would argue that we've been taken over by farm stuff, work stuff, Lego and other 'things' and that could be true.

The animals bring their own space, and trust me nothing shrinks a house quicker than four Border Collies and a hundred plus pound Great Pyrenees. They bring dirt, dust and hair.

The farm brings it's own goodies such as manure, dried good stuff from cows, horses and ducks, miscellaneous tools and repair supplies.

We love to create, read and play together so we have books scattered about in wild abandon, laundry doesn't always stay put, clean or dirty. Shoes migrate from one door to another.

Yes, the house isn't super clean, but we aren't going to be condemned either. There is food for the table, there are linens on the beds and clothes in the closets. We have high tech and low tech and all that is in between but I'd have to say the biggest thing that fills our house is:

Love! Laughter! Joy! Family! Sharing! Faith!

I wouldn't trade those for the cleanest house in the world, I wouldn't trade them for the biggest house in the world or anything else. Those are the things that make a house a home!

So I'll be hanging this up where people can see it, and know that I'm not a great house keeper, my Grandma would most likely be ashamed. Her lovely western end tables and coffee tables are perfect for Lego, reading, driving Matchbox and Hotwheels cars. They fit our little boy fine for snacks and activities. They are loved.

I have dust, you can write in it if you wish, but please don't put down a date! That is just so tacky. I have dust bunnies, take some home, they are great quiet pets. I have sand all sumer and snow melted puddles all winter and in the shoulder seasons we have great mixtures of mud, paw prints and boot tracks.

My windows have nose, paw and hand prints on them from watching birds, horses and cows. So does the TV. Everything has been cleaned, many many times, but it doesn't stay clean because our house is a lived in, worked on, played in and busy place.

I can only dream of a day when the dust fears me, when the dust bunnies flee in a tidy panic, when the dishes solemnly and obediently wash and dry themselves, when the clothes in an orderly fashion find their way down dirty and back up again clean. Until then I know my wash machine will be a saw horse or paint table, that my stove top will serve to make cookies and snail bread with clouds of flour and splashes of waffle mix. That my doors will store behind them all sorts of tools and stray project bits.

That's okay because this is where we live, love and laugh. This is where we pray, cry, sleep and share. This is our home, imperfect and not new, and it is okay by me. Come by sometime for a visit, the cups are clean and so are the spoons...we'll enjoy the sunroom or the deck.

Scrapping, Learning & Ranching

2010-05-24T14:17:00.000-05:00

What a long time it has been since I shared with you here - many hundreds of photos, many scrapped pages and many many hours spent enjoying the arrival of spring. We have been calving, fencing, planting flowers and garden, herbs and trees.

The humming birds are back, the orioles toured through and more will be here soon. My sweet hummer girl is hovering just outside my window - it's so good to see her back this year! We have two hammocks set up in the maple trees - one for me and one for Luke. It sure has been nice to enjoy them, even Feathers likes to sleep in the hammock.

The calves are running, playing, scratching and sleeping - their mama's are slimming down and shedding their winter hair. The grass is growing, the flowers are blooming and when it's not wet we are making puddles for the little man to play in.

I took some photos of my paper pages that I did yesterday, and I have more digital ones to post later. I've been having lots of fun using different techniques and ideas to do pages. I've been using more buttons, stickers and clusters of elements and strips of paper. It's been working well and by doing some quick organizational steps I can pack a tub of goodies and go anywhere and do pages.

First steps are to pick the photos, grab two or three papers, elements and extras which might work, then grab the extras you always take to crops. Then with your tools tucked away you are ready to scrap at a moment's notice - and lately I've needed every moment! No time to leisurely select, sort and debate - it's scrap now or never it seems! And the pressure is working.

My new camera, for Mother's Day, is totally rocking. It is a new model Nikon, a Coolpix L110. It has the most awesome face seeker focus, does wonderful macro shots and is a hot red to boot! Been taking tons of photos and loving the features - the sports one is a continuous shot that makes great stop action movies! The sunset/sunrise and dusk settings totally kick it.

We've had the BEST long weekend - got so much done, spent time together and really enjoyed the moments. It's a great way to be together...

Three Flower Afternoon

2010-05-01T22:29:00.000-05:00

"I picked a yellow flower for your hair, Mama!" says Luke...

And for most days, I do get one lovely yellow flower - a dandelion picked by small hands, dirty and full of love. He does love to see me wear a flower in my hair, and with the abundance of the 'yellow flowers' I usually go the whole spring, summer and into fall with a yellow adornment behind my ear.

A yellow flower has been a special thing between the two of us since he could talk and pick flowers. There is an inner hippie gene in him that thinks a girl with flowers in her hair is just so beautiful. There is enough of a girl in me that I want to be a beauty with flowers in her hair.

But today the flowers are more than adornment, they are a peace offering. Our first real one - because we had a bigger than usual frustration with each other today.

He was tired, he was probably hungry and it was afternoon. Not a recipe for a great "Just Me & My Mom" trip to town, but we did really well. Good listeners, laughing, playing, enjoying each others company.

Then it took a bit longer in the 'Thomas store', and a while more to listen at the pet store (buying some gold fish cause "Goldie is lonely") and then the melt down at a mall helicopter ride. We had new fish, a new kazoo and a need to get nails for Daddy.

"Next time buddy okay?"

"Nope Mama, I have a better plan, you don't have to make it go, I'll just sit a while and pretend."

"Please pal, we have one more stop before we go home and let Goldie meet her new fish friends."

Not smooth, but not catastrophic, bit of a kazoo misunderstanding (is there any other kind?) - got him loaded in the cart and out the door. Across the street to the store of nails, lumber, tools and all kinds of wonders for building, making and 'stuff'.

We have to go in together, it's a rule. Right there we butted heads again. I was feeling so badly!

The thoughts running through my mind - Bad mama, bad day? Good mama, Bad day? What the heck is going on?

Deep sigh...deep breaths...

"Mama did not throw out your kazoo, it's right here (shows him), and we'll play it when we are done in the store, okay?"

Tears, wracking sobs and then silence, hoodie pulled up, sunglasses on resting in the wire basket of the cart. I teasingly tell him I'll shush him like the dogs, do the closing mouth sign and we smile. Him through his tears tracked through dirt, me through my flushed face.

Neither of us likes to be frustrated with each other. We would rather be walking in love and laughing together. We get the nails, a couple of ant traps, wasp and fly traps (generally bugs are okay except those who bite, sting and cause havoc...) and work our way to the door.

"Mama?"

"Yes pal?"

"It's important to be a good listener isn't it?"

"Yes Luke, it is, very important for us to be good listeners."

"I'm sorry for frustrating and not being a good listener, Mama."

I hug him tight as I lift him up to his booster seat in the truck, "I'm sorry too pal, love you all the time."

We get home, he's asleep in the truck. I let him sleep, and start to unload the truck. We do some things and the flowers start to come, first one, then a pair and then two more. One is put aside for the birds and the other three are put in my hair.

Windblown, tangled and so farmer...now dirty little hands, stained green and yellow...a smiling but still sad face..."Are we okay Mama? I brought yellow flowers for your hair..."

Later his Daddy asks him if he said sorry for the frustration and hurtful words we exchanged...and his answer was, "Yes Daddy, I gave Mama lots of yellow flowers for her hair."

We also got to talk about how God forgives us, how we leave the past things behind and start the next day, the next moment fresh. How we love each other no matter what, how we misunderstood and frustrated each other. He cannot fall asleep and waits for our silence, then pat pats into our room. The comfort of our bed, where the love lives.

I put the three flowers in a shot glass of water, and I cherish each of their moments in my hair, in my kitchen, in my heart. We love each other, our little family, and even when we frustrate each other and ourselves we end each day as we start it walking in love.

So if you see me sometime with a dandelion tucked behind my ear, know that it is no ordinary weed's bloom but a precious gift from my little best pal who thinks his Mama is beautiful with flowers in her hair, and the more flowers he picks the more he says his love is bigger than words.

Yes! Today was International Scrapbooking Day, and yes I have a ton of photos to scrapbook...but this afternoon I spent sometime making the memories in the late afternoon sun, watching the clouds and a little boy playing in his sand pile. Today's memories and photos, tomorrow's layout and a remembrance of this moment for years to come. Would love to see some of your layouts! Share some links...will post mine as soon as they are done.

Spring Time

2010-04-12T19:27:00.000-05:00

Don’t worry – I’ve been in tighter spots than this.

This could be exactly what Feathers is saying...after all the Border Collie wants to be the one in charge - chasing cows, eyeing up the horses. Not stuck in the middle between Belle, Luke's Mare, and Hot Donna, one of Luke's favorite cows.

I wish I had a video of this - Luke was walking the dogs with me checking the cows. Counting the calves, making sure everyone was fine. He sat down with Feathers for a rest and Belle came to say, "HI". She bent down and gave him a nuzzle and a sniff.

The next thing I knew Hot Donna was coming over for a sniff too. Poor Feathers was so not impressed but she knows not to charge or bark, especially when she is with Luke. But Belle knew what to do, that cagey old mare, she started to huff and snort. She didn't move her body except for her head and neck and she made the cow back up enough for her and Feather's comfort.

Now before you get worried I was close enough to touch Luke and he was not in harm's way at all. His horse would protect him, and that cow is one of the most gentle souls you'll ever meet. They all really love the extra visits and attention around calving.

The dogs enjoy the extra runs and spending time with us outside, after a long winter this is great fun for us all.

Today was a very special day for Abby because Earl brought her for a long walk with us and the rest of the Border Patrol.

Abby played in the water with Silver, she ran with Feathers, she had such a great time! She sat down in the ditch full of water and watched a butterfly.

We had a great walk with all the dogs, we sat down for a snack and to rest in the late afternoon sun. Just out of the wind it was a perfect early spring afternoon. Silver may not hear very well but he has no real fear of anything, including water, and man that pup can JUMP!

We went to the pond for a while, really a nice sandy beach and swimming hole. Luke was hoping to see some water bugs but it's a bit chilly yet for them!

Sometimes life on a farm or ranch can be busy, full of stuff. It can be messy, dirty, sticky, gooey and hard. But there are days, like today, when it is so wonderful that all the other times are faded away like a newspaper left out in the sun. Washed out, faded and just memories compared to a bright afternoon with three people who love each other, five dogs who have lives no one ever would have imagined and a faith in our Creator's touch that binds us together in love.

As we walk back to the yard, a small hand reaches inside mine. We go a few steps and I hear this, Mama when we are walking in love we are walking in God's heart.

Did you get to spend some time walking in God's heart today too? I pray that you did...

What a game!

2010-02-14T12:45:00.000-06:00

You have to know that this is the first time that I've had time to really enjoy watching the Olympics for a long time...and last night I had a real treat. I got to watch the Canadian Women's Team play Slovakia at the Slov team's first Olympics. The score doesn't even come close to telling the whole story.

Yes records were broken all over the place - biggest shut-out, most goals scored by players and some others while the Canadian women flexed their Gold Medal muscles. Slovakia came with their team to their first Olympics and while they did smoke the teams in qualifying they did face a huge challenge with the Canadians.

The whole story, though, wasn't on the Canadian line. It was in the Slovak net with Zuzana Tomcikova - she was amazing. She was WOW! Yes the girls from Canada did put 18 in the net, but Zuzana faced a whopping 67 shots on net and stopped 49! That's amazing...and she did it the whole game with style and with grace. She did her country proud, her school in Bemidji proud and everyone who watches hockey should have stood in awe of her.

Read Eric Stromgren's Blog, Up North Sports, for more on this amazing player and her Olympic debut in goal.

"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game"
-Slogan printed on the helmet of Slovakian goalie Zuzana Tomcikova.

Snow Day = Play Day

2010-01-18T16:31:00.000-06:00

I love snow days! When it warms up enough for us to go out and really play. The dogs get to run, Luke gets to roll in the snow, be rescue hero and do snow angels. This day had the cows being really ignorant - wanting to bust down the fences and of course we had to chase them a bit. Some to teach them they couldn't just randomly wreck fences, and some to give the dogs some exercise and a chance to do their 'job' as Border Collies.

I love these goodies from Scrapgirls - the colors, the stitches and the wordart. It fit so well with the photos (if you haven't yet - really try those settings on your digital camera especially the snow one!) and the colors worked so nicely.

Welcome to 2010

2010-01-03T14:52:00.000-06:00

It is a brand new year, just a few days old, and although I've been a much less active blogger as of late I have also had much more time for family fun, work and enjoying life! Look forward to seeing lots of photos of our homemade and handcrafted gifts, our baking treats, the development of Lego-Town and how our 'Border Patrol' has been having fun with the cows.

The time we spent with family and friends over the holidays has been such a blessing - so many wonderful memories and many hundreds of photos taken. Many more to edit and scrap, print or make into gifts for the coming year. I love doing a hand crafted Christmas - it's much fun to create something. The gifts we got were so special, the album my sister (hate to call her in-law) Jacklyn made me was so beautiful I hardly could see it through the tears in my eyes. Her and Chris' wonderful photos will help me make some wonderful layouts!

Even with the very cold weather we've had a super time as a family - discovered garage hockey, Luke loves doing wood working with Earl, we've been baking treats and making ornaments for the tree. Luke has been doing art work and doing lots of activities.

We have shared in so many bright blessings this season, and look forward to a year full of them...and wish you, and yours, the very brightest of the New Year!

The Stories They Could Tell

2009-11-07T01:02:00.004-06:00

What is it about old barns, old farms that in their silence call out to me? They whisper through their wooden walls, crooked gates, peeling paint and empty windows that there was so much life, so many stories that could have been shared if only I had been just a wee bit earlier to see them. You can almost hear the sounds, smell the smells and make up your own tales of the day as it draws to a close.

Many of us take photos of old barns - in good shape or almost done - and many of us scrapbook them as well. I decided to put together a little freebie in honour of our old barns and farms, and for Digital Scrapbooking Day. You can click on it to download or if you want it done in color just pop me a comment or message. I'd be so happy to do that for you.

Enjoy the freebie and please post some links or send me your pages that you've done with it so we can all share in your creative work!

Live Love Laugh

2009-11-07T00:26:00.003-06:00

Today was that day for us - we enjoyed each other's company, we enjoyed our time together and we also played, worked and loved in the warm fall sunshine! Luke and I and Earl all had some special time together working on the truck, painting, playing in the grass, watching clouds and birds, chasing dogs, petting cats and just enjoying each other. I did manage to get some photos (okay when I unloaded my memory card from the past few days I had over 200 photos!) and even scrapped a few too!

I'm doing CT for Vivayne and she designs for Scrapbooks Gone Digital - check it out! These three pages were done with her great goodies...

Sometimes the light in the afternoon is just perfect for photos - and today was just perfect for a small window of time. I captured cats, dogs, leaves, Luke and me!

It was a nice day so Luke and I lay on our backs to watch the clouds - which of course made the dogs very curious and made the cats think they were missing something - so we didn't stay that way for long. I did, however, find the angle from there very sweet for some fun photos of Luke dancing like a falling leaf!

Every now and again I get a photo that captures, in a small way, the spirit that I love and admire that is Luke. The sunset with the tire swing and his running in the grass was the perfect way to end a wonderful day!

Me and A Poem

2009-10-30T11:21:00.004-05:00

Me and a Poem

I have this really great kit for a designer that I CT for called Daybreak that I LOVE! The colors, the details and how it all goes together. Last night I was looking at the yummy papers and wanted to do something really special with it - so I did two double page layouts (getting all of these digital pages printed is going to require some planning!)...hope you enjoy. If you want Daybreak, go to Jaya Prem's Hangout and visit her store at Scrapable.

Okay, as promised here are the two 'stories' that go with the pages.

"Me"

I was invited, and honoured, to speak to a group regarding my work with animal emergencies. I was, however, unprepared for some of the 'add-on's' to the task such as photo, bio and brief of my presentation. It wasn't just because I was asked on short notice, it is that I never have thought about what I had to say as having enough import for me to need such things as a photo, bio and a presentation brief. That night I scrambled and surfed around to find a headshot that would work...I did settle on one but it wasn't great. Most of my pictures have Luke, a dog, a truck or a Farm Girl cap (not that any of those things are not awesome, of course) but I knew I needed a head shot that showed confidence and a wee bit of personality. The other night I took my camera in the sunroom and took some photos. I am so thankful they turned out (in part to a great haircut by Margaret at Hair in the City, Winnipeg) and wanted to do a page of just 'me'. I didn't even feel too selfish ;-) about having a page of me photos.

"Daybreak Warning"

You know the old saying, "Red sky in morning, sailor's warning, red sky at night, sailor's delight"? Well we know it is so true, red sky in the morning can lead to a very windy day ahead, so when I took the photos of our wonderful sunrise I was actually thinking of what might blow away! When I started playing with the Daybreak papers and swirls I thought of the windy day and the sunrise photos - and wow it worked! I came up with a quick little poem and 'taa daa' I did another layout with just one photo and a few simple elements.

I still have to post my photos of my other paper pages from Shanley's awesome C.M. Croptoberfest last weekend (I tied in a layout contest with Kimberly!) and I promised a freebie wordart this weekend...but for now it's back to work.

Two boys = Lots of Fun!

2009-10-29T18:40:00.002-05:00

Luke worked so hard, and was missing Aunty Shelly and Evan lots, and we finally got a day when we all could get together! The two boys were so excited to see each other, and little man Zachary got in on the action too! They ran and played, and ran and played and then took it outside for some serious 'big boy' fun with an excavator, a play structure and a dog named Daisy.

I had to do two layouts (and will have a couple more!) as soon as I could...the photos turned out super.

The above layout was done using Scrapgirls' Work Zone kit - you gotta check it out! It's AWESOME stuff!

This next layout was done using Jaya Prem's 'Boys Will Be Boys' kit - there is an alpha, elements and papers...great for cool (or as Luke says, "BAD") boy layouts. Click on the kit to go to her store for the kit, you'll love it!

I loved the bottle cap that I used to put my favorite photo of the day - somehow I was able to get both smiling faces to pause for just a shutter's breath and 'gotcha'! They were having so much fun, as you can see, and it was a great fall day for two best pals to spend together.

I've had some nice comments on my little freebie from the previous post, hope to hear from more of you and see some layouts! I'm working on a little word art for us farm and country folks who love old barns...look for it over the weekend. Go check out the kits and have a super night.

Bright blessings, always and in all ways...

Fall & Harvest

2009-10-19T10:14:00.003-05:00

Although it is hard to say 'farewell' to summer fall does offer it's share of wonders. Migrating birds, the painter's box of colored leaves and grasses. Our animals getting their winter coats, getting shaggy and long. The days can be warm with no bugs, they can be chilly without being cold. The snow comes to visit and then leaves us with a freshly washed fall yard.

To celebrate fall I've decided to share a mini kit I made for scrapbooking. Share some love with your comments, use as much as you want, personal or commercial no worries. My only request is to share some of those pages that you've made! Would love to see what you do...after all it's that kind of encouragement that might motivate me to do another set of bits for this kit or make a new one :-) Click here for the files. If that doesn't work let me know and we'll get it to you another way!

The weather is so nice today we might have a fall cookout over the open fire tonight - hot dogs and chips! Sounds yummy...nice fire, warm fall night. Will get some photos, and one of these days I'll do some more pages.

I was a home handiwoman today, and that felt pretty good to fix something on my own. And it worked too! Which is an added bonus. Gotta get some work done though and post this so my Farm Girl friends and other friends can grab their fall treat! Enjoy...be brightly blessed, always and in all ways!

Now that's loyalty

2009-09-16T23:44:00.002-05:00

The dog was created specially for children. He is the god of frolic.

Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit

This page really was a challenge for me, I wanted to have a timless feel but still have a sense of the energy that 'is' Luke and his pal Sam. The pj's are from Sweden, a dear friend sent them for him and when he was in the 'forest' the pictures came out with a timeless feel. This page took me quite a long time, playing with elements and goodies, trying different looks. The more I tried for something the less it worked, so I started playing with elements of color and movement and it worked.

My challenge, for myself, lately is to try and take the things I love in my digital scrapbooking and incorporate some of them in to my paper and hybrid projects, and the reverse is true as well. Not to copy entirely one medium to the next, but to get a similar feel or dimension from a photo that I want to play wit in both types of scrapping. Here is an example - one digi page which I

LOVE how it turned out and one paper one that shares a similar feel but is not exactly the same. I'm pleased with the results and it lets me try new things.

So here I am working, playing with Luke, trying to do some things around the house and to get ready for a crop tonight. I'm pretty excited about that, and am looking forward to spending time with other creative scrappers. It's not the same as scrapping at home with all my own goodies and little Luke and furry inspirations running around but it will be some good girl time. I haven't been to a crop since spring, and Earl's Mom is going to come along too. Should be a great time.

Luke and I were doing dishes, playing bubbles and how he is driving his Tonka Jeep/Bronco around the house. Feathers, our red and white Border Collie, has wisely decided to hide somewhere with stairs from the crazy little driver. I think it is time to get some more work done today, and get ready for a super weekend with the two loves of my life - Earl and Luke.

Be well and be brightly blessed, always and in all ways!

Herbie Stunt Double

2009-09-08T08:35:00.003-05:00

Luke has discovered, with the help of Mama and Deeda, the classic Love Bug (Herbie) movies...he has all but two of them (the new one and Herbie Rides Again). He especially likes it when Herbie splashes in water, and of course we had a couple of nice days and were able to find a nice puddle for Luke to reinact his favorite Herbie splashes...good thing my camera had fresh batteries! He had such a super great time. Word art by Bethany, backgrounds by Honey Designsand Scrapgirls. My photos, laughter and fun by Luke. Bethany has some wonderful word art (okay she has LOTS), Honey has kits that just totally rock and Scrapgirls are my girls and the stuff there is almost as super as the people you'll meet!

I did paper pages this weekend too, along with my digital page of Luke, which is the opposite of my usual. I've gotten almost 9 pages done in traditional and hybrid forms, while I only got one digital done :-) But I got to scrap and that felt SO GOOD!

I made a mini album for Earl's Kok using some wonderful freebies from Raspberry Road Designs (Hootin' Annie) and they were put into an owl shaped chipboard album. Wrapped a ribbon around it and used a cute paper clip with a flower to tie it all shut.

I'm on the deck right now - a few skeeters but the Off Powerpad Lamp and the wind are taking care of them, Luke is playing in his sandpit...I have to do some work but it is so nice right now I can't miss these moments of summer.

Summer Catch Up

2009-08-26T08:43:00.003-05:00

What a busy summer - and sometimes it didn't feel like much a summer for the naughty weather - but we have been busy. Renos, working, playing, farming, quadding and hanging out with family and friends. We did travel up to La Ronge in June, and Earl is going back today for a few days to comfort his family after losing his Great Aunt. Luke and I will miss him but we need to be home this time...there will be other chances to go up and see everyone, happier chances too!

What else have we been doing? Working hard, doing home renos, working in the yard when it hasn't been raining...finally we have sun and moderate temperatures so Luke is outside LOTS and having fun. The bonus of the rain is on the warm side of our house my raspberries have just produced a bounty of fruit - enough to eat and share and freeze!

Thought I would post some of my layouts from over the summer - have tons of photos and will eventually catch up on them all in layouts or albums of some sort. Playing around with Picassa collages for those photos that group together well.

Our foster puppy, Sam, is now an adopted rescue puppy and he sure does bring Luke joy, Feathers and Abby nips and the cats are in shape keeping up or away from him! Fun all around.

Two or three times we've enjoyed our pool and I think I got photos of them all.

Working on my journey of faith, finding my way through God's Grace and that'll be on Strawberry Roan's blog later for those who might want to check it out.

For now, though, enjoy the pages and the pictures, and have a super sunny summer day!

Slumber, Dreams and Things

2009-07-31T20:23:00.002-05:00

We have had a super busy summer so far, and with the rain and wind the internet satellite was off kilter too...it's been awesome seeing friends and family though and doing some traveling. We went to Northern Saskatchewan to La Ronge (and Niemebien) for a few days. Luke got to fish on the lake with his Great Uncle Jack with Earl and I...it was such a great time. I have hundreds of photos to scrapbook and luckily for me Tiff at Inspired by Dominic Designs has some super new kits and goodies. I did the page on this post with about to be released kit, Storybook Slumber Kit. You gotta check it out it's really cool for all your dreamy pages! Luke is finally asleep, and the rain fall has slowed down enough to let me be online. More soon, with more photos and the story of our La Ronge trip, a visit from Papa Dude and Gramma Jacki (including golf) and a visit from Nana and Rich...

Kites with Deeda

2009-06-21T15:23:00.003-05:00

It is Father's Day, our Anniversary, Summer Solstice and National Aboriginal Day - all today! Had to do a new layout or two (did some paper ones with Luke) of Luke and his Deeda (Daddy) flying kites. Check out the kit at Inspired by Dominic Designs, A Day Just For Dad, you'll love it!

In my rear view mirror...

2009-06-15T10:52:00.003-05:00

...I see someone who is dear to me, precious in my sight. Luke...and I finally had the light right to capture him in that mirror I look in so often when we are on the road together. For me, of course, first comes the opportunity, then the photo and then the scrap! I took some great photos this weekend of us, while we played outside, and yes I'll be scrapping them for sure. Here is my page, done with Scrapgirls "Route 19" Kit and my photo. Enjoy...more pages to come soonest!

Sunday Adventures

2009-06-10T19:57:00.004-05:00

For the past two Sundays, after Church, we have taken Luke for some small adventures. One was going to The Forks to see the bridge, the paths, the river and we got to listen to some live music. Wonderful...Earl got to shop a bit, I got to hang with Luke. He was quite intrigued with the river taxis and thought we should ride on one. Earl got me a new kite to fly, and we tried when we got home...but the wind wasn't quite right. Luke got a new book, Grumpy Bird, that is a new favorite for us all.

The next week (this past Sunday) Luke and I met our friends Benjamin, Andrew and Jules at the Assiniboine Park to tour the sculpture garden, duck pond and we ate lunch cooked by the Lions. Luke liked the statues, the ponds and the flowers. Feeding the ducks was a lot of fun too, thanks for bringing some bread Andrew. Luke danced and grooved to a live jazz band, and was quite curious about how come the statues got to be naked in the park but he couldn't! After our adventure in the park we went home to relax...

Another Sunday we had Andrew bring Jules and Benjamin over to our house - the kids got to play and the grown ups got to visit. Most fun was having the two Julias playing together, and seeing the boys hanging out too. We bbq'd, visited the horses and cows. Andrew brought food and we bbq'd. We watched birds, visited and had a super time.

Took lots and lots of photos, all most all of which need to be scrapbooked and shared. Grand time for everyone...and lots of fun too!!

Birds and Birds

2009-06-08T18:15:00.002-05:00

We have so many birds, which is a fun and colorful blessing, just had to share some photos of them...they all hang out together. The only ones that cause a ruckus are the blue jays but only for a few moments.

Enjoy!