Saturday, September 26, 2020

Gentle Days

     We have been having some gentle days around our home lately.  Colton had knee surgery at the end of last week to correct damage from an old injury.  Everything went well, but his leg had to be in a brace all week with the doctor's orders to stay off his feet.  While he was going crazy with not being able to do anything, I was selfishly enjoying his time at home, taking care of him and delighting in watching him with John. With the weather turning cooler, we enjoyed many mornings and evenings outside simply relaxing.  Here is a photo taken right on the other side of our fence.  It is a little blurry because I had to zoom.


    A mother doe and her twin fawns have been coming out regularly to graze in the pasture.  They still have their spots...


    The mother was watching me from the other side of the brush.  I kept my distance so as to not make her too nervous.

    Despite the slower pace of the week, I continued to whittle away at my to-do list.  More jars were washed and put away. 

    I also started working on the pile of ironing I have.  With the same idea to do a little at a time, I made good progress.  Setting a goal like ironing three garments a day will soon see the pile gone.  I even got some of John's shirts ironed right as they came out of the dryer.  His little pressed shirts make my heart happy.



    With the loft freshly cleaned, I have my motivation back to start crafting again.  I'd love to reopen my Etsy shop, but I know now is just not the season.  It will come soon enough.  Instead, I've been working on a little something for Baby James.  I'll be sure to share when it is finished.


    I even managed a trip to the thrift store.  Our local thrift store is such a gem.  I can't believe it took me nearly 7 years to discover it.  The volunteers are so sweet, and I have befriended many of the ladies there.  They are always so helpful and know some of the things I look out for.  Many of the jars I'm washing up came from them, for free!  Just because they knew I would use them.  And I have received texts from them letting me know they have gotten things in that I've wanted or needed.  My latest trip yielded lace placemats, a piece of embroidery, and a wooden Melissa and Doug puzzle.  Everything only set me back $6.



    The lace placemats look vintage.  They have some spots and yellowing, but I thought they were too pretty and inexpensive not to take a chance on cleaning them up.  There are 14 of them!  One of the ladies at the thrift store said to try Borax and vinegar.  If any of you know of ways to get stains out of old linens, please share!

    After the thrift store, we went to Tractor Supply (our local farm and ranch supply store) to buy some feed.  We always check the clearance section.  This time we found huge bags of mealworms for the chickens, marked down from $39.99 to $9.99, plus an extra 25% off of that.  I bought two bags and am kicking myself for not buying more!  They are "treats" but also very good for the chickens, especially with winter approaching.  John helped me feed some to the chickens.  He also insisted on carrying the bag to the shed for me, because, he said, it was too heavy for me.  What a gentleman.  No doubt he learned it from Colton.  Children pick up everything the parents do, so be mindful to teach them good things!




    We also found socks for Colton marked down, which was nice as we had just started talking about stocking up on essentials again.  When thinking in terms of preparedness, food always comes to mind first, but there are other essentials too.  I had specifically mentioned socks, and there they were!  These will be put away until needed.

"She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet."

 ~Proverbs 31:21

    Now that Colton's leg is out of the brace, the pace around our home will pick up again.  It was nice to slow things down (for me, not him, poor guy) for a little while.  Colton will be home for the next three weeks while he recovers, so we have several projects lined up.  Neither of us are in much shape to do too much, but we'll do what we can.  We laugh at ourselves for both hobbling around everywhere, a couple of old 29-year-olds, haha!

    I hope everyone has had a good week!  I'd love to hear from you in the comments.  What has been going on in your little corner of the world?

6 comments:

  1. Dear Kelsey, I love the shirts all ironed and hanging. They look so sweet! That is so lovely that John said that. You are right they watch everything we say and do (and don't do). It is so important to remember this. I love how you have befriended the ladies at the thrift store. What finds you have had! I try and keep running list for the thrift store. That way I know what to look for. Our thrift store is usually so busy, but this is good as lots of things come and go. It is always interesting to see what has changed in store. I love the variety. I last found some vintage napkins. They are so pretty. Well done for achieving so much- both of you- incredible feat considering your situation/s! I definitely need to up our preparedness. Next is some more pots, seeds and potting mix. Lots of love, Lily (Bridge)XX

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    1. It sounds like you have a good thrift store to shop at, Bridge! Ours was closed for a while and I really missed going. I'm sure your napkins are beautiful- I always gravitate towards vintage linens. Good idea to keep a list for the thrift store. I do this occasionally too, although there are some things I always look out for, like fabric, baskets, and jars. With all the jars I'm washing, though, I think I have enough. At least I'm tired of washing them, haha!
      Gardening supplies are a great way to up your preparedness. I just placed an order for some more seeds, but many of the ones I wanted were already sold out. I didn't shop around too much but I had another friend report the same thing. So it looks like many are having the same thoughts!
      I hope you have a lovely weekend, Bridge!

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  2. Kelsey, I'm glad that your hubby is recovering nicely from his surgery. I had to chuckle when I read 'we laugh at ourselves for both hobbling around everywhere, a couple of old 29-year-olds.' My hubby and I do a lot of chuckling about our 'getting around status' and we're much older than '29 years old!' Love your attitude! Looks like you have a good little helper there!

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    1. Patsi, we are quite a sight! John has even picked up some new phrases like, "I can't sit on the floor anymore," "My knee hurts", and "I'm too old."

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  3. Dear Kelsey!

    This is a lovely story that you are living!

    Your placemats and embroidery are beautiful! There is a technique for removing rust stains using lemon juice and salt (but left too long on delicate linens can make holes! Haha!). In your case, I would try soaking in your usual laundry liquid; washing; and then leaving it out in the sunshine! Sunshine can do wonders in stain removal!

    Rachel

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    1. Thank you for the suggestions, Rachel! I now have a few to try!

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