Happiness. Lately. (vol 4)

Happiness.  Lately.  September.  My monthly collection of "Happiness" - appreciating God's goodness in the little things and seeing his grandeur in the simplicity of my life and "Lately" - what I've been into and up to.

Happiness is...

the backyard mouse house Papa and Grandma gifted us...

remembering that if they're dirty, it means they must be having fun (I learned this from my mom!)...

the tiny tomatoes we're still getting on our one plant - just enough for a few in my salad each day...

some of the pretty carrots we harvested...

celebrating the first day of fall... with homemade pumpkin bread for breakfast and not-so-homemade boxed pumpkin dessert for after dinner (and reading some of our favorite fall-themed books, of course!)

the first of the lovely leaves...

and some of my favorite guys on an evening walk...

our first pot of chili this season...

a gloriously, warm hot fall day at the creek with friends...

music time with Papa...

Lately...

I raced through Masterpiece Mystery: Endeavour Season 2 from the library.  And then Russ was out of town for four days and I watched a lot of Foyle's War, which he is not sad to miss ;)  I may have mentioned once or twice how much I enjoy British television...  just once or twice :)

We've been enjoying and singing the ridiculous lyrics of Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies:  A friend recommended this cd to me a while ago, but we've just gotten around to listening to it in the last few weeks.  It's funny for kids and adults alike :)   (I even just requested the second the third volumes from the library!)
 

I've been not reading... who has time for that?

I got to take the kids to a homeschool-ers only morning at a Sky Zone.  It was our first time there.  Wow!  I didn't get any really good pictures conveying how awesome it was.  Just this...

I've been back to crocheting... a little bit.  Hats, mostly.  Sometimes they fit and sometimes they don't...

I've also done some more peg dolls painting!  I had tried my hand at it for the first time at Christmas and made a Nativity set and some saint dolls.  I had meant to make two additional saints for my boys, but never finished them.  I finished them this month in time for the corresponding feast days:  St. Vincent de Paul (Sept 27) for my Aaron Vincent, and St. Jerome (Sept 30) for my Dominic Jerome.

a little frustrated about the hairs from the paint brush came off onto the doll when I was varnishing it...  have. to. let. it. go.

I tried to involve all the kids in making special cookies for Russ one day, but this is what happens when you try to bake in a kitchen with a lot of kids and no table: Chocolate Chip made-on-the-floor Cookies... 

And that's about it.  It's been a busy and lovely month, and I can hardly believe it's over.  I sort of feel like it's still August......

**  Feel like joining me in reflecting on the past month and sharing some of the moments that made you happy and the things you've been up to?  Link up your August list of Happiness. Lately.  I'd love to have you join me! **  Don't have a blog?  Let's chat in the comments!

Happiness. Lately. (Vol. 1)

(auto posted while I'm on vacation :)  )

I'm going to try something new: a monthly collection of "Happiness" - appreciating God's goodness in the little things and seeing his grandeur in the simplicity of my life and "Lately" - what I've been into and up to (books, music, food, great finds, etc...)  I'll test it out and see if I like the format enough to continue with a new edition at the end of each month...

Happiness.  Lately.

Volume 1 :: June 2014

Happiness is...

Forget-Me-Nots...

Siblings...

Littler helpers and planting my herb garden...

Strawberry picking, jam making, and vying for the title of "Best Mother on the Block" by serving scrumptious strawberry pancakes on the deck... for lunch!

watermelon with freshly squeezed lime - my favorite summertime snack...

Lately...

Lately I've been reading...

Out of the Silent Planet, C.S. Lewis

Something Other Than God, Jen Fulwiler 

Emily of New Moon, L. M. Montgomery (the author of Anne of Green Gables.  I read the Emily trilogy when I was in high school and found all three books for 99 cents for my Kindle, so I'm re-reading it while I'm exercising on the elliptical.  So fun to revisit old favorites!)

Laetly I've been reading with the kids...

The Horse and His Boy, C. S. Lewis.  (still.  we having a hard time getting through this one.)

The Ransom of Red Chief, O. Henry  (we read this in anticipation of letting them watch a favorite movie from my childhood, "No Deposit, No Return." I can't wait!)

Lately, I've been eating...

salad every day for lunch.  This is huge for me, because I'd rather have any number of things besides salad.  But I'm trying.  And to eat so much salad I have been coming up with various combinations of tasty toppings.  Here's a great one: (greens, carrots, cucumbers) with dried cranberries, salt/pepper almonds, feta cheese, and lemon vinaigrette.  Yum!

Lately I've been working on...

getting the rest of the gardens planted.  In addition to our regular veggies, we're trying some fun and colorful carrots and swiss chard this year.  I hope they grow!

Lately I've been wearing... e.l.f. Essential Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in "Coco Loco."   It's $2 and it's perfect for summer.  Light but sweet!

 Lately I've been creating ... 

Mittens!!  It's never too early to start crocheting for fall!

don't get too excited.  it's decaf...

Lately I'm loving...

viewing my world through Susan's eyes.  That's just a poetic way of saying I've become enamored with the the "Susan" filter in ipccy.  I go through phases where sometimes I like my photos to be pure and "original" quality.  Then I go through a vintage-look phase.  That's where I am now - as you can see from all the above pics.  "Susan" seems to fit my mood lately.  Here are a few side by sides for your consideration.  (Susan is on the right!)

 

And there you have it.  My Happiness.  Me Lately. 

What have your simple pleasures been this past month?

Our Urban Garden

(Alternate Title: Luckily We're Not Share Croppers or Land Serfs or Aren't Required to Pay a Part of Our Mortgage in Produce Raised on this Partially-Bank-Owned Property of Ours)

Last year we made our first foray into vegetable gardening.  Russ had decided that (based on the one gardening book he'd read) we'd get the biggest yield in our small garden space if we made it a Square Foot Garden.  You can read about what it makes it an official Mel Bartholomew SFG here, if you're really that curious. It's sufficient to know that it's a 4x4 foot garden, divided into 16 square feet, and the special soil mix that you use is purported to grow squash the size of the island of Manhattan in approximately four weeks time.  (slight exaggeration there... you won't find that actual claim in Mel's book.)  

Last year we thought that our two Square Foot Gardens, and other various container gardens throughout the yard, would be bursting with large, delicious, good things to eat. We thought we'd be saving all kinds of money in the produce department and that our root cellar (we don't really have one of those) would be full to the brim and get us through the winter.  This year, we're hoping to get enough beans and peas for one or two afternoons of backyard snacking.  

Truthfully... we live in the city.  We have a small-ish backyard and it's more important for me to have run-around space for the kids than to have fresh arugula.  And, we're not ready to be those neighbors who convert the entire front lawn into an urban-bunny buffet... although you have to admit, THIS looks amazing...

from sangfroid.blogspot.com    (Awesome garden, guys!)

So, leaving behind our illusions (or delusions...) of an edible estate or mini-homestead, we are pressing forward with our small and simple urban garden... mostly because it's fun and science-y and we all enjoy seeing what comes of it!  This year we have cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, pole beans, bush beans, various lettuces, and carrots.  And we actually all like veggies - so, yum!

something is getting our pole beans...

I predict we get one salad and a side of string beans out of it this year!