ApriJune Suminter

I firmly believe in looking for a better perspective.. a bright side of things... so... 

If it were April this weather would be delightful... better than what we saw in April.  

If we lived in the southern hemisphere we would be entering winter and this weather wouldn't give us any qualms.  

If we ever are upset about dry and hot days... HA HA HA.. not here... but let's say IF we were.. we could remember the middle of June 2020 when it kept snowing and raining and hovering in the 40's.  

Since the weather here is less than ideally suited for gardening... or of me ever hoping of being warm!  

Since I may have planted an overabundance of seeds in my eagerness of our garden project in the spring.

Since the weather teases every few days and pretends to be spring and then winter returns to mock and point and laugh at my pitiful attempts to produce plants and greenery and shade and beauty on our few acres of life, Patrick and Jim spent a few hours in the barn (out of the rain and cold) and built these charming "take that Wyoming Wacky Weather!" cold frames.  

I feel like my garden may one day become like Mr. MacGregor's delightful space.  I suppose I need to keep an eye out for bunnies. 

 I certainly need to create a scarecrow out of a blue jacket and little shoes.  

Eggceptional!

For as long as I can remember, each Easter I've had a niggling memory of winning an egg blowing contest.  I don't know why I was in an egg blowing contest.  I don't know how as the petite little girl that I was that I competed let alone won an egg blowing contest.  I don't know if before the contest I even knew such a thing as egg blowing was a thing.  To be completely truthful... I don't even KNOW that I won... but I did compete.

Anyway... each year I've considered trying to reenact egg blowing and this year I did not put it off.  One evening I knew we needed eggs for dying for our Easter preparations.  What better time to show off my 'possible quarter of a century old egg blowing skills'.  

So we did.  however... we also were ridiculous enough to think it would be fun to blow out the goose eggs.  

LINK to Video

Click link to see video

Miles was on a video call as we all took a crack at egg blowing.

Don't notice the unsightly vein bulging on my forehead.. I really wasn't struggling... I may have been slower than all the rest, but it wasn't a race.  Although someone forgot to tell Patrick that it wasn't a race and he blew it out in just one breath... okay it took him a few breaths but if we'd only watched him it would have looked easy.

 

At a game night I brought up my niggling memory and recounted our recent egg blowing victory.  

Thankfully I'm not completely crazy!  There was indeed an egg blowing contest in my youth.  It was held at a nearby mall, Hillside mall.  I did compete but it was unknown if I won.  

Well all five of us have eggceptional skills.

The eggs turned out better than I could have anticipated.  These were dyed with onion skins and then polished with a dab of olive oil.  It's a Russian tradition to have a red dyed egg displayed at Easter to be a witness of the resurrection of the Saviour.  For many years in Russia, no Easter celebration was allowed, but the displaying of an egg dyed red with onion skins symbolized hope in each household that it was found in.  Tradition follows that on Easter Sunday, the 'grandmother' of the family would put the egg on the mantle and share her testimony of the Saviour and the resurrection with her family.  

Our Easter Display.  It has been a few years in creating the type of celebration that we wished to have.  Each year we've added or perfected our new traditions.  We now have a month of Easter instead of a day.  

Myth Busters

The boys like to watch cat videos.  They saw a few that showed that cats can walk through a room filled with items like dominoes or other small items, evenly placed close together and the cat won't knock any over.  The boys were rather amazed.  So obviously...

They had to build a test out the theory course.  

Figaro just turned around and went the other way so we had to fetch her and force her to do it.  She carefully walked along the edge but did knock down a few.

Noella as you see left a disaster in her wake and was so unimpressed by the noise of the items falling over she simply sat down (on some) part way through the course, baffled why we had left such a mess in this small area of the house.

So, myth: that cats won't knock any down.. BUSTED! 

Just proves, you can't believe everything you read or see on the internet.

Before and 'almost' After

When we first came to clean and paint the house before moving in, we reached the bathroom.  After a very long day of cleaning, I determined that there wasn't any point painting walls in a room that really needed to be gutted.  So clean enough to move in and 'usable', we let it be. 

At first I was determined to 'make the best of things'. 

Then as times went by, we adopted the mantra, 'use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.'  We had no trouble using up the items we found left behind by previous tennants and owners.  As for 'wear it out'... it was pretty worn out upon our arrival.  As you can see with the state of the bathroom we embraced ..'make it do'.  but 'do without' we could not stomach. 

The floor only worsened and we became good at walking around the middle of the room so that we didn't feel the floor giving way beneath us...  

The bathroom lasted six months... well not exactly.. it lasted about 3 months with a few duct tape patching and bitter complaints about showering in a dark small stall with water spraying all over the bathroom.  And bathing in an RV size tub wasn't even exciting for the little boys... 

When the pipes froze under the shower and it began to back up and we had to shut it off so bathing became the only option... Patrick was more than unimpressed with the mini-tub.  In order to rinse off he had to reach around into the shower and pull the shower head around into the tub area.  Less than ideal.  

.. the floor kept getting worse. 

When the ozone levels increased in March (2019) and the EPA shut down the oil fields until levels decreased, we made a trip to Rock Springs.  We spent two weeks, without tub, shower and for a while no floor at all.. (only floor joists and a piece of plywood in front of the toilet)  But we were genuinely delighted to have a functional shower/tub and proper (INSULATED) floor.  So one half of the bathroom was improved.  Then Patrick went back to work and summertime had a long to do list and time and projects took over and the bathroom once again was pushed to the back burner of tasks... until a year later.  March 2020

It was high time to finish the bathroom... well almost.

We've had a perspective shift since moving and while we would dearly have loved to have built our dream home dome, the allure of no debt living and simplicity have won the higher place in our hearts.  Other than the eternal winter and cold... the tranquil solitude has us embracing the new mantra of 'Blooming where we are planted."

So, we improve our immediate surroundings and live the dream.

I must admit, as we began the process of completing the bathroom renovation, the adage, 

"you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" rang through my mind on many occasions.  

After new walls, new paint, new cabinet and counter and sink, new mirror and tiled back-splash and light fixture, it may have to be admitted that you CAN make a decent bathroom out of squalid one.

An unrecognizable upgrade!... except for the gaping hole in one wall that still leads to the pantry... hence the 'almost'finished status.  But there is progress on that score... excavation has begun on the new pantry so by the end of the summer hopefully we'll be installing an actual bathroom wall.  

My favourite part... 

the mirror was $1.00 at the thrift store.  I sanded and re-stained it

the door was a clearance item at the local lumber store because it had a small nick in one edge

the cabinet, counter and sink were free on the side of the road.

the flooring was a clearance item at Home Depot

the paint was left over from painting the rest of the house when we first moved in

Only actual expenses were the ceiling paint, the light fixtures and the tile for the back-splash and tub surround.  

NEXT...

Holes

Holes.

Mounds of dirt.

Moles?? Badgers??

Hints of progress....

For James Douglas Nelson

I've been crocheting book marks and teddy bears and scrunchies and scrubbies and other small projects.

I began a large 'ish' project a few weeks ago.  It seemed simple enough. Just a bunch of squares really.

A baby blanket made with 14 squares done in 2 different colours and a few other squares down with both colours.  Then just stitch it all together.  What could be simpler. 

Weeks!

Of hours per day.

And then the long anticipated baby came early!

I stayed up late.  I neglected other things.

I finished the blanket and the little velvet bear.

I would do a lot differently if I ever made another.  First... 

I would give myself more time!

Then, I would use a different yarn.  Maybe bamboo?  This was soft baby yarn but it kept splitting as I crocheted.. so tough to work with.

I would choose less complicated stitches... probably not because I loved learning all the stitches, but... It may have been more symmetric with less variety in the stitching.

Lastly,  I would finish early enough that I had time to test wash it so I can be certain that all my weaving and knots held fast.  (I'm very nervous that it will unravel.  I will happily repair it, but I'd rather it didn't cause any distress.)

Gateway to Garden

Summer visited for a few days and we did some gardening.  

The fence to keep out the antelope and geese is up, but we still need a gate.  (fence with out a gate isn't very effective)

I told Patrick it should have an arched entryway. 

An hour later I looked out and saw this,

Circus training?

Time to put it in place. 

Oh my.   Quite a grand arch.  Still no gate though.

I thought the circus show was over, but I turned back a moment later and saw this!

https://youtu.be/owPGDRQE8nI

Some people have to buy tickets and wait for the circus to come to town to see such acrobatic acts... I just have to step out onto my porch!

Artistic Endeavors

We don't lack for activities to eat up our hours in the days.  Covid or not we are able to keep busy. 

One afternoon, with snowflakes quietly falling outside and we had no where to be after completing our to-do list for the day, the boys were looking for an activity to do.  I suggested they pulled out their paints since they hadn't done it in a while.  They weren't sure it sounded fun... just at home by themselves. I said what if it was an art class?  With a real teacher?  I was flying by the seat of my pants but Duncan was game and the boys follow his lead.  All three boys had been taking an art class this winter and really enjoyed it.  

 Each week had a different focus.  The first few weeks taught about lines (straight, contoured, zigzags...), another week about colour and another about tone.  The classes also taught them about new art mediums.  

This was from a class using scraps of fabric to create a collage.

This was from a class of collages using 3d objects.

This was a class with broken crayons, silhouettes and a blow dryer.

Some were a nature painting based off a photograph.

We used up every inch of wall space in their bedroom to hang art.

Some took over the bookshelves.

Duncan even took a few art classes.. His were at the retirement center.  Technically he was there to assist the elderly, but he also participated.  He has done collages, ceramics and edible art. 

So Virtual Art Class became a thing.

We cued up Bob Ross on the laptop and set up the paints.  

They followed his instructions well and paused a lot.  Bob can paint very quickly.

After almost two hours, they were pleased with their 'stormy seas' renditions. 

We decided we wanted to do another Bob Ross and this time we let others know... since it was virtual, anyone, anywhere could paint.

Now Painting on Thursday afternoons is a thing!

I even painted along with the boys this time.. however I don't find Bob Ross to be relaxing for the inexperienced painter.

Karlsson's joined us for our inaugural group class.  Jill watched and enjoyed our angst!

We did a few Bob Ross classes.  

Sarah joined us for the next one and it was helpful when we paused Bob to ask Sarah... 'what did he tell us to do?  Okay.. how?'

Some of us struggled to get everything Bob said into our paintings... especially the boat... it was an the end of hours of painting and we just didn't have a sweet carefree boat left in us... well except Sarah... her painting looked better than Bob's!

Then Sarah became the teacher and we tried watercolours. 

Watercolours with Sarah was more relaxing.

I envision painting as a relaxing hobby.  I don't consider it a hobby of mine yet... I prefer house painting still, but I have picked up some knowledge of the craft and I'm very impressed with all the artistic talent we've been seeing in each other.

Emerson sees instructions as very lose guidelines and always amazes with his creations.

He's also typically finished first.

Whittaker stays very focused and listens intently to the instructions.

He is enamoured by cousin Ava and created an entire watercolour book to honour her.

• Ava swimming in a pool.
• Ava likes to ride scooters.
• Ava
• Ava is a vegetarian.
• Ava LOVES kitty cats.
• Ava plays ClubPenguin with me.
• Ava has the BEST Balderdash clues.
• Ava is a good racer at Mariokart and races with us sometimes.

Duncan dutifully painted his three Bob Ross paintings and has either been busy during art class or has opted to just sketch something instead.  

I didn't have any idea what I would be capable of when I began.  Bob Ross, as I said was not relaxing but it was fun, after it was over.  I tried a few different types of paint.. first oils, then acrylics and watercolour together and just watercolour.  I ought to give them each another try since once isn't really enough to say I enjoyed or disliked it, but class has moved on to watercolours now and that has been more enjoyable.  Except when I use too much water, or tear my page.. or use too much red...

We painted a dock scene with Bob Ross and were completely overwhelmed when he added the boat toward the end of the painting.  Sarah tried to help us get past our fear of boat painting.  

I think Eden and I agree, we'd rather paint an actual boat than a painting with another boat in it.  Who knew such a simple thing as a boat would be so daunting.

We took a break one week from regular painting and had a rock painting day.

   

Rock painting lasted late into the evening.  The boys really got into it and went out looking for more rocks.  They easily painted a dozen rocks.  

I painted a few myself.  Anything goes it seems, on a rock!

And then.... everyone was busy one week.  Whittaker and Emerson had a private class with watercolour through a straw technique.  Emerson had finished his entire painting of a 'parkor' course before the first instructions were given and he left.  

Whittaker focused and committed, stayed to finish his straw watercolour. 

'Apple Orchard on a Sunny Day'

Finally, chicken painting day arrived.  I had been campaigning for chicken painting day.  I thought it would be delightful.  I wasn't paying attention and missed some key instructions at the beginning.  I ended up with a fire engine red chicken.. It took a lot of work to blend other colours into my FDWY chicken. (Fire Department Wyoming Chicken) I may have led the boys down the red row also.

even John sent in a chicken art submission!

After posting our completed art projects John sent us this funky dancing chicken masterpiece.  Art is ageless, subjective and regardless of the instructions.. the outcomes are all unique to the painter.  Loving art classes... most of the time. 

Caleb also sent in an Art Class entry.... 

His entry lacks colour, style and he didn't really listen to Bob Ross... happy little accidents can become a cloud or a tree... not just dirty pants and boots.

Next week Miss Ava is teaching class.  I wonder if it will have anything to do with kitties??

Surprises

Months ago, before the world went wacky, we discussed ordering a few new chicks so we could rotate new hens in and older hens out.  I told Patrick, four new chicks.  He stopped at the feed store and placed the order.  He later informed me that there was a minimum order.  12.  I didn't want 12 new chicks.  

Then the world went wacky... things closed.. including the feed store.  After a few months we hadn't given any chicks any thought.  

Until a phone call on Friday, three months later.  "Mr. Noble, your chicks are ready to be picked up."  

OH...

He stopped on the way home and picked them up.  

Now we have 12 baby chicks.  The weather was nice.. but this weekend it dropped so we set the chick house up in the people house.  Next week they move to the coop.  Hopefully a hen or even a goose will 'take them under her wing.

Meanwhile we are enjoying them.  The boys built a chick maze and we ran online chick races on Family Game Night!  (They're working on a bigger and better maze for next week.)

Just before game night began, Patrick came in the house and called, Duncan, come with me.  

When I questioned him, since Duncan is rather important to game night, I was told... "It's a surprise.  We'll be quick!"

So we struggled along with game night without our trusty tech guy.  Then they returned.  

With a Piano!

His brother was helping a lady move and had called saying, 'She's sending a piano to the dump.. do you guys want it?'

Apparently we did.  

After we unloaded it from the truck and brought it in the house, we began a long process of cleaning it.  The keys were sticky and gross... and most didn't play properly. (once pressed they stayed down or they wouldn't press at all)  

As the cleaning progressed I began to fear it wasn't worth  the effort.  So we decided it couldn't hurt to take it apart and see how a piano works.  An educational project even if not a musical instrument for the future.  

We also began googling if it was even a decent instrument.  We discovered that it was a Gulbransen piano built in 1954.  

In taking it apart we discovered, a paperclip, a sewing needle and a 1950's penny.  We also discovered that an army of mice must have taken up residence inside it.  

We spent roughly 6 hours, vacuuming, washing and disinfecting and researching how to clean and repair a piano.  

Duncan was fascinated.  The incredible detail to building a piano.. the intricate system of pulleys, knobs, hammers, strings and the precise shape of each key.  The keys are each hand stamped with a number. 

On the inside of the lid we discovered these signatures and dates.  We debated who they might be.  The previous owners?  The tuners?  Famous pianists who had played this piano?

The little boys kept checking on our progress. 

They also built Lego piano replicas. 

 

We remade some of the felt stoppers and restrung one of the keys.  Then we put it back together. 

Not only had we repaired all the keys and thoroughly cleaned it... It was in tune!

A little red wagon

There is something so nostalgic and sweet about a boy and his little red wagon.  

So sweet that when Caleb was visiting and he offered to go collect the lunches from the cooler at the end of the driveway so the boys could finish their schoolwork and I saw him grab the handle of the wagon as I stepped off the porch, I ran to get my camera.  

A boy never outgrows the need for a little red wagon... 

even when he has his own little red truck.

Plus as it turns out, it was almost the only photographic proof that I had that he came for a three day visit.

I did have this photo though.  They tore down the remains of the old trailer/shed.  Then, they played his new board game that he brought with him, Dominion, and they rode the four-wheeler.  I took 20 hours of online classes and I ended up with a migraine and spent 24 hours in my bed.