Oh! My! Lawn!

When we moved into our little house last year, we were faced with 18 inch grass around the house and, where the large garden spot used to be, we had 3 foot+ wild grass, weeds and burdock. Last summer our only focus was getting the grass by the house mowed enough to allow Little Bear to play. This year, we turned our focus to what used to be a giant garden. What a project it has turned out to be, below is what it looked like once the snow had melted in March. First is the west end, then the east end.

First job was to cut down and burn all the burdock, in hopes that there would be less of it come the summer. Then I raked the west end of the garden, piled it up, and burned that pile. Picture below.

Next, I raked the middle part and burned the weeds there. This portion went really quickly, it had be cultivated last year with the intent to garden there, but that did not pan out. While working on the middle section, Papa Bear was rescuing trees. We found 20 evergreen trees in the east end of the garden spot, and we transplanted them into 2 rows, with good spacing to give them room to grow. So far all the trees are still alive.

Last weekend, I raked the east end, and then we burned the thick wild grass. Aside from the burned out spots it is looking really great! This past Tuesday I spent 3 hours outside mowing everything I could get with the little push mower, and below is what our yard looked like on Tuesday. (Now, it is all covered in snow again.) Pictures got from west to east.

We've been hiding!

Well, not really, but we have been busy! We haven't even made muffins for 2 weeks! Papa Bear finished his semester of school on the 21 of April, and now has until after labor day off. We have really been enjoying having him around a lot. This summer Papa Bear is going to be working with 2 of his brothers on the Dairy, though a smelly job, it is one that is right close by, so we get to see him throughout the day. With Papa Bear being around so much, we have gotten a good start on some outside projects, and we have finished a couple as well. Stay tuned for more info and pictures!

Stitch in Time

I love to sew, anyone who have known me for a day or more would know that. I also like to quilt, but I rarely do. Currently in my 900 sq. ft. house there is very little room to do either. This week though, I felt like I needed a project. So early Monday morning I dug out my boxes of fabric from under the sewing table and started ironing and thinking. I chose to do a log cabin block quilt, in all my favorite fabrics. It took me all day to get them cut, and ready to stitch. Today I finished putting the quilt top together, and I just ♥ love it! ♥It is totally a me kind of quilt, and I can't wait to get the backing, which will be red, and get it put together.

Turning the blocks this way and that way, which way looks best?

Love all those mis-matchy scraps

That border is just too sweet! 

Monday's Muffin

We are back, and well rested from our spring break. It was nice to have Little Bear home for a week, and not have to get her out of bed at 6am. This week, we added some fresh fruit to our recipe, it easier to get now that spring is here, and we have a fridge full! So this week I give you Strawberry Oatmeal muffins.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups - unbleached white flour

1 cup - whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups - Oatmeal (I used quick oats, the ones that take about 3 minutes to cook if you were to cook them in a pot.)

2/3 cup - sugar

4 tsp - baking powder

1/2 tsp - salt

2 beaten eggs

2 cups - milk (The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, but I found the muffins were too dry, so I increased the milk)

1/2 cup - cooking oil (I use canola oil)

Approx. 2 cups diced fresh strawberries

Directions:

*Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl,

*Combine all wet ingredients in a separate bowl

*Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients

*Stir about 10 times, then add fruit

*Continue to stir until moistened

*Grease muffin tins, Bake ate 350 for 15 minutes

*This will make 24 muffins

Triumph!

Little Bear has been taking piano lessons since the start of the school year. She is doing very well, so well in fact, she has already finished the lesson book! She has moved on to the Level 1 book now, early! The last song in the beginner book was a doozy! I thought it was quite tricky for a primer level, but the instructor insisted she learn it. (I have a photo of it below) 


So, with the songs assigned from the new book, we worked on this song, for 3 weeks! There were many moments of "I hate this song!" And stomping away in frustration. I am pleased to announce that Little Bear persevered and has now passed off the song! 

I took a video of Little Bear playing the song, to hopefully remind her that she can do hard things, and succeed! 

GOOD JOB! Little Bear!

Begging for Bangs

Little Bear came to me today, and said "Mum, I want bangs." It was totally out of the blue, so I said no. She asked again and again throughout the afternoon, and so finally I told her if she would write out 5 reasons why she had to have bangs I would cut her some. I figured she would write one or two, loose interest and let it go. Not the case at all! She came back with a neatly written page, with 5 good reasons why she wanted to have bangs. 

So, being true to my word, we cut her some.

*There will be no Muffins tomorrow, it is Easter/Spring break, so no school!*