Outside my window......the sun is shining and there is a lovely breeze blowing.  The temp is already up to 61.  Looks like today is going  to be another picture postcard day here in Central New York.

I am thinking......about possibilities.  The quote from Anne of Green Gables keeps going through my head, "Tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it, yet."  What can I do today, who can I be and what can I accomplish, those are today's possibilities.

I am thankful for.....the good news that we had this weekend.  Our beloved priest is retiring and another priest that we love is going to be the pastor of our parish.  The Bishop has decided not to close our parish.  I have been going to church in this little church on main street for forty years.  All of my children have received their sacraments there and were taught by our beloved priest.  My husband and I were married there too.  I would have been profoundly sad to see it close.

From the schoolroom.....I am the only student on hand right now.  Matthew is done for awhile and MK won't start until she hears about her financial aid.

From the kitchen.....It is a mess!!!!! That's what we get for spending every waking minute outside.  I think today I will fix a good old fashioned Memorial Day picnic.  We aren't going anywhere since there is hay to make but that doesn't mean we cannot celebrate right here.

I am wearing......tinkerbell pj pants and an oversize grey tee shirt.  Best get myself going since I overslept big time today.

I am creating......memories for whoever wants to remember them later on.

I am going......to a friends house to feed the fish then to the grocery then I am going to stay home.

I am reading......The Sister Knot

I am hoping....that we get some rain, after the hay is all baled of course.  Musn't be a bad farmers wife.  It is dry here and we sure could us a good soaking.

I am hearing......Ian and Doug outside working on a hay wagon getting it ready to roll, the calves bellerin' in their pen waiting for feed, and the birds singing in the bushes out front of the house.

Around the house....there is plenty to do but that is the stuff that contentment is made of.  Laundry, cooking, some cleaning, lawn mowing, hay making all these are the things that we do to show our love and devotion to each other.  They are the cement that hold the family together and the vehicles by which we interact with each other on a day to day basis.

One of my favorite things.....is hearing Layn's getting up in the morning cry.  He is fussing right now and calling to have his diaper changed and then he'll want to nurse.  The presence of a baby in the house is a force that changes us all for the better.  Gives us tangible evidence for why we are here and why we should go on....another soul for the kingdom.

A few plans for the rest of the week......I have decided not to look that far.  Let's get through Monday.  Let's savor every moment that today has to offer and then see what Tuesday brings.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you.....

Melissa and Layn enjoying the afternoon.  He is getting so he is awake quite a lot in the afternoon.  Still trying to capture those ellusive smiles on camera.

Matthew is his hidey hole.  I hope he always retains this playful spirit of his.

MK and her dad building a raised bed around the only tree left on the side lawn. 

I suspect that today much time is going to be devoted to mucking around in the dirt.  She is so much like her mother.

Ever since he could walk Matthew has been climbing.  When he was about 2 years-old he climbed up the back of the toilet in our bathroom, fell and hit the toilet tank on the way down.  Knocked his front tooth out in the process.  That accident didn't have the desired effect of breaking him of the habit. 

This morning he announced that he had to climb unto the roof of the house for some reason that I, as his mother, cannot fathom.  He also announced that he could climb the tree in the front yard to accomplish this feat without using his feet.

He did indeed manage to climb the tree using only the strength of his arms and abs.

I guess that he takes after his father who I have seen do the same thing on the frame of our hay elevator.

From the tree it was a simple matter to step onto the roof at the front of the house.

He did announce to his father that it was a bit slippery up there.  Combat boots on a steel roof probably do make for a slippery combination.

The up the slope he walked until he could see off the top of the slope.  We only have a single slope roof on that half of the house with a 25ft. face on the back of the house.

You wouldn't catch me that high up but there he is at the top of the slope of our roof.

I hope he managed to accomplish what he intended.  Thankfully he came down the way he went up and not the fast way.

Later in the afternoon he was found sitting in this maple tree which hangs out over our valley thinking.  Melissa and I dubbed it his thinking tree.  He does spend time in trees when he has to do some serious thinking.

If he isn't up a tree then he is usually burrowing under ground.  When he was much younger he announced that he was going to burrow under the garden and the driveway all the way to the house.  He did manage to get in about 4 feet, with some shoring up, before circumstances caused him to quit.  (a mother who thought it might be a bit too dangerous)  Now he has a steel tank laying on its side half burried in the ground with a cement block opening at the front that he plans on using for I don't know what.  But if this makes him happy and he is safe then I don't care.

Growing up Memorial Day was a day that we had off from school, we had a picnic as a whole family together, and we went to the parade in town.  I don't recall being actively taught what the meaning of the day was that's how much impact that it had on me.

Later on in my life, when I was in college, I met a lady who taught me what Memorial day was all about.  She was confined to a wheel chair because of MS and I used to take her out with me just to get her away from the nursing home that I worked in.  One of those outings was an annual trip to the cemetary to place flowers on the graves of her beloved dead. Then when she was done we would find the graves of fallen soldiers and she would place flowers there and pause to pray for them and for all the young men who had died so that, to quote her, "she could be sitting there honoring them without asking anyones by your leave."

Freedom didn't mean a whole lot to me for a lot of my life, after all I was free and really didn't have to think about it personally.  Sure I had read about other countries where feedom wasn't enjoyed and, intellectually I certainly understood what was told to me but there is a difference between intelligence and truly knowing something.

Then as I got older I gained experience, both my own and through others.  True this experience was minor still compared to the freedoms that others do not enjoy, but I know now what freedom is and I know what it is not and it is something that I treasure.

Then four of my sons went into the military.  It was then that I truly learned about freedom and the cost of freedom.  There are those who wear shirts that proclaim, "Freedom is not free!"  There are those who talk righteously about the price that was paid for us to be free and that continues to be paid to keep us free.  They don't know what they are talking about. 

I would like to postulate a thought:  Indeed the those who fight are the ones who obtain our freedom and maintain that freedom but they are not the only ones.  Truly they pay a price, and perhaps the ultimate price, I am not here to argue that point.  What I would like to put forth is that there are those who are unsung.  On this memorial day remember those who have died, remember those who are fighting, but remember also those who support.  Remember the moms and dads who silently don't know where there son or daughter is or if they will live.  Remember the brothers and sisters who look up to their soldier and sailor sibling and want to be like them some day.  Remember the wife or husband who go on each and every day never knowing if today will be the day that they lose their beloved.  Remember the son and daughter who miss their parent or don't even know them. 

Memorial day is for remembering not for eating, drinking, or having a good time.  Don't waste it on yourself, spend it on others.

There are many, many varieties of winter squash, or hard squash as some people call them.  They are a great addition to any meal in the winter time and I personally like them alone as a meal.  An acorn squash baked with brown sugar, salt, pepper and butter is one of my favorite breakfasts.

This variety is called a turban squash.

This is a green hubbard.  Each individual squash can get up to 5-7 lbs each.  When we grow these or buy them on the farm stand we like to cut them up, bake them then peel them, mash them and can the flesh.  There is nothing like mashed hubbard squash instead of potatoes at a meal.

This is vegetable spaghetti.  Low calorie, no fat alternative to spaghetti.  Great for those of us who cannot have wheat.

These are buttercup.  These are my second favorite to acorn.  The flesh is denser than the acorn and has a nuttier flavor.

Acorn is my family's all time favorite.  These I cut in half and put into a baking pan with a bit of water in the bottom.  I put a pat of butter and salt and pepper in each half and bake until they are tender.

Butternut squash I can the same way that I do hubbard.  They keep well in the root cellar too.

Autumn cup is just like acorn only they yield fewer but larger squash per plant.

The delicata is a new variety that has a flavor like a sweet potato. 

The grey hubbards can get even larger than the blue hubbards.  They store well in the root cellar too.

All the winter varieties need a frost to harden the flesh so that they will store well for the winter.  The frost also helps them to ripen.  Possibly that is why my dear friend in California isn't familiar with these delicious treats.

After talking with Donna my gardening novice I thought that I would post some picture of a few of the things that we had talked about and a few of the pieces of equipment that we use.  This is the tractor driven rototiller that we use to prepare the ground in the spring.  Since our gardens are all in the same places each year the only reason to use a plow is if we want to make any of them bigger.

This is the middle size walk behind rototiller.  It lives in the shop right now because it needs a new belt.  It is used once the garden is planted to work the ground between the rows and to keep the weeds down.

This is my mantis that Doug bought me a few years ago.  It is my favorite.  It may be small but it is powerful.  I use it in the smaller beds to work them up in the spring and to keep the weeds down throughout the season.  I can also break sod with it on a limited basis to make new beds when MK needs a new flower bed or when I am dividing my Hostas or the Hops.

This is what the rows of potatoes look like after they have been hilled up.  I ran the mantis up and down between the rows to work up the soil and to break up the weeds.

Then with the hoe I went through and pulled the soil up to the plants creating hills for the potatoes to grow in. If you have ever seen a potato with a bit of green on it that means that it has grown exposed to the sun.  I try to keep mine covered up.

At some point we will have to go through and pick the potato bugs off of them too.  If they get infested the bugs will make the plants die before it's time and you would either get no potatoes or potatoes that were very small.

Now all we need around here is some rain.

Yesterday when I came home from work my son Jason met me at the car with a request for prayer for the son of a good friend.  He had been baling hay and his hair had gotten caught in the PTO of the baler.  When Jason said those words I was plunged into the horror and fear that that family was feeling just the same as if it had been my son who was suffering. 

It's something that every farm family dreads.  You hear stories of it all the time and unless you have worked on a farm or know anything about the danger that goes along with farming you haven't any idea the chill that wraps around the heart of those who know the real horror of a farm accident.

I spoke with this young boy's father last night.  I called to find out if there was anything that they needed us to do for them.  We already had plans to take food up to the house and to see what chores if any we could help with but you still have to call, the biggest thing is to give them the chance to talk it out with someone who knows.

Apparently the young man had had trouble with the baler and had shut it off the three times before, but in all the other cases that I have heard of, that final time he thought that he could take care of the problem without turning it off that one last time.  There is nothing so awful or dangerous than the spinning PTO shaft of a piece of farm equipment.  The man who invented that bit of technology was a genius and a demon.  The boy leaned in to do whatever it was that he had to do and it grabbed him and that was the end.  He had the presence of mind and, thanks be to God, the time and ability to grab his cell phone from his pocket and call his dad.  He told his dad he was in trouble, that he needed him and that he loved him.

Let me caution everyone who has never been on a farm.  There is danger everywhere.  Let me caution everyone who works on a farm.  Turn it off everytime.  You can never be faster than that spinning shaft.  I have heard of those things tearing whole limbs off.  If the problem caused the PTO to stop you can bet that when you pull out whatever is plugging it it will start up.  Shut it off.  Shut off the tractor.  Never turn your back on one of those things 'cause I swear they will reach out and grab you and pull you in.

'Nuff said.  Please pray for this boy and his family.  His healing is going to take a long time.

Happy birthday to you dad the man who is the stick by which I measure all other  men.  The one whose arms used to comfort me, and still can.  Whose hands were the model for the hands of the man that I would marry.

The man whose firmly held faith and principles were the backbone that I knew my future husband would have to live up to if he was going to be mine.

The man who is fighting the good fight now with grace, dignity, and grit.  When I grow up I want to be just like you.

I love you dad.

I think I am an awful lot like my father.  I remember when I was young watching my father taking his regular walks around "the estate" to check on how things were growing.  I don't know if he did it for the same reason that I do but I know that I always sensed a feeling of contentment and well being in him.  A certain knowing that he was cooperating with God and the cycle of the seasons in planting things and helping them to grow.   I also know that he took pride in the changes that he made to whatever place that we lived in, both inside the house and out.  The house in Verona is the one I remember the most and, I think, the one that bore the greatest stamp of my father's personality.

So I follow in his footsteps taking my walks around "the estate" checking on what is planted there.  Can I change how things are growing by my being there or not, no, but I can influence the well being of my family be creating peace and contentment in my own heart.  If this is what makes that possible it is an inexpensive way to make it so. 

My potatoes are in here somewhere.  So, after I am finished with school for the week the first task will be to hoe the potatoes and bring that bit of ground into submission, if only temporarily.

The hops are growing beautifully and I get a wonderful feeling of pride knowing that from little slips those hops have come.  Just by nurturing and care they have survived my husband and the trimmer, Ian and Matthew and the lawnmower, and three New York winters.  The next job after hoeing the potatoes is to tie up the hops.

Matthew put the sprinkler on the peas this morning.  It has been a bit dry of late.  They are looking great!  I should be seeing some blossoms soon.

Ian's corn is up and looking good.  I think he is going to have it sprayed soon.  I am very proud of my son.  Farming is in his blood.

The beets, carrots, and sugar snap peas are doing very well also.  Since I have been shooting the chipmunks and the dogs have been on patrol in the morning for rabbits I haven't lost anything to the varmints so far.

The climatis that was heavy with buds last week has burst into bloom this week.  What a pleasure to sit outside and look at the wonder of those flowers.

Everything is proceeding as it should.  The next thing on the list is to finish planting the vegetables.  Peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, beans, and a second planting of peas are on the agenda for this coming weekend.  Never a dull moment around here.

Thought I'd do my daybook entry early since I am done with homework for the week and it feels so good!!!!!!

Outside my window.......there is really no need to look since I am sitting outside at the picnic table.  The temp is 79 with a slight breeze blowing.  Today has been an absolutely perfect day in many ways.  I think that I will stay up nice and late and make it last as long as I can.

I am thinking.......about all the people that I care about so much.  Those who are so close and those who are far away.  I hope each one knows in some way that I care.

I am thankful for.......my family and friends, the wonderful life that I lead.  I am thankful for the fact that I finished all the work that I had assigned this past week.  That was no small task for someone of my age.

From the schoolroom......our schoolroom is closed down for the summer.  Matthew is done, all I have to do for him is paperwork that the state requires of me.  I have no formal schoolroom since I take my work wherever I roam.

From the kitchen......it is all cleaned up, thanks to a wonderful husband and to quote Melissa, "I'm not going to cook!"  There are leftovers and there is always the phone and the local pizzaria.

I am wearing.......dark green tee shirt and a jeans skort with black flip flops on my feet.

I am creating......a sense of accomplishment within myself caused by the fact that I finished my papers and turned all my work in.

I am going......nowhere this evening.  I am right where I wish to be.

I am reading.......more from my Nortons Anthology for my literature course. Musn't get behind.

I am hoping......that the rain holds off for a bit longer so Ian can get haying started successfully.

I am hearing.......the birds chirping, the neighbor kids playing in their back yard, the sounds of Doug and Matthew turning the pages of the papers that they are reading.  Sounds like peace and contentment around here.

Around the house......I don't know first hand.  Doug says the kitchen is cleaned up but I haven't been in there for most of the day and I don't plan on going in any time soon.

One of my favorite things......days like today, spent outside doing whatever with whomever.

A few plans for the rest of the week....final exams in history, research, and art.  Regular work in English and Literature.  Perhaps some gardening since I am going to have a bit more time from now on.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you.....

For the past 8 weeks I have been working on a research project for my history class about the Erie Canal.  I chose that topic for several reasons, not the least of which is that I have lived within walking distance of the canal for most of my life. 

Today was crunch day for my paper and I thought that a bit of inspiration my be in store to help me down the final stretch so I planned a picnic lunch by one of the canal locks.  Doug and Matthew went along with me and it was a beautiful day for the trip.  We watched several boats going through the lock in both directions and took a short walk along the old towpath.  The time away from my work and the immersion in the canal lore were just the impetus that it took to help me finish my project.

Now we are out here in the yard relaxing and doing our own things.  Ian is asleep on the hammock, Layn is asleep in his playpen, Melissa is texting a friend while Matthew and Doug read. That's my laptop and beer waiting for me to sit down and do a bit of writing. (I think MK and the dogs are inside)  It's a perfect day to just enjoy the weather and spend some stressfree time in each other's company.

Yesterday on my way home from picking Doug up I finally got a chance at some good picture of some long-horns that I have been watching for a few years now.  They are some impressive animals.

Very often when I go by their pasture they are in the far pasture beyond the plowed ground, not good for taking pictures.  But yesterday they were in the pasture near the road.

I wouldn't be brave enough to go into the field with them but I sure like sitting in my car and just looking at them.

This morning Layn was peacefully sleeping on the livingroom floor.  He is so stinking cute I can't pass him by without taking a picture of him.  There is nothing like having a baby in the house again.