Category Archives: heart and soul

Busy Country Life

07 Tuesday Jul 2015

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The beets are growing in the ground, the green beans have been picked and worked up twice.  Onions have been picked and are drying, and the rest of the garden is coming on.  Busy country life is in full swing.  Just the way that we apparently like it…or we wouldn’t plant a garden.

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This year our little baby peach trees have actually put out a peach or two.  Big excitement on the farm with that news.

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The weeds are growing, as are the kids.  It sure doesn’t take long with all of this rain.  I am not complaining because it sure beats a dry year and I know that there are some that would love to have rain.  It does come with it’s own set of circumstances though and weeds are definitely one of them.

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Our July Fourth celebration has come and gone and was a wonderful time.  We are very thankful to the Lord for that.  It’s a lot of work but it’s a joy to share our home with our church folks.

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Our kind of busy is so much different than the busy of those that live in the city.  It comes in batches.  It isn’t always an everyday thing…so much…as a busy season.  I hope that makes a lick of sense to ya. I’m sure that you catch my drift. 😉

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I hope that you are having a great Tuesday!

Love from the Farmhouse,

Sigturquoise

The Feeling of Home

17 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by in everyday stuff, Farmhouse Style, heart and soul

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This morning I stood in our kitchen and just absorbed.  I absorbed the light, oxygen, and the feel of things.  Our home is about so much more than decor.  Our home is about a feeling. 

  
I want our family and others to feel welcome in our home.  I want them to feel the peace of God that we carry in our hearts.  I don’t want them to feel that they are in a museum.  I don’t want them to feel that everything is untouchable.  I do want them to feel a home that is lived in.

When kids come over to stay with our kids…I tell them to make themselves at home.  They do.  Most of them are return visitors and they know the casual way that we live here.  They know that this home is based on respect for others and grace.  A pretty healthy balance that we strive for.  

  
Years ago my mom told me that my step-dad’s motto for company was “If we have it…you are welcome to eat it.”  I love the generosity in that.  What a joyful way to live…putting the wants and needs of others before your own. What an example to me…and he probably doesn’t even know it.  

Home is a beautiful word.  What we make it mean for others…is up to us.  As adults…we get to choose how our home feels.

  
Love from the Farmhouse,

Kelli

p.s.  I asked our kids how our home felt to them and this is what I got:

Cozy, fun, happy, inviting, cheerful, joyful, loving, and bright.

I am grateful and humbled by their answers and I know that these things have only come through the grace of God. All glory to Him. ❤️

Summer Favorites

04 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in Country Life, everyday stuff, heart and soul

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Good morning friends!  Hope this little post finds you well.  Today is a bit better so far, thank the Lord!  A little sore but not as much pain. That is a wonderful blessing!  Anyway…enough about that…let’s talk summer favorites.

Summer has always been my season of choice.  I love them all…but summer has lots of things that I love.  I was born in the hottest part of the summer.  That could have something to do with it. 😉 Think about it…watermelon, crickets, croaking bull frogs, swimming, ripe tomatoes, green grass…I could go on and on.  I won’t, but you understand.  Feel free to add to my list in the comments.

  
I love summer food.  I love the casual take on meal prep in the summer.  A bit lighter, and a bit brighter.  I love it when our church family gathers on our front lawn to celebrate independence. It’s so sweet to serve them…even if it’s just dogs from the grill.

  
I also love the laid back pace of summer.  I used to spend lots of time with my mom in the summer.  Just she and I, hanging out and having fun.  Those are some of my most treasured summer memories.  I try to make those with our kids.  I know that summers are fleeting and childhood is too. 

       
I hope that your summer is off to a great start…even if it is actually still spring.  I hope that this inspires you to enjoy summer…even if it’s not your favorite.  After all…the blessings of the Lord are all around us…in every season. ❤️

Love from the Farmhouse,

Kelli

Busy, Busy, and Busy

11 Monday May 2015

Posted by in everyday stuff, Farmhouse Style, heart and soul

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Isn’t May a crazy time of year?  Not quite as packed as Christmas…but it plays a close second. We are definitely busy, busy, and busy right now.

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In just a bit I am going to go fire up the oven and bake a cherry pie, to share with our church folks.  I just thought that I would pop in and get your thoughts on busyness.  How do you handle it?  Do you have a secret weapon?

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I used to let busyness totally throw me for a loop.  Ask the Mr.  It was bad.  It’s funny…I was so much harder on myself when I had three babies under six.  I guess wisdom comes with age.  Now I try to take things in stride and prioritize.  I have also realized that I don’t have to volunteer for every single thing.  There are plenty of others that will pitch in.  Maybe it all comes back to that grace that we talked about the other day.  I have realized that it starts with me.  I have to give myself some grace.  We are learning this together as a family.  We have all heard that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”  Well…we have lots of work to do…but a healthy balance makes it all good.

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Now…when things are crazy-busy, I do fear forgetting things.  I have to write things down and put things in my phone.  (Do you have the Cozi app?  It’s awesome!)  (No laughing Mr.) Today, is a crazy-busy day from start to finish…so we shall see how all of this goes. 😉

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Above, I asked if you had a secret weapon.  I do.  Well…actually it’s no secret.  It’s something that I would like for the whole world to know.  It’s my quiet time with the Lord.  It grounds me and strengthens me…like no other.  I long for that time with Him.  In a busy, crazy, and sometimes scary world, sitting down in the presence of Jesus makes all of the difference.  That may be offensive to some and they may even click “unfollow” but it is the very essence of who I am.  I hope that you are not offended by Him.  He loves you, sweet Dirt Roader.  He loves you dearly.

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I hope that Monday treats you kind. (Do I hear Dolly Parton?) Oh wait…that was “life” not “Monday.” Go ahead…roll your eyes. 😉  Seriously…I hope that your week is amazing.  I hope that if you are busy up to your earlobes….that you remember to pause and take care of yourself…body, soul, and spirit.

Love from the Farmhouse,

Sigturquoise

Grace Upon Grace

05 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by in Country Life, heart and soul

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Do you ever have days where everything falls apart?  Or at least it feels as though it does?  Social media would like for you to believe that each day is a dream.  Pinterest looks so perfect.  Your Instagram friends and your Facebook peeps all have it going on.  Everyone has a clean house.  Bologna.  It’s not true.  We all have days where stuff goes wrong and falls apart.  We all have to clean up messes…stuff or relationships.  I am careful who I connect with.  It has to be real for me…or I just can’t do it.  Life is too wonderful to waste time on things that are not real.  Life is hard…and we don’t always get it right…but we get grace upon grace in our covenant with Jesus.  My heart just filled with warmth after that last sentence…and a very needed smile turned up the corners of my mouth.

Yesterday was tough out here on the dirt road.  Farming, no matter what kind you do, is not easy.  It looks very idyllic and it can be at times…but it’s not really just a hobby.  Sometimes things are heartbreaking, and sometimes things are hallelujah.  There isn’t a whole lot of room for middle ground.  Today is a new day…full of grace.  I am glad for that.  I am also thankful that the Lord gave me a bit of His wisdom, yesterday, when the people at the store…sent me on my way without a bag of my groceries.  I wanted to let that lady know, when I called back,  exactly how I felt about the grocery guy that was goofing off while bagging my stuff. Then Grace steps up.

Grace reminds us how we were young once.

Grace wonders if maybe we left the stuff in the cart?

Grace smiles and nods when we act civilized and careful.

Grace stands beside us when we are helping our husbands with hard tasks.

Grace is up there beside him on the tractor…as he drives by and gives us a smile.

Grace nudges us and we smile back.

Grace stands there between the both of us…while we talk over the day.

I am thankful for Grace.  I need it…so very much.

Today on Instagram I read the most delightful thing.  A lady that I follow named Haverlee posted this:  “It’s so hard to be so very human. But He’s always known our struggle.  And He’s not mad about it.”  You are not a failure, sweet ones.  The Bible says that He knows our frame and remembers that we are dust.  He knows when we are really trying. ” He’s…not even mad about it.” I needed that so much.  I am harder on myself than anyone else ever could be.  I just needed to know that the grace of the Almighty…is endless.  You know…I already knew it…I just needed to be reminded.  I am talking about the real life, day to day struggle, of being a Christian.  Grace is wound into His word from the beginning to the very last verse. “The grace  of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”  Revelation 22:21

I hope that your day is filled with grace upon grace.  Sometimes…we just have rough days.  It’s to be expected.  Sometimes we have really great days and those are to be enjoyed.  Today…I am going to look through this cookbook and find something fun to feed my family.  Grace does that.  Grace says…”Yesterday was a bit hard…but today…we are going to help each other up and dust each other off.”  If you don’t know Jesus, sweet Dirt Roaders…a life of grace…is like no other.  I promise you that.

Love and grace to you all,

Sigturquoise

p.s. To my sweet Mr.

I love you. You do good work.  By your side, is my favorite.

Trusting and Junking

16 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in Farmhouse Style, heart and soul, sCoRiN' some JuNkItY JuNk

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Last night in our mid-week service, our pastor’s wife talked about the verse above.  It’s found in the book of Proverbs in the Bible, chapter 3, verses 5-6.  It was wonderful.  I needed to hear that.  This is the verse that we had inscribed on my dad’s stone.  It’s also the only verse that I know of that he memorized.  He read his Bible each day…but quoting wasn’t one of his things.  This lesson was balm to my heart.  I just needed it for lots of areas in my life.  I’m sure that most people do.  Life is beautiful and wonderful and I live in awe of it…but it is also hard.  Even in that…God is so very good.  Expecting good things…I believe that God wants us to do that.  Trusting…comes into play there.

Now…about the junking.  Isn’t this little guy so sweet?  I’m not sure why I have been so drawn to these little vintage dogs of late.  I think that it might be the era.  I love vintage prints, especially with trees. (I got one of those too…I will have to show you…soon.)  This little guy reminds me of a doggy that is on my Granddad’s dresser. His grandma bought it for him, when he was a little boy, I do believe.  I love things like that.  This one is actually a bank.  His head comes off…so you can get the money out.  Something is missing from his collar…but I still love him.  His crackly goodness is very appealing to this vintage-loving soul.

Have you been needing to trust a little more lately?  Sometimes fear rises up…and tells us all sorts of bad things.  Trusting God…helps us take a deep breath.  We all need that…don’t we?  What about junking?  Have you found any treasures like the two dollar dog?  I would love to hear about either subject.  Leave me a comment and I will try to get back to you.

Have a wonderful Thursday, sweet Dirt Roaders,

Sigturquoise

The Promise of Spring

05 Thursday Mar 2015

Posted by in everyday stuff, fluffin' the nest, heart and soul

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Hey Dirt Roaders!  Are you snowed under?  Are you tired of talking about snow?  We are getting there.  We actually got hammered with another round of it last night.  We have half heartedly mentioned the nitrogen for the ground…but for the most part everyone is ready for spring. (Some friends of ours call it free fertilizer.  I agree and we are thankful.)

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Sometimes life throws stuff like that at us.  It seems like hard times just keep coming with no promise of spring.  It won’t be that way forever though.  Hang in there sweet ones.  An old song says “It won’t rain always.”  It’s the truth.  If you feel as though you just can’t breath…tip your head up a little.  At times after losing our beloved Daddy, Father-in-law, and Poppy…I felt that I couldn’t breathe.  Our Saviour would give me that gentle nudge to look up.  It makes a huge difference. Life is still hard at times…but being reminded that God has everything under control makes a world of difference. Years ago, I was going through a hard time, and our pastor spoke to our ladies group.  We had all met at their house and he did a little devotion for us.  That was his topic.  It wouldn’t be winter forever and that spring was right around the corner.  I remember being so encouraged by that.  I knew that what he spoke was true.  God never leaves us in darkness.  Even when we can’t feel it…God is busy taking care of us.

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The kids and I are going to make good use of our time today.  We are going to clean and get things all spiffed up.  I plan on dragging out my workhorse….the Hyla.  Did you guys ever jump on that bandwagon?  We actually bought ours of of eBay.  I love it.  It just makes everything seem clean.  lol!  I am on my first load of laundry.  Always more of that to follow.  I also need to figure out once again…what to cook for supper.  What have you guys been cooking?  Leave me some comments and load me up with ideas!  I will love you forever!  (You know that I already do.) Please don’t be afraid to leave a comment.  I enjoy them so much.  There have been times that I have felt intimidated to leave a comment on other blogs.  Please don’t feel that here.  This is a place for us to visit and learn from each other.  I try to write this blog like a visit between friends.  Feedback…makes me feel that I am not talking to myself.  lol!

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Believing in the promise of spring,

Sigturquoise

Winter Warmth Farmhouse Style

20 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by in everyday stuff, fluffin' the nest, heart and soul

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Are you looking for warmth lately?  Our weather has actually been very nice for January.  I have heard that will end soon.  We shall see.  We don’t get to control the weather do we?  Anyway…I just wanted to share a little warmth with you today, farmhouse style.

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I happened upon a beautiful wooden tray at Kirkland’s last weekend.  It just said “farmhousey” to me.  It was over on the clearance side…which was a huge plus to me.  The Mr. gave his okay…and that always makes me feel good about a purchase.  The Mr. and I are a team, in every way, so I like for us to be on the same page, especially with purchases.  Lands sakes….how did I get off on a Dave Ramseyish rabbit trail?  Any….way……..I loved the wooden tray.

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Yesterday was a hard day.  Several things came up and I decided while I was in the grocery store…to buy myself some flowers.  I thought that a bit of cheer at the Farmhouse was definitely in order.  I love yellow all year, but especially in the middle of winter.  Sometimes you just have to make your own sunshine and create your own warmth.

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I also picked up a couple of new candles at TJ Maxx last weekend.  If you don’t already know this….that is an amazing place to find candles.  I wound up with two of these Paddywax candles for the price that you would normally just pay for one.  They are soy….which I adore…and they smell amazing.  As you already know, candles are a great way to add warmth to your home.  I love the ambiance that they bring.

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The light was so good in the dining room this morning. ( I am such a newbie in the photography department…but it’s on my list for this year.)  I tried to not doctor these up too much…so that you could feel what I felt.  The warmth was incredible.

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I hope that wherever you are today, sweet Dirt Roaders, that you feel warmth.  Warmth…especially in the times of winter, is a very good thing.

Love from the dirt road,

Sigturquoise

 

 

Three Cheers for Friday!

16 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by in everyday stuff, heart and soul

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It has been established on this blog…that Thursday is my favorite day of the week.  It’s true.  I’m not sure why.  I’m just a little quirky that way.  That being said, Friday is a good one too. Today is a day off for the kids and I’m on my second cup of coffee.  Actually I have moved on from hot coffee to iced coffee.  I’m fixing to clean this farmhouse.  😉

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So….three cheers for Friday?  I think so.  We have some gift cards that we have been saving back…so we may just have take-out tonight.  Isn’t that fun!?  Thought so.  The sun is shining on this Friday…so that is definitely another plus.  As you can tell…I’m pretty focused on the simple basics in life.  Shelter, food, sunshine.

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Lest you think that I’m being a bit too Pollyanna today…this week has had some rough spots.  Actually there are several things that we are enduring and do endure on a daily basis.  In all of that though…God is there. He is our strength. That was something that I shared on fb this week.  Life can be really hard, but God is still there.  I learned through the loss of my dad, that focusing on what remains is very important in this life.  Being thankful for the simple stuff is crucial.  Enjoying the sun on your face or an egg, freshly gathered from the coop…bliss.  The hugs of children.  Their voices in the other room as I type…they boost my heart.  It doesn’t even have to be your own children.  Hold someone’s baby.  Celebrate the joy of life with others.  This kind of outlook doesn’t come without pain and sorrow.  It comes after you have endured.  I described grief to someone like this recently:  “When you start to come out of it, it’s sort of like when a pasture has been burned off.  You almost have to squint because of the newness and the brightness of life.” I don’t tell you this to scare you or to bring you down.  I just want to encourage someone out there to quiet themselves for just a bit and look into His eyes.  You will be overwhelmed with the love that you see.

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I will not leave us with furrowed brows and pensive thoughts.  It’s Friday and we are stoked!  God is good and the sun is out! I have kind of been in crafty mode of late.  Yesterday with some hand lettering, and I have also been thinkin’ on a new rag quilt.  Maybe one sewn in strips, with sort of a shabby chic farmhousey feel.  (Spell check hates all of my made up words.) Who knows?  Maybe after I get this house pulled together….I will start a new project.  All I know is…that God loves us.  He wants us to enjoy the gifts that He gives in this life.  I am excited about that.

Three Cheers for Friday!!!

Sigturquoise

Morning at the Farmhouse

14 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Country Life, everyday stuff, heart and soul

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Aren’t we glad that His mercies are new every morning.

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning:  great is thy faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23

A fresh start each day.  Maybe yesterday wasn’t so hot for you.  Maybe you went to bed last night thinking…”Tomorrow I will start afresh.”  Guess what?  You were right.  With the dawn of the morning, there are new mercies available.  Maybe yesterday was great for you and you just want to continue with that.  Whatever the case, I am always thankful for morning at the Farmhouse.  I love fresh starts…and giant cups of coffee.

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When I was editing the pictures for this post…I decided to not edit out the morning color.  We are guilty in Blogland of trying to get the perfect shot.  No shadows and a perfect white balance.  I love pictures like that myself…but they are not always telling the whole story.  Our kitchen this morning was a mixture of shadow and light.  It was full of golden pink.  I don’t ever want to edit out the creativity of the Master.  It was beautiful.  I wanted my Dirt Roaders to be able to feel that.

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My very favorite thing in this post is the little tongue depressor snow man.  Our little guy brought that home from school.  I propped it up in the window sill.  I heard him telling his dad and showing him where I set it.  He was so proud. Oh my heart.  There is a bit of irony with the snow man.  I have an old apothecary jar for tongue depressors.  One day I felt the Lord nudge my heart on that very subject.  You know…keeping the ol’ tongue under control and keeping my mouth shut.  Maybe the little snowman has more significance than I realized.  I love it when God teaches us…with the simple things of this life.

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Country life in the morning is a beautiful thing.  Everyone wants their breakfast.  Our over-enthusiastic rooster, Nacho, is crowing his lungs out.  Our steer, Chuck, is very vocal about his need for grain or hay.  If you barely open the back door, the goats are greeting you with their song. Children are scurrying around, grabbing backpacks  and breakfast.  It’s pretty typical.  Yesterday, my Mr. was running a little late…so I did the chores.   When I came back in, my ears were about frozen.  I should have dug out my dad’s old hat with the fuzzy ear flaps. 😉 I did “borrow” my husband’s Muck boots.  They were big…but so warm!  If you do chores and don’t have any….save your extra dollars.  They are worth it!  I may have to start saving up for a pair of my own!

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I hope that you have a lovely day.  If it started out on the wrong foot or wrong side of the bed…just remember:  This day is full of mercy and grace.  There are mornings everywhere, everyday.

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Love from our dirt road to yours,

Sigturquoise

p.s.  A huge thank you to my Mr. and B.  You guys are amazing tech support.  The new computer is up and running with all of the proper things installed.  I appreciate it very much!