Jessica is a dear, long time friend of mine that I met in my first year of blogging. We were both homeschooling at the time and both trying to find ways to make it through the days! Then, we had the privilege of meeting at Blissdom and she became my forever real-life friend too. She blogs about health and running at her blog Sweat is my Sanity. Welcome, sweet friend!

it happened.

xo,

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Welcome to my friend, Marie, from  The (not always) Lazy W.  She’s an amazing thinker/writer so check out her blog when you’ve got time to get lost in a swirl of goodness!

I was zoned out running in the back field Wednesday morning, listening to either Eminem or Godsmack or something else equally endorphonish, when something caught my eye. It startled me actually, although I have seen it a thousand times before. It was this tree and its giant root system, exposed to the sky…

This photo was taken immediately after the tornado. You can see that the pine needles still face the tree’s original “up.” Today they point towards the sky.

A little over two years ago, a large and very strong tornado barreled up the western slope of our farm, thrashing the trees and ground but (fortunately) just grazing our house. Despite seeing the rain-wrapped beast with my own eyes through the kitchen window, it happened so quickly that we barely understood what it was until the next morning. Because, seriously, around here the wind comes sweeping down the plain a lot! Like, a 40 mph gust could be called breezy.

Handsome and I walked around our property and discovered tree after tree either snapped off at the ground or skinned naked of bark. Fences were tangled. All kinds of debris (both our and our neighbors‘) was scattered everywhere. We found just exactly what Oklahomans expect to find after a tornado, only thankfully this time our house and our animals were more or less in tact. So thankful.

So much of the nearby forests was stripped down to stubble.

This poor family lost their entire roof, and many others lost much more. We were so blessed to take a hit and only replace shingles.

Okay, so that is why that tree looks this way. I am quirky, but I would never plant a tree in this position on purpose. I swear it was a tornado, you guys.

What is fascinating to me is that after two years of being toppled and having its almost feathery and so crucial root system exposed to our extreme conditions (sub zero winters, triple digit summers, record breaking drought), this pine tree is alive. More than alive, really, it seems to be thriving, albeit in a slightly different posture than before.

It is not thriving just because it has a good attitude, though I do personally believe that plants can pose themselves positively or negatively in this world. Why are goat-head stickers so hostile?!? Neither is it thriving because anyone drags the water hose and a bucket of manure out there every other day and keeps its nest of roots moist and fed. DUH. I do not have that much free time!

This tree is thriving because its tap root runs deep and sure. It reaches far beyond the parched dust of the sandy back field. It runs several meters past where the cruelest winds might whip it silly.This tree is in touch with something deep and sustaining enough for it to grow under the most unlikely circumstances.

Also, in addition to becoming strikingly beautiful in a brand new way, I see that now this pine tree’s exposed roots have become a shelter for small animals. The vacancy created by what was lost has become a home and solace for something else. If that’s not beautiful, you guys, I don’t know what is.

What about us? How well established are our roots, and how vicious a storm can we withstand and still thrive, still grow? Even if some of the peripheral attachments we make in life are torn out and exposed to deadly elements, are we securely tapped into something more permanent? Can we enjoy many more seasons of new growth and beauty? Where do we face, towards the past or upwards?

Personally, I can point to each trauma in my life so far and recall whether at that time I felt peace or fear. I can also remember how I fared in the wake of each storm, whether I crumpled into myself, risking dehydration and decomposition…or whether I was deeply fed enough to just turn my face upward and change direction.

My connection to that deep Source of Life has been tested lately. So I am unreasonably happy to have noticed that tree today. I am so grateful to see its unusual beauty, its new bright green pine needles, the yoga pose it does all day as the sun moves over the back field. I am reminded that life’s features and posture change, sometimes permanently, but it all remains beautiful.

Stay connected, friends, to the best stuff. Find Love and Truth and never let go. If (when) a storm topples you but you are still alive and connected to that fountain of Life that never runs dry, then you have hope for life, beauty, and joy. You might even be used for a purpose you never imagined.

“Surviving is Important;

Thriving is Elegant.”

~Maya Angelou

xoxoxoxo

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Hi, my name is Heather Erickson, and I blog at Last Day Ago and Lark and Lola.    I’m happy to share my  serendipitous story with you today of how I became a beekeeper!

This afternoon I looked out my bedroom window to find hundreds (or thousands?) of bees flying around our giant lilac bush right outside. I immediately called my sister, Bea, who is a new beekeeper herself. I asked her what was going on with this mass of bees in my yard.

What I thought was a natural new hive actually turned out to be a swarm. This happens a lot in May, apparently, that a colony gets too large and so the queen and a portion of her followers break off to form a new colony. Swarms are nice in that they are from solid, healthy colonies–they are a good catch for an experienced beekeeper.

Or maybe an inexperienced one?

It’s pretty much been on my bucket list to keep bees. I’ve long thought of doing it. Then, this past year my sister did the real deal–she took classes and everything–before we knew it she was a serious apiarist. Her first colony arrived this spring and she is so knowledgeable and wonderful with it. I’ve loved learning from her about the amazing bees.

So when my sister told me how beekeepers can capture and hive swarms, I wondered if we could do it with our new swarm. I called Justin at work and told him how the bees had found me, and I wanted to keep them.

You can see the swarm here, at the top of our lilac bush:

And thanks to my telephoto lens, here’s an up-close view:

So I called Justin and Bea, and Justin and Bea, and Justin and Bea, and finally decided that I’d return the camera lens that was to be my Mother’s Day gift (it was horribly back-ordered anyway) and buy a hive instead. Knowing we didn’t have much time (swarms are only temporary, after all, they’re scouting out new permanent hive locations) Justin left work and ran to the local bee store for a darling powder blue Langstroth hive.

And he rushed home, and cut down that branch with no fear of them there bees…

And he tossed those bees into our new hive.

And now we just have to hope they stay! They might. They might not. We haven’t located the queen yet, so hopefully she was in there. And if she is in there, hopefully she’ll decide to stay. If not then we will have ourselves a pretty, yet empty, powder blue hive.

And that’s how we became {possible} beekeepers, within a couple hours.

I suppose if the colony doesn’t take then we can order some bees when the time is right. But I have to say, this all felt like it was meant to bee…

After all, these bees found me.

I’ll keep you all updated on our new bees…

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 Edited to add:  Kelli (who leads a small group of 11th/12th grade girls) is the winner of Lelia’s video!  (Kelli, just email Lelia at  leliap@yahoo.com, to claim your winnings!)

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Hi! I’m Lelia, a stay-at-home wife of nearly 10 years & mama of a daughter & son! I am here to share a movie review with you! I love all sorts of books & moves! And I think it’s in our faces whenever Brad Pitt has a brand new movie coming out…but a little bit harder to know what’s good in the world of faith based entertainment. So, I’m trying to dig a little deeper into what’s out there & open my heart & mind to what the Lord would have me learn from the stories that fellow Christians have to share! So, here goes my take on “Beware of Christians.”

“The single greatest cause of atheism today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and deny Him by their lifestyle.” – Brennan Manning.  This quote appears in black in white at the opening of this film & my mind reels as I start to process the thought….

“Beware of Christians” is a documentary that explores this subject by following four college guys – Will, Alex, Matt & Michael – around Europe. They share their view that “sometimes it’s tough to see where Jesus fits into Christianity.”  They’re on a journey to escape the routine of American Christianity & the things that they have been taught from their parents, pastors & church.  The journey is a mission to examine every-day Christian habit in comparison with Jesus’ actual teachings… “this is a story about replacing religion and comfort with relationship and truth.”

On their first stop in London, the viewer is given their first glimpse of the guys’ personalities.  A film following four college guys is, for sure, going to be silly at times.  And there are a lot of scenes with funny banter, them messing with each other, and just an all-around good time!  I was also quickly won over by their authenticity.  They let it all hang out & I was touched by their sincerity to follow Jesus.  They are four ordinary guys, with ordinary pasts and they are, above all, relatable! The kind of guys you’d want living in your neighborhood or hanging out with your family on a Friday night!

You laugh with them as they stumble upon a nude beach in Barcelona, eat Chinese food that makes them sick, and fight “Gladiator” style with toy swords in Rome.  They make you cry as they fast for a day to give up their food budget to buy necessities for a homeless man in Hungary and as they wrap up the film in Lucerne, Switzerland by sharing the ways in which their hearts were affected along the way.

The film is a combination of round-table discussions, the guys interviewing strangers, & personal video diary entries ….all of which explore seven controversial topics that Christians and non-Christians alike struggle with here in the U.S. & around the world:

1. Identity

2. Materialism

3. Sex/Relationships

4. Church

5. Wealth/Poverty

6. Media/Entertainment

7. Alcohol

The best part of the film, for me, was the round-table discussion portions in which the guys apply scripture to the 7 above topics and reference what Jesus did when He was faced with the same scenarios.  For example, Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will,” when discussing the topic of Media/Entertainment.

They provide a fresh approach on addressing topics that both young & old audiences can be at ease with!  So, I would recommend this movie to anyone, really, but think it could be especially helpful for teenagers – age 16 & up. I can see it easily opening the door for a meaningful conversation regarding any of the 7 subjects (and more)!

There were lots of powerful one-liners in the film – here’s just a few that stuck out to me…

*”I know I’m a Christian. I just don’t know if I’m following Jesus.”

*”Does the media you engage in line up with the gospel you believe in?”

*”It’s not our job as Christians to police the rest of the world and try to rid the world of evil.”

*”Extreme wealth is just as dangerous as extreme poverty.”

**********************

Lelia is giving away a copy of the movie so leave a comment to register yourself to win!

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For many of us, our dreams are just that – dreams.  We have a million reasons why they haven’t become our reality.

I dream, daily, of a beautiful, organized house with character, and built-ins and clever storage solutions.  I have saved pictures for years – ripped them out of magazines, saved them to my computer, and lately, pinned them by the dozens to my pinterest boards.  I spend hours thinking about how to make our home work the best and look the best for us.

Over the past few years, I have shared these ideas with my husband.  And at first, he was totally on board.  But the physical and mental exhaustion that comes from long hours of manual labor and stress of owning our own farm has kept him from carrying out all of my plans.

So, for awhile, I got frustrated.  And then I got to work.

1. Barn Wood Shelves 2. Landing Zone 3. Pull Out Pantry Tutorial 4.  Clean Laundry Closet 5. Bookshelf Dresser 6. Stuffed Animal Zoo

At this time last year, I had very limited experience with power tools, definitely not enough to be comfortable building something on my own.  I wanted to learn to use our compound miter saw, so I did one of the things I do best  – I googled it.  I watched a video on youtube, read our manual online while sitting next to the unplugged saw, and prepared to make my first cut.  I will admit, it was a little scary, because it was something new (and sharp and noisy) but I had my dad supervise a few cuts, and kept my trusty best friend Karen by my side for the first big project.

Now when I dream up something new, I KNOW that I can make it a reality.  I may not have the necessary skills right now, but I can learn.

Lack of knowledge will no longer be one of my limitations!

My friend, Kim, is also a great example of this.  A few months ago, she made one of these for her husband, and when I asked if her red frame would “match her décor” she replied that they didn’t really HAVE any décor.  Now, after discovering pinterest, she is hooked on making her house beautiful and functional.

She wanted to cover a basket with fabric, similar to what I did here, so she bought a glue gun, even though she had NEVER used one before.  In fact, when I told her that I plugged it in the kitchen, she asked, “It has to be plugged in?”  Lack of knowledge and experience with DIY was definitely one of her limitations, but she is NOT letting that stop her!

So what are your dreams?  What are your limitations?  Dreams of a beautiful house may be insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but they are an excellent example of how continual learning and willingness to try something new can help us do things we never thought possible.

*By the way, have you “liked” Squaw Creek on Facebook yet?  If not, head on over!

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 Welcome Jenn, from The Covered Porch!  Visit her blog for lots of inspiration and beautiful printables!

With Holy Week upon us and Easter merely days away, I was inspired to put together something to share with Life{in}Grace Girls that hopefully you can use in a variety of ways as you celebrate this week. I love seed packets for their vintage charm, utility and versatility. The design options are endless, and for Easter they are perfect for sharing everything from jelly beans to scripture readings.

I’ve created two versions that you can download and print. They are perfect for tucking into a basket, sharing with an Easter Lily or using as place cards. The musical bunnies, above, have a chocolate (yes, we love chocolate around here!) brown trellis design on the back, while the green chevron design, below, has the trellis design in pink.

 The file for you to download has a blank spot at the top, so you could add your embellishment such as a fabric rosette, as I’ve done in the image above.

As a twist on this one, I added my mother-in-law’s monogram. We will celebrate at her house on Sunday, and I promised place cards for her guests.

Here are the files for you to print. Just click on the image to enlarge:

tcpeasterseedpackets2

tcpeasterseedpackets

Happy Easter!

Jenn at The Covered Porch

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hello all!

spring is in the air, and with Easter right around the corner, i thought i’d try making a treat that i’ve been eyeing for a while now…

cake pops!

(#1)

while i’ve seen lots of recipes and cookbooks out there focused on this particular treat, i’ve been searching for the quickest and easiest {not to mention tastiest!} method, because honestly, these seem daunting!  i mean, it’s cake.  shaped in a ball.  on a stick.  no way this was going to work.

after seeing some different methods and techniques, and after a few messy flops, this is what i’ve come up with.  pay close attention to the refrigeration time, because i learned the hard way that they really need to be chilled well.

let me say right up front that you’re going to love these.  so will your kids.  and so will your friends!  they’re just so darn cute, and they put a smile on my face when i pop one (or two….don’t judge) in my mouth.

(#2)

you will need:

1 boxed cake mix (plus its ingredients to make a 13×9 cake) – any flavor

1 tub frosting – any flavor

candy melts – i used two bags (one pink, one white)

lollipop sticks

styrofoam square or wreath (which i could not find, but used some floral foam instead…)

bake cake per box directions.  let cool thoroughly, and then crumble into large bowl.

(#3)

add the tub of frosting to the crumbled cake and mix well.

(#4)

refrigerate for 15 minutes.

using a medium scoop, shape cake mixture into balls and place on a cookie sheet (please excuse the really over-exposed photo here….still getting used to photographing while i cook, and the lighting doesn’t always cooperate!).

(#5)

cover and refrigerate the cake balls overnight.

the next day, melt the candy melts in a microwaveable dish on medium power at 1 minute increments.

(#6)

dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy and then stick into the cake ball.

(#7)

next, dip/roll the balls in the melted candy coating.  gently tap the stick so that the extra candy coating drips off.

(#8)

after tapping off the excess candy coating, sprinkle with nonpareils (or sprinkles, or decorative sugar….you get the idea).  stick the wet cake pops in a styrofoam square to dry.

(#9)

that’s it!  so grab the ingredients, recruit the kids, and get ready for an afternoon of fun!

and let me also thank everyone for the oh-so-sweet comments on my very first post last month!  i had so much fun – you all sure know how to make a girl feel welcome.  J  this blog of edie’s is just the coolest thing, and i’m happy to be a part of life{in}grace girls!

xo

deb

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My blog friend Tricia has been such a source of encouragement to me and she has a great blog called The Domestic Fringe.Com.  She’s sharing her homemade vanilla today!

One cold morning my neighbor, the pastry chef, and I sat sipping our steaming cups of tea and eating another of the delectable sugar and butter concoctions my friend created. It was on that calorie filled day I shared my desire to make vanilla extract. A plan was hatched and Fringe Vanilla was born, only its birth took another two years. That’s the way babies are sometimes. Either they are breaking free from the confines of their momma or they never want to come out and greet the world. I am just happy to say Fringe Vanilla is out and it’s changing the way we bake.

Not really, but I thought I should err on the side of dramatic for this introduction.

Fringe Vanilla is 100% Pure Vanilla Extract made from certified organic vanilla beans. Each 4 ounce bottle is steeped to make a splendid vanilla concentrate. It’s a difference you can smell and taste.

It is perfect for baking, cooking, adding to coffee, making whip cream, and mixing into drinks. It’s the vanilla that holds the power to change your life.

Again, a little dramatic maybe, but this is good stuff!

Fringe Vanilla has no added sweeteners, chemicals, dyes, or artificial flavors. It’s pure and gluten-free. It’s a vanilla you can trust using in your grandma’s favorite recipes. It’s Fringe Vanilla.

Since spring is sitting on my doorstep waiting for me to let her in, I’m going to share a newly found and favorite recipe of mine. It’s perfect for summer! It’s also a perfect example of why you need a bottle of Fringe Vanilla on hand, even if your winter baking is finished.

For my grape salad you’ll need:

• 4 pounds seedless green grapes
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon Fringe Vanilla
• 4 ounces chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

I used a mixture of green and red grapes. I highly recommend doing this, but I’ll leave the decision to you. Basically, you just mix all the ingredients together and then add the freshly washed and dried grapes. Make sure your cream cheese is softened since it will make mixing easier; however, if you want Popeye arms, leave that cream cheese nice and cold.

To purchase your bottle of Fringe Vanilla, please visit The Fringe Shop. Several bottles are still available and I have started a waiting list for my next batch, ready on May 10th. After all the remaining bottles are sold out, I will be glad to add your name and email to the waiting list. Just shoot me message via The Fringe Shop.

A great big Thank You to Edie for inviting me to introduce my baby to you. Hope you enjoy the grape salad as much as I do. Now go get your bottle of Fringe Vanilla, and have a happy day!

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