Tidy Brown Wren, bringing order to your nest

Good heavens, I haven't blogged in months!  But that doesn't mean I haven't been working on projects and blogging about them in my head!  This is going to be a major blog brain dump post - everything you didn't want to know about our family life and activities at Brown Wren Acres. Let's see. . . August: It was Charlotte's first birthday and I made her a Charlotte doll with hazel/brown eyes and pig tails just like the real Charlotte. Pure sweetness, I tell ya. Our veggie garden was pretty good this year.  I planted 4 different kinds of tomatoes (40 plants in all) and they all did very well.  Also planted were cucumbers, 3 kinds of peppers, 2 kinds of green beans, cantaloupe, and squash.  I grew everything from seed too!   I can't forget about the herbs that rounded out the menu.  Basil, parsley, mint, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, oregano, lemon balm, pineapple sage, and sage.   I was able to can tomat...

 Hubs and I have been talking a lot about a cute little red head that we saw on the side of the road.  Cute as a button, I tell ya.  We couldn't stop talking about her.  We pondered whether we should bring her home and make her part of our family.   We finally made the decision to adopt her.  It wasn't really in the budget, but we knew we had to move quickly.   I mean, how many times does something this adorable become available?   And, she came with a mower attachment too.   We love everything about her - even her rust and dirt.  If the battery doesn't decide to start her up, we just pull out the hand crank and give it a go!   She got even dirtier driving her back to her new home - the barn. We haven't decided what to name her yet.  We'll let her make friends with the extra wood and hay we have stored in the barn.  She's going to need some work and probably a visit fro...

  One of the things I love about living at Brown Wren Acres is opportunity to teach my grandlittles about nature.    Our first little grandgal is fascinated by the newest group of chickens we raised from peeps.  She's not quite sure if she likes them, but she can't take her eyes off of them.  They are in our portable chicken coop that we move around the yard.  These Buff Orpingtons are almost ready to go into the big pen with the older hens.  They should be laying eggs in a week or two.   

What's one to do when your kitchen is torn up and it's time to feed hungry grandfellas their lunch?    Just heat it up in the microwave - as it sits outside on the porch floor.      Yum, yum. . . I'm just glad there is an outlet on the porch!  And the weather was warm and sunny.   *Many of you who know me know that I don't really like using a microwave oven.  It's true.  I don't.  I'm making an exception in these coming weeks while things get put back together in our kitchen.  Here's why I think microwave ovens are not good for regular use.   Last night I actually took a premade lasagna that I froze a month ago to my daughter's house to cook it in her oven while I babysat the grandlittles.  I have several more freezer meals ready to heat up in my crock pot or electric saucepan .

  This may offend some of you.  If you think it might offend you, please click to another post and read something else.  Thank you very much.   This past weekend I did something that I never thought I would do.   I shot a handgun - while wearing pearls.  Yup, pearls and pistols.       My Christmas gift from my son was "a date to do whatever I wanted to do".  I decided that I wanted my son to teach me how to shoot a handgun.  It's something he is trained in and is very good at.  I wanted to peek into his world and spend some time with him.  So, off we went to the gun range on a drizzly Saturday morning.     I had to get over my fear of loud noises, guns in general, and unfamiliar surroundings.      My son made me learn how to load the gun, how to shoot it, and every single safety precaution to take with the gun and the gun range.  *On a side note - I was hav...

As our family grows larger, we seem to have a harder time getting everyone together for a family picture.  I was determined to get a good photo to use for our Christmas cards.    On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, all of the kids and grand kids came over after church and we gave it a shot.   After a yummy lunch and some clothing changes (the kid's clothes only stay clean for so long) we headed out into the back yard to set things up.   Hubs and I worked together to figure out the timer on the camera.  It was pathetic - we had to read the book that came with the camera.  In the end,  Ashley just used her camera on my tripod.   Then we did a trial shot with Ashley setting the timer and running towards us before the picture was taken.  While this was happening, Juan was chasing Nicholas (3 years old) around the backyard.  We took about 20 shots and this one turned out the best.  Whew!   Back i...

      On a recent Saturday morning, Hubs and I enjoyed a bike ride at The Great Dismal Swamp Canal Trail.     Lots of spider webs.     As the sun came up, everything glistened.    

  Whoot!  I got a special package in the mail this week!       Ever since we moved into our house, I've been bothered by the hooks in our foyer.  Builder's grade hooks in a handmade house - not good.    Thin, pokey (as in - if you back into them while standing in the foyer, you will get poked) One of the hooks was broken several years back.  We never replaced it. So, I did what I had to do. . . I ordered something older, better, and sturdier.  I found 8 antique acorn hooks on ebay.  I won the bid and couldn't wait for them to arrive.  Unfortunately, the bidding ended the day before Hurricane Sandy hit and my source was in New York.  I only had to wait for a few extra days but they were worth it.  I hope that means that my source and his family are safe and sound (and warm).  They are antique "acorn" hooks from an old school house.  They have a patina on them and ...

  Having a hungry 21 year old Marine living in our house has some advantages and some disadvantages.    Advantages: He can lift, move, or rearrange any furniture I need him to take care of.   He loves to cut the grass.   He takes the garbage out with a quick "Yes, Mam!"   I can get a big, quick hug any time I want one.   Disadvantages: We're always running out of food. At least I chose a cheerful magnet to attach the note to the freezer.  How about that sunshine? For those of you who are worried about our starving son, we ate the ice cream that night with homemade Hot Fudge Sauce .  I just wanted to make sure we had enough ice cream for all of our dinner guests.