Gather Round {April 21}

amyofhearthridge

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{I truly wish we could all ‘gather round’ and chat about life, relationships, parenting, education, books, and our passions. Please grab a mug of steaming coffee or pour yourself a cup of tea, and get comfortable. I enjoy being a ‘fly on the wall’ so to speak, reading about people’s lives, plans, or just what’s generally happening. I’d like to share that occasionally (every, fortnight, or so) here under this title. I’m not sure how it will play out, but I’d like to give it a go. I will post headings so that if you only have a few moments, you can scroll right to what interests you. I love conversations, don’t be shy, please chime in.}

 I can’t believe it’s been two weeks already since my first Gather Round post.  Here are a few biweekly bits for you!

Domesticity ~ The smell of brownies is permeating the air here. My two littlest children and I just whipped up a batch. I have exactly 4 loads of laundry waiting to dry as my washer is much quicker than my gas dryer. Note to the Northern Midwest: Please stop snowing. It’s April. I could then use the clothesline and get caught up on laundry. Thank you.  I got a delightful order of seeds in from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Honestly, I love their ‘organic’ seeds mainly because of the pretty vintage packages. I can’t wait to start some soon on their way to a probable slow death.

Education ~ Besides a week of coughing and fevers, we’ve enjoyed our lessons. My oldest had her piano recital after rescheduling due to aforementioned snow. Our 18th century costuming class/dance lessons are winding down, the ball is in two weeks! I have so many little bits of things to do on my costume, but we are enjoying the dances. Here is one of the ones we’ve been learning, “Knole Park”. Next month, our weekly gym night switches to baseball in the park (sleds on standby), and everyone is looking forward to getting outside. On the topic of costuming and reenactments, we’ve enjoyed this place.

Writing ~ Have you noticed the “chirp, chirp” sound around here at the blog? Egads! I have, too.  After a busy first couple weeks of writing in April (I submitted another poem, an essay, and worked on my fiction), I just felt DRAINED mentally and then family things hit, and did I forget to mention we had 12 inches of snow in a few days, which made EVERYTHING slow as molasses? (I really loathe when people constantly complain about the weather.) Anyway, I was able to attend a lovely two hour library talk on poetry this morning and it was so refreshing and got my juices flowing. I also hoping to get back outside, because nothing is more refueling than sunshine and stars. It’s so much easier to talk about writing than actually doing it, although, I guess I’m writing about writing right now. Gah. What recharges your writing/mental juices? I’m really curious.

Reading ~ What are you currently reading that you love? Maybe I’ve actually been reading more and that’s why I haven’t written as much. Neither good nor bad, I guess, as far as the writing goes. I finished Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Hourglass: Time, Memory, and Marriage by Dani Shapiro, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, and Crosstalk by Connie Willis. I’ll review them at the end of the month.

Sillies & Sundries ~ Here is a silly for the rest of your weekend. 

Cheerio, lovelies.

~

12 thoughts on “Gather Round {April 21}”

  2. I can really resonate to your comment “start some seeds soon on their way to a probable slow death”. I have black thumbs. I don’t know why I keep trying to grow things. It’s probably the most foolishly optimistic thing I do.

    I don’t think about writing. Something happens during the day, and the account begins to write itself in my mind. It’s a compulsion, not a choice! The words go round and round, gathering momentum. I’m sure they could shoot out of my ears and injure people if I didn’t let them flow through my fingers.

    Tea — I have some Yorkshire tea in the kitchen! A friend from Manchester brought a large box to us. It has been hoarded for hot tea, not iced tea.

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    1. That’s interesting to know about your writing process, Anne. Mmmm…Yorkshire is very good. I’m more of a coffee-a-holic, but good tea with a bit of sugar and cream is delicious. 🙂

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      1. I was in the tea habit when we lived in England. In the area South of London where we lived, people generally poured milk in the cup first and then the tea. I found I didn’t need sugar! Coffee is our preferred beverage here, but I should get back to having tea in the afternoon.

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  3. Thanks for this post! Like you, I’ve been one “hoping to get back outside, because nothing is more refueling than sunshine and stars.” We’ve had a week of freezing rain and snow (though not as much as you have!), and today Nature decided in this part of the world that it should be the first *real* day of spring. It was heavenly. I took my bike out for the first time this season, and cycled to the library where they were having the semi-annual book sale. Bought a few. Later I did some work in the yard – all that sunshine did me so much good! (though I think I got a bit of a burn!). I never thought about the stars being refueling. I really like that.

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  4. I had a nice big reply typed and then i think it somehow got deleted 😣 Ah, but…I love this idea for a journal. To write in it every couple weeks, about what is going on in all the different aspects of our life and farm. There are so many good ideas that I see for habits and life…so many things CM recommends but nowhere near enough hours in the day to do them 😏
    The garden is still under 1 or 2 inches of snow. Hoping it will melt and warm up fast enough that we can plant potatoes next week. Lambing is a little over half over. All the lambs born so far are healthy! Our brooder is full of 2 week old chicks that are also doing well. And we have 4 adorable gray and white kittens in a little nest with their momma in the barn. Praise the Lord for all the healthy new life here! I love Spring for that reason – everything that is being born or hatched, everything coming out of its winter dormancy. Maple sugaring is done, Friday was the last day. I got a sourdough starter a couple weeks ago so I am learning about all the different things I can bake with it. We have 2 weeks of scheduled lessons to finish, before we break until Fall. I think this year, for the Summer, I need to have a couple books going or some sort of short morning routine that we need to stick to. I love our hymns and folk songs and poetry and books, and miss those things. I am reading Village School, Every Living Thing, The Balanced Plate, and The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs (hmmm, seems my life revolves around farming and food doesn’t it?). I am thankful to have a nursing babe this Spring, so I have an excuse to sit in my recliner and read a little more often 😉

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    1. Dear Amy, this is just lovely to have a peek at your farm. Thank you for chatting with me. Yes, reading together and just enjoying a few things together each morning IS so nice. I confess I am SO drained by the time school’s out, I tend to be very lax in the summer and then all the big family summer obligations start. But when I do keep something going, it’s so refreshing and a nice anchor to the day. I don’t need any kind of excuse to read! LOL 😉 I’m lazy like that! Snuggle that baby for me. ❤

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  5. On domesticity…I’m getting used to having my husband’s parents living with us. I only met them once before so learning how to share the kitchen with another lady. 😉 Also trying to make foods that please them (learning they don’t like peas or chicken).

    The weather has been gloomy here but yesterday the daffodils started blooming and the lambs started really hamming it up this last week.

    I wish I could say I’ve been a productive writer lately but I’m in between projects and trying to relax a little (which makes me anxious). I tend to forget about being anxious for nothing when I have company.

    Have a wonderful week.

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    1. That would be definitely a big change, a lot of emotions and conflicting feelings over that. I’d have to work hard to be kind and adapt over little things. Both my husband and I are the oldest in our families and this is something that has been on our minds. Aww. Lambs must be just PRECIOUS. Our daffodils and tulips are JUST now peeking up and looking around for that 12 inches of snow we had the past couple of weeks! LOL! Yes, I know that anxiety with not writing…I’m don’t claim to understand it though. Just something there, always on the peripheral edge, itchy sort of, right?!

      Thank you!

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  6. In answer to one of your questions: a couple of P.G.Wodehouse novels and also slowly working my way through ‘The Omnivores Dilemma’ by Michael Pollan. We’ve finally had some warmer days, although I think the weekend is forecast to be cold again. Ho-hum.

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