Red Dirt Farm and Studio

I awoke at 4 am as usual,  but I was too lazy to get up.  I laid in bed for a few hours listening to the rain on our tin roof.  Normally, that’s enough to lull me back to sleep, but it wasn’t to be today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have had the most wonderful weather this week, cool nights and foggy mornings with warm sunny days.  My kind of weather.  The girls have loved it too.  Most of the girls are molting at this time.  They don’t lay eggs when they molt, so it has been a challenge to keep the cooler stocked with eggs.  They are all running around looking a dreadful sight with most of their fathers gone.  The yard looks like a massacre has taken place with so many feathers everywhere.

The cosmos, zinnias and the Mexican sunflowers are all still blooming magnificently.  The monarchs are beyond magical and there are so many more this year.  That is one good thing I can say about 2020.

 

I fell earlier this week and sprained my ankle, so I took advantage of being off my feet by puttered around in my crafting space. I created some little ornaments/whatchamacallits from prints of my paintings layered atop some old vintage book pages, and  sheet music, scraps of this and that.

My mother-in-law has been living in her own apartment in an assisted living facility for a number of years.  Back when the word of COVID-19 was first uttered, her facility took extreme precautions and went into lockdown, long before it became a thing.  Such a smart move on their part, as there have been no cases there.  However, not being able to maintain family contact and a regular schedule with Alice caused the progression of Alzheimer’s to warrant the need for her to be moved from her apartment to the memory care unit.  It was quite the process getting her moved and then having her apartment and contents locked up for months.  We are quite pleased though that she has adjusted quite well to the move and is happy.  The ban was finally lifted a few weeks ago, and the contents of her apartment brought here.  I believe there were 57 boxes of items, plus furniture that were put into two rooms here at the house.

It has been quite the undertaking to go through her possessions.  I’m trying to be respectful of her items, our memories that are linked to these items, and keeping a balance of respecting those memories and not being tied down to her past.  There are many items that we like and want to keep.  Decorating with them in a manner that doesn’t feel like a shrine and also has our style and taste is certainly –  well, a bit daunting.

I have created a little den in the new addition we recently added to the house.  It is here on this rainy day that I work on my blog.  Among the remaining boxes and unplaced furniture, a bit of coziness is slowly coming about.  Even though the rain is steady, the golden leaves are stunning and I have to step on the back porch and take a quick photo.

I baked pumpkin bread for the market yesterday, first a batch that didn’t turn out the best because I was distracted while I was putting the ingredients together.  I had my head in the clouds, so I baked a second batch, which turned out just fine and it all sold at market.  I took my little ornaments to the market too, they remained invisible because apparently pumpkin bread trumps everything!

A friend of ours lost their sister-in-law to COVID-19 this week, she was only in her 60’s.  So heart-breaking.

While I have been typing away this morning, a sweet little wren landed on one of the moving boxes on the porch and has been serenading me for the past half hour.  I took a few photos through the dirty glass door, she was happy to oblige.

Mr. Red Dirt fixed a wonderful hearty over the top breakfast for us this morning.  Blueberry pancakes, maple sausage, and fresh eggs from the girls.  What a wonderful treat. I am completely stuffed and ready to go back to sleep now!

Have a good day, and stay safe.

 

Until next time,

xo, Kim