Posted By FarmerJ on September 7, 2011

Would someone please pull the emergency brake?!  This year is whizzing by faster and faster each day.  We are already through the first week of September.  Wasn’t the Fourth of July, like, yesterday?  We’ve nearly reached the last quarter of the year already.  How is that even possible?

It’s been nearly a month since I’ve last posted, so I thought I would give you a quick update on some of the things we’ve been doing around here.  That is, if I can even remember that long ago.  Sheesh!

1.  Storm Watchin’ ~ Most, if not all, of the monster storms have passed now and we’ve entered into our favorite time of year in Nebraska.  September is absolutely amazing here on the prairie.  The days have cooled, the nights are chilled, the humidity has subsided, and the mosquitoes are gone.  The photos I’m sharing in this post are of one of the last storms that rolled through.  I’ve not done anything to alter the images ~ the changes in the colors is all God’s work.

2.  Goin’ Broke ~ Both boys are college bound now.  If that doesn’t make you feel old, I don’t know what will.  I still envision those two boys ages five and six, the Baby Geniuses, solving all the world’s problems from the back seat of the truck.  I’ve learned there are few things that can set me off on a rant like the price of college textbooks can.  It’s a racket, I tell ya.  Someone needs to be placed before the firing squad for charging $194.00 for a math book.  Oh, pardon me.  A math ‘package.’  Yes siree, we are going to take this math book that could be purchased on Amazon for $14.00 and bundle it with this three-page ‘organizer’ and call it a ‘package’ that can only be purchased at the campus bookstore.  For $194.00!  Oops!  I’m ranting again.  Do that times two boys, times four classes each, though, and it gets painful very quickly!

3.  Hangin’ Drywall ~ We’re still working on getting the guest room completed on the lower level of the house.  Darling Husbie and I were able to make huge progress over a weekend.  We finished getting the ‘lid’ on.  (My Uncle Dudley taught me that construction lingo.  It means ‘ceiling.’  See how smart I are now?)  After that, the walls seemed easy.  We worked until we ran out of light ~ and until the Beef Stew was finished.  Little Big Brother came over on one of his days off that week and helped me get the drywall on the north wall up.  We made quite the Mother/Son crew, and Husbie was very pleased.  Squeeeeeeee!  Little Big Brother even taught me how to do a plunge cut.  Imagine that.  Where did he learn that?  Probably on a YouTube video.  Anyway, we’re now three little pieces of drywall away from being ready to tape and mud.  We need more studs for nailers.

4.  Dealing With Loss ~ Most of you probably heard about the CH-47 Chinook shot down in Afghanistan on 06 August, killing all 38 soldiers on board.  If any of you are wondering if that crash affected us, yes, it did.  SSG Patrick Hamburger was one of five crew members aboard; he worked for Darling Husbie full time at the flight facility before being deployed.  I attended SSG Hamburger’s funeral with Husbie on 20 August and witnessed some amazing things.  I find myself still pondering many of those things.  For now, I will just add that I pray my beloved husband does not have to experience those circumstances ever again while in command.

5.  I Got Sarah Palin Glasses ~ Ten years after Lasik surgery, I am wearing glasses again on a part-time basis.  The astigmatism is returning and, over time, I realized things are not as clear as they once were…especially at night.  I asked Darling Husbie to help me pick out some frames.  The timing couldn’t have been worse, as he was absolutely consumed with managing the fallout of the aforementioned crash, but he lovingly gave me a few minutes to accommodate my slight streak of vanity.  Faced with a wall of frames, he started pulling a few with a distinctive style and stated, “I’m going for a Sarah Palin look here.”  “Oh, really?”, said I with raised eyebrows.  So, after four or five frames, we decided on the ones right for me.  Now, we just refer to my glasses as my ‘Sarah Palins.’  “I’ve got my Sarah Palins on!”  Strange, I know.  But, humor has been scarce around here lately.  We find it where ever we may!

6.  Mowin’ and Weed Whackin’ ~ Seriously.  There’s great danger in getting behind the curve when it comes to mowing around here.  Believe me.  Ideally, one should mow every four days if one doesn’t want windrows a foot wide and a foot deep every 46 inches throughout ones lawn.  I got behind the curve and didn’t mow for a couple of weeks.  The grass was so tall, Husbie had to use the 45hp tractor and the brush hog to whack it down enough for me to follow with Kitty, the Cub Cadet.  You should see the size of my windrows.  They’re really quite impressive.

7.  Turnin’ Wrenches ~ Darling Husbie and Little Big Brother have had more opportunity to turn wrenches than either one of them would prefer lately.  Turn the way-back dial to when Little Big Brother blew his engine up in the T2rd, aka the Neon, ‘testing the turbo.’  Remember way back then?  Well, that saga still continues.  Short version is: engine blew up; lots of money was spent; engine was rebuilt; engine blew up; again.  That’s all I’m going to say about that right now.  Then, there’s the new brake pads, brake line hoses and calipers on the Tuna, aka the Daytona.  And, there’s the water pump and serpentine belt on Strongbad, aka the Ram 3500.  We can’t forget the battery cables on the Little Red Truck, aka the Ram 1500.  Just in case there’s any down time on the wrenches, Husbie informed me today he got a new thermostat and front brake pads for Strongbad and some new front rotors for the Tuna.  My Dinky Doo is doo-in’ just fine, though.

8.  Pickin’ Our Harvest ~ As meager as it is this year.  There has yet to be enough of anything to preserve this year, but we have finally been getting a few things I can actually prepare as a decent side dish.  Our most abundant item this year has been cucumbers.  Thanks to the squash vine borers, we only got a few dinky yellow squash.  We never did get a single zucchini.  We’ve enjoyed a half dozen tomatoes, some okra, some peppers and a whopping seven ears of sweet corn.  It’s a good thing I still have some ears from last summer in the freezer!  Oh, and we finally picked our first green beans on Labor Day.  They’re either a really late spring harvest or a really early fall harvest ~ they’re from the May planting.

9.  Learnin’ To Be a Boy Scout ~ My beloved Husbie taught me how to back up a trailer and how to tie a square knot.  I think I need to practice each of those things a little more.  Maybe a lot, even.

10.  Readin’ ~ Both Darling Husbie and I have been reading more than usual lately.  He has become engrossed in The Aubrey/Maturin Series by Patrick O’Brian.  There is a total of 20 complete and one unfinished novels in this series.  Husbie is currently reading the fourth novel ~ he’s been reading this series for a little over two weeks now.  I am reading The Gentle Ways of the Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund.  There are three books included in this one volume.  I am currently reading the second book ~ I’ve been reading this volume for a little over two months now.  Obviously, Husbie is a much more established reader than I am.  He reads so quickly, I feel like I should blow the dust off of Little Big Brother’s collection of Dr. Seuss books.  Perhaps if I read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish or Fox in Socks, I will be able to turn the pages as quickly as Lovie.  Seriously, though.  It’s been nice to take some time to read once again.  I’ve greatly missed one of my favorite pastimes.

So, there you have it in a nutshell.  That’s just a few of the things we’ve been occupying ourselves with around here.  Each day brings a new adventure, and along with it, many blessings.  Amidst it all, our Lord continues to bless us richly, and for that, we are enormously grateful.

Oh yeah, speaking of enormous…I started a diet today.  ♥

Category: Plainly Ponderings | 3 Comments »
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Posted By FarmerJ on August 10, 2011

Well, I knew the day would come when our boys would grow up, stretch their wings and fly away.  I just didn’t expect it to arrive so soon.  Little Big Brother fluttered off last Thursday to begin a new season in his life.  He told me the day before that he was excited about the new adventure, anxious to flex his independence a little more, nervous about succeeding, and sad about leaving Mom and Dad, and his Peanie the Beagle Mutt behind.  That’s quite a range of emotions for a 19-year old to be acknowledging and processing.  Yet, as I thought about it more, those emotions are very typical, really, as you encounter each new endeavor throughout your life.  Little Big Brother has crossed the first of many milestones in his adult life!

After one week, I think I am adjusting pretty well.  Last Thursday, I was doing a great job of hangin’ tough…until I loaded the boy’s pillows into the truck!  That didn’t just tug on the heart strings, that yanked ‘em.  And, the flood gates opened.  It was a happy-sad moment, and I was laughing and sniveling simultaneously.

Of course, the boy only lives about 20 miles away.  Unlimited text messaging is a wonderful thing.  I can bribe the boy with a homemade cherry pie.  And, those independent muscles he’s trying to flex aren’t made of steel just yet!  He’s hosting a BBQ for a buddy of his this evening, and he asked Dad if he could have a couple of the folding lawn chairs so they could have something to sit on outside.  Remember all those things you realize you don’t have anymore when you leave Mom and Dad’s?

Dad’s handling it pretty well.  He’s already told the boy we’ve got his room for rent.  I just have to get those pretty pink walls painted a more neutral color!  You see, the previous owners of this ol’ barn house painted the walls in that room a rosy pink.  Circumstances didn’t allow me to paint those walls before we moved in, and well, you just don’t get that opportunity once a teenage boy gets settled in.  He tried his best to cover it up with posters and pictures!  But, now that the room is empty?  Yeah, those pink walls have got to go!

So, now, Darling Husbie and I also enter a new season in our life.  We are proud of our boys and the fine young men they are becoming.  We are looking forward to the exciting new adventures on whatever path God has planned for us ~ all of us.

But, I still reserve the right to shed a little tear every now and then.  Because, that’s what moms do.

And, Darling Husbie still has Abigail to love and kiss upon ~ the boys never really liked that anyway ~ and teach how to rebuild engines…if she can only get over her fear of the air wrench.  It makes a vewy scawy noise.

It sure is quiet around here… ♥

Category: Plainly Ponderings | 10 Comments »
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Posted By FarmerJ on August 8, 2011

I bet you thought I’d fallen off the turnip truck, didn’t you?  I can hear Husbie laughing now, as I’m sure I’ve used that phrase in the wrong context ~ but, in many ways, I do feel like I’ve fallen off the turnip truck!  I am contemplating contacting the Mayans regarding their 2012 calendar.  They seem to have left the month of July out.

We cut our gardening space back this summer from the 19,760 sf to a mere 760 sf.  It’s been a struggle, for one reason or another, to get anything to produce.  Needless to say, our harvest this summer has been less than extremely meager.  But, we are enjoying the rare tomato or cucumber here and there.  If nothing else, it’s given me another good reason to clear the vegetable freezer of last year’s bounty!

It’s been a whirlwind around here the past couple of months, and by the way August has started off, it’s proving it’s going to continue.  Something in the pit of my stomach is telling me the pace is only going to pick up before it levels off, so we might as well grab on and hold tight!

In light of that, I thought I’d better try to bring about some type of order around here ~ in some area I may actually have a tad bit of control over.  Our weekly menu.  So, here I am.

Can I just say, before I get started, that I’ve missed you all terribly?  I cannot tell you how tickled I get when you leave a comment letting me know you’ve visited.  My only fear is that it’s been so long since I’ve written, you’ve likely completely forgotten about us!

Monday ~ Albandigas Soup

Tuesday ~ Cashew Chicken; Jasmine Rice; Tossed Salad

Wednesday ~ Grilled Mesquite Pork Chops; Potato Salad; Fried Okra; Sweet Corn

Thursday ~ Taco Salad

Friday ~ Oven Fried Chicken; Mashed Potatoes; Ranch Beans; Sweet Peas

Saturday ~ Strawberry French Toast Casserole; Bacon; Orange Wedges

Sunday ~ Homemade Pizza; Tossed Salad

I still need to figure out a dessert or two.  But, while I do, Darling Husbie has a homemade cherry pie to nibble his way through.  I used the last of the sour cherries I picked from a “friend of a friend’s” tree last summer to make the pie filling, and I used my favorite pie crust recipe to make the crust.  There was enough dough remaining to make another pie shell, and there was plenty of pie filling left, so I made another cherry pie, but used a crumble topping.  It turned out great.  That pie has Little Big Brother’s name on it.  He’ll be receiving it tomorrow ~ if I can keep his dad out of it yet tonight!

Bon Appetit!  ♥

Category: Our Daily Bread ~ Menus | 2 Comments »
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Posted By FarmerJ on July 23, 2011

In an effort to clean up and organize some things on our master bedroom closet shelves ~ mainly my sewing and quilting projects ~ I decided to store some of those items in a box.

But, my box was, well…frankly…it was ugly.  It was a box my Buddy had shipped one of my monthly Buddy Boxes in.  It was still in great shape, and served its purpose quite well, but it certainly wasn’t appealing to the eye, you know?

Some time back, while rummaging sorting and purging through drawers and cupboards, I came across a package of decorative wall border the former owner of this ol’ barn house had thrown into the giant burn pit, but then never burned.  Some of you may recall a few of our stories about the burn pit and the amazing things we pulled out of it ~ like a running 42″ riding lawn mower, a well pump, a water pressure tank, oodles and oodles of power tools and building supplies, and countless smaller household items, such as candles, mason jars, picture frames…the list goes on and on.

You know, there is some irony there, if I allow myself to stop and think about it.  So many of the items we pulled from that burn pit were placed in the shop and ended up lost to fire anyway.  But, I digress.

Anyway!  For years now, this brand new, unopened package of wall border has been patiently waiting to be used.  I’ve always thought it was cute, but it’s not something I would put on my walls.  Finally, the perfect project surfaced!  Fortuitously, it was the perfect size for the ugly box, too!  No trimming required.

I followed the directions on the package ~ a miraculous feat in itself ~ and measured the length of the border I needed to wrap all the way around the ugly box.  Then, I wet it with warm water and laid it out, glue sides together, for two minutes.

Eager to sport my new decorative storage box, I began laying and smoothing the border around the sides, making sure the top edge was even with the top of the box.  That created about a half-inch to be folded and tucked on the under side of the box, making a nice finished edge on the bottom to reduce the risk of tearing while sliding on and off the shelf.  Perfect!

Except, it wasn’t.  You see, I learned that you can’t really make wet, or even damp, things stick to cardboard.  Even if the ‘wet’ is supposed to be sticky glue.  At least not in this case.  The result was a soggy cardboard ugly box with a border wrapped around it.  One that came right off at the first opportunity.  [I hear you laughing at me again, Darling Husbie, like the time I tried to use my hot glue gun to decorate a wax candle.  Stop it.]

Aren’t you glad this isn’t a how-to?  I’d have you all messed up.

So, once again, I pulled out my trusty double-sided tape, along with the clear packing tape, and got the job done.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  It’s certainly better than the ugly box.

At a minimum, I should get a point for recycling and repurposing, yes?  ♥

[Lovie, really, you can stop laughing at me now.]

Category: She ~Tries~ To Be Creative | 6 Comments »
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Posted By FarmerJ on July 20, 2011

I am currently ~ as spare time permits ~ working on updating my planner…my ‘Life In a Book.’  I have a Day Runner Pro planner that uses 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ pages, and over the years, I’ve created and modified sections to fit my needs according to the season of my life.

I say ‘my’ planner, because it’s the one that I use on a daily basis.  But, really, it’s beneficial to my entire family.  Whenever something should happen to me, this planner, along with one document box, is all my Darling Husbie should need in order to pick up and carry on without me.  [I've also got plans to redo our document box ~ all I need for that is time.]

Anyway!  I’ve decided that rather than have a separate book for my prayer journal, I would simply create a section in my planner.  Since I utilize the planner throughout the day, every day, I won’t ever be too far from my prayer journal.  It will be nice and handy whenever the sudden urge to strike up another conversation with God occurs!

One thing I like about keeping my prayer journal this way is that I can update the look of the pages any time.  I can change the look of the pages to fit the change of the seasons, if I so choose.  For now, I created this one.  It strikes me as light, cheerful, refreshing and freeing.  It seems to ‘fit’ right now.

I thought I’d share the Promise Prayer Journal with you!  It’s set up to print two per 8-1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper in landscape.  Simply print on both sides of paper, cut down the middle, hole punch to fit in your 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ binder or planner, and you’ll be ready to begin your journal.  Just five full sheets of paper will provide you with twenty prayer journal pages!

If you don’t currently write your prayers in a journal, I highly recommend it!  It’s a wonderful way to have uninterrupted prayer ~ if you’re like me, your thoughts may have a tendency to wander.  Not to mention, your journal will become a great record of your conversations with God and a terrific tool to look back and sing praises for all the rich blessings and amazing miracles He bestows upon you ~ all those answered prayers!

I hope you enjoy this, or your very own, prayer journal as much as I do.  ♥

Category: Plainly Ponderings | 5 Comments »
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Posted By FarmerJ on July 19, 2011

1.  They both love pyrotechnics.  Fireworks are legal in Nebraska, and depending on your location, you can make things explode for as long as the entire week leading up to the 4th of July.

2.  They feed off each other. They have to continually try to ‘one-up’ the other.  So, for the week leading up to the 4th, Little Big Brother had been making frequent stops at firework stands positioned on every street corner and in every parking lot in town.  Dad’s schedule had not permitted him to do the same.

3.  The 19-year old just can’t bear to admit, that despite his greatest efforts, Dad is still, and always will be, the Alpha. Dad always wins.

4.  Dad can take the poking, the prodding, the taunting like a good sport. But, only for so long.

5.  The 19-year old non-Alpha boy should know this by now. He may, but won’t admit it.  Mom does, and had justifiable cause for concern when the two of them set off for town together ~ Darling Husbie with that mischievous grin and steely-eye look.  They were gone for hours.

6.  The two pyro-technicians couldn’t get things lit off fast enough. There was no ‘Hi Honey (or Mom), we’re home’ for me when they returned.  No.  I figured it out on my own they were home by the whistles, pops and explosions outside my kitchen window.  That, and by the two cowering canines taking over my lap.  One of them isn’t even a lap dog.

7.  Boys, pyrotechnics and duct tape. A recipe for…well, I’ll leave it at that.  I will say, though, that at one point while glancing out the kitchen window, I witnessed my husband utilizing our 4-foot tripod rainbird sprinkler as a launching mechanism for some high-powered projectile explosives.  I’m pretty sure duct tape was involved in that.  I won’t incriminate him with photos, though.  We’ll just leave it as ‘hear say’ for now, okay?

8.  My guys are all about teamwork. Teamwork equates to more explosions production.

9.  Darling Husbie is willing to go to great costs ~ lengths, too ~ in order to capture the full essence of such an explosive battle. I was a little surprised that he was surprised the picture quality of the subsequent videos was a little…compromised.

10.  They have perseverance. If at first it doesn’t explode, light, light it again.  And, then, throw some more on the pile and light it again.

My guys blew up and blew out just about everything they could get their hands on.  They obliterated things until they were literally tired of obliterating.  I am happy to report each still has all required body parts intact.

For those of you who know Darling Husbie, I am including a video of one of the epic tank battles.  Anyone who uses a lit punk as a pointer while explaining the strategy is, well…I’ll leave it at that.  If you know him, you know what I’m talking about.

As you can see, we appreciate and enjoy our freedom here on the Prairie Farmstead.  We hope you and your family had a joyous and memorable Independence Day, too!  ♥

Category: Plainly Ponderings | 6 Comments »
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Posted By FarmerJ on July 17, 2011

On Friday evening, we were able to witness what Darling Husbie referred to as “the most impressive cloud formation” yet since moving to the Farmstead.  We were aware of a severe thunderstorm that had formed to the southwest and was moving northeast.  I’d checked the radar, and sure enough, it depicted the purplish red blob moving this way.  But, there was nothing currently on the radar in the immediate vicinity of the Farmstead.

Something we learned early on after moving to the plains is that the thunderstorms have a special way of just ‘popping’ up.  The sky can be clear one minute, and the next, well…not so much.  We witnessed exactly that phenomenon Friday evening.  I glanced out the kitchen window while putting our dinner dishes away, and saw the formation in the photo above.  It literally wasn’t there a minute ago, so when I said to Husbie, “Lovie, you’ve got to see these clouds,” he may have been slightly disinterested ~ or at least slow in his response ~ thinking I was referring to the storm way off in the distance to the southwest.  “Mmm-hmm.”  “No, Lovie, look at these clouds right here!”

The rest of these photos depict how the storm formed directly over our house, and the two houses of our neighbors over the next eleven minutes.  It was that localized, it was quick, and it was amazing.  The clouds were just above our roof- and treetops, and if I hadn’t been in such a state of awe, my claustrophobia would have kicked in.  They were that low.

I’ll shish now and share the photos with you ~ in the order they were taken, ~ because they tell the story better than I ever could!

Amazing, yes?  I don’t even know what else to say!  [Now, can you believe that?!]  ♥

Category: Plainly Ponderings | 6 Comments »
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Posted By FarmerJ on July 8, 2011

Answer:  Having a mammogram done the very next day.

Seriously?  No.  Early detection is the best prevention.  Isn’t five minutes of very little discomfort better than the alternative?

PS:  By the way, the endodontist was successful in the removal of the piece of file that broke off in my canal during the original procedure two months ago.  Squeeeeeeeeee!  ♥

Category: Plainly Ponderings | 4 Comments »
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Posted By FarmerJ on June 28, 2011

For some reason, I find my head spinning with several different thoughts of several different projects and several different tasks I’d like to do.  These don’t include the daily must-do’s ~ just some things I think I’d enjoy accomplishing.  Perhaps making a list of them will help me achieve them.  Or, at least one of them.

1.  Create a new calendar for my Day-Timer. It’s really not too soon around this farmstead to start keeping track of things in 2012.  It’s just around the corner, you know.  How fun would it be to play with all the adorable graphics and colors to make something cheerful?!  Really fun.

2.  Take the rest of our unwanted books to the used bookstore. That will free up some space, and it will add to my store credit balance.  Then, I can plan for a fun day of unlimited, uninterrupted time in the bookstore.  Just me and hundreds of thousands of books.  And the resident black cat who lives in and runs the bookstore.  She is the sweetest and most talkative little thing you ever will see!

3.  Bake some cookies. There can never be too many cookies in the house.  Usually, there’s never enough.

4.  I’d really enjoy sitting at my sewing machine for a few hours. Or days, even.  There are so many neat projects I’ve seen lately that would be so fun to make.  Not to mention the four quilts I started last year and have yet to finish.  Yeah, let’s not talk about those.

5.  Figure out a way to get even half of the people who read this to leave us a note. A couple of days ago, I realized we had 78 individual visitors ~ that’s not including all the spam and spider hits ~ in the previous 24-hour period.  But, no one left a note to say they were here.  It makes me sad.  Woe is me.  Nobody likes me.

6.  Rip out the carpeting in the stairwell! Squeeeeeeeeee!  How fun would it be to do that?!  Incredibly fun!  I’m here to tell you.  The thrill of getting rid of the nast and replacing it with beautiful wood and paint is almost too much to withstand.  I’m not sure Darling Husbie is quite ready for me to do this just yet, though.

7.  Begin research and implementation of a new endeavor Husbie and I will be undertaking. We will reveal more about this in the future!

8.  Watch the grass grow. Seriously!  We spread about 20 lbs of grass seed over one of the 30′ x 150′ garden plots, and I’m really anxious for the new grass to come up.  Can you believe it?  I spent two years of my life on my hands and knees painstakingly pulling every blade of grass and every weed I could see out by the roots.  Now, this.  That’s a weird circle of life.

9.  Bake some cookies. Did I say that already?  Cookies would be good.

10.  Give Dinky Doo a makeover to look like this one. Just kidding, Husbie!  I’m just k-i-d-d-i-n-g!  But, he does need a good bath.  Inside and out.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who has a list like this.

Certainly there’s someone else out there who would like to bake some cookies!  ♥

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Posted By FarmerJ on June 26, 2011

Well, folks, we have a winner of the Ten Things In a Hodge Podge Give-Away III!  I am delighted there was someone still interested in taking this stuff off our hands!

The winner is…Wanda!

Now, Wanda, you have to promise to accept this package and not return to sender, okay?  We hope the contents will bring you a little joy and a smile.

Thanks to everyone who participated!  If you’re interested, be sure to check back frequently for July’s drawing ~ I’ve already got some things in the ‘official’ pink basket.  ♥

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