Category Archives: This Week I Love …

This week I love: Halloween!

Posted in #family, Holidays, Life in General, This Week I Love ..., Uncategorized by

Halloween has always been one of my favorite time of the year. I have to admit that my dad was the one who made it extra special.  His love for Halloween and all things spooky meant he put A LOT into Halloween Festivities.

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My dad and I dressing up for Halloween in September

Every year – my parents would throw us a big Halloween party – complete with pumpkin painting, bobbing for apples, and pizza and cake.  But of course – for it to be a real Halloween party it had to have a “walk” through. My father would take the whole month of September to transform the woods behind my childhood home into a spooky forest! My mom would then tell us a ghost story and lead us into the woods for a tour.

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The year I went as a Southern Belle (oi, what a costume 🙄)

Because we attended Catholic School – the day after Halloween – meant no school! All Saints Day !!  So naturally after the walk, we cozy up in our pajamas and watch a horror film.  It didn’t get much better than that!

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Last year Harley went as a Cowardly Lion! He was not amused.

Halloween has always been a special day in my life.  Now – I celebrate it with spooky movies and costumes on my dogs.  But the thrill has never left.  It’s once a year that everyone gets to pretend they’re something else for a day.  It even lets you escape the monotonous  hum of the work day.  Everyone knows work is a tad better on Halloween! And …. who doesn’t like that?!

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Here is a pic of me in college – when Halloween was every day! (My dad was NOT a fan lol)

What are your favorite Holidays? Do you like Halloween the most of all?

 

This Week … I Love ….

Posted in Animal Rights/Animals, Garden, Life in General, This Week I Love ... by

 

This Week’s Favorite Thing:

 

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 Amphibians

I’ve been meaning to get to this post for a while. I absolutely, positively, most assuredly LOVE all things amphibian.  Back in my reenacting days – I would scoop them up and carry them around with me for hours. My dad’s nickname for me as a child was Froggy.

When I first moved to The Fabulous Frost Farm – I quickly confirmed that my home was a mecca to a plethora of fine amphibians!  We have plenty of toads – which happen to be a favorite of mine.  They hang out in the rock pile near my bbq and the dogs go nuts over them.  Funny enough, they all look to me to capture them and bring them to safety. Neither Harley nor Molly actually make any attempt to catch one on their own.   It’s fun to watch our good ol’ American Toads change color when they sit on the spigots outside or rub up against our house.  Most of all, my favorite thing in the world is being serenaded by the melodious hum of the Northern Gray Tree frogs and The New Jersey Chorus frogs.  Their funny yet sweet mating calls always remind me summer is right around the corner – or in July’s case – to be mindful that summer is here.

What are some of your favorite things? Are you like me – do you like insects and amphibians?

This Week I Love ….. is

Posted in Animal Rights/Animals, Chicks and Hens, This Week I Love ..., Uncategorized by

Baby Chicks

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If you’ve followed my blog before – you know that I’ve always wanted chicks.  Well, my life has shifted a bit and this summer seemed to be the right time to get some. I’m stoked.

Clearly, God knew what he was doing when he made baby chicks because they’re smelly and dirty and skittish, but literally the cutest things on the planet.  They literally PEEP all day long!

Maybe it’s because I’m the proud mama of some new chicks – or maybe it’s because I’m a first time mama to my little nuggets, but I literally cannot stop watching them.  We have a brooder (which they are quickly out growing – don’t worry we have a large one waiting!) set up in the dining room.  The kitchen was still currently being occupied by the goat.  Watching their adorable antics has literally become a past time for me (and Molly – my beagle).

 There is nothing quite like watching 4 baby chickens suddenly fall asleep standing up.  Seriously, chicks have the most serious case of Narcolepsy I have seen.  They fall asleep standing, sitting, eating, drinking, alone and on top of each other.  They basically look like they’ve had a serious night drinking and are sleeping off the hangover.  Absolutely , 100% – dead to the world.  I catch myself double checking to see make sure they’re breathing.  Knowing that one day they’ll be big, fat happy and healthy hens is so exciting, but I kind of wish they could stay this little forever.  I’m looking forward to keeping you guys posted as these little gals grow!

If you’re thinking about taking the plunge like me and investing in chicks – I recommend a few resources first:

  • Backyard Chickens – is the most amazing, numero uno resource site for a novice chick owner – all the way to the most experienced.  Everyone on the site is friendly and willing to help and I just can’t get enough of it.
  • The Chicken Chick © – is another amazing resource site.  Kathy Shea Mormino is a fantastic writer and blogger. She’s got loads of tips and her site is absurdly organized – which is something I love when trying to research a chick topic.  She is also an amazing author!
  • The Spruce – you’re going to see me post about The Spruce often.  It is literally one of my favorite websites and my go-to source for just about EVERYTHING!  It has a great section dedicated to livestock and especially chickens!

This Week … I Love …. (2)

Posted in Garden, Life in General, This Week I Love ... by

 

This Week’s Favorite Thing:

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 My 100% accidental pumpkin patch….  

Granted … there are 2 pumpkins …. but they were TOTALLY unintentional.  Last December – as we do every year – Nick and I tossed our old pumpkins into the gigantic dirt pile we have created behind the shed.  It’s always provided a solid pile of pretty fertile soil to dig up and use in pots when Spring arrives.  Normally – we’ve got the occasional Polk weed and dandelion growing out of it … SO you can imagine my surprise when I started to notice the unmistakable leaves of a vine plant! At first – I thought it might have been a cucumber or squash plant – perhaps some hidden seed that we tossed into the mulch pile.  AND THEN … I realized that’s exactly what it was – it was a pumpkin vine from the old pumpkins we had tossed the winter before!  The TIPS I have for having a Great Pumpkin of your own? Get yourself a beagle…. evidently it worked for Charlie Brown and me 🙂

This Week … I Love …. (1)

Everyone has been trying to post or blog about 3 things they are grateful for, 100 Days of Happiness, or taking Positivity Challenges. Naturally, I found myself wanting to do one. So I sat down at my computer and eagerly began to list all the things I was grateful for – but alas! I could think of nothing. It surely wasn’t because I am not grateful for all of my blessings. It was because I wanted each one of my reasons to have “meaning” and “purpose” behind them. I opted to come back to the computer at another time.

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