What little thing are you looking forward to or happy about?

[MercyA]

My little thing: I am teaching the story of the widow's mite tomorrow and I have replica lepton coins to give my Sunday School kids. I am probably too excited about this. 🙂 

What little thing are you looking forward to or happy about?

[fairfarmhand]

My close friend (a physician who also has several risk factors for covid problems) got her first vaccine shot this week. I am so looking forward to doing stuff with her without worrying that she’ll get sick.

[Kalmia]

I bought myself several teardrop shaped prisms for my birthday and hung them in windows on the south-facing side of my house, so on sunny days rainbows dance across the room.

[Pam in CT]

My mother's birthday is next week.  The last time I sat indoors at a restaurant was for her birthday last year.

She is now fully vaccinated and I've had my first shot, and I'm going up in a few days to take her to lunch at a real restaurant with outside dining (yeah, it'll be COLD in western MA).  But we'll sit down and have a proper meal with actual plates at the same table and that will be enough.

[Ausmumof3]

Quince paste.  We have so many quinces right now.  Yum.  And fresh figs and apples.

Also we had my favourite psalm at church today.  
 

 

[fairfarmhand]

15 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Quince paste.  We have so many quinces right now.  Yum.  And fresh figs and apples.

Also we had my favourite psalm at church today.  
 

 

What’s your favorite psalm?

[Tap]

I have been struggling to find new paint colors for the interior of my house. I am repainting the entire inside and redoing the floors. I was stalled out and getting a bit depressed that I wasn't finding something I liked. I have a North facing room that has almost no direct light on one half, and a window with direct light on the other half. The other room, has exactly the opposite problem with Southern light. Some walls are 2 stories tall, so the paint can look vastly different on one side of the wall vs the other.  It is a paint nightmare.  I was almost ready to just repaint with the same colors from almost 20 years ago, just because they work in the space. I like coordinating colors in different rooms, not just a base color throughout the house. 

I think I finally found a few colors that are working!!  They are similar to the old colors, but with just enough of a change to freshen it up. 

I also found two large rugs that work together, but aren't matchy-matchy, for affordable prices that work with my new colors. One is a 9x12 the other is 12x15.  They are sizes you can't just walk into a regular store and buy for a reasonable price.  I was elated to find them! Once paint is decided, flooring is next. 

 

[Ausmumof3]

1 hour ago, fairfarmhand said:

What’s your favorite psalm?

116.

actually it’s one of my favourites I have a couple ...

 

[prairiewindmomma]

I bought a wind chime. I first heard it three years ago and have been thinking about it ever since. I finally purchased it and hung it at a height where I can ring it like a gong if I want to. It makes me so happy to hear it. It’s been a windy spring day, so lots of melody in my backyard right now!

[Rosie_0801]

I made ice cream using mint from my garden. That was fun.

I also made bay leaf ice cream, and that was even more fun. I've never been able to taste bay leaf, but apparently I can if it is mixed with sugar. I'm the same with saffron. I can't taste that without sugar either.  

[ScoutTN]

Longer days and more sunlight! 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

It’s my anniversary today. DH and I are escaping to the Pennsylvania mountains in a little cabin with a hot tub for a midweek getaway. No kids. I am ridiculously excited to sleep for three days straight.

[J-rap]

Just found out that our dd and her fiancé are planning to come home for one month this summer!  They've planned several trips but all cancelled due to Covid.  She lives across the ocean.

ETA:  It will have been a year and a half since we've seen her.

Edited March 7, 2021 by J-rap

[Dmmetler]

We're going to visit the campus of one of the top 2 schools on L's list next week. Even with all the precautions (self-guided tour vs going with a tour guide, renting a house rather than a hotel, ordering food delivery, etc), it still will be a nice change and break. And not really a small thing, but I also get my second COVID vaccine on the 15th. 

 

I'm also getting into graduation planning, and it looks like my parents, brother, SIL and my long time best friend (and L's Godmother) will be able to come out. All of the adults will be vaccinated by then-not sure on the 16 yr old.  I'm looking at possibly renting a big house since my SIL is allergic to cats, and 5 extra adults would overfill my house to the point of needing to put adults on air mattresses. It will be the first time we have seen my BIL, SIL, or BFF in two years-since summer of 2019, and to see my parents since Thankgiving 2019. 

[Pam in CT]

11 minutes ago, J-rap said:

Just found out that our dd and her fiancé are planning to come home for one month this summer!  They've planned several trips but all cancelled due to Covid.  She lives across the ocean.

ETA:  It will have been a year and a half since we've seen her.

Awwwwwww MAN.  That is AWESOME.

My heart breaks for families who've been separated by oceans and border controls throughout all this. My Singaporean sister-in-law hasn't seen her mother or sister in going-on-two years now.

[J-rap]

7 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

Awwwwwww MAN.  That is AWESOME.

My heart breaks for families who've been separated by oceans and border controls throughout all this. My Singaporean sister-in-law hasn't seen her mother or sister in going-on-two years now.

It's really strange to think it's been that long!  Because of Zoom, FaceTime, and the strange time disorientation that has gone on this past year, in many ways it doesn't feel like it's been that long.  

... Until you start thinking of all the little (and big!) things that have happened during that time!

[Ema]

Seeing the first robin of the year. Which happened today!

[stephanier.1765]

Because of Covid and my DH breaking his leg and being unable to work, I've barely seen my grandchildren this year. I've spent less than a week with my grandson in his whole life! They are going to Disney in April so we are going to join them. DH may need a wheelchair because he still has difficulty walking but we don't care. We just want to see them.

[Farrar]

It's warm enough to see people in person again. I am looking forward to keeping doing that.

[wathe]

Maple syrup season!  We make backyard maple syrup and sugar in a very small way - we tap just 2 trees.  We set our taps last week, and the weather will be warm enough later this week for the sap to start running. 

I love it.  It's become a family tradition for us, a kind of ritual that means spring is really nearly here.  And making sugar and candy from watery tree-juice just never gets old for me.  It feels like a magic trick every time.

[Hannah]

Our local night  market finally started up again last Friday.  Met a friend and we sat outside for a coffee.  It was great!

I am meeting a dear friend for a walk in the botanical garden next weekend.  

 

 

[Pam in CT]

I puffy heart love this thread.

 

re maple-tapping

10 hours ago, wathe said:

Maple syrup season!  We make backyard maple syrup and sugar in a very small way - we tap just 2 trees.  We set our taps last week, and the weather will be warm enough later this week for the sap to start running. 

I love it.  It's become a family tradition for us, a kind of ritual that means spring is really nearly here.  And making sugar and candy from watery tree-juice just never gets old for me.  It feels like a magic trick every time.

How much do you get from 2 trees?  Sugar maples are native to my area, and we probably have at least 25 on the property -- I rip the saplings out in the spring. But we've never tapped, because I think of it as requiring real scale, with the gravity-fed tubing and sealed buckets and etc.  You just... stick the taps in with an uncovered bucket?  How much do you get?

[MEmama]

20 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

I puffy heart love this thread.

 

re maple-tapping

How much do you get from 2 trees?  Sugar maples are native to my area, and we probably have at least 25 on the property -- I rip the saplings out in the spring. But we've never tapped, because I think of it as requiring real scale, with the gravity-fed tubing and sealed buckets and etc.  You just... stick the taps in with an uncovered bucket?  How much do you get?

Lots of people in my in-town neighborhood tap their trees, often just one or two in the front yard. Really all you need is a tap and a bag or bucket. Around here all the supplies can be found at the farm store, I’d think the same would be true in your area. 
 

The tubes are used for several trees—there’s no need to get that fancy. 🙂 

[wathe]

Not a lot, but enough LOL.  I've never measured.  We mostly boil it down to sugar and do just a little syrup, and we eat it as we go.  Sometimes the kids drink the sap straight ("spring tonic").

The internet says about a gallon of syrup for 2 trees, and that feels about right.

(This year I will measure!)

We use commercial spiles and covered buckets.  Our buckets are the traditional metal kind, which they don't seem to sell anymore.  The lids are important - you do not want rain, debris, and creatures in your sap!  I've seen others use any kind of lidded bucket:  ice cream pails, juice jugs etc.  Backyard syrup is popular here; front lawn trees sprout all kinds of buckets every spring.

I cook it down in an old rice-cooker on the front porch.  The automatic turn-off feature of the rice cooker means I don't have to pay too much attention to it.  I just let it boil away and top it up from time to time.  

Warning:  if you boil the sap down indoors, you will have sticky walls.  The boil is really best done outside.

 

[wathe]

4 minutes ago, MEmama said:

Lots of people in my in-town neighborhood tap their trees, often just one or two in the front yard. Really all you need is a tap and a bag or bucket. Around here all the supplies can be found at the farm store, I’d think the same would be true in your area. 
 

The tubes are used for several trees—there’s no need to get that fancy. 🙂 

Yep.  Our local hardware store carries buckets and spiles.

Edited March 8, 2021 by wathe

[Pam in CT]

My husband, because COVID, is now a chicken farmer (a development I REALLY would Not Have Called in our college days, LOL) so we're at the farm supply store with some regularity these days.

 

Re Pro Tip

9 minutes ago, wathe said:

...I cook it down in an old rice-cooker on the front porch.  The automatic turn-off feature of the rice cooker means I don't have to pay too much attention to it.  I just let it boil away and top it up from time to time.  

Warning:  if you boil the sap down indoors, you will have sticky walls.  The boil is really best done outside.

THANK YOU FOR THIS CRUCIAL INFORMATION

 

I would think my part of CT is running these days.  We're as erratic as we ever are in terms of bewildering swings of early warm spells and hard freezes into late April, but over the last week it's definitely been 40+ during the day and down to the 20s at night.

Hmmmm.

[wathe]

3 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

My husband, because COVID, is now a chicken farmer (a development I REALLY would Not Have Called in our college days, LOL) so we're at the farm supply store with some regularity these days.

 

Re Pro Tip

THANK YOU FOR THIS CRUCIAL INFORMATION

 

I would think my part of CT is running these days.  We're as erratic as we ever are in terms of bewildering swings of early warm spells and hard freezes into late April, but over the last week it's definitely been 40+ during the day and down to the 20s at night.

Hmmmm.

Do it!  Here a spile costs $1.10.  It's a low cost, low risk, high reward project. 

[mommyoffive]

5 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

My husband, because COVID, is now a chicken farmer (a development I REALLY would Not Have Called in our college days, LOL) so we're at the farm supply store with some regularity these days.

 

Re Pro Tip

THANK YOU FOR THIS CRUCIAL INFORMATION

 

I would think my part of CT is running these days.  We're as erratic as we ever are in terms of bewildering swings of early warm spells and hard freezes into late April, but over the last week it's definitely been 40+ during the day and down to the 20s at night.

Hmmmm.

Oh fun.  Is he raising them to sell or just for fun? 

[KathyBC]

With quite a bit of help, a little free library is now set up at our community hall. 💕  💕   💕 

Edited March 8, 2021 by KathyBC

[Pam in CT]

re my implausible COVID chicken farmer

56 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Oh fun.  Is he raising them to sell or just for fun? 

Well, "farmer" may be a bit hyperbolic, LOL.  He "oversees the production of the most expensive eggs in the US once the full costs are fully amortized" could be one way to describe it, or "COVID hobby" would be another.  It is pretty engaging, though.

[mommyoffive]

7 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

re my implausible COVID chicken farmer

Well, "farmer" may be a bit hyperbolic, LOL.  He "oversees the production of the most expensive eggs in the US once the full costs are fully amortized" could be one way to describe it, or "COVID hobby" would be another.  It is pretty engaging, though.

We get those kinds of eggs too.  My kids love to raise chickens, especially my oldest.  They have done it before Covid, but we never kept them long enough to get enough to get eggs because we would travel.  But last year we stayed home so they were able to get eggs and that was fun. New chicks come this week. 

Edited March 8, 2021 by mommyoffive

[Sdel]

A bath and a good nights sleep.  I got my cast off today and got a splint I can remove for eating and bathing.  My two hour nap confirms that I can actually sleep in it.

I’m going to enjoy tonight just doing nothing and probably going to bed early.

[Andani]

I'm setting up a Zoom bedtime story with my nieces and nephews. 

[Garga]

We have a screened in porch that became a junk pile over the past few years. I finally cleaned out the junk and we’re going to turn it into a catio for the 5 cats. We’ll put up stronger screens on the windows so they can’t claw their way through and install a cat door so they can access it whenever they want.

I am just so excited for how happy my fur babies will be when they can hang out outside all day!

Edited March 9, 2021 by Garga

[mommyoffive]

20 minutes ago, Garga said:

We have a screened in porch that became a junk pile over the past few years. I finally cleaned out the junk and we’re going to turn it into a catio for the 5 cats. We’ll put up stronger screens on the windows so they can’t claw their way through and install a cat door so they can access it whenever they want.

I am just so excited for how happy my fur babies will be when they can hang out outside all day!

A catio!  I love it. 

[itsheresomewhere]

I have planned out a greenhouse since last summer. I know exactly what I want and will be ordering it soon. The farmer in me is so excited about it.   

[BlsdMama]

It’s the silliest thing, but last year I added a few new hostas to a bed I’ve been working on, along with ferns. I’m eager to see them start to show. We painted our shed and added a dry creek bed area to handle a water problem there, but we also planted several perennials... excited to see it. 
 

And a friend got me a dwarf ginkgo tree last year and I have to decide it’s forever home this spring!

DD14’s mock trial team just found out they made it to State! They are a very young team, so it was a great accomplishment. It’s just three weeks away!

 

[Alte Veste Academy]

1 hour ago, Garga said:

We have a screened in porch that became a junk pile over the past few years. I finally cleaned out the junk and we’re going to turn it into a catio for the 5 cats. We’ll put up stronger screens on the windows so they can’t claw their way through and install a cat door so they can access it whenever they want.

I am just so excited for how happy my fur babies will be when they can hang out outside all day!

YAY! When we had our house built two years ago, DH and I had corner sliding glass doors put in at our patio, which opens on one side to the living room and the other side to the dining room making one open-air room. When we moved in, we had cat-proof screens installed at the patio openings. This was all for the cats. We have five too. This catio was the priciest upgrade we made to the house by far. 🤣 Fur baby happiness is paramount here! We have five kitties too.

🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱 

My small thing is it's spring break for two weeks starting today. It's planning time for the rest of the year and for next year. And my not so small thing is that after trying public high school for two years, my DD16 has decided for good that it's not a good fit for her and is coming home for the rest of high school. I got to pull her out last week. So now I have even more planning—fun, personalized-for-her stuff that I never thought I'd get the opportunity to do when she went off to school.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Alte Veste Academy

[fairfarmhand]

Other small things:

I snipped some bits from the geraniums that I brought in from last summer and put them in water. They grew roots and they're making new plants. 

Also, its getting warm enough that I (hopefully soon) can retire my flannel sheets and put my very favorite cotton percale sheets on the bed. They are absolutely wonderful to slide into at the end of the day. Even better if they;re line dried.

Looking forward to putting away the heavy insulated winter drapes and replace them with the lightweight summer curtains.

Also, my cow is super sweet. Just looking forward to teaching her how to be a good cow.

[Selkie]

I joined a stargazing group on a whim and have discovered that I really enjoy it, so much so that I just ordered a telescope. I spend a lot of time outside at night tending my horses, and it’s cool to look up and know (at least a little bit) what I’m looking at.

[lynn]

Bringing my grandson to the zoo which was planned for last march before our worlds went into lock down.

[MEmama]

12 hours ago, Garga said:

We have a screened in porch that became a junk pile over the past few years. I finally cleaned out the junk and we’re going to turn it into a catio for the 5 cats. We’ll put up stronger screens on the windows so they can’t claw their way through and install a cat door so they can access it whenever they want.

I am just so excited for how happy my fur babies will be when they can hang out outside all day!

 

11 hours ago, Alte Veste Academy said:

YAY! When we had our house built two years ago, DH and I had corner sliding glass doors put in at our patio, which opens on one side to the living room and the other side to the dining room making one open-air room. When we moved in, we had cat-proof screens installed at the patio openings. This was all for the cats. We have five too. This catio was the priciest upgrade we made to the house by far. 🤣 Fur baby happiness is paramount here! We have five kitties too.

🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱 

 

What are these strong, cat proof screens? Do they come in full slider door size?

We have a 3 season, glassed in porch off our kitchen with a cat door so kitties can go into the porch from the kitchen as they please. There is a slider to the backyard, and the kitten likes to climb all the way to the top. Not only is she damaging the screen but I’m afraid if she jumps up with too much vigour it might not hold.
 

Also, sometimes squirrels will come right up to the other side of the door to tease the kitties inside and emotions can run high. Lol
 

I’d love information on cat appropriate screens so I don’t have to worry too much!

Edited March 9, 2021 by MEmama

[Familia]

Little thing: spring peepers are now at the nearby lake & hearing them in the evening spells S.P.R.I.N.G!

Big thing: I’m moving out of retirement into learning new entrepreneurial skills - I’ve enjoyed my post-homeschooling break so much, but it is good to have goals outside of my beloved home-keeping.  I’m just feeling so super about this!

[Garga]

1 hour ago, MEmama said:

 

What are these strong, cat proof screens? Do they come in full slider door size?

We have a 3 season, glassed in porch off our kitchen with a cat door so kitties can go into the porch from the kitchen as they please. There is a slider to the backyard, and the kitten likes to climb all the way to the top. Not only is she damaging the screen but I’m afraid if she jumps up with too much vigour it might not hold.
 

Also, sometimes squirrels will come right up to the other side of the door to tease the kitties inside and emotions can run high. Lol
 

I’d love information on cat appropriate screens so I don’t have to worry too much!

For us, we’re leaving up the regular screens so that bugs can’t come in, but we’re lining the interior of each window with deer screens. My parents used chicken wire to line the inside of their catio.

This picture isn’t the best, but both windows in the picture have regular screens. But in the window on the right, my dh is in the process of nailing the deer screen to the inside of it. It’s nailed at the top and far right, but the left side is still dangling and not yet nailed in. The cats can’t rip through that inner layer. 

Edited March 9, 2021 by Garga

[Alte Veste Academy]

5 hours ago, MEmama said:

 

What are these strong, cat proof screens? Do they come in full slider door size?

We have a 3 season, glassed in porch off our kitchen with a cat door so kitties can go into the porch from the kitchen as they please. There is a slider to the backyard, and the kitten likes to climb all the way to the top. Not only is she damaging the screen but I’m afraid if she jumps up with too much vigour it might not hold.
 

Also, sometimes squirrels will come right up to the other side of the door to tease the kitties inside and emotions can run high. Lol
 

I’d love information on cat appropriate screens so I don’t have to worry too much!

I can't remember the exact name of what was installed, but samples were brought and I researched it at the time. One that is supposed to be good if Phifer. You should be able to get all different sizes. When I searched, hits came up even at Home Depot, not necessarily the Phifer, but something you could look at maybe. My kitties have climbed, and hung off it even, including our biggest guy, and you can't see any signs of damage whatsoever.

[MEmama]

11 minutes ago, Alte Veste Academy said:

I can't remember the exact name of what was installed, but samples were brought and I researched it at the time. One that is supposed to be good if Phifer. You should be able to get all different sizes. When I searched, hits came up even at Home Depot, not necessarily the Phifer, but something you could look at maybe. My kitties have climbed, and hung off it even, including our biggest guy, and you can't see any signs of damage whatsoever.

Thank you! I’ll check it out.

[HS Mom in NC]

I have a new RO unit that has a faucet that dispenses water at 180F, the hottest you can steep tea in that won't make it taste bitter. That matters because I drink a lot of green tea.

The weather is now warm enough that I can put a worm tower in my newly built hugelkultures (raised planting beds made out of layers of yard refuse and felled trees) and get some red wiggler worms to break it down over the next year.  They will be my minions doing my bidding.

[HS Mom in NC]

5 hours ago, Familia said:

Little thing: spring peepers are now at the nearby lake & hearing them in the evening spells S.P.R.I.N.G!

 

My backyard is bordered by a protected wetland.  We have happy little spring peepers too.

[Kassia]

14 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

My backyard is bordered by a protected wetland.  We have happy little spring peepers too.

Ours is too!  So nice - no neighbors behind us for miles and we have a lot of interesting wildlife. 

[Shoeless]

I don't have anything I am looking forward to, but I have woken up in a good mood for the last two days. So, that's a thing?