My Clothesline

I'm doing laundry today. In between homeschooling, crafting, cooking, and all the other things that need doing in a day, I'm washing clothes. As long as I get to use my clothesline, laundry is one of my favorite chores. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for my dryer. It makes all the difference on cool, humid days here in the south when nothing will dry and it keeps that "aluminum siding" feeling away from our jeans.

But there's just nothing like hanging clothes outside to spend the day, dancing in the breeze and basking in the sun. The house smells so good when our things have been line-dried. No dryer sheet can duplicate that.

Excuse me, the washer just beeped. I have to go outside.

New (Sort of) Chandelier

A few months ago, we (I say "we", but really mean "son-in-law") hung a chandelier in our dining room. It is beautiful--an old, dripping-with-crystals chandelier. It was on the floor of a rental house we bought about a year and a half ago. It's perfect. But what to do with the one we took down?

I hadn't really liked the one in the dining room, it just came with the house. It had seemed a little puny. Turns out, a chandelier that looks puny over the dining table looks great in the bathroom. What do you think?

I think it needs shades.

I Can't Believe I Forgot My Camera!

The Bede Sisters went to the Lake Lure Arts and Crafts Festival this weekend and I forgot my camera! Lori and I, along with our "sherpas" (our husbands) went to North Carolina to participate in the arts and crafts festival across from the beach at Lake Lure. We camped in nearby Rutherfordton, NC.

We arrived Friday night to rainy weather. I lay awake much of the night, listening to the rain pouring on the roof of the camper, glad we hadn't set up already. When we arrived Saturday morning, the rain had mostly stopped, but the temperature had dropped. It was damp and cold all day, but a surprising number of shoppers came out for a visit.

On Sunday morning, we returned to find our canopy right where we left it but inside our tables were a mess. Hmmmm, we wondered, had an animal gotten in? About then, a fellow crafter came over to explain. Our tent had ended up in the fountain and some wonderful folks, (who were experienced enough to have sturdy anchors on their canopies) had already put ours back in place. Turns out, ours was one of at least eight booths which had flipped during the night. Our product was safe, thanks to Lori. Before leaving on Friday, she had said, "Let's pack up our product in case anything happens during the night." Whew!

Sunday was sunny, cold and windy. Our guys anchored our tent to a light pole, a bowling ball and a cooler. We were good for the day and arrived home safely to the first freeze of the year. Glad to be home, snuggled in our own beds.

So, how was your weekend?

Our Orchard

We're finally planting an orchard! I've wanted to do this for years, maybe 10 years. Turns out, 2009 is the time. We cleared about 2 acres and planted grass, to stabilize the soil and we've planted 14 trees--apple, pear, peach, pecan, plum and fig. The photo above shows the trees waiting to be planted.

Here is our cleared field, with stakes to mark where the trees will go. The blue thing is the tank for the well.

This last photo is my dear husband, planting trees. He dug all the holes, while the children and I followed, putting the trees in the holes and watering them. Today's "all day rain" is coming at just the right time.

Any projects going on at your place?