Flowers From a Friend

I met with one of my best friends over the weekend to hang out and catch up. We like to do coffee dates every so often to talk about what's going on in our lives and what we have planned for the future. Lots of exciting things happening for my friend and for me, so it's always fun to catch up.

Even with exciting things happening, life is composed of the good and the bad. My sweet friend wanted to help cheer me up since the passing of Roosty last week, so she came bearing a huge bouquet of mums in the cheeriest yellow color I have ever seen.

I've always loved cutting and arranging flowers and find it to be very therapeutic, but something about arranging these lovely flowers was extra special.

You know there's gotta be a cat in the mix somewhere.

I thought this was just the kindest and sweetest gesture and it meant so much to me. She is always inspiring me to be a better friend and an even better person. And the yellow color did definitely cheer me up. The cats seemed to like it as well - the flowers were on the table for a whole 15 minutes before they had to be moved to a safer location!

Now they are placed in different rooms throughout the house so I can get a burst of sunshine wherever I go and think of my dear friend and her thoughtfulness. The world is made so much better with good friends!

~Tammy

Feathered Friend Friday: Goodbye Roosty Roo

You may have noticed there was no FFF last week, and I do apologize for not posting. So much was going on around that time and Roosty was very sick, so I didn't feel right publishing a post on that day.

Around Wednesday of last week, I noticed Roosty wasn't acting like his normal self. He was staying away from everyone and just standing with his head hanging down. On Thursday he was so bad that I decided to bring him into the house to try to figure out what was wrong. By Friday morning, he was lying down and not moving at all. I noticed his breathing was very shallow and I had a feeling that he wasn't going to make it through the day. I stayed with him as long as I could, but I had to go to work. So I said my goodbyes and left him. He was gone by the time I got home that night.

Roosty was supposed to be a girl. We got him at our local feed store in a bin labeled "pullets." But since chick sexing isn't 100% accurate, occasionally a boy gets thrown in the mix as well. At first we were disappointed, but he turned out to be such a sweet boy and fit into the flock well since he was submissive to our head rooster, Cam.

I told David the other day that I am really thankful that we got Roosty, because if someone else got him expecting a girl, when he turned out to be a boy they may have gotten rid of him. I feel like it was meant to be for us to bring him home. 

The one thing that homesteading has taught me which I didn't really expect, is to appreciate the moment because you never know when things will change. With keeping animals, you have to expect that you will lose them at some point. It's one thing to say you realize that, but it's another to actually live it and experience it firsthand. Through all our losses, I am reminded that time with those we love, whether human or animal, is a gift and we need to appreciate it every day.

Homesteading isn't all sunshine and roses, even though sometimes to an outsider it may appear that way. I choose to focus on the positive because that's just my personality, but I feel that it is important to also write about the disappointments because those are just as much a part of the journey as the good times.

~Tammy

Clearing The Camera

This winter just won't let go! It is into March and we are still getting winter weather and David is still getting more snow days at school. It's past the point of ridiculous. We got another blast of ice and snow over the weekend, so we've been spending our days hibernating inside.

Which means lots of human-kitty cuddle time...

Kitty-kitty-kitty cuddle time...

Hot coffee and freshly baked cookies...

And judgy looks from Gizmo when I haven't changed out of my PJ's all day long.

Even the guineas are hibernating. They fly up into the trees to roost at night, and if we've had snow and ice before dawn, they refuse to fly down.

But really, who can blame them? I'd stay in bed all day as well if I could!

Here's hoping spring really is just around the corner.

~Tammy

Shared with Maple Hill Hop 

Seed Starting Giveaway

Last year I teamed up with Plantation Products to bring my readers a giveaway, and I'm thrilled to say that we are once again partnering up this year! Today I am happy to host a wonderful seed starting giveaway featuring items from their NK Lawn & Garden line of products. One lucky reader will win a 7 pot seed starter kit and ten packets of seeds!

I was provided with a seed starter kit and seed packets for review purposes, so over the weekend I got to planting some asparagus and pepper seeds. What I really like about the seed starter pots is how much room there is for each plant to grow. The individual pots encourage root growth and since they are made of all natural fiber, the pots can be planted right into the ground once the seedlings are ready to go outside.

The best thing about the seeds, in my opinion, is how they are foil packed and hermetically sealed for freshness. This keeps the seeds viable and allows for higher germination rates because the seeds are less impacted by changes in temperature and humidity during storage.

I also appreciated how much information is provided on each seed packet. I could easily see how many plants I can expect to grow from one packet, and get detailed instructions on how and when to plant in my area. I found this so helpful since I am still fairly new to gardening and at times unsure of what conditions each individual plant needs to grow and thrive.

Gardening items from Plantation Products can be found at major retailers like Walmart and Lowe's in the lawn & garden section. Next time you're shopping, I would highly recommend stopping by the garden section to browse the available products from Plantation Products. Let me know if you pick up some of their items!

I think it is also important to note that Plantation Products does not sell any GMO seeds. You can read their GMO policy here for more information.

To enter the giveaway for one 7 pot seed starter kit and ten packets of hermetically sealed seeds as shown above, use the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway open to US residents only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~Tammy