What a year!!

2017 has almost come to an end! I knew it was coming, and it still kinda snuck up on me.  It has been such a busy year, but also so very relaxing and peaceful.  

I thought today, I would finish the year with a photo recap of 2017.  I hope you have enjoyed following along so far, and I hope to hear from you in 2018!

Prepping the Land for our Cabin

Building Pallet Shed/Hubby's Future Workshop

Spring Found Us Farmsitting for Neighbors

Vacationing with Good Friends in Smoky Mountains

Check Out the Orange Lines for Planning Cabin Layout  

Delivery of Stone for House Site

...And Here Comes the House!

Hubby Capturing a Swarm of Bees

Electrical Work - Endless Fun! 

Walls Going Up for Bedroom & Bathroom

Visiting Friend = Trip to Local State Parks

Clearing Out Brush & Small Trees

Apple Tree in Fall Splendor, Framed by the Front Porch

Downsizing, Downsizing, Downsizing! 

(This book helped so much!)

Addition of Tractor & Bulldozer (not pictured)
Should Help Outside Work Tremendously!!

Started Genealogy Blog, Met New Cousins, Revamping Genealogy Dept.
at Work, & Family Reunion

Anxious to see what 2018 will bring!! Come along for the ride!

Arctic Weather...Warm Hearts!

Frozen Waterfall at Oliver Winery

I hope everyone has had a Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah, holiday this year!  Many of you wanted a white Christmas, and got that. I did like having the light brushing of snow that we received.

However, as beautiful as the photo above is, I am not a huge fan of the freezing temperatures that were needed to make it so beautiful.

Cold, I can handle.  But when the weather guys start using words like "arctic" and "freezing", then, immediately I am over winter and ready for spring!! ❄❄❄

I think this year, I am going to try to keep warmer by having a much warmer heart.  It probably won't thaw the ground around me, but it might just make the world around me a little warmer!

I think that I am a nice person, and try to do kind things for friends and strangers alike.  But, I do let the cynical, complaining, and rude world around me get to me a lot more than I should.  

So, starting today, I am going to try to be even nicer to everyone I meet.  To open that door for the next person, to have a few more kind words ready for the people I meet. For those rude, cynical, complaining people...maybe a prayer or two to go with those kind words.  

Let's flood this world with kindness in 2018.  💞

And, yes, I even want you to be kind to yourself.  Be kind to others, but also don't let them be unkind to you.  

In fact, it starts with you being kind to yourself first! Talk to yourself the way you would want a friend to talk to you when you need encouragement. 

Be good, Be nice, and take care of yourself and the world around you.  

Who knows...it might just be one of those trends that catch on!!! 

(and make those arctic temperatures feel just a little warmer...maybe!!)  LOL

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Happy Blogversary to Fledgling Endeavors!

Wow, it has been five years already!! I cannot believe it! But according to Facebook, it is.  I couldn't sleep this morning, so I thought that I would cruise around on FB for a while. 

Found this little gem in my On This Day section...

My "On This Day" find this morning on FB

Five years ago, I had many dreams, and interests that I wanted to follow.  One of them was to become a writer.  But, I was scared to death to put my writing "out there" where other people might possibly read it.

Gasp!! I could never do that! It would be horrifying!

But...slowly, but surely, I started taking baby steps. 

Three of my fellow writing friends and I started a writing group at the library where I worked at the time. I started writing with them, and it wasn't as scary as I thought. No one laughed at me. No one made fun of me. In fact, everyone was very supportive.  They actually liked what I wrote! 

So, I started taking more baby steps. I wrote a small article in November of 2011 for a local newsletter. 

Between encouragement from my writer's group, and my own research into the free blogging sites, like Blogger here, I eventually took the jump.

I followed my first public fledgling endeavor, by starting Fledgling Endeavors! I put my writing out there in the most public of places - the World Wide Web!

And that was just the beginning of following my dreams, and passions.

In the past five years, my husband and I have moved to our dream property, where we are working to make life as sustainable as possible.

We have tried our hand at raising rabbits, and keeping bees. When we are all settled here, we will continue following those passions.

I work at a job I love...where as part of my job I get to follow another passion:  Genealogy.  

My genealogy page on this blog grew to the point that it received its own blog:  This Hoosier's Heritage.  

Five years ago, I stopped just researching everything to death, and started taking those baby steps.  

And where exactly has that taken me?

• To a beautiful and peaceful place I love to explore
• To a job I love that includes all of my passions: books, helping people, genealogy, learning new things
• More quality time to spend with the hubby
• Less stress

On to new endeavors!! 

With no city lights around, I have been looking up at the night sky more and more. I was just starting to learn some of the constellations, when it started to get colder everyday.  I will continue looking up, just not for very long right now.

This spring, you might find a post or two about this new passion...when it gets warm enough for the stars to start beckoning again!

👉Where has the last five years led you?  What passions has it made you follow?

Tell us all about it!

Pampering Me Pledge

As I was on Facebook today, one of those "On this Day" Memories popped up and caught my  attention.  Around 4 years ago, I had a blog post about stopping to take care of yourself over the holidays.

When I posted it on Facebook, several people replied that they have a hard time taking care of themselves, too.

At that time, ten people took a pledge with me that they would stop and take care of themselves over the holidays. We checked in with each other on Facebook, and made sure that we did.

Back to 2017...

I am going to take the Pampering Me Pledge again this year, and hope that many of you join in with me.  At this time of the year, we spend so much time, and energy, taking care of others and making sure the holidays are "perfect".

We forget about ourselves, and can't figure out why we are tired, or depressed.

So, take the Pampering Me Pledge through the holiday season with me!

*Through the comments on this post, or on my Facebook "Pampering Me Pledge" post, say " I TAKE THE PAMPERING ME PLEDGE"

*Each day or so, let us know what you did to take care of yourself that day.

*If you don't tell us, then I will make a point of checking on you to make sure everything is okay.

Take the Pampering Me Pledge and take care of yourself!!  💜💙💜

I Just Love My Backyard!

People have asked us why we have moved here, out in the boonies.

😕 But you are out in the middle of nowhere!

😕 You don't even get good cell service!

😕 Don't you miss living in town?

😕 And, etc., etc. etc.!!

And the answer to all of those comments is...BUT, I get all of this instead!!

I get...

😀 Comments like, "It is so peaceful here!!

😀 Deer outside my windows!

😀 And, this for my backyard...

😀 And this, for my view from my porch...

Isn't autumn in Indiana gorgeous!!

Cheers...to the Good Drivers!

What a Weekend!

Life can be a whirlwind, but that can be a good thing, right?!! 🌪🌪

The weekend for me starts when I get off of work at 7 PM on Thursday evening.  The hubby, who works midnight shift right now, has that evening off as well.  He usually stays awake in the evening on that night, and we sometimes go out to supper or something.

Since he had left a voicemail earlier telling me to pick a restaurant, I was quite surprised to get home to a dark house.  It turns out that he had fallen asleep at 6PM, and ended up sleeping 12 hours! 💤🛌💤

Poor guy...he had to have been exhausted!! 😴

From that auspicious start, I ended up having a fantastic time the whole weekend.

He had been wanting to take me to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Indiana.

And that is exactly where we went!  Lions, tigers, bobcats,...you name it. They had it.  These are all animals that have been rescued from all over the country.  Many of them have had some very sad beginnings in life, but the center has improved their lives dramatically.

Next on to work, where we got to paint rocks and then hide them for inspiration to others.  (#PublicLibrariesRock)

Left work to drive straight to the other side of the state for a 3-hour visit with a friend.  Sorry, no picture!  We were too busy eating and catching up, that we forgot all about getting a picture!  LOL 🍲

Caught a few 💤💤💤 before the family reunion the next day.  Had a great time visiting with everyone, and meeting new relatives.

And then another 2 1/2 drive home, to finally rest.   By the way, did I say yet that both of those drives were partially in the pouring down rain!  🌧 White knuckles, that was for sure!!

All in all, this was a fantastic weekend!

Loving life, and enjoying each moment I can!  💖💖💖

How was your weekend?

Old Dogs ~ New Tricks

You know the old saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”?  🐶 Well, that saying is absolutely the stupidest thing that I have ever heard!!  👂

Some of the most interesting people that I have ever met, are the ones that find something new to learn everyday! It might be just a new fact, or a whole new skill...but, the important thing is, they are always learning. 📖📖📖

A past coworker of mine has been an inspiration to me over the years, even though I haven’t worked with her for several years now.  My first week on that job, and I was assigned to help her with a project.  To begin with, I couldn’t even keep up with her!

I loved working with her over the years, and becoming good friends. She loved learning new things!  If you learned something new, she always wanted to hear about it....and if you could teach her, all the better!  

When I grow up, I wanna be like her!!    

I hope that I am on the right path. I try to learn something new everyday!  I know that this past year has been quite educational!!

So far, in the year 2017, I have been learning how to:

• start a Facebook group

• keep 2 blogs going with no internet connection
• write the posts in Google Docoments
• copy/paste when have Wifi
• add pictures, etc.

• help with electrical wiring

• build a shed

• put up walls in a house

And, in the last month, I have started looking up even more. ☝

No, I am not referring to being more positive!  Although, I am trying to do that, too! ~ Lol

I have actually turned my eyes to the night sky, and started to learn about the constellations. 🌠🌃🌠🌟🌠🌛

More about that in another post.

Tell me what you are learning ~ I want to hear all about your fledgling endeavors!!  🐥🐤🐥

Big projects, baby steps, or just new facts ~ tell me, show me, teach me! 

Fall Feline Frenzy

Yes, you read that right...FALL! 🍁🍁🍁🍁

Hard to believe, isn't it! Here in Indiana, it is the 2nd day of fall, and also the 4th or 5th day in the 90's. 😰

I don't know if the leaves are falling quite a bit because of our lack of rain lately, or if it's because it is autumn...

But they have definitely been falling!

And, our two cats were having a ball!  They usually chase the falling ones, so I thought they might enjoy a pile of them.

So, first, they wouldn't leave the rake alone as I was raking the leaves.  But, sorry, no pics!! My hands were too busy do the raking!

Then, I just set the calico in the pile, to see what she would do...

She loved it!  Just hiding, and grabbing leaves.  And then when our other cat joined in, they just had a ball, playing with each other, the leaves, and whatever else came within their sight!

So, just in case, you were having a bad day, and needed some cuteness...

Here you are...🐈

Bet you can't find me!

"Here I am," says Callie

Jet decides to join the fun!

Callie wants to play tag!

Soaking up the sun!

Write a New Chapter!

Great Way to Start the Day!

Sitting in my camper tucked warmly under blankets, I see movement outside my window.  As I look up, a doe and yearling come into view on my left. A few seconds later, two more yearlings trail behind them. They leisurely stroll to the north end of the property where the land hasn’t been cleared as much. With a creek, and lots of foliage, this must seem like a paradise to them.

A photo of my visitors, taken thru the window screen!

With shots ringing out from our neighbor’s shooting range, the deer are getting quite used to the sound of gunshots. How this affects them during hunting season remains to be seen.

It is my guess that they stopped for a nice refreshing drink from the creek.  We have a spot on the creek where it “bubbles out” into a more pond-like area. On past walks, my hubby has pointed out where the deer have bedded down in foliage near the pond. So, we are quite sure that they are aware of our pond!

I am watching as the four deer have come back from the pond, and now are nibbling on the saplings near the woods. Nom, Nom, Nom! It must be quite delicious! Maybe I should try it sometime! LOL

I guess in a way, I am sitting in a sort of deer blind! They are slowly coming closer to the camper, apparently unaware of my presence.  Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as a few leaves fall from a nearby tree. We have not had near enough rain recently, so the leaves are falling too soon. We should still have a pretty autumn, but most likely not the bright beautiful foliage that is so well loved.

Momma doe looks up as our neighbor passes by on a motorcycle.  Honestly, I do believe that is the only traffic that I have heard all morning.  The deer are not even alarmed. The neighbor gets merely a passing glance in his direction before they return their attention to their eating.

Near-perfect temperatures on a weekend, watching nature at its finest...what a beautiful way to start the day!  

And the kicker is that I haven’t even gotten out of bed yet!!

Still tucked in my blankies!

I wonder what the rest of the day has in store!

Too much stuff? Never fear, help is here!!

Too much stuff?

Thinking of moving into a smaller home? Even a tiny home, maybe?

The first step to take is just moving forward...even just a baby step will work.  

Reading this book is an excellent place to start! I wish that I had read it a long time ago!

What book, you maybe asking... 

It is called Downsizing The Family Home: What to Save, What to Let Go and it is written by Marni Jameson.

A must for anyone that needs to downsize!

Marni is a columnist that helps her readers with many of these same types of problems. However, when she found herself responsible for emptying her parents' house, she felt like she was in way over her head.

The book is written as she goes through the process of downsizing herself.  She faces all of the same fears that we go through when we see those boxes setting in the garage, attic or wherever.

Besides playing therapist to just help readers get started, she also takes the questions to the experts.

Questions, such as:

• How much should I ask for this?
• Estate sale, garage sale, or just Ebay?
• Should I get this appraised?

So, if  you are planning on downsizing soon or know someone who is, go to your local library and check this book out! 

Let me know what you think. I would love to hear your comments!!

Clearing the Land

For all of the posts about our small home, it would seem that this is all we are working on here.  But there is so much more...

I really mean that...THERE IS SO MUCH MORE!!  😵

We haven't been neglecting the rest of the property.  There are several acres here, but we had only been concentrating on the one or so for our house and yard.

My husband had been trying to clear paths and some areas, but there is only so much one person can do with a mower and chainsaw.
  We have a lot of brush, and some good decent trees. Our goal has always been to clear the small scragly trees and brush out, leaving the good decent trees behind to enjoy.

This will open up the property, and help us to make good use of the acreage. It will also allow the good solid trees to be able to grow better, because it will not be competing with all of the brush for the sunshine and nutrients.

We have found a good logger that has been a godsend in helping us meet this goal.  He has been able to clear out quite a bit so far.Bringing the big machine in has made the job go a lot faster. This skidder makes the job look easy!

Although I didn't get any shots of our logger in action, here are a few pictures of the skidder to show you how big this baby is!  I have also included some before and after shots of how the "wilderness" looks.

I am about 5'5", and this towers over me!

The wheels alone are almost as tall as the hubby!

The hubby with cleared land over his shoulder

You can tell that big ol'machine has been through here!

An un-skiddered area

My Honey Takes a Honey Barn Tour

When a fledgling starts a new endeavor, one of the best things they can do is learn from the experts.

As my hubby has started his beekeeping endeavor, he has taken this to heart. He has started attending local beekeeping meetings at the local library.  

This week, he has had the chance to take the Worker Special Tour at Hunter's Honey Farm outside of Martinsville, IN.

According to their website, "the Worker Special Tour combines the Honey Barn Tour, Roll Your Own Beeswax Candle and Bottle Your Own Honey Bear."

So, in addition to rolling his own beeswax candle, and bottling his own honey, he also received a guided tour of the honey barn, a presentation of honey bees and beehive products, honey tasting, a demonstration of honey extracting, demonstration of candle dipping, and a demonstration of honey bottling.

From the looks of it, I would say he learned quite a bit and had a blast while he was at it!

Sting protection, or a fashion statement?

Tour guide pointing out the queen bee

Can you find her? Hint: No stripes

Fully loaded hive frame

A friend of ours from Iowa was visiting, and she was the photographer on this trip since I could not make it. Alas, there are no pictures of her.

But she did leave behind a memento of their trip to grace our cabin...