A Few Scattered Updates, Plus Pictures & a Poem :)

So I do have a few scattered updates for this past week. We bought some straw from a farm down the road to cover the garden with this winter. One step closer to having a warm and cozy home for the chickens before Christmas! Also, Andrew designed a device for the top of the chicken coop, to keep the chickens from flying to the top and then escaping over the fence. He was going to work on it yesterday but it didn't work out. He may be able to make it on Thursday or next Monday—hoping to post pictures when it's all done. :)

Other updates...hmm. I am now reading Dorothy Sayers's Lord Peter Views the Body, which is an excellent collection of short mystery stories. If you haven't read anything by Dorothy Sayers, or if you haven't read any of her mysteries, Lord Peter Views the Body would be a great introduction to her Peter Wimsey series. Once you get started, I promise you, you won't want to stop reading!

In other news, Dad sent me some of the pictures from my Mom's phone, so I can share a few more “Dean-moments” with you. :) Here they are:

Dean with Ella

Dean with Papa

Dean with Gramma Richey at the botanical gardens

CHUBBY THIGHS!!

Some pictures from earlier this summer. Dean is helping Daddy wash the car (or, more accurately, the pavement...)

Dean helping Daddy bring up the laundry!

Sleepyhead :)

Dean in his new cap, which his Daddy is very proud of :)

Dean with his doggie, which Papa and Gramma bought for him in Illinois. It's definitely his favorite toy now :)

Caught him reading!

Dean helping Daddy put the dishes away - he loves to do everything we do :)

And finally, I wrote a poem this week about a little boy, his quilt, and an egg. (*ahem*) Not exactly great literature, but it's cute, and I had fun writing it. (I have to thank Miss March for the inspiration – she made a humorous comment on my last post that gave me the idea.)

I intended to post it here, but...now I'm wondering. I've always wanted to write books for children and have them published, ever since I was a child myself. So, on a whim, I might send it off and see what somebody else makes of it. Probably nothing; publishing is notoriously difficult, and just because I like my poem, that doesn't make it publishable! So I'm not expecting anything to come of it. But I think I'll try, anyway, and update you all on my progress (e.g. let you know when I get the rejection slip). I'll hold off posting the poem until after that's taken care of, since most publishers probably won't look at a manuscript that's already been “published,” even if only on a blog.

But, I'll post the first few lines:

Holding tight his quilted blankie, 
 
Baby blows in Daddy's hankie--

watches Mommy gather eggs 

and follows her on chubby legs.

If you want to read the whole thing, send me an email (cmherr88@gmail.com). :)

That's all for now, I reckon. See you soon.