What I Gave Up...

I told you that Saturday would be a baking day. It was. It was also mowing day. That was perfectly timed, because even though there was no rain in the forecast, we did get rain showers late Saturday evening.

The bread was in the oven, and Handsome and I each rode our lawn tractors to get the mowing done in half the time it takes one of us alone. I had a timer in my pocket, so I'd know when to go in, take out the baked loaves, and rotate the other loaves into the oven.

As I rode around cutting "my" portion of the yard, I took photos of my late afternoon view. The sky was stunning, and I noticed the leaves are already beginning to turn. 

As I mowed around this old, now-falling-down fence, I found myself contemplating what it looked like when we bought this property.

This was part of the original fence and garden. There was a gorgeous, huge bleeding heart bush. There were irises and other flowers that blossomed spring through summer.

But, I'm no gardener, and although I tried keeping it cleaned up, once the stinging nettles (which give me a bad reaction) showed up, I threw in the towel. Andy came down and pulled the nettles once, but they quickly returned. So my fencerow went wild under my watchful, albeit neglectful eye.

I've observed the fencerow this summer. By letting it go, what happened is actually quite lovely. While there are still a few hardy daffodils and irises, the planted (civilized) flowers have otherwise disappeared.

What has replaced them are black raspberries planted by the birds that used to sit on the fencer. There are thick, wild vines that now obscure most of the old fence. There are sweet ox-eye daisies, Queen Anne's lace, chickory, creeping Charlie, and milkweed plants in their place. 

Where I rarely saw birds nesting, they are now sheltered by the riot of natural plants. They flutter from the bird feeders back to the fencerow, and sing to each other the whole time. When we get weather - be it rain or snow - I frequently see the little birds huddled under the branches for warmth or protection.

Mice, voles, ground squirrels, and other wee mammals share the space. I see them at my feeders, too  

Sunday morning I looked out to see a woodchuck dining on the birdseed I put out for the turkey. It's okay. All critters are welcome to visit, and while I invite them to linger, most aren't impressed with my co-hosts Bella, Carly, Claudette, and Crystal. (I purposely keep the cats indoors until nightfall to protect the birds and other small animals that are out during the days.) 

Have you noticed the change? We have here at the farmhouse.

So you see, I didn't really give up anything. Mother Nature is a much better gardener than I, and she's now provided beauty in another form for us, while also providing shelter and safety for other creatures. It turns out that, once again, nature knows best.

Resting...

 

I worked Tuesday and because I still have a cold, I pretty much sacked out when we got back home. Sorry I missed a post for yesterday. 

I spent part of the day at the computer, but my head really wasn't in it. I did prep a package to mail out one of the brooches that was purchased, but I mostly rested. 

Andy brought more hickory nutshells down from the fall harvest, so hickory syrup will definitely be in my future. That's for another day though.

While im sitting here conserving energy, all the birds that flew south for the winter are making their way back north. I want to be ready for them, so im planning to scrub all the feeders this week. The temps will reach into the sixties, so it's the perfect time to get ready for their return. 

Im also going to buy a couple new birdhouses for the bluebirds, and one or two wren houses. I think the Compass Barn could use one or two on the east wall. I want to have a nice welcome buffet for them when they arrive.

I'll be back at the computer today, too. I want to activate my sale by the weekend. Coffee and computer. See you later!

        

New Hollyhocks Photos...

I told you the hollyhocks would be magnificent this year once they all opened, and they aren't disappointing. I wanted to frame our front steps with the pretty pink ones that stand against the rail, but look at the rest of these pictures!

Didn't Kaleb do a great job in the kitchen garden? I asked him to leave the ground cover in front of the hostas because they get small purple flowers and smell wonderful. They're sort of a wild sage smell. I looked them up once, but have since forgotten exactly what they're called as I write this. 

One of the things I'm really excited about is that the pipe in front of the shutter on the left is going away soon. The power company said they're bury the line without charge. We just need to hire our electrician to hook up to the underground line they'll bring in. They'll even go under our sidewalk!

So the overhead lines are going away, and with it that ugly pipe over the shutter. The cable at the corner (to the left of the pipe) is buried in the ground, and goes all the way up to the roof where it's attached to our lightning rods. Over the 105 or so years they've been on the roof, only one or two have actually broken from strikes, which protected the house. There are still more up top, and they're intact. That assembly will, of course, remain.

This is what the flowers look like as you approach our back (friends and family) entrance. It's hard to see from here, but waaaay down in front, behind that bright pink plant is a new color!

What color would you call this? It's not really magenta. Sort of a true purple. Isn't it lovely? Mum would like some of these plants, so I may dig that one up along with a few others to take to her garden. I'll be warning her that they're bullies!

The birds love this garden, so I'm refilling the seed feeder nearly daily. On Sunday, a new visitor showed up. We had a rose-breasted grosbeak (male) stop for a snack, but I wasn't fast enough to get a photo to share. I'll keep trying. You do see the hummingbird, though, don't you? It's drinking on the right side of that red feeder. They also buzz around the hollyhocks and over to the honeysuckle, too, while all these blooms are inviting them.

And when I turn toward the Compass Barn, there are still clusters of hollyhocks on the other side of the walkway. I just asked Kaleb to remove those that provided hiding places for naughty cats near the birdbath. I don't want any sneak attacks. 

So there's a tour of all the hollyhocks in their finery. They smell wonderful, and they're a real feast for the eyes, too. I hope you're enjoying them almost as much as I am. 

 See you tomorrow!

Another Opening, Another Show...

It's showtime!!! The hollyhocks have begun to open since the latest rain. I wanted you to see the variety of colors, ranging from white to dark magenta and red. Not all the hollyhocks in the front of the group have opened yet, so I'm going to wait until they do to share a photograph of all of them together. They're a bouquet that just keeps on giving. 

If you're really quiet, you'll hear the soft buzzing of the hummingbirds and bees, as well as the raucous arrival of the Baltimore oriols as they shoo away the woodpeckers and other small birds who've decided they, too, love grape jelly. I refill that jar every. single. day. Handsome says it's a wonder they're not all diabetic!

These are the wondrous things right outside our kitchen windows. Now, when I stand at the new sink in the pantry, I can also watch a pair of wrens who have set up housekeeping in a birdhouse. There, I can see them as they land and sing as they greet each other. I have a hummingbird feeder on this side as well, so if it's too busy in the kitchen garden, they just buzz over to the quieter side of the house.

 

 

I hope you enjoy these beautiful hollyhocks as much as I do! Happy Weekend again (already), my friend.  

Kaleb To The Rescue...

This young man showed up yesterday to tackle the "weed issue" here at the farmhouse. I admit, it really got away from me this year, and even though I tried, I was unable to make much headway. However, Kaleb managed to finish what I started in the kitchen garden, and start his way toward the front corner of the yard in front of the house. The progress he made was laudable.

He was here for five hours, and was careful not to take out the plants we wanted to retain. He turned down multiple offers for water (he brought his own) or even a lunch offered by yours truly. He just wanted to keep his head down and concentrate on the task at hand.

His dad, Lance raised a good boy. Kaleb is 14 years old. His dad told me he gets up at 4 am, exercises, reads his Bible, makes sure his homework is complete (during the school year) and is a straight A student. He assured me his son would work hard for us, and that was an understatement. I can see why he's in demand from other homeowners. He told me he'll return - as soon as he finds another gap in his schedule - to finish our job. We're looking forward to it. He's a wonderful young man.

This is a closeup of our kitchen garden, because I was actually focusing on the teacup bird feeder. Some of the hollyhocks closest to the house are already blooming, so you'll see more photos of them again soon. The "bushy" plant on the right is English lavender just starting to open up. It smells soooo good! My hostas can breathe again, which is really nice, too.

As requested by Charlene, here's a photo of my teacup feeder installed on the shepherd's hook I bought for it. Ha! The dangly bits were swinging in the breeze when I took this picture, so it looks like some of them have disappeared.

This is the button I glued on the back of my teacup. It says "Free as a bird". I think it's the perfect finishing touch for my project.

I'll share more photos of this area as soon as the hollyhocks open up over the next few days. For now, I'm off to work for the next six or seven hours, so I've got to fly. I'll see you again tomorrow!

A Couple of Snapshots From The Farmhouse...

Pheasant Back Mushroom

It was much too nice to spend the entire day indoors. Now that the rains have passed, Handsome and I could finally mow the lawn together. (We nearly needed a baler to pick up the clippings!) I took my cell phone with me so I could take a few photographs while I was in the yard.

I'd noticed this beauty last week, so I was glad that it was still in our yard to be able to share it with you. This is an edible pheasant back mushroom. While it's perfectly edible, I'd much rather enjoy it in the yard. 

I've found others on the property since we moved here. The first time was in 2017, and I wrote about it HERE. There were multiples, they were much larger, and about five feet off the ground in the fence row north of the farmhouse. This singleton is about five inches off the ground, and growing on a tree in our yard. Both trees are dying, but still wearing some leaves. I'm glad we didn't have the heart to take this tree down so it could be the guardian of this beautiful mushroom.

Fence Line Irises

While I like to fancy myself a gardener, I guess my green thumb is limited to the raised gardens. As I'm unable to spend great periods of time on my knees, the idea of weeding is a painful prospect. That means all the gorgeous flowers around the farmhouse thrive in spite of me. These irises were planted by Shelly's family when they still lived here, and they're about three and a half to four feet tall. They're reaching for the sun through all the "weeds" and grass that have encroached on their once-meticulous beds.

I'm still looking for a teenager or two for hire who would like to help me weed the gardens, and hope someone can get here soon. I'll supervise to make sure they don't pull the "good stuff" like the men we had here a couple years ago. Too many of the plants I put in disappeared into the refuse pile when they were here. I won't make that mistake again.

The forecast is for more beautiful weather, so I think it may be time to bring the yard furniture up to the porch. It would be lovely to stitch outdoors when the sun is shining. Maybe I'll be able to do that later today.

I hope the sun shines brightly on your face, and the soft breezes kiss the flowers where you are today. See you again tomorrow.

A Riot of Hollyhocks...

Ignore the ham in the foreground. She's such an attention mooch! I took this photo to show you the bullies that are again taking over my kitchen garden.

I actually have lavendar, English daisies, delphiniums, and hostas in this garden, and you might even notice there are walk lights in there, too. Of course, you can't see the light they throw because those hollyhocks are relentless. This is what I have to thin out...soon. There are too many hiding places here for two predatory cats, and I need to protect the birds as best I'm able.

So, this is the area I'll tackle this weekend. I think I'm going to add some sort of retaining fencing in front of the hollyhocks that remain. It will keep them from falling forward, and it will act as a barrier between hidden felines and unsuspecting birds. 

I'll show you what I end up with after the weekend. I hope it will look a lot different, and be much improved for the rest of my plants...among other things. I guess I'll begin by taking some measurements and heading over to the farm store for some fencing and mulch. Coffee first, and then I'm off to get my supplies.

Dancing With Frogs...

Needle dancing, of course. I accomplished quite a bit yesterday. I took care of all the girls first (Bella, Carly, Claudette and Crystal), ran the vacuum and tidied up around the farmhouse, weeded the corner of the retaining wall (removing the volunteer crown vetch that threatened to kill the plants I put in last summer), and then sat down to stitch for a while.

I managed to add the eyes and "brows" to all the frogs, and then started outlining each one with the gold super pearl purl. I still have two to do, which I'm hoping to get done today. 

I'm going to wait until after our next rainfall to tackle the kitchen garden, as I think it might be a bit easier to pull the offending plants when the ground is softer. Plus, I don't really want to spend the day on my knees before I have to go to work. Perhaps I can get to that tomorrow.

I'd like to get all the outlining finished on these guys first, and then do the detail around the eyes and across their backs done today. Then, I'll fill in each one before moving to the next.

It's hard to believe it's already Friday again. The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend, so I'm looking forward to spending that time outdoors. More work on my frogs first. I'll share my progress tomorrow!

In The Garden...

Sunshine and weeding were on the agenda for this week's Hump Day. Handsome helped me dig weeds out of my raised beds, and we added ash from our burn barrel to each one. I'm also going to get some sand, mushroom fertilizer from the local mushroom farm, and a little more soil to add to each bed. 

For now, though, we raked in the ash and I covered the beds with cardboard (to try) to keep the dandelions that are going to seed from settling in the newly-tilled soil. 

This lilac bush has grown quite a bit since we purchased our farmhouse, and it's close to where we worked, so the sweet fragrance from these blooms filled the air. We actually have lilacs all the way around the farmhouse, some likely established when the house was built. Those are now beautiful sentries stationed right at the edge of our hedgerow leading to The Habitat where I first fed the opossums, raccoons and the feral cats. 

This spring, I took all the pineapple scraps from my canning day down to The Habitat, and was pleasantly surprised to watch four deer move across the field right into the spot where I'd left everything. When I checked the next day, everything was gone. I'm sure they figured they'd located the Mother Lode of sweet treats that afternoon!

Anyway, exercising an abundance of caution (I didn't want a sore back to end the day), we managed to clean out three of the four raised beds, leaving one to go. I'm going to clear that one today. I'll also bring out my planting bags, garden tubs and other accessories. Then, I can decide how I want to plant everything this year, and it will be set up to go. 

Right now, I'm trying to decide if I want to add a few rows of straw bales to try straw bale gardening this year. If I do, our neighbor will have some for me. I just need to ask. I think I'd use them for tomatoes, beans, or squash, but I can't make up my mind. I'm torn, because truthfully, the garden beds yielded quite a bit last year without them. Then there's the maintenance part. Do I want to increase my work load? Decisions. Decisions.

No. I'm not one of those people who pore over gardening books and planting diagrams all winter. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda girl. I suppose it could get me in trouble one of these years, but so far it's working, so I'm not going to "fix" it.

I'm also going to have to spend some serious time in the kitchen garden. Those glorious, persistent hollyhocks are already knee-high and trying to take over the entire area. If I want to see any light whatsoever from our walkway fixtures, I'm going to have to thin them out...soon. Otherwise, they'll be even more ensconced and nearly impossible to remove. I thought I had them under control last fall, but I was obviously woefully mistaken. I'll take before and after photos to show you what I mean.

So, I'll be back outside again this morning and work until it gets too hot...unless it decides to rain...at which point, I'll be back at my needlework, joyfully working on frogs. If the weather holds, I'll stay in the gardens until noon. Then, I'll come in, shower, and stitch away the rest of the day.

Handsome is going to the funeral of a good friend and former associate of ours. Bob Fehring passed away late last week. He worked on photo missions with Handsome when they both worked for Mercury Marine, and he had his own advertising agency. 

He's the artist who created my original Brynwood logo which was used in all my advertising and on my needlework charts from the very beginning of Brynwood Needleworks in 1989. While I've slightly changed colors over the years, the design has remained the same.

We remember afternoon-into-evening photo shoots with Handsome, Bob and me, as we set up the cover designs featuring my samplers. He was such an easy man to work with. We were nearly always on the same page, and only a few times did we need to tweak from my vision to his execution. 

Although we haven't seen him in years, he's come to mind frequently because I work with his art regularly. We're both saddened by his passing, so Handsome will represent us at his celebration of life. There will be other folks in attendance he had in common with Handsome, so I'm sure there will be a nice reunion in his honor. He was a great guy and will be missed. The world was a better place with him in it. RIP, old friend.

A View From The Farmhouse...

I have so many things on my To Do list right now, that sometimes I just need to sit on the porch and soak in one of our views. This was taken as the sun was disappearing to the west (over my right shoulder as I look at this). The clouds were just begging to be photographed.

So, I want to work on my frogs, I need to update my Etsy listings, the gardens need to be weeded, tilled and prepared for seeds and plants, and I'm still purging "clutter". 

I think I'm going to set aside about a half hour each day to pull things to be tossed, given away or donated, and put those things into boxes or bags as I work toward that goal. You know. You can eat an elephant if you focus on one bite at a time (something I heard years ago about goal-setting). So, little bites of that project might be better and more efficient than setting aside a week to do the same thing.

I'd love to hire some teenagers to come and weed my garden, but I'd still need to supervise so the good things wouldn't be pulled, so either way, it will require my time. I think I may focus on that for a few hours today to see what I'm able to accomplish myself. Then, when my knees and back cry "uncle", I'll come in, clean up, and then work on my frogs.

Oh, and I have a hair appointment at 3 this afternoon. See how my attention gets diverted? Look! a squirrel! lol I think I'm going back to writing physical lists. I seem to accomplish more, especially if I start blocking out task times. 

How do you manage your time? Do you write lists? How about an alarm clock or timer? I'd love to read your ideas. I'm open to anything (within reason). Share away!

 PS. The lilac jelly set up (most of the jars, anyway). I'm happy - for now - with the results.

Preparing For Winter...

 

Rain and colder temperatures were in the forecast for the rest of this week, so Handsome and I completed our outside tasks to prepare for winter. We gave the lawn its final (short) cut for the season, and put out our driveway markers before the ground freezes making that impossible. All the tools and buckets are put away in the compass barn until next spring, and now we're ready.

 

It all took a few hours, so we were both gassed by the time we were all done. Of course, we were feeling accomplished, but tired. So last night I made "breakfast for dinner" - homemade waffles covered in Dutch honey with a side of bacon. We talked about the events of the day and then settled in to watch a Potter movie. I was falling asleep about halfway through, so Handsome took the dogs out for the final "squirt" of the night and we turned off all the lights. We were in bed by ten o'clock. That's early for two night owls!

 

As you can see from my photograph, it's cloudy today, and it is colder. I'm going out now to run the dogs and take care of the barn girls before the rains come. I'm hoping that by then, I'll have a nice cuppa sitting next to my needlework stand and I'll be stitching on frogs again. I'll share my progress tomorrow. I hope you have a great day, dearies. 

 

By the way, in case you've never heard of Dutch honey, it's not really honey, but it is delicious on waffles, pancakes and even ice cream! Here's the recipe if you'd like to make your own...

 

Dutch Honey

 

1 cup of corn syrup

1 cup white sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract 

Put the first three ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, 

stirring constantly. Continue boiling for five minutes until it thickens, and then remove from 

heat. Add vanilla and stir completely. Now this lovely golden nectar is ready to pour warm 

over pancakes or waffles, and I store any leftovers in the refrigerator. I like to reheat it 

before I reuse it so there are no crystals. It'll keep a couple weeks in the fridge. Enjoy!

 

Putting Our Garden To Bed...

 

Man, we worked yesterday. We were outside for about three hours, pulling plants and cleaning up three of the four garden beds. Handsome did all the heavy shovel work and pulling, while I pulled the simple stuff and drove our yard tractor.

These are the last of the veggies we harvested as the beds were cleared. All of them are minis. We were giggling about the size of the last of the carrots and green peppers.

 

I planted the squash later than I thought I should, but someone on IG said July wasn't too late. Those are little delicata and long neck squash, which should be much larger at harvest. Lesson learned. I'll be planting our squash much earlier next year. I also guess I'll be buying delicata squash from the farm stand this weekend, too. (I've already planned to purchase local potatoes when I go to Portage for Craft Day on Saturday.)

I also learned that you never have a surgical procedure with after-care restrictions in the middle of growing season. The weeds took over, but thankfully our plants were established enough to not be affected by them. However, those weeds are the reason it took so long to clean out the beds. their roots were deep, and of course, we needed to removed roots and all so they don't return in the spring.

All in all, our first year as real gardeners since we were first married has been a learning experience. Handsome and I are thinking that we may not expand our plot next year much more, as this year provided plenty of work for two folks our age (including preserving our harvest). My mind is certainly willing, but our bodies are saying, "Take it easy. You aren't spring chickens any more." I'll draw up some plans over the winter, and we'll see where we are once the weather starts to warm up again.

 

We still have one bed to clear, which we'll do today. Then I'll add the amendments for the beds (compost, etc.) so that I can plant garlic very soon. It will rest all winter in the bed, covered with a straw mulch, and then sprout after first frost in the spring. At least that's what I've learned from other gardeners. Time will tell. I think I'll take my Tramadol before we go out to work today. Better to be ahead of the aches, rather than playing catch up when we come back in.

Oh, and don't worry. I'm doing my best to follow doctor's orders, and I have my guardian, Handsome to remind me if I get a bit carried away. Thankfully, it's only one more raised bed. We're heading outside to finish our work to get this task accomplished. Once I'm back inside, I've promised myself a hot shower and a nice, relaxing cuppa...and taking it easy the rest of the day.

Gardening and A New Endeavor...

 

 

It was a beautiful day yesterday, and I spent a little time in the garden. I'm learning a lot this year. First of all, I learned that I planted my tomatoes much to close together this time. I won't make that mistake again. I also learned that my plants got much larger than I anticipated (larger than they every got in the past), and I can't add cages or more trellises after they're this big. I'll do better with that next season, too.

 

Straw Bale Gardening 

In my quest to improve my garden next year, I purchased a book I've been reading about a lot on social media from other gardeners. Straw bale gardening is a method for creating a raised garden without having to invest a tremendous amount of money. It's efficient, and the straw eventually breaks down to use as mulch to put back into the garden. 

Straw bale gardens are perfect for urban dwellers, too. They can be set up on hard surfaces, or on top of the soil in a yard. The book has a wealth of information, and under $15 for the paperback, it was very affordable. The title of the book (under the photo above) is a link in case you'd like to purchase your own copy.

 

Disclosure: I've recently become an Amazon Associate, so as such, I will earn a small commission on any purchases made through my links. I don't want to have distracting advertising banners on my blog, so I'll post such direct links from time to time to promote products I have purchased myself and personally endorse. Your support is greatly appreciated. 

Handsome and I will be purchasing the straw bales from a local farmer and will set them up yet this fall so they're ready to go in the spring. This year has been so successful that we're going to move our garden over to the north side of our property and expand its size. We'll have a really impressive garden next year!

 

I'll be canning pizza sauce today using this beautiful large bowl full of Roma tomatoes. I'll add today's ripe harvest to these for about ten pounds in weight. If I collect more Early Girls this morning, I'll make salsa, too.  

Canning and Crafting. How's a girl to choose? That's easy. The veggies tell me what gets priority these days. Guess canning will come first today. Hopefully, I can get my work done early and still have time for the "crafting" part. I'm heading outside now. The garden is calling. 

Bringing In The Sheaves...

Well, maybe not exactly sheaves. Maybe only a few stems left around the field edge from the actual harvest. The farmer who owns the field north of the farmhouse also farms a couple acres that belong to us. I share photos of the entire field all the time. Only a wide, two acre strip parallel to and adjoining our yard belongs to us. Nonetheless, the entire field was planted in wheat this year, and after turning a beautiful golden color, became the epitome of amber waves of grain under a gentle breeze.

Over the past couple of weeks, the wheat was cut and separated leaving the hay behind that was recently baled. We were sad to see it go because it really was beautiful. On my morning walkabout with Tag, Handsome and The Girls  yesterday, I noticed some of the wheat along the edges hadn't been harvested. I pulled the stems in front of me and brought them inside.

 

I've always fantasized that I may have been a pioneer woman if there's such a thing as a past life. Along those lines, I wondered what it must have been like to plant and grow your own wheat. Once ripe and ready to harvest, there would have been hours of cutting, threshing (likely by hand), and then grinding into flour to use for baking. I contemplated these things as I gently rolled the seed heads between my fingers and thumb to extract the wheat seed...separating the wheat from the chaff. It was a satisfying endeavor, but not nearly enough to even make a dinner roll, let alone an entire loaf of bread.

This evening launches my 50th class reunion weekend with a mixer just down the road from our venue tomorrow night. This morning, Handsome and I will run errands to pick up the printed material I ordered for tomorrow, as well as a few other things we need (to save us another trip to town later), and then we'll come back home. 

 

I'm hoping I have some time to take another walk along more of the edge of our field to collect any other wheat stragglers, and see if I might be able to collect enough to grind and use. Whatever I collect will have to sit until Sunday before I can process it. We have to be dressed and ready to go back to town for the mixer by 6 pm, and I surely don't want to be late. 

 

I can't wait to share photographs from the reunion, as well as the product of my efforts related to the wheat. I figure, if nothing else, I may plant my own little wheat patch next spring! You won't want to miss upcoming posts, for sure!

 

First Harvest...

I must say first that first harvest isn't taking into account the lettuce, onions and radishes we've already enjoyed. They're cool weather, fast-growing crops which we'll replant at the end of the season to enjoy late into the fall.

This is the first harvest of tomatoes and peppers from our garden, and they're absolutely beautiful. Roma tomatoes will become pizza sauce. The peppers will be added to the Early Girl tomatoes when they're ready for spaghetti sauce. It looks like those will wait until after the class reunion next week, and then I'll be in full canning mode.

These were so beautiful, I just had to share. I think I see caprese salad in our near future. After all, I need to make sure they're as tasty as beautiful, right?