You need to be sitting down for this one….

Before:  Decorative Chest, all painted the same.  My fellow finisher pal  Kathleen Cicchini, owner of Faux the Fun of It, got this for a STEAL off  Craigslist -

Original retail $1500-$1700., purchase price $225.    73″w x 55″h x 19″ d

Seriously…  a couple hundred bucks?  I am SO  jealous – it is beautiful, even as is.    Alas,  that is not how it works in the Land of Finishers.     We like to take things and make them over into even better things!  Work our magic-   Voila ! Poof!  (wouldn’t that be great if all we had to do was say POOF?)

Kathleen saw a post awhile back that I did on a new Caromal Colours basecoat color – Pumpkin. She loved the color.    That’s what she decided to use to refinish this lovely piece of furniture -

Yummy distressing -    Kathleen used a Faux Effects Setcoat Brown primer/paint as the basecoat – she had extra on her workshelf (we finishers try to use up what we have left over).  When that dried, she applied  Caromal Colours Chipping Creme.   Atop that went the Caromal Colours Textured Basecoat Pumpkin, some distressing, some Toner and voila-

She applied a cool custom rust finish to the iron-

I just might have to pay you a visit one of these nights, Kath …  I have the perfect place for this piece!

We got our first snow of the season last night, and woke up to find the backyard a winter wonderland.

I mentioned to Jason this morning how excited I was that we got snow and it’s not even cold here!  He said, “Only someone from Minnesota would think that 23 degrees is warm!” I bet a few of you on both ends of the temperature spectrum would agree with that (hello readers in FL or MN!).  It’s amazing how 23 degrees does not feel THAT cold after surviving a few -15 degree Minnesota winters.

We also agreed that the snow meant that it is officially almost Christmastime.  Because snow is a necessity for Christmas.  I’m sure of it.

The dogs were nervous about it last night, but seem to approve today.  And my carpets are thanking them for that.

My carpets are also thankful for a little package that I received yesterday.  One that I went outside to grab, only to discover that Barley had jumped up on the door, slamming it shut and locking me out.  In my pjs.  With no cell phone.  The Fed Ex man was there, too, and was nice enough to let me borrow his cell to call Jason.  But Jason had left his phone in the bedroom when he left for work yesterday morning.  So I got all MacGyver on it and ended up breaking into my living room window in slippers and a bathrobe.  Thank goodness my neighbors live far enough away that they didn’t have to witness that less-than-glorious sight.  Sigh.

Anyways.  The package.  Black & Decker sent me a vacuum to try out, just in time for some pre-party cleaning.  So if you’re looking for me today, I’ll be singing along to Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas” and getting ready for tomorrow’s holiday party!  Can’t wait!

For a gal who enjoys ice skating and cross country skiing, I am surprisingly resistent to the idea of winter riding.  Under normal circumstances, my tack would already be cleaned and tucked away in a corner of the basement.  But this year, I am more worried about losing the momentum Blue and I have gained in the last week than I am about freezing my butt off.

I went shopping at the local farm supply place this week, in search of long underwear and new gloves…not to mention the adorable stripey hat and neck wrap ensemble that Carhartt has out this season.  Never thought I’d use the words “adorable” and “Carhartt” in the same sentence, but there you have it.  I may even resort to borrowing my hubby’s insulated pants (if I can get them past my hips).  This is all in preparation for my first (and perhaps only) winter ride tomorrow.

I’m not sure if I’m more nervous about how Blue and I will get along or how cold it’s going to be!  But it’s time to be a big girl and try something new.  Who knows…I may become a winter riding convert.

Often in the lives of young boys and girls,  a healthy imagination is often much broader, more interesting and more far reaching than the calming voices of reason. In this account I have tried to address them all in this simple story that takes place in Blackshear, Ga. The year was 1958. Or, if you are following my outline, winter count 9.

Click here  to read ”Once Upon a Morning Chilly, Part One”.

    Ever wonder where you really fit politically?    Take this quiz and you will know . DM

DEMOCRAT You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. You feel guilty for being successful. You push for higher taxes so the government can provide cows for everyone.

 REPUBLICAN You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. So?

SOCIALIST You have two cows. The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor. You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.

COMMUNIST You have two cows. The government seizes both and provides you with milk. You wait in line for hours to get it. It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE You have two cows. You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.

BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE You have two cows. Under the new farm program the government pays you to shoot one, milk the other, and then pours the milk down the drain.

AMERICAN CORPORATION You have two cows. You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one.. You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses. Your stock goes up.

FRENCH CORPORATION You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows. You go to lunch and drink wine. Life is good.

JAPANESE CORPORATION You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains. Most are at the top of their class at cow school.

GERMAN CORPORATION You have two cows. You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour. Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.

 ITALIAN CORPORATION You have two cows but you don’t know where they are. You break for lunch. Life is good.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION You have two cows. You have some vodka. You count them and learn you have five cows. You have some more vodka. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.

TALIBAN CORPORATION You have all the cows in Afghanistan , which are two. You don’t milk them because you cannot touch any creature’s private parts. You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production but use the money to buy weapons.

IRAQI CORPORATION You have two cows. They go into hiding. They send radio tapes of their mooing.

 BELGIAN CORPORATION You have one cow. The cow is schizophrenic. Sometimes the cow thinks he’s French, other times he’s Flemish. The Flemish cow won’t share with the French cow. The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow’s milk. The cow asks permission to be cut in half. The cow dies happy.

FLORIDA CORPORATION You have a black cow and a brown cow. Everyone votes for the best looking one. Some of the people who actually like the brown one best accidentally vote for the black one. Some people vote for both. Some people vote for neither. Some people can’t figure out how to vote at all. Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which one you think is the best looking cow.

CALIFORNIA CORPORATION You have millions of cows. They make real California cheese. Only five speak English. Most are illegal. Arnold likes the ones with the big udders.

tinyinc retro tea cosy

I recently read a blog by a lady who crochets and supplies to a shop in central london.  So, with that in mind, I set up a meeting with the lady owner and went along with some of my stuff.

tinyinc's 'handybag'

I have to go back again before christmas with some flopsy dolls, children’s aprons and also some of my applique cushions but, in the meantime, a few of my tea cosies and a couple of  ’handybags’ are now gracing the shelves of ‘all the fun of the fair’ for the coming christmas shoppers.

tinyinc racing teacosy

I’m selling other colour combinations of tea cosies on folksy too but it is very exciting to have my things in a shop. It’s a super little shop too, selling all kinds of fantastic hand made things along with most of the stuff you need to make them yourself.

tinyinc vintage tea cosy

I’m so desperate to get on with the things that are floating around my head as ideas or are already down in my sketch book but my job has become particularly demanding since our long holiday in September and the balance in my life has tipped horribly back the wrong way!

I have plans to change things and they include approaching high street outlets, I am busy making samples to send to magazines in the hope of some kind of showcase & I have my eye on a few internet based companies that really appeal to me as outlets.

I’ve asked a few people who have made the leap from one profession to another like tinyinc how long before you can actually make that full time commitment and the advise is varied but it could take about 5 years!

I think I’ll be insane before that!!

When we built our house twenty years ago, one of the first outbuildings we designed/constructed was our ‘pet condo’. Our condo houses our two farm dogs, our egg-laying chickens during winter (when they’re not out on free-range) and our two bunnies.

Visitors to my shop (I have a cottage business, Sheepy Hollow Herbs, LLC) often wander…stroll the gardens and visit my barnyard menagerie. They often ask if they can ‘move in’  (lol), and find the utility of the pet condo very interesting, and make a mental note to construct something similar one day to meet their animal housing needs.

The shed itself is 2 X 4 frame construction built on a platform or deck. We used cedar panels on the exterior and installed 2 windows, shingled roof. The lattice on either end is decorative, but we’ve drilled several holes though the building for ventilation – it’s difficult to see – and covered them on the inside with hardware cloth (to keep unwanted visitors out). We painted the shed barn red with white trim – it could use a freshening! tee hee  Yes, that’s pavers inside the dog run and in front of the shed. My hubby has a THING about concrete…

The condo or shed consists of a dog pen on the west side – see the pic above – their in-out access hole is covered with a rubber flap. The dog’s space inside occupies the back half of the shed (approx 4′ X 4′). Most of the day, Bo is out wandering or guarding the sheep & goats. Riley, my German Shepherd, guards me and the farm and usually is by my side at all times. Actually, she requires no fencing to keep her home-bound!

The opposite side of the shed houses our egg laying chickens. Inside the shed is another compartment with 9-nesting boxes total, 3 rows across, 3 high, with feeder & water bucket. Outside, the chickens have a small scratching pen. We re-seed it every Spring, and within a few weeks, they’ve scratched it bare again!

We also house 2 bunnies in the shed (my lionhead has his own stand-alone hutch). Two, side-by-side simple wire rabbit cages (from any TSC Supply), nesting box, with custum built pull-out litter catch-pans underneath. We’ve cut an access hole through the wall of the ‘condo’ to an outdoor cage/hutch which hangs on the exterior wall.  It’s simple 2 X 4 frame construction built onto the exterior, a shingled shed-type roof with a hinged drop down door on both pens, hardware cloth/wire floor. No catch-pan needed here.

We also have a built-in multi-compartment feed storage bin for chicken/rabbit/dog and wild bird seed. Everything you need in one spot. The building itself is insulated and only on the coldest Winter nights, we hang a heat lamp inside and actually keeps the water from freezing. It’s simple, attractive and utilitarian! (if I do say so myself.)

Hope this provides you with some ideas for your own ‘pet condo’!

Karen, owner of Karen Billman Designs, in Gaylord, Michigan,  offers Decorative Paint Finishes and Interior Design services.

How small of a world is this?  When I was a kid (we lived south of Detroit – you can see it on the map) , my parents had vacation property in Vanderbilt, Michigan-

To me, it was in the middle of nowhere -  exit 290 off I-75.  Exit 282 was Gaylord (8 miles south of Vanderbilt)   Gaylord was a REAL town  (this photo looks ancient)   -

it had the coolest grocery store, Glen’s Market – that had a conveyor belt that  moved your grocery order out to the curb, where you’d pull up and they would load for you!

So now, fast forward, thirty years, I’m a Decorative Painter,   and a Decorative Painter/Designer from GAYLORD contacts me?  Small world!    Karen and I spoke a number of times on the phone, about Caromal Colours.   Several months ago, she decided to drive down to my studio to attend a Caromal Colours workshop.    She went home, met with a client, and accomplished this, using Caromal Colours Textured Basecoat Peppercorn -

Before-

Refinishing this clients dated oak kitchen-

Before distressing, already looking updated like an updated kitchen -

New granite and backsplash -

A couple months later Karen contacted me and asked,

“How do I  become an Independant Representative for Caromal Colours?

She knew that Caromal Colours would interest her neck of the woods.   Last  month, Karen drove down, and spent the day in training.      Karen is now able to spread the word and the training -   Calling All Ye Caromal Colours Interested Clients If you are in the Northern Michigan area, and are interested in learning/seeing/touching/feeling Caromal Colours,     then please look no further – give Karen Billman a call!   989-732-9439  or email karenbillman@yahoo.com

Holly Mills

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Turkey and dressing or yams? Pumpkin or apple pie? 

As everyone here at Paper Crafts compared holiday weekend weight gain (or lack of – you go, girls!), I can’t help but reminisce about the delicious seasonal foods I second and third-helped myself to. Of course, my favorite servings came from the dessert table.

The last three months of the year are some of my favorite. While I enjoy the parties and visiting with family and friends, I confess some of my most favorite things about the holiday season are the color combinations in the decor and the food. Over the weekend I started to notice a peculiar correlation between these two favorites of mine. 

Favorite colors = favorite food. Coincidence? 

Photo courtesy of Country Living

Some of my favorite foods also happen to be a color that falls into one of my favorite holiday color schemes. The further I investigated this phenomenon, I started realizing how often I associate much-loved holiday foods with one of my favorite colors. Or do I associate particular colors with favorite foods? They’ve become a type of Bobbsey Twins, if you will.   

Photo courtesy of Toasts & Tables

When I see pink, I think peppermint. When I see light yellow, I think eggnog. When I see dark orange, I think of pumpkin. Burgundy takes me to cranberries. And brown…mmm…delicious brown…one of my all-time favorite colors. Brown hardly ever steers me wrong. Brown as gingerbread. Brown as cinnamon. Brown as hot chocolate. I’ve even told my hairdresser I’ve wanted my hair colored “Nutella Brown”. She knew exactly what shade I wanted.

Photo courtesy of Gluten-Free Cooking

It seems the color play of the holiday season is a sensational experience. It’s a feast for both the eyes and tummy. And most likely the hips and thighs as well.

Photo courtesy of Country Living

So which came first, my love for food or for color?

Keep smiling,
Holly

P.S. While none of my favorite foods are low in calories or fat-free, I promise this blog entry is.

P.P.S. If you’re feeling inspired by these pretty photos, why not look through a Paper Crafts publication and create a new card from a pretty project you see. Upload it to our Inspired By Flickr group and you could be one of our three winners that walks away with a free subscription or special issue of your choice! You better hurry because this challenge ends on Monday, Dec. 7. Click HERE for all the details!

Bob and Joanna own The Country Dreamer, Hand Built Reproduction Furniture, Country Accessories & Antiques, about an hour east of  New York City.   They offer a popular collection of styles  -  Modern Country, Shabby Chic, Cottage, Country French, Eclectic and are most passionate about recreating Primitive and Early American Furniture.

Joanna explains,

I can get excited from talking about a scent of a simple candle to discussing a wonderful piece of furniture. I am thrilled when a customer says “we just bought a summer house, can you help me decorate it” or “we just built an extension, what would you do”  or ”I have a blank wall that needs something, what do you suggest”. One time a customer asked Bob to build a wonderful Stepback Cupboard and then asked if I would bring over a bunch of accessories to fill it. It is flattering to have someone walk into my home and hear them say “it feels as if I just stepped back in time,  I would love this, can I get this same look”?   I love filling other people’s homes with things I love and sometimes really no longer have room for. There are times, no matter what I move around, a new piece of furniture just won’t fit, but if I can’t have it, then someone else who will appreciate it should. It is truly rewarding knowing a customer is happy with what they’ve purchased or what we’ve done.

Bob also builds custom furniture. He contacted me because he is really enjoying the Caromal Colour Textured Basecoat Paints and wanted to be able to offer his customers an authentic color chart – not just images on a computer screen.  I set Bob up with a full set of wood trim color samples, as well as some of the Barnworn finish samples.   When you can’t find the right size piece that you are looking for or you see a true antique or something in a magazine, book or in someone’s home that is not for sale, as one customer puts it, Bob will do his “MAGIC”.    And each piece will be uniquely created – no two ever alike, each with its own distinct changes and character .

Bob recently created, and sold, this  1800 New England Plantation Desk, that he finished using some of the Caromal Colour Peppercorn -

and a few more-

I love that!

If you are interested in what Bob and Joanna have to offer, please visit their website,  The Country Dreamer -  there you will find more information, photos, and even Featured Items, Antiques for Sale and Current Items  for Sale.  Like this-

A newly painted mustard over red hanging cupboard with two drawers made from antique barn wood. 18 ½ “wide, 22 “ high and 6 ½ “ deep. Can be hung or even placed on table, counter or shelf. A real nice look and adds to a vignette. $85 #S023

Are slugs lucky?

I know it’s considered lucky to have a ‘money’ spider on you, a black cat cross your path (or is that un-lucky) and be doused in seagull poo. But where do slugs fit in?

The reason I ask is because I just trod on one.

This wouldn’t have been so bad if it had been outside, but it wasn’t. It was in the kitchen and I was half asleep, groping for the kettle, when my foot shot away from me and there was that awful slimy squidgy feeling of something nasty under my slippers.

Such are the challenges of living in the country.

Slugs often seem to find a way to slink into this old house. They either creep through the crevices, or cling to cauliflowers undiscovered until you find them in the bottom of the saucepan. I sometimes follow shiny trails along the base of the conservatory wall, over my walking boots (I always check the insides before putting them on) and under the plant pots. I try and suck them out with the hoover where they drown in dust.

Slugs are a good reason not to do too much hoovering. If the dust gets too thick on the floor they can’t slide across it so easily; I can grab them the minute I put the light on and lob them out the window.

I do hope you don’t consider this too cruel. But we already share this house with other critters of the rodent kind, the insect kind, and the occasional sparrow under the eaves and although I know slugs are valuable creatures too I just can’t take to them.

I suppose in a way I was lucky; at least I didn’t tread on it with bare feet. This time!

The Stuff of Which We are Made
When you visit Northern NH, you see the beautiful scenery, the quaint, main streets of our towns, the shops that bring on an air of nostalgia (built in the 1800’s and earlier), wildlife like moose, deer and wild turkeys.

Many of our visitors have purchased second homes, in order to live and become a part of this beauty, called the “North Country”.  Those that cannot purchase, come back every year to their favorite rental location, B&B’s, Hotels, Motels, Cabins, Campgrounds and Vacation Rentals.

This past week I was thinking that I will interview these faithful visitors, part-time residents, lover’s of rural New Hampshire and ask them about their perceptions of the full-time residents, the life-long, born at home (some not), “locals” that are the backbone of Northern New Hampshire. I’ll ask them “What do you think of our lifestyle? Our shops? What it means to be a hunter”? Do you like the quaintness? Would you miss the shopping malls if you lived here full-time? Do you love our covered bridges and visualize the horse and buggies that used to cross over? How about the wonderful old churches with their exquisite, architectural designs and gingerbread trims. I’ll write a blog post about this in the next few weeks.

I’m curious to see if they/you (our visitors), have a clear perception of what it takes to be a full-time resident, a local, of the North Country.

New Hampshirites, by nature, are tough, strong, maybe a bit stubborn, community and family oriented but above all, survivors!

We know how to camp, hike, ski, snowmobile, split wood, live without power when a big nor’easter hits. How to cook on a wood stove, how to collect water when the pump doesn’t work, how to travel on snowshoes when it isn’t a good idea to drive or it’s just too damn deep!

I’m wondering if the visitors and part-time residents realize that many North Country folk, if ever they wrote a resume, would have so many talents under their belts.

I move now to this down economy, we’ve been here before, in the North Country, we survive because we’re adaptable. I can’t talk about the southern part of New Hampshire but I can talk about Northern NH, we adjust to the situation. If you use me as an example, I’ve got a cleaning business, an online directory for Northern NH, a community social network for NH (The Granite Matrix), a blog for the North Country, I’m a Social Media Consultant, I’ve shampooed carpets, stained decks, power washed homes, fixed skylights, garden to sell vegetables (I do keep many for myself), have taken care of the elderly and quadriplegic, wash windows, I’m an Astrologer, Reiki/Energy Healer, etc…You get the picture. If I was a man, I’d be doing plumbing, electrical, stone work, carpentry, plowing, mowing, etc. (this is not dictated by sex, men and women do many of these things).

This is what makes NH North Country people a different breed of people, strong, capable, responsible. We always come through the tough times, maybe a bit weary and wiser but oh, so much stronger.

A year ago, I couldn’t afford to heat with oil. I decided to disconnect my oil furnace, get a wood stove, an electric water heater and make do with that.

True to the people of the North Country, friends told friends, I was given a used water heater in perfect condition, a used wood stove that nobody was using, I now have heat, hot water without worrying if I can afford it. I’ve actually come to enjoy stacking and moving the wood (many times), loading the stove with coffee in hand. Yeah, I do feel all fuzzy and warm when doing this. I’ve come to appreciate what it takes to live a different lifestyle, a more down to earth, lifestyle where I’m conscious of what it takes to heat my home, etc. Canning vegetables, baking bread, raising chickens; for some it’s all part of the North Country lifestyle.

Why am I telling you part of my personal story? It’s about transparency as a blogger, it’s about the community spirit of the people that live in Northern NH.  We’ve all helped many others, it feels good, the good goes around, we share, we’re good neighbors, the love is there.  We’re strong, in body, heart, and mind.

I moved here from New Jersey, in 1989. There was one traffic light, at that time, between Woodsville and Littleton, now, I’m not sure how many lights we have, I try not to think about it. We’ve changed a bit, to accommodate the changes in the world, to become more global. I hope we stay here, where we are now. I realize growth is good but I also don’t want to lose the charm that is North of the Notch (Franconia Notch State Park), Northern NH, otherwise we become just like the rest of the urban areas where all our history, talents, beauty and strength will just become a distant memory.  Would you want to visit us then? Or move here? Can you, become a part of us? Do you have the stuff of which we are made?

What do you think? What is your take on the North Country of Northern New Hampshire?

My next post will be a Business Spotlight on Karma Balm. NH made, organic products to heal and satisfy your body and spirit!
I realize that many of our visitors love the products and services that we have here in Northern NH. I’d like to open you up to some great businesses that can benefit you while you visit, ergo, the Business Spotlights.

Posting soon, Robin

Well, I guess I kind of gave it away with the title of this post!!! LOL

I went into the barn at about 5:30 pm tonite, to feed and close up the barn for the night. It gets dark early now, so if I don’t feed before 5pm, we are working in the dark!

I was almost done, having mucked the stalls, fed, put out the hay, and climbed up in the loft to toss down more bales.

When I went over to ‘the big guy’s” stall to lock the door, I happened to glance up, and saw something on the ledge next to the stall door.  At first I wasn’t sure what it was, since I didn’t have my glasses on. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a chinchilla – which was highly unlikely!!! LOL

Then, I realized it was a tiny owl!!! Not moving, just calmly staring at me! I pointed him out to my husband and ran back to the house for my camera.

Fortunately, the little guy was still there when I came back. He was undisturbed by the past half hour’s  goings on, and by the interior light being turned on. He sat very still for his photo, barely blinking. He was about 8-9 inches tall, looking as soft as a chinchilla, mottled grey, with ear tufts. I am not too familiar with the different owls – and at first thought of a saw whet owl.

I said goodnight to the horses and the little owl, and closed the barn doors. The doors had been open all day – and I assume that’s how he got in. The stall doors stay open all night, so I am hoping he can find his way out thru them. Unless, of course, he is staying to feast on barn mice all night- which would be fine with me!!!

When back in the house, I got out the old Peterson Field guide to research the little guy.

Turns out he is a common screech owl – they have 2 color phases – grey and brown. My brief research did not indicate they would frequent the inside of barns, but there he was. The saw whet owl, does not have ear tufts, and is even tinier! This little screech owl was about 8 or 9 inches tall.

I know we do have a great horned owl or two, in the trees near the river – they are the ones I hear at night. Apparently these larger ones will prey on the smaller ones like this little guy.

Of course, now I will worry about him all night, and hope he is just hanging out and can find his way in and out of the barn!!!!

Here is a link about the diminutive screech owl, with descriptions and the different calls they make. I know now that I have heard them around – just never was sure whoooo or what was making that sound!!

It’s very cold and windy out tonite – so he’s welcome to hang out in the barn, hunt mice, and keep warm- if that’s what he chooses!!!

**********************************************************

All is well, with a hint of snow in the air, and a never ending source of new discoveries, at Mountain Meadows tonite…………………

Since I last posted DH has been baby-ing our buddy Rush back to good health. The Vet was great and gave him good advice (which he took to a T). Now Rush is back in the pasture with his friends Trooper, Diplomat and Mac.    He’s eating well and looks better every day.   My guess is that he’ll gain all the weight he lost pretty quickly if he hasn’t already. 

  Here is an earlier photo of Rush. 

He and Trooper had “words” to see who is second in charge.  Gee I wish I had gotten pictures of that!   There wasn’t much to it, just some head pushes and chasing.  I’m not sure who the winner was.  I suppose I’ll learn next week as I’m the feed handler all week. 

Oh yes DH is heading somewhere for Uncle Sam again.  I hope he appreciates my taking care of his ladies.  We’ll see if he brings anything sparkly back with him!   At least something for my charm bracelet. . . . We’ll see….

I hope you all had awownderful Thanksgiving!  Aren’t you looking forward to all those leftovers?  Why is it that it tastes so good the next day?  Yum. . .

Happy Thanksgiving, From my house to yours! Hope your holiday is safe and happy. I’m thankful for all of you for reading every day and constantly inspiring me:) Here’s some lovely photos from Country Living that I just had to share with you, showing some scenes from table tops of thanksgiving and floral arrangements. Enjoy, and tell me what you think!

When I first met my husband, I was a city girl… and completely uninterested in making the leap to rural living.  I mean, these people thought jeans and work boots were a wardrobe staple.   There were no theaters, no ethnic restaurants, no dance clubs, nothing.  The local American Legion and a few hole-in-the-wall bar and grills were the extent of the social scene.  And don’t get me started on the lack of shopping (unless you needed farm implements or Carhartt work wear).  I couldn’t envision myself being happy in a place like this.

And then I started meeting people.  My husband’s friends are hard-working, honest, loyal folks who would give the shirts off their backs to help a friend.  They are farmers, laborers, tradesmen, and factory workers…people who work their asses off to provide a comfortable life for their families.  I met their kids.  Good, sensible, equally hard-working kids who often go off to college, but ultimately come back to raise their own families here.  And these people know how to have fun…Friday nights mean blowing off steam over a few beers at the local tavern, often dancing around (or on) crowded tables to the country western music blaring out of an old jukebox in the corner.  I will never forget the man who taught me to two-step on the dance floor of the American Legion.

I began spending time in the woods with my husband, putting up wood for the winter.  I spent time hanging on the back of an old tractor, while we planted oats and alfalfa.  I watched cattle being vaccinated.  I watched calves being born.  I started cleaning and mending and decorating his ancient farmhouse.  And this place started to feel like home.  I began to understand the lure of raising kids here.  And now, eleven years later, I own several pairs of jeans and a pair of work boots (I don’t know how I survived without them).  It’s not about fashion.  It’s about practicality and doing what you love.  And no one gets that more than my kids.  They love their horses and their calves.  They enjoy fishing and mushroom hunting.  They like to help stack wood and trap gophers.  They love to ride four wheelers and tractors.  They have a lot of room here to explore and discover and grow.

But life in rural America is not always a Norman Rockwell painting.  There is a dark underbelly.  Poverty exists here, like anywhere else.  Alcoholism and drug use are common.  We have violence, depression, and suicide.  There are weapons in the school and the same epidemic of bullying you would find in larger towns.  We struggle against the beaurocracy of the school board and the school administration to effect positive change.  In some ways, it’s harder here.  Everybody knows everybody else.  There are a powerful few who feel they have the right to make decisions for everyone.  Some families have been here for generations, and their “idiosyncrasies” are generally accepted, even though they may be dangerous.  To take a stand on anything means running the risk of alienating yourself from the entire community.  Much of the time, I feel like my daughters’ options for quality friends (meaning kids who come from relatively stable homes without violence, neglect, or drug abuse) are few and far between.  I question the safety and quality of their school, just as I would in a larger town.

No, we haven’t escaped any of the pitfalls of modern society by raising our kids here.  The caveat is our little chunk of land to which we can withdraw at any time.  Our own ten-acre utopia, with a DSL link to the outside world.  The crazier our community gets, the more I entertain the notion of isolation.

All found within one tree on the property.

These will be the death of him

Homesteader #1

Squatter #2 makes it a duplex!

Remnants of a past life

Endless discoveries still, at Mountain Meadows………………………….

Deer was here………………………….

Dove was here…………………….

Hunter was here……………………..

Hunter is gone..............

Even the hardest “heart”……………………

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All is well at Mountain Meadows this Thanksgiving eve……………………

As the days shorten and the chill in the air turns our thoughts to home and hearth, take joy as winter approaches. It is indeed a more ‘peaceful’ time on the farm…gardening chores are mostly done, animals are ‘bedded’ down for the winter, winter woolies are taken out of storage…  It is a well-deserved quiet season to reflect on friends and family.

As Christmas-tyme draws nearer, simplify your gift-giving with heartfelt hand-made gifts. If you favor ‘collectables’ as I do, such as crockery, wooden bowls & trugs, baskets, linens, anything made from tin – you get the idea - fill them with something that you’ve hand-stitched, knitted, ‘put up’ from the garden, jams and jellies, herb vinegar & oils with herbs from the garden…or whatever your particular talent or speciality! 

Here’s a few ideas to use as a springboard to get your creative juices flowing:

For that special cook, a mason jar filled with your very own herbal ‘bouquet garnis’ for flavoring soup and stews. Prepare a blend of your fav dried herbs. Place 1 tablespoon of the mix in the center of a square of cheesecloth, tie with kitchen string and attach a tag describing the contents and a recipe or two?

A vintage canister filled with a special tea blend – add some of your own dried herbs, naturally!

Herbal bath salts presented in a pretty recycled cut glass jar.  Use 1 cup sea salt, 1 cup Epsom salt, 1 Tablespoon baking soda, and dried lavender buds (a few drops essential oil optional) makes a relaxing bath. Or, add mint for a ‘re-energizing’ bath soak.

A fragrant potpourri in a bowl: 1 cup dried lemon verbena or lemon balm, 15 bay leaves, 1 crushed cinnamon stick, whole cloves, allspice and dried rind of lemons or oranges. Add a few sprigs of pine or cedar ‘greens’, pinecones, and such from the yard! Hint: Make sure they’re de-bugged – place in a zip-lock and freezer overnight!

An old stoneware bowl filled with new potatoes and your fav recipe for potato soup, potato salad, scalloped potatoes, etc.

Fill a bowl with spicy pomanders. To pomander fruit, select firm oranges, lemons, limes, apples, etc. Draw (or freestyle) a simple geometric design onto the fruit with a water-soluble pen. Use a wooden skewer if necessary to lightly pierce your design on the fruit, wash off the ink, and insert whole cloves. Add row after row of cloves until your design is complete. Makes a wonderful fragrant centerpiece or for wreath embellishments and lasts for weeks.

A bar of your home-made soap and a hand-knitted wash cloth, with or without a vintage ironstone soap dish, tied with ribbon or raffia makes a lovely gift! Who doesn’t use soap????

An old fluted tin lined with a pretty towel and parchment paper, filled with fresh-baked cookies! Don’t forget to add a tag with the recipe!

Pinecones dipped in bees-wax, add a cotton wick and arrange in an old wicker basket as fire-starters for the hearth.

No matter, it’s the heartfelt thought and warm sentiments in gift-giving…leave a comment if you have a special hand-made ‘gift’ idea or two to pass along!  

Bountiful blessings!

The other day I was hanging out with the horses. I take them out to graze every day. Their paddocks are brown, and the hay fields are still green. Mr. Green Jeans has finally agreed with me, that the paddocks need to be extended, til we can get the present ones to stay green into the winter!!

I enjoy hanging out with the horses and watching the world go by. Mr. Green Jeans lasts about a minute, maybe 20, and is already thinking of other things he could be doing!!

So, the plan is to fence in another large paddock, across the front of the barn, where orchard grass and timothy has been planted and grows seemingly forever. Then, the old paddocks will be seeded and reseeded, til they start to grow. It seems a shame to have to horses confined, even tho their paddocks are very large, when there are acres of green grass surrounding them!!! Altho, the acres are what feeds them in the winter months, and makes some money to afford these equines their cushy lifestyles!!!

While communing with the horses, and brushing the mud out of their winter coats, I gaze up at the sky from time to time. This unseasonably warm day, there was a small flock of 11 or 12 vultures, soaring on the thermals above. The whole time I watched them, they never flapped their wings, just gracefully floated in ever widening circles. For such an unattractive bird, they are grace on wings when in the sky.

There was a combination of turkey vultures and black vultures, with a slightly smaller outline in the crowd. Included in the group, was a hawk, about 1/3 smaller than the buzzards, joining in on the fun of soaring in the warm skies. They did not object to him being there, they were just enjoying floating. This went on for about 20 minutes, and as they went farther afield, the hawk looked over his shoulder at the crowd and with a dip of his body, redirected his “float” to the mountain. Still no wing flapping, he continued to soar to the mountains, til he was nothing more than a dot in the  sky.

The vulture flock dispersed, and within a few minutes, I was surprised to see several more flocks of vultures emerging from beyond the trees. There were groups of 20 and 30! I would guess between 75 and 90 vultures were floating in the sky! This aerial circus only lasted about 10 minutes, and they all disappeared over the tree line. Fortunately, no one pooped while I was standing below looking up at the show!!! LOL I did see a couple, a little while later, in the top of a dead tree, wings outstretched, in an eerie pose. They do that to absorb the warmth of the sun.

I can never get pictures of them – they don’t allow you to get too close-they usually fly away, or defecate and fly away-and believe me, you do NOT want to get hit by that!!!

A day or so ago, I happened to catch a couple of vultures standing by the river. They flew to the trees, when they saw me approach. I thought they were just getting a drink. As I walked along, I noticed a skeleton on the other bank of the river. They were feasting on a deer, and were leery of me, but were not going to get too far away from their meal.  The river was too deep, because of recent rain, for me to get on the other side to check out the deer. I’m guessing, a hunter shot and lost sight of his prey. This poor little guy died at the river’s edge. Vultures are nature’s clean up committee, always on the lookout for their next meal.

I went down 2 days later, to check on their progress, but the rain had caused the river to swell, and the carcass had apparently washed downstream.

Ugly as they are, the vulture serves a definite purpose in nature. I enjoy seeing them overhead.  Here are the few pix I could capture of the ones by the river.

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All is well, and unseasonably warm, at Mountain Meadows this Sunday morning……………….