tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27230183150485756942024-03-27T02:35:36.687-04:00Windy Meadows FarmMary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.comBlogger589125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-48306879364144001352024-03-19T13:09:00.003-04:002024-03-19T13:32:26.523-04:00spring or winter?Warm or cold? Sun or snow? Mother Nature is quite undecided and up to her old tricks. Last week it was ideal for taking long walks with our dog Bailey. The sun was shining and the days were oh-so warm and breezy. Early evenings meant maybe tossing on a jacket or sweatshirt, but they were still lovely.Late afternoon drives along the winding country roads were just as nice...cows, goats, sheep, andMary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447477236067796614noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-22678260135724698112024-03-09T15:18:00.002-05:002024-03-09T21:07:41.073-05:00bread & Bailey...It's a gray, rainy day here on the farm, and stepping outside there are chilly winds out of the northwest spinning around me. I move quickly, and once back inside, I'm greeted by the welcoming aroma of baking bread.My goal for this winter was to become a better bread baker. Not only to sell from the milkhouse, but for my family to enjoy. Oh, how I can remember my grandmother's bread and rolls, Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447477236067796614noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-49425220253662118842024-02-28T16:04:00.001-05:002024-02-28T16:05:09.663-05:00oh the fickle weather! If I didn't know it was February, yesterday's weather would have me absolutely believing it was April. I woke up to bright, cheery sunshine and a breeze so warm that I found myself opening windows. Before long, the temperature was 67 degrees - unheard of in a month that has an average snowfall of 6-10 inches and is the second snowiest month. It was the kind of day that tempts me to Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447477236067796614noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-71087722196316263022024-02-08T21:22:00.001-05:002024-02-08T21:23:52.575-05:00Thursday thoughts...These slow-moving February days...somehow they seem just right for contemplating common sense: and nonsense!Leaving home to run errands can sometimes feel like a change in cultures as we leave behind the pleasant, bucolic scenes of country life,friendly cowsa fella who has earned the nameAcro-Catpeaceful sunsets beside the lake.And head to the "big city"This week alone we've dodged Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447477236067796614noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-36426431389588832632024-01-17T21:52:00.003-05:002024-01-17T21:52:08.984-05:00brrr!The sun is shining brightly and the sky is a perfect shade of azure blue; birds are chattering as if to catch up on the latest gossip, and our rooster, Bandito, crows loudly to tell me I'm late in bringing warm mash for breakfast.Yes, it sounds like a lovely winters day; doesn't it? Except that it's 4 degrees and the National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning...meaning winds of Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15447477236067796614noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-62587454836509110352024-01-01T15:08:00.001-05:002024-01-01T15:12:33.526-05:00happy new year!Here's hoping you had a lovely Christmas!I'm sending wishes for a joyful, peaceful, healthy new year! The days fly...December found us visiting the lights at our local zoo... Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-75528821790016477062023-12-22T18:37:00.002-05:002023-12-22T18:37:54.751-05:002 days, 6 hours, 25 minutes, and 18 seconds...That's what the Christmas Countdown on my phone tells me...am I ready?Well, I still have wrapping to do and stockings to fill...but other than that, I do think I'm ready. While I felt earlier this month as if I was running behind, somehow, it's all come together...and that's good. Christmas should not be a season of holiday humbug. It's a time best spent gazing out the window wishing for Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-31984413242638416982023-12-12T22:53:00.007-05:002023-12-12T23:03:45.270-05:00readying for Christmas!December is here and full of the promise of snowflakes & surprises, music & memory-making, traditions & tree-trimming. Without a doubt, there's a busyness to December, but there's also time for quiet reflection and cozy evenings.I've loved visiting your blogs and reading up on how you're spending your days; however, I'm afraid I've fallen behind in my own writing...where Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-6321597127838506222023-11-20T18:37:00.003-05:002023-11-20T20:13:03.468-05:00thoughts of harvest...Colorful pumpkins and squash line the steps signaling that harvest-time is here. Jars of jams, jellies, and pickles made in summer now line the pantry shelves, geraniums are overwintering in the cellar, and fields, once filled with corn, are now bare. There is a sense of quiet and rest.It's a time to catch our breaths, this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas - it's a short time, and should Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-84725787168386705922023-11-05T19:40:00.004-05:002023-11-05T19:43:16.578-05:00a catch-up...Last week there was a hint that Old Man Winter would shortly be paying a visit. Nighttime temperatures were in the 20's, while the mornings brought the prettiest blue skies with a moon still visible in the early morning. Opening the mudroom door, it seems it's always a toss-up on who's louder...Tinkerbell, the cat on the porch waiting for breakfast, or the crows in the fields. (I just discovered Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-68485619083725217642023-10-19T00:25:00.001-04:002023-10-19T00:25:37.371-04:00and so it begins...~Paul Harvey, 1978 Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-24168099109438490362023-10-10T22:05:00.003-04:002023-10-10T22:16:46.855-04:00beauty in the ordinary...It's been said that some folks are like squirrels when it comes to the month of October...digging in reverse. I agree...that sums me up perfectly as I dust off, shake out, and rearrange all the things I tucked away at winter's end. Bittersweet colored candles with names such as Sweet Cinnamon and Snickerdoodle are lined up across the fireplace mantel, while plump pumpkins, handlettered with Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-46249980390659863062023-09-24T19:17:00.005-04:002023-09-24T19:26:07.317-04:00organized chaos! Yes, that's exactly how I would describe the state of the kitchen right now!If you were to pop in for a visit, you would find every flat surface filled with canning jars, buckets of tomatoes and peppers, a water bath canner bubbling away, a jam & jelly maker whirring, stacks of jar lids, paper towels, spoons, pickling salt, lemon juice, vinegar, and oodles of other things. I even Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-40157783127259299922023-09-04T16:09:00.007-04:002023-09-04T18:42:55.464-04:00a quick catch-up...This is the time of year that has a busyness all its own, and can only mean one thing: harvest time! This week the days will be spent in the kitchen prepping, canning, and freezing tomatoes and peppers.If you're like me, and you find yourself with oodles of tomatoes, here's an Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce recipe I use that is quick, and so easy, just click: here.And because I always seem to Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-87412515150501450362023-08-27T19:35:00.010-04:002023-08-27T20:45:33.313-04:00looking at the small things...It was 47 degrees one morning when Bailey and I first went outside, and in the evening I can now hear crickets...a sign that Fall is on its way! Along with cooler temperatures and the songs of crickets, something else I notice this time of year are spider webs...lots of intricate and, to me, beautiful ones.I thought I'd share these snapshots with you...my son noticed this early in the Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-26562447438181225342023-08-15T12:34:00.016-04:002023-08-15T16:31:35.716-04:00the not shop, shop!Funny title for a post, but that's what the kids call it! If you've been reading this blog awhile, you may recall a post here about a milkhouse on the farm. For a long while I've been thinking it could make a nice little spot for customers to pick up Cottage Foods...baked goods, jams, honey, breads...items our state doesn't require a commercial kitchen for bakers to sell. I Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-8738892647348446922023-08-07T17:19:00.001-04:002023-08-08T19:08:14.935-04:00August on the farm...August? How can it be August already? My daughter just returned from a 7-week intensive at a ballet company where she was also an RA and it's so good to have her back...as the kids say, "The balance has been restored!" She double-majored in Dance and Psychology...so proud of her hard work! She graduated Summa Cum Laude in Dance and Magna Cum Laude in Psychology. I love Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-15383921218545235882023-07-27T20:36:00.007-04:002023-07-28T18:45:01.272-04:00bottles in the barn...Living in a house built in 1864 has its challenges...easy-to-crack plaster walls, tiny closets, and the occasional slanted floor (drop a pencil and watch it roll!)It also has its delightful positives...fireplaces in the kitchen, dining room, and what was probably a front parlor at one time. There's wood wainscoting and floor to ceiling windows...old houses have character, and that's what I love. Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-23321360977649778832023-07-21T18:19:00.001-04:002023-07-21T18:19:51.197-04:00 Rainbows & rainstorms, heat & humidity, flowers & fruit...July on the farm is brimming with much to do...but also much to enjoy. While reading Billie Jo's blog this morning, I felt inspired to follow her lead...why not take today to share some of the photos from my phone? Oh they add up quickly! Happy Friday, friends, enjoy your weekend!4th of July fireworks&Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-54867219702846470702023-07-10T22:27:00.000-04:002023-07-10T22:27:08.729-04:00Monday musing... "Knee High by the 4th of July!"I'm guessing this old saying is one that most of you have heard hundreds of times...but, if it's new to you, here's a little background.It's said the first time farmers began using this phrase was in 1846..."It has been considered that if corn was knee high by the Fourth of July that the crop was sure and safe."~Iowa Sumner Gazette, 1846 And so for the Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-19139706269755911712023-07-01T19:59:00.000-04:002023-07-01T19:59:03.054-04:00rabbit, rabbit!Happy July 1st...how can that be?! And like I do the first of every month (or at least try to), I welcomed the day by saying:"Rabbit, Rabbit!"No, I didn't see a rabbit, but ages ago I read about an old superstition where if a person says the words "rabbit, rabbit" out loud when they first wake up, it brings them good luck for the rest of that month.And what if we forget to say it? Well, we're Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-47252792077475433292023-06-18T21:12:00.006-04:002023-06-18T21:16:59.059-04:00jumpin' June!Oh my, time flies...I've fallen behind in any number of things, but it's with renewed determination that I'm ready to catch up! So rather than chatter, on this quiet Sunday evening I've decided to simply share some photos of what I'm seeing these June days - but first, a little sweet music; Simple Gifts...click here"I'm going to make everything around me beautiful,that will be my life."Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-6984798252097663332023-05-20T19:37:00.005-04:002023-05-20T19:50:24.001-04:00spring in the country Spring cleaning here,I'm sorry to say,Was not in March,And here it is May!And April too fineTo sweep remote cornersAnd polish and shine.But in this fair month,I have motivation.If I don't clean house now,I'll miss summer vacation!-UnknownShared with me by a friend, the above poem is spot on for my days right now! Yes, I began early...sorted & organized, dusted & donated, but Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-69377557618732373382023-05-03T21:39:00.003-04:002023-05-03T21:39:30.345-04:00springtime, plus a couple "steals" and deals!Since my last post, Spring has turned her back on our part of the Midwest. The mornings are now filled with quick bursts of cold air, icy rain, and slate gray clouds continue to hide any blue that's surely hidden behind them. The lilac bush by the garden has given us just a few blooms. Monday I snipped several of them to enjoy indoors, fearing that once again temperatures would Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723018315048575694.post-87979099174423412962023-04-21T19:01:00.006-04:002023-04-21T19:04:19.597-04:00spring is here...I think I've said it before, but I always feel as if Spring has its own way of saying,"Look at me, I'm here, I'm here!" Filled with sweet aromas, familiar sounds, and a rainbow of colors, soon we know the seasons have turned.Fragrant hyacinths, freshly-cut grass, and the earthy smell of just-plowed fields are paired with the cheery sound of peepers in the creek, songbirds greeting the Mary, Windy Meadows Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13601966760653278126noreply@blogger.com14