Welcome to our 1864 farmhouse…life is good!


Tuesday, March 17

farmhouse thoughts....


Normally I would begin a March post a little something like this...



Heading outside for chores today found a lingering chill in the March air. The skies were grey and the ground was muddy from yesterday's blowing rain. What a change...only a few days ago the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and we could hear peepers singing from the creek back in the woods. Yes, March is fickle and not to be trusted...a month where we have cheery days that help break the spell of cabin fever, only to wake up to find snow the next morning.


However; with the news changing almost hourly, today is not a normal March day. 


After receiving an email asking students to empty their lockers, my son and I went to the high school early this morning. Currently the school is closed until April 6 and the students will be studying from home. My daughter is also home for 3 weeks from her first year at college, and while the university hasn't officially closed, we're certain it will only be a matter of time. 

These days are filled with so many emotions for all of us...we're anxious, worried, and sleepless.

And while our kids are settling into an online routine for classes and lectures, the mom in me wants to make this time as comfortable and "normal"  as it can be under the circumstances. We all know the need to wash hands, cover coughs, social distancing, etc. but what about making the most of this time together?

I jotted down a few thoughts for us and wanted to share...maybe they will spark some ideas for your family. And please, share any ideas you have!





~  make time for family games...board games, Wii games, hide & seek, Uno, jacks, and
    checkers  


~  cook together...last night we built a fire, roasted hot dogs, and made s'mores

~  get outdoors...walk a country lane, see what's sprouting in the back yard, or take a hike in the
    woods  (although I will warn you, we've already seen our first tick!) blow bubbles, twirl a
    baton, play tag


~  on that walk, look for bare branches for forcing...bring a little springtime inside. Cherry,
    crabapple, or forsythia are ideal: just cut branches sharply at an angle and put them in room
    temperature water. 


~  have fun with meals...today is Saint Patrick's Day, how about some green eggs & ham for
    dinner?


~  make time for a movie marathon...some of our favorites are Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings,
    Operation Petticoat, North by Northwest, The Sound of Music, The Great Race, The Music Man,
    and Sherlock Holmes 


~  settle in with a favorite book and cup of herbal tea, or snuggle in bed and read to little ones


They're just a few ideas, but while we're all in close quarters, noses to the grindstone, it seems like a good idea to have a little fun, too. 

Sending good wishes to your family from ours. 















Tuesday, March 3

time flies...


Time flies as they say...whether you're having fun or not, and now I'm still in deep cleaning mode...sorting clothes, books, magazines, oh how paperwork sneaks into our lives and somehow multiplies!

Our Midwest weather has gone from...

foggy,


to icy,

to snowy, 
to snow that
magically hangs mid-air, 




 finishing with
beautiful sunsets.




Today it's muddy, which doesn't make a pretty picture...it's a day for boots and raincoats, dodging puddles, and trying not to slip and slide between taking care of the chickens and goats...that's so much easier said than done.

Although I'm not ready to clean and paint the milkhouse just yet...still too much to do inside right now, I have been brainstorming on ideas to go with the colors and retro theme I want.

Here's a sneak peek at what I spent way too much time working on last night - a sign to let friends & neighbors know what they'll find inside. There are so many fun retro images, fonts, and colors out there, it took time, but I finally narrowed it down to some I liked best...






My grandmother called me Maizy and that's the name of our 1963 camper, so that name just felt right for this new adventure.

Now to tinker with tags...ages ago I kept a MaryJanes Farm magazine (Feb-Mar 2011) that had some terrific advice.

She said:
"let tags see beyond the item you're selling, let them see YOU, put a face to just-another-this-or-that for sale...a good tag can leave a lasting impression, flavor it with YOU"

So now, on the advice of someone who has a tag I love, I'm going old-school...no computer layering, sizing, templates, or special effects...I'll copy some of my favorite images, cut, paste, add a little this & that then see what happens. 

Just for fun, today's silly holiday is "National Cold Cuts Day" and "33 Flavors Day...a day dedicated to Ice Cream"  

That just made me laugh...so tonight we'll be making subs and stopping at our favorite ice cream shop...yep, time flies, so let's have fun!




 
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