Welcome to our 1864 farmhouse…life is good!


Wednesday, May 26

May...always a whirlwind!

For us, it always seems like May is a whirlwind of activity...I'm sure it is for many of you as well. School is wrapping up, which means the normal schedule is higgledy-piggledy, then there's the itch to finish up cleaning and organizing indoors before the flurry of outdoor activity begins. You know the drill: flowerbeds need weeding, the garden needs tilling, and the grass continues to grow and grow.

But in my effort to enjoy the simple pleasures, I've tried to slow down the May frenzy to look around me. I've found that this year, the perennial flowers seem to be bigger and more colorful than ever...maybe it was:

the late snow...


frosty mornnigs...


foggy days...


or summer-like heat. 



Whatever it was, they are overflowing with color and have never looked so pretty.







May also means my favorite little farmers' market opens, and now it's bursting with strawberries and rhubarb...so jam-making time is also at hand. Homemade jam is oh-so easy, and in mid-winter, when the snow flies, there's nothing like the taste of summer that can be found when opening a little jar of jam you've made yourself.

And where better to let those little jars of berry goodness cool, than on a Hoosier cupboard? If you've been visiting here for awhile, you know I LOVE old things, and a Hoosier-style cupboard is something that's been on my wish list for ages. I really haven't seen many locally, until one popped up in an antique shop off the town square. I took a close look, but you know what? It was just too perfectly, perfect. It didn't look like it had any history or that it had been worn from the daily use of a farm wife, so I put it out of my mind. 

Then, a few weeks later, I thought I'd search online; I was surprised to find one. It was about an hour away and the price was just too good not to look it over. So, on a Saturday morning, my daughter and I made the trip to see the cupboard...I'm so thankful for GPS maps! Oh my, we were driving through beautiful winding roads, over hills, and through valleys...and I had only a rough idea of where we were. 

When we finally arrived, I knew instantly it was coming home with me. It had been loved...it was not "perfectly, perfect", but had the signs of times past...a chip here, a worn spot there. Just my style. I'm not sure of the maker...looking at the hardware, it seems to match maybe a Boone, Kitchen Maid, or a Marsh brand. The numbers 9050 are stamped on the back. Anyone who might know, your thoughts are welcome! 

The woman selling it was like a kindred spirit...we had the same love for old things. Then, before we left, the price was dropped...by one-third of the asking price! She was anxious to make room for a Sellers cupboard she'd discovered...the cabinet of her dreams. This was just too good to be true!

OH. 
SO. 
HAPPY!

Oodles of storage room...


and she has her original sifter...


a perfect spot for summertime canning, the enamel top pulls out another 12 inches, it'll be great for making noodles or cooling cookies.


a closer look at the handwritten cookbook...I found this years ago, and it's so sweet. This page features Apple Dumplings and Huckleberry Pudding.

My grandmother's handwritten recipe cards are tucked under the cookie cutter...Bread & Butter Pickles, Green Tomato Relish, and other old-fashioned favorites.


It makes me smile every time I walk by...the simple things in life are the best.


I suppose I am a sparrow, a stay-at-home bird.

-Gladys Taber

 





7 comments:

  1. The Hoosier cabinet is wonderful. I purchased one a few years ago, but it's not nearly as pretty as yours. Mine really needs some TLC. I know you'll enjoy yours.

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  2. Thanks for the kind words, Laurie...I was lucky, the back looks a little worn, but no one can see it! And one needing TLC is just fine...think of the wonderful, old history it has. That's more important that one that looks brand new!

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  3. What a wonderful cabinet! I love strawberry rhubarb everything! Janice

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  4. Janice...thanks, finding it was a fun adventure to share with my daughter. And I love rhubarb, too...that sweet/tart flavor is the best. Hmmm, maybe it's time to make a pie!

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  5. I absolutely LOVE the hoosier cabinet! I'm so happy for you!! It's so sweet that your daughter took the adventure with you. It makes it even more special.

    That fog and barn photo is absolutely stunning. And all of the colorful flowers in bloom - what beauty you are surrounded by.

    I hear you on May going by quite quickly. I feel the same. You hit the nail on the head with finishing up indoor things while trying to get the yards, flower beds and gardens going. The busyness of it all makes it just fly by. I was happy that we did seem to have spring this year. Some years we go right from winter to full-blown summer and that's a bit hard of an adjustment for this spring and fall lover. :)

    I cannot wait for strawberries to begin appearing at our farmers market. I no longer grow them so I wait quite anxiously for them. We've been harvesting rhubarb so I am ready for the berries! Strawberry Rhubarb jam and Strawberry Balsamic jam are two of my very favorites.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  6. Staci - awww, thanks...we did have fun, and it was a beautiful day for a drive. Glad you like the barn photo...it belongs to a family down the road. I always think it's so picture-perfect as we turn the curve in the road.

    It rained all day today...and it was one of those perfect, give-the-garden-a-drink rains. Sooo at 8 am I was out in my raincoat to finish planting the veggies. A muddy mess, but worth it. Now it's so chilly the heater is on. What a spring!

    I'm curious about the flavor of Strawberry-Balsamic Jam...would you share your recipe for it? (I'll check your blog in case it's already there) Strawberries are in full swing here and I have a full bottle of Balsamic Vinegar!

    ReplyDelete
  7. PS...found it Staci!

    And anyone else who is curious, here it is:

    https://www.lifeatcobblehillfarm.com/2013/06/recipe-strawberry-balsamic-jam.html

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Thanks so much for taking the time to visit!

 
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