popping in to say "Hello!"

Hi to all, just a quick visit to say hello and hope you're all keeping warm! Happy to report the pipes thawed in about 12 hours with no bursting to clean up (yay!) and now I'm much more dedicated to making absolutely sure the dripping is equal in both hot and cold faucets.

We've had crazy weather, like most of you...twice now it's been hail and freezing rain paired with the loudest cracks of thunder; quite an odd combination. Bailey was curled up under blankets trying to block out as much of the thunder as she possibly could, while I was busy getting a fire started...ice on the power lines is a sure way for the electricity to go out here. And being the last house on the company's line, well, we're a low priority when it comes to restoring power. Ugh...luckily, it passed and all is well.

This month I tried my hand at homemade Pop-tarts (can I say that?) hmmm, okay, toaster pastries!  Not hard at all, and something I'll definitely sell from the milk house this year. 

I recently wrapped up my February MaryJanesFarm post...hop on over if you'd like to take a look:

Rural Farmgirl Post

I'm still trying to "power clean" as I call it, and with headphones on time passes so much easier. I've listened to the Laura Ingalls books and now I'm working my way through the Harry Potter ones. Found for free online, the audio-books have been a terrific way to make make tedious jobs go just a bit faster.

Well, that's it for today friends...hope all is well wherever you may be!

here comes the snow!

Happy New Year to all! 

I've been catching up on blogs...thanks so much for sharing your holidays with all of us. From decorating, to food, to adventures outdoors, it's been wonderful to see how everyone has spent their days!

A quick catch up from here...

Christmas found me baking (and eating way too much!) Enjoying twinkling lights, secret surprises, and movie marathons.

New ornaments found their way on the tree,

 

and I always laugh as I hide the pickle ornaments!

The kids look for them and then when the ornaments are found, the reward is a silly gift. In years past it's been a board game, last year it was Elf Sundae glasses and all the sweet treats to make sundaes, this year they received giant gift bags filled with their favorite salty snacks.

My son had the terrific idea of playing Clue by candlelight...it was fun!

And we were in awe of the many over-the-top decorated cars & trucks we saw:

  

Most days Bailey was found curled up under blankets just taking it all in.

Which leads us to today...

the power was out twice this week, and flickered last night. There's nothing like getting a weather alert this morning that reads:

Winter Weather Advisory:

Severity: Possible threat to life or property

Action Recommended: Evacuate a pre-planned activiy as instructed.

Urgency: take action within the next hour

Like so many of you, a look at the weather radar and wow, it's coming our way! 

Firewood stacked? - check

Candles/oil lamps ready? - check

Propane tanks for portable heater? - check

Extra blankets for outdoor critters? - check

Batteries charging? - check

And while there is a certain charm to old farmhouses, there is also a routine for this old house that falls into place like clockwork that's not so charming. While being surrounded by open fields is oh-so pretty to look at and enjoy, with no nearby treeline to block the wind, Old Man Winter will find his way into every nook & cranny.

Kitchen taps need to drip to prevent freezing

Dishwasher running to prevent those lines from freezing

Dryer vent plugged with cotton batting to keep the cold wind out of the laundry room, which freezes the washer lines

Water stored in the basement - (a 30 and a 60-gallon tank) no city water here!

I'm not sure how much insulation good old plaster really provides. And yes, a whole-house generator would be fabulous; however, not in the budget at this time (and oh my, have you seen the price of propane lately, yikes!)

That's okay, time to channel my inner Laura Ingalls...tonight I think I'll re-read The Long Winter and sit by the fire.

Hoping you're warm, cozy, and safe if the snow's blowing your way!

 

oh 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 forget indoor chores and decide to get my hands and knees dirty tinkering in the garden, plotting and planning on changes to make, while dreaming of sun-kissed tomatoes. Yes, it would have been a terrific jump-start on the garden to-do list, but I resisted.

Yesterday my plan was to finish sorting the computer room closet...and when I say closet, I'm being generous. It's one of those tiny spaces tucked under the stairs in old homes, where the ceiling gradually gets lower and lower - no standing up in the back! And while it's small, and truly, can't hold much, it was certainly overflowing with paperwork. I ended the day with most of it done, happy that on Wednesday I'd wrap it up for certain.

Except that today I'm a bit sluggish...there's nothing like the adrenaline surge from a 5:30 AM Emergency Alert for a Tornado Warning - in February? Shaking the cobwebs out I read the words, "TAKE COVER NOW!" and quickly made a mental checklist: blankets, ID, flashlights, phone chargers, etc. ready to move to the basement? And while we were spared any damage, unfortunately some areas saw winds gusting at 60-110 mph and weren't as fortunate.

And so yesterday's hint of Spring is now long gone...today it is bleak with icy winds finding every way possible inside a house built 160 years ago. Tonight the low is expected to be 21 degrees, but here, surrounded by acres of open fields, it will be colder...I'd say Winter will linger just a bit longer. 

Ahhh February - somehow it seems to teach us patience as it teeters between seasons. 

Well, we might as well make it an event then, I'm planning on toasting marshmallows over the fire tonight - it's always a good time for s'mores! 

brrr!

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 at least 40 mph with gusts of 58 mph or higher. 

A cutting wind is sweeping strongly across the open fields bringing with it a wind chill of -15. With plunging temperatures and gusty winds, oudoor chores are done quickly with heads bent down against the icy winds that easily cut through a heavy coat, thick gloves, and woolen hat. Water buckets are filled and animals get a hearty breakfast, then it's time to start cars, check the propane level, look for any fallen tree limbs, add to the stack of firewood by the mudroom door, and tie down or move anything that might blow away. 

And while this picture was taken a few years ago, my "stylish" winter apparel never changes:

Stylish? No

Warm? Yes!

Christmas decorations have been tucked away, but I had to share an ornament story...

This little tent was bought years ago as a reminder of all the Cub Scout campouts.

Now, as young kids do, they sweetly felt that the Baby Jesus ornament needed to be inside the tent to stay warm & dry...and so it was.

Look closely inside. 

And there it's remained for many, many years, and always makes me smile.

Something new...this year we celebrated for the first time with Christmas Crackers!  

And to answer a question, searching for the pickle ornament is just for fun. It's an old tradition that is said to have originated in Germany. There are three pickle ornaments hidden on the trees that the kids look for; when they find them, there's a family gift to share. Most years it's a board game, but this year it was Sundae Set, and so Christmas dessert was a variety of ice creams and toppings!

These days I'm spending time sorting and organizing. Winter months just seem to be a good time to take stock of things that need doing...all those things that somehow seem to slip a bit when warm weather calls me outside.

However; I need to remember to make time for more important things than chasing dust bunnies and organizing books. Time for non-stop movie marathons, mugs of chocolaty cocoa, snow ice cream, and s'mores in front of the fireplace. 

"Winter is not a season, it's a celebration."

— Anamika Mishra

February and a girls' weekend away...

February often finds us with icy temperatures and heavy snow drifts that make it difficult to get in and out of the driveway - sometimes requiring a shovel and hard work, while other times needing the help of something a bit bigger.

A look outside will find birds of all shapes & sizes gathered around the feeders, the glow of a heat lamp through the frosted windows of the chicken coop, and a stack of firewood by the back door. 

Winter is always a reminder of how powerful the elements can be, and yet, for 159 years this old farmhouse has withstood those elements. Oh yes, we can count on a chilly draft sneaking in wherever it can find a little spot around doors and windows, but when there's a fire in the kitchen fireplace and a sleeping cat and dog to curl up with, they always seem to warm even the coldest winter days. 

Like it often is, this week has been a roller coaster of weather...Wednesday it was 72 degrees and now it's 20 with a light snow.  Not a snowfall of glittering, drifting flakes, but the tiniest balls of snow that look like they belong inside of a pinball machine as they bounce off of everything they land on. We shrug our shoulders...and so it goes; it's all a part of living with the splendor of the seasons. 

                                    

 

In un-weather related news...

my daughter and I took a little road trip to Louisville, Kentucky where she auditioned for several ballet companies. If you read here from time-to-time, you may know that she's a college senior - she has her degree in Dance and will be graduating in May with a BS in Psychology. Ballet dancing is her passion, and while she dances with a ballet company now, this is the time of year there are auditions for summer programs across the country. 

Sunday's blue-skied and sunny weather was perfect for traveling, and with my daughter as Navigator, Music Coordinator, and Snack Distributor we were on our way early. The time flew by with our back & forth chatter and a determination to listen to every single song, on every single album, in order, from a favorite singer/songwriter (10 albums plus any unreleased bonus tracks - thank you, Ms. Swift...we did it!)

I'm a firm believer in taking the scenic route (oh yes, I do take some ribbing about it because it's longer - whatever) My daughter and I love to travel "the road less taken" and turn off at a moment's notice on an adventure road just to see what lies ahead...that can't be done on a super-highway. 

Oh, the things we would have missed: stunning southern farms, a 17th century inn and tavern, off-the-beaten-path names such as Billy Goat Strut, Spanish Fly, Spooky Nook, and Fish-worm Road. Come on...the laughter over those names alone was worth the extra travel time!

Once there, the city had a charm all it's own...

The quick road trip was over before we knew it...so with a chocolate-filled croissant to begin Monday's drive home, we were on our way. We stopped just long enough to visit an amazing 11-acre dog park that Bailey would surely have loved and to take a walk through the shop at a 220 year-old Tavern.  

Now I'm back to my to-do list before those 70-degree days are here to stay. Next time, I'll follow Billie Jo's suggestion at Afternoon Coffee and Evening Tea both here and here...with a little "get to know you" post - it was really fun reading about both her and all of her readers! 

Enjoy the weekend friends...stay safe & warm.

winter...the time for home

 

January seems to have flown by, and I feel like each day's weather brought something new. One day would be cold with chilly winds & rain, then the next morning we'd wake up to pretty spirals of falling snow that called to mind lace curtains dancing in the breeze. We've had gray mornings with snow piled up against the house & barns, and then afternoons with bright sunshine & blue skies. This week, they say we'll have single digit temperatures at night...there's nothing we can do but prepare; it is January after all. And that's okay with me, I think there's a certain warmth that comes to an old house in wintertime...candlelight paired with firelight always seems to me a cozy sight.

Like so many of you, January's found me keeping busy with "Winter Cleaning" as I've heard it called. No time for Spring Cleaning's traditional dust bunny chasing here...Spring is all about being outside. And so being the list-maker that I am, I've whipped up a lengthy To-Do...a room-by-room deep cleaning, sorting, organizing, and donating list. Off to the recycler went Tupperware lids with no bottoms and bottoms with no lids (does this only happen to me?) while magazines,  books, DVD's, and CD's we no longer enjoy have been passed along to a wonderful Friends of the Library shop our local library operates. We're lucky to have an environmental center that recycles worn tennis/athletic shoes, and I'm thinking about having a spring vintage-themed sale to pass on old glassware that seems to be taking over shelves and spilling out of boxes. Why not let someone else enjoy it and add to their collection? Oh I still have oodles to do, but it feels good to get a jump on some things. 

I love the rest that winter brings...time to plot & plan, scheme & dream. Time to put my feet up and settle in with a favorite book or good movie by 7 o'clock, and not feel guilty - because before I know it, outside work will call until nearly dark each day. And that's as it should be. Now we can do things that get put on the back-burner in warmer weather. Mother Nature needs time to rest, as do we. Winter isn't a season to get through...it has a beauty all its own. And for that, I am truly grateful.

Enjoy every day friends...

"Winter is the time for comfort,

for good food and warmth, 

for the touch of a friendly hand

and for a talk beside the fire:

it is the time for home."

-Edith Sitwell

new year, new goals...

Slipping into winter for our part of the Midwest has been gradual, except for the few days before Christmas when the "bomb cyclone" caused temperatures to suddenly drop and bring a wind was breathtakingly cold. Now, winter seems hardly noticeable with temperatures during the day in the 30's. And yet, stepping outside I'm greeted by the wisp of a chilly wind, and it reminds me yes, it's January, and snow and ice storms are most likely in the future.

This week my son went back to college...and believe me, while he was here we stuffed as much into every minute as possible - cooking favorite meals, baking non-stop, watching movies, and staying up way too late. It was good that he spent time catching up with high school friends for lunch or a movie, but for me, the best part was hearing the laughter between him and his sister...I'm always so grateful the kids are close. My daughter will be back at the ballet company next week, so her days will be long, and she's taking her last college classes, oh my time flies. So grateful she's here...we enjoy and laugh at so many of the same things!

If you remember the Grinch cookie cutters that were the pickle ornament gift, here's a look at some of their creations, and yes, they've named it a Blinch - a blue Grinch! 

                

Now it's time for me to get moving on a new year...working on my to-do list and ready to jump in. For me, this is the time of year for "Spring" cleaning...if I don't do it now, it'll never get done in Spring...that's the time for picking up fallen limbs from winter storms, giving the coop a deep clean, moving spent hay to the garden, and other odds & ends that come along with warmer weather and sunshine.

I love the sweet twinkle of tiny lights in winter...and I've asked the question before:

Does anyone truly enjoy taking down the Christmas tree?

Something that's so fun to put up, can be a bit melancholy to take down. Ours is always up through January, but this year, the tree is unusually dry and dropping needles, so I'll be un-decorating it (slowly) this week.

And whether the ornaments are very old,

or very new,

handmade, 

or hot & spicy
(my son and I LOVE peppers!),

of furry friends, 

baby feet,

or future plans,
(I'll share photos soon of the milk house
spruce-up for my cottage foods baking business)

This is always one of my very favorites...
(somewhat hard to read, but it says: Bless This Farm)

Now it's time to put my feet up and have another hot cocoa...even though it's a new year with new hopes & dreams, it's still important to enjoy the simple things: the quiet, the twinkle lights, the warmth, and the hush that is winter.

fingers crossed...

It's two days before Christmas and right now I'm settled in by the fireplace having (yet another) mug of hot chocolate. The fire is crackling, which is such a comforting sound, contrasting sharply with the sound of icy, gusty wind that's making the windows in this old house rattle like the rigging on a sailboat caught in a storm. 

I say fingers crossed, because I'm afraid that if I actually say "it", I may jinx myself. Let's just say with a temperature of -8 degrees and a wind chill of -30, I'm so grateful that the Elektron (in Greek) is still on and hasn't even flickered.

Yesterday allowed for just one more chance to check and double-check lists for anything that might need doing, while at the same time my phone continued to alert me of a Winter Storm Warning. Outside I noticed gentle rain showers, as the temperature was still fairly warm at 40 degrees. Then, sure enough, as the evening sun plunged below the horizon, the temperatures plunged with it and flurries danced in the wind. 

Now it's about time for another trip outside to get goats & chickens tucked in for the night. Bailey and I will bundle up head to toe (or for her, head to paw), and while we're certainly not stylish, we'll be as warm as possible and moving as quickly as possible.

And so, just in case we do lose Elektron, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. May you be warm, safe, and enjoying this special time of year.

Below is the greeting you'll find on our door, and below it, one of my very
favorite Christmas quotes.

"Children all over the world are eagerly awaiting midnight
and the arrival of Santa Claus.

In a few hours from now, many of you will attend midnight
services in the church of your faith.

It is the Silent Night, the Holy Night, it is the solemn,
thought provoking night that precedes the dawn of another joyful Christmas.

Of the many gifts men cherish most this Christmas Eve,
surely the one all spirits yearn for, is the illusive gift of peace. 

Peace on earth good will toward men, so it was eloquently
phrased in ages past.

May each and every one of you find that abiding peace in
your own hearts this Christmas Eve.

And if enough of us, in enough places, earnestly and bravely
seek out such peace, the world cannot help but heed this
growing desire for lasting good.

So amid all your holiday rejoicing, pause for just a moment,
won't you? To add your silent prayer to the fulfillment
of that great promise:

peace on earth, good will toward men."

-Harold Peary

The Great Gildersleeve radio show, 1940-1954

a quick hello...

Watching all that is happening in the world this week, anything I have to say seems trivial. 

It is heartbreaking to see, and unsettling to ponder.

With that said, this post is short & sweet...from our house to yours,
a quick hello in 4's...

February weather:

snow, heavy frost, flooding, ice storms...

February kitchen: 

quick breads, cookies, pasta sauce, apple pie... 

February faces:

GB, Bailey & Azzie (why yes, that is a hoodie Bailey's wearing!)

February favorites: 

handed-down recipes, an old teacup, vintage blue cupboard/drawers
(in our barn, but really, I'm thinking it needs to come inside), handwritten recipe cards...

And so that's a quick hello from "our neck of the woods" as they say...hope all is well where you are. Take time to settle in and enjoy the weekend.