swings & roundabouts...

swings & roundabouts.
six of one, half-dozen of another.
six and two threes.

However you say it, it means things even out.

Now I love a good January snowstorm, and once I know we're all safely settled in, along with the goats and chickens, barn cats and dog, a heavy snow gets me in the nesting frame of mind...I want to bake, watch a Cary Grant movie, and cozy up under a quilt.

However; when rain is predicted in January, and we know the temperature is going to plummet the same night, it is not something to look forward to.

First, 5 inches of snow settled on the farm, leaving drifts around the barns that were knee-high. Lovely snow...the picture-perfect kind of snow made for snowmen, sledding, and snow ice cream!

Then it came...within a couple of days the temperature raised to 42 degrees followed by pouring rain. At night it dropped to 18 degrees, and everything froze. We watched as the ice collected on the tree branches and powerlines...our farm is the last home on our power provider, which translates into being the last to be repaired if needed. We were as prepared as possible with wood stacked handily by the back door, kerosene heater filled, gasoline standing by for the generator, and candles ready to light. On nights like these, the kitchen sink tap is turned to a slow drip and we sleep a little restlessly.

Luckily for us, the power stayed on...all is well. A trip up the ladder to break ice in the gutter and the downspout, then a little brute strength to open car doors, and we were just fine.

This morning, I can hear ferocious winds whistling through the tall pines and see the branches swinging. Old Man Winter is rattling the windows and sending an icy blast through any nook and cranny that can be found in this 155-year old farmhouse. Yes, it's been much colder, so we are fortunate, while so many spots around the country are brutally cold. In our part of the Midwest it's -5 with a wind chill of -25...local schools sensibly decided to cancel classes for the next two days. 

We'll be outside to check on animals about every 4 hours and that means bundling up head-to-toe...Carhartt® overalls and a down vest, heavy coat, boots, gloves, and winter face masks. Warm? Yes. Stylish? Well, that depends on your sense of style...warmth over fashion for me today!

And so, how does this relate to swings and roundabouts? It means things all even out.

The temperature being forecast for next Tuesday is 55 degrees.

Snow.
Rain.
Freeze.
Repeat.

Hope wherever you are,  you're safe, warm, and cozy!

making ready for the snowstorm...

Maple, oak, and spruce trees surrounding the farmhouse are holding steady as the wind howls across the empty fields. Fields that are so lovely in summer filled with tall corn swaying in the breeze, but fields that when harvested and empty allow the wind to blow ferociously against us with a mighty strength.

For our part of the Midwest, we're expecting 8 to 12 inches of snow today... and that's just fine with me. I love the idea of a good old-fashioned snowstorm...there's just something about it that brings out my Laura Ingalls pioneer spirit! 

We're ready...wood is stacked by the kitchen door, the pantry is full, animals have cozy spots to snuggle in and will enjoy treats at bedtime...apples for the goats, scratch for the hens. Outdoor chores are done and now I'm sitting inside, safe in the warmth of a country kitchen. Everything everywhere is cancelled...it's a day of good books, old movies, and yes, the occasional nap.

Today is also the perfect time for hot soup and homemade bread. I was gifted with a slow-cooker trio this past Christmas (three 1-1/2 quart slow cookers that share a base), and each mini cooker is filled with a different soup, so a bowl can be enjoyed whenever someone needs warming up. The kids are wanting to know if I'll make cookies. Of course! Nothing else goes so well on a frosty day with a favorite movie...add mugs of chocolaty cocoa and buttery popcorn and it's sure to be a long cozy day at home. Choosing the movie will be the hardest part: will it be an old classic like North by Northwest, The Great Race, or Father Goose? Or maybe something newer, say Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?

It doesn't really matter...as I've heard said:

"Home means more than where we hang our hat."

Is there anyone who actually enjoys taking down the Christmas tree?

I've asked that question in the past...and I'll hear, "Yes! I can't wait to get things back to normal." While I'm sure that's true for many of you, that's never been the case for me. Taking down the tree is January's melancholy moment.

In December, opening up boxes of ornaments is like uncovering treasures!  Handmade decorations made from Popsicle sticks, outlines of little feet or hands, and colorful glass balls collected from favorite vacation spots...a little bell that reads, "Zion National Park", a Mark Twain Steamboat, the Chicago skyline and Navy Pier, and the sand dollar from Hawaii with a cheerful "Mele Kalikimaka" written on it.

Now it's true, at least for us, ornaments multiply when no one is watching. Don't ask me how, but I know we have enough ornaments for several trees! And somehow, the ornament boxes I have tucked away in a trunk never seem to haven enough spaces when it's time to fill them again.

I suppose this could be the reason...I found a few ornaments this year that seemed just right for our family.

Like this one...

our daughter had her braces removed, yay!
Now she can enjoy popcorn again!

One of our favorite places to eat always has bags of
cotton candy...I have to come home with at least 2 bags!
(hey, they're small bags!)

Our son is working on his Eagle Scout Project...
he wants to build Barn Owl nest boxes
(they're endangered in our area)

so this caught my eye.

He has also joined me in my love of hot peppers...
and this ornament came home, too!

And while this ornament isn't new,
now there's actually a sweet little camper
to enjoy...and Maizy is her name!

This ornament is from last year too;
however on Christmas I was gifted with a Candy Apple Red mixer!
(Such a sassy color for me!) My old Kitchenaid has been around
for nearly 30 years and works without a hitch, but does get
warm while mixing bread dough. This new one is much bigger, 

so now I can have both mixing up goodies at once...
perfect for the baking I do to sell at the farmers' market!

To make a long story short; no, our decorations are not packed away just yet...there's still one tradition that needs to happen...a camp-out under the tree. It really is beautiful falling asleep under all the twinkling lights.

When the time comes to pack away all the sweet memories, it will be a Blue Willow Society moment...I'll tell you more about that soon. It involves 2 dear friends, vintage Blue Willow teacups, and a steaming pot of herbal tea.

happy new year!

On this New Year's Eve, I can hear church bells ringing in the distance...

I'd say 2019 is off to a good start.

From our family to yours, we wish you a happy new year...

a clean slate
fresh beginnings

memories waiting to be made and

dreams waiting to come true.

as the clock strikes midnight,

count your blessings &

hug your dear ones tight!

merry Christmas!

Wishing you a joyful Christmas filled with love, laughter,
magic & memories.

last Christmas...

Today's post is short & sweet...

for far too long I've sadly counted down to our daughter's last Christmas at home.  And here it is...she's a senior now, and you know too well, how time does fly.

Days have been spent trying to make the "perfect" Christmas, wrapped around juggling admissions paperwork, calendering deadlines for college applications, planning college visits,
and general wear & tear on the heart.

And so today my thoughts went back to possibly the best post I've ever read about Christmas.
If you haven't read "Just. Stop." by City Farmgirl Rebekah Teal, do it now. 

Hop over to this link and I'll just bet after you've read it, you will give a sigh of relief. 

We all know what to do...keep it simple, be there, enjoy every moment.
Time flies...whether we're having fun or not.  Let's choose fun!

 

one last Glamp-Out!

Why yes, a camp out in December! And no, our farm is not located somewhere balmy...we're in the Heartland of the USA and already we've had our share of ice, snow, mud, rain, and temperatures as low as 18.

However, this past Sunday...

it. 
was.
64 degrees!


No kidding...it's been a whirlwind of weather ups & downs!  Our son participated in a Boy Scout camp out a couple weeks ago...brrr, those boys were cold!  But Sunday it was like spring.

And that meant just a little more time for glamping! I can't begin to tell you how much fun we've had with our camper, Maizy. Sadly, she spent way too many weeks (nearly all summer) in a camper "spa" while many layers of asphalt were painstakingly scraped from her roof, repairs made to her original aluminum roof, and water lines mended. By the time she came home it was Labor Day weekend. 

And with school beginning in August, there was no time for a get-away...so glamping became a backyard thing for my daughter and me. Even the boys joined in from time-to-time. 

I'm pretty confident that we won't have any more 60-degree days, so now it's time to tuck Maizy into the barn for a cozy winter's nap. But before she was all nestled in, I couldn't resist taking just a few more photos to share. You've already had a peek at her here, but I added a little more since those photos were taken.

Here's what greets me at the door...
(remember that the paint, seating & window fabric were already in place...
I had the fun part!)

Off to the right is the dining table, which turns into a bed.
And the crow's nest up high becomes more (teeny, tiny) room for sleeping.

 Board games are a must and tucked inside this bright red metal picnic basket I found at our local feed store...

are oodles of pint-size games, tiny versions that are just right!

Straight ahead is the kitchen...I can see why folks love tiny houses! I added some retro cookbooks I had on hand, along with a vintage thermos and a night-light I bought years ago (dreams can come true!)

Take a close look at the apron the gal is wearing on the cover of the cookbook...
it's a perfect match for the vintage cherry fabric I found (I'm telling you, this was meant to be!)

Another feed store find...who would have thought I'd find this cake carrier on a trip to get chicken feed and goat treats?  It's just the right shade of red and with cherries, too...I'm pretty sure I was squealing when I saw this!

Here's the sink, complete with pop bottle opener 
(do kids even know what those are?)

More seating that turns into a comfy bed. The cherry fabric was paired with vintage chenille and stitched into my favorite 9-patch pattern for pillows.

 and possibly the world's smallest closet.

I was so in love with this fabric...I had just enough leftover for a little curtain on the door.

And a look in my button box turned up 3 retro buttons that were a match...a little glue, a little elastic and call it done.

And as the end of the day came, I knew it was time to nestle Maizy into a
warm & dry spot for the winter.

But oh, what fun it's been...she just makes me smile!

be glad of life...

For a crackling fire and family to share it,

for bittersweet and plump pumpkins,

for a wood-bin filled with logs,

and for time to dream while staring into the flames.

I am thankful.

For quilts and trunks and weathered barns,

for fields now dusted with snow,
and the distant sound of an owl.
I am thankful.

For purring cats and smiling goats

for hens and dogs and bees,
I am thankful.

For time to live and the laughter of children,
for creaky old floors, glowing candles, and soft flannel sheets.
I am thankful.

This year, no matter where we find ourselves,
let us try to make every day
a day of thanksgiving.

things that make my heart happy...

Truly, it is the simple things in life that are the best.  

Yesterday, I was wishing I had some bittersweet to decorate with...a little to dress up the pumpkins on the front porch and wrap around the dinner bell post.  A few sprigs to tuck alongside the chartreuse hedge apples and leaves I'd added to the old laundry stand by the back door and some to fill the speckled enamelware pail that's in the mudroom.

Those bunches of cheery orange and red berries are just one of the simple things that are oh-so pretty and say "Fall" to me!

So off I went into the woods...surely there must be bittersweet growing somewhere. I walked and walked...

nope.
nothing.
zip.

It was getting cold and the wind was picking up, so back to the house I started. But this time I took a different path, and along the fence I saw a tall blaze of orange and off I went! The closer I got yes, it WAS bittersweet!  And tall... probably 15 feet of glorious vines filled to overflowing.  So I gathered armfuls and put them in the back of the truck...then I went back and gathered more. Once home,  I had a ball wrapping them here and there...as my daughter says, it was something that, "makes my heart happy!"

However; mother nature had a trick up her sleeve.  While we slept, freezing rain and ice visited the old farmhouse. School was cancelled (yay!) but a peek outside found all my bittersweet covered in an icy glaze. 

But you know, that delicate ice has a beauty all its own. And that's just fine with me.  It's a quiet day here...reading, crackling fire, and homemade cocoa. 

I am thankful for the simple country pleasures.

fall magic...

This time of year, the grassy paths I take to greet chickens and goats are covered with leaves. Leaves that break the morning quiet with their "crunch, crunch"  and leaves that look as if I'm walking on a vintage paisley carpet. The bright cherry red and mustard yellow colors of October have been replaced with browns and golds, and the trees are bare, but that's okay...it signals a time to stack wood, fill the pantry, and snuggle in for the winter to come.

Early November always reminds me of my first college Design class...the instructor took us outside in November to teach us about Shibui ... designing with the colors of late fall. Along with the colors there are 7 design elements...simplicity, implicity, modesty, naturalness, everydayness, imperfection, and silence.  To me, those sum up autumn perfectly.

Last night we had our first fire in the fireplace, and today the flannel sheets go on the beds...two sure signs the weather has turned and it's time to get cozy! Autumn in our part of the country has been unusual this year...truly, temperatures were in the 90's one week, then dipped down into the 50's with no going back. Daytime temperatures are hovering around 40 and and our lowest night has been 18.  Brrr!

But before the winter winds blow and we're doing a happy dance because of snow days from school, I wanted to share one of my "never stop making wishes" moments.

No, this isn't about Maizy, but about tinkering with the idea of a farm stand. When fall came and it was time to prepare the garden for it's winter nap, I gathered all the final veggies and decided to make a little roadside stand. 

I pulled together an old window I found tucked in the barn along with retro chalkboards and paired them with a cheery tablecloth, honor box, and signs.  My first customer stopped before I could finish setting up!

Paper bags were filled with Brandywine and Amish paste tomatoes, jalapeño, banana, bell, and salsa peppers, small red and yellow potatoes, and a little recipe card.

While I don't want to commit right now to every Saturday at the Farmers' Market on the town square, this was a simple way to offer extra goodies from our garden. It was nothing big, but fun to do!

I'm already making plans for next year...how about Mason jars of sunflowers or cottage garden bouquets? Herbs...fresh and dried?  And jars of raw honey as well!

But that's next summer...for now we'll enjoy the season we are in. Time to watch the full moon rise while the fire crackles, listen to the owl in the white pine, and enjoy every minute of harvest and home.

simple country pleasures...

October...my favorite month of the year! Filled with brilliant shades of dusky bronze, mustard yellow, russet red, and deep burgundy. A bundle of Indian corn hangs as a harvest greeting on our farmhouse door, a tower of plump pumpkins are stacked in the urns that once held pretty pink begonias, and piles of leaves are everywhere. I love the sound of fall leaves crunching underfoot...it's the only sound to be heard early in the morning as I go outside to greet chickens and goats...who, by the way, are sleeping in just a bit longer on these gray, cool mornings.

In the evenings we can hear the call of a Great Horned Owl in the distance. If all goes as it does each year, any time now he (or she) will move into the tall pine tree in our front yard...owls calling to one another late at night make for a perfectly eerie Halloween feel.

And oh, it's time for pumpkin patches...I mean look at this!

Pumpkins.
AND.
Pigs.

Can you blame me for pulling the truck right in to check it out?!

There were oodles and oodles of pumpkins...

Look how clever...a round hay bale wrapped in orange plastic and painted to look like a pumpkin (check out the log on top to resemble a stem!)

and of course, as promised - pigs!

Little ones that given half a chance would have made their way home with us!

And see that little sign off to the right?  Directly under it is a Mason jar to drop money in. I absolutely love that...an honesty jar. It just doesn't get any better than that...call me old-fashioned.

A family farm, overflowing with pumpkins, and they invite passers-by to just pull in, greet the little pigs, choose a favorite pumpkin, and drop money in the jar.

Yep, call this Heartland farmgirl old-fashioned...that's just fine.

wise words...

If you haven't yet heard of Tasha Tudor, just click here and get to know her...what an inspiration to live simply and enjoy the sweet every day moments. I've read her books and been captivated by her way of life for years...she's the one who inspired me to roast turkeys in an old-fashioned tin kitchen before a crackling fire (it truly tastes wonderful!), to appreciate the
"rustle" of the gingham ruffle on a full-length pinafore apron, and it was Tasha who first introduced me to Nubian goats...ahhh, those adorable long ears!

Tasha was described as "fiercely independent" (hmmm, I was once described as that; still makes me laugh!) and a woman with a simple life and a sprawling garden. 

Mother Earth News said of her: "She wears her long frocks, petticoats, aprons, lacy kerchiefs, and handknit shawls with an unconscious grace, as if she truly lived 150 years earlier.  Her days unfold with a gentle rhythm, from earliest light when she sets out barefoot to milk her goats until she settles in the parlor by the fireplace with a cup of chamomile tea at nightfall."

I like the sound of that, "a gentle rhythm" it sounds peaceful in today's often frenetic world.

I'm going to plant an herbal tea garden next spring...so when the days grow short and the winter winds blow, I can sit by the fireplace at the end of my day and enjoy a cup of tea.

Look at this tomato!

This week I'm putting the garden to bed for winter...harvesting, tilling, and adding compost...where did the summer go? (Although with temps in the upper 90's
and high humidity all summer long, I have to admit I'm ready for fall and winter.
Bring on the sweaters!)

In the next few days the last of our garden veggies will become pasta sauce and salsa to enjoy when the frosty winds blow and we need a little reminder of what a REAL summertime tomato tastes like. And if you're looking for a new recipe for keeping summer in a jar, try this one for Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce. We think it's really good and it's super simple to make.

And so today, in my salute to REAL tomatoes, I have to share a photo. When I saw this tomato, it practically jumped out at me and cried, "I'm perfect for a BLT!"  I mean look at it, one slice will cover an entire sandwich!

2-1/2 pounds of glorious tomato that's 4-1/2 inches across

...I almost hate to slice it!

Guess what's on the dinner menu this week? Yep...definitely BLT's and BLAT's (slices of avocado added, mmm). I can taste it now on home-baked sourdough bread. I may just have to try my hand at homemade mayonnaise, too...this tomato deserves the best!

And no, this beauty didn't come from my garden, I found it at a little farmers' market at the edge of town. Ahhh, but a girl can dream, I'm definitely going to ask what variety it is and add it to my own garden next year!