Old Man Winter...

In our part of the Midwest, Old Man Winter has January firmly in his grasp...temperatures continue to plunge (we woke up to a brutal -10 yesterday morning), the northern winds are strong, and the notorious black ice has made its return. If you've not experienced driving on black ice, it's truly a dangerous thing...a thin coating of icy glaze on roads, and while the ice itself isn't black, it's practically invisible tricking drivers into believing the road is dry and safe.

So, among frosty winds and slate-colored skies, you know what this "fiercely independent" gal is doing...pulling on a barn coat and stacking wood, arranging an old quilt over the door of goat pen, and tossing the chickens a few handfuls of scratch grains as a treat before bedtime. 

Friday night, and it's a quiet evening...although vaccinated, this week both of the kids tested positive for COVID, so they're curled up under fleece blankets getting their rest...hubby and I are hoping to steer clear of it, but really...what are the chances?

There's a cozy fire burning in the kitchen fireplace and I'm ready for a cup of herbal hibiscus tea. Snowy days give us the time to settle in and the freedom to daydream...that's exactly what I'm going to do. Pen and paper in hand, dreaming dreams and making wishes.

Below are a few snapshots of what it looks like in our corner of the world...hope all is well wherever you are!

snowy fields and a neighbor's barn...

frost on the old glass...

the girls and their bachelor kept a little warmer
with a  heat lamp...

ready for a snowy drive home...

GB, Glowbug, and Tardis getting a bedtime snack...

Azzie curled up on a wintry day...

I love the fireplace in the old kitchen...

this is what -10 looks like at chore time...

a friend shared her fresh milk...yay, time to make
snow ice cream!

you say "Fiercely Independent" like it's a bad thing!

This morning sunlight poured through the kitchen window of the old farmhouse casting pleasant shadows...a cheery glow to the woodpile which is stacked high, the kindling in the old woodbin, and the checkered bench that's drawn close to the hearth. 

In our part of the Midwest we get ready for winter beginning in October...we count bales of hay, fasten tarps around the chicken run, put heated water buckets in place, and cords of wood are double-checked...just how much do we have? 

We make sure there's propane and kerosene for the heaters, count food storage, clean the chimneys, and put the garden to bed. We've talked about what we'd do if the power went out, have spare batteries, prepped power tools, keep oil lamps handy, and learned to cook over an open fire (and let me tell you, a turkey cooked in a tin kitchen in front of a fire is wonderful!).

wood pile...check!

Photo Credit

To me, all this just makes sense; yet, once upon a time, someone told me I was "fiercely independent" ... now I could be wrong, but it didn't come across as a compliment. If having a plan so that we're prepared, no matter what happens, makes me fiercely independent, well then, so be it. Personally, I think that's a good thing.  

I want to be sure when the snow and ice come, we're ready...that we're warm and fed, as well as our animals. And not in a "barely surviving" kind of way...let's have s'mores, play board games, watch movies, and make snow ice cream. Goats will get apple slices and chickens warm mash...tell me, fiercely independent, or simply practical? 

And so with that long intro, today makes day 30 with no furnace. It quit, along with the heat pump, the week before Christmas...and with any luck, the part we need will be in this week. 

early morning blue skies and indigo clouds...8 degrees

It's put our preparedness to the test; and that's a good thing. The coldest outdoor temperature we've had so far is 8 degrees...and let me tell you, keeping doors closed to rooms we don't use means a brisk run when we need to pass through them! 

The forecast is for snow beginning in 3 hours...3-5 inches. And you know what? This "fiercely independent" girl is ready...let it snow. 

I thought it was very appropriate to re-read The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder (you can find it free to read or listen to online) and so now I'm sitting in a comfortable chair beginning a knitting project and I'm thinking about the year ahead. Oh yes, my wish list is long, maybe too long, but the calendar for 2022 is empty...new and clean, just waiting to be filled. What will we do with the time given us? 

Azrael warm & cozy by the fire

Happy New Year friends...stay cozy & warm!

here comes Christmas!

Today a cold, steady wind from the north has been whistling around the old farmhouse, meaning outdoor chores are done quickly! The heat lamp was on last night for the girls and their beau in the coop, and goats were tucked in with an extra portion of hay and some apple slices...after all, everyone needs a little treat.

I've been baking cookies, sending out cards, and making secret shopping trips to gather stocking stuffers. Tomorrow we'll have snacks and appetizers to enjoy all afternoon, then at night we'll take our annual Christmas walk around the town square and past the shop windows. It's always fun to see the small town lights and decorations...we've been doing this for about 15 years and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it. 

If you've been reading here for awhile, you know I love old things...old houses, homespun traditions, simpler ways, and I've wondered how Christmases past were spent in 1864, when this old house was built. How did they stay warm when those frosty winter winds blew across the open fields? Burning wood and coal were the most common ways to heat a house back then...hmmm, so why am I bringing this up?

Could there be any worse time than the week of Christmas for a furnace to break? And while we wait for the parts to arrive, we're getting a small taste of an old-fashioned 1864 winter. Oh-so grateful for plenty of firewood as well as modern conveniences such as space heaters and kerosene heat. The kitchen has drawn us together like a magnet...heat from Mae, our stove, along with mugs of hot chocolate, plates of warm cookies, and a crackling fire.  (Now I know why ladies of the time wore numerous layers of clothing!)

Oh, we'll be just fine...Christmas morning we'll have cinnamon rolls, monkey bread, open gifts, and enjoy the day. Sunday the little ones I teach at church will sing "Away in a Manger" and my son is giving a talk about Christmas...a sweet way to enjoy the holiday.

From our house to yours, wishing a merry and blessed holiday season to you all!

'tis the season...

 It seems that each passing day raises our anticipation and joy in planning for Christmas...secret surprises, a visit to the tree farm, and a kitchen filled with the aroma of spicy gingersnap cookies. 

Mae, our 1950 oven (why yes, every vintage oven does needs a name!) has been going the extra mile...two ovens, two broilers, 4 burners, and room for a griddle (which I need to find) she warms the kitchen with her magical self. I often think of the past 71 Christmases she's seen...truly, the heart of our kitchen. 

I know your days are filled with busyness...the exciting kind! December is a month filled with cooking, tree-trimming, and singing. Enjoy every minute...the glow of the fire, the twinkling tree, the sound of church bells, the gathering of snowbirds.

Some snapshots of our December, from the old farmhouse...

our tree waiting for decorations

a yellow-ware bowl filled with old-fashioned potpourri

the Hoosier cupboard greets us as we come home

a tree in the window for passersby and woodland creatures

one of my favorite Santas

more of the jolly men on the mantel

such pretty pink clouds (no filter, I promise!)

an old wagon by the lamp post

a special Christmas cactus given to me
by a dear friend when my son was born.
Every year it blooms near his birthday...and while
they usually bloom for only 1-2 weeks, 
last year, it bloomed for 5 months...

inspiration...a  handmade sign in a local shop

happy Thanksgiving!

A morning low of 17 degrees and surfaces tinged with silver make me certain that winter can't be far behind. Reading through The Old Farmers' Almanac, it tells us to get ready for a long, snowy winter, one of the coldest in years. (And you know what, getting snowed in wouldn't bother me one, little bit!)

Autumn has found me stepping lively to get ready for the approaching winter...cords of wood are stacked in the barn and by the back door, goats and chickens have been tucked in with extra bedding, bales of hay have been delivered and put in place, food and water stores have been checked. Now, all we can do is wait and see what Old Man Winter brings us.

A brisk walk around the farm in this frosty November air clears my head as I make sure I've not forgotten anything for our family Thanksgiving. Our day starts by watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and right afterward is The National Dog Show...always fun!  We'll settle in for dinner, enjoying our traditional favorites, then we may not be able to resist a nap...followed by a movie later in the day.

Planning Thanksgiving day is one of those simple pleasures...remembering loved ones as we prepare recipes that have stood the test of time.

November also signals a settling-in time...flannel sheets are on the beds, extra quilts are freshly washed, candles are glowing, a fire is crackling. Oh-so grateful for November's blessings.

Wherever you may be, wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home!
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin.

-Henry Alford, 1844

brrr...

Cool, crisp November weather has inspired a flurry of seasonal projects, but I'm stealing a few minutes today for a quick "Hello" between cleaning the barn and prepping for winter.

What's been happening in our corner of the world?

Well, with below freezing temperatures predicted, a few days ago I gathered the last of summer's sage and chives for drying, and took every last jalapeno from the plants in the garden (cowboy candy is addictive for me...I'll share the recipe next time!)

Sage that I missed went from this...

 

to this, as temperatures dropped down to 27 degrees.

For Senior Night we bundled up under blankets and brought a thermos of hot chocolate to enjoy the last football game for the year (our son plays the trumpet in the marching band).

And for Halloween, when we sat down to carve pumpkins, we discovered a little mishap. Our local farmers' market was out of orange pumpkins, so I picked some plump, yellow-ish ones. Well as the carving began, we found it impossible to cut into the pumpkins. I don't know the variety, but evidently they were not for carving, so we pulled out paints and markers in every color and set out to create our pumpkins.

You know, in the end it was much more fun, and definitely something to remember!

Early November has brought sunrises that are simply beautiful...what a way to begin the day.

Well, it's time I was back outside...I just can't seem to  successfully stifle the urge to get outdoor projects done.

This weekend, it's supposed to be near 60 degrees, and that sounds like the perfect time for a little bonfire and an evening spent enjoying the fall season.

 

sweet October days...

Golden filtered light, a cat or two for company, and a smiling goat...so many simple pleasures this time of year. One of the best, is being outdoors. 

Mornings are crisp and still dark when Bailey and I go outside, and like clockwork, we're sure to hear a loud greeting from our rooster Bandito...most likely telling us it's time to start the day and he'd like a little breakfast!

  

                    

Rains have been continuous all summer, making the grass thick and green...this morning it looks as though it was sprinkled with little diamonds. 

The sinking sun has given evenings a fiery glow...

as it dips below the horizon. 

Corn has been harvested...using two combines when the day is long and rain is in the forecast. 

The farmers were working so long to beat the rain, that they had pizza delivered...no time to stop for dinner. And it made me laugh...

it is just me, or does this look like the famous Big Foot photo?!

 

And before those predicted rains come, Maizy is covered to protect her from the leaks vintage campers are prone to...getting that tarp on is a two, or sometimes three, person job. Hoping to enjoy her a little bit longer before tucking her away for winter.

This morning the fields were covered with mist, while rays of sun peeked through the Magnolia tree...

in a minute, it was gone.

Which got me to thinking...

(Source: here)

Senior pictures have been taken and last night the marching band performed at the final high school football game...don't get me started: time is flying. 

I'm trying hard to remember that the days can easily become full of "things to do" ...  but time with each other isn't endless. 

Enjoy the season you are in...

autumn frenzy...

In October, I'm like a squirrel preparing for winter...frenetic, some might say. And oh, how the dictionary definition makes me laugh: 

"Frenetic - fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way."

I wouldn't say I'm particularly fast or energetic, and I'm definitely not wild and uncontrolled! However, I am determined. I keep a notebook handy with my to-do list (which is way too long) and I try to mark something off each day. Some days, a project gets shuffled to another day, but I keep plugging away. 

It's what I call Autumn Frenzy. The dash to try and outwit Mother Nature by wrapping up outdoor projects and chores...all that needs doing before the snow, ice, and brutal temperatures of Winter are upon us. Now, don't get me wrong, I love sitting next to a cozy fire while the snow piles up outside. It's a wonderful time to take a step back from the daily garden chores that are so hard to keep up with in the summer heat & humidity. But in autumn, it's hurry up time!

Farmers are busy...while corn still stands in the fields, the beans have been harvested,

and although the garden has wrapped up, the zinnias and geraniums still greet us with cheery blooms.

What's on today's list? Cleaning the chicken coop and prepping it for winter, putting the last of the garden to bed, and trimming fruit trees. it's cool and cloudy, making it a great day to dig in and get the work done!

From my little corner of the world, sending you good thoughts wherever you are, on the beautiful October day! 

(PS...if you're wondering how to make the pumpkins, it's oh-so easy. Just use a permanent Sharpie marker...it'll hold up great in the outdoor weather.)