More snow today. They say anywhere from 8-12 inches depending on where you are. Seems like we are always on the cusp of all storms so we never really know until it is over. All this and winter doesn’t even start until Saturday morning at 1:08 a.m. The snow is beautiful, but shoveling is not.
I have just about finished all my sewing for Christmas. Just have to put the buttons on the husband’s shirt and that will be all done. The only other thing that I wanted to make was a bonnet for churches Christmas eve service. I need buckram to finish it, and unfortunealty the local Wal-Mart does not carry buckram. This means I would have to go to JoAnns, and that is in the opposite directions by close to an hour. We are not headed that way until after Christmas. I may just use interfacing instead, even though it would not have the stiffness it should. Or, I could make another style bonnet. I can always wear the hat I already have.
Yesterday, I made some wheat bars. This was a special treat since I have not had them since 1981 when I left high school. I happended onto our high school website and found the recipe, and just had to make them. They were so delicious. It brought back many memories of the good old days back in high school. I still have to make the peanut butter bars, but since those don’t need to be baked, I always make those last. They are always a treat, because I only make them at Christmas.

It is snowing like crazy outside. The wind is whipping around. Although it is cold, and blizzard like, it is very beautiful. The back yard is blanketed in virgin snow. It is wonderful. By tomorrow some creature will have left their foot prints, and we will have fun examining the paw prints to see which animal it could be. Could they be after the carrots still left in the garden? Good eating for some hungry critter, if they can dig them up.
I suspect we might be without power by tonight, but that doesn’t bother me much. Candles are always at the ready in this house, since we use them as light much of the time anyway. If by chance the lights do go out, I guess we will all be sleeping by the wood stove in the kitchen.
There are times when I wish we didn’t need electricity. It would be like living back in 1822 when the house was just built. Technically, I think we could get along without electricity, especially in the winter. One wouldn’t need a fridge when it is frigid outside. Other than the computer, we really don’t use that much electricity. We use candles and oil lamps for light, and the wood stove supplies most of the downstairs heat. I don’t think we need to heat upstairs, since after getting into bed it is warm anyway. Seems like a waste to me to heat the air for you when get out of bed 8 hours later. Why not just turn it up as soon as you get up?
I am sure the owners in 1822 would think we have it pretty good since they had no electricity and would have had just a wood stove in what is now our living room. They would have kept warm from the fire, and from cooking breads, and meals. Being that this was a farm even 175 years ago, I am sure they would have had cows or other barnyard animals to take care of.
We don’t have that task as of yet, but come spring, we will have chickens.
I wonder what they would be doing on a snowy Sunday afternoon in our home 175 years ago.

It will be Christmas soon. If you walked into my kitchen you would think you walked into a tailor shop with all the fabric, and sewing paraphernalia all over my kitchen table. Cloth in pile, patterns in another, and the last pile is half done projects. I really have to get the rest of my gifts made.
I am still at a loss as to what to make for the boys. I don’t have enough time to make what I wanted to make for both of them, so I have to come up with another plan. They are so hard to come up with a gift for. Even if I was to buy something, I don’t have a clue. I even had a hard time coming up with something for their girlfriends.
The husband knows what I am making him, because he had to approve the pattern, and pick out the fabric. I am making him an 1800’s shirt from a Simplicity pattern that will go great with the pants I will be making him next.
We still have to decorate the house this weekend too.
With all I have to do, I should get to it

Sewing has become a major part of my life. I realized a few years back that I could make most everything I needed. I know I could go to Wal-Mart and buy a blouse for $10 on sale, but there is nothing more pleasurable than making a blouse with your on two hands. I spent $8 on material, and I already had the buttons from another worn out blouse. So if you figure in the material, thread and time, I am sure the blouse cost me over a $10 sale blouse. But how do you measure internal satisfaction. It means so much more than buying something off the wrack. You start off with just a piece of fabric, and then in few hours it is a beautiful blouse. (more…)

I decided last night to start the job of upholstering Grandma’s furniture that my cousin Deb handed down to me a few weeks ago. She had inherited it from my aunt when she died, and she wanted to pass them to someone in the family who would take care of them. They were passed down to my Grandmother when Aunt Lucy died years ago. I remember as a child, sitting on them in the parlor as Grandma would play the piano. They were crushed red velvet, and a tad worn, but we were still taught respect for the old pieces. The springs were falling through the bottom, and the velvet was torn in spots, but to me they were beautiful. And now they grace my formal parlor. I finished redoing the chair last night, and hope to start on the couch and settee today. They will once again be beautiful. They won’t be red, and there is no piano in the room, but they still echo wonderful childhood memories for me.

Being it our first snow storm of the season, we sure did get more than I would have like. It would seem from shoveling that we got about 10 inches or so. It does make the trees beautiful. It is the clean up that is such a mess.
The dogs weren’t to thrilled about it. Except Kodie. He doesn’t seem to be phased by too much. He reminds of when I had Kishka and he would just go out and play then lie down in the snow. It was much different with Kishka, since Kishka was a wolf cross, but it does remind me of him. Kodie, being a Cocker Spaniel, doesn’t even think he looks like a wolf. But he sure does act like one some days.
Today we resume the clean up of the snow. I feel bad that my back is bugging me, and I am not able to do what I want to do.
I suppose we should make a path to the carrots too. Being that the root cellar has very steep stairs, I decided that the earth would act as my root cellar and left the carrots in the garden. I packed the dirt up around them for insulation, and now that they have almost a foot of snow on them they have even more insulation. The pumpkins and squashes were put down in the cellar for winter storage. They have there comfy home until we decide to eat them. Growing your own food has to be the greatest feeling. You plant the seed, watch it grow, and pick the fruit of your summer labors. Fresh, right from the garden is the best way to eat veggies.

We are due to get snow tonight. This will be our first real snow of the season. The last snow was piddly and didn’t last. The first snow is always so pretty. It covers all the dead leaves and ugliness on the ground, and makes the trees sparkle in the sunshine. It is a photographers dream. Unfortunately, this photographer happens to be out of film at the moment. I could use my digital, but I still don’t like how it works. I still enjoy looking through that view finder a real wonder.
We have been working hard on getting our new website up. I have been editing text and descriptions all day. It was a good day for it. It is cold outside, and there is nothing like sitting by the fire on a cold day. The dogs snuggled up beside me curled into a little ball, it was the perfect setting for a Norman Rockwell
I was suppose to go for acupuncture in the morning, and I am hoping the snow doesn’t stop my visit. My back and neck have been bothering me terrible, and I know a few sticks from Kenji would help a great deal.
It is almost time to close the shop for the day and this computer. Sunday is usually our no-electric day, but today we cheated by using the computer. It is nice to have a day when there is no t.v., computer or other gadget running in the background. It makes for a quiet, peaceful day.

Can you believe it has already been a year since we bought our farm? With so much still to do, I didn’t realized just how much we accomplished this year.

We got our gardens going, and opened our shop and farm stand. We had several projects going all summer and we even took time to beautify the yard. We also added to our family by adopting 2 more dogs, cocker spaniels of course.
We are a small farm at just over 2 acres, but we have many plans to make this a working farm again. Our house has a rich history in farming, and we hope to recreate a good part of that. For a bit of the history visit www.cloverleaffarmstand.com.
People flocked to our farm stand for our organic produce. Next year we plan on expanding the garden to 4 x the size it was today. It was a wonderful first season.
Our herb and gift shop is one of a kind in the region, so people come from all over. We have been selling on line for years, but this year we changed our name to fit our farm name. You can check out herbal products at www.cloverleafherbfarm.com. The name actually comes from the shape of our property. The farm was originally close to 100 acres, but has been whittled down over time. I can say I am rather glad. I can’t see us farming and weeding 100 acres.
Farming is a hard life, but so rewarding. I can’t imagine doing anything else. We give to the earth, and the earth rewards us with food. We feel we now complete the circle in more ways than we have ever before.
We have always noticed the seasons change before, but this year we lived by them.