Okay, so we are not recycling the whole holiday, just the trees. We take our tree, and donations of trees from the neighbors, and dry them out for the needles. Pine needles make wonderful smelling sachets for the home, car or office. We keep one in our car during the winter and when the defrost comes on, we get a blast of that clean pine scent. During the summer, the heat from the windshield heats up the pillow. When you smell a pine pillow, you are instantly transported to a grove of pine trees in a forest. Or maybe it reminds you of the scent of Christmas’ past.

For us it is a way to reduce, renew and recycle things we use here on the farm. We pluck off the needles to use in pillows and potpourri’s, and the rest goes into the compost pile. We don’t waste anything.

In fall, we start collecting seeds from all the plants that we can. Dill, calendula, pumpkin, squash, tomatoes, and more are all packaged away in newspaper or brown grocery type bags to dry out. Once they are dried, we sort through them to hand pick the best seeds. Some we sell, the others we use in our garden for this seasons crops. By doing this we know where are seeds are coming from, and therefore we know that the produce we sell in the summer is the best around. (more…)

If April showers bring May flowers, what do January rains bring. Slush, mud, muck and ice? Yes.

Our yard is a combination of all of the niceities of a January thaw. It has been form 40 - 60 degrees for the past 3 days, and now it is pouring out. In one spot it is slushy. Another is mucky mud. And under all of it is the dreaded ice patches. One would think it was April. (more…)

In Fall, when we set out clocks back, most people usually adapt after a week or so from the dreaded and stupid time change. One may feel groggy for a couple days, or even mess up on the time, but once you fix all your clocks you get on with life.
Well, dogs do not understand the changing of the hour ahead in the spring and back in the fall. Their clocks are obviously set in there stomachs, and there is no changing that.

Ever since November when we changed out clocks back, the dogs start to get restless for supper around 3:30. Before November the time would have been 4:30. At 4:30 I can handle it, but when they start at 3:30 it is riduculous. They run around the house from room to room, checking their bowls on the way by to make sure nothing has been deposited into them. They then want to go out every 5 minutes, because we always put them out for a while before they eat.
So the dance of dinner starts at least by 4, and continues until 5 or when they eat…whichever comes first.
I have tried to tell them that they forgot to change their belly clocks back by an hour, but they are just not getting it. They just look at me with a puzzled face and wag. Then they want to go out again, because they think this will get them food.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and you can’t get him to set his clock right either.

I have always liked playing around with creating recipes. In fact, the less food we have around, the more creative I can get. While I am not Mother Hubbard, the cupboards are getting a little bare. Going to the grocery store seems to be much more of a chore since it is over 30 minutes away. So, we only go when we direly have to. (more…)

We are registered on the National Do Not Call list, so I was surprised when we got a call this morning with a pre-recorded Ron Paul message. I was livid. There is a reason for the Do Not Call List, but obvioulsy, Ron Paul doesn’t respect that. I hate telemarketing, and I personally think it should be outlawed. There is no reason why anyone should be calling you, just to try and sell you something. (more…)

It is going to be warm out today, a whopping 45, so I thought I should get some laundry done. Being that we have to hang our clothes to dry, it will be a nice day to hang them on the clothesline outdoors.
When I went out and hung them, I saw a big icicle hanging down from the line. I thought, no problem, I will just hang the clothes around the icicle. After doing so, I realized it looked like I had hung out the icicle to dry. I just had to laugh, and take a picture of course.

Except for the lights and decorations that are outside, and buried under 3 feet of snow, another Christmas has been packed away for this year. I don’t think we will see the ones outside until May.
It is always kind of sad packing all the ornaments and such back into the boxes. All the kids ornaments they got every year, the ones they made in school, the felt Christmas tree I made in 6th grade, and all my childhood memories are now all tucked safely away in the attic.
Now, we will be finding tinsel until July. It’s inevitable. No matter how many times you vacuum, there is always a piece lurking somewhere. They hide while you are vacuuming, and come out when you are done. That is the only explanation I have been able to come up with. Either that or there is a tinsel fairy.
It is kind of nice having the shop closed for the winter. It gives me time to get so much done. Now that Christmas has been put away, I can get started on the husband’s birthday gift. First, I have to sort out the sewing room. That is a project for tomorrow I hope.
For tonight, we will relax and watch a movie.

One good thing about January, the January thaw.
Even though the temperatures have only been anywhere from -30- =+16, we are for a heat wave starting tomorrow. Heat wave in winter terminology means 30 plus. According to the weather man, and we all know he is always right, it is suppose to get up even into the 40’s by mid week next week. I can hear the snow melting now. The bad thing, is the rain we are suppose to get. In winter, around here, rain means skating rinks everywhere you walk. I can see our yard now. It will be one sheet of glare ice that we could probably open a skating rink on.
Now, if this was years ago, I would be elated. When I was younger, I loved to ice skate. Now, I don’t think I would want to try. Not sure my ankles could hold me up, or if my back could stand it if I fell. I think I will for go trying to be Peggy Flemming this year.

Wow, I can’t believe how cold it is out.
When I got up at 5:30 to let the dogs out, I couldn’t see the thermometer. I just knew it as cold from the breeze that came in the door. I turned on the t.v. to catch the weather, and that is when I knew it was cold. Minus 20 with the wind chill. Baby, that is cold.
Now that it is noon, and the sun is out it is still only like 8 degrees. With the wind it is still in the negative numbers.
I know we live in the north, but this is really not normal for this time of year. Just like all the snow we have gotten. Personally, I think that Mother nature is trying to tell us something. She is telling me to stay indoors till spring.
Actually, if you dress right for it, the cold isn’t really all that bad. Layers of clothes is the key to keeping warm. In this low a temperature, any exposed skin is vulnerable to frost bite very quickly.
Off to the big city today. Have to get some staple products for the house. A roof rake being on the top of the list. The porch roof has about a foot of snow on it, and really should be cleaned off. Luckily, the house roof is at a good enough pitch, that we don’t really have to worry about it.