Very cold this morning - spitting snow, but the sun is popping through. We have had a wonderful Christmas Holiday...... Chris is still home from Tyndal Air Force Base with Amanda and Leia. Bill and Kelly and Ashley have gone to Minnesota to visit Bill's brother and family.....Steve and Linda are finishing a little building in their backyard......Terri and Terry are installing and painting book shelves in their Den.....Andy is doing catch-up work on both his farm and here, and of course Becky is helping her sister Ginny with their new baby girl born Monday.......Laura and Jeremy are getting ready for a new "little one" coming in about a month.
Hope everyone has a wonderful, prosperous New Year.....2008 was a Good One!
12/31/08
Busy Bird Feeders
The way I figure it is - If I take care of God's Critters, he will take care of me and mine. So they get a gallon of sunflower seeds every evening, plus I keep their suet and peanut butter mix feeders filled.....
12/25/08
Christmas Eve at the Farm
Tradition at the Farm is to have the Christmas Gathering on Christmas Eve, which frees everyone up on Christmas Day to be at home with their children, go visit other relatives, or come back to the farm for "left overs"......and it was a wonderful evening. We had a baked ham, scalloped potatoes, baked beans, brussell sprouts, cranberry salad, deviled eggs, a fresh vegetable plate with dip, Laura's cheese ball, Bills cheese and sausage tray, Terri's new spicy dip with crackers........Then an angel food cake with fruit salad. Still stuffed.......and oh yes, lots of Asti!
Terri & Terry's Family
Getting all the little ones to stand still and look at the camera at the same time just wasn't going to happen.
12/21/08
CHRISTMAS TIME
Betcha' never saw a "Mitten Tree" before? Full of Fisherman's Wool hand-knit mittens - will all be gone after family and friends pick their favorite.
12/17/08
Monday - my birthday
Monday evening the rest of the family came to the farm for my birthday - had a big pot of chili with the trimmings, and Terri brought a beautiful cake. A lovely evening.
12/14/08
Sunday at the Farm
Had a houseful of children today. Church this morning with Steve and Linda, then breakfast at home of hot biscuits, sausage, gravy and fried apples. Later in the day, Amanda was here with Leia and Ashley - had a fire in the fireplace and fun with the two little ones. And of course, Terri and Sarge were in, Terri has to have her afternoon "fix" of coffee. Its 6:00 and everyone is going home - after all, tomorrow is school again. ........and my birthday!
12/13/08
Santa and the Christmas Train
As I was driving through town, saw Santa loading younguns on his Special Train - so I stopped and got this pic.
Busy, busy week!
Not much happening on the farm, everything has kinda hibernated for the winter -with the exception of 4 cats that are waiting for their supper every night at the barns, and two dogs to feed. The children and grandchildren are always in and out, and it is a pleasure to catch up with Ashley and Leia as to what they are doing at school - some of their doings are hilarious! Andy and Mark drop in from time to time - Mark had a new pack of tic-tacs, and was eating them one after another - said he needed them for his breath (of course they are candied)..
Was at a Christmas Party with interesting ladies at Judy's at Vernon - Monday. A pitch-in lunch which is always interesting, as everyone brings her "famous" recipe. I took a crock pot full of plain old meat balls in sauce, and they were mostly gone.....Judy's house is so interesting. She and her husband, Steve rebuilt one of the oldest houses in Vernon - very primitive and artfully done....
I gathered up some of my "makings" and took to Vernon's Annual Art Show today. They have all these beautiful paintings and photos, but my old funky Santa not only won a first prize in the Folk Art Category, but also BEST OF SHOW - which is voted by the public. Guess I will give the old boy a better spot here at home, ha.
Have a good week, everybody. Betty
Was at a Christmas Party with interesting ladies at Judy's at Vernon - Monday. A pitch-in lunch which is always interesting, as everyone brings her "famous" recipe. I took a crock pot full of plain old meat balls in sauce, and they were mostly gone.....Judy's house is so interesting. She and her husband, Steve rebuilt one of the oldest houses in Vernon - very primitive and artfully done....
I gathered up some of my "makings" and took to Vernon's Annual Art Show today. They have all these beautiful paintings and photos, but my old funky Santa not only won a first prize in the Folk Art Category, but also BEST OF SHOW - which is voted by the public. Guess I will give the old boy a better spot here at home, ha.
Have a good week, everybody. Betty
12/1/08
1st of December
Winter has finally settled in on us......A sciff of snow - our first. Andy and Sarge got the snow plow on the farm truck over the week-end, so guess we are as ready as we ever will be.
When the weather starts moving in from the North - it is interesting to watch the migrating birds fly over the farm. Today it is black birds - thousands and thousands of them. They will be here for a couple days, then gone............ they hover around the corn field and river.
Monday and everyone is back at work and recuping from all the turkey and rich food. The fire feels good - and so does a big pot of beans and corn bread!
11/26/08
Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody
Today, Wednesday, is a busy, get it all together day - squash pie baking, cranberry salad, cornbread for the dressing baking, set the dining table, and oh yes, chill a bottle of bubbly. Our family is kinda scattered - Laura, Jeremy and Tessa are in Colorado with his family, Kelly is working at the hospital, and Bill and Ashley are headed to Michigan to be with his family, but we have with us this year for the first time in a long, long time - Amanda and Leia. Andy, Becky and the three boys will be here later in the afternoon - so with Terri, Terry and Steve and Linda - we start with a noon meal, and end with late supper. Most of the turkey and trimmings will be gone!
This has been a busy year - much has happened, but the family has for the most part stayed well - and oh yes, we will have a new member for next Thanksgiving......Laura and J's Baby ? -coming in February.
Happy Thanksgiving
11/22/08
And Then It Got Cold!
First Ice on the River........Just a skiff, but definitely the beginning of winter. We saw a huge flock of Canadian Geese go over, headed due South - very high in the sky - but they always let us know when the snows and cold have moved in to the North, and we know what is coming our way.
11/20/08
Fall Gathering at the Farm
Monday was a cold, raw, typical November day for Indiana....just right for a luncheon of hot vegetable soup and homemade bread. The farm hosted a luncheon for a group of ladies - and all 20 invited guests showed up , all wrapped up in their winter woolies. After lunch, we gathered around the fireplace for dessert and hot coffee - and talked "quilts"......a lovely day for a lovely group.
11/10/08
GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
For the Santa Collectors, I have put my this year's Santas and Snowmen downtown in the Antique Mall - so here I go, from cutting grass to painting. But I look forward to fall and winter - gives me time to get caught up with whatever art work I have going.
11/3/08
11/2/08
Happy Birthday, Steve
For November 1st, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day - 72* sitting out on the back porch. Steve, surrounded by Linda, Kelly and Amanda.
11/1/08
HALLOWEEN - Trick or Treaters
The Farm welcomed the grandchildren over the years, and now come the great-grandchildren, all excited and expecting.......and once they get the goodies in their bags, hugged the dog and kissed Mamaw, they are off and running!
10/29/08
Wild Turkeys
At dusk, the wildlife comes to the Branch for water......I have watched this old mother turkey all summer with her brood from little chicks - they are all grown now, but still stay together. There are, I think 12 all together in their flock.
10/27/08
The Boyd's Yearly Gift to the Community
The Boyd family - out Zenas way - raise and carve pumpkins every Fall - and display them all lighted up for the community to appreciate ......and they DO! The people come by the carloads, and even busloads......It is a children's paradise - whether they be 6 or 60.
10/24/08
"Bear" hugging the back porch watching it rain
Funny thing to me, Labs will dive into anything that looks wet whether it be the river, a mud hole or whatever, yet they have a disdain for rain.
Beautiful Rainy Day
Finally, a good soaking rain - everything has been covered with dust, and is being washed clean. I love the rainy days - we put a tin roof over the back porch so we could hear it.
This is a picture of the wild dogwood tree at the edge of the house - in all it's beautiful fall foliage and red berries. The berries will be gone in short order - the birds love them.
10/20/08
"Out of the Mouths of Babes"
This is the story of the Wooly-Worm. We were walking over by the barn, and I saw a beautiful woolyworm crawling in front of us. I picked it up, held it in the palm of my hand and showed it to Ashley. She gently touched it and we put it in some weeds next to the barn where it would not get trampled on.
Later during the night - Ashley was sound asleep, but started mumbling in her sleep. She started talking and very plainly said "When you pick up a woolyworm, you put it in some flowers" .........pause........"And you will have wooly flowers." Then she giggled and went back to sleep.......
I thought we had put it in some weeds, but I went back and looked, and sure enough, those weeds were full of little white flowers.
Week-end Visitors to the farm
Tessa and Ashley.....Tessa proceeded to take the gourds out of the display and line them up on the fireplace. Ashley waits patiently to put them back.....
New Power Lines across the farm
It's amazing what they can do with the right equipment. They swung these 65' poles around and popped them in the ground like toothpicks - and lined them up straight as soldiers. I was wondering how they were going to "string" them, but they had a piece of equipment for that too - this little monster of a tractor deal that pulled those big wires taught as a fiddle string. They are getting the lines high enough that I don't think the trees are going to bother them anymore - maybe an airplane?
10/13/08
Still cleaning up after "Ike" Storm
Grandchildren Amanda and Bill loading limbs from a huge sycamore tree that came down during the last storm. Thank goodness for all that "young energy"!
10/9/08
Lemonade
Punkin' Makin' in Paper Mache ............ This is "Lemonade" - the original collapsed in the process, so we made Lemonade..........kinda where we are today with the Stock Market?
10/6/08
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