Happy New Year

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!

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.....

Just a Good Day to Stay in and enjoy the fire......

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!

After dinner - an incentive for the little ones to hurry and eat - it was "opening presents time"..They had already staked out their presents under the tree, and Mark kept telling everyone that he had the largest present! But after all the paper rattling and excitement, it all settled down.......

Laura, Jeremy and Tessa Betty (the little one is due in about another month)

Amanda, Chris and Leia

Kelly, Bill and Ashley

Steve, Linda, and Family

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.

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.

The Christmas Tree - finally up - full of old trims collected over the years......

Dining Room Table Centerpiece - an old child's sled holds a little log cabin, some sheep, a little chalkware boy riding a sled, some fresh holly from the yard and a good smelling candle.....

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.

Two little cousins making necklaces

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!

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.

My Funky Ole' Santa

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

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!