Holiday pictures at the Heindels

Out to Bill and Kelly's for a delicious dinner this evening - what a nice Christmas gift......and their house and yard are decorated to the hilt! Their Christmas tree in the living room reaches to the ceiling. Pictured are Amanda holding Leia - also in the next photo, Ashley.

Nativity Scene, set up in back yard

Snoopy in an airplane

Woods Branch Farm Christmas, 2009

A house full of Christmas. After an evening dinner of ham and all the trimmings, and of course the traditional Asti.......it was presents time.

Counting faces, we had Steve and Linda and theirs: Bill, Kelly and Ashley; Amanda and Leia......Terry and Terri and theirs: Shirley, (Terry's mother, here for the holiday), Laura and Jeremy, Tessa and Charley; Andy and Becky, Mark, Bob and David. Counting me, I think we were 20!

Memories were made........

A red headed doll for our little red headed Ashley

Bob and his fire truck

Leia with her new "house slippers" (huge fuzzy frogs) - which she didn't take off the rest of the evening!

Mark and Bob, hiding under the coffee table, examining new toys....

Watch out, here comes David

Laura and a happy Charley

Jeremy reading "The Night Before Christmas"

Cousins....time out for a photo!

Betty and Tessa Betty

Happy Birthday Mamaw Betty

Another family get-to-gether.....A supper of chili, vegetables and dip, Becky's cheeseball, and some of Steve and Linda's smoked cheese - then a beautiful cake and ice cream......After opening presents, the grandchildren trimmed Mamaw's Christmas Tree.

Lined up around the birthday cake, telling Mamaw which piece they wanted. There were candy poinsetias, and lots of butter cream icing, plus some "Happy Birthday" writing - they all had their piece picked out. Thanks to Sarge for the beautiful cake!

Tree Trimming Party

Kelly supervised - carefully helping unwrap the old family ornaments, and helping little hands reach bare branches......after a bit she was holding the little guys up to where they could reach bare spots. They were all so busy, and fascinated by each little ornament! After they were finished, they kept going around the tree admiring their work. I think this will be a family tradition from now on. Surprisingly, they were all so careful of the old keepsakes.

So intent - they were so busy trying to get the ornaments on just right

TaDa - Mamaw's Tree All Done

More beautiful than ever - not a single branch unadorned, especially the lower limbs, some have two or three ornaments......

Bill's Deer

Sunday evening - after hunting several days, Bill finally got a shot.......he said it wasn't the big one he had been watching, but an eight-pointer. At least he now has some "braggin' rights" at work........He already has it being processed - and I turned the big freezer back on, in the basement as they are out of freezer room.......

Busy, Busy, Busy

Getting it all together for the "Santa Season".....will have a cupboard full of Santas and Snowmen for the collectors, down at Jeanie's Antique Store, North Vernon. Also on-line at www.picturetrail.com/cabinfolk

The Last To Go

My goodness, here it is past the middle of November, still having beautiful Fall weather, and the Bradford Pear Trees are really putting on a show.........I'm sure it will all come to an abrupt close soon tho, as we are skirting Snow Season!

Veteran's Day, 2009

The Veterans in my (Curry) family go back all the way to the War of 1776. From the beginning, Steve was drafted at the end of the Vietnam War to the Air Force, but due to his allergies was released (was told he would not be able to fly at high altitudes), and also the war was ending.

Both of my brothers served - Bob in the Air Force for 4 years, and Jim in the Army - served in Europe during World War 11. My father, Hugh Curry, joined during World War 11 and served during the War. Due to his age, he was kept in the States and trained jeep mechanics. Going back a step further - Hugh's father (my grandfather) James Franklin Curry joined and served in the Civil War. I traced his tracks on the Net, he served in the 50th Regiment, which was later joined to the 52nd Regiment. Interestingly, the 50th Regiment lost during service 3 Officers, 54 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 158 Enlisted men by disease. (mostly pneumonia, dysentary, etc. from bad conditions). The 52nd Regiment lost 2 Officers and 26 Enlisted men killed, and 2 Officers and 175 Enlisted men by disease. They mustered out at Tuskeegee, Alabama September 10th, 1865.

Then going back a step further, my Grandmother Lockie Curry's grandfather, James Sparks served in the Revolutionary War....don't know the dates, but he died in 1834 at the age of 90.

This is just on the Curry side - Bob's family is probably another whole chapter.

I feel that after what our previous generations had to go through for our freedom and well being today, we need to be aware of what our government is doing, and our place in today's scheme of things...........................................Betty, get off your soapbox!

And to bring us up to date...... our family now has two serving - Amanda's husband, Chris Unger is in the Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and Kelly's husband, Bill Heindel is in the Air Force Guard, presently in Hawaii on a temporary assignment. We honor them all!

Happy Birthday, Steve

Betty and Steve ...... Our paths go in many directions, but we always manage to be back home for birthdays and holidays!

Fall at the Farm - The Leaves are on the Ground

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The big old sycamore, it's bare bones shining.....

Sounds on the River at Night

Sunday morning - I am up before daylight to go to early church, and let Bear out. She is barking like crazy, and I go to call her back in - I am sure my neighbors across the river don't appreciate a barking dog on their morning to sleep in........When I hear what she is barking at - "Charlie" our big old Heron is screeching a most terrifying sound somewhere on the river, and the Hoot Owl is doing his "thing" up in the woods. If I were a dog, guess I would be barking too.......the pictures are out of my book, as I could never get close enough to get a picture of either of them.

A big Hoot-Owl - I catch a fleeting glimpse of him sometimes during the day, and he "sleeps" in the woods above the house at night. I can hear him "hoot-hooting" during the night - to me a most pleasant sound......

"Charlie" Our big old Blue Heron that lives here on the river

October 8th - A Chill In The Air

The last of the Mums, the beginning of Pumpkin Season.

Our Indiana Dogwoods - A different show of color for each season.....Now, a brilliant Red.

The Maples - in full color now

Harvest Time - 2009

October 1st, heavy rains moving in tonight, so our farmers are here combining beans......one man on the combine, another on the tractor and wagon loading, two in semis - one comes in empty and another goes out loaded. They have it synchronized, and will be done this evening.

Emptying the Hopper

Talk about timing - another driver pulls alongside the combine with a tractor and wagon, and the combine dumps the load, not even slowing up picking........when he gets the wagon full, he then will pull alongside the truck, another arm swings out, and he unloads into the truck.

Persimmon Pudding Time

The persimmons are beginning to fall - funny, but they have to hit the ground before they are good to eat - the deer even won't eat the low ones off the trees. They are so puckerish!!
I have to pick up (what I can get) late in the afternoon, as the deer sleep during the day, and believe me, they get everything that falls during the night.

This afternoon's crop

Persimmons Pulp

After working the seeds out through a collander - enough pulp for a couple puddings......

Indiana Persimmon Pudding Recipe

Bake in a 13x9x2 Pan - 325* - 1 hour
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
5 Tablespoons Oil
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Persimmon Pulp
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
Cream together the sugar and oil, beat in the eggs, then the pulp and buttermilk. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt and add to batter. Mix well and pour in pan.
When you take the pudding out of the oven, cover it immediately with foil - this keeps in the steam and will make the pudding moist.
To serve, top with a dollop of whipped topping or ice cream.

A Trip to a Fall Antique Show

Saturday, Terri and I took in a Primitive Antique Show at Trafalgar - the setting, a working farm - complete with an old farmhouse, barns [cattle too], expansive yard and beautiful landscaped gardens. The booths were set up around the house - some in tents, and some spread out on tables........the weather was wonderful - in the 70's and sunshiny - an ideal day.

The Catering Service "Upper Crust" was serving lunch on the wrap-around porch on the house.

A fun, fun day!

Outdoor booths chock full of old primitives......Interestingly, the younger generation is gobbling up these old "things" brought out of our grandmothers' attics and outbuildings, dusted off, and shown off as part of our heritage. Terri and I both brought home some "finds" - I, an old minature cart which I will team up with a Santa someway, and Terri, an old apothecary chest that she will have to find a place for........

Fall Beauty at Woods Branch Farm

A patch of Golden Rod growing wild beside a backroad trail here on the farm........Funny thing to me, I buy flowers, weed around them, keep them fertilized and watered, and they are never as pretty as the wild ones that just pop up and do their thing. We keep trails mowed over the farm - and each season are rewarded with different "seasonal" things - spring flowers, raspberries and blackberries, and then in the Fall, these beautiful flowers!

A patch of wild white yarrow growing at the top of the hill around an old apple tree.

Saturday's Tractor Caravan

Andy joined a group of tractor enthusiasts Saturday for a trek through the countryside, starting at our Community Fair Grounds and winding through the Westport, Zenas backroad area. All kinds of tractors showed up - especially restored vintage models - for a memorable day. And the weather cooperated - was a beautiful fall day!

Terri, Mark and Bob - Andy wanted to bring the two boys, so Terri rode along with them on a farm wagon, behind Andy's tractor. They had stacks of baled straw for comfy seats.....

On the Way........

Thru the Covered Bridge

Part of the Caravan

After winding through the countryside, the caravan stops at Suhre's for a wonderful noonday meal - typical of what our grandpmothers would cook up for thrashers - complete with all kinds of homemade pies and cobblers!

Saturday to a Country Farm Auction

People, people everywhere......an Estate Auction - lots of good stuff left over from what the children wanted, plus they got the barns cleaned out! Everyone loves an auction, especially a farm auction.

And Then to Mark's Birthday Party

Counting Candles - Yep there's 6......