Tag Archives: Seasons

Celebration Season

Posted on December 10, 2012 by | Comments Off on Celebration Season

Celebration season has officially started.

Last night was my book club’s Christmas meeting, where we all go a little more overboard with good food and wine than normal, and we exchange books (I gifted Jenny Lawson’s “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened”)  and ornaments.

It’s always the second Sunday in December, and for me, it is generally the first “event” of the holiday season.

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We read “See You In A Hundred Years” by Logan Ward, and, though we started discussing it pretty late into the evening, it looks like everyone enjoyed it.

Or, it could have been all the wine we had by then.

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Maddie and I made everyone felt poinsettia pins using Heather Bailey’s Fleur Debris pattern.

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My friend Gabi brought latkes – I had so been looking forward to them.

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Every year that we continue on with our traditions seems to make it become more exciting, more fun, more full of fond memories. Every year we are more determined to still be doing this when we’re old and gray.

Building a lifetime of traditions with friends and family is the best gift you can give or receive – and I challenge each of you to keep with your beloved traditions or start new ones.  It’s well worth it!


Tagged: Seasons, Sewing

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Decking Our Halls

Posted on November 29, 2012 by | Comments Off on Decking Our Halls

Even as we are busily preparing for the arrival of winter by composting and mulching over the garden beds and cleaning out chicken coops to place in fresh bedding (and a whole host of other things) we are also preparing for the arrival of winter’s greatest offering: Christmas.

I always liked the ancient idea that celebrating throughout December with feasts and friends – and plenty of gluhwein  (right Celeste???) and mead, I am sure -  was to enjoy the harvest and perishable items before they rotted and to fatten up their bodies and hearts for the long, lean, dark winter to come.  When we lived in upstate New York I could certainly empathize with such an idea.  The good times and goodies we amassed through the holidays got us through the rest of the cold grey winters, which often lasted through April (I clearly remember friends still skiing at that point – wearing shorts!).  Not that I disliked winter – far from it.  I still love the snow and wish we had more of it here in Virginia.

Though we have fairly warm winters here (generally our days remain well above freezing) it is still nice to use this time as an excuse to spend as much time with friends and family as possible (and bake up enough goodies to hopefully last long after).

So, we have put up our tree, hung our stockings, and placed evergreen branches generously throughout.  I even made a wreath for my new garden gate.

Even Alabama looks festive in his new jingle – bell collar:

Soon the cookie baking will begin, the parties will start, the house will be full of the sounds and smells of impending Christmas.

We can’t wait!

 


Tagged: Farm, Garden, Pets, Seasons

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Grateful

Posted on November 21, 2012 by | Comments Off on Grateful

 

 

 

Tomorrow we all will hopefully be taking time out from our hectic and busy lives (and eating) to reflect on our many blessings.

I am thankful for so much this year: my family, my friends, my flock.  A roof over our heads and food in our bellies.

Everything else is icing on the cake.

Happy Thanksgiving.


Tagged: Farm, Seasons

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Halloween Prep

Posted on October 31, 2012 by | Comments Off on Halloween Prep

We spent the calm after the storm getting ready for a very much anticipated holiday.  Halloween is a big deal around here.

This year was a little less festive than previous years – we’ve been very farm focused (and HEY!  All of our fencing posts are in the ground as of today!) and also my friend Elizabeth did not host her annual party, as her husband has a broken leg.

But no matter!  Some traditions carry on.

Today we watched:

The Nightmare Before Christmas, Scary Godmother, Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, and The Village.

School work for today was fun Halloween coloring and making our pumpkins.

 

Everyone chose their patterns and spent several hours cleaning out and carving their pumpkins.

Gulliver pitched in as well.

All of the pumpkin guts went out to the chickens, who greedily ate up their fall treat.

For dinner I whipped up a Tomato – Cheese Soup and some lovely little witch – hat – shaped parmesan and dijon in puff pastry.

Left to right: Neve’s Kitty in a Tree, Oona’s Kitty, Emily’s Jack Skellington, and Maddie’s Doctor Who.

Tomorrow night it’s Halloween craft and movie marathon day for school and then it’s off to my friend Jessie’s for trick or treating.

Happy Haunting!

For the Parmesan Puffs I bought some frozen puff pastry and rolled it out a bit once it softened up.  I spread some Dijon mustard and some paprika on the bottom layer and then covered that with parmesan cheese (FRESH!!).  I placed the second piece of puff pastry on top, brushed it with melted butter and popped it in the oven at 375 for about 15 minutes.


Tagged: Farm, food, Homeschooling, Pets, Seasons

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Old Farm Day In Pictures

Posted on October 6, 2012 by | Comments Off on Old Farm Day In Pictures

 


Tagged: Farm, food, Seasons

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Just Another Rainy Day Blog

Posted on October 3, 2012 by | Comments Off on Just Another Rainy Day Blog

So far what we’ve seen of October puts us in the mood for flannels and woolens and comfort foods.  Perhaps hot cups of tea with our afternoon knitting by the fire.

It’s chilly and damp and foggy, and I had to put my boots on just to go out and get the mail.

The mums are showing off their autumn shades.

So are the trees.

Furble likes to follow me to the mailbox and back – today she only came out from her warm and dry spot in the garage because there was a break from the rain.

Inside I finished the October – inspired pillows for the couch.  It was a good place to curl up and watch a scary movie after school.

It’s time to  start preparing for the cozy months.


Tagged: Pets, Seasons, Sewing

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Equinox

Posted on September 22, 2012 by | Comments Off on Equinox

Happy first day of fall!

It is decidedly UN-fall-like out there today, but that’s okay.  Paul’s working on brush burning and I am working in the craft room.

You ever get mostly done with a dress and realize you have to tear out the zipper and re-do it? No?  Just me?

Yeah, that’s what I am working on.

Also, these:

Halloween – colored socks.

If I get this dress sorted out I’ll be making more couch pillows from this:

Love those fall colors.


Tagged: Knitting, Seasons, Sewing

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Soupy Fall Day

Posted on September 18, 2012 by | Comments Off on Soupy Fall Day

Y’all might want to sit down for this one.

I finished a pair of socks.

I know, shocking.  A finished object.  What’s more, I immediately cast on another pair of socks that’s been waiting in the wings for a few YEARS.

If you can believe it – these are from the same ball of yarn.  This is just the way it knitted out.  Crazy.  I wasn’t sure I was okay with the difference at first, but honestly, a pair of hand knit wool socks is a pair of hand knit wool socks.  They will be well appreciated in my boots come winter.

They also fit quite comfortably inside my new orthopedic shoes.  (Orthaheel – I love them!)

The pattern is Grumperina’s Jaywalkers (this is my 4th pair I’ve knit – I know the pattern so well now that they are easier to whip out).  The yarn is Schoppel Wolle (Zauberball, I think) that I picked up at Maryland Sheep & Wool last year.

It’s been awful and dark and rainy and very windy (we are under a tornado watch until 7 tonight) and thick out  so the kids are snuggled on the couch watching movies and I am working on the next pair of socks.  On the stove we’ve got some Butternut Squash and Apple Soup bubbling for dinner.  This is my favorite go – to fall dinner because it’s easy, delicious and terribly in season.  You can find the original tutorial I posted for it a few years back  HERE.

Make yourself a big pot (it’s gluten – free!!)  and serve with a salad or some hot sweet potato rolls.

Go! What are you waiting for???


Tagged: food, Gluten-free, Knitting, Seasons

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It’s In The Air

Posted on September 11, 2012 by | Comments Off on It’s In The Air

Can you feel it?

Fall is on its merry way, and I couldn’t be happier.

I turned 36 this weekend, and I spent the day thinking about how fortunate I am at this point in my life, and I realized that unlike many people I know, I look forward to each birthday.  Maybe it’s the time of year; my birthday means fall is coming.  September is easily one of the most beautiful months.  Or maybe it is the knowing that I got through another year on this crazy planet and came through it (hopefully) another year wiser.  Either way I am happiest when the days get shorter and cooler and when the nights are crisp and long with the smell of fallen leaves and wood fires.

My truck full of rocks came and Paul spread them out over the culvert.

It still looks like a big old mess down by the stream thanks to all the rain we’ve gotten, but he drive the tractor over the new “bridge” several times and it is good and solid.  We’ll be able to drive hay over it soon enough.

I haven’t spent too much time admiring it, though.  Since there is still a large pile of brush in the stream next to it full of frogs I am wary of the snakes that surely infest it.  We spotted one in the mud on Sunday, but couldn’t be sure if it was poisonous or not.  I haven’t been down there since.  Next weekend we’ll finish getting it all cleared out for the fences.

I  ventured out Sunday and bought a couple of bottles of french wine in town and an assortment of cheeses  and had a wonderful evening with the book club ladies.  The perfect way to cap off a beautiful weekend.

My friend Jessie brought me this:

A cake with a Dr. Who Tardis on it, decorated by her very talented husband.  Do they know me or what!

 

Even the weather has been in on the wonderful: it’s been much lower in humidity and temperature, making for lovely fall – ish days and nights.

The mums are blooming.

The persimmon tree is fruiting.

I think it’s about time for a mug of hot apple cider.


Tagged: Farm, food, Seasons

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Quiet Morning Knitting

Posted on August 28, 2012 by | Comments Off on Quiet Morning Knitting

With school starting in a week there is an awful lot on my plate that needs attention.  Lesson plans have to be finished, the garden has to be readied for fall, chicken coops will soon need their seasonal clean – out, as will the freezer and pantry.  It’s time to finish up the summer sewing, harvest every last bit of basil to make pesto ravioli for the freezer, enjoy the pool one last time before the weather turns.

There’s also a culvert to be dug so we can easily cross the stream to bring hay and feed and water to the animals that soon will reside there.

There’s excitement all around as everyone senses the soon to come change in season.  Apple picking will come before we know it and the house will be full of the heady scents of cinnamon and ginger and cloves.

 

But for now I am enjoying those rare late – summer mornings when I am the only one awake.  I can enjoy my coffee and work on a sock while enjoying the view out of my new craft – room’s window.  That’s where the morning glories have started to bloom.  This year there are purple, white and fuschia flowers.  Every year they really take off right around this time, telling me it’s almost my birthday.  It’s almost our favorite time of the year.


Tagged: Farm, Garden, Homeschooling, Seasons

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