SHOULD I DO THIS ONE?

As I so often do, the other evening I was sitting in my rocking chair not sure if I wanted to watch TV or knit, or read, so I picked up my Ipad and decided to see what was new on the Internet.  Most of the times these days I spend my time catching up on Youtubers that I am following - mostly gardeners or crafters, or both... but this time I went to Pinterest.

I hardly ever go there anymore, but I was looking for an image of a quilt I thought I had saved there a couple of years ago, of an old farm house. I couldn't find it on any of my saved categories, but I did find this quilt which really just hit me between the eyes...

Here is the link in case you want to go to the site.

https://pin.it/sduf3r3rsncgyi

I Love this piece, and would so hang this on my wall 

But seeing it sort of shocked me as well...

I feel like I really, really know this image....

You might feel the same way after looking at some if the images on my last post.

This photograph taken August 2017 is a window on my Grandfather's barn which still stands at the farm that until recently was my Uncle's farm, but now is my cousin's son's farm.

Can you see why I was a little shocked?  It is uncanny how similar my picture is to the quilt.

As I sat looking at the quilt the right side of my brain started to take over, as always seems to happen with me.   I started to consider doing my image as a quilt for my wall.  Why not?  Could I, should I, will I?

Maybe I will.  

I don't believe it would be very difficult if I could find fabric that looked like old boards.

My picture is packed with so much meaning for me.  I look at it and I feel so much in my heart.  It might be an old barn to some, but to me it is a significant piece of my family history - my family's story.  It is a building I have always loved.  One I played in, worked in, and in later years, just sat in and let my thoughts wander in.

It might sit empty now except for storage, but it was the heart of a thriving farm for many many years, and it's contribution to farm life was elemental to those who opened it's big heavy door and entered every day.

It was the heart of the farm, it had a life of it's own, and it is loved by many in my family for where it stands and how it came to be.

When the word HOME was created, I believe they had a building just like this one in mind.

If you haven't read my poem about this barn, then go back to my last post and have a read.  There are some more images that were taken at the same time as the picture above.

So now, I want to do a quilt!

Hmmmmm....

HEART OF THE FARM - a poem.

 HEART OF THE FARM.

He built her in the 40's,

sometime after the crash;

A time when there were little funds,

and hardly any cash.

He needed her to house his stock.

and so he built her strong;

Thick wood walls with lots of stalls,

extra wide and long.

He built her tall and faced her west,

to catch the evening rays:

Seven windows on either side,

gave light all through the day.

An open loft to store the hay,

wide doors on either end;

Ladder's in the second manger - 

up you go, my friend!

Through the years she never stopped,

warming winter nights:

Every creature great and small,

she did hold so tight.

Then she got so old and worn,

her service seemed to slow;

Still, familiar footsteps known to her,

would stop and say hello.

Now she rests, her work is done,

Her duty is no more;

But every once in a little while,

someone slides her door.

She gives a groan, then heaves a sigh,

she's done him proud, for sure.

All those many years ago,

he built her to endure.

2019

Dale Graumann

ALPACAS, GREENS, AND SLUGGISH CLEANING!

Well more than a week has gone by since my last blog post.

To say I have been in somewhat of a slump, is an understatement.  I seem to have been frozen - brain, body, thoughts, activity - just everything!

I have so much I want to do before spring -  projects to finish, some new ones to make...  Cleaning projects that won't get done unless I do them now, because once spring is here, I will be outside again.

I did start a bit of a purge through my studio.  I have so many craft supplies of crafts I no longer do.  I have been storing them for that just-in-case that all crafters think about.  Truthfully the just-in-case mentality persists with me, but I have taken those items out of the storage drawers I do use all the time, and boxed them up, labeled them and moved them to a different storage area, so that I am no longer always having to sift through those items to get to the things I really need to use.

Just doing this one step has made my containers much lighter, and more organized.

I also got rid of three knitting machines and all their accessories which have been taking up space in my studio.  I was able to gift them to a young woman who runs an Alpaca farm here in Manitoba.  She was as delighted to receive the machines, as I was to get rid of them.  I know they will finally be used as they should be.

Here is her web address - check out her online page.  She has an online store where you can purchase not only wool, but hand-made items made by her.

www.enchantedgrovealpacas.ca

In spring our town has a town-wide garage sale.  You buy a spot on a map and then your garage sale is advertised in the town-wide sale.  My intention is that those boxed supplies will be put on my garage sale table in spring (if I have not opened them between now and then).  There are craft books, ceramic and china heads and hands for doll making.  Every colour of crochet cotton you can image and lots of it.  Buffalo wool still in wrappers, patterns, ribbons, etc.

Aside from what I have set aside to sell, I have also purged and donated three boxes for the recycle center here in town.  Christmas stuff, incomplete balls of crochet cotton, trinkets, some craft supplies, some books, picture frames and more.

My work area does have a lot less clutter, and now I think I will want to start working on some projects on the winter evenings we still have ahead of us.

I have been doing some knitting.  I am working on knitting up all my little balls of yarn, so I have been making some Intarsia squares for a blanket.  I am enjoying these, and happy to see a lot of my very small balls of yarn have vanished.

Here's what I have so far... as you can see it is going to be a very colourful blanket.

Remember a week or so ago I said I planting some greens for salads - a sort of cut and come again idea for having some fresh greens until the garden is planted in spring?

To my amazement, my little wash bucket of greens is coming on beautifully.  I have then growing in the cool part of my studio under my daylight crafting light.

Have a look!

So maybe my slump hasn't been quite as bad as I imagined.  I don't know why I am always so hard on myself.  There is no law saying some down time is a bad thing.  I do know my pace is a lot slower than it has been, but maybe thats okay too.

So - until next time... take care and slug along!

I'M SMILING!

I did something yesterday that I have been itching to do for a few months -  I sent my first seed order in!

You can't see my smile, but let me tell you it's been on my face every since I pressed send!

This first order was to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

I ordered some new things to try in my garden this year...

Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry- perfect for summertime snacks and salads and also great for jams and jellies.

Blauhilde Bean
                                                                                    ( Purple Pole)

Chinese Red Noodle Bean

( I can't wait to try these)

Corbaci Pepper
                                                                                    a sweet pepper

Kajari Melon

And these wonderful Queen Lime Orange Zinnia's

I am popping these beauties in my south side flower bed right under my sun room/dining room window!

They have several more varieties of Zinnia's but I am also ordering some from T& T seeds that resemble candy canes, so I am trying to be sensible....whatever that is.

I also spent the day getting my seedling table set up, and while I was at it, I planted a container of greens as an experiment to see if I can grow and harvest them as a cut and come again crop indoors.

The nook is cool which is a good environment for greens, and I have my daylight lamp on them, so we will see what we get.  Hopefully some salad greens!

I don't know about you, but I can't get my eyes off those Zinnia's!

Gosh, I can't wait to grow this lot!

LIFE IN A STATE OF GRACE!

"And now let us Welcome in the New Year

Full of things that have never been."

 - Rainer Maria Rilke

Welcome 2019!

"Time is New Year's bountiful blessing:  three hundred sixty-five bright mornings and starlit evenings; fifty-two promising weeks; twelve transformative months full of beautiful possibilities; and four splendid seasons.  A simply abundant year to be savoured."

                  -Sarah Ban Breathnach ( Simple Abundance)

Put like that makes me wonder how many of us will actually utilize the year 2019 in the most meaningful way possible.

 - - -

The quote is from a book I started yesterday - Simple Abundance - A Daybook of comfort and Joy.

It is a book of 365 daily readings on living one's life in a State of Grace - finding your authenticity in your daily life.  Learning and practicing Simple Abundance.

Perhaps not the easiest task for many of us, but one that I am finding easier to accomplish the older I get, and in the environment I now live.  That is to say living in the country - away from the big city that sucks you in and sucks you dry at every turn  - if you let it.

I have always known the benefit of country life, I have been exposed to it all my life through my parents and my extended family of relatives.  I thought I knew all about it, but living it 365 days of the year and visiting it on weekends really and truly is a lifetime apart...   and for me,  it's even better than I ever imagined!

What's your idea of Simple Abundance?

What's your idea of enough?

What's your idea of too much?

All good questions -  perhaps questions we should all be taking all that time outlined in the first paragraph to explore.

Personally, I am trying to be more mindful of Abundance each and every day.  

And so, I embrace and welcome the New Year - full of things that have never been...

Lets see where it takes us!

MERRY CHRISTMAS - HAPPY NEW YEAR TOO!

Happy Winter Solstice! 

I have been waiting for this day for awhile now, especially since walking to my little job every morning has been in complete darkness.  That's not an issue in a city, but in my town, where the street lights are really only on the corners, the blocks between the lights can be very dark indeed.

I look forward to the light - I look forward to spring and the time of renewal - but here in Manitoba there is a lot of winter to look forward to first.

A lady I follow on YouTube from Ireland calls the misty fog that comes over a mountain and settles into a valley, Dragon's Breath.  We get a lot of Dragon's Breath here were we live, and often are fortunate to get the hoarfrost  covering every surface that follows the fog.

Here are a few more pictures from the batch of photo's I took a few weeks ago of the lovely remains of the Dragon's Breath that blew down upon us from the Riding Mountains.  The photo at the very end is one I took this morning on my dark walk to work.  As you can see once again the Dragon has been blowing his frosty breath upon our town.

I am also sharing a link to a video about the Winter Solstice which I found quite fascinating.  Here in North America we tend to think of it merely as the first day of winter, the shortest day of the year - other countries and cultures regard it as much more.  Take a listen to Colette O'Neill as she shares her wealth of knowledge, and the beautiful Bealtaine Cottage surroundings.

https://youtu.be/B506bN2XMfQ

Along with the photos, I would like to wish each and every one of my followers and readers a very Blessed Christmas, and A Safe, Happy and Healthy New Year!

I will be back in January, but until then, stay well everyone!

Till Then -

24-HOUR SALAD - A FORGOTTEN TREASURE!

Even though Gary and I are going to be alone this Christmas, we are planning a special Christmas dinner as usual.  We may not have family with us to share our feast, but that doesn't mean we will short-change ourselves on tradition.

Part of our Christmas tradition has always been a full turkey dinner for Christmas day.  Turkey, dressing, potatoes, turnip, cabbage rolls, coleslaw, made from scratch cranberry sauce, at the least - and if we had extra guests, I always added more sides, and more salads.

Over the years I have always tried to include a very special salad, which has always been our family favourite, but I haven't made it for quite a few years now, and I decided this year, to make our dinner extra special for just the two of us,  I am going to make "The Salad"

This Salad is actually a meal in itself, and suits very well to most meals, and take it from me, you will be making it more than once, if you try it this year!

24-HOUR SALAD

1 head iceberg lettuce, torn

sugar

6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

1 10-oz package frozen peas, thawed

1 pound bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup mayonnaise 

In the bottom of a large bowl place 3 cups of the lettuce.  Sprinkle with a little sugar, salt and pepper.

Layer eggs atop the lettuce  and stand some eggs on the edge around the bowl if desired.

Sprinkle generously with salt.

Next: Layer in order: peas, remaining lettuce, bacon and cheese.

Spread mayonnaise over the top, sealing to the edge of the bowl.

Cover and refrigerate for 24 hrs, or overnight.

Garnish with sliced green onion and paprika, if desired.

Toss before serving.

Makes 12-15 servings.

Enjoy!