Girls Day of Pampering

Eight of us Farmgirls got together at Faith's house for some well needed pampering. Her home was so beautifully set up for the occassion. There were candles lit up everywhere and tables set up for the individual facial area, foot area and hand waxing area, and it was really a pleasant atmosphere for a spa treatment.We each brought a dish of their chosing and had a beautiful buffet of foods. There were fruit tarts, and a variety of chicken and cucumber sandwichs, rollups, cheese, grapes, pears, meatballs, lemon bars, and many other foods, so many different delicious tastes your tastebuds went nuts. We had wine and lemonade, coffee and tea for beverages and nothing went untouched.

 We all ate what we could but there was so much food everyone got to take home a variety of leftovers. We began our pampering with a nice foot bath in a lavender oil and a wonderful creme to put on your feet when you were done. Then some of us did different types of facials for our skin types and Julie said that hers made her look younger. What do you think? I'd say more like a zombie. lol We had cleansers and moisturizers and firming

lotions, then went on to hand wax in a lavender which was wonderful. Made your hands feel like silk. The bags you put on your hands were the fashion of the hour. We had such a great time visiting and giggling and really treating ourselves to a nice relaxing day of pampering ourselves.  I could'nt have thought of a better way than to spend my Saturday with all my farmgirl friends. It was truely a lot of fun.

What A View

Went out riding again last Sunday up to the top of what they call Lions Head near Medicine Lake. This is the view out from the near top of the mountain where we sat and had some lunch and took in the sites.  Isn't it beautiful?

The weather was 55 degrees and sunshine and the snow was perfect. A soft powder as we were the first to get out on the trails. We had a couple of nice snows from the weekend before and all tracks where we were had been covered up. You could'nt have asked for a more perfect ride.

The top of this mountain is all lava rocks so I did'nt ride around much on top. Just took in the view and breathed in the great fresh air. It was'nt long before we had a lot more riders out on the snow enjoying this great day. This was probably my last ride for this year as I have some trips planned and if this weather keeps warming up the snow will start melting away. I do not like riding where you have to cross some dirt to get to the snow areas. Not fun. So I will look at these pics and think of what I may see next winter. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Blog Giveaway Winner Is.........

Ooh, I've be giddy waiting to see who's name would be drawn for my St. Patrick's Day giveaway. And the winner is.........kpaints (Karen). Congrats! I want to say thank you to everyone who participated in my first giveaway. This was so much fun.

Wishing you all the Luck of the Irish, and don't forget to wear green.

Spring Cleaning

Have you ever watched the show about the people who are hoarders? Well I just watched two episodes of it last night and after seeing how these people lived I had to rid my home of lots of extra stuff. I would never let myself get anywhere close to what these people have done, but I'm not going to keep hanging on to stuff that never or rarely gets worn, used or seen.

Living in this small house can become cluttered looking pretty easy. So today I have spent the entire morning going through closets, bookshelves and drawers eliminating so much crap. I am loading the back of the pickup up as I fill a container or box. Tomorrow it all goes to the Mission where someone else can get some use out of it.

Now if I only had a body that would cooperate more I would be cleaning out the outside sheds as well. That I guess will have to wait for another day. Two large trash bags went up to the trash trailer that when full will be hauled to the dump. I really do like Spring cleaning as it makes everything feel so much lighter, cleaner and fresher.  Now if I would quit thrifing and bringing home more stuff, naw..... that won't be happening any time soon. How does the saying go, "out with the old, in with the new", at least it's new to me.

Time to go out and get some of this wonderful sunshine today before it leaves me. We are suppose to get more snow tomorrow and I will not feel like spring cleaning then. Then I know I will come back in and find more stuff that needs cleaned or gone.

Sunshine and 55 degrees

Hubby and I went out snowmobiling yesterday with some friends of ours and boy what a great riding day. The sun was out and it was nice and warm, almost 55. On top of that the snow was great! When you stepped off your sled you could sink almost to your knees in places. We rode all around Medicine Lake and around the lava beds. It was so pretty everywhere we rode. The snow on some of the trees was so thick and heavy, it felt like I was in wonderland.

Believe it or not, the snow piled up in the background is on top of a cabin which is out near the lake. We stopped and had lunch and just enjoyed all the beautiful sites. The only way anyone could stay out here in winter would be to snowmobile out across the lake and then they would have to do an awful lot of shoveling just to get to their front door.

That small dot up on hill is my hubby playing around. I just sit back and watch because I'm not brave enough to try it. I just do the easy riding and site seeing.  I've braved a few small hills, but I am definetly not the first to go out and explore it. No, here I am the one who will gladly sit back and watch everyone else and I'm really very content in doing so.

Now when there is a nice open space, then I enjoy going as fast as I can. Yesterday I had that opportunity and I'm speeding out across a  huge open meadow and all of a sudden there is a guy racing beside me on both sides. That was fun. But they were braver and went much faster.

Had a great day out in God's country with good friends and chocolate cake to boot. I did have to wash it down with a nice wine cooler though. Yum!

OMG..........it's gotta be a giveaway

I am blown away by how many have read my blog. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would enjoy doing this and reading some of your blogs and coming into your homes and lives.  It's like reading a new book every day. So to thank those of you who look in on me from time to time I thought it would be nice to do a giveaway. I will put together a gift basket and will draw a name on St. Patrick's Day. So beginning today all you need to do is leave me a comment and your name will go into the drawing.
Thank you all for stopping by and good luck!

Saturday's Finds

Since I bought a new washing machine I just had to go into town and purchase this container. You know like when you buy a new dress you need shoes to match, or a new purse and you need a wallet to match it, you get the idea. Well I felt I needed a new container for my homemade laundry soap. lol  But, guess what? I met the owners of the Antique shop where this was, who just happened to answer a listing I had selling my old dining hutch. They came out and purchased it and spotted some old barbwire I had on the barn and he asked if I'd mind if he took some as he collects it. So I said sure, go ahead and he took a foot of it and was gonna look up what year it was made for his display. He was very happy and felt he needed to do something for me so they both said to come by the store and they would give me a deal on anything I might be interested in. So of course I had to tell her of this item I have been eyeballing for a month. So you see I am now a proud owner of this great piece. Looks like I may need to make some more laundry soap to fill it up.

While I was in town I thought I'd go on into the Home Depot to pick up some paint for an old bread box I've been wanting to paint. This is what I saw parked in the lot when I came back out of the store that I just had to share with you all as it made me giggle to see that something like this is not just in movies but here in this good ol' town where I live. Wonder what the owner looked like........

This here is a real cowboy. Wonder if he wrestled the bull he took these horns off of. Reminds me of the show the Dukes of Hazzard or was it Dirty Harry? You know, I bet the guy wears a ten gallon hat too.

I Need to Breathe

Oh boy have I been having fun. After doing five loads of laundry yesterday, I am standing in front of the washer ready to load another load of wash and discover the floor is really wet. You don't see the wet until you step in it (indoor outdoor carpet). It had probably been leaking from the first load. So I call hubby and he comes home early from work and takes the front off the washer, I put in another load and we cannot see where the water is coming from except over the top of the tub. So now he calls everyone he knows and asks them what they think it could be. I think it is time for a new washer and forget about fixing this one as it is about 15 years old.  But today I am calling around to find prices on bearings and seals for hubby to fix. Can't wait to see this one.

On top of that I had to pull all the rugs from the bathroom to wash because the dog pees on her pad but it leaks all over the floor anyway. So had to mop that all up. Then around 2 am this morning, I am awakened by the pet water bowl making a god awful noise because the water level was too low. So filled it up, went back to bed, and at  6 am this morning hubby yells that it has overflowed all over the kitchen floor. Thank you honey..... I am getting really good at cleaning up liquid spills.

Then I'm off to vaccum up wood chips from the carpet that the dog has very finely chewed up, along with picking up her many toys she has scattered throughout the house, then it's vaccuming up all the dead ants that have invaded our home for the last three weeks. I swear they are dropping out of the ceiling in certain spots throught out the house (no kidding). Exterminators said I needed to wait for warmer weather before they would do any good and they were booked almost a month out. So I keep spraying the cracks with ant killer around the house hoping for this to end. No luck so far except I am seeing more dead ones than alive.

Then I go out to let out the chickens and clean up their wet straw and fill their water bowl. Then up to feed the dogs who live in our corral and they had dumped over their dog food can. So they did not get any breakfast this morning as they had been munching all night long, so I rolled the can into the barn where they can no longer get into it. Filled the cat bowl and cleaned up after them. Looked into my trap and see that  I caught a cat, just not the stray that has been hanging around for months and peeing on everything. So I let this poor kitty out to find its way back home.

Back down to the house I take the rugs off the line to finish drying in front of the woodstove as it looks like it will pour rain all day today so I then went to get a load of wood to stack closer to the house so I won't have as far to go to bring it inside. I get my fire going and hang up my rugs and decided I better visit my blog before I get really busy.

Now if I can go and have another cup of tea, sit awhile and ponder what the rest of my day will be like. It is only 10:30 and I have things I need to do. Us farmgirls never have a dull moment to spare.

Well hope you all have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by.

My Mini Vacation

I took the train up to Silverton, Or and Cheryl was able to ride with me on her way to Washington to visit her mother. We had a very nice lunch on the train before I had to get off at my stop. I was picked up by my granddaughter, Kylie, and spent Valentine's Day shopping around. We spent my time there going into many thrift and antique shops. Of course I managed to find something in most all of them. I had to keep it small to fit in my suitcase coming home and that was the only bummer. I saw many large pieces I would have loved to bring home but I knew someone else would have to enjoy them.

On Monday morning I went to beauty school with Kylie, where she did a weave in my hair for credit. It turned out really nice and I might have even come out a little younger looking. lol

We went to lunch at the Wild Pear cafe in Salem and had a delicious quiche and bowl of creamy leek soup that had a tang of citrus and was to die for. But we did'nt stop there (I'm  on vacation), so we ordered a pumpkin cheesecake and a triple chocolate cake slice. We finished the cheesecake but had to bring the chocolate cake home. Needless to say we had chocolate cake while laying in bed giggling and chatting about our day. We could'nt let it go to waster. This is why we did a lot of walking around town looking through different shops and enjoying each other and the various sites about town.

Look at these vines growing in an alleyway and this brick building which houses an antique shop and looks like a mini castle. There were so many beautiful homes and buildings with such great architecture in Salem and Silverton. Beautiful landscapes and old barns, lots of rivers. I will have to go back in Spring to see the waterfalls they have nearby. I had such a good time visiting and shopping that I could have stayed longer but I do love being home as well.

Now that I'm home I am trying to get back in some kind of routine and so here I am doing loads of laundry, cleaning house and paying the bills. Guess I'll just have to look forward to my next mini vacation and enjoy my pics from this one.

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing everyone a very nice Valentine Day. Hope you get to spend it with someone you love. This Valentine Day I will be going up to Silverton to stay with my granddaugher and her other grandparents. She will be coloring my hair on Monday for a grade at Beauty School. So I guess I will be spending the day with someone I love. My dear hubby will be home alone but I did bake him some nice goodies while I'm away.

Our local chapter is all baking cookies or cupcakes to be delivered on Saturday to the Women's shelter in town. We hope to bring a little cheer and good sweets to them for the holiday. This has kept me busy most all morning, but it's also helping keep my house warm. It is really cold outside. I'm just glad it isn't snowing any more.

I'm hoping to find some new goodies at the thrift and antique stores up in Silverton and nearby. I've seen everything here at home many times over. Ready for some new sites. Will only be gone a few days, but plan on taking plenty of pics.

Here is a pic of my cupcakes. Some are white cake and some are velvet. Which is your favorite?

Change of scenery

They were letting me know it was time to get out and look for what grass they could find along with any bugs that might be out there. It's snowing outside but as you can see a lot of the snow has melted over the past few days.

The weather just can't make up its mind on either winter or should we start spring. I am so ready for spring and to get started on my garden. This year I will be trying raised beds with hope to have better crop production.

So far today my hens have given me 5 eggs. Usually have been getting between 6 to 8 a day. Thank goodness for the guys at my dh work who buy a dozen or two each week. They say they like how the eggs taste. Can't blame them, so do we. Don't you all just love fresh eggs?

Now if I could just learn how to make an omelet or a quiche, that would be really nice. I'll just have to keep watching my friend, Cheryl's, new cooking blog in case she makes one some day. hint.....hint..........

Some great thrift store finds

Today I have been doing a bit of sewing and hanging up some of my thrift store finds. I wasn't sure about the rooster holder but I think it works great for my plant cuttings, don't you think? The towel rack is one that will
hold three towels. I'm looking for one of the fan type for the laundry room next.

I also found this cute little chalk board so took down a clock I never really used and placed this in its spot. This will be great for leaving messages in plain site. I really like that it has a rooster on it also. I think since joining the Charming Chicks, I'm really getting into the chicken and rooster stuff. I just have to be careful what I find since I live in a really small house.

I also found this great spinning tool jar at the thrift store for $6 with the stuff inside. I was in heaven. Love this thing. Reminds me of one my father use to use when I was a kid. I'll leave the nails and things in it for now, but who knows what I may replace in the jars. Buttons, beads, thimbles, lots of things. Plus I put it up on hooks so I could take it down to whereever I may need it at the time.

Last but not least, I found these linen table runners that I have other plans for. They are in pretty good condition so will be nice to work with. I have a couple of other ones that are pretty stained so need to find a way to get the stains out. Read somewhere on MaryJane's forum to use borax and something, but can't remember what and of course cannot find it on the site again. So anyone out there who knows how to take out stains on old lines, I would love your advice.

Goal Board

I've been reading on the Maryjane site that some of the ladies have done a board with their goals for the year on it. So I took down all my things that was on the old bulletin board and decided to brighten it up with a pretty pink paint and fabric.
I still have some things to put on it but at least it will draw my attention to keep reaching out for the goals I have set for myself throughout the year. I know this is not an easy thing for me to do, setting goals that is, but I would really like to see what I might accomplish none the less.
I always can dream about doing better and being a better person to myself and to others. I only hope I can keep reaching for these things I want to do and learn and even to teach others.

So it's off to find some more pics and sayings to place on my pretty board. I hope everyone has a goal they want to achieve this year. Even if its a really little one, it is always nice to find something new.

Great Find

I set out looking for a sewing table last week and went into the Goodwill store and found an actual sewing machine cabinet with a very old machine inside. They were asking $45 plus another $17 just for the stool that went with the cabinet. I figured they're out of their minds, plus I would never use the old machine that was inside it. So after leaving there I went on over to hospice and my daughter found this desk sitting by the front of the store and I snatched it up real quick.

Heck, for only $8 it was a steal. I sanded it down a little and painted it. Thought a nice clean color with a little frill would do the trick. I think this will make a very nice place to sit and sew . I usually have my sewing machine on the kitchen table. When I do, no one can sit and eat at it as I always have material and such spread over the whole thing. This should help me to keep it organized and always up ready for me to sew. I can't wait until the paint finally dries to place in my bedroom and start sewing.

Baking Time

After making enchiladas a couple of days ago, I decided to go ahead and make this spice cake for dessert. Not that we need anything else sweet around here to munch on, but I love how my round cakes look in my dish. It can sit on the countertop and just look pretty all by itself.
The enchiladas turned out a bit too hot for hubby's tastebuds. I'll have to use a mild sauce next time. With our weather still being cold, its nice to do some baking for a change. It also is far less of a mess in the kitchen with just the pan in the oven.
Tonight for the first time I made Mexican carnitas and they turned out delicious with my homemade salsa on top. I love to eat these when I go out to a Mexican restaurant so guess now that I found a good recipe, I'll just have to keep making my own.
It must be spanish food week for me. Time to pull out the sombreo and salsa music. Guess I really like Mexican food.

Passing the Time

We have had nothing but power outages the last few days, so to spend my time I have tried to crochet this really ugly bear. I have never made anything like this, so it was a fun challenge for me. Too bad the poor thing had to turn out so ugly. It even scares poor Onyx. Guess she could always put it with her other toys.

It was'nt so hard to do, although I must have missed some steps as the head is really big and so is one leg. I will keep trying to learn how to read crochet patterns. In the meantime, I guess what comes out of it is my guess as well as yours. That was two days ago. Since then, I've given up the crochet needles and picked up some of my books to read. I love my old western, romance novels. I feel I am with the characters living in the old west and having the time of my life. At least for a little while.

A Very Wintry Day

Now this is the kind of weather so many Oregoneans have been waiting for. It had started snowing early this morning and has'nt stopped since. This is what those of us who like to play out in the snow have been hoping we would get. I personally am glad it did'nt start like this in Octobor as usual, and hope it does'nt stay but a couple months at most.
Don't get me wrong, I think its beautiful and I sometimes like to go out snowmobiling, it's just that I don't like to shovel it all the time, haul wood to the house through it, or haul groceries down the hill when I can't drive down the driveway.
I do like when it covers all my plants so the deer won't eat them. I like to throw snowballs for the dogs and I like to walk with my snowshoes around the property. On top of all that, I enjoy taking snap shots of how the snow has fallen into the trees and the different designs it makes from being wind blown.

So through the likes and dislikes, today would be a great day to keep my sewing machine up, put on a pot of coffee and maybe even a pot of chili.

It's Play time

The sun come out for just a bit so Onyx and myself had to get out for some fun. Here she is showing off in her new coat. Isn't she adorable? She ran all over the place while I went around and fed the animals. So glad the snow stopped long enough for us to get out and enjoy some fresh air and check out our surroundings. We had a few doe in the yard which walked off when they seen me coming out. Just as well because Miss Onyx thinks she's queen around here, she is, and would probably want them to play, but they don't need to be her friends. She can keep talking to them from inside the house. But then again, inside the house she thinks she's part cat. (She thinks poor Taz is her mama) he isn't, just my first baby in the house who is not interested in little dogs a whole lot. But they have their moments.

Onyx At One Year

Yesterday was our puppy's birthday, one year old, so I fixed her a good dinner and  Papa brought home a carrot cake and presents for her. I really think she new she had a special day all day long as she was being so cuddly and loveable and playful, plus me singing happy birthday and cooing at her might have had something to do with it. Guess she kinda made my day all better too. Don't we just love our babies?
She enjoys all her new toys and knows how spoiled and special she is by leaving toys and chews all over the house. It kinda is like having a small child in the home again, even can talk back like one at times. lol
Well, she can certainly keep me busy even when I don't want to be and sometimes its a good thing, I just make sure she's all Papa's when he gets home from work. Hey, fair is fair, right?
After a full meal and lots of toy chasing she settled into a spot on my bed for some well earned sleep. I let her stay for awhile and then when it was time for me to turn in for the night, off she went to her cage where I did'nt hear another peep until this morning. She's such a good girl.

Antique Find

I spotted this old hutch in an antique store called At Home On Hope Street, and I had to have it. It has much more room than my old hutch did. My daughter helped put in bead board behind the shelves and I put up the copper backing and new knobs on the bottom. Then we painted the inside top cubboard. I liked it with just the one wiped on coat so left it like that. Just took out the tops on my canister that I picked up for $2 each, to redo from the worn wood and blue hearts.

The piece has real copper top for rolling out my dough. This project has taken me a week to complete as I really have'nt had a lot of energy lately. But none the less it turned out well.

New Beginnings

That's what we all hope for in the new year. We all seem to want to lose the weight we put on the last couple months and always plan to start eating right and exercising. Sometimes I wish it was something I did'nt have to worry about but unfortunately I need to firm the flab. I suppose if I would cut out eating every sweet thing I set my eyes on, it would be much easier, but then I've never done easy.
My family has gone home, all the decorations are down and I am beginning to start my lists of the things I would like to do or accomplish this year.
Nothing like thinking about all the things you would like to do in the summer while it is below freezing outside. I've had the fireplace going all day and the sun is still trying to come out. Have been busy crocheting anything my hands can put together and keep thinking about all the material I have to start making bags for the foster care kids. There are so many things I want to learn how to do and many places I would like to see.
Guess I better make that list with at least the ones that will be easier to accomplish and the others that I would hope to can go near the bottom of the list. I'm not gonna rule out being able to do it all, but one can only hope to do all we can while we are still able to do it.
Well, enough gabbing and back to making something worthy of my day. To new begginnings.

Tree Is Down

Yesterday I took the Christmas tree down as it was completely dead. My hubby forgot to slice the bottom off before placing in the stand. Anyway packed away everything Christmas and got everything back where it belonged.
Does'nt take near as long to put the stuff away as when I had small kids at home and people to entertain. I did however go out the day after Christmas and pick up a fake tree for next year and there after along with some other Christmas stuff. Not quite the sales I would have thought out there so did'nt get much.
Now I sit and begin planning for snowmobile weather and family for the New Year is coming. I really need to start walking and walk off all the sweets I've tucked away the last few weeks. It amazes me now how I don't gain pounds but spread out like the dough boy. Guess that's what happens with age.
I look forward to spending some time with my granddaughter this week before she goes back up north to school. She will also be coloring my hair as I am not able to handle this much grey yet. Oh well, to each their own, right?
Happy New Year everyone!

Gifts For Giving

All of us chicks gathered today at MaryGail's house, which was so beautifully decorated in Christmas, for the wrapping of the gifts for our chosen family. There was a lay out of various cookies and treats for everyone to nibble while we visited and met another new member, Andrea, who joined us today. After a brief meeting and small talk, we all got down to business at hand. There were so many gifts to get wrapped with everyone stepping up to the plate and doing a wonderful job in making this a special day for the family.

We got everything boxed and ready to go to the Salvation Army tomorrow morning so it can be delivered to the family. I am so proud of everyone of us for doing an outstanding job. We really hope to be able to do this again next year.

Now we can step back, breathe, and enjoy our homes with family and friends and just take the time to relax and unwind from our last month of planning and doing.

Wishing everyone a very warm and Merry Christmas.

Sneaky But Sweet

After the delivery of the tree I went and picked up my daughter, Faith, and told her I was taking her to lunch for her birthday at Antonios, an Italian restaurant she loves. We get there and I begin taking presents and a cake from the trunk. Yes by now she is embarrassed and surprised. We go inside and there sits Cheryl and within moments all of the other girls show up. I totally surprised her which is not easy for me to do.

We had a wonderful lunch of spagetti and meatballs, salad and bread and topped it off with a delicious chocolate cake. She opened gifts and we all sang Happy Birthday.

I say your never too old to have a good surprise birthday party with family and good friends.

It just helps remind me I'm getting old. Love to my baby girl. You'll always be my angel.

Christmas Joy To Giving

It was so nice to see how excited the people who work at the Salvation Arm got when we delivered our tree and ornaments to our chosen family. It makes me want to do so much more and I feel so blessed to have found other women who have just as big of hearts with small pockets as so many of us do. It is truly amazing what can be done when you have others who can help. We will wrap our purchased gifts for the family on Sunday and deliver them along with the Christmas dinner on Monday to the Salvation Army.

Once we have completed our task we will take a break to enjoy our own families and celebrate Christmas and the New Year. Then we hope to pick a day all of us gals can get together for foot manicures, hand wax and massage and plenty of chick flicks and chit chat. Until then wishing you all a Merry Christmas and bless each day we have with friends and family.

Decorated Christmas tree

While waiting on my new stove I decided I really needed to clean house so amist all of the cleaning and moving stuff around and packing stuff away, I decided I might as well unload the containers of Xmas things I've had sitting on the kitchen floor for three days. It always takes me several hours to do the tree and other decor but love when its finished. Each year I put up less as there is no one but myself and my husband who ever see it. I use to have the most elaborate of Christmas's with every room in the house decorated and so many lights and animated characters around, it would take a week to put it up and to take it all down. So I really should'nt complain about a few hours of my time to enjoy the lights and decorations of Christmas today. I guess I just miss sharing it all with family and friends.

Farmgirl Sisterhood

I have to say that I am blessed to have met the ladies who have joined our Kfalls Chapter of farmgirls. They have big hearts and open arms. Everyone stepped up to the challenge of making chemo caps for the Klamath Falls Cancer Treatment Center here in town. We gathered up our coins and purchased material and yarn.

Those that could sew did so, and some were crocheted. They turned out so nice and were delivered today to the center. Thank you all for helping out where you could and sacrificing your time to do so. This was a true meaning of sisterhood.

Thanksgiving Blessings

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and my husband, myself and his oldest son will be going out to dinner. I would have made dinner at home but not only do I have oven problems right now, I would'nt feel good about not having all my family and friends around.

As some of you know, I have been making chemo caps to deliver this coming weekend with the other farmgirls in our chapter who have also made caps, to the Cancer Center in Kfalls.
This month is really an eye opener for me as, Julie, our new member needs "farmgirl hugs" big time. She is not well herself and can no longer work, and is about to lose her home as she is doing everything she can to raise money for her daughter, Georganne, who is only 28 years old, and going through chemo for stage three breast cancer. I have been very busy making items she can sell at a bizarre in December and will continue to put the word out there for anyone who can help this family.

We (Charming Chicks) have also chosen a family for Christmas to donate a tree, presents and dinner fixings. I have been busy shopping for them as well.

Now this morning I receive a call that my sis-in-law is hospitalized for bleeding and doctors don't know where its coming from. So she is going through many tests right now. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer over three years ago, so knows all too well about the chemo treatments and having to go to doctors all the time.

I just want to send out big hugs and prayers for these women and say that I am so thankful to be able to do what I can and wish it could be so much more.

Please send blessings and prayers to these families in their time of need. I hope everyone enjoys their families this Thanksgiving and cherish each moment you have with them.

Surprise Birthday

Went to Charming Chick meeting at Cheryl's house and was suprised with birthday goodies. What a great lunch and nice gifts I received. After the lunch I went to Ford and bought a Ford Flex. I had not planned on turning in my Buick but this was just, if not more comfortable as my Buick, plus I get 28 mpg versus the 18 in the Buick. A good day it was. I'm now a Senior and get my senior discounts. yahoo

Girls Night Out

Last night Faith and I went to the Ross Ragland Theatre and saw a group called Hotel California doing a Salute to the Eagles. If you ever get a chance to see them, you should. They were so good. They sing just like the Eagles, sound like them and play some fabulous guitar. It did'nt hurt that they were nice to look at either.
As I sat there looking around at all the people in the place, I realized that I'm older and still loving rock and roll. So many were dressed to the tee and some were ready to boogie to the music. After their final song, we had to get them back on stage for more. Out they came and got a lot of us out of our chairs and dancing to the music.
After nearly three hours of loud music, my ears a bit numb, I had to drive home wishing the night could continue. But then again, the minute my head hit the pillow, this old gal was out.
I have to say, it brought back many good memories of having live music in my home while my kids were growing up and many friends and family to share it with. I need to put more of this music back into my life as it keeps me feeling young at heart.

Buckaroo

This big buck was greeting me this morning when I was going out to let the chickens out of their coop and feed them. He did have about five ladies with him too. They have been coming around a lot this past week and seem to be eating anything I still have in the yard thats edible.

We've been getting rain and cold nights but they are hanging around until there is nothing left here to eat, I suppose.

Put A Log On Please

Onyx decided if Papa could sit in the only place where there was some good heat, she'd just have to join him. This little stinker can certainly tell you when she wants something and she's letting papa know its time to put another log on the fire.

She's got him trained real well. Then again he's got her doing roll overs for a treat. If she does'nt get what she wants she can get quite verbal. She sounds like the Star Track creature, that big frog thing that looks like a blob of poop. Anyway, she's cute when she talks to you.

Southern Pecan Bars

I got this recipe from a 'sister' farmgirl and she was right to say these are yummy! I've never made anything like this before and it was really easy to do. So for those of you who don't go on the MaryJane site, I will give you the recipe so you can try them yourself. You won't be dissapointed.

Best-ever Southern Pecan Bars

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt (optional)

2 cups all purpose flour

4 large eggs, beaten

1-1/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large bowl beat butter, sugar, and salt at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add flour mixing well to combine. Press into the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. (I lined the bottom with parchment paper). Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until crust is lightly golden.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Pour over baked crust. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer or until topping is set. Cool completely in pan. Cut into bars. Makes about 2 dozen bars.

Enjoy!

Beeswax candlemaking

Yesterday my daughter and granddaughter and myself went to EcoMart to learn how to make beeswax candles and lip balm. It was so interesting and a lot of fun to learn how to make these. My daughter and I decided we are going to make some more lip balm for gifts or for sale, so we purchased what we need to make up a pretty good batch of them. The balm is such a nice smooth refreshing feel on the lips and the peppermint is a tingly feel. Very easy to apply and pretty pink. I think this could be something we could do when we all need to have a new supply of lip balm. The candles were also easy to make and I love how they all turned out. It took some patience but very simple procedures.

Now I'm waiting for whatever their next class will be. I would love to learn how to make my own massage oils. There are so many wonderful oils on the market, one could go nuts. I'm even thinking of trying my own homemade soaps but I have so many I have purchased that I really need to use them up first.

Farmgirl Meeting Fun

What a great time we had chatting and eating and making laundry soap. April even showed a couple of the girls how to crochet as some of us will be making chemo caps to give to the cancer center here in Klamath Falls.

We only had two Artisan breads to taste as the other girls forgot to bring them or said they did'nt turn out well. We will wait to taste theirs another time. I made chili beans and cornbread for lunch today. We had wine and coffee to drink and for dessert we had Banana -cream cheesecake from a recipe in my Kraft book. For those of you who enjoyed the dessert, the recipe follows:

Banana-cream cheesecake

1 pkg white cake mix, divided

4 eggs, divided

3Tbsp. oil

2/3 cup packed brown sugar, divided

2 bananas, sliced

2 pkg. (8 oz each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups thawed Cool whip Whipped topping

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Reserve 1 cup dry cake mix. Mix remaining cake mix with 1 egg, oil and 1/3 cup sugar with mixer. (Mixture will be crumbly.) Press onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of greased 13X9 inch baking pan; top with bananas.

Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer. Add reserved cake mix, remaining eggs and lemon juice; beat1 min. Blend in milk. (Batter will be thin.) Pour into crust.

Bake 45-50 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours. Top with whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

San Francisco Style French Bread

It was time to bake my Artisan bread from my sourdough starter so I decided to try this recipe I found on the Mary Janes forum for bread making. It was posted by Ronna and it just sounded so good I had to give it a try. The last loaves I made were last winter and they turned out pretty ugly and way to sour in my opinion. I'll be tasteing this one on Friday when the other farmgirls come out for lunch. It really looks pretty and the smell is wonderful. You can't beat the smell of homemade bread.

Hope it tastes as nice as it looks. If this one turns out okay it will keep me going on baking some more and keeping my 'mother' going. This time 'mother' actually bubbled and smelled ucky.

My New Old Sink

After all day of really cleaning and wiping everything down in the kitchen, as it was covered in grease and dust, lo and behold I got to do it all over again. I was'nt thinking when my husband came home and proceded to install my new sink. First off he had to cut the countertop several times to make it fit as it was a bit bigger. Guess what? Yep, sawdust on everything, in everything and spread everywhere. Oh, I forgot to mention, he first had to chip away on the old sink, I think he put it down with liquid nails, and all the chipped porcelan pieces flew everywhere you could not even imagine. All in all it took him about 5 hours to complete the job. I vaccumed a little and left the rest for the next morning.

Boy I do love my new sink. Pray tell this is my last kitchen sink I want. Now I'm hoping for a new tub and shower. Guess I won't push that too fast. I can't even imagine what that project will look like.

Fall Cleaning

Well I've got the bug for cleaning house. Kinda like spring cleaning only its fall. I have scoured my kitchen top to bottom. Cleaning all the knick knacks, shelves and windows. While working on that I've also put up nine pints of apple butter, again, and five quarts of apples for pie filling for the freezer and I still have apples. I'm thinking a fresh pie would be nice.

I then proceded to go out and clean out my fish pond so they could breathe a little easier. That ought to get them through the winter before it will have to be cleaned again.

I have planned my menu for this Friday when members of Charming Chicks come for lunch and learn how to make laundry soap. I also made up cards with the recipe on them. It sounds like there will be around eight ladies coming. That should be a good cackling party.

Now its off to figure what to have for tonights dinner and watch my husband and daughter put in my new sink. Can't wait for that one.

Bread Making

With the weather turned off cold its time to bake bread again. Couple days ago I made two small loaves of pumpkin bread and a banana nut bread. I also made applesauce for the first time ever from apples off my tree. We'll see how that turned out one day.

Today we had a Chicks meeting at Cheryl's house where she made us a delicious lunch and showed how to make MaryJanes Artisan bread starter to those who had never made it before. Next week we all get to try each others bread to see how they turn out. That should be interesting as mine have not been very good in the past. It's something I need plenty of practice with.

Here It Is

I finally tried my hand at crochet. Bought a self teaching book and tried a few different things. It took me awhile to get the hang of it but after starting over numerous times, I think I got it. Although there are many things I'd need someone to teach me that I'm not sure exactly how to do it. I would love to learn some really cute designs, but simple ones. I must say that crochet is for someone with very strong wrists, not something I have any longer. It is a nice way to pass the time on a gloomy day and catch up on all the DVR shows I taped. Plus it gave me time to sit in the rocking chair and relax which is not something I do very often .

The Bug Is Here

And that bug is what we all call the flu bug. So many I know have already been hit with it and now I've been laid up for four days with it so have not been able to get out and enjoy our fall weather. We've had rain now for a couple of days and it always smells so nice out here when it does. I use to love running in the rain when I was a kid. After getting soaked and having a blast doing so, I would then go in and take a nice warm shower. I have since then always looked forward to a good rain. Living up here in the high desert it does'nt come around all that often so when it does I try to enjoy what I can. I must say having to have a fire in the wood stove has also added to the wonderful smells of the outdoors rain and all.
Last Saturday I went to the farmers market to pass out some flyers hoping to recruit some farmgirls into our Chapter. I met one lady who makes her own dog biscuits and one who crochets and knits. I would like to try my hand at crocheting again as it has been many years since I first tried my hand at it and made a coverlet for my moms bed.
With winter coming soon it will be time to start planning lots of indoor activites and I hope to meet some other farmgirls with different interests so that I could learn from them. I have even thought of taking a yoga class as it is something I've always wanted to do.
So now its time for a hot cup of tea and a little more rest to get over this bug. Then I hope to get out there and do some more recruiting. In the meantime, hope everyone stays warm, stays healthy and enjoys their fall.

Saying Goodbye

It is really hard to say goodbye to those you love when you know it will be awhile before you can get back to see them. I just returned from Idaho from seeing my son and my mother and brothers and sisters. We only had a week there as the weather was changing toward snow back here. We spent what time we could talking, shopping and eating too much. Saw many of the neices and nephews and their families as well.
My son is doing very well and looks real good. We shopped, he took me to lunch and we talked about many things. He's already letting me know what he wants for Christmas.
Even though it's hard to leave them, it is good to be home. All of my animals miss me when I'm gone and there is so much to do around here to get ready for winter. Just the day after coming home I was hauling wood for the fireplace, putting up all my garden decor, readying the coop for the winter chill and looking for the gloves and hats to bring inside. By the next day, it was snowing the better part of the day and the following was a snow rain mix.
Well I guess I now have to say goodbye summer, hello fall. My compost bin is nearly full from all the garden scraps and the leaves have fallen from many trees. The deer are eating anything left that is green and the hens are laying fewer eggs. I've put up all my garden equipment and hubby has winterized all the motored ones. Time to put on my thinking cap and start planning crafts to make for the cold winter days ahead. I've already started pulling out the soup recipes and the crock pot, now if I could only learn to cook.