Happy New Year!

I can understand why so many people make resolutions for the new year. It feels like a fresh start, what better time is there to make changes? I’ve been thinking, pondering, ruminating about the year ahead and what changes I’d like to make, goals I’d like to set.

Looking back on 2011, I’d like to share the top 4 posts from here at the homestead.

1. Homemade bag balm
2. Cheese in a homemade cheese press
3. What I do with “all that milk”
4. I don’t like digging carrots

There’s some reading for you if you haven’t already.
Some of the exciting (to me) highlights from 2011:

~Getting Happy (lol), our milk cow! Here she’s making her youtube debut. Makes me wish I was a cow.
~Learning to make cheese. Since getting Happy, this was really something I wanted to accomplish.
~Being on Sylvia’s radio show. I was so nervous, I was way outside my comfort zone doing that, but it turned out well and was a lot of fun! Sylvia has just as sweet a spirit as she sounds.
~Making many wonderful friends on the internet! I know that sounds sappy but it’s so true! I especially want to thank you for reading and commenting. It means so much to me.

Here’s looking forward to a great year ahead with new things and new experiences!
May God bless you and your family.

Christmas Greetings

(My dad, approx. 1940)

Autumn colours

You have to be quick to catch the colours of fall around here.  Just when you think how beautiful it is, you get a big wind and it’s all on the ground.

Are the leaves changing where you are?

The birds came!

I’ve got 50 chicks and 10 turkey poults, both mixed. I like to sit and watch them (notice the camp stool?) It’s like watching fire – mesmerizing. I could waste a lot of time just sitting here.

I put the turkey poults in their new home, they were running around happy and curious when suddenly one decided it could fit through the wire gate! EEKS! I jumped up and ran around trying to decide how I could block the holes. Before I could get back, two more discovered the same thing! I stapled on a paper feed bag. I raised turkeys before but I don’t remember them fitting through there! 😆

These old hands

Back soon

It’s been a long cold winter but I’ll be back soon letting you know what we’ve been up to. Spring is just around the corner and I’m hopeful.

Welcome rain.

It’s been so, so dry this spring.  Very unusual.  We are finally getting some much needed rain.  It’s been coming down for 2 days and is expected to continue for another 2 days.  Everything is just popping green!  The leaves are bursting out, the grass turned green overnight!  The birds sure are singing today. I love it!

It’ puts a hold on outside activities but that’s okay with me. 🙂  There’s enough to do indoors that it’s not a concern.  We need a rest sometimes too. 🙂

Christmas tree is up

We live near a Christmas tree farm, we’ve been getting our tree there the past several years.  Some years we walk over and carry the tree back but this year it was just too cold.  We drove.

Do you have your Christmas tree up?  I don’t do a lot of decorating because my house is too small and decorations just add clutter.  At the base of the tree you can see a lit Santa.  This is a quirky little guy I got from an elderly relative.  He’s really not very attractive but has become part of a tradition to have him sitting under the tree. 

Yes, the tree is in front of the door. lol  We don’t use the front door at all.  It’s an emergency exit only.  I mentioned my house is small, but it is sufficient. 🙂

Nativity

I also have a nativity (also called a creche)  sitting under the tree.  My dad built the stable for me and I bought little plastic figures.  Of course there are chickens and goats watching over baby Jesus. 😀  It’s not expensive and certainly not fancy, but neither was the birth of Jesus, right?

Yesterday’s sky

I was on my way into town when I had to pull over to capture this one! It was noon.  The sun isn’t very high in the sky this time of year.

13 Random things I’ve learned

 

1. When you jump off a truck be sure where you are landing
2. It takes about 2 weeks to heal a sprained ankle
3. Don’t hold a chicken’s head with one hand and swing a hatchet with the other
4. It takes 6 stitches to close a finger (our bones are really white!)
5. There’s a reason for the saying “pig headed”
6. Animals teach you patience
7. Men are dreamers
8. He’s not going to do all the (crazy?) things he says (thank goodness!)
9. No matter how hard I try, God’s the one in control of life and death
10. Farm animals will die.
11. Don’t put eggs in your pocket
12. Time flies
13. Live in the moment but don’t forget to take pictures