{this moment} - Apple Orchard Day

 {this moment}

I'm linking to Soulemama for a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

~Happy Friday friends and have a ghoulish Hallowe'en!~

Two Bloggers and a Stalker

What happens when you take a blogger, another blogger and a stalker to a Fleece Festival, 

where Robert Plant's brother is hanging outside, headbutting and biting anyone who comes near,

where there's lots of wool, more wool, adorable notions and beautiful hooked rugs,

and where a course on beginner rug hooking just happens to be on offer?

 Well, I just don't know my dear,

  but please do tell. What does happen?

 For starters, three ladies have a delightful morning, and then they all went home and quickly finished up this design. 

Didn't we?

And they also became hooked on hooking. 

And then one of them gloated because she's is retiring, come the end of this week.

And I wish it was me. 

~Sigh~

~Be well friends~

Coming soon to a mailbox near you!

The male twin has been a bit concerned of late.

Troubled that maybe not everyone in the country is able to keep up on the goings on in the NHL.

He had a plan to rectify that and, today, he put his plan into action. 

Meet the Hockey Reporter of the old farmhouse.

He sat down last night at his desk and wrote his article. Then after school today, he printed copies for the neighbours. 

Yep.

He's asked me for the last week if I thought this was a good idea. 

You see, he wants to be a sports reporter someday. 

That could change with the wind but, for now, it is what is. 

I learned to go with the flow, a long time ago. 

I was able to sneak this photo of the reporter/delivery boy from my rear view mirror.

 

 We decided I would join him for his first delivery and since it was getting near dinner time and the threat of rain that had been lingering all day wasn't in any hurry to leave, we traveled by car. 

And the funniest part of all or maybe a sign that this is his true calling as an impartial witness of fact?

 He's not even a Leafs fan.

 ~Be well friends~
 

A Handsewn Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has turned into the event of the season in our home, particularly now that this time of year, we're surrounded by harvest, fall colours and a plethora of leaves. It's also a time for me to shed the vestiges of city life and prove to myself that country is as country does. And what country does, around here each year, is to make a Thanksgiving dinner that was more home made than the year before and by George, this year was a smashing success.

 

By the way, these photos have nothing really to do with Thanksgiving but I tagged along with my mom to my first quilt show on the weekend and I was amazed.

Our fresh turkey was stuffed with homemade bread and seasoned with herbs, including, for the first year, sage from my herb garden. 

These dresses aren't really my thing but I loved the red and white in this quilt.

We had colourful heirloom carrots and acorn squash seasoned with the Artist's first edition maple syrup. We soaked up my first solo attempt of my mom's gravy recipe with homemade rolls.

 This jacket was quilted entirely using men's neckties.

And since we had a bumper crop of pie pumpkins and I passed pastry 101 this summer, we stuffed ourselves, just a little silly, on my new pumpkin pie recipe with, of course,  homemade whipped cream.

A woman made this quilt using nine shirts belonging to her late son. Her plan is to give it to his best friend. This teared me up and reminded me, once again, of how much I have to be thankful for. 

And it goes without saying, that what wasn't homegrown was local. All of it. A 50lb bag of spuds from our local potato farmer to see us through the winter and cider from another local farm seasoned with spices and kept warm in the crock pot with apple and lemon slices.

 

 These trees were only attached at the top and bottom. For a modern design, I liked it but I could see a certain cat having just too much fun with something like this. 

And everything else we needed, was provided by our local farmers market, including yummy handmade holiday spice toffees, for that melt in your mouth pumpkin pie taste when it's needed in a jiffy. 

And so with Thanksgiving only a day behind us, we're already planning for next year. Raising our own turkey is at the top of our wish list. We may be setting our sites a little high, time will tell. 

But I also learned a thing or two when the weekend was said and done. 

First, I need to learn how to sew. Really sew because I fell in love with this quilt. I see lessons in my immediate future.

Secondly, it's really fun to stalk a stalker.

And thirdly, taking the day off after a holiday to rest and tidy up the house while everyone else is back to work or school, is the perfect way to enjoy a piece of pie for breakfast.

 ~Be well friends~

The Fair!

There are many fall fairs in our area, probably not unlike most of you, but this was the first time we had the opportunity to attend the one closest to the old farmhouse. This is its third year in its new location and we've been itching to go and check it out. 

Celebrating a good growing season that has given us ample opportunities to harvest all of our hard work  put in through a long, hot summer and to also enjoy the work of others has always been a big draw for me. I could spend hours in all of the different exhibit buildings. 

I love wheat sheaths, and sure wish I could make them. Anybody with me on that; anyone know how to make them? And if my stalker says she knows how, well, you'll be able to knock me over with a feather, and then we'll get down to a business and make one.

Now that we're in the country and the Artist and I slowly develop our small parcel of land into a self-sufficient 'farm', we're drawn even more so into the animal barns. Oh, how we yearn for a barn to call our own. And I can tell you, I've been working on the Artist's barnheart, and it's coming along quite nicely. All it took, in fact, was to watch Food Inc. and the next thing I knew, books were rolling in from the library on how to build a chicken coop. 

Can I have a hallelujah sister?

 

And I can also tell you, it took a lot of self control not to tuck one of these under my jacket and make a run for it.

 Just watching and listening to those birds, I could have stayed here all night.

 But then we got hungry.

And the midway was calling our names.

And the male twin, who, upon arrival, had declared he would ride the Ferris wheel with his grandma, decided at the last moment that he wanted to "get a good job, get married and have some kids before he died". 

I took that as a no.

And then I took his place.

Well, it was a good photo op and having a camera around my neck seemed to garner a lot of respect from the ride attendants. If you call a long pause at the top, respect. Where's Waldo? Um, he's not here actually, but the Artist and the male twin are. Can you spot them?

I wanted to sneak one of these beauties home too but their coat was bigger than mine.

Before we knew it, it was time to call it a night before we all turned into pumpkins. Not, however, without having a last treat to soothe our tired feet. Yes, funnel cakes are good for your feet, betcha didn't know that, huh? And do you see that twin eyeing my funnel cake? Well, I might have mentioned something about knowing some better behaved kids and that could quite easily become the next Glimmer Twins.

What do you think?

 

All in a day's herb.

 We split, we hauled and we stacked. Repeat.

Yesterday was wood day. We made a small but usable dent in our pile of spruce logs to add to our hardwood for the winter.  

It's hard labour for a body accustomed to office work but the physical exertion is a surefire way to let off steam. Most of all, I enjoy the puzzle of stacking, looking for the best way to fit each piece to maximize space and to prevent the whole stack from toppling over and quickly, before the next load arrives. Back in the city, I would have never imagined that I would one day be stacking wood, let alone enjoy it.  Good thing because there is enough spruce out there to keep us busy for a month of Sundays. 

We were threatened with our first frost this weekend, but I think it was more hype than substance. Nevertheless, we brought in all of our herbs. Some are drying as we speak, the Artist made a batch of pesto and we tried our hand at herb weaving.  Each spring we plant more herbs, and each fall I wish I had planted more. A bigger herb garden is definitely on the farmhouse to-do-list.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying this simple herb bouquet while I wile away the evening hours washing dishes.

 Ah me! love can not be cured by herbs.  ~Ovid

 Perhaps not, but they sure make kitchen chores more palatable!

 ~Be well friends~
 

Fall Fire

We lit our first fall fire last night, here at the old farmhouse, and it was deceptively cozy. Deceptive, I say, because it tempts you with it's warm arms embracing you as it gently leads you over to the sofa, where it puts a pillow under your head and tucks you in serenely, for along winter's nap. And on a Friday night, after a week of commuting and such, I don't really need any help in the sleep department.

This morning we hurriedly worked outside, in earnest of an impending downpour, by preparing wood for a day of splitting tomorrow, raking leaves and culling herbs to bring indoors, before our first frost tonight,  with the smell of woodsmoke filling the cool autumn air. It felt good to work around Mother Nature, to let her rule our schedule, working when she said to and resting whenever she might allow. It's a gradual descent into the sleepy depths of winter, one that yanks on my soul more with each passing year.

Now the rains have arrived and we're planning an afternoon of preparing decorations for Thanksgiving which, unbelievably, will be busting through our door next weekend. What are you doing this weekend?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And on another note, delayed but here nonetheless, is the winner of the CSN giveaway.

It's Tammy from Flat Creek Farm! 

I can not begin to tell you how much I love this girl! She was one of my very first followers, and commented away as I posted about my pending country wedding and has been here ever since!

She is an amazing photographer and I love watching her photography and Photoshop skills evolve, so inspiring for me! She has the sweetest donkeys you'll ever meet and a most wonderful farm, full of gorgeous flowers, animals of all sorts, including her new chicks that are getting quite big ,along with their beautiful coop that she built herself! I only wish she'd show us more, like those 150 tomato plants she grew this year! Oh yes, and like me, she loves the word heirloom, at least when it comes to talkin'bout the garden!

I'm sure many of you are already familiar with Flat Creek Farm, but if you're not, you better mosey on over there, you have no idea what you're missing.

Congratulations Tammy!

~Enjoy your weekend friends!~

{this moment} - Fall Fair from the Male Twins Perspective

{this moment} 

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

I'm linking to Soulemama for this Friday moment.

 

 ~Happy Friday Friends~