On the line

Morning Everyone!!

Today I got up with the sun, let my flock of chickens out and headed out for my 2 mile walk with the dogs in the refreshingly crisp, early morning sun. It was so peaceful and beautiful and definitely the perfect way to start my day!! Now I've eaten breakfast, have a load of laundry in the wash and am sipping on coffee as I type! Harvest is going well and could be finished within the week, which is kind of surprising how fast time went as it feels as though just yesterday I was so excited that we began!!

Last night before bed, Adam and I talked about our plans for this winter and became overly excited about the possibilites of finishing this house we're living in so that we can move out to the farmhouse and finally be in a home of our own {if you are just joining us here on the blog, Adam & I are living in the upstairs of a monolithic dome that is currently under construction and being built for my inlaws}. I can't wait to move in to the old farmhouse and renovate it to suit our needs and have a home again, I've missed having one. Our place here is beautiful and very comfortable but its not our home. We have big plans for our new place and I have pretty much everything decided on and picked out already {giggle} I know the paint colors, the flooring..you name it, I've got it picked out!! But last night I came up with what may have been an odd request of my husband, I asked him for a clothesline in our backyard. Yup, the old traditional way of drying your clothes is something I asked for. Why? Well, I think its beautiful having a line of freshly laundered clothes hanging out in the sun, flapping in the breeze. I've wanted one for awhile now and I think the farmhouse is as good a place as any to put it, don't cha think? Of course Adam was 100% up for it, saying he loved the way laundry smelled coming off the line...don't you just love when your spouse is in to something as much as you are?!

 

I can just smell the fresh laundry now...yum!! And, with that in mind I have to share with you this "recipe" I found on the internet for a new bride in 1912. It was written down by a Kentucky grandmother to give to a bride on her wedding day, please enjoy {spelling mistakes & all!!}

 

{My dads going to love this!}

 

1. Bild fire in back yard to heet kettle of rainwater.
2. Set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is pert.
3. Shave one hole cake lie soap in boilin water.
4. Sort things, make three piles. 1 pile white. 1 pile cullord. 1 pile work britches and rags.
5. To make starch stur flour in cold water to smooth then thin down with boilin water.
6. Rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, then boil. Rub cullord but don’t boil — just rench and starch.
7. Take white things out of kettle with broom stick handle then rench, blew and starch.
8. Spred tee towels on grass.
9. Hang old rags on fence.
10. Pour rench water in flower bed.
11. Scrub porch with hot soapy water.
12. Turn tubs upside down.
13. Go put on cleen dress, smooth hair with side combs, brew cup of tee — set and rest a spell and count your blessins.

Ack! this just kills me, I love it! Gosh, what it must have been like to have been a woman back then!! Hope you enjoyed this today, have a wonderful Thursday everyone..September is just around the corner!

 

 

Sunflower Fields Forever

I love me some sunflowers. Ever since I can remember, the sunflower has probably been my #1 flower..ever. Its sunny, cheerful, happy, beautiful..it just lights up your day when you have a vase full of sunflowers around, don't you think?

Last November, on our honeymoon thru France and Italy, I was hoping/praying to come across a field full of sunflowers {like you see in all the movies}. Well, we were about 3 months late {turns out they have similar seasons to us..haha} but what has shocked me the most since then is that not ten minutes from our farm, there is a gigantic field of the most beautiful sunflowers I have ever seen. The reason I'm shocked? We are dirt farmers down here {ie: no irrigation - strictly reliant on Mother Nature herself} and I never thought I'd see the day a field of sunflowers would be planted here, but I am oh so glad they are! A few mornings ago I loaded up my boys {Simon & Jake) and we headed over to the field so that I can walk amongst the sunflowers and be in my peaceful glory. I took about a hundred photos and just smiled the entire time I was there. Of course afterwards I called my farmer and demanded we plant sunflowers next year, to which he replied his usual, "No prob, babe|

Now, if you could have a field of whatever you wanted..what would it be?!

Home

With harvest running us ragged, we haven't had time to unload my belongings since I moved in here 2 weeks ago, nor have we set up a proper home. Now, I don't know about you...but I love being "home" and I miss it so much! I explained to Adam that when I say I miss being home, I don't miss a specific house back in Alberta..I just miss that feeling of being home, the warmth, the comfort, the freedom...that is what I miss

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I miss my puppy (he's at my parents' home until I get this farm Jakey-proof), my afghan that mom made me which I like to cuddle up in every night, my PVR, my popcorn (we've been working 12-16 hour days and am too exhausted when we get home to make any. I miss my family - our visits and Sunday night suppers and I miss my friends. But what I am learning here is something extremely valuable:

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Home is wherever I make it. Home is where Adam is. Home is in his arms. Home is waking up with him every morning and falling asleep with him every night - without missing a beat. He gives me love, friendship, laughter, silliness, freedom..he gives me everything I could ever ask for.

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So well yes, I miss my pumpkin spice latte's and my scrapbooking time (which will come once we're set up) ... I know that it is all worth it because I get to be here, with this guy (below), for the rest of my life!

Us

And, just in case you were wondering, we have just 51 days left til our wedding!!!

Have a great day everyone!!! Happy Crafting!!

Week 1 as a Farmgirl

 

image via Pinterest

Well, I've officially been a farmgirl for a week! It still feels as though I am on holidays and due back in the office any day now, but then I remind myself.."nope, this is your life now!"

We are in the midst of harvest here in SK and things are going well after a rainy day last week caused us to lay low for 3 days. We're working some 16 hour days and although we are tired and ready to hit the sack..we're extremely happy! Things have been interesting for me..trying to carve out a piece of me here has been a little more trying than originally thought..but I have faith that it'll all work out sooner rather than later.

For the most part, I have been filling my days riding around in the semi's with Adam. Loading up with wheat, driving it back to the yard to unload in to the bins, moving augers, moisture testing the grain and going right back out to do it all over again! Today though, I decided to stay close to home in an effort to get a few things done.

So far today I have tackled my fear of using the zero turn ride-on mower (big check off my to do list!) It was a little bit of a shakey start, but I got a hand of it eventually. The best part was all the grasshoppers jumping towards me..which of course led to mini freak out sessions, followed by a lawn mower going off course. But I laughed til it hurt and I got it done..I think I may get this farm girl thing down eventually!! Afterwards, I came in to the house where I have been baking my little heart out. Cookies & a cake that...now that I think about it, needs icing shortly :) So...thats my life in a nutshell..can't wait to get back to crafting!!!

Happy Crafting everyone!

Modern day Snow White

When I was a little girl, my parents took me to my aunt's house with no other explanation other than they had a surprise for me. When we arrived, I walked in to see a baby fawn strolling around her living room! It had been rejected by its mother after hunters got too close and placed their scent on it and a few people got together to arrange for it to be transported to the Calgary Zoo. And since it was needing a home for a day or two, my aunty opened up her place and that allowed me to get up close and personal with my own version of Bambi.

I have always been grateful for that experience! Not many people can say they get to play with a fawn (nor should they, as its always dangerous for an animal if humans get too close). I've talked about that day a lot lately, especially now that I'm out in the country a lot with my farmer. And just the other day, I was complaining to Adam that I hadn't seen a fawn yet..which worried me considering our winter was so harsh this year! But last night, on my way home..I found this little baby stumbling across the highway

I turned off the highway to make sure it was okay and found it laying against a fence, calling out for its mama. When I noticed there was another couple keeping watch of the fawn I went to talk to them and this little thing just ran towards me. I tried escaping it, knowing what human scent could do to it, but it wouldn't leave my side. It was young, it was hungry and I'm betting it was scared. Once the police and bylaw showed up, another lady came and told us that the exact same thing happened the day before and she called Fish & Wildlife. She fed it baby formula and put it under a tree as directed, but yesterday it was still roaming around, trying to find its mom. It had been surrounded by people for at least 2 days and before I knew it..this happened..

I don't promote this..please don't think I do. But I have a huge, soft heart and when a baby fawn needs some love, I can't refuse it. It kissed my chin, snuggled up to me and wouldn't leave my side! Every once in awhile it would try to walk back towards the highway, but we kept it close to us, to make sure nothing happened. After 45 minutes, Fish & Wildlife came..they just wanted to put it under a tree again and let nature take its course...I wasn't happy with that!

The policeman that was with us spoke up and made his concerns known about the dangers of causing an accident on the highway and so F&W packed the fawn up in a kennel and moved it to a nearby park that is more sheltered and known to house deer. I felt better, but still not satisfied

All night I laid awake, wondering if the fawn was safe. Did it find its momma? Was the momma dead? Did another herd take it in and keep it safe? Would it be there, in the dark, scared, hungry and crying for its mom? Or is it safe? Did someone take it to a rescue sanctuary? It burdened me all night. I woke up with puffy eyes, imagining the fate of my little Bambi and drove to the park to ease my mind. The fawn was nowhere to be seen, nor was it anywhere near the highway! This made me a little relieved/a little worried. But in my mind, it found its momma and is now hiding somewhere, safe and sound!

I am so blessed I got to be so close to such sweet wildlife twice in my lifetime. What an amazing experience!

Overwhelmed

I woke up this morning feeling slightly overwhelmed with all the things on my to do list! I have Spring cleaning on my brain and of course after a long, cold winter my house is in dire need of some attention! Items have been dispersed around the house in a disorderly fashion and I find myself stepping over things just to get across my basement! It simply will not do any longer!

And now with a full free weekend ahead of me (beau will be staying at the farm and me in the city) I am looking forward to a weekend spent on my house, purging, organizing and cleaning .. and oddly enough its exciting! I can't wait to have a nicely clean house..ready to shine!

And because I can't leave you without a photo..here is a pic of my boy Simon and I out at the farm a few weeks ago..*sigh* I love my dogs!