Week 5- FARM GIRL BLOG A THON- “GETTING CRAFTY”

I think this is my favorite week yet!!! I love to make crafts. I love to try new things and get my hands dirty. I have always enjoyed making things but it has just been the last couple of years that I have been making primitive country crafts. My house before was sort of a mish mash of homemade things without a real theme to it, I was looking for something that felt like me and I hadn’t really found it until I picked up a copy of a Country Sampler magazine, I was instantly sure that this was what I wanted my home to look like. The problem was that “primitives” were not really very popular in my area and no one was selling them. My friend and I had always been pretty crafty so we decided to just study the photos and see if we could reproduce the items for ourselves. We did it! Not only were we happy with the result but our friends started asking for things and we ended up doing craft shows and farmers markets. We love signs, they are quick and easy, but I also love the windows that my friend has quilted for me (sorry no photos), and I love to punch needle and stitch pillows. In this photo the pillows are sitting on a refurbished filing cabinet. Since I home school my kids needed a place to store their school work but I didn’t like having an ugly filing cabinet in my living room so I covered it in fabric. It is one of my favorite projects. Another favorite is this shelf that I picked up at a church sale for $2.00 the center of it had a drying rack in it that I pulled out and put a quilted piece in it. Then I made this quilt block to match and I made a chalk board with the same colors as well, they are all in my entry way. As much as I love making things I don’t want my house to be filled with my things I want to fill it with other peoples items but unfortunately I don’t have a lot of money to do it. I am lucky to have some really crafty friends who give me amazing presents as well as over at http://www.createaprim.com/    I participate in swaps so I have things from all over the world made by wonderfully talented women. My love for primitives fits in wonderfully with farm life, being close to your roots, using what you have, and making your house a home.

Thanks so much Tina for letting me participate in this blogathon, I have learned so much about myself through this experience, and I have really enjoyed reading about other womens experiences on the farm.

To share with other farm girls and to learn about the Farm Girl way of life visit: http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/

WEEK 4/ IN THE GARDEN /FARMGIRL BLOG THON

I am really enjoying this blogathon that I learned about over at Tina’s blog (http://gardengoose.blogspot.com ). I am a little late with this one though because I was away from home visiting friends. The theme “In the Garden” is a fun one for me. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada where we had snow last week so as much as I would love to show you many photos of my garden, this is the only thing I have that has popped up. Can you guess what it is?

Being married to a gardener is great, if I ever want to know about a plant, he usually can help, or at least knows where to look for the info. I love to can and so I can’t wait to see what grows the best each year, and I love to try new things. This year we are going to grow colorful swiss chard, and we are going to try eggplant and watermelon. We are in a pretty cold Zone and the growing season isn’t as long as I would like so it will be interesting to see what happens. This is also our first year here so we aren’t sure how the soil will be, we do know that thistles grow REALLY well though.

It is important to both my husband and I to be as self reliant as possible so having a very big garden in a priority. Thankfully our parents always had a garden so we grew up knowing that when spring came, it was one of the things you do. I have to admit I do not find gardening relaxing like a lot of other people. I enjoy harvest, and the flowers are pretty, but weeds drive me crazy!!! Our goal this year is to be very diligent this year in our weeding before they get to crazy and we are going to put straw between the rows.

I have started planting a few things inside and it feels like Christmas when I look in a pot and see something has popped up. Gardens make me glad!!

***(the plant growing is rhubarb)****

To share with other farm girls and to learn about the Farm Girl way of life visit: http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/ “

My lucky day!!!!

Look what I got! 14 windows and 4 chairs!!I love the man at the dump. I stopped to ask him if I could take the brown chair and he said yes, did you see all the windows I saved for you too? This isn’t even half of the windows he had but I didn’t have enough room for it all so I have to go back for the rest another day. I want to make this and this and this and this and the one chair is an old rocker that is missing only one spindle but is in great shape otherwise. I am so lucky!!! I cant wait to make my trash into treasure. Check out Margo at http://robomargo.com/trash.html and you will see more of her amazing creations

Week 3/ Domestic Bliss/In The Kitchen (Farm Girl Blog-A-Thon)

When we moved to our farm last July the house was a mess. The kitchen had a crazy wall paper border in the middle of the wall. I thought I would just take it off and repaint the whole thing, then I found out why the border was there!!! They had only finished the top half of the walls, the bottom half they didn’t cover up the nails with drywall mud or anything, it was a big mess. So I fixed it and then put bead board all around it and added a chair rail and painted it a greyish green color. The kitchen cupboards were pretty ugly but I was working with 0 budget so I stripped the paint, repainted it, sanded and stained them to give them a prim feeling. Then I looked through my things to see what I could decorate it with and decided to put up my stars. My husband commented how he had always thought we had a 5 star kitchen , I guess it is a little better than that now.

My favorite recipe may not feel very country (unless you are from India) but it is a wonderful comfort food, it leaves you feeling warm inside and I love it because it is easy, cheap and best of all my whole family will eat it. (After I make modifications of course)

CHICK PEA GOURMET

1 can coconut milk

1can stewed tomatoes

2 cans drained, rinsed chick peas

1 small chopped onion

2 T oil

1 T curry powder (I like it spicier so I add 2 T)

fry onions with the oil and curry until soft, add all other ingredients, bring to a boil then simmer for as long as it takes for a pot of rice to cook. serve over rice. Note: My husband and son are not big fans of chick peas but love the sauce so I throw a couple of chicken breasts in with it. It may need to cook a bit longer for that. ENJOY!!!

To share with other farm girls and to learn about the Farm Girl way of life visit: http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/

BE SURE TO VISIT THESE FARM GIRL BLOGS!!!
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Jeannie at: http://www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com/

Amy at: http://farmgirltales.blogspot.com/

Julie at:http://willowtreecreek.wordpress.com/

Heather at: http://heathersheartfeltstitches.blogspot.com/

Karin at: http://madrekarin.blogspot.com/
Meg at:http://theprimroseway.blogspot.com/
Heather at: http://www.plumcreekmama.blogspot.com/

Bonnie at: http://beequilting.blogspot.com/

Luna at: http://blueballmountainspindleneedleworks.blogspot.com/

Virtual Farmgirl at:http://virtual-farmgirl.blogspot.com/

Laura at:http://2lmzfarms.blogspot.com/

Peggy at: http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/

Denise at: http://homeschoolblogger.com/mominpa

Jessica at: http://bluegrassprincess.blogspot.com/

Frannie at: http://freedomvalleyfarm.blogspot.com/
Judy at: http://grandlakelife.blogspot.com/
Alee at: http://farmgirlalee.blogspot.com/

Aunt Jenny at: http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/

Kay at: http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com/

Amy at: http://www.homesteadblogger.com/SimpleFolk/94259/
Monica at: http://www.homesteadblogger.com/Mennobrarian
Belle at: http://www.homesteadblogger.com/homesteading/
Linda at: http://www.homesteadblogger.com/ourlittlehouseintown
Tammy at:http://countryintheburbs.blogspot.com/
Emily at:http://auntieemshouse.blogspot.com/
Ruth at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/517198/

Karen at: http://edgehillherbfarmer.spaces.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0

http://www.gardengoosegifts.blogspot.com/

The Birds!!!!!!!!!

Holy crow! Or I guess I should say geese! Last night we were in the house when all of a sudden you couldn’t hear the tv or even yourself talk hardly, the noise outside was so loud. We went out to see what was going on and there were thousands of snow geese flying over our heads and then landing in the field behind us. It was crazy, and beautiful all at the same time. I have never seen anything like it before. I thought I would share some of the wonder with you…..jenn

Does Size Matter??

My husbands greenhouse ; He is doing a market garden so it is already full of hundreds of flowers, onions, herbs, lettuce and peppers.

My greenhouse : I think I have about 5 different flowers started in there. I don’t really need a greenhouse but my mom gave it to us last year, so I thought it would be fun to plant a few things in it.

What being a farmgirl means to me. Farmgirl blog-a-thon

I didn’t grow up on a farm. My only close to farm experience was when I was about 10. We lived on an acreage for a while and my parents bought a cow. I liked it from a distance, but she was blind in one eye and would kick, so I was afraid of her. My mom was kind enough to let me stay away from the cow but I still had to have a chore. I was in charge of delivering milk. We had some neighbors that we supplied with milk, and I loaded up my red wagon and would pull it to the neighbors and drop it off. I remember this so well because I had a cat named Buttons that would lay across my shoulders and come with me as I delivered the milk, back then I thought I had the most loyal kitty in the world but now that I think about it she may have just been hoping for a treat. As much as I enjoyed my job I did not long to live on a farm, I remember as a teen telling my mom that I didn’t know who I was going to marry but it for sure would not be a farmer. I had no desire to be around farm animals and their waste, not to mention all the work that was involved. Wow, things sure do change. Now, we are just starting out and 7 acres is hardly a farm but it has a barn (still empty, but a girl is hoping to find a horse to put in it) and a chicken coop (needs a few repairs but it should have chicks in a couple weeks. Being a farmgirl means that I am no longer the youth only concerned with what life could give me, nowe I think about what I have to offer. I am giving my children not only the freedom to grow that farmlife offers but also the opportunity to learn the value of work. That with a little effort they can life close to nature and nature will provide for them, whetther it is eggs from the chickens, veggies from the garden or the heat for our home that deadfall we collect and burn in our boiler provides. I am a very new farmgirl at heart, but I look forward to growing into my new found position in life!!!

To share with other farmgirls and to learn more about the farm girl way of life visit: http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/

Sick and Tired

I am sick! It started as a bit of a cough with a sore throat, then headed to my chest so that it hurts to breath, next came the runny nose, now it is a plugged up nose. So my throat, chest and head now hurt!!!! Normally I would just grin and bare it but my friend came this week from Alberta to visit with her girls and we had so many wonderful things planned, of which we did almost nothing because she got sick as well. On the upside her life is crazy busy all the time so it was good for her to have a chance to just be, but we didn’t feel well. We watched a bunch of movies (Becoming Jane is wonderful if you like period films!!!) and ate WAY to much chocolate. Her girls had a great time yesterday. We have an old metal boat and a big slough, so they paddled around on the slough for hours and hours, coming to land every once and a while to go to the hay loft and jump off. I am so glad she came, I miss her already. Now my eyes are tearing, it must be the cold…..

My girl is growing up!

It is hard to believe that my girl is 14 today. I see her still as my little one, the baby of the family. I am lucky because she still snuggles and cuddles me, she will still ask to sleep in my bed so I get to keep her mine for a little longer. There is evidence all around that she is growing up, she asks for Cd’s and movies for her birthday, long gone are the barbies. She can officially go to dances now, and on group dates, in 2 years she will be dating. Oh dear! She makes me glad that she is more interested in paint balling than makeup, more interested in horses and her barn (in the background of the photo) than brand name clothes. But I see that she is growing up, she is so responsible, she knows already how to keep a house, fix a tire and love a child. She will a wonderful mother and a loving wife. I know this because she is already a loving daughter, and friend. She treats little ones with care, and lights up around her friends. She is a good one that girl of mine. Happy birthday baby!!!

Tie One On

Don’t you just love aprons???? I can’t get enough of them!! I especially love vintage aprons. I love that I have something to wipe my hands on whenever I need to, and I don’t have to search for a towel. I love that they have a history, and that someone has worn it long before me. I just wish I had a better body to show them off on. My favorite apron is one I got from a store called One Man’s Treasure. It is a hospital apron from days gone by, and I love it because I can imagine my grandmother wearing one like it when she was nursing. My daughter is wearing it, it would never fit me. I can’t wait until we get our chickens and I can collect eggs in an apron, I know I will be a real farm girl then. I am participating in a farm girl blog-a-thon that I read about over at gardengoose.blogspot.com

I can’t wait to find out what we are doing next week!!!

To share with other farm girls and to learn about the Farm Girl way of life visit: http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/ “)