Blinking lights...tinsel....and the smell of Christmas.

Christmas time is busy. Stringing lights....wrapping gifts...decorating inside and out...and baking. Mix that all in with a homestead and you have one tired momma! That is me. We are finished with all of the decorating....finally. This Sunday our home will be filled with laughter and love. My two sisters and their families will all be here for our family Christmas party. We host it every year, since we have the largest home and plenty parking. I try to make it as festive as possible...with plenty decorations....everywhere! Yes...everywhere.

The entryway banister. This is what greets our guests.

In the front yard...a few of the decorations. The tree....

The Village...

There are so many more....but I didn't want to bore you.... So today....After the morning chores...I have 5 ricks of firewood being delivered. I was able to get a good deal... at least I think...I can only hope they will stack it for me, but if not...then I will have to get to it when I can. After the wood is delivered I need to make one last trip into town for last minute groceries so I can get to baking. For the Family gathering, we will have "finger foods" Sandwiches, cranberry meatballs and mini sausages, a large vegetable platter with dips, cookies, brownies, sweet breads....oh boy do I have a lot to get finished! We always have what is called a "dirty Santa" gift grab. Everyone puts a gift in the middle of the floor....and we draw numbers. Starting at one...pick a gift and open it....then number two...if they want number ones gift, they "grab it" and switch. It is exciting and fun...and the gifts are always great! This is what I received last year....

Luckily I had a high number...so there was little chance that someone would "grab" it from me! The children receive several gifts. As the hostess, I buy each child a small gift...then that child's parents buy them each a gift... and usually my 2 sisters buy each child a gift. It really is about the kids...and the food and making memories. By Sunday morning...I will be found laying in a heap of Christmas bliss....Then I will have just a few days to recover for Christmas day. More baking, cleaning, and gift wrapping.One more trip into town to buy gifts for all of the critters outside. Fresh fruits and vegetables will be found by each one Christmas morning. Hanging cabbages for the chickens.... a mix of apples and carrots for the pigs, goats and rabbits. The dogs will have wrapped toys under the tree and snacks in their stockings. Nikki, our Macaw will not be left out. She too will have new toys and treats. Do you give your critters "gifts" this time of year?

A break in the weather... a blessing in disguise.

A few weeks ago, the weather gave us a taste of real winter. Single digit temperatures.... winds... snow... just down and out C O L D ! The water troughs were frozen with a 3 inch layer of ice. Hauling buckets of warm water to the animals. Fluffing the bedding so the critters could get down in it and stay warm. Yes, it was COLD! Then the weather broke. Highs back into the 50's, lows in the upper 20's and low 30's. This little break in the cold weather is a blessing. It gives us more time to get that firewood brought up to the house, get the plastic on the coop windows, stack in the feed and hay and just get ready for what is to come for us in January/February. It is much nicer to do these things in 50 degree weather. So, not really knowing how long this will last, The next few days I will be doing what I can, if it doesn't rain, to get the critters ready for winter. Plastic on the windows will be the first job, easy enough to do.... I can get that done in a day. Next I need to move a new crate from the storage area next to the shop, over to the pig area. Right now I have my sow and boar together, and the 2 little ones in a different area to grow out. My concern is that the sow will be bred for a winter farrow. I really do NOT want babies in winter... time is of the essence. Then I need to increase the size of the hut for the 2 little piggies. They are growing pretty quickly, and need more room. I plan to use a few wood panels from the crates we had taken apart, and just add on to the existing hut. Keeping these babies warm will keep them from burning off weight trying to keep warm. Putting up Christmas decorations are a lot easier in these warmer temps too. I want to get it lit up out there for the grand babies. The girls really "light up" when they see all of the decorations. A smiling child warms my heart. It is a lot of work, but worth it. Oh, and a wonderful surprise happened here. See, a few years ago, we were adopted by a stray female cat. With a small orange stripe down her forehead, I decided to call her Gizmo. She was super friendly. Her little motor would purr so loudly I could feel it rumble in my chest. I fell hard for Gizmo. A great barn cat, great mouser, friendly and super cuddly. Well, about 6 months ago, I noticed Gizmo didn't show up for breakfast. Not uncommon for a barn cat to miss a meal....but she didn't show for the evening feeding either. Days went by...then weeks...then months. No Gizmo. I haven't seen her in just about 6 months now. It was hard thinking about the "what if's" All I could think was... " I hope she didn't suffer" Well, a few days ago, as I made my way to the barn, I was greeted by several of the barn kitties, one of them being Giz2. She is Gizmo's little twin, ( daughter) Unfortunately Giz2 is feral so no chance to hear if she has that same little purring motor. Giz2 came running up, and as usual I reached down to try petting her. This time, she didn't back away! As a matter of fact, when I reached out for her, she leaned into my hand. I decided to try picking her up for a cuddle...and she let me! As I hold her, listening to that strong purr, I see...another Giz looking cat coming from the barn. So, if THAT is Giz2......the one I am holding MUST be... MY GIZMO!!I quickly checked her ears. Neither one of them have been clipped...so..this MUST be my Gizmo! Yes, she is home! I have no idea where the last 6 months have taken her. She is fat and healthy...and hopefully NOT pregnant. She was not here for the " great kitty roundup" for spay/neuter day. Had someone taken her in making her a house kitty? Did she get in some delivery truck, or someones car and go on an adventure? Whatever her story is, I will never know. I am just happy that she made her way back to the farm. She is one of the "special" barn cats, that I had gotten close to. Now she is there to greet me every morning in the barn with her little squeak of a meow, and a loud purr. Welcome home Gizmo.

Thanksgiving morning.. all is quiet.

As I sit here in the morning darkness...the TV on in the back round, the fire crackling..ooops, wait...it went out, be right back. OK, ( cue sappy music ) the fire crackling in the back round... I sit here waking up with a cup of coffee steaming under my nose. Mentally going over the things I need to do to get Thanksgiving dinner ready. OK, ok, wait a minute. Its not all that "romantic" REALITY CHECK HERE! I crawled out of bed, my hair going crazy , achy and sore....barely made it to the potty before I wet myself. Stumbled to the kitchen... oh crap!! What a mess! Our daughter and son in law came in last night around 11 pm. I was just finishing up the baking.. so we sat down and chatted until well after midnight. I crawled into bed leaving the kitchen a mess! UGH! Got the coffee going....steal a cup and stumble to the computer. The fire had gone out, so I grumbled as I went over to get it going, only to see it was FULL of ashes, so I dug out the little block in the bottom that opens to the ash drawer underneath, get it out, only to find out that the ash bucket is full! UGH! Now I have to take the ash drawer out back and dump it in the metal trash can we have to hold ashes. *insert MUCH grumbling* Never fails.... as I go to empty the drawer into the can, the wind kicks up....covering me in a nice layer of ash...first thing in the morning... gotta love it.. NOT! Shaking off the ashes, back inside, clean out the wood stove and got a fire going. There... now that's better. I am going to sit here and drink my coffee.. then head to the kitchen and tame that beast... get the kitchen cleaned so I can get it dirty again getting that bird ready. I like to start with a " clean slate" Hoping by the time I get the kitchen cleaned, my daughter will be up to help get that tom in the oven. Breaking bread, cutting onion and celery, getting it stuffed and in the oven. Later today our daughter in law will be here with the 3 grand kids for dinner. Our son works retail so he will not be here. He has to work 9 am until 9 pm. I really wish the stores were all closed today so everyone could be with their families and friends. I always get a little melancholy on Thanksgiving. I miss the days when the kids were smaller.... and we had all 4 of them here. I always put up one of those 8 ft long folding tables in the dining room, just to hold the sweets I baked. I used to bake for days! Apple pie, cherry pie, pumpkin pie and chocolate creme pie. Then the cookies, chocolate chip, peanut butter, butter cookie cutouts iced in colorful icings.. there would be pumpkin bread, banana nut bread, home made peanut brittle, buckeyes, Russian tea cakes. What a spread! The busy morning preparing the big feast... kids running in and out stealing bites of this or that... putting the leaf in the big dining table to hold the big feast.Yes, I miss those days. Now, the kids are grown, they have married and started their own families. All but one have moved far away. We struggle to fill the house now on Thanksgiving. However now we have the grand kids. So after the feast is cleaned up and put away, we will drag out the Christmas tree, and put it up. Making new memories with the grand kids...new traditions. Eventually Thanksgiving dinner will be done at one of their homes... and we will go feast with them, watching them make new memories...and new traditions. I wish you all have a great Thanksgiving...make memories that last...enjoy your family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Thanksgiving.... giving thanks.

Yes... Thanksgiving is just about here. In a few more days, people will be getting together and feasting. Many of those people will mindlessly gather, feast, laugh, and share memories. I say "mindlessly" because so many people just do it out of habit. Because of the day that it is. "Turkey day" .... Thanksgiving.... phrases like "gobble till you wobble" or "eat until your eyes pop out" or maybe you hear " they were in a turkey coma" Yes, I have heard these phrases. Thanksgiving has become a day to gather and become Gluttonous. How many families REALLY give thanks.? How many people will pause before filling their plates and reflect on the past year, and speak out loud the things they are thankful for? Well, we do in our home. We will start at one end of the table and one by one go around until each person speaks out loud of at least one thing they are thankful for... then we give thanks to God. THEN... we stuff ourselves mercilessly. There was a time, many years ago, when my husband was in the military, we would open our home to single airmen or two, who had no family to celebrate with, to share our feast. Times have changed... our location has changed. We now live in an area and a time where we are afraid to invite a stranger into our home. It is a sad world we live in. As I sit here making the list of the foods I will prepare for our feast, I am thankful that I CAN prepare them. A lot of the food will come from our homestead.... food we grew and harvested from the sweat of our brow. I am thankful that we live in an area where we can grow and raise our food. Thankful I have the ability, strength, and knowledge of how to do what we do. In the back round the television is on, times are tough all over...some areas erupt in violence over a civil matter. I am thankful that we do not live in a larger city, where violence is prominent. So stop for a moment...reflect on your life....your lifestyle.... what are you thankful for?

Weather = Wild Ride

Wow, already, this weather is freaking out! We have had frigid temps...5 inches of snow.... and today will be 40 degrees. This weekend will be in the low 60's with a potential of severe thunderstorms. Yesterday had the goats shivering. Making me feel so bad for them, today I am making goat coats. Yes... you heard me right. I am making little coats for the goats. I will post pics once I get them finished....and try to get a few pics of them modeling for me. For now, I am going to cozy up to the fire and wait for daylight.

It is cold.... that is all.

Yes, Old Mother Nature is going to really mess with us this year. This morning it is 3 degrees!!!! Our temps today are supposed to stay in the teens. Holy smokes. My back is hurting just thinking about it! I will be hauling warm water all day to the critters. Oh, and you want to hear the best part!??? By Sunday.....in 4 days....we are supposed to be in the 60's!!! This 5 inches of snow will melt into "poop soup" Oh fun! The wood stove is blazing.... the furnace is on.....I am sitting here with a blanket wrapped around me with a hot cup of coffee...dreading that cold air outside. Today will be all about the layers.

Yep... we got "it"

Last night... " it" started. First it was rain....then, the temps dropped and "it" became white and a bit more solid...yep, our first measurable snow. As I headed out this morning it took my breath away. The first snow is always so pretty to me. Of course, in a few months I will be cussing it...but for now.. just a few pictures from this morning...while I am still enjoying it. The geese didn't seem to be thrilled about it....

This little kitten found a great few "Snuggle bunnies"

Looking down the shop driveway...towards the church...so peaceful...so quiet...

So this is what the first snow is looking like....for now...i love it.