The Middle of August at the farm...

Hello everyone.. 

Welcome to the Blessed Hearth blog on this lovely Sunday in the middle of August.. 

The days are a wee bit shorter then when I posted just a couple of weeks ago.  The raspberries have ripened, the Sampfire greens are at the market and the beautiful Queen Anne's Lace are flourishing on every roadside... 

Summer is winding down.. 

For some that is a happy dance sort of thing but for me it is more of a side of melancholy! 

I do love all the seasons but for some reason when Summer makes her debut I feel so uplifted but then it sets me down slowly.... 

I can see the signs everywhere that she is going to leave ... 

The flowers and leaves that were alive and beautiful are changing their colours, the gardens are ready for harvest, the garlics are hung, the nights are cooler and there is a nip in the air when you open the kitchen door in the mornings.. 

Fall is in the air even if it has not arrived yet.. 

It is coming and we will bid farewell to another Summer.. 

I really don't like to say good-bye to her.. 

So... 

I am going to enjoy every enchanting moment left in her company! I will drink coffee in the mornings without a fire on and sit on the deck and breath the evening air!  Terry and I will do the picnic thing a few more times and go to the beach again.. I will sit on my swing and thank God for all of his blessings..

How about you? How do you look at it?  

Just wondering... smile.. 

We stayed overnight at the farm finally and it was fine..

  

A beautiful place to wake up in...  

The cows have been visiting in the pasture by the house and we love that.. 

Terry worked in the gardens a lot and I am still doing my thing..

Making simple meals.. 

Lots of veggies are available now.. 

Made batches of pesto and made a few salads with the basil.. 

This is one of our favourites.. 

Tomatoes and onions chopped and lots of basil and garlic.. 

Squeeze on some fresh lemon juice and a bit of olive or canola oil.. 

Let it sit at room temp for an hour or so.. 

It is delicious with banquette or fresh bread or just as an added salad or with some pasta... 

Yeah!

So enjoying our garlic harvest.. 

Our gardens are doing great.. 

This is one you can see out of the pantry window..

Love our farmer's cows..

Aren't they lovely?  

We go for country drives quite often as always.. 

Terry is a darling and picks me any flowers I need.. 

Or wild medicines.. 

This is actually Milkweed... 

He was telling the grandsons that the negative thing about Grandma getting her cataracts removed was that she could see every flower in the ditch now!  lol... 

Yup... 

And the poor dear has to pick them.. 

I do offer but I think it is easier for him to pick them then to have to call a crane to get me out of the ditch... grin..

On with the story.. smile.. 

Last Monday he decided it was time to go to the woodlot and chop down more fire wood.. 

All by himself.. 

As he knows that is not going to happen ... 

I would not accomplish anything for wondering if he was all right.. 

So ... I pack up some coffee, hard boiled eggs and a cucumber salad and away we go.. 

I had a project I wanted to work on so along it came ...  

I had picked this up at the thrift store for a couple of dollars.. 

I just needed it and a pair of scissors and a glue stick.. 

It provided lots of tags that I can use for gifts.. 

Not just kids but ladies, too!  

I am not the only Beatrix Potter fan.. smile..

The wee cutouts will be stickers.. 

The larger will get a hole punched and a pretty string for a tag or just a bookmark or such..

And.. 

Several little envelopes that will hold a gift card or a bit of lavender or even some seeds.... 

I think I will distress ink on a few... 

My gift pantry is starting to come together again.. 

I built it up in the Spring but it does not last long.. 

What do you have in yours?  

I hope to make Queen Anne's Lace jelly this week.. 

Saturday morning we woke early and went to breakfast at the Big Stop and then did some yard sales in Salisbury.. 

It was yard sale day.. 

I was so excited as we bought a really good vacuum for the farm.. 

It works perfect.. 

A Filter Queen.. 

And a food processor!  

Both for only fifteen dollars with several really good books added in.. 

Then we headed for the farm and these were in the pasture in front of the house..  

Just enjoying the summer breezes... 

They are so friendly.. 

Terry laughs when I yell hello ladies!  

They moo right back.. lol....

I set to work in the living room.. 

The dear man had hung my shelf that I found at a yard sale for only five dollars.. 

I love it.. 

Terry has collected platters in the past and it was somewhere to display a few.. 

I took the lace panels down and washed them and hung them on the line... 

They blew out lovely like.. 

Hope to hang them back up next time up there.. 

I know I have lots of stuff..

Sorry to you minimalists!! 

My grandson was telling me about that this morning after church.. 

I think he still has hope for me.. grin.. 

Some everlastings drying.. 

And the Tansy is out.. 

Already.. 

That is what I mean by Summer passing us by... 

When the Tansy is blossoming then it is almost over.. 

Terry picked a ton of green beans.. 

Five pails full.. 

We gave 2 pails away but the rest I canned..

Or we ate.. smile.. 

These ones I cut in the french cut but I should have put them in litre bottles as they are jammed in there.. 

But.. they will taste the same.. 

I like these for a change.. 

Sometimes I make a Mennonite Salad with them.. 

Just drain and add chopped onion and make a dressing of sour cream and a speck of sugar, salt and pepper.. 

We bought too many bananas!

But my sweet friend on Instagram.. 

Remembering the Old Ways had posted a delicious new banana bread recipe.. 

Banana Bread
3 large ripe bananas 
1 cup of sugar
1 egg 
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 cup of melted butter
1 tsp. soda 
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 cup walnuts  
Oven 350 degrees F. 
45 to 50 minutes .. 
You can make small ones or 1 big one.  
I tripled the recipe and there were 5 as you can see.. 
You just mix this up like always... 
It is a very good recipe.. I think she said it was Amish.. 

Well my dears I guess this is all for today.. 

So happy to have you visit.. 

Really enjoy your comments and notes.. 

Here or Face Book or on Instagram... 

Where ever you may be.. 

Just know that I appreciate you all and feel that you are my friends.. 

 and that God loves us so much that our mundane every day matters to Him... 

God bless.. 

A Country Summer...

Good Evening everyone.. 

How are you?  

So happy to get back to chat with you all again.. 

It is a lovely day here in New Brunswick.. 

Quite hot, actually but another fresh breeze out amongst the apple trees.. 

I sit here with the door wide open and listening to it.. 

Terry has gone to the races with a friend so it is a great time for me to check in with you all.. 

Hope you are enjoying the summer as much as we...

Been out and about.. But still at home here and the farm, too.. 

This first part of the post will be farm pics.. 

Up above is a pic of some of my plants at the farm.. 

I have taken a lot of them out there because they grow so well.. 

I have learned from previous summers that the old house must be the perfect light because they seem to thrive so much better then here.  

Or perhaps it is the country air.. smile.. 

This is a pic of a new teepee for my Scarlet Runners that Terry made.. 

This pic was taken a week ago and we noticed yesterday that they are half way up the birch posts now.. 

We have had some very warm days and they are growing so quickly.. 

I am loving having to pick lavender each time we go.. 

And Chamomile... 

I just tie up the lavender in a bunch and hang it till next time out when it is dry.. 

And dry the Chamomile on a paper towel on the table in front of the window.. 

I am hoping to have quite a bit by the end of summer..

A meal we had there one day..  

Basic Steak and Mushrooms and chopped garlic scapes... 

A few books ...

These have  been grabbing my attention lately.. 

Some new to me baskets that I found at the Thrift store.. 

They are all great for gathering herbs or a bit of swiss chard and such.

And...

My dear sweet poppies came back at the farm.. 

They are here and there in the garden and are two hues this year instead of one.. 

A few even found their way into my Lavender bed... 

You girls who follow the blog probably remember my little poppy story from the other year.. smile.. 

They bring me such joy every summer now that they are back after being absent for so many years.. 

Another little pic that I put on Instagram one day. 

All in all the farm days are lovely but short.. 

We are late getting there and late coming home.. 

We have still to stay.. 

This past week I went to P. E. I. with my sweet friend Janelle.. 

We had a welcoming committee of one.. grin.. 

He belonged to this sweet shop in Victoria by the Sea...

Here are a few pics from our little trip.. 

\\

We visited Brackley Beach and the gardens and food were wonderful.. 

I, unfortunately had a return of Vertigo and had to return home a bit earlier then we planned but we had a couple of lovely days.. 

Janelle's daughter Hannah was so gracious to put her Momma and I up for a night.. She is such a dear girl.. 

But as always it is good to get home..

 I did up a bunch of strawberries the other week.. 

They did not seem as plentiful as other years due to a large amount of rain earlier, I think.. 

Was really happy to get some put in the freezer and such.. 

Well my luvs... 

This is all for this time.. 

Not much happening yet I guess.. 

Our beans are a couple of inches long so I will be canning next week, I imagine.. 

How is your summer going and what have you been busy doing? 

I notice on Instagram that you girls south of the border have been pickling and canning for weeks while we still are waiting on our gardens.. smile.. 

Oh well.. 

All in due time..  

So nice to chat with you all and I do look forward to hearing from you if you have the time..

Hugs..

Enjoy your Sabbath tomorrow.. 

xo

Loving the month of June...

Hello everyone.. 

How are you?  

Another lovely day here in New Brunswick.. 

I must say I am loving the month of June.. 

I believe May and June are my happy months!  smile.. 

Everything so bright and beautiful!  

Really bright now that I have had my cataracts removed from both eyes!  

I just find the colours so fresh.. 

When I only had one eye fixed I would

cover it and look through the eye that had not been done and you cannot imagine the difference.. 

It was just like a very foggy day.. 

No wonder I couldn't see to type on this computer or anything.. 

I laughed and told our daughter that I was looking at her Dad and thought to myself how many wrinkles he had and then I looked in the mirror!  lol!

That was an eye opener!  grin.. 

No really!  

And the spider webs and such!  

Oh my, I am just so thankful to get it all behind me.. 

Thank you to you dear girls who prayed for me..  

I so appreciate it and for your prayer and comments about us losing our dear dog, Charlie.. 

He is missed!  

Now on with the story.. 

The above pic is from the farm obviously... 

We are slowly getting things in order.. 

We are not sure when we will be moving out for the summer but soon, I hope.. 

Bought a couple of lace table runners that I love for the old table..

So loving lace lately.. 

I always have but tried to do whatever was in fashion until a few years ago when I was finished with the craft business.. 

I decided to do what I love and lace is one of them.. 

Curtains and such... 

Do you like lace and linens and lilacs? smile.. 

 

These lilacs are from my Aunt Eva's lilac tree.. 

She only planted a white one but we now have a new purple one growing there.. 

Hoping to make a Lilac foot soak this week with dried lilacs and Epsom salt, etc.. 

I did get my buntings done for the kitchen and put one up..

Not a very good pic but you get the drift.. 

I ended up cutting up my new tea towel.. smile.. 

I bought a new one though .. 

The herb beds are doing wonderful.. 

Lovage, Tarragon, Compfrey, Chives, Sage and Thyme and new Basil... 

Oh and a Lavender in this bed.. 

This is a bottle of Chive Vinegar.. 

If you have some chives growing just put them in a glass jar and fill with vinegar... 

White wine is the best but quite expensive.. 

You can use just plain white vinegar.. 

I saw this way of doing them on the Tangled Garden article that was published in Victoria Bliss magazine. 

The Tangled Garden is in Nova Scotia and is a place we hope to visit this summer some day... 

It is not necessary to use the stems.. 

Just put the heads in and your vinegar will turn a most lovely pink colour.. 

A friend and I were saying the other day that Chive vinegar is our favourite.. 

Makes a wonderful salad dressing or use on fish or whatever you put vinegar on.. 

After a couple of weeks strain it through cheesecloth or a coffee filter and put in your pantry.. 

I always make extra to give away..

Now is the time to get your gift pantry stocked... 

Gathering some Lovage to dry for seasonings and such.. 

And of course my Tomato Drink that I look forward to.. 

Drinking it from a Lovage straw!  

We have been spending quite a bit of time at the farm and this was one lunch time special.. 

Spaghetti and Meatballs.. 

Flavoured with herbs.. 

Oregano, Parsley and Garlic... 

We don't eat a lot of this but it is so good... 

The kitchen is getting done out there but Terry is so busy with the gardens that I can't get him in the house at all..  

One day I made a batch of jam as you can see on the stove.. 

Love love the stove.. 

There is my new coffee perk my son bought me.. 

It is just like the old fashioned ones and I can use it on the wood stove, too.. 

I have been putting stuff in the cupboard while I wait for Terry to give the doors another coat.. 

Then I will unpack a few boxes from St. Martins.. 

And do it right.. 

Oh my.. 

All in good time.. So I keep telling myself.. smile.. 

This day we had a lovely stew like soup.. 

One of Terry's friends gifted him with a jar of home made stew that they had canned.. 

It was delicious!  

I added a jar of our canned green beans to stretch it but hopefully we will get some stew done up this Fall.. 

Comes in so handy and so quick to heat up.. 

I keep changing things.. grin.. 

Saw a pic on Instagram of little kitchen shelves with old cups on them.. 

Dug out some cups and voila!  

I should have taken a pic of the all the shelves.. 

I will later when I finally get everything done.. 

Well.. 

That about wraps up what we have been doing.. 

Our gardens are mostly planted now so we need to clean up the yard and get our deck and such done.. 

I have been buying a few plants but to be honest I am waiting for sales... 

Surely they will come along soon... 

I thought I would show you this old pic... 

I posted it on Instagram for Father's Day.. 

A long time ago I was his little girl..  

He found the Lord a couple of years after this pic was taken and had a genuine experience that affected our daily lives.. 

What a difference Jesus made.. 

It was the best thing Dad ever did with his whole life.. 

I am so thankful he introduced us to Jesus... 

And that he stayed true... 

Thanks for visiting my luvs and I look forward to your comments. 

Hopefully, we won't be running to the doctors and such and I will answer your notes on Face Book.. 

Welcome to the new followers of the blog and thanks too for sharing my page on FB.. 

I appreciate you all and God bless... 

Acts 2:38  

 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.