Farm Journal 2020 Number 3

Hello there my dears... 

Lovely to have you visit the Blessed Hearth today.. 

I am glad you are here.. 

Hope you are all doing well in your corner of the world! 

We have been enjoying our summer!  

We were just saying this morning coming home from church that summer is on the downswing!  

It saddens me!  

I do not enjoy intense heat but really we have been blessed with some cool temps along with our hot days.  

Fall is lovely but then Winter! 

That is all I will say!  smile..

So with that you can bet that I plan to enjoy the rest of this blessed season!  

Anyway.. 

We have been up to the farm quite often.. 

Although we are not there as much as we thought we would, everything is looking great.. 

The gardens are growing and some herbs have been picked and are drying and such.. 

The bunting finally is finished and hung! 

Sorry, Donna for taking so long getting to this..  

Terry is weeding there.. 

He spends a lot of time on his knees out there in the garden... smile.. 

This is just a glued bunting as it does not last up there too long.. 

It sometimes stays all winter but the last couple of years half of it ends up blowing away.. 

This year I bought a strong kind of string and hopefully that will last better.. 

The measurements I used are 13 x9.. 

I just traced out how many I might need.. Just guessed and only had 3 pieces left over.. 

You could measure and figure it all out but I am by guess or by golly kind of girl when it comes to this bunting.. 

Then all I did was use my glue gun and made a line of glue.. Stuck the string in it and folded each one.. 

I ended up only have two colours.. 

The house is yellow and we are planning on painting it this summer and I want a blue door.. 

You can make as many colours and sizes as you like.. 

The buntings I use inside are usually sewed together and turned inside out and a bit more polished..  

This is a pic from a previous year.. 

If you have any questions you can message me... K? 

This pic was taken a week ago ... 

It is hard to believe how fast it all grows once July hits the calendar.. 

Please notice the dear poppies growing again.. 

We have a squash and a pumpkin bed.. 

Cucumbers on the other end..  

We are usually working outside and our lunches are not too fancy.. 

One of our favourites.. 

Grilled Tomato and Mozza.. 

For Christmas Terry gave me a Panini type thing.. 

I don't know what you call it but it is cast iron .. 

About the size of a brick without the height and a handle.. 

You make your sandwich, butter the outside and put the cast iron on top.. 

Works wonderful!  

Not hard to store, either.. 

He bought it at Moffett's Hardware in Sussex.. 

Our lettuce bed is doing great too.. 

In one of my books the author wrote that the lady of the house washed her lettuces and fried it along with a bit of bacon and then added vinegar.. 

We tried it and it is delicious!

The last food pic... grin.. 

Supper.. 

A new bread recipe which is awesome (will share next time), last year's canned green beans, fresh salad with herb dressing and chicken which was browned in a fry pan then placed on a tray, finished baking in oven and then cheese and herbs and returned for a few more minutes.. 

It is nice to be able to use oven when it is cooler here..

This is a few other things going on.. 

My dear dear Lavender!  

It really flourished this summer.. 

Nine large bundles!  

I know you may think I am strange but I feel like it is such a lovely accomplishment!!  lol! 

Doesn't take much to satisfy some people, eh!  

Lots of projects coming on with all that.. 

I will share as I go.. 

Making potpourri seems to be large on my agenda this summer.. 

This one was an accident!  grin.. 

Terry had picked me a huge bouquet of wild flowers which I put in a mason jar on the kitchen table at the farm.. 

It sits in a window and as we were not there all the time it slowly dried out ... 

So.. 

I just cut them off their stems and put them in an old bowl.. 

When I get time I will seal the bowl with several drops of essential oil and it will last for ages.. 

So pretty, don't you think?  smile..

Perfect Petal Potpourri...  

And there is this going on at home.. 

Picked roses everywhere.. 

At the farm, on country drives and from our own bushes.. 

Lay them out on old laces and such and letting them dry.. 

Some will be used for potpourri, rose oil for soap and toiletries, rose vinegar for rinsing dishes and so on.. 

There is just so much you can do with dried roses.  

Do you see the cloth on the bottom right.. 

Has a few pine cones and such.. 

That is our anniversary potpourri.. 

Everywhere we go on our little drives and trips are being dried and added to an old hat box.. 

I will add scent and name it later on in the year.. 

Probably call it... 

We made it!  lol.. 

And.. 

Picking herbs every time we go out and drying them.. 

Sewed up a bunch of herb bags.. 

This is one for soup herbs... 

You can add whatever turns your crank but I love to put thyme, lovage and organo in my tomato base soups.. 

Do you make these? 

Well dear hearts I am finally running out of steam .. 

But.. 

This is a pic of a border we have had in the apple orchard a lot this summer..  

She is not afraid of us at all.. 

She loves the chickens and even upset the bucket with chicken food and had a great lunch.. 

I love deer but want them to stay in the woods.. 

Deer ticks... 

Anyway, I had read where you soak rags in vinegar and tie them on your garden posts and they will not bother it.. 

You renew the vinegar at least once a week.. 

Well, she was here all the time until we did this.. 

We have not seen her since so hopefully she just reacted to the vinegar and is keeping her distance.. 

We are putting them in the gardens, too.. 

Just a tip if you have deer visiting that you would rather not.. 

And before I go.. 

Still celebrating our 50th each month.. 

Our darling children took us out on the town!  

To a wonderful place called Gusto Restaurant!

So much fun and delicious Italian food!  

We were all there except our precious son who is out west.. 

There are exactly 12 of us now in our family.. 

Thankful to our Lord for each and every one of them!  

Aren't they dear!!  

We do little things just like you do.. 

Had breakfast last week in a new cafe at the Green Pig Market.. 

It was delicious! 

And fun there too.. 

Old china with fruit salad and toasted biscuits on an antique saucer with homemade strawberry jam in an enamel cup!! 

Gotta love that!  smile.. 

And so my luvs this is it for another time.. 

But will show you the last great books I have been reading.. 

I so enjoyed this series and found it all so inspiring.. 

Reading Christian books not only inspires but also encourages.. 

We as mamas and wives can get drained and with the world so messed up I find it lifts up my spirits.. 

It is a busy time of year with canning, preserving and such but reading how they accomplished so much in the 1800s without all of our conveniences challenges me to make a better effort to accomplish what needs to be done.. 

If you know what I mean.

And the author's reference to God in their lives in something I need to hear.. 

I want Him to be front and foremost in my life.. 

Not just for myself but for my children and grandchildren.. 

He is coming soon!  

God bless you sweet friends... 

Days of July...

Hello everyone.. 

Welcome to the Blessed Hearth this lovely evening.. 

It is another weekend and the summer is lovely.. 

So much to love with this season of the year.. 

Here in Eastern Canada the winter can be long and dreary so we appreciate these long glorious days of summer.. 

Some times we have heat and lots of it and on others we cool down with thunder storms and rain... 

We were headed to the farm the other day and it was raining very hard!  Raining cats and dogs as we used to say.. 

Terry was filling up the truck with gas and there were so many doing the same.. 

The Tim's coffee always starts our little trip out there.. 

Charlie was watching all the busyness and trying to spy the cats.. grin.. 

Summer also brings our delicious crops of strawberries.. 

I dehydrated these this morning... 

I love them to put in pitchers or glasses of water.. 

So tasty but you can use them in granola, in desserts or to make an instant jam for your ice cream.. 

I also read in the preserving book that the stems make an excellent tea on a winter's day.. 

I did half a rack just to see.. smile.. 

I found this recipe on Instagram.. 

Pickled Strawberries.. 

They are different but good.. 

Are you on Instagram?  

I love it and enjoy my time there.. 

So much inspiration!

Just follow the ones that interest you.. 

Terry and I took last Sunday afternoon and did a nice little field trip.. 

We went to church and then bought a coffee and headed for Cambridge Narrows and the lakes area... 

Down around Wickham and Hampstead.. 

Beautiful old farms..

\They have their haying done and their wood cut... 

The flowers are everywhere and so beautiful...

We went to the Washademoak Lake where his brother has a cottage..

No one was home but we had our picnic alongside the lake..

I love our picnics.. 

Everything seems to taste better, eh?  

And we went through the Belleisle Bay area... 

Summer people everywhere.. 

Really enjoyed visiting a sweet antiques shop and had ice cream from an old general store in Wickham.. 

Terry visited a friend he had not seen for about twenty years.. 

Made his day... 

You can tell by the fields that summer is winding down.. 

Hurts my heart to think about it... 

So enthralled by the wild flowers.. 

Always have been.. 

We were also at the farm for a two or three days last week.. 

Last summer a young couple who live near us had a crop of potatoes in the spot above  where all the daisies are growing.. 

Isn't that neat? 

It all filled in perfectly with wild daisies this year.. 

As neat as can be.. 

We are enjoying the company of the cows once again.. 

They always greet us when we get there.. 

We still are not staying overnite a lot.. 

Must say I am enjoying being home this summer much more.. 

Once we get a few yard sales organized we will feel more like staying perhaps.. 

Trying not to let it stress me.. 

Terry says it will get done when it gets done.. smile.. 

Made some flatbreads this week.. 

They only take two ingredients and are fun to make and taste delicious.. 

RECIPE HERE..

There is also a recipe for the self rising flour. 

I make a container full and have it for when it is called for in a recipe.. 

This was breakfast one morning.
Monterrey Jack with Pimentos Cheese and lots of olives on top of a flat bread.. 

Grated the cheese, cut up some olives and put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.. 

I am not a breakfast person and find it hard to enjoy eggs or cereal.. 

Would rather have soup.. grin.. 

Then I am drying roses and such for potpourries.. 

So pretty ....

Well dear hearts this is another post ...

The sun goes right around the house.. 

Begins here in the early morning and goes all the way around and ends up here again in the evening... 

Tomorrow is another Lord's Day.. 

He has been faithful this week as always.. 

I really can't imagine my life without the Lord.. 

Things come up where I wouldn't know where to turn if I didn't have Jesus... 

When we have a need or there is a problem then He is there.. 

In the nighttime hours when your mind is looking for answers then He is always there.. 

An old old chorus we used to sing at church says it all.. 

Standing somewhere in the shadows you will find Jesus.. 

He is the only one who cares and understands.. 

Standing somewhere in the shadows you will find Him 

And you will know Him by the nail scars in His hands...

  YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT HERE..

Trusting you will have a great day tomorrow.. 

Putting Him first in our lives is what counts especially in the day we are living in... 

God bless sweet friends.. 

xo

From Here to There and Back Again...

Happy Monday everyone.. 

Welcome to the Blessed Hearth tonight.. 

Last week we went home for a quick visit.. We had to do a bit of laundry as we have no facilitates here at the cottage and then there is the never ending round of lawns for Terry to do.. 

Sometimes, I think people feel sorry for us and think we are in over our heads trying to keep these place afloat but I am telling the truth when I say we enjoy it even if it is work.. 

What else is there to do if you are retired?.. 

I know some folks enjoy travelling or golf or shopping.. 

That is great but for us two oldies we love getting in the truck and heading to one of the places and enjoying our time together.. 

Hopefully, it will keep us on our toes and they will stay flexible.. 

At least Terry's will.. grin.. 

The lovely geese above live at a farm near our house and I so love to look for them each time we pass.. 

Aren't they gorgeous?  

Then on the way to the farm we passed this old abandoned house.. 

Darling Moss Roses.. 

Don't you love them? 

They have just filled the yard with their glory and they have created a place of beauty.. 

At home Terry has these ones growing down the drive.. 

Nothing so lovely as a Summer rose.. 

Did someone say that once?? smile.. 

When we arrived at the farm to check it out and for Terry to mow lawns we found the new pasture fence and gates are in..

As we do not live at the farm and only enjoy it whenever we or our boys can get there we have no need for the pasture land.. 

A farmer wanted to use it so we agreed..

I was inside tidying up a bit and looked out and saw him.. 

Leaning on the fence.. 

Probably, like he did when he was a kid at home.. 

He grew up on a farm you know.. 

Anyway, I expect his thoughts were a little different now then they used to be.. 

I expect he were wishing that those were his cows and hmmm... wonder how much on the hoof???  LOL.. 

Just kidding.. 

We really like having them there.. 

Makes it like a real honest to goodness farm.. 

Well, tonight we are back at the cottage here in St. Martins.. 

The waves today were awesome although I didn't get a picture ... 

I just sat on a rock for awhile .. 

So thankful for the beauty we enjoy in this old world.. 

Our God is a wonderful Creator and just to think 

He knows my name.. 

He knows my every thought.. 

He sees each tear that falls

And hears me when I call ..

Click to hear this beautiful song.. 

I HAVE A MAKER...

Just some stuff I have been reading.. 

Nothing too deep.. smile.. 

It was rainy this morning so a cup of soup tastes pretty good.. 

Cleared up in the afternoon, though.. 

Our dear daughter and family have returned home from Florida safe and sound.. 

Thank the Lord.. 

Here is a little pic I came across of her in downtown Disney.. 

She is pretty happy that they now have a Starbucks.. 

Doesn't take much to please the gal, eh? grin.. 

Well, must go.. 

Terry just called and he will be home in an hour so I need to make him some Supper.. 

Mmmmmm.. 

Not sure what, though.. 

Have a great night everyone.. 

Thanks for your visit and look forward to hearing from you all.. 

God bless...