A wee birthday story....

Good Evening sweet friends.. 

Thank you for dropping by the Blessed Hearth today.. 

This is a special day in our life.. 

Terry and I were blessed to have this day for our eldest child's birthday... 

You all know our lovely daughter.. 

Shonda Lynn... 

She was born to two very young parents who did not have much knowledge in the raising of a dear little girl.. 

But... she survived.. grin..

She also has two brothers who love her.. 

And her own dear family.... 

A husband who adores her and two sweet lads.. 

God has been good...  

Happy Birthday dear child... 

I want to tell you a sweet little story, too.. 

See this little garden.. 

I planted it in an old wheel barrel in June when we came down for the Summer.. 

It already had chives but I planted the pineapple mint, rosemary, stevia and the little yellow rose plant.. 

Shonda gave me the rose for Mother's Day.. 

It was in a wee pot and didn't do too well.. 

So... 

I brought it down here and planted it in with the rest.. 

Today... it bloomed... 

Isn't that sweet? 

It was almost out yesterday but waited until today to really blossom.. smile...

Just a little blessing from the Lord  along with all the precious things He does for us in the run of a day..smile.. 

While I was at the shop today I wrapped up one of 

Shonda's gifts..

Just used a page from an old book..

A Summer Day..

This is just a little thought for her that I am quite sure she will like.. 

Ah oh.... 

Now you all know how old she is..  

Don't let on I told you..grin.. 

Have a blessed evening lovely ladies and I will chat with you soon... 

Looking forward to hearing from you all.. 

Sending you all hugs..

Little Happenings...

Good Evening my dears... 

Did you think that I had forsaken you?  smile.. 

I had a small problem with my camera .. 

The last time I did a post I set my camera on the table beside me and proceeded to spill half of my cup of tea on it.. Yikes.. 

I shook it out and dried it the best I could but by morning it stopped working.. 

To make a long story short my dear friend Pam advised me to put it in a box or bag of rice.. 

Which I did and thank the good Lord it is now working 100%... smile...

So.. if this little accident happens to you.. 

Whether a camera or phone just pop it right away into a zip lock bag of rice ... 

It only took a couple of days...

So.. I am back... smile..

I just thought I would once again share some pics of my days.. 

Terry and I headed out early this morning for another little trip to Fredericton.. 

There was a lot of fog..

Kinda pretty, though, eh?  

And in the last few days we have been in a genuine pickle.. grin..

These are Sweet Garlic Dills.. 

Every one's favorite except for me..

I love sour pickles.. 

Oh.. remember the sour pickles I tried.. 

I LOVE them... 

I shared the recipe HERE..

They do taste like Gram's...

This is the Reversing Falls Bridge in the fog early this morning..

Can you see it? 

Terry planted lots of tomatoes and brought some down over the weekend.. 

We have our garden at home.. 

There is not enough room to grow much except herbs here at the cottage..

I am trying out a new recipe that I concocted.. 

Green Tomato and Ginger Chow.. 

I hope it will work out.. 

I'll let you know in a week or so...

The ginger has to do it's work in the pickle for awhile..

More fog.

I noticed several trees whose leaves have already changed their color..sigh...

I don't want Summer to leave us yet.. smile.. 

Don't you love fresh tomatoes?

I hope to make some nice fresh tomato and basil soup maybe tomorrow.. yummy... 

The recipe for that is HERE..

Except instead of using canned tomatoes I use fresh ones..

OK?

We have these signs along our highways...

Do you?  

I am terrified of the moose.. 

They are huge and can demolish a car in a flash... 

These pickles are for sandwiches... 

We made some Sweet Dill ones last year for the first time and my friend Janelle's husband tried them out and loved them.. 

So... we made a bunch.... 

By the time we headed back to St. Martins the fog was pretty well cleared off..

The lovely St. John River.. 

Then it poured rain.. We could hardly see to drive.. 

Talk about change of weather.. 

All in one day... smile.. 

Terry has been craving this meal so I decided to make it ...

Again... grin.. 

Rice and Stir fry...

What have you sweet ladies been up to? 

I know I am a bit boring these last few weeks with the pickle thing but Lord willing it will mostly be over this week..

I am planning on being in the Art in the Park at the Fundy Trail on Sunday.. 

It is the only show I do all year and my Mom and Step Father are coming down for the weekend to go to it, too..

I sell pickles, jams and jellies, fudge, salves, crafts and other homemade goodies.. 

It is fun...

Then next Friday night the Keepers are hopefully coming for their over niter.. Sept. 7th..

And.... then in a couple of weeks is my closing sale... Sept. 23rd..

Then homeward bound.. 

It has been a glorious Summer.. 

September in St. Martins is wonderful... 

Wind, rain, fog and huge waves..

What more could a somber weather girl ask for?  grin... 

Thanks for visiting.. 

As always I love having you and hearing from you all.. 

Don't forget that I try and reply to each comment so come back and check if you like... smile..

May the Lord richly bless you and your sweet families..

Summer's Joy....

Hello my dears.. 

So glad you dropped by..

It has been a very busy week here in St. Martins..

Several dear friends were camping down here this week and we have enjoyed visiting together  so much.. 

It is so great to get with friends who know what you mean just by looking at your expression.. They have seen it enough in the past to know exactly what you are not saying.. grin... 

We shared such sweet fellowship and I will cherish the memories .. 

Just sharing a few little pics of Summer with you tonight..

I don't like to admit it but I do think that Fall is beginning  to hang around a bit..

At night especially when the breeze blows the curtains over the top of my head I am sure I can feel it... smile..

I don't want it to hurry at all.. I love Summer... 

So, Fall can just take a back seat and wait for it's turn.. grin.. 

Anyway... 

We have decided to stay at the cottage a few more weeks than earlier planned.. 

I didn't realize until the other night just how close Labour Day Weekend is this year.. 

Much too early to close the shop and go home.. 

So... 

We will not have the closing until later in the month.. 

Terry is bringing down another fifty pounds or more of cucumbers tomorrow plus two bags of tomatoes.. 

I will once again smell like a garlic clove.. grin.. 

I hope I don't but sometimes I find myself explaining.. 

"If you smell garlic then it is just that I made some dill pickles this morning"... grin.. 

It is not really that bad but you get the drift, eh? 

Fall is not the only thing that hangs around this old cottage and jumping all over us.. smile..

Dear old Sam... 

He's a good dog...

I always think that when he has gone home with Terry .. smile..

Thank you dear friends for stopping by and I look forward to reading the little notes you leave so that I know you were here.. 

Oh... and to my old friends who read my blog every day.. 

THANK YOU.. 

grin... 

You know who I mean... smile..

God Bless...

Homemade with Love...

Hello there everyone.. 

How did your weekend go? 

Hope you all had a great one.. 

For tonight I thought I would share some pics from around the shop and here at the cottage for the last few days.. 

Saturday morning Terry and I did up the dill you see here..

Litres of garlic dill and pints of garlic dill slices.. 

The slices have become one of our favorites as we put them on our sandwiches.. 

We do eat sandwiches this time of year because we love the fresh 

tomatoes so... 

Anyway, that is only a part of the dill we need to do.. 

There are also the sweet dill which are the favorite of our customers.. 

We can't get anymore wee cukes until Friday so Saturday morning will no doubt see another round of dill pickling.. smile.. 

Then at the shop on Saturday afternoon I made some tags to sell..

Made with old book pages and paper scraps... 

To and From  are written on the back and sold in sets of 3 ....

And a little homemade treat sent down to me from my Mom with Terry..

Her famous Date Squares.. 

So fantastic with a hot cup of tea.. 

Can you tell that I probably am not on a diet at the moment?... grin...

This morning we did up  a dozen bottles of mustard pickles..

The recipe for my Hot Mustard Pickles is HERE...

And I love how my Tart Bottles turned out.. 

Shonda had given me a case of old pickle bottles.. 

I needed something to display the homemade wax tarts that I made and came up with these.. 

The covers I had picked up on the trip to Pa. and the labels are made out of some Kraft tape and a marker.. 

And then today I also made the best jam I have ever ate.. smile.. 

Crock pot Maple Apple Jam...

Fill your crock pot with peeled apples cut into chunks.. 

About 5 or 6 pounds.. 

In a bowl mix 5 - 6 cups of sugar, 1 cup of real maple syrup, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. allspice, 1/4 tsp. of cloves, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and a 1/2 tsp. of salt.. 

Mix up well and pour over your apples and mix some with a wooden spoon.. 

Turn on high and  cook for an hour then turn on low and cook overnight... 

In the morning mash with your potato masher .. 

Turn it on high again and once it is really hot then put into sterilized jars (1/2 pints) and seal.. 

This is a large recipe and makes 11 pints... 

Today was a busy day but Terry peeled these ones for me and I cut them into spears... 

They are in a salt water mixture until morning and then they will be Ginger Spice Spears.. 

My own secret recipe.. grin...

I will show them to you later when they are finished.. 

We are so enjoying the homemade Chive Blossom Vinegar that I made in the Spring.. 

So pretty, eh?  

And last but not least is a new recipe that I am trying.. 

Well, really  it is a very old recipe that I found in a book.. 

I can remember these from when I was a kid... 

A very long time ago... grin...

They were called Grandma's Sour Pickles..

Fill a gallon bottle or crock with small to medium size cucumbers.. 

Then in a bowl mix up 1/2 gallon of vinegar.. 

Whisk in 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of dry mustard.. 

Let it sit for a month in a cool dry place.. 

I think these are like those Deli pickles you see sometimes.. 

I hope so anyway.. 

The recipe I found said to mix a gallon of vinegar and 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of mustard...

Which I did and only needed a half of it.. 

When I get some more small cukes I plan on making  another gallon.. 

I have a feeling we will love them.. 

I also looked this recipe up on the web and found recipes where they added a cup of sugar so in the next bottle I will add a half of a cup of sugar and see which are the best.. 

Right?  

Well... this is my post for this Monday night.. 

So glad  you all dropped by and I am still replying to  your comments.. smile...

Here's hoping you all come back now.. grin.. 

Love to you all... 

The only real peace that I have...

Good Evening, my dears.. 

How are you all doing? 

Tomorrow is the Lord's Day ... 

The weeks just seem to fly by lately.. 

I don't know if it is the same for everyone or just that I am getting older and time seems to be slipping by faster than ever.. 

I have been thinking about that lately.. 

When we are realistic and think about our age then we know that as far as Terry and I go we are quite a way down the road.. 

With the Lord's blessing we may live many more years if he doesn't come back for us first. 

Or we could go home just any day now.. 

I suppose this is on my mind because in a couple of months I will be saying good bye to another decade..

 And starting a whole new one.. 

Oh my... 

But God's grace and mercy has brought me this far.. 

I am thankful for all He has done for me and for this family..

Shonda called me last night on her cell phone on her way home.. 

She said...

 "Mommy, I am so glad the Lord healed you of cancer all those years ago..

Shonda is a chemo nurse and sees so many sad things and sometimes it reminds her of what God did for her Mom.. 

I know I have talked about this before but there are a few new ones who might not know that in 1998 God healed me of breast cancer.. 

Such a miracle..

I am so thankful that He did that but I am thankful for many other things, too.. 

I'm thankful that one day many years ago He saved my soul... 

I repented of my sins and He forgave me.. 

I was baptized in His Name..

He filled me with His precious Spirit.. 

Then He gave me a changed life.. 

One filled with His wondrous peace and joy..

I am so thankful that he still heals..

Not just bodies but broken hearts and messed up lives..  

That He is still on the throne of my life.. 

That He keeps me in the palm of His hand.. 

That He never leaves me nor forsakes me.. 

That He is still a prayer answering God.. 

That I know His name and He knows mine.. 

That His Grace and Mercy is renewed for me every day..

That He is as close as the mention of His Name.. 

And no matter where I go.. He is there.. 

That His long arm of love covers me...

When I fail... He forgives me.. 

And that He sees me as worthy and not as I am.. 

God loves me ...

And He loves you... 

He can make a difference in your life and in your family.. 

He can replace sorrow for joy..

He can mend a broken heart and make it whole.. 

He can heal your body and your marriage.. 

He can give you real joy and real peace.. 

Only trust in Him... 

Every once in awhile my dears..

  I need to tell you about Jesus.. 

He is a faithful God.. 

The best friend that I have ever known..

I stand on His Word tonight.. 

Knowing all is well and thankful for the peace He has given to my heart and soul.. 

Hope you all have a blessed Sunday.. 

Take your dear families to the House of God and show them that God needs to first in their lives.. 

He makes life worth living... 

I hope you don't mind me sharing a bit of my heart with you tonight.. 

II Corinthians 5:1 NIV

Love and Prayers.. 

Faye 

PS.. The last song on my play list over on the right is a wonderful song... 

Just click on it.. 

The only real peace that I have Lord is in You... 

Hugs..

Just a few Snippets...

Good Evening everyone.. 

How are you all tonight? 

Terry is at the Flea Market in Sussex with our son so I am here with just Sammi snoring over on the couch.. smile.. 

Just thought I would share a few pics ...

The hens and chickens are doing rather well in their cast iron pot..

A rather dear little embroidery that I picked up at the Thrift store.. 

I kind of like it... smile..

I made two more batches of rhubarb jams... 

Raspberry and Strawberry.. 

I drained the can of pineapple and it makes a thicker jam.. 

I think I like it better.... 

An old apron hanging behind the pantry door... 

A green bean and feta salad I made for a couple of sweet friends who visited .... with gifts.. smile.. 

Thanks, my dears..

A little trinket hanging on a window sill... 

I love Rosemary.. 

Do you?  

I think it is one of my top 5 favorite herbs.. 

Let me see.. 

There is basil, parsley, lovage, oregano, and yes rosemary... 

The weeks are passing by so quickly... 

I am going to start on my pickles tomorrow, Lord willing.. 

Terry is bringing home cucumbers tonight.. 

And green beans... 

And green tomatoes.. 

Oh my.... 

I will be doing garlic dills, bread and butters, sweet dill. chow chow and dill beans in my sleep... smile.. 

Well, I shall say farewell for tonight.. 

Thank you all for your lovely visits and sweet notes.. 

I am still trying to reply to each one.. 

Hope you enjoy that...

Take care, my dear friends and we will chat again soon.. 

God bless and keep you all..

I love a foggy day with my friends..

Hello my dears.. 

I was invited to my sweet friend Janelle's last night over in West Quaco and as we turned up the Lighthouse Road we could see the fog rolling in from the Bay over the treetops to settle on the large fields of Golden Rod growing there.. 

So beautiful...

There is just something so cozy about a foggy day in a nice old warm and snug cottage curled up reading the Sacketts by Louis L'Amour or sitting at the kitchen table at your friend's while she bakes homemade sugar topped ginger cookies and you root around in her table top basket to see what goodies you can eat and sipping away on a nice cup of the best Earl Grey tea.. 

Laughing at the same things and just enjoying sweet company.. 

It doesn't matter that I am old enough to be her Mother.. 

We are friends.. 

Good friends.. 

A blessing from God and I am thankful.. 

Take care, dear hearts..