THE BLESSED HEARTH: April 2015

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Tweaking a guest bedroom...

Good Evening my dears,..

So glad you dropped by the Blessed Hearth ...

Hope all is well in your world ...

We are having a rainy week here in New Brunswick..

Really not very Spring like yet..

But we live in hope... smile..

Nevertheless.. our days go by and hopefully we are accomplishing a few things..

One of those things is this bedroom..

When our 3 children were still home this was our daughter's room...

It was painted blue then but a while after she married and moved into her own home we did a redo and have changed it here and there a few times since..

The last several years it was more of a primitive style but I am not sure what it is now..

I seem to be in a kind of confusion as to what style I would define myself as nowadays.. grin..

I still like country and probably always will but enjoy lighter shades ..

Still love the old sign but changed it a bit..

Replaced the quilt and sewed up a few pillows ...

Added a lavender wreath and old rose..

Modged a couple of candles ...

My parents wedding photo..

A little book from long ago..

So love old stuff.. smile..

A treasure that Shonda stitched when she first started nursing over 20 years ago..

More cushions..

A teapot.

An old print from my Mom..

A little bunting project..

An old dresser...

An old photo of my Dad and I that is cherished..

A sweet old book...

An opinion..

This is a little pin I found on Pinterest ..

I only buy UK magazines these days so I would say that is my influence these days as to decorating..

And I have a permant love of old...

For so many years our home's decor was dictated as to the current trend in the craft world..

We had Open House here twice a year and every room was decorated with crafts that we made and sold..

So, we went with the style..

Country, Victorian, Teddy Bears, Primitive..

We did the craft shows here and in Nova Scotia for 20 years and then had the little shop in St. Martins for 8..

This Winter I realized that I can just do what turns my crank.. grin..

Anyway, by the length of this post one would think that it was some major redo when it is only a bit of a spiff up..

I will be honest and tell you that I so wish that it was still a blue room and the dearest girl was in there tonight with her music on and her chip bags hidden under the bed..

The lamp is lit and she is reading a book...

But she has two sweet boys in their bedrooms tonight and she is living the best years of her life..

Time passes... things change ...

But a mother's heart is always remembering...

Sweet Memories...

God bless you all..

Linked to... The Art of Homemaking Mondays..

and to

Roses of Inspiration Link up...

and

Rooted in Thyme...

Monday, April 27, 2015

Our first farm day...

Hello there everyone..

How are you all?

I hear that Spring has landed in many parts of the world but here in Eastern Canada we are a bit slow but better late then never, eh?..

We just had so much snow but it is amazing how fast it has gone..

Saturday, we decided to go to the farm and have our first farm day this year..

As you can see there is still a bit of snow but the truck made it in all right..

Perhaps I should explain to you new followers that we have an old family farm up in the Kent Hills that we visit whenever we can..

Terry goes probably once every couple of weeks all Winter but I don't.. He snow shoes in .. smile..

We just go and put on a fire, make a meal and potter about..

It is very peaceful and quiet and we love it there..

Anyway..

Saturday was rainy, wet and windy..

My kind of day.. smile..

It was also the Pollett River Run...

We go by the river to get to our farm so I have included a few pics...

Every April people gather together with all kinds of boats..

Rafts, canoes and you name it... smile..

Even home made barges...

All day they row the river with all kinds of activities going on...

Proof that Spring has arrived to Southern New Brunswick.. smile..

Anyway..

As soon as Terry got the fire kindled and going, he made his annual flag pole climb..

The wind is pretty fierce up there and it just shreds the flag every year..

This time was nearly as scary as it was HERE

This is a little exert from that post.. smile..

I was talking to Shonda today and mentioned that I think my nerves are bad..

She wondered why..

I thought I should send her the pic of her father up that rickety ladder hanging off the flag pole that is as tall or taller than the barn roof..

He couldn't get the old flag down as it was shredded into bits from the wind and caught there..

He comes down and carries up a full length 2x4 to poke at the top of the flagpole..

The old ladder was to one side and he was leaning back ...

Oh Lord...

Meanwhile, I am calling on the name of Jesus to protect this foolish man and he just tells me to watch and learn..

This time he had a good ladder and the flag was not stuck..

Thank you, Lord..

Now...

On with the story..

I needed to clean after all of Terry's visits.. grin..

Lots of dishes and surfaces to clean..

Counters, sink, stove and such..

Sometimes we have visitors (mice) over the Winter so I need to sanitize everything..

Once that was pretty well done I started a late lunch..

Early supper, actually...

We always have at least one meal there and this was our first one for the year..

By the time the flag was flying dinner was ready..

Nothing fancy as there was too much cleaning to do..

Leftover roast chicken brought from home, mashed, carrots, and beans..

And pickled cucumbers..

These are just made with an English Cucumber and kept in your fridge..

I think you might like them as they are easy to make, too..

James Ramsden's Pickled Cucumbers..

Scant 1 cup of white wine or cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups of fine sugar

1 tsp. fennel seeds

a handful of dill chopped - optional

1 English or regular cucumber

1 onion peeled and finely sliced

1 tsp. salt

Whisk the vinegar and sugar together in a bowl until dissolved..

Crush the fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle or with your rolling pin.. Add them to the mixture along with your dill..

Finely slice your cucumber or use a slicer and add to mixture along with the onion and salt..

Wait at least an hour before serving or store in fridge in a mason jar..

Do you like the flavor of fennel ? I love it..

They lose their color after a couple of weeks but still taste delicious..

Around supper time we left again for home and there were RCMP everywhere around the Pollett River..

At one spot we counted 8 police vehicles...

Good to know that it was well monitored ..

All over again for another year..

I am so glad you dropped by..

Welcome to the new followers ..

Just so glad to meet you all.. smile..

I started 2 other posts and could not seem to get them done but hopefully will do better this week..

I am down with the cold that is going around but all is well..

Take care, dear hearts..

Linked to ...THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MODAYS..

and to...

THE ENCHANTING ROSE...

Saturday, April 18, 2015

This week....

Hello everyone..

Here we are on another Saturday night and another week has come to a close..

We have had quite a week but the temps have been lovely and the snow is leaving very quickly..

The snow pics on this post were taken last week and what a difference there is..

That is the church my husband attended when he was a child..

Still a lot around but the fields are clearing but there are still patches and banks here and there that will take a bit longer...

At least now, we know Spring has arrived in Maritime Canada... smile..

This is a picture post of this week's doings...

Nothing special for you this time, I am afraid.. smile..

I have mentioned many times that this blog is about the simple life that Terry and I live...

Just a keeper of the home even though we are retired...

The cookies I bake up and put 2/3 in the freezer because we don't need them.. Then when someone drops by there is hopefully a bag there that I can take out..