Last day of March at the farm...

Good evening my dears.. 

Welcome to the Blessed Hearth today.. 

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day so Terry and I headed up to the farm for the day.. 

There are always a few chores we like to do there.. 

I usually mix up a loaf of bread... 

I took our ham bone and started a boiled dinner to have for later..

Love having something simmering away on top of the old wood stove.. 

Terry hooked up our new hot water heater.. 

It will be great to have hot water there again.. 

The last one bit the dust and we just kept heating water for dish washing but soon we will be staying overnight and we will need more for showers and such... smile.. 

Tuesday was our town day and look what I found at the Thrift Store.. 

This wonderful huge cast iron pan.. 

Not sure what it was meant for initially but I am sure it will be put to good use there.. 

What would you use it for?  

Here are a few other things I have picked up at thrift stores.. 

A couple of lamps, the little pitcher and basin one is for a bedroom, a vase with a bird on it, a plate stand and this wee cubby ... 

I decided to paint it green ... 

I did get it finished but forgot to take a pic.. 

Terry needs to hang it for me and then I will show you.. 

I think it will be my spice cupboard... 

I was busy doing something and when I went out into the back room (porch)  . .. we really don't know what to call that room but it is where you walk into the house and has the old wood stove there.. smile.. 

Anyway... Terry said he was heating up his lunch and this is how he eats when I am not there.. lol.. 

Sure was a lot easier then making a meal.. 

He just stuck in his fork and ate away.. 

No dirty dishes.. grin.. 

The bread is baked.. 

Just in time for a little snack...

Along with a bit of home made Bakeapple or (Cloudberry as they call it in Newfoundland)  jam I had made in the Fall... 

T'was good with a hot cup of tea.. smile.. 

Picked up the book at thrift also.. 

Thought it looked interesting as it was all letters written in the early 1900s to a woman's family... 

It was good for three quarters of it and then I kind of disagreed with some of her philosophies but interesting non the less.. 

Anyway... 

We are back home today... 

Hope you are all having good weather where ever you may be.. 

Lots of rain and wind here but at least it is warmer.. 

Thanks so much for dropping by and love reading your little notes that you leave.. 

Take care, dear friends.. xo

Blog Journal.. Toad in the Hole...

A lovely breakfast or late supper idea.. 

Some call it Toad in the Hole or Egg in a Basket.. 

Thanks to Bonappetit Magazine.. 

 Between me and my two roommates, one of us always has eggs, and bread is always somewhere in the depths of my freezer. If I’m really lucky, I have some old herbs stashed in the fridge that I can sprinkle on top to make me feel better about myself.”

 —Emma Wartzman, 

Click here for how to... 

Recipe How to Slides...

A little idea for you as promised... 

Hope you like it.. 

xo

The Blog Quiz Reponse...

\

Hello dear hearts.. 

Well here we are.. 

Easter is over.. 

Spring has begun!

The date of Spring has begun anyway.

The weather is not great but no major snowstorms or anything.. 

Just not nice sunny days where we can put the clothes out on the line and go grab some rhubarb to make a crumble or Lovage (one of my favourite herbs) for our tomato juice drinks.. 

The days will come though, Lord willing.. 

Meantime... 

I am trying to get my house in order and making lists galore.. 

Even did a little blog survey.. smile.. 

And that is the reason for my post tonight.. 

Thank you each and everyone who participated.. 

You were all so sweet to accommodate me by answering the survey or quiz (whatever) either here on the blog, facebook and mostly emails.. 

To be honest the emails were amazing.. 

There were so many!! 

Thank you so much.. 

Now.. 

What did I learn? 

Well.. 

Number one is that the blog has amazing followers!!

You girls are the dearest and I wanted you to know that.. 

You love your home and want it to be a sanctuary and a place where family counts.. 

That is important to you whether you have your children still home or are empty nesters.. 

Home is best!!

When the comments started showing up I thought that the followers were mostly of my own age but when the emails started coming through I was happy to find that you are all ages.. 

There are a lot more girls who read the blog then I expected..

You said you enjoyed the post and not just the pics..  

Although, the photos are a hit..

 Everyone like pictures.. smile.. 

Some prefer the posts from here at home but the farm came a close second and the cottage not so much.. 

My love for Jesus was appreciated as most of you are his followers also.. 

So long as I don't preach.. grin..

Most did not want guest posts except from Shonda.. (our daughter).. 

I spoke to her about it over the weekend and I think we will try and work something out.. 

So the format will stay mostly the same..

I don't think I can comment each time back to you but if you ask me a question or send me an email then I will do my best to connect.. If I forget to respond then remind me.. 

Remember, I am not as young as you and my memory isn't what it used to be.. grin..

I do have some new ideas for blog posts occasionally..

I will ask Shonda to do a craft or share her REAL ( sort of a Keepers of the Home) group meetings that she has started or some of her home decorating, or whatever with us when she can ..  

Also, another idea is to post something that I find interesting in my daily life most days.. 

Just a pic or link or scripture or whatever.. 

I have a folder on my computer and of course several different type of journals that shall I say ....turns my crank.. 

A verse that makes me want to be better or something that gets me in the working mode or inspires me to make something or a recipe from my recipe books that I want to try.. 

Maybe just one of my lists.. whatever. 

Motivation.. smile..

I will be using pinterest but this is not about pinterest perse..

I like so many more parts of the web besides Pinterest.. 

Don't you? 

You may want to pin the ideas to a board or in a folder or perhaps you can copy it off of your computer and put it in your journal.. 

Or just look at it.. smile.. 

Whatever.. 

It will be a blog journal for you girls of things that I happen to notice and perhaps you will too.. 

So when you see the post heading BLOG JOURNAL then you know I am posting something that I myself am journalling about.

That way it will not take much of my time but I am on here connecting with you most days.. 

We will try it out anyway and see what the response is ... 

Hopefully, it will go over well.. 

The pictures above are an example of my Blog Journal.. 

I don't know why I love these but I do and have had them in my folder for ages.. 

It is someone's home.. 

Not new, of course and probably not simple but it has something that calls me back to look at them every once in awhile..

Is it the colours or the decor or the homeliness of it all? 

I love the ceilings, the cupboards, the old doors, the bench and so on..

 I think I could live there. smile..   

So.. 

Does this turn your crank? 

Is it something you like to see here? 

I think that this was fun...

Different..

Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to do the survey and for the comments I hope to read.. smile.. 

Take care now.. 

Faye.. ox

Our Easter...

Happy Easter !! 

Hello everyone.. 

Hope you have had a blessed Easter and have celebrated the greatest event in history but also your family.. smile.. 

We have had a great weekend.. 

We had not only Easter but our anniversary also.. 

Thank you so much for your lovely regards.. 

I thought I would post some pics of our family Easter... 

This year we were all invited to have dinner with our daughter and her family.. 

It was quite the day as far as weather went.. 

Freezing rain ! 

When we went out to our car it was frozen up and it took a bit to get it thawed out but away we went.. smile. 

By the time we reached the highway the roads were fine.. 

It was just raining by the time we arrived to Shonda's... 

We rounded the turn and there they were.. 

Dave and Matt are supposed to be putting salt on the ice.. grin.. 

Shonda's house was decorated from top to bottom.. 

Lovely... 

We were happy to see Carter back from his missions trip to Africa.. 

He had to go to work so we did not see him for long but at least we got a hug or two.. smile.. 

These sweet boys are growing up way too fast... 

A little bunny appetizer bowl I made for them.. 

No knead bread made into a loaf and a roll then put together with tooth picks...

I filled it with homemade dill dip.. 

Good with veggies or chips... 

I told them I made it for my little grandsons.. smile.. 

More of Shonda's decor... 

And the beautiful meal they prepared for us all.. 

Thank you !! 

Shonda wanted me to take a carrot cake.. 

I used Betty Crocker's recipe and it was good.. 

We always enjoy Dave's Mom's company... smile. 

We missed our youngest son as they could not make it...

Nor my Mom as the roads were bad... 

Just sitting around and gabbing and enjoying family time.. 

And looking at the view.. smile.. 

Today Dustin and Veronique came for dinner here at home after church.. 

The kids love looking at family photos... smile.. 

And playing games.. 

Michael always wins!! grin..

And Rafe is taking my pic.. smile.. 

He is just so cute !

I did this little craft..

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross... 

The emblem of suffering and shame.. 

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best .. 

For a world of lost sinners was slain... 

So... I will cherish the old rugged cross.... 

Till my trophies at last I lie down. 

And I will cling to the old rugged cross 

And exchange it someday for a crown...

They called Him the King of the Jews.. 

But up from the grave He arose!!! 

Thank you, dear Jesus !

So blessed today to attend church this morning and worship Him who died for us but was victorious over the grave!

He is alive forever more..

So glad you dropped by today and I look forward to hearing from you dear hearts... 

xoxo

Forty six years together...

Hello there dear girls.. 

Just a wee post today .. 

Terry and I are celebrating our 46th anniversary.. 

Forty six years ago it was an Easter weekend, too.. 

There was not any snow and the weather was very spring like.. 

We were just a couple of kids embarking on a long road that we could not even imagine .. 

I remember when we celebrated Terry's parents 45th anniversary and I don't think we could picture ourselves doing the same.. 

But here we are... 

We owe it to the Lord for the lovely blessings we have received down through the years.. 

He has given us a wonderful family and a life full of love and joy.. 

We have had our ups and downs just like everyone else.. 

I look at that first picture of us taken at Christmas 1969 and we were so young.. 

It was the first meal that I had shared with his family and I was a nervous wreck.. grin.. 

I found them a bit daunting to be honest.. 

We came from two different worlds and I was outside of my comfort zone as our life styles were not the same.. 

Over the years, though our lifestyles have meshed into one.. 

We have learned from each other.. 

They say opposites attract and we are although we are more alike after all this time then we are different..smile.. 

Not that everyday has been a picnic... 

There were times when we both could have thrown in the towel but we had a family.. 

They were far more important to both of us then our own desires.. 

Today, I thank the dear Lord for giving us the sense to realize it even when we could have gone our separate ways.. 

Yesterday as we gathered together as a family to celebrate Easter I thought how thankful I was to sit beside the dearest man on earth to me.. 

To look across and share a smile with him over something that our grandsons or children had to say..  

That makes me thankful that neither one of us gave up on each other.. 

We have been so blessed to have the Lord in our lives and to lean on Him for strength on those days when we thought we could have slammed the door and not looked back..

The years have passed and we still love each other..

There are times when I look up to see him looking at me and

I say.. what? 

And he just smiles.. 

I still love that smile.. 

I just can't imagine my life without him nor do I want to.. 

He is so honest and caring..

A loving father and grand father.. 

A wonderful provider ..

 Always looking after me and making me laugh... 

And he loves Jesus... smile...

So dear hearts please celebrate with us today.. 

A milestone for sure and I hope and pray that God will bless us with many more.. 

I have to go.. 

The dear thing is taking me out for dinner and I need to get ready.. 

I found the thought below on the web and thought it worth sharing with you... 

our sweet sweet family.. 

a girl and two boys and now all of these.. xo

God bless you all and thank you so much for your response to my little survey thing last post and your dear sweet words..

The amount of emails I received is really overwhelming and I will do a post next week about it all along with our Easter celebrations.. 

Ok?  

Have a blessed Easter Sunday,,, 

Jesus paid a great price for our souls..

xo

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.. 

Romans 3:24

And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus....

Linked to.. Art of Homemaking Mondays..

Blog Quiz...

Hello dearies... 

Well.. 

I must confess something which I think I have mentioned before and that is the fact that I am in a blog slump.. 

Which means that I find myself boring and feel that my posts are not what they should be.. 

Perhaps it is to do with Winter and all but anyway.. 

I was thinking that I have not done a little blog quiz for awhile and it will help me to see what direction I should go.. 

The followers have changed.. 

Google took away a lot of them but then there is the Face Book page, too.. 

I know several of the readers follow on FB regularly and leave their lovely comments but perhaps the audience has changed in the last while..

So, let's see how we make out with this and hopefully it will inspire me to change what should be changed and add what should be added and take away the stuff that should be taken.. 

Right?

Please be honest dear hearts or it won't help.. smile.. 

You can either copy and paste onto the comment section here or on FB or just put the number of the question and your answer.. 

Blog Quiz.. 

1.. What sex and what age group are you in?  20's, 30's etc.. 

2..Do you work outside of the home and what is your job? 

3. Are you married and do you have children at home or empty nester's?

4.. What do find most interesting on the blog?  for example.. recipes, decor, crafts, farm day posts, herbal recipes, keepers of the home meetings, etc.. 

5.. Should I change the look or format of the blog? 

6.. What format should I add?  surveys, pinterest posts, guests?  

7.. Which posts do you prefer? home, farm or the cottage?

8. As a Christian blog would you like it to be more spiritual? 

9.. Should I interact with you all with your comments.. 

This is something that I think I need to try to do and so sorry for not doing it before.. 

10.. Do you enjoy more pictures and less words or visa versa?

Well, that is all I can think of to ask.. If you have anything to add that is not on the list please include it..

I am so looking forward to hearing your opinions and please don't worry about offending me.. 

I just need to know which way I should go. 

If you are a private person please just email me at 

houseofhenry@hotmail.com 

or leave me a message on Face Book.. 

It is the comments which provide the fuel for my blog writing and so I really need your help.. 

Thank you so much 

Hugs.. 

The last days of March...

Good Evening everyone.. 

A little bit of our last days of March post for you tonight.. 

We had quite a storm here yesterday in the Maritimes .. 

High winds and snow.. 

Last week it so looked like Spring but now we are back to feeling like Winter.. 

Just what is expected for this time of year, eh?  

There are a couple of pics looking out of our windows at the weather yesterday and then the beautiful morning that we woke up to... 

Snow is beautiful but cold.. smile.. 

As you can see I try to brighten up the house with geraniums and herbs of course.. 

The wind chime there is something I picked up at the Thrift store.. 

Terry hung it for me outside our window on the pine tree.. 

Our bedroom window is open at night and I love to hear it heralding in the wind that blows.. (you know me and the wind) grin.. 

It is not quite loud enough so I will continue to look for the right one.. 

We have a big wind chime at the cottage but sometimes it can be a bit much so I want something a little less subtle shall we say.. smile..

Terry and I took a little trip across the border to Bangor, Maine last week.. 

I had so much fun at the Thrift stores.. 

You might note the big tea pot on the mantel.. 

It is pewter and one of my finds.. 

Also found some nice linens and lace curtains and such.. 

Some sort of ivory handled cutlery, books, a lamp for the farm, a glass vase of the Eiffel Tower, 3 wee antique dolls, an old hard cover Louis L'Amour book,  hand knit dish cloths, fabrics and such.. 

There are two wonderful Good Will shops there and I always find such neat stuff... 

I know..

 I don't need any of it but really I didn't pay hardly anything for all of it.. 

When we came across the border we were under... 

Of course, we went to the Christmas Tree Shop and found a couple of things... 

We had a lovely Chinese meal where a chef cooked my Stir fry for me.. It was so good.. 

We were celebrating our 46th anniversary which is on Saturday.. 

So nice to celebrate, don't you think? 

Anyway, on with the show.. smile.. 

We had some sweet company at the farm last week for supper..

The pic is of  one of our dear grandsons enjoying a bite of bread before supper.. 

They had all been outside and worked up an appetite.. 

They enjoy their salads and home made bread.. 

Pasta is a favourite with the whole family... 

What do your family enjoy when they get together? 

This weekend hopefully we will be able to celebrate Easter together.. 

The greatest day in all of history.. 

I made a craft today of  the 3 crosses .. 

I will try and post a pic for you tomorrow.. 

That is all for this evening my dear friends.. 

Thank you for your sweet visits and comments both here and on the Face Book page.. 

Just click on the badge at the top on the sidebar and you can read it even if you are not on Face Book..

Thank you, too for following the blog.. 

I lost so many due to the Google change and it is a bit disheartening but nothing I can do about it all.. 

So glad you all are aboard for sure... 

God bless you sweeties.. 

xo