Here at Home...

Good Evening my dears.. 

Here I am at last.. 

I have been trying to get here, really but with this and that I have been delayed shall we say.. smile.. 

Spring really brings lots of stuff to do..eh? 

Terry has about five jobs going on at once and everything seems to be escrow if you know what I mean.. 

We really should have done some things this past winter but who feels like it.. 

I think we both need the sun to get us in the mood to do some of them ... 

Things like painting though can't be done till now so that is our excuse.. grin.. 

I just wish we could finish one job before we start another but that is not the way the cookie crumbles with him.. grin.. 

The past couple of days I have turned out the living room and dining room as they used to say..

A purchase of some lace valances kind of lightened the room up a bit... 

Hard to say in this pic but I really do like them.. 

The sun comes in there in the morning and moves around to the front of the house by the time this pic was taken .. 

Please forgive the quality but you get the jest of it all... 

Lots of dishes to wash and freshen up ... 

Trying so hard to make decisions to declutter them but I guess they are still all there.. 

Last Winter I had gone through and lots went but not this time.. grin.. 

The apple trees are in blossom outside the windows .... 

I used the homemade furniture polish for all the furniture.. 

It works so great and smells lovely of lavender... 

Here is the recipe to make some.. 

Beeswax Furniture Polish..

Warm 250ml or 1 cup of jojoba oil or apricot kernel oil in a small pot.. 

You can use a mixture .. 

I used apricot plus grape seed as I read it has the same qualities.. 

Add 15 grams or 1 Tablespoon of dried herbs.. ( I used lavender and rosemary)

2 strips of lemon zest.

Place over low heat until small bubbles form on the edges.. 

Then take it off and leave setting overnight.. 

I actually let it sit for a week.. 

Strain the oil through cheesecloth into a heat proof bowl.. 

Place over a simmering pan of water and add 80g. (1 cup) of grated beeswax ..

Keep stirring until melted. 

Add at least 6 drops of essential oil.. 

I added part lavender and part rosemary and a lot more then 6 drops.. Just till it smelled my way.. 

Pour into a tin or heated glass jar..

Do any of you girls love antique dishes? 

These ones belonged to my Great Aunt Emily and I so love them.. 

This old rug belonged to her, too.. 

Charlie enjoyed his napping on it while it was in the kitchen.. 

Terry took all the furniture out and scrubbed the carpet.. 

We rented a cleaner from the Superstore and it really came out lovely.. 

Usually, we just hire someone to do it but the last time or two they did not even move the furniture... 

It is a wool carpet that has been here since we bought the place so it has had a few years of use but in really good condition,.. 

Every other room has had the floors changed but this one.. 

Perhaps in the Fall.. 

Came across one of my favourite books.. 

Love this old fashioned poet... 

Had a lovely morning with Shonda today.. 

We went for coffee and a bit of shopping.. 

I was looking for some peachy pink silk flowers but couldn't find what I was looking for.. 

She gifted me with a gorgeous chandelier to put over the dining room table..

 It was my Mother's Day gift.. Love it.. 

Can't wait for Terry to get it hung.. 

Well, you girls know that I can't do a post without something about food, eh!  

Bought a cook book at the Thrift store the other day and found a couple of lovely recipes.. 

A simply lovely pudding.. 

Makes just enough for the two of us and so many versions.. 

Simple Pudding.. 

3 T. cornstarch

1/3 cup of white sugar 

1/2 tsp. salt 

2 cups of milk 

1/4 cup of chippits..

 chocolate, chocolate mint, butterscotch, white chocolate, peanut butter, etc... 

Just whatever flavour you are in the mood for.. 

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium saucepan.. 

Whisk in milk and chippits.. 

Heat to boiling over low heat and boil till thickened..

 Stirring constantly... 

Place in bowls, cover and refrigerate until firm... 

You can also leave out the chippits and add 1 tsp. vanilla after removing from heat for Vanilla pudding.. 

Or.. 

Leave out chippits and add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 cup of coconut after removing from heat for Coconut Pudding... 

So many versions.. 

I think we will enjoy this every once in a while when we are craving some little dessert.. 

Then there was this bread recipe.. 

Terry told me it was the best bread I have ever made.. 

No Knead, too... 

I will share that recipe with you another time... 

This time of year the wild flowers are out and there is so much to do with them.. 

This is for a batch of violet salve.. 

I really need to take more pics before the sun goes down.. smile.. 

Dandelion jelly is all made along with oil infused with them to make some lotion bars and such.. 

We have been up to the farm a bit but really there is just so much to catch up on here.. 

For over twenty years we would be in St. Martins at the cottage by now.. At least on the weekends getting ready for the big move.. 

This year it is so nice to dig at some flower beds and get some painting done... 

We probably won't make it to the farm till later... 

What are you girls busy doing?  

Oh... 

For you who were asking.. 

My coffee perk is a Hamilton Beach.. 

Here..

Well this is all for tonight.. 

Hope all is going well with you... 

Take care and God bless.. 

Look forward to hearing from you here and on the Face Book page.. 

God bless.

Spring Ramblings...

Hello there everyone,, 

Glad you could stop by for a bit.. 

We are having a lovely Sunday here in New Brunswick.. 

We woke up this morning to rain falling outside the bedroom window and dripping off of the roof.. 

I thought I would lay in a bit and just listen.... 

My darling wind chime would do a little clang now and then but once my eyes are open I get thinking about that coffee and up I get.. grin.. 

Terry bought me a new perk for our anniversary and I am sold... 

We have been using a drip one or the Keurig for ages... 

I saw this one at Walmart .. It looked like one of the old fashioned ones with the basket inside and coffee splashing up on the glass cover..

The coffee is so much better.. 

Worth getting up for shall we say.. 

Sitting in my chair, the rain pelting the window and a nice hot cup of coffee in my hand started my day off right.. 

We were looking forward to church this morning..

We always look forward to it but a bit more shall we say..  

There was a concert and it was wonderful.. 

Southern Gospel at it's best and good preaching in between.. 

Matt Linton..

Felt blessed to hear it..

My Mom and Step Father were there and we all went out for lunch.. 

So all in all a lovely day... 

We were up to the farm the other day.. 

It is greening up there really well .. 

The brook is flowing and it is fishing season here.. 

I find it stays colder up there but things are beginning to leaf out.. 

The flag has had the biscuit so I have that to look forward to when Terry climbs that ladder and does his thing.. 

I am not going to write about it this time though.. lol.. 

I was so excited to see the garlic was spared this winter... 

We should have quite a few... 

Looking forward to the Scapes and making some Pesto with them.. 

The Lilac Tree is starting to leaf out, too... 

Aunt Eva loved this tree.. smile.. 

We are not moved up there yet by a long way.. 

So much to do in getting all the stuff from the cottages sorted... 

pray for me.. smile.. 

Here at home the Forget Me Nots are out and the White Violets.. 

Love little bouquets of them here and there... 

 A lot of my herbs came back at the farm and I am glad.. 

Here though I only have Lovage and Chives... 

This is my Lovage plant a few years ago... 

It is only half that size right now.. 

Perfect for making pickles.. 

I did these on Saturday.. 

Cut the stems and trim the leaves... 

Cut them up and put them in sterilized bottles with a bay leaf and half a tsp. of  hot chili flakes.. 

Make your fave brine and pour over... 

I used my Hot Pickled Veggie recipe.. 

Oh my.. they are good.. to me.. (I mean)  

As usual not for Terry.. grin... 

The leaves I cleaned off the stems were put in a dehydrator... 

They are all dried and ready to be blitzed tomorrow into a powder that I used in place of salt... 

And my Spring treat is the hollow stem in a glass 

of tomato or Clamato juice...  

A nice afternoon drink or whenever.. 

Spring to me means buying my Lemon Geranium... 

We always have one on the deck.. 

It is supposed to keep away bugs.. 

I like to stick a leaf or two in my vacuum bag, too... 

And of course we can't forget the Rhubarb.. 

It is just beginning but Terry brought in enough for a batch of 

Rhubarb Scones... 

I just used the recipe for the Daily Biscuits I shared with you a bit ago and added 1 cup of finely chopped rhubarb and a bit of cinnamon and replaced the white sugar for brown... 

He did like these.. 

Especially served with Rhubarb and Pineapple Jam.. 

From last year.. 

I need to make some more as soon as I can.. 

So much to do and so little time, eh?  

Oh well a bit here and a bit there... 

If I were to pick a fave Canadian season it would be Spring.. 

What is yours? 

We had some sweet company yesterday.. 

Trevor and Joel went to the woodlot and then stopped by for a few minutes... 

For you girls who follow the blog you no doubt remember me explaining about Trevor's love for Charlie saga ... 

Unrequited love, though.. 

It is so sad.. smile

The dear lad does everything he can to make Charlie like him.. 

To even be civil would be nice.. grin.. 

But before Trevor even got in the house I could hear Charlie growling in his kennel... 

I looked out and there was Joel so I knew Trevor was near.. 

Pretty soon the dog really starts barking and in comes Trev... 

"Hello Charlie Boy!"  

The dog just keeps barking.. 

I made him go get in his kennel and the whole time he keeps giving  a deep growl...   

Trevor as always goes to the fridge for a slice of cheese and begs Charlie to come out and get it.. 

As you can see... 

All Charlie does is poke out and growl.. 

Then he would lift his head and bark like crazy... 

Trev kept trying but what a stubborn dog... 

The pic is the last little piece... 

Trevor enjoyed the cheese.. lol... 

He is really Dustin's dog and has only one master... 

And one mistress.. lol.. 

It took him a year to warm up to Terry but just so so... 

Well, sweet girls I hope you are all having a lovely Spring.. 

Trials come and go but the One who holds our hand keeps us stable.. 

Life is what you make it... 

Right?  

Thanks so much for stopping by and so love your comments here and on Face Book... 

Thanks for following the blog and liking the page.. 

Really appreciate hearing from you... 

God bless you dear girls and enjoy your days... 

xo

Today was Mother's Day....

Hello there my dears.. 

Today was Mother's Day here in Canada.. 

We woke up to a lovely sunny day with a brisk breeze and just a bit cool... 

May is such a lovely month, don't you think?  

The flood waters are receding here in New Brunswick, thank the Lord!  

Grass is green and the dandelions are out... 

Spring has finally arrived... 

This week I made a wee craft to go with my Mom's Mother's Day gift... 

Last Summer I put together a Rose Potpourri which is my mother's favourite scent.. 

I had already gave her some but she was saying that she loves it so and keeps moving it from place to place.. smile.. 

I had some left so I thought I would make her a basket to put some more in... 

I found a recipe to starch the doilies.. 

You can find the link HERE

You only use sugar and water.. 

So easy... 

They turned out fine.. 

She loved it.. 

We went to church and after had a bite to eat and then went to visit Mom... 

She was having her afternoon nap in the rocking chair and her cat, Mable was resting in a chair beside her.. smile.. 

Mom and my Step Father love their cat... 

The first pic up top is my Mom at five years old with her cat.. 

She still loves them and always have.. 

I love cats, too!

Terry not so much.. smile.. 

We had only been there a bit when the phone rang... 

It was Shonda wishing her Gram a happy mother's day.. 

Mom really enjoys hearing from her grand kids.. 

Don't we all?  smile.. 

Mom also loves her plants.. 

They are everywhere.. 

On window sills, benches and tables.. 

She has quite a green thumb and has always stuck lemon, orange and pepper seeds in pots just to see if they will grow.. 

I received my love of wild flowers from her.. 

She knows the name of so many wild flowers and shared her knowledge with my sister and myself.. 

There are just the two of us girls and we both love cats, plants and flowers.. 

That is what mamas do, eh?  

Share their loves with their children.. 

The main love she shared with us was her love of the Lord..

He has so blessed our lives.. 

See all the old dishes in the china cupboard...

Yup... me too!!  grin... 

I don't share my pic on here or anywhere very often.. 

I do not take a good photo like my husband and children but Mom and I are getting older and just thought it would be nice to remember this special day.. 

We had our windows down and my hair shows it but never the less.. smile.. 

So thankful to be able to share this day with Mom .. 

And with our children.. 

Last week I was sick and was not sure if I would be well enough today so the plans they made to be together in church and dinner had to be postponed... 

I am feeling better but still on meds.. 

Nothing serious...

They all called though and we are getting together later.. 

Except for our youngest.. 

As you know he is out west but he called first thing this morning and sent home a gift for me...

So love all of our children, their spouses and grandchildren.. 

Shonda and Tammy are wonderful mothers to our grandsons ... 

So blessed... 

This is all for tonight dear ladies.. 

I pray you had a wonderful day and have enjoyed the love of your sweet families.. 

Sending hugs your way... 

xo 

Bits of Our Days...

Good Evening everyone... 

Hope all is well with you.. 

Here in New Brunswick all is not well.. 

A lot of our province is flooded.. 

There was a lot of snow up in the northern parts and as it melts it flows into the St. John River which runs towards the Bay of Fundy in the southern part... 

All the rivers, lakes and bays related to this is flooding big time.. 

Such a shame.. 

Homes, businesses, farms, cottages and camping grounds are under water... 

The city of Fredericton and St. John and all areas in between are in a battle with rising waters.. 

The main highway to Fredericton is closed as is numerous roads and by ways.. 

Terry and I went for a drive to Hampton yesterday to see for ourselves.. 

There are so many pics and videos on Face Book but until you see some of it for yourself it is really hard to imagine.. 

It was a lovely sunny day after a very rainy windy night.. 

*I did up this post yesterday (Sunday) but did not post it until tonight.. sorry... 

The little village of Bloomfield had to close two bridges.. 

The  Kennebecasis River is like a long lake... 

This cemetery is very close to being flooded.. 

Roads are closed everywhere... 

The Belleisle Bay and Grand Lake all have ruined cottages and travel trailors submerged ... 

The poor dears.. 

At least a cottage is not your home and there are so so many homes completely ruined.. 

Our hearts go out to these people.. 

It is the worst flood in the history of our province.. 

Sending prayers that the waters will subside.. 

It is to rain here again tonight and tomorrow...

*thank the Lord it did not rain much and the sun came out today (Monday)

Here we are fine as we do not live near any waterways.. 

On to other things.. 

Made the most delicious corn chowder the other day.. 

Cut the corn off of a couple of ears of fresh corn, a can of corn, some potatoes and diced onions... cooked a couple of strips of bacon and such.. 

Then some cream... 

Yes, it was a treat for sure... 

Soon be in the salad season, I can't wait to have fresh salad greens and such.

I have seen some Coltsfoot growing, though so we will soon have dandelions.. 

This rain has greened up the grass so fast... 

It will soon be herb time.. 

My favourite garden plants.. 

Did up a mason jar of dried rosemary leaves this week.. 

It was from the herb beds last summer at the farm.. 

Smells so heavenly.. 

I think I need to roast a chicken this week... 

We are trying to get more housecleaning done but last week was almost a write off.. 

We did have a town day but then I had to go for a doctor's appointment and then another trip to Sussex on Thursday to see a play that our youngest grandson was in.. 

It was simply divine!! 

 Anne of Green Gables.. 

They did such a professional play.. 

I so love Anne and of course our grandson, Joel was awesome!!  

smile... 

Joel is the teacher... There is Anne and her best friend Dianna..

Joel is the doctor here... 

And the whole cast... 

These pics are courtesy of the Sussex Christian School.... 

One more thing.. 

We had a Keepers of the Home meeting... 

First for a long time.. 

It was lovely.. 

Made some wonderful waffles by Lindsay, 

blueberry pie by Carmen and I shared the 

Homemade Hamburger Helper recipes... 

Made the Lasagne one last night for supper and it was really good.. 

For you girls who attended I found mini lasagne noodles at the Bulk Barn.. 

Very good price... 

Well, dear hearts this is it for tonight.. 

Not much going on here at home but wanted to post something.. smile.. 

Thanks for being patient with me.. 

I thought I would share my sweetest blessing for today.. 

This morning in church three of our grandsons sat behind us and when they had the song service I could hear their dear voices singing out praises to the King of Kings.. 

So blessed that they know Jesus... 

Touched my soul.... 

smile.. 

Below is a wonderful link for you girls who love your kitchens.. 

I found it inspiring and hope you do too.. 

cotes mill HERE

Enjoy your week and may God richly bless you all.. 
I will pray for you and you pray for me... 
                                              
                                                   Hugs...