Our October Days...

Hello everyone.... 

So glad to have you visit here today... 

Just an autumn post for you on this lovely October day... 

The days this fall have come and gone with such wonderful weather and blessings from the Lord.. 

I think we only had two frosts which were not devastating as we had several extra weeks for things to keep on growing.. 

We are all well and finally seem almost normal especially where everyone near and dear to me have come through it all with God's help and strength.. 

After all this time Covid has hit New Brunswick big time and it is a scary thing.. 

Especially, when it is your own.. 

But as always God has been faithful and present during the storms of life... 

This is a thankful month and we are... 

Hope you all are as well.. 

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts..

You are in ours... 

Anyway..

Fall has been happening around our house... 

We are just so happy about that!

After a summer of sickness and then a September of unrest we are ready to get back up and keep on keeping on.. 😊 

Terry is back and at it... 

The wood is in and the chimney cleaned and such.. 

The garden is almost at rest and some outdoor painting was taken care of.. 

And me... 

Well, I have been puttering on and feeling so much more like doing it the last few weeks.. 

God is good!  

I know I keep saying such but have such a thankful heart to Him.. 

When you go through the storm and come out the other end it is a wonderful blessing, eh! 

  

Now... 

I have been drying some apples, herbs, a basket of peppers and such.. 

Going for drives and picking flowers that I didn't get to before.. 

Tansy was one of those ones.. 

I love making tansy salve and moth sachets.. 

Although, we were late getting it we came across a patch and it is now dry and ready to go..

 

The leaves have been slowly turning but just now passed their peak and today the wind is whipping around this window in here .. I expect they will be flying around everywhere.. 

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving.. 

We were under covid restrictions and so could not visit but that was ok... 

We have to do what is best for everyone.. 

So... 

It was just the two of us... smile.. 

It certainly was not our daughter's gorgeous table but a little effort was put forth.. 😉

Wild flowers were gathered for a bouquet and a ham was purchased.. 

We decided a potato scallop was in order and I brought a couple of brown transferware dishes from the farm.. 

And old lace napkins... (of course!) smile.. 

Then I tried to make an apple pie.. 

It was not my day.. 

I could hardly get enough crust to make a pie so settled for small deep dish ones.. smile.. 

When I get tired I may as well just give up and say forget it!

But I am too stubborn.. 

The gist of the story is that Terry liked them better and thought I should make them more often... lol..

Anyway, we did get a chance to chat with all of our dear kids and that was that for another year.. 

We have been buying some of the most lovely apples!

What a gorgeous crop this fall.. 

Made this Apple Butter from Kings Landing Historical Settlement..  

In my crockpot.... 

The recipe is here below.. 

As you see there are no instructions and I forgot to not put the cover on and let's just say it took a day or two to thicken up.. 

It is an absolutely lovely apple butter.. (to the left)Salsa on right.

But not for toast... 

Delicious on ham or chicken or a apple and cheddar sandwich on crusty bread.. 

But not toast!  lol...

It has vinegar.... smile.   

I may try to make my usual but have not got to that yet.. 

Still have apples after doing up 70 pounds.. (yikes)

They keep for ages though... smile.. 

Made some laundry soap... 

Here is the recipe I used... 

1.5 cups of washing soda

1.5 cups borax

2 T. salt

1 bar of grated laundry soap

essential oils of choice and amount... 

I love lavender!

Maybe a bit of rose in memory of my Mom... smile.. 

Mix it all up in a big tub or bowl... 

Then store it in something to keep it dry. 

Use a Tablespoon per load or more if soiled badly... 

I don't use this every wash but especially when I do tea towels and such.. 

I put mine in a coffee can and pasted some old wallpaper border around just to make it a bit nicer.. 

I found this bit of info the other day and love the idea so am adding it to the above.. 

Using my own essential oil choices though...

My friend adds Tide so I will be adding a cup or so too..

 

Now... 

I am so slow getting back to you dear girls that my posts are way too long but anyway..

 

Here is a drive from a few weeks ago.. 

Our very first heavy frost and we had to go to Sussex... 

The fog and frost were simply beautiful!  

Just had to share them with you... 

Then a few other fallish drives with the splendor of autumn.. 

A couple of farm pics, too... 

Some are in Albert County and some in Kings or Westmorland!

We are so blessed to live in New Brunswick.. 

Would not want to be anywhere else!  

(says this old lady!!) 💖

One day we came home and had a Maritimer's Supper!

Fish in a sauce and baked potatoes and peas and homemade pickles... mmmm.. 

Sometimes I still make cookies and freeze a couple in individual bags for our drives with our Butternut Ridge coffee.. 

The best coffee around.. I may be prejudiced!  smile.. 

Although all is well and even with restrictions and virus and such life goes on... 

There is happiness and there is still sorrow... 

There are times in your life when you are younger that there is not a lot of people you know passing on..  

But the older one gets it seems to happen a lot more.. 

Terry and I have been blessed with dear friends and family.. 

Sometimes, we have made relationships with some that are special.. 

You know what I mean.. 

We mostly all have best friends and friends that you love dearly even if you have not seen or chatted with them for eons.. 

The minute you lay eyes on them it is exactly like it was yesterday or forty years ago.. 

(This may be a wee bit longer post but like I always say.. 

Just scroll on by.. )

Many years ago when Terry and  I were in our young twenties, we moved from the city to a small farming area..

We had moved to St. John when we were married and were there about 8 years... 

In our seventh year we had found the Lord again after going our own way for several years... 

In giving our lives back to him , we wanted to be closer to our church and get away from the city.. 

So we moved to Sussex.. 

To be honest I regretted the move for awhile.. 

It was different then what we were used to and it was not what I had expected.. Whatever I expected.. smile. 

But.. 

One day after the kids were in school I decided I would try selling a household product to my neighbors.. 

Knocking on a door up the road from me a dear sweet lady answered the door and invited me in... 

It was such a lovely surprise... 

I knew right away that we were kindred spirits... 

The stew was cooking on a wood stove, bread was rising on the counter... A wee boy was playing with pots on the floor.. 

There was a pile of magazines and books on the table and she had the ironing board out making a craft.. 

I think she was waxing fall leaves... smile..

and cats!! I love cats!

 

It was a visit that changed my circumstances of living there.. 

The tea was put on and there was bread and cheese and real butter.. 

It is a precious memory to me of how our friendship began about 45 years ago... 

She was a bit older then me but it never mattered in the least... 

She taught me just so much about home and making and doing..

I loved her dearly! 

 

Then, a couple of weeks ago she left this world.. 

I was so sad.. 

A few days before that I had lost another dear friend from my youth and it seemed like a lot!!

God gets you through these times though..

He really does! 

I wanted to remember in my own special way.. 

So one night I made a nice supper for us.. 

One of Deanna's recipes that she had given me.. 

It is really good... 

I hope you enjoy it.. 

They were special friends and I was blessed to know Deanna and Elva... 

May God bless their families... 

I haven't done a lot of fall decorating this year.. 

Just busy trying to catch up with the preserving and winter preps... 

Getting back into a bit of felting, too.. 

My friend Dawn and I were talking about growing older and Christmas... 

She thought we should do a little bit every day and then we won't be overwhelmed.. 

I agree.. 

But you know me.. 

I need inspiration... 

I thought this might help get me in the mood..

I read this in a book years ago and took a pic of this page.. 

I believe the writer was Rosamund Pilcher but not sure... 

Glad I saved it.. 

I expect I will read it a few times before December 25... 

With all that is going on I hope to keep it sweet and simple and fresh but lovely... 

How about you.. 

Can you get your mind wrapped around it all yet?  

I will ask you again next time.. smile..  

Well dear girls, I am about done.. 

Such a long long post but it was nice to connect with you all.. This is a little church down the road from us.. 

Aren't the sheep darling? 

So glad to know the Good Shepherd.... 

I post on Instagram quite a bit more then here and sometimes think I should just try and do it 100 percent then do this and that either one very well.. 

But here I am again for now.. 

Meet me over there anytime you like.. 

MY INSTAGRAM LINK   

Just click on here .. 

It is private but I will accept your request to join my account... 

Thank you loveys for stopping by and I do love to hear from you.. I read every comment although I am pitiful about getting back to you sometimes... 

I do read and appreciate each one.. 

And bless you new followers.. 

Hope to get to know you.. 

If you leave an anonymous comment could you leave your initials or first name then I will remember you were here before.. K?  

Hugs from the Blessed Hearth... 

 

Keepers of the Home Meeting for June..

Good Evening dear hearts.. 

So happy you dropped by.. 

Another first Saturday of the month here in New Brunswick and another Keepers of the Home meeting.. 

It was a lovely morning.. 

I must begin by saying that I kind of forgot to take pics most of the time but we do have a few.. 

Several had left before I remembered.. 

sorry.. 

There was a wonderful turnout for it.. 

Some new girls that we are so happy to have with us.. 

We started off by cooking breakfast together as usual. 

One Keeper blessed us with some homemade muffins which went lovely with our bacon, eggs, and toast.. 

Just an ordinary breakfast this time.. 

But very good..

I took a bottle of dandelion jelly for them to try out.. 

Susan liked it good enough to take the rest home.. smile.. 

Then I had to get them to try my lovage straws.. 

We put them in our tomato juice and it just gives the juice a nice celery flavor.. 

If you would like the herb then I  know you can get them at the Co-op in Sussex.. 

A few others took the leaves home to dry for their soups and salads.. 

There was lots of coffee and tea while we had another little lesson on our Christian homes.. 

We have ventured into the entry way or mud room or foyer... 

Whatever you desire to call it .. 

This is the room that says welcome and we used our 5 senses.. 

Looking the word entryway up in the Bible and in Exodus 35 -15 it talks about the entryway into the temple and how it smelled of incense and oils.. 

We discussed the sense smell..

And how it is the first thing that meets you when you open the door.. smile.. 

Every home has it own smell, eh? 

There are many ways to have a fresh smelling home.. 

You can find some tips HERE..

An entryway contains things like sneakers, hockey gear and such so it takes a bit of work. 

As for the pinterest board I will keep adding to it so keep checking.. 

OK?

We then chatted about our other senses and how they worked in our homes.. 

We talked about sight and how we would try to get some scripture up on our walls . 

Hopefully, in the Fall we will make some crafts with scriptures on them..

Our favorite is the verse .. 

As for me and my house we shall serve the Lord.. 

Joshua 24-15

A nice tidy entryway is certainly on all of our agendas... 

And organized, too.. smile.. 

Here is a link for way back when I first started my blog and it was not very professional, believe me..

Please excuse the poor quality pics and such.. smile.. 

But it is a few scripture decorating tipS and you might like it.. 

You can find it HERE.

The next sense was hearing and how lovely it is to come in and hear lovely music, the laughter of the family or just sweet chatter..

Not a blaring TV or family arguing..  

The entryway can be such a place of blessing as each morning we try and hold hands and pray a blessing for the day upon our children and even their friends as they stand in the door and wait.. smile.. 

I had to share about how touching it was for me to visit my daughter and hear her in her entryway praying a blessing of the day upon her boys.. 

In I Samuel 1- 12, 13 it talks of Hannah praying in the entryway of the temple.. 

Praying for a child.. smile.. 

The only thing we came up with for taste was to leave a bowl of mints somewhere. grin..

Perhaps you have one ???  

But really the one that is not so obvious but perhaps the most important is how your home feels when the door is closed against the world.. 

Do your children feel their mama's arms welcoming them home after a day at school? 

Does hubby feel the love from his family as he closes the door on another workday out there? 

Do friends and strangers feel the welcome of your home? 

The love and joy and peace that only God can bestow on hearts and homes can be felt first in your entryway.. 

Not a very deep subject but just a few thoughts.. 

So...

 That was that and we moved on to making some homemade cleaners.. 

Fabreze recipe 

In a spray bottle from the dollar store pour in a funnel 

2 cups of water

1/4 cup of Gain Fabric Softener

1 T. baking soda

Shake well.. 

It really works.. 

Homemade Spray Cleaner.. 

1/4 cup of dish soap  (Dawn)

1/4 cup of white vinegar 

2 tsp. Borax

3 1/2 cups of hot water 

essential oils of choice and amount to suit you.. 

I love lavender.. 

And perhaps a drop of tee tree.. 

Thyme Disinfectant.. 

2 1/2 cups of water 

handful of thyme 

vinegar

 a squirt of Dawn soap

Simmer the thyme in a pot with the water for a couple of hours.. Strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter .. 

Pour into a spray bottle.. Add the soap and top it up with the vinegar.. 

I loved the smell of the house while this was simmering away.. 

Reminded me of an Italian Bistro.. grin.. 

It worked well, too which I found amazing as it is a tea color.. 

On one site they talked about the scientific proof of the disinfecting power of thyme.. 

Kind of good to know.. 

There was also a recipe for Homemade Laundry Powder found HERE..

And one for Laminate Floor Cleaner that I found Here..

And the Spray Air Freshner is on my Pinterest Board above.. 

Most of the girls made Fabreze and then a little stamped tag to hang on it.. 

We had also brought plants for an exchange which was a lot of fun.. 

There was all kinds.. 

Even white lilac bushes..  

All in all we had a wonderful morning with lovely fellowship.. 

Thanks so much for dropping by.. 

This is our last meeting for the Summer until we have our annual overniter at our cottage in St. Martins in July... 

Have a blessed weekend and thank you to all you girls who come and help so much with everything.. 

I appreciate you all.  

And thank you for your sweet notes.. 

Hugs.. 

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