A Country Summer...

Good Evening everyone.. 

How are you?  

So happy to get back to chat with you all again.. 

It is a lovely day here in New Brunswick.. 

Quite hot, actually but another fresh breeze out amongst the apple trees.. 

I sit here with the door wide open and listening to it.. 

Terry has gone to the races with a friend so it is a great time for me to check in with you all.. 

Hope you are enjoying the summer as much as we...

Been out and about.. But still at home here and the farm, too.. 

This first part of the post will be farm pics.. 

Up above is a pic of some of my plants at the farm.. 

I have taken a lot of them out there because they grow so well.. 

I have learned from previous summers that the old house must be the perfect light because they seem to thrive so much better then here.  

Or perhaps it is the country air.. smile.. 

This is a pic of a new teepee for my Scarlet Runners that Terry made.. 

This pic was taken a week ago and we noticed yesterday that they are half way up the birch posts now.. 

We have had some very warm days and they are growing so quickly.. 

I am loving having to pick lavender each time we go.. 

And Chamomile... 

I just tie up the lavender in a bunch and hang it till next time out when it is dry.. 

And dry the Chamomile on a paper towel on the table in front of the window.. 

I am hoping to have quite a bit by the end of summer..

A meal we had there one day..  

Basic Steak and Mushrooms and chopped garlic scapes... 

A few books ...

These have  been grabbing my attention lately.. 

Some new to me baskets that I found at the Thrift store.. 

They are all great for gathering herbs or a bit of swiss chard and such.

And...

My dear sweet poppies came back at the farm.. 

They are here and there in the garden and are two hues this year instead of one.. 

A few even found their way into my Lavender bed... 

You girls who follow the blog probably remember my little poppy story from the other year.. smile.. 

They bring me such joy every summer now that they are back after being absent for so many years.. 

Another little pic that I put on Instagram one day. 

All in all the farm days are lovely but short.. 

We are late getting there and late coming home.. 

We have still to stay.. 

This past week I went to P. E. I. with my sweet friend Janelle.. 

We had a welcoming committee of one.. grin.. 

He belonged to this sweet shop in Victoria by the Sea...

Here are a few pics from our little trip.. 

\\

We visited Brackley Beach and the gardens and food were wonderful.. 

I, unfortunately had a return of Vertigo and had to return home a bit earlier then we planned but we had a couple of lovely days.. 

Janelle's daughter Hannah was so gracious to put her Momma and I up for a night.. She is such a dear girl.. 

But as always it is good to get home..

 I did up a bunch of strawberries the other week.. 

They did not seem as plentiful as other years due to a large amount of rain earlier, I think.. 

Was really happy to get some put in the freezer and such.. 

Well my luvs... 

This is all for this time.. 

Not much happening yet I guess.. 

Our beans are a couple of inches long so I will be canning next week, I imagine.. 

How is your summer going and what have you been busy doing? 

I notice on Instagram that you girls south of the border have been pickling and canning for weeks while we still are waiting on our gardens.. smile.. 

Oh well.. 

All in due time..  

So nice to chat with you all and I do look forward to hearing from you if you have the time..

Hugs..

Enjoy your Sabbath tomorrow.. 

xo

Summer Days on the Farm...

Happy Monday dear hearts!  

Here I am again finally!  

How are you all doing?  

We are getting along and enjoying our summer days for the most part.. 

I am really enjoying my swing on the little deck at the farm.. 

I think I mentioned Terry bought it for ten dollars at an auction.. 

It is a bit dilapidated but comfy non the less.. 

That is my view up above when I am sitting sideways.. grin.. 

And this is the view if I turn my head.. One of our raised beds... 

Just full of goodness.. 

Our gardens are finally starting to grow with some lovely hot weather we have been having.. 

It was really warm today but now has clouded up and I think it will rain.. 

We need that too.. 

This is another view of the barn.. 

An old birdhouse Terry made years and years ago when we were in the Craft Business... 

Can't say that I miss that though!  

There are many good things about retirement.. 

One being you only work at what you want to.. 

Or perhaps not at all.. grin.. 

We are spending several days a week at the farm but still not overnight.. 

I really thought we would be by now but am not minding coming home at nights at all.. 

Still accomplishing some stuff out there but not as much if we were staying .. We may yet!  Who knows?  smile.. 

Here is an Instagram post that I had on..

Just a casual table setting out there.. 

One of the meals out there at noon...  

Washed some Romaine lettuce.. 

Used one of my lettuce drying bags made from an absorbent tea towel.. I think I bought them at Costco.. 

Just sew up the sides and there you have it..
Put in the washed lettuces or greens and roll up and keep in fridge till you need them or use right away..  

I detest salad spinners but to each her own, eh!

Anyway... 

A few garlic fried shrimp and toast and there was our noon meal..
oh .. and Caesar Salad...  

Another little hint for you which you probably know.. 

But if you buy this kind of cheese... 

Terry's favourite!  

I like shaving it off a block but not him so we compromise.. 

I have mine and he has his.. grin.. 

The cover off the plastic jar fits onto a mason jar.. 

Now... Isn't that nicer?  smile.. 

I picked some Swiss Chard one day for lunch.. 

And made this soup... 

Oh my word.. 

It was delicious and soooo easy.. 

No recipe.. 

Enough for two people.. 

But I ate it all.. 

Terry of course did not want to try it.. sigh.. 

I had to make him something else.. 

Swiss Chard Soup

Put some water on to boil and cook 1/2 cup of Couscous according to directions.. 

Really it only takes about 10 minutes.. Drain.. 

In a pot with a bit of oil saute up some garlic cloves, minced or if you have garlic scapes which I did then

 chop a couple of them up.. Add chopped onion if you like.. Do this for a few minutes then add

 3 cups of chicken broth along with salt, pepper, chili flakes, and a big handful of Chard.. 

Simmer until chard is cooked and add drained couscous.. 

Add some shaved parm or shake in some from the above jar.. 

Serve... 

Oh.. I chopped up the chard and stems.. 

We don't spend all of our days at the farm and this was a special day.. 

Every Summer we spend a day together as Family Day.

We all went to church together first at Mission Point Church where Shonda, Dave and the boys attend.. 

It was fantastic.. 

So enjoyed seeing old friends, too.. 

Then we headed for the Irving Nature Park in West St. John.. 

What a lovely place.. 

Great places to have a picnic and BBQ.. 

The food of course was delicious and we had so much fun!  

Then the kids all took a hike but Terry and I sat on the beach.. 

I told them not to rush.. 

The wind was blowing and the waves were gorgeous!  

My new go-to place, I think... 

Wish it wasn't so far away.. 

But when we can we will be popping over there if only for an hour..

Then they all came and found us.. 

This is a special pic for me.. 

Our grandsons and me minus one.. 

Sweet Jared who is the oldest had to work.. 

Missed him and his uncle.. 

It times like this when we wish our youngest son lived near but this is how it is... 

Anyway... 

We just sat around there and gabbed then headed for the closest Tim Horton's and gabbed some more.. smile.. 

What a great day! 

So thankful for the blessing of family.. 

God has been good to us..

Now back to farm stuff..  

My first bunch of Lavender to dry.. 

I am so excited that all my plants survived the Winter.. 

Hanging them to dry as I pick them.. 

There will be several more bunches, I think.. 

Then one afternoon I made the bunting for outside.. 

And the dear man hung it for me.. 

From the lilac tree to the apple one.. 

We think of Charlie often when we are doing things like this outside..  

We do miss him...

And the bunting is up... 

Been collecting some Wild Medicine.. 

Yarrow... 

Cornflowers.. 

The dehydrator is running with roses at the moment.. 

I will need to get them out soon.. 

Hoping to make soap as well as medicine this Fall...

I found out something that you girls probably have known for years but I am a slow learner.. 

I was unpacking a few boxes of linens and lace from the cottage... 

I came across a few old old white pillowcases which had yellowed but the crochet on them was lovely... 

I washed them up and put them out there on the line.. 

I believe I showed a pic last post.. 

Anyway.. 

The rain came and so I just left them on the line and we didn't get back for a few days.. 

The sun had been out and it had been hot.. 

Well.. 

Those darling pillowcases are now as white as snow!!!  

So when you drive by here or out there you may see white blowing in the breeze.. 

I have lots of old linens and instead of tearing off the lace I will be able to use them.. 

Did you know that trick?  

Well it was lovely chatting with you all.. 

I make long posts because I don't get to it often enough.. 

So please bear with me.. 

Am so loving these bright summer days.. 

Hope they last for awhile yet, eh!  

Of course we have had wonderful weather.. 

Not too hot except for a few days here and there.. 

So I am enjoying them so much.. 

Take care my friends and I thank you for stopping by and your sweet comments here and on FB.. 

Love your comments on Instagram, too.. 

Here is a pic I put on Instagram today.. 

The comment I put on said.. 

Just when you want to bean him he brings you flowers.. 

The hash tags read.. 

my fave flowers

wild flowers

hubby sweetness

sometimes he is a pain though

thankful to God for him.. 

For some reason I see that Shonda commented with LOL symbols.. 

Yup... she knows.. LOL.. 

Bye for now luvies and I will be praying for you and you pray for me.. 

God is still on the Throne.. 

xo

A Farm Post in July...

Hello there dear hearts... 

So happy to sit down and finally get another farm post up here.. 

The Summer days are slipping by so quickly.. 

It seems hard to believe that here we are mid July.. 

I get rather annoyed with myself by always maligning the passing of time but the older I get the faster time seems to be going..

eh? 

Sorry.. 

Farm Post coming up..  

These lovely lupins pics were taken a week or two ago and are already losing their Spring beauty....

Much like ourselves... smile.. 

We have not moved to the farm yet!  

I told Terry I wonder if this summer will pass by as the last and we will only spend most of the week there but come home at nights.. 

Perhaps.. 

Although he has painted upstairs and such but still coming home in the evenings.. 

We try to get there quite early whenever we go but most days it is later then we wish.. smile.. 

This was an early morning and the cows were in the pasture beside the lane..

I so love having them there.. 

We got out of the truck and all of sudden we heard them mooing and going and all heading towards us.. 

It was like they were saying.. 

Where have ya been?  grin.. 

I called and chatted with them a bit but there was work to do.. 

smile.. 

We did not eat at home and so a quick pick of some Swiss Chard and breakfast was ready... 

Just add some coffee please and the day will go forward.. 

I had washed a load of laundry at home and couldn't wait to get it on the line there.. 

The wonderful breezes coming over the Kent Hills blow them out in no time at all.. 

Then I wanted to get some sewing done.. 

But after just a bit I broke the needle and it fell off into the machine and now Terry has to fix it before I can use it again.. 

Oh well...

Just put it away and start something else.. 

I planted a bunch of pots for the deck but forgot to upload some pics.. 

Lunch was just a cup of spaghetti and such.. 

A little homemade sauce and pickles of course.. 

One day I hung a new old pic I bought at the Green Pig Farmers Market.. 

A girl was having a yard sale there.. 

It is just what I was looking for .. 

I wanted an old fashioned girl for the kitchen... 

I must have saw something like that somewhere and it stuck in my mind.. grin.. 

Then this one I unearthed from the boxes from my shop.. 

I have had it a long time.. 

Do you remember this one, Sue?  

We are certainly enjoying the herb beds.. 

Just to go out and pick what I need and chop them up for whatever is cooking.. 

Just another meal there.. 

Whatever day!  grin.. 

Summers are for salads and homemade dressings in our house.. 

Please note Terry's Kraft French Dressing hidden behind the salad... sigh.. 

Mine is the little pitcher with the green stuff in it.. grin.. 

Cod fillets, turnip mash and pickles along with the salad.. 

We eat plain food but lemon makes it all better.. 

Spent time making more vinegars...

I give a lot of this away as it makes wonderful gifts for foodies.. 

My garlic scapes are ready so I put a few in with the chives.. 

Garlic Chive Vinegar should be tasty.. 

Another egg on a chicken plate.. smile.. 

And this was my half hour of terror  this day....

Flagpole Day!  

How I despise it!  

For at least a half hour I cannot hardly breathe or look up because my deluded husband thinks he is still capable of these crazy feats.. 

Each summer we go through this.. 

Me begging him to please come down and calling on Jesus to keep him safe despite his braindead   no...harebrained   sorry can't think of the right word... ideas! 

But ... 

it gets done and he touches mother earth..

Safe and sound.. 

And then he has the nerve to be funny!

Gets down and kisses the ground!  

Yup!  

Real Funny! sigh.. 

Till next time, I guess.. 

On with the story.. 

On rainy days I love going for drives! 

Weird, eh!  

This was a pretty one!  

One of our favourite past times... I guess.. 

Do you enjoy old country roads on rainy days?  smile.. 

Then back home for Red Beans and Rice.. 

Do love rainy evenings here at home.. 

Before long the days will be noticeably shorter... 

So.. 

Must enjoy the summer while we may.. 

So love having you visit.. 

And hearing from you all.. 

Thank you for stopping by... 

Take care and we will chat again soon.. 

PS.

Read this the other day and wrote it in my journal it was so lovely..

2 Samuel 23:4

He shall be as the light of the morning

A cloudless sunrise when the tender grass springs forth upon the earth 

As sunrise after rain... 

Oh the loveliness of our Lord... 

God bless.. xo