Winter Days

Most of our winter days are filled with schoolwork and indoor activities. Being from the South we really haven't gotten into much for the outdoors here. We still have our farm chores that need to be taken care of...and added chores of hauling in wood and shoveling (plowing) snow. This place is absolutely beautiful in the winter. I find myself wanting to learn to cross country ski, or ice skating, just because I could still be outside. I honestly don't know what keeps us from doing these things, but we just haven't.
Today our morning adventure was a bit more than usual. It's really windy...which is typical. However today hit the fence to the sheeps pen just right and sent it flying...allowing Annie and Oakley to make a run for it. They didn't go far, but they did visit with the horses and give the kids and dogs a good run trying to get them back in. Since we are depending on the wood stove for the majority of our heat there was an extra load to bring in. Oh and the wind took a trash bag out, which the dogs then thought was an open buffet. It makes for happy kids.
I do get a lot of time to think, plan, wish, dream, and so on when stuck inside. That is both good and bad. I've decided that no matter where I end up I want to have a farm. This is the life that I want. I enjoy having the animals, the fresh eggs, the fresh meat, wool and so on. I know that I truly do want a dairy cow...I'm thinking a Jersey...with a calf to raise for meat. I also then want pigs...at least 2 to go along with the turkeys, chickens and sheep. I know that a goat would be smaller, and maybe a better answer, but you can do so much with cow's milk...especially ice cream!!!!!
From there then my thoughts wonder to my garden. This is actually when my mind switches back and forth to moving to a warmer location. I want to be able to have a full garden in order to can, as well as be able to enjoy fresh through the season. Here there is only one season. There is no spring cool weather crop, summer warm weather crop, and fall cool weather crop....just one season of cool weather crops. I'm learning what to grow and how. I haven't mastered it by any means. I think the peppers and tomatoes are the biggest things that I want to grow that I haven't been able to. I would also like fruit trees, and melons....but those would be for another time and place. I hope to at least double my garden beds, install an outdoor sink, and maybe an actual greenhouse in the near future. Then I can fence it all in to keep the moose from eating it. (Guess no different than deer.)
The more I read the more this seems right. The more it challenges me to want to make from scratch...everything from our food to our clothing and everything in between. The phrase I read today that has stuck in my head from "Folks This Ain't Normal" (Joel Saltin...excellent book) is something like this....Coke cola is considered safe for you but raw milk is not. Crazy thought...don't get me wrong coke is one of my down falls, but I can understand the thought behind it. There is nothing in coke that is good for you...it has no benefits whatsoever....only calories and junk to put in your body for flavor. Whereas milk....well you get the picture. There are just some things that don't make a lot of sense. I made bread today...I used flour, salt, yeast and sugar...(and a sourdough starter) I know exactly what is in it. I don't have preservatives in it...it needs to be eaten within a few days...or frozen....never gets there anyhow. It hasn't sat on shelves for 2 weeks and been shipped across country from bakery to store. I know how clean or unclean my kitchen is...and all that is included in the process. I am thinking that I like that feeling and I would like to know that about more of what we eat...and what I feed my children. I look forward still to the day when we sit down to a meal and everything is from scratch...from our farm....that will be a day of accomplishment. The only thing that probably won't be is the sweet tea. (I'm southern just some things I can't give up)
So as another short day passes by (the light is out longer) I'm getting closer and closer to a full spring/summer/fall of increasing the life on this farm. I've also come to the conclusion that it may not be an exact farm that I'm building...but a homestead. I can only pray that someday the rest of my family will catch onto my dreams and help me to put us into a place where hubby don't have to work, and this is a lifestyle that we would enjoy. I don't know how....I'm so used to a "normal" life that it would be completely different. I do know that it takes a lot of work....and a family to help make it work.

Let it Snow

Hi it's Angie again. It has been a CRAZY month. I think that the few days that I have taken a moment to watch the snow fall outside has been some of the most peaceful moments yet. I love the snow...I love snowmen...I love watching it and how it makes everything look so new. I do not like driving in it...or having to work outside in it. So when this project popped up I knew it was one I wanted to do. I've been working on stockings and gifts for Christmas, this one I can keep up a while longer.

So here we go....my let it snow wall plaque.

I started with a frame, that has 3 3x5 openings....I didn't like the gold trim around it, nor did I like the inside frame...typical white with a black trim. So I "fixed" it. I used my silver alcohol inks with some q-tips and "painted" the gold trim.

Ahhh much better...now onto the inside frame.

Again I took my silver alcohol ink, added some blue stream ink and went to work.

This looks so much better...not so stark white staring at you.
I used the winter frolic cartridge and cut 2 snowmen and the phrase "Let it Snow" I cut all of the pieces in white and used markers and embossing ink to bring them to life. I wanted them more of the blue so that they weren't just for Christmas.

All that was left was to place them and put it into the frame.

So this is my new wall hanging. I hope you like it...thanks for looking.
My recipe....
a frame
Tim Holtz alchol inks in silver and sailboat blue
Winter Frolic cricut cartridge
embossing powders ...winter wonderland for snowman, light blue for the shadow of "let it snow", clear for everything else

Homespun Stockings

This year I have decided I wanted matching stockings for my family. I also wanted them quilted, in a homespun fabric, and very simple. Since I haven't found any I liked I decided to make them myself. (This is going to be interesting since I'm really not a seamstress, quilter, or patient...and then multiply times 8)

So I was off to JoAnns...one of my favorite places and found all of my project materials. My pattern is from McCalls, a plain cotton fabric, with a flannel fabric for the cuff, an embordiery hoop and thread.

This I found perfect it says "EASY" just my type of project. It ends up that I only used the pattern as a template and made it my own way. It does have a good pattern though.

I wanted my stockings quilted, but I didn't want to buy more material to quilt the back....being that I also like to reuse what I have I used an old sheet for my backing. I cut out the socks, the batting, and the backing and pinned it all together.

I then quilted the material in squares.

I then sewed the two sides together.

The next part was making the cuff and putting the names on them. I printed out the names off the computer in the size to fit across the cuff. I then pinned it onto the material and backstitched the name in green thread.

After sewing the cuff on I added a loop made from a lacy, antique colored ribbon. That is it....nothing to it.

There really were easy to make. I've got 2 down and only 6 more to go. I am excited to see them all hanging across my wall this year. These also would be really easy to shrink to hang on the tree, or even to cut out appliques for further deocating. I just wanted the plain jane version to go with my style ;)

Materials
plaid/homespun material for the sock
plain sheet for the backing
quilt batting
sewing machine
embordiery thread/hoop
and I used my "cricut" scissors for cutting string

Blessing

This time of year is when we are reminded to be thankful. I've been counting my blessings daily for a long time. My family is my biggest blessing.

The past few years we've made many changes. Always trying to change for the better....sometimes realizing what we had/or what we were doing was fine just the way it was. My kiddos are all growing and changing, becoming their own individuals. Somedays I wish that they were all still young and things were simpler. There are days that I have to remind myself of the way I was growing up, and try to understand the teenage mind all over again. It was hard enough trying to figure it out first hand.

I am very blessed though, troubles and all. I have a home that fits my family, food to feed my family, a woodstove that keeps us warm, as well as backup oil. I have been blessed with my farm (that is growing) a new community, a new church, with great people...that I am fortunate to call friends.

I am blessed to be in Alaska, a place that I had always dreamed of. I can look out any window and see the birch trees covered in snow. I can see prints from where the moose family (our neighbors) have trotted through the yard....taking a short cut to somewhere. I see the magpies in the trees. On really cold days I look outside and see it "glittering"...where the moisture in the air freezes and it looks like glitter falling. It is one of the most beautiful things...cold but beautiful. I can watch the sun peek through the tree branches and light up the yard, or the sun turn the sky orange at night over the tree line. It is an amazing place, and I'm very blessed to call it home.

I look out the back and I see the horses with their winter coats grazing on their hay. I see the sheep with the snow on their backs laying in the corner like it is 90 degrees outside. I look over at our little chicken coop, and know they are all tucked in...they refuse to come outside.

My farm is becoming the farm that I dream of...and I know that the only way it has become so, other than hard work, is through being blessed abundantly. Yes it has taken work, and a lot of learning...and will still take that, just as raising my children, having a succesful marriage, or anything else worth having takes.

My dreams become my goals. They change, and multiply...especially on cold days. I get funny looks...but I know that I am blessed. Anything that comes my way will be tackled in time....just like the things around here already. I'm learning I can't do it all...and there is a lot that needs to be done. I'm learning though and it will get me there eventually. Thank God for books, internet, friends, and those who have the experience to teach me. (and that is a big feat)

So don't just be thankful for.... this year....count your blessings regularly....it makes a difference in how you see things that come your way.

My little farm to be

We have the first snow on the ground! That is a good and bad thing. I've still got a lot of things that we need to get finished before it gets way too cold. We have been able to get a lot done though. I'm thankful that the white stuff makes the gray days a bit brighter.

I haven't really kept up with the farm side of my blog, it seems to have taken a turn for the crafting side. It seems I've hit a run of things becoming ordinary.

So here is a few of my thoughts of what has come to be this year. I am loving the fact that my woodstove has kept us warm for 2 weeks while we waited for oil to be delivered. I have a new goal for the winter and that is to use as little oil as possible. I would really like this tank to be the only one we use for an entire year....if not forever. I love the idea of being able to use a renewable source for heat...even if people believe me to be backwards for burning wood. So if I'm going backwards then I want to really head that way and eventually get a second stove upstairs. I've seen one that I would love to have that is compact, and has an oven in it, as well as 2 burners on the top of the stove. I've even picked out a place for it to sit...and no for those I've joked with it isn't in front of the window.

We have worked a bit on the chicken coop. They have been free ranging all summer, and they don't seem to be bothered by the small amount of snow that we have now. I know that soon they won't budge from their coop. I've been able to recycle old things from around the farm to improve their coop for them. Maybe they will be a bit more comfy this winter. They didn't have many places to perch so I took an old broken ladder and placed in there (we won't be standing on it anymore)now they have more room to get off of the floor.

The brooding house has become the rabbit house for the winter. The outdoor hutch is nice over the summer, they have more fresh air and so on, but I'm not so sure about them being out there over the Alaska winter. That and trying to figure out how to keep their water from freezing.

The horses barn is still a work in progress. We've managed to get the wood to frame the outside wall and to make the stalls....now we just have to get it up. That will have to be this weekend before winter is really here. I would like to figure out something to put over the front of the stalls as an added wind block. I've seen the plastic used which looks like window blinds and am thinking of looking into that.

The sheep are still doing great. I still shake my head because it is hard for me to believe that I am actually becoming the farmer. We have our own turkey for Thanksgiving this year. We have our own eggs for breakfast. Eventually we will be wearing hats, scarves, slippers and who knows what from our own sheep and rabbits.

As for the house itself we have a lot of work inside to do as well. We put a hole in the wall downstairs so that the heat would be able to circulate other than the family room. That is all we have done for any improvements. I still want to change the kitchen and take out my pantry, but that will have to wait. I really would like to get the carpet out of here.

It's seems that I am always dreaming. I think that it would be better if I started planning and setting goals. At least then I would be able to see progress being made and goals being reached, rather than just dreaming about things.

Warm Wishes

Hello....what a beautiful day to be writing this up. This is the first morning to wake up with the ground covered in snow. I love the snow for the first few days, and then I am ready for spring again. So onto this weeks project....Christmas cards.

This card represents some of my favorite things about winter....other than just Christmas. I chose the plaid paper (dcwv seasons paper stack), to represent flannel. There is nothing warmer than a flannel shirt, or a set of flannel sheets to curl up in. The red and green are for Christmas. I chose to use twine to represent the cord on a sled. So then to go sledding you have to button up and have snow. So with all of that in mind here how I made my card.

I used green cardstock, folded in half makes a 4 1/2 x 6 size card.
I cut out a piece of the plaid (eyed it) and glued to the top. I added a strip of tan across the bottom and stamped it with snowflakes.
I used my gypsy and cut out a tag, using George for the circles and Paisley for the flower....I would say they are 1 1/2, 2 in for the circles and 2 1/2 for the flower.

I stamped the center with a snowflake and the "Warm Wishes" sentiment, layered them together and placed them on the card at a diaganol/slant...because snowflakes never fall straight to the ground.

I added a snowflake button to cover the hole that the twine is threaded through. (It's a fabulous findings button.) I then added twine to the top of the card, used a pop dot to adhere the button and wrapped the part of twine around it that was holding the tag.

(this will all make sense when you see it....very very simple, like a day of sledding, flannel blankets, and hot chocolate)

*recipe*
dcwv paper and cardstock
wooden button, snowflake button
gypsy cartridges, Paisley and George
studio g warm wishes stamp set
twine
dew drop ink rich cocoa and brick red
pop dots

Make sure you button up and keep warm!

Winter is Coming

It's that time of year when we are on the verge of snow. It's in the forecast already. There is so many things that we need to still get done before it starts.

We have been chopping wood. (We cheated after a while and rented a wood splitter.) We still need to get it all stacked and out of the weather. We did a good bit of it the old fashioned way though. I even got out there and chopped some. I know it makes the fire in the woodstove that much more appreciated.

We are in the process of converting our horse stall into a 2- horse stall for the winter. That way both of them will be able to get in out of the weather without fighting....we have a dominant one who thinks he owns the farm.

The sheep are still in their smaller area, but will have a much larger pasture next year. I love going out and sitting with them, feeding them hay and watching them. The kids get annoyed with their "talking" but I love it. I find it funny when we go out that they start yelling at us right away. They love attention, and the kids don't get it.

As for the chickens and the turkeys we are going to be downsizing the flock this weekend. We were going to keep the 2 hens and a male of the turkeys, but have decided they will all go in the freezer this year. We will try again in the spring to get a breeding pair. We can be better prepared for them. We also have a handful of chickens that will be going in the freezer as well. I'm going to get a new toy for this weekend because of this....my grinder!!!! We were trying to figure the best way to store the turkey meat, and I think we are going to grind the majority of it. We will leave a few whole for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, but the rest will be making chili, meatloaf, and all sorts of warm foods for us this winter.

I'm going to take down the hoops over the garden, and get the black plastic laid down for the winter. This is in hopes that when spring rolls back around it will warm up my beds quicker.

Our biggest upcoming projects are fencing a new pasture, fencing the garden area, and beginning plans for a barn. I would love to add an actual greenhouse into the mix, but that is down the road. I've come to the conclusion that I love my farm....I love that we are going back to basics in so many ways. I dream of windmills, solar panels, pigs, cows and such. My goals are to learn how to spin wool, (working on it) get a cow and learn to make my own dairy products...cheese, ice cream, yogurt, be good stewards of what we have been given. I want us to learn to use all parts of animals we use for food, such as the skins, and all. I know that it would make some of my friends take a second look and wonder who invaded my body. I really am in a back to basics girl right now. I'm excited about getting a grinder, and don't even care if it is electric or not. I would love to have a wheat grinder....if I knew where to get the wheat from to grind. I have a ton of things that I want to learn, and to do. I'm excited about my adventure.

I think that if we were to leave here I would want to go to Vermont. I don't know that I could find what we have here, but I do know it's a New England state, it's small, and it has all 4 seasons. I honestly though have no desire to leave here anytime soon. I look forward to the challenges here. I'm already thinking birch syrup again.