HAPPY NEW YEAR

Sylvester (AKA Fluffy Muffy)

Sydney and Louis ( two crazy Aussies )

Shorty

Sambo

Dolly

A Happy New Year from some of the gang at Mapleview Farm and Olde

Crow Primitives.

A GREAT CHRISTMAS

Primitive Crow stitchery from my sister Karen in British Columbia
Another picture of the stitchery

Primitive table topper hand made by my sister Karen

I hope everyone had a great Christmas this year. Ours was pretty quiet, but we enjoyed it just the same. On Christmas day we went to visit my father-in-law where he is in long term care and had Christmas dinner in there with him. He enjoyed our visit, I'm sure. On boxing day I cooked a small turkey for DH and I and we had all the traditional "fixins" that we have every year. We have the stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, mashed turnip and carrots, turkey and gravy. Then for desert, I made my English trifle which is a family tradition. Can you tell my background is British :)?

I just had to post the pictures of a couple of gifts that my sister Karen from British Columbia sent me.

She made me this primitive pumpkin/crow table topper. She also sent me a primitive crow stitchery. I just love them. She knows my taste by now....LOL. I was out in B.C. visiting her in October and while shopping in my favorite store out there (The Weathered Rooster), I was drooling over the crow stitchery. My sister must have taken note of this, as it is mine now :)
I will be finding special places in my home for these for sure. Thank you Karen.  It would have been nice if we could have spent Christmas out there with all of my family, but we have way too many critters  and some of them are getting quite old and need lots of Love and Attention. Maybe some day we can enjoy Christmas together.

A GATHERING OF GURLFRENZ

On Monday night we had a Christmas Gathering at the Marsh Store

in Coldstream. Shirley put on a fantastic dinner for the five of us.

When we arrived, she had a table all set up in the classroom of the Quilt shop with her good Christmas china, candlelight and some great appetizers. We had a choice of red or white wine. For the main course, Shirley made a wonderful salad to compliment the spinach and onion pie that she made. We all enjoyed the meal tremendously! For desert, Shirley made a Chocolate truffle cake that was just awesome so we enjoyed that with some coffee. Thank you so much Shirley!

Shirley had planned a project for our night of sewing. She designed a Christmas placemat and we all made four placemats using the stack and wack method. Shirley brought out her stash of Christmas fabric and let us all choose which fabric we would like to make our placemats out of. There was something for everyone, as we all have unique tastes in fabrics. This was a super fast project.

Seeing we all had such a great time, we have decided to make this Christmas Gathering a yearly event.

Mary was the photographer, so she didn't make it into the picture, but there was five of us that got together to enjoy the evening.

Merry Christmas~Janet

CHRISTMAS BAKING

Hello everyone.

I thought I would share a picture of my Christmas baking. I got up early this morning and started making the shortbread recipes and made about 6 batches. I also made some icebox cookies and they are rolled in plastic wrap and in the refrigerator to be sliced and baked tomorrow. This is such a busy time of year but fun. Just have to watch that I don't eat too many of these myself!

IT IS FINISHED!!

Woodburning Cookstove
The Buck Saw table

Another shot of the Buck Saw table

The "Huge" Primitive cupboard

I even have a small freezer next to it.

1930 Findlay Oval woodburning Cookstove

and Look!!!

Deb's Hard Tack Candy is sitting up on the warming shelf.

I put it there so that I could get a shot of it.

Well after lots of hours of hard work, the summer kitchen is finished. There still needs to be some finishing up on the inside. I am planning on painting the legs of my buck saw table a barn red colour and the top will just be stained in Early American. The huge...and I mean huge primitive storage cupboard will be painted a barn red also. I will leave the painting for a later date. I took DH out for supper last night to thank him for all of his hard work. I helped out too, but he did most of the work. He finished around midnight Monday. He is glad that it is finished.

I am posting a picture of the outside that I took this morning. I will post pictures of the inside later when my camera is charged...LOL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH

Today I got a parcel in my mailbox and it was the hard tack candy that I won on Crow's Creek Primitives Blog give away. http://debsprimitivecountrykitchen.blogspot.com

Thank you so much Deb. DH and I will be sampling it tonight.

Deb also sent me in the package, a wonderful rusty bell tree ornament.

SUMMER KITCHEN

Well, DH and I have been working diligently on my summer kitchen. We worked last night until midnight and we got all of the insulation in and the vapor barrier and most of the ceiling installed. I am so glad that we installed the woodstove, at least we have some heat while we are working. It has been so cold lately. Now I have to tell you that the ceiling is a huge job. The whole inside of this summer kitchen is going to be pine, so the ceiling is 16 ft. lengths. We had ladders at each end, one for me and one for DH. I would go up my ladder and then he would hand me one of the ends, then he took the other end and went up with that. Then he had to start nailing the boards in place. I ordered pizza and caesar salad for supper and after we ate that, we got back to work. I will tell you, this morning my neck and shoulders are so sore from working above my head :( 

DH isn't up yet, but I'll bet he will be sore too, if not more sore from nailing the boards in place above his head. The walls will seem so easy after the ceiling. DH is also going to build me a huge primitive cupboard  and a Buck Saw table for the room. I designed both of these pieces and he is making them for me. The cupboard is going to be painted a Barn Red and I will do my distressing technique on it, same for the legs on the Buck saw table, the top of the table will be natural pine, stained and sealed with a mat varnish. I can't wait for the room to finished, it will be well worth all of the effort. I am so thankful to DH for all of his hard work on this.

Hopefully I will have some pictures to post of the finished project.

WOW! I HAVE BEEN SPOILED!

Last night, I picked up a parcel on my way up to Exeter to an evening of sewing, socializing, and a great Potluck supper at "Quilts and Calicos." When I got home last night, I was so tired that I didn't open the parcel, I thought I would leave it until morning. Well, it was a good job that I did that because if I had opened it before I went to bed, I would not have been able to sleep....LOL.

Nancy from stitchesnstrokes.blogspot.com and I were swap partners in the "Olde Fashioned Christmas" swap organized by Char. Funny enough, Nancy and I were also partners in the "Harvest Swap". We were actually excited that we were paired up again! In fact I almost feel like we are related now..LOL. Seeing I don't have a wide angle lense on my digital camera, I had to take several pictures to get it all in. Nancy sent me a beautiful handwritten Christmas Card, Christmas napkins, several tree ornaments, a handmade Santa ornie, a Candy Cane ornie, a beautiful handmade crow make-do and a Christmas Tree make-do. A Cardinal and snowmen lamp which is absolutely gorgeous and a handmade pincushion and a jar of her homemade Salsa.

Nancy......Thank You so much!! I just LOVE everything!! You can tell that you put a lot of thought into this package and I appreciate it so much.

Janet

You can check out Nancy's Blog at http://stitchesnstrokes.blogspot.com

Nancy's home made salsa, hand made pincushion, Crow Make-do,

Christmas Tree make-do and several tree ornaments!

Santa ornie, crow note pad and a beautiful handwritten
Christmas card from Nancy

Handmade pinchushion, Candy Cane ornie,

Nancy's homemade Salsa and Christmas Card

Cardinal and Snowmen Light (I just love this lamp) The picture does not do this justice, Apple Cinnamon Rosehips (smells wonderful)

Olde Black Crow Coffee Sign, ornaments and pincushion

A GREAT RECIPE

Here is a great recipe not just for the Christmas Season, but for all year round. I did a stitchery in this so I would like to share the recipe.

"Recipe for a Happy Home"

4 cups of Love

5 spoons of Hope

2 cups of  Loyalty

1 cup of Kindness

3 cups of Forgiveness

1 cup of Friendship

2 spoons of Tenderness

4 quarts of Faith

1 barrel of Laughter

Take hope and loyalty, mix thoroughly with faith.

Blend it with tenderness, kindness and understanding. Add friendship and hope. 

Sprinkle abundantly with laughter.

Bake it with sunshine.

Serve generously daily!

COMPUTER WITHDRAWL

Well I sure had a busy weekend. The Christmas show at a local Mennonite Church where I had my hand mades at went really well! I had a great time too. I met some really nice people. I couldn't believe that I didn't even get near my computer for two whole days. I wasn't feeling well when I got home last and I think it must have been computer withdrawl......LOL. I was so busy all last week getting things together for the show. I wanted my table to look just right. I did have a lot of compliments about it which was worth the effort. So this week it is back to normal. I was supposed to start school at a private College tomorrow, but for now that has fallen through. I was so looking forward to it. So the College has put me on the list for a March start date. I had also worked so hard to get accepted into the College. Months of studying to pass that entrance exam. Now it is just a matter of the Government. The second career program has made some changes. I have been told they have been having a high drop out rate so they are making you jump through a few hundred more hoops until you are approved now. That is ok......I can jump! I guess they have been funding people, they get into courses and if they find a job in the meantime, they drop out. Well I can sure suggest a solution to that. Make the people pay it all back if they drop out. That way, the people who really want the re-training can get it and not be hindered by the irresponsible people. It is funny, but there are always people who make it really hard for others just by their irresponsible actions. We all end up paying for it one way or another. So I am looking ahead to March.

I Won!!!

Well, I can't believe my luck..........I never win anything :(

I won the giveaway for the 1 pound of hard tack candy on Crow's Creek Crossing's Blog.

Thanks so much Deb. I told DH I would share :)

Deb's blog address is: debsprimitivecountrykitchen.blogspot.com

TART SWAP FROM ANNE

Yesterday I picked up a parcel from our Post Office and it was my Tart Swap package from Anne from Seasons of the Past. Her Blog id is seasonsofthepast.blogspot.com

Thank you Anne for everything. It was very kind of you. There is much more here than the 12 tarts we were supposed to receive. I especially LOVE the bowl fixins........I can't stop smelling them :)

CRANBERRY SALAD

This is a great recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas

9 oz rasberry flavored gelatin

3 cups boiling water

2 cups of cold water

20 oz can of crushed pineapple

12 oz cranberries

3 oranges peeled and seeded

1 orange peel

1 cup of sugar

4 to 5 apples, diced small

1 cup of nuts, chopped

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add cold water. When partially set add undrained pineapple. Blend fresh or frozen cranberries in blender until fine. Add orange chunks and orange peel and blend until fine. Add sugar. Fold cranberry mixture into gelatin mixture, add apples and nuts. Pour into molds or 13x9 inch pan. Chill overnight.

MY KITCHEN SMELLS WONDERFUL!

You wouldn't believe the smell of my kitchen! I have been making batches of soap like crazy for Christmas orders. My whole table is covered in trays of soap that has to cure. It smells so good I could eat it. DH says he almost took a bite as he walked by..LOL.

I am thankful to my wonderful friends who have ordered soaps and candles from me for Christmas gift giving. I know there are lots of places to buy soap and candles, but my friends know that DH and I have been out of work since last March. The factory where we worked as Quality Assurance employees for 17 years closed down and moved to Mexico. Thank you ladies....you know who you are. It is so nice to have the support of  your friends :) I am looking forward to getting together with all of you tonight for dinner and sewing......and Linda, I am looking forward to your lasagna! I bet it will be wonderful. See you at 5:30......I am getting hungry already :)

Janet

MY NEW BUSINESS SIGN

Today, I made this sign for my business. I am doing a couple of Christmas shows at local churches with a friend of mine and we are selling our handmade goods. It is aged and antiqued, then hand rubbed with my special burnt umber/danish oil rub.

THE AIRPLANE HANGAR

DH has been working hard these past few weeks trying to get his airplane hangar finished before the snow flies! He is on the homeward stretch, working on putting the steel on the roof.

Last night, he finished the roof on the North side and today he is working on the South side.

I took some pictures of him hard at work. He should have the project finished up by the end of the week if all goes well. The weather has been perfect for him. After this, the corn has to be harvested and then he will be able to finish my summer kitchen :)

I can hardly wait!

This is Sydney, our Australian Shepherd

(He is supervising the building project)

SIMPLE GOODS SHOW-OHIO

Well, just one more day until my friends and I make the journey down to Ohio for the Simple Goods Show. I can't wait. I have never seen anything like this show. It is just fantastic! We will have to leave bright and early tomorrow morning, as it is about a 7 hour drive and of course we will have to make a few stops along the way. There are a few really nice shops that I always like to visit when I am down that way. After we get settled into our hotel, we will be going out to dinner at this wonderful Italian restaurant that is in walking distance........this is good just in case we have an extra glass of wine or two :) They really do have the best food. Snow is in the forecast for tonight, but hopefully it won't be enough to slow us down. I think they are calling for flurries.

We may be slowed down some, but we will get there.

A SPECTACULAR SIGHTING!

This morning while walking my dogs in the bush, I spotted two Great Horned Owls sitting up in a tree. When I first saw the one, I thought it was a cat because of the ears and the size. Actually the male was larger than a cat. The female was in the same tree a few branches over and she flew away when I got closer. The male sat there until I was almost underneath him and then he flew off. I just stood there, looking up and staring. It was such an amazing thing to see those owls. I wished that I had taken my camera. It is only the second time I have seen one back there in the bush. The last time it was only the male, but it was so nice to see the pair. I guess I am priveledged to have had that experience.
Boy..........I sure do love the simple things in life.
Janet

AMISH TOUR

     Yesterday, I went on this great Amish Tour with my friend Brenda Miller. We had a great time.

We got to enjoy learning some of ways of Amish life. We visited several Amish farms where they gave people tours of the different things they did for a living. One farm we visited was  a Goat Farm where they milked 140 head of goats daily. There were around 300 goats including babies and goats that were not in the milk production. It was so interesting to see all the different breeds of goats. The people who lived there, had their drive shed set up for selling all kinds of wonderful baked goods, jams, jellies and hot apple cider. You could go for a horse drawn buggy ride too, but the weather was just a little too wet and cool for us. Their buggies are not covered. Of course we had to buy some of those homemade goodies to take home. I got some cookies and butter tarts for D.H.

Our next stop was a farm where they made chairs and we learned all of the different steps involved in the process. You just couldn't imagine...very complicated. Just seeing the tools that are involved in the process is really amazing. It was also nice to see Amanda, the Amish lady who taught my friends and I how to make bread last November. She took us into her home and taught us how to make bread from scratch and then we baked it in her wood cook stove. Bread couldn't taste better. Each of us got to take home a loaf. She was there selling her bread and handmade greeting cards and soap. Her husband has the chair making business and he also builds chimneys for people.

Another farm we visited had all kinds of handmade Quilts, Cedar Chests, and baked goods.

We also had to stop at the General store where they sold all kinds of wonderful fabrics for quilting as Brenda and I do lots of Quilting ourselves.

I have to mention the wonderful lunch we had in a town called New Hamburg. There is a new Restaurant in town called Phidelphias and we had the most wonderful Butternut Squash soup with herbed scones......to die for!!!! They must have had 500 types of tea which was included with lunch. I couldn't decide so I told our waiter to just pick one for me. He brought me cherry green tea which was just perfect and Brenda had Chai tea. We will definitely go back there.

Anyway, we had an amazing time this year as well as last and we were sorry to hear that this may be last year they will have this tour. I am so glad that we had the privilege of experiencing this.

SELLING BLOG

http://oldecrowprimitives-sells.blogspot.com

I have just added a few pictures of items for my selling Blog.

I have made some new batches of soap that are curing and will be ready mid November. I will be adding more items as they become available. I am hoping to have some hand sewn items listed in November.