My Blog Has Moved!!!!!!

Have you ever gotten a flash of inspiration right before falling asleep? That happened to me last night. As my brain quieted down from it's usual hyperactive meanderings, I had a new blog vision. When a woman gets the impulse to rearrange furniture, there is no holding her back! Well, it is a New Year and I have decided to throw out my old blogging furniture....and start anew. I am packing up my creative juices and moving them.....

CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY NEW HOME

If you read my blog, please follow me here!

Sewing Again!!!

Well, I have decided to do a bit of a study in the recuperation from carpal tunnel surgery. I had the surgery last Wednesday and by Saturday I found I could do work on the sewing machine. So, of course I started to piece together a quilt...in anticipation of finally getting to use my free motion quilting machine.

Interestingly, as a nurse, I had observed that most patients came back for their 10 day follow-up with their hand still rather swollen and motionless. After the first two days of keeping my hand elevated constantly, I decided to start using it for small things and work up as I could. What I found was that I could do much more than I anticipated...as long as I let pain be my guide. Interestingly, use has not caused an increase in swelling. So my conclusion is this.....if you want to recuperate from carpal tunnel surgery more quickly....return to sewing as soon as able. I am now 6 days post-op and able to cut with scissors, rotary cutter, and once again sew up a storm!!! I can even handle the iron with my right hand. So here is the beginning of the quilt that was nothing more than fat quarters 4 days ago.

Irony (I Can't Iron, Either)

Well, I must say that Santa was very good to me this year. I had a big surprise when I opened the door to my sewing room on Christmas Eve to find a brand new Pfaff quilter and frame. I have always dreamed of quilting! I can't wait to get started on my first project. The irony of all of this is, though, that because of all my sewing, I developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and had surgery for this on the day after New Years Day. My sewing wings have been clipped for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, my new quilting machine sits there taunting me! Isn't it ironic?

Christmas Apron Tree

The brightest spot in my kitchen this Christmas season is my little tree. Usually this tree is bare, but this season it is adorned with adorable mini Christmas aprons made by my farmgirl friends from all over the country. These little minis were lovingly made by a group of us, then sent to my dear friend Kathie in Florida, where they were re-packaged and sent back to each of us. We each received one apron made by each member of the group. Every time that I look at my little tree, I have to smile and count my blessings....so many friends from so many places. How lucky I am!!

Flirty Little Modern Apron

I love, love, love this fabric!! It is a soft aqua and dark brown cotton print and hangs so prettily in lovely feminine folds...polka dots on one side, paisley on the other....luscious!!

Back to Work

The shopping is done. The presents are wrapped. The cookies are baked. The house is clean and the laundry is up to date. Seems like a great day to get some sewing done! I have several aprons that are ready to be sewn...having cut out a bunch all at one time about a week ago. Wooo Hooooo.....here we go. If you look at my electric meter today, I am sure it is whizzing around merrily as I press that foot peddle on my sewing machine! Thank goodness I have two treadle machines ready to go in case of a power outage.
My first couple of aprons will be reversible Christmas aprons....which I will save til next year. I suppose it is a little late for anybody to want to purchase a holiday apron, but somehow sewing holiday fabric keeps me in the spirit. Here is the first one finished.

Back to the subject of Christmas presents. I was in a quandry as to what to do for Jack's grandmother this year. She is 95 and lives in a nursing home. She has dementia and no longer ambulates very well. Jack is always telling her about our farm and his sister, Becky suggested that I make her a collage of farm pictures for her wall. Afraid that her eyesight might not be good enough to enjoy a picture across the room, I decided to use a terrific website called Shutterfly.com to make her a picture book of the farm. Here is a picture of the finished book and if I can figure out how, I will put a link to the rest of the book.


Click here to view book

One more holiday apron....actually, this would be good year round....winter and summer.

Let's Talk in the Kitchen ......

Let's move out of the workshop for a bit and sit in my kitchen. Preparing food for my family has always been one of my joys. However of late it seems to have become a more daunting task. The list of foods that I will not eat or serve to my loved ones grows each day. I am taking great pains to become a responsible, educated consumer. Don't get me wrong, this is all a labor of love. But, my eyes have been opened lately and I feel a deep sense of responsibility for providing healthy, natural, organic, whole foods types of meals for my family.

I have made a pledge to remove certain things from my diet as much as possible....which makes grocery shopping a bit of a science and can no longer be done in a hurry. Reading labels is essential. So, as much as is humanly possible I no longer buy:

1. white flour (except for making an occasional cake or homemade buttermilk biscuits...for which it is essential...and warm, buttery, homemade biscuits are soul food) When baking bread, I use whole grains.

2. white rice and pasta - I have replaced them with whole wheat or quinoa pasta and brown, red, or wild rice, quinoa, bulgar, etc....and organic whenever possible.

3. anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup.....ugh, nasty stuff, not fit for human consumption. Who ever came up with the idea that we should consume things that were created in a lab, anyways? Read your labels....it is in just about everything...even most breads. I will try to not get on a soapbox about this chemical, but from what I read it is at least partially responsible for the increase in Diabetes, heart disease and cancer in this country.

4. anything with trans fatty acids....so I avoid all processed baked goods, cookies,etc. I don't bake with crisco. No tub of Cool Whip darkens my doorway (also created in a lab!!) I read labels on snack foods and keep them to a minimum. Although, I am not naive enough to think that lables do not lie.

5. I avoid the words "poppin fresh" like the plague!

What I do try to buy is this.....

1. Organic, whenever possible....especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Fruits whose skins we consume - like apples, pears, berries, etc. - have higher concentrations of pesticides in the skins. So buying organic (though it is a bit more pricey) is prudent. In the summertime, we grow strawberries and blueberries; which I use for jams and also free quite a bit for use during the winter.

2. Whole grains

3. Butter, never margarine. I would always rather eat a natural food like butter than a lab-created chemical like margarine. I cook with Olive oil and even bake with it. When I buy cheese...it is real cheese...not fake "processed cheese food". I'll take the saturated fats in an occasional nip of cheese...at least accompanying them is some nutritional value!

4. Skim milk - organic.

5. Almonds - for snacking and to throw in salads and stir-fry.

6. Juices - pure fruit juices, without any high fructose corn syrup.

7. Crazy Richard's peanut butter....no salt, sugar or oils added. Nothing but peanuts! I suppose the only thing better would be to find an organic one.

8. Locally raised beef and pork (this year we split a steer and a pig with two other families. Chicken, of course, and local, free-range is best.

9. Staples in our diet are our own Bee Haven Acres jumbo eggs, honey, apples, vegetable (which I froze and canned), strawberries, and blueberries.

10. Milled flax seed ...good to toss on oatmeal or whatever.....

11. Fish...now there is a whole other subject. I carry a chart of good versus bad fish. After all, mercury is not desirable and I want to make an effort to eat only fish that are sustainable. We have over fished our waters and destroyed ecosystems in the process. For safe and responsible seafood consumption, check this out!

I am always amused by the stark contrast between my grocery cart and those of most of the shoppers around me....mine is always so empty by comparison. Convenience foods never make it from the shelf into my cart. I have even stopped shopping in the cereal aisle. I rarely buy anything frozen except for an occasional vegetable that I cannot find fresh and.....of course we can not be expected to live without just a little ice cream!!

I make small trips to the grocery store, probably every other day or so rather than the large weekly or every other week trips. Most of what I buy is fresh, so it has a rather short shelf life. But, I like it that way...it reminds me of the European style of shopping and cooking.

It seems that in this country we have sold our souls for convenience sake. It is to the point where we have lost the desire for quality in our lives....and especially on our plates. Perhaps we chose to spend our money elsewhere, I'm not sure. But for me, eating is spiritual....it is a way of taking the energy of the sun and Mother Earth and assimilating it into our bodies to nourish and sustain us. It is perhaps the single most important thing that we do each day! Why should we not do this one thing with a sense of conscience.

If anything that I have said here has grabbed your interest, please do yourself an enormous favor and read this book: The Omnivore's Dilemma



I cannot tell you how much it will change your life and possibly your health!

Housekeeping Apron

This apron is a Christmas gift for a friend who cleans houses. It is made from a durable heavy cotton and is lined for extra strength. It has deep and shallow pockets....a couple of pockets that are narrow and will fit the handle of a duster. One tiny pocket near the right hip is just right for her IPOD nano. Pink ball fringe, ruffle and buttons were added just for fluff....quite glamorous I think. Hope she likes it!!

Ollivia....All Dressed Up

I spent today working on two special order aprons. The first was made from an Olivia the Pig Christmas print. I embellished the pockets to better accessorize her. On one, I used a felted red sweater to cut out mittens and ear muffs and winter scarf. I also added the red buttons to her ensemble. On the other side, Olivia is dressed in a tulle skirt and red glass beads to match her glasses and purse. Girls must accessorize!!!!



This next apron is another revesible made from aqua and green companion fabrics. The pockets are embellished with yo yo's.

Snowing.....Sewing

The holidays are quickly approaching and there are tons of things I should be doing in preparation..... BUT, it's snowing outside and that seems like a good reason to hunker down and get to some sewing instead! I have had this purse cut out for about a week...just waiting to finish the applique before starting construction. I got a very early start this morning, so I set about stitching and felting and finally finished the appliques. Another hour's work and the purse was complete.....


A couple of weeks ago I posted about the trouble I was having felting a piece of wool in the washer. Finally, I shrunk this piece to a workable size and it just sort of fell into a clutch purse. Here is the finished piece.....
Unlike most felted wool pieces, this piece retained its stitch texture,but it is nice and thick and feels felted.

Back to Felting Purses

Well, I had to get out of bed this morning at 5:30 because the idea for this purse came to me then. I have enlisted the help of my mother (master-knitter that she is!) to knit me some large squares. I then wash and shrink them and then cut and sew them into purses. She knit me a wonderful dark grey sheet. After washing and stitching this felted wool, I also needle felted some white design on it. It reminds me of winter....sort of reminds me of a snow storm. I will still need to line the purse with fabric, but I am so happy how it has turned out at this point....

As I type this, I have yet another piece of wool in the washer...hopefully shrinking into a delicious wooly fabric. Stay tuned for the next idea that grabs me!!!

Sharing Our Blessings

This morning I had an idea. There are a couple of gals across the country that I had met over the past year. I made a few items that I wanted to send to these gals for the holidays. I love the ideas of random acts of kindness and paying it forward, so I came up with a twist on those ideas. With each gift that I sent out, I attached a letter explaining my idea. My hope is that each one of my gifts will multiply and find their ways around the country touching many lives. It is always so nice to know that someone is thinking of us....one of life's blessings. And so, today the Angel of Blessings took flight.......


If you receive a package with this letter enclosed, please follow the instructions on the letter:

Pass the Blessings
Dear Friend:
You were in my thoughts today and so I am sending this (gift) blessing your way. If you feel the urge to reciprocate, I ask this of you: Please send a Blessing to someone else. In doing so, my gift to you will multiply and the Blessings will be even greater. It need not be extravagant in any way….just a small reminder to that person that they are truly blessed by the friendship of another.

Please enclose this note with your Blessing and send these sentiments along. It is my hope that this Angel of Blessings travels far and wide. Please sign your name to this letter before passing it on to another special person.

Busy with Gifts

Well, it seems that most of my time these days is taken up with Christmas preparation. I have made quite a few of my gifts and therefore I am unable to post many pictures of what I have been up to. So sorry....but after Christmas, I will show you what I had made. I am contemplating hatmaking in the new year as well as children's clothing. In preparation for eventual Grandmotherhood, I thought I would start with infant and toddler dress and hat ensembles....Cannot wait to get started.

Yesterday I finished a few special orders....these I can share with you!!

Back to the Familiar....

Well, I finished this one today! I love the fabric. It was a special order for a friend to give as a gift to a horse gal. It is reversible with the opposite side being of the same fabric as the pockets on this side. The opposite side has horse pockets.....I think she'll like this one!
Here is a better close up of the fabric.....


I made a truly fun ensemble(a totally new creation) this week that I wish I could post, but it is a gift and posting would ruin the surprise!! Will post after Christmas!

New Apron.....An Exercise in Frustration (Free to a Good Home)

Ok, so JoAnn's Fabric had their Simplicity patterns on sale for $1.99 and I found this pattern. Thinking it would make a cute apron for me, I bought it and some fabric and yesterday I made it. Sadly, I made a medium and it ended up huge...like tent sized!!! So, without disassembling it, I set out to make it look a bit more fitted. I fiddled around with elastic but was not satisfied. So, next I decided to attach a permantent sash right beneath the bust. This is what I ended up with....

The final full length view is:

If you happen to like this apron, e-mail me and it is yours. I would say that it would fit a pretty large range of women from size 8 thru probably size 14. It is yours for the asking!!!!

Addendum....Thanks to my friend Autumn in Louisiana....this little apron has a new home!!!

Home-Ec Apron

I could hardly wait to make this fabric into an apron...love the retro 50's prints!! Reminds me of home-ec class. Found the huge blue rick-rack on ebay...never saw it in the store.

Black and White Reversible Apron

For some reason, I have had this apron cut out for ages....finally, today I got around to assembling it. Basic black and white...you can never go wrong with that! I suppose it just kept getting pre-empted by even yummier fabrics. Just wait til you see what is on the cutting table next!

Another Re-purposed Apron.....

This half apron is made from the remaining fabric from a Battenburg Lace curtain panel. I think it will make a nice holiday entertaining apron.


And here is the final product from that felt applique project I started earlier....

And One for Thanksgiving...

Another reversible one....earthtones...great for cooking Thanksgiving dinner and then flip it over for a clean side to use to serve dinner!

Cowgirl Apron

This apron is called "Every Cowgirl Deserves an Apron". I love that cowgirl pin-up fabric by Alexander Henry. (I bought it in every available color.)






Here is the reverse side of that

apron...(not sure if it is a pony
or a cowhide print

"Makin' Jelly" Apron

This apron was made as a special order for a friend to give as a gift for someone who makes lots of jams and jellies. The print has recipes and fruit all over. The reverse is just a soft floral for contrast.

Aprons and More Aprons....

I put myself to work today to finish up a couple of special orders. This apron has homemade bias tape trim for a more tailored look. It went to a friend of mine who owns a little restaurant...for her mother. Thanks Marie and Sophia!!


I love the fabric that this apron is made from...so very cheerful. It is a special order for another friend. I hope she likes it!!

Learning to do Needle Felting

Felting, simply put, is a process that joins wool fibers together and makes them feel like felt. If you knit an object from wool yarn and then wash and dry that item, it shrinks and the fibers felt so that the knited piece can then be cut with a scissors. After felting, the knitted piece will not unravel when cut and handled. The small purses that I made earlier in this blog were constructed from felted wool that I had obtained thru washing 100% wool sweaters. These two sweaters have been washed also and they are about 1/3 the size that they originally were.Their stitches are so tight,they are almost impossible to distinguish and the feel of the sweater is that of very thick felt. I can now cut them apart and use them to construct somthing different.
This piece of wool, however, did not felt when washed and dried. I am not sure why this is, but it does not have the same thick texture and will be hard to use for a purse. The stitches remain visible, so I fear that cutting it apart would lead to unravelling.

I am also trying the technique of needle felting for embellishing my bags. With needle felting, you use a special barbed needle to repeatedly stab unspun wool into a piece of felt on which you wish to create a picture or shape. You can see on this piece of white felt I am creating a flower out of wool. I had hoped to use this flower on a purse made from the above wool, but now I don't think that that piece of wool is thick enough to hold a shape. Perhaps I will try washing it yet another time.

This piece is from a chartreuse cardigan that I felted and then needle felted two oak leaves for embellishment.

Hostess Apron

Last week, while investigating a local antique market, I came upon a pair of never-used Battenburg Lace curtains. Today I took one of the curtains, turned it on the bias and used one bottom corner for the hem of this hostess apron. The top of the apron I trimmed with the lace from the opposite corner. The neck straps were tie-backs and the pocket is trimmed with more of the lace from the hem. I still have enough fabric left from the curtain to make another half apron. AND....I have one more curtain left untouched. I love this apron...it is so feminine and perfect for entertaining.....possibly for Christmas dinner. The color is not the most practical for working in the kitchen....but great to use after the cooking is done.

The Start of a Quilt

Yoyos......fun little pinwheels of color and texture that help to use up even the tiniest of fabric scraps. Hours of handstitching later and you have an heirloom quilt for pennies. I started these yoyo's this past summer and showed them to my Mom (who immediately wrestled me for the yoyo maker) and she asked to finish using up my fabric scraps for me. I must add that she works at lightening speed! So, with most of the yoyo's finished, I have begun the task of quilt construction. This is the beginning of what will eventually be a gift for one of the kids.



Yesterday's rust cardigan became today's felted bag! It is lined, has a snap closure and a felted wool flower to embellish. Too Cute!!

If It's Wool, It's Felted!!!

If it is 100% wool, most likely it is scratchy....and in that case it is going to be re-purposed! I am all for recycling and wool recycling is my project for the winter. A wonderful batch of Pendleton plaid in rusts and browns will become fall leaves and pumpkins. A chartreuse cardigan was reborn this afternoon as a purse...

And so the sleeves became a pair of matching mittens...

I am contemplating a warm pair of mittens from a lovely lambswool pullover (it started out a Misses medium and would now fit only a 2 year old....the result of hot water and hot dryer).

Great Dane Apron

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me if I could make an apron for a Great Dane lover. After an indepth internet search, I came upon a website that offered fabric for any dog breed. So, I ordered this fabric and found a companion print and constructed this reversible apron for her. So....here it is Deb, I hope you like it!!

The Last Bee Project for the Season

Well, after heating and filtering all of the beeswax collected from our hives this summer, the end result was 4 candles....and that was all of the wax from 7 hives...and two honey harvests. I can only imagine how many hives we would need to go into the beeswax candle business. Here are 3 of the 4 candles that I poured from our wax. We will burn them very sparingly and appreciate the warm glow that each gives off....and be ever grateful to our wonderful honeybees!

Chapter Apron

I have had this fabric staring at me for weeks now. Today I finally decided to make my Farmgirl Chapter Apron. I am part of a Farmgirl Chapter thru MaryJane's Farm called "Bees Without Borders". We are a group of women, most of whom love to sew, from all over the country who have united to form a cyber chapter of "farmgirls". We are in the process of organizing our group at the present moment with such activities as journaling, blogging and creating a chapter apron (from matching fabric) in the works. Here is my apron. When I wear this apron I will be reminded of all my "Bee Sisters" from all over the country.

Finished Wool Purse

Here is the finished product.....


I just listed this for sale on my Etsy at www.honeybeez.etsy.com. The most time-consuming part of this purse was the hand appliqued leaves and embroidery. I always take my handwork to the farm to finish....so this was the project of this weekend.

A New Old Washing Machine

Check out this amazing find. On Saturday, while strolling through an antique market, I came upon this wonderful antique washing machine. It is in perfect condition and still works like a charm. The tub is filled with hot water by bucket, soap added and the washing is done by pumping the handle. The handle powers a gear that turns another gear that causes the agitator to raise and lower. The handle has two potential positions, so that the elbow grease can be applied either standing or sitting. Of all my antiques, this just may be my favorite (with the exception of my old treadle sewing machine!)


I did not get any sewing done this weekend, but concentrated instead on handwork....finishing the stitching on a wool tote project...

Fabulous Wool!!!

I have fallen in love with felted wool projects like wool totes, pillows and penny rugs. My recent trips to the local fabric outlet have yielded lots of yummy wool to use for these fun appliqued projects. This purse is for sale in my Online store and I am currently working on one just like it with Autumn leaves.


Here are my first attempts. I think I will turn these into throw pillows...

Facelift for the Sewing Room

I decided yesterday to re-organize the sewing room and give it a facelift. I gathered my collection of sewing related antiques and began the task of redecorating. Come take a look......

The treadle machine in this picture is a Singer Sphynx model. It still works and is in beautiful condition. The ladder behind the treadle is an old barn ladder. It is quite handy for displaying quilts and other linens.

The garland of mini aprons draped across the ladder is from my friends at MaryJane's Farm. We usually have at least one swap happening at any given time.....this month it was Halloween Mini Aprons. They are so adorable and brighten up my sewing room as well as my mood! I love my girls!!!!

Step back In Time.....

Because of unforseen circumstances, my trip to the Ohio Renaissance Faire was cancelled and my weekend was a typical farm weekend. For my friends whose company I missed....I am posting this picture for you!


It was a good weekend, though. I picked apples and baked apple pies, harvested brussels sprouts, processed our beeswax, played with the goats and walked the dogs....as well as cleaned pastures and worked around the farmhouse. Amazingly warm, beautiful Autumn weather made the weekend a wonderful gift!

After the Honey Harvest.....

Mike harvested another 70 lbs of honey last week. It has been a great summer for honey production and we should get one last harvest next month. Some of the partially cleaned honey combs were left outside as a sweet treat for the bees to enjoy. These sticky trays attracted bees, wasps, hornets and yellowjackets of all varieties.



Once spun from the honeycomb, the honey is filtered to remove insect and wax particles. The wax can be processed or refined to make solid cakes of beeswax. Having never done this before, I consulted the internet and found several great resources with instructions for rendering the wax. I got out my pots and pans and started the process. A few hours later.....this is the end result. Now to find some candle molds and pour some natural beeswax candles.....

Ready for Rennaissance Faire

In order to take a step back in time,it is wise to look the part. Here is my costume...discount upholstery fabric from the fabric outlet.....

Bees......and more bees....

My summer has been a full one....full of garden harvesting and food preservation, sewing aprons, and various stitchery projects. I have had a little time to dabble in photography and with the help of a great macro lens have had fun capturing the tiniest of creatures. I had hoped to capture one of our busy farm bees at work. We are just about to bring in another honey harvest and I was able to photograph one of our workers gathering the last of this year's nectar.

Apple Harvest

This year we began an orchard revitalization project. We pruned our trees at the end of winter. We used organic copper to spray for apple scab. The end result was the best apple harvest we have had to date. Our apples are still a little ugly, but they taste delicious. The pies, cobblers, breads and applesauce are a wonderful treat and will help to get us through the winter on those nights when our sweet tooth calls for a little treat.

From this.....


To this......

Sweet Nectar....

I spent a little time in the flower garden just observing how many different insects thrive as a result of the nectar from our beautiful gardens. Sitting there perfectly still I was surrounded by bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and hummingbird moths. Each insect was carefully dipping it's proboscus into each blossom and drinking its fill of nectar and then moving to the next blossom, all the while seemingly oblivious to my presence.....

Living in Perfect Harmony.....or is it just Detente??

Anyone who has lived on a farm knows that it is usually a struggle for harmony. There are periods of time when predators lurk. There are plagues of insects to manage. Every day presents a challenge to keep nature at bay and maintain peace and harmony amongst the living creatures. Every once in a while, though, you have a day when all seems to be right with the world.... This summer has been challenging. We have been under attack by foxes, possums, hawks, tent caterpillars, Japanese beetles and of late, drought. But amazingly, through all of this we seem to have reached a period of peaceful harmony....or at least detente. The farm animals all seem to be happy. The horses have worked out their dominance issues and are all healthy. The goats(always the happiest animals) are growing and . The Guinea hens and our four remaining chickens are holding their own. The ducks are happy with their newly repaired pond and new duck condo. The garden is exploding with produce and the apple trees are brimming with fruit.

All in all it has been an amazingly good summer. These are the days that we live for....the incredible peaceful moments when all seems to be right with the world. We smile, thank God, and hope that it lasts. But then, it never does.....afterall, this is a farm. And we are surrounded by nature....and Mother Nature always has the last laugh. The best we can hope for is to be able to laugh along with her.

Check This Out

I thought I would share with you my very first article to be published. I was asked by an E-zine called Small Town Living to write an article about our fainting goats. Small Town Living is an E-zine that is trying to increase their readership in order to be picked up for print as a hard copy magazine on news stands. Every two months they publish a magazine chock-full of information about "living a simpler life in Small Town America." They touch on such subjects as architecture, historical preservations, animals, farming, home and garden, herbs, along with a variety of other equally interesting subjects. You can read this magazine at Small Town Living

Please note that the article entitled Bee Haven Daylily Farm is about yet another Bee Haven!

Meet "Mo"

Well, it may be love.....this feeling that's come over me. This past Saturday I had the chance to meet Amos Esh. Amos is a local Amishman who raises Haflinger Ponies. We had the most amazing visit to Amo's farm. This farm was beautiful...first of all, it was enormous..with pastures all over just filled with Haflingers.

The stable was one of the nicest I have ever seen....with stalls filled with mares and colts and stallions....all sweet as pie. So, after I got over the excitement of just being there, I had a chance to ride a couple of his horses. Amos raises, trains and sells Haflinger ponies primarily for driving. But, because he also has a large family, the ponies get ridden by all of the kids. And the kids range in age from 4 to about 14. I watched the kids tack up the horses and then all of the kids took turn crawling on their backs and riding them around the ring. And then I had the chance to ride. There was no question about it, the smoothest ride came from a horse called Moonbeam. Moonbeam is a 6 or 7 year old gelding that was previously a driving champion.

And best of all, Moonbeam rides like a dream. Now, to me, at 50, the most important feature of a horse are the brakes. If a horse does not have solid brakes, I don't want him. I have spent the past year frustratingly trying to get my quarterhorse arena-worthy. In the process, I have suffered broken ribs and a dislocated pelvis. At my age, I have to have a solid, dependable mount....these bones are too old to be falling on from 5 feet up while going 20 miles an hour.

I have decided to bring Moonbeam home on a trial basis. I will ride him at home on our trails and in our arena. If he continues to be a solid mount with no bad manners.......then he's a keeper!! I am so excited. They call the Haflinger the "Golden Retriever" of the equine world. We'll see if that holds true.

Amazing Transformations

How far the farm has come in 2 summers! As I sit here and count my blessings, I am truly amazed.

From this:
to thisto this


And this:
to this

Our chicks grew into chickens and happily give us eggs(as long as we can keep them alive). Our strawberries flourished and we were able to make jam this year. Our garden is maturing and should have a high yield. Raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are ripening. We found new surprises on the land....a currant bush and a mulberry tree. The apple orchard survived a tent caterpillar attack and has gone on to produce hundreds of apples that are maturing with each passing week.

Our horses have been fairly healthy and are back in the swing of working in the arena. The goats seem to be used to their new habitat. The ducks and chickens are few in numbers however due to the apparent skill of the local predators. This remains a problem for which we are still researching and trying solutions.

All in all we have seen many blessings. How wonderful to now be able to enjoy the fruits of our labors! My thanks to all who help to make this dream a reality!

What I did with all those strawberries....

This morning's picking produced 8 more quarts of strawberries. After cleaning and hulling them I turned them into:


I had an earlier unsuccessful try at making Jam last week which ended up becoming strawberry syrup.....and to think I followed the recipe. So today I threw caution to the wind and concocted my own recipe....so far, so good...it seems to be jelling nicely. I believe I may have found the solution, and the bonus is: my recipe has less than half the sugar as the other recipe.

A Perfect Weekend

This was perhaps one of the most beautiful weekends at the farm yet this year. The weather was perfect (only interrupted by an intense display of lightening during a magnificent thunder storm Friday evening). The farm is still so very green and lush. The animals are all healthy and happy. The long awaited arena is finally finished and the riding surface is perfect! Briggs and I have much work ahead of us...but we have a perfect place for long hours of practice!



This weekend marked the true beginning of our BeeHaven Acres Farm harvest. Our strawberries are producing a very high yield. A couple of minutes' picking Friday night and Saturday morning quickly yielded 15 quarts of strawberries.


Our meals included a salad of fresh-picked lettuce, spinach, onions, broccoli and radishes topped off with a dessert of fresh strawberry pound cake with ice cream and fresh strawberries. We consumed as many of the berries as was humanly possible and froze the rest. If time allows, I will make homemade jam. Last weeks' jam-making fiasco produced strawberry syrup instead (which, by the way was great on our pancakes Sunday morning).

Finally, I had a bit of time for some goat bonding. Here is a picture of our little Princess.....O'Malley. What a sweet soul she is.

Travels.....Off the Farm

I am sitting here catching up on all that I missed over the past week. Jack and I spent a restful week in Vero Beach Florida...catching up on reading and soaking in the sun (in healthy doses, of course.) Vero Beach is a quiet mid-East coast Florida resort town and we caught it on an off-season week. As a result, the town was very quiet, the beach was deserted and the sidewalks were rolled up by 5 PM each evening. The weather was perfect: each day being sunny and warm (85) with a cooling breeze blowing in from the sea. Because of the sea breeze, there were no appreciable bugs to pester us.

On Saturday we took a road trip across Central Florida to Fort Myers on the West Coast to see Ryan play in the College Club Baseball World Series. He was brought in as relief pitch in that game and their team ended up winning the game. Jack was so proud of him....what a great pitcher he is. His team continued to play throughout the coming week and as of Memorial Day, they were still winning. Ryan pitched the entire game on Memorial Day and the other team scored no runs.....way to go Ryan!

But back to the roadtrip....we encountered swarms of icky, gooey bugs that splatted all over our car. It was like driving through black hail. Apparently there is this twice-a-year phenomenon in the South called the LOVE BUG

Good food and great company made the week complete. I am posting a picture of me on the beach....the apron I am wearing is not my own, but rather one that belonged to the condo in which we stayed (sadly, I forgot my own). My friend (Georgeann) at Mary Jane's farm is collecting pictures of farmgirls "off the farm"....so here it is. I must also add that Dorothy was so right...."there's no place like home!" It is so great to be back home and back on the farm!!

A journal for Melody

I thought this was the best place to post this picture. ANewYorkMelody contacted me thru etsy asking if I could create a vintage-look journal for her. This is what I came up with.....It is 5 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches. It has unlined paper inside, but I equipped it with a moveable line guide to make writing straight much easier. It is bound together with gold ribbon and embellished with an antique skeleton key. Check out some of my other creations.

Notes from the cabbage patch - or - Have I bitten off more than I can chew???

If all goes well, we should have plenty vegetables to get us thru the winter. Last week's garden work yielded the planting of the following plants (most of which I started from seed in the greenhouse): 19 cabbages, 19 cauliflower, 25 broccoli, 12 brussels sprouts, 12 zucchini, 10 cucumbers, and 4 summer squash. Add that to a 30 foot row of snow peas, 30 foot row of onions, lettuce, radishes and spinach seeds; all of which have germinated and are growing by leaps and bounds. The asparagus that I planted a month ago has finally taken hold and pushed numerous shoots through the earth to find their way toward the sun. Next year should be an excellent year for asparagus at this rate. My question is this, however: whatever was I thinking with 19 heads of cabbage. One can only eat so many stuffed cabbages. And although I love creamed coleslaw, preserving it seems to be a problem. A roadside cabbage stand may be the next project. I failed to mention that there are also at least 36 tomato plants and half as many pepper plants still in the greenhouse and in need of planting. (Oh did I also mention that there are seeds for corn, green beans, limas, peas, beets, carrots....and I can't remember but perhaps something else.....oh yes, giant pumpkins.....yet to be planted) I believe that by the end of this week every inch of our garden will be filled! I cannot wait for this harvest. Am I nuts? We'll have to find a way to preserve all of this food! Actually, I am prepared. I have my Foodsaver vacuum packer ready to go. What a great feeling it will be to have a freezer full of home grown vegetables, and a refrigerator stuffed with....CABBAGE! (Oh my goodness, I forgot.....cabbage causes flatulence (look it up)!

I have opened an Etsy!

Well, after weeks of thinking about it, I finally did it. I sat down yesterday and opened my Etsy. For those of you who are not familiar. Etsy.com is a place to sell handcrafted items. I listed my Princess Mater bags and also tea towells with the same design appliqued and embroidered on them. I have also listed aprons and will be putting my jewelry on as well. You can find my shop at www.honeybeez.etsy.com. I opened shop yesterday afternoon and within an hour had sold 2 items.....to my best farmgirl friend, Mima, in California! Where would we be without our friends!

My Etsy is dedicated to my Mother and my Grandmothers who taught me a love of handcrafting. I learned to sew, stitch, knit and crochet from these three amazing women.

All Dressed and Ready for Farm Chores

So, what does a farmgirl wear to do her daily chores? Well, the best dressed farmgirls have 2 essential items on with any outfit.... an apron with lots of pockets and a straw hat for keeping the sun off the face. I've completed my farmgirl accessories for this summer: two aprons, both made from the same vintage flour sack material...each with lots of deep pockets for carrying eggs or the day's harvest. Note that one was made with a pretty fancy front pocket(made from an old doily).....that's my "all gussied up" apron. The other is a chore apron that will come in handy for working in the garden, the henhouse, or the wood shop. These aprons are my own creation...no pattern used, just a little imagination. Of course, no outfit is complete without a matching hat!

Princess Mater Meets Mother Earth

Well, farmgirls, I overheard a discussion this morning between Mother Earth (see my Mother Earth Musings blog) and Princess Mater, who just happened to stop by for a chat. They were discussing ways to live a more "green" life. One unnecessary piece of trash that we always seem to be accumulating is plastic grocery bags. Well, the girls got their heads together and came up with a plan for reducing the number of bags that ever leave the store. Stay tuned for pictures of their collaborative project......Susie Seamstress has to get moving....(Oh....I just ordered my new Mary Jane's Farm book - Mary Jane's Stitching Room. Can't wait for it to arrive.....more projects to look forward to!)

Finally, finished....here it is - Princess Mater's "Green" Grocery Bag

"Project Grape Arbor" Launched

An entire day's work, Saturday, yielded one very sturdy 8 X 12 outdoor room with walls of latice and ceiling of ladder rungs....strong enough to withstand grapevines. Imagine, if you will, several years from now....it is a sunny afternoon. There is a gentle warm breeze and the rustling noise that it makes as it tickles the leaves in the nearby woods. The birds are singing in the distance. A few industrious honey bees buzz past your ear, headed to drink of the sweet nectar that also beckons you. You enter the lush outdoor room that our grape arbor has become. You feel a welcome coolness from the shade of surrounding grape vines robustly covered in vegetation. You look overhead and delightedly find cluster upon cluster of sweet ripe grapes. You raise your hand and pick a bunch and place a plump, juicy fruit on your tongue. You bite down and your mouth is awash with both sweet and tart rivers of fresh grape juice that escape across your lips and drip from your chin. Oh what a lovely fantasy......another step closer to reality.

Today I planted 9 grape vines that will hopefully cover our arbor and bring this fantasy to fruition. Among the varieties are 3 Concord, 3 Mars and 3 green seedless table grapes (Niagara, perhaps). Now we wait, ever hopeful that their fragile roots will take hold to harness the nutrients of Mother Earth and send currents of growth thru their awaiting armlike limbs...ever grasping towards the warmth and energy of the spring and summer sun....climbing higher and higher still....


This picture is one that I took last summer on vacation in Napa Valley. It serves as my inspiration for "Project Grape Arbor"

Soon time to ride again.....

The ground is drying, the arena is almost finished....time to get back in the saddle. 2006 was a year of breaks, bruises, etc. I sure hope 2007 goes smoother.

Duckles,duckles.....

Due to the current imbalance of male vs. female ducks on the farm, Mike had obtained 8 new Campbell females. These adorable khaki ducklings have taken residence in a horse water trough in Mike and Becky's garage. With daily handling, "Daddy Duck" as we affectionately call Mike has his brood following him all around his garage and back yard. "Peep, peep, peep" you hear them call when they hear their "Daddy's" voice....knowing that shortly his gentle hand will appear offering them yummy treats of bread. It will be fun watching these girls grow. Once their primary feathers have appeared, they will be introduced to the pond and the rest of the flock.

The "Girls"

This is a tribute to one woman's best friends. These two gals are my closest friends and who I share my days with. We do just about everything together. They love to go for rides in the car and walks in the woods. They never offer any criticism. They are never moody....just always happy to be with me. They do compete for attention, however. Sadie is our 3 year old Bernese Mountain Dog. Maddie is our 1 year old 130 pound Newfoundland. They are about as different in disposition as two big dogs could be. But they have one huge thing in common......an unlimited supply of love and affection for those that they love. Sure, they are big and hairy and make my life more complicated as a result. But, I would not trade one slobbered up piece of clothes, or one hairy sagebrush blowing across the hall floor for one day in an empty, (lifeless) clean house. Our vacuum works hard , our petfood bills are large. But it is all worth it, for these girls are an endless wealth of enthusiasm. They are the best example of what "Joy" looks like and acts like.

Where have all the bees gone??

This week Mike is picking up 5 new hives and their accompanying colonies from a gentleman who is retiring from beekeeping. He also has two colonies on order to replace the two that perished over the winter. We are all concerned. In doing research, we have learned that there is a huge incidence of honey bee death in what concerned researchers are calling "Sudden Colony Collapse". Please read the following article.....

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/032307EA.shtml



"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."
-Albert Einstein

Green thumbs, dirty fingernails

Spring is here....finally. A long winter of just watering the houseplants has left me with nice nails but a deep longing to dig in the dirt. A warm weather teaser over the past couple of weeks put me in the mood to garden. I spent weeks during the winter pouring over seed catalogs. I ordered new garden gloves, soil cubes, a potmaker; and cleaned out the greenhouse. With everything in order, it was now time to start planting seeds. I placed a small heater in the greenhouse to help with the chilly nights that we still have. Daylight hours are toasty warm inside. This year I have started cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peppers, hot peppers, several varieties of tomatoes, zinnias, cucumbers and summer squash. I figure these will be good sized by the middle of May, when I can transplant them into the garden.