The House With Nobody In It

 ~ someone's beautiful homeplace ~

Whenever I walk to Suffern along the Erie track
I go by a poor old farmhouse with its shingles broken and black.
I suppose I've passed it a hundred times, but I always stop for a minute
And look at the house, the tragic house, the house with nobody in it.

I never have seen a haunted house, but I hear there are such things;
That they hold the talk of spirits, their mirth and sorrowings.
I know this house isn't haunted, and I wish it were, I do;
For it wouldn't be so lonely if it had a ghost or two.

This house on the road to Suffern needs a dozen panes of glass,
And somebody ought to weed the walk and take a scythe to the grass.
It needs new paint and shingles, and the vines should be trimmed and tied;
But what it needs the most of all is some people living inside.

If I had a lot of money and all my debts were paid
I'd put a gang of men to work with brush and saw and spade.
I'd buy that place and fix it up the way it used to be
And I'd find some people who wanted a home and give it to them free.

Now, a new house standing empty, with staring window and door,
Looks idle, perhaps, and foolish, like a hat on its block in the store.
But there's nothing mournful about it; it cannot be sad and lone
For the lack of something within it that it has never known.

But a house that has done what a house should do,
a house that has sheltered life,
That has put its loving wooden arms around a man and his wife,
A house that has echoed a baby's laugh and held up his stumbling feet,
Is the saddest sight, when it's left alone, that ever your eyes could meet.

So whenever I go to Suffern along the Erie track
I never go by the empty house without stopping and looking back,
Yet it hurts me to look at the crumbling roof and the shutters fallen apart,
For I can't help thinking the poor old house is a house with a broken heart. 

 ~ Joyce Kilmer ~

 Blessings ~ a sturdy roof over my head ~ home ~ laughter ~ love ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Paint Lick and Thanks

 ~ Indian paintings in Tazewell County, VA ~

 On October 17th, Sunday, the Cove Community Association hosts a wagon ride to the Indian paintings at Paint Lick. We've done this several times and it's always fun at a beautiful time of year. It's usually cold but we have the ride after a frost to ensure snakes aren't stirring. Wagons are pulled by tractors driven by men who live in the valley and each wagon is staffed by other valley residents. The paintings are on private land and we have permission to take seventy-five guests to the paintings. The ride takes several hours and we depart from the Cove Center, formerly the Cove School, and travel several miles down the public road until we enter a private dirt road. Then, more fun...we cross several meadows and pastures, enter the woods, ford a river and begin our steep ascent up the mountain. When the wagons are able to go no further, people climb down and begin their scramble up the mountain. It is a scramble too! One either has to be in good physical condition or very determined to get to the top to see the paintings but it's worth it. The paintings are several hundred ??? years old and beginning to fade so each wagon trip could be the last, we just never know.

The cost is twenty-five dollars a person, warm layered clothing with hiking shoes and hat are encouraged and first come, first served...so to speak. Tee shirts are for sale and all proceeds go towards building upkeep and educational programs.

Have you noticed some fabulous changes on my blog? Misha, over at My Front Porch In The Mountains, had some beautiful changes to her blog and, when I inquired, she recommended Diane at Blue Ridge Gal. So, I visited Diane and she **volunteered** to make a button, put followers at the top of the page AND she put a frame around my header photo! That frame is so beautiful and really sets off the header photo, don't you think? My header photo is always the same view but changes with the seasons. I never tire of the view, do you? I've never liked the followers on the side because only a few could be seen at a time. I also wanted the HTML language with the button so folks could, more easily, take the button for their blog. If you have taken my button, please let me know so I can return the favor. Please visit Diane as well, either link on her blog name or search for her button on the right hand side of my blog. She's a great photographer and does a lot of videos as well; unfortunately, I don't have bandwidth to see her videos and that's my loss.

Diane, thank you...I love the changes you've made!


Blessings ~ Misha ~ Diane ~ changes...of a good sort ~ Paint Lick Ride ~ wagon rides ~ Autumn ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Sabbath Keeping

 

 ~ Maiden Spring Road ~

"...there is a future for the man of peace." ~ Psalms 37:37 ~

If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies."

~ Moshe Dayan ~  

"There was never a good war or a bad peace." ~ Benjamin Franklin ~

"They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." ~ Isaiah 11:4 ~

"If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.

If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart."
      ~ Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.) ~

"I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there." ~ Mother Theresa (1910-1997) ~

"O Lord, calm the waves of this heart, calm its tempests. Calm thyself, O my soul, so that the divine can act in thee. Calm thyself, O my soul, so that God is able to repose in thee, so that his peace may cover thee. Yes, Father in heaven, often have we found that the world cannot give us peace, O but make us feel that thou art able to give peace, let us know the truth of thy promise: that the whole world may not be able to take away thy peace." ~ Soren Kierkegaard ~

"In the heart's depths a peace serene and holy

Abides, and when pain seems to have its will,

Or we despair - oh, may that peace rise slowly,

Stronger than agony, and we be still."

~ Samuel Johnson ~

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way."
~ II Thessalonians 3:16 ~

 Blessings ~ God's peace ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra

I Love October

 ~ Sedum ~

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." ~ Elizabeth Lawrence ~

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came -

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band."

~ George Cooper, October's Party ~

 ~ TCF ~

 "I saw old Autumn in the misty morn 
              Stand, shadowless like Silence, listening 
                         To Silence." ~ Thomas Hood ~

"...I have been younger in October
than in all the months of spring
walnut and may leaves the color
of shoulders at the end of summer
a month that has been to the mountain
and become light there..."
~ W. S. Merwin,  The Love of October ~ 

"As I went out walking this fall afternoon,
I heard a whisper whispering.
I heard a whisper whispering,
Upon this fine fall day...

As I went out walking this fall afternoon,
I heard a laugh a' laughing.
I heard a laugh a' laughing,
Upon this fine fall day...

I heard this whisper and I wondered,
I heard this laugh and then I knew.
The time is getting near my friends,
The time that I hold dear my friends,
The veil is getting thin my friends,
And strange things will pass through."
~ The Veil is Getting Thinner ~

~ deer in alfalfa field ~

"Youth is like spring, an over-praised season more remarkable for biting winds than genial breezes. 
Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits."
~  Samuel Butler ~

~ sheep, moondancing ~

"Well, it's a marvelous night for a Moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'Neath the cover of October skies
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow
And I'm trying to please to the calling
Of your heart-strings that play soft and low
And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush."
~  Van Morrison, Moondance ~

Blessings ~ October ~ Autumn ~ moondancing ~ poetry ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra

House by the Side of the Road

 ~ TCF farmhouse ~

Do you have sanctuary? Do you think it's important to carve out a place where you can be alone with just your thoughts, perhaps the company of beloved companions nearby and no sound save that of the wind's whisper, the lowing of the cattle, sheep bleating, horses neighing, bird song or other nature only sounds?

~ wise words ~

We've spent this summer putting the farm house, farm buildings and farm into order; preparing for winter's winds and snow. We've yet to have a frost, very unusual, and the porch plants still look, remarkably, beautiful. Our porch sitting becomes earlier and earlier as we strive to catch the last rays and warmth of the sun, watching the dogs and cats play in the yard, the horses and sheep on the hills. The sun has lost his scornful heat and the chill of winter is creeping, subtly, into day light hours and always during the night. The bird feeders are full and birds are coming to feed, knowing they will be fed for the next six months or so, until God, in the form of nature, restores earth's bounty.

I've been asked about the history of the farm and am preparing photos to go with the upcoming blog entries. It's a fascinating history and we're but the third stewards since the dreadful Great Late Unpleasantness as my friend, Leslie, says.

 ~ Shaddie, Leslie, Sandra ~

This time of year, Autumn, always finds me pulling close to the hearth, taking down summer curtains and putting up insulated drapes, washing windows so whatever sun shine is able to come closer into the house, laying down rugs, putting wool blankets and electric blankets on beds, gathering in knitting and quilting, making hearty meals and baking breads. Laying siege, as it were, against winter yet preparing to enjoy winter because I like the coziness and comfort of winter. I'm sure to lose a sheep, perhaps more, this winter because they are elderly and have old bones. Two of our dogs have old bones as well and need a bit more care and tenderness but, then, don't we all?

~ Abbie, getting some lovin' ~

We, all of us, walk a fine line between preparing for whatever may come and seizing the day. There are times I seem to think I'm doing rather well and other times I'm in a huddle, sobbing my heart out to God for His strength, grace, mercy and peace. It's in those latter times I grow the most deeply and become more settled. It's in those times I lose more of me and find more of Him.

In addition to blogging about our farm, I want to blog about our travels and, additionally, have a series of photo entries simply entitled 'faces'. During our travels, there have been some wonderful moments when the face of a dear soul has been captured by the camera lens. You need to see those faces, trust me, you do. I'm burning daylight and will close with a poem by Sam Walter Foss. More than likely, you've read it before, either on my blog or elsewhere but, like anything good, it bears repeating.


As Sam Walter Foss said in his poem, The House By The Side Of The Road:

"There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the peace of their self-content;
There are souls, like stars, that swell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths
Where highways never ran;
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by;
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban;
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I see from my house by the side of the road,
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife.
But I turn not away from their smiles nor their tears
Both parts of an infinite plan;
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by;
They are good, they are bad, they are weak,
They are strong,
Wise, foolish - so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat
Or hurl the cynic's ban? -
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man."

~ all roads lead home ~

When you choose carefully, you can have what matters and, ultimately, that's all that matters.

Blessings ~ home ~ travel ~ roads ~ poets ~ grace ~ peace ~ love ~


Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Apple Harvest

 ~ apples being washed ~

About this time, every year, my family gathers together to make apple cider. This year we went to my brother's West Virginia farm, on the mountain north of Snowshoe, and squeezed six bushels of whatever apples he and his wife found on the mountain.

~ who needs a ladder? ~

Since we had to go all over the mountain to pick apples, it was a lot easier to take the John Deere tractor and use the bucket as a ladder. It's a lot safer, as well, although there are those who might look askance at our methods.

~ Dad, Steve & Donette pressing apples ~

Many years ago, my brother bought a Happy Valley cider press and it still looks as good as new. He takes care of his equipment, that's how we were raised and it really upsets us when someone uses our tools and doesn't put them back, cleaned, where they belong. It's so much easier and less expensive to keep good what we have rather than buy new. Why is it, do you suppose, so many people don't seem to have grasped that concept?

~ Dad & Steve ~

It was a great day for pressing apples - a trifle cool, gray and overcast. Although it's hard work, we never worked up a sweat and only saw one yellow jacket the entire day...very nice indeed.

 ~ fresh pressed cider ~

 

~ apple leavings ~

The pressed apples were loaded in the front end loader and taken to the cattle who thought it a real treat.

~ cattle treat ~

This week I've been putting up apple cider, making apple butter, drying apples for pies and making fresh apple pies and crisps. Some of the cider and butter has been given away and when all the apples are gone, I'll be finished and the cellar, pantry and freezers will be full to overflowing. I'm a simple thing and my cider is made straight up, with the mother, and no additives, preservatives or heating. I'll freeze some of my cider and keep it against a time when the snow balls are flying and a mug of hot cider will be just the ticket to stave off winter's chill. No need to add a bunch of maple syrup or cinnamon or what have you. If you've started with an excellent product, all those additives are just wasted. If you're buying your apple cider from the grocery store, you'll probably want to add a bunch of stuff to help the flavor along. Store bought and fresh made just can't compare.

There are those who swear the mother is beneficial to one's health and well being. I'm one of "those" and drink fresh apple cider until it's almost coming out of my pores. This time of year, at least, and at other times of the year I'll drink apple cider vinegar, again with the mother. It aids in all sorts of health problems - decreases the pain of arthritis, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and loads of other things. I suppose the American Medical Association discounts all this but when you consider that only about fifteen percent of doctors in this country belong to the AMA...wellllllll...let's just say, choose wisely. I'm quite certain God placed everything on earth we need to remain alive, healthy and well but we, in our ultimate wisdom...ahem... have chosen to take the path well traveled and mess up both our lives and the planet. It's up to each of us to find that path that leads us not only back to good health but also to God. As Paul said in Philippians 2:12, "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling..."

I do love this time of the year and am like the old woman when she was asked, "What's your favorite day?" She looked brightly at the person and said, "Why today of course!" Amen, sister! In our family we, generally, make the same happy memories over and over and those memories, generally, have to do with food. Daddy's people have been in Appalachia for many generations, as have Mother's people, just in a different part of Appalachia. Food, shelter, clothing have always been a primary concern for us and reduce, reuse, recycle, renew, repurpose and all those other non-vintage words have been our touchstone for generations over and over. Long before it became a battle cry of the Johnnie come lately's we've been living our lives with purpose, dignity and grace. Our family may have, at one time, been hard scrabble poor but we were free and whatever we had we shared with others; no one has ever gone from our place hungry and no one ever will. In lean and flush times, we've always had food, the beds have always had hand made quilts and there was a roof over our heads.

God has blessed us so much and I'm so grateful to Him. He continues to watch over us, bless us and I call His name many, many, many times during the day - in praise, contemplation, honor, love, for help, guideance. His blessings start and end with His love and, at this time of the year is made manifest with wonderful and delicious apple cider!

What are your blessings?


Blessings ~ apples ~ family ~ cider ~ pies ~ dried apples ~ apple crisp ~ cider press ~ memories ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Sabbath Keeping

 ~ ...you are covered... ~

"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." ~ Exodus 10:8 ~

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day." ~ Hebrews 10:25 ~

"I think of my life and the lives of everyone...as not just journeys through time

but as sacred journeys."  ~ Frederick Buechner ~

"Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich,
healthy blood to a sick man."  ~ Dwight L. Moody ~

"Listen to your life. Pay attention to what happens to you."

~ Frederick Buechner ~

"I will declare Your name to My brethren;
   In the midst of the assembly I will praise You."
          ~ Psalm 22:22 ~

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 

~ Romans 10:17 ~

 
"It is just where God seems most helpless that He is most strong; and just where we least expect Him that He comes most fully." ~ Frederick Buechner ~

"Lewis was once asked, "Is attendance at a place of worship or membership with a Christian community necessary to a Christian way of life?"

His answer:

"That's a question which I cannot answer. My own experience is that when I first became a Christian, about fourteen years ago, I thought that I could do it on my own, by retiring to my rooms and reading theology, and I wouldn't go to the churches and Gospel Halls; and then later I found that it was the only way of flying your flag; and, of course, I found that this meant being a target. It is extraordinary how inconvenient to your family it becomes for you to get up early to go to Church. It doesn't matter so much if you get up early for anything else, but if you get up early to go to Church it's very selfish of you and you upset the house.

If there is anything in the teaching of the New Testament which is in the nature of a command, it is that you are obliged to take the Sacrament, and you can't do it without going to Church. I disliked very much their hymns, which I considered to be fifth-rate poems set to sixth-rate music. But as I went on I saw the great merit of it. I came up against different people of quite different outlooks and different education, and then gradually my conceit just began peeling off.
I realized that the hymns (which were just sixth-rate music) were, nevertheless, being sung with devotion and benefit by an old saint in elastic-side boots in the opposite pew, and then you realize that you aren't fit to clean those boots. It gets you out of your solitary conceit."
~ C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock, pp. 61-62 ~

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, 

and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 

~ I John 1:7 ~

Blessings ~ gathering together  ~ church ~ praise ~ worship ~ visitors ~ members ~ attendance ~


Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Fall Festivals

 ~ Otis' Eats ~

Don't you love autumn and all the wonderful festivals? We have several in our little county and one of the favorites is the Burkes Garden Festival. It's a harvest festival, none of that halloweenie stuff for us, we celebrate Christian holy days...thank you very much, and I enjoyed myself today. Burkes Garden is, thus far, the only agricultural heritage area in the Commonwealth of Virginia but we in the Cove are trying our best to attain such status.

 ~ donations accepted for parking ~

This handsome gent was collecting donations to park and, as I was leaving, he allowed me to take his photo. He remembered me fondly as, earlier, I'd slipped a fiver into the boot. I told him I'm a Cove VFD volunteer and know what it takes to keep a volunteer fire department going. Then, as I crossed the mountain, on my way out of the Garden, another volunteer fire department was accepting donations. Yep, I dug deep again. People, as in urban folks, don't stop to think what it takes for a rural community to survive. Heck, do they even stop to consider the services their tax dollars afford them and, for their sakes, the folks who put their lives on the line each and every day? I think not, mostly. Our rural young folks are leaving by the droves to seek jobs, "better" lifestyles, spouses and, "how ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Paree?"

 ~ Two favorites ~

In order to respect their privacy, I won't tell you the names of these two dear people, just know they are highly thought of and well loved by everyone who knows them. We always chin wag, just a tad, when we meet and we had a few moments of gentle fun with each other earlier today. They are Godly people but you can tell that, can't you? The Shekinah Glory radiates from both of them.

~ Bud Thompson, farrier ~

Bud was my farrier and he's trying to slow down a tad; although, if you ask his wife, she'll look thoughtful and then say, "Welllll..." Bud tells stories as he beats on the anvil and his stories keep folks standing around for thirty minutes or more. He's an amazing man, excellent farrier and what he doesn't know about horses feet doesn't bear knowing anyway.

Dave's mothers' people was from the Cove, where we now live, and the Cove people and Burkes Garden people, for generations, had a friendly rivalry. The Garden folks would tell Cove folks, "The Garden
is prettier than the Cove" and the Cove folks would tell Garden folks, "maybe so but the Cove is more beautiful than the Garden." You know how it is; we're still arguing over the Late Great Unpleasantness also. Especially seeing as how some d*** Yankee came here and bought what is now Thistle Cove Farm and thousands of acres of land for $300 in back taxes. The sheer nerve of that carpetbagger! I don't believe Mr. White nor his offspring married with any of the locals and, eventually, in the late 1940's they moved on, as in out of the area.

 ~ politics ~

Americans for Prosperity were out in force, telling how "our" current Congressional representative has betrayed us in southwest Virginia. You see, in this part of Appalachia, the coal industry represents a lot of jobs...a lot of jobs. Also, a lot of retirement and Mr. Boucher voted for the Cap and Trade Act. Naughty, naughty Mr. Boucher! Perhaps you thought folks weren't paying attention but they were paying attention. It's a little...maybe a lot...like asking the fox to watch the hen house. For example, Obama trashes BP just about every chance he gets but has he offered any viable solutions? Or, any solutions whatsoever for that fact? Not really, unless it's been of extreme late, and, as a matter of fact, he wouldn't over ride the Jones Act the first week of the BP oil spill when, according to the Wall Street Journal, thirteen foreign governments volunteered to help us. Wait, I almost forgot. Mr. O. took American Tax Slave $$$$'$ and sent them to Brazil so they could drill for oil! I kid you not; check out the Wall Street Journal article.  Naughty, naughty Mr. O. Then, there's Al Gore who, with his right hand don't let the left hand know what it's doing talent. Dear Lord. The manure is so deep, one needs wings to rise above it all! I don't even think "some folks" realize just how sick and tired the populus is getting of being railroaded by "our" representatives. Sick and tired and mean...a very dangerous combination. You elected officials and others of your ilk should really start paying attention. November 2 is coming and we don't want to hear any whining after the fact so y'all just pull up your big girl and boy pants and do the right thing now or look for a new job later. I know how I'm going to vote and I suggest you get that resume updated. Heck, I'm so conservative, I make the Republicans looks like raving liberals! There are a lot of folks who are sick of "bidness as usual"; I'm just saying...

 ~ Burkes Garden ~

It was a good day; an enjoyable day and, as usual, I saw many folks from other parts of Tazewell County. We're blessed to live here; yes, we are so very blessed.

~ pumpkin harvest ~

Blessings ~ harvest ~ good people ~ volunteer fire departments ~ festivals ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Waffle Irons

 ~ our vintage waffle iron ~

Care to take a guess of the age of our waffle iron? If you guessed forty years, you'd be right on the money! Dave bought it when he was property of Uncle Sam, at the Ft. Lee Army Base in Virginia. It's been a good waffle iron, still is actually, but it has this disturbing little habit of sparking when the plug is placed in, or taken out of, the electrical outlet. It's a small bother but sometimes I forget and the spark startles me. When that happens, I tend not to make waffles for a while and I dearly love waffles! CSN has contacted me...thank you Kate!...and asked if I'd like to do a review and gave me a choice of anything in their tremendous catalog. Furniture such as coffee tables, end tables, dining tables, etc. all came to mind but, somehow, the spark just wasn't there; know what I mean, Vern? Yeah, yeah, I'm easily entertained and can do it all by myself! -grin-

Naturally, a waffle iron is just about first on my list. Wait a minute, it's the only thing on my list. I haven't had waffles in months and have had IHOP on the brain lately. Did you know National Waffle Day is August 24? I didn't, until now, and it's too late to celebrate this year...sob. According to Mr. Breakfast, there's an International Waffle Day as well and that's coming up March 25. Vaffeldagen originated in Sweden and is nine months, exactly, before Christmas. It's also around the first day of spring when Swedish women would set aside winter tasks and begin spring tasks. Like making waffles.

For those of you who notice such things, the bread box behind the vintage waffle iron, is, indeed, vintage. Just about everything in this house is vintage, except the puppies, and well loved and used on a daily basis. Except the waffle iron. Last time I used the waffle iron, I told Dave about it sparking and his ears got pointy and his eyes widened. "And you're still using it?!" "Well, yeah. How do you think these waffles sitting before you were made? The tires on the vehicles have different tracks, you silly billy."

So, soon, very soon, hopefully there will be a new waffle iron in this house. We'll still keep the old one because that's what we do. We're not to the television state yet, we don't perxactly hoard but we do have our fair share of stuff from Dave's homes, his mother's fifty years of living in the same home and my homes. We've given some stuff away; one time we even got bold and threw some stuff away but that was really painful so now I just give stuff away. Except our waffle iron. We're attached to the beast and the fond memories of years full of waffles.

Want to come over for some waffles, WV maple syrup, home churned butter, thick sliced pepper bacon and milk? I'm telling you...it's going to be Great Eats!

Blessings ~ waffles ~ waffle irons ~ churned butter ~ maple syrup ~ thick sliced pepper bacon ~ milk ~ vintage ~
 
Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Turn The Quiet Up

 ~ a quiet spot ~

Sometimes God uses painful lessons as a reminder for me to slow down. Although I seem to forget, He never does, I've got 60 in the headlights and this is one reason I can't do as much as I could do when we moved to the farm back in '95.

Well, do ya think?! Yeah, it constantly catches me off guard surprises me as well. -smile-

I'm taking an e-class called Blogging Your Way and it's been good for me, very good. At first, I thought it was light years away from how I live even though there are some similarities. Holly, at Decor8, is a Southern gal married to a nice German fellow and now living in Germany so we have the Southern and female thing in common. Her blog focuses on home decoration, has lush photographs and seems to have a lot of pink and frilly. I am so not pink and frilly -smile- nor do I focus on decorating our home although I'm beginning to use a lot of the antiquities, textiles, rugs, etc. we've picked up in our travels to display in our home; blog entry on those to come later.

Holly has given us lots of homework, which works for me, as I like to engage my mind as much as I enjoy working with my hands. I've been taking photos that are unusual out of the ordinary for me. There are close-ups, which I rarely do as the eye candy around this farm speaks volumes; I love the broad, sweeping vistas and find them soothing, comfortable and a balm in Gilead, so to speak.

~ roadside harvest ~

One of our assignments was to make a floral display. I do this with great regularity but, usually, find my flowers alongside the road. Dave, Abigail and I went on a forty minute Ranger ride so I could collect whatever I found. There's a bit of tickseed, flox, Queen Anne's lace, rag weed, poke berry, milk weed and other flowers whose names I don't know.

~ ragweed, Queen Anne's lace and candle ~

I'm sure most, if not all, of class participants bought flowers but I'm not traveling thirty plus miles, round trip, and across two mountains, one way, to buy flowers. Dave has taught me well and before starting the vehicle, I estimate how much the trip will cost me both in time, labor and vehicle cost. A ten dollar, US, bunch of flowers would, easily, cost three times that had I crossed the mountains. Very rarely do I make a trip with one errand in mind. Very rarely.

~ milk weed pod with insects ~

This photograph is interesting to me and one of my close-ups. I can see I need to work harder on my close-up photography -wry grin-. Around here, and probably most places, milk weed is considered a weed but I consider it food...food for monarch butterflies. The first autumn we lived here, I remember seeing, literally, thousands of monarch butterflies swarm the yard as they feasted on milk weed. Over the years, milk weed has been, systematically killed and I see fewer and fewer monarchs so I'm determined to plant a milk weed garden in the spring. I'm collecting seed pods, letting them dry and saving the seeds for spring. Go thou and do likewise, okay?

An old blue enamel coffee pitcher serves as the vessel and it was full to overflowing!

~ favorite close-up ~

This photograph is my favorite close-up. The milk weed pods, framed by the rag weed, with the hat, pillows and hammock in the background...nice! Can't you imagine taking a warm afternoon snooze here?

I am enjoying this class - learning, exploring, interacting and all associated with the class. It's stretched me because I've allowed myself to be stretched. At first, all I could see were the differences but when I slowed down and focused, I began to see how Holly's class can be applied to me at Thistle Cove Farm. Now, I doubt I'll do a lot of these styled type photo sessions! It took enormous time, effort and energy and my back was aching with the effort at day's end, but, I see how her class is helping me grow and expand my horizons.

Yesterday was another delightful day. A couple of weeks ago, Crystal came to the farm to interview me for a magazine article on knitting. We hit it off like old friends and the chin wagging commenced big time. Yesterday, we resumed chin wagging at lunch, in Bluefield, and I also did some shopping at Joann's Fabric, The Dollar Tree and Tuesday Morning. At Joann's Fabric, I found a yard and half of 100% wool shirting material which I've run through a few hot water cycles in the washer. It's now in the dryer and will soon be ready to be ironed and cut into felted slippers that I'll embellish. The Dollar Tree had some beautiful hand made paper and cards from Thailand and I found some quilting supplies for my quilting buddies over at Tuesday Morning. We're two days from being three months away from Christmas and I'm feeling the pinch to get things ready. Dave and I are hosting his company Christmas party, again, and we're both looking forward to having the house lit up with candles, carols playing in several rooms and lots of good times with good friends. Everyone who works for or is associated with the company will be invited so we're expecting forty or fifty people to come. WOW! Thank goodness this old farmhouse is able to handle even larger crowds, especially in the warmer months when we can spill out into the yard.

"Turn the quiet up", my post title, is from a song I heard yesterday. I'm  not even sure what the rest of the song was about but "turn the quiet up" sums up Thistle Cove Farm. We have quiet in abundance yet not the quiet one would think. At all hours we're hearing bird song, cattle lowing, sheep bleating, horses neighing, trees rustling, cicadas, frogs, dogs and cats. There's very little man made noise unless it's a tractor in the field or someone cutting corn; someone doing something so the rest of humanity eats.

When I stopped to check out the comfort of the hammock, I thought about turning the quiet up; rest for the soul, peace for the mind, a balm in Gilead. Does it get any better? Not on this side of the veil!


Blessings ~ road side harvest ~ milk weed ~ monarch butterflies ~ Holly ~ Blogging Your Way ~ quiet ~
 
Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Attitude & Heroes

 ~ Meri Go Lightly, some say her best side ~

"Cowgirl is an attitude, really. A pioneer spirit, a special American brand of courage. The cowgirl faces life heard on, lives by her own lights, and makes no excuses. Cowgirls take stands, They speak up. They defend the things they hold dear. A cowgirl might be a rancher, or a barrel racer, or a bull rider, or an actress. But, she's just as likely to be checker at the local Winn Dixie, a full-time mother, a banker, an attorney, or an astronaut."   ~ Dale Evans Rogers, 1992 ~

I have three couples as heroes in my life:

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

Billy and Ruth Graham

Jim and Gladys Bennett

 My life overflows.


Blessings ~ heroes ~ cowgirls ~ cowboys ~ taking a stand ~ defending things we hold dear ~  speaking up, for ourselves and those who are afraid ~ attitude ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Sabbath Keeping

 ~ turkey buzzards, waiting for the sun ~

"...your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." 

~ Matthew 6:10 ~

"When the mind thinks nothing, when the soul covets nothing, and the body acteth nothing that is contrary to the will of God, this is perfect sanctification." 

~ found in an old Bible ~

 "If you do not wish for His kingdom, don't pray for it. But if you do, you must do more than pray for it; you must work for it." ~ John Ruskin ~

"It is impossible for us to live in fellowship with God without holiness in all the duties of life. These things act and react on each other. Without a diligent and faithful obedience to the calls and claims of others upon us, our religious profession is simply dead. To disobey conscience when it points to relative duties irritates the whole temper, and quenches the first beginnings of devotion. We cannot go from strife, breaches, and angry words, to God. Selfishness, an imperious will, want of sympathy with the sufferings and sorrows of other men, neglect of charitable offices, suspicions, hard censures of those with whom our lot is cast, will miserably darken our own hearts, and hide the face of God from us." 

~ H. E. Manning ~

"One secret act of self-denial, one sacrifice of inclination to duty, is worth all the mere good thoughts, warm feelings, passionate prayers, in which idle people indulge themselves." 

~ J. H. Newman ~

 "We must have holy hearts and hands,

And feet that go where he comamnds;

A holy will to keep his ways,

And holy lips to speak his praise."

~ Anonymous ~

"If God requires anything of us, we have no right to draw back under the pretext that we are liable to commit some fault in obeying. It is better to obey imperfectly than not at all. Perhaps you ought to rebuke someone dependent on you, but you are silent for fear of giving way to vehemence; --or you avoid the society of certain persons, because they make you cross and impatient. How are you to attain self control, if you shun all occasions of practicing it? Is not such self-choosing a greater fault than those into which you fear to fall? Aim at a steady mind to do right, go wherever duty calls you, and believe firmly that God will forgive the faults that take our weakness by surprise in spite of our sincere desire to please Him." ~ Jean Nicolas Grou ~

"Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say." 

~ Isaiah 28:23 ~

Blessings ~ Sabbath ~ God's voice ~ ears to hear ~ willing feet, hands and lives ~ sanctification ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Through the glass, darkly

 ~ morning fog ~

In August we had 29 fogs which, as the old timers will tell you, means 29 snows this coming winter. Is it true, you ask? Well, I've seen it true every year we've lived here and am anticipating 29 snows this winter. They may be flurries or inches or...O Lordy...feet but we'll have 29 snows to look forward to. This month, we're still having morning fog although not as much as August. We've begun having rain and the alfalfa field, cut only last week, has already begun greening and growing. The horses and sheep should be able to feast on the field by December 30 and we'll take them off the first of March.

My apologies to you, each and every one. A few posts ago, I mentioned my back had been "acting up". That's a nice way of saying it's been hurting like the dickens and the spasms are just plain nasty. It's been all I could do to get chores out of the way and that's been with help. Daniel, our neighbor, has been coming up and helping me and what that really means is, I've been standing there, gasping like a guppy and he's been doing the work. Like someone told me one time when I was helping...or thought I was helping..."you know, this would get done a whole lot faster if I didn't have such good help."

I was crushed. Still am actually. I truly thought I was helping, didn't know I was just in the way.

All that to say, my time on the computer has been quite limited because the typing position aggravates my back, in a serious way. So, please don't think I'm being rude, I'm just in a lot of pain and hope to be back on schedule soon...please God.

I went to the Cove Community Association meeting Tuesday night and they asked me to update the community blog. The exciting news is we're going to have another wagon ride to the Paintlick Indian Paintings. Visit the blog for more information about this fabulous community event. We ride hay wagons several times miles up the road then cross several meadows and pastures, cross ford the Little River, and ride up to the base of the mountain. At that point, it's all feet on earth as people scramble to the top to see the Indian Paintings that are several hundred years old!

The Thompson Valley Community Center is getting ready for their Craft Festival on October 2; see their website for more details.

Kathy has a new blog where she's showcasing her lovely woven goods; check it out. If you have a blog and would like a mention, please let me know. I'm happy to tell others and since Christmas is coming, now is a good time to get the word out.

I have been knitting, a lot, and have some pretty things to show for my time. I've not been watching television but am thinking about watching some DVD's while I knit. Down time, forced down time, doesn't sit well with me. I mean, I was doing really well with keeping the Sabbath every Sunday and doing only those things that had to be done except extra work. Now, it seems I'm to learn new lessons and, truth be told, not quite sure what those lessons are I'm supposed to learn. It's a puzzle, all right.

Take care, all of you. If your need is known to me, you're name is on the prayer list. At least I can still do that!

Blessings ~ wagon rides, craft fairs ~ Indian paintings ~ down time ~ pain meds ~ porch furniture ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Make Hay While the Sun Shines

 ~ cutting the hay field ~

Last week John F. cut our hay on Tuesday with the idea we'd kick and bale on Wednesday. Remember the saying, "Man plans, God laughs"? It's true. Wednesday morning at 6:30 I let the dogs outside and, while standing on the back porch, heard a soft rustling. I looked at the trees but couldn't see them being moved by the wind. In the time it took for this to register, the skies opened and it began to pour. Then, it proceeded to pour, off and on, all day long. My heart sank. I was really, really counting on this hay being baled for square hay and stored in the barn loft. So, I did what I could do and that was look up to heaven and say, "Well God, if you want your hay to get wet, it's all right with me."  Even so, my heart still sank.

~ almost finished ~

Probably, I should have taken photos of the hay field while rain was pouring down but I just couldn't. Every time I looked, and I looked plenty, my heart just sank. Square hay keeps much longer than round hay and is better in protein and more nutritious for my animals. Round bales have more loss because they are set on the ground and the loss comes from being in contact with the ground. Square hay is stored in the hay loft, away from weather and will keep for a few years.

Thursday dawned bright, sunny and hot. Perfect hay curing weather but the men who help us couldn't help on Thursday. All day long, I would wander to the window and stare at our cut hay on the ground.

Friday morning was much like Thursday morning and hope dawned as a spark. Around 11:00, John M. came over to tether the hay...put it up in rows so the hay could dry easier and the baler could pick it up easier. A little later, Red came to bale it and by 2:30 the first wagon was loaded and ready to go to the barn.

~ ready for the barn loft ~

~ Bob, Daniel, Red and Tom ~

I was so over the moon, this is the last photo of the day. I totally forgot to take photos of the men loading the hay into the loft, which they did until 7:30. We were expecting rain at 6:00 but it held off... Praise God! All 377 bales of hay were put up dry and Daniel said it was the prettiest hay he's seen this year. God was so gracious and good to us; we have DRY hay and that's a miracle in any farmer's book.

~ beautiful, beautiful hay ~

What, you may well ask, does this have to do with you? Not much other than it's the age old story of farming and food. If you've eaten lately, thank a farmer. If you've used electricity lately, thank a coal miner. Both farmers and miners put their lives on the line every single day so we can eat and read by a light bulb and not candle light. Farmers are at the mercy of weather - rain, snow, sleet, sun shine - and it's a crap shoot, so to speak, every single day. Crops live and die due to the lack or over abundance of rain; animals live and die due to the lack or over abundance of snow, sleet, hail. A farmer gets up in the morning, every single morning, and goes out and does what needs doing so the rest of us can eat.

Think about it the next time you shop at the grocery store, or, better yet, shop at your local farmers' market. Think about it and then...thank a farmer.


Blessings ~ rain, in season ~ sun, in season ~ dry hay ~ farmers ~ miners ~ food ~ John F. ~ John M. ~ Bobby ~ Tommy ~ Red ~ Daniel ~ Doug ~ David ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Sabbath Keeping

 ~ the way home ~

 "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him." ~ Psalms 62:1 ~

"The prayer of faith is a sincere, sweet, and quiet view of divine, eternal truth. The soul rests quiet, perceiving and loving God sweetly rejecting all the imaginations that present themselves, calming the mind in the Divine presence, and fixing it only on God." ~ M. Molinos ~

"The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" ~ Psalm 27:1 ~

"What a pity we don't pursue the salvation of humans with the same verve we pursue the salvation of animals." ~ unknown ~

"In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell." ~ William Booth, founder of Salvation Army ~

"You're born. You suffer. You die. Fortunately, there's a loophole." 

~ Billy Graham ~

"He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent." 

~ Augustine ~

"Salvation is God's way of making us real people." 

~ Augustine ~

"Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do." ~ Thomas Aquinas ~

"In contradistinction to the Gospel of Christ, the gospel of Satan teaches salvation by works."
~ A. W. Pink ~ 

"There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. 

The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now."  

~ James Arthur Baldwin ~

"You have to do it yourself, no one else will do it for you. You must work out your own salvation."
~ Charles E. Popplestone ~

"All I know is this works. It's not only worked for me, but I've seen it work for literally thousands and thousands of people. I have seen the transformation on people's faces when they receive Christ. I've seen
the glory come on them, the light." ~ Joyce Meyer ~

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." 

~ John 3:36 ~

Blessings ~ salvation ~ Christ ~ Sabbath Keeping ~ dry hay ~ a lovely day ~ food in the pantry ~ sweet water from the well ~
Grace and Peace,
Sandra

Sabbath Keeping

 

 ~ my earthly home ~

"Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

~ Matthew 11:28-29 ~

"Oh, look not at thy pain or sorrow, how great soever, but look from them, look off them, look beyond them, to the Deliverer! whose power is over them, and whose loving, wise, and tender spirit is able to do thee good by them. The Lord lead thee, day by day, in the right way, and keep thy mind stayed upon Him, in whatever befalls thee, that the belief of His love and hope in His mercy, when thou art at the lowest ebb, may keep up thy head above the billows." ~ Isaac Pennington ~

"I have learned

To look on nature, not as in the hour

Of thoughtless youth, but hearing oftentimes

The still, sad music of humanity,

Not harsh nor grating, though of ample power

To chasten and subdue. And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy

Of elevated thoughts, a sense sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused,

Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,

And the round ocean and the living air,

And the blue sky, and in the mind of man:

A motion and a spirit, that impels

All thinking things, all objects of all thought,

And rolls through all things."

~ William Wordsworth ~

 "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it." ~ Abraham Lincoln ~

 "Thou has made us for Thyself, and the heart never resteth till it findeth rest in Thee."

~ Augustine of Hippo ~

"Sometimes the most urgent thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest." ~ Ashleigh Brillant ~

"So shines a good deed in a weary world." ~ Shakespeare ~ 

"The Princess Elizabeth, of England, was found dead with her head resting on her bible, open at these words, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." So many we all fall asleep at last when the day's work for Jesus is over, and wake up in heaven to find ourselves in the delicious rest that remaineth for the people of God." ~ Theodore Ledyard Cuyler ~

"The world is weary of statesmen whom democracy has degraded into politicians." 

~ Benjamin Disraeli ~

Oh, give Thine own sweet rest to me,
  That I may speak with soothing power
    A word in season, as from Thee,
      To weary ones in needful hour. 
              ~ Frances R. Havergal ~

 "Those who rest among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life."

~ Rachel Carson ~

 "Spiritual rest makes no man idle, spiritual walking makes no man weary." ~ Nathaniel Hardy ~

"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." ~ Isaiah 40:31 ~

Blessings ~ rest for the weary ~ Jesus Christ ~ Bible, King James Version ~ wisdom ~ beauty ~ good deeds ~


Grace and Peace and Rest be yours,
Sandra

Maybe I'm too old for this...

 ~ fog following Maiden Spring ~

 In August, we had fog every morning save two and that means a snow for every fog...twenty-nine. It doesn't look as much as 29 but it's still the same thing...a whole lotta bunches of snow coming on and I'm scurrying to ready the farm and home. Oh yeah, the back thing. My back is a lot better and that's a good thing because the work doesn't wait but it does pile up. We have three horses that are in hospital again and that means they are in a short lot, needing attention and meds twice a day and special food. Misha sent me a couple of grazing muzzles and, eventually, they will be put to use but for now, the horses are on a  short lot until they are more stable. If you're one of those people who think grazing muzzles are cruel, then let's just agree to disagree, okay? I'm a trifle cranky from being on my feet for more than twelve hours and as long as we pay the taxes around here, we're the only ones who get a vote.

~ wild turkeys ~

We're seeing a lot of wild turkeys this autumn and a lot of deer; I only hope there's plenty of food for them this winter. I hate to see anything go hungry which is, in part, why I've got horse troubles. I tend to err on the side of "here, have something more to eat." Okay for humans, not so much for horses.

~ Cove Road ~

Cove Road is where we live; isn't it beautiful? We're having a lovely Autumn and, yes, I do know it's not truly Autumn but we're close...so very close. The temperatures have been a trifle cooler and I'm loving not having to work for each breath.

~ fog rolling over the mountains ~

I dearly love watching the fog roll over the mountains. You can see it coming for miles and miles and it blankets everything with white and it also makes everything sort of sound proof. Sound doesn't carry as well in a fog and scent hugs the ground making it a wonderland for dogs. Animals go to ground in a heavy fog, finding shelter and waiting it out until the sun shines again.

~ Sam, watching from a safe place ~

For whatever reason, Sam didn't take a liking to our horse vet and, at the end of the morning, he took a safe position between my legs. "You wanna a piece of me, ya gotta come through Mom first!" He and Sadie are such winsome little characters.

Thankfully, tomorrow is Sunday and as we keep the Sabbath, I'll do little more than tend to animals, go to church, fix lunch and hold down the porch furniture while I'm knitting or reading. I've been turning out projects soon to be showcased in my Studio. Today, someone came to interview me for a magazine article and commissioned me to knit her a scarf in Autumnal colors. Guess I'll have to knit two of those as those are my colors as well -smile.

Did you notice my Thistle Cove Farm button to the upper left? Sandra drew and Angela made it into a button; clever women both! Thank you Angela and Sandra; well done indeed! Now, to figure out how to add a navigation bar so I can link to my Studio, Farm Maven and Farm sites.

Sweet dreams, all.

Blessings ~ knitting ~ healthy animals and humans ~ fog ~ beautiful days ~ deep breaths ~ wildlife ~


Grace and Peace,
Sandra