Christmas Is For You!

December 9, 2014 in Smorgasbord, Snippets with 0 Comments

Christmas TreesToday I got to visit our many friends at the local care center. My partners and I were greeted by dozens of kind faces gathering in the lobby. We joined the folks there for Christmas caroling!

To sing to/with our friends at the care center, some plans had to be made and implemented. Before leaving the house:

  • I tuned my guitar.
  • I fed our cat.
  • I donned my red-silk Christmas jacket.
  • I found the German words of “Silent Night” or “Stille Nacht.”
  • Hymnals and guitar in tow, I set off to town.

The weather, though foggy, provided for good clear roads, as I traveled. My timing worked well. I made it to the care center a bit ahead of schedule. Hurray, my plan worked!

This time of year brings back memories of Christmases past, with songs and carols of the season. We brought a home-made bass, 2 guitars, a tambourine and microphones.  We used the piano provided by the care center. We sang and occasionally the audience joined in a sing-along. What fun it was to reminisce musically.

Many residents at the care center grew up in German-speaking homes. What a pleasure it was to sing, “Stille Nacht” for them before we entered into the worshipful singing of the English words to “Silent Night.” How special it was to view residents singing along.  In any language, this Christmas is a reflection of that first Christmas that has influenced and forever changed so many of our lives.

Our care center friends certainly helped kick-off the Christmas season for me and my musical partners. They may think we served them by singing.  But, it is my opinion, they served us.

I hope that you, too, will find some creative way to share the joy and love of Christmas with others.  Wherever you are, whoever you are, Jesus’ birth was for you. He came into this world to bring you deliverance from your sins. Do have a Merry Christmas.

As the angel said, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10, 11 (KJV)  Rejoice, Christmas is for you.

There is still time to share some Christmas joy and love by sending Christmas card designs from our store. Happy browsing and Merry Christmas!

Photo credit: Bretta Grabau

Hello November

November 19, 2014 in Verse by Verse with 0 Comments

holstein facesOn my way out to the mailbox, again I felt inspired to write.

I was greeted by the curious cattle as I trod  past their lot.  Frigid temperatures filled the air and spread over the landscape.

small__8289021787Off in the far distance on a rise in our land stood a deer.  Her profile captivated my attention.  What a treat to see her against the backdrop of snow.  By the time I reached my mailbox, she bounded off across the road and on to our neighbor’s field.

As I returned to the farmhouse a little song rang in my head.  I wrote a few words that I think are cheerful as we enter the wintry season filled with cold, snow, drifts, arctic air, etc.

These lyrics I go with a tune I used to sing to my young children.  The tune belongs to the song, “Hello, My Baby.”

“Hello, November”

Hello, November,

How I remember

Summertime’s radiant glow;

Temp’ratures warm and fun,

Working out in the sun.

Now it’s a story of winter’s glory

Blanketing earth with snow.

Oh-oh-oh, sub-zero

Weather, here we go!

 

photo credit: Hunter-Desportes via photopin cc
photo credit: tuchodi via photopin cc

A “Home-made Christmas”

October 13, 2014 in Family Ties, Fresh Off the Farm with 0 Comments

632-Nativity-SceneMany of us have traditions of family Christmases long ago that we zero in on each year.  Christmas, based on the generously lavish gift God sent into the world, i. e., the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior, awakens generosity and gift-giving in people all over the world. Our little home is no exception.

One Christmas, it looked like we would be short of cash.  We determined that we would all have a “Home-made Christmas.” We included the kids in this little concept. Each of the kids got a chance to make gifts for one other and for Mom and Dad.

  • Our eldest made me a foot stool of wood with an upholstered cushion.
  • My husband and I fashioned a doll out of wooden spools for our young daughter.
  • My husband made me a small wooden nativity scene to set on our window sill. He designed a second one as a toy for our small daughter.

Not all of the gifts were made of wood.  My husband likes candy. What a perfect gifts we made for him from our kitchen…peanut brittle and toffee.

Though the home-made gifts worked for us when money was scarce, we need not wait for that reason to make Christmas home-made. Let me encourage you to try it. You may have many resources in your home and garage with which to work.  Be creative. You have plenty of time to get working on it. There are still over 2 months till Christmas. Not only will you be making a gift, you will make a memory!

To purchase cards with the “Nativity” design, drawn of the gift my husband made, follow this link to our store.

Would you like ideas for gift-making? Try this website: http://www.mommysavers.com/frugal-christmas-25-days-of-homemade-gift-ideas/

Sketch by Wenda Grabau

Velvet:Cat Epilogue

October 10, 2014 in Fresh Off the Farm, Snippets with 0 Comments

cat hunting, cat in grass, black and white cat,Epilogue: This little story illustrates a spiritual lesson or parable, if you wish.  The cat is like people, beloved by the farmer and his family.  The farmer and his family represent God, the Father and God, the Son.

Velvet, the cat, was doing her own thing, trespassing on the farmer’s territory.  It was natural for her look after her needs, but she was not aware that doing it on the farmer’s field was placing herself in danger. It is true that man is like this cat.  He lives life on his own not aware of God’s authority and rule over his life or of His wishes for man’s welfare.  Man does not recognize that in taking charge of his own life, he is trespassing in God’s territory. Man may even be ignoring God.

The farmer’s wife cared about the cat, a fact of which the cat was unaware.  The wife expressed her concern for the cat’s welfare in words to her daughter. Similarly, when God sees that man is in danger of destruction, He says so.  He provided His Word to communicate that to us.  In John 1:1, it says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The gospel continues in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Just like farmer’s daughter coming to the cat to rescue it from danger in the hay field, Jesus came from His home in heaven to rescue mankind from the danger that he was in.

Real life situations can illustrate things about God, like it did in Velvet’s case. Though these are imperfect reflections of God Himself and His deeds, there is a perfect place to learn about Him.  God’s Word, the Holy Bible, provides the information and the power to change our lives.  Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper that any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (NKJV) I hope you were encouraged by Velvet’s story. Let God’s Word be your biggest encouragement.

We have a card that may bring you pleasure.  It is called “Family Bible”.  Find it in our store.

photo credit: wallygrom via photopin cc

Velvet:Cat Exposed

October 6, 2014 in Fresh Off the Farm, Snippets with 0 Comments

black and white cat, cat,Unbeknownst to me, eyes had spotted me.  The Farmer’s wife seated on the tractor saw me in flight as I pounced on my lunch. She also saw me disappear from sight.

The time to bale the hay in the field where I hunted had come. This field was next on her list.  The tractor began to move along the rows of fluffed hay, pulling the baler that picked it up and packed the hay into small bales. Farmer’s daughter removed the bales from the baler and loaded and stacked them on the trailing hay wagon. This didn’t bother me, I stuck to my job of hunting.

Hay just before it is baled out in the field,Farmer’s wife and daughter both knew I was in the field, but since I had already dove beneath the hay, they could not figure out in which row I was hiding.  Farmer’s wife temporarily parked the tractor. “I sure would hate to bale that cat!”

“Me, too,” her daughter agreed.

They began their job once again and baled more hay. The workers and machinery circled the hayfield several times. Still I remained cool and hid in my fluffy cover. All at once, another field creature happened my way. Farmer’s daughter spied my reaction. She lit off of the hay wagon running toward me.

She startled me so that I missed my target and ran for dear life.  I left the field for my shed and my little ones. The tractor and baler kept moving ahead and cleaned up all the hay on that field.  I am glad I did not stay there after all. I will try again there tomorrow, but with all of that hay gone, there is no place to hide.  Hunting will be different, I might need to find a new place to work.

For a good look at tractor, see our antique tractor card in our store.

If old tractors are your interest, you might like to visit this website: http://marvinbaumann.com/index.php

photo credit: Bev Goodwin via photopin cc
photo credit:Wenda Grabau

Velvet:Cat Under Cover

October 3, 2014 in Farming Fancies, Snippets with 0 Comments

Hi there! I am a young, nimble cat. I live on a dairy farm…Heritage Farm. My name is Velvet.

black and white cat, cat,My heritage here began when my grandpa, Mustache, settled here. His name came from his deep, black coat, highlighted on his muzzle with pure white patches that resembled a white mustache. My mother, another mostly black cat, had white beauty marks that made her stand out in a crowd. I came along resembling my mother. I have a velvety black coat with white slippers and a white bib on my chest. I am pretty cute. I have a small litter of kittens. So you can see that our heritage here is quite extensive.

My litter and I made a home in one of the farm sheds. The kittens have been exploring their world amongst the many hay bales that are stored for the calves to eat. They still depend on me for a lot of their care.

hay, drying hay, hay field, raked hay,One sunny day, I left the shed in search of food for my belly. The farmer and his family have a neat field of hay growing a few feet away from my shed. So I went out there searching for my lunch. I particularly like to hide in the hay and wait for a juicy mouse to pass by.

The farmer had cut the hay several days earlier. But on this day, he rolled each row of hay into what looked like a long fluffy rope. That was all the more interesting for me. You see, the fluffed hay was taller and was an easier place in which to hide. So, that is just what I did.

I heard the rumbling of the farmer’s tractor shake the the ground beneath me. I got used to it, so I stayed in my hiding place waiting patiently for my dinner to walk by. All of a sudden, sure enough, a field mouse ambled into my space.

I jumped up above the hay and dove down to get it. What a easy way to eat! I did not have to drive-in to eat, my dinner drove-in to my place. I decided to stick around for a second helping. Once again, I crawled under the canopy of hay to wait.

Do you like cat stories? Then you might like to try http://janjackson.net/?cat=5

photo credit: Bev Goodwin via photopin cc
photo credit:Wenda Grabau

Consider the Hay

September 29, 2014 in Fresh Off the Farm, Snippets with 0 Comments

Rows of hay, Raked hay, alfalfaMany things can be learned from the world we live in.  During His life on Earth, Jesus advised, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28b-30 NKJV) If, as He stated, we can learn things from things that grow in the field, it will benefit us to consider the fields.

corn plants, corn in the field, field corn, green field corn,As we worked bringing in the hay harvest, I particularly enjoyed the view. Elevated in the tractor seat, I get a wider view of the the landscape.  On this particular day, we baled a hilly field.  From the tractor seat, mounted on the rise of a hill, I saw acres of cut, dried hay neatly raked into rows awaiting the harvest.  Between each row, stubble, alive and growing, remained. Fence lines sported colors from goldenrod and other wildflowers in bloom. Beyond the hayfield, acres of corn waved in the breeze.  Still further in the distance rose hardwood forests.

Before this day came, rain loomed in the forecast. Steady sunshine was a must for the hay crop. Without the sun’s drying influence, the hay could mold in the storage shed or be unfit for storage altogether.  With winter sure to come, feed for our cattle is a necessity.  Waiting for the good crop and abundant sunshine came along with much tension and concern.  How grateful we were that though rain was coming, the Lord parted the clouds for the morning and afternoon to bless us with the sun’s warming presence.

The cut, raked hay dried and baled well due the sun. The short stubble hay needed the sun for growth, as did the corn as it matured in the neighboring fields. Trees, off in the distance, craved sunshine for photosynthesis and the production of sugar to support their very lives.

I pondered this question.  “In 3-square feet of the field, how many plants might be rooted and dependent on the sun.”  Of course,  I had no time to measure this exactly.  But this question illustrated to me how massive an influence the sun has on the land.  Not every plant which depends on the sun is the same or even similar.  Their needs and growth differ. But this one sun affects each small plant or seed that embeds itself in the earth.

God is like that.  So many individuals on Earth are similar in that they need Him.  They are not all the same, but God supplies them with life itself. People have a vast amount of needs and yet, only this one God supplies all for everyone. He cares about each one of them.

I hope that this time of “considering the…fields” of hay helps you to picture what grows in the field and to understand more deeply how God reaches out everywhere and knows each of His creations.

photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau

For a fun look at another hay field try  http://artbyannaayres.com/works/1270914/hay-field-triptych .

photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau

Beans, Beans, Beans – Part 3

September 2, 2014 in Fresh Off the Farm with 0 Comments

green beans, pole beans, cleaning beans, beans,

Washing Green Beans

Processing green beans can be tedious. First, the beans must be washed.  Bush beans hang close to the garden soil.  They come in pretty dirty.  These pole beans are mostly hanging in the air off of the garden floor.  That makes the cleaning phase easier.  I rinse them several times in cold water. Then I move on to phase two.

green beans, beans, snipping beans, knife, cutting board,

Snipping Green Beans

 

 

This phase is snipping.  The stem-end of the bean and the tip of the other end must be removed.  This can be done by hand or with a knife and cutting board as shown here.  The knife and board method is much quicker when time is of the essence.

At this point there are a few options for the cook to decide upon.

    1. Cut the beans
    2. French the beans or
    3. Leave them whole
Stainless steel kettle holds 8 quarts or more

Stainless Steel Kettle

When this part of the processing is done, we are ready to blanch the beans. Blanching partially cooks the beans in preparation for the freezer. To blanch bean, bring water to a boil, then add the beans, cover the kettle with its lid and time the boiling for  4 minutes.   Then plunge the beans in a cold water bath to cool them quickly. When the beans a sufficiently cooled, you may package them in your freezer bags or containers. Label the packages with the contents and the year in which the processing was done.

There you have a little information on how I do my bean, beans, beans.  You may find other sources stimulating, too.  You might like to check out how to freeze green beans at this link as well.

 

photo credits:Wenda Grabau

Beans, Beans, Beans – Part 2

August 27, 2014 in Fresh Off the Farm with 0 Comments

beans, pole beans, bean poles,

Two Crops of Beans Sharing the Poles and Fence

The pole beans were planted in June. Rains pounded many times that month.  Many of my garden seeds did not come up.  They washed away.  Several beans did not come up either.  They must have had too much rain to survive.  So I had to replant some. My crop came up in 2 shifts.  Some were tall, others were short.  I think that the short ones had a harder time thriving in the wake of the older, taller, shade-making plants.

beans, green beans, ruler, pole beans,

Long, Edible, Giant Beans

Still with all of the struggle to survive, the blossoms came on both plantings of beans. My first picking was a few handfuls of tender, 3-4 inch beans. The young beans tasted fine.

In a few days, I went out to pick again.  This time I saw huge beans. Some reached 9-inches long.  I felt like writing a story called “Wendy and the Beanstalk”.  I met up with giant beans!

I am still picking beans. As long as they keep getting picked, they will continue to blossom and bear. So I will keep at it. I want plenty of beans processed and at home in my freezer.

The quality and taste of these beans please me.  They are a bit easier to harvest since I pick some bending over, while at other times I can stand up and pick. It is much easier on my back and knees than the bush beans I have used in the past.

The season is not over yet.  I may discover some things not so nice about them. But for now, I am glad we tried raising pole beans this year.

For more information on pole beans follow this link.

 

Beans, Beans, Beans – Part 1

August 25, 2014 in Fresh Off the Farm with 0 Comments

bean poles, pole beans,

Young Bean Plants Too Small to Reach Heavenward

We plant beans in our garden as a staple crop. Beans enhance many meals at this house. I generally plant the bush bean variety. This year’s planting went similar to many years past. I planted beans again, except that this year I chose pole beans.

When I perused my seed catalogs earlier in the year, I asked my husband if he thought pole beans would be okay to try. He responded with, “That should be easy.” I concluded that he agreed with trying this different bean. So I ordered them.

When we got time to plant the garden, he asked me about where the beans will go in the garden and expected me to get busy planting the in rows like I usually do.  Taken aback by this assumption, I returned, “These are pole beans.”

He came back with,”What’s your plan?”

“Well, when I asked you about ordering the beans, you sounded like it was easy and I thought that you had a plan.”

My son overheard this exchange between his mom and dad and chuckled.

With raised eyebrows, my husband answered with a grin, “Ah-h-h.” He turned and off he went to the machine shed.  He came back with his post hole digger, some posts, woven wire and baler twine.  Soon he has a frame fashioned where the beans could grow.

I expected skinny, metal posts. . .he gave me sturdy wooden ones. I expected posts 4-feet high. . .he gave me ones that towered over my head. Such deluxe treatment I got in the garden that day!

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