looking forward to winter...

I have always loved winter..

especially winters heaped in mounds of lots of white snow.

I adore the mittens, and scarves, and hats…

The cozy blankets,

and wonderful sweaters…

simply adore.

Perhaps growing up the child of immigrants,

with hand knit wonderful socks and sweaters and blankets…

made all the difference for me.

I was taught to enjoy the fresh air,

the sunshine,

to embrace the crisp fresh clean cold air; 

enjoying it for what it was… 

a season.

The past few two winters, were bitter painful for me however.

I confess to NOT being prepared.

Not having the right clothing options,

NOT layering,

NOT knowing what to do about the bitter icy pain that shot through my brain

without even opening the door…

Something in my brain…

in my bones

robbing me of this beloved season.

Recently I read an article about embracing Winter the way they do in Norway,

and other cultures where it is cold much of the year,

and it all came back to me.

While my pains may be there,

and my brain MAY not be helped..

there are still things that I can do to try to really 

enjoy what I can

of this MOST magical time of the year...

first off, I thought I would take a gander

through some of my favorite photo's…

sort of in .. anticipation of the snow to come..

Seeing the snow upon the land,

as it shall be once again..

so elegant,

dressing the trees in glory.

I love walking through the woods,

or sometimes, snow shoeing …

and seeing the way the light dances off the branches...

and the leaves…

crunch

squish

careful not to slip...

here so very heavy laden

the branches are kissing the ground

light on barbed wire...

it was a grand day..

so heaped with the heavy snow…

such a joy to walk through a white Narnia

to walk under and not have the snow fall upon me.. 

or the camera…

THAT was my goal...

a winter wonderland

lights…

and darks.. 

a tangle of branches..

turn the corner and everything feels SO dark..

so pretty

and around a bend again.. so bright..

so light 

so airy

like I have all the time in the world left to me..

but..

I know.. that I don't..

Oh.. when WILL it snow again?

I remember this day so fondly now… 

it all comes back to me..

the twists and turns of the trail

my feet wanting to walk.. just a LITTLE further

see a little beyond...

but.. I am loosing my light

as I head back towards the farm house… 

I catch just a couple more sweet shots..

yes.. .

these photos make me look forward to winter..

they make me want to dig out some warm gear..

take inventory

buy some flannel sheets perhaps…

I recently found some terrific new warm slippers...

look for some long johns,

and woolen socks…

yes..

indeed..

I love the way the ice makes designs on my windows..

Jack Frost has had quite a grand time

looks like some brilliantly crafted glass…

but it's not..

it's just frost and ice

on a very cold winters evening…

are you quite ready for winter…

my heart…

is nearly ready..

my wardrobe..

is not..

but I can work towards it…

I can do THAT much..

and THAT, will make winter… so much more lovely

for me, 

and for the children too…

The innards...

I had a friend ask me the other day…what was INSIDE farmhouse

on Blessings Farm… 

and it occurred to me, in scoping out my much neglected blog..

that I have NOT been keeping you all current with the 

inner workings of the old farm house..

so here is an update..

minus

the bathroom, and the back four seasons porch..

both of which I failed to photograph...

this is our "library"

complete with a day bed..

which is super cozy for snuggling up and reading, chatting in..

In the winter months,

outdoor furniture comes in here,

making this a great game room,

conversation room.

It's a really lovely space.

The view from the window is peaceful and relaxing.

The Living Room, which attaches to the Library, 

is home to instruments.

you can see the door way is extra wide, 

someday I hope to have beautiful brilliant red french doors there.

Here we house instruments, and people jam here, 

play games here, 

it's a fun space also, and much worship and silliness can be made in this space.

This is the "lounge"

It is home to our "groovy chairs"

Which are sadly falling apart…

I will be thrift storing it … 

on the hunt for some equally "groovy" ones

Here people chill out,

hang next to the kitchen, chatting it up with the "chef",

or just drink their coffee in the morning enjoying the lovely views.

You will notice the beautiful antique buffet table..

fabulous thrift find at a garage sale…

yes it was uber cheap… this is NOT some piece that is actually 

an expensive piece in the hiding..

I painted it to hide it's flaws, and simply loved it's size and practicality

and it's LOOK.

We often have a great many people staying here,

so this is where we put out the food more often than not..

This is where crock pots are lined up, and plugged in, 

it's line up buffet style at Blessings Farm!

When one goes up the stairs in the ol' Farm house at Blessings Farm,

(the stairs I am still needing to paint)

one will notice that each door is painted a different color..

so .. you may be told which COLOR you are staying in.

This… is the Yellow Room..

The room, isn't fully decorated yet.. 

But the door is..

The bed.. is sadly NEARLY ready for replacement.. 

but the space is truly lovely!

yes.. that is space for 2 mattresses..

we do rough it a little… 

we don't have all bed frames YET..

but we do have mattresses … 

We are still a work in progress..

The Red Door..

Can sleep…

I believe 9 or 10.. 

because of extra mattresses 

tucked away..

and the Queen bed tucked in the corner..

Two CAN sleep on that.. 

and the "blue" room

this one is my beloved's and my own..

this one we don't share..

it is the Littlest Room in the house..

I rather like it..

we sQEEZed a king sized bed into this teeny tiny space..

and we are loving it!

so 

very very 

cozy!

That's all..

well

for now..

All the Pretty Ladies… and Pinterest..

It's Winter on the Farm..

and ALL my pretty ladies are needing their home to be

winterized..

they,

like any good and proper lady, want all their things…

just. so.

tidy,

and warm, and COZY.

So it was that time of year that we would do JUST that.

Over thanksgiving week.

Mind you, some years, we must do it quite a bit sooner,

but the weather has been holding out JUST fine,

and that was… perhaps a dangerous thing.

because… I happen to love Pinterest,

and Pinterest, it got me some ideas… you know..

on how to cozy things up a bit better.

we DID just how we always do, and got those ladies

their wood shavings,

and their Straw.

(this is different than hay, for all you suburbanites, 

and you city-ites)

but … I found this SUPER cool Idea on interest…

using PVC pipes…

like THIS one I found on PINTEREST…

cool right..

well.. I "thought" we could do like a row of these,

because we have so many chickens..

but…

I married… MACHINE Man after all… 

and He has that "engineering mind…"

and he wanted to see "other options"

so.. I … showed him.

not remembering WHY…

why I liked this one the best..

see..

that brain tumor thing..

or the brain tumor surgery thing,

has really done…

"something" with my memory..

so..

I totally just FORGOT my reasons… 

(don't worry.. I remembered.. later.. )

and..

after showing him other cool plans

he found another HE liked better than MY idea 

***smiles***

moments in marriages

that you all who are married can relate to

blissful..

kissable..

laughable..

WONDERFUL moments

that make us giggle always..

so thankful

its affordable

cheap PVC piping..

oh…

Pinterest..

anyhow..

The Tree Gardener was in for the big Hunt

and the fella's decided to to this in between…

here they have drilled the JUMBO holes..

and now The Tree Gardener is filing away..

(his other job is an Engineer… boring right?  but it pays better than I do… sadly)

here are the lovely ladies

anxiously awaiting...

wondering WHAT on earth those men are doing???

Such a LOT of noise!

loving the BLAZY orange?

I think the ladies are a bit freaked out by him actually...

busy busy filing away..

The drill really made rather sharp edges.. 

and we don't want our ladies injured..

here we have nestled their boxes with nice warm new straw..

it will be patted down in NO time ..

as soon as WE get OUT of THEIR space..

we are So annoying them..

and HERE is the final contraption..

theory is..

Pour the feed on both end..

It should hold quite a bit of feed and slowly let it down to where the ladies 

can GET at it..

problem..??

We use a NON GMO feed…

that is very fine

and it clumps, and does not fall the way whole pieces of grain will fall, 

and theoretically fall in to place… 

if I were dropping whole pieces of dried corn.. or something,

THIS would work PERFECTLY..

this did NOT work perfectly..

I need to perhaps ADD some organic whole grains to my mix..

to help it along.. 

because it all STUCK in the L shape..

mind you…

it wouldn't have happened with the design I originally picked..

and THIS is when I remembered

WHY

I picked that one..

so inconvenient 

this brain thing…

not AT all helpful..

and VERY annoying to 

Machine Man INDEED!

but

all is bliss..

it's NOT like they won't get fed..

we still have our tried and true feeding system from last year..

NOT as cool..

but they won't starve..

they just won't have as much space to play!

all is well in the land of the 

Pretty LADIES…