Farmer Ann Plans A Vacation

A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking.
Earl Wilson



Oh joy, oh joy.  My sister and my daughter and my nephew have offered to give me and Jim a week's vacation this summer.  (Bout time).

No, really, I am so grateful.

(only been doing this for 5 &@*#%$! years)

No, really, it's great to get time away and I love it that they can make it happen.

(GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!)

Sorry guys, writer's license.

So, what to do?  what to do.

I looked at the canadian rockies, but Jim doesn't have a passport.

I looked at Silverton CO, but it's so hard to get there

I looked at Colorado Springs but I did that with Mom years ago.

I looked at Charleston, but that was too near.

Jim suggested Washington DC, but hell will freeze over before I go in an election year.

I looked at Key Largo and the Everglades, yeah right, in July...

I looked at the Shennendoah Valley, but it covered too much territory.

I look at Lexington Kentucky,  OOOOOHHH.  It's got wineries, it's got breweries, it's got distilleries, it's got war of northern aggression sites, it's got bluegrass music, it's only 10 hours away.   SCORE.

So here is where we will be staying for 6 days.

Historic 1780's Log & Stone House with Modern Conveniences

Nestled in the rolling hills of Kentucky's horse country, our restored log and stone house is located on a working cattle and horse farm. Rodgers Creek runs beside the house and empties into larger Stoner Creek close by. A view from the kitchen overlooks Creekview Farm, a Coolmore property. From the opposite dining area window, cows and calves could be grazing in the field.

DOUBLE SCORE

So I booked the house, am booking the wardens' flights, and will dream of booking out in July.

Book Book

Farmer Ann Makes A Bench

“I can look at the knot in a piece of wood until it frightens me.” - William Blake




Yes, Folks, I made a bench.  And yes, the knots are frightening cause you can't drive a screw through one.

bench, a bench

A cedar bench

And I did it all my ownself (except Jim cut the legs for me).  It's for the meditation garden that I am fixing to do at church this spring, as part of the green initiative.  I still need to fine sand it and seal it, but I am proud of my work.  Yeah, Hungh.


The weather has been cold.  Around 20 at night.  My eheater decided to work after I got the greenhouse heater in.  I don't really want to run the greenhouse heater until I get another thermostat system.  I can't get it to go low enough not to run all night, and it can get kinda expensive.  I need to enclose one side of the mini-greenhouse to make the space smaller.  That would help.


I'm really getting antsy to plant my seeds, but I can't do it til Feb 4 and 5 according to the good book.  I've got my trays preped and ready to go and have got all my seed orders filled.  I'm not doing squash or potatoes this year, but am doing leeks and bok choy.


So to pass the time, I went to the library and got a card.  Now I can download books from the library website to my kindle.  I LOVE the kindle.  I have started reading again.  I downloaded the Fredrick Douglass autobiography and can't wait to start that, but I have a few short stories to finish first.


Tomorrow I am going with the aunties to visit some relatives in Lumberton.  In preparation, I spent a lot of the day on Ancestry and added a lot more family members.  It's really fascinating what you can find.  I found out that there are about 60 letters from my Great Great Grandfather archived in Raleigh at the state library, dealing with the time he spent in the war of northern aggression.  I really want to see these letters!


The cockers are doing well.  The egg production is up to 6 eggs per day.  Pilgrim and JW are still circling the wagons (eg hens).  Here is a short film.

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Everything New is Old Again

“Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.” - Unknown


I have started out on the right food foot.  I decided that the reason I can't seem to stick to a calorie count diet is that I get stressed trying to come up with new things to eat.  So I found a vegetarian 28 day diet with 1200 calories a day, with attractive food, with variety, with step by step recipes.  I am on the 13 day and I am bored with the variety.  I have to cook wonderful tasting dishes every day.  I need a chef to do it for me.


But I do like the smoothies.


I also going to the gym at least 4 times per week.  I made a 6 month commitment today.  Friday the 13th.  What can go wrong?  I've loaded my Kindle with free books and that keeps me unfocused on my workout.


So the upshot?  8 lbs gone so far.  It probably could be more, but I gotta have my wine.


I've also got the garden bug.  I looked through my Johnny seed catalogue and my Bakers heirloom seed catalogue.  I've dusted off the garden layout.  I've pulled out my seeds from last year and divided them into planting categories.  I've downloaded the good book for 2012 onto my Kindle.  I've got all my seed trays out and will prep them this weekend.  Come feb first, its Grow Grow Grow.


I am still having issues with my mini porch greenhouse.  Seems like the high effeciency heater I got is so effecient, it doesn't use any energy 1/2 the time.  I don't know why it won't work when I need it most.  So I ordered another specifically for greenhouse use.  I'm not sure what to do with the E-heater.  I suppose I should call the company and find out what is wrong with the unit.  But I expect things to work right all the time I guess.


The cockers are doing well.  Pilgrim is growing his spurs now, but he still doesn't have the respect of all the hens.  Some still chase him.  He has successfully mounted some of them and I even saw him attack JW when JW got one of Pilgrim's conquests.  Another month and there may be major fights.  I just hope that they will settle it without any bad injuries.  


Saddle girl has all of her feathers now.  Thank goodness.  It has gotten into the teens at night. The bubbie has now become broody and the baybay is now laying.  How quickly they grow up.


That's all for today.


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Christmas continued or That was So last year

Dead IS so LAST year” 
― Marlene Perez

So I do owe you the finish to the Christmas story.

Here it is in a nut shell

We had the bonfire.

the bonfire

We had the booze

the booze

We had the family

the family

We had the red solo cups

the cups

We also had the friendly neighborhood organic farmer.

During the night:

The organic farmer got a hello kitty tat

My sister kept singing made up rap songs

My niece kept on threatening to puke but didn't

My daughter never threatened but did

My husband went into the pond (and came out sober)

My nephews helped my husband into the pond (payback for all the years of teasing)

I sat by the fire and kept my feet warm

The next day, all the friendly neighborhood organic farmer had to say was "Where did this tat come from?"

BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!!!!!

Oh yeah, three of us did recipes.  Thanks, Benette, for the idea.

Ann’s Cherry Mistmas Punch

Ingredients:

750 ml red wine

2 nephews

750 ml white wine 

1 niece

750 ml port

1 daughter

20 whole cloves

1 sister

1 stick cinnamon

1 husband

1/2 cup honey

1 grandma

1 lemon

3 dogs

crystalized ginger

1 rooster

Marischino cherries

Directions:

Mix three wines in a cast iron pot. 

Argue with the one sister about who gets the pot after the one grandma dies.

Taste the punch

Turn the stove on low heat.

Kick the three dogs out of the kitchen

Taste the punch

Add the honey to the wines

Explain to one grandma what you are doing

Taste the punch

Explain to one grandma what you are doing

Taste the punch

Explain to one grandma what you are doing

Taste the punch

Explain to one grandma what you are doing

Taste the punch

Put the cloves into the lemon.

Kick Send the one husband out of the house.  Tell him he can go hunting.

Taste the punch

Put the clove lemon into the wine.

Threaten one nephew with the one rooster

Taste the punch

Add the stick cinnamon to the pot

Keep one nephew from driving off

Taste the punch

Put the ginger into the pot

Tell the one niece that, of all the family, you don’t hate her

Taste the punch

Add the cherries

Try not to cry in front of the one daughter.

Pull the cherries out of the pot, put them in a whiskey sour. Punch yourself for inviting all these ingrates for Christmas and go hide in your bedroom.

Next morning clean up the cast iron pot.

Sue's Fantasy cookies

Ingredients:

Frozen cookie dough

Toppings 1.M&Ms big bag 2.Sprinkles 3.Silver balls (the toxic ones)

Wine

Pour wine into cute festive glass (tumbler). Drink at will

Immediately consume all the M&Ms

Pour the sprinkles directly into your mouth.  That's what the big opening on the lid is for

Eat 5/8ths of the dough. Roll out the remaining dough.  Cut out 2 Santas.  Decorate with toxic silver balls(not for consumption).  Bake

Notice your sugar high from the M&Ms and wine is diminishing

Find one walnut.  Use it as a starting point to create a banana split complete with canned whipping cream left over from your bachelorette party 35 years ago expiration date 2047

Refill wine tumbler.  Why is the wine gone? Note to self -wine does not really need garnish

Put Santa cookies on paper plate-Halloween, Thankingsgiving, what ever you have

Deliver to neighbor-cookies are fattening

Iris's version of Grandma’s Favorite Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c flour

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

2 fresh eggs, separated

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp each vanilla and almond extract

1 box pre-made cookies

1 bottle of wine

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 F
2. Find all ingredients.  They have been stashed all around the kitchen, consider it a treasure hunt.  Get the kids involved.
3. Find all the utensils.  These have also been hidden put away.
4. Begin with standard cookie method. Ignore protests that you’re doing it wrong.
5. Pour Grandma a glass of wine, give her the pre-made cookies
6. Pour yourself a glass of wine.  Finish cookies, arrange on sheets
7. Re-heat the oven because it was turned off when you were arranging the cookies
8. Tell Grandma you will clean the kitchen when you’re done cooking.  Give her more pre-made cookies
9. Pour more wine
10. Bake the cookies
11. Help grandma with the dishes
12. Burn the cookies
13. Give burnt cookies to the chickens.  Eat the rest of the pre-made cookies
14. Finish the bottle

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