News from Up North

Christmas is over, but the blessings remain.  The children are still home, the tree is still up, and the love of Christ is still very real.

All four of the kids were here during Christmas and are hanging around for my daughter's wedding on New Year's Day.  Yep, she's getting married to a wonderful man.  If she let's me, I'll share some photos of the bride and groom.

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So, what did you get for Christmas??  I am so totally spoiled this year.  I have a pair of Steger Mukluks from my children, a gift certificate for a Shetland ewe (to be picked up next week) from great friends and a promise from my honey that I can buy an essential oil distiller when he goes back to work. (That will be another post.)  So now I have nothing left on my wish list-oh yeah, a new pair of Carharts would be nice....

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Our weather has changed and it's now an acceptable winter temp out there.  Those 30-40 degrees above zero were just too strange.  I got to pick the ice out of the donkey's nostrils this morning.  That's normal.

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That's the end of another edition of News from Up North.  Be blessed.

More Christmas

So, it's just about Christmas and that's what had been taking up time and energy around here. Thought I'd just share a few photos from the farm and Christmas pics.

We saw the lights of Bentleyville. Caroled all around our small town. That's a picture of my goat while she had her freedom. Found out she's been head-butting the rabbit cages in her spare time to knock their Bunny Bits on the ground. She broke up two rabbit cages so now she's in solitary. Today's Christmas pics. It's snowing a snow just like the Christmas movies. Big flakes floating softly to the ground. And the last pic is my new waffle iron. Isn't it cool? I can make animal shape with the waffle just like I attempt to do with the pancakes. Have a very blessed Christmas.

Making New Memories

I think I've become a real stick in the mud.  I like curling up with a blanket and a movie in the evening and falling asleep on  the couch.  (This way I never run out of movies to watch as I never actually see them.)

When our daughter's friend called Saturday night and asked if we'd like to go to Bentleyville for the evening I did the unthinkable, I said yes. And I'm glad I did. 

The snow was falling and the temp was a perfect 18 above.  It was beautiful.

Bentleyville is a village of lights set up every Christmas season down on the Bayfront.  Admission is free and you are offered free hot chocolate, cookies, popcorn and marshmallows to roast.

Here's our daughter and her friend.

The lit walkways are beautiful.

Afterwards it was up to Buffalo Wings for snacks.  We've decided to make this a new tradition.  We're meeting here next year, same time. 

It's time to try new things and make new memories.

Show and Tell

How was your Christmas?  I feel so blessed.  Not just because of the wonderful presents that I recieved, but because the gifts I recieved were so thoughtful.  My honey bought a used woodstove with a cooktop.  I need to refinish it, blacken it.  I'll so some before and after shots when I start this one.  My mom did a Lehman's Christmas this year.  Thought I'd show you pics of things I didn't even know existed. 
This is a plastic bag dryer, which is so cool because I do wash out my plastic bags.

This is a do it yourself oil lamp.  Just add olive oil, tallow or lard.

But here is the one that I truly appreciate.  This is something I've been wanting to get for a couple years, but just never had the spare change.  It's just like a Mehu-Liisa Finnish juicer, but not that brand.  It's wonderful.

Looks like a pretty "Back to Basics" Christmas.

Be blessed.

Christmas Eve

It's late here, Christmas Eve.  My youngers are in bed and my honey too.  Our two older girls are on their way back from Grandma and Grandpa's some 70 miles away.  They opted to spend Christmas Eve there because it's something they've done every Christmas Eve of their young lives.  The rest of us are recovery from a virus and decided not to inflict our misery on others, so we stayed home.  We are also used to spending every Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa so this was a strange Christmas.

We're used to lutefisk and ham and rice pudding with one prize winning almond hidden in it. We're used to the torturous time it takes to get the dishes done after dinner before we can open our presents.  Then there's coffee and more eating.  Finally we all pile in the car and head for home, drowsy, stuffed and too tired to think about Santa coming.

You know what?  We had fresh salmon, instead of lutefisk.  Steak fries instead of boiled potatoes.  We read Luke 2 and prayed together.  We still had the torturous time after dinner getting the dishes done before we could open presents.  (Couldn't resist :).
We only had each other and it was still Christmas.  I didn't expect it.  I thought Christmas traditions were so important that without them it would seem like any other night.  But it was CHRISTMAS!  How wonderful the gift of heaven. 

I found out for myself that it truly is Christ that makes it Christmas.  What a wonderful Saviour.

Merry Christmas.

Let's Make a Christmas Wreath

Wreaths are easy, fun and frugal.  At least the kind I make are.  Counting ribbon, wire, and a clothes hanger, I spend about two dollars on each wreath.
So first we head out to the woods to pick a bevy of greenery.

We picked about two garbage bags full and I make three wreaths from this.

Here is the equipment you'll need.  A wire coat hanger, thin gauge wire, and a nipper.

Shape the hanger into a circle.  You could just buy a wreath form, but this is cheaper.  A form will hold more and be more uniform when you're finished.

We gathered mostly balsam boughs, they work the best.  We also collected Scotch pine, white pine, cedar, some cones, red twig (for a little color), and tag alder cones.  This is what's available in our area.  Use whatever you would like to see in your wreath.

Next, I lay the form in my lap, attach the wire and start wrapping the ends of the boughs onto the form with the wire. 

I continue wrapping, layering boughs over each other and work around the form.

I insert various pines and branches between the balsam boughs to make it more interesting.

When the wreath is full, I wire the cones on and put a ribbon at the top.  Very easy. 
So, my first Christmas project of the season is finished.  If you make wreaths, let me know.  I'd like to see what you do.

It's Farmhouse Friday so don't forget to go over to http://www.therenegadefarmer.com/ and check out the farming links there.

Trudging Through the Snow...

We finally started adding a little Christmas around here.  First we went and found a tree.  That's Deer Boy hauling it home while his little sister carries the saw.
Next Little Sister did most of the decorating.

The more ornaments the better.
We baked a few different types of cookies.

And I packaged up some products to give as gifts.  My relatives get this stuff every year.  I sure hope they like it.

The woodstove is going, the tree lights are on, supper's in the oven and the Lord's blessings are evident.  Have a wonderful evening.