Good News!

"behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:10&11

Seeing Stars!

I have been following the directions for making

Folded German Paper Stars

from my friend LDH

over at With A Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart

blog. (Click to go to her wonderful video tutorial)

I made several dozens of them  from the shiney

add sections of the newspaper to give to the

folks at church along with our annual

Christmas Card.

I wanted to make some for a sweet friend

but wanted them to be a little more special

so I dug out an old damaged hymnal

that I have been hanging on to...

tore out some of the Christmas Carols...

and folded a dozen stars from the pages.

I punched out a little hole to thread a hanger through

made from vintage 'Cloisonne Needlepoint Thread',

dipped them into melted wax and sprinkled on some

crystal glitter for sparkle!

Now they are on their way to their new home!

I hope she gets them before Christmas to put on her tree!

~*~

"We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

Matthew 2:2

Early Morning in Winter

photo of sunrise above Cove Cottage Farm
7:30am Tuesday, December 13, 2011

~*~

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star."

Revelation 22:16

A Little Treat for Thanksgiving

For all the Secret Sisters at church.

Made from some pretty paper,

Stampin' Up Treat Cups,

and a few hours of my time.

Because I am thankful for each one!

~*~

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all"

Philippians 1: 3&4

Bread

New Recipe in The Pantry!

~*~

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
Matthew 4:4

Lady Farmers Seed Swap and Share!

Dear Gardening Friends!

You are cordially invited to attend

Lady Farmers first official

Seed Swap and Share!

Tomorrow Friday the 4th of November

at 12 noon Pacific time

I will publish my first seed share

post over at

Lady Farmer's Seed Swap.

If you grow flowers, veggies or herbs,

package up those extra seeds

and come visit and

leave a comment listing your

offerings and interests.

(I had wanted to use Mr. Linky, but

with dial-up internet it isn't possible.)

Even if you cannot participate

would you be so kind as to post

this image somewhere on your blog

with a link back

for others who may want to

join in?

Thank you! and hope to see you at...

~*~

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind; and God saw that it was good."

Genesis 1:11 &12

An Autumn Mantel

Our living room is not decorated using

overly feminine pieces

because a man lives here, too.

This season calls for a more rustic theme

that can be enjoyed by both a man

and a woman. I do have candles, a dried

floral and tree cones, for a nod to

the softer side, but nothing too flowery.

The soft muted colors of nature are soothing

and draws one closer to see the variety of 

patterns and textures ~ in the stone of the fireplace, 

the cones and the feathers.

 I use things that we collect from nature

 and that we both appreciate.

A pheasant feather arrangement gives the feel

of a floral arrangement for me but is masculine in

appeal for him.

Outdoorsy pear scented candle and a creamy

greenish colored dried hydrangea are feminine

 yet not overpoweringly 'sweet'.

We both enjoy the wildness of the game birds

for their beauty and grace..

a shed antler that signifies the strength and cunning of

God's creatures and recollections of

'the thrill of the hunt' for him.

Beautiful old books are welcomed by both he and I.

Our Autumn mantel is a harmonious balance

of the wild outdoors and its natural beauty

that we can both enjoy together.

Joining The House In The Roses

for

Show Off Your Cottage Monday.

~*~

"I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine"

Solomon's Song 6:3

It's that time again!

Beautiful Roses made from Maple Leaves.

Maple Leaf Roses HERE!

"And he changeth the times and the seasons:"
Daniel 2:21

Harvest time

New posts in The Garden and The Pantry.

Click tabs at top of page to visit!

~*~

"Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe"

Joel 3:13

My Young Friend

 My young friend, Sarah recently had a giveaway

celebrating her 101st blog post.

I WON! :~}

She is a talented young woman who loves horses,

art, music and photography! She put to good use her

talents, and made some sweet gifts for the giveaway ~

 Beautiful handcrafted bookmarks ~

two with maps and two with birds.

She also sent some lovely pieces of her artwork.

Brilliant Rose Painting

This beautiful painting of a black horse looks

just like the dear Tennessee Walker

we used to have. We saved his last horse shoe

and maybe I'll  make a frame out of it for this painting.

. 

 She offered to draw anything of my choosing

on a blank page. I chose chickens. :>

(I love chickens and don't didn't have any chicken art!)

Thank you, Sarah, for these sweet gifts from your hand.

I love them all but especially your friendship!

~*~

Won't you please drop in and make a new friend with Sarah!

~*~

"A friend loves at all times."

Proverbs 17:17

A Pressing Matter!

We broke out the cider press yesterday,

and though the day was dreary and damp,

made some luscious, fresh squeezed

apple cider!

 The cider press was a Christmas gift

to me a few years ago from

my dear Gentleman Farmer!

After picking the apples and washing them off

with fresh clear water,

we drop them in the hopper of the press.

Turn the crank and the apples are chopped

and drop into the awaiting basket below.

The top is set on and the basket moved to the press...

the press is turned and turned..

compressing the apples until...

the flowing juices drain into a cheesecloth

covered pan.

The juice is then strained again into a clean

jar to be frozen for the coming winter

(I like to freeze it instead of canning

so as not to destroy all of the healthy benefits

of the fresh cider.)...

 or poured into a frosty mug to be enjoyed right away!

~*~

"Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Thy wings,"

Psalm 17:8

"Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances."

Proverbs 25:11

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Joining Amy for Homestead Barn Hop #30
and
Jami's Tuesday Garden Party!

Little things...



...have been keeping me busy the last couple of weeks.

Last weekend, Gentleman Farmer and I traveled

to Puyallup, WA. home of the Western Washington

State Fair, one of the largest in the country.

We just had to go watch our granddaughter play

her violin with the...

South Sound Suzuki Violin Group!



Top Left ~ Little Miss R. playing her solo
Top Right ~ Miss R. showing her two new teeth
Bottom Left ~ Miss R. and Miss M. taking a rest in the Floral Barn
Bottom Right ~ Miss R. playing with the group







Miss R. showing Grandpa her loose tooth.







Oops! How'd that camel get in here?

(Camels are one of my favorite animals! I have
never seen one at the fair before, so just had to
get a photo of her!)


Back at the Farm, I have been keeping busy with many little
food preserving and culturing projects.





Fermenting!
Clockwise from top left ~
Red Cabbage Sauerkraut's, Sourdough Starter,
Ginger Beer, Apple Vinegar



The Sauerkraut was made at our church's

Back To Basics class.

Trying my hand at Sourdough starter again.

Last years attempt was a flop so we'll see what

happens this time!

Thought I would try apple vinegar ~ ran across the

recipe when I was reading about the Ginger Beer

at Down--to--Earth Blog.

I love Ginger Ale but rarely buy it and again

thought I would give this a try.

Drying Apples

Apple chips are a great healthy snack ~

perfect for lunches!

~*~

Those are some of the little things

that I have been doing.

What little things have you been up to?

~~*~~

"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much"

Luke 16:10

~*~

Joining Deborah Jean for

Farmgirl Friday.

The Mountain

You are cordially invited to a

Wildflower Walk on The Mountain.

Accept your invitation by clicking the

tab at the top of the page.

Don't forget your hiking shoes!

~*~

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence cometh my help."

Psalm 121:1

~~**~~
Joining the Blog Parties
 Jami's Tuesday Garden Party
Susan's Outdoor Wednesday
Tracie's Cottage Flora Thursday
Deborah Jean's Farmgirl Friday
Kim for Wow Us Wednesday

Granddaughters!

Enjoying a few hours with our three granddaughters at

Purple Haze Lavender Farm in Sequim, Washington.



Sisters sharing Lemon Lavender Ice Cream!





Baby Finnegan doing what she does best!





Safe in grandpa's arms!



"Grandchildren are the crown of old men"
Proverbs 17:6