April Fool's

No gags or tricks from me today . The sun is supposed to shine today and the temperatures are supposed to get in the 60's. Here's hoping Mother Nature doesn't have a little April Fooling of her own up her sleeve.

As for me I am working in the flower beds today. Removing winter kill and cleaning beds.

O Wise One is gone to a FEMA meeting today since he is on the township board. Doesn't that sound absolutely mind blowing B-O-R-I-N-G. I guess somebody has to do it though.

Sure glad it's not me : )

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

She's A Keeper

 Last weekend was a flurry of activity for us. Baby O had a 4-H competition on Saturday and then had to come home and pack to leave on Sunday on a competition for FCCLA. For those of you my age when we were in school(centuries ago)  FFA was for males and represented Future Farmers of America. Girls joined FHA which was Future Homemakers of America. Well times are a changin. FFA is now open to both male and female participants. FHA has now become Family, Career And Community Leaders of America. It is also now open to both male and female participants. Baby O belongs to both FFA, FCCLA and 4-H. At last weekend's 4-H competition Baby O competed in collections, public speaking and photography. She won first place in all 3. In public speaking she will go on to the state public speaking competition sometime this summer. In her FCCLA competition she won first place in state with a display board and oral presentation about a project she did at her school. Basically once a week she met with a group of younger pre teen girls at her school and made presentations and worked with them on issues that pertain to their generation. She called her sessions Camp Confidence and worked on things like self confidence and body image. She will be going to California in July to compete in Nationals. She is so excited about going to California. We are proud of not only her work with other kids but also her success with this program. We are all exhausted from all the packing and transporting and unpacking etc. What an exciting thing to happen in a 15 year olds life.

As for me I'm still trying to dig out from under this pile of laundry.

We are waiting on chickens to hatch any day now and preparing for a masquerade dance friday night for Baby O at the school. The garden is sprouting ! All the seeds we planted on St. Patrick's Day are up. We are looking forward to warmer weather this weekend again to maybe get some more lawn and flower bed work done.

With all the moisture we have had lately the ants have moved indoors and we are fighting a sugar ant infestation. Anyone out there have any good solutions for ants other than a

$145.00 exterminator bill.

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter 

In The Holler

Spring came to the Holler on schedule. Sunday was officially the first day of spring. The sun came out and the flowers bloomed.

The "Henhouse Ladies" and "Cock O The Walk" enjoyed it......

George and Pete enjoyed it.....

The rabbits enjoyed the sunshine.

Then it snowed !

So much for spring.......

The turkeys laid their first egg. We had hoped to have a gobbler and hen but now that they are mature they have turned out to be two hens. So now we are on the hunt for a gobbler. Hopefully a 2 year old sexually mature gobbler so we can have baby turkeys.

The seeds I planted last week are up and running. Broccoli, cabbage, basil, onions, and petunias. Next week I hope to start some more.  The potatoes, onions, lettuce and peas planted in the garden have not come up yet.

"Baby O" competes in Contest Day with her 4-H Club today and then leaves tomorrow for 3 days to compete in a State FCCLA competition. O Wise One and I will somehow try to muddle through without her. Imagine 3 days by ourselves.

The new piglets, George and Pete are adjusting well and eating like fattening pigs. Gypsy the new Scottie pup is a terror chewing everything but her chew toys. We await the eggs in the incubator hatching and are getting set up for baby chicks. I continue to fight this cold/flu for almost 2 weeks now. It is hard to be sick when the weather is so unpredictable. One day it is in the 70's and the next in the 30's. I have been trying to get plenty of sleep to try and get over this illness.

"O Wise One" got new screen in both screen doors last week in anticipation of that spring day when we can throw those doors open again. He even got his first tick. Time to let the guineas out to forage I guess. Nothing gets rid of those little bugs faster.  

How are things in your neck of the woods ?

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter 

Just In Time For Spring

Sunday was officially the first day of spring. As if they knew the daffodils all lined up and saluted those warm rays of sunshine.

 It is so nice to see color again on the farm. No more browns and grays I hope !   

The crocus not to be outdone opened their lovely blooms as well. The grass is greening and I actually got to dig in the flower beds for a couple of hours today. It was so nice to be able to wear short sleeves. It was wonderful to feel the sun on my face and hear the bees buzzing again. I hung out my laundry again. I was serenaded by clean sheets flapping in the breeze.  They are calling for more rain tomorrow afternoon so I hope to get a little more weeding done in the morning. Maybe Baby Hank will cooperate and play in his playpen on the porch for grandma.

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

Saturday Livestock Auction

(George and Pete)

Saturday morning started out cold with a drizzling rain. There would be no gardening so O Wise One and myself headed to the local farm auction held every two weeks in a small neighboring town. We spent the day sitting on a hard wooden bench savoring the smell of manure. O Wise One says that is the smell of money. For the next 5 hours we sat as they paraded before us every manner of cow, sheep, goat, pig, horse, donkey, guinea, turkey, duck and chicken you can imagine. We shared this show with some of the nicest, friendliest farmers you could imagine. Many our friends and neighbors. The dress of the day was pure farm attire.... overalls, blue jeans and boots hopefully without manure. Spring was indeed in the air as we watched them sell baby chicks, bottle calves and goats, baby pigs and sheep. My only rule of the day.

DO NOT sit too close to the spitoon buckets : )

We munched on french fries from the restaurant and talked farming with the Amish couple sitting next to us. We bought 6 rabbit waterers and 2 baby pigs. O Wise One bought me 2 gooseberry bushes and 3 rhubarb plants.

What a great way to spend a saturday visiting with neighbors, eating junk food and watching livestock. Sure beats sitting in the house doing housework and watching it rain. We will raise the two piglets for slaughter. One for our freezer and selling the second one to help pay for both. They will help to dispose of the excess and bruised vegetables and fruit from the garden. For right now we are calling them George and Pete. I had not been to the livestock auction in quite awhile. It amazed me when a rooster and hen pair went for 14 dollars each. Wow.

We will be returning soon to the auction to buy a calf to raise for beef. But first we will wait for the weather to warm up and improve and prepare our pens. I continue to try to talk O Wise One into a baby goat. We shall see. For now Riley and Gypsy are guarding the pigs. Pigs can be sneaky creatures.

Hope everyone has a great sunday.

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

The Beginning Of Garden Season 2011

Oh what a fickle thing is March! Monday brought a snow and rain mix with wind and cold. By Thursday the temperatures were in the low eighties with wind. Spring can never officially start without digging in a little potting soil. Here in zone 5A it is time to start seeds. I like to begin with my broccoli and cabbage seeds. I always plant jersey Wakefield cabbage which is an heirloom cabbage that makes a small conical shaped head. The cabbage that produce the really huge heads tend to split in our weather conditions and rot. The smaller heads of the Jersey Wakefield produce better here. The broccoli variety is Calabrese. Another heirloom that produces not only a main head but lots of side shoots.    

I start my seeds in plastic cells and trays that I have reused for years. When the seedlings are planted I simply bleach them to sterilize and they are stored for the next year. If stored out of direct sunlight they have lasted as long as 10 years. I buy a quality seed starter mix from our local farm supply.

I mark the type of seedling and variety on small craft sticks and a fine point permanent marker. A bag of 150 is inexpensive and lasts for years.

Once the trays are planted the clear domes are placed over them and they are placed on the light shelves that O Wise One built for me.

Within a week or two all 3 of these shelves will be full of seedlings waiting to be moved to the cold frame to harden off. O Wise One managed to get the garden worked up and planted potatoes, onions and green peas yesterday. So let the gardening begin : )

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

Happy St. Patricks' Day

This week I am in a Maxine mood. Can't ya tell ? March is such a tease they are calling for temperatures today in the 70's. I want to go outside in short sleeves and dig in the dirt. O Wise One is planting potatoes and onions today. I have to stay inside though  because I have the flu. Just my luck. Fever, chills, sneezing and sinus congestion. It's all Baby Hank's fault because he gave it to me!

Like so many Americans we too celebrate being Irish today. They say everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. O Wise One's family is truly Irish : ) He is of Ulster Scotts Irish heritage. His family originating from County Down, Killinchy, Northern Ireland. The picture below is the Killinchy Road. St Patricks tomb is in County Down also.

Above is Killinchy Presbyterian Church where most of both his great grandfathers and great grandmothers' ancestors are buried.  Below the home of his great great grandmother's family .

To celebrate we will be eating cabbage and potatoes and corn beef today. Anyone else out there Irish? How do you celebrate St. Patricks' Day

Happy St. Patricks' Day

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

Hatching Chickens

Here in Hickery Holler it's egg hatching time. A neighbor has asked us to hatch some Buff Orphington chicks for him. So last week we started saving clean eggs that had been collected on days that the temperatures were milder. We do not wash the eggs because they have a natural protective coating that we do not want to wash off. They were put in egg cartons and the cartons were turned over or rolled twice a day. They were not put in the refrigerator but rather left at room temperature until enough were collected to fill the incubator. During that time O Wise One got the incubator out and wiped it out with a rag soaked in rubbing alcohol to sterilize it, let it air out and started it running to regulate the temperature.  It was then loaded with 50 relatively clean eggs. Hopefully in 21 days we should have chicks.  The eggs will have to be rolled daily by hand and we check the temperature every day to make sure the incubator is maintaining the proper temperature.  The neighbor should be happy with his chicks and any extras can be raised for meat and canned or sometimes chicks are sold at the local animal auction.  

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

Lots of Cooking

Last week was a down week for me. When I get down and need a little therapy I cook. When I get mad I clean. How crazy is that? So last week with my cancer check ups and lots on my mind I cooked up a storm. Tried some new recipes.

Too Much Chocolate Cake pictured above

link here

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

link here

Granola

link here

Broccoli Cheese Soup

link here

I did change this recipe using my homegrown broccoli from the freezer, home canned chicken broth and real cheddar cheese and not processed cheese.  

Venison Stew

Chunks of venison in a savory gravy with homegrown potatoes, fresh baby carrots, onions garlic and celery. Served hot over brown rice with hot corn bread. 

And the hen house ladies have been producing plenty of eggs. With a surplus I baked a big batch of biscuits and froze up some sausage, egg and cheese biscuits. Baby O microwaves them in the morning and eats them waiting for the bus.

Anybody else tried any new recipes lately?

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

Mother Natures Sense of Humor

O Wise One and I are like children waiting for Christmas. Waiting for that illusive thing called spring. Mother nature knows this and teases us. One day a mixture of rain and snow, then a cloudy day or so with mud to contend with. Mostly just gray skies but every now and then she will throw in a day in the fifties just to give us a taste of things to come.

Then one day what do we find? Green! Blessed green ! The daffodills are peeking from their winters rest.

And could that be the daylillies sending up chutes looking for that sunlight and warmth. Now we in no way believe that winter is through with us yet. But that first show of green is always promising to see. A promise if you will of things yet to come. We long for sun on our faces. We long for dirt dry enough to actually dig in and not mud. We want color and birds. We want flowers.  One day this week they are actually predicting temperatures in the 70's. I can't wait. Before you know it we will be complaining about mowing grass and aching muscles. But for this morning we wait for snow flurries. 

Anyone else have green yet?

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter 

Daylight Savings Time

A Rainy Patch

I haven't blogged in over a week. My readers are starting to get concerned. Bless their hearts the Canned Quilter is fine. I'm just going through a little rainy spot. It's raining in my soul. You all know what I am talking about ....when you are just sad and a little blue. A lot on your mind. Mine all started off with rainy weather the first of last week. That all day dreary cloudy weather. Then O Wise One and I had to drive to Ellis Fischell Cancer Research Center for my 6 month screening for cancer. It is a two and a half hour drive and it rained all the way there and all the way home. We were pretty quiet on the drive. My mind wandered to all the people I had met along the way on my journey to recovery. The brothers and sisters like myself who had been struck with this horrible disease. So many had lost their battle. So many much younger than I. The survivors guilt set in. Why had I survived when so many had not. We had all fought so hard. The needles, radiation and chemotherapy. The sickness and side effects of the treatment itself. The horror of watching your hair fall out. The feeling of no energy, of constant monitoring of blood counts and wearing masks to cope with having no immunity. Hats and wigs. The funerals of those who have not survived are the toughest.

I waited anxiously for 2 days for the results of my screenings. My numbers were great. As far as they can tell I am still cancer free. It's been two and a half years. After five I am considered cured. I find out today that my neighbors father has bone cancer.  And life goes on.

For now I cook alot. I pull into myself and let my soul heal a little. O Wise One as always loves me and recognizes this mood and just supports me. He knows this too shall pass. We walk into the future as always hand in hand as one. Here in the Holler spring is just around the bend. We shall embrace it and glory in the miracles of grandchildren and sprouting seeds. We shall plant and glory in the sprouting of the seeds and we shall harvest. Toil is our old friend and we find comfort in the soil and the animals that dwell upon it. So much depends on us and we depend on these things that sustain us.

We thank our God every day for it all and especially for each other.

"There is so little patience for the silence from which words emerge or for the silence that is between words and within them. When we forget or neglect this silence, we empty our world of its secret and subtle presences. We can no longer converse with the dead or the absent."

John Donohue

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter     

A Frugal Quilter

Yesterday was a mending day here in Hickery Holler. A day set aside to catch up on the mountain of ironing and mending that I had let collect over the last month or two. In the pile to be mended was the quilt below. A quilt made by O Wise One's grandmother Edna. The quilt dates back to the Depression and is like no other quilt I have ever seen. The entire quilt is sewn by hand.  

Each square is made up of 4 triangles. Each triangle was sewn front and back together and stuffed with none other than old stockings and socks. Then sewn up individually. The finished triangles were then sewn together (whip stitch) by hand.  Then the ramaning triangles were sewn around then edges to form prairie points.

Once all the triangles were pieced together it was hand quilted a 1/4 inch from each seam.

Giving you a patchwork front and back on the quilt. It absolutely amazes me the tiny whip stitches throughout this quilt. I have such admiration for the women of this era. Raising large families of childen on the farm during the Depression.

O Wise One's mother born during the Depression made everyday quilts  from polyester during the 60's. These quilts are not much to look at but are heavy and last forever. That polyester is indestructible. They wash well and are the quilts that go on picnics and events where we want to spread something on the ground for the babies.

But some of the quilts that are near and dear to my own heart are my grandmother's own scrap quilts. These quilts were from cut up clothes and scraps from her children and later grandchildren. Pieced simply usually in a nine patch variation and hand quilted in the same  Baptist Fan quilting pattern of all her quilts. She quilted from a roof frame that hung from the 12 foot ceilings of her old white farmhouse. The clothes were first stripped of their buttons and zippers. These items could be reused in other clothing. There were always jars of buttons sitting around waiting to be sewn on the odd shirt  or dress missing one.

The batting was sometimes old blankets or broken electric blankets with the wiring removed that could be patched and reused as batting. Sometimes it was the traditional cotton batting.  

Other times it was quilts like this one above where the top fabric had wore out but the batting was still intact. She would simply make another top and new backing and reuse the worn out quilt as batting.

Occasionally there were quilts made for special occasions ( marriages, new babies) that were made with special designs and new purchased fabric. But as you can see in the one above still with that Baptist fan quilting design. Her guide for this pattern a piece of strings with knots every inch and a piece of chalk. All of these quilts made frugally to keep their families warm yet surviving decades after their deaths. Many still in use. A testimony to their strength, imagination and creativity even in times of great turmoil and financial hardship. A lesson to many of today's quilters of how to make a quilt with very little expense.

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

Remember When

Do you ever feel like you woke up one day and you were old. Or maybe just from another world. I have been spending too much time with my daughter's friends because I feel a rant coming on. This happens a couple times a year so bear with me. This too shall pass.

 I heard a nameless teenage girl complain that she needed a new cell phone. ( Not mine!!!) Why I asked and she proceeded to tell me all the new features that her phone didn't have. She also proceeded to tell me how unfair her mother was that she would not purchase her this new phone because her phone was only a year old and worked perfectly.  She went on like this was the most abusive parent on the planet.....

Well wake up America some of you  have no idea how good you really do have it.

Can you imagine not having a computer. I didn't have a computer growing up. We went to this wonderful thing called a Library. Do they even make encyclopedias anymore. Remember library card catalogs. I was probably in my twenties before I ever even saw a computer. I bought a set of encyclopedias for my children when they were young. Took me two years to pay for those rascals and they may bury me with them but I am not throwing them out. I educated 4 kids with them and they were a heck of an investment.

Can anyone remember having a pen pal. The anticipation of checking that mailbox at the end of the gravel driveway everyday for that illusive letter from a friend far away. Handwritten with a ten cent stamp attached. How about clipping box tops from a cereal box for that toy on the back and saving your pennies and sending off in the mail for it.  To a little kid it seemed like that package took a lifetime to arrive. And you complain about slow email.

We had one phone in our house and the same phone number for over 50 years. Till both my parents died. In the beginning we had a party line. There were two other houses on our line.  There was no call waiting, you didn't know who was on the other line till you answered. If no one answered you called back. There was no voicemail or answering machine. It was this big black bulky phone but guess what. It is still plugged in on my bedside table and still working. Even without electricity. Imagine that. And I don't even have to stand out in the driveway on one leg to get a signal. And no batteries.

There was one TV with 3 channels in our house growing up and at a certain time of the night the national anthem played and it went off.   Back then you actually had to get up to change the channel. Anyone remember TV Guides? How about those VCR's ? I still have plenty of tapes and still play them .....

 Somewhere I still have a box of 8 tracks, and cassettes. Anyone remember the CB radio craze. I even have one of those around somewhere. Don't see them much anymore. How about those vinyl records. I still have grandma's Truetone radio with a built in record player for those new fangled 78's. And yes it still works !

If your car broke down you didn't have a cell phone you actually had neighbors that stopped and helped you change that flat tire or maybe gave you a lift to where you were going.  Anyone seen a pay phone lately?  And who said that you have to be available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. My children fuss at me for not turning my cell phone on. Has it ever occurred to anyone that I do it on purpose. Are those 1000 friends on Facebook really your friends? When you get sick will they come and hold your hand or bring food to your family or just visit with you. Is it really necessary for everyone to know your status always.

Anyone remember when you bought things and they lasted a lifetime and maybe beyond.

 Grandma's lamp still lights the way on a stormy night

My own highchair now holds my own grandchildren

Aunt Sally's clock has been keeping time since 1918 and still serves my kitchen well. No electricity and no batteries. You just have to wind the key once a week.

Grandma's sewing machine still makes the prettiest stitches of all of my 4 machines. And honey is it a great leg workout. Talk about building those calf muscles : )

Mama's Singer still piecing quilts. This is the machine I learned to sew on. Still working!

And all the cell phones I have owned in the last 10 or 15 years other than the one I now carry. Where are they?

In a junk box in the bottom of my closet.

Imagine that .......