Finally going home. Well, soon hopefully.

Well, we are in the home stretch here in North Carolina.  Andrew has started looking for jobs and submitting resumes.  We have our eyes fixed on a manufacturing company in Traverse City, MI.  They were hiring a few weeks ago but then pulled the ad.  Andrew contacted the company.  Apparently, management hasn't decided if they are going to hire for that position or not.  We are hoping to see it re posted soon but it's hard to say what they will decide.

I'm heading back to MI early May for my summer job as usual.  My mom will be home for a few months from South Dakota since my brother and his girlfriend are having a baby in May.  Pretty exciting stuff!

The weather here has caused daffodils and magnolias to start blooming.  It was 68 degrees a few days ago, wow.  I haven't been doing anything garden related besides reading seed catalogs, garden books and cruising garden and farm blogs. 

I'm itching for some soil to play in.  I spend a lot of time looking for farms for sale.  I'm a bit obsessive about it.  Especially when I find one I like.  I currently have an obsession for a horse farm in Manistee, MI.  It's 66 acres of pasture and forest.  2,700 sq ft craftsman house built in 1920.  32,500 sq ft barn with 16,800 sq ft riding arena.  21 stalls and tack room.  Upper barn for hay.  Three car detached garage and workshop.  Sounds magical, right?  Well, it is and I want it.  The price is very good, $229,000 but still high for us.  But ya never know.  It's been on the market for over a year and it's vacant so perhaps the price is still negotiable.  They have dropped it $110,00 so far!  It was over priced for the area to begin with, really.

My latest addiction is lifting weights.  I'm on week five of a 12 week fitness program I found online.  It's all about clean eating, lifting weights to build that muscle and then cardio to burn off the fat.  It's working!  I've lost four inches so far.  My weight has stayed about the same since I'm gaining muscle.  The cardio just started today so the pounds should start to melt off now.  I suppose I should be in great shape if I plan to farm the rest of my life.

Well, that's my life in a nut shell for now.  I hope you are all well and are getting the new year off to good start!

New Website: Farm-dreams.com

I was invited to this new website called Farm Dreams a few weeks ago.  It's kind of like the Facebook for homesteaders, hobby farmers, market gardeners and everyone else farming in some way.  It's full of great info, interesting blogs, photographs, a bookstore and more.  It has helped me refocus on farming and gave me a bit of a break from Pinterest.  I needed that.  I joined a dozen or so of the groups that have formed but I'm yet to really get active on there. 

Today I spent the entire day looking at seed catalogs while Andrew watched football.  I circled 60 varieties of tomatoes in the Seed Savers Exchange Catalog.  You can use your imagination for how the rest of the catalog looks.  Then I went through Johnny's, High Mowing, Bountiful Gardens, and Fungi Perfecti.  I still need to go through Baker Creek.  If only I could buy a farm to plant them all at.  Until then, it's just farm dreams.

That Time of Year

Hello Everybody!  Sorry it has been a month since my last post.  Time is flying and there's not much going on but here is a summary.

I have had a cold for two weeks.  I feel fine but I cough all night.  I have a tendancy to hang on to coughs forever so we will see how long this one sticks around.  I'm officially on day eight of coughing all night. 

My mom and husband, Glen, are moving to South Dakota today.  I'm not happy.  Very sad actually.  We are on our last year here in NC and plan to move back to Michigan in late summer and they will be gone!  It's most likely temporary.  Glen just needed a new change of scenery (job).  He hated his.  Well he landed a great new job in SD and will have three day weekends to enjoy traveling with my mom.  I do look forward to visiting!  I've never been out there.

I spend a lot of my free time on Pinterest.com.  So far the site has inspired me to actually set up my sewing room.  I have been working on multiple projects lately.  An apron, mittens, leg warmers, clutch, fabric flowers, yoga pants and more.  Pinterest has also inspired me to get back into the gym.  I joined the YMCA and have been going nearly everyday.  Lots of cardio and weight training.  I've decided to really tone up and get healthy so I'm doing it!  Turning 30 in a few weeks may have something to do with it.

My Christmas shopping is about done.  I bought a lot of stuff for Andrew this year since he usually doesn't get anything from me.  I somehow always end up broke around Christmas.  Not this year!  We put our tree up last night but are holding off on decorations to see how the cats react to the tree itself.  They seem pretty interested in it.  I think they will be climbing it in no time.

My Thanksgiving dinner turned out wonderful.  I must say that I really love cooking.  I can't wait to get back to MI and cook for the whole family.  They will never eat another greenbean casserole from a can again!

My brother Chris and his girlfriend Toni are expecting a baby this May.  We are hoping for a girl but they find out soon so fingers crossed.  We are all so happy to have another baby around.  My mom will be coming home in April for a month to be there when the baby comes and I will be back too.

We joined a fall CSA this year and really enjoyed the produce.  We were receiving carrots, broccoli, greens, sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, garlic, mesclun mix, radishes, beets, turnips, cabbage, peppers, egg plant and more for seven weeks.  I wish it would never end but it has. 

Well, that about sums it up.  I will start posting weekly agian if I can pull myself away from Pinterest.

Fun Website; Pinterest.com

A friend recently told me about Pinterest.  I am already so addicted to it.  It's a giant online pin board to post your favorite things to share with others, including fashion, food, DIY, homes, places, crafts, kids, photography and tons more.  I have spent countless hours pinning and liking.

The site has also rekindled my crafting.  I made a cute headband yesterday.  I starting sewing a new clutch and I made my first pillowcase skirt last night.

Thousands upon thousands of fun ideas await you.  Go check it out!

Fall Reading

I recently read 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' by Kingsolver, 'The Accidental Farmers' by Tim Young, 'Growing a Farmer' by Kurt Timmermeister, 'The Gift of Good Land' by Wendell Berry, 'Wisdom of the Last Farmer' by David Mas Masumoto, and 'The Contrary Farmer' by Gene Logsdon.  The overwhelming theme here is agriculture and I loved them all.  If I can't play in the dirt of my own farm, I may as well read about others doing it and learn a little something.

I'm still working on 'The Good Life' by the Nearings, 'The Unsettling of America' by Wendell Berry, 'Deeply Rooted' by Lisa M. Hamilton, 'The One-Straw Revolution' by Masanobu Fukuoka and 'Walden' by Thoreau.  I started most of these over last spring or summer.  Time to wrap them up.  I have owned Walden  for over a year and figured I should probably read it now since so many other books I have read quote it so frequently.

I have a very long wish list on Amazon also, so I see some new books in my near future.  I need to hunt down some local bookstores to see what they have 'used'.  I purchased 'Walden' for $4 at a used book store in Michigan.  What a deal!

What are you reading?

Congratulations Little Brother!

My youngest brother was just notified today that he was accepted into the Michigan State University School of Osteopathic Medicine for the class of 2016.

I'm so happy and proud that I can't stop crying.

Congratulations Justin!

Our Sunday Visit to Stone Mountain

Andrew and I took a drive to Stone Mountain on Sunday.  I wasn't to enthused because I was a bit sleepy and really intended on having a lazy Sunday.  I'm glad he made me go because it was so amazingly beautiful.  In about an hours time, we were standing on top of a mountain.

Andrew enjoying the view.



Imagine living there.



I'm enjoying the view too.

A historic homestead at the foot of Stone Mtn.

See the guy climbing that thing!  It's hard to believe we were just standing up there.

Can you find the climber in this one?

200' waterfall.

Beautiful!

Turkey Buzzards enjoy the view too.

Cherry Orchard Vandalism

Check out this news story,

428 Cherry Trees Destroyed!

This summer I found eight cherry trees chopped down in one of our growers orchards.  My boss reported it to the owner and the authorities were called.  I'm wondering if it's the same vandal as the orchards are fairly close.

I can't believe someone would do this.  Scum.

26th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

I'm thinking of attending this years ag. conference which would be my first ever.  Speakers include Joan Dye Gussow, Richard Wiswall, Ross Conrad, Greg Judy, Ellen Polishuk and many more.

The conference is three days of top notch seminars discussing topics including insects, bees, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, high tunnels, food, livestock, business, energy and more.

I think it would be well worth the registration fee.

Yard Sale Goodies!

I hit up quite a few yard sales this summer. Here are some of the goodies I came home  with.  Mostly old bottles, jars, books, baskets, dishes, etc.  Not the most useful things but I like them either way and have decorating ideas for all of them when I finally have my little farm house.

 I love these little cookbooks and baskets.  The cookbook in front is from the 30's.

 I scooped up these old jars, enamel ware and juicers for dirt cheap at an antique shop that was selling out.

 My mom scored these German dishes for $20 at the same antique shop.  They are worth hundreds!

 I love old kitchen utensils.

 The handle broke off the pitcher on the way home.  Luckily it can be glued on without a problem.  What a cute little enamel coffee cup and saucer.

 An awesome one gallon jar.

 More baskets and jars.

 The jar on the left used to be a blending jar.  The handle has broken off though.

 Tons of old, wood picture frames.  I must have 50 of them by now.

 And more baskets.

I love these old canning jar lids.  I must have around 100.  I scored them for a total of $8.  I'm told they sell for about $2 a piece.  I plan to keep them though.  I have Ball, Presto and a no name type.

I also bought some very old sheet music.  I plan to frame them since the images are so pretty.

I inherited the yard sale bug from my grandparents.  I remember going with them as a child.  My grandpa would purchase anything music related or electronics.  He had quite the massive collection of things.  Seven Pianos, 10,000 vinyl records and 2,500 rolls of piano sheet music to name a few.  It was a sight to behold.