Hello and a warm welcome. On Friday Colby picked up three flats of strawberries for me. I had told Cody about the pick up and he ordered six flats. Makes a mom proud! Bruce helped me to make the jam. Here is the recipe if you would like to make some as well. http://creationsbydawn.blogspot.com/2017/03/recipe-for-making-strawberry-jam-and.html
You can see the fruit in the jars. If there is a lot of water in the fruits they will rise to the top. These were fresh and never frozen which is how I always want to make my jams. The cell wall breaks down in the freezing process and will make it easier to make the jams. However when you can use the fresh fruit.
These strawberries were some of the best I’ve had since I used to get from McKaskys farm in NC. They are were I had been getting my strawberries since 1990. They stopped selling sometime around 2014. It was so sad.
I used to make 75 jars a year all sizes for my family when the children were growing up.
Hello I hope all has been going well with you and yours. We have been working hard here as usual. We have planted even more than usual....which in turns makes for more duties. Colten has had a new girlfriend and he hasn't had time to help out as much. So Bruce and I have been working extra hard. The boys have had a lot of school work and are getting spring fever to get out more and ride their skateboards. Mother's Day was nice Bruce put up a storm door on the second floor door to the front porch so we could have a screen to get a nice flow of air. I have asked for this door for more than 10 years...no joke. Now as Colby said "this door is amazing" it allows in such a nice few of air and a tremendous amount of beautiful cascading light. We have now had it almost a week, so we have certainly enjoyed it to the fullest. I can see all the hummingbirds we feed now without looking out the closed front door potentially scaring off the hummingbirds. I love seeing them!! Well this one took me approximately two weeks to complete. I did not have the stencils for the one Donna did nor did I feel for that one. This inspiration actually came from Tam's book or you can view her wonderful community at Tamara Laporte Willowing.com she is full of beautiful sweet calming words and a passion for helping others to see the beauty in ones self and getting rid of that inner critic. ALL I CAN SAY TAM is AMAZING!!!! I started her first Life Book 2012 and one of what I call my best painting was on she taught me. Love ya Tam! Every since I saw her painting in the book I have wanted to paint it. She makes it so easy and it is nice to actually complete a project from a book and being able to use the inspiration. I enjoyed the process immensely. My aunt came out for Mother's Day and I fixed her a good meal and a cake. I didn't invite her for Easter (hello folks we are in a Pandemic) however she thinks I should have and was actually crossed with me. She works at a pharmacy and is a frontline cashier with no mask, no shield and no gloves. Anyhoo she came here and it was a very nice day. So this week which I can hardly believe it is Week 23 and almost the end of the second semester. I am feeling so accomplished!!! YES! Go check out Donna's 48 Weeks. She is fun and a great teacher!
I love making these oh my do I ever! I actually learned this technique back in 2010 at a Donna Downey Inspired workshop I can't remember her name but she was actually a mural painter. This is what we made in class that day, but I had to finish it home....
this is what I made in 2010
This is where it hangs in my room....going out to make back porch.
the full spread of the two pages I just love it so much fun and whimsical
if you would like to see the full last 22 posts see below on each of the weeks
I can hardly believe I have made It this far....but so thankful and feeling so accomplished.
Now on to week 24 and the end of the second semester
YAY!!!
Two more semesters to go
So basically I have almost completed half of the 48 weeks ~happy dance
Dusty has been picking roses like crazy for our rose water we even have a new drying rack that hangs from the ceiling and is huge so now we have even extra room for drying roses and other herbs
I have been making bracelets again to add to my Etsy store GO HERE
I made a bunch more wintergreen salves these are excellent for my fibromyalgia pain and putting on your chest as a chest rub and for super dry hands and feet again on my Etsy store
I already have beautiful tomatoes loving it!!!
I have more than 300 tomato plants so we are hoping for an amazing year of tomatoes....it really helps our family out
I planted a bunch in cloth bags this year a new thing we are trying just to see and easy on my back and my fibromyalgia pain I have fields of them too
Hello everyone its hard to believe that one is 2020!! To think I remember when it was Y2K and we thought it was so scary and all these things would go wrong with our computers and how we all had to be prepared for the year 2000. Now I am thinking back on the song by the AMAZING Prince "Party like its 1999." Awwww great memories. Now the year 2020 but here the farm it is as though time kept on going without us as we work nonstop and after this show this weekend at The Virginia Flower and Garden Show I am paying the price. It was long hours and very hard work. All our stuff is heavy. I am very slow moving on Monday mornings although the cheese must get done so no time to leisure. We had a great time saw a lot of the other vendors we knew and met a lot more. We enjoyed talking with others and the stories they shared and the friendships we made. That kinda thing makes it all worth it!! Absolutely sure! We love our customers and its always a pleasure to hear what's going on in their lives and seeing their beautiful faces and meeting their families and friends. We have already done two shows this year and never have had a break somewhat of one while Cody and Amelia were here for the holidays. Thursday the 23rd of January my oldest son celebrated his 33rd birthday.......ok I know, now you know I'm old......lol. Shhhhh we will leave that part out. I kept our grandson Levi and granddaughter Clarrisa for a few hours and had a blast with them.
Clarrisa loves Snapchat too we had fun making faces and her telling me all the toys she has and about a watch she got from Santa and where her sisters were. She came with a bag of goodies Cheetos, banana, and a nutty bar. She ate the banana first, then the Cheetos, drank her cup full "her baba" of "juice." We had to be at the Virginia Beach Convention Center at 3pm that day so Bruce loaded the car and the trailer to get us ready for the show. While I was in "grandma land" not a care in the world about a show or anything else but having fun with the grandkids.
Levi fell asleep in my arms and slept so well it was pure bliss!
Just look at his adorable face!!! #LOVE
After Bruce was done with all the loading and prep work for the show set up, he ate in to play and even cooked popcorn with Clarissa. She told him his popcorn wasn't good. He makes it overt the stove in a pot no microwave popcorn at all. Isa ate the popcorn anyway it was so cute.
Here she is telling him "this candle on the cupcake can't blow out"
Of course the shows well I have been making these bracelets which I enjoy greatly its fun, creative, and relaxing. So even as late as it can be at night when we finally sit down I make bracelets. I set goals to make this # etc. so I can have plenty in different styles, sizes and colors. It is fun and so many folks really like them.
more bracelets I have been making
more bracelets
Since I really never even made any posts of anything during the holidays I wanted to share these beautiful little faces. Alexis, Ledger and Riggs. You may have remembered them from the summertime when they stayed at our house for 31 days.....which gave grandma and papa a new meaning to taking care of babies. Riggs had just turned one and Ledger had just turned two. He is a link of some pics from this summer.
Her beautiful family. The Santa suit was actually Colten's when he was a baby and all my boys from Colten down have worn it. Now look!
Cody and Amelia arrived on December 17, 2019 we picked them up at the airport you know the story there, they arrived a few hours later than expected but Cody wanted to go to Cookout so we went waited in line for while as it was like 1:30 am maybe even closer to 2 am. When got home everyone Colten was like "where's mine??" of course I figured everyone would be sleeping.....nope. We were so excited to see them we started off with the goats and chickens, then making jams the next day to canning pickles, you name it Amelia even made beeswax candles, the bracelets. We were ever so grateful to have help and of course they learn a lot in the process...now that Cody was much more interested in learning some of our many skills. We went on the walks at the millpond, went and did some shopping like to 17th Street Surf Shop, visited the OBX so Amelia could see the beach, the monument, Jockey's Ridge, the Atlantic Ocean, shell shops, go to the Avalon Fishing Pier (where me and Bruce met), played games at the pier, all the good ole stuff.
Cody bought us oysters from Murray Nixons and I steamed in the Instant pot which turned out amazing!!
The day we were at the castle on Jockey's Ridge was even a lot more was exposed that day. Its so amazing as when I was a kid I remember the mini golf. You can read all about the hotel, the mini etc. HERE that have been consumed by the mountain of sand. I have been coming to this state park for as long as I can remember. I even remember when I was about 8 my dad and I climbed it and rolled down. That particular day we found the most beautiful shell on the beach it was extremely fragile but I still remember it like it was yesterday. Such a blessing.
While Cody and Amelia were here Cody wanted to make sausage. Well we can do that Cody. So we did!! We bought our first meat grinder in 1995 it lasted for many years, we paid $500 for this grinder from a real restaurant store which I was like "WOW" then....but these newer ones cost more....Cody and Bruce enjoyed the process, Cody was very good at it.
The sausage from when it was twisted you can see the video here
one of the most favorite foods I had made in Codys childhood was peach salsa, he requested we make it while he was here and he shipped several jars home.
I was making Christmas jam per request even in January
more candles
of course making more candles, I just love this...it reminds me of the years I spent pouring ceramic molds. I even worked at a ceramic shop before and I bought so many molds.....miss that! I used to go to all the craft shows back in the day selling my ceramics...this was the late 80's and all the way up to 1997. I quite because I was having severe wrist pain from all the heavy mold pouring and come on I had five kids then it was hard to do the shows. Good times!
Made more cinnamon pickles
Pickles, pickles, pickles
Of course can't forget all the soap making.....its like we go from one thing to the next some days I feel like I am on this roller coaster that won't stop.....and I keep yelling "HEY CAN I GET OFF THIS COASTER FOR A MINUTE?" Its been seed starting time, of course I have a bunch of house plants as I always have....and do enjoy them greatly....so I LOVE SEED TIME!!! Bruce is actually now cleaning up what we call our freezer room (as there are four deep freezers in the room), as he is building yet another light system for my seedlings that will start any day. Last year you may have seen this below on how we start our seeds with the lights I got last year.
we have been taking the boys when we can or Colten does to the skateboard park. Dusty is really good and very much enjoys it.
Colby has been digging it too
Dusty ask everyday if he can go.
One Sunday this year when it was in the upper 70's we went to Mt. Trashmore in Virginia Beach, the boys skated and Bruce and I walked around the skate park and even climbed up the hill. It was wonderful!!
THE NEXT SHOW IS GRASSFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
The next one will be at Grassfield High School on February 22, 2020 in Chesapeake Virginia
Thank you for stopping by and do have a wonderful week. I am hoping to get back to my paintings soon I thought I would but since the last post of the paintings NOPE it has not happened for me. Lots of drawing for my watercolors ready to go...but no painting here lately. Tomorrow we meet with a friend of ours that is going to help us with a website......so stay tuned. YAY!
Happy New Year BTW
hard to believe Valentine's Day is right around the corner too!
This is a 15 quart pot 
