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Jan

Meet Gracie, My New Puppy

Categories: In the Family, Penny at Home

Little puppies spell J.O.Y. Little bundles of lively squirming affection that warm your heart.

We have added a new puppy to our family circle this January. She came with a big pink bow tied around her neck and was a delightful surprise to me. Isn’t she darling?

I named her Gracie, and she has a sweet and gentle nature.

Half the time she is bouncing with joy, and the other half she is snoozing adorably.

Gracie’s favorite snoozing place is in the back entrance curled up against my boots.

She loves to help with the farm chores, and happily admires the chickens while I collect the eggs.

Potty training requires constant sudden runs outside no matter how nasty the weather, day or night, but this adorable face makes it all worthwhile.

A picture of patient affection.

And one of silly goofiness. We laugh a lot these days with Gracie around.

Hello Adorable. ♥ Settling into her new home.

Last night we got mounds of fluffy snow and that tickled her delightfully all day today, just to toss about and romp in the soft snow.

So sweet and playful.

One miniature puppy checking out Gracie’s toy rope.

One growing puppy checking out her new friend Penny.

Thank you, God for puppies.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17

Dec

A Gingerbread Christmas

Categories: Christmas, Penny at Home, Penny's Crafts, Winter

Comments: No

A very merry Christmas from our house to yours! ♥

Penny and I have been enjoying trying our hand at making gingerbread houses this year. A new experience for me. Thanks to Google, we found a good recipe and set to work mixing ingredients, kneading lots of flour into the dough to make it very stiff, and then rolling it out to cut into shapes to create our little houses.

I am thankful to have found the tip saying to hot glue the house together, rather than relying on just frosting, and it sounded like a good step to make things simpler. So that’s what I did, with no regrets, though it would not be purely edible. I wasn’t planning on these getting eaten.

You can see here that I drew lines on the roof with a pencil for the “shingle” pattern. Penny and her pets wanted to run in and out to explore the cute little house.

Another tip I learned was to make the candies available in a muffin tray. Good idea! We had red and green M&Ms, white chocolate wafers, gummy candies, little cinnamon drops, pretzels, pecans, and dates. And of course, candy canes. Go easy on the sampling here!!

And now for the little people to begin. I made royal frosting from egg whites and confectionery sugar that is meant to dry quickly. I gave the workers each a sandwich bag with the tip cut off so they could pipe it on as they wished. Here the pencil lines are roughly followed with frosting and M&Ms applied with little fingers.

This is a busy gingerbread house construction site with kids very intent on their labors. So cute!

Someone got carried away with candy cane ridgepoles here, but no fear, there is nothing that a little more frosting can’t fix! How do you like it now, Penny?

First we decorated the fronts, then the sides got candy accessories too – bright little Christmas bushes and white chocolate wafers.

Oh, here is a good idea, a pretzel log sidewalk to the front door.

I added frosting to the roof edges and some dripping icicles to complete this masterpiece.

This home belongs to the gummy snowmen who wonder if you won’t step inside and join them for a cup of cocoa?

After a busy day, here is Penny posing by the finished houses. A big one for the children to take home, and a littler one for their Grandma. Merry Christmas one and all!

In the background is the recently made Christmas banner celebrating “God with us”.

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23

And that’s why we celebrate Christmas!!

Nov

Grateful Everyday

Categories: In the Family, Penny at Home

Comments: No

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a festive feast yesterday to celebrate the holiday, and this place-mat reminds us that we are “Thankful, Grateful, Blessed” everyday of the year. Surrounded by homey comforts, warm friends and special treats, we are reminded that God is good. Always something to be thankful for.

Penny’s new puppy meets the jolly gingerbread men come to play with him.

And this old-fashioned boy offers puppy a bite of his cookie. “Come, boy!”

Here is what it looked like when the cookies were in the making. The spicy gingerbread tasted so good with our Thanksgiving pies – apple, pumpkin and lemon meringue, and were a big hit with the little people. Chewy, yummy, crumbly…

Face to face with a cute little bundle of fur.

Grateful to be together.

*******

Oct

Sunny Autumn Picnic

Categories: Our Farm, Penny at Home, Penny's Crafts

Comments: 3

It has been such a beautiful October, so much sunny weather and such gorgeous colors in the sky, in the trees, and everywhere you look! Beautiful Autumn.

Here are some warm pictures from around the farm. The pretty elm tree and our dairy cows, Marmee, and Kemmie out in the pasture say “hi” to you.

We recently got guinea hens and the happy critters are noisily giving their opinion of anything and everything, whether they convince anyone or not.

As Penny was dining in the side yard, a friend dropped in to see what was up. Care for a cookie?

Now they are good buddies. Penny and a puppet – chicken?

Now in this picture below you will see a surprising sight. What could it be?

A chicken in a tree! She is one of the red hens that I had let loose because she was being picked on. Now she happily has the best of the best on the farm. Here is where she sleeps every night, in the apple tree.

Today’s task is to plant some spring bulbs. We have grape hyacinths and spring crocuses. Penny, grab your shovel and let’s get to work!

You bring one of those sacks of bulbs over and I’ll dig a hole.

The directions say to plant them three inches deep and three inches apart.

And the same with the crocuses. Aren’t those interesting papery bulbs? We’ll have lots of color to greet us early in the spring, after our long cold, snowy winter.

As the rainy days set in, its time to spend some time crafting indoors. Here Penny is helping me stitch a candy corn garland to decorate with. Her little mousie pin-cushion pal is also a recent project. What an adorable face.

Little did I know that today is officially National Candy Corn Day. An annual celebration on October 30th. Wow, what timing!

Happy National Candy Corn Day, my friends!

**********

Sep

Feelin’ Peachy

Categories: Nature, Our Farm, Penny at Home

Comments: 1

How delighted we were with our crop of peaches off this young tree. The tree was so full and green this year, much more than usual, and this is the most fruit it has ever born. Exciting! Nothing compares to a fresh tree-ripened peach warm in the sunshine, and bursting with juicy sweetness.

I climbed the step ladder and began harvesting all this richness.

Its funny how peaches have hardly any stems at all, but cling almost to the branch directly.

“I’m in an awkward spot, Penny, would you mind climbing up to fetch that last peach just beyond my reach? Thanks so much.”

A picture of bounty, that makes makes my heart happy. All from our own tree.

Late summer days full of sunflowers are so cheerful.

The queen upon her sunny throne.

I have a yummy treat in mind; let us gather a few fresh fall raspberries…

…and slice one of those still-warm-from-the-sunshine peaches, add a little cream….

And dig in!!

Care for a raspberry with cream?

I’m thinking of a song, are you?

“Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.”

– Henry Alford

Jun

The Cheery Cherry Tree

Categories: Our Farm, Penny at Home, Recipes

Comments: 1

Its cherry season! A very cheery time of year.

Come on up and sample, I mean, pick cherries in the tree with me!

A pretty little basket just my size.

Then we will set up for a picnic under this beautiful, colorful tree.

I’ll set out the tea things…

(Please shoo away that fly!)

And we’ll both invite a friend…

Let’s celebrate together…

We must get back to work because the birds will soon be carrying away all the cherries they can eat. We want to stockpile enough to can and freeze for the family until next year. It may turn into a race before long! Hurry, hurry!

Let me share a yummy recipe with you. These cherry bars are a quick and easy treat, for when there isn’t time to make a pie.

Grandma’s Cherry Bars

  Mix  -   1 1/2 cups flour
           1 cup brown sugar
           1/2 tsp. baking soda
           1 1/2 cups oatmeal
  Chop in - 3/4 cup of butter

  Spread half of this crumbled mixture in a 9x13" pan, 
  press down as a bottom crust.
  Now pour on 1 quart of prepared cherry pie filling.
  Sprinkle remaining mix as a crumb topping.  

  Bake at 350  for 45 minutes (Or until golden edged)