Old Friends and Vintage Textiles

Happy Last Weekend of October, Puffins!  Have you eaten all the candy you bought on sale yet?  LOL

Sorry I was so quiet this week.  Life got in the way and I have too many posts in my head, that they just got all tangled up and I couldn't get a solidified thought written here.  But today I worked at filing some farm receipts and organized my closet and that seemed to shake out the fuzzies in my brain.

Here's what's been going on in my world....

Last Saturday, my Bff (Old Friends) and I had to have some quality "Girl Time" and went to the quarterly Antique Sale and Flea Market.  Our Farmers do not appreciate the thrill of the hunt at these kinds of events, so we left them home to combine and make fence, etc...

At past sales and on excursions to the local "Antique" Malls, we have always hunted up our favorite dealer, Todd H.  The man has an eye for the detail and knows how to "stage" a booth.  This time was no different.  We've learned to look over the other booths for his stacks of goodies on taller hutches and cupboards.  And we found him wayyyyy in the back of the building in a booth of indescribable delight!  Sweet stacks of vintage goodness and such intriguing vignettes, that it was almost painful to disturb them, but yet one wanted to handle and stroke and gaze upon all the lovelies.  He had porch posts (so do I!)  and a white Hoosier (I have an oak one.)  and railroad dishes (my newest passion!) and more red painted and white painted furniture and some rusty-crusty wire baskets and galvanized goodies and vintage fabric and some pink sweetness and farmhouse chic. 

Lawd, I love Todd! 

And he always makes us deals.  And on the first day of the sale, no less! just a few hours in. 
(A few rows over, there was a very sour dealer who complained to us that she was ready to pack it up and leave. No one was buying, everyone wanted a reduced price and it was not worth it!  Well, "honey"..... a few words to the "wise".... A.  You were sitting on your behind like a slug, kvetching about everything-- who wants to buy from someone like that?!  B. Your prices were HIGH!   C.  You just said you didn't want to deal on anything and yet everyone else we bought from or even just looked in their booth, was very willing to take off at least 10%.  Do the math, sweetheart.  And D.  It was a Nebraska Football Saturday with the game on TV... the "crowds" were home watching the game.  Know your customer base.)

Last year I got that red & white corner cupboard from Todd, some vintage food packaging and the "John Deere" colored garden cart.  This year I found a vintage tablecloth, some framed pictures, a wire display "thingie" and some burgundy and white plates.  

I also got a new "vintage" child's red chair (not sure this is really "vintage" but it's cute) for upcoming dgd3 from another dealer; a chenille bedspread and 4 vintage aprons. 
Bff got an old school house table and chairs, preschool-sized for her dgs.  She found 2 framed pictures, a bowl and I talked her into an old grain screen for hanging on her wall.  I am kind of regretting letting that go....  lol.  She's not sure of where to hang it, so it may come home to me yet.    

I know..... if you are like me, you are saying, "Enough with the chatter... show us the photos already!"  I ducked out to the clothesline with the textiles as the sun was setting and the breeze was blowing, so excuse the quality.  I was losing the light, I just had to take them as they were.

Without further adieu.... 

Sweet pink, blue, green and yellow chenille bedspread for the girlies' room.  Only $27!  (one little frayed spot)

Some detail of the colored parts of the spread.

A beautiful grey, white, green and red geranium tablecloth.  It needs a little soaking in Oyxclean.  I couldn't leave it... Oh How it Sings to me!  I love it! (marked $10, but I think I paid less- from Todd)

Sweet, sweet, sweet vintage aprons, this one with rickrack! I paid $3 for all four! 

See!  Red Rickrack!!  Love the pocket detail and the flowered fabric.

A blue gingham apron with sweet cross-stitching to "fancy" it up.

The cross-stitch detail.

More rickrack!  On a pretty sheer party apron. 

Next time I'll show you the framed pictures.   There is a watercolor of a river and road that is sitting on my desk right now, that I absolutely love!   Also a cottage garden print full of color and flowers (LOVE) and an old black & white farmhouse photo, that could almost be the Prairie Farmhouse.   The frame is gaudy (Bff loved it... we are such opposites!  lol), but maybe it would be ok painted black.  I'll show you soon and you can give me some input.
And I think I owe you all, photos of some older vintage finds.... a wire table comes to mind and a wire flower pot holder and some sweet new dishes.  LuRay pastels and such.

Opps there goes the dryer buzzer...  Be sure to leave me a note below on any new vintage sweetness you have found lately, or tell me how Vintage is just not your thing....  :o)

Hugs!
Kay

** "It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I should turn in my apron

I've been busy... so busy in fact, I only cooked 2 meals this past week.  One of them was pancakes and the other was mini pigs in the blankets.  The rest of the week we were on the road doing farm errands and we ate "out." 

I hope the AFWA (American Farmer's Wife Association)  (not a real entity)  does not make me turn in my vintage feed-sack apron because of this.   

I like going out as much as the next Farmer's Wife, but after about a week of it, I'm ready for some good home-cooked Nutritious meals.  No more processed "stuff."  I'll don my apron and post my menu for next week, next week.  lol

And speaking of vintage aprons!....  stay turned for upcoming photos of my fun with my Bff at the Antique/Flea Market today.  Aprons and Cottages and Chenille.... OH MY!

Hugs!

Kay

** "Happiness is a matter of one's most ordinary and everyday mode of consciousness being busy and lively and unconcerned with self."  ~Iris Murdoch

Harvest of Friends

The Real American Occupation.... Farming

Sorry about that little hiatus.... all of a sudden life got B.u.s.y for me. 

Blue-eyed Farmer finished harvest last Friday, cutting those last 10 acres of beans off the 80.  On Thursday, we enjoyed several hours with our Pastor Aaron and the children.  Miss Melanie had to work at her big-girl job. :(

 Here are a few photos of our fun together:

The Two Blue-eyed Farmers, Big and Little, talking about corn.

Pastor Aaron getting last minute instructions before driving the 75.

Little Blue-eyes, resting, after all the hard work of riding in the combine.

Blue-eyed Farmer, Pastor Aaron and Princess ME, waving for the camera.

We are very blessed with the harvest God has given us.  The prices are up (unusual for harvest time) and the yields were more than "enough."  We had few breakdowns and even now have the combine monitor fixed for next year.  The combine has had a "bath" and is ready for it's long nap.  The trucks are stored away in the shed we rent at the neighbors and all the other implements are situated "just right" for the winter months.  

We are ready to finish up some Autumn projects and get snuggled in for the winter.

More soon.... until then... CALGONE... take me away~~~

Hugs
K~

** "If you want work well done, select a busy (wo)man - the other kind has no time."  ~Elbert Hubbard

Welcome!

Welcome Signs, Laem Tong Beach, Phi Phi Don Island, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

I feel so honored....

Have you noticed the FEEDJIT Live list over on the right? Every so often I take a look at it "Live" just to see when you folks come by for a visit. (Want to be sure the cobwebs are dusted and the dust bunnies fed, you know. lol)

This time I noticed several new countries have been accounted for. Canada has been here before, but now I see, Italy! (Benvenuti!) and Iran!! (wow! ) and Wales!! (it's such a pretty language, but I have no idea how to pronounce any of it!)

I wonder what they (you) think of my little place in the world? Is it very different from yours? Do you have a blog too? Won't you be my neighbor and leave a comment, please?

Hugs,
Kay

** I love my computer! (Most of) my friends live there.

Zombie Chicken Award

My dear cyber-friend and fellow-quilter kindly gifted me with the Zombie Chicken award.

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken-- excellence, grace, and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all."

I am humbled and honored that she would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens to read my ramblings. Sending HUGS to Linda! (sewnut)

The other blogs I am awarding & that I check out on a regular basis are:

1. Kristen @ Going Country (http://going-country.blogspot.com/)

2. Linda @ Just Another Day on the Prairie (http://prairierunner.wordpress.com/)

3. Terri @ The Blue House (http://bluehouseonthehill.blogspot.com/)

4. Zoomie @ Zoomie Station (http://zoomiestation.blogspot.com/)

5. Ms Dine Alone @ I Dine Alone (http://idinealone.blogspot.com/)

6. Manuela @ The Pleasures of Homemaking (http://thepleasuresofhomemaking.blogspot.com/)

Take a moment or 2 (or 3) and hop over to their blogs for a look-see. And tell them I sent you. Let's hug one another in the blog-community. It's a big world out there, filled with special talented people.

Hugs
Kay

** "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"
~C.S. Lewis

Wondering where I went?

I'm still here.... Just, not "here" here. It's summer. We've been busy!


I've had some company (wonderful, loved, special company).
My "twin from another mother" and dear, dear Friend, Lisa from PA came out for a 5-day visit. It was too short and we had so much fun just being here. She even put up with 2 weddings in one evening with us-- had to go to them. Bless her heart! We sewed and talked. We played on Facebook and talked. We went shopping and talked. We cooked and talked. I'm counting the time until she comes back.

Farmer-dear has decided just having a bad back isn't enough.... he had to add to it, not only weird statin-drug side effects but a cracked ankle too. **picture me banging my head against the wall**

The ankle is not horrible. After all, he did it back in May/June and we thought it was "just" sprained. The pain finally bothered him enough, he went to have x-rays. Which prompted the diagnoses of surgery and screws. Not going to happen in August! Not with an 8-week recovery timeframe and harvest around the corner. No, we'll wait until November when I'M super busy and then I can do all the chores alone. **picture some major face-pulling here!**

The statin was a suggestion from his doctor after his annual physical. Given his family history, and a slightly elevated cholesterol count, he was given a perscription and told they might have a side effect of leg pains. MIGHT?? 2 days of taking the drug and 5 nights of little to no sleep because of the pain. We finally figured out that if he drank sports drinks in the evening, it helped. I guess the drug affects the electrolyte level in your body. He will not be taking that drug anymore and we'll keep on our regiment of Fish Oil Pills and adding in oatmeal, more fruits and veggies and more fish/chicken/no meat meals. He is much better now but it was pretty bad while it lasted.


The tomatoes are coming on. :oD I'm enjoying every sweet, juicy bite and will be canning juice soon.

And it being August... that means the Blue-eyed One decides we must do some major farm project that either involves digging or painting or both. It's always hot, and sweaty and the flies eat me alive. This year we are doing 2 projects.


One is totally redoing the white board fence along our driveway.




I am painting the boards. I found that a 7" roller works really, really well for this. Unfortunately, we don't have enough tall stands for the boards so I'm in a stoop most of the time. My back & hips have been protesting over this.

The other project does not involve me, I hope! The Blue-eyed Farmer has demolished our feedbunk and is moving earth and will be redoing that.



I figure that is a 2-MAN job, not a one man, one woman job and DS2 will be called in as reinforcments.

And if all this was not enough, we had a mouse!!!! *Oh MY Stinking Gosh!!** In my pantry! I found "evidence" and discovered the little so and so had to taste alot of different foods. Taco seasoning, Crisco shortening sticks (?!), salt-water taffy, Ramen Noodles, Pasta, cereal, flour, etc... And crawled and pooped on every shelf, all the way to the top! We caught the little bugger, still alive and the cats finished the job. (And no, I did not feel badly for ending it that way! Go Cats Go!!)
So there was that big job of putting everything in bags or boxes in to jars, heavy tupperware or totes. And some in the freezer or an upper cupboard in the kitchen. And then washing/disinfecting everything.


So, as you can see, it has not been boring at all here on the Prairie Farm. I have plans for lunch with some favorite people in the next few weeks. I've been to the Cosmic Cow Quilt Store, the local Mall and some antique stores to indulge in the Retail Therapy.
Oh and the mowing continues. :op

I'll have photos soon of the new projects and of Lisa's visit and maybe some sewing projects I have in mind.

Until then, Stay Safe!
Hugs,
Kay~

** “I bet deep down you still wish your mom would take you clothes shopping every August for the new school year.” ~~Bridget Willard

I love Red & White!

Is this not just the cutest thing?!! My dear, sweet, much-loved "Cyber-cousin" Maggie & dh Bill repainted and reupholstered this adorable rocking chair pin cushion for me. And then sent it here all the way from their home on an island off the coast of Maine.

Thank you, Thank You, Thank YOU! dear Maggie-Mine. I squealed with delight when I first saw it and I can't stop grinning. Now I'm gonna go cry some happy, "I'm loved" tears.

K~


** "It is a good thing to be rich,
it is a good thing to be strong,
but it is a better thing to be beloved of many friends."
~~Euripides (480-406 BC) Greek Playwright

Musing....

Why does one bank statement end up missing and it's always the one I need? If anyone sees our May 2009 statement floating around the cosmos, let me know.

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The weather is gorgeous! I don't know how we got late September weather at the end of July, but I'm not complaining. I'll even give up my much-loved fresh, home-grown tomatoes, if the weather will just stay like this until real September.

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We received our fifth wedding invitation of the summer. Wonder if I should start on first baby quilts now and get ahead of the game? lol

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My guilty-pleasure tv show is turning into an obsession. (Darn that new DVR! lol)
This is not a good thing, so starting Aug. 1st I will be going back to my self-imposed tv restriction and cutting back on Facebook time. I have some projects I need to work on and a beloved friend coming for a visit. Before I know it, fall work, harvest, orders at the office and the holidays will be here and I'll be moaning about my unfinished projects and no time to do them. NOW is the time!

*******

Speaking of that beloved friend.... Can you see my smile from there?! Stay tuned for photos of all the fun Leesie & I will be having soon!!

And here is a recent "fun-time" I had with my new/old friend, Iris. We finally met in real life (we only live 20 miles apart!) and had lunch. This will not be the only time. :o)



And here is the latest Zane cuteness. (His mommy lets me borrow him when I need some toddler hugs.)


and here are 2 sweet kidlets (minus little brother) who make me smile everytime I see them:
Miss ME and Master S (our Pastor & Miss Melanie's)


My cup is running over with friends. I am very blessed.

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Tomorrow- Hopefully a recipe or two from tonight's dinner. Cumin-scented kabobs and marinated grilled veggies.

Until then,
HUGS!
Kay~

** "Musing on roses and revolutions,
I saw night close down on the earth like a great dark wing." ~Randall

Friends Near and Far

Over the past 2 weeks I've had the joy of interacted with many friends.

I enjoyed participating in my on-line quilt group's cyber party & sent packages to many of the members.




A dear friend, who I have not seen in years, met me for an afternoon of shopping with her dd and dgd.




I received a package of hometown goodies from an on-line quilt friend.


And we hosted another on-line friend & her dh, who were passing through on their way home.



My life would be so empty and sad without my friends. Thanks for being one.

Hugs!
Kay~

** When you are lost in your own little world
It is nice to know there are friends that will come & find you.
--MoGlo (my friend)

Pink fridge, Sugar Pie Farmhouse, Friends and Kolaches!

Hmmm.... that titles makes you wonder if the Farmer's Wife has been sippin' the cooking wine again, right?

Nope, (if anything the very occasional margarita, which was very good and strong and I could have drank a pitcherful, it was that good, but I do have a little self-control and didn't want to be pour back into the car, nor pay for a pitcher. I"m a cheap date.)

Anyway....where was I? Oh yeah.... what's been going on, down on the Prairie Farm. Lots of corn planting, which is now done for 2009! WHEEEEeeeee~~

I've been spending some time with friends. THAT has been wonderful!! BFF and I spent a misty, drizzly morning at an estate auction. I'd show you my buys but iPhoto is being a pain this morning. The list is 2 vintage quilts, a red metal wind-up kitchen clock, some old radio station programming guides, a cottage-themed advertising print and a 70s crockpot-like new, in the box, never used!! There were other things I wanted, but the auctioneers used 2 rings (HATE THAT!) and then it was getting colder and wetter and do I really need another old sewing machine? (NO! says the Farmer)
So we headed over to a very bizare antique mall where I my favorite flea market seller has a booth. Todd, bless him, has a way with display. There I found a vintage RED cake taker. Oh joy! It is lovely. I also found a 1949 Singer sewing book. Now maybe I can figure out how to use all those bits and bobbles that came with my Singers.
Then on to my BFF's kind of antique store... oak furniture and clean and organized. I know I saw things there I liked, but can't remember what they were. It was fun, but I like the thrill of the hunt too.

This week I met up with an dear friend who moved an hour away many years ago. (Why do all my best friends move away? Is it me? I shower daily, really!) She brought along one of her dds and her precious dgd and we had fun shopping and talking and more talking and laughing and hugging. It was like time had not passed for us, except now there is this precious Delaney in the family and 2 dsils and very soon a ddil.
We can't wait to get the guys together and really sit and talk.

Today... TODAY, I am meeting up with a dear friend from my on-line quilt group. (waving at Mattie) She & her dh are on their way home from a quilt gathering and chose to take I-80 home. We'll try to fit in some quilt shop shopping, and then back to the farm for dinner. I wish we could have a little more time so we could spend an afternoon sewing, but they want to get home too.

We have Lots of fun family & friend times coming up. Some are still in the planning stages in my mind but some are on the calendar with the invitation on the fridge. 80th bdays, graduations, weddings, another visit from 2 other quilting friends, the girlies' visit! and that's just May and June!

So while I may be busy and only swooping in here every once in a while, I will be back again. Hopefully next time with photos.

And if you are wondering, the garden is struggling to grow, except for those potatoes. :o[ Thats the only reason I put in a garden, was for the potatoes. They better grow.
The elderberry bushes have been planted. And I've "hired" a certain Farmer and his front end loader for mulch moving so I can plant my butterfly bushes and work on the flower bed east of the porch.

Shoot... time to skedadle and I haven't told you about the pink fridge, SPFH or the kolaches....

Go HERE for the newly designed and so much fun Sugar Pie Farmhouse Blog and Forum. Aunt Ruthie is a sweetie and I love her decor and her spirit.

Kolaches-- made some this week. And ate some. YUM!~ Sorry you all can't come over for a cuppa and have one with me. Someday, right?

Pink fridge-- there is one discarded at my local appliance repair shop. A 50s model from what I could see driving by. I'm going to stop today and either take a photo and maybe ask if I could have it. (Oh my poor Farmer!) I told him about it and it would be the sweetest little thing to store things in my vintage back porch. If we gutted the motor and insulation it wouldn't be too heavy, right? Ok, maybe just a photo then. LOL

Ok, NOW I must get going. My bosses at the magazine will be new grandparents again by this evening. Welcome Grandson H!! Congrats to B & M and big sis J. Congrats to Grandpa & Grandma too. :oD

Hugs!
Kay~

Friday Night Doin's

I'm just bouncing off the walls here on this gloomy Friday afternoon. I am going to see Mark Lipinski of "Quilters Home Magazine" tonight in Lincoln and get this... Little ole' Me will be joining him (and 8 other of his Nebraska Pickles) for dinner!

If you don't know who Mark is, go here for more info:

More about Mark


( permission Granted to post a photo of the magazine here)




Mark is the owner of a Yahoo group I'm a member of and it is the Funnest quilt guild! Pure guilty pleasure for me, just reading and laughing and occasionally posting.

I will be taking my camera tonight as I've been begging for a photo and so far, Mark as been agreeable. We'll see what happens when he finally meets me in person.

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Life here on the Farm has been in that weird semi-busy lull between late winter and early spring. We had 2 or 3 lovely days of sunshine, warm breezes and temps near 80. I opened all the windows and blew out that stale winter air. (woke up all the dang flies too! )

My dFarmer has been busy with cattle work. He pulled the bull out of the herd until May so the mamas and babies could have some quality bonding time with out "that" distraction. (IYKWIM...)

He also bought 3 bred older cows from a co-worker. They are all Black, Angus I'm supposing. Nice looking girls and not too freaked out by the change. The evening we brought them home they headed for the north side of the pond and stayed there. At least they didn't go through the electric fence like some we bought a few years ago...(yes, Arvin, they were YOURS.).

Now several days later, they are working themselves into the herd. They are the bottom of the pecking order but I have a feeling they will not stay there.

We also culled out 2 more old cows. Our older mama who's calf died last week and "Short Ears". "SE" had her ear tips and the end of her tail froze off when she was a little thing, but has been a good mama. She even gave us twins about 2 or 3 years ago. But she must be close to 15 years old and it's time. Just like when we took Molly-Cow up to the sale barn...it was hard to see her go. Now we only have "Lucy" left of the named cows. So far she is doing well, despite being the same age as Molly and Short Ears.

We drove the Old Mama and Short Ears up to Columbus and stopped to pick up 3 steers from the co-worker we bought the 3 bred cows from. It was an uneventful ride but long and we didn't get home until close to 9 p.m.

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The poor quilt studio is about as lonely as can be! I've sewn exactly one seam in the last 2 weeks and cut a few pieces but that is it! Sad..sad...sad... I haven't even had a chance to get those bindings on yet. I did start folding one of them over and getting it in place. I bought some 'binder holders' which are just snap close barrette thingies. (there is a better name that eludes me just now) I did this while waiting for the delivery guys to install my washer/dryer/range.

Hey!! I don't' think I mentioned that, did I?
But shucks... I don't have time now... (LOL) Seriously, I have to get some cookies baked for my Farmer and finish cleaning up the kitchen and fold some laundry, all before 5 p.m. when I have to leave for my Night Out.
I'm off.
Hugs
Kay

** Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.
-Hoosier Farmer

2 Weddings

Happy Saturday Evening to Everyone!

The battle of the mice seems to have ended and I believe we are victorious! The final body count was nine. Not sure if we finally just "got" them all or if the low frequency repellants worked, but I'm very glad they are gone. Rick cleaned up the back porch for me, bless him. He took out all the recyclable trash and mouse-proofed the room even more than before. This next week he said he would help me clean and organize the pantry. I found "evidence" of the mice in there today. ICK!

We were invited to and attended two weddings this weekend. It was interesting to note the differences and similarities in the two.

The first was simple, but beautiful. The bride was blond, the colors were blue and white. It was held in a small, old country church. The reception and dance were held in an old-time dance hall. The buffet was simple but plentiful and very tasty. We sat with old friends and visited and realized we unknowingly had passed the gauntlet of "young marrieds" to our children. When did we get old and become the middle-aged group?

The second wedding was held in an old Catholic church. The ceremony was a traditional Catholic mass. The bride was brunette and the colors were red and black. This wedding was just a bit more formal and beautiful as well. The reception and dance were held in a small town American Legion hall. The meal was catered.

The second wedding was reminiscent of the weddings I remember attending as a young girl and in my teen years. I remember being surrounded by family and friends. The Czech accents took me back to the church I was raised in and my grandmother's and aunt's voices. I remember the jovial older men and the fun the older generation had at the dances. How the grandpas and grandmas, moms and dads enjoyed their drinks and the dancing and seeing their friends and socializing.

The first wedding was a sign of where I am now in my life. Surrounded by my friends who I met through home-schooling our sons. The wedding service was simple and heartfelt and the Gospel message was spoken. It was more modern with some popular music played and yet brought tears to my eyes.

The weekend was a trip back in time in my heart and emotions. Back to my childhood, back to my days of dating my husband, to our wedding and our oldest son's and daughter-in-love's wedding. And a time to reflect on where I've come from and where I am now in my Christian walk.

And as is appropriate for the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday, I gave thanks to God for saving me and for my marriage to a wonderful man who loves me and our children and grands. I thanked Him for old friends and new friends.
And the chance to see again, the joy and radiance on a new bride's face and the pride in her groom's eyes.

Be Loved,
Kay