No matter how often I try, I just can't get away from CHRISTMAS WHITES. . .I love the way it looks against our already NEUTRAL DECOR. . .and you can't beat it for the WOW factor. . .
I pulled together SHADES OF WHITE among my everyday items. . .with touches of EVERGREENS and COLOR here and there . . .So simple. . .So classic. . .
I have begun foraging for evergreen, berries, holly and ivy. . .well, just about anything I can use to decorate the house for Christmas. . .and thinking of all my Christmases past. . .Lately I have been longing for the ones of my childhood. . .the simplicity of them. . .It was a different time. . .a different era. . .but it sure does bring back good memories. . .
Like those of the outings we took about this same time each year to scour the woods and river banks for our decorations. . .no artificial wreaths. . .or plastic Christmas trees back then. . .We created our own unique blend of nature and crafts. . .The days leading up to Christmas meant more to me than all the presents under the tree. . .We did everything as a family. . church, parties, caroling, pot luck dinners. . ..and there were so many secrets as each of us created gifts for the others. . .It was a time to truly share our love for family and friends. . .So very special. . .bringing a smile as my thoughts wander on. . .
Forgive me if I point out the obvious. . .Soon it will be the Christmas holidays, and we will all be busy, busy, busy. . .But, just so we won't forget. . .THANKS GIVING does comes first. . .
For a Farmer's Daughter, Harvest is such an important time of the year. . .We have spent months and months with our crops continually on the mind. . .Too much rain. . .Not enough rain. . .Hail. . .Pests. . .Counting the days before frost. . .We worry over our livelihood as if we were a Mother watching her children grow into maturity. . .And then Fall arrives. . .the time of Harvest. . .All the nurturing has been done. . .and we hold our breath until we have those crops harvested and sold, when we can rest easy that bills will be paid in the coming months. . .Each year is a gamble. . .but one that is so fulfilling that we can't wait until Spring planting is near. . .when we gladly start the cycle all over again. . .
Harvest and Thankfulness to this Farmer's Daughter is a web woven together. . .that cannot be--and should not be--broken. . .Another year is almost over, yet I am always so humbled at the bounty that has been provided. . .So. . .will you join me and take a few moments this week to count your blessings. . .one by one. . .for family and friends. . .health and well-being. . .provisions and bounty. . .Then let's offer THANKS for each and every one. . .
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OUR OLD COMPANY STORE as seen in COUNTRY RUSTIC MAGAZINE |
"Ninety-seven. . .ninety-eight. . .ninety-nine. . .one dollar." I was thrilled! With the four dollars I managed to save from my allowance, I had enough money to buy the little plastic cowboys and Indians for my brother, the red suspenders and bow tie for my Dad, and the sweet-smelling Lily of the Valley cologne for my Mom. I gathered up the pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters and walked alone to the company store with excitement and anticipation in my every step. Even now as I transform that same mercantile into an enchanting Christmas past, it thrills the very depths of my soul. . ."
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| OUR OLD COMPANY STORE as seen in COUNTRY RUSTIC MAGAZINE |
And so begins my latest article written for COUNTRY RUSTIC MAGAZINE. .which has just hit the stands!!!! Watch for it. . .because. . .there are some fantastic articles and Christmas ideas for your own traditional Christmas plans. . .Check out these article titles as seen on the Winter Issue cover. . .
We have become a family at the magazine thanks to D J Williams, our editor, who works so very hard to ensure that each magazine issue feels like home to the reader. . .and the best way to do that is to encourage the writers to write more personable themselves. . .to open up and tell their story. . .It's been a wonderful experience. . .and the good news is. . .I'll be writing for them again in 2019!!! and. . .beginning with the Fall Issue 2019, the COUNTRY FARM HOME will be featured each season for a year. . .John and I are so excited about this and I look forward to working with D J once again. . .
So. . .That's the BIG NEWS. . .that and I noticed on the calendar that it's almost Christmas. . .Time for me to start baking. . .and wrapping gifts. . .Where DID this year go?
Simply put. . .We have a second home. . .and I have a new decorating challenge. . .but one I will totally enjoy.
It was back in April when John and I took a few days off to visit Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. . .a town steeped in history, dating back to the early 1700s. . .But, it wasn’t English history that we found. . .It was the history of the French and French Canadians who came to this land west of the Mississippi River to hunt, trap, and later to plant crops. . .The houses were different. . .The culture was different. . .New France was the other Colonial settlement. . .and we fell in love with the town, the countryside, and most of all the people. . .
In June we returned. . .When an opportunity came our way to actually buy one of the early 19th century homes, right in the middle of the historic town, we did not hesitate. . .We signed the papers that day. . .It’s our place to get away and enjoy history again. . .to dress up and play if we want, as we did in Colonial Williamsburg. . .
So. . .I have another home to decorate. . .and to share along the way. . .somewhat different in style. . .but still Plain and Simple. . .And. . .I have a new blog where you can follow our progress. . .and see a little of the town we’ve grown to love. . .Hope you’ll join me in this newest phase of our lives. . .By-the-way. . .I have a new companion, too. . .You know how much I loved my Boo, whom I lost back in February. . .I didn’t think I wanted another animal. . .but then. . .this little guy showed up online. . .and I was hooked. . .He is the spitting image of Boo. . .but has his own personality. . .
His name is Mr. B. J. LaShae. . .and you can bet he’ll be a big part of our journey. . .
Hope you’ll join us. . .at STE. GENEVIEVE JOURNAL
Of course. . .I will continue to share our life at THE COUNTRY FARM HOME. . .There will be plenty to write about there, too. . .We are so blessed to be able to have both places. . .Isn’t LIFE EXCITING?
A little play on words. . .true. . .but I love this little sign I picked up in Missouri for only $7. . .It is perfect for my FARMHOUSE KITCHEN. . .I remember Grandmother swore by lard for her biscuits and her special recipe for tea cookies. . .Of course, the lard was processed outdoors in a big black 'witche's' pot over an open fire. . .FALL was hog killing time and making lard was just one of the activities surrounding this event. . .Only MEMORIES today. . .
We've been planning this floor for months now. . .hoping we could find someone to put it down for us. . .In this part of the country, there's a waiting list for up to two years with the few contractors around. . .This year alone we finished the breezeway porch by ourselves. . .We repainted the checkerboard floor in the keeping room by ourselves. . .We repainted the kitchen cabinets, hung new fans and chandeliers in the kitchen. . .by ourselves. . .We painted and hung new curtains in the bedroom. . .New windows throughout the house. . .plus all the maintenance required for the twelve buildings on our farmstead. . .all by ourselves. . .So you would think we'd get a break and not have to tackle the bathroom floor. . .
Life just doesn't work that way for us. . .but now that it's down, we are very proud of it. . .My goodness. . .just look at how much it added to the bath. . .I absolutely love it. ..
This is the last of this year's big projects. . .I think we ended the list with the best of all. . .AND we can SMILE and say. . .'WE DID IT!. . .Who needs a contractor anyway? . .(grin)
WOODENWARE and FALL just go together. . .at least for me. . .Their beautiful patina from years and years of use seem to add to the golden browns of the season. . .Not to mention the colors of our cotton fields that reflect the same woodsy feeling. . .and you all know how I love my cotton. . .
Just a couple more shots of our PLAIN AND SIMPLE FARMHOUSE STYLE. . .gearing up for two photo shoots coming soon. . .We finally finished the heavy work. . .and put down a new floor for the bath. . .I'll share later. . .Still so much to do and so little time. . .but I suppose each one of you could say the same. . .Life just gets busier and busier. . .doesn't it?
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| STRAW HAT AND ROSES |
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| PILLOWS, PILLOWS, PILLOWS |
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| GRAY, WHITE, BLACK, RED |
YOUR WON'T BELIEVE THE CHANGES I'VE MADE TO THE FARMHOUSE BEDROOM. . .with just a little gray paint on one wall. . .a 'new' vintage vanity. . .a change in bed linens. . .and, , ,
Maybe I have gone a little overboard but it seems everywhere I turn there are barnyard critters--the inanimate kind--to collect. . .and it's sure been fun to do just that. . . Afterall, this IS a farmhouse with a farmyard filled with barns and outbuildings. . .It's true. . .the only animal stock we have is Little Bit, the rescued cat who lives in--and thinks she owns--John's workshop. . .She roams the barns and buildings all day but at 4:00, she's ready for her treat and shows up on schedule. . .John trained her from a kitten to expect a treat at 4:00, so that he can lock her in the shop overnight. . .We have several coyotes roaming around that would love to have HER as a treat. . . How she knows the time, I have no idea. . .but she never fails.
Other than Little Bit, we have no other domesticated animals. . .We do have Sissy and Fred, the barn owls. . .And then there's Faith. . .the dove I nursed back to health a couple of years ago. . .But even though they fly around and 'talk' to us, they are still wild. . .and take care of themselves. . .
It wasn't always this way. . .There were mules, cows, horses, pigs, oxen, and chickens filling the two barns and the chicken coop. . .and roaming around a large pasture where we now grow our cotton. . .
I sort of miss all the animals of my childhood but not enough to own any now. . .Collecting tin, metal and wood ones are fine with me. . .
I HAVE begun staging other areas of the house for the COUNTRY RUSTIC magazine photo shoot in October. . .We have changed a few things. . .are painting a lot. . .and as I dig out accessories, I'm playing with how to display them. . .So I may share a few quick photos with you along the way, maybe without much of a story, but with lots of ideas. . .The house often looks different in photos than in the actual setting. . .As they say in the interior decorating realm. . .I'll be auditioning them to you. . .
As a side note. . .Yes, it HAS been a long time since I LAST blogged. . .but this Summer has been a whirlwind of unexpected happenings. . .We've had rain, wind, floods. . .and a drought. . .and another flood. . .Then out of the clear blue sky, the opportunity to buy a weekend home in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri popped up. . .but more about that later. . .And next was a mammogram that concerned the doctors. . .and more tests. . .ending with three biopsies. . .Ouch. . .We didn't breath for about a month while that was going on and were all relieved when the biopsies were non-cancerous tissue. . .I will be followed with a mammogram every six months for a while, though. . .I can deal with that. . .
Which brings me to the real reason I'm telling you my story. . .I started to keep it to myself but then decided . ."No. . .Others need to be encouraged". . .to get those mammograms done. . .I am now a believer. . .Radiologists have come a very long way in the last few years in their ability to detect changes which might be pre-cancerous or early cancer. . .In my case, there was NO MASS to see. . .There were only some indicators that there might be a problem. . .Had cancer been found, it would have been so early that the chance of cure was 97%. . .I looked at my own x-rays and believe me, there was nothing there for the untrained eye to see. . .Scary. . .But you sure won't catch me ignoring another mammogram!!!!!!. . .I'll be there with bells on. . .
How about you? . .Please don't ignore having a mammogram done. . .Don't wait until you can feel a lump. . .It's the first step and best detection of very early cancer. . .Your family and friends need you. . .Take care of yourself. . .
from: women welfare foundation
Okay. . .I'll get off my soap box. . .
And, I'll be back soon with snapshots of our projects. . .
Sorry I've been gone so long. . .
