Friday 30 December 2011

Yes!!!SNOW SNOW SNOW

Just in time, it is snowing. On Sunday we are to be having a toboggan party at a friends place down the road, been a little worried how we were going to accomplish that with no SNOW. But if I don't have a tall dark and handsome man come to the door I may not be able to go any way,Fuzzy might have to do ,well his hair isn't as dark as it used to be and he is not that tall but taller than I am so I guess in a pinch he'll do. So I imagine you are wondering what she's going on about. It is tradition from Scotland. Ya canna leave the house on New Years Day until a tall dark haired man comes through the door or you won't have a good year or something like that.Oh but life is good,it is snowing! OK so I know what everybody is thinking, give her a month and she'll be grumbling  about the stuff and you are likely right but it just wouldn't be right without some, not as much as  last year, just enough to make it post card pretty, cover up the brown stuff , make it all look clean.Now maybe I can get the snowshoes out and go give them a try, make a snow angel or tractor tracks, shovel and get rid of the Christmas 5 more or less. Darn I am almost giddy, doesn't take much to make me happy.
    I have started on a few organising jobs that needed to be done, part of the kitchen cupboards are as they should be and I am slowly but surely getting the crap room (craft room) back in order after Santa's helper(me) was messing with it. The laundry room towel cupboard is done it looks so neat, hope it lasts. Need to have the house some what respectable before the first footin.
    I have been hearing that some people are already been taking down their Christmas decorations and are glad to be done with it all, this makes me a little sad, and my own Mom was talking of it the other night on the phone, that she was thinking of doing it. I jumped up on my imaginary soap box and told her that it was to soon, that the wise men had not even got to Bethlehem yet, for goodness sake they where on camels and had to stop and tell King Herod  on the way. We all get in such a hurry to put  Christmas up that we seem to want it all to be over on the 26th,I know I should not lump everyone into that category  that there are people out there who do enjoy it longer and make it last, so I will now step of my soapbox.But please think about it tell me your thoughts.
     In my last post I mentioned what Fuzzy gave me for Christmas this year, I have a picture to show you. I love it and it works great. This year the girls and boys decided that we should not buy each other gifts, but everybody buy one gift for about $20 and we make a game of it. That we would only buy or make things for the grandkids. Well um I was doing alright with this till about a week before Christmas and I could not help myself, I made the girls each a gift and bought them PJs and got the guys something too. It just did not feel good until I did. The game was great and I ended up with some really cool baking things. It was so much fun watching them trying to steal the stuff from each other but in the end I think everybody got what they wanted and had a lot of good fun.
   My New Years resollution this year is not to make one as I do not want to not keep it. Let 2012 be a year with peace being the world's priority. God Bless and Happy New Year!

Wednesday 28 December 2011

Merry Christmas


  I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas from our home to yours. Come on in and have a visit and a look around at my home for Christmas,  I love Christmas. As you can maybe see no snow to speak of yet. Sure haven't needed much hay so far this year or straw for that matter.
   This my front veranda to the right of the front door is my porch swing, a Christmas present from Fuzzy the year we built the house, he built it for me and kept it hidden until Christmas morning, I was so excited I went out PJ's and parka, tea and had my first swing on it. That was 5 years ago,love it and love the man who built it. On our front door I made a wreath using an old violin, cedar and spruce from the yard,( the violin was beyond repair) some ribbon and a few flowers, called her done.The three trees, were a gift from Boo long ago. So lets go on in and I show you more.Here we are in the front hall, where I have an old buffet that Fuzzy's mom had cut the legs shorter,back when she had it. This the dinning and sitting room ,most of the furniture is other peoples castoffs which I have fixed up and recovered or just gave them some love. Its cosy and full of memories, and I love them for the stories they could tell. The dining table and chairs were Fuzzy's Grandparents, it had been a wedding gift to them from Fuzzy's great grandfather,

Front Hall fresh greens cut from the yard
Nativity that Mom made many years ago

This is my Christmas village mostly given to me by the girls and mom
Family room tree,the old wooden train my dad made before I was born as I was to be a boy,fooled them!I ran out of time and did not get the popcorn on the tree,next year.
Quite often covered with a craft project.

Well I started this before Christmas but due to enjoying having my family and chores, cooking,last minute shopping, wrapping,cleaning, and Christmas fun it is now the 27th  and I am just getting it done. Forgot to mention that we had our usual boxing day cattle day too. In the morning we ran about 90 cows through and scour guarded and gave them their vitamin shots plus ivomac, was such a beautiful morning to do cattle hard to believe it was December 26.We still have 20 or so left to do but they are at home so can be done a lot easier. Boo and her boyfriend left today and I went and had grandchildren time while their Momma and Dad when to a wedding was so good to be with them, seeing their Auntie left, not as lonely.
    Hope to have a picture up soon of what my wonderful husband gave me for Christmas, I am such a lucky woman.
    I keep trying to get the pictures in order ,but it just isn't working  so I finally deleted some and left it as it is, someday I will figure it out. Oh, and by the way Happy New Year!




Wednesday 14 December 2011

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

      Well the second week of December has come and gone already, and I still see grass instead of snow.Last year by this time we were shovelling the stuff pretty much everyday, much easier for feeding cattle and getting down the road,but not as pretty.
       So I got some more Christmas decorating done and a bit of baking done but I need to get more done so I had better get the piano that is tied to my butt in that area removed and get with it, as Boo wants shortbread and someone else wants rum balls, mince tarts, and on and on.
       Fuzzy and Thumper went to two production sales this week together, called back they needed the truck and trailer as they both made purchases, but I was to do the chores, Fuzzy would come home for the outfit as it was so very windy they thought I would have trouble getting it up there myself.( what is with them I turn 50 and I'm no longer able to do anything anymore, give me a break) But our Thumper is on cloud 9, she got herself a purebred polled Hereford bred heifer and has big plans for going back showing cattle. She is so excited she lights up like a 150 watt light bulb or brighter, Fuzzy got a young bull for next year.Nice to see them sharing time together, good for both of them.
      Friday the grandchildren came here on the big yellow bus for a sleepover with Granny and Papa, wow they are growing up fast,not my babies anymore. Hi Granny what can we have for a snack,can we play wii, can I have marshmallows in my cocoa, I want to sleep on the blow up bed, Granny can we make something. we did this at school,no, I want the blow up bed,you had the blow up bed the last two times, can we draw straws for it,ahhhh but I want it. As we all know children this all took place in the first ten minutes. Oh, but it feels great to have them come and stay, before long they will be all grown up and won't have time to come to Granny and Papa's place. So we had wii, hot chocolate,with marshmallows,and our little princess got the blow up bed this time. Papa feeling like he wants his time with them suggests that the boys go and help him with chores, this was not meant with a good reaction, ah Papa we are playing wii, and by this time the noise that game makes is starting to get to me so I gave them a gentle shove out the door to help their Papa and give the TV a rest.(PEACE). We played games ,ate lots, laughed, read,and thoroughly enjoyed them. Grandchildren are God's gift to us for being parents!
  Saturday we did our last BBQ for the year, 200lbs, of mainly beef, with 20lbs of pork for good measure. Fuzzy started this some years back and has become quite popular. It was a beautiful warm day, worked outside with just a hoody on, no need for a parka.
Sunday there was no church, so we worked cattle in the afternoon, and had a quiet evening together.
   I have put some pictures up of our little darlings and the one Christmas tree, hope all your preparations for the season are going well and take care!
       

   

Thursday 1 December 2011

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Well December is here,and my preparations have begun. I try and hold off until the first of December as I love the hustle and, the smells and the joy of it all. I got the Christmas Cd's out and blew the dust off them, the fruit and nuts for the Christmas cake are soaking in the spirits (family tradition).The Christmas lights are up and turned them on for the first time tonight or I guess I should say last night as it is 12:28 am.Today I will mix the batter for the cake and add the fruit and nuts and get it baked.Speaking of Christmas cakes I happened on a Christmas cake recipe on the Kinnaird Bagpipes newsletter yesterday, they suggested to share it so here goes:
        Best Ever Christmas Cake
Ingredients:
! cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup dried fruit
1 tbsp nuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1BOTTLE OF WHISKEY
1)Sample whiskey to check for quality
2)Take large bowl,check whiskey again to be sure of it's highest quality. Pour 1 level cup and drink. repeat
3)Turn on electric mixer,beat 1cup of butter in large fluffy bowl,add 1spoontea of sugar and beat again.
4)Make sure the whiskey is still okay,
5)Turn off the mixer, Break 2 large eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the dried fruit,Mix on turner,If the fruit gets stuck in the beaters, pry it loose with drewscriver.Sample whiskey again to check for tonsisticity.
6)Next sift 2 cups of salt=or something,whoc cares? Check the whiskey.
7)Now sift the lemon juice and strain the nuts,Add one ballspoon of brown sugar,or whatever colour you find.Wix mell Grease the oven,Turn the cake pan to 350 gredees,
8)Don't forget to beat of the turner, throw the bowl out the window, Check the whiskey once again then go to bed.
This was my laugh for the day!
     Now in all seriousness I do have a fun little recipe you maybe familiar with it but I find it does come in handy when company is coming and you can't get to town
After Dinner Mints
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
3Tbps.of butter or margarine
2Tbps of cream or milk
food colouring
peppermint flavouring
mix together and you can roll out in ropes and cut the size you like or I used the icing bag with a star tip. leave out over night to air dry and keep in an airtight container. For something different I made these little sleds out of small candy canes and foil cups.
    My hope during this wonderful time of the year you will make time to enjoy and remember the reason for it all ! Peace be with you!