Tuesday, January 31, 2012

First Daffodils of the Year!

So do you want to know what makes this Farm Girl happy?

Its Daffodils!!!



 I notice one little daffodil bud Sunday night and when I went to check on the pretty little yellow bloom today, I saw several more flowers.
The daffodils are a few weeks early this year and I certainly hope its signs of an early spring. Groundhog day is coming and I hope he says spring is fast approaching.

 The show is just beginning and it will be some time before all the daffies are in bloom, but oh the joy that can come from the first flowers of the year. They make me happy, bring a smile to my face, give hope that winters dreery days are coming to an end, remind me that its time to start seeds in the greenhouse, all the while bringing a sadness as I miss my sweet Grandmama. I always remember picking daffodils for Grandmama's birthday in February and its hard to believe that its been ten years since I did that last.


Monday, January 30, 2012

Burlap and Lace Bride's Wedding Bouquet

I am seeing and hearing of so many brides incorporating burlap into their wedding. Of course I love burlap and the vintage themes that are being recreated at wedding cermonies and receptions.
I created this Bride's Bouquet by  hand making chocolate, natural, and cream colored burlap and white lace flowers to complement the rustic, shabby chic, vintage weddings that are so trendy right now.

 I listed the Burlap and Lace Bouquet in my etsy store this weekend and would be happy to custom make bouquets for brides and bridesmaids.
 I am a happily married girl, but IF I was to ever get married again, I would want to carry this bouquet! I see so many things I would love to create and decorate with, but don't have the occasion.
 The bouquet has been treated to help prevent fraying and you never have to worry about this fabric flowers wilting or trying to preserve a fresh flower bouquet.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Sunset Pictures

I got up this morning, planning to participate in the Brenda Photo Challenge, but I got an email, saying the challenge has been postponed till next weekend. So how 'bout some Sunset pictures from last week? As I was downloading pictures to my computer, I found a few sunset pictures I had taken recently and thought I would share. Its been a while since we have had multicolored evenings like this and I ran and got my camera while we were feeding the animals


 I'm off all weekend and hope to get caught up on several projects around here. I hope you all have a Great Weekend!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Woodpeckers and Land Mark Directions

Our recent travels have taken us down several country back roads and we noticed this woodpecker perched in this tree. Farmall Man backed up, so I could get a couple of pictures of the bird.
 
 We passed by the same tree three days later and the woodpecker was in the same location, observing the area.
Last night on my way home, I was talking on the phone to Farmall Man when he ask me where I was at. I told him I was passing the woodpecker's tree and he knew exactly where I was at! This bird has now become a landmark!

Around our parts, we like to give directions by landmarks. I've taken lots of directions to the tune of:

 "once you pass the big pine tree" (ummm this is East Texas, and we all have pine trees, yet I knew I had arrived at the right place, cause yes, it was a big pine tree!)

"turn at the brown farm gate" (everyone on that road had a brown or rusty gate)

 "just past the hay field" (hay is everywhere in the summer...err a typical summer anyways.)

 "the road in front of the old store" (the store hasn't existed since I was a child, is now torn down, yet the road is still in front of the old store!)

 "down at one-eyed horse corner" (when my dad was growing up, there was a  one-eyed horse that lived at this particular corner - never saw him myself, but all these years later, I still refer to the place as one-eyed horse corner. I may be the only person left that refers to the place as such!)

"turn right and go two shakes of a pick-up truck" (had to bust out laughing after being told that one!)

"when you see the smiling dog, you're at the right house" (I never did see the famous smiling dog, but I found the right people to deliver to.)

We refer to lots of buildings by their previous tenants...you know, the old Wal-Mart, now turned three other stores, but its still "in front of the old Wal-Mart"

The old locker plant - never seen it in my life, but tell people where the beauty shop is and you must say "it's at the old locker plant" and you get an immediate, "oh yeah."

The drug store and grocery store changed names years ago, but are still occasionally referred to by the previous name.

I could go on and on about land mark directions...Do you give directions by "go down to such and such place, cross the creek, go up the hill, round the curve, yada, yada, yada" or do you use exact road number and mileage for reference?  What's your favorite, funny directions?

Friday, January 20, 2012

Rooster Tale

You know you live in the country when a Rooster greets you at the gas station!

This rooster is becoming quite a celebrity in our rural area as he hangs out all day in front of the convenience store, crowing to customers as they arrive at the pump and occasionally slipping in the store.

I had heard about the rooster from friends and Sunday I stopped to get diesel for the tractors, and low and behold if he didn't crow as I pulled in the parking lot!

I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of the red rooster. Now if I could only get a picture of the goat that hangs out there too. Oh yes, I said Goat! The house behind the store has several animals and the rooster and goat like to wander up to the store. I've seen the goat behind the store and eating something off the road, but never in the store parking lot. I'll be sure and share when I get the goat's picture!

I love life in the country and wouldn't have it any other way!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Purple Pansies

Saturday on our trip to town, we entered Wal Mart through the Garden center and these purple pansies screamed at me and said "take me home"! Well I bought me a few pots of pansies, cause well I'm tired of the dull colors around here and my front porch steps are bare. The pumpkins are gone, Christmas decorations are gone, it was time for some fresh flower blooms.
 So I planted the pansies in this old crock and a few in an old dish pan. Ahh, it felt good to get my hands in the dirt! I saw onion sets at the store too... that means gardening seasoning is getting close and since we are starting to get more rain, well I'll be eager to dig in the dirt very soon.

It's raining here as I type this and we actually got about 8 inches of rain in December, yet still fell over 20 inches short for the year. Hopefully 2012 will not see the terrible drought conditions like we did last year.
The purple pansies and a blog makeover this weekend have been just the color fix I'm needing!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

They Stole My Snuggie

I got a Snuggie for Christmas from a friend. I never thought about having a Snuggie for myself, but you know, its the softest, fluffiest, coziest blanket. I don't stick my arms through the sleeves, but use it more like a blanket when I do get a chance. You see my girls have stole the Snuggie!
 Trixie has taken over the Snuggie, in fact she has only come to bed a couple of times since Christmas! New Year's Eve she joined us in the bed because all the fireworks were scaring her, but other than that, she rules the Snuggie!
Now Oakley has discovered the Snuggie as well and Trixie occasionally shares her blankie with the cat.
 I took this picture with my iPod, when the girls actually shared part of the couch and Snuggie with me! I have to be careful, sometimes I get growled at for thinking I should be able to sit on my couch with my Snuggie!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

76 Days till Spring!

It a new year and that means its time to start the count down till Spring begins! Spring is my favorite time of the year. I love it when the flowers start to bloom and pretty colors return to the landscape.

With the drought this past year, I don't know if all my flowers will make it, but I am very excited that the daffodil, iris, and alstroemeria foliage is coming up!
There is more green in my yard now, than there has been in a long time. Now I can't wait till the Daffodils start to bloom and  yellow blooms scattered throughout the yard! It won't be too much longer. In past years the daffodils have started blooming anywhere from the end of January to around Valentine's day.

The first seed catalogs of the year arrived in the mail box today! Yeehaw! That means more will be arriving soon and the local stores should be putting up their seed displays as they clear out the Christmas inventory!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Back Roads

A few days before Christmas, I went to the cemetery where so many of my family are buried to take flowers to place on the graves. It was a somewhat cool and gloomy looking day as I travelled the country roads where I came from. Reminiscing and not wanting to get back to town and the hustle and bustle of grocery shopping and finishing my Christmas preperations, I drove the back roads for a while. Alone with my thoughts and a few songs playing on my iPod, I slowly wound my way down a few back roads that I haven't been on in many years.
Not a soul in the world knew where I was at that afternoon. Farmall Man knew I was going to the cemetery and grocery store, but I took a road less travelled as I took the long way around to get to where I was going.


We had received a nice rain the night before, and as I turned down the road, I began to wonder if it was paved the whole length of the road or if it might possibly turn to mud somewhere. I drove a few miles without seeing a single house or driveway and knew if I came to a washed out spot in the road, I would have a long ways to back out of my predictament. At one place, I finally saw a fresh set of tire tracks and knew the road had been travelled once that day.
I enjoyed my afternoon of back roads and memories, even if it only lasted for an hour or so.