"And So It Begins"

Just as we thought Spring was around the corner, Mr. Winter decides to come back again and I might add: "with a vengeance"...Just at the time when our Lambs are coming along. Trust me, it is not nice getting back and forth to the barn with the high, cold winds nipping at your cheeks...BUT, it is worth every bit of discomfort..

Our first sheep had numerous amount of problems and Tom & I spent about an hour trying to assist her in her job...poor dear...the result was four lambs, with one being still-born and because she was so distraught and exhausted from the ordeal that she could not pay enough attention to her babies...so one passed on within an hour and we rescued one of the others and brought her to our house...in the workshop area where the furnace is situated..We really didn't think there was much point in "trying" to revive her, but with many trips up and down the stairs to coax her to feed from a bottle, talking to her, nurturing her, we brought her through...here are two photos....and as you can see the poor mother hadn't even had the energy to clean her well....one in the box when she began to brighten up...after several hours; the other when I took her out of the box onto the cement floor...What a beautiful sight to see this little one back to life...She is doing quite well with her Mother now and feeding as she should be...from her Mom....

We have Eleven lambs now and have plenty more to come...Hopefully, the Moms won't have too many problems trying to bring them into the world...

"All In A Day's Work"

Time goes by so swiftly when one is busy and as you can see, I have been busy...This latest creation of mine gave me some problems but I think I mastered them....to a certain extent...now if only I could just stop long enough to learn how to use that camera......!!!!!!!

This mat brings back so many memories of days gone by when my Dad, siblings, just about everyone in the small community that I live in, would arise before Daylight and go approximately ten MILES in to the country to cut fire wood...As we live so near to the Ocean, no wood grows close by so an extensive travel and plenty of hard work was involved...It was a full day's work with a "Boil Up"( as we are so famous for in Newfoundland), at noon and time for a little rest before getting back to the chore of wood cutting... By the way, there is nothing more tasty than tea boiled in a kettle on an open fire and molasses bread...yummy!!! When the wood was cut, then the long walk home...I can remember seeing about ten to twelve horses arriving home with their master and a full load of fire wood...Next day, if weather permitted, they were off to the same chore again...remember there were no ATV's or Skidoos as there are today. People had to be really exhausted at the end of a day such as this, don't you think???

"RECIPE"

Here is the Recipe for those great "Green Tomato Pickles" that I posted the picture of in my last entry. Especially for you, Mary.....

4 pounds of green tomatoes
2 large onions
1 red pepper
1/4 cup pickling salt
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp.celery salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Method:
Cut up tomatoes, onions, and pepper; sprinkle with salt and leave over night.
Next day, rinse before combining with boiled vinegar, sugar and spices (brine)
Cook for 10 mins. Put cut up vegetables in brine; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
Put in jars and seal.
Great with sandwiches or as a condiment

ENJOY!!!!!

NO New Mat

No, no mat to show this time around...working on another that I haven't done before but I just thought I would like to share a few pictures of some of our canning, the majority using our home grown vegetables... Spring is in the air for the past few days now and this brings to mind gardening time...


These are Pickeled Beets and Marinated Carrots, both of which I have to say are quite yummy....




Cranberry/ Bankberry Jam....the berries practically grow in our back yard. We did this jam in large containers because we like it very much and is supposed to be a very healthy food. Thanks to Melaine (Woolly Hooker), who gave us a large amount of berries for this...She is a great berry picker.... :) Nothing like that beautiful Newfoundland fresh air and of course the sounds of the sea splashing against the shore while picking those type of berries.... does one's heart good.



Last, but not least, my first try at "Green Tomato Relish", which was a great success...Great on a sandwich or hamburger....Will can some again this year, if the crop is as good as last....

Can Anyone Relate to This Image???

Well, I don't have ALL of my hair pulled out yet but close to it...This Mat sure tested my patience and nerves...I don't know exactly why; Probably because the images are small and many; however, I have done others that have had lots of detail and figures.....Could it be those memories of some cold mornings in a classroom waiting for the Pot Bellied Stove to give out its heat...Remember this, anyone? I'm sure it wasn't just in my area that these stoves, coal buckets, wood boxes, etc. were popular....Popular...don't know about that...That was all People knew and so we got some of our education in this kind of environment...Remember now, there were at least two grades in each classroom. How did the poor teacher ever keep everything straight? The Boys were responsible for bringing in the "splits" (kindling) to get the fire started, then coal would be added...I have added colors under the stove because our mitts, gloves, caps would be wet after walking to school....plow through that snow and there were not many days that we stayed at home because of the snow....When there were, I remember either my brother or father coming to gather us with a Horse and Slide...no such thing as in a vehicle; we didn't have one...And how I LOVED those stormy days when this happened....Loved that old White Horse...

The two girls in the front of the classroom are passing a note from one to the other...We always did that and were quite embarrassed when the teacher caught us and read the note and probably it was about a guy in class that we were admiring...Oh, the red cheeks!!!!!

I am not getting a good picture with this new camera that I have...probably if I read the manual, I would do better...The Border is a Green with just one row of Red....Just double click for a closer shot....hope you enjoy....

Frustration & Helpers

I have been trying to design another mat...one that I hadn't done before and have been at it for three days...The picture is there in my mind and so clear; yet I couldn't seem to get it to the burlap...Talk about Frustration....I thought I should give up on it and not bother...go on to another one...but No Way, I persisted and I have begun to hook it...Not sure if it will be suitable to show after it is completed.... :)

While in a turmoil over this, I dropped some burlap on the floor and when I reached to pick it up, Goldie had planted herself on top...not sure why the picture is so golden color...but here it is anyways...







After three days of brutal mental work, I laid it on the floor, to see what it looked like, or if it should go in the garbage, when Lo and Behold, Spedo decides he would like to rest on it...He was looking at me as if to assure me that the pattern was ok....I praised him for giving me the courage to keep it...:) :)




And some people say: "Animals are dumb"....Not in my house....

Winter STILL

Well, we had a nice sunny day yesterday but nature must have been just torturing us because today we are having a bunch of snow yet again...

I am posting a picture of my beautiful little hometown of approximately 150 people. This is a portion of it. So picturesque...and Winter sure adds its beauty...
The green building is my former Grocery/Convenience Store, which has been converted into a House now and the White two-storey house to the left of it is my mother-in-laws, who passed away a year ago but left it for those members of the family who wishes to visit in the Summer months, or whenever the spirit moves them...such a great gesture...She sure loved her old homestead and worked very hard to keep things together as her husband died at the very early age of 57, as did my Dad, because of an industrial disease..





We managed to open the Root Cellar to get some supplies two days ago...Have to be careful not to let frost get in there...:)


Also, a picture of our Greenhouse..