daily yarns 'n more

rose :: hips

Brought in from the yard of our old home to decorate the Thanksgiving table.  I dug up some shoots from the wild rose bush that grows in the backyard of our old home awhile back and planted them in the yard here.  I did get a few blooms on it this summer small as the shoots were.  I'm hoping next summer there will be a lot more.

We are welcoming December with...

some mild weather...

a grand dog that we are taking care of until our son and daughter-in-law get into their new home. I think she's over a year old now, but she's still a pup and it's fun to see how Sadie and her interact...

 

Around here...

it's not looking like Christmas yet, other than some Christmas baking, that is next on the agenda...

I'm trying to decide if the full length couch that we bought along with the love seat still has a place in our home, it just doesn't seem to fit quite right.  I'm thinking more about two chairs to go along with the love seat instead.  So glad my hubby puts up with me...

we are lacking snow, though I wouldn't mind seeing a flake or two...

we drove to Appleton to get a new evaporator pan for making our maple syrup, hubby keeps thinking of new and better ways for us to process it...

life keeps moving on and we're moving right along with it...

 

Hope Y'All have a wonderful weekend.

 

over the weekend

We were busy as bees.  Autumn has fully settled in here.  A walk around the yard proved that over the weekend.  Tho I spied a few bits of color still hanging on.  My favorite flowers have dried up and you can see them here.

I'm going on my very first quilt retreat in just over a week and I'm sooooo excited.  I've been getting some things ready and doing some sewing.  In preparation in going and what to bring I made a caddy pad to carry my iron in.  Not sure if I need to bring my iron, but I just figure if I bring my iron in this cute caddy pad, then I'll have my iron and a place to iron...Just In Case.

We also did a little bit of construction over the weekend.

You'll have to wait to see just what Sadie Girl was watching.

visiting an apple orchard

I can't recall if I've ever been to an apple orchard and never picked an apple off of a tree.  We went to an apple orchard and it ended up being an orchard where they actually package the apples and send them to some major grocery stores in the Southwest Wisconsin area.  It was quite interesting to see the process.

 

You know those little stickers on the fruit you buy?  Ever wonder how they get on the fruit.  I bet you thought that someone put them on all the fruit by hand...Wrong...This little gadget did the job.

 

Apples were rolling around just about every where you looked.

In the end the apples ended up in boxes to be shipped to the stores for people to buy.

 

I did buy some bags of apples, we even sampled a few.

I did can some apples and I'm planning to make some applesauce.  I made a pie out of the canned apples and it was yummy.

It's been a busy time around Gentle Hearth, cooler weather is starting to settle in.  The mornings are very cool and crisp.  My work week has ended and I'm happy to say that the transition from copying charts to scanning is wonderful.

You all have a splendid day today.

Blessings,

Judy

our back deck

Every evening Jim, Lauren and I sit out on our back deck where it is much cooler.  We sit and look at the stars.  Even tho last night was a bit hazy, we were treated with a couple of shooting stars.

Each morning I wake up here, I feel more and more blessed to have found this place.

We had a birthday party a few weeks back for our daughter Erin who turned 20.

 

Here we are on the back deck doing some visiting before Erin headed back to her home in Minnesota.

Life here in the Ocooch Mountains is going great.  I hope you all have an awesome day today.

Blessings,

Judy

what's been happening around here

I would have to say that I am 80% unpacked here.  Today I didn't do any unpacking of boxes I ended up doing errands and calling around for things we needed.  I checked to see if Laurens transcripts were sent by her former school and they were not.  So, I had to do some calling and calling again to get a hold of someone at her old school.  They did get sent and I also received a copy.  Now, to have a meeting with the counselor to get classes picked. 

We opened new bank accounts here and that took awhile.  We have saved state coins since they came out.  Our plan was to give them to the grand kids but the novelty of them kind of wore off.  The only thing is we never stopped collecting them.  We have always put our change in a jar and would cash that in now and again, but never the state quarters.  I finally cashed those in and had a whopping $788.00 worth. 

 

A couple of the kids came by to see if they could find any of the state quarters that they were missing.

It felt good to make a meal again.  Even tho it's hot, hot, hot here.  I have to confess our new place does NOT have a/c.  It's not too bad tho, because it does cool down at night...Except tonight I don't think it's going to.  As I type I'm sweating bullets.  I cleaned the chicken coop this afternoon and had to take a shower just to cool down.  Anyway, I made this really tasty sandwich from Taste of Home called a Baked Deli Focaccia Sandwich.

This afternoon we went to look at tractors.  If we're going to live on a farm we need a tractor.  The hard part of that is getting exactly what we need.  So much to do.

After getting the chicken settled and the trailer and car unloaded.  We headed out to Minnesota to our nieces wedding on Saturday.  It was a very quick trip.  This month is going to be a very busy month.  I'm glad I asked to start my job in September.

I'm hoping you all are doing good and I can't wait to have more time to visit blogs more.

Blessings,

Judy

has it really been 5 days?

First off, I started my new job last Thursday and it was great.  Still have a lot to learn but I'm really going to like it...and...If I want, after I get the job down pat, I can pick up more hours.

On Friday, my sister and three of my dil's headed to Shipshewana for the night.  We stayed in a nice B&B.  The room we had was the "dorm" room and it slept 9.

Jake and Jennie came in on Wednesday.  Jennie had a job interview at a local hospital and got the job.  On Friday they went hunting for a house to rent and they found one.  When they get home they will be packing up and heading right back.

We had Zoe's baptism at our house on Sunday afternoon.

 

 

It's been busy around here and this weekend we are taking off again to go to the Iron Country.  Life just never slows down.

The chicken and roosters are getting pretty big now.  Jim has the coop almost done and next week when we get back they'll be having a new home.  All the grand kids love helping to take care of them when they are over.

With me working now I'm not so sure you'll be seeing as many posts as you have in the past...But, we'll see.

You all have a wonderful day!

Happy New Year!

May God bless and keep you all in his care.

guess what i get to do next year

 

For two whole weeks I get to do my civic duty and serve as a juror for the United States District Court.  I have managed so far over the years to get out of jury duty only because I was...

1. either pregnant or

2. they thought I had too many kids at home. 

Either one they were right.  I guess I couldn't use those "excuses" forever (lol) and I knew they were bound to catch up with me someday.   Mind you, I don't have a problem serving, in fact I'm kind of excited about it.  Especially with what's been going on with our "wonderful" (note the sarcasm there) Governor Blago.  Hmmmm....I wonder if I'll be seeing an interesting case.  We shall see won't we. 

One good thing is I'll have my scarf done and without a doubt it will be a scarf.  I am a bit behind on it with being sick last weekend I just haven't been knitting as much and so far I have up to Dec 10th done.  I started on the Dec 11th pattern last night.  As you can see each day is a different pattern.

I have a few gifts to get yet then I'll be done with my shopping.  I don't like it when you know what you want to get but can't find it.  Last night Jim and I went out and the mall was pretty empty.  It's what 13 days until Christmas and the stores are empty?  I don't get it, are people not buying this year?  I know I've cut back on my spending I guess everyone else has too.

You all have a wonderful day today.

fun day

Yesterday was fun.  My sister-in-law picked me up along with my mother-in-law, niece and a grand niece.  Our first stop was breakfast.  We were pretty early to be getting going and the place didn't open until 11:00 a.m.  So breakfast it was.  Yum!!!!  The directions getting to the place were a bit wrong or maybe not wrong just hard to follow so we ended up getting somewhat lost but not too bad, because when we were driving around we ended up going the right way and were only a short distance from the road we needed to turn on.  Thanks to cell phones and computers I called home and our son Joshua looked on the computer to see where we were after giving him the names of the roads at the intersection we were at.

  

  

It was truly amazing how many vendors were at this place.  One guy was painting during the show.  I wanted to take a picture of him but thought better of it.  I didn't want to take pictures of booths close up.  You never know how people will react to that.

  

Someone was even making pottery at their booth.

I did buy a couple of things but my favorite purchase was a pair of Raggedy Ann and Andy Dolls.  I have been thinking of getting a pair for myself and when I saw this booth I couldn't resist.

Right now I have them sitting on our beat up old youth chair that needs to be stripped down and re-painted.  I'm going to have to move them because the grandkids know that's the chair they get to use at the table.  If snack is mentioned the ones who use this chair will run over and if they can, push it up to the table and sit down in it waiting for the snack.  Oh boy, looking at my China Cabinet it looks like it needs to be cleaned out some, or at least straightened out.

But, all in all it was a fun day and I can't wait for the next one.

mia

Bet you're wondering where I've been.  I've been around.  We had a busy weekend with a baptism and birthday all rolled together and a couple of hockey games we went to see.  It was a lot of fun to be back in the rink watching a game again.

 

 

For my birthday Jim got tickets to go see Dolly Parton up in Milwaukee and let me tell you it was AWESOME!!!!!!!!  I have seen a few "legends" of Country Music and their voices are not the same as when they were young but Dolly can still sing and for an 1 1/2 hours we got to hear her beautiful voice.  Charlie Pride is another legend that I have seen in person and he too can sing just like the day he started. 

                

                          Photo from my Grand Ole Opry book.

I didn't take my camera as no photography was allowed.  They checked at the door and were taking the batteries from everyone who had a camera.  I'm glad that I didn't' even take my old point and shoot camera as they would have taken that battery. 

I want to go back to Milwaukee and take some shots of the city.  It was really pretty there at night.  A bit cold as we were right by the lake and it was snowing a little bit, but we were dress for it.  It was a beautiful night.  Visiting a big city like Milwaukee you see things that you don't see where I live.  My area is pretty populated but you just don't get the things that you get in a big city.  I found it really fascinating to see.  We walked around a little looking for a place to eat and people were bustling about going to who knows where.

Well my list of things to do today is long.

1. hair cut

2. lunch date with a former co-worker that I keep in touch with

3. pick up new dishwasher 

4. yarn club tonight

5. walk

and a few odds and ends thrown in there.

Yesterday I officially started my training for the half marathon.  I have not done any running for a long time but I was able to run 1 1/4 miles and walk the last 1/4 mile yesterday.  Yes, I am sore, so today will be a brisk walk.

You all have a great day today.