Hey, it’s January in Northern Minnesota, and it’s cold outside. We just had a few inches of blowing snow. So, Will finally went out to the half-finished snowplow repair and started up the truck. Even with the plow not working perfectly, as he still has some work to do on it, it did make a pass out the driveway, then back again, clearing off both the new and old snow we’d been just driving through.
I looked out this morning to sunshine and enjoyed watching our three regular wild turkeys scratching around for corn where we feed the deer and them. I’m not sure where the big flock went, but we haven’t seen them for a month or more. Maybe someone feeds more corn? Anyway, I tried to sneak out to take a picture of them and whoosh, away they ran and flew. You’d think they’d get used to us by now.
My nasty cold is finally getting better. Ugh, it’s hard to do anything when your head is all stuffed up and you’re blowing your nose like a freight train every five minutes. We’ve been able to keep up with seed orders, nevertheless, including a few with wonderful, unexpected gifts included. One was this embroidered tea towel a customer’s daughter-in-law did for me. It’s way too beautiful to actual use! As some folks think my “retirement” from the seed business means I won’t be writing any more. Not true. It’ll actually free up more time to write!
Are any of you getting depressed with all that’s going on in our country? Minneapolis and other cities “hosting” ICE, that whole Greenland thing and more. We sure can’t do anything about any of it but pray but it sure makes me look at our seeds in a positive light, as well as our pantry. I feel like I’m sitting in a huge balloon that’s being blown up bigger and bigger, just waiting for it to POP! I’ll sure be glad when spring gets here and I can get my hands in the dirt. We can’t fix the world, but we can plant more beans! — Jackie
To stay healthy we take D3 5000 iu daily and Zinc Picolonate 50mg and Elderberry capsules. So far so good Hubbie and I are healthy. Also try to eat mushrooms often in cooking but there are mushroom capsules too.
I hope you are feeling better soon. Echinacea tea is helpful with zinc. I love the tea towel. I made one for my granddaughter with recipes from my mother (Great Gran) me (Grandmother) and her mother. I used transfer bond paper onto the tea towel, and it is a great way to preserve the handwriting and recipes from three generations. We are expecting at least a foot or more of snow here this weekend. I have my gas stove, oil lamps, canned goods, bottled water and everything I need to “hunker” down. I even have a pedal sewing machine for quilting when the electricity goes out. If it really snows that much, I will use my outside snow water first and bottled water for when the snow begins to melt and the community water pipes break! You have to be prepared and always think ahead. Stay warm and safe.
Love the idea of preserving your family history of recipes! Quilting by pedal – make me think I should clean up my Granny’s machine and have it ready. Stay warm and healthy
Yep, I’ve been doing the echinacea, zinc, vitamin C, etc, plus honey and lemon. Yep, I have an old heirloom treadle sewing machine in my kitchen. I learned to sew on Grandma’s! It does take a knack but you soon get the hand of it. I’m glad you’re all set to hunker down! Enjoy the quiet.
We can’t change the world, per se, but God can after we pray, like you said to do. I do not like hearing all this stuff, but I listen a little and just pray and pray. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. I mentioned another time, I’m using elderberry. Have you tried it for colds, Jackie? Regards from far north California.
I haven’t done elderberry yet but know it’s very good. Yep, I can’t change all hate and violence today but I do pray constantly.
Glad to hear your cold is getting better and to see that truly lovely tea towel gift!
When I lived in the Seven Devils Mountains (in idaho) I fed a flock of 100-300 wild turkeys for the Forest Service. They’d come when I called, since they knew i filled the feeders. Folks used to hear about the turkeys and come out to watch me call them. I think they’d heard I was some sort of master “caller.” The shocked looks when I stood on the deck and hollered “Heeeerree turk, turk, turk, turk!” and a couple hundred birds would come flying and running from the timber into the yard. What a ruckus they made! I sure enjoyed their antics!
Wow, it’d sure love that many turkeys!! I yell “Deer, deer, deer!!!” and they all come. So much for being quiet deer hunting, huh?
Dish towel is awesome! Perfect for you!
I absolutely love that gift!!! I show it to everyone and plan on framing it.
Glad you’re feeling some better. Received my seed order today. Was like getting Peace of Mind in a Delivery. Extra seeds for sharing with info on seed saving, because those Seeds make it possible. The mindset of prayer and Endurance is where I’m at, while keeping the Outside world awareness somewhat at bay. Just keeping track enough to not be surprised and overwhelmed. The idea of self sufficient living with skill sets to manage. Gardening, preserving, knitting, piecing quilts, cooking from scratch, doing kitchen skills from my
Homesteading pioneer family. Sauerkraut, pickles, jams, preserving meats. The list goes
On. Stocking up on what I personally can’t
Produce. Spices, canning salt , canning lids,
But Always going forward Without the Spirit
Of Fear. Just refreshing my Heritage.
We are a family of Norwegian ( Minnesota)
And Swedish and Scottish ( North Dakota)
Those 3 families came over and utilized the
Homestead opportunities. Had to be mostly
Grueling. I vividly remember the older ladies
Always had Needlework and lots of Flowers.
They said coffee ( and a Bite) with friends was how we made it. Always knitting and embroidery, and Norwegian Hardanger white
Work with quilt tops gathering the friends for
Get togethers
I’m inspired by that history, work ethic and
Examples growing up. I can do this. My life
Is so much easier than their challenge.
Reality is that Everything will most Probably
Get Worse before it gets better.
Joann, Your comment was so encouraging and uplifting! Thing is, I’m the only one in my family that stays at home and home-makes, loving it; for all these 40+ years. I’m glad that our “ancestors” loved it, too, and the friendships and activities that came with it. When will that change? When will their be more than me left in the neighborhood after 8 am every single day?
Yep, I’m afraid it will to. I remember all the stories my grandparents and parents told about true homesteading days, back before and during the Depression and figure no matter how “hard” things get now, they aren’t as tough as they have been.
We try to take care of things here at home, our friends, neighbors and family, as best we can and plan on keeping doing that.
Tea towel is beautiful. Glad they are hosting ICE getting rid of rapists. murderers, and child sx traffickers. I would think many would be upset over the fake daycares stealing money from people that need it. Instead sending back to terrorists that target our children over seas. You mention Greenland that is geo political. I would rather have us up there than China and Russia invading us from the North. In the end God is in control and He allows it to happen for His plan. Trust in Him not man. Robin
I concur, Robin. Well-said.
Very little wildlife here, large farms have removed much of their cover, and chemicals their food. Sad to see. This morning was my first time trying to pressure can chicken broth and even though I followed the directions, it looks like none will seal. Just have to decide if I want to reprocess or freeze it like I used to.
The news are sadder and sadder. Keeping informed without giving in to depression or the cancer of hate is as much a challenge as figuring out what the truth is. That’s why, if you have it available it’s a good idea to listen to a variety of news sources. And, if you’re a believer, to pray for peace, pray for all leaders- political, social & economic- to open their heats and minds to caring for the people they represent.
Wishing you Jackie, your family and all good health, good weather & Peace.
That tea towel is beautiful!
Whoops, I meant open their hearts. Mea Culpa!
Vicki, the only food I’ve had a problem with is bone broth. It is quite finicky. I must leave the jars in the pressure canner to cool down together after turning the burner off. It’s even best to leave the lid on and don’t unscrew it. Let it all cool down at it’s pace, and seems everything seals. I’ve had bone broth blow up inside the pressure canner after I unscrewed the lid and kept it slightly turned and laying on the top of the canner.
I disagree with leaving the jars in the pressure canner to cool down all the way after the burner has been turned off. That’s dangerous as the jars appear sealed but later often come unsealed in storage. I lost 15 quarts of sweet corn that way as I was just too tired to wait for the canner to come back to zero after processing.
I’ve never had broth blow up in the canner. After the pressure is down, just wait about 5 minutes and all will be well.
I’ve had trouble with Kerr and Mason lids and even rings not performing right so have switched to others.
I love the tea towel!!! And, yes, the news is frightening. We have friends and relatives living down there. Grandson, Drew, is young, tall and has black hair and mustache as his mother is Native Alaskan. We worry about ICE grabbing him off the street, as all the folks swooped up are not rapists, illegals, sex traffickers, murderers, etc. And then there’s our Vietnamese family granddaughter, who looks a bit Asian and a black college professor who was born and raised in Georgia by American citizens…all at risk.
We pray every single day for all the innocents.
That tea towel is so loving a gift! I agree with all of us saying we are going on with our lives and doing what we see as helpful, while shaking our heads at more hate and trouble. I feel called to action for change but our country seems loosed from its mooring and it will be tough to guide it back – we’ll need more community and more unity. Here’s to more gardening and thank you for your legacy.
That’s why we say “plant more beans”. We can’t change the craziness but CAN plant more food, so we concentrate on that instead of the upsetting news.
That tea towel is so long a gift! I agree with all of us saying we are going on with our lives and doing what we see as helpful, while shaking our heads at more hate and trouble. I feel called to action for change but our country seems loosed from its mooring and it will be tough to guide it back – we’ll need more community and more unity. Here’s to more gardening and thank you for your legacy.
Snow, blowing- not blizzard stuff, is beautiful and soothing. From INSIDE. Hopefully Will gets it totally repaired before it Really piles up. Read the Lakes are getting hammered with Snow. It’s about the only thing I read news wise. Chaos. Lies. Disrespect from the top. No wonder everyone is getting angry at each other.. Spring thought s are a wonderful way to daydream. Prayer is going to be the only way out. Hope the cold doesn’t linger on. Nothing worse than being drug down and trying to wade, bundled up to do the chores; or snap photos of wildlife. Beautiful embroidery! My neighbor just gifted me her’stash of aprons sewn,worn by church ladies for weddings dinners, social gatherings in church (when she was a child- she also shared the arrival of her 4th grandchild!) it’s an honor to bake and cook wearing them. Births today are a special gift to us still. Stay warm and beat the heck outa that cold!
I’m the only one in my family that likes wearing aprons. But, then I’m a career homemaker and the others have careers!
I’m working at it. But this cold seems to just hang on and hang on. Ugh!! I love aprons. When we moved to New Mexico, I found several that the old lady who had lived in our house must have worn. They looked like Grandma’s aprons she wouldn’t be caught dead without. Calico, tiny rose flowers, all beautiful!
I’m concerned about the chaos. As you know there is little we can do. I plan to do the best I can for this little space of earth I occupy. I will care for family, friends and the nearby needy. Chores today were tough with temperature a minus 10. This is my reality. I don’t feel America is still the beacon of hope it once was. I hope we can find our way back to the foundation of our democracy. I’ll spend my time and thoughts on next summer’s garden and the starting of transplants. That activity gives me peace. I hope your cold resolves quickly-as I age something like that really knocks me down. Will you still be providing seeds for the new owners?
We’ll keep growing some seeds for our new owners, to help ease them into the business. Growing everything is a lot more intensive than anyone who hasn’t done it realizes. Lots of pressure to make sure customers get the rare seeds they want.
The dratted cold is still here but no worse.
I also feel America isn’t the glowing star it once was. It feels so sad, watching all the hate spreading like a disease. I just keep focusing on what we can do to help our own lives and those of folks around us and try to block out the depressing events.
These upper respiratory infections seem to be lasting for 2=3 weeks. I hsve been able to avoid it so far. It is hard to stay quiet and test when life is calling. I am trying to savor all the seasons. The days go by too fast anyway. Prayers for all and for our country.
Amen Susan. They rush by like a freight train. That sometimes cheers me up, thinking that spring will be just around the corner. Just think, flowers, green grass and leaves, birds singing. It won’t be all that long coming.
I too find the wildlife not accommodating at times when it comes to taking pictures. Two bucks showed up tonight. It is brisk here with -23 windchill along with the on the ground snow blowing like a banshee through the open fields. It not going to be any warmer any time soon. Well it is supposed to be 23 in a couple of days but that doesn’t take into account windchill.
One has no choice but to watch/listens/read the news in order to know what is going on. I’m sure my 5G-grandfather is rolling in his grave. This is *not* what he fought for in 1776.
I too will be happy to get outside – the kittens have me in garden shape already. Not as many seed catalogs as I usually get – wonder if some companies are cutting back a bit.
They are such a joy, despite what the established cat thinks. We’ve had a couple of kerfuffles – one initiated by established cat, the other I’m not sure. The one kitten really wants to be established cat buddy but she isn’t buying it yet.
I am not allowed to take any pictures but established cat been my better half’s buddy. One of the kittens is a lap cat already. The other one is in heat (thankfully not vocal). Upside is a bit of wet food and her being in heat meant she came out of her shell and lets me handle her.
I never thought you’d write less after the passing the torch to the next generation. You and Will as at the next step in life.
It’s so funny, I can walk right out around the deer and they pay little attention to me or even Sarge, who kind of looks like they do, big and brown. Our last bunch of wild turkeys eventually tamed down to where they would come when I called and trot right up to me. This bunch is really wild! Maybe they had a bad experience with people somewhere else.
I try not to focus on the news as it is depressing, but I also try to keep up on what’s going on so we don’t “get caught with our pants down” so to speak. Then I try to block out the depression with action, gearing toward spring gardening. It’s much more pleasant!