8/11/10

Petite pick me ups

Thank you, for all the lovely comments about our home. It's so nice to be able to share all the hard work we've put into, and will continue to put into the old homestead. I'll try and write more stories about Tia, possibly this winter.
For now August is really starting to get to me, we're hovering between 100-115 heat index for weeks now. All I've done this past week is splash water on my face and read books. The cows stay under the trees and the dogs dig deep holes under the shrubs. We cope, we wait, we are all wishing for fall weather.

When almost everything else in the garden is dormant, a Texas native will laugh at the sissy plants. Clematis pitcheri...laughing.

I've also finish a small collection. An attempt to draw the boys into the kitchen while I cook. They can't resist a game.

I don't have to worry about monopoly pieces being strewn about.
A game I can display and cook with ;0)


Game on!


8/4/10

Tia's home tour... 1940's

Our home has its own photo album. We've added our own photos as we remodel (a life time of work). One day I would like to think that someone will appreciate our old photos the way my family appreciates these from the previous owners.

The pond is much smaller now and overgrown. The only ducks we have are migrating visitors.



No remnants of Tia's rose garden remain. Of course, I love roses, so many have been reestablished. I think Tia would approve.





This once was a working ranch situated on over 500 acres. A house staff and equipped for entertaining. Two stoves, two ovens and two refrigerators, we have since scaled down to one of each. The original floor was black and red linoleum tiles. We found the tiles under yellow sheet linoleum. Much of the house had been remodeled in the 70's with yellow formica, linoleum and yellow and orange shag carpet.
I am happy to say we are 75% shag carpet free...Like I said, it's a work in progress.








The informal living room has changed very little...maybe next year.
 If you look in the far right corner you'll see a chaise lounge. I have that in the sewing room. Only, I bought mine three months before we bought the house at an antique mall 70 miles away. It's electric and vibrates...weeee..and a pearlescent green. I've never seen anything like it before or since. The previous owner said Tia's chaise was indeed green and electric. What are the odds that I purchased a chair from our future home?




The master bedroom was originally yellow stripes and roses. I know because the bathroom closet still has this wallpaper. I love it, just don't think I would care for sooo much of it. Look, it's even on the ceiling.
If you look out the window you'll see Tia. Our home is known by the locals as "the house Tia built".



The basement these days is a disaster of rust colored shag and paneling. And last on our list of remodeling.




The kitchen room is now our dining room. When we remodeled the kitchen, we took down those two doors and opened this area into the kitchen. That poodle picture in the background is made of bits of trim from Tia's wedding dress. Isn't that so sweet.




I actually wish this wallpaper was still here. Tia grew ferns as well as roses. She had ferns growing in large pots hanging from long chains on the tallest trees. I so want recreate the fern/tree garden one day.




Another room that has change very little over time is the formal living room. It's the same size and backs up against the informal living room. The big plan is to open them up to each other and create one large living space. All in time :0)

That's all I have for today. One day I'll get around to posting our, before and after pictures. Just think of these as, before the before pictures.

Hope you enjoyed the tour :0)

7/31/10

Mr.Clowers amazing cornmeal contraption

We went to the flea market Friday. Nothing like waiting till triple digit temperatures to load up the kids for a day of walking. We are beat! 
Today, I'm treating myself to a snack. Hot water cornbread topped with greek yogurt, figs, then drizzled with our neighbor's honey and cracked pepper. Yum!
Hot water cornbread is easy, mix cornmeal, salt and pepper with boiling water till you get the consistency of wet oatmeal. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased skillet and smooth down flat. Cook till golden brown on both sides, they'll be crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Hot and cool, creamy and crispy, sweet and peppery..makes one happy heat exhausted mom!


I thought you might like to see where we get our cornmeal. Mr. Clowers lives near us and we are fortunate to get fresh cornmeal anytime we like. And once a month he hauls his amazing cornmeal contraption to the flea market. We stopped by to say "hi" and I snapped a few photos of his diesel mill. I don't know if it's the heat or our new tractor..I think I'm turning into a gear head ;0)











Hope your day holds a sweet treat for you :0)

7/28/10

One man's rust is another's treasure

It all worked out! A deal was struck. Farmer A, B, and C traded goods until they were all happy. A win, win, win situation.
No one is happier then I am! She is a dream come true!


Look...little 'wings' to carry me across meadows :0)


I overheard Kingplinker telling her..."No more of this garbage", he was speaking of the bits of wire and twine found tangled all over her..."I'm going to love you, clean you up and take good care of you." 
Am I jealous much?



Not at all. I'm delighted! She couldn't be in better hands. Strong, capable, greasy hands :0)

Those hands will have her restored and looking as pretty prettier then a BMW in no time!


She's home :0)

7/27/10

Twenty-10 and 1/2

In January I created my twenty-10 (2010) to do list. It's there on my side bar. With July quickly  coming to an end and the year half over I'm beginning to see what plans for this year are realistic and what may not get accomplished. 

As most plans, they hinge on financial ability. This last year has far been the most challenging in keeping our heads above water, some tears, mostly laughing at the previous months, shaking our heads and thinking how in the heck did we make it. My husband and I both grew up dirt poor, you learn how to laugh. Laughter is priceless, we spend that at will.

 Our biggest accomplishment was getting our 100 acres paid off in full. Our house is a separate deed from our land. We will never be homeless, our land has two share-cropper houses and if worse came to worse, we would be able to live in one of those. I don't think this would ever happen, however it's a great comfort to know we have options. We will have land and the land will provide for us and our animals.
Our milk cow ladies, Sally Belle and Sandy Belle, are due in to calve in September. This is such a huge deal and blessing, our cows are the backbone of our farm. It just so happens that I enjoy milking a cow, but even if the idea horrifies you...Imagine never having to spend a dime on butter, milk, cream, artisan cheeses, yogurt, cottage and cream cheese. They provide all the milk and dairy we can consume, and none of it goes to waste. 
 If the cows give birth to heifers, they will grow up to be a milk cow. More milk for us, or sold as milkers to offset the cost of feeding alfalfa. If a bull calf is born, it will be raised as a steer and eventually provide beef for my family.

 Clabbered milk will provide for our future pigs. If and when we get a suitable pasture set up for the pigs this year. Much of this 'organic pork' plan hinges on getting a tractor to grow enough of our own organic grain. Some girls long for their first BMW, I long for this.


We have been feeding layer pellets all summer to the chickens. I'm eager to get rid of this expense by feeding clabber and free range. I'm so excited to have the incubator up and running this year.

 The extra roosters will bless my family by going to freezer camp and is better then watching them fight amongst themselves. 
We've been blessed with so many eggs. Enough to freeze, hatch and eat fresh. Great job my feathered sweeties.

'Silver Sage' egg and wall. It takes a special hen to lay an egg that matches your favorite Restoration Hardware paint color.

So this is where we are with the animals and farming. Not a bad year, not bad at all. Still much work to be done to get *organic pork* off my to do list.

However,
Today and everyday, I'm grateful for all I do have :0)

7/26/10

canned sunshine






What blooms in the spring



Is transformed by summer





The gifts from my trees 





Become gifts to share and winter treats for the family



This years harvest produced 11 quarts, 16 pints and 11 half-pints of pear honey.

The sweetest wages for a days work :0)


7/20/10

Upholstery project :: Swimming in Flowers

Finished another chair today, by far the most labor intensive project I've tackled so far. Not perfect, but I'm gaining more and more confidence with each try.

The fabric is a neutral green and the stitched fish are a bluish pink. The colors compliment each other much better then the photos show.


I turned the print on its side to make room for sewing on the fish and the delphiniums and flowers gave the nice impression of  aquatic plants.










A far cry from the homely darlin' I dragged home from goodwill.
Homely, but good bones.






Taking a seat and relaxing today ;0)

7/17/10

Where do chocolate covered strawberries grow?


At the peak of a chocolate buttercream mountain


where the morning dew is as sweet as sugar


the pollination is by non-pareille


and the garden pests do little harm when they're spirals of caramel and marshmallow.


My son requested a chocolate strawberry cake for his 12th birthday. The snails were are an attempt to "boy it up". When asked what he thought of it, he said, he was "lucky to have a mother that makes him cakes". What a boy!




I'm the lucky one, sweetie. Happy Birthday!

7/14/10

Genealogy

Have you looked on-line lately for your family history? My family has kept wonderful records, but what recently surprised me is how many cemetery and grave sites are being documented through photographs. In the next few months my brother and I hope to visit these sites. But I'm thrilled to have found this so far! 

My great (5x) grandfather is documented.
'A Cenotaph' is monument erected in his honor and means he is not interred or buried in this location. I believe I'm coming close to finding his actual gravesite. I know it's a family plot on private property... Riley Mountain next to Honey Creek, Between Llano and Austin. It's just a matter of finding out who the property now belongs to. 

James's daughter, my great (4x) grandmother

Her Husband, Hiram

Especially sad are the graves of Phoebe and Hiram's daughters that didn't make it to adulthood. Sad and beautiful.

A brief edit: these photos are from cemetery databases, most family records will say what county a loved one passed away in. You can 'google' what cemeteries are in that county. From there you can search individual cemeteries. Most all the sites have a list of the interred. With the help from groups like Boy Scouts and many others now these cemeteries now have photos. Thank you, to those individuals for their hard work!





Here's hoping...you find your own connections today :0)