Making It Meaningful

Thanksgiving Table Topper

I made this table cloth today for our Thanksgiving feast. I am not sure yet if I am going to back it and quilt it or just leave it as a top. I got the snowballs from a swap on one of my quilt groups and the side panels are from fat quarters from different swaps as well. Really helps me to get a variety of fabric without having to buy the variety. The boys are afraid to eat on the table topper! I told them if they don't use my creations what is the point in making them!!

Melanie

Start Em young

When we were on vacation this summer we spend some time at my Father in Law's house. My MIL passed away 9 years ago, she was a seamstress and reupholsterer in her day. There was still material around so I chose some to take home and incorporate into a quilt here and there. My daughter was given a box of 'scraps' that she pretends to iron, and can cut up.. all came from Busha's house (polish for grandma). Well one day she decided to cut up a bunch of fabric and handed it to me and said Mom make me a blanket with this. So I had her sit with me and design where each piece went. I of course had to work some wonders to get it into a rectangle and then put an old baby blanket on the back for the backing. It is a baby doll blanket and she was so proud of it. I hope this is just the beginning of her taking an interest in sewing and quilting. I didn't have the interest as a youngster though my mom sewed clothes for us often. I just never was interested until we moved to the farm!! Seemed to go along with the whole farming paradigm. So here is my daughter with her first creation... (and a couple of hams in the back!!)

Blessings

Melanie

Jubilee Rescue Ranch

Our Farm name is Jubilee Farm. Well it seems that it should be Jubilee Rescue Center or something. The amount of animals we tend to take in for this and that reason!!

We have 2 lamancha's that someone couldn't sell at fair because he wormed them too close to fair. They were slotted for sausage (the kids named the pepperoni and salami) but that hasn't happened yet.  Our dog Luke came to live with us because his owner was moving down south and he couldn't take him with him. We have 2 young calves that came because someone didn't have a home for them. I got our horse on freecycle to come and retire here. We got a pig a couple of weeks ago that had a hernia and wouldn't live long enough to get to the weight they like to sell them at, so they gave it to us and DH is using that for his sausage too. And just last week DH brings home a cat Lucky who via this person and that person ended up at a trucking company that he works with and they asked him if he wanted it because the owner was in jail! Goodness and now Lucky is the lucky one hanging out in the house and everything!! So if you have any unwanted pets or farm critters I think we are the local hangout for those kind of animals!! Praise God we live on a farm where we can manage to help people out and take some of these animals that otherwise who knows what would happen to them. Always room for one more on the farm!!

Blessings

Melanie

Art Class

The homeschool law states that we need to study the fine arts including music. So to meet that requirement partially I have the boys attend an art class for homeschoolers at our local art center. (Well local being 20 miles away). They get exposed to a variety of mediums and ways of making art. I wish it was a bit more indepth on the art appreciation aspect, mainly because the boys won't study it with me nor do they find an interest in it. They do love the art portion though and I am thankful for a teacher who volunteers her time to teach the students so they only pay a donation to the art center and a one time supply fee. So far this year they have done some 3-d drawings and some pastels. Today they start working with clay and sculptures. It pretty much takes most of our afternoon as we have to drive there and the class is 1 1/2 hours so I run errands in town while they are there. Only the 2 oldest boys are going this year, and it every other Tues.

I will have to take some pics of their work to preserve it and to share with you.

Melanie

Sewing Weekend

I was blessed with a full weekend of sewing!! Back to the quilting and sewing now that fall is in full swing. I love sharing my creations here so here are the things I was able to work on this weekend.

My 11 year olds Safari Quilt. I basically pieced and completely the whole top this weekend. Many many hours involved in it, but I think it turned out beautiful!! Now the hard part to do the quilting in time for Christmas!!

I made some stocking blocks for an exchange on one of my groups. I am making several different ones of these and hoping to use some for a wallhanging or lap quilt for my Grandma's for Christmas.

And some Jacob's ladders for a monthly lottery on a yahoo group. I love entering the lottery just for the opportunity to make various blocks!!

So now I still will do some more stockings and need to order the backs for the Safari quilt and a Dog quilt (that I still need a picture of) so that I can quilt them for Christmas. Lots in the works and the sewing machine is HAPPY!

Blessings

Melanie

Corn processing team

A couple pics of the team from my previous post.

Melanie

Farm Happenin's

Corn is all harvested, estimating 8000 lbs of corn

1/10th of it has been shelled and ground. We used an antique sheller that DH rigged up a motor to. We worked as a team to get it shelled. The boys all husking the cobs (some of them didn't get completely husked in the harvest) put them in a bucket for me, I put the cob in the sheller, it spit out the kernels in a bucket and the cob in another. DH packaged them up and took them over to a friend's house where we used to buy corn. He bought some soybean meal to add in with the 1200 lbs of corn that was shelled, then it was all ground together for a 15% protein level for the goats and the chickens. The cows can handle pure corn without the extra protein but the other animals just need a bit more.

Our horse is adjusting. I am calling him the Old Man now!! Seems to be tired out after he gives us rides. He isn't always agreeable about it either, but I figure he has only been here a couple of weeks so he is still adjusting. He doesn't like little kids around him. Isn't too found of my daughter and her high pitched voice, kind of strange.

I have Willow my registered Nubian in a pen with my purebred nubian for breeding. I don't think she has come into heat yet, but being with him will speed up the process. I appologize to her each time I go up and see her that she has to be with that stinky buck!! People say a Buck in rut stinks, and they are NOT KIDDING!! And we have 2 of them!! Glad they are up by the barn and not nearby the house where they used to be.

The friend who processed our corn had a piglet who is 50lbs but has a hernia. I guess the hernia ends up killing them and they don't grow up to full size. So he was looking to get rid of it, and he doesn't butcher pigs (he doesn't even eat at home really) so of course DH said he would take it!! Not enough going on around here, now he is going to butcher a pig this weekend. He has been wanting to make sausage so that will work out nicely for him. It is pretty small I hear. I have opted to not see it until it is on my table as food. I won't let the little ones see it either. DH just brought it home yesterday and it is going down tonight, so it won't have to be here long. I just figure if it is only 50 lbs it is probably pretty darn cute. The farm way of life.. where do you think baby back ribs come from anyhow!! Free meat is free meat in this economy let me tell ya!

Our Indian summer has come to an end and we are heading into Fall. The colors are gorgeous and the air is crisp. I need to make an apple pie here soon!! I love the fall and the crispness in the air. We have to pack up all the summer wear and get our winter things out of the attic.

By Chance

Is just how we got our new horse Chance. I saw him on freecycle and emailed the gal and it all worked out for us to get a great horse for free.

He is 24 years old (so not a spring chicken), old trail, show horse. He is a racking horse. Great chestnut color with a lighter mane and tail. Very gentle, nice horse. He has come to live out his retirment on the farm. We are trying to get him back into shape for some riding of him. The kids especially will be good for him as they dont weigh as much. DH and I have ridden him just a little too. He is a giant for sure!! But we are giving him a second Chance out here on the farm!!

Be blessed today

Melanie

Happy Birthday

To my precious 4 year old daughter!!

Melanie

Our trip to the orchard

2 bushels of apples!! Yummy! Our own apples were a bit wormy despite our effort at spraying them, so I figured I would go to the experts again to get apples.. Wesler Orchard in OH.  Last year they had to import their apples from Michigan as we had a horrible spring freeze. This year the apples looked beautiful!! DS11 already made caramel apples for dessert tonight. I want to try some baked apples. I am trying to avoid refined sugar and flour so I am not sure what else we will make with it.  I still have some applesauce from last year, but may end up making some more.

Melanie