The Cole Homestead

Tip for future reference

First electric bill since the wood stove

Our First Meal on the Wood Cook Stove!

We were able to cook our first meal on our new cook stove today.  So much fun!  I am still learning the ins and outs but I am getting the hang of it all.  We had fried potatoes, steak and onions, and corn.  We also used it to heat up our lasagna this afternoon.  I am trying to get it heated up enough for a cake here in a moment but I thought I would show a pic of our supper for anyone that is interested.  Have a great night!

Trying my hand a quilting again

I have been wanting to try quilting again  for awhile now but I had one little problem.  I don't like to piece a quilt together.  I mean really really don't like it.  Well I have had an answer to my prayers.  Its called Ebay!  I had no idea they had just quilt tops.  This is just so perfect for me.  I was able to get a top for my daughter, my son and myself.  They are so cute and so well made!  Great prices too! 

When I was little, all of the women in our church got together on Wednesday afternoon to quilt.  I loved playing under the quilts when I was real listen listening to women chat.  They laugh and talked and sometimes even cried.  So many funny moments were shared and quite a few problems were worked out.  When I was old enough these women taught me all sorts of wonderful little quilting tricks.  I remember feeling so grown up.  One lady (who became my step grandma) should me how to move the needle in and out and line up a bunch of stitches on the needle then pull.   She could literally just wiggle the needle and pull.  Poof! 8 or ten stitches done!  I think that is when I became really hooked!

I thought I would show a picture of the one I got for my daughter.  She has been talking about it since I showed her.  I think I have a future quilter on my hands!

My Stove is here!

The stove is here but not in the house yet.  It weights about 570 pounds so its not like I can just pick it up and put it where it needs to go.  My husband is out there now putting castors on the plallet.  I take that back.  we just moved it indoors.  I now have slight grooves in my flooring but I figure people will be looking at my great stove ( and wondering about my sanity) and not my floors.  My Uncle is coming soon to help move it to its mat on the floor the we can see what else we are going to need and how to put the stove together.  No instruction just a lot of rods, screws, blots and a few pieces of sheet metal.  This should be interesting. 

When it arrives I did inspect it as I was told to do and I am glad I did.  There was a bit of damage on the oven door.  Just three very small places where the powder coating had been knocked off.  I called Obadiah's and they will ship a new door on Monday.  They are so great!

I will try to post a few pics here soon!

Just waiting for the Storm to move in

We have been hearing all day about how bad this storm is going to be.  I tried to get all of my laundry caught up, bread baked, oats to soaking, and vac ran.  I made sure to fill the oil lamps and get the alcohol ready for our vent less fireplace.  Gee, I wish that stove was here.

With everything caught up I am trying to finish the last of my christmas presents.  I am crocheting around some wash clothes to include in every-ones gift baskets.  I am also knitting sock for my children and a shaw for my self.  If I have electricity tomorrow I plan to bake the cookies and make the Christmas candy.  I can't make homemade chocolate covered cherries like my Grandmother ( I don't have cool hands).  I am doing simple molded chocolates this year and a few butter creams.  Then the only thing left in my daughter's dress and a few skirts for me.  Well maybe a few new night gowns.  My mother in law insists that you wear a new nightgown on Christmas eve.  And you never argue with the mother in law!

My mother in law stopped today.  She needed to raid my stash of flannel for a bed spread and skirt she is making for her camper bed.  She brought me money to pay the fella that is going to bring our wood.  That is our Christmas present from my sister in law.  If you ask me it was the perfect gift.  I am lucky to be part of a family that loves and knows us so well.

Back to Normal

Well, I am starting to feel as though life is getting back to normal.  Last week my hubby had the week off from work.  I was a week of doing as we pleased, when we pleased.  Now this week we must get things back to normal.  There is laundry to get caught up, bread to bake, schooling to do, sewing to get caught up, and Christmas is just around the corner. 

Now we have a few weeks to get ready for Christmas.  Around that time our wood cook stove is due to come in.  We spent part of last week moving the frig and stove and redoing some of the wiring.  When they built this house in the 50's they had no clue that we would turn into energy hogs.  We are trying to get away from high energy use with this wood cook stove and even invested in the water coil that connects to our hot water heather.  Once it is here we will go and get the "accessories" for it including pipe and such.  I am lucky enough to have a Uncle that does this type of thing for a living and is just one of the smartest men I have ever met.  Family is wonderful!

Weather is starting to turn around here this week.  Yesterday we had our first bit of snow.  I love to sit and watch the snow fall.  My husband says that I enjoy the snow because I do not have to drive in it and I am pretty sure he is right!

In Preperation...

Well we finally ordered our wood cook stove.  It should arrive around the second week of December.  We have spent the last two days moving items, cleaning, running new wiring for our old apliances for there new location, and just trying to make things work.  We have not bought the stove pipe yet.  We have decided to wait till the stove actually gets here. 

We have also invested in a new oil lamp.  It was made by the Aladdin lamp Comp and it is so much better than a regular oil lamp.  We did have a hard time finding kerosene for it though. ( not a popular item here in our little town.)  We found this lamp at our local Amish Store and have been so impressd with it.  We even ate supper last night by lamp light.  It was wonderful!

We also spent some time cleaning up the attic and moving unused clothing up there.  As we moved the baby crib up my husband told me that that was a sure fire way to get pregnant again.  We have been trying for a few months now but I  know it will happen when the time is right.