~Amour Amour Amour~

Written by Sue, Monday, February 12, 2018     partly sunny with afternoon showers, very warm, temps. 70's

A little farmhouse love from me to you on this week of Valentine's Day! May your days be filled with love, joy, peace, contentment, happiness and thankfulness.
This is a table in the breakfast area that I decorated, a visible reminder of "Love"

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We must celebrate with chocolates, I could eat the whole box!~wink~

of course we must have flowers

the foyer also sings a tune of  "Love" too!(oops forgot to clear the banister)

 The master bath sends a love note to me while I am getting dressed!(another oops, I forgot to remove the paper towel holder).

I interrupt this love feast to announce my plans for this week, cleaning and organizing closets after a fiasco last week of and uninvited guest,(more about that later). Hint...Eeeek! I will also be baking cookies to mail to loved ones near and far. 

have a blessed day,

Love ,

 Sue

John 15:12~"This is My commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you."

"A little of this, a lot of that"

Written by Sue, Wednesday, January 31, 2018             Sunny, cold, brrr! it's winter folks!

Do you like to give gifts, or receive gifts? I like to do both. Today I thought I would show a few gifts I received for Christmas.

This past weekend my sister and her Dh came for a visit, we always exchange our gifts after Christmas, it gives us something to look forward too in the cold month of January! It has become a tradition.
Years ago, I wanted a fine china Christmas set, when Sister found out she and her husband began giving us a five piece place setting at Christmas.

I love birds, so I chose this pattern by Lenox. I started out with plans for an eight place setting, but Mary wanted me to have service for 12, this setting is now my 11th! Thank you Steve and Mary!

One of the most useful and appreciated gifts was from Mr P. This watch motivates me to get up and get moving, I have set my goal of 10,000 steps each day, some days I make it and some days I don't. ~wink~Today I began at 9:49 a.m.

It's 4 p.m. this is how many steps I have taken today, do you think I will make it to 10,000?~wink~

Gift giving has been going on since the beginning of time, but the most precious gift ever given to mankind, was the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ! To which I am so thankful, it is eternal!

Luke:2:11 "For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the lord.
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Not a lot going on around the farmhouse, the ewes are finishing up with lambing, they, and the donkeys decided today would be good day for sunning, I agreed.

Which gave me the idea too go and sit by the pond for some sunning of my own, there is something about water that is so soothing to the mind and soul, this is a place I come to be renewed, many important decisions have been made around this old pond.

 Tom is beginning to strut around the barnyard, the girls think he is silly, but handsome.

The hens are laying regularly, there is nothing better than fresh eggs from your own hens.

I see the bluebirds checking out the new birdhouse DH received for Christmas, all of these happenings assure me that spring is not far away! I hope you are having a great week!

Blessings,

Sue

Sunday thoughts~God's light

Written by Sue, Sunday, January 21, 2018,      Glory be, it's sunny and warm, temps. 60's

 Isaiah 60:1~Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord has come upon you. 
God's light is eternal, it never gets dim, never goes out, as I was watching the light shine on Jack this morning, I was reminded of this eternal light, and of how it shines on us. As believers, we should  reflect this light on a dark and dismal world. My prayer today is that I will shine more brilliantly than ever, that Gods love will shine through my thoughts, actions and deeds.

Blessings, 

Sue

P.S. As promised in my last post, my word for this year is Joy!

 Jesus first

Others second

You(me) last

~I'm still around in blogland, I hope you are too!

Written by Sue, January 14, 2018....     Brrr. cold, partly sunny, temps. low 30
Wow! What a slow start I am having in this new year, the month is half over and I haven't posted once about the farmhouse, not even a howdy-do! This was certainly not the way I had planned it, though I have posted a few times on Instagram.

We have been having prolonged and unusual cold temps. in our area, so much so that a lot of our pipes at the barn froze, and  burst! A lot of our days were spent unthawing troughs, hauling water to the animals, and keeping feed to them.

In extreme cold it takes extra feed to keep them going.

 Every farm needs a few of donkeys, how about seven and still counting.

We were happy to get the pipes fixed and water flowing this weekend. Try hauling water to over 150 animals twice a day for about ten days. Your arms do get a work out. Ha ha

Once we got through this ordeal, I started working on my goals for 2018, with first things first; the decorations needed to come down!

I am happy to report that all of the Christmas decorations are taken down, packed and put away in the garage. Yes! Dh and I did this all by ourselves, we were so proud and tired too!

I have been cleaning, trying  to put the house back in order. I like to start with the kitchen,

The appliances and countertops have been cleaned and polished, windows washed, with the cabinets to be cleaned and organized. I especially love a clean kitchen.

but for some reason I just want to sit by the fire and stay warm. ~smile~

Did I mention eating comfort food too, I guess it takes more food for us in winter also!

Do you have a word or phrase for the new year, I will share mine in my next post.

Wishing you continued joy and  happiness in this new year,

Sue

"Happy New Year"

Written by Sue, Sunday nightDecember 31, 2017     Brrr!temps. in the teens.
Wishing you much peace, joy, happiness,and health, in this coming new year. May all your plans, hopes and dreams come true.

Our New Year's Eve celebrations are usually pretty low key, we have an early dinner, sit by the fire, this is one of our favorite things, we reminisce over the past year, each tells of their goals, hopes, and dreams of the new year. We don't make resolutions, but set goals, I love to set goals! Goals don't seem to pressure me like resolutions do. ~smile~ If we can stay awake, (wink )we bring in the new year with prayer, if we go to bed early, prayers are still the last thing for us. I love to bring in the new year praying.

I  enjoy the week between Christmas and New Years, it is like we get to stop, and just breath, everything slows down, except the ewes are now lambing, we have 22 new babies.  I do a lot of thinking during this week, get my new planner and notebooks together and by New Year's Eve, I have them organized and ready to go for January1st.

So how is your New Year's Eve? 

r

Blessings from our home to yours

Sue

~Traditions~

Written by Sue, Friday, December 15, 2017            Brrr! still cold sunny, temps. 40's

Between now and Christmas I thought I might share a few of our traditions. I love traditions, don't you.
I am so enjoying this Christmas season, getting the decorations up early has made things so much easier. I don't think I could have done all that baking if I had not cleaned and decorated early.

One of our traditions is sending Christmas cards to family and friends. We have had this tradition since our first year of marriage, it is something we do together. We get in our pjs, coffee and cookies near by,..I write the message, (his idea)he addresses the envelopes, ~smile~.They will be mailed today. Do you send Christmas cards? 

 I love to shop for Christmas cards, it takes me a long time to choose just the right ones.
A little story...
In October, when the cards first came out, I thought I had bought two boxes, last week when I started thinking about getting them ready , I could not find them anywhere, ~sigh~ it seems I had hid them from myself, I even questioned if I had even bought them. I bet you have never done anything as silly as this, have you?
I went and bought two more boxes, while placing them in a cabinet in the foyer I found the first ones I had bought. I must not have searched as throughly, as I thought,  ~wink~I kept them all.~smile~

Aren't they pretty?

Enjoy this day,

love,

Sue

P.S. I almost forgot , I also love to receive Christmas cards!~wink~

Gift Giving is always a joy!

Written by Sue, Wednesday evening, December 13, 2017   Brrr, cold very cold temps. 30's

Tis a busy season around the farmhouse, my kitchen has been humming a happy tune!

Mr P and I decided instead of buying gifts, for family and friends, I would make and bake goodies for them. His contribution was go getter, helping to pack and mail, he had the hard job, mine was all fun~wink.

I lost count at 75 dozen cookies, (8 different kinds) I was so busy baking that I forgot to take photos of all the different kinds of cookies, so you will have to take my word for it.

~chocolate mint marvels~

Chocolate chip cookies with pecans.

Or maybe you can count the cookies in the jars.~wink~

Do you remember the Blessings/Thankful jar I made for us, the one where you place a thankful note or a blessing in the jar each day, and periodically take time to read them and realize the many blessings God has bestowed on us.
Ezekiel 34:26~"I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing: and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessings.
To make them I found something specific about that person, i.e.; a hobby, a character trait, just anything that reminds me of them. I wrapped the center with burlap ribbon, glued stickers I found at Hobby Lobby. Filled them with goodies, wrote a note explaining and asking them to refill their jar with a thankful note each day....

Granddaughter Maddie is expecting her first child.Grandson Gabe is at MIT,getting his doctorate,

                 Granddaughter Lauren is always happy,  Grandson Will is in the Navy

Jack has been warming himself under the Christmas tree lights and dreaming of a steak bone.

Yesterday, we mailed 8 boxes, they are going to so many different places in the USA. Both DH and I were thrilled to be able to bless them with homemade goodies,...cookies, candy, jams.This week I will be baking more goodies for the last three gift boxes.

That's all for tonight, thank you for visiting.

blessings,

Sue