Pear tree lane Farmhouse

~Welcome home~

This blog is dedicated to my dear family who live many miles away, and to you dear ladies , who have a heart for keeping the home fires burning. You, who love and cherish your family, and have a desire to create a home that says "Welcome, you are loved and cared for."

My desire is that when you leave that you will be encouraged and know that you too are loved.

Sue~

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from our home to yours!
Love,
 Sue, Mr P. & Jack

~Note cards from the farm~

Written by Sue, Wednesday November 20, 2013            Cool, breezy, sunny temps. 50's
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As  I am making preparations for our Thanksgiving here at the farm, I am so thankful for our many blessings, to name them all would take so much time! Most of us are given reminders to be thankful during the month of November, cultivating a "thankful heart" all year is something I am working on. As Mr P. and I watch the news day after day, of the devastation in the Philippines, and now here in the USA, our hearts are so sadden for those who have lost so much! We truly recognize and are so "thankful" for our blessings. Please join us in prayer for these dear folks who have lost so much especially the loss of their loved ones.

from our home to yours,
wishing you a blessed 
Thanksgiving,
Sue
Joining, and thanking  my dear friend Vee, for hosting November's notecards!
A Haven for Vee

"Savoring life"

Written by Sue, Saturday, November 16, 2013                     Cloudy, mild  temps. 60's ~love it!!
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Operation Christmas Child, is something we look forward to each fall, after leaving the chiropractor's office Thursday, we went shopping for items to fill our shoe boxes! We had so much fun trying to decide what to get, before we knew it our carts were overflowing, at home, Mr P. wrapped the boxes in Christmas paper, I then filled them, we had extra, so yesterday off we went to the store again to get enough to finish. ~smile~
While shopping, I thought of all the children who would receive a box, some for the first time, maybe wondering why someone would care enough to send them gifts, and for those who had received boxes in past times, probably waiting all year with such anticipation, secretly asking themselves if they might get another box this year. I could just see their eyes wide open, and giggling with excitement.What joy!!

I only wish I had grandchildren living near by to help us participate in such a worthy cause, if you have young children or grandchildren this is a great opportunity to teach them about helping others. I have found that  though children love to receive, they also love to give as well!
Matthew 25:40~ "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me'!!
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Blessings,
Sue
here is a link for more information 

Update on the foal,.. I am sorry to say she did not make it, it seems she injured her leg at birth, therefore wasn't able to stand to get the much needed colostrum, needless to say we had a lot of "what Ifs", and a lot of sadness! Thank you for your concerns.

~Busy Day~

Written by Sue, Monday, November 4,2013                 sunny, cool, temps. 50's



Busy day here at the farm, this little girl was born, but has a problem...

Her mother doesn't want to nurse her, so Mr P and I have once again become parents, every two hours she has to be fed. We have bottle fed kid goats, lambs, but never a foal! 

Thanks to our friend Brown, for coming over to help!
So sweet!! I warmed the blanket for her and she is sleeping
She is so weak, we don't know how things will go! Praying for strength for her legs so she will be able to stand soon.
Second feeding went well, Did I mention feedings are every two hours?Looks like it's going to be a long night. ~smile~, but she is worth it, we have been waiting quite a while for her arrival.


Tomorrow I will be, canning these tomatoes, they were gathered before the frost, and have been finishing their ripening on my dining room table.~smile!

Hope all is well at your home.
Blessings, 
Sue

~Projects and More Projects~

Written by Sue, Tuesday, October, 21, 3013                cloudy, cool, 60's temps. beautiful fall day

Our farmhouse has had a complete overhaul both inside and out in the past year,neither one of our choosing, the inside because of a leak within the wall. The outside because of weather conditions.
The inside was completed in December, 2012, we had the house painted this summer and now the roof is being replaced and to be completed on Wednesday!!! Mr. P. is so pleased with this company's work. The last project will be painting floor and ceiling on porch, this is our choosing. ~smile~

I on the other hand have been busy,  baking, packing up "love' packages, this time to college kids, and one to a special navy guy. Mr P. and Jack, leaving to mail said packages I bake, pack, and he mails!!
Today we are getting tender plants ready for our first frost, due Thursday morning. Brrr, not looking forward to that.
Enjoy your day. 
Hugs,
Sue

"Savoring Autumn"

Written by Sue,Wednesday, October 16, 2013          Cloudy, mild, 70's perfect fall day

 Autumn is my favorite season, here are a few photos that beckon me to stop and "savor" this most beautiful season......

Sitting by a camp fire at dusk, warming my feet while toasting  marshmallows on a twig, getting ready to make a s'mores!

 Enjoying a meal by candlelight
This reminds me of Miss Emily Baldwin,(Walton's series) reminiscing of her first kiss, under a tree as the autumn leaves showered her and her beloved Ashley Longworth!
Gathering pumpkins to  decorate the entrance to the farm, one of dh's favorite things to do in the fall!

Hope you are enjoying autumn, it truly is a beautiful time of year, as I look at the different colors especially on the leaves, I think of how God uses His paintbrush to add special touches to each one,  for us to stop and "savor",  each moment of our day. 
Blessings,
Sue

Joining the "notecard party" at Vee's today,As usual for me, I am late, Thank you Vee for hosting one of my favorite parties!
A Haven for Vee

~One of my favorite things~

Written by Sue, Saturday, October 12, 2013                   Cool, cloudy, with drizzle,temps. 50's  
This is what 15 + dozen of cookies looks like, I enjoy baking, especially cookies. What I enjoy more is packing them up and sending them to loved ones far away, along with some canned goods. Now you know why I do so much canning of fruits and veggies. The cookies are vacuum sealed by my FoodSaver machine, one of the best investments I have ever made.

These went to children and grandchildren. This weekend I will be making more to send to college grandkids, and to one at a naval base.
I made four kinds of cookies: Chocolate chip with pecans,chocolate chip without pecans,ginger snaps, peanut butter delights, so easy peasy and so delicious.
~Peanut Butter delights~
1~2 cups of sugar
      4 Tablespoon cocoa
      1 stick of butter
      1/2 cup of milk
      1 tsp. vanilla
      1 cup peanut butter (I like nuts,so i used chunky)
      3 cups of oatmeal
2~Place first four ingredients in pot, bring to a boil,add
3~Oatmeal boil for 2 minutes, add
4~Peanut butter, and vanilla,
5~Continue to cook for 1 minute.
6~ Drop spoonful on wax paper.

These no bake cookies make great gifts!
Enjoy your day
Sue

~Something sweet for you~

Written by Sue, Tuesday, September 24, 2013            simply beautiful weather today, high 70's

Do you like relish? I do, and use it on hot dogs, hamburgers and in so many recipes! I also like to make my own. Why? I know what ingredients went into it, we grow the veggies for the recipe, so therefore it is chemical free, and I know the hands, and appliances that prepared it were scrubbed clean.
1- These are the ingredients you need for sweet relish: all veggies grown in our garden.
1 qt. of chopped cucumbers
2 cups of chopped onions
1 cup each of sweet green and red peppers
1/4 cup salt
3 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
2 cups cider vinegar
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2~Place chopped cucumbers, onions and peppers in a large bowl, mix well.
3~pour salt over veggies, add enough water to cover, let sit for 2 hrs.
4~ Drain the veggies, rinse well with cold water, drain again.
5~ Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices , bring to a boil, add drained veggies, simmer 10 minutes, place in hot sterilized jars,with caps, process in water bath for 10 minutes.
6~ Here we have our own sweet pickle relish.
So simple to make and so delicious, and all ingredients are readable. These make excellent gifts along with jams, jellies., and other homemade goodies.
*note* I doubled my recipe, and when you do, you don't need to double the sugar, and spices, just use your judgement.
**note**You don't need a large garden to grow these veggies just a little space in the back yard will do. These came off of a few plants that were planted late in our garden, due to all the earlier rains.

Ladies, I had some me time today, and decided I would try and make a collage, so how did I do?
Enjoy your day, tomorrow I will be putting fall decorations out, finally. ~smile~
Hugs, 
Sue

~Still Beautiful~

Written by Sue, Sunday, September 22, 2013                 cloudy. showers, cool, 70's lovely first fall day.

 On a beautiful pre-fall day, Mr. P. and I decided to take a ride to a little country restaurant in a small country community where I spent most of my childhood summers, and a few years of growing up and going to school. As we passed this church, memories of past times came to heart. I asked if we could stop by on our way back and take some photos.

This church holds wonderful memories for me, if you stayed at my grandmothers for any length of time,... you went to church, either with her, or other churches in the community who were having "Bible School" or revivals. This was fine with me, because I got to see my friends every day for a week.

At the end of the week of Bible School we had a commencement, this is where parents and grandparents would come and hear songs being sung, and bible verses recited from memory from their precious children. As a child I had a great memory and wasn't bashful at all, so I was selected to lead our group.
Psalms 71:5~For thou art my hope, Oh Lord God; thou art my trust from my youth.
A few days later one of the parents was visiting my grandparents, I over heard him tell them what a great job I did leading, and he was amazed at my memorization. I never forgot those words of encouragement by this kind man, to this day I can still see him sitting in his car and talking to my grandparents. Imagine a child of seven or eight never forgetting this moment.

I have always tried to give encouragement to others,especially to children, as I know how this impacted my life. This man never knew how much those encouraging words meant to me And you too, may never know how your words of encouragement  are making a difference.

When I attended Bible School here there was no water from a faucet, just a hand pump, nor indoor plumbing of any kind, the only bathroom was a "Privy" out back. This photo shows where the hand pump was, and it produced some of the freshest and coolest water.

As you can see it is a long established church, I was so amazed at how well kept it was, and services are still held there. This was such a wonderful day trip for us, BTW the country meal was super delicious.~grin~
We noticed the sign and made plans to return for this service, which would have been last night, but due to DH"s sudden illness, (vertigo). We didn't make it, but for sure we will keep our eyes open for future events. Just maybe I will run into some old friends. that is, if we can still recognize one another. LOL

Aren't memories like these one of the greatest blessings from God? I felt like a child again! 
Blessings,
Sue

How about those candles?

Written by Sue, Friday, September 13, 2013         beautiful pre-fall day temps. 80's

Do these candles look real to you? Grin~ I found these flameless LED wax candles last year just in time for Christmas, they were half price and I had a 10% coupon off. They run on AA batteries and last for months, here is the neatest thing about them... there is timer on the bottom of the candle that turns the candle  on automatically at the same time each day, and it stays on for five hours, how neat is that, plus they flicker like a real candle. I liked them so much I went back and bought  more, I have them placed in sconces, in table arrangements and have enjoyed them all year, and now I am about to place them among my fall decorations, I love coming home at night and walk into my  home that has flickering candles spread about, it gives me such a warm feeling.

It has been a busy week here at the farmhouse, next week seems to be moving in that direction too.
Love, 
Sue

~Photo Friday~

Written by Sue, September 6, 2013                              a beautiful day indeed.

One of my favorite cakes, ten layer chocolate. yummy! the most requested cake at the farmhouse!
Linking  up with Katie's Photo Friday, I almost forgot about this party, sorry for two back to back post, thank you Katie for hosting.
Blessings,
 Sue
Kati’s Little Corner of the World


~All God's Creatures~

Written by Sue, Friday, September 6, 2013     beautiful sunny, temps. 80's low humidity. 
 Here are a few visitors to the farm, that I was able to capture with my camera lens. I love nature, and if you think your children and grandchildren might like these feel free to download them.
These were feasting on my blueberry bush. I wasn't to impressed with these.
 I found this one napping.
This one just wanted to strut his stuff. Dragon flies are very friendly, and love to pitch on our shoulders, or hands.
 This one is a first for me, look at the details,his skin looked and felt like leather. If you can identify please let me know. God certainly has a sense of humor, only a mother could love this face. ~smile~
As you can see it doesn't take much to entertain me. Though I have been very productive this week, making applesauce, and apple juice. I can now say the  apple trees in the orchard are bare of fruit.whoopee!!! I added no sugar, didn't need any, but know if I want to I can add spices and sugar later. So nice to know I can pronounce the ingredients in the applesauce...apples and water.
I have no fall decorations up inside the farmhouse yet, hopefully next week.
Until next time, 
love, 
Sue

Did you get a whiff of this?

Written by Sue, thursday, August 29,2013          Partly cloudy, very humid, temps.90's

Look what Mr P. just brought in from the garden, fresh okra, the first of the season it is late because we had to replant it twice due to the rains. Okra is one of my favorite veggies, I know of one side dish we will be having tonight. ~smile~
Yesterday I was busy turning these into
 this and then
 putting it in  safe keeping for
All to enjoy! Why so many you might ask, I make gift baskets and give to family and friends. They make the best gifts especially when you have an assortment and  you dress them up.
 I think one reason I like apple butter so much is that I associate it with my favorite season, autumn, I must say it smelled like autumn around the farmhouse yesterday. I would probably be pulling fall decorations out today if I wasn't busy with apples again. Today I am going to put some in the dehydrator, and tomorrow applesauce.
Enjoy your day,
Sue

~A visit from someone special~

Written by Sue, Tuesday, August 27, 2013                      a beautiful day again, sunny tenps.90
Good morning friends,
I had such a very sweet, long visit with my mother yesterday, we talked about family, cooking, preserving foods, world situations, BTW the best thing we can do is pray for these, but most of all we always enjoy talking about Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

A fact about "Doris", my mother, she is always smiling, pleasant and in all my years of knowing her, I have never heard profanity nor an ugly word from her lips.

She is so much fun to be with~

I had a lot of heart matters that I needed to talk to her about, she listened, gave advice, but most of all when she got ready to leave she put her arms around me, and prayed the most wonderful prayer, and as always my mother smells so nice.

After she left, I was resting in the porch swing, her fragrance lingered on me, it was one of the most special moments I have had in a while. As I was savoring her fragrance I thought of another fragrance, and that was the fragrance of Jesus, and of when He puts His arms around me, that His fragrance lingers, and I savor it too!


The porch is not quite finished for fall, I need pumpkins and gourds, and a few other touches, maybe a rug.

We didn't get around to canning  the peaches together, what was needed was special one on one talk. I will always cherish this time we had yesterday, and have tucked this memory away in my heart. I did however get the peaches finished and managed to make one of my new concoctions, a spicy peach pie for us. I got Mr P's stamp of approval too... a hug and kiss. Pillsbury can't match that. lol

Do you see my little pie bird's beak, I broke it yesterday.

There will be those of you who read this that no longer have your mother with you but  to you I say I am so sorry, and  like me you have many memories tucked away in your heart too, I know that you are drawing on those memories from time to time for strength and encouragement.

There are those of you who will read this, that are like me, so blessed to have our Mother,  with us, please let's not take them for granted. Sometimes just a phone call, taking special time with them, or a small gift, means so much to them, and us.
I will be doing laundry and cleaning today and of course I will be taking a break and enjoy a slice of pie,and a cold glass of ice tea! hmmm! it is about beak time.

Enjoy your day,
Sue 

~Monday morning news~


Written by Sue, Monday, August 26, 2013        beautiful fall like weather temps. low 80

Good morning friends, here is what is on the agenda at the farmhouse today, 
peaches and 
 more peaches, today will finish the peaches for this year.


 Last week I canned peaches, made blueberry peach jam, and spicy peach jam,  recipes for the jams were made by me.

 I think the peaches and jams turned out really well, according to my jam taster, Mr P., I always save some for him . ~smile~ Here is one way you can tell if your jam is ready for the jars, place some on a saucer, run your finger through the middle, if it doesn't run together it is ready We actually had some on biscuits for  dessert.


This spicy peach jam is the "Bomb", what ever that means. lol Besides peaches and sugar it has fresh ginger, a pinch of nutmeg, a little ground allspice,more cinnamon, some ground cloves,one lemon juiced, a dab of butter, this helps with the foaming, and adds flavor, two other secret ingredients,... okaaaay, since you asked real nice  I will tell you, a smidgen of vanilla flavoring,the real stuff, the most important ingredient is "Love", "LOVE", and more "love".


My Mom is coming by this morning to get some apples to can, I am so looking forward to seeing, and visiting with her, and I just might have an apron that has her name on it. ~grin~ I can see this is going to be another  busy week.
Enjoy your day.
Sue

"Notecards"

Written by Sue, Tuesday August 20, 2013      Cloudy, warm and very humid today, showers expected.

"Moon Shots" as seen through my camera lens! All of these were taken within a few minutes of each other. I found this so amazing. Isn't that the way life is? It all depends on how we look at it!~smile~




Joining my friend Vee  at today's notecard party, thanks Vee for hosting.
Enjoy your day,
Sue