My mother was born in San Francisco in 1912. She died last year, here at home, peacefully in her sleep. I miss her companionship and her always good advice.
My mother and I had a great relationship...not always the case with mother and daughter. I have a brother. To her he was the "cat's meow"..but I was the whiskers!!She said that I came out of an anniversary champagne bottle! Always partial to boys (she ADORED my husband and took his side on every decision) she found a kindred female spirit in me and we had some great times and a lot of laughs together. She was smart and funny and a superb straight man.
When I was about 8 years old, she made a rag doll for me.
Every Thursday afternoon a few of the neighbor gals got together to visit and chat and sew while waiting for all the kids to get home from school. Dubbed the "Busy Fingers and Fancy Doers", many a sad tale, family crisis, health problem and loving advice was aired over darned socks, embroidery projects and mending. It was here that my rag doll was born and lovingly sewn. Named Drucilla, by my mother, she appeared in my Christmas stocking. It was the best Christmas present I have ever received. Drucilla lived a long and happy life!
Recently, my mother whispered in my ear...make a rag doll. OK..so it wasn't quite that clear...actually I was in Michaels and saw a book on how to make rag dolls...The image of Drucilla came flooding back and I found myself irresistably drawn. With granddaughters and Christmas looming, I thought I would try to see if I could work some rag doll magic. What a treat it was to make those dolls..it came easily and I thought of what fun my mother must have had making my doll for me. It really is the little things. Before I knew it, my husband was involved, making little beds for the dolls. He even donated a couple of old sweaters so that I could make cheerful winter dresses for them.
Maybe I should channel the spirit of my paternal grandfather, a tailor, because I don't think my dolls are quite as expertly made as Drucilla was..but the love is in there passed on to me from all my female ancesters. And now I cannot stop making them. It's like a flood gate has been opened and I am finding real joy in creating these little rag beauties. Thanks ma...once again you have given me the best Christmas present ever!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Nobody Reads This Anyway....
OK..since nobody really reads these blogs anyway, it gives me a chance to let off some steam or go all poetic without fear of offending anyone.
This is a beautiful time of year and the trees and woods are putting on a spectacular show. It's 75 degrees and sunny and balmy and it is positively hypnotic.
Because of the slow economy, our usual rush of leaf peeping visitors (those who have "leafer madness") is just not here. Now, I like peace and quiet and enjoy having the down time to do repairs and play with the goats...but I cannot help but think that things are far from getting better.
One good thing about living here is that we have amazing friends and neighbors who are there for us and we for them. Farm living is the best! You have to give up a certain degree of personal privacy...but sometimes having everyone know your business provides a level of security found nowhere else. You get used to it. And while it may seem to our B&B guests that we are out in the middle of nowhere, nothing could be farther from the truth. Although I will admit that farm life isn't for everyone.
A couple of weeks ago our neighbor came over and helped Ed and I "dispatch" 6 nice fat hens. None of us relished the task, but it's just one of those jobs that needs to be done now and then. I don't like killing animals, but there is a certain confidence that comes with knowing that if needed, I have the tools and know how to take care of myself. I am not a gun nut or a hunter..but every farm has to have at least one good rifle and people who know how to use it.
Lately we have been awakened at 4:00 am by a very lively coyote, singing loudly. It is the eeriest sound. It is not a good sound. It means a very skilled predator is out and about and casing the joint. We have predator lights at intervals along the goat fencing and lock up the Guinea Hens and Chickens at night...but Mr. C. has struck at several other places, taking a cat, chickens, whatever he can nab. We have tried to see him with the spotlight but he is a ghost and yowls at us from behind trees about 100 ft from the house. He has several people gunning for him and a trapper on his trail. Poor coyote. I feel for him. But he must go. If he can he will kill our goats and chickens. He will kill our baby calves if momma cow is not alert. And he will bring in other coyotes with his calls. He is big..bigger than his Western cousin by far and very dangerous.
That's the way it is out in the country..the very beautiful and serene and the very dangerous and wild. It is an amazing gift to be surrounded by nature.
This is a beautiful time of year and the trees and woods are putting on a spectacular show. It's 75 degrees and sunny and balmy and it is positively hypnotic.
Because of the slow economy, our usual rush of leaf peeping visitors (those who have "leafer madness") is just not here. Now, I like peace and quiet and enjoy having the down time to do repairs and play with the goats...but I cannot help but think that things are far from getting better.
One good thing about living here is that we have amazing friends and neighbors who are there for us and we for them. Farm living is the best! You have to give up a certain degree of personal privacy...but sometimes having everyone know your business provides a level of security found nowhere else. You get used to it. And while it may seem to our B&B guests that we are out in the middle of nowhere, nothing could be farther from the truth. Although I will admit that farm life isn't for everyone.
A couple of weeks ago our neighbor came over and helped Ed and I "dispatch" 6 nice fat hens. None of us relished the task, but it's just one of those jobs that needs to be done now and then. I don't like killing animals, but there is a certain confidence that comes with knowing that if needed, I have the tools and know how to take care of myself. I am not a gun nut or a hunter..but every farm has to have at least one good rifle and people who know how to use it.
Lately we have been awakened at 4:00 am by a very lively coyote, singing loudly. It is the eeriest sound. It is not a good sound. It means a very skilled predator is out and about and casing the joint. We have predator lights at intervals along the goat fencing and lock up the Guinea Hens and Chickens at night...but Mr. C. has struck at several other places, taking a cat, chickens, whatever he can nab. We have tried to see him with the spotlight but he is a ghost and yowls at us from behind trees about 100 ft from the house. He has several people gunning for him and a trapper on his trail. Poor coyote. I feel for him. But he must go. If he can he will kill our goats and chickens. He will kill our baby calves if momma cow is not alert. And he will bring in other coyotes with his calls. He is big..bigger than his Western cousin by far and very dangerous.
That's the way it is out in the country..the very beautiful and serene and the very dangerous and wild. It is an amazing gift to be surrounded by nature.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
October!
Yes indeed, we have been busy. Fall is so beautiful up here that we always get a lot of visitors and guests at the B&B. This year has been no exception. Wellll, that is until this week when it has been coooold and raining.
The goats are very unhappy, as they hate rain and are like a bunch of 5 year olds trapped indoors.
We have had Ed's relatives visiting from Wisconsin. They, of course, have been wowed by all the wonderful sights and people here in West Virginia. Not what they were expecting at all.
We have also had some of the most interesting guests at the B&B. What a fun crowd the last couple of weeks. Lots of laughs and smiles. And, a lot of them from New Jersey.
As for the farm work, we are getting our Fall chores done and trying to prepare for winter. Trying to anticipate how much hay and straw we will need for the animals' comfort and how many piles of warm clothes for us. I am NOT a fan of cold weather, frozen water buckets, ice and snow. The goats are growing thick thick coats of cashmere and mohair and we have winterized the chicken houses. All the farm equipment has been made winter ready..the plow blade on the tractor. So now we just wait to see what Mother Nature has in store for us.
The goats are very unhappy, as they hate rain and are like a bunch of 5 year olds trapped indoors.
We have had Ed's relatives visiting from Wisconsin. They, of course, have been wowed by all the wonderful sights and people here in West Virginia. Not what they were expecting at all.
We have also had some of the most interesting guests at the B&B. What a fun crowd the last couple of weeks. Lots of laughs and smiles. And, a lot of them from New Jersey.
As for the farm work, we are getting our Fall chores done and trying to prepare for winter. Trying to anticipate how much hay and straw we will need for the animals' comfort and how many piles of warm clothes for us. I am NOT a fan of cold weather, frozen water buckets, ice and snow. The goats are growing thick thick coats of cashmere and mohair and we have winterized the chicken houses. All the farm equipment has been made winter ready..the plow blade on the tractor. So now we just wait to see what Mother Nature has in store for us.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Fall Is In The Air
Cider Mill House now has an ARTISAN SHOP! In addition to my original artwork and reprints, guests can now see and buy the beautiful glasswork of Denise O'brien, unique jewelry made from semiprecious stones by Sherry Evasic and luxurious hand spun wool and woolen wear from Andrea Minicozzi, of Rare Wear! We also have wildcrafted catnip and catnip mice, greeting cards and other goodies. Each artist will do custom work and design as well. Each of these creative people work from their own studios ...the wool is hand spun from sheep that Andrea raises.
The walnut tree leaves are turning yellow and the nights are getting cooler. The goats are starting to grow their winter coats. All too soon we will be chipping ice and shoveling snow....BUT before that happens we will get to see the best show nature has to offer here. All the beautiful fall colors!
It is my favorite time of the year. Also we get most of our B&B guests this time of year as well. Our vegetable and fruit gardens are at their peak and we are hatching out some baby Guinea Hens and chickens as well.
Tipi's for sale! We have had to scale back our operations at Willow Run Farms, LLC.
So we will be selling all three of our Tipis. We are not closing down the campground operations all together, just making things a little more manageable for us here.
Pygora fleeces for sale! Yes..I let another summer go by without spinning my own mohair/cashmere from our goats. I have 6 lovely fleeces, white, grey, or brown, for sale. They have not been cleaned or dehaired, so I would let them go for a good price.
Last, but not least...notice the Newsletter subscription button on this post???? Yep, we have started a Newsletter as well. So if you want to hear from us on a regular basis, just sign up and we will take it from there.
The walnut tree leaves are turning yellow and the nights are getting cooler. The goats are starting to grow their winter coats. All too soon we will be chipping ice and shoveling snow....BUT before that happens we will get to see the best show nature has to offer here. All the beautiful fall colors!
It is my favorite time of the year. Also we get most of our B&B guests this time of year as well. Our vegetable and fruit gardens are at their peak and we are hatching out some baby Guinea Hens and chickens as well.
Tipi's for sale! We have had to scale back our operations at Willow Run Farms, LLC.
So we will be selling all three of our Tipis. We are not closing down the campground operations all together, just making things a little more manageable for us here.
Pygora fleeces for sale! Yes..I let another summer go by without spinning my own mohair/cashmere from our goats. I have 6 lovely fleeces, white, grey, or brown, for sale. They have not been cleaned or dehaired, so I would let them go for a good price.
Last, but not least...notice the Newsletter subscription button on this post???? Yep, we have started a Newsletter as well. So if you want to hear from us on a regular basis, just sign up and we will take it from there.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
WOW IT'S HOT
96 degrees here today!!!!!!! After a cool summer we are getting an August blast.
Fortunately we sheared the goats yesterday. So they are probably a little more comfortable. They started growing early winter coats and matting up badly, so it was time to give 'em a haircut.
A couple of weeks ago we hosted a very interesting workshop here. The WV state Dept. of Environmental Protection sent an instructor to show all interested in how to take samples and analyze stream water quality.
We have a wonderful little stream that crosses our property and we have been concerned about the quality and future of the stream...given all the new developments that have gone in here.
This is my neighbor, Andrea, handing over a water sample to our instructor! We tested these samples for a number of indicators including Ph and conductivity - then collected a sample of the pond critters. Lots of cool little fish, crayfish, caddis flys, dragonflies, etc, were in our sample. We counted and recorded them and YAY!! It turns out that our little stream is actually pretty healthy! We will need to address some erosion issues and plant some trees in the near future. But for now our stream is happy and so are we.
Water quality is a big issue for everyone these days. So we are committed to looking after our stream as a tributary to other waterways, eventually ending up in the Chesapeake Bay.
We will be finishing our survey in mid-September and then be monitoring the water on a regular basis for the DEP after that.
Next big event coming along up here of course is our huge local bluegrass and barbeque festival, Pickn' in the Panhandle. The Charlie Daniels Band will be there and it should be a super event Sept. 12 & 13.
Fortunately we sheared the goats yesterday. So they are probably a little more comfortable. They started growing early winter coats and matting up badly, so it was time to give 'em a haircut.
A couple of weeks ago we hosted a very interesting workshop here. The WV state Dept. of Environmental Protection sent an instructor to show all interested in how to take samples and analyze stream water quality.
We have a wonderful little stream that crosses our property and we have been concerned about the quality and future of the stream...given all the new developments that have gone in here.
This is my neighbor, Andrea, handing over a water sample to our instructor! We tested these samples for a number of indicators including Ph and conductivity - then collected a sample of the pond critters. Lots of cool little fish, crayfish, caddis flys, dragonflies, etc, were in our sample. We counted and recorded them and YAY!! It turns out that our little stream is actually pretty healthy! We will need to address some erosion issues and plant some trees in the near future. But for now our stream is happy and so are we.
Water quality is a big issue for everyone these days. So we are committed to looking after our stream as a tributary to other waterways, eventually ending up in the Chesapeake Bay.
We will be finishing our survey in mid-September and then be monitoring the water on a regular basis for the DEP after that.
Next big event coming along up here of course is our huge local bluegrass and barbeque festival, Pickn' in the Panhandle. The Charlie Daniels Band will be there and it should be a super event Sept. 12 & 13.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Lyme Disease Has Struck
OK So I am going to go all serious here and remind everyone to be very diligent about using bug repellent, etc. whenever you are out in the countryside, woods or grassy fields.
One of our family members has just come down with Lyme Disease and it is as serious as a disease can get. He will be on antibiotics for weeks and if the disease is not caught in time can end up being a life threatening or life long disease.
You may never see the tick that delivers the bite. They are infinitismal, sometimes no bigger than the dot at the end of this sentence. But the reaction to the bite (which can take days or weeks to appear) is a giveaway that you have been bitten. Look for a raised rash with a white area around it and finally a red ring around that...looks like a target bullseye. It can start small and increase in size until it is several inches in diameter. This is followed by a nasty fever and flu-like symptoms. DO NOT IGNORE THESE SYMPTOMS. Get to a doctor ASAP.
If you think you might have had a deer tick bite in the past, don't be shy about asking your doctor to run the blood test to see if you are carrying the antibodies. If you have undiagnosed Lyme disease it can manifest itself as arthritic problems, joint paing and even psychological problems.
Having said all that though..I do not want to discourage people from enjoying the outdoors and all the pleasure that can be derived from camping, hiking, etc. We're all just a little more careful to remember to put on the bug repellent before venturing out. A little common sense goes a long way.
We are just finishing baling hay here and it has been a super year. Lots of rain and perfect sunny days have made this one of the better crops. The Guinea hens have been following the tractor, eating all the bugs that are stirred up (hopefully gobbling up those ticks) and the cows are enjoying the leftover grasses. The goats love to go out early in the morning for their weed and browse breakfast and then doze through the warm afternoons. Sounds like a plan to me!
One of our family members has just come down with Lyme Disease and it is as serious as a disease can get. He will be on antibiotics for weeks and if the disease is not caught in time can end up being a life threatening or life long disease.
You may never see the tick that delivers the bite. They are infinitismal, sometimes no bigger than the dot at the end of this sentence. But the reaction to the bite (which can take days or weeks to appear) is a giveaway that you have been bitten. Look for a raised rash with a white area around it and finally a red ring around that...looks like a target bullseye. It can start small and increase in size until it is several inches in diameter. This is followed by a nasty fever and flu-like symptoms. DO NOT IGNORE THESE SYMPTOMS. Get to a doctor ASAP.
If you think you might have had a deer tick bite in the past, don't be shy about asking your doctor to run the blood test to see if you are carrying the antibodies. If you have undiagnosed Lyme disease it can manifest itself as arthritic problems, joint paing and even psychological problems.
Having said all that though..I do not want to discourage people from enjoying the outdoors and all the pleasure that can be derived from camping, hiking, etc. We're all just a little more careful to remember to put on the bug repellent before venturing out. A little common sense goes a long way.
We are just finishing baling hay here and it has been a super year. Lots of rain and perfect sunny days have made this one of the better crops. The Guinea hens have been following the tractor, eating all the bugs that are stirred up (hopefully gobbling up those ticks) and the cows are enjoying the leftover grasses. The goats love to go out early in the morning for their weed and browse breakfast and then doze through the warm afternoons. Sounds like a plan to me!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Summer Nostalgia
People ask us all the time, what made us go into the bed and breakfast business. There is a practical reason of finding some use for the family home that would pay for it's upkeep and the farm. But there is also an opportunity to give people some time in a place that may actually be good for them.
So now...my dearest friend for the last 50 years recently lost his wife to cancer. I remember so well when we were kids here running around on the farm and am amazed at how things ...especially kids have changed. We now have a whole generation of "indoor" kids who are intimidated by and uninterested in anything outside their walls. Too bad for them.
So today, on this most beautiful day in June, I am remembering my life in the country without a telephone or television. My unheated bedroom, average temperature in the winter, 40 degrees. Playing solitaire and listing to AM radio in the summer evening. Hot dusty air, buzzing bugs, gnats...lots of gnats...the sound of grazing animals ripping off chunks of grass and grinding them lazily while staring calmly at the trees. Owls hooting, crows calling, a mockingbird singing away at 2 in the morning. Sitting on the back porch steps with my pal, chatting away through the night about life and nothing. Animals animals animals, wild and domestic. All leading lives parallel to mine.
Picking wild, stickery, blackberries and paying the price with chigger bites and poison ivy the next day. Catching little crawfish in the stream behind the house. Hoeing beans, ugh, weeding and sweating in the garden. Moving many many wheelbarrows full of rocks. Walking down a hot road to the country store that served as meeting place, post office and Hershey's ice cream destination.
A lot of that is gone now...the store that once sheltered sleeping cats and gossiping neighbors by it's pot belly stove, is boarded up and slowly being eaten by vines and vandals. Many of the people have moved on in one way or the other and have been replaced by their children. Technology allows us now to choose how much of the world we want to bring into our lives and when. Air conditioning, central heating and telephones arrived (and is now going away again.ha ha). The pace of life has picked up like crazy.
And no, I'm not 100 years old..only a little more than 1/2 way there. This is all not so long ago as to be a time forgotten.
But the best things still remain...the bugs...the farm animals grazing. The horses are long gone but we have goats and cows to keep us busy and chickens to give us eggs and Guinea Hens to eat bugs and make us laugh. The birds are still here making nests and calling. The owls still hoot. The blackberries are still stickery. The poison ivy still catches us now and then. There is still an abundance of rocks and weeds to attend to. And lightning bugs..lotsa them. All the things that really make life important are still here.
I think I'll go feed some watermelon the the goats now. They'll like that. And I will too.
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