Fall-ing

 Is it "fall-ing" where you are?

I always forget how much I love this time of year!

Near perfect warm days

Evening Golden hours

Long shadows

Cool, open the windows, nights

"Sweater Weather"

No need for air conditioning nor for heating - perfection!

There were some end of Summer shanigans ...

Times spent in the park...

Some new decor - mirror finally...

Some sour dough baking and gifting ...

And suddenly it was "back to school" for these two cuties ...

My September calendar has exploded with meetings, some theatre,

coffee times with friends, sleep overs, a quick bus trip North, and summer

guests from Kentucky.

More details to follow on all these upcoming events as they unfold.

One cannot say I am not keeping busy - perhaps too much so?

Stay well my dear readers ...

Till next time ...  stop to enjoy these wonderfilled last days of our summer.

October World

"I'm so glad I live in a world where 

there are Octobers" by Anne with an E!

Trying to focus on the good things to be thankful for this October,

in spite of what is happening in our October world!!

Like fun dips in the spa with these sweet humans ...

Airing the freshly washed quilt to make room for cozy duvets and comforters ...

A visit to a local buggy making shop on a very interesting

"Up the Nith River" Amish history bus tour led by the amazing

Fred Lichti...

Helping at our church's annual church beef bbq supper ...

2nd year as "drive thru take out". Worked so well!

Inspired by my cousin Fran to make Mom's old fashioned

concord grape pie - seasonal for sure

and so delicious!

Here's the recipe:

3 Cups Concord Grapes – washed, stemmed and drained

1 Cup Sugar

3 Tbsp. Flour

1 Tbsp. butter - melted

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Pastry for 2 pie crusts (one for the lid - or just use crumbs for topping)

Remove skins and simmer pulp for 5 minutes.  Do not add any water to pulp.  While hot, press pulp through a sieve to remove the seeds.  Combine strained pulp with the skins.  Combine sugar and flour and add to grapes.  Blend in the lemon juice and melted butter.  Pour into pastry lined pie plate.  Cover with top crust or crumbs.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Makes 1 - 9” pie.

To make crumbs, rub together 3/4 Cup Flour, ½ Cup Sugar and ¼ cup melted Butter.

Went on a quick little bike ride on the GtoG trail

with my friend Jan to see a newly installed bench ...

 And off we went to a great ABBA revisited concert with the Leis gals ...

Some sour dough baking whilst figuring out how to change a leaky

kitchen sink sprayer hose! Thanks Google for your help.

An awesome day spent with my little love while his sis played hockey

in her first season opener tournament...

Trains, Mexican Train games, stories, McDonalds lunch, and spooky skeletons.

Neighbourhood "under the sea skeletons" - eek!

Oh, and one more thing.

My infamous butter lamb got a wee mention in Marlene Epp's

recently launched book - "Eating Like a Mennonite"!

"From zwieback to tamales and from sauerkraut to spring rolls ..."

Congratulations Marlene!

And that, dear readers, was the rest of my October!

Till next time .... November be gentle!

November Be Gentle

The month that I have dreaded so much has arrived!

The anticipated "dark" days of November have been surprisingly gentle so far,

unusually and almost eerily warm ...

expected waves of sadness and also with much happiness ...

PTL!

I pray the gentleness continues as my family and I remember ...

An unusually colourful October went by so quickly!

The Fall colours were especially brilliant this year.

My busyness was a welcome distraction once again.

At the end of September and first weekend in October I was

privileged to be involved with helping to set up some exhibits for the

BiCentennial celebration of the first Amish settlers in SW Ontario!

200 years ago, my ancestors came to farm and live out their lives here.

They came from the Alsace Lorraine regions in Europe to find a better life,

and freedom of religion.

Many were granted crown land on which to farm and live.

We heard many stories about how they co-existed with the First Nations peoples,

stories that were heard for the first time by many participants.

We sang soul healing "old" hymns from the German Ausbund and early hymnals!

I was moved and blessed by the whole weekend!

 Below is a collage of pictures of some of the displays.

It was a well planned and very interesting weekend plus ...

in addition to several Sunday evening hymn sings at various churches,

there were some well researched and interesting bus tours of the historical areas,

and a traditional bean soup lunch.

"Bona Supp" was a favourite meal in my childhood years!

 The tables were beautifully set

with the traditional bowl of 

apple butter to accompany the soup.

And - always - the cinnamon to

sprinkle on top!

My mom's recipe:

“Cook the navy beans till soft and tender”

1 Cup dried beans yields approx. 2 ½ cooked beans.  Overnight Method – place beans in kettle and cover with 4 cups water to 1 cup dried beans.  Cover and let stand overnight (at least 8 hrs.)   Simmer till tender in soaking water.  Quick Method – place beans in kettle and cover with 4 cups water to 1 cup dried beans.  Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.  Cover, remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.  Return water and beans to a simmer and cook till tender.   Cooking time for navy beans is approx. 1 hour.  Tip – add 1 tbsp. fat to cooking beans to control foaming.

“Add milk and salt and pepper to taste – heat but do not boil”

“Pour hot soup over buttered farmer’s loaf bread cubes and several strands of saffron”. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

My sister remembers mom putting the buttered bread and saffron in the bottom of her large pickling crock and pouring the hot soup over the bread.  She served the soup right from the crock.

I don't remember that we added a dollop of apple butter to the soup but it certainly was slathered onto a generous slice of buttered bread!

What a treat!

October also brought ...

A sweet new kitten named - Spinach

Thanksgiving - so much to be thankful for ...

Glowing trees ...

Sunrises ...

A new something, something ... ?? Stay tuned.

Halloween with "Wreck-it Ralph and Venellope Von Schweetz!

All in all, October was good.

November has taken us to see the "Imagine Van Gogh" installation in nearby London.

What a treat to watch this 7 year old take it all in ...

Praying that November continues to be gentle as I go down this

sometimes very lonely path ...

Till next time ... be good to yourselves and live each day to the fullest!

November 2020

 November 2020

Has been filled with beautiful sunsets

and a few sciffs of snow!

As the second wave of Covid 19 rolls over the world,

we were blessed with some summer like days to enjoy.

Affording some weekend day trips to our surrounding favourite spots,

like Elora, Ontario - always quaint and beautiful

The streets were bustling but the shopping was exhausting as one waited

in socially distanced lines at each little shop which only accepted a limited number

of masked shoppers at a time.

Our hands were sanitized in and out at each stop.

Covid shopping just isn't the same!

However, we enjoyed the unchanged scenery and beautiful Elora gorge.

One last convertible ride for the season was enjoyed as well.

And, one last bike ride for the season on the beautiful

G to G (Goderich to Guelph) rail trail.

We ran into so many people we know who had the same idea on this glorious afternoon!

My attempt at a selfie while riding!

Now as we near the end of this second last month of the year,

we pause to count our blessings,

we pause to savour all the sunsets from our living room window,

we pause to cherish our days on this old farm,

(all 41 years of them),

we pause as we anticipate many "lasts" and "firsts" to come in the next few months,

we pause to be thankful for how things are unfolding.

Yes, a move to the "burbs" is in our future

and this old farm will have new life with a second generation.

It's all good!

Future Farmer?

Today, November 22, 2020 the snow fell hard and fast,

creating a Winter Wonderland ...

and then this happened - our amazing neighbours pulled into the yard

with their beautiful team of horses and wagon to give us a magical

ride in the snow.

Noa and Sully were spellbound as were their Papa and Nammie!

Today, also, is her birthday, our one and only, our limited edition

who gave us a wonderful son-in-law and two beautiful grandchildren.

We love you so much Becky (to the moon and back)!

You are a wonderful daughter, wife and most loved mommy!

So, so proud of all you've become and are yet to be.

You have blessed us beyond our imagination.

Until next time ... stay safe and healthy dear readers. 

September's End 2020

 The leaves are giving us a sure sign that Fall has arrived.

"Autumn is a Second Spring

When Every Leaf is a Flower"

                                        Albert Camus

My favourite Fall garden "flowers" right here!

Pumpkin Patch Raid

School has begun at long last and this little student couldn't be happier.

(whispering a prayer for safety and health)

Perfect weather for a quick get-away to a beautiful park

on Georgian Bay - Awenda Provincial Park

Trails for hiking and biking with dear friends ...

Photo credit - Stew

Forest Bathing!

Funky Fungi everywhere - so lovely!

Final garden clean up weekend ...

Seeds for next year's garden

And that was that! At least we saved the still growing Kale.

This hearty dragon kale has been showing up in omletts, smoothies, and delicious sides!

Kale omelette with herbs from the garden!

The herb garden still flourishes with parsley, sage, borage, chives, basil and rosemary

A bit of colour also remains in the flower beds

Late bloomers - "naked lady" crocus indicating 6 weeks till first snow?

Last year's elderberry crop being stewed into some immune boosting syrup!

We can use all the help we can get these days.

Elder "Beary" tincture ready to share

The corn fields are ripe and ready for the harvest ...

"Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for the harvest."

                                                                                                                               John 4:35

Till next time - enjoy the fleeting Summer days and stop to appreciate the crisp Autumn air - breath!

Pray for the healing of our world.

Stay well my friends!