Saturday 31 January 2015

A Trip to Town

Yesterday was a P.D. day....so the kids had no school.


But it actually would have been a snowday if there was school because it snowed Thursday and Thursday night and then the wind blew it all around.


Johanna and Grady had finished their exams earlier in the week and I had promised Johanna that we would go to town on Friday.  Because we all just needed a day to go to town.


When I got up I wasn't sure about going to town....but then Terry said that I had a 4 wheel drive truck....and that I could go anywhere....I think he knew that I needed a day out of the house.


So the three girls and I headed into town. 


I needed to pick up a doorknob for the bathroom...one of those ones with a lock.  We were in Home Hardware looking at all the knobs when Lydia saw those ones with the passcodes on them....they are for your front door.  She told me that we should actually get one of those because kids get locked in the bathroom at Grandma's and it would be so much easier to get them out if there was a passcode.  AND it would be just so neat at have a passcode doorknob.  But I wasn't going to buy that for the bathroom.  That would be ridiculous.


Then we were in Walmart and Sophie decided that she was buying herself a can of Pringles chips....I HATE those chips and I refuse to buy them....but she had come with her money and she was ready to spend it.  Of course Lydia decided that she was also in need of Pringles chips....but she somehow had left her cash at home.....she has done this before.  I told her that I would buy them but she would have to pay me back when we got home.

When Sophie got to the cash with the chips, she didn't have enough small change...so she had to break her twenty bill.  She got her change.  I paid for my things and then we all piled back into the truck.  Then Lydia....in a big booming voice.....announced that next time she was definitely going to bring her money to pay. 

BECAUSE SOPHIE JUST MADE A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY FROM THAT LADY.  THAT LADY GAVE HER ALL THAT MONEY JUST FOR BUYING THOSE CHIPS.

And we all tried to explain to her that it was change from a twenty.  Sophie didn't make any money.

But we couldn't convince her.

I love those moments.


Brenda

Wednesday 28 January 2015

Calving Mode

We are in full calving mode here.

The alarm clock goes off at all hours of the night.

There is a sign on the cupboard door in the kitchen "Check cows every hour."  I'm not sure why....how could we possibly forget?

It's only a matter of seconds and a calf can be lost.  Sometimes that mom just can't lick the face off quick enough.

It's all we do right now.  It's all we talk about.  I wrote this post last year...It sucked.

It's the same this year.  If it sucks...it's good.  very. very. good.

Terry and the boys headed to the bush for just a couple of hours yesterday.  I was busy in the kitchen when I happen to notice the sign....I guess that's why it's there.

I went out and one was being licked off....all was well.  Another cow was lying and pushing...the front hooves were there.  I stood silently and waited.

Then I heard the boys drive in.  I was a little relieved.

As I gave my report she pushed the calf out.  Jack stepped in and wiped off its face....the mom seemed to be in no hurry to get up and lick it.  It was actually born with its body still completely in the sac....but it was broke just around it's face.  It gave its head a shake and took its first breath.  All was well.  The mom got up and started to lick and eat the sac....lovely.....I headed for the house.

But I went out to check on the little darlings this morning.  The moms had gone out to get a drink so I had a little alone time with the new babes born yesterday....


I was concerned that maybe they were cold...but the boys said that they had just settled down and were resting....they had just been up jumping around before I came into the barn.


And here is the first one of 2015 enjoying the sun today....


The boys just all left again for the afternoon and I heard them say that there are 4 cows to be checked today...

Brenda

Friday 23 January 2015

January

January....the month of food.

Ridiculous amounts of food.

Comfort food.  To keep our bellies full....and keep us warm because it's been cold.

Homemade baked beans.  Chili.  Spaghetti. Beef nachos. Roast meat bird...and then soup.  Ham....big hams with brown sugar glaze.  Whiskey burgers.  And potatoes....so thankful for such a good potato crop this past summer!

We have been eating very well.

And consuming great amounts of hot chocolate.  And popcorn.

I've had time to clean closets and cupboards and drawers.

And read books.

And start little painting projects.

It's been a good month for things like that.

And for freezing our faces off.  And for frozen water bowls.

But really....it's nothing that we can't handle.

It's January.

We'll just keep on eating....

These girls seem to do that too.....



Brenda

Thursday 22 January 2015

Very Spook Eee's Little Brother

Remember Very Spook Eee?  He was born last year at this time.

Well.....I'd like to introduce you to.....

Very Spook Eee's Little Brother!


You can actually see the resemblance around the eyes but he's not marked like Very Spook Eee.

He's just so sweet!

Brenda

Monday 19 January 2015

The Irish Blessing Birthday Cake

I made this cake on the weekend.


It's something that I have never done before.  It's something that I never even thought of doing before....writing an Irish Blessing on a Birthday cake.  I LOVED the idea when it was suggested to me.

Actually.....I was a little over the top excited about it.

I made the celtic knot out of rolled fondant.  It wasn't easy.  It made my brain hurt a little.  I had dyed the fondant green and then rolled it out like a snake and then joined it together at the ends.  Then I just tried to copy from a picture of the knot.  But it was more complicated than I thought it would be and it actually just looked like a big mess until I flattened it a little.....with a rolling pin.


I put shamrocks and little purple flowers all around the sides.



I was happy with the result....and I hope to do more cakes with Irish Blessings.


Brenda


Wednesday 14 January 2015

93

Thinking of my Grandma today.  She is turning 93.

So many good memories of the days...and nights.....spent at Grandma's house.  There was nothing better than a sleepover at Grandma's.  She'd always make an egg in the hole for breakfast....fried in lots of butter in the cast iron pan on the cookstove.

You never knew who would be at Grandma's when you went for a visit.  Cousins, friends of cousins....all the kids that lived within a short drive called that place 'Grandma's House'.  She welcomed everyone.  But it was always best when you had her all to yourself.

It was the place to go when you weren't feeling well....or maybe you just needed a day off of school.  Sometimes you just 'magically' felt better when you arrived there.  The 'sick' day turned into the best day when she'd make you homemade French fries....fried in lard.  She knew that you would feel better after a snack of those.

A day on the kitchen couch...with the big brown cushion.....all to yourself was THE BEST.  You would have to plug the t.v. in and 'let it warm up' before you turned it on.  Mr. Dressup and Spiderman and The Flinstones.....it didn't matter how old you were....those were the shows to watch.

And if there happened to be other cousins there, we would play 'hide the papers' and cards...all sorts of card games.

And we'd fight over who got to use the 'A' spoon.

We would need to go out to the barn to check on the new calves.  She'd name all of the calves after her grandchildren....so every year there would be a new 'Brenda' out in the barn.  She LOVED her cows.

She also loved to get back to the camp or go down to the river.

Even doing the dishes at Grandma's was fun....the water was 'soft' from the cistern.  There would be a ridiculous amount of bubbles in the kitchen sink....but she never minded.

And the tub....oh my goodness.  Her bathtub was the perfect size for a seven year old.  I've never seen another one like it.  Having a bath in her tub was extra special....as long as you were to the size of a seven year old.....and the 'soft' water.....THE BEST.

Her telephone was in the 'pantry'....or the stairway going to the basement.  This pantry was shelves built into the wall and they were lined with cans of food and jars of buttons.  If she wasn't making French fries we would have salmon sandwiches.  THE BEST salmon sandwiches.  ever.

In the summer, you could sit on her verandah and be surrounded by humming birds.  She would put up three feeders and they would come to drink even when you were sitting right under them.

So many good memories.

Happy Birthday Grandma.



Brenda




Friday 9 January 2015

First Calf of 2015

Good news!

She finally had it!  And she waited until the weather warmed up....it was about -12*C this morning....almost tropical!


It's a girl.  And she's doing well.

 
And Sophie got to go outside for ALL of her recesses today.

Good good news! 

Brenda

Wednesday 7 January 2015

The News.

Okay.  It's the top news story....
It's cold outside.  Really cold.  Extremely cold.  I think it's minus forty or something with the windchill.

But Lydia just asked me for a popsicle.....so all is well.

In other news...
Terry and the boys have been keeping an eye on a heifer for the last week.  The alarm clock was set for 1 a.m. just so he would wake up and go out and check on her.  She is going to calve.  Maybe I should go and have a chat with her....keep it in hun if you can....you don't want to be having a baby in this weather.

And in other news....
I took the Sequence game out to the school for Sophie to play during recess.  That should make things a little better for her.  They definitely won't be going outside today.  I'd love to see her sitting around with her friends with the piles of poker chips in front of them.  I'm sure I'll hear all about it when she gets home.

And in other news...
I made these for the window. 


They were really easy to make.  It's just pipe cleaners with beads.

I made this one for Johanna....she can hang it in the window in her room where she teaches fiddle and step dancing at the other farmhouse.


I made this picture too.  It's just white paint....I used my fingers....on blue construction paper.  I just let the paint dry and then I added the details and drew the picture.


In other news....
Terry bought me WHITE hot chocolate mix.  Actually it's called "Heavenly white hot chocolate."  And it is.

In other news....
Lydia bought this shirt with some of her Christmas money.


She has been wanting this shirt for a couple of months.  It suits her perfectly.  It's got some 'glam' with the tie covered in sequins.  Of course, Jack thought it looked ridiculous.  I told him that it was the 'style'....and that I wore a necktie at one time too.  Only it was tartan and ugly.  But it was the 'style' of the time.  I think I was in grade 4.

In other news.....
I got Sophie and Lydia to fill in a questionnaire of random things about themselves.  I wanted to put it in with my Christmas Treasury book that I've been keeping for the last 10 years.  One of the questions asked 'If you could have one wish, what would it be?'  Sophie answered "to have a hole bag of chips to myself."  Good answer.  Another question was "When I grow up I want to be...."  and she answered "a 4-H member."  Good answer.

Brenda

Monday 5 January 2015

It's Winter.

We are back to reality today.  The Christmas holidays are over.  OVER.

Sophie was actually really looking forward to getting back to school.  But then she came home and said that she didn't get out for recess....not even once....because it's too cold to go outside.  Recess is her favourite.  AND she said that they are not going out for recess at all this week or next week.  She was so disappointed.

Yes...it's cold....and it's winter.  That's reality.  I don't remember ever getting to stay inside for recess.  But times have changed.  Now the 'cold weather' is the top news story of the day.  Somehow it's become 'news'.

I call it winter.  It's the same as it's always been.  It's cold and it snows.

The kids love it.


They enjoyed a day on the pond with their cousins one day last week.


They skated and built some kind of stick pile thing.  They were busy for hours.



And all the big kids had a game of hockey.




And it was cold.

But it was good.

Brenda