Thanksgiving on the Farm

This year was a quiet and lonely Thanksgiving without the Fat Suburbanite Dad and other relatives in attendance.
The girls and I made most of the dishes the day before, so getting the turkey cooked and on the table was stress free.
As the turkey roasted, we walked the trails in the sunshine, wishing that someone with a bush hog and a chain saw would trim up our paths for us.
This is my dainty little gravy boat with a liter of delicious homemade turkey gravy.

High Bridge Hiking

Since I can't cross a mile long, very high bridge, I left it up to Dan to take the girls on a three mile hike in Farmville. Here are photos by Laura. They've been asking to take their bikes next time. That will probably have to be when Dan is in town again, because these pictures aren't tempting me to try the hike with them.

Happy Trails, Dad

This is the man who shaped my life.
The man who rubbed my back and gave me paregoric when I was little and my tummy hurt.
The man who held my hand while he walked me down the street in Mt. Lebanon to get an Isaly's ice cream cone.
The man who imparted to me his unusual outlook on life!
In spite of the profuse tears, snot, and lump in my throat, I'm singing my dad's song today.
He could whistle it just like the soundtrack.

Dad finished his battle with cancer this morning and is at peace now.
Till we meet again, Daddy!


Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again.

Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It's the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here's a happy one for you.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.

Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again.

Bonfire

Katie's been wanting a bonfire for over a week. She scoured the woods for sticks and built a gorgeous tepee of wood,but each night that Big Dan was home we were tired and didn't light up the fire.
I finally let them do it Monday night since the rain was moving in.
They did a good job, starting it and roasting their marshmallows with no adult supervision.

Microwave Monday

Menu Monday. It's what all the cool blogging homemakers celebrate.
But not us, we're having Microwave Monday, because today Katie shared an important discovery about our microwave:
"Hey Mom. Have you ever noticed that when you look up in the top of our microwave, there's a shape like Oklahoma?"

Hmmm, so there is!

My *plan* for our weekly menu is:

Monday: Chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and some vegetable from the freezer.
Tuesday: Chili and cornbread (since the weather will be cold and rainy.)
Wednesday: Chicken and dumplings (still cold and rainy.)
Thursday: Turkey cutlets with apple cider and apricot glaze, noodles, and sweet potatoes.
Friday: Some easy pasta dish with a salad.
Saturday: Salmon (which I'm going to try to have once a week, hoping that its DHA makes my brain smarter) with big baked potatoes, steamed veggies, and a salad, for the hungry soccer players to eat while they wait for their dinner to be ready.
Sunday: Shepherd's pie, wondrous carrots, broccoli slaw, and homemade bread.

Priorities

I want new leather furniture in my living room. And I want a complete new bedroom set in both girls' rooms. I also want to finish painting my walls. And the landscaping, that needs more money poured into mulch again this year. I feel a definite urge to get the upstairs finished and have a bathtub big enough for me to soak comfortably. (Yes, FSD, I know there will be a comment about this sentence.)
Deep sigh.
But would that bring fulfillment? How much better would my daily life be if I traded our financial margin for these things? I don't know the answer, and may never know the answer.
I do have enough experience by now to know that in the past, more often than not "stuff" doesn't change my life for the better.
If we were swimming in cash and didn't have a list about two feet long (in small print, to boot) of things that urgently need to be paid for, it would be a very good thing for my house to be more beautiful and classy.
For now, I'll get out a bucket full of hot water and Murphy's Oil soap, throw in a few microfiber cloths, and scrub the old, dog-scratched leather couch. Then I'll pile some youngsters onto said couch to read some of the free books we've just acquired.

Mountain Meeting

This is us at our meeting place. What a fun time that was!
I think the cousins enjoy each other's company, don't you?

Enchanted Evening with Family

Our Memorial Day Celebration

Our family had an enjoyable cook out with a bunch of friends from church last night.

The kids had a water battle with lots of uproarious giggling.

Then came the grand finale: fireworks from South of the Border. These were the real deal! Many neighbors called to check on the "gunfire" from our friend's house.

Here's an audible sample of Charlotte County good times.

The Drive to Pennsylvania

We had terrible weather most of the way to PA. Here you can see a little of it. Katie was ready for winter.
Fortunately, the ice that was so treacherous early that day was gone by the time we got there.
Sadly, I forgot to photograph the Bakers when we stopped to see them on the way. They all looked good, trust me. Trent was his usual cheery self. The kids all had a blast. They are missed here in Charlotte County.

More Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Montage

More Redneck Fun

An audio and visual taste of the traditional hayride/bonfire.

You Just Might Be a Redneck, the Sequel

Hey y'all, looky at this here family. They sure does know how to have a good time at Thanksgiving.

We Need a Little Christmas

Katie got a little purple Christmas tree.
She believes it looks like it could pass for a real tree. I asked.
Honestly, my kids have been outdoors, even to a pine wood.
The tree is named Fuschia.

More Cleaning

I waxed my hallway. I figured I'd better post it, since it may not still look like this at Thanksgiving, and I want credit.

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving, One Room at a Time

Here is the new and improved orange room, ready for cousins, aunts, uncles, grandfathers, stepmothers, or any other relations to spend the night during the yearly hoe down.
I haven't posted for ages. Nothing is post worthy. School is going well. Cleaning is keeping us busy. Ice skating is fun. Big Dan is helping a friend with some carpentry. The goats are giving lots of creamy milk. Life is good.

Daddy's Little Helpers

And this is what it's come to at Providence Farm.
We have "help" doing every chore now.
Especially the chore of going in the door. Lots of help with that one.

A Treat for Bambi

Mmmmm, yummy.
Which will he lick first, Wild Persimmon, or Sweet Acorn?
I have a sinking feeling that the trophy buck in the photo is false advertising for our hunting season.
Well, we have a few goats who may be enticed to walk in front of the 30-06 if the exotically flavored salt licks don't do the trick for Mr. Whitetail.

Carter with a Critter