Winter Anticipation

Hoping for snow! If I hope hard enough, will it appear?

This season is flying so quickly, don't you think? Here, in our lives, we've had a lot of stuff going on. Hard stuff, like seeing my daughter go through a miscarriage, and the wait for 2 weeks until she delivered. Hard stuff, but I can't tell you how proud I am of their strength and faith!
It's the time of year when I do several sales with my Finnish cardamom bread. It started early this year, because the first Saturday fell so early. I feel like I'm a week ahead on bazaars and baking. I had a lot of fun, did well, sold out. That's always nice.
I've had a goal since September to really fill my Etsy shop. I've got so many things to still list, and I was almost up to 400 items in my shop! I guess it's a good thing when stuff sells and you have to get more stuff in there. I really enjoy Etsy. I consider it sort of my hobby/job. Thankfully, my husband has had more work this year. Construction in our area had been really slow. Three years ago, he was getting ready to start building a house, finishing another. It was always the pattern that he'd move right into another project, someone would be waiting on him, etc. Well, the lady backed out of that house, and all of a sudden, he had no work. On top of that, he had no reputation really for doing smaller jobs, because he used to have to turn those down b/c he was too busy. So it took awhile to get out there with remodels and smaller jobs. Seriously, I think we could have qualified for welfare at one point, but he reminded me that we're not destitute, that God would provide, and you know what? We made it!! And we had a good time even through the hard part. He's just finishing a house for a man, and he'll be back to a few small jobs lined up. It would be nice if it was a sure thing that he had a house to build, (or 2 or 3, like the old days) but we're resourceful, we're taken care of, and I'm looking forward to what's ahead.
I'm REALLY looking forward to decorating my porch and house for Christmas this year. I've been Pinterest-ing wreaths, diys, etc., thinking of Chrstmas greenery garlands. I need to talk my boys into going out in the woods and gathering me some cedar boughs and holly and stuff. I used to love the gift part of Christmas more, but I'm really getting simpler all the time. 
We're planning a music night with our friends, singing, playing instruments, etc. I have always wanted to get a group together to try playing my autoharp. I think a group of other musicians would make my attempt a lot more fun.  We've talked about doing some good old-fashioned game nights with friends this winter.
Another fun thing I'm planning, is to have a friend come and show a few friends how to make tamales. I've done this before, but haven't tried it in a long time. So, I guess at least one of my goals is to have some good times with friends and family, in a warm, cozy house, just enjoying each other around some fun things to do.
Hope you plan to make your winter a memorable one!!!

Friends to share a meal with.

Night time at our little country church. (Ignore the blue paint, hopefully we'll get to paint in the coming year!)

The table. All set and ready.

We've had a very busy fall! Sometimes I wish the leaves would all fall off my maple tree at one time, so that we could just rake a couple of dump truck loads all at once and be done with it. I love that old tree, and the leaves are so pretty; it keeps us nice and cool in the summer, as we sit on the swing cooling off. I wasn't ready for summer to end, but wow!! It's almost December and the days will start getting longer again!

My Finnish Cardamom Bread

This month, our little Bible study group had a Thanksgiving meal together.  I think we all came really excited, it's the first time we've done something special, and it WAS a special time. I was really looking forward to celebrating God's faithfulness with this little group.  We are so blessed to have this little place to share, to learn, to grow in. These people God has put in our lives. Celebrating what He's brought us through, trials and hard stuff. His providing us with this quaint little country church. He is is so good to us!

It's been that busy time of year for me. November is hectic with bread baking, and I've had a lot of fun baking and selling my bread. I've had a few sell-out days, that's always a nice thing! Except for one more sale in Columbia City, outside of St. Helens, in December, I only have a couple days of special orders, and I'm through the busy baking season, and can do some leisurely homemaking.

This week, we're going to be doing something I love to do before the holidays. Cleaning! I'm talking about sending my husband out onto the beams in our living room with a vacuum lol. Today we got the bedroom all dusted, floors done, everything all nice and clean. I like to spring clean once in spring, once in fall/winter. All the knicknacks cleaned, all those books dusted. When I met my husband I had NO IDEA he was such a book freak! At least his books are beautiful! Well, when the cleaning is done, the nice warm fire is going, the Christmas music is playing, it'll be a day of decorating. Not all-out decorating, but a little holiday cheer. Some warm welcoming on the porch for visitors. Sometimes the stress of what this old world brings gets me down, but you know, I just keep looking up! There is a very good plan to it all!

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of blessing, full of reflection on how much we have all been blessed! ~Karen

Harvesting Thankfulness

Friends visit under the gazebo

Kids love the hammock!

My boys learned to run a backhoe!

Randy lifted the kids into the tree to pick cherries.

People everywhere! We love it!

This is the time of year when, if you are a gardener or a home-canner, you're finishing up madly to get a harvest in before the season is gone. If you aren't gathering your own veggies and fruits, then someone else, like a grocery store supplier, will do it for you, then you'll pay them to do the work for you. However it goes, the harvest comes at this time of year.

My daughter Kristin was smart, she brought beans to snap & got help!

It seems to me, that fall is extra-dramatic in it's season. The colors, the smells, the way it all of a sudden gets dark quicker (I've been trying not to notice that one so much). It just seems that, of all the seasons, fall seems like a fast-moving vehicle taking us to winter.
It is so fitting that, along with a harvest, comes a giving of thanks. Why not, we have the bounty of everything that's grown all year. It feels a little like pay day, and it is so natural to just give thanks. To be thankful.  God has provided.
This year has been a very "different" one. My husband, who is a general contractor and builds custom homes, has been around a lot! In our area, there isn't a lot of new building going on. We've used the time he's had off to get some things done around home. Now he seems to be getting busier, and thankfully, the work is just about done. I have to say, I'm amazed at how much we DID get done around here, from finishing the gazebo he started last year, to putting on a new roof, installing new flooring in the kitchen and living room, even remodeling my daughter's bedroom. Oh yeah, we were even able to get my grandkids' "fort" started. Fort? My husband got a little carried away, they actually are getting a building the size of a small cottage, that Grandma (me) would love to have! I don't know what I'd do with tower they added to it, but I'd think of something. I always said it would be nice to have my husband retire, but I have to say, it's pretty hard to keep on a routine. I was pretty glad for him to be back to work so that I could get a schedule back in time to start homeschool this fall.
Hope your fall is bursting with thankfulness!

PS Photos are from the old fashioned ice cream social we had with friends (except we didn't make it homemade) this summer. See, we found plenty of time to play! 

Beautiful Vintage Baby Shower at the Church

Well, I know it's two posts in one day, but I couldn't resist showing the baby shower my daughter put on for a friend. She did such a great job and the church looked so pretty with the sun shining through the windows on her vintage baby dresses.




































This is the little church we are having our first ever "Vintage Winter Gathering at the Church", which will be held November 21st AND November 22nd! Watch for more details!!

Endings and Beginnings

I do love fall, I love everything about fall. There is only one thing I don't love, and that is that winter comes right after! I wouldn't even mind winter too much, except for the fact that it is as long as the other seasons, but seems longer. Know what I mean? Well, it's fall, I LOVE it!
I've nearly finished my canning, yay! I actually got quite a lot done this year, and I was amazed thinking back, at how much of it actually didn't cost much at all. Now, I can look at jars on the shelf, and know that I won't need to go to the store for those things. I still have a little more salsa to do, and as the tomatoes keep ripening I'll can them or make sauce with them, but the biggest part is behind me. BTW, I got this Zesty Salsa recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook, and it is wonderful. It's a bit spicier than my usual salsa. Randy said it was way too hot, but I thought it was rather...WONDERFUL! I guess I'm going to have to lower myself to make some for him with a little less hot stuff, but it's awfully hard to do. Salsa should be spicy!
I have been having a lot of fun making plans with Kristin for our Vintage Winter Gathering at the Church. Even the guys have gotten involved-last week they poured new cement and replaced the steps and porch. They got the lights working right and a couple electrical outlets fixed. Krisitn and I have been communicating back and forth with a few ladies, getting advice, putting our ideas together, and I think it will be a lot of fun. Kristin has been working on flyers, etc. She's really good at that! We decided on Nov. 21st and 22nd. Nov. 21st is a Friday and it will be an evening opening. I can't wait to see that neat old building lit up with Christmas!
When Randy reads to me in the mornings, and other relaxing moments, like sitting and visiting with friends, I enjoy doing some kind of handwork. I'm learning (and wishing I had a teacher) rug hooking. I'm learning pretty much with books. I am loving it. I got the latest Create and Decorate Magazine, and there was a Jack-o-Lantern shaker that I thought was really cute. I did change the eyes to a little more folk look, and I had a great time making it. I was pretty much on my way out the door, grabbing a bunch of wool, scissors, etc, and didn't end up following the pattern exactly (does anyone ever do that?). I grabbed a plastic microscope slide box that I got from a lady on Etsy to use as a small container for the shaker inside of the Jack. My Grandson, Caleb found me the rocks we used in the box to make the rattle, and we got him stuffed and put together in no time. Thank you little grandson!! So, here's a picture of my little Jack. While I'm at it, I'll show you Kristin's neat little Corny Fire Starters. She made them with an iron corncake mold, wax of different fall colors, and sawdust. Really cute Kristin!
What else? I got to go to my friend Kelley's for a primitive "fix" yesterday. I love to go to her house and look at all the stuff she has. Maybe next time I'll see if I can photograph her place and share with you what I'm talking about. You know how some people have that knack for finding things in a big way? That's Kelley. She's working on her own little at-home shop that I will tell you more about when she gets it going and everything in place. She gave me a preview and I think she'll have a blast doing it. Especially since it's at home!
So, ok, summer's ended, fall's begun fully, and with it comes the preparation for winter things like our first ever Vintage Winter show. Let the planning and fun begin!