Oh, This "Winter" Weather!

Greetings from the sunny state of.....Oregon???? In February???  While we hear of the terrible snows they are having in the East, we, here in NW Oregon, and SW Washington, are having some beautiful weather.  A few weeks ago, days of torential downpours, probably like a lot of non-Oregonians think is always the case (but it isn't THAT extreme). Potential flood watches, etc.  So, I guess we can figure, we got our rain all at once, and now? An early spring? Well, we can hope!  I have managed to till my garden, which NEVER happens this early!  We've been having some beautiful sunsets to end our days, too.  This photo is looking to the west, towards Astoria, down the Columbia,  and the Pacific Ocean, not far from us.
It was a very busy winter for me, baking, doing bazaars, and a vintage sale (that I forgot to mention earlier). By the time Christmas came, I was quite ready for a break from baking Cardamom Bread!
I'm looking forward to spring, to gardening, being outdoors all day, to enjoying family times around the outdoor fire, and to GARAGE SALE season!  It's starting up, and as every vintage addict knows, it's a race to find that awesome item.
I know I've mentioned I love gardening, and if I can't be outside, I'm often reading and searching for ways to make my garden better, easier, more productive.  I have been You-Tubing worm beds! I've never had a worm bed, although I can remember my dad having a night crawler bed (for fishing) when I was young.  Well, yesterday, with one of my boy's help, I got a worm bed built out of totes!  I'm anxious to get the worms, their house is all ready, and I'm so excited to give this a try.  Sometimes Youtube can be addictive, and make everything look so easy, when it isn't.  But it's always fun to learn!
What else have we been doing?  We have been celebrating births of our two newest grandchildren, and we got one of each!!!  How cool is that!
We've had our share of heartaches, and friends who we've struggled along with, with their own hard-life situations, but I don't think any of us would give up a day of our lives, the hard days or the easy days.  The Lord has been faithful in it all!

Brrr. For Oregon, it's a chilly morning! It's funny that people often think all it does in Oregon is rain.   Yes, we do get quite a bit of rain, but it's not as bad as you might thing.  We've had an awesome summer, and a beautiful fall so far. I'm especially glad for lack of rain in the fall, b/c of the huge maple tree we have in our front yard. In the summer, the tree is a cool place to sit in the shade, or even to get out of a drizzle, it is that big. We have a bench swing, and tree swing, and an outdoor fireplace under it, so we have cozy evenings or warmth and fun.
But in the fall! I wonder how many leaves a tree actually has on it, but this one is crazy! We have used a blower (I wish we had had a blower YEARS ago, they work so great for leaves) countless times and added the leaves to the garden, like every year. The next day, it looks like we never did it! Today we are moving another pile to the garden, and I'd bet they would fill a dump truck, no kidding! And that won't be all! HOWEVER, the leaves are dry! With not a lot of rain, we've been able to do a lot of fall cleanup without the wetness, and that makes it a lot more fun!
I mentioned before the room my husband made me for a studio for my Etsy treasures?  I am so enjoying this room! It's like I'm out in the yard, right beside that beautiful maple tree. The front is all glass, so it's nice and bright, and at night, it is beautiful to look outside.  My son gave me a pretty sweet recliner, and I've been making a spot so that I can sit there and read, or, if I get my wish, watch snowflakes fall this winter. I live a very simple life, and I can tell you, I am so thankful for my quiet, simple life, and for my home, that is nothing grand, but to me, it is my refuge. (The best compliment I ever get when someone comes to my home is that they are "so comfortable" in my home.  I can't think of a better comment from a visitor!)
Well, with fall, and chilly mornings, I've been working a lot on my Etsy shop, getting it filled to the brim. With making soups on chilly days, with getting my kids through school, with spending time with grandkids. With going to my parents to watch the Seahawks, since we don't have TV here.
I saw a comment on a friend's Facebook page, wondering if she was the only one who didn't have a life that was all roses. It made me think about how much my years have seen. No, I have had HORRIBLE days. I've had really hard YEARS in fact, and lots of painful memories of things that are in the past. But I've come to see, you hang on for the ride. You go through what God has for you to go through, and you trust Him to get you to the finish. The finish is worth it all!  Run the race! Go for the prize! 

A Busy November

It's that time of year again, and gosh it came fast! I've been busy trying to get all the things done that I wait for the last minute to do, which only adds extra stress to my day. As a lot of you know, I am a Finnish Cardamom bread baker. Well, I bake lots of stuff, but this is what people usually know me for in the baking department. I've baked and sold this bread for...older than my own age lol.  OK, a little less than half my age! Wow, that makes me feel old!
I will be baking all of Thursday for a sale on Friday, then coming home and baking most of the night for the next day! But I love it.  By the way, I will have the marionberry coffeecakes, too. I get in trouble if I don't bring those~!
My daughter, Kristin and I both love to bake, AND do vintage sales, and some handmade creations besides. These sales this winter can't involve vintage, (unless we sneak them in a props!) but we'll be having a very full menu on our plates as it is. If you get down to the Longview, WA area, stop by and see us. If you need directions, just send me an email.
I'm not "positive", but I believe we'll be in Astoria, OR after Thanksgiving, doing their Winter Market. I've talked to the lady, and sent in my registration, but I still need to confirm it, so I'll post on that later.
It's always fun when we're at a sale and someone says, "I read your blog". The first time it happened, it kind of embarrassed me, because I knew NOTHING about them, and they knew what an airhead I AM lol. Anyway, don't be shy, say hi! ~ 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!