Farm News August 14 2014
The Anderson Reunion was held at the farm last Saturday. My mom had 5 sisters and 2 brothers which accounts for so many cousins and those cousins now have grandchildren. It was very fun! The kids had a blast driving the golf carts through our grove and we all got to talk and reminisce about going to Grandma Andy’s house on Hobo Day. Charlie, a young golden retriever from Texas, spent several days here with my cousin and Telly loved him. Four additional dogs came with guests, too, which was really fun – at least, I thought it was fun!
Last Friday night this kitten showed up in our yard and Telly assumed it was vicious and chased it. I coaxed him down from the tree about midnight and put him in the Civil War building so the kids could play with him on Saturday. One of the little girls named him Colton – ha! I’m hoping to find a home for this very, very friendly kitten who purrs so loud I can hear him across the room. Stop by the farm and meet him if you might like a sweet young cat.
My yard got hydroseeded on Wednesday and the irrigation will be started on Friday. The guys came on Monday morning and tilled up the whole area and then spread fertilizer. In one week I should be seeing grass.
It is sweet corn season in North Iowa and we have a bumper crop this year. Rick always plants more than we need but he always wants to be prepared if some doesn’t come up. He outdid himself this year and it is so delicious, we eat it raw in the field. When it’s just me at home, I microwave the ear in the husks for about 2 minutes. When I pull the husks off, all the silk comes with it making it very easy to clean and quick to put on the table.
Tomorrow I’m going to the Iowa State Fair with my church girlfriends. I haven’t been there for 30 years! This feels like a real outing to me and Rick even scheduled his trucking to get home on Thursday night so he would be here with the dogs.
Remember the baby goose? The mom wandered away from him so I brought him to the house but later that afternoon she returned to the nest. I decided to give her another chance and took the gosling back to her. He is doing great so far and she is actually watching out for him. I’m glad I gave her a second chance.
Bentley will be here all next week while his parents go on vacation. He stayed here on Sunday night when Charlie was here – there’s a pair of jumping, jivin’ young dogs!! Wow – we could not keep up with them but when bedtime came, they simply collapsed. It was such fun to see Telly, Charlie and Bentley all playing together!
Becky started school yesterday and the kids go back next Tuesday. It seems like summer just started. We have had such perfect weather but if history repeats itself, it will get very hot as soon as school starts and our schoolrooms do not have air conditioning. Many times they have to let school out early because of heat.
Emma can always find a comfortable spot in the shade.
Talk to you soon on the blog!
Mary
What a wonderful place to have a family reunion! What fun everyone must have had and what a pretty family you have. Nice to have so many! Loved all the pictures, as usual. So glad you share all this with us. Makes me “homesick” for that midwest corn – the best!
Love the sunflower wall hanging. Is that your pattern?
No, it’s by McKenna Ryan, part of the farm quilt
Plenty of good fresh picked sweet corn here as well and I “nuke” it in the microwave like you, Mary. I like it plain, but the “golfer” likes it with butter and fresh ground pepper.
One of my quilting friends has a kitchen tool that takes off the kernels and she adds some butter and nukes it briefly in batches in her microwave before bagging up for freezing. Her “Grands” call it creamy corn. I saw one of these Lee’s Corn Cutter and Creamer tools online at The Old Country Store recently.
Today’s the first day of middle school for our youngest granddaughter; time passes so quickly. About six years ago after a trip to Disneyland we took their family to brunch at the golf course. Both girls went up to the large glass windows over looking the course just as some golfers drove past in their carts. The youngest girl looked at her sister and said, “Look sissy, they have rides here!”
I am really enjoying your busy life as I recover from the shingles. During this time I’ve been thinking about stress and business. I hope to quilt more and volunteer less. I’ll keep church things but give up some community jobs. At 71 I should be mentoring more and doing less.
Thanks for sharing, I look forward to your emails of your wonderful life style…I have only been once to your shop, a few years back ,it will always be with
me…
Maybe Colton thought that you need a cat to keep all the other animals in line. lol He sure is a pretty boy and will make some-one a nice pet. Your family reunion looks like everyone had a very good time and your corn made my mouth water. I really enjoy your farm news–keep up the good work.
Sue
All such good news! Love it!
Family reunions ~ I love them!! A time for reconnection and reminiscing, picture taking and story telling, cherishing one another….while your heart takes a ‘fond memory picture’ of happy times together. And all is right with the world….
Looks like everyone had a wonderful time.
Wonderful and fun post Mary! I follow your Farm News and Blog so see what Country Threads is up to from afar. P.D. Will be 13 on Monday, Aug 18, a teenager! She still acts like a puppy. Please tell Becky we said hi. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Would it be possible for you to e-mail me a photo of project #75 (Like a ship going out to sea, I dip my spoon away from me) completed? I am having trouble understanding the written instructions. Specifically, let me ask this: For each 6″ x 6″ block, would all the light pieces be from the same light single charm square cut into eight diagonals — in other words would all light triangles in each 6×6 show the same patterned light fabric design? It appears from the diagram that the 6×6 block would use all the same single fabric design for the four center triangles and the four corner triangles. And all the red triangles would be of one fabric design pattern, and all the brown triangles would be of the one fabric design pattern. Hoping you can send a photo. That would help immensely. Or does it matter where you put the various patterns of fabric, as long as each 6×6 contains 8 lights, 8 browns, and 8 reds? Regards, Bernadette Jackson, Tucson.