A Trip to the Antiques Barn

Good morning!  What a beautiful August morning it is! The sun is shining; the air is warm; the insects are chirping and buzzing their August tune (August just has a distinct sound that no other month has).  The day will be hot, but I am drinking in every last minute of these late summer days because autumn is near, which I was reminded of this morning as I sent two of the Littles out the door for their first session of their fall pre-season soccer. Yes, these days are to be savoured.

One thing Hubby and I enjoy doing, at least once during the summer, is antique shopping, and we had been hankering all summer long to make a visit to this one particular place, a huge old barn full of antiques and junk, well mostly junk, but such a fun place to browse amongst the dust and cobwebs in search of treasure.  We didn't think we would make it there this year, but last weekend the opportunity presented itself, and we gladly accepted. We both had in mind particular items that we would be looking for, things that we needed, as we are trying to be very conscious of what we purchase and keeping the clutter to a minimum...no more buying items simply because they are cheap or interesting...they must have useful value.  Hubby was in search of wooden shovel handles, which he found, because so many of our shovels are in need of having their handles replaced, and I had a few household items in mind, including aprons, which, unfortunately, I did not find.  I did, however, bring home a few oh-so-very-useful items that I am very excited about.  It's funny how "useful" has slowly turned exciting over the years.

A lovely watering can was the first thing I laid my eyes on and after some careful inspection of the nozzle I decided I would be taking it home with me...then, I put it down, thinking I didn't want to carry it all through the barn with me, that I would pick it up on our way out.  Well, I forgot to pick it up, and we ended up turning around, after we had already buckled hot, whiny kids in their car seats and drove two miles down the road. Hubby graciously ran back in and purchased my watering can.

The next item that found its way home with us was a wonderfully large and sturdy drying rack. It can hold an entire load of laundry...as much as I can currently hang on my clothes line.  I wanted more drying space, but Hubby and I were having difficulty finding a spot to hang more line. This rack is the answer to my drying needs. It is so sturdy and big! I couldn't wait to wash a load of laundry just so I could use my new rack...imagine that...excited to do laundry.

I also picked up a few wooden laundry baskets.  I spotted them near the end of our visit and was hesitant to purchase them because of their price, but then just as I was leaving the stall they were in I noticed a sign saying that everything in that booth was 50% off.  Bingo!  I had myself two new laundry baskets.

The final item is this enamel chamber pot which works as our new "chicken bucket". It fits perfectly under the sink, and the lid keeps everything covered up until it's time to feed the chickens.

We also picked up a few things for Little #9's upcoming birthday, which I will wait to show in order to keep them a surprise.

Hunting for thrifted treasure is such fun, and I love coming home with items that are so useful and make life on the homestead that much easier.  (Still on a search for a few aprons.)

An update on Maggie, our new kitten...

   As I mentioned before, the Littles found a kitten that had been hit by a car a few weeks ago.   It was heartbreaking...her tail was dead; she was covered in maggots, and she couldn't use the lower half of her body.  The Littles said they heard her meowing in the woods, and when they found her she was dragging herself towards them with her front paws. She drank an entire bowl of water on the way to the vet's office (we held back food in case she would need surgery).  The vet estimated that she had lain in the woods, possibly unconscious, for three days.  Her spine was broken at the base of her tail, but in spite of her horrific ordeal she was perky and begging for attention.  The vet said they would remove the tail, clear her of the maggots, and care for her wounds, but we would have to wait and see if  the nerves from the spinal break would recover.  After a week, Maggie was doing wonderfully. She was eating and drinking like a champ, her tail fell off on its own (no surgery), and she was able to stand and walk on three legs.  The vet said she was such a cheerful kitty, full of energy and desire, and  she didn't seem to be bothered by her injuries.  She, however, was unable to go to the bathroom on her own.  The nerves to her bladder were still not working, and the vet was expressimg the bladder three times a day (sometimes more).  We decided to give her some more time.  After another week Maggie was still not able to go to the bathroom, so after getting second opinions and a long discussion with the vet, we made the  tearful decision to lay Maggie down to sleep.  She was scheduled for 9:00 am the next day.  Hubby was going to the hospital to be with Maggie and then bring her home to be buried peacefully under the trees. It was a sad morning, I struggled with putting such a loving, cheerful kitten down to sleep...I just wanted more time, more time to allow for possible healing.  I prayed for a miracle.

At 9:00 that fateful morning, I was trying to keep myself busy so as not to think about the sadness taking place at the vet.  I went to the shed to gather canning jars for pickles I would be making that day, and I heard the phone ring. I ran in the house to find that it was Hubby. I picked it up, expecting him to say that it was over and he was on his way home.  Instead his voice was chipper as he explained to me that a vet, at the hospital where Maggie was, met them in the waiting room and told them she decided to take Maggie home with her, to give her more time, to express her bladder and watch for signs of healing.  She said she would start with a month.  She wouldn't let her suffer, but she wanted to give her more time.  She said the hearling process can take quite some time, and they really don't know enough about the nerves and spine to say that Maggie is ready to be put down. If we were willing,  she was offering to do this for free, and if Maggie improves and the nerves heal, she will give her back to us.  I received my miracle! We are now praying for little Maggie's full recovery. 

This Moment

I have been inspired by SouleMama to take a moment ...

{this moment}

"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see."

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This moment was captured by my daughter.  If you want to see more of this little guy and his puppy friend, check out her photography page.

April

Good morning!  It's been a horribly long time since I have posted, and I have missed you all.  I do hope all of you are well and are enjoying the wonderful change from winter to spring.   It is so nice to see the ground again and smell the thawing earth, to hear the rushing waters of the nearby river and the early morning songs of the birds.  It is still a bit chilly here in our corner, but that is okay.  The season has changed and spring has sprung! 

When I sat down to write, I wasn't sure where to begin...so much has happened over the past month... so I decided to share a short overview of the highlights for the month of April.

Trees were tapped; sap boiled; maple syrup enjoyed (sometimes by the tablespoon full).

Puppies were born.

Birthdays were celebrated (two for us in the month of April).

Another trip to Children's Hospital was taken and tough decisions were made. 
Surgery was undergone and recuperating took place.

Our first red cardinal was joyfully spotted on the farm (I have been trying to attract this beautiful bird to our property for many years...hoping he will return).

Snow melted; buds swelled; eggs were laid; spring arrived.

Looking forward to the month of May!

Never to Return to the Red Room

I'm sorry for my absence and sporadic posting. I've certainly missed being here on a regular basis, but it has been a busy (and a bit stressful) the past few weeks here at Front Forty Farm.  It's amazing how much goes on in a day with twelve people, of all different ages, living under one roof.  I wake in the morning with plans to accomplish certain things, but by 9:00 am most of those plans have been thrown out the window, and new ones have taken their place.  We all have cabin fever and are ready for a change. We are ready for spring.  It's coming, I know, but with snow, wind and single digit temperatures again this past weekend, it certainly didn't feel like spring. We remain hopeful, though, knowing winter never lasts forever. One of my cures for cabin fever, as some of you probably know from past posts, is cleaning, tidying and changing things up a bit in the house, so I decided it was finally time to change the "red room", time for a lighter, more cheerful color. Time to actually do it!

Remember the red?

The color is "Cargo Pants" from Sherwin Williams. It's a lovely greyish-green...just enough green to keep the grey from being drab, but not so much green that it actually looks green.  Does that make sense?  I absolutely love the color and the change it brought to this room.  And the best part?  The change only cost us the price of one gallon of paint.  Hubby has a stash of paint in the basement that he has saved from past construction jobs, and we looked through the colors he had.  I was skeptical at first, not thinking he would have a color that was suitable.  If I was going to put all that time and effort into painting the "red room", the new color had to be just right.  I was pleasantly surprised, though, when we found a gallon of "Cargo Pants", and was even more surprised when I found that it only took two coats of that light color to cover the heavy, dark red.  We only had to purchase one more gallon of paint.

It took me about a month to complete the project because I could only work on it on Saturdays when we all took a break from school lessons.  I kept my goal to one wall at a time, so that I didn't feel overwhelmed by the immensity of the project, and I finally put the finishing touches on it this past Saturday.  I am so pleased with the results.  The room is fresh and airy, and it brightens my spirits whenever I walk into it.  I picked a few branches from my forsythia bush and put them in a vase of water on the piano, hoping to force the buds to open.  For now the "red room",which, thankfully, is no longer red, is my breath of fresh air, my "spring "amidst all the snow and mud.

Cozy Corners with Thrifted Treasures

Living in New England, where we experience all four seasons (well, many of us may argue that we really only have two seasons, winter and black fly season...), it's interesting how our bodies adjust, and we actually look forward to and crave the sights, sounds, textures, colors and feelings that accompany each approaching season.  I don't decorate for each season, per se, but things around the house do change.  As I was pulling out the wool blankets, I remembered how happy I was last spring to wash and store away the heavy quilts and down comforters and lighten and brighten the house for the warmer months.  Now I am looking for ways to cozy things up, to make the house feel warm and festive for the many months we will spend inside.  The walls in our Red Room are not nearly as oppressive to me now as they were six months ago.  In fact, the red feels warm and inviting, and I'm relieved that I didn't change the color. The thrifted wool blankets that I picked up this summer have been a welcomed addition to the house this fall; both children and felines agree.  A set of enamel mugs picked up a thrift shop are just the ticket for sipping hot chocolate, and two, thrifted, wool, throw pillows add a hint of cozy to the bedroom.

Although I favor summer, I am thankful for the opportunity to experience all four of our lovely seasons and the change each one brings.

Thanks to Little #1 for helping me with the photos.