Letters From “The Old Manse” #15(jan 27\17

Back on the wagon and hoping to stay there………yes I’m scared you might have forgotten me………..

life sometimes as much as you want it to be not busy gets busy and soon the stuff you want to do gets mislaid. Well its been way to long but here I am no apologies just trying to simplify.

Oh ya remember him……………………..my partner……in …….farming

Its a new year and with this new year 2017 comes a bunch of changes for me personally. I have been working at the potato plant for almost 2 years and even with several position changes the wear and tear of 12 hour shifts and perhaps not the best breathing environment the job is having a toll on my poor body. I have been off work since Jan 4th with hip bursitis. Basically the bursa in my right hip is inflamed and swollen along with a hip spur very painful. I have been on 2 pain and anti-inflammatory medications now plus lots of rest and it is starting to go away. The dr says there is a 50/50 chance it will flare up again…….so big decisions to be made here.

One thing that was on my mind a lot that coincides with our market farm garden is to be able to offer sprouts and micro greens in the winter months……..I have been experimenting with both and it looks promising. I have an application in for approval at the Summerside farmers market and an idea or two for the Charlottetown farmers market. All in all I feel confident that this is a good viable opportunity for Our Old Island Market Farm to continue during the long winter months. Of course the goal is for Our Old Island Market Farm to be our full-time occupation. So sometimes you have to wonder why stuff happens…….I believe they are all windows and doors that open and close. Right now I’m in the hallway waiting for one of the doors or windows to unlock and open. I trust it will:)

I want to share a little about my really good friend Helena who has fought terminal cancer now three separate times…..each time being cured by Dr Jesus. Her faith has not wavered and she is a testament to God’s goodness. She praised and thanked God each and every day…..sounds like a real Job storyline. Helena you are such an inspiration to me. In the midst of my own personal struggles I am reminded that God loves me and will stand beside me and carry me when I need to be carried and that I should not turn my back on God even when in my own human nature I fail him on many occasions he has not failed me. It reminds me to press on no matter how dark or dismal. Thanks Helena for being so strong in God. We need to be positive and live each day as if it were the last so that we don’t miss out on anything and or have any regrets for stuff we didn’t do.

Yikes its been a active year……..its funny how life treats you. I have to say that life is full of “funny” surprises…….sometimes you have a pretty good understanding and then other times no clue. This past year has been full of life’s many colorful surprises. In the end it kind of amazes me who is standing beside you through thick and thin……and what’s most surprising is who is missing the ones you expect to be there. But then I guess that’s the beauty of Christ…. the unexpected…..when Jesus entered his ministry on earth……. the ones you thought would be alongside him where the ones who persecuted him and we’re the ones who opposed him so strongly. But he was a good friend and spent time with the down trodden……the outcast…..the unclean….may we all experience true friendship, a friend, one who sticks really close like Jesus did……..And when we experience the disappointment of life may we always understand that people will disappoint but Jesus never will. When you are misunderstood or judged incorrectly Jesus is your best friend but be very careful when walking through life not too allow the enemy to get a foothold in your life when you struggle because not only does it affect you it affects those around you. Love unconditionally even when it hurts as your reward is in heaven not in man.

So I’m thinking 2017 is gonna be another good year of changes……I made a vow last year to spend less time on social media and having things tie up my life, not everyone needs to know what brand of peanut butter I just put on my homemade toasted bread that I just posted…….I am gonna post even less this year. The only stuff I will put here is stuff of some significance perhaps…..my letters of communication from the old manse and the odd thing of interest. My life doesn’t need to be broadcasted I think there should be some mystery that makes one friend think of another friend ans cause them to pick up the phone and yak……I will be posting stuff on my farming page……maybe knitting page and my muddy boots pretty nails page…..the important stuff. Its been really nice not having satellite tv I’ve been very creative and its been quiet plus I have a lots of music.

So the traditional winter activity of digging out of snow and looking through seed catalogues is in progress. I have to say the weather hasn’t been all that bad as in years past but all in all pretty good so far. I am excited to try some new stuff this year…..each year the garden gets better and this year will be no different. I hope to be gardening full-time, its a dream and maybe this year the dream will be reality. I am not living in the past but living for each day so here’s to dreams unfolding.

My resolve is strong and I am feeling pumped. We made some awesome changes to the gardens last year and I cant wait to see how that will impact this year….yeah

……i am also thinking about a side venture to the market garden ……its called The Crooked House

…..well some who know me ……. now that I am creative and crafty so my thought is to have a Crooked House to sell me crafty creations through as well as garden veggies and fruit…..a little touristy spot that will attract business……

its an idea and like all ideas and dreams they start with speaking them forth and planning so here I am speaking it forth……planning to come. so while I am laid up on the couch I am planning for all kinds of fun and good stuff ways to be creative recycling and ways to be creative to grow……I cant wait to see what this spring and summer hold for me:)

We have been working on the house perhaps maybe not as much as we want to but the addition is framed and weather proof…..the master suite is seeing some action as well……all in good time…and plans for the spring and summer are forming…..there will be some renos that will absolutely need to be done this year but all in all I am excited to see how our ideas will take shape. Oh Ya I painted the front hall……was a little bored with the blah yucky walls.

I think as soon as spring comes the house is gonna get painted……it looks so sad right now but she is a work in progress and progress is happening:) color??????? we still flip flop over color…..but a choice will be made and then that’s it.

its coming……….

ooooo taking shape……now Bob kept dodging the camera but he has been a terrific friend and working partner with Russ…….thanks so much for all your help Bob and thanks Evelyn for letting him come and help out:)

woowzie

the new roof

don’t get distracted…….keep working

not bad……cant wait …….pantry…..powder room….laundry…..big windows……thanks babe your the best.

Russ made these beautiful drop spindles for christmas
……and I am excited to work on some wool spinning this spring…..I met to really nice lady in Port Colbourne last year at her shop and she showed me a few tricks and gave me some fiber to spin…..its one of those cool things once I get good at it the next item on my bucket list of wants is a spinning wheel…..if i have the land after that maybe some sheep……he he he I think I can hear Rusty …………WHAT SHEEP!…..I have also thought of angora rabbits……time will tell. I have some other crafty ideas listed that I want to try and eventually I will get there….anyone on pinterest can see all the pics I pin…….lots going on in the brain…..he he he.

this picture is not me or the lady just some random picture showing what a drop spindle is………….

The new chicks on the block…..

man they grow fast

very fast

The farm animals are doing good the new laying hens have integrated well with the flock and we are so enjoying the meat chickens we raised this past year…..what a difference in taste.

We are going to to do that again this year and I will probably do some chicken killing myself….last year Russ was a saint and did the killing but this year I want to help in that area as it is not fair for just one person to do it all and besides if we start rising rabbits i am gonna have to get use to culling the animals off as we need them for food. Its quite a different lifestyle when you raise your own food one that I wish we had started sooner but non the less we are doing now.

I love going down to the cellar and picking up a bowl of food for the days meal or grabbing a chicken for roasted chicken dinner. It is some nice. I love all my canned goods as well nice to have a jar of pickles or pickle beets or pickled eggs or tomato sauce for a meal……I love it. When my new pantry is in place i will have more room for dehydrated stuff too……like onions, carrots, bananas, apples etc…..kinda nice…..