Old Dog...

My sister-in-law Teri had me for our Christmas gift exchange.  She made me flannel pillowcases and a night cap (hat, not drink) in a monkey motif.  She also gave me a cross stitch kit.  I have never cross stitched and was pleased to learn that it is not a very difficult skill to learn; that is if you can see it.

I had to go to the local pharmacy and buy a pair of those magnifying eyeglasses just to finish the sewing.  I had to get a magnification of 2.75.  I already wear glasses so this is probably the first sign that bifocals are on their way.  What a nice incidental Christmas gift-the gift of feeling old.  Oh well, at least this old dog can learn a new trick.

It's Official

I've always wondered if I was just overstating the facts a bit when I referred to our property as a farm. We have several acres of land which used to be pasture land of a much larger farm.  It is now mostly woodland.  I never thought that having a small orchard, a handful of chickens, and two bee hives really counted as having a farm (and I shouldn't forget the electric fence). I think the fates are trying to tell me otherwise.

For those of you just tuning in to my ramblings, we sell eggs via a cooler on the side of the road.  We work under the honor system-the eggs are in the cooler as well as a bit of money to make change.  You take a dozen eggs, you leave your money.  We don't produce that many eggs so our customer base is a pretty small and loyal group.  Many a time someone also returns their used egg carton.  Yesterday someone returned a carton on which they wrote "Ross's Chicken Farm."  I had a good laugh when I saw this.  We aren't sure who wrote it, but they sure do know who we are.  That was the first sign confirming our 'farmdom.'

The second sign came in the mail today.  We received the 2012 National Agriculture Classification Survey from the USDA.  This is a mandatory form that we have to submit. I picked it up with a "yeah, right" thought going through my head.  There are four qualifying questions on the cover.  If you respond no to all four then you just send the survey back stating that you are not farming.  We have to answer yes to three of the four questions.  

I guess all signs are pointing to us really being a farm.

A Glorious Nativity!

I thought I'd share this with everyone as it has brought a lot of joy to many this year.  This is the creche sitting on the altar of our church. Here is the story:

Many years ago I asked my mother, an artist/retired art teacher, to make me a nativity set.  Most years I receive a character as a Christmas present.  I say most, because, as an artist, if the character does not meet my mother's expectations I will not get it until the following year (hence the reason why there are only two wise men at the present time-Gold did not meet her expectations; I joked that he made a wrong turn in Albuquerque).  My mother's thought was that these should be set up in three vignettes-the manger scene in one place of a room, the shepherds in another, and the wise men in a third location.  As we have cats that pose a dangerous threat to the fragile pottery pieces, these characters have never left the safety of their glass doored hutch.  That is until this year.  I asked our pastor if she would like to display them on the altar and here they are.  I set the two wise men today after church to mark Epiphany Sunday next week (Epiphany is the celebration of the three wise men coming to the Christ child).  I have received many compliments on my mother's work including someone commenting that they should be placed in a folk art museum.  They are precious and, to me, priceless.  I hope you can enjoy them as much as the members of our church have.  Below are more detailed photos of the vignettes.

Luke 2: 8-19

Luke 2:1-7

Matthew 2:1-12