Wednesday, January 27, 2010

home

some of my favorite things here at home
Home is a name, a word,
it is a strong one;
stronger than magician ever spoke,
or spirit ever answered to,
in the strongest conjuration.
Charles Dickens
~*~
a note to my lovely friends~
While winter is keeping the fields quiet and my little farm sleepy,
I'm working on dollies here by the fire at Deerfield Farm.
I have several little ladyes that will be wanting new homes soon.
Please don't hesitate to email me anytime and ask me
whose little petticoat or bonnet
is being stitched
and what might be in the sewing basket by my chair~
Thank you my friends,
I hope you have a snug day there in your corner of the woods
Christine

Friday, January 22, 2010

early morning ladye

before the snow started falling early this morning,
the sunrise
barely peeked over the hills
and
came through the old farmhouse windows
for just a few delicious fleeting moments
and this happened....
sunrise smiling through old glass...
wishing you all a happy winter weekend.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

A Simple Life~Jill Peterson's new magazine

Many of you are familiar with the fabulous country books
"Homestead" and
"the Settlement"
by author Jill Peterson,
and know just how wonderful they are.
If you aren't familiar with these wonderful books
and have a love for early homes,
early things and the simple way of life
get ready for a wonderful treat.
Jill has a brand new Magazine coming out in February called
"A Simple Life".
We who love early have been "hungry" for such a publication~
In Jill's words~
"Our mission statement is,
"When your magazine arrives in the mail, it will be like getting a letter from an old friend."

Each Issue will feature 2 wonderful homes, one living history museum, historical essays,

short story fiction about early times,

educational features on various antiques, early projects to make, recipes, book reviews and lots MORE!

I know I'm looking forward to it with great anticipation.
It should be out by Valentine's Day!
I can't think of a better token of affection for yourself and
to give to your friends.
We're looking forward to it, Jill.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

quiet days & the lonesome old homestead

I hope that these lovely days of quiet January are just what your heart needs.
I love them, for the stillness and the slowness of them. The contentment in them.
I can dream and draw, make plans, move furniture and clean the
clutter away from my heart
and my old farmhouse,
No hurry or scurry.
My farmer and I like to go traveling the countryside of our high desert
on these cold quiet days of January.
Taking the big 4 wheel drive down winding & muddy roads out into old homestead country
we often come across old homestead houses and barns,
falling down fences, rock cribs marking the 4 corners of the places
and sometimes, if we're lucky,
we find a once beautiful old homestead house.
I like to think of the lady of this old house standing on her porch a 100 years or so ago,
shading her eyes and looking out into the vast openness, looking for a puff of dust.
Knowing that puff of dust
was her farmer with his plow and horses working up a new field.
She would have dinner cooking in the wood cook stove, maybe a venison roast
and few carrots and potatoes, some good biscuits,too.
The scent of burning juniper wood in the air,
a faint blue smoke rising from the skinny kitchen chimney.
The laundry flapping in the wind on a make-do clothesline out back of house.
A few chickens scurrying and scratching around the kitchen screen door.
This old homestead was a once grand place.
At one time it had fancy cut shingles,
glass windows, a wide porch, a parlor, a kitchen lean-to
a garden with herbs and wild yellow roses
and a lovely privy out at the end of a rock edged path
in the back.
It was indeed grand and full of hope.
like the dreams of these old homesteaders,
grand and hopeful.
Until then, we are off, traveling the country side
to find more treasures of our high desert to
share.
I hope that these quiet days are filled with what you need,
peace filled and hopeful
in this new year...
which I'm calling the "aughts"
"aught ten" feels good to me.