winter morning

There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you....

In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other;

only in the winter, in the country,

can you have longer, quiet stretches

when you can savor belonging to yourself.

~Ruth Stout

poppets & trifles

hello dear Friends,

This evening

begins my first

website offerings for this new year.

In Celebration of the

Sweets of Love

with

Poppets & Trifles

We hope that you will come for a visit to Deerfield Farmhouse

this evening

January 25

5 pm pacific time

and for especially lovely handmade paper trifles and dolls

visit Sparrow's Cottage

Valentine's Day will soon be here....

pretty girls

why hello young ladies, don't you look pretty!

May I take your picture? well, I would love to...what do you think, Elisabeth?

just let us get prettied up first...oh dear...let's get Sophie's

crown back on again...Elisabeth, you look nice....

hold on while I

fluff my hair a little

we're ready!

oh, such pretty girls!

smile!

my grand daughter, Emma, who is

2 1/2

~thank you very much~

and playing nicely with my

old German papier mache dolls

the road not taken...

Whenever I'm out walking in the hills around our farm,

the wind in my face, the sky overhead

and the hills around me.

It's then that the beginnings,

the middles and endings of poems

that I love...

by

Thoreau or Robert Frost come to mind.

maybe you do this, too? I hope so.

When I first saw this picture that my little grandson, Ethan, took,

my first thought was

"wow...just look what Ethan did"

and then I heard

"I took the one less traveled by

and that has made all the difference."

You see the old farmer is "precariously perched"

on an unfamiliar road

and yet he looks quite satisfied with the view....

ah yes,

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood,

and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

there was just something about him.....

when I first saw him, he was nestled in the old mitten just as you see him.

His crown chipped and his little hand long gone....

Someone before me had surely loved him and

had seen to it that he was safe & warm before they

let him go.

He has been there, asleep on his old mitten,

giving

Peace, Love & Joy every Christmas

and every day

in between.

***

I wish for you all

much love, peace and joy

this Christmas

and

every day in between.

with love,

Christine

***

~Our dear Mr. Jefferson & the Deerfield Ladye's send their very Best to you all

and hope that you are enjoying the Spirit of Christmas.

They will return again with stories and news in the New Year~

Bless you all for your friendship and love,

Merry Christmas

&

a blessed New Year

My dear Madame....

a voice called down from the top of the old cupboard-

"My dear Madame"...

Mr. Jefferson spoke with great calm & dignity "Please, do not trouble yourself concerning my first meeting with the ladyes,

"he said, peering over the edge. " As you can see, I am quite well"... He looked surprisingly well. I also took note that in the short time he had been on the shelf that he had fashioned for himself a hat made from a bit of the wrapping paper that he had arrived in.... and tied some of the string around it to keep it in place. A resourceful fellow...since his arms were themselves tied on with string.

"In fact, he confided, as he adjusted the paper hat. " I was quite taken with their enthusiasm upon my arrival....I understand that the ladyes may not be used to much company, especially when that company is a gentleman. Of course, my sudden appearance has probably caused a bit of unexpected giddiness.

..."and the parlor tea table seems to have a bit of a tilt to it...and...." his voice trailed into a whisper... " I'm afraid that my spectacles were still in my vest pocket and I actually lost my footing and went down on my own accord...I do believe the ladies were only trying to help me up again...

and so as he spoke and told me about his missing spectacles, the fact that one leg is a bit shorter than the other, these combined with the tippy parlor table and apparently our Mr. Jefferson was much older than he had let on, it all became quite clear what had actually happened. it would seem that along with a most enthusiastic welcome, our dear Mr. Jefferson is a bit of a clumsy fellow without his spectacles...and more importantly, he is much older than he let on...in fact, quite old. Something to do with being "repainted"....poor fellow...

"and so dear Madame...if you would do me the kind service of finding something more appropriate for me to wear until my clothes are mended, I shall be most honored and pleased to join you with all your dear family for tea in front of the fire this evening...perhaps we may all begin again."

He smiled down at me.

He was now leaning precariously over the edge of the shelf, dangling a thin sock with a hole in the toe... "do you think you might be able to do something with this before the appointed hour?"

~~~~

to be continued...

oh, Christmas is lovely ...

oh, isn't Christmas time lovely....

it's the first of December, looking out my windows snow is falling as I write. The candles are lit on the mantle, the fir wreath on the front door is dusted with snow, a good fire in the fireplace and the scents of Christmas have come to my little farmhouse.

We've been to the woods with our little grandchildren to cut our tree, we've been going to the woods since I was very small...and we carried the tradition on with our children and now our little grandchildren... it's just lovely...seeing their excitement and the snow falling as we tramped through the firs and pines looking for the perfect tree to bring home. Feeling the same excitement ourselves...making snow angels under the trees, wondering if they'll be found before the snow fills them in... Seeing Christmas through their eyes makes this celebration just what it is meant to be. Peace & Joy, great Hope, love for each other and the promise of good things to come.

This evening our tree stands in front windows, not yet dressed and waiting for it's old paper and tinsel, wonderful beeswax candles & chalk ware Santas , gingerbread animals & sparkling glass charms .

Each year we add more and each year our tree is even more beautiful...and Christmas more meaningful as our family gathers and is together.

oh, Christmas is lovely....

with love,

Christine

Deerfield Farm

~~~

Dear Readers,

Our story of "Mr Jefferson comes calling"

continues tomorrow...with

"My dear Madame".....