Wednesday, December 22, 2010

CHRISTMAS 2010
Oh my gosh! Where does the time go? If you haven't friended me on Facebook, you've missed out on a lot of day-to-day excitement since my last post in October. (Don't you love my sense of humor?!) Seriously, Christmas is almost here! And this year we've actually done a few out-of-the-ordinary things in preparation for the holiday (holiday = holy day).

Back on December 1, Edith & Pat & I went to see about 9,000 poinsettias at Mitchell's Nursery, located just a couple miles from us. If you check out their website, you'll see that they are one of 33 greenhouses in the U.S. and Canada that grow various poinsettias on a trial basis to see what does well and what people like. We weren't able to attend the Open House, but we got a sneak preview.


Pat invited us to Horne Creek Farm for Christmas by Lamplight on December 2. There were stories told about Christmases in the good old days, we sang carols, and we had a nice warm supper of potato soup or beef stew in bread bowls, a fruit cup, dessert, and hot apple cider. This will be a great place to revisit, especially when it's not so cold!


On Saturday, the 11th, I went to Boone with a small group from our church, Chestnut Grove UMC, to help process Operation Christmas Child boxes at Samaritan's Purse. It was a wonderful and eye-opening experience.


Christmas is fast approaching, but I'm just about ready! The curtains are decorated , the tree is up , and my nativity set has a place of honor in the living room .

I have sent off the boxes that needed to be sent, and tomorrow I will wrap the gifts that need wrapping. We will gather at Edith's on Christmas morning (after chores, of course) with as many family members as can be there. We will start with breakfast and we'll keep nibbling all day long, stopping long enough to open presents.

If it weren't for the inestimable love of our heavenly Father, we wouldn't have a Christmas to celebrate. But he sent his son, the perfect Gift. You've heard the ageless story and I hope it has found a home in your heart. It's the basis for My Christmas Song, which I would like to share with you below.



Merry Christmas and a Blessed and Joyous 2011 to each of you!
Love and hugs from Cindy & Weldon

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Friday, October 22 - A Day Off !!

Let me begin by saying that I am using the term "day off" quite loosely :-) The day started with 3 hours of chores and ended with the same ... but, in between, a day off!! Let me also admit that I get many whole days off during the year, and this year I actually went to Oregon for 6 days while my hardworking farmer-husband slaved away. Needless to say, I was tickled that we had this little respite together.

I got a call from a classmate of Weldon's whom we had seen at his class reunion 4 weeks previously. Brenda said that she and her husband Mark make an annual trip to Mabry Mill in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. After some explanation and miscellaneous chatting, she said they would be going up the next day (Friday) and asked if we'd like to go with them. Well, duh! Weldon said if I wanted to go, we'd go ... although he really should be getting the hay in. He's so sweet :-)

Mark & Brenda picked us up at 10 am. They weren't familiar with the back roads around here, so after a few minutes, Mark just turned his GPS off and Weldon took us on the scenic route for the entire day.

First stop, this strange concrete statue place that we visited in June 2007. Mark & Brenda had never been here before and they thought it pretty odd, too. Next time we need to go up to the buildings and see if someone can tell us who buys this stuff and if it's all made right there. Anyway ... here are a few pics.

It was a beautiful drive, even though the colors were past their peak. The wind was on the cool side, but if you stood in the sun, it was a lovely day. Next stop: Nancy's Candy Co. Let me tell you, this is some good stuff. Weldon thinks we should take another day trip there ... every day!! I don't know how expensive it is to get the goodies shipped, but I'm definitely gonna check it out. And maybe next time we can actually get to see the factory in operation. That would be great fun!


Just a hop and a skip away - Mabry Mill and Mabry Mill Restaurant. We had a 2-hour wait at the restaurant (!), but spent the time walking, enjoying the scenery, and checking out the gift shop.


The grist mill was actually grinding corn for a few minutes. If you look carefully, you may see me in the mirror above the mill.
This framed mini-quilt of Mabry Mill hangs in the gift shop. Pretty neat!

On our way home we stopped at a produce stand and bought some apples and a little bag of buckwheat flour. Then we enjoyed our ride home. What's not to love - sitting in the back seat with your sweetie, enjoying the scenery while someone else does the driving?!
Yay for a day off!

p.s. I forgot to resize my pictures, so when you click on them, they may be HUGE. Sorry about that.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Chopping Corn

This is the best corn crop Weldon has had in 4 years. The early corn was harvested in July, but I didn't take any pictures. After 6 years of taking pics of bringing in the silage, they all start looking the same. Yesterday, Weldon asked if I would come take some pictures as they were cutting the tallest of the corn, down below his mom's house. I'm so glad I did, because it was an absolutely gorgeous day ... and I had had enough of household chores.

It seems that as much time is spent fixing broken down machinery as actually doing the work, but I guess that's to be expected when everything (and everyone) on the farm is older than dirt!

This is almost a great butt picture :-)

Action shots:

Talk about action! This guy will take any and every opportunity!!

You can get an idea of how tall the corn is. I am 5' tall.
See my upraised arm?
This corn was about 14' tall. Now it's chopped and in the silos. Soon it will be food for the cows, then manure for the fields to grow another crop of corn. Ahhh, such is the circle of life on the farm.

No post can be considered complete without a few kittens, right? Here are 4 little ones piled up in a concrete "leaf" birdbath kind-of-thing.
And here they are scurrying away.

Now I have almost 400 photos to sort through from my trip to Oregon. Of course more than 100 are scenery shots taken from the car so Weldon can see the lay of the land. I'll post some on Facebook and try to get a little synopsis of the fun published here on the blog. Stay tuned!

Monday, August 09, 2010

A farmer's wife once spent the day cooking to surprise her husband with his favorite meal. With her friend's help, she scrubbed the kitchen till it shined and donned a new dress. Candlelight flickered from tall tapers on the table.
Her husband tramped in, weary from a hard day in the fields. Large clumps of mud fell from his boots onto the freshly mopped floor as he crossed to the sink before removing the boots.
Ready to leave, the friend turned to the wife and whispered in disgust, "Ugh! Look at all that mud!"
The wife smiled. "Yes, his boots bring the mud in, but they bring him in, too."
--Cindy Sigler Dagnan

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

SWEAT-STAINED and PANTING

No, "Sweat-Stained and Panting" is not the title of a love ballad topping the country charts! Although, now that you mention it .... :-) Actually, it's just the way the month of July has felt here on the farm. It's been a HOT ONE!! In spite of that, the month has flown by and I haven't posted anything to my blog since early June. Until now, that is! Sit back (not too far back), scroll down (not too fast), and enjoy a peek into the past 2 months on Keiger Farm and environs.

June 7: Black raspberries, red raspberries, pies, and a tart.

and a sandwich :-)

June 12: Maria & Steven's wedding.

We clean up pretty well.

June 17: Cats & kittens and more berries!

black rasp, red rasp, wine raspberries

June 18: Father's Day.

Corn is growing w/o rain!

July 2: Wine, baby birds, and Edith's garden.
wineberry wine, hopefully.


July 8: Apples, pickles, more berries and a quilt?!

As if I didn't have enough to do with all the produce coming in, I dragged out a quilt I started about 10 years ago. I had given up on it because it wasn't coming together to my satisfaction. I need to rip it apart and try again. After taking apart 3 or 4 squares, it is once again folded up and back in the craft room. Maybe this winter ....


July 9: A new old tractor for Weldon.
He's happy :-)

July 11: A visit with John Wesley.


July 12: A surprise from Katie.

The box says, "For immediate relief of: Chocolate Cravings, Lovesickness, Exam Pressure, Mild Anxiety and Extreme Hunger. Directions for use: Tear open wrapper, break off desired dosage, and consume. Alternatively massage into the affected area. Repeat dosage as required until finished. If symptoms persist consult your local confectioner."

July 13: A surprise from the sky.


July 14: Cats and kittens.




July 24: Celebrating Katie's birthday at Anna's!


The birthday girl missed her own party, but she knows she's loved.

Well, that took longer than I expected (of course!). Just imagine if I had named or explained all the pictures. If you have any questions, ask away! Hope to see you here on Farm Muse again real soon. And keep your ears open for that exciting new country hit: Sweat-Stained and Panting!