A Day in the Kitchen

Whew! I was hoping to get off the farm today and "do something." I did something, alright, but I didn't get off the farm. Actually, I barely made it out of the kitchen.

After breakfast and washing up the breakfast dishes, I started a loaf of bread in the bread machine. I had a black banana that needed using or pitching ... so I pitched it into the bread maker to make Banana-Raisin Oat Bread. I realized I didn't have any milk, so I walked down to the milk barn and filled a jug. Look at that! I got out of the kitchen! After all the ingredients were in the machine and it was merrily doing its thing, I washed up everything I had dirtied in the process, and filled the sugar and flour canisters.

Next, I tackled the "stupid" black raspberry jelly that didn't gel when I made it last week. It was barely syrup consistency, so I opened the jars and poured it all into the pot. I washed all the used jars and got them ready for the new and improved product. I boiled the flopped jelly till it reached the jelly stage and ladled it into the waiting jars. It's now almost the consistency of gummy bears. Not quite, but ... :)

I washed the pot and utensils, wiped the sweat from my brow, and started a raspberry cake. I'm never surprised when I do something goofy in the kitchen. Sooner or later I'm going to drop, knock over, or spill something. Sure enough, the edge of the bowl caught the handle of the measuring cup, spilling the sugar in the process. I started to sing, "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child." Don't ask me where that came from, but it certainly made me laugh.

Cake in the oven. Previous stack of dishes dried and put away. Newest batch of dirty bowls, measuring cups, and spoons washed and stacked. What now?

Hey, I know! As long as all the jelly making paraphernalia is out, why don't I make another batch of black raspberry jelly? I had juiced enough berries last week for two batches. I made the one batch that didn't gel, but surely I'd have better luck today. The timer rang, I pulled the cake out of the oven, and I got everything ready for more jelly.

Made the jelly. Cleaned up the mess. Washed the dishes. Again. Timer went off on the bread machine. I put the loaf on the cooling rack.

Edith called to say she was going to come mow the yard, so I left the kitchen (yay!) and went outside to pick up sticks from the yard. Came back in to get supper on the table. Fortunately, we had leftovers. Thank God for leftovers. BUT, we had fresh raspberry cake for dessert. And then I washed the dishes. Again.

The cake was supposed to have a glaze over the top, but that's just more sugar and more calories that we don't need. Instead, I sprinkled mini chocolate chips on top before I baked it. End result? Delish!

It looks like the new batch of jelly did what it was supposed to do. Weldon will give the final verdict at breakfast tomorrow morning. Or maybe tonight when he comes in from chores. And, yes, I had a little chunk of the bread - because I can't resist fresh, homemade bread.

The photo is a little disappointing. I worked way harder than what you see here :) It was a good day, but I won't do a repeat anytime soon. Whew!

It Takes a Village

When I first started toying with the idea of writing a book (almost 4 years ago), I never imagined where it would lead. All I knew was that I wanted to write. So, I wrote. And wrote. And wrote some more. Then I learned about editing. So I edited. And rewrote. And edited some more. I did all of this by myself, sitting at my desk, pounding away at the keyboard when no one else was in the same room with me.

This is good work for an introvert. But, as the "book" looked more and more like it could really be a book(!), I had to start reaching out to people. Gasp. "Will you please read my book and give me honest feedback, including corrections, additions, and questions about farm stuff that doesn't make any sense to a non-farm-type person?"

It's one thing to have a book on your computer, but quite another thing to turn it into something you can hold in your hands. I had no hopes of getting a publishing house to take my book and, after lots of studying on the matter, I was pretty sure I didn't want to go that route anyway. Instead, I read many books about self-publishing. I had pages and pages of notes about what needed to be done, but if I had to learn how to do all these things, the book might still be locked up in my computer.

Enter daughter Katie, with years of computer savvy under her belt and the patience of a saint. I told her what I wanted/needed and she did it ... or gave me an idea for something even better. We spent hours working together; she in New York, I in North Carolina. The innards started to look like the real deal, complete with chapter titles, headers and footers, table of contents, source page, and even drop caps. Then she continued her magic, turning my ideas into a gorgeous, funny, eye-catching cover.

On October 31, 2015, Crap Happens...Wallowing Is Optional went "live" on Amazon.com. A real book was born. Then, after reaching out to the expertise of a few more people, the e-book was born on Thanksgiving Day, 2015.

I would have sat back and said, "Whew! That was fun. A lot of work, but fun!" End of story. But, no! The story was only beginning, because I have a whole village around me, encouraging me to sell, write, and get out there! A whole village of naggers ... and I'm very thankful!

My book is in five local stores, four bookstores, and one gift shop - and actually selling in all those locations. Family members carry books with them to sell to others, and friends buy the book and share it with their friends. Crap Happens...Wallowing Is Optional was reviewed in Yadkin Valley Living Magazine (March/April) and Foothills Times Magazine (Mar/Apr), and I was interviewed for an article that will appear in Forsyth Woman Magazine in June. I can assure you I didn't approach any of these establishments on my own. It's this village of family and friends who are pushing me to walk through the doors they've opened for me.

Local magazines are spreading my name around town.

Scuppernong Books in Greensboro, NC

Writing a children's devotional each month for Forsyth Family Magazine has been a "side note" blessing, again because of a friend who put my name out there. It keeps me writing without having to deal with too much crap :)

Devotion in May issue of Forsyth Family Magazine

I can take full credit for reaching out to one venue only: On June 4, I will be selling my book at NOMAD Farms Festival of the Arts in Tobaccoville, NC. Even so, I will depend on my "village" to help me find a tent to use, give me some pointers on making my little area interesting and inviting, perhaps sit with me for an hour or two during the afternoon, and then help take it all down and get me home again.

Whew! If this had depended on my marketing skills, I would have sold a handful of books. If I had relied upon Amazon's selling platform, I would have sold less than 100 books. But because of my awesome village, I have sold and/or given away almost 400 books. Writing and selling a book involves a whole lot more than I ever imagined. I'm loving it, but I couldn't have done it without a village! Thanks, peeps and neighbors, friends and relatives. You're the BEST!

Spring 2016

 In case you haven't noticed, it's been a while since I last posted here. I've been busy! I've been having fun! BUT, I know some of you have missed me, so here's a brief synopsis of the last two months. You'll most likely be terribly jealous, but try not to hate me.

March 5-9: North Myrtle Beach with the Ladies' Bible study group. Yes, we studied every day but we also ate well and played well.

When I got home, spring was bustin' out all over.

The yard was covered with violets.

Peach trees were blooming.

Even the tama-no-ura camellia had two flowers.

March 19-24: Road trip to Savannah, GA with my daughters! Waterfront, squares, parks, gardens, churches, cemeteries, FOOD.

Love the hanging moss.

Wormsloe State Historic Site

To the ocean again! Tybee Island.

Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden on our way home.

Amazing! See the movie: A Man Named Pearl.

April: Mama cats are having babies! And, yes, Rita has babies in the attic again.

Mrs. Mewer has FIVE babies.

 

Saturday, April 9: Weldon and I took a historic steam engine train ride from Spencer, NC to Lynchburg, VA. Up at 4am, back home at midnight.

April 22-24: To Lake Junaluska with our church youth director and two young ladies for a confirmation retreat. My first time to this beautiful location in North Carolina.

In spite of lots of rain and cold weather, the flowers have been blooming well, with no help from me. And the skies have been amazing, almost every morning and evening.

Early morning iris.

Confused Christmas cactus.

Peonies are showing off and standing pretty well against all the rain.

The skies displaying the handiwork of God!

I told you I've been busy :) Next post, I'll fill you in on my new experiences as an author. Till then, keep loving life!

Hidden Treasure?

"I kept a journal for years and years." That's what I've said to myself for years and years. But in the more recent past I've been asking myself, "If I kept a journal for years and years, where are they? Surely I wouldn't have thrown them away!" I had almost decided that, as is so often the case, my memory is a liar and I just like to think that I'd been writing for years and years.

About two weeks ago, a box in the corner of Weldon's closet caught my eye. What's in that big box? It's behind my carry-on and my little duffle bag, and that's my shoulder massage thingie on top of it. Hmmm. Three days ago I dragged it into my sewing room; two days ago I opened it up.

French books and a year of Reader's Digest in French; a few old photo albums; some commemorative magazines, including a National Geographic from May 1951; paraphernalia from my high school graduation, certificates of various achievements, papers I wrote during my two years at North Central Bible College; a little stack of greeting cards; a book in which I had written down quite a few of the songs I wrote way back when; AND thirteen journals!

I really did keep a journal for years and years! They span, approximately, the years from 1979 to 1994. In flipping through them, I see that, in my usual fashion, not every year is complete; but that's still a whole lot of reading ahead of me. I have no idea what I'll find. Will it be painful? Will it be like hidden treasure that puts a smile on my face? I'm hoping my memory cells will be jolted into actually remembering a few things.

I'm excited. I'm kind of scared. These books represent a couple of my previous lifetimes. But, hey! They're my lifetimes! I'm going to take a slow stroll down memory lane.
  

The Inconclusive Muse

Since retiring from milking cows, I'm not so involved with the daily goings-on of the farm, and I've been feeling like the title of my blog isn't as appropriate as it used to be. However, I still live on a farm and I still muse. Here's a definition of "muse" that is very me: to turn something over in the mind meditatively and often inconclusively. It's that last word that nails it. I can think and ponder and roll things around in my head for hours, and never come to any definite conclusion. So ... Farm Muse it is.

And where have my thoughts taken me lately? Well, I've realized how blessed I am to have such a wonderfully varied life. I can't believe all the "new stuff" I've been getting into. I attend the new youth service at our church on Wednesday nights, I recently went to a "pajama party," and I've taken up coloring. Weldon was a little concerned that I might be entering my second childhood, but I'm thinking a second childhood isn't such a bad thing.

We went to a birthday party this month. Ahhh. Family. Fun. Festivities.

I said goodbye to the piano I never played ...

and sang hello to a new autoharp. I didn't feel guilty about buying it, because I used money I had earned from my book sales. When the autoharp arrived, I realized I would need a pitch pipe to tune it. Drat! Then (don't ask me how my mind even went there), I found an online pitch pipe. Yes, I did. All by myself. And it works! And I tuned my autoharp. And I'm playing it. Yes, I am!

This month I pondered the life of this troubled man ...

and I wondered if my daughter had a subliminal message in mind when she sent me this beautiful shirt. In both cases, my thoughts were inconclusive.

Valentine's Day has come and gone. Hearts and chocolate and love. It's a nice holiday—especially nice for Hallmark. And Build-A-Bear! Who knew?

We're just 18 days into February, but I've had enough of winter. We haven't had much snow but, when we add all the rain and sleet into the slushy mix, it's too much. Come on, Spring (says the Minnesotan who has seen 40° below zero)! The kitties agree with me.

Now you're privy to some of my musings and have taken a glimpse into my world. It's pretty neat, isn't it? You should come visit sometime.

Loose Ends

Yes, I've been emotionally traumatized. By a book. My book. And the world goes on as though nothing has changed.

Write, rewrite, edit, and edit some more. Figure out how to make a pile of well-organized, well-edited words look like a real book. (Thank you, Katie.) Figure out how to make the physical book into an ebook. (Thank you, d4d@detailfordesign.com) Done! Ahh, the relief of completing a project three years in the making.

I published the paperback Crap Happens...Wallowing Is Optional on Halloween of 2015 and then the ebook version on Thanksgiving Day.

You can read a few chapters here:

I was on a high. Friends and family were buying my book at the house and online. Local shops allowed me to display and sell my book, most of them without taking a percentage. I even did a booksigning at Pages Books in Mt. Airy, NC.

Things have settled down now, and I'm trying to return to Normal, but I can't seem to find Normal on the map anymore. I don't write, except for my morning devotional/journal entries. Housework holds no appeal. I thought about making a quilt. Key word: thought.

If I'm really an author, or really want to present myself as an author, I have lots of work to do. I need to learn how to use Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, and Pinterest, Google+, and LinkedIn all to good advantage so the whole world will know who I am and will want to read my book.

Book. Not books. Can I write another book? Not unless I start writing, of course. Oh, Whoa Is Me. (You'll have to read Chapter 19 in Crap Happens to get the inside scoop [the poop] on that phrase.)

I have taken up coloring, but I can only color for so long. I've been working on this beauty for three days now. I'm pretty sure it's not my life's calling—simply a delightful diversion from wondering what I should be doing.

Loose ends: restless, unsettled, without a clear purpose.
Cindy: restless, unsettled, without a clear purpose.

Writing is hard. Even taking the time to write this blog post was hard. But I think I have to give it a try. See if the daily exercise of writing ties up those loose ends, knitting them into something meaningful and enjoyable.

But I still don't want to learn the fine details of promoting myself on all those social media sites. I'll just write for the enjoyment of writing. If family and friends want to tag along and see what I'm up to, that's good enough for me.

2015 In Review

This evening, Baba Wawa will be presenting The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2015. Since the year is drawing to a close, I thought it only fitting that I present The 10 Most Memorable Events of 2015. They may mean nothing to you or Baba Wawa, but they are memorable to me. Since this is my blog, I can write whatever I want. Rather than counting down to the Number One Memorable Event, my list is chronological, beginning at the beginning of the year and ending at the end.

#1. Both of my daughters and I went to Arizona in early February. What a treat! We saw my parents; my oldest brother, his wife and kids, and their grandkids; friends from Minnesota who now live in AZ; and an aunt and cousins I hadn't seen in about a hundred years. Every day was gorgeous and delightful and crazy. I love my family.

#2. A beautiful February snow in North Carolina. The snow covers a multitude of sins and turns the farm into a fairy tale.

#3. Roger & Eunice, friends from Minnesota, stopped by for a visit. They just happened to be in the area :) We had a wonderful time together, but they'll have to come back. It was so foggy/cloudy they couldn't see Pilot Mountain - not from the farm and not from the mountain itself!

#4. Rita had four kittens in April. That's not an oddity, but she had them in the attic! Totally not allowed. It's a long, goofy story, but all's well that ends well. They were born in the attic, but they don't live there. Yay!

#5. In July I went on a mission trip (through World Changers) to Philadelphia with the youth from our church. We had a great time, but I think I'm getting too old to be hanging out with these young whippersnappers. My time was spent at a Haitian church and I really enjoyed it—speaking Creole and eating Haitian food.

#6. Also in July, the introduction to my book Crap Happens...Wallowing Is Optional was published in Viga Boland's magazine Memoirabilia. You could say I was a little excited. If you look really carefully, you might be able to see my name listed on the cover.

#7. Vacation! Yes, we went to Minnesota in 2014, but Weldon said we were going again this year. I didn't argue. Like the previous year, we flew into MN, drove to IA where his uncle and cousin live, drove up through WI so I could see some of my friends, and then into MN to see my family. I love my family. Did I already mention that?

I love my family, but the photos above don't show my family :) Except for Weldon, of course, and he deserves a photo in this list of most memorable events. Anyway, it's my blog, remember?

#8. In October, I went to see Katie in NY. We did our usual eating and running around, plus we spent a day working on the cover of my book. I also got to meet her kitty cat, Sugar.

Since I flew out of Charlotte, I got to see Anna on both ends of my little trip.

#9. I became a published author! I published my book Crap Happens...Wallowing Is Optional on Halloween. I published the ebook version on Thanksgiving Day. I've sold over 200 copies, but have only eight reviews on Amazon. Such is life. You can buy it on Amazon. Then you can leave a review ... please :) In December I had my first book signing. It was a lot of fun.

#10. Last, but certainly not least, I got to see my grandson Marshall earlier this month. He'll be 17 in March, but I still make him take the back-to-back photos with me so I can see how he's grown. We had a great time together, shopping, eating, and going to a movie together. I love my family.

2015 - What a year it's been. I'm incredibly blessed and so thankful for my life and the good health to enjoy all I've been given. And a new year lies just around the corner.
2016 - It's gonna be an awesome year.