Monthly Archives: April 2014

Hope to My Heart

“I think of the garden after the rain;

And hope to my heart comes singing,

At morn the cherry-blooms will be white,

And the Easter bells be ringing!”

—Edna Dean Procter

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Really?

Geep.

Nope, that’s not a roadrunner misprint.

It really is “geep.”

“Geep” is what farmer Paddy Murphy in Ireland is calling a notable new baby on his farm …

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Photo: Snapshot/YouTube courtesy of MNN.com

The little tyke is not merely a sheep, like his mama.

Nor is he a goat, as his dad is reputed to be.

He has become known, therefore, as a geep.

“He has been a great source of craic (gossip) for the lads in the pub,” Murphy told the Irish Farmers Journal last week. “We might even have a competition to name him.”

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Hear Ye!

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … April Whitehair!!!

April Whitehair (#5806) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Buttoned Up Merit Badge!

“I received many buttons from my mother who had been collecting them for years. I also added several of my own to the collection. The ones I collected were all free, off of old clothing and from torn or stained clothing that we couldn’t sell at the church rummage sale.

With my own buttons and the ones I got from my mother, I now have many, many buttons.”

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Flower Festival

At last, spring is in the air …

Daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are heralding the warm-up, so I dug out my one small white trumpet vase that was once part of a bigger Victorian centerpiece called an epergne—French word for saving—that radiated 2 to 7 “branches” that held small glass, metal, or silver trumpet vases as shown in today’s photo (held upright by the use of a more common flower frog) … look up epergne on eBay—intact epergnes are a S-P-E-N-D-Y collector’s item.

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Photo by ShakataGaNai via Wikimedia Commons

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Photo by Clinton & Charles Robertson via Wikimedia Commons

That’s when a little birdie (named Megan) told me that she and her “nestlings” are already crafting their May Day doorstep surprises.

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Right now, flowers are our fancy here at the farm. And that why I’m as happy as a spring chicken wandering around my own little paradise, watching for new blooms, but …

You know that I also love a virtual vacation—especially when I can talk you into tagging along.

How about it? Let’s roam the sunlit countryside, visiting flower festivals across the U.S.

Are you game?

First stop:  the Sequim Lavender Festival in Sequim, Washington.

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Photo by Kgrr via Wikimedia Commons

Southward we go to the Lompoc Valley Flower Festival in California.

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Photo courtesy of the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce

Wagons east to Tyler, Texas, for the Texas Rose Festival.

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Photo by Robert Nunnall via Wikimedia Commons

On our way back up north, we’ll head for Holland, Michigan, and the Tulip Time Festival.

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Photo by BazookaJoe via Wikimedia Commons

Hold on to your bouquets because we’re landing at the Lilac Festival in Rochester, New York next.

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Photo by C.C. Tsao via Wikipedia

The last destination on our whirlwind tour is the International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Georgia. It looks like an old-fashioned good time with a bounty of beautiful blossoms.

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Photo by Glenn Grossman via Wikipedia

Now … aren’t you glad we don’t have a long ride home?

WiNNeR!!!! Chenille Bedspread GIVEAWAY

Speaking of flowers, for this awesome flowery GIVEAWAY, we didn’t really use a hat to hold the names, and guess whose meant-to-be name came leaping from the jar?

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Terry Steinmetz!!!!!

Terry said on April 10, 2014:

“Looks like you girls had F-U-N in NYC! Central Park was a wonderful place to visit & walk. My favorite piece of material is my first quilt that I made in my first quilting class. It is proudly displayed above my fireplace.”

Congratulations Terry! Watch for an email from the farm so my sis and I can send you a bedroom full of colorful chenille flowers.

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Caretaker Jobs

Looking for an uncommon getaway this summer that doesn’t break the bank?

Consider a caretaking position.

No—I don’t mean caretaking someONE (although that is an undeniably noble effort). I was actually talking about caretaking a place.

As it happens, prosperous property owners around the country are always on the lookout for reliable people to help keep their homes and ranches in working order while they’re away—and those homes and ranches are generally in stunning locations.

A website called Caretaker-jobs.com provides a forum where caretakers and property owners can make a match. Here are a few of the listings I found on a quick search:

Seasonal Ranch Help Needed for Housekeeping and Grounds keeping in Glacier Park, Montana.

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Photo courtesy of the National Park Service via Wikimedia Commons

Caretaker Hosts Needed for Rustic Mountain Lodge in Whitepine, Colorado.

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Photo by rjones0856 via Wikimedia Commons

Property and Farm Manager for Organic Farm and Garden in Priest River, Idaho.

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Photo by S.hammarlund via Wikimedia Commons

Caretaker or Caretaker Couple in San Juan Islands, Washington.

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Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management via Wikimedia Commons

Shall I twist your arm?

These kinds of positions make me nostalgic for my days in the Idaho backcountry … but I digress.

If you’re getting excited, don’t let the moment pass. Hop over and check out the details of these and other enticing opportunities at Caretaker-jobs.com.