You know that pondering tilt of the head a person gives a work of art they’ve just completed? Writing about your life is that exactly. You step back, pick up your paint brush, apply a dab of compassion here, a brush stroke of flair over there. Putting your life on canvas allows you to see what your life looks like through the eyes of others.
Going Granny (actually my grandkids call me Nanny) is my best achievement yet! Here’s a phone message my barely two-year grandgirl left for me on my 58th b-day. I guarantee it; this will make your day.
You know you’re in L.A., specifically Universal City, when your hotel lobby is plastered in photos of movie stars. Swoon. That and tiny plates of food that look as though they were baked and served to leprechauns (or maybe fairies), traffic that boggles my mind, oh, and shopping, and celebrities.
That’s right. Celebrities.
Justin Bieber
We’ve been nut harvestin’ here at the farm this week. During the summer, edible English walnuts are covered with a green husk. In the fall, when the walnuts are ready for harvest, the husks crack and break apart. I purchased my English walnut saplings from Burnt Ridge Nursery, 360-985-2873, www.burntridgenursery.com, and I’ve been very pleased with how well they’ve grown and produced fruit. Below is my father’s walnut cracker invention …
Terry Steinmetz says: What a great invention and idea! Shells are hard to contain, but I’m guessing not with this cracker. Thanks for the idea.
Winnie Nielsen says: What a cool idea for walnuts! You are very lucky that they grown right in your backyard. We have Pecans here in Florida which are ripening now in time for holiday Pecan Pies!! Mmmmmm!
What a wonderful invention! Black walnuts are so difficult to crack – this would work so well for them.
Hold on to your egg shells, farm sisters, because you might just …
CRACK UP
when you hear this:
Neiman Marcus has unveiled its 86th annual Fantasy Gifts collection, and, MERCY!
The selection this year had me sucking air in through my teeth, then exhaling it in a whistle.
Got your Christmas gift list handy?
Well, then, take a gander at this lil’ beauty:
The Beau Coop Heritage Hen Mini Farm (Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus)
Terry Steinmetz says: Oh the things some people will do to help others. But to each his own. By the way, is this a hen house or a hen mansion? (tee, hee, hee!)
Winnie Nielsen says: I saw this last week on Cv online and thought, what are you kidding? Does it come with a/c and a grounds keeper? After I got over the sticker price, I have to admit it is really a cool hen house!
Awesome, looks like something I could live in much less the chickens, it is awesom.
Adrienne says: Looks like a nice “affordable” house for…me! We had chickens when I was a kid, and I don’t remember them being all that glamorous. I remember a lot of stinky smells, flying feathers, and lots and lots of manure to haul out one wheelbarrow load at a time. We kept our chicken coop nice and clean, but I can’t imagine storing my canning in there like they show in the picture! On the upside, anything to encourage people to farm is great!
Shades of Queen Victoria’s chicken coop! I saw an old lithograph of it online somewhere’z. How the English love their poultry. When my folks went to Plymouth years ago (to hook up with shirt-tail relatives), my momma noted that free-range eggs in restaurants were much more expensive and highly prized. Mom’s 1st words were “Chicky dink” – due to a print in their house that featured a little girl offering a pan of water to a baby chick. Grandma LOVED chickens. By the time I came along, arthritis no longer let her keep up with a milk cow and chicken chores. She made the best fried chicken EVER and she often said to me with a wink, “If you knew what a chicken ate, you’d never eat a chicken.” 🙂 Chickens are the catfish of the feathered kingdom … ok, maybe vultures place first. Much emphasis is put on keeping a clean coop and fresh food for hens, correctly true, but Grandma’s statement was true to the chicken’s basic nature … OH, how they love to freely scrounge and forage!!
After we gathered the walnuts from our 100-year-old black walnut trees.
We had to figure out how to get crackin’ (remove the hulls) so they can dry.
Best way to do that?
With a tractor, of course.
Chrissy says: Getting the hulls off those nuts is tricky. One time my dad took the tire off of the work jeep parked in front of the shop. It was on blocks as I recall. We put a tin trough under the wheel and while the vehicle was running, we threw the nuts under and they hit the side of the shop peeled up pretty as you please. Thinking of the danger in that method makes me glad thereafter we’d just put them in the driveway and drive over them, then beat the squirrels to them.
MaryJane says: “Pretty as you please” put a smile on my face:)
Terry Steinmetz says: Yummy! Can’t wait for the recipes! My favorite is black walnut cake my mother-in-law used to make. It smelled and tasted so-o-o good!
I’ve used hulls from my friends’ black walnuts to dye wool. It makes a rich warm brown. Really nice. Did not have to patience to pick nutmeats from the shells, so am curious to see how you do it.
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On 10/11/2012 6:41 PM, Thane wrote:
I regret to inform you that one of our hard drives, which contained the R drive and the P drive, passed away yesterday. It will be sorely missed. Rather than bore you with the complexities of the situation, know that Gabe and I have set up a temporary backup. If all goes according to plan, you will never notice a difference. If you do notice anything, please let me or Gabe know. More important, anything saved on those drives today is probably gone. Please …
Winnie Nielsen says: The is nothing worse than getting that “blue screen of death” when you try to use your computer!!!! Mine at work died suddenly last fall and wiped out 7.5 years of archives and folders. Bleh
MaryJane says: Yikes. Fortunately, we have off-site back-ups so can only ever lose a day’s worth of work. But still.
Have you seen the Hallmark Channel’s new show that launched Oct. 1, Home & Family, hosted by Paige Davis and Mark Steines? It’s two full hours every day of home improvements, crafts, parenting tips, lifestyle, health & fitness, and oh, so much more. Can you say “dog pilates?”
You haven’t seen it yet?
Well, here’s the deal.
Prepare for it. Because …
Are you ready?
I would not miss this for the world Mary Jane, my DVR is all set to record it.
Thank you for letting us all know about it.
Hugs,
Debbie
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Kathy Bernard says: I have to say I have never heard of Glamping but I have to say I love the idea. I also think I am going to be a follower of your website because looks like things for me. Thanks for a great segment on the show.
Teresa Bryant says: Saw you on Home and Family, have never saw the show before or heard of you. I enjoyed the show so much and you part of it. I checked out the web site. I have really enjoyed it. I text my sister to check it out! And called my daughter with the word of the week. I’ll be checking in daily. Thanks for the fun. Teresa
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Have you seen the Hallmark Channel’s new show that launched Oct. 1, Home & Family, hosted by Paige Davis and Mark Steines? It’s two full hours every day of home improvements, crafts, parenting tips, lifestyle, health & fitness, and oh, so much more. Can you say “dog pilates?”
You haven’t seen it yet?
Well, here’s the deal.
Prepare for it. Because …
Are you ready?
Terry Steinmetz says: Wish I could see this, but alas, we only have an antenna for our TV. But not to worry, I’ll be dreaming with you while you share all bout glamping with the world!
Brandy #250 says: Yeah!!!Yipee!!! DVR is set & ready!!!
Thanks Brian:)
Winnie Nielsen says: Ponies are so much fun and so full of personality. No doubt she would prefer to eat and be plump but we all do have to watch our figures!! Ha!
While preparing to build my new hay barn, my crews came across this little nest underneath the straw in our old hay storage location. It’s a little mouse house!
Cute, but mice aren’t something we want living in our hay storage. This time, I’ll hang a sign outside that says, “No Vacancies.”
Terry Steinmetz says: Interesting type of tree. Sad to see it go, but safer for all of you!
Winnie Nielsen says: Making a decision to take down a nice big tree is for me the same level of stress as a decision to euthanize a pet! Trees feel like friends and I get used to their abiding presence.
MaryJane says: I cut down an apple tree once that was in the wrong place and my 10 year old son mourned for days. I had no idea he was so attached to it. Love your choice of words, “abiding presence.”
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
So-o-o great!
You are just too funny!!!!
Take care of yourself in that big city!
Looking forward to sitting down and watching you on my VHS- yes I still record shows using vhs!
Hugs,
Laurie
What fun!!! I so remember watching Sean Connery in films like Gold Finger and thinking he was the most handsome man ever!!!!
Was Elvis hot or what? And Sean Connery? Lordy, lordy.. You might want to switch to iced tea for the remainder of your trip… Just a thought… 🙂
xo