Camping 101 . . .

Since my friends, Cindy and Maryann, are making it so easy, I'm totally tempted to join the Farmgirl Sisterhood.  They've stated a new chapter, The Little Red Barn Farmgirls' Chapter. It looks like so much fun, and they're doing a lot of the things I do everyday anyway--sewing, knitting, crocheting, spinning, embroidery, canning, cooking, etc., etc., etc.

And the badges . . . OMG . . . this just carries me back to my Girl Scout days--remember this?

(c) 2010 Girl Scouts of the United States of America

The Farmgirl Sisterhood badges are a little different, but oh so adorable!  I want, I want, I want . . .

© 2010 MaryJanesFarm

And to think that I can do other stuff that I love to do is really exciting.  For instance, I think badges like "Going Green," Entrepreneurial Spirit," and "Shutterbug" would be fantastic to earn.  So I'm sort of thinking this is a "have to do."

I could make these for the "cooking" badge, don't you think?

(c) 2010 Summer Craft Camp by Rachel Hobson

or this

(c) 2010 Summer Craft Camp by Rachel Hobson

Yum. 

Let me know if you find other camp girl type stuff you'd like to share.

Camera blues . . .

I'd love to win this camera tote:

If you'd like to enter to win it, go to the Thompson Family-Life web site and enter for yourself.  Who knows, maybe one of us will get lucky!  I hope so--I'm crossing my fingers and toes!!

Never alone . . .

It seems that more and more I'm alone.  I don't dislike it.  But sometimes I'm bored.  Today, though, I've been inspired.  I'm not sure I'll ever feel alone again.

My favorite things . . .

Some blogs have regular "favorite things," but I've not been very consistent doing that--it seems sort of copy-cat to me, and I want to be original.  So . . . I only post favorite things once in awhile. 

I came across this link to a beautiful online Christmas magazine--Holiday With Matthew Mead. 

I can hardly wait for my issue to come!  I particularly like this magazine because many of their advertisers are Etsy merchants, and I totally support Etsy!  Many of my friends use Etsy, and I'll be opening my Etsy store soon--how could I resist? 

Another of my favorites is The Vintage Pearl.  I coveted these for a long time, then got a necklace for Christmas from my daughter--mine has the birthstones, and I love it!!

Every time I spin fiber I'm reminded how much I love my Majacraft spinning wheel.  I have the Little Gem, and it is that--a little gem!

I might have a new favorite Blog.  Lolly Knitting Around is packed with great photographs, fun experiences, and just very stalkable stuff . . . her photographs are fantastic, illustrated by this a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e photo on her blog yesterday:

(c) Lolly Knitting Around

My friend, Kay, is so super talented.  Don't you love this scarf she did?:

You also should visit her Etsy Store.  I have some of her fiber on my wheel this very minute and it's fantastic!  The colorway, Tuscany, is completely gorgeous!  And her fibers are like butter to spin!!! 

(c) Cordova Studios

I can't wait to read this book.  It's sitting on my table right now--ready to be cracked open.

I love historical novels, and this one should prove to be as good as Gregory's other books.  I'll let you know when I finish it if it's as good as I'm suspecting it will be! 

What are you reading?

Blueberry jam . . .

It seems like a million years since I last made jams or jellies, or did any kind of canning for that matter.  It used to be a fairly regular thing . . . peaches, pears, apricots, cherries, tomatoes--you name it, I canned it.  But I always loved making jams especially.

When I went to the The Little Red Barn last month, Jennifer and Claire brought a plate with watermelon and fresh, beautiful blueberries.  I later read Jennifer's blog and found out where she got her blueberries--she later helped me order some from Blueberry Hill Farms and I picked them up one day last week.  Rowan was with me when I picked them up and held them in her lap while we drove home.  Although I warned her about eating unwashed berries, her little lips were blue with them by the time we got home.  I had to agree that they were fantastic--so fresh, crisp, and organic to boot! 

After eating blueberry pancakes for nearly a week, munching on handfuls of them for snacks, and offering them up to visitors every chance I got, yesterday was the day that the abundance had to be made up into blueberry jam.  Rowan was here to help--she did a good job of mooshing up the berries with the potato masher and put the labels on beautifully!  What a great helper she is!!

The finished product is fantastic!  I'm so glad I preserved some of this flavor to remember in December or January when the winter snow makes fresh blueberries only a distant memory.

The fish . . .

I've been writing posts and not posting them for several days.  I'll have to go back and fix that.  However . . . it's pretty hard to post a picture that hasn't been taken, and all my posts refer to pictures.  Unfortunately, my camera battery is a goner, and I can't find my charger.  I know it's around, just how to find it is the mystery.  Sort of like looking for my glasses and realizing they're on top of my head serving as a headband.  But in the meantime, I'll use my Blackberry camera which, truthfully, isn't all that bad. 

Where do you usually find your glasses when they've been lost?

So . . . for today, take a look at this girl, my sweet Rowan, lounging in the pool.  What a happy, sweet girl she is!

 
What are your grandkids doing this summer that's fun for them, and you?

Love a girl today . . .

Many of you are familiar with Ruth, the beautiful Great Pyrenees girl adopted by my friend, Cindy, at Jacob's Reward Farm, as a guard dog for her south pasture.  Since May, she's been firmly ensconced in Cindy's house and is still in need of a forever home.  And while she probably will never "guard" again, she is still one of the most lovable, sweet, beautiful dogs I've ever seen.  If you, or perhaps a retired parent or grandparent, would like a fantastic companion, please consider Ruth.  I'm convinced there's a family out there who needs her as much as she needs them.  Ruth is doing well now, but just needs a home--take a look at Cindy's blog for more information about Ruth:  I'll Love You Forever