Farmhouse Friday - Happy Halloween

 It's Friday and time again for a review of the week.  How was your week?  Did it seem to fly by for you as well?  

My little tomato experiments in the greenhouse, well...I ended up taking them out of the pots and adding them to the compost.  I took notes and know what to do better for next year.  I dug up the rest of the onions and beets.  I have kale yet that I need to wash and freeze for winter smoothies.   I also have glad bulbs to dig and zinnia seeds to save and garlic to plant.  Then Al can give the garden a good cleaning with the drag and then till it for spring.  This will probably be the last nice weekend, so we will focus on that.  

I made notes last year on what it was I was I felt disappointed with in myself.  Gardening was one of them.  I sure did my best to fulfill my word of the year "cultivate" in that area.

Another was my not pulling out "all" the decorations and staging my house for each holiday.  I thought about it, it's not been since my daughter's married and left the nest that I've done this.  I missed it.  I didn't take out "all" the Halloween, but I knew if I didn't at least do one little corner, I would regret it.  So, if you can't do it all, do it small.

Truth is, this isn't even my normal Halloween.  I bought several tables full of folk art, holiday from a friend who sets up and stages sales just for me.  It is so much fun!  She had a bakery and antique shop a few years back.  She has been downsizing for about 2 years, she sets up like a little shop and I love it.  Thanks Mia!   You should see the stuff in her house!  It should be in a magazine.  Anyway, I used the stuff that I chose to keep that I bought from her, except the witch sign, that I had from another buyout.  

Tomorrow is our annual 4H awards banquet.  We are trying something different this year, a costume bowling party.   

Happy Halloween 

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Oh Zinnia, I Never Knew

 

I became interested in Zinnias after I was given some seeds by my friend Kou's mom.  Kou and his wife are vendors at Ringle Harvest Day, they have a food truck.  Whenever I have an abundance of roosters, I call Kou and he comes to pick them up.  

His parents are part of a community garden around the corner from our farm.  Well, his mom was so pleased with the roosters I gave them, that she had Kou bring her to my house.  She didn't speak english, but she didn't have to speak for me to understand what she was doing.  She gave me some seeds and plants.  We walked around my garden and Kou told me what she was saying and I was so humbled by her act of kindness.  

Now, that year, I planted them in a poor wet spot and they didn't grow well.   The next year, I bought my own seeds and planted them in a row with sunflowers and they were overcrowded.  This year, however, planted them in a raised bed and they thrived.  

It had my thinking about this flower and I came up with this little quote.  I had someone leave a comment on a post that was something like "you're living the life I want."  No, no I'm not, trust me!  So, keep in mind, as we for some reason feel the need to scoll other's "fake books and Instashams" that not all you see is real and some of "it" is real hard to replicate.  Be hearty, humble and happy in your own garden.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin  

Motivational Monday - Making Work Fun

Good Motivational Monday Morning.  This is just a quick post to remind you that a great motivation in getting something done is  fun.  Sometimes the things we have to do, drag us down and unmotivate us.  I don't think that is just me or my personality type, difficult tasks are difficult.  However, I do know that if I'm not having fun, I don't want to finish it...ahahah...that's a 7 for ya! 

So, we started going through that Christmas stuff Friday for a few hours, Saturday for a few hours and the FLASH sale Sunday for a couple of hours.  I did NOT want to do that job, oh, it's fun digging and looking at inventory, I'm good at that!  It's the actually setting it up selling that I fall short.  So, I had to make it fun and it was!  

When we pulled in the drive after church, I was already planning this post!  So many comments and laughs - someone said "great advertising promo!"  We were competing with the Green Bay Packer game, but we sold so much stuff!  I have 2 ladies stopping by this afternoon to shop for the little something extras ($1-5 great price point for resell) for their booths.  The rest will be in box lots on the Town Hall Trinkets On Line Estate Sales  starting next week.  

So, if you find yourself dreading a task, try to think of a way to make it fun.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

   

Crossing off my To Do List

Yesterday was B E utiful, actually the whole week has been.  I love crispy fall days!  I had a "to do" list on Monday, I am still crossing stuff off and some will carry over into this week.  

It started with Lisa coming over with another load of holiday and home decor.   We had 2 tubs of lighthouses and some spring stuff in there too.  Anyway, we worked on that for a couple hours Friday and Saturday.  That was a BIG to do on the list...if we could only do "this" once a month, could you imagine how organized we'd be!  It may be the "next" thing...clean out a section set up a FLASH sale.  We will see if anyone shows up today, then I'll make my final decision.  Ahhaha

I worked outside until the daylight failed me.  Oh and also when the coyotes started yelping from just the other side of the trees...yep, close the chicken coop and go inside.   Have you ever heard coyote yelps?  It's loud!  We have a creek, stream, brooke that runs the side of our property and they run it.  

I know all the other blogs and feeds already promote their Christmas decor.  They "have" to as influencers and being paid for it, but still....can't we just enjoy fall while we are living in it...seems we skip over that...Halloween to Christmas.   It's not like the year is already flying by or anything!  

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite to decorate for as I have so many turkey things.  I usually host the family gathering here, but this year, I'll bring the food to Grandma's.  Her house is set up more for entertaining.  I loved the one year, when my studio/shop was clean and we had it out there.  #2022Goal #Icantfailthistime #aspaceforme   

O.k. back to the B E utiful day.....with my last stumbling steps, scooching down the stairs, rolling end to end pumpkins, crawling through spaces to find a wreath, feet stuck to mouse sticky traps....I did it!  I decorated for FALL.  #thingsseemreallyhardformetodolately

Now to cross off more on my list.....

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Scenes on Saturday

 My week in pictures....

First, I still have cornstalks and pumpkins to decorate with....I'm not ready for this....but, this nutcracker is so cute!  Sam's Club, Wausau.

4H painting project night, it was a full house!  I just let them create, it's not my art, but theirs....

Beautiful week for Al to be on vacation!  Mild days to work on cleaning out my garden.

Pie Pumpkins....

Jack O Lantern Pumpkins....

Squash:  Baby Blue Hubbard, Acorn, Buttercrunch

Indian Corn....

Hopi Nation Black Sunflowers....

Beautiful Hydrangeas...

Thrifting....

Working on a partial estate buyout of Christmas tubs.  We are getting it all out so we can see what is in them and figure out what we can take to the antique show on November 13 & 14.  (these aren't antiques but cute, so I asked the event organizer and she said we could bring some...some is good enough for me...ahahha....with some more in my van if we sell it).

So, now that we are working on looking at this stuff, we decided to do a FLASH Sale here at Town Hall Trinkets, LLC in the barn tomorrow, October 24 from 2-3 pm - quick sale to reduce so we can figure out what to do next with it.  Most items $2-5.

Next week, Al is back to work and so am I, listing Wizard of Oz collection on the online group.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Being Prepared

 As someone who has extra supplies and food on hand, you could say I'm a prepper.  This post isn't about being smart, saving, preserving and being ready for anything that may come.  Rather, this post is about when you think you are prepared but things happen that mess up your plans.  

I may have been a bit overly ambitious when I ordered seeds this past spring.  I was excited to use my greenhouse!  Anyway, I don't know what I was thinking, but I started too many seeds.  I did give many of the young plants away for others to grow in their gardens.  However, I kept some heirloom tomatoes going all summer in my greenhouse as a little experiment.  I set out 16 plants about a month ago in a raised bed that did hold my 2 varieties of peas earlier.  We have a cattle panel teepee on this bed and I was thinking when it started to get cold I would cover it with a thick clear plastic.  It was a great plan and working too, I had green tomatoes.  

The other evening as I covered these tomatoes, feeling tickled that it was mid October and I was still growing tomatoes outside in north central Wisconsin, I made sure to secure the plastic as it was supposed to be windy.  We woke to a heavier frost and as I looked out the window, the plastic was twisted into a long "rope."  When I walked over to the garden, I could see that the plants suffered and were wilty.  I covered it back up - hoping for the best on the green tomatoes.

Well, one can have a great plan, that is showing promise of success and due to something out of your control, it fail.   This little lesson could apply to so many of life's scenarios:  dieting, cleaning, budgeting, time managment, I'm naming a few of mine (wink, wink).   

I was thinking about all of this in terms of eternity.  I can't help myself, my mind is always looking for scriptural lessons.  I know many people who are filling their storehouses with nonperishable goods.  Like I said in the first paragraph, this is smart, but one can't rely on "bread alone."  I have smart readers, I'm sure you understand my line of thinking here.  I will leave you with one scripture that keeps coming into my head.  

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also.  John 14:3

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Dreaming of Vintage Finds

I had a good dream this morning that I didn't want to wake from.  I was dreaming of treasure hunting.  Not at an estate sale, however, I've had those too.  This one was at an old department store.  You know the ones, we didn't have them in Wausau, but the ones with an elevator that took you to different levels.  Each level had different items for sale.  When you entered the elevator the operator would ask, "what floor?"  Also, there were older ladies that worked there, you remember the days, when they really wanted to help you find what you were looking for.  You know like in an old movie.   I miss those days.  

Anyway, it took place in today's time and the department store was closing.  They employees were digging up all kinds of old stock inventory and putting them out for sale.  I couldn't believe it, as like every decade of overstock was represented.  I was finding racks and racks of vintage Levi's with bell bottoms and vintage 1940 dresses all had tags and still priced with paper and ink type sticky tags.  Well, I happened upon a round wooden display rack.  Each section divided like a pie, 3 layers high.  Those bins were full of wool sweaters!  As I dug under them I found all kinds of cardboard boxes, some missing lids, others still had the old packing straw.  Inside were little Steif dogs, Nancy Ann Storybook dolls, old mechanical toys.  I couldn't believe it.  I filled my cart, which was one of those metal style shopping carts.  As I turned my cart around a column, I looked up and built into the floor in the children's department, was a tree house.  You entered through a tiny door and I could see all kinds of cool things up there.  I wanted to go up and look, only I was afraid to leave my cart unattended as I just spent all that time finding all these cool things.  It was already being circled like a buzzard to road kill.  I was afraid someone would take my items out of my cart.  You know this actually happened to me and still happens when I am thrift shopping, people follow me...ughh..."are you going to buy that?"

It was at this point, Ginger jumped on top of me and woke me up.  So, I didn't get to go up the stairs and see all the cool things.  I was telling Al about this dream and how I miss the days with old department stores.  The individual and personal attention given as you shopped.  We rarely went to stores like this as we couldn't afford them, but I do remember going to Herberger's bargain basement with my mom to look for fabric.  

I am pondering this dream and this came to me.  For some reason, I love to treasure hunt.  I assume it's from my Irish backgroud - looking for a pot of gold kinda thing.  My maternal side, Kincaid family, this desire is in many of my kin.  I assume, because in my dream, I almost felt like I didn't fit in to the department store scheme and I was unfamiliar with store as I didn't shop here as a child.  However, as an adult, I could fill my cart now...boy, I have that one down pat.  I can assume, that there will be more treasures, some I may only be able to look at and not buy, as my cart is already full. 

It was there, right there, that maybe the true meaning lies. My cart is full....I can't buy anymore treasures...until I do a store wide, digging up of old stock, reduction sale.  I'm laughing as I type this.  I recently had to turn down looking and buying, because my "cart" is full.  

I don't know how I will act upon this dream quite yet, but I need to make plan to do something.  

What do you dream about?

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Motivational Monday - Who Are You?

 We watched the movie "Overcomer" last night.  It was very good.  I was challenged by a line and really the general theme of the movie.  The main character was asked, "who are you?"  As he went down the list of his "titles" the question was, "should that be taken away, who are you?"  It went down all the way until this person finally hits the point where he felt his "who are you?" was answered.  It was a pretty powerful scene.  It challenged me to think about who I really am and the person I want to be.    

It reminded me of a Cherokee legend of the 2 fighting wolves.  Maybe you've heard it.  The grandfather is telling the grandson the legend as he gets to the end, the grandson asks, "which wolf wins?"  The grandfathers says, "the one you feed."  

We all face battles of good vs. evil; shoulds vs. shouldn'ts; yes vs. no's; I am vs. I'm not; the battle of each side.  Think about some of your own "battles" and ask yourself, "which one will I feed?"

I hate to say, but we - humans - are divided on just about everything.  It seems like "we" make "it" about - one vs. the other.  This is in itself, the "divided" is a "which one will you feed?" too!  Choosing to be divided is feeding division.  

I just hate to see the things I see on EVERYTHING.  The comments, the posts, the name calling, finger pointing, he said she saids....it's has turned...I'm trying to think of someting really bad...I know....it is nuclear....a nuclear bomb.  I can't even believe the craziness!  

I have been asked plenty these past couple of years, "why aren't you getting involved in ....."  "why aren't you speaking out, up?" "we need to know how you feel?".....no, no you don't.  No, no I'm not going to do any of that!  I'm not feeding that wolf.  Each of the wolves, not matter what side, bites!  Wolves bite!  

I will however, think about who I am and who I want to be ... that, that's the wolf I will feed.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Before & After Booth at 25th Annual Ringle Harvest Day

 This year, Lisa and I shared a booth.  We had so much stuff that we bought that it was just easier to share.   I think we may just keep doing this, as I am so busy running around helping vendors find their booths, going to get more toilet paper, fixing plugged toilets..waaa..that one is still waiting for me this morning as I was hoping it would "go down" over night.  We are only going to have port a potties next year.  Every so often, this happens in the indoor bathrooms, our town hall wasn't made for that many flushings I guess.  This area had the most complaints, so I will fix it by not having indoor bathrooms available next year.  It will be alot easier on me!  Anyway, on to the booth.  Several out of area followers wanted to see.  

Before:  I like to have a feature piece, I guess this year it was the handmade barnwood grandfather clock.  Came from a cabin buyout in White Lake, WI.  

Thank you, thank you to all the wonderful customers who came out to support us.  You know in this business, you sell what you buy so this year it was this.  This buyout also has 30 Christmas tubs just like this stuff.  We are going to set up a pop up hopefully soon.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.