Farmhouse Friday 2026 - Week 4 Back to Work

 

The dogs are following me around like I'm a toddler.  I do drop many things while I try to work.  Here we are waiting for cookies to come out of the oven.  I made sourdough discard lemon cookies.  My granddaughter was coming over to "play" with me and I wanted to bake a treat.  

She told me that she would rate them 100 out of 100.  She said "crispy edge, soft center, crunchy yet tender, frosting is amazing!"  I guess I will make these again.  

We made felted soap.  I've never made that before.  

My friend, Michelle, makes the soap:  Little Bull Falls Soap Works check out her website.  

I went back to "work" - I'm really self-employed, but my friend, Lisa and I share a work and selling space.  We took off most of January.  We are going to keep doing consignments for our on line estate sale business.  I will keep working and trying to do things for as long as my body lets me.  However, we are being very selective as to what we do.  

I made some potato soup, it was yummy.

Another inspirational quote from my daily devotionals this week.  

Tomorrow, I have my last in home therapy and evaluation.  I made a break through with my walking with the walker in the house this week.  I was so afraid I would fall, but I just made myself walk again and again.  I had therapy today too.  She told me that I NEED to keep this up, even if she wasn't here to remind me.  I told her I come from a long line of people who never follow through...it's true...but, I know how important this is for me to keep moving and I WILL do it with the Lords help.

Blessings from from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Seasonal Mindest - Lesson 1 Creation/Life

 

Seems this concept, seasonal living or seasonal mindset is everywhere of late.  It's not a new concept.  People have lived this way since the time of creation.  Oh, but there wasn't social media, so that didn't count...ahaha.  I do feel that social media plays a role.  No time in history have we had access to so much information.  What we spend our time looking at or listening to, can build us up or tear us down.  

I've shared about seasons of a woman's life, but now thinking more of a "study" on Seasonal Mindset.  So let's begin our lesson here at how we were created.  I'm taking notes from nature and lessons from the Bible for this study.  

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 says "to everything there is a season."  

In the "Spring of our life" we are a bud or blossom.   We are new, young, growing, vibrant, supple and energetic.  We are busy trying to attract - bee or other pollinators.  

Proverbs 31:30: "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised".  

Jeremiah 29:11:  "I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

In the "Summer of our life"  we are the fruit or flower.  We are bursting with productivity, beautiful, peek performance, satisfied and growing steady waiting until the harvest. 

Psalms 127:3:  "Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him."  

Proverbs 31:17:  "She sets about her work vigorousley; her arms are strong for her tasks."  

In the "Fall of our life" we are the harvest or beautiful display of colorful leaves.  We are fulfilled, happy to supply our families needs, adaptable to change (pumpkin to pie) and looking forward to slowing down to rest.  

Proverbs 31:27 "she looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.  

Galatians 6:9 "and let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

In the "Winter of our life" we rest.  We are wiser, accomplished in our tasks and complete.  We become weaker, dependent on others to help us but relying on our experiences to help us rest. 

Proverbs 16:31: "Gray hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained in the way of righteousness."

Proverbs 31:26:  "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." 

Our life, how we age, grow, change and pass on, we were created to be seasonal.  Nature shows us in all her beauty.  The bee loves the nectar, he busily carries legs full pollen back to the hive, he feeds the baby bees, fills combs to become honey for us to enjoy.   

We can get caught up in wishing our season away; "when I leave home, when I get married, when we buy a house, have children, get my perfect job, pay off my debt or retire."  These stages of life, we should look forward to, but don't forget to enjoy the one you're currently living in.  This is the social media pit fall.  It's all too much, therefore this slowing down, seasonal living is why this topic is trending.  

Remind yourself, that each stage of life is a season.  Be present in the season you're in, good or bad.  Live it, feel it, enjoy it, miss it when it's over and look forward to the next.  Time passes on and carries us along.   

Psalms 104:19:  "He made the moon to mark the seasons, the sun knows it's time for setting." 

Ecclesiasetes 3:11:  "He has made everything beautiful in it's time, Also he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."  

Seasonal Mindset - Lesson 2 Family/Home 

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin,

Farmhouse Friday 2026 Week 3

 

My sister shared that with me.  

Well, we've had quite the week here.  So COLD we woke this morning to -24 (wind chill like -40).  LOTS of things closed today.  

I had a lazy week....I wanted to do more...but, we started watching All Creatures Great and Small (PBS/British show).  So, between that, PT, posting a lot drop, marketing for the Vintage Shop Hop Event we are taking part in and some cooking and baking, it's already Friday evening.  

Sour dough discard brownies.  

Another good quote from my daily devotional this week.   Well, this is a short one.  Not much to talk about...that's unusual for me.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

 

Not much more needs to be said.....

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Farmhouse Friday 2026 Week 2 - First Outing

 

Well, this is my first outing other than church and doctor.  I'm happy I was able to go.  This studio has handicap parking, no stairs and a bathroom large enough for my wheelchair.  Things you need to think about when you have mobility challenges.  We then went to lunch for one of my favotites Pho 76.  I love Pho!

I had my in home physical therapy.  Started back "working" with our lot drops on Tuesdays.  Went through a large amount of books, made lots for next week's drop.  Did some puttering around in the kitchen.  

Saucy Asian beef and noodles - so good! 

More sourdough bread, so that means more sourdough discard to work with.

Sourdough discard cinnamon scone

Sourdough discard maple, cinnamon crisps - cracker or cereal.  When I make this again, I will make them smaller and thinner.

Not much else going on here.  I probably could have been more productive.  I'll blame it on January. 

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.

 

Where my Pickin' Story Began

 

Right here....yes, in the dump.  That is my grandpa Kincaid.  I'm thinking this is the Crandon or could be Rhinelander dump too.  However, I remember Rhinelander's dump had more pine trees. Either way, this type of pickin' was fun.  I would guess this photo was taken in 1970's.  I see a couple of things in this picture I'd pick for sure.  When we would go up to visit my grandparents, it was the BEST when Grandpa would say, "want to take a ride to the dump."  Not everyone was excited as I was.  In fact, I remember it only being my grandpa, my mom and I a few times.  He would always fill a bread bag with old pieces of bread or marshmallows to feed the bears.  Yes, on occasion, a bear or 2 would be rooting around in the garbage for something to eat.  Just look at this picture, behind my grandpa, looks to be a pile of potatoes.  "My" people, on my mom's side, did this, for necessity and extra cash.  Oh, it was fun to see if I could find a treasure; old toy, small piece of furniture to load up in the car and take home.  Mostly, at this age in his life, that is what he was doing too.  Fixing (repurposing) old things to sell. 

I also remember the three of us, going in abandoned cabins, old farm houses and sheds to dig for things.  So much fun!  He, cut pulp or "worked in the woods" his whole life.  He knew the woods like the back of his hand.  He would come across all kinds of rock piles with old stuff and empty old shacks to dig in.   

We lived in Schofield near Wausau, which is a "big" city in comparison to Crandon.  So, we had more opportunity to "pick."  Rummage, estate sales, thrift shops, junk yard, wholesale barns these places were as much a part of my growing up as - church.  My mom would find a dresser for cheap, we would take it up north for grandpa to "fix" and he would sell it.  It gave him something to do and extra cash income too.  He was retired pretty much by the time I came along.  

One sale I particularly remember, was over by the papermill in Rothschild.  It was an estate sale, I was like 8 or 9.  We were in the process of remodeling our house and I was going to get my own bedroom.  I saw this chair in the driveway, cute floral upholstery.  I ran up to it and it said 35.  I quickly sat down on it and asked my mom if we could buy it.  She said "no, that's too much."  So, I yelled out to the person in charge, "is this 35 dollars or 35 cents?"  I have no idea what everyone was thinking, I did hear a few of the regulars laugh at me.  However, I got my answer, "for you, 35 cents."  I can tell you, several people, including my sister Lori, tried to get me to jump off that chair.  I didn't move until it was time to pay and I gave her my 35 cents.  My mom reupholstered it in a crushed, blue velvet and I still have it.  Been in all of my bedrooms for 50 years.  

My grandpa's people were from Scotland.  He said we were Scotch/Irish.  I've seen enough shows about Irish "travelers" to know, we probably were cut from that cloth.  They immigrated to Kentucky and I guess were "hillbillies" from Hazard, KY.  My grandpa's family went where there was work and that was UP of MI and WI lumberjacks.  They traveled with the loggers all over up here living in logging camps.  

So, some of this "picking" is genetic and some learned.  I am a 3rd (probably longer) generation picker.  One time when I was in grade school, after returning from summer break, the teacher asked each student to stand and tell what they did over the summer.  Oh, I was so excited to tell it.  I remember hearing, "we went to Disney" "we went to badlands" "we went camping" all the things "normal" families do.  When it was my turn, I stood up, oh I was so proud..."we went picking in the dump and I feed some bears and I found an old ....." and then I heard the laughing...yes, gasps, ewww and laughing.  I quickly sat down.  Little did I know then, it wasn't cool to pick in the garbage.  Now...now everyone is doing it, making YouTube videos about it....wish little Dicky Bird could have known then how ahead of the times and cool she actually was.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Farmhouse Friday 2026 Week 1 - Finding Happiness

 What happened this week: 

Moving or rather PUTTERING forward in 2026.  I decided I NEED to do things that make me happy while I CAN still do them.  Now, truthfully, standing at the counter and cooking had been increasingly hard over past year.  Al, bless his heart, has been writing down my recipes, how I make things and cooking.  Actually, some of his is better than mine.  So, the other day, he was over in my "corner" where I used to stand and prepare food.  I said, "you know, this is still my kitchen."  He said, "I know it is..."  From the moment, the words left my mouth, I was in my mom's kitchen, in her corner, making her food, while she was in her wheelchair at the table.  My mom had a stroke, left side weakness and we took care of her in their home.  Truthfully, I believe she also had IBM, the stroke was part of it.  Anyway, I said to Al, "I wish I would have told my mom - this is still your kitchen."  Her whole life was in her "corner" cooking and baking the most delicious food from the most humble of ingredients for her family.  I wish I would have handed her some potatoes, carrots and let her peel and dice.  In fact, Al did that for me this week.  As I was struggling to hold the carrot with my weak hand and dice with my strong hand he says..."let me just do it."  Now, not in a mean way, but he wanted to help.  I said "No, let me do this...next year you may be spoon feeding me...I want to try to do this as long as I can."  I'm not sharing this for sympathy, rather as a fact of what this horrible disease can do.  Please, don't feel bad for me, rather pray for me.  Also, please don't bring up how much I progressed since the last you saw me - I just want to keep going without being reminded of how bad I look...this would be really helpful to my mental health.  Thanks.  

Al burned the big brush pile.  He may have (wink, wink) added some old furniture that never made it to be repurposed.  They were too far gone after all these years.

My sister-in-law passed on this week.  Her funeral was Thursday in Indiania.  Al and his sister went down to support their brother Bruce.  She was tiny but mighty.  I'm so happy they were just up for a visit after Christmas.  I made a big home raised chicken for them for supper.  Suzie and I had a nice visit.  It was unexpected and a surprise for us all.  She will be missed!

Changed out my scripture chalk board.  New creation for a new year.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.