All In A Day On Prairie Flower Farm!

Hello,
Look at my little valance that I stitched up for my new kitchen curtain. Just what my creative side needed. Every time I go in and look out the window to the bird feeders, it is so pretty! Take a little time out to do a little something to make your home pretty. I wish I had extra time to do more, but it does help me if I can do at least one thing a day. I just love this fabric, it is so pretty. I have two more valances to make for the kitchen, but that is for another day!

We are seeing so many signs of spring on our farm. Lots of birds are coming back after being gone over the winter. I open the door to our farm house and hear all the wonderful spring sounds. When I am sitting painting I can hear the birds outside singing. As I sit typing I just heard Mr. Cardinal singing away. Momma Cardinal has not been around since last year, so we think she has died. How I hope a Momma comes to our farm this year. I love watching them in the spring. The Poppa Cardinal feeds the Momma. We watch how he cracks the sunflower seed open and then feeds it to her. It really is a precious sight.

Even though I am busy getting artwork ready for fabric, I am taking a little fun time out each day to get some other things done. I put horse manure on my rhubarb, got some little lettuce plants from Rosa and planted them in the Potter's Shed and worked on transplanting my little tomatoes and basil. I did take pictures, but our internet provider has not been working!!!!!! We have to do something, but living in the country away from everything, is hard to find a provider. Well yesterday, I was crying (yes I was a boohoo baby) to Gail my neighbor about how frustrating it has been with our internet shutting down for days at a time or it is just sooo slow!!!! They also have been trying to find a better internet provider. She then started to tell me how they had been over at someones place not far from us and the family had found an internet provider for people in the country. Yes!!!!!!! Thank you Jesus! It has been so frustrating like I said and sometimes life has felt like going up hill, "ALL" the time. Any one out there relate? We called the internet provider and he is coming out on Monday. I am so thankful, because the Lord has answered another one of our prayers!! Anyway all that to say it would take me forever to get the pic's up on my blog of my transplanting pictures, soooo I will put them up at a later date. You can go to a post from last year, if you are interested in growing your own plants . Click here It really is so fun to watch the little plants grow right before your eyes. Great lesson for teaching your children or grandchildren.

Well hope you are all having a good day today. It is to be in the high 50's. I am thankful for that!

Almost forgot to tell you Momma Puddle Duck is laying eggs. All the little Banty Cochins are laying eggs.......... that means babies hopefully this spring!!!!!!

Also, remember the wonderful greenhouse Stuztman's? They are having Spring Celebration on this Sat. the 27th of March. Look at this old washing machine that I am sure Larry fixed up. Just got the information this morning and thought I would send it on to you!

Now this is cute wouldn't you say?!

"Rejuvenate Your Patio with Trash to Treasure"

with our Designer Larry Rogers!

at

10 a.m. & 2 p.m.

If you live close to Pleasantveiw, west of Hutchinson, Kansas on US Highway 50. The Celebration is from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. All the stores will have lots of fun going on? You won't be sorry if you come!

P.S. I have a momma hen that lays light blue eggs with wonderful brown polka dots. I have been saving some so I could take a picture with them in a nest. I thought I had better blow the insides out. Haha that sounds so funny that I am saying that. Anyway I started to do that last night with two of the eggs. I poked two holes in each end of the egg. I was so excited that it was working so I came into where my girls were and I said, "Look how cool this is?" Well right then the whole egg exploded all over my face. Thought it might give you a laugh. I guess I was blowing to hard. I will be more careful next time. It worked on the first egg. Smile!

Blessings and Hugs!!!!!!!!

Time To Transplant At Prairie Flower!

You may use this picture on your sidebar if you like.

Just put that it is from Prairie Flower Farm please. Thank you!

It is sun shining today, so I am going to enjoy it!!!!!

What is happening at your place?

Dear ladies, It did snow, could not believe it!!!! It wasn't as bad as they thought it was going to be. It is all about gone now. Yes!!!!!!! This week we are to have warmer weather, which I am very grateful for. I will have to be in the house though, because I am working on two Patriotic Fabric lines. Any of you that would like to pray for me, please do. Thank you very much. Smile! I do have some of the icons drawn and I just need to start painting. Then I will scan them in and my Tressy and I will start making some fabric pieces. I enjoy designing, but sometimes it can be a little stressful. It is kind of like harvest, when you work so hard and then it is cutting time. Long hours!

This morning I transplanted some of my little tomato and basil plants that were needing it.

You will need some 7 oz. Dixie cups and potting soil.

Poke a hole in the bottom of the cup with a sharp knife.

Fill cup with potting soil almost full and pat soil down. With your first finger poke a hole in the soil. Lift up the soil carefully along the side of little tomato plant after it gets about 2" tall. Handle the little plant very carefully.

Push soil carefully around the plant and fill the hole. I have about 1/2" of the little plant above the top of soil.

Now you will want to have some kind of inexpensive fluorescent shop light. You can use a south window if it has good sun light. You will have to turn the plants though. Keep plants moist with water. I always pour warm water from the bottom or use a tea pot filled and gently pour warm water from the top.

If you would like more information go here. Starting seeds They have wonderful pictures.

Here is another site called Grow Better Veggies, I like to read. If you are interested in starting your own seeds just read and read and read! There are wonderful sites on the web.

Here is a picture of my Roma's last year.

I have this cute little Potters Shed on the side of our big barn. I will show you pictures at a later date, as I get it all cleaned up from winter. Along one side it has a feeding trough that my honey and I filled with dirt. I take my plants out there when it starts getting warmer in the day.Iput old windows on the top to make a greenhouse and later screen window. It is so wonderful to go and sit out there with all my little baby plants growing away. Hope you are getting to enjoy some Spring Thyme weather!

Here is my little Potters Shed.

On my last post some of you wrote me the most precious comments and some personal emails. I loved it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Some out there may be very sad about yesterdays healthcare vote. I am also, but I am confident that the Lord knows what He is allowing. It is for our good. I remember this one pastor telling us that in the perspective of eternity we are a little teeny tiny dot on the line. That is sooooooo true. Just keep your eyes on Him, know matter what we will go through, He will go through it and He will be with us. I am sure of that. Don't quit praying. It is our life line!!!!! He loves us so much. It gives me comfort to know that the Lord has my family covered by His protection. Isaiah 49:16 says., "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." Is that not so precious of our Lord to put in His Word? It is His gift to us, for those who want it.

Blessings sweet ladies that follow my blog! You mean a lot to me and don't forget it... smiling!

Happy Spring Thyme

Do You Want To Start Some Seeds With Me?

It was so warm today and it was wonderful! I planted some tomatoes and basil. I thought I would show you what I did. Last year I did a lot more with my seeds (click and you can see). It will have to be a little more simple for me this year.

You will need: Potting Mix Soil (Miracle-Gro), a cup or tea cup, seeds, heating pad, cooling rack, plastic bag and a tag.

Planting seeds is so easy! You save a lot money wise and it is so enjoyable watching the little sprouts come up. Today we will do tomatoes. You will need a clean cup or tea cup, as my friend Gail uses. I chose a little granite ware cup. Make sure it is real clean. Potting Mix Miracle-Gro is found at a greenhouse near you. It is good to support an independent Greenhouse. It helps a family make a living!

Fill the cup with damp potting soil.

Sprinkle tomato seeds on top of the dirt and cover with soil 1/4" deep.

Slip cup into a plastic bag. I like to blow air into the bag and puff it up. I don't know if that helps, but it makes me feel better. smile! Tie it off at the top and put a little tag with the name of the plant and date that you planted it.

I made a new cover for my heating pad today. It needed some cheering up! I made a flannel covering. I like it a lot better now.

Place a little table by a south window. Put a cookie sheet on top of table, then a heating pad (set at med) on top of the cookie sheet. Place a cooling rack on top of the heating pad and if you are like me, you will check the little plants every day to see if they are up. I love it!!!!

I painted a little bluebird today. He just reminds me of spring. I wanted a signature for a long time and today I bumped into how to do one. Thank you Jesus for making my path straight! Tressa put up my little bluebird for me. I think it turned out so fun. I will give you the link on how to do your own signature, in case you would like to do one also. It is from The Cutest Blog On the Block. If you need a little bluebird, maybe we can help you with that!

March 3Oth will be my One year anniversary on having my blog. I am thinking what I would like to do to celebrate. I am thinking I need to have a very special giveaway party. We do need to celebrate. I have so many wonderful friends that have made my days so rich and special. I thank you all so much for that. I have a few weeks to figure out what I will be doing. I can't hardly believe it has been almost a year.

HAPPY PLANTING!

Egg In My Pocket, Not A Good Idea!

Not very smart!!!!!

Hello!!!!!!!!

It is sun shining outside TODAY! I love all the SEASONS, but I do like it when one season is finished and the next one is starting to show it's self! Today is like one of those days and I am so excited! Well, as some of you know I love to go out in my night clothes and gather my eggs. Only when it is warm though. Today it is warmer then it has been so out I went. I had on my sweatshirt, nightgown and pj bottoms. Quite the sight I must say. Anyway I decided to move one of my chicks, that I had in our little milk barn to the big chicken coop. She is such a sweet and very very tame. I moved her in and stayed around to make sure that the big girls wouldn't bug on her. They are kind of bossy that way when a new girl gets introduced. She did fine, but I will have to check on her through out the day. I saw that one of my girls had laid an egg, so I put it in my pocket. I forgot that it was in there. When I came into the house I noticed that someone had left the door open to my cupboard and Cassie our oldest daughters cat was in it. I bent down.............. to get her out. I still wondered what it was. Duh!!!!! I went into the kitchen and said to the girls, "I can't figure what just got on me". I am a little slow. Yuk!!!!!

I remember one time when I was a young girl homesteading with my parents in Alaska. My Mom needed some eggs, so my Dad put me behind him on our horse. We road over to my Grandparents house to get the eggs. For some reason I put them in my pocket. Not sure why I did that! We did not make it home with whole eggs. Guess I am a slow learner.

Happy Spring ladies!

It is almost here. Tell me what the weather is like in your area. Hope it is pretty like it is here. We hardly had any sun it seems this last winter. I really need some sun!!!!!

I am planting some seeds today. I will let you see what I did tomorrow. Are you planting any seeds in the house? I just love to see the little green sprouts coming up.

Blessings,

Linda

Signs of SPRING!!

It is looking like spring around Prairie Flower Farm! I am so excited. I can't hardly stand it!!!!

Look at my rhubarb!

This little baby rhubarb is making my mouth water. It is making me think about the Strawberry/Rhubarb Farm Pies we made for Farmer's Market. I will get that recipe up for you tomorrow! It is so nummy!

You have to tell me is it doing the same where you all live?? The other day the sun was shining so nice and warm. I feel like we are thawing a little bit.

Strawberry/Rhubarb Farm Pie

Phil came into the house and said, "you have to see this". When we moved last year from our old farm to the family farm (that Phil grew up in), we had to move during the cold. It was one of my most miserable memories. We moved our refrigerator and had to store it in the barn. The front is still off and Mrs. Cluck decided to make her home in the freezer section. Smile. For some reason she had two eggs on the outside and was sitting on two. Looked so funny!!!
Well isn't Mr. Tom happy this morning. He was a gift from our oldest son's family for my birthday last year. He is huge!!!!!! He fits so good on our farm. His wife died, so he needs a new one. Need to go to the Farm Store!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. and Mrs. Duck have been jumping in and out of mud puddles. I can't wait f0r her to start laying on a nest. Spring is close and I just can't wait. Need some warm weather, so I can get outside and start playing in the dirt. Are any of you having a garden this year? What are you planting? It has been a long hard winter. I am glad it is almost behind me. I need sun!!!!!!!! real bad!!!!

Love you all!!!! You make my heart shine! Please tell me about your garden plans. Do I need to know something that I need to plant on Prairie Flower Farm?

Blessings,

Linda