Bessie-Dearest

 I would love to introduce you to a sweet little girl that has come to live in the pasture.
Her name is Bessie~Dearest. 

 My son, Tristan, got her for me.
In early August, he came home one evening a little later than usual. 
When he came in he said, "Mom, come out here."
Of course my antenna went up immediately!
When I came out, he had the front door of his truck open,
and lying on the floorboard was this little bundle of life!

She is 3/4 Jersey, and 1/4 Holstein.

She's less that a week old in these pictures.
Isn't she precious?

 She has been taking two bottles a day and gets really excited when I appear with her "eats".

 Baby animals, like calves, box as they nurse to cause the milk to come down.
Bessie~Dearest can knock the bottle out of your hand if you don't anticipate it and get yourself braced. 
She is quite powerful, even at such a young age.

 Lila is such a mother to the animals~if they will let her.
Here, she is eaten up with curiosity at this new critter, and is actually licking the milk off her face.

This is not just a calf; this is our future milk supply!
THIS is Bessie~Dearest!

Thank you for visiting!  I love to have you!

The Little Mail Man of Bayberry Lane

 On a recent day, Hamlin and I decided to play "The Little Mailman of Bayberry Lane."
 

 This has been one of our most favorite "old books" since my children were small.
Needless to say, Hamlin loves it as well. 

 The Little Mailman of Bayberry Lane is a jolly little fellow.
"Now who do we have letters for today?" he asks.

He loves to put letters in the mailboxes of all his neighbors.
He knows they wait anxiously for his appearance in the lane.

Today, Mr. Turtle receives the tulip catalog he had waited for for so long.

 The Little Mailman takes a rest. 
It makes him happy to put lovely letters and parcels in his neighbor's mailboxes.

 Mrs. Goose is out picking bayberries for the bayberry candles she is going to be making.

Mrs. Duck is hoping for a letter from her sister. 

Will it come today?

 Mrs. Pig is waiting at her mailbox.  She never receives any letters, but every morning she hopes for one.

"I wonder why Mrs. Pig never receives any letters.  Maybe it's because she never writes any!"

Of course, I can't tell you what happens after that because you have to read the story for yourself!

But you probably have already guessed that Mrs. Pig does eventually get a letter placed in her mailbox!

 Another good day's work done by the Little Mailman of Bayberry Lane!

This N That Around the Farm

 Blackberrying this summer.

This was a great year for blackberries.

The name of these flowers have been a mystery to us since we moved here.
There are no leaves!

I happened to find their name  in a Gurney's catalog!  They are called ~ Mystery Lilies~!
They put on lush, lush foliage in the spring, then in the summer after the leaves disappear, these beautiful lilies bloom!

Hamlin holding his Mystery Lilies, but his great admiration is for his big brother, Collin.

One of the boys found this Lunar Moth.  Isn't it beautifully fashioned?

Two of my lovely girls.

Her eyes are wonder-holders.

I'm not sure what to say about this.  These are, what used to be referred to as "The Little Boys".
Not so little now, but just as goofy!
There were days I would have traded them for girls.  But not recently.

This picture was taken by the missing four-year-old brother. (which explains it's perspective)

Odie the dog is just a great big ole pussy-cat!

There are things you can do in childhood, that you will never be the right size to do again as an older person.
I just love little boys!  Especially MY "Little Boys".

The Wedding Gown

My friends, thank you for your patience while waiting for my post about the wedding gown. 
This project has been in the works since the week after the wedding and  I hope you find it worth the wait.
This slide show will take over twelve minutes, and you will want to have the audio turned on.
 

The Wedding Gown

by Sharon Castlebury

Why must you, Bride, put on this gown

On this, your wedding day?

Why go to all the effort, Dear,

And stitch our hearts away?

Although I'm sure you'd look quite smart

In some gown off the rack,

'Twould save us time and effort great

To choose that easy track.

I'll tell you Dear, this dress is more

Than just a wedding gown,

For in its folds a tale is told;

Your story in it is found.

The dress began when you were born,

For hopes and dreams inspired it.

Each pattern piece was alterred so

A robe of Heaven you'd fit.

The fabric was beyond compare-

Your heart was made clean and pure;

"Twas cut out very carefully;

God's trimming hand was sure.

The pieces we did pin and fit-

The pain you felt was real;

But as the stitches were put in

How humbly you did yield.

At time we made real mistakes

So we ripped out then re-sewed.

The new seam that we stitched back in

Was nobler far we know.

The lovely dress was almost done

Except for one more thing

To try it on . . . how does it fit?

Will it make His heart sing?

You tried it on, it fit you like

An angel had sewn for you!
It was a perfect picture frame

Of the woman God made-it's true!

As you wore it on your wedding day

It made me start to cry,

To know that every stitch we took

Was another step in your life.

So, Darling as we think upon 

the time that's traveled past,

The years we spent in joy and tears

Were fashioning you at last

To be the one to pass the torch
to daughters in your line.
My Dear, remember, construct her dress

With care as we did thine.

An Heirloom Baby Gown

 I have had the joy of  making baby day-gowns for several of  my babies. 
They attended their first church service in them, and several services (before growing out of them) thereafter.
It is my intention to make each of my children an heirloom day-gown for their children.
This spring/summer found me stitching away on one for Trevor and Thelma's babys.

 This was my first attempt at drawn thread work on anything so fine. 
The fabric is pima batiste.

 The gown was worked in a pattern of broderie anglaise, which  is synonymous with "eyelet". It is found in a leaflet by  "Belles and Beaus"

entitled "Primer Series Broderie Anglaise" 1985.

 The back is from the same leaflet.   I love working eyelet.  You don't have to count or do any thinking.

 The buttonholes are worked by hand.  Very enjoyable.

Little Isabella was the first to wear this gown.
She appeared at the wedding in it and looked so sweet and babyish. 
As the day wore on, her gown became wrinkled, but she wore them well.
She was as a long-ago babe in a vintage photograph

Cute Critters

Aren't these just the cutest little fellers you ever did see? They are Jersey calves; three days old in this picture.

Notice his loooong eyelashes. Doesn't your heart just melt!
Jerseys are really way too pretty.

Here's Mrs. Goat. I can't remember her real name. She looks a little filled out to be just one.

The quackers are really fun to watch. I bet you didn't know that ducks are herd animals? Well, they are here at our place!

It's one big happy family in the chicken pen!

This is one of Mother Fluff-Ruffle's adopted hatchlings. It looks rather roosterish.

This is the cutest critter of all!

A Birthday Celebration For Martha

Today is my friend, Martha's birthday.

I've know her since Ashley was an infant, so we go waay back!

She is the mother of eleven children: plus me.

She has been my mentor for many years, although I exceed her in age by one.

Sawyer wanted to give her a birthday present, but all he had was his old, worn-out pair of boots.

(Daddy had just the day before gone to TSC and bought him a new pair).
Only Martha would enjoy such a gift given by a little boy!

Martha had a picnic at her house yesterday to celebrate her birthday. It was the Kendalls and us, so we were so happy to help celebrate. The boys all had a great time!

Here's Avery. Notice that Sawyer is wearing his new boots!

Aren't they cute?

These words are on the wall over Martha's dining table in her new house.
These words describe Martha's life~ strengthened. . . blessed. . . peace. . . filled.

Such feminine beauty graces Martha's soon-to-be-finished kitchen. What a memory for you, Martha.

She's everyone's Marmee.


Happy, happy birthday, my dear!