Spring is here, I think

This weekend has been one of the best ones this year.  The grandsons, Wyatt and Tucker spent the night Friday night.  There is a 6 year age difference between them but they play together pretty well.  We went to the "How to train your dinosaur" movie on Saturday.  Pretty good, but graphic.  Some of the kids there got scared and cried.  Not mine, they laughed.  What does that say about us? 

After the boys went home on Sat. evening, I was able to get some transplanting done in the seedling room and then in the greenhouse.  I love this time of year, except the unstable weather does give me a migraine or two. 

Sunday has been overcast and chilly.  After tending the critters and the plants, I have been working on a quilt.  It has been a few years since I have quilted due to time issues.  I had hoped to get back to it sooner but Appleseed Farm has taken most of my time.  Now that I am staying at home, I should be able to eek out a little time each day for quilting. 

Another favorite past time is cooking.  Today I made the old favorite, chili.  Robert will be gone most of the week so this gives me soup for the week. 

Both of our kids are moving!  Both houses are covered in boxes.  Jennifer and Kenneth have found and bought their house, close on Thursday.  Steve and Erin continue the hunt but have to move soon as they have gotten rid of theirs.  Moving with toddlers, remember the days, glad they are over!!

Got to get to the greenhouse for some last minute transplanting before night.  Happy Spring to all.  Don't forget the giveaway.  If you haven't made a comment, you should do so.  The contest ends on the 31st.

See ya on the farm
Charlotte

THE OTHER FUTURE FARMERS OF APPLESEED FARM

Tucker and Lauren

As promised here are the other two most special little people in my life.  These are my son, Steve's kids.  I don't see them as often as I would like but as often as I can.  Tuck is spending the night with Nana and Papaw this week. He is on spring break. 

Lauren and Nana

(not a good pix of Nana but just keeping it real)

Lauren is not really into anything special.  She likes dressing up and changing her clothes a lot.  She is a snuggle bunny.  She is happiest when sitting on someone's lap, riding on your hip (esp. Mama).She is our little DIVA

And this is Tucker.  Rotten to the core.  He looks like his daddy.  He loves dinosaurs and sharks.  He is definitely all boy.  He likes to be on the farm and ride all the big boy toys. 

They are definitely the beating of my heart.  I love my kids but adore my grandkids.  Who knew they would be so fun?  It's a riot every time they come to play. I think we'll keep them!

Nana loves you both very much

See ya on the farm

Charlotte

LET'S SEE WHO'S OUT THERE

APPLESEED FARM GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the first day of spring, we are giving a jar of our special

POURAPIE

to a randomly drawn person.

All you have to do is leave a comment about your favorite baking time with your Nana (Grandma, Memaw, etc..) and you could win a jar of POURAPIE just for your family.

Go to our website at http://www.appleseedfarm.com/ and you will see just what POURAPIE is.  T

This is for my facebook fans as well.  Become a fan, come to the blog and leave a message.

Good Luck!!

See ya on the farm

Charlotte

Everything is Just Peachy --Or will be soon

SPRING IN THE MIDWEST

Hard to tell but that is a close up of peach buds.  Each one is swelling and will flower within a month or so.  That is when I get to play mass murderer and take the toilet brush to each limb and knock off as many flowers as I can.  I still can't believe I have to thin that much! 

Check out Miss Farm Girl in her "farm boots"  She wears them everywhere.  Even with a dress and pretty hair.  That's my girl!!

This is Wyatt, Sammmie's big brother.  He got his first buck this year.  Papaw was proud and I think a little more excited than Wyatt was. Deer hunting is a good activity when you live on a farm because it helps thin the herds.  They do such devestation to the crops and must be kept in check.  We also have to thin the coyotes.  They have even found their way into the chicken coop and decimated the hen population.

Next blog, I'll try for pictures of Tucker and Lauren, my other 2 grandbabies.  Love being a Nana!

See ya on the farm

Charlotte

WE ARE FAMOUS

2 years ago today, we at Appleseed Farm became famous.  This is the day that I "pitched" my PourAPie pie filling for their magazine contest.  About 75 or so women were chosen to come and tell the panel of editors from Country Living Magazine about our products, our lives, our stories in 3 minutes.  They then had 2 minutes to ask you questions.  That was the most nerve wracking 5 minutes of my life!  But, horray, we won for the food division.  In November of 2008 my picture and a little blurb about PourAPie was in the magazine.  Along with about 6 other women who also had fabulous products. 

Just imagine what else can happen when we step out of our comfort zone and brag a little about ourselves.  We just might become FAMOUS

See ya on the farm
Charlotte

Shh, don't tell. It's a secret

I'm SERIOUSLY thinking of adding angora goats to Appleseed Farm.

Only at this point, it is a secret from the male population on the farm, namely Robert, my husband.  He doesn't get very excited about critters.  He just sees the work. 

But I, on the other hand,  want them, SO guess what?  We'll probably get them

If you want to see what hooked me; go to http://fiberfarm.com/blog/page/2

Shepherd Susie had a set of twins born the other night.  Gotta get me some of those!!!

Let me know what you think. 

See ya on the farm,

Charlotte

ALL AROUND THE FARM

Here is the long awaited, previously promised farm update.  And, WOW, have we been busy.

The seedlings that were planted in late Jan and early Feb are now officially plants.  In fact, we sold several flats of them at the Master Gardeners Spring Seminar in Terre Haute Saturday.  We have pinched back basil at least twice already.  I have transplanted tomatoes twice and pushing toward the third soon.  I have to transplant eggplant today into a bigger container. 

I will be starting more seeds today for future shows and for our farm.  We plant several different times (succession plantings) to have fabulous local veggies to offer.  I also will be planting tomatoes and green beans in the heated greenhouse so that we have at least some veggies at the first farmers markets in June. 

The chickens are growing like weeds.  We bought new ones this spring and have them under warmer lights at Jennifers.  Sammie couldn't part with them so Jenn had to take them home and care for them.  DARN (lol).

We also had 3 ducks for Wyatt to show at the fair.  But they didn't make it, I suspect they caught a draft and got chilled.  They picked up a few more to try again.  Wyatt loves the poultry show at the local (Sullivan County, Indiana) 4-H fair.  Last year was his first year and he completed 14 projects!   Mommy is not going to let him sign up for so many this year. Live and learn, Mama.

Robert looked at a 6 row planter on Sunday but didn't buy it.  We are on the hunt for one if anyone knows where to find one that is reasonable.  I do plant most of everything by hand but as we grow and I age, that is becoming almost impossible.  We aren't getting too high tech but a 4 - 6 row planter would sure lighten the load a little bit. 

Orders are picking up for pie filling now.  Jan and Feb are always are slowest months on the farm for the value added merchandise.  That helps to have time to get caught up on the aprons and start the seeds.  Oh yeah, maybe pick up the house once in a while.  That seems to always come in last place on the to-do list.

The first 70 degree day we had last week, I spent 5 hours in one of the flower beds cleaning and guess what?  Yep, I got POISON IVY.  It is early March and I got poison ivy already.  Last year, I had it 14 times.  The doctor finally told me to pick another hobby, as if.  The flower beds are for several reasons.  One because I love to work in them, but they are also used to trial new plants and then we cut blooms and sell bouquets at farmers markets.  It's a win win for us.  Except the whole poison ivy thing.  That darn plant is making me forget my aversion to chemicals.

Oh yeah, the funeral home that I blogged about last time is going up for back taxes.  It can be gotten for just over 1000.00.  Any takers out there?  Never bought at a tax sale before but it seems easy enough.  Just contact the Sullivan County, Indiana courthouse and get the details.  Good Luck!

See ya on the farm

Charlotte

WHAT CAN BE DONE? ANYTHING - ENDLESS POSSIBLITIES

Here it is - the funeral home!!!

It was a little spooky going in the front door.  I have only been there before during times of loss but looking at this building in a whole new light didn't make the entry any easier. 

This is the outside

Looks just like a house, huh?

Family kitchen, kinda small but homey.

Unfortunately, it was just down the hall from this room

Yep, you guessed it,  this is the scarey room.  The one that no one gets to see in a funeral home. And just down the hall, literally 25 feet from the kitchen.  I bet a man designed it!

Anyway, it has a beautiful staircase, as you can see

Sorry for the sideview.  Just turn your head upside down!

There were 3 bedrooms upstairs.  Nice size rooms.  I knew the family that used to live here when the father was the undertaker.  I could not imagine sleeping just upstairs from a coffin.  What is worse, once the kids moved out, the bedrooms became coffin show rooms.  The racks are still in them.  The saving grace for this is that the floors are solid.  Those caskets are heavy.

Now, use your imagination.  That beautiful woodwork, the craftsmanship.  Once you get past the history, the skys the limit on possibilities. 

Let me know what you think.  I think a bed and breakfast, maybe a gift shop.  Tear off the front "funeral home" part and add a beautiful wooden porch.  WOW!

Anyway, updates on the farm next post.

Until then,

See ya on the farm

Charlotte

Picture Day, Yeah

Finally got the pictures on a disk.  So as promised - pictures!!!

First:  SEEDLING ROOM

It is small but a great place to start the seeds.  I have moved a few to the greenhouse, now that it is cleaned up and ready for action. That takes us to:

Number #2:  The Greenhouse (before)

Isn't that horrible?  But it does look better now.  And finally;

Sammie

Can you believe how big she has gotten? 

I'll post more soon, funeral home, plants, farm pictures, etc...

See ya on the farm,

Charlotte