Like Nana Like Granddaughter

I hated to sew when I was young.  My Mom is not a good teacher.  Oh, she can sew anything but to tell you how to do it is more than she can take.  I learned to quilt by hand because I couldn't stand not being perfect at sewing on the machine.  I learned from my Mom and "taught"  Jennifer the same way.  She hated it as a child as well.  Well, lesson learned.

That is Sam with me at the sewing machine.  She is helping me make a quilt for her new room.  I'm sure it would go much faster if I just did it myself but it sure wouldn't be as much fun.  She just smiles and giggles the whole time we are sewing.  I love it!

Sew something fun today or just do something fun today with your grandchildren.  They aren't little near long enough.  Sam turned 3 on June 23.

See ya on the farm
Charlotte

Female Farmers Rule!!!

I just read the book "Bucolic Plague".  It is a book about 2 life partners (both men) who buy an abandoned mansion that has already been restored and become gentlemen farmers.  Great book but big freakin deal.

I have a life partner who happens to be a man.  I chucked my business life and become a female farmer.  I clean chicken coops, muck stalls, plant and maintain a market garden, have a business (appleseedfarm.com) (they have a goat soap business).  They do live in New York and have to travel over 3 hours every weekend to their farm.  But I have kids and grandkids that keep me busy.  I win that round.  I cook, can, preserve, hunt and eat the game meat (mostly deer).  I sew, quilt, heck I have even taken a spinning class with a real spinning wheel. 

Now to top it all off, they are going to have a reality show, Beekman Boys. (The author says it sounds better that fag farmers, I did laugh at that one)  I live a reality show.  We probably don't have the drama that they do.  After all, my life partner (husband) was not a drag queen before we were married.  I've known him my whole life so I would have known if he was.

This book was a great read.  I couldn't put it down.  And congratulations to them for succeeding.  They did have some help from Martha Stewart who one of then worked for before he got canned.  He is the actual doctor that gave advice on Martha's show. 

So if anyone is listening out there, I am available for a reality show audition, a segment on the Martha, Rachel, Oprah, Ellen, etc.., just a boost is what we need.   After all, we did make it in an issue of Country Living Magazine.  Call me....

See ya on the farm
Charlotte

Back from a spontaneous vacation

Yep, vacation,  I know, I know, this is the craziest time in the world for a market farmer to go on vacation but it just came up, so we went.  We worked like a demon before we left to get everything as ready as possible and then took off for 10 days.  My husband just said "come on, let's go"  so we did. 

OK OK Where did we go...well, it was very impromptu.  We had tickets to the Biltmore (the huge mansion in Asheville, NC) for Wed. but no plan before that.  We just left Sunday morning and didn't look back.  Ok, in my mind's eye, I looked back and asked the weeds to please not grow while we were gone.  They didn't listen. 

First stop:  Pigeon Forge, TN.  We like this little community, haven't been there in about 10 years.  WOW, did it grow.  We did several of the touristy things:  stayed in a Christmas hotel (kind of cool but hard to imagine Christmas in May), went to the Titanic museum, a dinosaur museum, a magic house and finally Dollywood.  I was very disappointed in Dollywood.  Very expensive about $120.00 for 2 people to get in and then everything was costly.  We had a small slushy (kool aid) that cost 14.35 for 2.  Not much to see or do there.  I highly suggest that you visit Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana instead.  Cheaper to get in, clean environment, 2 parks (water and rides for the price of 1 ticket), free soft drinks, sun screen.  Just a really nice place.

Second Stop:  Asheville NC.  I need to start this one with I DO NOT SHOP.  Hard to believe I know, being a woman and all but shopping is not a favorite past time of mine.  That is all there is to do there besides the Biltmore.  We took a side trip to an Indian reservation and gambled at the casino.  Lost our pants but hey it was cool in there and fun to boot. 

Third Stop:  Biltmore:  Ultracool.  That has to be the biggest darn house I have ever seen.  Wonderful craftsmanship, beautiful furnishings.  If you go definitely spring for the audio tour.  It is well worth the extra $10.00.  Less impressed with the gardens.  It probably was just not what I was expecting.  They were pretty, don't get me wrong.  But I thought I would take one look and be speechless.  Yes, it does happen. But no.  Mine are not as elaborate but would rate right up there with theirs.  The newest addition is Antler Hill Farm.  A definite touist trap.  Got money - go there.  It is on the Biltmore estate and is supposed to be a "look back in time"  kind of thing.  Again less than impressive.  But I did hear some comments from "city" kids who had never seen some of this stuff before, so well worth the effort by the Biltmore people. 

It is hard to believe that this is a private owned home.  It has been in the same family for generations.  There is a small video there showing the generations and what they have contributed to the estate.  It is worth the time to watch.

Fourth Stop:  Friends house in Pearisburg, VA.  How many people do you know that you can just knock on their door and say we spending the night and not have them freak out?  Brad and Ellen are just those kind of friends.  We spent a nice quiet evening chatting, got up and left for Colonial Williamsburg in VA.

I took lots of pictures but as this is a super long post already. I'll stop the recap now and pick up later.  I will also post pics as soon as I get them on a disk.

Thanks for waiting on me to get back.  Farmers markets starts tomorrow.  We will have goodies from the bakery and raspberries from the farm.  Nothing else is ready to go as of yet but I'm suspecting tomatoes by next week. Fingers crossed.

See ya on the farm
Charlotte