Farmgirl putting up

Yesterday Miriam came over to help me with my pears. I am so glad she did. We canned 35 quarts and still have a bushel box left to do. She is coming back this afternon to help me.


I have to go to the store and pick up lids, sugar and candies.
I may make some pear jam or butter. Not sure.
I want to try the peppermint pears and maybe cinnimon spiced. Again I will go where I feel led to go with that!
I think that is what society is really missing. The gathering together to get a job done mentality. It seems to me that people are out just for themselves and if they aren't gaining something they aren't helping. It's really sad. I am so greatful for miriam that she would take her time and drive 40 minutes to come help me can and she's willing to come again today!
I hope to have another pic of my finished pears. Un til the next post...

Saturday sewing

I finished my girlfriends apron. She gave me a pair of her Hubby's jeans and I made an apron from one leg. The stain on the apron is from his greasy knee. I was going to put the pocket over the grease but T said it's Art's grease. So it remains out in the open.

I also used my pinkeep that I made myself with material scraps and an old candle stick holder.

Today I made a few apple pies for the church dinner and a batch of chocolate chip cookies.
I'm going to go up to the sewing room again and work on some bowl fillers and scented sachets. I want to have gifty things made for the unexpected gift exchange or as a hostess gift.

Farmgirl return

I've been really busy. Canning freezing and working the farm stuff. Family issues and weekly therapy sessions take up so much time. I just got my newest MaryJane's Farm Magazine. I want to make some of the ornaments she has listed. She has a whole list of holiday beverages also. The alcoholic kind. If I hadn't stopped drinking, I'd try out a few of those two!
I'm going to try to post pics of my critters. I bought a calf six weeks ago. I saw a sign on the way to a Dr. Appt. Jersey Bull Calves $20. So I stopped and bought one. Then I had to get milk replacer and a bottle at tractor supply. I took Beth back to school and came home for the big van. I called my husbands uncle. I said " I bought something and I need help getting it home." He swore a bit and then agreed to help. I drove the van to his house and he drove it to the farm and backed it up to the barn. I helped load the calf in the van and we came home. I used a dog leash to unload the calf from the van and walked/dragged the calf to the goat pen. Once I had him settled I called Hubby and told him what I bought. I fully expected him to throw a fit because we really weren't prepared for a calf but instead he said why didn't you buy two. So now I have Moo Moo the calf. We knew we had to castrate him so we bought a banding tool and now he is a steer.
That is something else I learned. A cow is female and grows into a heifer. A Bull is a male unless you castrate him, then he's a steer. I figure if it moos it's a cow. But you can't talk like that around other farm people, it annoys them.
So for the past six weeks I have gotten up every morning to give the calf a bottle and then again at night. It takes one 50lb bag of milk replacer to feed a calf for eight weeks.
He is now finished with the bottle but he still sucks on everything. It was funny when my daughter went out to help and the calf was trying to eat her butt and suck on her elbows.


I have a system. I throw scratch to the chickens so I can get in the gate, toss food to the goats so I can harness the calf. I bring the calf out of the fence to the field so he can eat grass all day. Now I just have problems with the goats because they have figured a way to get out of the fence and they visit the calf.
So that is what's going on now. I hope to post pics of baby bunnies next week. If all goes well and she has a litter and doesn't kill any of them.