High Button Shoe

October 15

...leaves are falling, covering the yards, the smell of wood smoke is in the air, the house is nice and warm with the wood stove burning, and its soft whirring sound could easily make one want to curl up under a blanket to nap. Outside it is yet another day of rain, which is predicted for the entire week, until Friday when it is supposed to SNOW again. October 12th we had snow, October 13th we REALLY had snow! Several inches of heavy wet snow. Enough to coat those tree branches that still had leaves with enough weight to cut power lines. So in addition to that drated white stuff, we didn't have any power. While annoying so early in the season, I must admit it did cast a different light in the rooms of the house which I often find beautiful with the first snows. However, like nail polish, that quickly wears off. And that was the case Friday as the house continued to cool down. I even had to find my old grey hunting socks to put on barefeet, as the power outage continued into hours. Our wood stove burns wood of course, but the air is forced to the house by the electric. No electric, no heat. After several hours of mumbling to myself, and wishing I had my snow tires on, so I could at least get off this hill, I decided instead of sitting around looking at the mounting up snow, to do something productive and got to work. Bundled up to be sure, but still working. The power eventually came back on, but my internet provider didn't. That has been down all weekend. Razzle-frazzle, bad word, bad word.....

With my admitted, extreme limited computer knowledge, I considered reading the manual (un-huh, you know how far THAT thought got!) or throw myself on the mercy of Beulah & Brian, who came to my rescue yesterday, only to tell me nothing wrong with computer...I hadn't clicked on anything I shouldn't, but indeed the provider was down. He often is! But I was able to get my pictures and descriptions uploaded for crow soup and for that I was grateful. Being released late last night, we can be found at www.crowsoup.com/Market586.php

We have temporarily reduced the price of Cubbitt Trapchat the Crow. He is awesome and well worth your crow fetish consideration! A pattern from Kentucky Primitives, who is an awesome designer, Cubbitt is some crow!

We are featuring Mrs Seeleys' handmade red mittens. A friend of 30 years, she has provided me with handmade mittens for my kids and grandkids, and then several years ago after seeing an old style walk in fireplace in a Christmas book, that had a swag of small red mittens hanging on line with old clothespins stretched across the old stones, I commissioned her to make me hundreds of pairs, over the years, of small red mittens which I have had at least 8 of, hanging on my fireplace ever since. With an aged, ill husband, her mittens were often a large part of their income. Sadly Ed died this past summer and when I went to his wake at their old farmhouse, Peggy, surrounded by a large family and neighborhood of people who loved both of them and who probably all have worn her mittens, smiled and laughed at all the mittens she has made for me for the past many years. They still look great hanging on the fireplace or just sitting on a table. Great price on them!

Also, we have lumina pumpkins, old style toys, garlands of dried gourds & dried squash.

We still have plenty of the antique grass harvested this past summer that is great to put in bowls or baskets. And linen flax that looks absolutely stunning just laying in a bowl. We have a limited supply of dried corn, which is about as primitive as you can get sitting in a bowl, or tucked in a cupboard.

We have been working on redoing the website since Beu and me came back from Tennessee and with the final closing of the shop. We have changed graphics, took off the shop pictures, and our house tour ( I will be updating them soon, but right now everything is a mess!) Trying to empty the shop and the barns, or at least get them all organized has proved to be a lengthy, often frustrating feat to say the least. Realizing now, as I counted the months, I only have 5 months to get a good handle on this getting rid of stuff, I had a mild hyperventilation, thinking of all the work ahead of us. Thankfully, we don't HAVE to be out of this house at any given time. How people move in a months notice is totally beyond me.

To aid, hopefully, in reducing stock of the shop, we will soon be showing some antique smalls. We have some great antiques that are still easily shipped. Much of the bigger stuff, I am opting to keep! I have some great furniture pieces that are in the shop. So continue to check the website as we will be uploading these smalls as we can.

This weekend, unless that predicted snow of Friday gets too deep, the plan is to remove the big white cupboard from my living room and take it to the old house, thru an opening Ronnie has cut in the house and now has tarp over. It is too big to go thru any openings. Then the French doors go into place. This foul weather we have had for what seems like weeks has put a serious crunch in outside work, that we usually do this time of year. Always behind, it seems, this year I am 'behinder' yet!

I did on one fairly decent day, get my irrigation system for the garden, which consists of enough hoses to stretch a mile down the road, I think, all properly drained (to wind up and take into the basement for the winter) and as I had them draped over every conceivable high spot to drain, happened to look down on my gourd crop in the open garden. To my horror, I noticed 'white'. I should NOT be seeing anything white. Tromping down the side hill, in disgust, I found that the deer that had only circled the gourd garden all spring and summer, and leading me into a false security, that my vast gourd crop was safe from eating, was indeed faulty thinking! Not only do they eat 1/2 of many of them, they just stand and munch on some, so only a few bites are taken out, but still rendering the gourd useless. Drated deer! In retaliation (un-huh, like that works..) with every tootsie roll enhanced part of my body aching from my hose duty, I proceeded to pick all the gourds that were spared and dragged them up to the enclosed fenced in garden and spread them out on the ground. By the time, we finished, spread out wasn't the word, just dumped! As the knowledgeable old farmer who lives on this farm with me tells me, deer won't jump a fence if they don't have a 6' clearance to come down in. To create a NON 6' area, I took old chairs I normally leave out all winter and we made barriers. Then took the old white banisters that I have put in the gardens and draped them over the chairs. OK, deer! See if you can get my gourds now. IF I even MENTION a garden to you next spring, remind me of all the varmits that live around here that make my life as a gardener so unpredictable. Or more accurately Predictable...., if it can be eaten, it WILL be eaten.

I am not doing any shows this fall, or having any events, but I do want to remind you of a show that merits any long drive and a trip to the bank for cash. Candy Looker and Max (and Amy) are hosting the Simple Goods show on November 4th at Mt Vernon, Ohio. All information is on their website, www.simplegoods.net . They have a killer roster of exhibitors, of both primitive antiques and folk art. Several of the exhibitors have websites so you can see the items in advance. Weary of long drives in unpredictable northern weather, sadly I am not attending. If anything this past week and our very early snow season has only reinforced my staying closer to home from November thru March. Max, by the way, has recovered from her very scary illness and I want to especially thank all of you who prayed for her and her family. She was diagnosed with a rare hereditary disease "magnesium losing enteropathy". It was a long scary haul, but Candy tells me Max is doing good.

Ok, that's about it from the farm. We are busy, busy! I am waiting with some impatience for Indian Summer to come, but not holding my breath. I dislike the dark gloomy days, but find a pot of coffee, soft lighting, a candle burning, 2 old ticking clocks, that wood stove's soft whirring sound comfort. Fall, whether I like it or not is definitely here. I did find boots I like, and bought 2 pairs of the other day, so I am at least prepared in that respect. And have dragged out my Arctic packs, which I have already worn ( IN OCTOBER...) but have yet to find 2 matching pairs of gloves. Drats! I suppose that means I will be stuck under the back seat of the truck trying to find the other ones. OR worse yet, in the front room closet. WHY I ever put anything in there I will never know. Some intruder always steals in and manages to make off with 1/2 of one pair of everything I put in there! That closet is on my list of things to do this winter. Very close to the BOTTOM of the list, but on the list, never the less. Along with patience, I also lack good closet skills.....

Thanks for asking to be a part of the farm!

If you decide NOT to, just send me an "unsubscribe" and at least your first name, as you are mostly listed by first name in the list....

in fond regard,

Tilda, hater of snow and

out of tootsie rolls (probably a good thing....)