Joyful Christmas!

Taking a Christmas Break

(A photo from our ice storm Sunday.)

 

 

Things are so busy here at The Sticks that I am going to take a Christmas break from blogging.  When I'm back in January I'll have new recipes to share, project updates, more stories from The Pilgrimage to MN and WI, updates on Little Bird & Little Hoss... and much more.

 

I wish for blessings of this season of Jesus' birth for you and yours.

 

Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year!!!

Photo Album: From the road trip

There are always good photos taken along the trip that don’t make it into a blog.  The ‘Pilgrimage’ trip is no different.  So here are some of the ones I’d like to share –

 

 

Corn shocks in an Amish farmer’s field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful autumn fields.

 

 

Ponds… thawed…

 

 

and frozen.

 

 

 

 

More autumn.

 

 

OK…not a great shot but he was fun to see!

 

 

First snow geese I’ve ever seen.

 

 

Snow geese flying in a V.

 

 

 

A friend’s barn cats.

 

 

 

Lovely horses.

 

 

 

Faded flowers

 

 

 

And a faded home.

Favorites: Roadside Produce Stands

One of my favorite roadside stops during traveling is at a local produce/fruit stand.  Not only do you get to sample different fresh local produce, it gives you a chance to visit with people from the area. 

 

 

This stand is on the large side…but it was still a fun stop.

 

 

There were so many apple varieties available to purchase!

 

 

Most were packed in bags with each variety in a different section of the large tables.  There were also small baskets with each variety for you to taste.

 

 

Want more than a little bag?  There were bushel boxes for sale too.

 

 

 

I always look for a variety I’ve never had.  This year it was “Ambrosia”.  I got several bags and sent one to Missouri for the babies.  They are very good and do hold up to baking nicely.

 

 

Besides produce, this stand had a bakery.  Their apple cider donuts were fantastic, as were the turnovers.

 

 

There were also many handmade items for sale, such as this quilt.

 

 

Outside were pumpkins and gourds.

 

 

In a separate area caramel candied apples were being dipped. 

 

 

Himself sneaked back in and snagged one of those caramel apples! 

 

Yep…it was a good stop!!

Bogarting the Kindle

When I bought my new Kindle, I knew there would be all sorts of uses for it that I had no idea of.

 

 

But I never ever thought it would be bogarted by Little Bird and Himself!

 

 

They sure had a good time with it.

 

 

Hmmmmm… what were they up to?

 

 

Ahh-ha!  Little Bird got her uncle into a game of ‘Dress the Mermaid’!

 

 

Not bad, Little Bird…not bad at all!

 

(There are quite a few free games like this available on Kindle that both of the kids enjoy.)

Thanksgiving Prayer

Fruit of the Vine

I love going to ‘pick your own’ gardens.  I’ve picked apples, peaches, berries of all sorts and while in Wisconsin I had the chance to go to a pick your own grape vineyard!  We went to Oakwood Fruit Farm in Richland Center, Wisconsin.  http://www.oakwoodfruitfarm.com/

 

 

Look at all these Concord grapes!

 

 

Just beautiful! 

 

 

A perfect illustration of ‘bearing good fruit’.

 

 

We didn’t pick a lot since we didn’t have any place to store them.  But the few we did get were delicious. 

 

I wish I could get such close to home.  I’d love to try making my own grape jelly!