Last post of 2009!

It has been one of those years and I am glad to see it end on one hand, melancholy on the other… I learned a lot this year and I am thankful for the memories.

I learned how to make cheese this year as you know, and I learned the joys and difficulties of owning a cow.   (We get about a gallon and a half a day, so I have been making and unfortunately ruining lots of cheese!)   Right now I have cottage cheese sitting for the required 16 hours on the stove.  

I also learned how to make soap and found it to be less daunting than I expected!  (In fact I loved it!)

What was daunting was setting up the Farm Store (whose idea was that anyway??)!  But it is done, albeit with a few kinks and wrinkles, and is shoppable!  Here’s a peak at the last update before 2010!

If you happen to be interested there is a storewide sale!  20% off when you enter the code “LC2009”

Happy New Year!!!

Phatfiber Samples

The Emerald City Batts: Wool, Firestar and Glitz

The White Witch Batts: Romney, Silk and Firestar

They will be listed in the Farm Store soon.

The Other Side of Christmas

Finally we are done with all of our Christmas planning, events, and to do’s.  That means that I can do some relaxing this week.  I think I have earned it!

It is cold here in Michigan and we surrounded by snow.  I envy those who love this weather, especially since it lasts much longer than summer!   I find the dreary cold days very depressing…

and I look forward to the sun!   Mama Cow doesn’t seem to mind the cold though.  She much prefers being outside in the pasture to being left in her nice warm stall.

I will be spending the day inside updating the Farm Store a bit (today’s update is yarn!) and then a rousing game of War of the Ring with my kids.  

At the last minute…

I love Christmas but boy do I feel like I am behind the eight ball this year!   I am spending today cleaning the house and preparing the menu for our Christmas Eve party.    I love to go all out and generally buy a magazine with Christmas recipes but this year I decided to see if Allrecipes.com had what I needed.

They did!  We are having lots of yummy stuff including brie cheese (although I am sad to say that my cheesemaking skills haven’t been perfected enough to make my own).   Although, I will have to buy the brie, I do have Pepper Jack and Cheddar Cheese aging in the basement just waiting for the festive day!

I did take a bit to update the store for the last time before Christmas.   I can’t believe 2009 is almost over!!

Merry Christmas!!

The year in review…

It’s been a long, hard year (for more than just me I am afraid).   But…we made it!  And no worse for the wear!   Here are some highlights from the year:

 

It was a year of firsts…

My first chickens

My first cow

My first parrot (which turned into eight!)

and it was a year of learning….

I learned how to make cheese.

I learned the value of slow food.

I learned that now matter how much you want to give in, give up, or give out…you still have to do chores in the morning…and it’s worth it.

If there were words…

 

to adequately describe how fabulous my secret santa package from Marilla of Moonlight and Laughter was, I’d use them. 

I hope by now you have heard of Phatfiber.  I wonder if you know what a great group of women it is…

Thank you Marilla for the time you put into this package!

Dark chocolate is my favorite…

BFL in her Fire on the Mountain Colorway and it is stunning!

Milk Fiber in another beautiful colorway! 

How did she know my son broke my favorite mug?

Isn’t this a cute notepad?

oooh…..what’s this?

…salt and pepper shakers!!!

Aunt Dimity!!!  I LOVE Aunt Dimity!!!!

Handmade soap :)

and finally some pretty beads!

Wow, huh?

Milking time….

The Resident 9 year old has decided that she can milk the cow all by herself, thank you very much!

She gets the cow from the pasture, locks her the stanchion and finishes the milking in about 20 minutes.   She is very proud to be doing this all on her own!

 

 

 

 

When she finishes milking she is also in charge of straining the milk and cleaning up.   What a wonderful 9 year old!

 

Don’t worry, the barn cats are always there to supervise (and so is mom!)

I am a Secret Santa!! (among other things….)

First up (a day late!  Sorry we are buried under snow.)…

My Secret Santa package for the Phatfiber group:

Here’s what I included:

There’s the cookbook pictured above…

A Charlie Brown Christmas Coffee Mug…

 

 

 

A leaf tape measure (you really can’t have enough…I hope)..

 

 

A bag full of batt bits, there is Tussah Silk, Firestar and Merino…

 

 

 

And finally, in the corner a ball of soysilk.

 

 

 

The work on the online store is harder than I expected but I am getting there.   Soon you will be able to shop directly from www.countingsheepfarm.com.  Here is a sneak peak of some of the goodies going in the store:

Do ya want to wave?

I got in to google wave as I mentioned on my last post and I have two (just two …) invites left.   So…if you would like one just leave a comment and I will randomly select winners from those who leave a comment.   Winners will be chosen tomorrow!  Remember I need a way to contact you…

Google Wave…

What is it?   Well, I am not really sure…but I am on it!   Now if only I knew how to use it… At any rate how do you like my profile pic?

Old Man Winter

It wasn’t all that realistic I know, but…I really did hope you weren’t coming.  It is odd because my husband loves you with your blustery mornings and tempestuous snow storms.   My kids seem to enjoy you too.  In fact they are outside now, celebrating your return.  They happily donned all the required winter equipment and will probably be outside for hours.  Not me.  I will hide in the house.

I will hide in the house and occasionally glower out the window, wishing you had waited just a bit longer.  Eventually duty will call and I will trudge outside and begrudgingly acknowledge your stunning beauty.  I am sorry to be such a sourpuss but it just seemed fair that since summer never really came this year, you shouldn’t either…