The Counting Sheep Farm

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

2012-02-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

I know, it isn’t even March yet but my daughter and I are Irish Dancers and I am a Conley. Our first St. Patrick’s Day performance is the 25th of February so yeah, I am thinking of St. Patrick’s Day Crafts.

Here are a few the kids and I will be doing:

Shamrock Boutonnieres

Celtic Cross

Welcome Shamrock

Shamrock Pin

Memories of Summer…

2012-02-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

In the Quiet…

2012-02-15T09:09:00.001-08:00

Life has been busy but I have been quiet. The days are dreary and that makes me a bit more introspective. I have a few lovely things to add to the store, projects to knit, sewing projects at the ready, and the housekeeping calls but it seems all I can do is watch the snow fall. It is a only a season and it will pass so I have learned not to fight it. This quiet look inside seems to be necessary. So I sit silent and listen waiting for God to speak.

It’s all on sale!

2012-02-03T12:06:00.001-08:00

Use the code “sunshine” for 15% off at www.countingsheepfarm.etsy.com.

See ya in a couple of days :) My sister is in town so the blogging has been put on hold.

So….Do you wanna win something?

2012-01-25T07:52:00.001-08:00

I have a skein up for grabs of the new colorway Secrets. You want it?

Ohhh Shiny! Of course you want it! You do want it don’t you?

Well to get it you need to visit this thread and follow the instructions for a chance to win

Getting Phat for February

2012-01-24T09:49:00.001-08:00

February’s Phatfiber theme is Lady’s Boudoir.

So I decided to name this yarn Secrets….because every lady has her secrets. Boudoir or not!

Secrets is 50/50 Merino Tencel fingering weight yarn and has 400 yards per skein.

Casting on!

2012-01-23T12:07:00.001-08:00

So far so good….I have been working on the Rhiannon Sock and let me tell it was a bit hard getting started.

After the rib row the directions instruct you to purl through the back loop 4 times without dropping the stitches. THEN purl through the front loop 4 times. Holy knitting acrobatics batman!

Wanna knit along with us?

Oreo

2012-01-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

I promised to introduce you to Oreo eons ago. But I didn’t. Sorry.

Oreo is an English Shepherd. English Shepherd are wonderful herding dogs and we are in love.

"A farmer's helper, a loyal companion, a child's shadow:
The English Shepherd." from englishshepherd.org

Why I should be on the S.O.A.P Team…

2012-01-18T09:04:00.001-08:00

or please oh please pick me!

What is the S.O.A.P team? It is a panel of 8 (only 8! ahhhh!) people that help BrambleBerry.com pick 2 new fragrances for Summer 2012. Interested? Click here for more details.

Now back to my shameless plea….

The first part of the application is to talk about your favorite Bramble Berry fragrance. Easy…my favorite is Spellbound Woods. Scent is all about ambiance for me, it needs to take me somewhere for me to love it. Spellbound Woods does just that. I smell it and I am sent into the deep dark forest hiding from wolves in my red cloak. (I have a vivid imagination.) I love the depth of the scent, I seem to be able to feel the soil rich with leaves and there is something else…somewhere there are flowers blooming I think. It is faint but just enough.

The second part is a list of why I should be on the panel…

I love scent. It makes me happy. It makes me sad. It moves me in many directions.
I can be clever, making it easier for me to give good descriptions.
I work well with deadlines.
I love to make soap.
I am honest.
I have been making soap for about 2 years. Long enough that I can make a good bar of soap but not so long that I am an expert. Because I am bit on the new side I will see things that a more skilled soap maker may miss because they automatically know how to work around it.
I have 8 kids, it will be great to have an excuse to make soap because I have to!
I really, really want to be on the panel!

Shameless plea over. Have a great day everyone!

Knit Some Socks~!

2012-01-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

Over on Ravelry we are doing a sock knitalong. The only rule is that it has to be a challenge.

I decided to do Rhiannon Socks by Cookie A. I have owned this pattern for YEARS and even cast it on once. There is a tricky bit when the cuff folds over and I got stuck. Like forever stuck.

I am using the Flying Monkeys colorway from the Wizard of Oz fiber/yarn club.

Feel free to pop over and join us!

Ile De France Sheep

2012-01-16T15:51:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned yesterday, we travelled to Iowa to pick up a full blood Ile De France Ram.

Jacques is 9 months and is 100% Ile De France. That is important because the breed is relatively new to the US and there are not many of these guys yet. A program has recently been developed however so that full blood and percentage Ile De France sheep can be registered in the United States.

Ile De France Sheep (named after the region where they were developed) are a cross between Merino and Dishley Leicester breeds and are the main meat breed in France. They adapt well to any environment, both hot and cold and make good use of any forage that is available to them.

Although known mostly for their meat confirmation and maternal instincts the wool they produce is between 25-29 microns and a staple length of roughly 4 inches making them a dual purpose breed.

Jacques

2012-01-15T13:43:00.000-08:00

We are on our way home from Iowa with our new full blood Ile De France ram. Because of the low numbers of full blood Ile De France sheep in the United States we were lucky to find him.

Phatfiber Theme: Lux

2012-01-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

I barely made it under the wire, but I did make it!

The sample pictured above is Crushed Velvet and each sample skein is a 75 yard skein. You can do a lot with 75 yards!

For example…

An iPod Sock

A headband

Or this headband

or socks that aren’t quite…

For more patterns click here.

If you want the yarn click here.

Something finished!

2012-01-14T10:20:00.000-08:00

Whew! It feels good to be done

(please ignore the double chin….I’m working on that)

This lovely cowl was knit using the LTYC Petal Soft Hooded Cowl pattern and the Citrus Trees Superwash Merino Yarn.

The Latest and Greatest…

2012-01-13T11:04:00.001-08:00

I have updated the etsy store!

Crushed Velvet Hand Dyed Merino/Tencel, 400 yards

Citrus Trees Superwash Merino, 420 yards

Diamonds for Christmas Sock blend, 4 ounces

Diamonds for Christmas Merino/Tencel, 400 yards

Well, hello there!

2012-01-12T11:50:00.001-08:00

Wow, is it really 2012?

As is typical when a new year comes around I have revisited my goals. This year I decided to make some crafty goals. One of those goals is to start learning to make lace.

This is my first project. It will get better with time and practice, right?

I started on a second bee so that I am work on those things that I thought would make the going easier. For instance this time around I used beeswax on the thread.

I have a list of several other projects that I want to work on and I think my best bet is to “schedule” them!

Here’s my crafty goal list for 2012:

Complete one weaving project
Sew at least once a week
Complete one rug hooking project
Finish all my knitting WIP
Make curtains for the living room
Complete one bobbin lace project

What are your crafty goals for 2012?

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T17:52:00.001-08:00

The little ones and I are in Memphis visiting my sister and her brand new baby!

We spent the day at the Memphis Zoo enjoying 50 degree temperatures during December!

We saw lions, and tigers and bears! Oh my!

And a hippo :)

As we marveled at God’s creation (I mean really, how cool are Mandarin Ducks???) I couldn’t help but think of the season and all that it means. How amazing that a God so creative, so thoughtful, so full of glory would come as a baby...in a manager…to live and die for us.

May your Christmas and New Year’s celebrations be blessed!

Casting On…

2011-12-17T17:56:00.000-08:00

I love this latest yarn. I have yet to name it but as soon as I do I promise to list it in the store.

I want to make slippers. In fact I had finally decided on these. But the checkout got all wonky and wouldn’t let me pay. And I really, really wanted to make them.

So I went with these. You can’t beat free.

A plan for feeding the kids…

2011-12-16T10:01:00.001-08:00

I went back to my old stand by:

drumroll please…

The Weekly Menu!

I really, really wish there was an app for this.

I am feeling particularly motivated to occupy the kitchen again.

I have a sponge started for homemade bagels.

I am simmering the cooking the chicken and vegetables part of Chicken Soup.

And I have made up with my sourdough starter.

Sometimes we break….

2011-12-16T09:47:00.001-08:00

There a little things and then there are big things…

things that get out of hand, things that are difficult, things that confuse us…things that hurt.

All.these.things.

They come at us daily and we dodge them and deflect them and catch them and do all that the thing of the moment seems to require.

And sometimes, maybe most of the time, we do quite well…

Then other times

We break.

Not because we are not strong enough but because we forget to bend.

Hi-Yah!!!!!

2011-12-06T05:20:00.001-08:00

Three of my kids take Karate at the local school.

Recently Josiah started having some issues at home. Not huge but it was obvious that he needed some direction. Josiah has autism and does really well but it takes patience to teach him new things.

I am happy to say that now Josiah is also taking karate and doing well! (He is dragging mom and his sister Twila along for the ride.) Mom, however is worn out. completely.

Oh, Oh an update on the diet: I lost 3lbs! Yay!

Have you checked the Ravelry contest out yet? You should!

Scavenger Hunt Contest!!

2011-12-03T07:34:00.001-08:00

We are doing a different type of challenge. The prize is a Farm Fresh Care Package which will include 4 ounces of fiber or yarn, a bar of handmade soup and 4 ounces of raw honey from our hives.

The details are all here.

I have this:

2011-11-30T17:31:00.001-08:00

(this is an Ashford Electric Spinner, the jury is out as to whether I spin faster with it or not…)

So I spun this:

(this is 100% Pygora)

And this:

(this is a Heinz 57 yarn…everything is in it)

and that:

(that was my first attempt to n ply on the new e-spinner. It didn’t go well but we made friends in the end.)

Because My Husband Asked…

2011-11-29T08:26:00.001-08:00

for pictures of our chickens, I thought a blogpost was in order. :)

This is Scrapper. She is some sort of Silkie mix a friend gave me because of my fondness for Silkie Chickens. She works well in our free range group because her eyes are not covered like a full Silkie’s would be. Oh and did I mention her name is Scrapper? There is a reason for that.

This is Rudy. He is an Icelandic chicken. I suspect that a bit of Silkie is in there too. I intended to kept the breed pure but didn’t think it through when I put them with the Silkie crosses. (You are shocked aren’t you? Those who know me know I rarely think it through) You see the Silkies are great for sitting on the eggs BUT the eggs they lay are the same color and I can’t tell which are which. ::Le Sigh::

Here is the chicken congregation. I am not sure what the meeting was about, they are got quiet when I showed up. As you see we have more mutts; lesson learned. However, they still lay a good amount of eggs and keep the mosquito population down in the summer.

Here you see our Icelandic Rooster Yosemite Sam and the other Silkie that’s been causing all the trouble, Alice. Perhaps that is what the meetings about….must be serious if they let the roosters in.

Our two Icelandic Hens, Henny Penny and Twig.

I asked the ewe lambs what was going on but they wouldn’t talk…

And the calves were no help either. I doubt the chickens were discussing the need to bring more bottles of milk, however insistent these two are.

I’m Fat…

2011-11-28T11:52:00.001-08:00

Yes. It’s true. 30 lbs true. Time to do.something. Soooo…today I started the Body by Vi challenge. Yes, I have done it all before. I feel like a smoker who is trying to quit, you just gotta keep trying.

In the interest of playing along here’s a before picture:

Please don’t snicker, jeer and point…it isn’t nice. really.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist. And honestly, I am a little afraid.

I will let you know how it goes. My goal is to update daily….yikes!

Here’s something a little less depressing though:

A yarny update! www.countingsheepfarm.etsy.com

What’s with all the updates you ask?

Well, I’ll tell ya! I’m broke. There you have it: I’m fat and I’m broke. Geez you guys are brutal!

Filling up the store!

2011-11-26T15:16:00.001-08:00

I would like to thank everyone for being patient while I dealt with the crisis our family was going through. Now it is time to get back to work though!

Today’s update includes hand carded batts that I have dizzed into roving.

First I carded the batts, sending them thru the carder several times to evenly blend the fibers together.

Then I ran them thru a diz to make them super spinnable! I have found that newbie are often hesitant to try batts because they are quite sure how to draft them. That’s quite a shame because batts make wonderful yarn.

Each batt to roving was then braided to keep the fiber in order, again to make the spinning easier.

I have also added some beautiful Suri Alpaca locks.

As always, you can find it all here.

I didn’t get up early…

2011-11-25T19:17:00.001-08:00

but I still got loot!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving. It was nice to have the whole family together as we celebrated our first holiday without my uncle. Today we opted to sleep this afternoon instead of shop but we did manage to wrangle the husband into watching the kids for a bit of shopping.

I came home for a bit of a nap, a little exhausted still from my early morning quality time with 32lb Mr. Turkey and found my swap package from desertgarden!

So many great things!! A handspun, handknit heart, a handmade diz, glass beads, silk ribbons, fiber galore!, and a beautiful spindle.

If you get a chance, be sure to check out the lovely things she has in her shop!

Happy Turkey Day

2011-11-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

So much to be thankful for…

Lovely, lovely things…

2011-11-23T13:16:00.001-08:00

If I do say so myself.

The etsy shop has been updated with the full sized versions of the phatfiber samples for the December box now that the samples themselves are on their way! It feels great to be back in the groove again…

(Here’s a closer look in case you missed yesterday’s post…)

And I am excited to introduce my new yarn: Sweater Babe!

Sweater Babe is 100% BFL and is a 4 ply worsted weight yarn. Each skein is 500 yards and is enough to make the short sleeved cardigan pictured above! If you are in the mood for a new sweater or cardigan or shawl (or whatever) keep an eye out, I have lots of new colors to list!

Childhood Favorites

2011-11-22T18:47:00.001-08:00

With the recent death of my uncle I found the Phatfiber theme for December (Childhood Favorites) poignant.

I did three separate colorways: Hardy Dam, Hardy Pond and Sirens.

Each summer, we spent the lazy days at Hardy Dam. You would find us floating in the pontoon boat on the pond or swimming at the beach right by the dam. We made a lifetime of memories on that water.

I did the Sirens colorway because as a child I would often stare at the light reflecting on the deep water as we floated in my father’s lastest fix her up speed boat and wonder just what was under there. I was quite sure there were mermaids. There are only 2! samples of the Sirens colorway. If you happen to get one be sure to let me know you found the Siren! and I will send you a 4 ounce braid of the Sirens colorway. Good luck!

As a side note, Twila and I made it to Irish Dance class after missing the last two weeks and my instructor and I had interesting conversation about life and death and what we really mourn for…

As I drove home I scanned through the stations and came upon the song If I Die Young. I have heard it before but never really listened. I love the part where it says…

Save your tears, keep ‘em in your pocket. Save ‘em for time when you’re really gonna need them.

I think Uncle Dan would have liked that too. I think he would agree.

No Regrets…

2011-11-17T13:38:00.001-08:00

Harriet Beecher Stowe once said:

The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.

I am so thankful for the time we had with my uncle to say those necessary things, to do what must be done. We listened to the memories other shared of him, we found peace and comfort in the legacy he left behind. There is something powerful that comes from having no regrets…

He is no fool who gives up what he cannot have for what he cannot lose. – Jim Elliot

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

And here we are...

2011-11-12T12:59:00.001-08:00

At the end. We fought hard but sometimes God says no. We are not without hope although we ache.

See ya in heaven Uncle Dan...
3-5-55/11-11-11 2:19pm

Sent from Rachel's iPhone
www.countingsheepfarm.com

If Wishes Were Horses….

2011-11-07T14:27:00.001-08:00

beggars would ride.

Another day home and a lot was accomplished…

the dye pots were filled

I found that crazy camera charger

tied up some loose ends and worked on a few to dos

Tomorrow I head back to the hospital. My uncle isn’t saying much now….

I wish my sister still lived just down the road from the hospital, not forever away in Memphis. She’s nurse you know…

I wish that everything wasn’t happening so fast. I wish it wasn’t happening at all…

I wish my uncle could go to Florida one more time…just like he wanted.

I wish I was a little stronger, a little wiser…

But wishes doesn’t make anything easier and it doesn’t mend broken hearts.

Hope on the other hand…now that is something to hang on to.

Home Sweet Home

2011-11-06T06:44:00.001-08:00

Today I am sitting at home. I am not at the hospital, I am not running children to various activities. I am not cleaning (yet) and I am not at church. I am tired and just need to be nowhere for awhile.

I feel guilty because I am not with my family at the hospital and even more guilty that I can’t give my Aunt the break I am taking right now.

For those of you waiting for your last fiber/yarn club shipment, I apologize and I thank you for your patience. I haven’t forgotten you and will be shipping soon.

On life and love and all that is fleeting...

2011-11-04T08:52:00.001-07:00

We think we will be strong forever. We forget the use for hospital beds and wheelchairs and all those things that remind us we are not always strong enough. We forget that true strength is not determined by what our bodies can do.

Today I am at the rehab hospital with my Aunt and Uncle learning how to help when he comes home. I am glad to have a part. I am thankful for the reminder that sometimes we are called to the part of the strong and sometimes we are called to the part of the weak. Both are valid and worthy of respect. Some lessons are best learned when we are strong; some lessons only the weak understand and we will each have our turn at both. I am also thankful to learn that love makes us strong enough to do what we must.
We do the best we can with what we have and thank God for the rest...

Sorry for the typos and bad grammar...typing a blogpost from the phone is a bit tricky.
Sent from Rachel's iPhone
www.countingsheepfarm.com

Where is my camera charger????

2011-11-01T11:46:00.001-07:00

I have several fabulous blog posts planned but alas my camera charger is missing and of course the battery is dead. So the fabulousness will have to wait.

In the meantime check out the etsy store :) There are a few things in there and a some of them are on sale!

SAFF!

2011-10-27T07:12:00.001-07:00

I am home from SAFF. It was lovely and I met a lot of fabulous people and now I am sick. In fact I drove home on Tuesday with a fever :( My friend Niki must have been miserable because I had the heat cranked up on my side all the way to 85 and I had the heated seats on…then my fever would break and I would have on the air conditioner. What a patient soul…

(From left to right: Elizabeth of Spotted Circus, me :), Roo of Moonwood Farm and my dear friend Niki)

We spent a lot of time with Elizabeth and Roo and became fast friends. If you meet a more generous and kind person than Roo let me know….it will be a miracle :) I don’t think she has ever met a stranger ;)

All in all it was a great trip, made all the better because you drive through my hometown of Sevierville on the way through. This meant I got to see my mom and a dear friend, Pam that I haven’t seen in 15+ years.

Pam is Bridgette’s sister. Bridgette was my best friend for years. We raised each other because our parents were dealing with there own issues and somehow we survived. On June 17th of this year (I will never forget that date) I decided that after years of searching for Bridgette I was going to hire someone to find her. I did a google search for her name one last time and found her obituary. Bridgette died in a car accident on June 16, 2010. I was devastated…

(Bridgette (standing) and Pam)

It was great to find Pam and cry with her. We didn’t miss a step, it was like we never lost track of each other. You better believe it won’t happen again!

RIP Bridgette…I miss you

It turns out I have shin splints…

2011-09-28T17:25:00.001-07:00

I know, I know not the most interesting blog topic BUT it does mean that I have a really good reason to knit legwarmers. And I love legwarmers. I decided on these.

Life is good right now, if not a little hectic. Just finished at Northern Lamb and Wool and am now gearing up for SAFF. My uncle is doing well and we have some hope for long term remission, and everything is in a semblance of order. For now.

PS: I would love to hear from any of you SAFF veterns! This will be our first year.

PSS: If legwarmers don’t help shin splints, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know ;)

I haven’t posted in awhile…

2011-08-31T18:40:00.001-07:00

and I want to say I’m sorry. But I’m not. I miss you guys don’t get me wrong and I love blogging…

But I have been living and loving life lately with hardly a stop in between! Since my uncle’s diagnosis life has felt a little faster, a little more precious.

I have taken the time to sit with the children and listen…

and laugh.

I splurged with my aunt and cousin doing something other than cancer…

like my toes.

and red streaks in my hair…

I’m hugging my husband a bit more and praising God in all things. I am remembering there is joy in the journey…

if you just know where to look.

(Oh and I am loving my friend’s new dreads….and I am slightly tempted.)

Home again, home again loopydeloo

2011-08-22T06:29:00.001-07:00

Twila and I enjoyed the Michigan Fiber Festival this weekend but I am more than a little tired :) Twila helped show Pygora goats and even won a few classes! She was thrilled.

Now it’s time to get back into the swing of things. Hopefully I can get a nap in somewhere though!

Michigan Fiber Festival!

2011-08-19T17:25:00.001-07:00

It's that time again!

And the winner is….

2011-08-16T07:48:00.001-07:00

Mujercita! (Please contact me at countingsheepfarm [@] yahoo[.]com)

She was the only one who guessed: Flying Monkeys!!

You can get your Flying Monkeys at www.countingsheepfarm.etsy.com! (Right now it only available through the Wizard of Oz clubs)

It’s about that time…

2011-08-11T10:06:00.001-07:00

I spent the morning dyeing the first colorway for the Wizard of Oz fiber/yarn 3 month club. Which one do you think it was? I will give you a hint: It wasn’t the scarecrow or the king of the forest (I already did those…)

So leave a comment and let me know you think it was to be entered to win a $15.00 gift certificate to www.countingsheepfarm.etsy.com!

Jazzing the place up a bit....

2011-08-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

So I have been busy spiffying up the blog :) (Is spiffying a word?) At any rate....how do you like it? I still have a couple of things to work out. For instance I hate that I can't seem to get the blog to stretch across the whole space. I want the content in the middle and all the buttons and bajangles out to the sides. I have tried formatting minima to three column but that didn't fix it. Errr..... But the lovely header is from shabbyblogs.com as is the background and the doodad above.

Did I mention we have a new puppy? And a bird? NO? Well, I will have pictures posted soon. They are both quite darling and we think they are perfectly the bees knees.

It's time to go dye for our new fiber/yarn club now. Did you get yours yet? It is the absolute must have for you Wizard of Oz fans out there!

Oh and if you have any hints on how I can fix the column thing do share!

Cancer Sucks….

2011-08-06T11:40:00.001-07:00

So now comes the difficult post in which I explain why I have been so quiet :’(

On June 30th my aunt texted me….

“Your uncle is in the hospital…please pray”

Words like lesions, masses, biopsies were spoken, words you hear when you are on the cancer ride.

We started our ride with lung cancer, swerved through liver cancer and came to a screeching back breaking halt at melanoma. We became increasingly dizzy at the mention of each organ affected:

liver

lung

brain

lymph nodes

So we do all we can do. We pray. We trust. And we love each other.

The little things don’t matter. The minor irritations are easily ignored and gratitude has replaced complacency.

….and with love we’ll carry on cuz grace was strong enough…

Announcing….

2011-08-01T13:59:00.001-07:00

The Wizard of Oz Club!

We’re off to see the Wizard!

3 month club available in either fiber or yarn….

Yeah, I know it’s been awhile. I’ll explain what’s been going on in my next post….

Life in the fast lane….

2011-07-25T19:08:00.001-07:00

Wow! Life has been a bit out of control! We just came back from the Fiber Arts Festival in Charlevoix and finally things are smoothing out a bit. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

Fresh Air

2011-06-24T16:38:00.001-07:00

When I first became aware of the The Fresh Air Fund, I instantly thought “I want to do this!!” Unfortunately, my state currently isn’t part of the program..but perhaps yours is!

What is The Fresh Air Fund? Glad you asked! The Fresh Air Fund gives children in disadvantaged communities in inner city New York the chance to spend two weeks in rural or suburban homes where they are blessed with the ability to run through the backyard and feel the grass beneath their toes, some for the first time! What a wonderful opportunity to help a child in need and to open their eyes to a whole new world. How exciting it must be to see a cow for the first time? Ride a horse? Or maybe something as simple as sitting around a campfire?

Think you might like to be a host? You can find more information here. They need about 1200 volunteers this summer. I would love to hear from you if you are able to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity!

Wow, it’s been awhile….

2011-06-22T13:10:00.001-07:00

I am battling my way through serious burn out :) We just finished our yearly church tent revival, our home inspection came and went (and went fairly well….we are on our way to adoption!) and stress abounds!

The last thing I have wanted to do is pull out the dye pots but alas our next fiber show is fast approaching and it is nearly time to ship the final package for our last fiber club.

I have just updated the sorely neglected Etsy shop with the following:

NASA, hand dyed fingering weight yarn

Time Traveler, hand dyed BFL wool

Alien World, hand dyed BFL

When someone you love is grieving….

2011-06-03T17:39:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, we lost our oldest son, Todd to cancer in 2005. This coming Saturday (June 11th) it will have been six years. Six years is a long time….

I am working on a quilt this evening, which reminded me of a friend and a conversation we had after Todd died.

I ran into her while shopping for fabric and she was a bit uncomfortable to see me. It was a couple months after Todd’s death and I had thought it was strange that I hadn’t heard from her during that time but wasn’t going to mention it. I was simply glad to see her now.

“I am sorry I didn’t come when Todd died. I didn’t know what to say…”

I reassured her that I understood, that there were no hard feelings…and there weren’t but…

I wish she would have been there.

It is difficult to know what to do when a friend is hurting, but being there means everything. Death, like birth, is messy and much of it must be endured alone; but a held hand, a silent presence means so much. When you don’t know what to say, listen or just be. Don’t be afraid of the tears and don’t avoid the conversation. Cry with them if necessary. Grief is hard to witness, I know, but you will never regret the time spent despite the pain.

Wonderful things…

2011-06-02T10:56:00.001-07:00

A lovely swap package from a Ravelry friend…

A lace shawl, almost finished, knitting from my handspun, using wool from our farm…

A braided rug made using wool from our Icelandic and Jacob sheep :)

It’s the Simple Things…

2011-05-31T18:56:00.001-07:00

At the end of the day, when it’s all been said and it’s all been done and it’s time to rest our bodies and recharge our souls…

When the day has been long and the work has been hard and the disappointments seem too heavy…

These are the things that make everything right…

It’s the ball and mitt…the taking of time to show ‘em how it’s done.

It’s a smile and a hug…it’s a little one catching a ball for the first time.

It’s lambs in the barn…

and sleeping babies…

It’s not the new car parked in the driveway and it’s not the fancy new phone. It’s not the money in the bank (however large or small it may be…)

It’s the small things that give us hope. It’s these things that speak of eternity, of passing on what’s learned and watching new life grow. This is where God whispers:

Slow down…you don’t want to miss this

Painted Walls…

2011-05-29T07:18:00.001-07:00

My husband and I will be married 12 years this June. He was 38 the day we were married; I was 23. He was a widower and a father of 4. I was a single mom of one. He was my Prince Charming, I was his Cinderella. Well….almost….

Prince Charming didn’t quite know how to handle a Cinderella who didn’t understand how to keep a spotless house and who thought the best form of expression was throwing things. Cinderella was not quite sure what to do with a Prince Charming who never stopped working and didn’t think it was necessary to call home to say he would be late. And she certainly didn’t know how to handle her role as the wicked stepmom.

We held on and we hung on and we fought for what we had. We learned to love each other and learned to forgive and we believed God for the rest. We realized that just like lace, sometimes the holes were necessary to make the pattern…

I moved into his home 12 years ago. The home he shared with his first wife. And each day I stared at the white walls and felt that somehow I was out of place. This was her house and I didn’t belong….

Last week I covered those white walls. I made them new with my blue paint. I painted over the past...not to forget…but to move on.

The effort to make a home that neither denied her nor myself has been difficult. There was something cathartic in the painting of those walls. I wish there were words to explain. There aren’t. I can only say I love my new walls.

Steroids make you fat....

2011-05-22T02:05:00.001-07:00

If you follow me on twitter (my8kidsmom) or like at the Counting Sheep Farm Facebook page you know I've been sick. What started out as a simple cold complete with a sore throat turned into tonsillitis with lots of pain and huge amounts of swelling. Of course when I saw my family doctor on Thursday only one tonsil was swollen and the pain was bearable. But as life would have it on Friday the swelling increased as did the pain ... but I could still tough it out. My hopes of waking better on Saturday were dashed and I ended up in the ER :(. I came home on steroids and with a bottle of what the nurse called magic mouth wash and a prescription for antibiotics and vicoden. Ahhhh I could sleep! I woke up this morning coughing my foul head off an hour before I could take my medicine (which is why I am in the living room whining to you) when suddenly I realized: STEROIDS MAKE YOU FAT! Not a big deal....unless you are in a Biggest Loser Contest and have to do your final weigh in before it wears off! Bllllaaahhhh!!!! I weighed myself just to see....yeah.not.good :(. But hey the swelling in my throat is significantly better.

Okay I am all done whining :). In my next post I will share pics of my newly painted living room!

Sent from Rachel's iPhone
www.countingsheepfarm.com

Looks what’s new!

2011-05-16T10:23:00.001-07:00

Lots of new stuff listed at www.countingsheepfarm.etsy.com today!

Tea Garden, 100% Merino Combed Top

The Beginning of Spring, 100% Merino Combed Top

Star Sapphire, 50/50 Merino Tencel

Easter Egg, 100% BFL

Easter Egg, the yarn version :)

Fantasia, 100% Superwash Merino

We also have two new lambs and one more on the way. I will post pics on facebook later today.

Michigan Fiber Fiesta

2011-05-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

This Saturday Allison of Great Lakes Pygora and Ewe Spun Woolworks are vending at The Michigan Fiber Fiesta in Greenville Michigan.

We recently changed our name from Wooly Friends to Ewe Hottie (long boring story) and I made us a new banner.

What do you think?

I am busy getting all the fiber and yarn ready. This is the first show of the season and I always feel less than ready at the beginning of “showtime”! Hopefully I have a few wares to peddle and we will be able to the feed the sheep a bit longer ;)

The Last Cormo Fleece!

2011-05-09T10:03:00.001-07:00

I have one more Cormo Fleece left for sale. It weighs 4.5lbs and is $112.50 ($25.00 a pound) It is a coated fleece and has been heavily skirted. Email me at my8kidsmomm [@] yahoo [.] com if interested.

Over at the Counting Sheep Farm group on Ravelry we have been working on crafts other than knitting for our May challenge. I have been working like crazy on some quilting projects as part of our home redecorating project. We have put in our applications to do foster care/ older child adoption (for those that know me, you know that I have had this on my heart for years) and are revamping the house to get ready for all that may or may not need to be changed or fixed.

We are going with the farmhouse/country theme with lots of florals and primitive whatnots. The blocks above are for my daughter’s quilt. We currently have her room torn to pieces. All the wallpaper has been removed and I am patching the walls getting them ready for paint.

And because she is so crazy cute…..

I have been working on this quilt (also with Sunbonnet Sue) for my niece. Isn’t it darling? You can’t hardly go wrong with Sunbonnet Sue!

Sorry for the horrible pictures I only had a few minutes to snap ‘em before it was time to head outside with the little ones!

I am so doing this!

2011-05-05T07:58:00.001-07:00

I have certain friends (yeah, you know who you are) that will get a real kick out of this because I already wear skirts like crazy but I am so in.

Come on, you know you wanna do it too!

2011 Finn Lambs for Sale

2011-05-02T19:17:00.001-07:00

We have the following 100% Registered Finn Lambs available:

Tweedle- Dum, Triplet Black Ewe Lamb

Rolly X Doodle Bop $350.00

Tweedle Dee, Triplet Piebald Ewe Lamb

Rolly X DoodleBop $350.00

Patric, Triplet White Ram Lamb

Rolly X Doodle Bop, $300.00

Bruno, Single Piebald Ram Lamb

Rolly X Sweet Pea, $250.00

White Rabbit, Twin White Ram Lamb, Recessive for Morrit

Rolly X Alice $400.00

Joker, Twin Black Ram Lamb, Recessive for Morrit

Rolly X Alice $400.00

We also have two lovely Jacob fleeces available.

Rosabell’s fleece is clean and soft with a nice staple length and weighs 1.5 lbs. It is $15.00 plus shipping.

Mariah’s fleece is also soft and clean. Both fleeces have a good staple length and will be easy to clean with a low amount of lanolin. Mariah’s fleeces weighs 3.5 lbs and is $35.00 plus shipping.

2011 Lambs for Sale

2011-04-26T10:06:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of the lambs for sale. We have another batch of lambs coming soon which are unrelated to our previous breeding stock.

Jacob/Finn Cross Ewe Lamb (single) out of Grace (Jacob) and Roland (100% Registered Finn). $200.00

Jacob/Finn Cross Ram Lamb (single) out of Mariah (Jacob) and Roland (100% Registered Finn) $200.00

Registered Cormo Ram Lamb (twin) out of Kara (2258) and Herman (2404) $300.00

Registered Icelandic Ram Lamb (single) out of Bam (LF RAM B2H 385W) and Lacey (LF EWE B2H 408W) $500.00

Registered Cormo Ram Lamb (single) out of Marianne (2437) and Herman(2404) $300.00

Registered Cormo Ram Lamb (single) out of Paula (2358) and Herman (2404) $300.00

Additional pictures and 3 generation pedigrees available upon request.

Cormo Lambs out of Snuffy are due in May.

Sew Crazy!! and a contest :)

2011-04-15T08:28:00.001-07:00

It has been a dozy of a week! We have lambs everywhere :) There is one more ewe due for April and she shows all the signs of going any day now. I am hoping that she goes soon so I can catch up on some sleep before the next round of ewes starts lambing :)

And in the midst of all the lambing I have had sick kids. For almost two weeks straight they have been either coughing their heads off or puking :( Finally they got over it and guess what? Yep, mom and dad got it.

Anyway on to the point of today’s blog: sewing! Since I got my new Designer Topaz machine I have been sewing up a storm. This week I wanted to share some fabulous new (to me) patterns I found:

Keyka Lou Patterns

All Keyka Lou patterns are on sale for $5.00 until April 20th!

Lila Tueller is a new found favorite.

I found all of these lovely patterns and more at Pink Fig.

By the way, I am having a contest on The Counting Sheep Farm Facebook page. Please drop by and click like to be entered. If you already like the page then you are automatically entered. Want another entry? Tweet this contest, post it to your facebook page or tell people about it on your blog then comment here to let me know what you did! Thanks guys!

In Between Hello and Goodbye….

2011-04-08T19:19:00.001-07:00

Five years is a long time, yet it isn’t nearly long enough.

My sister leaves for Memphis in 3 months. I have know for quite sometime but tonight it is real. For whatever reason the deadline looms…

large

and I cried the whole way home.

Memphis isn’t all that far, about a days drive. Tonight, however it feels like the other side of the world. It is too far for quick visits, a dinner date. Too far for “Can you watch my kids?” phone calls.

Each goodbye feels more permanent. Each time I leave the driveway brings me closer to the final time.

Isn’t it funny how blessing is overshadowed by hurt? How quickly we are tempted to replace thankfulness with questioning…I am so willing to forget the blessing of 5 years, the miracle that brought her from our home state of Tennessee to Michigan, and instead to question a Sovereign loving God…Why?

She is called there. I am called here. She who is so much part of me is leaving.

But as she goes there to serve with her surgeon husband, and while I stay to serve here to serve with mine, I know that He who calls is faithful. And I choose between tears, in this time between hello and goodbye, to accept and be thankful.

…Assuredly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for My sake and the gospels, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time…or in the age to come, eternal life. Mark 10:29-30

What’s going on over there?

2011-04-06T08:34:00.001-07:00

Alot. And I am exhausted. We had another lamb born, a 100% Cormo Ram lamb. Sorry no picture yet but I will have one soon!

Jed tested for his yellow belt. (Doesn’t he look pleased as punch?)

Twila had a birthday! (She is 11 now) We spent all day Saturday creating this monstrosity of a cake. She loved every minute of it.

And I finally updated the etsy store!

Bay Rum Soap

Hand Dyed Fingering Weight Yarn, Bittersweet

100% Merino, Leprechaun’s Gold

100% Merino, Serendipity

Have you visited our facebook page yet? The sheep would love it if you would click like :)

Happy Wednesday, I am off to go check the ladies in waiting in the barn!

The Cormos are coming!

2011-04-01T12:11:00.001-07:00

Two new ewe lambs just born :)

Somewhere between serendipity and chance…

2011-03-31T10:22:00.001-07:00

You find the grace of God. A place where you can let out the breath you’ve been holding, collapse in your favorite chair and let the tension and fear melt away.

Sometimes you do everything right and still everything goes wrong. And sometimes…..

despite your worst fumbling…….

it all goes right.

We found Lacy and her little ram lamb in the pasture during morning chores. Warm and dry and nursing well, he is a hefty little guy despite his small size. Our careful watching was evidently not careful enough and we completely missed how close she was to giving birth. All that was left was to move them to the barn (although it seemed a bit pointless) and whisper Thank you….

Sometimes grace shines down like the sun, warming you and making everything shine. And sometime it wraps you like a blanket and wards off the cold. I have spent many a night the last 3 weeks plodding through the snow (or mud) in my fuzzy bathrobe to check on the Leah, the ewe pictured above. Many times I found that she had once again prolapsed. For the nights I lay awake worrying there was grace.

For the night we found the lambs finally born (we had worried we were going to lose them all before it was all said and done) there was grace. There was grace as we desperately tried to warm them up and get them to eat….and grace was right there when we discovered that Leahwas finally being to produce milk and being to feel well enough to stand.

There is something in shepherding that whispers the heart of God. Love, hope beyond reason…..grace

Being Born…

2011-03-30T06:30:00.001-07:00

I thought you might enjoy seeing a lamb (or two) being born through pictures.

This is Baby. At this point she has been in active labor (her water has broken) for about 15-20 minutes.

She gets up and down several times trying to get the job down and find a bit of relief.

Here we see a nose coming through. Ideally the feet should be coming through already or very close behind.

You can’t see very well in the picture but the head has been delivered and still no feet. The process of pushing the lamb out goes fairly quickly but this lamb is taking a bit longer than usual. I am suspicious that the feet are back so I check inside to find out what is going on. I find that indeed both front feet are facing backward. It is easy enough to pull them forward and the lamb is born seconds later.

Mom works on licking the lamb clean and a while later we see tiny hooves coming through.

Then a nose…

Safely delivered, one ewe and one ram lamb.

Joy and Struggle….

2011-03-23T10:52:00.001-07:00

It all seems to meet at lambing time.

So far we have eight healthy lambs. Joy!

(Don’t worry this little guy is only covered in blood because he missed the udder and bumped into the afterbirth. I know, lambing can be messy business)

And here’s the struggle…

The picture above is Leah. Leah is a colored Cormo cross and is due in April. During a routine check of those ewes still out at pasture we discovered that she had a vaginal prolapse. We carefully cleaned everything up and put it all back where it belonged. In the picture above you see the twine that we used as a makeshift prolapse harness to make do until the actual harness showed up. She is now suited up in her new harness (thanks Allison and Todd for letting me borrow yours!) which is helping but I found her prolapsed again this morning. We are doing all we can to keep her comfortable but it is exhausting business. She seems to be taking it all in stride as every time I check on her I find her happily chewing on her cud!

I wish that these things wouldn’t wait to happen until it’s a storm, a blizzard or I am in my high heels….

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

2011-03-17T11:02:00.001-07:00

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from The Counting Sheep Farm! In celebration I am offering free domestic shipping from www.countingsheepfarm.etsy.com when you use the code “clover”. International customers, don’t worry I haven’t forgotten you! Just message me for 50% off your shipping costs.

I am finally over the flu and able to stay out of bed! However, I am so behind that I had to cancel our plans to dance with our Irish Dance School today. I still have on my green even if I am just plodding my way through housework much of the day. Oh and of course my green nails are quite festive!

Off to go check on our new lambs….

Baby’s got a brand new bag…

2011-03-16T11:07:00.001-07:00

The challenge for the Ironcraft blog this week is green, as in the color. I don’t have as much time to participate in the challenges as I’d like but this challenge fit perfectly with a project I had in mind.

I wanted a bag to use for Irish Step Dance classes. In keeping with the challenge theme the front of the bag is green. I embroidered ghillies on the front using my new sewing/embroidery machine.

I plan on making separate smaller bags to hold our ghillies later this week.

By the way we have a new lamb! Unfortunately until I find the battery charger for my camera I can’t upload it :(

We have lambs!

2011-03-09T09:46:00.001-08:00

We were patiently waiting and now the first lambs are here!

One girl and one boy :)

Wow! I am 35!

2011-03-08T04:48:00.001-08:00

It’s my birthday so I am having a sale! 20% off when you use the code “happybirthday” at www.countingsheepfarm.etsy.com

March’s challenge: go Celtic!

2011-03-05T05:26:00.001-08:00

Last month at The Counting Sheep Farm Ravelry group we focused on Entrelac. This month? Celtic of course! Anything goes, it just has to have an Irish theme :)

I couldn’t settle on which project to do when a friend mention Aran’s sweaters. I decided to do a bit of research and found an Aran sweater specifically for my clan!

The Connolly (Conley) clan crest…

The Connolly Clan Aran…

If you happen to be Irish here is the website. Check to see if you can find yourClan Aran :)

February Challenge finished!

2011-02-23T04:42:00.001-08:00

My New Dance Costume…..

2011-02-19T04:55:00.001-08:00

Horrible picture of me but you get the point :) I scored a used costume so was able to keep it within the budget! I am all ready to dance in our first show next Saturday!

Today we are heading to a Birth Management Seminar (for sheep) just in time for lambing. It’s just me and hubby. This is the farmer’s romance I guess :) I’ll take it!

Cold Soba Salad and Tempura

2011-02-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

The February 2011 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by Lisa of Blueberry Girl. She challenged Daring Cooks to make Hiyashi Soba and Tempura. She has various sources for her challenge including japanesefood.about.com, pinkbites.com, and itsybitsyfoodies.com.

I was quite nervous about this challenge. As much as I pride myself on teaching my children to enjoy different foods (and enjoying them myself) I am a farm girl at heart and this didn’t have the stick to your ribs feel to it.

Imagine my surprise….we liked it! We really liked it!

I am not quite sure my tempura came out just right but all in all in was a successful challenge and I am glad I gave it a go!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

2011-02-11T04:18:00.001-08:00

I hear we have some warmth coming our way though :) A heat wave of 42 degrees!

The cows are looking forward to it! Okay I am too.

I hope you are keeping warm!

(There’s lots of stuff to keep you warm at www.countingsheepfarm.etsy.com)

New things!

2011-02-09T06:43:00.001-08:00

I got a new hairdo :)

and there are some new rovings going into the Etsy Store this week….

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-02T11:19:00.001-08:00

Can you believe that it is February already? Today I decided to get in the mood of the season and made a Valentine Treat Box for The Ironcraft’s Weekly Crafting Challenge.

It is just the right size to fill with a bar of handmade soap, some bath salts and a bit of candy.

February Challenge: Entrelac!

2011-02-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

We just finished January’s Challenge (Selfish Knitting). Now February is here and it’s time for Entrelac!

Apparently Entrelac is not as complicated as it looks (this will be my first time trying it.)

If you would like to knit along (and join in on the contest) the details are here.

kettle dyed yarn

2011-01-29T07:42:00.001-08:00

Just added to the Etsy Store!

Huge Sale!!

2011-01-24T09:48:00.001-08:00

I must move some of my inventory before I drown in it :)

www.countingsheepfarm.etsy.com

And the sheep want the money…..

Chore Time!

2011-01-17T12:21:00.001-08:00

Every evening at about 4:30, you will find the Pecks out doors feeding all the animals. The sheep gather at the gate as the back door opens convinced they have been starved (trust me they haven’t).

Josiah, our 15 year old son does all the water chores. If I don’t catch him before he goes out he will go without a coat. Josiah has Autism and is a huge blessing; he has done so much better than anyone expected and is a huge help around the farm. He still needs to wear a coat though :)….and gloves!

Buddy is our farm dog. His job is to keep any stray dogs off the farm and away from the sheep. He supervises chores and keeps us in line.

Layla and Daisy May find the camera interesting and take a few moments from eating to smile.

Milking is a family affair and the cats watch in hopes that they might get a few drops.

Thanks for stopping at chore time! I hope you enjoyed the tour!

In other news, this week’s update is all done. Stop by www.countingsheepfarm.etsy.com see what is new!

Cassoulet

2011-01-14T04:03:00.001-08:00

Our January 2011 Challenge comes from Jenni of The Gingered Whisk and Lisa from Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. They have challenged the Daring Cooks to learn how to make a confit and use it within the traditional French dish of Cassoulet. They have chosen a traditional recipe from Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman.

I am short on pictures and I apologize for that. I think when I tell you the whole story you will forgive me….

The first part of this meal requires (as mentioned above) that you make a confit. A confit is a way of preserving a dish by covering it in fat. I chose to do a chicken and olive oil confit. I followed the recipe to a T, placed the dish in the oven and happily continued about my day. The confit bakes in the oven at 200 degrees for 12 hours. Unknown to me the olive oil was overflowing the pans and filling the bottom of my oven…..

This particular dish is made over a few days so I wasn’t distressed. I simply cleaned the bottom of my oven, listened to my husband grumble about the smoke, worried about the birds and prepared for the next step.

It was a far bit from payday so I was not able to use fresh herbs as suggested. I finished up the next part of the dish which involved soaking the beans overnight, cooking them with onions, herbs and pork belly and browned the sausages.

I had doubled the recipe because of our large family (it wasn’t necessary) and I filled a LARGE Dutch oven and started the oven to preheating.

Smoke! Once again the house was filled with the noxious fumes…

I walked into the kitchen thinking I had somehow missed some of the olive oil, expected it to burn off quickly. Flames were shooting out of the bottom of my oven!! Unbeknownst to me the olive oil had leaked down by the warming unit and was now burning with a vengenance.

Long story short, and lots of salt later…I was able to clean the oven (another day of work) and finally cook the cassoulet. Would I do it again? Yes! (carefully) it was a fabulous dish.

You can find the recipe here.

My Friend Owns a Dairy Farm Part 2

2011-01-12T08:50:00.001-08:00

If you are new to the blog, part 1 is here.

Kate and her husband Roger, along with her brother Bill, run the Hycapacity Dairy here in Western Michigan.

Kate was gracious enough to allow me to tag along during an evening milking. Camera in tow, I showed up with my trusty muck boots at the farm.

Feeling a bit out of my element (okay more than a bit….I will admit that although we own three cows I am a little frightened of them) I came in the milk house where Kate helped me get ready to milk. I donned gloves and an overcoat and entered the parlor. Kate went through the milking process with me so that I would be able to milk along with her. We stood in the “pit”, about eye level with the udders and got to work. First we stripped the teats (which basically means to milk by hand) to be sure that there were no signs of mastitis then the teats are dipped in a solution to clean them and kill the germs. The teats were then wiped clean with a paper towel and the milker is attached.

Once the milker has emptied the udder and is removed the teats are dipped a final time with a new solution designed for protection and to once again kill any germs.

There were a few heifers that came through who were just learning the ropes and occasionally one of them would get a bit restless. I watched as Kate would rub their leg, letting them know she was there. They would stand still again, content to wait a few more minutes for supper.

The cows are milked 12 at a time, 6 on each side of the parlor. As they walk in they are interested in the newbie. Bright eyed and curious, a few of them stop to check me out :) Kate points out who is who.

“That is Snowflake….”

She then tells me a bit about them. She cares about her cows.

“These cows eat before I do. Every night.” Roger tells me.

After milking was finished there are the calves to tend to. Kate and shared the work of feeding the calves less than a week old.

I am struggling with the best way to end this post. There is so much that depends on this small family farm, on family farms in general, big or small….on the farmer. So much that those of us on disconnect can not begin to fathom. What are the right words to express the debt of gratitude we have to these men and women who do the work required to place food on our tables yet struggle because often the money is not there to put food on their own?

In the end I want to you to understand that the farmer isn’t in this for the money. They are not greedy monsters mistreating their animals and injecting them with every antibiotic and hormone imaginable. They love what they do, the animals they care for, and the land that makes it all possible. It’s in their blood and part of their spiritual make up. It is the love of the animal, the love of the land that propels them and keeps them going. Despite the criticism, the misunderstanding and the mounting bills….

Are there those who mistreat their animals? Yes. Those who are careless with the resources they have been trusted with? Sadly, yes. But I caution you….do not assume that they make up the majority. They do not.

I sit here on my small plot of land, my small farm with my few sheep and a couple of cows and realize that we are all part of a big picture working together toward the same goal. The freedom to do what we love and support our families while we do it.

I would love to hear your thoughts….

Look for Part 3 in a week or so.

Held

2011-01-05T17:01:00.001-08:00

My niece was given news today that no parent ever wants to hear….

“It’s time to prepare for the end”

Two months is too little

They let him go

They had no sudden healing.

To think that providence would take a child from his mother while she prays….

it’s appalling

Who told us we’d be rescued?

What has changed

and why should we be saved from nightmares.

We’re asking why this happened

to us who have died to live

Its unfair…..

This is what means to be held

How is feels when the Sacred is torn from your life

and you survive.

This is what it is to be loved

and to know

that the promised was when everything fell

You’d be held…

Please pray with me that my niece and her family will be held during this difficult time. Hug your little ones and thank God for each day.

Ashlee, you will be amazed at what you can live through, even when you may not want to.

……Lyrics in italics are from the song “Held” sung by Natalie Grant.

Selfish Knitting and Intentional Living…

2011-01-05T05:18:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned before The Counting Sheep Farm group on Ravelry is working on monthly challenges for 2011. This month the challenge is selfish knitting.

I am working on the cowl Jindayne Cowl just for me :)

During laser therapy for my jaw the technician and I were talking about 2010.

I feel like 2010 just came at me and all I could do was dodge the obstacles…..

I am not interested in doing that this year. For the first time in my life I have make 10 well thought out goals. (If you want to get going on your own goals, here’s a good place to start.) As you can see I have two wonderful notebooks for my 2011 Goals. The large one is my Master Journal. I use it to write my thoughts in daily, plan my to do list for the next day and write down my accomplishments and setbacks. The small notebook I carry in my purse, just in case I have something to write down that can’t wait.

One of my hopes for 2011 is to accomplish more in the crafty arena. I am a little late to the party but I just joined Iron Craft Weekly Challenges for 2011. I am looking forward to the first challenge!

Looking forward to 2011 being the best year ever!

PS: For those of you waiting for Part II of The “My Friend Owns a Dairy Farm” it is in the works. Watch for it this weekend.

Today’s Sale!

2011-01-02T08:46:00.001-08:00

Each day for the next 4 or 5 days a new section of the etsy store will be on sale! Today it is Fiber!

If you haven’t seen the last post My Friend Owns a Dairy Farm Part 1 please check it out! I would love to hear what you think. For those of you who have Part 2 is coming soon.

My Friend Owns a Dairy Farm…Part 1

2011-01-01T09:07:00.001-08:00

Sometime ago I dreamed of owning my very own cow, for my very own milk. I begged, pleaded and cajoled. I even drug my son into the whole mess. (A mess which he loves. He now owns three cows and sells cow shares.)

And one fine day we got our very first cow.

Now I should say…I have always had a sense of respect for the farmer. I have always thought they worked hard and got a bum rap at times. I really thought I was pro farmer before I became a farmer. I didn’t realize how far removed from my food I really was…

On the before mentioned fine day I sat down to milk my very own cow for my very own milk. When I finally finished I vowed never to complain about the price of milk again! I had been slapped in the face with a tail (covered in manure), knocked over, and slimed. She left the barn cleaner than I was and wondering what all the fuss was about.

But these animals get under your skin. You don’t care about the slop and the mess. Instead you are thankful for this sweet animal and her wonderful milk!

I still didn’t understand much about a real dairy farmer. I will admit as much as I tried to be pro farmer some preconceived notions slipped in…many of them shaped by HSUS and other masked do-gooders. But I wanted another cow. I wanted a Jersey. I was tried of being kicked and bullied by the temperamental Dexter. Enter Kate and Roger, registered Jersey breeders and **gasp** commercial dairy farmers….

I want to tell you about my friend Kate and her husband. I want you to understand how hard they work at what they love. I want you to applaud them and in the end I want you to stand behind them. They are America’s Dairy Farmer and what they do is good.

Memories….

2010-12-31T05:53:00.001-08:00

I’ve travelled long

I’ve travelled hard

I’ve stumbled many times along the way.

I’ve bruised my knees a lot

and turned my back on God

And seen His Mercy

I’ve been quick to judge and slow to learn

so many times I’ve gotten in the way

I think I know so much

I question God enough

But still He loves me

So now I’ll walk a different road.

I want to see Him there before I even go

I have run ahead and gone too slow…

I’ve got to be still now and wait upon His will now

This time, it’s going to be His time.

(Words are from the song A Different Road by Kathy Troccoli)

Fiber Clubs!

2010-12-30T05:32:00.001-08:00

Our last club was a success so I am doing it again!

Just like before each package will contain items from the farm, either from our animal or hand dyed by me. The fiber club will contain 4 ounces of fiber and a goodie or two.

This time though, we will also have a yarn version :) Each yarn package will contain 350 yards of fingering weight yarn.

You can read more about our last club here.

The Fiber Club is here.

The Yarn Club is here.

We are on Facebook now too! Please stop by.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-29T13:11:00.001-08:00

Christmas Stollen!

2010-12-27T18:19:00.001-08:00

The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book.........and Martha Stewart’s demonstration.

I decided to make my own candied orange peels using the recipe found here.

The candied peels themselves were AMAZING! Really, you should give them a go :)

My kitchenaid did much of the work but the resulting bread was fabulous! It got rave reviews at the Christmas party I brought it to…interestingly much of the attendees were direct descendants of German immigrants. :)

Feeling slightly sick...

2010-12-27T13:44:00.001-08:00

The house is still a wreck from the presents on Christmas but I am not feeling well. So Doc and I are curled up in the chair with a book. Hope you are having a happy Monday!

And so this is Christmas...

2010-12-25T15:27:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we spent the evening with family and friends and sang Christmas carols (I still get choked up when I sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel).

We set the table using the fruits of our labor: fresh milk, homemade sour cream, cakes made from scratch. Food made all the better because of the work required to produce it.

We thought of those we miss and of those we are thankful to have...

Another year has come and almost gone. There have been tears, joy, laughter and we thank God for it all.

Merry Christmas!!!

www.countingsheepfarm.com

Isn't that festive??

2010-12-24T07:29:00.001-08:00

Phatfiber Box

2010-12-23T09:13:00.001-08:00

My lovely Phatfiber contributor box came in the mail. Lovely as usual!

The Loot!

2010-12-20T15:36:00.001-08:00

I gave a sneak peek of the lovely soap that I received through the Brambleberry Soap Swap last week. Here are the details as promised.

Starting in the bottom left hand corner…

Alabaster Box Soap in Pear Berry (albasterboxsoap@yahoo.com)

My Angel’s Call Christmas Garden Soap

Cassia Cranberry and Fig

Sassi Soap Black Cherry Bling (sassisoap@cox.net)

Bonsai Soap (frenchbabesoaps@hotmail.com)

Schelle’s Soap Shack Cherry Almond Soap (on top)

(Starting in the bottom left hand corner)

Anne-Marie Faiola’s Oatmeal Stout (details on how to make your own here)

SOAPendipity! Goat Milk Soap

Coffeehouse Suds Turkish d’Light

Bubbles Handmade Heavenly Soaps (bubbleshandmadesoap@gmail.com)

Emergence Seaweed w/China Rain

Seattle Delight

A huge thank you to Brambleberry.com for hosting this wonderful swap! Please do it again next year :)

Rest in peace Molly

2010-12-19T15:10:00.001-08:00

Today, despite all our attempts to save her we were forced to put my daughter’s mare, Molly, down. Our hearts are broken but we are comforted knowing she is no longer suffering.

It’s been a bad week :(

Soap Loot!

2010-12-18T07:09:00.000-08:00

I promise more details later, but here is a quick peek at the soap I received from the Brambleberry Soap Swap.