She keeps the home fire burnin’

News travels fast around these parts, so I’ll tell you my version of events hopefully before you hear it through the grapevine…

You see, here on the farm, there is no weekly garbage pick-up, or a dumpster, or a recycling service.  So, we separate our garbage as follows:

There is a food-and-other-wet-waste container that we occasionally empty out in the woods, because, go figure, wet items do not make very good fires.  We have another container for aluminum and glass that we haul into town to recycle. Other dry, combustible waste is periodically burned in metal barrels.

(FYI, diapers do not burn, but we haven’t quite figured out a good way to get rid of these…)

Well, being the “well-trained” farmwife that I am, I decided to burn garbage the other day.  My first mistake was doing this at the tail end of a “burn ban.”  A burn ban is a localized restriction on certain controlled fires during dry weather when fires can easily spread.  Can you see where this story is going?

My second mistake was deciding to burn a big, cardboard box that was too big to fit into a burn barrel.  Instead, I laid the box on the ground NEXT to the barrels.  Oh boy.

My third mistake occurred when I walked away and left the fire unattended.  Yeesh.

An hour later, I noticed that my “small” fire had spread across a 30’x50’ area in the woods towards the back of our yard.  That’s when I decided I should probably call my husband and ask if I should be worried…

My father-in-law and husband immediately left the field and came to help put out the fire with shovels and buckets of water until it was under control.  Unfortunately, instead of returning to his fieldwork, my husband had to stick around and monitor the fire to keep it from spreading. 

He checked on it throughout the day and into the night.  But, as I have learned, fire can do crazy things, and by morning it had traveled further across into the entire wooded area. 

That was 2.5 days ago, and it is STILL smoldering as I write this.  The dry conditions and 40-50 mph winds are not helping.

My husband has not been able to leave the yard or get a good night’s sleep for 2.5 days. That equals 2.5 days of missed work.  If there has ever been a time to pray for rain, this is it.

Remember this bunkhouse that I blogged about just a few days ago? Well, we almost lost it.  Look to the right of the house...

See this pile of ashes?  That is where my husband's pile of firewood used to reside.  The one he spent three days chopping...  The firewood that he uses to heat the shop in the winter...  Should I tell him, "Honey, you were going to burn that anyways, right!?!"  BIG oops! 

Why didn't we call the fire department, you ask?  Well, we don't want our names in the county paper, because THAT would be embarrassing!  Almost as embarrassing as the cloud of smoke coming from our yard that I can see from the highway 4 miles away!  haha.  (Sorry, I'm only half-laughing.)  My only saving grace is knowing that I am not the only person who has experienced a situation similar to this.

I feel very remorseful and am fully expecting to not live this one down for a very long time.  I learned my lesson, and luckily, it didn't have much worse consequences.  Something tells me this will not be the last "desperate farmwife" story that I end up sharing with you.  That's what happens when you put a city girl on the farm.  :s

Fun Finds From the Farm

I’d be lying if I told you I took these photos recently, but actually, it was exactly one year ago that we explored this bunkhouse from our farmyard... 

At a closer glance, notice the old beadboard siding and the cute, seafoam green door...

Hanging on the outside was this ornamental key...

...and after flipping it over I saw that it is a thermometer!

Here's the inside...

"Grains and Sugarbeets"

Old lanterns...



Vintage Christmas lights, anyone?

And, most exciting to me, an iron bed!

T-shirts make excellent quilts

I had never seen so many tee-shirts in my life.  Dresser drawers upon dresser drawers.  Work shirts, high school shirts, hockey shirts, college shirts, seed/chemical/farm shirts, fraternity shirts, shirts with cut-off sleeves, and the list goes on and on…

So, I decided to do something about it.  Something I’ve wanted to do for myself for a long, long time, but I had it made for both of us to enjoy instead…

Along with her other talents, my friend is a quilter.  After asking if she would sew a quilt using our old t-shirts, she graciously agreed.  So, I filled up an empty diaper box with a variety of tees that wouldn’t be missed, sent them to her, and a few months later received this:

It arrived just in time to wrap it up and give it to my husband for his birthday.  I admit that our guy-friend was right when he said, “Something tells me that you are more excited about this than he will be.”  But I don’t care.  To me, it tells the story of US.

Our story began in college.  I was in a sorority and he was in a fraternity, and that is how we met.  I was a city girl and he was a farmer, and that was the running joke.  The rest is history, and now we have a piece of our history that we'll have and enjoy forever.


If you would like to see other creations and hilarious stories by my "quilting friend," check out her blog: Little Brick Houses for You and Me.  I have always known she was funny, but her latest blog post confirms that even strangers think she reminds them of Kristen Wiig!!

Guess what I get to do this weekend?

First, we’re taking a small jaunt to commemorate my cousin’s college graduation.  It’s bound to be a good time spent with my large, wild and crazy family.  As a bonus, we all get to meet another cousin’s newborn son.  Celebrations all around, that’s for sure.  I have a feeling a late night is in store for Friday, because that is usually the tradition and I don’t want to miss a thing!

Then, after another small jaunt, I’m meeting up with a friend to attend this:

Our college friend features her fabulous finds and re-purposed home décor at this boutique, so we can’t wait to see what she has been up to.  You can link up to her blog here: House of Maus.

This event is right up my alley, and I cannot wait to be inspired, maybe make some purchases, and figure out how to transfer the business that these talented ladies have created into my own rural life.  I’ve been itching to work on some projects, but that pesky, little thing called “work” is taking up a lot of my timeJ  Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do for a living.  I’m just thinking hard lately about combining that with my other hobbies and making a fun, flexible career out of it.  That just might be what the doctor ordered after baby number two arrives…

Junkin'

In case you were wondering what L’s “big boy” room will look like once the baby comes, here is a hint….

My little helper and I did some exploring in our yard on this gorgeous, sunny, unexpected day off.  I'm thinking some spray-paint and improvising can make this old headboard new again.  That old sled will look perfect hanging on the wall... unless it is still functional, in which case it may be put to use next winter!  And that wire basket is the perfect size for holding books and toys.

How about these RED cubbies?  I think he approves.

And, I have plenty of these laying around.  Just search "pallet" on www.pinterest.com and be amazed at what comes up.

'Tis the season for parking outside, because there won’t be room for any vehicles once I start using the garage for my very own girl-shop.

He is risen, He is risen indeed!

This is a special treat my mom used to make at Easter.  The peanut M&M’s get me every time!  I doubled the recipe this time, because L is going to give some to his cousins.

Easter Nests

1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow crème (about 2 cups)

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons butter/margarine, melted

5 oz (3 cups) chow mein noodles

Peanut M&Ms, pastel-colored

Powdered sugar

Combine marshmallow crème, peanut butter and butter; mix until well blended.  Add noodles and mix well.  Drop spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.  Shape with greased fingers into nests.  Let stand until firm.  Dust with powdered sugar and fill each nest with M&Ms.

Did you know that eggs and bunnies are associated with Easter because they signify new life?  As a parent, this helps me to validate celebrating the secular features of this holiday, like the Easter Bunny and candy-filled eggs, while still teaching my son about the true meaning.

We are not straying far from home this weekend, since my husband is planting- already!  (Another blessing that comes along with a dry and early spring!)  We’ll be observing Easter at J’s grandmother’s church and then enjoying lunch with the family at her home. 

Happy Easter, everyone!



Hail the Bison!

All of North Dakota is buzzing: the NDSU Bison play in the NCAA Division 1 Championship game in Texas tomorrow.  As proud alumni, we consider this to be bigger than the Superbowl!  I'll be wearing green & gold and cheering on our favorite college football team on TV.  Go Bison!