Happenings down on the Farm

Don't they grow up so very fast. I so enjoy watching Sloan as he learns about this big world we live in. We go outside during the week when I have him for the day and we touch the leaves on the trees, watch the hummingbirds as they with hurried flight race from one feeder to another. He oohs and aahs at the sound of the morning birds and as late afternoon comes just before his Mom or Dad picks him up we go for a quick bicycle ride. He has quickly learned how to make the horn give it's loud squeak. Sometimes we make our way to the nearby small city that he lives in and grab a snowcone to share and head out to the lake. There we watch the Canadian geese that have made their way back for yet another year.




Lazily the geese swim watching for someone to offer them bread crumbs. They are very friendly and keep in groups as they travel across the lake area.


Just down the road someone built a little pond with a fountain. You can almost feel the coolness from the spraying water and at night it is lit brightly giving it such a wonderful glow.


I've been busily at night keeping my punch needle busy. I designed this little rug and just love the prim flowers. The little rug was made using 6 strand of floss and gives it a look and feel of a mini hooked rug. I wish I could hook with the wool strips as fast as the needle punch goes but I just can't seem to make that hook fly!


I also finished a really large penny rug that I designed. Depicting a simple family farm with a hit and miss penny border. For now I have it hanging in my sewing room. The stacks of pennies were done while on past weekend travels.



Also, be sure to visit the Lemon Poppy Seeds this week. Beginning July 1st...we will be having Christmas in July. Your sure to find lots of wonderful items by some very talented folks.

Happy Trails to you....Ginger

Primitive Needle Punch "Summer Time Fun Down on the Farm"

If you follow the crooked path way behind the big oak trees lies a little farm where the sun has risen in the eastern skies for yet another day. Way up on the hill is a saltbox home shaded with a willow tree that has been around for generations.

The farmyard is already coming alive for another day. The rooster has crowed his good morning welcome to all and the sheep are happily munching on the rich green pastures. The garden will need a bit of tending later but for now a lil' bunny has found his way to the lettuce patch.

The baby ducklings are out for a quick morning swim and Tom our ol' barn cat lazily soaks in the warmth of the sun.

Join the Primitive Rug Hookers Group in the Hot Fun in the Summertime Launch. When you find a few spare minutes in your day stop over at eBay and just type in PRHG into your search to see all the offerings this group has made. Wonderful offerings of hand~made hooked rugs, needle punch, and much more.
Above is a needle punch that I designed and made using a 3 strand method....oh the countless stitches in this piece. As I drew it it just kept growing but I just love how it turned out and I almost don't want to let it go....

Happy Trails....Ginger

~*My Favorite Cowboys and a lil' Supper*~

My two favorite cowboys seem to be discussing some serious business. You know farm work is hard and sometimes it's nice to sit back and just see what's been going on with one another.

My Dad & Mom bought a farm after all of us girls grew up and moved away from home. We grew up in a small town not far from where I live now and at the time Dad often found time to take us girls fishing and sometimes hunting. I was the lucky one.... mmmhhh.... being the oldest of four girls to help with the cleaning of fish, doves, squirrels, whatever. Did you know you have to undress squirrels if they are coming for supper! Of course when the mystery meat hit the table it was always called "chicken" seems like we had a lot of chicken.

Frog legs also made their way to the table...but not before the excitement in the frying pan. Do you know if you don't cut the tendons they will jump in the pan~ NO KIDDIN'~so Mom being the prankster she is..we girls found out the hard way! I think she liked to hear us SCREAM!


This little squirrel was frozen in action coming down a tree as I took his picture. Believe me he was safe from me. I had no plans to undress him for supper!


Here is a great alternate to squirrel, frog legs,....
I'm not sure of the name of it but it is super quick and simple

~*~You'll need~*~
9 x 13 baking dish
12 Hawaiian Mini Loafs
Shaved Deli Meat (Your choice)
Sliced Cheese (Your Choice)
Make little sandwiches with the above then pack your 9 x 13 pan. Set aside.
Mix together:
2 TBS Mustard
2 TBS Poppy Seed
2 TBS Dried Minced Onion
2 tsp Worchestire Sauce
2 Sticks of Butter (melted) you can actually decrease this some!
Mix all this together and then pour over the top of the sandwiches...Right over the top!
Heat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
Serve warm and enjoy!

I didn't have mini loafs just the Hawaiian rolls and they worked fine. I cut the recipe in half for just us two and it was more than enough....and we saved a squirrel!




I actually finished a small hooked rug. The pattern is by Buttermilk Basin and was fun and simple to do. I'm still pretty new at rug hooking and still see lots of room for improvement. I've actually finished a couple more redwork Santa's for my Christmas quilt. It's amazing what you can accomplish waiting at doctor visits and of course....Tractor Supply!

Happy Trails~~~~~Ginger

~*Family Reunion...A Time To Remember*~

Lots of families have family reunions and once a year our family on my Mom's side gathers at a nearby Great Uncle and Aunt's House. Food is overflowing, new faces appear each year, some faces grow older each year, but as time goes by we take time to remember those that are no longer with us. This year as we gathered I couldn't help but remember Grandma. She always cooked enough to feed the entire crew...we would unload her car from front to back. She had a funny side as well. Matter of fact all of her brothers and sisters have that too. Today you could see Grandma just by looking in my Great~Aunt's eyes...they all have the same eye color. It's been six long years since she went to see Jesus! What a reunion she celebrated that day!



My Uncle and Aunt have a wonderful place. They built a home long ago that was partially underground to accommodate a very large family. A swimming pool sits up on the hill and under the shade of the trees is a playhouse for the kids. A homemade olde looking car sits out front and they enjoy giving their grand kids rides.


Family came from many states some as far away as California. My mom's brother came for a short visit and my Mom was happy to see since it's been quite awhile.



We were able to get a quick picture of all my uncles and aunts before leaving for home. It's always a good time when families take time to get together even if just for a few hours. I always come home feeling better than when I left.
Hope each of you steal away for some precious time spent with some of your family!

Happy Trails to You....Ginger

*~Primitive Punch Needle Booklet Finished~*

It sure feels like Fall today with the cooler temperatures. Quite a nice change from the soaring temperatures we've been having. Welcome rains have been falling all day. It sure saves on watering the garden!

I finally put the finishing touches on the booklet Jenn and I designed. I thought I would share a picture of the needle punch that Jenn made that started it all! The little cat still needs an eye stitched on and a backing added to the needle punch. She did a terrific job and this piece is a whopper for a needle punch. I believe it is about 10" square. Inside the booklet you will find 4 Pumpkin head sisters, dancing jack's, stacks of jack o~lanterns, friendly witches,cats and moons, and perhaps even a pumpkin fairy! You can reduce or enlarge them to suit your craftin needs. Enjoy them for rug hooking, needle punch, wool applique, or painting!

If your interested in our booklet you can find them on eBay under the username....nyafarmgirl

I had so much fun drawing up these prim line drawings...it's got me to thinking about Christmas but I'll save that for another day! Well off to do a little punchin'....

Happy Trails to You....Ginger

Primitive Halloween Booklet

I have been working away at some line drawings for a new little booklet. I was inspired by a needle punch Jenn did some time ago. I told her that I thought it would make a great pattern for hooking, applique, stitching, maybe even painting.

So I thought why not make a little booklet....so at work today instead of getting paperwork done(it will wait til' Monday) I started drawing. We had a neat little store in the town I grew up in that had a Five and Dime store with wood floors, high ceilings, and isles filled with goodies. Oh, to visit that store to see all the treasures. What we now call Vintage Halloween....could be found there along with costumes for the upcoming Halloween night. We didn't have a big department store at the time but we enjoyed this store along with the malt shoppe and pharmacy next door.

I think Mom must have enjoyed the Halloween fun as much as we did. She always found the most interesting, scary masks. We might be in the kitchen late at night doing the dishes and look out the window and there she was with that mask on...talk about your heart racing, screaming, and running for your life!

I have to admit Fall is my favorite time of the year. We sometimes have our church family over for hayrides, games, lots of food, and a campfire. Guitars, fiddles, and banjo's finish of the evening with a sing~a~long around the campfire! OOOOh I can hardly wait for Fall to come again!

Check back soon and I'll post a picture of Jenn's Needle Punch that started this little booklet. If your interested in our booklet just click on the link and it will take you to our Lemon Poppy seed pattern shop! The booklet sells for 9.99 and has 10 line drawing patterns and we ship for free!

Primitives By The Light Of The Moon Patterns

Happy Trails....Ginger

~*June*~ A month of Plenty

It's hard to believe we are already into June. The dog days of summer are here on the plains of Oklahoma with soaring temps into the 90's. Oh to be a kid again and run barefoot and play in the pool. It seems like work lurks around every corner.
Living on a farm brings work from every direction. Fences always need mending, cattle need worked, gardens need weeded and eventually hay will need to be cut.
June brings many birthday celebrations...my kid sister "Jane" will celebrate a birthday and a wedding anniv. Her hubby "Brian" also has a birthday. My nephew John hits a milestone and turns 15. Soon he will be asking for the car keys! My brother~in~law "Dennis" also has a birthday. Of course Father's Day will soon be here. It sure to be a busy month.

I did find a little time to make a penny rug or two and finish up a few needle punch pieces. Hope each of you find a little time to enjoy some quality time with family, friends, and a few of the things you enjoy!

Happy Trails....Ginger

~Primitive Pinkeeps made by the Light of the Moon~

I have finally been back to doing a few stitches...Of course most are made late into the night and wee hours of the mornings. Here is a few of the pinkeeps that I have finished. I should have a large penny rug done by tomorrow and I hope to get to that big old stack of needle punch pieces begging to be finished.




We have no big plans for Memorial Day weekend just a relaxing weekend at home! Yeah right, the yard needs mowed, more weeding, and some planting in the garden just to name a few.



Our 7 1/2 month old grandson "Sloan" has been crawling for about 10 days now. He has decided that crawling isn't near enough so he has ventured into standing and with one hand. His mom found out he can also climb. He climbed up his little chair onto their couch. It looks like I better add baby proofing our home on the list for this weekend also. Hope each of you have a safe and happy weekend....

Happy Trails...Ginger

Thank Goodness It's Friday!

Well it sure is too nice of a day to have to go to work. I would just as soon be home sitting on the porch watching the hummingbirds or pulling weeds from my flowerbeds. Yes there are weeds in the flowerbeds...uugghh!
They will have to stay put for a little longer because duty calls and off to work we go. My sister Sherry usually fills in for me when I am keeping Sloan but her lil'girl Megan is "gradulating" as she calls it kindergarten today! Congratulations to Megan and my other niece Maggie for "gradulating" today!

Grandpa is busy teaching Sloan the ropes on how to build a trailer. He loves to sit on top of grandpa's desk and kick all the papers. Now for a look into the welding shop. A little FYI....I actually know how to weld but don't do it anymore. Got me a pacemaker and those lil' welding machines just zap the power right out of those pacer batteries. I'll just stick to stitching....



Danny and the guys stay busy all day long.

Our son~in~law "JJ" works outside most days...wiring trailers, flooring, and moving stuff around.




Sloan is wiped out. It's been a busy day for a little boy.

Happy Trails....Ginger

~*Do You Have This Problem*~

How many projects can one person start? For me it is way too many. I think I need help! I at least finished the flower penny rug but I have two new quilts going on at once and that doesn't count the other quilts stored away. Then I guess I would have to mention all the needle punch pieces that are punched but not made into anything yet. Actually I think I have rubbed this bad habit off onto my daughter Jenny. She keeps bringing me needle punched tops with a line "I'll be back to make them into something", she has made one Halloween needle punch that I would love to have but we'll see!

Here are two redwork Santa blocks for a quilt I'm working on. Only another 10 or so to go. Dear ol' Claus gets worked on when I'm setting at Tractor Supply or Lowe's waiting on Danny. Mom actually caught me after church doing a few stitches while I was sitting in the truck waiting on Danny. Hey a gal has to stitch whenever she can find a spare minute.





I had hoped to have these finished by Christmas...I guess it all depends on how many trips we make to Tractor Supply!


Well for a few days I'm putting my stitching away. This little one is sure to keep us on our toes. Our son and daughter-in-law are on their way to Las Vegas. Sheena's youngest brother and his family live there. They are going for a surprise birthday party. Dan has never been to Vegas and I bet that it will be a sight to see.
So Sloan is ours for a few days. We have already taken a walk down to see the cows and he loved hearing them moo! He had a nice warm bath and a bottle and went down for a much needed rest.






The bottles are all washed, the supper dishes are done, and this old gal is about to call it a night. It's early for me I'm known to stay up until 2am but I think I better get some sleep myself before Sloan decides it's time to get up and play!

Happy Trails....Ginger

~One Happy Gal~

Hip Hip Hooray! Jenn finished college and the ceremony is over. This is one happy gal no more homework. Her dad wore his dress overalls in honor of the special occasion!

Of course Sloan got in on the action!

Happy Trails....Ginger

Happy Mother's Day!

We had a day filled with fun and lots of work on Saturday. For mother's day my 3 sisters along with their familes and my family met at my Mom and Dad's and painted their house trim and porch. We also trimmed up a lot of trees and by the end of the day everyone was exhausted but oh the rewards! Happy Mother's day...Mom we love ya!


Dad was in on doing some mending.


Sisters "Sherry and Jane" taking care of business!


My youngest sister "Bobbie" was busy getting the house trim ready to paint.




My three youngest nieces Maggie, Megan, and Mandy Jo. These 3 little gals find fun wherever they go. Oh to be young again!


John took care of some of the bigger limbs for us.


Wyatt and Erin hauled lots of loads. My niece Erin out did the boys by far. She carted load after load of limbs.
I bet we all sleep well tonight of course I plan to take 2 tylenol, rub on the arthritis cream and hit the hay! Hope each of you have an enjoyable Mother's day with family and friends.

Happy Trails.....Ginger

*~* I turned around and....*~*

I turned around and see that my little Jennifer Noel is all grown up! This coming Friday night she will graduate from college. I remember the day her big brother went to kindergarten and she cried.... she wanted to go to school too! So she went to pre~school for a couple of hours twice a week...actually they called it Mother's day out.

"A daughter may outgrow your lap but she will never outgrow your heart" not sure who said this but it sure is true!

I have two little nieces graduating from kindergarten next week and before you know it my sisters will turn around and ......

I made the most wonderful lasagna yesterday and it was so simple. You can find the recipe by going to www.thepioneerwoman.com/cooking. The lasagna was quick and easy and my family ate it up! I had the pleasure of being able to stay home again today and made the Carrot Cake from her recipe....my son loved it! Of course he loves dessert as much as his moma. There is a little left for the lunch crowd tomorrow if I can keep it hid!

Happy Trails....Ginger

~*Time began in a Garden*~

What a wonderful day spent stitching with friends. Once a month I try to get to one of my favorite stores here in Oklahoma called Country Collections by Hart located in Moore, Ok. They have a shop filled with primitives that are handmade not the imported stuff! Patterns for embroidery, rug hooking, needle punch, felting, penny rugs, quilts and more. They have wool on the bolt and hand~dyed as well. Hand~painted items, candles, rusty tins, and the list goes on! Every time I visit their store I see something new.

Today was so nice to just sit and stitch and of course I found a few lil' things I just couldn't resist! I have been working on Time began in a Garden by Indygo Junction a quilt block of the month. It is a raw edge quilt pattern but loving wool....I am making it into a wool wall quilt. A very talented teacher at Country Collections did one in hand~dyed wools and it is absolutely awesome! So hopefully by the end of the year if not before I will have mine done and hanging on the wall behind our bed. So far I have two blocks totally done.






Tomorrow is suppose to be nice here and the grass is ready to cut once again. I also have some flowers that are in need of being planted so I guess tomorrow will be....Time Spent in the Garden!

~*Happy Trails*~....Ginger