11/9/26  Corinthians 6:12 says, “All things are lawful unto me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Including screens!

The soil soaked up the rain, the sump pump only came on a few times.  I am thankful the ground wasn't frozen yet. I'm glad our Christmas trees haven't been cut yet!   A few years back Gilbert and Barbie gave me flannel sheets for Christmas and Andrew and Gayle gave me an electric blanket.  About three weeks ago I put on the flannel sheets.  Today I'll add the blanket and take up the hoses around the house.  The kitchen pond is full, the perennials and shrubs are watered.  The Northeast Weather Alert headline this morning is " A Colder and Stormier Pattern Taking Shape Toward Thanksgiving?"

    More and more forecasters are talking about the north pole snow pack.  They think the patterns that are showing may mean that we are going to have a cold late winter despite the strong El Nino.  Jay is going to put foam boards under the beehive cover.  They have built a maternity pen in the barn so Mabel will have her calf inside.  My flannel nightgowns have gotten so thin I wore them all summer.  A cold new year means new ones will be needed.

   "Collecting any donations of new or gently used adult warm clothing, (socks, thermals, sweatshirts,jackets etc) sleeping bags, backpacks, hats and gloves. For the Bread of Life Ministry."     That is copied from Maegin's facebook page. Donations may be dropped off here. They served breakfast to 85 people last week, 25 this week.  As soon as they got there Saturday they were told there wouldn't be many.  The homeless stay in their tents when it rains.  If they get wet they have no way to get dry.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 11/7/26  Homemaking is holy work,  why does seem that the world tries to convince us our time is better spent elsewhere.

     Rain, a north breeze, 45 degrees.  Rain today, tonight and tomorrow, ending late in the day tomorrow.  A light NNE wind today, high 48, low 42.  A strong NW breeze tomorrow, high 44, low 36.  Cloudy Monday with a west breeze, high 50, low 35.  Mostly cloudy Tuesday, WNW breeze, high 47, low 35.  Partly cloudy Wednesday and Thursday, a WNW breeze, highs 49 and 44, lows 31 and 29.  Showers Friday, a north breeze, high 43, low  31.  Cloudy next weekend, strong NW breezes, highs about 43, lows about 44.  Partly cloudy the week of the 16th with NW breezes, highs in the upper forties Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Lows 28, 30 and 34.  Highs about 50, lows about 31 Thursday and Friday.  Mostly cloudy Saturday the 21st, a WSW breeze, high 50, low 32.            

     Maegin and Bekah are in Bangor serving a free hot breakfast to the homeless, as they plan to do every Saturday morning this winter.

      It's time to think about mulching  your strawberries!    Strawberry plants need protection once the temperature drops into the low 20s. By then, they should be dormant, and it’s time to tuck them in with a thick layer of mulch.  The School of Traditional Skills says don’t jump the gun! Let your plants harden off with a few light frosts first. If you mulch too early, the plants keep growing underneath, and those tender new shoots can be damaged by a sudden, severe cold snap.

   So watch for two signs: several nights in the 20s, and leaves that have gone from bright green to a dull grayish or reddish color and started flopping toward the ground. Then get the mulch on before the first night that dips into the teens.
    Spread clean straw loosely over the bed, 3 to 5 inches deep (6 to 8 inches for raised beds, which run colder). Skip hay, which brings weed seeds, and skip fallen leaves, which mat down and trap ice. (Save those for composting!)

     What does a plant contribute once it reaches the garden? How does it support wildlife, benefit the soil, or help  make better use of the garden space?   “Plants with a purpose” Is this plant for beauty, pollinators, creating habitat, or to eat.  How many of these things can one plant do?  Will the plant grow well here?  These things are part of our conversations as we look at seed catalogs. Any suggestions?

     May your day be blessed, Sally

 11/6/26  Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earthare never alone or weary of life.

Rachel Carson

Sun is shining through the clouds, it's calm, 55 degrees.  Mostly cloudy today, chance of late day showers, rain tonight.  A light NW breeze, high 66, low 47.  Rain tomorrow and tomorrow night.  a light NNE wind, high 49, low 40.    Rain Sunday morning, a strong NW breeze, high 43, low 38.  Cloudy Tuesday and Wednesday, west breezes, highs about 50, lows about 35.  Partly cloudy Wednesday through Thursday the 19th.  Highs in the low forties, lows in the upper twenties with brisk NW breezes Wednesday through Sunday the 15th.  NW breezes , highs around 50, lows around 32 the week of the 16th.

    The garlic is all planted and mulched.  The gardens are ready to soak up this weekend's rain.  We just wish there was more in the forecast.

     The girls took inventory of their jars of jam for the craft fair, 175 jars of jams and jellies.  All the fruit came from here.  Except for the blueberries  Birds ate our blueberries.  Boxes of handmade Christmas decorations are sitting everywhere.  The craft fair is at Bradford Townhall Saturday, November 21st.

     A couple of juvenile grackles showed up at the feeders four or five days ago,  I quickly bought in the easy to get to suet feeder and stopped putting seeds on the platform feeders.  Grackles are lazy, they leave if getting food isn't easy.  If food is easy they go get their friends.  I haven't seen them for at least three days so I'll put the suet feeder back out and fill all the feeders.  There was an upside down feeder with suet in it.  They were very frustrated because they couldn't get to the suet.  We usually aren't bothered by grackles in November.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

11/5/26   We must never become so consumed with politics that we forget  we’ve been called to share Christ's love with others. 

    Fog, calm, 47 degrees.  Fog this morning, showers this afternoon, overcast tonight, a brisk SSW breeze, high 68, low 57. 

Cloudy tomorrow, a gentle NW breeze, high 67, low 46.  Showers Saturday, a light NNE wind, high 49, low 47.  Showers Sunday,  stiff NW breeze, high44, low 47.   Partly cloudy Monday through Tuesday the 17th.   A strong WNW breeze Monday, high 48, low 36.  A WSW breeze Tuesday, high 52, low 33.   Brisk NW breezes Wednesday through the 17th.  Highs in the forties, lows in the upper twenties.  Clouds and fog the 18th and 19th, NW breezes, highs about 50, lows about  33.  

    I've heard some talk of rolling black outs this winter.  When I called Keith, my son who lives in Alaska, to wish him Happy Birthday he said they have been told there will be rolling black outs.  There is a shortage of natural gas.  In the north slope oil field they burn it off because there is no infrastructure to catch and process it.

   Here in Maine forecasters say there are so many variables  that an accurate winter forecast is a challenge.  We are fortunate we have generators.  If the layers of plastic covering the greenhouses aren't kept inflated the plastic is prone to tearing.  We remember the ice storm, we stay prepared.

   We are buying some fernleaf dill seed this year.  It is a flavorful dwarf dill, the perfect size for a winter window or a patio planter.  I also want to get some fennel.  I used to always grow it, I used it a lot in cooking.  The girls never have.  The bronze fennel is very pretty but the green Florence fennel produces sweet bulbs for cooking.  Fennel is  allelopathic meaning that it doesn't play nice with other plants.  It needs to have its own space. Fennel seeds are used as medicine for many things.

   May your day be blessed, Sally

 11/4/26  Good Morning.  Today is an especially good day to be thoughtful and kind.

    Dense fog, calm, 49 degrees.  Cloudy today, showers and rain tonight. A SW breeze, high 70, low 45.  Showers tomorrow afternoon, a brisk WNW breeze, high 66, low 48.  Cloudy Friday, a light NW breeze, high 66, low 51.  Rain Saturday, a brisk NE breeze, high 55, low 44.  Partly cloudy Sunday through next Sunday, the 15th.  Brisk NW breezes Sunday and Monday, highs 49, lows 38 and 34.  A stiff west breeze Tuesday, high 53, low 33.  A strong WNW breeze next Wednesday, a high of 46, a low of 29.  Brisk, sometimes strong NW breezes next Thursday through Tuesday the 17th.  Highs about 43 next Thursday and Friday, lows about 26.  Highs 46 next weekend, lows 29.  Mostly cloudy Monday the 16 th and Tuesday the 17th, highs about 50, lows about 30.

    I made a dill bed against the back of the garage.  The dill grew fine.  But I planted it too late for it to reseed.  Today we are going to cut and dry the dill.  And add dill seed to the seed order to plant in the spring. 

     Dill belongs in the vegetable garden.  Dill attracts Beneficial Insects: Its umbrella-shaped yellow flowers (umbels) provide nectar and pollen for predatory insects like ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps. Their larvae feed on soft-bodied pests like aphids and spider mites. The blooms draw in honeybees, native bees, and butterflies, helping improve pollination across neighboring vegetable crops. Dill is a primary host plant for Black Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars (parsley worms), providing the necessary foliage for them to feed and grow.  Its strong scent helps naturally repel or confuse garden pests like cabbage loopers, cabbageworms, and spider mites.  Dill can lure pests like aphids or tomato hornworms away from your main vegetable harvests.   It grows quickly, handles cool weather well, and readily drops seeds to return the following season.  We are establishing a bed of dill behind the garage because we use a lot of dill.  So do our customers!  Too many times we have wanted some dill and it has all been sold!   Avoid planting dill near other members of the same botanical family such as caraway, cilantro, parsley, or celery, as they risk cross-pollination.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

11 /3/26 May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity

to do what is right.  Peter Marshall

 Clouds, calm, 51 degrees.  Showers today, a light ENE breeze, high 56, low 48.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a SW breeze, high 70, low 46.  Cloudy Thursday, a brisk SSW breeze, high 68, low 55.  Cloudy Friday, a light SSW breeze, high 66, low 48.  Rain Saturday, a brisk NE breeze, high 52, low 43.  Showers Sunday, a brisk NW breeze, high 49, low 36.  Partly cloudy Monday through Monday the 16th with brisk NW breezes. Highs Monday and next Tuesday 50, lows 33.  Highs in the mid forties the rest of the week, lows 28.  Highs next weekend and Monday the 16th 49, lows 28 to 30. 

    Please pray for our country and give thanks for our Blessings.  Then PLEASE VOTE!

    We are what we eat.  Those words apply to our minds as well as our bodies. I choose what I read, watch and listen to as carefully, or with even more care than what I eat.  

    We put by as much food as we can for winter.  We do this not only for our pockbooks but because our food is better quality.   Experts tell us the nutritional value of our food has decreased in this century.  We care for our soil, food can only be as good as the soil it is grown.  If we don't have a food , we buy local food as much as possible. Not only do we know the grower but the less distance between the farm and table the more nutrition the food retains.  And I prefer to buy frozen food than fresh food that has been trucked across the country.

    We don't grow any of our own grain.  The girls are considering buying a grain mill and buying whole grain from a local farmer that grows his grains organically.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

Use what you have.

Mend what you can.
Grow some of your own food.
Make meals from scratch.
Keep your home welcoming.
Save something for a rainy day. And don't confuse having more
with living better.

11/2/26     They asked her: "How did you persuade your child to read instead

of playing with smart devices?!" She said: "Children don't hear us, they imitate us"

 Cloudy, 41 degrees, a SSE breeze.  A chance of a morning shower.  Cloudy today, light rain tonight.  A WSW breeze, high 60, low 49.  Occasional showers  tomorrow and tomorrow night, light variable breezes, mostly from the east.  High 56, low 48.  Cloudy Wednesday morning, some afternoon sun.  A SW breeze, high 69, low 46.  Cloudy Thursday, brisk SSW breeze, high 67, low 56.  Showers Friday, SSW breeze, high 65, low 49.  Rain Saturday, a brisk NE breeze, high 53, low 44.  Showers Sunday, a brisk NNW breeze, high 53, low 37.  PM showers next Monday, brisk WNW breeze, high 50, low 34. Partly cloudy next Tuesday through Next Friday, stiff NW breezes, highs in the upper forties, lows around 30.  Partly cloudy the weekend of the 14th and 15th, brisk NW breezes, highs about 52, lows 30 and 35.

   Today's forecast has already changed twice.  I changed the first word from clear to cloudy.  Now, as the sun rises I see clear skies.  Shower at 6AM??  I guess today's forecast is "Look out the window."  The east breeze has already dropped the inside temperature 2 degrees.

   It's time to set up for wreath making.  The girls have a lot of orders.  If you want a Country Junction wreath you need to get your order in.  The wreaths are mixed greens, mostly pine, hemlock and fir.   Double sided and very full.  12 inch are thirty dollars or two for fifty.  Four foot wreaths are eighty dollars.  Our Christmas trees are all marked.  They will be cut Thanksgiving week.  Christmas sales start the day after Thanksgiving.

    Kayden did my brake job yesterday.  I should have had him set the clock in the truck.  I still have two clocks in the house to set back!

    May your day be blessed, Sally