Stormy Day Musings

The sky is misty and grey.  A cold wind is blowing, bringing with it drenching rain, making me exceedingly glad  to be inside sipping a cup of freshly brewed coffee...  Ah, the simple pleasures in life....{{smiles}}

 

This morning after returning indoors with a foaming pail of warm milk, I looked through my seeds before venturing into the garden for bit where Mom joined me a little later on to plant a fair sized patch of beetroot.  
I long to serve beetroot from our garden at each evening meal and to preserve our harvest by making chutney and pickles.  I greatly anticipate the coming of warmer days when fresh produce begins to pour in and the season for preserving commences...

Today I discovered beautiful buds on the blackberry bushes...we only have a few plants, but I am interested to see what kind of harvest we have this year.  Did I mention that I am a particular fan of blackberry jam?  And you simply cannot beat homemade blackberry pie and farm cream...

Our farm efforts are still relatively small, but they are growing...too often we overlook that fact that all our milk is produced right here, we cook all our meals from scratch, often making the jams, pickles, etc. which are included in a recipe.  
Of course we would like to increase that which we already do, but it is not always possible whilst taking care of little ones, running a home business and keeping up with daily life...{{smiles}}

^ Wild carnation...

We have been living on this farm for over four years now and how much we have learnt along the way!  Of course we someday hope to own our own farm, but in the meantime we enjoy doing what we can to supplement our daily food consumption and perhaps make us some pocket money here and there along the way...  
Currently we trade milk with a fellow homesteader once a week for pasture range eggs...  We don't have enough of our own hens at present to keep us supplied with eggs, but that too will hopefully change in the not too distant future.

Today more butternut, courgettes, carrot and beetroot were planted, vegetable beds weeded and seedlings thinned and transplanted...  We finished just in time, for by tea time a storm had blown in which meant I could spend some time in my sewing room completing an order...

^ Freshly baked bread...

And now I am waiting for supper to finish cooking...I decided to try a new chicken dish, adding a few other lovely ingredients such as Swiss chard from the garden as well as fresh majoram...  Hopefully before too long we will be able to use baby tomatoes and peppers from our garden too.
  

Patience is key and I am learning to wait patiently and work diligently to achieve a good harvest...I also pray each day for the LORD to establish the work of our hands so that we would not only be able to feed our family, but bless others with healthy vegetables grown with love and care right here in our home garden.

"And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish you the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish it."  ~ Psalm 90:7

Blessings on this beautiful day, dear readers...