Happy New Year From The Homestead

As we see the old year out & the new year in tonight may we all give thanks for the blessings we received over this past year & may we all be blessed in this new year as our Heavenly Fathers hand leads us in our walk with Him.

Blessings Til next Time!
Lara

From My Homestead To Yours

WISHING YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS & MANY BLESSINGS!

Lara Laken Lucas Sam & The Homestead Creatures

Laken & I Go On A Road Trip

Laken & I went on a road trip. After we finished up taking care of some business she had in the area we got gas & lunch at Sheetz. There was a place I had passed so many times when in the area & never had the chance to stop & visit so I thought why not just drive a short distance yet. I was so glad we did. This place is filled to the brim with wonderful wares & has such a history to it. Of course I just fell in love with all the painted floors & stair cases. The first two floors are open for shopping & the other floors are being made ready. Well I wondered up each set of stair cases I could get up & opened the doors to many rooms filled with boxes of wares to put out. Well yes I dug in them a bit & checked the prices out to. These floors were once rooms to be stayed in & had fireplaces in them. There were two bathrooms at the end of each of these halls. If only the walls could talk? I think I enjoyed the beauty of the building more than shopping. Laken commented she would like to have a house like this. I was shocked. I said I thought you did not like the old look. I was not shocked when she said she only likes the size of the place. Her taste is more modern. More like white glass & stainless steel. Well Mom would not change the look or the homey feeling she got when entering the door as the warmth of wood heat & smell of fire burning took me back in time.

A short drive down the lane along the river.

A view of the river.

A wonderful old tyme wood box on the porch.

Just one of the five stairways.

The landing at the top of the top of the steps.

The hall.

How ever I did not find what I was looking for. I was hoping I would find framed prints much like the ones hanging on the wall of the sitting room. I have searched over the years for George Washington & Abe Lincoln. Laken & I had fun wondering from room to room looking at all the wonderful wares they had to offer. I did purchase three little pine needle mini candle rings to place on the window candles. Before leaving we wondered about the grounds & took in the beautiful sight of the river & the sound of rippling water. I would love to go back in the spring & throw us a quilt & have a picnic lunch by the river after shopping. Time will tell.

If you would like to read about the history of this beautiful place & find out more about the shop & the wares they offer you can visit.
www.juniatacrossing.com

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

Our Homestead Christmas Tree

Come into the homestead sitting room & sit by our tree as I show you our special orniee. The cheese boxes were taken down this week & the Christmas ornies were chosen for this years tree. Our homestead Christmas tree is now decorated with those ornies. Most years I have made a new set of ornies for our tree. This year was no different. There are still more ornies in the cheese boxes but no more room on the tree.

Mini clothes pin spool candles.

Gingerbread men.

Nugget bubble gum bags stuffed. We had a lot of bubble gum to chew that year.

White sheep.

Black sheep.

Coffee stained tags I stamped JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON..

This year I made bags of candy canes. Fuzzy sticks from the craft department at Walmart bags I picked up at the farmers market this past fall.

Fuzzy sticks cut twisted & bent ready for the staining process.

Coffee stained bags & candy canes drying on the drying rack.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

Changing It Up A Bit

I rehung the little cabinet that Atlee his girlfriend & grands gave me for my last birthday above the dry sink. It was in the kitchen but I took it down when I put the new kitchen cabinet there. So its new home is in the room off the kitchen. Laken has been staying with friends for some time now & plans to start taking her things there little by little over the next few weeks. I know she is twenty but I hate to have her go out on her own. Sam wants her room but I told him not to get in a hurry & she could be back before we know it. So no major changes to her room any time soon.

I found this photo in the calender that was left on the door today by the fuel company. I love old log cabins & this old mill fits right in as a dream home to me. My ducks could swim in the water & I could hear the sound of running water as the water wheel turns & spills the water out. Dreaming on so I am.
The homestead owner my future X had fuel oil delivered today. The fuel will be heating the section of the homestead he lives in & the section the kids & I live in. Please dont get me wrong I am thankful the kids & I will be warm. I have been sorting nineteen years of stuff over the weeks. I have removed his family antiques & gave them to him. The items over the years have meant much to me but I no longer want to here they are his. I thought when his mother called over the years & told me she had something I would like & she was giving it to me it was for keeps. They really mean nothing to him. Last week he started fights over his Grandmothers butcher knife he believed I had taken but he had locked in his filing cabinet a rawhide bone he saw Sams little dog chewing on. He believed I took his rawhide bone from his precious dog Buddy. Which I didnt. Lucas found a truck at a car lot he was interested in & asked me to talk to his father about. I asked him to take Lucas & check the truck out for him. Which he refused to do & told me I was in a hurry to have Lucas wreak & if that was what I wanted then take him your self. It all ended with him telling me my family can not come for Christmas & I dont give a rats ass about you & I dont love you & never will & I dont have to be your friend. So whats new about that I wondered & what did that have to do with Lucas? He sounds & acts like a child not a grown 59 year old. We have not spoken since. Weeks ago when all was worked out that the kids & I could continue to live at the homestead for the next five years I was relieved but now I wonder if it will be a curse for the next five years & is it even worth it? This is something I will have to decide after Christmas it over. Last night Lucas & I checked out the truck. The windshield was broken all the way across along with other repairs that would have to be made. The dealer was selling as is with no repairs. He was disappointed. I need to go pick him up from work soon & I have things to load for the goodwill store yet tonight. Wishing you all a good evening.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

I saw a dove candy mold at the market & thought I would try making some wax doves. I poured the used melted wax from my tart burners & left them harden. They came out of the mold easily & looked pretty good. They have very little scent to them. Now that I know it works I will try it with unused scented wax.

I did not have the heart to put the unscented doves in the trash so I layed them on some greens on the stove board.

The tree is up & all a glow. No ornaments have been put on it yet. Sam said he likes it just the way it is. I guess we will wait & see what will come. I spoke with Sam Lucas Laken & my mother today about plans for Christmas. Nothing is set in stone at this time. I still need to speak to Atlee his girlfriend & the grands.
My day was a busy one from the time my feet hit the floor early today. Laken called & needed a ride to work. I went to pick her up & her employer called to tell her they were not busy & she was not to come in. So we hurried back to the homestead & the boys were off to school. The weather was nice so I cleaned all the animal houses. All have a nice fresh layer of fresh pine shavings to bed down tonight. I layered the gardens with the dirty shavings. Eggs gathered. Laundry vacuuming & scrubbing all were done. Before I knew it the boys were home from school & off we went to take Lucas to work & back again to get him. So off we will be heading to bed shortly. As I close I wish you all a good night with lost of rest to start the next day a fresh.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

Simple Homestead Kitchen Christmas Cheer

Today I decided it was time to add some cheer to the homestead kitchen. This year it will be simple. Small touches of greens added to what is already around the kitchen.

The smell of cloves scent the homestead kitchen tonight.

The sewing machine is in the kitchen so much I decided to keep it there by bringing the sewing machine cabinet to the kitchen to. It fit nicely on the crock shelf.

The turkey was replaced with an angel.

A sweet little tree added.

Another tree & a snowman I made some years back. I think he may just get a new scarf this week.

Black crows pears & Grams clothes pins for the kitchen tree that is up year round.

Greens in the window & sweet little penguins.

A little tweaking done in the cabinet. Grams bread bowl & greens. I wanted to also thank you all for lifting the children & I in prayer. Laken & Lucas are with friends tonight. Sam his little dog & I are warm & cozy enjoying the sparkling white lights. Right before Thanksgiving I was touched by a blog post I was reading. She said Thanksgiving was her fav holiday because there were no gifts to have ready. A time to share with family & be thankful. I believe that will now be my fav holiday to for just that same reason. I took this to heart & decided this Christmas our Christmas will be more on the side of Thanksgiving. Without so much fuss of so many decorations & so much stress of the buying of gifts & giving. Of course there will be a tree in the homestead gathering room. Total count of two trees this year instead of five. The children will have a few gifts to open. The children are ok with this. I believe I will be able to really enjoy Christmas this way. As Sam said it is Jesus Birthday after all. What matters is we have each other & this day is about our Saviors birth & the gift he gave us all. So it will be a most Thankful Merry Christmas.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

Words Flowed Tears Streamed

While driving to pick Lucas up after work tonight the words flowed from my heart & the tears streamed from my eyes as I poured out my heart to my Lord. Where has my life gone? So much hurt & pain. Way to many times waking to a new day just to put on that happy face & forgive & go on as if nothing has happened all my life. Way to young. Not accepted as his own. Not his blood. Unhappy early childhood memories. Refuge safety & love found at Gram & Paps I ran. Why not after all from a babe to this point that was where I always ended up. Peace seemed to come to my Mother & Step Fathers house with me gone. Only to be forced to return to their home from year to year. Never lasting long. Married way to young as a teen just a babe with a babe myself. Sweet sixteen birthday gifts were maternity clothes. Holding a sweet babe in my arms three months later & married one month after giving birth. Believing there was no other choice. Oh what a mistake that was I soon discovered. With a nine month old baby my eyes were opened to see I was married to a drinker who was running around on me while working away from home. Off and on this continued with splits and getting back together with promises only to be broken later. Stay together for the sake of the child work it out I heard. Words of wisdom from others I believed they were. Physical abuse followed early in the marriage. The pain slowly went away & the bruises faded and healed. With a second child just a babe she was I ran with my children I hid & divorced. A troubled life claimed my oldest child for many years. Blame fell on me by many. Claims made that I had caused this by splitting the family. Soon I found a man who said he wanted a relationship we me and wanted my children. Court battles and police calls. The X was even worse. Within two years the X wanted nothing to do with either child until twelve years later when his mother was dieing. Just my second child was what his mother wanted. Claims in court he loved abd wanted her. In thirteen months his mother died and he to this day has never seen or contacted this twenty year old child. Many strains this court battle put on my second marriage. We survived it all and had been blessed with the birth of two children. Happiness it was but years later troubles followed. The claims of getting older being tied down to a wife and kids and not having money to have the things he believed a man at his age should have by now. Threats of leaving me for someone else. Hateful words spilled out of his mouth often. Claims of never wanting or loving me. Told no one liked me. Insults came often. Your fat your ugly and old. Thirteen years younger than him I never thought this would be a claim. Taking in a dog who he claimed was his only friend and the only one who cared about him he spent more time with his dog than his family. From the point of missing the kids baseball games because his dog needed him and not going to church because his dog wanted to come along and could not. We all became a prisoner of the dogs needs. Leaving the church claiming he could not do the work of the Lord and be a Christian with me in his life. Praying for the Lord to remove me from his life even if it meant me dieing. Off and on telling me to just leave and find another man to take care of me and the kids to once a month to weekly then from day to day. He decided he was going to have what he wanted even if it meant loosing the house that was ours until the day he convinced me to sign a paper that ended up leaving me with no legal rights to the house I put the down payment on and helped pay for for years. More papers to follow with fights. I refused to sign. Learned my lesson. Off he went to purchase a mustang telling me at this point and time in his life he was at the age he should have a house paid for like others his age and have the things he wanted. All he wanted was his dog a motel room and a mustang and a young pretty skinny young blond that he could take to church and be a Christian. Not careing what would happen to the kids and I. Told he had given the kids over to me and I could take care of them after all they did not care about him. Sick of them he claimed. More threats more hateful words and comments. My second child no longer claimed as his own but as a step child. His opinion of all my children was they are all lazy worthless and will never amount to nothing. They smoke dope. Will become a killer. His child from his first marriage he claims and defends. A will leaving all to his son. Walking out on us turning his back on us he did. Experienced physical hurt by one husband and mental hurt by the other husband. Physical hurt fades and heals but the words from mental hurt never go away. They play over and over in my mind they eat at my soul. No faith in men or love. I ask my Lord just how many times must I forgive? Erase my mind of those cutting words. How much time will I have? Will I ever have happiness? Will I ever be loved. Ending my talk with my Lord tonight. I gave thanks for my children & grand children as I asked for all their souls to be saved and their hurts to be healed. Either way leaving or staying in a marriage I have learned children get hurt. My children and grand children truly are my life. They are all I have. I am blessed by them.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

p.s. I often think I need a shrink