Office Changes

Our Christmas decorations new for the office a first time. The office has never been decorated before. It takes time but is worth it.

The front office desk decorated with sewing class projects.

Our new back office with donated desk credenza.

The new front office with rugs and donated desk we found in Arkansas. And we now have a new priest a local from the Ozarks. So lots of changes. This front office is a mini clinic, hospital, and safe haven. Many things have happened in this office for the good of several people. They feel welcome and safe here. And that makes it all worth it.

 

Snow Day

We had a lot of snow about 5 inches on top of the ice from last week. One afternoon a heard a bang outside my window and found this woodpecker out cold. So I brought it inside and let it warm up. It chirped and flapped about an hour later and I set it free.

My Chevy truck rusting away so I filled the hole with a plastic skeleton. It stayed put even in the ice and snow.

Our farm all the trees are heavy with snow.

Eos, my Anatolian/Great Pyrenees mix living her best life of year one. She is a very big girl (90lbs) and she does a great job keeping away predators. She will get up to about 120lbs when she turns 3 years. She loves the cold. She is a farm guardian, not a pet. She lives outside 24/7 no matter what. She has 2 heated  kennels and a fan if she wants it. She is chipped, spayed, tracked and vaccinated. She was the best decision I ever made for our farm. And she is very loyal and yet very stubborn. She loves the poultry and lives with them.

My second best guardian, Shelby the donkey. She also keeps predators away. 

 

Get the to a sewing machine

So along with the farm life, being a church secretary, an artist and a restorer I also teach beginning sewing classes. I teach both group and private lessons. I teach mostly adults but also sometimes children take the class. These classes are always free, sewing machines are provided along with the pattern and threads. Students just need to bring fabric and some supplies. Many can't afford sewing supplies so they are provided by donations. I picked up several good working sewing machines from the local thrift shop. I got the sewing machines working for the students to use.

This was the apron class and a big hit.

Change of pace. This is a muslin drape for a Sister to try on. I need to finish this apron for her. It is a custom apron for her. She had them custom made in France and there was no pattern. So I made one. She needs 2 one for everyday and one for gardening.

My first Catholic acolyte student. He is in his final semester at the seminary and is to become a priest this fall. And he is my best sewing student.

Learning how to cut patterns and fabric.

My classroom is also the church hall. Lots of room for the students.

My students are men and women. Nice mix to have.

Here is the stuffed bear class. This was harder than it looked but they loved it.

 

The brass restorations

The restorations will continue until moral improves. Here is a brass chalice from another church. The priest retired and these brass items were found. Several were in various states of tarnish and neglect. I gave a quick lesson to the parishioners and everyone picked a chalice to restore.

Before

and after.

Now this was a solid brass book stand. I was told about it a few years ago but the janitor at that church said he would try to restore it. Two weeks later he died unexpectedly. He had been a much beloved janitor to that church. So I was given the task of restoring this very heavy book stand. So far it's in pieces. I need to boil it and polish it. The tarnish is under the varnish.

There are no hurries as the parish got a new priest and he does not use this stand. So it sits in my studio until I have time to finish it. 

 

2024 Christmas cookie bake off

Here is the custom cookie decorating station I made for our church. These decorated cookies along with other donated cookies were boxed up and each family got to take a box home and give a box to a neighbor or the homebound.  Over 79 boxes were made and about 45 were given to those outside of church.

I baked and cut over 300 gingerbread and sugar cookies. Made the custom color icing bags.

The cookie boxes ready to be packed by the volunteers.

Used Boston gingerbread spice mix to pump up the gingerbread. Much to the delight of our German patrons.

Cookie people, ornaments and trees

All the cookie decorations , sugar sprinkles and eyeballs for the cookies. This was the 2nd time we have done this and it is very popular. Instead of a Christmas party, we have fun and share with the community.

 

Snowy January

Our horses we cozy in the lean too. Had to put up new walls right before the ice storm hit. Could not get them painted but the wood was coated in ice.

Ice on ice on electric fences. Trees were down and power was out. But the woodstoves kept us warm.

Our ducks love the snow. They go into the heated coop at night. In the daytime they frolic under the tarp where the food is.

Heavy branches under the weight of 1 inch of ice.

My truck under 5 inches of snow. Had to use a plastic shovel to clear it.

 

The reluctant vegitarian

 

So the holidays came with a vengeance along with church work, farm work and puppies. 

Meet Eos and Stella

16 lbs of 9 week old livestock guardians. Great Pyrenees/Anatolian mix. These two will replace our aging German Shepherd to watch the poultry and the farm. They had no vet care from a farm I bought them from. They were very wormy. That has been taken care of and they are growing everyday.

They will be spayed when they come of age. For right now they are balls of fury.

Full time outside pups. Yes, they are a full time job. And as pups they are ferocious and brave.

And as of late we are reluctant vegetarians as my husband has Alpha Gal the tick disease. It has been 4 years of dealing with this since diagnosis. And it is not going away. This means he can't tolerate meat from a mammal in any form. Not even butter nor milk. He misses streaks and and pork. But no, not anymore. Just fish and chicken, emu. I do not have it but I follow his diet, it keeps life simpler in the kitchen. I do not miss meat but he does. If he eats meat or byproduct he is down for a week, with bowels issues, lethargy, huge belly and illness. He gets very ill and has a rash that is ongoing. This tick disease is tough to live with here in the beef basket of the USA. But things are changing. Schools are feeding Alpha Gal students meatless lunches finally. But hospitals are not. I even attended a local Mercy hospital Alpha Gal seminar by their nutritionist who does not feed people a vegan option when in hospital ! She was young and a bit stupid but that is what you get here in the Ozarks in the medical field. The Ozark people are learning how to deal with this disease. Many go undiagnosed but there is a simple test, if you see your GP and insist on getting tested for it. Some labs refuse to test for it but you have to stand up for yourself. I am constantly reading and learning all about this disease and nutrition for those intolerant of mammal meat. I am always keeping a log of my husbands symptoms and events health related on my phones calendar, so the symptoms are always with me to share with the hospital or the doctor. That said, grocery shopping is a library trip of ingredients. You will have to read everything that you want to eat. Canned foods and frozen foods. Tallow is pork it is in canned beans! You have to become your own advocate related to everything you eat. I use Vegan ghee to cook with, can find on Amazon. 

This has no milk and no butter. It is safe to cook with. It is the only ghee I could find with no animal fats. I will be posting more cooking things and I learn more. Also, going out to eat is a gamble as most places use animal fats in all meals. We have had luck with Asian places to eat, but they are rare here in the Ozarks. We tend to just bring our own meals when on the road. We are a lot better off than some who can't even touch meat or breath the cooking smells. Going to be big change for peoples diets as this Alpha Gal spreads around the states. But sticking to veggies and poultry is a big win.

Fall in the Ozarks

Our woods are full of colors.

Sugar maple

2nd year mums.

 

24 hour repair

So a friend of a friend contacted me based on restorations I had made to church vestments.

Her husband was going to a synod and needed to look his best. The stole he was gifted was too long and dragged the ground. I was the only person they knew who has experience with vestments. Also they needed this done overnight as he was flying out the next day. I had a full week at church and had a guest over. My plate was full but I did have my evening free. It was Halloween night. I love to eat candy and watch scary movies but not this year. I got busy right after dinner and it took 4 hours to finish.

I took one panel apart to see how it was made. 

Shortened and cut and repositioned. The back lining was the most difficult. This one was built a bit more complicated. The bag of pearls we a cool find on ebay. A mix of glass and real pearls pulled from vintage jewelry. I use to embellish and restorations. 

The metal work was easy to restore and stabilize into the embroidered fabric. 

I was able to get it taken apart and put back together before midnight. I turned back into a pumpkin and went to bed. A full day well done.

 

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Our church office for years (more than10) looked like this. A desk and piles of boxes. I added the green curtains and the welcome sign as there was nothing but blinds. Yes, very depressing.

Whole wall of nothing and a closet and a printer. At least the cement was covered in rug squares.

 

This is now our church office. It has taken months of recon work, volunteers and many hours searching for this to happen. I added two English library desks, Persian wool rugs, handmade red oak bookcases made by a local craftsman and donated wingchairs.

Need to add new curtains and a computer but this is now the new office that people see when they come in. Beats the warehouse of boxes. We now have a pleasant, multi functional work space and conference room. Decorated in the style the priest in residence preferred. I like more modern but this works. The only thing that this room cost was $300 for the rug and $400 for the walnut desk in the back. The rest was donated. I need to add new curtains/hardware and I will be done with decorating. Yes, it is Maximalist but that is ok with me. This has a welcome clawfoot desk and a work desk for the priest. Plus there is the secretary office in back that leads to the conference room. Just need a fainting couch for the back office and it will be done. The couch is for people who need to lie down. Long hours and some physical breaks require a couch in some offices. There used to be one in this front office but it was over used and had to go. The clock is a wind up vintage that chimes and has a choice of tunes. It weighs over 6lbs. This space is workable office for the priest and people stay out of his personal residence, rectory. 

my flock of ducks

French Hens we added to our flock of egg layers. Sweet gentle giants.

A flying squirrel we rescued. It spent the night on a heating pad and was released the next day.