If you have visited our home page lately you will see that our featured product right now is our Fresh Snow soap!  I did that on purpose and did a snow dance hoping we would have a snow day before the warm rays of spring arrive.  Well, hot diggity, today's the day!  They have been forecasting a tremendous amount of snow for this area for several days now. The anticipation has made focusing on anything but the impending snow nearly impossible for me.  Snow days are one of my favorite things in life! Although I was kinda worried when I got up this morning - not a single flake falling here and the news kept showing snow falling in other areas!  I didn't have to wait too long though before the white fluffy stuff that makes me giddy started falling! I stocked up on groceries earlier in the week, hubby got gas for the generator in the event we lose power, we have plenty of supplies for the goats and chickens and we are ready to hunker down and enjoy the beautiful snow!  Snow days do not come without some drawbacks though.  Beth was planning on coming home this weekend and we were planning a family dinner for Saturday (fried chicken, mashed taters and gravy, chocolate cake - the works).  She hasn't been home in quite a while - much too long for her mama's taste! I'm not so sure (highly doubtful) that she will be able to come home now. Even though my excitement about having her home is sadly deflated, I would rather she stay safe and sound at school and not venture out.  She will have fun with her sorority sisters I am sure. (Did I mention she asked me to express mail her snow boots and sled??). Even though the snow should quit this evening - I hate to think of her making the drive home (2 hours or so) by herself in deep snow and frigid temps.  Even if she would come home, my folks and Sarah and Derek most likely won't be able to get in our driveway!  Okay - they could get IN, but not get up the hill that leads to our house.  It is treacherous and not friendly in snow and ice, no matter how much we plow it.That brings me to the other downfall.  Shoveling out.  Not exactly on my list of favorite things.  I ventured out a little while ago to shovel the walkway.  It is a very heavy wet snow and I felt challenged and inadequate as the wind blew the shovels full of snow right back at me no matter which direction I tossed them! David will be home from work shortly (thank goodness for 4-wheel drive), and he will commence the serious shoveling.  He makes snow shoveling look easy and effortless.  He never complains about shoveling; it's his personality - he always tries to find the good in things.  He looks at it as a workout.  I look at it as torture and it makes me tired, but I will bundle up and help him. After I wimp out shoveling (which I shamefully admit, doesn't usually take too long), I do my part by making sure he has fresh, hot coffee and a fresh-baked treat of some kind when he comes in.  (I am making multi-grain muffins for him right now.  They are healthy yet sweet and scrumptious and one of his favorites. The house smells divine!). He said he would like breakfast for dinner tonight - fresh eggs (the chickens are tucked warmly in their coop by the way), bacon, hash browns, homemade bread toasted with butter and of course, hot coffee. We'll enjoy some popcorn popped the old-fashioned way and work on a jigsaw puzzle together this evening after our country breakfast for dinner.  We've come to really enjoy a good puzzle lately! It reminds me that patience is a virtue. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!  They are saying the snow will fall in to the evening hours. Who knows - maybe it will be another snow day!  David is off work tomorrow and it would be a very unexpected blessing to enjoy the day with him!  I'll keep you posted!

Isn't this cardinal beautiful?  He has been visiting us regularly for the past several days and enjoys sitting on the side mirror of my car.  Occasionally he brings a friend or two with him, but today he is visiting alone in the snow.  I can see him out the kitchen window when I do dishes.  Come back often my feathered friend! 

It was a very sad day here at Beth's Kydz Sudz yesterday.  The kind of day small hobby farmers hope they don't see too many of. We lost our rooster, affectionately known as "Ozzie", to a hawk.  This is the first time we have lost any of our flock in this way.  David was home and heard a  commotion in the coop and quickly went to see what was going on.  Unfortunately, a hawk moves much quicker than we do, and it was too late.  I am convinced that what David actually heard was Oz sounding the alert and warning his "harem" of the hawk flying overhead.  I've read that an alert rooster (or hen) will sound an alert when a shadow from a soaring hawk passes over them. When David got there, all of the "girls" were in the coop safe and sound.  He disrupted the hawk's mission, but sadly, it was too late to rescue Oz.  I cannot imagine, or better yet, I will not let myself imagine, what Oz must have gone through, but I know he was bravely and wholeheartedly protecting the flock. Ozzie was our first rooster. He and his partner (Harriet, of course) were part of our original flock. He and Harriet were a couple years old when they were given to us.  They went together like peas and carrots.  The unbearable heat was just too much for Harriet this year, and we lost her on one of the hottest days this summer. (That was a rough day too.)  Sometimes I wonder if I am cut out for this hobby farm lifestyle. Thankfully we have more peaks than valleys, but it sure ties my heart in knots when something like this happens. It is something I will never get used to, or be able to brush aside as if nothing happened. I understand that hawks are at the top of the food chain and it's all part of the cirlce of life.  I get that. I would just prefer that my chickens not be on their menu.  I read a lot of information in the past 24 hours about keeping hawks away from your flock and we have begun to put some measures in place that will hopefully prevent this from happening again.  A few weeks ago, a friend gave us four new hens.  Or should I say THREE hens and a rooster. She said she wasn't sure if that fourth one was a rooster or hen. Possibly, but she did mention a few weeks ago that with Ozzie getting on in age, we should eventually get another rooster.  Oh the irony of it all!  Just last week, we were outside doing chores and heard the most pitiful attempt at a cock-a-doodle-doo!  The young rooster was definitely feeling his oats!  I wonder if he knew just how pitiful he sounded? A few seconds later, Oz greeted the day as well.  It was very proud.  It was perfect.  Pristine and without flaw. It was as if to tell this new young kid on the block "this is how it is done; listen and learn."  I smiled to myself and chuckled a bit.  There was a lonesome silence today as we went about our morning chores. I missed Ozzie's greeting very much. He helped me realize the simple and peaceful pleasure found in something as unpretentious as a rooster crowing in the early morning hours. There were only 2 eggs tonight - perhaps the girls miss him as well. He was their protector.  This new rooster (yet to be named - I need to get to know his personality first) has some big shoes to fill!  In the mean time, we will fondly remember Ozzie as we look to the future and learn and grow from the experience.

Well, I have to admit, as usual I am a bit behind with the whole New Year's resolutions thing.  Yes, that's resolutionS (plural).  Sometimes I think I bite off more than I can chew when the new year rolls around and this year isn't any different.  It causes me stress!!

So as usual, I pondered a plethora (isn't that a fun word?! It means "superabundance". My husband taught me this word - he uses it quite often!) Anyway - a plethora of possible resolutions as I watched the clock tick away the last few hours of 2012. 

Eager to embrace the gift of a brand new year, I sat down with a new journal and a newly sharpened pencil.  The plan was to list my resolutions and journal faithfully every day throughout the year about them.  I wrote the date on the first page. January 1, 2013.  A new year. A new beginning - a chance to turn bad habits in to good.  That was the easy part.

I turned the page and started making a list of things I would like to improve upon.  You know - the usual - eat healthy . . . stop procrastinating . . . stop complaining and look for the positive in each situation . . . exercise more often . . .and the list goes on.  And on.  And I felt overwhelmed and defeated. 

So then I tried to prioritize the list and whittle it down a bit and felt even more ferhoodled! Then - eureka!  It occurred to me!!  It is about choices and listening to that little voice in my head.  That voice that reminds me to make good use of my time and not put off until tomorrow what I can do today;  that pesky little voice that tells me that regardless of how good I think that piece of cheesecake is going to taste, I really should make a healthier choice; the voice of reason that whispers in my ear that getting up off of the couch and exercising is far more beneficial than watching yet another rerun of the Waltons that I've already seen at least once (okay - at least fifty times.  It's one of my favorite shows. It makes me feel good. They don't make shows like it anymore).

Then I realized - I was making a mountain out of a mole hill and should not stress about resolutions. It all boils down to ONE resolution for me . . . . not five or ten and there is really no need to let myself feel overwhelmed.  

So I share with you my resolution (singular) for 2013.  It is merely to listen to that little voice that gently nudges me and makes me aware of choices. It's the conscience God gave me and it is very wise.  It is there to help and guide me through each day and should not be ignored or pushed aside.  When time allows, I'll write about the good choices I made!  And I won't stress if I don't journal every day. I will simply be thankful for that little voice and the positive changes I make each day. Happy new year!!

I love Christmas – it is my favorite time of the year!  In fact, I always get a little melancholy when it seems to stop so
abruptly! I relish the time spent with family, all the baking and candy making, Christmas carols (see previous blog entry), decorating, etc.  I love lighting the Christmas tree in the early hours of the morning when the house is still asleep and all the world is hushed by the silence of the moon;  sipping my morning coffee .  . . gazing at the tree and watching the twinkling lights reflect the character of each and every ornament brings about a tranquility that sooths my soul. One
of my favorite things about Christmas is unpacking the boxes and boxes of decorations.  It seems like each one comes with its own memory and reason why it’s special – perhaps it reminds me of a special time, a loved one, or both!  To me, all of these “treasures”are a large part of why Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  
I have a little plaque on my kitchen shelf that says “All hearts come home for Christmas”.  “Home”.  Home isn’t necessarily a physical place – it is a place that dwells inside our hearts. A place where we are loved unconditionally and surrounded by warmth and fond memories.  A place where everything is familiar and we can let our hair down and be
ourselves.  We wish you a very merry Christmas and may you hold the magic and peacefulness of Christmas and its
many blessings in your heart throughout the new year! 

Our family has grown! We gained a wonderful son-in-law on October 13th!   Congratulations to Sarah and Derek!  It seemed like their wedding day would  never arrive, then poof, in the blink of an eye, the long-anticipated day was here and every single moment of it seemed to pass all too quickly!  I think this “mother-of-the-bride” experienced every single emotion possible on our oldest  daughter’s wedding day. I don’t even know where to begin to describe how I felt when I saw Sarah and her dad coming down the aisle.  She looked so confident and exquisite; he looked so proud and just as handsome (if not more so) as the day I married him! Seeing the two of them sharing a special father-daughter glance now and then, smiling at family and friends as they made the trip down the long aisle of our  church, knowing David would soon give our little girl away to this wonderful man who stole her heart, made a flood of memories rewind so quickly through my mind!  I was reminded of the day I walked down that very same aisle on my father’s arm 27 years ago . . . I remembered the day she was born and I held her for the first time, the day her little sister Beth was born and she became a big sister, when she graduated from high school and left for college (that’s where she and Derek met!), and the day she called to tell us Derek proposed and she said yes!  Wow!  It was a beautiful ceremony – the scripture readings, vows and music were very touching and added so much heart and soul to the day. My sister played the organ and I think the stained glass windows shook when she played the Bridal March – goose bumps – talk about amazing!! Have I mentioned that Sarah was the most beautiful bride ever?  And that her sister, Beth, was the most attentive maid-of-honor there ever was - making sure her big sister's veil and gown were just adjusted just right with her every move!  But the real beauty was in this amazing couple standing on the altar of this glorious church before God, their family and friends declaring their love for one another.  When Father David introduced them for the very first time as Mr. and Mrs., I was squeezing David’s hand and thinking to myself, we are truly blessed!  He smiled at me and I knew he was thinking the exact same thing!  Welcome to our family Derek and congratulations to the bride and  groom - God bless you always!

I love Christmas music.  I could listen to it year round!  Seems like I can hardly wait for the day after Thanksgiving so I can "legally" listen to it and sing along without the people around me looking at me like I've lost my mind!!  But what's with some of the stuff on the radio?  Some of it just sounds stressful - so fast paced - rush rush - aaaahhh!!  Have you tried singing along to some of this stuff?  I thought I knew the words and melody to practically every Christmas song ever written (ok maybe not all of them, but a lot of them), but lately as I drive down the road, trying to sing along, it seems some of these artists add notes and words that just don't seem to belong in the "classic" Christmas songs. Some things are just better left alone - let's face it - nobody sings White Christmas like Bing Crosby. And absolutely, nobody, I mean nobody sings The Christmas Song (you know - Chestnuts roasting on an open fire), like Nat King Cole.  Granted, this is just my humble opinion, and I understand everyone enjoys different types of music.  Rather than keep desperately hitting the "seek" button on my car radio, hoping to find a Christmas song I can sing along to, I have decided to make a CD with all of my Christmas favorites on it and leave it in my car!  Less chance for road rage that way.  There is something soothing about good music. Don't you just love it when you hear a Christmas carol that reminds you of somebody and while you are singing along, a million pictures and memories of special times with that person come to mind?  This past Saturday, my mom, my sister Shell and oldest daughter, Sarah, were at my house for a Christmas baking day (we have to do it again when Beth gets home from college for Christmas - we missed her wit and humor.  Well, and let's be honest here - we could have used another pair of hands to roll all of that candy in to balls and dip it in to vast amounts of chocolate!) . . .anyway . . . we were baking and listening to Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and Bing Crosby croon to the Christmas classics!  Their harmonious voices were the perfect background, setting the tone for a day we will all look back on and remember.  What is it about Christmas music that touches us so deeply sometimes?  Last week, Beth called me from college; she was walking to class and her hectic day suddenly came to a peaceful halt when she heard the choir rehearsing O Holy Night in the auditorium.  She told me it gave her goosebumps and brought tears to her eyes. (She inherited my emotional side - sorry Beth!).  She held her phone in the doorway of the auditorium so I could hear  . . . it brought a tear to my eye as well.  Perhaps I was taken by the glorious sound of the ESU Choir; perhaps I was touched by my daughter's emotion.  Maybe both.  Or perhaps I realized at that moment just how much I miss my youngest and how anxious I am to have her home for Christmas . . .   

I just love this picture of one of our Delaware hens poking around in their freshly-cleaned coop with one of her Red Star "sisters" looking on!  We've had our small flock for a little over a year now and I can't begin to describe how much we enjoy their prescense!  I have wanted to add chickens to our little piece of God's green earth for many years! My Grandpa had chickens and some of my best childhood memories are of helping "GP" gather the eggs!  He fondly referred to them as "the girls" and would have a serious talk with them if egg production slowed down.  He swore that a walk through the yard with the axe on his shoulder would boost production!  Of course they knew what their destiny would be if they didn't start laying!  Chickens are not dumb! In fact, I have learned that they are in fact very intelligent creatures! When I think about it, there a lot of phrases that relate to chickens and over the last year I've grown to appreciate and understand some of them!  Like "Getting up with the chickens."  I guess I missed the memo that says owning chickens means never sleeping late again!  My girls are anxiously awaiting my arrival each morning around 5:30.  They cackle and peep as if to say "Where is she? Doesn't she know it's time for us to get out of our coop?"  Believe me - they let me know if I'm late because I've hit the snooze alarm one too many times!  But in all seriousness, it's helped me learn the value of rising early and greeting the day.  I've learned that my most productive hours are those in the early morning as the sun comes up and the earth wakes up!  Then there's "Empty Nest Syndrome".  Okay, I knew that meant the youngest has left the nest and Mom feels alone.  We had a broody hen who continuously sat on eggs, hoping to hatch them.  We didn't want to hatch any new chicks at the time, so each day, we gently reached underneath her and gathered the eggs.  She was extremely disappointed and saddened - and okay, possibly a wee bit irritated!  But I can honestly say I completely understand the term empty nest syndrome as our youngest will soon head back to school for her sophomore year of college! Those of us that get up with the chickens often "go to bed with the chickens as well." I am amazed each and every evening as the sun goes down that the chickens find their way back to their coop to nestle in for the night with their fellow hens (and rooster of course). I know at the end of each day, I give thanks for my family and this little farm I call home . . . a roof over my head and a safe haven to lay my head. Perhaps my chickens do too!

After my family and friends browsed my website, they said I need to include a picture of myself! Let's just say being front of the camera lens is NOT one of my favorite places to be!  But . . . here I am!  It was a great opening day at the market! 

Seems like just yesterday I was relishing in the 2011 market season winding to a close, and shazam - the 2012 market is here!  Usually come the end of March I get the itch for the market to start again and this year was no different!  I miss the smiles my regular customers so generously share and the good feeling I get when a new customer returns and purchases another bar of soap because they loved the way the first bar made their skin feel!  It's amazing how the market has become such a big part of who I am.  It has blessed me in so many ways, but mostly by the friendships it has kindled.  I have learned so much about fresh produce - tried heirloom produce - shared recipes, products and stories with fellow vendors!  Fresh strawberries from Schwinn Produce for some goat milk fudge today!  Love love love it!  Lesson learned:  a bite of dark chocolate goat milk fudge and a strawberry picked less than hour ago all in the same bite is a delight for the tastebuds!  I purchased my herb plants today from Joy and Bill at J&B Truck Farm!  They are the best - so healthy and hearty!  And Joy is so willing to share recipes using fresh herbs.  I bought some tarragon today for the first time and she gave me several quick and easy uses for it.  I can't wait to get them all planted and enjoy them!  She makes the best pesto ever by the way!  If you are in the Leavenworth area, take some time to stop by our market!  I guarantee you'll find lots and lots of smiles from friendly vendors not to mention amazing local products!