Merry Christmas to you and a blessed day for me

I hope you all have had a day filled with peace and happiness and that it was spent with loved ones and freinds.As many of you know this past June my 38 year old son had a major heart attack and for the past three months my husband has been extremely ill and got a pacemaker just 3 weeks ago.Being able to sit down our table with both of them today and enjoy a wonderful Christmas feast was the greatest blessing I could have asked for.DebFor maximum scented candles and tarts with amazing scent throw visit our new Etsy shophttp://www.etsy.com/shop/OldeSaltbo...ef=pr_shop_more

Christmas in Colonial Willaimsburg- A Pictorial

A Pilgrims Account of Thanksgivimg

Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together. And...by the goodness of God we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.
- Edward Winslow, 1621

Giving Thanks Today

Today is the day that I reflect a lot on my Pilgrim heritage- how I would have loved to known my 10th great grandparents. I am sure Edward Bumpass was giving thanks in 1621 when he reached the shores of the new colony of Plimoth. It was not an easy time for the Pilgrims and I give thanks that they endured such difficult hardships and were so brave so that I could live free in America.
As I sat down to eat my Thansgiving dinner I gave thanks that my son was alive to eat it with us. At the age of 38 he had a heart attack last June- just barely making it to the ER in time.
Today I also gave thanks that my husband was also here to eat with us. He has been very ill the past two months and for the past three days his heart rate has dropped as low as 28 bpm. He will be getting a pacemaker early next week- I pray that his heart will stay stable until it can be done. So even though I grumble at all of the trials and tribulations I have had to endure for the past 6 months- I truly am thankful to have my family both past and present.

These Make Great Gifts!!

If you are looking for Christmas gifts we have some ready to ship 10 oz square mason jar candles in the following scents:

Applejack & Peel- 1

Cantaloupe- 1

Cinnamon Stick -2

Cornbread Pudding-SOLD OUT

Mulled Cider-( one burgundy and one tan)SOLD OUT

Mango & Papaya

Pumpkin Hollow-1

Pumpkin Cornbread-1

Spiced Eggnog- A Butter Rum scent)-SOLD OUT

Spicey Gingerbread- 1

-Vanilla Hazelnut Mocha-SOLD OUT

8.00 each plus shippingOrder by email prairieprim@comcast.net

Pioneer Cabins- Inside and Out

Did some web surfing for pioneer cabins today and found these photos- enjoy!

Old Fashioned Homemade Lye Soap

Just like your great garndmothers used to make our handmade soap is moisturizing with rich creamy lather. Pure and natural soap that is better for your skin. Comes as a big, handcut 4 oz bar
Available in:
Pearberry- Current stock- 1 bar
Spice- current stock- 1 bar
Blackberry Sage- current stock- 4 bars
6.00 per bar plus 2.50 shipping
Order by email prairieprim@comcast.net

Penguins Skating 1000 feet above Chicago

Aren't they sweet? They are from the Brookfield Zoo- they are at the John Hancock Observatory ice skating rink which ia approximatley 1,000 feet above the city of Chicago.

Old Heating Stove ca 1856

When I toured the manahan House- ( Lincoln- Manahan project) I took a picture of this old heating stove in the living room- it shows up better in Sepia- I wish I would have taken another one that would show more detail.

Primitive and Rustic Handmade Lye Soap!!

Primitive and rustic handmade lye soap- hand cut and scented with Pumpkin Hollow- yummy!
Each bar is a big chunky 4 oz!
6.00 per bar plus 2.50 shipping
Order by email prairieprim@comcast.net

Fall on The Prairie Sampler

What better way to bring Fall into your home than with some great Fall scents.



This 6/pk has two tarts in the following scents:



Olde Crow Bakery




Spice Stick



Pioneer Cornbread Pudding



4.50 6/pk plus 3.50 shipping



Order by email prairieprim@comcast.net

Fall Tart Sampler

What better way to bring Fall into your home than with some great Fall scents.



This 6/pk has two tarts in the following scents:



Olde Crow Bakery




Spice Stick



Pioneer Cornbread Pudding



4.50 6/pk plus 3.50 shipping



Order by email prairieprim@comcast.net

Miss Molly misses her daddy

Our basset hound Molly is her daddy's baby. My husband is currently in the hospital and she sure misses him- here she is looking down the road to see if she can see him coming home.

Poor little Basset!

Antique Sewing Machine at The Lincoln- Manahan House

Meet Pernilla & Parmenus Pilgrim- Prim Dolls

In keeping with my Pilgrim heritage I have created a set of Pilgrim dolls!
This Mr. & Mrs. Pilgrim dolls turned out so prim and sweet!
Mrs. Pernilla Pilgrim is 7 " tall and her hubby Parmenus is 9" tall including his Pilgrim hat!!
The dolls have been painted, sanded and, coffee dyed and are pretty grubby!
They will be perfect for your Fall decorating and can stay displayed until after Thanksgiving.
20.00/per set plus 3.50 traveling fee
Order by Email prairieprim@comcast.net

Antique Butter Churn ca 1850's

About a month ago I visited the rennovated Lincoln- Manahan here in my home town.
Abraham Lincoln spent the night there when he came to Sterling in 1856. This churn is in the kitchen of the house- note the crock jug too!
This is a crank style churn - not a dasher type

Harvesting the Pilgrim Garden

Ten muskmelon this year- it is the first time we have had melons that actully got ripe enough to eat and that the wild critters did not beat us to!

The tops of the tomatoes are not as yellow as they appear!

Not everything I tried to grow this year was successful. I an not sure if it was weather, seed that was bad or, my lack of skill.
I did however have good luck with a big portion of the garden.

Green beans snapped and ready to cook for tonight's supper!

Prairie Woman Driving Wagon ca 1898

I found this great photo at http://www.treasurenet.com/ ( Click to enlarge the photo) It is the first train leaving Oklahoma in Indian Territory 1898. I love the woman in the prairie bonnet driving the wagon- wonder whose gggrandmother she is?

Sewing for the love of a dog

This is Josie. She is a 13 year old Golden Lab.
Her human parents are customers of my husband's and mine at the farmer's market where we vend.
They have been customers for 4 years now and I always take treats out to Josie whenever they come.
I have grown to love this sweet dog like she was my own. She is so obedient and gentle.
She is dressed in a costume that I made for her last summer.
A few months ago it was discovered thet she had a cancerous tumor in her leg- the tumor was removed but the owner's decided not to do any other treatment at this time and just observe her. She seems to be doing well.
Last week her human Mom asked me to make some scarves for Josie and a new costume.
Sewing is not so much my favorite thing to do but I am getting paid for it and I actually would do anything for Josie.
Her Mom did not skimp on the fabric as it came from a quilt shop so was probably 9-10 dollars a yard.
The Americana fabrics are wonderful/
The costume does have a sailor hat that I just finished so there is no pic of it but Josie is going to look sooo cute tomorrow!

Pretty Visitor

This was on my butterfly bush today.

Yellow Swallowtail butterfly.

Curles Plantation 1670

This is Curles Plantation also known as Curles Neck Farm. It was the birth place of my 9th great grandmother Elizabeth Ferris Woodson. She was the mother of Mourning Lewis Adams.

It has remained a working farm for 400 years and is currently privately owned.

I Found an Indian Territory Treasure!!

As Many of you know my ggg grandmother Anna Dickerson lived the last years of her life in Indian Territory, Ok.
Her son John W. Aber had children there- tonight I found a headstone photo of his daughter Mayme Aber Henderson.

She is Buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Minco, OK
 I can not tell you how thrilled I am to have found this!
And then.... I found her daughter's photo  and obit!

Jaunita Henderson Schwarberg- she passed away in 1976.
It is so rewarding to find this info after many years of researching!!

Mother Nature was Naughty!

Yesterday the garden was looking so good!
 I picked a lot of green beans and was happy the potatoes and cantaloupe were doing so well and then......
a storm with high winds came through this morning and  this is what it looked like at 7 AM

The tomatoes cages were bent over laying the plants on the ground and both the sweet corn and Indian corn was laid flat along with some bell peppers and green beans.
So we drove fence post through the tomato cages and into the rows of corn and I tied everything back up- it was lucky than no plants broke off.
 I am actually amazed since we garden chemicaal free that the plants have gotten so big!

Fourth of July ca. 1900

This photo did not scan real well bit I am sure it was taken at the 4th of July picnic in Yorktown, Il in 1900. My grandmother is the little girl standing in front with her half sister Nellie standing behind her.
 My grandma has a fan ? or shaker ?in her hand with a man's photo on it- my guess the man is President Wiiliam McKinley
 See the little girl behind them sticking out her tongue?

Happy Independrnce Day America!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Ancestry .com has free access to some Military Records this weekend. Of course I have used it to do some research- this led me to research some other sites and I just realized that my 10 great grandparents that lived at Plimoth Colony had 49 grandchildren! No wonder there are so many descendents!!

Green Tomatoes! Yahoo!

I am so happy- today I found some little green tomatoes on some of the plants! Of course I am happy when any plant starts producing but the tomatoes are what we wait for with eager anticipation for almost a year. They should be ripe in about a month.
Getting closer!!

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

A few minutes ago  I heard this true story on the news.
A man went into a bank and handed the teller a noet that said I want one dollar and medical care.
Now since he tried to rob the bank of 1.00 he was charged with larceny and went to jail.
But once in jail he now has an appointment to see a doctor and will most likely will be having surgery soon.
 He said that going to jail was the only way to get the medical care he needed.
All I can say is: Shame on you America! Letting the economy get to this state is simply unexcuseable!!

A Radish Grower I Am Not!

For some reasom I can not successfully grow radishes. Last year all I got were roots.
 This year they seemed to grow so slow that I left them in the ground a lot longer- well again some were just roots and some got very large tops- these did produce radishes- unedible radishes very woody an unpleasant tasting!
 But the rest of the garden is doing very well!
 I am thinking that there will be zuchini in a few weeks!

Happy Father's Day ca. 1924

I am sure this photo was not taken on Father's Day but it is the only photo I have of my dad and paternal grandfather together. My grandfather passed away not long after this photo was taken. Four years later my grandmother married his brother- the man I always knew as grandpa.
My dad also passed away a few weeks before his 55th birthday. So for many years my husband has been the only family I had to spend Father's Day with- and hope fully we will spend many more together. I am greatful to   my dad and grandpa's for the love the gave me and for making me who I am!

Did the Pilgrims Get This Excited...

over their vegetable gardens? Probably not since they had to have a garden for survival. No McDonald's or Di Giorno pizza's for them. I on the other hand am excited- I am looking forward to fresh vegetables and hope fully being able to preserve some of the harvest for winter use.
 I am amazed at how fast things are growing.

                                           The basil is doing very well- I will be drying more of this this year.

                                           The cantaloupe is bloomnig well- I hope I get at least one good melon this year!

                                             The Scarlett Runner Beans are getting ready to set their scarlett flowers- they are growing amazingly fast- I have never grown them before- I can't wait to see the foot long beans!

I am not over religious but tonight I am sure there is a God.

About 6:30 tonight my son called me from work  and said he wasn't feeling well and was leaving work. He was not sure whether to just go home or go to the ER. He told me what was happening and I told him to go to the ER and I would meet him there. I did not know what was wrong but new that  what he described was abnormal.
My son is 38 years old so I was in shock when I arrived  at the ER and they told me he was having a heart attack.
 The on call cardiologist arrived and he was taken to the cath lab where a very large clot was removed and a stent put in.
 He is now resting comfortably but has another artery they will need to be inclogged in the very near fiuture.
 As I said before I was raised to believe in God but have not been to church in a very long time- tonight I prayed almost continuosly that my son would live and my prayers were answered. So for me there is no longer any question. Yes there is a God.

Progress Made Today!

 I made some good progress in the garden today!
                                                       
Rainy Midwest weather is good for making grass long enough to mulch with!

 This will be raked and spread in the garden after supper tonight.

As the garden is starting to get a little weedy!

Beets and Onions

Basil, Radishes and Onions

Cantaloupe

Green Beans are a little spotty so I will be filling in with more seed soon.

The peas are spotty too so I added some seed to the rows today.

The zuchini is growing quickly!

The sweet coen is sparse so will add seed to that too!

My clematis is blooming nicely!

And so are the peonies!