SOCIAL MEDIA


I have changed my comment settings.

Monday, October 31, 2016

Hi Friends, I understand from some of you, that it is difficult to post comments to my blog. Today, I changed the settings and hopefully you will now be able to post comments. I will wait and see what happens. If I get spam comments, and it becomes a problem.....I might need to change. Let me know if this helps you.

An Idea for Christmas

Saturday, October 29, 2016

I want to change from my last post. Thank you to the ladies who responded. I have been noticing some vintage nativity sets being brought out at the thrift stores. This photo is an inspiration to create something similar for myself. The old items with a twist for today's trends. I like a white, cream, silver, and green theme for my home. Painting the figures white and adding some shading for aging the look. Simple fir greens and strings of faux pearls for added decoration. I did find some sheep, cattle, and donkeys....it's a start.

Be Kind to Yourself

Sunday, October 23, 2016


When someone mistreats you, it is so important to not allow it to measure your value.

Whether it is a look, or a few cruel words said in a moment of heat, or from many years of abusive words, it is difficult to deal with.

Do not allow the words in, sweet friend. Please do not allow the mistreatment to go any further than the person who said it. Let them keep the poison. Say kind words to yourself. Allow yourself to heal for as long as it takes, then make a promise to yourself that you will do whatever it takes to protect yourself....always with love, strength, and bravery.

You are worth protecting. Your heart is worth protecting. Your soul is worth protecting. You have the right to protect yourself.


This is an excerpt from a Brave Girls Club daily email.

Why do I post this, why is Brave Girls Club very important to me? I have taken to heart many of these messages. I have made the promise to myself that I will do whatever it takes to protect myself, with Love, Strength, and Bravery!

Honey Harvest

Monday, October 17, 2016

It took several days to harvest our honey this fall, we worked on and off. It is completely done now, and we have 2 1/2 gallons, about 30 lbs of raw honey. It is packaged in small honey bears, 1/2 pint jars, 1 pint jars and large quart jars. The biggest mess, everything is sticky, I find it all over the place. My hands find it somehow, and I am washing them all the time. The frames that have had the honey removed are still full of the good stuff..........they are put into the smallest hive we have. It will help those bees enormously. They love it.

The funny thing is that when we first got the bees....we didn't think about the honey harvest. If we priced it by all the $$$ spent to get this far.....the price would be outrageous. Not to say, that for some people, bee keeping is a money making endeavour. We do indeed get a good harvest of produce and fruit!


Storm Update

Saturday, October 15, 2016
I am happy to report that the storm missed us. My thought are with everyone that is in the path. There have been tornado's along the Oregon coast and high winds. Some places are receiving huge rainfall. That's all.

Prepping For the Storm




The dying Typhoon Songda from Japan is making its way across the Pacific Ocean to the US coastline and then inland. This is forecast to happen, on Saturday afternoon. I understand that this situation has not happened in a long time. The storms normally die in the Pacific. The last huge storm like this happened in October 1962, the "Columbus Day Storm". I moved to Oregon in late summer of 1966, so I have not experienced a storm like this. 

I think that it is wise to prepare for the possibilities that may occur from this storm. The forecasters are predicting high winds and way more rainfall than is normal for the PNW USA. My thoughts are many falling trees, closing all the roads, landslides closing roads, and the loss the electrical power. It goes to say that there will be no television, land line phones, and Internet. We may not leave the farm for awhile, except to see our nearest neighbors, because we live in a rural area.

What have I done;

stored drinking water
stored gasoline for the generator, and maybe autos
Plenty of normal supplies
washed all the dirty clothing
washed all the dishes
prepared some stew and other food to heat up
plenty of candles on hand
batteries
put everything outdoors in protected buildings
charged all the phones, tablets, and backup batteries for those items
plenty of charcoal briquette's for dutch oven cooking

We have plenty of firewood. The temperatures are going to stay about 60, so not extreme. The pool will provide all the wash water and toilet flushing water we need. 



There will be baking of sourdough biscuits, and cookies.

The storm may change direction, but I think that I am wise.



Bee Keeping and Getting the Honey

Friday, October 14, 2016

We have been making a honey-sticky mess getting the honey processed. We are doing the raw honey method. See this link for a good idea of the process Raw Honey Extraction

The goal here at High Prairie Farmgirl's  is to complete the project tomorrow, ending with lovely jars of raw honey. This will make one more project done for the year. There will be a good quantity of bees wax left from the project. I am asking one friend if she could use it in her handmade lotions, and other projects.

Kelly Rae Roberts

Thursday, October 13, 2016

I love the unique art that Kelly Rae Roberts creates. In fact, I have two small prints right by my desk. I met her at the Brave Girl Symposium in July, and she is great. That occasion was her first public speaking engagement, and she did well. She is now going to NYC to speak at an art gathering. She is from Portland Oregon and sells her art online and at one store. www.kellyraeroberts.com

Apple Pie Day

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Oh yeah Girlfriends, Today is Apple Pie Day....says me.  Everything is very busy here on the farm. We are prepping for fall rainy season, and winter. Right now there are multiple projects ongoing. We harvested honey from our 6 hives on Sunday, and now are extracting the honey, filtering in, processing it, and putting the honey into storage jars. The project is just starting...but I estimate that we will end up with 75 lbs of honey.

Another ongoing project is heating and purifying the beef tallow for handmade soap. This takes several days, I use a crock pot inside the shop...to keep the mess and smell out of the house. I may make soap next week.

We have been preparing the barn and paddock areas for the cattle. We keep them close to home during the winter feeding season. They enjoy the summer months of pasture and we let them stay as long as possible.

I cleaned and defrosted,  the extra freezer and refrigerator that is inside the shop. I organized the indoor freezer.

We backed the big travel trailer into the shop for the next 7 - 8 months.

I have been putting things inside the shop, the pool house, and the greenhouse, meaning- the garden stuff that does not remain in the weather.  Cleaning plants out of the yard & garden, I have removed several tractor loads. The plant material goes on a large compost pile There are still harvests to be done...beets, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. I am waiting for a freeze before harvesting these things. 

Tomorrow on the schedule, prune all the mature lavender plants back and haul the cuttings away. Most people do this earlier...I leave mine until the blooming is completely over, for the bees to get the pollen and nectar. 

We are expecting a major rainstorm later this week and weekend. There are plenty of things to do inside during that time. 

What about a Singer Treadle Lamp?

Monday, October 10, 2016


I found these ideas on pinterest. Some of the ideas do not put the lamp wiring into the machine...I like that. These ideas are for the wood stand. The top pic looks like a wood cutting board was upcycled for this project. I need a base.

Vintage Singer Treadle Sewing Machine

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Last weekend was the last of the outdoor Vintage Fairs. There were 3 on the same day. Wow, I had to make those. I purchased one thing, a vintage Singer treadle sewing machine. It had no case or table, however, it was in excellent condition, very pretty...well, the $5 price, and sold to me. What am I going to do with it?  Maybe use it in a display, or something.....? Sew with it...I don't think so, my Janome is great. Suggestions?

Orchids

Saturday, October 8, 2016

I think that Orchids are my favorite plant to grow. They are a great flowering indoor plant. The flowers can last for months...that is the great thing about Orchids. I have managed to keep 4 out of 5 plants alive for some time. One plant has bloomed 3 years in a row. The plants are relatively small at this time, and I rotate them to my office when they are in bloom. When none are in bloom, I shop for another plant that has just begun to bloom...and has bountiful buds to last a long time. I prefer the large blooms over the tiny ones. I like pink and ivory color blossoms.

I have some other plants; Christmas Cactus (2), a large Meyer Lemon Tree, and a huge Jade plant (30 yrs old).

I Love Pedicures

Friday, October 7, 2016

Well Girlfriends, after yesterday and all that drudgery...I needed something today. I looked at my hair and feet....instantly thought pedicure and haircut. Somehow, I got both scheduled today and drove into the city. I just had my first salon pedicure last Feb, and I am hooked. A new nail salon (Nails Uncorked) opened next door to hubby's favorite place (Cabela's), and it is very convenient for me. It took three pedicures to get a technician that I enjoy and does great work. Thank you Connie, it was a great foot massage! I normally select a plain nude, pinkish-brown color, but today.....I went wild, I selected a bright red sparkle gel polish. I love it! So pretty that I want to wear sandals...or at least my Birk's. The color is so happy!

The Story of My Life.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Oh Yeah!

Love Yourself

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

I like this little bit of art. Yes, it is important to love who you are.

Luna LED Light - A Good Thing

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

I found one of these Luna LED Lights ($2, new, in package) at a thrift store. It looked liked a good idea to try. For a cheap price, I took it home to Prairie Flower. I have this little red portable power charger in my trailer (it's about the size of a pack of cards), for cell phones and my e-reader. This little gadget plugged right in and gave great light. It is LED so the power usage is very little, it is rated for 20,000 hours of use. The flexible 9" snake neck allows bending it to use the light many ways. I used it as a reading light for a hardback book. I am very happy with this item, and recommend to other campers without electric lights in their vintage trailers.