One year later--what we are doing

JMJ

Seeing as I have not posted in over a year, I thought it was time to get something up here.  There are many happenings to share from the last year, but I will start with what is happening now.  Hopefully, I will do "catch-up posts" along the way to fill in the gaps.  (though I don't have a great tract record with posting here, do I?)

The kids and I have been working hard to get items ready to sell at the Redbud festival.

Here is what everyone is doing:

Joseph makes bird houses.  Craig cut down several poplar trees on our property to make room for our orchard.  We had Jack Donahue of TimberWorks out with his portable sawmill to mill them into dimensional lumber.  We used them to side our horse shelter (will post that beauty soon) and still had LOTS left over.  I had no idea that poplar was such a beautiful wood--and rot resistant, too!  Craig showed Joseph how to use the miter saw and he has been a birdhouse-making-fool for  a couple of months, now.  Craig told him if he made a dozen to go up around our property, he could then make them to sell.  Joseph not only made them for us, but he donated a set of three houses and a feeder to his school fundraiser auction.  Now, he is making them to sell at the Redbud festival on Saturday.

Aine and Cecily have been helping me make sourdough bread that we sell to a few people in our parish community.  We are making it for ourselves, so making extra and selling it has been fun.  It is really tasty, if I do say so myself, and is about as healthy as bread can get.  We are making multiple batches to sell at the festival--some made of white flour, some whole wheat flour, and some of home-ground hard white wheat flour.

Marshmallows: if you have never had a homemade marshmallow, you've never lived!  Okay, I am exaggerating, but I don't even LIKE store-bought marshmallows and I LOVE these.  They are made from water, gelatin, and honey.  That's it!  I am making several batches to sell at the festival.

Henry has been very intently (or maybe I should say "intensely" because everything Henry does is intense!) making wooden swords.  He's made at least a dozen with the intent of selling them this weekend.  Though, I don't know that he has been able to resist playing with them . . . if there are any left, he will sell them this weekend.  :)

I opened an Etsy shop and have been trying to make more clay figures, focusing on saints--especially St. Nicholas--and nativities.

The girls have also been making adorable little clay animals to sell along side mine.  I don't have any pictures of their work yet, but I will post some when I do.  I will have Spiering Photography get pictures of all the kids work to show you.  

I began drawing again.  Drawing is really where my heart lies!  My dear friend Mandy Hain of https://piccolebellezze.wordpress.com/fall-art-lessons/drawing-workshop-front-royal/ went on to become a professional artist and offers art classes for children.  She is an amazing teacher as well as being a talented artist!  She offered a portrait drawing class for adults and after that I was hooked on drawing again.  It is very hard to find the time, but when I do, I wish I could never stop.  So, I offer 8"x10" portraits at my Etsy store.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SicutCervus

So, if you would like to take a scenic drive, enjoy some live music and visit quaint Browntown this weekend, stop by and see us!