The Results Are In.....

Most Popular Poultry - 2009

It was a landslide. Stubs is your favorite chicken!

Should Stubs be unable to fulfill her duties as the Most Popular Poultry, (you know how scandals have a way of finding you), Helen will step in.

(I can just hear you talking now.....'is that chicken in her kitchen....oh my...that's unsanitary'..., well...that is why they make bleach girls)

I'm coming to realize that you just can't put a hat on a chicken. I fashioned a lovely crown for Stubs this morning, but it just wouldn't work. I mustn't give up.

I can't thank you enough for all of your comments! It was so nice to 'meet' some new faces here, and as always to hear from my old friends. I do plan on visiting each and everyone of you...give me a day or two.

I'm starting to think all this attention is going to Stubs' head. This morning she asked me if she could attend the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. I tried explaining that with homeschooling and all I've just not the time to be taking her to the train station, and that it was a long walk from the train station to Michigan Avenue and all...

"I'll do my best" I replied.

Good old Stubs. Can't keep a good woman down.

Ohh...you want to know who won the book too, huh?

I'm happy to say that Jennifer...Captain's Wife won the book! Jennifer has been a long time reader and commenter on the blog, and I'm so happy for her.

Send me an email with your address ok Jennifer?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go break the news to Stubs that chickens don't go to school, well....in the 'real' world anyway. Maybe I can find her an Art tutor.

Giveaway Winner!

And the winner is.....Stacey! Congratulations!

Please email me your address at gardenhoe1962@sbcglobal.net so I can mail you the towel.

Thank you everyone for commenting!

Friday Giveaway!

Happy Friday friends!

I've been so encouraged by all of your kind comments, that I wanted to do a little giveaway. Mother Plumtree (if you haven't met her yet, click here) has been busy stitching, and offered her first embroidered towel for the giveaway! I really thought Mrs. Puffington was going to have hers done, but she isn't finished yet!

It's just a little vintage style dishtowel, embroidered by a chicken.

All you need to do is leave a comment, telling me what celebrity you would like to look like. I'll announce a winner on Sunday morning. If you have trouble leaving a comment, please click on the 'Contact Me' link, and send me an email.

Here's a couple of other chicken photos from today. Aaron sure loves the girls too. He dotes on them all the time.

Fifi LeFew (click here if you've not met her yet!) started laying this week. The sweetest little blue eggs you've ever seen.

Thanks so much for stopping by my little corner of the world and reading my ramblings.

And the winner is......

Comment #15 - Janice!

I'm so glad this was a random drawing. I'd never have been able to pick out a winner. You guys cracked me up and touched my heart.

Janice...welcome! Your first time here and you are a winner. What luck! Please email me with your full name and address.

Welcome to all the new readers and a hearty hello to all my return readers. You are all so special to me and I aim to prove it.

I'll press the apron tomorrow and get it out in the mail.

Thanks so much to everyone that entered. It's your comments here that makes it a special place for me.

More giveaways soon! This is my favorite part!

At Long Last....The Giveaway!

A Gen-yoo-wine vintage apron is up for the giveaway today! This apron is SO sweet. Just wait til you see the craftsmanship on this. Such tiny stitches, so perfectly sewn. Notice the nice little pocket detail?

You'll love having this, and you need it! A farmgirl doesn't cook without an apron ya know.

Start posting your comments. (one per person please). Since it's been so quiet around here lately, I thought I'd leave this giveaway up for a couple of days. The winner will be announced Tuesday night, sometime before I go to bed....about 9 CST time.

Thanks so much for reading my blog.

And the Winner is......

The random drawing is final....the winner is....

Comment #2~ Shorty! You are the winner my friend!

Thank you ALL for your lovely comments, and being a part of the drawing. I had so much fun doing this....and there will be more to come. I have alot of ideas floating around in me old brain.

Linda...you don't want to be me, trust me on that one.

Sparky :-)....I'd be more than happy to ship the jam, and would have if you or any of the other non-locals had one it!

Shorty lives in town here, so I'll be stopping over to present him with his jam. Please have the toast ready for a photo shoot.

I am SERIOUSLY working on that 'Strawberry Thingie' post right now, and will post it right after I post this.

I'm also working on a project that I'm calling D365NR. Curious? Not sure if it is possible, but we will try to pull it off.

Thanks again to EVERYONE!

PS The photo above has nothing to do with this post. I just liked it. It's my fresh laundry, and it's Tuesday. See how I do that? Tie things in? Cooooool.

Strawberry Daze Giveaway

It's finally here! Hopefully you aren't disappointed with all the lead up to this! We are knee high in strawberries here at the Coop. I've been giving them to the chickens, the neighbors, and anyone else that wanders in to the yard. I really can't believe how many I'm getting from such a small patch. I've picked about 5 gallons so far, and there are that many more to be picked I bet. I'm starting to smell them as I walk by, which is wonderful, but also a reminder that it's time to pick.

Wouldn't you like to eat a jar of strawberry jam, knowing that your strawberries were raised humanely, and organically? Wouldn't you like to know that they were treated and picked with loving care and processed with joy? I thought you would.

Just look at these jewels. You can eat these.

Cause look what I made. Aren't these jars adorable? They seemed so indulgent. So European.

The ripening strawberries bring a lot of wildlife to the yard. Lookie here.....

Walt Heger drove all the way from Ohio to experience the luscious berries. (Ok, that is a fabrication, he was in town already). You have all met Donna before....Walt is her dad.

My friend Chris came in from Canada.....ok, another fabrication, she just happened to be visiting when the berries were ripe a couple of years ago. Mike, Melissa, Renee and Shorty drove all the way from town to come out and eat a bowl. Seriously...they did...no, I'm not lying!

I worked my fingers to the bone with these berries lately. No blood, sweat or tears got in the bowl though. Am I the only goofball that would wear a WHITE shirt while processing strawberries?

This is where most of the berries went. I managed to save enough to make jam.

If you'd like to win a jar of this jam, please leave a comment! It's that simple. You can just say hi. You can tell me your life story. You can tell me you hate strawberries, or that you are allergic to them. Just say something! I will be doing a random drawing tomorrow night at 10pm CST. If you have trouble leaving a comment, please email me at gardenhoe1962@sbcglobal.net.

I suppose I should have a disclaimer here that states if you choke on this jam, it ain't my fault. If the jar falls on your toe and causes injury, you're on your own. If you break out in hives, go into anaphylactic shock, um, so sorry. If you spill the jam on the floor, which results in a fatal blow to your skull because you slipped....wow...I'm so sorry, but seriously, not my fault. Do us both a favor. Get the jam, and just use it as decoration.