ANNA'S LAST POST FOR 2014

Our Second Christmas at Elmer's parents house is over.  We had a great time.  After everything was all cleaned up, Elmer's Mother called all her daughters, daughter-in-laws, grown up granddaughters and granddaughters-in-laws into her kitchen.  She handed each of us a booklet.  Inside were all the family favorite recipes that she made for Christmas and Second Christmas dinners over the years.  Elmer's Mother had typed one of these on her manual typewriter and took it to the library to have copies made so each of us would have a copy.  Then she told us, with a laugh, we are on our own.

We then tried to decide who would have Second Christmas next year.  Sarah wanted it, but we told her that is the entrance of fire for her first dinner.  We agreed she should start with a smaller gathering - then work her way up.  Her time would come.  After a whole bunch of talking guess who got selected for next year - me.  I don't mind doing it.  We are going to rotate every year so no one gets the same job every year.

Elmer's Mother said she would be glad to help, bring food, or do whatever, but she wasn't going to do it all anymore.  As I said last post, she is all most 80.  She said she wouldn't let anyone else do it all these years because she wanted to do it, but her time to retire has come.  We laughed and clapped.

Elmer and I are starting to get our seed catalogs in.  I know spring seems a long way off, but it will be here faster than we think.

What I didn't like in one of the herb catalogs is they don't know what they are saying.  Now not all herb catalogs are like this, just this one.  They are trying to put the use of the herbs in next to each herb, but they don't know what they are doing.  Like some herbs they have as can only be used as vegetables.  They are wrong.  Not only that, some that they have as vegetables can be used for medical purposes.  They do have some marked for medical use, which they are right on.

I have purchased from that catalog as they do have good prices and do offer some herbs that other's don't but they had better get someone that knows herbs better to make out their catalog.  I know the difference, but someone starting in herbs may not.  I don't want to mention any catalog names.

Just if you are starting with herbs, be careful on what they say they are used for.  As I said, some herbs can not be eaten.  There are many books on herbs that can help.

Seeing the weather has been so fine lately, many of the men are plowing the fields.  They want to plow under the ground that had snow on it.  Who would think that two days after Christmas, they would be plowing in Upstate New York?

Elmer did our plowing and took the plow and horses over to John's.  Elmer was going to plow his land for him, but John wanted to do it himself.  So Elmer sat inside talking to Sarah, drinking coffee and eating some of her baked goods while John did the work.  Elmer said it is funny to see our son grow up.  Before he didn't want to plow the fields.  Now that it is his own, he can't wait to plow.

If the weather stays the same, Elmer will plow Hannah and her husband's land for them.  He would like to get it plowed before the snow comes again.

Elmer also said he thinks this is a year to mark.  He feels that this is a rare year where we don't have snow this time of year.  Also, we better enjoy it because he feels the snow is coming.

Lord willing, I am not leaving here forever.  I just don't want to have to post every week.  Things will come, I am sure, that I will tell you about.  I told Marilyn that I would be glad to fill in if Jean or Elmer couldn't do it.  Maybe when spring comes, I will have more to say.  So I do not plan on saying good-by just that I won't be on all the time.

I hope you all have a very Blessed and Happy New Year,
Anna