Slowly starting to feel like the holidays

We have been experiencing some cold weather this week- I really have wanted to accomplish more but sick kid, weather meh- 

Some days you just have to play the cards you are dealt. 

However, today even though it was windy and 25f I decorated some outside- it’s a work in progress but I’m slowly chipping away at it 

Here are some pictures of what I’ve done so far: 

I hung a big wreath and garland on my back porch- this porch is probably my favorite place in the house - I’m constantly out there no matter what the season . 

Still have a lot to go on the front porch but it’s a start- going to have a tree 🌲 on my front porch by this weekend :) and more greenery but I have my antique sled and ice skates out! And the watering can is very special to me it was my papaw Claude’s 

My dad gave it to me several years ago. It’s one of my most treasured things 

 Mail box 

 This isn’t decor- this is my dinner - it was so cold I decided to use my mini bge I normally just use for tailgates or family camping- but it was so blustery and cold 🥶 I did not want to have to walk into the courtyard and use my normal sized big green egg- plus with me and the kids I now realize how much lump charcoal I was wasting - this size is perfect for three ppl or less 

And I enjoyed just Popping out the kitchen back door onto my porch to check the food and two feet from the warm house 😂 

Truly thankful for the little things 

Next up: I know this weekend more adventures on tap and more decorating 

Tomorrow am going to try for a cold weather adventure run in the woods after I take the kids to school - 

Black Friday squirrel gravy

 Thanksgiving is usually a big hunting week for my family- we got to the farm Wednesday - Todd and I deer hunted - but never saw any deer 

Which happens! We had fun anyway 

Todd got bored and feel asleep on me in the blind 

So yesterday (thanksgiving) before he left my parents farm my 11 yr old son shot a fox squirrel- it was a great educational moment for me as I had never skinned and gutted a squirrel before only deer and fish was the extent of my reportoire 

This guy was huge! My dad and I skinned , gutted and cleaned mister squirrel with Todd helping and observing- 

And once I got home I placed him in some salt water to soak over night in the fridge 

Todd and I decided we would have the squirrel for breakfast 🍳 

So I woke up at 5 am this morning to start the task of preparing the squirrel- I decided to use my instapot to cook him for phase 1. I placed the squirrel, some water, and salt/pepper and some sprigs of rosemary in the pot and cooked it on the chicken setting for 40 min- 

While the squirrel was cooking I knew it was going to be good because it smelled good :) 

This is what the squirrel looked like after it was cooked and I now have stock for my gravey so that’s incredible and I can’t say enough how good this smelled- honestly it was like I cooked chicken 

So I rolled the pieces of squirrel in seasoned flour and fried it like fried chicken 

I made biscuits from scratch

Then lastly I made gravey with the grease and some

Flour/ milk and the stock from cooking the squirrel 

 The lumps are some bits of sausage I fried with the squirrel to give it more grease 




Todd enjoying the harvest of his hunt 

So end of the day- I felt this experience was so worthwhile- Todd and I both cultivated skills of sustainability- and found it very tasty and enjoyable!and this thanksgiving weekend we are both grateful - As I told

Him when we were having our breakfast “we will never starve” ♥️🤗

Antiquing/consignment finds this week

I admittedly am planning on my “next phase” of front porch decorating- for winter/ Christmas I have some rustic ideas floating around in my head- but knew I needed to hit up some antique stores to bring some of my ideas into fruition. 

  I don’t have all the materials I need - yet- but I did find several things that I was on a quest for and several surprises too! I wanted to share some of them with my readers 

- first off- I love antiquing and consignment shops- I find it so fun like treasure hunting! 

So at the first antique store I go to in abingdon- I find - both an old  tail sled 🛷 and ice skates (oh makes me think of Ethan frome) both of these finds are going in the front porch and will probably stay there until Valentine’s Day 

I was thrilled to find these things! I have a list of several more items that I need I will work on this weekend - when my winter porch scene is complete I will post it. 

So while I was searching for Christmas decor- I found two fire king mugs! I love love love fire king and Pyrex and particularly the Kimberly fire king mugs (with the diamond etched pattern) my parents had these mugs when I was very small so they carry with them very positive nostalgia for me of feeling safe, loved and warm. 

And isn’t the butterfly one so pretty? These are the perfect size for my espresso machine 

Also I found at the antique store - this beautiful sweater- that wasn’t an antique but someone had it hanging there for sale In Their booth for 12.00 - a Judith March sweater that had magnolias on it! 

Love this sweater and it’s so warm!! 

And it was like a Christmas next door in a consignment shop- I found a pair of size 8 hunter boots for 20.00 and they are the exact same shade of pink as my new sweater!! 

So yay! So awesome! 

That’s been what I’ve been up to the past couple days in addition to pre thanksgiving craziness!! Hope all of you have an amazing thanksgiving!! We all have al much to be grateful for ♥️🤗

Adventures this week in crafting

 Beginning of this week I found myself on the struggle bus with a sinus infection (I think 🤔 being out in the cold so long on my hike Saturday) so instead of focusing on fitness- I focused on making good use of my time inside by working on some craft projects- 

Firstly, I crocheted 🧶 myself a hat! I absolutely love the feel of the yarn I used- I purchased it from hobby lobby in bristol- it has a very nice hand (very soft and not scratchy but it’s wool) and it’s so  toasty warm! I also have been experimenting using larger size crochet hooks- 

As you can see this one is gigantic compared to the ones my grandmother would use when I was a child. I love the larger sizes and find them even easier to work with than the smaller size hooks. I don’t ever use patterns for my hats - I really don’t even know what I’m doing- I just start with a chain connect it into itself then proceed to crochet in circles- occasionally trying the hat on and figuring out adjustments so it’s the correct diameter/size until it’s done. 

Finished product 

I like it ♥️

Okay yesterday I was looking at Pinterest for some Christmas decor inspiration- and kept seeing dried orange slices come up in my feed- it occurred to me that I have naval 🍊 oranges in my fridge- also, I have a dehydrator so - why not?? 

I thinly sliced about 10 oranges 🍊 and dehydrated them overnight - this morning I strung them on bakers twine using a needle I use for  finishing up knitting projects  🧶 

Big plastic needle  - I’m sure you could

Used a normal needle and thread 🧵 but I’m such a goof- I’m positive I could of gotten it entangled had I attempted that- 

And the end result is: 

I added several bundles of rosemary to dry and to add some color contrast- 

Some of my leftover orange slices I’m keeping to make oranaments for the tree and also to add to Christmas packages I like to use brown paper for a minimalist look with the twine and now I’m envisioning the orange slices and sprigs of pine or evergreen tied to it ♥️

Christmas for me is still far away- I like to get through thanksgiving first but even this garland I feel is a great transition from late fall to winter and could be  possibly on my mantel until feb 😂 

Hope everyone is having a great week! ♥️ practice self care and  make room in your life to do things you enjoy 😊 

Hiking Max Patch to Hot Springs NC on the AT

This weekend my cousin and I embarked upon another hiking adventure together. My cousin Sherry is chipping away at her section hiking project. She knew she had this big day coming up and enlisted me because she knew I’d keep her laughing and moving and wasn’t afraid of being out all day long on my feet. 

  We left Friday evening and drove to Newport TN- and got a hotel room- (we decided to not camp out due to a massive cold front that was moving in ) that morning we drove to hot springs and met our shuttle a lovely lady named Beverly - who met us at the trail head beside laughing heart hostel - and then proceeded to drive us 50 min up up up to max patch- 

We were met with ice, frost and sciffs of snow. 

It was very cold and windy on the bald- and honestly it shocked and awed sherry and I both- the difference from down low on the mtn to there 

Getting ready to start! And brr! It about froze my fingers to take the pics I did up there 

It really was that freaking cold 

Reminded me a lot of mt Rogers area 

I will have to go back when it’s warmer for the 360 views- 

I think I’m inwardly praying “help me, Lord”😂 this was about 3 miles in and I’m doing the math of how long it will take us to hike 18 more miles 

Stopped for a snack about mile 5  feeling little warmer because we have been descending 

We found this gigantic old growth tree beside the trail and both hugged it we were so happy to see such a gigantic tree 

Clouds trying to break up some 

We made it to bluff mtn mile 10 and it was cold there again- we got chilled very quickly so out come all the layers once more 

Just liked the way that looked 

It warmed some about 36-40 and in the sun didn’t feel too bad- about mile 14 we stopped for  late lunch - I brought my jet boil and heated us up some chicken noodle soup- the warm broth really hit the spot. 

Sherry enjoying my back country  culinary skills 

 Sherry took this at about mile 19 - we were almost to hot springs we could look over the ridges and see the French broad river - so we were excited to be so close 

Looking back to bluff mtn- I  about froze my ass off up there geez. 

 It was a great day in the mtns and really enjoyed getting to have a girls weekend with my cousin.  I encourage anyone to get out there and walk on the AT - it’s always a positive character building experience 

The optimist creed

Just wanted to share this as it makes me feel sooo amazing to just read this little pledge ♥️ for the next 21 day I am going to recite this pledge every morning in order to set my day with intention : 

 

Feel free to join me the next three weeks!! I sense major positive shifts will happen for each person who

Does this- aside from the Ten Commandments- if every person on the planet lived life by this credo - what would

The world be like??? 💕

Trout fishing in Damascus, Va with my brother, river glass and jewelry making

Today I got to spend the day with my brother Brian and we went trout fishing together! It was a beautiful crisp fall day! My brother caught a beautiful brown trout and I let too many off the hook to count Lol 😂 I did score some river glass - it seemed wherever I was I would look down and find it- I’m assuming from the strong rain yesterday 

Brian was nice enough to let me have his trout- trout for dinner!!  and as soon as I got home I made some necklaces and a bracelet from some of the glass I found! 

Very thankful to get to be outside on such a gorgeous day!!!  

Brian at TN Laurel 

Beautiful morning 

One of my favorite spots 

Happy to be outside 

Brown trout Brian caught 

Brian at the trestle near the creeper trail 

Brian just loved getting his picture taken all day 😂

My haul from the river bank 

The things I made this evening!! ♥️

Brown trout after I gutted and filleted him 

Volia! Trout for dinner!! 

Next up: I’m supposed to go backpacking this weekend and it’s going to be cold!! Supposed to go from max patch to hot springs on the AT with my cousin sherry  who is section hiking the AT.