It has been a while since I posted a blog.  A lot of things happened during 2023!!!  While I am filling you in on a few things, I thought I would share some photos of my holiday decorations.

This was a very challenging growing year for the flowers and pumpkins.  The extreme heat and drought were extremely damaging to the plants.  The pumpkins did not recover and the flowers were not as good as I would have liked. 

My Christmas tree. I bought it new last year and really love it.

In early July I developed a severe ear injection in my left ear, which resulted in lots of serious complications.  I was not able to travel with my sisters on our summer trip to Mackinac Island. 

My eardrum ruptured.  Healed, then ruptured again.  I had a CT scan to determine how far the infection had spread.

The infection had spread to the mastoid bone.  Luckily, the bone was not compromised.

A barn door that I salvaged from the barn in the picture before it was demolished.

Unfortunately, the hearing in my left ear was severely damaged.  I most likely will be getting a hearing aid in the near future.

After several months of treatment and another CT scan, I will be having sinus surgery in the very near future. 

I love these trees!!!

Then on November 1, I developed pneumonia, had my first chest xray, and started on antibiotics and steroids.

By the end of November, I had finished my second round of antibiotics and had a second chest xray, which showed that the pneumonia had not cleared up.

I started on a very, very strong antibiotic and prayed that it would do the trick.

On Monday, January 4, I had a second CT scan with contrast on my lungs.  Hallelujah the pneumonia was gone!!!

And I have more trees!!

I decided to write this blog using pictures from Christmas, my favorite holiday.  Because although this has been a rough year in so many ways, I have so much to be thankful for.  My family.  My grandchildren are the best – Lainey, El, Nora, and Henry.  Especially Lainey and El who came out almost every Saturday to help with the flowers.  And to my assistant, Lainey, who did the flowers on her own a couple of times.  There would not have been any flowers this past summer if it were not for them.  And to Nora and Henry who are younger, but are learning fast!!  The Good Lord has truly blessed me and I am so, so thankful.

And finally, this year will be a big, big birthday year for me – 70 years young!!!  I told my sisters that it would not be just a day celebrating this big milestone, but a year of celebrations.  So to start off the year, my wonderful sisters – Angie, Carla, and Kathi surprised me with tickets to the Packers/Bears game at Lambeau Field on January 7!!!!  Here we are on the bus from Oshkosh headed to Green Bay.  What a fantastic weekend.  And many thanks to Kelly who didn’t go the game with us (she will next time), is also a member of this crazy group, and did a lot to make to make this happen.  Love these girls!!!!

It is going to be a fantastic year.  More beautiful flowers and pumpkins.  More fun working on the farm with my grandkids.  More fun times with my sisters.  More time spent enjoying life!!!

Can’t wait to see you all at the flower cart!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Pat

Hello, my friends.  I hope you are enjoying this lovely spring/summer weather as much as I am!!  I have kept myself very busy this past winter – planning the flower and pumpkin gardens, ordering seed, creating a new wildflower patch in the back yard, buying new equipment, refreshing my bathrooms, and remodeling my living room.  Phew!!!!  No wonder I am so tired!!!  Stay tuned for upcoming blogs on all of my winter activities. 

Two years ago I bought the new tractor with the front end loader and tiller.  It has been one of the best investments that I have made! 

That tiller is the best thing ever!!! 

Although I have my John Deere mower for the yard, I needed something bigger to mow around the shed, the fields and the ditch in front of the house.  So, I bought this:

I know!!  It’s not green!!  Unfortunately, I could not find a John Deere mower, so I went with a Kubota.  It works just fine with the John Deere tractor!!  And is perfect for mowing the pathways between the flowers.

Two weeks ago, most of the gang was on the farm working.  Ryan was tilling, Corey was applying fertilizer, Lainey and Nora were organizing the seed and constructing the planting chart, El was driving the golf cart and delivering fertilizer and seed to the field, I was doing some planting but mostly just supervising the entire operation and enjoying having my kids and grandkids with me.  And where was Henry?  In the house resting (probably playing a game on his tablet!!!).  I missed Audrey and Allison who had other things going on.  With the long Memorial Day weekend coming up, I hope to have everyone back for the next round of planting. 

The first planting of zinnias, cosmos, marigolds and sunflowers are in the ground.  I can almost row them but they could use a good rain.  I really don’t’ want to start watering this early!!!

I can’t wait for these fields to be filled with beautiful flowers!  The flower cart will be out before you know it and I can’t wait to see all of you!!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until next time,

Pat

The week between Christmas and the New Year is always a time of reflection for me.  To think about everything that happened this year and my hopes for the new year.  It continues to be a time a change and adjustment for me.  January 7 will mark the two-year passing of my dear Murray.  There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of him.  I find great comfort and encouragement here on the farm that Murray built.  I continue to work full-time at my beloved Bradley University.  My home away from home.  My job keeps me focused and engaged and the individuals I work with are more than a wonderful group of amazing, supportive co-workers, they are my friends.  And I am blessed beyond belief and words to have the best family ever!!!  My children, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and sisters – this motley crew has been here for me for whatever I needed.  They have kept me laughing, took me on trips, supported my crazy ideas, and lifted me up when I was feeling down.  They have given me the confidence that I can do this.

The biggest change in 2022 was the new John Deere tractor and tiller which made flower planting much easier.

We planted the flowers in rows that ran north to south with wide grassy walk-ways in between.  This made mowing much easier.  Weeds continue to be a problem and our goal this year is to find a way a solution to this problem.  I don’t want to go to landscape fabric so am considering other alternatives.  We learn something new each year and will continue to improve the process.

Some of the first flowers in 2022.

Flowers on the cart in July.

August flowers on the cart. The flowers were beautiful and I sold out almost every day!!!

The Illinois State Fair was back in full force this past August.  I entered 10 items and was so pleased with four first places and a third place.  My Lemon Cake Box Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies and Snickerdoodles all received first place.  My Blackberry Jelly received a third place.

I have always wanted to enter the State Fair Cookie Jar contest.  This year, I did.  And thanks to my sister Kathi for her creative ideas and for accompanying me to drop off the entries and to pick them up, to our good friend Deb from Rubbish to Rubies for the tin work, to my sister Carla for driving us to Iowa to pick up the tin leaves and the bee on the top of the jar, and my six different kinds of cookies, we came up with this.

And it won first place!!!  A very good year for me at the State Fair.

In mid-October we closed our season with our annual Fall Festival.  Here’s my grandson Henry in front of the pumpkin cart.  Later that evening we had a family wiener roast that included fireworks (thanks to Bill!).  A great time was had by all.  Henry requested that we have such a party again for Halloween and Thanksgiving with fireworks of course!!!

What’s in store for next year?  Well, hopefully tulips and daffodils.  We planted several hundred bulbs this fall.  Hoping that I have a beautiful crop of early spring flowers.  I will certainly keep you posted.  I will also be planting lots of zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, and marigolds along with several varieties of pumpkins. 

We have one more piece of equipment we need to purchase – a mower for the tractor.  This will help in mowing the roadsides, around the machine shed, and the flower patches. 

I am also going to explore the world of decorated cookies.  I have not had much experience with cut-out cookies and decorating techniques so that is something that I am going to explore. 

I also hope to post at least one blog per month. 

And of course eat more healthy foods and lose weight!!!

All in all, it has been a good year for me.  I am truly blessed and thankful for all of the many blessings and people in my life.

I wish all of you a very happy, healthy and safe New Year.

And thank you so much for your support of my little flower cart on Grange Hall Road.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

Pat

On this snowy, windy, terribly cold winter day, and since we are only a few days from Christmas, I thought I would share some of my decorations.

I bought a new Christmas tree this year and I love it.  It has small lights and round lights that look like big snowflakes.  It also has pinecones and is a tint of glittery white.

The old barn at the farm where my son Corey and his family live could not be saved.  So before it was demolished, I took all of the wood and doors that could be salvaged.  This is one of the doors with a picture of the barn on the door.  The Blessed sign is one that I painted using a piece of the barnwood.

The dining room.

The dining room table centerpiece.

Antique jugs with faux poinsettias. 

I love these trees and have them in several places around the house.  Another sign that I painted using wood from the old barn.  And the wintery scene outside!!!

The antique dresser in the hallway. 

In my bathroom.  Although I don’t particularly like faux flowers, this arrangement from Jeffrey Alans is quite pretty.  And I love the red bells in the vase.

The guest bathroom and another barnwood sign.  I love using old jars.  You will notice them in several areas throughout the house.

On the sink in the guest bathroom.  More faux flowers in an antique vase.

More trees on the nightstand in my bedroom.

This year, I even decorated a bit in bedroom #2 and..

In bedroom #3.

It has been a good year.  Another year of adjustment and change for me.  I am extremely thankful for all the many blessings I have in my life.  My family, my co-workers, my friends, my neighbors, my church, and all of you.  I will be working on another blog to be posted by the end of the year with a recap of my flower business and what is in store for next year.

I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy and Healthy New Year.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until next time,

Pat

Flowers are such amazing, beautiful, frustrating, soothing, high maintenance and incredibly wonderful creatures. 

Here are the first flowers from the garden.  The zinnias are small but mighty and beautiful!!

The first planting of zinnias has had a very slow start.  With cool weather in May and the first part of June being extremely dry and miserably hot, they have struggled.  But with two inches of rain the past couple of days and cooler more seasonable weather in the forecast, they look much better and the second and third plantings look incredible.   I can get a break for constant watering and can spent more time weeding!!!!!

And mixed in with the zinnias there are a few chocolate sunflowers!  I love flowers!!!!

And I love this sign.  Made by the incredible talented and good friend Deb from Rubbish to Rubies.  She does amazing work with tin.

The flowers are coming!!  The flower cart is being moved from the shed today.  I will keep everyone posted on when bouquets will be available.

Until next time,

Pat

For the first time in 43 years, I am facing life alone.  My dear, sweet, love of my life, Murray, died from Covid on January 7.  I am still having a hard time believing that he is physically gone from my life.  His chair sits empty; my heart is breaking.  But life moves on and I will carry on.

I am extremely fortunate and blessed in so many ways.  The outpouring of overwhelming love and support from family and friends has helped sustain me during this incredibly difficult time and has helped me to move forward. 

With lots of help and support, I will continue to plant flowers and pumpkins.  Murray would have wanted me to do so.  The seeds have been purchased and plans are in the works.  This past Sunday afternoon I worked outside for three hours tilling the first flowerbed to be planted and will start planting as soon as the weather gets a bit warmer.  Right now it is snowing!!!!

I am looking forward to bringing the flower cart out, filling it with beautiful bouquets of flowers, and maybe being outside to say hi when you stop by.

Until next time,

Pat