On The 18th Day of Christmas I Asked For This Gift...

"Screech Owl Family" by Nancy Cawdrey

Isn't this t-h-e most beautiful painting ever?  The cool thing it's painted on silk. 

YES, I said painted on silk.

How cool is that?  I want it. 

"Hunting Camp" by Nancy Cawdrey



Or maybe it's time to take down my Cynthie Fisher painting and put up this one, since I've got some of my own Native paintings that I have up. 

"Endless Summer" by Nancy Cawdrey

Now, I've never been much of a floral person...until I saw this.  Isn't Miss Cawdrey amazing?  Go onto her site and look at her butterfly paintings too which I thought were really great as well.

I think the better choice for me is her book, then I could have most of her paintings...just in a smaller version...aww heck if Big D got me a paint rag of hers I'd frame it and find somewhere to hang it. 

 I just may be her biggest fan!

Here's a blurb from her website:  http://www.nancycawdrey.com/index.php

"Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey is the daughter of a retired career officer, fortunate enough to be exposed to exotic cultures throughout her childhood. In whatever country her father was stationed, Nancy immersed herself in the culture, and her affection for the arts later led her to study two years in Paris and another five years in Britain.

Nancy loves color, texture and pattern. She began her painting career 35 years ago and worked predominately in watercolor. Through her pursuit for texture and passion for color, Nancy discovered the spontaneity and brilliance she could create through painting on silk, a Chinese technique that has been practiced for thousands of years. And, although silk painting is now her medium of choice, she continues to explore a variety of subjects in watercolor, pastel, oil and experimental media. Often, we see a mixture of media in her silk compositions. Through this overlaying of various media she creates buoyant color and texture with her combination of transparent pigment and the shimmer of silk."  -From her website

Keep up the good work Ms. Cawdrey...maybe we should trade Hereford paintings?

My Christmas memory is from when I was a kid.  As you all know, I'm an artist, which I feel stupid saying in the presence of the great Nancy Cawdrey, one of my favorite artists of all time.  But it started as a kid when I would get art supplies for Christmas.  I remember  one Christmas in particular like it was yesterday, I got the Crayola crayon towers (do they still have them around?).  I thought I'd died and went to heaven.  I drew and colored on everything I could get my hands on that Christmas and treated that gift like it was sent from Heaven. 

Even now when I get art supplies from my husband and kids I cherish them so much.  I ask for paint brushes every year.  Every year I get the same ones (the kids eventually find them around July and start wrecking them.  I work with them until there's one hair on them left then toss or let the kids think they are drum sticks=) ). I'm happy every year when I get that old paper towel roll wrapped up with brushes inside. 

My charity for today is this; The Dreaming Zebra Foundation    http://www.dreamingzebra.org/

Here's a little something from their website:

"The Dreaming Zebra Foundation is a (501)(c)(3) charity providing support so that children and young adults are given an equal opportunity to explore and develop their creativity in the arts.

The Dreaming Zebra Foundation was incorporated in Portland, Oregon in the interest of promoting greater access to the arts for children and young adults. Our founders recognized a pressing need in many communities for the promotion of charitable donations of art and music supplies to support individuals, schools, and other nonprofit organizations serving youth and the arts.

Core to our identity is the belief that all children, regardless of their financial circumstances, should have access to art education. As a public charity powered by volunteers, this belief drives all that we do.

The Dreaming Zebra Foundation’s supporters share a common passion for education, the environment, and community, and as such, we are able to connect the synergies between those who support the arts and those in need."  -From their website

Happy trails and color with your kids today...you never know what they may turn out to be when they grow up!
Fairchild Farmgirl

On the 19th Day OF Christmas I Asked For This Gift

This coat...

It's called the "Dusty Trail Ladies Plaid Jacket"  from Legendary Whitetails.  If I got it, I wouldn't take it off.  I would sleep in it...I'm sure of that.  And not just because our room is 15 degrees colder than any other room in the house. 

I'd wear it because it's beautiful!

Legendary Whitetails is a great company that some of my family have ordered from before and have loved the items they bought.  I was pretty happy when I got their catalog and I started paging through it.  When you marry into a hunting family, these are the kind of duds that everybody wears.

Wait...nothing cute and plaid...they're all boys.

Anyway, here's their website. http://www.deergear.com/home.jsp  shop online or request a catalog.  If you think this jacket is a-w-e-s-o-m-e just look at their other clothes for women and men...you won't be disappointed.  

Shh!!!  There's a few shirts that I want to order for Big D in here. 

If I get the coat, I will give a review blog side! =)

My favorite Christmas memory is what happens every week on Wednesday, for 52 weeks a year (all of dem) ....before CCD class.  It fits with this blog and is much appreciated through the year, especially during the cold winter months around Christmas time.

Venison.

I know, I know.  At one time I was a venison snob.  Now it's deer meat Wednesdays.  I guess that's what happens when you have eight kids.  ALTHOUGH, I can make a lot of great foods with it.  My Cowboy beans recipe with venison is really awesome.  Come on over and try it sometime. 

The charity I have chosen for this evening is a great one and I'm really excited to share it with you!

"South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger.  http://www.feedtheneedsd.com/ 

One out of every seven persons in South Dakota (or over 100,000 people) live at or below the poverty level according toFeeding South Dakota. About one-half of these people are children and infants. A primary food shortage is fresh meat which is in high demand and difficult to obtain. Of particular demand is game meat because of its nutritional value in having low fat and high protein content.
At the same time, the deer and antelope populations in most areas of the state exceed population goals. Each year, many deer and antelope hunting licenses remain unsold, which results in a deer and antelope harvest that is too low for controlling the populations. If hunters purchase additional deer and antelope licenses and donate more harvested deer and antelope to needy families through South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger (SDSAH), the result would be a win-win situation!

Hunters have been responding to these needs for increased deer and antelope harvest, and have increased meat donation especially in recent years. In 2010, 104,178 pounds of game meat were provided to needy families through SDSAH and local food relief agencies. This meat was primarily a result of hunters donating 2,560 deer, 140 antelope, 1 buffalo and 3,646 pheasants. Other game meat came from community game meat food drives, hunter direct donations of processed meat to food relief agencies, and salvage processing of confiscated or non-hunter killed game."  -From their website

Sincerely,
Fairchild Farmgirl...Now go hunt South Dakota!

On The 20th Day Of Christmas I asked For This Gift...

A field.

Not just any field though...it used to belong to our farm back when it was homesteaded.  It's 18 acres out of the original 320 and I (we) would love to have the chance to own it, just like the original owners of this place had it.  Right now we have 22 that's all the acreage Ron could get his hands on. 

What would I do with this field?  Let me tell ya...

In this picture, it had corn planted in it.  If we had it, it would be hay, some more grapes, and blueberries.  Yes...blueberries.  I know that everyone around us thought that we were insane to plant 700 grape vines.  Now look at them!

Just with local demand (and the ten of us) I bet we could have an acre and sell out.  Who doesn't love that cute little berry?  I know our family does. We buy blueberries and they barely make it to the fridge, most of the time the little kids snea ka pint and run off with them. 

When we originally started growing fruit, we thought it would be a great side line to the feedlot that we run...I've gotten to love raising fruit and veggies.  This past spring after my garden was planted and I got contacted by the local butcher about raising vegetables for them, well I got kind of excited.  Then after our school called and wanted me to raise some vegetables for them, well I got REALLY excited. 

When I think about that spot there so much I could put in that acreage!  An acre or two of Sommerset Table Grapes, and three different types of blueberries, Reka or Patriot (early season), Tora or Draper (mid season) and rounding out the season with Liberty, then Aurora.  I even know where I would get all of these plants; from Fall Creek Nurseries. 

Just look at that picture.  Doesn't it make you humgry for some?  I can't take any of the credit...it's from their website.  Fall Creek has about the best selection and they've been sending me their catalogfor a while and it's great.  I sat down with it the other night and honestly read it from cover to cover.  I have never seen a seed/ plant catlog with as much supporting information, facts and insights as this one. 

 When I'm ready for my purchase, I will definately be going through Fall Creek Nurseries.

With that said, here's their website:  http://www.fallcreeknursery.com/  They even have information for the home gardener and if you do go with them it sounds like they have a great team to help plan, buy, plant and tips along the way.

Here's hoping I get my 18 acres for Christmas...or by next Christmas so I can advance my Fruit Empire! =) 

My cherished Christmas Memory for tonight is this:

My parents threw our Christmas Eve celebration one year in our cattle barn.  It was Christmas Eve and they didn't have a tree.  My dad managed to go find one out in our woods and set it up in the side where we kept the hay.  We were called down to the barn and there was this little tree with lights and a few candles put around it.  (We didn't have lights in there and it was dark)  They didn't ahve much for gifts, but my mom had made each of us girls a rag doll.    That still rules as one of the best Christmas' ever.  Remember, it's not the desitnation...it's getting there that's the fun.

The charity that I picked for today is called Emergency Food Shelf Networks Of Minnesota.

"EFN is a full service food bank, providing quality, nutritious food and support services to over 200 hunger relief partners, including food shelves, on-site meal programs, and Fare For All sites, throughout the state.

Partner agencies receive free donations from EFN, and accent what isn’t donated by purchasing basic staples at or below wholesale cost through EFN’s bulk purchasing program. Purchased items include rice, beans, stews, frozen chicken, eggs, hygiene products, and many others. EFN works hard to provide the best possible price to stretch budgets of partnering agencies.

Other resources provided to partners include free and subsidized delivery, information technology and training.

Our Family of ProgramsEFN’s family of programs supplement the core food banking services to provide additional food and equal access for partners and communities. These programs include:
Agency Support
Fare For All
Harvest for the Hungry
Baskets of Hope
Mobile Foodshelf
Lost Harvest

Long Local HistoryEmergency Foodshelf Network (EFN) was founded in 1976 by 12 food shelves in Hennepin County. Throughout its 35 year history, this organization works with food shelves to provide access to free food, bulk-food at or below wholesale prices, and support services like information technology and delivery. EFN remains local and independent with the business philosophy that anything donated should be free to the food shelves.
Read about EFN's history. " - From their website

Let's help our local food shelf!
Fairchild Farmgirl

                    

On The 21st Day Of Christmas, I Asked For This Gift

These boots.

They are so beautiful they are magical.  AND  only sale priced at $397.00.  The picture is a little fuzzy, (I borrowed it from their website) but go onto Tim's Boots and you can see them up close and personal along with hundred's of other pairs that are equally as gorgeous.    What I like about this website is it's not selling any clothes, just leather goods.  Beautiful wallets too by the way. 

Check it out at http://www.timsboots.com/  also enter in the monthly drawing for a pair of boots.  Very cool website.

As I write this Grace is whining over my shoulder that I "already have a pair of boots. It's no fair to have 2 pair ya know."   I'm absolutely positive I'm picking out a pair of childrens boots on Tim's for the little cowgirl in our house they are really great priced. 

  Rachel is sporting my old trusty's...these are my Ariats, which I love, but I have always dreamed of fancier pair...one without cow poop on them.  So D, squeeze in another cabinet job before Christmas...momma needs a new pair of boots. =) Just don't sell Sweetie my heifer calf...I know you are looking for any reason what-so-ever.

My Christmas memory for today has to be this one:

Grace and I were thumbing through the "Farm & Ranch" magazine when we came across their featured old pictures.  It was portraying Christmas scenes from the past.  Grace pointed to one picture where all the girls had an orange and the boys had a shotgun.  I explained how back in the day, an orange was a serious treat and those boys needed guns for hunting. 
"Well I think them girls got gypped."  Said a solemn Gracie.  "The oranges are done when they eat'em but the boys can shoot their guns anytime.  The girls didn't have it fair at all."

That's right...enjoy all the perks you get little lady!

The charity for today is totally fitting.  It's called Western Wishes and it's a wonderful organization.  Check it out.  http://www.westernwishesmidwest.org/

"The goal of Western Wishes is to help children and young adults who have faced obstacles and challenges in their lives.
Western Wishes initiates, furthers, and supports events and actions that
facilitate such inspiration" - from their website.

Sincerely,

A humbled Fairchild Farmgirl

On The 22nd Day OF Christmas I Asked For This Gift...

That's right...a DVD player. 


With this one machine there's hope for me to lose my flab. 

I know, I know, chasing cattle holding down a sheep and riding hogs for 8 seconds is good for me too, but I need to keep my heart rate up for at least 10 minutes per Bob Harper.

We have a DVD player but my son who is infatuated with how things work stuck one too many things into our combo VCR/DVD player. 

May it rest in peace with tiny race car jamming it up inside so it won't work. 

Personally, I think the chocolate chips and Levi are in cahoots with one another, I'm sure of it.  Keep mom fat and there's more to snuggle.  I don't know why...the kids love trying to pig pile me when I'm trying to do a sit-up.

So on to my Christmas memory:

My Christmas memory is from last year.  But before I start it, I'm going to mention (for mentioning sake) that I talk a lot about being poor or not having much money.  Personally, I think it makes a better person.  When you don't have a lot and you have to make do, it also makes for better memories...for example:

  We didn't have a lot of money last year at Christmas...=) we had just gotten in a new cattle owner who wanted to test the waters and keep us at 200 for the first go round (which is less than half).  While it was nice to have cattle in, from not having cattle in for so long, we were barely paying our bills and didn't have much for Christmas.

Our tree that I had had since Ash was three had no life left in it.  In fact, we looked all over for the stand and couldn't find it.  Now what?  One day I decided we would have an "alternative tree".  The kids and I combed the Internet. 

We found some pretty interesting ideas. 

We settled on cutting one of our little sapling cottonwoods down and painted it white and covered it in glitter.  It was a fun project to work on .  It looked pathetic but we loved working on it and everybody got in on it.  We made a ton of new ornaments for it as well. 

I talked to my daughter Ash on the phone tonight and she said her and her dad were putting up their tree after supper.  I told her we were going to wait to put ours up until she got home. 

"Wait. Are we going to put up the little oak tree again? Or did you go out and buy one?"

"Yes we bought one." 
"YES!!!  But I can't wait to tell my kids about our little oak tree I had growing up mom!"

It was a cottonwood....but I'm glad it made you smile!

The charity I want to share with you is the Watertown SD Boys & Girls Club:  http://bgcofwatertown.com/

" Why give to the Boys and Girls Club?

The Boys and Girls Club of Watertown has been able to offer helpful services to youth and families because of the generous contributions from people like you!

Our past supporters have helped the Boys and Girls Club of Watertown to positively impact over 4,000 youth members annually.

 past supporters have helped the Boys and Girls Club of Watertown to positively impact over 4,000 youth members annually."  from their website

 

Sincerely,

Fairchild Farmgirl

On The 23rd Day Of Christmas, I Asked My True Love For This Gift...

Some new needle felting equipment. 

You see, after Christmas I will start messing around with wool.  I have 26 fleeces from my friend Jodi whom I bought my ram from.  I have some fleece that I still have from last year AND I have yet to shear my sheep this year...ugh! 

That's a lot of wool folks!

I'll take the "raw" fleece (that means not cleaned.  Every year I say I'm going to get jackets for my sheep so they didn't get full of weed seeds and burrs.  Every year I don't buy them).  After I skirt it which means take of the poop parts and crusty lanolin, I wash them one at a time by hand to get the grease/ lanolin out.  This process takes me about 3-4 washings.  That lanolin is very hard to get out.  Then I "pick" hand pick out all the weed seeds, burrs and straw (sometimes dead bugs).  This whole process means its a big job and that's why genuine wool yarn is spendy...but worth it!

These gnomes that are pictured above are from the a kit from Halcyon Yarn Company, also they take credit for the pretty photo.  They are a wonderful company to deal with! They have beautiful roving, yarn, equipment, etc.  I bought a drum carder through them last year. They have great customer service. I can't wait to start using it again.  http://halcyonyarn.com/ is their website. 

Pick up needle felting for a hobby or explore some of their other start up kits...they have rug weaving/making etc. They are very knowledgeable!  That way when the winter nights are long and cold you'll have something to do as you are cuddled up on the couch!  These little critters are what Ashlyn and I made...2 sheep and a sheep dog.  It's a very easy craft to learn.  Halcyon sends very detailed instructions.

Today my Christmas memory is this:

All I can say is my poor frazzled parents.  When my siblings and myself were growing up, my family was extremely poor.  Anyway, we had a farm with a few milk cows and some chickens.  One night we had gotten a Christmas tree and were decorating it as a family.  Just as we were in the throws of homemade ornaments I  remembered I had a Christmas concert.  I was in the 5 or 6th grade.

Needless to say my dad was a l-i-t-t-l-e bit more than upset.  We couldn't go.  I was going to miss it.  Not only was I going to get in trouble for not going from my teacher, but my dad was mad too.  Looking back, I'm sure they didn't have any gas money to go or gas in their rickety old van either. 

So my dad turned off the radio and made me sing every song that was to be in my Christmas concert that night.  It's really wasn't that bad. =)

My charity that I chose for today is:

Bundles Of Love a knitting charity out of Minnesota.  http://bundlesoflove.org/

"Every 3 hours, a baby in Minnesota goes home with a free bundle of 25 items produced by Bundles Of Love. Without this bundle, the baby would have nothing - no clothing, no bedding, no diaper bag. The parents frequently are unable to provide these basic needs and our volunteers have come forward to help.
Bundles of Love Charity is an all-volunteer non-profit organization, incorporated in the state of Minnesota to help infants and their families. Our 501(c)3 status allows us to give tax deductible receipts for all donations. Starting with a group of 5 in 1999, we now have hundreds of active volunteers and continue to grow and help a larger number of families each year.
We help in the following ways:

1. We provide clothing, bedding and necessities for infants in need;
2. We provide correctly sized clothing for premature infants of all sizes;
3. We provide burial garments and keepsakes for families who have suffered the loss of an infant due to stillbirth, complications of birth, or illness.

Go to their website and checkout how you can donate.  It's pretty cool, teaching mom's how to sew?  Ingenious!

Fairchild Farmgirl



On The 24 Day Of Christmas I Asked My True Love For This Gift...

1-rodeo-bull.


ERRRR!  What???

I love rodeo.  I love everything rodeo, from all ages, to all events.  I love rodeo.

The truth is, I've wanted a bucking bull forever.  I've also been watching Superior Livestock Auction Bucking Bull Sales forever.  I've went on websites...there's even places to keep your bull and they'll even take it to the events for you.  This beauty comes from Colome, SD. From Shippy Rodeo Bulls http://www.shippyrodeobulls.com/about.html  He's exactly what I would want Big D to get me if we didn't have pesky bills to pay and the farm to take care of.  If I was a jet setter who had time and money I'd follow this bull around to different events just like a roadie.  Look at their website, it's really neat.

Picture it....

"Yeah, I can't make your danceline event Ashlyn, I'll be at the National Rodeo Finals in Vegas cheering on your little brother."
"What?  Mom, stop.  Not that stupid bull again."
"I have to make time for all my kids...even Smokin' Bandito."  That's what my bull will be named when I get one.
"Ugh!  No fair!"

Come on!!  People call their dogs and cats their kids....why not their rodeo bull? 

The only problem I would have is who would I cheer for...the bull or cowboy? 



Well today my first Christmas memory of the month is pretty fresh, one that I will remember for a while.  You see....it happened an hour ago (hey we're in the month of Dec. and for me that classifies as a Christmas memory).  I had a surprise waiting for me at the end of the loading chute when I looked out the window this morning. 

A cattle truck. 

D isn't home.  That figures.

I'm just like one of Pavlov's dogs I tell ya.  Condition me to do something the same way for years and I will do it that way again.  Even if the gates are going one way, yes...I will switch them, just like a dummy would.

"Did you know that we were getting cattle in this morning?"  I yell into the phone as I look out the window into the cold.
"Nobody called me." said a mad big D.  "Put them into the WEST pen and I will take care of them when I get home."
"K"  I get off the phone, go down to the lots, move the gates around and promptly put them into the EAST pen, like I have for years. 

CRAP!  Now we have to sort cattle he gets home.  DOUBLE CRAP!

Here's today's charity...check it out.

The Justin Boots Cowboy Crisis Fund

"With no guaranteed salaries or injured reserve provisions in the sport of rodeo, these professional athletes are often left with no place to turn when faced with serious, sidelining injuries and the accompanying financial hardship.
Recognizing that serious injuries can be traumatic enough without the additional burden of financial worries, the Justin Boot Company formed a partnership with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) in 1989 to establish the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund (JCCF). The Fund was granted 501-C3 status as a non-profit charity organization in 1991. " -from their website

Read more on their website:  http://justincowboycrisisfund.org/

Sincerely,
Fairchild "I probably won't want another bull after I have to sort off those down in the pen" Farmgirl