The warm glow

This slice was the scene in our living room this morning at 5:30.  The weather has turned cold and our little home was heated by our trusty wood stove, its warmth radiating more than just physical heat. Isn't that a wonderful glow?  I drank my tea in the muted shadows.  It was heaven. I must comment that even the roosters did not stir until 5:30 today.  This is a sure indication of the frigid temperature, those birds try to conserve body warmth when it gets below 25 degrees and even THEY don't get up early.  Of course that meant I actually slept in!

Our little farm was also blessed with its first seasonal dusting of snow.  Regrettably it was only a dusting.  I would have welcomed a solid cover, being as I have no need to venture beyond our front gate for the next eleven days. 

This sort of day calls for comfort food and my thing is fresh bread.  I made two of these loaves.  The other one is only half what it used to be.  It went well with the pot of cabbage soup.  AHHH! The simple pleasures of life.

Happy New Year all

Love  Jeannene

Early Mornings

Today we were awakened by the cocaphony of rooster crows at 4:30 this morning to a chilly 58 degree in our small house.  Corvette Man had already been up an hour, but it was my intent to sleep in on the first day of my vacation.  Those roosters were crowing at the full moon high in the sky, crazy birds.

Those are two of our seven or eight roosters eating from the cat's food!!

Corvette Man rekindled the fire in the wood stove and made me a cup of tea.  We lolled in the bed in the quiet - that was after the roosters had finished their serenade - and watched the yellow flames warm the house as the sky pinkened in the east.  It was heaven. 

It's the quiet of the morning that makes me appreciate everything around me. 

Saturday mornings are my favorite.  Corvette Man and I go get feed before the kids stir and then we make it a date by adding a Starbucks.  I am not a Starbucks kind of girl, but I love our alone time.

Happy weekend
Love Jeannene

Vacation!!

Today's slice is the beginning of a twelve day respite from the drudge of my every day job.  The sun is shining in its resplendent glory and Corvette Man has a warm blaze in the wood stove to welcome me home; not to mention my wonderful children have cleaned up the festivities from the previous night.  I had to work on New Year's.  Regardless, I have the next twelve days to bask in my little house and watch the chickens and visit the horses and laugh at the zany antics of our seven, or is it eight, cats. 

My plans are to write.  I will cook and bake.  Did I say write?  I will write, again.  I'll take some time to clear out the cobwebs accumilating in the corner after the last sweep of a couple months ago.  I'll write some more.  It is so much easier to write in the quiet solitude of my humble abode sans children.  Did I tell you I will write?  I'll spend some time on this blog, but I will write.

New Years Eve

Happy New Years to all and my sincere wish that you prosper this year.  Today's slice includes a small and quaint celebration for ringing in the New Year.  Our family tradition is simple.  Rent as many movies as we can stand and watch movies until the witching hour arrives. Most of us last the duration, but some of us (Corvette Man in particular) folds early.

Tonight our food fare is simple and requires little preparation, due to the fact I spent the majority of my day at a job.  One of these days my job will be at home (I have said this for twenty five years, when will I concede to the bitter truth?)   Regardless, I love veggy dip and cheese, wonderful cheese.  Tonight we have a wedge of gouda.  I would have loved to have some brie with it, but my family is totally unimpressed by wonder soft cheeses.  I make carrots with ranch dip for me.  If anyone else likes it, whoppee!  Do I see onions on that plate?  I love onions.  It's a good thing I'm hanging with family tonight. Chips and dip round out the edibles, an easy prep for all.

This has to be quick as the celebration awaits.

Happy New Year and the Lord bless you all!!

Love Jeannene

Warmth

A sustaining slice in our lives is our heat source.

When Corvette Man and I built our home, we designed it without central heat or air. Our intent was to simplify our lives; you have no idea. For heat, Corvette Man told me to find a wood stove, any wood stove of my choosing. With that mandate in my clutches, I searched the Internet far and wide for the perfect wood stove for our home. Functionality was a must, but I wanted it to be pleasingly aesthetic. Wood stoves were foreign beings to me, never having lived in the country before or had any need for a wood stove, but I didn't shrink from my duty. Actually, I leaped willingly into the endeavor. Numerous were the choices at my disposal. I was amazed.

My research unearthed the Heritage brand soap stone stove. These stoves were manufactured of heavy painted iron with soap stone insets. A very sturdy design with great functionality. Some were designed with a clear glass door in the front, a door at the side, or in the rear, whatever was required, the company could accommodate. The choices were varied and diverse. Everything I read indicated this was the premier brand and would serve our needs well. I balked at the price, though. If you knew me at all, you would know I balk at anything pricey (That doesn't mean I won't dole out the dough. I do enjoy the finer things in life just like the next girl. I'm just a little cheap). I wasn't sure we would be able to afford it. We were still buying materials to finish the house.

That fall, Oct 05, Corvette Man drove us all into the big city, in the 1 ton truck, to visit a premier wood stove vendor. They had everything I had researched. Pellet stoves, plain wood stoves in all sizes and .... Heritage stoves. They were even more stunning in real life. I was in awe. Corvette Man told me to pick out my stove.

Really? I can really have one of these?

If this is what you want, find one that will work. We're taking it home today.

Ooooh!

My first choice was an aqua blue painted stove, but it didn't quite fit the interior motif of our little home. I settled on a 21 in brown stove with a clear glass front door and a solid side door. The whole thing was beautiful. The store loaded into the back of our pickup. We had no trouble getting it home. When we went to unload it, that was another story. The stove weighed 500 lbs!

Corvette Man was not to be out weighed. He unloaded that sucker, with the help of our two strapping sons, all without raising a single hernia.

It sits in our living room year round providing an artistic flair to our rustic motif and bathing us with its warmth during the winter months. I love this stove. My desk sits next to it and I am never cold when I bask near it. It truly is hefty slice of heaven.

Love Jeannene

Who I Am

I am Jeannene Walker. I live with my husband, two of our remaining four children, eight cats, seven horses, a dog a bunch of chickens on a small farm in Central Arkansas. We raise thoroughbred horses and race them - sometimes. That in itself is a slice of heaven. We have a new baby due this spring and I will be chronicling its birth and development - the most fun of all!!

I am fulfilling a dream I have had since I was nine. It took going through Mr. Wrong to find Mr. Right, and have him bring me to the place my heart always knew would be heaven. I want to share the silly every day treasures that make my life a joy. It doesn't mean it isn't hectic and tiring, but I love where we live and how we live it.

Our twenty acres has a small home we built ourselves - the most engagingly hard and rewarding project a family could ever undertake. It is truly a slice of heaven everyday I come home from work, which is an hour drive into the big city and an hour drive back. Most people would balk at the trek; not me. Any price to pay is worth it to live where we live. Our home is singularly unique and I hope to share it with you in small slices.

I hope you enjoy the journey as much I will enjoy sharing it with you.

Love Jeannene

Breakfast

Today's slice included a fresh loaf of banana bread and a tasty cheesy potato casserole from scratch. I have to say, I didn't set out to make a casserole, but my 16 yr old shamed me into adding the cheese from yesterday's dish to the hash browns I was cooking. The result was the tastiest breakfast we have had since the Cracker Barrel - this was even better!

I am practicing with photos in this blog. These are a rough draft, but I'll get there.

We are keeping warm today to a fire in the wood stove and the kerosene heater as back up. It is cold in Arkansas today. As I write, a corned beef is cooking in the dutch oven on the stove. The aroma is to die for. I wish for all of you the same sense of contentment I have and your own piece of heaven.

Bless you all.
Jeannene