April « 2009 « russ-stickacres.com Blog

April 8, 2009

Dear Miss Manners

Filed under: Farm and Mushing — Tags: Miss Manners — Administrator @ 3:51 am

Tonight I heard from Andie.

I love hearing from my Idita-Brats.

Each and every one of them have grown into amazing young adults.

Nick, Andie, Jessie, Kelsey, Kylie and Colton.

Passing emails back and forth with Andie, I thought back to a conversation my “mother-in-~~law~~ love” and I had about a month ago.

It was about the practice of youngsters calling adults by their first names.

Back in my day, it was Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Conley, or Mrs. Giles.

Oh yeah, you knew their first name.

Mary Jane, Lois, and Mary, but you didn’t dare utter the obvious ~ it was only right that you followed protocol.

For me, I could never be a Mrs. Sutherby to Andie or any of the other Idita-Brats.

I’m just Sherry. And Russ is certainly just Russ. Or Rustic Russ.

As for my “mother-in-~~law~~ love”, Rustic Russ’ mother Sue, she has a hard time with it.

She still desires the title. Mrs.

I guess I can see her point.

She’s a leader in the church.

A well known member of the community.

She teaches art.

She volunteers at the school.

She teaches Sunday School.

The list is endless…

It’s only right that the children and young adults show her the respect she deserves.

I suppose Miss Manners might say we are both right at times.

Until tomorrow ~ with my best foot forward ~ God willing,

Woodswoman

Comments (0)

April 5, 2009

There’s No place like Home…except among the Amish

Filed under: farm — Tags: Amish, Dutch Ovens, Gladwin County — Administrator @ 10:21 pm

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”
John Muir

Andy had Mayberry.

John Boy had Walton’s Mountain.

Anne Shirley had Green Gables.

Me?

I’ve got Russ-Stick Acres.

Such peace, such contentment.

That feeling isn’t often replicated.

However, a trip to mingle among the Amish, feels like Home.

It was nice traveling a couple hours south, to Gladwin County, seeing the snow slowly give way to green grass.

To farm country.

My kinda country.

Seeing the clothes flapping under the porch overhangs reminds me of my clothesline at home.

Still in a sea of snow.

Sittin’ in the Rubbermaid. Useful.

Sassy cart horses. Followed by a snappy dog.

Patient.

Speaking of patient.

I finally got my much desired Dutch Oven.

Bought it from the Amish store.

For those of you who don’t know, Rustic Russ and I have little space for such things as ovens, stoves and refrigerators.

My current oven ~ is what I call my “Barbie” oven. It resembles a child’s Easy Bake Oven.

Microwave? Nope.

Dishwasher? Surely you jest.

Stove? No. I have a dual burner that sits on our wood countertop.

Fridge? Nada.

Freezers? Bingo! Yep ~ 5.

Anywho…back to my story.

I finally got my Dutch Oven. (Click here.)

Actually, I will be using it over coals. And, you place coals on top for complete, even cooking.

This Dutch Oven, is a Lodge DO. Joseph Lodge founded his cookware company in 1896. (Click here.)

To get started, I’m using a nifty online source, provided by the Dutch Oven Dude. (Click here.) Check out the recipes!

Black Forest Cobbler.

Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.

Home.

There’s no place quite like it…except among the Amish.

Until tomorrow ~ with my new Dutch Oven ~ God willing,

Woodswoman

Comments (0)

April 3, 2009

MySpace, Twitter, Tweet…Russ-Stick Style

Filed under: farm — Tags: books, Facebook, library, MySpace, Twitter — Administrator @ 2:47 am

My Space…

Not MySpace.

Twitter…Tweeter…Tweet Tweet.

My kind of Tweet.

As a child, much like beautiful Landon, pictured above, my Face was always in a Book.

Not Facebook.

I was a regular visitor at the Petoskey Public Library.

In those days, you were pin-drop quiet in the library. No talking, chewing, breathing or swallowing.

I loved it.

From “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”, “Misty of Chincoteague”, to “Wild Bill Cody”, I was in Heaven.

I recall smuggling my coveted clear plastic-covered library books to “the Cottage” one summer, carefully wrapping them in a favorite pink blanket as I packed them away in my tiny suitcase. It was a delicious secret. The possibility of them going overdue during the weeks at the cottage only added to the excitement.

Yes, I was a book junkie.

And reading was my fix.

When reading, my senses were engaged.

Touching the smooth, shiny pages. Or thick heavy pages. Every book was different.

Hearing the crinkle of the plastic cover as you progressed, page by page.

The smell of the book told a story. How many years has it called the shelf its home? How many caretakers have been in charge of the story? I loved pulling the card out of the pocket on the back inside cover and imagining who read the book before me.

Seeing the words on the page, it still amazes me how a book can remove you from your current environment and take you on a journey.

Today, I can only imagine what my life would have been like ~ without my books.

Imagine trading the suspense of what lies ahead, on each next page, with the cold keyboard of a computer.

I hope Landon can hold out.

MySpace, Facebook, Tweeter/Twitter.

What does she have to look forward to?

Stick with the books, Kid.

And I don’t mean Kindle.

At our place, kindle means only one thing. Your favorite rabbit doe is about to give birth ~ kindle. Kits are on the way.