A Blessed Christmas E'en..........

Shawna, Santa & Mimi

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is

softer and more beautiful. 

~Norman Vincent Peale

A very Merry Christmas to all my wonderful friends!

love,

Fox, Yellow Dog, Pooter, Darla & Lizzie

Silent Night......not so much.........

I was just wondering, do you think the person who wrote the Christmas Story had ever actually been *in* a barn..................?

I'm thinking it went more like this........

And the Baby Jesus loved them all the same...............


A Short Christmas Story by Fox
c. 2010

Well....'tis true......the breath of the animals did keep the Baby Jesus warm.......

'Course, the goat ate most of the manger and the sheep wandered off when one of the Wise Men left the barn door open....

The donkey placed a well aimed kick at Joseph's shin...which was kind of adding insult to injury because Joseph was already feeling kinda left out as it was....

The cow farted in that small space and even though he excused himself it caused an akward moment....

I really can't speak for the camels.

But the Yellow Dog....the Yellow Dog stayed right by the Baby Jesus' side......

Though Mary lost it when the Belgiums tracked in mud and screamed 'was everybody brought up in a barn?'......in the end it was a happy day after all!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

xox

~Fox

GIFTS & DISCOVERIES

Well, it appears that I'm on a junque roll.   (kind of like a jell roll, only LOTS better!)

Let's start with an older possession.

This coat was gifted to me by the same lady who gifted me the long cape.  It, also, was her Mom's.
It is THE perfect vintage coat for wearing with jeans.  The coat material is heavy and plain while the fur collar reminds people that you ARE a vintage kind of a girl!

(Let me go on record here by stating that I am COMPLETELY AGAINST the harvesting of fur.  For any reason.  However, since the vintage clothing that often comes my way does, in fact, come with fur trim, which was a trend of the day, I hope that I'm not being a hypocrite by possessing such articles.)

Now.....on to the Finds of the Day!  SCORE!  $3.00 for the crochet skirt and top and $1.00 for the funky hat!  The gods bless vintage everyday wearable!

And finally, in the Garb Department........somebody else's MUFF!

Seriously!  A vintage muff!

Just a-sittin' there in a cart full of junque!  $1.50  (I added the broach.)

And you all know how I LOVE a muff!   The world needs more muffage!  ;)

I was almost out the door when I found the following on the floor behind some picture frames.

It was a lovely, tapestry artist portfolio.  I bought it ($8) for the portfolio alone (and that goes WAY beyond my price limit but it called to me) but inside it contained the following.  The acrylics are signed E. Jones.

I love that there's a ship at sea.  Also, there is a print, copyright 1930 from The Art Publishing Co. Chicago, Ill.  The artist is Richard Haines.  The painting is titled LOW TIDE.    At any rate, it begged to come home with me....so there you have it.

HAPPY JUNQUE-ING EVERYONE!  xo



SEW WHAT

Things I find and things I sew and junque that finds me!

Happy Yuletide garbing!

The Vics knew how to dress for Christmas, eh?

My new Yule chapeau

Edwardian boots from Victoria Trading Company

Coin purse found at a church rummage sale

Long cape gifted to me by one of my senior citizens.  It belonged to HER Mom!

Scarf, a vintage find

Capelet purchased at Dickens Festival

Muff by Fox

The whole package!

Found the lovely lace blouse at a thrift store.

Repurposed two skirts from thrift store

Lace cuffs from Victoria Trading Company

Was luck to find that Lizzie Borden "cheap silk" that has a low percent of cotton mixed

 with silk so makes it look quite old.

The perfect Regency jacket a la Austen!  Thrift shop find:  $3 (on 50% off day!)



Hat & Muff by Fox

GARB:  IT'S GOOD FOR THE SOUL!

xoxo

WHO *IS* FARMER?

Farmer & Elvis, our Attack Donkey

This blog is especially for Marigold and her Goat Mother
 http://marigold-goatphilosophy101.blogspot.com/
 though it's not like plenty of you haven't asked over the past year.
(Wonderful blog, by the by!  Check her out!  She is another of the Sisterhood....and a Kindred Spirit, as well!)

You'll have to read back to find out all the details but the crux of the story is this:

One day, on my way to a Victorian tea for my seniors (I am an event coordinator) at a lovely B&B here in the area my good friend said:  "I wish for you a goat today."

I laughed.

Unlikely I'd find a goat at a Victorian tea!

Never second guess the Universe!

During the course of discussion (the pumpkin loaf was FABULOUS!) I said, as I had many, many times in the past months:  "I should like a goat."

I got the usual response:  "What?"  "A goat?" 

But one nice lady, quietly said.  "Ask  **.  He has a goat farm."  (I omit Farmer's name as he's not an internet kind of a guy and I haven't permission to do so.)

Me:  "No way.  If there were a goat farm around here wouldn't I have seen goats?"

Nice Lady: "Nevertheless.....he's got goats."

Me:  "Do you think he'd let me kiss them on the lips?"

Nice Lady:  "You'd have to ask."

And so, I did.  The farm is around the corner from where I work. I coordinate a Wanderers Club for my seniors-"all who wander are not lost"-and so I called to ask if my group could visit the farm.  Farmer said yes.  And so we went.

Farmer let me snuzzle to my heart's content and then, him not knowing yet what he was in for, made plans together to use Sweet Bill as the upcoming tree lighting Yule Goat.  (this was November) 

The night of the tree lighting Farmer figured out how much I REALLY wanted a goat and so let me know that babies were expected and I could help out.  (I heard:  covet, borrow, snuzzle, kiss, dress up and take home!)  lol

And, well, you know the rest. 

Farmer is an amazing man, a *true* farmer in every sense of the word.  It's what he's done his whole life.
And he's damn fine at it!

He puts up with a great deal from me-most notably the day I cried (sobbed!) for 6 hours straight when I returned Darla.....as she did, as well.

But, we've become friends and he's taught me so much.  We work together now and have designed a Rural Awareness Program with the wee farm animals.  We do events and are quite the Odd Couple with our pen of animals and my clothesline art!

Mostly he just shakes his head and laughs when I come up with a new idea.  lol

He's a great friend.  And there will never be a way for me to thank him for letting me *borrow* his time.....and his farm.  Like I've said, the Universe granted me a boon.

Me & Farmer at the Community Festival this past summer

Farmer at my work pretending to pay Darla for a Goat License

Darla processing the paperwork

Farmer & Darla at my work

Darla passed out in my office from exhausting paperwork

Clothes Line Art at the Festival

Rural Awareness

(Little Miss Shawna was quite full of herself leading the goat around and being in charge.

Moments later-Darla turned and did the Goatie Rear and the look of horror on Shawna's face was priceless.  How sad I didn't get it on camera!  Don't worry-I can laugh because she's my granddaughter.  Normally, we wouldn't let a random child alone with goats.  But....oh, how funny it was!  Rural Awareness, indeed!) 

HAPPY YULE FROM PONY

Well, we can't leave Pony out of the festivities!
(though if I did a casting of A BARNYARD CHRISTMAS CAROL, Pony would excel in the role of Scrooge!)  (Hey-that just gave me an idea for a wondrous story!  Well, there goes house cleaning today!)  :)

Clearly, all those years of begging Santa for a Pony paid off.
Pony arrived, via Farmer, and is still learning the ways of being a pony.
Santa has a funny sense of humor.
Farmer has a big heart.

Pony has a ways to go yet.  He's wild as the north wind and will kick you just as soon as look at you.
But he's coming along and is able to be led with minor commands  without going all Heigh-ho, Silver on me. (usually)

He talks quite a bit and answers frequently.   I can only imagine what he's saying.   :)
(*insert your own sarcastic pony comment here*)

He still won't take a snack.  Of any kind.  And his soul still seems all buried in confusion.
He's afraid to be loved.  And a gypsy pony at heart.

Once again (my mantra) I wish he were in my back yard. 

He's such a high stepping prancer!  I picture him, one day, pulling a jaunty gypsy cart for the children.
If he doesn't eat them first.

Funny, animals, eh?  All they need is love.  (and sometimes a crash helmet for their owners!)

 

DOG GONE IT!

DOG GONE IT!  IT’S SNOWING!

(A dog’s perspective on the first snowfall of the season.)

Yawn.

  Is it snowing?

I think it’s snowing.

Yes, I’m sure I’m quite right.  It’s snowing.

Mom!  It’s snowing!

I’d better go out into the snow.

***

Is this snow?

Yes, I believe it is snow.

I’m going to push it around with my nose.

It’s SNOWING!

Wheeeee!

Uh oh.

Mom!  It’s snowing.

I’d better come in from the snow.

***

Yawn.

Hey!  I think it’s still snowing.

Mom!  I’d better go back out in the snow.

***

I’m going to push it around with my nose some more.

Wheeee!

Wheeee!

Oops.

Gotta pee.

Wheeee!

Better pee some more.

Oh, and a little over here.

And here.

Wheeee!

Uh oh.

Mom!

It’s snowing.

My feet are cold.

I’d better come in from the snow.

***

Hey!  Is it still snowing?

It IS still snowing!

Mom!  I have to go back out into the snow!

That’s my squeaky toy covered in snow!

Wheeeee!

Hey.  It’s still snowing.

Mom!  I better come in from the snow now.

***

Whew.

That was fun!

Hey.  It’s still snowing.

Mom!

***

Wheeee!

Uh oh.

It’s still snowing.

Mom!

Mom?

Mom?

***

Yawn.

I love snow.

~Mimi Foxmorton for Yellow Dog  11/21//08