Spring came finally and now summer

Hi friends, if anyone is reading this it’s me!
So life has a way of moving on. I’ve got an account on instagram Vintiques from Hannah’s creek.
I am so excited looks like we will get to have farmcamp again after taking last year off. Oh I do love it so.
Here’s what’s happening in my world
Trying to get caught up in a world of summer that came after only a 1 week of real spring.
Mowing,weeding, purging more and more. I got the garden shed empty! I don’t know what happened. Mother’s Day came the weather was good and I acted like a mad woman and went on a tare. Every thing came out, half went into the truck to go to the dump. I power washed the inside and fell into bed that night with the rest of the contents sitting out in the yard. In the morning I went at it again like a mad woman. Put things away mostly tools, chicken stuff watered etc. garden pots you know stuff, and more stuff. But it’s done after 20 years I have a real garden shed. I freaking love it. And I power washed half of the house. I was super exaughsted for a few days but pushed on to Finnish some gardens, weed, weed and weed some more.
We got the roof installed on the house.
I made a huge decision to sell my horse trailer that was just sitting and deteriorating. One of the Amish friends offers to buy it. SOLD! Now that I only have one horse. I let go of that part of my past where in would load up a horse and go for a ride by myself. I loved those days. But I haven’t done it in years and truth is I’ve lost my nerve and strength to do many things I once did.

I saw a vw bug for sale and went to look at it. It was not cheap. So I decided to find a vw guru and have mine fixed. She is there now as I write this waiting for my birthday at the end of the month I hope for me to go and get her. I purchased a new pool to replace the old one that has served me so well. They are coming soon to install it. I have to take the old one down.

The Airbnb is going so well at the guest cottage. It is really awesome to share the farm with travelers and their pets. Such great people I’ve been able to meet.
So I purchased a 23ft camper and I am renovating it to become the 2nd Airbnb here on the farm. In the back field by the creek. Maybe to be totally off grid if I can manage it.
If not I will have an amazing little space to travel with. I got it for a good price so it’s a win win.
The shop Vintiques..... oh the shop. I’ve done a show, had a huge sale at our community spring fling.i wanted to do a tea and have the secret garden opening.....no one bought tickets. It’s ok it worked out better anyway. I had planned to many things back to back and just ran out of steam.

But life is good at the shop and I love it. I just need to have realized my limits earlier. Truth right there. It’s really true you get wiser as you get older. Takes some of us longer then others. Haha.

 And all this is really a deterrent from thinking and feeling my mom slipping away daily with her memory. Sad to say it. I have my parents over every week for dinner. And most weeks stop in here and there as does My daughter. But it’s just too hard sometimes to see the changes coming on and sometimes it’s just more then I want to deal with so I slip as I often have into my own safe world of denial and see only pleasant happy things in Sharon’s world. But this is reality and I know we all deal with our own real issues best we can as the come.

I hope if you are reading this your issues are small. And know this too is part of life. I am so glad to be here to live it! Enjoy it.

Lucky, if you have ever read my blog you know about lucky my jack russel who is about 10 years old. How did that happen? My trusted companion. Always by my side even as I write this. It’s a cold drizzly day today. Damp, gray, a great day to write a blog post. I’ve been blogging for sometime now. And I really do enjoy it. Also I really do enjoy READING blogs. Especially on days like today I can get a cup of coffee snuggle up on the sofa and catchup on what my “friends “ are doing.

I did not march this year. Although we did go last year to DC. I am sick to death of what is happening now. So much so I’ll just say I can’t even believe some of it is real.

In other news. I’ve been working at the shop with some really fun women. Lots of paint workshops. And just being in the shop working on the weekends really is fun. I wish I could find a creative partner but solo isn’t bad either. Facebook group s are so much fun and informative.

Sometimes the farm, Airbnb, Vintiques and running a business, family, housework, and just stuff....
Is overwhelming and I find that I have dropped a ball somewhere.....like the secret garden at the shop. I didn’t really put things away properly and I lost a few things because of it. My bad! I just need to clean it up and go on no one cares but me anyway. But sometimes I see a standard that isn’t living up to what I think it should be..and sometimes good enough is good enough.

And Today I will start again with yoga..... and look at the things I have accomplished. This year I want to exercise my way to a strong and healthy back, continue my daily walks with the doggies. I have set aside every Monday night to have my parents over for dinner and have said to family come if you can. I am trying to set measurable goals for Vintiques,  and the farmhouse. I am working on my relationship with my husband in concrete ways. And I am trying to read more books. Not just those about Alzheimer’s. I have set some goals for my health in this area too. Starting with finding the right hearing aid.

I hope if your reading this that you find time to just be and figure out something you can set a few goals for? I’d love to read them!

Till next time
Sharon

Deep freeze

Yay I got a photo to load. Hello friends. Wow it’s been a while so I will catch you up. This  is a photo of my farm from 1972 when they used to do Ariel photography from a plane with a real camera. They would then go door to door and sell them to farmers. They were expensive. My sweetie got this for me for Christmas. I really love it. I am using it as inspiration to continue the restoration of this farm. Most of the large out buildings garage and barn have new roofs. And this house will have soon. And this year for sure I’ve got to do something with the chicken shed. Ugh, I really don’t want to lose it.what you can’t see is the milk house, the workshop, or the out house. Still all,in good shape. Still all need a little tlc. It’s been a frozen winter here. Thank god for tank heaters. It warms up just enough I can thaw the hose and run water in the horse tank for nestle. Although I think she drinks from the creek too.

I am getting ready to go to Atlanta to the wholesale market. It will be my first time. I feel lucky to get to go I probably won’t be buying much but will be learning a ton. The best part is my daughter is going with me so it’s all great. We are leaving tomorrow eve to stay the night in Cincinnati to get up early Thursday the 11 and fly out.

My 2 feral cats have been staying on the mud porch during this winter at night. The come when I call them and eat, and let me pet them. They like the affection. They are off to the vet for spay and neuter? I know one is a boy but the long haired one is anyone’s guess. So I’ll find out later if Tom petty is a boy or girl!

The workshops at the shop have been going pretty well.I have one tonight then I will be closing the shop till after I get back from Atlanta. I hope to be full of inspiration and new ideas. Till later friends....I hope this finds you well. I do have an Instagram at Vintiques from Hannah’s creek.

Hello friends!
Well I am HOME . It really feels good too. Starting to feel finally like myself again. After the China trip and then back too Maine I have to say it was all a great ride but this home girl is so happy to be home and snuggling with the pups and getting my nose back to the grindstone and giving my shop Vintiques some much needed loving. One day last week I spent the whole day in the kitchen preparing meals for a family member who is recovering from a surgery. It felt so good. I truly do love this old farmstead. Putting the house back to some kind of order feels really good too. Trying hard to not be overwhelmed by my to do list. With all the wonderful travel it's now time to pay the piper haha!

It seems fall is upon us. Over the summer we purchased another fixer upper. It really is little more then a shell at the moment. Another tiny one/two bedroom cottage. However it has the sweetest large lots of the whole village. I hope to utilize it to show off a little of our talents in putting together a nice place to live without breaking the bank. I will also try to utilize instagram a little more with this house.

We received great news a while back that we will be installing standing seam metal roofing on this old farmhouse in November. The silver insurance lining in the storm damage that brought down my huge old trees.

The airbnb is really a blessing and kept me afloat financially with Vintiques having a slow summer.
It seems time for Vintiques to step up and the airbnb to slow down a bit. I am so very thankful for both ventures. I'd love to show you more incredible pictures from China and Maine but that will have to wait..... till I can manage blogger better.
Thank you for reading this old blog if you are!
Sharon

Life please slow down!

Hello friends.
Here I am I don't know what day it is or what time? Jet lag is real. And so is this nasty cold I picked up somewhere.
Sooooo China was truly wonderful our guide was a blessing and a new friend.
Wills work went amazingly smooth and we were able to see the Great Wall part of the forbidden the center of Beijing and just amazing china itself. Upon coming home we did a whirlwind apple festival in our tiny town where the shop is. It's blazing hot and we are both sick as I mentioned. Not sure if it's the menopause, insomnia or jet lag insomnia or just plan I'm exhausted and can't sleep.
However I knew this maybe the case and scheduled in a few days of nothing this week. And Sunday I leave for Maine with my bff. She has not been with me to my secret hiding place so I am really looking forward to that and just the peacefulness of Maine.
My pup lucky is really suffering from a flea allergy it's the worst it's been in years.
But all in all life is really good and seems to be going faster and faster.
Two young cats have shown up at the doorstep right before we left. They are too sweet but won't let me touch them. What a mystery how does this even happen.
So if your reading this....thank you.
I am seriously going to try to find out about blogging better and more about the computer and how to do more. It's very good for your brain to learn new things right?
And so now I. Must go take Bella for a walk as he demands this, this time of the evening.
Good for her....great for me.

More Maine and other stuff...

Wow.... hello friends seems like I can only really blog without pictures. Maybe one day I will learn all the Ins and outs..... maybe not. So here's what's happening here. Maine was awesome. The drive there and back with doggies was in uneventful but way long. The dogs were great and good company. I was able to stay for the longest time yet. Will was able to join me by flying in and out.

 It was super relaxing. So much going on. Kelsey and I was able to take Vintiques on the road with a show in Indianapolis before I went to Maine. Seems shops in our area slow way down in the summer. But good thing is the airbnb at Hannah's creek farm is going way better than I ever thought it would!

So that has been an unexpected blessing. The workshops continue to do well only monthly though. And the big upcoming news is.... I get to go to...... china! 

Here in a couple weeks. Will is going to go for work and I get to go with him. We will be back just in time for apple fest. Then I will fly back to Maine for a short week..... then it will be shop time flat out till the new year. And that folks is what is happening here.

Maine.....and more.

So this is a great little beach close to our little cabin.

This is me! Lucky and Bella at the top of a look out,after the hike up.

Our little cabin I was trying to paint but discovered a wasp nest and had to stop.

A new little decor for the entry way. 

Tiny bedroom. Still dealing with my inability to use blogger. Ugh. So I guess that's all for now.