TONIGHT on Early Work Mercantile...

Guess who?!



What better way to start out 2019 than creating a George Washington Firewood Folk!!
He's my favorite president!



You can click on the link below to go direct to my Early Work Mercantile selling page.



Happy 2019!!!

:> )

Man, I still can't believe I typed 2-0-1-9.
The years are just flying by, aren't they?

See you in 2019!!!

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It's December 1st...

And that means a new offering on Early Work Mercantile.

Gingerbread Sweetness!!





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:> )

To those Americans who have served, are serving and will serve in the future...

Thank you and your families for your selflessness and sacrifice.



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Hope you do, too...

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Just my subtle reminder to you for tomorrow...

A photo of my sign I painted years ago.
But it still rings true.

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TONIGHT On Early Work Mercantile...

"No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face."
~John Donne

Grace the Maple Leaf.



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Rest In Peace, Miss Gracie...

One week ago today we had to help our little furry girl cross rainbow bridge. I could barely bring myself to post this, but I know many of you follow my blog and in the past have followed Stella's blog.

For a few years we took Gracie to our regular group of veterinarians, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. Finally in May after taking her for a second opinion, she was diagnosed with Cushing's Disease. It is a horrible disease, sneaks into your furbaby's life and often gets overlooked until it's too late.
We immediately started her on the proper prescription medication but after 5 months, her quality of life became less and less. We made the painful decision to let her go.

Stella is so very depressed. She's never been without her big sister.
She's been laying in the spot where Gracie always sat. She has no interest in playing with her little rubber ball.
It truly breaks my heart.



Gracie was with us for 13 years. If only we could have them in our lives longer.






















We miss you terribly but we know you are no longer in pain. Tell Darla and Hannah we still miss them, too.

Run free, Miss Gracie...



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Man! What A Difference A Week Makes...

The porch is completed!! Sure I have a ton work ahead of me BUT the porch is completed!! Yippee!!!
Matthew even made us a lower removable doggy gate (matching the railing) for in front of the stairs so I don't have to worry when our furry girls are out there.

As they were finishing up the last few boards around the skirting I said to them, "I know you're all going to think I'm crazy. But you would make me even happier if you would all sign the last board and date it for me. Then please hammer it on with your signatures facing inward."

I explained this porch is a work of their art and craftsmanship. But more importantly they have added yet another chapter to the history of this lovely old farmhouse. They were thrilled and so was I!!

So here's the before...



Here's the after.
Ta-dah!!



Man, I am going to sleep for a week! Oh wait a minute... I still have to mud the new drywall, repaint the walls and trim, refinish the floorboards, then refinish the den floorboards...

Looks like I won't be sleeping for a week after all.

Oh well.
Happy Tuesday, everyone!!

:> )

Have you been wondering where I've been???

Well... Let's see. Where to begin.
Our plan this summer was to have the small, crumbing stone front porch that was built circa 1940, demoed and our dream wrap around porch built. Back then the concrete fake brick facade was also added to the lower portion of the farmhouse. I was never a fan of the "brick." I believe when they added it they were going for an Arts and Crafts look.



Here's how it looked when we first moved in. You can see the water damage to the left of the flag.



But as many of you know, doing renovations on an 1800's farmhouse can mean (as the old saying goes), "opening a can of worms."
The can was opened and the lid wasn't going back on.

Here's our front porch prior to the demo.




Demo day for the stone porch. While I was curled up in the fetal position my sweet hubs was calmly chomping on Simply Cheetos.



Porch footings were set.



And then the "fun" began.



Underneath all that "brick" was rot.
So it all had to go. This is how it looked shortly after...



Needless to say my panic attack was justified. Thank the good Lord above we have an amazing crew of four young men and Matthew promised me everything would be fine and that they would "button it up tight." He also said he has seen worse. Holy schnikes!!

Our farmhouse was basically an open stage to passersby.




I could have performed Countryfolk Keepsakes version of "Hamlet."
To be (an exterior wall), or not to be. That is the question..."



After what I was witnessing, I thought it appropriate to leave this one sign up in the now wide open living room...



Once the crew got our exterior wall back, they have been able to continue this amazing transformation of our wonderful old farmhouse.

It isn't complete. Still needs railings with turned spindles, a step and skirting. But I wanted to share photos of how far it has come!












The interior living room wall needs drywall. We plan on doing that today.
Even Gracie and Stella are exhausted from the chaos.



So that's what's been going on and why I haven't been able to create as much as I should.
BUT I was able to squeak out another set of my Folk Art Pumpkins. They are available on Early Work Mercantile.

Click on the button below to have a peek.



I'm also working on a wonderful Maple Leaf head doll!
I'll keep you posted.

:> )

TONIGHT on Early Work Mercantile...

Folk Art Pumpkin Trio.



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This summer has been CRAZY around the ol' Countryfolk homestead.

When things settle down, I promise to back posting! Pinky swear!!

:> )

Happy Flag Day!!!

Ragged Old Flag
By: Johnny Cash

I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench an old man was sitting there
I said, your old courthouse is kinda run down
He said, naw, it'll do for our little town
I said, your old flagpole has leaned a little bit
And that's a ragged old flag you got hanging on it
He said, have a seat, and I sat down
Is this the first time you've been to our little town?
I said, I think it is
He said, I don't like to brag
But we're kinda proud of that ragged old flag
You see, we got a little hole in that flag there when
Washington took it across the Delaware
And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writing say can you see
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams
And it almost fell at the Alamo
Beside the texas flag, but she waved on though
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg
And the south wind blew hard on that ragged old flag
On Flanders field in World War one
She got a big hole from a Bertha gun
She turned blood red in World War Two
She hung limp and low a time or two
She was in Korea and Vietnam
She went where she was sent by Uncle Sam
She waved from our ships upon the Briny foam
And now they've about quit waving her back here at home
In her own good land here she's been abused
She's been burned, dishonored, denied, and refused
And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land
And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin
But she's in good shape for the shape she's in
'Cause she's been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more
So we raise her up every morning
We take her down every night
We don't let her touch the ground and we fold her up right
On second thought, I do like to brag
'Cause I'm mighty proud of that ragged old flag






Big or small... Fly your American flag!!