Introducing Mealtime Mondays

by: Olivia Dale

The cooks and busy homemakers of  Avonlea will be sharing their favorite spring meals and dishes every Monday starting on the nineteenth of March.
They will be posting delicious recipes from hasty-yet-tasty to family traditions and every day dishes.
Some of the cooks and homemakers are listed and what their topic/meal will be about on their
assigned Monday:

~ Hetty King; family traditions     March 19th
~ Janet King; family mealtimes and every day dishes     March 26th
~ Olivia Dale; hasty-yet-tasty meals     April 6th
~ Murial Stacey; foreign delicacies      April 13th
~ Elvira Lawson; desserts     April 20th
   
So stay tuned for Mealtime Mondays!

Spring Prep

by: Hetty King

Gardening is something that everyone should enjoy. There is nothing more invigorating than a beautiful garden at its peak of bloom. However, it is very frustrating and an eye sore to have a rocky, weed infested garden in which one needs to scavenge in order to harvest the few vegetables that have had a chance to grow in between the clutter.
It may be winter now, but spring will be here within a few months and so it is best to take the time before hand to design and plan your garden early.

A white picket fence around the garden is very efficient in keeping pesky critters out, and keeping your vegetables in. It looks chic and tidy, and if you are wanting an English cottage flare, plant some flowers such as marigolds, petunias, daisies, roses, lavender, and hydrangeas on the outside of the picket fence. For a different and creative look, you might decide to paint it a different color, like olive green or sunburst yellow, for example.

For a sweet touch to your vegetable garden, a trellis as an entryway is one of the prettiest and most clever things you can add to your garden. If you have a minimal amount of space for growing vegetables, you can grow some space-consuming vegetables up off of the ground. Beans, tomatoes, peas, and cucumber plants can all be grown upwards. That also results the fruit hanging down, making it easier to be picked since you don not need to crouch down and search for them.

Bean tipis can be used instead of a trellis. All you need for this are a few, long poles and some sturdy string. Once you form a tipi with the poles and secure the top with a piece string (to avoid from toppling over) you take the other pieces of string and zig zag it from one pole to the other, as if making a string ladder for the beans to climb on. Plant the bean plants around the outside of your tipi.

Garden planning is crucial if one wishes to grow a beautiful garden- weed free, pest free, efficient, and pretty. It does require a lot of work in order to meet this goal, however a gorgeous, bounteous garden is always worth the work.

      "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: a time to be born; and a time to die; a time to plant; and a time to pluck up that which is planted." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Something to think about...

Winter Farming

by: a local, farming girl

Keeping animals inside for the winter can be a challenging job- if you don't do it right, that is.
For instance, if your barn is run down, dirty, and  the cold seeps through every crack and cranny, I can guarantee you that your animals will look shaggy and bedraggled- especially if you don't muck out their stalls and freshly bed them once a week.
On the contrary, if you have a good, warm barn and keep the animals' stalls in clean condition, your beasts will look a lot healthier than the ones in a dirty environment. Plus, they will be much happier and content to stay indoors during the winter months, and you will benefit from them much more so in these conditions than that of those in dirty conditions.
Let me remind you that feeding is as important as clean pens; so feed your animals more than you usually would. Eating gives them energy, which keeps them warm and helps prevent weight loss- something that is seen regularly among animals in not-so-good conditions. It also gives the animals something to do- and in horses, if you're lucky, prevent stall chewing.
It may be a good idea to let some of your livestock out for a while, as in letting your sheep, cattle, horses and other animal spend the afternoon in a fenced off field.
Chickens aren't particular about snow, however you could leave the coop door open for the day you might find one or two scratching around the barnyard.
Of course, winter is a long month, and every animal in the barn, as is the farmer, are eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring.

Your First Job: Do's And Don'ts

by: Hetty King

                                                              When a child reaches a certain age, he might be looking for a job so that he can earn some of his own money to spend on whatever he pleases. That job may vary from odd chores here and there to a delivery service, or a bit of hotel work to babysitting. But whatever the job, here are a few important pointers that you should follow closely.

1. When you are looking into a particular job, always consider whether or not you are able to handle it. For example, if a boy is 11 years old, he may not wish to work 8 hours a day at the local cannery. It would be better for him to work some shifts at the general store or pick apples in the fall.
2. If you will be working for a boss, never mention your pay at an interview; it looks very rude. Dress properly for the interview; it could be that he may not want to hire you if you arrive in your dirty coveralls and fishing boots. Be honest; a liar never progresses in life. 
3. When around your co-workers, please don't argue with them. Yes, they may be difficult to get along with, but you, being raised a good child, should know better than to start fights.
4. And don't ever get into a quarrel with your boss; always honor and obey him. If not, it could cost you your job.
5. Always do your best!

Reflections From a Summer Past

 

"The golden rods, filled with butterflies and honey bees, cover the rolling hills and the crests of sandy cliffs. The queen Anne's lace adorn every un-mowed field, with black-eyed-Susans scattered along the red dirt roads. Sea gulls fly over yonder, screeching to each other from above the pine trees. It is sunny and warm, spring has passed, and summer has come to Avonlea."
                         


 "I will never forget the days of my youth. When the waves rippled between my toes, taking the pink and silver grains of sand back out to the depths of the sea. There was a peace then; an indescribable feeling of immortality in the ebb and flow of the tide, and the seemingly endless stretch of beach and sky. Now as I gaze upon those same sparkling waters, I realize that youth is never left behind, but is carried always, gently, in the heart. " - Hetty King             

                                                                                                                                                                             "This strangely still pause between summer and autumn, greenery and gold, and the heat and rising wind that is once again readying itself to  scuttle all away in a climactic symphony of color and scent- in my opinion, is one of the greatest, yet saddest, things of summer."
                                                                                 

"It was sunsets that taught me that beauty sometimes only lasts for a couple of moments, and it was sunrises that showed me that all it takes is patience to experience it all over again."



"It is incredibly amazing how at every sunset, the sky is a different shade. No cloud is ever in the same place. Each day is a new masterpiece. And every day is a gift from God."

Winter Riding

by: Sara Stanley

"Snow has set in. It is cold and the farm horses have been put in their stalls for the winter after the hard summer work in the fields. They are relieved to rest the winter months in a warm barn, munching contentedly on their hay.
But, there is another type of horse that doesn't seem to be kept inside all winter; and that is your horse, the pampered baby. He is impatient in his stall, wanting to gallop off into the winter world, the cold not penetrating through his thick coat and his breath like blowing steam from his nostrils. The snowy fields are beckoning to him, and here he is stuck in his stall, his hay not touched and his water in the bucket has a sheet of ice on it.

The moment that his owner, with pockets filled with treats and goodies, comes up to him, he nickers and sniffs the pockets, feeling for a bulgy apple. He loves nothing more than the mittened hand and peppermint bits touching his lips. While still munching on his peppermint, he is led out of his stall and saddled up- ready for a brisk winter run. You heave yourself onto the saddle, bundle up your scarf, pull the hat over your ears, pick up the reigns and urge your horse into a trot. Immediately the horse perks up its ears, excited to feel the chilly wind whip through his mane once again. When the moment is right, you ask him for the canter. The three gait sound of hooves thumping and swooshing gently through the snow makes your muscles relax, and your heart to pound slower from the excitement of the ride. You ride over a hill, towards the frozen sea, and stop your horse before the edge of a red, sandstone cliff. You sit there a moment, just listening to the quietness of the day.

Before darkness settles in, as it gets dark early now, you gallop towards home. As you reach the last snowy field, you slow the horse into a canter, then a trot, and lastly a walk. You take your time to reach the barnyard, and enjoy the homey scenery of chickens scratching around, some spilled hay here and there, and the red sleigh parked near the entrance way of the barn. You dismount, pat the horse on the shoulder and lead him into the barn, and into his stall. After a good brushing and covering him with his blanket, you break the ice in his water bucket and fluff up his hay. Then, after giving him his apple for being a "good boy", the stall door clicks shut, and you head off towards the farm house, as supper is waiting. Back in the barn, the farm horses drift one by one into a dreamless sleep, while your horse gazes out the window, watching the snowflakes fall and eagerly anticipating the next wintery ride."