A little tinkering with color as I try to imagine this old farmhouse in the Winter of 1864…

“The New Year was ushered in with a wind that blew almost a hurricane, and reminded one of the stormy nights when witches are said in old nursery legends to be abroad in their work of mischief. The cold was intense, penetrating everywhere, freezing every thing, not guarded by artificial heat, that could be frozen, and exceeding in degree the cold on any New Year’s Day ever known by the ‘oldest inhabitant.’ ”
~Unknown Journalist, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1864

Happy New Year to all my Farmgirl Friends – I hope your 2026 winter days are filled with warm slippers, cozy quilts, & laughter!

As I sit down to write, I’m greeted with the familiar feel of January…the old maple trees outside my window are unwavering against the fierce blowing winds. The electric company has already been out this morning to trim away a branch leaning on the power lines. With nothing but open fields surrounding the farmhouse, those winds have little resistance. Old Man Winter seems deliriously happy to find every way possible to sneak inside…lath and plaster are nothing against his strong will! And while temperatures over the last month have been swinging 40 degrees up and down, I do believe that now we are settling into winter.