Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

Howdy, Dori!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I always love your posts and your dedication to running is inspiring. I’m so happy you found a healthy outlet during Covid times.
One that you can stick with too! We’re on a whole foods path at our house which is feeling pretty good!
Keep being wonderful you!
xoxoxo
Deb ( Beach Farmgirl forever )

I run 4 miles a day (and do 5-mile Friday) up and down the hallway of my apartment building. There are many virtual races to run and I just finished the 150-Mile Kaiser Permanente Around the Bay Challenge in San Francisco. I’m not fast but I’m consistent at 72. I’ll keep going as long as I can. Kudos to you for running in such a beautiful place!

Whoo hoo!!! Run, Mz Dori. Yep…I run on the ranch also but my paths have gotten overgrown due to lack of foot traffic. I MUST do better. I have taken a snap shot of your trails map and will have to implement that for my place. GOALS! I want to host a ranch run this year…maybe in the fall. One of my mottos is RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!. Hugs, Daizy in Alabama Farmgirl #1093

Wishing you and yours a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn

Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

Howdy, Dori!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I always love your posts and your dedication to running is inspiring. I’m so happy you found a healthy outlet during Covid times.
One that you can stick with too! We’re on a whole foods path at our house which is feeling pretty good!
Keep being wonderful you!
xoxoxo
Deb ( Beach Farmgirl forever )

I run 4 miles a day (and do 5-mile Friday) up and down the hallway of my apartment building. There are many virtual races to run and I just finished the 150-Mile Kaiser Permanente Around the Bay Challenge in San Francisco. I’m not fast but I’m consistent at 72. I’ll keep going as long as I can. Kudos to you for running in such a beautiful place!

Whoo hoo!!! Run, Mz Dori. Yep…I run on the ranch also but my paths have gotten overgrown due to lack of foot traffic. I MUST do better. I have taken a snap shot of your trails map and will have to implement that for my place. GOALS! I want to host a ranch run this year…maybe in the fall. One of my mottos is RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!. Hugs, Daizy in Alabama Farmgirl #1093

Wishing you and yours a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn

I love reading about your flower business and seeing your gorgeous pictures!

Your pictures are so beautiful! Thank you for sharing ❤️

The flower stand is awesome! Such a great idea to use an old truck bed. A friend and I stopped by a You Pick cut flower place on a weekend trip this year. It was their last weekend and the owner let us pick a huge bucket full. It was so much fun! Since then, all I can think about is flowers and how they made us so happy. At this time, I am researching ideas and plans and I am “really” contemplating the cut flower business. I have a ton of questions. Would you, have time to answer a few of them? Thanks in advance.

Lori

Always your beautiful flowers bring a smile to my face!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful story! Your flower gardens are amazing. The design of the boxes you carry the bouquets in…very clever. Sure wish I lived nearby. I’d be a loyal customer!

Good morning, Dori. This post was such a fun read. I love flowers too, but I only cut roses and leave the rest to enjoy as I walk thru my small gardens. Your “little” set up is an inspiration to me. I’m thinking of setting up a small veg. garden stand for garden overflow. We live on a busy road, and have pull off parking, so I thought people could help themselves on the honor system with proceeds going to the local Salvation Army. I volunteer at the S. A. thrift store here in Watertown, SD. Any thoughts or pointers you could give me would be appreciated! Thank you for the lovely photos on this cold snowy morning! Nanette

PS: I grew Zinnias this summer and the flowers last really long on the plants. How do you keep your plants from getting leaf mildew?

Those sunflowers!
I’ve always wanted a flower garden for cutting but no longer have my 36 acre home.
Any suggestions for doing it on less than an acre?

Love your blog. Just started following you. My mom raised perinnials and sold them for years to other garden centers so having flowers to cut and bring in the house has been in my life for as long as I can remember. We grow zinnias every year as I love them as well. Love the different colors and shapes of the blooms. I just grow the variety and never know what I’m getting but they make me happy. I also love sunflowers but don’t seem to get the small ones. HA I end up with HUGE blooms so not for a vase. Thank you for sharing your story. Maybe when I travel through your state I’ll have to stop by.

Beautiful! You inspire me to look for heirloom zinnias next year for my garden. Thanks for posting beautiful flower pictures, it snowed over 7 inches here (Minnesota) yesterday.

Beautiful photos, I totally love your flower stand.

These are such beautiful creations! I feel better just looking at the pictures. 🙂

Beautiful flowers. I especially love the Fourth Of July Bouquets. Thank You for sharing these lovely photos. Your granddaughters are getting so big.
Marilyn

Love the photos. Belle is adorable! I have a Maggie. She is a sweetheart and loves me the most. So fun!

How beautiful your flower gardens are. They are all worth your labor.

Dori, I have a quilting question for you.
I am saving almost all of my husbands shirts. He died 2 weeks ago an I am struggling with the loss. I have never made a quilt but I was thinking of using the fabrics from some of his shirt to make one.
Do you have any recommendations for a beginner? I have a sewing machine. I would love to honor my husband by making a small quilt – maybe lap size.
Thank you for your help.
God bless,
Elaine

That is fabulous. She’s going to cry.

So beautiful, thank you for sharing!

That is such a beautiful quilt!! It’s so full of joy and caring that you can see it pouring out even through a computer screen. She is going to treasure that for a long, long time.

Dori, I love your quilt. It is beautiful. Did you make your label or purchase it? I’ve finished a much of quilts since April and have been thinking about making a similar label. Love reading your posts!

I too have a quarantine quilt. I started and completed one during quarantine and finished another. It certainly helped get through the many weeks.

Love it! The vintage sheet backing is so complimentary. What a beautiful gift from the heart.

I love your quarantine quilt! Log cabin blocks have always been one of my favorites. Your coach will love it!

Where did you obtain your quilt label?

Oh Dori your quilt is absolutely Beautiful really truly it is! I know your friend Marci will love it.
One big log cabin pattern is fabulous, log cabin is my favorite quilt pattern. I have made only one and it was for our Son Kent.
Thank you for sharing with us the quilt and your story.
Take care and stay safe.
Farmgirl Hugs,
Debbie
#1582

Dori

What a lovely quilt! I am sure that Marcie will love it.

Good work and good words.

This is absolutely beautiful! And that you hand-quilted it makes it even more special. Is there a pattern/instructions for doing this (hope, hope)? I’ve never made a quilt but have been looking for a doable one for a full-size bed. My sister used to quilt, so I know a bit about Jelly Rolls. Great way to get this beauty started!
Glad things are improving in Tennessee. I’m in Western Oregon, so we’re really still going through some majorly dangerous and stressful times. But thankful for every small improvement we see!

So what size did the quilt end up being. It is very pretty

Hi Dori,
I love your blog and the quilt you’ve created is beautiful! What a talent to have especially during the times of a pandemic when the world around us shuts down. Your friend and trainer will love it and whatever you decide to put down on paper as a thank you. Your blog demonstrates that you also have the skills of being a good writer so the words will come. when you put the pen to paper. She must be awesome to have motivated you and the others in your class to continue with the fitness routine and maintain good health during these difficult days.

Take care and all the best to you and yours,
Kathi

Oh, Dori … I love your quilt! I, too, have found solace in quilting and other hobbies. I’m making a quilt for my 5-year old granddaughter as well as a matching one for her dolls. I feel that the pandemic has forced me to look in the house for fulfillment and I agree that I am thriving! Great post! Thank you for it! Carol

You are inspiring in both your words and how you spend your time. I too have made the decision to keep some of this down time as a permanent fixture in my life going forward. I’ve learned a lot about myself and what is really important to me and wouldn’t want to go back to life “before”.
The quilt is beautiful and the hand stitching very impressive.
Thank you for sharing your life with us.

What a beautiful gift! The hand quilting must have taken you hours! But there is nothing like hand made. Truly a gift from the heart <3

My next quilt will be a huge log cabin square! I love this quilt. I’m not actually a quilter, just 4 quilts in 20 years. But I’m inspired to finish my current quilt so I can start on this new one!

Would you be willing to e-mail a few directions on how you connected the strips? I would love to make one for myself. Thank you

Bette Axiak
betteaxiak@gmail.com

This pie looks fabulous. We’ve got tomatoes coming out of our ears (a good thing) so I’m going to try this immediately. Thank you. We have sweet 100’s on a bowl on the counter (the one’s that don’t get eaten right off the vine) and I think they’re so much better than cherry tomatoes. Different strokes and all that but when it says sweet it means sweet.

This is my first year gardening in many years. My corn and beans got eaten by local critters but my tomatoes did not disappoint. I can pick my cherry tomatoes twice a day! I’ve had enough to share with my friends! I too keep a bowl of cherry tomatoes on my counter as a quick snack throughout the day.

*seize the moment! I know it was just the best!♥️ And oh goodness, I could totally live in a place like that!!

I live in Denver and don’t recognize this place. If it’s a rental I’d love to know where it is and how to contact the owners.

I love what you said about running faster by getting some who runs faster than you!….I’ll have to keep that in mind!..

Thank you for all your inspiration to those of us who need extra motivation. Aging takes a
lot of energy these days, but there is still so much to do and accomplish. Your joy and sharing that joy makes me want to “get ‘er done”! Thanks for helping me to refocus and keep going. Stay safe and productive!

Thank you for sharing! Love the projects you completed and way to go on the running. I have given myself a fitness goal and hearing others achieve theirs really is motivation for me. Looking forward to your next post. 🙂

Hi Dori,

I love the tissue box cover–those are beautiful. I would love to buy a couple of those. Do you have them on the website? Also kudos on the beautiful guest room quilt. I have mostly reds and navys in the quilts I have, yet I love the bright girly floral fabrics you used–I am inspired. Thanks so much for sharing that.

Best–newbie, Beth

I really enjoyed your blog. A crafter and do all my own cooking I did a lot over the past three months. You gave me more inspiration. We live on more than an acre but I would love to live in the mountain area instead of flat Florida. But we have been blessed and not have to live in a big city. We grow a small garden and have our two little Yorkers. So life is good. We have a 2,000 sq ft barb that I do painting on things and l do a lot of art work. When in the house I do crocheting or knitting. I also make jewelry and with all the things I make I give it all away. I love making people smile. I have missed being out among friends but I read and like you I can’t sit still for long. I have my youngest granddaughter coming to visit me and grandpa tomorrow for a couple of weeks. You gave me some ideas to entertain her while she is here with what you did with your grand kids. Grandchildren are wonderful and you so lucky to have yours so close. I have three, two girls and a boy. My oldest granddaughter is in the Army in Texas, my middle one is a boy and he is 15, my youngest granddaughter is 10. They are spread out in ages but they are wonderful to have. Glad you and your family have done well thru this trying time. Keep up the good work and God bless you and your family. You are making people like me smile.

Stay in touch; we love it.

Dori, I really enjoyed reading about your activities during this time of the shutdown, and you’ve inspired me to do more creative projects with my time. Thank you for the beautiful photographs and for sharing!

Made my day!

Your house is beautiful. Are you ever lucky to have your family with you. Love your projects you post. You are indeed an inspiration.

I also am spending much time in my ‘Lower Level’ Quilt Studio (ie basement).So thank you for the patterns. I am looking forward to making them.

Love your card idea. I’m thinking of making a bunch for gifts for friends. I haven’t done that in awhile, a n.v d they always love them. Thanks for sharing.
Be safe.

What a wonderful idea! I send one card a week to an Aunt who recently went into assisted living in Arkansas and they of course went on lockdown. So I send her a card since she likes to write letters, she would really appreciate receiving one if these!!
,
Xoxo,
Kim

Love this idea!!!
Making some today!!

Oh, Dori…I wish I had your energy and gumption! Yes, I do write ~ long or short newsy notes in birthday, Cmas, Easter and Thanksgiving cards as well as thank you cards and get well cards. Sometimes in sympathy cards too.

I taught my children who are 30 and 33 that if they received a gift and the gift giver wasn’t there to see them open it they had to send a thank you note. My daughter writes the most beautiful and special thank you notes. She’s become a real gem. My son, not so much, however I did learn from other family members he will call and thank them.

Yes, letter writing has gone by the wayside, but especially for the elderly I try to send occasional notes because they probably miss “snail mail” the most. I sure don’t mind a newsy email from friends now and then!

Thank you for reminding us all how much a simple letter or note card can change the day of someone special.

Nanette

PS you are special too!

These are absolutely adorable! Thanks for sharing such a sweet and simple idea! KB

Thank you Dori. I really like your idea for the cards, and if I received one of these, it would make my day, and many others to come.
I also loved the story of the quilt. Thank you for the idea.
The story was definitely a tear jerker!
Very heart warming.

I was just thinking yesterday that I could make a Mother’s Day card for my Mom this year instead of going out. Love this idea. I have blank cards on hand and plenty of small scraps from making face masks.

Great idea Dori. You have the best ideas and this one certainly is appropriate for right now.

Wow! You said it in the first paragraph! We can “trust in our MASTER enough that we have no worries or fears of the day”! Christians can learn from our doggies

I have also learned from our Cocker Spaniel, Piper, that one secret to contentment/happiness is Do Not Compare. He has some skin problems that cause itching & soreness & at age 15 is deaf, but he goes thru life contented because he is not comparing his situation with other dogs & saying , why me? – life is not fair”!

Enjoy your posts! Sharon ( a new Farmgirl Sister)

Your dog is beautiful. I’ve learned from our shi tzu that sticking your face in mud is not a bad thing.

You have a gorgeous dog Dori. Glad to see that you are still running and keeping well through these difficult times.

Dori, Your posts are always so uplifting, colorful and visually beautiful! They are a monthly lift to our spirit and during these Crazy COVID days, we all need that. Animals
and babies always give me hope. Thank you for such a fun post about your dog.
I have owned many different breeds over the years (beagle, german shepherd mix, labs both brown & black). They are such great companions and friends. My son’s dog Emma moved out with him a couple of years ago. I love the cat but she is so independent so I have been thinking of getting a dog. This quarantine and your post have convinced me. I am really excited about this; so nice to have a fun/positive goal during these difficult times. Pamela

God and dogs will always be there when the others have left..

I keep a spiral notebook handy to jot down notes or ideas of projects. I also keep a running list in another notebook of materials and items I wish/want to purchase. Then when I find the item and only “on sale” will I purchase it. And then there’s notes about what people like or what I want to make for a specific person in another notebook. Makes “playing” and “projecting” so much easier and fun, and ultimately gets done! I’ve been doing this since 1980 and am now on my 3rd notebook of projects I’ve given away as gifts. Helps the brain right along. Another easy thing I did 2 years ago was to put project materials and patterns/whatever I need in a 2 gallon ziplock bag. They are then put into a small basket–easy to get at when I’m in need of a project to start working on.

It sure is fun to hear how others create and keep that flow going! I also have to have “order” in my space otherwise I just get dizzy and run away’ LOL.
I truly enjoy your inspirations and plan on “weeding” out my IG page!! It become very overwhelming
Xo, Kim

I keep pictures on my phone of things I have seen which I would like to either expand on, tweak or recreate in different media or colors. I use these pictures as a starting place. Round Top flea market in Texas is my absolute favorite place to gather wonderful ideas that I can “steal”.

Being a caregiver for my husband this post’s has inspired me so much to continue to create with my fabric stash. I have been in a sewing/creating slump. But now after seeing all your projects and sewing room I now want to change things to be more productive in the sewing world. I thank you. You are just what was ordered for me. Many blessings, Winnie Jackson

I belong to a quilt guild & a stitcher’s guild; seeing other peoples’ creativity challenges me to try something new!

I am lucky enough to have a great group of friends who inspire me with their creativity. We get together to sew frequently. It helps to keep me inspired.

I love looking at new fabric collections, then I get ideas for all my family. The beach, horses and puppies are a few I’ve used lately. Thanks for all your ideas !

I am a farmer-rancher artist newly moved back to Blaine Road in Moscow. Nice job on your inspiration!-Joan

I like to wander through yarn shops, fabric shops & even through Hobby Lobby or Joanns for ideas of something I can make myself. My yarn stash & idea books is on my list for organizing!

I agree with you about getting “lost” on Pinterest. Also feel a big waste of time in other social media avenues. I spend a lot of time looking through special magazines, cutting out ideas and placing them in a special “Ideas” folder I keep in a easily accessible place.
I also do lot of “communing” with Nature spirits and others, take my request to bed, and wake up with “thoughts” graced to me by the Universe. Always be open and receiving to positive thoughts. Be Aware.

When I can read posts from other women that inspires me and keeps me creative.

I’ve never thought of myself as being creative until one day, years ago, I was bemoaning my haphazard way of planting flowers in the front yard and wishing aloud that I had my mother’s creative genes. My neighbor looked at me rather stunned – which surprised me in itself – and said, “Are you kidding? Your gardens are so beautiful!”. I think that’s when I started looking at things differently and getting my inspiration from other people’s enthusiasm for whatever makes them happy. It’s like they are little reminders to stop trying so hard – relax and enjoy – the creativity will flow like the unseen breeze and you will only see it when it moves something (or someone).

I am inspired by my love for sewing.

Much of my inspiration comes from Instagram, magazines and I just got one from you for the pin cushion. Also they just pop into my head when I want to change things around.

I love having my cell phone to take pictures of possible projects when I see them or when I think of an idea I use the Notes app to write down my inspirations.
Would you share your Pinterest account name so I could follow along? I love your creativity and would like to follow you. Thank you for the giveaway.

Walking with our pups on our property and forgetting about life’s pressures opens the door for my mind to wander and ideas to come in – even on the bad weather or stressful days. The girls are always my best mojo. When I get home, I journal my ideas with basic details for another day. Like you, avoid pinterist and most social media because of the rabbit hole you described. When I read your posts it is uncanny how much we are alike. Always look forward to your posts. They are real and thoughtful. Thank you, Jeanne

Hi Dori, Thanks for your inspiring writings! I am not a quilter but my mom is. I create with paint, or pen or marker or … ! Growing up my mom always had her music playing while she was sewing. We lived in the Southwest -it was usually a country song with a good two-steppin’ beat! So I continue that creative inspiration by always having some of my favorite music playing while I paint and create!!

Like you, I like to keep some type of project (usually knitting!) next to my chair so I can work on it at night. It keeps my hands busy and calms me down after a long day.

Dori I really enjoyed reading your column. Your craft room is an inspiration and made me realize I need to become more organized. I like to leaf through quilting magazines in the evening for tips, ideas and color combinations.

I’m just catching up on blogs –after reading about the quilts made out of the shirts -here’s another with the tears falling and then I can’t breathe, cause my head is all stuffy! I lost my husband 35 years ago when I was 47 with all 4 kids still at home. We had a year after the colon surgery. Wishing now that I had had this inspiration! If only–we could see into the coming days, to just “know”. I have a problem with being able to “create” -just taking the time to DO! Same thing here–I have to have the things out, visible and handy that I really want to do. Though all too often,that doesn’t help! Some of that (in my opinion!!) is age!! I have a room to sew-but oh my gosh it is such a mess, it keeps me from going in there. So bad of me to envy your beautiful, organized space!!! Happy Creative Days ahead for you!! Enjoy reading about all of those special things.

I belong to groups that meet regularly to inspire one another. And I try to do one large or small creative project every day, even if it’s just posting a photo on Instagram!

Looking at flowers or trees in the woods make me creative! In the time just before Spring I look at the flowers in the grocery stores, to add color to a home, and it makes me anticipate Spring coming soon! But then when the flowers begin popping up I use that energy to re-decorate my home, look at fabrics to add color for items I want to make such as cushions (I used to have little dresses to sew but not in a while), and clean out the no longer used items for someone else to love! It even affects relationships as I share the energy and excitement of what I am creating!

I SO agree with your comments re Pinterest! A little bit of that goes a very long way for me, and I find I work and create much better without a lot of extra distractions (especially when they’re visual — ack! “rabbit hole” describes this syndrome so well)
I’m still working on organizing my small space and your photos and ideas will definitely inspire me. Thanks!

All things vintage!

Reading magazines , number one MJF ,helps me get ideas for things I’d like to do. Instagram and YouTube help as well as I follow creative people there. Journaling is another creative thing I do.