BAM conference 2012

We took off for the Missouri State Fair grounds last Wednesday.  Our little Casita was so enjoyable for the  5 days we spent there.  Of course at times it was dwarfed among the rather large RVs close by. 

I ran the boutique every day and thoroughly enjoyed visiting with all the blacksmiths. At times my blacksmith (in the gray shirt) gave me a helping hand.

This impressive sign stood guard next to the boutique.

At the FFA building, baskets were being woven.

 A broom class was also going on.

On two of the nights an impromptu meal was put together. Here Ken grills his homemade venison brats and hot dogs. 

The blacksmiths enjoy the brats, hot dogs, Phil's awesome baked beans, and my turnip kraut with potatoes. I would bet this becomes a tradition from now on. Oh, I almost forgot, Karen's cookies and Don's pecan tarts rounded out the meal.

The conference would not be the same if Roger didn't come.  He's always riding his bike around.  You could say he wears many different hats. . . . 

 . . . . and outfits too.

My blacksmith was totally surprised when he was awarded a Life Membership.  He was one of the original founding members back in 1984.

And look what I came home with!  Farm fresh eggs.  There are even two green ones!  Thanks Margie!!

The Ringing of the Anvil

This past week, the blacksmith and I attended the annual Blacksmith Association of Missouri conference. 

Friday night was an emotional night for us.


In the last two months we have lost three of our members. 


At the end of the night, all those in attendance were asked to walk past one of the two anvils set up and strike it one time for each member that died. 


To see and hear nearly a hundred people walk in silence, pick up the new hammers, and hit the anvil three times brings me to tears now as I write about it, just as it did that night.

Rest in Peace

Joe Wilkinson

Ed Harper

Dave Shepard

You will be missed.


And at the fundraiser auction on Saturday night, my blacksmith purchased one of those hammers. It will always have special meaning for both of us.

An e-mail from the neighbors, after Grandpa gave them lettuce out of the garden!

Alex would like to know what variety of lettuce this is.


He said "Maybe Grandpa should be a little more  careful. "

*We've been out of town for a few days, I hope to return to normal blogging soon!

A present for me!

When I got home from work yesterday, this is what I saw!


It's a jewelry holder for me.  I had told the blacksmith I need a holder for the necklaces I would be selling at the BAM conference. Isn't it adorable?


He's a keeper!  The blacksmith that is!  

Keeping busy

The Blacksmith Association of Missouri will be having their annual conference before long.  Since I play a big part in running the boutique, I thought I'd better get busy.  The ladies in the boutique sell donated items for our fund raiser. 

I have made more than 20 skull caps for the guys to buy.   I figure at $3.00 a piece they can afford several. 

I've also made 20 plus charms featuring things the blacksmiths and their wives should like. At $5.00 for a charm and $2.00 for a bead chain, hopefully they will go fast. 


I want to say a big thank you to Ms. Tammy of Flat Creek Farm for her help in teaching me just how to put these charms together.  She not only sent me free samples to work with, but she gave me telephone support on my walk through Lowe's for the sealer.  Of course that conversation ended with our blacksmiths talking to each other. 


10 dozen Cookies made - check
20+ Caps made - check
20+ charms made


What else can I make????

Stock the shelves

I've been a little under the weather the past two weeks.  But yesterday I got my butt in gear and got busy. The blacksmith and I canned soup.  I know it's summer and soup is good in the winter.  But it can also be  a quick meal when you're sitting in the AC. 

The neighbor son gave us two big beef roasts.  So we made vegetable barley soup.  We canned 7 quarts and 7 pints from two roasts. 

We picked up two fresh chickens at the butcher shop.  I saved a few pieces to fry for dinner and the rest went into chicken stock soup.  From those two chickens, that cost $14, we got one meal of fried chicken and 8 pints of soup. That's not bad at $1.56 a meal, plus a few carrots, celery and onions. 

Soup. It's what's for dinner

Before I sign off, I just have to show you what that redneck neighbor  son was up to last night.  He pulled our trailer home using his four wheeler. Not to mention it was loaded with chairs he was returning. 

My Fresh Garden salad

The lettuce, spinach, onions, and radishes are producing well. 

The peas are looking really good this year. 

You might remember back in January, I canned cuties.  If it were January now and they were that cheap, I'd buy cases and can more. 

Because they are excellent in this salad.  Sure you can use mandarins too, but I like getting them out of my own cabinet. 


Here's the recipe oddly enough called:  Lettuce and Mandarin Salad

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

2/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon salt.

Mix in one vintage green ball pint jar! (JK, any will do)

Use garden leaf lettuce, spinach too if you want, we like a variety.

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 red onion chopped (we use green onions out of the garden)

1 can mandarin oranges (drained)

*Note the dressing makes enough for 3 or 4 salads.

Well for dinner we had the above salad and really fresh wild turkey!  The blacksmith deboned it and cut it into strips.  We marinate it an hour or two in Italian salad dressing and cider vinegar.  Shortly before deep frying it, drain it well, then salt and pepper it. Flour it, let it set about 10 minutes, add more flour at the end if it's all soaked up. Deep fry and yum, yum!


P.S. Now that the DIL gave me a quick lesson on my new camera, maybe my next pictures won't be grainy!