Author: Ol' Fuzz Face

Mr. Monte, RV Living

RVing with Cats – Not So Easy

If you’re thinking that RVing with cats is a great idea, let me relate to you a real-life example to illustrate that it’s not so easy as you might think. Your sweet, cuddly feline comes with eons of instinctual behaviors and just barely 9,500 years of semi-domestication. It doesn’t take much for an RV cat to lose its peaceful demeanor. For no apparent reason, it will suddenly revert to its African Wildcat instincts. This is especially true of a particular 24-pound Maine Coon with whom you should be well familiar – Mr. Monte.

Early Morning Chat with a Misguided Cat

Dawn finally arrived on the morning of April 17th. It had been a long night. Mr. Monte held wake-up calls for Blondie and me at 12:45AM and every hour thereafter. One of those wake-ups was particularly annoying. – Two cups of strong coffee would not be enough to keep us awake until noon.

Mr. Monte

Although nothing Mr. Monte ever does can be considered normal, the chat I had with him that morning convinced me I was dealing with a truly alien mind. It was like forcing the truth out of the lips of a deranged politician. – He actually believed what he was saying and he expected me to believe it too.

/// Reader Warning: Nothing after this point will make sense unless you read Monte’s Post – Attack of the Electric Coal Skink ///

Chat with a Cat – Extracts

Q – What made you think there was a coal skink in the RV?

A – We have seen coal skinks in this RV park and my superior feline instincts told me so.

Q – What made you think a coal skink was going to attack me?

A – I was certain he was heading towards you and my superior feline instincts told me so.

Q – Why did you need to jump on me from the upper bunk?

A – There was an urgent need based on my superior feline instincts.

Q – What made you think you had a coal skink tail between your jaws?

A – It was black, the right size, and my superior feline instincts told me so.

Q – What makes you think you broke off the skinks tail and he got away?

A – Skinks shed their tails when attacked and my superior feline instincts told me so.

Q – How did the weather station electric cord get severed?

A – It was in the way and had to go based on my superior feline instincts.

There Might Be Something to His Story

After some research, I’m having a tough time disputing Mr. Monte’s story. The only weakness in his account is his inability two produce any evidence that a coal skink was actually in the RV. However, when I checked out his statement that “Skinks shed their tails when attacked,” I found the article Lizard Tail Loss and Regeneration. That article lends credence to Monte’s assertion. But, there was still one problem with his explanation of events. So, I confronted him.

Q. If the coal skink’s tail was broken off, and it got away, where is his tail now?

A. Based on my superior feline instincts, that’s obvious. He took it with him.

RVing Lessons Learned

RVing with cats

It’s an axiom of RV living: Be prepared to make field repairs. That axiom takes on even greater importance if you are RVing with cats.

Under normal circumstances, you won’t encounter many severed electric wires on an RV trip. If you are RVing with cats, however, it can be a real problem.

Every RV should be equipped with a tool kit. If you don’t have the space for wire strippers, at least pack needle nose pliers that come with a wire cutter/wire stripper section.

Likewise, make sure you pack electricians tape and duct tape in your RV tool kit. There are a myriad of uses for repair tape. Caution: We recommend that you don’t give in to the temptation to use it on your cat.

RVing with cats
RVing with cats

Well, I made the needed repairs. The weather station is up and running again. Mr. Monte is back making his appointed rounds as our Chief of Security – we are under his protection. With regard to the wild tale/tail told by Mr. Monte:

That’s his story, and I’m stuck with it!

Note: After reading our stories you might be interested in this very informative article: A Brief History of Traveling With Cats.

Faith, Family, & Country, Traditions

Hallow ✠ this New Fire

“Hallow ✠ this New Fire” is a phrase the priest prays as part of the blessing of the new fire at the Easter Vigil Mass. In this prayer, we make use of the fire or light as a symbol of Christ. The cross (✠) inserted in the prayer marks the moment when the priest makes the sign of the cross. By this sign he asks Christ to sanctify the fire.

In the eyes of the world, that cross is an instrument of physical death. Now, the sign of the cross, through Christ, sanctifies the New Fire and inflames the hearts of those who believe with heavenly desires. Therefore, we pray that we may join in this feast of perpetual light.

Here at Serendipity Farmhouse, we take Holy Week very seriously. With the exception of Holy Saturday, we made our way to St. Peter’s every day. There, we spent time in reflection on the mysteries of this singular week in human history.

We usually don’t attend the Vigil Mass. Instead, we attend the Easter Morning Mass. But, at about the same time the Vigil Mass begins at St. Peter’s, we light our own New Fire here at SFH. We use this time to consider what we have done during Lent and Holy Week. The bright flames of the fire fill our hearts with “heavenly desires” and we look forward to the great feast of Easter.

Last year, the weather was mild and the full moon rose over our river. It was the perfect night for a fire.

This year, it was cold when we lit our New Fire. It was also the perfect night. That was because, with the cold, we were reminded in a very real way, that this fire not only brings light. It also provides warmth and consolation.

How great is our God! He has bestowed on the faithful the fire of His brightness by His Son!

Resurrexit Sicut Dixit, Alleluia!

Anniversary and farmhouse life
Farmhouse Living, Traditions

Onward with Our Farmhouse Life

This is our Anniversary Week. It is our tradition to keep anniversaries low profile. We make this our time to be together here in the home God chose for us. We were made for each other and this old farmhouse was made for us. So, it is only right that the central focus of our anniversary week is the twofold desire to recommit ourselves to each other and to move onward with our farmhouse life.

And what does it mean to move onward?

Well, it most certainly doesn’t mean what Mr. Monte implied in his recent post – Serendipity Farmhouse Blog Upgrade – What You Need to Know. His mistaken perception is that his “two big cats are running around like their hair is on fire.”

What Mr. Monte thought he saw and what was actually taking place were two entirely different things. He thought he saw a frenzy of activity and panic. What actually was happening was our methodical preparation for the coming warm weather season.

Whatever my dear Wife and I do, we do together. When Spring arrives, together we plan for the seasonal changes brought about by warm temperatures and longer days. This is a serious business. Necessarily, our work pace accelerates and our planning sessions intensify. There is no time to dilly. Nor is there any time to dally.

Of course, from the vantage point of a grumpy, old Maine Coon cat, our heightened level of activity might be viewed as disordered and chaotic. But no, our hair was not on fire. Everything was under control – well, for the most part, everything was under control.

Serendipity Farmhouse Warm Weather Season Plan

While some plans still need to be drawn up, dearest Blondie and I have identified three primary areas of interest for the 2023 warm weather season. We say Warm Weather Season because, in this part of Virginia, warm weather extends from mid-Spring into mid-Autumn.

Many of our future posts will discuss these aspects of our farmhouse life. You will have the opportunity to join us as we try out new strategies and various techniques. Perhaps you might help us out by making some comments and giving us useful pointers based on your own personal experience.

Farmhouse Gardens

We added two raised beds to our farmhouse gardens last year and we experimented with 10 tomato varieties. This year, we will focus on four favored tomato varieties. We will reduce the number of okra plants and increase the number of green beans. Also, we intend to expand our selection of herbs.

New Test Kitchen Adventure – Bread Making

onward with our farmhouse life

The soon-to-be-world-famous Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen is moving into the world of bread making from scratch. Since New Year’s, we’ve been milling our own wheat, experimenting with ancient grains, and bringing our own sourdough starter to life. We will show you how it’s done.

RV Season 2023

On March 21st, I removed the cover from El Camino Del Monte, our Class-C RV, and announced the official start of the 2023 SFH RV season. Our first trip is booked and we have tentatively planned an interstate trip for later on. This year, we will hook up solar panels and increase our boondocking capabilities. Come along for the ride.

Summary

Serendipity Farmhouse is just a little place in Virginia. Our Warm Weather Season is very hot and extremely humid. Some days, we won’t want to work in the Farmhouse Gardens. Likewise, our Test Kitchen will be uncomfortable when we’re making bread. Even El Camino Del Monte, with its air conditioner running, will be less than enjoyable under the hot Summer sun. – This is all part of our farmhouse life.

But none of that really matters too much. Just as we do during our Anniversary Week, we strive to make every day our special time to be together here in the home God chose for us. Work in the Farmhouse Gardens might be hard, but we benefit greatly from our labor. The Test Kitchen might be overly hot when we’re baking or canning, but the brief discomfort provides us nourishing meals all year round. And of course, our RV provides us the means to retreat from everyday cares and worries.

We would be foolish to ask for anything more than He has already given us.

Happy Anniversary, Blondie!!

farmhouse antiques
Farmhouse History, Farmhouse Living

Ole Timers – Ole Friends

Last Saturday, Miss Blondie visited an antique store in Front Royal. She’s made that same trip so many times since 2003. For her, “Ole Timers” has been the place to find the perfect piece of furniture, China, or whatever to capture the essence of farmhouse living.

Saturday’s trip was just a bit different though. Miss Blondie went to honor Barbara, the owner of Ole Timers. She went there to give Barbara a loving birthday hug – because that is what good friends do.

Miss Blondie, Barbara & Farmhouse Living

Over the years, Miss Blondie has worked with Barbara in selecting furniture and decor for virtually every room in our house. Among the first items we purchased was a beautiful farm table with matching bench. That table has been the main table for dining in our homes in Front Royal, Idaho Falls, and now in Serendipity Farmhouse. Though we use it every day as a simple farm table, it has been the silent host for many romantic dinners. And, as our girls well know, it been there to serve them with an elegant setting for a High Tea.

Farm Table
Romantic Farmhouse Dinner
High Tea Table Setting

A piece from Ole Timers has become literally the center of the Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen. We have featured our kitchen island in many pictures. It combines salvaged antique items including an old door and a retired church pew. We use it as a convenient workspace and as a serving area for all our festive gatherings.

Kitchen Workspace
Every Day Display
Setting for High Tea

Why it will all continue on

Large items or small, functional or decorative, Ole Timers has supplied them all. Yet, for Miss Blondie, that’s not the most important thing. What is most important is that, for over twenty years, Barbara has been there. She’s been there with her smile, with her hugs, and with her great faith – there is so much to share.

Our farmhouse is a little place tucked well out of sight. It’s nestled up along a quiet river and guarded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has become the place where we can “Pray, Prepare, and Preserve”. – – It’s just a little place where “ole timers” can enjoy life with “ole friends.”

Happy Birthday, Barbara!

Mr. Monte, Recipe

Valentine Pie, Mr. Monte’s Way
Valentine pie

On Valentine’s Day 2019, I baked a most delicious cat-themed pie to surprise my two humans, Blondie and Fuzzy. To this day, they recall the joy my gesture of affection brought to their hearts. They loved my Valentine Pie and they loved me for what I did.

I must confess, the original inspiration came from Samantha Meyers and her recipe in my favorite magazine, Catster. As one might suspect, I made my own changes to the recipe. Today, I will share my revised recipe with you.

Continue reading “Valentine Pie, Mr. Monte’s Way” →
Farmhouse History, What were we thinking?

About Page Update

After five full years of blogging, it’s time to return to the beginning and consider what was our original intent for starting the Serendipity Farmhouse Blog. So, today we went back in time and took a look at our About page – About Serendipity Farmhouse. It’s clear from reading that page that our original motivation was to tell a story, a story about a family, an old farmhouse, and the many events and happenings that make Serendipity Farmhouse such a wonderful place.

The final paragraph on our About page reads: “We are just the caretakers. We will be here for a while and then it will be passed on to others in our family. So, for you, and mostly for our family, here is the story of Serendipity Farmhouse.”

Unlike many blogs, our goal has never been about making money. Rather, it has always been about providing our recollections and perspective about life here in our little old farmhouse. These stories and insights are intended primarily for our family, especially for those who someday will reside here. Of course, we are happy that extended family and friends occasionally peek at our site to see what’s new. They have been very supportive and their words of encouragement provide great incentive to keep the site active.

If you were to look at our bottom line, you would see that we have invested well over $1,500.00 in this site and have earned exactly $0.00 in return on investment. By the standards and norms used for evaluating the success of other blogs, you would have to conclude SFH blog is an abysmal failure. For example, discounting Mr. Monte’s alleged 23,417 feline followers, we have a grand total of 31 followers and 16 email subscribers. And don’t think that I delude myself concerning my abilities as an author. After all, the statistics speak for themselves. Even Mr. Monte scores consistently higher view counts than I do.

However, statistics can be deceiving. Despite the numbers, Blondie and I know that this blog is not a failure. How can it be a failure, if our children and grandchildren have a living record of what we have done together as a family? How can it be a failure, if our Faith and values are shared with our family and friends? How can it be a failure, if Blondie and I have so much fun writing these stories?

There it is. After five full years of blogging, my beautiful Spouse and I are having fun, we are living a fulfilling life together, and our family remains close. And all of that is the answer to a prayer we should have prayed – a prayer that was answered here at Serendipity Farmhouse.

 

Faith, Family, & Country, SFH Journal

A Time for Tea

It’s been over three years since my girls have joined me for tea at Serendipity Farmhouse – three very long and trying years that need to be put far behind us. (See our posts here, here, and here.) After many recent texts, emails, and phone calls, it became clear that the time to restore our family tradition was finally here. The girls missed me, they missed each other, and they missed chatting over a hot cup of tea.

No, we weren’t ready for the formality and lengthy preparations needed for a high tea such as we had in August 2019. After all, we have grown to be more mature. For some, that means there has been growth in knowledge and confidence, and for me, that means perhaps a growth in the wisdom of age. – There is now a new SFH reality: no longer was I to be the only host and provider, my daughters and granddaughters now wanted to prepare the treats and take a more active part in planning – it was time for Granny to have more time to sit with the girls and share in all that makes our tea time a golden time for making memories.

To be sure, I still had to put on my apron and make sure the grand SFH dining room was clean and ready. Likewise, the soon-to-be-world-famous SFH Test Kitchen had to be immaculate. Usually, my dearest friend Nancy would have been here to help with these tasks, but unavoidable circumstances made that impossible this year. So, Hubby voluntarily came out of his “tea time hiding place” and did a great job cleaning and arranging cups, pots, and kettles. Despite all his efforts, Nancy was sorely missed.

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Things were peaceful til those girls came!

Mr. Monte is no longer a young cat. Rather, he has gotten much older and set in his ways over the last three years. The sudden, unannounced arrival of nine happy, chatty young ladies was not necessarily to his liking. In fact, he took the whole event rather poorly. Let’s just say Mr. Monte’s actions were not how you would describe a cat overflowing with hospitality and a welcoming spirit. Needless to say, but I’ll say it anyway, Mr. Monte was asked to retire to the upstairs office for the duration of the tea.

Daughters and granddaughters outdid themselves preparing the finest of foods to accompany our tea. None of their masterpieces were from box mixes. No, I say it quite proudly, my girls did it all from scratch, with great creativity and delightfully tasting results. See below some of their creations.

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Beyond the excellent teas and the finest of edible treats, there was the joy of being together again.

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It was so very wonderful to see my daughters, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters all together again. How everyone has grown and become so much more in every way. It reminds me of two verses from Ecclesiastes: [1] All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven. … [15] That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.

And this past week saw the restoration of a beautiful family tradition – Saturday, January 7th, was “A Time for Tea.”

Girls, thank you for coming to Serendipity Farmhouse and sharing a cup of tea with me!

 

Faith, Family, & Country, SFH Weather

Tannenbaum Evictions

It’s happening all around us. Innocent, unsuspecting trees are being robbed of their rightful destiny. Already, they are laying at the side of road, waiting to be carried off to oblivion. This is the sad case of the Tannenbaum Evictions. What’s worse is that in the process of evicting these poor trees, parents are depriving their children and themselves of the fullness of the  Christmas Season. It is an abuse. It is a poverty.

“The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord [this year celebrated on January 8th]. During this season, we celebrate the birth of Christ into our world and into our hearts and reflect on the gift of salvation that is born with him, including the fact that he was born to die for us.” – USCCB

Here at Serendipity Farmhouse, our tree is still up, the Nativity scene remains in place on the front porch, and my sweet and wonderful Spouse and I continue to exchange Christmas greetings. If something is worth celebrating, it is worth hanging on to it as long as possible – and so we do.

Advent this year was filled with prayer and preparations. Just as we said we would in our post The Wake-up Call, we took the time “to pray to cast off the works of darkness; to prepare for our salvation; and to preserve in the heart of our family all that sustains the armor of light.”

Unfortunately, this Advent was filled with sickness. The families of our three children were each burdened with one or the other of the many diseases now in our region. Beautiful Wife and I likewise came down with some nasty ailments, the effects of which linger to this day. Even worse, a chronic condition had already weakened my dear Wife. Consequently, she was bedridden for several days by the flu.

Despite all of the sickness. Advent was a wonderful time. We had planned ahead, and our shopping and sending of Christmas greetings was completed a full week earlier than usual. So, when we arrived at our church on Christmas Eve, we were fully ready to partake in the joy of the Mass and the beautiful music from the choir. It was a Mass to remember.

Much of the country was dealt a harsh blow by Winter Storm Elliot on Christmas. Although our county did not receive heavy snow or ice, it did feel the winter chill – a low of 5.7 F° on Christmas morning. Three days earlier, SFH was inundated with nearly three inches of rain. So, the river was running high and cold on Christmas day.

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Winter weather, sickness, Christmas preparations, all the things that can make for distress and worry – they were all there ready to assault your peace of mind, unless you reminded yourself constantly that there is indeed a reason for this season. The Christ Child was coming. Even Mr. Monte knew that he should ready himself for what was to come. We had the Advent wreath and cranberry scones to remind us and Monte had the warmth of the wood stove to remind him.

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We here at SFH are hoping you are having the very best Christmas ever.

Merry Christmas, God bless! & Don’t evict your tannenbaum!!

Pray, Prepare, Preserve

The Wake-up Call

As always, the alarm went off at 4 AM today. But this was not just any day, and the wake-up call was filled with more than the simple expectations of other days. This was the wake-up call that comes from the readings of the 1st Sunday of Advent:

Brethren, knowing that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is past and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:11-12)

For us here at Serendipity Farmhouse and for millions throughout the world, this day marks the beginning of a new year; a year that renews a cycle of the divine promise and its fulfillment. With knowledge that the promise will be and is fulfilled, it is essential to take the time and to make the time in this season of Advent to pray to cast off the works of darkness; to prepare for our salvation; and to preserve in the heart of our family all that sustains the armor of light.

During Advent, our posts will be much as they usually are. There will be the practicality that is a happy part of our rural life. And of course, there will be humor wherever it can be found. To be sure, Mr. Monte will have a word or two to put Fuzzy in his proper place and to correct all of our human failings. But at the same time, we will attempt to reflect some of our Benedictine understanding of life as proclaimed in the Rule of St. Benedict, 43,3:

Ergo nihil operi Dei præponatur.
Indeed, nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God.

Preserving, SFH Food Talk & Recipes, SFH Skills, Test Kitchen

SFH-TK SKills – Herbs

Hi! Blondie here with a mix of garden and food talk.

In this post we will discuss how the soon-to-be-world-famous Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen (SFH-TK) is mastering herb skills. So, come join me on the back porch and let’s talk about what’s going on.

Although Mr. Monte would probably disagree, my dear Hubby is greatly underrated when it comes to practical skills and  long-range planning. – – Well, come to think of it, sometimes Monte’s low opinion concerning Fuzzy’s skills is spot-on. – – Whatever. This year, Hubby did have some good ideas relating to herbs and spices that have led to improvements for the SFH-TK.

I guess his long-range plan began to come into focus this time last year when he decided to give me a set of herb and spice bottles for Christmas. When I opened the rather large box containing the 48 little bottles, all I managed to say was, “Just what am I supposed to do with these?” He merely answered, “You’ll see.” – – And so I did in early March when Hubby installed two sets of herb and spice storage racks, one set for the kitchen and one for the pantry. (See the item Bringing Order to a Real Mess in the post Spring is Here! (Meteorologically speaking))

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The next step in his plan was to improve our ability to grow herbs by preparing an entirely new herb garden in SFH Vegetable Garden #2. (See the item Part I – The Herb Garden Gardens in the post Feast Day Garden Talk)

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Throughout the growing season, Hubby could be found gazing into his crystal ball (his computer and the Internet) looking for the best information sources needed to complete his master plan. That’s when he started collecting articles, items, and notes from places like the National Center for Home Food Preservation. From these resources he learned how to dry herbs. A big part of his master plan was to dehydrate some of our new crops of Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, and Tarragon and to become self-sufficient in these frequently used herbs. He thought this would be possible because all four herbs are perennials and we won’t have plant any new ones for some time. His newfound knowledge highlighted distinctions between the various types of herbs that would help him in selecting the best combinations of dehydrating times and temperatures. For example, he learned:

Less Tender Herbs —  Include rosemary, sage, thyme, summer savory and parsley – these are easier to dry

Tender-Leaf Herbs — Include basil, oregano, tarragon, lemon balm and the mints – these have a high moisture content and will mold if not dried quickly

When the pressure from the main growing season subsided, Hubby had the time to pursue the task of perfecting his SFH-TK herb dehydrating skills. For a period of two weeks, every day was filled with either picking, dehydrating, or storing our herbs. Although he learned that it is better to store some herbs whole, that is not ground, he did experiment with grinding herbs using a make-do mortar and pestle. Here are pictures of the process and the results. Sometime in the future, I’ll let Hubby go into more detail. – – For now, however, let’s just say Hubby actually had a plan that worked.

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Don’t Rest on Your Laurels, Hubby

Hubby was a bit overly proud of his new dehydrating skills. Consequently, Mr. Monte and I had to bring him down a peg or two. So, I took the opportunity to tell him that it was time to replace my special flashing light display on the back porch. Reluctantly, he set up the step ladder, climbed to dizzying and dangerous heights (for him) and proceeded to install the new lights. — Fortunately, there were no accidents and surprisingly the lights worked the first night.

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First Fire of the Season

First fire of the year – November 13

Now it’s getting a bit cold out here on the porch. It’s time to go back inside and warm up. I’ve asked Hubby to light a fire in our trusty old wood stove. While he’s doing that I’ll make some hot chocolate for the two of us.

Once again, it was the best harvest ever! – No, we’re not preppers; we’re not homesteaders; and we’re not farmers. We’re just a happily married couple living rural life in a practical way. – It’s all a great blessing.

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

The extensive and highly productive vegetable gardens here at SFH have been blessed with a most abundant harvest. For now, the following links will catch you up with what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last report:

SFH 2022 Plantings

SFH 2022 Harvest

SFH 2022 Preserving

SFH WX Station Report – Monthly: 

SFH WX 2022-11-01 through 11-30