Thank you! Thank YOU! THANK YOU!

I closed the rafflecopter and then it crashed so choosing the winner has taken a bit longer than I thought!

However....drum roll...we do have a winner!

In the Random Drawing, it pulled number 11 which is 

Niki

There is also a second equal prize for the reader that commented (and shared the blog) the most!

Elizabeth!!

Both of you can pick your 3 jellies at the festival!!

For everyone else that entered, you have also gotten a prize of half off a jam or jelly  (or salsa) of your choice!!  I will have your discount at the festival!

NOW, don't go away.  Now that I'm back to blogging, I need some company so I'm not out here just "talking" to myself.  

BIG GRIN!

Happy Blogoversary Day!!

Unbelieveable!!!

It's been 10 years of sharing !!!

Since I've started I've posted a total of 909 times

(I actually have 5 blogs, 3 of which are public)

ON THIS BLOG...

This will be post #678

As of this exact second I have had a total of 27,193 page views!

As you know I am doing a giveaway for my blogoversary!

As a final thank-you, you have tonight to go back a read any posts you might have missed and be sure to comment so you can get your name in the hat a few more times!  You have until NOON tomorrow.

If you are annoyed with my endless plugs of the blog and the Festival, I'm (kinda) sorry.  Some of my 101 goals include having more regular readers, commenters, and likes on the Cackleberry Facebook Page, (and also our Pinterest page) 

So you have helped with my 101 goal list!  Thank you!

Tomorrow at 2:00 pm EST, check back to see who "Rafflecopter" picked as our winner!

My family!!

I am so incredibly blessed!

Here are my three favorite guys all working together to spiffy the farm up for the Farm Festival!

Today My Man, My Boy, and My Dad all worked HARD to get the fence fixed and painted.

Meanwhile, My Mom and I went to town to deliver milk, and get more jelly supplies!

She helped me so much to get all the errands completed and food on the table for lunch.

And did I mention....TODAY is the BLOGOVERSARY!!!

Thank YOU so much for being a part of My "family".  I appreciate every comment and like.  It makes me feel incredibly blessed to have your feedback and participation in our farm! 

(There will be a separate post for the giveaway)

ONLY TWO DAYS! Until our Blogoversary!

OH MY!!

Be Sure to comment on every post!

Share with friends and have them comment (and say you sent them for another entry for you!)

Follow the blog.

Like the Cackleberry Hollow facebook page.

Follow the Cackleberry Hollow pinterest page!

You will be glad you did

 (And I'd be forever grateful!!)

Now, about that picture......

My dear handsome boy was up on our roof cleaning out the gutters to get ready for the rain and the winter.  He's in a great mood so was hammin it up for me!

He makes my house look so small!!

Look out below!

Just kiddin!

More ways to WIN!!

The last few days' blog posts have been short and late...but I appreciate that you are still sticking around to read!!

Keepin in real!  Quatro the kitty lovin on my boots!

I've been getting the gardens cleaned up for fall (and prepared for planting some cool weather crops) and it has been an "all daylight" kind of days. 

Today, I picked my guys up from the airport.  It's nice to have everyone here again.

In other news....my Ford Escape, whose name is Sadie...decided she needs all eyes on her.

Her muffler broke and it's like driving a 747 (or a harley?) down the freeway. 

 I feel all eyes on us now!

(BOY, I can't wait for the camera to get here!

As a THANK YOU for continuing to read along, I want to give you extra opportunities to win the reader prize package.  I've been trying to figure out "Rafflecopter" and all those things, but in the meantime....Here are more ways to get your name in the hat:

*Comment on every post.

*Send a friend over and have them mention you in their comment. (Entry for both of you).

*Share the post on Facebook

*Follow the blog (Wiget on the sideboard) 5 extra entries!

*Follow Cackleberry Hollow / Wallace Homestead on Pinterest

*Repin one of my posts on your Pinterest.

Giveaway will be on the Blogoversary and if you are local you can pick up your prize at the festival -or if you are not local, I will ship it after the festival on October 8th!

Thanks for helping get the word out!

The "Fall Festival" is coming!!

It's just a little over a month (YIKES) until 

our 3rd annual "Really Local Farm Market & Craft Fair"!!

As you know I've been making jam, jelly and salsa like crazy for our booth!  

I was asked by a (new) reader (Hi, D!) for more information about the Festival.

It's always on the second Saturday of October, so this year it is on October 8th.

10 am to 2 pm.

I will have farm fresh produce, eggs, and (if I can get the chickens to quit eating them) pumpkins. 

Also, if weather cooperates, we will have fall decorations (Indian corn, mums, corn stalks, etc).

Additionally, we will have our Homestead Yummies

Jams, Jellies, Salsa, Pickles

Bread, Cookies, Candies

Possibly Jerky

Man will be cooking up his delicious BBQ Ribs and Pulled Pork.

Boy will have his Snack Shack with chips and drinks

He will also have a limited number of his wood and acrylic turned pens. And some other handmade gifts from wood.

Our vendors so far this year are outstanding!!  Applications are still rolling in, so there will be plenty more but currently we have:

NikCo is all about adding a little beauty and whimsy to every day life. http://www.etsy.com/shop/NikCo

https://www.facebook.com/NikCo-361111847309832/

Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Earrings.

Our "Kid Collection"-These are girls in our homeschooling group that have some of their homemade goodies to share including cupcakes, crocheted dish c

lothes, American Girl clothes, and friendship bracelets.

Daryl Roche Glass Artisan will be sharing his handmade Glass Drinking Straws, Glass icicles, and Glass Pendants.

Then we have the 5 Savvy Sisters each with a booth:

The Country Road: Variety of Hand crafted primitive decor items

Natures Emporium: Hand crafter potpourri, dried flowers, seeds

Take a Hike:  Walking sticks, bird houses, seeds

Houseplant Fever:  Houseplants home started and grown, in a variety of pots.

Bobbin Robin: Grocery bag holders, burp cloths, denim aprons, purses and more.

I'll update again on the 15th with all the additional vendors!!

BE SURE TO COME OUT TO SEE US!

Iona's Spa Day

About two weeks ago, Iona our guard Pyrenees broke her line and she and Danny went for a "run."  The two of them were gone the WHOLE night.  (usually when they go out for a run they are back within a few hours....but I digress.  When they got back both were covered in burrs from the sticker bushes.  All Pyrenees have double coats.  See how big our girl looks!  

Here's the "bad" dogs a few days before their adventure:

Well, after much brushing and sweat and tears, it became obvious that I was going to have to have Iona clipped.  As much as I hated to....

Here is my "Poodle" now:

She looks so small!!!

Jam...Jelly...Salsa!

We are in full swing getting ready for the coming "Really Local Farm Market & Craft Fair" and winter.

My whole family has been such a blessing, pitching in to chop, dice and stir stuff.  Both of my guys have helped and just this past week, my parents came out to put in long full days on the farm! Between the 5 of us, we have canned over 175 jars in the past 10 days!!  Mostly it's been Salsa, as I've come up with a recipe that is so yummy that everyone likes it!  We have 30 pints ready for the Festival, and another 60 quarts/pints for the winter.  On the "hot side", I have 27 jars of "cowboy candy" mellowing.


Plus, the jam/jelly machine has started.  Last year we sold out of 3 flavors of jam right away, so already I've been making double and triple batches of those (Strawberry/Rhubarb, Razzleberry, and Elderberry).  Plus Dad came up with a new combo to add to our selection this year of Strawberry/Blueberry--it is outstanding!!  This week, we also added more straight Strawberry and Lilac syrup for Ice cream.  Here's the list of what we have on hand so far:

• Strawberry
• Strawberry/Rhubarb
• Strawberry/Blueberry
• Blueberry
• Cherry
• Apple Cider
• Watermelon
• Black Raspberry (Jelly-no seeds)
• Red Raspberry
• Golden Raspberry
• Blackberry
• Peach
• Concord Grape
• Cinnamon Apple
• Peach Vanilla
• Carrot Cake
• Razzleberry (Red Raspberry/Blackberry)
• Coffee
• Lilac Jelly *
• Lilac Syrup *
• Violet *

*Small Batch, limited quantity, slightly higher priced due to nature of product.

On the current "To Make" list is:

• More Carrot Cake
• Sweet Tea Jelly
• Tomato Jam
• "Traffic" Jam
• Christmas Jelly
• Gingerbread Spice Jelly
• Red Pepper Jelly
• Root Beer or Mt.Dew Jelly (??)
• Pumpkin Pie Jam

What do you think?  What jams / jellies do you love?  What one have I forgotten??

Countdown to Blogoversary!!

I have been blogging on and off (more off than on lately) for 10 years!  Unbelievable!!! 

September 27, 2006 was the first post I ever wrote....it's on a blog that is no longer public and journals all the trials and tribulations as we worked on getting ready to open our scrapbook bed & breakfast in Amish country only to have the whole thing implode 3 days before closing...but that it was definitely God's will because shortly after that, I had to have spinal surgery.  

Then when I was spending all my time writing about our first chickens, and our dreams went a different direction, I started this blog.

Look at how little our Boy was with his first chicken!!

I haven't been writing for lots of reasons.  My beloved Canon Camera bit the bullet in the one day between the calves births this spring.  And not having pictures, has made it less fun to blog.  Add to that the crazy busy of teaching two new mamas the whole milking routine and growing (AND WEEDING-UG) for the CSA, milk delivery....etc.  I haven't had much down time. 

 Add to that a new tablet that will not post correctly (I got the tablet specifically to be able to "blog on the fly") and it's just been too frustrating.

Eh, excuses, excuses!  Enough of that!

But I've discovered, I miss doing it.  

And since I have a milestone blogoversary coming up, we are going to do something about that!!

So starting today, I will endeavor to blog everyday between now and then (September 27, 2016).  And for every comment posted on the posts, I will put your name into a drawing for a gift of our Wallace Homestead Jam/Jelly Gift package!  So if you comment every day, then you have 32 chances to win!!  If you refer a new reader and they comment and say you sent them, I'll add another entry for you!

Thanks for reading!  I appreciate you more than you know!

Post number 500!

Well, how exciting is this!  When I started this post to announce my blog-versary winner I saw hat this will be my 500th post.  What a cool thing!

Thank you to everyone that entered and I hope you all come back to read along. I have high hopes and writing goals in November as I start the homestretch of the 101 in 1001, attempt to write 50,000 for NaNoWriMo, get new animals on the homestead, Pinterest for Christmas, and more. 

Now, for the reason you are here!  I want to send a little something to everyone so email me you address.  But our winner of the salsa and earrings is...Sarah!!!

My husband assures you that it was "pseudo-random" because there isn't really random!

For the rest of you, thanks again for reading and send me your address if I don't have it!

Blog Anniversary

I am so far behind....but today is my Blog-iversary (plus 2 months)

I had planned to do a big post and a giveaway on August 6th, but I'm not sure what happened so we will do it today for the 6th of October.

Contest closes on October 12th at midnight.  Leave a comment that so I know that you stopped by.  If you have a friend come and stop by have them say you sent them and I'll add another entry for you.  Random generator will pick the winner and I'll announce it next Monday.

Prizes include:

WallaceHomestead Canned Peach Salsa and a pair of "Nikco" Quirkee Chicken Earrings (or the Dancing Cows, if you prefer)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/161483671/black-and-white-glass-lampwork-chicken?ref=shop_home_feat

Go to the link to see other pictures...

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/161475437/silver-tone-dancing-cow-earrings-with?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=cow

Thanks for reading and for your support!