While walking down by the old apple orchard during Milly's visit we noticed these strange looking pods on the ground and in two trees. They are spiky and super sharp. How had we never seen these before? After pulling one open we found nuts. In fact they looked like chestnuts. So we picked up some and took them back to the house and did some research on the net. Sure enough, they are chestnuts! Happy dance.....I have chestnut trees! Today I collected five pounds of the precious nuts. Now what. More research and I found out you can freeze them. So that's what I did. Froze them, after I held back a few to roast as a snack. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire......
Here is some of the loot I managed to bring home! I tried to call Mom to tell her about one particularly awesome sale but she was at the dentist so she missed it. 
This way cute comb and brush holder will look great in the cabin bathroom.
Vintage measuring cups and a biscuit cutter are going to find a home in the cabin's kitchen.
This box is just what I have been looking for to hold old bottles.
The long box will also hold bottles and jars on my breakfast table. Do you see the enamelware funnel and old canning jars? 
A hammered pitcher and old brown jug will also go to the cabin.
Ten vintage books will make lovely reading for our grand daughters when they come to visit. 
This frame will inspire a new project someday. Never turn down a beautiful vintage frame!!!!!
But my best find was this antique gate leg table for $25.00. Yes I said $25.00! And it is in perfect shape! The little table beside it was only $5.00 but isn't old. 
Here it is with the leaves up. The legs are very beautiful.
And when I was polishing it I discovered it has a very deep drawer too. I LOVE it! I think this is my all time favorite garage sale day! I spent a total of $50.00 and many of the items are worth that all by themselves. Yippee! 
I had seen a lot of cottage style rooms in magazines where the paint color had not been taken from some of the fabric used! I was very nervous to try something so different but it is only paint! I chose a cool green. Not red or blue or beige, the colors in all the fabric and accessories. I do believe it really "cottages" up the room! By the way, I made the bed runner a few years ago. It started out life as a table runner but now looks great on the end of the bed.
Here is my grandfather's old desk (my brother Matt didn't want it, can you believe it? Of course that was before we refinished it). It has great claw and ball feet and a drop leaf front. I love this piece!
This mirror above the bed is one of the first antiques I ever bought. It was $150 back in the 80's and I have carried it around to every house we have own since then. It is soooo heavy and old it just screams cottage to me! Now I feel ready for company!
Here are the results of the hunt. 
Sauted in butter with a sprinkle of sea salt. Very "earthy" tasting. Diana
Angel food cake......we have a lot of eggs to use up (a dozen or more a day from the girls) and angel food cake takes at least 13. We eat A LOT of angel food cake...... A LOT.
Strawberries from the store.
Don't you love how he made sure I had a picture of the served dessert too! Too funny.
While this day's harvest appears small, it is a promise of the bushels of produce that our garden will bless us with in summer. Yes, maybe winter is finally over.
Oh how cold it has been this winter. Sub freezing temperatures and snow that has stayed on the ground since before Christmas. The last few days has brought sleet, more snow, and ice that caused wide spread power outages throughout the Midwest. Branches and wires, heavy with ice, break under the weight, putting thousands in the dark. Sidewalks and streets are solid sheets of ice. Walking outside is like ice skating without the skates! Looking out the windows of our cozy little house, we see ice coating every branch and berry. It looks so beautiful. Maybe it helps that we have a generator and no place we have to go. Just cuddle under a blanket, look at seed catalogs and wait for warmer weather. Just 47 more days and spring will be here.
Gathered yesterday, these eggs are really fresh and delicious. The girls aren't laying as much during the winter but I am grateful for the few we get each day.
The breakfast sausage is a mixture of venison and pork. Ron got this deer on his last time home during a snowstorm that made getting it to the butcher a real adventure. 
The meat is very lean, even with the addition of a little pork. So I didn't feel so guilty having a nice helping! Our friends in Louisiana sent us some spices to mix in the sausage and was it ever good. 