Let me tell you, in Lancaster County we know our food I love the farmers markets and anything connected with food. Many guests comment on the quality of food. I’ve lived here all my life so had to really give thought to what they meant, but I think it has soaked in and realize that I am so fortunate to have this quality and abundance at my door step. I use as much as possible from Lancaster County or Pennsylvania. As posted before I grown mostly vegetables but I do use them in breakfast as well. Tomorrow we are having a spinach bacon quiche that everyone seems to love.  Our sausage, bacon and ham are locally processed and taste scrumptious.

Up until last year I hadn’t had a garden for about 20 years, so a few of us decided to go with this idea of garden. We had the right amount of rain and it flourished along with weeds. We picked green beans until we never wanted to see a green bean again :0 but now we want to do this all over again. Are we crazy? I get some kind of a high going and buying seeds, planting isn’t bad but the harvesting is another story however, eating the product all winter was very good and satisfying. Keith is working on getting the field plowed so we can work the ground. If you are from the city this might give some idea what goes into that food you buy at the super market.

Next week I’m going to the flower auction to get some bedding plants. Just do a search for Weaverland Auction and it will bring the business page. Flowers are not my forte since I just can’t keep them alive, so we hope they last for at least a week for pictures. (work for the new website)

Spring has finally arrived and Hershey Park is going to be open for 2 weekends in April- Easter weekend and the following weekend. You can make your plans now to be there for all the excitement. Read carefully the “specials” that Hershey lodging offers and then look at what we offer. Twenty minutes isn’t far and cheaper.

We are just one week from the biggest quilt show to hit Lancaster County (AQS) and we are excited to welcome all the quilters. Many things are planned for the attendees by the organizer as well as the Authentic B&B Association. If you are coming check your program booklet for that special event. If you read this please see me I’ll be one of those people wearing a yellow apron on Thursday night.

I’m so happy Spring is almost here. That means you (okay, some of you) get a Spring Break. Lancaster area is a great idea to enjoy that time, we are known to have an abundance of things to do  and are reasonably priced. Although Easter is early some flowers will be blooming (my crocus are ready to pop) and the grass will be green. Our attractions in Lancaster and Hershey will be open and ready to accommodate you; Hershey Trolley Tour, Sight and Sound, Amish Farm and House, and more. Here on the farm we will have a new calf and possibly some kittens.

If you’ve never been to a Sight and Sound production www.Sight-sound.com you have missed out on a great experience. My first show was the Easter production and I went with my daughter and a bunch of school kids. Since she went in protest, I was thrilled that by intermission she was asking if she could audition for one of the shows. Well, that never happened, but none the less, at 13ish she was excited and so was I. That happened many years ago and the shows still set my heart to racing. Glenn Eshelman (who was ahead of me in school) must dream this stuff. Not the material, that is from scripture, but how to make it come to life. When Noah was playing I was sobered by the family of the daughter-in-laws pounding on the ark when the rains came. That is not in scripture but could very well have happened since Noah spent many years warning the people. Each show makes it so real.

Spring is almost here and I, for one, am looking forward to it. I recently went to  Bird-in -Hand Farmers Market www.birdinhandfarmersmarket.com. It  is open Friday and Saturday this time of year, but Thursday- Saturday when Spring gets here.   With Spring comes home grown asparagus, dandilion greens (Mother always thought I needed a spring tonic and made this for me) that do nicely in salad. I prefer the Asparagus that makes a great breakfast dish.

Small town America is a special lifestyle, not always the simple life but never the less small scale. When I go to the local grocery store, the cashier could be a local minister’s wife, a woman that went to school with my daughter or the lady across the road. You meet neighbors, relatives, and friends in the aisles. That has always been my way of life, so city life is very foreign to me.

When I was a little girl my parents raised chickens. Mother gathered the eggs twice a day and would sort them by size. Friday we went to the local store (at that time there were only 2) and she would give the eggs to the storekeeper. He would count them and give her credit for the eggs.  This is what we call bartering, back then it was just a trade for groceries. The building still stands but the store is long gone. I miss that simplicity in life but embrace the way I live now as well. Here in Lancaster County there are some very small stores that have a semblance of that era. When guests ask I send them to those “outposts”.

It is a great weekend, outside the snow is DEEP, inside it is warm and cozy, unless you are living where you have no electric. I never realized how much we rely on others for getting goods to us. With the airports shut down for at least a day shipping of goods is not happening; the flowers for my packages never arrived (I’m holding hope for today). Roses are not from these parts in February I wanted to make raspberry chocolate pancakes for breakfast and the store hadn’t gotten the shipment of raspberries . Plan B was blueberry pancakes, everyone loved them. Since 49 of 50 states have snow on the ground my guests are very understanding. I keep looking for those tulips .

Wow, did we ever get hit with a big one! Keith went to the barn this morning and said it was over his boots (about 24″) everywhere he walked, if not more some places. Here in the country when we have snow and wind that means drifting that closes roads and makes travel almost impossible. We take travel advisories very seriously. It is beautiful from inside the house I have friends in southern VA that got hit even harder. Heed the advisories.