Laura's "Sweet Memories" Shop - Closed for the Winter

Now that my shop is closed for the winter season, it means that I can sit back, relax and rest... NOT!  While I may not have day full of waiting on customers in my shop, it doesn't mean that I will be sitting idly by with nothing to do!  That is just not my nature at all.  I would rather wear out than rust out!

Perhaps I'll be able to get to some of those tasks that I've been putting off - like cleaning out and re-organizing my office!  It sure doesn't take long before a pile of papers, notes, book keeping, and receipts finds its way into the fray.  And I found myself saying all year, "I'll get to it soon." And soon never came!

I also have a number of craft projects to work on, as well as more research on Laura and her family.  I'm hoping to get my family recipes better organized.  And, who knows, I may even be able to put them together into a book form and share them with everyone.  Now, that is a real ambitious project!  We'll see what the Lord allows.

But, one thing that I know I will do all winter is, continue to write postings, here on my blog.

I'll be including some additional recipes, since they seem to be popular with my readers.  Since I prepare each dish before I post them, in a recipe testing, it means that I'll be busy in the kitchen. It also means that I'll be eating on a regular basis!  Hope I don't put on too much extra weight! :)  But, maybe, since I won't be in the shop, snacking on my candy stock, it will balance out!  :)

I hope winter finds you trying out some of those recipes.  And I hope that you'll leave comments on there as you do.  I love hearing how things came out for you.  I'd like to have more followers of my blog as well.  If you haven't become a follower, I hope you'll sign up right now.  And, if you would, forward the blog page to a friend, so they can sign up too.

I'm still doing a lot of exploring into my ancestry, trying to find out more about the people whose recipes have been passed down to me.  It's been fun and very revealing to see who my ancestors were.  My folks never talked much about ancestry as I was growing up.  So I really didn't know about much more than a couple grand parents, great grand parents, and some cousins.  Now that I'm older I have a deeper appreciation for those people who have gone before me.  And it is really interesting to find out about those folks that I didn't even know existed way back when.  I don't think finding facts about them will really change me, but it is fun to see how certain gifts and talents from the Lord are handed down through the generations.  Of course, you also find out about some of the curses that people brought upon the family too!  As time goes on, I'll try to share some of the good things with you in my blog postings.

The Wilder Home & Museum are also in, "Off Season".  They will, no doubt, also be involved in working on projects over the winter months.  They have a large-scale expansion program underway, which I will keep an eye on for you.  But, for the moment, Rocky Ridge Farm will be resting from the annual 50,000 visitors it receives, readying itself for the spring tourist season again.

So, life goes on in the Ozarks.  I, for one, hope that this is a mild winter; not like that seventh winter the Ingalls family experienced!  But it might be a good time to re-read that account, "The Long Winter".  I also try to re-read all of Laura's books over the winter.  I may blog about those as I read them too.  Anyway, I'll be here.  If you wanted to contact me about anything regarding my blog or my shop, the web site has a link to email me - http://www.laurassweetmemories.com/   And I'd love to hear from you.  I've made a lot of nice friends all around the world, by having Laura's "Sweet Memories".  Hope to have you join in that group.  So check back on this blog from time to time and keeep in touch. Thanks.

So, for me, it will not be a vacation time, but just some more work - a work of love!
Wishing you a wonderful winter, The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

"To know that I have helped someone a little or made a day brighter will make my own work easier and cause the sun to shine on the dark days, for we all have them. 'Tis then a little place of sunshine in the heart helps mightily.  And there is nothing that puts so much brightness there as having helped someone else." Laura Ingalls Wilder