He’s making a list

and checking it twice,

He’s gonna find out

who’s naughty or nice …

And he’s …

… waiting for you …

at an adorable website called emailSanta.com where your child can write to Santa and get a personalized video and written reply all the way from the North Pole.

With just a few clicks, your child sends an e-mail letter to Santa with her first name, age, city, and her top three Christmas wishes. Then the fun begins.

First, you’ll hear Santa and his elves talking about your child (be sure to turn up your volume so you can understand the “Elvish” chatter), then Santa appears in a cute video, calling your child by name, and talking about Christmas preparations at the North Pole. Then you get a personalized letter on your screen that even discusses your wish-list items. After printing your letter, you can opt into a parents-only portion of the site that allows you to upload a photo of your Christmas tree and insert a photo of Santa into it, then help Santa write a personalized thank-you note to your child for the snacks she left him. You then print out the thank you and leave it for your child to discover on Christmas morning.

All this without divulging any personal information … you don’t even have to input your e-mail address. Kids and adults alike will get a kick out of this new twist on writing to Santa. While you’re there, be sure to check out “The Santa Tracker” and “The Santa Snooper” North Pole web cam. You can also listen to the elves read “The Night Before Christmas,” read Santa’s blogs, see Santa’s magic photo album, and more … your pet can even send her own message to Rudolph.

Ho, ho, ho.

and

Arf, arf, arf.

photo by Sadie Hart via Flickr.com

Just because it’s so daggum, mind-bendingly pretty:

Reminds me of an old-fashioned clock, somehow, only the inner parts are the feature attraction. And it’s a hummingbird, hovering.

Tripping the art fantastic, wouldn’t you agree?

Check out more of Derek’s sculptures here.

John Froelich was born on this day in 1849. Who? John Froelich.

John was the inventor of the first gas-powered tractor, an invention that dramatically changed the lives of farmers everywhere. Prior to John’s invention, farmers relied on either horse-drawn field equipment or bulky and dangerous steam-powered equipment that resulted in frequent fires.

Evolution of sickle and flail, 33 horse team harvester, cutting, threshing and sacking wheat, Walla Walla, Washington, 1902 via Wikimedia Commons

photo by Brunswyk via Wikimedia Commons

In 1890, Farmer Froelich tried something new: he mounted a one-cylinder gasoline engine onto the running gear of his steam-powered thresher. (Gasoline, or internal combustion engines were a new invention; Karl Benz, founder of Mercedes-Benz, had just designed the first automobiles in production in 1885.) With his experiment a success, he went on to found the Waterloo Gasoline Traction Engine Company, and continued to work on his engine, but by 1913, he had sold only 20 tractors. That didn’t stop John though—plowing through adversity is something farmers know well. John continued to improve his tractor engine, and considered it a success when he sold 118 tractors in 1914 alone. He named his hit The Waterloo Boy and went on to sell 8,000 tractors by 1918, when plow-manufacturing company Deere & Company (later renamed John Deere) bought the company for over 2 million dollars!

The Waterloo Tractor Works, in Waterloo, Iowa, is still owned by John Deere, and is one of the largest tractor factories in the U.S.

Thank you, John, for your visionary invention.

Potty humor …

No, I probably shouldn’t.

Then again, maybe I should.

Dare I wallow in witticisms about … the loo?

Oh, darling, you know I do!

I promise, this might even be good for you.

(You know I care, and so I dare.)

But, don’t worry—this snippet of silliness isn’t off-color.

It is, in fact, rainbow colored.

So, yes, I’ll go THERE. To the Squatty Potty.

Do you dare?

WARNING: The following video advertisement for the Squatty Potty contains graphic images of pastel unicorn poo and a number of references to going “number two.” Watch at your own risk—or, perhaps, your own reward.

You know that when you send your kids off to college, they’ll get the chance to broaden their horizons in many ways.

Self-discipline? Check.

Social experiences? Check.

New ideas and philosophies? Check.

Sports and recreation? Check.

Gastronomic adventures? Check, check!

Especially if they’re attending the University of Connecticut, where one innovative purple food truck is serving up everything from Asian tacos to …

crickets!

photo, U Conn’s DailyCampus.com

The aptly named “Food for Thought” truck is serving “organic, GMO free, and earth-friendly” roasted crickets as a topping for their popular Asian Tacos—or for an adventurous few, as a crunchy snack. After a week of offering free samples to anyone willing to try them, UConn’s Dining Services reports that they’re selling two to three containers of the crispy critters a day.

The crickets are sourced from Next Millennium Farms, who strive to lead a new “protein revolution” and “raise” an estimated 30 million crickets at any given time. Now that’s a lot of chirping!

“What?!” you say.

It’s true.

McDonald’s is going organic!

The fast-food giant is jumping on a healthier bandwagon these days … replacing sodas on its Happy Meal menu boards with juice and milk; adding apple slices, Go-GURT and Cuties Clementines to its menu; printing fun nutrition facts on its Happy Meal boxes; testing healthy salads with ingredients like kale and quinoa; and unveiling plans to phase out antibiotics in its chicken products and source only cage-free eggs.

And this month, McDonald’s debuted its first hamburger made entirely with organic beef at over 1,500 locations in Germany. The “McB” burger makes a test run through October and November, sporting Lollo Bionda lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onion rings, Edam cheese and sauce in addition to the organic patty. Later in the month, the same locations will test a  “Long McB” burger—organic beef, arugula, Maasdam cheese, red onion rings, tomatoes, and spicy sauce on a sunflower seed bun.

Long McB, McDonalds

McBetter!

The Boston Red Sox hit one out of the park.

But this home run wasn’t hit on the well-known diamond at the oldest baseball stadium in the country, Boston’s Fenway Park, which my daughter and her family just happened to visit last summer.

Think higher. The next time you watch a Red Sox pop fly soar high into the sky, take a gander at the stadium rooftop. That’s where Fenway Park’s new urban garden grows. Fenway Farms made its debut this summer, sporting 5,000 sq. ft. of garden rows that will produce more than 4,000 lbs of organic produce each year. The produce will be used at Fenway Park’s concession stands and restaurants during events, and also provide tools to educate local kids about healthy eating and environmental stewardship, giving the term “farm team” a whole new meaning.

photo, greencitygrowers.com

Talk about a grand slam!

I’m remodeling …

my farm.

I’ve learned to avoid deadlines whenever possible, so I’m remodeling my farm for …

however long it takes. I must say, re-doing my B&B is a kick in the pants. I’m lovin’ that part. I didn’t love all the digging associated with new underground sewer/water/electricity. Mud mounds abound-ed!! One of the changes I had to make that was a tad sad was a 120-year-old pine tree that was rotten in the center and needed to go.

The end result? Lots of firewood.

Photo by Alex.der.2 via Wikimedia Commons

Running, playing, dipping and dodging …

High-energy dogs look like a lot of fun in photos and dog-food commercials, but when it comes to family life, many owners find they just can’t keep up with constant canine craziness. As a result, a whole lot of peppy pups end up homeless. A chosen few are lucky enough to become “conservation dogs.” But what about others?

Happily, the “performance dog gear” aficionados at Ruffwear recently realized the potential for perfect partnerships between active people and energetic dogs. Ruffwear partnered up with the national no-kill shelter advocates at Best Friends Animal Society to launch the Ruff Adventure Dog Adoption Service. Ruffwear will contribute $50,000 to the effort to cover adoption and travel fees for dogs adopted from Best Friends’ sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, to their new homes anywhere in the U.S.

“Ruffwear customers are adventure-loving, outdoor-oriented folks who believe dogs make the best running, paddling, hiking, and camping partners,” explains Bark, the dog-culture magazine. “Many of the adoptable dogs at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary are also fresh air-seeking, high-energy individuals who would LOVE to find an outdoor adventure partner for life. Throughout the year, Ruffwear will be highlighting a few hand-selected dogs and playing match-maker between these active dogs and Ruffwear fans looking for their new best furry friend.”

If you’re an adventurous gal looking for a perfect “out there” partner, this might be the opportunity to find a new friend …

OMG

In this case, I mean, “Oh, marvelous gourd!”

Photo by Eranb via Wikimedia Commons

Of course, I’m talking about the pumpkin (it is October, after all).

Yeah, yeah …

You’re no doubt wondering what more can be said.

Been there, carved that.

Painted that.

Embellished that.

Baked that.

But, my dear, I ask you, “Have you planted that?”

(You roll your eyes—of course, you’ve planted pumpkins, too.)

But that’s not what I mean.

I guess I should ask, “Have you planted IN that?”

Ah-ha!

I thought not.

That’s why I must share this wonderful video tutorial I found from Westwood Gardens in northwest Arkansas:

Photos? Post ’em on the Farmgirl Chatroom.