Christmas in the Country 2015

I love getting mail. As a country kid who grew up in the 1960s and '70s, there wasn't email, Facebook, Twitter or the constant flow of TV news. We didn't have that many visitors down our rural  road, so the arrival of the mailman with the daily newspaper, some magazines and letters was a welcome diversion. (I was a kid. I didn't realize some of those letters were bills!)

So it's really no surprise that the idea of the Christmas in the Country gift exchange appeals to me. These days, it seems I'm constantly "connected" - at least, virtually. But it still seemed a fun way to relive that old-fashioned excitement of greetings arriving via the mailbox.

This was my second year to participate in Christmas in the Country, and, this time, it was open only to bloggers. (Last year, other country women could also participate.) I was lucky enough to receive a box from Jenny Schweigert, who lives in Hopeland, Illinois. (Don't you love that town name? It reminds me of Hopewell, Kansas, which was a don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it-spot-in-the-road just west of my grandparents' house.)

Anyway, Jenny serves as the executive director of AgChat, which is designed for "Empowering a Connected Community of Agvocates." She also helps manage her family’s small hobby farm and in-laws' dairy farm in central Illinois.She blogs about life on the farm, Jersey dairy cattle, hunting and her boys, all at The Magic Farm House. Her tag line there is Love More. Laugh More. Live More.

How could I not like her right away? And I liked her even more when I unwrapped ALL the goodies!

Here's the overview, but I thought I'd break it down a little so you could get to know Jenny, too!

In the questionnaire form we fill out to participate in the gift exchange, we tell some of the things we like. I know I didn't put down popcorn, but Jenny must have read my mind. It's one of my favorite things. But I hate to admit I hadn't popped any on top of the stove for years. It didn't take me long to open the sack of Pilot Knob Comforts popcorn grown in Illinois. (Popping corn on the stove reminds me of my Grandma Neelly and eating popcorn out of her old metal bowls while watching the Wonderful World of Disney or Lassie. Bonus!)

The Illinois-grown popcorn pouches were given to attendees at the Illinois Harvest dinner, an event which brought together 80 consumers and 20 farmers for a meal and discussion around food. It's yummy!

I didn't know that Illinois is the No. 1 producer of pumpkin in the U.S. Jenny says she lives in an area that's considered the Pumpkin Capital of the World. It arrived just in time for holiday pumpkin bread baking.

The koozie advertises Illinois corn and ethanol. (My son-in-law has a koozie collection, so I may share it with him.)

Like most women, I like chocolate, and Jenny made sure all the bases were covered. She included the "buck bar" because she likes to hunt. And how about a little coffee with that chocolate? She says that the coffee was an intentional re-gift. She got it during the swap meet at AgChat Foundation's Cultivate & Connect conference in November. Farmers and ranchers bring a taste of their home state to trade for items from other attendees. The Maui coffee was a Hawaiian delegate's swap item. Yum to all of the above!

I grouped these two items and named them "from my Oklahoma neighbors." I got a Ree Drummond Pioneer Woman mason jar. And Blake Shelton serenaded me on my last-minute Christmas preparations.

I really like the journal with the Eleanor Roosevelt quote on the front: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." I would say the AgChat mug ties into that, too, since ag-vocates are some of the biggest dreamers I know.

Thank you, Jenny, for all the fun surprises!

My Christmas in the Country recipient was Wanda Patsche of Welcome, Minnesota. (I think I won the prize for the best place names for both my recipient and my gift giver!) She blogs at Minnesota Farm Living. On their farm in southern Minnesota, they raise pigs and grow corn and soybeans. Like me, she's a Mom and Grandma.

I sent Wanda a Pioneer Woman tin filled with spiced tea mix, PW salt & pepper shakers and some pig-themed kitchen gadgets. To represent Kansas, I sent some mixes from the Hudson Cream Flour Mill, some of my notecards and a desk calendar I made.

The Christmas in the Country was a way to meet some new blogging friends. Other bloggers participating can be found at this link-up. Now that the holidays are over, I need to spend a little more time clicking on those links, and I invite you to do the same.

The hosts for Christmas in the Country volunteered their time to make it a success. THANKS to each of them! Check out their blogs: Laurie Link – Country LINKed; Jamie Rhoades - This Uncharted Rhoade; Kirby Linebach - 15009 Farmhouse; and Lara Durben - My Other More Exciting Self.

Christmas in the Country Reveal

I admit it:  I love mail. I realize in this fast-paced world, people are much more inclined to Tweet or SnapChat their friends instead of putting stamps on an envelope or box and sending their greetings via snail mail.

So it was a real pleasure to participate for the first time in Christmas in the Country. Four country-based bloggers coordinated the 2nd annual holiday event. Robyn Goddard (The Ranch Wife Chronicles), Jamie Rhoades (This Uncharted Rhoade), Laurie Link (COUNTRY LINKed) and Erin Mullins (Diaries from the Dirt Road) were the hosts for 70 participants. 

I got a little love in a box from MaryBeth Schwartz from Conway, Washington, who blogs at Small City Scenes of Stanwood. I didn't know MaryBeth until I received her box of goodies and letter. But, ironically, her daughter Cheri, who blogs at My Ranch Life from Ritzville, Wash., and I were already blog friends across the miles. It is, indeed, a small world that MaryBeth ended up being my Secret Santa.

MaryBeth's rural landscape is far different from mine in South Central Kansas, where grain and beef cattle are the predominant agricultural products. In her area, dairy farms dot the countryside, along with small vegetable farms and large potato operations. In the past, the area was known for logging, but that has transitioned to fishing, farming and ranching.

I loved seeing a glimpse of her area through her beautiful handmade cards that feature Washington scenery.

MaryBeth also sent me several products from Washington, including this Snow Day coffee and raspberry-chocolate spread. The Snow Day blend proved to be especially apt, since we've been in deep-freeze mode for weeks now. A cup of coffee paired with toast and preserves was a great winter morning breakfast. (She also sent me a few Christmas tree sugar cookies. Yes, I admit they got eaten before I took a photo of them. I wasn't the only one to blame though!)

She also sent some lavender soap made in the area, along with holiday cards/tags she made herself, which she sells at a little shop in Conway. I also got a keyring and a personalized cloth bag that tucks into a little package and fits inside your purse. (It's perfect for someone who never remembers her "green" shopping bags!)

Since I'd revealed that blue is my favorite color, she had her sister-in-law make a stocking cap especially for me. I wore it yesterday when we moved cattle on a day that didn't even crack the freezing mark.

I discovered that MaryBeth has quite a sense of humor, as evidenced by this homemade weather forecaster. (Click on the photo so that you can read the whole thing.)

She also made me smile with this magnet ...

... and this cowboy bubble bath.

My Christmas in the Country box went to Lindsay Chichester-Medahunsi in Lincoln, Nebraska, who blogs at Agricultural with Dr. Lindsay. She was raised on a cattle and sheep ranch in northern California and has since transplanted to the Plains. She has a background in microbiology, meat science and food safety and loves all things ag. How could I not like her already!? She has been blogging for a year now and is a great ag-vocate. Be sure and visit her blog and become a follower. Or connect on these other social media platforms:
Website (http://food.unl.edu/ag-and-food)
– Twitter/Instagram (agwithdrlindsay)
– Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/agwithdrlindsay)
– Pinterest (Lindsay Chichester-Medahunsi)

I didn't take any photos of the things I sent Lindsay, so she bailed me out when she posted photos for her Christmas in the Country link-up. I've now been following her blog, and it's fun to make another rural connection.

The Christmas in the Country was a way to meet some new blogging friends. Other bloggers participating can be found here at this link-up. Now that the holidays are over, I need to spend a little more time clicking on those links, and I invite you to do the same.