As glad as I was to see 2015 come to an end, the new year is already speeding by more quickly than I realized! How is it that three weeks have passed and I am just now greeting the New Year?
Our first real winter weather came after Christmas! And the first subfreezing spell in 2016. I took this picture one morning when the Kitchen was down to 40 degrees – my fault for procrastinating under the warm bed covers.
The Promise of Warmth
A quick review of 2015 reveals a year where I lost far too many friends to Cancer. A year where my own radiation fibrosis continued to aggravate. (Yes, I am a cancer survivor and this situation in annoying but not life threatening and a small price to pay for the 32 years I have lived since and the 20-25 years I would hope to still have)
It was a high predator year for Fayrehale Chanteclers and Fayrehale Icelandics as we dealt with a Fisher Cat, Lynx, Fox and Raccoon. The skunks that just steal eggs do not warrant mention as they seemed harmless in comparison. We came through alright, a few orders rolled over due to predator losses and are in good shape for 2016.
Shops At Fayrehale continues to grow. We closed the physical shop Christmas Eve, as we do each year, and will stay closed until Spring. The definition of “Spring” is still to be determined! I know that once April arrives, we plan a major relay that will give us more display shelving and a fresh look for those returning.
Being closed January – April does not mean “vacation”, it means change of focus. This year that focus will be on a big expansion of our online product selection along with cleaning and painting the dining room and restoring order to the parlor! We want to get things ready so we can entertain friends again. Our first dinner to be a small gathering of four (and we are two!) as we initiate the Porcelain Dinner Service Place Settings In The Style of Celia Thaxter. By late Spring, the fourth place setting out of a planned fourteen will be finished. (lilacs)
Porcelain Dinner Service Place Settings In The Style of Celia Thaxter
As we expand the online portion of Shops At Fayrehale we are adding five new categories.
“Coined – When Silver & Coins Are Joined” — “Elegant Dining” — “Isles of Shoals” — “Antique & Vintage Kitchenware”
The fifth new category will be “Vermont Coin Silver / Vermont Silversmiths”. I am still working on the category picture. Most of this years online expansion will be devoted to these five categories. It is my intent to add at least a couple items each day.
As I look ahead to 2016, I want it to be a year where gardening returns as a larger slice of the Fayrehale Farm Pie. It has fallen to the wayside these last couple of years with everything else being accomplished. I hope to balance things out this season. Our website is experiencing growing traffic — significant increases — and I can see what visitors are interested in and what pages they visit. Many come to this site for gardening and chicken information and this season I will plan to add some posts in those areas.
The most satisfying and rewarding thing about having this website is the people we connect with, communicate with and in some cases become friends with! Like minded people. In the world we are now experiencing, it is vital that we all stick together, help and promote each other.
We appreciate it when you let people you know, know about us! Our Chanteclers, Our Icelandics, Shops At Fayrehale: Gifts, Antiques, Christmas
We enjoy hearing from you and receiving your feedback. We would enjoy hearing what you would like to see more of from Fayrehale.
Now to stoke the stove, take Abigail out and then read for awhile as I wind down this January day.
May 2016 be a GREAT year for us all!
Blessings to you and yours in this New year!