The Eclectic Life

Updating - Some days getting out of bed Hazard

2012-02-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

So we made it back to the surgeon last Monday and he removed the other drain tube. DH felt much more normal. That night the children were able to give him a hug good night. It was very touching to see for both dad and child. That week progressed fairly normally. We had another follow-up visit later in the week with the kidney doc. That didn't go as easily as we were hoping. We need to get more blood tests done.
Eating is getting better. DH is still finding out what he can eat and what doesn't work so well. I shared with friends that each milestone he makes where he is doing something that he always used to do, I become exhausted. It is an interesting phenomena.
Last Saturday I was trying to do a little too much too quickly and burned my foot. So now I am a little gimpy. It is frustrating but will get better.
I was kidnapped this week by two wonderful lady friends in a true "sister" maneuver. They planned with the family and took me out to a movie and dinner. It was wonderful. It took me a while to stop thinking about what was going on at home and just enjoy myself in the moment. I did manage. It felt very nice to have someone taking care of me. :)
I will begin and finish work on an article for Permaculture Activist. Not sure if they will publish it but I want to try. I have been looking at taking some permaculture classes but don't know how we can save up for that.
I hope you all have a warm and cozy weekend!

A little better all the time

2012-01-25T11:41:00.000-08:00

Things are improving - slowly. But improvement is good and speed is relative. One drain tube was removed at our surgeon visit on Monday. We go back and hopefully the other one will be ready to come out next Monday.
His appetite is returning in increments. He lost a significant amount of weight. What I notice is that he has lost a lot a muscle tone. His arms look really skinny to me - not that they were big to begin with but they look smaller to me.
The children are doing okay. The 12yr old son had a melt down on Saturday but we worked through it. Not sure what was the cause. The 10 yr old son hasn't quite pulled his head out of the sand yet. He is trying - they all are trying really hard. We all have good days and bad days. This is how it goes when you experience a major life change. This is that marking moment in the children's lives. It will be things before the surgery and things after the surgery.
On some of the trips to and from the hospital, I remembered the times my dad was in the hospital. Other than just before he died I know of two other times. I know that he had his appendix out when they lived in Detroit. He also had hernia surgery. The hernia surgery I remember. What I remember is before he went in to the hospital. He was sitting on the kitchen floor and couldn't get up. I remember when he came home from the hospital because we decorated the house with a welcome home sign and hid to surprise him when he came in. I don't remember how long he was in the hospital or how much Mom went up to see him while he was there. I wondered how my mom felt during those time. Was she as torn as I was about being in one place and missing either her husband or her children? It was hard for me to leave the hospital but it was good to see the children before bed or at least in the morning.

As time goes on I am sure to hear more from the children about how they viewed this significant event in their lives.

Blessings on you all!

Trying to find the good

2012-01-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

So yesterday's post was quite depressing, huh? I still feel like my fingernails are just barely holding me onto the edge of the cliff. In the spirit of trying to find something good, as in "Count Your Blessing" or "There must have been something good", we will try to find the blessings that I can remember in all of this.
First - this is the first time since possibly grade school when I have had such supportive and helpful friends. They were the first people I let know that Larry was in the hospital and their first question was how can we help. Not only was that the first question but when I stated how they could help, they said okay and just gave what was asked for. Isn't that amazing? I don't know how many times people will say how can we help and you state a direct answer and then receive - oh well, I am not sure about that.
Not so this time. This time everything I have asked for, I have received. God is truly wonderful that way, especially in such a messy place.
I am thankful that God also gifted me with the most awesome daughter. She has not only stepped up to the plate, she has continued to hit line drives and get things done. She has become my support - for good or bad - the person who discusses things with me because I can't discuss them with the dh at the moment. She is working with me and the younger ones to get a routine going so they are pitching in more and lining up behind her at the plate.
It is still hard and I know it will continue to be hard while he goes through the long recovery. But at least I know that people have got my back. God has placed them there just for me. :)

Happy New Year?

2012-01-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

My New Year's day was spent in the hospital. My dh had a septic nasty looking gall bladder that needed to come out. I was told several times that he could have died if we had waited one more day. As it was his kidneys were shutting down by the time he went into surgery and then his system suffered another shock when his oxygen saturation level dropped to zero after they put him under.
He also had a pool of blood in his liver. So first they took care of the gall bladder. Then a series of tests were run because he wasn't recooperating well. This finally led to another drain being put in for the pool of blood in the liver. After 12 days he finally came home with drain tubes still attached.

Now we have to learn to adjust to this new life. For it is definitely different than it was before and things need to change. The hard part is that most of it is falling on me at the moment while he recovers. Things I used to be able to share I can't at the moment either because he is not awake or because they are stressers that he shouldn't deal with right now.
My oldest daughter has been wonderful but if we are to survive it needs to be a team effort. It can't fall on me or her or just one person. We all need to pitch in. My 12 yr old son is doing a wonderful job of stepping up and taking some ownership of certain things. My 10 yr old isn't there yet and I am not sure how to get him there. My second daughter is trying.

Right now it is just very hard. I keep praying and asking for guidance and peace and courage. There are moments when I feel none of those things and it feels like I will never have them. We must trudge along as best we can even if it feels like we are moving fast but going no where through thick quick sand. Hoping to be posting better news soon.

Unwelcome Guests

2011-11-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

We moved the corn into the shed about a week ago. Our corn cracker just ran out of energy so I just decided that it would be easier to put it in the shed which is more on my way to milk the cow and not locked. The shed is not the most secure place.
Thankfully 5 am is too early for most pesky visitors to the shed. Afternoon is not however. :( The mouse and I have met in one way or another almost daily. We tend to scare the beejezus out of each other every time. The first time I made the mistake of not closing the corn bag well enough so that when I reached to scoop out some corn the scared mouse ran up my arm and made a flying leap to the corner of the shed. I think we both screamed. The next day I headed out for the afternoon milking assured that I had secured the bag better. I stepped into the shed reached into the bag and was pulling out a scoop when the mouse decided to run from one corner of the shed to the other across my foot. Again, I am amazed at the automatic responses of the human body. My foot with no conscious direction from me flung itself forward as soon as the mouse reached it helping the mouse to it's destination a little faster.
Our third encounter was another mouse stuck in bag only this time it ended up in the scoop and then in the bucket. No corn just mouse running around in the bucket trying to find a way out. The way out was through the door by way of tossing him OUT of the bucket. Thankfully my husband took pity on me after laughing so hard tears came to his eyes - and left the shed door open the next day with the cat posted outside the door. Haven't seen the mouse since!

Farm Stories

2011-10-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went into work two hours late. We had a situation at home. We, not on purpose mind you, gave the local large animal vet a first. The first time he has had to remove a bungy cord from a calf's nose. Yes, you read that correctly.
What strikes me in this encounter as with the one other time that we had to call the vet, is that the vet usually offers you the option to do it yourself. Granted we are do-it-yourself kind of people. We have learned however that it is never as easy as they make it sound. "Well, really all you need to do is poke the calf in the butt with a syringe full of something that will put it to sleep or at least make it groggy." RIGHT! So my husband called with the option to do ourselves, we could just go pick up the stuff from the vet office and do it ourselves. Yeah, hmm. NO! I didn't want to deprive the vet of a first, truly.
It took the vet three syringes full of the groggy med to get the calf to lay down and it still jumped up as soon as he grabbed the bungy cord. So we received a vet bill but we weren't chasing the calf around either...we had already done that in the morning with no success and she knew us!
So, warning to all those with animals - leave no bungy cords ANYWHERE! LOL
I am aware this could have been way more serious than it was and we are ALL extremely thankful that it was just something silly.
Enjoy the fall weather - even the rain - gives me more time to knit.

Kate

Yarn Dye - Success!

2011-10-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
This past weekend my #2 daughter and I dyed some yarn. It was our first foray into this and we used Pokeberry a noxious weed as our coloring agent. We went out around our property and collected two five gallon pails of berries. Then with gloved hands we pulled the berries and put them in our pot.
We chose pokeberry because we could use vinegar as our mordant and we didn't need to use or buy any metal mixtures for our mordant. We used the recipe from the book I referred to in a previous blog and which I can't recall the title of at the moment.

It was an afternoon to evening project but was very fun and exciting. Here are our results:

this is the fleece - will be more careful next time it felted a little

this is the yarn - it started brown and became this gorgeous color. Planning to knit a shawl with it.

Still more pictures!

2011-10-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

The effect of diversity planting. Mixing perennials with annuals and things that go up and things that go wide = LUSH!

More Pictures!

2011-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Next came fledgling plants.

Pictures!

2011-10-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

As hinted in the last post here are some pictures.

In the beginning we had cardboard.

Long time - very busy summer

2011-09-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hi
I am sure that you are stunned to see something new here. I had plans many times to come post. They just never seemed to coordinate with making sure that I brought appropriate pictures. I have decided to just write and post pictures at some future time when that all falls into place.
We have had a very busy summer. Our CSA filled and we have been feeding ten couples for the past four months. We have four more weeks to go! It has been hard for the dh to watch all that food walk off the farm, so next year we are growing food just for us. He has been planning it out for several months. How much we need to grow to meet all of our caloric needs. It is a lot of food!
We have transformed some areas on our farm. Those are the pictures that I kept wanting to bring and post and it just doesn't seem to be getting coordinated. I will try to do it next week. I may have some time at a computer that has internet long enough to work it all out.

Along with growing food, I have been knitting furiously. I created a shawl for my niece's wedding and have finished five pairs of socks. I am learning techniques that work well for me. I like knitting two socks at a time and I discovered a way to do that doesn't create too much of a gap on the sides. I have read MANY knitting books over the summer. I am learning intrelac. It is a lot easier than it looks and people are so impressed because it looks so hard.
I have also been learning more about how to take care of my fleece and how to dye things. I am going to try this weekend to dye some yarn and fleece. I am very excited and can't wait to try. The book "Harvesting Color: How to find Plants and Make Natural Dyes" has great easy to follow recipes. This book is going on my wish list! It is well written and she goes through and discusses how to harvest and find things in your neck of the woods. I will try to keep you posted on how this experiment is going.
I will also be processing my own wool this year. I think I know how to clean it but I don't have the other equipment yet to process it further than a wash. Working on that too - I am thinking this will be a weekend of wet fun. I need to get it done before it gets too cold.

I will work harder at picking a day and posting so that you don't think I fell off the edge again. LOL

One more thing- I will be teaching a class "Living Well on Less". I will try to let you know how this goes too. See why I haven't posted in months? So busy!
Our next step is to figure out how to make money (grow it on trees?? ha, ha) on the farm so that I don't need to leave the farm to work. May need to leave the farm to promote and advertise. This is a long term goal that is creeping up on us due to vehicle with over 200,00 miles.

Take care!

Kate

Talking with Trees

2011-05-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

When I married my farmer, I didn't think that he would one day be conversing with apple trees. About two months ago, that is what he was doing. He needed to shape our apple trees. Something we hadn't done since planting them. We have come a very LONG way from those first years. We have become more proactive about caring for our small plot of Green Acres.
When we first planted our trees we took care how we planted them but thought once planted our work was done. Twelve years later with no real edible fruit appearing we decided to change tactics. This winter we read a book, as a family, about some children who took over the care and maintenance of an orchard. The story did a good job of explaining the hard work that they had to do. It also explained ways to save on cost and sowed realistically the type of profit to be made.
After reading this story, my farmer checked out some books on orchards and discovered some new good information. We made the decision to follow some of the advice recommended. This is how my farmer ended up standing in our front orchard asking the trees to show him their shape.
As farmers, we learn more each year, month, and day. Tis the nature of the work. The plants, trees, and animals have much to teach. it is up to us to stand still and listen.

School Budgets

2011-03-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

In our state, the local schools are looking at reductions from the state in funding. The schools are advocating that we complain to our state reps so that they won't have to make cuts. Of course the first cuts they propose are those things which the community most enjoys.
I don't plan to complain that these cuts shouldn't be made. Rather - I think the schools do need to cut their budgets. Their communities are full of people who have had to cut their budgets by 25 -90%. That the school will have a 4% reduction is something they will HAVE to do. There is no more money. There is not going to be more money. They have programs that the students see as worthless. The fact that school districts need an HR department because the unions have taken so much power away from administrations to negotiate is just ridiculous. There are real places to cut besides just athletics and art programs. The admin offices should look to cut staff there first. It just seems like a lot of money goes to fund office staff. How about cutting coaching pay? Or is that in the union contract too? It just seems pointless to talk to anyone because they all think they should not have to give up something. Most people in the community have had to, so why do schools get to be the exception?

Random Thoughts

2011-03-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hi
It's been a while and I have been thinking of several different topics lately. I'll try to keep this a little organized. I went grocery shopping this past Friday and was heart sick when I got done. I am VERY blessed to not have to buy too much on a regular basis. We like to have corned beef for St. Patrick's Day so we thought we would pick up a good cut of beef not too expensive and pickle it. I haven't looked at meat prices in a very long time. I was shocked - I know I shouldn't be as we keep up on rising costs of feed and other "commodities". It was still hard to see that the cheapest cut of roast that my mom used to buy was now 2.99 a pound. The beef brisket which is the cut that typically gets corned/pickled was 5.99 a pound. The store had a six pound unpickled beef brisket - it was $40!
When I look at this I don't understand how people in similar situations to ours are surviving. It makes what Bernanke says to Congress even more disgusting. Of course, we don't have price inflation due to printing money like nobody's business so that my banker buddies can continue to make a profit and pay out big bonuses. Of course the rise in oil prices won't harm the economy. Right! The fact that butter rose $.35 in one week is not a result of any of this! How stupid are we?? How can you walk into the store and look at the prices and NOT see any change?
So this is an outrage that just hurts my heart. If you can be generous to food banks please do so.

Take care and be safe!

Kate

Dream - how to plan your life

2011-02-17T16:45:00.000-08:00

I sent a letter off to my oldest a week or two ago. I advised him to take some time and dream about how he would like his life to look. What would he really like to do? Where would he want to live and so on.
I found out on his face book page that he is now engaged. Not where I thought he would be going but they are his dreams.
I have been practicing the same thing before I go to bed every night. What would my day be like if I could live it the way I want instead the way I need to at the moment? Still very busy - but I think a lot calmer - of course the caveat would have to be that what makes me not live this life now would be gone in this dream world.
One writing workshop I participated in encouraged us to create goals in this vain. Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 20 years. Dream big! If you don't put it out there you don't create a way to get there either.
So when work is getting me down I think of that day when it will be as I dream it to be. It motivates me to save to get there.
Here's to dreams - the things that carry us through some awful moments.

Take care all
Kate

Christmas presents all done!

2011-01-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

Larry's scarf is first and made with our wool.

Finished my last three Christmas presents this past week. Larry got to wear his to church! Yeah, me! I have two projects on needles for upcoming birthdays. I plan to start one that will probably take me awhile. Haven't really created it yet - still looking for patterns but now I know what I am looking for.
Mary Kate's slipper socks Mike's keyhole scarf

Wonderful Christmas Present!

2011-01-23T07:47:00.000-08:00

Wonderful Christmas Present My husband made me my Christmas present this year. I actually received it on Christmas this year. I absolutely LOVE it. It is called a Noddy. It is for making skeins. In 2007 we had our wool carded and spun. They left some oil on the yarn so I need to get off the spool and clean it then knit with it. I still have LOTS of yarn on the spools because this was such an onerous job. I showed my husband a picture of a noddy and asked if he thought he could make one. Silly question – he is a mechanical engineer. So he made me one and it works wonderfully! I can unwrap the yarn from the spool to the noddy in about 20 minutes – that’s how much yarn is on the spool. Then I tie the yarn in several places to keep it’s shape. Next I wash it, dry it and voila! I have yarn I can knit with that came from out own sheep! It is bulky yarn so I am working out how to make smaller skeins so that It doesn’t look so daunting. I have decided to do 50g skeins. Below are pictures of some of the process and my new wonderfully useful Noddy! (Frustrated with my inability to make the pictures show up the way I want) Enjoy anyway!
Kate

It's Almost here

2010-12-23T18:16:00.000-08:00

So- projects aren't finished but they will be wrapped with the promise that with any luck they will be done before next year. I have been knitting a lot but just couldn't finish all that I wanted. Next year I will do better.
The tree went up and the lights got on eventually. Then the kids decorated it. It is much easier to just leave the room and let them have it. After which I get to walk in and declare that it is truly a beautiful tree. Whether I really think so or not. I didn't have to do it so it's all good.
Mac was the first to put presents under the tree. He came to us this morning and asked if we could take him to the dollar store so he could buy everyone a present with the money he received for Christmas from his Godfather. It made me tear up. Someone told me when I related this story that I must be raising him right. One out of six - not bad?? LOL

I hope that you have a very Merry Christmas and that God blesses your New Year with wonderful abundance.

Take care!
Kate

Prepping for Decorating

2010-12-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was spent preparing the living room for the tree. I rearranged funiture and then had to clean. Where did all that dust come from?? Sean informed me last night that I could put up the tree today(Sunday, December 12) and then wait to decorate until -with a shrug- Christmas Eve. He just wanted the tree up - then there is more hope that it will be decoarted eventually. LOL.

That was my plan to just get it up today. I am hoping I make it that far. If I am really good the lights will go on today - but don't expect too much. It is snowing to beat the band today so the mood is set. The only problem is that I am exhausted today. I stayed up late on Friday night to read a really good story without interruptions. Then I put in a full day yesterday with cleaning and splitting wood and no nap. Yes, I am amazing! LOL! Consequently, today I just want to sleep.

I am sure some little person will come along to push and nudge me so that they can at least have the tree up. I am pretty sure that I will accommodate them.

Wishing I had some spiked eggnog.

Blessings to all
Kate

Knitting fingers

2010-12-08T17:26:00.000-08:00

I have been working on creating my Christmas presents. Those living outside of my house are doing pretty well. I have made six hats and have two scarves in process. I have a pair of slipper socks on the needle but they are currently stuffed in a drawer. Not sure when they will be coming out. I have a request to make another sweater and a hat. Actually make that four hats cuz the little guys would like to keep their heads warm at night.
Because I am doing all this knitting - decorating is not getting done at our house. I also am somewhat lacking in the energy to put up all the stuff. Mostly because it is just stuff. I have put out the Advent wreath and the Countdown calendar. All else remains in the basement where it has been living for the past year. The other issue is that once up it takes even longer to put them away again. The kids are usually nagging loudly as Valentine's Day approaches.
I will put them up - the kids will have fun even if I won't. Sometimes I need to borrow that hope and worry free feeling that kids get to have.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Kate

Kitchen is done ~ for now

2010-10-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

Finally put the last touches on the new kitchen last week. Got it all cleaned up and I love it. So does everyone in the house. It's the new place to be in our house. Of course that could be because at the moment it is the warmest room in the house. LOL Enjoy the pics.

Kate

Finally Finished!

2010-10-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

Success! I finally finished the baby blanket I have been working on since winter. I have several other things on the needles at the moment plus spinning - or trying to spin some of our own wool. Here are the promised pics of the blanket. Enjoy! Kate

What Have I been doing this Summer??? continued

2010-08-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

This wonderful counter top is the creation of my mechanical engineer husband - a budding carpenter?? It looks great and I already used it and I LOVE IT! I don't have to worry about food falling off the board! It is a late Christmas present but all the more precious because he didn't forget.
The tomatoes are the work of the 16 year old daughter. She has been pickling herself silly and when not pickling she is preserving the tomato harvest. We will have food this winter. Hubby has worked all summer to make sure that it happens. Can't say enough wonderful things about him at the moment. Happy viewing!

Kate

What Have I been doing this Summer???

2010-08-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

This was part of my summer. I am painting our kitchen annex which is slowly becoming the kitchen proper. The next post will show some of the work the children and my darlin have done this summer. All the stuff hubby has done won't fit anywhere on the web! He has been just too busy!

Garden Thoughts

2010-07-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

The other day I was weeding the lettuce bed in our barn garden. I started at 8:30 am and finished about 1pm. As I was working I heard on several occasions a bird that made the sound of water gurgling. As I tried to figure out what was making the sound I realized that had my teen-aged daughter been out weeding the garden she wouldn’t have heard it. She would have had her iPod blaring in her ears. I am glad that my other
children won’t have that distraction. While I love listening to music when doing some chores, I have become more used to the sound of my thoughts. It is when I try to pray and talk with God. Sometimes I become too distracted with my own thoughts. It seemed the other day that each time I got caught up in my own thoughts that little bird would sing.

Today (a week later) I was once again in the garden weeding. This time a patch of green beans. I know how thrilling. The children were pulling huge weed out of another part of the garden. They were all working together. Every once in a while I would hear “This is a two-fer”. It took me a minute to realize what that meant. It meant that one of them needed help pulling out a really tough one. I don’t know how much of this will stay with them but it did my heart good to see them working together ~ mostly not fighting. I said my thank-you prayers today. Thank you God for the rain yesterday – Larry didn’t need to spend anytime watering. Thank you God for having such a good patch of beans growing. Thank you God for answering a prayer even though I don’t know what the answer is yet. What do you do in your garden? Kate

Threshing Wheat

2010-07-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

Threshing Wheat

We harvested a small wheat bed this past weekend. It took Larry most of the day to cut it by hand. He was using a small hand held scythe. He took his wheel barrel loads down to the barn. I set up some sheets and he showed the kids how to thresh it.
The first day they worked on it for an hour at a time. They took a few breaks but were eager to head back out. By the second day they worked for about a half hour and then took a long break. Only heading back out when they were told. It no longer seemed fun to process our own wheat that we would grind into flour to use for our bread loaves, muffins, and biscuits. This was work!
I am sure that many would feel it is too much work to ask a ten and nine year old to do. I disagree. They need to do jobs that are within their capabilities to help out on the farm. This didn’t seem like too much of a stretch. They are capable just not all that willing anymore.
At one point Larry made the mistake of mentioning a threshing party. We could play music and the kids could “dance” on the wheat. This is a great idea and one we may employ on other patches of wheat we harvest, but the problem is now we have this wheat sitting in the barn and no music. Mac just doesn’t want to accept that the dance party comes with the second batch of wheat.
It is challenging to convince the children that these are the jobs we need them to do. Those jobs just aren’t exciting or over with quickly. We have to focus on teaching them how to do what is within their means of physical capability. Sometimes, however, the teaching is more work than just doing it ourselves. Days go by when I think – how did people do this 150 years ago. Then I remember – they had less distractions. It was normal to do many of the things we are doing. The process didn’t need to be explained and reasoned out. Facts were obvious.
Those “facts” have been obscured for many generations. I am sure that if my parents were still alive they would be scratching their heads in disbelief at all we are doing. I think they would be proud of us though. I know that my dad was amazed to watch me care for hens and goats while we stayed with them for their last summer.
He shook his head one day and told me, “I can’t believe my little girl is dealing with chickens and milking goats.” Apparently when I was little, we had bantam hens ~ I didn’t like them.
I have gone out and threshed some wheat to see what all the complaining was about. It does seem tedious but it isn’t difficult. As I sat there I pictured us sitting around the sheet telling stories. That is what is needed another lost art – storytelling. The whole once upon a time variety. Easy to see how those fairy tales came into being.
We just need to create some of our own. I’ll check back in with you later and let you know how that project is fairing. For now enjoy both the sunshine and the rain – they are what make summer smell so sweet.

Kate

Delegation

2010-06-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

Delegation - something I don't think my mother taught me. She understandably did much of the work herself. She did delegate cleaning the house and weeding the garden, but not laundry or cooking. You could help her cook but not do the actual cooking unless she wasn't there - which happened one summer. That was not a fun summer - think crash course in hot to put a meal together. We had done lunches for quite some time but that was pretty much opening a can heating it up and setting it on the table. That summer we had to create the meal and make sure it was all cooked so that it ended up done at the same time. No easy feat when you have never done it.
With the creation of our CSA and the prospect of working two jobs for me, Larry and I decided that we needed to delegate some chores to the children. Chores have shifted - Mac is doing laundry, Mary kate and Shannon are cooking dinner. Sean is filling buckets for the fire. Shannon is doing pretty well with the dinner job. Last night was the first night she had to put something together on her own. She came down to me while I was weeding the beets and asked what she was making for dinner. I said, "I don't know." She responded with " You don't know?" "That's right. I don't know." She was on her own.
She did quite well I think. She made a pork roast, creamed noodles and canned green beans. We ate late but that is not unusual. Mac actually made it to dinner. When we eat late he doesn't always make it. It was a very good dinner. She rightfully looked proud of herself. Now if I could just get her to do the chores I assign instead of the ones she wants to do. LOL

Take care!
Kate

Busy spring!

2010-05-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Sorry it's been a few weeks. We sheared sheep last week. Whew! Glad to have that job over with. Thankfully we went with a new shearer and I am now booked for the next two years so I am not scrambling in January. Yeah!
The sheep are all adjusting to their new looks. It is always fun to watch them after they have been sheared. They don't recognize each other and spend a few days re-establishing the order.
Spring is also the start of our CSA. We are launching "Our Little Farm CSA". It is a little late start but we aren't planning on taking on more than 20 shares this year. We are hoping to get that many. We created a single and couple share price ( $180/$300). We had heard from people that most CSA give out too much food so we wanted to give people an option for a smaller amount. Larry met with another young gentleman who has been running a CSA for about two years. He received some good information and help. So we are busy putting all the pieces of that together. We will be working hard this year to get some money out of the farm.

Have a wonderful week!
Kate

Ramblings - Life, children, playing and working

2010-04-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

Having lost one part-time job, I now have time to really work with the children and our homeschool program -much to the children's regret. LOL I actually organized a week of lessons and we are following it - mostly. It has been an education for all of us. I am VERY glad we are doing this. Mac believes that he is ruined for public school. He feels that he would be spending all his time in the principals office. I have to agree. We are creating some free thinking seditionists. It is very fun! Shannon comes home and is not always sure what to say. LOL

Now that I am home more, I also have time to help out on the farm. I have very sore hands from splitting wood. Milking the cow is something that my hands have become used to but the splitting adds another dimension. I am sure that eventually I will adjust. In the meantime no knitting with really small needles.

We have been sharing our memories on cartoons and old shows with the children. I plan to share the School House Rock DVDs with them soon. Shannon too - since they don't teach any of that stuff in school anymore. They have watched some Bugs Bunny stuff which they can quote from. They can go through a whole set. It is amazing and a little scary.

I have been knitting some socks - Shannon has yet to bring me back the finished pair so I can take pictures. Really I did make some socks. I started another pair for me this time. The blanket that it becoming a really long project is nearing the end. I will take pics when it is done.

I hope that you get a chance to enjoy the nice weather we are having. Take care!

Kate

Lambs

2010-04-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Lambs are the reason for the delay in postings. We lambed from March 27th through April 1st. We have six surviving lambs. We lost three. We are bottle feeding three and the other three are out in pasture with their moms. Whew! It has been a busy few weeks. We are in a routine but it makes for long busy days. We are hoping to put all the lambs together soon. The bottle fed ones need to learn how to eat.

I will try to post a more later this week.

Take care!
Kate

Attempted spinning

2010-03-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

I began learning how to spin yesterday. It is going to take A LOT of practice. I can get the yarn to spin but I can't get it to wind onto the spindle. I am obviously doing something wrong. I just haven't figured out what step I am missing. I will let you know when I have that AHA moment and figure it out. I promise to NOT throw the spinning wheel into the wall. There were points yesterday when I felt like it but I resisted. Wish I could find someone who knows how to do this and lives nearby.
I have a pair of socks almost completed. Sadly the blanket is slow work. I will take pictures as I finish and post them.
We are checking every day for lambs. So far none have shown up. Candy, not our best mom, looks like she may go first and all hopes that she is only carrying one pass at each description that Larry gives me about how she is moving around. VERY SLOWLY.

Enjoy St Patrick's Day this week. We are making our own Corned Beef. Let you know how that turns out too.

Luck of the Irish to you all!

Kate

Spinning

2010-03-07T07:46:00.000-08:00

So here is a picture of the spinning wheel. I haven't spun yarn yet. Still getting to know the wheel. I will play with it this week and let you know is I create anything. Actually I am really looking forward to spinning my own yarn. After I have this down fairly well, the next job to tackle will be dying. But before we go there we want to be growing natural dyes.

ANOTHER THING I MESSED UP

2010-02-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

I am reading a book recommended to me more than a year ago. I should have read it then. I didn’t and I am feeling the guilt now. Of course I would have felt guilt then too. It’s another book on which I look at my parenting skills and find myself lacking.
I know in my mind that I did not have the strength to do what needed to be done five years ago. I couldn’t have home schooled then. Of course I might have tried when I realized what the kids were missing. I also could have afforded the materials for some of the things. Sean would have learned to write with his left hand and I wouldn’t have had to argue with teachers about how even though he used his right hand it really wasn’t comfortable for him.
I can still remember the disappointment I felt when I received a call that Mary Kate wasn’t ready for all day kindergarten. I was devastated. I was looking forward to having one less child to have around. Doesn’t that sound terrible? So many missteps I have made.
But I can only go forward from here. I am hoping that I can teach the children the skills that they will need in the changing future. I am getting excited about the prospects of teaching them to think and analyze and question. The oldest won’t be immune either. Just because she is still in school does not excuse her from my new found enthusiasm - much to her regret.
She will be reading over the summer books that should be on her list of required reading but are not. She will also be completing a term paper for me. One in which she won’t just be regurgitating facts on paper, but one in which she will have come to a conclusion about her thesis and prove whether it was a valid thesis or not.
It will prove to be an interesting summer. The younger children will learn that we are “doing school” year round. This may be difficult at first but I think it is doable.
I need to forgive myself for what I don’t know and move forward with what I now know. I told Larry the other day that I would be a really good teacher for our grandchildren. I hope I get the chance to find out.

Happy reading,

Kate

Knitting Completed

2010-02-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

We are finished! I completed my work on Mac's project yesterday. Now I have to pack it up and get it sent out. Can't wait to get it completely crossed off my list. :)

Self Care

2010-02-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

I remember watching Oprah talk about self-care ten years ago. She has women come on who said that you needed to take care of yourself in order to take care of others. An interesting concept; women of the ages past didn’t have time for self care and yet most of them managed. Of course pundits today would probably say that is why they died young. I think there is a lot more to it than that but I am not trying to sell a book.
I believe that there is some need to and times to practice being nice to yourself as a woman. One of those times is during your period. I can’t take the day off from work and lounge in bed like I would like to some days but I can lessen my burdens for a few days. Lower my expectations of what I will get done. I do only that which is necessary. I milk the cow; do a little laundry; fix meals and the rest of the time I rest. If I have to work at the café, again I do what needs to be done but not too much extra. I also take breaks.
I understand that we all can’t do any of these things on a regular basis but we should at least attempt to lower our workload on these days. Not just for me but also to show my daughter how to do this. It is important for her to learn how to manage that although at fifteen she seems more than capable of self-care. ☺
I am not talking about going to a spa or a shopping spree. I am saying that you need to just physically slow down. My biggest complaint about our time at the moment is that people seem to feel that they have to pack every minute of the day with things to do or places to go. SLOW DOWN! We are going to be forced to anyway soon enough. You might as well begin practicing now.
Enjoy a cup of tea and snuggle into a blanket with a good book.

Happy resting! Kate

The Wonders of Homeschooling

2010-02-14T07:26:00.000-08:00

We haven’t been doing much according to my children for our homeschool projects. We had a few things due before Christmas and no real formal assignments since then. We have been reading about a Saint every day; we have been reading a story everyday. I have been reading some immigrant stories taken directly from those who immigrated here through Ellis Island. We read a story about a young boy who worked in a coal mine and the dangers he faced. So I checked out some books about that time period which the kids read and we discussed.
So we have been doing language arts and social studies on a regular basis. The great part is that it doesn’t feel like school to them. They do the same type of thing with science at the moment. They make many discoveries on their own. Their father has been amazed that he can ask a question randomly and one of the children will have read about it and give him the information.
Since they didn’t feel like they were really doing school work, the three of them decided to create a school paper. They put in news and weather. They had a page with a word search and a maze; another maze and a connect the hearts; and of course comics. They create two comic strips. Plus they made up a publishing name. It was a very entertaining read. When I took it back to them after I read it, I told them it was an “A” project. They were stunned! They didn’t realize that it could be considered a gradeable project. I hadn’t assigned. Isn’t that great? They came up with the concept, design and layout all on their own. I am very proud of them.
On top of all this reading that is going on, they get to play outside daily. They get exercise and they have responsibilities in the house. I think this was the best move we could have done, especially when I see my fifteen year-old struggle with the adjustment between home and school. We are so off the norm that it has to feel like stepping into another world when she travels back and forth. She is much easier when she is home for a time; like for breaks and when she is ill. All of the kids at school are fairly clueless about what is happening around them. It has got to be hard to be the only one in the know.
I do my best to help her make the adjustments, but I don’t always succeed.
For all of you who are contemplating home schooling, I think it is a very worthwhile endeavor. It is especially true if you are choosing an alternative lifestyle. I thought five years ago that people who homeschooled were nuts. Now I think they have the right of it. Of course now most “normal” people think I’m a little off. LOL! Whatever the case I am very pleased with the results.

Have a safe journey! See you around the next bend.

Kate

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year. We have accomplished much in the past year. I am hoping to post some pictures later this month. Larry and Mary Kate built a loafing shed for the cow. I was able to knit three hats for the kids. I still have two more to go. It is nice to make something that looks like the picture. LOL
We will have more to do this year just like always. It seems that at some point we will have all the structures up that we need; then what will we do? I am sure something else will come along to take up time in the winter.
Thanks to some generous donations I am looking to purchase a spinning wheel. I have much fleece and would like to make yarn. Having worked with other wool yarn I am getting a hankerin for what my own yarn will feel like and what colors I can make it. More learning and discovering will be coming my way through this.
I am hoping to do my nano writing this month. I am already three days behind. I have to write about 1500 words a day to meet the end goal. I am looking forward to just putting words on paper and working hard not to worry if they all make sense. Most writers do this in November with the nation but I am way too busy that month. I am hoping with all the winter projects that January will be a good month to do it. I'll let you know how it goes.
The kids are doing great. They have created a few sledding hills on the property. It is great to see them going outside. Plus this makes it quieter at night - worn out from the cold air and the activity.
We head back to school next week. The younger ones and I have a book to finish. Mac was asking me about it yesterday. I have to come up with a few more assignments. Life doesn't allow much time for just sitting. :)

I hope the New year brings you challenges that you can handle and joy that you can fully embrace!

Kate

A Letter

2009-12-27T08:33:00.001-08:00

Dear Mom,
Another year has passed. The children are getting bigger. This year the little guys made gifts. Mary Kate made a present for everyone. Mac created a family gift. Sean also created a family gift. Mary Kate knit gifts for Larry, Shannon and I then made blankets for the boys. Sean wrote a comic book for the family and Mac picked out toys that he felt suited each of us.
Shannon made a few gifts and bought others. We decided that our theme was Warmth. LOL We all got things to keep us warm through the winter. Something we could each cuddle in or use while outside working the farm.
I miss talking to you. I miss the random calls you would make just see how things were going. I miss your laugh. I hope you and dad are having a good time. Silly I know but I wonder. Are you playing euchre? Is Dad still so competitive he forgets to have fun? I think he may have overcome that one.
I have much to do for this year. Not sure what will and won't be accomplished. The past year seemed to fly by. Is that just a getting older thing? The time just seems to fly by. I know the kids feel that it is crawling by - but they are kids. :)
If you get the chance send Andy some help. I pray for him daily but I am not sure that the prayers are asking for the right thing. Not sure how to change that. I keep trying to change how or what I am asking. So keep an eye on him, k?
I wish I could give you another hug.
Love you!
Kate

Published Author!

2009-11-02T17:15:00.000-08:00

It has finally happened! Larry and I wrote an article for the "Permaculture Activist" magazine and they published it. I am SO excited. We are the lead article and we are mentioned in the editorial opening.
They did very little editing - meaning they didn't take whole sections out. LOL Just a little polishing. This means that I finally have a clip to put in my file. It has also motivated me to work on some other writing projects.

I CAN do this! Yeah!!!

Take care!
Kate

Reflections

2009-10-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

The children and I have been reading about a saint every day. One day we read about a saint who asked for God's help first instead of as a last ditch effort. I have been practicing that. I had to go into the cafe for a couple of hours on Saturday. I was tired because I was up late waiting for my oldest daughter to get down with a football game which she is a band member so needed to be there. It was a late night and I still had to be up the next morning by 5:30am to milk the cow. Short night plus a lot of running around in the morning. I got home from errands in time to scarf down some food and get cleaned up for work. On my way in I asked that we either be really busy so the time went quickly or that I was able to just to restock the kitchen for Monday. I was busy and got things restocked. I made in two hours what I usually make in tips on a good five hour day.
I was very happy and thankful. Plus I was invigorated so that when I got home I had energy to get dinner on early so the oldest could eat before going to the homecoming dance.

On a totally different topic - when did homecomings become so elaborate? When I was in high school the homecoming dance was right after the game. The only people dressed up were the court of homecoming queen candidates. Now it is another prom. I just don't understand that. Maybe because they don't have as many dances like they did either.

So, experiment ask before and see what happens. You have to remember to look. It isn't always answered how you would like, but answers do come.

Walk with God,

Kate

2009-09-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is what I have been doing lately.

I am working two jobs now. I am a secretary for a local church for two hours in the morning Mon. – Fri. Then I put on my cap and head off to the café. I have been doing a little baking at the café but I am missing being home to bake my own bread and spend more time with my dh and the children.
Our homeschool class begins at 7am. The children are having a good time with it. Larry gave them a math quiz last week. Mac discovered that he needs to do the problems in order to remember how to do things. They had great fun making a compost pile and identifying some birds that were migrating and stopped at our farm to have a snack and chat.
Yesterday afternoon was very chatty outside. I believe the birds were getting caught up on what they had done over the summer. It was a cheerful sound to hear.

I have found that knitting has a more relaxing effect than reading, hence the projects. I have about two or three going at a time. The easier ones I work on in the evening as I tend to mess up because I’m tired. I am learning how to follow patterns and I am doing better than expected. I am also creating some of my own things.

Enjoy the smell of wet leaves and the cooler temps!

God Bless,
Kate

Hectic harvest

2009-08-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

Hi
We have been putting up pickles and beans lately. We have steamy weather forecasted for a few days so I am expecting to be swimming in tomatoes soon. At least I hope so. We had a rain event the other day and my husband was able to discover where we need to make improvements so we can keep more water where we want and need it.
I am planning on being crazy busy for a while. On top of harvesting I now have a part-time job so we can pay the bills.

Hope to post a little more often though.
Take care!

2009-07-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

This is my attempt to post some of the fleece that I have. The first picture in the top left is "Bones". He is 1/4 merino 3/4 Corriedale. Doesn't he look soft and fluffy?
The picture next to that is Peanut - he is a Border leicester - blue face. The next picture is "Rosie" she is a mix but her fleece is very pretty. She carries strong CVM characteristics in the color of her fleece. It is variant color and shimmiery. The last is another Border leicester purebred - Sadie. I love how you can see the curlyness of her fleece.

Pictures of the milk shed

2009-06-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

Day one - We have the building up. A shelf for the milk things and other supplies.

This a close up of the shelf.

This is the stanchion and the feed pan.

I have more pictures but I got frustrated trying to load them. Will post more another day. This is the start though of a homemade milk shed. It's great to have an engineer for a hubby.

Busy, busy, busy

2009-06-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Springtime on a farm means working yourself into exhaustion every day. Not a day goes by that jobs are left because we ran out of time or energy. My dh is getting better at reading his energy level. I am working at not being the last one in bed since I am the first one up every morning. I have to be as it is my job to milk the cow. We mostly finished the milk shed. It still needs a roof which my dh is reminded of when it rains.

The garden is coming along. I spent the day weeding yesterday. I really enjoy the opportunity to be outside. I didn't use to have that need. I am fortunate because I have children that are willing (mostly) to pitch in and help. This frees me up to do work in the garden or with the animals. The younger ones try to help they just don't have the stamina yet. We're working on that. :)

I have so many things I would like to be doing in a given day that I try to make a list of what I would like to do. Then there are days when I just want an assignment. Those are the days I go to my dh and ask what needs to be done. I chose one or two of the five or six things he can list and work on those. It gives me a sense of accomplishment for the day. This is something both my dh and I need because we don't work outside the home and somedays the need to prove that we are working is great.

In our down moments we read. I went on a field trip this past week with my daughter and two of her friends. We went to Greenfield Village and visited the working farms and craft shops. One of her friends at one point asked me how I knew so much about processing wool. I told her that I have been reading about it a lot. I felt proud that I could share my knowledge.

My break is over. Back to work - which most days I find to be more and more enjoyable. It is empowering to be able to feed your family from the work of your hands.

Working hard

2009-05-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

We have been working on building a milk shed. Our cow, Beauty, delivered a handsome bull calf last Sunday. It has been fun being the hired hand. My husband is the designer and builder. I am just the fetch, carry and hold person. I enjoy working with him. We have a good time and get much discussed over hammer, nails and screws.

We should be milking her soon. That should actually read "I". It will be my job. I'll let you know how that goes. I have milked goats but this should be an interesting change. We are all looking forward to drinking milk again. We have been milk deprived for almost nine months. Since we moved back. Of course now we will need to work out what we will be doing with all that milk. The kids I am sure will contribute to the suggestion box. :)

Hope your Mother's Day is a wonderful one!

Things I find interesting

2009-04-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

We were driving into town this morning and I was thinking about how things change. I realized that while ten years ago I was a HUGE fan of a certain romance writer, now I am ambivalent about those books on my bookshelf.
It is an interesting comparison. Just as authors change what they wish to write about or what genre they want to write, so too do readers wants change. I still read some of her new stuff but I am not breathlessly waiting for it. As I work more on my own writing I am finding some authors falling short of my expectations. I read through stories more critically. I really didn't thing I would get to that point in my reading. I remember my English professors talking about reading critically. The whole point in those classes was to analyze what we were reading. I did not enjoy those ventures. I wanted then and still do now to read for the escape that it can bring. This every day reality can get quite depressing, especially of late.
Reading for enjoyment is still what I wish. I am also working to escape into my own stories. It gives me something to focus on yet still feel like I am working. It is good to grow and change. Life would be boring if nothing ever changed.

What do you find interesting?
Take care!

Unity on the Homefront

2009-02-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

My husband and I have been telling people - Plant a garden. I realized that is not easy especially if a couple don't agree that that is what needs to be done. I know that I was on that boat for a long time. Gardening was my husband's thing. i had other things that I wanted to do. I didn't wish to join in the effort. I am sorry that I put so much of that on him.
I still don't have a burning desire to garden but I know that we must create our own food as much as possible. I am a willing worker these days. That means I do what he tells me needs to be done. He is the planner and designer and he will be there in the execution. Now I will be there too. I will be in the garden planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and preserving. The children will also be working along side of us as well. These are skills that they need.
After you have committed to gardening, then you have to recruit your help and support. Don't get discouraged - it has taken my husband five years to get me on the bandwagon. Of course, it;s helped that I am not good at executing my own dreams. I write just about every day but i am not good at pursuing publication. I have many works in progress that tend to get little attention. I have moments but I don't use them very constructively.
So I am happy to be a worker bee. Point me in the right direction and I will do the assigned task. I enjoy seeing the excitement on my husband's face when we discuss the garden layout. He complains sometimes about how hard it was to pull us along. Our oldest daughter will probably continue to resist, but we continue to hope that eventually she'll get it.

So plan,recruit, direct and then plant, nurture, grow, and harvest.

Good luck to you all!

Knowledge Can be a Hard Thing to Keep Quiet

2009-02-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

We read through the news about twice a week. We go online and download articles, read them and share them with each other. We are taking our own stance at surviving the coming Greater Depression. We are working at getting as much of our own food as possible. We have a system to get heat and cook without electricity. We also have a way to store water both for our land and for our won consumption should the need arise.
Because we are so immersed in this I forget that not everyone “gets” what is going on. This makes me think of my sons. Both of them kind of understand. I made the mistake of sharing some of the stuff we had been reading about with one of them. The silence was very telling and made me remember to whom I was speaking. I tried to change the subject and make light but I don’t think it worked. I apologize for sharing.
That is the effect of gathering the information. I want to share it with those who matter most to me but it’s hard to do without sounding like a complete nut. Many days go by and I hope that my husband and I are vindicated in our beliefs. I pray it doesn’t come at the expense of anyone in my family. I hope that they see it coming before it hits them square in the face. T’would be my prayer for everyone.

Spring Teasers

2009-02-21T15:17:00.000-08:00

Spring Teasers

Today is a spring teaser day. The sun is shining; the temps feel like 50 degrees; the snow is melting and we can see some green! It’s tempting us to believe that winter is ever, but it’s only February 7th. Spring is a long way off.
The sunshine and the warmer temps invite my husband to work, work, work, work, work. This is good because come real spring we will be working from sun up to sundown making sure we can accomplish our goals for 2009. These tempting days allow us to get the little things done so that we are ready for the very BIG projects of spring. The plantings and the fence building being just two of those projects. I am sure that we could use the help of five or six twenty-year olds. It would certainly get things in the ground faster.
But for now we will putz and enjoy not wearing five layers of clothing to be outside. We will enjoy the sunshine and be thankful that at least for a day we had spring.

Changing Tastes

2009-02-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

I used to listen while nutritionists and other medical people would say - "Tastes change. you need to keep trying to feed your children new foods." Well, after too many dinners where my children gagged on vegetables they didn't like, I was done. No more trying to make them eat it. When I wanted something besides peas, corn, green beans, or broccoli, I made two vegetables one for my husband and I and one for the kids.
I am not sure when or who started passing both vegetables around the table. At first the bowl of different vegetables just passed everyone by. then one day, one of the children took some - to which my husband and I both were shorted. The real shock was when they asked for seconds of our vegetable! So we started making a little bit more to accommodate the one or two who would eat with us. This went on for about a year.
The other night we made spinach a sure fire make the kids gag vegetable. I remembered that the last time we had it Mac decided he liked it and was disappointed when there wasn't enough for him to have seconds. I also remembered that Mary Kate like it. So we made what we thought would be enough for the four us us, but then discovered that my other daughter, Shannon, enjoyed spinach too. I distinctly remember her gag reflex working very well with spinach when she was forced to try it about eight years ago. I was surprised to discover that she now liked it very much!
There are still a few vegetables that not everyone likes - brussel sprouts, and lima beans come to mind. Who knows how long that will last? I have some confidence that it will be longer than the spinach.
For those of you out there who despair of ever having your children eat more than beans, corn, and peas, remember the best way to get them to try something else is to continue to eat it and enjoy it in front of them.

Take care and happy cooking!

Lovingly Made

2009-01-08T07:43:00.000-08:00

I read that you should pour loving thoughts into your cooking. It’s supposed to nourish your family spiritually as well as physically.
I practice this particularly when I am making bread. I love the kneading process. It feels very therapeutic. Kneading bread got me through some rough days after my parents died.
I remember baking bread with my mom. She would let me sift the four. We didn’t have bread four so we sifted it twice. She would give me a bowl – a huge green plastic bowl – set the flour canister next to me, hand me the sifter and tell me to start sifting flour. I imagine that I sifted much more than we used, but it was a good job to keep a little one busy.
She loved to knead bread too. Later, when I was grown, she and I had a discussion about the changes that were made to that bread recipe. Now they had you beat the mixture when you added the yeast, milk, shortening, sugar and salt to the flour. They also suggested using the mixer with the dough hook attachment to knead the bread.
She and I agreed that took all the joy from making bread. It also removes the ability to add love to the dough. Cooking shouldn’t always be about how fast you can get the job done; it should be about how much love you can infuse into the final product.
Happy baking!

Baking Day

2009-01-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

Baking day is a two-cups-of-coffee day. On the farm we have chosen to bake once a week. This baking includes bread, cookies and this week we added broth, lard, and soup to the list. We’re getting the top hot - we might as well utilize that too.
It sounded okay last week when I proposed it. It sounded a lot easier than it actually is. As I sit here taking a short break, I want to ask – “What the heck were you thinking?!” I chuckle as the sheepish reply comes out – “Gee, I was just trying to maximize wood usage.” Picture the foot scuffing the floor, the shoulders slouched and a quick shrug given.
I am not sure what is more work – splitting wood or baking all day. I spit two tractor buckets full of wood yesterday. While I used different muscles for each task, they both exhaust me about equally.
When I sit down tonight with a bowl of fresh homemade split-pea soup and warm homemade bread, I know that first bite of warm bread will be worth it.
Bon Apetite!

Better than I thought

2008-12-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

My husband is working at home. I thought that would be really hard to deal with but I really enjoy it. Surprised? I think it's because we agree on a lot of things and we love to discuss things. He is getting used to listening to the radio and I am getting used to working way more than I do when he isn't home. It is good to have someone to eat lunch with - it makes it harder to forget to eat. We complement each other. He tends to work, work, work and I like to take breaks. He is coming around to my way of doing things and I am taking fewer breaks.

I know a lot of women who would be horrified to spend so much time with their spouses. Not me - I miss him when he can't spend the day with me. A rare find to have someone who is a joy to be with all day.

Hope your shopping is going well. Merry Christmas!

What to write?

2008-12-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

I've been ruminating about what to write for my first post. I thought and thought and decided in the end to just write something.
My two boys are on the edge of believing in Santa Claus. We moved recently and I think I may have lost the lists that they "sent" to Santa that I of course intercepted. My younger son obligingly gave me another list which he addressed to Santa. My other son is a little smarter and I fear that even if I ask for a new list he will hold something back to see if Santa really exists. We have always explained for those who are ready to ask point blank that Santa is more of an idea. It is the joy that you get from giving to someone you love. Their joy becomes your own.
I believe this is really true and not just a line. I still remember how it felt to make something for everyone in my family for the first time. I was so excited that Christmas. As the youngest of ten children - no that is NOT a typo there are ten children in my family - it's hard to keep up with the older guys. My oldest brothers - Tom, Mike and Dan - bought everyone a gift every year for what seemed like many, many years. It meant a lot to me to return the favor.
So one year, I made everyone an ornament with popcycle sticks and yarn. I went around and asked for favorite colors. I told them that I was doing a project for school and needed to know. Once I knew the colors, Mom took me to the dime store and I picked out the different colored yarn. Then I proceeded to make yarn oranaments for everyone. It felt so great to hand out my presents to everyone. I felt very grown-up.
I want my children to share that experience so this year I have been looking for ideas of neat presents that they could make for each other. I know that it will mean more work for me, but I think we will all enjoy the results!
Enjoy each day this wonderful Christmas season.