Poverty.Jane

missing in action..

2011-12-22T12:32:00.000-05:00

So sorry my friends for disappearing on you. We have had a good bought of cold around here. Including myself and the baby, we all big and small are feeling under the weather still. I have managed, however, to post a blog today on the Natural Kids blog. Im honored that they shared my post on Winter Solstice. This is such a special day, indeed!

So heres to you all and to the first day of winter.

Thank you for reading here, my little space and thoughts each day. I should get back to blogging each day soon. By the New Year. But until then, I will be sure to pop in and say hello and Merry Christmas and of course, a Happy New Year!

May peace be with you all!

Under the Weather

2011-12-07T08:54:00.001-05:00

Here's to wishing you a day full of the here and now.

I have a few little ones under the weather, so well see you tomorrow!

the kids make...

2011-12-06T08:44:00.001-05:00

Today, Im totally blown away at who my children are. I mean, a mother usually knows here children in her heart. But to see what you know about them, manifest in the way of the world is just breath taking.

Yesterday was a day where I had found my littlest boy tagging along side of me, taking an interest in what I do around the house. Its amazing at how natural he was at washing dishes. He loved participating in that activity and did it as though he had know all along what to do. I was so amazed at the level of innate capacity he had in this act. He dove into this act (on his own), and figured out how to do the job without my help, finding his own rhythm.

Small children are so full of divergent thinking . Its a quality that is not only disintegrating within the public education system, but something that isn't seen as beneficial to our mainstream society. It is this very act of natural intelligence, that I witness my children unfold in their everyday creativity, that just blows me away. I want to nurture that quality in my children. I truly believe that it is the very essence of living a meaningful and happy life. Or I should say that, I do believe that to be true for our family.

Watching Nico take up dishwashing was nothing short of simple joy to witness.

Then later that evening, Macie found a tomato shaped like a heart. *so cool*
I suggested she photograph it.
I didn't realize the level at which she creatively picked up my camera until this morning when I downloaded what was on there to the computer. Just astounding!
Im blown away, again!

Children, I swear it, are the adults best teachers. They show very little inhibitions, very little concerns for what others think and so very much about translating what they see and feel within them. They are my little buddhas, my little channels of the divine.

Today, I am so absolutely grateful that I have taken notice of my children's acts of beauty.
Grateful, honored, and most humbly reminded of the world that can become our reality.

red sky in the morning..

2011-12-05T08:06:00.001-05:00

This morning showed signs of fair weather ahead. No, that makes 2 brilliant red and orange morning skies this week! Lets see how todays weather turns out.
It looks like a day of some indoor activities.
How's the weather where you are?

{this moment}

2011-12-02T07:55:00.000-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.. . . . . . . .

~~Maybe?~~

~YES~

fabric buckets

2011-12-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

I've heard Amanda Soule rant and rave about these buckets in a few posts. I had to see for myself.
And to be fair, after I had the pleasure of making one myself, I can now see that they are worth having a bit of a celebration about.

The pattern is from Maya Made. I bought both the bucket and nesting basket patterns and we have already made about 10 baskets and the kids love them! We are sorting socks and hats, fabric and scraps. Its amazing! (I think my Virgo side is showing).

The buckets above was for my friend. It was her birthday yesterday and her daughter and I schemed up this idea. I knew if we added something special from her girl, then it would be a great gift. Ava drew on some paper and I stitched the words with thread on the machine, onto a wool patch. Its says "I *heart U Ava". My tension was off a bit. At first I thought I was getting slack from the thread b/c of the paper. But no. Sadly, I realized after everything was finished, that my thread jumped out of the tension. Oh well..it adds character.

Ava is learning how to spell so she was pretty smitten with writing a message for her mama. Plus..we both thought of how super cool it was, that her writing was now written in thread..
yeah, shes so awesome. All the cool stuff happens to her!

sweet dreams

2011-11-30T09:36:00.001-05:00

Well, it took long enough to convince this little girl that the book, Alice in Wonderland is nothing like the movies. Its so frustrating when a good book is passed by because the movie has already been seen. *She loves the book* Okay, well lets just say she told me not to tell her that "I told you so". Okay babe, my lips are sealed! (Just keep reading...)

Every single night, for all the years I have been part of this family, there is not ONE night that goes past that Andrew has read to all the children before bedtime. Its a tradition, its a ritual. So much of one that if I happen to be the reader for the evening, some people have some issues with that. "but daddy reads to us". There isnt much resistance if I happen to be the reader, but it just goes to show how locked down this tradition has become in our home. And its good, so very good!

As of late, you guys might recall that the children and I have done some fabric and marker crafting. And because its been such a big hit, I spent some good money on fabric markers and let me tell you, they are SOOO worth it!

The children and I decided to do some pillow cases for their beds. I simply took some cotton woven fabric be it muslin, an old table cloth or even better an old bed sheet. I got out a pillow case and used it as a pattern, adding a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

We drew first and sewed later. This way we wouldn't worry about the markers bleeding through to the other side, just in case the wee ones were feeling extra crafty and wanted to decorate both sides. Whoa! Talk about a walk on the wild side!

I placed newsprint underneath of the fabric. For sure, as much as I love color, I didn't want any ink seeping into that gorgeous pine table Andrew made. The good news is, this marker isn't permanent on fabric until ironed. Which also means it washes off hands too.

I backed some of the pillows in an old vintage bed sheet. I left the top edge of the sheet as the opening of the pillow case (see lacey bits).
This made sewing much quicker as I didn't need to turn and top stitch the raw edge on the opening side of this panel.

I love this one most of all! Nico has just recently been making people and they are super cute. My heart melts too see his rendition of what we humans mean to him with pen and paper. The most amazing thing I have found with my kids, is how different they all drew as toddlers. Everyone had their own little perspective and each person was so different. Its simply amazing!

Now these little beauties are my favorite. Sometimes I don't know how bedtime would go if I didn't have this process to lean on.

These, you might be asking yourself, are dream cards. The children have made them and they contain little images and pictures of imagination. Something that they can choose from a pile of cards, to place under their pillow case to contemplate before drifting off to their slumber. Some of the cards have airplanes, trucks and construction working, horses, the woods outside, swimming in the lake, little garden gnome houses like Noddy and Big Ears. The cards are endless and the ideas are always comforting and creative enough to keep little minds busy enough, yet quite and serene to fall asleep.

But for those nights that aren't always that simple, thank goodness we have relaxing exercises. These ideas all came from The Sleep Lady. Must give her credit!

So, the moments when children still keep talking and getting up and down out of bed...yep...they can be very frustrating. And times like these, especially after a long day, I find myself in a place of resistance or yield. And yielding always leaves the mind open for the natural world to help us in times of trouble, as Echkart Tolle says. I try to yield, that is, accept it and flow with it. The children need more help getting ready for bed, so I can help them into that transition by flowing with that need.

Get the sillies out!
So first we run around in a circle like wild, out of control animals! Jumping, stretching, leaping! Big, big energy blast!

Then, we center. Calm. Finding our inner being.

Doing some yoga, we stretch our body to the side. S T R E T C H !
Now the other side.

Reach those arms up, up to the sun! Touch the sun and feel those warm golden rays on your face!

Now reach down, down to the ground. Wiggle those toes all together. Now one at a time. (can you? try now!)

Now those arms, bring them back, way back behind you like a pair of wings. Now close your eyes and imagine your a honey bee working hard collecting pollen to bring back to the hive. Move those arms around like the wings of a bee.

Now you do a squat and see if you can balance yourself. This takes some body control, but if your child is old enough, this could give a great outlet for that energy to be released and enough calming motion to soothe the mind and body for the rest ahead.

Now...lets hope that makes a good prelude to a long, healthy night of sleeping!

the crafting angels

2011-11-29T07:54:00.001-05:00

Right now, I feel so full just looking back on the past few weeks projects. Im not sure how we managed to do this, plus some other various craft projects, but we did! Oh my! I do believe the crafting angels have bestowed their charm upon us.

Andrew and I, as you may know, are working towards a life of self sufficiency. And part of the plan of getting to that point, is getting out of debt and staying out of debt. With that understood, we have discussed this with the children and we all agree that it just seems silly to go into debt for Christmas. So, was birthed the debt free Christmas, or just another word for a Handmade Christmas. All items that are received, will be done so from the hands and hearts of each other.

I have managed to locate some fun crafting books that the older children, like Arlo and Macie, whom can refer to without the help of an adult. Though, it does seem that we are doing some advance crafting like weaving recycled t shirt rugs, picture above. And that does require an adult to oversee.

Needless to say, I am just loving this! The electronics are off in the evening, minus NPR on the radio or some music from the older boys jam. And they are even showing signs of learning a few Christmas tunes. Awesome.

We have a few children crafting and/or making Christmas cookies, some that are knee deep in a book or just talking and spending time. This, this is the Christmas spirit and it is full force in this house!

Most of our materials used have been found and recycled. Like the shirts for the rug, the material for the library totes and yes...old windows. I seem to have a few odd things I like to collect and one of them is (of course) sewing machines and windows??! Yes, old windows. I love, love old windows and have always collected them since I was a young woman. I just cannot leave them behind when I find them. They seem to sing to me when I get close, calling me to take them home and use them. Many of our windows in the barn, in the coop and goat pin have old recycled windows in them. So there is always a useful place for them. I have also been know to use just the window frames (with glass) as an interesting way to display matted picture and paintings. I've even used the frames (without glass) as trellises for my beans to grow up on (a project for this years summer garden).

This window above, was turned into an art gallery that I strung pieces of artwork much like laundry on the line, with little wooden pegs to boot. Mind you, this is a project that may require the help from the carpenter. Or in my case, my husband. The window is heavy and I not only needed the correct hardware to hold and support its weight, but to find a stud in the wall to hang it from.

It seemed as though the window picked its purpose. When I first laid eyes upon it, I could only see it hung on the wall in our bedroom. And naturally, the art work just seemed befitting of its purpose on the wall. Another great way for me to start my day, smiling and reading, looking and remembering those little guys that are such talented little artists!

Heres to blessing you with those gracious little crafting angels in your home!

Happy Holidays!

into the wild

2011-11-28T09:03:00.001-05:00

I joined Fred the other day to check his trap lines. He goes everyday, at least twice daily.

I love walking in the woods. I love the witnessing of what the natural world is up too. That is, without disturbing it with my two stomping human feet, stammering through the snow! Fred and I read an article in a book we rented from the library describing how the native americans walked through the woods without making a sound. We tried it out, but lets say we need lots more practice!

I love clear, snowy days like this. They are few and far between during the winters months, so when the sun shows his face, I am there with my face in every ray, soaking every moment of it up. The appreciation one has for the natural phenomenon's around us, are never taken for granted with the hard winters we have.

A quick visit to the beavers showed more signs of more work. They are busy, busy little creatures. The dam is not only longer but they are now showing signs of felling larger trees. This means that the dam is getting big enough for the need of larger trees.

You can see the teeth marks left on the tree. It appears these beavers aren't too big, but that could be that they just have some smaller ones in the community working on the home.

The peace that surrounds the wild. The presence of wild, uncontrolled living. I feel at home here. I feel at peace here. My soul shares an infinity with this place...

and its secrets! (ssshhh....I know where the fairies play!)

mindful rememberance

2011-11-25T08:50:00.001-05:00

Sisters...

Our family is so thankful for our newest little one to share Thanksgiving with.

thanksgiving

2011-11-24T20:43:00.001-05:00

Hope yours was as interesting as ours!

first snow

2011-11-23T09:20:00.001-05:00

This is what an Adirondacker would call the seasons first real, snow fall.

We received nearly 6-8 inches of snow last night and its still slowly coming down this morning.

The radio says that its suppose to be in the 50's tomorrow, but I have spent enough winters here to know that this snow might not go away so quickly. And if I were a betting gal, I would bet that most radio forecast for our area, are usually wrong, wrong, wrong! For the most part, that is.

Even if the snow does go, I can't help but think that it won't. And if that is true, then how things look at side now, will have dire straits for the 5 month road of winter ahead of us.

Many things today happened as I walked out into the path to do the farm chores. So with camera in hand, snow boots and adorned in wool attire, I made my way to the goats shed.
(This is their first winter! How exciting!)
As I opened that door, I was prepared for their reaction to it.

Most mornings, they know exactly what to expect. They are, in fact, creatures of habit and don't like their schedules being played around with. I think seeing that snow frightened them at first. But Mimzy's poor tummy got the better of her fright as she darted out of the shed to have her mornings breakfast.

Shortly followed, but not so close behind her was Woosie and then very, very long after that was our Rosie. Im sure they will spend most of the day under the over hang, but we'll see how they manage with this new experience at their hooves!

Having seen the happiness of the goats had me smile in tow, I managed over pass the garden to feed the chickens. "Oh no," I said to myself.

I saw something that would just not do. Something that would, like I mentioned early, create a very tragic winter ahead. The unfinished compost heap....oops!

Andrew and I managed to start an idea we had, to erect a simple structure to manage us through the winter. But we never seemed to either remember or find the time to finish it.

See..compost bins are very important to construct with integrity because they manage to call all bears, fox and raccoon to it. And if its not well constructed,well... then we have big problems. Because not only will we lose our compost but we might loose our compost bin as well. AND...you know that whole wild animals don't mix well with livestock thing...yeah.

You know what I mean.

A strong compost structure was a project that Andrew had to be in on to build correctly. Not one of my modge podge carpentry, hack jobs Im sad to say!

Though, I must admit we did come up with something quick and easy that didn't compromise the integrity. So everyone is happy and that is good.

But now this project is covered in snow!? Yep, you may have guessed it. I spent the next hour outside, without my gloves mind you, finishing our project.

I am so thankful I know where my compost will be going through out the winter.

And also thankful for the wood boiler near by to put my frozen hands into thaw out. If it weren't for that, I would have had frost bite Im sure.

Living here is so rewarding. Its also very hard. Its a way of life you couldn't understand until you have spent some serious winter time up here in this land. Often, people come to visit the Adirondacks during our lovely Summers, chilly Springs and colder Fall seasons. But Winter? Winter is nothing very popular to most, aside for the sledding and skiing. Most people do not visit here for long during winter. Its just too hard and too cold.

Its because of this connection, we Adirondackers have with winter, that gives an understanding that most don't have. I have an affinity with the animals, preparing for the long winter season ahead. You see your world so differently and your life is lived and energy given, is given with so much more wisdom and peace. When understand the delicate balancing acts of the seasons, you know best which projects are to be finished and when others will need to wait for another season to be completed.

Seasons that are hard to endure, such as our winters, gives me the strength to be patient and allow things to be finished when they are suppose to. And it gives me the wisdom to enjoy them as they are unfolding before my very eyes.

prepare

2011-11-22T09:32:00.001-05:00

Were getting ready for the big day! How about you?

the evening jam

2011-11-21T08:20:00.001-05:00

Im usually so exhausted from the days work, I find myself absent of the actual events that are unfolding. Im trying to be more mindful of what I have around me.

Most nights, by the time dinner is done and cleaned up, Im literally done for the evening and ready to resume to my spot on the sofa, embroidering or reading. Or whatever it is that is sitting by the table waiting for me to complete.

The little ones work on their projects. Usually some drawing, playing with galaxy playdough or cars and convoys.

The rest of us enjoy the company of each other while reading and doing whatever it is that we feel like in the creative moment.

My favorite evenings, which thankfully are most, are when the big boys jam for us. There are so many inviting moments when they play music together for us, as a family.

Both of the boys are self taught, with a whole lot of inspiration from other musicians that we are friends with, whom have taught them a few things along the way. Thanks Ian! They were both determined last summer to get this guitar and bass thing down that I allowed them to spend extra time on the computer watching youtube videos playing music. And the end result is nothing short of fabulous!

Here are a few tunes we listen to them play nightly.

Shannon Hoon from Blind Melon is an individual I love and admire. His soul is reflected in his music and lyrics. I have always loved and admired this band, even before I had kids. When the children were older and became more influenced with music, Andrew and I began pulling old vinyl records and CD's from our collection and began the school of rock.

Shannon was someone I brought along and introduced in the family and the children love this song. Often times, we all join in singing the lyrics when the boys are jamming. I love when that happens!

"Life is hard, you gotta change". There are so many lines in this song we all love. Its a great message and to boot, one of Shannon's first songs he ever wrote. His mother tells the stories best of her son Shannon, sitting on their front porch playing guitar. She would listen to him play while she did her cooking and cleaning. When one day poured from him, this song, that stopped her dead in her tracks to listen to the words, beauty and wisdom that came from within him. Shannon was only here for a short time, but I feel so blessed and honored to share a piece of him with my children.

There is a whole lot of Pink Floyd being played, though the link provided, will take you to a Pink Floyd cover done by Sparklehorse and Radiohead. The cover is incredible and the video is paralyzing. It had a profound effect on me when I watched it and I found myself going through a roller coaster of emotions watching it and ending up in tears in the end. Im the kind of person that is raw and real when it comes to emotions. And the emotions I felt while watching this video changed me dramatically. The world was different and in some small way, I was more grateful for what I had. More sensitive to the suffering of others. More connected to life and finding joy amidst that suffering.

This song was one of the first songs Freddie learned. He would play the riff over and over again and I would sing the lyrics out loud for everyone. The little ones would listen to me and hear the words. And after some time, many weeks of this, Ezra and Nico would join in. And soon enough, they were good enough to plug in the mic to the amp and sing away with Fred.

A whole lot of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and even MJ.
Yes...you heard.

Remembering these moments makes me so happy. Im reminded how much music has touched everyone person in this house and brought us together.

So, heres to more dancing, more singing and more music!

{this moment}

2011-11-18T09:00:00.001-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . .

*the snow faeries came! The flies were right!

frozen

2011-11-17T08:49:00.001-05:00

The beginnings of the day, one kitty brought in a baby mouse. Nico found him and rescued him from his near destiny. These little critters will never realize how very important little boys can be to their survival in this world.

"Go little mouse...be free", says Nico.

This is what a mama's heart feels like when it melts.

Outside, it looks like snow but these little buggies are what I like to call the faeries. They make me want to get out my cape, wings and wand and dance around the mountain side!

They have the most glorious little wings and electric, sky blue bums of fluff. When they fly about the still air, the fluffy butts look like little pixie dresses that swirl about the natural background. I love when they come to visit. It makes me happy!

A local friend of mine came to visit us the other day when these little flies were about. She told me that she calls them snow flies. Um...why didn't I realize that! They do look more like snow than faeries, I thought as I listened to her talk. But sometimes thats why I love my wild imagination. Others see snow, I see pixies dancing in the sun!
Nice.

She continued telling me that its an Adirondack folklore that when you see these guys, it will snow within the week. Well...darn it if it wasn't true. Sure nuff', it snowed 6 days later. And here they come again! More snow perhaps? Well see about that.

The end of the day is hard work to thoughtful to take in. We always have busy days. So busy in fact, that most nights Im so tuckered out that I don't always realize the moments in mindfulness. This sky was enough, in the moment it unfolded, for me to be in its presence. I am grateful when I am reminded to kindly and lovingly notice what is real in my life.

A reminder, over my work bench, of something so great and powerful that I do believe I have remembered the words themselves from my own thoughts.

And one capture of the evening of some very excited, and busy children making more applesauce. That food mill is one big hit! Its not even work to these guys. Good thing I have 8 pumpkins to mill and can this weekend.

Theses are moments of our day.

Moments that suspend in their being, frozen in my mind.

One day, I will look back on all this and I will want to be present, now, so that the love and the gifts, will be alive in my heart when my time is gone here.

If I forget, then I might feel lost.

If I forget, I might feel regret.

If I forget, I might feel guilt that my life offered nothing to others.

This is why I love my kids so much. They are my spiritual teachers and foundation. They are what motivate me to do everything I can, to make our lives as full of joy and inspiration as I can.
The realization of my own mortality, gives me the insight to look at these moments, frozen in my minds eye.

There is nothing ordinary about this moment.
Nothing at all...

weaving

2011-11-16T08:58:00.001-05:00

One down, 4 to go!

*Remember this chair from this post?

grandmother moon

2011-11-14T07:40:00.001-05:00

~taken on Friday, November 11.

I love the moon. Its a love affair, Im sure.
When I see her, my heart fills full of life and the present moment. As Thich Nhat Hahn says, "I see you full moon and you make very happy."
Yes, very happy indeed!

Taking photographs of the night sky is something I truly have passion in doing. I notice how excited I get playing with the camera settings to find that perfect picture that translates what I see in that moment, standing there outside. Minus the brute chill in the air, you can quite literally, get the picture.

This post was to honor this months full moon. Though I noticed her, this house also felt the energy of her pulling full with the children running around like lunatics!

I see you full moon and you make me very happy!

this moment

2011-11-12T14:44:00.001-05:00

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . .

mindfulness

2011-11-10T07:49:00.002-05:00

This is being in the moment. This is finding your place in the moment. When I stop, look at what is unfolding before my very eyes, I have awakened.
There are so many conversations and thoughts in my mind that are a constant battle ground of things to do. "I have 4 loads of laundry to hang, the chickens are running around loose and need to be put away. The kids need lunch. The dishes haven't been washed. I need to finish that silly quilt taking up all that space on the work bench. I want to read that book that is waiting so patiently for me by my seat. The shopping list needs to be revised. Dinner needs to be made." (coughs)
Oh my, could I have anything else going on in this mind of mine? And the answer of course is, yes. Many day are flooded by thoughts that I fill and jot down in my little notebooks so I can let go of them and move onto the next thing in front of me. But this is the daily grind of living. I love being a busy person with things to do as long as I can remind myself to take part in what is happening in the very moment that the jobs are unfolding. Yesterday, the children were crafting and I decided to join them by cutting out some patterns for the baby. As I enjoyed the company of like crafters, I took a moment to stop and really see what was happening. Really look at them, acknowledge them and breath that moment into my soul. It truly transformed the day from there.

Suddenly, I noticed all the beauty around me that I see but do not acknowledge. I am grateful for the times I can stop my mind, take a deep breath and center into the one true thing that is alive in my world. And that is this very moment, right where my two feet are placed. The world seems so much more wonderful when I can look down and see where I really am. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that is ordinary about this moment.
~here's to wishing you on a path of mindfulness for today!

thing to do at the kitchen table ::

2011-11-09T08:58:00.004-05:00

Well, for one thing...you can always work on those little sentences outlining the events, in which one 5 year old boy, has planned for the not so distant future! OR.....

We can make the most awesome, seriously coolest play dough EVER!? Yeah, you guess which was is preferred by the children.

We make a lot of play dough in this house and one thing I have found to be true for us, is just how much coloring it takes to make play dough vibrant. Its almost not even worth the cost in dyes for the amount of tinting it gives. Im sure there must be some more effective products out there, but my rationale is to keep things as natural as possible. Even though I resorted to the use of food coloring for these sorts projects, finding other natural and organic alternatives is what gets my heart pumping! I love trying out new things and tweaking them to make them our own. The whole process of creating play dough perfection is like an awesome/mad science experiment to conduct with my children. All I need is my white lab coat and a pair of horrendously huge, black framed goggles and Im good.. yes sir, its all good. Somewhere deep in this heart of mine, is a science geek. And that is a lovely thing to have!

Lets begin this project by telling you who inspired it. One of my very dear friends, Vanessa did this project with her children. She found it here on Fairy Dust Teacher. The particular play dough is called Galaxy Play dough, which is perfect because that is just what it looks like when its all done.
And its BLACK! I do declare that I have yet, in my years, to play with black play dough!? Nice, right?

In this project, we didn't stray to far from our good old fashioned play dough recipe we usually use. I didn't follow the instructions on the blog, just the general idea. We did however, use activated charcoal rather than the black food coloring. I had it on hand in the cupboard. I thought to myself, this could work as an alternative, plus its natural and safe. *this is where the science geek comes to play*
Mmmm...lets see how this turns out! And as it turns out, it was perfect~ We added nearly 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of activated charcoal plus a little tiny bit of extra water, possibly 3 TBLS.

A little bit of glitter... even nicer~

Little hands to give it that gorgeous consistency that only a child can and....

BAM...mama has the next 15 minutes to herself to have a tea...ahh! Thank you.
*golf claps

Good work little ones! Good work...

Who Bread?

2011-11-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

~all pictures taken by my little May flower. Thank you lovey..

Who Bread you ask? Well, if your not familiar is a recipe found from The Soule Family. Its a fun recipe to do and easy for all ages to be involved. Most of the bigger children are very fond of cooking so anytime we bake, its a family event. lucky me!

If your interested in trying it out yourselves, just follow the links below.

1. Recipe for those who use a bread machine.
2. The good old fashion way by hand.

some sewing pins

2011-11-07T08:33:00.002-05:00

Shrinky dinks.....yes, that rings an old bell in my memories as a child. Yes, its true that these days, when that bell seems to ring, it reminds me of how long ago these things seem to be. I honor that I can share them, once again, with my children today. Doing such things helps me to remember how short life is and how we don't have much time here together. I feel, more and more so of late, that I don't want to waste one precious bit of it on anything other than receiving hope and joy from today with my family.

Making sewing pins was an idea that a very clever friend of mine, Melissa had when I sent her a care package from the states to New Zealand, that contains a Shrink Dink sheet. Being the witty gal she is, and thats why I adore her so, she conjured up this awesome craft and blogged about it here. Funny thing is she hadn't realized that Wee Wonders had thought up the very same craft, when she imagines hers.

I can't tell you how many times that has happened to me with other crafty friends. All I can say is great minds think alike, right Marni!

Don't forget to give the kitty a love while the pins bake in the oven...

...and voila! All done! Now Nico has cool pins with cars pulling campers, stars and even a great new pin cushion with embroidered ownership. Enjoy these days mama, I tell myself. They grow up so fast, and soon, they won't want mama made stuff. Well...at least until they grow out of the teenage proclamation of what is deemed "being cool/uncool" stage. Until then, Im grateful for the little ones that are amongst us in this house. How they make life so very lovely and crafty!

{this moment}

2011-11-04T09:21:00.000-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . .

my favorite things

2011-11-03T08:48:00.002-04:00

I simply remember a few of my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad

Familiarity:

2011-11-02T08:54:00.000-04:00

:: Seeing those familiar tire tracks by the backhoe in the dirt, reminds me snow is on its way. This is the last time this year we will see these tracks in the mud. Mud season, during the winter thaw will be the next time it rears it face in the Earths soil. I pause when I see these, and remind myself of all the hard work my darling husband is doing for us. Bringing wood from out of the forest to provide us with heat during the winter season. Thank you my love. Thank you.

The Om on the machine represents that all we do is done in respect for nature. Thank you nature for your gifts to our family.

The wood that is harvested, also provides for us boards for projects around our homestead. The saw dust, the chickens will be thankful for as it embeds the floors and roosting nests to keep them warm and clean from the rainy days that turn the floor damp and cold.

The lumber piled reminds me that this is the last time we have this season, to mill all we need to get us through the projects of winter. Thank you again, to my lovely partner, for all he does to keep this place running.

The off cuts from the milled lumber, provides us with heat before things get really cold. We will often burn the soft woods now and the harder woods later in the season.

Happy girls looking and scratching through the new dust for buggies. I think this should bring them some happiness during our colder days and nights here.
The coop must be insulated, as best as we can, before the snow settles in. It is things like this, that we do, that will provide them with heat during the winter.

What shall I do for these babes? They are so special to our addition. So much like real kids, Im not kidding! The mama in me worries about them getting too cold this winter. I know that they have hardy genes, built for the cold this region brings us, but naturally, I have to worry about them and try hard to make them comfortable. With all the wool sweaters I have around here, I know I can make them something to keep them warmer!

Familiarity of these scenes..a halting moment in time I spend. Taking them in. Being in the light of its wisdom. Allowing it to sink within my heart and soul. Its all so much beauty that glows within us all. Stop and look. Stop and listen. The world of Autumn has so much to say still.

Pre-Halloween

2011-10-31T09:38:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was spent, by the littlest ones, sorting through the costume box in order to find some inspiration of what to be tonight. I spent most of the day outside preparing the grounds for this winter snow we are bound to get any day now, I can just feel it in my bones!

Coming in from the outdoor work for the day, I could see my kids have strewn costumes about the house, movies lye beneath the couch cushions. And an assortment of lego halloween simulations have been made in order, to better prepare the events of Halloween costume layouts. Ezra felt the need to begin movies watching from Elvis to Pirates of the Caribbean. Mmm..I think he is taking his costume apparel rather seriously this year!

We have changed our minds over and over these past few weeks from Batman, Clown, Pirate, Ninja, Elivs to a spider. He's wearing the spider costume now, I do believe his mind is made up! We have a Knight at the Round table and of course my baby is a Woodland fox. She was easy, no changing our minds there!

Now this is the first year that all of my big kids are sure they are too big to dress up. A big moment for this mama to come to accept, but its inevitable that that day will come for every child in this family. For now, we savor the moments that captures the excitement of tonight, through our babes!

The boiler on and wood freshly stacked reminds me that not so many years ago,on this very night, we had more than 16 inches of snow on the ground!

Pumpkins Harvested and carved. I do believe this is the most we harvested this year. 13 total!
Not all were interested in carving, but we have some carved and left over for canning Thanksgiving pies!
Thank goodness for this book here, on which seeds are best for this region. Ive never had such success as I have with the seed varieties that I have selected, according to this book.

Seeds cooked and eaten. Our tradition each year and always a favorite for everyone in the house. Heidi Swansons, 101 cookbooks recipe never fails!

Pumpkins lit and ready to be seen! This one maybe the most important of all, according to Ezra. I must keep an eye out for the candles that have burned out upon many hours of being lit. All day and all night they have remained on and tonight is the most important night that they should remain so!

Okay, so all things halloween, check! Lets go get some candy!

Have a Happy Halloween!

hello..

2011-10-30T11:49:00.000-04:00

Hope your weekend is as busy as ours! Loving the 25lbs of apples we processed and canned into juice and applesauce. Now, another 75lbs to go!
Here's to family.. x

{this moment}

2011-10-28T08:08:00.000-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

A Day of Magic

2011-10-27T09:15:00.001-04:00

Every year we take this trip to pick apples in the upper part of the Adirondack Blue lines.

And every time we take the journey into the deep mountains scape, I never, not ever, once have not fallen in love with this trip all over again. My spirit longs, literally, for this time of year when we can all escape the homestead and go to a place fill with bounty and love. A place we can reminisce and be together. Both big and small people together, in a moment of space I keep dear in my heart.

Passing all of the farms and the imagination that plays in my mind. What it must be like to live on a working farm. Those grand old farm houses built ages ago...what they must be like to live in. Oh, I love the looking and wondering game that goes on for the hour and half trip until we reach that familiar apple cart at Hicks Orchard.

We were prepared when we entered for the blessings of this years crop. Due to all of the rain we received in early spring, all of the fruit trees prospered the most. In all of the 104 years Hicks has been harvesting apples, this one was the best in its history. We were honored to be part of its witness.

Oh my, I think there is just always going to be too much going on with this amazing group of individuals, to get everyone to look at the camera at once~

We've got ourselves a bone fid chicken catcher in our group! He could be kept on the grounds as hired help for the farming jobs he has perfected at his age.

People from everywhere come to see this time of year in the Adirondacks. As you can see, the mountains illuminate with colors of red, yellow and oranges. Its a season that is not only breath taking, yet beholding the midst of such terrain and depth, helps me to remember my calling here on Earth. I am so small by comparison, humbled within its magnitude and reminded what work I am here to do and pass along to my babes.

The Orchard.

Testifier to this region of the world, I have never been so amazed as I am of where we live.

Seeing these picture scapes, placing them in my heart and mind, helps me to get through our long and brutal winters. I will never forget why I live where I do, when I have this.

And another reminder of our trip, a new friend who has come home with us. Such a wonderful little kitty and she is due with a litter. She was abandoned at the farm and for years, I have always wanted to adopt one of the cats at the orchard. But we have always had so many at home to care for. But unfortunately, we have lost a few cats, as some of you may already know, to the wild woods. So, this little kitty made it home with us this year and each of her kitties will remain in our colony. And of course, to keep the population down, all will be spayed and neutered when the appropriate time comes. But for now...

....I think she like it here.

Kitchen Crafting :

2011-10-26T11:34:00.001-04:00

You see, I have come to figure that with family of 9, everyday is a blog post about what goes on in our kitchen. So why not save myself some work and show you in one post, just a small portion of the things we enjoying making and eating every week!

Above are drop cookies, oh so easy and yummy!
The hot plate above was made by my husband and the twins for my birthday this summer. The 2 big stars represent mama and papa and 7 baby stars for the children. What a birthday present, this one brought a tear to my eye!

Coconut yogurt, its our favorite! Love doing this one so, so much. The kids enjoy being involved in this process. It takes a few days and quite a bit of attention of the adult part of following the instructions. But let me tell you, coconut yogurt (made correctly) is heaven! And to top off that goodness, you can make it at a fraction of the price at the store. I don't know about you, but Im sold!

Another fermented friend in this house is our cabbage, ginger, sea salt and carrot kraut. This one isn't everyones favorite here at home, but those who love it do love it so! This one has a video on how to and its so simple and fun to do. Our kids helps with the layering and of course watching it ferment! Again, another treat for a fraction of the cost!!

How can I forget the Lemon Curd..!? With all the canning we have done last weeks past, I hadn't the heart to throw away all of those gorgeous lemon peels.

So we decided to pull out our grater and peeler and get as much lemon zest as we could acquire to freeze for future cooking recipes. I wanted to have a go at making some lemon marmalade, but I do believe there is no such thing?! My jam books called upon zest in a lemon curd recipe though. I have never made lemon curd and was quite impressed with how easy it is to make and of course, we could use our precious zest in the recipe! I won't be making this treat into a habit as it has quite a bit of butter and we try to watch our sat fat. intakes. But it is indeed a treat. Im no jam maker, but Im sure there are techniques to making the perfect curd. We kept it simple, a mantra around this house, and enjoyed it just the same.

Kombucha, love, love our kombucha! We have been brewing this elixir for nearly 4 years now. This drink has inspired me to read many, many books on the subject. Its such an interesting origin and use for aliments and healthy living.
Heres some books I have in my library that have been uber interesting and loaded with statistic around the globe on how kombucha has helped cure degenerative diseases.
One here ( and yes, I paid nearly $40 for this one but oh so worth it!)
And another here, boy this one was a really great one!
And along my way, I have met a few wonderful people who helped me understand this fermented tea, just a little bit more. This blog here is written by a kind woman named Annabell. She is a nutrition major over in Boston and has loads of useful info about what kombucha consists of and why its so good for our body. Any questions I had, I have turned for help from Annabell. She is very wonderful and very considerate in donating her time as well as scobys for those of you who are interested in starting to brew yourselves.

Yes, thats a hole in the seat of that chair. Smiles*

That hole was created there by my 5 year old. He thought it would be funny to stomp the seat out of my vintage chair, while he was standing in one while he helped to cook. Oh my! Its only given me the excuse to pull out that Alabama Chanin book and repair the seat with those lovely jersey strands!

And there you have it. All that work that goes on here, especially during our harvest seasons. Nothing goes to waste. Not even the green tomatoes, above, that are also used in recipes like breads and chutneys!

Happy Baking my dears!

Fall Loving

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love this time of year. Its the most perfect of fall weather. The days are dimmer and the sun is tucking away for the season so there is a cool chill in the air. That sort of chill that reminds you to find the jackets and get on the wool socks. I have a love affair with wool in this season! The days get rainy and colder but something inside our home, feels magical and comforting. I can just feel my heart grow bigger and my blood bursting with love. The stove gets lit to keep the little people warm and laundry dry.

Babies stay warmer in homemade dresses and little pillows, set near by, to entertain her. Thanks to big brother. He's a good big brother~

Remember projects we did together from the previous winter. My, how they have grown since that wee while ago.

Falling in love with those little projects that get left about the house. The busy places that are set down, briefly, before they begin something else.

The simplicity of just being a child. And your whole world is consumed in lego love. How fascinating that must be! It only makes me wish I were a kid again.

Woolens strewn about a patch work couch, ever reminding me of how very cold is it getting out there.
I can nearly smell those gorgeous apples we will be picking soon. And the 11 pumpkins left outside to grow orange. It won't be long before they are carved and made into pies for dessert.

The Littlest Girls

2011-10-19T08:30:00.001-04:00

So, the big man on campus has been working on demoing the oldest/original addition of the coop. Its seriously over do. The coop is nearly as old as the oldest child (16), around 14 years old or so, and really needs the overhaul. Plus there's that little issue with a near 5 month winter where they can't get outside and...oh yeah, there's more chickens now than we originally started out with. Its time!

As you can see from the photos above, the coop is in dire straights. The hen boxes have seen better days and probably needs a good cleaning out. But if you know anything about mucking out a chicken coop, you would know that its not that simple. It gets really nasty to keep on top of. The most convenient way for our family to do it is seasonally. Once in Fall, once in the Spring and a few times in the Summer.

But that's not what Im here to talk about. What this post is about our these girls here. Most of them are new, less than a year old. We have a few in there that have been with us since the previous Spring, making them about 2. And then a few others hanging around from the Spring before that. And, we even have a couple that are from 2006 that are probably not even laying eggs any longer. But we love them anyway, especially those Buffy's! I don't care if they never lay another egg again! They are the best and most gentle natured chickens I have yet to encounter.

So the point of this blog post is to talk about these new chickens that have mixed in with our previous flock. Something really odd is going on and I can't quite figure it out. But I know that my mama flags go up when I hear them get rowdy with one another. I mean, you have the normal pecking order thing going on, but this is different. I hear a lot of chickens scattering, yelping, jumping around to get away from someone picking on them in the coop. And then there's the issue with everyone is starving every time I go into the coop. I suspect that maybe, maybe its the new breeds of chicken we got for this years addition. Im not use to the breeds and Im not even sure if certain breeds favor differently with another. But some love certainly needs to be spread amongst the girls. I mean, were all in this thing together right~ So why not make it an experience to remember. And thats just what we intend to give our girls. A great coop, some more bunting to share the love around and maybe even some one on one time!

And speaking of spreading the girl love....just as I was in the feed room throwing grain to the girls, here comes angsty goat girl number 1. *She thinks shes number 1 in the brood, but I think Rosie may challenge her yet on that!
Obviously, she needs some attention. So much so, she has somehow managed to put her horn right through the window. Perhaps some bunting for the goats as well!

Mimzy, silly girl!

Creative Deviance

2011-10-18T13:44:00.000-04:00

Since I can remember, I have always had an intrest in carpentry. In fact, in my mind, sewing and carpentry are very much alike. Maybe that's why I think I can make things with wood and nails..*coughs*. Well, if you asked my husband, he would tell you that all I know about carpentry is how to rig and threw things together. Well...isn't that art?

I mean come on now, I know Im not a proper carpenter like my husband but for lands sakes, I never will be if I can't figure it out by making mistakes. And mistakes, my friends, are happily what I make!
And not only are mistakes created but also the use of a lot of imagination and an incredible amount of courage! Courage I do say, because I must be sneaky. Sneaky enough to make my projects, steal my hubbies tools, put them back where I found them. And all without *fingers crossed*, him finding out about it! I call myself an intuitive carpenter. I follow most rules and have even studied the art of creation in many areas, but not this one. Woodworking was always something that felt comfortable and dynamic to me. It was meant for me to work out in my mind as I went along. Someone else I know in this house is the exact same way! He's my little accomplice in carpentry crime. Arlo. Yes, he's brave and he's certainly heroic in his carpentry endeavors. I love and look up to him for that. Together, we work out the kinks in our projects, get caught rummaging through daddies stuff and get into trouble and together. But we always seem to finish our work without getting caught again, all the while, becoming more witty and cunning about our ways.

And sometimes, if were lucky, Dad will be gone or busy doing something somewhere far away from his most useful tools. Then, and only then, do we get away with stealing his prized possessions and put them back exactly where we found them. EXACTLY ladies and gents, because if you break this rule, not only do you get caught but you might be in trouble if something is broken or missing. oops! So, I usually opt the less stressful way. Which always means more stressfully hard, physical work. Above are my 3 and 5 year olds tools. Vintage 1960's saw and hammer, etc. And yes, they work. Just not that easily. I wind up getting Arlo to either lend me a few of his tools or get him to hold a board down while I saw with the baby saw. All the while, holding back the sailor words for only my minds ear to hear.

Ah, the drill. Always good fun to have...

...especially if you know where the drill bits are in your husbands garage! ps. Andrew...I do!

Now I need some screws. But I must be careful because I could get caught if I use the wrong ones.

Like these awesome screws that would be perfect for my project! But because they are in a small group together, mind you, on his work bench, Im not taking the risk. Ill just get more creative and find them somewhere else.

Like in this jar of miscellaneous chaos. Ah, just my cup of tea!

No one will even notice!

Now that I have what I need, I must make sure to do this correctly. Correctly according to my husband the carpenter. In my mind, I hear him reminding me that putting screws into the dry wall isn't the correct way to hang anything from a wall. So I need to look for the screw marks when the dry wall was being hung. This will suggest where the framing studs are. And from there, I can assure my husband that yes, I did indeed screw these boards, securely into the wall. Sounding as if I know what Im on about! Next, I must pull out the spirit level, because gosh knows, ifs its crocked, it will be a no go!

And for the full view, you can now see on the left hand side on the wall, the idea I have manifested. This was inspired by doing less laundry...gee, I hope that part comes true!

A place for everyone in the house to have their own face towel. This should keep people from using an entire towel to only dry their faces..lord have mercy.

Like so! Now for the next inspiration, that has nothing to do with carpentry. Embroidered hand towels for the kids! Yeah, Im sneaky, I know...

Nostalgic

2011-10-17T12:51:00.000-04:00

What a score! We found 2 entire rolls of bias stripping for our bunting project for the chickens at the thrift store. Honestly, it was the one thing that was hanging me up from finishing the project. I mean...lets be serious, bias stripping isn't exactly fun to make! And its not cheap either, so when I came across this the other day, it was magic! Chickens:: here comes your party! More on that later this week, so stay tuned.

And while mama spends time prepping, someone made something pretty indeed!! Look at those colors! Another magical moment.

This is what I really felt nostalgic for. The past few days I have been remembering some project I use to do when I was little. You know, things that are just not around anymore like the paint by numbers and pot holder scarves we made from recycled panty hose. One that I always loved was the sewing kits that had everything you needed to make a stuffed toy. And then, the light bulb went off! I kept bolts of muslin in my shop for the kids and mock ups, because its so super cheap and fun to use.

Next was the fabric markers and paints and we were off and running with ideas. Cars with doggie ears flapping in the wind. Double Decker buses, little children stuff toys of the kids and of course, horses in rainbow hues! It really doesn't get any better than that! To top it off, they even liked stuffing the animals! Thats any mama's dream come true!

*We used organic bamboo batting.

This was a great project that took most of the afternoon. Once it was done, I can definitely tell you we had some kids that were uber "in love"! I would absolutely suggest this project to any of you who have kids. Mine loved it so much, we had to follow it with DIY pillow cases. Shew, now that's what I call a busy day!

In my Kitchen ::

2011-10-12T09:00:00.001-04:00

Big, Soft Pretzels!? I didn't think we could do it, but we did. We SO totally did!

A lot of work and a whole lot of yummy! These treats were well worth the time and effort. Only, they last about 3 hours after we baked them. Everyone gobbled them up once the big kids figured out that we made them. Kinda reminds me of the granola I worked so hard on yesterday that is miraculously all gone...mmmmm....

And then, a nice walk in the Autumn Sunshine!

These are the days!

::Additional notes added::
I wanted to post the entire recipe for the soft pretzels, but unfortunately, Im what I like to call an intuitive cooker. Im very unorthodox and have been know to whip things up without measuring cups...oops! I've been cooking from scratch for so many years that I can literally eye ball measurements. So, Im terribly sorry that I cannot replicate an exact recipe for this. However, I did find this link here that loosely outlined what we did in the kitchen that day. I promise, my dears, to be a little more orthodox in the cooking I place here, on the blog!

Cookies and Candy Land

2011-10-07T08:33:00.000-04:00

Its that time for our traditional, Halloween cookies.
The kids have always loved this season and making Halloween cookies is synonymous with this time of year. For years our family has had this tradition going on. So its really awesome to see it continue on to the littlest ones. Even though the biggest kids around here are too big to be interested in this stuff any longer, they still manage to help out in some way. Whether its helping to make the cookie dough or taking the cookies in and out of the oven. Whatever it is, no one forget to participate in eating them when they are done!

In my experience, you can never have enough decorating goodies on hand. There is always at least one child that loads each cookie with an amalgamation of sprinkles, chocolate chips and icing that are dripping with confection! Dreamy....

And to top it all off, we play the 1962 version of Candy Land. Much, much cooler than the newer versions. Why do people change a good thing? Aaaahhhhhhhh. Something tells me that they didn't know how good they had it back in the day, did they!?

But..we do. We appreciate it now. And with this old version of Candy Land in the house, we can now donate the latest version to another child somewhere to play with. This one was worth the exchange!

Have a great weekend.

The New Landmates

2011-10-05T09:32:00.000-04:00

A solitary picture of:

the rest of the tomatoes from the garden. And only one of 13 pumpkins, harvested from the garden. Boy, and a whole bunch to still can for the winter! There is a lot of produce coming in for not having "officially" planting a garden this year. Were getting a hard frost tonight and Im tempted to harvest the Amaranth to dry and collect the grain for the mill. Anyone familiar with doing this, I would love some advice!

It was suppose to rain yesterday. Gee...I don't think it ever did. But we made a good outside day of the weather and decided to take the littlest ones on a hike to visit our new friends. The older boys have been out with Dad, exploring the deer ruts in the woods. Hunting season starts soon. And while out exploring, they noticed some new additions being built upon our property, while we weren't paying attention!

*For the record, anyone who is visiting and reading for the first time. You must know that we honor all sacred life here in the wild. We are not the kinds of people that get thrills from killing animals. We live a lifestyle in the tradition of the Native American Indians. Any life that is taken from our property or on the farm, is done so in a very sacred and honoring method. We have great integrity and respect, in our hearts, when and for the life we have taken. We thank the life given, to nurture ours. And we thank the earth for its sisters and brothers amongst us. We believe we are connected to all living things and we teach this philosophy to our children. We eat meat, but only meat that has been honored in this way.*

Walk, walk...walking in the woods. Over the corduroy bridge Papa made last spring, that travels through some boggy patches in our path.

Walk, walk, walking past the swamp lands in the back land. Here is where the water, which trickles down the mountain side, meets before its continues its travels, down to the spring in front of our barn.

And here we are, where all the busy bees have been. Making and creating...

chopping and dragging...

..digging and patching up the holes to make a rather large wall to block up the stream. It can only be a family of beavers! We are so pleased that they picked our home to live. Now we can visit in hopes to not only pass by our beaver friends, but also, the dam may now attract other wonderful wild live like the Otter and Wood Duck. The fact is, the wetlands are very precious and vital to the Adirondack's. Its important to maintain these environments for the wildlife because so much of it isn't respected by people. And consequently, the wild life in the wetlands are being endangered.

Many wetlands have not yet been discovered in all the millions of acres of wilderness. So the EPA and the DEC won't be able protect all of them from people destroying its fragile ecosystem.

We are honored the beavers have chosen this place to make a home, not only for themselves, but for an array of animals that will call this little pond home. Its amazing how one animal can benefit the many. So its true, that even the littlest organisms are just as important as the largest ones.

And now that our, once dry patches of land, are now consumed with moisture, new life is springing up everywhere. Even the mushrooms are amazing and "special" as Nico has been taught to understand. Even at 3 he is cognitive of the delicate balances in our ecosystem.

Thank you to our new Beaver Family.

Im thrilled to share the land with our new mates!

Unfolding

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

{this moment}

2011-09-30T16:03:00.000-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . .

If We Were A Rock-n-Roll Band

2011-09-29T10:45:00.000-04:00

poem by Shel Silverstein

If we were a rock 'n' roll band,

We'd travel all over the land.

We'd play and we'd sing and wear spangly things.

If we were a rock 'n' roll band.

If we were a rock 'n' roll band,

And we were up there on the stand,

The people would here us and love us and cheer us.

Hurray for that rock 'n' roll band.

If we were a rock 'n' roll band,

Then we'd have a million fans.

We'd giggle and laugh and sign autographs,

If we were a rock 'n' roll band.

The people would all kiss our hands.

We'd be millionaires and have extra long hair,

If we were a rock 'n' roll band.

But we ain't no rock 'n' roll band,

We're just seven kids in the sand.

With homemade guitars and pails and jars

And drums of potato chip cans.

Just seven kids in the sand.

Talk'n and waven' our hands.

And dreamin' and thinkin' oh wouldn't it be grand,

If we were a rock 'n' roll band.

still moments

2011-09-28T09:43:00.000-04:00

Still : visiting our girls and making sure they get plenty of this sunshine, while its still here.

Still : planning on decorating the coop, that will still on the "to do list" from weeks ago. Funny Adelaide Soule was thinking the same thing! What was that about great minds?!

Still : chopping and stacking wood for the winter.

Still : picking Japanese Beetles from my beans! Tisk, tisk little buggies!

Still : watching those pumpkins grow bigger and bigger. And even some are turning orange.

Still : working on that new addition to the chicken coop. Papa Dada is find all the wood he milled going to good use.

Still : harvesting tomatoes...and 3 beans from the bean plants, that Nico gobbled up. Well, at least he shared one of them with the chickens. That a great way to build good sharing skills, even though we struggle with that strategy amongst our siblings!

Still : leaving that chalkboard by the front door filled with positive vibes. It wont be long before this little board will be tucked away from the safety of ice and snow.

As our days get shorter with the Fall weather, we are still trying to find time to play and explore before all is lost in a thick blanket of white snow. These seasons are so short lived here. I truly believe that winter seems the longest season that we have. So in order to survive it, we must cherish these last few weeks we have left, in the glory of the life force that is the great outdoors.

Happy still moments to you all!

Kids Crafting :

2011-09-27T10:14:00.000-04:00

A series of photos, without words, that explains the kid crafting moments! Enjoy and keep crafting with those little ones.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly..,and maybe the Weird?

2011-09-26T09:22:00.000-04:00

The Ugly.

Farm life isn't glamorous? Well...maybe not. Sometimes things can go wrong, mistakes are made, people forget to do things and don't do them correctly, which leads to some serious issues.

Part of raising animals means having to put some of them down. This is the part of the job I don't like, but...I never take for granted.

Above is a rooster that bit more than he could chew, literally. He was the only cockerel in the hen house, but unfortunately, he was promoting a bad habit amongst the hens. Most of our girls are missing a tremendous amount of feathers on their bodies because this cockerel was being to rough. I suspected that he was plucking feathers out and thereby causing stress to the girls, which in turn created some egg eaters. I don't like "offing" (a term we use when we are going to butcher a chicken) any of the animals. But sometimes these situations appear and the only way to pacify the flock is to eliminate the problem. In this case, it was the above boy.

And due to short notice of "offing" him on last Saturday evening, Andrew skinned him like he would any other animal we would dress out. Usually I will pluck the chickens, but that is time consuming and a project I would prefer to remain outdoors by a camp fire. But like I said, it being late in the evening, skinning was the only quick result.

The problem with eating an older chicken, as above, (especially with the skin removed) is it is cause for tougher meat. Its not too appealing if cooked incorrectly. In our experience, submersing an older chicken or duck, in a crock pot full of spices, oils and water is the best way to keep the meat tender.

Lets just say, he wasn't bad eatin'!

The Weird.

I collect the dried feet of our chickens. Weird, I know. But let me explain. When I was growing up as a child, my family raised chickens for eggs and meat, like most people who have chickens. But my grandmother, (you know, the one I adore so much!) would collect the dried feet and put them in a jar over the kitchen window. I don't know why she did this, but it really freaked me out as a child. A lot of things that my grandmother did didn't make sense to me as a child. She even kept the skulls of animals on display in the house as well as hanging dried herbs on her post and beam kitchen ceiling. I used to feel I was walking through a witches kitchen. As though I would be passing by the cauldron and smoking sage on the wood stove, on the way to the back door. I now appreciate her little oddities and try to incorporate them into our daily life's, in memory of her.

The Bad.

I didn't bury the compost deep enough in the garden. It attracted a coyote. Not so good when the coop is a few feet away and the goats roam in their pen next door.

Coyotes are dangerous here as they roam in packs and have been know to not only take down larger animals like full grown deer, but also have circled people with dogs.

Its very serious. And they will come in the early evening before we have closed all of the livestock up for the night. I worry about the children playing outside some days. Many different predators come to visit here and its no doubt they do as we live on 24 acres of wooded land that butts right against the Adirondack State Park. Over 6 million acres of wild life refuge. Its for this reason I have a legal license to carry a pistol. I have no intention to hurt anything, but usually you can scare a larger animal away simply by being louder than they are. A single shot in the air is enough to scare any predator off.

The Good.

This is Otis. The last time we saw him was about 2 weeks ago. All of our kitties are outdoor cats. I just couldn't bear keeping them locked away from all that is outdoors here. Some people would argue with me on this, but for our family, we love them and let them go to do what kitty cats do. And thats catching mice and playing with butterflies. We want our kitties to be free rather than fight with them to keep them inside when they want so badly to be outdoors. To keep them inside is exercising Fear.

Otis usually comes home everyday. For him to not come home for weeks now, only invites that he is no longer with us. And with the frightening fact that we have a predator visiting us a night, only suggests Otis' fate. We love our cats and have accepted that part of living out here means we are all subjected to the loss/hurt of loved ones, animals included.

Living in nature can be beautiful as well as cruel. But one thing I do know, it is real and it is without discrimination. All the things that we lose physically, we also gain emotionally. Its a delicate and symbiotic way of living that must be balanced between the good, the bad and the ugly aspects that all make it an wonderful enigmatic way of life.

It is good to know and love, then to not love at all.

Gratitude :

2011-09-23T11:58:00.000-04:00

Grateful for:

...the sun that finally greeted us...

...which dried another 2 days of laundry...

...the first of 12 loads of dished to be done, by hand mind you, for this day. Grateful to be reminded to be in the moment while doing them and not lost in the action. Seeing them done and drying is satisfying in deed!

Grateful for those little feet and toes in the house...

...and those little hands that help the bigger people around here. Without them, I might forget why Im doing what I do.

Gratitude is something to reflect upon during the weeks end. Its the stuff that keeps my head up high and nose to the grind stone, with perfect peace in mind.

May this Friday grant you time to reflect upon your weeks gratitudes!

Waiting in the Meantime.

2011-09-21T10:15:00.000-04:00

Another rainy day, we spend indoors keeping busy and catching up on the things in the house to do.

These days have been filled with a lovely visitor. She plays so sweetly with my little Nico, teaching him all the delicate ways of the world, that only a little girl can do.
Most of this morning is spent bird watching, what a joy on a rainy day!

No doubt mama will have another day of laundry as the one featured in the post below, but...she can thankfully pat herself on the back for hacking it out with out owning a dryer!
We do manage around here without many modern conveniences!

Usually, during these colder days, we have a fire going in the stove. So our laundry hung up indoors, will usually dry by the end of the day. But these days are not quite that cold to build a fire.
Generally, these days are damp, 40-50 degrees, which really isn't great drying weather.
So, I will wait, in anticipation for Mr. Sun to greet us with the warm rays. And watch the laundry pile grow and grow in the meantime.

And in the midst of waiting, Mama will make mayonnaise with the left over yolks from the Gluten Free breads for Arlo she bakes....

...make tomatoe sauce with all the goodies from the garden in her little, yet quaint cabin space she can call her kitchen...

...remembering, in the meanwhile, that little place near the front door. Where the wind knocked over the seeds she set on the front steps. That little place, where a magical veggie and herb garden appeared! There in the middle of mountain pansies, broccoli sprouts and daisy greens is the spreading oregano. A perfect fit with the homemade tomato sauce!

Then a full compost bucket takes her on a trip outside, to the garden, to be buried within the ground...

...where she notices more tomatoes that are beginning to ripen and need to be picked.

...and while she was out, she takes a trip to visit the coop...

...and says 'hello' to the hens and throw them out some food...

...collect and bring in the eggs to be washed...

...and stamped...

...and keep looking for all things going on outside on a rainy day. And in the meantime, we will wait to be greeted by Mr. Sun. He should be here anytime now!

Still Harvesting

2011-09-20T09:43:00.000-04:00

Being extremely pregnant this summer, I had zero capacity to plant a garden. I tried, oh so very hard, to be optimistic and at least get the plants started. I only hoped in my heart, that my older kids would find planting a garden to be a fun task. You know how we mama's get the kids all excited to do something that wasn't so fun by making it sound like fun! Yeah, that only works when they are babes.

It seems I may have had unrealistic ideas of the teenagers around here. So...my little plants struggled in the heat of the summer and most past on. But others did manage to get outdoors. I talked Arlo into helping me turn the soil and make a few places for a 3 sisters garden. I also planted some squash plants, since they are the easiest to plant/maintain and also produce a great yield of food. And the other plants that came up this summer, they did so by themselves! I have to admit, this being the first year I have had nothing to really do with what came up in our garden, helped me see that I don't really need to do much at all in the garden to create it. Between the compost and last years plants reseeding themselves, I've named it the mystery garden this year.

It was so fun to see the spontaneity of what came up. I mean, even my lettuce came back...how did that happen!?

While I was still pregnant this Spring, we decided to adopt 3 baby goats. We bottle fed them from birth to 3 months before weaning. Hand feeding them has helped turn them into such sweet little girls who really enjoy being around us.

As I mentioned in the post earlier, Dad has yet to finish the goats permanent shelter so.., they must be shuttled to and fro the field to their night shed. And that my friends, is not fun. They always misbehave for me I can never get them to follow me at all! They always take side trips between the field and home to visit the near by wild herbs and of course, my flowers!

But they love Fred. And all Fred has to do is run and they all frolic behind! He makes it look so easy that when I see them all galavanting behind him along the path, I just giggle away!

Other than that, the girls haven't caused too much trouble. That is until the other day.

Those mischievous little angels figured out how to break into the garden in the pasture. They managed to eat my asparagus and all of the rhubarb before they got caught! Cheeky, cheeky! But Im sure all this will be worth the fuss once we taste that sweet milk they shall soon be giving this home.

3 sisters garden going strong with some beautifully wild purslane that managed its way into the garden.

The cold frame in the back there was made a few years ago, by my husband, as a mothers day gift. It was a recycled project made of scrap lumber and an old window. I still use the cold frame to harden off my baby plants for the garden. I can't baby them too much, they must be able to handle our harsh temperatures in these mountains, if they want to survive.

The tomatoes, thyme, holly hock and amaranth all came up by themselves this year, from last years harvest. This year I would love to learn how to harvest the grain from those lovely pink locks of amaranth!

And of course, while mama is working there is always some critters for the babes to find. Be it worms in the dirt, bones from the compost, bugs and grasshoppers of all kinds and FROGS! We love frogs in this house and by golly, this one took the cake! I have only some frogs in my days but this big bull frog took the cake. And you can bet that if there is a frog in our vicinity, Nico will know all about it!

The Motion of Autumn

2011-09-19T12:18:00.000-04:00

‎"Autumn..asks that we prepare for the future-that we be wise in the ways of gardening and keeping. But it also asks that we learn to let go-to acknowledge the beauty of sparseness." -B.W. Overstreet (1947)

In remembrance of the last days of hanging the laundry outdoors.

Autumn is one of our favorite seasons. I can't quite figure out what part makes is most special. So many things are going on around us this time of year on our little farm. The apples grow full on their trees in which, of course, inhabit little babes beneath them reaching for their splendor.

Be it picking the pumpkins in our garden, that will soon swell and turn orange, that soon will be born into that sweet smell of pies baking. Or the birth of new relationships between the children and the fall fruits that Nico has begun to name. The largest pumpkin being named Chewki, I swear we have a Native American Guardian Spirit in this family!
There is great anticipation of each new day to witness the new changes in the garden.

I can't stop but feeling that hastness is in the autumn air.

Much like the squirrels and mice that are scurrying around foraging for food to store, the big people around here are doing the same!

Dad's been working hard, simultaneously working between the wood mill, the goats winter quarters, repairing snow mobiles and vehicles and building winter overhangs to protect from snow.

And in between that, the oldest boys help him to split wood and stack left overs from the mill.

As there are many things to embrace outdoors, these days are too, embraced indoors. For the days of fall have a delicate balance of outdoor and indoor activities.

Since we had those frosty nights and mornings, I had to pick the last of the tomatoes. This is when imagination and creativity come in real handy! Green tomato sauce, green ketchup and even using green tomatoes in bread recipes have all been successful in consuming these little fruits.

And in between the green tomatoes and cooking, you can find the littlest ones following their most favorite big brother, whom has found a book at the library...

...and has been inspired, in deed!

I stop myself, in the middle of an instinctual process, and notice...they play.

There is so much that brings to our last days before winter.

Oh Fall..I do acknowledge you.

The Beginning of a Fall Harvest

2011-09-16T12:13:00.000-04:00

The canning of all these awesome veggies is not only the best part of having a garden. But one of my favorites, and the kids too, is harvesting the seeds for next years crop.

Above are seeds from our heirloom tomatoes that date back to Sicily, so its very important to remember to save seeds for next years crop. Being a rare heirloom, they're ferociously unlike any tomato I have ever seen or eaten. Big, red and juicy. Much like a vine, they grow along the ground throwing out an array of suckers that plant themselves in the soil, much like a squash does. They take quite a lot of attention all summer as they need to be cut back, rather heavily, to alleviate the shear weight and volume of the vine and tomatoes, that pull it back down to the ground. And as you can imagine, all the weight needs some industrialized staking methods!

Even though they are more work than most tomatoes I have planted, I enjoy having them. So much, in fact, that I try to harvest as many of the seeds I can from the ripest and largest tomatoes of all.

We start by drying in the oven on very low heat. Once drying is done the fun stuff begins!

This year we had many seeds from our pumpkins (which are still growing), zucchini, hubbards, aramanth, scarlets, garlic, asparagus, mountain lettuce, butternut squash, cucumbers and of course the maters. This was all I could manage to grow in this year. I was very heavy with child, as the saying goes. And gardening is not as easy as I anticipated. So..we managed with what I could accomplish!

So.. whats the fun part about harvesting the seeds?

Well...this ::

Well...okay. This part is the kids favorite part, eating homemade goodies.

But my favorite part is ..

This!! Yep, an old seed wrapper, if you didn't already notice, and some old brown paper.

Recycle, recycle!

I use this old seed wrapper as a template for making new seed containers for next year. And this way I can draw and print pretty and nice things all over them!

Like so...

And if I do a good enough job on the drawings, I even get to give out tomato tattoos to willing kids who love them!

These Moments and Memories

2011-09-15T09:27:00.000-04:00

Oh little blog, dearest little blog. How I missed you!

Since I have been gone, so many things have happened.

: In the moment of memories, we have drank many cups of coffee.

: Hung many hundreds of loads of laundry to dry in the sun.

: We have added, feed, nurtured and loved another few dozen baby chicks.

:Built another rustic chicken coop.

:Milled another few trees into lumber for the new projects before the first snow fall.

:Adopted 3 baby goats to milk this year.

:Adopted a 1952, Vintage Coach/Trailor as a guest home.

:Gave a peaceful birth to a new baby girl.

:Planted a mystery garden!

:Canned many quarts and pints of jams, jellies and sauces for winter.

:Someone in this house turned 16.

:Two teenage boys jammed all summer on their guitar and bass.

:And one little girl who has discovered a love for the kitchen!

There have just been so many marvelous, growing experiences that have blossomed and bloomed over these months. I feel so grateful for being in the moments to share and witness their beauty as the lived in those moments. And now that they are precious memories, I see the substance that they leave behind, is so important in deed. Important for our souls and for our connection to each other.

I have missed you so little blog. So many things that happen here that I would like to share some of the love with you. Wouldn't you like to join us?

The Best Day Ever

2011-02-11T09:46:00.000-05:00

Again, I have share with you our most treasured book at the moment. I was blessed by the Gods on the day I just so happened to walk into the thrift shop and find this baby here. It was printed in 1977 and sadly, this copy had several projects cut out of it, but there were still many projects that were in perfect condition that we have enjoyed doing together over 30 years later!~

I always was a big fan of Richard Scary, but I don't remember The Best Make It Book Ever.

*Amazon photo courtesy of me!! Your welcome, your welcome*

After getting home, I began flipping through the book and just falling in love. I had to have another copy that would supply us with the projects that were missing or damaged from the book above. I happened to locate a few copies, but my goodness! Some of these copies go for as much as $100! My suggestion would be to hunt down at the thrift shops/yard sales and see whats out there for cheaper!

But, its well worth the memories created together as a family!

My other suggestion, use a photocopier to copy projects instead of cutting out the originals. I do plan to keep this book for my future grandchildren!

Every child loves the story of the Gingerbread Man. But put a Richard Scary spin on it and it just got even better. And then add your own cookies to go along with the story..now your in Kiddie Heaven!

We began our day with a good dose of cooking and imagination and then over to a great friends house for a play date..

Some awesome sledding on one of the best sledding tracks Ive ever seen!

Brave little Nico hitting the hill with Papa..

And if that didn't top the cake...well this certainly did the job!

I think I enjoyed Ezra and Nico's friend house as much as they did.

And on our way back home, we stopped to look behind us, only to be greeting by the setting sun over Blue Mountain Lake. What a sight to behold. Its images like these that remind me why I live here. I feel so lucky to witness such a place that is abandoned of busy people, cars and lights. To raise a family within the confines of nature. I thank the Earth for reminding me of its innocence.

A Little Help and a lot of Fun

2011-01-28T08:23:00.000-05:00

On the way to Grandpa's house...

....too have some fun and shovel snow...

...too see the frozen lake ahead...

and imagine, again....

what it was like in the summer to swim, play, fish and canoe....

...and help papa dada remove the snow...

...hitch a ride back on home to warm those little toes...

...and maybe a hot lunch with some hot cocoa? (Please mama!)

...its nice to get out of the house...

...but only for a little while...

happy weekend!

Children :: Raw, Unhindered and Unrestrained

2011-01-27T10:49:00.000-05:00

The emotions of children are as pure and honest as it gets in this world. The faces and the feelings behind these children are so curious and fascinating to me as an adult.

Feelings are so complicated.

I remember in college a philosophy lecture on a particular philosopher (one I can't remember off the top of my head) whom described emotions as being so complex that even mere words couldn't entirely describe them. To be sad is sometimes too general of an expression. There could be more than a sad feeling. A mix of hopelessness and desirability. But describing a feeling with one word losses the magnitude of the feeling itself. The absolute

power that drives a multitude of emotions :: can it be described in words? And if it could, it explains how powerful words can be when used correctly...or even incorrectly.

Feelings for children are expressed behaviorally.... and I admire that.

Many adults today think that its inappropriate to express feelings behaviorally. I don't.

I have come to realize that by not allowing children to express themselves only creates more confusion about feelings as they venture out in the world as adults.

I guess I realize that because to some extent, I was not allowed to express my emotions as a child. It was seen as inappropriate and a display of disobedience.

That is so far from the truth that it hurts that little girl inside of me.

You wanna know what my solution is? Well...whether it be PC or not, I will take some lessons from my children and cry when Im sad and draw when Im happy and jump up and down when Im mad. And maybe I will grow too.

I love children and I love my children because no matter what face they are wearing in their moments of emotions, they are always so fearless and honest to the world around them.

The Art of Soapmaking and a Winter Visitor

2011-01-26T08:04:00.000-05:00

Bread pans lined in wax paper beats the expensive soap molds.

Once the oils and lye traced, we added lavender from our herb garden last year and lavender essential oils.

After 12 hours....

needs another week before cutting the rest.

So I finally mustarded up the courage to make the soap I have been day dreaming about for weeks now.

I must admit that I have a very healthy fear of lye. And being pregnant made me triple worried, but have no fear! I did do quite a lot of research before handling it and made triple sure I had all the appropriate safety equipment. (*thanks Michelle*) My biggest concern was dust and possibly inhaling it or it settling in my eyes or someone else's. So I choose to do this part of the project outside with my husbands help. It did help in doing so because there is some nice heaps of snow that I could immersed the glass jar of lye and water into while it perpetually got hotter and hotter. Once that part of the project was complete, everything else feel together quite nicely!

The most incredible realization we had while making the soap was how fast it traced. Of course I used a very old fashion soap recipe from one of my homesteading books. Probably used in the days when electrical appliances were NOT available.(.yes.. there was a time that existed)... and tracing the oils and lye by hand would take about an hour to accomplish.

And with my hand held blender I literally traced the soap in minutes. I was dumb founded until I realized the directions meant to hand trace. And this is why I love homesteading. Projects like these required such patience, energy from everyone in the family as we were ready to take turns tracing the soap and a whole lot of presence of mind.

While the kids and I got the soap prepared into the lined bread pans, we look up and see our winter visitors.

The past few times that Jane has come to see us, she has come alone. This visit she brought along with her usual 2 skeptical friends. Last year this lady right above us, was just a baby and quite nervous to come anywhere near us. This year she seems to be warming up to the idea of Jane's visits to our barn.

My how she has grown up!

Peek A Boo Baby

2011-01-25T16:30:00.000-05:00

Here tis...that baby in my belly seems to get into the pictures without me realizing, so I just had to give the belly the attention it was begging for in this shot. So...hello baby in the belly!!

Now I try to attempt my shots again, minus the belly sneak shots.

♥ Handmade Home ♥

2011-01-24T14:48:00.000-05:00

Ive been spending some time peeking around Amanda Soules :: Handmade Home the past few days and just get really inspired by her as a mother. She is so devoted to her children and I just love that!

All of the things that she makes, she makes for the home or for her children and I think that is very important in today's world. We as a generation of today, miss out on the love and uniqueness that is put into gifts and items that our mama's or grand mama's, aunts and sometime even the papa's put into making gifts for people they love.

Its nice to know there are mothers out there that still believe in handmade for their children that they create together as a family.

So here are some spin offs of ideas that came from her book with a Smith Family twist!

The linen napkins were such a hit with the boys, I had to be sure we made 2 of every type of picture. Otherwise winning and arguing would commence and we certainly can not have any of that.... if we can avoid it that is!

So my next attempt for handmade home will be soap??! Im excited but a bit nervous about dealing with lye. I want to be sure I have read all the dealings with making soap properly before I attempt. But isn't is so lovely!

Love is all around the home at the moment!

Busy Bee

2011-01-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

Created by a good friend, Greta of Eyecatchers

Tea Towels for my mother I embroidered using this pattern here. Thanks Geninne!

Winter projects are some of my favorites. Especially when it looks like this outside ::

...and feels about -20. Curled up next to the fire ::

....embroidering for hours at a time and feeling this urge to knit. Ahem. Yep, Im pregnant!
And with winter really settling in *finally*, we have our regular visitors ::

...Jane the Deer. And our official visit between 2-3pm ::

Mr. Sunshine!
Caught a flare off of the kitty in the window.

Happy Winter!

A Rite of Passage

2011-01-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

The expanding Buddha. Grows in water!

These past few months have been a bit of a journey, you all know that. I have been saying for the past few posts (over the last 6 months) that I must take some time off from the blog to search for what my spirituality means to me. Well...I have done, just that, but not with a whole lot of success I must admit.

I guess my childhood spirituality was probably like most American families, exemplified by parents waking up early on Sunday morning. Dressing in our Sundays best and going to church. Doing that with my family did have a huge impact on my paradigm, although it never represented who I was and what I believed in necessarily. It was sort of handed to me in a nice little package, void of my feelings or thoughts about it.
I just went along with it.

The point is, I did have some kind of spiritual foundation layed out for me. I'm very grateful for that no matter what choice my parents made in which spiritual perspective they would have their children pursue. At least they pursued one and I thank them for that.

So, back to the past 6 months...I have been struggling with spirituality looking for it, reading about it, going to churches and spiritual meetings and yet..nothing. Nothing is filling the void I have in my heart, the empty sense of what is bigger than me? I believe whole heartedly that there is something greater than ourselves out there, but what? And how do I connect to this thing? Do I pray to it? How do I pray to it? When do I pray to it? Do I meditate? Fast? Pilgrimage? Ah....the questions. But are the questions my way of controlling this power?
Can something we don't understand be placed in objective certainty? I think not.

I'm tired of looking and asking and searching. So while I was contemplating this last night the understanding came to me. "It was so simple and I missed it", laughing to myself. But before I go into that, I must share with you part of my reflections that led me to this understanding.

When I first found out I was pregnant with Ezra, I felt scared. Yes, scared like most American women who know nothing about birth, what to expect, scared of pain and a new baby they will be responsible for. I was scared and it blocked me from my connection to my child, my body and my pregnancy. I was lost. And too top it all off, my husbands beautiful father, Peter, was dying of cancer. He was given 6 months to live which time lined near Ezra's birth. I was even more petrified. I wanted Peter to know that Ezra came into the world before he past away. Consequently, all this fear presented itself in my labor where alot of screaming and fighting my body commenced. And to top that all off, Ezra was taken from me at every chance the nurses could get. I was also nearly convinced that I couldn't breast feed my baby, which I did eventually accomplish. But that's another story.

Post Secrets

The point I want to make by telling you all this is that I learned what I didn't want to do in my next birth. Oh Ezra, the gift you gave me to be present at my birth with your brother, the love and accpetance and the faith I had that I could do this in complete love was so over whelming to me. I thank you for that lesson my love. It was the closest I have ever been to anything bigger than me, God or the Great Spirit or whatever you want to call it. I don't care about that anymore, I just know I experienced it! I had the most beautiful pregnancy and the most gorgeous, spiritual and soul shifting birth I could have ever dreamed. Never did I fight my body, not one scream. I labored in complete love for my family and for myself and for my baby.

I did this because I looked inside myself and I found that place that extended beyond my human conciousness.

I'm contemplating my place in life right now, more than ever, because soon I will have to face that challenge for this baby growing inside of me. I want the same place of mind to be present at this birth. I want to face everyday challenges with this attitude for it shapes the even bigger challenge of birth. This is a concept that I have learned you must practice everyday. Concepts that you grow and become the more you practice them. They will shape your mind for the experiences in which demands our higher selves to preform.

I want all these things in this world. To experience love and joy, admiration and complete acceptance of my children and of myself. And all I have to do is just be them. Its that easy. Its nowhere to be found outside of myself. Its all there in my heart if I just trust and believe I can be what I dream.

There...now that wasn't so hard....or was it?

Vintage Speed Winter

2011-01-17T16:29:00.000-05:00

Its finally starting to not only look like winter, but feel like winter. We have had several feet of snow come down over the past few days and the temperatures have dropped from a comfortable 30 degrees to about 1-2 degrees or less during the day (the wind chill about -30 degrees) and down to a whopping -20 at night, wind chill even colder. Now this is more like the winters we know around here!

So, with all this said snow, life in the Adirondacks can get back to normal. The ski resorts are open, once again, to those who visit from all over to ski, snow shoe, snow board and yes....snowmobiling. I rather feel slightly annoyed with the snowmobiling part for several reasons, which I won't bore you with. But...this year marks a different journey now that our nearly 16 year old has his first snow mobile to put around in with his buddies. *Wipes sweat from brow*

Over the weekend we visited a small town just 30 minutes north of us. The little boys were so anxious about going to this event it was hard to keep them occupied until the event started in the afternoon. They were ready to go at 6 am that morning.

Here they are above doing some activities to keep their minds busy until we were ready to go to....

....the snowmobile races!!!

And these weren't ordinary, modern and uninteresting snowmobiles that we see today.

They were vintage snowmobiles and that was the focus of the race, only vintage snowmobiles could enter.

This is way too cool!!

Loud and fast...we stood in all the glory of the vintage speed presented to us and took it all in. Really, if it weren't for that -20 degree wind chill coming off the lake we could have stood there for longer. Red noses, snot running and even my feet were freezing with 2 pairs of wool socks and artic snow boots, we had enough.

Thank goodness someone had a fire pit nearby, so we managed a bit longer!

Simple Friday

2011-01-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

Friday's should be simple, and that is exactly what this blog entry will be! Simple.

A family walk in the woods, with the kitties in toe, on the warmest day of this winter season.

Since then, we have had about another 15+ inches and getting colder during the days around 10-15 degrees, which is warm for this neck of the woods!

Have a wonderful weekend!

A Day Off

2011-01-13T08:03:00.000-05:00

Andrew and I woke up yesterday morning to a winter storm surprise that had come in over night and was continuing to dump down all morning. We must have received over 10 inches, which has been long waited for in this part of the Adirondacks.

But I must say, I was a little bit surprise that the kids got the day off from school. At first, we heard the 2 hour delay and of course, like any kid would, mine started right in on "They might cancel school!" And my response, being the logical mommy that I am. "Don't set your self up for disappointment, your more than likely to go in today." And then proceeded to explain to them that when we set ourselves up to do the right thing, which in this instance was getting ready to go to school, that the universe has the awesome way of rewarding us for the good deeds we do. And even so, if school isn't canceled, we won't get all excited to be let down.

They agreed and could see the wisdom in it.

So like a normal morning, boots, jackets, book bags, scarves, hats, mittens, lunch bags in tote, we stood waiting for the bus like we do every morning. And then the announcement..."school is officially canceled for the day" {{{cheers from the peanut gallery induce}}}.

I love these surprises for so many ideas and projects come to fruition on days like this. And that was the case for yesterday.

So...here tis my daughters idea of her very own blog. We named is "Spy in the Kitchen" as reference to the camera spying on what she is cooking with mama today. She will be blogging a little later today for the first time about the foods we made yesterday. Let me tell you, we made the best bread I have had in a long time!

Just a sneek peek, but I am more excited to blog about the use of our stone ware bread pan Andrew found for me! And yes, my husband knows natural/organic cookware gets me all to excited! I think he's working on some wooden ladles for me next....{jumps!!}.

Little randomness of a snow day in our Barn. Diapers drying on the line.

Kitty cats grace us with their presence. And for the record, Im not that crazy cat lady, but this cat....this cat is incredibly handsome, kind and loving. I admire him so.

And one of the clothes pin fairy the little ones and I made. We are currently working on a rustic fairy bed for them to nap in. Maybe we can introduce them all to our fairy garden next spring!

And just one more I thought you may enjoy.

Yesterday I blogged about our buck iron wood burning stove we will be installing in the new addition of the barn. I did notice that the pictures were quite dark and the top unit of the stove was not put together in the picture.

Coincidentally, I have was reading a book about wood cookers when I noticed this diagram of the exact wood cooker I posted about yesterday, although the brands are a different name, they are the same in performance.

Oh my gosh I can't wait to use this treasure!!!

Barn Renovation

2011-01-12T12:05:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken a few months ago. I would have posted it the day I took it, but our computer wasn't feeling up to it that day. And since that day, we have been without it (the computer) for the past month or so.

The problem since has been repaired and today I get to share with you something pretty special indeed!

Andrew has been working hard, before we received a proper winter as of today, to get the wall put into the barn.

This picture was taken yesterday and you can see, we've have gotten a little bit more snow. But not nearly as much as we typically would have for this time of year.

Half of the sub-floor has been installed. The shot is a bit dark, but as we move along on the inside more windows will be added into the other existing walls. We will also be opening up the new addition into the existing one, which should add quite a bit more light.

And this vintage iron beauty will be the heat source in this addition and the new kitchen cooker.

Its completely heated with wood and has a water reserve that is heated for hot water.

Really self sufficient.

And just a moment to share with y'all, playing out yesterday!

And then in for hot chocolate...

And one more TtV/Hot Chocolate moment.

Ezra has been taken with the vintage camera I use to take these photos. He says he thinks its "really pretty" and insisted on some photos taken of himself. Voila!

I think we may have ourselves a photographer in the making!

The White Room

2011-01-11T08:14:00.000-05:00

With our main computer down for the past month or so, I found many other hands on projects to occupy my days. See...I'll tell you something about myself that some that know me may have guessed, or perhaps, already known.... but....I cannot stand the computer!

There!!!... I said it!

It seems that so much time is spend these days on the computer. Please, don't get me wrong! I love blogging and reading other blogs that inspire me, sharing crafts and stories, births and information. But to completely crack out on the computer is something I am terribly all too aware of NOT doing! So...I have limited my computer time to only sharing inspiration and joy!

Now, with that understanding, you may see why we have been finding more time to do other things in the real world!

Andrew and I have decided to paint our kitchen. But see, you must know that between the two of us, we've painted many rooms all the extreme/bold colors you can possibly think of. The blood red room with gold trim, shocking cherry bomb pinks, brilliant sun stroked yellows, rooms that resemble the colors a the beach on a sunny day, lavenders and lilacs and even guacamole/alien greens that Im just plain done with colors!

We decided to go with just plain old white. Simple and beautiful. There is SO much more light and it does seem so much bigger, which is big plus in this old barn!

With the winters being so long and the sun packing up and going south for 6 months out of the year, one will do anything possible to create more light in the home, during the winter season.

So with that creates the White Room. Almost antagonizing at some music albums that come to mind...The KLF/White Room and of course The Beatles/White Album.

This shot is a HUGE difference from the previous posts of this area.

Simplicity is the motto of this room, and I like it!

Remembering.

2010-12-31T19:36:00.000-05:00

Its funny how we grow up, change from children into adults, adults into parents and one day ( I hope) a parent into a grandparent.

Its funny how I have realized they difference in how my days and even years are spent today.

I realized that I grew up! When it happened, I guess I never noticed.

Just yesterday my husband and I were talking....or more like I was talking and he was listening, about

how I lived my life before my kids. Before I had children so many frivolous and egocentric things seemed so important to me at that time. For after all, I was the light in my own little world!

Boy, how things have changed indeed!

I think growing up is like getting the "T shirt" (as they say) but getting it more than one time. In fact I got mine so many times that I got bored enough to graduate on to bigger things, greater things, things that define me as an individual and things that help me become an example to the world.

This year?

Well...I can say that Im very grateful for having another year to learn, grow up a little more, learn more about who I am, what motherhood means to me and how fast it all goes by. I'm especially grateful for where we live. I try to take appreciation, each day, for the nature we are surrounded by. And each year that passes we are witness to the joy of being part of the changing events that occur, indefinitely, in our natural world around us. In fact, they are becoming our friends.

Happy New Year to you too, friends.

thank you cards

2010-12-15T13:58:00.000-05:00

New "thank you"cards that I water colored for my Etsy shop.

Organic and primitive in nature, (which I always love!) to say a special thank you to customers who order from the shop.

Hope your all well and a warm Happy Holidays to you all!

Red Sky at Night..

2010-12-07T14:58:00.000-05:00

The other night, I was in my studio sewing and doing some photography when I happened to look outside and notice this tempestuous aversion in the sky.

I instantly grabbed my coat and shoes and ran outside and proceeded to snap shoot.

The red and pink hues were amazing!

Rolling colors of grey, blue and red, pink and purple all circling in unison and then...a perfectly blue sky!

Amazing...

I must say that these sets of pictures have really made me understand that somewhere, without me consciously realizing it, I have an infinity with the sky, the clouds, the sun, the stars and the moon. It must be my primal gatherer women in me!

I also have been researching chem trails, which I didn't know much about until just recently. I have heard some talk about them and was curious. Well...turns out it may be a conspiracy theory, but the way the world is going, I don't find it to far fetched. And if it is true, well....its sad. And being sad about anything isn't fun. But I really handed that sadness over and counted my blessings and then...out of nowhere, I was given this link to an Indian Man who has a website. A bit up my alley. He writes about many things that may be WAY out there for some people, but for me, I like to stay in the grey area where anything is possible.

I found this on his site that made me happy! And if its true, well...then I know why the sky is such a powerful force to me!

I read the bit about the Sylphs and they are quite interesting. "The Sky Spirits", and Im not one to disagree with the Native American Way.

Blessings my friends...

Good News

2010-12-03T16:48:00.000-05:00

Another little baby!

This is just super exciting news in our house at the moment.

And even though I make baby stuff of my own, Im must admit that I have already been browsing Etsy for baby things..its so tempting!

But...I have a plan.

And the plan will be a project to NOT spend one $ on this new baby. I hope that all my family will be on board with this project. Anything the baby needs will either have to be handmade, traded or found and by found I don't mean dumpster diving! Though....I have heard some wonderful finds in dumpster out in CA. But Ill pass, thanks.

I want to start the project so others can join and share what they made for baby and what we have made for our new baby!

Project :: 304 (approx. 10 months) Handmade Baby Challenge.

Calm and Compassionate People

2010-11-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

If I could sum up this entire week in a few words it would be ::

Gratitude

Surrender

Practice

Not that any of these words wouldn't typically summarize most of our weeks, but they seem to stand out, apart from the other words to describe what we have been through as a family.

I really have found that this weeks gratitude falls in a connection I made with a book I picked up over the summer . And it is now manifesting itself into my reality...without me ever really realizing it. Its funny how that happens, and for me, that is a miracle, a blessing.

I began reading a book called Calm and Compassionate Children by Susan Dermond, over the summer. I instantly fell in love. My only wish was to have a school like this nearby to send my children. Little did I know that homeschooling would be the answer to this, but I still longed for a spiritual school for my little ones.

I thought the answer to that would lie within some type of secular school, but all I could do was radiate that need and believe I would get what I need, when and if, I needed it.

Well, this week has been just that. An awakening, a process, a practice, a juggling act and a beautiful process that I have tried to accept, (not always so successfully!), not control and to give it permission to unfold as it was meant. Without my hands in it of course!

I love the curriculum we have chosen to school Arlo with. I see this entirely different approach to teaching a child that incorporates spirituality within it. It reminds me of the school that Susan so often describes throughout her book. The school I so often found myself falling in love with. Had so many times imagined myself going to and so often visualized my own children going to. I have that today, and within my own home. Utilizing it with my own kids, being a part of the process of their education and their souls....and my own. And it happened without me realizing I was doing it! I never intended or forced this to happened, it just did and I'm in such "awe" of it.

Gratefulness just doesn't touch the emotions I have. I feel like a cup overflowing..

I feel this is my first realization in the steps of discovering a true path of my heart, my soul and my search for my True Self, Atman, which will always haunt me as an enigma of me.

Blessings to you, my friends. And thank you for joining me on this pilgrimage, I am truly grateful for that!

Happy Weekend

A Nature Walk

2010-11-17T14:55:00.000-05:00

We were awakened to a gorgeous morning..hence the flares in the photos!
What an inspiration to begin a lovely day with the pouring of sunlight into the home.

It was also a wonderful prelude to the beginning of a decision that was recently made to home-school our son Arlo. Indeed, the challenges are there and they are always going to be there no matter where I go in life and no matter what I choose to do. The only thing I can do in this lifetime, is stand up to a challenge and do it in the best most positive way I can. And that is what I am doing. For I AM an example to my children.

That said....

its been so much fun to explore this new found world of learning. And not to mention really shocking at how different the home school approach is to public schools. We are learning so much with such fun and ease that it really almost doesn't feel like the school that I grew up to understand as a child! I think Im more excited about learning new things like....who are the US American Presidents??? Well...lets just say I really wouldn't be able to answer most of that question!

I am just so happy to know that we can give our children an education that isn't forced or hated, despised or rejected. An education that is loved and free of expectations, free of confinement and open to exploration and definitions that the child comes to discover. I only wish I could have been given this kind of education!

And not to mention the real hands on experience and the real life examples that are given in the real world.

So....here's to a new challenge and a new development in our home. Im thrilled to share it with you as it unfolds, as it will, without my willing it!

A Little Kitchen Re-Modeling

2010-11-11T16:31:00.000-05:00

Gluten free biscuits on the cooker, for anyone interested.

And....those are regular pancakes on the cooker.

Now that Winter is on its way, and we have seemingly been spending most of our days in the house to stay warm, there are, of course, little remodeling projecs options arising. I love the winter time for these sorts of projects!

I had purchased some chalk board paint about a year ago and painted the kitchen pantry wall chalkboard black, to keep our monthly calendar on. But that just didn't seem to be enough chalk board for a family of our size...soooo...with quite a bit of pleading and asking pretty darn nicely, my husband agreed to painting another wall in the kitchen!! {{{uh...yeah!!}}}

I love how the black fridge blends into the black wall and I must say the transition from black to green, to black (in the cupboard) to green again is just totally feng shui-ing me at the moment! And it also makes the cooker really POP out.

Cant wait to see what else happens around the home!

Anything going on around your house at the moment?