Now is when time slows down.
Naps, tea, quiet books, introspection . . .
Sahara and I had a big girl morning together. We enjoyed the library without a toddler tearing around. Lydia likes to throw off her shoes and run up and down and all around the aisles in the children's area. Sahara and I would rather sit in a secluded spot and savor the treasures that thousands of books serve us.
From a local bookstore we also chose a calendar - Sierra Club - with gorgeous photos to grace our kitchen wall in 2010. I look forward to flipping through and filling it already, but I'll give myself another day or two before I take a pen to its pages.
It is raining and that's alright for we are cozied up inside dreaming about nothing in particular
Holiday Cards
Pablo and I stayed up last night finishing our yearly Holiday greeting cards. I didn't get a letter done which feels crummy, but hey, it's pretty incredible that we are even getting cards out today. Hopefully most will reach their destinations before Christmas.
And now I must finish my last minute knitting and sewing projects!
And now I must finish my last minute knitting and sewing projects!
Cookies!
We made a lot and then we had A LOT of fun giving plates of treats to friends and neighbors. This might become a tradition. Choosing which ones to make was the hardest part. Eating them continues to be the easiest part. The most difficult one was the rugelach. My favorite will always be the peanut butter blossoms.
"This is better than chocolate . .
". . . because instead of just one or two pieces I can have lots!" - Sahara
Popcorn with lots of nutritional yeast is one of our favorite afternoon snacks.
Breakfast
Five mornings a week we eat oatmeal with yogurt and maple syrup. Once a week, usually on Fridays or Saturdays we have bagels and cream cheese and orange juice.
Sundays though, we have designated as our special breakfast morning. That usually means crepes, waffles or pancakes. They are all yummy with yogurt and an assortment of fruit jams from our pantry or a sauce made from berries we put in the freezer a few months ago.
Last Saturday evening Pablo and I could be found on the sofa reading cookbooks. (It is a favorite source of entertainment when we don't have a Netflix disc in the house.) In our ancient version of The Joy of Cooking we came across a recipe for yeasted waffles and later found a similar recipe in our all-time favorite cookbook, yes, you know it by now: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.
Seriously people, if you don't have it by now, open a new window and order it from Amazon. In case you have no space anywhere to stuff another book, I will gift you the recipe.
It makes a large batch. We made pancakes with it, ate our fill, then ran the bowl of batter up the hill to a surprised family.
I just started another batch for tomorrow morning's breakfast with the Valentine clan.
Yeasted Waffles and Pancakes
2 1/4 tsps dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup whole-wheat or other flour
2 Tbs sugar
5 Tbs butter, melted (It's OK Mom - you can use canola oil)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp baking soda
In a small bowl, sprinke the yeast into 1/4 cup warm water and stir in the sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 - 10 minutes. Put the warm milk and salt in a large bowl, then add the yeast mixture and whisk in the flours. Cover and refigerate overnight if the weather is warm or leave out on the counter if it is cool. (We left it out.) Next morning, add the sugar, oil, eggs, and soda. Cook as you would boring waffles or pancakes.
Delicioso!
Fresh air
We have been so occupied doing work inside the house, and with all this dreary rain, we've been neglecting the garden and animals a bit recently. In between showers we bundle up and traipse around. The world seems mostly green and brown with almost all the autumn leaves fallen and decomposing. There is the occasional spot of color . . . some scarlet runner beans that didn't get harvested:
And of course the chickens:
Fern (formerly known as Tink or Tinkerbell)
Fuzzy Wuzzy
Some days we forget to check for eggs. Today I pulled out these beauties:
And of course the chickens:
Licorice
Fern (formerly known as Tink or Tinkerbell)
Fuzzy Wuzzy
and Dotty
Some days we forget to check for eggs. Today I pulled out these beauties:
Changing things around
We've almost finished painting the back room! The wall color is gorgeous. Perfect for the girls . . . except now that it is looking nice and clean Pablo and I aren't so sure we want to change places with the girls. Our bed and dresser and the computer are still back here and it sure is cozy.
The bunk beds are back here too as of Wednesday, and today I picked up the futon mattresses which means Sahara could sleep back here tonight. But . . . we don't have any twin sheets so I guess she'll have to wait.
The new carpet went in on Monday. It is made out of corn! The color is a bit boring but it works well. Sahara wants to invite just about everybody for a sleepover so come on over! ( . . . in a few weeks?)
October
On Saturday we went out to a local farm for their pumpkin/cider festival. We thought since it was a fairly out of the way farm, and not big or commercialized that it would be an intimate, peaceful affair. Nope! It was great fun nonetheless. The girls ran through a straw bale maze, danced to hoe-down tunes, ate apple cobbler with ice cream and picked out pumpkins.
I love October!
Later on college friends came for a visit. It is such a wonderful feeling to have your children play with the children of old friends. Lydia got a kick out of Noah.
Hard
was the woodfire stove Lydia pressed her palm against this morning . . . hot too.
was the knot in my tummy when Sahara told me one of her classmates continues to exclude her in play.
Bring on the soft, comfy cuddles! I'd like to wrap myself around my girls and hibernate together for the next six months.
I think we'll make this today with our overripe plums.
was the knot in my tummy when Sahara told me one of her classmates continues to exclude her in play.
Bring on the soft, comfy cuddles! I'd like to wrap myself around my girls and hibernate together for the next six months.
I think we'll make this today with our overripe plums.
Cinco Minutos
How much can I cram into the next 5 minutes I have free?
We planted our garlic!
Our greens are gorgeous though we are a bit disappointed that we didn't get any carrots and beets in for the fall.
School is going well though every day I question our choice to take Sahara out of Waldorf.
My knitting needs have yet to be filled. But the baking that takes place in these gray, wet days of autumn is filling our tummies and my desire to spend hours upon hours in the kitchen.
Haven't been on my bike much since school started and I am missing those long rides of freedom.
The chickens are still laying a lot. We even had a 5 egg day on Monday!! We're not sure which hen laid two that day.
We're meeting with the contractor this afternoon to hopefully find out when he can start working on our house. No, the remodel has not yet even begun. Arg....
More later . . . I hope.
Three of Four
The girls are almost 5 months old now. I'm not sure who is laying the lighter egg. Sahara loves checking numerous times throughout the day. She hasn't dropped one yet.
It has been lovely and warm this week. I have felt like the weather and I were in cahoots with our denial of school's imminent return. But today I had my second faculty meeting, and now it is gray and rainy out.
Soup is sounding good for dinner. Ahhhhh, autumn's arrival is upon us.
Today
I read this and it really hit home.
Despite much preparation and forethought, there are some moments when I lose sight of our reasons for choosing this lifestyle for our family, and just crave a bit of so-called normality, some time on my own, and a nap! At times I have a few doubts about my commitment to living simply, and begin to wonder whether or not mainstream alternatives are so terrible after all… Then as soon as things run smoothly, I find joy in the cream turning into butter or the first blossoms on the stone fruit trees, or the perfect white egg warm in my hand.
. . .
It’s worth taking steps to avoid burnout even if it seems like it couldn’t happen to you. Your children, partner, plants, animals, friends, colleagues and family all need you to be as healthy and contented as possible. I’m reminded of Covey’s idea of “sharpening the saw”. Taking the time to sharpen your saw will assist you in getting through the tough times – in our family it is illness, too little time at home or financial pressures – for you it may be something entirely different. It might even be the build up of many things that bother you. And if you’ve no time for the garden, unread books on the bedside table, a fitness regime abandoned, yoga classes have gone by the wayside or [fill in your own unfulfilled needs] then your saw will be dull. Eat well, exercise and don’t take on more than you can cope with. Take time for you…
Posted by Bel
From Spiral Garden
So even though it was a gorgeous day out and my list was miles long, I went to the gym, alone.
Yeah!
Despite much preparation and forethought, there are some moments when I lose sight of our reasons for choosing this lifestyle for our family, and just crave a bit of so-called normality, some time on my own, and a nap! At times I have a few doubts about my commitment to living simply, and begin to wonder whether or not mainstream alternatives are so terrible after all… Then as soon as things run smoothly, I find joy in the cream turning into butter or the first blossoms on the stone fruit trees, or the perfect white egg warm in my hand.
. . .
It’s worth taking steps to avoid burnout even if it seems like it couldn’t happen to you. Your children, partner, plants, animals, friends, colleagues and family all need you to be as healthy and contented as possible. I’m reminded of Covey’s idea of “sharpening the saw”. Taking the time to sharpen your saw will assist you in getting through the tough times – in our family it is illness, too little time at home or financial pressures – for you it may be something entirely different. It might even be the build up of many things that bother you. And if you’ve no time for the garden, unread books on the bedside table, a fitness regime abandoned, yoga classes have gone by the wayside or [fill in your own unfulfilled needs] then your saw will be dull. Eat well, exercise and don’t take on more than you can cope with. Take time for you…
Posted by Bel
From Spiral Garden
So even though it was a gorgeous day out and my list was miles long, I went to the gym, alone.
Yeah!
Double yolks
Tink (short for Tinkerbell) has been laying one egg every day this week. They are quite large and are double yoked. Pablo is a bit grossed out by them. I tell him it is a sign of good luck. Lydia is happy to eat them scrambled.
I am still having to buy eggs at the store because I've been doing lots of baking which is a bit unusual for this time of year. Most Augusts the last thing I want to do is turn the oven on. Today is gray and drizzly. Perfect weather for planting the leek and scallion starts I got on Tuesday. Yesterday I made two loaves of zucchini chocolate bread. It is good!
Today I plan on making a batch of zucchini muffins to freeze.
For dinner tonight we'll have a zucchini stir-fry with zucchini salad on the side. Or I could try a zucchini quiche . . . or breaded zucchini sticks. Too bad we don't have a grill. I love grilled zukes.
I am still having to buy eggs at the store because I've been doing lots of baking which is a bit unusual for this time of year. Most Augusts the last thing I want to do is turn the oven on. Today is gray and drizzly. Perfect weather for planting the leek and scallion starts I got on Tuesday. Yesterday I made two loaves of zucchini chocolate bread. It is good!
Today I plan on making a batch of zucchini muffins to freeze.
For dinner tonight we'll have a zucchini stir-fry with zucchini salad on the side. Or I could try a zucchini quiche . . . or breaded zucchini sticks. Too bad we don't have a grill. I love grilled zukes.
Harvest
Our second round of strawberries is coming on now. It is perfect timing since our blueberry bushes have been stripped down to green. The girls spend some time every day searching the bushes for shades of red.
With rain in the forecast the rest of this week we decided to begin harvesting our potatoes. We focused on the dark ones last night. We gathered about 9 pounds before it got too dark.
We are going to get a second bid on our small remodel project. We had planned to have it all complete before school starts, but it is looking like our house will be upturned just when classes begin again. A friend pointed out this morning that all our Romas are likely to ripen during that same time period, so I will need to be canning from dawn to dusk. I can't wait (for it to be over)!
Mocos is Spanish for Boogers
Lydia keeps taking off her diaper and putting it on her "baby" doll.
She is also quite fond of picking her nose then holding out her finger to me/Pablo and saying "mocos" and "he go" (translation = here you go) then waiting for us to clean her finger off.
She is also quite fond of picking her nose then holding out her finger to me/Pablo and saying "mocos" and "he go" (translation = here you go) then waiting for us to clean her finger off.
Jiggety jig
The list is long, of things to do. But the heat is intense, so I'll sit here with you.
It always feels good to be home again, but I must say that going to San Francisco to visit Adra and Jason was the perfect first family vacation. We didn't do anything wildly exciting, although Sahara would probably put the airplane ride and the carousel ride in that category.
We played a lot in parks which was great fun and we ate lots of yummy fruit and other food. We went to the Greens Restaurant - why o why don't we live in a city with lots of fabulous dining out options? and ate ice cream at Humphrey Slocombe. Check out their bizarre flavors.
And just like that we are back home.
We had a ductless heat pump installed before we left. EWEB offers an irresistable loan/rebate on these very efficient units and one of the sweet side effects of getting this type of heating system is that now we have AIR CONDITIONING!!! OK I'm a bit embarrassed to say I'm a native Oregonian and I am using air conditioning, but damn, does it feel good right now.
Meanwhile, I must harvest the rest of the garlic and water the blueberries. The laundry and dishes pile shall wait.
It always feels good to be home again, but I must say that going to San Francisco to visit Adra and Jason was the perfect first family vacation. We didn't do anything wildly exciting, although Sahara would probably put the airplane ride and the carousel ride in that category.
We played a lot in parks which was great fun and we ate lots of yummy fruit and other food. We went to the Greens Restaurant - why o why don't we live in a city with lots of fabulous dining out options? and ate ice cream at Humphrey Slocombe. Check out their bizarre flavors.
And just like that we are back home.
We had a ductless heat pump installed before we left. EWEB offers an irresistable loan/rebate on these very efficient units and one of the sweet side effects of getting this type of heating system is that now we have AIR CONDITIONING!!! OK I'm a bit embarrassed to say I'm a native Oregonian and I am using air conditioning, but damn, does it feel good right now.
Meanwhile, I must harvest the rest of the garlic and water the blueberries. The laundry and dishes pile shall wait.
So long
Fair well!
We are off for our first flight with the girls. Just a short one to San Francisco to see our dearest Auntie Adra and Uncle Jason for the weekend.
And the Fair was an adventure as usual, but in a very unusual way with thunder, lightening, rain, more rain and lots of mud to play in. I didn't take my camera this year but perhaps I'll glean some fotos off of Joey or Hannah to share with ya'll.
And some parting fotos of my own . . . besides the Fair and getting ready for a trip we're busy with the garden and preserving.
Sahara enjoys helping and she is quite helpful now that she is almost five!
And although some of our garlic harvest got soaked by the rain while we were out at the Fair, we are quite pleased with the size and beauty of it.
We are off for our first flight with the girls. Just a short one to San Francisco to see our dearest Auntie Adra and Uncle Jason for the weekend.
And the Fair was an adventure as usual, but in a very unusual way with thunder, lightening, rain, more rain and lots of mud to play in. I didn't take my camera this year but perhaps I'll glean some fotos off of Joey or Hannah to share with ya'll.
And some parting fotos of my own . . . besides the Fair and getting ready for a trip we're busy with the garden and preserving.
Sahara enjoys helping and she is quite helpful now that she is almost five!
And although some of our garlic harvest got soaked by the rain while we were out at the Fair, we are quite pleased with the size and beauty of it.
riding 'round
This afternoon Pablo napped with the girls while I went down to one of our awesome bike shops where Trek brought a whole fleet of WSD (women's specific design) bikes. I easily spent 2 hours riding a variety of incredibly comfortable bikes around our potholed city center. Of course, the bike I fell in love with is ridiculously expensive. What a great experience though.
I'm already brainstorming, "what can I sell to afford a bike like this?" One of the teachers at my school sold his BMW convertible to buy his road bike!
And on a different note, isn't this fabric cute?
I could make a dress for Lydia . . .
I'm already brainstorming, "what can I sell to afford a bike like this?" One of the teachers at my school sold his BMW convertible to buy his road bike!
And on a different note, isn't this fabric cute?
I could make a dress for Lydia . . .
We're on summer vacation!!!!!!
Do you remember that feeling as a child?
If I wasn't so excited about it, I'm not sure if Sahara would be. She loves school. Once she gets older she may be more thrilled than I to leave school for summer vacation.
Yoohoo! Here she is this morning - she stopped bouncing just long enough for me to snap this photo in front of our fig tree.
And here she is in the same spot nine months ago, on her first day of school.
Wow.
If I wasn't so excited about it, I'm not sure if Sahara would be. She loves school. Once she gets older she may be more thrilled than I to leave school for summer vacation.
Yoohoo! Here she is this morning - she stopped bouncing just long enough for me to snap this photo in front of our fig tree.
And here she is in the same spot nine months ago, on her first day of school.
Wow.
Cumpleaños Feliz
This one goes out to my lovies who are far away from me on their birthday. We are celebrating YOU today. OXOXO
te las cantamos a ti
You are Brilliant, and the Earth is Hiring.
I just read the commencement address to the University of Portlands' class of 2009, given by Paul Hawken last month. I highly recommend taking a few minutes to read it. To do so, go here and click on the PDF link at the bottom of the page.
Menta
Would you like any peppermint? We have plenty to share. Lydia would happily pick some for you!
Urban Farm Revisited
I've since learned that the term is an oxymoron.
There can be no such thing.
That is why we shall move to the country as soon as we are able.
No neighbors in the country who tell you to move the chicken coop you've just put money, time and lots of sweat into.
They are right. We will move it. Well, we can't move it. We'll have to build a new one.
Apparently there is a city ordinance saying coops need to be 25 feet away from anyone else's property. Why couldn't they have talked about it with us while we were working on the coop? It's not like we put it up over night. They did all this research before coming to us. Research is good, but so was the feeling of completing such a great project before summer.
There can be no such thing.
That is why we shall move to the country as soon as we are able.
No neighbors in the country who tell you to move the chicken coop you've just put money, time and lots of sweat into.
They are right. We will move it. Well, we can't move it. We'll have to build a new one.
Apparently there is a city ordinance saying coops need to be 25 feet away from anyone else's property. Why couldn't they have talked about it with us while we were working on the coop? It's not like we put it up over night. They did all this research before coming to us. Research is good, but so was the feeling of completing such a great project before summer.
I need to invest in
a saftey pin.
Every week I have 1 hour and 45 minutes to myself. Wednesday mornings Hazel's mom takes both my girls so I can clean the house, run errands, etc... Some days after I drop them off, I can't bring myself to face the kitchen or the grocery store. This morning I used my free time to make these:
I made them out of Hazel's mom's old shirt she was taking to Goodwill. Knits are not the easiest to work with, but it was a bit easier than the last pair of pants I made for Lydia:
These were made from a wool sweater I found at Goodwill a few months ago.
The saftey pin would have made putting the elastic in much easier. I ended up using a bobby pin to pull it through.
I can't wait to show Margo!
Every week I have 1 hour and 45 minutes to myself. Wednesday mornings Hazel's mom takes both my girls so I can clean the house, run errands, etc... Some days after I drop them off, I can't bring myself to face the kitchen or the grocery store. This morning I used my free time to make these:
I made them out of Hazel's mom's old shirt she was taking to Goodwill. Knits are not the easiest to work with, but it was a bit easier than the last pair of pants I made for Lydia:
These were made from a wool sweater I found at Goodwill a few months ago.
The saftey pin would have made putting the elastic in much easier. I ended up using a bobby pin to pull it through.
I can't wait to show Margo!
Urban Farm
It's finished!
We let the girls play inside before everything was covered in poop. What fun!
Rosie, our youngest cat, now spends most of her days lounging outside the coop.
We let the girls play inside before everything was covered in poop. What fun!
Rosie, our youngest cat, now spends most of her days lounging outside the coop.
The girls have been spending their days in the run. We've been bringing them in at night as it is still chilly and the coop is not quite ready for them.
Death to the slugs and snails! I found this one making its way up to our vegetable bed yesterday. I gave it to the chickens but they didn't know what to do. I think it was too big for them.
Sahara is ready to join me this summer on roller skating adventures. We'll be the dynamic duo, mama and daughter rolling down the street!
Death to the slugs and snails! I found this one making its way up to our vegetable bed yesterday. I gave it to the chickens but they didn't know what to do. I think it was too big for them.
Sahara is ready to join me this summer on roller skating adventures. We'll be the dynamic duo, mama and daughter rolling down the street!
Fabric Fort
We had the funnest afternoon yesterday.
I pulled out some boxes of fabric and we sat on the floor in Lydia's room for over an hour looking at them, talking about them, imagining what we could sew them into. We made a hammock out of a long piece and swung Lydia until our arms grew tired. Later, Sahara made a mini fort over a chair I had put down on the floor, as Lydia likes to climb up chairs now, stand on them and reach for things that are purposefully put up, so as to be out of her reach.
She did that in the kitchen a few days ago and fell off the chair, pulling all sorts of items down with her.
I pulled out some boxes of fabric and we sat on the floor in Lydia's room for over an hour looking at them, talking about them, imagining what we could sew them into. We made a hammock out of a long piece and swung Lydia until our arms grew tired. Later, Sahara made a mini fort over a chair I had put down on the floor, as Lydia likes to climb up chairs now, stand on them and reach for things that are purposefully put up, so as to be out of her reach.
She did that in the kitchen a few days ago and fell off the chair, pulling all sorts of items down with her.
What is for dinner?
I made this casserole a few weeks ago and will make it again tonight. It was really good. Worth holding onto the recipe.
Brown Rice Casserole via The Greens Cookbook
4 cups cooked brown rice (1 1/3 cup raw)
half a block of tofu (8 or 9 ozs)
1 large onion
2 medium carrots
2 stalks of celery
1 green pepper (I omitted)
2 medium zukes
6 ozs mushrooms
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 cup mush. broth, veg. stock or water
6 ozs grated cheese (jack, muenster, cheddar, gouda, etc.)
pepper
parsley or other fresh herb for garnish
Cook rice if you don't happen to have leftovers. Drain tofu. Chop the onion, carrots, celery, pepper and zucchini into pieces that are roughly 1/2 inch square. Chop up the mushrooms too and lastly the tofu, all about the same size.
Heat the olive oil and butter, and fry the onion over medium heat until it is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, cumin and salt. Stir until blended and cook for 1 minute; then add the carrots, celery and green pepper. Add 1/2 cup liquid, cover the pan and braise the veggies until they have begun to soften, about 5 minutes. Then add the zuke and the mushrooms and cook another 7 - 10 minutes. The veggies should be nearly cooked. If the pan gets dry during the cooking, add a bit more liquid.
Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the veggies with the rice and cheese. Season with salt and ground pepper. Gently mix in the tofu and put everything into a casserole dish that has been lightly oiled or buttered. Cover with foil and bake for 1/2 hour. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Serve garnished with herbs.
* As noted, I left out the green pepper. I did add a bit more zuke and mushrooms, and maybe celery too. It was more liquidy than I thought it would be. Because of that I cooked it longer with the foil off.
For the mushrooms I used leftover a shitake/button mix that I sauteed up with shallot the day before. Both Pablo and I noted how yummy the mushroom flavor was as we were eating it, so we'll see how it turns out tonight when I follow this recipe more closely.
Oh, and I almost always double the garlic quantity in recipes.
Brown Rice Casserole via The Greens Cookbook
4 cups cooked brown rice (1 1/3 cup raw)
half a block of tofu (8 or 9 ozs)
1 large onion
2 medium carrots
2 stalks of celery
1 green pepper (I omitted)
2 medium zukes
6 ozs mushrooms
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 cup mush. broth, veg. stock or water
6 ozs grated cheese (jack, muenster, cheddar, gouda, etc.)
pepper
parsley or other fresh herb for garnish
Cook rice if you don't happen to have leftovers. Drain tofu. Chop the onion, carrots, celery, pepper and zucchini into pieces that are roughly 1/2 inch square. Chop up the mushrooms too and lastly the tofu, all about the same size.
Heat the olive oil and butter, and fry the onion over medium heat until it is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, cumin and salt. Stir until blended and cook for 1 minute; then add the carrots, celery and green pepper. Add 1/2 cup liquid, cover the pan and braise the veggies until they have begun to soften, about 5 minutes. Then add the zuke and the mushrooms and cook another 7 - 10 minutes. The veggies should be nearly cooked. If the pan gets dry during the cooking, add a bit more liquid.
Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the veggies with the rice and cheese. Season with salt and ground pepper. Gently mix in the tofu and put everything into a casserole dish that has been lightly oiled or buttered. Cover with foil and bake for 1/2 hour. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Serve garnished with herbs.
* As noted, I left out the green pepper. I did add a bit more zuke and mushrooms, and maybe celery too. It was more liquidy than I thought it would be. Because of that I cooked it longer with the foil off.
For the mushrooms I used leftover a shitake/button mix that I sauteed up with shallot the day before. Both Pablo and I noted how yummy the mushroom flavor was as we were eating it, so we'll see how it turns out tonight when I follow this recipe more closely.
Oh, and I almost always double the garlic quantity in recipes.
May Faire
It was a wet and windy May Faire this year. The children didn't seem to notice at all. Great fun was had by all.
This was our seventh year of cake walks. Perhaps by the time the girls graduate we'll have won a cake!
Hazel and Sahara enjoyed catching butterflies.
Here is the pair at the Faire two years ago.
This was our seventh year of cake walks. Perhaps by the time the girls graduate we'll have won a cake!
Hazel and Sahara enjoyed catching butterflies.
Here is the pair at the Faire two years ago.
Alien Papa
We planted a few last fall hoping it wasn't too late to get them in the ground. They never came up so we got a whole bunch to plant this spring. The day after we planted them I pulled up some remay that was over a bed up front. Weeds were growing under there along with 8 forgotten potato plants. Wow!
We were going to put tomatoes up there but we don't want to get rid of any potato plants, so we'll have to buy a farm right outside of the city which has great soil and lots of space for our orchard and gardens.
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