The chickens though! They have been giving us Christmas gifts all week... every day this week we have gotten 4 - 6 eggs. For the last three days we have gotten six a day. Which means two dark brown, two green, and two light brown. One from each of my sweet girls. :)
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas!
The chickens though! They have been giving us Christmas gifts all week... every day this week we have gotten 4 - 6 eggs. For the last three days we have gotten six a day. Which means two dark brown, two green, and two light brown. One from each of my sweet girls. :)
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Gosh... lots of deep thoughts this month
I too, am starting this new year of the earth; with a commitment. A few actually. I am not sure how they are going to pan out. I don't have a very good support system in which to back these things right now. It is not that Don doesn't support me, he just has a very hard time living with in means that make it seem possible for us to do things like think globally, buy locally, and not buy on credit. He wants and loves the gadgets. And rightly so. He deserves the gadgets. In a way... just as much as any good, hard working, public servant does. I am trying to find a way to get down to the brass tacks of what we want to do with our money and help him not feel deprived. We used to be good at that. When we REALLY had no money, those things come easy. But two years of tons of stress and doubling our income made the creature comforts seem easy to obtain, and more than a little necessary. How does one go about making it so the creature comforts of life are once again small, simple affairs?
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Heartbreak
Friday, December 14, 2007
Compacting, credit cutting, and random thoughts
I was thinking of doing "Not Buying It" for a while... but that won't work. I will be getting things for the kids rooms to organize their spaces. I will be getting things to stream line the things that I am doing in the house, and I will be getting things for the garden come February next year. So Compacting it is.
I am less than half way through Omnivore's Dilemma and I am ready to buy local beef. Chicken is harder... they cost more to produce. I know. I have 6 laying hens out there, that are only double the age for first culling and that means that since last February we would have only had 12 birds for the food and space and time it has taken to raise these chicks. That would be spendy if I was to sell that. But beef and pork, I can do local. I also want to get a whole share of the CSA farm this year. If they recover from the flood that is, which I have every hope that they will. They have a drop off point right next to the Library so I can even make it a double trip each week next spring. That will work out nicely. I am already itching to garden... December through Feb is hard for me... maybe time to build some cold frames?
I may give the farm my chickens. They lost their 4 hens and rooster during the flood. Another friend is giving them a rooster from their same stock... I would like to give them the laying hens. We don't have the room or the time for them right now. I keep feeling like I am neglecting them. And the money. Yikes... the tarp I bought for the coop is already breaking, meaning I have cold wet birds quite often this time of year. I put our old shower curtain over it... but if you are going to have chickens in the city, you really need to put some money behind it and build a nice coop. No one wants to see an old dog kennel converted into a innercity chicken coop... plus, I can't keep it from not smelling. But I love those birds, and the eggs they give us from their healthy outdoor lives, and lovely kitchen scrap diets... so I don't know what to do. Maybe one months worth of debt paying can go to building a new coop. I just don't know. Maybe I will just give them two or something.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Deep Thoughts and a great site
The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard
I hate computer stuff. Blech......
How long is that going to go on? Before we have to keep up with stuff, just because they are necessary to life? Because right now, we have the bottom of the line computer. We are moving up to a newerish computer because ours isn't really doing what we want it to anymore. And so I am down with getting that. I am. But when will we choose what we have and what will become obsolete? How long will this computer last? 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? And when we get rid of it, what will we be upgrading to? BETA to VHS to DVD and now what? And these things are necessary for "life" in our country.
Now, I am not talking about the things that are extra.... the Barbie clothes and the newest toys or the newest skinny heal shoes. I am talking about things used to communicate... and if you don't have them you don't communicate with everyone because their mode of communication has already past you and you are no longer 'convenient' to communicate with... so you drop off their radar. Not on purpose... but just because you haven't evolved.
Omg... what a terrifying prospect... and so now I am getting the new computer.
I don't care about shoes, or anything... those cycles I can stop. I can stop buying my kids thousands of $$ worth of Christmas crap from stores like Walmart. I can stop buying at the dollar store and keep buying at Goodwill. (But hell, even that is being exploited now.) But what about that other stuff? What is going to be done about that? And what else are they going to introduce that we have to maintain like the computers that are obsolete within two years of spending WAY too much money on them. What else are they going to invent that is going to change the way we live so drastically that if you don't have one you are "left behind".
Where is this all leading? (When will my husband think about this?!!?)
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Amazing...
We drove out there for a friends party yesterday. The roads are clear. The street sweepers are working overtime to get the rest of the rural areas clean... but the roads are all passable now. Thank god. My friends are slowly digging out. They look so tired. They have been pulling off walls and counters and cuboards, and hucking them into the yard... where the rest of the mud is. They have heaters drying things out and windows and fans open, trying to stop the mold from setting in. They are amazing people.
The love that surrounds that area right now is just incredible. Groups of people that they have never met are mucking mud out of the yard and green houses. The love is incredible. I am humbled and at the same time very honored to be part of this group of people. It is a beautiful thing to watch a life be rebuilt and to see the love that it takes.
Today it is snowing hard again. We have about an inch already this morning and it started around 9am. It doesn't have the thrill that it did two weeks ago. But, man, the world is beautiful white and covered in ice. Let us hope that there is no more devistation because of this beauty.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Flood
This is one exit down... next to his new house, which is up on the hill to the rt.
(He is fine and dry.)
This is the area between the two towns down there. Yes... that to the right is a roof awning of the local Sunbirds.We have friends who have lost houses, farms, animals... and we are lucky. Some people lost their whole lives. Our dear friends organic CSA farm was a total lost. My friends and their new baby got out safe and sound, thank god. A farm next to theirs lost 30 cattle. Another farm close to their lost over 100, and these poor beasts are floating all over the valley. They have no idea when they will have clean water, many wells are contaminated with sewage from the overflowing septics.
Our favorite mexican restruant is that little orange building.
The road outside the local shopping center.
This is the freeway. Doesn't look like it, but it is the main interstate... under this water. Just amazing!
More of the freeway.
The power of this devastation is incredible. Let us pray that hope prevails.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Newest Crafty Stuff
I am so enjoying this crafty time I have gotten in the last couple days. You will be seeing lots of craft and shows from me in the next week. I am getting things done. Mainly because I moved my entire sewing operation out of my cold garage (never got above 40* yesterday) and into the middle of the living room. Between that, a baby who gets into everything, and a backed up pile of laundry, the house is THRASHED. But man... am I having fun.
Another thing I have been making is bibs. I don't have snaps on these yet, and this is an AWFUL picture, but still, you get the idea. Undone edges seem to be my "thing" right now.
I also have three quilts in the works. *glee*
You see this boy? The one who wears the cute bibs? Yeah, he was totally impressed.
Like, so impressed, he nearly fell over. LOL!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Inexpensive Decor
All this is, is 20# fishing line, with two punched paper stars glued together to create a 'floating' look. It was easy. I even used a glue stick. lol! But man, the effect, even from inside the house, is very charming, don't you think?
And here is my token picture of one of my babies. This is Cyan, with her new animal love from Ikea (Foxes are the "thing" right now)... the baby is in a sling.
Cyan's quote for that day:
"Come on Mama, every baby deserves a sling!"
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thanksgiving Recipes
Two pears (diced)
1 lb pork sausage (not links)
1 large bag cornbread stuffing squares
2 stalks celery (diced)
1 lg onion (diced)
2 sticks + 1 Tbs butter
1 tea Thyme leaves (dried)
2 tea fresh Sage leaves (minced)
2 cups of water
2 cups of chicken stock or giblet stock from turkey
Melt 1 Tbs of the butter in a large saute pan. Add sausage and break up until browned and crumbly. Take out of pan and set aside on paper towels to drain.
Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a large stock pot. Add the 2 cups of water. Toss the butter liquid with the cornbread stuffing until liquid and butter are gone.
To the sausage pan (without washing) add the celery, onion, thyme, and sage. When onion turns mostly clear add in the diced pear, and saute' for another 5 or 6 minutes. If it starts to stick to the bottom at all, add a 1/4 of water or stock to loosen it all up. You want the stuff on the bottom of the pan in the stuffing... it adds a lot of flavor. When that is done, add the sausage back onto the pan and mix. Add raisins and turn over a couple times to coat them with flavor.
In a very large baking dish (I used a 10X15 Pyrex) put the stuffing bread, and the veggie sausage mix and toss. Add 2 cups of the stock, pouring over the top to moisten. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350*. Take the cover off and cook for another 15 minutes to brown the top. If a dry, add the last cup of stock.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Sunflower Quilt
It is pretty much the cutest thing ever.
Thanksgiving Menu
Friday, November 16, 2007
Chanterelle Kale Linguine
1 bunch kale
5 cloves garlic
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs olive oil
1 tea salt
2 tea balsamic vinegar
Cook pasta per package directions... toss with warm water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
Melt butter and add olive oil. This brings up the flash rate of the butter and makes it harder to burn. Add the garlic, minced. Add mushrooms and toss with garlic butter until they start to get soft. Cut up the kale in small pieces, and add after the garlic has started to clear along with the vinegar (sprinkle over the greens to spread it evenly). Add a splash of water if it starts to scald at all while cooking. Salt to taste and saute' until kale is done.
It was so yummy! And a really good way to get my kids to eat dark leafy greens. ;)
Monday, November 12, 2007
The Well Trained Mind
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Finished... well, sort of.
Very sweet outift.
And this picture...
all I can say is; I love my girl. :)
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Sewing Again!
And here is my sweet girl, in her pilgrim outfit, with her Native American trading beads that she just made in a repeating pattern, and a big grin. :)
Friday, November 2, 2007
A Good Trade
A quilt that is themed with Sweet Peas, a pillow case to match, and a knotted doll. The quilt is all cotton, backed with organic cotton sherpa (it is like the inside of a sweatshirt) and tied with coordinating embroidery threads in greens and pinks.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
A less scary article
Cheap Food Nation
A very good read and some great food for thought, with out the alarmist view of the inevitable death of us all. lol...
Wise Traditions
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Salmon Run
The salmon run meets the river close to our house every year in late September till early October. Tumwater Falls park houses about 1500 Chinook Salmon each year... they take the eggs around the first of October and send them to the rivers that need Salmon repopluated.
This year we missed the biggest part of the run, but we did get to see a bunch of Salmon swimming around their tank, and we got to watch the few that were left jumping up the Salmon stairs make their way to where they lay eggs and pass on for the next generation to take over.
It takes them three to five years go to the sea and back again. I didn't realise it was that long... Ones that come back before they are mature are called Jacks. There are a few every year, but most come back when they are ready, like clock work... 3-5 years after they started their lives there.
Pretty neat if you ask me.