Dreamspinner Studio

Connecting....

2012-02-11T22:51:00.000-08:00

I felt compelled to share about the soul-nourishing afternoon we spent on our farm today. The photo collage below is a collection from our winter of 2010-2011... , and while we do not presently have snow on the ground, the home, the land, and the animals, look very much the same today, as they did this time last year. Hence, for the rest of this blog post, I am using photos from our albums, rather than shots from today's events. We had no hands spare for the camera, and at a brisk 24 degrees with a wind-factor, I dont think I could have convinced anyone involved it was a particularly good photo op. The stout farmhouse sits atop a hill that overlooks the valley that is our farm.

It is a place of built of love, of dedication to an ideal, and of commitment to those who dwell therein.

From the front decks, you can look down the drive... past the gated pastures as in this shot....

About 50% of our land is devoted to grazing our Scottish Highland cattle. It is a small herd, by any estimation, but have been the most fascinating creatures imaginable. They are hardy, gentle, and magical! Below, you see two of our girls hand feeding one of them, the first week they arrived on our farm, over 3 years ago.

In this shot, you can see the majestic nature of the magnificent animals...so much resembling the ancient bison.

We have been lamenting the loss of a couple of calves this winter, due mainly to bullying of the older, more dominant animals in the herd, and also, to the inexperience of the young cows, who calved for the first time this past fall. So it was decided today, that we must take action.... and we moved the remaining two calves up to another barn, to accompany our Jersey dairy calf, ( who is an unfortunate cross from our Highland bull... {that stinker just walked right over the pasture fencing and helped himself to our dairy cow} ) and so... This amazingly talented fellow ( who just happens to be descended from an earl, Robertson, dated around the 11th century, Scotland) along with....

....this sweetheart of a guy... Timothy, who is our last son still living at home ( and as such has inherited the charge of livestock water-boy and chief fire-wood splitter) as well as myself, formed our plan and put it into action...

We cranked up the 4-wheeler, and rode into the cattle pasture, cornered the calves, one at a time, then loaded each one up onto the rack on the back and crept up the long winding drive to the waiting barn.

Those poor babies, they were more than a little skittish, looking up with pleading eyes...

We got them settled in, piled in the wonderful smelling hay, coaxed them to drink warm milk mixed with sorghum, and to munch on the handfuls of grain. As our dear little dairy calf, Maisy, had never even seen another cow, she was more than a little put off. Hmmm... she thought..." how dare you stick me in here with those ugly beasts" ( well, after all, she is a lady with the prettiest little Jersey face, that just happens to be covered in Highland fur) She stood aloof for a bit, but eventually decided that they were going to tolerable, at least.

The entire experience... chasing the calves down, holding them safely on the ATV, while we walked them up, feeling their timid bodies in our hands, .... the thick soft fur, the smell of the hay and the feed... the cold wind biting at us...the fellowship of working together with those you love, for something you care dearly for... it is such profound food for the soul... It may not be everyone's "cup of tea"... but for me, I wouldn't have it any other way. I can never see a time when I will not want to be on the land, in the elements, connected with what and whom I love... There have been many times that the cozy blanket of mist has rolled into the valley, and as I look out upon it, I can imagine myself in another time. A time when many who came before us, did just as we have done today... perhaps with more simplicity of means, but connected in the very same way that we experience in our lives today. Those opportunities exist all around us... wherever you are, you can find special ways to connect with what feeds your soul...

and so, I will finish this up with a sharing of one of the beautiful sunsets that we are blessed to observe many evenings...right from the front decks of our home. Yes!, as the sun set today, I was truly grateful for the connections I am able to enjoy in my life... no mansion for me... just a simple, wooden house, on a hill, at the top of a valley... and in that place... there is much love....

How to Begin the New Year on the Right Foot!

2012-01-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

We began our New Year... with a trip to Montauck State Park, and a 2 1/2 mile hike through the hills along the river. The whole gang, Mama, Papa, and 6 little ducklings made our way up and down, back and forth, in, over and around the various obstacles, and 2 hours later... we arrived! This first shot is of Kendra, showing off her handstand whilst blending in with the background...

.... our train of hikers heading up a hill...

Kendra takes a Zen-ful moment to rest by the water, seated on a large flat stone that jutted out into the stream...

This was nearing the end of our hike, I laid on the ground for this shot... just looking for a different perspective, and ended up catching a great shot of sunlight...

Long view of the river from one of the highest points on the trail..

Lovely play of light on the water...

... a nearly perfect shot of reflection... just the right proportions, color, light... one of my favorites!

Spooky light coming through the trees....

another great capture of light, streaming through the trees onto the river...

Timothy and Kendra, on the climbing tower, where we stopped to drink our flask of hot English Breakfast tea, and eat organic chocolate... before loading up to return home...

Just behind the climbing tower and swings, at the rest area, is an enormous rock face, that Timothy braved, to climb out onto a ledge and rest... just happened to catch this shot of him... he looks so small, not just because of the distance away, but because, the rock face is so very high...

A wonderful day was had by all.... wee fellow in the Ergo, trading from Mama to Papa's back, the the rest meandering about here and there along the trail, looking for good walking sticks, bartering swaps for each others sticks, finding interesting rocks and fungus and critters... Just the best way to detach from all the holiday hustle and bustle... I wish there were some way to bottle that feeling, that connection with nature, family, and the creator... all at the same time...

...time for catching up

2012-01-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

Shots of my peeps at the holidays... of course we have 4 wee diddles that cannot have their photo published, so the usable photos are limited. Dana, 18, attending RTI for the Firefighter/EMT program. (w/Ethan in the background)

Ethan, now 21, and the new barrista-trainee for our local "Giddy Goat Coffee House"... planning to attend a local college next fall....

DH stealing a kiss and caught by the camera... sheesh, we are not getting any younger, are we?!

... the lovely Miss Kendra, opening gifts, just before she received an unexpected new mountain bike... unfortunately, we somehow missed the surprise! photo...

...and sweetheart Timothy.... my awesome studious, artistic child, donning a mama-made earflap hat,that he was gifted...

The holidays, these days, are more about everyone finding time from their busy lives to come together and just bask in each other's company for while, and not so much about the decorations, or even the food... there were other guests floating through on the day, and the wee ones that cant be photographed publicly, yet...

I have mixed emotions about seeing my children so grown up, some with families of their own already, and not able to make the long trip home too often, but making their way in the world. Pretty hard to believe I am the mother of 9 bio, 4 step children, and Nan to 4, with another on the way in March... How did this happen, I suppose in between the laundry, the homeschooling, the story reading and the trips to the beach, it has gone from present to past, and their childhood is nearing its close. Kendra, 14 next month, with only 4 years until she is off to college... and the last fledgling in the nest, will bring 4 decades of raising my family to an end, but the parenting will go on indefinitely... as I field questions, requests, and even occasionally offer up some unsolicited advice, ( as is the unspoken expectation :o) ) from time to time.

It was a heartwarming end to the year, and gives this mama, who has such a terrible time letting go, great hope for what 2012 will bring into the lives of my children... Hoping you and yours had a wonderful holiday season too!

Lentil Soup

2011-11-30T06:16:00.000-08:00

I am posting this for a friend... but have shared this recipe many, many times. It is a favorite at our house, not just because of the uber nutritious ingredients, but also, because, it is one of the handy recipes that you can whip up in half an hour...so here goes:

LENTIL SOUP

2 c. organic red lentils
2 qt. water
1 whole onion ( chopped)
3-4 good size carrots
2 c. spinach ( chopped)
chopped garlic & parsley
1/4 c olive oil
1 t. sea salt

Put it all in a soup pot and bring to boiling point, then turn down to simmer for 20 mins. You can cook this longer, but we like ours with the veg barely done. You can add more or less water during the cooking time, for desired thickness. If you use yellow lentils, it will not taste the same. The organic red lentils have the most amazing flavor! This is also great made up the night before and left in the fridge. Just re-heat and serve... it is our idea of " fast-food" ;o)

Enjoy!

(oh yeah, I didnt happen to have a photo of red lentils, (lol) so the pic is of carrots from our garden this past year)

...at our home

2011-08-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

I am going to try to commit to blogging more consistently... darn that FB... it is just so easy to hop on and off, posting snippets of my world... when I would much rather dig a little deeper and put together a blog post. Well, one true thing... folks do what they want...they surely do! And so here, today is the first blog post under the tag "at our home". Please enjoy!

...at our home today, we are listening to: Celtic Wonder, "the Briar and the Rose" gently lulling in the background...(amongst a plethora of other delightful Celtic tunes... it sets a lovely tone...) You can listen here at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAKE_3c4QxQ

With nappies drying in the sunshine and breeze, we are working on the last bits of stitching for a wee quilt made from this fabric, by Valorie Wells... just about my favorite fabric designer... (but right up there with Anna Marie Horner and Alexander Henry) You can see the fabric below:

Then a lunch of org Muenster cheese, org apple wedges, and sprouted corn tortilla's filled with org cream cheese and our homemade zucchini relish....all washed down with this tea:

It is from the bulk herbal selection at Monterey Bay Spice Co. and you can purchase it at this link;

cranberry orange tea...

Later today, we will be folding laundry mountain, a result of a mini fall-deep clean that took place this week... While we are folding, we will be also doing a little history lesson about a little fishing community in New Brunswick... and will be watching this video :

"Quest for the Sea"

It is available at Amazon in a 2-cd set... and well worth the investment.

Well, that is it for the peek into life ..............at our home! What's going on at your place!?

Link Love Monday!!!

2011-08-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

I have stumbled upon so many great resources of late, that my Google reader is chocked full.... I thought I would try to begin a practice of posting links on a Sunday evening or Monday morning...so we will see how THAT! goes... ;o) anyway, hope you find something useful!

http://www.janetlansbury.com/
one of my all time favorites for early learning....

http://www.teachpreschool.org/studio/
a little conventional, but still good info here...

http://www.playbasedlearning.com.au/
just like it says... all play, all the time!

http://pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com/
very artsy and fun!

http://www.frugalfamilyfunblog.com/
lots of variety on this one...

http://www.childcentralstation.com/
kinda doubles as a homeschooling resource...

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/
this one touches the suppressed interior designer in me... lots of great tips on decor/design for kiddos space

I will be trying to keep to a particular theme/category each time I post... so more on children, domestic arts, nature, homeschooling, alternative medicine, etc...coming in the future!

namaste
Sidonie

2011-06-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

take a stroll through some shots of the herb and floral gardens of Hobbit House....

The Best Corncakes on the Planet!!!

2011-03-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share my hoecake/corncake recipe... It is a staple at our house and we use these as bread with salads, soups, chili, egg or potato dishes... Such a simple, basic food, but so versatile! Here is the recipe...you will find yourself pulling this one out of the hat time and time again : )

1 1/2 c. white organic cornmeal
1 c. organic tapioca starch
1/2 c. organic brown rice flour
3 t. aluminum-free baking powder
1 t. sea salt
1/2 c. oil of your choice
3 organic eggs
milk to make a batter with pancake batter consistency

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix gently. Do not over mix, but make sure all the dry ingredients are dissolved. Pour batter by the large spoonful onto a hot, well-greased cast iron flat pan or griddle and turn as needed. When golden, place in stacks and keep hot until the meal. Be generous with the grease/oil on the griddle as it makes lovely crispy edges. Enjoy!

Winter Walk

2011-03-05T13:08:00.000-08:00

...another little collage of a sunny winter walk about the farm. In the collage is: Wooly Bully, the herd sire for our Scottish Higland cattle * the dear little witch hazel in spring bloom * Wendy the Saanen goat * winter pasture in the sunshine * a wee little bird in the crabapple tree * Freidah, the Finnsheep ewe * Sven, the Finnsheep ram lamb * and finally, one of the hens that feed us so well *

It was a sunny, clear, cool day at the end of February...with spring just nipping at its heels! Everywhere there are sign of the new season!

The Collage of Life...

2011-02-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post some photo collages of all sorts of snippets of our life....

...in the first one, of course the theme is blue... there is the crab apple tree in winter, fleece drying in the sun, light streaming through our woods, Timothy, hand blown glass by a fellow artisan, morning glories in the greenhouse, cobalt glass in the studio window, water jugs for livestock, our lace curtains in the front of the Hobbit House....

...the next one is the pink/rouge theme...Lorna, our faithful Scotty, Kendra at a recital, flowers from the greenhouse, knitted handwork, tinwork by a fellow artisan, magenta dye pot, the brothel holiday tree,

...a monochrome collage next, one of our angora bunnies, sheepies in the barn, Kendra at dance class, amazing clouds over the farm, wee baby feet, a 3 foot icicle doubles as a unicorn horn, hand blown glass by a fellow artisan, the beloved Sassy- Kendra's maltese, a lovely rescue pup that has left here for a perfect home, the Hobbit House in winter....

This is the winter collage that is now the header on the blog....the crab apple tree appears once again, the family photo of mama and papa with 8 of our 13 kiddos, the garden gate, sheepies in winter, and the wooden cross that a friend made to mark the spot that my dear Christopher died...we brought it with us when we moved here...and another shot of Hobbit House in winter....

Hope you have enjoyed the tour of the collage of our life....

namaste

Handwork This Week...

2011-02-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

We begin this week with the completion of a sweet little baby hat for a friend's new wee babe. Made this of cotton, so it could be worn into the summer. You can find the link to the archived pattern from the Knitlist archives, now on the "Wayback" website...

Click here

We are altering our regular school schedule for this next couple of weeks to focus on sewing and art. The projects, the fabrics, the reference materials and the patterns, have all be selected with Kendra in mind. She is 13, and chomping at the bit to have this sewing block... While we do have sewing projects from time to time, this will be a much bigger event! To her chagrin, I am insisting that she journal each project and keep a planning worksheet. (for my own obsession with organization, lol)

Below is a selection of some of our recent shop at a large fabric store in St Louis. We chose several coordinating prints, all in similar weight cotton. Also, found a steal on neutral colored 100% linen, so bought a few yards of that.

Closer view of the recents fabric finds....

We also will be using some pieces from our stash in the studio....adding in lovely finds such as organic bamboo-hemp fleece, 100% white cotton terry, organic cotton quilters flannel, and organic cotton batting and wool batting....as well as items from our quilting stash...from designers such as Michael Miller, Kaffe Fassett, Amy Butler, and one of my all time favs...Charley Harper...

Below is a short review of the just some of the books/patterns that we will be using, from our studio library

This first one, a real treasury of bits and pieces of allsorts for the wee ones...full size patterns included

Of course we have to include the Apron Book...a kaleidescope of apron designs...

The next one, Carefree Clothes for Girls is a favorite of mine...I love the simple and earthy look to the designs....

All kinds of ideas in here, from the simple to the more challenging...

more great ideas from the splendid Amy Butler...

An old standard...good reference for some different possibilites...

The perfect book for those projects that can use up your remnants...and we all have 'em!

Don't know that Kendra is quite ready to jump into doll making just yet...but there are some accessories in here that would be ok for a beginner....

This is another of my all time favorites...the designs are just the cutest ever...and basic sewing knowledge is sufficient for most of the designs...

And all this hive of fun and creativity will be happening....

here! (click to see!)

Please share in the comments, links to your handwork projects, so we can all be inspired!

namaste,

Sidonie

PS. CLEARING OUT LAST YEARS SHEARING...FULL SKIRTED FLEECES, ALL LIGHT COLORS, EG CREAMS, BEIGE, WHITE (MERINO, BORDER LEICESTER AND HYBRIDS)...50.00 FOR FULL FLEECE PLUS SHIPPING OF 7.00 TO MOST PLACES IN CONTINENTAL US. REPLY VIA EMAIL TO DREAMSPINNERSTUDIO AT YAHOO DOT COM.

Nash Baby Sweater

2011-02-03T11:22:00.000-08:00

I have decided that I would share this week's knitting project....mainly because it is just the loveliest, simple but elegant design. All garter, simple increases, and no ribbing. This would make a perfect beginnner project, or just a quick knit, for the more experienced knitter. I made this for a friend with a new little one. It is done in Weekend (cotton blend), by Berrocco. I am so pleased with the sumptuous feel of this yarn, and plan to use it again.

The little sweet buttons are upcycled vintage lucite, with diamonte centers. Just the touch to make this sparkle. You can find the pattern in "One More Skein". It is called "Nash" and will require about 1.25 skeins to complete.

You can find my Ravelry link here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/aDreamspinner/nashs-garter-stitch-baby-sweater

....and if you click on the projects for Nash on my page, you will find allsorts of interesting designs for this pattern. Enjoy!

namaste

Winter Beauty!

2011-01-29T13:02:00.000-08:00

Just sharing photos that capture the magic of an Ozark winter...the first one is our Hobbit House in the woods...

above are some of our sheep...a couple of Merinos, several BF Leicesters and hybrids, and 3 Finnsheep...

More sheepies...the one on the right is one we bred ourselves...just a gorgeous fleece!.

of course the goats have to get in on the act too!....that is the Finnsheep ram lamb on the left...just a little peanut still....

we leave the crabapples on the tree for the birds over winter...

Lorna, our faithful Scottish terrier...

one of the 6 blue spruce trees we planted 3 years ago...they seem to be very slow-growing...

Orvis, the tabby cat...the wet snow on his paws doesnt seem to be bothering him...: )

looks like the birds are going to be eating well this winter!

just a primitive gate made from wood slab....looks so rustic in the snow!

had to get a shot of the blue aquatainer...the bain of the farm in winter...we haul jug after jug to livestock when the hoses are frozen....

a final shot of the house...such a peacefullness the snow brings...so tranquil, like a serenity blanket covering the land....hope you are enjoying the winter as much as we are!

Handwork...

2011-01-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

This is a collage of some of my most recent handwork projects....

Below I will address each of them individually....

Photo taken while being blocked...a striking colorway from Nashua Handknits, made up into a shoulder wrap...especially stunning when worn with just the perfect shawl pin from my coveted collection...

This is a medium sized shawl, done in simple garter stitch, yarn is Paton's Silk Bamboo, just the most amazing drape for a medium weight yarn....I plan to do a crochet lace edging on two sides of this, in a matching perle cotton...

This is an adorable pattern from Lucinda Guy, "And So To Bed"....a cot sized blanket, made up in alpaca/silk/wool blend from KnitPicks...It is awaiting finish edging on two sides...

This is a precious little vintage style baby cap, with a knitted lace edging. There are also too-cute little legwarmers. They are knit in a wool/angora blend, and the cap pattern comes from the little gem, "Natural Nursery Knits"

This last piece is a scarf/neckwarmer in an all-over lace pattern, knitted in an alpaca/silk blend...lovely drape, lightweight, and super warm.

Hope you have been inspired to begin working on some treasures of your own!

Spring Garden Planning!

2011-01-17T23:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been soooo long since my last post. Things have been pretty busy here at the farm, eg, we have sold a few of the Scottish Highland cattle, bought a few Finn Sheep, the impossible chickens finally started laying, (yes, even without a rooster!), the cow went dry and needs to be bred, we lost about 1/4 of our roof, two storage bldgs, and nearly totalled the new milking barn in the last big winter storm, but I believe we are on the mend now. The barn has been repaired, the storage bldgs will be levelled in the spring, and the roof has been replaced. At least we made it through with all safe and well.

As the fresh crisp winter air draws round me, it is as invigorating as any tonic! The snow has been just lovely, but I find myself longing for the planting season, just 8 weeks away. Mid March is when the first seeds will go into the greenhouse. This is a photo from last years greenhouse beds. We plan to add another hoop house this year, and hopefully get the glass conservatory finished, finally! I thought I would share some of my favorite seed catalogues, just in case you might want to check them out!

http://www.seedsofchange.com/

http://www.richters.com/

http://rareseeds.com/

I can find most everything I need within the variety of these three companies. I always try to buy heirloom varieties so that I can try to save back some seed. Every year I like to add a few things that I havent tried before. Last year, one new addition was indigo...hah! there is a good reason you only find it growing in hot climates...lol. Even in the greenhouse, it didnt hold up this winter. So, guess we will be trying woad instead this next year. It is supposed to be a lot hardier. Have fun seed shopping for your spring garden and enjoy the links!

Himalayan Salt Lamp

2010-10-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

Follows is an exerpt from an article on ehow, about the salt crystal lamp....Having just purchased my first one ( at a bargain price of 10.00 for a 10x6 size), I wanted to get the scoop on just what the claims were all about...I bought mine, just because I like the way they look and I like having elements from the natural world in my home... so enjoy the read!

History of Salt Therapy

Generations ago, people regularly turned to salt water, mineral water and salt mines to seek remedies for chronic congestion problems. Distances were often prohibitive--particularly for folks suffering a variety of illnesses - so clinics were established in towns around the globe to deliver salt-based remedies to sufferers. The name given to this type of rehabilitation? Speleotherapy. Salt has been used over so many centuries to dry bronchial tubes and rid sinus cavities of bacteria and microbes, it's a natural evolution to the Himalayan Salt Lamp which uses a low-wattage light bulb and/or candlewick to disburse negative ions emanating from the salt crystals.

What to look for when you shop for Himalayan Salt Lamps

Since the object of your search is to remedy an ailment, choose a lamp that offers the largest salt surface for ion-disbursement. Your lamp should be UL/CSA tested and approved and the best units are constructed using stainless steel or other material that won't rust or decay. Eschew lamps that show signs of being thrown together (e.g., light bulbs haphazardly shoved into the lamp's salt crystal cavity and held in place with clips). Ill-fitting bases may allow potentially dangerous water seepage. Choose a complete unit (base, salt source, bulb) in any of the soft pinks and oranges most commonly found in Himalayan Salt Lamps. The redder the color, the higher the mineral content, so if you have a choice, go for the most intensity. Let your creative spirit be your guide when you choose from the many shapes and sizes on the market.

Why Himalayan salt has more therapeutic properties than others

Touted as the most pollutant free form of salt on the earth, Himalayan salt contains over 84 minerals and trace elements. Found at locations so high there's not a trace of pollution or environmentally compromised material in the air, Himalayan salt is light years away from the chemically-altered salt reduced to a sodium and chloride mix most commonly found on grocery shelves and rarely touted as being beneficial to the human body. Himalayan salt, some proclaim, approximates primal oceanic elements our bodies were exposed to during the earliest stages of man's evolution, which is why it claims to have so many healing properties when negative ions are disbursed from its crystals. To add to its mystique, authentic salt crystals come from the deepest mines on earth located under the foothills of the Himalayan Mountain range. Crystals are hand-harvested from mineral deposits on salt cave floors that have been dated by geologists to the Precambrian Age.

Where to place your Himalayan Salt Lamp for maximum benefits

Place a Himalayan Salt Lamp in your bedroom to help clear sinuses during the night when the body's defense system is most relaxed and receptive and to help intensify your sleep experience. Install one in the room in which you relax -- family room, living room, den--to freshen the air and make family time, reading and hobbies more pleasurable. Enjoy reduced fatigue--especially during that 3 p.m. slump--by putting a Himalayan Salt Lamp to work in your home office. You'll not only transform the air you're breathing, but you'll reduce the amount of electro-magnetic pollution office equipment disburses. Keep a lamp nearby when you're studying to increase your powers of concentration when you peruse material you're learning. Meditation practitioners extol the virtues of the Himalayan Salt Lamp when used in conjunction with yoga, deep breathing and other meditative efforts. Allergy sufferers are said to benefit greatly from exposure to this clean, naturally-ionized air.

Add a Himalayan Salt Lamp to your work environment for increased productivity

No official "Bring your Salt Lamp to Work Week" has been declared so you might want to institute this practice if your home lamp proves beneficial. Massage therapists are adopting Himalayan Salt Lamps as the newest in their arsenal of relaxants by installing them in treatment areas. When placed in holistic and homeopathic medical clinics and practitioner's offices, employees claim they notice a difference when they treat patients after exposure. Finally, Feng Shui masters regularly introduce a Himalayan Salt Lamps into the mix when they stage rooms to increase and enhance the amount of chi (energy) present in the air. Where's your favorite place? Enhance it with a lamp.

Conclusions

Since your objective is to be exposed to as many negative ions as possible being emitted from your Himalayan Salt lamp, it bears repeating: choose one with the largest amount of exposed salt surface and select a color by the most intensity in the hue. Additionally, place the lamp as close to the person in need of the therapeutic effects as possible, because even a large lamp will only positively impact the air of people in close proximity to it -- perhaps a few feet at most. As with all alternative health treatments, apply due diligence when you shop because many folks are getting on the Himalayan Salt Lamp bandwagon and not all of them are constructing these with the safety of the user in mind.

Nashua Handknits Shawl

2010-10-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is the first of 3 shawls that have to be blocked for the upcoming fall/winter season. It has been knit in Nashua Handknits, "Wooly Stripes", colorway-Dark Fuschia. The original pattern called for a slightly bulkier weight yarn, but I chose this, particularly because I like the coloring. So I knew from the outset, that it would come out slightly smaller. It still works for me though, it will just be a shoulder wrap, rather than the full size shawl that the pattern demonstrates.

This first view is a close up of the rose detail, which is not as visible as it would have been, had it been worked in a solid color. But, nonetheless, is a nice embellishment.

Next is the full view...the shawl is worn with the right-angle point, (the block that the rose pattern is in) on the back shoulders, with the two arms coming over the shoulders and across the chest. I wear this with a hand crafted shawl pin that I made, (sorry, no pic) and it is very warm and eye-catching. I just have two more left to block this week...

This was a very simple pattern and lends itself to allsorts of customizing...fun and pretty!

Old Ironworks Days 2010

2010-10-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Every year, just about the time the autumn makes her entrance, one of our local festivals, "Old Ironworks Days" takes place. It is a lovely collection of artisans and skilled craftspersons, with demonstrations and wares for sale. Above is a shot of the very interesting blacksmith forge, operated in a clever wooden building, on wheels....entirely self-contained.

We came upon a charming little group of musicians, one of whom played, of all things, a hammered dulcimer, not unlike the one I just recently acquired. This old dear took the time to give me a mini demonstration and share all about her knowledge of music resources in the area.

Friends of ours, Matt and Erin have a glass blowing studio at their home, in Steeleville, MO. Matt does just amazing work and they were there giving an awesome demonstration of his artisitic expression.

Erin was manning the sales, donning Matt's grandma's vintage cotton house dress!

I had the opportunity to chat with an old acquaintance, who happens to be the owner of Indian Springs Woolery, in Potosi, MO. They are respected breeders of registered colored angora goats...Years ago they re-homed a retired doe to our farm, and she finished out her days as a spoiled pet! They had an interesting display of mohair fiber, and various parts of the processing. They have a lovely fiber event every spring...so if you are a local reader, you may want to take a look at their website for details...

http://www.indianspringsfarm.com/index.html

The festival is held at the gorgeous Meramec Springs...there are lovely walks, trails, and the scenery is so envigorating!...This is a great place to visit, even when there is no festival. The weather was sunny and brought the visitors out in droves. A fun and interesting day was had by all, I am sure!

BLOG-GIVEAWAY WINNER!!!

2010-10-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER!

Thank you to everyone who entered my latest blog-giveaway. I will be contacting the winner to let you know what your color options are, and get your color selection. The yummy hybrid fleece is being washed and prepped for dye this week coming, so check back with us to see pics of the winner's choice of color and how lovely the hybrid fiber turns out.

Of special note.....BONUS OFFER!

I am offering a grab bag of merino fleece for shipping only, to the first 5 entries to respond. This will be about 2-4 lbs of merino fleece, my choice of colors, and will be mailed out after shipping has been paid. The shipping/handling is $10, within the continental U.S. Post your response in the comments if you would like the free merino fleece.....Offer only good for those who have already entered the original give-away. Hurry! ladies.....

How to make a Jelly Roll Crayon Caddy!

2010-09-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

This is a simple, little tutorial on how to make a jelly roll crayon caddy. This is a very hand item to just pop into the travel bag, or keep in the vehicle "busy box" to help keep little ones occupied on the journey. Skill level for this item is beginner, and should take about 1 1/2, from start to finish.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Fabrics of your choice (light to medium weight cotton works best), cut to these sizes:

backing fabric 18 inches by 14 inches

light weight cotton batting, 16x12

front/interior fabric 16x12

strips that hold the crayon/pens 5x16

ribbon, string, or ties made from the fabric scraps, 18 inches

(note: you can make the overall width slightly shorter, but I would not go less than 12 inches high)

PART ONE

Cut all the fabric pieces, then iron to remove all creases. Place backing fabric on the table, right side down, then center the batting and interior fabric on top of it, with the interior fabric, right side facing you. Gently pin in place, taking care not to shift the fabrics. You will have about a 2 inch width of backing fabric that sticks out beyond the inner layers, take this and fold over the edges to make an edge binding, mitre corners, and pin in place all around the edges. Sew this down, all around.

PART TWO

Take the 5x16 inch strips and place right side down on the ironing board, press top edge over 1/2 inch, all the way across the 16 inch length. Press the bottom egde over, 1/4 inch, the entire 16 inch legnth. Press the ends in 1/4 inch also. Turn over and press all turned under edges once more, making them clean and crisp. Sew into place across the top and bottom of the 16 inch length of the interior large, already finished panel. Take care to only sew the sides and bottom of the strips, as the center will be left open for the crayons. Press all once more, after all stitching is finished.

PART THREE

Sew lines of stiching at desired intervals along the crayon holding strips. Be sure to leave enough room for the items to slide easily in and out of the channels. You will do this all the way across the entire strip. Finally, attach with a bar stitch, the center of your length of tie, being sure to place it where the two strings can wrap around the rolled up caddy and tie in a bow. The best way to find where to sew the tie, roll the caddy up loosely, and find the spot that seems best. Fill with your art materials, fold the top side down to meet the bottom, then roll gently and tie. Voila!

Below is a photo of the one I just made, from "Maisy" printed fabric, with the art materials already inside.

just Beautiful!

2010-09-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

a superb photo, taken by my daughter Kendra, today...just stunning!

New Blog Give-away!

2010-09-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

An new blog give-away!....enter to win - dyed to your choice of color, 2 lbs of merino/leicester wool! Simply enter on the comments below...and the winner will be chosen in 2 weeks! This is a lovely hybrid wool, very soft, not scratchy, medium curl, and a little longer in staple than the average merino...yummy!

couldn't resist...

2010-09-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

I just couldnt resist blogging this photo....it was taken by Kendra, who has been bitten lately, with the photography bug, and she has some very impressive shots....she is giving me some serious competition. I photoshopped the pic to black and white, and added some touches...I think this will be one of my favs from her childhood. The pup is an Airedale terrier, about 3 feet tall and looking for a new home. She was a recent rescue, from an elderly couple who were too ill to take care of her. She is healthy, spayed, micro-chipped, 1 year old, great with kids and pets, and is housebroken. She is free to an approved home with vet reference. She can be shipped, if you wish to pay for shipping. Email me for details. (funny how they both have the same unkempt hair!)

More pics of Marnie!!!

...you're my hero!

So...You! are the one who keeps knocking over the path lighting...hmmm....

just Marnie!

Just a Slice of Family Life....

2010-09-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

Once in a while our beautiful Jersey cow, Daisy, has to watch over the farm for us for a day....

...so that we can take some time off for a family outing. Saturday, Papa wanted to begin the day at the gun and knitfe show, down in Licking. (fortunately for our budget, it was only window shopping). From there, we began a 4 hour long jaunt around our favorite area antique shops. One shop turned up 3 red enamel beauties...with the largest having a very unusual lid, with lovely fruits shaped into it.

The same shop revealed a very distinct, vintage grey table cloth with white blossoms. I have never seen this type of cloth in this coloring, so of course, it went into the bag!...and now is on my quaint, little dining table.

Every shop contributed a few more tea towels, all vintage, and all unused, with dainty, hand-stictched embroidery in various interesting patterns. I ended up with 26 in all...so I am set for a few years!

Then Sunday, a lazy, restful day....late morning organic Peruvian decaf, ground by hand and pressed to perfection....followed by lots of team work to ready the house and grounds for the beginning of the new week. Then to reward all our efforts and round out this mellow weekend.....a campfire in the pit, just outside the Zen room, which would cook our meal of Highland beef vegetable soup, organic potatoes roasted in the coals, and organic home-made cornbread, baked over the smokey fire, in a cast iron skillet. That cornbread, topped with organic butter, just melts in your mouth. The flavor is amazing. We sat down to enjoy the meal in the Zen room...soup served from the Dutch oven, under the twinkling Christmas lights that stay up in the Zen room, year round....

We finished off our evening, watching "Earth Wonders" on the telly, while sipping on lemon mate` tea and organic chocolate squares. Feels like we just had a mini-vacation...right from home. Sometimes the most enjoyable adventures are right in our own locale....

namaste

You've Come a Long Way Baby!

2010-09-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a cool, breezy morning, the air fresh with the residue of last night's rain. A perfect time to catch up on the......ironing!...I know...that must conjure up an image of drudgery and resentment, however, that couldn't be further from the truth. It is true enough that ironing maids, such as the one pictured above, (circa 17-18th centruy) may have found the chore of ironing to be arduous to say the least. The domestic tools of centuries past offered so little assistance to their user. Irons in particular, before the use of electricity, were hot, heavy, and cumbersome, to say little of the fact that a very costly linen item or garment may actually be ruined by scorching, in the process. Fortunately, for the domestic goddesses of this age, we have the most lightweight, stream-lined and functional ironing tool ever.

The domestic practice of ironing is reported to have begun in the Far East. You can read an interesting history of ironing at this link:

http://www.oldandinteresting.com/antique-irons-smoothers-mangles.aspx

Having spent about 90 minutes this morning, while overseeing school lessons, starching, pressing, ironing lovely, natural fabrics such as cotton, linen and silk...until they became crisp, light, and transformed into a thing of beauty, I reflected for a moment on the humble beginnings of my ironing experience. At age 12, I learned to iron, (before the widespread use of "permanent press fabrics") and found it so soothing and therapeutic, that I hired myself out to iron for many of our "white collar" neighbors, ironing dress shirts for 25 cents a piece. I no longer am so enamoured with the ironing process that I would entertain ironing for others, but still to this day get immense satisfaction from seeing our clothing hanging freshly pressed, or picking up a tea towel that has been ironed into neatly folded squares. I have been diligent to teach each of my children, regardless of gender, the proper way to iron. They may rarely use this skill, but for the times when that all important job interview, or special social function may arise, I know that they will be spending a few moments reflecting back on the time I invested in teaching them a seemingly insignificant skill that they will be able to keep and use time and time again throughtout life.

The last link is to a striking piece of literature, referencing ironing in everday life...with some very profound revelations about society within the piece.

http://www.essayforum.com/essay-writing-feedback-3/stand-here-ironing-literature-using-historical-context-934/

I hope you have found this unusual blog interesting and may consider making sure your little ones learn this simple, meaningful task.

namaste

EcoColor Book Review

2010-09-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog/book review...and I have to say, I was soooo impressed with this book, I felt compelled to blog about it. If you are looking for an inexpensive, nominal guide to dyeing fiber, then this would not fit the bill. It is a bit pricey, coming in around $30. However, once I had taken the plunge and Mr Postman delivered it into my waiting hands...the teensy bit of resentment over the price was far outweighed by the enormous resource now in my possession. India Flint has compiled an amazing amount of info on natural dyes, and best of all....the myriad of alternatives to the standard dye process reported in most of the dye/fiber resources on the book shelf presently. I only wish I had received this at the beginning of the summer, rather than the end, as I would have been experimenting with many of her suggested techniques.

She has info on some of the standards like the humble sunflower

but also covers lots of lesser used, wildcrafted plants such as the pokeberry

Ms Flint covers the entire process from collecting,harvesting and storing...to the wide range of inexpensive equipment (some quite unconventional), to processing and application, to a very eye-opening section on special effects. Her results are low impact, unique, and inspirational! This has become my new "go to" resource for natural dyeing....I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn on any level about natural dyeing. The book itself is quite large, lots of beautiful photography, interspersed with blocks of text that is written in very uncomplicated language. You will have this one in your collection for many years to come.
namaste

Summer Bounty-Blackberry Smoothie!

2010-09-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a super recipe for a healthy start to your day! I prepare one of these every morning, about 10 am, after my tummy has been awakened with an early cup of English Breakfast tea. This is especially handy for mamas with little ones, as you can make enough to share with the littles for mid-morning snack, and you can consume while in constant motion, (eg. hanging laundry, teaching art, sewing bean bags for math activities...you get the idea!)

INGREDIENTS

You will need about 1 cup of frozen blackberries, 1/2 cup of organic plain yogurt, 1 cup organic Jersey milk or milk of your choice, 1/2 cup Lily of the Desert inner filet aloe vera gel, 1 T. raw green powder of your choice, 1 T raw organic honey.....

Then you will just blend in a blender for about 1 minute and pour. This easily makes enough for two, or one adult and a couple of small half cup servings. You can play around with the ingredients, such as strawberry/banana, or peach, or blueberry. This is a standard for our household, and medicinal/culinary herbals can be added as needed for all sorts of health needs. Kendra is now a pro at smoothies!

A Musical Surprise!

2010-09-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog post for months....it has been a very eventful summer, but lots of personal things that have not yet come to resolution. Still, life goes on, and I wanted to share about a lovely surprise trip, thanks to dear hubby. Seven years ago, while on my own with 5 children, building a home in Edgar Springs (that has long since been sold), I first observed someone playing a hammered dulcimer, at the Old Ironworks Days Festival, at Meramec Springs. It was so fascinating to me, so I researched and found that there was a craftsman making them, right here in the Ozarks. I went on my first visit to Flat Creek Dulcimer Shop, in Hardy, Arkansas. What a lovely little village. Little "old world" type shops, filled with allsorts of hand-crafted wares. Many years have passed since my first encounter with Flat Creek. I never could bring myself to spend the investment to purchase the instrument I truly wished for, and so let it slip into obscurity. So, finally, this past Saturday, we set off, right after milking, to travel to Hardy, to pick up the long awaited dulcimer. The craftsmanship of all of the various instruments in their shop is amazing quality. They simply have beautiful, hand-crafted, wooden instruments...all locally made. I couldnt be more pleased...and I suppose have proven once again....that all things may just eventually come, to those who wait. This first photo is taken inside Flat Creek Dulcimer Shop.

This is a stock photo of a similar hammered dulcimer to the one I purchased.

We then set off back, and stopped in Mammoth Springs. What a slice of heaven....just the most stunning, crystal blue waters....The weather was perfection, and the water, so inviting!

The waters rushing by, sound so soothing....

Timothy and Kendra chose for us, Haagen Das ice cream, from the tourist info center, and found a little treasure...some bear claws that will be wrapped in pure silver wire and hung on a leather choker for upcoming holiday gifting. Kendra chose a small birch lap harp for herself, along with several song packets and serenaded us all the way home. (so just how many times can one listen to the plucking away of her favorite Celtic song....yikes!)

Kendra and I decided that Mammoth Springs will be the location for our annual Mother Daughter camping trip...but this year, we will make sure that we go when the trees are in full fall color. All together...just the lovliest day....and returned home feeling so very blessed.

namaste

my beautiful, Tiny Dancer!

2010-06-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

a proud mama just wanting to share some pics from Kendra's 2010 recital....

a little blurry, but still....check it out!

Ben and the gang....

I dont think she wanted me to post this one....but a cute shot...

.....I already KNOW the steps...okay!

she's my sweetie-pie, sunshine princess!!!

the Make-overs!

2010-06-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

Clearly the topic of my last post had left me shaken for some time....I have thrown myself into compulsively addressing the make-over process in 3 of our 6 bedrooms. The rooms are now more functional, more organized, easier to clean, and feel tranquil and inspiring....so enjoy the tour!

These first shots are of the sliver birch wall mural I painted freehand in the nursery makeover...There is a piece of trim missing between the upper and lower half of this wall, but you get the idea....

The nursery is on the second floor, with its own deck, overlooking the oak forest we live in...

...more shots of other views of the nursery....

Now on to the school/play room....

This is a play tower that we made from a set of discarded bunkbeds...there is a puppet theatre on the left, complete with orange polka-dotted curtains, a roadway car mat affixed to the top platform for vehicles and farm yard play, and a just right sized play kitchen in the cubby underneath, complete with tea sets, shelves, stove, and a sweet blue delft lamp....

then to the right is the sewing center where Kendra makes her lovely creations and a good quality blackboard that is hung by ribbons so it can be used on the wall or in the lap...

to the left are the book cases and a big basket full of American Girls dolls....a long time favorite at our home...

the swing is to the left of the book cases, for keeping a little fellow happy during school time...

....then past the french doors which open onto a small deck under the oaks, is the marker board, and above it, the puppet rack, with just some of our favorite puppets...Kendra is becoming quite the storyteller...

to the right of the sewing center, is the reading/storytime chair, a futon that makes into a full size twin bed for sleepovers...notice the lovely storage bins on clean white shelving that goes round the top of the room....

across the room is the play/work table with lots of goodies to explore... the ladder in the background goes to the upper loft bedroom of Kendra's....yes those are Kristie Burns' new herbal story books on the table!

and this is the Playmobil shelf, we are ever adding to these items, one of the most popular toys we have ever invested in...great play value....the shelf to the right, is a large built in nook where the flat screen is housed....for watching all those neat school documentaries...

finally we go on to Tim's boy room makeover....

we hope you enjoyed a peek at our recent endeavors....school break for us will soon be over and we are ready to begin using our new space!...

the paradox of living and dying.....

2010-05-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

There will be no pictures to accompany the post today....It has been a day of great joy and sadness....Today Kendra had her dance recital...such a happy little sprite. She fussed and fretted over getting her hair just right, packed her costumes, took a last look around her room and headed for the door. She was a late bloomer, shall we say, only beginning to take dance classes 3 years ago. She loves it and has to make an extra effort to not allow her ADD to affect her dance. Each year at recital time, she gets a little more confident and actually had "fun" this year, not just stage anxiety. And so I perched in the Leach Theatre seat for nearly 3 hours watching the lovely efforts of all the children performing, but only truly seeing my own child....(a condition of being a proud mama).

But the joy of those moments was short lived, as we filed from our seats, collected our children and headed back out into the day...The recital had been a welcome distraction from the weight I had been carrying around for a week...Last Saturday I would visit an ill friend for the last time....she was dying of cancer, only 42 years old, with 2 of her 4 children still at home. A friend that I have had many, many hours of heartfelt conversations with over the past 2 years, I was to touch her this one last time, to turn to her as we stood on the front porch of her primitive cottage home in the Ozark hills, our eyes fastened upon one another and with stoic determination not to cry.....said simply...".I love you girl "....

I received the call this morning, May 22, 2010...that she had passed away at 1:30 am. Today was her birthday....and also the day of her mother's death, as her mother passed away in giving birth to her. So, today, she will finally get to meet the mother she has longed for all her life, and will know her mother's own sorrow at having to leave the children that she loves behind....

....may all the peace and joy that is possible be upon you now in your new dwelling place, my dear friend....and please give my beautiful Christopher a mama's hug for me....

....this was so very hard to write....

namaste....

Berry spotting...

2010-04-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

A favorite pastime of mine, every spring is to putt about the back roads, checking hedgerows for the upcoming bounty of the summer and fall seasons. It is delightful to return to places that have become like an old friend, sharing a lovely time of gathering, in quiet and solitude. The Earth Mother has such abundance to bless us with...and spring is the perfect time to embark on your own little adventure, to discover the wild harvest out there, in your local environment. Once discovered, you will find yourself returning to those sacred places again and again.

Besides elderberries, we also find blackberries, crab apples, wild plum, herbs and those little blessings we call weeds, that are just waking from their winter sleep and preparing to bask in the summer sun. If you havent wildcrafted before, take the challenge and choose just one item to begin to search out and harvest. A little research will likely turn up many different uses for each thing you gather...and once the foraging bug has bitten...you have it for life....

Seeing all the new blossoms and green leaves returning comforts me so, in knowing how faithful our Earth is to bring such amazing, beneficial, and beautiful plants and trees back from winter rest for us to use. Some for food, some for medicines, some for personal care, some just for us to behold their beauty!...What a wonderful thing to teach our children, to establish as a rhythm in their lives....

Enjoy your travels as you look for the surprises nature has for you...

namaste

rainy Sunday on the farm...

2010-04-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

These are just some of a set of 72 photos from my walk in the drizzly rain this past Sunday...Having spent nearly a decade in the cold, rainy north of England, I feel a strange sense of comfort when we have weather such as we have had lately. The grey skies are like a cozy blanket that Shekhinah is wrapping around us, and the breeze is her gentle breathing as She whispers of her love for us...You can find the full album at this link:

album-Dimanche Gris on Facebook...

this is scabiosa planted in front of the greenhouse

this is a wisteria in the front cottage garden, twisting its way skyward...

...a toasty warm cup of organic coffee enjoyed in the greenhouse

this is Gris-woad, a new member of the flock...from Herbal Maid Fiber Farm...

.

Japanese maple in front of the greenhouse...

Baker Creek Seeds sell this mix of lettuce, called Rocky Top...we just love it, and this bed produced for us all winter...

this is broccoli raab, gone to flower in the greenhouse...we ate from this bed in the winter and early spring...the shot taken with the opaque background of the greenhouse plastic came out very interesting...

this is the string of lights that we recently put up in the greenhouse, it goes the entire 70' length, and looks just sooo inviting against the dark of night....so I am now able to hang out with plants in the evening!...

happy sheepies, grazing in our pastures...

I hope you enjoyed the stroll through the greenhouse, the cottage front garden, and the farm. I did this photo shoot to see how the images would look, being taken on a grey, rainy day...and have to say, I am pretty happy with the results...The Creator has made such beauty for us to behold....Click on the above link and enjoy the rest of the set.

namaste

FOOD INC.

2010-04-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

Dont forget to tune in (south central Missouri) to Ozarks Public Television....Point of View presents the film, Food Inc. on Weds, at 8 pm.

Spring Lambs 2010

2010-03-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

These are the first photos of the new spring lambs. We had only 4 ewes bred this winter, and have had 7 live lambs from them. Enjoy the photos....

The Story of Bottled Water

2010-03-22T20:38:00.001-07:00

The Story of Bottled Water

Posted using ShareThis

Blog Give-away Winner!

2010-03-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

The winner of our first blog give-away is Jen....so Jen, email me at dreamspinnerstudio at yahoo dot com and I will give you my number to call so we can figure out what stones and design you would like for your earrings.

Congratulations! Jen and thanks to everyone who entered. The give-away will be a regular feature on the blog, so stay tuned for the next one and bon chance

Blog Give-away!!!

2010-03-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

I am posting a first give-away on my blog.....It will be for one pair of earrings, post or hoop, your choice, (all .925 fair trade silver) custom created with the stone and color of your choice, with a retail value of up to 30.00. To enter, become a follower and leave a comment below, AND...share the give-away info with anyone who becomes a follower of my blog, and they will become eligible for the give-away as well. All persons both present followers and new followers will need to leave a comment on this give-away post to be counted in the give-away selection. You will get an extra entry, upping your chances of winning, for each new follower. YOU MUST BE A FOLLOWER to have your entry counted. Some folks have left entries without following. (oops!) Only FOLLOWERS that have left a comment will have their name put into the drawing. Be sure your referrals mention your name, so you get the extra entry. Have fun, find new followers, and the winner will be selected next Friday...the 19th. namaste

Some of our Furry Friends

2010-03-04T21:37:00.000-08:00

One of last years cutie pies...

Grazing under the plum blossoms

stuck in the middle with you.....

Don Merino.....

the Boss...

the Harem........

Last Spring's babes...

We are on the cusp of the new lambing season, and looking forward to all the beautiful new babies. Doesnt the Creator do some magnificent handiwork....namaste

Living in the Stone Age.....

2010-03-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

The most recent protest from my teen boys....."Mom, we're not living in the stone age!".....That explicative came in response to my having retired the little red Kitchenaid toaster in favor of more counter space and finding yet another avenue for lowering our electric consumption. The compromise....they got to remove the toaster to the apartment kitchen, (16 yo ds is in the apt w/ loft, kitchen, and jack & jill bath) knowing all the while, they will rarely take the trouble to walk all the way from the main kitchen to the apt kitchen to use the toaster. So, chalk 1 up for one of my favorite parenting tools...."negotiation". In case you might be wondering, we do still eat toast, we use the cast iron pancake griddle that lives permanently on the two left burners of the gas stove. BTW, the best 40.00 pan ever bought. They sell them at Cabela's and perhaps Bass Pro, in the camping section. We cook all our fry pan type items on it, and can turn out 18 fried eggs or 10 pancakes at one time.
And about that stone age comment....it made me contemplate....as I walked back into the house this morning, coming in from 6:30 am milking, hands tingling from the cold and brisk wind, carrying an old red and white enamel pail, filled to the brim with this morning's fresh milk, complements of Daisy, the cow. (sadly, Glinda has gone on to greener pastures)

My overly active analytical mind wanted to tell me...."its bloody cold, my hands hurt, are the kiddos getting ready, I am behind the 8-ball....yahduh yahduh...." But NO!....I turned to look out across the valley that our farm lies in, and surveyed, we have happy sheep, happy cows, lovely healthy meat and dairy, and worth every moment of discomfort....Daisy cheerfully greets us at the fence, and does her skipping jumping sort of stroll down to the milking barn, and freely gives up her nearly 2 gallons per milking of beautiful raw Jersey bounty. This morning's cache will be used to make ricotta cheese, for some awesome risotto w/ricotta and a spinach salad from the greenhouse. I continued on through the house, first surveying the mess before me, laundry to put away, hanging on the revered rack on the living room ceiling; breakfast mess still everywhere, children scurrying about to finish pasture chores and rabbitry chores.....and then....while sitting beside a toasty warm oakwood fire, sipping on "Ancient Forest Organic tea" from the Himalaya mts, allowed myself a Cheshire smile as I thought

........yep, we might be one step removed from the stone age....and I LOVE it.........life is good!

New Ladies Night Out Book Club!

2010-02-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

A new book review club is beginning in March 2010. We are extending an invitation to join us after reading the selection for this first of our bi-monthly selections. All future book club meetings will be held on a bi-monthly basis, with a rotating meeting place, and scheduled for either a Saturday or Sunday evening, on the last weekend of the month. The invitation is extended for ladies only, sorry, no men, no kiddos, just for us! The purpose of the club is to inspire women everywhere to read books of enlightenment, and meet together to grow and learn from each other's perspective.....(ok, its also to have an excuse to eat and drink...guilt free!)

Our first selection is , "After the Ecstasy, the Laundry", by Jack Kornfield. The blurb on the back cover reads:
..."Drawing on the insights and experiences of leaders and practitioners within the Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Sufi traditions, this book offers a uniquely intimate and honest understanding of how the modern spiritual journey unfolds---and how we can prepare our hearts for awakening. Through moving personal stories and traditional tales, we learn how the enlightened heart navigates the real world of family relationships, emotional pain, earning a living, sickness, loss and death."

It is hoped that the selections that we choose to read, and the sharing of thoughts and ideas that we embrace at the bi-monthly meetings will bring inspiration and life changing thought to our members. We warmly invite all women who are interested in joining us on this path......

A yahoo group for posting and sharing about the current selection and upcoming meeting will be up in a couple of days. We see the yahoo group as a good way for us to stay connected and plugged in during the bi-monthly intervals, and a way for us to get to know and relate to one another more easily. Once the yahoo group is up, we will be selecting a name for the club, based upon input from those participating with our first selection. We look forward to all of you who will be joining us...Welcome!

namaste
Sidonie Burton

Laundry Rack Happy Dance!!!

2010-02-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

What do you imagine you would respond when your honey asks you what you would like for your anniversary gift? Well, my reply was, an old timey laundry rack! Recently our tiny dryer that sits atop the apartment size laundry stack system that I run about 25 loads a week on, just went kaput. It had been looming for a while, and as the dryer began to take more and more time to dry a load, my guilt for having used it at all was increasing. But this winter, with the more challenging weather, I havent been able to get our clothes dry without the use of the dryer. So, the death of the dryer put hubby on the spot. I have been bugging him for over a year for this rack and now, tah-dah!!!

The rack is made of a length of 2x4 with 5-4 ft dowels. It is hung by threading two lengths of heavy duty rope through a set of pulleys. The one you see here is the double pulley that hold the ropes from each end of the rack. This entails a single pulley on one end and the double pulley on the opposite. From there, the ropes are joined together and knotted to prevent slippage of the ropes while moving the rack up and down.

So this is the entire length of the rack, up at ceiling height, and when needed, we just lower to waist height, put clothing onto it, and raise back to the ceiling. It is positioned to the left of our woodstove pipe, so the heat from the woodstove dries a full size load in about 1-2 hours.

The only unfortunate thing is, my adorable Victorian Cottage living room now has a clothes drying rack on the ceiling. However, these racks were in nearly every home throughout Europe in the Victorian era, just not in the sitting room. They would have been in the kitchen, but I chose not to put ours over our wood cookstove, as I didnt care to have my laundry smell like my dinner!.

So, some compromise from asthetics to function. But all in all, I am doing my happy dance...and as for the anniversary gift, I can make jewelry for myself anytime. I would have to say, the green factor to the rack is a better gift to my soul than any trinket would have been, so thank you darlin' and Happy Anniversary!

Making the Most of the Winter

2010-01-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is my dear friend, Grommit, sharing in my favorite winter pastime......knitting. As we have bee struggling with temps in the 0-10 degrees range for the past 3 weeks, just the simplest of tasks becomes a significant challenge. Watering a herd of Scottish Highland cattle, a flock of Merino and Blue-faced Leicester sheep, and a rabbitry with a dozen drop-dead gorgeous angora bunnies becomes the dominant theme of the day, when faced with water that freezes within a couple of hours after being replenished. Those homesteaders, like ourselves who are still watering by hand, (no yucky,stagnant water for our babies) will know the dedication and effort required to keep our animals hydrated in freezing temps. Two hour stretches, outdoors, in -25 windchill weather, watering, putting out hay and grain, moving animals, adding bedding, checking fence lines, etc tends to leave one feeling like spending the rest of the day snuggled down with a cosy, new knitting project. The current one, a beautiful lace shawl, made from hand-dyed merino/mohair blend, laceweight yarn that was a holiday treat from our local knitting specialty shop. I am waiting on new lace-blocking wires to arrive from my fav online supplier, Knitpicks. Being the improv type that I am known to be, my past makeshift wire blocking technique is being retired in favor of new, shiny, 32 inch stainless steel wires and oversized T-pins. I am on the last 2 inches of the top, widest part of the shawl......so getting pretty excited to see it all blocked out and nearly ready for wearing. (pics to come later) I had spent the past 3 months knitting countless "one ball" knits, for holiday gifting.......and just want to set-to on something grander, decadent and just for little ole me! I cant wait to put it on the first time, arranging it just so, choosing a beautiful brooch, (from my treasured, eclectic brooch collection) and feeling the warmth of it radiate to my neck and shoulders on a draughty, grey winter day. The greatest of pleasures can be found in simple, everyday things. I pay hommage to my ancestors that roamed the earth mother so many generations ago, and first embraced the use of fiber to weave, to knit, to clothe us, to warm and protect us.....and to all the beautiful creatures that share their bounty with us............namaste...

Artisans Village - LocalHarvest

2009-11-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

Artisans Village - LocalHarvest

Getting away from it all.....

2009-11-10T20:42:00.000-08:00

Kendra and I went on a long coveted "Mother/Daughter" campout this past weekend. We had been planning this for several weeks, just waiting for the lovely cool, fall weather. But just as the temps began to fall, so too did the rain. It rained and rained, until we began to think we weren't going to have the chance to camp at all. But, this weekend, with the amazing warm temps, sunshine, and able to find a campsite still open, we embarked. We ended up at Montauk State Park, just south of Salem, MO. It was only a 30 minute ride from our place and had just what we were looking for....primitive camping, a major river, and lots of hiking trails. Unfortunately, we missed the trees in fall color, as most had already dropped their leaves by the time we arrived.

We arrived about 4 pm and began hastily putting up the tent, just a few feet from the Current River in the primitive campsite loop 2 of the park. We love our Swiss Gear tent, goes up in about 20 minutes, from unwrapping to final stake and pole. We moved the portable table and our propane hob w/oven inside to begin cooking supper. I made pan-seared salmon with olive oil and garlic, and stir-fried organic white corn. A steaming cuppa green tea and our favorite chocolate for desert....finished our feast. We were gorged, and the tantalizing scent of our meal filled the air.....and would not bode well for us in a few short hours.

As darkness closed in around us, we cranked up the Mighty Lite lantern, and dug out the flashlight. We chatted for a few minutes about what to do with our evening, and settled on first, while still sipping our tea, to watch "A Little Princess" ( for about the 20th time).....it is one of our favorites, the story of a precious little girl, who falls upon hard times but as the story unfolds, the message is clear.....no matter who the girl may be, rich or poor, pretty or plain, orphaned or not, all girls should be princesses! It has re-inforced the message to my daughter over the years that each girl/woman is uniquely special. Movie finished, and on to some handwork, I had the last 2 of 16 knitted cotton facecloths to finish and began needles clicking as Kendra, chatting on about this and that, explored some of the goodies in the grocery box that are reserved for special times such as this. With another cloth finished, we settled in to read the next chaper in " The Other Side of Eden"....until the cool night air, and full tummies got the better of us and we began to nod....We were all tucked in together, keeping each other warm, reminiscing about Kendra's baby and toddler years, and soon were off to noddyland.

Then, enter the skunk......yes, I said skunk!.....the wonderful aroma of our earliar meal seemed to have attracted the wildlife population to our humble tent. At the first instance of little footsteps in the deep carpet of dried leaves, we grabbed the flashlight and peered through the screen, only to be shocked and horrified at the sight of a skunk.....ugghhh!......just bloody wonderful!.....trapped inside our tent, being circled by a skunk, just waiting for a reason to spray us with that hideous smell of his.... This is NOT how we planned to spend our night. So for the next 7 hours, we were continually awakened by the scratching of critters, all trying to get into our tent and check out where the lovely smell of salmon was coming from. No, we couldnt even go out to pee!....so we had to get a little creative with toileting options. I will leave that to your imagination.

By the next morning, Kendra and I realized, at some point we had just zonked from sheer exhaustion. You just cant keep vigil on a skunk for 7 hours.....We did peek at the critters many times that night, and saw various cats, a pair of fighting opossums, a beaver, and the skunk.....Kendra arose, donning her pink, fuzzy robe, (just what one should pack for primitive camping) and cheerily stated, " the best part of the campout so far was getting to see all the different animals so close up".....hmmm...life through the eyes of a child.........

After a hearty breakfast of organic eggs and sliced potatoes, with fresh hot coffee. We took our breakfast out to the picnic table, and listening to the bubbling water mused at how much better food tastes when eaten in the woods!

Off we went, after breaking camp, to explore the rest of the park....and the remainder of the photos below are shots we took as we hiked about.

............contemplation...

.......the river....

...the stone step up to the wooden footbridge....

This is the end of our trip, the last photo....we ate, we camped, walked, talked, laughed, hugged, cuddled, and shared rare moments of just being two women who have great regard for each other....My little princess is growing up so fast, and while I dreamily long for the days of my children's early years, I will not allow my precious memories of those first years to lessen the wonder of the awsome persons they are becoming day by day...Kendra and I left Montauk with the commitment to make the " girls only" campout a regular event and look forward to the next one, weather permitting, in the spring. namaste

How We Do IT.....so just what IS the Studio?

2009-11-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

I have had a few inquiries about, just what Is the Studio ?.....so I thought I would blog about it today.....The Studio is the materialization of the place in my imagination that I always dreamed of....a place to create, to contemplate, to be serene and meditate, to share the amazing experience of Art with others....And so my truly awesome husband built a 12x36 room onto the side of the home we built on our farmland here in the Missouri Ozarks. Every facet of the Studio came from my own creative process. We have this joke between DH and I....I come up with all the ideas and he has to figure out how to find time to pull it off!...So we will take a little tour of the Studio today and it is my hope that others will find inspiration and be encouraged to take just one little step at a time... and you will be amazed at what YOU will be able to accomplish.

This is the entrance into the Studio from the living room, note the angle of the side wall of the living room, we added the Studio room onto the left side of our modified A-frame and so it looks a little quirky from this shot.

This the longest shot of the craft side of the Studio. There is a fully functioning kitchen on the left, and a little Italian leather cafe set in the center of the room. This table is multi purpose, school table, candle light dinner for two table, or just sip'n natter with a friend table.

This is the wall behind the kitchen, notice the large shelf at the top of the wall, it goes back about 4 feet, to bridge the area between the Studio wall and the A-frame. There are 2 4-foot tables along this wall that hold the serger, sewing machine, and computerized knitting system.

This is the main entrance into the Studio from the front of the house. You can also see the corner of the library here, that is 8x8 in total shelving area, and contains every type of fiber art, natural building, self-reliance resource imaginable. It is my weakness to be updating the library often, and there are soooo many interesting resources. Soon, I am going to need to sort out where to expand the library to, as I have about 60 plus publications that I have no shelf space for....ugghh! I think the self-reliance books are going to find another room to live in...{smile!}

This is the corner to the right of the front entrance, it is storage for wool fabrics, quilting fabrics, and in the antique dresser below the fabric is stored drawers of needles ( knitting, sewing, crochet, etc), art collage supplies, floral crafting supplies, stamping, scrapping, papercrafts supplies, knitting machine accessories, and assorted other crafting supplies that have no category.

This is the wall that is home to the Schact Mighty Wolf weaving loom, the Kromski Harp folding table loom w/stand, and the ball winding station to wind wools, silks, and assorted fibers for the looms. Further along the wall is a large area of pegboard that contains the scissors collection, embroider thread, some paints, serger threads, glass knitting needles, and tapestry and embroidery frames and lots of misc items that I want to have at hand....

This is the same wall after the addition of the imported Irish Waterford Stanley wood cookstove....

This is a better shot of the wood cookstove....it doubles as a heat source for the crafting side of the room, and also comes in handy for bread baking, cooking up herbal potions, melting candle wax, small dye projects, and the occasional leg of lamb from the farm....Note, the adorable 1940's desk, that is the printer station at the moment. The poor printer looks so out of place in the crafting room...but very necessary for not only paper crafts, but also, for image transfer onto fabrics and for art collage projects.... The tile on the floor at the space around the cookstove and is also in the front entrance area, is hand-crafted Mexican tile, a super close-out deal and each tile is unique, and we just love it in here....

This is the den/sitting room at the far end of the Studio. It is for taking a break, catching the weather, watching a flick in the evening, and where I play my yoga videos. We have had a purge of this room, to make more space for the yoga, so the table in the center has been relocated to the side wall, the fountain in the corner has been replace with a slender, taller fountain that allows for the over sized rocker to fit neatly into that corner now. It totally opened the room up, we just havent taken any pics since the new arrangement. The coffee table also has a lift up top to also function as a dining table when needed.

This is the gas fireplace that supplements the heat from the cookstove. It is an indulgence that we soooo appreciate on a frosty morn, while waiting for the woodstove to get cranking....It also makes for great ambience on a quiet evening with a glass of wine and a bottle of massage oil!

This is the big comfy chocolate velour sofa at the back of the den and where you can find me perched many hours knitting away on a project, and desperately hoping for one of those pricey task lights that can sit obscured in the corner until I need direct light for things like beaded embroidery or knitting an intricate pattern.

This is the screened Zen room just off the Studio and contains a fire pit ( center) lounge set, various windchimes and fountains, the beloved palm tree lamps, and my favorite seat in the house, the sky chairs. We have many, many hours in, just swinging to and fro, enjoying the tree canopy of our woods, listening to the wildlife, and drinking tea....lots and lots of tea!.....

Another shot of the Zen room, (sorry a little clutter here) This room gets such a lot of use....

I did neglect to mention the beading/jewelry area, and dont have a shot of my components storage at the moment. But there is an 8 foot folding table, from the 50's that we put up and down, as needed for making jewelry, and other assorted crafting. This concludes the tour and we hope you enjoyed the stroll through my little corner of the planet.....I am immersed in my element when I am in this room, and give total credit to my Dh for the awsome job he has done on the construction of it all. namaste

La Cuisine Chez Sidonie-1 (Polenta w/Portabella Mushroom Gravy)

2009-10-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

This is the first in our new series about what's on the menu in our kitchen. There will be many posts to follow, with lots of ideas for organic, healthy, gluten-free items for your famliy. The picture here is not mine, just sooo cute, I couldnt resist using it....to give credit, it is from Sakakuro Kitsa's photostream on flicker, she has amazing food photos, so check her out! I chose this photo to accompany our menu item for today....Polenta! ( The giraffe is made from polenta) From our food storage, we can create a filling dish, easily digested for nearly all allergenic types, for just a few pennies, in a very short time. It is known in our home as "Fast Food". It is an immensely versatile food, can be purchased "organic" from wholefoods suppliers, and is prepared on a hob in just minutes. Here is our recipe:

BAKED POLENTA WITH PORTABELLA MUSHROOM GRAVY
6 c. pure water ( non clorinated)
1 c raw milk or soy,rice, nut milk of your choice
1 t sea salt
2 c. organic yellow polenta
Boil in a saucepan ( without non-stick coating) the above ingredients, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cover. Turn off after 10 minutes.
Grease a shallow baking dish and pour contents of saucepan into the dish, smooth the surface.
Allow to cool and it will become quite stiff.
At least 1 hour later, ( we often prepare the polenta in the morning, and the gravy at mealtime)
bake firm polenta in a 450 degree oven for 18 minutes, while this is heating and crisping, make gravy....
In an iron skillet, carmelize chopped peppers, 1/2 large onion chopped, and 2 large sliced portablella mushrooms.... when done, add garlic cloves to taste. Stir until all heated through, add 1/4 c. olive oil turn off burner. While oil is warming in the iron pan, put into a large beaker 1/2 c. organic cornstarch, 1/2 c. Bronner's Liquid Aminos, 2 c. water, and 1 c. milk of your choice. Stir all together until blended and add to skillet. With heat on high, stir until gravy thickens, add more liquid if necessary. Add any spices here, eg rosemary, sage, thyme, etc. Remove from heat
Cut polenta into slices and top with mushroom gravy.....This is a huge hit at our house....quick, filling, and great fodder on a cold winter evening....

How We Do It -1

2009-10-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

After reading a friends blog about her food storage it has motivated me to begin somethting I have been contemplating for a while. It will be a series of blogs entitled " How We Do It"...to share about how we do the less mainstream, less politically correct, more abstract or unconventional things we do in our day to day life. So this journey begins today with a short sharing on our recent changes to how we shop for food.... We have, for many years, been proponents of long term food storage. Most cultures around the globe have for thousands of years, understood the importance of storing in times of plenty. You dont have to be a radical doomsdayer to embrace this thinking. You simply have to ask yourself, how can I have a lesser impact on our planet, how can I be more frugal with my food choices, how can I eat healthier, or what if there were a loss of access for whatever reason, to the public food supply, even for a short while? The resolution of any one of these questions will bring you to a prompting to look at some type of food storage plan. So how do we do it...firstly, we decided long ago to produce as much of what we eat as possible...So all our meat, most of our dairy, and about 30-40% of our fruits and veggies come from our land. We additionally add to our chosen food storage items on a monthly basis, purchasing about 100.00 a month on food storage items. This is figured into our monthly food budget, which, we, as a family of 5, plus two adult sons who think I run a restaurant : ), presently have a monthly food budget including the food storage expense of about 500.00. We purchase no pre-prepared items, nothing in a can, nothing with preservative, coloring, or chemicals, and about 90% organic. We cook 100% gluten free and bake all our bakery items except for about 6 loaves of store-bought bread each week, and occasional organic corn tortillas. Our latest projects for food storage this year are, our half-finished 10x12 walk in root cellar, we purchased Mother Earth News plans for the self-watering sprouter cabinet, and a wood fired smokehouse that will be a significant upgrade to our metal smoking cabinet. We plan to purchase 10 lb cases of wild caught salmon and smoke them, as well as the bull calf we plan to butcher by January, in the newly constructed smoke house. We hope to blog pics of the smokehouse construction as we go...so keep a lookout for that. I suppose our mindset is to be always improving on our present situation, and so try to not become complacent with settling for the "as is". Not everyone will have the same motivation to accomplish that dh and I do, but we can all find some little way to tweak what you are doing and make it work better, greener, or just more harmoniously. At the end of it all, what you want is to improve what you presently do...for some, that may mean just buying 20.00 per month of long term storage items, or perhaps just begin to produce one or two food items yourself ( eg, a growbag with lettuce plants in a sunny location, or sprouting jars in the closet), or decide to buy just one item in bulk and learn how to store and use that item before moving on to more. Whatever motivates you, whatever your circumstances will allow, we all can move forward. You will come to appreciate the self-fulfillment you sense as you gain knowledge and satisfaction from what you accomplish. So, take a look at your pantry and consider taking just one new project on, and become comfortable with that....you will find the consumptive caterpiller that you may be today, can morph into the beautiful butterfly that gracefully imparts benefit wherever it goes...be encouraged....namaste

THE MOST AMAZING GLUTEN FREE APPLE CAKE EVER!

2009-10-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the recipe....

3 c Bob's Red Mill gluten free baking mix

1 c Tapioca flour

4 large eggs

1 c oil of your choice

1 c raw organic cane crystals or sweetener of your choice

1 t salt

1 t nutmeg

2 t cinnamon

1 t flax seed meal

1 c organic applesauce

1 c organic raisins

1/4 c or less of milk of your choice

Combine all ingredients but last 2....stir in all raisins and enough milk to make cake batter consistency, bake in a 9x12 pan at 375 for about 50 minutes...keep an eye out for scorching....let sit for 1 hour before serving. We like this topped with vanilla ice cream.... This comes out like a pudding, but the longer it sits, the more heavy and cake like it becomes. It is also great sliced cold with some cream cheese on top. We serve this as a breakfast food, with a small bowl of oatmeal. Enjoy! ( you can, if you still use gluten flours, substitute 4 c. of the flour/s of your choice)

Parade of Autumn

2009-10-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

reflections in the water of some of the children at the Bray Conservation Center Nature Journaling class

playing around with a photo of a brilliant yellow leafed tree in our valley....I used the photo editor to turn the surrounding area into b/w and like to call this one......." the Beacon "

we have lots of this bush/stem plant with multiple stalks of red berries on them.....we would love to be able to identify this plant....and have wondered if they could be a dye plant, or even edible....though we cant find much evidence of the wildlife eating them...so we dont either...any suggestions on its identity, please comment

Kendra came bouncing out the front garden gate as we set off to capture a few shots of the beautiful autumn colors in our valley...she skipped over to this tree beside our log splitting area, hopped up on it and shouted to me, " Hey Mom! I'm a TreeHugger!" .....just too cute....

some flaming red leaves over the stream....

dazzling light shining into a beautiful golden tree just above our roofline...

this is a friend's child on the nature hike, looking as though he is going through the portal to another world...

Kendra at Bray, soaking in all the autumn beauty...

The amazing tree canopy of our woods in autumn...

the brightest golden tree in our woods...

I saved this one for last....I monochromed this, except for the one small leaf in the bottom left corner. I wanted the loss of color to prepare our minds for the upcoming tranquility of winter, and the single colored leaf to encourage us that spring will follow, with all its splendor anew. There is a subtle message lettered into the photo...and we hope you can find simple, genuine ways to comply....thank you for joining us and we hope you enjoyed the Creator's handiwork.....namaste

The Hobbit House

2009-10-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is the Hobbit House in the woods that we built by hand when we moved onto this raw land, just 4 years ago. We are celebrating the new siding that just went up this past week. We have had 4 years of roofing felt on the exterior of our home. Our place has 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 kitchens, the art studio, the Zen room, outdoor canning kitchen, and other assorted living areas. It began as the Mother Earth News modified A-frame plans, and then was modified again and again to accomodate our family and passions. It will continue to be a work in progress, for example, Dh just finished a wall in the downstairs hall with recycled bead boards from a century old farmhouse. They will eventually have to be painted, but for now, I am enjoying the texture and history that exudes from them....just the way the are presently. I pondered to myself as the boards were being screwed into place, what things these board might have been witness to in another time....namaste

Autumn Splendor

2009-10-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

This is a photo taken in our front cottage garden of the winterberry bush with the sunlight on autumn foliage in the background....just magical!

The Brain

2009-10-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Isnt this just the strangest looking thing you would ever imagine seeing on a nature hike? Not being from Missouri, I had no idea what we had found when visiting the Bray Conservation Center for the Nature Journaling class with Kendra this week. I was informed, it is a hedge apple, and that NO, we could not take it as a souvenir, from the Center. What a shock to look down into the lively brook and see THIS just laying there, luring us to come closer and investigate. We couldnt get enough of holding it and feeling its form....gross but kewl and nifty!

Autumn Musings

2009-10-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

Heading down our long drive, returning from the Bray Conservation Center, just had to stop and grab a photo of our lovely Scottish Highlands, so contentedly grazing....seemingly oblivious to the beautiful golden leaves all around them....Happy Cows live in the Missouri Ozarks too!!!

All sand is not sand.......

2009-10-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

That's because, some sand is actually considered kitty litter, by the new foundling kitty that arrived at our home this week. My darling Kendra had worked so very hard on her first nature table of the seaside, and kept it in the studio den to play with at her leisure. Then, enter, one lost, confused, and recently spayed female kitty, in search of a litter box. Well, what better than Kendra's sandy beach on her seaside table. Ugghh!!!! So the sympathy for the poor abandoned kitty ended there....and she had to join the others on the outside front porch and go in search of that great litter box we like to call......"the woods" Just another of those little life lessons that seem to surprise you and just leave you in stitches....(even Kendra had to laugh....)

Harvest Time

2009-10-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

While this photo may appear to be some exotic tropical plant from the Brazilian rain forest, it is not....It is in fact, one of a few different varieties of peppers growing in our greenhouse. I lieu of the impending forecast for near freezing temperatures this weekend, we made the decision to strip the garden surrounding the greenhouse of all the remaining veggies. I took 5 large Wholefoods grocers paper bags out and rounded up two helpers....But what we ended up gathering came to a whopping 9 bags full! I never imagined there were still that many lingering goodies. We bundled them up and stacked neatly in the bed dividers of the greenhouse, and put them to bed for the night....safe from any damage from possible frost or freezing. In those bags are dye plants, beets, my prize leeks, 6 different squashes, some small pie pumkins, cucumbers, the last of the tomatoes, and a few stragglers of okra. One might assume that with the end of the summer garden that harvest was over...but oh no, no, no!!! After putting the winter cover back on the greenhouse, we will continue to enjoy all that is already growing in there right through the winter. This would include such lovlies as: parsley, tomatoes, squashes (delicata, umchiri, blue hubbard, bush scallop), 5 different peppers, 6 different lettuces, spinach, mesclun, swiss chard, kolrabi, bok choi, and we musn't forget our beloved leek starts for next spring. We have put together our greenhouse loosely based on the design from Elliot Coleman in his book, "Four Season Harvest". It has cost less than 1K for a 10x70 with raised beds of 3x3 ft going down both sides and a walk of about 2 ft down the center. We used old cedar fence posts for the bed borders and filled with organic topsoil and our very own bunny poo! We add a liquid organic tea type fertilizer about every 3-4 weeks year round and more organic matter as needed. For the money, it is the best food dollar investment we have ever made. We have eaten literally hundreds of dollars of wholesome organice produce from it and would not ever want to garden without a greenhouse again. So, check out Elliot's book and give it a try. You can do it just as we have.... bon apetite!!!

Happy Birthday Christopher......

2009-10-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

Of course I am going to be crying a river as I write this, but as I have not had a blog during the month of October in the past, I thought I would like to send something out into the Universe for my beautiful boy...The photo is of my son Christopher, age 13, holding his little sister, Kendra, age 4. Kendra's face at age 11 is superimposed over the photo. October is significant for our family, as Chris' brother Ethan's birthday is on October 5th, and Christopher's is on October 7th. Five years ago, on the day in between their birthdays, October 6th, I was in the hospital, as a single mother with 5 of my children still at home, having my right breast removed because of a rare cyst that took over my breast. I went off to surgery having prepared my then 15 year old son for the possibility of my not surviving.....It wasnt much of a birthday celebration for either of the boys that year....I came home from the hospital to the five children waiting for me, no partner, no support, while we were in the midst of building our home. We had hired carpenters to frame to dry-in our salt-box style home on 5 acres in south central Missouri. The home was all wood construction, electric was run from the pole via an enormous extension cord, We were hauling water from the well in the large blue aquatainers they sell at StuffMart, we had no interior walls, no heat, and only a portapotty. Upon my return from the hospital, right arm strapped to my body to prevent movement, a drain tube in my chest, feeling like all the world and God himself had abandoned me....there was Christopher....helping with the little ones, working 30 hours a week for a horse ranch, helping me and the occasional hired laborer to help finish the house, doing his homeschool work in the evenings and still taking such care of me with little things like washing my hair in the kitchen sink, as I had not figured out yet how to do that without my right hand. I have often thought of that simple, tender gesture of washing my hair....it embodied who he was. That was to be Christopher's last birthday. Just 6 months later, at the age of 15, Christopher was killed in a vehicle accident, along with his 13 year old friend Joe. Life for our family has never been the same....It changed us all forever. I still remeber the last time I heard his voice....asking for permission to stay at Joe's a little longer, so he could see the fish that Joe's dad had caught that morning. I said yes, that would be fine....Chris said " thanks mom, bye...I love you" That was the last I love you I ever heard my son say to me.....Wherever you are, my beautiful boy....We all love and miss you so very much. We wish so terribly that we could all hug you again for your birthday.... For all the parents reading this....never take a single moment for granted.....life changes in a moment... NAMASTE

TOPS 'N TAILS...

2009-10-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

For those of you with little ones, still in nappies/diapers, you may have made the switch to cloth and what a boon to our Earth's environment to keep all those disposables out of the landfill. However, perhaps you could take the next step and forgo the "wetwipes" as well. We have our own solution for 15-25.00 a month expense to purchase, the true cost to produce and transport to your retailer, the trees that are slain for the sake of your little ones botty, and then adding to the landfills by tossing them into the rubbish. Try this as an alternative....
Cut old towels, soft blankets, linens, etc into approx 6x6 squares. You can serge or zig zag the edges or not, then place where you will be diapering, or in a small container in your diaper bag. When you are ready to change baby, use the spray (recipe following) on the baby's bottom and then wipe with the cloth wipes. Just toss into your wet bag or diaper pail and launder with your regular diaper load.

RECIPE FOR WIPEE SPRAY
Warm slightly 8 oz. of rosewater or purified water in a bowl or pan.
Add : 1 T of Lily of the Desert pure aloe gel
6 drops of Tea Tree oil
6 drops lavender essential oil
1 t. jojoba oil
Mix all together until blended and put into small spray bottle and use as needed for diapering.
This also is very soothing to the skin, and will help prevent diaper rashes too. This can also be used as a very gentle after shampoo detangler, just leave out the Tea Tree oil. You can also add one or two drops of scent, but I prefer the lavender smell anyway. One drop of lemon essential oil is a nice complement to the lavender.

Herbal Canine Relaxation Mist

2009-09-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

Kendra has two little Maltese pups that are her babies. She always spends most of her pocket money on them. While shopping the other day, she found some herbal canine relaxation mist, and decided it was too pricey. She made a mental note of the ingredients, then came home and proceeded to make her own version. This is her recipe: 4 oz of pure water, 1 heaping t. of Chammomile Lemon loose tea, a few drops of each lavendar and lemon essential oils. Heat water to nearly boiling, add loose tea and steep for 10 minutes. Pour through fine mesh strainer, let cool slightly, then add essential oils. Shake gently and ready to mist your favorite pooch. I'll bet Chai and Sassafras will be lovin' it tomorrow. That's my girl!!!

Shades of Truth

2009-09-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

Truth, recently, has rocked my world to the very core. Yet the challenge is to determine what, in reality, that Truth actually is. I came across some information that has supposedly been about for at least a couple of decades, yet I have only just stumbled upon it. Someone emailed me some links to info about the following topics, *Agenda 21 * Codex Alimentarius * American Holocaust * Nutricide.....Goggle any one of these topics and dig deep into the myriad of information you will come across. On the surface, the concepts seem harmless enough. Yet, they are but shades of the truth. The more we investigated, the more shocked we became. And then, just as when you are pregnant, you see pregnant women everywhere, we began to see how the warnings signs about what plans have been put into action are all around us. So, having cycled through the shock, disbelief, and now grieving for the loss of the kind of future I had hoped for my children, their children, and our beautiful planet, I am brought full circle to the place that I was before discovering what the despicable mind of man has conceived, and that is....that regardless of whatever may come and go in the ebb and flow of our lives, we only ever truly have the present....the now...the isness...the I am. Who can say what tragedy our future generations will have to face...we cannot for certain know. What we can know is the sticky goodnight kiss from a bouncy little girl who didnt quite get all the toothpaste off, the joy while watching a young son receive an honorable award for his artistic ability, the laughter at one of another son's corny joke....No person, no scheme of deceit, no liar, no thief can take away those treasures nor the joy of all the nows that the universe has in store for us. So, while they plan their terribleness....I choose happiness, I choose contentment, I choose to cherish every " now" that I will be able to have with all those who bring such depth of meaning to my life. NAMASTE

Some of Our Gang

2009-09-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

This is a pic of Craig and Sidonie with 8 of our 13 children. Left to right....Jacob, Dana, Ethan, Byron, Tyler, Taylor, Timothy, Kendra, Sidonie and Craig.
Due to a trick of the camera angle, Jacob, who is actually 6 feet tall, appears shorter than Sid, who is only 5'5". Interesting, we didnt try to do this, so it is pretty uncanny looking.

Beaded Embroidery

2009-09-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

This is a piece of left-over decor fabric that I have accented in beaded embroidery. The beads are high quality Japanese art beads, and much less likely to succumb to breakage. It will be made up into a needle case for my double pointed needles, so I will post again when that is finished. This is such a therapeutic craft, and the beauty of it speaks for itself. You can put something like this together for little investment, just any nicely patterned dense weave fabric, and beads of your choice. Such a shame we have given over the art of beaded embroidery largely to the automated industry.

Nature Table of the Seaside

2009-09-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

Yea!!! This is our first nature table, which by special request of my daughter, Kendra, is of the seaside. She spent her first 7 years in Florida and misses the sea, so we have made a great effort to make this just what she wanted to remind her of the sea. You cant see the entire thing in this photo, but you can see the hula girls, made of wood, with woolen "grass" skirts, and small shells for the bra-tops. We used real beach sand with scattered shells in one end for the beach, and Modpodge over a water printed scrapbooking paper for the sea, with a piece of satin to be moved about for the waves.

Bird's Eye View

2009-09-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

This is the ariel view of the entire table. Notice the banana tree, we made these from twigs, with woolen leaves, and roving pieces for the bananas. There is even a mangrove island in the distance. Kendra has already spent alot of time playing with her creation, and is VERY protective of it, with any little ones about. She loves just feeling the shells, the sand running through her fingers and acting out little scenes with the figures. She has plans to add a wooden raft and sail boat next week.

Surf's Up!!!

2009-09-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

This is the "beachey" end of the nature table, and notice the mermaid in the large shell for her bed to the left....She is an amazing creation all by herself, a hand-crafted lampwork bead, that Kendra borrowed from my beading/jewelry inventory to join the seaside table. She is quite the beauty! Kendra made all the wooden people herself, except for the Beach Fairy, and the hula dancer with the pink flower in her hair. She even cut little beach towels out of woolen scraps.

The Beach Fairy

2009-09-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

This is the beach fairy on our Seaside Nature Table. She is made similarly to the hula girls, a blue woolen "grass" skirt, shells for the bra-top, pale blue merino hair, and sparkley pipecleaners made into wings. I have never seen a Beach Fairy in any tale or book, however, I truly believe if there were anyplace a fairy would love to be, it would be the seaside. In the background you can see one of our beach umbrellas, made with a twig and large shell glued on top.

First Prize!

2009-09-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I should have first prize for my leeks....I am extremely happy with this year's crop. This is our second year of a successfull harvest of leeks, which BTW are not all that easy to grow. They take about 6-8 months to mature, and have to be started in the late fall to finish by summer. The one that has already been trimmed in the photo, is as big around as my wrist. We had these 4 for dinner tonight, in potato leek soup. The recipe is posted below.

POTATO LEEK SOUP

2009-09-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is my own recipe for Potato Leek soup:

4 large or 5-6 smaller organic leeks
3 lbs Yukon Gold organic potatoes
2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. white pepper
fresh organic garlic cloves, to taste
fresh organic parsley, chopped
fresh organic chopped red sweet bell pepper
1- 4oz tub of tofu cream cheese or organic neufchatel soft cheese
1 c. organic cornstarch

Cut the potatoes and leeks into bite-size chunks. Chop peppers, garlic, and parsley and add to pot. Fill pot with veggies in it, with cold water to cover veggies with 3 inches of liquid. Add white pepper and sea salt, bring to a boil, then simmer until all is tender. ( ususally about 20-30 min.) Add the cheese and stir until melted. In a med. bowl, mix the cornstarch and 2 c. of milk of your choice, soy, almond, rice, organic cow, etc. Stir until cornstarch is a creamy paste. Add this to the simmering pot, stirring constantly. This will thicken almost instantly, and will be ready to eat after cooling for about 15 minutes. Serve with a green salad and bread of your choice. Yummy!!!

Perspective

2009-09-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

In working with my daughter, Kendra, this week on our new approach to drawing via the Earthschooling website, I have been forced to reflect many times on perspective vs perfection. How often, as parents, we, in the name of diligent parenting, set expectations for our children, thinking of the long term benefit to our child of their accomplishment of our goals for them......yet how often we may overlook that which falls short of our expectation, and fail to see the true perfection lies in the effort, not the outcome. My child's eagerness to employ her own perspective blesses my heart again and again....and I am left to simply smile to myself, as she blooms into a young woman, right before my eyes.

rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb!!!!

2009-09-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well, actually, it isnt rhubarb at all....it is our gorgeous, (if a vegetable can be gorgeous) magenta swiss chard. For all of my British friends reading this, you will get the pun, for the others: the "rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb" line is from a sitcom on the BBC, the entire sketch dialogue was only one word, repeated over and over, with differing intonation...the word?......rhubarb! of couse....

everything's coming up.....beets! (not roses)

2009-09-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

This is our first planting of a specific variety of beets....Bulls Blood, that we are hoping to use to dye our fibers that we raise here at Ancient Artisans Village. If the dye color is anywhere near as rich as the color of the leaf tops, we are in for a real treat!

surprises from the cosmos...

2009-09-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

After all the planning, and planting, weeding, mulching, watering, and meditating over our garden, as an afterthought, I came across an overlooked packet of tangerine poppy seeds. I decided on an unused bed and just tossed them in and went about watering as usual, paying no special attention to this bed. Then, as if the cosmos were sending me its version of FTD, up come the poppies, with these amazing blooms.

Camouflage

2009-09-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful Siamese cross kitty, in the shade of the beloved Witch Hazel Tree.

Earthschooling

2009-09-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

First day of our new Earthschooling, we opened the new box of chalk pastels and told Kendra to just use her imagination, draw anything she wanted....She was so pleased with the deep pigment of the chalks, and wanted to use them all at the same time....but this is what she drew with the chalk pastels on her new chalkboard. (then insisted that we take a picture of it) She is not too happy with putting lots of effort into chalkboard drawings, only to have to erase them. So, we agreed, we will photograph each of them when completed. She is having such fun with the chalks!

just life...

2009-09-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Princess Kendra with the find of the day, a beautifully marked turtle, just minding his own business under a winter squash plant....he was very curious!