Stitchy Witchy

Hurricane Hooping

2011-08-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Irene has passed leaving us relatively unscathed, but the residual windy weather has me feeling all wild and jittery and full of energy, so it was outside to do some windy hooping!

Finally Done!

2011-05-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

It took me over 6 months to finish these socks, but here they are! The pattern was actually quite easy, I just rarely have time to sit and work on knitting. I kinda pick it up in stolen moments. Now on to some juicy gifted red yarn in a colorway aptly called "true blood" :)

Restoration

2011-04-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

I've been in a funk for quite a few weeks now. I considered that maybe my cycle was off or something else hormonal was to blame, maybe I'm not eating right, not getting enough or perhaps too much sleep. Maybe I've been too busy, not busy enough, not enough sun... The list of possible offenders runs long. But frankly I'm tired of trying to figure out what's to blame.

I'm just grumpy and "off" and that is the simple truth of it.

Thankfully I have discovered something that seems to work fairly well and quickly to bring some relief. There are many things actually that one can use to shift such a mood, if only temporarily, but sometimes just taking that step toward a different mindset is enough to help you fully turn the corner so to speak. Rewire the 'ol brain hard drive, help the synapses do their thang...

Anyway... I'm admittedly not very good a sitting still and meditating. Hooping is usually my activity of choice to try to shake off the gloom. But on top of my crappy mood, my back is also hurting. At times like these I find sitting quietly in prayer pose with the help of a crystal and some oils to be just the thing.

This afternoon I chose Frankincense from Wisdom of the Earth. These oils are magnificent! Therapeutic/Medicinal Grade oils vibrating at a very high frequency. I applied some to my 3rd eye, my throat, my palms and the crown of my head. Then I took out my new favorite Crystal Argonite (purported to calm jangles nerves and ease stress.) and sat in prayer pose for as long as I could, eyes closed, inhaling the scent of Frankincense. Breathing.... releasing...... and opening.

It lasted all of 10 minutes before I was interrupted by my sweet children. But it was 10 minutes in the right direction. I feel markedly better.

Restored.

So simple. But so hard to motivate to take 10 minutes for myself. Why is that? Never mind.. I'll keep trying to remember this and take a few minutes out more often.

Wishing you restoration today too.

Balance

2011-03-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and although it doesn't feel like it yet, you can feel it humming just under the surface... kinda how I've been feeling in my life too. I feel as if I'm poised for some major shifts and transitions. It's a kind of an expectant, bubbling up, powerful feeling I'm getting. Like the moments just before a race and the "ready...set... go!!" and "BANG!" of the starters gun signaling the start of all that running.

Most times in my life I feel like I'm running. Flying by the seat of my pants really... giving my all, heaving and panting into the finish line but not really getting anywhere, or even running a good race.

I set my intentions in a ritual on the spring equinox in honor of the equal length of light and dark and for theme of balance. I set my intentions to have more balance in my life. To that end I have decided to give up the office space I took several months ago back in December. It was a really cute space and perfect for seeing herbal clients. The only problem is I don't have enough steady clients at this point to really be able to afford the space, and I realized that in order to get enough clients to make it worth while, I would need to be seeing more people than I realistically have time to see and still give my children enough of my time.

Again. Balance.

So I let it go....

I have so much time ahead of me once they are grown to have an office and see tons of client and build my herbal business. Looking at my children lately and how fast they are growing makes me realize how fleeting this time with them while they are little really is. I don't want to miss anything. I want to be present.

I realized upon cleaning Ruby's room tonight and discovering all these little pictures she had drawn, that I didn't recognize them. This might not sound like much, but I remembered all the pictures that her older brother Gryphon drew. I can look at his pictures at that age and tell you exactly where we were and what we were doing when he drew them. Maybe that sounds too involved, but I feel like I'm missing out on my children even when they are near me all day when I'm not fully present for the experience. This is something very important to me in my parenting. I want my children to know that I have other interests and a life of my own of course, but I also want them to feel that when I am with them that I am really WITH them, not absent, distracted or somewhere else.

This is what I desire when I asked for balance in my life.

I seek balance between work and play. time alone and time with friends, moderation in all things. Even in asking this I realize that it's impossible to have it all the time, it's only something to strive for. We must learn to recognize when we are tipping to one side or other of the tightrope and make the proper adjustments before we fall one way or the other.

This spring I'm watching each step and calibrating as I go, even as I feel big things coming on the horizon.... There is such a wealth of worthwhile things to see, do and be in the world. We are truly blessed. How then to choose and say no to any of these wonderful opportunities? I am still learning this, and learning that less really is more.

What does spring energy mean to you? Can you feel the buzzing in the air too? How do you choose to create balance in your life?

Thawing....

2011-02-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

I feel like it's been a really long winter. I've been hybernating and dreaming and scheming for spring. Outside today it's still bleak and cold and wet, but there are signs everywhere that winter is loosing her grip. I saw tiny dafodill buds peeking up from under some leaves yesterday and tiny swelling buds are noticable on our lilac bush.

I'm beginning to bud out as well. Back in December I had the chance opportunity arise to take an office space one town over. It's a work in progress, but tonight I will be seeing my first paying herbal client! It's all terribly exciting as well as being terrifying. The "what-ifs" keep raising their ugly heads to torment me, but I am keeping faith that this opportunity did not present for no good reason and that I feel this is something I should indeed do at this point. It's what I've been studying and working towards for so long. I'm honored to be able to do this.

In other news, I was planning a huge garden for our tiny rental property and had the sad news yesterday of being told I'm not allowed to create it. I'm a bit sick over it, as most of my bright spots during the winter have been thoughts of having this garden this spring and I've been pouring over seed catalogs, and dreaming big time of how I would lay it all out. It's not that the place doesn't have the room for a garden. He's just a bit cranky about things and I think he doesn't want to mess up the yard. (which is a joke, concidering how many broken pieces of farm equipment are laying all over the place and old stoves, junk cars, bathtubs.. Yeah it's really that bad, so I don't see how a garden in the midst of all of this is going to mess things up.) Anyway..... deep breath......

I will figure out something. I hope there is a bit of a thaw in the air where you are too, even if it's not winter, perhaps there is something ready to blossom in yourself as well.

Quicky layout

2010-11-07T13:10:00.001-08:00

Trying to get some scrapbook layouts done, I'm gonna start posting as I do 'em. This one was quick and dirty. Just framed with minimal embellishment.

Swiss Chard from the garden for Lunch!

2010-10-27T09:15:00.001-07:00

My little raised bed did not yield much this year. It was not so happy with the location I have it. Not enough sun. But happily the late summer planted Swiss Chard has done well. It's such a beautiful plant too! I hope to put in some more and with the addition of a cold frame or row covers, extend this crop throughout the fall and into the winter. Today I'm eating it sauteed with potatoes and balsamic vinegar. Mmmm..

Miss Haystack 2010

2010-10-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

Just testing sending this from my phone, if it works I'll be posting much more frequently. Here Moi at the local farm harvest days

Hipstamatic for iphone

2010-10-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

I just downloaded this awesome app for my iphone, which takes these amazing retro styled pictures. I've been having a blast trying out different "lenses, filters and flash". Of course they are all just filters within the program, but the way the app is designed it actually looks like you are loading film and swapping out lens on an old camera body! I'm in love, and a bit addicted. Here are some of my favorites..

Thrift Store Fails....

2010-09-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not alone in my love of thrift stores and thrifting. Finding just the right vintage apron, milk glass bowl, a little something to add to a collection, or something needed and found at a good price gives me such a thrill. I have to admit I get just as much joy from all the weird and crazy stuff too. Our latest trip to the local thrift store did not disappoint! Actually I'm being really generous with calling this place a "thrift store." "Junk Shop" is more accurate. The place looks like an indoor dump, but once you get past the weird smell and the piles of unwashed clothes laying in heaps everywhere. (*hmmm this description is starting to sound a bit too familiar....kinda like my bedroom.) It's actually a really fun place. Things are just randomly dumped on tables and floors everywhere. There is little rhyme or reason to it. Which actually makes it all the more fun. Anyway..Take a look at these gems!

I'm glad I had my iphone. The camera came in handy so I was not tempted to actually buy these things to share with you!

Ok so this one is not really weird but actually pretty cool. Gryphon was so excited to find a vintage Star Wars set. I could kick Chris for not listening to me, when years ago I told him we might have kids someday that would really love seeing his old Star Wars toys and that he should not get rid of them. Anyway at $38.oo we, (ok really more like me) decided to leave this there.

And this does not fall into the weird category either. I think it's pretty cute, but I'm trying to clear stuff out of my house, so "Squirrely on a nut" bowl had to stay.

Genuine Evil Monkey!!! So cool!! I actually received one of these for Christmas from my folks one year. It was a reference to a really awesome Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode called "Merlin's Mystical Shop of Wonders." If you want to laugh until you cry, you must watch it! Anyway.. there is an evil circus monkey (from a thrift store no less!) which plays a key role.

From here we move on to...... random plastic leg.. No sign of the body it came from. and it's a steal at only $1.25!! Why is this even for sale? why??)

Ruby totally wanted it, but she was going to use it as a crutch

Then we have an object d'art which I call.... "Bird who has taken flight never again to land, because it's feet are permanently attached to this pear." Again.. FOR SALE!!

This was truly frightening.... a child sized stuffed Granny in a tracksuit and sneakers. Ruby was terrified of it. She kinda cringed and exclaimed "That is freaking me out!" every time she saw it from across the store. (I don't even want to know what's going on with the other doll's head....)

I finally convinced her to hold it for a picture. (I'm horrible, I know.) It's the face only a... granddaughter?? could love.

Ok it's a toss up between the above granny doll and the item below, but I'm giving this the "Most awesome item of the day award." Drumroll please!!!.... introducing!!!

Little Sipper Boob Cup.

Yes. For real. I think this is the perfect cup for the office break room, or maybe for coffee at church, OR!! you could pump breastmilk in it and give it to your weaning baby to make the transition to a sippy cup easier! I really wanted to buy this one, but sadly I left it there. If it's there when I go back next time, I'm totally going to get it. I might have to paint some kind of snarky saying on it and gift it to someone special.

Well that's it! Hope you enjoyed! I'll post some more next time we go!

Seed Saver

2010-09-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

I've been collecting the seeds from my herb and flower beds as summer is coming to a close and I decided I needed somewhere to keep them. I had this old cigar box sitting around forever so I decided to pull out my scrapbooking stuff and decorate it. I think it turned out pretty cute! Now I have a nice place to tuck away all my seeds!

Festive Paper Garland

2010-06-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

I saw these super cute garlands on Patty's blog "coloredsprinkles.blogspot.com" and loved them right away. I decided they would look really cute in Ruby's room. I basically cut lots of circles from scrap book paper then sewed them back to back so the pattern side was facing out on each one. I think they are so cute and festive and fun to make! (pictures were taken on my iphone so they are a bit dark and grainy)

Check it out!

2010-06-17T05:34:00.001-07:00

Lookie! This photo of me Hooping was chosen for Hooping.org's "photo of the day" Fun huh?

http://www.hooping.org/archives/003320.html

So many possiblilities...

2010-06-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

I've just finished up the last of the second year herbalist training class, and I'm already wanting more. I'm seeing all kinds of wonderful possibilities all over the internet, Classes, workshops, conferences. Alas they all cost money... I'm so desiring to be able to attend some kind of herbal retreat this summer.. We shall see...I've been starting to see clients over the last year, As part of our homework for class we needed to create herbal protocols for clients. I hopeful that I might start my own practice in some form, someday soon. I still have lots and lots to learn though, So I've been doing very simple cases right now, mainly for friends and family and for free... Baby steps.

I've also been really drawn to working with my crystals again. I have pulled out my collection and have been adding to it slowly. There is a lovely crystal shop not far from me and I pick up a few that speak to me each time I go. Ruby and Gryphon have caught the bug too and have been each selecting the one's they feel pulled too when we go, and then we go home and look up the attributes of each.

Fun!

In other interesting news.. This gal popped up in my garden earlier in the month

and I had no idea what she was.. I was thinking perhaps mullein, but no.. she does not have the furry leaves on both sides.. After more researching it turns out she is Elecampagne! And even more interesting.. Elecampagne is somewhat specific to lung ailments, specifically... PNEUMONIA!!! interesting.... especially considering I do not recall planting her and have no idea where she came from!

Perhaps I'm reading more into it than need be, but I find that amazing and magical!
I love the connections I'm making with the plant world. It feels so good.

Pneumonia- take 2... or 3... I'm loosing count...

2010-06-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

So I have pneumonia again. This time it felt worse than the first time. I don't know if I got it from Ruby, I don't think I posted here that Ruby got it too, poor thing! or if I just didn't get over it all the way the first time. Regardless, it's been over a week now of extreme tiredness, coughing, fever(at the beginning) and tightness, pain, and shortness of breath. Apparently this takes about 6 weeks to fully recover from.. Guh... there goes the summer! AND I've been teaching a hooping class once a week, so I'm trying to figure out if I should cancel or what... Anyway.. Not a happy post, but this is where we are at! I went to the docs yesterday to get a check up and just make sure things are getting better, he said I have pluerisy, the plural cavity around the lungs is inflammed with some fluid. Hopefully between the antibiotic, steroid, and inhaler I'm on, plus the lung herbs I'm working with, this will all resolve soon-ish!

How are you?? :)

New from Old Dishtowels

2010-05-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

I have been looking at this old vintage table cloth that I got our of my grandma's attic. It's from the 1930's I think. Anyway it was stained pretty bad right in the middle and I couldn't get the stain out. I was ready to pitch it to goodwill, and then started thinking about what else I could use it for. I decided to cut it up in the good parts and use some pretty fabric as bias tape for the edges and I created some really cute dishtowels! I am so pleased with how they turned out! and that older cotton is so absorbent! (a set of these will be heading to a certain miss in Mexico! ;)

P-monia

2010-05-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

Ugh.. I've been sick since last wednesday with pneumonia... no idea where I contracted it, I didn't even have a cold, but here I am with confirmed chest x-rays showing pneumonia! Fever was horrible for about 3-4 days it was up over 104. Really crazy. I was halicinating and everything. Today I feel so bored of not being able to get up and do anything without being really winded and tired. My hoops are staring at me and i have not the energy to hoop with them. So all in all this is a pretty boring post for having not updated my blog in forever. Sorry folks.

Mayonaise

2010-03-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

I tried making some mayonaise today after a trip to the fridge yielded an empty jar. After a few internet searches and one failed attempt. I managed to make a nice bowlful of beautiful homemade mayonaise! Oh my goodness!!! it is so good and tangy! I don't think I'll buy mayo anymore. The only downside is that it does not keep long in in the fridge. A week tops. So you would have to make it fresh every time you need it, or make a quantity that you know you will go through before the week is up. It's so yummy though! Here is what I did:

I used one egg yolk (provided by our chickens! and taken right from the nest box this morning)
a pinch of salt
a pinch of sugar
a teaspoon of lemon juice
a half a cup of canola oil

put the egg yolk and all other ingredients except the oil in a deep bowl. Using a whisk or an electric hand mixer (I used electric) blend the yolk and salt and lemon juice and sugar on medium until it is thick and sticky. Then SLOWLY.... Slowly.. add the oil in one..... drop.... at.....a.... time... This is the critical part. You have to go really slow with the oil so it mixes and emulsifies nicely. Refrigerate and enjoy!! Mmmmmm

Spring in the Air??

2010-03-08T04:50:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how glad my heart is these past few days. We have seen the sun! It's strength is slowly returning! I can feel spring just around the corner. Which means I really need to finish up my "winter cleaning" I would like so called "Spring Cleaning" out of the way so I can get outdoors.

Yesterday I laid in a huge patch of sun in the living room on our new rug. I felt just like a cat must feel in a "sunny patch" in fact, I had to fight for space with our new kitty! (more on her later!)

I also got in a good hour and a half hoop session in the front yard with some good music. Dead can Dance. It felt amazing! I can't believe how good really! Yay for Endorphins! Slept like a log!

Hope you are feeling wonderful too!

Cables

2010-01-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

I recently decided to tackle cabled knitting and I'm so glad I did! Not too hard at all. Looks complicated for sure, but so far so good! I'm working on the Heather Hoodie, from Knitscene fall 2009. I am using single ply Berkshire Bulky by Valley Yarns in Wine. I like this yarn fine, but probably would pick something other than single ply next time, or something less fluffy cause I really want the cabling to stand out and already the sweater is getting fuzzy. Still the color is awesome and I'm excited to hopefully wear this from the end of winter into early spring. If I can avoid the frogging like I had to do last night! 10 rows worth ugh!

Here is a picture!

Begining again....

2010-01-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

I've been away from my blog for so long now I don't quite know how to reconnect. I was going to to try to past all the amazing things that I have gotten into over my absence, but not sure how to order them all or quite how to cover it all without it getting long and boring. Soo... I think I'll dive in right where I am for now.

Some highlights over the past year...

I have been regularly playing out with my band Tribal Rising. It has been really fulfilling.

I had the opportunity to sing on an album and be recorded! In a real studio! Quite exciting! That should be out in February

I have been teaching hoopin classes here and there

Singing regularly at a local open mic. Ruby has sung there often as well and even has a little following! It's so awesome for the kids to be able to hear great music every week. Definately counting this into the homeschooling!

Started my second formal year of herbal training and starting to see practice clients.

Had a second baby squirrel "beebadee" enter my life and got to raise and nurture him till he also was set free in the backyard like Skimbleshanks. I still see them both but they don't come near anymore. I have to say caring for those squirrel babies was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

The kids are well. Homeschooling is going well. Chris my hubby is doing well. Our lives feel full and blessed. Hoping to reconnect with all my bloggy friends. It's been too long!

Also we got a new camera for Christmas! So I can finally share photos again, which I think was part of the reason I was not blogging as much. I love being able to post with a photo!

Off to see what you all have been up too! <3

Received my ATC swap cards!

2009-09-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Recived my ATC's from the Glitter ATC swap! Thanks Ladies! everything looks wonderful. I was really pleased with the cards I recieved! Would definitely play again!

Glitter ATC swap

2009-09-09T18:51:00.001-07:00

I have so much else to update on.. but I find myself overwhelmed at where to begin... I think in my next post I will recap our summer highlights, but for now I'll post a picture of an ATC swap I am participating in. The theme was "Glitter." I couldn't decide what to do, and after my attempt at a Mariah Carey Glitter theme wasn't working out, I found these pictures of eggs and went from there, using my new lace punch set and some vintage walpaper inspired paper from cosmo cricket. The cow and chicken and plate of eggs I added in after I ran out of egg pictures. I added flowers, feather a doily and some lace to each one, Plus glitter, which is hard to see on these scans but it's fine gold glitter. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. I made 12 and wish I had had some left over for me. I would love hang one of these on a door handle or something, suspended by a ribbon. Wouldn't that look cute!

Thanks for looking and I'll return for an update of more substance soon!

Coming back to blog land!!

2009-08-12T14:50:00.001-07:00

It's been a long while I know! I joined facebook, which totally sucked up my on-line time, and then we had some issues with my camera not being able to download pictures, and I don't love posting without a picture. And then I was so wrapped up in my squirrel Skimbleshanks and not being able to deal when I released him last month and then didn't see him for a long time. So between those things and the business of summer, I've just kinda floated away from the blogging world. But I'm back! I have so many good things happening in my life right now that I want to share about and I want to get back to reading all my bloggy friends posts. Feel like I've been away forever. I need to catch up on what you all have been up to. Been performing out with Tribal Rising, my group and it's wonderful! So exciting, I've also been selling my hoops and been asked to teach several hooping workshops, so I'm really excited about that. Feeling good about lots of things. Hope all is well in your world too!

Purging..

2009-06-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

I've been on facebook and it's sucking up my life, which is why I haven't been on here more. So much to update on. I will be posting picture of Skimbleshanks (the squirrel we rescued) and my chickies who are getting so big. Pics of my herb and veggie garden which is coming along nicely. Right now I'm in the middle of a major de-cluttering and purging of the house. So much stuff has accumulated. I'm quite a pack-rat by nature, Going through stuff and really asking myself these three questions: "Is it useful? Is it beautiful? Would I choose to buy/aquire this right now if I didn't have it?" This has been so helpful. Gone now are the collection of paystubs from all by past job. Yes really. It's kinda opening my eyes to some insightful things about myself. The need to collect and save every little thing. The panic at letting go of things such as old greeting cards... ect..

Anyway I'm hoping to post a little before and after of my house as soon as I can get the pics uploaded. I hope you are all enjoying the summer!

Still here!!!

2009-06-10T15:38:00.001-07:00

I've been crazy busy but have lots to update on. I'll try to do that this week! Hugs to all my bloggy friends!

Friday, Food, Furry's,Festivities, Fo, Family, Furrows, Fun, Friends, Fuzzies and FIRE!!!

2009-04-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

The past month has been a flurry of activity. It started with a trip to Lancaster with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and a trip to a scrapbooking convention. We had a great day looking at all the products and getting supplies for our next crop! or "crap" as we call it (short for scrap and crop). I got some really cute things, hopefully you'll see them on a future layout. Mom took us to lunch at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord in Lancaster and then we went to the craft warehouse where we were tempted by good prices and cool items. It was a really fun day with Family. Thanks guys!

I also got to visit with my cousin Felicia (better known as "FO" on this season of America's Next Top Model!!) She was in town for a visit with my uncle(her dad) and I got an autographed photo from her one of her shoots on the show! She's not allowed to talk about the show at all or say how it ended, so we'll just have to keep watching. I will say that she's just as cute and sweet in real life as on the show. I haven't' seen her for a few years since Gryphon was about 3 so it was nice to see her again. (check out Ruby's face there in the second photo! Ha!)

Then that Friday I had another First Friday performance with Tribal Rising, which was great fun. We had some good friends come up for a suprise visit, which was really nice! There were quite a few people who came up afterward to say they liked the performance and would come again which was really cool!

The following day we went to the annual Ukrainian Egg dyeing party at our friend Jan's house. Jan and Greg throw a huge party each year with lots and lots of great food and egg dying all day. It's always a lot of fun and the FOOD! oh my goodness! the FOOD!! I forgot my camera, but here are some pictures of the eggs from this year. (the little quail eggs in the middle are new and the tiny dotted egg and the dandelion are new)

The FURRY in my post is about our newest addition. Gryphon and his friend found a baby squirrel orphaned in the yard. I'm not sure how he got there but we took him in and after looking up what to do on the internet, I got him all warmed and fed and we've had him a few weeks now. He was all pink when we found him with almost no fur. I started out giving him scalded cows milk which apparently is the wrong thing. After some talk with wildlife rehabbers on-line we got it straightened out and are now feeding him puppy milk replacer every 3-4 hours. We are going to try to rehabilitate him and then let him go when he is able to fend for himself. I am saying that now, but those who know me well, know how much I adore squirrels and that I might not be able to actually follow through on the "letting go" part so easily. I think he's about 5 weeks old. His eyes just opened last week or so. He fits easily into the palm of your hand. He must be constantly on the heating pad It's a time commitment he and is doing well and growing. Here are some pics from a week or so ago, and one from this past week.

One Sunday last month I spent a glorious afternoon working on the children's garden at our church. We stayed late after the Sunday celebration with our friends and had a little picnic of fruit and bread on the lawn and then got to work digging the big circle where the garden will be. (hence the furrows in the title)It was so nice to be outside on a warm day, and the kids had fun playing together in the new sand pit. Chris spent the morning skateboarding on his own and then joined me after church. We dropped the kids off at his parents to stay the night. (Thank you again mom and dad!)and headed to the city for my big exciting news!

FIRE!!!!

I got to do FIRE HOOPING!! for the first time! FANTASTIC!!! I've been wanting to do this for some time and was thrilled to be able to spin fire that night after a very informative hour long safety workshop. Chris and I got to learn about the fuels used in fire performance, how to be safe, how to put out a fire (we got to practice putting out fire on each other's legs) and the general do's and dont's of playing with fire. It was super Fun.Following that we went to a really nice Sushi dinner together YUMMMMM and then met up with some friends afterward for drinks. All in all it was a really "Hot" date! Har har..

Here is my first "burn" as it's called (no I didn't get burned!)

The following evening I had a chance to do it again, I was invited to the firehoop instuctor's house for a spin jam and potluck. There were so many amazing fire performers there. Fire eaters, fire-hoopers, fire-poi and fire-staff. Really inspiring! My fire hoop is being created right now! I can't wait to do it again. And YES, yes I'm being safe about it! I had my hair pulled up real tight in a bun, but I'm thinking more than ever on now cutting it shorter.

Then we had Gryphon's homeschool Evaluation last month. We presented his portfolio and he was interviewed by the evaluator, she also administered the WRAT test. He did so well! His scores for reading and math were well above his grade level, which was a suprise as I feel like so much of our day is fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants. I'm just relieved that the eval and testing portion is over and now we just need to turn in our portfolio to the school district by June! Year one red tape FINISHED!!!!!

Today we got some Furries! 3 new baby chicks. They are "Sylvie" the Silver Spangled Hamburg,(she'll lay white eggs. "Cocoa" the Cuckoo Maran, (brown eggs) and "Carnation" (short for Reincarnation) the Arucauna who is the replacement for Lola and Laylou who were Aracuana's. They are so sweet and wee! (couldn't get a good picture of cocoa, but she is the one closest to the water feeder in the red picture.)

Whew~ Spring is feeling really FANTASTIC! so far!

Goodbye Violet...

2009-03-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

We had to put Violet down yesterday. She was looking really sick and wasn't eating or moving around much. The vet said she had some genetic thing, I can't remember what it was called, but basically her eggs didn't move into the uterus thing and was forming somewhere else (something like ectopic pregnancy almost) her abdomen was filling up with fluid and she was very very weak and in a lot of pain. The vet said there was nothing she could do.

We decided to have them put her to sleep while we were there, she said it would have been a long painful death otherwise. I'm so sad but it was the kindest thing for her. I was sad too because I thought she was going to take her and give her the injection and then let us hold her as she passed, but I misunderstood and when she took her and brought her back she was already gone. I think she kinda did that because the kids were there and I could tell she was worried about how they were going to take it. I had already explained on the way that we might need to let her go. Gryphon understood but was teary and sad. Ruby was sad but quickly got over it.

We brought Violet home and buried her next to her sister Laylou, we're going to plant some violets on top of her grave for her this week, and some for Laylou too. I hope this doesn't turn into a chicken cemetery. The vet said it was nothing communicable, and the eggs we have are perfectly fine to eat, but she said that if the other chickens came from the same batch we might be looking at them all having that condition. Hopefully not. We loved you Violet and we'll miss you, thank you for all the eggs and for being our sweetie girl, I hope you get to forage for some good grubs and worms in the summerlands!!

Dishwater Tincture!

2009-03-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I decided to clean up my shelf that holds my tinctures, vitamins and natural medicines. I noticed that I had just a tad left of my nettle tincture and figured I'd use it up that day and then be able to use the bottle for something else. I shook it up good and dosed up the dropper, then noticed there was only a bit left beyond the one dropper full, so I ditched the dropper and took a sniff before tossing it all back into my mouth.

The following happened all within the same moment as I chugged it back.. I noticed the tincture no longer had an alcohol smell and instead smelled kinda watery and sweet, I swallowed it down and immediately noticed it didn't taste a thing like nettle tincure and tasted more like.... lite beer....., or worse!!..... OLD FUNKY DISHWATER!!! ACK!!! it all suddenly came back to me... I had used up the nettle awhile ago and had put the bottle to soak in a sink-full of dirty dishes! I remember filling the bottle with the nasty hot soak water and screwing the lid on and setting it on the counter to soak off some nettle crud that was on the bottom of the jar. It must have mistakenly been put back on my tincture shelf where I forgot about it for a few weeks until that moment when I was drinking it down.

UUgh!!!... my stomach is churning just thinking about it again. My sink is usually pretty nasty too, I'm not the most diligent housekeeper and we sometimes take a long time to get to dishes... sometimes more than a day's worth are piled in there. I'm just picturing the concoction I drank being a lovely stew of...lets see... left over salmon with skin dried on dinner dishes, old beans, stale cereal milk, tea leaves, egg drippings, oh geez and the container I use to scoop up the chickens food which sometimes gets forgotten in the coop and possibly had chicken droppings on it. Mmmmm.... Good stuff! BLECH!! I immediately sent down a chaser of thyme tincture and elderberry followed by a good soup with LOTS of ginger and garlic. So far so good! So anyway....what was that I was saying about what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! LOL

Chicken Goodbyes....

2009-03-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today we said goodbye to two wonderful chicken friends.

I had been looking for a new home for Lola since all the mauling of the chickens had started and today I got a call back from a local farm and dairy that is just up the road from us, that they would be happy to take Lola and give him a new home. This dairy is one of the few dairies in the area or possibly our state that makes and sells raw milk and cheese. It's outstanding, as I hear is their beef and chicken. Everything is organic and free-range and they take really good care of their animals.

So today we loaded Lola up in the car (In Gryphon's mesh laundry hamper) and drove him up. He immediately got down and ran under a fence into where the horses are. So many new things for him to see! Horses, pigs, cows, more chickens than you can count, all over the place. The kids that live there are homeschooled and really friendly and Gryphon and Ruby took up playing and running around with the girl and boy that came out, both kids were the same age as Gryphon and Ruby, and they were so cute together.

Lola strutted up to another smaller rooster and immediately was put in his place by said rooster. It really took him off-guard. I didn't see a food or water bin for the chickens and after asking the owner, she kinda laughed and said they are totally free-range and not to worry he would figure things out. I think she thought I was a bit crazy when she could see how pampered the Rooster was (we were carrying him around) and that he comes when called and that I was kinda (ok..really) worried about him. Lola was looking around at first like "where's the heated coop? Where's my own personal clean bowl of food? where the massage room? " He's going to have to get used to barn life now I guess. No more foot massages in the winter with healing balm for prevention against frost bite (no... I'm not kidding) no more hand fed scraps every day. (no more kisses and hugs and being carried around and babied) Ah well.... what doesn't kill us makes us stronger no? I think he'll be happy, and I know our hens here will welcome the change, although I did shed a few tears on the way home. (I also plucked a few of his feathers to remember him by.)

Also today we decided to finally say goodbye to another chicken friend. Our hen Laylou died last month and it was too cold to dig her grave and bury her so I put her in the freezer and she's been there for a month (my dad kept suggesting it was silly to bury a perfectly good meal in the ground, he thought we should have eaten her!) but aside from being vegetarian, she was our PET!

Laylou had died while trying to pass an egg. It was so sad, I had brought her in the house after seeing the blood loss. (her egg tube thing had come outside of her body) I even tried to push it back up in her and save her, I called the vet to see about taking her in, but I could tell she was on her way out and we wouldn't have had time. Besides after calling Chris in tears he gently suggested I was insane..."I want you to do what you need to to do make yourself feel better honey, but I hope you will use think rationally when making your decision, because we don't have $100+ bucks to save a chicken and she is after all only a chicken..." We said goodbye to her on the couch that day and hugged and kissed her and told her we loved her as she died. Today we burried her next to the coop so she can be close to her sisters. (who all crowded around her and happily dug worms to eat out of the hole we were digging for her grave.) And so today we said goodbye to two outstanding chickens, and the wheel turns again. We got the chickens last March at this time and now this March we will be looking to add two more pullets to our flock once we decide what kind we would like.. Stay posted... Here are some final pics of Lola as he was released to his new home.

Bits of Goodness!

2009-03-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

I joined an on-line crafting community this past month called "Bits of Goodness". In the past I've had mixed feelings about craft swaps. Sometimes I get attached to what I've made and then not really wanted to part with it. I've gotten burned on swaps too but mostly I've also stressed myself out trying to get completed in time. This time I was once again late with my swap items and had a few days of cramming to get done and mail, but I was not disappointed in the least with my goodies! Look at all the lovely things I got! There are some really talented mamas in this swap. We are trying to keep everything very natural and keeping synthetic materials out. I'm so happy with my bits of goodness!

View of everything:

Wee Woolen Baby on handmade quilt square

Mama and baby bird and nest

Tiny felted bird, nest and eggs

Handmade lavender soap, handmade earrings
(with one of my favorite recieved ATCs card in the corner!)

Wool Roving Fairy and ATC cards (Artist Trading Cards)

Handmade Bag with felt Rainbow, woolen bracelet

Felted mushroom with snail on top!

Large Waldorf Window Star and Knitted Washrags

Here are the ATC cards that I made. The kids made some
too and recieved some as well, but they ran off with theirs
before I could take photo's of them.

I created some Waldorf Window Stars for my portion of the
swap, but seem to have lost the picture of them.

Tribal Rising!

2009-03-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have had so many amazing moments as this new year is unfolding, especially as I have been working to create a healthier life for myself physically, spiritually and emotionally. If you recall this post, I had made a conscious decision to write down my dearest affirmations and goals for this year and also things I wanted to let go of. I found that the simple act of clarifying your intentions then asking for what you want, and finally believing that you already have it, to be really really powerful.

Anyway.. one of the thing I was looking for was a new spiritual home, which I believe I have found at a very cool interfaith church that I have started attending recently. I met a wonderful new friend there and in one of our first conversations she happened to mention that she likes to make music and sing. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to sing too and that one of my aspirations for this year was to look into singing with a group or singing on my own. I casually replied to her that I enjoyed singing too and we moved on to other topics. A few days later she e-mailed me that that she was getting a band/group back together and needed a vocalist and would I be interested in this??? Umm... Yeah!!! She also mentioned another group that she was a part of which I auditioned for as well, but I realized that realistically I should probably just focus on one thing at a time for now!

This group and I have been practicing together now for the last month or so and 2 Friday's ago we performed out at the Starbucks in Doylestown for First Friday! (which is a monthly event when the stores stay open late and performers and artists come out) I really can't believe how fast this has all happened! We are calling ourselves Tribal Rising for now. The music is mostly improv with a trance/tribal feel. Think lots of drumming, singing, chanting and Native American flute. We also use keyboard, and guitar as well incorporating dancing and movement. I brought my hoops with me to the Starbucks performance and fulfilled two dreams in one night! Both singing and hooping for the crowd! I was glad to have my LED hoop. It was the first time I had taken it out and it was neat to have it light up the dark! There was a huge turn out, mostly teens and early 20's, and it was pretty loud and rowdy, but I think we were well received and people seemed to be having fun. One guy even sat in with us on drums and was fantastic. Another guy brought his homemade poi out and performed with me while I was hooping! Gryphon was fascinated by all the teenagers!

A shameful amount of pictures follows. Sorry I'm a bit excited! Some good friends and family came out to watch and took many awesome pictures! Gryphon and Ruby's friends Ava and Mckaylah came too and enjoyed hooping it up and dancing to the music. I think it'll be much nicer as the weather warms up, it was quite cold that evening. I have a hooping video and some footage from the band, but they turned out pretty dark. I'm going to try to lighten them up and then post them again later. I'm so very excited and thankful for the opportunity to make music and be creative with this great group of people!

Hen Saver

2009-03-09T13:22:00.001-07:00

Our hens have been really getting mauled by Lola our rooster. He has been mating furiously with them all winter and their backs and tail feathers have sustained some damage. We would really like to keep Lola because he really is a sweet rooster despite this. He protects the hens and is a really beautiful bird, but I don't want our girls to be hurt either. My friend Amy sent me a link for this site, (as I joke I think!) and I went and ordered some vests or aprons (or saddles if you in the the UK) and put them on the girls straight away. They were not too pleased and for awhile they just stood stunned. Bean-Bean tried to pull her's off with her beak, but Buffy adjusted more quickly, after stumbling around the kitchen backwards trying to rid herself of the offensive new outfit! I'm hopeful that this solution will allow their feathers to grow back in and protect them from further "lovin's" from Lola. He should at least not be able to claw up and break off their feathers while mating with them. Soon spring will arrive and they will be able to free-range outside more freely. Hopefully Lola will get his mind on new spring grass instead of chicken ass! (sorry but it rhymed!) Here is Bean-Bean, sporting her new vest! (you can see her feather damage..poor thing, she's nearly plucked clean under that vest!)

Think Challenge - Tool Bridge

2009-03-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Gryphon's solution for last weeks Think challenge. Make a bridge using tools from your tool box and one other item. Bridge must be 20 inches in length and 5 inches high. He made his using a wooden sword and ratchet pieces among some other tools. Here is his solution!

I was Tagged!

2009-02-23T05:52:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Fairiemom! The rules for this one are rather simple - you go to your pictures folder and go to the sixth one and then you find the sixth picture and post it. Here is what I came up with. My photos are in folders so I went to my 2008 folder (since we don't have one set up for this year yet) I went to the 6th folder which was last June and the 6th picture to come up was this cute one of Gryphon and Ruby and their cousin Devin. I had totally forgotten about this picture. They had been running around the yard playing Harry Potter and then collapsed on the grass and were looking at the clouds, of course I ran and got the camera! Fun day, fun game! Thanks for tagging me Fairiemom!

I now tag these 6 folks to play along with me!

Danielle
Val
Melissa
Lawanda
Chell
Michelle
Audrey

Snow Hooping

2009-02-19T04:21:00.000-08:00

Taken a week or so ago. Not the best video, but my first time outside to hoop in a long time. The ground was still pretty icy under the snow so it was hard to find footing without slipping. Still lots of fun and good to get some fresh air!

Sickness....and Herbal Meds

2009-02-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

So this is getting kind of old, us being constantly sick for the last month or more, but now Ruby has been sick again since Tuesday running a fever that wants to climb up well past 104 and doesn't like to come down. I learned some new (to me) fever managing tricks at my herb class last Sunday and have used them with some success on her this week.

We started with a lovely fever reducing tea made with Catnip, Lemon Balm, Lavender, and a pinch of Spearmint for taste. Ruby seemed to dig on it and so I also made it into popcycles to suck on. I also decanted the Thyme tincture that I had made in December and strained it into a pretty amber bottle. I've been dosing her with that and happily she LOVES the taste of it! (I tinctured it in apple cider vinegar!)

Lastly I tried using a compress of cool water and apple cider vinegar on her feet, which pulls the fever out. It worked well! We didn't go for the Motrin at all that night. The next day with the fever climbing past 104.5 and not coming down with these measures, I went for the big guns and dosed with Motrin. Took her to the pediatrician today thinking she had strep, they did a culture and it looked negative, but they are sending it out to the lab so we should know for sure by Sunday. It's been a long week, just tucked in at home, which is fine by me as I love being home, especially in the winter when I just want to hibernate, but Chris has been gone on a business trip to Arizona all week so I'm eager to see him tonight and have some adult conversation.

I made some herbal medicines with Gryphon this past week too. Arnica in olive oil which will be used to make "bump creme" for bumps and bruises and muscle strain, and Calendula in olive oil which will also make a nice skin salve for skin irritations.. Here are a few pics...and my cute little bottle of thyme tincture, and some Vitex (Chaste tree berry) and Hawthorn berry tinctures which are still extracting.

Hopefully we can move past this sickness stuff and onto more fun things soon!

I HEART Soup!!!

2009-02-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

I could eat soup everyday and be totally happy. Better still though is a batch of hot homemade soup on a chill snowy evening with a bunch of sick sniffly kids. I made Potato-Leek Soup last night and it turned out sooo nice! The recipe found below is from Molly Katzen's "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest". This soup is the perfect comfort food. I reduced the amount of butter she called for and it was still luscious.

Enjoy!

Potato-Leek Soup: from Molly Katzen's The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.

3 fist sized potatos
3 cups cleaned, chopped leeks
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4 tbs. butter (I used half this amount)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup stock or water (stock is tastier!)
3 cups milk
optional: snippets of fresh herbs, thyme, marjoram, basil)
fresh ground black pepper

1) scrub the potatoes and cut them into 1 inch chunks. Place them in a saucepan with the leeks, celery, carot and butter. Add salt. Cook the vegetables, stirring over medium heat, until the butter is melted and all the particles are coated. (5 minutes)

2.) add the stock or water, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the ptoatoes are soft (20-30 mins) Check the moisture level occasionally. You may need to add a little extra stock or water, if it gets too low.

3) When the potatos are tender, remove the pan from the heat, and puree it's contents in the milk (use a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade.) Make sure the mixture is utterly smooth. Return it to the saucepan.

4) add optional herbs (or not). Grind in some black pepper. Taste it to see if it wants more salt.

5) Heat the soup gently covered, until just hot. Try not to let it boil. serve right away.

Sickies...

2009-01-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

Been sick and out with one thing or another this whole month. Tried a med for my anxiety which left me tired and sick for a few weeks, pink eye, laryngitus and a lingering cough and now a stomach bug. Will post more soon! In good news we have a new president!!! YAY!!!!

Scrap Mojo Challenge

2008-12-30T17:52:00.001-08:00

My entry for the Scrap Mojo Challenge. You were to use a Christmas saying or quote and also to use something sparkly. Here is my interpretation! The journaling reads. "You absolutely LOVED this song this year and sang along with your brother to it on the radio. Your favorite was the "Stink Stank Stunk" part! Sung loud and with glee!"

You can click on the images for a bigger view. I'll let you know if I win!

Sleepless in Souderton

2008-12-29T02:41:00.000-08:00

My anxiety is getting the best of me lately and I'm having trouble sleeping again. I'm up with a panic attack at 5:30. It started at 3:30 and I got tired of laying in bed waiting for it to taper off. So now I'm here on the internet to try to take my mind off things and have some calming tea..... I find blog reading to be soothing. Although I suspect getting up every night at 3:00 is not the best habit to get into. I'm going to be soo wiped out tomorrow. I think my mind is just racing so much that I can't even have regular dreams anymore. I'm even trying to work through things out in my sleep. No rest for the weary that's for sure! Too bad the tree is still up in the living room or I could do some early morning hooping. Not sure what's up lately. Perhaps it's the lack of sun, the hecticness of the holidays or the non-stop pace of things but I'm really having a hard time lately. Sleep is one thing I can't give up! Ok. that said..it's back to bed for me....

Scrapbook Layouts..

2008-12-28T16:59:00.001-08:00

I've been scrapbooking lately and thought I would start uploading some of my layouts up here for fun. Here is my latest. My resolutions and goals for the New Year.

Walk Through Trick

2008-12-28T10:04:00.001-08:00

Took me awhile to figure this one out, but I think I finally have it. Thanks to Gryphon for filming me!

My LED hoop arrives!

2008-12-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

Chris bought me an LED hoop from Superhooper.org for my birthday and it arrived awile ago. I never got a chance to put up the pictures. This hoop is so cool. It's make with clear tubing and purple UV (black light) reactive lights. When photographed it comes out blue for some reason. I just need add a little tape to it to keep it from slipping and I'm good to go. Here's a quick video taken the night I got it and a few photos. Thanks Chris!!! X-mas pictures from yesterday to follow this post!

Winter Solstice

2008-12-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

We celebrated the Winter Solstice on Sunday. It was so nice, just our little family together all hunkered inside. Outside was a cold, still, crystalline world. There was so much ice on everything. The patterns of ice on the windows were breathtaking! Inside we read a few books about the Solstice, welcomed the sun back with a breakfast of oranges, eggs and hash brown potatoes (usually we have a sun cake too, but we forgot this year.) We talked a bit about the history of Solstice celebrations and just what the longest night means and why the return of the light is significant, scientifically as well as spiritually.

After breakfast we all opened our solstice gifts to one another. We have been doing this for a few years now. The kids open their presents on Solstice and then Santa come on Christmas with a few small things and stockings to open. Usually he has left things for them at their Grandparents house too.Gryphon and Ruby made some really nice gifts at Ms. Tia's Art and Sparks, and Gryphon made some neat things at the library's secret Santa workshop. (our library is the best around and each year provides a free crafting day for the kids, (no grownups allowed!) that is out of this world!!) He made me a lovely necklace and an herbal vinegar with sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Ruby made me a beautiful glass ornament at Ms. Tia's, all by herself! Chris got me some hob-nail milk glass pieces which I am collecting. Gryphon made Chris an I-PAQ cozy and a mouse candy cane holder for Ruby. She made Gryphon a butterfly belt. It was a really nice morning.

Later that evening we all fell asleep before we lit our yule log. Usually we keep the stump from our yule tree the year before and either burn it, or symbolically "burn" it, by setting votive candles on it (one for each of us) and we write something that we want to get rid of in the new year on the candle, or on slips of paper under the candle. As it burns down we visualize what we want to get rid of, burning away, and as each candle is lit we "light" the potential for the new year in each of us, and what we want to bring into our lives. Usually we do this in the dark and it's really pretty to watch each of our single candles joining together one by one to make a strong and beautiful light. I guess we'll light our log on Christmas or New Years eve since we didn't get to it on Solstice.

Here are some pictures of our day and also a few from our tree blessing when got our tree. (To thank it for it's life.) Oh and how fun! We found a birds nest in the bottom of our tree! We also discovered that a sun wall decoration we had, worked perfectly for a tree topper!

I'm still here.....somewhere.....

2008-12-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

It's been forever since I've posted. I have TONS of pictures to upload and lots up stuff to update and that might be part of the problem. In addition to being really busy. I get overwhelmed by all that I want to share and end up not being able to post. Also our monitor broke so I have to use the laptop which makes it hard to access photo's from the camera and navigate with the touch pad. SOOO>>...... that's why I haven't been on here as much. I'll try to post soon with some pics. We've been doing alot lately!

If I don't get back on here before the Holiday, hope you all have a beautiful Holiday of your choosing and blessings for a lovely New Year!!!

Ms. Tia's Art N Sparks

2008-11-19T05:57:00.001-08:00

Last week we discovered this really cool place that just opened near us. It's called "Ms. Tia's Art and Sparks." What a great idea! It's an art and enrichment center. $10 bucks per kid for 2 hours of fun! There are art stations set up that rotate weekly around a theme, you can just drop in and work on or create whatever you want! They also have actual classes that you can sign up for. French lessons, cooking, the history of the outhouse, science, space, making tye-dye! the list goes on and I believe they will continue to add to it.

We are so excited to have this resource near us and I imagine we'll be spending quite a few days playing there when it's cold and yucky outside this winter.

Gryphon and Ruby were quite the busy crafters and came home with a huge bag full of all the things they made that day. The people working there were super nice and friendly too!

Here are some pics!

Our "fairy" sweet girl turns 4!!

2008-11-12T05:48:00.000-08:00

Wow. Time is really going so fast, Ruby turned 4 yesterday! Seems like she can't possibly be that old already. We started her celebration with a fairy party with her friends on Sunday and then had family over last night for cake and ice cream. Her fairy party was really sweet. The little girls came dressed in their "fancys" as Ruby says and they all donned wings. We made fairy wands, decorated cupcakes, (we made some wee cupcakes to leave outside for the fairy's) read a fairy story, and had a tea party in the living room with real tea and finger sandwiches! Later we checked on the cupcakes outside and found that the fairies HAD come! They had nibbled the cupcakes and left a trail of sparkling fairy dust behind! We had some more cupcake eating and then opened presents. Ruby got beautiful gifts from her friends. An adorable pixie doll from Ava and McKaylah, a handmade penguin from Thea, and a gorgeous puzzle and fairy magnet play set from Frida.

Last night her Aunt and cousins and Grandma's came over. She received so many nice gifts from them as well. A beautiful fairy book and butterflies to decorate from Aunt Wendy Uncle Jerry and Devin, Ruby slippers from Grandmom and Grandpop F and money towards her gym class. Pants and shirt from Great-Gram, A Dora mermaid from Gryphon (he was so proud to pick it out by himself for her!) A new basket for her bike, from Daddy and Calico Critters from Mommy. Aunt Heather and Uncle Adam sent out a dress up doll magnet set and Grandmom and Grandpop Washington sent a new leotard and real ballet shoes!! Grandmom P got her a new gym leotard as well and she was excited about the birthday money she received in cards! (which will go towards her gymnastics class)

Thank you everyone for making her day special with your friendship and love! (a ridiculous amount of pictures follows!)

Wordy Wednesday

2008-11-12T05:42:00.000-08:00

Rubenesque

One of my favorite words!

Ru·ben·esque (rōō'bə-něsk') adj.

1. Of, relating to, or in the style of painting of Peter Paul Rubens.
2. Plump or fleshy and voluptuous. Used of a woman.

"I'm not fat... I'm Rubenesque!"

Pirate Ship...and Picture...

2008-11-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

The kids made this pirate ship a few weeks ago with their neighborhood friend and I thought it was so great. I forgot to put the pictures up here, and just discovered them now. They had such a nice adventure. I was reminded of the poem "Pirate Story" from the Children's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson:

"Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing,
Three of us abroad in the basket on the lea.
Winds are in the air, they are blowing in the spring,
And waves are on the meadow like the waves there are at sea.

Where shall we adventure, to-day that we're afloat,
Wary of the weather and steering by a star?
Shall it be to Africa, a-steering of the boat,
To Providence, or Babylon or off to Malabar?

Hi! but here's a squadron a-rowing on the sea--
Cattle on the meadow a-charging with a roar!
Quick, and we'll escape them, they're as mad as they can be,
The wicket is the harbour and the garden is the shore."

And also from the forgotten file is this picture Ruby did of me Hula Hooping! I thought it was so cute! Halloween and Fall update coming in the next post!

Wordy Wednesday

2008-11-06T04:25:00.000-08:00

(posting a bit late)

UMAMI (oo-MAH-mee) --- noun

A taste sensation that is meaty or savory and is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides (as glutamate and aspartate)

"The Harvest Soup I made last night had a distinctly UMAMI flavor thanks to the addition of the sea vegetable Wakami that I added."

Check out Danielle at www.cococricketsmama.typepad.com to see her wordy wednesday, and join us on your blog if you want to play too!!

Lock Fixing

2008-11-05T10:17:00.001-08:00

Gryphon decided to figure out what was wrong with his bedroom lock today. Here is the video he made describing what he found.

Cordials!!

2008-10-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to try my hand at cordial making. I don't think I've mentioned on here that I took a part-time job at a local herb shop, which is where I learned about making these. I'm also taking a 10 month herbal training there which I'm really excited about.

I was hoping to give these as Holiday gifts but they take 3-4 months to make so I think I'm too late. Cordials were really popular during the Victorian era and are taken in small amounts, usually before or after a meal as an apperatif or as a digestive. Healthful herbs can be added. Basically they are made with a simple sugar mix and some good vodka. They are kind of like a very sweet version of a flavored Absolute Vodka. YUM!!!

Here are the combo's I came up with we'll know in January if they were a success.

Chai Spice - Star anise seed, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, black peppercorn
Summer in a bottle!- Lemon Balm, Limes, pinch of mint
Coffee - coffee beans
Stawberry Lime - Strawberries and Limes

One down... one to go...

2008-10-29T06:21:00.000-07:00

I received this yarn in a swap a few years back and am just getting to it now. It's a super wash wool so hopefully it'll hold up better than my pure wool socks, which I ran a hole into in just days of wearing (to be honest it was like a straight week of non-stop wearing cause I loved them so much!)

I'm finding I'm understanding the process of sock knitting more and more and can fix problems easier because I'm staring to understand the "why" of how they are constructed. It's so relaxing too!

Think! Challenge- Eggs

2008-10-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Gryhon's solution to the think challenge for this week. His submission and other thinkers can be found here. We did not have drinking straws so we substituted with skewers. The egg was donated by one of our chickens this morning!

12 straws
12 inches of tape
scissors (these may not be used in the solution)
an egg (raw or hard-boiled although raw is more fun)

The challenge is to build a structure that will support the egg and keep it at least one inch above the surface of the table. You may not tape anything to the table or the egg.

Fun Quiz

2008-10-22T04:45:00.000-07:00

Hmm...actually I was a bit surprised. I thought I would be getting low points for complaining and sulking... but I guess my other amazing housewifey skills pulled my score up! LOL

As a 1930s wife, I am
Superior

Take the test!

Impressionism in the Afternoon

2008-10-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

We've been studying the works of the famous impressionist artist Claude Monet and today we took our painting supplies outside to try to capture the light and beauty of our Ash Tree. It was so relaxing to sit outside and paint. Something I realize I haven't done much of this since art school and something I plan on doing more of. I think Gryphon's picture turned out just beautiful. I did a few quick impressions of our chickens who were roaming the yard too!

Statue of Liberty

2008-10-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Danielle with her children and her mom treated us to a trip to see the Statue of Liberty yesterday. Thank you again Danielle! I can't believe we've lived this close for so long and never been there. It was really amazing. We had read a few books before we went with the kids so they would have a bit of background information, but of course we learned even more while we were there.

The security to get onto the Ferry and to Ellis Island was "airport style" and then again before you entered the museum to go up to see her, there was another check-point where you had to go through another security measure. The second checkpoint had they typical x-ray machines but also a walk through device which blew blasts of air at you from several angles, essentially "frisking" you with air which is then read by a computer scan. Chris surrendered his pocket knife which he forgot he had on him at the first security check point before we got on the ferry. They will not hold stuff to give it back.

We took the "Bay State" ferry over and sat on the top open air deck. It was really neat to see her getting closer and closer as we approached Ellis Island. I got all choked up thinking about the immigrants who saw the same view I was seeing, from MUCH MUCH longer journeys and how it must have felt to see her standing there a beacon of hope and a symbol of the promise of a better life, especially after such a long hard journey.

You are not allowed to go into the crown or torch anymore, but we climbed the many MANY stairs to the top of the pedestal where there is an observation deck. It was really challenging to my fear of heights to look over the edge, but a fantastic view of the Island and if you looked up you could see her feet and folds of her gown above.

The museum was really interesting with all sorts of memorabilia and reproductions. The actual plaque with the poem written by Emma Lazurus was there ("come bring me your poor, your hungry"...)as was the original stained glass torch!

The kids seems to really enjoy it, afterward we had a picnic lunch (Thank you again Grandma Rose!)and then ran around a bit in the park below. Of course we took like 19 hundred pictures of the statue from every angle. Gryphon got a pin for his pin collection in the gift shop and I got both kids post cards to put in their scrapbook.

The boat ride back with the sun setting was beautiful. It was a really nice day. Here are some pictures.

Think!

2008-10-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

A friend suggested this awesome site called "think" where they post weekly challenges for kids to design stuff and get them thinking outside the box. (Thanks for the suggestion Sue!)I'm really excited about it, as is Gryphon, who counts being an engineer in with the things he wants to be.

This week we had to design a car and see if it would roll down a ramp. The materials you could use were limited to 4 sheets of paper, 2 markers, 2 pencils and scotch tape. No scissors were allowed.

Here is his creation, you can go to the web-site to see the submissions. We hope to continue these challenges weekly!

Mermaid anyone?

2008-10-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, we've been adding a bit of fish into our previously strict vegetarian diet. Usually we try to get good quality wild caught fish, but today I was craving a tuna sandwich and Chris ran out and bought some canned tuna.

I was all set to make some tuna salad sandwiches when Ruby curiously came over and peered up at the counter to see what I was doing... "oh... we're having mermaid? Is that mermaid in there?" It took me a minute to figure out what she was talking about. Then I saw the logo on the can of tuna! I laughed and said "oh no honey it's canned fish.. tuna!" She was all "Ooooh...riiiight... 'cause we don't eat mermaids, 'cause they have all those pretty things in their hair, that would be yucky!!" It was so stinking cute! *smile*

I have to wonder though... why is it called "chicken of the sea"? and why the mermaid logo? a bit weird really...

Canning Day

2008-10-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try my hand at canning today! It gives me such pleasure to learn a skill like this which is something our ancestor would have considered a chore. I love thinking about the women who came before me and what their days were like, and I feel thankful that even on my busiest cleaning days it's nothing compared to what they did.

Anyway..I have tons of green tomatoes that refused to ripen on the vine, and I feared they would be totally wasted. So even though I've never canned before, I picked them all and found a recipe on-line for Salsa Verde using green tomatoes. I bought some canning jars at the store and then realized I would need a canning pot... I called my Grandmom on the off-chance that there was one at her house in the attic or basement and as luck would have it there was! AND as a special bonus, this one was used by my great-grandma, and my grandma. It's so cool to have this special piece of family history. I'll imagine my great-grandma's hands guiding me as I use her pot. I'm lucky to have known my great-grandma and to have spent many hours with her. She lived to be 104 and died when I was about 12 or 13, she was an amazing woman. Thank you to both of my grandma's for the pot and to the all the hard working women in my family that came before them.

I'll let you know how the salsa turns out!

Fall Camping Trip

2008-10-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

We decided this past week to take a little camping trip. We headed to a park that's not too far from us. It was a nice little get away, just our family. The park was beautiful and deserted! I guess not many people want to camp in the middle of October! It was cool cause we got to pick whichever site we wanted. Sadly this made decision making even harder! We drove around the loop a few times before we settled on a nice spot, kinda near the bathrooms, but not TOO close!

We set up our tent and took a few short hikes to explore the woods, took a stroll down to the lake, and played on the little playground. The kids had so much fun running around and playing on the big rocks and boulders that are scattered throughout the park. The leaves are just starting to turn around here and it's like everything is on the edge of bursting into glorious fall colors.

Back at our tent site in the evening, we started our dinner over the campfire, then rested together and roasted marshmallows in the cool quiet, under a canopy of maple and oak trees. I had made sure to bring plenty of blankets because it's been getting pretty chilly at night, and we have air mattresses for us and the kids. We were all very warm and comfortable and I have to say I think I'm a wimp now and won't be able to camp without a blow up mattress. My back just can't take it anymore. The tent Chris's parents got us last year for Christmas and it's very nice and roomy. Thanks mom and dad!

Ah... it was so quiet and peaceful there. Gryphon made friends with some chipmunks and drew a nice picture in his nature journal of one. Our friends stopped by to play at the park with us which was fun, and afterward we did some more nature sketches. There were so many neat bugs there. We saw several walking sticks, first one was on my shoulder then after we looked at it for awhile, one turned up on the side of Chris' face! Lots of big spiders and other interesting bugs. Much better than ticks and skeeters though! In fact, I don't think we got even one mosquito bite!

There was a wild black kitty cat that was wandering around at night too. I think he/she must have gotten into our hot dog buns at some point. (originally I was convinced it was Ruby, the bite marks and tears in the bag were just about Ruby sized) but then we saw the cat walking the edges of the campsite, and it tried to get into our picnic tent too. It seemed to appear on one side of the campsite and then seconds later it would appear out of the bushes like 150 ft away. It was really crazy! Of course I tried to lure it over to us, but it was too scared.

Speaking of scared...the last night we were there we left in a bit of a hurry (it got to be a little bit TOO quiet for me, isn't that sad??? and I was getting creeped out that we were completely alone in the park. It's not animals I'm afraid of, it's people. Specifically axe murderers wandering into the campground from the nearby highway. Yeah I'm a freak.... Anyway, our fire was not cooperating and it was REALLY dark and creepy (I'm not usually scared outside but couldn't shake it) so we ended up leaving late at night on the last night, in a bit of an rush (well me anyway..) and just threw everything in a jumble in and around and on top of the sleeping kids in the car. We saw the cat's eyes flashing in the dark woods and we set out a plate of the extra fish that we had roasted over the fire. (I really can't get over writing that, we've been strict vegetarians for so many years now and just started eating fish lately.)All in all, a lovely few days.

Here are some pictures from our trip. I always take too many!

Homeschool Projects

2008-10-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

Gryphon picked a biome to study in depth and chose a cactus desert. We had a lot of fun learning about desert life and the animals that live there. It's amazing what they have to adapt to in terms of the drastic climate changes and lack of water. Gryphon and I loved learning about the kangaroo rat especially. It's so cute! He constructed a diorama of the cactus desert (his first diorama! Awww!) and then drew and labeled all the animals that he chose to include. I think his drawings are pretty good!

The last picture is the crossword puzzle he made using his spelling words, we are trying different ways to learn them, this seemed to be lots of fun for him. The tiles are from the game "bananagrams".

Gryphon Turns 9!!

2008-10-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

Gryphon celebrated his 9th birthday on Thursday. I know I say this every year, but I really can't believe he is 9 already and that this is his last year in the single digits. He had a nice day. We scrapped having a party because of Chris being laid off and things being tight, also since we waited too long to plan anything properly lots of people wouldn't have been able to come anyway. Gryphon said he didn't want a party and just wanted his buddy to spend the night and have the grandparents and his Aunt and cousin Devin over for cake in the evening.

We took him to Happy Times for the afternoon and the kids played on the fun frame (a kid habatrail thingi), rode the rides and played some arcade games. Ruby made friends with an adorable little girl that was there and Gryphon made it to the top of the climbing wall, which he had been scared to do last year. Ruby was all into it, but unfortunately she was too small to fit the harness.

Afterward we rode the go-carts outside. Gryphon and Daddy had a crash in their car and poor Gryphon smashed his face and nose into the steering wheel upon impact. He was ok, but was crying, so we called it a day and went to pick up his friend and went home. The boys played and then everyone arrived and we opened gifts and had cake and ice cream. Gryphon recieved lots of lovely gifts including a bow and arrows set from his Grandpa and Grandma in Oregon, some spy gear from his Grandma and Grandpa F., a birdhouse kit and some light up swords from Cindy and Debbie, some playmobil from Sam and a new and blue guitar from Mommy and Daddy. He also received some Birthday money in cards which was a big hit too! He's suddenly understanding the value of money and I noticed him gingerly opening each card and tilting it up slightly....just in case!

It was a fun day with my super special guy, even if I did forget to tell him his birth story!

Here are some (lots of) pictures from his day.

Wordy Wednesday

2008-10-01T03:50:00.000-07:00

My friend Danielle and I are trying this for fun. We're calling it "Wordy Wednesday" and you can play too! Pick a new word each week to add to your vocabulary repertoire and post it on your blog with a definition and a sentence. Kinda like elementary school grammar class but more fun 'cause YOU get to pick the word! The snarkier the better!

And so for today I give you...

Pontificate

I just love the way this one rolls off the tongue.. Try it!

"I can't stand the way Dr. Phil pontificates to his oftentimes very emotional and vulnerable guests on the Oprah show."

This word has two common definitions,

From Meriam Webster: the state, office, or term of office of a pontiff

From Wise Geek.com: The word pontificate is also commonly used to describe a supercilious or patronizing expression of speech. Other terms that effectively describe one who tends to pontificate are pompous, haughty, ostentatious, and condescending. This approach to speech making or lecturing is often meant to demean those that have a different opinion, or in essence is used to make them feel inferior for not agreeing with the “enlightened” perspective of the person speaking

Where do I begin?

2008-09-28T18:18:00.001-07:00

A bit of silliness with my hoop, and me in my old bridesmaids dress!

My Outdoor Girl

2008-09-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

My little Ruby LOVES to be outside, no matter what the weather. She is most content when she's outside. Sometimes she'll just lay out on the grass and stare up at the clouds, sometimes she can be found quietly swinging, or sitting on a branch of the apple tree. It must soothe her spirit in the same way it soothes mine. Sometimes when the world indoors is too much, it's just better to go outside and sit for a minute. This morning it was pouring down rain and Ruby appeared in the living room donned in raincoat and boots. "Where are you going Ruby?" "Outside." came the answer, like "duh?" and off she went in the backyard for some play in the rain, with the company of Sammy our neighbors sweet cat. This is the same girl who went hula hooping with me in the torrential rain and wind brought our way when hurricane Ike passed through Texas a few weeks ago. It was exhilarating! Chris and Gryphon watched from the dry comfort of the kitchen. How I love my outdoor girl.

And one more.....

2008-09-05T19:52:00.001-07:00

Hooping to Fat Boy Slim, while my rooster Lola helps out with back up vocals! I Promise this is all I'll torture you with... for now!!!

More Hoop Practice

2008-09-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

Me at 3 months... still a long way to go.. but what fun!!
So my new tricks are chest hooping, jumping through and hooping behind the back. I can do them, but I still need to make them much smoother..I still can't get the dang hoop up from the knees.

(music is by Junior Senior)

Big Girl Bike

2008-08-26T05:57:00.001-07:00

Ruby has been begging for a "big girl bike" for a while now, Two of her close friends have one and she was green with envy. Daddy stopped by our favorite thrift shop on the way home from work last Friday and presented her with a nice purple one! Small enough for now, but with room to grow and a steal at only $8.00!! woot! He even stopped off for training wheels. Ruby was super excited. Here she is giving it a go for the first time! (a little nervous at first as seen in the second picture!)

Check me out on Hooping.org!!

2008-08-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

Check it out! I was just pursuing www.hooping.org today, and suddenly I'm looking at myself! Someone decided to do a daily news update and selected my blog post about hooping! It was so exciting to see ME right there on the front page. How cool!! LOL If you are into hoopdance you will love this site.

Thanks hooping.org!!

here is the link! leave me a comment on the site!

http://www.hooping.org/archives/001706.html

Egg-cellent !

2008-08-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

We are back from Oregon and had a great time visiting with my parents and seeing my sisters and all my nieces and nephews. I took so many picture that it will take me a day or two to organize them and get them uploaded.

Meanwhile we've had some other exciting news! Aside from lots of bounty from our garden, we were notified by our neighbors who were helping to take care of our chickens that they started to lay about a day or two before we left to come home!

We had 2 beautiful little brown eggs waiting for us in the fridge followed by another one yesterday and one today!!! I'm so excited! Today I actually witnessed an egg being laid. "Buffy" our Buff Orpington, was out roaming with the rest of the flock, when she suddenly ran back into the coop and settled down under the next box. I think we startled her because she started to run back out into the yard then quickly changed her mind (much like a person deciding that, no, they really couldn't wait to use the bathroom) and she scuttled back in. A half hour later I checked in on her again. She puffed up real big and I heard a small "plop" sound. We all looked down and there it was! Another brown egg, still a bit wet from the "bloom" and all warm. A few minutes later she emerged from the coop, all triumphant and started clucking and making quite a bit of noise. Too funny! I'm pretty sure she is the only one laying, she looks bigger and more mature than the other girls, but I'm sure they are not long behind. So now we have 4 eggs! I think we are going to let the kids blow the first 2 eggs and save them as a memento. Here are those first 2 eggs and also a pic of the veggies from our garden. I love this mini-farm life!

Hoop-Soup!

2008-07-16T16:38:00.001-07:00

So I've been waiting to post this until I got a bit better at it, but over the last month I've been obsessively Hula Hooping. This isn't like the Hula hooping you remember doing as a kid. This kind of "hooping" or "hoopdance" is done with a custom made hoop which is much larger and heavier than the kiddie kind, and which makes it possible for almost everyone to quickly get the hang of it, and keep it up. It's more than just standing in one place though, you can have lots of fun moving and swirling with it, dancing, doing tricks and moving the hoop off and around your body.

Maia, the owner of the herb shop "The Apothecary Garden" organized a hooping workshop with the lovely and talented Marlena this past weekend and in preparation for it I made myself a hoop and started to practice. OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I don't want to sound crazy, but this just might be life-changing for me. It is SO addictive and fun and meditative and stress reducing and not to mention a great full body work out.

The first 2 weeks I was hooping every chance I got, I averaged about 3-4 hours daily and lost about 5 pounds that first week. Then I had a health issue which kept me from hooping about a week and then started back up again last week and I am feeling great again, hooping at least 2 or more hours a day.

I have been enjoying this so much that I decided to start making hoops for sale! and I recently opened an Etsy shop to sell my hoops. www.HoopSoup.etsy.com "Your Recipe for Fun and Fitness!"

The shop is now open (although there is not much there yet, I'm still working on it.) Eventually I will be creating a regular web-page, and I'll be adding to it as I create things. You can order custom hoops in the size and color of your choice and I'm hoping to make and sell hooping garments (Pretty clothes that hug your curves and swirl with you.) I've already sold a few hoops to friends, and have a few custom orders to fill. THANK YOU GUYS!!! so I'm really hopeful that this will be successful, and help me pay back those durn student loans all while having fun too! I'm terribly excited about all this and I hope you will give it try too, and pass my name on if you know someone who would enjoy hooping.

Anyway.. I'll leave you with a few videos and some pics of our day of hooping in the park. The first one is of me at about one week into hooping (hopefully I will work off some of that booty, YIKES!)and the second one is from this past week. (about 4 weeks of hooping) ( I won't subject you to the video's of the first few days.) seriously though it's amazing how fast you can learn this and it's so much fun!!

Enjoy!

Me at week one

Me at week four

Hooping with my chicken LOLA! (I don't think she was amused)

Pics from the Hooping class this past weekend.

Ruby's Chickens

2008-07-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ruby has been drawing what I can only describe as THE cutest chickens I've ever seen! She showed me these drawings the other day and I was blown away by the details. Check out that beak! Those cute wings and the feathers!! She asked me how to write Laylou (the name of one of our chickens) and I pointed out the letters on our alphabet chart and she copied them down. A few minutes later she called me to come over and look, cause she'd written them again "all by myself" I am so amazed that she was able to do this!

Here is her adorable drawing of Laylou and below that, her rather disturbing looking picture of a chicken " Attacking me and scratching me on the head!" Hmmmm... (ours have never done this!)

Also I'm messing around with the new Blogger templates so things might be bumping around and changing on her over the next couple of days. I love that I'm able to have the cool banner at the top though! let me know what you think!

Assategue Island 2008

2008-07-10T06:04:00.001-07:00

We took our yearly trip to Assateague Island last month with Chris' cousins and had a fun but very itchy time. The mosquitoes were really horrible this time. I think they usually are, but we have been luckier in previous years because of strong winds which kept them at bay and also because we camped closer to the beach. This time it was almost impossible to sit around the camp fire even though we broke down and ditched our all natural bug spray for the hard-core chemical stuff. Didn't seem to faze the skeeters. The ticks were pretty bad too, Chris found a few on him and Ruby had two deer tick bites, one on the belly and one on the back of her neck, found after we returned home. Apparently Chris is slightly tick phobic too.. he was freaking out all weekend.

Still it was nice to get away and we spent a lot of time playing on the beach which the kids loved, especially Ruby. She just couldn't get enough! She would just run up and down the beach squealing. There were a lot of different birds there that I did not recognize; next year I will get the Assateague field guide and spend some time with the kids in nature study. We did find some skate egg casings on the beach and some crab shells and some other pretty shells. Once we got home we spent some time identifying them and doing a shell workbook. We took the kids to the nature center again and they got to watch a movie about the wild ponies. We did see some again on this trip. 2 herds wandered down on the beach during the day and we had one horse walk right through our campsite at dusk when we were already in our tent and it brushed up against the window. It was kinda scary being in the tent and then seeing it pass by the window. Thank goodness it decided to go around!

I love Assateague Island, it's such a neat place.

Anyway.. there are quite a few pictures but here they are!

Oh... hello there! Oh yes I DO have a blog don't I ?

2008-07-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

We've been so busy this summer doing and going and playing, mostly outside which is why I've been really slacking on the blogging. I have so much to update on, and I'll try to do that this week. We have a nasty summer flu running through our family right now, so I have some down time while we are at home fighting it. This is Bean-Bean by the way.. remember her from this post? She's almost 4 months old now and like her sisters (and brother!) is just the sweetest thing ever!! Can you believe how fast they grew? I'll have an update on the chickens soon as well, just wanted to let you know I'm still here and let you know a summer update is on the way!

The Perks of Homeschool

2008-05-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

Being able to relax outside on a lovely spring day with your "homework"

Gryphon's reading is getting better and better. He's feeling more confident with it and as of late, can often be found quietly reading on his own. He takes a book with him to bed and wakes up to read by himself in the morning before the rest of us get up. He's been reading stuff all around us when we are out and about and is and picking up and trying out more challenging books. It's the best thing to hear him chuckling to himself over something funny he's just read in his book, or running over to show me an exciting part. He's always been a big book lover and it great to see the reading unfolding on it's own just like I heard it would without me pushing him. He's really doing great. (current favorites are the Nate the Great series and the Cam Jansen series, also the Little House on the Prairie easy chapter books)

I myself am breathing a big sigh of relief. The reading for some reason is the one area where I get really uptight. I don't know why, as Gryphon has always loved books, we are a very literate family and I know there is no chance that he'll be illiterate, but I feel in someway that my competence as a "teacher" to him is being judged by this one area in particular. I have had to constantly remind myself that he will learn at his own pace and in his own time and that is one of the reasons we choose homeschooling, so he can truly unfold and learn without pressure. It's hard to remember that though when things don't always move on the schedules society is used to. (although I realized recently that he IS reading at grade level)

Watching his reading skills blossom again in huge jumps over the last few weeks is really inspiring to witness. I have really backed off of trying to "teach" and just kind of let it happen, just snuggled in to read lots of things together and enjoy reading without any expectations. Things got a lot better for us when that occurred. I continually hear from more experienced homeschooling moms that kids will learn to read on their own and no one really knows how it happens, and that you can't force someone to read before they are ready.... I know all that in my heart, but sometimes I get fearful. It's has definitely been my experience that if I back off a bit and just let it happen then authentic learning occurs. Now who's learning! Children really are our best teachers much of the time.

I'm so lucky to be able to spend my days with the kids like this. I think of it often and I'm so very grateful.

The shirt he's wearing in this last picture we found at Old Navy of all places!

Chicken Coop

2008-05-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

Well we finally got the chickens out of the house and into their coop, (they are about 10 weeks old now!) It took us longer than we planned on because of a lack of funds and lack of good weather to work in, but Chris and I finished the run about a weeks or so ago and banged out the coop last Saturday in about 4 hours. It still needs to be painted to keep it weather-proof and we have a few adjustments to make, but all in all I'm pretty impressed that we were able to do this at all. This will have been our first carpentry project ever! The girls seem happy to be running around during the day in their little play-yard. They are however not as happy in the coop at night. I think in part this is because they had the light on when they were in the house so much and they are a little timid of the dark now. They seem to be staying all crammed up on each other right up against the coop door. They also didn't have the sense to get under the tarp we had put over the run when it started to rain really hard, and before the coop was totally finished. I was out in the downpour trying to wrangle them under the tarp for protection, but they ran right back out into the deluge. I brought them back in that night and put them in big tupperware bins in the kitchen with baby gates on top to keep them in. They are so tame and sweet they don't even try to get out. They will just sit on your hand or arm and fall asleep. Ruby and Gryphon are able to just carry them around with them. They don't peck or anything! I'm so glad they are sweet and calm. I'm pretty proud of my little flock and I love them so much! Here are a few pics of the coop and run.

Rain Rain Go Away....

2008-05-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

or at least let's warm up a bit...I thought our kitchen window with rain falling outside and all the green was really pretty here. See our baby tomato plants? We just need to get some dirt in the raised bed we made and get out and plant them!

Anthropologie Inspired Caplet

2008-05-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

Hot off the needles! Let me just say I love this shrug SO much! I want to make one in every color! It took me about 4 hours total to make. I got the pattern here. The yarn is Pingouin Mousse in red which I had gotten free in a box of knitting supplies off of freecycle. It's an acrylic yarn but feels like a wool mohair. Despite my dislike of Acrylic yarn in general, this is perfect because of ease of washing. I used a broach that I just got from a jewelry party to close it at the neck, although you could sew a button on too. This is the perfect thing to wear on a cool spring evening over a tank top.

Tut-Tut... looks like Rain...

2008-05-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a rainy, blustery weekend it was...The backyard turned into a muddy pond again. Perfect weather for Ruby to try out her new rain boots handed down to her by her good friend Ava. The Splashing and jumping and tromping around in the rain and mud was just the thing for repeated requests of "can I PLEASE go outside??"

more weekend updates coming soon.

Fairy Mail

2008-05-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

We are still big into making our fairy houses around here. The other day at dusk Ruby found a little rose bud( we still aren't sure where this came from. We have no roses blooming near us, nor any roses in our house... )She decided to leave it for the fairy's. She tucked it into the grass near a stump that the kids had been playing fairy's at. We'll have to see if they take our gift and leave any messages of their own! As you can see from the pictures she was SUPER excited to leave her note (dictated to and written by mommy)

Just a bubble (or a few hundred) a day keeps the crankies away...

2008-05-12T09:26:00.001-07:00

Please bear with me...the sweetness of these moments was just too much for me.

Frieda!

2008-05-12T08:31:00.000-07:00

We got to see the Frieda Kahlo special exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Museum last weekend with my friend Danielle and her family. Well actually it was just my friend Danielle and I in the actual Frieda part. Her husband and her kids and Chris and my guys walked around the regular exhibits cause I thought some of Frieda's work might be too intense for the little guys. What a treat! It was really awesome. She is just amazing, her life was so complex and painful and full of sorrow and it is truly palpable in the artwork. There were a few times when I thought I was going to cry as I looked at the pieces. The gallery was packed, it was elbow to elbow as we made our way through. As well as her paintings there were also plenty of photographs of her and her husband the muralist Diego Rivera and their friends and family. I loved looking at all those old prints. They wouldn't allow any photography in the exhibit, but these two were there which are two of my favorites.

The Broken Column

The Two Friedas

I love going to this museum so much. I used to go quite a bit when I was in art school and before I had the children. Gryphon has gone to a few of the kids art tours the museum has for homeschoolers and he's really enjoyed it. Hmmmmm... I should really look into a membership for our family or at least incorporate some art appreciation courses into our homeschooling. Anyway..If you are in the area, you should really try to go see the Frieda exhibit it before it moves on. Thanks for having us along Danielle!

Ride On!

2008-05-12T08:26:00.001-07:00

I'm so behind on posts here, mainly because we've been spending so much time outside. We've been up and out playing and working outside from the time we get up until well after dinner. Anyway...on to some things that I've been meaning to post...

On Easter day Gryphon figured out how to ride his two wheel bike! He'd been scooting around on his scooter all this past fall, and since outgrowing his bike with training wheels about a year or so ago, he'd been bike-less. Plus we didn't have anywhere to really let him ride it where we were living before. The new house has a driveway in front of the house and it's a safe place for the kids to ride, as we are the second to last house on a dead end street. The neighbor kids had been riding their bikes out there for the past several weeks and so we brought out the big bike we had picked up at the thrift store for him ($4.00!!!) He practiced first on the bike of our neighbor who is 4 so his bike was really low to the ground. I showed Gryphon how to coast on the bike without trying to pedal, it took him only a few tries to get his balance, then we coasted on the little bike and pedaled (this was hysterical, as it was so tiny it looked like he was on a clown bike) Next we pulled out his big bike and after a few adjustments to the seat height and the handle bars he started pedaling. He was riding like a pro a few minutes later! I really thought this was something we would be working on all summer and I can't believe how fast he got it. Now it's like he's been riding all his life. He is doing all kinds of fancy tricks like no hands, lifting his feet up, trying to put both feet on one side of the bike while he's riding..you know.. stuff that scares me!

Here he is!

Sims On Stage

2008-04-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted for awile, we've been so busy playing and working outside, but I do have a ton of things to update, maybe later today.. However!

I stumbled on this fun web-site last night. (and then was up all night playing with it) bascially it's a web-site where you can do Karaoke and stand up comedy and poetry reading and then share with other viewers for feedback and ratings ect...

I still need to figure out the mic a bit and it looks like they have some glitches with the timing on the songs not matching up all the time to the recordings but still, a ton of fun! Here's my attempt at singing 2 Patsy Cline songs, walking after midnight and Crazy...Check em out and leave me a rating if you feel like it!

Rate this performance at The Sims On Stage

Pulse (by Ani Difranco)

2008-04-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

You crawled into my bed like some sort of giant insect
And I found myself spellbound at the sight of you there,
Beautiful and grotesque
and all the rest of that bug stuff
Fluttering your way into my mouth,
Behind my teeth,
reaching for my scars.
That night we got kicked out of two bars and laughed our way home.
The night you leaned over
and
threw up into your hair.
And I held you there thinking

I would offer you my pulse

If I thought it would be useful.

I would give you my breath

except

the problem with death is
you have some hundred years and then they can build
Buildings on our only bones.
A hundred years and then
your grave is not your own.

and we lie in our beds and our graves unable to save ourselves
from the quaint tragedies we invent,
And undo
to the stupid circumstances we slalom through.

And I realized that night
that the hall light
which seemed so bright when you turned it on

is nothing

compared to the dawn,
Which is nothing

compared to the light

which seeps from you
While you're sleeping,
beautiful and grotesque,
Resting cocooned in my room,

Resting.

The night we got kicked out of two bars and laughed our way home
and I held you there thinking

I would offer you my pulse.
I would give you my breath.

I would offer you my pulse.
I would give you my breath.

I would offer you my pulse.
I would give you my breath.

I would offer you my pulse.
I would give you my breath.

Pulse, by Ani Difranco

Introducing.....

2008-03-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

So we finally chose names for all the girls and I thought I'd officially introduce them. WOW they grow fast! They are 6 or 7 days old now and have sprouted little wing feathers seemingly overnight. I also noticed their little tushie feathers are starting up too, and they have learned to jump and flap a short distance so we had to put a baby gate over the brooder box to prohibit any "flying the co-op"

Here they are! (yes I know I am overly excited about all this!)

First up is BUFFY! she's a Buff Orpington, Named after Buffy the Vampire Slayer... I love how she is checking out the picture in the second shot!

And here we have LOLA! named by Gryphon from a character in a Dr.Suess book. Lola is an Ameraucauna

And her sister LAI-LOO also from the same Dr. Suess book. (the character was actually "Lola Lee Loo".. but he changed it around a little and split it between the two of them....

Then we have the lovely VIOLET.. a Plymouth/Barred Rock

Her sister ROSE...

And last but not least BEAN-BEAN who is also a Buff Orpington named by Ruby

Aren't they the cutest? and so very patient and co-operative for their photo shoot!

Our Babies are Here!!!

2008-03-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

After a morning filled with impatient waiting, frantic calls to the post office and some anxiety over botched shipping dates, we finally got our baby chicks yesterday around 3:00 in the afternoon. A carrier from the post office called and said he was heading out our way and so he'd be happy to drop them off for us, and about 15 minutes after the call we heard him pull up and we opened the door to be handed a small cheeping package. The carrier said they were cheeping loudly the whole way over and once he turned the heater on in the van they calmed down a bit. I can't tell you how relieved I was that they made it ok. I was really feeling sad and worried about the long trip they had to make in the box with no food or water (although from what I read they don't really need either for 24-48 hours, as they live on the nutrition they got from absorbing the egg yolk.) It appears I am just as paranoid a bird mama as I am a human mama!

Here are the kids just seconds after the box was delivered and right before we opened it.

Then the unveiling...... complete with a video as well.
I know how to torture the kids don't I!

Oh how sweet and tiny.. they were all piled up in a corner of the box and seemed truly stunned. We took each one out at a time and put them into the warm brooder. (each got a welcome home kiss and a dab of rescue remedy on the legs) I then dipped each chicks beak into the waterer so they would get the idea and know where the water was. I had read somewhere that chicks are so curious about water that they will drown themselves if they get the chance. Our waterer is really small but I put some marbles in the water just in case. they can sip the water out between the marbles and it will hopefully discourage them from standing, and thereby pooping, in the water.

Like I mentioned before we got two Ameraucanas, two Buff Orpingtons and two Plymouth/Barred Rocks. They are all so different looking. I can't decide which is the cutest. They will look so much different in a few weeks. The Buff's are a lovely yellow fluff ball. The Ameraucanas are a neat tan-ish color with dark brown, white and black stripes and spots. They remind me of bloated sparrows and the Plymouth Rocks are black with white fluffy butts and heads.

After emerging from the shipping box they were all wobbly on their feet. I'm guessing it was from traveling. Something like "sea-legs" on a boat. Both of the Ameraucanas looked totally shell shocked. They couldn't stand and were just falling over and neither seemed to be able to open their eyes. I guess maybe from being in the dark for a day in the box. They all just sort of stood around stunned, but then slowly started to explore the brooder and peck at the feed on the ground. They take turns sleeping (sometime just falling over and sometimes. standing up,)eating, drinking and walking all over each other.

Here is a pic of one of the Buff's literally falling asleep standing up, she just sort of drooped right over and was out cold.

And here are the whole lot of them pooped out on the ground.

We've been holding them and talking to them and snuggling them lots. Gryphon and Ruby are so excited and both kids have been very gentle with holding them. Gryphon has tentatively named the Ameraucanas "Lola" and "Lai-lou" as in "Lola and Lai-Lou lay eggs of blue!" (which they should!) Actually Gryphon named them from the Dr.Suess book Yertle the Turtle. We are deciding on names for the others. Suggested for the Buffs are "Buffy and Willow" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer which is a favorite show of mine. I dunno though.. they seem waay to docile for that.

Goodness they are so cute!!!! I'm SO in LOVE!!! I'll let the pics do the rest of the talking... I hope you enjoy these because you have been warned.. this may very well turn into a chicken blog! Many thanks again to Val for all her help! I really appreciated the links and the e-mails.

Baby Chicks Are On The Way!

2008-03-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am SOOOO excited! I ordered our baby chicks today and was told they just hatched hatched today and will be here tomorrow or Wednesday! We are getting 2 Barred Rock, 2 Buff Orpingtons and 2 Aracuana's for a total of 6 laying hens! Of course I'll post pics as soon as the little darlings arrive.

Welcome Spring!!

2008-03-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

The flowers out front have just started blooming and even though it's cold and windy you can just feel spring in the air. Everything seems like it's waiting in quiet anticipation to POP! I can't wait to get outside and start my garden and get digging in the dirt and feel the warm sun again. Happy Equinox and Happy Easter to you!

It's almost time!!

2008-03-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

We are getting set up for the arrival of our baby chicks. We heard that the local farm store was getting them in yesterday, but they only have one of the kind that I wanted. We met a man who runs a local pet shop who says he hatches out chicks sevearal times a year and we could get them from him, again he only has one of the type that I wanted. So even though it's tempting to just go down to Agway and pick up some chicks I think we are going to restrain ourselves and possibly order them from a hatchery and have them delivered. Then we can get just what we want. Meanwhile we have their food and supplies ready. We just need a lamp for heat. This is all so exciting! We'll be working on the coop while the chicks are in their brooder (which will be a cardboard box until they are old enough to go outside)

Sleds, Snow and Siblings

2008-02-27T06:50:00.000-08:00

The kids had a lot of fun in the yard this past weekend. The snow had started to melt but then re-froze which gave it just enough slippery-ness for the sled to work on the flat ground. The kids played for over an hour and were laughing and having a great time. Ruby was even pulling Gryphon on the sled! It was one of those wonderful moments when they were both sharing and getting along and really enjoying each other and it was so much fun to watch them. The giggling and laughing were infectious! There are two videos at the end too! (ignore my crazy laugh...)

A Gang of Starlings

2008-02-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

Wow! I was just sitting here at the computer when I noticed some movement out the window behind me. I turned and saw tons of birds just dropping out of the sky to the back yard. I ran to grab the camera as about 50-60 Starlings descended on the backyard. The squirrel that we call "short-tail", (because he's only got a stump of a tail) knocked down the bird feeder last week and busted it all over the ground. So there are basically two piles of bird seed on the ground and a suet bag in the tree. The Starlings swarmed the suet feeder, there were at least 5 on there at once and they were all over the birdseed on ground. It was an amazing sight. They are really beautiful, all shimmery green and purple and black. I wasn't able to capture all the birds that were waiting and watching in the tree and there were more on the ground in other spots that I didn't catch. Also I was taking pictures through the window of the backdoor, so the focus isn't that great. The pictures really don't do it justice, but it was amazing in person.

This birdwatching is so exciting!

A Fun Outing

2008-02-20T06:57:00.000-08:00

Last week we took a trip to "Fabric Row" in Philadelphia with our good friend Leslie. She drove, thank goodness! I'm a mess driving in the city. We had fun looking in all the fabric shops. I was good and only came away with this Alexander Henry Piece, and some zippers and tailors chalk. I'm not sure what this fabric is destined to become. Perhaps an apron? it was just too cute to pass up!

After a scenic drive downtown we stopped and had lunch at the "Famous Fourth Street Delicatessen" which is right down on fabric row. Leslie had taken me there before and all I can say is "YUM"

We shared huge plates of challah bread french toast, the kids were calling it "sugar bread" because of the powered sugar and syrup all over it; and some potatoe pancakes and some fries. Yes it was a lunch completely consisting of refined sugars, starch, carbs, fat and salt... but oh man was it good!. They also bring out some yummy deli pickles and cole-slaw complimentary and cookies with your check. Hey pickles are a veggie right? The kids were really into it! Gryphon ate so much he ended up being sick later that evening... Aside from that part it was a fun day!

Thanks Leslie!

The Great Backyard Bird Count

2008-02-15T05:22:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of the Great Backyard Bird Count. You can go here for the details, but basically The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and The Audubon Society have partnered together to get an idea of how many birds are in particular areas so they can study migration and get an idea of populations. This runs from today February 15th until the 18th of February and you can print out a tally sheet from the web-site. It only takes 15 minutes daily and is great fun to do with the kids. Already this morning we have seen Nuthatch, Black capped Chickadee, Black eyed Junco, tufted tit-mouse, cardinals male and female, mourning dove, and song sparrows at our feeder. Who is coming to your feeders? I'd love to see what you find in the comments section!

Updated: Below is our checklist we just submitted on-line this morning! We also are pretty sure we saw a mocking bird eating from our suet feeder. I've never seen this bird before but it was big and fit the description from our birding book! SO exciting!

Locality: 18964, Souderton, Montgomery County, PA

Observation Date: FEB 15, 2008

Email: tofu2698@yahoo.com

Start Time: 8:45 AM

Snow Depth: No snow was present

Total Birding Time: 15 minutes

Location Type: Yard

Party Size: 2

Skill: fair

Weather: good

Habitat(s):rural

Number of species: 8

All Reported: yes
Species Count
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 2
Black-capped Chickadee 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 10

Comments:
We are fairly sure that the hawk we saw was a red tailed hawk, but are new to identifying raptors, so we aren't 100% sure. I know there are plenty in this area. There are tons of sparrows here as well, but we are still learning how to identify between the different kinds. We think we got them right.

Dreaming of Chooks

2008-02-12T04:40:00.000-08:00

I am smitten with the idea of keeping chickens and hopefully we can convince our landlord to let us get a few laying hens this spring. Actually the more I think about it, we really need to get plans rolling soon so we can order our baby chicks!! I think it would be a great experience for the kids as well as keeping us stocked with plenty of eggs. We has some chickens growing up and I loved them so much. We had Rhode Island Reds and a couple of ducks. I got to the point where I had trained one of the chickens to climb up on my shoulder and perch there while I gathered eggs and fed the others. I remember having the baby chicks in our garage under a heat lamp. The were so sweet and warm smelling. It was great fun.

I'm thinking of making a portable coop like this one so we can more it around the yard and have them "free-range" in effect without letting them be at risk of being eaten by the red fox we see often. If you click the link above you can see the plans for this type of coop. It is also nice for the yard, as the chickens will fertilize the yard as they are moved to a fresh patch of grass every few days or so.

I have been reading a few books on keeping chickens and on different breeds and here are the couple that I really like and that look like good options for us. If anyone has any experience with these breeds and has opinions on them I would love to hear it! I'm thinking we will get about 6-8 birds.

So here are the gurls... first up the Australorp.. my book describes this one as "good layer, cautious, extra hardy in cold weather"

Next the Plymouth Rock..."great layer, friendly and curious"

The Rhode Island Red..."cautious yet mellow, great layer"

The Buff Orpington..."great layer. Friendly disposition. Hardy in cold weather"

And the Leghorn..."Great layer, friendly disposition"

So....Which gal do you like??

Roman Invasion

2008-02-11T07:25:00.001-08:00

Gryphon has become completely obsessed with Ancient Rome. He got a few Roman Playmobils for his birthday and has spent many hours now, building temples coliseums and stadiums and making elaborate set-ups. We had been given a unit study on Ancient Rome in a homeschool swap that has been sitting for over a year or more, so yesterday we got it out and started on it. We read about the type of clothes the ancient Romans wore, what they ate (one treat was snails fattened for several days in a bowl of milk....*blech!!!!*) and about their politics and army. Gryphon is fascinated by the tortoise move that the legionares used with their shields for protection. He was also impressed by how smart they were with their architectural designs, their art, and their brilliant use of roads and aqueducts. We also talked about the Gods and Goddesses they worshiped and he was excited to discover that he knew a lot of them already but by their Greek names. We talked about how they were more or less the same deities only given different names. Less appealing is the brutal aspect of their society. We talked about their use of slaves and how barbaric the treatment of the Gladiators was. How the Gladiators were seen as in-human and their lives were both revered and insignificant at the same time. He looked pretty shocked when we read about that part, I think he was thinking of the gladiators more as noble knights, but when it gets down to it, it was gruesome hand-to-hand combat and the spectators were basically cheering on public murder.

Okaay....On the lighter side, here are some pics of his Roman temple, and one of his pages and pages of Roman Numerals!

Fairy House at Dusk

2008-02-08T07:34:00.001-08:00

The kids were getting far too rowdy for me in the house yesterday so I sent them out in the back yard to play while I washed up some dishes and started dinner. I love that I can see them out the kitchen window while I work. Gryphon came in after awhile and proclaimed that the base of the big oak tree in the backyard was the perfect place for a fairy house. He and Ruby got to work on a new fairy house and stayed out until the last of the light was gone. Here they are...(you can click each picture if you want a close up)

Book Sale Score!

2008-02-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

Our local library (which is the BEST library around for miles in my opinion) has a book sale twice a month. You can come home with a whole bag and only spend a few bucks. (Really dangerous if you love books like I do.) I've gotten some really great things there in the past and last time was no exception. I was so excited to find this beautiful bird book from 1964 but even more so when I got home and discovered a book of these neat clear flexible records in the back with all the bird songs on them!!! It's so much fun to listen too! I'm also pleased that I'm starting to be able to identify a few on my own. Here are the pictures. I'm so glad I've insisted on keeping a turntable. There's nothing quite like the sound of a crackly record. I truly love it!

Stitchy Witchy

Hurricane Hooping

Finally Done!

Restoration

Balance

Thawing....

Quicky layout

Swiss Chard from the garden for Lunch!

Miss Haystack 2010

Hipstamatic for iphone

Thrift Store Fails....

Seed Saver

Festive Paper Garland

Check it out!

So many possiblilities...

Pneumonia- take 2... or 3... I'm loosing count...

New from Old Dishtowels

P-monia

Mayonaise

Spring in the Air??

Cables

Begining again....

Received my ATC swap cards!

Glitter ATC swap

Coming back to blog land!!

Purging..

Still here!!!

Friday, Food, Furry's,Festivities, Fo, Family, Furrows, Fun, Friends, Fuzzies and FIRE!!!

Goodbye Violet...

Dishwater Tincture!

Chicken Goodbyes....

Bits of Goodness!

Tribal Rising!

Hen Saver

Think Challenge - Tool Bridge

I was Tagged!

Snow Hooping

Sickness....and Herbal Meds

I *HEART* Soup!!!

Sickies...

Scrap Mojo Challenge

Sleepless in Souderton

Scrapbook Layouts..

Walk Through Trick

My LED hoop arrives!

Winter Solstice

I'm still here.....somewhere.....

Ms. Tia's Art N Sparks

Our "fairy" sweet girl turns 4!!

Wordy Wednesday

Pirate Ship...and Picture...

Wordy Wednesday

Lock Fixing

Cordials!!

One down... one to go...

Think! Challenge- Eggs

Fun Quiz

Impressionism in the Afternoon

Statue of Liberty

Think!

Mermaid anyone?

Canning Day

Fall Camping Trip

Homeschool Projects

Gryphon Turns 9!!

Wordy Wednesday

Where do I begin?

My Outdoor Girl

And one more.....

More Hoop Practice

Big Girl Bike

Check me out on Hooping.org!!

Egg-cellent !

Hoop-Soup!

Ruby's Chickens

Assategue Island 2008

Oh... hello there! Oh yes I DO have a blog don't I ?

The Perks of Homeschool

Chicken Coop

Rain Rain Go Away....

I HEART Soup!!!